《Lord Of Martial Arts》


 Chapter 1 The Assimilation Skill

    Great significance was given to martial arts cultivation in the Lothlann Continent. It was, thus, natural that the higher a person''s innate talent in martial arts, the more respect they earned.


    According to one''s talent for martial arts, people could be graded at the Heaven Degree, the Earth Degree, the Black Degree, and the Yellow Degree. In each of these degrees, people were ranked from level one to level nine based on their aptitude level. It was said that if someone reached the Heaven Degree, centuries of cultivation would turn him or her into the lord of martial arts, the legendary being.


    But the fact was that ninety-nine percent of people in this continent only had the talent of the Ordinary Degree, which was inferior to level one of the Yellow Degree.


    In Valmar, Doriath.


    "Have you heard the news? The chief of Chu Clan has been killed. It''s shocking!"


    "Yeah! It''s fucking unbelievable! I guess there is still an unknown strong presence in the world. I heard that it took only one attack from a blade to kill the chief. Can you believe this? He''s a cultivator of the Spirit Realm! Millions of cultivators practice desperately to reach his level, and yet, he died so easily."


    "The chief is gone now, but his property and rare books on martial arts didn''t go with him. The Chu Clan must be in chaos."


    ...


    "Please! Please don''t kill me!"


    Darren Chu cried out as he woke from his dream. When he looked around, Darren Chu saw that he was in a woodshed. His nightmare had left him soaked to the skin in sweat.


    Darren Chu was the seventh son of Gavin Chu, the chief of the Chu Clan. The Chu Clan was ranked topmost among the martial arts clans in Valmar.


    A masked man in black had killed Gavin Chu, the legendary cultivator, three days ago. The whole country had been shocked by the news of Gavin Chu''s death.


    Three days later, infighting began and the Chu Clan was in mayhem and disorder.


    Darren Chu, the son of the chief, had only the Ordinary Degree. Everyone thought of him as a loser. That was why he became the first target for the members of the Chu Clan. In such a big clan, it was easier to target the weakest member.


    Although Darren promised his abductors that he would give up his right of inheritance several times, they didn''t release him.


    "Am I still alive?"


    Darren remembered that his brother, the sixth son of Gavin, tried to provoke him with any excuse he could find. No matter how tolerant Darren was towards his brother''s insults, his brother had never stopped. Instead, he kept pushing Darren into a corner.


    In the end, he fabricated an excuse to kill Darren. He accused Darren of neglecting his filial duties because of his mediocre talent for martial arts.


    At the critical moment, a fireball fell from the sky and hit Darren on the head.


    His brother assumed that the fireball had killed Darren, and so, he stopped attacking. What he didn''t know was that Darren had narrowly escaped because of the fireball.


    "Damn it!"


    Darren threw a hard fist on the ground as he thought of everything that had transpired between him and his brother.


    "Wait!"


    Despite his anger, Darren remembered the pain he felt when the fireball struck his head. Shortly after, the world had turned dark as Darren lost consciousness. ''Why am I still alive?'' Darren wondered.


    When Darren stroked his forehead, he felt the scab from the injury after being hit by the fireball. He was surprised when he didn''t feel any pain.


    "That''s so strange! Why doesn''t it hurt? And the fireball, what''s that?"


    As Darren was racking his brains for a plausible explanation, he heard barking outside the door. In the next instant, he heard people speaking.


    "Oh, it''s Miss Belle! I knew it. You must be here to guard the loser''s corpse."


    "Miss Belle, the loser and you must have accumulated lots of treasures over the years, right? Mr. Evan has ordered us to reclaim all the property you own. You''d better hand them to us quickly. Otherwise, your brother''s body will be fed to the dogs. These bad guys have been hungry for many days. Be quick! Do you want your brother''s corpse to turn into chops?"


    Belle Chu, who was only thirteen years old, paled when she saw the vicious dogs. She had been made to stand outside the woodshed, where her brother''s body had been stored. She was terrified as she knew that these dogs had evolved from a kind of ferocious beast. Darren''s death had struck Belle Chu a significant blow. And now, she had to accept the possibility that she would lose her brother''s corpse.


    "My brother is dead! Why don''t you leave him be? Why?" Tears poured down her cheeks. Belle Chu felt nothing but desperation. Greed had led to a terrible fight for power in her family after the death of her father. Now, with Darren gone, she felt as though she was all alone. "Please! Please! Let him be! We have nothing of value. Please believe me! I''m telling the truth," Belle sobbed.


    Belle Chu was Darren''s only little sister. Their mother had passed away after she gave birth to Belle. Since then, Darren and Belle had been bullied by the rest of the Chu Clan.


    No matter how much injustice they suffered, both Darren and Belle refused to tell their father about it because they knew that if their father helped them,


    it would only earn them more torment from their siblings.


    Darren''s other siblings were influential factions in the Chu Clan because of their mother''s family background or their powerful sects. Darren, however, had no advantages in terms of both.


    "Bastard!" Darren, who had been listening from inside the woodshed, screamed with fury when he heard their conversation.


    Evan Chu, the sixth son of Gavin Chu, was Darren''s half-blood brother. Evan''s mother was the daughter of the Yue Clan in Valmar. Although the power of Evan''s mother''s family was inferior to Gavin''s other wives, Evan''s family background was superior to Darren''s.


    Evan Chu would be at a disadvantage if he went against the other siblings in the family strife. That was why Evan had chosen Darren as his target. The fewer the inheritors, the more property Evan would gain.


    Darren wanted to rush out to kill the two bastards Evan had left as guards, but he restrained his anger. He knew that his enemies were not only Evan''s subordinates but also from his faction. They could perhaps, even be all of his half-blood siblings. So Darren told himself that he could not take any actions without careful consideration.


    "Miss Belle, have you decided yet? Are you going to follow Evan''s orders or not?" One of the men screamed at Belle.


    "I''ve told you before that we have nothing. I''m not lying!" Belle cried.


    "Well! You have had your chance. Go now! Boys!"


    The fierce dogs barked at Belle before rushing into the woodshed.


    "Stop! You two assholes! Stop!" Belle covered her face with her hands as she wept. She wanted to rush into the room to protect her brother''s body, but the two subordinates blocked her path. Belle fell to the ground and cried as helplessness coursed through her.


    The dogs'' green eyes fixed on Darren''s body. As they neared their prey, smelly saliva escaped their mouths. Since the dogs had evolved from ferocious beasts, they were unusually aggressive.


    "Shoop! Shoop! Shoop!"


    The dogs pounced on Darren.


    Darren had heard the conversation between Belle and the two subordinates. Prepared for the attack, he threw a hard fist at the closest dog.


    "Bang!"


    The dog''s head smashed into pieces. Darren had begun his cultivation when he had been three years old. Although his talent for martial arts was mediocre, it was easy for him to kill a fierce dog.


    The remaining dogs stepped back after they saw the scene.


    "Wait! What''s that? Why is a ball of yellow light flying toward me?"


    The yellow light moved so quickly that Darren failed to dodge it. The light flew into his head in the blink of an eye.


    Darren was expecting to be injured by the light. On the contrary, he felt refreshed. He strode toward the rest of the dogs.


    "Bang! Bang! Bang!"


    Darren had moved so quickly that the dogs didn''t even have time to whine before their death.


    As before, a ball of yellow light appeared and flew into Darren''s head after each dog died.


    Darren had never experienced such a feeling before. The whole world was fresh and clear to him now. He could tell that he had gained significant improvement in his senses, including eyesight, hearing, and perception.


    "I''ve read about this before. This feeling is similar to the description of the Yellow Degree. Did I get an upgrade?"


    Darren was thrilled. He speculated that his upgrade was because of the fireball.


    "I read that all the creatures in this world have a talent for martial arts. Did that fireball empower me with the ability to assimilate other creatures'' talent?"


    Since a yellow light had flown into his head after each dog had died, Darren knew that his theory had been correct. Now, he had acquired the Assimilation Skill.


    What an incredible skill! As long as he had enough targets, Darren''s talent for martial arts would gain endless upgrades. He might even reach level nine of the Heaven Degree!


    Darren wondered what would happen after he surpassed the Heaven Degree through the Assimilation Skill.


    Such a skill was an invaluable gift sent from heaven. When Darren thought of this, his eyes became moist.


    "All of you will regret what you''ve done to me. Evan, you will see!"


    Outside the woodshed.


    "Hey! Jim! Why is it so quiet inside? Have they already eaten the loser''s body? Ha-ha!"


    "It''s highly possible. Ha-ha!" Then Jim turned to the other subordinate and said to him, "Ted, look at Miss Belle! What a pretty girl! Look at her body! So attractive! Are you wondering what she feels like?"


    "Jim! Are you out of your mind? She''s the chief''s daughter. Anyway, Mr. Evan didn''t give us such permission. We''d better behave ourselves."


    "You are such a wuss! Don''t you want to try? We can explain that she killed herself because she couldn''t take the loser''s death. Come on! It''s a rare chance for us to share such a beauty."


    Belle broke down when she heard the two men speak about her in such a wicked way. She felt that everything around her was spinning.


    "That makes sense. Even if the Elders Cabinet tries to find out who is to blame, we will have Mr. Evan as our support. Ha-ha! My little Belle! I''m coming for you!" Ted stared at Belle obscenely.


    "No! Get away!" As they forced Belle into a corner, she shivered with fear. Helplessness filled her eyes.

 Chapter 2 Breakthrough

    Bang!


    A loud bang was heard just as the woodshed''s door was smashed into smithereens.


    The two men exchanged somewhat worried glances, both probably thinking the same thing: who could possibly be at the door? As they approached the door, or at least what was left of it anyway, they were met by Darren''s face. The looks of worry on the two men''s face were instantaneously changed to looks of complete and utter surprise.


    "It''s you!" Ted exclaimed.


    "Impossible! How are you still alive?"


    Darren glowered at them, seething with fury, chest heaving with anger. Belle was the only family he had left in the world. He would have done anything for her. He would have even sacrificed his life for her safety. "You bastards will regret what you''ve done to my little sister!" he bellowed.


    The two men were without a doubt astounded by what they saw. Darren was alive. He looked exhausted and weary, but undeniably alive.


    "Darren?" came a soft cry from the corner. Belle was initially frozen on the spot, her brain not processing what she was seeing. It took her a few seconds to realize that what she was seeing were actual facts and that her brother really was alive. Overcome by the intense happiness, she ran towards Darren and leapt up in his arms.


    "You''re alive. You''re alive. You''re alive." Almost a whisper, she kept repeating the words, afraid that if she didn''t, it would suddenly not become true. "Thank God." "It''s alright now, little sister. Don''t cry," he reassured her. "I''m here, I''m alright."


    Darren then turned to look at the two men who dared hurt his sister. "I''m going to give you two choices. End your life now or I will help you end it," he casually proposed all the two while looking daggers at them.


    Jim guffawed at Darren''s bold statement. "Ha! That''s so hilarious! You''re still alive, so what? The chief is dead. There''s no one else in the Chu Clan who would protect you!" he stated as a matter-of-factly. "Ted, seize this loser. Let''s show him the ways we could enjoy his beloved little sister. Ha-ha!"


    Jim didn''t care at all whether Darren was alive or not. He knew that the boy was only at the first stage of the Primary Realm. And although he and Ted were also still at the first stage of the Primary Realm, with both of them working together, they had the advantage. Killing Darren would be a piece of cake.


    "You''re so screwed!" Darren roared. His heart thumped, the anger continuing to build up inside him.


    Whoosh, whoosh!


    Darren leaped into the air and in just a matter of a split second, he was hovering beside Jim.


    Bang! Darren drew out his hand into a hard fist.


    The next second, Jim''s head was exploding. Then a ball of yellow light was sucked into Darren''s head.


    Ted, with a devilish smile still plastered on his face, was seemingly frozen and at a loss for words - too shocked to process what just happened.


    After a few moments, his body finally reacted and his jaw dropped.


    "Y-you! You broke through the first stage! You''ve reached the second stage of the Primary Realm! How is that even possible?" he exclaimed disbelievingly.


    ''How could it even be possible that a loser of the Ordinary Degree made a breakthrough and had now reached the second stage of the Primary Realm?'' Ted kept racking his brain for all the possible reasons, but he kept on failing to come up with something. He clearly remembered that Darren was only at the first stage of the Primary Realm before his death.


    "Mr. Darren! I''m so sorry! Please, please forgive me!" Ted pleaded. "It''s-it''s Mr. Evan''s order! I have no choice but follow his order!" Seeing the gap between two different stages in the cultivation base that he and Darren were in intimidated him to the core. He didn''t want to end up like Jim. After all, he wasn''t dumb. ''It''s better to be safe than sorry, '' he thought.


    "It''s Evan''s order?" Darren asked the pleading man. "Did he also give you the order to molest my sister?" he added, the anger inside him building up more and more.


    This left Ted speechless, sweat trickling down his forehead.


    "Well, it''s...I-" Ted was still trying to come up with an excuse, but without a warning...


    Bang!


    A fist killed him before he spoke out his next word.


    Darren would never let assholes like them go off so easily. He could not even imagine what would have happened to his little sister if he actually did pass away.


    Darren turned back and looked at his sister. "Belle, are you all right?" he asked, a mix of worry and relief painted his face. In return, he was greeted by a dumbfounded look on Belle''s face. It wasn''t every day that the girl witnesses bloody scenes, after all.


    Belle realized how terrifying her brother could be. It was terrifying watching someone killing people, let alone watching her own brother doing the killing. "I-I''m y-yeah! I''m all right!" she finally said. "Anyway, the most important thing is that you are


    still miraculously alive! And you''ve become so powerful!" She hopped over to Darren and hugged him. "I''m so happy for you!" she added.


    Belle understood how difficult it must have been for Darren, a cultivator of the Ordinary Degree, to make a breakthrough in cultivation base.


    The cultivation base was made up of the Primary Realm, the Spirit Realm, the Mysterious Realm and the Wonder Realm. People of every realm were ranked from the first stage through the ninth stage. The more talented a cultivator was, the more quickly he or she broke through the stage. Of course, the breakthrough in cultivation base also required a cultivator''s effort and resourcefulness no matter how naturally talented he or she was.


    According to the legend, what came next to the Wonder Realm were the Grand Realm and the Holy Realm. But the cultivators with such a premium cultivation base were almost like legendary beings, a myth. Only a few people had had the chance to meet one of them.


    Although Darren was not a naturally talented cultivator, he was more diligent than anyone. He had always tried hard and given his all.


    Darren''s martial arts talent was the topmost level of the Ordinary Degree. After he killed the dogs and adopted their talent, he reached level one of the Yellow Degree.


    The recent upgrade in his martial art skills was most probably brought about by his higher talent. That was why he could make a breakthrough in cultivation base so suddenly.


    Darren sensed that his talent for martial arts had a great improvement after he adopted the two men''s talents. He guessed that he had reached level two of the Yellow Degree. He was delighted about this, but he decided not to tell his little sister about this recent upgrade.


    The Chu Clan was the supreme clan in Valmar, and there were lots of talented cultivators among the clan. Four of Gavin''s seven sons were level six of the Yellow Degree, and all the four had joined famous sects in order to further their cultivation base. And Nicholas Chu, who was hailed as the super genius of the Chu Clan, was level seven of the Yellow Degree. Each of them was absolutely far beyond Darren''s cultivation base.


    "Evan is in level three of the Yellow Degree. Years of cultivation has got him into the fourth stage of the Primary Realm. Plus, besides Evan, there are other cultivators who are probably level six or seven of the Yellow Degree in the Chu Clan. Their cultivation base is far beyond mine. I have to work harder to be able to defeat them."


    "Darren, what are you whispering to yourself?" Belle asked. Tears started to swell into Belle''s eyes. Seeing her brother muttering to himself made her feel worried that the injuries he acquired was affecting him in some way.


    "No - it''s nothing! Belle, you go on and head home. I need to stop by the Elders Cabinet first."


    "Darren, that place is not our home anymore," Belle said, the tears from her eyes threatening to fall all at once. Fear crept inside her. Just the mere mention of going home frightened her. "Darren, let''s leave this place. We could run away to some unknown village for safety. I don''t want to come back!" Belle exclaimed. "Or did you forget that our siblings want to kill you and expel me from the Chu Clan?"


    "No! Listen to me, Belle. Evan is a cruel man! He would never leave us alone no matter where we fled to. But I have a plan. Just trust me, Belle! I will survive and I will protect you." Through clenched fists, Darren silently swore that he would never forgive them. He would definitely make them regret what they had done to him and his sister for all those years.


    There were two reasons why Darren wanted to stay in the Chu Clan. Firstly, he was now qualified for the guaranteed protection of the Elders Cabinet since he was now level two of the Yellow Degree. With that, Evan would at least stop explicitly lashing out against him and Belle.


    The second reason was the more important one. Darren was hoping to grasp the rare opportunity of being a disciple at the Ilmen Sect. The Ilmen Sect was the top sect, surpassing all the other sects of Doriath. They recruited new disciples every ten years and as long as he became one of the disciples, he would gain a powerful support. With that support, he would be able to take revenge.


    But the test was not an easy one to pass. It was almost impossible, even. Only a super genius would be able to pass it. Even Nicholas Chu''s plans to join the sect had faint results, and he was considered the number one genius of the Chu Clan, not to mention he was level seven of the Yellow Degree.


    If Nicholas didn''t have any luck in joining the sect, what more for Darren who was only level two of the Yellow Degree? There were only two months left for Darren to prepare for the test, and the pressure was starting to dawn on him.


    "Talent! I have to upgrade my talent as soon as possible. The higher, the better!" he blurted out.

 Chapter 3 Elders Attitude

    The outer disciples of the Chu Clan murmured among themselves when they saw Darren heading toward the Elders Cabinet. The very fact that Darren was still alive shocked them. After all, they had heard that Evan had killed Darren. The outer disciples could not figure out how Darren had survived.


    Darren, however, just ignored them.


    Darren had arranged for Belle to return home. He wasn''t worried about her safety now. According to the family rules, females didn''t have the right of inheritance. Since Belle was not a threat to any of them, none of the Chu Clan members saw her as a target.


    After a while, Darren arrived at the Elders Cabinet.


    The Elders Cabinet was a unique place within the Chu Clan. No one, except the chief, had the right to enter without permission.


    It was said that all the elders in the Elders Cabinet were cultivators of the Spirit Realm. Only major family events could bring them out of the cabinet.


    However, the elders took no action when they heard the news of the death of the chief. That was strange.


    Darren knocked on the plain gate and shouted, "Darren Chu, a ninth generation member of the Chu Clan, requests permission to meet the elders."


    A great clan, like the Chu Clan, had strict rules and could be cruel if the rules were not followed.


    For example, why did the Elders Cabinet disregard the fact that others had preyed on Darren, the son of the chief?


    Because members whose talent for martial arts was lower than the Yellow Degree would never gain the recognition of the family. What was worse, such members would be expelled from the Chu Clan as soon as they were sixteen.


    Darren was only fifteen now. So, despite his inferior martial arts talent, he had the right of inheritance. That was why Evan had attacked him.


    The gate opened with a creak.


    A disciple in grey walked out. When he saw Darren, he frowned and asked, "Why are you here?"


    "I''m here to request the Elders Cabinet to protect Belle and me." Darren shared his purpose bluntly.


    "You are not qualified. As you are inferior to the Yellow Degree, you are not considered as a member of the Chu Clan," the disciple replied to Darren with a disdainful look. The disciple, as a servant of the elders, had lived in the Elders Cabinet for years. Although he had few chances to go out, he had heard that Darren was only a mediocre talent in martial arts.


    "And you are unqualified to make this decision. You are only a servant. What gives you the right to decide on behalf of the elders? What''s more, even the elders don''t dare to violate the rules of the Chu Clan. Did you think that a servant like you can change the rules now?" Darren retorted harshly.


    "You!" The disciple turned grim-faced with anger. He wondered when this untalented martial artist had changed into this confident man. "Well! You will see."


    After a moment, a voice came from inside.


    "Go back to where you came from. You are inferior to the Yellow Degree, so your life or death is of no concern to the Chu Clan."


    The voice was as loud as thunder, although the speaker couldn''t be seen. Darren marveled in his mind as stories of the powerful level of the elder''s cultivation base were, indeed, true.


    Darren bowed respectfully and said, "Sir, I''ve reached the Yellow Degree. People of the Chu Clan are preying on me. As the son of the chief, I ask for the elders'' protection."


    "Oh?" In the blink of an eye, an elder with a frail build appeared in front of the gate. He looked at Darren doubtfully.


    The talent of every immediate family member was on record in the Elders Cabinet. The elders knew that Darren was only a cultivator of the Ordinary Degree. Why did Darren say that he had reached the Yellow Degree? The possibility that his talent for martial arts had changed was as unrealistic as fairy tales. The elder thought that Darren was lying.


    "Hey! You! Don''t you know that lying to the elders will only bring you severe punishment? Everyone knows that you are only a loser of the Ordinary Degree. And now, you have the nerve to cheat the elders," the disciple, standing beside the elder, sharply rebuked Darren. He accused Darren of being untruthful. He thought that Darren was scared enough to make up a lie to seek the Elders Cabinet''s protection.


    "Well, don''t you know that being irreverent toward your young master will lead to your death?" Darren retorted with a sharp glare.


    "Ha-ha! You are only a dying loser. Young master? You don''t even compare with a dog. Bah!" the disciple said to Darren, scornfully. He thought to himself, ''Only a person''s talent, not background, matters in this world. A loser like you is a nobody.''


    "Shut up!" the elder reproached the disciple as he could not stand the disciple''s taunts. The disciple trembled with fear and kept silent.


    "Kid! Although we are the elders of the Chu Clan, we can''t do whatever we want. Of course, we don''t want to see our family members prey on each other. But this is how this world works. This is the law of the jungle. Since you are the son of the chief, I will provide you with protection for three days. You can run as far away as you can during these three days. You can go now, kid." Then the elder int


    ended to walk away. He had broken the rules by providing Darren with protection for three days.


    "Sir! I''m telling the truth. I''ve reached the Yellow Degree. Please carry out your duty to check my talent for martial arts, sir," Darren pleaded again.


    "You!" Apparently, the elder had lost his patience. He yelled at Darren, "You have had your chance, but you threw it away. If I check and find out that you are lying, you won''t even survive six hours."


    Darren could tell that the elder was not bluffing. If Darren failed to get any protection, Evan would resume his attacks at once.


    The second the elder finished his words, he hovered in front of Darren. Then he stretched his hand over Darren''s head.


    The disciple said nothing but smiled. ''He''s so screwed this time, '' he thought with a smirk.


    However, the elder didn''t say a word for a while. During the silence, his facial expression changed fast. The eyebrows on his dismissive face frowned. Then he widened his eyes with a shocked look.


    "You are at level two of the Yellow Degree!"


    The elder, staring at Darren, was struck dumb with amazement. He could not believe the result. Darren was at level two of the Yellow Degree. ''Is there a mistake in the former record?'' he wondered. Only nature''s gifts or rare elixirs could upgrade a person''s talent for martial arts, but both were challenging to acquire.


    "Sir, please carry out your duty to protect my sister and me," Darren said, calmly.


    The protection of the Elders Cabinet covered the whole faction. If Darren got their protection, his sister would be included as well.


    Although the elder still had many doubts, the rules didn''t allow him to refuse Darren''s request. "Accepted. I, Abner Chu, the elder of the Chu Clan will carry out the duty to protect you. But the protection will expire in two months. After two months, your life depends on your fate. Don''t ask me the reason. You should go now."


    The Elder Abner, with a mixture of emotions on his face, turned and disappeared behind the gate.


    The disciple, however, was stunned to hear that Darren was at level two of the Yellow Degree. And, he had succeeded in gaining the protection of the elder. ''Damn it! I fucked up this time. I''d better run for my life.''


    Then the disciple turned and slid behind the gate.


    Darren didn''t follow him. After all, he had no right to walk into the Elders Cabinet. Besides, Darren knew that he would have many opportunities in the future to teach the disciple a lesson.


    "Two months?"


    Darren wanted to ask the elder about the reason, but he controlled his curiosity. Everything that had happened recently was bizarre. The Elders Cabinet did nothing to avenge the death of his father. There must be an extraordinary reason for their lack of action.


    "Two months later, the Ilmen Sect will start recruitment among the clans. Once I pass the test, no one in the Chu Clan will prey on me anymore. Even the royal members have to show respect to the Ilmen Sect."


    Darren had made his plan, but he was not highly confident about whether he would pass the test. After all, the Ilmen Sect wanted super-geniuses. However, he was only at level two of the Yellow Degree. His only tiny chance to pass the test was to reach level seven of the Yellow Degree, like Nicholas Chu.


    In the adytum of the Elders Cabinet.


    "What happened, Abner?" the Chief Elder with white hair asked with his eyes closed.


    "This is so weird. How''s this even possible? A cultivator of the Ordinary Degree upgrades to level two of the Yellow Degree," Abner Chu said. Upon hearing him, the other two elders opened their eyes at the same time. Doubt reflected in their expressions.


    "What? Is this real?" The Chief Elder could not believe it as well.


    "Yeah! It''s true. I''ve checked it out," Abner Chu said reverently.


    "Never mind! Perhaps he gained rare elixirs by chance. Although he has upgraded his talent, he is only at level two of the Yellow Degree. There''s no great future for him. This is a critical period. You two also felt the aura of the man in black that day. I think you will remember his power. We would all have died with his first attack had we also been his target that day."


    "I guess he is a strong cultivator of the Mysterious Realm."


    "Yeah, I agree with you. Our chief was at the ninth stage of the Spirit Realm, but he was beheaded with only one blow. The man in black may be a cultivator of the Mysterious Realm. Such a powerful being is rare to see. It''s even few and far among the royal members. The man in black perhaps comes from one of the foreign sects. The best alternative for us is to wait out this critical period. If one of the members from our young generation passes the test and becomes a disciple of the Ilmen Sect in two months, we will gain a little more assistance."


    "Yes, Chief Elder! We should provide Nicholas, Blake, and Leo with as many resources as we can offer. As long as one of them passes the test, it will be a great relief for us."


    "All right! Let''s focus on our cultivation instead of such a little deal. Only those three geniuses deserve our attention. They are the future of the Chu Clan."


    Then the three elders began their meditation.

 Chapter 4 Further Upgrade

    Darren headed home after he left the Elders Cabinet.


    When he arrived home, he found Belle had fallen in a deep and sweet sleep. She must feel so secure with the knowledge that her brother was still alive. Looking at her serene expression, Darren swore that he would protect his little sister with his life.


    Then Darren went to the training room that contained several books on martial skills.


    "I couldn''t understand these skills when my talent was only at the Ordinary Degree. How would it feel to learn these skills now?"


    Darren casually picked several books on the skills that he had found challenging to understand before, and leafed through the books.


    "Hepta-Punch? Easy one! Why couldn''t I understand it before? Is this how it feels to be talented?"


    "Shooting Punch? A piece of cake! It''s just an ordinary skill."


    After he finished all the books he had selected, Darren shook his head and laughed. The skills that he had racked his brain to understand but failed to were as easy as blinking an eye. But these skills were only for beginners, which offered no help to Darren.


    The talented cultivators had the advantage of absorbing spiritual energy from Heaven and Earth. They not only made a quick breakthrough in their cultivation base but also had a good grasp of martial skills.


    "Alas! These are only some basic skills. None of them are beneficial to me. I''d better go to the Martial Skill Library to select better ones."


    Darren didn''t want to waste his time studying basic martial skills.


    "With my current talent level and a solid foundation, I should be able to make a further upgrade in my cultivation base."


    Darren was at the second stage of the Primary Realm now. Evan, however, was at the fourth stage of the Primary Realm. Darren couldn''t compare with Evan in terms of cultivation base. If Darren wanted to survive, he had to make a further breakthrough in his cultivation base as soon as possible.


    A stage further would mean a quantum leap in cultivation base. The gap between two different stages of a person''s cultivation base was as wide as the Milky Way. For example, Darren could kill anyone at the first stage of the Primary Realm within a few seconds, like Evan''s subordinates.


    That was why the breakthrough in his cultivation base was vital for Darren now.


    Then Darren sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to absorb spiritual energy.


    As soon as Darren entered a stage of deep meditation, he could feel quintuple spiritual energy gathering in his body, which refreshed him tremendously.


    "That''s so great. I can''t believe that I can absorb spiritual energy at such a quick speed. And I am only at level two of the Yellow Degree. Nicholas is at level seven of the Yellow Degree. How would it feel like at that level?


    Blake, the son of my elder uncle, and Leo, the son of my third uncle, are also at level seven of the Yellow Degree. Those geniuses are far beyond me. But my Assimilation Skill will empower me with the talent to be superior to them. I just need time."


    This thought cheered Darren up immediately.


    Spiritual energy gradually gathered into Darren''s body, nourishing his energy meridians and strengthening his bones. This was a sign of the breakthrough in Darren''s cultivation base.


    The night was over.


    When the first ray of sunlight appeared, Darren opened his eyes all of a sudden.


    "I did it! I''m at the third stage of the Primary Realm now."


    In a seemingly instantaneous burst, Darren jumped up. Then he threw a hard fist at the training stone next to him.


    The three-inch-depth hollow on the surface was hard evidence of the improvement in his cultivation base.


    "I have reached a stage further. This is a significant improvement in my cultivation base. The saying is true. My power has strengthened tenfold overnight. Finally! Finally, all my hard work pays off. Otherwise, I would never have broken through the stage overnight without my previous persistent practice."


    Darren was joyful that he didn''t give up his practice before. His persistence finally bore fruit. After his talent had been upgraded, he would make quicker progress in his cultivation base than others.


    A loud noise came from outside.


    "Come on! Come on! Be careful! These are expensive. Move faster!"


    Darren heard people talking and the dull sound of objects rattling in the early morning.


    "What''s going on outside?" Darren frowned, then he walked out of the training room.


    He was greeted with the scene of a dozen servants mo


    ving furniture and other things out of his room. All his belongings were lying around the yard in a mess.


    "What the hell are you doing?" Darren exclaimed with anger as he clutched a servant''s collar.


    "Oh! It''s Mr. Darren, who just survived death. The things Mr. Evan doesn''t want, of course, belong to me. Well, do you have any problem with this?"


    A young man with a scornful look walked toward Darren, showing no respect to him.


    Darren knew this young man. He was Jay, the only son of the butler.


    "Go back to where you came from, bastard! Otherwise, you will regret what you have said to me." The flames of anger were burning in Darren''s chest. None of the servants had shown any respect to him. But he didn''t want to teach them a lesson before the upcoming test.


    "Ha-ha! Really? What do you want to do to me, loser? Have you forgotten how I beat you before? Yeah, you are the son of the chief. But, so what? You are nothing in this family. You can''t even compare with a dog. My father is the butler of the Chu Clan, a decision-maker in this family. What can you do to me, loser?"


    "Ha-ha, ha-ha!"


    All the other servants burst into laughter. They had been a little scared to see Darren at first. But after they heard what their leader said, all their worries disappeared. Jay reminded them that Darren was only a mediocre talent in the Chu Clan. They had no reason to be afraid of Darren.


    "I will give you the last chance. Fuck off!" Darren roared.


    ''What the hell? How did his voice become so powerful?'' Jay was shocked.


    But he could not act like a wuss in front of his subordinates. If they saw that he was frightened by a loser, how could he continue to be their leader?


    "I guess you must have missed my fist very much, loser! Well, let me remind you of what it felt like," Jay said disdainfully, as he raised his fist.


    ''That''s enough!''


    Before Jay could swing his fist at him, Darren took action.


    "You have had your chance, asshole!"


    Darren flashed in front of Jay and landed several slaps on his face. Jay''s cheeks swelled immediately. In the next second, Darren threw a hard fist at Jay''s chest.


    As his chest sank inwards because of the power in Darren''s fist, Jay felt that everything around him was spinning. Agonizing pain spread throughout his body. Before he could react to what had just happened, Jay began vomiting blood.


    "How, how''s this even possible? Why is this loser so strong? I didn''t even have the chance to fight back. I''m at the second stage of the Primary Realm. That''s impossible! Impossible!" Jay found it hard to believe what had just happened to him.


    "Darren, how dare you? You are so screwed this time!" Although he couldn''t even get up, Jay''s words were still harsh.


    "Oh? Really? You are partly right because you are the one who is screwed," Darren retorted as he walked closer to Jay.


    Fear spread through the air.


    The servants beside Jay were too scared to breathe. Meanwhile, beads of sweat trickled down from Jay''s forehead. At this very moment, he realized that he was like a trapped rabbit, out on a limb.


    "You! You! What are you doing? I''m the son of the butler! My father would never let you off if you kill me! Back off!" The hands of fear almost chocked Jay to death.


    "Oh! That''s right! Your father is the butler! The decision-maker! But, so what?" Darren sneered at Jay.


    "You are lucky to remember that! I''ll forgive you if you kowtow to me and apologize. Be quick! Then take me to a doctor! If my father learns of what you''ve done, you will be dead meat!"


    Jay didn''t understand what was behind Darren''s smile, so he spoke arrogantly. However, he was knocking at death''s door.


    "Swoosh!"


    In a flash, Darren threw a fist, as powerful as a thousand-pound stone falling from the sky.


    "Bang!"


    A ball of yellow light flew into Darren''s head. He had gained Jay''s talent.


    ''Why did I only gain a little talent this time? Is it because this bastard is only at level one of the Yellow Degree? I got it. His talent for martial arts is inferior to mine. If I want rapid growth in my talent, I have to choose superior cultivators as my targets.''


    Darren concluded after he assimilated Jay''s talent.


    The remaining servants, however, turned pale at the bloody scene. They knelt and shivered with fear.


    "Fuck off!"


    It was a waste of time for Darren to kill these untalented servants.


    All the servants, having obtained amnesty, kowtowed to Darren to show their appreciation. Then they cried and ran away.

 Chapter 5 Martial Arts Skill Library (Part One)

    The next day.


    "Not only can I absorb talent from people, I can also take it from wild beasts. Like the two dogs that day."


    Darren remembered he had read in a book that every creature in this world was born with the talent for martial arts, but the talent was ranked from different levels.


    "The Barren Wasteland! That''s a great choice!"


    There were hills called the Barren Wasteland one hundred and eighty miles away from Acqua City. Those hills, covered by miasmas throughout the year, were the habitat of various strong beasts.


    "If I can catch a few strong beasts, I will gain a rapid upgrade in my talent. But I must go to the Martial Arts Skill Library before I leave for the Barren Wasteland."


    Darren decided to head the Barren Wasteland alone and hunt wild beasts for more talent.


    The Barren Wasteland was an extremely dangerous place. It was hard for Darren, considering his current cultivation base, to kill wild beasts on his own. So he needed to go to the Martial Arts Skill Library, where he could first enhance his power by learning and practicing some superior martial skills.


    Darren entered quickly upon arrival at the Martial Arts Skill Library.


    He started his research on the first floor of the building.


    Darren casually picked some books and leafed through them. However, what he found were only basic martial skills for beginners. It was as easy as blinking an eye for Darren to learn those skills, but he didn''t need such weak and basic skills. So he headed directly for the second floor.


    The books on the second floor were all on important martial skills of the Chu Clan. These skills were difficult to learn. Generally speaking, the second floor was where the outstanding members of the Chu Clan came to choose the martial skills they wished to learn.


    "The Fierce Punch? This seems to be a great one. If I mastered this skill, the power of my punch at my current cultivation base would be equal to the force of two thousand pounds. It''s almost as strong as a cultivator of the fourth stage of the Primary Realm."


    Darren picked up another book. "Premium Blade Skill... This one is aggressive. There are thirteen moves of it. Each one is a murderous attack. It''s an excellent martial skill, but it will take me half a year to have a good grasp of it."


    ...


    Darren hadn''t made a decision yet after he walked around for a while. According to the family rule of Chu Clan, every member of the immediate family was allowed to choose only one book from the Martial Arts Skill Library every half a year.


    "Oh my god! Haven''t you decided yet? Any book here is going to take you almost a year to learn. Come on, just pick one and go away."


    Darren turned to the voice and saw an elderly man next to the bookshelf. He could tell from the old man''s squinting eyes that he had just woken up from a nap. The elder was the guard of the Martial Arts Skill Library.


    "I''m sorry, sir! Could you give me a few more minutes to think about it, please?"


    Darren answered politely. He knew well that the elder in Martial Arts Skill Library was as powerful as the ones in the Elders Cabinet, both in status and cultivation base.


    "Come on, kid! It''s not about time. If you really want something good, why don''t you go to the third floor? The books upstairs are all masterpieces. Go and pick one! I bet you will find the one you want. Or are you afraid?" Apparently, the elder had lost his patience.


    Darren was not the first one w


    ho took his time to make a choice. The elder, as the guard of the Martial Arts Skill Library, had met lots of disciples like Darren over the years, but Darren was the disciple who spent the most time here. He had leafed through almost every book on the second floor, which annoyed the elder. None of the disciples had the talent to master any of the books here, but they always took their sweet time while choosing.


    Darren''s eyes widened with delight when he heard what the elder said. He didn''t go to the third floor before, because he had never gained permission to enter.


    "Thank you so much, sir!" Then Darren rushed upstairs as soon as his words left his mouth.


    "What an idiot!" The elder opened his eyes with anger, blowing heated breath from his beard. "How can he be so stupid? Those are top martial skills! You really think highly of yourself, kid!"


    He didn''t expect Darren to take what he sneered at him seriously.


    Only a superior genius was qualified to practice the top martial skills. Even the three super martial geniuses didn''t have the nerve to touch the books on the third floor. They were afraid of a deviation of the energy flow in their body.


    The room on the third floor was not a big one. There were two wooden boxes covered with dust on the front desk.


    "Those must be the top martial skills."


    Darren went forward and opened one of the boxes. There was a roll of ancient parchment in it.


    "The Profound Nine Sword Skills! It sounds distinctly powerful."


    When Darren opened the parchment and cast a glance at it, the complicated movements on the pictures swept Darren into the vortex of its magic power. He felt light-headed at once.


    But he didn''t give up because of this. He tried to understand the first move of the Profound Nine Sword Skills.


    However, he immediately felt his head was about to explode when he tried to gain their meaning.


    "Oho!" Darren closed his eyes and his dizziness left him as quickly as it came. "That''s really a difficult one. If I keep trying to learn it, it''ll only turn me into an idiot. My current talent is not strong enough to understand such a top martial skill."


    Although he was still in shock, he put down the parchment and opened another box.


    He had learned from what just happened, so he only watched the pictures on it instead of trying to understanding the scroll''s meaning. Everything went smoothly this time.


    "The Grand Thirteen Blade Skills! What an invincible one! If I had the ability to master it, I could even cut a mountain into two pieces," Darren marveled.


    The Grand Thirteen Blade Skills was as obscure and difficult as the Profound Nine Sword Skills, so Darren didn''t try to understand it. He didn''t want to have another dizzy spell.


    ''A top blade skill and an excellent sword skill! Only one of them will enable the one who has mastered it to launch invincible attacks. What would happen if someone learned both of them at the same time? I cannot even imagine it!'' A thought appeared in Darren''s mind.


    Darren knew well that sword skills and blade skills were incompatible as fire and water. If he forced himself to practice the two at the same time, not only would he gain nothing beneficial, but he would break into pieces.


    "Get out of here!" The elder roared at Darren with fury. "How dare you?"


    Darren''s pale face proved that he had tried to understand the top martial skills. It was very lucky for him that his mind hadn''t turned to mush.

 Chapter 6 Martial Arts Skill Library (Part Two)

    "Yes, sir!" Darren answered, humbly. "But, sir, can I ask for your permission to borrow the two books for two months? I will give them back as soon as the time expires."


    "Are you out of your mind? Get out of here! You little bastard! I''m kicking you out for your own good. As someone inferior to the ninth stage of the Yellow Degree, the only result of learning top martial skills is death. Of course, I want someone of our family to learn the two top skills, but it''s not you. Have you understood what I mean, you naive fool? You will be a heap of useless pulp if you try to understand the two skills, even only one of their moves!" The elder barked at Darren.


    Darren shook his head with resignation. The possibility of him borrowing the two books today was zero, so he sat down and crossed his legs with the two books in hand. Then he opened the two books and began reading them carefully.


    Darren was trying to remember every move in detail.


    He copied every picture in his mind, which was not a risk for him as long as he wasn''t actively trying to learn what he was copying.


    "What a helpless idiot!" The elder gave up in the end. He thought, ''You little bastard, if you want to make such a stupid mistake, I will not stop you. It''s none of my business anyway. I have never given you the permission to borrow the books. It will not be my responsibility if you die because of this.''


    Time flashed by. Sixty hours passed.


    "Finally!" Darren took a deep breath and said with relief, "I''m finally done with it."


    Darren copied every move of the two top skills. This included nine moves of the Profound Nine Sword Skills and thirteen moves of the Grand Thirteen Blade Skills.


    Darren found no omissions during his final check of what he remembered and the scrolls themselves. Then he went downstairs.


    "I will come back two months later, sir. Then you can check my progress then, sir." Darren made a bow towards the elder.


    That was the rule of the Martial Arts Skill Library. Every disciple who had read or borrowed the skill books had to come back two months later to get checked by the elder. And the ones who made poor progress would get punished.


    The elder, still scowling, didn''t even look at Darren as he said, "Two months later? I''m afraid I''d only meet your tombstone by then. Now get out of here, you fool!"


    Darren smiled with resignation and walked out of the Martial Arts Skill Library.


    Although the two top skills were hard to understand, Darren had the Assimilation Skill. That was his biggest advantage. He was confident that he would be qualified to have a grasp of them sooner or later. At least, his talent would be upgraded in two months to the degree that allowed him to practice the first move of the top skills.


    Darren even began wondering how the elder would react to his progress two months later.


    After Darren left the Martial Arts Skill Library, he chose a fast horse from the stable. Then he rode over to the west side of the city.


    As the sun was going down, barren hills retreated at his backside. Darren now approached a black forest as wide as the sea.


    "I''ve arrived, but I didn''t expect it would be so crowded."


    Darren got off the horse. There were lots of people outside the Barren Wasteland although it was late and the sun was setting.


    Darren knew that they were from other clans and infamous sects. They were here to seek improvement in cu


    ltivation and to hunt for wild beasts or treasures along the way.


    "Hey guys! Liu Clan needs you to join us! We welcome all the cultivators who are superior to the fourth stage of the Primary Realm. We offer a very generous deal. Come on, guys! Who wants in?"


    "Listen here! We need teammates who are superior to the fifth stage of the Primary Realm. We will welcome you as one of the Luna Sect!"


    More than ten teams were recruiting teammates. It was dangerous even outside the Barren Wasteland because it was highly possible that the beasts superior to level five would appear at night. It would be risky to stay late without teammates.


    Darren observed that the basic requirement to join any of the teams was a cultivator superior to the fourth stage of the Primary Realm, but he was only at the third stage. No teams would want him as a member.


    It would be too dangerous to stay here alone. Darren had no choice but to casually pick a team that was still recruiting teammates.


    "Hey guys. May I join you?"


    There were four members in this team. They were looking for one more teammate before they set off.


    "What''s your cultivation base, man?" a young man asked humbly.


    "The third stage of the Primary Realm," Darren answered.


    The young man''s expression darkened at once.


    "What the hell is wrong with you? Haven''t you heard what we want is a cultivator of the fifth stage? Go away, trash!"


    Darren became angry as well, and he retorted, "Watch your mouth! You don''t have to turn me down in such a rude manner."


    "Fuck off! Trash! I say you are trash. Do you have a problem with it? If you do, you can discuss it with my fist. Go to hell!"


    The young man raised his fist towards Darren.


    "Wait! Would you like to be our teammate, man? We need a helper to pack dead beasts," a graceful young man in luxury clothes said to Darren.


    "Who the hell-" Once he saw who had spoken, the arrogant young man swallowed down all the vicious words he was ready to spout just moments earlier. He apologized at once, "I''m sorry! I''m so sorry, my lord! I didn''t realize who you were, Mr. Jared."


    The graceful young man shot a fierce look at him, and the man turned tail and ran.


    "Yes!" Darren answered without a second thought.


    Then Jared Qi leaded Darren to his party. Darren found that there were five members in Jared''s team, including two beautiful girls.


    "Let me introduce everyone! This is Kyle Zhang, Marvin Zhou, Phil Li, Corrine Gu, and Elsa Gongsun," Jared said to Darren.


    "Hello everyone, my name is Darren Chu."


    "Nice to meet you, Darren! Welcome to our team. We need you to pack dead beasts and carry some necessities for us," the girl named Corrine Gu said to Darren with a smile.


    "Okay! No problem," Darren answered with a nod. He didn''t mind doing the manual labor for them. His real purpose was not the dead beasts for sale but to absorb the wild beasts'' talent. The five members were all strong cultivators. The team leader, Jared Qi, was at least a cultivator of the sixth stage of the Primary Realm. And the other four were all at least at the fifth stage.


    There was no harm for Darren to follow them.


    "All right, guys! Let''s set off right now. Your work will pay off after we leave here safely," Jared Qi, the strongest cultivator in the team, said to Darren. Then they followed Jared''s lead and headed into the black forest of the Barren Wasteland.

 Chapter 7 The Barren Wasteland (Part One)

    The darkness in the forest and the roar of wild beasts terrified everyone.


    "Catch up, guys! Our targets are high-level beasts that aren''t accustomed to walking around at night. However, many wild beasts prefer to hunt at night. We must be careful now!"


    It was a big risk to walk into the Barren Wasteland at this time of the night, but it was also the best time to hunt high-level beasts, as they preferred to rest at night.


    "Whoosh!"


    After a while, several figures jumped out of bushes and stared at the cultivators with green eyes.


    With the light of the luminescent stone, they recognized the figures to be Spectral Wolves.


    "Deal with them quickly!" As soon as Jared Qi gave the order, Kyle Zhang and Phil Li rushed toward the two Spectral Wolves and killed them in a flash.


    "They are only at level three. It''s not a big deal!" In a blink of an eye, they had fulfilled their task.


    "You! Remove their cardiac cores and put them in this bag. Their fur is worth nothing. That saves you a lot of trouble, pal," Marvin Zhou ordered Darren.


    Darren remained silent as he walked to the dead beasts without hesitation. Two balls of yellow light flew into Darren''s head.


    ''Got it! It''s much better to assimilate the talent of a level three beast than a level one cultivator of the Yellow Degree. Way to go, Darren!''


    Darren was delighted.


    After Darren absorbed their talent, he took out a knife to cut open their chests. In a few minutes, he had removed their hearts. And soon, he packed the two cardiac cores into the bag.


    "He''s not a talented cultivator, but he is a diligent man."


    The team restarted their journey in the forest. They were cautious about their every movement for fear that they would wake fierce beasts or step on snakes or poisonous insects.


    Kyle Zhang and Phil Li, two cultivators of the fifth stage of the Primary Realm, had killed a dozen level three beasts in two hours.


    The main beneficiary, of course, was Darren. He could absorb the dead beasts'' talent without any effort. He could also feel that he was closer to level three of the Yellow Degree.


    "Jared, why are all the beasts we''ve met low-level ones? None of them are any worth."


    "Be patient! Cheer up, guys! We will make a fortune if we find a Nebula Beast. They are at least at level six. What''s more, they are in a deep sleep at this hour."


    All the members whispered among themselves while walking, except the girl named Elsa Gongsun. She had been silent all along.


    "Be careful, guys! We''ve come across a level five beast this time," Jared stopped and warned the others.


    "Come on! It''s just a level five creature. What''s the big deal? Phil and I can handle it easily." Kyle Zhang was a bold cultivator. Actually, a level five beast was much stronger than a cultivator at the same stage of the Primary Realm.


    "I know you two can work together to battle one creature. But what about five? Ten


    ? Try to think before you speak," Corrine Gu said.


    "Oops! I had forgotten about this! Ha-ha!" Kyle Zhang giggled as he turned to Corrine Gu. Apparently, he had a crush on her.


    "Marvin, you are at the sixth stage. I need you to check," Jared ordered Marvin Zhou, who hadn''t participated in any fight so far.


    "A piece of cake." Marvin leaped into the air and flew forward.


    "They are three Giant Fury Bears," Marvin said from a distance.


    "Do you need my help?" Jared was worried about him. Three Giant Fury Bears were freakily ferocious, and they were not easily defeated by a cultivator at the sixth stage, like Marvin Zhou.


    "Thank you, Jared! But I can manage them alone."


    Marvin Zhou was fearless when facing the three bears. He hovered, like a ghost, between the three bears. The bears, however, were injured when Marvin flashed past.


    "It''s the Phantom Punch! That''s a high-level martial arts skill. No wonder he''s so confident."


    Darren also noticed Marvin Zhou''s move. He had thought that three Giant Fury Bears were far beyond Marvin Zhou''s cultivation base. But, the second Marvin Zhou summoned his martial arts skill, he put the three bears at a disadvantage.


    ''That''s the power of martial arts skills. What a great leap! I haven''t expected that a martial arts skill could improve one''s cultivation base to such a degree. If I mastered the two top skills, how much would it enhance my cultivation base?'' Darren wondered.


    "Let me give you a hand," Jared said. In the next second, he jumped into the air. Jared didn''t want to waste their time in this fight.


    Instantly, Jared''s sword sliced through the three bears. They didn''t even have the time to whine before their death.


    "Bravo!" The others marveled.


    "That''s the power of the seventh stage! Brilliant, Jared! What superb swordsmanship!"


    "Way to go, Jared!" Corrine looked at Jared with gentleness sparkling in her eyes. She was wild with joy.


    Darren didn''t have the time to think about anything. He rushed forward at once for fear that he would fail to absorb the talent of the three bears from far away. He could not afford such a significant loss.


    ''That''s it!'' Their talent gathered into one ball of yellow light and flew into Darren''s head.


    After a booming sensation between his ears, Darren felt refreshed from his brain to his feet. He had never had such a free feeling before in his entire life.


    ''I''ve got an upgrade! Am I at level four of the Yellow Degree now?'' This thought gave Darren a thrill, but he still needed a test to confirm his speculation.


    "Hey, man! You don''t have to run like a hunting dog. The bears are dead meat. You don''t have to worry that they will run away, ha-ha!" Kyle Zhang laughed at Darren when he saw how anxious Darren was.


    "I am just carrying out my duty," Darren answered as he removed the cardiac cores from the level five dead beasts'' chests and placed them in the bag.

 Chapter 8 The Barren Wasteland (Part Two)

    "Our efforts have finally paid off! A cardiac core of the level five beast is worth three thousand dollars."


    A growl echoed through the forest.


    An unexpected change happened.


    A beast covered in flames jumped out from the bushes.


    The team was startled to see this beast. They didn''t know what this strange creature was.


    "It''s Flame Tiger!"


    Elsa Gongsun, the girl who had been quiet all this while, spoke.


    "What? Flame Tiger! It is at least at level eight! We''d better run now!"


    "No! Flame Tiger is a sadistic beast. It would hunt each of us if we ran," Jared said calmly.


    Darren looked at the Flame Tiger as well. The fire around it accented its imperial aura, thus making it all the more terrifying. Darren was not scared, but he did wonder how much his talent would upgrade after he absorbed such a powerful beast''s talent.


    But a level eight beast was far beyond Jared''s cultivation base, the top cultivator in the team, not to mention Darren''s. The current situation put all of them in danger.


    "Miss Elsa, could you give me a hand? We might have a small chance of winning if we work together." Jared looked at Elsa Gongsun and asked for her help.


    "Nope! I can deal with it alone," Elsa Gongsun answered, coldly.


    "But..." The others were all too shocked to answer. None of them knew what stage she was at, but they guessed that Elsa''s stage was lower than Jared. Did she have secret weapons to empower herself with? Is that why she was so confident?


    A level eight beast, especially a strong variant, was impossible to defeat.


    Jared wanted to discourage Elsa Gongsun from fighting along. But before he could speak, she had rushed toward the Flame Tiger.


    "She''s like lightning! Is her cultivation base higher than Jared''s base?" Corrine Gu marveled.


    "How can we compare with a disciple of the Ilmen Sect? They are the top sect." Jared shook his head. Although he was the best in his sect, he had no way to compare with a disciple of the Ilmen Sect.


    "Elsa is a disciple of the Ilmen Sect? That explains so much! Every disciple of the top sect is also a top cultivator."


    But some of them couldn''t figure out why a disciple of the Ilmen Sect had joined them on this hunt. An Ilmen Sect disciple didn''t lack money or cultivation resources. Then what did she need?


    The intense fight between Elsa Gongsun and the Flame Tiger began. The strong force around the two compelled the others to step back.


    The Flame Tiger released an angry roar.


    Its fury forced Elsa Gongsun to back down several steps.


    "Oh, no! The beast is angry now! Elsa needs our help! Let''s go!" Jared shouted.


    Then he and the others, except Marvin Zhou, rushed forward together.


    Darren, as a cultivator of the third stage, could offer no help. So, he made no move.


    This scene, however, annoyed Darren. He could not compare with any of them in terms of his cultivation base. While the upgrade in his talent enabled him to grow stronger, it did not allow him


    to make immediate progress.


    Darren, unexpectedly, sat cross-legged and began to meditate.


    Spiritual energy gathered into Darren''s body, nourishing his energy meridians and bones.


    ''What''s happening? The spiritual energy I can absorb has increased tenfold since yesterday.'' Darren was surprised. Although he was at level four of the Yellow Degree, the speed with which he could absorb spiritual energy was much faster.


    Darren wondered during his meditation.


    His keen senses gave him the answer after a while. Eighty percent of the intensive spiritual energy came from the bag behind him.


    "I got it! I can absorb the spiritual energy from the cardiac cores!"


    Darren opened the bag at once and held a few cardiac cores in his hands.


    He restarted his meditation and the spiritual energy of the cardiac cores, like brooks, trickled into his body.


    In the blink of an eye, Darren could feel an obvious upgrade in his talent.


    "It''s the fourth stage! And it''s continuing to upgrade!"


    After an hour, Darren had consumed dozens of cardiac cores. Only some residue was left from the cores.


    "The fifth stage! The sixth stage!"


    The powerful energy in his body shocked Darren. His punch could smash a mountain now.


    "Finally, I''ve reached the sixth stage of the Primary Realm!"


    Darren could not believe that he had achieved such a quantum leap in such a short interval. It would shock everyone if they knew Darren''s talent had upgraded three times in succession.


    At this very moment, he found that the fight had become more intense. Everyone had been injured from the fight, and Elsa Gongsun looked exhausted as well. But the Flame Tiger was still vigorous, and its attack was even fiercer.


    Marvin, however, stood aside with a poker face. It seemed that he had no interest in joining the fight.


    Fortunately, Marvin Zhou paid no attention to Darren, so he didn''t see that Darren had absorbed the energy of all the cardiac cores.


    "Lotus Sword Attack!"


    Elsa Gongsun summoned her martial arts skill. The next second, thousands of swords, like raindrops, enveloped the Flame Tiger and stabbed it simultaneously.


    The injured teammates summoned their martial arts skills as well and rushed toward the tiger.


    The Flame Tiger whined painfully.


    The flames around the tiger extinguished, revealing deep gashes all over its body.


    Meanwhile, the injured teammates jumped backward. The cultivators at the fifth stage, like Kyle Zhang, could not stand the pain anymore and passed out. Jared could not even stand straight because of his serious injury. And blood was oozing from Elsa Gongsun''s mouth.


    "It''s time!" Marvin smirked. Then he jumped into the air in a flash and flew toward the Flame Tiger.


    "What?" Darren felt as though something was strange. "How is he so powerful?"


    Darren could tell that Marvin Zhou was higher than the sixth stage.


    The Flame Tiger, who was now severely injured, died after one strike from Marvin Zhou''s palm.

 Chapter 9 A Great Harvest (Part One)

    "Ha-ha! Not bad! Thank you, everyone!" Marvin let out a big, energetic laugh.


    "What do you mean, Marvin?" Jared asked as he looked at the laughing man. Caution coursed through Jared as he felt as though something was strange.


    "Haven''t you heard of the Wasteland Hustler?" Marvin turned to Jared with sharp eyes, like a snake that was ready to strike. Jared felt his senses heighten as he came to a grim realization.


    "It''s you!" Jared pointed his finger at him, while Marvin just stood there with a menacing grin on his face. Jared was shocked speechless, still in disbelief of what he had discerned. Elsa could only react the same way, barely able to do anything else.


    They had heard of a hustler, who was unmatched with his camouflage technique, outside the Barren Wasteland. With a camouflage so perfect, he was able to join teams who came here to hunt.


    However, his camouflage technique had been used for heinous crimes. Murder, rape, robbery¡ªthe hustler was a dangerous man.


    None of them had suspected Marvin until he refused to join their fight. Once they had realized who he was, they were astonished.


    "A level eight strange beast!" Marvin awed at the creature trapped in their snare. "Who would''ve expected that this team could defeat such a powerful beast?" He then turned his gaze toward the two women, his grin teasing and wicked. "What''s more, these two beauties are readily available to me. Ha-ha! It''s so perfect!"


    "How dare you!" Elsa screamed, mad and disgusted at Marvin. Her usually expressionless face was filled with fury. Still, she was frightened. Hearing his voice, she knew that he was ready to kill.


    "Don''t say that, beauty! You and I are also at the eighth stage. Unfortunately, you have a serious internal injury. Your meridians are out of control. What can you do to me now? Ha-ha!" Marvin''s lustful eyes trailed over the curves of Elsa''s body.


    He turned his attention to the beast in the trap. "I''ll collect this great harvest first," Marvin said before turning to Elsa with a sly grin. "After that, I''ll play a little game with you." Marvin then glanced at Darren.


    "You! Little asshole! Come and deal with the dead beast. I want every piece of the Flame Tiger to be packed into the bag. You hear me? If you lose even a single tiny fur, you will be dead meat. Get over here!" Marvin shouted at Darren.


    Darren had walked toward the tiger to absorb its talent before Marvin had given the order.


    The talent of the Flame Tiger was different from what Darren had encountered before. It was a ball of green light.


    Darren achieved a quantum leap in his talent, but he didn''t know what his current level had reached.


    ''Wow! Everything in the world is so refreshing and new to me!'' Darren could see everything within thirty miles.


    ''It''s higher than level seven of the Yellow Degree. This is what it probably feels like to reach level eight.'' Darren''s heart thumped ecstatically.


    Darren suddenly remembered the hustler, a cultivator at the eighth stage. He was not an easy opponent for Darren to take down. After considering his options, Darren decided n


    ot to fight Marvin. Instead, Darren began dealing with the dead beast.


    "What the hell are you doing, asshole? Be quick!"


    "Yes, sir!" Darren feigned being scared, and his expression reflected the terror he felt. Then he began dissecting the Flame Tiger''s body.


    As he cut into the tiger''s heart, Darren saw a crimson cardiac core and a white object as big as an egg.


    "Wait! It''s the Variant Beast Elixir!" Marvin''s eyes brightened.


    The Variant Beast Elixir, born inside some variant beasts, could not only help someone to make a breakthrough in their cultivation base but also refresh his or her energy meridians to upgrade their talent for martial arts. It was a once in a lifetime chance to see such a rare elixir.


    "I''ve made a fortune this time. This elixir is worth a trillion." Marvin was thrilled. He yelled at Darren, "Little asshole! Pack it quickly!"


    Darren could tell that the elixir in his hand was extraordinary. When he heard Marvin''s order, his lips curved with satisfaction secretly. ''What a great gift for me!'' Darren thought.


    "Yes, sir!" When Marvin saw how dutiful Darren was being, he dropped his guard. After all, Marvin believed that Darren was only a loser at the third stage of the Primary Realm. Darren couldn''t challenge him.


    After Darren placed the cardiac core and white elixir into the bag, he didn''t remove his hand. Instead, he clutched the white elixir tightly.


    "What the hell are you doing? Don''t try anything foolish! Otherwise, you will be dead meat!" Marvin yelled at Darren when he noticed that Darren had put his hand in the bag.


    "I''m sorry, sir! I just wanted to check that I had put it right. After all, I can''t afford to take responsibility for such a big loss," Darren explained.


    "Go away! It''s time for me to enjoy the beauties, ha-ha!"


    Darren could feel enormous spiritual energy nourishing his body as he absorbed the energy from the white elixir.


    ''Wow! This is so much better than absorbing a dead beast''s talent.''


    Darren could feel that a significant change was happening in his body. He was in the process of metamorphosis.


    Marvin, meanwhile, was walking toward the three unconscious teammates.


    "Fuck off! You assholes!" Marvin kicked Kyle Zhang, and Phil Li, breaking their bones.


    Then he crouched and his eyes roamed lecherously over Corrine''s figure.


    "What a great ass. What a pity that she has passed out. It would be better to ride her when she''s awake."


    Then Marvin turned to Elsa.


    "Ha-ha! My beauty! I have been dreaming about you since first sight. I''ve fantasized about the pleasing sounds you''ll make when I am all over you. And now, it''s time to realize my fantasy. Ha-ha!"


    Marvin said with a depraved smirk as he walked toward Elsa.


    "Marvin! Let her go! You can take all the valuable things that I have," said Jared, who had been severely injured.


    "You must be kidding! Bastard! You think I will let go of a beauty like her? That''s so ridiculous! But you are a good boy. How about this? You can be my subordinate, and we can enjoy this beauty together. What do you think, pal?" Marvin asked.

 Chapter 10 A Great Harvest (Part Two)

    "Well..." After a momentary hesitation, Jared answered, "Are you serious?"


    Elsa turned grim-faced at once. She could not believe that Jared would consider it. He had been a gentleman all this while.


    "Of course, I mean it! I need a partner anyway, and you are a good choice for me. We can work together and enjoy our free time. What do you say?"


    "Yes! I want to join you, sir! I am tired of all the rules I have to follow. I yearn for the way you live. And I''ve been dreaming about Corrine for a long time. I want her so much. This gentleman facade is really exhausting."


    "Wow! I didn''t expect you to be a lewdster. We are so like-minded. Ha-ha!"


    "I just regret that we didn''t meet sooner. How about this, my buddy? I''m taking Corrine, and Elsa is yours. She is not my type, anyway."


    Marvin nodded with satisfaction. After Jared got permission, he walked to Corrine.


    Darren, who had been standing beside them, thought that Jared was being deceitful, but what happened in the next second proved that Darren''s speculation was wrong. Jared was totally a scumbag.


    He walked over and spanked Corrine with an indecent look.


    Darren felt that his talent for martial arts had been upgraded to a shocking level after he had absorbed the energy of the elixir. Then he began assimilating the cardiac core of the level eight beast.


    His speed of assimilation had surged as well. It took Darren only a moment to absorb half of the spiritual energy from the cardiac core. And his cultivation base improved to the topmost level of the sixth stage.


    In a general way, a cultivator, at level seven of the Yellow Degree, had to spend more than half a year to upgrade to the sixth stage of the Primary Realm. But Darren had made such a breakthrough in the blink of an eye.


    ''It''s so close now! When I''m at the seventh stage, I will have the power to fight against Marvin, '' Darren thought.


    "Come on! My beauty! Why do you run away? I promise I will be gentle, ha-ha!"


    Marvin chased Elsa. Since he was not injured, he was a formidable opponent for Elsa who had been severely wounded.


    "You shameless bastard! I will tear you to pieces when my cultivation base has recovered," Elsa yelled at Marvin. She had never expected that such a thing would happen to her.


    "You won''t have the chance after today, my baby! I will take every inch of you, ha-ha!" Marvin was more excited.


    Darren, who had been standing beside them, was trying his best to absorb the energy from the cardiac core.


    ''I''ve reached the seventh stage of the Primary Realm!'' Darren was thrilled about his rapid breakthrough.


    ''I''m not sure about my current talent level, and my cultivation base is still rising sharply. Maybe I should grasp top martial skills before I take action, '' Darren planned in his mind. If he succeeded, his cultivation base would make another remarkable progress.


    He tried to remember the first move of th


    e Profound Nine Sword Skills.


    ''Destructive Sword Attack!''


    Darren practiced the first move in his mind. He was pleased when his head didn''t hurt this time.


    ''What an abstruse martial arts skill! Even the first move is so complicated, but its power is really aggressive.''


    Although Darren had achieved a significant leap in his talent, it was still hard for him to grasp the first move.


    Jared, however, was touching every inch of Corrine''s body with a salacious expression.


    "What are you doing?" Corrine was woken up by Jared''s actions. Her face paled.


    "What am I doing? What do you think I am doing?" Jared shouted at Corrine as he slapped her face several times. Then he ripped her clothes and continued, "I''m enjoying my freedom. I can do whatever I want, ha-ha!" Now that the gentleman facade had been removed, everyone could see Jared''s true nature.


    Corrine, who had a crush on Jared before, saw his real character through his actions. She could not take such humiliation, so she killed herself by biting off her tongue.


    "Fuck! She''s dead! You think this will stop me? Ha-ha! No fucking way!"


    Jared, like an estrous dog, continued his actions.


    "You son of a bitch!"


    Darren shouted at Jared. He stood up, regretting not having taken action earlier.


    "What? You loser! What can you do to me? Save your nonsense! Otherwise, you will be dead meat," Jared warned Darren. However, Darren''s outburst didn''t stop Jared.


    "Fuck! You shameless asshole!"


    Darren roared. A bastard like Jared should live in the hell.


    In an instantaneous burst, Darren flashed toward Jared and aimed an attack at him.


    "Bang! Bang! Bang!"


    Three punches broke Jared''s chest bones.


    "You son of a bitch! How could you do this to her? She''s dead! Asshole!"


    Darren slapped Jared, who was screaming in agony from the pain of the broken bones. Soon, Jared''s face swelled like a pig.


    "I''m sorry! I''m so sorry! Please stop!" Jared begged with a lisp.


    "Go to hell!"


    His begging didn''t stop Darren. With the next punch, Darren killed Jared.


    Marvin and Elsa froze when they saw this scene. Marvin frowned in anger.


    "Damn it! You little asshole! You concealed your real cultivation base as well. That''s beyond my expectation." Marvin looked at Darren without any vigilance, and continued, "But so what? You are still nothing in front of me. I''m a cultivator at the eighth stage. What can you do to me, asshole?"


    "That''s hard to say!" Darren shot a cold glare at Marvin. He had reached the topmost level of the seventh stage and had an initial understanding of the first move of the Profound Nine Sword Skills. The fight against Marvin offered Darren a good chance to figure out his current cultivation base.


    "You are going to die!"


    Marvin rushed toward Darren. Elsa''s expression changed to reflect the concern she felt. She screamed, "Be careful! He has the top martial arts skill."

 Chapter 11 Strength (Part One)

    Darren had to be cautious because he lacked the battle experience. He had not been able to properly train and use his power in account of him having just reached the seventh stage from the third stage within one day.


    "The power of his fists is indeed strong."


    Darren dodged and avoided Marvin''s attack.


    But as soon as Marvin''s fist failed to land on Darren, another fist quickly followed. This time, he used all the force he could muster.


    Seeing that he had nowhere to hide, Darren clenched his hand into a fist and punched back.


    Boom!


    The impact created by both of their fists was too powerful that Darren was thrown several strides backwards and Marvin a few couple of paces opposite.


    "I haven''t expected that you''ve already reached the peak of the seventh stage! That''s great and all, but there obviously still is an impassable gap between our stages, and you haven''t been able to defeat me. Now, let me show you how powerful I am."


    Marvin felt much relieved after having witnessed Darren''s real strength. The difference between the seventh stage and the eighth stage seemed to be little to non-existent, but in reality, there was still an immensely large disparity between the two stages.


    "He is in danger," Elsa stated, accompanied by a worried scowl on her face.


    But Darren was composed. He knew that the difference between him and Marvin was not impossible to overcome.


    He was just learning how to adjust himself to the fight, that''s all.


    "I will kill you!" he shouted. Marvin started to storm towards Darren again. He extended out his fists and took a hack at him. The attack was so powerful that it felt as though his fists alone could break the mountain into pieces.


    Darren dodged the attack as much as he could. Although he was not stronger than Marvin in terms of strength in the battle, he had enough wits about him to remain unhurt by Marvin''s barrage of attacks.


    Even at the eighth stage of the Primary Realm, Marvin still hasn¡¯t succeeded in trying to defeat Darren.


    The fight dragged on and before they knew it, half an hour had passed as they arrived at a deadlock.


    Marvin''s initial anger morphed into shocked frustration after he came to the realization that even though Darren has just reached the seventh stage, he still was not able to defeat the boy. He started to get fatigued and he grew more exhausted with every second that passed. He kept thinking that things would have been a lot of easier if he had used his full strength from the very beginning of the fight.


    "He quickly gained experience in the battle. He is such a fast learner," Elsa remarked. She felt a sensation in the pit of her stomach as she stood beside them.


    She was astounded by Darren''s ability to learn so much in just a short amount of time. Even though she herself was at level nine of the Yellow Degree, it took her a while and experienced difficulty in achieving it. Theoretically speaking, it should have been more difficult for Darren to do that when he was inferior to others in stage.


    ''Is he more talented than me in cultivation?'' she thought bitterly. The thought of it mad


    e Elsa feel a constriction in her chest. ''How could such an average-looking young man be so talented? What is this?'' Unbelievable is what it was.


    Elsa continued observing him and focused on every move he made, even down to the most miniscule actions.


    "He''s using his opponent to gain knowledge in battle and use it against them! One could even say he is almost as well-versed in battle as those seasoned masters who have practiced a long time." A mix of astonishment and envy washed over Elsa''s face after she had thought about how Darren, who was still just a rookie in the first place, was able to turn into a powerful and fairly competent fighter so instantly.


    "Talent, he must have been a talent," she told herself. As much as she''d hate to admit it, she was genuinely impressed.


    "Ah! I will kill you! Die, you scum!" Darren shouted.


    He had just found an opening against Marvin and gave his vital part a good kick.


    This made Marvin more furious than ever.


    "You are forcing me to use my saber!" Marvin exclaimed. As he uttered those words, a saber suddenly appeared in his hands out of nowhere. He wielded the saber expertly, showing off his every gesture and every motion, moving almost as if he was one with the weapon.


    "Wrath Sword Skill, the top martial arts skill in the world." Elsa fixed her eyes on Marvin.


    "You hustler," Darren shouted. Almost unexpectedly, Darren saw the sword Jared left lying on the ground. Without hesitation, he casually picked it up and dashed toward Marvin head-on.


    Darren felt the extreme power that the sword emitted. It was so intense, that he felt the power run through his veins and rip out into the air. Next thing he knew, he was wielding the sword like a natural.


    "Well, what do you know, even his swordsmanship is freaking perfect!" Elsa exclaimed disbelievingly. Every time, Darren did something remarkable. And every single time, without fail, she was left flabbergasted. She still couldn''t comprehend how such a rare talent lived in such a secluded place.


    "Ah!" Marvin screamed frantically as he charged toward Darren with all the force he could muster. He reached the peak of his strength after he combined the cultivation base of the eighth stage and the saber skill together.


    "Destructive Sword Attack!"


    Without hesitation, Darren used the first move of the Profound Nine Sword Skills immediately.


    Through the sword, his strength manifested into numerous shadows. This got him worked up as he flew towards Marvin. The shadows emitted such a tremendous power that Marvin felt genuine fear.


    "What kind of swordsmanship is that? It''s so ferocious. What should I do now? I''m totally screwed!" Marvin cried out. His boldness had stared to waver. A ripple of panic suddenly passed through him. But it was too late to retreat.


    Bang!


    Waves of invisible circles were formed and spread out from the place where the sword and the saber had met. All the towering trees in the area were easily cut off by the destructive power. Elsa hurriedly ducked to search for a place to hide, fearing that it might be dangerous if the power spread to her.

 Chapter 12 Strength (Part Two)

    Once the outburst had died down and what was left was only the silence, Darren turned his back away from Marvin.


    "That sword is possibly one of the most powerful I''ve ever seen!" Marvin resented admitting it. He couldn''t help feeling a tiny bit amazed by Darren''s superb talent.


    Just as he was about to come to terms to the fact that he can''t beat Darren, numerous injuries on his skin came into view and every inch of his body began to crack and crumble away. He started to collapse, and died before he even hit the ground.


    "How is it possible that only one move of your sword was able to easily defeat someone at the eighth stage of the Primary Realm? You cut through him just like a piece of steak!" Elsa blurted out a few moments later. She had no words to describe Darren, especially when it came to his exceptional swordsmanship. It might have taken her months to completely grasp the skill as efficiently as he had.


    Watching the ball of light as it flew out of Marvin''s head, Darren absorbed his talent and walked towards where Elsa was.


    "Are you alright?" he awkwardly asked.


    Darren was perplexed at seeing Elsa absolutely dumbfounded by what had just taken place. He had no idea how the whole fight must have looked like from her perspective. He had no idea how impressed Elsa currently was. It was unlike anything she had ever seen from someone of his cultivation base, even from someone like her who came from a prestigious sect.


    Although, in a blink of an eye, Elsa fell back to her usual apathetic self. "I''m fine, thanks," she nonchalantly replied.


    Soon afterward, Kyle and Phil woke up from their coma to the sight of spilled blood and corpses all over the ground.


    Darren filled them in on everything that happened. They were understandably shocked to hear about the events that took place while they were out cold.


    "Jared, that son of a bitch! Poor Corrine did not deserve that," Kyle said. The two men grew furious just thinking about it.


    "We had not expected that you are such a powerful guy. It is our mistake. Please forgive us if we''ve ever done something against you," Phil humbly said.


    Darren accepted the apology and nodded his head.


    "Why did you hide your strength from us? If you had told us about it, if you had used it sooner, Corrine would still be alive and wouldn''t have killed herself!"


    Elsa wasn''t able to stop the emotions that burst out of her. She clearly had a bone to pick with Darren. She needed him to know that he was partly to blame for what happened.


    What Elsa said did have some truth to it. Darren just stood by as his friends were injured by the Flame Tiger; he just stood by while Corrine endured humiliation which led her to kill herself; he just stood by and let it all happen. If he was a good man, he should have used his power to help them, he should have done something.


    "It was beyond my power to be able to help at that time. I can''t tell you the reason why right now. All I could s


    ay is that I''m really sorry," Darren explained.


    "Humph!" Elsa sneered, frustrated at Darren. She believed no one could possibly be able to level up to such a high stage from the third stage of the Primary Realm in just a short amount of time.


    Elsa turned around without saying anything and left.


    A mix of guilt, shame, and awkwardness washed over Darren, Kyle, and Phil as they watched Elsa walk away.


    "Darren, this Barren Wasteland proved to be dangerous especially for us who basically had no fighting experience. We realized that we still need to improve our skills. We''ll get going now, see you next time," said Phil. After saying those words, the two men cupped their own hands, raised them in front of their chests in a salute. They then turned around and walked away, still limping from the injuries they sustained.


    Unlike them, though, Darren decided that he didn''t want to leave immediately. Fighting in the battle greatly empowered him and he didn''t want to lose time in improving his cultivation base and his talent.


    He has decided to stay in the Barren Wasteland and continue fight those fierce beasts.


    A whole month has passed.


    While taking a small repose near a lake, Darren saw his reflection in the water. Drying blood covered his skin and his clothes were ripped off - he was a mess.


    "I''ve been fighting fierce level six and seven beasts left and right for the past month. I wonder how much my skills have improved.


    I wasn''t able to keep track of what stage I''ve reached, but I did just feel that I was able to quickly absorb the spiritual energy of the earth and heaven.


    I must probably at the eighth stage of the Primary Realm by now, after I spent more than a month in practicing skills and absorbing the spiritual energy of the cardiac core," he said to himself.


    He recalled that Nicholas had stopped at the seventh stage of the Primary Realm, and after receiving a lot of resources from his father and spending three years practicing, he was finally able to break through that barrier. "Unlike him, It only took me a very short time to figure out the solution to the problem. This achievement was unprecedented in history!"


    Darren was ecstatic as he thought about how after years of being the underdog. He finally reached a higher stage and didn''t have to fear the younger generation in the clan.


    "They''re all going to taste my revenge. The first one to be served will be Evan!"


    Darren was confident that he would be able to easily defeat Evan who was currently only at the fourth stage. The only thing that he was worried about was the clan power of Evan''s mother.


    But once Darren became a disciple of the Ilmen Sect, he would not have to worry about any kind of clan power.


    "The Ilmen Sect will choose disciples from each clan soon. I should head back."


    Darren soaked himself in the pool to wash out the blood stains and all the grime off of his body. As soon as he finished up, he headed over to Acqua City.

 Chapter 13 Fury

    The gate opened with a creak.


    Darren arrived at the Chu Clan residence several hours later.


    When he opened the door, he noticed that many people turned to watch him.


    "Look! It''s Darren! He has been missing for two months. I thought he had died."


    "Yeah, he is still alive. But so what? The protection the elders promised him has expired. He will die sooner or later."


    "That''s hard to say now. Can you feel his aura? It''s much stronger than before."


    "You must be kidding me! Okay! Let''s say you are right and that he has become stronger. However, he is still nothing in comparison to Mr. Evan and the other geniuses in our family."


    They murmured among themselves about Darren scornfully. They all agreed that Darren was making a huge mistake by returning.


    But Darren just ignored them. The Ilmen Sect would come to the Chu Clan for recruitment today, which provided him with an opportunity to prove himself.


    Darren walked toward his courtyard.


    As he stepped in front of the door, he heard a loud slap.


    "Spill it! Where is the little asshole?"


    "Hit her! Don''t stop till she tells the truth!"


    Darren trembled with anger when he heard the conversation. He regretted leaving his little sister at home when he journeyed to the Barren Wasteland to improve his cultivation base.


    But his sister was included in the elders'' protection. ''Who has the nerve to bully my sister?''


    "Bang!"


    One kick from Darren shattered the door. Then a tall man turned to him and glared at him.


    "That''s great! You''re here now! I thought you would never return."


    Darren recognized the tall man who had spoken to be Bob Lin, the butler of the Chu Clan. And the person who was standing beside Bob Lin was Darren''s enemy, Evan.


    "Ha-ha! Long time no see, my brother! If you had returned earlier, nothing would have happened to Belle. Where have you been hiding? Look at this poor girl! Oh, her face is bleeding. What if her pretty face is scarred because of this? What a pity that would be!" Evan was thrilled to see Darren. He finally had the chance to kill this loser now.


    "Sons of bitches! Go to hell!" Darren widened his eyes as burning anger coursed through his body. When he saw what they had done to his only little sister, he could no longer control his fury.


    "Catch him! He will regret returning. Soon, he will know that death is the only way to get rid of my torment. Get him now!" When Bob learned that Darren had killed his son, he began searching for Darren. Two months had passed, and yet, no one knew of Darren''s whereabouts. All this while, he had been dreaming of tearing Darren to pieces.


    "Darren! Run! Run away now! Don''t worry about me!" Tears escaped from her eyes when Belle heard her brother''s name. Although she had almost lost consciousness from the blows, her first instinct was to tell her brother to run and save himself.


    Darren felt sorry for his little sister.


    "Ah! All of you! Go to hell!"


    Darren, who was now out of control, threw his fists at Bob''s subordinates. Darren had summoned such tremendous power in each punch that he severely injured every enemy who was coming at him, with just one blow.


    "How is this even possible? How could he be so strong now?" At once, Evan could feel something was strange.


    Bob squinted at Darren when he noticed the change.


    "Surround him. Attack him together! Kill him! Now!" Then Bob rushed toward Darren with his remaining subordinates. He was highly confident about this fight. After all, his cultivation base was at the eighth stage of the Primary Realm.


    "Ha-ha!" Evan laughed with satisfaction. He was relieved to see that Bob, a strong cultivator of the eighth stage, was ready to join the fight.


    But Evan was struck dumb with amazement by what happened in the next second.


    As soon as Bob had rushed over, Darren threw a dozen successive fists at him. Bob was forced to take several steps back.


    "What? What the hell?"


    Evan froze when he saw this scene. ''How, how could this even be possible? Bob is at the eighth stage! How could Darren injure him?''


    He could not believe what his eyes were seeing. ''Why is Darren so strong? Did he just defeat Bob, a cultivator at the eighth stage? What happened to him?''


    While Evan was racking his brain for an explanation, he was greeted with a hard fist.


    "Bang!"


    The blow broke Evan''s bones.


    "Mom! Mom! Uncle! Help me!" Evan cried out.


    Although Darren was about to throw another fist at Evan to end his life, Bob continued the fig


    ht against Darren, despite the acute pain he felt.


    "No matter how strong you are, you are going to die today!"


    Bob, anger burning in his chest, took out a plain iron canister and pressed the button on it. Then, thousands of tiny arrows shot out simultaneously.


    "Thunder Arrow Attack!


    Go to hell! Asshole!"


    Darren didn''t make a move even though numerous powerful arrows were aimed at him. A sword, carrying an icy aura, appeared in Darren''s hand. He brandished the sword and left perfect arcs in the air. A second later, all the arrows around Darren fell to the ground. Then Darren, with the sword pointing at Bob''s throat, rushed forward.


    Before anyone could react, a thin line appeared on Bob''s neck. As the line spurted blood, the tall figure fell to the ground.


    "Shit! I''m so screwed this time!" Like seeing a death devil, Evan shivered with fear in front of Darren.


    Darren brandished his sword again. This time, he pointed it at Evan. Evan was on the edge of death!


    "Clang!"


    "Wait!"


    All of a sudden, an elder hovered in front of Darren. He had used his sword to block Darren''s attack.


    "You have mastered the Profound Nine Sword Skills!" The old man was surprised. He hadn''t noticed Darren''s skill level while blocking his attack. It had been so powerful that his hand felt numb from the impact.


    "Go away! This asshole is going to die today. Nobody can stop me," Darren shouted.


    Darren turned to the elder and recognized that he was Abner Chu, who had promised to protect him and his sister.


    "Mind your attitude! You''d better show respect to an elder of the Chu Clan." Abner Chu frowned.


    "Fuck you! What kind of an elder are you? You can''t even keep your promise. Look at what they have done to my little sister! But you did nothing about it. You are an incompetent elder!" Darren was so furious that he had lost complete control. He didn''t care who he was talking to.


    "Enough!" Abner Chu berated Darren.


    However, Darren''s accusation reminded Abner that he had failed to carry out his duty this time. All of his attention had been directed toward his cultivation in the Elders Cabinet. If the servant hadn''t reported this intense fight to Abner, he would not know anything about what was happening outside. He had rushed to Darren''s courtyard as soon as possible after hearing the servant''s report.


    "Go away, kid! I''ll forgive what you have done today," Abner Chu said after some contemplation.


    "And I say fuck you!" Darren was insane with fury.


    In the next instant, he swung his sword at Evan.


    "Help me, please! Help me, Elder! Help!" Evan cried as he ran to hide behind the elder.


    Abner had not expected Darren to take action in front of him. The attack from Darren''s sword was too quick for Evan to dodge. Even Abner was slow to react. Evan lost an arm.


    "Ah! Ah! Ah!" Evan cried out with pain as he rolled on the ground.


    "I''ll give you one last chance. Fuck off!" Abner activated his spiritual energy of the Spirit Realm and pressed Darren to the ground.


    Darren felt it hard to breathe under the tremendous pressure, which was akin to carrying a mountain on his back. Finally, he calmed down a little.


    He cast a glance at Evan, who was crying with pain. Then he walked to Belle and hugged her before leaving the yard.


    "You fucking bastard! You think you can leave here after what you have done to my nephew? There is no way I will let that happen."


    Several people rushed into the yard just as Darren was leaving.


    Darren looked around and found that three geniuses of the Chu Clan, his two uncles, and a few strong cultivators were blocking his way. The person who was talking to Darren was Evan''s maternal uncle, who now glowered at Darren.


    "It''s too late! I can''t do anything to help you now." Abner sighed regretfully. He blamed himself for his dereliction of duty. If he had noticed what was happening earlier and had come to stop Evan, Darren would not have lost control.


    Since the chief''s death, the Chu Clan had undergone immense strife. Since this was a challenging time, other clans'' attitude toward them was vital. Although Abner wanted to protect Darren, the other elders of the Elders Cabinet would never agree with his decision.


    ''If I protect Darren, the whole Yue Clan would feel offended. I can''t sacrifice the Chu Clan''s future for an untalented loser like him, '' Abner rationalized.


    "Come on! Come kill me!" Darren screamed with widened eyes. An invincible power exploded in the next second.

 Chapter 14 Pressures Coming From The Clan

    People found Darren presumptuous and arrogant. That was the impression he left with almost everyone present.


    "Evan, are you all right?" Evan''s mother asked with concern as she picked him up.


    He was crying. "My arm is broken, Mom. Help me. You must let uncle kill that bastard! Huhuhu," he replied.


    "That''s enough! A true man doesn''t cry like a baby when he gets injured!" Evan''s uncle, Stan, said as he glared at him. He was Evan''s mother''s brother and they were both descendants of the Yue Clan. "But since you are my nephew, I don''t allow anybody to bully you like this," he continued, "Darren, as you broke Evan''s arm, it''s fair for you to break both your arms yourself!"


    "Haha," Darren laughed at Stan''s words. "He deserved that. I''d kill him without hesitation if I were given the chance," he said.


    His words surprised everyone who heard. He did not seem to fear anyone. This was a mystery that no one understood.


    It was well known that Stan was at the second stage in the Spirit Realm, making him the most powerful cultivator in the Yue Clan.


    "You arrogant little prick! Who do you think you are?" Stan exclaimed. Then, he turned to the clan elders. "As elders of Chu Clan, do you think that it is right to punish the person who broke his brother''s arm or not? The rude does not deserve mercy!" Stan asked, showing a reasonable look.


    "According to our clan rules, it''s proper to do that, yes," an old man from Chu Clan confirmed.


    "Proper? What bullshit is that?" Darren shot dismissively. "Evan bullied me and my younger sister ever since we were children. He beat and scolded us whenever he felt like it. Shouldn''t he pay the price for what he has done?


    After my father''s death, he provoked me again and again. I was tolerant of him but he still wanted to kill me. Shouldn''t he pay price for that? He, together with Bob the butler, beat my younger sister just now. Shouldn''t he pay price for that?


    When Evan caused us distress, nobody showed up to help us. How dare you speak of clan rules now!" he exclaimed.


    Everyone fell silent when Darren finished speaking. Everything was true.


    "Humph, know your place, loser! Nothing you say will stop me from breaking your arms!" said Stan. Unable to respond to what Darren said, he decided to ignore it and resort to force.


    "Do you want to take charge in our clan, outsider?" another man spoke.


    It was Darren''s elder uncle, Reed.


    Darren cast a glance at him. He knew that although his so-called elder uncle said this, it was not because he supported him. Instead, this was his way of flaunting his status.


    "Oh, my brother, why do you keep embarrassing yourself?" another remarked. "Stan is protecting his nephew and that''s reasonable. He is Evan''s uncle. Since his father, our brother, died, the responsibility to do so has fallen on Stan. Also, isn''t it a little too early for you to speak with that tone? You''re not even chief," Mark, Darren''s younger uncle said sarcastically.


    "Does that mean you are taking Stan''s side? As your elder brother, it is then my responsibility to teach you a lesson, you rude bastard!" Reed replied angrily.


    "You want to teach me a lesson? Really? Okay, let me see you try. Come on!" Mark said.


    "Bullshit, let''s fight then!"


    ...


    Suddenly, all the people wanted to fight each other and Darren stood in the background of it all, forgotten. There were many rival factions within the Chu Clan and they had never been harmonious.


    "Stop!" A thunderous sound roared.


    With it appeared several old men. They all were calm and steady like hills. They were the elders of the Chu Clan. Among them was the Chief Elder.


    "Chief Elder!"


    "Chief Elder!"


    Everyone in attendance, including outside cultivators invited by different factions, acknowledged the presence of the Chief Elder. Everyone knew of the strength he possessed. He was the strongest in the Chu Clan and had gotten to stage seven in the Spirit Realm.


    "Stop arguing. The man who will be in charge of our clan will not be decided by you all!" he declared. He glanced at the people in the crowd. "We have all decided that the junior who will be qualified to enter the Ilmen Sect will be appointed as the chief. Do you all agree with that?" he asked.


    Hearing this, Reed, Mark, and the genius Nicholas, all laughed in triumph. It was exactly what they wanted.


    "No way! I think it would be unfair to decide the chief based on the qualifications of becoming a disciple of Ilmen Sect," a woman said. She was married to a man in Chu Clan from Zhou Clan and she thought it was unjust because her son''s talent was only at the sixth level.


    "I also think so!"


    "It shouldn''t


    be like this!"


    Other people whose sons had mediocre talent in martial arts all opposed the idea.


    "I have an idea. Although talent is important, a man who wants to gain immense strength is required to show more perseverance and resourcefulness. Only young, powerful men can protect our clan. That said, I would like to suggest a contest for junior members on the annual meeting that will happen in 6 months. Whoever wins first place will be chief. What do you think?" someone suggested.


    The Chief Elder nodded, "It''s reasonable. The one who passes the test for the Ilmen Sect can also directly challenge the strongest contender."


    Nobody opposed it.


    The Chief Elder then turned to Darren. "Evan is protected by the Elders Cabinet during his whole lifetime. As Darren broke the family rules, you can deal with him according to Clan rules," he declared.


    "Brother, there is something I have to say," the elder named Abner who was standing beside the Chief Elder said. He somehow saw a little bit of hope for Darren. He felt like there was more to him that met the eye.


    "There is nothing to speak! Nobody is allowed to challenge the family rules," the Chief Elder interrupted. In the Chief Elder''s mind, talent, strength and background were what mattered in the Chu Clan. Darren was not worth supporting because he lacked all of those.


    This disappointed Darren.


    "Don''t pretend to be impartial, Chief Elder. You think I don''t have a future because of my mediocre talent for martial arts. You think I don''t have background because my mother''s clan is poor. Stop talking about clan rules, will you? You''re such a hypocrite!" Darren felt like he had nothing to lose anymore.


    "You disrespectful little bastard," the Chief Elder said angrily.


    "What, isn''t it true, though? Honestly, if it were Nicholas who broke Evan''s arm, you wouldn''t treat him the same way, right?" Darren continued.


    "Nonsense! Anyone who breaks the rules of the Clan will be treated equally. Dare to say one more word and I will punish you myself!" the Chief Elder boomed.


    "Hahaha!" Darren burst into laughter. "You are such a hypocrite! Everyone knows the truth! Even if Nicholas kills Evan, you will not even say a word! This is such a joke! Everyone knows that!" Darren said.


    "Shut up, loser! Do you want to die?" Nicholas came out and said. Darren''s words infuriated him.


    The Chief Elder didn''t know what to say anymore so he kept silent.


    "He is a loser --a mean dog that barks wildly at anyone! He dares to talk about Nicholas because he knows he''s going to die!"


    "He is crazy! He should know his place! How dare he answer back to the Chief Elder!"


    More people started to despise and curse Darren.


    "And you, Nicholas, don''t think you are extraordinary because of your so-called talent. To me, level seven talent is as useless as rubbish. Oh no, wait, it''s even lower than rubbish," Darren said.


    "What did you say? I dare you repeat that!" Leo and Blake were now angry as well. They also possessed level seven talent in Yellow Degree.


    "Did you just say that level seven talent is rubbish? You really want to die, don''t you?"


    "That''s just what I said. In fact, you all are rubbish in my eyes, real rubbish," Darren remarked. Darren did not care much about what he said. He knew that everyone would hate him sooner or later. He might as well speak his mind right now.


    "I will kill you, little loser!"


    Nicholas rushed at Darren first, throwing his fist to Darren''s head.


    Darren easily summoned his internal energy and quietly launched a cold sword. In the next instant, the same sword disappeared leaving only a trace of force in the air. Most of the people present did not see what happened. They only found Nicholas suddenly retreated.


    Nicholas was shocked because the sword skill was so fast and so perfect. There was no flaw in it.


    ''Maybe it''s because of my carelessness, '' he thought. This made him feel a little better.


    ''That was the first move in the Profound Nine Sword Skills, '' thought an old man behind the crowd. The events did not interest him initially, but Darren caught his attention at that moment. Apparently, the man was the guard of the Martial Skill Library.


    He did not expect to see anything extraordinary when he came but Darren gave him a big surprise.


    ''He successfully executed it. But how?'' The guard of the Martial Skill Library thought in disbelief. He could still remember clearly how the silly boy in front of him had only mediocre talent.


    "You clown!" Now, it was Stan who was approaching Darren fast.


    Bearing the pressures coming from a Spirit Realm warrior, Darren couldn''t breathe and even react.

 Chapter 15 The Test Began

    "Boom!"


    Dust rose as the palms hit. As the dust settled, the crowd saw a skinny old man standing opposite Stan.


    "It''s the guard of the Martial Skill Library!"


    "Why is he helping this loser?"


    The audience was baffled.


    "The masters from Ilmen Sect will arrive in a minute. It will be rude and indecent for them to see the strife among the Chu Clan members. They might forbid the Chu Clan members from participating in the selection. Let us finish the test first."


    The guard of the Martial Skill Library did not explain why he defended Darren, but he spoke with good reason.


    "That makes sense. We''ll let this loser live a little longer."


    At that moment, Darren thought he was doomed. He was going to be killed by an outsider in front of his so-called family.


    A shiver went down his spine. In this world, no one cared about the weak and the incapable.


    "Boy, I made a mistake. Try your best in the test. I will protect you with my life regardless of whether you win or lose," whispered the guard of the Martial Skill Library.


    "Thanks," replied Darren dryly.


    "Here, they come! The masters from Ilmen Sect have arrived!"


    Several figures descended from the sky; each of them appeared distinguished and impressive.


    "Alas! Look! The masters from Ilmen Sect are so young!"


    "I heard that they are elite disciples of Ilmen Sect! How fortunate to enter the Spirit Realm at such a young age!"


    "We warmly welcome you, masters!"


    The Chu clansmen, regardless of their level of power, bowed to salute the Ilmen Sect masters while the high-ranking elders of the Spirit Realm cupped their hands. The Ilmen Sect had always been held in high public esteem.


    "You are too polite. We have come for the selection. Let us begin."


    The disciples of Ilmen Sect were men of action. From the moment they arrived, they got straight to business. Everyone was impressed.


    "All juniors under the age of 17 should head to the training ground now," commanded an elder.


    Many figures ran to the training ground, one by one, excitement written all over their faces. They all had high hopes of passing the test.


    Darren made his way to the training ground after the crowd had dispersed. Stan had arranged for several men to watch him in case he thought about escaping.


    Yet, Darren did not have the slightest inclination to escape. Who, of the young generation, could stop him after he had entered the eighth stage of the Primary Realm?


    "Here are the test rules," started a young disciple from the Ilmen Sect, who was now standing on a high platform in the arena.


    Everyone held their breath. They listened intently as they did not want to miss a single word.


    "The test comprises of three parts. Whoever passes all three will become a disciple of the Ilmen Sect." After a moment of silence, the young disciple from Ilmen Sect continued speaking, "Part one is the Insight test. All candidates will learn the same cultivation method. The quicker you learn and the more you master, the better result you will get.


    Part two is the Talent test. Upon clearing the first test, candidates will enter the Ilmen Sect''s test dimension. The sooner you exit the dimension, the better your score in the test.


    Part three is not a significant part of the test. Candidates'' results from the first two tests will decide whether or not you will become a disciple of Ilmen Sect. However, you will need to choose one from the five lines of Ilmen Sect to begin your cultivation.


    Besides, every disciple who passes the tests will be rewarded with one chance to get support from a Mysterious Realm master during their lifespan. This alone is of great benefit."


    The announcement created a heated discussion among the Chu Clan members.


    The support from a Mysterious Realm master meant a lifesaving chance if a person was in danger. Since a master''s advice was priceless, this reward was highly coveted.


    The eyes of the Chief Elder of the Chu Clan brightened suddenly. This was the opportunity he had wanted. If any Chu Clan member got the reward, there would be no trouble like the assassination of the former Chief of the Chu Clan.


    "OK, announce the candidates'' names now."


    "As you wish," replied a Chu Clan elder. "Nicholas Chu, Leo Chu, Blake Chu, Hank Chu¡­¡­, there are twenty-one in total."


    Darren''s name was not on the list. However, any immediate family members could join the test according to tradition.


    "Dear master, I, Darren Chu, will participate in the test as well." Darren stepped forward and added respectfully.


    "How dare you! Get out!" All elders turned pale as they feared that Darren had offended the master.


    "As an immediate member of the Chu Clan, I have the right to partake in the selection. It is the master who makes the decision. On what basis do you banish me?" Darren questioned.


    "All right, I have no patience for this nonsense. Let him join," said the disciple from Ilmen Sect.


    "Yes!" someone answered.


    "How dare he speak with a master like this?" They cursed Darren.


    Twenty-two Chu Clan members, including Darren, marched up to the platform. Everyone glared at Darren contemptuously.


    A stone tablet about 10 meters high, densely inscribed with small characters, was carried on to the platform.


    "You have six hours to learn the Meridians Refining Scripture starting from this moment. There are six levels in the Meridians Refining Scripture. The more you understand, the better your result. A gentle reminder, do not force yourself if you find it too challenging. The consequence will be a risk you cannot afford."


    "Now, let''s begin."


    Twenty-two Chu Clan members concentrated on the scripture.


    Darren also focused on the inscription, one level at a time.


    After the first round, Darren concluded that i


    t was very advanced.


    The Meridians Refining Scripture was very ambiguous and complicated compared with martial arts cultivation methods.


    "The Meridians Refining Scripture is not an ordinary martial arts skill, and its comprehension does not directly strengthen a person''s power. But if one can master it fully and practice it daily, he then can refine his meridians and strengthen his essence, which will help forge the body in the long term."


    Darren analyzed as he wondered how many levels he could master.


    At this thought, Darren returned his focus to the scripture. He followed the description and began meditating on the first level.


    The remaining Chu Clan members also began to meditate after reading.


    A quarter of an hour later, three Chu Clan members on the platform began sweating profusely.


    For them, the first level was a daunting task.


    Another quarter of an hour passed. One disciple fainted, while another wept and laughed and screamed before losing consciousness.


    "Get them off the platform. They are useless." The Chief Elder looked disappointed. These young men could not even pass the first level.


    To everyone''s astonishment, Darren closed his eyes tightly and did not behave unusually.


    "Ha-ha, the loser is not meditating. He is just pretending."


    "Perhaps he is sleeping. Otherwise, he would have shown some signs of discomfort."


    "Ha-ha!"


    The crowd roared with laughter.


    "Shut up!" shouted an elder, and the crowd silenced. They did not dare to disturb the geniuses on the platform.


    Mazes showed up in Darren''s mind, one after another. He searched them for the exit.


    "This is the way. It must be." Darren felt enlightened all of a sudden. He succeeded in understanding the first level.


    Then he continued with the second level.


    Darren found it complicated and difficult in the beginning because he had never read about meridians. Now, after his probing at the first level, he found the second level even simpler.


    Then the third level, the fourth level¡­


    Darren meditated on one level after another, smoothly without stopping. One hour passed.


    He completed the meditation of the sixth level.


    Darren opened his eyes and looked down from the platform.


    "Ha-ha! Look, the loser has woken."


    "Get off and stop pretending."


    Someone from the crowd taunted.


    Darren felt something unusual just as he was going to tell the disciple from Ilmen Sect that he had completed the meditation.


    He noticed several words at the bottom of the stone tablet.


    "There are seven levels in this scripture."


    Darren closed his eyes and engaged himself in meditation.


    Meanwhile, several other Chu Clan members climbed down from the platform.


    "How did it go, babe?"


    "I have mastered the third level. But I could not go on. My head is aching."


    "Well done. You''ve done enough to pass the first test. Take rest now."


    Nicholas, Blake, and Leo frowned. Obviously, they had encountered difficulties as well and were struggling to overcome them.


    Darren''s forehead beaded with sweat. The seventh level was so tricky that he felt as if he were lost in endless darkness, unable to get out by any means.


    The clock continued ticking. Four hours passed.


    At this moment, only four youngsters remained on the platform. Everyone gazed at the three geniuses, while completely ignoring Darren.


    "Ah!" shouted Leo as he woke from the meditation, his face pale.


    At this time, Nicholas'' mother and Blake''s father smiled at the thought that their sons had done better.


    Another quarter of an hour later, Nicholas and Blake both woke and panted heavily. They looked even worse than Leo.


    "My son must have mastered all six levels, Ha-ha!"


    "Humph, maybe not. He is just forcing himself. Only the master can tell us."


    Darren was the only one left on the platform now. Everyone grew impatient. It was a pure waste of time for the idiot to pretend and posture.


    After a little while, Darren stood. A sharp light shone in his eyes.


    The crowd burst into a guffaw at the sight of Darren in an energized mood.


    "Now, come here to test your degree of mastery. The first one is York Chu."


    York walked forward with his head high and began to practice his mastery of the Meridians Refining Scripture, one level after another.


    "York has mastered four levels, although his degree of understanding is low. He can take the next text."


    The degree of mastery for each level was categorized as low, medium, high, and perfect.


    The next person was not that lucky. He had mastered three levels at a low degree and was taken away after he cried.


    "Nicholas Chu is next."


    As he walked past Darren, Nicholas scorned at him contemptuously. "Idiot, you are making such a scene here. Let me show you what a true genius can do!"


    Nicholas began to practice his mastery of the scripture.


    For the first level, he achieved a high degree of mastery.


    In the second level as well, Nicholas had reached a high degree of mastery.


    ¡­...


    For the fifth level, he had acquired a medium degree of mastery.


    And for the sixth level, Nicholas had a low degree of mastery.


    A commotion arose in the crowd. The audience felt as if their blood was boiling.


    Nicholas had achieved complete mastery of all six levels, but for the sixth level, he had reached a low degree. It was impressive. He was a very talented genius, indeed.


    Even the master from Ilmen Sect nodded with satisfaction.


    Then Blake and Leo continued. Neither was as good as Nicholas. Their mastery of the fifth and sixth was adjudged at a low degree.


    "Darren Chu is next."


    The crowd burst into laughter when Darren''s name was called. This fool had slept for hours on the platform, and it was time for him to humiliate himself.

 Chapter 16 Shock

    "Get your ass down here, you useless bastard!"


    "Shame you. You just tarnished our family name!"


    A massive amount of scolding came at Darren in waves.


    Not far away, several elders also noticed Darren''s performance. Although their faces lacked any emotion, they were watching in disbelief. Darren did not seem to show any trace of exhaustion despite everything that he had been doing. This was impossible.


    Abner actually got a glimmer of hope when he learned that Darren''s talent had been promoted. He always felt that there was something more to this young man. But now, it seemed that he was even more than what he expected.


    Only the guard of the Martial Skill Library laughed quietly as he watched him on the stage because he knew how difficult it was to understand the Profound Nine Sword Skills.


    "Darren, do you really have to bring so much shame to the Chu family? If you drop out now, I, Nicholas, give you a personal guarantee that I will help save your ass from Evan''s uncle," Nicholas pretended to be looking after the interests of the Chu family.


    "No need," Darren stepped forward and responded faintly.


    "Don''t be too stubborn!" Darren''s refusal made Nicholas angry. ''How dare you publicly oppose me, the future chief? Do you want to die?'' he thought but decided to keep it to himself.


    "Okay, show us what you''ve learned now so that we can move on to the next test soon," a disciple of the Ilmen Sect urged.


    Darren went to the particular dummy and found that it had the same meridians as that of a real person.


    Darren''s hands were like that of a phantom wandering around the dummy and filling it with spiritual energy that spread through the dummy''s meridians in the most perfect trajectories.


    "So skillful," one disciple of Ilmen Sect commented as he watched by the sidelines. His eyes lit up, "The first layer, perfect comprehension. Great!"


    Everyone was astonished when they heard him.


    "What? He did nothing wrong? Perfect comprehension?"


    "Yeah, that''s what I heard too! Perfect comprehension!"


    Someone whispered.


    "Brother, look..." Several elders also started watching.


    "Maybe he just got lucky. Perhaps his knowledge ends at the first layer. It also could be a beginner''s luck. He still has no future. We shouldn''t be too impressed." The Chief Elder wasn''t swayed. He was firm in his own view.


    Then, Darren began to realize the second layer of the Meridians Refining Scripture to wash the impurities left in the meridians.


    Just seven or eight minutes later, drops of black liquid came out from the dummy''s body. After using water to wash it away, the dummy started to give off a different light.


    "The second layer, perfect comprehension!"


    Everyone was surprised again. The second layer was also realized? ''Still perfect! The loser was just sleeping on the platform. How did he do it?


    He also achieved perfect comprehension on the second layer! He just surpassed the abilities of the majority of the people who took the test. He''ll pass and qualify for the next test just as long as he has managed to comprehend the third layer!'' everyone watching thought.


    The disciples of Ilmen Sect seemed satisfied. ''Achieving perfect comprehension of the first two layers already shows that this juvenile is actually quite talented. How fascinating. Let''s see how far he can go, '' they thought.


    Chu Clan members and other bystanders, however, were starting to feel angry. ''How can this piece of shit realize two layers and achieve perfect comprehension?''


    "Darren, I don''t care what method you are using to cheat. Get out of there or else, we''ll have a problem!"


    Nicholas and the other two geniuses from the Chu family shot at Darren. They were still skeptical about his ability to realize the two layers with perfect comprehension.


    "What''s the matter? Are you scared? Scared that I''ll be better than you?" Darren was defiant. "Let''s see who''s the loser."


    The three geniuses became nervous. Darren was right.


    "You can only win in your dreams!" In his rage, Nicholas stepped forward and confronted the disciples of the Ilmen Sect, "Brothers, this guy is surely cheating! Do everything you can to find out how he is doing it!"


    "Yes! We have known this kid all his life. Everyone knows how mediocre he is. It''s impossible for him to understand the Meridians Refining Scripture without cheating!" the other two added.


    "How dare you! Do you doubt Jimmy''s judgment? No one dares to cheat under his watch!" An Ilmen Sect disciple shouted from the other side. "And do not call us ''Brother''. From what I know, it''s still unknown whether your talent is enough to enter Ilmen Sect," he added.


    The man''s words silenced Nicholas. Feeling helpless, cold sweat came out of his forehead.


    "Continue," Jimmy Li, the leader of these disciples from Ilmen Sect, told Darren.


    Results were starting to show. The audience watched in silence as Darren exerted the Meridians Refining Scripture layer by layer.


    "The third level, perfect comprehension."


    "The fourth and fifth layers, perfect comprehension!"


    The results of Darren''s test were so shocking!


    No one spoke. Everyone watched.


    Now, Darren could say that he surpassed Nicholas. For the fifth layer, Nicholas had only a middle-level comprehension. Darren on the other hand, had a perfect comprehens


    ion.


    ''That''s incredible!'' thought everyone who was there.


    In the distance, the few Chu family elders who watched were also stunned. ''How did that happen?'' they thought in disbelief.


    "Perfect comprehension of five levels? Wow!" they exclaimed.


    "How incredible! Even the young master Nicholas only had high-level comprehension for the first few layers. Darren got a perfect comprehension on all of them!"


    "Am I dreaming?"


    The formerly quiet training ground suddenly started to grow noisy.


    Seeing this, the Chief Elder''s vision was suddenly blurred and his lips started trembling.


    "He..." The Chief Elder wanted to speak but could not seem to find the words.


    The other families in the Chu clan were also in a state of shock, especially Evan''s family.


    "Brother, how can this little bastard be so talented? Would you know if he cheated?" Evan''s mother asked Stan.


    Stan''s brows were wrinkled but there was nothing he could say. He knew that Darren could not have cheated.


    On stage, the three so-called geniuses were the most dumbfounded of them all.


    The disciples of Ilmen Sect were very excited. Darren''s achievement of doing five layers of perfect comprehension was definitely a sign of his genius. They made the right decision of going to the Chu Clan.


    Jimmy, the leader, seemed to be the most pleased. "I did not expect Chu to have such a genius. Darren will have a very promising future!"


    Jimmy was an excellent disciple who joined Ilmen Sect with a level nine talent of the Yellow Degree. At that time, he only achieved perfect comprehension for the first five layers. The sixth level was highly comprehended.


    It seemed that Darren''s martial arts talent was no worse than his.


    "Brother, did you get to comprehend the sixth layer?"


    Jimmy''s question echoed throughout the hall turning everyone''s attention back to Darren.


    Jimmy just called Darren ''Brother'', which meant that Darren was just invited to join the Ilmen Sect!


    "Yes, Brother," Darren replied, returning the title in acceptance.


    "Brother Darren, show us!" The Ilmen Sect disciples who watched Darren were so eager to see how he did the sixth layer.


    Darren then hurried to start displaying the sixth layer of the Meridians Refining Scripture.


    The sixth layer of the Meridians Refining Scripture was the essence. This was more difficult to comprehend than the previous layers. In fact, it was something that even the people with the talent at level nine of Yellow Degree could not perfectly comprehend. For people like Nicholas whose talent was at seventh level or even lower levels, it would be even more difficult to comprehend.


    With Darren''s techniques, white fog floated above the meridians on the dummy. Darren actually turned the spiritual energy into fog.


    "Ah..." Both the audience and the disciples of Ilmen Sect were in awe.


    "The meridians are connected. This is definitely a perfect comprehension!"


    Jimmy declared excitedly.


    "Perfect comprehension, perfect comprehension!"


    Bang!


    Cheers broke out in the Chu¡¯s training ground. Momentum soared.


    Offstage, the strongest representatives of each family also looked dumbfounded. Why didn''t they see Darren''s talent before?


    The Chief Elder''s facial muscles twitched recalling how he oppressed Darren. Regret filled him for what he did.


    "Brother, I have already reminded you that there is more to Darren than you have expected. Now, he got the chance to prove himself. How about I give him an apology on your behalf?" Abner looked at Darren. It was clear that Darren never felt like he belonged to the Chu Clan. Now, he could sense that the Chu Clan had lost him completely after what had happened today.


    "Bullshit!" The Chief Elder cursed. "I have always dealt with the Chu family matters with fairness. Why will I apologize to a young boy? He is guilty of treason for hiding his talent from the family. I will not punish him only if he makes amends by entering the Ilmen Sect!"


    "Hey, brother..."


    Abner said anxiously. He understood the Chief Elder well. He would never admit being wrong.


    "Everybody!" Jimmy exclaimed, getting everyone''s attention. "As an elite disciple of the School of Boxing Skill in Ilmen Sect, I hereby announce that Darren no longer needs to participate in any more tests. Instead, he can directly enter the Ilmen Sect and choose a school of martial arts skill three days later."


    After the announcement, the Chu family felt all sorts of emotions.


    Nicholas and other geniuses felt so defeated. The boy they looked down on just got qualified to join the Ilmen Sect even without completing all the tests! This was a big shock to them.


    The others felt that the contention for the chief of Chu Clan suddenly became more complicated.


    The elders of the Chu family were all resentful that they did not know how to win the heart of this super genius that just slipped through their fingers.


    Darren, however, looked indifferent. He eyed the audience and looked at everyone, both friends and enemies. ''I will come back someday, '' he thought.


    "Brother, the seventh layer of the Meridians Refining Scripture is too difficult. It is something I cannot fully comprehend. I need your advice," Darren said.


    "What? The seventh layer?" Jimmy asked, puzzled.


    And then, he reacted. "Ah? You..."

 Chapter 17 Darrens Talent (Part One)

    Jimmy grew delighted over Darren''s mention of the seventh level of the Meridians Refining Scripture. ''Have I just discovered a genius who has the talent of the Black Degree for the sect?'' he excitedly thought.


    ''If this is true, I will certainly be rewarded for it. Moreover, it would also be beneficial for me to make friends with such a genius.''


    "Brother, do you need me to practice the seventh level of the Meridians Refining Scripture for you to see?" Darren asked. Jimmy was still recovering from being so worked up by his thoughts that he was a bit caught by surprise with Darren.


    "There''s no need, Darren," he said, smiling as he waved his hands. "Let me just report this to the elders and ask for their instructions."


    Having discovered a genius who seemed to have the talent of the Black Degree was important news that needed to be immediately delivered to the elders. Jimmy took out a Jade Slip and sent a message to the Ilmen Sect.


    A few moments later, Jimmy got a reply saying that an elder from the Ilmen Sect would be sent out to check and confirm whether his claim was true or not.


    Expecting that it would most likely take some time for the elder to arrive at the Chu Clan, Jimmy turned to the rest of the disciple candidates from the Chu Clan and said to them, "You guys continue to do the next test first."


    Soon after, an ancient door appeared next to them. It was the door that led to the one-of-a-kind test room of the Ilmen Sect.


    The door opened with a creaking sound. The room was dark and pitch black. One couldn''t help but be mystified.


    "Amazing! How extraordinary! What a treasure! By going through the door, people can get into another space which has been specially set up for the test of the Ilmen Sect," came a candidate''s amazed remarks. They couldn''t help feeling surprised by the greatness of the whole thing.


    "Go through the door. Although, you should all know that not everyone would be fortunate to pass the test. Good luck, candidates," Jimmy indifferently said to the rest of the disciple candidates from the Chu Clan. He didn''t care about whether they would pass the test or not anymore.


    Nicholas and the other candidates all walked into the test room with low spirits. They knew that even if they were able to pass the test, they would not be able to attract people''s attention as much as Darren did.


    They just couldn''t accept it. Not at all. The second test had not even started and yet Darren had already got the qualification to enter the sect. They had no idea how he came from being a good-for-nothing to basically a genius. There wasn''t any doubt that this fact made them feel depressed.


    "And as for you, Darren, there will be an elder coming over to test you. Just try to give it your best. It''s entirely possible that you might have the talent of the Black Degree!" Jimmy said, grinning from ear to ear.


    Hearing this from Jimmy, the other members of the Chu Clan started to chatter among themselves, each of them getting restless.


    "An Ilmen Sect elder makes an appearance at the Chu Clan! This has never happened before!"


    A group of Chu Clan elders nearby were having a discussion. Several of them kept stealing glances over at Darren every now and then as it went on.


    After a few more moments of discussion among them, Kenny Chu, the clan''s third elder, walked through the crowd and approached Darren.


    "Well done, Darren. Be sure to do your best to impress the elde


    r from the Ilmen Sect. Bring more glory to the Chu Clan ¨C your clan," the third elder said, trying to gain favour from the boy.


    His sugar-coated words undoubtedly showed the Chu Clan''s sudden acknowledgement and approval of Darren, and his talents in particular.


    Finding out that the boy was most likely possessing the talent of the Black Degree, even the Chief Elder, along with the Chu Clan elders, wasn''t able to keep himself at a standstill. But Darren knew better than to trust the half-hearted condescendence.


    "Oh, really? I had no idea until today that I''m regarded as a member of the Chu Clan. Silly me," Darren replied sarcastically.


    "Hey. Don''t you say that Darren," Kenny Chu said as he gave Darren a reassuring smile. Darren was surprised to find no trace of annoyance on the third elder''s face. "No matter what happened in the past and no matter what happens in the future, you are always a member of the Chu Clan. We are all glad to see you have such a great talent." Kenny Chu continued.


    Darren just snorted in response.


    The third elder''s reassuring smile turned into an awkward grimace. He realized that there was no use in trying to sweet talk his way to gain Darren''s good opinion. Feeling dejected, he walked back to the place where the other elders were.


    "Alas, my dear brother, Darren seems to have harbored deep resentment towards us," he sighed out to them.


    "You depraved, high-handed old men!" came a cry from the side. "You never once cared about Darren! You even tormented him back when he was weak! But now that you''ve seen he has talent that you could use to your advantage, you start patronizing him? Shame on you."


    It was Tyler Chu, the guard of the Martial Skill Library. He was probably the only person who dared talk to the Chu Clan elders in this manner.


    "Tyler Chu, what the hell do you mean by that?" The elders were not happy about this.


    "Oh, it''s nothing special. You old men are extremely shameless, is what I mean by that. Is it clear now?" Tyler Chu boldly stated at the elders. He didn''t care about whether they were happy or not.


    "How dare you, Tyler Chu!" the Chief Elder''s face blew up in anger. "I know you have learned the third part of the Profound Nine Sword Skills, but that doesn''t give you the right to talk back to me, the Chief Elder! If you continue with this behaviour, I will not hesitate to engage in a fight with you. You best believe I won''t go easy on you," the Chief Elder bellowed. His force of the Spirit Realm was just on the verge of being released.


    "Don''t you dare act all high and mighty!" Tyler bellowed back. "I heard that when the chief was killed, you people were too frightened to show up. Instead of coming out to defend the clan, you hid in the Elders Cabinet, trembling like little leaves. What brave men you all are!"


    What the guard of the Martial Skill Library said was somewhat exaggerated, but it was still basically true. None of them from the Elders Cabinet showed up at the time when the clan was under attack.


    "Stop being so self-righteous. You are also an elder. Where were you during that time? The attacker was a strong cultivator of the Mysterious Realm. He could have easily killed us in a single second with just one finger! Besides, are you an idiot? Why would we risk fighting him and dying for nothing when we could have just saved our strength?" the third elder said, stroking his beard as he tried to make himself look wise.

 Chapter 18 Darrens Talent (Part Two)

    Instead of replying, the guard of the Martial Skill Library directly tore open his upper garment, revealing a horrendous scar on his body.


    "I got this scar from fighting the strong cultivator. Even if I was not strong enough, I bravely fought him at the risk of my own life, not like you cowards," Tyler proudly said.


    Silence fell over them. The other elders were left speechless.


    They had not known that Tyler Chu fought the strong cultivator of the Mysterious Realm. What had them even more bewildered about the revelation was the fact that he had not been killed in the fight.


    ''Has he already learned the fourth part of the Profound Nine Sword Skills?'' the Chief Elder thought.


    ''Tyler Chu is currently only in the sixth stage of the Spirit Realm. However, with the force of the Profound Nine Sword Skills, he was able to fight the strong cultivator of the Mysterious Realm for quite a while. That''s fairly powerful.''


    A sudden blast of strong wind distracted the Chief Elder from his thoughts. It was so strong that even the clouds were stirred.


    There was a flash and the next thing, a figure appeared on the test stage.


    As the figure stood upright, more people began to take notice of the other person present on the stage. The person was wearing a grey robe that reached the floor. He appeared to be middle-aged and his eyes were as bright as stars. He had a severe commanding presence and gave off an air of mysteriousness.


    "It''s Elder Thomas!" Jimmy exclaimed.


    He hastily saluted and urged all the other Ilmen Sect disciples to salute as well.


    "Welcome, Elder Thomas," he continued.


    The man was Thomas Gongsun, an elder in the School of Sword Skill in the Ilmen Sect.


    "Oh, it''s the elder from the Ilmen Sect. Salute now. Quickly!" A tiny commotion had started to build up among the Chu Clan elders.


    Most of the Chu Clan members knelt directly to show their respects to the man whom they had only heard about in stories.


    The elders held a fist in their other hand and bowed submissively.


    "Please stand up," Thomas Gongsun began. "I heard that there is a genius among the Chu Clan who possesses the talent of the Black Degree. I''ve come here to see him." His voice was as loud as the sound of thunder. Even his words seemed to hold the same force as that of a sword.


    "He is a strong man of the Mysterious Realm. He may have already learned about the sword intent. Amazing," complimented Tyler Chu, who was a fairly good swordsman himself. He couldn''t help feeling astounded by the man''s presence.


    "Elder Thomas, this is Darren. I guess he might have the talent of the Black Degree," Jimmy said as he pointed towards Darren.


    "You guess? Jimmy, you have been in the School of Boxing Skill for a long time. How can you judge somebody''s talent just by guessing?" Thomas Gongsun remarked. Jimmy''s statement had clearly irked him.


    "My apologies," a flustered Jimmy said. He cleared his throat. "Darren claimed that he has learned the seventh level of the Meridians Refining Scripture. But I''m not able to confirm it myself. So I sent a message back to the sect for instructions. I''m sorry to bother you, Elder Thomas. Please forgive me," he continued.


    "Oh? The seventh level?" Thomas Gongsun said, his interest returning. "Well, all right. Let me have a check."


    Thomas Gongsun prompted Darren to approach him on the stage.


    "Elder Thomas, it is an honor to meet you," Darren greeted. He held a fist with h


    is other hand and gave the elder a salute.


    Thomas Gongsun nodded and pressed his hand on the meridians on Darren''s wrist. A peculiar energy was instantaneously spread all over Darren''s body.


    With his strength and knowledge, he had the power to handily test Darren''s talent.


    It was just like how Darren was tested that day back when he had the talent only at level two of the Yellow Degree.


    "Ha-ha!" Thomas Gongsun laughed aloud.


    "Wonderful. Your talent has reached the level one of the Black Degree. You are a super genius," he stated. The elder was extremely pleased. "You have made a great contribution to the sect," he said as he turned to Jimmy. "As a reward, you will receive three Dragon Herbs and a chance to stay in the Mysterious Spiritual Pool to get meridians refining for three days."


    "Thank you, Elder Thomas!" Jimmy delightedly exclaimed. ''The three Dragon Herbs are the highest-grade herbs. They can help me increase my strength to at least one more stage. As for the Mysterious Spiritual Pool, only super geniuses are allowed to get in. I have definitely earned a lot this time, '' he thought.


    Thomas Gongsun turned to Darren and looked at him with satisfaction. "Your name is Darren Chu, isn''t it?" he asked


    "Yes, Elder Thomas," Darren replied.


    "All right. Darren, you will be welcome to join our sect. Three days from now, you must choose a school of martial arts skill. My school, the School of Sword Skill, is in need of talented people such as you. Please consider it while making your choice," the elder said.


    Hearing those words gave Darren the impression that Thomas Gongsun wanted him to attend the School of Sword Skill.


    "I would really like to be a swordsman. I will consider my options carefully and make a good choice."


    The elder chuckled at Darren''s response. "Very well. I should get going now. I have confidence in you, my boy," he said and vanished away in a flash just as he did when he arrived.


    A few scattered claps from the crowd started to be heard.


    It then burst into a large applause.


    Darren had been confirmed a genius with a talent of the Black Degree by an Ilmen Sect elder. It was now official, then. It couldn''t possibly be fake. The people who used to look down on and tease him ¨C all of them were now admiring him.


    ~


    After about two hours had passed, Nicholas and the other candidates gloomily stepped out of the test room. All of them looked dejected.


    "Failed. All of you," Jimmy frankly said.


    All those so-called talented people spent too much time inside the test room. They had a hard time trying to pass the test for the Ilmen Sect. The level of their talents was just too low, after all.


    Everyone had their eyes focused on Darren. Compared to the others who went out with no luck, he was the star of the moment.


    "Darren, I''ll see you in three days," Jimmy said as he walked over to the other Ilmen Sect disciples who were preparing to leave.


    "See you, brothers," Darren politely called out. Jimmy waved goodbye and left with the others.


    Darren then started to climb down from the test stage one step at a time. He felt everyone''s eyes on him with every step that he took.


    As the last of the Ilmen Sect disciples left, Stan stood up and blocked Darren''s way. He looked terribly furious. He looked like he was ready to kill Darren.


    "Your talent doesn''t make you strong. No matter how talented you are, I will never let you go so easily, Darren."

 Chapter 19 Challenge

    Darren frowned, anger burning in his chest. The atmosphere throughout the training ground was tense.


    "Stan Yue, shame on you! Why do you always bully this teenager? Are you proud of this?"


    An elder of the Chu Clan stood up aggressively and confronted Stan.


    "Don''t spout such bullshit! He cut off my nephew''s arm. Don''t I have the right to ask for justice for my nephew?" His jaw was set, a sign of holding back his emotions.


    The sound of a sob broke through the conversation. "My poor son! My baby! He''s such a good boy, but the bastard cut off his arm. How can my son live with this in future? After my husband passed away, all of you began bullying me and my son. How can you do this to us?"


    Evan''s mother attempted to appeal to their sympathy with her tears, but she was exaggerating the whole story.


    "She''s lying! I''m a witness. It''s Evan who has been preying on Darren. Two months ago, I heard him say in public that he would kill Darren, so he could share more property."


    "Yes! I''ve heard that as well. Evan even wounded Mr. Darren''s little sister. He deserves the punishment he got. Mr. Darren did nothing wrong."


    "I agree. It has nothing to do with Darren. Evan deserves that!"


    Nodding heads were seen all around the training ground. All of them supported Darren now.


    Darren sneered at the sight of it. This was how this world worked. A few minutes ago, he was still a loser in their eyes. Who else would stand up for him then? But when they had learned about his real talent, they all changed their attitude.


    "Stan, this is our family issue. We don''t need you to take part in this. We will carry out our duty just and fair," Abner said with an authoritative voice. He tried to discourage Stan''s speech as a Chu Clan Elder.


    "Fine. Do what you want. You''ll see! You will regret what you''ve said to me. Our Yue Clan is not a paper tiger!"


    "Save your nonsense! Get out of here, now!" The three Elders showed no respect to Stan. Now they had the talent of the Black Degree in the Chu Clan, and the Yue Clan had become insignificant compared to Darren.


    Despite their support for him, Darren didn''t feel grateful at all. They only backed him because of his talent for martial arts and how it would benefit them. However, he did not vocalize his thoughts.


    "I can''t believe this. Why does nobody ever help us? My poor son! Nobody in this damned family wants to ask for justice for you. My poor son!" Evan''s mother had draped her body on the ground and was yelling like a lunatic. Tears continued to stream down her face.


    "Stop this! Don''t embarrass our family!" Even Stan could not stand to see her act in such an inappropriate manner. He grabbed her arm and tried to pull her up off the floor.


    Evan''s mother stood and shot ferocious eyes at Darren. There was clear loathing in her stare. Then she turned to leave.


    "Wait! Who says you are allowed to leave now? I''ve said I want Evan''s life." Darren shot them an angry glare full of great killing intent.


    "Darren, don''t push it! I know you are a talented cultivator now, but that doesn''t mean your cultivation base is good. There are millions of martial arts geniuses throughout history, but most of them passed away before they became a legend. You''d better take back what you''ve said," said Mark, the younger brother of Darren''s father.


    "That''s right. You think talent is everything? You''re kidding yourself, Darren! You can''t even take one attack from me. You''re going to regret your arrogance, you fool!" Leo said. The talent contest had frustrated him beyond all reason, but he was highly confident about his cultivation base, sometimes to the point of being boastful.


    "You really think highly of yourself, Leo," Darren said with a smirk. Darren, at the eighth stage of the Primary Realm, had the confidence to defeat anyone among the young generation of the Chu Clan.


    Leo laughed. "Do you dare to accept my challenge? If I can''t knock you out with just one attack, I will go eat shit."


    Leo was at the peak of the eighth stage of Primary Realm, on a higher level than Darren. His assumptions about his abilities weren''t unfounded, but his ego was too big to be charming.


    "Way to go, my boy! Cultivation base is more powerful in this world," Mark shouted energetically. He looked at his son with pride.


    Leo raised an eyebrow, a cocky smile on his face. "Well? What do you say, Darren? Are you scared you''ll lose? If you aren''t man enough to challenge me, you''d better behave yourself and stop walking around like you own the place. If you were found dead because of some accident today, the Ilmen Sect couldn''t blame any of us anyway." His father''s encouragement only strengthened Leo''s arrogance.


    When Nicholas and Blake heard what a ruckus Leo was making, they came over and joined in the conversation. Both of them also wanted to regain their confidence in the matter of cultivation base.


    Nicholas sneered, "I agree with you, Leo. Darren''s looking for a fight. How else would you explain why he behaves so aggressively?" Nicholas reached out his hand toward Darren''s face, but Darren immediately slapped his hand away.


    "Damn you, asshole!" Nicholas screamed with fury, clutching his hand in pain.


    Blake stood beside them with his hands folded over his chest. He laughed, enjoying the s


    how. "Nicholas, you say you are the future of our Chu Clan, but Darren obviously doesn''t take you seriously. After all, he is the most talented one among our generation."


    Nicholas narrowed his eyes, knowing full well that Blake was goading him into action. It was hard to control his anger, but he wasn''t about to fall into Blake''s trap. He wouldn''t give him the satisfaction.


    "That''s enough!" The Chief Elder came over with a grim-faced look. He addressed all of them as he continued, "No matter who dares to begin the fight, he will only earn himself severe punishment."


    Darren cast a cold look at the Chief Elder and answered, "Our Chief Elder is really doing a great job in protecting every member of our family. I sincerely admire your diligence in your duty, sir."


    The Chief Elder''s face darkened at Darren''s sarcastic words. "Don''t push it, Darren," he warned.


    "You can relax. I don''t have the nerve to do so, sir." Then Darren turned to the crowd and announced loudly, "Attention! I, Darren Chu, want to challenge the three geniuses of our family." He had to strain himself to say ''geniuses'' genuinely.


    Leo, Nicholas, and Blake were thrilled to hear this. They were itching to fight.


    "You''ll regret what you just said, Darren! Don''t blame me if you become permanently disabled from the fight," Leo said with a smirk.


    "Hell no! You won''t even get the chance after I''m through with him! I''m going to teach this asshole a lesson," Nicholas yelled, turning the hand that had been slapped before into a fist and making a punching motion.


    "You''ve heard it, guys. It''s Darren who wants to challenge us. We aren''t bullying him. We have given him the chance to back down but he ignored it," Leo addressed the crowd theatrically.


    A voice rang out from the crowd. "Please, calm down, Mr. Darren. It''s a trap! That''s exactly what they want!"


    "He''s right, Mr. Darren. Why don''t you wait a few more years before challenging them? That''s not a fair game!"


    Darren''s supporters all shouted for him to stop.


    "Darren, did you think before you said those words? Leo is at the eighth stage. Just one attack from him can kill you. I''m not bluffing, bro!" Blake prodded.


    Darren was unaffected. "You don''t have to play that with me, Blake. The one I want to challenge is not Leo." At these words, Nicholas stepped in.


    "You are such a wuss, Darren!" he teased. "For a loser like you, your talent''s a waste!" He was about to say something else, but Darren grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up to his face.


    "Listen to me carefully!" Darren said threateningly. "I want to challenge all three of you, together." He glared at Nicholas for a moment before shoving him away.


    Darren''s words caused an uproar among the audience. They all began talking excitedly.


    "What? Mr. Darren wants to challenge the three geniuses at the same time? Is he crazy?"


    "Mr. Darren must have lost his mind. He''ll get plenty of opportunities to take his revenge on them in the future. If I were him, I would work on my cultivation for a few years first, and then beat the shit out of them. Wouldn''t that be a better way?"


    "He won''t do well in this fight. All three of them are at the eighth stage of Primary Realm. Mr. Darren made a bad choice."


    Meanwhile, the three other men were turning red with rage. Darren''s words ignited the flames of anger within them.


    Making such a bold statement in front of all these people was humiliating for them. They had to act fast to save face.


    "I accept your challenge! I''ll beat the shit out of you any way, Darren!" Leo snapped.


    On the other side of the training ground, Abner, the second elder, whispered, "What should we do now? Should I try to stop them?" He watched the scene unfold before him with worry.


    "No, now is not the time," the Chief Elder responded. "It''s a good opportunity to teach him a lesson. The arrogant child should learn that the whole world does not revolve around him."


    The other elders nodded. They understood what the Chief Elder was saying. Darren was filled with the grievance he had accumulated for years back at the Chu Clan. What the Chief Elder wanted was to stand up for Darren when he was in danger.


    And it was time for the Elders to explain that the situation left them no choice then, although they wanted to help him and his sister. As a result, the tension between them and Darren lessened, as they hoped it would.


    When Leo saw that none of the three Elders made a move to stop the challenge, he squinted his eyes and rushed Darren with an all-out attack.


    "You are going to die now, asshole!" he shouted. "I''ll teach you a lesson the hard way!"


    Nicholas and Blake decided to stand back and enjoy the show. Both of them refrained from replying to Darren''s challenge.


    But, defying everyone''s expectations, Darren landed a hard punch in Leo''s chest, causing him to get thrown back to the ground. Leo staggered to his feet, trying to retain his strong stance. Darren, however, remained unfazed.


    "No way... You''re also at the eighth stage of Primary Realm!" Leo said, bewildered. The realization caused him to lower his guard for a moment, but he quickly recovered.


    Everyone watching was shocked at this sudden revelation. It seemed like this challenge was more evenly matched than they thought.

 Chapter 20 Destructive Sword Attack

    At this very moment, Nicholas and the others were reminded of the death of Bob, the butler of the Chu Clan. When they arrived at Darren''s courtyard that day, Bob had already been dead. Evan and the servants claimed that it was Darren who killed him.


    Bob was an experienced cultivator, although he was not a talented one. But Darren could kill such a strong cultivator, which was hard evidence of his powerful cultivation base.


    When Nicholas thought of that, he swallowed in fear. The teenager in front of him had changed. Darren was not the former loser that everyone had thought him to be. Nicholas now felt like prey at the mercy of his predator.


    "Darren, you''d better keep your word. You said that you would challenge all three of us. Don''t change your mind now!"


    Nicholas walked forward and exchanged glances with the other two. He wanted to ensure that they would fight with him.


    In the next instant, their vital energies surged, ready to work together. All three people targeted their killing intent at Darren.


    "Shame on you! You three are shameless! How can you work together to fight against one? It''s so unfair for Mr. Darren!"


    "Boo! The three so-called geniuses of our Chu Clan. Shame on you! Only Mr. Darren is our family''s true genius, the top talent."


    Many of the members of the Chu Clan scorned Nicholas and the other two.


    Darren, who had been standing with his hands crossed behind his back, said, "And I also remember that someone claimed to be able to defeat me with only one attack. Otherwise, he will eat shit. Well, it''s time for him to fulfill his promise."


    Leo''s face darkened when he heard Darren. He felt so embarrassed that he wished the earth would open and swallow him.


    "It''s all bullshit! Winner takes all! Nicholas, let''s go!" Leo let go of his pride and dignity. Defeating Darren was the only thing on his mind.


    Leo rushed forward again and stretched his fists. His strong fists moved like lightning as they darted through the sky and headed straight for Darren.


    Darren, however, stayed motionless. As a cultivator with the talent at level one of the Black Degree, his senses were much acuter than that of inferior cultivators. He could clearly see Leo''s movements.


    ''Well, his right fist is a distraction. But his left fist is aimed at my throat. Nice try, Leo!'' Darren knew Leo''s every move, including the flaws in his martial arts skill, of course.


    "Big deal."


    Darren aimed a kick at Leo and successfully defended against his attack. Simultaneously, Darren launched a strike with his right hand, which was aimed at Leo''s right shoulder.


    "Bang!"


    The sound of the fighting echoed in the air. Leo retreated a few meters after Darren''s attack, and his face went deathly pale.


    When Leo''s father saw this scene, his face turned grim. He could not believe that Darren had triumphed over his son with only one attack.


    The Elders were awestruck to see that as well. They found it hard to believe that Darren''s cultivation base was at the peak of the eighth stage of the Primary Realm. Obviously, he was an invincible cultivator among the ones at the eighth stage.


    But martial arts skill was also a vital part of someone''s cultivation base.


    So, Nicholas and Blake summoned the top martial arts skills they had learned at once before rushing toward Darren.


    A sneer cracked Darren''s lips. In the Barren Wasteland, he had killed Marvin single-handedly. Marvin, the bloodthirsty and murderous hustler, was more experienced at fighting than Nicholas and Blake.


    Darren remained unshakable now that he was facing their attacks. In a split second, he delivered his attacks on his enemies.


    The three men burst into an intensive fight, and the strong force between them compelled the audience around them to step back.


    "Oh my! Mr. Darren is freakishly strong! He has a big advantage over them, even though his opponents are working together."


    Leo, after a break, joined Nicholas and Blake as well.


    Darren felt a little challenged now that he was fighting the three together, especially Nicholas as his cultivation base was much higher than the other two.


    Their vital energy, targeting Darren, burst out at the same time. The force of the impact between the three and Darren was so tremendous that it compelled both sides to step back.


    "This bastard is fucking strong!"


    Nicholas, Blake, and Leo were stunned by Darren''s cultivation base. None of them could believe that even though they had worked together against Darren, the fight ended in a tie. That was humiliating for them.


    "All right! We have the winner now! The game is over," said the guard of the Martial Skill Library, who had observed the fight for a while.


    "What? Is the game over? So who''s the winner?"


    "They are all at the eighth stage of the Primary Realm. Darren fought against three people alone, but the match ended in a draw. It is obvious who the winner is," said the guard of the Martial Skill Library, airily.


    "What? He wins? No! We can''t accept such a result!" None of the three were convinced by the elder.


    They planned to consume Darren''s energy in further rounds. One thing would have led to another, and they would have gained an advantage over Darren in terms of vital energy eventually. Then, they would only need one strike to defeat Darren.


    The guard of the Martial Skill Library, knew what they had planned, which was why he had come to stop the fight.


    Then the elder walked toward Darren and whispered to him, "Go now, kid! You need to rest. Don''t let them bother you."


    After Darren thanked the elder, he turned to Nicholas and the other two and said, "Since you can''t accept such a result, my fist will discuss this issue with you. I will deal with all three of you, once and for all, until you all admit defeat. Come on, three assholes! All together!"


    What an arrogant declaration!


    Nicholas and the other two were thrilled to hear that Darren wanted to continue the fight, but his words infuriated them to the core.


    "Once and for all? All three? Mr. Darren overestimates his abilities this time."


    "That''s hard to say. Mr. Darren has made lots of things possible. Didn''t you notice that? Everything he has said today has come true in the end."


    "Yeah! I agree with you. Mr. Darren has been hiding his true strength for unknown reasons. He''s a real master, a supreme master. Way to go, Mr. Darren!"


    Nicholas, Blake, and Leo activated their vital energy at the same time. Nicholas clenched his teeth and yelled, "Well, it''s time to show you the power of our martial arts skills."


    "Burst Punch Attack!"


    That was the martial arts skill Nicholas was proud of the most, for he had mastered this top martial skill.


    Blake took a saber from the training ground and yelled, "Mighty Blade Attack!"


    That was also a top martial arts skill. Although Blake had not mastered it, he was close to the perfect stage.


    "Indestructible Golden Dome!" Leo shouted. The Indestructible Golden Dome was one of the top defensive methods. When Leo summoned the skill, a light golden dome appeared around him.


    "Nicholas, Blake, I will go first. My dome will shield us from his attacks. Then you two should strike him."


    They planned to use Leo''s Indestructible Golden Dome as their shield so that Nicholas and Blake could safely launch their top martial arts skills at Darren. They were highly confident that they would defeat Darren with this plan.


    The three, aiming at Darren, leaped into the air like shooting arrows.


    When they activated their martial arts skills, the people around them also felt the power and found it hard to breathe under the pressure.


    Instantly, clouds rolled in the clear sky. The weather had changed because of the intensity of the fight between the two sides!


    Darren frowned. Then a sword, carrying an icy aura, appeared in Darren''s hand.


    When the guard of the Martial Skill Library saw the sword, he knew how this fight would end.


    "I have forgotten that he has mastered the Profound Nine Sword Skills."


    Abner, who had been watching from a distance, had already witnessed the power of Darren''s sword skills. He still remembered how Darren''s attack had numbed his hand earlier, as he had underestimated Darren and his sword then. The power of his sword was impressive.


    Reed and Mark, however, looked confident. They had taught their sons every move of the martial arts skills, and Leo and Blake had practiced those for years. They thought it would be as easy as blinking an eye for their sons to defeat Darren.


    "What do you think of this?" the Third Elder asked the Chief Elder.


    "It''s so obvious. Of course, Darren will not win. You can assist him when he is about to lose the game. If the other factions have a problem with this, I will appease them. I believe Darren will stop complaining about the Chu Clan when we have helped him," the Chief Elder said confidently.


    After all, Darren was only a teenager. It was easy to persuade him.


    "I don''t think so. Darren will definitely win this game," Abner, the Second Elder said. When the Third Elder heard this, he shot a disdainful look at Abner.


    "What''s wrong with you, Abner? I know he has learned some top martial arts skills, but he is fighting against the three geniuses of our family. How''s it even possible for him to win the game?" said the Third Elder, confidently.


    ...


    The three opponents shot toward Darren simultaneously. Their movements summoned a strong wind, and the leaves on the ground whirled in the air.


    Although the roiling cloud had covered the sun, several sword-lights cut through the dark sky. Darren closed his eyes as he activated his vital energy. All of a sudden, he opened his eyes, and rays of light sparkled in his eyes.


    "Destructive Sword Attack!"


    The guard of the Martial Skill Library, nodded with satisfaction. He commented, "Way to go, kid! Your grasp of the first move is as good as mine."


    Nicholas, Blake, and Leo were highly confident about themselves. It seemed that they couldn''t imagine a scenario other than Darren being defeated by them.


    "Go to hell!"


    Leo was the first to receive Darren''s sword attack. "This is the Indestructible Golden Dome. Nothing can break it. Not even your damn sword."


    But what happened next proved that Leo was wrong about this.


    "How''s this even possible! No fucking way! No! No! My dome! Ah!"


    Darren''s sword attack cut open Leo''s defensive dome as easily as a knife through tofu. And in a flash, Leo received hundreds of injuries from Darren''s sword attack.


    Meanwhile, the attacks from Nicholas and Blake were inching closer to Darren.


    "Damn it! We have lost our defense!"


    Nicholas and Blake were dumbstruck with amazement. However, they had no choice now, but to continue their attacks.


    "Boom!"


    The whole Chu Clan mansion shook. Their fight left numerous punch forces, blade-silhouettes, and sword-lights around the air, which injured many people present. Everyone in the audience had witnessed the mighty power of both sides.


    "Ah! Ah! Ah!"


    Nicholas and Blake were thrown into the air. Serious injuries covered their bodies.


    The cultivators of the Spirit Realm reacted quickly by leaping into the air and catching them before they fell to the ground.


    "Nicholas, are you all right?"


    "How do you feel, Blake?"


    "Wake up! Leo!"


    The three so-called geniuses passed out when Darren attacked them. All the witnesses, however, were astonished.


    Moments after the fight ended, thunderous applause burst out from the audience. Those young disciples were too shocked to speak. They had just witnessed a miracle, a legend.


    What a powerful sword attack! The sword light of the Destructive Sword Attack stunned everyone to the core.

 Chapter 21 Belles Leaving

    The ending was really unexpected. Nobody had thought that Darren would become so strong.


    Nicholas and the others were quickly carried away to be treated. To be honest, Darren had actually held back in throwing his punches. If he hadn''t, he could have killed all of them.


    Darren was strong, but he was not stupid. He knew that they all had powerful forces backing them up, and if he had actually killed them, then those forces would gang up on him and eventually overpower and kill him, even if he was a disciple of the Ilmen Sect.


    "Darren, don''t you think you went too far?" Darren''s uncle Reed was so furious that his face actually turned a shade of purple. His son was badly hurt and was still in a coma because of Darren, and there was no way he was going to let him get away with that.


    "They''re the ones who have gone too far," Darren replied with no fear. Nicholas and his gang had showed aggressive behaviors a couple of times, and everyone knew that. They were all well aware of who was right and who was wrong.


    "Reed, no more about this matter. It''s just a game. A little injury is not a big deal," said the Chief Elder as he stood up.


    "Humph." Despite his anger, Reed couldn''t contradict the Chief Elder, and so he kept his silence after letting out a light snort.


    Mark, on the other hand, looked awful but didn''t utter a word as well.


    They all lost face entirely in front of the elders.


    "Well, now we, the Chu Clan, have a genius like Darren. It''s a great honor that is worth celebrating. This is a call for celebration! Lay out a great three-day feast starting from tomorrow immediately," the Chief Elder ordered.


    The elder''s words also signified the end of the event.


    The Chief Elder approached Darren and said, "It was my wrong judgment that caused you to be treated unkindly. I hope you don''t mind it too much, Darren."


    The others around them could only stare. None of them could believe what was happening, so they could only stand there with their mouths agape. Given how powerful and noble the Chief Elder was, was he actually apologizing to Darren himself? How could that even be possible?


    The Chief Elder''s words only proved even further how in that world, only the geniuses were rewarded with respect.


    Darren''s expression relaxed a little bit, then he said coldly, "If you have nothing else to say, I should go back. My sister is still seriously hurt."


    Without saying another word, he turned his back on the elder, leaving everyone there speechless and astonished.


    "Sure. Hurry up, take some healing medicines. And escort Evan Chu to the criminal office. I will judge him myself," the Chief Elder said. He hoped that this way, he could clear away some of Darren''s resentment towards the Chu Clan.


    ...


    Standing in the chill courtyard, Darren looked up at the sky and sighed with endless emotion. If he didn''t have the experience from that adventure, the talent, and the strength, he would have surely died defenseless and oppressed.


    Ever since his talent was unfolded before the public''s eyes, the people around him all began to hide their true colors and started to change their attitudes towards him. Even the Chief Elder apologized to him. Despite the benefits he was getting from the special treatment, it all felt rather ironic and disgusting to Darren.


    ''In the world of martial arts, talent is everything. Strength is everything. I still have to remain vigilant. There are countless talented people in the Ilmen Sect, and there still might be people who can surpass me.''


    Darren was well aware that gaining the Assimilation Skill was just another opportunity. The real goal was to keep striving and growing stronger until nobody could surpass him.


    What was more, he believed that his father''s death could not have been a coincidence. Therefore, he resolved to find out the truth the moment he had the chance.


    Almost unconsciously, Darren opened the door to the room where his sister was. The moment he laid his eyes on his sister, he could not help but think that his sister had only been sleeping.


    He entered the room, looked at his scarred sister, and felt a pang of sadness.


    "Unfortunately, my sister''s talent for martial arts is too low. From now on, the only way I can protect her is to have her by my side all the time."


    ''''Rat-tat."


    Someone knocked on the door.


    "Come in," Darren muttered, turning his face towards the door.


    "Mr. Darren, these are healing medicines. The elder ordered us to bring them to you. Each one of them is invaluable. Would you please take them? Elder also added that you can rest assured. Evan won''t get away without a heavy punishment." A couple of servants, who had once spoken ill of Darren and treated him badly, looked at this super genius and trembled in fear, scared that he would remember what they had done to him.


    "I got it. Now get out," Darren said, paying little attention to them. To him, they were irrelevant. All that mattered in that moment was his sister.


    The servants retreated and scurried away.


    Darren picked up one pill and looked at it with contempt, "What a priceless pill! Not only can it cure the injury, but it also contains enormous spiritual energy. Well, well, so this is what they use. There is no way I could have had access to this before. Not to mention that the elder even asked someone to bring it to me."


    How obvious the disparity was. People with great talent were always considered superior and given the special treatment.


    Darren hurriedly got one medicine out and helped his younger sister take it. He then mobilize


    d his internal strength to help her digest the medicine.


    "Gosh, what''s this? Belle''s meridians are badly blocked."


    Darren perfectly understood the Meridians Refining Scripture, and so he could easily tell when something was wrong, and something was definitely wrong with her sister.


    "Is that the reason why my sister''s talent is so poor? I guess it''s worth a shot. I''ll try the Meridians Refining Scripture."


    Darren then began to take action. At once, he performed the Meridians Refining Scripture on his sister.


    Darren concentrated as much as he could. He inspected Belle''s meridians one by one. And then he let out a stream of vital energy that flowed in her body and began to refine her meridians.


    "Gosh. More than 700 meridians are blocked, no wonder Belle''s talent in martial arts is so poor."


    Darren then began to use the Meridians Refining Scripture to unblock Belle''s meridians gradually.


    Like the dummy from that day, drops of black filth came out from her body. Darren then transfused a stream of vital energy and made it repair his sister''s meridians.


    After four hours of refining, her meridians finally started to be unblocked.


    "Ah."


    Suddenly, Darren felt something unusual. As he was performing the Meridians Refining Scripture on his sister, his own vital energy began to pass into his sister''s body. Suddenly the vital energy''s flowing speed became faster and faster, just like an actual stream.


    "Wow, Belle''s meridians are so broad. I can''t believe this. So how strong could she actually be?" Darren muttered to himself, "She must be extremely powerful as well."


    While Darren was lost in thought, Belle started to wake up. The medicine''s healing effect was actually pretty good. In only four hours, almost all of the scars on her body had almost disappeared.


    "Brother..." The moment Belle opened her eyes, she immediately saw her brother. She was so happy and relieved that she almost burst out crying.


    "Belle, don''t move. It''s okay. I''m here. I''m here now," Darren comforted tenderly.


    In that moment, Belle became aware that there was a stream of vital energy flowing inside her body. Knowing that her brother was healing her, she did not dare to move.


    As Darren continued his healing, he got more and more confused. He went as far as absorbing spiritual energy in order to transform it into vital energy that he could use for Belle. But her absorption rate of his vital energy was too fast for him to be able to provide an adequate supply.


    ''Does my sister also have the talent of the Black Degree?'' Darren thought. ...


    Darren felt immensely drained.


    ''I have to stop for a moment. At this rate, my own meridians will get impaired too," Darren thought to himself. Darren stopped healing his sister.


    He gave Belle the pills brought by the servant, and helped her take them one by one. Thankfully, the vast spiritual energy the medicines contained was exactly enough to supply the energy needed, given Belle''s absorption speed.


    "Belle, close your eyes and adjust your breath. Quickly," Darren urged.


    Belle didn''t know what had happened. But her brother''s tone made it seem like it was important, so she did as she was told.


    In that moment, Belle looked like a stunning fairy who had extraordinary charm and an otherworldly transcendence.


    "What... What''s going on?" Darren asked. He was astonished, but he had the feeling that something good was about to happen.


    Clank, clank, clank...


    Suddenly, a vast surge of spiritual energy from heaven and earth poured down and refined Belle''s body.


    ...


    At this moment, a delicate figure appeared from the clouds, its eyes focusing on the Chu Clan.


    "Wow, it seems like someone''s gotten refined by spiritual energy! Congratulations!"


    The figure wearing a white dress flew down gracefully. She looked extraordinarily beautiful. So beautiful that the people looking at her could barely believe their eyes.


    From where he was standing, Darren watched his sister undergo some changes. Before he could say anything, his sister vanished from his sight. Shocked and confused, Darren ran out of the door to find his sister.


    And then, Darren saw his sister floating above the clouds.


    "Hello, my little friend, I''m so lucky to have met such a gifted girl today. Don''t worry. I''ll never hurt her. She''s going to have a great future with me. If you want to see her at any point in the future, you are more than welcome to visit the Lotus Holy Land."


    Even though those words echoed in Darren''s head, it seemed like he was the only one who could hear them. Outside his head, everything remained quiet.


    Darren felt deeply depressed as he gazed after Belle''s receding figure. He was sad, but he was not too worried about Belle. Based on that person''s voice, it seemed to him that she would treat Belle with kindness. Even more than that, Darren knew that it could be an amazing opportunity for his beloved sister.


    "Thanks for your help," Darren said out loud to show his appreciation. He was quite unsure whether she heard him or not, but he knew of no other way.


    Darren knew that it was a good opportunity. He was also aware that if Belle had stayed with him forever, she might be in even more danger. This way, she could live a much safer life.


    "Lotus Holy land - I''ll keep that place in my heart forever. Belle, please wait for me. I promise that I will do everything it takes so that I can visit you in three years'' time."


    Darren felt a loss deep in his heart. But as long as it would be for his sister''s good, he didn''t mind the temporary separation.

 Chapter 22 Leave For The Ilmen Sect (Part One)

    After the mysterious woman took Belle away, Darren let it out of his mind. He went back to his room and began absorbing the spiritual energy from heaven and earth.


    The next morning, Darren woke from his meditation. When he opened his eyes, light radiated from his pupils, and he found that his vital energy had sharply increased.


    "Wow! That''s incredible! Now I can absorb spiritual energy at such a fast speed. But I''m still at the eighth stage of the Primary Realm. Alas, one cannot make a stage breakthrough overnight."


    The higher cultivation base was, the more difficult a breakthrough would be. For example, if the spiritual energy Darren needed to make a breakthrough from the seventh stage to the eighth stage equaled a pot of water, the spiritual energy he needed to move from eighth to ninth would be a pond.


    The difficulty in upgrading one''s cultivation base was more evidence of the great gap between different stages. This was why the chance for a cultivator to defeat one at a higher stage was close to zero.


    "After two days, it''s time to choose a school of martial arts. I have to leave for the Ilmen Sect now. Otherwise, I will miss that." Darren started off after he packed up. His cultivation journey in the Ilmen Sect was coming soon.


    As the preeminent sect of this country, the Ilmen Sect possessed plenty of cultivation resources and rare books on martial arts skills. It was the sacred place that every cultivator yearned to enter, including Darren.


    When Darren passed by the central yard of the Chu Clan, the young men watched him with admiration and envy.


    "Have you heard the latest news? The rule for selecting our family chief after half a year has been changed."


    "Yeah! Of course! I read the bulletin in the morning. I''m guessing the rule was changed to deter Mr. Darren. After all, nobody among the younger generation has the skill to defeat Mr. Darren."


    "I agree with you. I heard that some strong cultivators of the other factions came to meet the Chief Elder last night. They staged a demonstration and stated they would stop supporting the Chu Clan if the Chief Elder didn''t change the rule, leaving him no choice but to reach a compromise with them."


    Those people murmured among themselves.


    Darren heard part of their conversation when he passed by them. When he saw the bulletin in the training ground, the fragments of their conversation came together like puzzle pieces and formed the whole story.


    Darren frowned deeply after he finished reading the bulletin. It was obvious the rules were changed because of him.


    As the bulletin said, the competition for selecting the Chief of the Chu Clan half a year from now allows the elder generation to join. The maternal relatives are allowed to participate in the competition on behalf of the members of the direct family."


    In other words, Reed, Mark, and strong cultivators that were maternal relatives of other factions had the right to join the competition.


    They were all strong cultivators of the Spirit Realm, and most of them were at the second or third stage. Although Darren''s talent was the Black Degree, it was impossible for his cultivation base to reach the Spirit Realm in half a year.


    "Darren, are you heading for the Ilmen Sect now?" an elder with a frail build said as he walked up to Darren.


    "Yes, sir!" The elder was the guard of the Martial Skill Library, whom Darren respected deeply.


    "I guess you have read the bulletin. Don''t let this bother you, kid! Focus your attention on the Ilmen Sect, and the martial arts skills you choose to learn in the future. Being one of their disciples, you will improve your cultivation base greatly. That''s the most important thing for you now. Remember this, kid. The so-called chief of this family is nothing at all. It doesn''t deserve your time and effort. What matters is your cultivation base. The higher, the better. Got it?"


    Darren understood the elder''s underlying meaning. The elder was trying to tell Darren that his cultivation base couldn''t reach the same level as the elder generation in just half a year.


    "Yes, sir! I will keep this in mind. Thank you so much, sir!" Darren answered humbly. Then he changed the topic, "I have no interest in being the chief, but I can''t forgive the insults and humiliation my sister and I have endured for years and pretend nothing has happened. I want to get even."


    From the determination sparkling in Darren''s eyes, the elder knew that nothing could change his mind now. After all, Darren was the son of the Chief and had suffered much scorn and humiliation since his father''s death. It was, thus, natural that he wanted to get revenge. And the competition for selecting the chief of the Chu Clan offered him a perfect opportunity.


    "So you''ve decided to join the competition after half a year?" the elder said with a deep sigh.


    "Yes, sir," Darren answered calmly.


    "Well, that''s your call to make. I know you are a talented kid, but you should keep up your discipline when you begin your cultivation in the Ilmen Sect. The progress in cultivation base requires persistence and diligence. There are millions of strong cultivators beyond our standing, but I believe you will be one of them sooner or later. Work hard, kid!"


    Then the elder took out a roll of parchment and handed it to Darren. The elder said, "Although I''m not as talented as you, my knowledge about the Profound Nine Sword Skills is much better than yours. After all, I''ve studied this skill for as long as I can remember. This is my note about the first four moves. I hope this will be helpful for you to understand the Profound Nine Sword Skills. Here you are."


    Darren took the parchment, which was an incredible gift to him.


    Darren''s talent was at the Black Degree, but he still had difficulty understanding the Profound Nine Sword Skills. The parchment would be a great help for Darren to have a better grasp of the top martial arts skill.

 Chapter 23 Leave For The Ilmen Sect (Part Two)

    "Thank you so much, sir!"


    The elder nodded at Darren, then he walked away.


    Darren wasted no time and chose a fast horse from the stable. He mounted quickly and rode out, heading east.


    ...


    Sand and dust flew past as Darren rushed forward on his horse. After half a day, they had traveled more than a thousand miles, where Darren was greeted with towering hills and boundless dense forests.


    But as Darren pushed to keep going, the horse became worn out.


    "All right! Go now! Go back to your natural home." Darren stepped off the horse and released the bridle, freeing the horse in the forest.


    After walking for some time, Darren saw a luxury carriage appearing on the road ahead.


    Darren, standing from a distance, saw a girl in purple cloth and a maid sitting in the carriage. Following behind the carriage, there was a stocky teenager, riding on a horse. The carriage was heading in the same direction as Darren, so he decided to ask them if they could give him a ride to the east.


    He swept around the carriage to get their attention.


    When the carriage''s driver saw Darren, he stopped their horse at once.


    The driver was surprised to see Darren and thought he was a robber, so he exclaimed, "We are the Su Clan from Ossiriand. My lady is heading for the Ilmen Sect for the new disciples'' register. You are blocking our path. I beg your pardon."


    The driver was a clever man. He told Darren the two pieces of key information about the girl in the carriage. Generally speaking, a robber would never want to get involved with a disciple of the Ilmen Sect, the most prestigious sect of the country.


    Darren smiled and answered, "Ha-ha! I''m sorry to make you misunderstand that I''m a robber. I''m here to ask for your assistance, Miss Su. Could you give me a ride? Please?"


    "What''s going on?" said the stocky teenager, who was sleepy at first. When the carriage stopped, he got annoyed and dismounted from the horse at once. He rushed over and yelled at Darren, "Leave now! Do you know who she is? My cousin is the talented disciple of the Ilmen Sect. Go away now! Otherwise, I will teach you a lesson you won''t forget!"


    "Come on! Don''t be so rude! Where are your manners?" The girl in purple stepped out of the carriage.


    Her delicate face would lure any man. The gauzy purple dress accented her slender figure and her snow-white skin, striking a captivating presence.


    "Where do you head for, mister?" the girl asked. Her voice was sweet and pleasing.


    "The Ilmen Sect. For the new disciples'' register as well. But my horse was worn out. Would you give me a ride, Miss Su?"


    Although there were hundreds of miles away from the Ilmen Sect, Darren could make it in half a day by walking. But he could save this time for cultivation if he managed to get a ride. So naturally, he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity.


    "You are al


    so heading for the Ilmen Sect? That''s so great. It looks like we are disciples of the same sect. Come on in!" The girl in purple politely invited Darren to get in the carriage.


    "You? A disciple of the Ilmen Sect? Ha-ha! There''s no fucking way!" the stocky teenager sneered at Darren.


    "That''s right!" said the chubby maid beside the girl, in a voice dripping with sarcasm. "My lady, the Ilmen Sect only wants geniuses. But look at him!"


    After some thought, the girl in purple asked Darren, "I''m sorry, mister. Which clan do you come from?"


    "The Chu Clan from Valmar," Darren answered politely.


    "The Chu Clan? The same clan where Darren Chu is from?" the girl asked excitedly. She widened her eyes and waited for Darren''s answer.


    Darren deflected her question and asked, "You know Darren Chu?"


    "Of course we do!" interrupted the chubby maid. "His name is well known to the whole of Valmar and its neighboring cities. He is a talent of the Black Degree. Don''t tell me you are Darren Chu. It would be such an obvious lie."


    Darren was dumbstruck with amazement. Although Valmar and Ossiriand were close, the distance between the two was at least hundreds of miles far. Darren could not believe that he became a celebrity in another city overnight.


    "No! I''m not! I''m one of his relatives. I see him once in a while, '' Darren said, making up a random lie.


    A flash of disappointment crossed the girl''s face when she heard Darren''s answer. Then she gently said to him, "Please get in the carriage, mister. I beg your pardon, mister. Could you introduce me to Darren Chu in the future?"


    "Yeah! Of course! No problem!" Darren said with a bright smile.


    "That''s a trick, my lady! We know nothing about him!" the chubby maid said, squinting at Darren. "What if he lied about being Darren''s relative to win your trust? Then he could take advantage of you, my lady!"


    "Mind your manner, Susan!" warned the girl in purple. Somehow, the girl could tell that Darren was a special and righteous man right from setting her eyes on him. She trusted him and her own instinct.


    Then she waved at Darren to have him get in the carriage.


    The stocky teenager looked at Darren with fury. "Damn it! The little bastard! If I find out you are lying to my little cousin, I will tear you up. Bastard!"


    The girl in purple watched out through the window and murmured to herself, "When will I be able to arrive at the Ilmen Sect? I can''t wait to meet Darren Chu. I wonder what the super genius looks like?"


    Darren smiled and shook his head. He had never expected that he would run into a fan of his along the way, and she was such a pretty one too. But it was not the right time to tell her his real name. So Darren sat cross-legged and began his cultivation meditation. Even if he had only a few seconds available, Darren would utilize the time to improve his cultivation.

 Chapter 24 A Fight

    On their way to the Ilmen Sect, Darren concentrated on cultivation in the carriage and did not bother chatting with the others.


    "This guy must be kidding. He''s surely pretending that he can improve a lot in such a short period," commented the fat servant girl, Susan, sarcastically as she ate sunflower seeds.


    She immediately shut her mouth when the girl in purple, Fiona, shot her a glance.


    "Isn''t it obvious, my dear cousin Fiona? This guy isn''t one of the geniuses who can pass the test and become disciples of the Ilmen Sect. I mean, think about it! Even I, your cousin who is handsome, wise and powerful, was still rejected by the Ilmen Sect. Let alone that guy?" Fiona''s cousin said as he combed his hair back with vanity.


    Fiona, the girl in purple, looked at her conceited cousin skeptically. ''Handsome? Hell no! Like a winter melon? Yes!'' she thought to herself.


    "Dear cousin, Kim, why don''t you come and sit with us in the carriage? You must be tired and exhausted. I told you not to come with us but you still insisted on coming along! It''s going to be a long way to the Ilmen Sect," said Fiona who was sitting in the carriage.


    "Quite right! Cousin Kim, come and sit next to me. I can massage your legs to help you relax," urged the fat servant girl. Her eyes glittered with enthusiasm but her cheeks were flushed.


    "Don''t you have no shame, Susan? You''ve been wanting to take advantage of me this whole time!" said the conceited man scornfully.


    "I offered help because I think you''re handsome," the servant girl replied.


    Hearing the conversation, Darren almost wanted to throw up and was distracted from cultivation.


    On their way to the Ilmen Sect, the man and the fat servant girl kept chatting until Darren could bear no more. In his annoyance, he opened his eyes and stopped his cultivation.


    "Oh, Mister, you are so diligent! You spend so much of your spare time improving your realm. I almost feel bad about myself just watching you," Fiona Su remarked in admiration when she noticed Darren.


    "Well Miss, as the saying goes ''A slow sparrow should make an early start''. Naturally, those with inferior innate talent need to cultivate harder to achieve the same goal. Unlike you, Miss, you possess the innate talent of a level nine of the Yellow Degree. Enhancing your realm is just a piece of cake to you. As it is, it would be impossible for the guy over there to catch up," the fat servant girl remarked proudly as if she were the one who had a talent of level nine of the Yellow Degree.


    "Shut up!" hissed Fiona, noticing that Darren paid no extra attention to the conversation when Susan mentioned her innate talent.


    Clip clop, clip clop, clip clop...


    Several horses galloped across the dirt road as clouds of dust trailed off behind them.


    "God damn it! Ugh, ugh, ugh..." barked the conceited man who was still outside the carriage. He seemed to have gotten dust in his lungs.


    "Whoa!"


    Suddenly, a young man on one of the tall horses stopped. He yelled at the conceited man, "How dare you speak like that? Son of bitch!"


    "Damn!" The conceited man cursed realizing that he accidentally offended the tough guys passing by. In fear, he shrugged and kept silent feeling guilty for what he did.


    However, seeing the carriage that his cousin Fiona and the rest were sitting in, Kim felt braver. He talked to himself, ''Are you kidding me? I can''t look like a coward at my cousin''s presence.''


    "Damn you! Your damn horses'' dust almost choked me to death. Go to hell!" the conceited man shouted back with one hand on his hip. Although the well-dressed, armed and noble crew intimidated him, he managed to put on an impression that he did not give a shit about their status.


    "You are dead meat!" one of the crew members remarked as he leaped into the air from horseback and flew right towards the conceited man.


    Pa, pa, pa, pa!


    The conceited man suddenly received dozens of slaps on his face before he could even react. In a few seconds, his head started to closely resemble a watermelon. Almost frightened to death, his feet froze and his hands shivered.


    "What happened?" asked Fiona as she leaned out her head from the window of the carriage and caught sight of the scene.


    "Discipline your servant! Else, the next time we see him, we will cut his head off! He won''t be so lucky then," the young man from the crew threatened her ruthlessly.


    "Sir, it was simply a quarrel, I see no need to start a fight," Fiona''s face clouded over. Her cousin, Kim, though a bit conceited, was rather nice to her. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have chosen him as a guard and companion on the way to the Ilmen Sect.


    "So, what? Do you want to stand up for your servant?" The young man dared.


    "Hey, Karl, how can you be so rude to this beauty?" Soon, the young man''s companions came over to them.


    "You are a servant! Everyone in your fam


    ily is a servant," Fiona''s cousin, Kim, murmured vaguely.


    "Screw you!" The young man who slapped Kim suddenly disappeared from where he stood.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    A majority of Kim''s teeth fell to the ground.


    "Agh! Ahhh! It hurts! Help me, Fiona! Huhuhu, help me!" Kim screamed in agony.


    "How dare you slap my Kim? I''ll fight you!" Susan, the fat servant girl who stood beside Fiona, dashed towards the young man. Before she even got to touch him, he kicked her with one solid blow.


    "Now, you''ve gone too far," Fiona leaped out from the carriage and threw the men a cold, icy glare.


    The young men were stunned at the sight of her. ''How elegant! She looks like a fairy from the Nine Heavens, '' they thought. Only the young man who slapped Kim didn''t get distracted by her beauty.


    "Well, well, well! You''re a pretty little thing, aren''t you?" One of the young men came over to Fiona. "Darling, everyone here is the genius who passed the test of the Ilmen Sect. Who do you want? Choose one! Anyone!"


    "Aha, ha, ha! Pick me! I''m strong enough for you!"


    "Go away, Shawn! I am the one who has the strongest sex appeal here, ha-ha!"


    "Screw you all, bastards!"


    Fiona burst with anger. She felt as if she were about to explode. Her charming face turned red thoroughly.


    "You really push it too far! I am also a new disciple of the Ilmen Sect. We might even go to the same school!" Finally, Fiona revealed her identity hoping that it would help them avoid trouble. She could tell that the young men bore a high cultivation base. And right now, they were at a remote place.


    "Wow! Our little sect-mate! Come and embrace your senior fellow disciple. Ha, ha, ha!" they continued to mock her.


    Fiona felt disappointed. This was not how she expected things to turn out. After revealing her true identity, the young men pushed her even further.


    "Shame on you!" Fiona finally exploded with anger. She raised her palm with fingers gathering and chopped right towards the young man who slapped Kim.


    Darren sat in the carriage and did not even move. He observed the strength of the young men. All of them looked like they were at the eighth stage of the Primary Realm, more or less. The young man who slapped Kim, on the other hand, looked like a master of the ninth stage of the Primary Realm. Interestingly, his face was covered with make-up and he seemed to have little interest in girls.


    As Fiona started to fight, Darren could tell that her strength was not very different from those of the young men.


    The young men sneaked around Fiona and tried to touch her body in a dirty way from time to time. Fortunately, Fiona managed to narrowly avoid them every time.


    "Yee dare who bully Heona, ah hight yee! (You dare to bully Fiona, I''ll fight you!)" unable to express himself clearly, Kim dashed into the fight.


    Bang!


    Like the servant girl, he was thrown away with a single kick.


    But he struggled to his feet and returned to the fight.


    "Ah hight oh wee yee! ( I''ll fight it out with you!)" he could hardly speak clearly.


    Bang!


    Thrown back by another fist, Kim could barely open his eyes. He was on his hands and knees struggling towards them.


    "Ah hight oh...(I''ll fight it out) wee yee...(with you)!" He scrambled towards a young man and held his leg firmly.


    "Damn it! You are dead meat!" shouted the young man who was trapped by Kim.


    "Kim, go, just go!" Fiona yelled at her cousin. She was being held by several of the men. She could not seem to do anything to help.


    "Go to hell!" the young man cursed as he gave Kim a heavy punch.


    This time, Darren moved right in front of Kim and managed to block the young man''s fist with his palm just in time to save Kim''s life.


    "You pushed it too far!" Darren said coldly.


    Hearing his statement, everyone came to a halt. Darren spoke with so much authority, they sensed a hint of an intention to kill.


    "Hey! Kid! Back off! This is none of your business!" the young man said to Darren. He was being cautious. Still, he realized that they outnumbered them and were likely to win the fight anyway.


    "I didn''t want to poke my nose into your business but you pushed it too far! Shame on you for ganging up to bully a girl and beat a man on the third stage of the Primary Realm," Darren replied indifferently.


    "Hahaha! What bullshit! If we can''t bully her, what''s the point in meeting a girl?" a young man said.


    "What else? To fuck!" teased another young man as he laughed to himself.


    "Since you are also disciples who are about to enter the Ilmen Sect, I will let you go. Now, get out of my sight or I''ll make you pay for your foolish behavior," Darren warned.


    "Fuck off! Moron! What the hell do you think you are doing? Who the hell do you think you are! Let''s show him who the boss is, guys. Let''s go!"


    Now, the whole group of young men charged at Darren savagely.

 Chapter 25 Im Darren Chu (Part One)

    Darren managed to distract the opponents, giving Fiona the opportunity to take a breath.


    The fight against them consumed half of her energy already. Fiona walked up to Darren and whispered, "Thanks a lot, mister. I appreciate your help. Their cultivation base is comparable with our base so it won''t make sense for us to continue fighting. We''d better set off now. We can tell the sect elders about this and ask for justice after we get to the Ilmen Sect."


    Since Darren was also a disciple of the Ilmen Sect, Fiona assumed that he was also a strong and talented cultivator. But since their opponents were the disciples of the Ilmen Sect, Fiona had doubted if she and Darren could defeat them. After all, they were severely outnumbered as well.


    Fiona then helped her elder cousin stand up. She walked him to the carriage and asked her maid to look after him. After she made sure he''d be taken care of, she ordered the carter to rush back to Ossiriand as soon as possible.


    She then walked back to Darren and took hold of his arm in an attempt to draw him away to leave. "Let''s go, mister!" she said to Darren. There were only about ten miles away from the Ilmen Sect. It would have been easy for them if they started walking.


    Darren immediately eased up when he heard Fiona''s instruction. Since Fiona had decided to spare them, Darren complied and decided not to continue the fight anymore.


    "Haha! You want to leave now? No way!" Their opponents, however, had other plans. They continued pestering them and determined to push through with the fight.


    "What else do you want? Look what you have done to my cousin! Stop it! I will tell the sect elders about it as soon as I get there. They will teach you a lesson!" Fiona said defiantly. She had never been treated like this before. This was not something she was accustomed to. Still, the current situation forced her to deal with it.


    The mention of the sect leaders made the boys feel uneasy. They did not want to ruin their records. They''d be in trouble if the sect leaders found out about what they did especially since they were new disciples.


    "Let''s go! We don''t have to be stuck here," one of them suggested.


    His teammates exchanged agreeing looks with each other until another one of them addressed Daren and Fiona. "It''s your lucky day, bastard! Enjoy it while it lasts. You''ll see."


    Then, some of them proceeded to walk toward their horses, ready to leave.


    "Fine, go. That''s your decision. I never said I wanted to quit," said the young man who beat up Kim. His eyes were fixed on Darren because of his air of strength and confidence.


    "That''s interesting!" The others had mounted their horses already, but when they heard what the young man said, they led their horses around to watch the incoming fight between him and Darren.


    "Karl, let it go. Don''t let that bastard bother you. I''m sure you''ll have plenty of opportunities to teach him a lesson in the future. He will regret what he has done today," one of them tried to reason.


    "Yeah, Karl! After all, you are at the ninth stage. What if you kill him by accident?" another one said.


    Darren actually wanted to know if he could win against the man named Karl who was at the ninth stage of the Primary Realm. In an instantaneous burst, he activated his vital e


    nergy, ready for the coming fight.


    "Look! Desperate little idiot! He''s already activating his vital energy!" one guy noticed.


    "Wow, you really overestimate yourself, man! Do you seriously think you can take me on? You can barely survive one attack, bastard!" As soon as the young man named Karl finished his words, he attacked.


    His surging vital energy swept over Darren. Sure enough, a cultivator at the ninth stage was much stronger than one at the eighth stage.


    Still, Darren stood unfazed. After all, Darren''s cultivation base was also close to the ninth stage. If he exerted his whole power, he was pretty sure he could still end the fight on a draw.


    "Bang!" The impact echoed through a sound in the air.


    The sound made both of the contenders step back a bit simultaneously. The audience, however, doubted if the fight could end in a draw.


    ''He just reached the ninth stage a few days ago, so our cultivation base should almost be equal in strength, '' Darren assumed in his mind.


    "You''re also at the ninth stage!" the young man exclaimed in surprise.


    The boys on horses were also dumbstruck with what they saw. They could not believe that an undistinguished man like him was at the ninth stage.


    "Great! That''s great! Things are getting exciting now," he said to Darren as his lips spread into a satisfied grin. Knowing that Darren was just about as strong as he was made Karl more enthused with their fight. It felt better for him to challenge a formidable opponent.


    "Wow! He''s great!" Fiona, who had been observing from the side, marveled. She didn''t expect that Darren was such a powerful cultivator. ''If I were him, I definitely would have been injured by that attack. But him, he''s still intact!'' Fiona thought.


    "Variable Transformation Bloom!" Karl summoned his martial arts skill. In a split second, Darren was enveloped by the boy''s vital energy. Facing his powerful attack, Darren stayed motionless.


    In a flash, he already managed to analyze his martial arts skills. Although Karl was at the ninth stage and had already mastered a great martial arts skill, Darren''s talent was the Black Degree which gave him the keen senses. So to his eyes, Karl''s movements were happening in slow motion. With this, he quickly managed to spot his technique''s flaw.


    ''His martial skill is to gather up his vital energy into his fingertips. Then, his concentrated energy could transform into any shape he wants to make. An attack using his concentrated energy is invincible and indestructible. His only vulnerable part would be his lower body.'' In a split second, a thorough analysis had been done in Darren''s mind.


    With an impressive speed to the naked eye, Darren dodged the boy''s attack. Then, he gathered his vital energy to his legs and tried to sweep the boy''s legs. He, however, managed to avoid the attack. A smirk appeared on Darren''s lips.


    "Got you!" Apparently, the former attack was a trap. Darren jumped into air and whirled around. He then extended his right leg from behind and kicked the boy to the ground.


    That was Darren''s plan all along.


    "You! How can you play the trick?" The boy turned grimly.


    Then he reached into his back pocket and took out a blade. Yelling, he said, "You asked for this--"


    "Calm down, Karl! Put your blade down!"

 Chapter 26 Im Darren Chu (Part Two)

    His teammates interrupted and did their best to keep things from getting out of hand. Knowing Karl, they knew how dangerous he could be if he started using his blade. The fight would end with a bloody mess and this was the last thing they wanted to see.


    None of them wanted anyone to die in this fight. After all, they were all new disciples. If the sect elders found out about this, they would definitely have bad records. They didn''t want such thing to happen especially before the school-choosing convention. That would be a huge obstacle not only for their cultivation in the Ilmen Sect, but also for their future.


    "Karl! Don''t let an asshole like him provoke you!" They all panicked.


    "No fucking way! He''s so screwed!" Flames of anger burned in Karl''s eyes.


    "You''re pushing it! How could you use your blade? That''s unfair!" Fiona spoke up as well for Darren''s sake when she saw Karl take out his blade.


    "Fuck off, bitch!" Karl shouted with fury.


    This infuriated her. Although she already decided on staying out of the fight, she found it hard to control herself when she heard Karl call her a bitch. At once, she took out her saber and attacked Karl.


    "Clang!"


    An intense streak of his blade shone in the air. With that, Fiona was thrown back with blood on her mouth.


    ''Mighty force!'' Darren marveled in mind. He assumed that the attack from Karl''s blade was stronger than a great martial arts skill.


    Darren walked over to Fiona and helped her stand up. "Are you all right?" he asked.


    Fiona, with a pale face, answered, "Yeah! I''m fine!" Although she felt as if there were powerful explosions taking in her body because of the attack, she did her best to endure the seemingly unbearable pain.


    "What a phony bitch! You think all the men in the world would fall for a girl like you, don''t you? You are not that pretty, bitch!" Karl sneered at Fiona.


    "What''s the hell wrong with you? You sissy!" Fiona refuted out of anger.


    "What did you say? You bitch!" What Karl hated most was being called a sissy. He carried his blade with fury and rushed to attack once again.


    Darren, raising his eyebrows, took Fiona''s saber and rushed forth as well.


    ''Awesome! I''ve been yearning for an opportunity to exert the Grand Thirteen Blade Skills, ''


    Darren remembered every move of the Grand Thirteen Blade Skills but he hadn''t ever tried to understand it before. Although he had to learn it quickly, his talent reaching the Black Degree enabled him to do so. After a quick recollection of the first move, he was able to immediately launch his attack at Karl.


    They gathered up their vital energy into their weapons and launched attacks. They were as motionless as statues after the first round. And after several rounds, neither of the two sides was at an advantage. The audience, however, suffered from the loud noises from the fight.


    "Oh my! They''re both fucking strong! Their vital energies are so powerful!" Karl''s teammates murmured among themselves.


    "What? He''s also a blade cultivator? Unbelievable! And his blade skill is so impressive," Fiona exclaimed with surprise.


    Darren was still learning the first move of the Grand Thirteen Blade Skills during the fight, but after several rounds, he already mastered it.


    "It''


    s time!" Darren exclaimed. "Cloud Blade Attack!"


    In an instantaneous burst, the saber shimmered with a bright light along with a loud howling of the wind that lingered in the air. A strong sand storm appeared, and suddenly, the saber seemed attached to an extremely thick, vital energy force. The constantly turning saber formed a cyclone with its swift speed.


    The attacks from Darren''s saber were too challenging for Karl to take. And when Darren''s vital energy force swept over him, Karl failed to resist it causing him to be thrown into the air. What were left after the sand storm disappeared were Karl''s broken blade smashed into pieces and several wounds on Karl''s body.


    The horrible scene frightened everyone watching.


    Everyone''s jaw dropped. They were surprised to see the mighty power of Darren''s blade skill.


    "Hell no!" Karl wept like a little girl.


    "You''ll regret what you''ve done to me!" "Oh my! Do you know who Karl''s brother is? You have no idea about the trouble you''re in now, bastard. It doesn''t matter that you''re a strong cultivator. His brother is also a disciple of the Ilmen Sect. What''s more, he is one of the elites of the School of Blade Skill. You''re screwed now!" said one of Karl''s companions.


    "Oh yeah? So what?" Darren sneered.


    "You have the nerve, man! What''s your name?" said the guy.


    Darren shot him a cold glare and answered on a relaxed stance with his hands behind him, "I''m Darren Chu from Valmar. I''ll take you on anytime."


    "What?! He is Darren Chu!" exclaimed someone who heard him.


    "I heard that there are only two talents of the Black Degree among the new disciples, and one of them is Darren Chu!"


    "That explains so much! No wonder he is so powerful!"


    The fact that Darren was a talent of the Black Degree was well known among the neighboring cities.


    "Let''s go!" Karl''s teammates helped him mount his horse at once.


    Darren jumped into the air and kicked two off their horses.


    "You think you can get away that easily? Come on, guys, you need to pay for what you''ve done. I''ll take your horses in exchange for your lives and you can leave. What do you say?" Darren said, as he proceeded to lead the two horses away.


    "You! You''ll see!" The two teenagers who owned the two horses were so infuriated. Still there was not much that they could do. After all, Darren was a talent of the Black Degree. The Ilmen Sect would treat him better than them. They also saw how strong he was.


    Wordlessly, they mounted the horses of their other teammates and rode away.


    "So... you are Darren Chu? Oh my!" Fiona looked at Darren with surprise, her heart thumping fast.


    Darren smiled and answered, "Yeah! But that doesn''t really matter right now. Take this healing elixir. We need to leave for the Ilmen Sect as soon as possible."


    Darren took out a healing elixir of the Chu Clan from his pocket and handed it to Fiona. Then, he mounted one of the horses and went off.


    Fiona felt so grateful for the elixir she got from Darren. She admired him very much. After eating it, she mounted her own horse and followed. "Wait for me! Darren!" Fiona yelled as she set off after Darren. She almost forgot the pain when she looked at the man in front of her. He was the one she had been dreaming about.

 Chapter 27 The School-choosing Convention (Part One)

    After about an hour of riding without a break, he and Fiona arrived at the foot of the Five-spirit Mountains.


    He raised his head and looked up. The Five-spirit Mountains were vast and beautiful, and he couldn''t help but be impressed by the sight.


    Each of the five mountains was shaped differently. One of them was the shape of a sword, and another was the shape of a blade. There was even a mountain shaped like a fist. They represented the five schools of the Five-Spirit Mountains.


    "Darren, the spiritual energy here is so abundant," Fiona said and took a deep breath, her body relaxing.


    Darren nodded in agreement. He too could feel that the spiritual energy here was thicker than usual, and he immediately began to circulate his internal energy to absorb the surrounding power.


    After a short moment, the aura around Darren suddenly changed. He unconsciously released the energy he had been circulating.


    "Oh, my God! You broke through, Darren!" Of course, Fiona immediately realized what the sudden change of Darren''s energy meant. It was the sign of breaking through a stage.


    "It''s just the ninth stage," Darren said with indifference.


    "You were at the eighth stage before? My God, I can''t believe it! You just beat a man who was at the ninth stage while you were only at the eighth stage! Now I know that I can never compare to a talent of the Black Degree. Darren, you are really something else." Fiona felt happy for him, but at the same time, she couldn''t help but feel a bit disappointed about herself. She truly was not a match for his prowess.


    Hearing her praise, Darren merely smiled and said, "Enough of that. Let''s head into the mountains now. The School-Choosing Convention is about to begin."


    "Yeah, you are right." Fiona nodded her head adorably, looking at Darren. Then she added, "By the way, which school do you want to join, Darren?"


    "I''m leaning towards the School of Sword Skill," Darren answered. He thought that the sword skill was powerful compared to the others. Besides, Elder Thomas of the School of Sword Skill had also come to test his talent the other day. That was why he was now inclined to choose the School of Sword Skill.


    Hearing his answer, Fiona felt a bit unhappy, but she didn''t let it show. She had, in fact, been practicing the blade skill ever since she was a child, and she knew nothing about the sword. What was more, the sword and the blade were like the fire and the water. One could never practice the two skills at the same time. It meant that she and Darren would not be able to go to the same school.


    As Darren and Fiona conversed with each other, a pompous young man with a puffed chest also arrived at the foot of the Ilmen Sect. He, too, was one of the talented disciples who had passed the test.


    "Now, everyone, please come with me." In a sudden flash, a disciple of the Ilmen Sect flew down and landed before the gathering group like a nimble bird of prey. They could all tell that he was no ordinary disciple.


    "Whoa! The Flying Skill! It seems that he is an excellent martial artist!" Some of the disciples gasped admiringly.


    Darren immediately recognized him. He was Jimmy, the one who had come to the Chu family to select new disciples.


    "Jimmy, nice to see you again," Darren greeted politely.


    "Oh, it''s you, Darren! Come on in!" Jimmy was also very polite towards him.


    "He''s Darren? The disciple of the Black Degree?" Someone blurted out.


    "What a handsome young man! I feel like falling in love!" One of the girls gasped giddily.


    The others all turned their heads toward Darren, looking at him with eyes filled with envy.


    Jimmy led the way as they entered the ancient gate to the mountains and arrived at the mai


    n mountain.


    In the open yard in front of the main mountain, there were hundreds of talents gathering there, each patiently waiting for the School-choosing Convention to commence.


    As soon as Darren entered the yard, the crowd around him all kept glancing at him because the people who knew who he was had spread word about his identity. Everyone was wondering which school the famous talent would choose.


    "Alright, the disciples who are going to choose a school of martial arts skill are all here. Now please welcome the elders of each school!" announced a disciple of the Ilmen Sect who was standing on a high stage at the front.


    With his words, a few figures materialized on the stage. None looked ordinary and each radiated a quiet power... The disciples immediately realized that they were the elders of each school by just one look at them. But surprisingly, there was a young woman among them.


    "Oh, my God! I can feel their strong aura! It makes me want to kneel in front of them right now. The elders of the Ilmen Sect are so powerful and strong!"


    "Of course! The elders are all outstanding martial artists who are at the peak of the Mysterious Realm. Of course, they are very powerful!"


    All the disciples could feel the terrifying aura radiating from the elders. Even Darren, who was very talented, felt his breath quicken when the elders appeared. Martial artists in the Mysterious Realm were really something else.


    Then, the elders began to introduce themselves one by one.


    "I am Elder Clark of the School of Spear Skill. I welcome all of you to join the School of Spear Skill!"


    With these words, Clark Wu walked up and brandished the black spear in his hand. The tip of the spear was pointed at the sky. Suddenly, a flash of strong, vital energy shot from the spear into the sky and exploded, shaking the Five-spirit Mountains.


    The disciples off the stage burst into cheers and applause. They all felt shocked at the power of the spear. It could even split the sky!


    "Wow! It''s so impressive! I''d like to join the School of Spear Skill!" said a disciple near the front of the stage.


    "Yeah! It''s so powerful! I like it!" said another.


    Some of the disciples looked at the elder with eager eyes, hoping that they could join the School of Spear Skill.


    Then, it was time for the elder of the School of Arrow Skill to show his skills. He didn''t say anything at first. Instead, he drew an arrow into his bow and released it at a half-invisible mountain, covered in mist, and miles away. The arrow punctured a hole in the clouds and the mountains exploded with a thunderous bang. Several disciples now looked up at him with admiring eyes.


    "Why do they have to make it such a big deal? Why couldn''t we just go straight to the school we want to join?" a disciple couldn''t help but mumble, feeling confused.


    "Ha. It seems that you know nothing about this convention. The School-choosing Convention is very important. I heard that each school would even offer some enticing things to invite the most talented disciples. Well, as for the reason behind it..." the disciple trailed off. He clearly knew more information, which could draw the attention of the others.


    Darren stood beside them, listening to their words silently. To be honest, he was curious too.


    "Come on! Just tell us! Why is that?"


    "Alright, alright. Let me tell you. It has something to do with the Five Schools Competition of the Five-spirit Mountains that is held every seven years. All the schools think highly of it and are heavily invested in the outcomes. It''s only two years till the next competition, and only young disciples can join it. That''s why they are all going to try everything to recruit more talents."

 Chapter 28 The School-choosing Convention (Part Two)

    "Well, in my opinion, the schools will do everything they can to fight for Nelson and Darren. They will offer the most precious resources to draw their attention and win their selection.".


    Darren caught the disciple''s words and understood their meaning. Though he was inclined to choose the School of Sword Skill for now, he could still wait and see what other schools were going to offer. This way, he could have more resources for his cultivation in the future if there was a school that would offer him a better deal.


    A little later, the elders of the School of Spear Skill, the School of Arrow Skill, the School of Boxing Skill and the School of Blade Skill all showed their skills. Only the School of Sword Skill remained.


    "Look! That''s Elsa!"


    Darren looked up at the stage and didn''t find Elder Thomas there. Standing on the stage instead was Elsa Gongsun, who he had met at the Barren Wasteland the other day.


    "Everyone, my father is in a closed-door cultivation right now, and he will be out in a day or two. So I, Elsa Gongsun, will recruit new disciples for him this time." With these words, Elsa walked a step up. The look on her face was still cold and indifferent like before.


    "Wow! She''s the daughter of Elder Thomas. She is so pretty! I''ve decided to join the School of Sword Skill and become her fellow disciple."


    "You are clearly cultivating the boxing skill! How could you give up your future just for a pretty girl? I''ll be the one to join the School of Sword Skill and win her heart! Hahaha!"


    "Damn you! You just told me that you would join the School of Spear Skill!".


    The appearance of Elsa caused much excitement. Many disciples were attracted by her beauty and her cold persona.


    "My sword skill can''t compare to other elders'' skills, so I won''t show it," Elsa said in an efficient manner. "Everyone, you can start choosing a school of martial arts skill now."


    Hearing her words, the disciples all started moving, going to the school they wanted to join.


    On the stage, the elders told their disciples to welcome the talents who wanted to become their new fellow disciples and to give an introduction of the resources they would enjoy after joining them.


    "Calum, your talent is at the eighth stage of the Yellow Degree. If you join our School of Blade Skill, we will offer you a superior spiritual herb each month. And you will be allowed one trip to the Mysterious Spiritual Pool for meridian refining after three years. What do you think?"


    "Of course! Thank you for giving me the opportunity!"


    Some disciples were hesitant between two schools.


    "Please join the School of Boxing Skill! We can offer you two superior spiritual herbs a month, and you can go to the Mysterious Spiritual Pool every three years. What do you say?"


    "Don''t listen to him! Join the School of Spear Skill! We can give you three superior spiritual herbs every month, and..."


    The disciple they were fighting for had a talent at the ninth stage of the Yellow Degree. One could tell that the schools all wanted the best talents for themselves.


    In the yard, only Darren and a young man dressed in blue didn''t move.


    The gazes of the elders standing on the stage fell on them.


    "I heard that Darren is good at the blade skill. It seems that he will surely join my school! Ha-ha!" The elder of the School of Blade Skill had already heard that Darren had fought with a pretty boy with a blade on the way here.


    "Elder Alan, you can''t be certain. In my opinion, Darren is even better at the sword skill. I have a feeling that he will choose the School of Sword Skill," Elsa said confidently.


    In fact, she felt happily surprised to see Darren here. She didn''t expect the talented young man was the one she had met in the Barren Wasteland the other day. No wonder he seemed so talented that day.


    "Uh-huh, you are being ridiculous, Elsa. You know that one can''t cultivate the sword skill and the blade skill at the same time. Now


    that he''s good at the blade skill, how can he even cultivate the sword skill?" Elder Alan retorted in a tone matching Elsa''s confidence.


    "Ha-ha, Elder Alan, there''s no conflict between the two before he cultivates the blade intent or the sword intent." It was not that easy for Elsa to back down.


    Hearing Elsa''s words, a faint cold smirk climbed up Alan Mo''s face.


    "Alright, you two. Maybe he will choose the School of Spear Skill. I came here prepared. No one will refuse my generous offer. So be careful," another elder interrupted.


    "Let''s wait and see," said the elder of the School of Boxing Skill, Ezra, joining their conversation. "Then the other talented young man Nelson must join my School of Boxing Skill. I stake my claim on him.".


    The selection process moved along speedily. Soon, more than half of the disciples had chosen the school they wanted to join. But Darren still hadn''t moved yet.


    In the corner of the yard, a pretty boy with wounds all over his body was watching the people in the yard with another handsome and calm young man.


    "It''s him! He''s Darren, who scarred my face! How am I supposed to go outside looking like this?" the pretty boy wailed to his brother.


    "I see. All right, bring the little boy here!"


    Responding to the order, one of his subordinates brought a young boy who also had wounds over his body. The eyes of the boy were dull and unintelligent. There was also another man who was with him.


    "Jimmy, think wisely if you are going to do as I say. If you refuse me, your foolish brother will die!"


    "You evil bastards!" Jimmy shouted, his fury showing in the tightened, white knuckles of his fist.


    "What? Are you going to disobey us? Don''t forget that he''s at the third stage of the Spirit Realm. You don''t want to get yourself hurt, do you?" another man threatened.


    "What are you waiting for, Jimmy? Give me your answer! Will you do as I ask?" With these words, the man stepped on the hand of the foolish young boy. The bones in his hand shattered with a gruesome crack.


    "Brother, it hurts! It hurts so much!" The young boy cried out, holding the broken hand to his chest.


    "Let go of my brother!" Jimmy ran towards them but was fought back by the man.


    "If you don''t go, I will chop off your brother''s head!" With the threatening words, the young man held the boy''s head in his hand. He could easily kill the boy with little strength.


    "Wait!" Jimmy called, half kneeling in front of William Wang, "Please don''t hurt my brother, William! I will go immediately."


    "Ha-ha. That''s right. This is a sword intent seed and a blade intent seed. You have to watch him cultivate them, do you hear me? And, act naturally. If Darren finds out what we''re up to, you will lose your dear little brother!"


    After this, the man called William Wang gave Jimmy two crystals, one was green, and one was purple. Then he gestured for him to go and find Darren immediately.


    Jimmy had a painful look on his face. He thought for a short moment before making up his mind finally. Then he mumbled to himself, "I am sorry, Darren. But I really have to save my little brother."


    He walked straight up to Darren, his resolve for his task hardening as he went.


    "Well, Darren, you still haven''t chosen a school?" Jimmy asked in a cool tone, his true intentions masked behind a calm demeanor.


    Darren smiled after seeing him, then said, "Yeah. I want to wait for a bit and see."


    "All the schools will be fighting for a talented young man like you." Then Jimmy changed the subject. "Oh right, Darren, I heard that you are cultivating both the sword skill and the blade skill. This is for you," Jimmy said, extending his hand with the two seeds on it. "This is a blade intent seed and a sword intent seed. They are priceless. The elders asked me to give them to you in secret. Even Nelson doesn''t have them. Go on, cultivate them quickly!"


    Darren stared at the two shining crystals, feeling a sudden curiosity.

 Chapter 29 Blade And Sword Intents

    Jimmy saw that Darren looked strangely uncomfortable and his heartbeat pounded fast. Still, he kept a calm demeanor. "Darren, you should hurry and refine the seeds now in case someone sees us!" he said.


    Darren nodded, took the two crystals, and asked, "Jimmy, what are the blade intent and sword intent seeds?"


    "Well, Darren, you might not know this, but the highest level of blade cultivation and sword cultivation is the Intent Realm. The two seeds were created by two masters. After refining them, you will gain the ability to enter the Intent Realm of sword cultivation and blade cultivation. They are both extremely valuable. I have never been able to get my hands on them for so many years in the sect," Jimmy explained.


    "But why give me both seeds? I have heard that one cannot cultivate both swordsmanship and blade kills at the same time. Am I not going to get in trouble refining both?" Darren had heard of such rumors.


    "Hey, that''s just a rumor. Besides, that''s the elders'' idea. I''m sure there shouldn''t be a problem," Jimmy laughed, trying to put Darren at ease.


    Darren had practiced both Profound Nine Sword Skills and Grand Thirteen Blade Skills, which were great swordsmanship and blade skills respectively, and did not suffer any injury what so ever. So, it looked like the rumor saying that one could not practice both swordsmanship and blade skills at the same time was very likely untrue.


    Immediately, he stopped hesitating, held the two seeds in his hands and mobilized his vital energy to begin refining.


    Only in the blink of an eye, Darren felt two tiny but different breaths of energy penetrating his veins.


    Seeing Darren refine the two seeds, Jimmy knew he could not stay with Darren any longer and left. As soon as he turned around, tears began to fall down his eyes. It made him feel terrible to hurt such a genius, but there was no other way for him to save his brother.


    In a short while, Jimmy returned to where William was.


    "I have finished what you wanted me to do. Now, let my brother go!" Jimmy commanded as he looked sadly at his brother. He had been beaten up so badly he almost seemed lifeless.


    "Let him go? No way!" William''s sidekick looked at him viciously and then hit Jimmy''s brother on the head. Instantly, he was killed.


    "No!" Jimmy screamed and rushed over to his brother. "You bastards! I will tell the elders about what happened!"


    "Ha-ha! Tell the elders? Do you think I didn''t get approvals from above in order to get those two precious seeds? Only the elites of the Mysterious Realm have those! Use your brain, you idiot!" Karl laughed ferociously. "This guy, Jimmy, deceived and harmed the talented disciple, Darren. Arrest him and have him flogged!"


    Karl commanded. Several masters at the second stage of the Spirit Realm swarmed up, beat Jimmy, and took him away.


    "William, you didn''t do this just to get revenge for me," Karl said, pouting. He seemed dissatisfied.


    "Well, we have to complete the task given by the elders and avenge you at the same time. Darren will be a cripple from now on. You can do whatever you want with him," he replied.


    "That''s true. Thanks William!"


    ...


    In the square, hundreds of disciples had already chosen a school of martial arts skill that they were to pursue.


    Nelson Qin moved around, still undecided between the schools.


    "Nelson, if you join my School of Spear Skill, I will give you 50 superior spiritual herbs every month. Plus, you''ll get access to the Mysterious Spiritual Pool to wash your meridians at any time. What do you think?" The elder of the School of Spear Skill made his personal and generous offers. He wanted so badly to recruit the genius.


    Every school must fulfill its promise of supplying resources to its disciples. This was the basis of the school''s relevance. Even if the disciple suffered great injury and became a cripple, the school still had to keep its promise.


    Nelson looked at him indifferently. Unmoved but polite, he replied, "Thank you for your kindness. I''ll consider it."


    Clark, the elder of the School of Spear Skill, looked a little displeased that the offer was not good enough to attract Nelson.


    "Elder Clark, with Nelson''s talent and background, I''m afraid he will not care too much about this," Ezra, the elder of the School of Boxing Skill, said. "Nelson, join my School of Boxing Skill. In addition to the resources promised by Elder Clark, I''ll also give you a book on an extraordinary martial skill and a set of Spiritual Armour!" Ezra said.


    Nelson''s eyes brightened at once. That was exactly what he wanted. He immediately agreed. "Thank you, Elder Ezra. I wou


    ld like to join the School of Boxing Skill!"


    "Ha-ha! Good!" Elder Ezra said happily.


    "Are you sure that you''re willing to give all of those to him, Ezra?" Several other elders asked, surprised with his generosity.


    "Geniuses with the Black Degree talent really get better treatment. I think Darren will get the same offer too. How lucky!"


    Nelson, a genius, had chosen the School of Boxing Skill. Now, everybody wondered what kind of offer Darren would get.


    Darren went up to the elders.


    "Darren, tell me what you want. As long as it is not too excessive, I would like to invite you to join the School of Arrow Skill," the elder of the School of Arrow Skill was the first to speak.


    Alan, the elder of the School of Blade Skill, interrupted and said, "Darren, join my School of Blade Skill. You can have any amount of superior spiritual herbs. I''ll pass on two extraordinary martial skills to you and you can choose two Spiritual Weapons at will."


    "Oh, how generous of Alan! He really wants Darren to join his school!"


    "This is unreasonable. Darren gets twice as many resources as Nelson but their talents are both of the Black Degree," a group of disciples suddenly shouted in unison. They thought the resources promised were too generous.


    Nelson also looked embarrassed. It was true, they were both holders of the Black Degree talent. Why did Darren get twice as many resources as him?


    "Alan, you really want Darren, huh?" The rest of the elders shook their heads one after another, thinking that the offer was too generous for a genius with the Black Degree talent. It really was not worth it. They gave up the competition immediately.


    Darren did not immediately accept it. Instead, he looked at Elsa with a smile.


    Alan said to Elsa, "Elsa, I''m bound to get Darren. I''m sorry your father didn''t allow you to pay more resources than me, ha-ha!"


    Elsa looked frozen. It was true that her father had the intention of getting her to recruit Darren, but the budgeted resources she was allowed to give were far less than what Alan promised. This made her feel a little embarrassed. She didn''t know why, but she really wanted Darren to join the School of Sword Skill.


    "Darren, Join the School of Sword Skill. I''ll supply you with 50 superior spiritual herbs and one Holy Star Herb every month. I''ll give you a rare book on an extraordinary sword skill. What do you think?" Elsa struggled to give her offer.


    The elders looked shocked when they heard that the offer included the Holy Star Herb.


    Even the elders of the Ilmen Sect only had two Holy Star Herbs every month. They were extremely precious for the elders in Mysterious Realm. It was unbelievable that Thomas would give such a plant to Darren.


    "Elsa, I don''t think you can make such a decision. Thomas will never agree to that," Elder Alan said doubtfully.


    "I have full authority to represent my father this time and I mean what I said," Elsa said boldly. She felt a little uncertain but managed not to show it on her face.


    "I choose the School of Sword Skill." Darren didn''t hesitate. In fact, he had always been inclined to join the School of Sword Skill. Now that Elsa made such a generous offer, he didn''t have to wait any longer.


    "How bold of you Elsa! Ha-ha!" Alan laughed loudly, "Now, report the list of entry to the sect and have the Chief Elder approve it."


    Once the list got handed over to the Chief Elder, it would be a done deal. The sect would distribute resources every month to the disciples.


    "Darren, welcome to the School of Sword Skill!" Elsa said. She had a huge smile on her face.


    "Please teach me, Elsa," Darren said modestly.


    The choosing time for schools for martial arts skill was coming to an end. A disciple from the School of Blade Skill approached Elder Alan and whispered something in his ear.


    "Elsa, your school paid such a price for a cripple. Watch out for your father''s anger," he said slyly.


    "Elder Alan, just because Darren did not choose your school, it doesn''t mean you can say such things about students. Do you have no manners as an elder?" Elsa said angrily.


    "If you don''t believe me, feel free to check it out yourself. Darren has dug his own grave and has become a cripple!" The disciple from the School of Blade Skill announced loudly.


    Immediately, an elder stepped forward and went to Darren to check his meridians.


    "You refined both the sword and blade intents at the same time! You combined both blade and sword intents in your body! I''m sorry, child. You have destroyed your own future as a martial artist!" the elder said with pity.


    Elsa looked horrified hearing this claim.

 Chapter 30 Wrecked

    After hearing what happened, several elders came forward one after another to examine Darren''s vital energy in succession.


    "Sure enough, he seems to have absorbed both the sword intent seed and the blade intent seed!" Elder Clark of the School of Spear Skill said in surprise, "You have ruined your future."


    Elsa felt extremely nervous. If Darren had really absorbed both the sword intent seed and the blade intent seed, then she would have made a great mistake. She traded for a person with no improving possibilities at such a high cost.


    "Elders, may I ask what will happen to me after absorbing the two seeds?" Darren asked as he shifted nervously. He didn''t understand what was going on.


    "Are you sure you don''t know, boy? Or you are just pretending?" The elder of the School of Arrow Skill asked him coldly. Then, he explained, "Having a sword intent seed in your body means that the vital energy you cultivate in the future will be turned into the sword intent. The blade intent seed, in the same way, will make the vital energy you cultivate into the blade intent."


    Then, the elder of the School of Arrow Skill paused before he continued. "Although the sword skill and the blade skill come from the same origin, they are also like natural enemies to each other. If you bear both the sword intent and the blade intent in your cultivation process at the same time, as you become stronger, your meridians fragment inch by inch because of the conflict between the sword intent and the blade intent."


    He spoke slowly. It was also the first time for disciples who were surrounding the stage to hear the reason why the sword skill and blade skill could not be cultivated at the same time. They all sighed deeply.


    "Darren''s future as a martial artist has just been ruined because he absorbed both seeds."


    "How are you so sure?. Darren''s talent is at the Black Degree! That''s extraordinary among our disciples. Maybe he can break this rule!" one of the disciples said. As the elders on the stage heard these words, they shook their heads with disappointment.


    "You boys are so ignorant. Even a Heaven Degree talent can''t break this rule. What more someone with the Black Degree talent?" the elder of the School of Arrow Skill argued. "I think all of you know something about Hanson Xiao. He was so talented and outstanding at the beginning. But alas, he cultivated both sword skills and blade skills and ended up dead. All his strength had gone with him."


    "Hanson Xiao? Isn''t that the legendary Grand Realm master? The book said that he was unfortunate in his twilight years. Apparently, that was what it meant!" Many disciples knew of the legendary story of Hanson Xiao.


    He was a man who entered the Grand Realm with his sword skills and was brilliant during his time.


    "Indeed, it was said that Hanson Xiao''s eldest disciple had tried to stop him but failed. At the beginning, Hanson''s strength surged, but this was only a false impression. Every time he used his sword, part of his meridians broke up. In the end, his body could no longer withstand such damage and it exploded into pieces." An elder told everyone what he knew.


    "Haha, from ancient to present, a lot of geniuses who were not afraid of death had tried such a path, but no one ended up with success. From what I know, Darren''s whole life in cultivation has been ruined," an elder asserted.


    Hearing this, Darren suddenly realized that he had been deceived.


    ''Jimmy!'' Darren''s brows furrowed. ''Why did he do this to me?''


    Among all the people, Elsa worried most. The list of entries had been reported and could not be changed. According to the rules of the sect, the promised resources would not be changed either. She just made a huge mistake.


    "Elsa, congratulations! It''s really gratifying that you managed to recruit a genius like Darren for your School of Sword Skill," Elder Alan said sarcastically. The rest of the elders felt lucky for that Darren did not choose their school.


    Off the stage, some young geniuses sympathized with him while some rejoiced in the misfortune that such a Black Degree talent had been wrecked before he became a true master.


    At the end of the selection meeting, the new disciples followed their respective elders back to their assigned dormitories. Only Darren and Elsa stayed in the square.


    On the mountain of the School of Blade Skill, William said to Elder Alan, "You almost anticipated everything. Elsa really promised such rich and generous resources to that guy. Now, Thomas will be really pissed off.


    But I have a question. What made you certain that Darren would choose the School of Sword Skill?" William continually asked.


    "Hump," Alan snorted coldly. "I sent someone to spy on him. I found out that he defeated his three brothers with only one stroke of the sword in the C


    hu Clan. Then, he defeated your brother with a blade halfway up the road to our sect indicating that he also cultivates blade skills."


    "You are so brilliant, Sir. So, this is why you were able to make this plan. This is such a huge loss for the School of Sword Skill, especially now that the Five Schools Competition is coming. I think the School of Sword Skill will end up at the bottom of all the schools!" William said.


    "I owe it all to Elsa. If Thomas were here, he would have inspected Darren first himself. Things would not have been as easy then," Alan smiled smugly. He felt so lucky and blessed by the gods.


    There had always been disputes among the five schools of the Ilmen Sect. Only the rules of the sect prevented public fights, apart from the duels in the Life and Death Valley.


    Because of this, the secret fights became the main outlet of the five schools of the Ilmen Sect. This time, the elder of the School of Blade Skill tricked Darren into ruining himself so that the School of Sword Skill would waste a large amount of resources. Because of this, the School of Sword Skill would surely be defeated in the Five Schools Competition.


    ...


    On the square, the two looked at each other wordlessly.


    "Someone set me up," Darren told her calmly.


    "I know." Elsa replied. Elsa was not stupid. She knew that the elder of the School of Blade Skill was responsible for what happened to Darren.


    The School of Blade Skill had always resorted to dubious tactics just to gain an upper hand.


    "Come back to the school with me and meet our brothers," Elsa said as she turned and headed to the Sword Mountain with a distressed expression.


    Darren did not know what to say. He felt several mixed emotions. No matter what everyone said, a part of him felt like absorbing the sword intent seed and the blade intent seed wasn''t much of a mistake. On the contrary, he felt like there was more to it. It even felt like an opportunity.


    He then realized that there was no use mulling it over right now. He first had to enter the school. He should just focus on going to the Sword Mountain first.


    Along the way, he saw the magnificent and majestic sword-shaped peak. It was probably because there were swordsmen living here that the whole mountain resonated with a fierce momentum of sword energy.


    As they arrived at the simple and unsophisticated mountain gate, he heard a loud shout.


    "What on earth do you think you are doing?


    You must have been living in a cloud this whole time. After wasting our resources for such a wreck, you dare come here to see me?


    Starting today, you are to stay in your room and think about your mistake for the next three months. This is unbelievable!"


    Thomas'' furious voice echoed far and wide in the mountain along the sounds of rapping on the wooden seat.


    Darren hid a bitter smile as he entered the gates. After several setbacks, he finally arrived at the Main Hall.


    Once he got in the hall, all eyes turned to him.


    Darren only saw pieces of a broken seat, and Elsa looked very aggrieved. It was clear that Thomas had already left.


    "I''m sorry, Elsa." Seeing the disappointment on Elsa''s face made Darren regret what he did.


    "It''s not your fault. In his eyes, everything I do is wrong," she said. Then, she stood up and left as well.


    There were more than 20 people in the hall. After seeing Darren, their expressions turned cold.


    "How dare you come in here? Don''t you know what you did? You should get out of here," one of the people said.


    "See what you did! Now, even Elsa is in trouble because of you," another said. "Well, spending so many resources on a hopeless case is so unlucky. No wonder the elder is so angry!"


    Every word was like a dagger. Soon, Darren''s expression turned cold as well.


    "Nonsense!" Suddenly, a tall young man in green stood up and shouted angrily. "The reason why the elder is so angry is because we were tricked by the School of Blade Skill. Darren is a victim. You are all so ridiculous!"


    After what he said, everyone''s faces began to change. It seemed that the speaker was someone respected by the disciples.


    "Darren, don''t feel bad. Since you have entered our school, we are brothers. We should take care of each other from now on. I''m Cody Qi. As the eldest disciple, I will do what I can so the elder will calm down. Don''t worry about it," Cody said as he patted Darren on the shoulder to reassure him.


    ''The eldest disciple is a good man, '' Darren thought.


    "Okay, Keller. Now, take Darren to his place so he could rest," Cody commanded.


    "Thank you, Cody." Darren held his fist and saluted Cody.


    "No problem. Go and rest. Tomorrow, I''ll find someone to go and get your resources and send them to your place."


    Darren nodded and then left with the one called Keller Jiao.

 Chapter 31 The Unexpected Trouble (Part One)

    Keller led Darren to a rather remote and secluded wooden cottage that was situated at the corner of Sword Mountain base and settled him down. Darren looked around the cottage. Although the space inside was limited, all of the essentials and other miscellanies were present and would be able to provide its dweller with a cozy and comfortable stay.


    Pleased with the good environment, Darren smiled politely at Keller. But just as Darren started to thank him, Keller went ahead and stopped him. "Don''t thank me, Darren. I still suggest that you leave this place, for your safety. After what has happened today, I am very positive that they will come for trouble sooner rather than later," he proposed solicitously.


    Keller was a short and stumpy young man. Although he was only in his twenties, the hardships and miserable experiences in the life had left imprints on his face. His face would always be scrunched up in worry, much like the one he was currently wearing on his face. Mismatching his age, his appearance looked more like that of a man in his forties.


    Darren didn''t respond but instead gave him a confused glare. Keller instantly feared that Darren had misunderstood his meanings. Keller shook his head and waved his hands in the air. "Darren, please don''t get me wrong. I say this not to try to chase you away, but to help you. I had every intention to have you stay here, but I''m afraid that won''t be possible anymore. Given the recent turn of events, I thought I should let you know that it would not be safe for you to be here," he anxiously explained.


    Seeing how Keller was so concerned for his safety, a small smile formed on Darren''s lips. "I know you are concerned about me. But I don''t want to leave just because of what happened today. I don''t think running away would solve anything. Plus, I''m not exaggerating when I say that those bullies wouldn''t dare come for trouble so recklessly," he said as he tried to console Keller.


    Darren seemed to have already made up his mind and Keller felt that he wouldn''t be able to change it anymore. There was no way around but to accept his decision. "All right then, I hope things will turn out for the best," he said, smiling awkwardly but sincerely at Darren. Keller gave the room one last cleaning. Afte


    nds of internal forces without any provocations, as if on impulse, causing his energy meridians to get harmed in the process.


    He was very much disappointed and utterly devastated by his finding. "Have I really gotten wrecked?" he wondered ruefully. The failure clouded his mind. He could not dare to imagine how things would turn out if he continued to become weak again ¨C he wouldn''t be able to defeat anyone in a fight.


    As Darren contemplated over the extremely disadvantageous situation he now faced, trying and failing to come up with a solution, he heard a yammering.


    "Isn''t this the Black Degree talent disciple that has recently just joined our sect? Why am I getting the feeling that he is just an ordinary type? Have you caught anything outstanding out of his display just now?" a shrill peculiar voice called out behind him, just outside his door. The remarks were followed by an obnoxious chortle that came from a second person.


    Darren turned around to see who it was. There were two young men who were standing at the door, observing him. Seeing that they were both wearing the same clothes as Keller''s, Darren assumed that they were attendant disciples of the School of Sword Skill.


    "Don''t say that, Shawn! He has the title of the super martial genius, after all. He may have deviated from my expectations, but I think he is still powerful enough to take you down," the other guy said in a same feminine voice. As the words escaped, both of them burst into a fit of loud convulsive laughter.

 Chapter 32 The Unexpected Trouble (Part Two)

    "Um, I''m sorry? Have I done something to offend you two?" Darren asked, growing irritated. The two young men''s words were like a punch in Darren''s gut. As if it wasn''t already enough that he still hadn''t fully come around from the pain he suffered from his cultivation practice.


    "Oh, so you mean that we are in no position to displease you? That, you''re so powerful, you''re untouchable, is that it?" the one named Shawn Xu retorted, staring vindictively at Darren. A spasm of anger swiftly passed over Darren''s face, but it vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. He restrained himself, thinking it was hardly the time to whip up chaos.


    However, the other guy wasn''t planning on letting him go that easily. "Stop bluffing, man! I swear that if you challenge him, I would be dragging you back to your room tonight. You would be spending the rest of your life crippled and bedridden! Didn''t you hear what they said? This guy has the strength of the ninth stage of the Primary Realm. In no way can you stand up against him in a fight, let alone beat him," he said, clearly trying to provoke his companion, baiting him into fighting Darren for his own entertainment. The atmosphere in the room grew tense.


    "I''m going to fuck you up, ninth stage!" Shawn Xu barked with fury, falling right into his companion''s trap. "You''re nothing more than a despicable, weak bastard. I''m the real genius here," he continued.


    Darren knew that Shawn did have a point in some respects. Just because he reached the ninth stage didn''t mean that he was superior to Shawn in strength by default. The Ilmen Sect had always had the tradition of enlisting disciples who were at least at the sixth stage. Newly enlisted members all worke


    Shawn? He wants you to-"


    His sentence was cut off by the resounding sound of a slap.


    Darren''s chest violently pumped in anger. He wasn''t able to tolerate the man''s constant prodding any longer. If he had to listen to one more depraved word that came out of the man''s mouth, he swore he might just throw up.


    In the speed of light, he was standing next to the man.


    It all happened in a flash. There was a piercing scream, and the next thing the man knew, there were blood-red palm marks imprinted on his face accompanied by a searing pain.


    "If you continue badgering me with those spiteful and disgusting words, I swear you would no longer be able to see the light of day," Darren bellowed, fire burning in his eyes. Silence fell among them. The man was deeply paralyzed with fear. His mouth was agape and his eyes were filled with utmost consternation.


    By this point, Darren''s wrath had been completely set loose.


    All the anger he had been trying to contain exploded. He started to bombard the man''s chest with his energy-charged fists. He sent out his punches, one after another until the man was slumped down to the ground.

 Chapter 33 The Unexpected Trouble (Part Three)

    "How does that feel, huh?" Darren barked down on him. "Let''s see if you dare to speak malicious remarks about others again," he continued menacingly as he carried on sending his fist down to the man. His mind was swirling with contempt towards the man. Each strike he dealt was loaded with his power and his deep grudge.


    "Help! Darren is killing me!" the man shouted out in a strangled cry. Fear took hold of his heart and his body vibrated violently in pain as he cried out for his life.


    "Shut the hell up!" Darren shouted at him. He hadn''t let out all his fury. Not yet. He grabbed a handful of gravel from the ground and stuffed it into the man''s mouth.


    The torture did not end there. Upon blocking his mouth with the gravel, Darren violently shoved his fist into the man''s mouth.


    As his fist landed, both Darren and Shawn heard the distinct sound of the man''s teeth cracking. The hit was so powerful that it would have sent anyone howling. The man wasn''t able to bear it and as a result of the pain, he went out like a light.


    Shawn was left speechless as he watched the violent scene unfold, his eyes wide open in astonishment. He had not expected Darren to be so merciless and cruel. He started to regret having challenged him just a while ago.


    Seeing that the man had already blacked out, Darren stopped his strikes. "I did tell you to shut up," he mumbled, then quickly averted his eyes from the man''s disfigured face. He turned his gaze towards Shawn who was still standing in a trance-like state.


    "Now, it''s your turn," Darren said in a cold gravelly voice. Despite the fact that Shawn was already cowering in fear inside his


    ting stance. "Today I will end your lousy and disgraceful life!" he declared with conviction. He leapt up and aimed his sword straight at Darren.


    Darren hurriedly lifted his sword and put the second move of the Profound Nine Sword Skills he had just learned into action.


    "Taste my Shadowless Stab!" Darren uttered.


    As soon as the sword skill had been activated, streaks of blinding light began to emanate from it, filling up every corner of the room. Darren waved the mighty sword over at Shawn and the streaks of light began to change its shape into dozens of swords made of light that looked sharp enough to pierce through anything.


    Shawn, who was rushing towards Darren, sensed the danger a little too late for him to be able to dodge the attack.


    The streaks of light pierced through him all over his body and blood sputtered out.


    "So terrible..." Shawn breathlessly whispered just as a ray of light cut through his neck like lightning hitting a tree.


    Darren, suddenly felt a jolting pain inside his body. A fountain of blood spritzed out of his mouth as he fell to the ground.

 Chapter 34 Darrens Goal (Part One)

    After Darren stopped transferring the vital energy, he felt much better. But some of his meridians had been severely injured.


    After he rested for a few moments, Darren tried to use the Meridians Refining Scripture to heal the damaged meridians, but he failed. The two internal forces had broken his meridians, and it was impossible for him to fix it.


    "Am I going to stay a loser?" Darren was hopeless at the moment.


    Darren frowned at the irony of the situation. He could use spiritual energy to improve his talent, but once he had absorbed it into his body, it would turn into internal force and injure his meridians.


    "Well, maybe I should take a break and solve the problem step by step," Darren said.


    Convinced that a good night''s rest would give him a fresh perspective, Darren went to bed early.


    Although he was hoping to solve the challenge he faced, Darren felt disappointed that he could neither absorb spiritual energy nor transfer vital energy.


    ¡­¡­


    Another night passed. Darren was woken by the sound of someone knocking at his door in the early morning hours.


    Darren hadn''t slept well at night. He wearily rubbed his eyes, stood from his bed, and made his way to the door. He frowned when he opened the door.


    "Darren, I have brought the resources the sect has assigned to you. Come and take them," a disciple standing at Darren''s door casually said. The frown on Darren''s face grew deeper when he noticed that the disciple had a blank expression on his face. Then, without warning, the disciple threw a pile of spiritual herbs in front of Darren.


    "Humph. This is so ridiculous. What rules is the sect following? Why are they always giving a loser like you so many resources? It is so unfair. What a waste!" Without waiting for Darren to reply, the disciple continued murmuring to himself, "Every day, someone fights with another member for resources like these as they are rare and precious. But the sect just gives them to you! I''m afrai


    tion, after which, the internal force would not hurt him again.


    Almost an hour passed. By the end of the practice, Darren was soaked in sweat. He was so exhausted from the intense process that he almost passed out. Although he was tired and his legs felt weak, he was delighted with the result.


    "This is so great! Although my meridians were injured after I used all my internal force, I will recover from the injuries in less than a month if I can keep my meridians from further damage," Darren said. Darren was excited.


    In the meantime, he felt that the new internal force was stronger and more powerful than the vital energy he had experienced before. Darren also understood that only after combining the internal forces of the blade and sword could he maximize his internal force when attacking his enemy.


    Darren found that he had become stronger than before!


    Feeling empty inside his body, Darren walked inside his house. After picking up the spiritual herbs on the ground, he started to absorb their spiritual energy.


    After a little while, he had absorbed all the energy from the fifty superior spiritual herbs. Although the internal force was only about one-tenth the quantity of the spiritual energy that he had absorbed from the Heaven and the Earth, Darren was still satisfied with the result.

 Chapter 35 Darrens Goal (Part Two)

    "This Holy Star Herb is different and rare. The spiritual energy that is contained inside the herb is extremely pure. Even the elders of the Mysterious Realm need to use it," Darren thought.


    After the experience, Darren held the Holy Star Herb in his hands and started to assimilate it.


    This time, however, it took him 45 minutes to completely assimilate it.


    "Ah, that is great!"


    Had his strength reached a higher level after the experience? Darren was excited, and said, "I feel so refreshed! What does that mean? Have I reached the Spirit Realm?"


    Darren felt as though he was being elevated to the Spirit Realm. Generally speaking, it was far more difficult to break through one realm than it was to improve one''s stage within a realm. But Darren, who had grown from a mediocre learner to a master, had achieved this in only a few months.


    Excitement coursed through Darren when he thought he was going to reach the Spirit Realm.


    "Since I already know how to use my internal force, can I compete with masters who have reached the Spirit Realm?" Darren wondered. Darren hoped that one day, he would be able to compete with them to see who was better.


    In cultivation, it was hard for a person who was inferior to others in stage to succeed in defeating his opponent. And Darren, who was at a lower realm than others, wanted to fight with a master at the Spirit Realm. It seemed like an unrealistic goal.


    Darren was cheerful after he found that his strength had improved tremendously. He decided to take a walk outside alone.


    ¡­¡­


    In the morning, numerous young disciples from different schools gathered at the square to practice their skills.


    Darren strolled around the square, admiring the beautiful view as the clouds and mist drifted across the mountains like a fairyl


    on started to grow in his heart, and he felt an overwhelming desire to become strong and powerful.


    "You! Stop!" one of the disciples shouted.


    The disciples noticed that Darren had overheard their conversation. Quick as a flash, the disciples rushed toward Darren, stood in front of him, and blocked his way.


    "Get lost!" said Darren impatiently. Darren knew that they were bullies, so he was cautious as he didn''t want to get into trouble.


    "Look! That bastard is so arrogant," a disciple sneered at him. Seeing that they carried sabers on their backs, Darren felt his chest tighten. Their leader cast a defiant glance at Darren, and provoked him, "I heard that you have received numerous resources lately. You had better kneel and give them to me. Otherwise, I will beat you to death."


    "Ha-ha-ha!" The other disciples, who were standing behind him, burst into laughter.


    "I do have some resources, but they are mine. As for you, I think you should go to the bathroom over there and eat all the shit you want!" Darren retorted without hesitation.


    After Darren finished, a mix of fury and embarrassment washed over their faces, and they screamed, "You son of a bitch! I will kill you!"

 Chapter 36 A Suicide Challenge

    The tense air between Darren and several men was palpable. The charged atmosphere piqued the curiosity among the disciples. They gathered around them, wanting to have a good look at the commotion.


    "This is going to be interesting," one of the disciples gestured towards the group from School of Blade Skill. "These guys often bully the newcomers."


    "That guy is Darren, the fallen genius."


    "I see. I heard he gets lots of resources each month. No wonder these guys are giving him a hard time."


    Whispers and murmurs could be heard all around as the crowd started to scrutinize. They were eager to see what was about to unfold.


    "Brat, it looks like you don''t know what you''re doing. If you mess with us, you will be in a lot of trouble," one disciple of the School of Blade Skill threatened.


    "Shut up!" Darren snapped brashly. "Aren''t you planning on stealing my resources? I''d like to see you try." Darren did not flinch one bit. He did not find those guys daunting at all. They were nothing but revolting scoundrels for him.


    "Oh? You''re one arrogant guy, aren''t you? Let''s see if you can still be haughty later," the disciple continued.


    He pulled out his blade to attack Darren.


    One person decided to put a halt to this madness. He rushed forward and interjected, "What are you doing? If you continue this brash display, the Elder is sure to know about this. Fighting on the square will get you severely punished."


    Darren shifted his gaze towards the speaker. It was Keller, the one who led him to his place yesterday.


    Keller walked towards his side and whispered, "Darren, get out of here. These are notorious tyrants. I will stall them for you. Go to the Sword Mountain. You''ll be safer there."


    "Who the hell are you, you bumpkin? Get lost!" One member of the group spat.


    "Guys, it''s best for you to let go of Darren. If you don''t, the Elders are going to know about this. Disciples are not allowed to fight out of personal matters. I''m sure you know that," Keller continued grimly.


    This made them uneasy. They were familiar with the rules of the sect, and they didn''t want any trouble.


    "Son of a bitch! You better watch your back. We will not spare you." They threatened before walking away.


    "Get to the Sword Mountain and stay there in the next few days. I''m afraid they might return soon," Keller suggested, a concerned expression clear on his face.


    "What about you?" Darren asked with a frown, looking at Keller. He had already considered him as his friend.


    "Don''t worry about me. They might hit me but I''ll be fine as long as I don''t fight back," Keller assured him. "I''m going to go out to buy some items. Take care of yourself." Keller headed down the mountain hurriedly.


    "Let me know if anything happens," Darren urged. A small smile formed on the corner of Keller''s mouth. Without looking back, he continued to walk down the mountain.


    The guys who attempted to put Darren down went to a corner on the square. They talked to two ominous looking men in a low voice.


    "You''re a bunch of useless losers!" William, one of the two men, hissed. "All I ask is for you to provoke him and trick him into going to Life and D


    in disbelief. ''A loser dared to challenge me? You''ve got to be kidding me, '' he thought.


    "I said I am going to take your life. Is that so hard for you to understand, you jerk?" Darren snarled, internal force gushing out from his body.


    His voice echoed throughout the whole square. This whole fiasco caught the attention of the other disciples.


    William and Karl were stunned at his remark.


    "Are you going mute, you cowards? Meet me in the Life and Death Valley this afternoon. I swear to God I will eliminate you," Darren hollered.


    Many disciples on the square flocked to them.


    "Seriously? William of the School of Blade Skill has reached the third stage of Spirit Realm. This guy had the gall to meet him at the Life and Death Valley."


    "Once people enter that valley, they are liable to their actions. They will not be punished even if they kill other disciples. Has he lost his mind?"


    "He is Darren. He has just been accepted as an official disciple. A fallen genius dared to challenge William? He is digging his own grave."


    "He must have gone mad. He hasn''t even reached the Spirit Realm. He definitely has lost his mind."


    The crowd was throwing in opinions right and left. They thought Darren was playing with fire.


    Darren bellowed, "You bastards, are you coming to meet me at the Life and Death Valley or not?"


    His bold actions took everyone present by great surprise.


    William''s face turned livid. Anger boiled deep in his system, as hot as lava. A loser who hadn''t reached the Spirit Realm had the nerve to bark at him in public, which embarrassed him.


    "My brother is going to kill you without even breaking a sweat," Karl snorted, composing himself. He was trying to get him and his brother out of this degrading situation.


    Darren let out his boiling antipathy and swung his fist, too quick and potent, into Karl''s face. He howled, "You talk too much. Just answer my question: yes or no?"


    As the crowd was taken aback with the turn of events, the whole square was surrounded with stunned silence. The disciples'' mouths were agape, apprehensive of what might happen next.

 Chapter 37 Enter Life And Death Valley (Part One)

    Everyone present was taken aback by Darren''s provocative actions.


    "You... You dared to hit me?" Karl gaped at Darren with a stunned expression. ''He really slapped me with William around?'' he wondered in disbelief.


    William clenched his fists as he looked at Karl with a grim expression. He couldn''t believe that Darren slapped his brother in public. It was humiliating.


    "William, I need you to kill him," Karl demanded, his face getting red with anger. The next minute, he broke out crying. Everyone who was not directly involved was amused, to say the least.


    The next thing Karl knew, Darren''s palm was getting nearer and nearer his face again. The sound of flesh hitting another flesh cut through the air, ringing in people''s ears.


    William watched his brother get slapped once again. Hot, fiery fury filled his chest, and he could only think of one thing.


    "You''re dead," William said darkly, glaring at Darren.


    "What are you doing?" Several disciples in purple went up to them.


    "Look, the people from the Discipline Cabinet are here."


    The crowd moved aside to make way for those who wore purple clothes, parting like the red sea.


    "Who started all of this?" one from the Discipline Cabinet asked, giving Darren a glance.


    "Sir, that brat hit my brother," William replied instantly in a humble manner.


    "Humph. So you''re the one who stirred up trouble here. Guys, drag him away and teach him a hard lesson!" that disciple ordered, his eyes hard and cold.


    "Wait!" Darren exclaimed frantically, pointing at Jimmy with visibly trembling fingers. "You want me to be punished because I slapped that jerk, but what about the guy who beat up Jimmy? Shouldn''t he get some punishment, too?"


    "Oh?" The disciple of the Discipline Cabinet looked to where Darren was pointing at and saw Jimmy crumpled in a heap on the floor and heavily injured. Furrowing his eyebrows, he asked, "Who did this?"


    According to the sect rule, anyone who committed violence against a fellow sect member like this would b


    mly, he said, "Thomas, you haven''t changed at all. You''re still short-tempered. I just came to figure out what was going on here. Now that you are interested, I''ll leave this to you."


    "Alan, we both know what''s going on here, and it seems to me that you''re pushing your luck too hard. To weaken my strength, you sent people to set up my talented disciple of the Black Degree. Sooner or later, this will all come back and bite you. I will make you pay the price one day," Thomas said slowly, stressing each syllable.


    Alan smiled coldly as he responded, "Do you have any proof, Thomas? It amuses me how daring you can be sometimes. I suggest you refrain from saying anything unless you have something backing you up. You can''t frame me just like that."


    "Like a snake slithering his way out, your words are as slippery as your innocence. You know what you have done!" Thomas exclaimed gazing pointedly at Alan before turning to Darren.


    "Why are you still standing here? Get your ass back to Sword Mountain. Are you still trying to make a scene here?" he said acidly, leering at Darren who was breathing heavily.


    Darren remained standing.


    "Elder Thomas, please help Jimmy," Darren pleaded after a few moments.


    "He is from the School of Boxing Skill. He has nothing to do with me, so why would I do that?" Thomas responded matter-of-factly.

 Chapter 38 Enter Life And Death Valley (Part Two)

    His words made Darren think about the situation more. ''Jimmy is the elite of the School of Boxing Skill, but he got beaten up like this. Why didn''t the Elder of the School of Boxing Skill, Ezra, stand up for him?'' he wondered, confused.


    After mulling it over for a few minutes, he had come to a conclusion: Alan had used Jimmy as a pawn and Ezra gave his assent.


    ''This is so horrible. The relationships among the elders are complicated.


    To weaken the strength of their enemies and to gain more profits, the leaders are willing to sacrifice their disciples. They don''t value other people''s lives as long as they can get what they want.


    I learned an important lesson from this. This world is dominated by the strong, and the weak are nothing but disposable pieces, '' he grudgingly thought.


    This realization made Darren long for power more than ever. He wanted to become so strong that nothing could ever threaten him again.


    "Come back to Sword Mountain right now and go to the cave to reflect upon the mistakes you''ve made for half a year. This is your punishment," Thomas said, his tone making it obvious that it was his final decision.


    "Elder Thomas!" With an evil smile on his face, William stepped forward and stopped in front of Thomas. He said, "Darren and I agreed to fight in the Life and Death Valley. According to the rule, no one can back out once an agreement has been established."


    Without warning, Thomas swung his arm and gave William a slap. He thundered, "How dare you pressure my disciple to enter the Life and Death Valley?"


    Terrified and with one hand touching his sore cheek, William immediately knelt down and explained, "I have been misunderstood, Elder Thomas. I have not pressured Darren. In fact, he was the one who proposed to fight in the Life and Death Valley. If my words are not enough to prove that I am saying the truth, perhaps the words of the people around us are. Th


    rit Realm?" Cody berated with evident concern in his voice.


    "Pursuing martial arts is a tough path. If I always choose to run away from problems, I will never make any progress. So I decided not to run anymore. I''d like to give this a shot. Everyone thinks I''m going to die. If I make it out of here alive, I''ll be able to prove them wrong, and I''ll be able to prove to myself that I have what it takes to carry on this path," Darren replied calmly.


    He then jumped off the cliff and entered the valley below.


    William laughed loudly and said, "The bastard is there. Let''s go." He and other disciples of the School of Blade Skill followed Darren and jumped off the cliff, too.


    Once people entered the Life and Death Valley, one of their feet was already in the grave. Their lives were at the mercy of the stronger party.


    "Guess how long it will take for those guys to slay Darren?"


    "Is that even a question? Come on! Haven''t you noticed that he hasn''t entered the Spirit Realm? Besides, he has refined the sword intent seed and blade intent seed, so he doesn''t stand a chance. This is a losing battle for him. I bet he will get killed within a few minutes."


    "Look, the fight has finally begun!"


    Everyone looked down below the valley and watched the battle unfold.

 Chapter 39 Unparalleled Power

    The Life and Death Valley was, in fact, a low ridge with an area of about two hundred and seventy thousand square meters, surrounded by towering mountains over thirty meters tall. At this moment, hundreds of people were watching Darren''s suicide challenge.


    Five people stood in front of Darren in the valley.


    "William, please give me this opportunity. I have never killed a man in person," a disciple from the School of Blade Skill said.


    "Andy, please give it to me. I have just broken into the Spirit Realm, I want a try," another disciple called Norbert Wang blurted out.


    "Well, you kill him." William nodded to Norbert Wang, giving him permission. He thought he had given much respect to Darren by sending a Spirit Realm master to kill him.


    A happy look crossed Norbert''s face now that he had William''s consent. He leaped onto a raised platform called Death Platform.


    "Norbert, you will be a disgrace if you can''t kill him."


    "Nonsense, killing him will be a piece of cake." "Lad, how many swings would you prefer to be killed in?" Norbert shouted softly.


    "Stupid dog, soon you will know who will be killed!" Darren sneered at Norbert.


    "A scum of the Primary Realm, I will kill you in a second, you bastard!" With a sudden shout, Norbert lifted his saber and rushed at Darren.


    Darren''s face turned cold as ice as Norbert''s aggressive aura of the Spirit Realm surged into him. It was much more powerful than that at the Primary Realm.


    Quickly, Darren''s imposing aura also surged out as he hacked at Norbert with a broadsword.


    The sound from the fierce clash immediately echoed through the Life and Death Valley as heavy dust was blown backward.


    After the dissipation of the dust, everyone in the valley was openly astonished. Darren had survived that violent attack!


    "The lad. He managed to survive, how could it be possible?"


    "Even a heavy blow from a Spirit Realm cultivator failed to kill him?"


    While all the crowd was talking about the matter, Darren was mulling over something in his mind. ''There is only one-millionth of an inch between my realm and the Spirit Realm, but I am falling far behind in physical strength. Perhaps I can make up the difference if I use my blade and sword internal force.''


    In the previous clash, Darren used only his pure physical strength rather than the blade and sword internal force to counterattack Norbert.


    "Ha ha ha, you are such a disgrace, Norbert. You are of about the same level as him. I have doubt wheth


    "Brother!" William could have never imagined for his brother to die as well.


    Having killed Karl with a single slash, Darren turned back to the other two disciples without any hesitation, his right hand drawing out an icy sword.


    Inside Darren''s body, the blade and sword internal force condensed together wildly rather than turned against each other.


    This time, Darren exercised the Profound Nine Sword Skills and the Grand Thirteen Blade Skills simultaneously from his right and left hands respectively.


    With the overwhelming blade and sword waves, clinks of steel echoed through the Life and Death Valley. Swiftness and fierceness of sword skills were shown in the movements of the sword while the violence and intensity of blade skills were displayed in the sword blade!


    Under his continuous attack, the two Spirit Realm masters'' flesh and blood vanished inch by inch. Even their bones turned into powders and disappeared like smoke.


    "Good god!"


    "What the fuck!"


    "Oh my god!"


    Darren''s attack made the crowd on top of the valley go wild. Their cries of excitement echoed above the Life and Death Valley for a long time.


    "What sort of martial skill is that? It is so powerful!"


    "Too amazing, is he a genius?"


    William, who had reached the third stage of the Spirit Realm, also took hasty steps backward due to the strong internal force.


    He was shocked when he halted.


    The power was a threat to him!


    His hostility grew stronger than his caution, and William rushed to Darren with his saber in hand.


    Silence fell over everyone standing on top of the Life and Death Valley as if they were waiting to witness a miracle!

 Chapter 40 Jerome Bei

    William went crazy when he saw his little brother killed by Darren''s blade. Unable to control his fury, he charged at him.


    Darren didn''t expect the sudden burst of power. He just pondered at the possibility of using the blade and the sword at the same time. Everything just came out without him meaning to.


    ''I just got into the Spirit Realm and my body is still changing. If I hadn''t used my sword skill and blade skill at the same time, I couldn''t have killed the two martial artists who had been in the Spirit Realm for a long time!'' Darren thought to himself. Even he was shocked with what happened.


    He almost used up all his internal forces for the blade and the sword because of that massive blow. He was like a used gun running low on ammunition. What would he do if William, who was at the third stage of the Spirit Realm, attacked him?


    Even though the odds currently weren''t at his favor, Darren still wasn''t very worried. Because he just graded up to the Spirit Realm, and there was still plenty of spiritual energy entering his body. He still had enough if he needed to defend himself.


    Strong spiritual energy was filling him up quickly. He did his best to manage his newly absorbed spiritual energy. With it, he nourished his meridians and made a lot of internal force of blade and sword.


    "Pffft!" Darren coughed blood out from his mouth.


    The internal force of the blade and the internal force of the sword were fighting with each other, tearing his meridians apart. He could feel his meridians breaking one by one.


    Darren couldn''t imagine anything worse than what was happening right now. This could kill him! There was nothing left for him to do but fight for the chance to live.


    "I want you dead! You have to die!"


    William was now insanely angry. His eyes were bloodshot because of his rage. His vital energy of the third stage of the Spirit Realm exploded to every corner of the Life and Death Valley.


    Darren stepped back.


    In the blink of an eye, William was in front of Darren with the tip of his blade pointing towards him in a dangerous way.


    The fact that William was currently overwhelmed with emotion worked for Darren as he could not focus on the fight one hundred percent. If not, it would have been impossible for Darren to dodge his blows.


    As he avoided his blows, he absorbed his spiritual energy.


    "It hurts..." Darren''s body shook because of the pain. It was so painful it almost made him faint. Finally, after what felt like a century, he gathered enough internal force in his body.


    "Profound Nine Sword Skills! Grand Thirteen Blade Skills!"


    He used the blade and the sword together again.


    Rumble!


    The power of the blade and the power of the sword filled the whole Life and Death Valley like huge wave of water washing over it.


    "You have to die!" William didn''t even care to dodge. He just went after Darren like a madman.


    He brandished his blade with a massive aura around it and rammed it straight towards Darren.


    Rumble!


    With another loud sound, the ears of the disciples above the valley who were in a lower realm than the Spirit Realm all started to ring. For a moment, it seemed like they lost their hearing ability.


    Everyone was stunned into silence. Whether Darren was still alive or dead


    "Long time no see, Cody. You are still in the Spirit Realm? What a shame. You are almost thirty and you still haven''t progressed much. You don''t get to talk to me like that, you loser!" Jerome Bei said arrogantly.


    "You!" Anger rose in Cody''s heart. The sword on his back moved. He wanted to fight with Jerome so badly to make him regret his words.


    "Enough, Cody! Take Darren back to the Sword Mountain," Thomas commanded. As he spoke, he used an invisible sword intent to attack Jerome.


    This shocked him as he did not expect the attack. He backed up a few steps and immediately shot an arrow out. It exploded in mid-air but he was still sent flying by Thomas'' blow.


    "How dare you attack a young disciple, Thomas!" the elder of the School of Arrow Skill remarked as he looked at Jerome with a distressed expression.


    "Oh? How can you be so sure that it was me?" Thomas didn''t plan to admit that it was him who attacked Jerome on his disciple''s behalf.


    "You!" The elder of the School of Arrow Skill couldn''t find a way to argue back. So instead, he said, "Why would you attack the best disciple of my school for a loser? I won''t let this go easily, Thomas! Wait till the next Five Schools Competition! You will regret what you have done today. Let''s go, Jerome."


    In Life and Death Valley, Jerome glared at Cody with hateful eyes. "In the next Five Schools Competition, I will make every member of the School of Sword Skill kneel in front of me!" he declared.


    Then, he walked up to Darren. "As for you, loser, I hope you can live ''till the day I kick the School of Sword Skill''s ass. Do you want to know why I did all this? It''s because you were too arrogant for my liking."


    With these words, he laughed and left, following the elder of the School of Arrow Skill.


    When he was gone, Darren struggled to stand. He couldn''t support himself anymore. He was both hurt because of the opposing internal forces inside him and the pressure brought about by Jerome. Under all the pain, he blacked out.


    But before he completely lost his consciousness, he managed to silently vow to himself, "I will make you kneel in front of me like a petty dog when I get stronger. One day, Jerome!"

 Chapter 41 Task

    When Darren woke up, he found himself already back in his room.


    His meridians were shattered and he was in severe pain. He found it difficult to even sit up.


    "I have a lot to do to improve my cultivation base by assimilating spiritual energy. My talent of the Black Degree can be used to comprehend cultivation methods. But as of now, it can''t be used to absorb spiritual energy yet," murmured Darren with a bit of a pity, evaluating his current state.


    He then sat up slowly and took out a healing pill.


    ''I do not know whether or not this healing pill will help with my injury. I can''t take it directly, the spiritual energy inside it might damage my meridians, '' he thought.


    Considering it for a while, Darren decided to directly assimilate the healing pill.


    After a moment, a puff of white smoke rose out from his body.


    "Well, that worked. I feel a little better."


    Darren found assimilating the healing pill helpful. He then assimilated two more. In a few minutes, he found himself feeling so much better than before.


    Darren slowly got off his bed, feeling a bit worried.


    If he were to improve his cultivation base by assimilation, he would need plenty of resources. Where could he get them?


    Just as he was thinking, the door to his room opened.


    "Darren, are you feeling better?" asked a soft voice. It was Fiona, the girl Darren had met on the road before.


    She looked around cautiously for fear of being seen.


    "Fiona, why are you coming here?" asked Darren.


    "I came to see you. It''s really unfortunate for you to have to suffer so many bad things. Someone from the School of Blade Skill told me what happened and... Oh, forget it!" Fiona said, embarrassed.


    "Ha-ha, did they all say that I would not live long?" Darren said with a smile.


    Several books told of how fusing the sword intent seed and the blade intent seed caused someone to gather an immense amount of power for a limited amount of time before the force killed him internally because of broken meridians. Looking back at his fight with Karl yesterday, Darren did realize how powerful he was. Given that, she felt quite sure that he was about to die soon.


    Fiona felt bad about what Darren had to go through. She nodded slowly.


    "I''m really sorry that something like this has happened to you, Darren. Although you and I have not known each other very long, I still feel very sad for you," Fiona said sincerely.


    "It''s all right. I might find a way to survive it," Darren replied calmly. In his mind, as long as he did not absorb spiritual energy from the outside world, he should be able to properly protect his meridians.


    "I hope so," Fiona replied sadly. "Well, here are the superior spiritual herbs that I got from the School of Blade Skill. They mig


    ediately!"


    Looking at the task, Darren felt like it was something he could finish successfully. He had heard that the Barren Wasteland was dangerous. He had only entered the outskirts of it before. Still, it should be easy enough if he only needed to explore. Besides, if any danger arrived, he could just escape it.


    Without hesitation, Darren wrote his name under the task and took it on.


    Seeing Darren take on the task, the mouths of the disciples around him all fell open with surprise.


    "Oh my goodness! He has taken on that task. I heard it was related to fiends. Dalton wanted to take it on recently, but Elder Alan severely scolded him because he thought that accepting the task was suicide," one disciple said.


    "Yeah, I also heard that deep within the Barren Wasteland, people found corpses of the cultivators in the Wonder Realm. Rumor has it that the corpses were half eaten. Horrible, right? I can''t believe anyone would dare to accept that task!" another commented.


    Darren frowned at the remarks.


    "Congratulations, brother! You have successfully taken on the task. I wish you every success on your endeavor. This is the task token. When you finish the task, you may go to the Resource Pavilion to claim your reward. Here you are!" A disciple who was in charge of the task list handed the task token to Darren immediately for fear that he would back out.


    The truth was that Darren started to worry a little when he heard the people talking about the task. At the same time, it intrigued him even more. Besides, he was in desperate need of the resources. If he entered the Barren Wasteland, he might even be able to slay some level-9 beasts. He could then assimilate their talents and spiritual energy from their cardiac cores.


    With those thoughts, Darren put away the task token and went on his way, ignoring the others.

 Chapter 42 Return To The Barren Wasteland

    Receiving his assigned task, Darren returned to Sword Mountain to inform the school about it. He didn''t think that he should leave just like that.


    In the hall, Cody seriously looked Darren in the eyes. "Darren, how dare you try to earn these kinds of resources? Don''t you know how dangerous it is?"


    Being his senior, Cody tried to stop Darren from performing dangerous tasks.


    "Darren, look, could you give up this task? I can lend you some of my superior spiritual herbs if you need them. One hundred herbs are enough for me in a month, anyway." Cody, a senior disciple of the School of Sword Skill, had gotten more resources than the other disciples.


    "Thank you, bro! Actually, I was planning to find a method to resolve my problem of cultivating both sword and blade skills." Darren had to tell a lie to him.


    The task was to go into the Barren Wasteland. Darren''s life had changed there after he learned the ability of assimilation. He eagerly wanted to go there again, because he had made rapid progress in all his skills.


    It was known to all that the Barren Wasteland was a place more dangerous than hell itself, but in Darren''s point of view, it was a paradise. To other disciples, the beasts in there were the most fierce monsters, but in Darren''s eyes, they were the best resources.


    "Enough!" Thomas said, walking out from the back of the hall. "Darren, I know that I shouldn''t blame you on your cultivating both sword and blade skills.


    However, could you please not be so impulsive? No one cares if you die or not, but it would bring shame to the School of Sword Skill." Thomas seemed to be very upset.


    Hearing that, Darren didn''t know what to say. He assumed that Elder Thomas might have changed his opinion of him, but according to what he said just now, he was still the Elder Thomas.


    "Thanks for your suggestion, Elder Thomas. I will keep that in mind." Darren replied unemotionally.


    "I could have punished you for your selfishness, but you''ll be dead soon anyway. You are free to leave." Thomas felt angry at Darren, but he felt even more disappointed.


    Why was that?


    It began from when Thomas found Darren in the Chu Clan''s residence. He tested Darren and found that he had a special gift. He asked him if he was willing to join the School of Sword Skill, and Darren said yes. Thomas was very pleased with this at the time. He knew it was difficult to find someone special, and at last


    an who had reached the Spirit Realm at such a young age. Anyone who reached the fifth or sixth stage of the Spirit Realm could be regarded as a master, such as the Chief Elder of the Chu Family.


    Darren''s father reached the ninth stage of the Spirit Realm around forty. He was regarded as a local master and a legend among the members of the Chu Family.


    But he was still much lower than the geniuses in sects. Some disciples of the sects had gotten unique skills and gifts. They could receive as many resources as they needed, and so some Black Degree talents could reach Mysterious Realm by the age of twenty.


    Moreover, it was said that there were more gifted geniuses in the big fields and the Holy Lands, who could have a talent at the Earth or the Heaven Degree. They would also be stronger at the same age as others.


    The disciples of Ilmen Sect killed the beast and took its cardiac core and fur. Then they walked on.


    ''They must be the ones who took the task of killing the beasts of the seventh level.'' Darren was sure that they were coming from Ilmen Sect. He was right to avoid meeting them.


    One of them called Dalton was the son of the elder of the School of Blade Skill. He wouldn''t be kind to Darren if they met in the wasteland.


    After they left, Darren came out from where he was hiding. He chose another path to get into the forest.


    When he entered the forest, he could feel a dark, damp, and gloomy presence.


    "Who''s there?" Darren asked in a loud voice and turned around.


    Form the moment he had arrived, Darren felt that someone was stalking him. He looked around but saw nothing.

 Chapter 43 Raid

    Darren searched around carefully with his spiritual sense for something or someone that could be watching, but he found nothing around him. He could only hear the chirping of insects in his ears. Darren felt odd about the situation.


    Perhaps it was just his imagination.


    Darren rubbed his head and turned around to continue his march into the wet and dense forest.


    After traveling for a while, the corpses of several giant beasts appeared before Darren''s eyes.


    "Judging from the scents, these appear to be diabolic beasts, which are even more fierce than the ordinary ones." Darren moved on, walking past the corpses that had been gnawed on by other creatures.


    Darren was pleased to find these mighty beasts. If he could kill just a few of them, his talent would be significantly improved. The cardiac cores of the diabolic beasts also contained a lot of spiritual energy, which would be particularly helpful to his cultivation.


    In front of him, an Armor Beast moved leisurely through the trees, looking for food. It had not yet noticed Darren''s presence.


    "Wow, this Armor Beast is level eight."


    Armor Beasts typically stayed in the lower levels. In the area of the forest that Darren previously visited, the Armor Beasts were at most level three or four. But in here, even an Armor Beast could be level eight. It was really extraordinary.


    However, this was exactly the type of opportunity Darren needed now.


    Darren tried to hide his breath and quietly approached the level eight beast. His hand gripped on a cold sword, ready to release an attack at any moment.


    Suddenly, the sword stretched.


    Darren rushed to the Armor Beast with all his speed, and with a single stroke of the sword, he split open its throat.


    "The dumb creature didn''t even notice me."


    Darren laughed. Then he absorbed the talent of the Armor Beast and immediately began to assimilate its cardiac core.


    But the spiritual energy contained in the level eight beast''s cardiac core was still not enough for Darren. He needed even more spiritual energy for both curing his wounds and accumulating internal force.


    As he moved through the forest, he killed more than thirty level-seven and level-eight beasts, and slowly he began to recover from his injuries. Now, his physical condition was almost fully restored to peak condition. He had accumulated plenty of internal force inside his body.


    A sudden noise rang through the air.


    Darren felt something flash by in front of him and disappear just as quickly. It was like an illusion.


    "No," he said to himself. "Something is going on." Darren was a little nervous. He was now certain something was following him, but he still could not detect


    rd Darren.


    Darren shivered and took a few steps backward, putting up his arms in feigned terror.


    As Matt approached, Darren moved quickly, bringing forward the internal forces of sword and blade, raising them violently until they reached their limit.


    A cold sword went straight at Matt''s throat.


    He had no defense against Darren''s unexpected attack. But as a sixth stage Spirit Realm cultivator, his strength was much stronger than Darren''s. When the tip of the sword was about to pierce his throat, Matt turned away his body with extreme speed, and only a shallow line of blood was left on his neck.


    "Little bastard, I will split your body into pieces," Matt said with extreme fury.


    Darren sneered back and said, "You''ll need the chance to do it first!"


    When Matt escaped Darren''s sword, the blade in Darren''s other hand reached the back of Matt''s head. Now the internal force of the blade was surging wildly.


    As the blade punctured Matt, his pupils enlarged with more curiosity than anger. His final thought was a disbelief that he was being killed by a boy with less power.


    Alerted by a scream, Dalton and the others, who had not yet gone far, turned back and saw Matt''s limp body drop to the ground.


    "It can''t be! He killed Matt!"


    Darren immediately acted. A split second later, he had disappeared into the dark vines, making leaps over dense foliage, racing through the trees, and trying his best to escape.


    He was able to kill Matt because the man had greatly underestimated Darren''s strength. Matt did not have his defenses up and had not expected the second move. Otherwise, Darren would not have won.


    "Bring him to me! Kill that bastard!" At the command of Dalton, his followers ran into the forest, chasing after Darren in the direction of his disappearance.

 Chapter 44 Being Driven Into A Gorge

    Darren ran desperately into the woods, trying to escape. He was not as strong as Dalton and his companions. They already reached higher stages in terms of martial arts skills. He was not confident about the odds of him winning if they ever had to fight. If he got caught, he was almost sure he would die.


    He ran as fast as he could, trying to lose them. He intentionally chose a path that was not going to be easy for them to follow. Vines hung from every corner in between the gaps of the trees. They would surely be tangled up in them if they didn''t take their time to be careful.


    Darren could hear the sound of their heavy footsteps from several hundred meters behind him. He could even hear their shouts and threats.


    ''They run too fast. They will catch me, for sure. I need to find another way to escape, '' Darren thought, worried.


    They were all more proficient in fighting than he was. It also wouldn''t be a surprise if they were also faster. It wouldn''t be long until they caught up to him. It was fortunate that they were in the woods. The giant trees made for good hiding places and distractions. It took Dalton time to find the right way, giving Darren time to escape.


    "Hurry up. That bastard could not have gotten far. I will beat him up so badly when I catch him!" Dalton cursed.


    Darren could hear that they were close.


    Suddenly, he spotted a level four Pocket Beast right in front of him. That gave him an idea. Darren rushed towards it and gave it a big slap. Immediately, it passed out.


    On its belly was a large pocket. Darren fixed the beast''s position to make it look as if it were sleeping. Then, he gently slipped himself into its pocket and held his breath to conceal his presence as best as he could.


    "Eh? Where did he go? Is he hiding somewhere?"


    Dalton and his companions asked when they finally managed to break free of the vines. Darren seemed to have disappeared completely.


    "Search the place!"


    "I still cannot understand how that bastard became so strong. How did he manage to sneak up on Matt and kill him?"


    "He also killed William the other day. So, if my calculations are correct, he must have already peaked the third stage of the Spirit Realm! We shouldn''t have underestimated him. Then again, he was very badly injured after the fight that day. Also, according to rumors, he had internal forces of both blade and sword! This was probably why he hurt himself. An elder said that it was very unlikely for him to survive for long. It is truly a mystery why he managed to recover completely in just two days," one of Dalton''s companions thought aloud.


    "Cut the fucking crap. He will regret murdering Matt right in front of me. I will kill him!" Dalton e


    are dangerous!"


    Suddenly, more people started to appear. Apparently, they were all escaping from different places and all happened to go in the same direction.


    Darren looked around. Again, he saw even more people rush out of the woods frantic and afraid. They were all trying to escape only to arrive at the same empty, dark place.


    ''These people look strong, '' he thought. ''They seem to be disciples from different sects who either come here on missions or are just looking for ways to challenge themselves.'' Darren rushed towards the empty area, frowning.


    Despite their differences, they had one thing in common: they were all running for their lives. Everyone rushed towards the gorge nearby without hesitation. It was the only way out, after all. None of them had a choice.


    Even Darren found no other way. He sped towards the gorge as well.


    Several fiends ran after them. Tens of people were driven into the same gorge.


    After running for about one kilometer, they finally reached their destination. It was a large, spacious and empty area.


    Observing his surroundings, Darren found himself shocked by what he saw.


    In front of him, were corpses. They were everywhere and there were hills of them.


    In the middle of it all was a bronze coffin covered with ancient patterns that floated quietly. A dark smoke seemed to seep through it continuously.


    "Awoooooo!" a howl echoed.


    There seemed to be something inside the bronze coffin. When it felt the life around it, it howled excitedly. Then, it started to shake.


    "Ahhh!"


    Screams arose. As soon as the dark smoke that came out of the bronze coffin touched a human body, the human body shriveled and quickly dried up until only a layer of skin, visible meridians, and eyeballs were left. It was an extremely dreadful sight.

 Chapter 45 Assimilate Black Smoke

    A cloud of black smoke came towards Darren. He instinctively summoned his sword and blade internal force to defend himself from the attack. However, the power of the black smoke was proven to be too strong for him to handle as he felt sharp pinpricks of pain as the black smoke penetrated his body.


    ''This is not good. Am I going to die?''


    he wondered, feeling desperate.


    A few moments later, Darren felt a sensation inside his head. The black smoke was flowing to his head through the meridians.


    ''What? The smoke has been assimilated?''


    Somehow, Darren was certain that the mysterious stone in his head was responsible for this.


    ''It is not only able to assimilate talent and spiritual energy but also this eerie black smoke? Just what in the world is this stone in my head?'' he thought curiously.


    Darren was pleased about this new discovery.


    However, after he had fully absorbed the black smoke, he felt a strange ominous power course through him. A deep, dark, aggressive feeling took over.


    In the instances that he had assimilated talent or spiritual energy, he had never felt something quite like the one he just felt.


    As Darren examined his surroundings, he slowly started to notice that dozens of people around him were now lying on the ground. He soon realized that some of the bodies were already desiccating mummified corpses while some were letting out deafening cries of pain. It was like a horrifying scene straight out of hell.


    Several guys who were madly dashing towards the wall suddenly caught Darren''s eye. The wall they were heading for had a cave and inside it were a dozen panic-stricken young men.


    Just near the edge of the cave about a few meters away from the entrance, there were stone structures with glowing golden runes that acted like some sort of force field preventing the black smoke from reaching the cave.


    Seeing that the cave seemed to be the only safe place to hide, Darren rushed towards it as well.


    ''The black smoke isn''t able to harm me because I somehow have the power to assimilate it. But if the fiends nearby or whatever it is inside the bronze casket were to find me, they would most likely attack me and I would be as good as dead.''


    At that thought, Darren quickened his pace towards the wall.


    In front of him, a group of several people led by Dalton had already reached the cave. Just as they were about to enter, a man who stood guard at the entrance waved his sword, attacking them.


    "Go away!" he said scornfully.


    The power that was released from the sword forced all of the men to stagger backwards into the black smoke, turning them into dried up corpses except Dalton.


    He wielded his blade and withstood the attack. It was evident that he was able to match the man''s power.


    "You''re quite strong,"


    d with a wretched smirk.


    He disappeared from where he was standing and reappeared in front of the man. With just one punch, he sent the man flying out of the cave. The man was instantly wrapped up in a cloud of black smoke and suffered the same fate as everyone else who got devoured by it.


    "Ha-ha! I''m in charge now, got that? Anyone who refuses my order will die!" Dalton smugly declared.


    Now fully aware that Dalton was a ruthless and powerful cultivator, the rest of them did not say one more word against him.


    "Boy, you''re a good runner, aren''t you? You little bastard." Dalton leered at Darren as he walked up to him. "I''m going to make you regret that you''re alive. Kneel before me!" he demanded.


    He then released a strong internal force and proceeded to beat down Darren.


    Gritting his teeth, Darren activated all his internal force to fend off the attack.


    "Kneel down, you piece of shit!" Dalton cried out as he released more pressure into his attack.


    "Screw you!" Darren defiantly said. The internal force flowed violently inside him and materialized into a sword and a blade. The rays of light that came out of them just barely missed Dalton.


    Dalton hissed. "Damn it! It seems like you''re so eager to get yourself killed!" he bellowed, ferocity and fury written all over his face.


    With a wave of his blade, an enormous power came out of it and dashed towards Darren.


    "Rest assured, little bastard, I will not kill you immediately. I''m going to chop you off little by little to make you suffer. First, your arms, and then, your legs..." He roared with laughter, with face twisted in a look of madness.


    Suddenly, Darren felt that the strange ominous power from earlier had returned, surging through his body, threatening to come out. It rapidly swelled up in his meridians and fused with the sword and blade internal force.

 Chapter 46 Transforming To A Fiend

    "Ah!" Darren gave a cry of pain at the sensations claiming his body.


    His insides screamed in agony. It was as if he would burst any second now. When he wielded the sword, the strong sword internal force was released along with it.


    "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Dalton asked him, his tone edging on irritation. When he saw Darren''s pained expression, he thought he was playing some kind of trick.


    He charged at Darren with surefooted speed. A loud, metallic ring burst out when their weapons collided.


    The impact sent a powerful recoil through Darren''s body. Before he knew it, he had crashed into a wall, his back hitting the stone with a powerful thud. The same thing happened to Dalton. Like a kite that had snapped its thread, he flew with the wind- almost being thrown out of the cave.


    He scarcely had time to process his shock. How could it be? Darren was a mere beginner of the Spirit Realm while he himself was at the ninth stage. There was a huge gap between them. He was a master, and Darren was a novice. How was it possible for him to possess such strength?


    "Ow!" Darren cried out again.


    He sensed the black smoke in his energy pathways inflated and spread out.


    The next thing he knew was a stinging pain in his back, accompanied with a series of cracking noises, like the sound of branches snapping. .


    It was then that he realized that his backbones were being broken by the black smoke as it travelled through his body. His face morphed into an expression of agony, magnified by his understanding of what was happening. All of a sudden, several black spikes stabbed out of the flesh of his back. His hands had turned dark in color, like the claws of a fiend.


    His eyes widened in horror as he watched the changes in his body. "What on earth is going on? Is my body transforming?" Darren cried out in both fear and shock.


    Everyone watched with disbelieving eyes as Darren transformed into something of a half human and half demon in front of them.


    Darren felt his consciousness slipping away, and his senses were overtaken with an intense thirst for blood. Murder seemed to be such a delectable concept. He could almost taste the exquisite flavor on his tongue.


    The sight had strewn panic among the onlookers. "Kill him!" a voice shouted, breaking the standstill.


    The cultivators in the cave were all masters of at least the seventh-stage of the Spirit Realm. They rushed forward to kill Darren together.


    "Hissss..." A sound similar to that of the bron


    speed of an arrow.


    "You dare try to escape, fiend?" a voice came from the sky.


    Countless figures appeared in midair all at once. A terrifyingly powerful aura emanated from them.


    "The masters of the Wonder Realm!"


    "We are saved. We are finally saved!"


    "They must have been sent from the Holy Land to kill the fiend."


    The people began to rejoice at the appearance of the Wonder Realm masters.


    The Wonder Realm was a realm only for the greatest. Only the strongest people in the entirety of the continent could reach this realm.


    From the sky, at least a hundred Wonder Realm cultivators rushed forward to the fiend at the same time.


    However, some of them fell down like dead comets the moment they were near the black fiend.


    "Be careful, everyone! Let it go! It is still far too strong," their leader shouted.


    The cultivators stopped their attacks immediately and the fiend quickly vanished to the distant sky.


    "Go kill the other low grade fiends!" their leader ordered. A blinding halo of light formed from the masters of the Wonder Realm. Then, rays flew quickly in all directions.


    "Awwwww!"


    The sound of miserable screams from the fiends filled the air.


    Soon enough, the low grade fiends were all beaten.


    Darren''s consciousness was gradually returning. However, the black spikes on his back seemed not to disappear.


    "This is bad. With such an appearance, I''ll be regarded as a fiend and be killed."


    With this thought, Darren ran hurriedly, trying to look for somewhere to hide.


    But in no time at all, his movements had caught the attention of a Wonder Realm master. A huge palm descended from the sky towards him.

 Chapter 47 Enter The Bronze Coffin

    Darren was surprised to see the huge palm descend from the sky. It was about to crush him to smithereens. He rushed forward, hoping to dodge the attack but it was unlikely due to its tremendous size.


    The mysterious bronze coffin ahead of Darren was his only way to escape the attack.


    In a moment of desperation, Darren rushed into the coffin.


    Bang!


    The palm shadow hit the bronze coffin and bounced off of it, meanwhile the extraordinary warrior who launched the palm attack plummeted and was obviously wounded.


    For Darren, he was immediately confused with the insides of the bronze coffin.


    The world inside seemed broken.


    Countless graves were scattered as far as one could see across the bleak, boundless, and black earth, giving off an old-world atmosphere.


    In front of most graves were gravestones, engraved with ancient golden words.


    A gentle breeze kissed Darren''s face and swayed the weeds. Darren didn''t expect the deathly stillness to show any sign of life.


    "No, something is wrong! They aren''t weeds, they are superior spiritual herbs."


    Darren was dazed. The lowest and humblest weeds were superior spiritual herbs. But there were more weeds with greater vitality than the superior spiritual herbs.


    "My goodness."


    This place was in fact abundant with treasures beyond Darren''s imagination. Urged by his strong inner desire, Darren wanted to pluck those herbs so badly but he couldn''t move an inch as if his feet were tightly bound by the earth.


    "I don''t believe this nonsense!" Blinded by the immense amount of treasures, Darren would by no means let this golden opportunity slip away. He channeled all his internal force to try and lift his leg.


    After moving about half an inch, an overwhelming force pushed Darren onto the ground like a huge mountain was dropped down on him. In a split second, two of his chest bones were gravely fractured by the pressure.


    With great astonishment, he hurriedly withdrew the leg he attempted to lift.


    "That was horrifying! The power could have crushed me into bits if I continued moving!


    Eh, there is a small area with footsteps."


    Darren looked ahead and saw an area about ten meters to his right that had markings of what seemed to be footsteps on the ground. It was a circular area with a radius of about three feet. In front of it was an ancient tomb, its tombstone was engraved with words used among humans.


    "The tomb of the Demon King Andrew."


    Darren read on.


    "I died in this divine coffin when I went


    A splash of blood spurted out of his mouth the instant he began to comprehend the second stage of the demon martial skill. Sudden waves of sharp pain were felt from his elixir field, even the pyramid-shaped black demon core stopped spinning.


    "It must be the consequence of my forcible comprehension of the second stage of the demon martial skill, maybe my ''demon core'' is not powerful enough," Darren muttered, coming to realize the truth.


    After assuming that it was the reason, Darren started going through the first stage again in hopes of absorbing more heaven and earth spiritual energy to strengthen the demon core in his elixir field.


    "Alas, even my Black Degree talent is not capable of absorbing enough spiritual energy to meet the demand of this demon core. It feels like a bottomless pit that can never be filled, all my spiritual energy keeps disappearing without a trace," Darren sighed.


    Several days passed, Darren could only lament over his failure to assimilate the endless "weeds" before him. If only he could pluck some weeds and assimilate!


    Then all of a sudden, Darren covered his face with hands and shouted. "Why am I so stupid? Maybe I can make a few steps forward because my strength has improved a lot from my successful cultivation of the first stage of the demon martial skill!"


    Watching closely the deep footsteps ahead of him, Darren guessed it must have had taken the man who flew out of the coffin a long time of cultivation before he reached the gravestone.


    Next, Darren channeled his internal energy to his feet and tried to move forward, two steps would be more than enough for him to pluck over a hundred superior spiritual herbs.

 Chapter 48 Get Out Of The Coffin

    Gathering his demonic power and internal force altogether, Darren attempted to release his strength to advance.


    As soon as he began to lift his foot, a physical force dawned on him. He barely withstood the force, failing to take a step forward.


    "I made a huge mistake!" he exclaimed to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. ''As I attempted to take a step forward back then, I also felt such heavy pressure on me¡ªeven heavier than this. According to the Nine Changes of the Demon, if I master the first stage, I can become as powerful as a cultivator at the peak stage of the Spirit Realm!


    Even when my strengths are already to the likeness of one at the peak stage of the Spirit Realm, I am unable to move. Perhaps, this world is not that nice to outsiders like me. If I don''t use internal force, I might make it!''


    Too many thoughts were circulating inside his mind. However, Darren still had the energy in him to laugh at the situation.


    After withdrawing his sword and blade internal forces, he raised his foot. Then, he realized that his assumption was indeed right. Slowly now, Darren managed to take a step forward.


    Stopping in his tracks, he decided not to keep going. After he ceased to use his internal force, the pressure on him became lighter. Despite the change, he was still under great pressure. After all, he was not in his own world.


    ''Oh wow, '' he thought to himself. ''There are so many spiritual herbs here!'' Darren allowed his eyes to travel, scanning his surroundings.


    Enthusiastically, he began picking up the spiritual herb that blossomed in a bunch right before him.


    ''The spiritual energy in these is so strong! I can feel it!'' Eagerly, Darren started to assimilate all the energy he could get from the grass.


    Thanks to the assimilation skill that he acquired, he was able to refine the grass quickly. However, there was just one flaw¡ªthe utilization rate of the spiritual energy was quite low. He was only able to absorb one-tenth of the herb''s spiritual energy.


    It didn''t take long for Darren to finish naturalizing about one hundred herbs. After the process, he gained a huge amount of energy. Half of it turned into demonic internal force, while the rest served as the sword and blade internal force.


    He concentrated his mind carefully so that he could sense the energy meridians. To his amazement, the aggressive black demonic internal force was crushing the sword and blade internal forces.


    The two internal forces didn''t just stay still. They, too, squabbled against the demonic internal force.


    ''This can''t be good. These forces are just going to keep on getting stronger. What if they cause my meridians to break?'' he thought to himself, aware of the possibilities that the situation could cause.


    ''Whatever. What''s important is returning to my original human form, '' he thought, reassuring himself.


    Smiling sarcastically at his current circumstance, he looked down on his body that was covered with black spines and scales.


    Without any more hanging back, he began to practice the second stage of Nine Changes of the Demon.


    Naturally, the second stage was more difficult to master compa


    ealized that his surroundings had become brighter.


    Bumping into something soft, Darren opened his eyes at once. As he did so, the sky unfolded before him.


    "I finally got out of that place," Darren told himself, letting out a sigh of relief.


    As he took a glance around him, he realized that he was in the same spot where he disappeared. Those dead cultivators'' bodies had been cleared, but the smell of their blood still lingered in the air.


    All of a sudden, the old bronze coffin started to shake in front of him.


    The golden runes that surrounded it glistened brightly.


    The coffin slowly began to ascend into the air, causing a gust of wind to blow right into Darren''s direction.


    Soon enough, it vanished quickly into the depths of the clouds.


    After the coffin''s disappearance, several unknown figures appeared.


    They were the Wonder Realm experts who were asked to stay there.


    "Brat, what are you doing here?" one of them asked, eyebrows furrowed.


    Beads of sweat formed all over Darren''s forehead. ''I wasn''t able to detect them, which only means they''re very strong, '' he thought.


    "Sir, I''m a disciple of Ilmen Sect. I came here to cultivate but got lost," Darren humbly responded. He showed respect by bowing his head slightly before them.


    "Is that so? I''ve stayed in the same place for days but know what is going on a hundred miles away. How come I never chanced upon you? Care to explain?"


    "I think you''re overreacting. That demon had run away, and other low-level fiends have been slain. Hell, even the coffin had flown away! It''s time to go," another one of them stated.


    "You have a point. That coffin freaked me out. Our Holy Lord came here to check on it but didn''t find anything special or useful about it. It seemed like one of those common coffins."


    One of the Wonder Realm masters turned to Darren''s direction and spoke, "Why are you still here? Get lost. Many people got themselves killed out here only three months ago. You best be careful."


    "Thank you, sir. I will be careful."


    Darren nodded relentlessly as he stepped back to take his leave.

 Chapter 49 Crazy Improvement

    After emerging from the field, Darren did not immediately return to the Ilmen Sect. Instead, he prepared to kill some powerful diabolic beasts to enhance his talent.


    This was the central area of the Barren Wasteland, where there was a larger concentration of diabolic beasts compared to the periphery.


    Darren walked around in search of these beasts. A few steps later, Darren came across a level two diabolic beast.


    It was much more powerful than level nine normal beast. It was rare for a Spirit Realm cultivator at the third or fourth stage to defeat one of these.


    "Aha! How fast this thing runs!"


    The diabolic beast had sensed Darren and could tell that Darren wanted to kill it. So it bolted away immediately.


    Quickly, Darren chased it without hesitation. He mobilized the demonic internal force in his body and hit it with a palm strike, and the level two diabolic beast was killed on the spot.


    "Huh, the power of the demonic internal force is even stronger than the internal force of the sword and blade!"


    Darren said as he looked at the beast''s corpse with great satisfaction. As soon as his activated his mind, a green light floated onto Darren''s head.


    "Well, the skill of this beast was quite strong! The light has even turned into a green color. After I''ve absorbed it, my skill has increased considerably!" Darren beamed, overjoyed.


    But a moment later, he frowned slightly.


    "Oh, no, because I just used the demonic internal force, a small scale has grown on my abdomen!"


    Darren said, realizing this as he examined himself.


    "It seems that I can''t use the demonic internal force at will until I have completely cultivated the second stage of the Nine Changes of the Demon," Darren decided.


    If he used the demonic internal force at will, his body would morph into a demon bit by bit. If he was found by other cultivators, he would definitely be thought as a fiend himself. This would mean constant trouble following him everywhere.


    Darren took the diabolic beast''s cardiac core and absorbed the spiritual energy from it. After that, he wiped off the scale that had emerged on his skin.


    In this way, Darren unconsciously spent a month in the Barren Wasteland killing beasts. In his wake were entire fields of diabolic beast corpses.


    In the dense forest, Darren was absorbing the spiritual energy from a five-level diabolic beast when a brilliant light shone in his eyes. His breath changed greatly and he entered a more calm and restrained state.


    "Up to now, I have absorbed the talent and cardiac cores of at least one hundred low-level diabolic beasts. But now these low-level diabolic beasts can''t help to improve my talent anymore."


    Darren could only feel that everything within three miles was within his scope of exploration, and he did not know how much his talent had grown.


    "Could it be true that my talent has reached the edge of the Earth Degree?" Darren was very excited when he considered this possi


    Flood Dragon was chasing several humans.


    "Brother, Uncle, I''m sorry. It''s all my fault. I shouldn''t have been so obstinate about coming here!"


    A distressed girl collapsed on the ground helplessly.


    "Isn''t that the Governor''s daughter?"


    Darren said, recognition dawning over his face. As the strongest forces in Acqua City, Chu Clan and the Governor often intersected, and Darren had met Alison Yun several times. But she must not have taken him seriously then, for Darren had a reputation for being good-for-nothing.


    ''Well, with my strength, it wouldn''t be a big deal to save her, ''


    Darren thought. Several people were about to die from the beast and so he moved quickly and ran to them.


    "Bang!"


    The Land Flood Dragon had opened its mouth and was just about to swallow up a middle-aged man when an unexpectedly fierce and unparalleled force suddenly emerged and struck it on its solid scales.


    Darren had conquered the beast with a single palm strike.


    The survivors were stunned.


    "Sir, thank you very much for your help!"


    the middle-aged man panted, immediately taking the lead to kneel before him. In his eyes pooled tears of relief.


    "Alison, Dale, kneel down to thank the Master."


    This man''s strength must be so tremendous! To vanquish a level nine diabolic beast with one palm strike was no easy feat!


    Alison Yun and her brother Dale Yun immediately knelt down to thank him. They were too amazed to raise their heads.


    "It doesn''t matter. But you''d better hurry up. That beast won''t give up easily. You should go hide somewhere safe now," Darren said, staring at the Land Flood Dragon who was now growing angrier.


    The three survivors got to their feet in a hurry. But when Alison Yun raised her head, she was hit with a wave of puzzlement.


    ''He''s so young, he''s the same age as me, he looks like... Why do I feel like I''ve met him before? He''s so familiar!


    He is... Da-Darren of the Chu Clan?'' she stammered, her eyes widening.

 Chapter 50 Land Flood Dragon

    Stunned, Alison stared at Darren with wide eyes.


    But the very next second, she shrugged the thought off her head. With a disappointed face, she mused internally, ''No, it can''t be him. Darren entered the Ilmen Sect only half a year ago! It would be impossible for him to reach the Spirit Realm in such a short time and then to dare to fight with a top-level diabolic beast. I have to be mistaking him for someone else!''


    "Alison, what are you doing? Hurry up and find a place to hide. Don''t get him in trouble," the young man reminded the maiden in a daze, wondering why she was taking so long.


    "Got it," Alison replied, snapping back to her senses. Gingerly, she followed her companions with her head down.


    This was like a nightmare for her. She kept regretting in her head, cursing herself. ''My self-will not only cost so many guards their lives but also harmed my uncle and brother...''


    "I''m so sorry, Uncle, Dale; I''m the one to blame for all this," Alison uttered, breaking into a crying fit as the three of them sat down behind a huge rock.


    "Come on, Alison, this isn''t a time to cry. We should just look around and see if we can be of any help to him..." Toby Yun said, comforting her.


    Top-level diabolic beasts were extremely powerful and strong. Even though he knew that the teenager''s battle strength was par excellence, he was afraid he could still get hurt. He watched the fight between him and the beast intently with heart beating nervously. He was on his tip-toes, ready to come in handy if a critical moment occurred. After all, he had reached the sixth stage of the Spirit Realm.


    "He is so young. Perhaps his father is an Elder of a big sect," he said, his eyes fixed on the young boy.


    Toby was an experienced man. He was convinced disciples as talented and young as Darren could only be so strong if they came from big sects.


    "Uncle Toby, I think I''ve seen him before," Alison said uncertainly, finally stopping her sob.


    "Really?" the two exclaimed in surprise, their eyes lighting up.


    "Alison, when and where did you make an acquaintance with such a promising young man?" Dale asked, inwardly pleased.


    "Yes Alison, how did you come to be friends with such a genius? Which sect is he from?"


    Toby asked in confusion, his eyes darting between Alison and the young boy.


    Alison looked at the boy again. With a wry smile, she lowered her head and spoke, "Never mind... I was mistaken."


    "Come on, Alison, tell us his name," Dale persisted. He was keen, for he didn''t want to lose the opportunity of being friends with such a talented lad, even though the chances appeared to be slim.


    Alison hesitated for a moment, and replied, "He looks a lot like Darren from the Chu Clan."


    Dale heaved a sigh as soon as Alison gave out the name. "No, no. It can''t be that guy. I''ve heard rumors about Darren. And even if the rumors are true and his talent has reached the Black Degree, I don''t think h


    on had withstood them.


    The flood dragon now fell abruptly, creating an impact so large that it made Darren collapse as the ground beneath his feet shifted.


    With a sad and painful shriek, the dragon''s form suddenly changed.


    Its body split into nine bodies, each exuding the red, overwhelming glow full of invincible power.


    "What the hell!" Darren was compelled to unleash his divine sense to check if the beast had created an illusion. To his surprise, it hadn''t. ''It really has got nine bodies! And each one of them is supremely strong!'' he thought, stunned at the new discovery.


    Darren got flustered. Clutching his sword and blade tightly, he gathered all his internal force, preparing to land a fatal blow at the beast.


    He exerted the Profound Nine Sword Skills and the Grand Thirteen Blade Skills to the fullest. At that very point, the land and the sky seemed to shake up completely, as if someone held the planet and shook it incessantly.


    The formidable sword''s and blade''s internal forces came at the flood dragon with full rigor. But instead of dodging the attack, it stretched its nine large claws.


    The whole of Barren Wasteland started to tremble! The collision of the two terrifying forces caused an almost hundred meters deep hole in the ground. The dust engulfed the space around them.


    "How is this possible?" Darren felt like he was being crushed under a large mountain, his breath becoming more and more laborious. Meanwhile, his body convulsed in ridiculous pain. He looked at the flood dragon in the chaos and found it dashing at him with five bodies!


    Alison, Dale and Toby too would have been covered in the dust completely if Toby hadn''t gathered his vital energy to protect them.


    "This is not good." Toby''s face changed, seeming to be in a deep worry. "What should we do?" he said. "The young hero is going to get killed," he finished after a pause. His eyes screamed of terror as he gulped down his dry throat.

 Chapter 51 Tobys Request

    Five colossal bodies of the flood dragon dashed swiftly and violently towards Darren.


    Darren groaned inwardly. His ultimate attack that had channeled all his internal force of blade and sword only managed to smash four of its avatars! The diabolic beast had grown impressively more powerful after the transformation.


    Darren found it difficult to breathe under such enormous pressure.


    "It seems that the only possible way to kill the beast is to mobilize my demonic internal force together with my internal force of blade and sword!"


    Just as Darren was about to launch another attack and use up all his strength, several long, plaintive wails echoed through the air. The diabolic beast was transforming again!


    "Oink-oink!"


    The five colossal avatar bodies seemed to be suffering great agony. One avatar opened its large bloody mouth to assimilate the other four. In the blink of an eye, it had swallowed the other four avatars alive! Now, it swelled to several times its original size-- its body lengthened to one hundred meters!


    The shadow of the Death loomed over Darren.


    "What a terrifying skill! It can create nine avatars with each having exactly the same strength of the original one! Astounding! When the nine avatars merge into one, its strength becomes exponentially stronger! This is awfully scary," Darren murmured. His eyes froze and his face grew taut with solemnness.


    This was going to be a do-or-die combat.


    Darren mobilized his pyramidal demonic core from cinnabar field without hesitation and revolved it rapidly. Massive demonic internal force raged powerfully in his body. The internal force of blade and sword surged turbulently at the same time.


    "Ah-ah!"


    Driven to the brink of explosion, Darren was overwhelmed with an uninhibited burst of several combined internal forces.


    "Go to hell!"


    Darren waved his blade and sword upward at a lightning speed, his body channeling the apex of his power. The blade and sword swung so quickly that they produced a phantom effect.


    Tremendous momentum of strength spurted out like an endless flood towards the flood dragon.


    Roaring angrily at this attack, it nose-dived towards Darren. Blood flames burnt all over its inflated body.


    To the observers, Darren''s figure looked rather insignificant and tiny compared with the gigantic flood dragon.


    When the two battling creatures collided, a large amount of blood burst forth. With it came an explosive noise that was almost enough to rouse the dead.


    "How terrifying it is¡­" The three survivors behind the giant rock trembled in terror. They did not expect such a fierce attack coming from someone whom they assumed was dead!


    Cracks spread near the hundred-meter-deep crater. The tremendous forces of Darren and the beast were enough to rip everything nearby to shreds. Heavy smoke billowed straight up into the sky.


    A long while passed, and the three survivors held their breath.


    "I am still alive¡­"


    murmured Darren as he struggled to his feet. He felt sharp, shooting pain from head to toe.


    The giant flood dragon, howeve


    aintain public order of the city. On occasions like the Chu Clan selection, many other clans would attend the ceremony. The Governor''s office usually sent a captain to host the ceremony and preserve order accordingly.


    There were two reasons why Toby invited Darren. Firstly, he did so in order to express his gratitude and friendliness to Darren with a warm reception. Secondly, he could greatly strengthen the Governor''s authority if he could invite such a superior master.


    And of course, another important factor was that Toby feared that he could not convince strong elders from the attending clans.


    Toby''s heart raced wildly when he saw a weird expression come over Darren''s face. How he wished he could slap himself! How dare he make such an unreasonable demand to this man of such a high status? Toby fitfully prayed that he had not offended the master with his careless and insatiable request. Irritating him after he had saved their lives was not his intention at all!


    "Is it the Chu Clan selection?" asked Darren, to Toby''s surprise.


    Toby felt a little relieved. "Yes. It is exactly that. Have you heard about them, master?"


    Alison''s face filled with anticipation upon hearing this response.


    "Ho-ho, I once got well acquainted with a Chu member in the Ilmen Sect. I will go with you to have a look then!"


    When Darren had reached this high stage of cultivation, he had not the slightest inclination of partaking in these so-called selections. The Chief of the Chu Clan was of no interest to him. Nowadays, memories of the humiliations he had received in the Chu Clan seldom crossed his mind. He chose to let bygones be bygones now that he was powerful enough to overpower all the Clan''s members.


    Yet when the middle-aged man invited him to host the selection, Darren felt it might be the time to return to his childhood hometown. He''d never thought of participating in the selection as a candidate though!


    The three rejoiced over Darren''s acceptance of their request. They gathered their belongings, preparing to head to Acqua City.

 Chapter 52 Returning To The Acqua City (Part One)

    While they were on their way to the Acqua City, the three people showed great respect to Darren. Being treated with utmost politeness, Darren felt a little strange. But he knew it was just one of the natural laws: respect is awarded to the best of the best.


    They moved forward as quickly as time flew. Fourteen hours later, they finally caught a glimpse of the dim outline of the Acqua City.


    "Captain Toby, I have something that I must deal with in the Acqua City. Do you mind if I take my leave now and just meet you in the Chu Clan tomorrow?"


    Darren asked after the moment they arrived at the gate of the Acqua City.


    "We are at your disposal," Toby answered politely, "but..." He wanted to say something, but decided to hold it back as he felt some kind of embarrassment.


    Seeing that Toby hesitated in speaking, Darren flashed him a tiny smile and said, "You don''t have to worry, just tell me what you want to say."


    He recalled that when he was a child, he had seen the mighty captain along with the crowd and that he envied his majestic authority. But now the captain had humbled himself in front of him. Mixed emotions stirred up in Darren''s heart.


    Hearing Darren''s words, Toby couldn''t help but feel a bit awkward but he replied with honesty, "Would you mind if I introduce you as the guest of the Governor''s Office in the election campaign? It would definitely bring the Governor''s Office great honor to have you as our guest."


    Darren wasn''t surprised that Toby would put forward a serious matter, but it turned out to be nothing more than a simple request. He agreed without hesitation.


    "Thank you so much. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Sir," Dale gave him his thanks and bade him goodbye


    before he looked at Alison who was rooted t


    e!" Ina begged.


    "Alas! You are really quite a stubborn girl. You have to promise me that after this, you''re going to work hard in your cultivation and would no longer kill anyone else unless you have to, all right?" the old man finally agreed but with a simple request.


    Hearing this, the girl responded sincerely, "All right."


    Their entire conversation was heard by Darren, and the old man also noticed that Darren was eavesdropping. A gleam of sharp light shot out from his eyes, dashing towards Darren with great power.


    "What the...? The light is infused with great spiritual power," Darren murmured to himself while frowning.


    The moment he sensed the great power, he channeled his own spiritual power in preparation for a fight. He shot a counter-attack to guard himself!


    The two forces clashed against each other and it was crystal clear to see which was mightier. The old man''s face turned pale as he stumbled back a few steps. He was obviously at a disadvantage.


    The old man was now aware that he was no match for the young man. A serious look passed over his face. He then made a polite gesture to Darren and apologized, "I''m sorry if I have offended you."

 Chapter 53 Returning To The Acqua City (Part Two)

    "What are you doing, master? Why are you saluting this young fellow?" Seeing her master apologize to the young man, the girl asked out of confusion. She had no idea what just happened.


    Hearing the old man''s apology, Darren favored him with a sneer, "Pay careful attention to your words and actions."


    Upon receiving this warning, the old man''s face flushed with embarrassment. When he perceived the young man eavesdropping on their conversation, he just wanted to intimidate him by showing him his spiritual power. What caught him by surprise was that the youngster''s spiritual power was much stronger than his. He tried to inspect him further to find out his real strength, but he failed. It was really hard to fathom the strength of the youngster. Judging from the power the youngster had displayed, he guessed he was at the fifth stage of the Spirit Realm, but his intuition also told him that his cultivation base should be higher than what he had released.


    The fact that he was completely ignorant of the young man''s cultivation base surprised him a lot. And what surprised him more was that the guy was just in his youth. He was so young but owned a terrific amount of power! The old man reached a final conclusion on the identity of the youngster: he must be a disciple of high status in some great sect. Realizing this, he knew he couldn''t afford to offend someone with such power, so he hastened to apologize to prevent a full blown fight. And now, since the youngster had received his apology and didn''t want any more trouble, he decided to leave quickly.


    So he replied to the girl, "Nothing you should worry about. Come, we must go." After saying that, he once again cast an apologetic look towards Darren. He then walked towards an in


    immediately caught a glimpse of Darren.


    He put on a fake smile and walked towards him, saying, "How are you doing, Darren? You''re just in time. I was just starting to miss you."


    Knowing that what he said dripped with false sentiments, Darren replied without any expression on his face, "Surely. If I had been knocked off by anyone with a single move, I would also miss him very much."


    "You!" Nicholas was not a person who was easily angered, but at this moment, his face turned hot red with rage. Then he shouted at him, "I heard that you had become a wreck when you joined the Ilmen Sect. Do you dare fight me now?"


    Facing Nicholas'' challenge, Darren just shook his head and said calmly, "You? Who do you think you are? Do you really think that you stand a chance against me?"


    Upon finishing his words, Darren walked straight towards his residence.


    "Bro, do you want me to kick his arrogant ass?" said a young man standing beside Nicholas. He didn''t like Darren''s arrogant behavior.


    But Nicholas stopped him and sneered, "That wouldn''t be necessary! If he dares to attend the election tomorrow, I''ll beat him to his knees until he begs for mercy!"

 Chapter 54 Opening Of The Election

    Darren returned to the yard where in his childhood he had had played with his younger sister. The familiar scene and nostalgic memories somehow saddened him.


    He had suffered too much humiliation and affliction here.


    Remembering all this, Darren shook his head. His hatred was no longer as intense as before. It was rather ironic consider how he had amazing strength now.


    He took a deep breath and strode over the threshold. The house was spotless. Someone must have been cleaning it regularly.


    ''Now, I have to think about how I should put into use the Omnipotent Talent Skill I gained from assimilating the diabolic beast, ''


    he thought, recalling that he had obtained the Omnipotent Talent Skill of "Blood Dragon Phantom".


    The descriptions of this talent skill came rushing back as he focused on this matter at hand.


    "What is the Avatar Rule?"


    In his memory, the Avatar Rule that connected heaven to earth was frequently mentioned. Apart from that, many more names of rules were clear in his mind''s eye. These included the Fighting Spirit Rule, Bloodshed Rule, Speed Rule, even Life Rule and Death Rule, but he obtained no description of them.


    "This sort of talent skill requires the involvement of the forces of the nature," he said softly to himself.


    Finally, he managed to pin down the Avatar Rule.


    With this, he began to practice the diabolic beast talent skill according to the methods in his memory.


    "Ah, what happened?"


    The moment he attempted to do this, his head swam with dizziness and everything blurred.


    Before long, everything turned black. He was completely unable to see anything.


    ''Am I blind?'' he thought. He felt severe shooting pains in his eyes.


    The pain didn''t stop Darren''s practicing. Instead, he tried to delve deeper into the descriptions in his mind.


    "Well, I would have become a real blind man if I had stopped just now. I''m connecting the forces of the heaven and earth after all," he muttered.


    Afflicted by extreme pain, Darren began to assimilate the spiritual energy in the heaven and earth. It was akin to assimilating spiritual herbs with his current talent. Fortunately, this huge amount of spiritual energy didn''t turn into blade and sword internal force. Otherwise, all of his energy meridians would be shattered by the fierce collision between opposite blade and sword internal forces.


    As his assimilation process commenced, the pain in his eyes diminished.


    But he felt something go wrong when he opened his eyes.


    He found himself in a silvery-white world that was completely unfamiliar.


    All the objects around him were made from strands of silvery silk threads.


    ''Doe


    dely, earnest pride in his eyes.


    "You are overestimating me, Sir," Darren said in a flat voice, hanging his head a little.


    "Don''t be so humble. Your strength is no less inferior to mine now. Oh, goodness! It''s simply unbelievable!" he said, patting Darren''s shoulder. "I need to prepare for tomorrow''s grand election, have a good rest."


    He left, immensely pleased. "I wonder how the other Elders will react when they witness Darren''s strength. How frightened will they be?".


    Before daybreak the next day, a noisy din began in Chu Clan''s manor.


    Darren got up and came out to the training ground. It was now crampedly crowded with countless people, including many members of visiting clans.


    "I heard every side has invited masters at least at the second stage of the Spirit Realm to compete for this grand election. This is in fact a contest of backers of different sides."


    "Correct, several other major clans in Valmar have also sent their masters here. I think they are going to pick fights, we''d better keep away from them."


    "Why are you so afraid? I heard the Chief Elder has invited some masters from the Governor''s Office to keep peace here. Moreover, the Governor''s Office has invited an extraordinary powerful man to come here to maintain order. Those spectators from other clans dare not act foolishly here!"


    Several young men of the Chu Clan''s collateral line talked about the matter.


    Around two hours later, thousands of people from all entities that had high status and strength had gathered on the Chu Clan''s training ground.


    Darren himself stood motionlessly in an inconspicuous corner. He wondered how the other people would react when Toby from the Governor''s Office introduced him. Yes, him, Darren! He was the extraordinarily powerful man!

 Chapter 55 Its Him

    While Darren was in his quiet reverie, several people appeared on the platform of the training ground. They were elders of the Chu Clan. Besides them, Toby, the Captain from the Governor''s Office, was seated in the middle of the platform.


    "Everyone, silence," one elder announced, gesturing for the crowd to be quiet.


    The noisy din died down quickly.


    "Thank you for coming here. As you know, today we are going to elect our chief. Please allow me to introduce our honored guests. The Elder of the Yun Clan¡ªWill Yun; the coach of the Wen clan¡ªCary Wen...


    Of course, the Captain of Governor''s Office, Toby Yun honors us with his presence."


    After introducing these important guests, the elder announced the rules for the election. "There are three battle rings on the training ground. Anyone from our clan who thinks himself a perfect candidate for the chief can walk onto the stage and receive other people''s challenges. As for our young generation, they can get one helper from their relatives considering their age."


    The rules were simple. The wives of the former chief had invited strong cultivators from their maiden families to assist their children who intended to join the selection.


    For such elections, young people usually went onto the stage first. To avoid exposing their real strength, the powerful cultivators would wait to show up as the election was about to close.


    "I''m Nicholas. Who dares to challenge me?" Nicholas asked, glancing around.


    He was the first to head onto the ring battle. ''If a respectable elder comes onto the field, I will graciously surrender. But if weak young cultivators want to challenge me, I will teach them a lesson, '' he mused.


    "Blake, go teach that guy a lesson."


    "Got it!" Blake replied, springing into action.


    But suddenly, a maiden walked through the crowd, heading towards the field.


    "It turns out the genius of the Chu Clan is a ridiculous clown," she said defiantly, an expression of fierceness on her face.


    "Who are you? How dare you stir up trouble here?" an elder of the Chu Clan shouted at the girl with a stern expression.


    "Good question!" the girl took another step forward and threw a token at him. She nonchalantly replied, "As a part of the Chu Clan, I''m qualified to run for the chief!"


    The elder took the token, and his face changed instantly as he saw the characters on it. Hurriedly, he handed it to the Chief Elder.


    "This is Gavin''s token. He mentioned her and her mother before. She is his illegitimate child," the Chief Elder confirmed, displeasure written all over his face.


    "Even though you have the blood of our clan, you''re not qualified to attend the election. Your mother is an unvirtuous woman and she brought shame on our clan. You have been exiled. Just leave," the Chief Elder said gravely, staring sternly at


    he Chu Clan. She accidentally killed people during the election for chief. Does that have anything to do with the Governor''s Office?"


    "You''re twisting logic!" Toby growled, knowing that the old man had found viable loopholes.


    "Ina, you can continue your business," the elder said to the maiden.


    The girl cracked an evil smile. Pointing at a young man with a high cultivation base, she said coldly, "You, come fight with me."


    The lad at the seventh stage of the Primary Realm stepped back in a panic. Shaking his head, he cried out, "No, no! I didn''t plan on competing for that place!"


    "It''s not up to you," she snorted, and dashed off the stage. She grabbed the young man by the collar and dragged him onto the battle ring. She kicked him onto the floor, then swung her sword and cut his head.


    ''She has gone too far!'' Darren thought.


    With his eyes on the field, he walked slowly to the stage.


    Toby was feeling terribly helpless at the sudden turn of events. But he spotted Darren among the crowd and his face lit up.


    "Old man, don''t be too sure of yourself. My distinguished guest is here. Don''t think you can run away!" Toby said loudly. Having witnessed him slay a diabolic beast with Demonic Blood Skill, he was confident that Darren could easily handle that old man.


    Keeping his eyes on Darren, Toby said respectfully, "Sir, please uphold justice and help the Chu Clan out."


    When the elders heard this, hope rekindled within them. They followed Toby''s gaze immediately, searching for this guest.


    ''Who is he referring to? I don''t see any strong cultivator?'' they pondered, perplexed.


    "You''ve already taught them a lesson. Just stop!" Darren''s distant voice came, surprising all the Chu Clan members.


    "What''s going on? It''s him!" Several elders of the Chu clan exclaimed, looking at each other with amazement. They had certainly never expected him!

 Chapter 56 He Was Not Meek

    Darren''s figure gradually became clearer in the crowd.


    All eyes were on him. The Chu Clan members were confused. Toby had shouted out to call forth "the distinguished guest". Why was he going up there?


    "Captain Toby, the distinguished guest you mentioned..." The Chief Elder sounded shocked.


    "Yes, it is this young man. As long as we have him with us, these criminals cannot escape today." Toby waved his hands wildly. His words revealed his loyal confidence in Darren.


    "Captain Toby, I think you might be mistaken. Are you really referring to that boy who is going up the stage?" another elder asked doubtfully.


    "Ha-ha, I guess it''s understandable that you find it unbelievable. After all, he is so young." Toby smiled lightly, and then he briefly described Darren''s actual strength, which made everyone even more shocked.


    "He saved you from a high-level diabolic beast? And killed it too!?"


    Several elders looked incredulous, their disbelief soon turning into bitter smiles.


    Darren had finally stepped onto the stage. Standing in front of the elders, he greeted them slightly and said, "Nice to see you again, everyone."


    "Darren..." The Chief Elder''s voice trembled slightly, a glimmer of guilt flashing in his eyes. But he did not, for the life of him, have any idea about what to say at this moment.


    "Darren! You''re really Darren!" Alison, who had been standing behind several hosts watching the election, stood out and confirmed the suspicions she''d been having. She ecstatically said, "I thought you looked very similar. It is really you, Darren!"


    Darren nodded to Alison and said, "Miss Yun has a good memory. You still remember a loser like me."


    Alison was stunned upon hearing Darren''s words. Had she offended him in any way before? Made him feel like she looked down on him?


    Alison felt horrified at the possibility that she had offended him. She looked like she was about to cry. "I''m sorry, Sir," she whispered. "I shouldn''t have been so reckless."


    Darren was speechless for a moment. He softly laughed. He didn''t expect her to be so anxious about their past encounters! "Miss Yun, take it easy. I''m just kidding," he said reassuringly.


    Alison looked at Darren''s relaxed expression, quite relieved. She nodded slightly and stepped back.


    On the high platform in the crowd, the old man frowned when he saw Darren. Didn''t he meet the boy in the street yesterday? Did th


    turned her eyes to her master, Xander. Darren sighed and used his internal force to make her leave.


    "Darren, she killed your family members and you let her go? Are you still a Chu Clan member or not?"


    "Darren, you have such powerful strength! I can''t believe you let her go after she did that to the Chu Clan! I despise you no matter how strong you are!"


    "That''s right! If you are afraid of the elder of the Valiance Sect, just admit it! Why pretend to be courageous? Your family members have been slaughtered and you dare not to take revenge?"


    Several warriors from the families of the killed people shouted at Darren loudly. Scattered throughout the crowd came furious booing.


    "Quiet."


    Darren''s calm demeanor was disrupted by their remarks. His eyes gleamed with anger.


    "Now you say you''re my family? Now you say I''m part of the Chu Clan? You stupid fools! You really think I wouldn''t get even with you?"


    With that, he raised his sword and a majestic force burst out. It swiftly struck those who were cursing at him.


    "Ah!"


    Those so-called masters in the Spirit Realm were swiftly injured by Darren''s sword attack.


    "If you say another word, I''ll kill all of you! Understand?"


    Darren sneered. He had stood up to help the Chu Clan because of his nostalgia. But every trace of his sentimentality was now gone. These idiots had actually invoked their so-called brotherhood and family bond to shame him!


    "What the..." Many people who did not understand the situation completely stared speechless at each other. It was just now dawning on them that Darren was not as meek as he seemed.

 Chapter 57 Only One Move (Part One)

    Darren glanced swiftly over the training ground, and found that everyone was watching him with their mouths open in amazement.


    There was a complex expression on the old man''s face. On one hand, he felt embarrassed and disgraced, but on the other, he also felt astonished. He had never expected that Darren would be that strong. He even had the ability to demonstrate such a formidable, compelling internal force with his sword. But while he indeed found Darren''s tremendous strength marvelous, he also felt awful for his disciple who had been beaten by Darren.


    It was his feelings of vengeance over what Darren did to his disciple that compelled him to challenge Darren. He wanted, more than anything to get even with him for what he did. Since his strength was at the ninth stage of the Spirit Realm, which was a much higher stage than Darren''s fifth stage, he thought that Darren defeating him would be out of the question.


    Having made up his mind, he stepped forward. "Young man, the sword skill you have just demonstrated is indeed marvelous and impressive. I am really impressed, and I want to know if my strength can be comparable to yours. I am wondering if you will be willing to engage in combat against me?" he proposed.


    "It was just a simple trick, and not a big deal. You don''t have to take it seriously." Daren waved his hand dismissively, refusing the old man''s proposition. He knew something else was up.


    The old man smiled and shook his head, not ready to give up just yet. "Don''t worry! Since my stage is much higher than yours, you can rest assured that I will suppress my strength to match yours so we can have a fair fight. I''m really not one to bully someone who has less experience than I do. What do you think?" he asked.


    The minute the old man''s words escaped, the crowd let out a deafening roar.


    "So, he''s at the fifth stage of the Spirit Realm, huh? Who even said that he was ruined? Where did that even come from?" one observer asked.


    "Well, as we all can see, it truly is nothing but a rumor. We have witnessed just now how proficient he is in his sword skill. Maybe he is even the one who spread the rumor so we will all be surprised today," another one said.


    "Actually, it seems like the Valiance Sect elder is not only afraid of him because of his strength, but also because he is a disciple of the Ilmen Sect.


    I didn''t think that th


    oposing a full fight? Is he really aware of whom he is provoking? The Valiance Sect elder is not someone he should underestimate," one of the three wounded elders of the Chu Clan commented. The other two nodded their heads in agreement with him.


    They were not the only people who had doubts about Darren''s strength. In people''s opinion, Darren already had one foot in the grave as his stage was far lower than the elder''s stage. More than that, he had just achieved the fifth stage not so long ago, so going against the elder who had far more experience than he did in a fight seemed like a futile exercise or more like a suicide act for Darren. It was only Darren''s resolute eyes and decisive manner that gave them the impression that there might be hope somewhere. Besides, none of them had ever seen Darren cheat anyone.


    While everyone in the crowd was gauging Darren''s strength, a voice called out from the direction of the Chu Clan crowd, "There is absolutely nothing to worry about! I have seen Darren''s strength for myself. If Gavin were alive, he would not be on par with him in strength." The voice caught everyone by surprise. Everyone turned their heads to see who had made such a shocking comment. In an instant, they realized that it was Toby. Unlike the others present, he had absolute confidence in Darren winning over the elder. Darren''s magical performance last time had impressed him so much that the only way he could describe Darren''s strength was by comparing it with Gavin''s as he was well-known by everyone for his otherworldly strength and honorable reputation.

 Chapter 58 Only One Move (Part Two)

    The clamor grew louder upon hearing this. Everyone was well aware that Gavin was also at the ninth stage of the Spirit Realm before he died. While most of the people were exchanging opinions of doubt and suspicion about Toby''s words, others showed conviction and believed him.


    As a captain in the Governor''s Office, Toby had always been known to be true to his reputation for honesty. He had never exaggerated anything, and his noble character also explained why he always spoke with authority among the people.


    The Chu Clan elders who knew Toby''s personality very well now began to show a sign of relief and started to hope that Darren could eliminate the Valiance Sect elder for them.


    As more people started to root for Darren, the Valiance Sect elder began to regret his decision. From the beginning, he had an intuition that Darren was a competent opponent. It was his haunting curiosity that urged him to challenge Darren to find out exactly how strong he was.


    Despite his hesitations, there was no turning back now. Since he had already put forward his proposition and Darren had already accepted his challenge, he had no choice but to wait for the fighting time to come. Although at the beginning, he had the ulterior motive of mocking and taunting Darren for his decision, from the bottom of his heart, he was actually in fear that he might be humiliated and consequently ruined the reputation of his own sect.


    In order to fully gauge Darren''s capability, he secretly shot out his spiritual power towards Darren. And this time, he released all of it without any reservation.


    Darren sensed the coming of the spiritual power at once. However, he did not budge and merely waited for it to arrive. Within a second, the spiritual power shot into his head like a sharp, piercing needle.


    Undeterred, Darren sneered contemptuously at the elder. The spiritual power the elder had sent him was no match for the one that the fiend had charged at him after it flew out of the bronze coffin. Even then, the mysterious power in Darren''s head was s


    rren.


    As the spear was let out, it breathed out chilly, piercing winds and headed straight towards Darren. The moment the spear and the sword light met in the air, a ghastly, shrill sound came and vibrated throughout the entire training ground. Everyone who was there could only watch the fight with their mouths agape in amazement.


    However, in terms of strength, the elder''s vital energy was no match for Darren''s blade and sword internal force. Within a moment, the sword light energized by Darren''s blade and sword internal force defeated the spear that was being propelled by the elder''s vital energy. The sword light cut through the spear and continued straight towards the elder at full force as if nothing had stood in its way.


    In a second, the sword light pierced the elder''s chest and emerged from his back, cutting his body into a thousand pieces.


    "How can this be possible? This can''t be! I cannot believe it!" the elder''s disciple cried out. She did not ever expect that this would happen, and so seeing what had happened to her master devastated and terrorized her entirely.


    "My master is at the ninth stage of the Spirit Realm... That guy is only at the fifth. There is no way he could be defeated..." she stammered. She was so panicked and terrified that she barely noticed that blood was trickling down her lip from her biting it too hard.

 Chapter 59 He Was So Untouchable

    Everyone turned their eyes to Darren. Suddenly, most of them realized that this young man was quite invincible as far as they were concerned. They began to see him like a powerful hero from a legend.


    "Clap! Clap! Clap!"


    Loud applause burst out from the crowd. Not having seen anything like his strength in a long time, they were excited.


    "Wonderful! He is an outstanding member of our Chu Clan!" The guard of the Martial Skill Library also clapped his hands, proudly speaking highly of Darren.


    On the main platform, the Elders of the Chu Clan were exchanging pleased expressions. But all of them inwardly felt regretful that they had looked down on this young genius.


    The most surprised looks were from the visiting clans. Darren was at such a tender age, but already had such outstanding strength. He was on par with or even better than the top members of the other clans in Valmar. In this way, the Chu Clan had really become the number one clan in Valmar!


    "Ina, let''s go. We will never return to the Chu Clan from now on," the Elder of the Valiance Sect said to the girl with a sigh.


    She had been in a stunned daze ever since the fighting ended and now was brought back to reality by the old man''s voice. Looking at his pale face, she felt her stomach twist in knots.


    She had always thought that she was the most talented one and her master was unbeatable. But the young man in front of her had defeated her master so easily! He was too powerful! She stood no match against him!


    "Okay," the girl nodded, a bitter smile plastered onto her lips. She had been dealt a rather heavy blow by this young man.


    "Do you want to go?" a member of the Chu Clan stood out of the crowd and asked. "How dare you leave after you committed such violence in our Chu Clan?"


    Confident that Darren would protect them and the old man had been hurt, some members of the Chu Clan began to act aggressively again.


    "Who are you!? Why didn''t you stand up a moment ago?" Ina said, staring him down.


    The source of the bold voice backed down instantly at her piercing gaze.


    "Stop!" Someone blocked their way.


    It was Darren! The girl and the old man both stiffened and stood in place, not daring to take a single step forward.


    "Mr. Darren, don''t let them go. All people who have killed members of our Chu Clan must die!"


    "That''s right! Did you really think you could come and go freely in the presence of Mr. Darren?"


    Some other members beside the platform started to laugh and jeer.


    "Shut your mouths!" Darren shouted with a look of irritation. He quickly leaped to the noisy arrogant men who had shouted just now and slapped them square on their faces. What he hated most were these kinds of bad guys who stirred up unnecessary trouble.


    Hearing Darren''s words, the old man and the girl turned around. At that moment, the old man r


    d said, "Uncle Reed, your wallet... seems to be on the ground."


    With this, Darren turned around, only hearing the laughter behind him.


    Reed looked down on the ground. His wallet was actually there!


    ''Shit! How humiliating! I better hide myself from the others...'' Reed was wholly embarrassed, his face flushing a beet red.


    Darren''s elder uncle felt relieved a little bit. ''Darren seems not to want to make trouble for me. He really has a big heart. This is what a powerful man is like! In his eyes, I am nobody!'' Darren''s elder uncle also felt bad, as if Darren had given him a slap in front of other people.


    As he prepared to leave the Chu Clan, Darren turned back and glanced at the house where he grew up again. He would probably never enter that familiar structure again. Since he had decided to leave this place forever, what happened here would be gone with the wind. He would sever all ties with this place and its people.


    "Giddy up!" Darren cracked the whip and urged his horse onwards. He was leaving for the Ilmen Sect soon.


    "Darren, please wait!" Toby''s voice shouted from behind.


    Darren stopped and turned around to see that Toby was running up to him.


    "Darren, I have some secret information here that I think I need to tell you," Toby said, panting.


    "What is it?" Darren asked, furrowing his brow.


    "It is about your father''s murder. The Governor''s Office has some clues now after we did some investigations. Do you want to know about it?" Toby said, taking out a yellow file from his pocket.


    "Darren, the murderer has an impressive background. I just want you to know who it is. Please do not want to take revenge now. And I hope you don''t blame the Governor''s Office. I''m very sorry to say that we are not strong enough to defeat him," Toby said pleadingly, worry in his eyes.


    "What kind of background?" Darren asked quietly, eager to know who it was.

 Chapter 60 Some Things Are Inevitable

    Toby handed the file to Darren. As the latter opened it and read the contents, his features broke into a serious expression.


    "What is the thunder internal force?" Darren asked.


    The file mentioned that an aggressive thunder internal force was found at Gavin''s wound after his head had been cut off.


    "When it comes to the thunder internal force, there''s nothing we can do. We can''t investigate further. Even the royal family doesn''t dare to get involved with it," Toby replied, his eyebrows knitted together.


    "Sir, I don''t understand. Can you tell me why?" Darren inquired, perplexed by the older man''s words.


    "To tell you the truth, only the masters from the Holy Lands of martial arts can refine the thunder internal force. I just don''t get it. How did Gavin get himself killed by a master from the Holy Land?"


    Even Darren had no idea why his father would have been murdered.


    "Well, I need to get back to the Governor''s Office. I hope you will not dig into it further. Nothing good will come out of it," Toby said with cupped fists and walked away.


    "Holy Land..." Darren repeated to himself. It suddenly occurred to him that his sister had been taken away by a person from a Holy Land of martial arts. The girl who had taken Belle with her was from the Lotus Holy Land.


    "Where are the Holy Lands of martial arts?" Darren murmured. He decided he would go to the Lotus Holy Land even if it turned out the place had nothing to do with his father''s death and sister''s disappearance.


    But he had little information about where the Lotus Holy Land was. Therefore he had to delay his plans to get to the Holy Land until he could gather more information. He shook off these thoughts, and without hesitation, he turned his horse towards Ilmen Sect.


    ...


    As he was halfway to his destination, a great wind blew across the mountains causing leaves to fly in the air in a star-like pattern.


    Darren drew in the reins, bringing his horse to a stop. He activated his divine sense to scan his surroundings. After a few seconds, he sensed several people on a mountain peak not far from him. Each exuded an enormously strong aura.


    "They all are as strong as the elders of Ilmen Sect!" Darren exclaimed in shock as he felt their presence. Wasting no time at all, he held his breath and hid in the bush, hoping he could avoid being noticed.


    Soon after, those masters landed a hundred meters away from Darren.


    "Can''t you keep a low profile? Why did you have to make a scene?" one complained. The group consisted of five people, and each carried a shining blade on their back. The aura emanating from them made Darren shiver with fear.


    More importantly, they looked like they were in their early thirties, a young age for auras to be so great.


    ''Who are these people? How did they acquire such formidable power at such a young age? They must have reached the sixth or seventh stage of the Mysterious Realm!'' Darren thought to himself


    forehead as he took in the figure.


    Terror took over the faces of the others as well. ''Who is this boy? He is way too strong, '' they thought.


    Staring at Darren''s back, Elsa was astonished yet deeply intrigued. As far as she could remember, only Cody possessed such power among all the young disciples of the School of Sword Skill. But she could tell by his back that the person standing before her was just a teenager. ''It can''t be Cody. Who is he?'' she wondered, echoing the thoughts of the bullies but tinted with an opposite emotion.


    "Are you all right, Elsa?" Darren inquired as he turned around.


    "It''s you, D-Darren."


    The typical cold and indifferent expression on her face disappeared. Her voice carried a dash of delight and resounding surprise.


    It had never occurred to her that Darren would have come to her rescue. ''I heard that he went to the Barren Wasteland and was eaten by a fiend. How is that he''s still alive?


    And not only alive. He seems stronger, much stronger. He defeated a cultivator at the fourth stage of the Spirit Realm with one move. What''s going on?'' Elsa was overwhelmed by questions.


    But when she saw the simple, innocent smile on Darren''s face, she was overjoyed and relieved.


    "It''s really you, Darren. I''m so glad to see you come back safe and sound," Elsa said, smiling.


    "Brat, you''d better stay out of this, or we, the disciples of the School of Blade Skill will not spare you," one of the bullies warned. Although they were wary of Darren''s strength, they weren''t afraid of him. After all, they worked for Dalton, and they were certain no one dared to stand up to him.


    "Get lost!"


    With a shout, Darren stretched out his hand and opened his palm at the men. Internal force exploded from his palm and shot toward disciples of the School of Blade Skill. A moment later, they were blown into the air, blood spilling from their mouths as they dropped back to the ground.


    Elsa was stunned at the scene.

 Chapter 61 The Black Cliff Of Sword Intent

    Elsa was startled by Darren''s strength. It was completely beyond what she could have imagined.


    "Darren, how could you..." she stammered, still grasping with the reality of the situation. "How could you become so powerful?" Elsa''s eyes were wide open with astonishment and perhaps even admiration.


    "Elsa, let''s find a place to have a conversation," Darren said calmly. "I also have some questions for you." He was not surprised at Elsa''s shocked expression as she watched him.


    "Sure." Elsa responded. She kept her eyes at Darren as if she was looking at a god that had just flown down from heaven.


    They walked slowly and sat down in a relatively quiet place where no one would bother them.


    "Darren, you surprise me. Normally, you would have been seriously injured by now with your training. You were supposed to discontinue cultivating once you ate those seeds. However, you have grown stronger. Have you found some kind of counterbalancing method?"


    Elsa continued without waiting for an answer, "Not to mention, those disciples rescued by a master of Wonder Realm in the Barren Wasteland said that you were killed by a fiend. How did you manage to escape safely?"


    Elsa looked at Darren eye-to-eye. Somehow Darren was mysterious to her. Where did his power come from?


    "Those two seeds injured my meridians. But as for the reasons why my strength improved..." Darren paused. He was unwilling to say more, for he could not afford to disclose his secret to anyone.


    "I understand," Elsa said and did not push him for the answer. "You must have travelled your own journey. But the blade intent seed and the sword intent seed are still threatening your life, aren''t they?"


    "Maybe." It was challenging to explain everything explicitly. There were many reasons for this, not least of which was the need to keep his secret safe. So Darren chose to give an answer that would sound believable.


    "They like to talk irresponsibly when it comes to fiend killings," Darren said. "I also managed to escape from the fiend''s cave with the help of a master of Wonder Realm. Then I returned home to heal myself. That''s why I returned to Ilmen Sect late." He watched her, checking to see if she would accept his lie. He would not tell the truth about his fiend feature, his transformation and the bronz


    e sword with the size of fingernail lay in the case.


    Darren felt a strange power moving across his body the moment the case opened. The internal force of sword in his meridians responded and raced wildly.


    "It''s strange. I feel a strong force of the sword skill." Darren could not restrain himself.


    "Yes, that is the force of the sword intent. It is the supreme evolution of the sword skill," Elsa explained. "The inheritance test of the Black Cliff of Sword Intent is related to sword intent."


    "The inheritance test of the Black Cliff of Sword Intent... What exactly does it entail?" asked Darren.


    "Ho-ho." Elsa shook her head and smiled bitterly, clearly remembering her tragic experience at the cliff. "It is dangerous. I would rather you didn''t know about it. Let us talk about something else.


    I thought it was a treasure. But look at what it has brought me." Elsa stared at the sword piece with an intensive hatred in her eyes.


    Darren, however, was eager to hear more about the Black Cliff of Sword Intent. His instincts told him he needed to know more. He wanted to pursue his question. But then he felt two strong powers approaching.


    "Who is there?" Darren exclaimed loudly.


    "Ha-ha. So it is you, little bastard. What treasure are you two talking about? Turn it over to me immediately or face the consequences."


    A figure stepped slowly into the moonlight. It was none other than Dalton, the son of Elder Alan of the School of Blade Skill. Dalton was one of the few foes Darren had engraved in his mind.

 Chapter 62 Heavy Murderous Intent

    Dalton''s eyes narrowed as he recognized Darren. He walked forward, approaching Darren and Elsa.


    "Bastard, you''re damn lucky. I can''t believe you''re still alive," Dalton said, as his pupils turned black and heavy murderous intent radiated from them. "But it''s alright. I''ll solve that problem right now."


    "Dalton! Who do you think you are? If you kill him in the sect, your father won''t even be able to protect you from punishment!"


    Elsa stared at Dalton coldly and stood beside Darren.


    Elsa''s words were true. The official rule dictated that the disciples of Ilmen Sect were forbidden to kill each other. However, if they both voluntarily agreed to battle in the Life and Death Valley, an outcome of death was permitted.


    "Hmph. Elsa, you''re only right if I leave behind a witness. But I won''t be punished if I kill you as well. It''s midnight, but you are still with him. Everyone will think you two have an intimate relationship. If I kill you, I''ll be fine. Don''t you know this bastard''s identity?" Instead of feeling threatened by Elsa''s words, Dalton became enraged.


    "Identity? What slanderous suggestion are you making? He''s a disciple, what else could he be?" Elsa believed that Dalton was trying to come up with an excuse to kill Darren.


    Darren had already discerned what Dalton was going to say next. That day in the Barren Wasteland, Dalton had seen Darren''s body take on fiendish characteristics, so he would use the excuse that Darren had turned into a fiend to kill him publicly.


    As Darren had the very thought, Dalton stepped forward and said, "This bastard, he transformed into a fi..."


    Before he could finish his words, Darren made his move to seal Dalton''s mouth.


    Why did he attack so hastily?


    Because Darren had already sensed a stronger aura coming from the figure hidden in the distance behind Dalton.


    If Dalton had been alone, Darren was confident he could kill him with his strength and not worry about his secret from getting out. Worst case scenario, he''d have to swear Elsa to secrecy. But the figure behind Dalton was hiding his presence and his strength was far more powerful than Darren''s.


    If he couldn''t kill the stronger martial artist, the news that he had transformed into a fiend would spread through the sect. Then it would attract the attention of superior martial artists to investigate whether the news was real. If they discovered he had made the transformation, he would undoubtedly be killed as a fiend.


    Therefore, just as Dalton was about to blurt out that fact, Darren made the first move to prevent the truth from leaving his mind. He collected his internal energy and sent it out at Dalton with a single thrust of the palm.


    Dalton blocked the attack easily, but Darren succeeded in his goal. Dalton did not finish his sentence. "How dare you attack me!" he said.


    ton stepped up to Elsa. Knowing that Darren would be watching, he began to imagine how exciting and enjoyable it would be as he took advantage of her.


    "Kneel before me!" Dalton reached out his hand and pushed Elsa''s shoulder, forcing her to kneel.


    Elsa struggled desperately against his weight, however, she couldn''t even move a finger. ''Is there no way for me to stop him?'' Elsa thought desperately.


    Darren''s face had become an emotionless mask. As Dalton pushed Elsa''s head down to his crotch, a vortex whirled under Darren''s feet, and his internal force boiled at his pores, desperate to be let out.


    "I''ll make you feel hopeless!"


    Darren''s cold voice resounded as his internal force flooded forward.


    "Oh?" Dalton sensed the danger and retreated quickly while he cut and unleashed illusory shadows of the blade.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    In the wake of the explosive clashes, Darren retreated and grabbed Elsa''s hand as he passed her. He picked her up and darted away.


    "Darren, this is the wrong way. We''re running out of the Ilmen Sect." As soon as Elsa recovered from the hopelessness and disgust of Dalton''s actions, her heart became anxious as she realized Darren was taking her in the direction opposite to the Ilmen Sect.


    "Trust me. I know what I''m doing," Darren said coldly because he still tasted hatred for Dalton.


    Now he was determined to kill Dalton, but it was too risky to kill Dalton within the Ilmen Sect. What was worse, the figure lurking in the shadows still had not revealed itself.


    "Bastard, you want to run away?" Dalton called out in rage. He executed his vital energy to its best advantage chasing after them.


    "Come on and chase me. When you catch up, I''ll make you regret being born to this world!" Darren said with a curled smile.


    The mysterious figure flashed out of the darkness and followed after them under the silver moonlight.

 Chapter 63 Fighting Against Dalton

    Before long, Darren and Elsa were out of the Ilmen Sect''s area and rushed into a strange forest.


    Following closely behind them was Dalton. He cut down every thick tree that stood in his way as easily as one would cut grass.


    "Damn it! The bastard runs too fast¡­" he couldn''t help cursing.


    No matter how hard Dalton tried to catch up, Darren was always hundreds of meters ahead of him. ''Did the asshole have some kind of lightness training? How the hell can he run so fast dragging a girl who just barely reached the Primary Realm?'' he wondered in frustration.


    In the meantime, another man followed behind them, as quietly and swiftly as a shadow, keeping a certain distance from them all the while.


    ''It seems that Darren is leading Dalton that way on purpose, '' the man thought. Having found something rather strange, he was waiting for something exciting to unfold.


    Even after chasing Darren for quite a while, Dalton was still a long way behind. Burning with fury, he ended up summoning all his vital energy, dashing through the forest as fast as possible, knocking tree after tree down in his wake.


    Finally, having spent much of his vital energy, he began approaching Darren.


    But the chased wasn''t in any panic¡ªhe merely continued running forward, dragging Elsa along.


    ''Go ahead! The closer you get to me, the sooner you''ll meet your end, '' Darren thought with a malicious smile.


    "Darren, you''re too fast! I can barely keep my eyes open," Elsa said, taken aback by his speed. Being pulled forward by Darren, she felt as if her heels were flying off the ground.


    "Don''t worry, Elsa. We''ll make our stop soon," he calmly said as if he were taking a walk in the park, not running for his life.


    Seeing the confident smile on his lips, Elsa couldn''t help but stare at him curiously¡ªit didn''t seem like he had any sense of the danger and trouble around him. ''Has he found some way to get rid of Dalton? Or maybe¡­ he''s just not afraid of him at all?'' she wondered.


    It seemed that Dalton was closing in on them, as the distance between them having been shortened to about several dozen feet.


    "Go to hell!" With a wave of his blade, Dalton made a stroke of vital energy fly toward Darren.


    The latter easily dodged the attack with quick reflexes¡ªthe vital energy wasn''t even close to touching him.


    "Dam


    kill this guy in one move."


    A snort was all Jerome offered in response. Having reached the Mysterious Realm, he could sense that there was a powerful vital energy fluctuation in Darren''s body, so he didn''t believe what Dalton said. Without saying another word, he crossed his arms and watched with much interest.


    "Have a taste of my new skill! Wildish Dragon Blade! Chop!"


    Suddenly, Dalton was surrounded by powerful vital energy. He used his most powerful skill, trying to take Darren out in one move.


    "Darren, watch out!" Elsa couldn''t help but cry out.


    Her face turned pale in shock¡ªthe attack was so powerful that she doubted Darren would be able to dodge it, regardless of how strong he was.


    To her surprise, Darren didn''t even need to dodge it. After gently pushing her out of the way, he waved his sword toward his opponent.


    ''Wow¡­ very few people in the Spirit Realm can resist Dalton''s attacks, '' Jerome thought in surprise.


    Despite being only eighteen years old, Dalton had already reached such a high cultivation level¡ªJerome could already tell that he would become his powerful rival in the future once the boy made it to the Mysterious Realm.


    But in a single moment, he realized he was wrong.


    ''How could the swordsmanship be that powerful?'' It was astonishing, to say the least, when Jerome saw the countless sword shadows in the air, emanating overwhelming force.


    With such a sight in front of him, Jerome realized that the man, even younger than Dalton, would become the most powerful person of the Spirit Realm.

 Chapter 64 The Shocking Strength

    Jerome was shocked when Darren brandished the sword. He sensed a significant threat to himself.


    Darren used the first eight skills of the Profound Nine Sword Skills, all at once, smoothly and perfectly. When in a rage, he had sudden enlightenment regarding the ninth skill.


    The Profound Nine Sword Skills was a superior martial arts manual¡ªevery one of its first eight skills was already very powerful combined with the internal force of the sword. However, after they were perfectly combined, the power became overwhelming. Just as Jerome had said, Darren would become the most powerful warrior of the Spirit Realm. Hardly could anybody in the same realm win against him.


    In this situation, Darren only showed part of his strength. He used the sword instead of simultaneously using the sword and the saber. Had he used both weapons along with the superior martial arts skills, his power would be unimaginable.


    However, that was not all the power Darren had. His ace was the use of the demonic internal force, which was more powerful than the internal force of the sword and the saber. What was more, after transforming into a demonic mode, his body would become extraordinarily strong. Nevertheless, he would never use it unless he was facing a death threat. This was Darren''s life-saving recourse.


    Darren was already that powerful at the fifth stage of the Spirit Realm. If he reached the ninth stage of the Spirit Realm, he might not lose in a battle with a cultivator at the early stages of the Mysterious Realm.


    It was well known that it was hard to challenge a cultivator at the higher stages of your realm, and it was almost impossible to challenge anyone at a higher realm. In the history of Doriath and among all the sects, there was no such case where a cultivator at the Spirit Realm had challenged or defeated a cultivator at the Mysterious Realm.


    No matter how strong Darren was or how many cards he had in his hand, it was impossible for him to challenge or defeat a cultivator at the Mysterious Realm. After all, he was only at the fifth stage of the Spirit Realm.


    Owing to the massive power gaps between realms, Dalton, who was at the ninth stage of the Spirit Realm, was afraid of Jerome.


    In the blink of an eye, Darren approached Dalton while brandishing the sword with strong power.


    The force of Dalton''s saber could not be overlooked, considering his unique skills. The sword and the saber collided at an insane speed, which shook the barren mountain violently, like an earthquake.


    "What a perfect sword skill!" Although both Elsa''s strength and talent had diminished, she still had a good knowledge of sword skills. She was shocked by Darren''s sword skills. "How can he be so strong?"


    Dalton could hardly resist the internal force of Darren''s sword, and he was forced to step back quickly. It seemed


    eeling. Enjoy it!" Darren said coldly and indifferently.


    "Well done, boy!"


    said Jerome, as he walked toward Darren, clapping. "You surprised me. I never thought that you would be so good. I judged you incorrectly before."


    Uttering these words, Jerome''s figure flashed and then approached Darren.


    When everything calmed down, Elsa ran back to see what was going on. When she saw that Darren was safe and sound, she was so happy that she almost burst into tears. But, soon after, she frowned and became worried again. She thought, ''Dalton can''t survive this, but what about Jerome? What should I do?''


    "Jerome, Dalton is a ruthless and shameless guy. Thank you for everything that you have done. Without you, he might have killed us. I''ll report this to my father when I return to our sect, and I''m sure he will visit and express his gratitude to you," said Elsa. She was trying to probe for Jerome''s real intentions.


    "Ha-ha-ha¡­" Jerome suddenly burst into laughter and said, "Elsa, don''t be so naive. Do you really think that I will let Darren go? How can you be so ignorant?


    Even if I spare his life, do you think he will survive when he returns to the sect? I''m sure that Alan, that bastard, will tear him to pieces. He is doomed. If I kill him, at least I can try to make it fast and less painful. Clear?" Jerome chuckled, as he reached out and patted Darren''s face.


    "So, are you telling me that only one of us will leave here alive?" Darren questioned as he quickly put some distance between himself and Jerome. An overwhelming killing intention emerged in Darren''s eyes.


    ¡­


    Miles away, Alan was drinking cheerfully with an old man in a palace. All of a sudden, his face paled, and a stream of blood spurted from his mouth. He stood, stumbling and wavering.


    "My son¡­ My son was killed¡­ Who killed my son?"


    Alan wailed. His grief drove him to the edge of insanity.

 Chapter 65 The Cliff

    In this wilderness, the situation was severe¡ªthe two dangerous forces were surging furiously.


    Elsa''s face turned pale. She knew that Jerome was close to killing someone and it was impossible to prevent him from doing so.


    Just when Jerome and Darren were at a stalemate, Elsa moved toward Dalton to pick up the divine sword fragment¡ªshe had a plan.


    Suddenly, a burst of violent wind emerged and Jerome''s release of vital energy imposed tremendous pressure on his opponent.


    With that, Darren felt suppression in his chest, a sense of something almost unbearable.


    "The strength of Mysterious Realm is too powerful¡­" In shock, Darren thought, ''All I can do is to use demonic internal force. But it''s still impossible to kill someone who has reached the Mysterious Realm with just that.''


    At this moment, Jerome made a move¡ªan ancient bow was open in his hand, ready to shoot the arrow.


    As he drew the bow, an arrow with vital energy and white light shot out.


    A powerful force came with the arrow, its speed was incomparable. Darren could avoid the arrow by any means.


    Darren waved his blade and sword, and a majestic internal force came out. After a roar, the arrow dimmed a bit, but its power was still unbeatable.


    The arrow seemed to be more powerful than he imagined¡ªthe idea scared him.


    Schhwaff!


    Seeing the arrow approaching, Darren gathered all his internal force only to move a small step.


    Even with that, the arrow easily penetrated his left shoulder. As it pierced his flesh, it exploded with vital energy, leaving a gaping hole in his body.


    "Do you see my power, now? Killing you would be as simple as slaughtering a dog!" Seeing Darren become a mere duckling in his eyes, Jerome turned rather complacent.


    "Cut the crap. Kill me if you''re really powerful enough!" In spite of the tremendous pain in his left shoulder, Darren forced himself to stand proud in the wind, shrugging off any sign of weakness.


    "Alright, well, if that''s the case¡­


    You''ll die like Dalton, very miserable," Jerome explained, shooting three ancient arrows. They flew so fast that the sharp sound penetrated the wind as if the arrows were cutting through the sky¡ªit was astonishing.


    Standing still, Darren''s pyramidal demon core in his body began to work. A stock of demonic internal force started to gather in passages throu


    his hand and the fragment containing sword intent fell into his hand.


    "Inject blood essence into it, Darren. Hurry!" Elsa urged anxiously.


    Though he didn''t know why she asked him to do so, he tried it. Immediately, Darren made the blood essence rush from his heart to spurt onto the fragment.


    Light flashed from it and a strange scene appeared in the night sky.


    It was a precipice shooting straight into the thick clouds. The three sides were an endless black wilderness. The demonic monsters, standing thousands of feet in height were suddenly everywhere, and the power that shook heaven and earth was now rampant.


    There was a descendant of the dragon, thousands of feet long¡­


    An ancient monster stood alongside it, as huge as a mountain¡­


    Even the descendant of the Fire Kylin appeared.


    These descendants of ancient legendary beasts were powerful and formidable demonic monsters.


    At that moment, the figure of a young man stepped out. As he quietly waved his sword, the demonic monsters fled, some of them suddenly trembling and shivering.


    In the distance, seeing this scene, Jerome was too scared to even retreat, as if the appalling power was too close, forcing him to kneel.


    The peerless arrow he shot was on its way to kill Darren and Elsa.


    But at that very moment, another miracle unfolded.


    In the endless illusion, a massive hand pierced through the void, grabbing Darren and Elsa, and vanished.


    "Welcome to accept the assessment of Sword Intent Cliff!" A godlike voice coming from the heavens roared in Darren''s mind.

 Chapter 66 Start To Understand Sword Intent

    Looking around, Darren exclaimed in surprise, "Where are we?"


    He also noticed that the wounds on his body disappeared and he was back to his original human form.


    In front of him was a cliff. Behind him was a vast wasteland where a great number of huge living creatures strolled and where fights took place occasionally.


    ''I have only read about these things in books about the ancient world, '' he thought with astonishment.


    "Darren, this is the Black Cliff of Sword Intent. I have been here before," Elsa introduced, a trace of terror flashing in her eyes. It had never crossed her mind that she would return to the place where her nightmare began.


    Darren nodded then said in a surprised tone, "I''m guessing this is an independent space. The images in the distance look so real."


    "You think those are illusions, don''t you? But the truth is they are all real."


    Her words left Darren dumbfounded. He looked at the demonic monsters. ''I thought they were visions, '' he exclaimed inside.


    Upon seeing the skeptical look on Darren''s face, Elsa explained further, "I''m telling you the truth. Look at that cliff. There are signs left by swords. If you can''t comprehend enough things in three days, the cliff will remain closed and the huge demonic monsters will attack us."


    "I see!" The thought of those demonic monsters coming at them gave Darren goosebumps.


    "Where is Mr. Xiao?" Elsa muttered as she looked around.


    "What did you just say?" Darren asked curiously.


    Before she could answer, an elder''s shadow that exuded a powerful aura appeared in front of Darren.


    "Welcome to the trial, my 34652nd visitor," the shadow said flatly.


    "Who, who are you?" Darren asked, with shock in his eyes. Elsa bowed to the shadow calmly as if she had met it before.


    "I was Mathew Xiao, a sword cultivator at the Grand Realm. I died 7000 years ago. You can call me Mr. Xiao," the old man replied with a smile.


    "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Xiao," Darren greeted, bowing to the shadow. ''Cultivators at the Grand Realm are stronger than those at the Wonder Realm. They are the rightful rulers of the world, '' he thought in awe.


    The shadow of Mathew nodded and then turned to Elsa who was standing beside Darren. "Missy, you were able to escape this place. Wh


    her too many surprises with his strength and talents. She was beginning to see him as some kind of mysterious genius.


    As Darren cleared his mind, the marks appeared in his head. He concentrated on studying their intent rather than how they looked.


    ''Deep and perfect, '' Darren defined the intent of the signs on the wall internally.


    He took a breath.


    The next second, he opened his eyes and started wielding his sword.


    The moves he played looked random as if they didn''t make any sense but they all showed great power.


    Darren repeated the same moves over and over again. Six hours later, he flew towards the cliff and started carving patterns on it with his sword.


    Mathew''s shadow laughed and nodded approvingly. "Well done. This lad has started to understand sword intent."


    "Oh? He has been able to carve marks with four different strengths. Good job," Mathew''s shadow continued, astonished by what Darren accomplished. He thought that he had done a good job for he could copy three marks with different strengths. After all, he wasn''t a genius led to there by the fragment.


    "Now, I have to check his talent for martial arts," the shadow muttered. Even though it was just Mathew''s shadow, it could still sense the talents of other people which were below the Heaven Degree. This might be because he had reached the Grand Realm.


    Mathew''s shadow began to detect Darren''s talent. He was taken aback by the results.


    "This boy..."


    "What''s wrong with him, Mr. Xiao?" Elsa asked in confusion.

 Chapter 67 Sword Killer

    "His talent is at the Earth Degree!" Mathew cried out excitedly.


    "What?!" Elsa''s eyes widened as she exclaimed. She could not believe what she was hearing. ''How''s that even possible? I remember that his talent was at level one of the Black Degree when he entered the Ilmen Sect. How did his talent upgrade so much? That''s impossible! But, Mr. Xiao is a cultivator of the Grand Realm. He would not make such a mistake. Then how to explain it?'' Elsa racked her brain for a logical justification.


    Their discussion didn''t distract Darren. He was absorbed in the sword marks carved on the wall. He brandished his sword and chiseled the sword moves he understood from the patterns.


    When he finished the fifth one, Mathew nodded with satisfaction. Mathew was not surprised any longer as he had learned that Darren''s talent was at the Earth Degree.


    Why was Mathew astonished to learn that Darren''s talent was at the Earth Degree? Mathew, a legendary being, had met tons of martial arts talents over the years, including several cultivators who had talents at the Heaven Degree. But Darren''s presence was beyond his expectation.


    He had never met a cultivator whose talent was superior to the Earth Degree in over three hundred years. The most talented person he had met was a cultivator whose talent was at level eight of the Black Degree. Since he was very gifted, the boy was chosen to come here thirty years ago.


    When Darren finished the sixth one, there were no more pictures of sword moves in his mind.


    Darren uttered a sigh of relief. When he turned to the cliff wall, he looked at the six patterns he had carved and shook his head. There were one hundred and eight marks on the wall, but he had been able to grasp only six. He felt disappointed with himself.


    "The sword intent on the wall is so complex. I can only understand six," Darren said with disappointment.


    "You''ve done a great job, kid!" Mathew said to Darren, as he pointed his finger at him. He then continued, "The best cultivator I''ve witnessed took three days and finished eleven patterns. And his talent was at the Heaven Degree. He passed away about seven, no, eight hundred years ago. I can''t remember how long it has been. But, anyway, you have done well."


    The information Mathew shared with Darren astonished him. A cultivator with a talent at the Heaven Degree could only grasp eleven patterns, which proved how hard it was to understand sword intent.


    "Darren, why''s your..." Elsa stammered.


    As she looked at Darren, complex emotions reflected on her face. Elsa could tell that Darren had many secrets, especially his upgrade in martial arts talent. She could not figure out how Darren had improved his talent. She had also witnessed a dark aura, like a demon, around Darren


    need to do is to jump into the lake and kill anything you see. The more you kill, the higher your score will be. When you take down thirty-six targets, you will pass the first test. Got it?


    One more thing, the second you are in the lake, all of your cultivation bases will go back to zero."


    After Mathew finished, he pointed Darren toward a giant stone tablet. When Darren looked in the direction Mathew was pointing at, he saw many words closely carved on the tablet. Mathew continued, "You can look at the tablet first. It''s where I usually make notes about the participants. I have listed their names and relevant information on the tablet. I also wrote down the names of the cultivators who died in the lake during the test. I hope that would be helpful for you."


    "Thank you so much, sir!"


    Darren then walked closer to the tablet. There was information on the hundreds of participants, like their name, talent level, the number of targets they had killed, and so on.


    "Name: Roy YanAge: 21 Cultivation Base: the second stage of the Mysterious Realm Talent Level: level four of the Black Degree Target Amount: 86 PASSED"


    "Name: Jonas WuAge: 18Cultivation Base: the ninth stage of the Mysterious RealmTalent Level: level one of the Earth DegreeTarget Amount: 1DIED"


    "Name: Elvis JuAge: 20 Cultivation Base: the ninth stage of the Spirit RealmTalent Level: level one of the Black DegreeTarget Amount: 97PASSED"


    ...


    Darren frowned as he read more. He could tell that talent level was not the key to pass the first test. Then what was the crucial condition to kill as many targets as one could? What was the secret to pass the first test?


    But Darren was left with no time to think about that. He was pushed into the lake by a gentle force. What big secret hid under the peaceful surface of the great lake?

 Chapter 68 Assimilate Sword Intent

    Under the lake, it was a completely different sight. As ripples spread on its surface, it turned into three colors, from far to near.


    Flaming red water surrounded Darren, dancing like shiny fairies.


    A strange bubbling sound came forth.


    A series of bubbles rose from the bottom of the lake, bringing with them many skulls that popped out from underwater.


    "Eh? That''s..." Seeing those skulls, Darren sensed a stream of very pure and strong sword aura. ''They should be Sword Type Creatures, what a powerful aura, '' Darren thought.


    One by one, seventy two skulls popped out.


    ''My cultivation base has been degenerated to the first stage of the Primary Realm, but these creatures have no cultivation base either, except for pure sword intent aura, '' Darren thought, his eyes widening in surprise. He raised his brows and tried to work out something. ''Does that mean I should kill these Sword Type Creatures with my pure sword intent?''


    Latching onto this idea, Darren mobilized his brain cells and began to recall the very little sword intent he had comprehended on the cliff wall.


    He had just started to master the sword intent, he was not yet familiar with its power when exercising the sword skill.


    A fiery Sword Type Creature popped out of the bottom of the lake and moved in on Darren.


    He frowned as it neared him. ''The sword intent is so strong with this aura of roaring flames!''


    There was no time for Darren to puzzle it out. All of a sudden, the fiery creature turned into a red light ball and dashed towards him.


    Darren''s sword was already in his hand for the upcoming counterattack, but he was not able to mobilize any internal force or his Demon Core! It was apparent that he had been restricted by some powerful force.


    "Well, I must kill you with only my sword intent!"


    With a wave of his sword, the first movement of the Profound Nine Sword Skills was dispatched. "Whiz!" the sharp blade edge whistled through the air. In an attempt to scope out the creature''s true strength, Darren held back from using the Profound Nine Sword Skills at the beginning.


    Clank!


    In a blink of an eye, Darren''s sword had stabbed into the Sword Type Creature''s chest. The result, however, was a great surprise to him.


    Rather than being routed, the creature gave off a stream of searing white-hot sword intent which ran along Darren''s sword to attack him.


    ''This sword intent is so much more powerful than my sword internal force. I would be no mat


    ed in admiration.


    "I have seen so many geniuses over thousands of years, including those whose moves are much more powerful than yours. But this is the first time I''ve ever witnessed a man kill the strongest of Sword Type Creatures with just one stroke!" Mathew''s shadow was utterly astonished.


    "Good job, Darren! You are incredibly powerful!" Elsa was pleasantly surprised. Oh, how she wished she could run to Darren to embrace him!


    "Sir, let him come out of the lake," Elsa urged.


    "No hurry," Mathew''s shadow gave her a reassuring wave of his hand. "He seems to be intent on challenging the ''icy sword intent''. I really can''t wait to see how many Sword Type Creatures he''ll manage to kill totally."


    Elsa shifted her eyes to the middle part of the lake. A snow white Sword Type Creature with chilly breath popped out of the bottom, even larger and stronger than the last creature Darren had killed.


    Of course Elsa was not worried about Darren''s strength. Like Mathew, she was instead wondering how many such powerful Sword Type Creatures would be added to Darren''s tally!


    "There are totally thirty five such Sword Type Creatures with ice attribute. He would set a record if he manages to kill all of them. Moreover, if he could kill the last one with thunder attribute, that would be a perfect pass, which will earn him a handsome reward from my master!


    But I have to admit it''s quite unrealistic. Over several thousand years, I have never seen a genius who got through this test perfectly,"


    Mathew said, shaking his head. But he was still looking forward to seeing Darren''s strength. What if something miraculous transpired?

 Chapter 69 Award (Part One)

    Darren stared at the creatures in the lake that resembled a sword and sunk into deep thought. He tried to think about the best course of action to take next.


    "These Sword Type Creatures seem to be more powerful than the ones I saw a while ago. I must kill one of them to assimilate the sword intent it carries. Things should be easier after that." Darren murmured to himself as he evaluated the situation.


    Darren scanned his surroundings carefully. He made sure that he didn''t do anything impulsive. He knew that initiating an attack would make him a solid threat and target for the creatures.


    "I''m so stupid!" Darren exclaimed as he candidly palmed his head in frustration. "I almost forgot! These sword-shaped creatures are dumb. Deceiving them would be easy. They have no way of knowing that I also have blade skills. I can use my sword skills to lure them in and then finish them off with my blade!" Darren murmured with excitement.


    After setting up his plan, Darren swung his sword to launch a faint aura of sword intent and directed it towards the creatures. Although it was a weak aura, it was enough to drive the creatures in a frenzy. Their rabid eyes turned towards Darren, ready to attack.


    "Amazing!" Darren shouted with glee. "The icy sword intent is fantastic. It''s so powerful!" Darren slowly and steadily retreated to keep himself at a safe distance when the creatures attacked. Then, one of them dashed towards him. With a wide smile, he exclaimed in jest, "And we found our winner! Our first lucky contestant who will get to taste my sword!"


    Darren swung his sword swiftly to launch the nine steps of the Profound Nine Sword Skills at the same time. That was the most powerful strike the skill could achieve.


    Just as Darren expected, it seemed to not affect the sword-shaped creature. It continued to rush towards him at full speed, unharmed and undaunted. Darren then kept his sword and took out his blade, wielding it with both hands. He swung to attack with the Grand Thirteen Blade S


    n before his time. With just a little more practice, he would be able to improve himself dramatically, and his preliminary sword intent would then be at high level." Mathew''s shadow murmured more to himself than to anyone.


    The test was designed to push and challenge a warrior''s understanding of sword intent through making him fight those creatures. The designer did not expect anyone to ever really go past the first test perfectly. No one could have assimilated the sword intents.


    Now, the lake was completely shrouded by purple lightning. This was something that the sword emitted to attack Darren.


    The sword intents from both sides were at the same level. But the purple lighting gave the creature an advantage over Darren as it reinforced the sword''s power.


    "All right, sword monster. Let''s finish the final round. The other fights bored me, anyway," Darren thought out loud.


    The battle lasted so long. It made Darren feel impatient.


    He swung his sword and mighty force of sword intent burst from it. Then, he aimed it at his target: the sword that flashed purple lightning.


    Suddenly, the purple lightning sword shook and soared into the air. After flashing a final bolt of purple lightning as thick as a man''s arm, it fell sharply from the sky as if the God of Lightning in a purple robe himself descended from heaven.

 Chapter 70 Award (Part Two)

    A huge explosion followed.


    Waves filled the air as the purple lightning and the sword intent from Darren''s sword collided.


    The confrontation lasted for a while before the purple lightning sword began to darken. The purple light gradually dulled and its sword intent began to disappear.


    Darren breathed hard to puke a mouthful of blood. The purple lightning sword hurt him pretty badly.


    "You''re good but not as good as me. I defeated you at last." Darren declared with a grin on his face.


    "Darren, take this magical sword. This is your reward for winning this fight. It''s very powerful." Mathew''s shadow told Darren by channeling the message in his mind.


    Darren leaped towards the purple lightning sword and held it in his hands.


    "Drip your blood on it and you''ll be its master forever." Mathew''s voice sounded in Darren''s ear again.


    Without hesitation, Darren dripped several drops of his blood on the weapon. Suddenly, a strange feeling crept at him as something in him was connected with the sword. Their minds were suddenly one. Darren felt it.


    "That''s amazing. I like it. I have always wanted a good sword. With this purple lightning sword, I''ll be able to embrace my sword skills to full scale," he said.


    The purple lightning sword came to life and flashed fine purple lightning again after the ceremony. Numerous flashes of tiny, purple lightning appeared on its surface like ripples. Its unusual appearance revealed its equally unusual nature.


    Suddenly, a resonant voice echoed from the sky as if God were speaking.


    "Congratulations, boy! You''ve passed the test. Since you did it perfectly, I will give you something as a reward," it said.


    After the unknown voice finished speaking, a tiny, wooden box appeared in front of Darren seemingly carried by a ray of white light. Darren reached out his hand, took the box, and leaped onto the bank.


    He walked towards Elsa


    ''s yours," Elsa said. She declined politely, unwilling to accept a gift so precious.


    "Take it, Elsa. Your refusal makes me feel embarrassed. I''ll feel bad if you insist." Darren replied seriously.


    Elsa stared at his face and saw the clear intent in his eyes. This was the first time Darren spoke to her that way.


    "Take it, little girl. Your boyfriend is giving you a very precious gift. Your refusal will surely hurt him. Just do as he says and take the damn gift." Mathew''s shadow jested.


    Reluctantly, Elsa reached out and held the precious elixir in her hands. Her face turned crimson red when she heard Mathew''s shadow refer to Darren as her boyfriend. To hide her shyness, she lowered her head to avoid the gaze of the two men in front of her. But she explained nothing. She just peeped at Darren from the corner of her eyes to observe his reaction.


    Darren seemed unaffected. It seemed like there was nothing unusual about it. That brought a hidden smile on Elsa''s lips. Her heartbeat quickened in glee.


    ''Was he silent because he accepted it? Or did he just completely ignore Matthew''s words? Or... was he just afraid of embarrassing me so he decided to keep quiet?'' Thoughts suddenly flooded Elsa. She cared so much about what Darren thought of her.

 Chapter 71 Sword Core

    Darren casually nodded his head. Even though the battle had left him injured, he had regained his cultivation base, so he was able to use the spiritual energy to heal the wounds and prepared himself for the next test.


    Elsa, who was standing beside him, had mixed feelings. Confusion and joy rushed through her when she fixed her eyes on Darren. But she swallowed her emotions and walked up to him.


    "Darren, that Talent-upgrading Elixir is extremely precious. And it will be extremely good for you. You should take it," Elsa softly said. She stretched out her hands and gave it to him. Her words were filled with tenderness and sincerity.


    Hearing her, Mathew couldn''t help but laugh. "You two are such a good match. It is nice to see you guys loving and caring for each other. If I were not an avatar, I would take it without hesitation.


    I have seen numerous couples who have constantly fought with each other over these trifles. But you two have always been polite and considerate towards each other. I believe that you and Darren are a perfect match for each other," Mathew added.


    "Sir¡­¡­" After hearing his words, Elsa felt her cheeks flush red, and stammered, "That''s not how it is. He''s like a brother to me. That''s all."


    While she was saying this, she couldn''t help staring at Darren. She was anxious to know how he would react.


    "Yes, Sir. We are not a couple. Elsa is just like my sister. Please stop making fun of us," Darren explained.


    Mathew glanced at them with a brief smile and didn''t say anything more.


    But Elsa, who on the surface looked composed, felt a wave of disappointment wash over her. She stood still and silent, her heart aching.


    His remark was followed by an embarrassed silence. Seeing that Elsa didn''t say anything for a while, Darren was utterly confused about what had just happened. So to break the silence, he walked up to her and said, "Elsa, you had better take that pill. If you insist on giving it to me, I will have no choice but to force you to swallow it."


    "All right. I will take it. Thank you so much, Darren," Elsa softly said. Looking at Darren''s serious face, Elsa thought that it would be hypocritical of her to refuse him again. She nodded her head in agreement and accepted the pill.


    Elsa swallowed the Talent-upgrading Elixir immediately, sat down on the ground with her legs crossed, and began to absorb the essence from the pill.


    Darren followed suit in order to begin to cure his injuries.


    ''Hmm. The sword intent has become so intense after I absorbed it from the Purple Thundering Sword. It''s so powerful that my meridians are unable to sustain it, '' Darren thought to himself. Darren came to this realization after he found that the sword intent, which flowed freely inside his meridians, had grown sharp all of a sudden. When he sensed the change, he instantly transferred the sword intent toward his cinnabar field.


    ''Ah! What happened? The sword internal force that was contained inside my body has begun to transform into something different!'' Darren mused.


    As Darren started to transfer the sword intent toward his cinnabar field, it kept on circling around. The sword internal force began to undergo a radi


    now, you guys have condensed the sword core before you elevate to the Wonder Realm. It shows that you two are super geniuses and have made your mark in the whole world. And the sword core can be graded as red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue and purple. Generally speaking, when you reach the Wonder Realm and condense your sword core, basically it will be yellow or above, which can emit stronger sword intent for the cultivator.


    Darren, you have condensed an orange sword core. When you elevate to the Wonder Realm, you will have a chance to intensify it further. When that happens, it will turn into green at the very least, or even purple, Elsa, although you have the red sword core which is a little inferior to the orange, you still have immense potential. When you reach the Wonder Realm and start to intensify your sword core, you will still be far superior to those with normal and mediocre sword core in the same realm. But you should put more effort into your practice and really do your best to improve your talent," Mathew kindly said.


    Hearing Mathew''s detailed explanation, Darren and Elsa grew extremely excited.


    "Thank you for telling us all this, Sir! I am ever so grateful for your wise counsel. You are such a worthy master of the Grand Realm with an incisive mind," Daren replied.


    He and Elsa bowed deeply, expressing their gratitude.


    "Ha-ha!" Mathew laughed. Mathew shook his head and said, "Due to my stubborn brother, I was able to get such detailed information. He also condensed the yellow sword core before he reached the Wonder Realm."


    At this, Darren was surprised. Mathew said that his brother had condensed the sword core before he reached the Wonder Realm. This implied that his brother was much better and stronger than he was.


    Seeing Darren''s reaction, Elsa turned around and said, "Darren, Mr. Xiao''s brother is also a master who reached the Grand Realm. Perhaps you have heard about him before. People call him Hanson Xiao."


    Ah!


    Darren suddenly felt dizzy. Were they really talking about the legendary cultivator who practiced his sword and saber skills at the same time?

 Chapter 72 The Life Of Hanson

    Hanson was an invincible warrior of his generation. There were countless legends about him in the book.


    On the day when Darren was framed, an Ilmen Sect elder used Hanson as an example to illustrate the harms and benefits of simultaneously practicing swordsmanship and blade cultivation. Darren understood the elder''s message. However, he didn''t expect to meet the avatar left by the legendary master''s brother in the Black Cliff of Sword Intent.


    "Not bad. Darren, the little girl said that you have already refined both seeds of sword and blade intents. You should have broken all the meridians in your body as a result. It is surprising that you have not only preserved your meridians but also improved your cultivation base. Presumably, you have found a way to mediate the forces that destroy the meridians when practicing both swordsmanship and blade cultivation, right?" Mathew asked Darren.


    "Yes, sir," Darren replied, honestly.


    "Well, I don''t know how you broke free from this constraint, but there''s one thing that you need to understand." Having said that, Mathew''s avatar paused and seemed to be remembering something. Then he said, "Life-threatening challenge appears when you break through a big Realm!"


    Darren looked solemn upon hearing Mathew''s words and seemed to feel something ominous in his heart. Curious, he asked, "What do you mean, sir?"


    Mathew''s avatar stepped toward Darren and explained, "My brother ignored my advice and practiced both swordsmanship and blade cultivation at the same time. Soon he suffered a significant injury and almost died. As he was talented, he found a way to circumvent the constraint. However, one drawback of the method was that he could not absorb the universe''s spiritual energy."


    When Darren heard this, his heart sank. He faced the same problem!


    "When a warrior breaks through and enters a big Realm, a large amount of spiritual energy enters the body. This energy will break the meridians of warriors who practice both swordsmanship and blade cultivation, and they will die in an instant. I do not know what causes this."


    Darren could not help but worry after Mathew told him the horrifying consequence.


    He remembered that when he entered the Spirit Realm, a tremendous amount of spiritual energy coursed through his body. Although it provided him with enough sword and blade internal forces to kill William, his meridians had


    tion base has reached the seventh stage of the Spirit Realm. Very good. Coupled with the fact that you have now condensed the sword core, it is possible for you to reach the Wonder Realm in ten years."


    "I have Darren to thank for all this. He gave me such a precious pill. I really don''t know how to repay him."


    Elsa''s cultivation base had improved tremendously, and she was very grateful to Darren. At the same time, she was thinking that if she and Darren succeeded in getting out, they would be ready for the Five Schools Competition. What would her father think when it was time for her to fight?


    In Elsa''s heart, she had dreamed of the day when Thomas would watch her rise to new heights of martial arts. That moment was about to be realized.


    Just as the two were chatting, another loud noise came from the lake.


    Mathew''s avatar immediately became nervous. "No, why can''t I detect Darren?"


    As a guardian of the cliff, Mathew had been bestowed the ability to observe whoever took the first five tests at will by his master, but he could not detect Darren''s movements any longer.


    "Darren is not in the second test. What is going on?"


    When Elsa heard this, she became anxious. "What happened, sir? How could Darren not be in the second test?"


    Mathew shook his head as he had no explanation. This had not happened in thousands of years.


    Just as Elsa was getting frantic, a young figure suddenly fell from above. Hovering midair, he gave off a sense of suffocating pressure.


    "Master..." Mathew stared at the extraordinary figure. He was so excited that he could not speak.

 Chapter 73 Youre The Best

    Staring at the person in mid-air, Mathew looked quite excited. He hadn''t met his master''s avatar in the past several thousand years, but now here he was.


    "Master," Mathew greeted venerably, bowing to him.


    Standing beside Mathew, Elsa felt like the whole space was surrounded by swords and she might be cut into a million pieces if she moved an inch.


    She raised her head slowly to see what Mathew''s master looked like. He seemed to be in his late twenties, too young to be a master yet she didn''t contest it. He wore purple clothes that gently swayed with the wind. When she met his eyes, she was thunderstruck.


    A pair of icy, indifferent eyes came into her view. She saw an inky sword in his left eye and a white sword which exuded a sacred aura in his right eye.


    Looking him in the eye for a second, Elsa felt like she was falling into the abyss where its bottom was covered by countless sharp, deadly swords. All of a sudden, infinite terror overpowered her. Her knees trembled and it took her a tremendous amount of effort just to remain standing before him.


    ''This feeling... it''s so horrible, '' she thought, shivering with fear.


    The man looked at the lake and then turned around, murmuring something in a voice that was too low for them to catch.


    A few moments later, he fixed his eyes on Mathew''s avatar and spoke to him. Elsa listened to him but couldn''t understand what he was saying no matter how hard she tried.


    About an hour later, Mathew bowed to the man and said, "I got it. Please rest assured."


    The man broke into tiny pieces, like shattered glass, and then vanished into thin air.


    Elsa breathed out a deep sigh of relief. She placed a hand on her chest, checking if her heartbeat had gone back to normal.


    She had almost suffocated under the invisible pressure that man brought her.


    "What happened, sir?" Elsa was worried about Darren. It was evident in her voice.


    Mathew didn''t respond immediately for he was thinking about what his master had told him.


    "I have no clue. We''ll know after Darren gets out. He is receiving the fourth test," he replied, his eyes reflecting complicated emotions that Elsa couldn''t figure out.


    "Really? How did it happen?"


    "Master told me Darren passed two trials quickly. No wonder I couldn''t detect him receiving the second test. Besides, master asked me to do something, but I don''t know why..."


    ...


    In the meantime, Darren was in the process of the fourth trial. The sky was covered in dark clouds, and an old bell with runes was in front of him.


    ''The second trial tested one''s physical strength. I made it by releasing demonic internal force to demonize myself.


    The third trial tested one''s ability to comprehend things. I spent several minutes mastering Aura-concealing Skill and Shadow Lightness¡ªtwo superior secret martial skills.


    But the fourth trial... what is it for?'' Darren wondered, studying the old bell with furrowed eyebrows.


    He had no idea how to pass this test and it somewhat worried him.


    ''I got a reward after passing the second test. I''m going to check the prize first, see if there are any clues that might help in


    th sword skills. The best I can do is kill him at the cost of my own life. But he is just a fake. Taking him out by sacrificing my life? Not the best idea!''


    At the thought of this, he took out his blade. His eyes never left his opponent, and although it still felt so strange to face someone who looked exactly like him, Darren tried to focus on overcoming the challenge.


    "I will show you the power of my sword and blade!" Darren yelled loudly.


    He ran at his enemy while using his sword and blade at the same time. All of a sudden, a formidable power swept through the field, blasting off strong winds in all directions.


    "Go to hell!" he bellowed.


    A regular opponent would have cowered in fear and cried in pain, but the fake Darren had no expression on his face at all. He rushed towards Darren with his sword intent as strong as the previous ones he released.


    Deafening sounds filled the whole space.


    Two people looking exactly the same exchanged attacks with each other in the storm of swirling dust, fighting to the death. Wounds caused by their swords appeared on their bodies.


    However, it was evident that the fake was at a disadvantage. He kept being hit by Darren''s blade despite his defenses.


    "Game over!" Darren hollered.


    He kept waving his sword and blade at his opponent. He then took the chance and cut through the fake''s neck, decapitating him entirely.


    BANG!


    Just like that, the replica''s body exploded and disappeared. Darren crashed on the ground with cuts and bruises all over his body. He didn''t want to admit it, but he sustained serious injuries this time.


    "Good job, Darren. You''re the best, '' he encouraged himself. He had never imagined that he had to fight with himself one day.


    Thinking the fight was finally over, he allowed himself to relax and even feel a little bit of relief. Unfortunately, he was given the shock of his life when the mysterious runes started lighting up again.


    Another teenager who had Darren''s face appeared, giving off a cold vibe.


    This time, the lad held a sword in one hand and a blade in the other.

 Chapter 74 Pass The Fourth Test

    ''What the hell? I just took care of one, and now another showed up. What if I use some secret skill to kill this one? Will another copy with the secret skill turn up? Will the runes keep making copies of me along with the techniques I use to kill the previous one?'' Darren cursed, studying the replica of himself.


    ''If my assumption is right, I''m as good as dead.


    I finally understand why so many geniuses lost their lives here. This is almost like a suicide task. There''s no way anyone can keep fighting themselves no matter how strong they are. The runes will just make another stronger version of you.


    In the past thousands of years, approximately 100, 000 talented cultivators had come here, but no one had gotten the so-called inheritance yet. Only a few had managed to get out of here alive. Elsa was lucky to survive.''


    Darren started to regret his choices. After he passed the third test, he had the chance to back out, but since he easily passed the previous trials, he thought that he might be able to get through all the tests. Now, facing another copy of him wielding a sword and a blade, he realized how wrong he was. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to push through as there was no turning back at this point. He made up his mind to pull out all the stops to defeat his enemy.


    Shaking off all the negative thoughts, he got up and fixed his eyes on his opponent¡ªthe second copy.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Elsa looked at the lake from time to time, hoping to see a glance of Darren. Sadly, there was no sign of the man she was looking for, making her extremely worried.


    "Sir, please check on Darren and see how he is doing," she pleaded, her eyes filled with concern.


    "I told you more than once that I somehow couldn''t check on Darren. Perhaps this is master''s doing. I can''t do anything about it," Mathew responded solemnly, shaking his head.


    ''Master has never sent his avatar until now. Does Darren have some special martial skills I don''t know about?'' he wondered.


    "Please tell me what your master has told you. I''m really worried about my friend," Elsa continued worriedly, her voice breaking.


    "Fine, I will let you know," Mathew said with an exasperated sigh. Even though he was usually easygoing and patient, he grew impatient for Elsa kept bothering him. "Master ordered me to not let Darren into the Starry Tower before he enters the Wonder Realm even if he passes the fifth trial."


    "Why not?" Elsa almost shouted out. She didn''t understand why Mathew''s master was trying to prevent Darren from entering the Starry Tower.


    "Why are you getting so worked up about it? And how do I know what master is thinking? It''s not like I can read minds. All I know is that master plans to send his avatar to meet Darren after he gets through the fifth test. If Darren makes it out of there alive, I''ll go ahead and ask master why he made such a decision," Mathew said.


    "I see. I hope God will bless Darren," Elsa murmured as she calmed down. She could do nothing but pray and hope Darren would come back safe and sound.


    The two fell into silence. After a while, Mathew glanced


    sible force field protecting it. The power Darren had unleashed bounced back to him. He spat out blood as he clutched his body tightly. He felt great pain inside him, almost as if his internal organs ruptured.


    Though he paid a hefty price, Darren had discovered something.


    ''I used all my strength to hit the bell, but it didn''t make a sound at all. That is so strange, '' he mused, furrowing his eyebrows.


    He had a bold guess.


    ''I see. I think I know how it works, '' Darren thought, his eyes lighting up in joy. ''Perhaps the test is not just about defeating yourself, but also making this bell ring. If I succeed, I''ll be able to pass it.''


    Convinced with his theory, he smiled bitterly. ''Ring the bell, and the participant can get through the test. It sounds easy, but in reality, it''s a lot harder than it looks. I mean, who would pay attention to the bell once replica turns up? It''s easy to overlook. After all, the participant''s first response is to defeat the replica.


    But once he does, another one will show up. I guess majority of the participants were able to kill the first replica, but not the second one. They must have died trying.


    Only those powerful cultivators who were wise enough to conceal their best skills could defeat their second replicas.


    But when they were able to take out their second replicas, they would be murdered by the third one. It is a never-ending cycle.


    This test is too difficult. If I had been reckless, I would have destroyed my second replica and died by the hands of the third.'' Darren shivered at how differently things could have gone.


    A few moments later, he went back to the old bell. He concentrated demonic internal force, blade internal force, and sword intent on his palm and hit the bell with it.


    CLUNG!


    A crisp, loud sound reverberated throughout the place.


    As the bell rang, an amazingly strong sword light flashed in the sky, tearing it open. The avatar of Mathew''s master came down.


    "The next test is to fight me."


    His voice was icy and emotionless, sending chills to Darren''s bones.

 Chapter 75 The First Floor Of The Starry Tower

    Darren was struck dumb with astonishment. He followed the powerful voice and looked up.


    He was greeted with a pair of formidable eyes full of power. In one of the two eyes, there was a black sword, and in another, there was a white sword. They sparkled with a fearsome and cold aura. Darren gazed in awe at the giant human-shaped shadow.


    "I... I''m afraid I''m not qualified, sir," Darren stammered.


    The sword intent shooting from the pair of eyes was strong enough to tear Darren apart into pieces. Darren knew the moment he accepted the challenge, it could kill him.


    "Fight with me! Now!"


    the shadow, however, ignored Darren''s answer and merely repeated his request. In a flash, another shadow appeared. It was like a copy of the giant one. Then the two increased to four, and then to eight... In a matter of minutes, Darren found himself in a sea of a thousand shadows.


    "What? He also has that skill of making clones of himself?"


    Darren said in shock. He had been learning such a skill but it was not yet something he was able to master.


    On the other hand, Darren noticed something very important. The giant shadow''s vital energy seemed weakened after he exerted the skill. Suddenly, the giant one did not seem so powerful anymore.


    ''The skill he masters is different from the one I haven''t succeeded in learning from the dragon race. His vital energy decreases as his clones increase, '' Darren concluded.


    At that very moment, the giant shadow''s clones faded and disappeared one by one until only one was left.


    Darren knew what this meant. The cultivation base of the giant shadow was impossible to be surpassed by anyone in the world. Even his clones were a million times stronger than Darren. That was why the giant shadow did it. He created a clone whose cultivation base was more comparable to Darren''s. The one in front of him was what fulfilled the requirement.


    Darren activated his vital energy, ready to fight against it. When he was about to launch his attack, an unexpected change happened to him.


    The clone attacked first. Before Darren could even react, a fierce force from the clone''s blade intent flew into Darren''s head.


    When it reached his meridians, the blade intent started to merge with his sword intent with the aid of some unknown power. It was like magic. When that ended, a dark golden aura of internal force appeared.


    ''How, how did that happen?'' Darren thought, surprised to feel the aura in his body. He could tell that the power of the aura was extremely aggressive. "Is that the fusion of my sword intent and the clone''s blade intent? Unbelievable!"


    The strength of the internal force, however, began to surge in Darren''s body.


    At the same time, the clone took action. Two rays of his sword intent, a black one and a white one, projected from his eyes and started gathering in the air. The two rays formed a colossal sword and targeted Darren.


    them started to whirl and fade away.


    With a blink of an eye, Darren and Elsa found themselves in front of a tower seven stories high.


    Walking into the first floor, both Elsa and Darren were filled with awe. Instead of a regular room, inside was a vast expanse of land.


    Darren could not help but marvel in it, ''Mr. Xiao''s master is so powerful!''


    "Oh my goodness. No wonder it is called the Starry Tower! Look up, Darren! All the stars are twinkling in the sky! What a beautiful view! It''s so amazing!" Elsa exclaimed. Under the starry sky, she opened her arms and danced freely.


    "Wow! These flowers smell so great!" Elsa wandered about like a little child.


    "Flowers?" Darren picked one up and felt it in his hand. "It''s a superior spiritual herb!"


    "What?" Elsa''s jaw dropped when she heard him. She picked a flower up and felt it as well. She froze when she realized that he was right.


    "Oh my god! You are right! It''s a superior spiritual herb! There are so many superior spiritual herbs here! What do we do now?" The boundless land of spiritual herbs filled her with awe and disbelief.


    Suddenly, they became more absorbed in picking up superior spiritual herbs than in appreciating the landscape.


    "We are going to make a fortune!" Elsa cried out with excitement.


    Since Elsa''s talent recovered to her former level, her cultivation base had been improved and her poker face had been removed. She was a cheerful and active girl now, just as good as new.


    Elsa was overwhelmed with joy now. With a bunch of spiritual herbs in her arms, she began dancing again under the starry sky.


    Looking at her made Darren smile as well. Watching her was like watching a beautiful dream unfold. It seemed too good to be true. A part of him feared that the vision in front of him would disappear any second. So, he put all his attention on Elsa. He was determined to enjoy what was in front of him for as long as it would last.

 Chapter 76 Return

    "Darren, why are you standing still? Be quick and pick the spiritual herbs," Elsa urged Darren as she noticed him lost in thought.


    "Oh, okay," Darren said dazedly, snapping out of it.


    Time flew by. After two hours, his Space Ring was filled with superior spiritual herbs.


    "I think that''s enough for now, Elsa. My Space Ring is full."


    "Oh, what a pity! I wish I could move the Starry Tower away," Elsa said regretfully.


    "I have more than one hundred thousand superior spiritual herbs in my Space Ring. They''re enough to serve us for several years, Elsa! Don''t be so greedy. Ha-ha." Darren burst into laughter, his eyes twinkling.


    "You are right." Elsa nodded and turned around to ask him, "Darren, did you look at me just now?"


    Darren was surprised by Elsa''s intuitiveness. But for some reason, he didn''t feel embarrassed or guilty. Instead, he replied quickly, "I wasn''t expecting that you could feel it."


    "Gee, you¡­" Darren''s reply shocked Elsa. She said with a smile, "I¡­ I thought you would deny it."


    "Why would I do that? You''re beautiful. I like looking at you. My appreciation for you is not something to be ashamed of." Darren appeared very composed. After telling her how he was feeling, he turned back and walked towards the staircase leading to the far sky that was filled with stars. It was the entrance to the second floor.


    Elsa''s heart was beating fast. Vague happiness bloomed in her heart, like a bud that had been waiting to appear.


    When she came back to reality, she saw Darren going up the staircase and so trotted along behind him.


    The second floor of the Starry Tower was like a storage room of martial skills. Hundreds of bookshelves stood in the room on which there were books about martial arts skills.


    Randomly, Darren picked a scroll up.


    "Perception Blade Skill. I wasn''t expecting it is an extraordinary blade skill!"


    Darren read several of its lines and soon ascertained that it was unsuitable for him, so he kept searching.


    After several minutes, he found it was strange that all the scrolls he browsed through were for blade skills. Before he could tell Elsa his discovery, she beat him to it. "Darren, there are at least ten thousand top martial skills, but all of them are blade skills."


    "Yes. It''s the same case over here!" Darren nodded.


    He wondered why all the martial skills on this floor were blade skills.


    "Darren, I think that extremely powerful elder left these intentionally. They must be for you! You have condensed sword core and your sword intent has achieved. What you need now is blade intent. Haven''t you realized that?" Elsa said, coming up with a viable reason.


    "Elsa, that''s smart! I''m guessing you''re probably right," Darren said. He admired her sharp mind.


    "Of course I am. I''m smarter than you. Humph." The expression on her face was ra


    arren and said, "If you want to merge blade intent and sword intent, you must go to the Raksa Sea. The way to that place and the things you need are all written in this scroll. You can read it after you leave. I won''t delay you any longer. Go."


    "Mr. Xiao, I am sad to bid you goodbye. If we have the ability to do it, Darren and I will definitely accomplish it. After that, we will come back to see you." Although Elsa had known the avatar of this elder for only a short time, she felt incredibly morose about parting ways with him.


    "You must go now. Children, work hard. Remember. And I have to warn you, on the way to become more powerful, you will meet lots of strong cultivators. Always keep this in mind--don''t simply reveal your cultivation base and don''t bully others. Carelessness may lead to irreversible damage. Do you promise to remember this?"


    "I will remember your kind words." Mathew''s words made sense to Darren. He would not attack unless he was attacked; if he was attacked, he would certainly fight back. That was his principle.


    Mathew''s avatar nodded and waved his hand to motivate the array and teleport them out of the Black Cliff of Sword Intent. In his eyes gleamed pools of sadness.


    When the two young cultivators opened their eyes, they found they returned to the place where Jerome chased them.


    Here, they saw the deep pit made by Jerome''s fierce arrow.


    "It''s time to get revenge on Jerome," Darren said firmly.


    "I won''t let that bastard go easily. Darren, let me handle him, alright?" Elsa offered. She was confident with her cultivation base.


    "Let''s talk about it when we see him. Oh Elsa, what did Mr. Xiao ask us to do?" Darren said.


    "It''s a long story. Let''s talk about it while we go hunt him down."


    They headed towards the Ilmen Sect. They travelled at speeds as fast as thoroughbred horses, but to them it merely felt like a stroll.

 Chapter 77 Indignation

    Before long, Darren and Elsa arrived at the foot of Ilmen Sect.


    They talked about Mathew the whole journey. "Was the body of Mr. Xiao repressed on an uninhabited island in Raksa Sea?" Darren asked.


    Elsa gloomily nodded, "While he was badly injured, three servants sneaked up on him from behind and grabbed his treasure. Then they discarded his body in a dangerous part of an uninhabited island.


    The most unforgivable thing about it was that Mr. Xiao had previously saved their lives, but they went ahead and bit the hands that fed them, all for their own selfish interest!"


    Elsa angrily recounted.


    "Who are the three traitors?" Darren demanded, feeling indignant over what happened to Mathew.


    "I remember he mentioned that their leader was called Jesse Li. The three of them were all at the ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm. With the treasure they stole, they would be able to reach the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm, which would give them the power to live for over ten thousand years. If my speculation is right, they''re probably still alive," Elsa explained.


    The Wonder Realm had unique divisions different from those of the Mysterious Realm. It was made up of five stages: the primary stage, the middle stage, the advanced stage, the premium stage and the supreme stage.


    Darren furrowed his brows. "But why was his avatar left at the Black Cliff of Sword Intent to guard his master''s heritage?" he asked, puzzled.


    "According to Mr. Xiao, he didn''t die right away after being abandoned and his master found him afterwards. However, his master''s avatar wasn''t able to enter the Devil Den, so he took three strands of Mr. Xiao''s soul to keep him alive. In fact, the avatar at the Black Cliff of Sword Intent was formed by one of the three strands. Thus, if we retrieve Mr. Xiao''s body, his master would be powerful enough to bring him back to life," Elsa explained.


    "I see." Darren paused to think. "But how could we enter the Devil Den if even Mr. Xiao''s master wasn''t able to enter?" he pondered out loud.


    "Well, Mr. Xiao did say that his master wasn''t from our continent and his avatar apparently ran into some restrictions here. So I guess that''s why he couldn''t enter the Devil Den. I don''t think we''d encounter any problems like that. As long as we come close to the Wonder Realm, we can get Mr. Xiao''s body back," Elsa explained.


    "If that''s so, then it can be done. When my power reaches there, I will help him," Darren declared. "Well, Elsa, let''s go back to Sword Mountain first. Elder Thomas hasn''t seen you for quite a long time. He must be worried about you," he added.


    "Hmph! He will never care about me." Elsa wa


    ive for the time being."


    Sullen-faced, he walked towards Elsa and said, "We could question him so we could figure out who is responsible for this."


    Elsa calmed down then.


    "Tell me who instigated you to do this!" Darren bellowed. Blood dripped out from the ears of the paralyzed disciple.


    "Ah!" he cried out in pain. The disciple rolled on the ground and obscurely disclosed, "It was Jerome. While Elder Thomas and Cody went out to search for Elsa, he ordered us to provoke the disciples of the School of Sword Skill and beat them up. I was just following orders, please spare me!"


    "So it was Jerome, as I expected," Darren sighed exasperatedly. "He must have been backed by someone powerful, or else he wouldn''t have had the audacity to send out orders to beat disciples of the School of Sword Skill so publicly." He turned to Elsa with a frown.


    "Jerome again. I must kill him. I will definitely kill him," Elsa resentfully growled, and the hatred inside her had mounted exceedingly high.


    Darren gently placed his hand on Elsa''s shoulder as he tried to calm her back down. "We should probably head back to Sword Mountain to check on the situation. This is a pretty unusual circumstance, so we''d better get to the bottom of this first and foremost." He then gave her a sad but reassuring smile.


    Hearing that they were about to leave, the disciple knelt on the ground and kowtowed towards them and murmured, "You assholes¡­ Jerome will kill you..."


    There was a whistling sound and then a flashing light.


    The disciple''s head fell to the ground as his body followed.


    "Even in your sorry state you still said wicked words. You deserve something worse than death."


    Darren buckled on his sword and quickly headed for Sword Mountain together with Elsa.

 Chapter 78 Take Revenge

    Darren and Elsa took the two unconscious disciples of School of Sword Skill back to the Sword Mountain immediately.


    "Who''s there?" A shaking voice reached their ears the second Darren and Elsa stepped into the lobby. They turned to the direction of the voice.


    Most disciples of the School of Sword Skill were inside. When the disciple who had spoken saw their faces, his stance relaxed and his mind felt at ease.


    "You''re finally back, Elsa!" the one who outranked the rest gushed, crossing the lobby in long strides to get closer to them but not before giving his orders to the other disciples. "Get a message to Elder Thomas and Cody and tell them that Elsa has come back."


    Without wasting another second, several disciples ran out to fill Thomas and Cody in on Elsa''s return with some secret skill.


    "Rick, those guys from the School of Arrow Skill bullied our companions. Why don''t you inform my father and Cody and ask them to do something about it?" Elsa asked with furrowed eyebrows, confused.


    Rick let out a wry laugh and replied, "Elsa, you know we have been through this because of you. After finding out that Elder Thomas was not around, those disciples from the School of Arrow Skill took that chance and often waited at the foot to attack us. We have experienced all sorts of difficulties. We have been beaten up, while some of us have been taken to Arrow Mountain and tortured.


    I informed Elder Thomas of this several times, but even though he was angry about it, he didn''t come back because he wanted to get you back at all costs."


    The rest of the disciples listening to their conversation sighed, looking frustrated.


    "Now that you''re back, everything will be fine. Once Elder Thomas comes back, he will give justice to what happened to us. He will avenge us," Rick said, his eyes filled with desire to get back at his enemies.


    With all seriousness, Darren stood up and said, "I think this matter is more complicated than you have imagined. The people of the School of Arrow Skill dare to ignore the rules and bully us in public. That''s not a school''s typical behavior. There must be some reason behind this."


    "Shut up!" Rick shouted at Darren as his hands balled into fists.


    Everyone present in the room didn''t notice Darren until he spoke. They cast unkind glances at him.


    "Who the hell do you think you are?" Rick thundered, narrowing his eyes at Darren. "How dare you interrupt us?"


    The people of the School of Sword Skill already heard rumors about Darren and Elsa. It was said that Darren hooked up with Elsa in the woods and the two eloped.


    They didn''t believe these rumors because they didn''t think Elsa would actually be attracted to a loser like Darren.


    "Watch your tone, Rick. You should show Darren some respect,"


    Elsa demanded coldly before Darren could say a word.


    "Elsa, how could you...? I can''t believe you just said that," Rick uttered acidly, his eyes filled with cold anger. He was mad about Elsa defending Darren, but he couldn''t afford to say anything else to displease her. After all, her father was Elder Thomas. He didn''t want to get on his wrong side. As he sent Darren an icy glare, he thought, ''I don''t g


    heir opponents thought this was almost too easy.


    "Go get them!" the one in charge of the group screeched. "And I don''t mind if you take advantage of that hot girl. You can treat her as a--"


    BANG!


    Before he could finish his sentence, a fist landed on his face so fast that it took him a few seconds to realize what happened. He was thrown in the air as the punch he received started sinking in.


    BANG! BANG! BANG!


    The rest of the group got thrown in the air as well like little pieces of garbage. Elsa could hear their bones breaking along with a series of painful groans.


    "Darren, why didn''t you leave one for me? I wanted to deal with them," Elsa said, smiling.


    "I can''t let a lady resort to using force and I don''t want your clothes to get dirty. So I took care of them for you," Darren replied with a smile of his own.


    He then grabbed Elsa''s hand and held it tightly. "Let''s get going. There''s nothing interesting here anymore."


    Elsa didn''t see this happening. As she felt the warmth from his hand, her heart raced and it felt like her rib cage might break. Despite that, she pretended to look calm.


    She snorted to hide the smile in the corners of her mouth. With the most grace and eloquence she could muster, she followed Darren.


    Shortly after they left the scene, Rick came to the foot of the mountain together with the rest of his followers. They moved cautiously, fearing the attack of their enemies.


    "Stop!" Rick exclaimed urgently, raising his hand. The rest of the disciples paused in their tracks, eyes wide with shock.


    They found the disciples of the School of Arrow Skill lying on the ground, moaning in pain.


    "I know him!" Rick said, recognizing the man closest to him. "His name is Stefan Liu of the School of Arrow Skill. He is at the fifth stage of the Spirit Realm! What happened here? Who did this to him?" Rick asked as his eyes took in Stefan''s battered figure with a frown.


    He had a wild guess, but he had a hard time believing it. After all, if his guess was correct, that would mean Darren was so much stronger than him and everyone else in the group combined.

 Chapter 79 I Am Coming For Your Life (Part One)

    Everyone from the School of Sword Skill were all stunned for a while. No one had any idea who did it.


    ''''Rick, Elsa is no longer the person she used to be. Her aura was so immensely intimidating that I almost could not stand being surrounded by it just now!'''' said the strong man who had been slapped by Elsa a while ago.


    ''''Really? That almost seems impossible. Did Elsa come across anything unusual in her adventures? Is that why she returned with such talent and strength?'''' Rick said, his eyes widening in shock. If what the man was saying were true, then it would be totally unbelievable!


    ''''Exactly. I was pretty rude earlier, thank god Elsa didn''t argue with me, otherwise I wouldn''t be standing here. I''d be dead for sure. Now that I think of it, it must have been Elsa who dealt with the several disciples from the School of Arrow Skill.'''' Even several moments had passed after his encounter with Elsa, the strong man still felt a lingering fear that he could not shake off.


    At first, Rick had thought Darren was responsible for it, but the strong man''s analysis made more sense to him. At once, the fragments he knew about the events that had transpired started piecing together.


    ''''Elder Thomas would surely be happy about it. He might even take revenge for us! Come on, follow me. There is no way we should let Elsa encounter Jerome. That would surely cause a lot of trouble.''''


    As they moved forward, all of them were ecstatic and in high spirits.


    No matter where they went, there was still no sign of Elsa. The only thing they saw was several wounded disciples of the School of Arrow Skill lying on the road.


    From the several bodies lying on the ground, one caught their attention - a well-known cultiv


    anyone to argue about it at all.''''


    She could not bear to be there any longer, so she hurriedly turned around before anyone could see the tears falling on her beautiful face.


    ''''Okay okay. I will stop. Fiona, you should have said yes when I introduced Randy to you in the beginning. He is such a genius! And Darren? He is just a loser. Some good for nothing piece of crap! I don''t understand why you like him. He hasn''t even reached level three of the Spirit Realm! You deserve to be with someone way better than him, so don''t be sad anymore!


    Besides the Five Schools Competition will be held in only a few days. Then, you will be able to witness how Randy beats all the crap out of the disciples from the School of Sword Skill!


    There is not a single girl who wouldn''t envy you for choosing Randy over that guy!''''


    Darren shook his head resignedly as the voices faded in the distance.


    ''''Darren! That beautiful girl cried for you! So tell me, what exactly happened between you two?'''' Elsa teased, trying her best to hide the bitterness she was feeling inside.


    ''''She''s just a good friend. Nothing more, I swear.'''' Darren smiled slightly.

 Chapter 80 I Am Coming For Your Life (Part Two)

    ''''Humph!'''' Elsa sneered in frustration at Darren. Her pretty face turned a cute shade of red in her annoyance, making her look even more gorgeous than ever.


    ''''Paul, that''s him! That''s the guy who wounded many of us!''''


    Upon hearing this, several angry men rushed towards Darren to attack him.


    ''''Damn, a school of crap!'''' The leader of the men scolded them as he saw Darren and Elsa.


    ''''Paul, that''s Darren! He is the dirty bad guy who hurt many of our friends while you weren''t here. I''m so glad you came back!'''' someone said, pointing at Darren.


    ''''I don''t care what his name is. An insignificant ant like him is not worth any of my attention! Look at me, I have already reached level eight of the Spirit Realm! And you guys? I am so ashamed that you were all beaten by such a weak, crappy man!'''' said the man as he drew back his arrow.


    ''''Darren, let me deal with it this time.''''


    Elsa grasped Darren''s clothes to stop him. She had been in such a bad mood since she met Fiona, and this was a good chance to vent her frustration. What a great timing!


    Darren nodded.


    ''''Elsa? Seriously? You sure you want to get involved in this? Wake up and open your eyes, girl! It is Paul you''re dealing with. You won''t even be able to touch his clothes!'''' ''''Ha-ha, ha-ha!''''


    ''''Oh my gosh, that guy''s really going to let a girl fight for him. What a coward! Bah!''''


    Upon seeing what was happening, Paul retrieved his arrow and mocked disdainfully, ''''I won''t attack a woman, so now''s your chan...'''' BOOM!


    Paul was catapulted several feet from where he was standing before he could even finish his sarcastic remark.


    Elsa''s attack was so strong that with a simple pound, she was able to send Paul flying


    d. One thing he was sure of, though, was that he would lose very quickly if he ever had to fight Elsa.


    ''''Darren? What did you think of my attack? Did it reach half of your strength?'''' Withdrawing her sword, Elsa smiled and walked over to Darren.


    The rest of the people could only wonder at her words. ''Why would Elsa ask Darren that question? Isn''t she already powerful enough? What does she mean by that?''


    Darren didn''t answer directly, he just nodded and said, ''''Elsa, you hurt Paul. I don''t think the School of Arrow Skill would let it go easily. Why don''t we do something bigger?''''


    ''''Good idea!'''' Elsa understood what Darren meant immediately, as if they had a silent conversation with their minds.


    She turned around, fierce sword intent rushing forth from her body. Then, she uttered, ''''Jerome, I''m coming for your life!''''


    Her sweet and clear voice resounded in the air, shocking everyone present. How could someone who seemed so sweet even say something like that?


    ''Did Elsa just challenge Jerome? Does she really know what she is doing? This is all too crazy!'' thought the disciples who had heard what Elsa said.

 Chapter 81 Hiding Like A Coward

    The disciples on Arrow Mountain heard Elsa''s scolding voice. They clearly thought ill of it.


    One after another, disciples began to assemble on Arrow Mountain.


    "Which blind bastard dares to be so rude to Jerome?"


    "This fucking asshole is tired of living. Go and tell Jerome!"


    On the training ground of Arrow Mountain, Jerome was practicing his skill when the voice reached him. He shot an arrow at a training rock angrily and shattered it into pieces. Jerome grunted with irritation and went down.


    He was stopped by someone on his way there.


    "Don''t be hasty, Jerome. Didn''t you recognize the intense force of sword intent in the howl? That must be an incredibly strong master."


    "Sword intent? The disciple from Sword Mountain? Let me go, Gage. I will murder these Sword Mountain people, one by one! The bastards!" Jerome said madly. To hell with the sword intent thing!


    "Jerome, didn''t you hear me? The person has sword intent, and it''s more intense than Thomas''!"


    "What?" Jerome was filled with even more rage. He realized that he had been dizzy with madness upon hearing the howl. "Gage, who can be stronger than Thomas on Sword Mountain?"


    "Elsa!" Gage said, his face taut with anxiety.


    Jerome froze with astonishment. He found it hard to believe what he had heard.


    ...


    Elsa waited for a long while, but nobody turned up. She made a suggestion to the disciples of Sword Mountain as she walked towards them. "Rick, Jerome is hiding from us like a coward. Let''s continue cursing him until he comes out!"


    The disciples were surprised at Elsa''s boldness, but they dared not back out.


    Though Elsa had shown her strength, could she really rival a Mysterious Realm master like Jerome?


    "Elsa, I am proud of you now that you have grown so powerful. But as for Jerome..."


    "Rick, are you guys also cowards? Do as I say. Darren will back us up if I cannot win over Jerome!" Elsa spoke with confidence.


    The other disciples'' eyes widened at Elsa''s words. Darren? Was she saying that Darren was stronger than herself? How could that be possible?


    Rick inched close to Darren and asked politely, "Are you sure you can defeat Jerome?"


    "You must be kidding, Rick! I am a loser! How can I challenge a genius? Elsa is just pulling your leg," Darren said nonchalantly.


    Rick felt very awkward and anxious. Was Darren being sarcastic or telling the truth? What would happen to them if Darren was stronger than Elsa?


    He forced a smile. "Darren, we are brothers of the same school. Please accept my apologies. I would appreciate your generosity if... if you can forget about my offense in the past."


    "Do as Elsa says," Darren said simply, looking stra


    ill you. But you''re being reckless!"


    "No nonsense!"


    Darren did not care to listen to Gage Gu. He mobilized his Sword Core in the cinnabar field to an extreme speed. Soon Arrow Mountain had become shrouded in tremendous sword intent. He launched an attack in a flash, shouting angrily.


    Boundless sword shadows surged over the air. Darren dashed at full speed amidst the endless shadows and had reached Gage in a few seconds.


    Gage was filled with trepidation. "What a rapid and powerful sword intent!"


    As a master of the second level of the Mysterious Realm, Gaze soon composed himself and drew his bow to shoot another arrow.


    "Bang! Bang!"


    Hundreds of arrows of vital energy exploded in the sword shadows. But it was merely followed by silence, as if nothing happened.


    Gage stood there with his face pale and mind blank.


    "I can kill you with no difficulty." Darren landed on the ground and looked at Gage with contempt.


    Jerome, just having returned from the School of Blade Skill, could not help but tremble at the sight of the scene. His mouth flopped open and his limbs quivered, like a sack of useless flesh.


    "He defeated Gage. What is happening!?" He anxiously asked himself, "what should I do? What should I d--"


    "Jerome! Do you mean that Darren killed my son? I will smash you into pieces if you dare lie to me!"


    a strong, ruthless force surrounded Jerome all of a sudden. Someone had approached him from the back.


    "Elder Alan, it''s true. I saw with my own eyes when Darren killed Dalton. He and Elsa summoned thousands of demonic monsters from God knows where when I chased after them. So they managed to escape."


    "I will kill Darren before I interrogate you!"


    Alan growled, striding past Jerome and wordlessly throwing his fists at Darren.

 Chapter 82 Confrontation

    Standing in front of Gage with a cold look, Darren wondered why he had improved so much to defeat a cultivator at the second stage of Mysterious Realm so easily.


    Being merely at the eighth stage of Spirit Realm, it was shocking for Darren to be able to defeat Gage!


    While Darren contemplated, he sensed a huge pressure suddenly coming towards him.


    "Who is there?" Darren''s face paled. Immediately, he drew his sword and turned around. Seeing that the man looked too strong for him to bear, he instantly retreated.


    Still, it was too late. The punch caught him. It contained amazing strength and it got him with a blink of an eye.


    Bang!


    Darren was not able to avoid it at all and was thrown back. His ribs seemed to have been broken and blood gurgled from his mouth.


    Then, Darren fell to the ground through the numerous huge stone blocks. Getting down on one of his knees, he continued to vomit blood.


    "You actually did not die after being hit by my punch? How?" a tall figure came up to him and asked.


    Darren raised his head and his eyebrows furrowed tightly.


    "Elder Alan! May I know what I did to warrant such an attack from you? Why would someone from a high position such as yourself attempt to kill me? Aren''t you scared that the others would laugh at you?" Darren asked trying to sound as innocent as possible. His body ached so badly. In his mind, he wondered if Alan found out about what he did to Dalton. ''I am certainly dead this time if he did, '' Darren thought.


    Alan''s eyes suddenly became deep and bloodshot, which made him look older. Obviously, the death of his son was a heavy blow to him.


    Now, his eyes were filled with vengeance and fury. It was dreadful. He looked at Darren with animosity.


    "My son was murdered and he had several sword wounds. I found out that it was you who killed him. Now, you must pay for what you did!" Alan said through gritted teeth. His words were like daggers that struck Darren to the core.


    "Hah!" Darren laughed with disdain. "You seem to have lived for so many years in vain! You never use your head!"


    Hearing what Darren said enraged Alan even more. Just as he was about to hit him again to kill him, Darren spoke once again.


    "I really pity you for being fooled by someone like Jerome. Do you really think I can kill Dalton? Even if I could, how would I have escaped Jerome? Am I really that powerful or are you just that stupid? If you kill


    vil!" Elsa said adding to Darren''s story. She managed to muster a sad tone while tears ran down her cheeks.


    "Ah!"


    Alan bellowed as his eyes turned red with rage. "No matter what you say, I know that the three of you were all there when my son was killed. The killer must be among you! So, all of you must die!" he declared.


    "How bold you are!" A voice burst out suddenly. The elder of the School of Arrow Skill descended from the sky and stopped right in front of Jerome.


    "If you want to get in the way of my revenge for my son, then I am just going to have to kill you as well!" Alan roared. He almost sounded insane. It was most likely that Jerome was the killer so he decided that he would kill him no matter what.


    "Hmpf! Do you think I''m afraid of you, Alan? If you want to kill Jerome, then I hereby challenge you to a duel!"


    "If you insist, I would gladly kill you and your whole School of Arrow Skill! But before that, everyone suspected to have killed my son must die!!" he said. Then, he turned to Darren and Elsa and proceeded to attack.


    Hearing his words, Darren prepared himself for a tough fight. Inside his body, the Sword Core and Demon Core started to rotate.


    Then, a tremendous sword intent suddenly appeared. It was from Thomas.


    "Do you think you''re still as strong as you think you are, Alan? If you dare, then you can try to kill me as well!" Thomas stared at Alan harshly.


    "Okay, good. Now, that''s all of you! Looks like I''ll have to fight all of you to death,"


    Alan remarked. When he finished talking, he produced a powerful aura. A fierce fight was about to start.

 Chapter 83 The Leader Of The Ilmen Sect

    Halfway up the Arrow Mountain, the three strong cultivators released overbearing forces that made it difficult for the rest to breathe normally. The bones of the disciples with low cultivation bases who witnessed the commotion broke. The stronger ones hurriedly fled from the battlefield. They knew that once the fight began, it would be too late for them to escape.


    On the other hand, two old men stood on the top of a distant mountain observing what was going on in Arrow Mountain.


    "What do you think of this?" asked a thin, haggard old man with a grim expression.


    "The storm is on the way," the other old man sighed. "Wayne, which School do you think was responsible for Brad''s death?"


    He was the leader of Ilmen Sect who hadn''t shown himself in his sect in the past decade. Brad, the man he mentioned, was the Elder of the Discipline Cabinet, the Chief Elder of Ilmen Sect.


    "None among the Elders of five schools was a match for Brad. Even if three Elders worked together, they would not have been able to murder Brad without being discovered. I suspect that the murderer must be at the Wonder Realm!" Wayne replied. "There is only one person who can send out a Wonder Realm cultivator in our sect. I''m sure you know who he is," he added.


    Frowning, he continued, "But there is one thing I can''t figure out. Why did he want Brad dead? Wouldn''t it have been better to take us out instead?"


    The leader of the Ilmen Sect thought as he scrunched up his eyebrows. "There is only one explanation for that: the murderer has just entered the Wonder Realm. I have been training privately in the past ten years. He was probably unsure if I have reached the Wonder Realm. His purpose was to lure me in to show up," he said.


    "No wonder you haven''t taken any action yet. You did this to make them fear you so that they would not take the next step easily," Wayne observed.


    "But they will see through my plan sooner or later," the sect leader said with a sigh. "I guess they will make a move on the upcoming Five Schools Competition. On that day, all the members of our sect will be present. It would be a good chance for them. I''m just afraid that they might get more than one helper of Wonder Realm."


    "What do you think we should do? We can''t sit around and watch that bastard rebel," Wayne said.


    "I have no clue. But perhaps I can appear to stop their fight to scare that mysterious Wonder Realm cultivator."


    "Have you already reached the Wonder Realm? If you haven''t, then I wouldn''t advise you to meddle. Else, things m


    also fixed her eyes on Thomas nervously. ''He has never paid much attention to me. If he doesn''t stand up for Darren, I will disown him!'' she thought.


    Thomas walked towards Darren while keeping his eyes on him.


    "You''re really a useless troublemaker," Thomas grunted.


    Darren got angry and hurtful at his words.


    "Thomas, if you let me kill this brat, I will owe you a debt. This is a good deal for you," Alan said, laughing grimly.


    "Screw you! What do you take me for? Do you think we''re all shameless like you?"


    Thomas unexpectedly refused his proposal.


    "Despite his lack of talent, he is still my disciple. I will not watch you kill him," Thomas went on, narrowing his eyes at Alan.


    He looked back at Darren with a hint of fondness in his eyes. Then, he turned to his daughter who stood beside Darren and said, "Elsa, bring Darren to his place and let him rest. If anyone dares to hurt him, kill them!"


    Elsa was overjoyed with his response. She started to be curious about her father. ''What kind of person is he actually?'' she wondered.


    "You!" Alan was so irked that he almost spat a mouthful of blood.


    His eyes glinting with ferocity, he said, "What can you do to me if I take his life?"


    Then, he swung his blade and dashed towards Darren.


    "Alan! Thomas! Devin! What do you think you''re doing? Am I dead to you?" the sect leader said with anger in his voice as he appeared in front of them.


    He was so thin and weak. He looked as if even a child could bring him down. However, he gave off an intense authoritative aura which made other people shudder with fear.


    "Alan, it''s time to test his real strength," a voice of delight resounded in Alan''s head.

 Chapter 84 Try Out (Part One)

    "Sir!" Thomas, Devin, and Alan exclaimed in unison. Their rage gradually subsided as they recognized the presence of a powerful and honorable person.


    All three froze upon seeing the sect leader, as his vital energy penetrated the surroundings. None of them had expected the sect leader would come out of his solitude. The last time they saw him was ten years ago, and they thought they could never see him again. Nonetheless, it was still an honor for them to meet him again.


    "I watch three of you grow up, from disciples to sect elders. But what is going on here? No matter what happened, you didn''t have to battle it out like that," the aged man talked to them with his weak voice. The sect leader of the Ilmen Sect slowly walked to them with an intimidating demeanor. The three men were feared. Finally, the dispute among the three was over because of his sentiment.


    When Thomas and Devin Zhao saw the sect leader, they felt desolate and sorrow for him. Ten years ago, the sect leader was a heroic figure, but now he looked like an aged farmer. Time would bring everything away, and nobody could change that, even he was a sect leader. Was he still as powerful as before? Or did he get weaker?


    "We are so sorry that our battle interrupted your cultivation, Sir! We didn''t mean to do so. We just compared notes about martial arts. I''m sorry our discussion bothered you. Please forgive us, Sir," Thomas said reverently and frantically. Then he quickly walked forth and reached out his hands to hold the sect leader''s arm to help him stand. Thomas respected him sincerely, and he felt regret upon letting him witness the commotion among them. Their sect leader had witnessed their immaturity over the discussion.


    Little did they know, the sect leader was fully aware of everything, so he snorted and said, "You don''t have to lie to me, Thomas. I knew well what was going on." Then, the sect leader waved at Thomas to refuse his help, and continued, "Alan, I understand the pain you have suffered. Of c


    as happening.


    The next second, hundreds of giant palms fell from the sky all of a sudden. Under the pressure of the palms, the three cultivators of the Mysterious Realm were even hard to breathe.


    ''Raining Palms, Roiling Clouds. That''s an Omnipotent Talent Skill!'' An elder in black robe watched them from a mountain afar. He was shaking in shock at what he was currently witnessing. He squinted his eyes in deep thoughts.


    "He has reached the Wonder Realm! He has practiced martial arts for one hundred and eighty years, and now he even upgraded to the Wonder Realm. I guess that his cultivation is stronger than mine. We are getting in trouble. I need to ask my friend for help," the elder in black robe murmured anxiously. In an instant, he disappeared out of fear. Their plan backfired as they didn''t expect that Michael had reached Wonder Realm already. It was not included in their plan.


    The fight stopped at once, and all the three paled under the pressure of raining palms. They were overwhelmed by Michael''s skill.


    "You know how to stop now? Have you seen me as unworthy that you can''t listen to my command? Are you three powerful to defeat me? Then come and do so." Michael yelled at them with anger as he appeared again. Then he rose one hand and waved his wrist. In a flash, everything went back to peace as before.

 Chapter 85 Try Out (Part Two)

    "Sir! What just happened? You, you have reached the Wonder Realm already? That''s amazing!" Thomas reacted firstly. Achieving the Wonder Realm was too tough for sect elders like them.


    "Congratulations, Sir! That''s so great! You''ve made it!" the other two said in amusement. However, Michael seemed to neglect their praises and question as he was disappointed earlier when they didn''t obey him.


    "That was not what I wanted you to see. I wanted you to stop, so I had no resort but to use my power. Now, if you three ignored my words once more, you would only earn you severe punishment! Remember?" Michael said seriously and angrily. Then he turned back after scolding the three.


    The three knelt at once and answered simultaneously, "Yes, sir!"


    "All right now! You should leave. I will take care of this kid."


    "Yes, Sir!" Alan answered first and hid a smirk on his face. On the other hand, Alan had done the thing he planned and got the result. Besides, Darren was not his top one suspect for his son''s death. So he had no reason to stay here anymore.


    Full of killing intent, Alan shot a cold glare at Jerome. Then he jumped into the air, leaving away frustrated.


    Then the elder of the School of Arrow Skill left with Jerome. Thomas and Elsa, however, were still on the spot. They were hesitant to leave Darren.


    "Thomas, it''s time for you and your daughter to leave now. Your daughter has a great future. She is a talented cultivator. I can see it very well," Michael gently said and looked at Elsa with a satisfied smile.


    "Are you sure that you only need Darren, Sir? After all, he is my student..." Thomas respectfully opposed as he made a bow to Michael. He was only worried that Darren might do a mistake with Michael.


    "I know that, Thomas. You are the one I trust most. And I hope I can win the same t


    serving us in secret? There''s not a thing that he didn''t know.''


    Clouded with confusion, Darren badly wanted to ask Michael. But before Darren spoke out his doubt, Michael paled at once.


    "Ah!" Michael groaned in pain.


    Darren''s eyes widened as Michael spit out blood, all of a sudden.


    "Sir! What''s happening to you? Are you all right? Why..." Darren asked with worries and anxiety. As he reached out his hand to try to pat Michael''s back to comfort the elder, Michael stopped him.


    "Listen to me. To be honest, Darren, I haven''t reached the Wonder Realm. I just exerted the Omnipotent Talent Skill, but I have an internal injury because of that. It was a risky move, and I am aware of that already."


    Michael looked up and saw Darren''s doubtful look. He coughed a little and continued weakly, "You must wonder why I am telling you this and why did I bring you here."


    Before Michael spoke out the answer, Darren said first, "Sir, is this because of the cultivator of the Wonder Realm? The one that the School of Blade Skill invited here? I guess you have already known Alan''s plan. He wants to betray our sect, am I right?"


    As soon as Michael heard Darren''s answer, he stood up in shock and disbelief.

 Chapter 86 I Can Help You

    "Darren, how do you know that? Even I can''t be sure of that right now." Michael''s face was frozen in genuine surprise.


    Seeing the old man''s face of surprise, Darren smiled in return and told Michael about the situation¡ªhe had encountered several Mysterious Realm masters on his way back to the Ilmen Sect that day.


    With a sigh, Michael nodded. "The Wonder Realm master who is in the dark has Alan''s surname. I''m certain that the School of Blade Skill is going to revolt against the Ilmen Sect. It''s a shame that I''m too old and incompetent now. I haven''t even reached the Wonder Realm. I''m afraid I won''t be able to avoid the disaster."


    "Sir, you just delivered an earthshaking stroke just now. Is that really not a skill of the Wonder Realm?" Even Darren had felt the power of the stroke¡ªit was a truly powerful move.


    Michael''s withered body seemed rather weak as he coughed. With a ponderous shake of his head, he wryly said, "I forced myself to carry out my unfulfilled Omnipotent Talent Skill in the hopes of scaring him¡­it may buy some more time to find a solution. If that Wonder Realm master had meddled, the situation would''ve gone out of control. But I didn''t expect to do so much damage to myself by using the skill."


    It was clear to Darren how seriously wounded Michael was¡ªit was because of being discovered by the hidden Wonder Realm master that Michael struggled so much.


    "You''ve suffered a great deal¡­" Looking at Michael''s pale face, Darren couldn''t bear it.


    "Your Omnipotent Talent Skill has achieved the same results as the Avatar Skill in spite of the differences in the moves. If you reach a higher level, it will have earth-shattering power," Darren recalled the appalling palms in the sky.


    Hearing Darren''s words, Michael''s eyes brightened with approval. "You''re young, that''s true. But you''ve already earned a lot. I''ve only relayed the superficial part of the Avatar Rule. It is called Myriad Palm Shadows. Forget it. It''s too abstruse for your level of understanding."


    The force of the rule was really abstruse, anyway. Even Michael had to spend dozens of years comprehending just the slightest part of it¡ªhow could a mere juvenile understand?


    But Darren was not a normal juvenile, not in the slightest.


    "Avatar Rule? Sir, could you explain that to me in detail? Maybe I can help you enter the Wonder Realm."


    After Darren killed the flood dragon that day, he managed to obtain the "Demonic Blood Skill" inherited by the dragon lineage.


    Although he wasn''t able to fully comprehend the skill, he was certain that the silvery silk threads he


    ts and wit play much more important roles. I have much to learn," Darren returned humbly.


    "Well, that''s great." Michael concluded, "You''re neither conceited nor rash. That in itself is a rare talent. No more crap, then. Let''s begin."


    With a firm nod, Darren agreed. He then concentrated his mind and began connecting with the Omnipotent Talent Skill, "Blood Dragon Illusion."


    In a moment, the world made up of the silvery silk threads appeared in his mind once again, mingling and tangling so wildly that it made him dizzy.


    Beside him, Michael watched him closely without so much as a blink. Using his skill of communication, he tried to pry into Darren''s mind, digging for what he craved so deeply.


    As time passed, Darren felt as though his head was splitting into two. It seemed he could barely hold out anymore.


    "Ha¡­ I''ve almost connected with a thread¡­ come on¡­"


    In spite of the struggle, Darren did all he could to maintain his comprehension.


    "I''m almost there¡­ come on!"


    Gritting his teeth hard, he concentrated his mind on a single smooth, silvery, silk thread.


    ''Ow¡­ it hurts¡­'' Inwardly, Darren couldn''t help crying out.


    Beside him, Michael''s face swiftly changed. At one moment, he would frown and speak in a low voice. At another moment, he had his eyes closed, completely lost in thought. His forehead was drenched in sweat.


    ''You''ve suffered a lot, Darren. But you must hold out. I''m almost there, '' Michael said to himself.


    Before long, Darren''s face turned entirely pale as he pushed himself on the verge of collapsing.


    Suddenly, a roaring sound resounded in both of them.


    "I made it!"


    "I made it."


    The two simultaneously exclaimed, finally satisfied with the result.

 Chapter 87 Killing A Wonder Realm Cultivator (Part One)

    After the two men shouted at the same time, the leader of the Ilmen Sect suddenly rushed into the mid-air. Then his thin hand waved in the air, and verbose unparalleled palm shadows rose drastically. It was too impactful for the naked eyes.


    At the next moment, enormous spiritual energy like the heavenly fall poured down and covered Michael''s body. The ambiance was full of tension, enough to destroy the stagnancy of the place.


    A loud sounds came after. The sounds of the rumble lasted for a while, and the light of spirit shone on Michael''s body. His whole breath changed dramatically, and he seemed to have been apart from this mortal world. The elder was now becoming a deity-like creature.


    At last, he had attained the skill that he had been waiting for. It was not an easy catch, but all their efforts were fruitful. Michael exclaimed, "Ha-ha, look at this! I have finally achieved my Omnipotent Talent Skill, and succeeded in entering the Wonder Realm."


    At that time, Michael''s body also changed. His dry skin and muscle swelled up as the whole person looked decades younger. He was no longer an aged man.


    "Darren, how about you? Are you feeling all well?" Michael looked at Darren with concern. His success might have cost Darren much, so he couldn''t help but worry about him.


    Michael was relieved as Darren opened his eyes, which revealed a delightful joy. His expression indicated he was fine.


    "Congratulations, Sir, you have succeeded in entering the Wonder Realm, and I''ve also reaped a lot from it. It''s amazing."


    "Really? That''s good news! Tell me, what have you got?" Michael asked excitedly.


    Darren meditated for a moment to feel if he was correct with his intuition, and said, "I also comprehended the Avatar Rule and learned the Omnipotent Talent Skill. I can''t believe this."


    "What d


    iples who are still weak in their cultivation base. The elders will be in danger if we get outnumbered in the long run.


    The most important thing is that I don''t know how many Wonder Realm cultivators do they have now. Even if there is only one, I need to make some preparations to guarantee complete success. We must not rush things up." After he finished, he paced for a moment and then said, "Darren, I am afraid to tell you that killing off the mysterious Wonder Realm cultivator will eventually depend on you. I can sense it."


    Michael''s words shocked Darren, making him raise his eyebrows. It was a ridiculous thought for him.


    "Sir, why do you say that? That''s absurd. How can I possibly kill a Wonder Realm cultivator when there is a wide gap in the cultivation base between us? Besides, you can also trust in Elder Thomas. If you need help, you should find him first," Darren said abruptly.


    However, Michael shook his head. He smiled mysteriously and said, "If you let him do it, he will surely die in the face of a Wonder Realm cultivator. You are the only one who can do it. Before the Five Schools Competition, I will make full preparation, and then you will know everything why did I say these.

 Chapter 88 Killing A Wonder Realm Cultivator (Part Two)

    Well, Darren, you can leave now, so as not to let the little girl worry about you," Michael smiled faintly to drop the discussion.


    Darren had a lot of doubts in his mind, but it was time to go to find Elsa and tell her about his safety. He didn''t want to make her worry anymore.


    "Then, I shall have to make a move. Bye, Sir," he said and knelt. Darren did not inquire about that anymore as he guessed that he would know everything when the time arrived. His curiosity might worsen Michael''s plan.


    "Well, I''ll take you out then. Remember, Darren, that you must not expose your real strength in public before that day. Tell Elsa to hide her strength as well, so as not to be found out by our enemies. It''s for your safety," Michael ordered him as a warning. Darren might have leveled up his strength, but it came with worse danger.


    "Sir, you could see through my true strength before, I am afraid that the secret Wonder Realm cultivator can also figure it out." Darren just recalled that Michael knew that he had condensed the Sword Core with a glance at him before. His true strength had been discovered immediately by him.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. Your skill to hide your exact cultivation base is so exquisite. I have a treasure handed down by my ancestors, and only by combining it with my martial art skill could I connect your mind and know your real cultivation base. I can affirm that the Wonder Realm cultivator of the Mo Clan doesn''t have such a capability like mine. Don''t worry."


    Darren felt relieved and sighed. Good thing was that he had the skill to hide his ability.


    After that, Michael waved his hand and sent Darren away with the secret method handed down by his ances


    s so terrifying that all his disciples ran away in a short time.


    Then, he approached Darren with a cold stare. Thomas was criticizing his state, and he couldn''t believe he came back unscratched.


    "With some skills, you dare to challenge the whole world. You must have been skillful enough to do so. If you keep finding trouble for yourself, sooner or later, you''ll die in someone''s hands. Care about yourself then." Thomas scolded with full sarcasm.


    Darren only laughed bitterly and shook his head, but did not speak anything. He decided to not fret about Thomas'' sentiments.


    "Darren, don''t mind him. Let''s leave him alone," Elsa intruded. Elsa gazed at Thomas angrily and dragged Darren away.


    "You!" Thomas was so angry that his eyes were bulging. He just wanted to yell at them, but he saw that their figures had disappeared already. What Thomas could do was to punch the air aggressively.


    "Alas! Those tactless kids!" A moment later, his eyes went soft. He sighed softly, "Why am I so stubborn? Why couldn''t I treat him better? I wanted to praise him with a few words actually. My character is troublesome. How annoying."

 Chapter 89 A Rainstorm Was Approaching

    Time had gone by fast. Only five days later, it was already the beginning of the Five Schools Competition in the Ilmen Sect.


    Early in the morning, the square of the sect was soon crowded with people¡ªboth sect disciples and elders gathered in the area.


    Even Darren and Elsa arrived at the square early. But Darren was rather restless¡ªit was doomed to be a restless day.


    "Darren, although the skill you and Elsa obtained can only be used once, I have no doubt that you will shine on this stage today," Cody noted. The disciples surrounding Darren and Elsa all belonged to the School of Sword Skill, including Cody. After he heard about what happened to Darren, he looked forward to his performance in the competition.


    Shaking his head, Darren said, "Cody, I won''t be taking part in the competition this time."


    "What? Why not?" Cody asked, puzzled¡ªhe had no clue what was about to unfold. But Darren had to discuss the big plan with Michael immediately. To him, there was no point in participating in the competition.


    "I don''t want to join. It''s meaningless," Darren answered, gently but firmly.


    "You''re strange. Everyone''s out there, scratching their heads, preparing to outdo themselves in this competition¡ªsome are even excited for a chance to attract the attention of the beauties in the audience. Yet, you don''t even care to participate," Cody chuckled. "I really don''t understand you."


    "Cody, with your strength, you surely can get some beautiful women to scream and cheer for you. Come on," Elsa teased, standing aside.


    As they chatted lightheartedly, a group of people headed toward the area where the disciples of the School of Sword Skill stood.


    "You''re Darren?"


    The speaker was a handsome young man whom Darren had never seen before.


    "Yes, that''s me. Can I help you?" he asked, rather indifferently.


    "Ha¡­" Suddenly, the young man''s handsome face twisted into something cold as he grinned maliciously. Stretching out his tongue, he gave the spear in his hand a long lick. "No¡­I just came to remind you that my divine spear is interested in your blood."


    With that, he fixed his eyes on Darren with the tip of his spear pointed at Darren''s neck. Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving everyone confused.


    "That was Randy. He''s said to be one of the two most mysterious geniuses of the Ilmen Sect. He hardly ever shows his face. Six months ago, though, I heard that he stabbed someone to death¡ªsome genius at the Mysterious Realm of the other


    e crowd with the beaten woman.


    "Well¡­ it''s no surprise that she deliberately wants to cause trouble because of love and hatred." Elsa gave Darren a look.


    "It''s because of you." Daren shook his head. The phrase made Elsa''s heart begin to race until it was going a mile a minute.


    Still, she managed to keep her face looking innocent. "Did I do anything wrong?"


    "Of course not. It''s because I like you. Well¡­ I''m sorry for Fiona."


    After hearing the agreeable answer, Elsa grabbed Darren''s arm and hummed softly as they walked together.


    After waiting for about an hour in the square, the Five Schools Competition officially started.


    The rules of the competition were rather simple.


    Every disciple who participated in the battle could challenge freely. No fewer than 30 people from each school could participate.


    With Darren''s present strength, he was never interested in participating in the competition. It was Michael who told him not to expose his true strength so he could avoid taking part in it. At the beginning of the competition, he received a secret notice from Michael and visited the bamboo house.


    In several arenas, the disciples of all schools began fighting without noticing that danger was on its way. That day was doomed to be a bloody day still, as there were over ten cultivators who were in the seventh, eighth, or ninth stage of Mysterious Realm in the crowd already.


    Outside the mountains, an old man, clad in black, smiled rather wickedly. "This will be the first time I kill a master at the same realm as me after I reached the Wonder Realm, ha-ha."


    Suddenly, clouds gathered in the sky, signaling a rainstorm was approaching.

 Chapter 90 Two Masters At The Wonder Realm

    Inside the bamboo cabin, Darren sat opposite the other two people.


    "Sir, is he the super genius you were telling me about? He looks so young, but young people always turn out to be legends." The old man studied Darren for a while, satisfaction slowly building up in his eyes.


    "Yes, he is." Michael nodded with a smile. He was disguised as a weak and old man who had one foot in the grave with a secret skill. Then he continued, "Wayne, did you bring the items? Give them all to Darren."


    After Michael finished his words, the old man put on a serious face. He carefully brought out the items and placed them in front of Darren.


    "Mr. Wan, what are these? Why do I sense a strange aura from them?" Inspecting the things in front of him, Darren felt that they were very extraordinary. "Would these be able to help me kill the cultivator at the Wonder Realm?"


    "These things are the products of my efforts and wit. Whether the Ilmen Sect could get through the calamity or not is up to you, Darren," The old man named Wayne Wan said.


    Darren examined the things carefully. He saw that there were weird runes on them and that these runes were similar to the runes in the cave in which he hid from fiends. But the aura emitted by these runes was less powerful than the ones carved on the cave.


    "Sir, were these things refined by you?" Darren asked in curiosity.


    "Ha-ha. Darren, you probably have never heard of rule cultivators. They are a minority, but Wayne is one of them. Of course, these things were refined by him," Michael said with a smile.


    "Rule cultivators? Sir, I have never heard of them. Two sheets of paper with weird runes on them and an armor, are you sure these could make me help you kill the master at the Wonder Realm? Are the things refined by rule cultivators that powerful?" Darren asked with doubt in his voice as he pointed at the three treasures.


    "Darren, rule cultivators were more powerful than martial artists during the ancient times. But they have declined as the world changed. Although I''m a rule cultivator, I don''t know much about them and their history. If you get the opportunity to access the mysterious group, you would probably learn more about them," Wayne said.


    "Well, I will teach you how to use the three treasures, and he will remind you of some details that you need to pay attention to. Then, we''ll go to the training ground," he continued.


    ...


    On the training ground, disciples fought furiously on battle platforms. The competition among the five schools had become scorching hot.


    "Bang!"


    A disciple of the School of Sword Skill was thrown out of the battle platform, but his rival rushed over him and stomped on his body instead of stopping the fight.


    "Humph, the disci


    ples couldn''t help but cry in despair.


    "You called us here just to destroy a small sect? The young master also came with me on a whim. But you just cast a chill over us!"


    A middle-aged man in luxurious clothes, who was one of the three figures, complained to another old man in black robes.


    "Simon, young master." The old man robed in black cupped his hands as a gesture of respect and explained, "Young master, a cultivator at the Wonder Realm is in the small sect. To avoid unexpected situations, I invited Simon to help. I have never imagined that you would come here. It''s a great honor, and I wouldn''t dare displease you."


    Actually, the old man in black was glad to see his young master, because it was considered as a crime to leave the Holy Land without permission and ruin a sect. But if the young master was involved in this, he needn''t worry about the punishment. ''Thanks to young master''s curiosity!'' he thought to himself.


    "Old bastard, why don''t you show up and give your position to me? So I can ask my grand uncle to let you die in one piece!" Alan shouted towards the direction of the main peak.


    Swiftly, an old and slim figure flew over through the air as if his one step covered up to a thousand miles. It was Michael, the head of the Ilmen Sect.


    "Alan, you needn''t rebel. If you''re determined to be the head of the sect, I will give the title to you. You needn''t pick such a big fight," Michael said slowly. Noticing how powerful the three figures standing opposite him were, he couldn''t keep calm as he was before.


    Two masters at the Wonder Realm and a master at the top stage of the Mysterious Realm!


    At the same time, Darren quietly went into the crowd. Seeing two masters at the Wonder Realm stand on the platform, Darren''s heart missed a beat. The situation was adverse to Ilmen Sect.

 Chapter 91 Rebellion Began (Part One)

    Alan walked to Michael''s side, and patted his face in a condescending manner.


    "Old man, do you feel afraid now? You should be. But you know that, don''t you? It doesn''t look like you''re an idiot. From this moment on, I am the new head of the Ilmen Sect. All the cultivation resources of your sect belong to me now. I no longer need your permission," he said, cruelly laughing out loud.


    He turned around to face the rest of the people and announced loudly, "Listen up, all of you. Today is a big day. I''m the new Sect Leader. You have two choices: either you surrender now, or you die.


    First of all, I''d like to announce some big news.


    The people of the School of Sword Skill will be sentenced to death, so will everyone from the School of Arrow Skill. The disciples from the rest schools will be slaves to my people from the School of Blade Skill. Am I making myself clear to you?"


    After Alan''s declaration, the place became filled with pleas and cries in an instant.


    "Oh my gosh. What should I do? I cannot die or be a slave! I still have to take care of my parents," one said in a panic before breaking out sobbing.


    "Elder Alan, please let me go home. I don''t plan on joining any of you."


    The training ground was thrown into a turmoil.


    "Long live our great leader!"


    The disciples of the School of Blade Skill exclaimed cheerfully. Now that Alan was taking charge of the Ilmen Sect, they could do anything they wanted.


    In order to show their new power, some of them walked to the crying disciples and beheaded them with their sabers just because they wanted to.


    "You son of a bitch. Our master has just become the new Sect Leader, and you have the audacity to say that you want to go home? How dare yo


    his grand uncle would stand up for him, but it turned out that he was on young master''s side.


    "What are you waiting for? Get on your knees and apologize, you loser," Moore Mo demanded brashly.


    The next second, an enormous internal force Moore had unleashed came at Alan and forced him to get down on his knees. Alan knew that if he did not make an apology, he was the one who was going to be killed. He was shocked. It was until now that he realized how weak he was compared to the Wonder Realm cultivators and the young master.


    Terrified as he was, he pulled himself together instantly. He quickly lowered his head, and said sincerely, "I''m sorry, sir. Please forgive me for my rudeness."


    The young master laughed out loud cruelly and responded, "Fine, I''ll spare you this time. Just remember one thing: you are nothing to me."


    In spite of the situation they were in, the people present still felt glad to see the young man insult Alan that way.


    "Alan, do you believe in karma? Never in a million years did I expect that I would ever see you kneel before someone like this. Ha-ha!" ridiculed a middle-aged man with a spear on his back.

 Chapter 92 Rebellion Began (Part Two)

    The man who ridiculed him was Clark, the Elder of the School of Spear Skill.


    Alan could do nothing but grit his teeth so that he could stop himself from speaking. He initially thought that today would be a good day. However, things didn''t go as he had imagined. Somehow, he even ended up being insulted like this.


    "You, come over here." One Wonder Realm cultivator grabbed Darren by the arm and dragged him onto the battle ring following young master''s order.


    Darren stood on the stage, calculating what to do next.


    ''The Sect Leader asked me to take out a Wonder Realm master with some special skills. But right now there are two Wonder Realm experts here. He hasn''t taken any actions yet, so I can''t act recklessly.''


    Darren controlled his anger while he was waiting for Michael''s instruction. He didn''t want to mess up Michael''s plan.


    "Who wants to challenge him? Anyone who defeats him will be my servant," The young man said loudly.


    He waited for a few moments, but no one volunteered to battle Darren.


    Creasing his eyebrows, he stretched out his hand and attacked several disciples. In an instant, the poor victims turned to ashes. With a vicious expression on his face, he said menacingly, "If no one fights him, I will kill all of you. Ha-ha. If you haven''t noticed by now, I enjoy killing."


    "Sir, I''m Randy Mu. I''m ready to battle him!"


    Randy took a leap and positioned himself in front of Darren.


    "Bastard, get your ass out of there!"


    Clark scolded furiously as he recognized his disciple.


    "Elder Clark, cool down. These masters are in charge here now. You''re in no position to lecture me. After I''ve slain this brat, I will be his squire. When that happens, you w


    s such a violent, formidable sword intent.''


    "This is interesting. There is a genius in a sect as small as this one. He''s like a diamond in the rough, and I''m going to wipe him out myself!" The young man murmured with a smile.


    He stretched out his palm to hit Darren.


    Things were getting out of control. Michael had planned to observe for a while before making a move. But now, enough was enough. Upon noticing that Darren was in trouble, he rushed towards his side without any hesitation.


    "How dare you make a move against Darren, you brat? I will send you to your Creator!" Michael bellowed with a terrifying gleam in his eyes.


    All of a sudden, dark clouds encompassed the whole sky.


    Making things even more terrifying, the training ground started to shake violently.


    "This is not good. The Wonder Realm cultivator is about to attack young master. We have to protect him at all costs!"


    The other two Wonder Realm cultivators exclaimed upon realizing that Michael was about to hit their young master. Each of them released a terrifyingly powerful aura to combat Michael and closed in on him as fast as they could.

 Chapter 93 The Right Time (Part One)

    A tense fight was approaching.


    The young man stopped halfway in his advancement. He could sense that the growing energy force ahead would smother him.


    He was just a cultivator at the top stage of the Mysterious Realm, same as Elder Thomas. How could he take on a cultivator of the Wonder Realm? At this very moment, the two cultivators of the Wonder Realm in his team rushed forward and activated their vital energy, pushing back against the opposing force. Otherwise, the young man would have suffocated under its weight.


    The two energies collided. The powerful impact between the two sides sent shockwaves across the arena. It was still too much for the young man to withstand. He took several wobbling steps backward to maintain his balance against the force, but the impact had injured him, and blood spilled from his mouth.


    Meanwhile, the two cultivators of the Wonder Realm continued to fight Michael.


    "We have underestimated his cultivation base," said the first cultivator. "I can''t believe he is this strong even though he is just at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm."


    The two cultivators were awestruck to find that despite their shared efforts, the clash against Michael ended in a tie. But they had intended to use their first bout only as a test to see the level of Michael''s cultivation base. They had yet to exert all of their vital energy.


    Darren, who had been standing beside the arena, retreated several steps as well. Part of his cultivation base had been revealed, but he did not show his trump card. He was waiting for the right moment now. He would assist Michael to fight against the two cultivators when the time was right, but it was still risky to do so now.


    "Darren, are you all right?" Elsa asked with concern in her brows, as she took his arm to help keep him from falling backward. However, she too was fee


    rgy as possible while he waited for Darren to make his move. Michael was confident about Darren abilities. After all, Darren had his secret weapon that his opponents could not foresee.


    The sky thundered.


    Another lightning strike split the dark sky, covering the entirety of Ilmen Sect in a flash of bright light.


    The earth shook as Michael''s and Moore''s attacks came against each other.


    "Not bad, old man! I guess you really wish to meet my blade."


    Moore was losing patience. Neither of them had an advantage during the fight, and both were suffering from internal injuries.


    "Ha-ha! Moore is going to exert the Omnipotent Talent Skill. The old bastard will be in trouble now," Simon said to himself.


    In a flash, Moore''s vital energy surged. The next second, a great blade made of lightning and fire appeared from the rolling clouds above. Everyone in the vicinity could feel the invincible power of the great blade in the sky.


    "Lucky for you, old man. Feel honored to witness my Omnipotent Talent Skill! This move is doubly powerful! It''ll kill you twice! Ha-ha!"


    "Impressive! The Omnipotent Talent Skill Moore has mastered is the Thunder Firing Blade Intent." Simon was surprised to see the great blade as well.

 Chapter 94 The Right Time (Part Two)

    "Big deal! You think only you have an Omnipotent Talent Skill, right?" Michael sneered. Then Michael released his vital energy as he reached a hand over his head. A moment later, thousands of palm-shaped forces dropped from the sky.


    "Myriad Palm Shadows! Attack!"


    "Thunder Firing Blade Intent!"


    Michael and Moore, two cultivators of the Wonder Realm, exerted their Omnipotent Talent Skills at the same time.


    In the face of the god-like forces coming together between Michael and Moore, the bystanders watched with bulging eyes and breaths held in their chests.


    "Gods bless us! Bless Master Michael to win this fight! Otherwise, we would die here today."


    Many of disciples began praying to the gods for help.


    "Get ready, Darren!" Wayne whispered to Darren. "This round will consume half of Moore''s energy. It''s all about the timing."


    Darren observed for a while and shook his head, speechless. Wayne didn''t know what he meant by that.


    "What''s that look? Opportunity knocks. Don''t miss your chance, Darren!" Wayne said anxiously.


    "No, it''s not the right time yet. The force will throw me to the ground before I can get close. Then I will have no chance to approach them." Darren calmly explained to Wayne. A choice made hastily would only cost them everything. Darren told himself to be patient and keep calm while he waited for the right moment.


    "Okay, I trust your decision!" Wayne decided to put all of his trust in Darren when he saw the determination sparkling in the young man''s eyes.


    Darren walked to Elsa and took out a rune paper from his pocket. He handed it to her and said, "Elsa, this is what Mr. Wan gave to me as a gift. And now I want you to take it."


    "No! I can''t t


    ortunity. He activated his Myriad Palm Shadows again. In a flash, thousands of palms flew toward Moore.


    "Fuck! You old bastard! Don''t you know how close to death you will be after you exert this skill?" Moore yelled at Michael with a shock and horror. He had never expected Michael would launch such an attack now that both of their energies were so depleted.


    But Moore had no choice but to counter Michael''s attack. Otherwise, death was a foregone conclusion.


    He jumped up and grasped the great blade in the sky. He held it there and waved it in a circular motion, drawing its energies. Thousands of blade-shaped forces flew from it, targeting Michael''s approaching palms. Then Moore retreated at once.


    "Good for you, Moore! You cunning guy! Fight against his Omnipotent Talent Skill with your supernatural martial kill in order to save your energy to run away! Well done! It''ll be easy to kill the old bastard now," Simon marveled, nodding with giddiness.


    "Now. The time has come." Darren murmured and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, bright rays of light shot from his eyes and a rune paper appeared in his hand.

 Chapter 95 A Thousand-fold Sword Intent

    Darren concentrated hard. Using his mind, he dripped a small amount of blood essence onto the rune-covered paper, which immediately burned up.


    "Wow, what a wonderful feeling!"


    The next moment, his figure suddenly rushed to the masters of the Wonder Realm in the sky.


    "What? It''s Darren! Has he lost his mind? He''s rushing to those masters!" someone cried out in surprise, noticing his movements.


    "Darren is rushing to those masters at the Wonder Realm! I can''t believe it! What the hell is he doing? He''s freaking out!"


    The people who were standing around Darren''s original position also began screaming.


    Even Elsa turned pale with fear. She didn''t know why Darren had suddenly flown into the sky without warning.


    "Father, stop Darren. Please," Elsa begged Thomas, worried tears pooling in her eyes.


    "Goddamn it!" Thomas felt angry at Darren. "He gets in trouble every time. Alas! How many sins have I committed? Why did I get such a troublemaker as a disciple! He''s causing trouble at such a critical time!"


    Thomas grumbled as his momentum surged up. He was trying to fly over to stop Darren.


    "Well, I wouldn''t have tried to save him¡­ but I''m afraid he''ll get in our leader''s way." "Dad, come on! Stop complaining, and stop him now," Elsa begged Thomas, her voice cracking.


    "Shut up!" Wayne suddenly shouted sternly. His roar made everyone stand still.


    "It''s up to Darren to kill the cultivators at the Wonder Realm." Wayne''s whisper reached their ears like a thunderclap before the crowd could recover from their pause.


    On the other side of the battle ring, Alan and the young man looked up into the sky, bursting into laughter as they saw what Darren was doing.


    "This boy must be a fool. How dare he rush at the cultivators of the Wonder Realm! How ridiculous!" Of course, Darren''s actions didn''t escape one of the two cultivators at the Wonder Realm.


    However, like everyone else, he thought the boy was on a suicide mission and couldn''t be bothered to care.


    But Moore was completely unaware of Darren''s arrival.


    In a flash, Darren appeared next to him.


    "Huh? Where did the boy come from?" Moore finally noticed him, but he was trying to hide from Michael''s Omnipotent Talent Skill and didn''t care about some no-name cultivator.


    Darren channeled the power of his mind, and a wonderful sword with a purple glow suddenly appeared in his hand!


    At the same time, the rune paper in his other hand began to glow strangely.


    Close to the battlefield where those cultivators at the Wonder Realm were, Darren felt the pressure gro


    ith relief.


    "Darren''s not dead. He''s alive!"


    Exclamations of joy rose from one to another. Soon, the loud cheers had grown deafening.


    "Go get Master Michael!" Darren shouted at once.


    Hearing his words, Clark immediately ran to the place where Michael fell, and picked up the emaciated cultivator.


    "He is badly injured." Clark shed silent tears at the sight of Michael, wiping them away with his sleeve.


    "It''s not time to celebrate yet." Wayne looked gravely up into the sky. There was still a cultivator at the Wonder Realm, after all.


    Everyone came to the realization that Darren had killed only one cultivator at the Wonder Realm. Now that Michael was seriously injured, no one had any idea about what to do next.


    "A genius! You''re an amazing genius, young man." The enemy''s voice rang out like a great bell.


    "It''s enough to shock the world for you, a cultivator at the Spirit Realm, to kill a cultivator at the Wonder Realm even if you used the power of a rule cultivator. Rest in peace, Moore. Your death has created a legend, and I will be the one to kill it. Ha-ha-ha!"


    The ominous clouds still hung over the sky, and gloom set back into everyone''s heart. "Mr. Wan, this rune can be used one more time, right?" Darren asked quietly, frowning.


    "Yes. This rune can be used twice, but Darren, even if you raise your sword intent a thousand times, you will be killed by the cultivator at the Wonder Realm in his prime. Run away, and hope you get the chance to avenge the dead someday," Wayne sighed helplessly.


    "No, I still have a way to kill him¡­ If only someone can distract him a little!"


    Darren''s words once again shocked everyone, sparking a glimmer of hope in their hearts.

 Chapter 96 Blood Dragon Phantom (Part One)

    Several Elders gaped at Darren. They dared not believe his words, nor did they dare to deny him outright. Darren was like a divine miracle that they could not deny nor give up.


    "Darren, what are your odds of success if we go and distract him?"


    The Elder of the School of Spear Skill stepped forward and asked Darren in a solemn voice.


    "Elder Clark, you will put yourself in jeopardy if you try to distract him, you may even die. Please think twice,"


    Darren said. Everyone knew in the bottom of their hearts that tangling with a Wonder Realm master was to bring about one''s own destruction.


    "Ha ha ha, a true man should live his life with an indomitable spirit. Why should I feel frightened if I can die with honor and dignity? I am not afraid of dying. I am happy to see a genius like you before my end," Clark said in a rich and powerful tone, causing several disciples from the School of Spear Skill to kneel down in silence as tears fell from their cheeks.


    "You are a hero, Elder Clark. My odds are over fifty percent if you can break his attention from me!" With the help of Wayne''s rune, Darren was quite confident he could succeed.


    "Fifty percent?" It was clear on their faces that Wayne and several Elders did not believe Darren''s words, though they kept their silence.


    "If Darren says he is confident in defeating Simon, then I believe him wholeheartedly. Count me in on this plan!" Thomas waved his sleeve and unsheathed his long sword with a flourish.


    Then, he turned to Darren and said, "I was mistaken about you before and I apologize for my actions towards you in the past. Promise me that you will take good care of Elsa if you two make it out alive. As her father, I feel that I have failed her."


    As Thomas''s voice broke off, tears coursed down Elsa''s cheeks as she felt the emotion in


    Seeing Simon was indifferent to his words, the man knelt and put his head to the ground like a chicken pecking a rice grain.


    "You wish for me to obey your commands? Will I still have my pride then?" Simon gave an excited laugh and clamped his palm over the disciple''s face. He brought his fingers together slowly, the force cracked and contorted the disciple''s face, just destroying his jaw.


    "Good, Simon. You did well! Now break Darren''s arms and legs. Remember not to kill him instantly! Ha ha ha." The young master was quite satisfied with Simon''s act.


    "Lad, you really astonished me." Then Simon walked to Darren and said, "You are a genius that could be hardly seen in five hundred years among martial artists. It''s quite a pity to kill you. But it''s a world where strength and power dominate everything. You have offended our young master and thus your death is deserved."


    Darren kept his composure and said coldly, "You are an embarrassment. I''ve never seen someone proud of slaughtering warriors beneath them for the fun of it. As a Wonder Realm master, aren''t you ashamed of yourself? You indeed are an arrogant bastard, but don''t let it get to your head. For me, you are even worse than filth!"

 Chapter 97 Blood Dragon Phantom (Part Two)

    "Hmmm, you are more arrogant than me, little insect! Soon you will know your folly to have come into this world," Simon said in a fury.


    As his words left him, his figure flashed like a line making shapes in the Shield Dome. In the blink of an eye, dozens of disciples had lost their limbs. Cleaved arms and legs covered the Shield Dome like a slaughterhouse.


    "How''s it going? You must be furious to see your fellow disciples mangled like slaughtered sheep. Do you feel useless?" Simon said, his taunt in his voice. "You are still wet behind the ears, little warrior. Your little girlfriend is exceedingly beautiful. I wonder if you will still like her when her face is torn and her legs broken?"


    Simon now stepped toward Elsa.


    Panic shot through Darren''s heart. His breath expanded violently before Simon could make his move.


    "Fuck you!" Darren gave a loud shout and shot toward Simon like an arrow.


    Darren had not yet used his last resort. He only wished to prevent Simon from harming Elsa.


    Bang!


    Darren was hit by Simon''s palm and flew backward. "Save me, Elsa!" Darren called out as he was pushed back.


    Suppressed by Simon''s aura of death, Elsa was dumbfounded and could not move an inch. She did not regain her composure until she heard Darren''s voice and saw his body being thrown by Simon''s blow. Without hesitation, she placed a drop of blood essence on the rune paper Darren gave her before and triggered its effect.


    In an instant, Elsa''s figure faded away with the glint of the rune paper.


    "Hmm? You want to escape?" Simon found something was wrong and delivered his palm into Elsa''s torso.


    A stream of blood spurted from Elsa''s fading figure before she could vanish completely.


    "Darren¡­ " Only now did Elsa realize that Darren was saving her. What he had told her before was a lie. The rune paper


    eyond his cognition. How could a Spirit Realm juvenile possess an Omnipotent Talent Skill? It was too incredible to believe.


    It meant two Darrens and two thousand-fold sword intent!


    "Omnipotent Talent Skill, Void Divine Fist!" Now, Simon finally felt the deadly threat from Darren''s wild sword intent. He immediately carried out his own Omnipotent Talent Skill after repelling another Elder.


    His strength at the Wonder Realm was carried out to its fullest extent, causing a rumbling that echoed between heaven and earth like tens of thousands of demonic monsters were galloping.


    "Young master, I will have to kill him under such circumstances. There is no holding back now," Simon said silently, as a colossal fist shot against Darren like it had descended from the depths of hell.


    Without any fear, Darren gave a devious smile and gently uttered a single word, "Mingle!"


    This was the second stage of the Blood Dragon Phantom.


    The two figures of Darren joined together in a flash as the blood essence inside both Darrens burnt wildly.


    The newly combined Darren now contained double the two thousand-fold sword intent.


    "Four thousand-fold sword intent! Die!" Darren shouted, his face twisted by rage.

 Chapter 98 The Talent Roll

    The wind howled and the thunder roared. The intense sword intent from the fight tore everything apart as easily as crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood.


    The crowd on the ground looked up at the young man. He had become a legend.


    "That is Darren..."


    "The genius of this world, at least within our range of cognition."


    "Just look at him. Looks like God played favorites and showered him with blessings. How dazzling!"


    Murmuring sounds dissipated in the wind.


    Above the sky, Simon''s Void Divine Fist was smashed into pieces. All of a sudden, his pupils dilated and darkened. His body disappeared into thin air as if it had never existed, as if he were merely sand blown away by the wind, and just like that, he was gone.


    The crowd went mute for a while. Then they roared loudly in sorrow and rage.


    They screamed at Darren like a roaring ocean with a wild current.


    Darren instantly fell from above the moment his sword intent vanished. His face was as pale as a sheet, and grey film covered his eyes. At the sight of his face, the crowd''s cheers turned into worry and fear.


    Everyone could see that he was clearly on the brink of death. He had consumed all his blood essence after he was injured seriously, and now it seemed like there was nothing anyone could do.


    The crowd ran to catch him when they saw his figure falling.


    The people could not help but sob at the sight of his pale face. He was their savior, the legendary figure they knew, and there was a big chance they might lose him.


    "No, please, please do not die..."


    Everyone prayed from the bottom of their hearts.


    "Take me to him," Michael moved his dry mouth and said to Wayne softly.


    Michael''s tears trickled down his cheek when he cast his eyes upon Darren and saw what he looked like.


    "Let us try to save his life, Wayne." Michael pleaded in a very weak voice.


    "I will do my best to save his life even if you do not demand it. You and I have known each other for life and I would like for us to continue our brotherhood in the Netherworld."


    The two old men stopped moaning and smiled at each other, "To die for the unparalleled genius is to die a worthy death."


    "Burn! Burn our corrupted bodies into the spring of life to the boy''s rescue!"


    Runes flashed, one after another, as Wayne muttered his words. A green flame full of the energy of life came out of the old men''s bodies and into Darren''s body.


    Darren''s cheeks gradually became rosy as the two old men''s bodies faded into ashes. His broken body recovered quickly and a beam of light once again shone at the deep darkness in his soul.


    He had come back from the brink of death.


    But by then, the two old men had vanished completely. They had traded their lives f


    his. His words solidified his decision. He was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it.


    "Whoosh!"


    The young man''s head fell on the ground as Darren''s sword slashed at his head with a whistling sound.


    "Whoever sets the value of human life at naught should die, even the son of the god."


    "Thank God he killed that beast!""


    Warm applause rose from the crowd.


    "It is your turn now, Alan." Darren continued in a calmly terrifying tone.


    "Ha-ha! I have nothing to live for anymore. I don''t care if you kill me!" Alan howled with laughter.


    "There is no quick death for somebody like you. There is no way I am giving you the easy way out. Now, let me tell you something."


    Darren approached Alan and whispered to his ear.


    Alan stopped laughing immediately. His face became a mixture of anguish and anger.


    "You! It was you!" He was so heartbroken upon hearing Darren''s revelation that his fingers trembled from the pain.


    "He deserved it." Darren swung his sword and cut off Alan''s meridians, depriving all of his cultivation base.


    "Why don''t you just kill him, Darren?" The audience glared at Alan with intense hatred.


    "Trust me. It would be more painful for him to live like this. This is the rightful punishment for such a villain." Darren turned his back from Alan.


    Alan huddled on the ground. The saliva drained from his mouth and tears trickled down on his face. He hoped that he had never lived.


    The crisis was over at last.


    "What an extraordinary young man! I would have helped you if I were strong enough. Darren, Now that the Talent Roll has appeared, I expect to see your name listed among the first hundred. Maybe you can enter the Sky Chart in ten years,"


    said a beautiful voice. All of a sudden, a figure of supernatural beauty appeared not far from the scene.

 Chapter 99 Waving Good-bye

    Nobody knew who she was. What she just said brought confusion to everyone.


    However, everyone was attracted by her graceful figure and pretty face. She was so beautiful you could say she was on par with Elsa. Their beauty had their own merits, but both were equally striking.


    The moment she appeared, many disciples'' hearts thumped faster. They couldn''t catch their breaths at the sight of her beautifully astonishing face.


    The elders were shocked too. They didn''t remember there was such a beautiful lady in the Ilmen Sect.


    After a while, they vaguely remembered that she was the girl who came to Ilmen Sect years ago, the one who was injured.


    "Yes. It must be her!" The elders looked at her more closely to confirm their speculations.


    While the others tried to guess her identity, a sweet and pleasant voice spoke up, "My name is Hailey Yao. I have been in the Ilmen Sect for years. I''m so sorry that I couldn''t do anything when the sect was in danger."


    "Then why did you come out now?" Darren was a bit shocked as well when he saw her pretty face. He asked her as he recovered from his trance.


    The girl walked towards Darren with a faint smile. "You killed the young master of the Blade Holy Land. I''m afraid Ilmen Sect would face destruction very soon. Since my shelter will be razed to the ground, I am forced to leave. But I didn''t mean to just stand around and watch Ilmen Sect fall to the ground. Please trust me."


    "Ha-ha! You don''t need to feel guilty. Since you''re not a disciple of Ilmen Sect, it should be none of your business. Nobody will dare stop you. You can leave now," Darren said calmly.


    Hailey nodded and handed an ancient book to Darren. "Read the book carefully. It speaks about the Talent Roll. I hope I see your name on the Talent Roll one day. You''re truly a gifted talent. See you."


    With that, she sprang lightly and flew away with grace. Darren was astonished by the powerful vital energy emanating from her.


    ''She has obviously reached the Wonder Realm!'' he thought.


    The elders were shocked as well. Then a discussion began among them.


    "She was heavily injured when she came to the Ilmen Sect and was taken in by our sect head. Since then, nobody has ever seen her again. It''s remarkable that she has already reached the Wonder Realm!"


    "Yes. I remember her from several years ago, back then she was only a cultivator at the eighth stage of the Mysterious Realm. How could she improve in such speed? She must be a talent from some Holy Land."


    But if she has reached the Wonde


    Clark and Ezra waved good-bye to Darren and then flew away.


    The ruined square was empty. When a gust of cold wind blew, it looked more bleak.


    "Darren, where are you going?" Thomas asked, staring sadly into the distance.


    "First, I have to go and look for Elsa. I still have many things to accomplish. Why not come with me? I know you''re worried about Elsa."


    With a long sigh, Thomas waved his hand. "I won''t go with you. I''m sure that you would find her," he answered.


    Darren was about to ask why Thomas didn''t want to find Elsa with him but Thomas signaled him to stop. Then Thomas continued, "Darren, I could tell that you treat Elsa better than anyone else. As her father, I''m truly happy for her. Young people should go out and see the world for themselves. When you find Elsa, please tell her that I have returned to my hometown. I will be very happy to see you both come back and visit me in the future"


    Thomas tried to hide his sadness, but tears streamed down his cheeks.


    "We will definitely visit you," Darren said. He knew that Thomas must have had his reasons to not go with him. Since he didn''t want to talk about it, Darren didn''t ask further. He continued, "Elder Thomas, please take care of yourself."


    Thomas nodded and looked back at Darren. "Please take good care of Elsa. I hope you two find happiness and never part."


    With that, Thomas turned to leave.


    "Take care, father!" Darren shouted behind Thomas, hoping to assure him more with the word "father".


    Thomas trembled, tears streaming down his cheeks. He murmured, "I''m relieved. My daughter would be very happy. Thank you, Darren."


    Then he strode forward and disappeared in the distance.

 Chapter 100 Target

    The others were all gone now. Darren''s heart was suddenly at peace as he thought of the future.


    He did not want to leave hastily, since the people from Blade Holy Land would not come for him in a short while.


    Darren kept striding forward until he entered that bamboo cottage on the highest peak.


    "Alas, the two masters died in rescuing me. I feel distraught at this." Darren could not help feeling melancholic after he stepped foot in the cottage. Though he had just met that two old men for a short time, he felt that they were nicer and warmer than all the elders in the family.


    "If it hadn''t been for Mr. Wan''s treasure, I would have been dead. But I know I can do better if I''m stronger," Darren sighed.


    "Mr. Wan is a rule cultivator. What exactly is that? How could a rule cultivator create such a formidable treasure?"


    Darren thought of the rune which made his sword intent over a thousand times stronger. It had taken his breath away! He had never expected that a rule cultivator could be this powerful.


    Just imagine a rule cultivator with a higher level than Mr. Wan''s. If the rune he made was used by a master of the Wonder Realm, how mighty could the effect be? When thinking of that, Darren decided that he needed to search for information about rule cultivators.


    "Right now, the most important thing I need to do is to advance my power and cultivation base. However, having not yet fused the blade and sword intents is an obstacle of the advancement of the cultivation base. It''s perfectly fine when I am at Mysterious Realm, but things are going to get difficult if I still haven''t fused the blade and sword intents when I am in the Wonder Realm."


    Darren took out the parchment scroll Mathew left him while he was still thinking of it. He had not had the opportunity to check on it until now.


    "Talent Roll? Mr. Xiao mentioned the Talent Roll as well."


    Darren''s curiosity was spurred at the first glance of these several characters.


    "Darren, if you desire to fuse the sword intent and blade intent, you need to develop your own blade intent and forge it into blade core, in which case you will have the opportunity to merge it with sword intent. And the key of the fusion of blade intent and sword intent is the Primitive Stone, which can only be found inside the Raksa Sea. The search will definitely be a hard trip!


    Even entering the Raksa Sea is no easy task. The simplest way to get into it is to be ranked among top 100 in Talent Roll, in which case you shall be granted a pass to enter it. There are other ways, but they all are extremely difficult, so I won''t tell you."


    ...


    In the following two hours, Darren finished reading Mathew''s letter, which dictated things Darren needed to remember.


    But it


    fifth stage of Mysterious Realm!"


    Darren was delighted because he had advanced considerably far in such a short time, and his defense abilities had been enhanced greatly as well!


    He found it difficult to comprehend the third stage, so he decided to put the Nine Changes of the Demon aside and began studying the supernatural blade skill he obtained from the Starry Tower.


    "It''s veritably a martial skill of supernatural level. It''s difficult for me to comprehend."


    Darren frowned after he had been studying it for a while.


    Luck had helped him comprehend the Nine Changes of the Demon, which was of legendary level, because he had absorbed demonic internal force and turned it into a demon core. He also successfully forged the sword core because he absorbed an enormous amount of sword intent!


    Luck had played a vital role in his improvement.


    But the same could not be said with this blade skill. It required Darren''s own talent to perceive it. Only when he had mastered it could there be a chance for him to fuse the blade and sword intents.


    "Screw it. As long as I keep spending time and effort on it, I believe I can perceive the blade intent soon." Darren was exceedingly determined to master this supernatural martial skill!


    All of a sudden, he heard an alarming sound!


    The earth began to tremor wildly, shaking the bamboo forest outside the cottage.


    "Boom!"


    A gigantic palm came out from nowhere and smashed the Ilmen Sect into a crater on the ground!


    "Who killed my son? Who?"


    The earth and the sky seemed to be falling to pieces as this forceful voice shouted.


    "I''m lucky this bamboo forest is ten miles away from the main peak of Ilmen Sect! Otherwise I would have been smashed into a pile of meat. I have to get out of here immediately!"


    Darren hastily gathered his things and ran.

 Chapter 101 Conflict (Part One)

    Darren kept running without taking any rest. He had no more rune papers to help him now. If a cultivator of the Wonder Realm, or even some cultivators of the Mysterious Realm caught up with him, he would certainly get killed.


    He ran as farther west as he could. By the time he took the time to stop to take a breath, he had already run for hundreds of miles.


    The ancient parchment scroll Hailey left him included the location of the eight Holy Lands in the world and he had read that the Dragon Holy Land and the Lotus Holy Land were in the west. One of the reasons why Darren headed towards west was to find his sister.


    ''I wonder how Elsa is doing. Every time I think about her, the sword core in my elixir field would react. Very interesting. I wonder if it''s because we absorbed the same sword intent when we worked on our sword cores. So we can feel each other now. Is that it?'' Darren mused.


    Gaining new strengthened determination from the thought, he set off again, walking towards west. His feeling told him that he would also find Elsa in the west. He wasn''t certain if his feeling was right or wrong, but it was better than going with nothing.


    A few hours of walking later, Darren found a prosperous city at the foot of a mountain.


    After having climbed over several mountains, it felt like it was almost heaven-sent for him to find such a perfect place for a respite. He then leaped into the air and landed in front of the city.


    "Andor City! What a big city!" he delightedly exclaimed. As he walked into the city, he found that the place was much more lively and bustling than Acqua City. There were people and merchants anywhere he looked.


    Darren roamed around for a while and later stumbled upon a re


    d the herb and interjected, "That''s a superior spiritual herb!"


    Based on the clothes the guests were wearing, it could be presumed that they were from a rich family, plus they were all carrying weapons. They were most likely from a martial arts clan. Otherwise, they would not have been able to tell that the herb was a superior spiritual herb with just a glance.


    "Oh! It''s true! That really is a superior spiritual herb!" a young man exclaimed. "Hey, you! I will give you four hundred for that herb," he said as he took out money from his pocket and threw it at the man''s direction.


    "I''m sorry, mister. I''m afraid it''s not for sale," the man replied as he quickly hid the herb into his pocket. Although he didn''t know what a spiritual herb looked like, he had heard a great deal about it to know that a superior spiritual herb was worth a fortune, at least a thousand.


    "Save your nonsense! Will you give it to me or not?" the young man threatened.


    The threat scared the man, but once he had thought about how much the superior spiritual herb was worth, it became hard to convince him to give it up. In the end, he just shook his head.

 Chapter 102 Conflict (Part Two)

    "You fucking idiot! You had your chance and you blew it. I was being generous, offering you a reasonable price for that herb. But since you don''t want my money, I will just take it for free. Give it to me now!" the young man roared. He then kicked the man right in the stomach, snatched the superior spiritual herb from his pocket along with the money he threw at him, and walked away.


    The man doubled over to the ground and cried out in pain, but he did not dare offer any more disagreement. His cultivation base was only at the first stage of the Primary Realm, after all. His strength could not possibly compare to that of these people who were members of a noble clan.


    What was just robbed from him was a superior spiritual herb. Even just a little amount of the herb would have been able to help him support his family for at least ten years. He found it hard to accept such a loss.


    The man was still lamenting over his misfortune when he turned over and saw that Darren was still there at the restaurant. "Mister! Mister! Please help me! They took the precious herb you just gave me. Please! Please help!" the man begged as he crawled over.


    Darren felt sorry for the man, so he walked up to the young man and tried to reason with him. "Mister, why don''t you just give the superior spiritual herb back to the poor man. Please have some sympathy," he appealed.


    "Who the hell are you? Don''t you know who I am, you idiot? Nobody in this city dares to go against my will, so fuck off!" the young man barked.


    Darren grew infuriated with him, but he chose not to waste h


    ace pale in fear. He then threw the two herbs on the ground and ran away.


    Darren did not try to follow them. He killed the massive man only as a warning. Otherwise, they would have continued bugging him. He could not care less what they did next, as long as they left him and the poor man alone.


    "Mr. Long, that guy is fucking strong! Lucky for us! We survived death," one of the young men said, relieved.


    "You fucking idiot! That guy is in big trouble now. We have to avenge Neil," Paul Long snapped at him.


    He turned to the other young man. "John, break my arm. I will go see my brother and tell him that that guy robbed us and killed Neil. Got it?"


    "Are you sure, Mr. Long? This plan is brilliant, though. Your brother is a nominated disciple of the Dragon Sect and would even be qualified to get into the Dragon Holy Land a year from now. If your brother would help us, that guy would be done for!" John Liu replied.


    "You''re damn right! We better move faster. That guy might run away if we don''t hurry"


    They then staggered away.

 Chapter 103 Elsas Whereabouts

    Darren came to an inn and got a room. He closed the door in an effort to get some sleep, but soon loud noises reached his ears from outside.


    "So many things have happened recently! That damned fat man forced a poor injured girl to be his girlfriend! You got robbed and got your arm broken! I don''t even know where to start to try and fix this crap," Shaun Long yelled.


    "I didn''t want to bother you, but that brat has gone too far. He mugged us and even killed Neil. You have to help us take revenge!


    One more thing... I heard that the stunning maiden Nathan met was really powerful. Word on the street is she released sword intent. I don''t know if that''s true. If that girl really mastered sword intent, I bet she comes from some influential sect. I don''t think Nathan would dare to take advantage of her," Paul Long replied.


    "As far as I know, Nathan gave up trying to convince that girl to marry him. But Nathan¡­ he seems much more cunning than Mr.... Nathan really is crafty. I heard that he gave that gorgeous girl to Joseph Wu, a disciple of Dragon Sect," another man cut in.


    "Shut up!" Shaun shouted, anger written all over his face. "Nathan caught that poor girl! I wanted to rescue her but I failed. I was too weak!"


    Boiling over with rage, he stretched out his hand and destroyed a chair.


    "Where are you, you despicable killer? Get out!" he bellowed, overcome with fury.


    The next minute, a teenager showed up and stood in front of Shaun.


    "Shaun, it''s him. He murdered Neil and broke Paul''s arm," the lad said, pointing at Darren.


    "You took a life in broad daylight! Scumbags like you shouldn''t live in this world," Shaun hollered, fuming in rage as his eyes squinted fiercely.


    To everyone''s surprise, Darren rushed to Shaun, grabbed him by the collar and said icily, "Tell me where Dragon Sect is."


    Darren could sense everything that was happening within a radius of tens of thousands feet, so of course the conversation among those men didn''t escape him. After hearing what they said, he had a sinking feeling that the girl in question was Elsa.


    Shaun was overwhelmed by fear. He couldn''t move an inch. And at the same time, he felt like countless sharp swords were pressed firmly into his skin, threatening to cut him into a million pieces once he moved an inch.


    "You, you have comprehended sw


    ow how to find Joseph," Darren said.


    "My ancestors were involved with Dragon Sect and I was lucky to be its non-official disciple. I have been there once," Shaun replied truthfully.


    "Great. Come with me," Darren responded.


    He grabbed Shaun by the arm and activated the Shadow Lightness. In a blink of an eye, the two had vanished into thin air.


    Under Shaun''s direction, the two arrived at a stone monument.


    "Buddy, this is the entrance to Dragon Holy Land. But you can''t get inside because you don''t have a token," Shaun said with a sigh.


    At once, a token materialized in Darren''s hand.


    "No way! You have one!" Shaun exclaimed in astonishment. He shook his head in disbelief, but instructed Darren, "Insert it into the slot on the monument, then we can get inside."


    Darren inserted the token into the slot immediately. With a flash of white light, he and Shaun had disappeared.


    Darren arrived at another place in an instant.


    Beautiful scenery unfolded before him. He looked around and saw plenty of trees, grass and flowers. Looking up, he spotted many diabolic beasts flying in the sky.


    However, he was in no mood to appreciate the enchanting landscape. All he wanted was to reach Dragon Sect.


    Suddenly, the sword core in his elixir field began to move slowly, making low sounds.


    ''Is Elsa activating her sword intent? This is not good. She must be in danger!'' Darren thought. With a livid face, he grabbed Shaun by the shoulder and said impatiently, "Take me to Dragon Sect!"


    Shaun nodded. The two disappeared again.

 Chapter 104 He Is Coming

    Darren pushed himself to his limit, going as fast as he could while following Shaun. Shortly after, palaces appeared in front of them.


    The palaces stretched until the end of the horizon, but most of them were in the mist. They looked luxurious and magnificent. A giant dragon silhouette emerged behind the palaces, as though it was trying to be inconspicuous. That was where Dragon Sect was located.


    "Shaun, do you know where Joseph lives?"


    Darren looked around him, unable to contain his thoughts from showing on his face. All he could think about was how hard it would be to find a single person amidst this enormous place.


    "Relax, brother. Though Joseph is one of the inner disciples, he could never live in luxurious palaces. In fact, he is a good-for-nothing lad who has to rely on his grandfather. It is quite easy to find him. Come on, this way."


    Shaun pointed at the rows of wood houses just beneath the palace steps.


    Darren rapidly flew towards the wood houses. The nearer he got, the stronger sword core was changing. It seemed he was really getting close to his destination.


    There were thousands of wood houses ahead, though, and they appeared to be endless.


    "What? Who the hell stepped on my spiritual flowers to death?"


    "Amazing! Those people are so fast! Just who are they?"


    "Wait! They are not members of Dragon Sect! Chase them!"


    Dashing into the wood houses, Darren and Shaun were detected by quite a lot of outer disciples in Dragon Sect. They heard the comments and remarks thrown at them, but they made sure not to make eye contact.


    Darren was slightly surprised when he saw these outer disciples. He felt that the outer disciples had already reached the Mysterious Realm. Clearly, they were comparable to Jerome in Ilmen Sect.


    He wished that these people would never try to stop him. He could handle it if only two or three would block his way, but more than that? It would result in too much of a delay and they couldn''t afford that. They were pressed for time as it was, so they wanted the barest amount of confrontations possible. He was quite anxious.


    As he was poring over the possibilities, two figures appeared in front of them, releasing powerful energy. Darren scowled. This was not looking good.


    "Where are you from, you little thieves? How dare you rush into our Dragon Sect?"


    Shaun threw Darren a sideways glance. "What should we do, brother? Joseph is not far away now. If we could just get a few more minutes..." he trailed off with a wince. The power emanating from those two men was so strong that his breath came out in hitches.


    Darren did not answer, but his face said it all. This was not going to be easy for both of them. He was willing to risk it--to fight to the death.


    "What? Joseph? You are looking for that piece of shit? Too bad, you won''t be able to fin


    utiful young girls and send them to him.


    "Good boy! I will give you three superior spiritual herbs this time. Oh, wait! Since you have given me such a beautiful girl, I will give you five!" Joseph exclaimed, laughing as he sprayed spit everywhere.


    "Thank you, Master." Nathan made a kowtow to Joseph. Suddenly, with a lustful glance at the girl, he said, "Master, after you finish with her... could I toy her for a little bit?"


    "Fuck off!" Joseph yelled irritably. "I am going to play with this little beauty for at least a month. I will let you know by then." He then tried to kick Nathan out of the room.


    Nathan rolled on the ground, but held onto the hem of Joseph''s clothes desperately. His eyes lingered on the girl and it was obvious that he wanted to get his share. It was so rare to find someone like her. He wasn''t going to let this chance go. He raised his head and spoke, "My lord, I will help you hold her down so you can do whatever you want with her."


    It didn''t matter that he couldn''t have her right now. He just wanted to touch her.


    "Whatever. I can''t wait any longer," Joseph huffed as he started taking his clothes off. He looked at his two subordinates, who reached the fifth stage of the Mysterious Realm, and barked, "Spread her legs. Once she gets a taste of the real world, she won''t struggle anymore."


    In the corner, Elsa trembled with fear and pain. She was so injured that she could barely open her eyes after initiating sword intent over and over again. She looked at Joseph and saw the kind of misery she was about to go through.


    Just as she was about to succumb to despair and hopelessness, though, the sword core in her belly started to vibrate violently. A wave of warm air and familiarity hit her, making her smile in relief despite the situation she was in.


    "He is coming..." She closed her eyes and wiped the tear that slid down her face.

 Chapter 105 Run

    As he ran into the courtyard, Darren easily swept off any creature that stood in his way. As a result, many of the subordinates who had reached the seventh or eighth stage of the Spirit Realm had fallen to his sword.


    "Who the hell is this savage boy? How is he so powerful while only at the Spirit Realm?" The two veterans at the fifth stage of the Mysterious Realm stood aside, stupefied.


    "How imprudent. Let me cut his head down." One of the veterans mounted a charge directly against Darren.


    At that time, Darren seemed to be completely immersed in slaughtering¡ªturning around, he easily wielded his sword toward the attacker without hesitation.


    Halfway through the dash, the man moved back instantaneously¡ªhe felt the dangerous hint of death just from Darren''s movement.


    Soon, the noises attracted plenty of curious spectators around them.


    "I''m afraid that this kid, Joseph, just invited big trouble. A young man at the Spirit Realm who managed to slaughter his subordinates like he was butchering animals¡­ he must have some powerful background."


    "Did you see how he just forced a man at the fifth stage of the Mysterious Realm back by wielding his sword only once? Is he even human?"


    ...


    Meanwhile, Joseph Wu who was as stout as he ever was, yelled from upstairs, "I can''t stand this perpetual noise any longer. All these useless losers, halve their resources for this month, hmph."


    "Don''t be mad, my lord. I will help you hold her legs to keep her from moving." Nathan Chen walked over to ingratiate himself with his master.


    "Ha, little beauty, your sweetheart is coming." At the same time, Joseph threw himself in the same direction impatiently.


    Shoot!


    Blood spewed out from Elsa''s mouth and onto the two people with a faint trace of sword intent.


    Because her mind was still rather fuzzy, she could only forcefully control the sword intent inside her body using her instincts. Inside her navel, the sword core was so bleak that it was on the edge of shattering into pieces.


    "Ouch!" Because Elsa was in his reach, Nathan was going to press Elsa''s torso when the sword intent pierced through his ear.


    "Damn it¡­" he cursed. Grabbing Elsa''s sleeve, he tore her clothes into pieces.


    "Tsk tsk¡­ so beautiful and seductive. Enjoy, my lord." Nathan''s smile was maliciously dark.


    "Ha! I can''t wait any longer. Hold her tight for me!"


    As Joseph lowered his fat torso, his hands stretched toward Elsa.


    Bang!


    The instant Joseph''s hand barely touched her, an unparalleled sword light flashed and the whole flo


    ing Darren the chance to initiate his sword core and refill his body with power.


    Although he was able to use all his power, Darren wasn''t certain he had a chance of surviving¡ªhe needed four thousand times more sword intent to kill a Wonder Realm master.


    Boom!


    But Darren had no choice but to try his best. A strong sword intent broke through, along with unbounded blade internal force and demonic internal force.


    The unparalleled force flooded the surroundings, making the two warriors at the top stage of Mysterious Realm jump back, one of them getting injured.


    "This¡­" "Such strong sword intent¡­ what happened? This kid¡­" The veterans couldn''t be more surprised.


    At the same instant, a figure flashed speedily toward Joseph who sat on the floor beside his grandpa crying.


    "I''ll kill you!" his grandpa shouted. "You still want to kill my grandson when you''re about to die. You''re asking for it now!"


    With a wave of hand, the old man made the sword intent disperse easily before he raised his palm toward the figure.


    "Phantom!" After one hit, the old man''s face suddenly turned away.


    No wonder he felt a trace of a rule force flash. "Does he have Omnipotent Talent Skill?" he muttered.


    He would never have believed that a young man of the Spirit Realm could possess powerful sword intent and Omnipotent Talent Skill and could summon a Phantom that he couldn''t detect, had he not witnessed it himself.


    While the old man was stunned, the figure of the young man disappeared, leaving a pool of blood on the ground.


    "No matter who you are¡­ I''m going to kill you! Mark my words!"


    In an instant, the old man''s body moved swiftly toward where the young man disappeared.

 Chapter 106 Forbidden Area

    With Elsa in his arms, Darren tried his best to escape.


    Suddenly, he sensed someone coming. He had an unmistakably powerful aura. Worse, he was coming for him.


    ''What should I do?'' Darren thought in panic. Considering his current strength, the most sensible thing to do was to run away. He was not fit enough to fight someone who was above the sixth stage of the Mysterious Realm.


    ''Oh no, he''s coming!'' he thought as he felt a chill creep up his spine.


    The figure started to approach him.


    "Are you trying to get away, brat?" said the old man from far away. Concentrating his strength in his palm, he hit the lad with it.


    Bang!


    Despite his best efforts to dodge the blow, Darren was hit strong and hard. He spat out blood immediately on impact.


    "He is still alive? Looks like this bastard is stronger than I expected," the old man said in surprise. He then gave Darren a more powerful strike.


    ''Damn it! He is running towards the forbidden area. I must kill him with my next blow!'' the old man thought with creased eyebrows. A while later, he found himself closer to his prey approaching a dusty palace with a hundred-foot-tall door covered by mysterious runes.


    "Go to hell!" the old man cursed as he threw a fist at Darren. His punch contained eighty percent of his power.


    The vital energy the blow carried caused the dust on the ground to float in the air and shoot towards Darren.


    Flustered, Darren tried to concentrate. The demon core inside his elixir field started to stir. He planned to use his demonic power to withstand the upcoming blow.


    ''It looks like that palace is some forbidden area. Perhaps I can hide there, '' Darren thought as the edifice caught his eye.


    "Get lost!"


    Suddenly, just as Darren dashed towards the entrance of the building, a powerful shout resounded. He spat blood again.


    Two middle-aged men appeared at the front door, blocking him from entering. They were even stronger than the man chasing after him.


    All the while, the tremendous vital energy the elder behind him released was still coming at him. He found himself trapped. He could not find a way to escape his fate at that moment.


    "Stop or we will kill you!"


    the more powerful man boomed again. His shout was enough to make Darren spit blood again. Darren felt that his bones almost crushed because of its power.


    ''This is not good. I''m going to die, '' Darren thought in desperation.


    Seeing the injured Elsa in his arms, he decided to pull himself together. He had to survive this. Wasting no time, he activate


    who exuded an aura as powerful as his suddenly showed up in the sky.


    "Scott, you just made a huge mistake,"


    a man surrounded by blue lightning said icily.


    "Oh, come on, you''re overreacting," a girl standing over a lotus said to her companion. "But seriously, Scott, you do need to be more careful. You should not let other people inside there again. The rest of us do our job well." She smiled.


    "Humph, what if it flees from the forbidden area? Who can defeat it and lock it up again?" the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land said sternly.


    "Don''t be so pessimistic. If the eight of us work together, I''m sure we''ll manage to put it in prison again. Anyway, let''s go. Scott, just pay more attention to the forbidden area next time," the Holy Lord of Void Holy Land said.


    "He is right. That should be doable."


    The seven Holy Lords stayed in a heated discussion while floating in mid-air, but Scott Ao stayed motionless as he watched them.


    After a long pause, he finally said coldly, "I will enter the forbidden area and take him back."


    "No way!"


    the Holy Lords opposed his idea instantly.


    "What if you die there? You know how dangerous it is in there!"


    "Scott, you''re only half a step into the Grand Realm. How can you be so stupid?"


    ...


    "I''ve made up my mind," Scott said resolutely. Regardless of their objections, he took a step towards the door of the palace.


    "Scott, you are so stubborn! Come back!"


    The seven figures in the sky flew towards Scott in an attempt to stop him.


    To everyone''s surprise, the instant Scott lifted his foot to step inside, the golden runes lit up and forced him to step back.


    "It refused me!" Scott murmured in shock.

 Chapter 107 Healing

    The eight Holy Lands for martial arts had been guarding the forbidden area for numerous years. Since the beginning, no one had ever attempted to enter it.


    Scott Ao was the first person who tried to do so. However, to his surprise, he couldn''t make it. The power of the obstruction was too strong.


    The other Holy Lords also fell to the ground.


    "I just found out that the forbidden area you guard houses a living creature. Who is there?" asked a Holy Lord named Landon Lei.


    Now, the two middle-aged men who guarded the forbidden area came over and narrated what happened in detail.


    "A young man who reached the Spirit Realm is in there?"


    The Holy Lords asked in disbelief. It seemed impossible. Even Scott could not get in. How could a young man who was only in the Spirit Realm make it?


    "Distinguished Holy Lords, he was a guy with black spikes covering his body. I didn''t know what happened to him," one of the guards said.


    Scott looked grim and frowned when hearing the story.


    "Dammit," he cursed. The Holy Lord of Lotus Holy Land stood out and said, "Do you remember the strange thing that happened in Barren Wasteland a few months ago? Was he the one in the coffin?"


    "I don''t think so. That day, each Holy Land sent hundreds of cultivators in the Wonder Realm to suppress the fiend. He seemed to have been shocked by something. During the escape, he injured more than ten cultivators, indicating that he had immense strength."


    "But, if the guy who entered the forbidden area had black spikes, then he must have had some business with the fiend in the coffin. If he entered the forbidden area, I am afraid that..."


    The faces of the Holy Lords turned grim.


    "It''s no use guessing it. Let''s get out of here and see for ourselves what will happen."


    ¡­¡­


    After a long discussion among the Holy Lords of the Holy Lands, Scott stared at the door with no words. He had an ominous premonition.


    "Lord, I did it unintentionally, please spare me," Frank pleaded as he knelt on the ground with his heart in his boots.


    Scott ignored Frank and walked away.


    This silent atmosphere made Frank extremely fear


    ch spiritual energy. I am almost at the Mysterious Realm," he replied. He looked very concerned.


    "What should we do? You have to stop absorbing spiritual energy," Elsa replied, worried about Darren.


    "Don''t worry, I can take care of myself," Darren nodded. Something else seemed to bother him.


    Once he reached the Mysterious Realm, enormous spiritual energy would enter his body. This would cause conflict between the blade internal force and the sword intent. This conflict might kill him.


    What was more, the sword intent was much stronger than the blade internal force. Under such circumstances, a struggle between them might cause bad things to happen.


    Darren thought for a while.


    ''If blade internal force is defeated by the sword intent, the powerful sword intent will split my body into pieces in an instant, '' he speculated.


    Thinking of this, Darren stopped absorbing spiritual energy. He would die if he accidentally broke into the realm.


    ''Only when sword intent and blade internal force are well-matched in strength could I survive entering the Mysterious Realm, '' he realized. ''What I have to do for now is to strengthen my blade internal force so I can prepare to achieve a higher realm.''


    "Darren, look!" Elsa suddenly yelled, frightened.


    Darren immediately woke up from his meditation and turned his gaze to the area where the sound came from. However, he saw nothing but a dark hall.

 Chapter 108 Mysterious Paintings (Part One)

    "Elsa, what did you see?" Darren asked. He had tried to use his mind to explore the palace, but he didn''t find anything.


    Staring at the expanse of darkness with a blank expression on her face, Elsa blinked, her eyes quivered nervously. After she snapped out of her brief trance, she finally replied, "I saw a guy over there. He was wearing a black robe. When I tried to watch clearly, he suddenly made a slight movement. But it''s totally dark in there, so I am not sure if my eyes have just deceived me." Darren went silent for a moment.


    "Maybe¡­" he started. He cut himself off and looked away.


    When he looked up, he found that numerous black chains were interlaced on the ceiling. Now that it was called forbidden area, he felt that it might be far too risky to walk into it as it might be hard for them to get out again. They were facing an extremely dangerous situation, and he needed to think things through with caution.


    "Elsa, you should just stay here and wait for me. I will try to find the way out by myself," Darren bravely insisted.


    Since the three sides of the palace were blocked by the walls that were plastered with an abundance of mysterious runes, they could only find a way out from the front of the palace. However, the road at the front was in total darkness, so he had to believe in himself and to venture out and take the risk for them both. After looking around and finding nothing strange, Darren decided that they were presently staying at a relatively safe place. Since the place was safe from the danger and violence that threatened them, he wanted Elsa to stay.


    "No," Elsa firmly replied.


    "Don''t worry, Elsa. I will be careful," Darren assured her.


    "Oh, I''m not worried about you. I''m just afraid of being alone in this gl


    as possible.


    He soon realized that they were paintings realistically depicting the grand wars. Human beings and various strange creatures were painted on them.


    Since the paintings were enormous and there was an innumerable amount of them, it was too mundane for the human mind to comprehend those paintings. Even though Darren was super talented, it still took him three days to completely understand them. Elsa also did not just goof around. She went down to business as she read all the patterns and tried deciphering them with Darren.


    "Well¡­ What do you think, Darren?"


    Elsa prodded at Darren after going through all the patterns and paintings.


    "From what we''ve gathered, the war started with an unknown mysterious creature. It triggered the start of a war that lasted for over tens of thousands of years. Also according to the patterns, people who got involved in the war were exceptionally strong and only a few people were able to match their power at that time. Those people had died in the war and that whole affair was now in the dim and distant past, and still, not many men have achieved the same greatness in talents as they had," he slowly enumerated.

 Chapter 109 Mysterious Paintings (Part Two)

    As he started to analyze the patterns, he tried to recall some of the details he found.


    When the war began and up until it became more and more violent towards the end, there was always a group of mysterious men who wore black robes that kept appearing in every corner of the paintings, but their faces were always not shown clearly.


    Darren closed his eyes to think. A copious number of paintings flashed through his mind.


    Eventually, an idea popped up in his mind and his face lit up in realization.


    "The rule cultivator¡­" he quietly murmured.


    He opened his eyes and suddenly started to roughly skim through the paintings again.


    "Although these black robed men had never actively participated in the battles, they must have been an indispensable part of the war. They must have been rule cultivators and were absolutely much more talented than Mr. Wan," he added. As he looked through those patterns again, he knew that he was right.


    Darren was shocked when he was able to kill a competent fighter of the Wonder Realm with the rune. The fact that a rule cultivator had such extraordinarily strong powers to create the powerful rune still had not ceased to astonish him. From that point onward, he became determined to find the truth behind the enigma. However, since Wayne had passed away, he still had not been able to figure it out.


    While Darren was deep in thought, he suddenly recalled something, the memory rushing to him.


    He remembered that when he had walked into that mysterious bronze coffin, he was bewildered by the number of tombs he found inside and the compellingly powerful auras he felt emitting from inside of each tomb made his blood run cold. He r


    eaned forwards and softly laid a kiss on Darren''s face.


    "All right, I admit it," he said, now fully grinning.


    "Admit what? That you''re only interested in my looks? You jerk, I''m going to kill you!"


    Elsa then playfully threw herself into Darren''s arms and her scent overpowered his senses.


    He felt her silky smooth skin touch his. Her tender movements made his blood boil with desire. His breathing became more and more erratic. He swallowed hard.


    "Elsa, how about we¨C"


    Before he could finish, they accidentally touched one of the black iron chains. A seemingly infinite number of runes suddenly flashed across their eyes then the whole palace shook violently.


    "Shit!" Darren cursed. He swiftly stood up from the ground as he berated himself under his breath, "I knew those chains were dangerous. I''m so careless!"


    Once Darren was on his feet, the entire palace was suddenly pervaded by a strange smell and the numerous runes flew into his body.


    Elsa was left aghast by what had just happened, and Darren, shortly after his body absorbed the runes, went deathly pale and looked as if he might faint.

 Chapter 110 Realization

    The sudden events brought fear to Darren.


    He could feel his blood and flesh shriveling so fast as the dying and withering breath invaded his body continuously.


    In great surprise, Darren immediately battled his thoughts and dispatched all his internal force and sword intent in a desperate attempt to block the queer breath.


    It was like watering off a duck''s back. The strange and withering breath permeated into Darren''s pores, soon it had soaked through every inch of Darren''s skin.


    But Darren couldn''t feel any pain.


    "What should I do?"


    Under the intense pressure of the situation, Darren battled his thoughts once again to try to assimilate the strange breath.


    To his desperation, he failed none the less.


    He was able to assimilate talent, cardiac core, and sword intent successfully, but this was something else. There wasn''t anything he could do about it. The mysterious stone in his mind had no reaction to the withering breath.


    "Elsa, you as well..."


    Just when Darren was about to give up, he saw the same changes happening to Elsa as they happened to him.


    At this moment, both Darren and Elsa were going through indescribable changes. It was as if they were witnessing the elapsing of time, marking the signs of aging in their hearts. They had so many things left undone, they had just fallen in love.


    ''To age and die in this manner?''


    Darren could not accept the way he and Elsa were aging. But they were unable to resist the power no matter how hard he tried.


    "The power of a rule cultivator," Darren sighed.


    Their bodies continued to shrivel, soon they would be turned into nothing but bones.


    ''The power of a rule cultivator?'' Darren thought. ''Where does the power of a rule cultivator lie? It''s somewhere between heaven and earth, isn''t it? I can try to comprehend the true meaning of the power brought by the rule master.''


    Meanwhile, he recalled the queer gestures of the men in the black robes engraved on the stony pillars. Of course his memory had helped him memorize all the gestures.


    Lost in deep silence, Darren imitated the same gestures engraved on the stone pillars. A moment later, he felt as if everything around them had vanished.


    In the darkness, countless varicolored spots of light flew through the air.


    Darren was like an onlooker watching these spots of light dance friskily in the darkness. He also saw many green ones being dragged out of his and Elsa''s bodies via gray threads as thin as hair.


    ''That''s the breath of life. Ours are being taken away from us, but what are those thin threads? They are threads of the rule, just


    th a crutch in his hand, he stumbled forward.


    "You have connected with the rule."


    He raised his head and looked at Darren, green spots of light fluttered like wild fire in his own eyes. He must have looked surprised if he could have any expressions.


    Darren opened his eyes. Half of the old man''s withered face exposed from his black robe startled Darren.


    "Sir, are you the rule cultivator who has been guarding this place?" Darren asked, confused.


    He didn''t expect someone to be living there.


    But when Darren tried to use his thought to detect the old man''s breath of life, he felt noting. This made him even more confused.


    Without answering Darren''s question, the man in the black robe reached out his withered palm and made a move in the dark. Immediately countless gray silk threads burst out of the black chains and enveloped Darren, turning him into a cocoon.


    Again, Darren felt his vitality gushing out of his body like cascading rivers.


    "Sir!" Darren gave a hasty shout. He felt he couldn''t cut these gray powerful silk threads at all with his thought.


    "How could he connect with the rule?" the man in black robe muttered to himself, a coarse voice uttering from his throat.


    "Sir, I have figured out that the martial skill cultivators seize the force of heaven and earth while the rule cultivators only control it. I broke the gray silk threads by pure coincidence. Please show me mercy."


    "Seize the force of the heaven and earth, control the force of the heaven and earth," the old man repeated slowly. The green spots of light in his hollow eye sockets flashed again. "Follow me," his voice was quite strained.


    The gray silk threads that enveloped Darren and Elsa vanished along with his words.

 Chapter 111 Choice

    Darren was surprised for a split second. He then held Elsa''s hand and followed the man in dark.


    As they walked further, Darren found that the array which trapped them before was made up of simple threads, not as complicated as he thought at first. He could easily crack the threads if he wanted to. As they went forward, the view on both sides changed. There weren''t any gray walls anymore.


    At the end of the palace was a door. After they entered the door, they were greeted with a narrow tunnel, with kerosene lamps lit on both sides. The dust over the lamps produced a general air of decrepitude and neglect.


    "Look, Darren! Who are they?"


    Many people in black robes sat on both sides of the tunnel. Many of them had black iron chains piercing through their chests. And the others had their hands and feet shackled. They were like withered flowers. It seemed that they had been dead for centuries.


    "Are they rule cultivators?" Darren guessed.


    "Not quite. Witchers! We are all witchers,"


    said the elder in front of them, with his hoarse voice.


    "Aren''t you a rule cultivator, sir? And what makes a witcher different?" Darren asked out of curiosity. The answer the elder offered proved that his former speculations were wrong.


    The elder, who walked very slowly, made no answer to Darren''s question and kept teetering.


    All of a sudden, a strange roar came from the end of the tunnel.


    The roar was faint but powerful.


    What happened next knocked Darren and Elsa down to the ground in an instant. Green flames blazed in the dead men''s eyes, and they all turned their heads towards the end of the tunnel simultaneously.


    "They are still alive!"


    Darren''s jaw dropped after seeing what happened. He had never expected those men in black robes to be alive.


    When the faint roar disappeared, the green light in their eyes slowly faded until they completely went out. The tunnel went back to its former state, in absolute silence as if nothing had ever happened.


    Elsa held Darren''s arm tightly and said in a low voice, "I''m scared, Darren."


    Darren made no answer but held her hand tightly to comfort her.


    The absolute silence went on for several hours.


    "It''s human blood!"


    Some elders, in the same black robes, walked over to the elder in front of Darren and Elsa. Green flames were burning in their eyes. Their glares exuded hostility towards Darren and Elsa.


    Then the elder, who was leading Darren and Elsa, talked to them in their language that Darren didn''t understand.


    At first, they were whispering. Every now and then, they would look at Darren. Then they had a dispute. But in the end, it seemed that they had reached an agreement.


    An elder, who came here later, walked over and l


    by Witcher Power, it would escape out of here when most of the power is shifted from guarding it. That''s the last thing we want to see. That''s why no one ever got out of here alive."


    "Look at us!"


    The one who spoke took off his black robe.


    His body was skeleton-like but covered in withered skin.


    "We have no blood running in our bodies. Technically, we are not human beings. We are witchers."


    "Now! Tell us your choice! You want to die or be a witcher? If you choose to be one of us, you will stay here and guard the monster."


    Darren looked at the unconscious Elsa and gave it some thought. Then he made up his mind. Since Elsa had no choice but to die, he decided to be with her forever. Darren answered, "Sorry, sir! I choose the first one. I choose to die with her."


    Silence swept over the tunnel once again.


    "Alas! It''s better for you to die under the palace''s hands than be killed by us," an elder said with a sigh.


    "That''s all right. I''m ready now, sir!"


    Then the elder reached out his hands and made a strange gesture. The next second, the Witcher Power targeted Darren''s head.


    "Ken, what are you doing? Why don''t you use the Death Rule? The rule could melt his blood thoroughly. It''s safer," another elder asked with doubt.


    "I want him to die with ease. After all, everyone is scared of death."


    "That''s right."


    The elder who just exerted the Witcher Power was destroying Darren''s soul before melting his blood. Then Darren would feel less pain before dying.


    But when his power got into Darren''s soul, a destructive force burst out.


    The elder felt the aggressive force, which was strong enough to destroy everything in the world. In the end of the tunnel, twelve men in black robes, whose power auras were mighty and invincible, lit up the green flames in their eyes.

 Chapter 112 Hope (Part One)

    The twelve old witchers, who sat around the boiling blood pool, were shocked by the vast surge of power that exploded from Darren. They couldn''t believe that the lad could release such power at a young age. They could only come up with one solution.


    "Twelve. Send them out,"


    came an order from a strong witcher, while still watching Darren''s out-bursting power. They were all frantic but the strong witcher had to remain calm.


    "Huh? Send them out? Should we let them go?" the one called Twelve anxiously asked, hoping he had just misheard things.


    Hardly, his voice faded away when the blood pool bubbled and churned. The strong witcher''s command lingered in his mind, making him tremble in fear.


    At the sight of that situation, they had no choice but to do so. With full concentration, the eleven witchers quickly made up a phalanx with their hands raising up in complex gestures. Then streams of Witcher Power rushed out and formed a circle of light above the pool. On the other hand, Twelve was lost in fear, as he knew what would happen right now.


    After a while, from the blood pool, a huge paw reached out instantly. As if it wanted to break through the Witcher Power hovering above. The devil had been suppressed in the pool for many years, but it always looked for a chance to revive. As the guarders of that pool, those witchers fulfilled their duties to suppress that devil under the pool, preventing it from getting away.


    "Yes, Twelve. You heard me. Send them out," the strong witcher could only reply until then. Twelve couldn''t suppress himself anymore.


    "But I''ll lose eighty percent of my Witcher Power if I do so. Then we can only suppress it for five hundred years at most," Twelve replied gravely. It was not that he didn''t want to drain his power that much, but he worried that he would lose too much power to suppress the devil with his witcher brothers. He worried whether it was worthwhile to do so.


    "It doesn''t matter whether it''s five hundred years or eight hundred years, Twelve. The devil will come back sooner or later. Send them out," said the strong witcher. Then together with the other ten witchers, he released more power to put that bloody paw down. Twelve was left hanging with the strong witcher''s words.


    Howl!


    A lou


    into a fiend didn''t annoy the powerful witcher but pleased him. He wanted to know the reasons.


    "Sir, allow me to ask. I want to know why," Darren said hesitantly. Curiosity sparked his mind upon witnessing Twelve''s unusual reaction.


    Twelve nodded, as he already knew what Darren wanted to know. Then he waved one of his sleeves to transmit some pictures and memories into Darren''s brain. Perhaps the power of Twelve was too strong, Darren didn''t feel any pain this time. Memories transmitted into Darren''s mind flashed simultaneously.


    A moment later, Darren understood everything in just a snap, even with no words to explain. Twelve was indeed a powerful witcher.


    What Darren saw was the history where creatures were dying out gradually. It was a war of survival of the fittest. During the war that had lasted for thousands of years, the human race had been on the verge of extinction. Trapped by that situation, some of the stronger survivors then caught some fiends to study their powerful bloodlines. And they finally determined to ask witchers to help them assimilate those fiends'' bloodlines so that they could become as powerful as the fiends. Actually, those people had no choice but to use that way to survive.


    If their experiments succeeded in that time, no one could guarantee that Hiram the Great would not apply this method. It was their only hope to survive.


    However, the experiments of assimilation failed in the end. Every method they knew was used back then, but it was all in vain.

 Chapter 113 Hope (Part Two)

    Tragically, most of the people who had participated in the experiments died on the spot. A few of them became dozens of times stronger than before, but their consciousness was out of control, meaning, they went insane. Gradually, they became fiends in the end, which had increased the number of their enemies.


    Upon seeing the scenarios from the past, Darren could only gulp because of mixed emotions. Among those people who participated in the experiments, only one strong person got eighty percent of success. And after knowing who he was, Darren was astonished.


    That successful man was exactly the Demon King Andrew, who had been buried in the mysterious bronze coffin. He was a powerful emperor at that time, known for the countless battles that he won.


    After the assimilation, Andrew created a masterpiece of demonic skills. And his strength improved sharply and he almost reached the Holy Realm. His power was truly that of a king.


    But why Andrew could only be considered eighty percent successful. Darren also witnessed this.


    Even with the power of a king, Andrew couldn''t condense the demon core. It meant that his strength stalled at that level and couldn''t be improved further, leading him to only attain eighty percent success.


    Actually, Twelve had felt the demon core''s presence instantly while Darren was transforming into a fiend. After all, Twelve''s ability and experience were extraordinary. And that was why he was so excited just now as he witnessed one of the extraordinary things he had ever seen. This moment was remarkable for him.


    Now, it was apprehended that Darren could transform into a fiend. It meant that the human race''s experiments succeeded eventually. There was one person who could transform into a fiend, and at the same time, had the ability to control himself. A person that could save the human race.


    Feeling confused, Darren still couldn''t understand why the witcher was so excited. Yes, he could transform into a fiend. But what did it matter to the witcher?


    So Darren said, "Sir, I can transform into a fiend. That''s true." Twelve only nodded with a big smile. Darren continued, "But what does it have to do with your decision to consume your Witcher Power to send me out?"


    "My kid, we have suppressed the giant devil for thousands of years. But our power will run out one day. And that day is coming soon. You are aware of that.


    Even if I don''t consume Witcher Power, we twelve witchers can only suppress it for eight hundred years at most. And other major Holy Lands may be in the same situation.


    It had been dismembered t


    was that moment that a deafening roar called out. Then the bloody paw broke through layers of barriers and suppression, and insanely, extended directly to Darren. It was not easy to control.


    "Oh no. It has been dormant all these years. It already has the strength to break through the shackle. What should we do?" a witcher asked, but no one answered as they were focused on the spell. The eleven witchers near the blood pool were totally shocked. Then they, in a panic, released blasts of power to suppress that devil.


    But the bloody paw still extended to Darren flashily. He might get hurt if it would still go berserk.


    However, Twelve didn''t stop, he increased the speed of changing gestures. There would be no way for him to spoil the success now. Darren should not be trapped here, as he still had a mission to fulfil for the human race.


    After a while, a light door appeared and opened slowly at the end of the passage. Finally, a portal opened.


    Being frightened and agitated, Darren held Elsa and rushed out to that door at his fastest speed. No time should be wasted.


    However, simultaneously, the bloody paw just touched Darren''s arm, then scratched and wounded him. The bloody paw felt something strange upon this.


    A drop of blood slid from his arm and dropped onto the bloody paw. The blood was very unique to the bloody paw''s senses. At this moment, Darren''s figure vanished completely. He could go back to the outside now.


    Meanwhile, Twelve didn''t notice the tiny scene as he was too focused on creating a passage for Darren.


    Under the witchers'' crazy suppression, the huge paw fell into the blood pool again. The ambiance finally toned down. And everything went back to normal once again.

 Chapter 114 New Friends

    Once Darren had dashed through the door with Elsa in his arms, he had escaped the forbidden area. Exhausted, he fainted and fell to the ground.


    A couple of minutes later, he woke up.


    He studied his surroundings alertly and caught sight of beautiful flowers and tender grass. In the distance, there were countless towering mountains covered with vegetation. Various diabolic beasts flew in the sky. It was peaceful, pleasant scenery.


    Darren took a breath. Having stayed in the forbidden area filled with suffocating tension and darkness, he suddenly fell quite in love with this place, greedily inhaling its fresh air.


    Looking down at Elsa in his arms, his mind finally set at ease at the sight of her sleeping with a serene expression.


    ''Oh, crap!'' he thought to himself, his eyes widening as he realized something. ''The spiritual energy in the Holy Land is denser than in any other place. Even when I breathe, some spiritual energy enters my body! Because of this, I will enter the Mysterious Realm in advance!''


    The thought made him uneasy. If he made a breakthrough, there was no way he could survive that!


    ''Even if I control myself and try not to take in spiritual energy, I will break into the Mysterious Realm in ten days. The only way I''ll survive it is to suppress sword intent in the process of the breakthrough.''


    That was the only way he could think of. But suppressing sword intent was no easy task.


    "Come on, guys, go get it!"


    A loud voice reached his ears.


    Darren was instantly on alert and turned around. The only thing in sight was a beast dashing at him quickly.


    ''Oh? That''s a diabolic beast, not just any beast!'' Darren thought.


    He got a clearer view as it came close to him. It turned out to be a diabolic boar. He began to sense its strength and found that it was considerable. ''It is supposed to be a level eight or nine diabolic beast. But it''s covered in blood! It obviously got seriously injured, '' he assumed.


    The boar growled loudly.


    Its red eyes flashed as it ran desperately forward. But when it spotted one of the people who was trying to catch it, it changed the direction and came at Darren.


    "I planned to leave you be, but now you leave me no choice!" Darren said.


    With this, he slit the boar''s neck with his blade in a flash.


    He had decided to use blade more frequently before he could unleash blade intent which could be on par with the sword intent he mastered. He had made up his mind not to resort to sword intent unless he was in grave danger.


    "Well done. That was really impressive!" A loud voice remarked from behind him.


    Moments later, two young men who had witnessed Darren slaying the boar ran towards him. They stood in front of Darren with evident admiration in their eyes.


    Darren checked the two strangers'' power secretly and knew they were at the first stage of the Mysterious Realm. The two could be considered strong cultivators


    don''t take it personally."


    "Screw you! Who the hell are you? I will teach you a lesson when I come back to Lotus City!" Henry barked angrily.


    He walked past Steven, pointed at Darren as he demanded, "Get down on your kneels and apologize to me, or you will be in a lot of trouble."


    But what happened next took him by great surprise!


    He was struck by a stinging slap in the face, leaving a red welt.


    "I''d like to see what you can do to me," Darren sneered.


    "You dare to hit me? I''m a disciple of the Medicine Pavilion. How dare you?" Henry said with a stunned expression.


    "If you don''t get out of here, I will kill you," Darren said in a cold tone, blade internal force gushing out from his body.


    Henry was only at the Primary Realm. The strong blade internal force Darren had released scared the hell out of him. Face turning pale, he collapsed on the ground.


    The next second, he rolled his eyes and an invisible flying dagger shot towards Darren.


    ''What''s this? Looks like he cast some spell, '' Darren thought.


    Steven and Stephan didn''t notice the flying dagger, but Darren could clearly see it.


    ''He has used the Wind Rule to dispatch the dagger. That''s why it managed to achieve abnormally high velocity!'' he analyzed.


    Darren gathered his Spirit Power to control the flying dagger.


    "Swoosh!"


    The dagger turned around and came at Henry. It flew past his cheek and chopped off his ear.


    ''If I had better control of that dagger, he would be much worse off, '' Darren snickered to himself.


    Henry clutched the side of his head where his ear had been cut off. He was so astonished that he was numb to the pain coming from his wound. He stared at Darren in disbelief.


    After a long pause, he cried out in disbelief, "You manipulated my wind dagger. Are you a... "


    "Get lost!" Darren interrupted him sharply before he could finish his sentence.


    Henry bolted away. All the blood had drained from his face!

 Chapter 115 The Holy Maidens Marriage

    Steven and Stephan could not help but be shocked. They had not expected Darren to hit Henry directly!


    "Darren, don''t be so impulsive. You''ll get into trouble if you provoke him." Steven began to worry about the situation.


    "What exactly is the Medicine Pavilion?" Darren asked, recalling what Henry had bragged about.


    "Darren, you don''t even know the Medicine Pavilion?" Steven was somewhat surprised. "Did you just arrive in the Holy Land?"


    Darren nodded honestly.


    "No wonder you don''t know about it." Steven suddenly realized what was going on, and then he said, "In this case, I will tell you more about it. Let''s talk while walking. After you came to the Holy Land, everything will become more complicated than you have experienced before. Each force is in complex dynamic with other forces. Don''t be impulsive from now on, Darren."


    Having said this, Steven and Stephan signaled Darren to come with them. As they walked, they filled him in on the situation in the Holy Land.


    In this way, Darren learned that the strengths of the Holy Lands were not as simple as he had just heard before he arrived in this area.


    "Darren, I advise you to join a big force as soon as possible, because being an individual cultivator in the Holy Land will never be easy. If you do not mind, I recommend you participate in the examination for becoming an outer disciple of the Lotus Holy Land," Steven said.


    "Steven, are you from the Lotus Holy Land?" Darren asked. He just heard Steven mention his story.


    "Well, yes, I am. Unfortunately, even though Stephan and I have been here for so many years, we are just outer disciples. We can''t help you much. I think... you seem to be at the peak of the Spirit Realm, aren''t you? If your talent is qualified, it will be absolutely no problem for you to become an outer disciple."


    Darren was going to the Lotus Holy Land to look for his sister! It couldn''t be better that he had met two outer disciples of the same place. He agreed immediately.


    "Steven, we should be in the Dragon Holy Land now. Why did you come so far to hunt diabolic beasts?"


    "Although it''s thousands of miles apart, it only takes a few seconds if we use the transmission array. Five ink stones are really a big cost."


    "Transmission array, ink stone?" Darren was puzzled about these unfamiliar words.


    "Oh yes, I forgot to tell you. Ink stone is the currency of the Holy Lands. Usually, you can use a superior spiritual herb to exchange for an ink stone. The transmission array is a special tool which can instantly tele


    eat fiercely and he asked, "What''s the full name of the Holy Maiden you speak of?"


    "Full name? I have heard that Elder Xenia has called her Belle, but I don''t know if it''s her name."


    Belle Chu!


    Darren''s heart began to pound like a drum. The girl they had been talking about was his sister! He needed to find out the details at once!


    "Friends, let''s hurry up," Darren urged.


    "Ha-ha, Darren, why are you in such a hurry, do you want to join in the contest? Don''t think about it, boy. Even Zane Zhou, who is the first ranking outer disciple, might have a poor shot at winning. He is at the eighth stage of the Mysterious Realm. Young disciples of the Ancient Families are not easily defeated."


    Seeing that Darren''s cultivation base was at the Spirit Realm, Steven could not help but joke about this.


    "I''m sure I''ll join in the contest of the Holy Maiden''s marriage." Darren''s answer took them by surprise.


    "What?"


    They were stunned. They were just joking, and didn''t expect Darren to take it seriously!


    "Darren, are you serious? Buddy, I advise you not to join in it. At your stage, you will surely be killed in the contest, believe me," Steven persuaded sincerely.


    "Marriage?"


    At this time, Elsa, who was resting in Darren''s arms, suddenly woke up.


    "Who do you want to get married with?"


    Elsa pinched Darren''s ear when she said this.


    "Don''t do that, Elsa. I just need to join the contest," Darren replied with a solemn face. He had just heard from Steven that his sister was very reluctant to marry, so at least he had to know the whole situation first. If necessary, he would certainly take part in the contest and win over the so-called Ancient Families!

 Chapter 116 Crisis Of Breakthrough

    "Elsa, you woke up?" Darren now realized that Elsa had already come to.


    "Well, you must have been busy focusing on that marriage thing," Elsa grunted at him angrily.


    Darren smiled at her and said, "That''s nonsense. I''ll put you down now. I''ll explain later. By the way, this is Steven, and this is Stephan."


    Darren put Elsa down and pointed at the two men to introduce them.


    When they saw Elsa, they were shocked. She was so beautiful that they almost could not breathe.


    "Hey." Darren coughed two times, and the two men were startled out of their dazed admiration.


    "Ha-ha." They laughed embarrassingly and said, "Darren, you''re so lucky, your girlfriend is so beautiful."


    Elsa, slightly shy, nodded to them and smiled. "Hello, my name is Elsa Gongsun."


    "Hello, Elsa." They both nodded back at her, returning the smile.


    They were now formally introduced.


    Along the way, Elsa often asked Darren how they came out and why Darren wanted to participate in the contest for marriage. Darren responded to her that they would talk about this later. Of course, she chose to believe him. He must have some special reasons!


    Soon, they came to a transmission array.


    This transmission array was a huge rotating metal object, shaped like a honeycomb with many individual grids in it. Each grid could accommodate about ten people.


    Darren was somewhat surprised to see this huge transmission array. It was rather impressive that this thing had been made by a rule cultivator!


    Darren tried to mobilize his Spirit Power to sense it for a while, and he saw endless complex rule lines that formed the transmission array. He couldn''t even begin to understand how they worked!


    "The rule cultivator that created the transmission array must have used the Spatial Rule with great depth. It''s amazing." Darren was astounded.


    "You four, where do you want to go? Hurry up!" a guard of the transmission array said, urging them impatiently.


    In this place, at least ten thousand cultivators who wanted to go other places were waiting in line, so the guards were busy.


    "We want to go to the Lotus Holy Land," Steven took the lead and said to the guards.


    "Four people, ten ink stones, pay the money and you can go. Hurry up." The guard''s face was blank. It was a monotonous job.


    Ten ink stones were also a considerable expenditure for Steven and his friend. They could only get fifty ink stones a month as outer disciples, which was even less than the resources that some other geniuses outside the Holy Land had!


    "I''ll pay this time." Seeing the awkward air from the two young men, Darren went up to the guard and asked, "I


    She didn''t believe him at all.


    "Really, I''m serious. I feel like I''m going to make breakthrough. I can''t suppress myself any longer." Darren sweated a lot and tried his best to suppress the surge of the energy inside his body.


    Elsa immediately forgot her anger and went to Darren. She was anxious and asked, "What should I do? I''m afraid it''s dangerous for you to make breakthrough at this time."


    "Maybe I can still hold it in for ten days, but it''s not a long-term solution at all. The contest of the Holy Maiden''s marriage is also approaching, and I have to find a way to break through safely." Darren was anxious. His heart felt like it was in searing flames.


    "Darren, why do you insist on taking part in the contest? I know you must have a reason. Please tell me." Elsa gently took Darren''s arm.


    "She''s my sister, my own sister," Darren said softly.


    "What? Your sister?" Elsa was surprised.


    Now, Darren told Elsa everything about his sister.


    "Belle is definitely unwilling to marry one of them. How about I dress up as a man to join the contest?" Elsa suggested.


    "No, based on what Steven said, the disciples of the two Ancient Families are extraordinary. It won''t be so easy to win in the contest." Darren''s brows furrowed.


    "What should we do?"


    "We''ll find out. If I make a successful breakthrough to the Mysterious Realm, my power will definitely be strengthened. Maybe I will have a chance then."


    Suddenly, several people suddenly came out from nowhere and surrounded Darren and Elsa.


    "Brother, it''s this guy who cut my ear. He seems to be a rule cultivator too!"


    Darren looked at them when he heard the voice. It was Henry, of course. He had brought a group of people with odd and powerful scents to attack Darren.

 Chapter 117 Confronting Rule Cultivators

    "You brat, you have the guts to mess with us?" a tall, thin young man in a gray robe said menacingly, glaring at Darren.


    "Ha-ha. You bastard, I was following you secretly! You''re really a fool, didn''t even notice me! I can''t believe you even dared come here. You''re digging your own grave," Henry said smugly. His cheek where his ear had been cut off was swollen. So when he laughed, he looked rather creepy.


    Darren began to check the strength of Henry''s companions and found out that they were just at the Primary Realm and some of them possessed strong Spirit Power.


    "Darren, it''s not a good idea for you to fight them. I''m afraid that you will break through if you activate any of your spiritual energy. Leave them to me," Elsa whispered. She took a step forward and unleashed all of her sword intent.


    "I can take care of these losers with my blade in a minute. Now that you want to teach them a lesson, I''ll leave them to you. Be careful. They are rule cultivators, so they might have some special skills," Darren warned her.


    Elsa nodded her head, preparing to unleash some moves against them.


    Noticing that Elsa had stepped in front of Darren, the people of the Medicine Pavilion laughed out loud.


    "You son of a bitch, you even got a woman to protect you! You''re a coward!"


    "She''s certainly a special girl, isn''t she? This brat is so lucky!" one of them said lewdly. "Hey, sweetie, this loser will get you in trouble sooner or later. Why don''t you hang out with me? I''ll make sure you''ll have a good time every night. Ha-ha."


    "Go to hell!" Elsa shouted, her face turning dark.


    Taking a deep breath, she charged towards them. ''I can handle these losers without using my sword, '' she thought.


    The gray-robed young man who outranked the rest snorted and instructed his crew, "Come on, just a girl at the Spirit Realm. Go take her."


    A couple of men around him started to move. They got into a formation and made mysterious gestures to form some special handprints.


    Upon seeing this, Darren had a bad gut feeling.


    When Elsa stretched out her palm to attack them, a soft force entered her body and counteracted the power in her palm. And meanwhile, several wind daggers came at her.


    ''Rule cultivators are good at using the natural forces to attack people. Looks like I can''t underestimate them, '' Darren concluded as he observed the fight.


    Elsa couldn''t see the wind daggers, but she could detect something was approaching. Instinctively, she rapidly moved aside to dodge the attack. The wall behind her was hit by the wind daggers and fell to pieces instantly.


    Elsa narrowed her eyes and beca


    rule cultivators'' skin!


    Though Elsa thought her enemies would be eliminated soon, the rule cultivators sped up simultaneously and vanished into thin air in a flash!


    ''They used Wind Rule to help them get away? They moved as fast as I do when I display Shadow Lightness, '' Darren thought, amazed at their speed.


    He released his Spirit Power and was able to detect the rule cultivators'' positions. It turned out they were coming right at Elsa!


    With a furious snort, he strode forward.


    In a moment, he had positioned himself in front of Elsa and threw an abrupt and mighty kick.


    A disciple suddenly became visible!


    He was thrown into the air, coughing up blood. He finally fell on the ground ten meters away from where he had flown, rolling limply like a sack of flour.


    "I can''t believe it. This brat is too fast..."


    Now caught in a wave of panic, the rest of the rule cultivators fell to the ground one by one. Darren''s abnormally high velocity left them dumbfounded.


    What had happened also surprised Elsa. ''If Darren hadn''t come to my rescue, I might have suffered severe injuries. The skills these disciples used are very very strange, and yet rather effective, '' she mused.


    "Now, it''s time to show you what I am capable of," Darren said with a big grin, a wicked look coming over his face. "Flames Burning!"


    Darren threw multiple gestures with such speed that no one could see what he was doing. He concentrated, and red flames filled his eyes.


    The next second, a fire ball materialized between his palms. Suddenly, it flew towards the rule cultivators lying on the ground.


    "It can''t be. How did he display our skill!?"


    Shaken up, they all fixed their wide eyes on the fire ball hurtling at top speed towards them.

 Chapter 118 Rule Cultivators

    The fireball exploded with a thunderous wave of scorching heat that beat them backward. They could not believe their eyes. Darren had learned the "Flames Burning" that they had just exerted in the matter of a few minutes.


    It would typically take a high level rule cultivator several years to master a magic formula. No matter how strong his or her Spirit Power was, none of rule cultivators could learn a rule spell so quickly.


    But Darren was a special kind of rule cultivator. Not only could he exert the rule force, but he could also see it. He could easily utilize the rule force to help him learn a magic formula.


    On top of that, he was a masterful cultivator with a high talent level that could empower him to remember a cultivator''s gesture the moment he saw it.


    Bang!


    Darren''s opponents were thrown into the air by the force of the explosion and blackened by debris and soot. Although the "Flames Burning" Darren exerted was not as strong as theirs, the power of the fireball was still extraordinary.


    "The fireball''s power isn''t enough. I guess I still need more practice," Darren said unsatisfied.


    Some of his opponents had passed out from the force of the explosion, and the rest of them were frightened to the depths of their very cores.


    "What, what should we do now, Barry? Has his Spirit Power reached level nine?" Henry stammered, shaking with fear.


    "Barry, we''d better escape while we can! Henry, it''s all your fault! Now we are into serious trouble. We can''t afford such heavy consequences of getting involved with a man like him." The background of such a talented rule cultivator must be a legendary being.


    The others looked at their thin and tall leader, Barry, awaiting his next command. They all wished to escape but would wait to hear his advice and orders.


    "Losers!" Barry yelled. "What else do you know except running away with your tails between your legs? It''s time to use my secret weapon." He turned now to face Darren. "Bastard! You''re screwed now." He took out several yellow rune papers from his pocket.


    "Rune papers!" his followers marveled with surprise.


    "My teacher gave me these rune papers to use as a last resort if my life is in danger. It''s a waste to use these papers to kill this asshole, but he has infuriated me. Nothing can stop me now."


    "What power those rune papers have, Barry? Are you certain you can kill him with the papers?" one of his followers called out.


    "Of course, I''m certain! One paper has the ability to suppress his power. Another can shackle him. And the last one can enhance the power of my skill. As long as I use the three of them together, I can even fight against a cultivator of the Mysterious Realm and beat the shit out of him. This bastard is just a cultivator of the Spirit Realm. It''ll be a piece of cake!"


    When his companions heard this, the fear in their eyes dissipated and hope returned to their hearts. They were well a


    Realm. Even though Darren''s sword intent was a hundred times weaker, it would still be as easy as blinking an eye to kill the rule cultivators of the Primary Realm.


    All of a sudden, Darren''s opponents stopped their attacks.


    Darren''s sword intent was buzzing in their ears.


    The mighty power of the sword intent frightened them to the core.


    "The sword intent is so powerful. How can that be? Why''s his sword intent still so strong? I don''t believe it."


    Two of them cried with fear and shrieked like crazed dogs.


    They could not believe that this teenager in front of him was such a formidable foe. He was like a devil that had come up to play a game of death and destruction with the living.


    They could feel Darren''s aura of killing intent. Its overbearing weight drowned them, making them suffocate with misery and desperation.


    Swoop!


    Darren drew a wide arc through the air with his sword. In a flash of light, his opponents were beheaded.


    "What''s that? What''s that feeling in my mind?" After Darren killed them, a strange sensation appeared in his head. He activated his vital energy and cried out, "Absorb!"


    A second later, several streaks of transparent soul energy flew to his temples.


    "That feels amazing! I''ve upgraded. My Spirit Power is level four now."


    Darren had been right about his speculation that he could not only absorb Witcher Power but also Spirit Power.


    Darren slowly landed on the ground and walked toward Barry, who was quaking with cold sweat.


    "Tell me! Where do you get the suppression rune?" Darren yelled. He was like a demon from hell, whose every word seemed to plunge daggers through Barry''s heart.


    Barry, the only one who was alive after Darren''s sword attack, was so afraid he could barely speak. He even lost the strength to stand and toppled to the ground heavily. If his mind could process anything beyond Darren''s deafening power, he would have noticed that he had wet himself.

 Chapter 119 Get Ready To Loot

    The lanky youth was dumbstruck. "Speak!" Darren yelled as he gave him a hard kick. "Where did you get the suppression rune?"


    This suppression rune was so important to Darren right now. Now that he was about to break through his realm, the rune would help minimize the harm caused by the conflict between the blade internal force and the sword intent inside him.


    Then again, one thought bothered him, ''Is it really possible for me to survive the harm that the conflicting forces would cause inside my body with a rune? If it is that simple, why did Hanson still not succeed? It shouldn''t have been difficult for him to get a rune.


    Maybe Hanson''s sword intent and blade intent were just too powerful because of his high level in the realm. Maybe there hadn''t been a rule cultivator powerful enough to make a rune that could suppress his sword and blade intents, '' Darren pondered over and over.


    ''One more thing, though. I am in a much lower realm and my sword intent is a hundred times stronger than my blade internal force. It would possibly work if I suppress my sword intent. Anyway, I must focus on getting the rune first!'' he continued to think to himself.


    The lanky youth collapsed on the ground and trembled with fear. He could not seem to be able to answer Darren''s questions.


    "Oh, so you want to pretend to be an idiot?" Darren asked angrily. He hacked at his feet, cutting off several toes.


    "Aghhh!" he wailed in pain. "Fine, I''ll talk! Please don''t kill me," he pleaded. "My master is a powerful rule cultivator of the Medicine Pavilion. He knows a mysterious master who sent him many such runes, so he gave me one of each kind," he explained.


    "A mysterious master? Are you telling the truth?" With another wave of Darren''s blade, he cut off the youth''s toes from another foot.


    "Ouch! I am not lying! I swear! Please don''t kill me!" he moaned desperately.


    He did seem like he was telling the truth.


    "Tell me, where is your master now?" Darren asked as he pushed his blade against the youth''s throat.


    "Spare my life, please,"


    the lanky youth cried bitterly.


    "Where is he?!" Darren asked again as he felt a violent fluctuation of the Spirit Power.


    Bang!


    With one palm attack, streams of blood spurted out of the lanky youth''s mouth!


    "So you want to use some secret method to send a message? You''re going to die now," Darren said as he raised his hand and cut off his arm.


    The unbearab


    sed while kicking at Darren. Darren made a slight deft shift and dodged.


    Robin fell over, bumped on the wall, and passed out.


    "This is..." the two guards couldn''t help but burst into laughter.


    "Mr. Chen, should we carry Mr. Zhou to his room?" One of the guards walked over and asked.


    "No, guard your passage. Let this old fool sleep here, ha ha ha," Eugene dismissed them and laughed in amusement as he watched his friend lying on the ground.


    The two guards acknowledged them and walked back to their post. They were already used to these two old drunkards.


    "Hum? Who are you, lad? Are you planning to steal my elixirs? Fuck off!" Eugene cursed, drunken and bleary-eyed.


    "Sir, I have admired you for a long time. I came here specifically to ask for your guidance," Darren said with sincerity.


    Darren felt quite fortunate to meet the lanky youth''s master.


    "Hum, find one of your ancestors to be your master, idiot. Do you think I will accept scums like you to be my disciple?" He replied dismissively. Then, he continued to ascend the stairs, ignoring Darren completely.


    ''This is bad, '' Darren told himself but decided to go after Eugene. The two guards blocked him immediately and shot him hostile looks.


    "Master! I have awakened my Spirit Power," Darren shouted in desperation.


    Eugene continued to ascend the staircase indifferent to Darren''s words.


    "Master, please. Give me a chance. I have awakened my level four Spirit Power." Immediately, he released his Spirit Power and shot at Eugene Chen.


    Feeling Darren''s power, Eugene turned around pleased. He wasn''t that drunk, after all.

 Chapter 120 A Harvest

    A gleam formed and blazed up in Eugene''s eyes as he started to sense Darren''s raging Spirit Power. Eugene beamed up at Darren as if he had discovered some treasures.


    "Interesting, kid. Unleash your Spirit Power again," Eugene demanded at Darren with a smile. Taking a glance at Darren''s surprised reaction made Eugene believe that he was not hallucinating. The Spirit Power that he had was truly exceptional.


    At this point, Robin Zhou woke up suddenly and lifted himself up from the ground hastily. Shock and bewilderment were written on his face.


    "I was disturbed from my slumber! I sensed a strong Spirit Power! What is going on?" Robin shouted while staggering. With twitched eyebrows, the drunk man''s sight was moving haphazardly in sensing where could the Spirit Power come from.


    ''This is not good. I need to stop him, '' Eugene thought eagerly. ''If Robin found out that this brat has such strong Spirit Power, he will undoubtedly take him from me and make him his disciple. It will be such a waste!''


    Meanwhile, Darren read Eugene''s mind instantly as he took note of Eugene''s expression. He was aware of how his true strength was needed to be hidden.


    Cleverness possessed Darren, making him smirk. Taking a step backward, he walked up to Robin directly. He stuck out his foot and tripped the drunk man over. As a result, Robin hit his head against the wall and blacked out again. Silence prevailed, at last.


    "Well done, brat. You''re a clever kid. Now, come with me," Eugene praised, smiling delightfully. As he witnessed Darren''s Spirit Power and performance, he couldn''t help but smile from ear to ear.


    "Thank you, sir. It''s an honor to please you," Darren responded in excitement as if he was glad to hear Eugene''s praise. It was going smoothly for him. In fact, Darren was happy because he would now obtain the rune. Eugene was too dumb to notice Darren''s ulterior motive as he was blinded by his greed.


    After hearing Eugene''s command, Darren followed him towards the staircase, as he hid his clever smile from him.


    "Just a moment, sir. I''m afraid I don''t recognize him. I''m sorry, sir, you can''t bring this brat with you. The third floor is a forbidden area. Outsiders are not allowed to enter," a man standing at the stairway entrance politely said to Eugene and shot a sneer at Darren.


    The abrasive manners of the man irritated Darren. Before he spoke a word, Eugene already huffed, "Humph? Are you trying to stop my disciple? Are you sure?"


    A couple of minutes had passed, but the two guards had no intention of letting them pass. Eugene took out two blue pills from his chest and threw them at the two.


    The two guards each took one pill. They smiled at Darren and finally gestured for him to pass. To avoid the mess, Darren hid his grump from the two guards as they were eyeing him.


    Then, Darren and Eugene started walking up the stairs. Meanwhile, Darren thought, ''This old man is nice to me. If he gives the rune to me obediently, I''ll not give him


    ve you the Suppression Runes! Stop it already!"


    This time, he wasn''t acting. Seeing that some of his lifetime collections had been destroyed broke his heart. It was his weaknesses.


    Feeling relieved, Darren slightly signaled to Eugene to go get Suppression Runes.


    With much reluctance, Eugene walked to the wood cabinet slowly. He pressed a button, and a secret drawer with a pile of runes inside came out.


    Darren took a stride and took away all those runes.


    "Thanks for your generosity," he said to the pill refiner. With a beaming smile on his face, Darren headed for the cabinet which contained pills. Of course, this was not yet the end of Eugene''s suffering.


    "What... What are you doing?" Eugene asked in a shaking voice, with fear written all over his face. Most of his treasures were already gone, and he couldn''t lose any more.


    ''Is he going to rob me of my pills?'' he wondered, nervously.


    Eugene was a pill refiner. Although the runes were precious, they didn''t mean much to him. He only used them to bribe some strong cultivators. However, the pills were different. For him, they were the most valuable things in his life.


    Without showing any emotions on his face, Darren opened the cabinet and saw a box. There were about 10, 000 trinkets of pills inside the box. Another grin escaped from his mouth.


    Without a word, Darren took out his Space Ring and stored all the pills inside it. ''I don''t have many superior spiritual herbs left. These pills might be more valuable than the herbs, '' he thought.


    When Eugene saw this, his face turned pale instantly. "You, you even have a Space Ring. How could you?" he stammered.


    Unknowingly, he initially thought Darren would only take several hundred pills. In fact, he thought that he didn''t know which were top-level pills. That was why he had remained quite calm.


    But now all his pills had gone. Feeling suffocated, he fell to the ground again.


    But this time, he really blacked out. Eugene was no good now.

 Chapter 121 Began To Break Through

    ''The scent is too strong¡­


    it''s weird¡­'' Darren thought, inwardly sighing as he pondered over what to do.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, the door to the pill refining chamber was kicked open with force.


    A pair of deep eyes were then staring straight at Darren.


    "Master, wake up! I told you not to drink too much. You never listen to me."


    Squatting down, Darren pretended to shake Eugene awake¡ªhe even smacked him secretly on his head to make sure he wouldn''t actually wake up.


    Simultaneously, Darren hid his true cultivation base using the Aura-concealing Skill, still worried about his true identity being uncovered.


    "Ha... this shameless thing," the man merely snorted, his expression cold as ice.


    Pretending to have only just noticed the man, Darren looked up and shouted in surprise, "Who are you? How dare you break into the pill refining chamber? This is a forbidden place, get out of here right now!"


    The man wore a purple robe and his eyes seemed to hold endless plains of ice. Each of his movements seemed to be a merge between heaven and earth¡ªit was astonishing, mysterious, and seemingly impossible for Darren to understand it at all.


    "You dare to raise your voice at me? You don''t even know me. You''re too reckless!"


    As the man grew angrier, Darren made sure to look frightened as he stammered in a flurried voice, "Ah, I''m sorry, Sir. I did not recognize you. It''s my fault. My master just drank too much. The pills that you asked him for have already been well prepared. After I take care of my master, I will send them to you immediately."


    The man''s rebuke provided Darren with a window of opportunity.


    Hearing this, the man scanned Darren up and down, seeming to have noticed something. Suddenly, his eyes darkened as he asked, dead-serious, "Tell me, who am I?"


    ''Damn it¡­''


    The stern voice made Darren''s heart race in worry just as an inexplicable force had attacked him. In the next second, he was imprisoned in the space around him, unable to take even a step.


    ''The controlling force is too strong¡­ I''m afraid his strength can compete with the witchers''¡­ but their scents are still quite different¡­'' At that point, Darren''s forehead began oozing with sweat. If the man found out what he had done, he would never find another chance to escape.


    "Sir, I''ve been a disciple of Mr. Chen for barely two hours. Before he drank, I heard that he was going to prepare some pills for a big man and asked me to be careful. That man must be you¡­" Darren said, feigning extreme panic. If he looked too calm, he wouldn''t pass as a novice disciple.


    "I have to wake him up and hear the truth from him."


    As soon as the man said it, Darren''s nerves started going out of control as his blood went cold. Mobilizing his mind, he


    As Darren roared, he ignited several more Suppression Runes in succession.


    "Ah!" Tremendous pain spread all over his body as if his organs were being torn apart by a strong force. The blade internal force and the suppressed sword intent attacked each other fiercely, fragmenting the meridians inside Darren''s body inch by inch.


    As Elsa watched him suffer in such agony, Elsa couldn''t help bursting into tears from afar, too anxious to bear it.


    The blade internal force continued to fight the weak sword intent, leaving Darren with gritted teeth and heavy sweating¡ªthe pain was so intense, he could''ve fainted at any moment.


    Even after two quarters later, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth still rushed into him and tore away at his meridians.


    ''It''s over. There should only be three Suppression Runes left. The sword intent will no longer be suppressed.''


    With more than half of his meridians broken down, Darren was numb and weak as his consciousness blurred.


    Just in time, he felt the spiritual energy begin to weaken as it surged inside him.


    Before he completely lost his mind, he ignited the remaining three runes and suppressed the sword intent indefinitely.


    At this moment, Darren was red all over, only the broken blood-red meridians surfacing on his skin.


    "It''s finally over¡­"


    After a long while, when Elsa saw the last trace of heaven and earth spiritual energy fall, she was choked up with sobs¡ªit was horribly painful for her to watch him suffer.


    Just as she rushed toward him as fast as the wind, a great thunderbolt flashed in the sky, and another huge surge of spiritual energy rushed into Darren''s body.


    Having gone rather limp and silent, Darren didn''t even have the courage to open his eyes as he was overcome.


    "No!"


    Elsa''s desperate cry echoed throughout the quiet forest.

 Chapter 122 It Showed Up Again

    In an instant, Darren had been inundated by the mighty spiritual energy from between heaven and earth. As this happened, the blade internal force and sword intent increased and began to rampage in his body.


    He was totally numb and couldn''t feel his body. No pain, no sensation, no sight. All he could see was pitch-black darkness.


    ''Is it what death feels like?'' Darren sighed to himself.


    Without the runes suppressing the sword intent, it quickly crashed into the blade internal force and wreaked havoc on the passages through which vital energy circulated.


    Suddenly--a sharp sound!


    Just as Darren was reaching rock bottom in total despair, he indistinctly heard the sound.


    "It''s so familiar," he murmured, but was unable to open his eyes to see what it was. Then he lost consciousness and fell into the darkness.


    Beside him, Elsa grieved. Looking down at his lifeless figure, she was overwhelmed with despair.


    But when she heard the sharp sound, she raised up her head and saw that in the depth of clouds, a figure stood in black.


    Rumble!


    Thunder clapped throughout the sunny sky. But soon dark clouds rolled over. With a wave of his hand, the figure in black shot a cloud of powerful black gas towards Darren.


    At the sight of the black gas, Elsa burst out the sword intent and flew to it in a desperate attempt to resist it. But she merely bounced away from it when she was about 1000 feet away.


    But what happened next stilled her fears. The black gas flew into Darren''s body.


    She figured out that the powerful figure in the sky must be helping Darren instead of harming him.


    She felt a glimmer of hope spring back in her heart, and observed quietly from some distance away.


    As soon as all the mighty black gas had rushed into his body, Darren''s skin turned into black scales and shells. He had transformed into a complete fiend.


    Inside his body, the pyramid-shaped demon core spun with an unprecedented speed.


    Heavy demonic aura instantly filled the space, causing Elsa''s eyes to widen.


    ...


    At the same time, it attracted other super masters of the Holy Lands.


    The Holy Lord in the Lightning Holy Land suddenly opened his eyes and extended his powerful spiritual sense to the Lotus Holy Land.


    Meanwhile, in the Dragon Holy Land, a solemn young man turned into a dragon image shooting into the sky.


    In the Blade Holy Land, the middle-aged man who had just been murmuring sadly in front of a tomb, became grim and serious.


    ...


    "That''s it! It appeared again!"


    "There it is! It showed up again!"


    The eight Holy Lords all cast their eyes at the sky.


    Powerful spiritual sense from them blasted towards the figure in the depth of the dark clouds.


    A sharp noise resounded throughout the sky!


    The earth began to tremble as the clouds rolled like stormy waves.


    The figure''s silver eyes emanated eight streaks of spiritual sense which soon collided with the spiritual sense of the eight Holy Lords.


    The figure cried out sharply.


    It was teetering and looked like it was about to fall. Staring into nothingness for a moment, it dashed into the clouds and disappeared.


    The mighty black gas it emit


    you needn''t get involved in the investigation of the fiend. We''ll handle this. You can go now."


    "Humph. I just came here to see what happened. If there is something dangerous, I won''t help you. You can be sure about that! Ha-ha-ha."


    As the Holy Lord of the Lightning Holy Land saw the man in purple''s arrogant face, the purple lightning twined around his body started to crack. "Mr. Wan, I persuade you to leave out of good will, but you dare to speak in this arrogant way. Aren''t you afraid of death?" he threatened.


    Instantly, a murderous intent permeated the air.


    The man in purple quickly took two steps back. "You''re good! Each of you is really good! Once someone says something that displeases you, you decide to kill him. Do you forget the master on the seventh floor of the Medicine Pavilion? Humph!


    Besides, Bryan, you''re quite powerful, aren''t you? If you really want to know what caused your son''s death, why not kill the people in Medicine Pavilion and rush to the seventh floor to put your blade on the master''s neck and interrogate him about who he gave that rune to? He is quite good at creating magic runes that can increase strength by a thousand or even ten thousandfold. So quickly, go and interrogate him instead! Ha-ha!"


    As he finished his words, the man in purple flew away, leaving laughter in his wake. The Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land, Bryan''s face twisted and he cut the void to vent out his anger. ''Interrogate the mysterious man in the Medicine Pavilion?'' He didn''t have guts.


    The eight Holy Lords scanned the space with their spiritual sense and didn''t find any more hints of the fiend. Finally, they left.


    ...


    By the virtue of his sharp vision and hearing, Darren found out what had happened on the clouds.


    ''The man in purple was so arrogant that he even didn''t show cursory respect to the Holy Lords, '' he thought with a grim expression. ''I was the one who snatched pills from the Medicine Pavilion and killed the son of the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land. If those two things are revealed, I''ll probably die a miserable death, '' he thought to himself.

 Chapter 123 So Fast

    "Babe, are you feeling better now?" Elsa asked as she rubbed Darren''s back. She wondered what had happened in the sky.


    "Elsa, what did you call me? Could you repeat it? Ha-ha..." As Darren was feeling better, he began teasing her.


    "Come on! How can you make fun of me? I''m worried about you!" replied Elsa as she rested her head against Darren''s shoulder.


    "Okay, I know, I know. I''m sorry. Could you not call me babe? That sounds weird."


    "Fine. Whatever you want!" Elsa smiled.


    "Good girl!" Darren pulled Elsa closer and inhaled the sweet scent wafting from her hair. He was enjoying this romantic moment with her.


    After two days, Darren found that he had almost completely recovered with the help of hundreds of healing pills.


    The healing pills were very expensive. One pill would cost at least fifty ink stones. People might find it unbelievable that Darren had consumed hundreds of healing pills.


    "It''s done now."


    Darren murmured before opening his eyes. A sword created from his internal force rushed out of his body. As the sword flew toward the sky, Darren''s sword intent blew the clouds away.


    "Aha! I can''t believe how much the power of my sword intent has increased."


    Darren felt as though he were stronger than before.


    "Darren, what stage do you think you have reached now?" Elsa asked when she sensed his sword intent.


    "I think I can defeat those who are at the eighth stage of the Mysterious Realm. Perhaps, even the ninth stage if I go all out." estimated Darren.


    "Wow! Sweetheart, you''re amazing! Despite being a beginner of the Mysterious Realm, you have made such rapid progress. Congratulations to you, genius!" Elsa jumped with joy like a little girl.


    "Come on! You flatter me too much." Darren smiled at her.


    "I have an excellent husband. Of course I''m happy," Elsa said without hesitation.


    "Husband? Who''s your husband?"


    Elsa blushed and pouted prettily, "What''s the difference? You''ll be my husband sooner or later. Don''t you want to be my husband?" Elsa asked with a demure smile.


    "Yes, I do. Trust me. I''m ecstatic to be your husband. Elsa, there''s no one here but us. Why don''t we do something romantic?" Darren''s heart beat faster as he asked Elsa.


    "Sure. You''re my fiance," replied Elsa. Her cheeks turned crimson, and her heart raced. After a moment''s hesitation, she murmured, "But what if someone came?"


    "I only wanted to hold a simple wedding ceremony here with you. Whoever comes here can witness this. What? Were you thinking about something else?" Darren smiled.


    "Nonsense! I''m not." Elsa blushed again. "Who said that I''m going to marry you?"


    "Well, why are you blushing? What are you thinking really? Huh? Ha-ha..."


    "Nonsense! I''m not thinking about that either!"


    "Thinking about what? Tell me. We''re about to get married."


    "I never said that I''d marry you. And, I''ll kick your ass if you speak to me like that again."


    Elsa became conscious when she understood Darren was teasing her. She threatened him playfully before chasin


    he old man.


    The Outer Elder didn''t glance at her. He sent a message with his spiritual sense to Colin. After a few seconds, a strong internal force carried an old man to the test doors.


    "Richard, you said that someone had been sucked into the test for the supreme disciple election."


    The old man asked with a frown. Despite his solemn expression, the old man''s white hair and beard lent him a dignified appearance.


    The Outer Elder lowered his head and remained silent. So Colin turned to look at Cathy.


    "Grandfather, I didn''t mean to push him towards the door. This is all his fault. He wouldn''t let me..."


    "Enough!" Colin yelled. Cathy knew that her grandfather was furious.


    "How dare you treat other people''s lives as a joke? You''re so young but so cruel. You''ll be confined for one year as a penalty. I''ll double it if you revolt."


    Then Colin turned to face the test door. He bowed respectfully to grieve Darren''s death.


    "Why are you still here? Just go home!" Colin yelled when he saw that Cathy hadn''t left. Cathy was in shock. She had never seen her grandfather this angry. She realized that she had made a huge mistake. Remorse filled her, and she burst into tears.


    "Richard, would you please apologize to his family on our behalf, and send them some money?"


    "Yes, sir." The Outer Elder thought, ''Mr. Li is really kindhearted. He could''ve ignored this insignificant boy''s life, but he didn''t.''


    "I said, go home! Are you deaf?" When Colin saw that Cathy was still crying in front of the door, he screamed at her.


    "Bang, bang, bang..."


    The incessant ringing of a bell drew everyone''s attention away from Cathy. The onlookers gasped when they saw a young boy.


    He had exited the other end of the arcane place for the supreme disciple election.


    "It''s him! How can it be? How did he leave there so quickly?" The Outer Elder was astonished when he saw that Darren was still alive.


    "Richard, what are you murmuring about?" Colin asked as he turned to look at the Outer Elder.

 Chapter 124 Supreme Disciple Election

    Richard stared at Darren with disbelief and astonishment in his eyes. It was said that the arcane place for supreme disciple election had been abolished years ago for it was too difficult for anyone to ever make it. As far as he knew, the talented disciples who signed up for the test either lost their lives or sustained severe injuries.


    He had no idea what tests the participants had to go through.


    But now Darren passed the test unscathed. ''This teenager only took fifteen minutes to pass the test. What kind of genius could he possibly be?''


    "Richard, I was talking to you. Answer my question," Colin reminded.


    "Ah?" Richard came back to his senses. An excitement spread across his face as he replied, "Sir, this teenager is the one who walked into the arcane place."


    "Is that so?" Colin''s eyes lit up. He beckoned Darren with a wave of his hand and said, "Boy, please come here."


    Darren looked at the elder in the near distance, thinking, ''A strong cultivator again. He gives off a tremendously powerful aura.''


    He made his way to Colin and stopped in front of him. He cupped his hands and greeted respectfully, "Hello, sir."


    "Call me Mr. Li. What''s your name?" Colin said with a faint smile.


    "I''m Darren Chu. I came here to join the outer disciple election," Darren replied.


    "I see." Looking a bit surprised, Colin asked, "Did you just come out from the arcane place?"


    Darren glanced back at the entrance to the arcane place and nodded in confirmation.


    "Yes, I guess so." With her face soaked in tears, Cathy who had stood aside silently joined them. Eyes wide open, she said, "So he really made it."


    She walked towards Colin and threw punches onto his chest non-stop. Glaring at him, she said in a soft voice, "How could you bark at me? You deserve this. Humph, you''re a bad grandfather. You said no one could pass the test. How do you explain this? You just wanted to teach me a lesson."


    "Sweetie, stop being naughty," Collin said to Cathy in a soft tone. He actually was very fond of his granddaughter. Now that Darren got out of the arcane place safe and sound, he was no longer mad at her.


    "If he could do it, I can too. I must go there. Humph. You bluffed me because you didn''t want me to have any fun in there," Cathy pouted, looking very pathetic.


    ''Even a guy who signed up for the outer disciple election can pass in that s


    you that I can make it just as he did."


    "Easy. Why don''t you make a decision after letting him finish his story?"


    Colin smiled at Darren. He was dying to know how the lad had managed to pass the rest of the tests.


    "The second test was more difficult than the first one. I was also given a more dangerous task."


    When Darren said this, the crowd quieted down and held their breaths.


    ''He easily got through the first trial, which proves his excellent talent. But even such a genius found the second test to be difficult. What test could possibly challenge him? How about the final test?'' The crowd became more interested in Darren''s story.


    At this point, an aggressive, powerful sword intent appeared in the near distance.


    "Go to hell! You shouldn''t have dared to come after me!" A female voice resounded.


    Everyone turned their heads to see what was going on.


    A gorgeous maiden in purple came in their view. She waved her sword at a diabolic rat and killed it with one powerful strike.


    "Oh my gosh, she is so beautiful!"


    "She is at the ninth stage of the Spirit Realm. She has just slain a top level diabolic beast. She has mastered the sword intent!"


    A heated discussion erupted among the crowd.


    "Richard, is that girl a participant in the trials?" Colin asked. The maiden''s move astonished him for he sensed that she had formed a sword core.


    "Yes. She is Darren''s companion. The two came here together to join the outer disciple election," Richard replied.


    Colin was overwhelmed by infinite joy. ''The two are definitely first class geniuses.''

 Chapter 125 Details Of The Test

    "Ha-ha." Colin waved his sleeve and walked over. "Richard, this little girl''s remarkable talent is enough for her to be an inner disciple," he said.


    Elsa didn''t agree at first. She gave Darren a look, waiting for his opinion.


    "Say yes, Elsa." Considering the complex relationships among the different forces in the Holy Land, Darren thought becoming an inner disciple would be beneficial to both Elsa and him.


    Moreover, being a core disciple in the Holy Land would give Elsa access to various resources and directions from martial skill masters, which was what every martial skill cultivator wished for. Of course Elsa had the willingness to accept it, but it was all up to Darren.


    "What about you?" Elsa asked.


    "I have to see one thing done first," he answered.


    Elsa knew clearly he was talking about his younger sister.


    "Well, then." Elsa nodded to Darren, turned around and said, "I am willing to be an inner disciple of the Lotus Holy Land."


    "Good, we now have a new talented maiden with a promising future, ha-ha!" Colin said, happiness rose from the bottom of his heart.


    "Wow, I have a new beautiful sister," Cathy said as she walked to Elsa. "Welcome! We are happy to be with you as an inner disciple of the Lotus Holy Land. I can play with you in future, I am definitely looking forward to that," she said with a nifty smile.


    "No problem, you are also very beautiful," Elsa responded to Cathy.


    "Well, could you now tell us how you went through the last two rounds of the test, Darren?" Colin reminded.


    "Yes, tell us the details of the last two rounds of the test,"


    all the ordinary disciples reiterated with excitement.


    "The second round of the test was about physical strength and willpower," Darren blurted out.


    "How did it test your physical strength and willpower?" Outer Elder questioned closely.


    "Ha ha." Darren stood upright with his arms crossed on his back. "The round was divided into three parts: you get burnt by roaring flames, get frozen by ice, and get struck by purple thunderbolt. Each step could cause great suffering to the body," Darren said slowly.


    "You are kidding me. Well, you did say it was quite dangerous, didn''t you? I think with immense strength and good physical body, one can withstand what you just described easily."


    "Yes, then why did so many talents fail to go through this test? I don''t believe it."


    There were many disciples with strong physical strength in the Holy Land, they should have been able to pass the test. Darren''s words confused the other people.


    "The roaring flames, ice, and purple thunderbolt were adjusted according to the participants'' physical strength. The stronger yo


    l must be at least five or six stages higher than the first stage of the Mysterious Realm in order to defeat all ten clones," Colin analyzed.


    "More or less," Darren wanted to say no more words.


    "Genius, you are really a genius, Darren," Colin praised. "Your potential is on par with the disciples of the Ancient Families."


    "The Ancient Families?" Darren got a little surprised when Collin compared him to the disciples of the Ancient Families. They seemed to be extraordinary judging from Colin''s tone.


    "Correct, talented disciples of the Ancient Families usually can challenge someone whose cultivation level is higher, which is unreachable for some talented disciples of our Holy Land," Colin said with a sigh. "If you were at the fifth stage of the Mysterious Realm, you should consider taking part in the groom-recruiting competition to be held on the day after tomorrow to help the Lotus Holy Land out. Pity, such a pity," Colin continued.


    "Let''s get straight to the point. Would you like to be a supreme disciple of the Lotus Holy Land, Darren?" Colin asked with conviction.


    "Supreme disciple, my goodness! It''s so enviable."


    "I am wondering what his treatment will be as the first supreme disciple of the Lotus Holy Land."


    All of the other disciples cast admiring glances at Darren.


    But to everyone''s surprise, he rejected Colin''s proposal.


    "Hum? Darren, are you stupid? Why did you reject his offer?" Outer Elder blurted out, even he was anxious for Darren.


    "I plan to take part in the groom-recruiting competition of the Holy Maiden. I heard only outer disciples could qualify for it. Do you mind elaborating on that?" Darren replied.


    Hearing Darren''s words, Colin frowned as it was the first time that he felt disappointed with Darren''s behavior.

 Chapter 126 A Real Young Genius

    "Don''t you mention anything regarding the groom-recruiting competition of the Holy Maiden again, you hear me? You''re talented, but still far too young. At present, you''re an ant compared to the genius young men of the Ancient Families," Colin said, trying to dissuade Darren. "But don''t worry, if you practice for a few more years until you reach the age of twenty, you''ll be the strongest cultivator among your peers," he added.


    Darren did not want to hear any more explanations from Colin. He was definitely interested in hearing more about the Ancient Families, on the other hand.


    "Sir, may I ask a question? There must be countless heroes and gifted cultivators in the Holy Land, so why haven''t any of them defeated the Ancient Families? How strong are the Ancient Families exactly?" Darren inquisitively asked, bowing with his hands arched to show respect.


    What Darren had just asked Colin was something that most of the disciples present wanted to know.


    Colin pondered for a moment then sat down as he started, "The history of the Ancient Families goes back to the ancient times. They have an unusual blood lineage that can enhance their fighting power to its full potential. But of course, there are two sides to every coin. Because of the unusual bloodline, their progress in the cultivation realm is much slower than that of other gifted disciples in the Holy Land.


    Luckily, there is always an exception to everything. In recent years, the three Ancient Families have nurtured quite a number of geniuses. So, not only do those geniuses have the unusual bloodline that enhances their powers, but they can also improve their cultivation realms quickly. The speed of their realm promotion is almost equal to that of the geniuses in the Holy Land. As far as I know, they have several young men under the age of twenty who have already reached the seventh stage of the Mysterious Realm, which is exceptional, given the adverse effects that come with their bloodline. What''s even more exceptional, is that it is said that there are also several young men just a little over the age of twenty who have reached the Wonder Realm. They''re geniuses," he concluded.


    "They reached the seventh stage of the Mysterious Realm before the age of twenty? Do you know how strong they are in actual combat, though?" Darren continued his questions in curiosity.


    Colin chuckled, "Well, with the advantage of their unique bloodline, they will be invincible against warriors at the realms below the Wonder Realm. And Darren, I know what you''re thinking, but with your current strength, you won''t be able to win in the Holy Maiden''s groom-recruiting competition," But there''s no need to lose heart! You will be strong enough to compete with them. All you need is time, understand?" he cheerfully reassured Darren.


    Darren was saddened by the information he just heard. However, he was not one to give up that easily. He still had some confidence in himself.


    "May I ask you another question, sir? Is there anyone from the Ancient Families at the Mysterious Realm who can d


    ost reached the peak of the Wonder Realm. His physical strength and cultivation base were many times stronger than Darren''s. In order to defeat Darren, he wouldn''t lower his realm down to the Primary Realm, but just down to the Spirit Realm.


    Darren also readied himself for the challenge. He mobilized all his strength and put it all into a single punch.


    It carried both the blade internal force and the sword intent, but not the demonic internal force. He did not dare use it in front of such a strong master.


    "Ah-ha, not bad!" Colin exclaimed, his eyes widened in amusement. He noticed that Darren''s punch had the power of either the seventh or eighth stage of the Mysterious Realm. It seemed that he had really underestimated him. ''However, there''s no need to take it seriously, '' Collin thought.


    He nonchalantly stretched out his hand to block Darren''s attack.


    However, his face changed dramatically just as their two fists met.


    He felt just how powerful Darren''s punch was. There were two strong forces that burst through his hand and went straight to his chest.


    "Bang!"


    The sound of the impact echoed in the air.


    Everyone watched the scene in disbelief.


    "Damn. I was too careless," Colin lamented, then proceeded to praise Darren. "I thought I wouldn''t have to use any strength to deal with you, but I didn''t expect that you have such powerful hidden skills. You''re quite as strong as the ninth-stage of the Mysterious Realm," he admitted.


    He fell back half a step after receiving Darren''s punch. Luckily, he inconspicuously activated his strength at once to control his body.


    "What do you think, sir?" Darren asked as he held out his hand to Colin.


    "I admit defeat. You''re very good. You really are a young genius," Colin remarked, reaching out his hand to grab Darren''s outstretched one. Instead of condemning Darren, he looked at the young man with admiration in his eyes.


    After the people had heard it directly from Colin, they finally believed the scene that happened in front of them to be true.

 Chapter 127 Cause

    Darren performed too well. His performance stunned everyone in the area. Only Elsa had a smile on her face, appearing very calm. She knew that Darren always excelled in surprising people. Never before in his life had he failed in any venture he had taken.


    "Oh my goodness! This man really is powerful," exclaimed Cathy with her widened eyes.


    "Cathy, I remember that you wanted to join the supreme disciple election. I am allowing you to go now," Colin said with a smile.


    "Hum. Grandpa, I know you are making fun of me. Even Darren himself said that the test was too dangerous. Stop messing with me already," cried Cathy in anger.


    "Ha-ha," everyone laughed. They all understood that the little girl was frightened.


    "Darren, come with me. I want to talk with you alone for a minute," said Colin, just ignoring Cathy.


    "Elsa, let me show you to the inner department," the Outer Elder Richard hurriedly said with enthusiasm.


    Elsa did not answer.


    "Just go, Elsa. I will come and find you later," Darren assured her. As he saw that Elsa didn''t give Richard any response, he knew that she was waiting for his words.


    Elsa then nodded and made an obeisance to Richard by cupping one hand in the other before her chest. She said, "Thank you. Please lead the way, and I will follow you."


    Then she followed Richard away, while Darren left with Colin.


    "You rock!" said Colin as he and Darren walked towards an open area without other people, showing great excitement. "I indeed misjudged your real battle power. No doubt you are the genius of the geniuses. I did not expect that you could unleash such a powerful force as good as that of a cultivator at the top stage of the Mysterious Realm, while your cultivation is just at the first stage of the Mysterious Realm. It''s crazy, ha-ha."


    Darren just now realized that Colin had always been quite calm, but as they came to this place without other people, Colin blushed with excitement. How excited could he be? Darren kept an awkwardly short silence.


    "Ah, you probably overrated me," responded Darren in a low-key tone.


    "You are too modest. To be honest, my people and I might need you to help us save face this time," said Colin. At the time, he acted not as serious as he had just been, but rather like an old man just enjoying his final days.


    "Mr. Li, please make it clear to me what is really going on with the Holy Maiden''s groom selection competition," asked Darren because he did not understand why the Lotus Holy Land was forced to accept Belle''s groom selection competition when they actually opposed it. He also had no idea how his sister ended up in her position of being the Holy Maiden of the Lotus Holy Land.


    Colin waited for a moment and replied, "Take your time. You have to come with me so that I could tell you about it."


    "All these troubles are because of Elder Xenia of the Lotus Holy Land. She has been


    t it. I told you that if you win, I will grant you a big reward. Here you go,"


    said Colin, handing a bronze mask to Darren.


    "What is it?" asked Darren in puzzlement. He took the mask, but he did not know what it was or what it could do.


    "Just put it on," replied Colin with a huge smile.


    Darren did not hesitate. He put on the bronze mask and immediately perceived its distinctiveness.


    "I feel my power increasing significantly!" Darren exclaimed in wonder.


    "Yes, this bronze mask is unique because wearing it will lend you a battle power increase of 30 percent! However, it doesn''t work that well for cultivators at the Wonder Realm, so I assumed that it would be of more use to you. Take it," explained Colin.


    The mask was indeed a good thing for Darren as it could greatly increase his chances of winning. Moreover, he faintly felt that the bronze mask seemed to be more special than it appeared.


    "Mr. Li, thank you very much," said Darren heartily.


    "Well, you''d better head to the outer sect first. The Holy Maiden''s groom selection competition will be held in two days. When the whole thing is over, you must come and meet me, and you will be promoted to supreme disciple.


    "Okay, I understand." answered Darren before he turned his back and left. .


    On the way to the outer sect of the Lotus Holy Land, Darren had been pondering over the bronze mask. He couldn''t explain but he felt a sense of familiarity with it.


    He thought about it for a long time before an inspired thought flashed through his mind. He immediately took out the armor sent by Wayne from his Space Ring and put it on.


    "Sure enough, the mask seems to be another piece from this armor!" he murmured in astonishment.


    As soon as the armor and the bronze mask were combined, the entire set lit up with countless black runes. A mysterious atmosphere surrounded the spot. Darren felt a sudden surge of energy coming from the armor.

 Chapter 128 Improve Strength (Part One)

    ''It has a strange aura that is different from that of a rule cultivator and a witcher, '' Darren thought.


    As soon as Darren''s curiosity about the black rune flared, it flashed across his eyes and disappeared as sudden as the light appeared.


    ''So the armor and bronze mask were originally parts of an intact defensive armor. And it couldn''t perform its real power after it was broken apart, '' he thought.


    Darren came to the realization that if the war armor had remained intact, it might have had immense power. Even though he only had two broken parts, they could still greatly empower him and improve his strength by fifty percent! What more if he had the whole armor? He could only imagine the power it would have granted him.


    "I better hide it from others. But the mask looks quite good on me. Maybe I can use it during the competition." Darren murmured to himself. Darren put them into the Space Ring, so he could use them whenever he needed. He had a smile on his face, thinking how useful the ring he got from the test was.


    Soon, Darren arrived at the outer sect of the Holy Land.


    After he simply reported to the elder, Darren got a token which showed that he was an outer disciple. Unlike other ordinary disciples, though, Darren even got a big house from Outer Elder because Outer Elder wanted him to concentrate practicing his techniques.


    After the news sank in, he started to think about his future plans as usual. He wanted to make sure that he was taking deliberate steps towards his goal.


    ''Right now, the most important thing is the convention. I must win first place in that fierce competition. After that, I will start to prepare myself for entering the Wonder Realm, '' Darren thought to himself.


    When Darren recalled how he broke through to the Mysterious Realm, he started to tremble with fear. At that time, he felt as though he would die at that moment. He was helpless and gripped b


    t one has arrived at a higher level wherein cultivator and the blade could unite as one. When one succeeds in this, the blade intent will greatly empower one''s strength, so one will feel as though he is an invincible blade." Darren murmured.


    Darren closed his eyes and focused his attention on the words. Since he was a natural and had excellent talent in learning skills, he could easily comprehend the complicated martial formulas with his mind.


    In the blink of an eye, a whole day and night passed.


    Sitting on a quiet yard with his legs crossed, he meditated under a maple tree. His stance looked calm enough to allow his mind to absorb and nurture the information he was getting from the formulas.


    A light breeze was blowing, then several maple leaves fell and swirled in the air, spanning around Darren like a tornado.


    All of a sudden, a fierce and sharp power was emitting from Darren''s body. Those leaves broke into pieces that were invisible to the naked eye and disappeared into the air.


    "Ha-ha." His face broke into a smile and he opened his eyes, saying, "So that is how it feels when I unite my body and my blade."


    As Darren waved his hand, an icy blade appeared on his palm and a blast of cold air swept through his face, surprising him a little.

 Chapter 129 Improve Strength (Part Two)

    "Grand Thirteen Blade Skills!"


    When Darren raised his blade, thirteen rays of light radiated towards the sky at the same time. But something was different this time. When he succeeded in condensing the blade, he found out that he not only had the blade internal force, but also a hint of blade intent inside his body.


    ''After I have grasped the first martial formula, some of the blade internal force turned into a small quantity of blade intent. That is one giant leap for me in cultivation. It is a substantive change after days of practice!'' he thought. Darren felt giddy with excitement. He was more driven than ever.


    However, grasping the first martial formula was only the first step in learning blade intent. If he wanted to have the preliminary blade intent, he would have to grasp three formulas at the very least. And if he wanted to have the premium blade intent, he would have to put a lot more effort in practicing to completely comprehend the entire formulas.


    ''Right now, if I can improve two more stages in the future, those who have yet to reached the Wonder Realm will not be able to defeat me. Even if I don''t use the demonic power, I can still inflict heavy damage on them.'' Darren had complete confidence in himself. He knew he had to trust his capabilities or else he would go nowhere.


    Since a great deal of demonic power got absorbed into his body, there was a dramatic improvement in his strength. Even if he didn''t use the blade and sword intents, he could totally cream those masters who were at the top level of Mysterious Realm. It wouldn''t be as hard as it was before.


    But there was an enormous gap between the top level of the Mysterious Realm and the Wonder Realm. Even if he used up all his power and strength, it was an immensely difficult task for him to fight the masters who were at the Wonder Realm. If he wanted to kill such a master, the sword intent he needed was four thousand times


    concentrate on practicing. I''m afraid she will not be allowed to come out of her cultivation spot for a while," he said.


    "Isolation for practice? Already?" Darren was confused. He was also a bit disappointed because he was planning to find her today.


    "Ha-ha. You don''t need to worry about her. It is a rare opportunity for her. I have heard that Albert is going to help her improve the sword core''s level with his treasures, but I don''t know exactly what it means. So rest assured that she is in good hands. Maybe she will even become much more powerful than you are once she comes back. Ha-ha." Outer Elder was grinning ear to ear by the time he had finished explaining this to Darren.


    "All right, then. Please show me the way to Lotus Hall," Darren replied with a nod. He understood that Elsa had just gotten a big opportunity to immensely improve her strength, so he decided to just believe in her capabilities and not worry about her anymore.


    ''Those guys from the Ancient Family... They dared to force my little sister to marry them. I will teach them a lesson today and let them know who is the best, '' Darren grudgingly thought to himself. Wearing a confident smile on his face that didn''t betray his ulterior motives, he followed Outer Elder and walked out the door.

 Chapter 130 Pre-competition Test (Part One)

    In Lotus Holy Land, there were energy waves continuously spreading out from a magnificent hall. The waves were so strong that those cultivators who had not reached the Mysterious Realm could not help but shudder if they got close to it. The force was too much for them to handle.


    In front of the great hall, there was a square with a circumference of several miles, and in the center stood a carved green lotus. It looked ancient and sacred, making everyone feel that it defied time with elegance and power.


    "This way, please," Colin Li said, showing the way to the cultivators and leading them to the square.


    There weren''t too many people where they were heading. And it was easy to identify which sect a person belonged to because of the color of their uniforms. They were the representatives of three Ancient Families and the Lotus Holy Land.


    "Well, Mr. Li, why doesn''t the Holy Lord host the martial arts competition herself? After all, it''s such an important event, right?"


    a middle aged man in a golden robe asked in a somehow condescending manner. He was the chief of Yu Ancient Family. It was easy to tell that he was very strong, because his energy was stable and unfathomable.


    "Oh, Chief Yu, are you perhaps implying that I''m not qualified to host the competition?" Colin replied, snorting in a challenging manner.


    "Hey, relax, Mr. Li. Don''t be so stressed over it. Chief Yu didn''t mean it that way. Anyway, the outer disciples of the Holy Land are too weak to stand competition, and they might as well just quit outright. You can sit here and see our disciples'' performance. The Holy Maiden''s husband is sure to be selected from the three Ancient Families. Ha-ha!" Chief Ji from another Ancient Family said arrogantly.


    "Ha-ha-ha, it seems that today is our three A


    sorry. I''m late." Darren saluted with joint hands.


    "It''s okay, just find your position there. The contest is starting," Colin said lightly without any expression on his face. Despite hoping that Darren would emerge as the victor, he couldn''t let it show on his face or else he would be branded as a biased host.


    The Holy Maiden, who was standing at the back, saw him, too. Her heart skipped a beat. She felt very familiar with the figure, but could not seem to remember who he was for a while.


    The young boy wearing the bronze mask felt the gaze, so he turned back and gazed at her, too. Subconsciously, tears filled in his eyes, as though his emotions got to him before he could even process what was happening.


    "Belle, it''s you¡­" Darren murmured. Seeing his sister again, he was suddenly stricken by a surge of bitterness and pain. Everything came back to him, as though his deep wound had been reopened. He barely managed to stand his ground. As he looked at his sister''s eyes, he swore to himself, ''Belle, I will never let anyone hurt you again. I will protect you. Believe in me."


    "Ha-ha-ha!


    He''s a fucking piece of shit! Is he wearing the mask to make himself look cool?"

 Chapter 131 Pre-competition Test (Part Two)

    "What a fucking idiot. What the hell is he doing? How dare he pretend all high and mighty with that mask on? I''ll beat him to death later!"


    Seeing Darren''s appearance, the disciples from Ancient Families couldn''t help but run their mouths and laugh.


    Darren didn''t care, though. He ignored all their side comments and focused on the matter at hand. He stood quietly on one side, together with all the other disciples from the Holy Land. ''I''ll let you guys know who is an idiot later, '' he thought, sneering internally.


    At this moment, one of the three disciples, who stayed calm the whole time, stepped forward.


    Wearing a light blue robe, he looked handsome and gentle. "Hello, everyone. I''m Jack Yu. Since the Holy Maiden also came to see the competition, why don''t we have a small pre-competition match to entertain her?"


    "What do you want to do, exactly?" Colin asked, doubting Jack Yu''s intentions.


    "Well," Jack Yu put another foot forward and continued, "It''s very easy. We can just have a small force test. What do you think? I believe that the Holy Land has some magic treasure that can test the force."


    After hearing Jack Yu''s proposal, Darren released a touch of his spiritual sense and tried to probe which stage and realm Jack Yu was at. To his great surprise, an overwhelming strength cut the connection he was trying to forge with the said man. He wasn''t able to find out anything about him.


    ''He''s not just a nobody, '' he thought as his eyes gave Jack Yu a once over.


    Darren then observed the other two disciples who were as calm as Jack Yu and found them very strong, too.


    There was one thing Darren had to admit: Jack Yu was not only excellent in strength, but he was also good at ploys. He real


    led a bit as a one-inch deep palm print was left on the stone.


    "Twenty thousand pounds of Force! He is only at the fifth stage of the Mysterious Realm, but he has the force equal to cultivators at the seventh stage of the Mysterious Realm. Whoa. Disciples of the three Ancient Families are really talented," said someone from the crowd. Disciples of the Holy Land were shocked by the test result. They all knew that this disciple was supposed to be the weakest one in his team, yet he was already plenty strong compared to them.


    "Hey, idiot! It''s fucking your turn now, isn''t it? Let''s see what you''ve got, then!" the disciple mocked, squinting at Darren contemptuously.


    CRACK!


    One moment, Darren was standing there and staring at the disciple who was mocking him, then the next, he was already in front of him and slapped hard on his face. Before anyone could react to his action, he swiftly moved to the stone and hit hard on it. He made sure that the disciple saw his hand hitting the stone so there would be no doubt that it was him who did the damage.


    BOOM!


    The Force Testing Stone roared deafeningly as everyone''s jaw dropped open.

 Chapter 132 The Holy Maiden Gave In (Part One)

    Darren stood still after hitting the Force Testing Stone with his palm. The stone quivered and buzzed violently.


    "Well done!"


    The Holy Land disciples cheered as they saw the shape of Darren''s hand imprinted on the stone.


    The engraved handprint was about 4 centimeters deep. It would be safe to say that Darren exerted forty thousand pounds of force to hit the stone with his palm!


    "You have enough force to reach the eighth stage of the Mysterious Realm!" the Ancient Family disciple whom Darren had slapped exclaimed in surprise.


    He couldn''t keep his eyes off the handprint. He could hardly believe that Darren, the guy with a mask, was not as weak as he initially thought. He couldn''t understand how Darren was able to deliver such great force.


    "What the fuck! That doesn''t count. I haven''t unleashed everything yet. Let me try again!" the disciple pleaded for another chance.


    "Go back! You are a shame!" When the disciple was about to try again, he was interrupted by Kevin Ji, the genius from the Ji Ancient Family.


    "Kevin, you have to trust me. Let me try one more time. I am certain that I can defeat him. I have to redeem myself from being slapped by him!" replied Tiger Ji, the furious disciple. He wasn''t ready to accept the fact that Darren defeated him.


    "Tiger Ji, return at once. You clearly don''t have enough strength to defeat him," the chief of the Ji Ancient Family said in response, looking at Darren sullenly.


    The chiefs of the three Ancient Families were so powerful that they could easily sense that Darren still hadn''t shown them his full potential. He intentionally tried not to exert all his power. ''This young man is strong indeed. But compared with the geniuses from the three Ancient Families, he still has a long way to go!'' All the chiefs had the same thoughts in mind.


    Hearing the words of the Ji Ancient Fami


    must be the third level of his bloodline!"


    Both Kevin Ji and Rory Wei were surprised by what they just witnessed.


    Seeing this, not only were the disciples from the other two Ancient Families¡ªthe Ji Ancient Family and the Wei Ancient Family¡ªshocked about Jack''s revelation, their chiefs were also a little surprised. Colin frowned and felt that Darren, if compared to Jack, no longer had any chance to win. Now, he just hoped that Darren would not get badly hurt in the contest.


    "Break it!"


    Jack roared and quickly hit the Force Testing Stone with his palm!


    Boom!


    The entire square trembled. The Force Testing Stone was about to explode, a number of cracks gradually crawled on its surface.


    Bang!


    The Force Testing Stone was completely destroyed!


    "Amazing! He is very strong!" a disciple exclaimed.


    The fact that Jack turned the Force Testing Stone into dust with merely his palm took everyone''s breath away! A great force indeed!


    "He''s incredibly powerful," another disciple added.


    ''Jack made that huge of an impact in just a force test. What if it was in a fight?'' many disciples thought. ''If he combines his force with his martial arts skills in a fight, who will be able to survive a minute against him?''

 Chapter 133 The Holy Maiden Gave In (Part Two)

    "A hundred thousand pounds of force." Darren estimated the force in an attempt to quantify it. He was not surprised by the result at all. ''If I try my best, I can easily crush the stone as well, '' he thought.


    Soon after, Kevin Ji and Rory Wei recovered from being caught off guard.


    "You have exerted your Bloodline Force and ended up with only a hundred thousand pounds of force. Jack, it seems that I may have overestimated you," Rory Wei walked out and said. Then he spoke louder, "Mr. Li, please replace the Force Testing Stone with a new one. I would also like to have a try!"


    Colin asked somebody to fulfill his request. Soon after, a harder Force Testing Stone was moved to the square.


    "This is how it''s supposed to be done!" Rory Wei said.


    Then he went closer to the stone, with a great deal of ancient force bursting out of his body.


    "Divine Ape Arm!" Rory Wei shouted.


    Suddenly, his arm bloated up and transformed into a giant arm which resembled that of an ape. He hit the stone hard with his palm.


    Bang!


    With a big thud, his handprint dug deep into the stone''s surface, even if the new stone was of top level and should be able to bear five hundred thousand pounds of force!


    "One hundred and thirty thousand pounds of force. The force of your Divine Ape Bloodline is great indeed," Jack stated calmly. He continued, "However, if I am not wrong, you just exerted four fifths of your bloodline force in that strike. In other words, it couldn''t get much better than what you showed us just now even if you exert all your force. Considering that, your strength will no longer have the ability to surprise me. Go back home! You have no chances of winning today!"


    ''Oops! I made a mi


    peared beside Belle. She arrived so quickly that nobody saw which direction she came from.


    "Holy Lord, thank you for your effort in trying to help me. I''m truly grateful. But I don''t want to waste any more time. I want to save my master as soon as possible. I''m sorry if I let you down," Belle replied with tears. She didn''t have any other choice.


    The contest was nothing more than a bet. If the Holy Land could win, she wouldn''t need to force herself to marry anybody. Moreover, the three Ancient Families would present the magic spring water she needed to save her master. However, they all knew that the Holy Land was doomed to fail. It was never a fair bet to begin with.


    "Ha-ha. Great. We will return to do some preparations very soon. We would be here tomorrow to fetch the bride," the chief of the Yu Ancient Family said. He grinned from ear to ear. He was glad that Belle finally made her choice after such a long time.


    "You seriously want to get married without my permission?"


    Just then, Darren, the boy with a mask, turned around and asked suddenly. His sullen voice could be heard clearly by everyone on the square.

 Chapter 134 The Confrontation

    As her heart started to palpitate upon hearing that manly voice, Belle was suddenly stunned. With unexplained nostalgia, she felt eerie yet immersed with his voice. It was as if the voice triggered something in her memory, which should be impossible by now. Goosebumps were on her skin as the voice was familiar to her.


    "You... who are you? Do I know you?" Belle asked softly, neglecting the strange feelings messing up in her state.


    "Knowing my name would not benefit you. You must know that this competition will continue, so don''t give up right away so easily. Alright?" Darren answered with a softer tone.


    "Continue? How should we continue? We are a hopeless case." Belle stood up and looked at the masked man. Tears in her eyes streamed down her rosy cheeks, making Darren''s heart soften a bit.


    "This competition is obviously pointless. How should we continue? And how could we win?" Belle whined more as her shrilling voice echoed in the square. Her mental state was unstable and shaken, close to insanity.


    "Tell me mister, who will show mercy to my master and save her life? Of course, no one will," she said and lost almost all of her strength, making her kneel on the ground. Her cries became wilder.


    As Belle lost her composure already, Diana''s face cooled down. Belle''s breakdown was so intense that she had no choice but to restrain herself from bursting out either. She took a glance at Belle, stepped on the green lotus and floated towards her. With a cold tune, she commanded, "Get up now, Belle."


    But Belle cried as a response to Diana as if she had forgotten everything that was happening now. The only thing left to her that she could think of was desperation.


    After a while, Diana bowed her head and stared at Belle. She was hesitant but what must be done should be done. With an infernal light flashing in her eyes, her thunder-like voice screamed, "Colin, get the magic spring water for me!"


    After this contest, the three Ancient Families would send the magic spring water to the Lotus Holy Land whether they won or not. The significance of this gambling was just to decide which family would Belle belong to. Otherwise, the Ancient Families would not require the contest to be attended only by the outer disciples. Thus, they all brought the magic spring water with them, only to be stolen by Diana right now.


    Everyone was surprised with Diana''s command. Some were wide-eyed, while some dropped their jaws in too much shock.


    However, hearing the Holy Lord''s command made Colin doubtful. He looked at Diana intensively and dubiously and asked, "Madam, what do you mean?"


    "Grab!" Diana answered abruptly. As Diana''s cold voice came out and lingered on the square, she immediately commanded right after, "Where are the Left Guard and the Right Guard and the four elders? Get the magic spring water for me as I commanded. Kill everyone who resists! No mercy!"


    Everyone was now in a panic. With the command of the Holy Lord, several people with strong breaths came from the air and landed on the square.


    "You wench! How dare you!"


    The chiefs of the three Ancient Families changed their faces dramatically and rushed to the air in succession. Fighting was the only resort now.


    "Diana Bi, how foolish can you be? Do you think that with the strength of our three familie


    soning out, Diana stood in the air coldly and didn''t say anything.


    Seeing this situation, Lino, who was exactly the old man who persuaded Diana before, completely explained the original story to Lord Landon.


    "Chiefs, your magic spring water is not only very precious, but it is also necessary to share some to Elder Xenia and save her life. Moreover, I believe that Lord Diana will offer a sufficient amount of gifts in return," Holy Lord Landon persuaded then after he knew what had happened. Mending Diana''s mess was the first thing he should do. Adding up fuel to the fire would only worsen everything.


    "It''s impossible, absolutely impossible. She dared to challenge us!" At the same time, the three chiefs denied. "Either exchange with the Holy Maiden, or we will let it be!"


    Seeing that the three people disagreed, Lord Landon knew he had no such a right to force them. After all, Holy Lords must not dwell with this matter. As a compromise, he said, "Well, then, according to your previous agreement, the competition will be conducted. But for the sake of fairness, I propose that the Lotus Holy Land can be allowed to dispatch their inner disciples. What do you think?"


    "Sir, you are embarrassing us," the chief of the Yu Clan replied firmly, obviously rejecting the suggestion. It was a rude thing to ask from a Holy Lord in the first place.


    "Sir, please forgive my rudeness. We shall continue the gambling. Please cease from your anger," Darren stood out and announced in a loud voice at this time. This was the only way he could think of to cease the fight among the Holy Lords and chiefs.


    Belle was also horrified by the movement she had caused just now. Hearing what the young man with the mask said, she dared not to stand out against it. The bitterness on her face showed her desperation. It was undeniable and evident from her. She thought, ''If the Holy Lord really robbed the magic spring water, I''m afraid I would have caused a bloody catastrophe. It''s horrible to even think about it.''


    At this point, the three Ancient Families refused to give in. Darren''s words gave everyone a step to step down. The point was how Diana would act. However, no one could predict her mind.

 Chapter 135 Increase The Wager

    "It''s up to you, Belle."


    Everyone seemed amazed by Diana letting Belle decide.


    The tournament would go on if Belle proposed to continue their bet. Diana thought that Belle would end up marrying into one of the three Ancient Families if that was the case. Should Belle want Diana to stop the bet, Diana would rob the magic spring water of the three Ancient Families.


    Upon hearing what Diana said, Darren was even more impressed and appreciated Diana for what she had done. Not all the Holy Lords would be brave enough to make the same decision Diana did for the well-being of one disciple. After all, Diana would pay a heavy price or even lose her sect for her decision.


    "I..." Belle uttered, hesitant and confused.


    Now she had three choices to choose from: to be married to a member of an Ancient Family present; continue the tournament, but the chances of winning the contest were slim; Diana forcibly took the magic spring water from the Ancient Families.


    Her sect would pay a heavy price if Belle chose the third option. It would mean that Diana declared war on three Ancient Families. Lotus Holy Land would end up with the same fate as with the Ancient Dragon Holy Land. Even if they could win the war, they would still suffer a tremendous loss.


    Hence, she could never choose the last option.


    "I will marry into the Yu Family," Belle finally responded.


    When they heard her decision, many people present felt relieved. If Lotus Holy Land would oppose the three Ancient Families, the two parties would pay the price.


    "Belle, do you trust me on this?"


    The masked teenager slowly revealed himself and took off his mask.


    When Belle saw his face, she was taken aback. It felt like time stood still.


    It felt like there were only her and the lad in the world, and everything seemed to blur.


    "Brother..." she muttered, staring at the young man. She felt a lump in her throat and felt a sudden rush.


    After a long while, she dashed forward and hugged the teenager. Her cheeks were bathed in tears.


    "Darren, I can''t believe my eyes. It''s you. It is you! I''ve missed you so much," she gushed, bursting into tears. When she first saw the masked lad, Darren''s figure entered her mind. But she shrugged off the thought and convinced herself that the lad couldn''t be her brother for she didn''t think he could be fit to be an outer disciple


    ing it as a bet?


    What could Lotus Holy Land possibly bet? There is one thing that can match up to their magic spring¡ªthe sacred lotus. It never deteriorates, '' he mused.


    "You want us to bet our sacred lotus? Are you for real?" Lino scorned.


    "Precisely. The winner can marry the Holy Maiden and acquire the sacred lotus at the same time. What do you think?" the chief of the Yu family replied.


    ''Are you kidding? We will not use our sacred lotus as a wager, '' Lino and Colin pondered.


    Although their wager was tempting, Colin and Lino wouldn''t bet the precious treasure of their sect.


    "Not a chance. It won''t happen. Do you think we are out of our minds? We stand no chance to win, why would we do that? That''s preposterous!" Lino refused immediately.


    "Sir, I think we can give it a try," Darren whispered to Lino and Colin after walking to their side.


    "Go away. Who the hell are you? How dare you? What right do you have to say that?" Lino huffed, thinking Darren had lost his mind.


    "I don''t think my best skill is less powerful than their so-called bloodline," Darren responded calmly. Releasing the blade intent and sword intent, he grabbed Lino by the hand to let him sense his blade and sword intents secretly.


    ''What the hell?'' Lino''s heart skipped a beat in astonishment. ''How, how could he master sword intent and blade intent at the same time?''


    Shocked as he was, he didn''t show it on his face. He filled Diana in on the new bet secretly.


    "Tell them we are in."


    Diana''s voice lingered in Colin''s and Lino''s heads after a long silence.

 Chapter 136 Discussion (Part One)

    When Colin and Lino heard the voice of the Holy Lord, both of them were utterly confused. How could the Holy Lord give her consent?


    After a while, Lino turned to Colin with an inconceivable expression. He walked over to Colin and asked, "Why do you think this is happening? I only just reported what happened to Darren to the Holy Lord. I did not expect that she would make such a decision. A pretty hasty decision, if you ask me."


    Colin knew how strong Darren was, but never, in a million years, did he expect that their Holy Lord would get on board with such a huge bet. He knew that Darren was thinking the same thing, so he turned to Darren and said, "Come on. You and I should go and see our Holy Lord so that we can have a proper discussion before making a decision."


    Darren nodded in agreement. Lino also found himself on the same page as the two. They all knew how important it was that they should talk to the Holy Lord in person about this case.


    "Everyone, we need to meet our Holy Lord to discuss the bet in detail. Please wait here for a moment," Colin said to the chiefs.


    The chiefs could not help but be surprised at what they heard. Did they really want to discuss the bet with the Holy Lord? Why on earth would they do that? Was there actually a possibility that they would approve the bet? Was there anything they were counting on?


    As they thought of all the things that could go wrong, the chiefs'' worries started to grow.


    But they had already spoken out, and there was no way they were going to show that they were frightened by their opponent. Besides, even though their opponent was strong, he was still only a young man less than twenty years old. They might just be trying to find an excuse to change the bet!


    "Humph! Fine! Go ahead a


    forward and said, "Holy Lord, you should know that Darren was able to pass the supreme disciple election a few days ago. Therefore he should actually be a supreme disciple now. But he wanted, more than anything to attend this competition, so he entered the outer part instead."


    Upon hearing what Colin said, Lino was astonished. How could someone as young as Darren pass the supreme disciple election?


    Diana nodded her head and said calmly, "Yes, I found out that day as well. To be honest, Darren''s strength and potential have exceeded my expectation. I knew he was strong, but I did not know that he was that strong."


    Colin nodded and thought to himself that the spiritual sense of the Holy Lord must be so powerful that the moment someone passed the supreme disciple election, she was the first one to find out.


    "Darren, I want you to show me your real power. No one else has ever cultivated the skills of the blade and the sword at the same time. It has always been so dangerous that all the cultivators who dared to try have died. But not you. You''re different. I want to know what unusual experience you had that gave you that ability," Diana said to Darren calmly.

 Chapter 137 Discussion (Part Two)

    "I did have some unusual experience. And the possible disadvantages of cultivating the skills of the blade and the sword at the same time have been temporarily oppressed for now. As per my real strength, by all means, please find out yourself, Master Bi," Darren said with great respect.


    "Alright then, come at me with your most powerful strength," Diana replied, nodding her head in agreement.


    "Okay. Please excuse my offense then,"


    Darren said. In an instant, the sword core in his body started to rotate quickly and the blade intent in his meridian became activated.


    Suddenly, both his blade and his sword started flying in the direction of Diana.


    As the powerful sword and blade intents burst out, the whole palace was filled with the shadows of the blade and sword.


    Colin and Lino could not believe their eyes. They were so immensely surprised by Darren''s move. It blew their minds how Darren could use the blade intent and sword intent at the same time, making himself ten times stronger than a cultivator who could only use a single intent.


    Diana gracefully stretched out her palm and waved her hand in the air slightly. On her cue, a cyan lotus appeared and started drifting towards the shadows of the blade and the sword.


    The two powers collided without any sound but when they met, the cyan lotus grew bigger as the blade and sword intents started slowly disappearing.


    Once the blade intent and the sword intent had completely disappeared, Diana said with pity, "Wow, they really are immensely powerful. But one thing you should take note of is that your blade intent is too weak. Otherwise your power can still


    works. You will not always have the time to improve," Lino said with a sigh.


    Darren let out a bitter laugh, fully aware that he was misunderstood by the others. And so he explained, "You misunderstood me. I didn''t mean that I had the potential to be strong one day. What I meant by potential was that I had learned the Omnipotent Talent Skill following the Avatar Rule!"


    "Omnipotent Talent Skill? You should not joke in the presence of the Holy Lord!" Collin said in an effort to stop Darren at once.


    Everyone knew that the only way a cultivator could have the chance to learn some Omnipotent Talent Skills was if he had already broken through to the Wonder Realm. How could Darren possibly learn that when he was only in the beginning stage of the Mysterious Realm?


    "I''m definitely not joking. The Talent Skill I learned is called Blood Dragon Phantom!" Darren said with a serious look on his face.


    "The inheritance skill of the Dragon?" Diana exclaimed. She was so surprised by hearing the name of the talent skill said by Darren that she couldn''t stop herself from standing up.

 Chapter 138 Making A Decision!

    Diana''s reaction surprised both Colin and Lino. Only a few things could stir up a Holy Lord''s emotions¡ªthe Omnipotent Talent Skill that Darren mentioned couldn''t have been a simple thing.


    "Darren, have you truly grasped the inheritance skill of the Dragon?" When Diana stood up, her cyan-colored dress danced in the wind¡ªshe looked beautiful.


    "Distinguished Holy Lord, I''ve inherited the skill of the dragon blood through an adventure. I spoke the truth." Unsurprisingly, Darren didn''t reveal how he got the skill through assimilation. It was a secret that not even Elsa knew about him.


    "That''s excellent!" The smile on Diana''s face was bright and rare. Then, she continued, "Darren, as far as I know, the inheritance skill of the Dragon can divide people into hundreds of different avatars, all at the peak of power. How many avatars can you create now?"


    Although Diana knew many things, she was wrong about one thing.


    From what Darren knew, when a cultivator''s true inheritance skill of the Dragon reached a high level, he could create millions or even more avatars. When the skill was at its highest level, those avatars could become one. "At the moment, I''m still a bit of a beginner," Darren answered with candor. "I can only create one avatar with my best combat power."


    The bronze mask that Colin gave Darren could improve his strength, but could only increase his combat power. For instance, by wearing the mask, a cultivator at the first stage of the Mysterious Realm could increase his combat power by thirty percent.


    The difference was that Darren''s Avatar Skill could create one avatar with his best combat power in an instant, equivalent to doubling Darren''s peak combat power. The two skills weren''t the same thing.


    "To create an avatar with your best combat power? Darren, if you really own that skill¡­ That would be amazing!" Colin cried heartily.


    "Darren, could you show us that skill? Give us a taste of what you''re capable of." Lino couldn''t wait to see it for himself.


    But Darren shook his head in embarrassment and then turned to Diana. "Holy Lord, you should know that my skill requires the burning of blood essence to create the avatar¡­it''s very self-damaging. If I perform this power now, my strength will probably wane when I take part in the competition."


    Indeed, Darren''s Blood Dragon Phantom couldn''t be launched so casually. Its biggest disadvantage was the need to be mobilized by blood essence.


    "Yes, that''s right when it comes to the inheritance skill of the Dragon," Diana said, realizing that she should have known better. "I would say Darren''s chances of winning would be over fifty percent against the talent of the Ji family."


    Previously, Diana estimated a less-than-twenty percent chance of Darren defeating the talent of the Ji family, but now he had the means to win. It was clear that when two of Darren with his best combat power worked together, it would result in something greater than the sum of two Darren working alone.


    However, Darren was going to have to overcome not just one, but three talents who owned the bloodline inheritance. In spite of eve


    d and continued, "I just want to get one thing straight here. Since you have invited me to bear witness, once you both agree to the bet, you must abide by the rules. Otherwise, I will break the very rules of the Holy Land and join forces with the victorious side!"


    A rule in the Holy Land prevented forces from joining together and going against each other.


    But regardless of that, Holy Lord Landon was considered the strongest in the Holy Land.


    Once they made the bet, they would be left with no choice but to follow the rules if they wanted to survive. If they failed to do so, the losing party would be suppressed by two extremely powerful forces simultaneously¡ªit would be completely obliterated.


    After heeding the warning, the three chiefs broke out in a cold sweat, unable to make up their minds.


    "Chief, there''s nothing to worry about. It''s a great opportunity!"


    "Take on the bet, Chief. We can easily win this time."


    While the chiefs hesitated, the younger generation of the Ancient Families couldn''t be more excited¡ªthey didn''t understand why their chiefs were hesitant at all when the competition already had a practically decided result. To these younger ones, their chiefs were too timid.


    After pondering for a long moment, in the end, the chiefs couldn''t resist the chance of getting the lotus. Giving in to the temptation, they made a statement in succession.


    "Our Yu family accepts this bet!"


    "Our Wei family agrees!"


    "Our Ji family will go through with this!"


    Having accepted the bet, they all felt relieved. It was a three-on-one contest and their contestants were the strongest talents under the age of twenty. With that in mind, the chiefs realized that they had no reason to hesitate.


    "Okay!" Landon shouted. "I will be your witness!"


    It would seem that the bet excited even Landon. With that, he released his momentum and rays of purple lightning fell from the sky, flying between heaven and earth¡ªits boundless pressure made people tremble.


    Having seen Holy Lord Landon''s strength, who would dare break the rules of the game?

 Chapter 139 Enter The Demonic Monsters Territory

    At this moment, the competition was more than the magic spring and Belle''s destiny. It was a matter of the rise or fall of the Lotus Holy Land and three Ancient Families!


    By rights, the chiefs of the Ancient Families and the Holy Lord of the Holy Land were sophisticated figures that had lived above past generations, so impulsiveness shouldn''t be their choice.


    But human beings from all walks of life were all driven by greed. Who could be disinterested when faced with life-changing temptation? Especially if they had seen the great temptation before their very eyes, within their grasp to follow?


    Under such tempting circumstances, an insignificant competition became a huge gamble implying a risk no one could avoid.


    "I would like to announce that the second round of the competition, hunting, will commence now!


    Each of our well-trained participants will be teleported to the demonic monster''s territory. They will hunt in that arena for six hours. To compensate for your bravery and skill, you will be given credit to every monster you hunt. One credit for the supreme diabolic beast, who will probably take you by its cunning nature; 10 credits for a level one demonic monster, who will not hesitate to attack you in sight; and 20 credits for a level two demonic monster, the more intimidating and cleverer ones.


    Anyone with the most credits will have the opportunity to change your opponent from the three given options in the next level of the competition!"


    In a split-second, everyone internalized that the hunting was of great significance!


    Having three options meant changing a stronger opponent with a weaker one in order to maintain strength and ensure confidence in battle until the final rivalry!


    ''This hunting competition is really favorable to me. I can take advantage of the duration of this competition to improve my talent, '' Darren smirked as he talked to himself.


    To his secret delight, he knew he could barely spot a demonic monster under normal circumstances. Assimilating diabolic beasts would be quite hard to improve Darren''s current level of talent, except for the hunting of the fearless demonic monsters. Moreover, he could have three options to hide his real strength until the final rivalry so as to increase the odds of winning considerably if he could surpass the others in the hunting competition!


    ''I must win over this hunting competition! Or else, I fear that I must exert eighty or ninety percent of my real strength to incessantly fight with one of the promising warriors of those three Ancient Families!'' Darren pondered as he looked above.


    "You have to remember one important thing. It''s forbidden to kill each other or exchange blows among yourselves in the demonic monster''s territory as this is not the battle for that, or else I will invite the witness of the bet--the Holy Lord Landon to kill any violator in person! Do you agree?" Colin asked three chiefs of the Ancient Families.


    All three chiefs of the Ancient Families agreed after Colin finished the declaration of the rules everyone should abide by.


    Then, the Holy Lord Landon le


    y and respectfully.


    "Yes, Darren. Sven may have a strength of mediocrity, but he is erudite in terms of diabolic beasts and demonic monsters. He knows much more than anyone," another disciple said with a smile.


    "It''s a good thing, then! Sven will be very helpful to our survival." Darren realized Sven was an unexpected but an important gain for him.


    "Thanks a lot for your compliment, Darren," Sven replied, his face lit up with pride and happiness.


    "Well, store away the cardiac core of that diabolic beast and keep on moving," Darren called the shots and led them to move ahead slowly and instinctively on the surface of the peat.


    Even the disciples with the most unpromising strength had reached the seventh stage of the Mysterious Realm so they were confident that it would be quite easy for them to fly over the bog. However, in order for them to fly in the air, they needed to release their breath, which would attract attention from the creatures they were avoiding to encounter. To survive, they decided to hide their breath as they floated slowly on the surface of the bog after figuring out how to aerially balance in the most unnoticeable way possible.


    In such a dangerous realm, caution was the parent of safety.


    As they carefully traversed, some air bubbles popped out of the black bog. They realized that they were not alone, as a tremendous breath made them feel that something was looming over them.


    A huge bloody mouth gradually emerged from the bog and bit the unlucky disciples with a lightning speed.


    "What bad luck! It''s the king of the mud crocodile. It must be a demonic monster!" Sven cried in surprise and warned the others to draw back.


    Only Darren maintained his figure above the bog and was not willing to display anything that translated into retreat.


    "Run for your life, Darren! A demonic monster''s strength is equivalent to a human warrior at the top level of the Mysterious Realm!"


    The disciples were shocked at the sight of the monster and Darren''s unwavering courage. Everyone feared for Darren''s safety.

 Chapter 140 Unwanted Followers (Part One)

    Under any other conditions, meeting a level one demonic monster would have not concerned the outer disciples of the Holy Land this much. But they were in the marsh right now. It was the home of mud crocodiles. Here, it was multiple times more powerful than when it was outside the marsh. And that was why they were so afraid. It would be a long fight for them.


    An atrocious aura washed over Darren. With all might, he gathered all of his strength and prepared to attack. He took a deep breath as he stared at the king. He stood above the mud crocodile and brandished his sword. Then, his powerful sword intent went after the mud crocodile.


    "Roar!"


    With a loud roar, the king of mud crocodiles felt the frightening sword intent coming from Darren. It immediately turned around and dived into the marsh, hiding in fear. Darren could only blink his eyes in confusion as he didn''t expect that the mud crocodile would curl its tail and back-out.


    "Huh? What happened? I can''t feel its aura. Its aura completely disappeared? That fast?" Darren felt that the mud crocodile had completely disappeared in just a poof, leaving without a trace.


    "Fantastic! How powerful his sword intent is! The king of the mud crocodiles is gone!" The outer disciples, who had been standing beside and saw Darren drive the king of mud crocodiles away with his sword, all gasped in an admiring tone. Before, they were shaking in fear of the king of mud crocodiles, but now, they were relieved as they could not feel its aura at all.


    However, the game was still not over yet. Darren felt strange all of a sudden. Right after all of them let their guard down after the mud crocodile disappeared, it rushed out of the marsh in a very quick speed, charging towards the outer disciples of the Holy Land. It was a surprise attack!


    "Oh damn it! It''s cleverer than I thought. It chose to avoid me and attack them instead! This is not good." The look on Darren''s face immediately changed. Wasting no time, he charged towards it in a flash.


    "Roar!"


    The king of m


    squinted carefully. He could feel that the aura of the king of mud crocodiles got stronger. However, Darren would not let this mere creature overpower him.


    ''It''s not the best time to idle and waste time on it. I have to finish it and get out of here. It will be worse if we draw the attention of more powerful demonic monsters. Besides, I only have six hours left for the hunt!''


    Thinking of this, Darren used the demon core and immediately, the demonic internal force filled his meridians. He was like a demonic god right now! He was way stronger than he was earlier.


    "You have to die now!"


    Using his demonic internal force, Darren charged and curled his fist hard. Then he punched the king of mud crocodile dreadfully.


    But much to his surprise, the king of mud crocodiles didn''t even dodge. It was confident that its teeth were the strongest weapon in the world, and nothing could break them. To the king of mud crocodiles, a mere punch could never surpass its hardness.


    Unluckily for it, it realized that it was wrong the next second.


    Crack!


    Its strong teeth all broke into splinters because Darren''s powerful punch smashed its head into pieces. Where were those invincible teeth it was boasting earlier?


    The monster core of the king of mud crocodiles also flew into the sky by the power of his punch. It was not a mere punch at all.

 Chapter 141 Unwanted Followers (Part Two)

    "Everyone! Catch the monster core!"


    Above the marsh, when the outer disciples heard the familiar voice, they all got excited. It was Darren and he was alive and safe.


    They only knew that there was a big fight under the marsh, but sadly, they couldn''t see anything clear. They had thought that the mud crocodile had killed Darren. Blast! It was the other way around. They didn''t expect at all that in the next minute, a beautiful monster core flew out of the marsh. They were all relieved as they heard Darren''s command to catch the monster core. It was evident that Darren had killed the demonic monster! How could they not be surprised? It was a do-or-die fight.


    Deep in the marsh, Darren was quickly collecting the diabolic beast cores left by the mud crocodiles. There were about one hundred of them. It meant that he now had about one hundred points. It was easier than killing a demonic monster. His efforts were not in vain as his level was higher now.


    After that, Darren flew out of the marsh, with a big smile on his face. But it didn''t last long as he noticed his messy state now. He stopped mid-air, using his power to shake off the mud on his clothes. In the blink of an eye, his clothes became clean and dry again. He looked like he had never gotten dragged into the marsh by the king of mud crocodiles. No trace of the dispute earlier could be found.


    "Hahaha. You are really something else. Unfortunately, the monster core belongs to us now." Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice broke the silence, making Darren surprised.


    Hearing it, Darren immediately turned his head to look at the person who talked. He was a disciple from the Ancient Family, and he was holding a monster core in his hand, looking at Darren with a smirk on his face. But Darren maintained an expressionless face with a deadly stare.


    "Darren, he''s a sneaky bastard! He has been hiding around the whole


    llowed Darren in silence. However, they did not fail to notice Rory''s group following them.


    "Darren, they are following us. What should we do?" an outer disciple said nervously.


    Hearing the words, Darren turned his head around and found that it was true. His eyes immediately darkened when he realized what they wanted to do. He couldn''t help but clench his teeth to suppress his anger.


    "Well, if they are going to follow us, I will surely make them pay with their lives! It was a mistake that I let go of them earlier.


    Listen, after we get into the dry forest, as soon as we find a demonic monster, you all just get away from me. You immediately find a place to hide, all right?"


    Darren instructed. The outer disciples were all confused, but they all believed in Darren. So they just nodded their heads and restrained being stubborn as they feared for their lives as well.


    Soon, they arrived at the dry forest. Darren used his spiritual sense and found that there were a few demonic monsters sound asleep not far away. He could tell that they were powerful. It might bring them tons of points. He felt delighted with that thought.


    Meanwhile, Rory and his people were secretly following them, waiting to snatch the cores out of Darren''s hand.

 Chapter 142 Courting Death

    Darren detected several demonic monsters. He approached the guarding diabolic beasts instead of trapping the demonic monster to kill them.


    "Stay away from me, and try your best to avoid the diabolic beast cores when they are cast here." Darren warned them in a soft voice, concerned about his allies.


    "Sure, don''t worry about us." "Do you want to make the beasts the instrument of the crime?" asked Sven when he heard what Darren said.


    The rest of the people began to understand Darren''s point through Sven''s words.


    Darren planned to kill these young men who belonged to the Ancient Family by using those beasts.


    The crowd walked away from Darren discreetly, being careful not to alarm the people.


    Darren concealed his strength and walked towards the diabolic beasts.


    "Watch out! That boy is moving, prepare yourselves!" A man from one of the families observed Darren''s action carefully.


    "We should get closer to him so that we can steal the core easier!"


    Then they slowly moved about 10 meters closer to Darren. But they could only sense the diabolic beasts and weren''t aware of the other demonic monsters thousands of feet away.


    "Hey kid, get started! We are here to cheer you up!"


    "What on earth are you guys doing now?" Darren responded angrily.


    "What are we doing? Nothing, aren''t we allow to observe how you are going to kill the diabolic beasts? If you think you can hit us, come and kill us! Come on and try! Ha-ha!"


    Some of them challenged Darren unscrupulously. They thought Darren dared not to attack them. Besides, they assumed that Rory would be ready to back them up.


    However, Rory stood with his arms folded as if he was merely enjoying the show. He was not even exerting any effort to assess his surroundings.


    "You are taking a great risk if you plan on stealing the diabolic beast cores from me." Darren shouted indignantly but jeered inwardly.


    "Oh God bless us! We surely do not!"


    "Wow, so terrifying, you can almost frighten us to death!"


    they sneered sarcastically.


    "It''s up to you guys. I don''t want to hear you say I didn''t warn you when this is all said and done."


    Darren dashed forward and hit his palm against the head of a diabolic beast as he spoke.


    Bang!


    The diabolic beast''s head exploded from the great force and a cardiac core broke out as Darren squeezed tightly.


    Darren then leapt over and grabbed the cardiac core in his hand before the men around him could even react.


    "Damn it, he''s insanely fast! It''s too late for us now!"


    The young men immediately regretted their decision.


    Darren kicked one of the heads of diabolic beasts as he saw that they were still stunned to take any actions.


    Bang!


    That diabolic beast''s head exploded like the other one just did.


    But this time Darren threw the cardiac core a hundred meters far away behind the crowd and acted as if it was an accident.


    The men from the families rushed towards the cardiac core with eagerness.


    The first


    his paw when he used his bloodline force."


    Rory was much stronger after transformation and his bloodline burst. But his strength was still far from equal to the three monsters. They waved his body here and there without any difficulty.


    ...


    On the square of the Lotus Holy Land, far away from battlefield.


    "Four Wei disciples have just been killed." Holy Lord Landon knew about their death from the imprints he left on these disciples.


    "What the hell!" The Chief of Wei Clan stomped the ground into piece, furious about Landon''s news. "Who did it?"


    Thunderbolt flashed on Landon''s body as he responded coldly. "You have to calm down. They were killed by demonic monsters. The genius from your family is at stake now."


    The Chief of Wei Clan was astonished. "I must go and save while we still have time!"


    "That would be unfair, Clive. Are you sure about what you are about to do? Is helping them with hunting the right move?" Colin wanted to delay him, feeling pleased as he saw his anxiety.


    "Bullshit! How could I do such things? Open the transmission array for me, or you would face trouble from me." Clive stared at Colin firmly.


    "Hump, is that a threat? What can you possibly do if I refuse to open the transmission array?" Colin was not afraid. He, a Wonder Realm master, could fight Clive and make him spend a great amount of time even if Clive used his ancient bloodline.


    "You!" Clive was trembling violently with anger.


    "Let him go. You have to stick to the rules." Holy Lord Landon persuaded. He did not want anybody to ruin the bet. He wanted to see who would win the laurel.


    "It is for the sake of the Holy Lord that I shall give you a quarter of an hour. Hurry up and move now. Hump!" Colin didn''t have anything to say, so he agreed to send him in.


    Clive did not dare curse back. He went in the transmission array as fast as he could. Colin ordered his disciples to open the transmission array unhurriedly and sent Clive to his destination.

 Chapter 143 Show Off (Part One)

    In the area of demonic monsters, Darren and his companions, who were hiding atop a towering tree, watched with interest as three demonic monsters hit their prey. It was beyond amusing.


    "Darren, Rory is really physically strong. He is still alive."


    Darren laughed and responded, "Those demonic monsters are smart. They are just playing with Rory. If they were serious, he would have already been beaten to a pulp. The demonic monsters were going easy on him."


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    All of a sudden, a strong wind blew, causing them to hold on to a branch to avoid falling off. They narrowed their eyes in the direction where the force seemingly came from. A figure that exuded a strong aura showed up in the woods, not far from where they were hiding.


    "Go to hell, you beasts!"


    With an angry shout, the man swung his arm and gave the demonic monsters a punch that was so strong that they flew a few meters away and crashed into a trunk of a tree. They twitched around madly before their legs gave in, sending them falling face first onto the ground. Darren noticed how their breathing had stopped by then. The demonic monsters were dead.


    "That was so horrible!" the outer disciples of Lotus Holy Land exclaimed with terror in their eyes. They couldn''t believe what they just witnessed.


    They held their breath and thought, ''He slaughtered three level 3 demonic monsters with a single move.''


    "What''s going on? He is the chief of the Wei Family. What is he doing here?" one of them said, squinting his eyes.


    They were anxious. After all, they tricked the members of the Wei Family and got them killed.


    "Don''t panic. I''ll go ahead and take a look to see what''s going on," Darren responded, resting his eyes on Clive. Unlike his companions, the sudden arrival of the chief didn''t send him into panic. ''The four members of the Wei Family a


    and hadn''t encountered anyone that dared to get in their way. So far, they had only slaughtered over a hundred diabolic beasts, earning them more than a hundred points.


    "Darren, I think we should focus on diabolic beasts. We only get ten points after taking out a level one demonic monster. It''s not rewarding enough. Who would be stupid to look for demonic monsters? I think the hunting rules are unreasonable," one of Darren''s companions complained, seemingly unable to keep his thoughts to himself.


    "You''re wrong." Darren shook his head and continued, "You think hunting diabolic beasts is the best way to earn points because they are easy to find and there are lots of them, but if the two geniuses of the Ancient Families can find enough level one demonic monsters, they will earn more points than what we have gathered so far¡ªall in such a short amount of time."


    "On the other hand, running into lots of level two demonic monsters would be quite disadvantageous for them. Level-two demonic monsters are much stronger than level one demonic monsters. Killing one level two demonic monster would cost them too much energy and time. It would only earn them about twenty points, so I don''t think it''s worthwhile," he added.

 Chapter 144 Show Off (Part Two)

    His companion nodded after giving it a thought. "You have a point. Looks like the rules are reasonable, after all." "They are," Darren said. "If we only hunt high level prey to get more points, we might lose in the end because we would have used so much time and energy just to get it done. But if we only focus on dealing with low level prey, we might not be able to earn enough points to win as well. We have to find some kind of balance." The rest of them finally understood how tricky the rules were based on Darren''s explanation.


    "Ha-ha. Nice work, but what''s the point of all this analyzing stuff? You''re wasting time. Have you found lots of level one demonic monsters? Nobody dares to answer, so I guess that''s a no. You haven''t found lots of level one demonic monsters, but I did,"


    Jack interrupted, suddenly showing up in front of them with his head held high.


    "Don''t be so cocky. You don''t have any companion. All you can do is kill several level one demonic monsters, And you know what? We''ve already gotten more than 200 points. We''ll win this hunting competition," one of the disciples of Lotus Holy Land snapped.


    "Oh? Are you sure?" Jack countered with a cold smile. He opened a bag and a pile of cardiac cores of different colors dropped to the ground.


    "These are all demonic monster''s cardiac cores I got," he went on, showing off his work.


    Dumbfounded, the disciples of Lotus Holy Land stared at over fifty cardiac cores with wide eyes, unable to believe that Jack actually managed to collect so many.


    Even Darren was taken aback.


    ''It means he hunted over fifty level one demonic monsters within four hours. It looks like he is more powerful than I imagined. But the question is, where did he find so many demonic monsters?


    These demonic monsters'' cardiac cores ar


    he wouldn''t be able to catch up or even earn more points than him. It was a strategy that he had to religiously follow, or else he might lose this in competition.


    "Stop!" Jack exclaimed, not wanting Darren to make another step. "You dare suspect me of cheating? Fine, I will let you examine them. It''s not like you have the guts to steal them anyway," he added to mask the uncomfortable knot in his stomach.


    He was aware that fights were not allowed there. Besides, the bag he used to keep cardiac cores wasn''t some common bag. It could take all the diabolic beasts'' cardiac cores back in a heartbeat. Even if Darren were to make an attempt to take them, he would only be able to get one, not all.


    "Great! I''ll make sure your true colors will be shown to the rest," Darren said, trying to stop himself from smiling. He went back to where Jack was standing. It was actually hard to keep a straight face as he got nearer.


    He then approached the pile of cardiac cores that Jack collected. He bent down, picked one up, and pretended to examine it. Knowing that the others couldn''t see his expression, he allowed a small smile to reach his lips as he assimilated the talent of the cardiac cores.

 Chapter 145 Assimilation Of The Spiritual Energy

    From the moment he touched it, Darren began to assimilate the spiritual energy stored in the cardiac cores.


    As the demonic monster''s cardiac core contained an enormous amount of spiritual energy, Darren''s absorption speed was insufficient to assimilate all the spiritual energy quickly. Moreover, he had to leave a little spiritual energy in the core to retain its shape, or else it would crumble, and his plan would be exposed.


    Once Darren had almost absorbed all the spiritual energy contained in the first cardiac core, he pretended to be greatly surprised and shouted, "It''s impossible! This is a genuine cardiac core of a demonic monster!"


    Jack sneered when he saw Darren''s surprised expression. "Such an ignorant buffoon," Jack snorted.


    With a feigned look of embarrassment, Darren gabbled, "I have to examine each core. How could you kill so many demonic monsters? I don''t believe that you are so powerful. There must be some diabolic beasts'' cardiac cores mixed with the monster cores!"


    Darren''s exclamation surprised Jack. Being weak was one thing, but being ignorant? Jack''s opinion of Darren fell more. ''I just killed several demonic monsters. Does my strength frighten you?'' he wondered.


    "This is my strength. This is how strong I am. Does that frighten you?" Inflated with pride, Jack looked forward to seeing Darren''s stunned expression when he completed checking all the cores.


    Ignoring Jack''s words, Darren threw the demonic monster''s cardiac core from which he had assimilated almost all its spiritual energy back into Jack''s bag. Darren smiled as he said, "Watch closely. I have returned the demonic monster''s cardiac core!"


    Darren picked up another cardiac core and pretended to observe it carefully. However, he was assimilating its spiritual energy as quickly as he could. Jack stood by Darren''s side, unaware of what Darren was doing. For Jack, he wished Darren could waste all of his time checking the cores. By then he would win out directly because Darren would have no more time to get the cores. Then he would challenge Darren first and kill him with one blow!


    One by one, Darren placed his hand on each cardiac core. Each time, he absorbed almost all the spiritual energy in each demonic monster''s cardiac core. He was extremely careful not to assimilate all the spiritual energy in a cardiac core as he wanted the cores to retain their shape. Then, he tossed them back in Jack''s bag.


    Forty-five minutes passed before Darren had assimilated the spiritual energy from around fifty cardiac cores.


    Now, he felt as though his elixir field was about to burst. There had been no time for him to transform the spiritual energy into demonic internal force and sword intent.


    ''I have assimilated spiritual en


    not much time left, Darren decided to practice the Cracking Attack for the last time! His blade dashed against the depth of the cavern.


    "Boom!"


    Darren was surprised as tremendous blade intent rampaged through the cavern.


    ''It turned out that the moves of the Spectral Blade Skill should be matched with its formulas! This stroke is three times more powerful than before!'' Darren was exhilarated.


    One blow had helped Darren to kill at least five giant bats.


    ''Fantastic! This should be called supernatural martial skill. My blade intent might become more powerful than my sword intent if I can comprehend more levels of the formulas and moves.''


    This was the advantage of the supernatural martial skill!


    "No more delays. Die!" Darren shouted.


    This time Darren dispatched both sword and blade intent. His strength was more powerful than before¡ªa simple blow had killed over twenty giant bats.


    Of course, Darren took every chance to assimilate the bats'' talent. Although his talent improved as he absorbed theirs, Darren was still far from level five of the Earth Degree.


    Time was running out. Darren collected all the demonic monster''s cardiac cores and rushed out of the cavern. He needed to get back to where the disciples of the Holy Land had gathered.


    Soon, Darren reached the spot where he had left before.


    "Put them away. We will be teleported back soon," Darren said in a flat voice.


    "How is this possible?"


    Seeing that Darren had collected over sixty demonic monster''s cardiac cores, the disciples were stunned. Their mouths opened in surprise.


    ''Darren''s strength is far beyond our imagination. How could he kill so many demonic monsters in such a short time without any sign of fatigue? Is he more powerful than Jack?'' Those disciples looked at each other, speechless, pondering silently!

 Chapter 146 Changing A Disciple (Part One)

    The outer disciples gladly put the demonic monsters'' cores in their pockets. Time was up. Their figures gradually faded, and they were transported back to the plaza of the Holy Land.


    "Now that you are all back, it''s time to show us what you''ve got. The person who has the highest points wins,"


    Colin said in a loud voice. He had been waiting for everyone to be transported back.


    The expression on the face of the chief of the Wei family wasn''t a happy one at all. In fact, he looked furious. A mere hunt had made his family lose four disciples. Not only that, the talented disciple Rory was also badly injured and was still unconscious at that very moment. And the worst thing was that they weren''t sure if he would be okay or not. Even if he recovered, his future would probably be seriously affected. In a nutshell, he would not be as strong as he was anymore. This fact caused a strain within the family.


    "Okay. Then let me show my result first,"


    the talented disciple of the Ji family said, taking a step forward. He took out a bag and upturned it. Cardiac cores came tumbling out of the bag onto the ground in front of the chief.


    A disciple who was in charge of counting walked up to him and began diligently counting the cardiac cores. Everyone else stayed silent with anticipation.


    "The Ji family has 170 superior diabolic beasts'' cardiac cores, eighteen grade-one demonic monster cores, one grade-two demonic monster core, and..."


    The disciple trailed off, as if he didn''t know what to do. His eyes darted around to everyone listening intently for what he was going to say next.


    "Why did you stop? Speak!" Colin reprimanded in a serious tone. He didn''t know why the disciple stopped all of a sudden.


    But the disciples of the Ji family all had proud looks on their faces because they knew why the disciple stopped counting. All that was left was


    cores all turned into sand. It''s impossible!"


    Jack roared in anger, eyes full of disbelief.


    Then, his head snapped up, as if he suddenly thought of something. He turned to stare at Darren with murderous eyes. "It''s you! You did this to me!" He hurried to his feet, making it like he was going to attack Darren.


    "Ha-ha! Don''t pretend it''s someone else''s fault, Jack. It''s your right to join the hunt and come back with nothing, but you can''t possibly think that you can fool us with a bag full of sand. You''re a complete fool!" The disciples of the Ji family, who had been standing aside the whole time, kept shouting snide remarks at him.


    "Shut the fuck up!" Jack shouted back in anger. His face was red all over with fury and shame. He was so angry that even his aura burst.


    Meanwhile, the look on Darren''s face was still calm and indifferent, as if he didn''t even hear what Jack said. He was above petty squabbling.


    "Jack has zero points," the disciple who was responsible for counting announced. "Now it''s time for Darren of the Holy Land to show the cardiac cores he has."


    At his words, Darren asked the disciple who was holding their cardiac cores to come over to him. He took the bag and then poured the cores on the ground.

 Chapter 147 Changing A Disciple (Part Two)

    "Wow!" an onlooker exclaimed, impressed. "There are so many cardiac cores of all grades!"


    "My God! It seems that the outer disciples of the Holy Land are skilled too. They killed so many demonic monsters!"


    Many of the people gathered there were surprised at the large amount of cardiac cores on the ground. The hushed tones of gossip once again spread through the crowd.


    Colin and Lino of the Holy Land were standing aside, watching with silent happiness at seeing so many cardiac cores on the ground. They knew that it must have been Darren who killed the demonic monsters. He was indeed very powerful and fast to have killed this many grade-one demonic monsters.


    One should know that, after using the Aura-concealing Skill, Darren only appeared to be at the first stage of the Mysterious Realm.


    But the Ancient Families all did research on Darren, and they knew that he had a very special way to hide his cultivation base. That was why they were not surprised at his display of skill. They guessed that Darren was at least at the eighth or ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm.


    "Darren has a total of 789 points," the disciple announced aloud. The Wei family had no cardiac cores, so they had zero points. It was evident that Darren had won this hunting match.


    Hearing the result, the talented disciple of the Ji family was calm and unaffected. Meanwhile, Jack from the Yu family was almost green with jealousy. He kicked at his pile of sand on the ground, and it flew up in a colorful arc.


    "Humph. This hunt was nothing but child''s play. It''s the third match that matters," Kevin sneered. He didn''t care about the hunt at all. And he didn''t even care about when he would have to fight and who he was going to fight with. In his eyes, they were not impor


    amily," Lino, who had always be careful and prudent, said after thinking for a short moment.


    Colin nodded his head, silently considering. Then he turned to Holy Lord Landon and asked, "What do you think, Holy Lord?"


    Of course, Holy Lord Landon would want to see this bet continue. He wanted to see which one would get each family''s treasure in the end. He pressed his hands together and spoke concisely.


    "As long as you are okay with it, I won''t disagree. They can change a disciple," Holy Lord Landon then motioned for Colin to announce the change in the decision.


    "Okay, you can change a disciple. But only one disciple can join the match," Colin kept his expression neutral.


    Upon hearing this, the chief of the Wei family''s eyes shone in delight. He glanced behind him and waved someone over.


    "Excellent! Bruce, come here!" As soon as Clive called, a young man walked up to him and stopped right at his side, facing Colin as if to show him the result of his decision.


    "What? That bastard?" The talented disciples of the Yu family and the Ji family all gasped in surprise. Their expressions also changed drastically in only a moment. Fear was in their eyes.

 Chapter 148 Martial Arts Competition

    The swarthy teenager had tousled hair and a look of decadence and sin in his manner. But his eyes held a darkly dangerous and indifferent expression. Anyone who held his gaze would shrivel backward with fear.


    Keeping his eyes on the lad, Jack walked up to Kevin and asked, "What the hell is Bruce doing here? I thought this bastard went insane and got locked up."


    "Who the hell knows? The freak defeated my brother in the tournament three years ago. His bloodline force was awakened, and he turned into an ape. With that, he unleashed a formidable power. I heard that the brat''s father is from an alien race from the border. So he is a real bastard," Kevin replied. As he spoke about the teenager, his voice was laced with both fear and rage. They were two emotions that battled for dominance within Kevin.


    Without a word, Bruce made his way to the participants. Since he arrived, he hadn''t paid any attention to anyone. His eyes remained unfocused and uninterested in his environment and the people around him.


    Darren glanced at Bruce too. The chilly, impassive aura emanating from the young man was both impressive and oppressive.


    Perhaps Bruce had sensed Darren''s gaze, and he returned his gaze. Shock suddenly took over his face. A second later, the impassive and dangerous expression returned as if the shock had never existed.


    ''How strange. This is our first meeting, yet I feel like I''ve seen him before, '' Darren thought, creasing his eyebrows together.


    "Colin, shall we begin the test?" Clive inquired triumphantly, his hands behind his back.


    But upon seeing Bruce, Colin felt worried. ''This teenager looks strong. Perhaps Darren can''t handle him, '' he thought.


    "You don''t look well, Colin. Are you afraid?" Clive said icily.


    Meanwhile, the chief of the Ji Family and the chief of the Yu Family also held severe expressions on their faces now that they noticed Bruce.


    "Kevin, be careful if you''re going to fight him. If you find that you are no match for him, just back off," the chief of the Ji Family whispered.


    Kevin snorted. "He prevailed last time because my brother''s fifth layer of bloodline hadn''t been awakened. But I''m not him. I look forward to seeing what this bastard''s capable of now," he said coldly, ready to unleash all his power if his opponent was Bruce.


    "Jack, if your opponent is Bruce, you must keep your eyes open. Don''t push yourself too much," the chief of the Yu Family urged.


    Looking grim, Jack nodded his head slightly with wariness. ''He was terrifyingly powerful three years ago. I bet he is even stronger now.''


    "The tour


    gth. But he moves so fast. He will be difficult to handle, '' they mused to themselves.


    The fight was over.


    The competition continued. Participants stepped onto the platform to vie for victory against each other.


    Several rounds later, there were six participants remaining¡ªtwo from the Ji Family, two from the Lotus Holy Land, one from the Wei Family, and one from the Yu Family.


    The disciples of Lotus Holy Land had failed to make the talented disciples of the three Ancient Families show their real strength. But this was to be expected for they were much weaker than them.


    Now the fight among geniuses began.


    "Darren Chu will battle Jack Yu.


    Kevin Ji will fight Darrin Zhu.


    Bruce Wei will fight Robbie Ji," the tournament disciple continued to announce.


    This was the order in which the participants appeared.


    "I demand to change my opponent," Darren said, using his second chance to make the change.


    "Ha-ha. Looks like you''re not an idiot. You could sense you''re no match for me," Jack said proudly. He immediately jumped to the conclusion that Darren didn''t want to fight him because he was afraid of him.


    But a second later, he panicked. Looking at Bruce, he thought, ''This is not good. Is this brat going to take Bruce''s opponent so I will have to battle the bastard myself?''


    "I chose to fight Robbie," Darren said, a conniving sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth.


    Jack''s heart sunk.


    Since Darren chose to battle Bruce''s opponent, Jack would have to fight Bruce. Jack stared at Darren with resentment growing in his heart. One moment he had thought Darren was afraid, and now he realized that he had been tricked. He wanted nothing more than to tear him into a million pieces.

 Chapter 149 The Bloodline Force Of The Ji Clan (Part One)

    After the opponents had been switched, it was Darren''s turn to play.


    In this competition, Darren''s new opponent was Robbie.


    After observing Robbie''s two battles, Darren realized that this particular disciple from the Ancient Families was pretty strong. To top that off, he was one of the only disciples at the seventh stage of the Mysterious Realm.


    In his most previous battle, he confronted an outer disciple who was already at the eighth stage of the Mysterious Realm, and he was able to defeat his opponent with just a single strike without even using his bloodline force.


    ''Robbie''s skills aren''t weak. It''s a great opportunity for me to fight with him so that I can force him to use his bloodline force and I can check how strong the Ji Clan can actually be, '' Darren thought.


    The two opponents jumped onto the Lotus Battle Ring and looked at each other, as if sizing up each other''s strength.


    "You''re Darren, aren''t you?" Robbie asked. His whole aura was calm, as if he wasn''t taking Darren seriously at all.


    "Do all of you need to talk nonsense before every fight? It''s getting really annoying," Darren responded.


    "Haha, are you actually arrogant, or are you just trying to hide your nerves? I''m sure I wouldn''t even need to use my bloodline force at all in order to disable you," Robbie said arrogantly.


    "I think you will find that things will not be as easy for you as you think!"


    Darren wanted to stop talking nonsense, and so in an instant, he lunged at Robbie and hit him with his palm.


    Right then, Darren did not want to expose too much of his strength just yet. He exerted just enough to force Robbie to use his bloodline force.


    "So you want to compare your strength with mine, huh?" Robbie asked with disdain on his face as he raised his fist to attack Darren.


    Bang!


    After the bombing, Robbie immediately retreated three steps. Meanwhile, Darren remained standing still, completely unaffected by the attack.


    After seeing Darren unfazed by his attack, Robbie finally started to take him seriously. How on ear


    burst out from his power were completely cut off by the blade intent, and in an instant, all of them vanished, failing to touch Darren at all.


    "Wow."


    The people watching could not help but be amazed by Darren''s ability. Now, they were able to have a new understanding of Darren. They realized that this young man''s strength was so intense that he was able to break the bodily endurance of the Ji Clan with nothing more than a strike of his blade.


    "It is now apparent that Robbie does not have the ability to defeat him. Unfortunately, if that is all Darren can do, he still will not be able to hold his own against Kevin."


    "Haha, he is the only outer disciple in the Holy Land who has strength to fight our disciples. But that''s all he will be able to do. He will never have the chance to win. This battle will end with the winner coming from one of our three clans. Let''s just wait and see who will get the lotus."


    "I don''t even have to think about it. Bruce is here. Do you truly think that you still have a chance? Ha-ha."


    The three chiefs discussed their observations and predictions.


    "Bastard, you cannot defeat me. I will beat you to a pulp!"


    Despite being bruised and wounded all over, Robbie still had the will to fight. At this point, he was so extremely furious that he did not even care what would happen as long as he could defeat Darren.

 Chapter 150 The Bloodline Force Of The Ji Clan (Part Two)

    "Inherited bloodline, burn now!" he yelled ferociously.


    "Robbie, what are you doing? Stop that now!"


    Upon realizing what was happening, the chief of the Ji Clan''s face shifted at once and he scolded Robbie immediately.


    "I don''t care if I get wrecked today! I''m going to do whatever it takes to kill this bastard!" Robbie said, fuming with anger.


    Suddenly, there an ancient breath penetrated Robbie''s body, and his face became ridden with pain. Then, his whole body turned into a black iron divine spear - a cold weapon!


    "Robbie, stop that now! You have not yet awakened the fifth level of your bloodline, if you turn yourself into a weapon, you will die for sure!" the chief of the Ji clan yelled. He did not want to lose one gifted disciple.


    But there was nothing he could do. By then, the Divine Weapon, incarnated by Robbie, had already started rushing towards Darren at an extremely fast speed.


    Gusts of winds raged all over the Lotus Battle Ring. Had there been no arrays around it, more than half of the square would have already been destroyed.


    Darren gazed at the divine spear, and immediately felt an overwhelming pressure. However, the pressure did not come from Robbie, but from Kevin. When Robbie incarcerated himself into a weapon, his power became more than ten times stronger. How powerful would Kevin, who had already awakened five levels of bloodline, actually be? He was bound to be infinitely stronger than Robbie!


    "Damn it, if this boy can force himself to incarcerate into a weapon, then he must have become stronger than we had initially thought. Even if Darren doesn''t get injured, this will surely consume a lot of his energy!" Colin''s eyebrows furrowed tightly as he began to worry about Darren.


    "Cracking Attack!"


    While everyone was filled with worry and fear, Darren remained white calm. He directly used the first move of the Spectral Blade Skill in retaliatio


    to him and said, "It''s okay if you admit your defeat now, before anything else happens."


    After Darrin heard what Darren said, he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulder and he was able to escape his imminent death. As fast as he could, he said, "I admit defeat! I admit defeat!"


    The reason the Holy Land sent these other outer disciples was actually to use them to size up the true strength of their opponents in the first place. At the end of the day, this was all prepared for Darren. However, they had a great gap in cultivation base, so things did not work out as they had intended it to. If Darren let them stand on the battle ring, he would only see them get badly injured, and that just was not fair to them.


    So, Darren asked that disciple to admit defeat at once in order to spare his life.


    "No way. You cannot just admit defeat in this competition," Kevin said. There was no way he was going to let them get away with this.


    "It''s alright. I still have a last chance to exchange my opponent. I will fight you in his place!" Darren said calmly.


    "What did you say?" Upon hearing Darren''s words, Kevin''s eyes lit up with excitement. He said, "Well, if you want to die earlier than you should have, then you have no cause to blame me."

 Chapter 151 The Battle With Kevin

    Darren versus Kevin!


    The most anticipated battle between the two talents finally came. Most people predicted that Kevin would win in this battle, since he had killed a level three demonic monster and it had indicated how strong he was.


    Meanwhile, Colin, Lino, and Belle wore serious looks on their faces.


    "The situation is grave. Starting a war now seems inevitable. Initially, I thought it will be good for Darren to fight Jack while Kevin fight Bruce. But now, everything has changed," Colin said.


    "What is the reason for this, Collin?" Belle couldn''t help but ask out of curiosity.


    "Because Kevin is much more powerful than Jack. If Darren fights Kevin, even if Darren can defeat him in the end, it would be impossible for him to leave without injuries. If Bruce fights Jack, since it is relatively easier for Bruce to take him out, it will not cause serious damage to Bruce''s strength. When the final round of the competition comes, when Darren meets Bruce on the battlefield, it is virtually impassable for Darren to defeat him with those conditions," Lino explained further.


    "And that is the best situation for us. It is more than likely that Darren wouldn''t be able to defeat Kevin in the end. But if he uses the Talent Skill that he had grasped before, maybe there is a slight chance that he wins the battle," Colin added.


    "But when he is forced to use the talented skill, it will inflict serious damage to his strength. He will encounter great difficulties once he finally meets Bruce on the battlefield," Lino responded with concern.


    After the further analysis of the current situation, they concluded that Darren only had a very small chance to win if he fought all by himself.


    Lino and Colin started to worried whether they had made a rash decision and were playing with unexpected high stakes. If they lost their treasures that had been handed down from previous generations, it would be an unpardonable offense, and they would be gravely punished for the way they handled the situation.


    Belle didn''t care about it that much. The only thing that she was concerned about was her brother''s safety. But after hearing their discussion, her nerves were on the verge of imploding.


    "I hope that my brother turns out all right," Belle prayed in silence.


    The Ancient Families were absolutely certain that Kevin would win and that Darren wouldn''t stand a chance.


    "Once Kevin fights Bruce, you will get a part of it as long as I have the Lotus," Clive said. Although Rory was badly injured, Clive was giddy with excitement knowing that the treasure of the Holy Land was almost in his pocket.


    "Humph, correct me if I''m wrong but are you looking down on my disciple right now?"


    Allen''s face grew red with anger, when he heard that Clive ruled out the possibility that Jack would win the battle.


    "Ha-ha. Allen, l didn''t mean that. As long as that treasure belongs to one of our three clans, it will bring considerable b


    .


    "That is a wonderful weapon! Purple lightning surrounded the sword! But it seems that the sword is being held back by something," the Holy Lord murmured to himself.


    The people from the Ancient Families were confused upon seeing Darren hold a strange sword in his hand. They didn''t know what he was planning to do with it.


    They all knew that one couldn''t train in battling with the blade and sword at the same time. Even the cultivators outside the Holy Land knew about it, let alone these strong masters.


    "His blade intent is already strong enough. Why does he still feel the need for the sword?"


    "I afraid he might just be fooling around. He used that sword to disturb Kevin on purpose. He is so naive."


    "But why do I feel a strange vibration of sword intent?"


    While the three chiefs were discussing, a stream of sword intent exploded in an instant and blasted towards the sky. In the blink of an eye, the entire sky was enveloped by Darren''s intense sword intent.


    "What just happened?"


    Except for Colin and Lino, who knew about the current situation, everyone was taken aback with their eyes widened. They couldn''t believe what they just witnessed.


    "That intense sword intent is much powerful than his blade intent!"


    "He reminds me of Hanson! He was a legendary being who had practiced combat with the sword and blade at the same time!"


    "Crap! That must be the secret weapon of the Holy Land! What should we do?"


    The three chiefs went into panic.


    ¡­¡­


    On the battlefield, Kevin was also astonished by what he had seen. He suddenly went pale as he was overwhelmed by a surging stream of sword intent. It was so powerful and fierce that he couldn''t protect himself from it.


    "Ahhh!"


    He let out a roar as he tried to diffuse his blood essence all over his body to strengthen his bloodline force.


    Just as Kevin arrived at the third level, the powerful sword intent turned into numerous shadows that fiercely flew towards him.

 Chapter 152 Who Won

    When the level three bloodline force exploded from Kevin, his body emitted a green light and a cold aura.


    "Heavyset Body! Block!" he roared.


    At the same time, Darren''s mighty sword intent hit him.


    The sharp clash of swords hitting his body echoed in the space. In the next instant, Darren''s powerful sword intent inundated Kevin. He felt as if he were in a world of swords, and no matter which direction he turned in, numerous powerful swords were attacking him.


    Kevin trembled with fear.


    He was scared internally because the sword intent was too powerful and his body couldn''t resist the attack even though it had been consolidated with the level three bloodline force.


    Blood saturated his robes as the swords left small wounds on his body.


    "Resist!"


    Kevin shouted. Darren''s attack and his inability to defend against it efficiently, left Kevin anxious. Although his strengthened body couldn''t completely resist Darren''s sword intent, it bought him time to activate more bloodline force. After a few moments, his bloodline force upgraded to level four.


    "Clink! Clink! Clink!"


    The sound of swords hitting Kevin''s stone-like body echoed in the quiet surroundings. After Kevin''s bloodline force increased to level four, his body became more solid and blocked Darren''s sword intent.


    Besides, his strength increased continuously, as well!


    "Damn freak!" Kevin couldn''t help cursing Darren after he survived the dangerous attack and recovered his composure.


    However, Darren had no intention of giving him time to breathe because he knew that Kevin''s strength would increase significantly if he used the skill to turn his body into a weapon.


    "Cracking Attack!"


    "Profound Nine Sword Skills!"


    Darren executed his blade and sword simultaneously, which made his attacks more powerful than when he only used the sword intent!


    Below the battle platform, the faces of the three chiefs darkened as they had a grim sense of foreboding. Even Landon, the Holy Lord of the Lightning Holy Land, who was sitting in the luxurious chair above the battle platform, was shocked.


    "He, indeed, cultivates both blade and sword martial arts."


    "Practicing both the blade and sword simultaneously should have killed him. How did he survive? How can he emanate such powerful strength?"


    "The young man is unexpectedly powerful. When did such a great talent join the Lotus Holy Land?"


    The chiefs of the three Ancient Families marveled simultaneously.


    On the battle platform, just when Kevin felt relieved that the pressure from Darren had decreased a little, a stronger attack which combined both the sword intent and blade intent hit him.


    "Damn it! You are forcing me to execute my trump card. Level five Heavyset Body!"


    Kevin bellowed as his face twisted in pain.


    "Oh? He is about to turn his body into a weapon!" Seeing that Kevin had started transforming, Darren dashed forward. He was so quick that the audience could only see a shadow flashing past.


    "Wham!"


    Just as Darren had reached halfway toward K


    stained the internal injuries during the battle. He told Lino and Colin that he needed to rest and consume some healing pills. Then, he would feel better.


    "You were awesome. I never imagined that your ability to use the blade and sword simultaneously was that powerful," Colin said with exhilaration.


    Darren was at the third stage of the Mysterious Realm, but the strength he had shown was far beyond the strength of a cultivator at the ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm.


    "You destroyed Kevin. I''ll kill you!" The chief of the Ji Family saw that Kevin, his nephew and the talent of the young generation, was ruined on the platform. He went into a frenzy and attacked Darren.


    "Don''t be impetuous. We haven''t lost the competition. The competitor from the Wei Family hasn''t fought him yet!"


    "You need to calm down. We can''t kill him before we get the Lotus."


    The other two chiefs tried to persuade the chief of the Ji Family.


    However, the chief of the Ji Family turned a deaf ear to them and ejected a big illusory palm before directing it at Darren.


    "Stop!"


    A shout, as loud as thunder resounded in the space as green lightning hit the ground.


    With a flash, Landon appeared under the big illusory palm unleashed by the chief of the Ji Family. With a wave of his hand, Landon crushed the palm.


    And the energy wave pushed the chief of the Ji Family backward.


    "Your side lost this battle. You have to admit it. How dare you break the rules by trying to kill the competitor! Aren''t you ashamed of yourself? Have you forgotten that I am the judge?"


    Everyone calmed down when they saw Landon''s strength.


    After he was thrown back by the energy wave, the chief of the Ji Family relaxed. Embarrassment reflected in his expression, and he silently carried Kevin to the side of the Ancient Families.


    "Chief Wei, order Bruce to kill that bastard. I''ll give you whatever you want as the trade condition!" The chief of the Ji Family secretly contacted the chief of the Wei Family with vicious intent.

 Chapter 153 Bruces Strength

    "Don''t be in such a hurry. If we kill that boy, those guys from the Lotus Holy Land might use it as an excuse to deny paying us back. Besides, Bruce won''t get away with it if he kills that boy would," Clive said, laying all the facts so Kevin wouldn''t do something he would later regret.


    "That bastard is treated like a dog in your family. Nobody will care if he dies."


    "Well, yes, he''s a bastard. He''s useful sometimes, though. Ha-ha. Anyway, I will tell him to kill the boy once our victory has been secured. I''ll have to deal with losing a little mad dog, so what do you think?"


    "I''ll pay you back," said Chief of the Ji Family with a smirk.


    And with that, the deal was sealed. The only thing left to do was to keep it secret and make it happen.


    ...


    Darren sat quietly for a while. After taking a few dozens of healing pills, his injury was almost cured and the sword and blade intents in his body were restored to the same strong level as before.


    "This round is between Bruce and Jack. Darren, please observe careful and try to spot the weaknesses of the winner," Colin said, making sure Darren wouldn''t just watch without absorbing anything.


    "Let''s hope that Jack could tire Bruce even just a little bit so we will have a better chance of winning," Lino said solemnly, sensing Bruce''s dark energy from where he was standing.


    Darren did not say much. He just nodded and looked towards the platform where Jack and Bruce had already entered.


    ''How strong is Bruce? I think he is several levels stronger than us, '' Darren wondered as he waited for the fight to start.


    Meanwhile, seeing Bruce''s emotionless face made Jack very nervous. He tried hard not to show it, so when he felt like he was going to slip, he looked around him and pretended that he was calm in front of the audience.


    Three years ago, in the competition between the three families, he witnessed the horrifying scene when Bruce used his bloodline force.


    And to this day, the thought of the dark Wild Ape scared him.


    However, Bruce was punished for injuring a lot of disciples from the other two families that day. A few days later after that, the news of him going mad came out. He seemed to have disappeared and then people never heard of him again.


    "Bastard, just throw in the towel and get out of here. Even if you win this competition, the Wei Family will not treat you any better," Jack said, trying to intimidate Bruce as much as he could. "Why don''t you just let me win the sacred object of the Holy Land? In exchange, I''ll tell the Wei Family to take care of you for the rest of your life." It was a bluff, of course


    But it was no use. Bruce could not hear them and even if he did, he didn''t care. Only pain and hatred could be seen in his eyes. There was no mercy.


    "Die!"


    His voice was cold and unforgiving.


    Crack!


    A resounding crack was heard throughout the entire arena. Jack''s bones were crushed to pieces as if they were biscuits.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a figure approached Bruce and attacked him.


    "Bastard! I told you to win the contest, not kill anyone!"


    It was the chief of the Wei family who spoke. He did not want to let this humble beast kill the genius disciple of the Yu family. It would only bring trouble to the Wei family.


    Bruce was pushed back by Clive, but still refused to let go of Jack. He held him in his palm.


    "Let go of him!"


    Clive yelled, fighting the urge to kill Bruce. He didn''t like how the fight was turning out and he absolutely despised the fact that Bruce was outright disobeying him.


    He flew all the way to Bruce and hit his arm with his palm.


    The great force shook Bruce''s arm and he had no choice but to let go of Jack.


    After all, Clive was at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. Even without mobilizing his bloodline force, he could hurt Bruce.


    "Argh!"


    Bruce yelped, opening his mouth and showing two sharp fangs.


    He lurched back in pain and visibly trembled. It looked like his body was starting to swell.


    Then, without any warning, his body grew larger and larger until he stood more than 30 feet tall. His bloody red eyes were wild and his body was covered with black scales unlike the others in the Wei family. He turned into an ape.


    "This is his true strength!"


    Darren could only watch with wide eyes as Bruce''s violent and dark energy reached him from across the battle ring.

 Chapter 154 Forces From All Parties

    "How dare you, you rebel bastard!" Clive shouted with rage as he threw a palm at Bruce.


    "Ho-ho!"


    Bruce growled as he bared his fangs, his eyes scarlet-red with fury.


    Bang!


    He lunged his black-shelled, ape-like arm at Clive.


    Hmph!


    Bruce was thrown several feet back.


    Nobody had expected Bruce to win at all, but to everyone''s astonishment, Clive was also forced to step back several feet.


    Now that Bruce could resist a middle stage of the Wonder Realm master, it became evident that he had already surpassed the Mysterious Realm because even if Clive weren''t fighting with all his might, he was still a difficult opponent.


    ''His power now equals that of a cultivator at the beginning stage of the Wonder Realm; only that he lacks the Omnipotent Talent Skill, '' Colin thought upon witnessing the stunning moment. Nobody in the eight Holy Lands had ever been strong enough to match Bruce''s strength at his age.


    "At this rate, if he had the Omnipotent Talent Skill, he would already be able to challenge a master at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. And he will certainly occupy a slot in the top one hundred of the Talent Roll," Lino murmured.


    "The Talent Roll?" Lino''s mention of the scroll caught Darren''s attention. "Master Lino, how would his rank be evaluated in the Talent Roll?" Darren asked curiously.


    Lino took off his gaze from the battle ring and looked at Darren. "You can just call me Lino, Darren," he said.


    Then he continued, "All the great powers have the name-list of the top one hundred talents on the Talent Roll. I know their names and their powers, thus I can evaluate Bruce''s rank in comparison with them." As for you, you might be able to enter the top one hundred in ten years given your gift. We can talk more about this later after the combat is finished."


    "Maybe you can do it in less than ten years. It is a pity that we only have the list of the top one hundred. If only we had more than that, perhaps we could look at your current position and get a rough estimate of how your strength compares to Bruce as of this moment, as well as how far your ranks are from each other," Colin commented regretfully.


    "Let''s just talk about this when the combat is over," Darren said.


    Then, the three of them once again turned their attention to the combat.


    "Clive, stop now! You are intervening with the combat!"


    Landon stepped out and said in an effort to keep the order.


    In that moment, Bruce went back to his normal self and walked back to the spot where he was a few moments ago.


    "Bastard, you will never hear from


    d of the death of the son of the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land.


    "Emm, I almost forgot. How is the investigation going?" Landon asked.


    "The reason Holy Lord Scott could not come is that he is interrogating an elder from a small sect. However, he told me to send all of you his regards before I left," answered the disciple courteously.


    Landon nodded, having nothing else to say.


    Meanwhile, Darren was shocked at the astonishing news. They had caught an elder? Was it Elder Thomas that they caught?!


    "Landon, are you forcing me to hand over to you the Lotus of Holy Land?" Diana was filled with rage at the scene. "Landon, you always pretend to be the peace maker, but as it turns out, you actually take advantage of the Holy Lands in times of crises! You hypocrite!"


    "Don''t talk to me like that, Diana. You were the one who invited me to witness for you, and I try to fulfill my duty every time I make a promise. Do you think you can make a fool out of me?"


    Landon growled as thunders boomed and the sky turned turbulent. Everyone in the battle ring, except for the Holy Lords, started feeling scared and depressed.


    "Diana, Landon has already invited us to come. You cannot go back on your word once the gamble has begun. We don''t want our trip to be in vain," another Holy Lord sneered jokingly.


    The three chiefs of Ancient Families were more than pleased to see the conflict between the Holy Lands. Meanwhile, the Holy Lords took much pleasure in each other''s misfortunes even more ruthlessly.


    Diana froze for a moment and took a deep breath. Then she made a final decision.


    "Darren, come here. It is time for you to join the battle!"


    Her deafening voice resounded all around the square.

 Chapter 155 A Fierce Fight (Part One)

    Everyone from the Ancient Families felt elated upon hearing Diana''s decision. To them, this was an opportunity to win the divine inheritance tool.


    "That''s great of you, Diana! You are so courageous!" said one of the Holy Lords, flattering Diana with his excitement. The atmosphere was so intense that his excitement only added more fuel to the fire of both sides.


    "Now that Diana has made her proposal, I declare that all the other Holy Lords and I will witness the fight between Darren and the chosen representative from the Ancient Families. If one side denies the result and goes back on its promise, it will become the common enemy of all of the Holy Lands. None of the Holy Lords shall let this whole thing go until justice has been served. Does everyone agree with my proposal?" said Holy Lord Landon in a tough tone.


    "With all the Holy Lords witnessing the fight, we have no reason to go back on our words. The Ancient Families promise that we will do as the rules dictate," Clive said, making his intentions clear on behalf of the Ancient Families.


    "What about you, Diana?"


    "I agree. Now, go ahead and fight for us, Darren!" Holy Lord Diana said flatly. Her face seemed as cold as ice.


    "All right. Let the last round of the contest begin," Holy Lord Landon announced seriously.


    "Darren, make sure to protect yourself no matter what happens. Your safety is of the utmost importance," Colin said to Darren in a muffled voice.


    "I know, sir. Don''t worry about me," Darren replied as he nodded at Colin.


    "Use the skill you learned from the Dragon Race against your enemy, Darren. If you think it would be impossible for you to win the game, or if you feel that your life is in danger, then just admit your failure immediately. I will not blame it on you." Darren heard Diana''s voice in his mind.


    "I understand, Holy Lord Diana," Darren murmured in a low voice.


    Darren couldn''t help but feel touched upon hearing Colin''s and Diana''s words. It made him feel warm in


    the fear in him as much as he possibly could. With a fierce roar, he rallied all of his energy and channeled it into an attack towards Darren.


    Bruce swiftly moved his huge fists to cover Darren under the gloomy shadow of their attack range.


    "Cracking Attack!"


    "Profound Nine Sword Skills!"


    "Blood Dragon Illusion!"


    Darren shouted, exerting all of the skills he was capable of. He moved so quickly as he was warding off Bruce''s fists that everyone watching could only see his shadow moving on the ground.


    "Amazing! That boy can use the avatar skill to generate various images of his real self!"


    "Wow, he has the Omnipotent Talent Skill!"


    "How could that even be possible? As far as I know, it''s impossible for someone who has not entered the Wonder Realm to have the Omnipotent Talent Skill! And to top that off, he can even practice the sword and blade at the same time. He''s totally unbelievable!"


    Darren''s avatar skills amazed all the spectators, including the three chiefs from the Ancient Families and all of the Holy Lords. All of them could not help but be stunned by his marvelous skills.


    But his fighting momentum was still much weaker compared to the fierceness and brute strength of the monstrous ape. From the spectators'' point of view, this was the one disadvantage Darren had as a fighter.

 Chapter 156 A Fierce Fight (Part Two)

    Suddenly, several explosive noises sounded in succession.


    The Lotus Battle Ring shook violently following the piercing sounds of collision. The explosive power caused by the collision of two kinds of powerful forces was so intense that it shattered the shielding sheen of the Lotus Battle Ring into pieces.


    The shielding sheen of the Lotus Battle Ring was actually a powerful magical screen designed to prevent any capable Wonder Realm beginners from bursting their powers into the arena by mistake. So it truly was almost unbreakable. Its breaking proved just how strong Darren''s and the ape''s strengths were.


    As the Lotus Battle Ring continued trembling violently, cracks began to appear on its foundation and walls. Soon, the square inside it turned into ruins of stones and bricks. The dirt and dust on the air became so thick that the people around could barely see the sunlight.


    "It''s so weird. I felt two kinds of outlandish forces in the fight. How is that possible?" All of the Holy Lords knew exactly what the man was talking about as they had all felt it too. At once, they activated their powerful sensing abilities in order to figure it out.


    "It''s so strange. The boy became covered with a layer of black scales!" With their powerful sensing abilities, the Holy Lords could clearly see the situation on the arena in spite of the thick dirt and dusts in the air. Darren''s black scales seemed crystal clear in their eyes.


    In the last moments of the fight, Darren exerted all of his intense transformation energy in order to transform himself into a fierce monster.


    Suddenly, two huge shadows were thrown from the middle of all the dirt and dust. Like two stars falling from the sky, they fell through the air.


    All of a sudden, the air whirled all around them.


    Several people simultaneously leaped into the air to pursue the shadows that fleeted away from the dirt and dust.


    In no more than a blink of an eye, they were able to bring back their targets.


    Clive threw a huge debris onto the ground of the square and shouted angrily, "Bas


    stopped frantically kicking Bruce. He could only look at Darren limping towards them. In that moment, he forgot that he was trying to awaken Bruce. All he felt was frustration and sadness, as if his heart had sunk into an abyss of despair.


    With a hiss in the air, Darren drew out the sword in his hand the moment he reached his target.


    Darren slowly raised his sword and aimed it directly at Bruce. Meanwhile, Clive''s face turned red as all his blood rushed into his brain. He wanted to stop Darren, but he couldn''t. Furious and disgusted at his disability to save his disciple, he puked out a mouthful of blood.


    Without hesitation, Darren swung his sword at Bruce.


    "Bang!" The sound of something colliding with something hard resounded in the air.


    To everyone''s shock and amazement, Darren did not swing his sword at Bruce. Instead, he swung it towards the ground by Bruce''s side and stabbed it into the earth.


    "We have a winner! Darren wins!"


    Holy Lord Landon announced in a composed manner. Everybody around the battle ring heard it clearly.


    The Ancient Families had lost the game.


    The three chiefs of the Ancient Families looked pale as a sheet. As Landon''s words echoed in their ears, their minds turned into a total mess. They found the result of the fight totally unacceptable. So much so that they could not even think of anything in that moment.

 Chapter 157 Tournament Rewards

    Darren struggled to remain conscious until Landon announced the test result. After that, he blacked out and collapsed on the ground.


    With a surprised gasp, Diana flew forward and took him. She left the unconscious lad with Colin and asked him to find a doctor.


    "Wait!"


    A Holy Lord dashed forward and blocked Colin''s way.


    "This boy was covered in black scales and emitted an evil aura. He is suspicious. We must interrogate him!" The person blocking Colin''s way was the Holy Lord of the Ice Holy Land.


    At the same time, Landon guided other Holy Lords toward Colin and Darren.


    "I agree with him. A person covered in black scales broke into the forbidden area that Scott was guarding the other day. I suspect that he has something to do with the fiend," Landon said flatly.


    "Stop talking nonsense, you bastard!"


    Diana cursed. The onlookers were shocked as they had never heard her scold people before.


    "Why would my disciple get involved with the fiend? Don''t you feel ashamed? How can you not know that Darren mastered the Dragon Clan''s inheritance skill? Stop making a fool of yourself!" she continued coldly.


    The Holy Lords were rendered speechless.


    It dawned on them that Darren had displayed an Omnipotent Talent Skill. ''What he used is similar to the legendary Dragon Clan''s inheritance skill.''


    "Diana, don''t get mad. We can''t afford to make any mistakes when it comes to the fiend. So, I believe we should investigate that boy," the Holy Lord of the Void Holy Land mediated.


    "Get the hell out of here!" Diana spat out slowly, "You''d better not test me. If you dare to take him away, Lotus Holy Land will become your enemy. And we will not show you any mercy."


    A large lotus shadow rose behind Diana as she spoke.


    The Holy Lords knew that the lotus shadow was a sign that Diana was furious. They looked at her, embarrassment written all over their faces.


    They were aware that they had already gone too far by pressuring Diana to continue the tournament. If they took Darren against Diana''s will, they knew that Diana would go to all lengths to stop them.


    Landon laughed to break the tense atmosphere and changed the topic immediately. He said, "Forget it, Diana. Let''s talk about taking over the magic spring from the three families." Even though Landon was powerful, he couldn''t risk upsetting Diana more. After all, he didn''t stand up for Lotus Holy Land when she turned to him for help.


    Since Landon dropped the topic, the remaining Holy Lords didn''t have the courage to press her on the issue regarding


    then lay down.


    However, he became restless when he recalled what a disciple of the Blade Holy Land had said. ''He said that they had caught an elder from a small sect. Who on earth could this elder be? Was it Elder Thomas?''


    The more he thought about it, the more Darren became certain that the disciple was referring to Thomas. ''The Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land must have thought that Elder Thomas had killed his son, for there were many signs left by the sword. After all, Thomas is considered the best swordsman in the Ilmen Sect, '' he guessed.


    ''I must keep this from Elsa, '' Darren decided.


    Although Elsa didn''t get on well with Thomas, he was sure that she would be worried upon learning that he had been captured. After all, Thomas was her father.


    ''I need to find an opportunity to visit Blade Holy Land and figure out what is going on, '' Darren concluded.


    He then took out some healing pills from his Space Ring to heal himself.


    ''This time, I was badly injured. I wonder how Bruce is doing.'' Darren thought of Bruce as he started to check his injuries.


    ''If I hadn''t transformed and used my demonic internal force to suppress his strength, I would have been smashed to a pulp, '' he recalled.


    Darren had fought Bruce because he sensed that Bruce had the blood of the fiend, just as he did. He could prevail over Bruce mainly because his fiend blood was pure enough to oppress Bruce''s bloodline force.


    ''I will find him. If possible, I will try to help Bruce, '' he planned. Darren had suffered tremendously when he was little. However, it seemed as though Bruce had endured more than he did. So, he pitied Bruce.


    He then cleared his mind and focused on healing himself.

 Chapter 158 The Primitive Feminine Bloodline Clan

    Three days went by quickly. For the past three days, Darren assimilated elixirs that would help heal his wounds.


    "Bang! Bang! Bang!"


    Someone was knocking on the door.


    "Come in!"


    Darren said. He opened his eyes and saw a girl in gray standing in front of him.


    "Darren, Holy Lord Diana asked me to invite you to her palace," the girl said as she bowed her head as a sign of respect.


    "Holy Lord Diana wants to see me? Alright. Would you please lead the way?"


    Darren had almost completely recovered from his injuries, and he had wanted to go for a walk anyway, so he stepped out of his room and followed the girl.


    As soon as he stepped out, he was, for the first time, able to appreciate just how beautiful the Lotus Holy Land was. It was filled with spiritual energy and delicate pavilions and splendid palaces. The place was so beautiful that the imperial palace of Doriath paled in comparison.


    They walked slowly and after about an hour, they arrived at a place with a unique scenery.


    In front of him was a huge, magnificent waterfall. At its foot lay a crystal clear pool with a cyan lotus about thirty meters in diameter in the middle.


    The lotus was so immensely beautiful that Darren could not remove his gaze from it.


    "Welcome, Darren!"


    Darren was drawn back to his usual self when he heard someone call his name. He turned around and saw the Holy Lord Diana in cyan.


    "Good day, Holy Lord Diana!" he said as he bowed slightly.


    "Don''t bother. Take a seat," Diana said, gesturing at a lotus-shaped platform.


    Darren sat down beside her on the platform.


    "Holy Lord Diana, what is it that you want me to do?" Darren asked.


    "Nothing, really. I just wanted to know if you have already recovered from your injuries," Diana answered with a smile.


    Then they began to chat casually. Even though Diana was the Holy Lord, she was not arrogant in the least, so Darren felt completely at ease while talking to her.


    "Oh, I almost forgot! I have something to tell you. It''s about you and Belle," Diana suddenly said after a few minutes of chatting with Darren.


    "I''m listening, Holy Lord." Darren could not help but feel curious about what Diana was going to say.


    Diana paused for a while, as if she was thinking of what to say, and then continued, "There is no easy way to say this but you and Belle are not siblings."


    "Huh?" Darren was totally shocked from what he heard. ''What even made Diana think that?'' he thought.


    "That''s impossible! We grew up together. Plus, even though I was just two years old when Belle was born, I still have snippets of memories from when she was born. I can vaguely remembe


    was the last time I ever heard of the clan. Until one day, Elder Xenia took back a talented girl¡ªBelle. She found that Belle had the Primitive Feminine Bloodline in her. Since I knew that she was a descendant of my savior''s clan, I appointed her as the Holy Maiden and ordered Elder Xenia to teach her carefully.


    I have no idea how a group as powerful as the Ji Clan could ever be exterminated, but I''m guessing it had something to do with the mysterious power from the north."


    Only then did Darren realize why his younger sister could become a Holy Maiden. ''Ah, so the reason Holy Lord Diana is so kind to Belle is because she is from the same clan as the old man who saved her life, '' Darren thought.


    "Darren, I have not told Belle about any of this. In order to prevent her from overthinking, I hope you would keep quiet about this as well," Diana said.


    "Okay." Darren nodded. He knew it would be for the best if he did not tell Belle about his recent discoveries as well.


    Now he knew why he could only rank 28450th on the Talent Roll in spite of his talent and capabilities. Although his strength was still improving now at a rapid rate, he guessed that his ranking would not increase too much in the near future.


    ''Now I know that there are many powerful groups in the areas beyond the Holy Lands. There must be a lot of gifted people out there.


    Matthew said that only those whose rank was in the top 100 on the Talent Roll were the ones qualified to go to the Raksa Sea. As of now, there is still a long, long way for me to go before I can reach that level.


    If I can''t go to the Raksa sea, then I will never be able to find the primitive stone, and I will never be able to enter the Wonder Realm, '' Darren thought to himself with a heavy sigh.

 Chapter 159 The Complicated Things (Part One)

    Darren let his eyes rest upon the map again. He couldn''t help it. Seeing all of the forces in the world laid out in front of him on a small piece of paper completely fascinated him.


    Looking at the map, he could easily identify the area he was in at the moment. The map not only indicated the position of each force, but also specified the perimeters of the territory that each force owned, including the Northern, the Eastern, and the Western. As he looked closer at the map, Darren was surprised to see that the map included even the territory occupied by the Grand Realm fighters.


    In comparison to all the other areas that had markings, the border region of the map was completely blank with no labels on it whatsoever. It seemed rather mysterious, so naturally, Darren''s passion for exploring unsolved mysteries was woken up.


    "Darren, you can stay here for as long as you like. Actually, I encourage you to do so. The Holy Land is a good place for you to cultivate. Once you are powerful enough, you may leave this place and search for better cultivation resources. You can rest assured that no one will harm you during your stay here in the Holy Land! You have my word," the Holy Lord Diana said to Darren.


    "Duly noted, Holy Lord! Thank you so much. I really appreciate your hospitality," Darren uttered in thanks. Then, Darren started contemplating. There was something that still did not make sense to him. "There is something I have been wondering about, and I just cannot keep it out of my mind. You said that the Holy Lands aren''t that powerful but they rank high among all the forces in the world for a particular reason. Do you think you can tell me what that reason is?" Darren inquired. The words the Holy Lord Diana had said kept running through his mind, and he could no longer keep his curiosity at bay. Now that they were alone, he took it as an opportunity to ask her about it and finally clear up the confusion in his mind.


    However, his question seemed to make Diana on guard. "All I can tell you is that it has something to do with the forbidden areas that our eight Holy Lands are guarding. I''m sorry, Darren, but that''s all I can say. I can''t give you any more details," she responded carefully.


    Although she kept all


    yfully at him and replied, "My master has not fully recovered yet, but don''t worry! She just needs a few more days of proper rest and she will be as healthy as ever." Once their excitement from seeing the most important person to the world to them had subdued, a confused look came over Belle''s face. "Darren, why did the Holy Lord call you to her palace? What did she want to talk to you about?" she inquired.


    "Nothing in particular, really. Just a few trivial matters. She wanted to check on me and see if I''m feeling better," Darren said casually, trying to avoid the subject so that he wouldn''t say anything about what the Holy Lord had said about Belle by mistake. Darren smiled faintly. He thought about what Diana had told him about Belle, and he could not help but feel a complexity of emotions as he watched Belle''s innocent face. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine that his family might not be his real family, and that his sister, whom he had known all his life, would actually be a descendant of an unusual, exceptional family. Now that he knew that Belle was not his real sister, and that she might react badly if she knew about her bloodline and the disastrous history of her family, Darren felt a stabbing pain in his heart. Right now, he did not think Belle would be able to handle such information. Perhaps, one day she would be ready to find out, but for now, Darren felt that it would be better to keep the secret so that he could protect her just like he always had.

 Chapter 160 The Complicated Things (Part Two)

    But Belle''s question made his own questions bubble to the surface of his mind once again. ''If Belle''s mother is not my mother, then who is my real mother? Where could she be now?'' While he was in the Holy Lord Diana''s place, his mind became rather absent during the latter part of their conversation. After he heard the shocking truth from Diana, he found himself wondering about Belle''s true identity. But more than that, he felt so anxious to find out about his own family history that he could barely listen to anything that Diana was telling him.


    Now, as he was watching Belle, he began to think about what his next steps should be. ''It looks like I need to go back to the Chu Clan, '' he thought to himself. The Chu Clan was where he was raised. Therefore, he thought that some of the people there must know the answers to his many burning questions. He became restless and desperate to know who he really was.


    "Darren, why didn''t you come here with your wife? I really wanted to see her. Colin told me that she is really good looking. Is that true?" Belle asked earnestly, interrupting Darren''s train of thought. Darren''s cheeks became flushed. He had no idea how to answer her. Even though he was a grown-up man by all means, he still found it hard to free himself from being shy when it came to the subject of love and affection.


    "I will bring her next time. But first things first. I should visit Elder Xenia while I am here. Could you show me to her palace?" Darren said.


    Belle giggled, revealing the deep cute dimples on her cheeks, as she saw Darren''s embarrassed face.


    "Darren, why is your face so red? Are you embarrassed?" she taunted.


    "Nonsense!" he exclaimed, his face turning even redder.


    Belle then led her brother to see her master. She kept making fun of her brother al


    dly injured her," she added. Belle grew irritated as the unpleasant memory of the past came alive in her mind. She felt so sorry for what her master had been through.


    Darren was not surprised, though. Right from the beginning, Darren had a feeling that the Chasm Clan might be the one to blame for Elder Xenia''s injuries. The Chasm Clan was one of the two biggest forces in the southern territory, and they had a bad reputation for bullying others who were inferior to them in strength.


    "A bunch of vicious and evil assholes!" Darren exclaimed. Seeing how severely injured Elder Xenia was, Darren became filled with fury.


    Elder Xenia sighed and shook her head in dismay. "You don''t need to worry about me. I am in a much better condition now. All of my wounds have healed already and my body strength will be back to normal in no time. We cannot draw our sword against the Chasm Clan now because they are still much stronger and powerful than we are. We can''t afford to bring any more damage to our Holy Land," she said remorsefully. Elder Xenia thought about all of the years they had spent living under the threats of the Chasm Clan, and an immense surge of hatred rushed through her veins.

 Chapter 161 The Complicated Things (Part Three)

    Belle was infuriated too. Snorting with anger, she resumed, "They are nothing but a group of seedy, disgusting cockroaches. I don''t believe in the strength of those superior talents. If they confronted our Holy Lord Diana and the rule masters at that time, those bastards wouldn''t stand a single chance of winning." Her words caught Darren''s attention.


    "Superior talents? Those who hit Elder Xenia are superior talents on the Talent Roll?" he asked, his brows creasing together in wonder.


    "Yes, that is what I heard. After the fight, we investigated those bastards, thinking we would get even with them for what they did to my master. However, it turned out that they are on the Talent Roll and were able to reach the Wonder Realm before they could even turn thirty. When you think of it, it is pretty clear why their strength was so formidable and otherworldly. There simply wasn''t a way for my master to overcome the attacks by so many Wonder Realm fighters," Belle explained with frustration and disgust. After what had happened to her master, her deep-seated grudge towards the Chasm Clan intensified even more. The Holy Lord Diana was originally planning of avenging Elder Xenia. But then, after finding out who the attackers really were, she held back from striking back at them because she knew that attacking them would very likely put the land and everyone in it in danger. So, everyone, including Elder Xenia herself, kept silent about it instead. She knew that the land''s safety always had to come first.


    Darren frowned, realizing how complex the situation actually was. "Do you know the actual ranks of those people?" he asked.


    Belle shook her head. And then, her eyes dil


    least have the strength of the Mysterious Realm so that I can defeat fighters from the primary stage and the middle stage of the Wonder Realm, '' he thought to himself. Acquiring the Primitive Stone seemed like nothing more than a distant dream to him in that moment. He knew that he had such a long way to go, and he did not even know if he would be able to do it. For now, all he could do was sigh in melancholy.


    ''I wonder, what will happen if I activate my Spirit Power?'' An idea suddenly came into his mind.


    ''If I become an exceptional and accomplished rule cultivator, I will be able to easily make a lot of runes, and my strength will become far more superior to the strength of the fighters on the Talent Roll.'' He suddenly remembered the book he had found in the Medicine Pavilion before.


    He got the book by accident when he snatched an elixir from a man who had been defeated, but he never really looked into it. He had completely forgotten about the book ever since; until this moment. Thinking that the book might actually help him with his cultivation, he immediately took out the book from his Space Ring.

 Chapter 162 The Request From A Treasure Hunting Team

    Darren turned a page of the ancient book. Written on the title page was the name of the book¡ªthe Rule Formula.


    He began to peruse a page from the book. "The Thunder Leading Skill, the Fire Controlling Skill, the Wind Controlling Skill, the Sketch of the Underground Fleeing Skill, the Taboo Region¡­"


    It was the book''s table of contents.


    There was a few basic information about the rule cultivator on the next page.


    "The most basic skill a rule cultivator is able to use is the power of heaven and earth. Every strong rule cultivator is able to control the nature power, namely the wind and the thunder. Their rule spells carry an extremely tremendous power. Those who cultivate the taboo rule spell will even be able to kill a Grand Realm master,"


    Darren mumbled as he continued to read the texts.


    It only took him an hour to finish reading the entire book.


    ''The book introduced the elementary martial formulas used for offense by the rule cultivators, '' he concluded in his mind.


    However, regardless of how basic the knowledge was, it could not be learned that easily. It required cultivators to have at least a level ten Spirit Power.


    When Darren first came to the Holy Land, he had met a number of rule cultivators, but as he came to think of it, their abilities were not even regarded as rudimentary. They were not very powerful considering they had only learned a small handful of martial formulas.


    ''Disappointingly, I only reached level six after assimilating the Spirit Power of those rule cultivators. Even if I learn a few more martial formulas, it probably won''t help much.'' Darren felt somewhat unsatisfied.


    "Wait," he uttered as a thought suddenly came to his mind.


    "On the day, when I was tested in the Black Cliff of Sword Intent, the Sword Type Creatures that appeared in the first pass have the attributes of fire and thunder. But I was rejected when I tried to assimilate them. Can these attribute rules be attached to the sword intent?" Darren wondered aloud to himself.


    He then immediately summoned the inheritance skill with his spiritual sense and entered the World of Rule.


    The entire World of Rule was in silver color and was covered in rules, mostly Avatar Rule and a few other rules.


    He tried to recall everything he learned from the Rule Formula. Soon, he began to mobilize his Spirit Power according to what was mentioned in the book.


    "Alright, there it is," he said as the rule lines materialized. "The purple lines should be the rule of thunder element, the dark grey lines should be the rule of earth element, and those are the rules of wind and fire."


    Darren was able to make the lines appear by using his Spirit Power in the silver World of Rule.


    He tried to let his Spirit Power come i


    al with people who wanted to mess with him.


    "Hi, Darren! Nice to meet you!" "Darren, we''ve been looking for you for several days now!"


    And their greetings came, one after another. Darren was relieved once he saw the friendly expressions on their faces. "I don''t mean to be rude, but I think you''re all older than me. Why are you all acting so polite towards me?" he modestly asked.


    "Brother, you''re a supreme disciple and we''re inner disciples. You''re higher than us in status, so we should show respect to you," one of them replied.


    Darren smiled, "Well, what can I do for you? You said you''ve been looking for me."


    "We have good news to tell you," the only young woman enthusiastically announced in a gentle voice.


    "Brother, haven''t you heard the news of the Fire Cave yet? We are hoping to go to find the treasures with you," one of the young men stated with much courtesy.


    "Please! Don''t be too polite. You can call me by my name," Darren cheerfully exclaimed. "So, why did you want to go with me?" he added with a naive look on his face.


    "Why else? Because you''re strong, of course!" a young man declared as he stretched out his hand towards Darren. "I''m Hayes Su, by the way. It''s my pleasure to meet you, Darren!" he added.


    He was the young man who had most powerful energy among them.


    Darren shook his hand and said, "Excuse me, you''re all really nice people, but I really have to go now. I have something urgent to do in Lotus City. Let''s talk about this later. See you!"


    Darren hurriedly said his goodbyes and went on his way.


    "Time is running out, so make sure to come back soon! We''ve heard that many superior talents from other sects are also planning to take part in it¡ªit must be a great treasure! Our Lotus Holy Land can''t miss this opportunity!" the young woman anxiously shouted behind him.

 Chapter 163 Found Primitive Stone (Part One)

    Lotus City lay within the coveted Lotus Holy Land. If its level of prosperity was measured, it would not even be ranked lower than a country of profane world.


    On its busy streets where everyone was welcome, it would be noticed that there were disciples from every major Holy Land wandering around the area. Lotus City, letting its rich heritage and diverse population thrive, was the most prosperous city among the eight Holy Lands.


    "I''d better put on a mask."


    Darren would secretly be paying a visit to Medicine Pavilion later. Little did anyone know, he already had looted too many valued elixirs from the pavilion so he planned his disguise for him not be recognized. Medicine Pavilion was abundant of mighty rule cultivators who would risk anything to fulfill their cause. They could definitely kill him by all means if they intended to.


    Darren carefully concealed the strength of his cultivation base as he was putting on his bronze mask that perfectly fit his sharp facial features, before heading to Medicine Pavilion.


    Without any doubt, in such a big city where good and evil melted together, people with bamboo hats covering their faces could be found everywhere. A lucky day for Darren, he would not be noticeable and suspicious with a mask on his face.


    In no time, Darren had found himself entering the Medicine Pavilion.


    On the ground floor, there was a lobby crafted in perfectly equal sizes of a square where many elixir counters could be found.


    As he was looking for the perfect moment, Darren fixed his sight on the elixir counter he was searching for¡ªthe one boosting the Spirit Power.


    "What sky-high price they are!" Darren was nothing but dumbfounded.


    The offered elixirs for lifting Spirit Power were available in different levels: low, medium, high, and superior. Even w


    old man and went directly to get the elixirs he was plotting to have.


    "Oh, Jaya! What a pity! You have lost much commission again." A young man with a petite physique walked up to the old man and expressed his dismay over the trade.


    "Hmm. Rest assured. You''ll sure be rich if you will continue working with me! That guy''s cultivation base is far from the level of a beginner of Mysterious Realm. Even if we recommend him to Prison Battle Arena, he would only win one round at best and we could only acquire a hundred ink stones. There is no need to waste one''s breath for an unfavorable outcome."


    "That''s true, Jaya. Someone who seems to have the cultivation base of eighth stage of Mysterious Realm is proceeding this way. It looks like we''re going to profit from this by making a bundle."


    *


    After he accomplished what he came there for, Darren half-heartedly headed out of the room with three pieces of his precious low level Spirit Power elixirs. Confrontations were all over the exchange station.


    "Damn it! One thousand ink stones just for one round? Are you robbing?" A humongous and intimidating man whose cultivation base was at the eighth stage of Mysterious Realm, reacted out loud.

 Chapter 164 Found Primitive Stone (Part Two)

    "Hush. Buddy, don''t shout! You could win ten thousand ink stones at least with your cultivation base. In my experience as an old man in the business, it should be effortless for you to win thirty thousand ink stones if you stick to three rounds," the old man taunted.


    "Can I really last three rounds?" The big guy resembling the built of a warrior was obviously tempted.


    "Hmm. A cultivator of the top level of Mysterious Realm had won three million ink stones last time. If you don''t believe me you can ask around! You are at the eighth stage of Mysterious Realm. Can''t you win thirty thousand ink stones at least? Buddy, be confident." A young man who seemed to care about what was happening around, gave him a boost.


    Overhearing this, Darren''s shock was projecting. He soon shook his head expressing his surprise. ''Three million ink stones? How could that be possibly earned? They must be bluffing!''


    Darren found himself leaving, heading straight out the door, and wandering along the street where people from all walks of life thrived.


    His footsteps fast approaching, he was stunned when he arrived in front of a prominent building.


    "Primitive Stone!" His heart leapt out of his chest the moment he saw those iconic words plated for everyone to remember.


    As close as he could, he moved closer until his eyes squinted to read the words, "The rare treasure Primitive Stone will be auctioned tomorrow with a starting price of three million ink stones."


    "How come this auction house has the Primitive Stone? Is this the authentic one or not?" Darren held on to his hopes even if his mind was surrounded with doubts.


    A stranger overheard his ambiguous remark so he suddenly looked at Darren with contempt. "You even doubted Sky Pavilion''s precious auction item. What a foo


    such a beginner of Mysterious Realm, you must be crazy to dream of such money! How ignorant you are!" the young man by the side of the elder man said in scorn. He obviously couldn''t bear Darren''s arrogant presence that gave the place an upsetting vibe.


    "Take me to the peak battlefield of Mysterious Realm!" Darren obligated the two disapproving men.


    "Idiot!" the annoyed young man cursed him with a mocking smile.


    Darren was too pissed to even utter more words to convince them. Instead, he released in the command of his spiritual sense, and a puff of sword intent was directed towards the young man who annoyed him the most.


    "Ah!"


    The young man''s face turned pale immediately as cold sweat ran through his temples. He kept stepping back as his eyes displayed his horror.


    The elder man with yellow teeth was able to discern that Darren was uncommon. He thought to himself that this little fellow must had hidden his cultivation base to actually reach this state without even being felt. That puff of sword intent was extraordinarily strong, usually only being used by skilled disciples. The elder man believed he would make a fortune out of this returning client this time.

 Chapter 165 Entering The Battlefield

    "Could you wait a moment, please?" the old man asked politely.


    "Could you please hurry up? I''m kind of in a hurry," Darren impatiently demanded. The Primitive Stone would be auctioned tomorrow. Darren must earn at least three million ink stones. How could he not be in a hurry?


    The old man nodded, went backstage, picked up the young man who had been scared to the ground by Darren, and told him, "Get ready and send him to the Prison Battle Arena at the top level of the Mysterious Realm. And by the way, bet ten thousand ink stones on him outside. Is that clear?"


    The young man had calmed down and the horror in his eyes had disappeared. He was now frowning as he said, "Jaya, although this boy has hidden his cultivation base, it isn''t appropriate to send him to the arena at the top level of the Mysterious Realm, is it? If he dies on the stage, we''ll have to pay at least three thousand ink stones. That''s not a good deal. Besides, it''s too risky to bet ten thousand ink stones on the outside!"


    The young man also felt that Darren had extraordinary talent, but he didn''t think Darren would be able to go far in the arena at the top level of the Mysterious Realm.


    "Don''t talk nonsense. With so many years of experience, I can tell that he can definitely enter at least the fourth round of the contest at the top level of the Mysterious Realm. Take him there now!" The old man paused to think for a few seconds and finally said, "Never mind, let me take him there myself. Since he can hide his cultivation base, we will be able to make a big profit on outside bets."


    He then turned to Darren. "There are some terms I need to tell you. If you agree to the terms, I will introduce you to the arena," he said as he walked towards Darren with a smile.


    "Tell me the terms, then," Darren eagerly replied.


    "First, if you win a fight in the Prison Battle Arena, you will be rewarded with ten thousand ink stones. I will take one thousand as commission.


    Second, you must sign a life and death contract with the Prison Battle Arena. If you are unfortunately killed on the stage, you can''t blame anyone," the old man enumerated.


    "What?" Darren angrily spat out. "If I win a game I get ten thousand ink stones? I thought you said I could win three million?"


    "Ha-ha, young man. If you''re strong enough, you could win three million¡ªhell, you could even win up to ten million!" the old man said with a big grin on his face.


    "How?" Darren asked, puzzled.


    "The only way to win a huge amount of ink stones is to break the record in the Prison Battle Arena. Yesterday, a man broke the record of winning nine games in a row and was rewarded with two million ink stones. Plus, he asked others to bet


    ng nine games in a row hasn''t been broken for ten years. I don''t think someone who could beat that record would just suddenly appear. It''s just impossible."


    The audience speculated all sorts of bias against Darren. They were people from rich backgrounds who liked gambling, so of course a game like this with no challenge at all was simply too unexciting for them and a waste of their money.


    "In this battle between Darren Chu and Aries Wu, Darren has the odds of one to one hundred! The bets are limited to five thousand ink stones, folks!" the announcer''s booming voice echoed throughout the entire arena.


    Odds of one to one hundred meant that if Darren won, a bet of one ink stone on him could win a hundred ink stones back. This was the case where the odds had reached the upper limit. Otherwise odds of one to one thousand might be possible.


    "I bet on Aries with ten thousand ink stones! Just trying to win a little money here!"


    "I bet on Aries with five thousand!"


    "I bet on Darren with one ink stone!"


    Almost eighty percent of the people in the audience placed their bets in favor of Aries Wu; nineteen percent chose not to place any bets at all, thinking that they wouldn''t win many ink stones; and lastly, only one percent placed a bet of just a few ink stones in favor of Darren as a joke.


    ''This is my chance!'' Darren thought. He didn''t plan on missing this great opportunity to make money.


    He gave some of the audiences top-quality pills in exchange for five thousand ink stones beforehand and asked for Jaya to bet them all in favor of himself. He wouldn''t be able to bet on himself as a contestant, so he hatched up the fool-proof plan.


    "Looks like I will win half a million in the first game. Not bad," he said to himself, smirking as he stepped out onto the arena.

 Chapter 166 A Small Fortune

    Darren and Aries stood on the arena.


    At once, most of the audience lost their interest. Some of them were even seething with anger and cursing. They had spent so much money in order to buy those tickets, and it was all a waste. There was no use watching a boring competition where you already knew who the winner would be.


    Meanwhile, on the arena, Darren looked at Aries, the man standing opposite him, from head to toe. Based on Darren''s intuition, he felt that Aries'' strength was not that powerful. At most, he had probably just reached the ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm.


    "Why do I have to fight with such crap in my first round? I have never felt more humiliated in my whole life," Aries sneered, knowing what Darren''s cultivation stage was.


    By now, Darren had seen so many people like this one who were arrogant, yet completely good for nothing. He could not care less about what Aries said. Instead, he wondered about what he could do to earn more ink stones in the next competition.


    ''If I take him down with only one movement, others will realize how strong I actually am. If that happens, people will change their bets and stake their money on me, and I, in turn, will earn much less ink stones than I am earning right now, '' Darren thought. After he pondered over the issue for a while, Darren decided to fool around with Aries. In order to disguise his real strength, he planned on getting some small injuries on purpose, so that he could make a fortune out of the next game.


    "Fuck off, you scum!" Aries roared as he lunged his fist towards Darren.


    Since Aries achieved the ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm, his fists grew tremendously powerful. Each of his punches became equal to almost ten thousand pounds of force. Because of this, the battlefield was made with titanium stones. A rule cultivator was even hired to build proper protection around it in order to avoid his immense strength from harming the audience.


    Darren pretended to dodge his fist and flee in panic. Everything went as he had planned.


    "What? He didn''t die?" someone yelled in shock. The audience could not believe their eyes. After seeing Darren''s actions, the audience suddenly became considerably interested in the fight.


    "How about we all put a bet on how long he can survive?"


    "That''s a great idea. I bet he will not even survive the second punch."


    "I think that guy is not that bad. It is obvious that he is trying to conceal his real cultivation base. I bet that he is going to lose at the third punch."


    Now, the audience became highly involved and motivated as they found a new way to earn some extra money.


    Darren had been playing with Aries for nearly an hour.


    It took no effort for him to skillfully dodge all of Aries'' fierce attacks in the nick of time. He would also let himself suffer some small damages on purpose in order to fool the audience into thinking that he would lose the game.


    ''Alright, this is enough, '' Darren thought to himself. Darren decided not to play anymore now that the audience had started to get pissed at him.


    This time, Aries dashed towards Darren, gasping for his brea


    gainst him instantly regretted their decisions, thinking that they should have bet their ink stones on Darren instead.


    The moment Darren''s blade intent enveloped the man, his eyes filled with sheer terror.


    As expected, numerous bloody stains appeared all over his clothes as he was thrown out of the battlefield.


    A while later, he struggled to get up from the floor with blood covering his body. He dragged his own broken body towards Darren and knelt in front of him as he trembled in fear. "Thank you so much for not killing me, sir," he said.


    "Just go," Darren replied casually.


    It was not easy for that man to risk his life to earn those ink stones. And Darren didn''t have any hatred towards him, so he just let him go.


    "Thank you, sir." After expressing his gratitude, the guy dragged his broken legs behind him and left the battlefield.


    ¡­


    "Jaya, get your butt over here."


    Up on the grandstand, Jaya chuckled in the corner. He was in a good mood after making a good fortune from the bet. So naturally, he was pissed when someone interrupted his good mood by growling at him.


    "You bastard! Can''t you keep it down just a little? What''s wrong with you?" Jaya was a normally nice guy, but getting a scolding from his subordinate really irritated him.


    "Humph! Don''t be so arrogant. If I''m guessing correctly, that guy should have been killed in the first round. You are ready to report to the accountant and get the pension for his family, right? Are you trying to defraud the pension off the money shop? I have already informed our lady and she has already arrived here. Just pack your luggage and get lost," a young man shouted. He was the young man who was scared to the ground in front of Darren''s sword intent earlier.


    "Fuck off!" At this point, Jaya was already seething with anger.


    "Jaya, you have served in our money shop for so many years. I can''t believe that you would do such a terrible thing. You deserve a tough punishment! Humph!" A voice coming from outside interrupted them. A girl was walking near them, and her tone was filled with anger.

 Chapter 167 Encounter the Powerful Enemy

    "Humph. Jaya, the lady has been here herself. You''d better make it clear how many ink stones you''ve defrauded from the money shop in the past years!" the young man yelled at Jaya as if he was on a high horse, proud of his sense of justice.


    "You little runt! I''ve been promoting you all these years. How dare you frame me?" Jaya shivered with fury. Never did he expect to have cultivated such an ungrateful person who would attempt to make false charges against him.


    "Jaya, my father has always trusted and relied on you. You must set things straight from the very start. Otherwise, don''t blame me for being rude." A beautiful lady in her twenties walked over, wearing a sour face.


    After simply explaining the whole affair, Jaya pointed at Darren''s figure on the arena. "Look carefully, you little bastard! The lad is still alive. I''ve never scrounged a pension off the money shop!"


    "Ah? What happened? Why didn''t he die?" The younger man was left stunned.


    "Humph!" With a grunt, Jaya took a green crystal card and handed it to the lady. "Here are the commissions earned from the lad''s five straight wins. And thirty thousand more ink stones are from the gambling. I''m sorry for not informing you about it. Please take them, my lady. Since you don''t trust me, I must find another way to make a living. Goodbye."


    Being a crafty man, Jaya gave only a tenth of the ink stones he won to the lady. From then on, she would trust him more.


    "This..." Left speechless, the lady suddenly slapped the young man hard. "You bastard. Jaya has always been hardworking. How could you accuse him of doing such a shameful thing? Everything is clear now¡ªyou''re the one to blame."


    "My lady, I..." Droplets of sweat began forming on the man''s temples.


    "Shut up!" Without letting him respond, the lady kept slapping him until he couldn''t bear it any longer and ran away.


    "I''m sorry, Jaya. You can keep these ink stones yourself as my compensation to you. Please don''t leave our shop," the lady apologized.


    With that, Jaya looked much better.


    On the arena, Darren made it to the sixth battle.


    This time, his rival was far stronger¡ªhe must''ve been one of the best fighters at the ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm.


    "What do you think, Jaya?"


    Darren''s previous performance had captured the attention of the authority of Prison Battle Arena, so the middle-aged man went over to consult for Jaya''s opinion.


    As an old hand with an unerring eye, Jaya''s judgment was known to be accurate.


    "Nice to see you, Uncle Harvey," the young lady next


    s vision.


    "I hope he can reach the eighth battle. I''ll make a killing if he does," Harvey Gu eagerly pronounced in excitement.


    "Uncle Harvey, you earned over tens of millions of ink stones yesterday, didn''t you?" Hearing the news that someone broke the record yesterday, Eva thought to ask.


    "Oh, actually, it went further than that. The last battle attracted an audience of thirty thousand. All of them were influential and rich. Just from the illegal gambling, I earned eighteen million ink stones, so I got twenty million ink stones in total if counting the sum of the tickets." Whenever it came to making a fortune, Harvey''s face lit up immediately.


    "Ah, that''s quite a lot. It seems that I should tell my father to buy a share of Prison Battle Arena. Uncle Harvey, you won''t reject that, will you?" Eva probed.


    "Sure! What about one hundred million ink stones?" he suggested.


    ...


    On the arena, Darren''s rival for the seventh battle showed up.


    A well-dressed young man in his twenties held a sword sparking with coldness. His momentum seemed incomparable.


    ''Is he a swordsman?'' Instantly, Darren felt that he must have conducted some sort of weird swordsmanship.


    ''Oh no¡­ It''s him! Darren is doomed to failure. He can''t defeat that one.'' On the stand, Jaya''s face turned dramatically restless.


    Not only Jaya, many of the audience hissed in regret. What a pity that Darren had to encounter that opponent.


    While some were excited for the rare opportunity to witness the young man''s powerful fight. Regrettably, he wasn''t here yesterday. Otherwise, it would''ve been a matchless battle if he had fought against the cultivator yesterday who had broken the winning record!

 Chapter 168 Competition Of Sword Skill (Part One)

    "Oh, that young man? He is named as Amati," Harvey Gu said with a proud smirk. Even Harvey, the middle-aged man who was in charge of the Prison Battle Arena, was astonished of Amati. Rumors about him circling around made an impression to Harvey.


    "Uncle Harvey, who is Amati? You seem to be fascinated about him." Eva didn''t know Amati, but she could feel the faint sword intent exuded from him. The energy emitted was too intense that it created a blistering aura around.


    "Well, you''d better ask Jaya. He has watched Amati''s fights before, so he knows him better than I do. Amati just seems very unique to me," Harvey said with a smile to Eva. His answers made Eva more curious about Amati. On the other hand, Jaya could only shake his head upon hearing Harvey''s comment.


    Jaya''s hand went to his face to stroke his handlebar, his tiny eyes half-closed. "It''s a tough thing to deal with. Mark my words. It''s very difficult for that lad to beat Amati," Jaya said with a grin, underestimating Darren.


    "Really? Why? That''s interesting. How powerful is Amati''s strength on earth? You two are very fond of him," Eva asked and stared at Amati. She couldn''t exactly pinpoint what they meant.


    "I have seen him fight several times in the eighth game, but I never saw him use his sword. Isn''t it amazing? He must have been trained well. I wonder who could be his trainer. Earlier, I got the message that he was a talent from the Void Holy Land after I made a lot of inquiries about him. He came here in the hope of improving his fighting capacity, he was not an outlaw in the slightest. What amuses me the most is that he is not here to boast about his strength, but to improve himself," Jaya said, his tiny eyes still half-closed. "However, I also heard a whisper that he could have reached the Wonder Realm half a year ago, but he gave up. I''m not able to know the reasons yet," Jaya continued.


    With eyes widened, Eva and Harvey were both astonished at the news. The man was not someone to be belittled on.


    For everyone, it was what he wanted in the dream to break through the Wonder Realm if he had reached the


    stage of the Mysterious Realm. After all, there was too much disparity between their realms.


    "Ha, you can sense the realm of my sword intent. This is going to be fun. You are also at the middle level of the preliminary blade intent, aren''t you?" Finally, Amati became serious and he straightened out his thinking, ''That lad must have reached the same level as my sword intent. It must be the resonance between the same level of sword and blade intent that made him sense my sword intent. It has been a while since I met someone who is on a par with my strength.''


    With his words, Amati''s white robe blew in the wind as a stream of tremendous sword intent was released. It was too sudden that the people around gasped in surprise.


    Standing opposite Amati, a hint of a smile crept onto Darren''s lips. Darren didn''t bulge as he was as cool as a cucumber. Despite Amati''s level, he hadn''t been affected too much by the suppression of the sword intent at all. Instead, he was thrilled and challenged because of Amati''s initiation.


    "It''s quite difficult for you to comprehend the middle level of the preliminary sword intent. It''s a pity if I kill you, right? Let''s take it this way. We just fight one blow. The loser steps down the battlefield. How about that?" Darren said coldly, making Amati furious. His smile gradually faded as anger filled him. However, he thought Darren wore a facade to hide anxiety.

 Chapter 169 Competition Of Sword Skill (Part Two)

    "Haha!" Amati tittered. "Are you getting scared already?"


    Amati burst his sides with laughter as he heard Darren''s words, though he tried hard to maintain his image as a learned and refined man. Of course, he would never do something to ruin the image that he took care for many years, especially against a young lad.


    "You will not kill me because it''s a pity? Fight one blow? Is there a loose screw in your head?" Amati laughed so hard that he nearly wetted himself. He was thinking, ''This kid has some guts. How can I be killed by this kid who still has milk on his lips? He will die in my hands.''


    "You two talked too much! Fuck, fight! Cut the craps."


    "Correct, don''t waste the fucking time. Amati, beat him! Kill him in a stroke! I have thirty thousand ink stones on your win!"


    The audience were starting to lose their patience. It would be a brilliant match if Amati had more fights after defeating Darren. They were too impatient to continue waiting for Amati to finish the current match. To them, Darren was just another man out of many waiting to be beaten publicly.


    Despite the crowd''s shriek, Darren couldn''t help but contemplate a little. His words made sense for himself. He felt Amati was the same level as Jack, so no doubt he would win the match if he exerted his whole power, but it would consume a lot of his energy.


    After all, Darren''s ultimate goal was to earn enough money to attend the Primitive Stone auction held the next day. A quick fight would suit him best, so he tried to offer it to Amati. But of course, Amati would not sit still.


    "Are you downplaying my strength?" Darren snapped coldly which instantly made the crowd silent. They were distracted in just a snap as an extraordinarily powerful sword intent was released, suppressing Amati.


    Amati stopped his laughter the instant Darren released his sword intent which made his face change color. He tried to surpass Darren''s power, but it was no good. This time, Darren was now on the lead.


    "You, you..." Amati was lost and speechless. There was a loo


    ting a murderous atmosphere. No one could utter a word. Everyone felt as if a sharp blade edge had pushed against his throat; the aura was horribly powerful.


    "Downpour Swordsmanship!"


    Avoiding intimidation, Amati also made a move. Even though he knew from the start what the result would be, he would still fight for his image as a refined, powerful swordsman who had reached the middle level of the preliminary sword intent. Endless sword intent released from his soft sword dashing at Darren.


    ''The speed of his sword is very fast! I could barely dodge it if it weren''t for my capabilities. It''s completely above the level of my Profound Nine Sword Skills! What a relief that I suggested a one-blow match, '' Darren thought here and now as he fought and assessed Amati''s strength. It wasn''t an easy match for him either.


    "But I still have a trick in my hands. We will see who is faster!" Darren used his spiritual sense and used the Wind Rule. His figure completely vanished among the endless sword intent, not leaving a single trace.


    Silence fell over the Prison Battle Arena once again. Everyone was blank-faced, waiting for the result of the collision of the extraordinary powerful sword intent. Was the match already over? Was Darren defeated? Everyone was left hanging and gasping in suspense. Holding their breath, they waited, even without a blink.

 Chapter 170 A Former Master Of Wonder Realm (Part One)

    Their sword intents were so subtle yet powerful. Witnessing the fight, no one would ever dare to challenge the two. It was a tremendous moment for them.


    The arena where they were fighting at was quivering ceaselessly. If it wasn''t for the protection set around the battlefield, at least a half of the audiences present would be killed by their sword intents. The fight was like a do-or-die for the audience, but to Darren and Amati, it was only an exhibition match.


    At that moment, they all fought like a man and sword in one, with no hidden tricks. It was intended for a one-blow fight.


    To everyone''s surprise, that masked young man was such a superb fighter. Their curiosity sparked upon seeing Darren''s abilities.


    Clank! Clank! Clank!


    The sound of clashing swords could be heard without end, too fast to be seen by naked eyes of the crowd.


    After a while, two powerful sword intents disappeared abruptly. Two figures loomed into people''s view, and one of them was holding a sword against the other''s throat. It was Amati whose throat was on the verge of being slit.


    "Alright. I acknowledge. You''ve got me beaten there. I lost to you," sighed Amati in admiration as he made a bow with hands folded in front. He was lost for words as he was shocked by Darren''s mastery degree of the sword. In short, Darren had achieved something that he always longed for. With acceptance, he flashed a genuine smile at Darren.


    "That was a good fight, and I feel lucky to win it," said Darren as he slipped his sword back into the Space Ring. At the back of his mind, he was relieved that the match was over already.


    "I knew it from the start that I will be defeated. Darren, with all due respect, can you give me some guidance some other day?" said Amati with his eyes filled with eagerness. Upon witnessing Darren''s sword intent, he knew that Darren was the key for him to be more powerful.


    "If I get a chance, I will. But now, I have something urgent to do with. I''m afraid it won''t be delayed further. So this way, please," said Darren as he gave a sign to motion Amati to get down from the arena. His seventh fight was victorious, making the audiences admired him.


    "Okay then, it is a deal!"


    ll have a long life ahead. If you choose to continue the fight, you will have to confront one of them at random. Please think carefully before you make the decision," Harvey said to Darren as a warning. As much as he wanted for Darren to fight, he did not wish for him to die on this match, so he told Darren such things.


    "I said I do! I will fight," said Darren coldly, then he turned around and flew into the arena. He was quite pissed off as he thought that the person in charge was underestimating him. He took a deep sigh to calm himself.


    However, to win nine times in a row was not his final goal¡ªhe wanted more. The two million ink stones were not enough for him. Not because of greed but because only in this way could he win enough money to buy the Primitive Stone. It was given a starting price of three million ink stones. No one could predict how much the price would rise up to. He would not be affected by the warning he received earlier easily, as he was firm in his resolute.


    At the arena, Darren''s ninth rival showed up. The cheering went louder upon his entrance.


    The rival was a middle-aged man with a scraggly beard, stinking with alcohol. Some even booed him, not knowing how powerful his strength was. He hobbled into the arena. It was apparent that he had crippled one of his legs. This made everyone took him as a joke, as his physique did not appear to be that strong. They could not believe that he was a former Wonder Realm cultivator.

 Chapter 171 A Former Master Of Wonder Realm (Part Two)

    With a jar in his hand, he was only busy with drinking alcohol all through, as if alcohol was the only thing around. He even did not spare time to cast a look at Darren, which angered some audience.


    However, Darren remained calm to assess the opponent. At first, Darren used his spiritual sense to feel the strength of that man, then his eyebrows twitched in surprise.


    Feeling amused, he suddenly realized how powerful he was. Of course, he would not be tasked for the ninth game if he was not powerful, but his abilities still surprised the young lad. The man in front of him used to be a master of Wonder Realm. Then caused by injury or other factors, his cultivation base turned back to the top level of the Mysterious Realm. To Darren, he was someone respectable and powerful enough, unlike what the audience perceived.


    ''This kind of person is indeed very hard to deal with. This is going to be a long fight, '' Darren thought worriedly.


    His fighting skill, physical fitness and cultivation method were much powerful than those of a cultivator in the Mysterious Realm. That was not an easy thing to obtain as it was something to be proud of as a cultivator. You can never judge a person by his appearance.


    Although his cultivation base reduced for some reason, he was still a superb fighter. Despite the drunk-man act he portrayed, Darren could still know how powerful he was. It was an advantage for him.


    ''I still need to fight him. I need more of the reward so I must win. I am wondering if he can use Omnipotent Talent Skill. If he could, it would be difficult for me to defeat him. It is way beyond my abilities. I have to at least use my Blood Dragon Illusion to fight against him, '' Darren thought carefully. Gladly that he could contemplate about the situation as the middle-aged man was still idling.


    Then it occurred to him that the man who broke the record yesterday was also pretty strong. Darren could not help but be anxious.


    "No, I need to win. This fight would waste my energy to a large extent, thus to win the tenth one would be much harder for me. I cannot lose just like


    ere allowed to bet on Darren was eighty thousand ink stones.


    Despite the drunk man''s facade, his power was known to a lot of cultivators. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have once entered the Wonder Realm if he was nothing. So most of the people tended to bet on the winebibber, but there were still many people who chose to make a reckless move and bet on Darren, as they were entertained with his previous fights. The price ceiling of Darren was pretty high. If he won, the Prison Battle Arena would need to pay at least twenty million ink stones. That was a heavy loss to the arena.


    "Darren told me to bet on himself on every fight with the highest price. Now he has won 1.6 million ink stones. If he wins this time, that would be another 1.6 million ink stones," said Jaya as his gaze was focused on Darren.


    "Ha. How feisty. That boy really feels good about himself," Harvey hissed. On second thoughts, he ordered again to reduce the price ceiling of Darren to forty thousand ink stones, in case Darren would really win and the arena would lose too much money.


    At the arena, Darren was already poised for a big fight. On the other side, something like truculence flickered over the winebibber''s eyes after he took a few shots of spirits. Darren could not help but be alert and tightened his guard.


    The ninth fight was about to start, and the crowd gradually fell into silence with anticipation.

 Chapter 172 The Tenth Battle

    Standing in the arena, the middle-aged drunk man was well prepared, sending out an invincible power fiercely, much like a king of beasts baring his teeth.


    ''I have to say¡­ there''s no doubt he''s a strong opponent. Fine, then. Let us fight and see who will be left laughing in the end, '' Darren thought to himself as he wholly felt his rival''s power.


    Though the drunk man could be considered a strong cultivator, Darren could tell that he was still weaker than Bruce. With that in mind, Darren made his move. The moment he launched his attack with the blade, overwhelming blade intent darted toward his opponent violently. The next moment, Darren flashed in the air and disappeared entirely.


    The man, still seemingly drunk, continued waving his jug casually and taking swigs out of it.


    Little did the crowd know that it was exactly those seemingly casual waving movements that blocked Darren''s blade intent.


    Since Darren had already predicted that the man wouldn''t get hurt easily by his blade intent, the attack was never his main intention. While the blade intent stalled him, Darren secretly sneaked up behind his opponent.


    "Cracking Attack!


    Profound Nine Sword Skills!"


    Without any reservation, Darren attacked using blade and sword¡ªhe had the best timing.


    The power utilizing blade and sword intents together was at least a ten times more formidable attack than using any of them alone.


    Surprise flashed across the middle-aged man''s face. The overwhelming power shocked him enough into finally taking the battle seriously.


    In an instantaneous burst, the man darted forward and kicked the jug into the air. With that, the burning fire surrounded the jug, splitting in the air before gathering together above the arena like streams merging into a river.


    The man then began changing his position and launching various strikes in almost every corner of the stage, much like an invisible spirit. His every strike summoned such strong power that it could even kill a cultivator at the top level of the Mysterious Realm.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Deafening noises resounded in the air, loud and clear.


    Countless collisions between sword and blade flashed as the middle-aged man transformed. It was a truly violent and fierce fight. Although the protection set around the arena had diminished the impact, the surrounding building was still shaking under the immense power.


    "You sure are looking for death!" the man shouted angrily. It was made evident that Darren was a tough guy to deal with. In this way, his determination to kill Darren was stronger more than ever.


    "Stop speaking nonsense! Let''s see who''ll be laughing at the end!"


    Covered by his black armor, Darren shouted back. Apart from continuing to summon blade and sword intent in a frenzy, Darren secretly summoned a trace of demonic internal force.


    With that, he moved forward to fight face-to-face. Boom! The two vague shadows collided violently.


    An enormous force struck them both from the collision.


    The man was forced to take a few steps back until he was right on the edge of the stage before he regained his balance.


    At that moment, his casual attitude disappeared completely. There was no longer any sign of intoxication on his face¡ªhe stared at Darren with a puzzled frown.


    Though Darren had great power, that didn''t scare him at all. What intimidated him was somethi


    lanned to keep on fighting. He flew straight to the stands and got ready to sign his name on the life-and-death contract, clearly exonerating the contestant''s responsibility in causing another''s death as well.


    "Darren, this is your reward and the money you won. Five million two hundred and nine thousand ink stones. Here you are!" Excitedly, Jaya gave Darren a purple golden card.


    With that, Darren put it in his Space Ring, knowing he could have it changed to ink stones at any time. Or perhaps he could use it the next day? The card circulated both in Prison Battle Arena and the auction house since the two places ran under the same boss.


    "Oh, Darren! You''re so gorgeous and powerful. I''m Eva, it''s wonderful to meet you!" Eva exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with admiration.


    Among all the strong cultivators Eva had met, no one was so powerful at such a young age¡ªDarren was undoubtedly a genius.


    With a gentle nod, Darren turned to Harvey, "Please give me the contract of the tenth battle."


    Harvey''s shock was indescribable¡ªthe tenth battle? It was unbelievable to think that Darren still had any energy to continue fighting.


    The genius he saw yesterday was already the man of the hour¡­ but Darren? He was even wilder and more powerful.


    With those two fighting, the battle scene would be spectacular¡ªthere must have been a sea of people waiting to buy a ticket. It didn''t hurt that the people could bet on two hot geniuses. The tickets and bet commissions alone would add up to at least thirty million.


    As if he saw the money fly toward him, Harvey was filled with excitement. "Darren! Please don''t hold back and fight! I promise you''ll get your eight million ink stones whether you win or lose."


    ''Eight million ink stones?'' Darren thought. That exceeded his expectations, indeed.


    Apart from that, Harvey was determined to introduce Darren to Grunkle if he won the next battle.


    Grunkle was the perfect elder of Heavenly Palace Sect. It was his existence that offered their family the opportunity to build up such a huge business network in Lotus City. Even the Holy Land still honored Grunkle¡ªhe was definitely a big deal!


    A few moments later, Darren signed the contract and appeared on stage as the audience cheered.

 Chapter 173 Meet Bruce Again (Part One)

    It was the tenth fight and everyone''s attention was focused on the platform.


    In order to attract more people to watch the fight, the Prison Battle Arena declared to delay the tenth fight roughly until two hours later than originally planned.


    Soon, Darren''s opponent came out to the stage.


    A figure walked out of a black iron door with an iron chain in his hand. On the other end of the chain was a young boy with long black hair.


    Seeing the young boy, Darren felt a great sense of familiarity with him.


    He thought about it for a while then shouted out loud, "It''s Bruce!"


    "Shit! Come on out quicker!"


    At that moment, Bruce was shackled with a black iron chain around his neck and was dragged by another young man like he was his dog. That man kept kicking him as if Bruce was his disobedient pet.


    "What''s going on? Why are they treating Bruce like that? Why won''t he stand up for himself?"


    Seeing what was happening, Darren felt intense anger surging through him.


    That man dragged Bruce further to the fighting arena.


    "Behave yourself well and make some money for me! If you lose, I will make you suffer a lot! Don''t disappoint me, you bastard!"


    The young man kept speaking arrogantly as he also lashed Bruce with the whip in his hand. Then all of a sudden, a sword was waved and the whip was cut in half.


    "Stop doing that right now! If you continue to beat him like that, I will have no other choice but to kill you!" Darren exclaimed with an extremely cold voice.


    After his fight with Bruce the other day, Darren knew that Bruce had been hurt badly and that he was in no condition to fight. Judging by the attitude of the chief of the Wei Clan towards Bruce, Darren knew that Bruce would be maltreated even more harshly after that. But he never expected that Bruce would be sent to the Prison Battle Arena to make money for others.


    Now Darren just realized that the genius who won nine battles in a


    to see for himself what everyone was complaining about.


    On the fighting platform, the young man was still beating Bruce who still refused to fight.


    Darren moved and rushed towards the young man. He seized his neck and threatened him. "Do you really want to die?" Darren asked with a cold expression in his face.


    The young man widened his eyes and had no strength to fight back at all.


    "Get out!"


    Darren threw him away with ease.


    "You! Wait for me!" The young man staggered outside the arena.


    "Darren. Could you explain what is going on here?" Harvey Gu came to the platform in a hurry and asked.


    "Nothing important. But I am certain that this fight is not going to happen," Darren replied coldly. But Harvey''s confusion didn''t disappear.


    "Lose. I... I lose!" Bruce said inarticulately while curled up in the corner.


    "You admit defeat before the fight even starts?" Harvey was surprised. How did Bruce, the genius who was unrivaled the previous day, become the coward he was today?


    "I have fought with him before and he is in no condition to fight me now," Darren explained to Harvey briefly.


    "What do you mean? Is it because he has been defeated by you before? Is that why he is so frightened?" Harvey turned and asked Darren again. His face turned pale.

 Chapter 174 Meet Bruce Again (Part Two)

    Darren did not respond to his question.


    Harvey assumed his silence to be a yes.


    He didn''t expect any of this to happen. Besides, it was his responsibility to deal with the situation and make sure that everything went on as planned. The fight could not go on as they promised, but the audience would not accept it.


    "Darren, if the fight has to stop then we will only have to pay you half of the reward. Are you willing to accept that?" Harvey asked.


    A moment ago, Harvey had heard Bruce concede from the fight and obviously, Darren was supposed to obtain the reward of eight million ink stones if he could defeat Bruce on the platform with one fist. So now he was attempting to negotiate with Darren by offering him only half of the promised reward.


    "I don''t care. You can do as you like."


    Now Darren already had a few million of ink stones and he believed it was more than enough to buy the Primitive Stone in tomorrow''s auction. What he was currently worried about was how he would be able to take Bruce away with him. What Bruce was suffering from now reminded him of his own miserable memories. And he couldn''t help but feel very sorry for him.


    "Bruce, how are you feeling? Can you stand up and go with me? I will not fight you. Let''s get out of here together," Darren lowered himself beside Bruce and asked him in a low voice in fear of frightening him.


    "No, no! I...lose. It hurts..." Hearing Darren''s words, Bruce was still obviously terrified.


    Darren knew for sure that Bruce would be mistreated badly if he failed to win a great amount of ink stones. And Darren also could tell that Bruce had been treated badly and that was why he was behaving very oddly right now.


    "Let''s go, come with me. You don''t have to be afraid. Trust me and follow my lead," Darren instructed Bruce with the most gentle voice.


    "Humph! Are y


    serve as the witness. No one can stop you from taking that young wounded man away with you if you win. You have my word. Don''t worry about it," Harvey assured Darren.


    "Fine!" Darren replied without any expression.


    "Once you start the fight, you can no longer change your mind. A moment ago the winner from yesterday refused to fight you and I broke the rules of the Prison Battle Arena by letting him go. Now that you have agreed to fight, you have to push through with it. Otherwise, the Prison Battle Arena will chase and kill the man who violates the rules at any cost. Even I have no power to change this," Harvey explained to Darren. After all, the Prison Battle Arena was under the control of the Gu Clan. And their reputation was very important to them which meant he couldn''t change the rules as he pleased.


    "That shouldn''t be a problem," Darren answered him and jumped onto the fighting platform!


    "Ha ha! You stinker! I hope you know that you are about to die!" Carl Wei also jumped onto the fighting platform as he burst out all of his powerful aura.


    At that moment, the whole arena became quiet and all the people were focused on him as they had sensed the powerful aura of a cultivator at the Wonder Realm!

 Chapter 175 Broke You Into Pieces

    Carl was emitting an intense power on the battlefield. The audience were all completely stunned. His power was so strong that it felt like the power from that of a master in the Wonder Realm.


    According to the rules of the Prison Battle Arena, a cultivator of the Wonder Realm was forbidden from entering the competition as it was a competition exclusive only to those in the Mysterious Realm. A cultivator of the Wonder Realm joining the competition would cause a great imbalance among the competitors.


    One blow from a cultivator of the Wonder Realm could easily slay hundreds of fighters at the top level of the Mysterious Realm. The battle would be a complete farce if that were to happen.


    "No. I can''t allow this battle to continue anymore. You should get off the battlefield," Harvey sternly said.


    "What? Why? I''ve signed the contract, and it isn''t right for you to interfere with the battle! You just changed rules to cater to your will! Do you think those audience will agree to this?" Carl roared with anger, and all the audience present clearly heard what had been said.


    "What? Get off the battlefield? Fuck off! You son of bitch! I will set fire to the entire battlefield!"


    "We must continue the battle, otherwise, I will have to talk with your Gu Clan."


    "Boo! Why don''t you just admit that you just want to steal our money again, you pig! Fuck you!"


    All these audience had high social status and powerful family backgrounds, thus they could afford to watch the battle and gamble off their money. The staff in the Prison Battle Arena did not dare to offend them since it would ruin their reputation and cut down their financial resources. No one would be able to take responsibility for the problem.


    Harvey sweat heavily as he heard the roar of the crowd.


    The audience didn''t really care about whether those competitors would be in danger or not. All they cared about was the giddiness they felt from the excitement of being able to witness a young man of the Wonder Realm fight on the battlefield.


    However, if the Prison Battle Arena allowed those competitors of the Wonder Realm and the Mysterious Realm to fight each other, it would break the rules. They didn''t know what they would do if more and more competitors of the Wonder Realm entered the battles in the future. If the staff of the arena didn''t set a limit on the competitors'' cultivation stage, they were afraid that a large number of cultivators of the Wonder Realm would flow into the battle and deliberately aim for the ink stones. In the worst case, it would attract cultivators of a much higher realm. The entire Prison Battle Arena would completely be out of balance, and it would have a bad influence on their profit.


    Harvey firmly shook his head, and said, "No. You have reached the Wonder Realm, therefore you''re forbidden to fight." After thorough consideration, Harvey thought that it would be improper of him to let Carl proceed to the battle. Even if he would offend the audience present here, he still could ask his powerful clan members to suppress them. But if he permitted fighters of the Wonder Realm to enter the battle, the entire Prison Battle Arena would be in a complete mess. He would rather offend the au


    sted. "What happened? Why didn''t those shadows combine?" he exclaimed. The connection between him and Avatar Rule in his spiritual sense was completely broken off.


    "Go to hell!" Darren yelled.


    He went into action and wielded both his sword and blade at the same time. To make sure that his attack would be effective, Darren decided to use the inheritable skill again.


    Darren and his avatar charged towards Carl with tremendously intense power.


    In a panic, Carl tried to control the shadows that didn''t merge together, his eyes filled with terror.


    He then heard the thundering sounds of the sword and blade intents behind him. In the blink of an eye, he was enveloped by Darren''s power. A shadow suddenly appeared and swiftly spun around him.


    Boom!


    The eight shadows merged with Darren''s avatar and a tremendous power broke out. The impact was so immensely powerful that the battlefield was shattered, numerous pieces of stones flying in the air.


    Once Darren destroyed Carl''s Omnipotent Talent Skill, Carl could barely sustain the blade and sword intents. As a final effort, Darren''s real body wielded the sword in the sky. It was so fast that it was nearly invisible to the naked eye. He then cut off all the meridians inside Carl''s body, down to even the smallest one.


    After a few seconds that felt like a few eternities to the audience, Carl fell on the ground covered in blood. His eyes were wide open and unblinking. He was paralyzed, just as Darren promised. He would never be able to stand on his own feet again.


    "I did say that I will destroy you. And I did it," Darren coldly said. He kicked Carl off the battlefield, flew towards the sky, and landed on top of the grandstand.


    "He won!"


    "He was invincible!"


    "So impressive!"


    The audiences on the grandstand were so thrilled that some of them nearly fainted and fell on the floor. They never expected that a fighter of Mysterious Realm could really defeat a master of Omnipotent Talent Skill. It was unbelievable and unheard of that the whole arena erupted into thunderous cheers and applause as they declared Darren a legendary being in martial history.

 Chapter 176 A Pair Of Bronze Bracers

    By the end of the tenth battle, Darren had broken the record in the Prison Battle Arena.


    After collecting his reward of eight million ink stones, he took Bruce out of the Prison Battle Arena and settled in a nearby inn to prepare for the following day''s auction.


    Along the way to the inn, Bruce looked extremely frightened and would occasionally groan in pain.


    It wasn''t until they reached the inn that Darren noticed that Bruce''s back was studded with steel spikes. Runes were flickering on the spikes. There was no doubt that it was done to him by the Wei family.


    Darren channeled his Spirit Power and pulled out the spikes. After the removal, Bruce passed out and Darren took the opportunity to heal his injuries.


    The night passed quickly.


    Darren discovered that Bruce''s injuries were almost completely healed.


    Bruce seemed to have a remarkable ability to self-repair and self-heal at will.


    Bruce''s eyes flew open, darting towards Darren like dark eagle eyes.


    "Relax, buddy." Darren tried to calm him down.


    Seeing Darren, Bruce jumped up on his feet and leaned against the wall. His face was hidden under his unruly hair, and he couldn''t bear to look at Darren.


    "You saved me from them. Thank you." After a moment, Bruce spoke with his timid voice.


    "Don''t mention it, buddy," Darren responded. "It was nothing. I just did what I had to do."


    Bruce had never been treated kindly in his entire life, let alone be addressed as buddy. A sour but warm feeling that he had never felt before surged through him.


    He huddled up, as if he was lost in thought.


    Moments later, he got down on his knees, gave Darren a deep bow and uttered, "Ma-master."


    Darren ran over to him, picked him up, and said, "What are you doing, Bruce? We are friends now. You don''t have to call me Master. It would just make me think that you despise me."


    Bruce''s body froze as he heard Darren''s sincere words.


    When he raised his head, two streams of warm tears rolled down his cheeks.


    "We are... friends," he murmured. He never knew what it was like to have a friend.


    For as long as he could remember, what he had heard all his life was people calling him a bastard and a brute. He had never heard anyone say so sincerely that he was their friend.


    He could not speak clearly, but he knew very well that this young man was completely honest with him.


    As a result, Bruce, who never shed tears when facing any amount of pain, cried for the first time in his life.


    ...


    After a brief chat with Bruce, Darren asked him to rest in the inn to completely regain his strength while he himself went to the auction for the


    " explained the old man. "I''ll pay 500, 000 ink stones just to have a look at it. But if the guy upstairs bids any higher, it won''t be worth it."


    "I see." The young man seemed to understand it, but in his heart he did not think the bracers were worth 500, 000 ink stones at all.


    "550, 000 ink stones!" Darren bid even higher. He had made up his mind that even if the price reached one million, he would still bid higher for it.


    "Humph, bad luck! Let him have it." The gray-robed old man shook his head, thinking he was against a competitive idiot from a rich family, so he simply gave up the bid.


    "550, 000 ink stones, going once, going twice, going thrice. Congratulations to the distinguished guest in private room No. 18 on getting this pair of bronze bracers," declared the beautiful female host on the platform. She was overjoyed because she didn''t expect that this piece of junk could amount to such a high price.


    Soon, several auction house staff members delivered the bracers to Darren''s private room, and they took 550, 000 ink stones from Darren''s card, and then left.


    After getting the bracers, Darren couldn''t wait to try them on. He immediately activated his armor, and put on the bronze mask.


    Instantly, a piece of black runes shone in Darren''s body, and then a strange atmosphere enveloped him.


    At the same time, Darren felt that his incomplete armor had enhanced its defense, as well as its capability of improving its owner''s cultivation base. It was enhanced many times more than he expected!


    ''At which level could this armor be? With only two more bracers, its level has risen much more than I expected! Could this suit of armor be at legendary level if it becomes complete one day?!'' Darren pondered out of surprise.

 Chapter 177 Bidding For The Primitive Stone

    Darren familiarized himself with the strength he acquired from the bracers for a while, then he put them away with his armor into his Space Ring. As for the secret of the armor, it was still a mystery to him and he had to explore it more later.


    Then, Darren watched the next few rounds of the auction and spent 30, 000 ink stones to buy two pills that he thought might be useful.


    According to the auctioneer''s introduction, the pill was called the Appearance-changing Pill, which meant that if a person consumed the pill, he would be able to completely alter his appearance. However, it had a tiny flaw¡ªonce the person swallowed the pill, he would never be able to revert back to his previous appearance.


    Darren brought a lot of ink stones with him so he felt the urge to buy them. After all, they seemed very useful and he intended to give one to Bruce if he wanted to change his appearance and start a new life.


    Several rounds passed. In the final round, the Primitive Stone was finally unveiled.


    A girl walked on the central platform with a tray made of jade; on it was a stone about the size of a thumb. It was shining in purple and gold.


    As soon as the Primitive Stone was presented on the platform, the auction hall grew noisy. It was seen that the buyers were very excited about it and some of them were absolutely determined to get their hands on it.


    What exactly was the Primitive Stone? What power did it have? As for these questions, only a few buyers in the hall knew the right answers. The only thing most of them knew was that the Primitive Stone was a rare and precious treasure found in the Raksa Sea.


    "Next, the precious and one of a kind Primitive Stone. Bidding starts at three million ink stones. Before the bidding, I''ll tell you more about where the Primitive Stone came from and its known functions," the auctioneer introduced.


    Upon hearing that, Darren also paid more attention to the auctioneer because getting the Primitive Stone was very important to him and it was a hard-won opportunity to know more about it.


    "The Primitive Stone was retrieved by a superior talent with the surname Lin after he passed numerous perils. Due to some special requests, he had someone send it to us and entrusted us to sell it for him. As for its functions, Mr. Lin confided that it was significantly useful to high-level pill refiners as well as the cultivators of the Grand Realm, those who used to only exist in the legends we are taught. There is a possibility that there are pieces of powerful rules hidden inside it. Believe me, any of you would not want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity."


    After the beautiful girl finished her words, Darren still couldn''t figure out why the Primitive Stone was so vital for him to integrate his blade intent and sword intent into one. What caught his attention was that it could have pieces of rules within it. Maybe, it was the solely function that could help him in the integrating.


    After the brief introduction, the auction began. The potential buyers started bidding. Although they didn''t know its exact functions, they could use it to ing


    en million ink stones.


    Besides, only a few buyers were left biding for it. Seriously, seventeen million ink stones was an enormous amount of money to anyone from the Holy Land.


    The only remaining bidders were the old man in grey robes and a cultivator in luxurious robes.


    "Seventeen million and one hundred thousand ink stones." The young cultivator in luxurious robes shouted as beads of sweat were dripping from his forehead down to his eyebrows.


    The old man in grey was also beginning to have trouble staying calm. The price was too high and he could no longer afford to bid higher.


    "This might be the end of the line for me," the old man in grey sighed.


    "Seventeen million and one hundred thousand ink stones! Going once! Going twice!"


    "Seventeen million and five hundred thousand."


    Darren''s voice echoed from the private room above before the auctioneer could call for the third time.


    "Damn it!" The youngster in luxurious robes cursed out of rage and viciously glared at Darren''s private room.


    "Eighteen million!" The youngster clenched his teeth and it seemed that he was also very determined to get his hands on the Primitive Stone.


    "Twenty million!" Darren''s voice had no signs of holding back and he raised the price to twenty million. His rival might think he had plenty of money to bid for the Primitive Stone. It exerted much more pressure on his rival than if he only raised the price little by little.


    "Fuck it!" As the youngster heard the price, he paused for several seconds. Then he cursed aloud with a burning face, steam almost coming out of his ears. Everyone in the hall could hear him.


    "No matter which family you belong to, I warn you that though you have the money to buy it, you might lose your life even before you could touch it! Fuck you!" he bellowed towards Darren''s private room directly.


    Inside the private room, Eva frowned all of a sudden, as if she recognized the youngster. She suggested, "Darren, I suggest that you give up. I can assure you that he is not the kind of person that we can afford to challenge."

 Chapter 178 Get The Primitive Stone

    "Miss Gu, in the auction house, whoever offers the highest price will get the auction item. Even the most powerful and high-status people are required to follow the rules. I''m sure that nothing untoward will happen. Besides, I''m not afraid to fight anyone if the need arises," Darren confidently assured the lady. His mind was set on taking home the Primitive Stone.


    "Fine. Now that you''ve made up your mind, I''ll request for Uncle Harvey to provide you with some guards. They''ll leave with you from the back door of the auction house once the auction is over. It''s better to avoid unnecessary trouble," Eva replied.


    Darren nodded his head in agreement.


    Now in the auction house, the young man was sweating a lot, blue veins prominent on his forehead. He couldn''t afford to outbid twenty million. Of course his family might have that big sum of money, but his personal belongings were not that much.


    "Twenty million going once, going twice," the auctioneer announced as she glanced around the venue, checking to see if there were any last minute bidders. "Sold!"


    Darren got the Primitive Stone as expected, but his behavior offended quite a few people. From the first floor, several streaks of powerful spiritual senses were released from the old man in grey robes, the young man cursing, and some other unknown persons, all trying to figure out Darren''s cultivation base.


    Darren paid them no mind and didn''t take their checking to heart. When the Primitive Stone was sent into his private room, he took out thirteen million ink stones and set them onto the table. Eva lent him seven million ink stones and he gave all of them to the clerk.


    When the clerk left, he turned to look at Eva to express his gratitude, "I''m so grateful for your help, Miss Gu. I truly appreciate it. I''ll return the seven million ink stones that you lent me in three months. I''ll take my leave now." Eva accompanied him towards the back door


    and let out a small chuckle. "There''s no need to return my money in such a hurry. We''re friends now," she said with a friendly smile.


    Darren nodded and returned her smile with a tender smile of his own, then cupped his hands politely before he left.


    He walked towards the inn. He intended to go back to the Lotus Holy Land with Bruce.


    "Shit. Someone''s following me." Only when he got to a remote place did he sense that someone was following him.


    "Young man, give me the Primitive Stone."


    The voice was not from the young man who had been angry and kept cursing in the auction house. Instead it was the old man in grey robes who shouted at Darren. The powerful aura from a rule cultivator surrounded him.


    "What makes you think that I will give you the stone?" Darren asked in a cold voice, his upper lip curling in disdain.


    The old man icily chuckled. "I can kill you easily, so I advise you to just do as I say," he warned as he stared at Darren unblinkingly.


    "Oh¡­" Darren offhandedly quipped. He abruptly waved his blade, prepared to attack the old man at any minute.


    "Humph," the old man sighed in displeasure. "You are trying to get yourself killed!" The old man in grey wasn''t expecting that Darren would be this hostile and attack him so suddenly. However, he soon adjusted himself and made st


    went on eating.


    Over the course of ten days, Bruce had changed a lot. At least in front of Darren, he seemed to be like a normal person.


    "Bruce, why are you so afraid of that aura I sometimes release?" There were several times in the past few days when Darren tried to release his demonic internal force secretly. Bruce appeared visibly frightened every time.


    Bruce froze at the question. After a moment''s consideration, he shook his head and finally replied, "I don''t really know. I''m just afraid of it."


    There were a few seconds of silence, then Bruce spoke out, "Da¡­ Darren, why did you save me?" His voice was a bit hesitant as it was the first time that he called Darren by his name after having been lectured so many times for calling him "Master." Hearing it brought a small smile to Darren''s lips.


    "I don''t really have any specific reason. I just thought that we both suffered a lot, especially you," Darren replied shortly after.


    Bruce was overwhelmed with emotions that he was only able to utter a short "Oh." There was grief and anger in his eyes. Bad experiences and memories crept up in his thoughts.


    "Bruce, you''re eager to find your mother, aren''t you?" Darren remembered the day when Clive threatened Bruce with his mother''s news.


    The expression on Bruce''s face was unreadable. A few moments later, he sorrowfully nodded. His hair partially covered his eyes, but Darren saw that they were gleaming with tears.


    "Okay. Let''s stop talking about the past. Don''t worry, Bruce. If we''ll have the chance, we''ll go to the border and look for your mother." Darren knew the words had little effect on relieving Bruce''s sadness, but he just still tried his best.


    "But first, we''ll go back to the Lotus Holy Land," Darren reassured Bruce, then stood up and headed for the checkout counter. They had been away for many days so it was about time for Darren to go back and see his sister. More importantly, he wanted to see whether Elsa had already finished the closed-door cultivation.


    "Okay," Bruce called out. He took a few more big bites from the beast leg and reluctantly caught up with Darren. He really enjoyed that delicious beast leg.

 Chapter 179 Elsas New Breakthrough

    After the whole episode, Darren brought Bruce back to his dwelling in the Lotus Holy Land¡ªhis courtyard was spacious enough for hundreds of people, not to mention that he had only the two of them.


    Much to his delight, Bruce got a clean and spacious room, just as he''d longed for. The instant bitterness and grief filled his heart. He felt even more grateful to Darren.


    After settling Bruce in, Darren brought out the Primitive Stone from his Space Ring and began reading the note Mathew left behind.


    To his disappointment, Darren found no information about the usage of the stone on the written note.


    "It seems that I have to find a way to use this myself," he muttered.


    With the Primitive Stone in his hand, Darren tried to refine it.


    Buzz.


    Just as Darren''s internal force filtered into the Primitive Stone, a stream of inexplicable and appalling power surged into his head¡ªa rampage more powerful than Darren had ever felt in his life.


    ''Something is wrong. The aura within this stone is similar to the rule force, but much more powerful than any I have connected.


    How can I utilize the Primitive Stone to mingle the blade and sword intent?''


    With that thought, Darren attempted to release both kinds of intent into the stone.


    "Ouch!"


    Darren''s countenance changed greatly. Blade intent and sword intent were reflected rather than intertwined when they touched the stone, breaking many of Darren''s meridians.


    Darren''s face turned ghastly pale as he suffered a sharp pain in his meridians. Not wanting to leave anything to chance, he hurriedly put the Primitive Stone back into the Space Ring.


    ''I have to go to the Starry Tower again to ask Mathew. It''s the only way, '' Darren decided, not daring to play at anything randomly.


    It was clear in Darren''s mind that this Primitive Stone, with the size of a thumb, would be far from enough for him to mingle his blade intent and sword intent. He had no choice but to enter the Raksa Sea to seek more Primitive Stones.


    That was no simple task. It required formidable strength to even enter the Raksa Sea.


    Considering this, Darren began to try making a breakthrough in his strength.


    For the realm, reaching the ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm was all he could do. But it was far from enough to go defeat a true Wonder Realm master.


    Now, Darren had two options. For one, he could try to comprehend the legendary martial skill¡ªNine Changes of the Demon.


    Anyone who could reach the f


    ight. Blinking her pretty eyes at Darren, her orbs brightened like stars.


    Instantly feeling repulsed, Bruce withdrew his bloodline force and transformed into his original appearance. Standing there frozen, he watched their intimacy, speechless.


    "You''ve reached the Wonder Realm?" It was astonishing. ''No wonder the sword intent was so forceful, '' he thought. It then wasn''t a surprise either how Bruce''s blow was also repulsed.


    "Mhm," Elsa nodded meekly. "I''ll tell you the details next time."


    Feeling Elsa''s new presence, Darren was heartily glad. But he wondered how Elsa reached the Wonder Realm so easily as her talent was only at the ninth level of the Black Degree.


    "Bruce, do come. Elsa is my wife, not an enemy," Darren said to Bruce with deliberate politeness.


    "Humph, who gives you the right to call me your wife?" With a soft snort, Elsa leaned against Darren to hide her face, radiantly bashful and overjoyed.


    Bowing his head as he walked over, Bruce nodded at Elsa before turning to Darren. "Mas...Darren, I will leave you alone."


    With that, he strode away. He had no fondness for making any contact with strangers.


    Without saying anything more, Darren held Elsa''s hand as they walked into another intact house.


    "You naughty girl, you were going to strike your own husband with that improved strength of yours. You deserve some punishment!" As he said it, he lifted Elsa up with ease and tossed her onto the bed.


    The instant he did it, Elsa''s face flushed and her heart thumped loudly in her chest. She couldn''t help but turn red as a tomato as she imagined what was going to happen between her and Darren.

 Chapter 180 Big News About The Fire Cave

    Darren fixed his eyes on Elsa, who was lying on the bed. Dressed in purple, with a delicate flush on her cheeks, she looked beautiful. After she had reached the Wonder Realm, Elsa exuded an unworldly aura. In his eyes, she was a goddess.


    He intended to play a joke. But at this moment, he was attracted to Elsa and couldn''t take his eyes off of her. Slowly, Darren made his way toward the bed.


    Perching himself on the corner of the bed, Darren leaned forward to touch her long black hair fondly.


    "Ahem!"


    Someone coughed, ruining the moment.


    Darren jumped to his feet instantly. When he turned, he saw that an old woman stood in the room.


    "I didn''t want to disturb you, but I have something important to tell Elsa. I hope you will not be upset with me, Darren," the old woman said. When she smiled, her wrinkles deepened. Darren noticed that she had no teeth.


    "Excuse me, but may I ask your name?" Darren asked, looking bewildered.


    Before the intruder could speak, Elsa''s voice resounded in the room.


    "M... Master?" Dumbfounded, she asked, "What happened to you? How did you end up like this?"


    She was certain that the old woman was her master. ''Master used to look like a beautiful woman in her early thirties. How did she grow old suddenly?'' she thought, confused. All of a sudden, a thought occurred to her. Tears welled up in her eyes immediately.


    "You saved me when I almost lost my life in the process of breaking through into the Wonder Realm," Elsa said with mixed emotions.


    "Don''t feel bad about what happened. It was my fault. I shouldn''t have let you integrate that sword core. I was so excited to find a genius like you that I ignored the risk of integrating the sword core. I didn''t expect the yellow sword core to possess such strong power that it could take your life," Elsa''s master responded with self-reproach.


    Darren''s eyebrows rose as he figured out what was happening.


    "I''m sorry, Master," Elsa said with guilt as she looked at the old woman''s wrinkled face. Elsa''s nose twitched when she recalled what happened before she lost consciousness during the breakthrough.


    "Child, I''m fine. I am over 500 years old, and I am supposed to look like this. I have no regrets in this lifetime as I have met you and accepted you, a disciple who has a talent for swordsmanship. Although the remaining half of my sword core broke, it doesn''t shorten my lifespan. I can live another 100 years. So don''t be upset," the old woman comforted Elsa. Then she walked toward the bed and patted Elsa''s back reassuringly.


    "But..." Elsa mumbled, still feeling guilty.


    The day Elsa had been accepted as an inner disciple


    e Bruce tried to stop were the inner disciples who had proposed to team up with him.


    "Guys, don''t be mad at him. He bears you no evil will. He is introverted," Darren explained as he walked toward his visitors while asking Bruce to go back to sleep.


    "Darren, your friend is so savage. I would have taught him a lesson if he had nothing to do with you," the injured disciple responded. Despite that, there was a dash of fear in his eyes as he stared at Bruce''s retreating figure.


    Darren smiled and asked, "So what brings you here?"


    "We came here to inform you that we are leaving for the Fire Cave. We have been waiting for you. You left so many days ago. We thought we had missed the deadline. But, today we heard some big news about the Fire Cave. Many superior talents are headed there."


    "I heard that some geniuses of the top 100 on the Talent Roll were going to the cave. So we planned to go there as well. We came to invite you to join us. If the cave has treasures, perhaps we can get what the other talents missed," another disciple added with a grin.


    "Don''t be so optimistic," said the strongest youth among the four visitors. "I heard that there was an explosion in the Fire Cave a few days ago, and some rare treasures appeared. Several Wonder Realm cultivators left to investigate after hearing the news. But, no one has heard from them since. It''s still unknown whether they are alive or dead.


    It is also rumored that someone saw a weird man in black armor killing others madly. If we are going there, we must be well prepared."


    "A weird man in black armor?" Darren repeated. After hearing this description, Darren speculated that the person the disciple referred to was the terrifyingly powerful fiend that had left that bronze coffin.

 Chapter 181 Entering The Demonic Monster Domain

    Hearing that, Darren decided to accompany the disciples to the Fire Cave. Then he asked, "Where is the Fire Cave? Do you know anything else about it?"


    "The Fire Cave is within the demonic monster domain. It is said that the ancients left a large number of treasures in the cave. It opens every few decades and every time it opens, super masters and superior talents flock there. Besides, I heard that it is not only the masters from the southern land who explore the cave, but masters from the other areas also hunt for treasures in the Fire Cave," said Hayes Su, the young head of the group of Lotus Holy Land disciples.


    The demonic monster domain was a dangerous place, but it was full of opportunities.


    It was shrouded in mist all year round, and within the domain, numerous hazardous places like morass existed. Besides, the demonic monster domain was filled with strong creatures, who presented the biggest challenge to treasure hunters. Some demonic monsters were so powerful that even the Holy Lords, who were in charge of the Holy Lands, didn''t dare to mess with them. But it was a paradise for adventurers. The demonic monster domain was isolated and so rarely explored that it had rich spiritual energy. These special conditions also nourished numerous useful herbs and treasures. The Holy Lords and the Elders of the Holy Lands also sought opportunities to search the cave for valuable items.


    Darren had been to the demonic monster domain once before. However, he had no time to explore more areas except for the very outer range.


    "When will we leave?" Darren asked. He was tempted by the stories he had heard from the young disciples.


    The cave beckoned to Darren not just because of the treasures; he was excited about battling demonic monsters as that would help upgrade his talent degree. After the upgrade, he would be able to comprehend the legendary martial skill, Nine Changes of the Demon, more thoroughly and improve his strength.


    "We have to use the transmission array to travel to the demonic monster domain. Darren, would you talk to Colin? He will listen to you since you are a supreme disciple," Hayes said.


    "Yeah! You''re the most suitable person, Darren. If we tell Colin that we want to use the transmission array to reach the demonic monster domain, he will scold us and throw us out. Only you can persuade him," another disciple added.


    Darren smiled. He realized why they had waited for him for so long. It was because they needed him to persuade Colin to let them use the transmission array.


    "Okay, I''ll sort that out," Darren replied.


    Upon heari


    ain all year round." Hayes had done a lot of research on the demonic monster domain before they set off. He knew that powerful robbers and thieves lived in this domain all year round to hunt for treasures. When they met weaker cultivators, these robbers and thieves would kill them and keep the treasures.


    "Dozens of groups of robbers and thieves live in the demonic monster domain. The heads of the four biggest groups are at the medium stage of the Wonder Realm. They are hard to deal with. So we''d better leave and not mess with them."


    "Shush!" As Hayes spoke, Darren put his finger in front of his mouth as a gesture to tell them to be quiet. He had sensed a threatening aura approaching them.


    After Darren''s Spirit Power reached level nine, he could expand his sense to cover a range of more than a dozen miles, which was farther than the sense range of cultivators who had reached the beginning stage of Wonder Realm.


    "The creature is fast."


    Darren alerted the group. As it had neared, Elsa and Hayes could also perceive the powerful aura, but they were unable to tell what it was.


    "Oh? Something is wrong. Why do I feel that the aura is coming from different directions?" Darren was a little surprised.


    Just then, heavy footsteps were heard. By now, the creatures were close enough to be seen. Although the mist still covered them, the disciples were able to tell that the figures were one hundred feet tall.


    "They are demonic monsters! And they are above level three!" The expression on the faces of all disciples changed.


    From the magnitude of the quaking earth, they could estimate the strength of the demonic monsters. They were also able to tell that several demonic monsters were heading their way.

 Chapter 182 Level Five Demonic Monster

    The noises grew louder and louder.


    "These are really the level three demonic monsters!" all of them exclaimed in shock.


    Several demonic monsters came into their view.


    Even Darren was taken aback when he sensed the strong aura each monster gave off.


    Rory had once been beaten up by several level three demonic monsters and lost his consciousness. Darren knew that these creatures were only slightly weaker than Wonder Realm cultivators.


    Darren concentrated his mind and detected that at least over twenty demonic monsters were closing in on them and one was stronger than a level three demonic monster.


    "Elsa, take the ones on the back; Bruce, you''re in charge of the left," Darren instructed.


    ''The demonic monsters move so rapidly that it''s entirely impossible for us to run away. We have no choice but to fight them, '' he thought.


    He then dashed towards a demonic monster in front of him.


    Hayes stood by his companions as the other three were only at the Mysterious Realm. Based on their current strength, they would most likely end up being torn into pieces if they battled level three demonic monsters on their own.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    As Darren kept waving his Purple Thundering Sword, sword intents hit the demonic monster continuously.


    The level three demonic monsters had hard skin. In terms of Darren''s battle force, he couldn''t slice through the demonic monster and was only able to leave a few shallow cuts on them.


    The one hundred feet tall demonic monster with two horns fiercely growled in pain.


    It retaliated by striking its huge hooves at Darren.


    The power it released was almost as strong as the blow Bruce gave after he used his bloodline force.


    Owing to the fact that he had achieved abnormally high velocity, Darren was able to dodge the demonic monster''s attacks and move freely around it.


    He caught a glimpse of Elsa and saw that she had already slain two level three demonic monsters with her formidable sword intent.


    ''She''s gotten much stronger after she entered the Wonder Realm. I''m weaker than her, '' he thought.


    While he had the chance, he assimilated the talent of the demonic monsters Elsa and Hayes killed.


    Hayes also observed Darren from time to time. He was astonished by his amazing speed and the power of the sword intent he had released.


    Darren went straight towards the demonic monster he had been fighting for a long while, and flanked it. He used the sword and blade at the same time at their fullest and struck its neck.


    Clang!


    He took off the demonic monster''s head and knocked its body to the ground.


    Exhausted, he started panting. It took him too much energy to take out the level three demonic monster. Activating the Shadow Lightness had consumed a huge amount of his vital energy.


    the third level of Spectral Chop.


    ...


    After successfully saving the disciple from the level five demonic monster, Elsa, Hayes and Bruce battled it again.


    However, the demonic monster was way too strong. Hayes took a hit and was thrown into the air again. Most of his ribs were now broken and he kept coughing blood.


    Bruce had been hit and thrown into the air more than once. He had sustained severe injuries and a number of scales on his body were destroyed.


    "Omnipotent Talent Skill¡ªImprisonment Skill!"


    Hayes, although still injured, shot at the demonic monster and used his Omnipotent Talent Skill.


    "Do it now, guys! I''m holding it still!" he shouted at Elsa and Bruce. He had adopted the Shackle Rule into his Omnipotent Talent Skill, making it possible for him to restrain the much more powerful level five demonic monster. But the stronger his enemy was, the faster his Omnipotent Talent Skill would lose its effect.


    Upon hearing this, Elsa flew towards the demonic monster and waved her sword at it. At the same time, the severely injured Bruce growled as he bolted towards their enemy.


    Elsa and Bruce simultaneously launched their attacks and struck at the demonic monster.


    Bruce ended up getting flung backwards. Elsa furrowed her eyebrows in shock; they were only able to leave a few small scratches on the demonic monster.


    The level five demonic monster growled furiously, as it thundered, "You despicable humans! I will kill you all!"


    It stomped on the ground, releasing a terrifying powerful force.


    "Shit!" Darren abruptly opened his eyes as he sensed the demonic monster unleashing more and more power that could destroy everything in the world.


    "Omnipotent Talent Skill¡ªSky Shaking Sword Array!"


    At this critical point, Elsa had no choice but to unleash her sword intent that contained invincible power.

 Chapter 183 Bloody Battle

    "Oh no, this is bad!" Darren exclaimed. Darren feared for Elsa''s safety if she used her Omnipotent Talent Skill. Elder Brenda had warned her of the damage it could do to her. She had advised her not to use it rashly before she got stable at the Wonder Realm. Elsa had reached the Wonder Realm very quickly with the help of the sword core and Brenda''s valuable natural sources. Her body had not yet adapted to the intensity that realm required.


    "Retreat, Elsa!" Darren shouted.


    But it was too late. Strong winds blew under a big, dark cloud, forming a giant whirlpool because of the endless sword intent.


    As a swordsman, Elsa''s Omnipotent Talent Skill was terribly strong.


    Boom!


    The mighty sword intent descended like a huge wave that crashed into the level five demonic monster.


    "Roar!"


    Feeling Elsa''s overwhelming power, the demonic monster thrashed until it managed to escape the control of Hayes''s Omnipotent Talent Skill.


    "Hiss!" Darren gasped at the demonic monster''s strength. Even the Shackle Rule released by Hayes''s Omnipotent Talent Skill was not able to trap it!


    As the demonic monster freed itself, its force sent Hayes flying backward toward the wall of the cliff. Blood spurted out of his mouth as his body smashed against the hard surface, motionless. The other three disciples from the Lotus Holy Land with lower realms fared worse. Just the excess force of the demonic monster was enough to drive them into a coma.


    Seeing the emergent situation, Darren was mostly worried about Elsa''s safety. He transformed himself into a fiend directly and used his Spirit Power to trigger the Rule of the Earth he had comprehended not too long ago. Now, Darren''s body was strong enough to withstand an attack from a Wonder Realm master at the primary stage.


    At the same time, he activated his blade intent and sword intent and launched a full attack at the level five demonic monster to complement Elsa''s Omnipotent Talent Skill.


    "Whoa, am I so powerful?" Darren thought aloud. Even he was surprised with his own strength. His blade intent seemed to have improved so much! The combined power went far beyond his expectations.


    The whole valley shuddered violently and the surrounding mountains started to collapse. Even the dense mist suspended above the valley was also dispersed because of the fluctuations of the tremendous force. It looked as if the valley was about to fall into doom.


    "Awooo!"


    Tens and hundreds of sword radiant evolved from Elsa''s Sky Shaking Sword Array, all of which lashed on the monster, searing it with pain.


    In a rage, the demonic monster lifted its claw and hit Elsa through the air. A terrible stream of power shot at her. Immediately, her face turned ghastly pale and her body hung in the air as if suspended by a thread.


    At that moment, a black figure shot into the sword array at lightning speed. The endless blade and sword intent aided by forceful demonic internal force frightened the demonic monster.


    It howled.


    Elsa took advantage of the distraction. As the demonic monster''s attention was turned towards Darren''s force, she used her sword intent to rip the monster''s hard fur apart. Fr


    used three times, just enough for you three," Darren explained.


    Colin gave the jade card to Darren before they came here in the case of an emergency. Using such an item could badly affect the transmission array. Worse, it could even damage the transmission runes themselves and destroy the array. Ordinary disciples could never possess such kind of jade card. Also, the jade card would not work if its owner was under attack.


    "No. You have to come back with us. Forget the Fire Cave," Elsa begged as she wrapped her arms around Darren.


    "Listen to me, Elsa. Your sword core was damaged and this is very serious. You have to go back and tend to it immediately," Darren replied firmly.


    "As for me, I have to go to the Fire Cave. I am sure ''it'' was there," he continued.


    When Darren broke through to the Mysterious Realm, Elsa also saw how "it" pull Darren through.


    "Are you talking about that terrifyingly powerful fiend who wore the black armor?" Elsa asked. She immediately recalled that black shadow she saw that day.


    "Yes. That''s what I''m talking about. I have to go to the Fire Cave to try to find it," he replied. Darren wanted to find out why the mysterious powerful fiend helped him that day.


    "Alright then, I am going. You take care! If you come back with even so much as a scar, I swear, I will not forgive you!" Elsa said in a huff.


    "Haha, I won''t." Darren woke Bruce and Hayes who were both busy healing their wounds in meditation and told them that he was going to send them back to the Holy Land.


    Hayes had been so stressed after experiencing the strength of a level five demonic monster. Without any second thoughts, he immediately agreed to Darren''s suggestion.


    Darren sent Elsa back first. Half an hour later, he poured his spiritual energy into the jade card and sent Hayes back as well.


    Before his departure, Hayes expressed his gratitude to Darren and left a map on which details about the most powerful and perilous places were marked. Fortunately, Hayes''s treasure bag and the map were undamaged. Without the map, Darren would not have known which way to go.

 Chapter 184 Delicious Human Body

    After Elsa was sent back to the Lotus Holy Land, she immediately went to her master''s residence. Elsa was desperately looking for a cure as she felt that her sword core was injured. Her sword intent was also starting to hurt her meridians.


    An hour after Elsa arrived, Hayes also came out of the transmission array in rags. The two successive fluctuations in the array caught Colin''s attention.


    "Hayes, how come you both came back early? What''s going on?"


    Colin was beyond puzzled as he examined Hayes from head to toe. His clothes were tattered and raggedy. He was familiar with who Hayes was¡ªhe was the chief disciple of an elder and a genius in the Wonder Realm. How did he end up looking like a derelict? And what happened to Darren who went with him?


    "As soon as we went in, we encountered a level five demonic monster. We were all seriously injured. We have to stay put and heal for more than half a month until we can come back. The demonic monster domain is terrifying." Hayes furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to shake off the horrors they experienced.


    "Level five demonic monster! What happened to Darren? Why didn''t he come back?" A plethora of questions ran through Colin''s mind as he tried to process his disbelief and worry.


    Hayes then explained the situation briefly. Hearing that Darren was fine, Colin sighed a breath of relief.


    "Darren should be coming back soon. I will go to find my master now. I went out this time without telling him." Hayes cupped his hands and bowed respectfully before leaving.


    Colin didn''t say anything and just stood in front of the transmission array.


    He was eagerly waiting for any sort of fluctuation in the array. An hour later, the rune on the transmission array began to shine. Colin both felt relief and anticipation as he waited for Darren to surface.


    To his surprise, however, the rune on the transmission array suddenly became disordered and exploded in a puff of smoke.


    "Oh, my God, the transmission array is broken!"


    ...


    In the demonic monster domain


    Darren was speechless as he looked at the jade card blown into ashes in his hand. He wanted to pour in the jade card spiritual energy to send Bruce back, but Bruce refused and insisted on following him. As Bruce resisted the transmission, the jade card blew up and the transmission array of the Holy Land got destroyed.


    "Shit, I don''t know how to get back now!" Darren sighed in frustration.


    "Sorry!" Bruce lowered his head apologetically, knowing that he had caused Darren trouble.


    "Forget it, it''s all done anyway. We should take a look at this demonic monster domain, instead," Darren murmured nonchalantly.


    He took out the map Hayes left and tried to comprehend the details. He studied it briefly and got a ge


    ruce''s back.


    Bang!


    Bruce''s body was thrust forward, but he wasn''t blown far away. He quickly recovered and turned around and hit the man with a powerful blow.


    "What a defense! What a strong body!" the bandit exclaimed. He was surprised that Bruce had the strength of a beginner in the Wonder Realm because he could sense that Bruce was not in this realm.


    Swoosh!


    The man dodged Bruce''s attack, and, from his hand, threw two darts shining with green lights at Bruce.


    "Argh!"


    A dart pierced Bruce''s thick arm, making him roar with anger. Black blood was flowing out of his wound. The dart was covered with poison!


    Angered by the poisoned darts, Darren transformed into a fiend and rushed towards the man.


    ''Huh? Another monster?'' The man pondered over Darren''s transformation.


    ''I have to kill him before he unleashes his Omnipotent Talent Skill!'' Darren decided. If the man unleashed this, killing him would become harder.


    "Humph! Die!" The man threw another dart towards Darren.


    Bong!


    "What? I can''t break his defense!" The man was appalled. He used 80 percent of his strength to throw the darts but it was merely shattered into pieces instantly by the monster in front of him.


    "Now, you know who will die!" Darren unleashed his demonic internal force with his sword and blade intents.


    However, he was halted from his actions as he was taken aback by the next events.


    A very fast shadow grabbed the grumpy man. What happened next made Darren stare with his eyes wide open. He stopped the energy emerging from his body and bounced a few steps back.


    The shadow held the man in his hands and squeezed out the man''s internal organs. Then it gnawed at the man''s body at an extremely fast speed, and devoured more than half of it in the blink of an eye.


    "Ha, what a delicious human body. I love it!"

 Chapter 185 The Demonic Monster Army

    The sound of crunching violated Darren''s ears. It was like a hundred bricks crumbling to dust.


    The shadow stared at Darren with evil in its eyes. It wore a ghastly smile while chewing the man''s fingers.


    Darren was shocked at the horrifying scene. This creature''s power was so formidable that it had easily crushed the overmatch at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm. Looking at its unearthly and strangely patterned face, Darren was sure that it was a demonic monster. Judging by its human-like figure, he thought it was at least at the sixth level.


    A level six demonic monster could rival a human cultivator at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm.


    "Hey, you little ones, what species are you?" the demonic monster asked in human language, much to their surprise.


    At present, both Darren and Bruce were in the transformation state. Bruce became a giant ape and Darren a creature with a black carapace and sharp spines on the back.


    They looked at each other. ''He must have mistaken us as demonic monsters!'' Darren was grateful that it didn''t see the truth. If it knew they were human, they would be in big trouble.


    The demonic monster was too strong for them. If challenged, their chance to escape was very slim. Just like the bandit it had eaten just now, they wouldn''t end well, either.


    Darren responded to the demonic monster carefully, "My Lord, he is the seed of the ape and I am the seed of the ox." Darren made up his answer on the spot because his appearance may look something like the five level demonic monster he killed before. He thought that it would be believable.


    He tried to hide the fact that he was still uneasy, afraid of blowing their cover.


    "What? Then why do you speak in human language?" the demonic monster spoke with doubt in its voice. It lifted its eyebrows, the color of the patterns on its face changing constantly.


    ''Crap!'' Darren knew he had made a mistake. Darren''s skin crawled with the weight of the predicament. It was a fact that a common demonic monster couldn''t exist in a human-like figure or talk in human language. His utterance had very likely exposed them.


    "My Lord, I was captured by humans once when I was young, and I learned their language at that time." In a split second, he reacted fast and seemed to have set the story straight.


    The demonic monster looked at him in confusion. "Humph! I presume what you said is true. However, I can clearly see him being the seed of the ape, but how could you be the seed of the ox? No sharp black spines appear on their backs!"


    ''Has it seen through us?'' Darren couldn''t calm his nerves. While he kept the conversation going, he started to warm up the demon core and the sword core in his belly to prepare for the desperate fight, should it come to that. Ev


    d there was no way he could take them on. The only thing he could do was prevent their real identities from being discovered.


    He listened closely to the leading demonic monster''s instructions. They planned to meet at the Holy Cave to slaughter the people gathering there.


    He guessed the Holy Cave must be the Fire Cave.


    It was impossible to escape now. Thus, Darren and Bruce could do nothing but mingle with the crowd and act like they belonged there. They wouldn''t risk running away until they found the right opportunity.


    However, there was another thing Darren was worried about. The bloodline force inside Bruce wouldn''t last forever. At some point, Bruce would regain his human appearance once he couldn''t hold the transformation anymore. If that happened, their real identities would be discovered.


    "Bruce, hang in there," Darren whispered to him.


    Darren noticed Bruce''s tall body begin to shiver, which was an indication that his bloodline force was almost gone.


    Bruce nodded to Darren, his sharp teeth biting his lips hard. He held on with all his strength.


    A rumble arose as all the demonic monsters started to move at once.


    At the command of the leading demonic monster, the mega-sized demonic monster army marched out of the canyon toward the Fire Cave.


    ...


    In the north of the demonic monster domain, many people gathered at the foot of a dark, barren mountain. Some powerful cultivators were among them.


    They were the strong human warriors from around the world. It seemed that they were guarding a cave in the mountain against something forthcoming.


    Suddenly, the earth shook as the dull roar of the coming threat drew near.


    In the distance, a dark mass of bodies were coming toward the cave. The ground was covered with shadows as the sun was obscured by countless giant figures flying overhead.

 Chapter 186 The Two Armies Confront Each Other

    A huge number of demonic monsters covered the sky. Down on the ground, the human martial artists released their combined auras which were as powerful as the demonic monsters''.


    Because Darren and Bruce were hiding among the demonic monsters, they were affected by the humans'' aura as well. An unnerving feeling washed over them and they almost couldn''t breathe. Several level one and level two demonic monsters beside them dropped to the ground and started vomiting blood. The weaker demonic monsters who could fly also started falling down.


    Darren used his demonic internal force to resist the strong aura and make himself immune to its effects. Up ahead, below the black mountains, he saw people who were dressed very differently. He was surprised to discover that he was able to distinctly detect two strong sources even from that distance. It was coming from two young men who looked no more than thirty.


    ''They might be two of the first one hundred martial artists on the Talent Roll!'' Thinking of this possibility, Darren couldn''t help but feel surprised.


    "North Monster King! Are you really going to break the agreement and continue this attack on us? " One of the humans bellowed, emitting a strong aura.


    "Humph! You went into my territory. Tell me why I can''t kill you all. As for the agreement, I have never heard of it," replied the demonic monster who stood at the very front of the rest of the demonic monsters, also emitting an even stronger aura.


    "North Monster King, you demonic monsters lost a fight against us many years ago and had signed an agreement. We can come here as we want. It''s you who broke the agreement. Aren''t you afraid of suffering another defeat against our army? If you really want to get on our bad side and make your people suffer, I hope you know what you''re going against!" An old martial artist spoke for the human side.


    "Divine Crane Fighter, who is that old bastard? His aura is no weaker than mine. And he seems to know much," the North Monster King asked while glaring at the old martial artist.


    "My king, the old man is probably an elder of the Heavenly Palace Sect. He should be a powerful cultivator of the Wonder Realm. He might even be very close to the Grand Realm." The Divine Crane Fighter was very familiar with different forces of the human martial artists. His informers were all over the south of the human territory.


    "According to what you know, if I were to fight him, how will it end?" The North Monster King had no idea how powerful the martial artist was. Before anything else, he wanted to know as much as he could about the old man.


    "You are a level nine king, and you have also mastered the inheritance skill. Therefore, if you start a fight with him, of course you will win," the Divine Crane Fighter answered. The North Monster King was pleased to hear the delightful information. However, t


    ld dare to do so? If he starts the fight, even if I don''t tell my sect the news, the top leader of the demonic monsters won''t let him off so easily."


    Silence fell over the rest of the martial artists. After a few moments, one of them curiously prodded, "Can you tell us what the agreement was, Elder Star? Is it really so powerful that the North Monster King wouldn''t dare break it?"


    "The agreement was enacted shortly after we, the Heavenly Palace Sect, won the war against the demonic monsters years ago. You don''t need to know the details," the old man indifferently answered.


    He was very powerful and he was also an important man of the Heavenly Palace Sect, so the others didn''t risk asking more questions.


    Meanwhile, unbeknownst to both the two conflicting sides, something was happening under their noses.


    Darren dragged Bruce, who was pretending to be unconscious, as he slowly trudged towards the end of the demonic monster army. They were both still demonic monsters in appearance, thus they wouldn''t be able to cross to the human side. The best course of action they could take was to get out in secret.


    However, right before they got to a spot where the demonic monsters wouldn''t see them, Bruce''s bloodline force started acting up.


    His whole body began to convulse and his face contorted in pain. His body was shrinking at a rapid pace.


    "Damn it! Come on Bruce, hold it just a little bit longer!" Darren grew more and more agitated and his pace quickened with every step he took.


    Within a few seconds, the bloodline force had completely worn off; Bruce appeared as a human once again.


    All of it was seen by a demonic monster who was standing by the edge of the monster army. The worst part was that the demonic monster was a level five demonic monster. Darren and Bruce were now completely exposed.


    "You two!" the demonic monster roared out as it opened its red bloody mouth.

 Chapter 187 Being Thrown Into The Cave

    After realizing that Bruce was actually a human being, the level five demonic monster, as well as a level two demonic monster, lunged at him at full force with a deafening roar.


    Darren jumped in front of Bruce immediately. Their first opponent was nothing more than a level two demonic monster. Therefore, defeating it was absolutely not a big deal for Darren.


    Boom!


    With a strike of his palm, Darren''s tremendous demonic internal force burst out and smashed the head of the level two demonic monster into pieces.


    A bloody smell permeated the air, catching the attention of all the other demonic monsters nearby. One after another, they all turned around and stared at Darren, murderous gleams shining in their eyes.


    More than that, they were greatly puzzled. They did not understand why a demonic monster with a black carapace and black spines would dare to kill a companion in the presence of the king of the demonic monsters? What a daredevil demonic monster!


    After a brief communication using their beast language, the demonic monsters realized that the one with a black carapace was protecting a human being!


    At once, the demonic monsters started howling.


    With a deafening wave of roaring, countless demonic monsters lunged directly at Darren and Bruce.


    Like a dark cloud, they swarmed towards Darren one after another. Darren had no choice but to fight them or he would die.


    Boom!


    Darren dispatched his tremendous demonic internal force and smashed the weaker demonic monsters into minced flesh all at once. Their blood splattered everywhere. However, many level three, level four or even level five demonic monsters were mixed among them, and Darren was not yet powerful enough to kill all of them with one strike. Most especially, Darren was no match at all for the level five demonic monsters whose strengths were equivalent to that of human warriors at the top level of the primary stage of the Wonder Realm.


    "Run!" After being bombarded with several powerful attacks from all directions, Darren took Bruce''s hand and began to flee for their lives. His travelling speed was even faster than a level five demonic monster''s.


    The uproar among the army of demonic monsters soon caught the attention of some forceful demonic monsters standing in the front.


    "What the hell is going on?"


    "Humans are making sneak attack at us from behind!"


    "Kill them!"


    Now that an even bigger swarm of demonic monsters was closing in on them, Darren had no choice but to go even faster in order to get away with them. Just when Darren thought he might actually be able to get away, an enormous shadow loomed over Darren as the level six demonic monster who brought Darren over descended from the sky.


    The mighty demonic monster left Darren breathless with fear. Level six demonic monsters were superior to Darren in all aspects, strength and speed included!


    "So, it turns out you are actually a spy working for humans, huh? Damn you!" The level six demonic monster finally managed to realize Darren''s and Bruce''s real identities. It had doubts about Darren''s words and deeds, but Darren''s and Bruce''s weak strength dispelled its doubts. Being deceived, the level six demonic monster was filled up with fury.


    "Die!" A stream of light green


    and flesh.


    "Howl!"


    The moment the army of demonic monsters saw what had just happened, anger blazed in their eyes and they all let out an earthshaking roar.


    "My king, the damn human beings have taken the initiative to wage a war against us. Let us tear them apart!"


    The demonic monsters considered the actions of the humans as a declaration of war.


    "They killed my people in my presence and bullied me! Kill them all." The North Monster King was a tough opponent by nature. The human warriors'' declaration of war gave him a good reason to fight back.


    In an instant, a violent and ruthless aura burst out from the troops of the demonic monsters. Even the heaven and earth trembled when the demonic monsters turned into their original shapes simultaneously. Bloodthirsty looks shone in their eyes as they lunged at the humans.


    A dozen powerful demonic monsters at the North Monster King''s side rushed to the forefront. As level eight demonic monsters, they clapped their huge palms on the human master warriors from above, stirring up a foul smelling gush of wind and a rain of blood.


    "Wanton brutes!"


    Elder Star''s robe flapped in the wind as he roared up and flew to the North Monster King. All the other human master warriors at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm also fought back with overwhelming momentum.


    The sky became dark with chaos as the earth shuddered. Numerous huge cracks stretched across the earth surface as the land suddenly became a living hell.


    Meanwhile, a bloody figure shot out from the bottom of a pit hundreds of meters deep. With a human body in his hand, he tried to flee from the hellish battlefield as fast as he could.


    Unfortunately, a powerful level eight demonic monster caught sight of Darren the instant he flew out of the pit. A devastating force stormed towards him as it clawed at Darren''s bloody figure.


    The overwhelming force shrouded Darren and threw him into the black mountain.


    Because of the immense force of the impact, Darren began to fade out of consciousness and dropped Bruce in the crucial moment as he was thrown right into the mouth of a deep cave. Within a split second, Darren disappeared.

 Chapter 188 Blood Pool (Part One)

    Boom!


    A loud sound deafened the area. The ground slightly shook because of the enormous impact. Feeling dizzy, Darren realized that he had sunk into a cold mire. He was too tired to open his eyes after the level six demonic monster inflicted great damage to his body.


    Fortunately, nature seemed to be on his side. Darren felt refreshed when a blast of cold air flew into his spine, making him come around. He took out some pills and spiritual herbs from Space Ring to relieve his pain. He started to assimilate the spiritual energy and tried to recover from the injuries.


    Of course, the herbs and pills didn''t take effect instantly. So Darren had to be stagnant for a while. After an hour, he consumed most of the pills and spiritual herbs. He soon recovered from his bone fracture and came to his senses. He felt thrilled as if he was reincarnated again.


    "I feel hot!" Darren shouted out of impulse. He couldn''t restrain the hot humidity he felt.


    ''I have recovered. What a relief! I felt as if my life ended earlier and I was given a miracle, '' he thought blissfully. As he kept on sinking into the mire, he didn''t feel cold anymore. All the mud became so hot that he could hardly sustain.


    Whoosh!


    As he had no time to waste, Darren transferred his power and flew up toward the entrance of the cave. The time he spent on resting was quite long.


    After a long while of transferring his power, feeling exhausted, Darren dashed out the cave with all his forces. A blinding light spread around, making him close his eyes.


    Facing front, a hard surface stopped him from exiting. Darren instantly recognized the smell of the ground, then realized that he must have fallen to the ground. Pain crept in his body. After he fell on the hard ground, Darren opened his eyes and looked backward.


    "Ah!" Darren groaned, feeling aches all over his body. However, the escapade was a success. He stood up and patted his clothes to clean them. After wiping himself, Darren was taken aback as something caught his attention.


    In front


    ith a primitive aura," Darren couldn''t help but speak aloud.


    "Ah!"


    Inevitably, Darren gave out a loud roar when he felt that the plant had undergone a dramatic transformation inside his body. The bloody red plant had wild effects on Darren. In the blink of an eye, his mind shook violently and was dragged into a strange space. Rays of silver light glittered from his sharp eyes. He acquired a peculiar power from those plants, which made him feel amused but puzzled.


    ''This is strange. Why did I let out a roar of a dragon? I even fell into the Blood Dragon Phantom. Am I thinking this right? So it probably meant that the blood came from the ancient dragon! This is amazing!'' Darren thought. Feeling pumped up for what he had discovered, Darren felt his heart quicken. Luck was on his side again.


    Grinning widely, he took a glance around the field of bloody red plants. He immediately plucked off an abundance of those plants and assimilated them as fast as he could.


    The more he assimilated, the more he realized what he thought was right. He felt as though he could see a green dragon stretch across the starry sky. He could also hear the dragon keep on howling with anger, dancing in the air. It emitted a tremendously intense aura that could turn the entire world upside down.


    "Ah! My body is changing!" Darren screamed, being startled.

 Chapter 189 Blood Pool (Part Two)

    As he kept on assimilating those plants, his strength dramatically increased. It would take only a little time before he gained a new skill again.


    "Ah!"


    "Ahhh!"


    Darren let out a roar of dragon again. His voice was so tremendous that made the whole space shake violently.


    Whoosh!


    In just a snap, Darren''s body was divided into many pieces.


    In the end, nine shadows stood in the pool and each of them emitted powerful aura. On the other hand, the tension calmed down as Darren chuckled.


    "Ha-Ha. That''s great! This is really amusing. It is unbelievable that I have eight avatars after I assimilated those bloody red plants!" With a smirk, Darren felt giddy with excitement.


    Generally speaking, if one wanted to achieve eight avatars, he needed to have the great power of Avatar Rule to help him. And it was a virtually impossible task for Darren to grasp it so fast, even if he arrived the talent of the Heaven Degree. Who could have known that those bloody red plants were the answer all along?


    However, it was such a waste if he would leave like that. Darren walked along the blood pool and started to pick all those plants. After an hour, half of the bloody red plants around the pool were absorbed into Darren''s body and greatly empowered him. His strength was elevated to a brand new stage that he couldn''t imagine before. He felt his power was much more intense than when he combined the demonic transformation and the Rule of the Earth together.


    He could only stop as his body condition had reached a limit, so further assimilation would be useless. Nonetheless, what he acquired was powerful enough for him.


    In the next hour, Darren picked all of the plants around the pool and put them inside the Space Ring. It might be useful later on.


    Although the bloody red plant only had a hint of spiritual energy, a large quantity of the plant was enough for Darren to make a quick recovery from his injuries, and the rest of the spiritual energy could force him to improve his cultivation stage.


    "Ha!" He s


    that left him completely dumbfounded.


    "Ahhh!"


    Those shadows of the Blood Dragon emerged from the lake again and aimed for the man who had popped out. It seemed that the dragons caught a prey.


    "Ah!" Feeling worried, Darren was totally taken aback by the experience, gasping for air. The power of the dragon shadows and that human was so intense that he was pushed back in numerous strikes.


    Eyebrows twitched, Darren observed the current situation from a distance. In the blink of an eye, the Blood Dragon caught hold of the human. That human was so exhausted that he looked deathly pale and almost faint. It seemed that he was badly injured before, so he had to use up all his forces to escape from the dragon. It would only be a matter of time before the man would be eaten up alive.


    ''It is absolutely certain that he will die in the battle. Ugh, this is too dangerous and frustrating. Do I need to save him from the danger? Why is there no one here?'' Darren thought to himself.


    Seeing that the human was about to be broken into pieces by the Blood Dragon, Darren lost in thought. His conscience overpowered him, it was too stubborn to listen at his rational self. He should save that human. So after he hesitated for a short moment, he immediately emitted the aura of dragon blood and turned it into a ray of light and sent it toward them.

 Chapter 190 Scott

    Darren quickly crashed into the Blood Dragon closest to the man.


    Bang!


    Since Darren was now stronger than before, the impact was more intense than usual. His stomach trembled, almost making him vomit out blood.


    It was encouraging to see that the impact worked. Now that the Blood Dragon had slowed down, the man was more likely to be saved.


    Upon being provoked, the other Blood Dragons wrathfully roared at Darren with fire burning in their eyes. But the moment they felt the power inside him, their fury turned to peacefulness. They went around Darren and chased the man again.


    Roar!


    The man had not yet gotten out of the big lake, and the Blood Dragons were still after him. As they flew, they ejected fuming hot air from their mouths with their jaws open wide. The air coming from them destroyed everything it touched. There was no doubt that the man would be snuffed out by merely the touch of it.


    ''That must be the dragon breath!''


    Upon seeing this, Darren realized that resisting it would be fairly risky. He speculated for a moment and unsheathed the blade and the sword. At once, he shot numerous blade intent and sword intent towards the man.


    Darren''s blade and sword intent flew even faster than the dragon breath.


    Given the man''s strength, Darren assumed that he would not be fatally injured by his blade intent and sword intent. Thus, he made use of the intents'' fast speed to increase the man''s momentum and shove him towards the shore faster.


    ''Whether you vanish or you live now depends on your fortune.'' Darren observed in mid-air.


    Darren''s unparalleled sword intent hit the man just half a minute before the dragon breath, and the man was able to dart faster towards the shore. Unfortunately, he was unable to avoid all of the dragon breath, and the small amount of dragon breath that clung to his back corroded his skin and flesh, leaving some of his bones exposed.


    Finally, the man was able to run out of the huge lake. In spite of their fury the Blood Dragons had no choice but to give up the chase. They submerged themselves into the blood lake and disappeared.


    Soon, Darren also landed on the shore to check on the man.


    ''Uh? I must have met him somewhere, '' Darren thought as he looked over at the man. With internal breath, Darren wiped out the man''s bloodstains, and a solemn face was revealed. Almost immediately, Darren recognized him. ''He is the Holy Lord of Dragon Holy Land, '' Darren th


    be your friend," Darren said, declining his offer.


    As a poor speaker, Scott was at a loss for words. He stood still for a while and said, "Darren, I bet you are not such a traditional man. Even though I have a higher status, we still can be friends, can''t we?"


    "Well." Darren was stunned. "Since you put it that way, I will be your friend then. Ha-ha!"


    Darren didn''t deny his offer anymore and accepted it straight away.


    "Ha-ha!" Somewhat unusually, Scott laughed and patted Darren on the shoulder. "Darren, my friend, I am extremely lucky to have encountered you in my life. You are more than just my savior. Your body emits the pure aura of dragon blood."


    "How do you know that?" Darren confused. He wasn''t even quite sure whether the aura of dragon blood was actually inside him.


    "Darren, the red fruit is called Dragon Saliva Fruit. It''s filled with many great benefits unless they are refined. Only in this way can I absorb the energy. Otherwise, the effect will disappear soon. When I wake up, I will resolve your confusion," Scott said in a serious tone, as he usually did.


    Darren nodded. Then Scott remained silent, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed.


    ...


    Time flew, and before long, two days had already passed. Scott still sat there, motionless.


    Darren was so bored that he cut a small piece of Dragon Saliva Fruit to eat. He waited to see what would happen to him.


    But before he could refine it, Darren felt the presence of two powerful forces.


    "Who are there?" Darren looked intently towards the sky. Suddenly, two dark figures at the Wonder realm flew over at lightning speed.

 Chapter 191 Body Strength

    The two figures approaching at high speed suddenly appeared in front of Darren.


    "That fragrance specifically came from this person. Do you think he has the magic medicine?" the two of them muttered indistinctly.


    They were both a mess; their clothes were ragged and parts of it were torn. But even so, one would still easily be able to tell that they were not from the southern land, based on their attire.


    "Give me that thing you have right now, or else we, the Heroic Duo of East Hill, will kill you," threatened the one with the brutishly ugly face.


    Darren detected from their energy that they were both masters who had reached the primary stage of the Wonder Realm, and they were attracted by the aroma of the red fruit.


    Before arriving at the place, he had heard that countless masters from foreign lands were coming. The two strange men were apparently from East Hill.


    "Are you two planning on robbing and killing me?" Darren asked, straight-faced.


    "Ha-Ha! Of course, you idiot. That is exactly what we''re doing," the one with the slim scraggly body said, then continued to mockingly laugh at him.


    But it seemed like his taunting didn''t have any effect on Darren. The slim man stopped laughing and whispered to his partner, "Hey, brother. I feel like something''s wrong here. This guy isn''t frightened at all. Look! There''s someone over there!" They saw a figure sitting still in the distance. When they turned back, Darren was calm and was looking right at them. They became dumbstruck for a moment and went back to their discussion.


    "Psh! This guy is only at the ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm. He doesn''t even know what we''re capable of, so of course he''s not afraid!" the ugly man reassured his partner. "And as for the man over there, do you think he''s already dead?" he added.


    "I think he is. All right, then. Let''s kill this guy and see what he has," the slim guy suggested and started to roll up his sleeves. "It was damn hard to get out. He is going to make it up to us," he added as he glared at Darren.


    Darren stood in front of them calmly, took out the last half of the red fruit and flashed it in front of the men. "Is this what you want?" As he spoke, the fruit instantly went back to the Space Ring.


    "Wow! That smells good. That is definitely one of the magic medicines," the slim guy blurted out.


    "Good thing you''re quite tactful, otherwise you''d be dead. Now, give that fruit to us and we''ll gladly let you go," demanded the ugly man.


    "Come and get it, if you dare," Darren taunted at them and then flew into the remote secluded mountain.


    Darren would never let these kinds of wretched people walk free. However, Scott had been immersed in cultivatio


    wouldn''t be able to handle the hammer, he would still be able to use the demonic transforming skill or the Earth Rule to further strengthen his body. Either way, he was certain that the hammer couldn''t kill him.


    In the blink of an eye, the hammer struck Darren''s body.


    The ground rumbled.


    Darren was flung downwards to the barren mountain, creating another chasm that reached deep down to the bottom.


    "Hang on, big brother," the ugly man cautiously said. "I think he is still alive."


    Darren should have been smashed to dust once he came into contact with the hammer. And yet, they saw Darren''s body falling with the hammer, which meant Darren''s power measured up to the hammer''s power.


    The slim man frowned at his brother and replied, "Don''t be ridiculous. His body wouldn''t be able to withstand an attack from a Divine Weapon."


    "He''s too young to have such a cultivation base. What if he''s a young master of one of the biggest clans in the south? Or maybe he has some kind of powerful armor on his body, because otherwise, he would have been smashed to dust," the ugly man speculated.


    "That somewhat makes sense. Let''s go and check. It will be incredibly worthwhile if we got our hands on such a powerful armor. Ha-ha!" the slim man cheered in satisfaction.


    As they were about to fly down to take a look. A figure rapidly flew upwards from the hole, making the wind whistle. Suddenly, Darren was in front of them.


    "Damn! That felt good! I will give you another chance. Hit me again." Darren smiled like a madman. He spread his arms, awaiting the next strike.


    Being hit by the hammer didn''t injure him at all, it just made him stronger. He felt more energetic and exuberant.


    "Shit!"


    "What the hell?"


    The men cursed out. They stared at Darren, eyes wide and mouths agape.

 Chapter 192 Defeat Two Wonder Realm Cultivators

    It was incredible. A Mysterious Realm teenager survived a Wonder Realm cultivator''s Omnipotent Talent Skill. This event could make Darren rise to fame overnight.


    In the whole world, only a few superior talents could make it as far as Darren did. This was why the two men were thunderstruck.


    "Who... who the hell are you? How did you do that?" the slim man asked, terrified.


    Darren gave a cold snort and said, "Didn''t you say you would kill me and take my treasures? I''ll give you another chance to attack me. If you don''t do that, you will die." His voice was resolute.


    The slim man exchanged glances with his companion, terror overwhelming them. Darren could practically see their knees shaking.


    "Come on, let''s work together to take him out," the ugly man said after recovering from his shock. "The two of us are at the Wonder Realm. I think we can bring him down if we both fight him."


    Boom!


    An enormous power approached and stopped not far from Darren, the shockwave causing a loud noise. A figure floated in the spot where the energy radiated from.


    "Scott, you refined that Dragon Saliva Fruit, didn''t you?" Darren asked when he detected the suffocating aura emanating from his friend. He couldn''t help but smirk. He was glad that Scott had become stronger.


    Scott nodded in confirmation. Glancing at the two men with scorn, he spoke with coldness in his voice, "Do you need me to take care of these losers?"


    "No, thanks. I was planning to play with them a little longer," Darren replied flatly. He turned his gaze from Scott back to the men.


    Sensing the tremendous power coming from Scott, the two men floating in front of Darren trembled violently with fear. They knelt down in mid-air and begged, "I''m so sorry for what I did to you. Please forgive our rudeness and spare us."


    The two men who had reached the primary stage of the Wonder Realm were imploring Darren in a humble manner.


    Scott didn''t respond. Looking back at Darren, he said, "Those two are at the Wonder Realm. You can''t defeat them. Just leave them to me."


    Darren smiled faintly before replying, "Don''t worry, Scott. Even though I was hit by their Omnipotent Talent Skill, I''m fine. I can handle them easily."


    A gleam flashed across Scott''s eyes as he heard Darren''s words. It suddenly crossed his mind that the young man had the purest aura of dragon blood inside his body, so his physical strength was much stronger than ordinary people''s. Still, he was surprised to see that he had survived Omnipotent Talent Skill. After all, Darren was just at the Mysterious Realm. It was unbelievable on all accounts. Then again, Darren always seemed to be full of surprises.


    ''If he can remain safe and sound after being hit by Omnipotent Talent Skill, it means that those two men can''t kill him.'' With this thought in mind, Scott decided to stay out of it for the moment. He looked forward to witnessing Darren''s real strength.


    "If you say so," Scott relented, "you can give it a try. When you get bored, I will take their lives for you." Even though Scott


    Darren was victorious.


    "Nice trick!" Scott remarked, flying towards Darren. Unable to hide his astonishment, he continued, "I didn''t think that you had practiced the inheritance skill of the dragon. No wonder the aura of dragon blood you give off is purer than mine. You can summon six avatars, so there is no doubt you could take them out. But the result still surprised me. I think you''re an incredible genius."


    Darren patted his friend on the shoulder in thanks. "Ha-ha! I''m flattered. I acquired this skill by chance. I actually can summon eight avatars. Since those two men were not very strong, I decided not to use all of them," he explained.


    "What? Eight avatars?" Scott''s jaw dropped. Disbelief was plastered all over his face. To say he was impressed would be an understatement. "You''re more talented than I. I entered the Wonder Realm at twenty. When I was thirty, I reached the middle stage of Wonder Realm, and I could only summon one avatar. A hundred years later, I reached the supreme stage, and I can only get three avatars."


    Wonder Realm could be divided into five parts: the primary stage, the middle stage, the advanced stage, the premium stage, and the supreme stage. Scott had entered the Wonder Realm at twenty, which meant he was quite talented. But he had just reached the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm at 130 years old on the premise that he had lots of adventures. There was no doubt that it was difficult to make a breakthrough when cultivators entered the Wonder Realm. For those who were as talented as Scott, it would take them at least four hundred years to reach the supreme stage of Wonder Realm without any lucky adventures.


    "So you learned the inheritance skill of the dragon too? Can you give me the details on it?" Darren asked with interest, eyes lighting up. He wanted to know all he could about the skill so he could become even stronger.


    "Come with me. Let''s find a place first. I will fill you in," Scott replied before flying towards a barren hill. Darren followed close behind.

 Chapter 193 The Dead Body Of A Dragon

    Darren flew with Scott.


    "Darren, I know you have a lot of questions in your mind. You can ask me now," Scott said as he landed on the top of a huge mountain. Then he made his way toward a stone and sat down.


    "Scott, you came here for that blood pool, didn''t you? Can you tell me more about the lake?" Darren asked.


    "Okay. It is said that the lake is the birthplace of all sects with our dragon bloodline. It is possible that it is the provenance for all creatures in the world who have the aura of dragon blood." Scott''s explanation aroused Darren''s curiosity.


    "If that is the case, the blood inside the pool is real dragon blood, right?" Darren asked in surprise.


    Scott nodded. After a moment, he continued, "According to my clan''s recordings, this is the blood of the original dragon. But after thousands of years, the lake has almost dried out. The original dragon aura has almost completely disappeared.


    However, the dragon blood left in the lake can produce one Dragon Saliva Fruit every few thousand years, which can strengthen a cultivator''s bloodline force. That''s why I have come here."


    "So, where did the dragon blood come from?" Darren asked. Scott''s explanation had piqued his curiosity.


    "From outside this world," Scott said expressionlessly as he pointed at the sky. "You will understand when I show you something."


    Darren nodded before voicing another question. "Scott, since you are from the Dragon Blood Clan, can you tell me whether all the members of the Dragon Sect keep the dragon bloodline?"


    Scott shook his head and replied, "My Dragon Blood Clan is on the Western Fire Island, and my clan is in charge of the Dragon Holy Land, generation by generation."


    "What?" Darren was confused by Scott''s reply. Then he said, "I was told that the Dragon Sect was previously the Ancient Dragon Holy Land. Later, it was replaced by the Dragon Sect."


    "You are right. The Holy Lord of the Ancient Dragon Holy Land was a member of our clan. But he was too ambitious and did something to cross the line. So, our clan asked my father to replace him. It is complicated. We can talk about it later," Scott replied.


    "Oh, I see. Scott, you have such a high cultivation base, but you were still severely injured. Were your injuries caused by the Blood Dragon in the blood pool?" Darren asked.


    "No. Another terrible creature hurt me. The Holy Lords, including me, encountered it previously and it was almost as strong as us at that time. But now that a few months have passed, I am certain that it has improved at a terrible speed. I believe it is probably as powerful as a Grand Realm cultivator."


    Darren was shocked at Scott''s words. He knew


    be surprised. Each super clan, such as the Heavenly Palace Sect in the south land, also has one. No rules prevent you from seeing the Talent Roll. At my speed, I might need another month to return to my clan. After we leave here, you can calculate how much time is required. Then you can find me at the Dragon Sect. I will show you the Talent Roll," Scott said.


    "Thank you, Scott." Darren cupped his hands and bowed to Scott. Despite being the Holy Lord, Scott was willing to spend a month traveling to fulfill Darren''s request. Darren felt grateful.


    "You don''t need to be so formal with me," Scott smiled at Darren, which was rare.


    "Darren, at your cultivation base, it is impossible to enter the top one hundred. Among the top hundred cultivators on the Talent Roll, the lowest-ranked cultivator is at the top level of the middle stage of the Wonder Realm!" Scott reminded Darren.


    "Ha-ha! Scott! Don''t forget what I have learned. I believe I have the strength to fight a cultivator at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm." Darren had great confidence in his abilities.


    "You can fight against a cultivator at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm? It is definitely impossible, although I do not want to destroy your confidence," Scott looked at Darren helplessly and replied.


    "What? Why do you say that? I know more than one fighting method."


    "It is impossible even if you have learned thousands of fighting ways. If you don''t believe me, you can battle me. I will use the power of a cultivator at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. Then you will know the reason," Scott said to Darren.


    After hearing Scott''s proposal, Darren was about to agree. Darren never backed down from a fight, even if it meant there was a huge likelihood that he would be defeated.

 Chapter 194 The Secret Of The Talent Roll

    Rumble!


    Darren released his strong aura. He was like a sharp sword, floating in the air.


    Scott was surprised with his power. He had never seen a cultivator who was at the top stage of the Mysterious Realm emitting an aura that could only belong to someone at the top level of the primary stage of the Wonder Realm.


    "Darren, you are good enough to improve your position on the Talent Roll. You have obtained all the requirements. But sadly, you are still too young. Also, you haven''t reached the Wonder Realm yet. This is your biggest obstacle," Scott said, as he also floated in the air. The aura around him slowly faded. He was ready to show Darren the strength of a cultivator at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm.


    "All the requirements? What do you mean by that?" Darren felt like he was ready. But hearing Scott''s words, he couldn''t help but be curious.


    "The Talent Roll values challenging martial artists who are in realms that are higher than yours. Your talent and age are also important. As far as I know, the person who is currently ranked at one hundred on the Talent Roll had enough power to kill someone at the top level of the middle stage of the Wonder Realm, even when he only got into the primary stage of the Wonder Realm. Plus, he''s only twenty-two right now," he explained.


    This surprised Darren, but he opted to stop asking any more questions. He thought of the first time he saw the Talent Roll. He used a rune to kill a person who was in the Wonder Realm. The Talent Roll appeared and showed that he ranked eighteenth at the time.


    Silently thinking, Darren finally understood the reason behind it. He was still in the Spirit Realm during that time and he killed someone who was in the Wonder Realm whose level was much higher than his! It was indeed like what Scott said. The thing that the Talent Roll valued the most was challenging someone who was way stronger than you.


    "So, according to what you said, if I, who''s still in the Mysterious Realm, beat someone who''s at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm, then my ranking will be below one hundred, right?"


    "Yeah, that''s right. If you can do that at your current age, you might even be in the top 50. But if you do that when you get into the Wonder Realm, your ranking won''t be that high anymore. As you age the realms you can beat also becomes less," Scott answered.


    "I see. Then let''s start, Scott." After saying these words, Darren immediately called eight avatars out. He also used the bronze mask and the battle armor in his Space Ring.


    Seeing Darren''s battle armor, something flashed in Scott''s eyes but it quickly disappeared. He then let his aura out. A huge dragon shadow appeared behind him, floating in the air.


    "We will fight only once, Darren!"


    "Okay!"


    answered Darren. He immediately used his sword core and supernatural blade skill at the same time.


    Both sword and blade intents were brandished at the same time. They were so strong, it seemed as if they could destroy anything in their way. Like a terrifying beast, both charged at Scott.


    Darren used the simple Wind Rule to shoot Scott blades of wind as he ran towards him with


    its sacred passage," Scott explained.


    "What? Who? Why would they do that?" Darren asked, confused.


    "They are the powerful martial artists of the Grand Realm and they live a hidden life. As soon as someone new gets to the top 100 of the Talent Roll, a martial artist of the Grand Realm goes to talk to him and asks him to go to the Raksa Sea along with a generous and enticing offer."


    "The Grand Realm? " Darren felt surprised. He didn''t understand the reason behind it.


    "I know you''re surprised, Darren. The martial artists from the Grand Realm fight for good and young cultivators who get to the Talent Roll because they also need the Primitive Stone. Everyone in the Grand Realm does. As for the reason behind it, I am just as lost as you. I guess that is something I will only find out when I get there.


    So now, you have two choices. One, you can wait until I reach the Grand Realm. I will have the right to send you to the Raksa Sea by then. Two, you can enter the top 100 of the Talent Roll and wait for a martial artist from the Grand Realm to come and talk to you."


    Darren couldn''t help but get a bit excited. He asked, "Scott, how far are you into reaching the Grand Realm?"


    "You can say that I am very close. It''s only one step away. But it will possibly take me hundreds of years to get in. I might never get into the Grand Realm at all," he replied.


    Of course, Darren could not wait for hundreds of years. He was already at the top stage of the Mysterious Realm. Even if he didn''t upgrade, he would never live hundreds of years.


    Seeing Darren''s disappointment, Scott said again, "I think you should fight to be in the top 100 of the Talent Roll. Although it can be difficult for you to beat someone who is at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm, there is another way."


    Darren''s eyes widened. "What is it?" he asked hopefully.


    Scott hesitated before he finally replied, "Refining your body."


    This confused Darren even more. He only wanted to be strong enough to fight someone who was at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. What was the use of refining his body?

 Chapter 195 It Was Coming

    "Does that mean I should keep refining my body until I am effective against the overmatch at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm?" Darren inquired Scott.


    "That''s right. But more than that, your target is to reach the point where you can easily resist the Omnipotent Talent Skill at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. With this, you will remain invincible,"


    Scott explained. Darren grumbled as he thought about it hard. "It is too difficult! I could even rival the Divine Weapon if I reach that high."


    "Here are books on body refinement." Scott propped two ancient books in Darren''s hand. "When you successfully refine your body and reach the high level, you can do what I mentioned."


    Darren dusted the covers of the books and studied them gingerly. He carefully opened one of them and skimmed through the pages. The words "turning a body into a weapon" caught his attention.


    As he read through the contents of the book, he was surprised that he was somewhat familiar with it. Darren''s eyebrows furrowed as he couldn''t help but ask, "Why is this similar to the bloodline force of the Ancient Families?"


    "You''re right. The book you''re holding is actually the legendary martial skill from the Ji Clan of the Ancient Families. Once a man''s body is turned into a weapon, he will obtain frightening strength and power." This, however, still left some questions to Darren.


    "But of what use are these books to me? Isn''t it said that only the blood of the Ji Clan can achieve that point?"


    "As far as I know, you don''t necessarily have to have the bloodline force of the Ancient Families," Scott explained. "Practicing the legendary martial skill, along with the magic spring water is essential for reaching the state of turning a body into a weapon. The Ancient Families'' bloodline force can only accelerate the cultivation of the legendary martial skill, but it doesn''t mean it is exclusive for them.


    In other words, with the magic spring water, anyone can practice it, though the speed will be extremely slow. So you''d better have a good look at the book, Darren. Maybe there will be rewards. Even though you just started, your strength will definitely increase," Scott concluded. He shifted his gaze to the second book he gave Darren.


    "I got the other book a few years ago occasionally from a dangerous place, but it doesn''t match with my strength now. I recommend you to focus more on it. When you refine your body, you will be able to resist the ordinary martial skill from the warriors at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm."


    Darren picked up the other book Scott gave, which was named Demonic Blood Refining Skill. As its name


    , he discovered a skeleton, whose wrist wore a bronze bracer. He thought that it looked familiar as he inspected it carefully.


    "I know it,"


    Darren murmured to himself, picking up the bronze bracer. It was the same with the one he got from the auction. Apparently, both of them belonged to the unknown set of armor.


    Darren immediately took out the other parts that he got before from his Space Ring and put them on simultaneously.


    Buzz!


    The buzzing sounds haunted his head when the black runes started shining constantly on the armor.


    Rather than a quick flash of light, the black runes that flowed through the mask, the body armor and the bronze bracers, seemed to be restoring something.


    ''What an odd air. If the armor was intact, its power would be inconceivable!''


    Darren thought. The air it was exuding was stronger than the strength of a rule cultivator, even stronger than the strength of a witcher.


    However, Darren''s power didn''t increase much with one more bronze bracer, only the defense capability reinforced.


    He took the armor off. It could be estimated that the four parts made up one quarter of the whole set of armor, the legs, the arms and the back still being lost.


    Darren put them back to his Space Ring and continued the search, but upon two hours'' scouring through, he had no luck. He found nothing related to the armor. He was thinking of going back when something caught his attention.


    Rumble!


    Thunder!


    Roar!


    Before he could process anything, a dragon''s howling came from the place where he and Scott once were. He knew these sounds.


    "What bad luck! Scott must have encountered that powerful fiend from the bronze coffin!" Darren freaked out, flying in the direction of Scott, his heart filled with worry.

 Chapter 196 Stunning Strength (Part One)

    A glaring light shone brilliantly to kindle the whole sky. Without delay, Darren flew towards the direction where the explosive noise came from. Suddenly, an immense form came from that direction, stirring the air and causing the earth to shake. It truly seemed as if the earth and sky were crashing down on each other.


    After a few moments, Darren was able to reach his destination. He saw five projections of Scott floating in the air, manifesting frightening momentum in front of their enemy. Right in front of Scott''s five images stood a young man in black armor. A cloud of darkness suspended him in the air.


    Both men exuded an air of coldness. But in comparison to Scott, the man in black armor seemed more ruthless with a much powerful strength.


    "Scott must have used his inheritance skill to split into five avatars of himself. He is not taking any chances. There was no way he was going to let his enemy get the upper hand," Darren murmured to himself.


    Darren was fully aware that the man in black armor was by no means weak. In terms of martial arts, he knew from Scott that the man was at the same level of intelligence as a Grand Realm warrior.


    Suddenly, a fierce roar resounded in the air.


    Scott''s five avatars howled wildly all at once. Behind every avatar was a monstrous shadow of a dragon.


    The black mountains shook and collapsed as the dragons roared fiercely. The sound waves were so intense that even Darren had to back off several miles away just to steady himself. The moment he found his footing, he suspended himself in the air in order to get a better view of the fight.


    Scott''s five avatars moved with enormous force simultaneously all of a sudden. Responding to their movement, the five dragons behind them swiftly wagged their bodies to rally an even more tremendous energy. Without delay, they immediately launched attacks towards the man in black armor at the same time.


    At once, a piercing noise resounded in the air.


    The young man howled in fury, his eyes lit up with fierceness. He stretched out his hands to launch a waft of black smoke at his enemies. It darted towards the five avatars of Scott like some sort of black lightning.


    The black smoke spread out to put the man


    as black scales began to grow on his skin one after the other.


    In that moment, Daren had turned himself into a fighting monster.


    As soon as Darren completed his transformation, he felt a cold gaze land on him. The man in black armor looked down at Darren from up above with a gaze so piercing it seemed as if it were a sharp sword that could stab any of his enemies.


    Darren could not help but tremble under the gaze of the man. Despite Darren''s existing power, the man still frightened him greatly. Darren was left with no choice but to subdue his fear. He leaped into the air like a black lightning, dashed towards the black pit that was created by Scott''s body, and slipped into it.


    ''Why didn''t he stop me?'' Darren thought as his heart fluttered nervously. Somehow, deep inside, he had a feeling that the man was not planning on launching any attacks against him. Had the man been planning on attacking Darren, he would have been able to smash him into pieces with just a snap of his fingers.


    Darren darted straight towards the heart of the earth. By the time he reached the core, he was already miles away from the earth''s surface.


    He did not stop until he saw a vast area full of lava. There, he found Scott''s wounded body immediately.


    ''The lava is scorching hot. If he had fallen into the lava, he would have been turned into ashes immediately. I would burn into nothing too, if I fall into it.'' Darren felt relieved that Scott did not fall into the sea of lava.

 Chapter 197 Stunning Strength (Part Two)

    Scott was of the dragon''s blood and he was just half a step away from the Grand Realm level, so it was a given fact that he was physically much stronger than Darren.


    "Let''s leave this place, Scott."


    Darren pulled Scott to his feet and held him tightly in his arms as he flew upwards. He had to leave the place immediately. As a human with blood and flesh, he would be scorched to death by the hot temperature from the lava if he lingered there for long. Darren felt astonished that with powerful one hit, the man was able to drive Scott to the center of the earth. Such was the strength of a Grand Realm warrior. Such power was sure to drive fear into anybody''s heart.


    A gush of air filled Darren''s ears as he flew up with Scott at an extremely fast speed towards the surface of the earth. The moment they reached the surface, Darren felt the man''s gaze burning through him.


    "Spare his life, please."


    Darren stared at the man''s face for a long time before asking for mercy.


    The man looked into Darren''s eyes with a look full of both arrogance and coldness. Half hidden in the black smoke, the man kept silent for a while. Then, a voice resounded in Darren''s mind, "You owe this to me."


    Then the man turned around and walked away, still afloat in the air.


    With each forceful step of his, the sky rumbled, making thunder-like noises as the air stirred.


    Soon, the man completely disappeared from Darren''s view.


    The moment the man was out of sight, Darren was finally able to let out a sigh of relief.


    Darren took in deep breaths as if he had never breathed better air before. It was as if he had just crawled out from under a gigantic mountain.


    He had no idea why the man in black armor accepted his pleas and spared Scott. Nor did he understand what he meant by "You owe this to me." All he knew, and all he cared about in that moment was that Scott had to live, and he must do everything in his power to save him.


    Darren went back to check Scott''s injuries, and found him already woken up from his coma. To his surprise, Scott was staring at him with suspicion.


    "Scott..."


    Darren looked down at his body in transformation form¡ªstill ridden with scales. He had no idea how to explain this to his friend.


    He was fully aware that it would still be easy for Scott to kill him in spite of his severe injuries.


    But he trusted Scott, and he knew he would never do anything to hur


    expect that that was the reason why Scott was refusing his offer.


    "It''s just a fruit with healing power. I don''t think it is as precious as the friendship between us. You treat me as if I were your blood brother. And I see you the same way. I''ll do anything for you no matter the cost!"


    Darren meant it sincerely. The boy''s words reminded Scott of the time he used to spend hanging out with his brothers when he was young. Darren looked so candid and sincere in saying it, and so Scott could not help but feel touched even though he was a tough man with a mind of iron and steel.


    "You''re my good brother, Darren." Scott spoke to Darren passionately. Although this boy was comparatively weak in the level of martial arts, he had already saved his life twice. Scott vowed to never forget it.


    "We are good brothers, so please don''t refuse me again." Darren ginned at Scott.


    "No, Darren, you keep the fruit for yourself. It will prove to be invaluable to you in the future. It might even be the cornerstone for you to achieve the Grand Realm level. For me, however, the fruit is of less importance. It can only purify my dragon blood to a higher extent. It would be a waste of a precious fruit if it cannot help me achieve the Grand Realm level successfully anyway." Scott was determined to refuse Darren''s offer.


    "Achieve the Grand Realm level successfully?" Scott''s last sentence captured Darren''s attention.


    "What do you mean, Scott? You mean you can improve the level of your cultivation base to the Grand Realm with the help of this fruit?" Darren asked, the curiosity plain in his voice.

 Chapter 198 Brotherly Love

    "The Dragon Saliva Fruit is extremely precious. It was nurtured in the dragon blood pool for thousands of years. This may be purposeless for ordinary people, but as for you and me, who possesses the dragon bloodline in our veins, this serves as the most valuable treasure in the world. If one owns an intact Dragon Saliva Fruit, it can refine his feeble bloodline, and allow it to become extremely pure and clear. Either that, or it can change his blood into the lower level of the dragon blood," Scott explained.


    He then continued, "If my blood can turn into the lower level of the dragon blood, it is certain that I will reach the Grand Realm in half a year. If I can''t change my blood, it can only empower my bloodline and improve some of my strength, but there is not a slightest chance for me to arrive at the Grand Realm.


    In your case, however, the effect of the fruit will be different. Right now, your bloodline is perfectly pure. Once you arrive at the peak stage of the Wonder Realm, you can refine the fruit and use it to change your bloodline. After that, with the great power of the dragon blood, I''m sure that you will reach the Grand Realm! So, you take the fruit. Having it for myself would be such a waste."


    As Scott concluded, Darren nodded his head in comprehension.


    ''It''s such an honor to have a brother like him, '' Darren thought. Not many people would be as generous and selfless as Scott. Darren was deeply moved by this grand gesture. Scott voluntarily gave up his chance to reach the Grand Realm and offered it to Darren. It was so noble of him to make such a sacrifice.


    No one could change the world in a single stroke, but Scott''s kindness made all the difference. Considering that they knew each other for only a short period, anybody else wouldn''t think twice to kill him when tempted with such a rare treasure. But Scott, the good person that he was, chose the path of unselfishness. As far as Darren knew, if a person could reach the Grand Realm, it meant that he could be above everyone else in the world. He would be the real king of the martial world, and everyone would have to obey his orders. Such a lure of power could be both tempting and daunting. But Scott resisted such a temptation.


    "In that case, you should take the half of the Dragon Saliva Fruit," Darren offered after thinking further. "Even if your chances are slim, you can still can make an effort and make it work for your advantage. This is a rare chance for you too, and now is not the time for you to give up. As for me, I have no idea when I will be arriving at the Wonder Realm. Nothing is settled yet, so I probably won''t have the chance to use it at all," he stated. He looked at Scott and noticed the torn expression etched on his face.


    He knew that Scott wanted to refuse him on his offer again. So before Scott could say anything, Darren feigned anger and boomed, "If you insist on giving it to me, I will think that you are looking down on me and you are afraid to owe a debt of gratitude to me."


    "There''s really no changing your mind, huh?" Scott sighed and admitte


    uld be overturned as the Lord of the Holy Land. As the Holy Lord of the Dragon Holy Land, Scott also took the responsibility to protect the forbidden area. But he also had no idea what was lurking inside. He also didn''t know what ways he could do to find out. The only thing he was sure of was that the Holy Land actually came from the witchers.


    "I do know a thing or two about the forbidden area. Let me tell you everything I know. Scott, have you heard of the witchers?" Darren asked. Scott''s eyes lit up in expectation of what he was about to learn.


    Darren told Scott everything he knew about the forbidden area. As he finished telling his story, it left Scott completely dumbfounded.


    "I see. So the witchers do exist in the world. And the great war happened a long time ago was also true. No wonder the eight Holy Lands have such high statuses and good reputations, it is all because the witchers had chosen us. But I guess there must have had other reasons for it. Otherwise, the witchers would not choose our clan and those groups in the first place," Scott analyzed. He stroked his chin as he processed the new information he just heard.


    "Maybe you''re right about that. But we should get out of here soon, I have a friend waiting for me outside and I don''t know how he is. What''s more, I have been here for a long time. Elsa is going to be worried about me." Darren gave Scott an anxious look.


    "Okay, Let''s go," Scott agreed. They both flew towards the lake.


    When they got there, they were faced with a strange vortex. Scott transferred his aura of dragon blood and blew towards it. A door emerged from the water, emitting blinding rays of light. They were both enveloped by the light, and with that, they disappeared.


    Darren had never seen those people who had first stepped their feet into this place. Probably because they were all buried in the dust and dirt so that no one could find out again. Staring deep into the void, he felt that this place was as vast as a world, and he would never figure out the infinite secrets it beheld.

 Chapter 199 Two Demonic Monster Kings

    Darren saw a white light flash in front of him and the whole world became clear and bright. However, the strong coppery smell of blood still permeated the air. The next minute, he was greeted by the sight of numerous corpses lying in ditches and of blood spreading everywhere.


    A couple of months ago, the demonic monsters waged a war against the humans who tried to set foot into their territories. Tens of thousands had died since then, both humans and demonic monsters.


    Boom! Boom!


    The ear-shattering sound of bombing was heard at a distance. Evidently, there was still some fighting going on.


    Darren and Scott then flew towards that direction.


    From a distance, they saw a group of people, all covered in blood. They were being backed into a corner by several gigantic monsters and had no way of escaping.


    "The North Monster King," Scott muttered as he furiously glared at a thousand-feet tall lion.


    Using his spiritual sense, Darren was able to sense that the group of people consisted of the strong old master of the Heavenly Palace Sect, a number of other skillful masters, and Bruce¡ªa person he was definitely familiar with.


    Based on his observations and on the few information he already had, he surmised that the demonic monsters had won the war. Even while headed by the old master of the Heavenly Palace Sect, the people involved in the fight were still not able to persevere.


    Swoosh!


    Scott and Darren then flew towards them at a terrific speed.


    "Look! What is that?" one of the survivors said, pointing out at the sky.


    "A Holy Lord! We''re saved!" another exclaimed.


    The war survivors atop the cliff were exhilarated to see other human allies.


    All of them, except for Bruce, were masters at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm.


    "North Monster King! How dare you slaughter my fellow clansmen!"


    Scott roared as he floated in mid-air; his voice was as cold as ice and as frightening as thunder. With his cyan robe flying about in the wind, he looked almost god-like.


    "What?"


    the gigantic demonic monsters grunted. They turned around and glowered at the two humans with calculating eyes.


    "Pfft, a Holy Lord. Do you want to take care of him?" The North Monster King smugly said to the Divine Bull King. The demonic monsters knew Scott and did not pay him too much mind. In their opinion, all Holy Lords had the ability of the


    c monster. He could even equal to a level nine demonic monster when he used his talent skill.


    The two kings gave their tacit approval of the bull demonic monster''s behavior.


    The Divine Bull King was quite confident of his right hand deputy''s abilities.


    "To kill a Holy Lord is not a small case. Will you be able to face the consequence? If you can''t, I''ll just send my blood lizard to deal with him," the North Monster King teased.


    "Shut your damned mouth! The Dragon King is going to carry out a closed-door cultivation for a hundred years. I have nothing to be afraid of! Killing this human won''t be a big deal for me. I would gladly kill them all if they decide to avenge him," the Divine Bull King said as he flexed his rippling muscles, standing at his full thousand-feet height.


    "Are you guys done yammering?" Scott indifferently asked. "If so, then I''ll start finishing you of one by one now¡ªand nobody will be left alive!"


    He let out a strong force. The next minute, he was rushing towards the level eight demonic monster.


    "Are you ready for a show? Let''s watch this while enjoying some good wine," the North Monster King said with a devilish smirk. ''The stupid bull will take responsibility for this.''


    "That''s a good idea! Give me some wine!" the Divine Bull King yelled out. It was clear that he still had not realized the risk he was taking.


    A demonic monster immediately served him wine. The Divine Bull King and the North Monster King both watched the scene in front of them in anticipation. While the next minute they all shocked by what they saw.

 Chapter 200 Scott VS The Demonic Monster Kings (Part One)

    At the sight of what was happening in front of him, Darren smiled slightly. The outcome of the fight between Scott and the level eight, bull demonic monster had met his expectation. Elder Star, however, suddenly opened his eyes and turned to look at them in surprise.


    "Elder Star, why didn''t you continue to heal yourself?" Darren asked as he saw Elder Star open his eyes.


    Elder Star was staring dazedly at Scott. But shortly, he snapped out of it and answered, "Don''t worry. I''m not badly injured. It''s only because I used a great amount of life vitality, which made my body weak. I feel much better now."


    After that, he kept on muttering to himself, "I didn''t expect the Holy Lord to be so powerful!"


    When Scott declared that he would challenge the two demonic monster kings, Elder Star was deeply worried for his safety. Alas, he could do nothing because his life vitality was exhausted. He had thought that Scott wasn''t much of a match for the demonic monster kings, but he could buy him a little time so that he might be able to recover his strength and then help him to fight them. But now, having witnessed the scene, he finally realized that he had underestimated Scott.


    With just one slap, Scott had caused the level eight demonic monster to spit out a large mouthful of blood! Elder Star wondered to himself, ''If I fight with that demonic monster, I''m not certain I can get him badly injured with just one move. But Scott just beat the monster so easily. And to top it all off, it seemed as though he hadn''t used much of his power at all!''


    The two monster kings also stared at Scott with disbelief. Obviously, they had also underestimated his strength. They hadn''t expected him to be so powerful!


    "Moo!"


    the bull demonic monster let out a roar after being knocked down. Perhaps, it was because he suffered great pain¡ªor rather, because of his mounting anger towards Scott! Vigorous energy surged around his body. Though he had been knocked down, he had a stubborn fighting spirit and he was unwilling to give in easily.


    "Divine Bull King, it is time for us to kill this guy," North Monster King called out at the Divine Bull King as he kept his grim eyes glued to Scott, shooting him with a vicious glare.


    "Huh! Are you speaking ill of my right hand deputy? He''s the most powerful warrior among my subordinates! He was just careless, and that''s why he was knocked down. Once he gets serious, it will be as easy as pie to kill the little Holy Lord," the Divine Bull King argued. He was reluctant to admit his subordinate''s failure in front of North Monster King because it was so humiliating. Even though he didn''t know Scott''s actual strength, he still pretended to be unbothered and boasted of his warrior.


    Suddenly, a stream of hot vapor jetted out from the bull demonic monster''s nostrils. Anger was burning in his chest. Once again, he let out another bellow. With this loud noise, his body began to expand until blood-re


    ain, he suddenly burst into manic laughter. His eyes, as big as saucers, now grew scarlet, shining with the desire to kill.


    He laughed for a long time and finally stopped. Then he screamed harshly and declared, "Little bastard, you are now qualified to fight with me!"


    Scott didn''t speak a word. Instead, he responded with a palm attack which was enveloped with mighty aura that belonged to the Dragon Blood Clan.


    "Boom!"


    The attack made the earth quake. A silhouette of a huge palm covered with green scales was formed, flying right at the Divine Bull King.


    "Huh! You dare to irritate me! You are courting death!"


    the Divine Bull King sneered. He then took out a metal cylinder from his back, holding it in his hands. Gradually it grew larger. When it grew into a considerable size, he finally threw it into the air, directly towards the approaching palm.


    At this point, North Monster King drew himself aside. He stationed himself in a safe place, eagerly watching their battle.


    He did this for two reasons. First, he didn''t know the actual strength of Divine Bull King. This was the perfect opportunity for him to find out! Secondly, he could also use Divine Bull King''s strength to test Scott''s strength. After all, he was also quite surprised when he saw Scott use his physical body to conquer that bull demonic monster. He was not a stupid like Divine Bull King, and did not rashly engage with even the slightest threat.


    The metal cylinder collided with the palm, resulting in streaks of lightning sparking forth. The thunder and lightning exploded in all directions.


    It was fortunate that the two forces had collided each other hundreds of miles high above the ground, otherwise it could have been possible that everything would have been destroyed by the tremendous impact within a million miles.


    "Humph!"


    Scott sneered. The next moment, his figure had turned into a streak of green light, shooting straight towards Divine Bull King!

 Chapter 201 Scott VS The Demonic Monster Kings (Part Two)

    Scott darted towards the Divine Bull King, flying like a green dragon in the air. As he approached his enemy''s massive frame, a flash of green light burst out of him.


    Boom!


    Traces of terrible palm shadows struck down from the sky and blotted out the sun with peerless power, as if it could tear the earth.


    "Moo!"


    With a muffled roar from the Divine Bull King, a palm shadow was shattered by the metal pillar in midair. Then, the pillar continued to fly and hit the remaining powerful palm shadows with lightning fast speed.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Meanwhile, the Divine Bull King and Scott attacked each other with hundreds of punches in just a few seconds, every hit made the earth tremble.


    "Genuine Dragon Attack!"


    After numerous punches, Scott gave a low shout and performed his supernatural martial skill at the highest level with all his remaining strength.


    "Roar!"


    The roar of the dragon echoed through the skies, and the shadows of the green dragon hurtled fiercely towards the Divine Bull King.


    Boom!


    The Divine Bull King continued to bellow as he emitted a blood-red glow. He grew by hundreds of feet in an instant. Golden torrents were bursting out of his fists, colliding with the dragon shadow.


    However, under the dragon shadow''s bombardment, the Divine Bull King trembled violently, and his golden torrents seemed a little weaker than the dragon shadow.


    Obviously, the Divine Bull King was at a disadvantage in this battle.


    He had to pull back the metal pillar that was flying around the air. Once the metal pillar fell into his hand, it glowed with intense blood-red light and regained its momentum.


    Boom!


    The Divine Bull King lifted the metal pillar and smashed Scott with it hundreds of times in an instant.


    The clanging was so constant that Scott, who had a very tough body, couldn''t withstand the impact. He was beaten and pushed backwards until he was thrown into the distance like a flash of light.


    "Ha-ha, you are too weak to go against me!"


    The Divine Bull King was able to turn the fight in an instant. He laughed wildly in midair and had smug written all over his face.


    "Buddy, you have to be careful!"


    In that moment, the North Monster King''s urgent voice reached the Divine Bull King''s ears.


    The Divine Bull King suddenly realized that something was wrong and looked into the void as his eyes widened with fear.


    ...


    Elder Star seemed lost in his thoughts as he stood on the ground while watching the battle.


    Again, Scott exceeded his expectations. "Holy Lord Scott is no longer inferior to me," he muttered with surprise.


    In the consistent cognition and comparison, only the Holy Lord Landon could be considered as the strongest cultivator of the Wonder Realm, the other Holy Lords wouldn''t stand a chance against him. There were at least seven elders in the Heavenly Palace Sect, who could crash the seven other Holy Lords besides Landon. Without a doubt, the Elder Star was definitely one of those elders.


    But after seeing Scott''s real strength, Elder Star dismissed this idea. He thought that his chances of defeating Scott was grim just by knowing that the latter''s physical strength and the p


    rom the Divine Bull King''s mouth, and the king''s eyes were filled with intense horror and despair. He no longer had the strength to bring out his best power. Faced with his enemy''s violent attacks, his only remaining option was death.


    "Grrrr!"


    In that moment, a huge lion rushed towards Scott with incredible speed. The North Monster King had joined the fight.


    Bang!


    The North Monster King''s huge paw crushed the dragon''s momentum and saved the Divine Bull King.


    "Buddy, we should work together and bring out our best powers to kill this disgusting human bastard!" The North Monster King yelled in a muffled voice.


    The Divine Bull King survived, his anger burning like fire. He lifted the metal pillar and stabbed it once more through his own heart. His blood essence regained its flame, and his belligerence force was even stronger than before. It was clear that he had no plans of admitting defeat as long as he was alive.


    As the North Monster King saw this, the corner of his mouth picked up a sneer that could hardly be seen.


    The Divine Bull King''s blood essence would be burned out, and even if he eventually survived in the end, there was no way he could be king again. This meant that the North Monster King would be the head of the four demonic monster kings and this pleased him and caused him immense excitement.


    Yet he was clear that to kill the human was the most important thing they had to take care of right then and there. ''The old bull is crazy and desperate, but he really did unleash his greatest power. With my skill, I surely have more than enough to kill this puny human!'' thought the North Monster King. Then he opened his bloody mouth wide and a purple ball floated out of it.


    Scott frowned. The pressure he was feeling from the two demonic monster kings was so intense that the bones in his body almost cracked.


    "Let me show you my best skill!" Scott cried coldly while four avatars burst out of his body, each with amazing powers.


    "What? Those five avatars all have the same powerful breath!" Elder Star, who was always composed, couldn''t help but yell out of surprise.

 Chapter 202 Scott VS The Demonic Monster Kings (Part Three)

    "So is this the Dragon Blood Clan''s inheritance skill?" Elder Star asked, unable to stop himself from crying out in wonder. He had known from long ago that this skill was the strongest skill, and along with that knowledge was the understanding that the skill was superior to other skills in some respects.


    Despite knowing such a thing for so long, seeing it now was still as astonishing and shocking as one would expect. He stared with wide eyes as his jaw dropped open. It was like a dream playing out in broad daylight because nobody had ever anticipated that an avatar one produced would have as much strength and power as its originator, and yet there it was. He thought about what would happen if Scott reached the Grand Realm and each avatar was as strong as his real body. He felt that Scott''s strength would increase to such a great extent that even if all of the demonic monster kings engaged in the combat, the whole situation would remain a challenge for them.


    As he pondered over Scott''s strength, an idea suddenly flashed in his mind. "Is it possible that his talent skill will grow stronger in the future?" he murmured to himself.


    Darren, who had been standing next to him all this time, burst into laughter upon seeing the fascinated look on Elder Star''s face. "Of course it will grow stronger. Scott hasn''t even reached the Grand Realm yet. Imagine how many avatars he''ll be able to produce once he climbs his way up to the Grand Realm? I''d say he''d manage at least eight avatars," he said. Before the fight began, Darren had given some of his Dragon Saliva Fruit to Scott, thinking that although the fruit could not help Scott reach the Grand Realm, it would still purify his blood and allow him to produce more avatars than usual.


    He was aware that even though the Dragon Saliva Fruit had this prominent effect, it was still the cultivator''s strength that mainly decided the quantity of the avatar. The higher the realm, the more avatars one could produce. In this case, if Scott reached the Grand Realm, producing up to ten avatars at the same time would not be out of the question given that he had already made numbers of big achievements in his cultivation.


    Darren''s words were convincing enough to make Elder Star


    se, Scott decided to take it up a notch. While still channeling his dragon shadows to strike hard at the demonic monster kings, he put his supernatural martial skill into action. Instantly, the dragon shadows began to glow and grow large in size. Within seconds, they became immensely gigantic and threw their long and absolutely sharp claws towards the two demonic monster kings.


    The two demonic monster kings clearly panicked and fumbled to block the attacks. Due to the severe injury he had gotten in the fight earlier, Divine Bull King started to show signs of weakness. All this time, it was his haunting vanity and fury that sustained him in the fight for so long. As the fight had come to its climax, Divine Bull King began breathing heavily and running out of energy while Scott remained unscathed. He didn''t even seem fazed.


    Noting that Divine Bull King could not hold on much longer, an ominous feeling struck North Monster King''s heart. As if it wasn''t already enough that they were in such a disadvantageous state, losing his teammate would force him to confront Scott and all his mighty avatars alone. He knew where it would end, and he didn''t like the idea one bit.


    "Let''s strike the avatar on the left together," North Monster King advised. He let out a battle cry and began striking at the said avatar as his first target.


    Although all of Scott''s avatars were on par with him in strength, the fact that their physical resistance was a tad bit weaker could not be denied.

 Chapter 203 Scott VS The Demonic Monster Kings (Part Four)

    North Monster King was smart enough to figure out this weakness and target one of the avatars. In his opinion, defeating all five together was impossible, but maybe defeating one at a time was more plausible. By doing that, he would not only hinder the growth of the avatar, but also suppress Scott''s power.


    Now that the plan had been laid out, they felt they had a better chance of taking out those avatars. With his last effort, Divine Bull King took out one avatar together with North Monster King.


    Their attacks fell hard on the avatar with a resounding thud.


    Scott sensed the danger, but it was too late to order his avatar to dodge. The avatar went flying backwards from the lethal blow, the sound of its bones cracking clear in the silent sky. As if a sack of sand fell down and bore a big hole into his chest, blood began splattering out and flecking the ground below. The avatar then fell to the ground, exploding into flames and disappeared.


    Noting his temporary setback, Scott snorted in anger. He regarded his opponents with cold eyes.


    He was not discouraged, though. He could clearly see that he only needed one big blow to end Divine Bull King''s life as he had almost run out of energy and his devastating injury had already buried one of his feet in the ground. Scott decided to finish him so he could eliminate one of his threats, enabling him to get the upper hand.


    In order to completely obliterate Divine Bull King''s existence, he decided to play a trick and strike him when he was defenseless. Using his spiritual sense, Scott instructed his remaining three avatars to generate the most powerful dragon shadows they could manage and charge hard towards North Monster King instead of towards Divine Bull King. He himself also engaged in the fight to ensure Divine Bull King would die from his blow.


    The coming of the direct and power-packed blow terrified North Monster King beyond words. Hurriedly, he summoned a thicker purple mist and attempted to block those dragon shadows from hurting him.


    He had no idea that he had fallen right into Scott''s trick. Before his purple mist could even make contact upon Scott''s dragon sh


    that they were protected by Scott''s defensive skill. No demonic monster under the sixth level would be able to break through his spellbound area. There were originally two other mighty demonic monsters that could have broken through it in the beginning. They had been peering at the battle from a safe distance all this time, but seeing Divine Bull King had been defeated, they ran away with their tails between their legs.


    Utilizing his vital energy, Darren left Elder Star and flew straight towards where Divine Bull King was lying. It was not difficult for him to locate Divine Bull King because the massive crater on the ground gave his location away.


    Darren did not do it without reason. He actually had a plan for the whole combat from the very beginning.


    He had always wondered how much talent he would assimilate from killing a demonic monster king ever since he discovered his ability. Having a motionless monster king in front of him was a rare opportunity and he wouldn''t let his chance slip away.


    Since Divine Bull King was already on the verge of death, he didn''t need to use too much energy in killing him. Darren still felt he should be very cautious, though, because Divine Bull King was still powerful enough to slap him to death.


    So, as gingerly as he could, Darren crept towards the depths of the crater, excitement filling him as he thought about the power he was going to assimilate from Divine Bull King.

 Chapter 204 A Great Increase In Talent

    "Huh?" Darren suddenly sensed faint breathing from the badly injured Divine Bull King as his figure descended. ''He is indeed still alive, '' Darren realized.


    He began to approach the demonic monster with utmost caution. For Darren, it would be the best result if he could kill the Divine Bull King via sneak attack with all his strength.


    As the faint breathing came nearer, Darren transformed himself into his demon form with his blade and sword intent on standby.


    From less than one hundred feet from this breathing, Darren''s blade and sword intent surged simultaneously as his body shot at the bottom of the pit like an arrow.


    Clang!


    "Oh no, I can''t break open his defense!"


    To Darren''s surprise, the blow which he had delivered with all his might didn''t even break the Divine Bull King''s hard skin. Even though all its bones had been shattered, a dull numbness ran along Darren''s arm.


    All of a sudden, the Divine Bull King opened his huge eyes. Red light flashed from his angry pupils.


    Collapsed on the ground, the demonic monster made no movement, but his breath shot into the air and came at Darren extremely quickly.


    Boom!


    In the next second, Darren was hit by the jet of the steam and thrown into the cavern wall; a deep hole was formed on the cavern wall with a depth of hundreds of feet.


    "Such a powerful force that the breath was enough to strike me back," Darren thought, startled. Suffering great pain, he felt as if all his bones had fallen apart due to the violent impact. He was dismayed that even if his body''s hardiness was unable to withstand it.


    No strong cultivator at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm could survive the blow of the breath from the Divine Bull King!


    After a brief adjustment of his breath, Darren made a move towards the Divine Bull King again. ''Nevertheless, it''s impossible for the Divine Bull King to escape because of all his broken bones, '' Darren thought.


    But as Darren got closer to the Divine Bull King, he found out he was mistaken. The king''s physical body was unexpectedly climbing up along the wall of the pit, slowly but surely.


    Moreover, Darren could tell that he was wasting no time in recovering his strength, albeit with a very slow speed.


    ''He''s recovering from his injuries. I will be killed by a palm attack from the demonic monster if I try to come to his side after an hour!'' Darren mulled in his mind.


    Hastiness stirred in his heart. A demonic monster king was a great treasure for Darren without any doubt. The assimilation of the Divine Bull King''s talent would be a huge leap for Darren''s own talent, and its blood would be the best material needed for the Demonic Blood Refining Skill.


    Swoosh!


    In the face of this great temptation, Darren dispatched demonic internal force, simultaneously channeling his blade and sword intent towards at the Divine Bull King, hoping with all his heart to kill him.


    "Moo!"


    The Divine Bull King stared at Darren intently, his eyes wide open, only a faint, guttural howl escaping from his throat. Right when Darren had released his strike, the metal pillar in his chest suddenly flew out and shot at Darren.


    "Blood Dragon Phantom!"


    Darren directly used the inheritance skill of the dragons and produced eight avatars in a split sec


    f another demonic monster king. I will do it later.'' Darren put aside these concerns for now. There would be many more opportunities waiting for him.


    After composing himself, he flew to Elder Star. ''Bruce should be able to move around now, '' Darren thought.


    The moment he flew over he found Scott.


    "Scott, have you killed the North Monster King?" Darren asked immediately.


    Scott shook his head bitterly. "I got very close to killing him when some strange power blocked me. I think there are some stronger creatures lurking in this demonic monster domain, we''d better leave as soon as possible," Scott explained.


    Then, Scott awakened the strong human cultivators and prepared to teleport them out of here.


    "Scott, I need to collect some materials required for body refining. I need to stay here for another few days," Darren reminded him.


    Scott gave a nod. "Then take care, I will be here any time you are in danger," Scott said.


    "Don''t worry. I will be cautious," Darren reassured him with a smile.


    Scott was now ready to teleport the rest of them out of the demonic monster domain. Under Darren''s persuasion, Bruce also had to agree to leave the domain.


    Before they left, Darren gave his token of a supreme disciple to Bruce so he could stroll around in the Lotus Holy Land at his will and live in the place Darren had occupied previously. Aside from this, Darren needed Bruce to inform Elsa that he was safe and sound for fear of her concern.


    "Darren, please come see me the instant you have gathered enough materials. I need to cultivate in seclusion for several months or even a few years. My success or failure of entering the Grand Realm will be wholly dependent on it."


    "I see. I promise I will come to see you as soon as possible."


    Darren knew Scott was going to try to enter the Grand Realm with the help of the Dragon Saliva Fruit. And so he made up his mind to spend a few days'' time to improve his strength first and collect the blood of the diabolic beasts immediately.


    After these agreements were made and goodbyes were said, Scott gave Darren a teleportation jade card before transporting the others out of the demonic monster domain.

 Chapter 205 Collecting Demonic Monsters Blood

    Once Scott had left with the others, Darren stayed in the demonic monster domain for a few days. During this time, he began to grasp the blade intent.


    After he had seen a big leap in his talent, he had to comprehend the blade intent as quickly as possible. Once he accomplished this, he could enhance his strength in an even shorter amount of time!


    In this wasteland, a group of level three demonic monsters casually wandered all around. All of a sudden, a deafening sound rung out from behind! Numerous blades emitted rays of bright light that instantly shot toward them. In a split second, the three demonic monsters were chopped into pieces.


    A man flew in the air, feeling fully satisfied with his masterpiece.


    "Right now, I have reached the high level of the supernatural blade skill. Both my blade and sword intent have achieved a balance! This is wonderful! I have even made a vast improvement in my strength!" he shouted. Although Darren had grasped the supernatural blade skill, he still couldn''t condense the blade core yet. He intuitively felt that something was missing.


    Darren didn''t want to waste his time anymore. He needed to hurry up and practice longer, harder, and faster. After he grasped the blade intent, he directly flew into the demonic monster territory. With his current strength, he could easily kill any level five demonic monsters. As for the level six demonic monsters, maybe he could use his battle techniques and give them a try!


    Although the level six demonic monsters reached the middle stage of the Wonder Realm, they still evolved from the beasts. Since they were not as experienced as Darren in battle techniques, and didn''t possess any impressive martial skills like he was, he still had a small chance of defeating them.


    In a split second, Darren soared away for several hundred miles. When he set foot onto the demonic monster domain, a deafening roar came from the mysterious mountain. This large mass of land emitted a powerful and gargantuan aura.


    After he arrived, Darren did not hastily kill the demonic monsters for blood. Instead, he began to look through the book of "Demonic Blood Refining Skill." He had decided to find out about all the specific procedures and what kind of demonic monster blood he needed before getting started.


    The book "Demonic Blood Refining Skill" could be graded at five stages: the skin refining stage, meridian refining stage, organ refining stage, bone refining stage, and golden body refining stage.


    Of course, each stage had a different requirement which corresponded to the level of the demonic monster''s blood.


    Respectively, the skin refining stage needed blood from a level three demonic monster, the meridian refining stage a level four demonic monster, the organ refining stage a level five demonic monster, the bone refining stage a level six demonic monster, and the golden body refining stage required blood from the king of the demonic monster.


    "Ha-ha. I have already obtained the blood of the king of the demonic monster! If I collect blood from other levels demonic monsters, it will be smooth sailing from there," Darren murmured to himself. Darren felt giddy with excitement. If he had not risked his own life to kill the badly injured Divine Bull King, he would not have had the chance to collec


    lit the demonic monster''s throat. Thick blood soon oozed from the cut on its wounds, pouring out like a river. Darren instantly used his spiritual sense to store the blood into his Space Ring.


    This huge level five demonic monster had only provided half of the blood that Darren sought to obtain. This meant he would just need to go find another one!


    He didn''t want to waste his time anymore, so he directly flew towards the mountain in the distance to look for other level five monsters.


    As he flew, Darren suddenly detected human presence in the jungle. He sensed that the human was being attacked by a demonic monster.


    As Darren dashed into the jungle, he caught sight of a ten-year-old child. The child trembled with fear in front of a level two demonic monster, which had fiercely opened its bloody mouth and was about to devour him. On the ground not far away lay an old man covered in blood.


    "Get lost!" Darren screamed.


    Darren slightly raised his hand and waved at the level two demonic monster. It barely had time to yelp before it broke into pieces in a split second and disappeared completely.


    "Sir, thank you so much!" that child cried out as he gazed at Darren in a mix of overwhelming admiration and fear. Darren looked like a god to him. After all, he had popped out from nowhere and saved him and his grandfather in the nick of time!


    "You''re welcome, kid. Why are you here in the demonic monster domain? It''s very dangerous here," Darren asked kindly. He found out that the child had arrived the fourth stage of the Primary Realm, indicating that he had great potential in cultivation. The old man lay beside him had arrived the second stage of the Spirit Realm.


    "Sir, my name is Drew. My grandfather and I came to collect the herbs in the mountain, but we got lost and were injured by the demonic monster. Sir, please, please save my grandfather! He is dying!" the boy pleaded, sobbing desperately. Without hesitation, Darren went straight to the old man, and prepared to cure his injuries.


    The moment Darren turned his back to the boy, the boy flashed a dark and evil smile on his face. His innocent expression suddenly changed and green flames burned in his eyes.

 Chapter 206 Soul Hunter

    Darren approached the old man who lay on the ground. Just when Darren was about to help the old man with his injuries, a strange aura suddenly emerged from behind him and went straight to Darren''s head.


    In a split second, he felt as though his soul was being torn apart.


    "Huh?"


    Darren''s face grew serious. He raised his hand and deflected it.


    "Ah!"


    A scream came from behind him. As Darren turned around, he found that the boy had been blasted by his power into a big tree.


    "Why does your soul have such strong power!?" Suddenly, the little boy''s voice changed, sounding very much like an adult. He was totally astonished by the turn of events.


    "Ah!" Suddenly he screamed in agony as a sharp pain shot throughout his body. He frantically scratched his head, rolling on the ground.


    Darren felt goose bumps when he realized that if it weren''t for the strange stone in his head, he would have been dead. The strange stone sensed that probing aura, deflected it back at the boy in the nick of time and saved his life.


    "Who are you? I was nearly deceived by your dirty trick," Darren sneered at him.


    Boom!


    Darren suddenly felt a wave of dizziness again!


    "Again?" Darren used his spiritual sense, and once again deflected the probing aura inside his head.


    Now it was the old man on the ground who let out a scream.


    "He has such powerful soul! Ah! It''s so painful," he screamed in terror, writhing on the ground.


    Darren walked up to the old man, kicked him in the stomach and shouted, "You better come clean about the dirty trick you played on me. How dare you attack me like that, you bastard!"


    "Ha-ha-ha!" The old man let out a scream of laughter. "You are such powerful young man. We will have a taste of your soul one day. You just wait and see!"


    Having said this, the old man sprayed a mouthful blood at Darren''s body. His eyes went blank, and the aura emitted from his body vanished without a trace. It was as if his soul had disappeared completely.


    "He died?" Darren was confused. Darren walked closer and took a look at him. The old man was indeed lifeless. He turned around and walked towards the boy, who still lay whining beside the tree.


    Darren immediately emitted a powerful aura and pushed it against the boy. The power was so intense that the boy couldn''t even manage to move a muscle. He could neither commit suicide nor run away, so Darren began to question him about his real identity.


    "Tell me. Who the hell are you? If you don''t tell me the truth, I will let you feel pain one hundred times more than what you felt earlier!" Darren shouted.


    "Please, please don''t kill me.


    We are soul hunters come from the Soul Hunter Sect. We didn''t know you were such powerful master. I am so sorry for the trouble. I''m begging you for mercy!" the boy stammered, shivering with fear. But Darren sensed that something was wrong. Although he looked like a little boy, his voice sounded too mature. He was not a child at all!


    Once Darren forced


    ger.


    "You will pay the price for your huge mistake!" Darren''s voice was as cold as ice. Seeing numerous people''s souls groaning in agony, he couldn''t help but wonder how many innocent people had been killed by these vicious men!


    "Ha-ha, you bastard. Did you really think I can''t do anything to you just because my Spiritual Secret Skill can''t hurt you right now? Open your damned eyes and watch!" Bevis shouted. Bevis wasn''t afraid Darren at all. After all, he thought that he was already a beginner of the Wonder Realm, and he had well prepared for everything that would happen. He let out a roar and suddenly blasted intense aura from his body.


    Bevis sensed that Darren was only at the Mysterious Realm. Because of this, he assumed that destroying him would be a walk in the park. So without hesitation, he flung his punch right at Darren. He was absolutely certain that one blow of his fist would be more than enough to get rid of this intruder.


    Bang!


    When Darren raised his sword, Bevis suddenly came to the realization that he had been terribly naive. The power of the sword intent terrified Bevis. He trembled with fear, sensing that Darren''s sharp sword could tear everything apart into ribbons.


    His eyes grew wider, a look of sheer terror plastered on his cruel face. In no time at all, he completely disappeared into the sword''s shadows and was chopped into pieces before he could struggle.


    Darren raised his sword again and killed the guards. He collected a few beads from their corpses and a dozen beads from Bevis. All of these were filled with poor unfortunate souls.


    Darren approached the central pool. He saw that numerous shadows continued to struggle in agony as they all melted into a green liquid. Darren used his spiritual sense and wanted to explore it. After all, he had never seen anything like that before! As he stretched out his hand, a drop of liquid fell into his palm.


    "Assimilate."


    After doing so, Darren was totally taken aback by the result.

 Chapter 207 The Formidable Soul Attack

    As he absorbed the several drops of green liquid, Darren''s whole body trembled. He could feel that his soul was being refined.


    "It seems as though the growth in my soul is advancing my Spirit Power."


    Darren briefly examined himself and was pleasantly surprised to find that the droplets of green liquid had propelled his Spirit Power to a higher level.


    ''So, the growth of the soul is the key to enhancing one''s Spirit Power.'' Darren surmised. A smile played on Darren''s lips.


    In the next instant, Darren jumped into the pond and continued to absorb the spiritual energy it contained.


    The souls that had been refined in this pond could never be resurrected. Besides, the Soul Hunter Sect was an extremely vicious organization. Darren would never give these refined souls to them.


    Darren''s assimilation took about an hour. By then, Darren''s Spirit Power had reached level 18. He was shocked by the advancement.


    However, Darren hit a bottleneck. The growth of his Spirit Power would be next to nothing if he continued to absorb.


    "My Spirit Power is now at level 18. I wonder how much force I can unleash if I command the rules."


    As a rule cultivator, the stronger his Spirit Power, the higher the power Darren could command from the rules of the universe.


    Curious, Darren activated the Wind Rule he had just learned and started dashing around the cave.


    When Darren heard how fiercely the wind whistled when he ran, he knew that he was faster than before. He was sure that even masters at the top level of the Wonder Realm''s middle stage would be unable to catch him at this speed.


    However, comprehension of the Wind Rule could do more than just make a cultivator run faster. If Darren utilized it during a fight, it would allow him to deliver a blow more quickly as well. During combat, victory depended on speed¡ªthe faster you are, the more likely you are to win. Hence, being able to deliver a stroke quicker meant that Darren''s strength would be significantly enhanced as well.


    Besides, he could strengthen his defensive ability by reinforcing his comprehension of the Rule of the Earth.


    "What an unexpected gain! If I refine my body perfectly, I will become a formidable entity when I combine the Earth Formation and my demonic transformation skill. My strength is near the middle stage of the Wonder Realm.


    The glance vanished soon after it fell on the shadow. The source of this glance seemed to be astonished.


    "I have never seen such a powerful soul. I shall make it mine." The shadow swept an icy glance around the cave. It found Darren''s trace, yet it did not see him there.


    ...


    South of the demonic monster domain, Darren tried his best to conceal his aura and avoided being discovered by hiding inside the body of a demonic monster.


    On the path of being stronger, Darren had seen many powerful masters of martial arts, but none had terrified him this much. He deemed this figure as powerful as the avatar of that mighty man in the Black Cliff of Sword Intent.


    Those soul attacks were powerful enough to break through the defense of the stone in his head. Darren had been genuinely horrified.


    After hiding in a demonic monster''s corpse for several hours, Darren tried to sense the mighty figure. When he couldn''t trace it, he decided to step out.


    "The presence I felt is truly big and powerful. The growth of my Spirit Power won''t be of any value if I get killed here. I hope he''ll never find me." Darren remained vigilant. He knew that he was no match for the source of the attacks, at least not now.


    Since he had to stay in the demonic monster domain for a few more hours, Darren was careful the whole time. He even gave up the idea of finding a level six demonic monster because he was afraid that the formidable presence would come for him again. So, he activated the transmission jade card Scott had given him and gradually vanished.

 Chapter 208 You Are Not That Attractive

    "Thank goodness I have returned," exclaimed Darren happily.


    Darren raised his head and looked around. He found himself surrounded by a group of palaces. A huge blurry dragon shadow lay behind the most magnificent palace. He realized that he had reached the Dragon Holy Land.


    Darren was not in a hurry to find Scott. Darren had been tense and anxious during his time in the demonic monster domain. Now that he had arrived at the Dragon Holy Land, Darren wanted to relax. Thus, instead of finding Scott, he walked around.


    "Get out of here before you get killed!" someone yelled.


    Darren was about to enter the training ground when he heard the warning. Suddenly, a few Dragon Holy Land disciples blocked his path. Darren frowned as their attitude toward him was hostile.


    "Is the training ground off limits?" Darren asked, calmly.


    One disciple said haughtily, "Are you pretending to be unaware, or are you deliberately asking for trouble? Today, the three geniuses are going to compete with each other. The news has shaken everyone in the Holy Land. Do you still pretend to know nothing?"


    "I don''t know where this bumpkin comes from, but if you don''t have an invitation to watch the competition, you will not be allowed to enter. Get out of my face, or I will break your legs!" yelled another one.


    Darren would never be nice to ignorant and arrogant people like these disciples. He waved his hand gently and released a great force. It hit the two people with such power that they were pushed back several feet.


    "I want to see which geniuses are competing."


    Darren had only used a small percentage of his power, so he did not kill the two gatekeepers. His attack had been enough to cause a few minor injuries, though.


    Clap! Clap! Clap!


    A series of resounding claps were heard just then. Darren looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young girl smiling at him. Surprise and admiration reflected in her eyes.


    "What an impressive palm skill! You defeated two people at your level so effortlessly. Your strength is truly amazing."


    Darren shook his head. He knew the girl was patronizing him. It felt ridiculous, so he ignored her and walked toward the training ground.


    "Um? What is your problem? Why are you so cold to me?" questioned the girl. She frowned and stepped in front of Darren.


    "Well, I just want to go in and have a look. Why is everyone stopping me?" s


    . Then, his eyes rolled up, and then he fainted with joy.


    "Idiot." Bella Mu rolled her eyes at the disciple in white. She kicked him away and then looked at Darren.


    Below in the arena, the three powerful young people immediately cast a stern glance at Darren.


    "Sure," answered Darren casually.


    Hundreds of eyes filled with murderous intent focused on Darren. Didn''t he know the girl''s trick? It was no doubt that the girl wanted him to become the enemy of all the other people there, but Darren decided to fulfill her wish.


    Bella Mu was dumbfounded. She was angry with Darren, and she also felt that he was a man of mystery. She had thought that Darren would refuse her proposal as he had been cold toward her earlier. However, to her surprise, he agreed.


    The situation puzzled Bella. She had expressed her affection for Darren in front of so many people. They would now believe that she fancied him.


    "Come on, honey. Don''t you want to kiss your boyfriend?" Darren joked provocatively as he stuck out one side of his face toward Bella.


    Bella blushed with anger because she didn''t expect Darren to flirt with her in public!


    "Okay, but remember this. You are asking for trouble," she said in a very soft voice. "I could kiss you, but don''t blame me if you die after that."


    After saying that, she pouted her lips and moved closer toward Darren. A deep sense of shame and indignation reflected in her eyes.


    Whoosh!


    Immediately, Darren obstructed the girl''s lips with his hand.


    "Sorry, we''ve broken up now."


    Darren''s harsh words rang throughout the training ground.

 Chapter 209 Taught Him A Lesson

    Silence reigned in the training ground.


    Bella stood as still as a rock with her pouty lips still attached to Darren''s palm. Her face flushed red, and she nearly died of embarrassment.


    She took a few steps back as her eyes filled with tears. Bella was so embarrassed that she wanted to find a place to hide.


    Bella had always been surrounded by numerous talented youth who adored her. Now, a mediocre cultivator was teasing her. She felt wronged.


    "Why are you bullying me like this?"


    Bella cried as shame coursed through her. Pained by Darren''s actions, real tears flowed down her pretty face.


    "Bullying you? You asked for it.


    I don''t care about you, but you keep trying to get me into trouble. By asking me to be your boyfriend, you were provoking your admirers to attack me. Now, I think you have got what you wanted from me. Look at those vicious eyes. Can you feel that everyone in the training ground intends to kill me right now? Are you satisfied? Why are you saying that I bullied you? "


    Bella was rendered speechless as no one had spoken to her like this before.


    "Do you think that every man in the world should surround you and admire you because you are a beauty? Do you think you are that charming? Your admirers are a bunch of losers who are attracted to your physical appearance. And you are not that pretty at all. You are a cheap and shallow little girl in my eyes.


    Please don''t think that I am deliberately trying to hurt you. Everything I have said is the truth. I really mean it. Do you understand?"


    Bella didn''t move a muscle. Instead, she stared blankly at the floor. She had not been treated like this since she was a child. She was so mortified that she wanted to kill Darren. However, when she thought about her failed attack on Darren, she just stood there and didn''t know what to do.


    "Boo-hoo-hoo."


    Bella cried her heart out in front of Darren since she didn''t know how to vent her anger.


    The more Darren spoke ill of Bella, the more she cried. The more tears that flowed down her pretty face, the angrier her admirers became.


    "You bastard, don''t be so arrogant! I will kill you!"


    "You called us losers? You bastard! Go to hell!"


    "How dare you make Bella cry? I will never let you go!"


    The crowd was furious with Darren and began to snarl at him. Chaos ruled the training ground.


    Everyone who had come to watch the competition in this training ground today were all rule cultivators. Even the lowest-ranked cultivator was at the ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm. At least two dozen people had reached the primary stage of the Wonder Realm. They would never allow a mediocre cultivator like Darren, who had just reached the Mysterious Realm, to be so arrogant!


    Boom!


    In the next instant, a deafening sound filled the training ground as a dozen fist shadows flew towards Darren.


    Darren st


    sounds fair, right?"


    "Fred, are you showing off in front of Bella? Let go of such sum? Are you a real man or not? You are such a sissy." Another muscular man, who had stood on the battlefield shouted as he flew towards them.


    "Little boy. I am Cameron Wang. I am very good at teaching naughty children how to behave. You want to try it? How about you kneel on the floor and bow to me a hundred times? You deserve this punishment. Do you understand?" The last youth also flew towards them.


    Everyone in the training ground was filled with excitement as they were expecting a good show. They were certain that even if Darren were able to survive the battle, he would be severely injured by the three talents since they were deeply offended by his remarks.


    Under attack by three masters, who were at the top level of the primary stage of the Wonder Realm, Darren would suffer tremendously even if he had some legendary secret weapon to protect himself with.


    "Don''t go too far. You just need to teach him a lesson," Bella told them. She meant that they could do whatever they like with Darren as long as they didn''t kill him.


    "Since you say so, we will obey your order," a youth replied with an evil smile. He casually raised his hands in the air before swinging his fist toward Darren gently.


    Although his movement seemed gentle on the surface, it contained great power. His fist power was so intense that even the air swirled. The tremendous pressure emitted from his fist made it hard for all the disciples at the Mysterious Realm to breathe.


    They were amazed to see how powerful the master was, and thought that it was virtually impossible for Darren to sustain such strong power for one second.


    "Humph. You asked for it. Don''t blame me!" Bella snorted coldly. Her expression softened at the thought that someone was avenging her. She turned and walked towards the training ground''s exit.

 Chapter 210 One On Three (Part One)

    As Bella was about to set foot out the busy training ground, loud cheers overwhelmed her from behind. Out of curiosity she stopped, retracted her next steps and slowly gazed back, full of wonder as to what could have happened that called for such exclamation.


    She stared so clueless in a daze as if she had not witnessed such brutality. The young talent who had swung his fist towards Darren was thrown away in the air. Trying to pick up pieces of clues, she still could not understand and have a grasp of what just happened before everyone''s eyes.


    The youth, who was able to reach the top level of primary stage of Wonder Realm and with exemplary skill and grit, was thrown out of the battlefield. Was it an illusion or some kind of misunderstanding? Bella could hardly believe in her eyes as to why it was happening in front of her. She was full of doubts but she was so sure that this couldn''t be possible.


    "Was Fred really defeated?" Bella muttered to herself as she could not make sense of what was happening around her. She was stunned when she realized what really happened.


    "No, it can''t be! Fred is so strong. How could this happen?" People howled to express mixed feelings of confusion and disagreement to what they just witnessed.


    They were beginners who had fought hard and had just reached the Wonder Realm. Shocked to the core, they couldn''t understand what they just saw.


    However, they were absolutely aware of the prominence of that powerful energy which had caused Fred to be ejected away from the ground.


    They''d never heard of any man, who was only a Mysterious Realm cultivator, had such irrefutable and powerful energy. The impossibility and insanity of what happened made the people ask more and more questions.


    "He must be a master in the Wonder Realm! There must be some way to disguise his cultivation base," peop


    umstances, Darren was brave enough to proceed to fight the three geniuses at the same time. They believed it was suicide but they were sitting back, awaiting for the moment they could prove themselves they might be wrong.


    "Sirs, his strength may really be that exceptional. Otherwise he would not look down upon you. You cannot rival him, even if you fight together. Please just let him go. I will apologize to him. This is all my fault." Bella continued to agitate the three geniuses by pretending to be afraid as she tried to convince them by incessantly sobbing.


    "Just watch and let it unfold before your eyes, Bella. Beating him is as simple as beating a dog," Cameron exclaimed.


    "All right. Let''s finish him first so we can continue with the real competition. Kill Him!" the other two added.


    Three of them started to release energy that was combustible. This made the air around them explode when they flew to the battlefield with pride.


    Bella, aware of what was about to happen, sneered secretly when she witnessed the explosion. She assumed Darren could not rival the three geniuses because they had already reached the top level of the primary stage of Wonder Realm while Darren was yet to reach the middle stage.

 Chapter 211 One On Three (Part Two)

    "You humiliated me today. You are going to pay for that now," Bella stared at Darren viciously as she talked to herself. Finally, she felt a whole lot better.


    "Bella, I heard someone was brewing a fight here. What happened? "


    Suddenly, a middle-aged man strode and stopped beside her. He was in cyan cloth. No uncomfortable energy was released from his body, which made him look and feel just like any ordinary human being. His eyes, however, were so piercing that anyone could assume that his aura might be light but he was not mediocre.


    "Uncle Gilbert, you are here." Bella chuckled when she realized who recently arrived.


    She thought to herself that even if the three geniuses failed, her uncle, Gilbert Mu, who had reached the middle stage of Wonder Realm, would bend his knees in front of her. She sniggered with what was going on in her head.


    Then, Bella briefly told Gilbert Mu the concise details of what happened before he arrived.


    When Bella descriptively told the story as to how Darren threw Fred away, Gilbert Mu was completely stunned.


    "Uncle Gilbert, he concealed his cultivation base, came here and deliberately provoked the three geniuses. Do you know which real realm he belongs to? Can you rival and win over him?" Bella asked curiously as she wanted Gilbert Mu to help plot a way in bringing Darren to the ground.


    Gilbert Mu did not bother to give her an answer as he was busy pondering on what kind of person Darren could really be.


    Suddenly, he realized that danger was imminent and he exclaimed, "Bella, tell them to stop! I am afraid we cannot afford to offend this young man."


    "What?" Bella, knowing Uncle Gilbert''s personality, did not expect that he would say it so she worriedly asked, "Uncle Gilbert, do you really think he is so strong that you can''t rival and defeat him?"


    "Not really." Gilbert Mu shook his head and continued, "He recently reached


    er posed any advantage on their end. In fact, they were nothing but a team collecting embarrassment from the crowd. The geniuses wanted to finish this fight as quickly as possible so the two started to initiate their Omnipotent Talent Skill as well.


    When the three geniuses individually initiated their Omnipotent Talent Skill in synchrony, the sky was as agitated as the fighters. The clouds transformed from thin cirrus to nimbus, so the atmosphere in the training ground hinted darkness and suddenly became depressing.


    "It is time to put his strength to the test," Gilbert mumbled in his amazement. He saw what just happened and he could clearly tell that Darren''s capabilities surpass what was expected of his level. His strength could rival anyone who had attained being at the middle stage of Wonder Realm. Only his ambiguous strength was left.


    The wind blew silently as the air gave a feeling of buzz and life.


    As they were initiating Omnipotent Talent Skill, the sword whirred, demonstrating its unusual power. Several sword-lights unexpectedly shone in the recently depressing court. The powerful sword intent sent a threat to the atmosphere as if stirring another kind of battle.


    "Amazing!" Gilbert was beyond surprised of an eventful experience.

 Chapter 212 Defeat Them All

    A majestic sword intent permeated the battle platform.


    In the training ground, everyone held their breath as the pressure emitted by the powerful sword intent nearly suffocated them. Fortunately, the protection set around the battlefield reduced the effect of the pressure. Otherwise, many disciples at the Mysterious Realm might have lost consciousness.


    "The sword intent is too strong!"


    "I feel as though his sword intent is pressing against my throat."


    Several young disciples in the training ground were beginners at the Wonder Realm. Some even specialized in sword cultivation. Since they had absorbed sword cores, they were sensitive to the effect of Darren''s sword intent.


    Bella was more surprised than the others. She had no idea that she was provoking a genius.


    "Uncle Gilbert said that he is in the Mysterious Realm. But his sword intent is so strong. Is he a superior talent?" Bella felt as though she was having a panic attack. Her eyes reflected shock, worry, and even envy.


    ...


    The three young warriors hovered midair as they summoned their Omnipotent Talent Skill. However, they trembled with terror when a strong sword intent emanated from below. The strong sense of pressure from Darren''s sword intent was equivalent to their Omnipotent Talent Skill.


    "This brat must be at the top level of the Wonder Realm''s primary stage. His level of sword core is high!"


    "Huh, our Omnipotent Talent Skill can defeat him!"


    "Let''s attack together and kill this brat!"


    The three warriors were scared, but could not admit how they felt.


    Bang!


    The three warriors unleashed their Omnipotent Talent Skills simultaneously. Countless shadows of fists and palms loomed in the sky. The platform trembled under the pressure of their attack.


    Bang!


    Darren looked up with an expression as cold as the sword in his hand. As soon as the sword core was activated in his body, majestic sword intent shot out like a savage beast.


    The sword intent clashed against their Omnipotent Talent Skills. The force of the impact was so strong that the training ground shook, and a rumbling sound echoed in the air.


    Darren''s unmatched sword intent shattered numerous shadows before heading for the three young warriors, who were still hovering in the air.


    However, the Omnipotent Talent Skills from warriors at the top level of the primary stage of the Wonder Realm were not as weak as Darren had assumed. With the enhancement of the three warriors'' strengths, their attacks broke Darren''s sword intent, and the powerful attacks fell on Darren in an instant.


    "Hum! I have resisted Omnipotent T


    fight back because of the pain.


    The three warriors fell onto the ground. They looked pitiable as they lay on a semi-crushed platform, like dead dogs.


    Darren flew down and landed beside the three warriors. But he didn''t even look at them. Instead, he looked up at Bella, who was standing outside the platform.


    Bella was stunned as she stared at the platform. Several overwhelming emotions coursed through her.


    "He..." Bella murmured, feeling empty inside. She didn''t know what to say.


    "He didn''t show his true strength," Gilbert said as he shook his head. He felt that Darren could easily defeat the three warriors without using all his power.


    In the next instant, Gilbert flew to the platform.


    "Young man, they are already severely injured. Please don''t kill them," he said to Darren, standing beside him.


    "I never said that I wanted to kill them," Darren responded plainly.


    After all, this was Scott''s territory. And these three warriors were disciples of the Dragon Holy Land. He just wanted to teach them a lesson.


    "Thank you, young man."


    "You''re welcome. I will leave if there''s nothing else," Darren said before turning to leave.


    "Wait!" Gilbert shouted.


    Darren frowned.


    "Young man, I feel that you didn''t use your true strength to fight these three warriors. Would you like to battle against me?" A faint smile danced on Gilbert''s lips as he spoke.


    The disciples in the training ground, who had been rendered speechless by the battle, started to shout with excitement.


    "Elder Gilbert is a master at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm! Why is he so nice to that young man? He even wants to fight him? Is he going to accept the offer?"


    Everyone stared at the platform with anticipation.

 Chapter 213 Body Refining Starts

    Gilbert had no intention of teaching Darren a lesson. On the contrary, it was a simple test to determine what level Darren had mastered! Gilbert had been curious about Darren''s genuine strength after witnessing his capabilities during the battle. Had he reached the middle stage of the Wonder Realm? Darren must be a superior talent on the Talent Roll if he attained this level at such a young age.


    "There is no need. I do not match your level." Darren refused.


    Gilbert was at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm, which was more powerful than the primary stage of the Wonder Realm. There was no doubt that Darren did not match his level. It was thus, meaningless to accept the challenge.


    Darren differed from the others considering the skills he had mastered. He was learning from the "Nine Changes of the Demon" and the "Demonic Blood Refining Skill." The former was a legendary martial arts skill! Once he fully comprehended the third stage, his strength would get much closer to the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. An attack from a cultivator at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm would not harm Darren once he succeeded in his body refining. Then, he would be able to defeat the strongest cultivators at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm.


    Darren''s ultimate purpose was to reach the top 100 on the Talent Roll. Now that he had the sword core, Darren had no time left. He could enter the Wonder Realm at any minute once his spiritual energy reached its limit. Recently, his talents had improved radically. Along with that, his cultivation base had gradually upgraded as Darren had absorbed spiritual energy into his body. Luckily, the way he absorbed spiritual energy was gentle and slow. There was no need to worry about any fight between his sword intent and blade intent inside his body because of it.


    Another advantage was that part of the spiritual energy Darren had assimilated would be used to heal himself when wounded. Only the remaining spiritual energy would continually and slowly improve his cultivation base.


    Darren had been badly injured before. At that time, he had collected a lot of bloody red plants containing spiritual energy to assimilate and heal his wounds. Even though the spiritual energy was not much, it was enough to promote his cultivation base to a few stages higher.


    So, what Darren needed most now was to get on the Talent Roll and head for the Raksa Sea. Before that, he needed to visit the Starry Tower to ask Hanson about how to use the Primitive Stone.


    "Ha-ha, do not worry, kid. I promise not to hurt you, okay?" Gilbert speculated that Darren was afraid of being injured.


    But that was not what worried Darren. With a shake of his head, Darren replied, "Thanks, but there is no need. I have to leave now." Darren was calm as he turned to leave.


    "Wait! Kid!"


    Seeing that Darren was leaving, Gilbert released an attack. The force of the blow was equivalent to the power of a cultivator who had just reached the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. Gilbert was sure of Darren''s ability to dodge it.


    "Oh?" Immediately, Dar


    you know what soul hunters are? Have you ever heard of them?'''' Darren was deeply worried. A powerful entity had attacked him. What should he do if he came across such a strong and mysterious opponent again?


    "They are a mysterious cult in the east hills. They disappeared more than a hundred years ago. I never expected that they would return. Their return means that something big happens. You will be in a lot of trouble if you get involved." Scott frowned as he spoke. Then something else occurred to him. So he tried to comfort Darren, ''''Do not worry. They don''t dare to enter our territory. At least the strong evil cultivators would not.''''


    ''''Why?'''' Darren was confused. Powerful men could do anything that they wanted. Why would Scott say they were forbidden from his territory and that they would obey that rule?


    ''''I do not know all the details. What I do know is that this has something to do with the great master of the Medicine Pavilion. He restrains the evil cultivators from entering the southern land.''''


    Darren felt relieved. Simultaneously, Scott''s explanation piqued his curiosity. How powerful was the master of the Medicine Pavilion to order such an evil group? How terrified were they of the master of the Medicine Pavilion if they listened? His existence alone was sufficient to keep soul hunters away from the southern land. There was only one explanation. The master of the Medicine Pavilion was more powerful than he could imagine.


    This was when Darren''s interest in being a rule cultivator was sparked. Wouldn''t everyone admire a strong, powerful rule cultivator?


    Darren then handed the demonic monster blood he had collected to Scott. He watched carefully as Scott mixed the potion in the first stage of skin refining.


    "Remember, Darren. The longer you stay in the potion, the better the effect of the skin refining stage. It will set an important foundation for your upcoming stages. I must warn you, though. It is painful. Are you ready?"


    "Definitely." Darren nodded before leaping into the boiling big cauldron.

 Chapter 214 Endless Pain

    As soon as Darren jumped into the boiling cauldron, Scott lifted a large bronze lid and covered the cauldron. Then he used the dragon aura to seal it tight.


    "Oh? Scott, why did you do that?" Darren''s voice echoed from inside the cauldron.


    "Darren, I need to ensure that you won''t flee from the cauldron because of the pain. That is why I have sealed the cauldron. It''s only temporary. You must hold on and finish the refinement."


    Although each step of using the demonic blood to refine the body brought tremendous pain, Scott believed that Darren''s body was solid enough to endure it and that he would not die in the process. However, he worried that Darren would instinctively jump out of the cauldron, and if Darren did that, the skin refining would be interrupted, and all his efforts would end in vain. What was worse, Darren wouldn''t get a second chance to refine his skin if he failed the first time. This setback would also mean that Darren would not enter the next stages¡ªthe meridian refining stage and the bone refining stage.


    "Got it. I''ll try to bear the pain." Anguish laced Darren''s voice as he spoke.


    "I have to leave now. But I''ll be back ten days after to let you out!" Scott didn''t leave. He stood in front of the cauldron quietly.


    He had told Darren that he needed to be elsewhere so that he would not plead with Scott to remove the lid when the agony became unbearable.


    Inside the grand cauldron


    The medicinal liquid that had integrated numerous precious herbs and the demonic monster blood began eroding Darren''s skin. Darren felt as though millions of ants were eating his skin and flesh.


    ''This pain is less than what I suffered from the soul attack. I can handle it, '' Darren thought as he exhaled. As the agony increased, Darren clenched his teeth but remained in the cauldron.


    Ten hours later, the medicinal liquid had saturated Darren''s skin and flesh. Meanwhile, the pain increased tenfold. As a result, Darren''s body began to cramp.


    "Ah!"


    Darren bellowed. The pain had become so extreme that he could not handle it.


    He could perceive that his skin had corroded, little by little. If a person saw him now, he would be terrified because he would see a bleeding man without skin!


    Scorching air rushed into his nose and the pain tortured Darren to the extent that he almost fainted.


    However, he knew that this was not the end and that the medicinal liquid''s effect had not reached its peak. Otherwi


    precious herbs as well as demonic monster blood into the cauldron. Then he used the dragon aura to boil the liquid and was about to cover the lid.


    "You needn''t put the lid! I''m sure that I can handle the pain."


    After Darren had experienced the pain from the first round of skin refining, he found that his determination had significantly increased. He would control himself and not flee from the cauldron instinctively.


    "Okay. Your success or failure depends on your determination!" Scott trusted Darren explicitly. He stood outside and watched the cauldron quietly.


    Darren took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Then he became silent.


    Since his new skin was very strong, when it was eroded by the boiling medicinal liquid again, he felt ten times the previous pain.


    But Darren sat in the cauldron motionlessly. The sweat beading on Darren''s forehead was the only indication of the discomfort he felt.


    A month passed. This time, Darren remained in the cauldron and made no sound.


    Scott watched as Darren''s skin was destroyed and regenerated. He thought if he were at the same realm as Darren, he might not have the fortitude to bear such tremendous pain.


    Swoosh!


    That day, as soon as Darren opened his eyes, a bright light shot out.


    Boom!


    Darren flew out of the cauldron, and golden light circled him.


    "Your skin refining is perfect!" Excitement showed on Scott''s face as he exclaimed.


    "Scott cut me with your blade!" Darren wanted to test his new skin.


    "Okay!" Scott''s eyes lit up. He summoned an extraordinary blade and leaped into the air. Then he turned into a dragon and shot toward Darren.

 Chapter 215 Finished The Beginning Stage Of Body Refining

    Scott suppressed his strength to match that of a warrior at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. With a sly grin, he swung his blade at Darren.


    Confident of his abilities, Darren stood still and returned Scott''s smile.


    With a "whooshing" sound, Scott''s extraordinary blade swiftly cut through the air and collided with Darren''s skin. The impact created violent air currents that shook everything around the two men. The shock wave was powerful enough to kill a strong cultivator at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm.


    After a brief silence, a clang was heard!


    Then, a crisp sound reverberated in the space before the blade in Scott''s hand shattered into countless pieces from the impact.


    Darren easily steadied himself after sliding backward dozens of feet. Surprisingly, no injuries appeared on his body. The smile on Darren''s face grew into a grin. The result of Scott''s attack pleased him. Now Darren was certain that his strength was nearing the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. His skin was hard enough to avoid injuries from severe attacks. However, he needed to strengthen himself to avoid being knocked into air by the impact of a powerful force.


    "Congratulations, Darren. You were able to endure a violent blow after finishing the skin refining stage. This is truly amazing." Scott flashed a bright smile as he spoke. He felt genuine happiness for Darren.


    "It is incredible! I feel so strong that I am certain that I would not be wounded if you had increased your attacking force. Even a strong cultivator at the beginning of the middle stage of the Wonder Realm won''t be able to penetrate my skin. At best, he might break several of my bones." Darren''s eyes twinkled with joy as he spoke.


    Scott nodded. "Indeed. The defensive ability of your skin and flesh have reached an impressive level. Your body hardness will also be enhanced when you finish the meridian, bone, and organ refining stages perfectly. After completing these refining stages, we can work on your physical strength. By completing the golden body refining stage perfectly, you will scale the limits of your physical strength," Scott explained.


    "The terrible pain that I endured during the refining was worth it, Scott. Let''s move on to the next step," Darren suggested. He was very pleased.


    As Darren readied himself for the meridian refining stage, Scott prepared the liquid medicine required.


    Since greater quantities of demonic blood had been mixed with the liquid medicine, Darren had to endure more pain than before.


    Fortunately, he was used to that level of agony as his energy meridians had been shattered several times before. Furthermore, his willpower was much stronger owing to the torment he had suffered in the previous skin refining stage. Therefore, the meridian refining stage took him only half a month.


    The bone refining stage followed the meridian refining stage.


    As before, Darren also suffered great agony when his bones were repeatedly broken and healed as part of t


    Talent Roll Scott had given to him. Dense and tiny characters were written across the Earth Chart of the Talent Roll, recording the names of the top thirty thousand talents.


    After a few moments, Darren finally found his name. He was ranked around the two thousand and eight hundredth position.


    "Hum? My strength should be listed within the top 500. It doesn''t make sense," Darren muttered, confused.


    Curious, Darren clicked on his name. Several lines of characters appeared in the air before him.


    "Darren, eighteen years old, the ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm. The highest rank: eighteen. Reason: he killed a master at the Wonder Realm when he was at the Spirit Realm. Fighting capacity point: full score. Current rank: 2850th. Reason: killed level five demonic monsters at the Mysterious Realm. Fighting capacity point: seventy."


    Darren slowly read the content that described his ranking and points in detail. There were over ten thousand words in his description!


    Now he understood the reason for his ranking¡ªthere had been no breakthrough in his realm as he grew older. However, in the Talent Roll, there were over a hundred factors that contributed to the final ranking, such as the most powerful opponent a warrior had killed recently, talent, realm crossing, and so on.


    The fighting capacity to kill masters at higher realms and age accounted for sixty percent of the total points.


    ''I need to kill a strong cultivator at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm to refresh my ranking. Once I enter the top 500, I need to go to Talent City in the North Desert to challenge the strong cultivators, '' Darren thought.


    Then, Darren checked the elaborate information about the cultivators ranked below 100.


    "Hum? A man who is twenty-two years old and at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm. He killed a strong cultivator at the top level of the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. How is it possible that he is just ranked 200th on the Talent Roll?" Darren was surprised.

 Chapter 216 Bad News

    Darren found a person who was ranked relatively high in the Talent Roll. He was twenty-one years old and had reached the primary stage of the Wonder Realm. He had killed a demonic monster whose strength was equal to a master who had reached the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. This guy ranked 158th.


    ''So the age indeed plays an important role in the ranking, '' Darren thought to himself.


    With that in mind, Darren then started to scan the other names, looking for the person who ranked one hundredth in the Roll. He was interested in knowing more about the guy.


    The guy''s name was Barnett Xiao. He was nineteen years old and was at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm. He was ranked as the one hundredth in the Talent Roll because he had killed a master who was at the top level of the middle stage of the Wonder Realm.


    It was becoming more apparent to Darren that all the superior talents in the Talent Roll were extremely powerful cultivators. They were capable of killing masters who were in a higher realm than theirs. They clearly possessed some excellent skills.


    "This one will be my next target. With my current strength, it''s possible for me to defeat him," he said, analyzing his would-be opponent.


    Darren''s body was tough enough to withstand even the most adverse conditions, therefore he was not afraid of facing off against a master at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. When he completed all the stages of body refining, his strength would greatly improve. However, it only meant that he would not be killed by the master. If he wanted to defeat a master, he still needed to put more efforts in his practice and improve his other skills.


    As Darren browsed through the Talent Roll, there was suddenly a loud noise that came from outside the palace. It seemed to be calling out to him.


    He went outside to investigate what the noise was about. The disciples of the Dragon Sect had surrounded a muscular man, and that man was Bruce.


    "Stop. Let him come up there," Darren shouted his order at the men. The disciples then whipped their heads around to see who roared out the order. To their astonishment, they saw that Darren was at the palace entrance and gaped at them. When they came back to their senses, they immediately stepped away from Bruce in big strides.


    Scott had ordered each elder to show Darren''s portrait to every disciple in the Dragon Sect, instructing them to obey Darren''s orders unconditionally.


    One of the disciples stepped forward. "Sir. That guy just barged in here, saying that he needed to speak to you. We halted him and were planning to report him to you first to avoid any trouble, but he still insisted on forcing his way in," he explained. It was a wise decision on their part not to use too much force in stopping the intruder. Otherwise, they might have risked offending someone who was possibly a friend of Darren.


    "It''s alright. He''s my friend. You guys can let him go," Darren casually ordered.


    The disciples turned to Bruce and humbly bowed their heads. "Sir, we''re so sorry for the trouble." T


    mely terrifying before. How much have you improved since reaching the Wonder Realm?" Darren was really happy for him.


    Under normal conditions, it would take a longer time for a disciple of the Ancient Families to improve their realms, so it was extremely exceptional of Bruce to make such significant progress at the age of nineteen.


    "I''m not certain. But I do feel like I would probably be able to defeat at least a middle-staged master of the Wonder Realm if I use my bloodline force." After reaching the Wonder Realm, Bruce had not gotten much chances to fight, so he had no idea how much his strength had improved.


    "That''s great! Let''s show off our strength at the competition." Darren wore a faint smile on his face.


    "Ha-ha, yes!" The two let out a few chuckles, then flew towards the Blade Holy Land palace at full speed.


    After an hour of flying, they finally arrived at a splendid palace. Its structure resembled the shape of a blade.


    "Halt! Who are you two?"


    The two disciples who were guarding the entrance to the palace glowered at the two as they took out their battle blades.


    Darren and Bruce lowered themselves onto the ground and scanned the two disciples from head to toe. Darren found that they had reached the top level of the primary stage of the Wonder Realm. He also sensed an intense blade intent emitting from their bodies. ''Hmm, so their strengths are actually good enough, '' he thought.


    "We are the main disciples of the Dragon Holy Land. We are here for the Holy Land''s martial arts competition. Please let us in." Darren handed them the recommendation letters.


    One of the disciples took the letters from his hands. After he cast a glance at the letters, his expression suddenly changed. "Humph. How dare you pretend to be main disciples of the Dragon Holy Land! Arrest these two!"


    Several other disciples who also reached the Wonder Realm then dashed out of nowhere and surrounded Darren and Bruce.


    "Huh?" Darren''s eyebrows were furrowed in confusion. ''What the hell is happening?'' he thought.

 Chapter 217 The Stealth (Part One)

    ''Have they somehow detected our true identities?'' Darren grew worried. He knew that something was wrong.


    His forehead furrowed as he contemplated their situation. The recommendation letter he held in his hand had been written by a respected elder from Dragon Holy Land. It was supposed to allow them entry into the competition. Since the letter was not fake, why were these people stopping them?


    Darren tried to determine the reason by pretending to be offended. Displeasure laced his voice as he remarked, "You worthless disciples! How dare you prevent the disciples of Dragon Holy Land from entering? You will regret your behavior today." Darren glared at the disciples, trying to intimidate them with his threatening words.


    However, the two men did not show the slightest signs of fear. Instead, they laughed at Darren''s bravado. "What can you do to us if we refuse entry to you? Where did you get the recommendation letter, anyway? Read it, boy! The letter says that the principal disciple of Dragon Holy Land is at the top level of the Wonder Realm primary stage, not some weak and frail boy from the Mysterious Realm like you," one of them taunted. As he spoke, his remarks were followed by an obnoxious chortle from the other guy.


    Darren peered at the letter.


    His eyes widened when he realized that the recommendation letter specified the realm of the fighter selected to participate in the competition. Thinking back, this embarrassing situation must have been caused because the Dragon Holy Land''s elder had seen Darren defeat three prominent fighters single-handedly. The elder believed that Darren belonged to the top level of the Wonder Realm primary stage and mentioned his realm in the letter. But the fact was that he was still in Mysterious Realm.


    Darren sensed that he needed to show his skills to the disciples to get into the competition ground. Mere explanation by words would be a waste of time and might not change the disciples'' minds. So, without another word, Darren released his spiritual power to demonstrate his ability. A gust of strong power s


    ucky that they captured Alan before Elder Thomas. Otherwise, they might have beheaded Elder Thomas first. If that were the case, Elsa would be utterly devastated and inconsolable!'' Darren mused. Darren could have come to their rescue several months earlier. However, he did not act until now as his strength was weak, and he was afraid of the consequences of provoking the Blade Holy Land at such a troubled time. Any hasty action would have alerted the disciples and caused more harm to Elder Thomas.


    So, Darren had waited patiently. He used this time to pay close attention to the matter and work on his skills. Once he felt that he had become strong enough to win against his enemy, Darren headed for Blade Holy Land. Coincidentally, he arrived at the same time as the annual martial arts competition at Blade Holy Land. As the event attracted cultivators from all over, Darren could enter without much difficulty.


    While searching through the area, Darren used his spiritual sense to check for any hints of possible sword intent. Since he knew that Elder Thomas practiced the sword, the easiest way to detect his whereabouts would be to identify areas with strong sword intent.


    Suddenly, Darren sensed sword intent emanating from a palace in the distance. ''This is weird. I was not expecting to find Elder Thomas in such an extravagant place, '' he deliberated over his discovery.

 Chapter 218 The Stealth (Part Two)

    Although he had eagerly sought signs of sword intent and should have been overjoyed by his discovery, surprise reflected in Darren''s expression.


    A prisoner like Elder Thomas should be held in some nasty and sordid jail instead of in such a luxurious and spectacular palace.


    Although confused, he hurried toward the palace. After all, this was the only sword intent that Darren had detected so far.


    The palace was bigger than he expected. After passing through several rooms, Darren finally located the area where the sword intent had originated.


    However, just as he was about to push the door open, a lewd, prurient chuckle was heard from the room.


    Before he could react, the bed began to squeak, and the sound of heavy breathing seeped into the hall where Darren stood.


    ''I have come at an awkward time!'' Darren instinctively drew back the hand he had stretched forward to open the door.


    After a little while, a man spoke. "My Lady, I am exhausted. Can I take a little break?"


    ''Madam?'' Darren couldn''t help but wonder about the identities of the people inside the room. It seemed to him that a disciple was having an illicit affair with an elder''s wife. Darren knew that the man was a young disciple by his voice. Hesitation coursed through Darren as he wondered whether he should leave or stay and listen to their conversation to figure out their identities. Before Darren reached a decision, the young man finished making love to the woman. The wobbling sound of the bed had ceased, and silence filled the hall.


    Darren felt that this man had nothing to do with Elder Thomas, and so, it was best not to waste his time.


    However, before he could turn and leave, Darren heard the man ask the woman, "My Lady, between the Holy Lord and I, who gives you more pleasure?"


    "You do, of course. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have been captivated by you, my sweetheart!" The woman spoke at last.


    The obscene remark astonished Darren.


    are welcome to try and stop me," Darren replied. Darren then released his blade and sword intent. In the blink of an eye, a blazing aura emanated from Darren and filled the room.


    Having reached such a high realm, the woman was experienced enough to sense that Darren''s strength was no lower than that of a cultivator at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. Now, it was the woman''s turn to be astonished. Given the situation, she could no longer continue with her plan to kill Darren. She knew that once they started fighting, they would alert the others, and her secret would be revealed. The situation was not in her favor. However, Darren was an outsider, who had snuck into the palace. He would not want to be discovered either. Since there was still a way to save herself, the woman began to bargain.


    "You have sword intent in you. That means that you are not a disciple of the Blade Holy Land. Why have you snuck into the palace at this hour at night?" she questioned, vivid antagonism laced her voice.


    Darren smiled when he realized that she was ready to concede. "I already told you. I need information, and you need to keep a secret. If you don''t think this is a fair deal, you can go ahead and see if you have the capability to stop me," Darren said as he glared at the woman.

 Chapter 219 A Girl In Purple

    Darren puffed up his chest and put on a ferocious expression on his face. However, it was all for show; he was just bluffing and had no real intention of fighting the woman. After all, it would be troublesome if the fight attracted other strong cultivators towards them. ''Once this woman and I engaged in a fight, other strong warriors in this Holy Land might discover me. If that happens, I''m going to have to give up on rescuing Elder Thomas, '' he thought.


    Meanwhile, the woman did not dare make a move against Darren as she sensed that he was powerful. ''If Holy Lord finds out that I am cheating on him, I''ll be as good as dead, '' she considered.


    "What do you want to know, young man?" The woman''s voice suddenly became gentle and the fierce look in her eyes had now vanished.


    Darren immediately became suspicious of the woman''s sudden change in attitude. Because he was not sure what this woman''s relation to the Holy Lord''s son he had killed before, he decided it was best if he was not too forward with his intentions of rescuing Elder Thomas. ''She looks pretty young, so I don''t think she''s that man''s mother. She may be a concubine of the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land, perhaps?''


    "Did you know that the Holy Lord''s son was killed?" He raised his brows and looked intently at the woman.


    "Young man, everyone knows that that bastard is dead. Come on, I don''t think you would go through all that just to ask me that." The woman gave him a lopsided smirk and looked at him through half-lidded eyes.


    Judging by her response, Darren speculated that she was probably the mistress of the Holy Lord.


    "You talk too much. I heard that you have captured an Elder who was involved in the death of the Holy Lord''s son. Do you know where he is?" Darren responded, ignoring her flirtatious advances.


    The woman pouted. "Humph! Why so cold?" She approached Darren and slightly licked her lips while maintaining eye contact. "Don''t you think I''m pretty?"


    A pleasant scent soon filled Darren''s nose, and as he stared into her eyes, he suddenly found her appealing.


    Darren felt a sensation in his head.


    At the same time, he felt like his face was burning and he could not move a single inch of his body. It was like someone had cast a spell on him. He watched as the glamorous woman approached, his heart beating out of control.


    "Please don''t tell others what you saw in this room. I can give you whatever you want, including myself." The woman continued making advances at Darren, fluttering her eyes at him as she spoke. Her voice was absolutely hypnotic. It seemed to carry some kind of magic, making it hard for people to refuse her requests.


    "Something is wrong," Darren murmured. He shook his head to snap himself out of the trance that the woman seemed to have put him in.


    He then immediately hit the woman across the face, making her stagger backwards and fall to the ground.


    With blood spilling from her mouth, she got


    at he had seen the glowing runes somewhere else before. After thinking about it for a while, he suddenly recalled that those runes were the exact same ones that he saw in the cave back in the Barren Wasteland where the bronze coffin was.


    ''She must know some powerful rule cultivator, or she couldn''t have had such a valuable treasure.'' Darren''s scowl deepened. He was starting to get on edge.


    "Aww, did you get angry? Come on, kill me if you can. I''m right here," Callie said, deliberately trying to provoke him now.


    "Do you really think that I can''t end you?" Darren coldly said.


    He then started to transform. Layers of scales appeared on his skin, covering his entire body. He gave off a violent, furious aura.


    He was ready to use his most powerful skill to take Callie down.


    "What? What''s going on?" Callie''s face suddenly dropped. The ferocious vibe Darren exuded left her cowering in fear and panic.


    However, within the next minute, she immediately calmed down and a sneer reappeared on her face. "After I recall the restriction, someone else will come and take care of you. Humph! See ya!"


    As Callie started casting her spell, the runes around the room glowed brightly and then faded away.


    She lifted the defense restriction that she had put up around the chamber. It was what prevented Darren from being exposed even if he exerted powerful blade and sword intent. Now that she had withdrawn the restriction, people from the outside were now able to sense the aggressive power that Darren had released.


    "Who had the nerve to stir up trouble in the Blade Holy Land?"


    A loud booming voice pierced through Darren''s ears.


    An invincible blade intent suddenly came dashing towards Darren.


    ''Crap! He''s a blade cultivator at the advanced stage of Wonder Realm.'' Darren clenched his jaw, not quite pleased by the additional setback. He turned around and saw Callie slowly fading away. She gave him a smile before vanishing completely.

 Chapter 220 The Death Of Another Son Of The Holy Lord

    Darren leaped aside as soon as he sensed an overwhelming blade intent rushing toward him. He had to avoid the attack at the fastest speed he was capable of as he was no match for a warrior at the advanced stage of Wonder Realm.


    A deafening noise filled the room before it split into halves. If Darren had delayed by even a fraction of a second, he would have been cut into halves by the forceful blade intent as well.


    "It''s strange! I felt another sword intent here."


    Darren had come to this room as he had sensed a faint sword intent emanating from it. The faint sword intent intensified when the warrior at the advanced stage of Wonder Realm attacked him.


    Darren released his spiritual sense to search again. Soon, he found a metal box hidden under the floor clefts. The faint sword intent he had sensed was coming from this box.


    Darren darted toward the box and snatched it. Without wasting another minute, he turned and leaped into the pitch dark sky.


    "Stop! Running is pointless. I will hunt you and kill you!"


    A voice roared behind Darren as another strong blade intent was launched against him.


    But Darren summoned his Shadow Lightness and Wind Rule skills to escape the attack. He even concealed his aura to avoid being detected by his pursuer.


    A short while later, Darren landed somewhere deep in the palace and hid till he felt safe. After checking his surroundings, he opened the metal box he had found in the room. A brilliant smile flashed on his face as soon as he saw its contents.


    "What a surprise! I''ve been dreaming of these objects for a long time."


    Darren uttered with excitement when he saw the sword intent fragments in the box. These would help him to enter the Black Cliff of Sword Intent.


    Darren had to visit the Starry Tower before going to the Raksa Sea as he needed Mathew''s advice on how to use the Primitive Stone. He never expected to find the sword intent fragments that would give him access to the Black Cliff of Sword Intent. This unexpected gift delighted him a lot.


    "Wow, it seems that Lady Luck is on my side today," Darren chirped.


    Darren lingered in his hiding place a little longer to pack all the fragments perfectly. Then he leaped onto the roof like a phantom. He had come to the Blade Holy Land in search of Elder Thomas. After he achieved his goal, he would go to the Starry Tower.


    Darren combed the palace for quite a while. He sensed several sword intents of various levels in the palace. However, they originated from the dwelling area of disciples from different Holy Lands. He sensed nothing beyond those places.


    "This isn''t working. I cannot find Elder Thomas like this. I have to find somebody to get some information," murmured Darren in frustration.


    Motivated by his new plan, Darren began to look for someone who lived alone and who could offer him some useful information.


    "Dig out his eyes!"


    Darren heard a man''s voice as he passed a room. Oddly enough, the voice was laced with excitement even though the command was cruel.


    "This is exciting. I like this game! Smash his belly. I want something more dramatic!"


    "Wow, his guts are all over the floor. This is disgusting! Can''t you show some mercy to this man? You''re cruel. But I like it."


    These words piqued Da


    he Black Water Dungeon."


    Darren frowned. As expected, they had indeed captured and imprisoned Elder Thomas. To frighten the man and verify his information, Darren cut off his other hand. With clenched teeth, Darren said, "This is a warning. If you dare to lie to me, you''ll pay gravely for your dishonesty."


    Extreme pain brought sweat to the man''s forehead. But he did not dare to scream. He nodded his head in succession as tears rolled down his eyes. His voice trembled as he replied, "I have told you everything I know, and these are the facts. I didn''t lie to you, sir. Please believe me!"


    Darren released his Spirit Power to probe the man''s mind to check whether he was lying or not. Confident that the man had told him the truth, Darren asked for the location of the Black Water Dungeon.


    Since Darren had searched most of the palace previously, he was sure that he would have no trouble finding the Black Water Dungeon. After sharing where the dungeon was located, the fat man told Darren that a warrior at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm with excellent martial arts skills guarded it.


    "That''s good. Tell me everything I need to know," Darren uttered coldly.


    "Yes, sir. I''m being honest with you, sir. Please let me go now. Please." The man begged like a dog. But the fierceness in his eyes revealed his cruel nature.


    "Let you go? You''re a bastard, just like your dead older brother. An animal without a human side. Do you think that I will let you go?"


    "What? You killed my brother. It was you? Help..." The fat man called for help as soon as he understood that he had no chance of survival. A glaring light flashed as Darren swung his blade toward the man''s neck. His head rolled to the ground before he could finish his words.


    Darren knocked the maids kneeling on the floor unconscious before he left. None of them would wake up for half a month. As for the two maids who had smiled cheerfully while watching the bloody fighting show, Darren killed them without hesitation.


    Then, Darren leaped into the sky like lightning.


    Now that he knew where Black Water Dungeon was located, there was no need for Darren to waste his time in this room.

 Chapter 221 Fighting With A Cultivator At The Middle Stage Of Wonder Realm

    Shortly after Darren left, two graceful figures stepped out of the shadows. One wore a green dress, while the other wore a purple gown.


    "Hailey, this guy has a strong sense of justice," the purple-clad girl said to the beauty in green, who stood beside her. A bright smile shone on the girl''s face.


    The beauty in the green dress was more charming than the girl in purple. She had an attractive posture and exquisite features. Her pale complexion was perhaps her only flaw. If Darren saw her, he would be reminded of the fabulous woman who mysteriously appeared after the fight at the Ilmen Sect had ended.


    "Callie, how did he behave in your illusion world?" she asked.


    Callie grinned when she heard the question. With a sly expression, she answered, "The illusion world is full of prurience. How could I, an innocent girl, spy on what''s going on inside?"


    "Don''t play games with me. You control the illusion world, and you know what happens in it," Hailey said as she gently patted Callie''s head.


    "Eh, well... He used his Spirit Power to escape my illusion world. However, in the time that he was in the illusion world, his behavior was quite different from an ordinary person''s. He was not easily tempted even if he didn''t use his Spirit Power, and I had to force him," Callie reported sincerely.


    Hailey nodded with admiration.


    "Hailey, I wonder why you asked our master to find his location. Why do you want to follow him?" Callie asked with curiosity.


    "I''m waiting for him to become a superior talent," Hailey said with a heavy sigh. She took several gentle steps forward and peered into the dark space.


    "You mean... Is he the one who our master predicted to be..." Callie murmured as she stared at Hailey''s back with disbelief.


    In the meantime, Darren slowly moved forward in the darkness. After he encountered and successfully avoided several guards, he entered a basement under a large hall.


    The underground passage appeared to stretch without an end.


    After walking for a long time, Darren frowned. Darkness was all that he could see. There were no traces of light anywhere. There were no guards either.


    "Huh... Something is wrong," he murmured. Sensing the strangeness of the place, Darren released his Spirit Power to scan his surroundings. Finally, he realized that he was trapped in an illusion maze.


    "No wonder I can''t get out of here. A rule cultivator has set up an illusion maze here," Darren sneered. Then he mobilized his Spirit Power to try to destroy the spell of the illusion maze. Several seconds later, Darren had broken the maze.


    The oil lamps on both sides of the passage suddenly lit up. Darren concealed his breath and continued to move forward. After a short while, he reached a stone house where several Blade Holy Land disciples were drinking.


    "They overestimate the illusion maze and erroneously believe that it can trap me," Darren mumbled.


    In the blink of an eye, Darren had placed himself in the room. He had traveled so quickly that the disciples did not notice him. Several bright rays of blade aura flashed before the room filled with the agonized screams of the disciples. When the battle ended, only one disciple was alive.


    Since Darren was in the Blade Holy Land, he intentiona


    ''s, he didn''t hurt him. On the contrary, he had been hurt by him.


    Finally, the blade cultivator decided to use his Omnipotent Talent Skill¡ªthe Icy Blade Array. With a roar, he released the skill. The temperature around the lake dropped abruptly, and the huge lake froze. "You bastard! Feel my Omnipotent Talent Skill¡ªIcy Blade Array!"


    Before Darren could fathom what had happened, the water around him froze and trapped him. What was more terrible was that the ice was filled with powerful blade intent, which kept attacking him.


    "Break!"


    With no options to escape, Darren''s only choice was to try and break the ice. After a few seconds, his attack worked! The ice shattered, and Darren transformed into a beam of light as he headed for the blade cultivator at lightning speed.


    "Ha-ha! Little bastard! I am going to rip you to pieces!" The blade cultivator laughed when he saw Darren shooting out of the lake. He was quite confident that he could beat the intruder. Holding a long blade enveloped with intense chills, the blade cultivator charged toward Darren.


    "Let''s finish the fight!" Darren roared.


    With closed eyes, Darren began the process of transforming into a fiend. A powerful demonic internal force was released from his palms.


    At the same time, his eyes turned sliver-white. He was using his skill¡ªthe Blood Dragon Phantom.


    In the blink of an eye, eight duplicates of Darren appeared in the space above the lake. Each had a powerful demonic internal force and blade intent. Darren, along with the eight avatars, moved in the blade cultivator''s direction with sharp killing intent.


    "Huh!" When the blade cultivator saw this, shock was written all over his face. But he quickly calmed down.


    He quickly wielded his blade. The air around him froze, forming several intangible blades with chilly coldness. After that, he flew toward the lake at astonishing speed. The Omnipotent Talent Skill was the blade cultivator''s strongest attack skill.


    "Oh, this is not good! His skill is incredible!" Darren exclaimed. It was his turn to be astonished. He summoned the eight duplicates and prepared to defend against the blade cultivator''s attack.

 Chapter 222 Replay The Scenes

    "Hump! You are as weak as an ant! Do you think you can win in a fight against me?" Although the blade cultivator sensed Darren''s incredible strength, he still taunted him.


    Darren''s avatars confronted the cold blade intent formed by the Omnipotent Talent Skill. The shock of the impact caused the underground palace to tremble, and the black pungent lake water to surge as though it was the end of the world.


    "What?" The blade cultivator was shocked by the result. The attack by Darren''s avatars had weakened his Omnipotent Talent Skill by more than half.


    "How powerful is his body? This guy is extraordinary!"


    In the brief moment that the blade cultivator lamented over his opponent''s strength, a figure shot toward him. Intense blade intent and sword intent enveloped the blade cultivator.


    Surprised, the blade cultivator swung his blade wildly and released his blade intent. What astonished him was that even though his blade cultivation had reached the high level of preliminary blade intent, he had merely balanced his opponent''s integrated power of the blade intent and the sword intent. Anxiety coursed through the blade cultivator. ''Considering his current strength, this guy is just a little bit weaker than I am. If he has any other powerful skills, he will defeat me!


    It is remarkable, though. I can sense that this guy is at the top level of the ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm. And yet, he has such excellent fighting strength. It is incredible and shocking!'' the blade cultivator surmised.


    At that moment, Darren appeared to be at ease, but his body was in terrible pain. He had been injured by the blade cultivator''s powerful blade intent. However, he had no other choice but to fight back. At his current cultivation strength, it was difficult for him to kill a cultivator at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. Even if he could win the battle after a long hard fight, Darren would not have any effective way to kill his opponent if his opponent decided to flee.


    ''I have to kill him quickly. Other stronger cultivators may have noticed the strong force that was caused by the fight a moment ago. If they come to the blade cultivator''s aid, I will be doomed, '' Darren thought.


    Although he was fighting with the blade cultivator, Darren contemplated his options.


    ''Well, how about my spiritual attack?'' The idea occurred to Darren. Although he did not learn any real skills of spiritual attacking, his Spirit Power had reached the eighteenth level. He could gain an advantage in this fight if he leveraged his Spirit Power.


    Without further hesitation, Darren used his spiritual sense to release a powerful Spirit Power attack and aimed it at the blade cultivator.


    A Spirit Power attack was different from a mind attack as the former was aimed at a person''s soul.


    ''What? What is that? Is this guy a rule cultivator as well?'' The blade cultivator felt a sharp pain in his head, which lasted only a split second.


    Darren had not learned a real Spirit Power attack skill, so he could only relea


    Oh? Bryan, are you begging me? I never expected that you would be reduced to such a position. Ha-ha!" Waldo Wan said with a smug laugh.


    "Mr. Wan, please use your omnipotent skill to help me find a person. If you can assist me, I will give you the item you have always wanted."


    "Really? Are you serious?" Waldo was most delighted with Bryan''s proposal. He replied, "You are ready to offer me the Eight Corners Tripod? If so, I will come to you. This better not be a joke. If you dare to fool me, you will regret it!"


    "I swear this is no trick. Come here, quick!" Bryan did not say anything else. He just urged Waldo to hurry.


    After a quarter of an hour or so, the rule cultivator in purple appeared in front of the Holy Lord of Blade Holy Land.


    "Bryan, I can sense that the person you are looking for is still in Blade Holy Land. But to detect his face, I will need to use my arcane skill." The rule cultivator in the purple robe was powerful. He could replay transpired scenes using his arcane skill as long as the person hadn''t left more than ten hours ago.


    However, using the arcane skill would come at a high cost to the rule cultivator. So, he never practiced it carelessly.


    "Please find him for me. l am going to make his life a living hell!" Bryan''s voice was as cold as ice and full of killing intent.


    Waldo sat still until Bryan threw him the said tripod as part of the deal. Overjoyed, the rule cultivator put it in his pocket before using his arcane skill.


    "Look carefully and remember his features," Waldo released his Spirit Power, and the space around him started to warp into many whirlpools. Slowly, each scene played out in front of Bryan, one by one.


    The picture of his fat son being killed, and the killer who fought against the blade cultivator at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm repeated themselves. The Holy Lord of Blade Holy Land, Bryan, had seen the events with his own eyes as if he had been a bystander when Darren was fighting with his son and the blade cultivator.

 Chapter 223 Having A Crisis

    Panting, Darren dragged himself through the darkness with Elder Thomas on his back. He could not run away with Elder Thomas in his current state¡ªif they were found, they would get themselves into an incredibly difficult situation. The only option he had left was to go locate Bruce and Elsa in hopes that he would find a way out.


    After having carefully avoided several patrolling disciples of the Blade Holy Land, Darren eventually found the living grounds where the disciples from the Lotus Holy Land were staying.


    He then released his spiritual sense and soon felt a familiar aura of sword intent coming from one of the rooms.


    Darren walked straight towards the room where the familiar aura came from and pushed the door open. Inside the room was Elsa. Her face was pulled into an uneasy scowl as soon as she saw the unfamiliar man.


    "Who the hell are you?" She pursed her lips, wary of the stranger. However, also sensing something familiar about him, she did not try to attack.


    "Elsa, it''s me." Elsa paused at the voice.


    "Darren? Is that you?" She hesitated for a moment, but as soon as she saw the face of the man on Darren''s back, she immediately ran up to them.


    "You saved my father!" Her face lit up and she hugged Darren, barely able to contain her delight.


    She had been trying to track down her father in secret, but Bruce suddenly appeared and stopped her. Bruce told her that Darren was back, so she resisted the strong impulse to find her father, and waited with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety.


    Seeing the two people she loved the most back, she sobbed uncontrollably on Darren''s shoulder.


    "Elsa, I think you need to check on Elder Thomas immediately. There''s something wrong with him. As for me, I have an internal injury and I need to adjust my breath," Darren weakly said, still panting.


    Elsa quickly took her father from Darren''s back and laid him on the bed to examine him. The results of the examination gave her a jolt.


    "Darren..." Her voice started to shake. "My father... He''s not... M-my father''s not breathing, he''s..." She then started to cry before she had even finished.


    At that point, the door suddenly creaked open.


    Darren and Elsa exchanged nervous glances, and then immediately went on full alert mode.


    Had they been discovered?


    The people at the door were not disciples from the Blade Holy Land, but was rather the beautiful figures of two girls¡ªone dressed in green garments and the other in purple.


    Sensing the sword intent that Darren and Elsa simultaneously released, the girl in purple chuckled. "Aren''t you going to welcome us?" she asked mockingly.


    "And why should we welcome you? Get out of here this instant!" Darren shouted as he gave them a cold stare.


    Standing next to the girl in purple, Hailey, the veiled girl in green did not speak.


    "Alas, we are not welcome here. Hailey, let''s go. The man whose soul has been stripp


    er masters at the premium stage of the Wonder Realm stood above them in mid-air.


    Soon after them, the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land himself appeared. Beside him stood a rule cultivator in a purple robe.


    "What''s the matter?" "What happened?"


    "Why are all the powerful elders of the Blade Holy Land here? Did anything important happen last night?"


    All the disciples in the training ground were growing uneasy and were starting to feel a sense of foreboding.


    Darren didn''t want to come to the training ground, but there was an ordinary elder above the middle stage of the Wonder Realm, going door to door to each room and ordering everyone to come out. He could not avoid it and had no choice but to blend in with the crowd.


    Darren immediately sensed the huge aura as soon as he arrived at the ground. Once he was certain that no one was looking at him, he hurriedly mobilized his Spirit Power to undo the effects of the elixir that changed his appearance, returning him to his original appearance. He then performed the aura concealing skill, altering his aura and cultivation base down to the common level. This way, his aura and strength were close to that of the majority of the disciples present.


    "Mr. Wan, is that guy here?" the Holy Lord asked the rule cultivator in the purple robe, scanning the crowd with his icy stare. "Yes, but his aura has changed. Hmm, and he seems to have changed his appearance as well.


    Look for him yourself first." Now that the rule cultivator had obtained the Eight Corners Tripod, he did not see any reason why he should bother to help the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land.


    "Very well. As long as he is here." He then looked at the crowd of people.


    "You bastard! Come out now or I''ll kill everyone in here!" the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land threatened with a sneer. The thousands of disciples from various sects were then suddenly shrouded with the Holy Lord''s icy killing intent.

 Chapter 224 Crazy Revenge (Part One)

    No sooner had the Holy Lord finished speaking than the training ground erupted in chaos. The disciples had no idea what was going on, and they didn''t know who they were looking for. But the Blade Holy Lord maintained an expressionless face. However, his cold eyes reflected strong murderous intent, which frightened the people. They knew that he was serious.


    "Holy Lord Bryan, what did you mean? We don''t even know what has upset you. Can''t you see that we are in the middle of a martial arts competition? These participants have come from all the major Holy Lands. This is very disrespectful behavior." The speaker was a team-leading elder from one of the other Holy Lands. He was quite strong as he had reached the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm.


    Encouraged by the example set by the elder, other team-leading elders also voiced their questions and expressed their dissatisfaction.


    "Shut up!"


    The Blade Holy Lord didn''t utter a word. The order came from an elder who was at the premium stage of the Wonder Realm. His words were like magic as everyone quietened down. Then the elder continued, "Attention! Both sons of our distinguished Holy Lord Bryan have been killed in succession. The murderer must be out here, among you guys. If any of you know where he is, tell us immediately. Otherwise, don''t expect us to be merciful."


    "Humph! Why does this matter concern us? Avenging the death of your sons is your personal matter. Don''t involve other people in your troubles. Okay? I wonder why you think that you have the right to kill us. I suggest that you consider the consequences before taking any action. If any of our disciples are hurt, you''ll pay the price. Void Holy Land will not be merciful."


    An elder from Void Holy Land spoke fearlessly. Although Blade Holy Lord was strong, they had n


    y Lords might kill the Blade Holy Lord if he hurt or killed their disciples. But this was precisely what he wanted to see. He was rather happy to speed up the Blade Holy Lord''s death.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, intense blade intent fell on two disciples on the training ground. In the blink of an eye, they were chopped into tiny bits.


    "I am not kidding. Come out or die. My patience is limited," Bryan shouted as his eyes searched for the murderer who was hiding in the crowd.


    "Oh, please, please don''t hurt me, Distinguished Holy Lord! I''m not the murderer. Not me!"


    "Don''t hurt me. Don''t hurt me. I''m not the murderer either."


    Several people were frightened by Bryan''s brutality. They knelt and begged for mercy. Sobs and cries for help filled the training ground, making it feel like the end of the world had arrived.


    ''The man is crazy. He may actually kill everyone present if I don''t step forward. All right. He will find me sooner or later. I''d better confess and face the consequences than get more people involved.'' Darren rationalized. Darren had no choice left. The Blade Holy Lord was out of his mind. To avenge his sons, he would do anything, even if it meant fighting the whole world.

 Chapter 225 Crazy Revenge (Part Two)

    What was more, Elsa and Bruce might get involved in this if Darren didn''t confess.


    Bryan''s power was too strong. Once Darren stepped forward, he had no chance of fighting back and would be killed in the blink of an eye. Hesitance coursed through Darren at that thought.


    After considering all his alternatives, he decided to protect the others. Either way, the crazed Holy Lord would not be appeased till he got his vengeance.


    Without wasting any more time, Darren took one step forward. This one tiny step attracted countless eyes. Bryan and his helpers immediately focused their attention on Darren.


    Just as Darren was about to confess, a man rushed out at lightning speed, and shouted, "It''s me. I am the murderer. Come at me, jerk."


    Immediately, everyone present looked in the direction of the man. The man was none other than Bruce.


    "Well, good."


    "Teach him a lesson before I interrogate the bloke," Bryan turned and spoke to his associates.


    In an instant, a dozen powerful people released attacks aimed at Bruce.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    When the attacks stopped, Bruce lay motionless on the ground. His whole body was covered in injuries, and blood gushed all over the floor.


    "Bring the trash to me," Bryan ordered.


    An elder flew to the dying Bruce, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him to Bryan.


    At this moment, everyone on the training ground became silent. They did not dare to utter a word. However, most were quite happy and felt relieved. Some silently reprimanded Bruce, for he almost got everyone involved and killed. Some thought Bruce was a traitor who had committed towering crimes and deserved more than death. Even t


    er Holy Lands'' disciples to find the murderer?


    On the one hand, they had insufficient strength to confront other Holy Lands simultaneously. On the other hand, people who broke clan laws and declared wars were executed. They didn''t want to die with Bryan.


    "Holy Lord, stop. This is enough. Are you crazy?" One of the strongest elders from Blade Holy Land held Bryan''s hand as he tried to dissuade him from further action.


    "Get out of my face. Do I need you to tell me what to do? Go away." As anger blinded the Blade Holy Lord, he spoke with the elder disrespectfully.


    "Trash, listen carefully. Show up, or your friend will go to hell." Then, he grabbed Bruce by the throat. Murderous intent emanated from the Blade Holy Lord.


    "Fuck you. You asshole. It''s me. I killed the two idiots. Come at me, you son of a bitch." Sickened by Bryan''s behavior, Darren cursed as he stepped out from among the crowd. Seeing that one elder had died because of him, Darren was rather sad. He couldn''t bear Bryan''s atrocity anymore, and so, he shot a surge of blade intent and sword intent at Bryan as he ran forward.

 Chapter 226 Words Written In Blood

    Darren helplessly rushed towards Bruce¡ªhe could not bear to just stand by and watch him die.


    The moment Darren released the blade intent and the sword intent, all eyes were on him, including the eyes of the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land, who knew immediately that he was the murderer.


    Bang!


    The Holy Lord kicked the unconscious Bruce aside. Since the person who was responsible for the murder had showed up, he was not interested in killing innocent people anymore.


    "Everyone get out of the way!" the top elder of the Blade Holy Land cried out in earnest. He heaved a sigh of relief and just wanted to send all the others away at once, to avoid the risk of more excellent disciples from the other Holy Lands getting killed.


    Bryan, the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land, had already killed two ordinary disciples from the Void Holy Land. If properly managed, they wouldn''t have to face any wars whatsoever. However, he had also killed an elder at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm from the Lotus Holy Land, which the Lotus Holy Land would undoubtedly not turn a blind eye against. So, from thereon out, it would be best to avoid any more deaths of members from the other Holy Lands.


    All the people present were extremely frightened at the terrifying madness of Bryan, the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land. So, when they heard the top elder bellow out the command, the relief they felt was immeasurable?¡ªthey felt like they were given a reprieve. They all then quickly escaped, led by their elders.


    Too preoccupied with Darren, the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land paid no heed to the fleeing disciples of the Lotus Holy Land.


    In just a matter of a few minutes, the training ground of the Blade Holy Land had become empty save for Darren, the Holy Lord, and a few other disciples.


    Even Elsa had to leave?. She knew that she was of little help to Darren in there?¡ªshe might even drag him down and be the cause of his demise. She tearfully and reluctantly left, bringing along the beaten up Bruce. She then suddenly thought of rushing back to the Lotus Holy Land to ask the Holy Lord for backup.


    ''Just hold on for a little while, Darren, '' Elsa prayed for him in her heart. She flew to the transmission array as fast as she could. Once she informed the Holy Lord of Lotus Holy Land of the emergency, Darren would be saved. This was the only way to save him.


    It would take Elsa at least half an hour in the transmission array to arrive at the Lotus Holy Land and deliver the message to the Holy Lord, while it would only take a few seconds?¡ªjust a blink of an eye, even?¡ªfor Holy Lord Bryan to kill Darren.


    Elsa shook her head to get rid of the


    the rule cultivator''s eyes widened in shock. He stared at the scene, not quite understanding what was happening.


    "Waldo, good job! I''m sorry I have underestimated your strength! Torture him harder before the other Holy Lords arrive!" The Holy Lord grinned maniacally, feeling a great pleasure at the sight of Darren in pain.


    "No!" Waldo exclaimed. He had sensed that his Spiritual Secret Skill was being blocked by something, a faint trace of it bouncing back. But he didn''t want to admit to the Holy Lord that something was wrong. He had comforted himself that it was merely an illusion and nothing more.


    However, now seeing the bizarre scene in front of him, he had come to the profound realization that Darren was a strange fellow.


    "I didn''t make this. It contains an awful air of a rule cultivator!" Waldo''s eyebrows were furrowed in a mixture of shock and confusion.


    "What?!"


    The Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land began to grow suspicious, so he sent powerful blade intent towards Darren.


    A big hand suddenly appeared out of nowhere, grabbed Darren, and disappeared as fast as it had appeared.


    "This... I..." Waldo was speechless, mouth gaping open as words left him.


    "Goddamn it! That goddamned bastard! I''m going to tear him to pieces! Ah!"


    The rage of the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land made the entire training ground shake. Even the rule cultivator was forced to take a few steps back by the stormy murderous intent that emanated from the Holy Lord.


    With blood-red eyes, the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land glared at the place where Darren was just a few seconds ago. In it appeared a line of words written in blood:


    "I swear I will kill you when we meet again!"


    The words felt like a sharp knife, stabbing at the Holy Lord''s pride.

 Chapter 227 The Primitive Stone Containing The Heavenly Repression Rule

    Darren had fled and left in his wake some aggressive words. It almost drove the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land mad.


    ''His cultivation is only at the Mysterious Realm! This boy is as weak as an ant, but he killed my two sons. He''s my sworn enemy, how can I let this bastard escape?'' He gritted his teeth, regretting that he didn''t take the opportunity to kill Darren before.


    The Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land waved his blade angrily and smashed the entire training ground with strong blade intent. He roared, venting his anger.


    "Bryan is going mad. I had better go now," Waldo, the rule cultivator in purple robe said to himself. Afraid of Bryan''s furious resentment, he left rapidly using his secret skill.


    He felt a sense of foreboding when he looked back the line of words written in blood.


    After the rule cultivator had left, several powerful entities emerged from the sky. They were the Holy Lords from all of the Holy Lands.


    "You are too arrogant, Bryan! How dare you threaten to slaughter the disciples of my Holy Land?"


    "Bryan, are you sure you don''t take us seriously?"


    "You better give us an explanation, otherwise, I won''t mind killing you here and now!"


    The thunderous angry voices echoed throughout the entire Blade Holy Land.


    Bryan stopped and stood in mid-air, motionless. His face remained unchanged as he stared at them. But the elders of the Blade Holy Land were all frightened. They regretted their previous actions. Oh, how they wished they''d tried their best to dissuade their Holy Lord.


    "Don''t you want to explain, huh?" The Holy Lord Landon walked forward in the sky.


    He was the strongest among the eight great Holy Lords. But Scott might be as strong as Landon after he refined the Dragon Saliva Fruit.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a shadow of green lotus rushed towards the Holy Lord of Blade Holy Land.


    "Diana?" some of the Holy Lords exclaimed.


    They looked intently at her and observed that her eyes were glazed over with total fury.


    Bryan activated his blade intent and dodged the attack in a flash.


    "You want to kill me? Come on, kill me!" Bryan shouted.


    He launched into a fierce battle with Diana at once.


    The violent power of the two Holy Lords'' combat made the earth shake and the air tremble. The other Holy Lords looked around at each other with uncertainty. This was going to be a chaotic event!


    ...


    After being grabbed by the giant hand, Darren was transported to the Black Cliff of Sword Intent in a flash.


    The attacks from the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land had wounded him terribly. He felt that his whole body was falling apart and that he had no trace of strength left in his body.


    "Mathew... Sir..." Darren whispered in a weak voice. A dignified old man appeared in front of him right away.


    "Darren! What happened to you? Why are you so badly injured?" Mathew was shocked by Darren''s appearance.


    "I, I..." Darren opened his mouth, but he didn''t even have any more strength to speak.


    "Stop talking and get into the Starry Tower right now!"


    Fortu


    ent had grown to the ninth level of the Earth Degree. He admitted that Darren''s progress was awesome, but he didn''t probe about how it came about. After all, everyone had a right to keep his own secret.


    "You''re such a genius boy, Darren! An old man like me is fortunate to meet you. Ha-ha-ha," Mathew laughed happily.


    "You''re too kind, sir. I''m not that good." Darren was somewhat embarrassed.


    "By the way, if you succeed in the top 100 of the Talent Roll, the Grand Realm warriors will very likely come to you and ask you to help them get the Primitive Stones they need. At that time, you don''t have to refuse, just promise them you''ll do your best. What they want will certainly not be the Primitive Stone containing the Heavenly Repression Rule. And establishing good ties is an advantageous thing.


    It will be good for you to make friends with some of the grand warriors. Even if you can''t accomplish their request, you have nothing to lose," Mathew told him.


    "I''ve heard about that. It will depend," Darren said. Scott had mentioned such proceedings before.


    "Well, I have to go now, Darren. I won''t disturb you any longer since you need to focus on your preparation. It''s not easy to qualify for the top 100 of the Talent Roll. Just summon me when you''re ready to go," Mathew''s figure faded away as he waved goodbye.


    After Mathew left, Darren went to the Black Cliff of Sword Intent and watched the vast number of demonic monsters scurrying about. He had only two steps to complete the body refining. There were so many demonic monsters here. Maybe, he could find a level six demonic monster to help him accomplish the organ refining stage!


    ''Wow! These demonic monsters look dreadful. They must be stronger than both the North Monster King and the Divine Bull King, '' Darren thought in surprise. He hadn''t expected them to be so formidable. He stood in front of the Black Cliff of Sword Intent, looking for the smallest and weakest demonic monster carefully. In his mind, a plan quickly began to take shape.

 Chapter 228 Arriving At Talent City

    Darren searched in front of the Black Cliff of Sword Intent for a very long time, and he finally found a demonic monster cub. From the look of it, it hadn''t been born so long ago. But from its aura, Darren could tell that it was a level six demonic monster.


    Knowing that it was still quite a formidable opponent, Darren didn''t dare approach the demonic monster hastily. He knew that if he wasn''t careful, he would be torn apart in a flash.


    He stayed still, observing the demonic monsters for a very long time. He found that they all appeared to be very hungry, and they were rooting around for spiritual herbs to eat. They also killed other weaker demonic monsters and ate them. There was blood everywhere.


    The cub that Darren had spotted seemed to be a demonic monster that ate spiritual herbs. Darren cautiously took out a few superior spiritual herbs to try to draw its attention. He held them out, holding his breath.


    These superior spiritual herbs meant nothing to the powerful demonic monsters. But for a young demonic monster cub, they were quite enticing.


    It looked at the spiritual herbs in Darren''s hand, then slowly walked towards him in a stumbling way, like a chubby little tiger. Looking at its beautiful big watery eyes, Darren couldn''t help but soften immediately. He didn''t have the heart to kill it anymore.


    "Purr..." The little cub looked at Darren in a curious way, but it couldn''t pass the Black Cliff of Sword Intent as humans did.


    So Darren used his fastest speed to take the demonic monster cub out of the Black Cliff of Sword Intent, in case other powerful demonic monsters would try to attack him.


    "Purr." The cub smelled the superior spiritual herbs in Darren''s hand, and started jumping around him in a happy way.


    "All right. Just eat the spiritual herbs. After that, I will send you back. I don''t have the heart to kill you." Darren couldn''t help but smile warmly when he saw the cub this happy.


    Then the demonic monster cub ate the spiritual herbs, and started rubbing its face on Darren''s thigh.


    All of a sudden, a very dangerous aura appeared before him. Before Darren could register what was happening, a sharp pain hit him hard. It was from his thigh. He looked down in shock. The cub had bitten him!


    The chubby cub showed its frightening sharp teeth. Its face became dangerous and evil.


    "Stupid human! I will eat you alive!" The demonic monster growled frighteningly. Its muscles also became bigger and stronger. It was no longer the cute cub it had been just now.


    ''How stupid of me to be fooled by a demonic monster!'' Darren immediately took a few steps back. At the same time, his blade and sword in


    t Mathew transported me in the wrong place." Darren shook his head and sighed. It was lucky for him that he had already memorized the whole continent in his head. So it wouldn''t be too difficult for him to find the Talent City.


    ''It''s a shame that I don''t get to tell Elsa where I am. She must be worried right now.'' Darren felt bad. But he couldn''t do anything about it, at least not for now. He had to get to Talent City as soon as possible. He geared up to fly north, setting off at a fast speed.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Holy Land of the Blade Holy Land, Holy Lord Diana and Holy Lord Bryan had been fighting for a few days. The entire Blade Holy Land was swept up in a chaotic mess.


    Finally, Holy Lord Diana lost. Right when she was about to use her final strength to destroy everything, a powerful old martial artist came out and stopped her.


    The Holy Land was a sacred place. Of course, people in charge of this place wouldn''t let things get even worse.


    It was easy to stop their fight. But it wasn''t easy to get rid of the hatred between them. Holy Lord Diana was still furious, and the Holy Lord Bryan also claimed that he would destroy the Lotus Holy Land.


    By now, Elsa had realized that Darren had gotten away. She immediately understood that he must have gotten in the Black Cliff of Sword Intent. It meant that he was safe at least. Knowing this, she couldn''t help but let out a sigh of relief.


    After Darren had flown full speed for a few days in the North Desert, he finally saw a huge city looming on the horizon.


    "Good! I''ve finally arrived at my destination!" Darren was beaming with excitement as he surveyed the area. It was the start of his journey towards being able to finally use the Primitive Stones to fuse his sword and blade intent!

 Chapter 229 Bullies Were Often Cowards

    There was an ancient city in the desert and its walls had gradually eroded away with time.


    The streets were swarmed with people as Darren wandered around the city.


    "Hello, sir. Are you here for some sightseeing? Do you want me to show you around the place?"


    A messy man walked up to Darren and scanned him from head to toe with his narrow eyes.


    "No," Darren simply replied.


    "Oh, you should think about that again. There are so many rules and regulations in Talent City. You will get into trouble if you accidentally break any one of them. But you can rest easy if you have me around to help you out. And my price is fair¡ªfive superior spiritual herbs per day. What do you say, good sir?" He narrowed his eyes, wearing a cunning smile on his face.


    "What kind of rules are you talking about?" Darren asked casually.


    "There are many. For example, murder is forbidden in Talent City. And those who violate the rules are killed without question. But I can''t tell you anything about the other rules. If I do, then I will become useless to you," the man said, laughing.


    Darren cast a glance at him, then threw a hundred blades of superior spiritual herbs at him and asked, "What''s your name?"


    "Ha! Thank you so much, sir! You can call me Ron." Ron felt giddy from the excitement. It looked like luck was on his side that day. Darren had so generously given him such a huge quantity of spiritual herbs. When he had first laid eyes on Darren, he thought that Darren was some poor guy. ''Never judge a person from his appearance, '' Ron thought to himself and made sure to remember it in the future.


    It was Darren''s first time in the city. So, everything was completely alien to him. Darren eyed the man in front of him. He figured that Ron was probably proficient at this kind of thing and maybe had been doing this for a living for a long time. So, he imagined it wouldn''t do him any harm listening to the guy. He knew the city well, after all.


    "Who are those people up there?"


    As Darren walked down the street, he sensed more than twenty people using their spiritual senses to survey him. When he looked up, he saw a bunch of young people on the roofs, dressed smartly. They wore vigilant expressions on their faces as they stared down at Darren.


    "Oh, I can tell you about them." Ron cast a glance at the people on the roofs and continued, "Those aren''t just ordinary citizens. I heard that they are the disciples of the grand warriors who''ve reached the Grand Realm, and that they were ordered to guard the place to look out for new geniuses. Since you are new here, they probably used their spiritual senses on you. Am I right?"


    "Yes," Darren said with a faint smile on his face.


    Ron said with a chuckle, "Sir, no offence, but you are only at the ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm. They will not be interested in you at all. They are probably looking for people who are at the top one hundred talents in the Talent Roll. Although, it will be amazing if they think you are good enough to join them."


    "Huh? Why is that?" Darren didn''t blame Ron for looking down on his cultivation base.


    "I heard t


    accident. Do you understand what that means? Fuck off!" the young man roared.


    That attack earlier had come from this young man. If he had killed Ron by accident, he would have been punished for breaking the rules of Talent City.


    When Ron saw the young man''s fierce expression, he trembled in sheer terror and stammered, "I am so sorry for the trouble, sir. I did not notice the fight in the sky. Please forgive me. I beg for your mercy!"


    Ron was almost in tears, feeling helpless. Since his cultivation base was only at the first stage of the Mysterious Realm, he couldn''t afford to offend anyone in Talent City. He clearly knew that if he accidentally offended any of them, even if they couldn''t kill him because of the rules of the city, it was absolutely certain that he would suffer a lot of pain and torture.


    "Humph! Enough of your stupid excuses! I will teach you a lesson today!" As he finished saying that, the young man raised the long black whip in his hand.


    "Stop it!" Darren yelled. He sent a powerful force towards the young man, and the whip was thrown to the ground. Staring at him coldly, Darren said, "He is only at the first stage of the Mysterious Realm. He wouldn''t be able to avoid your intense power even if he tried his best. You know what I think? I think that you are just so humiliated that you couldn''t defeat the young man you were fighting, and now, you want to vent your bottled anger on this poor guy!"


    Hearing Darren''s words, the young man seethed with anger.


    But before he could say anything, Darren gave a cold snort and continued, "I have never seen such a loser in my life. Are you really proud about bullying a cultivator at the first stage of the Mysterious Realm? Shame on you! But if you want to play, I will be glad to play with you."


    Hearing his sarcastic comments, the young man''s face grew red with rage. He emitted a strong aura from all over his body. He wanted to overwhelm Darren and make him kneel in front of him.


    But, he was completely dumbfounded by what happened after. He had a look of desperation on his face.

 Chapter 230 Flatter Darren

    "Sir, please stay out of this. I don''t want to get you in trouble. He will let me go after beating me," Ron persuaded. Frustration reflected in his expression as he glanced at Darren. He felt grateful that Darren had stood up for him. But he didn''t think that Darren could defeat the young man. After all, Darren was at the ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm while the youth was at the Wonder Realm.


    Darren ignored Ron''s request. Fearlessly, he stood in front of the young man.


    ''I hit this brat with a tremendous internal force that was supposed to break several of his bones. But he wasn''t injured. How could it be possible?'' Surprise and fury coursed through the young man as he thought.


    "Brat, you''ve pissed me off. If that''s what you were hoping for, then you''ve got your wish. I swear I will break all your bones," the young man declared through gritted teeth.


    "Is that so? We''ll see who breaks whose bones!" Darren responded flatly.


    Bang!


    Darren unleashed an overwhelming power that matched the young man''s momentum in terms of strength.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    A hundred strong cultivators were startled by Darren''s attack. Instantly, they released their spiritual sense to ascertain Darren''s real strength. The result caught them by surprise and delighted them.


    "Stop trying to perceive my strength. You''ve done it several times. Don''t you know that it is rude to do so?" Darren frowned as he shouted.


    The young man was getting on his nerves. Darren concentrated and dispelled the spiritual sense released by the strong cultivators.


    Darren''s response didn''t piss off the young talents. Instead, they were excited.


    "I made a mistake. This brat has strong internal force."


    "This teenager is extraordinary. I almost missed such talent."


    "Don''t jump to conclusions. He hasn''t shown his real strength, yet. But, I have a feeling that he is powerful. Ha-ha!"


    These young people worked for grand warriors, and their task was to recruit outstanding geniuses in martial arts. Once they realized Darren''s real strength, they eagerly debated amongst themselves. Everyone wanted a demonstration of his abilities to confirm their findings. If he were a superior talent, perhaps they would please their masters by recruiting Darren.


    The young man''s face reddened. ''This brat is stronger than he appears. What should I do? My strength has weakened after that last battle. Now, I am not in the best condition to fight someone so powerful. What will happen if I lose to this brat?


    Failure would be less embarrassing than backing out. If I cede now, everyone in Talent City will despise me, '' he rationalized.


    "What a cunning guy! You hid your cultivation base. Wait here. I need to restore my strength. When I return in an hour, I will break your bones!" the young man said as shame coursed through him.


    "Are you afraid? Huh?" Darren laughed scornfully and snorted, "Who threatened to break my bones?"


    "He is a coward. I thought he was strong."


    "You fear a teenager at the Mysterious Realm? You''re embarras


    nely horrifying.


    Darren''s performance had certainly shocked them. ''Is he really just a teenager at the Mysterious Realm? He can match a superior talent.''


    "I surrender. I surrender. Please let me go," the young man implored as his twisted, broken body lay motionless in the deep pit caused by his fall.


    "Do you think I will let you go so easily? Would you have spared me if you had defeated me?" Darren asked as he stood beside the hole.


    "What more do you want? I can give you spiritual herbs. How many do you want? Just name your price," the young man negotiated. He gnashed his teeth as pain overwhelmed him. However, his eyes still burned with fury. ''I must calm down and give this brat what he wants. Once I have escaped, I will ask other people to avenge me.''


    "I don''t need them," Darren said as he turned and released an overwhelming force that broke every bone in the young man''s body. "This is your punishment," he said.


    "Asshole! My brother will not spare you," the young man threatened as he groaned in pain.


    Oblivious to his threats, Darren turned and walked away from the young man. ''Since it is against the rules to kill anyone in Talent City, I will spare his life.''


    "S... Sir, you''re in trouble," Ron said as he staggered toward Darren.


    "What are you talking about?" Darren inquired calmly.


    "I just recalled that he is Dean Chen''s younger brother. I have heard that Dean is ranked 92nd on the Talent Roll. Run away from here. The farther, the better," Ron suggested. Although Ron could sense that Darren was more powerful than he had estimated, he didn''t think that Darren was on par with superior talents on the Talent Roll.


    "He is right. But you don''t have to worry about Dean Chen. If you join the Skywalker Alliance, I will keep you safe," a teenager who wanted to recruit Darren proposed.


    "Skywalker Alliance? I''ve never heard of it. No, thanks," Darren refused before turning and leaving.


    On the way, Darren received several similar invitations, but he turned them down.

 Chapter 231 Entering The Grand Void Manor (Part One)

    Talent City had seven major alliances. Historically, they were said to have been founded by grand warriors from all over the continent in the olden days. The Skywalker Alliance was one of them. Besides, there were a plethora of other alliances that were comparatively less powerful. The alliances were established by cultivators at the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm who were one step away from the Grand Realm.


    All these alliances had one common goal¡ªto recruit superior talents and convince them to join them.


    When the Skywalker Alliance announced their title, they attracted the attention of quite a few people who had no hope in winning over Darren anymore. That was because Skywalker Alliance was ranked among the top three most powerful alliances. It was said that it had an extremely powerful grand warrior who entered the Grand Realm hundreds of years ago.


    But grand warriors never came into sight easily. The truth behind whether these powerful alliances were really supported by grand warriors was a mystery to normal people.


    On seeing that the powerful young man refused Skywalker Alliance''s invitation, the bystanders all thought that he was simply being silly. Or perhaps, he rejected the offer because he had never heard of their reputation! There was a huge number of advantages associated with joining the Skywalker Alliance, and the most apparent one was that few people dared to cross their members in Talent City.


    "Hey bro, you''ve just made the mistake of provoking a superior talent! Why not join our Blue Alliance? We will definitely do our utmost to protect you. Think about it and don''t make decisions on impulse."


    "No, no, our Luce Alliance also has a superior talent who ranked in the top one hundred. You do not need to be afraid of the Dean guy as long as you


    his man just for rejecting the offers of the Alliances. In the first place, it was shocking enough for him to witness that Darren defeated a Wonder Realm cultivator albeit the fact that he was still at the Mysterious Realm. This young man was not predictable and certainly did not adhere to the conventions of the land.


    "Forgive me, sir. I venture to ask if you are a top five hundred talent on the Talent Roll?"


    "Eh? Why do you need to know so many details?"


    "If you really are one of the top five hundred superior talents, it is not necessary for you to enter any of those forces. You can go to the Grand Void Manor directly. And after one month, all the superior talents of these forces tried to recruit will gather in the Grand Void Manor to participate in the assessment. You can go there directly by that time," Ron said.


    "Assessment? I do not want to participate in any assessment. I only want to go to the Talent Battle Ring." Darren had been critically injured before, and he assimilated so much spiritual energy that his stage was not far away from the Wonder Realm. It was very urgent for him to procure the needed Primitive Stones, so he had to save time as much as possible.

 Chapter 232 Entering The Grand Void Manor (Part Two)

    "Here is the part you do not know about, sir. You''re required to attend the assessment held in the Grand Void Manor before you''re allowed to go to the Talent Battle Ring. Only the superior talents who make it to the top three of the test are qualified to go to the Talent Battle Ring.


    And according to what I heard, this so-called assessment is extraordinarily hard. All the large forces always send huge amounts of talents to participate, but none of them pass based on past year''s results."


    "Is that really the case? Well then. Perhaps, I will find out myself when the time comes."


    ...


    Guided by Ron, Darren found a secluded place to settle down. A month passed fairly quickly, and the day had finally come for the quarterly assessment to take place in the Grand Void Manor.


    In the past month, Darren had been wholly immersed in practicing and understanding his power. He had made some substantial progress again.


    Earlier that morning, Darren arrived at the Grand Void Manor under the explicit instructions Ron had given him.


    The Grand Void Manor expanded over a few thousand acres, and it looked somewhat antiquated from the outside, as if it had experienced the hardships of history. Undoubtedly, it had stood the test of time.


    Before stepping inside, Darren felt an indistinct rush of aura which was extremely strong. That aura was probably much more fierce than that of all the Holy Lords.


    "Is it possible that there really are grand warriors present inside the Grand Void Manor?" Darren mumbled.


    "I know right. Mr. Chu, do you not know that the master of Grand Void Manor is an extremely powerful grand warrior, despite the fact that not


    for a while, he indeed found Darren''s name at the four-hundred-and-sixty-third place.


    This finding exceptionally surprised those guards. They had been guarding the Grand Void Manor for more than thirty years and yet they had never seen anyone at the Mysterious Realm within the top five hundred of the Talent Roll.


    "We indeed found the name ''Darren'', but in order to avoid the cases of people come under somebody else''s name, please allow me to further examine your case, young man. Forgive me." Saying so, the guard pressed one of his hand on Darren''s shoulder.


    "The bone age is correct, the breath is correct, the described stage also corresponds with the person." The guard nodded his head slightly. The three areas he detected were all consistent with the description on the Talent Roll.


    But to be sure, the guard also examined Darren''s strength as the final test. When Darren demonstrated his blade intent and sword intent, the guard was totally convinced of his identity. Then the guard gave him a token and watched with admiration as Darren entered the main gate. What an impressive young man!

 Chapter 233 Superior Talents Assembling In The Grand Void Manor

    After entering the Grand Void Manor, Darren realized that the powerful aura in the manor was much stronger than what he had felt in the Holy Lands.


    As soon as Darren walked into a hall, he saw hundreds of youngsters, including boys and girls. All these cultivators had assembled in the manor for the test. They had the same goal as Darren¡ªto defeat their rivals and rank among the Top 100 on the Talent Roll.


    The youngsters who were permitted to enter the Grand Void Manor were powerful. They were comprised of superior talents who ranked within the Top 500 on the Talent Roll. Some were talents who had been recommended for the test by a powerful sect. None of them were weak.


    What surprised Darren more was that none of these talents were inferior to the Top 500 superior talents on the Talent Roll.


    Darren wondered why they weren''t ranked high on the Talent Roll despite their strength.


    Perhaps it was because they had not killed demonic monsters or high-ranked cultivators to secure a position on the Talent Roll even though they had upgraded their realm and strength. They were powerful but kept a low profile, which was what made them hard to deal with.


    Darren studied all the talents present. Soon he perceived that at least ten youngsters emitted an exceptionally powerful aura. And, they were part of famous alliances. Obviously, they had been recommended by the powerful alliances of which they were part.


    "Humph. The young lad we met on the street the other day is present today."


    Several cultivators from different alliances grumbled when they saw Darren. They were upset with him as Darren had refused their invitations to join their alliances.


    "I am surprised to see him here. Perhaps he has joined another alliance. We should teach him a lesson during the test. That will be his punishment for refusing the great opportunity we offered!"


    Of course, Darren knew that the other cultivators were staring at him and whispering about him. But he didn''t care about their opinions.


    "It is time to begin. All the test takers need to form two rows. The talents recommended to take the test should stand in the line on the left, while the talents, who rank within the Top 500 on the Talent Roll, need to come to the right."


    Just then, a dignified old man with an imposing demeanor appeared. His commanding voice quietened all the people present.


    Soon, the cultivators had formed two rows just as the old man had instructed. There were only twenty cultivators in Darren''s row.


    Although only twenty cultivators from the Top 500 of Talent Roll had come here today, it was a considerable number. After all, not everyone on the Talent Roll was willing to go to Talent City.


    "That young lad is in the Top 500? I can''t believe it."


    "Humph. Just because he has a position on the Talent Roll doesn''t mean that he is powerful. I''ll teach him a lesson if I find an opportunity later."


    "Be quiet!"


    The old man shouted c


    rren had to admit that Boyce was a real talent.


    "The Dragon Alliance is so arrogant!" Betty lashed out as she pouted.


    "Humph. If Darren and I work together, we need not to be afraid of anyone from the Dragon Alliance except for a few superior talents." The young man was intelligent. His words showed Darren that he was in the same boat as Darren. And, he regarded Darren as his friend.


    Darren also felt that Boyce was sincere. He was not just talking¡ªhe meant what he said. If the cultivators from Dragon Alliance messed with Darren, Boyce would help him. He was not pretending to be Darren''s friend.


    "Ha-ha. Boyce, thank you for blocking the attack." Although Darren was not afraid of the cultivators from Dragon Alliance, he thanked Boyce for his thoughtfulness.


    "Don''t be so formal. We''re friends, right?"


    "Yeah. Darren, if the test continues later, we can temporarily work as a team. Do you agree?" Betty asked with a smile. She didn''t miss this opportunity to convince Darren to work with them.


    "Err... Okay." Since Betty was so enthusiastic, Darren didn''t have the heart to refuse her.


    An hour later, the old man, who was in charge of the test, returned to the hall. However, the people accompanying him were not the disciples of Grand Void Manor. Instead, he had been escorted by a dozen youngsters, all of whom exuded threatening aura. Among them were four gorgeous girls. They were very young and appeared to be about eighteen or nineteen years old.


    "Logan is here as well?" Both Boyce and Betty were surprised when they identified that Logan Luo, a superior talent from their alliance, was one of the youngsters accompanying the old man. He was ranked within the Top 100!


    As for other cultivators brought by the old man, they needn''t guess their identities because they were obviously superior talents ranked within the Top 100 too.


    Darren was surprised as well. ''Why have these powerful superior talents come here?'' he wondered.

 Chapter 234 Exclusion

    "What on earth could be going on? Why are there so many superior talents here? Are they planning on taking the examination, too?"


    Everyone was greatly puzzled.


    "I never expected that the Ancient Void Battlefield would suddenly open. Surely, a few among you will be lucky to have the opportunity to enter it," the old man standing in the middle of the hall proclaimed at last.


    "But what is the Ancient Void Battlefield?" Almost everyone was still confused, most of them never having heard of this before.


    The elder from the Grand Void Manor explained its history in detail, and they finally understood it all. Once they found out about it, some of them grew quite excited, while others felt rather worried.


    The Void Battlefield, according to the elder, was a broken space that had remained active since ancient times. It contained many treasures.


    However, it was difficult to obtain these treasures, unless one could pass the grueling tests that arose as they challenged every step of the way.


    In its very essence, the Void Battlefield was an assessment space.


    For the longest time, it had opened every few months and allowed several geniuses to enter. Even so, the many talents who had attempted to reach its depths had gone no deeper than the periphery and were only able to compete with each other there for the treasures. The most important and vital part of the Void Battlefield was the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    It opened every one hundred and eighty years. Legend said that its heritage was truly beyond shocking. It had been thousands of years since the Grand Void Manor was established and from the time of its birth, tremendously gifted talents had already ventured there, but not one of them acquired the real, great heritage.


    If all went according to plan, the Ancient Void Battlefield was expected to open twenty years later. That was why its surprisingly early appearance startled many grand warriors.


    The Void Battlefield opened only for one day. Only fifty warriors under the age of twenty-five would be permitted to enter. The moment they heard the news, a few grand warriors immediately gathered the superior talents under their command, fourteen in total.


    Since it was a rare opportunity, the rest of the thirty-six places would be selected from the geniuses that happened to take the examination on ordinary martial skills today. Since there were hundreds of talents here, a quick selection must be carried out in order to guarantee the efficiency of the process. It was a disappointing blow to some of them. Here was a great opportunity right before their very eyes, but the chances of qualifying were slim for the more inferior ones. They felt really upset at missing this rare chance to try and prove themselves.


    "Elder, what is the distribution of the rest thirty-six places? Are the winners decided on the arena?" a genius asked, confident in his strength.


    The elder of Grand Void Manor just shook his head and replied, "Since time is limited, I have discussed with the lords present to draw up the selection mechanism."


    The elder paused, and then added, "Twenty-one of the rest of the places will be recommended


    Finally, he grudgingly agreed.


    "What! How dare you give your precious place to such a worthless guy?" Don Zhou yelled loudly at Boyce and Betty. Since each alliance could recommend three geniuses, he had been the third chosen one of Skywalker Alliance.


    "Don, you''d better keep your mouth shut! I have brought up the matter to Tom and he has already agreed." Boyce had always been on bad terms with Don Zhou.


    "Humph, you bastard. I''ve watched you for a long time. If your decision proves a waste of time, you will suffer the consequences when you come back to Skywalker Alliance," Don Zhou said with venom.


    Darren didn''t take heed of his empty threats. He was in a place where his actions would speak much louder than his words.


    ...


    Seven men were talking and drinking tea in a quiet yard of the Grand Void Manor.


    "Chad, how could your disciples make the lad join your alliance? I hear that he didn''t deserve to be on the Talent Roll," a big man sneered.


    "Brian, are you gloating over me? Or are you laughing at me?" Chad Lou said with great displeasure.


    Just now, it had been Brian You who proposed to exclude Darren from the qualifying battles. The other masters of the seven alliances also found that the reason why Darren was able to withdraw the warriors at the middle age of the Wonder Realm was that he had just cultivated a body refining skill, but his real power was only in the Mysterious Realm. How could he overcome the severe challenges in Ancient Void Battlefield? Based on this consideration, they concurred that excluding Darren right away was justifiable.


    Then one man acted as a peacemaker. "Well, no more arguing. We can personally reiterate the decision later. By the way, if anyone of them reaches the eleventh round of Ancient Void Battlefield, there will be a sumptuous harvest."


    "Good point. Many Primitive Stones are stored there. Chad, since you have Darren, the so-called super genius, I have a feeling that you will make a fortune this time. Ha-ha!" Another man laughed sarcastically. Well, they would have to wait and see just how things would turn out!

 Chapter 235 Entering The Ancient Void Battlefield

    In the palace, the qualifying battles had finished. The participants were among the top five hundred talents on the Talent Roll. Fifteen talents won the battle, so they were qualified to enter the Void Battlefield. Finally, fifteen qualified talents, twenty-one recommended talents, and fourteen superior talents were summoned in front of the Void Battlefield.


    All the other participants stared at Darren with disdain. Even Tom Yi, the superior talent of Skywalker Alliance, began to question his decision about allowing Darren to take Betty''s place. He thought that he should have refused Boyce''s appeal in the first place. He was worried about whether the elder would censure him or not if Darren failed.


    Meanwhile, a lot of people discussed that since fourteen superior talents entered the battlefield, the other people would not have advantages in the test. The fourteen superior talents ranked relatively high on the Talent Roll. The lowest-ranked talent was number ninety-two, while the highest-ranked one was number eighty-one.


    In the quiet courtyard, the masters prepared for the start of the proceedings.


    "It is time to do the speech." One of them used his spiritual sense to explore the Grand Void Manor.


    "Hmm. You know, I think we should send our shadows to do it. There is no need to go there in person. It''s not such an important event," another man replied with a faint smile on his face.


    "Are you being too arrogant about it? Well, it sounds reasonable either way. Ha-ha. Brian, how about you go there?"


    These people were none other than the Grand Realm warriors who the elder had mentioned before.


    A deep furrow appeared between Brian''s brows. In a split second, a horrifying shadow emerged from his body and flew towards the Void Battlefield.


    The intense aura suddenly emitted from the sky up above frightened the young talents. They gazed at the shadow that appeared in the sky with utter awe, their mouths agape in horror.


    "Sir..." They murmured, not knowing how to address him.


    "It is nice to see you young talents here." His commanding presence and authoritative voice caught everyone''s full attention. Everyone was silent, waiting for his next words. Brian continued, "The Ancient Void Battlefield has opened. It happened so fast that there is not much time left for you guys to prepare. But you must try your best to make it through.


    I only have one request for you. When you reach the eleventh round, bring out as many Primitive Stones as you possibly can."


    Hearing what Brian said, everyone felt giddy with excitement. It was the first time that most of the talents had ever heard a grand warrior talk to them. It was truly inspiring! When they heard the word "request", their faces grew solemn and resolute. They were determined to try their best to accomplish the


    the other talents?


    "All right. Bring them to the Ancient Void Battlefield," Brian ordered. He turned into a shadow and disappeared in the air.


    Dozens of elders of the Grand Void Manor appeared in front of them, emitting powerful auras. They transferred their power together and opened a huge door.


    Those talents followed one of the elders and flew through the huge door.


    Suddenly a broad wasteland came into view. The setting sun was low in the sky, and a blast of chilly air blew toward them. Some of the talents shivered with nervousness.


    "Everyone, follow my lead. Right now, what you are seeing is the outer space of the Ancient Void Battlefield. Our destination is close at hand," the elder who was leading the crowd explained.


    They kept on flying in the sky until they reached a stone tower that was high up among the clouds. The elder gestured for them to stop, pointed at a narrow path and said, "That is the entrance of the Ancient Void Battlefield. After you enter its domain, you will have to undergo a serious of tests. Your real strength and power will determine how many rounds you can pass and how much treasure you can accumulate in the progress.


    But don''t feel distressed even if you don''t manage to get anything. Your efforts are still appreciated and will be rewarded handsomely! For now, strive to grow stronger and do your best.


    You should remember that the time limit is three months. Once that window is closed, you will be transferred out of here. I must remind you--never bite off more than you can chew. Before you want to enter the next test, know your true strength and make the right decisions. Otherwise, there is a high chance that your life will be on the line."


    After hearing the elder''s advice, the talents all beamed with anticipation. At his signal, they all soared into the narrow gap, ready to face their destinies.

 Chapter 236 The First Trial

    The moment Darren and other participants arrived at the spot, an elder''s shadow suddenly materialized in front of them.


    "Welcome to the Ancient Void Battlefield, young ones. The first trial is about to start," the shadow proclaimed loudly.


    "Who..."


    All the participants were astonished at the sight of the shadow. They could also sense it was stronger than the grand warriors they had met outside.


    "You must be wondering who I am. I am the guardian of the Void Battlefield. Please, do not fear me. You have no reason to. The aura you feel is coming from my real body. I am just a spiritual intent and I cannot do any physical harm to you. You may call me Mr. Guardian," the shadow continued, noticing the alert look on the participants'' faces.


    "The test begins," the elder''s shadow announced.


    "Why did I lose my cultivation base?"


    "What''s going on with me? Why did my realm regress?"


    Every participant''s face turned panicked the second the guardian made his announcement. They could feel that their realm and cultivation base were regressing rapidly. Moments later, they had become ordinary people, and couldn''t even recall the martial arts skills they had learnt.


    "Calm down, young ones. The first test is called ''starting over''. Now, I shall introduce the rules and rewards to you. Listen attentively," the guardian said.


    With a wave of his hand, a black stone wall fell from the sky and landed before all the participants.


    Everyone looked up at this massive structure and observed that it was covered by a myriad of characters.


    "These are all martial skills and formulas. Some of them are supernatural martial skills and some are about more powerful martial skills!" many exclaimed in delight, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets.


    "From now on, you have three years to master these martial skills. After that time, you need to fight each other. Only twenty-five of you can go through to the second test.


    The participants who pass the first test will be rewarded," the guardian said.


    As he waved his hand, many items materialized in mid-air. They were placed in the form of five-layer pyramid. The higher the level, the fewer the items were.


    The crowd looked up and observed the floating objects.


    "Isn''t that a Talent-upgrading Elixir? Oh my gosh! That is really the Talent-upgrading Elixir. If a person consumes one pill, his talent will be promoted by one whole level."


    "That''s the supernatural martial skill. There are a dozen supernatural martial skill books!"


    Those prizes they mentioned were at the fifth layer and drew their attention.


    The Talent-upgrading Elixir was a rare pill, one that was heavily sought after in the real world. When Darren was in the Starry Tower back then, he had managed to find one Talent-upgrading Elixir which was much better than the one in front of him. That pill could increase one''s talent by ten levels and he had chosen


    one''s talent. What''s your talent degree now?" Boyce whispered to him.


    Immersed in his own thoughts, Darren didn''t hear what Boyce said.


    "Hey, what are you thinking about?" Boyce nudged him.


    "He''s just a loser who had dumb luck with a strong physical body. I doubt whether his talent has reached the Earth Degree," Don ridiculed.


    Facing Don''s aggressive provocations, Darren was pissed off. Considering that the guardian said that fighting was not allowed, he forced himself to stay calm. Getting angry here would do nothing good for him.


    "Level nine," Darren replied flatly, leaving Boyce stunned.


    "Humph! You see? Turns out his talent is just at the ninth level of the Black Degree. He is just a loser. Boyce, you were wrong to think highly of this guy. You''ll be in trouble," Don quipped.


    "That''s none of your business. Get the hell of here, or I will beat you up even if I am going to be disqualified," Boyce scolded angrily.


    "You''re really good. I will teach the two of you a lesson in the upcoming tournament. Just wait and see." After sneering spitefully at them, Don went towards the wall like other people did. They memorized the martial skill techniques and chose a secluded place to begin cultivating.


    "Darren, don''t lose heart. It''s not easy to be at the ninth level of the Black Degree. You''re such a strong cultivator. Even though you''re not as talented as other participants, I believe you will surprise others with your other skills in the upcoming competition. Good luck!" Boyce tried to comfort Darren.


    "Who told you my talent was at the Black Degree? My talent is at the ninth level of the Earth Degree," Darren explained nonchalantly.


    "What... what did you say? Your, your talent is at the ninth level of the Earth Degree?" Boyce responded, flabbergasted. "You''ve gotta be kidding me. If your talent is really at that stage, you''re supposed to have reached the middle stage of Wonder Realm by now!"

 Chapter 237 Quick Practice

    Darren smiled and said, "Don''t think too much about that. Let''s pick a martial skill and begin practicing it. Three years'' time is too short for us cultivators."


    Boyce looked at Darren and realized that he was serious. He began to look forward to seeing what realm Darren would reach within three years here. ''Although neither of us have a cultivation base now, Darren has a talent of level nine of the Earth Degree and he will make quick progress, '' thought Boyce.


    "You are right. Let''s begin our cultivating." Boyce turned to read the martial skills written on the big stone wall. It didn''t take much time for him to make a decision.


    "Darren, I''ll see you in three years," said Boyce.


    "All right," Darren replied with a faint smile.


    Boyce nodded slightly and left to look for a quiet place where he could practice the martial skill he had chosen without being disturbed by the others.


    Only Darren was left in the open space now. He scanned the stone wall. Thousands of martial skills were recorded on it and all of them varied in levels. The best of them were the legendary martial skills. He scanned them half-heartedly.


    At the moment, he was not very eager about choosing a proper martial skill. Darren was worried about a more pressing problem; he couldn''t absorb spiritual energy.


    "After three years of practicing, if I still have no cultivation base, I will be laughed at," Darren muttered to himself and sighed deeply. He felt honestly sorry for himself.


    "Never mind that! I''ll have to at least try!" Darren decided to get up his courage and absorb the spiritual energy from the world using his talent.


    "Heh?" Darren stood there, surprised.


    "The spiritual energy in this space is so rich and powerful. Besides, I didn''t feel any pain from the sword intent and the blade intent. The two intents didn''t battle each other. But why?" he paused and muttered to himself. And then, the answer struck him.


    "Oh!" His eyes widened and he knew the reason now. "Our cultivation base was degenerated. Due to that, my sword intent and blade intent have disappeared," Darren said to himself.


    Darren was shocked. ''What a terrifying space the Ancient Void Battlefield is! It could easily eliminate the sword intent and the blade intent!''


    "The guardian has such powerful energy to make this happen," Darren whispered.


    "Ha-ha. Young man. I am not as powerful as you think. You have cultivated conflicting martial skills. How can I suppress them? All is because of the Ancient Void Battlefield."


    The voice didn''t shock Darren, but it was surprising that the guardian had showed up again.


    Darren cupped one hand in the other before his chest as a sign of respect. "Sir, how did you know that I am a sword and a blade cultivator? What makes the Ancient Void Battlefield so special?"


    "Cultivating conflicting martial skills not only means cultivating sword and blade skills; it also means cultivating ice and fire, light and dark, justice and injustice and so on. There are thousands of conflicting skills.


    But cultivating each of them is difficult in its own way because of the pressure from the conflicting nature of the skills. Once a cultivator br


    ious Realm too, then the people who had a talent of the Heaven Degree could reach the Wonder Realm in just several months too, which was clearly impossible. The spiritual energy received because of one''s talent was limited.


    Soon, nine months passed and all the talents had been in the Ancient Void Battlefield for almost a year.


    "Whoosh!" Darren opened his eyes and said, "I reached the ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm. If I had condensed the blade core or the sword core in this space, I would have reached the Wonder Realm already.


    Now, it''s time to practice the martial skills and condense the blade core and the sword core."


    Saying that, he took out the two martial skills, read them and started practicing.


    Since he had mastered the blade intent and the sword intent earlier, it was pretty easy for him to practice the skills. Only three months later, he was at the high level of the preliminary sword intent and the preliminary blade intent. The sword and blade intent were as powerful as those he had condensed outside the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    He released his spiritual sense and searched for talents around him. There were six. The most powerful among the lot was weaker than him; that talent was at the preliminary stage of the Mysterious Realm.


    "My strength is enough to kill a cultivator who is at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm using my sword and blade intent. I wonder how much my strength will be increased to when I reach the Wonder Realm." Just thinking about it excited him.


    Now that he had cultivated the sword and blade intent, he decided to condense a sword core or a blade core. No matter which one he received, he would have a chance to reach the Wonder Realm.


    "I wonder what will happen if I condense a sword core and a blade core at the same time to reach the Wonder Realm?" The idea came up to him out of the blue. Never had he condensed a blade core before.


    As excitement flowed through him, he continued to practice the sword and blade intent. As soon as he reached the maximum level, he could condense the sword and blade core and reach the Wonder Realm.

 Chapter 238 Being Killed In An Instant

    Darren decided to condense the blade and sword cores simultaneously, which turned out to be far more difficult than he imagined.


    Three months'' time had quickly elapsed, but he felt that he was still far from finishing condensing the cores.


    One day, while Darren was cultivating as usual, there was a rumble from a distant mountain, stirring its surroundings and everything within close proximity to it. The tremendous spiritual energy that poured into it caused a shock so violent that it reached Darren''s location.


    The rumbling was an apparent sign of someone reaching the Wonder Realm.


    Darren raised his head and glanced towards the direction of the mountain. "Hmm, not bad. That cultivation speed is almost as quick as mine," he muttered.


    But he was not really concerned much about it. Even at his normal speed, he was able to reach the Wonder Realm two months ago. And so, he ignored it and went back to condensing his cores.


    Time flew by and five months passed. Darren felt his sword and blade intent had finally reached the limit which meant that he was now on the threshold of forming his sword and blade cores. But frankly, it was still easier said than done. Over the past months, Darren had tirelessly devoted himself to the cultivation of the sword intent and blade intent. Day in, day out, he hardly ever slept or took any rest.


    It was much more difficult to cultivate the two kinds of intent together than just one of them, but he was still determined to do it anyway.


    At that moment, as Darren gathered his blade intent and sword intent into his elixir field¡ªthe energy center inside his body, his mental state also arrived at the limit.


    He had reached the realm of selflessness.


    He made various gestures with his hands, making the perfect blade and sword formulas appear. The blade and sword intent spun together inside his elixir field and slowly formed into what would be the beginnings of a blade core and a sword core.


    He was starting to make progress, when suddenly, he felt a heavy fluctuation in the heaven and earth spiritual energy. It could only mean that more warriors had reached the Wonder Realm.


    ''Huh? What''s with this change?'' Darren felt something different.


    He found a subtle change just when his blade intent and sword intent were on the point of formation. Quite a number of imperceptible whirlpools appeared on the cores. It sucked in all the blade and sword intent that approached it, compressing them at a rapid speed.


    Darren tried to pour a mass of blade and sword intent into his elixir field and all of it was almost instantaneously compressed into the whirlpools. As it happened, the color of the blade and sword cores turned from red to orange.


    ''I see! This is the way to improve the level of the core!'' Darren was overjoyed. The level of the sword core or blade core was ranked according to its color: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue and purple from low to high level. The highe


    the corner of the battle platform, they saw a juvenile standing there, pitch-black hair cascading down his face.


    "Darren!" Boyce''s eyes widened in delight. He ran up to Darren and asked him, "When did you come here? I thought you were already¡ª"


    "Eliminated?" Darren gave Boyce a faint smile. "I''m the first one here, how could I be eliminated? Stop joking, Boyce."


    Everyone was surprised by his words. Was he really the first one to arrive at the site? They never saw Darren, nor did they feel Darren''s aura.


    Some of them even thought that he was just bluffing. Don was a firm supporter to this thought.


    He disdainfully glared at Darren. "You little piece of rubbish. Don''t blow your own trumpet. Does anyone feel his realm? He''s only at the Mysterious Realm, far from the Wonder Realm," he shouted aloud, making sure that everyone heard him.


    Darren ignored Don and turned to the guardian. "I dare to ask you a question, sir. Are we allowed to kill our opponents in the challenge?" His voice was so icy that it sent a chill down all the talents'' spines.


    "Killing is allowed," the guardian started. "But, only on the condition that you would be able to kill your opponent in three moves." He then kept his eyes focused on Darren, curious about what the young man was devising.


    "Well then, I will kill Don," Darren said dryly, not a trace of emotion on his face.


    Don''s face was starting to grow red from trying to hold in his laughter. Just as he was about to burst out laughing and mock the foolish lad in front of him, his face curdled and his grin disappeared.


    "Hey, what''s wrong with Don?" Everyone was disturbed by the strange look on Don''s face.


    Soon enough, they all realized what was wrong. "He''s dead! Don is dead!"


    The shout stirred up a storm deep in the talents'' hearts. One after another, they all stood up and gazed at Darren in surprise.


    ''This is impossible, absolutely impossible!'' Even Violet was left wide-eyed in shock.

 Chapter 239 The Teenager In Grey (Part One)

    Deafening silence enveloped the whole place, echoing eerily in their minds. No one could figure out how Darren had ended Don in the blink of an eye, no matter how hard they tried. With every scenario, every possibility they came up with, it only made them feel as if they were going farther from the truth.


    The rest, including the fourteen superior talents, were all taken aback by the result. ''He killed Don without making any noise. This teenager is terrifyingly strong, '' they thought as they felt the tremor under their skins.


    "Darren won. He now has access to the next test," the guardian announced in a booming voice.


    As shocking as the result was, he didn''t care how Darren managed to take Don out. His sole duty was to supervise the competition and nothing else.


    A few seconds later, the rest participants finally got over the shock and adjusted their state of mind. After all, they had to make sure that they were in the best condition to issue a challenge or accept one themselves. They aimed to pass the first test.


    Darren took the seat where Don had sat a moment ago, watching the rest fight with each other. His eyes held little interest in what was going on around him, but he made sure to pay attention in case a promising opponent showed up.


    Four hours later, most participants were done with their matches. Only three were left as no one had challenged them yet. It wasn''t because they were extremely weak or uninteresting, but because they were the best superior talents present and everybody else was scared to face them. To others, facing them meant total defeat before the fight even started.


    These three superior talents were called Violet Wang, Billy Huang, and Tom Yi. The last one was from the Skywalker Alliance.


    "Darren, that was impressive. I knew you are incredible. After all, your talent is at level nine of Earth Degree," Boyce praised, his words lathered with admiration, as he sat down next to Darren.


    He defeated the one he had challenged. It was, by no means,


    dn''t even feel the power the teenager had released.


    But to their utter astonishment, Tom''s face immediately turned beet red. He doubled over in pain as though he was crumbling under intense pressure.


    "What''s going on?" Boyce gasped with wide eyes. He hoped that Tom could defeat his opponent. After all, Tom was also a part of Skywalker Alliance. He could tell by Tom''s expression that something wasn''t right, though. It looked as if... he was about to lose.


    "As I expected, Tom lost the game," Darren said flatly, confirming Boyce''s thoughts.


    "But how? What just happened?" Boyce asked, his voice sounding a little more frantic than what he wanted.


    Darren didn''t answer. Instead, he motioned for Boyce to continue watching Tom. A couple of seconds later, Tom gasped for air. With a relieved expression, he said, "Thank you for showing mercy. I give up."


    His voice was hoarse as a bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He didn''t expect that the teenager in grey would be so strong that it would be impossible to handle him. If he was being completely honest, the martial skill the young man used freaked him out.


    "The legendary martial skill was formidable!" Tom sighed with a resigned expression.


    "Wait, what did you just say? He activated a legendary martial skill?" Billy exclaimed, his mouth agape in shock.

 Chapter 240 The Teenager In Grey (Part Two)

    "Did his talent reach the level nine of the Earth Degree?" Violet said in disbelief, unable to accept the sudden turn of events.


    ''A cultivator whose talent is at the level eight of Earth Degree would still find it difficult to master the legendary martial skills. If the teenager in grey could use a legendary martial skill, he definitely has a talent worthy of the level nine of the Earth Degree. That''s the only explanation for his being able to comprehend such complicated martial skills.


    Turns out he is the real genius... One who has hidden his strength!'' Boyce thought.


    The teenager who wore grey clothes nodded at Tom. He turned to look at Billy and said, "If you were my opponent, you would have lost your life."


    Although the teenager wasn''t a talker, he couldn''t endure bossy people like Billy and would have shown him no mercy.


    Billy was so furious that the blue veins popped out of his forehead. Despite that, he didn''t snap back for he could tell by his tone that the teenager wanted him dead. If he uttered a word, he was afraid that the teenager might take his life for real.


    "We have twenty-five participants who can receive the second test. Now, I am going to select three participants to take part in the finals, for the top three ranking. Violet Wang, Bowen Xiao, and Darren Chu, get ready for the finals," the guardian announced.


    "What? It''s not fair! Why can''t I join the finals?" Billy bellowed at the guardian as he jumped to his feet abruptly.


    The guardian glanced at him nonchalantly before saying, "Anyone who has a problem with my arrangement can challenge the one I choose. But I must warn you that killing is a must on the field, given such a situation. Billy, if you''d like to alter my arrangement, please come over here and fight your opponent."


    "Hold on. What are you saying? Killing is a mus


    r cultivation. What if he couldn''t get over this loss? Everything he worked so hard for would just go to waste. He didn''t want that to happen.


    "Umm... Do you think Darren can win the first prize? But even if he does, I am afraid he will not waste such a good chance on me," Tom responded with a hesitant expression. Despite his reservations and doubts, Boyce''s words gave him a dash of hope. ''This first trial tested one''s talent. I''m sure the qualified participants will restore their cultivation base in the next test. If I had the chance to continue the test, I believe that I might be able to make it to the eleventh test, '' Tom thought.


    "Darren is a good person. If I speak for you, he might agree to help you. I hope he can win the game," Boyce reassured him with a smile.


    "Well, then, thank you," Tom said, wishing Darren could take the first prize. His gaze shifted to the field.


    Boyce nodded and focused his gaze on the stage, too.


    The fight had begun. The three on the stage had started releasing their tremendous aura, which made the rest hold their breaths and tense up.


    Everyone''s eyes were fixed on the three. The battle, one that everyone would remember for a long time, was about to break out.

 Chapter 241 Bowen Versus Violet (Part One)

    "It didn''t occur to me that the young man who had been looked down on has such strong power. I guess we underestimated him a lot."


    "Bowen was very low-key too. He only wore a common gray shirt. Do real talents tend to keep a low profile? Is that how they manage to become so strong without anyone noticing?"


    The audience fixed their eyes on the battlefield. They were totally amazed at the tremendous power emitted from the three talents on the stage. Hot waves of energy kept fanning their faces, but they didn''t dare blink for fear that they''d miss a spectacular technique.


    The three talents had all started their cultivation from the beginning. Since they were geniuses in learning martial skills, they had spent less time in learning them. There was a good chance that each of them would be able to defeat all the other talents on their own. That was the difference between those three talents and the other participants. So most people were green with envy just with the thought of it.


    "There are three people here. What should we do?" Darren casually asked as he stood in the middle of the battlefield.


    Since there were three people in the battlefield, the two of them would have to make an alliance to attack another person. After they successfully took out one person, the other two would then fight again to decide who was the winner.


    "You two can band together and attack me. After losing, you guys can decide who is the number two and number three," Bowen said with a smirk while a look of disdain flashed in his eyes. He was confident that he would win the battle no matter what tricks the others tried to pull on him.


    "Ha-ha. Bowen, you are overestimating your own abilities," Violet replied with a sickly sweet smile on her face. Nothing about that smile seemed friendly or comforting.


    She knew that the two young men were indeed powerful, but that didn''t mean that she would cower in fear. After all, there was a reason she reached the finals. She had her own skills and advantages, too


    let snorted rather coldly. She flew towards the sky, the wind caressing her hair.


    "Sword Intent Flaming Skill!"


    A soft-looking, almost transparent sword appeared in her hands. But as she wielded it in the sky, her powerful sword intent bore down on Bowen like a fierce beast.


    "The skill she used is a supernatural sword skill in the martial world. It appears to have reached the high level. She really has great potential as a sword cultivator. However, her sword intent isn''t good enough. She has not reached the high level of the preliminary sword intent,"


    Darren commented in a low voice, seeing that Violet was also a sword cultivator like him.


    "Domineering Spear!"


    Boom!


    A long black spear suddenly appeared in Bowen''s hands. As he gave out a roar, the spear emitted tremendous power and radiated towards Violet''s sword intent. In a split second, her sword intent was broken into pieces. It then dissipated into the air as though it didn''t exist in the first place.


    His powerful spear kept on stabbing towards Violet.


    She was totally dumbfounded as she felt the strong aura being emitted from his spear. Although the spear skill that Bowen used was also a supernatural martial skill, he was much more powerful than she was. She realized she was totally cornered. She wanted nothing but to get out of this situation.

 Chapter 242 Bowen Versus Violet (Part Two)

    "I will defeat him no matter what!" As she defended herself against Bowen''s fierce attack with great difficulty, an idea floated in her mind. Regaining her confidence and fighting spirit, she allowed a small smile to break across her face.


    "Killing Sword Intent!"


    Violet roared as a purple glow emitted from her body. The enormous killing power smothered the entire battlefield. It was so intense that even the talents outside the battlefield was taken aback by the experience.


    "Ah, I can''t believe that she has already grasped the Killing Sword Intent. It is indeed a terrifying skill."


    "Now, her Killing Sword Intent is over ten times powerful than it used to be, possibly even stronger!"


    It made a lot people stare at Violet in awe and respect.


    The killing aura that Violet was emitting piqued Darren''s interest even more. It never occurred to him that there was such a miraculous martial skill that could tremendously increase one''s sword intent. Moreover, her killing aura could exert enormous pressure on her opponent. The pressure was also about ten times stronger than normal. Just what made it possible? What was her secret?


    "Humph! You can''t do anything to me. It doesn''t matter if you have Killing Sword Intent. After all, it is only a supernatural martial skill!" Bowen exclaimed, his eyes brimming with confidence. In the blink of an eye, his black spear suddenly radiated a light. It was so fierce that it blinded almost everyone in the vicinity. He then sent it towards the sky.


    "The legendary martial skill¡ªInvincible Spear Skill!"


    Bowen turned into a brilliant flash of light and dashed towards Violet without wasting another breath.


    As they collided with each other, a deafening sound was heard coming from them. It sounded like the crack of thunder in the sky and the roar of an earthquake on land. Their power was so intense that it made the entire battlefield shake violen


    like she was seeing Bowen for the first time.


    "I understand now. He didn''t use his real strength while fighting me," Violet muttered bitterly. She realized that Bowen''s victory was not brought by sheer luck. He was really stronger than her.


    "That''s great. You are good enough to be my opponent," Darren said, smiling as he welcomed Bowen''s intense power.


    "What does he mean by that? Is he saying that he can fight with a true genius like Bowen?" As they were discussing, the memory of how Darren killed Don with just one move flashed in their minds.


    The final round between the two talents was becoming more and more exciting. Although they didn''t look down on Darren anymore, they still thought that it was virtually impossible for Darren to defeat Bowen in the final round.


    "Alas, Bowen is too powerful. I don''t fancy Darren''s chances against him." Boyce felt a little discouraged.


    "We can only hope that Darren is stronger than we can imagine. Although, yes, I have to agree with you that it''s almost impossible to defeat Bowen. He needs some sort of miracle to win this fight," Tom mumbled, unable to mask his disappointment as well. He felt as though his chances of staying here through Darren''s persuasion was getting farther and farther from reality.

 Chapter 243 A Battle Between Two Talents

    "Darren, I can feel that you possess some strange yet powerful force. But still, you''re no match for me. I advise you to give up now. As per my current strength, no one below the middle stage of the Wonder Realm can defeat me," Bowen said conceitedly.


    "What makes you think that no person below the middle stage of the Wonder Realm can match you? How is it that I have not heard about this before? How did you know that I''m weaker than a cultivator at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm?" Darren snapped.


    Amused by his questions, Bowen, who was always reserved and composed, laughed out loud. "Although it is possible for you to have learned some powerful legendary martial skills, you haven''t broken into the Wonder Realm yet. How are you going to defeat me? The gap between realms is too large. You should know that people with a higher cultivation base can easily defeat those with a lower level," Bowen said confidently.


    "Are you saying that I should surrender? So, you think that you''re stronger than me?" Darren asked.


    "Yeah, that''s what I think. So, what''s your decision? Are you still going to battle me even though you know that you will lose?" Bowen chuckled.


    "I remember you telling Miss Wang that you didn''t believe that you were weaker than her. Now, I want to tell you the same. I don''t believe that I am weaker than you," Darren said before releasing two aggressive, powerful forces.


    The forces he unleashed were the sword intent and the blade intent.


    "You! I didn''t expect you to have practiced the sword and blade skills concurrently," Bowen said, looking slightly surprised.


    The crowd present was also dumbfounded when Darren unleashed the sword intent and blade intent.


    Boyce was the only one who didn''t look amazed, for he already knew that Darren was an excellent swordsman and blade cultivator.


    Even though Violet sensed the overwhelming sword and blade intents, she didn''t think that Darren could prevail over Bowen. After fighting Bowen, she had experienced his formidable strength. ''Bowen defeated me even though he didn''t use his full strength. Judging by the sword and blade intents Darren released, he is not strong enough to match Bowen, '' she rationalized.


    "It is possible that Darren might hold on a little longer than I did. However, I don''t believe that he can win," Violet mumbled as she checked her injuries. She seemed to have nearly recovered from her wounds.


    "Miss Wang, you''re insightful. What you said makes sense. I bet Darren will not be able to win the first place."


    "Even if Darren doesn''t come first, he will win the second place. Those who looked down upon him will be embarrassed. Especially those grand warriors."


    "I disagree. The first trial is designed to test a cultivator''s talent. If he wants to pass the upcoming tests, he needs to be strong. I don''


    lly master it, you can at least get thirty-six avatars. I don''t think you can defeat me with this skill."


    Darren tried to activate his inheritance skill as he spoke. To his delight, he could use it.


    ''Perhaps the inheritance skill has been a part of me and it isn''t a martial skill, so the power in the Ancient Void Battlefield couldn''t take it away from me.


    The inheritance skill of the Dragon that I learned is better than the legendary martial skill Bowen has mastered. After all, his avatar can only own 90% of his strength. Even so, the martial skill he has practiced is incredible. After all, it is one of the legendary martial skills, '' Darren mused.


    Even though he could activate his inheritance skill, Darren had no intention of using it. He decided to operate the skill in case of an emergency.


    "Legendary martial skill, Invincible Spear Skill!"


    With a roar, Bowen and his four black avatars released the legendary martial skill.


    Bowen intended to defeat Darren with this attack. To ensure he had maximum power, he used a supernatural martial skill to provide energy to his body. He then created a dozen spear shadows and commanded them to attack his opponent.


    Each spear shadow was much more powerful than the previous one.


    "Stab! Destroy!" he bellowed.


    At this point, the clouds rocked in the wind, and the earth shook. Everything in the world seemed to have lost its color. The only thing Darren could see was the spear shadows heading for him.


    "That skill is terrifying," Darren remarked. As he concentrated, the green blade core collided with the sword core in his elixir field.


    "I''ll show you my best skill. Let''s see whether my skill is more powerful than your legendary martial skill," Darren said as he leaped into the air. Against the backdrop of dark clouds and the storm raging in the sky, Darren looked like an incredible martial artist.

 Chapter 244 Rewards

    The moment Darren finished speaking, blade intent and sword intent burst out from his body and charged at the spear shadows.


    "His blade intent... and his sword intent..."


    The superior talents standing beside the stage, especially Violet, who was a swordsman, immediately sensed that something was wrong.


    "Ah, he has cultivated premium blade intent and sword intent!" Violet shouted as astonishment coursed through her.


    Even all the grand warriors would be envious if they had seen this scene. They longed to reach the premium stage with their blade intent and sword intent because it was hundreds of thousands of times stronger than the preliminary stage. As she watched the two talents battle on stage, Violet realized how terrifying their gifts were. The two men were undoubtedly superior to her.


    Premium blade intent and sword intent burst out from Darren''s body and headed straight for Bowen''s spear shadows.


    The whole world seemed to collapse at that moment. Even the superior talents beside the stage had to mobilize their strength to withstand the aftermath of the collision between Darren and Bowen''s forces.


    The shock was so powerful that another crack appeared in the reinforced protection spell around the battle stage.


    A brilliant flash of light exploded in the middle of the stage. It sparkled with such intensity that the audience could not open their eyes. No one knew what exactly happened on the battle stage as even the spiritual sense released by the superior talents to detect the situation had been forcefully dispersed.


    After a long time, the light dissipated and everyone could finally see the stage. Now the time had come to decide the winner of the battle.


    No one dared to close their eyes or shift their attention from the stage as they were curious about the result. With bated breaths, they gazed in the direction of the stage where a figure with long hair, like a black waterfall, levitated in the air. The figure emitted a stunningly powerful aura as he looked at the audience below him.


    On the stage stood a young man in ragged clothes. Anguish reflected in his eyes as he looked up at the figure. He found it hard to accept that he had been defeated.


    "I lost..." The sense of loss in Bowen''s voice was so tangible that the audience felt his sorrow.


    "Actually, you were not that bad. You pressured me to utilize more than half of my power," Darren said drily as he flew away from the battle stage.


    "More than half of your power?" Bowen smiled bitterly and said, "No wonder history is always written by the winners. Those who are defeated deserve to be humiliated. We both clearly fought with all our strength, but you sound as if you could do much more than that. How interesting."


    Bowen felt that Darren''s blade intent and sword intent were only slightly stronger than his legendary martial skill. If he ha


    had picked whatever they liked. Of the two remaining keys, Bowen and Violet claimed one each.


    The guardian of these keys had shared earlier that the keys were necessary to break into the eleventh stage.


    Now that the first stage assessment was over and the talents had selected their rewards, the only people who stood a chance to cross into the eleventh stage were Darren, Bowen, and Violet.


    After the prize distribution was over, Boyce recollected that he had not requested Darren to keep Tom. Now, Boyce didn''t have the courage to ask Darren. After all, Darren had given him two of his prizes, and Boyce was worried that if he asked for more, he would seem greedy and annoying. He was afraid that Darren would find him repugnant for this.


    While Boyce debated over this dilemma, the guardian''s voice was heard in the sky, "Darren, you have a chance to request for anything from me. There are many alternatives. Think about what you might want."


    This chance was precious as Darren could ask the guardian for one weapon, one book on legendary martial skills, or any other valuable equivalent.


    Although Tom was standing nearby, he could not bring himself to approach Darren with his request. Meanwhile, Boyce watched anxiously and hoped that Tom would tell Darren as soon as possible.


    "I see. So..."


    Darren paused for a while as he glanced at Tom.


    "Mr. Guardian, I wonder if I can request to retain a superior talent who has been knocked out of the assessment."


    "Of course, you can."


    "Okay. Then please give the superior talent, Tom, another chance, Mr. Guardian. I wish to keep him." After Darren put forward his request, both Tom and Boyce were stunned.


    Boyce had not mentioned Tom''s request to Darren. To his surprise, Darren asked voluntarily. Darren''s thoughtfulness touched both Boyce and Tom. In that instance, they felt a sudden surge of emotions, which brought them to tears.

 Chapter 245 The Magic Herbs

    "Darren, please reconsider your request. If you want, I can keep the memory of a legendary martial skill for you," the guardian advised.


    "Thank you, sir. At present, legendary martial skills might not be the most suitable reward for me as they usually take a lot of time to understand. My request is to keep Tom here," Darren replied, without hesitation.


    At first, all the geniuses thought that Darren was stupid. Later, they began to believe that Darren was incredibly kind to give up a legendary martial skill for Tom. They admired his generous character.


    "Thank you very much, Darren. I really don''t know what to say," Tom said excitedly as he walked to Darren.


    "Don''t mention it, Tom. It was you who gave me the chance to come here. You deserve the opportunity to continue. Ha-ha," said Darren.


    "To tell you the truth, I underestimated you at first. Now that I have seen what you are capable of, I officially apologize. I hope that you can forgive me," Tom said, sincerely.


    "It was no big deal. Just forget about it," Darren replied with a polite nod.


    After the first test was finished, the guardian used a force to return the geniuses'' cultivation base to their original state. The force also erased the memory of the skills they had learned here.


    As soon as Billy''s cultivation base was restored, he cast a malevolent glare at Bowen. He also hated Darren because he was envious that Darren, who was merely at the Mysterious Realm, had a greater talent for martial arts than him.


    Then the guardian began to give the necessary information about the upcoming tests.


    "Those of you who have passed the first battlefield test will be divided into five groups. Each group will enter one of the five doors for the second to the tenth battlefield tests."


    The guardian paused before continuing to speak, "The previous ten battlefield tests were prepared for the eleventh test and the later ones. So, I hope you pass from the second to the tenth test as soon as possible. I also hope that some of you will be successful in obtaining the rare treasures and even the hidden ones that no one has acquired for many years."


    The guardian''s words cheered up the geniuses. They were so encouraged and tempted by the promise of rare treasures that their focus shifted from the hatred they felt for Darren.


    Since the first ten tests had been prepared for the later tests, how difficult would the following tests be? As for the legendary twelfth and thirteenth tests, the geniuses wondered what


    that simple.


    In the next moment, Bowen and the other two geniuses also stepped forward to pick the magic herbs.


    "Wait a minute!" Darren stopped the three people.


    Bowen and the other two geniuses stopped when they heard Darren''s warning. Carefully, they studied the endless expanse of magic herbs, but they found nothing unusual.


    After a while, a burst of terrible auras of strength covered the land. It was coming from the countless magical herbs! What was worse, they were headed for Billy.


    "Damn it! All these magical herbs have mental abilities!" yelled Billy fearfully as he was overwhelmed by the powerful magic herbs.


    At the moment, the other three geniuses trembled. Even the weakest magic herbs were comparable in terms of strength to cultivators at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm. The strongest ones were perhaps equivalent in terms of power to cultivators at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm. This was a dangerous situation.


    "Ah! Ah! Ah!" Billy screamed as he launched countless fist attacks at those herbs. Panicked, Billy fought back by releasing his Omnipotent Talent Skill.


    "Billy is really strong as he is very close to the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm," Darren smiled and mumbled.


    Boom!


    A great energy burst sent waves of shock toward the magic herbs. In a flash, a discomfited figure was thrown toward the entrance.


    Billy''s body was covered in wounds. However, he was lucky, as none was fatal.


    "You just stood by and watched the herbs attack me? You bastards! Why the hell didn''t you help me? Son of a bitch! Do you want me to kill you right now?" roared Billy as he glared at Darren and the other people.

 Chapter 246 A Big Step Forward

    "You are unreasonable. You couldn''t resist the temptation and rushed to pick the herbs. How does your problem concern us?" retorted a genius. The genius was unhappy as he had been scolded for no apparent reason.


    Boom!


    Without a word, Billy delivered a palm attack towards the genius, pushing him backwards dozens of feet.


    "Norris, are you all right?" Another genius who was friendly with the injured cultivator rushed forward to catch him.


    Blood oozed slowly from the corner of Norris Fang''s mouth. Norris Fang was not weak, and he could kill a cultivator at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm when he was at full strength. However, Billy was stronger than him.


    "Billy, you''ve gone too far! If I team up with Quinn, we''ll be strong enough to kill you. And that is what you deserve!" Norris Fang snapped. Quinn Qi, the genius who had helped Norris, glared at Billy.


    "Yes, Billy, if you continue to act cruelly, we''ll be forced to retaliate. Then, you cannot blame us for our behavior." Before Billy could respond, Quinn and Norris unleashed their powerful aura.


    "Humph, you two weaklings want to kill me? You won''t have a chance, because I''ll kill you first!" Billy cried as he summoned all his power.


    "Stop it!" Darren yelled. His tone was so imposing that everyone stopped to stare at him.


    "Oh, one more? Do you intend to ally with them?" Billy asked as he glared at Darren. "All right, come at me together. I don''t mind killing all of you."


    "Billy, if I also join them, do you think you will have a chance to survive?" Bowen said while releasing his energy. In terms of strength, Bowen was a little stronger than Quinn.


    As the three waves headed for him, Billy, whose combat power had been partly sapped by the magic herb, wasn''t sure he could kill them anymore. What was more, the talented young man had not shown his real strength as yet. Billy wondered how powerful Darren was, and became wary of the other geniuses who opposed him. If all these geniuses joined forces, he had little chance of winning.


    "Ha-ha, well, when I regain my strength, I will teach you bastards a lesson, one by one," Billy threatened as his expression turned into a sneer.


    Clap! Clap! Clap!


    Suddenly, the sound of skin hitting skin echoed in the space. A figure had swiftly flown toward Billy and slapped his haughty face several times in succession.


    "Damn it. How dare you slap me?" Billy was taken aback by the sudden attack. He had never thought that anyone would slap him on the face. Utterly embarrassed, Billy''s face turned crimson.


    It wasn''t until the attacker stopped that the others realized t


    supernatural martial skill. Now that he had mastered a supernatural blade skill, it would be easy to condense the blade core with the previous battlefield experience.


    Darren summoned the blade intent, compressed it into his elixir field, and started to set the blade core.


    Ten days went by quickly. During this time, Darren had no trouble condensing the blade core.


    "Will the blade core vanish after I leave?"


    Darren deliberated for a while before concluding that it wouldn''t be reversed once he left. He rationalized that since he had condensed the blade core using the blade intent he had before he entered the battlefield, the upgrade had nothing to do with whether he was in the Ancient Void Battlefield or not.


    Satisfied, Darren hunted for a few more magic herbs. Once he had collected several, he assimilated them all at once.


    "It''s starting to breakthrough."


    Darren released both the blade core and the sword core. In the process of the breakthrough, he continuously compressed the blade intent and the sword intent. Finally, his blade core and sword core were upgraded to the green level, just like when he was in the first battlefield.


    Boom!


    The massive spiritual energy of heaven and earth descended, and the magic herbs trembled and fell on the ground.


    Darren''s body was filled with horrifying power, and his strength increased rapidly.


    The spiritual energy continued to enter his body for two hours before it finally stopped.


    Darren had been quietly experiencing the mystery of the Wonder Realm all this time. When he opened his eyes, they glistened with excitement.


    "I never expected to own such terrible power when I reached the Wonder Realm." Darren felt the strength he had gained and was shocked.

 Chapter 247 Blade And Sword Domain

    Darren finally came to realize that his strength had exponentially improved after he reached the Wonder Realm. He felt an astounding sense of awe and shock.


    "I''ve acquired a new set of martial art skill after I reached the Wonder Realm. This is great!"


    If it had happened that Darren only had a sword core when he reached the Wonder Realm, he would get one Omnipotent Talent Skill, a skill that was relevant to swordsmanship. However, before he reached the Wonder Realm, he already had both the sword core and the blade core inside his body. It meant that he would be able to learn and acquire another stronger talent skill aside from the Omnipotent Talent Skill.


    "Blade and Sword Domain," Darren softly murmured. The blade and sword intents were then released from his body.


    In a split second, his powerful intent settled over everything within a thousand feet radius. All the creatures that happened to be within the range of the Blade and Sword Domain were instantly ripped apart into pieces when the power reached them.


    "I''m virtually invincible inside the Blade and Sword Domain. Even those who have already reached the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm would have no chance of escape once they come across my domain. I figure that those who have reached the premium stage of the Wonder Realm can''t destroy my powerful domain either. I''m indeed invincible." Darren was deeply amazed. He never expected that he would be able to grasp the Blade and Sword Domain skill after he reached the Wonder Realm.


    Moreover, not only did he already get that skill, he also had other adequately powerful skills that he could use together with the new skill. He would be unbeatable against any opponent.


    "This is absolutely incredible indeed, but what a pity that I haven''t really reached the Wonder Realm. My cultivation stage will go back to the Mysterious Stage once I get out of here. But at least I know that I will have an even more enormous power when I reach the Wonder Realm." A relieved smile spread across Darren''s face. He was yearning to reach the Wonder Realm.


    However, before he could reach the Wonder Realm, he had to combine the blade intent and the sword intent. Darren had already done it once, and he was totally overwhelmed by its tremendous power.


    He couldn''t help but wonder how much his strength would improve once he reached the Wonder Realm in the real world outside. It was beyond his imagination.


    "Right now, I should focus on the tests in the Ancient Void Battlefield."


    In the world outside, Darren had become sort of an object of ridicule among the other talents. Even the grand warriors looked down on him. He swore that he would definitely pass the eleventh round, even the twelfth and thirteenth rounds. He would prove to the grand warriors that he was the best talent among them.


    Whoosh.


    Darren dashed toward the pile of magic herbs.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Darren swiftly picked an abundance of magic herbs, dashing about and leaving the place in an awful mess


    Darren was just testing his strength. He still had not used his real power.


    "I don''t need to use my Blade and Sword Domain to kill you!"


    A tremendous blade and sword intent emitted from Darren as he held the blade and sword in his hands. It fiercely blew towards Billy, breaking his Omnipotent Talent Skill into pieces in just a snap.


    Billy yelped in pain


    and blood gushed out from his mouth.


    Darren dashed towards Billy and slammed his feet onto the latter man''s body. Billy fell on the ground, writhing in pain.


    Darren charged at him once again, dragged him up from the ground, and threw him in front of the three young men.


    "After you guys recover from your injuries, you can punish him however you like." Darren had finally calmed down.


    However, before the three young men could even say anything, they all fainted and fell on the ground, looking deathly pale. What kept them going all this time was the fear and adrenaline, but now that the fight and the danger had subsided, their bodies finally gave out.


    "S-sir! P-please don''t kill me! I beg you! Please have mercy!" Looking pale and drawn, Billy started to beg for mercy. He groaned in agony as he spat out a mouthful of blood onto the ground.


    Instead of responding to his pleas, Darren stomped hard on his legs and broke them in half.


    "Ah!" Billy gave out a roar as he felt the sharp pain in his legs.


    "You bastard! Why not just kill me right now? Kill me now!" Tears started to stream down his face. The extreme pain he felt was worse than death.


    But Darren paid him no heed. He turned around and walked up to the three young men who were lying on the ground. He sat down with his legs crossed and started to use his inner energy to cure their injuries.


    When they regained consciousness, Darren gave them the magic herbs to heal their bodies. As they absorbed the spiritual energy from the herbs, they would fully recover from their injuries within four days.


    As for Billy, he would receive a cruel punishment.

 Chapter 248 Second Killing

    The three injured people healed their wounds with the help of the magic spiritual herbs Darren gave them. Not only had they been healed, but their strength had been improved as well.


    Billy lay on the ground, motionless like an abandoned dog left to die. Crippling fear rose from the bottom of his heart, spreading through his limbs like poison.


    "Please," Billy begged, his voice trembling. "Please don''t kill me." He would have wept if he had the energy to do so, but he was so drained that he could barely keep his eyes open.


    "Remember what you made us feel when you tried to kill us? Well, have a taste of your medicine. Are you enjoying it so far? If Darren hadn''t come along to help us, you would have shown no mercy and killed us. So what makes you think that we''ll let you go?" Norris asked with a bitter smile on his face. His bones had been broken by Billy and there was no way he would forget how that felt like.


    The cold anger that took hold of his heart grew more intense as he looked at the person responsible for putting him through so much pain. He then extended his hand and grabbed a handful of Billy''s flesh, ripping it apart like a piece of meat for the long-awaited dinner.


    Billy screamed in pain. Quite desperately, he grabbed Darren''s leg to beg for mercy.


    But Darren remained unfazed. He was usually generous, but Billy was a man who didn''t deserve any mercy. He answered Billy''s pleas with an icy smile.


    One after another, the three took turns to torture Billy within an inch of his life. Even when Billy lost consciousness, they managed to wake him and continue the torment. They did not let any second go to waste.


    "I think we have hurt him enough. Should we kill him now, Darren?"


    "Not yet. We may find ourselves needing a dead dog. So let''s keep him breathing for now. We need to focus on getting through the test," Darren casually replied as he looked at the pitch-black cavern. An extremely horrible odor was coming from it, as though it was from an existence akin to a beast.


    "Take him over there."


    Without further ado, they flew over and stopped in front of the cavern. As for the endless magical herbs, they had all been rendered immobile by Darren''s breath, so there was no real harm anymore.


    "Wait for me here. I will go in and have a look," Darren said.


    "Take care, Darren. The thing inside the cavern is very powerful."


    Although they knew how powerful Darren had grown over time, they couldn''t deny that the energy coming from the cavern felt so powerful and overwhelming. They wondered if Darren could actually defeat it with his own strength, but they decided to just believe in his capacity. The concern in their voices didn''t go unnoticed by Darren.


    "Trust me, I will be fine," Darren reassured with a smile. With a flash, Darren''s figure disappeared and flew into the pitch-black cavern.


    "Darren is a true genius. He managed to improve his strength to a level we can only look up to within such a short time."


    "I agree. Even B


    In the Ancient Void Battlefield, three years ran like ten days outside. They had three years for going through each of the first nine realms, so it was around three months outside of the Ancient Void Battlefield. That meant they would not be teleported back to the outside world if they succeeded in going into the tenth round in three months'' time.


    "Fight him?" Darren glanced at the stony guardian with a smirk. "No, I won''t fight him. I will kill him in a second.


    You step back as far as possible!" He let out a battle cry, his surging blade and sword intent hushing out of him like all the pores in his body had been opened. He aimed it towards the stone guardian.


    Feeling Darren''s horrible breath smothering the air, Bowen and the other two all flew back as fast as they could to avoid accidental injuries that they might sustain from watching the fight. They had no doubt that they would be cut into pieces if they so much as touch a wisp of the powerful blade and sword intent that Darren was wielding right now.


    "Cocky human, you will pay the price for your words." The guardian acknowledged that Darren''s sword intent was powerful, but he believed that it was not powerful enough to damage him.


    "We''ll see about that." Darren dashed towards the stony guardian at full speed, exercising his Blade and Sword Domain skill on the way.


    It was at this point that the guardian felt Darren''s strength for what it truly was. The smug look in his eyes was immediately replaced by fear, realizing that Darren''s sword intent and blade intent weren''t the only weapon he had.


    "Domain...You have mastered the domain skill!"


    Darren''s face split into a cruel smile. "You should have realized it sooner. Now die!" Darren was invincible in his domain. He struck the guardian continuously and he didn''t stop until the guardian was nothing but a pile of smoking rubble on the ground. The fire had died out.


    And with that, the stony guardian was killed in a second, just like what Darren promised.

 Chapter 249 The Space Of Blades And Swords

    "Roar!" The sound of the cave resonated and echoed far beyond the distance. Slowly, each brick started to melt, one by one, as if it were a volcano. What did the cave hide however?


    Surprising all four of them, the cave before Darren collapsed, and a light gate appeared. They closed their eyes because the light was too bright, and slowly one by one they reopened their eyes as they adjusted to the light of the gate.


    Swiftly, Bowen, Norris and Quinn flew over to Darren. Seeing the intensely impressive scene, they were deeply overwhelmed. More than that they wondered how powerful Darren was.


    Darren examined the faces of his three astonished companions as he readied himself to go through the light gate. He looked around to make sure the space they were about to step in was safe and then said to his three stunned companions in order to enter the next space with a simple, "Let''s go." Darren called the stunned three to enter the next space.


    The three heard Darren, but they moved slowly and awkwardly, nodding as if in a trance, staring at Darren as if he were some kind of monster and not their friend. A multitude of questions circled around in their heads, perhaps to be answered, and perhaps not. Nevertheless, they were extremely excited about this next space Darren was leading them into.


    In the distance, there was a slight rattling of stones which they paid no attention to. However, as they were about to step into the light gate, the stone guardian suddenly came back to life again. It seemed like he was an impenetrable wall of bricks, and he was very tall with red piercing eyes. He was fearful.


    Bowen, Norris and Quinn were shocked and paralyzed in their spots with fear. Their faces flushed and their pulses quickened from the veins in their necks, and their hands started sweating as they tried to rub them dry on the clothes. Their eyes widened in horror and they were speechless. "Eh? You must want to die once more!" Unfazed, Darren shouted with his eyebrows furrowed.


    "My challenger, you are really powerful," said the stone man to Darren. He seemed to admire his opponent''s strength. In his deep strong and sturdy voice, he said to Darren, "Since you have passed the test of the second space, this is your reward. I''m certain you will need it." The stone man''s tone was no longer cold. Slowly, he took off his suit of armor which gradually shrunk as he slowly approached Darren.


    Surprised by the stone guardian''s present, Darren composed himself and addressed the stone man by saying, "Well, thank you for the gift. I like it." Looking at his new suit of armor with pride, he turned around and held it up for his friends to see who were all mesmerized by the entire exchange between the stone man and Darren. Then Darren put the armor away.


    Subsequently, Darren led the three others towards the next space. However, to his surprise, barring him the other three were all denied entry. He was puzzled and thought something was seriously wrong.


    He asked the stone man, "Why did this happen? Do you really want to be killed again?" Darren looked back and stared at the stone man.


    "You can enter the next space because you have passed the test. The truth is you did it alone


    and sword intent. He felt his heart beating wildly with sheer terror.


    Then he tried to shoot his own blade and sword intent. However, it drowned in the river without any reaction.


    ''It seems that this space is designed based on the challenger''s martial skill so that the challenger will fail to bring all his strength into play, '' Darren thought to himself. Finally, he realized that he had perceived the mystery of the space.


    "Roar!"


    Darren snarled all of a sudden. The demon core ran quickly inside his body driven by the demonic internal force. Immediately, Darren displayed the demonic transformation skill. Instantly, he looked like a Demon God.


    Rumble!


    Beforehand, in the former tests, Darren had improved his skills to the limits within his realm. Now, his surging demonic internal force collided with the blade and sword intent from the river.


    Their powers were almost equivalent, shaking heaven and earth.


    However, this didn''t mean that Darren''s demonic internal force was stronger than his blade and sword intent. Actually, they were both powerful, but Darren''s blade intent and sword intent were suppressed here. What was worse, he couldn''t find the target.


    That was why up till now Darren hadn''t released the Blade and Sword Domain. He knew clearly that even the domain couldn''t afford to resist the endless blade and sword intent from the river.


    Driven by a crazed blood-lust, he let out a resounding "Roar!"


    His eyes turned scarlet as he once again ejected an internal demonic force. Then the blade and sword intent was bombarded to be scattered around, fiercely devastating the earth.


    Rocks flew in all directions as the firmament quivered. Out of those, an extraordinary figure stood immovably firm, shocking heaven and earth.


    Thunder!


    Then there was the all too familiar sound of resounding bone chilling thunder! All at once the blades and swords along the river started flying high and formed two huge swirls in the sky.


    Amazed and bewildered, Darren looked up as lightning sparked in the middle of the two large swirls, which almost seemed to burn the extraordinary figure into ashes.

 Chapter 250 The Blade And Sword Array (Part One)

    As it emerged, the piercing blade and sword swirl began wrapping Darren in its circle and gave him ghastly, unbearable suppression. He could barely secure his footing so he started to stagger backwards. The sound of his bones creaking from oppression was audible despite the roaring and rumbling sound of the strong winds.


    Although he was now in the shape of a fiend, Darren felt it difficult to withstand such a lethal blow. Confronting such a mighty opponent, he thought he had better demonstrate his most powerful skill in order to get through this test. Hunching up his back, he bent down and transformed into an arch-shaped black torrent. In a trice, the torrent rushed towards the depths of the swirl that was composed of countless revolving blades and swords with full force.


    At the same time, the defender of the ninth space ordered his blades and swords to attack Darren who had now transformed into a violent torrent. It seemed as if a deadly storm of blades and swords had struck, and there were millions of them charging towards Darren from all directions.


    "Blood Dragon Phantom!" Darren yelled, the veins in his neck visibly popping from the effort it took to wield his powers.


    Realizing that he did not have much of an advantage over the attacks by so many blades and swords, he decided to put his best skill into action.


    As for the Blood Dragon Phantom, he could now create hundreds of avatars almost effortlessly. It was not surprising that Darren was able to demonstrate such an expertise as his skill had improved a lot during his tests earlier.


    Activating his Blood Dragon Phantom, hundreds of black torrent phantoms suddenly appeared and sped towards the depths of the blade and sword swirl abreast with him.


    "What the hell!" the space defender exclaimed as he hovered in the distant sky.


    When Darren felt that this fight was by far the most crucial part of the whole challenge, the space defender also marveled at his strength.


    The minute Darren''s black torrent and his phantoms disappeared in the blade and sword swirl, the atmosphere suddenly became eerily quiet and even the original roaring of the swirl dissipated into absolute silence.


    But this peace only lasted for a few minutes and so


    he smile on the young man''s face turned into something icy and dangerous.


    "If I am not mistaken, the skill you have just demonstrated is the strongest skill you have achieved so far. It''s not an exaggeration for me to conclude that your current strength can only allow you to defeat my blade and sword array. I have skills that are much more powerful than that. Do you think you can handle them?" he asked, challenging Darren with a mischievous light in his eyes.


    Darren snorted, trying to mask his anger. Thinking of how hard the fight was just now and how all his phantoms were sacrificed fighting the young man''s blades and swords, he could only grow angry at himself for acknowledging that there was some truth in his opponent''s words. "Don''t be so sure!" he exclaimed, regaining his composure and confidence. "I have met people who are more arrogant and haughty than you. But each time, I emerge as the winner. Don''t you think there''s a reason why I''m right here, standing in front of you? I don''t care if you are just a spiritual intent. I won''t let you get in my way. Not now, not ever," Darren declared firmly.


    His resolution was palpable. Giving up was never an option for him.


    "You want to force me to fight you, then?" The young man laughed humorlessly. In order to intimidate Darren and put out his fiery passion, he released a gust of formidable blade and sword intents. He aimed it towards Darren.


    However, Darren was not one to take this little threat to heart.

 Chapter 251 The Blade And Sword Array (Part Two)

    "Why don''t we just get this over with? Less talk, more action!" Darren countered smoothly.


    He then disappeared and within the blink of an eye, he reappeared right behind the man. But that was not the only trick he had up his sleeve. Upon revealing himself, Darren also released his strongest blade and sword intents. It was no less a surprise attack towards the unprepared young man.


    "What the..." the young man cried out in shock.


    Not only had Darren''s sudden disappearance caught him off guard, but the sensation of the stronger blow of the blade and sword intents had surprised him as well. Contrary to all his expectations, Darren''s blade and sword intents level was apparently higher than his own.


    "It is impossible. I saw clearly that you are in the beginning of premium blade and sword intent. How the hell did you increase your strength to such a high level within a few minutes?" he wondered aloud. As Darren''s blade and sword intents reached him, the young man struggled to block them with his blade and sword arms.


    "You will never know my secret!" Darren proclaimed, not offering an explanation. And then once again, he transformed into a black shadow and rushed towards the man.


    The truth was Darren''s blade and sword intents used to be no match for that of this world. That also explained why he felt so much pressure and oppression in dealing with the young man''s blade and sword array in the beginning.


    But now, after he had sacrificed all his phantoms and finally defeated the young man''s blade and sword array, his own blade and sword intents had increased to such a great extent in a short period of time. He now had the ability to win against the young man. The fight became more and more interesting as the scales began tipping to Darren''s favor. It was now the young man''s turn to feel suppressed under the attack of Darren''s blade and sword intents.


    However, the man could not bring himself to admit his inferiority as his pride didn''t allow him to. "Well, I admit that I underestimated you, but you are still going to die!" the man shouted as he floated upwards, his long and thick hair whipping around his face. He opened his mouth and yelled out a battle cry.


    "Legendary martial skill: Wind Chasing Sword!"


    Upon activating his legendary sword skill, the man continued to release his blade skill. "Legendary martial skill: Silver Lunar Blade!" he added and began striking towards Darren with a much stronger force.


    Both the blade and sword skills were released to their highest states. The effect of the combined strikes was comparable to a devastating tornado, which was evidently much more terrifying than the previous blade and sword array.


    Noting that his successful barrage of attacks had managed to effectively weaken Darren and suppress his power, the young man started to


    smashed into a thousand pieces. Blood spattered everywhere, but even that didn''t last long as traces of him disintegrated into thin air.


    Outside Ancient Void Battlefield, the battlefield guardian was paying close attention to their fight.


    Now that the fight had ended with Darren''s victory, he finally sighed with relief.


    From the beginning, when he found out that the defender of the ninth space was the man with blade and sword arms, he thought that there was no hope of breaking through that space.


    But now, Darren''s excellent performance and impressive victory brought him vigor and great appreciation. He would have cried out in excitement if he wasn''t a spiritual intent at the moment.


    It was said that till now, only about twenty people from hundreds of thousands of fighters had been able to break through the ninth space of the Ancient Void Battlefield and got into the tenth space. It was with great joy that he realized Darren was now one of them.


    The previous people who had the ability to break through the ninth space were either fighters with the power of grand warriors, or someone who had the prominent defensive object to protect himself while marching forward.


    Unlike them, Darren neither had an outstanding skill nor had proper protective equipment. He even started his fight facing the huge oppression from the ninth space defender''s blade and sword array. But no matter how hard it was, he succeeded. He made it through using his wits, perseverance, and will power.


    "He is indeed a potential genius. I never thought this day would come, but now I have hope... and I''m placing it in his hands," the Ancient Void Battlefield guardian said with a smile. As Darren still had other tests to go through, the guardian spent one last moment appreciating the miracle that just happened and then continued watching Darren''s journey with bated breath.

 Chapter 252 Preparation

    After Darren killed the young man, a door that emitted rays of blinding light suddenly emerged in front of him, but he didn''t rush to enter it.


    He stayed put for a few moments, waiting for the young man to gradually regain his consciousness just like the other masters did in the previous rounds.


    "I lost to you," the young man said, shivering. "You are so powerful."


    There was a look of sheer terror on his face and he could not bring himself to look Darren in the eye. He was totally shocked by what just happened in the fight.


    "According to the rules, I should get a reward after defeating you," Darren calmly replied.


    The young man nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, indeed. The reward is different from the other rounds, and it will be very important to you."


    The moment he stopped talking, an old book flew into Darren''s hand.


    "What is this? Is it the legendary martial skill?" Darren asked with a raised brow.


    The young man shook his head and replied, "This book contains all the detailed information about the masters in the tenth round and eleventh round. It even has information about the twelfth round and thirteenth round. This may sound surprising, but I honestly hope that you''ll make it through the last two rounds. I myself have never been there in my entire life."


    "Hum? So you mean that you had once entered the eleventh round?" Darren asked, his curiosity burning.


    "Yes. I once tried to pass the Ancient Void Battlefield. After I passed the ninth round, they put my spiritual intent here to guard this space. But my strength was not strong enough to pass the eleventh round. The master in the eleventh round was so powerful. Few people in the world could match her strength. Maybe after you put a lot of efforts into your practice and improved your Blade and Sword Domain, there is a slim chance for you to face her," the young man explained with a bitter smile on his face.


    "How do you know that I have Blade and Sword Domain? I have never used it in front of you," Darren asked in surprise.


    Since the young man was also a master who could use his blade and sword at the same time, Darren knew that even if he used his Blade and Sword Domain to attack him, it wouldn''t inflict a notable damage on him.


    "I''m the person in charge of this ninth space, so it is perfectly natural that I know all the information about your blade and sword.


    Actually, your power of the Blade and Sword Domain is more powerful than mine. But it is inevitable that the hard rules of the test limited your real strength, so you were not able to bring out the best in you.


    I''m curious... how did you surpass me in blade and sword intent?"


    Darren replied, "Your blade intent and sword intent were indeed strong, but you didn''t notice that when I broke your array, the broken pieces of your intent could be assimilated into my body. So my blade and sword intents got a big boost while in battle. Otherwise, I''m afraid that I would have used my strongest talent skill to attack your powerful array." It was the truth.


    When Darren was figh


    d get your reward."


    The grand warrior, whose name was Brian, motioned for the said talent to approach him.


    As he did so, he deliberately cast a glance at the crowd and looked for Darren.


    In a quiet yard, Brian''s real body shook his head and said, "Chad, I said that we should not have let the young man enter the Ancient Void Battlefield. But your man insisted that he should attempt to clear the tests. Now that the poor young man has died in there. You killed an innocent man."


    Brian feigned sadness and gave out a sigh. But the truth was, he didn''t care whether Darren was dead or not. He just wanted to find something to tease Chad with. This was all fun and games for him.


    "Humph. It is none of my business. I did not ask him to do it. I did not force him to enter the Ancient Void Battlefield," Chad replied indifferently.


    "Fate plays cruel tricks sometimes. He knew that he was doomed to die in the Ancient Void Battlefield from the start, but he still went in there. He deserved it. But it is a pity that no one was able to enter the tenth round this time. If the Ancient Void Battlefield had not opened in advance, we could have found the top superior talents on the Talent Roll to enter the tests. In that case, it might increase the chances of winning."


    The grand warriors never expected that the Ancient Void Battlefield would open in advance this time. When they got the news, there was not much time left for them to find some stronger superior talents.


    Meanwhile, in the Grand Void Manor


    "Sir, Ms. Violet Wang entered the ninth round," a talent replied.


    "Ha-ha. That''s great. After the meeting is over, Violet can get a special reward. Alas, it is a pity that the ninth round is the highest round we reached this time." Brian couldn''t help but give out a sigh.


    "Sir, actually, Ms. Violet Wang is not the person who passed the highest round in the Ancient Void Battlefield," one of the talents replied hesitantly.


    "Huh?" Brian looked as though he was just doused with cold water. "What do you mean?"

 Chapter 253 The Reward In The Tenth Space

    Thoughts spun in his mind for a few moment. "Have someone passed the test of the ninth space?" Brian''s avatar asked with a tone of a little surprise.


    "The guardian of the Ancient Void Battlefield said that it was Darren who had passed the test set in the ninth space. When we left the Ancient Void Battlefield, Darren made himself qualified to enter the next space. Judging from the guardian''s tone, I can tell that Darren probably can pass more tests given his performance."


    "Yeah. Darren''s show of skills has really stunned and amazed us."


    Speaking about Darren, the talents couldn''t stop talking and discussing what he had done in the Ancient Void Battlefield. Each one of them had something to say in the story. Even the avatar cast by Brian didn''t interrupt them. Instead, what he did was listen quietly to the heated talk among them. However, as Darren''s story was about to end, complicated feelings built up in the avatar''s eyes.


    ''This time, Chad will get a huge benefit? It is way more than I have expected. Oh, I should get in with him?'' Without them noticing, the avatar disappeared after several seconds. Brian, the person behind the avatar''s character, walked towards Chad with a big grin.


    "Chad, I got some rare tea in the forbidden area. Come on. Let''s have a sip together." Brian invited Chad.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the ninth space of the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    Bang!


    More skilled and advanced, Darren emanated a mighty aura and unleashed the Blade and Sword Domain, which was his most potent weapon on the battlefield. As he did so, the battlefield was taken by awe. It was as if the ninth space was about to be broken by the strength.


    "Good! Your realm has upgraded to the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. The domain you released has reached its peak. It''s powerful enough to make the upgrade," the young guardian of the ninth space instructing Darren with the blade and sword said seriously.


    "Thank you a million times. If you didn''t instruct me, my Blade and Sword Domain would not have acquired this powerful strength," Darren said with a mild smile, grateful to the youngster.


    "Alas. How unfortunate that I am just a spiritual intent. If I were a human being, I could make friends with you," the youngster sighed with pity, casting a sad glumness on his face. While fixing his eyes at Darren, he continued, "There is no time left for you. You can''t stay in this space anymore. The strength of the defender in the tenth space is about the same as mine. By the strength you have now, you can trounce him. However, the defender of the eleventh space is a mighty master. I hope you can seize the chance to defeat that master and keep your guard all the time."


    "Thank you very much!" Preparing himself to leave, Darren cupped his hands and then turned around, entering the shining gate with sheer determination.


    As soon as he entered the tenth space, Darren was mesmerized by the view of a deep blue river that flowed calmly with the swaying breeze. As he looked around, from the corner of his eye, he saw a lonely boy casting his fishing hook by the riverside. The moment the boy saw Darren, he slowly walked toward him with a faint smile.


    "


    Hearing the defender''s words, Darren was overjoyed. "Please teach me the characters now!" he said excitedly in a hurry.


    "Don''t be in a hurry. You need to learn step by step. First, you should understand the characters written by the rule cultivator. Given your good ability to understand things, I think you can understand the book within three months." After saying that, the boy opened the old book and started teaching Darren.


    Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Time passed quickly, and Darren didn''t waste even a single moment. He made himself busy learning and mastering the Spiritual Secret Skill. Six months passed.


    The tenth space of the Ancient Void Battlefield didn''t have a time restraint so that he could stay here for half a year. It was not a long time, as if the months just passed by in the blink of an eye.


    "Release your Spirit Power and attack me!" the boy ordered Darren. They had battled for numerous bouts as part of Darren''s training.


    Boom!


    A mighty thread of Spirit Power was shot at the boy; then, his body twinkled at the edge of disappearing.


    "Good job! You have mastered it. You can execute the most powerful soul attacks with your level eighteen Spirit Power," the boy said with a smile, proud of Darren.


    "I''m grateful to you," Darren said sincerely.


    "You needn''t thank me. It''s a part of the reward. You deserve it. Besides, if you don''t have the Spirit Power, I couldn''t help you to improve it. I haven''t done much. You have everything within you. Now, you have a chance to pass the test in the next space.


    But you need to remember that no matter whether your rival is the guardian in the eleventh space of the Ancient Void Battlefield or any cultivator in the real world, he might be born with excellent Spirit Power. Even if he is not a rule cultivator, you can''t use the soul attack as your trump card to defeat your rival. Don''t use it in the wrong way."


    "I got it. I will always have that in mind." Nodding his head, Darren cupped his hand toward the boy. He thanked him and bid him goodbye. Then with confident strides, he entered the eleventh space.

 Chapter 254 The Guardian Of The Eleventh Space

    "You are here," a maiden said, giggling.


    Just as Darren set foot in the eleventh space, a maiden in a white robe descended before him. Her pleasing silvery voice echoed in the space.


    Darren nodded with widened eyes. Her beauty astounded him.


    "My name is Denise. What is your name?" Denise had a pretty face and bright, beautiful eyes that were filled with innocence.


    "Err. I am Darren Chu. We are supposed to battle. Perhaps it''s not appropriate for us to get friendly," Darren answered with a frown. Denise''s behavior left him speechless.


    "Ha-ha, you are very funny." Two charming dimples bloomed in her cheeks as she smiled.


    "What?" Darren was lost.


    "Why do you want to talk about the fight? I would like someone to speak with. Even though I am made of a wisp of spiritual intent, I still feel lonely.


    Look around you. There is nothing here but stones. It is an ice-cold world. I can''t even see the stars.


    Please don''t go. Stay with me, please," Denise implored.


    "Miss Denise, what are you talking about? I am just a challenger in this space. I can''t stay here." Darren gave a wry smile.


    "Of course, you can stay here. You will have to stay if I hide because you won''t be able to find me." Denise giggled. Then she strode forward. In the blink of an eye, she vanished. Darren could not even detect traces of her breath.


    "How is it possible? !" Darren found the maiden''s behavior, both funny and absurd. ''Is the guardian of this space a freak?'' he wondered.


    How was he supposed to start the battle if the maiden had hidden herself? Darren was at a loss.


    As he looked around, Darren noticed that the space was, indeed, home to cold and barren mountains. There wasn''t even a blade of grass on the ground! It was somewhat similar to the Fire Cave.


    Swoosh!


    With no other alternatives, Darren leaped up and began to search for Denise. However, as time went by, he could neither spot her nor find her breath.


    Soon, he stumbled across a stone. The discovery surprised Darren.


    "It''s the Primitive Stone!" Darren picked it up immediately and inspected the breath contained in the stone. To his disappointment, the stone did not contain the Heavenly Repression Rule.


    This Primitive Stone was thus, useless to Darren. Nevertheless, he stored it in his Space Ring. Since Primitive Stones were great treasures for the grand warriors waiting outside the Ancient


    there? Answer me!" By now, anxiety had begun to course through the guardian. When Darren didn''t move, she placed her fair hands on Darren''s shoulders before gently patting away the dust that had coagulated into stone.


    "Please don''t leave me alone. I know you are there. I will be lonely without you. I don''t want to be left alone," she sobbed.


    The sound of her weeping echoed between the sky and earth, like Darren''s roar before he began cultivating in silence.


    Every second that she waited for Darren felt like hours. Soon, Denise was engulfed by loneliness in an empty world.


    She sat by Darren''s side and sobbed. When exhausted, she slept. After waking, Denise cried, giggled, and spoke more strange words to herself.


    Year after year, Darren remained silent, as before. ''It doesn''t make any difference if he is indifferent toward me, '' she realized. Loneliness was always her companion.


    "Wake up. I will let you go if you beat me." Her voice was emotionless, like a ghost, there was no feeling in it at all.


    Boom!


    Darren''s eyes opened suddenly. Slowly, they shone like stars. His strong aura made the whole world tremble.


    "Finally, you are waking up. Aren''t you afraid that I will hide again?" The corner of Denise''s mouth curved with a hint of a smile. Her bright eyes shone with mischief as she stared at Darren.


    "You won''t." Darren''s voice was as cold as ice.


    "Why?"


    "Because you were lonelier than before, even though I was here, weren''t you? "


    "Yes." Tears welled in her beautiful eyes.


    "Tell me what happened to you?" Darren asked softly, mild-eyed.

 Chapter 255 Strength Of A Grand Warrior

    "Will you listen to my story? Really?" Denise said as she burst into tears.


    "No, I''d better not tell you. I would probably just blabber on then you''ll get annoyed and ignore me." Her brows furrowed together in worry.


    "No, I swear I won''t. I promise I''ll listen to your every single word," Darren said, staring intently at Denise.


    "Well, forget it. I''m not real, anyway." Denise gave out a sigh. "I''m just a wisp of spiritual intent. You''re going to leave no matter if you win or lose. I''ll be alone. It won''t make any difference even if I tell you or not.


    Unless..." She smiled bitterly.


    "Unless what?" Darren raised his eyebrows


    "Unless you get me out of this place. Will you do it? I mean, will you get me out of here if you pass the thirteenth test?" There was very little possibility of it happening, but she still wanted to air out her thoughts and feelings. She liked the feeling of having hope.


    "You''re asking me if I can get you out if I pass the thirteenth test? Sure. Okay. I promise I''ll get you out." Darren''s voice was firm and his eyes were full of sincerity.


    Denise''s heart was filled with warmth as she heard Darren''s words. She gave him a smile that reached her eyes and said, "Thank you for saying that. I''m glad to know that you''re willing to do that for me. Alright, come on. Let''s get on with this so we can finish quickly." Denise'' face became serious.


    "Darren, you know that I won''t be able to control myself once I begin. I want you to try your best to defeat me and even break through the thirteenth space," she said, reminding him before she went into combat mode.


    Now that he understood why she didn''t start the fight at the beginning. Once she started, she would spare no effort to defeat her opponent.


    Darren was beginning to sympathize with her. She was too lonely all the time.


    But she had become a guardian now. Darren knew what he had to do.


    Within the next few seconds, Denise started to change into a completely different person. Darren could sense her internal force and spiritual aura; it was much stronger than that of any other guardian he had ever met in the Ancient Void Battlefield. It was close to the aura of a grand warrior.


    ''What in the world happened to her?''


    Darren was still somewhat taken aback by Denise''s strength. However, he had now reached the middle stage of the Wonder Realm; with the help of his skills, he would perhaps not lose the game.


    Darren activated his demonic transformation skill.


    His demonic internal force rushed out


    e illuminated as an idea crossed his mind. ''The rune papers!'' Darren suddenly remembered the reward he received after he won the first test¡ªthe five pieces of rune papers. They could increase his abilities five hundred times.


    In spite of the extreme pain he was in, he jumped up towards the sky.


    "Come back here


    and lose again!" Denise exclaimed.


    "Are you sure about that?" Darren stared back at Denise and shouted, "Blood Dragon Phantom!"


    As the name implied, Darren was able to make numerous phantoms of himself with the help of the skill; and all said phantoms were now floating in the air.


    Denise glowered at him. She then launched hundreds of shadow palms to fight against Darren''s phantoms.


    At that moment, Darren activated the five rune papers with his spiritual sense.


    Darren''s phantoms started moving at an unimaginable speed.


    Darren''s abilities were increased five hundred times.


    Offense, defense, recovery¡ªeverything increased five hundred times.


    The five rune papers brought incredible power to Darren; no matter how strong Denise was, she couldn''t fight against all five hundred of Darren. After a while, she began to waver.


    A light flashed across Denise''s eyes. Her mouth was trembling in shock.


    However, after a few moments, she rushed up again.


    "Domain!" Her voice pierced the sky and Darren found himself, along with all his phantoms, shrouded in darkness.


    There were several loud blasts;


    several of Darren''s phantoms perished.


    It was said that anyone could be unbeatable once inside their own Domain. Denise, with the strength of a grand warrior, was definitely unbeatable for Darren after she used her domain skill too.

 Chapter 256 Mingling (Part One)

    "What?" Darren''s heart was overwhelmed with great surprise. Now he knew that the domain skill was the most powerful means for a grand warrior.


    Compared with Denise''s domain skill, the power of the legendary martial skill that she had used earlier was a drop in the bucket. Darren still had a long way to go before he could be anywhere near her level.


    "Merge!" Darren shouted. His voice resonated through the whole battlefield. He had come back to his sense once he stopped panicking. When he shouted, his remaining phantoms were merging with each other at once.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    All of Darren''s abilities had increased over five hundred times. His strength had reached the unparalleled peak together with the second stage of his talent skill. His energy coursed through his veins. It was so powerful that it couldn''t be contained inside his body. It spread throughout the whole area, destroying everything in its path.


    The pitch-black space collapsed as the formidable power tore everything apart.


    Countless cracks of explosion rose and fell in the void as their fight continued.


    Despite this immense power, Darren was still not capable of destroying the real grand warrior. His strength breakout might have increased his strength immensely, but it was still below the real grand warrior.


    At that moment, Darren was almost lost in despair. It was crystal clear to him that he could only repulse her, and that was all that he could do. Her domain was still not smashed which meant she would be invincible if she continued to hold out. No matter how hard he tried and how much power he used, it was like his attacks were mere tickles to her.


    Darren shrieked. He poured everything in his power to his attacks.


    Like the God of the demon, Darren continued to exert more power to his every attack at Denise. He was nowhere near giving up.


    "Break! Break!"


    He mum


    owers would still fall short against hers.


    Indeed Darren''s domain skill was not powerful enough. Even with the use of the rune paper to improve his strength in his domain wasn''t enough, or else he would have already defeated Denise earlier.


    Denise flew over to make head-on bombardment with Darren. The whole space was on the brink of breaking up. At last, Darren was on the verge of giving up.


    ''What should I do? Am I going to die?" Darren thought in despair. He had no idea whether his persistence was meaningful, nor did he know whether it was worth of his life. He wondered what would happen if he just gave up.


    But as the taunts of those big wheels and Denise''s sad look came into his mind, Darren shook the thoughts away. There was no way he would give up. He just couldn''t.


    "Spiritual attack!" Darren resorted to the last means he had. He hoped that he would at least make a slight difference.


    In the tenth space, the juvenile with a fishing rod had told him that the guardian of the eleventh space was born with a strong soul, and that his spiritual attack could hardly gain him a victory. Now, as Darren faced her, he realized that he was right. He was stuck in a fight that he did not have a chance of winning from the very start.

 Chapter 257 Mingling (Part Two)

    At present, there was no way out; this was the only means Darren could have a try. He was willing to take that risk no matter what.


    Boom!


    Tremendous Spirit Power attacked at Denise''s mind.


    Denise''s body shuddered and her shadow flickered for a brief moment. However, after only a few seconds'' time, her figure had already returned to its normal shape. It seemed that his attack had barely made a difference. It seemed like he was merely annoying her with his attacks throughout the fight.


    "You have such a powerful spiritual attack! It''s a pity that I am only a wisp of spiritual intent. I can''t feel the sharp pain from that. However, your spiritual attack is still not powerful enough to kill the soul of my original body when I came into here, so you are most certainly doomed to fail," Denise said.


    If Darren''s spiritual attack was powerful enough to erase Denise''s soul of her original body when she came in the Ancient Void Battlefield, Denise''s wisp of spiritual intent would dissipate under Darren''s attack directly. But Darren''s spiritual attack was far from being powerful enough to do that.


    At that moment, Darren got to know the taste of real despair. It was a lost game even though he had done all of what he could do. No matter how much he tried to imagine getting through that fight, it all seemed to be a huge void, much like that battlefield.


    Bang!


    Darren''s body was again knocked into the air. He was too weak and exhausted to continue the fight. His breathing was already ragged and his body was worn out. He had taken so much more than he could handle.


    "I really don''t know why you are persisting. How could you beat him if you can''t beat me?" Denise put ice in her voice. She was hard as a rock and her words stung more than Da


    ther. Dark gold internal force with the thickness of hair began to flow through Darren''s energy meridians.


    Nevertheless, the blade and sword intent mingled very slowly, and only a few wisps of dark gold internal force were flowing in his body when one Primitive Stone cracked.


    Darren''s wounds seemed to be healing. He felt his energy slowly coming back to him. He could no longer feel the sharp pains from his wounds.


    Boom!


    A stream of strong power dashed against Darren. It was so powerful that it even destroyed the dark space he was in.


    Swoosh!


    A figure shot at Denise from the debris, his eyes were as cold as ice. His whole body emitted such powerful aura.


    "Goodbye, Denise." With a mutter, he waved the sword in his hand, a tremendous blade and sword intent surged to Denise with a wisp of dark gold internal force as thin as hair. From a distance, the attack would have looked aesthetically pleasing, especially with all the wisps of dark gold surrounding it. But the intent of the attack was far from beautiful; it was meant to destroy.


    Silence fell over the world.


    "Domain." After a brief moment, Denise had already restored her cracked domain.

 Chapter 258 Finley

    The scene was almost like an arid desert. After the tremendous power completely destroyed the entire ground, everything slowly disappeared in silence.


    In the domain, Darren''s blade and sword intents emitted a dark golden glow, which fiercely collided with the domain of the grand warrior. It was getting tense and nobody could predict what was coming next.


    Boom!


    A deafening sound shattered the silence. It sounded almost like an explosion of some kind. Under Darren''s furious attack, Denise''s domain could hardly sustain itself anymore and broke apart into pieces. The fragments were all over the domain, as Denise turned her head and prepared for battle.


    Endless blade and sword intents settled all over Denise''s snowy figure. As she struggled to bear it with all her might, an internal force which emitted dark golden light penetrated her chest. In a twinkle of an eye, she turned into a handful of sand and disappeared into the howling wind.


    Staring at the broken ground, Darren suddenly felt cold and empty. He was lost in confused thoughts, with mixed feelings in his heart.


    When Darren faced the master who was considerably superior to him, he felt consumed by desperation.


    Then after he succeeded in merging the blade and sword intents together, he felt a glow of pride when he saw how powerful the dark gold internal force was.


    But sorrowfully, when he saw Denise vanish without a trace, he was bitterly disappointed.


    ''Hum? What was I thinking about?'' Darren thought to himself with a distant gaze in his eyes. ''That blabbering Denise will regain her life soon.'' Darren was certain of it. With a faint smile on his face, Darren effortlessly landed on the broken ground.


    However, after quite some time, Denise still hadn''t shown up.


    Suddenly, it occurred to Darren that Denise was different from the other defenders. Although she was a spiritual intent, deep down underneath, she had a fear of loneliness. This revealed that she was full of emotion in her heart. ''Will she ever show up again? Has she disappeared forever?'' Darren thought to himself.


    Although she was merely a wisp of spiritual intent and didn''t really exist in this world, when Darren felt her loneliness, his own heart ached a lot. He wanted to help the poor girl by getting her out of here.


    In those quiet days, Darren felt quite annoyed at this girl who could never stop blabbering about trifles. But when nothing disturbed the silence of the night, the memories came flooding back as he thought about the girl. She reminded him of the lonely days in the past ten years, as she kept on murmuring to herself, whether he was listening or not. When she giggled with laughter or when her eyes were full of tears, it all made Darren feel as if she was the most fragile thing in the entire world.


    Meanwhile, in the eleventh round, the black and cold desolate world became empty. Denise left a vivid emptiness in his heart when she left.


    Darren laughed bitterly, holding back unexpected tears.


    ng smell pervading the air.


    Darren, slightly surprised, but with time to kill, sat down on the stone chair.


    "What should we talk about?" Darren asked, since Finley had suggested it.


    "I saw the defender in the eleventh space cry so deeply for you. Are you two in a relationship right now?" Suddenly, the young man wore a weird smile on his face. His vulgar and tactless behavior left Darren speechless.


    "No." Looking at the obscene expression on his face, Darren almost spat out a mouthful of tea.


    "You can stop playing your little trick. Before you two got into a fight, I couldn''t know your whereabouts for a long time. I guess¡­" His voice trailed off mischievously. "Ha-ha. You know." His gauche remarks dumbfounded Darren.


    "Crap. What are you talking about? Why are you saying things like that?" Darren couldn''t help but let out a little laugh.


    "So you didn''t?" he asked.


    "No. She is just a wisp of spiritual intent. Nothing will happen between us," Darren replied.


    "Ugh, she isn''t just a wisp of spiritual intent. She has a powerful background in the martial art world. It is said that she has an undead soul, so that''s why she has emotions."


    "Oh, I see." Darren nodded in comprehension. "Never mind. I don''t want to talk about it anymore. When will we start our next fight?"


    "Take it easy, young man," Finley said, trying to restrain Darren. "I remember that you had used one skill. You know, that skill," he goaded Darren. He raised his hands up and waved them in the air, trying to explain the skill to Darren. After a long while, he gave up, and asked, "You know what I''m talking about, right?"


    His remarks left Darren speechless. He had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. So Darren guessed, "Are you talking about the last skill which I used to kill Denise?"


    "Oh, that''s it. That''s what I''m talking about," Finley finally said. He nodded in agreement.


    "What''s wrong with that skill?" Exasperated, Darren couldn''t help but roll his eyes.

 Chapter 259 Meeting A Funny Guy

    "That skill is amazing!" Finley jumped up and down like a monkey, waving his hands to imitate the skill he saw Darren use. He bombarded Darren with tons of questions, talking a mile a minute. "Did you release your skill this way? Am I right? No? How about this way? Did you unleash your skill this way? No, no, no. It must have been something like this, maybe? Oh, it''s a really powerful skill! It''s fucking amazing!"


    "Pfft!"


    Darren couldn''t help the snicker that escaped his lips, losing his composure. The defender of the twelfth space was such an amusing and whimsical guy that it would be a sin if he did not start to feel high-spirited.


    A few moments passed and the overall mood of their surroundings shifted. "Well, what the hell do you want to do now?" Darren asked in resignation. He wasn''t quite sure what to do when faced with such a defender like Finley.


    "I don''t want to do anything," Finley responded, reverting back to his normal state. He pulled his brows together and cocked his head to the side. He was a little confused by Darren''s question.


    Realization dawned on him and he cleared his throat. "I have a good reputation but it''s too hard for me to keep calm when I witness powerful skills. Sorry if I lost my manners back there." A little embarrassed, Finley tried to explain his behavior.


    He then suddenly changed the subject by reverting back to the previous topic. "Well... Did you two lie together? The girl?"


    "Oh, my god. Will you please not ask me about that? How about we just start the fight now? If I lose, I''ll concede defeat and leave, but if I win, you''ll let me enter the next space. How about that?" Darren suggested, averting the question. He didn''t want to explain anything more.


    "Oh, Darren. Don''t be in such a hurry. Later on, I''ll tell you all my weak points. However, if you are too foolish and still couldn''t defeat me, I won''t be able to help you anymore."


    "Tell me your weak points? Why would you do that?" Darren was starting to think that Finley was a complete idiot.


    "Because of you, idiot. If I don''t tell you my weak points, how else could you defeat me?"


    Darren snorted at that.


    If he had been drinking, he would have spat out the water in response to Finley''s statement.


    "I''m sorry, but I don''t have the time nor the patience to talk nonsense with you any longer." With those words, Darren immediately unleashed a sweeping attack with his sword, unwilling to waste time.


    "Oh, my goodness. You should give me some time to prepare before you attack, you meathead!"


    Darren was left speechless and wasn''t sure how he should act¡ªto laugh or to be annoyed. Finley had his hands covering his head; Darren''s attack had swept past the defender, barely missing him directly.


    "Sir, what do you want to do? Please just tell me," Darren pleaded.


    "Hey, don''t call me like that. I was younger than you when I came here. Guess how old I am. It''s really important," Finley said, then jumped back to Darren.


    "I''m not interested in t


    rrowed in confusion. Aside from that, Finley calling him dear Darren somewhat triggered such a strong emotion from him that the hairs on his skin stood up.


    "Never mind that." Finley put on a serious face, waving him off. He continued, "So, my weak point is..."


    He paused and thought for a long time. After a while his eyes widened. "Holy shit. I''m absolutely perfect and have no weak points!"


    Darren snorted.


    ''This guy is a real piece of work, '' he thought.


    "Oh, crap, crap. If you can''t defeat me, you won''t get the reward. Which means you won''t be able to master my superior skill. Which also means you can''t face off against the defender in the thirteenth space!" Finley grew frantic.


    "You really hate the defender in the thirteenth space, don''t you?" Darren was getting annoyed but also amused at the same time. He was curious about this thirteenth space defender.


    "Of course! I was defeated by him in a second. If I didn''t concede defeat and beg for mercy, I would have died early. Won''t you hate the person who almost killed you?" Finley jumped up and down as he spoke.


    "You were stronger than I currently am when you were defeated. I''m afraid that I might also be defeated once I enter the thirteenth space. I won''t be able to avenge you," Darren said, glancing down.


    "No. I think that your skills still have some room to be improved. If you can defeat me and master my extraordinary skill, you just might have a chance to defeat him," Finley said in a huff. He was still full of contempt for the defender of the thirteenth space. He did not want to miss out on the opportunity to get back at him.


    "How about you tell me what the defender of the thirteenth space looks like and how powerful is he?"


    "Oh, I could tell you that first." Finley nodded as he continued, "That brat has a really small body, but his arrogance goes through the roof."


    "Brat?"


    "Yes. He is only eight years old."


    "What?"


    Words left Darren; he couldn''t believe what he had just heard.

 Chapter 260 Shadow Emperor

    Gaping in awe, Darren was stunned in shock.


    "Who is he? How could he be so horrendously powerful only at the age of eight?" dazed and confused, Darren couldn''t help asking.


    "The bastard is called Shadow Emperor. As the name implies, he is the shadow of an emperor, with the strength of a holy warrior. The whole Ancient Void Battlefield belongs to that emperor," Finley replied, meaning the words more seriously than they sounded.


    "Where did you learn that?" Darren inquired in false cheerfulness.


    "I heard it from the guardian of the Ancient Void Battlefield. Didn''t he tell you that?" Surprised, Finley found it hard to believe.


    "No." After a moment of reflection, Darren shook his head. He was filled with emotions when the words "a holy warrior" echoed on his mind. Being a grand warrior in the Grand Realm was what he looked up to be. Yet, at present, he couldn''t even imagine what formidable powers an overmatch as a holy warrior possessed.


    "A holy warrior can dominate an era, unrivaled from ancient times to the present. Thus, it makes sense that the brat can be so powerful. However, as martial artists, we should have a dauntless spirit. Go and wreck his body, whomever he is. Am I right?" Finley asserted while looking at the downcast expression on Darren''s face.


    "Bullshit! If that is true, why did you beg for mercy from him? If you had that dauntless spirit, you would have already been dead," with a chiding tone, Darren jokingly scolded him.


    "Holy crap! How could you call names? I was too careless at that time, or I could bear at least one shot from him. Humph!" Smiling sheepishly, Finley made an excuse.


    "How humiliated are you to be proud of withstanding only one shot from an eight-year-old child!" Darren continued to argue against him, determined to insist on his point.


    "Could you stop it? I am about to get angry. If that happens, I must send you to the thirteenth space to taste his fingers," Finley asserted with an air of displeasure towards Darren.


    "Well, well. Okay. I won''t do any damages to your confidence anymore." Sensing that Finley was getting upset, Darren smiled.


    "Good! I have to admit that I have one weak point, but I''m just embarrassed to say it out loud. Alas!" Finley said. It was rare for him to acknowledge defeat and wear a confused look.


    "Tell me what it is!" Darren whimpered and urged him to spill it out.


    "Wait. Let me show you." Facing Darren this time, Finley bent over and started to take off his pants.


    "What are you doing?" Fretted by Finley''s actions, Darren leaped to his feet and unsheathed his blade and sword.


    "Oops, don''t you want to see my flaw? It is my penis. Blowing my penis off will make my basaltic body crack. By then, you will get a chance to win against me," Finley explained.


    Hearing that, Darren nearly burst out with rage. How could Finley relay to him such a ridiculous thing?


    The revelation made Darren dumbfounded. He was


    about Darren?" Several grand warriors gathered around him and started asking questions.


    Not answering their queries, Brian just shook his head and softly sighed with a disappointed look.


    "Did he die?" Chad asked eagerly, impatient to have his question answered. He cared about Darren''s situation most among the grand warriors because the rules said that the Primitive Stones contributed by Darren were not available to be used by other grand warriors. Thus, they dared not violate the regulation set by the Lord of Void.


    Despite the anticipation from Chad and other grand warriors, Brian still shook his head and didn''t disclose anything.


    "Give me ten Primitive Stones, and you will know," with an air of authority, Brian demanded. Chad was so nervous hearing that which made him nearly fall. He had never expected that even now, Brian was in the mood of blackmailing his treasures.


    "You wish! I will ask the Lord of Void myself," Chad said as he turned his back and prepared to leave.


    "Do whatever you like. The Lord of Void has closed himself behind the door to cultivate. Are you sure you are going to bother him? You know you are courting death if you would do that," Brian crowed, cocking his head slightly. Deep inside, he was secretly pleased that he just arrived there at the last moment.


    All the other grand warriors carefully released their spiritual sense to detect the aura of the Lord of Void. Without sensing his aura, they confirmed that he had really been immersed in his cultivation.


    Having realized the truth behind Brian''s statement and made up his mind, Chad finally said, "Deal! If you offer me the detailed information about Darren, you will have ten Primitive Stones!"


    "Well, he is..." Cutting short what he was about to say, Brian paused deliberately to puzzle the others.


    "Fuck! Say it, or I will kill you!" a grand warrior echoed. All the other grand warriors couldn''t help scolding him for letting them wait.

 Chapter 261 Heavenly Repression

    Brian cast a glance at the crowd. Knowing that they were anxious to know the result, he immediately announced, "He has entered the twelfth round!"


    "Really?" Chad was overwhelmed with excitement.


    Darren entering the twelfth round meant that he had gotten the Primitive Stones. Chad was grinning from ear to ear, thrilled to hear the news.


    "Oh! I knew he was an extraordinary young man! When he gets out of the Ancient Void Battlefield, I will definitely give him a handsome reward." Chad gave out a deep hearty laugh.


    ...


    It had been three years since Darren had entered the twelfth round in the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    In those three years, Darren had absorbed great quantities of spiritual energy to improve his strength. He had also assimilated an abundance of magic herbs that he got from the second round.


    Under normal conditions, absorbing such a large quantity of spiritual energy would guarantee that he would reach the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm in three years. He was completely baffled as to why he was not making much progress in his cultivation stage. His improvement had been rather slow.


    After absorbing a lot of spiritual energy, only his demon core had a big improvement. He had grasped the fifth stage of the Nine Changes of the Demon, which meant that when he underwent demonic changes, his strength would be equal to a grand warrior.


    "There is still a long way to go before Darren can enter the next round. His strength still isn''t enough," Finley murmured to himself, feeling the aura that was emitting from Darren''s body. He shook his head in his dismay.


    Darren took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. He opened his eyes and turned to look at Finley. "I hit a bottleneck right now. No matter how hard I tried, I still couldn''t reach the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm. What''s wrong with me?"


    Even after a long discussion, they still weren''t able to figure out any solution to the problem.


    "I guess the only option I have now is to fight you. I don''t think there is any other way," Darren suggested. He didn''t want to waste any more time.


    "All right. But my basaltic body is really strong. Unless you are a three-star grand warrior, you can''t inflict great damage to my body. So you are doomed to lose the fight." Finley was disappointed that it had come to this.


    "When I use my power, I can''t control myself. I will attack my opponent with all my force." He let out a heavy sigh.


    Darren had already known about it, but he still wanted to give it a try. And so, without hesitation, he transferred all his power and prepared himself for the fight.


    "Darren, you must aim at the vital parts of my body. Otherwise, you would not stand a chance of defeat


    eavenly Repression Rule. He felt that the dark gold internal force tremendously increased inside his body.


    Without hesitation, Darren combined his best skills and dark gold internal force together. He attacked Finley with all his force.


    A deafening sound was heard as his enormous power blew towards Finley.


    "Huh?"


    Finley did not dodge the attack nor use the Spatial Rule.


    "Basaltic body," he murmured to himself, still wearing the strange smile on his face.


    A loud thunderous sound resonated in the air. The aftershock of the massive explosion reached Darren and threw him off the ground.


    "He didn''t dodge my attack?" Darren was thrown away by his intense power, leaving him flabbergasted.


    Once the rumbling had subsided, Darren hastily turned around to check on Finley. He wasn''t quite expecting the scene before him.


    Finley''s clothes had all been ripped, revealing his golden skin. He wasn''t get hurt even though he had been hit by the dark gold internal force.


    "That''s impossible!" Darren couldn''t believe his eyes. Boom!


    Boom!


    Darren immediately blew the rest of the dark gold internal force towards Finley.


    Finley still did not move a muscle. He only opened his mouth and said, "Game over, young man."


    In the blink of an eye, a tremendous power enveloped Darren. He was confined inside Finley''s domain.


    Darren clearly knew that if he didn''t give up and beg for mercy, he would be broken into pieces in the next second.


    However, in that moment, outside the Ancient Void Battlefield, an impalpable power suddenly fell from the sky and quietly flew unnoticed towards the direction of the battlefield.


    "Heavenly Repression? "


    In the thirteenth space, a young boy who was about eight years old suddenly appeared. He opened his sharp eyes and looked towards the sky.

 Chapter 262 Entering The Thirteenth Space

    Darren was shocked. For a brief moment, the impulse to surrender coursed through him.


    But he was infuriated by what happened next.


    A golden shadow rushed to him and covered his mouth with one hand.


    ''What the fuck? How dare you...'' Darren cursed.


    The shadow was Finley. Although he was the space defender now, Finley was as weird as before.


    "Hey, challenger! Are you scared now?"


    ''Finley, you son of a bitch! Asshole!'' Darren cursed him again.


    "I''ve exerted my domain skill. As long as you ask for mercy and admit defeat, you can leave.


    Come on, loser! Beg me! Do it or die!"


    Finley''s hand was still wrapped around Darren. He couldn''t move at all!


    Darren was irritated by this moron.


    Just as he was about to fight back, Darren sensed a tremendous force approaching them.


    Finley had noticed it as well. Shocked, he looked up to confirm his suspicions.


    To his astonishment, a large palm that exuded a threatening aura was headed for them.


    Boom!


    Finley released Darren and enhanced the power of his domain. Then, he rushed forward to defend against the palm.


    "Space Burst!"


    Finley shouted.


    Bang!


    Darren didn''t have time to think. The moment Finley released him, he ran from the attacking palm shadow. When he was at a safe distance, Darren turned to see what had happened.


    He would never forget what he saw.


    Finley was using all of his power to fight against that palm.


    However, to Darren''s surprise, Finley was suppressed, like a piece of paper. The attack was so powerful that Finley vanished in the blink of an eye.


    ''A defender was killed by someone stronger? In such a short time?'' Darren couldn''t believe his eyes.


    What kind of person could be powerful enough to achieve this feat? Before he could recover from the shock, Darren released his spiritual sense and found an undetectable force in the twelfth space. The mysterious shadow launched his palm attack toward the sky. The attack was so intense that a black crack spread through the whole space. Everything trembled and shook as though the Ancient Void Battlefield was about to collapse.


    Boom! Boom!


    When the shadow stopped releasing several palm attacks, the whole void became peaceful and quiet again.


    Till now, Darren could not look at the shadow. Once the attacks stopped, he was able to see a figure in the distance¡ªi


    asn''t there an effective way to break through these restrictions?


    "When you entered, I noticed that you''ve been cultivating conflicting martial arts skills. I presumed that the Heavenly Repression wouldn''t impact you in my Ancient Void Battlefield. However, I see that you couldn''t escape the suppression," the Shadow Emperor explained. Darren could tell from the manner in which the Shadow Emperor spoke that he wasn''t like a child at all.


    "Perhaps it''s because you''re not the master of the Ancient Void Battlefield," the Shadow Emperor mumbled as he contemplated Darren''s situation.


    "Mr. Guardian, show yourself!" After a brief pause, the Shadow Emperor shouted at the sky. To Darren''s surprise, the guardian of the first space he met appeared in the thirteenth space.


    The old guardian sobbed when he saw the Shadow Emperor hovering in the air.


    Although the guardian was an old man, he fell to his knees as he faced the Shadow Emperor who was just an eight-year-old child.


    "Master..." His lips trembled.


    It was obvious that he hadn''t seen his master in a long time.


    After he calmed down, the old man remembered what his master had said to him many years ago. He had reassured the old man that at their next meeting, the matter that worried him would be settled.


    "Come with me."


    The Shadow Emperor asked the old guardian to follow him before turning and walking toward the dark place.


    Darren intended to go with them. However, when he took his first step, Darren felt as though a soft force had trapped him. He couldn''t move an inch.

 Chapter 263 The Past Story (Part One)

    In a dark and deep space, footsteps and voices could be heard as the old guardian and the Shadow Emperor walked slowly together. Their mouths moved as they deeply engaged in a conversation.


    "Carlton, what do you think of that young man?" the Shadow Emperor asked curiously as they continued to walk together.


    "Master, I dare not remark him," the guardian called Carlton replied and turned around to look at Darren''s direction. He opened his mouth and was about to say something but then he shut his mouth abruptly. It looked like he had something to say but decided to keep his silence.


    "Actually I am merely one of the two souls my original body left many years ago. You need not call me master. You can speak out what is in your mind directly. I don''t mind," the Shadow Emperor said to the guardian as he sensed the guardian have something to say. He emitted an aura of openness and kindness as he communicated with the guardian.


    "Yes, sir!" The guardian bowed at him and voiced out his thoughts, "Now that you have called me out, I think you already have the same idea in your mind. After so many years, he is the only one who has come to the twelfth space. I''m even not sure if there would be anyone else who would be able to reach this space soon. The world now is different from when you were here. Unlike before, there seems to be no overpowering superior talent anymore. If we go on waiting, it will be difficult to achieve our goal."


    "Okay. I see what you mean," the Shadow Emperor replied in a low voice. He understood the current situation, but he was skeptical to lower his standards for something that could ruin everything they had built. All their efforts would have been for nothing. He then said with a sigh, "But if we pass it on him and he is killed by Hea


    as simply nothing he could do.


    "Finley, don''t do such cheap things in the future!" Finishing his sentence, Darren left without any hesitation.


    Just after Darren entered the light door of the eleventh space, the figure of the Shadow Emperor appeared beside Finley.


    "My lord, You warm-hearted Shadow Emperor, please let me go, please," he begged. His eyes looked tired; his voice had become hoarse from screaming too much, and his mouth was set into a deep frown.


    The Shadow Emperor waved his hand and Finley immediately plumped himself on the ground. The pain vanished.


    "It is damned too..."


    "Well?" The Shadow Emperor glimpsed at him. Finley immediately turned defensive.


    "No, no! You kindly-hearted guy. I will never do that." Finley stood up from the ground and patted the Shadow Emperor on his shoulders and continued to say, "You kindly-hearted guy, no matter what I did, I am still a superior talent. Please spare me and show me some respect.


    You defeated me in a second last time we fought. Now you did it a second time. I was damned... I''m really unlucky. How can you leave the thirteenth space and come to my space to defeat me in a second again? I felt bad!"

 Chapter 264 The Past Story (Part Two)

    While Finley was busy playing to be the victim, the Shadow Emperor interrupted him, "Finley, I have something that I need your help with."


    "Huh?" Finley was so stunned that he turned still as a rock the moment he heard the Shadow Emperor''s words. He asked again, "What? You need my help?"


    ...


    Darren stepped back one space after another. He just stayed in the eleventh space for a short moment, gazing kindly at Denise with a smile, then he left and went on.


    "Darren, here you come."


    When he was back in the first space, he saw that the guardian had been waiting for him. He approached him slowly.


    "Sir, the Shadow Emperor told me that he will let me become the master of the Ancient Void Battlefield."


    "Yes, you are right. But before you make a decision, you can listen to my story." The guardian seemed to be indulged in his memories. He started telling the story as if it was still fresh from his mind.


    "Actually the Ancient Void Battlefield was the small space of my master that was formed when he had successfully become a holy warrior. The time my master lived was called the Last Age, and that was millions of years ago."


    "Millions of years ago? Why does your master''s small space still exist now in our age? Is he living now?" Darren asked, surprised. He wondered how the space was still existing and functional if the master was no longer present.


    The guardian shook his head and smiled bitterly, "My master was called the Grand Void Emperor. He died a few thousand years after he had become the holy warrior.


    My master seemed to predict that was going to happen long before he died so he made some careful arrangement. He tore his soul and left two small pieces at the age of eight. The


    forbidden by nature. But it had some other rules to restrict the cultivation. So no one had successfully cultivated three conflicting martial arts skills before him.


    As for what I have told you, if you don''t understand, then just forget about it. You don''t need to understand it anyway. Only one important point you need to know is that my master hope for you to take revenge for him. The hatred has been existing for millions of years."


    Hearing what the guardian said, Darren knitted his eyebrows and asked again, "Sir, do you mean that the cultivator with three conflicting martial arts skills is still alive now? The Grand Void Emperor wanted to take revenge for his death and that was why he left this small space, right?"


    The guardian nodded his head without saying anything else.


    Darren smiled bitterly. The story he had been told was like the "Arabian nights". If everything the guardian said was true, how could he take revenge for the Grand void Emperor? More importantly, how could he fight the grand warrior with three conflicting martial arts skills? It seemed what was being asked for him was more than what he had expected.

 Chapter 265 The Master Of The Ancient Void Battlefield

    The guard took note of Darren''s bitter smile and said, "As for revenge, I think the same as you. It is virtually impossible for us to get back at him. For many years, I have been trying to find someone who was worthy of inheriting the skill and becoming the master. Don''t get me wrong, revenge is possible. It might take several more decades or even hundreds of years. But rest assured, that time will come.


    After you inherit the skill, the righteous thing to do is to keep revenge in mind if you want to express your gratitude to Grand Void Emperor. However, if you don''t want to or don''t have the ability to carry it on, that''s fine. No one will blame you."


    Darren nodded his head once and said, "Sir, I have one more question. What inheritance has the Grand Void Emperor left behind? There must be some treasures or something, right?"


    "Well, the inheritance from the master is not the most shocking or the most precious treasure in the world, but it''s quite enough to be of benefit to you. Let me explain..."


    Darren nodded in agreement and listened intently.


    "Our master said that he wants you to become the master of the Ancient Void Battlefield. He wants you to take control of this little world. Numerous legendary martial skills and magic herbs had been buried inside this little world. It is an enormous treasure for you. I''m sure you will greatly benefit from those invaluable martial resources.


    After I discussed it with Shadow Emperor, we came to the conclusion that when you become the master of the Ancient Void Battlefield, it will stop you from getting hurt by the Heavenly Repression. If your mingling power isn''t strong enough, it will be able to protect you, at the very least."


    "Is that true? According to what the Shadow Emperor said, the Heavenly Repression was evolved from the rules from the outside world in the later generations. It came from some kind of repressive power that emitted from both the earth and heaven. How would being the master of the Ancient Void Battlefield be able to avoid its attack?" Darren''s curiosity was piqued and he suddenly had a heightened eagerness.


    "Yes, the Heavenly Repression is a powerful rule that came from the outside world, but our master had created the Ancient Void Battlefield a long time ago, during the Last Age, therefore the Ancient Void Battlefield was not influenced by the rules of the later ages. It is perfectly natural that the new master of the Ancient Void Battlefield is not restrained by the Heavenly Repression too. However, if the control of this little world is handed over to you now, you won''t be able to defend it if some extremely powerful repressive force comes to attack. Your current cultivation stage still isn''t good enough. I worry that your life will be put in danger and even the Ancient Void Battlefield will be destroyed.


    "I see. I would be willing to accept Grand Void Emperor''s offer along with all the consequences, good or bad. Please tell me more." Darren want


    should never give the legendary martial skill to your friends or relatives. The legendary martial skill will be repelled by the systems of the outside world. If they force themselves to practice those skills, it will inflict great damage to their bodies. Even yourself¡ªyou are only allowed to practice the skill inside the Ancient Void Battlefield. As for those that contain spiritual energy¡ªthe magic herbs, the magic spring water, and so on¡ªyou can take whatever you like. They are not affected by the rules.


    That''s all I needed to tell you. I''ve accomplished my task. It''s time for me to take a rest. From now on, the Ancient Void Battlefield is under your control. You should remember that it would be dangerous to offend powerful masters. Your current strength isn''t good enough, so if they come to attack the Ancient Void Battlefield, it will be hard for you to protect this little world and you will probably die in the battle."


    The guardian went silent for a second and continued, "If you want to open the Ancient Void Battlefield, the process will require an enormous amount of power. According to my calculations, it would be best if you only open it once a month. Also, you should be cautious when you''re in the outside world. Whenever you''re in real danger, you can enter the Ancient Void Battlefield. It will be able to shelter you from any harm..."


    "All right, all right! We get it, old man. Stop blabbering and just leave already. If there''s anything else that Darren needs to know, I will tell him." Since Finley and the Shadow Emperor had merged together, they were probably more proficient at aiding Darren than the guardian.


    "Finley..." The guardian gave Finley an annoyed smile, almost a grimace.


    "What?" Finley nonchalantly raised his brows in response.


    "You''re such a..." The guardian then started to gradually fade away. "Jerk!" he continued. His voice echoed throughout the battlefield as he disappeared.


    "What the hell?" Finley was speechless.

 Chapter 266 Being Shadowed By Someone

    As the master of the Ancient Void Battlefield, Darren tried to detect the breath of the old guardian of the Ancient Void Battlefield, but he failed.


    "Farewell, sir." Darren''s voice was flat. He allowed the guardian of the Ancient Void Battlefield to leave.


    A moment later, Darren turned and strode to the eleventh space.


    "Darren, please get some magic herbs for me to cultivate. Perhaps I can leave this place for a walk after entering the Holy Realm. That will be pretty cool." Finley spoke as he followed Darren.


    "Do it yourself," Darren answered, coldly. He was in no mood to cater to Finley''s request.


    "I can''t. I can only enter the twelfth and the thirteenth spaces. Get me some magic herbs, please. I am in urgent need of these herbs," Finley implored.


    Darren glanced at Finley. Then he activated his spiritual sense and Finley disappeared from the twelfth space.


    "Don''t use too much. I will kill you if you use all my magic herbs." Darren''s voice was heard from above in the second space.


    "Please don''t worry. I will be careful." On hearing what Darren had said, a grin appeared on Finley''s face as he looked up at the sky in the second space.


    Darren ignored Finley and continued to enter the eleventh space.


    "Denise, I am the master of the Ancient Void Battlefield, now." Denise''s figure flew to Darren as soon as he entered the eleventh space.


    "You made it! You really made it," Denise said. She was so overwhelmed with excitement that tears welled up in her eyes.


    "You are free now." Darren smiled as he released his spiritual sense. As promised, Denise was not confined to the eleventh space anymore.


    "It''s a pity that I can''t take you out of the Ancient Void Battlefield. Although this is not true freedom, it is the best that I can do," Darren explained to Denise. He was somewhat disappointed with the limitations he faced.


    Since Denise was just a wisp of a soul, she would vanish if she left the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "This is enough. At least I have them to keep me company," she giggled. Denise had never been so happy. She drifted with the wind and landed beside a beautiful lake. As she spoke with Darren, curious little animals gathered around her. Happiness reflected in her expression when Denise found a place with blooming flowers.


    Darren didn''t follow her. "I am leaving for a little while. I will see you later," his voice reached her ears.


    "Go ahead. But please, remember to bring me more furry little creatures," she chuckled. Denise laughed as she played with a pure white bunny.


    "Okay," Darren replied as he smiled. Then, he flew to the place where he had entered at the beginning.


    As he stepped forward, his figure disappeared from the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    After leaving the Ancient Void Battlefield, Darren channeled his spiritual sense. The whole Ancient Void Battlefield turned into a grain of sand and suspended in his elixir field.


    ...


    In the Grand Void


    that the Lord of Void had dissipated, none of them dared to breach the rules. Or else, a fight would ensue for possession of the Primitive Stones, and there would be chaos in the land.


    "By the way, Uncle Chad, I am looking forward to going to the Raksa Sea. I am not sure whether I need to challenge the superior talents of the Talent Roll before," Darren prompted Chad.


    Chad was very happy to hear Darren''s words. ''Such talent doesn''t need to challenge the inferior cultivators on Talent Roll. Since I am anxious to send him to the Raksa Sea, we can circumvent rules, '' Chad thought.


    "Darren, you don''t need to challenge the Talent Roll as you are different from the outsiders. We will send a group of superior talents to the Raksa Sea in a month. Come to me then. I will give you some treasures to keep you safe. As for the Primitive Stones, quantity doesn''t matter as long as you do your best. Just put your safety above all else,"


    Chad replied. Over time, Chad had proven that he could charm people with his words. By expressing his concern for Darren''s safety, Chad thought he had earned Darren''s loyalty.


    "Ha-ha got it. I will take my leave now. I will come to bother Uncle Chad if I have trouble," Darren''s voice was flat as he replied to the grand warrior.


    "Go, go." Chad smiled and nodded.


    After Darren took his leave, the other grand warriors glared at Chad sternly. They tried to persuade Chad to share some Primitive Stones with them.


    Their discussion lasted for a long time. At last, Chad had to distribute several Primitive Stones to the other grand warriors. He knew that he would offend the other grand warriors and invite potential trouble if he pocketed all the Primitive Stones.


    "Hum, that lad must have kept some Primitive Stones for himself."


    In a dark corner of the Grand Void Manor, an insidious man kept a close watch on Darren''s departing figure. He was so well hidden that even the grand warriors couldn''t detect him!

 Chapter 267 Darren Flew Into A Rage

    Darren left the Grand Void Manor and leisurely walked the quiet streets of Talent City.


    He sighed, realizing in his heart that if he had not entered the Ancient Void Battlefield, he would not have known about the Heavenly Repression. In which case, even if his sword intent had fused with his blade intent, he would have probably died!


    Now that he was the master of the Ancient Void Battlefield, he would not be affected by the Heavenly Repression as long as he didn''t overuse the fusion of his sword and blade intents. After all, he and the Ancient Void Battlefield were almost one.


    "Once I go to the Raksa Sea and get more Primitive Stones, I will reach the Wonder Realm," Darren told himself as he walked the streets. "By then, with just a small amount of dark gold internal force, my strength will skyrocket, and I may even kill the master at the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm," Darren continued.


    Darren was able to defeat Denise in the Ancient Void Battlefield in part because of his improved abilities, or else he would have been killed before he could perform the dark gold internal force. Darren knew he had come a long way. In that way, Darren considered that he could only kill the master at the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm when he first reached the Wonder Realm. He must be very ready and prepared by then, without making a single mistake.


    Currently, if he met a grand warrior, he would surely be killed before he even launched an attack. Darren knew he must be on his toes at the moment. This meant that although Darren had integrated his blade and sword intents, he still needed to improve his level and strength. It was vital, and a matter of life and death.


    Darren strolled along as he pondered over these questions, without realizing that there were two ghostly figures tailing him. They were watching his every move.


    "Shall we kill him now?" one of the two asked his companion.


    "No, I don''t think that''s a good idea. He seems to have a space treasure. Even if we kill him, we can''t get his Primitive Stones," replied the other ghostly figure. "Let''s wait and see."


    "You''re right. We have the Grand Blood Refiner''s supreme skill to conceal our auras so that even the real grand warriors can''t perceive us. We can track him down any time." "Then let''s go back and report what we know. There''s a good chance that the lad''s got the Primitive Stones on him. Now that is something worth reporting."


    "Okay, I''ve marked his blood and breath. He cannot escape from us ever now. Let''s go."


    After the brief discussion, the two stalkers stoppe


    lling was permissible outside Talent City.


    In this case, for the time being, Ron wasn''t in any danger, and Darren also wanted to get out of the city so as to kill them.


    In fact, since Darren now had a sort of a relationship with Chad who was a grand warrior, and the soul of the Lord of Void had gone, it was not a big deal if he killed people in the city. He let Dean take Ron away just because he didn''t want their fight to hurt innocent people.


    Whoosh!


    Darren flashed and flew rapidly towards the direction that led outside the city.


    Soon he saw his two enemies before him.


    "There you are, you little bastard. What an idiot you are I must say. You''re willing to risk your life for such a nobody!" Dean''s younger brother laughed smugly and wildly. The madness seemed to be a family trait.


    "I''ll kill him first, ha-ha!" he continued to laugh hysterically.


    He went on to raise his hand in order to hit Ron.


    As a master who had just reached the middle stage of the Wonder Realm, he could kill ten thousand people as weak as Ron with just one blow.


    However, at the exact moment when his hand was about to touch Ron, a shadow flickered past him, forcing his palm to stop before Ron''s forehead.


    "What speed!" Dean, who was watching them, exclaimed in surprise. He immediately decided to quickly kill Darren, so, he urged his younger brother, "Kill the old man. And I''ll personally kill the little bastard."


    When there was no response from his younger brother, Dean asked, "Did you hear me?" As these words were spoken, Dean sensed something was wrong.


    The next moment his face turned ashen white and his lips trembled as he saw his younger brother''s head fall from the sky, right under him.

 Chapter 268 Roger (Part One)

    "Brother!" All of a sudden, everything around Dean gradually turned dim as if a blanket enveloped his whole being. With rage and pure hatred, Dean''s eyes filled with tears as he caught his brother''s head. On the other end, Darren lifted Ron and landed him safely on the grass at a far distance away from danger. After making sure that Ron was safe, he instantly flew back and gave Dean a warning.


    As Dean was clinging to his brother''s cold and lifeless body, tears streamed down his face. The pain and grief of bereavement tortured his heart. He still couldn''t believe what had happened.


    "Get lost now! I am giving you a chance to save your life. I don''t want to kill you." Darren prodded Dean with a cold expression on his face.


    "Ha-ha-ha." Dean let out an unexpected burst of laughter. Lifting his head, he looked at Darren with bloodshot eyes and roared, "You bastard. You were already courting death when you hurt my brother the last time. How dare you kill him now? I will chop you into pieces!"


    With a howling voice, Dean growled at Darren in rage. Pure hatred was evident in his cry. It was so powerful that his voice broke several mountains in the distance.


    "I will give you one more chance to run. If you don''t do that, I have no choice but to kill you too." Despite the horrible threat that escaped from his mouth, Darren remained composed. He didn''t show a bit of mercy and didn''t even care about what Dean had said. Instead, he just stared at Dean with his sharp eyes.


    "Fuck off! You bastard!" Having a vengeful heart, Dean snarled at Darren. He was determined to avenge his brother''s death.


    With Dean''s reaction, Darren sensed his aura. He was surprised that Dean had reached the top level of the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. He noticed that Dean''s strength kept on increasing as he was in a rage.


    Though his strength and aura overwhelmed Darren, he showed no


    im, Darren sensed that something was wrong. Dean ran towards the direction where Ron''s body was laid motionless. It was as if Dean had some plans on his mind.


    "Omnipotent Talent Skill!" Dean shouted as soon as he reached Ron''s body.


    Hearing that, Darren flew towards them. Seeing that Darren was chasing him at his full speed, Dean wore a weird smile on his blood-covered face.


    "You want to protect that bastard? I don''t think that''s going to happen!"


    In a blink of an eye, Dean used his Omnipotent Talent Skill to blow the land where Ron was lying on to fragments.


    Astounded with what just happened, Darren trembled with rage as he witnessed right before his eyes what happened to Ron. Worst was he couldn''t do anything to save his friend.


    Held frozen at the moment, Darren felt an enormous sense of guilt. He thought that his stupidity made Dean do such a horrible act.


    Yet the fact remained that Ron was now dead, and nothing could be changed. Realizing that he was the reason behind all these mishaps, pangs of remorse crept inside Darren. He felt sorry for what he had done.


    "Ron, it was all my fault. I will take revenge for you." Hovering himself in the sky, Darren shouted in a fury. Although his voice was cold, it was terrifying.

 Chapter 269 Roger (Part Two)

    "I will kill you!" Darren let out a roar.


    With a tempest toss, Darren flew towards Dean with lightning speed. He went straight to Dean and aimed for his head.


    The simple swing of his sword seemed like an ordinary thrust, but it contained his most potent power. With a flashing blow, Darren''s power settled over Dean in a split second. In the aftermath, Dean was pressed so hard by the tremendous power that he couldn''t hit back.


    Bang!


    Another loud sound shattered the silence, and Darren was puzzled that he couldn''t kill Dean. To his surprise, someone blocked his sword!


    "Fuck off!" Pissed, Darren gave out a roar in anger. Though he had no idea who made the block, out of sheer frustration, he blew his enormous blade and sword intent towards that guy.


    "Humph." The guy gave out a snort. Raising his hand, he lunged towards Darren''s blade and sword intent. In a snap, it was all shattered into pieces. As the guy''s control overpowered Darren, he was pushed back in great strides.


    Blasted off, Darren was in shock. Seething with anger, he flew back to confront the guy.


    "Who the hell are you? Stay out of my way!" Darren warned the guy, hollering with a harsh, disdained voice.


    Exuding confidence, that young man quietly and fearlessly stood in front of Darren. His long purple hair rested over his shoulders.


    "Who am I?" the man asked with a dominant aura exuding from within him. Darren could tell that he was extremely powerful.


    "I''m a superior talent who is ranked number eighteen on the Talent Roll. My name is Roger Jing. Have you heard about me?" as he asked, a faint smile masked his face. His eyes, however, were as cold as ice as he stared at Darren.


    A furrow appeared between Darren''s brows as he replied, "This man had kil


    and wanted to kill Darren right at that moment.


    "Go to hell. You scum!" Getting on to his dare, Darren gave out a growl. He instantly activated his force of control and tried to open the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "Don''t act like idiots! You guys stop right now!"


    A cold voice was heard coming from the sky. As the figure came closer, a stunning girl landed beside Darren.


    Both of them stopped fighting and looked towards the direction of the mysterious girl.


    As Darren landed his eyes on her, he immediately recognized that this beautiful lady was Violet Wang. He had met her in the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    To Darren''s surprise, Roger knew her as well. Roger walked up to her and asked, "Violet, did you know what this guy had done?"


    "It is none of your business. But I do know if you dare to kill Darren, you will be in big trouble," Violet coldly replied with slightly raised eyebrows.


    "Ha-ha. You have got to be kidding me. You can''t fool me. Such a loser will get me into trouble? What a joke." Referring to Darren, Roger retorted with vexation on his face. He was sure that Violet must have known Darren, and she was just bluffing to scare him.

 Chapter 270 The Journey To The Raksa Sea (Part One)

    "A loser? How dare you call him that?" Violet exclaimed. "Roger, you are out of your mind," she added. Her face turned sullen, and she spoke faster. "Don''t you know that he is Mr. Chad Lou''s most prominent disciple? If I were you, I''d watch my language."


    "Hey, Violet, don''t bluff. I have never heard of that name. If you think that you can invent people randomly and try to frighten me, you are wrong. You will regret this!" Roger retorted. Roger had always been overly suspicious and unbelievably conceited. And in this case, his distrust and arrogance invited trouble. On hearing this conversation, Darren narrowed his eyes as he glared at Roger. His indifferent expression spoke louder than any words.


    "Miss Wang, thank you for speaking up for me. But, I believe you can''t talk sense into this gentleman, no matter how hard you try. I am sorry. Since he wants to kill me, then why don''t we let him try? Let''s see what he can do." Darren patted Violet gently on her back to reassure her. However, his expression was as cold as ice as he stared at Roger.


    Violet had been passing by when she saw the fight. Her sense of justice compelled her to stop and observe. She was a girl who would always protect those in need. As she stood watching the fight, Violet learned that someone was after Darren. She was so impressed by Darren when they were in the Ancient Void Battlefield that she couldn''t help standing up for him.


    After Darren left the Ancient Void Battlefield, news spread everywhere¡ªin and outside of Talent City. The disciples of the many grand warriors told everyone far and wide that the grand warrior, Chad Lou, had called Darren his most prominent disciple. The news also reached Violet.


    Though Violet supported Darren, she was not a reckless fool. She knew that she was no match for Roger, the genius who ranked eighteenth on the Talent Roll. Therefore, she mentioned Chad with the hopes that her name-dropping would intimidate Roger instead of infuriating him. It all depended on whether Roger was a


    ng his gaze away. Flirting with Violet like that made him uncomfortable. After a moment''s silence, Darren responded with, "I have to leave now. Goodbye, Miss Wang."


    Before she could grumble about his indifference, Darren vanished into thin air.


    "Hey, you... Darren?" Violet fell silent. Her chest rose and fell in anger. Violet had planned to trick him into promising that he would stay with her to repay his debt of gratitude. Obviously, her plan failed as Darren had left. "What a frigid man! He is so hard to please!" she grumbled even though a smile lifted the corners of her pretty lips.


    Once Darren left Violet, he flew toward Talent City. He was searching for Ron''s family.


    Ron was a widower with no children. He lived in an old house with his father, who was weak and sick. Although they depended on each other, Ron''s father was in bad shape.


    Darren didn''t visit Ron''s father in person. Instead, he bought Ron''s father many well-trained servants. In this way, Ron''s father could live out his remaining years in peace, just like any other well-off country gentleman. Besides, he also left a considerable amount of money in Ron''s house when nobody was watching, in case of an emergency. Darren reckoned that this was enough compensation. Satisfied that he had done everything possible, Darren left quietly without being noticed.

 Chapter 271 The Journey To The Raksa Sea (Part Two)

    Then Darren headed for Skywalker Alliance. He knew that he had to prepare for the journey to the Raksa Sea before it was too late.


    A month was insufficient preparation time for the trip.


    "Darren, our master has sent for you." Boyce was overjoyed when he found Darren in his dwelling.


    "Sure. Tell Mr. Lou that I will be right there," Darren answered delightedly. It was no surprise that Chad would summon him.


    After several minutes, Darren was waiting in the palatial hall for an audience with Chad.


    "Oh, my dear nephew, Darren! Do have a seat," said Chad, warmly. The host didn''t make Darren wait for long. Though by the time he showed up, a dozen young warriors had already been waiting for a while. Chad ignored them and addressed Darren first. And, he beckoned to Darren to sit at the head, in front of Tom.


    "Good day, Darren!" a man conveyed his regards to Darren.


    "How are you doing, Darren?" greeted another young fellow enthusiastically.


    Though all the warriors present were accomplished in martial arts, they remained pleasant and respectful in front of Darren. They had to for Darren had achieved much more, and, more importantly, he was higher in rank among the disciples.


    Darren remained silent. When a warrior greeted him, Darren responded by nodding. He sat down the minute Chad asked him to. It was impolite to speak in front of Chad before being spoken to.


    After Darren took his seat, Chad walked to the podium and began his speech. "Mighty warriors! Your presence greatly honors me. Tomorrow, you will begin your journey to the Raksa Sea." He paused and looked around. The sudden break made everyone wonder why Chad had stopped. The crowd re-summoned their wandering attention and listened with bated breath. Chad smiled and continued, "Therefore, before you go, I''d like to offer you some advice. I hope you will listen and learn."


    "Yes, sir!" all the men responded collectively.


    "The journey to the Raksa Sea is not only for my Primitive Stones but also for your development.


    As far as I know, the Raksa Sea is an anci


    questioned Darren. Though it was risky asking for them, Darren decided to make the request.


    "Really? Can I have them?" Under his calm facade, Darren''s heart beat faster as he waited for Chad to reply.


    "What for? I just told you that they are useless."


    "Oh, I like the color. Ghostly green has always fascinated me. Can I have them, just for fun?" Unsure of what to say, Darren floated quite a lame excuse. Chad could easily refuse him as petty pleasures thwarted high aims.


    But, Chad doted on Darren for some reason. "Fine, take them if they will please you. Don''t waste time on them, though. And do not fiddle with them. Don''t ever think about absorbing what''s left in the stones, or you will embrace an ugly death. Do you understand?"


    "I won''t, Uncle Chad. Thank you, Uncle Chad." Once the precious Primitive Stones were in his bag, Darren randomly picked a shield and a weapon and left.


    The next morning at daybreak, several dozen superior talents, including Darren, headed for the Raksa Sea. Led by grand warriors, they reached the edge of an ancient altar.


    "Raksa Sea, here I come!" an overly excited young lad hollered. Darren was also in a good mood. If they entered the primitive sea successfully, he could find more Primitive Stones. If he managed to collect enough Primitive Stones, he would be able to achieve his goal of entering the Wonder Realm.

 Chapter 272 Hidden Dangers

    The Raksa Sea was a relic of an ancient time. If one wished to go there, aside from having great strength, he would also need seven grand warriors'' blood essence. The blood essence was crucial to the activation of the altar that transferred the people to the Raksa Sea. Apart from that, entering of the Raksa Sea had an age-restriction? and only those who were under the age of thirty were allowed to enter. For that reason, grand warriors often employed the help of superior talents.


    Like Chad had mentioned, the Raksa Sea did not only hold Primitive Stones, it also held a great abundance of other treasures. Every superior talent aspired to be able to go there someday¡ªand that day was now.


    Over seventy of the current superior talents from the Earth Chart of the Talent Roll were summoned by the grand warriors to enter the Raksa Sea.


    Seven grand warriors stood in front of the black altar, their long robes fluttering in the howling wind. The superior talents that were standing behind them felt incredibly intimidated by the domineering aura that they were emitting.


    "May I have everyone''s attention, please. When a crack opens from the altar, you are to immediately enter it. Do not waste any second. Do you understand?" one of the grand warriors told them, his booming voice reverberating in the air.


    "Yes, sir!" the superior talents responded in unison.


    All the superior talents then fixed their eyes on the altar, holding their breath as they waited for the crack to open. The altar would only be open for a very short amount of time, so they had to dash towards it with their full speed once the crack appeared.


    At that moment, the seven grand warriors'' strengths had reached the top level, so they then began transferring their power. Soon, the blood essence spilled out from their chests and flowed towards the altar.


    Everyone''s attention was focused on the altar, and thus no one noticed the several gloomy shadows that were floating in the air, intently watching the scene.


    "Distinguished Grand Blood Refiner, look at that lad. He''s the one who came out of the Ancient Void Battlefield. I suspect that he still has Primitive Stones," a figure from the shadows said. He had been following Darren for several days.


    "Is it because you want to wait for him to collect more Primitive Stones from the Raksa Sea and take all those treasures once you''ve killed him?"


    The four shadows floating in the air turned their heads to look at the direction of a man. He was dressed in black shirt and wore a bamboo hat.


    That man took off his hat, revealing his frightening face. Half of it was exposed skull and the other half was rotting flesh.


    "No. This time, I will go to the Raksa Sea myself," the man replied in a rough harsh voice. Aside from his unfavorable appearance, he was also wafting with a horrible stench. If someone were to come close to the man,


    ams.


    As for the other four grand warriors'' superior talents, they might fall from the black crack too. It was also possible that they already fell and probably landed somewhere that Darren''s group could not see.


    ...


    Back at the altar outside of the black crack, the seven grand warriors had begun to rest. Using up a large quantity of blood essence and power to open the altar had left them extremely exhausted.


    However, they all smiled contentedly, seeing that all the superior talents had successfully entered the black crack. They were all looking forward to the talents'' success in retrieving a great deal of treasures.


    "Ann, did you feel something strange? I can''t but feel a little uneasy," a grand warrior said.


    "You felt that too?" Ann pursed her lips, worry starting to creep into her.


    As soon as the two mentioned it, an unsettling feeling washed over all the other grand warriors. They furrowed their eyebrows in thought.


    "Now that you''ve mentioned it, I did feel a strange aura as well. But we were in a critical moment at the time, so I didn''t give much thought about it."


    As masters who reached the Grand Realm, they all had acute senses. Even the slightest of movements would not be able to escape their attention. It was frightening to think that several grand warriors all sensed the same unsettling disturbance.


    "Baron, you should check on it." Chad turned to the grand warrior beside him.


    Baron was regarded as the one who had the strongest spiritual sense. If he wanted to investigate an aura, even if it was left by a bird that passed by ten years ago, he would be able to find it.


    Baron nodded in agreement. He immediately used his special spiritual sense to examine everything around them.


    After searching for a while, Baron''s eyes suddenly widened in shock. "It''s him! I''m afraid that those superior talents may be in grave danger. They might die in the black crack."

 Chapter 273 The Situation Was Not As Simple As It Looked

    Several grand warriors were troubled when they heard Baron. Were over seventy superior talents at risk?


    "What happened?" several grand warriors asked in unison.


    "Do you remember the man who focused on the Blood Refining skill and killed a lot of grand warriors hundreds of years ago?" Baron asked with a frown.


    "Grand Blood Refiner! Didn''t a senior suppress him?" The other grand warriors understood the danger at once. That man had left far too deep an impression on them.


    Baron shook his head. "I have detected traces of the Blood Refining Sect before. I thought it might have been some underlings creating a disturbance on a small scale. I never suspected that the Grand Blood Refiner had been liberated. I was careless for not reporting this earlier," Baron explained.


    "The Grand Blood Refiner would have been uncontrollable had he not been suppressed by the senior. It''s good that his domain cracked when he ran away, as that means that his level decreased a lot. Those superior talents could kill him if they work together."


    "It''s not that simple. Don''t forget there are countless treasures and Primitive Stones in the Raksa Sea. The Grand Blood Refiner''s strength could be restored to its original level if he gets those treasures."


    Several grand warriors grew worried upon hearing these words.


    "If you are right, how did he enter the Raksa Sea? He is an old monster. He would have been torn apart by the altar because of his age," a grand warrior said with doubts.


    "He is good at hiding himself. His avatar blood refining skill helps him to control others. He must have possessed some talent via his premium skill and wormed his way into the Raksa Sea. It is possible that he is hiding among the superior talents," Baron replied.


    "You are probably right. Losing some Primitive Stones is a small matter of no great significance. However, our sin will be greater if he refines any of our superior talents. We have to find a way to inform them of the existence of the Grand Blood Refiner," another grand warrior suggested.


    "Such being the case, we need to risk opening the altar again. Brian, use your voice transmitting arcane skill to advise the superior talents about the situation. Do also tell them that it is imperative that they work together to kill the evil cultivator! Perhaps if they''re lucky enough, they will avert the catastrophe."


    Brian nodded solemnly. The others had selected him for this assignment as he was the best at using the arcane skill to transmit his voice.


    Immediately after, several grand warriors, who seemed to be a little weak and exhausted, triggered the altar again. Fortunately, this time, they only needed to create a crack


    ath this island as it connected with another large island. The group thought that this would be the very place to hide some treasures. Since this area was largely unexplored, it would be a good place to find undiscovered Primitive Stones. Thus, they planned to go to the large island first.


    Once the discussion was complete, they glanced around and found that two other groups of superior talents had left the island.


    "Move faster. Time waits for no one," Robb hailed as he instructed everybody to look for the underground cavern.


    Darren didn''t take part in the discussion. Although he followed the superior talents, he seemed to be ruminating about something.


    "What''s wrong with you, Darren? Why are you silent?" Tom and Darren walked at the end of the group. He asked when he noticed Darren''s pensive expression.


    Darren raised his head. Just as he was about to respond to Tom''s question, he saw Lenny cast an inconspicuous and sinister glance at Robb.


    "Tom, do you think there is something abnormal about Lenny? I feel as though something is wrong with him," Darren finally voiced his doubts. From the beginning to the end, Darren thought that the matter Brian informed them about was not as simple as it appeared.


    "Hey, you are overthinking. Lenny has competed with Robb before, but he failed. It''s normal for him to feel some resentment toward Robb. Let''s move on," Tom said, smiling.


    "Maybe." Darren walked forward to help the team. Reassured by Tom, he stopped thinking about the situation.


    However, something happened when they found the entrance of the underground cavern.


    Sharp shrieks were heard from the sky. Several black figures spotted the group of talents and flew straight for them.


    "Shit, so many fierce raptors!" The crowd was immediately alarmed.

 Chapter 274 The Legendary Beast

    The sky''s sunlight was blocked by a flock of black birds which fiercely fell on Darren and the superior talents. The black birds looked menacing in the sky.


    "These raptors are almost at the Spirit Realm, and their power won''t be suppressed by heaven and earth. We''ve got to do something but exactly what should we do?" one superior talent asked.


    If, however, the black birds were in the outside world, anyone of them could easily wipe them out swiftly. On the other hand, here was the Raksa Sea. Since the superior talents'' powers had been repressed, the man with the strongest cultivation base among them was just at the fifth to the sixth stage of the Spirit Realm.


    In just the next breath, countless birds had surrounded them from all sides.


    Whistle!


    They waved their weapons to slash the black birds. However, the birds seemed to have no end, flying over them continuously. The superior talents fought bravely although at times they felt it was a worthless fight.


    "Ah! Ah!" a superior talent whose cultivation base was only at the third stage of the Spirit Realm cried out. Weaker than the others, he was immediately fenced in by the black birds. The flesh of his arms were gnawed away in three seconds, revealing his off-white bones. From the look on his face you could tell he was in agony, despite fighting bravely.


    "Protect Mason!" Robb yelled. He and some other relatively powerful superior talents surrounded the wounded young man in a circle to limit the birds'' access to Mason.


    "Damn! If it goes on like this, we will all end up dead. Someone must take considerable risks to resist the birds so that the others can be covered in order to evacuate and reach the underground cavern," the leading superior talent, Robb, shouted to the others, after he had carefully thought it through in his mind.


    "I will do it!" shouted an enthusiastic voice.


    "Let me try!" shouted another excited voice.


    Several superior talents were rushing to undertake the task despite the fact that the man covering the others would very likely die, with almost no chance of escaping. It was a very brave, gallant decision to make.


    "Go now! Leave them to me!" shouted a voice. At that point, Darren elbowed his way out and stood in front of the others, hacking at the birds darting at him one by one endlessly.


    "No. Darren, your power is too weak to shoulder the task. I will do it!" Tom stated as he hurried to Darren immediately, fighting the birds alongside him with all his energy, to prove he could do it.


    "Tom, I assure you that I know how to deal with them!" Darren said, and then he pushed Tom away with one palm. Tom was startled, but Darren was determined.


    Whoosh!


    Darren dashed out surprisingly quickly, with the sword light sparkling along his way, and patches of the black birds trickling down. The contradiction was bizarre.


    "This... How did he do that?" asked a voice. All the superior talents were astonished by the scene. However, they all understood that no time should be wasted in wrestling with such issues. Since Darren was able to resist the birds, they ran away wh


    at last after a few minutes of struggling.


    Roar!


    The whole Ancient Void Battlefield was slightly shaken by the Water Kylin''s furious howl.


    It attacked the space in all directions, destroying the mountains and cracking the earth, just like an earthquake.


    "Humph. You beast, kneel down!" Darren commanded. His voice was like the sound of a god, almost splitting the internal organs of the Water Kylin.


    However, Darren was now too weak to activate the force of control to kill it. Even if he didn''t consume the force of control before, on the premise that the Water Kylin broke into the Ancient Void Battlefield itself, he still wasn''t able to kill it without the dark gold internal force.


    The force of control worked only within this small world. In other words, Darren was unbeatable for the creatures confined to the Ancient Void Battlefield. As to the creatures from the outside world, Darren had to slaughter them with his real power, since they were beyond the force of control.


    Actually, the Water Kylin could rival a two-star grand warrior, while Darren only came up to a one-star grand warrior in the Ancient Void Battlefield. Therefore, if they fought against one another, he had no chance to kill it. The outcome would be the same as it was when it was him versus Finley.


    Roar!


    Provoked by irrational fear, the Water Kylin never stopped ruining the first space of the Ancient Void Battlefield. It was in shambles.


    "Finley, come out! Kill it for me!" Darren shouted coldly. Then a young man in white showed up in the first space.


    "Holy shit! Darren, you really are a trouble maker. You even bring me a beast rivaling a two-star grand warrior so soon. What a surprise! What next can I expect from you?" Finley said and grinned.


    "Don''t talk nonsense! It tried to kill me. Now it''s over to you," Darren shouted. He had narrowly escaped from the Water Kylin, but now his hatred surged exceedingly high.


    "Yes, sir!" Finley calmly smiled, all while darting towards the Water Kylin. As for Darren, he merely flashed near him and watched.

 Chapter 275 Give Your Loyalty Or Die (Part One)

    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    An ear-shattering sound reverberated as Finley''s figure flickered in the sky. Disappearing on one side and appearing on another end, Finley moved swiftly. No one could follow him with their eyes. As he landed with a loud thud, he hit the Water Kylin with forceful thrusts of his palm continuously.


    Caught unprepared by the attack, the Water Kylin was severely afflicted and whined painfully.


    The enormous Water Kylin was famous in battles, known for his giant paws. In his previous encounters, he was able to smash numerous towering mountains into pieces. Surprisingly, in this situation, however, the Water Kylin could not even manage to touch Finley''s body despite various attempts.


    "How can this guy be so strong?" Witnessing the fight, Darren was surprised at Finley''s skills. Knowing his strength, Darren had thought that Finley could slightly take the upper hand. The thought came into his mind when he remembered the fight between him and Finley the last time. However, now that Finley was facing the Water Kylin, Darren was shocked to see that the creature did not even stand a single chance to fight back.


    After a short moment, a great roar resounded, and soon the Water Kylin''s body was bleeding heavily on the ground. Both Darren and Finley waited for the creature to stand and fight back, but that was to no avail. Finley had put an end to the fight.


    "I did it!" Finley''s figure beamed with a triumphant smile as he appeared in front of Darren.


    "Nice! Very good. You seem to have improved a lot these past few days. You have defeated an ancient legendary beast without even sweating." Darren lifted Finley''s spirits by praising him for a well-fought battle. The Water Kylin was known as a potent and almost invinci


    beast is really dead. He might have survived and get back to you," Darren said to Finley with a blank face, not betraying what he felt inside.


    "Yes, Mr. Darren Chu," Seeing that Darren did not blame him for the magic herbs, Finley stepped closer to check on the Water Kylin, while humming a happy song in a low voice.


    "Oh? This legendary beast is still alive!" Finley shouted in surprise. "Let me give you the last punch to end your life completely. Ha-ha!" he continued and burst into a fit of laughter.


    "No!" Hearing Finley''s words, Darren stopped him.


    "You want to kill the creature by yourself, Darren? Okay, you go then. But I have to remind you that the skin of that Water Kylin is tough, and you''d better be careful."


    What Darren was contemplating in his mind was whether he should kill the Water Kylin and assimilate its power, or let the Water Kylin live to guard the Ancient Void Battlefield. He was caught between the two alternatives.


    After weighing things over for a short while, he intended to have the latter choice. Walking closer to the creature, he invoked with a voice as loud as thunder, "Are you willing to give your loyalty to me?"

 Chapter 276 Give Your Loyalty Or Die (Part Two)

    The Water Kylin''s head was limping down. The pair of eyes that stared at Darren were heaving hot glares, and steamy breaths escaped from his nostrils. Obviously, the creature refused to bend a knee to Darren.


    "Beat him!" Seeing the Water Kylin''s act of refusal, Darren gave Finley his command.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    With swift and articulate moves, Finley kicked the Water Kylin hard, and the creature was rolling like an airless ball in no time.


    "Do you want to give your loyalty to me or be mistreated by me? Choose your fate. The former one or the latter? I''m giving you the last chance!" Darren''s cold voice erupted again.


    The Water Kylin remained to lie on his stomach, shedding blood all over. It looked as if the Water Kylin was dead.


    "I know you are playing dead!" This time, Darren walked to where the Water Kylin was lying and stabbed his leg with his sword. The sword intent inflicted great pain in the Water Kylin''s meridians, and it made the creature roll frantically.


    Roar!


    A loud sound cluttered as the Water Kylin bellowed in great pain.


    "You are mean! You are as feeble as an ant. You don''t deserve my loyalty!" The voice that came out the Water Kylin''s mouth was weak, but he managed to be arrogant.


    "Ha, ha! So you actually can speak!" Though he couldn''t understand why, Darren had a strange feeling about the Water Kylin. He knew that a demonic monster at high levels usually could speak, but why this ancient legendary beast kept his silence?


    "Don''t speak too much. You wanted to kill Darren before, right? Now you are beaten by me like a dead dog. Where do you pull the strength to call us ants? You wish that we could have killed you, right?" Finley snarled and kicked the Water Kylin again¡ªmu


    s loyalty, the Water Kylin got down on his knees and looked at Darren with the utmost respect.


    A triumphant smile etched on Darren''s face. When the Water Kylin suck up Finley earlier, Darren sensed that the so-called ancient legendary beast was a silly one. He was afraid of death. That was the reason Darren asked Finley to kill the Water Kylin right at that instant. Darren had expected that he would yield and gave his loyalty willingly.


    "Well? Didn''t you say you look down on me? Didn''t you say that only if I defeat you, then you would give your loyalty to me? I wasn''t able to defeat you yet, and I don''t want to try either. I still want you to die. Finley, kill him," mockingly, Darren said while shaking his head.


    "No, master!" The Water Kylin''s voice seemed to be young and quivered as he protested. "I was too blind to see your identity. Even that young toyboy is your servant; it is an honor that I can give my loyalty to you. Please let me be your servant, too," the beast continued.


    With those words coming out of the Water Kylin''s mouth, Finley was embarrassed. He got angry, feeling humiliated by the beast that he had just beaten.

 Chapter 277 The Corpse (Part One)

    "You think that I am just a toy boy? How about a taste of my fist?" Finley clenched his hand and threw a hard punch at Water Kylin. Unable to dodge, the blow collided with Water Kylin''s face. As unbearable pain coursed through him, the creature let out a moan before slumping to the ground.


    "I''m sorry. So very sorry! I am a fool! Please forgive me!" Water Kylin begged for forgiveness as he looked at Finley pitifully.


    Finley''s anger did not seem to subside. Just as he was about to punch Water Kylin again, Darren stepped forward and grabbed him by the shoulder. "That is enough!" Darren advised and then turned to Water Kylin. "You want to submit to us, that is fine. We want to know how you will guarantee that you will not betray us one day. I don''t want to live with the fear of being betrayed by you," he said.


    Finley was also highly doubtful about Water Kylin''s loyalty. He glared at Water Kylin and accused, "Don''t believe him, Darren! This bastard is as sly as a snake. Who knows what he is plotting and when he will turn on us. I suggest that we eat him right away and eliminate the threat."


    "Please don''t! As a legendary beast, I can create a life and death bond with you. If we establish the bond, you can be assured that I will never have the guts to harm you," Water Kylin hurried to explain. It sounded so sincere and faithful that Darren was beginning to believe it.


    "What is a life and death bond?" he inquired earnestly. The memory of how Scott had created a life and death bond with him surfaced in Darren''s mind. He also recalled how deeply he had felt attached to him and how concerned he had been about Scott''s safety since then. But now, when it came to creating the same bond with a legendary beast, Darren wondered how it would work.


    Noting his bafflement, Water Kylin started to clarify, "I will explain plainly so that you can understand better. As for the life and death bond, in simple words, my life relies on your safety. If you face any kind of danger and die, I will die along with you because of the effect of the bond. However, on the contrary, if I run into any life-threatening danger, you will not be affected. My death won''t bring any harm to yo


    th if I want to, by that time," he gloated. A golden light flashed in Water Kylin''s eyes as he began to imagine all the power and glory that lay in his future. Water Kylin, indeed, had a special and noble bloodline, which enabled him to cultivate skills much faster than other beasts. This was why the creature was superior to everyone. Whenever Water Kylin wanted to flaunt his abilities in front of people, he would speak of his heritage.


    "You can slap the holy warrior to death? That is bullshit!" Finley countered. The creature''s suppositions did not convince him in the least.


    A spasm of anger passed swiftly over Water Kylin''s face, but then, he instantly gave way to a look of submission and a small laugh. "I am not overselling my strength. You can see it for yourself after a million years," he grumbled timidly.


    "A million years? You got to be kidding me! This is bullshit!" Finley exclaimed with a roll of his eyes. He felt that he would burst into laughter any minute if he listened to more of Water Kylin''s exaggeration and irrational self-compliments.


    Water Kylin was irked. He had been refraining from expressing his temper roused by Finley''s impudence, as he feared that Finley might strike again. Despite the verbal clash, the creature wanted Finley to show him some respect. "Buddy, would you please skip using the word ''bullshit'' when you say something? It is not a polite word to use," Water Kylin advised in a slow but firm voice.

 Chapter 278 The Corpse (Part Two)

    "Are you implying that I am rude and discourteous? It seems the punch you had is not enough. Let me give you some more. Then we''ll see how you spit out those insolent words," Finley raged. Without allowing the beast to respond, Finley rushed toward Water Kylin with clenched fists.


    Water Kylin had already anticipated this outcome. Since he had showed his loyalty to Darren, he relied on Darren to protect him. Water Kylin hid behind Darren and begged him, "Master, please help! Finley is a jerk."


    A small chasing game ensued. Darren relaxed and watched Finley chase the creature. With a slight smile, he dissuaded Finley, "Stop it, Finely! There is no point in sulking. He is as shifty and sly as you. Why do you bother picking on your kind?"


    Being close to Darren, Finley was smart enough to know that Darren was joking as well as complimenting his wit. Even so, he pretended to be irritated and accused, "Sly and shifty? Is that what you think of me? I can''t believe that you are comparing me with such an ugly beast, man. It is like you have stabbed me right in the heart." Furrowing his brows, Finley grimaced at Darren as if he was upset.


    However, the inciter, Water Kylin, did not stay silent. Before Darren could speak, he added fuel to the fire. "You are even worse than beasts," Water Kylin blurted out.


    The creature''s words led to a higher spurt of anger. Finley ground his teeth with fury and barked, "You son of a bitch! If I don''t tear your dreadful mouth apart today, I will change my name!"


    Upon sensing that Finley was truly infuriated, Water Kylin tried to escape. However, much to his surprise, Finley used his space skill and grabbed him by the tail.


    There was no doubt that Water Kylin would pay for provoking Finley. Even so, Darren knew that Finely would not kill the legendary beast now that Darren and the creature had created a bond. So, Darren smiled as he watched the two fight like quarreling siblings. Then he said, "Why on earth do I have to be with you two freaks? Isn''t it enough that I have so many hardships to go through? Go ahead, strike hard, and eliminate one burden for me. I don''t want you two to be arguing about something around me all the time."


    And then, without any warning, Darren retreated from the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    Looking at Darren''s progressively fading figure, Water Kylin became even more panicked, for he knew


    reatening, the fight between them finally finished.


    It took the group of talents more than a month to reach the end of the cave. Finally, they set foot on the big island.


    Once there, they realized that the island was more of a continent. The area it covered was immensely large and estimated to be around thousands of miles.


    "Be careful, everyone! Some dangerous creatures might be living here. We might also encounter other treasure hunting groups," Robb warned everyone as he glanced around.


    "This island is so big. How do we find Primitive Stones while our strengths are suppressed?" one of the men said in dismay.


    "It is true. Without the help of our skills, we are at a huge disadvantage," another man sighed.


    "Don''t worry! I know where to look. Just follow me, and I assure you that we will find good things," Robb encouraged, injecting inspiration into everyone.


    He then led the group in a direction. They only covered about two miles before Robb, who had been walking in front, suddenly halted.


    A horrific scene appeared in front of the group. Several dead bodies lay in a pool of blood. From the clothes they wore, the talents instantly recognized the dead people to be the group of superior talents that had begun their march ahead of them.


    "What has happened here? Why were they killed so mercilessly?"


    "Is it possible that the man Mr. Brian You warned us about is still alive? Was he hiding in this group?" People started speculating as terror coursed through them.


    They all felt that their chances of surviving the danger had reduced significantly.

 Chapter 279 Unexplainable Situation (Part One)

    As the atmosphere of fear intensified among the crowd, Lenny, the young man who had killed the suspicious evil cultivator stepped forward and said, "They seemed to have been attacked and killed by some kind of fierce animal. Don''t frighten yourself!"


    All of a sudden, the air stirred violently, generating a loud noise.


    A shadow leaped out of nowhere. It flashed by like lightning and struck Lenny from behind. The force from the hit was so powerful that Lenny was thrown out from the crowd. He fell onto the ground, spewing out a mouthful of blood.


    "Darren! It''s you! How dare you attack me in such a shamefully sneaky way?" Lenny staggered up to his feet, his eyes full of fury and resentment.


    Everybody suddenly felt confused at this unexpected situation. Although Lenny had always had a rude habit of speaking ill-mannered words in the most inappropriate circumstances, what he said just a while ago was not very offensive so as to warrant such a rough lesson from Darren. Everyone was wondering what Darren''s reason for attacking Lenny was.


    Darren stayed quiet and stood there, cold eyes fixed on Lenny, watching his every move.


    "So what Robb said about you is true! The real Darren is dead! This man standing in front of us is the one controlled by the evil cultivator! The evil cultivator has taken over his body! The Darren we know is dead!" Lenny slowly inched back in terror. He looked as if he had seen a ghost, or something worse.


    All the superior talents also started retreating upon hearing Lenny''s words. They all wanted to keep their distance from the seemingly evil Darren.


    "Now you''re trying to frame me, right?" uttered Darren coldly. Judging from Lenny''s behavior, Darren was quite certain that there was something wrong with him. He was definitely behaving strangely.


    "Stop telling lies in front of us.


    pon hearing Lenny''s words, they all simultaneously charged at Darren to ward off his sword.


    The superior talents stood between Darren and Lenny to keep Darren from attacking Lenny any further. Although Darren could run fast, it would still be next to impossible for him to get through all the warriors and take Lenny''s life without any obstacles. The talents were all either at the fourth or the fifth stage of the Spirit Realm and thus were all incredibly strong. Darren, on the other hand, was just at the preliminary stage of the Spirit Realm in this world. He was by no means their match.


    However, Darren was not one to give up so easily in front of strong opponents; he did not waver. He used both his sword and blade to launch ceaseless attacks at Lenny from every possible direction.


    After launching his attack, he found, to his dismay, that he was unsuccessful in killing his target as there were so many people protecting him. It wasn''t long before another group of people joined the fight. The first group protected Lenny while the second attacked Darren. Gradually, more and more superior talents joined the fight on Lenny''s side. Only Robb and Tom were left standing to watch the two sides battle each other.

 Chapter 280 Unexplainable Situation (Part Two)

    "Don''t push me. You asked for this!" Darren believed that the evil cultivator would be exposed once the host was killed. If that happened, everyone would know the truth.


    He then rallied his energy to activate the demon core inside him. He had to use the demonic transformation skill to change his body at this moment.


    "Look, he''s changing! That''s his original form!" shouted someone in fear. The crowd gave out panicked shrieks.


    Darren paid no attention to the frightened faces and screams of the people, as he was determined to kill Lenny at this moment. He would just explain it to them as soon as Lenny was dead and the truth was brought into daylight.


    Darren launched a mighty attack at the people in front of him, making the ground rumble.


    Although Darren''s demonic internal force had also been suppressed, it could still generate a powerful force with the help of his sword and blade skills. It was even more powerful than when he used the three elements simultaneously in ordinary days.


    Taking advantage of the strength of his demonic body after his transformation, Darren wildly rammed his body against the crowd like a desperate raging bull, successfully shouldering his way through the fighting warriors. He finally reached his target.


    "Go to hell!" he roared furiously. Hundreds of sword shadows immediately came into being.


    Lenny let out a scream in the face of such an unexpected change. He desperately swung his weapons to ward off the attacking forces from Darren''s sword and blade. But alas, the power of Darren''s demonic internal force was so strong. It was already beyond his ability to defend himself from the attack. He breathed out his last breath before he let out another scream.


    Darren landed on the ground from th


    ll prove that I''m not the evil cultivator. Someday in the future, I swear I will!" Darren said, activating the Wind Rule to flee from his losing battle.


    Darren could have easily killed at least a couple of warriors before he escaped if he had really tried to. But he was unwilling to do that. He tried to consider the situation from the point of view of the warriors and put himself in their shoes. Had all of this happened to another guy, he would also spare no time on killing that person who, in his eyes, appeared to be the evil cultivator.


    Darren rounded up all his remaining energy to get rid of the suppressing force of the golden pot and escaped towards the distance like a launched arrow. His figure disappeared from the warriors'' sights in the blink of an eye.


    "Thank God we were able to drive him away without any casualties. We should leave as soon as possible lest that demon comes back." Robb commanded the warriors to move on ahead, staying until all the other people had left. Before leaving, he turned to cast a look at the direction that Darren had escaped. A glint of cunning triumph flashed in his eyes as a cold sly smile emerged on his lips.

 Chapter 281 Acting Alone

    Even though Darren had to leave his group, he didn''t stray far from his team.


    After landing on a deserted island, Darren studied his surroundings. He couldn''t seem to allay the sense of foreboding coursing through him.


    To his surprise, the real evil cultivator was not Lenny. That meant that the evil cultivator was still among the superior talents. This put them in potential danger of death at any time.


    Darren would not bother himself as much had they been chance acquaintances. However, Darren had a good relationship with Tom. From Tom''s agonized expression when he thought that Darren had been killed and possessed by the evil cultivator, Darren could tell that Tom considered him to be a true friend.


    As for the other talents, they had treated Darren well. Now that they were in danger, he could not sit back and do nothing.


    "Since the evil cultivator is hiding among them, they are in grave danger," Darren muttered. But he couldn''t figure out which of the talents had been possessed by the evil cultivator, nor could he understand the evil cultivator''s purpose. ''Does he kill people only for cultivation?


    If he wants to kill people for cultivation, there are countless strong cultivators in the outside world. So why is he trying so hard to enter the Raksa Sea? The only reasonable explanation is that the evil cultivator came here for treasures or Primitive Stones, '' Darren analyzed the possibilities and concluded that the evil cultivator wanted to use the superior talents to hunt for treasures.


    ''There is a possibility that the evil cultivator will not kill the other superior talents before he gets the treasures he wants. They might remain safe until they discover his true identity, '' Darren surmised.


    At this thought, Darren felt relieved. He decided to focus on his initial objective¡ªto find the Primitive Stones that he needed.


    "Water Kylin, where are you?" Darren''s voice echoed throughout the entire Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "Ouch! Help me, master! Finley is going to roast and eat me," Water Kylin wept.


    "Did you offend him again?" Darren asked with a shake of his head and a wry smile.


    "I didn''t offend him at all. He is insane! Save me, master," Water Kylin whined. The creature looked like a pathetic dog that had been beaten up.


    "Come out now. I have some business to discuss with you," Darren urged with his spiritual sense as he t


    th regret. The creature had found himself in this situation only because he chose to hunt Darren. Water Kylin was so humiliated that he wanted to die.


    "Let''s go. Take me somewhere where I can look for ordinary Primitive Stones first," Darren mounted Water Kylin''s back as he said.


    "Fuck! Now I have been reduced to the position of your horse. I want to kill myself. Don''t stop me!" Water Kylin howled in fury.


    "Gee!" He soared into the sky when Darren patted his ass. Darren was surprised as the creature was much faster than him.


    "I have one request. Please don''t say ''gee'' when you want me to move, or else I will die of embarrassment immediately! Don''t think I won''t!" Water Kylin implored as tears welled in his eyes.


    "Gee!"


    ...


    With Water Kylin''s speed, Darren reached the heartland of the large island in a heartbeat.


    Looking down, Darren saw a huge pit with a radius of tens of miles. Some simple, thatched huts were scattered across the pit.


    "We are here, master," Water Kylin said feebly. His head drooped in submission.


    Swoosh!


    Darren aimed for the huge pit as he dove from Water Kylin''s back.


    "Master, don''t." Just as Water Kylin started to warn Darren not to go there, he reconsidered. With a sly expression, he muttered, "Hum, you have bullied me so much. It''s time for you to suffer. I can save you when you are half dead."


    "Master, I will go and find something to eat. Take your time searching for your stones," Water Kylin howled and laughed sinisterly. Then, he hid behind a boulder. Humming a nasty tune, he began to wait for a good show.

 Chapter 282 Darren In Grave Danger (Part One)

    Grasping for something to hold on to, Darren struggled to slow down his descent that came sooner than he had expected. With a loud and alarming thud, he landed into the bottom of the vast crater. "Arrrgggghhh," he let out a cry as he tried to move his back.


    Left with no choice, the warrior had to lie still for a moment and let the pain ease away. As he observed the place where he landed, a pungent scent rushed into his senses, allowing his eyes to linger. He noticed that he was surrounded by unrecognizable black stuff covered in charcoal. The houses and trees in the place were blackened with fire. It was as if the whole place was set in a fiery furnace¡ªa desolate scene.


    Unable to move, Darren used his spiritual sense and started sensing a Primitive Stone. Within the Raksa Sea, the scope of detection was strictly restricted. Thus, only the potent entities and elements within a thousand feet could be traced. Those that were beyond the reach would remain hidden and undetected.


    "How come I can''t sense a single piece of Primitive Stone? Did that guy lie to me?" snorted Darren. He was starting to feel confused and uneasy. After trying for several times, Darren was frustrated as the harsh reality dawned on him. No matter how hard he tried, he wasn''t able to locate even a speck of Primitive Stone.


    On the verge of giving up, Darren raised his head and hollered at the vast stretch of emptiness that surrounded him. The Primitive Stone was nowhere to be found, the Water Kylin at the same time just vanished into thin air.


    Putting much more effort on the search this time, finally, after an hour, Darren patterned a piece of Primitive Stone intergrading in the center of a boulder.


    "Gotcha!" Darren was bubbling over with excitement.


    Having recovered and replenished some of his strengths, he swiftly flew to the location of the Primitive Stone. With one swift blow of his hands, he broke the large rock in half and took a closer look. The Primitive Stone was beaming a faint ghostly green sparkle.


    However, the excitement in Darren''s eyes vanished when on the top of the greenish treasure, he saw that there perc


    d the scorpion, the buds, and the rocks, all at the same time.


    He was not there for a species discovering trip. Thus, the bizarre creatures just annoyed him to his limits. But what Darren didn''t notice was, all the little creatures possessed a far greater strength. A fight one-on-one would possibly end in a draw, let alone Darren was taking on a bunch of them at the same time. His earth-shattering attack only attracted more and more of the crafty little creatures.


    It was not a war at all; it was a hunting game. After a while, the worms hibernating under the scorched earth sensed the heat. Opening their malicious eyes, they licked their tentacles and came toward Darren in steady quietness.


    In defense, Darren began to activate the demon core inside his body as he sensed the approaching danger. Before it was too late, the core took over the body and momentarily, Darren turned into a demon.


    The gigantic demonic internal force, together with the sword intent and blade intent, was able to defeat the bizarre ancient creatures.


    At par with Darren and his demonic core, the creatures collectively were too big in number for him to handle single-handedly. The rock spirits were surprisingly gifted at defense. Maybe not that surprising, since they were rocks. Yet, it was a close match, and Darren must come up with something more potent before they drained him out or the creatures would keep on increasing.

 Chapter 283 Darren In Grave Danger (Part Two)

    "Shit! I don''t want to waste a Primitive Stone on them. But what else can I do? I run out of options," cursed Darren amidst the battle. He was exhausted by this time. If it was not for his high speed, the creepy little creatures had already engulfed him.


    "That''s it! Go to hell!" With one hand manipulating the sword, the other hand reached for the Primitive Stone which contained the Heavenly Repression Rule. Darren started to absorb the energy from the stone.


    He was lucky that he had found five of them in Chad''s secret room. Using one for the nasty little creatures was heartbreaking for Darren. Yet he was left with no choice: one out, four left.


    While his mind was preoccupied with regrets of having to use the stone, suddenly, a dark gold internal force enveloped his body.


    Overwhelmed by the internal force, Darren limped as his bones crunched like thunder rolling in the distance.


    With all his strength, Darren carefully redirected the dark gold internal force toward the creatures. It worked like laser beams. Just a single shot upon the target and they would all vanish. The fierce and tremendous power made all the little creatures shiver with fright. They were screaming and scattered in all directions.


    "Help, grandpa, help us!"


    "Grandpa! He''s going to kill us!"


    "I surrender!"


    the pint-size creatures shouted, crying for help. But it was too late for these mischievous minions. Though the shell of this place was ten thousand times as hard as the ordinary soil, Darren''s beam still managed to bombard the ground, shaking and shattering the boulders into pieces. A lot of the tiny creatures didn''t make it out.


    Witnessing the scene at a distance, the cowardly Water Kylin was taken by surprise. His eyes popped with terror, and His jaw dropped in awe. "Oh lord, what''s that? How come he is so powerful and skilled? I can''t believe it!" exclaimed the dazed Water Kylin.


    In his mind, the beast


    were too powerful, and he didn''t want to hurt other superior talents ruthlessly.


    But now, the deadly blow from Darren minimally cut off a small patch of twigs. The strength gap between him and the trunk was too wide to abridge. There was nothing Darren could do except fleeing for his life.


    The twigs moved forward slowly. But Darren couldn''t throw them off.


    The tree was swaying gently, and the twigs were dancing. They carefully aimed at Darren, and bang! The sharp end of the supple twig poked a hole through the earth.


    It was time for another Primitive Stone. Darren had no alternative but to do what he had to do. Two out, three left.


    The dark golden color crept on Darren again. This time, a more potent power enveloped his being.


    Within a hundred-mile radius, the earth began to tremble. The leaves and twigs quivered as shock waves hit them and shattered to pieces.


    However, at this time, the sky changed its color. Dark clouds thickened above and a destroying pressure gathered in the void.


    "Oops! I''m sorry that I disturbed the Heavenly Repression," murmured Darren. Now he got something even more significant to worry about. The magnificent spectacle was a letter from the death itself. Darren willfully stepped forward, like marching towards his doom.

 Chapter 284 Hair Stands On End

    Chills crept on Darren''s back, and his body started to feel numb. A quiver of panic overwhelmed him as he sensed a horrible breath of something powerful from the glowering sky. In his battle with the animated creatures, he was forced to use a small quantity of the dark gold internal force twice in a row. In doing that, he triggered the Heavenly Repression, and that only meant one thing: what was about to happen would be something horrible for Darren¡ªwhich was not totally good at all.


    Anticipating the inescapable wrath, Darren released his spiritual sense and concealed his aura in the Ancient Void Battlefield. That was the only option he had to escape the divine punishment.


    Darren''s technique seemed to work this time because the horrible power lingering in the glowering sky missed its goal in a second. After a while, it disappeared in the ether, and the thunderous and hair raising grumble was never heard again.


    Though the sky was clear again, Darren was still in plight. Freed from the threat of the Heavenly Repression, he still had the horrid tree to handle. It was true that Darren''s dark gold internal force was powerful, but its speed was too slow. The arcane tree dodged the attack effortlessly.


    Responding to Darren''s attack, countless wickers chased and whipped him all at once. Desperately, he tried to fly into a tumbledown hut to dodge the attack from the tree.


    Boom!


    Soon after the loud explosion, Darren felt two streams of great breath from his rear side. From beneath the earth emerged a giant beetle and a stone monster covered with ice. The monstrous creatures appeared in front of him and blocked Darren''s way of escape.


    The stench made by the two monsters'' breath was the same as the tree monster. Apparently, their strengths were equal to Wonder Realm warriors in the outside world.


    "Shit!" Darren muttered to himself. He felt helpless as three powerful creatures surrounded him. In his mind, he thought that he would either be beaten to be half-dead or be wholly killed by the nasty creatures.


    "Water Kylin, you are such a bastard! How dare you frame me?" Darren said in between clenched teeth, vowing to punish the Water Kylin later.


    In the meantime, as Darren was figuring out how to end the battle, he found himself inside a burnt hut. As he roamed his vision around, he saw a pitch-black sculpture boldly etched in the center of the hut. Many black chains twined the weird-looking statue.


    A smashing sound interrupted the warrior''s reverie; wickers followed Darren closely inside the hut and dashed at him again. As Darren flew backward quickly, his fingers scrabbled the black chains twining around the sculpture and made one swift swing of the strings. With that, the clunky chains hit the tree monster entangling its charred twigs and branches.


    "Eh?" Darren let out a sigh as he noticed the oddity displayed by the creatures.


    Something strange happened. The tree monster and the other two creatures all took hasty steps back as if they had been much frightened.


    "What the hell is going on? Why is it becoming totally dark all of a sudden? Something is wrong here!" Darren shouted, puzzled, and rattled at the same time.


    Shifting his gaz


    dden area of the Holy Land. Both similarities and differences existed in the two scenes. He was grateful that they had survived in the end.


    Buzz!


    Darren''s head was throbbing this time. A silvery world appeared in his mind as he gathered his spiritual sense to spot where his talent skill of the dragons was attached.


    As he blinked his eye, however, everything changed. Black silk threads of some rule floated everywhere and kept stealing his vitality.


    Flustered, Darren released his Spirit Power, attempting to cut himself loose from those rule silk threads. After moments of clashing with the threads, he failed. The moment his Spirit Power touched those black silk threads, he could feel a sharp pain in his head. These silk threads were more powerful than he could contain.


    "What kind of domain is it? It''s not potent yet full of danger," Darren murmured.


    Amidst the pain he was enduring, a giggling sound echoed.


    Then a sound of footsteps came to Darren''s ears. Something or somebody was approaching him.


    The whimpering, giggling, the footsteps, and the searing pain in his head mimicked in the pitch-dark night all at the same time. It was total torture that Darren couldn''t bear.


    Soon after, as he was able to regain his senses, a swarm of odd-looking people appeared in Darren''s eyes.


    "No head? Part of a body? The string of intestines is running out from their bellies?"


    The grotesque scene displayed before Darren''s eyes made the hairs in every part of his body stand on ends.


    A little girl who had lost half of her skull giggled; a martial artist clad in black armor moved ponderously with part of his body dangling.


    Moreover, the rolling limbs, bloody large intestines, and popping eyes were all creeping on the ground.


    To Darren''s great surprise, the aura exuded by the broken bodies were like the aura he felt from the tree monster, the beetle, and the stone man. That meant that they had the same strength as Grand Realm warriors.


    "My god, what kind of sin have I committed to deserve all these?" Wearing a pale countenance, Darren never thought he would die in such a hell-like fate.

 Chapter 285 A Weird Boy

    They were gloomy, quiet, and bloody.


    As he glanced at the revenants, Darren felt the overwhelming urge to flee. He knew that he couldn''t withstand their strong power.


    Soon, the filthy things discovered Darren and rushed toward him.


    The revenants were mindless beings¡ªthey had no consciousness. They simply detected the smell of blood and headed in that direction.


    Darren''s throat felt dry and raspy, and he stepped back subconsciously.


    Whoosh!


    Among them were a headless horseman, a scarlet heart, and a girl with half a head... They approached Darren at an alarmingly fast speed.


    Meanwhile, a grey aura shot toward Darren. He knew that this was the real aura of death.


    Darren defended himself with everything he had, including the unknown wrecked armor.


    ''Eh? What''s going on?''


    Darren wondered. He had thought that he would die when the grey aura touched him. However, to his surprise, it was blocked by the black runes from the unknown armor that he wore.


    "Ha-ha! I was right. The black runes on my armor must be related to those runes flaring around the statue in the hut! This armor can even resist the attack from the grey aura!" Darren said, pleased.


    Aside from the grey aura, the revenants also stopped moving forward.


    "Hiss." Darren felt relieved, but his legs were too weak to stand, and so, he collapsed on the ground.


    However, it didn''t mean that he was safe. Though the revenants did not dare to assault him, he couldn''t find a way to leave the domain.


    What was more, the armor''s function was very limited, for Darren could feel his life ebbing away, little by little. If the situation continued like this, he would die in a month.


    Of course, Darren wouldn''t passively wait for that to happen. Therefore, after a short break, he stood up and walked ahead, step by step.


    The revenants in front of him were afraid of the glittering black runes on Darren''s armor. So for each step that he took forward, the revenants took several steps backward.


    Since Darren was sure that they would not hurt him, he started to study the sorrowful revenants. Their power was, indeed, ve


    pillar.


    "Save me. I am scared. I am in agony." Still, the boy moved his lips, but no sound came. However, his condition and his pleas were heart-wrenching.


    Although he wanted to help, Darren was discouraged by the boy''s dark eyes. A sense of foreboding filled him.


    ''Since I can''t leave, why should I be afraid of death?'' Darren thought with a rueful smile. Now that he was about to die, there was nothing left to fear.


    Drawing on the last ounces of his strength, Darren took a mighty leap and flew toward the boy. Once he was closer, he could see the black chains that were binding the boy.


    When he touched the black chains, a cold air spread through Darren''s body, which felt as though it had come from the Darkest Abyss.


    However, the cold feeling faded as the armor''s runes glittered. Darren surmised that the armor had absorbed the chilly air.


    Next, he started to disengage the black chains that were restraining the boy. At this moment, the boy''s eyes seemed to be filled with tears.


    Upon discovering Darren''s intention, the revenants turned mad and pounced on them. The power they unleashed seemed to tear open heaven and earth.


    Fortunately for Darren, the invisible barrier around the black iron pillar turned the revenants into either a pool of blood or white fog. Even so, the remaining revenants still rushed into it without hesitation.


    Simmering tension filled the dark world.

 Chapter 286 Terrifying Aura

    It was too easy for Darren to untie the black iron chain that was wrapped around the little boy. In the blink of an eye, he was just about done untying it.


    The resentful revenants roared loudly, infuriated by the fact that Darren got the better of them. They madly hit the invisible barrier, attempting to stop him from untying the little boy.


    But their efforts were for naught as Darren had completely untied the boy from the iron pillar.


    "Sir, put me down." The little boy''s voice caught Darren by surprise. It sounded light and unfeeling, not like a human being''s.


    Darren could hardly refuse the little boy''s request, and so he gently held the boy and flew away from the iron pillar.


    As he took the boy from the black iron pillar, he noticed a statue that was exactly the same as the one in that tumbledown hut.


    Seeing Darren holding the little boy, all the revenants faltered back and began fleeing in all directions while having nervous breakdowns.


    Soon enough, they were able to make it out of the forbidden zone.


    Darren almost dropped the little boy when an extremely cold and terrifying atmosphere suddenly permeated the whole area.


    Darren lowered his head towards the little boy. He was alarmed to see that little boy''s pupils had become darker and a sinister smile was plastered on his face. It made every hair on Darren''s body stand on end.


    He unconsciously jerked his arms up, throwing the little boy into the air. However, to Darren''s surprise, the boy paused in mid-air. Everything suddenly seemed quiet as Darren watched the scene in front of him. The boy then flew towards him, letting out an ear-splitting scream.


    "You? Want to kill me?" Darren''s heart started beating frantically.


    With a sinister smile still plastered on his face, the little boy narrowed his eyes at Darren and then disappeared in a flash. The next moment, the whole world trembled and numerous shrieks and cries of the revenants were heard.


    Darren walked toward the direction of the screams and saw the little boy grabbing a heart and gnawing at it. He was looking at Darren with a strange, frightening smile.


    ...


    Outside, the Water Kylin was starting to lose count of how many times he had attacked the statue. He had already obtained wounds and bruises from the powerful anti-shock force of the statue. He was growing weak and was on the verge of death.


    "Is my short life coming to an end?"


    He then shook his head, suddenly gaining back his determination. "No way! I still haven''t been able to copulate with a female kylin. I can''t die yet... At least not now!"


    The Water Kylin stood up from the ground once again, blue flames emergin


    ell are you going to do?" Darren glared back at the little boy, eyes bloodshot in anger.


    "Death is wonderful, sir. Please don''t leave." He flew over to Darren and lunged at him, the two sharp fangs protruding from his mouth.


    "Shit!"


    Darren frantically released his force of control, trying to open the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    In a flash, a black hole appeared in midair.


    "Get in!" Darren yelled in a hoarse voice.


    The force from the whole Ancient Void Battlefield yanked the little boy directly into it.


    The figures of Darren and the Water Kylin disappeared as they entered the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "Finley! Kill him!" Darren called out as soon as they entered the void.


    Finley arrived at the first space of the Ancient Void Battlefield with a whoosh, excited for Darren''s return. However, his excitement instantly faded away as soon as he saw the little boy.


    There was a look of hesitation on his face, and something else so severe that Darren had not seen on his face before.


    "What are you waiting for? I said kill him!" Darren roared.


    "What the hell? Kill him? No, idiot! We need to run!" Finley yelled out before rushing towards Darren and dragging him far away from the little boy.


    "Ah?" The hair on every inch of the Water Kylin''s body stood upright. "Damn it! Don''t leave me. Wait for me!" He tried to run after them, but had become too weak to move on his own.


    "Mmm... What delicious food!" The little boy licked his tongue with eagerness and leapt towards the Water Kylin.


    The Water Kylin trembled in fear at the terrible aura that the little boy was emitting. As a result, he played dead like a dog, sprawling on the ground, belly-side up.


    The little boy just flashed a maniacal smile and lunged at the Water Kylin.

 Chapter 287 Solve The Crisis (Part One)

    Boom!


    With a plangent clang-bang, the sky stretched, and a divergent crack appeared amidst the firmament. A giant hand clenching the fainted and limping Water Kylin vanished from there.


    In the thirteenth space of the Ancient Void Battlefield, Finley reckoned with a nonchalant expression. "Darren, why the hell did you make such a freak show here? I am terrified almost to death!"


    "Well, me too. It''s so frightening," the Water Kylin added, agreeing to what Finley had said. The Water Kylin learned his lesson well. He was severely injured in the previous battle. Now, after being frightened to death, the beast''s head lolled down with his tongue almost touching the ground. To Darren and Finley, he resembled a dead dog.


    "Get away from here!" Both warriors kicked the Water Kylin, and he flew away from their sight as a whole kit and caboodle of the combined kicks.


    "Finley, how come even you can''t defeat that boy?" Darren asked with his eyebrows knitted while giving Finley a quizzical look.


    "No, I cannot defeat him! Now that your force of control is not in perfect shape, it is a disaster to let him come to the Ancient Void Battlefield. I think if the Shadow Emperor controlled the Ancient Void Battlefield, maybe then he could be strong enough to kill the boy," Finley answered.


    "Is he that strong? He is just a boy, after all. What stage does he reach precisely?" Darren was determined to know.


    "I cannot tell. The boy''s strength is too weird and overpowering. Such kind of strong skills is what I have sensed from the Shadow Emperor. I guess he may be as strong as a seven-star grand warrior!"


    Darren was not expecting that answer from Finley. When the words synced in


    irst space still could be seen. He couldn''t get his mind off that mysterious boy.


    "Finley, I have to go out. Please stay here and pay attention to that boy. Once he does something unusual, report to me, and I will be back as soon as possible." The reason for his urgent leave was that Darren''s intentions of coming to the Raksa Sea this time was to find some Primitive Stones. He could not stay in the Ancient Void Battlefield doing nothing. Thus, he opted to make use of his time and search for the valuable stones.


    "Shit! What would I do if he rushed and attacked me?" Finley asked out of extreme fright. Without Darren around, he felt so vulnerable. In his mind, Finley thought that with Darren''s absence, he could get killed anytime. If that happened, he would not be able to respawn. He wasn''t merely a wisp of spiritual intent anymore after he was combined with the Shadow Emperor''s soul.


    "Don''t worry. I got your back, and I will be here to help you." While Darren gave Finley that assurance, a voice was heard in a distant. The voice had an eerie sound that resembled that of a naughty child, yet it was so powerful.

 Chapter 288 Solve The Crisis (Part Two)

    "Sir? Shadow Emperor?" Familiarizing himself with the sound, Darren asked in surprise and glanced at Finley.


    "Yes, it''s me. I have two opportunities to help you fight with my strength if I use my power through Finley''s body. Don''t worry about that boy," the Shadow Emperor said in high confidence, without any fear of that boy at all.


    "Good. If that is the case, I will count on your help, sir." Bowing to appreciate the help, Darren cupped his hands to Finley and bid him goodbye. He was about to leave when a cry echoed, "Master, please take me with you." The Water Kylin, who had been healing himself from the gregarious kicks he had received from both Darren and Finley, came out. When he learned that Darren was going to leave, he rushed in front of Darren and begged him to take him along.


    "You dead dog! I haven''t punished you yet! You still have the face to show up in front of me?" Darren stared at him coldly and asked, unable to believe the beast''s guts. The Water Kylin was terrified by Darren''s stare and quivered while kneeling and persuading him.


    "Master, what happened was an accident. I was merely hungry at that time and wanted to look for some food. I never expected that you would be in danger," the Water Kylin said, trying to be funny and persuasive at the same time.


    "Shut up! You damned beast! I know you did that on purpose! Finley, aren''t you doing something to teach this bastard a lesson? Beat this beast for me!" Determined to get even with the Water Kylin, Darren motioned to Finley. Now the aura of the Shadow Emperor was nowhere to be found, and Finley himself was in turmoil. He glared at the Water Kylin without a blink.


    "No, No! Master, in times like this, I will


    d to get along well with the grand warriors. It would be a great help to Darren in harnessing his powers.


    Yet, the essential thing for Darren was to find some Primitive Stones containing the Heavenly Repression Rule. Though it would be rare and hard to find, that was what Darren was looking for.


    After collecting all the Primitive Stones in that place, Darren did not want to summon the Water Kylin out as it was not a good idea. He thought letting the beast out of the Ancient Void Battlefield would probably just bring some trouble for him again. Letting the idea slip out of his kind, Darren took out the notebook that Mathew gave him. The contents of the journal were much more detailed compared to Robb''s map.


    After reading some notes, Darren thought silently, ''I got it. The south was the place where there were more Primitive Stones.'' Securing the book in his pockets, Darren prepared himself to fly south. He was determined to look for rare Primitive Stones that contained the Heavenly Repression Rule. He would risk everything he had to have those stones, even if that meant facing other unfriendly creatures along the way.

 Chapter 289 Encountering Double-headed Men

    Darren headed south after determining the direction. Soon, he saw some primitive and dilapidated buildings.


    ''What kind of people live in this world?'' Darren wondered.


    As he studied the buildings, he vaguely felt the remnants of a strong and distant atmosphere.


    Instead of flying toward the buildings, Darren slowly descended into the dense jungle nearby. He didn''t want to run into some unknown horror, like the last time.


    "Huh? There is an intruder!" Darren had just landed in the jungle when he heard a voice coming from one of the derelict buildings.


    He concealed his breath and hid quietly in the jungle. Soon, he saw several figures exiting one of the broken-down houses.


    Darren''s eyes widened in astonishment. The people were muscular and large, and to his surprise, they each had two heads!


    "Chief, it seems as though the nobodies are coming," one of the double-headed men said to the strongest among them.


    "Well, set an ambush. We''ll kill them when they approach the Primitive Stones."


    "But, Chief, we are limited in our ability to fight. Can we defeat those so-called superior talents?" another double-headed man asked with concern.


    "Don''t worry. I''ve already sent someone to check their strength. They are more repressed than we are. And their current strength is only at the sixth or the seventh stage of the Spirit Realm. Our current strength is about at the third or the fourth stage of the Mysterious Realm. Our chief''s cultivation base is equivalent to the seventh stage of the Mysterious Realm. It would be easy for us to kill them¡ªjust like slaughtering animals," another man said confidently.


    ...


    Still hidden in the jungle, Darren was able to eavesdrop on their conversation. He concluded that these double-headed men had also come from the outside world and were probably a kind of mutant living in the border region, just as Chad had mentioned.


    Darren quietly released his spiritual sense to check their strength and found that each of them had incredible power. They were much stronger than the superior talents he had come here with.


    Fortunately, he had heard their plans and knew what they intended to do. Their purpose in coming here first was to be prepared to ambush the human superior talents and kill them!


    Now, they were ready for the arrival of the superior talents.


    Killing these mutant men would be the prudent thing to do. However, Darren didn''t want to act rashly as he didn''t know how many enemies there were. What was more, he could only exert strength equivalent to the third s


    vil cultivator?" Darren asked.


    "Honestly, I think Robb is behaving suspiciously. But I''m not sure. After all, even you made a mistake when you thought that Lenny was the evil cultivator."


    Darren nodded. The evil cultivator was so good at hiding that he had killed Lenny by mistake. However, Darren did not feel guilty about Lenny''s death because Lenny was a mean little man.


    "Robb? Why do you suspect him?" Darren was a little confused. He thought of Robb as a man of high integrity. What was more, he hadn''t seen Robb behaving suspiciously.


    "Just a few things that I have observed. I also have this feeling when I am close to him. It''s hard to explain, but I''ll try. One day, Robb snuck away from the team while we were all practicing. I happened to see a scarlet gleam in his eye. I don''t know if it was my imagination," Tom stated.


    "In that case, Tom, you mustn''t go back to them. Let''s look for the Primitive Stones together. And what I told you is correct. Mutants from the border have occupied the area ahead. We must not go there until our strength has improved."


    Tom shook his head at Darren''s words and said, "I can''t leave the group. Several of my best friends are in the group. I need to be with them in case anything happens."


    "Tom, don''t be silly. When something happens to the group, it will not make a difference if you are with them or not." Darren gave a wry smile.


    "You''re right, young man. He''s well-intentioned but a silly guy. Such people easily lose their lives," a playful voice said. Then a person walked out of the surrounding woods.


    Darren and Tom were nervous. Neither of them had been aware that someone had been eavesdropping on their conversation.

 Chapter 290 The Grand Blood Refiners Story

    "It''s you," Tom said in a low voice that was almost a whisper as he saw the face of the man emerging out from the woods.


    The man was Robb.


    "There is something wrong with his aura," Darren said, glaring at Robb''s approaching figure. Darren activated his spiritual sense and immediately noticed the intense aura of bloodiness exuding from Robb''s body.


    "You''re the evil cultivator!" Tom took a few hasty steps backwards and stood beside Darren. "What are you going to do? Kill us?"


    Darren shook his head, not giving Robb a chance to respond. "If he wanted to kill us, he would have already silently done it." He glared at Robb and asked, "Tell us why are you lurking here?"


    Robb gave out a deep chuckle. "You have some insights, don''t you?" His voice was different¡ªit was very hoarse and dry. The next moment his appearance also suddenly changed, half of his face was an exposed skull and the other half was rotten flesh.


    "Who the hell are you!" Tom''s eyes widened in shock.


    "Who am I? Well, you can call me the Grand Blood Refiner if you like." At that moment, the Grand Blood Refiner had completely revealed his true body. The powerful aura that was emitting from it was more horrible than his disgusting face.


    The wind rustled.


    Rivulets of blood floated in the air around Darren and Tom. They were suddenly enveloped in a scarlet red world.


    "Run, Darren!" Tom took Darren by the arm and prepared to escape.


    "It''s no use, Tom. We can''t escape from his domain now." Darren calmly stood on the ground.


    Tom took a tumble and froze. The self-assumed Grand Blood Refiner could only be a strong cultivator in the Grand Realm to have created such an expansive domain.


    "Do you want us to find the Primitive Stones for you?" Darren asked, unintimidated.


    "Clever lad. You''re Darren, aren''t you? You must have excelled beyond the common warriors since you were able to enter the twelfth space in the Ancient Void Battlefield. You really are a breed apart! I will not beat around the bush. I need you to help me find a kind of Primitive Stone containing the Life Rule," the Grand Blood Refiner stated.


    "Sir, you have already sneaked into the Raksa Sea, why do you still need us? Couple that with your clearly much more superior strength, wouldn''t it be more convenient for you to look for it yourself?" Darren expressed his doubts.


    The Grand Blood Refiner raised his brows in a mixture of surprise and amusement. "You called me sir? It seems you have no knowledge about me, lad. I am a demon," he said in response to Darren''s question.


    "It''s a world where a warrior could earn honor with his strength, so what you did in the past has nothing to do with my calling you ''sir'',"


    ot, yet you know a little. In this Bottom Spiritual World we live in, a three-star grand warrior is already the most powerful. No grand warrior above three-star is able to live in the Bottom Spiritual World. But this is beyond my range of knowledge. More about that later. Listen to my story first."


    Darren nodded. "Please continue, sir."


    "As I became a three-star grand warrior after I killed hundreds of grand warriors, there was no need to continue being on the run because my strength had become enough to defeat that scum. With my slaughter blade, I started seeking him.


    Before long, our battle broke out. It was such an appalling battle that even the world was plunged into complete chaos¡ªnumerous mountains and rivers were disintegrated. It almost brought about the suppression of the heaven and earth. And the result was..." The Grand Blood Refiner gave a displeased sigh, apparently not resigned to the result of the battle.


    "You must have lost the battle, then? Or else you wouldn''t be reduced to what you are now," Darren said.


    The Grand Blood refiner shook his head once. "No, I won the battle. We were both three-star grand warriors, but my Bloodshed Domain was more powerful than his. He lost the battle after three months of tough battle. Just when I was about to bring him to justice and make it clear to the world that I was innocent, another man appeared¡ªa shameless rule cultivator that I now want to kill more than the scum!"


    Hearing this, Darren changed his initial unsympathetic countenance. ''It turned out that a rule cultivator was also involved in the battle. That rule cultivator clearly had something to do with the Grand Blood Refiner''s current predicament. But how could a rule cultivator defeat a three-star grand warrior?'' Darren was left completely puzzled.

 Chapter 291 Seven-holy Fruit

    "That''s all I wanted to say. Could you do me this favor?" Grand Blood Refiner asked as he sighed deeply.


    Darren remained silent for a few moments and then replied, "Sir, I cannot do it."


    "It looks like you still don''t believe me." Grand Blood Refiner was bitterly disappointed. He went on, "I see. Well then, you may leave."


    "Sir, you have misunderstood my words," Darren said, getting on his feet. "What I meant was that we don''t have the abilities to help you find the Primitive Stones containing the Life Rule right now."


    "That''s right, sir! I definitely want to help you, but our strength is nowhere enough to help you find the Primitive Stones. On top of that, we are not familiar with the surroundings either. We will most likely get lost in this place. There is nothing we can do for you, sir," Tom said, also getting up from the stone chair. He was moved by what Grand Blood Refiner had said.


    "Oh! I mistook your words!" A look of joy spread across his face and he continued, "You don''t need to worry about your current strength. If you are able to find enough Seven-holy Fruits, you can get rid of the repressive power of the Raksa Sea. After that, it will become easier for you to fight."


    Grand Blood Refiner took out two white fruits and said, "I already have two fruits. But this is not enough to have any significant effect on the repressive power. Commit to your mind what the fruit looks like and collect as many as you can."


    He looked at them for a few seconds and then nodded as he continued, "I can''t be here for too long. If you two are willing to help me, you may take these two fruits with you. When you find the Primitive Stones, send out your spiritual sense. When I sense it, I will come to you. Thank you for your help." Saying so, he withdrew his domain. The next moment, he turned into Robb.


    Darren and Tom took the fruits from his hands and promised that they would try their best to collect more fruits. After that, the Grand Blood Refiner left in a hurry.


    "Alas, I didn''t expect that Grand Blood Refiner had suffered a lot as well." Tom fumed, seething with anger.


    Darren slightly shook his head at Tom''s naivety. With a faint smile on his lips, he said, "Tom, how innocent you are to believe everything he said."


    "Huh?" Tom turned to Darren with a look of surprise on his face. "Are you saying he was lying to us? That sounds highly unlikely. It would have been a piece of cake for him to kill us right away. Why did he have to say all those things to us?"


    "He mentioned that his power is restrained in here, and that he can''t find the Primitive Stones by himself. We would have been no use to him if he kill us. Since he really wants to get his hands on the Primitive Stones, he need our help. He have to leave us alive," Darren explained.


    "So, you''re saying that he is using us to his own ends?" Tom asked. Darren nodded in res


    that they would not send out an alarm.


    "You bastard, stop right there!" The two-headed man was strong and he was also quite fast.


    When they were a fine distance away from the tree, Darren slowed down on purpose and waited for the man to catch up with him.


    "Domain!" When the two-headed man was about to catch him, without hesitation, Darren used his Blade and Sword Domain.


    In the blink of an eye, the intense power of the blade and sword intent settled over the two-headed man. He was totally dumbfounded, trembling in sheer terror. The mutant wanted to run, but he couldn''t move a muscle. He felt as though there were numerous blades and swords pressed against his body.


    Since Darren''s Blade and Sword Domain was restrained at the moment, it was way less powerful than it usually was. Darren couldn''t kill him with one blow, so he decided to nicely frighten him first.


    Seeing that the two-headed man was in a complete panic, Darren split himself into eight avatars and attacked him from all directions.


    Bang!


    With a look of terror on his face, the two-headed man randomly lunged his fist at Darren''s avatars. In a split second, four avatars broke down into pieces.


    Darren tried his best to turn on the Blade and Sword Domain and undergo the demonic transformation. When the two-headed man continued to panic, Darren directed his sword towards the man''s head.


    With a loud thud, Darren''s sword reached the man''s head.


    "Shit! You were messing with me," the two-headed man said as he was paralyzed with shock.


    "Too late." Darren''s cold voice echoed through his ears. But before the mutant could struggle, his two heads fell to the ground.


    "Real battle does not rely only on brute force; you should use your brains as well. You had two, but still lost." Darren''s voice was as cold as ice. He kicked the man''s heads out of the way. The man lying on the ground could not hear those words anymore.

 Chapter 292 The Dead Dog

    After Darren had killed the double-headed mutant, he took his corpse and quietly walked back.


    "I never thought that you were so strong, Darren! You just killed a double-headed monster all by yourself!" Tom looked at Darren in awe. He initially thought that Darren''s strength was only a little superior to his, but the fact made it clear to him that Darren was not only stronger than him, but also much more powerful.


    Darren shook his head. "It was nothing. I would still need to draw the other double-headed monster''s attention away. Hurry and go fetch the fruit."


    "Okay, I got it." Tom nodded once and dashed away.


    Darren then walked towards the double-headed man guarding the tree, dragging the dead corpse of the other.


    "Ah, my brother!" The other double-headed monster''s eyes grew wide in despair.


    "I killed him. Don''t you want to take revenge?" Darren threw the dead body towards the monster.


    The monster narrowed his eyes at Darren. "Are you trying to lure me away? No way!" The double-headed man was quite smarter than Darren had thought¡ªhe did not fall for Darren''s trick.


    The monster suddenly raised his head towards the sky


    and howled like a wolf.


    "Damn! He''s summoning his pals!" Darren''s eyes widened in alarm¡ªhe had a bad feeling about what was going to happen. He then immediately charged at the monster, trying to get a head start in the fight before the others arrived.


    "Come on, Tom! We can''t afford to waste any time!"


    Rushing towards the fruit tree, Tom quickened his pace even more.


    Boom!


    The battle had begun. The double-headed monster was evidently much stronger and much smarter than the previous one. He had a good strategy and was very efficient in his attacks, using strong ones in short intervals, giving Darren no chance to defend himself or counterattack. He was even able to bombard Tom with attacks when fighting Darren. Tom fell down from the tree several times.


    The rumbling of numerous heavy footsteps was heard not far ahead¡ªa powerful army of monsters was approaching.


    Within a few moments, hundreds of strong figures charged right towards them. Numerous double-headed monsters had heard the monster''s call for help.


    "Now, Tom!" he urged. Seeing the pack of double-headed monsters, Darren activated all his power and attacked the double-headed monster who was guarding the fruit tree.


    The double-headed monster guarding the fruit tree lowered his vigilance once he saw his leader coming with the whole army. This resulted in him getting hit by Darren''s attack, stumbling a few feet backwards.


    Tom took this chance; he quickly swiped at the Seven-holy Fruits and picked them off the tree. Once he absorbed the fruits, he immediately felt that the suppression on him weakened and his strength drastically spiked up.


    "Kill him!" Hundreds of double-headed monsters charged towards Darren.


    "Hey! You bunch o


    ression. There must be more powerful ones among them. We need to be even more cautious as possible."


    Hearing what Darren said, Tom endured the pain he was feeling and flew up towards the fruit tree. He picked off several Seven-holy Fruits and immediately began absorbing them. Once he had recovered much of his strength, his started on healing his wounds.


    Darren, on the other hand, was observing Water Kylin to see if he was really dead.


    "Finley, why did you kill the Water Kylin?" Darren relayed a message back to Finley in the Ancient Void Battlefield. His voice was brimming with anger.


    "Hey don''t get mad at me, Darren. I didn''t kill him. I will have nobody to beat if I kill him. Besides, killing him won''t benefit me in any way." Finley seemed to be innocent.


    "Well then, what the hell happened? Was he killed by that kid?" Darren was baffled.


    "No, I don''t think so. The kid was busy wandering around and playing with those flowers and grasses. He hasn''t had the time to cause any trouble so far. And I don''t think that dog is dead. He''s probably just sleeping," Finley replied.


    "This dead dog is actually just asleep!" Darren kicked the Water Kylin hard and shouted, "Get up! You almost got me killed, do you know that?"


    "Don''t waste your efforts, Darren. You told me to break his meridians and send him to the spiritual pool, remember? Well, when I brought him to the pool, he suddenly absorbed everything. He had been asleep since. If I am not wrong, that dead dog is undergoing a complete transformation. He''s going to have a huge improvement in his strength soon enough."


    Darren hummed. "Is that so?" Darren then recalled that when he found the spiritual pool in the Ancient Void Battlefield, the spirit inside was too ancient for him to absorb, which was why he ordered Finley to send Water Kylin there. However, even he himself never thought that the beast could actually benefit from it.

 Chapter 293 No One Would Be Left Behind (Part One)

    "Oh, heck! Why is it that I can''t get this thing into the Ancient Void Battlefield? Do I have to carry him on my back all this time?" Darren was on the brink of losing his temper out of frustration. He couldn''t open the Ancient Void Battlefield at the very least for a few months now. Worst was, had no idea how to deal with the Water Kylin.


    "I guess that the Space Ring probably can''t harbor living things. But, wait. The Water Kylin has passed out this time and has no sign of life, so maybe my Space Ring can keep him. I''ll give it one more try." Following that assumption, Darren immediately used his spiritual sense to activate his Space Ring. As he did that, the Water Kylin was soon enveloped with his intense power and disappeared without a trace.


    "Ha-ha. Alas! It worked!" With his successful attempt, Darren felt much relieved. If, in any case, the Space Ring couldn''t keep the Water Kylin, it would be the worst possible scenario for him. For sure, it would cause him a lot of trouble carrying him all day long.


    "Darren, did you put him in your Space Ring? You should be careful. If the Water Kylin regains consciousness, your Space Ring will probably break into pieces," Finley warned Darren. He had learned about the Spatial Rule, so he was well-versed in how the ring worked and the possible outcomes of unrequited actions.


    "I will be careful. But how did you know about that?" Darren asked.


    "Because I left an aura inside his body. Even if I''m in the Ancient Void Battlefield, I will be able to know about his whereabouts. Ha-ha."


    "Well, I see. But you should be careful with that kid. If something happens, I will ask the Shadow Emperor to help us," the conscientious Darren reminded him.


    "I see," Finley replied shortly. After saying that, Finley concealed his breath and started to inspect the boy in the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    After that, Darren and Tom spent ab


    ht for you guys too. I am the king here, omnipotent, and above everything," the tall two-headed man shouted in rage, sending forth a powerful aura.


    The power that exuded from his body was so intense that it made the talents gasp for air and groan in agony. When the two-headed man was seething with anger, his strength tremendously increased and nearly reached the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm!


    "I will torture you to death! After that, I will chop your bodies into pieces!" Another cry of outrage echoed from the powerful two-headed man.


    "You bastard, if I can regain my cultivation base, I will smash you into pieces right now! I will show you no mercy, and you will be dead in no time." A superior talent let out a threat. Though he knew that even with his original strength, he would definitely not stand a chance of fighting those two-headed men by himself.


    "Alas. It didn''t occur to me that a border mutant will kill me. How are things going on with Darren and Tom? Especially, Darren, we thought that he had betrayed us. We have made a wrong decision in not trusting him and doubting his strength. If we had just listened to him, we would have not been caught by these bastards and suffer in their hands," reckoned one of the superior talents.

 Chapter 294 No One Would Be Left Behind (Part Two)

    "Your regrets are useless right now. It might be a good thing that we judged Darren. Otherwise, he would not be able to know that this shabby house was under their control. Now he can save himself from this dangerous place and avoid getting into trouble," responded another helpless talent.


    "That''s right. I hope that these bastards can''t figure out the whereabouts of Darren and Tom," echoed another talent who wore a forlorn look on his face.


    The men who were talking were Chad''s superior talents. Though they were weakened by the chains and the powerful aura that overwhelmed the place, they still didn''t give up all hopes.


    The moment the talents arrived at the place, three of them immediately admitted that they were controlled by the evil cultivator''s avatars, and left the area right in that instant. It was then that the other superior talents realized that Darren did not betray them at all. Darren wasn''t the evil cultivator.


    But it was too late for them to retreat. Before the talents could even react, they were already held captive by the two-headed men. The group was held dazed and surprised that they were not able to fight back. It was as if that the two-headed men had cursed them to be still and not fight back.


    Those two-headed men had immense, powerful strength. Especially the three leaders who had regained their original strength, each of them seemed to have reached the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm. Thus, those superior talents couldn''t escape from them.


    "You two are such flaming idiots. It is useless to discuss those stupid questions. You are wasting your breaths. Do you assume that Darren will come here and save your ass? Ha-ha-ha." One of the superior talents wore a bitter smile on his face, looking depressed after hearing the words from Chad''s two superior talents.


    Balked by anger, C


    superior talents looked up in the sky and saw Tom''s influential figure, they couldn''t help but shed a few tears of joy. From the way he moved, they sensed that Tom''s strength had reached the top level of the middle stage of the Wonder Realm. That meant, even if he couldn''t kill those strong two-headed leaders, there would be still a good chance that he could save some of them out of here.


    "Tom, please save Cedric! You can take revenge for us later. Just save him first!" someone screamed towards Tom.


    "That''s right. You go and save Cedric first."


    Those superior talents who belonged to Chad''s alliance were men of high moral integrity. Facing such dangers, they were still willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their fellows.


    "Tom, hurry up! You can''t hesitate anymore. Those bastards are extremely powerful," urged one superior talent.


    Swoosh!


    When they were panicking to save Cedric, another shadow suddenly appeared in the sky. The blade and sword intent that emitted from his body settled over the entire place.


    "Stay calm, everyone! What will be left in this place are not you guys, but those bastards'' heads!" Darren''s voice was as cold as ice, and it vibrated across the entire place.

 Chapter 295 Darren Came To The Rescue

    "Hey, look! It''s Darren! Darren is also here! He''s come to save us," hollered one of the superior talents.


    "He is so magnanimous to come to our rescue," added another superior talent who was overjoyed at seeing the hero who would free them from bondage.


    Although the superior talents doubted that Darren and Tom could save all of them, they were moved by Darren''s coming. A renewed hope and replenished strength were awakened inside them.


    "You two human bastards, you will be dead!" growled the leader of the double-headed creatures.


    After saying that, three of the most powerful double-headed men flew in midair at the same time. Their ferocious faces looked as if they were going to swallow Darren and Tom alive. They were so eager to lay their hands on the warriors that their teeth gnashed and snarled in a fury.


    "Don''t fight against them recklessly, Tom. We only need to distract them, and then I will find a chance to scatter the Seven-holy Fruits to every superior talent for them to resume their cultivation base." Alerted and prepared, Darren stood next to Tom and whispered through his spiritual sense.


    "Got it. I''ll try to buy you some time," Tom responded with his spiritual sense. They were both determined to wipe out the nasty creatures and set the superior talents free as soon as possible.


    "Be gone and go to hell, scumbags!" Tom shouted aloud as he lurched forward to attack.


    With his momentum surging up, he reached the highest point of the shabby hut. Set at the advantage of an elevated line of sight, Tom launched his supernatural martial skill at the highest level.


    As a renowned superior talent, Tom was undoubtedly reliable and skilled when it came to combat. His fist shadows were overwhelming and remarkable at the same time. He had just reached the middle stage of the Wonder Realm and was about to enter the advanced stage.


    Each of the three double-headed men was, however, able to bring out the real power of the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm. Their capabilities made them impossible to be underestimated.


    Seeing that Tom launched an attack, one of the double-headed men flapped his four hands at the same time, trying to suppress Tom''s power.


    At that point, Darren, of course, would not just stand by and watch. He turned himself into a ray of light flying towards them. He struck the double-headed creature and led him scampering out of sight. Without his help, Tom couldn''t hold out much longer. He was so grateful to Darren.


    "You mean brute, how dare you try to sneak up?" taunted one of the two remaining double-headed creatures. Watching Darren came to Tom''s aid, the other two double-headed men went to stop him after a sharp rebuke. With all the strength they had, they tried desperately to lure Darren away from Tom. Punching, kicking, and launching attacks at Darren all at once, the two creatures'' assaults were all dodged by the warrior.


    Stepping back a little, Darren turned back halfway to give them a counter-attack.


    "Domain!" Darren summoned.


    Being caught off guard, the two double-headed men burst into Darren''s domain, and soon enough, not a single speck of hair of the creatures could be seen.


    With his domain skill, Darren was able to kill the master a


    r of Tom''s Omnipotent Talent Skill.


    Bang!


    The double-headed man, who desperately wanted to stop Darren, was struck directly on the ground by the terrible, colossal hand. As it created a small hole in the field, the attack caused the double-headed man to spew blood from both mouths.


    The most substantial blow made by Tom injured the double-headed man who was at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm. With that, he was convinced that he was not weak! The damage he had done alone was a clear indication of his excellent and unparalleled strength.


    Meanwhile, Darren held the two other double-headed men at bay for only a moment before he was blown away too. After all, he couldn''t wholly fend off two double-headed people on his own. Thanks to his incredible physical strength, he didn''t get hurt too much.


    The superior talents on the ground didn''t know about those fruits, but as soon as Darren released those fruits, they listened to him and started sucking them. As highly gifted geniuses, of course, they quickly absorbed the fruits, and in an instant, some of them were back to the Wonder Realm.


    With their renewed strength and the help from Darren and Tom, they would be able to protect themselves and absorb more of the fruits.


    Boom!


    For the second time, Darren and Tom were blown off at the same time by the flustered double-headed men. This time both of them were seriously injured.


    "Go to hell, you beasts!"


    A considerable breadth of rage burst out and was heard amidst the chaos with a heinous killing intention!


    It was from a superior talent who had resumed his cultivation base. At the moment, he was like a wild beast in despair, rushing recklessly at the enemies.


    "Kill them! Kill them! Come on!" cheered some of the superior talents.


    Then another superior talent''s cultivation base was also restored, and he joined the battle.


    Soon, those angry superior talents flew into the air one by one and began to fight back.


    As instant as the blinking of their eyes, fear filled the hearts of the double-headed creatures. Inside their heads, they were in doubt if they would stay and fight or run and save their lives.

 Chapter 296 A Stone Tablet

    "Die, you fucking beasts!" As soon as all thirty superior talents regained their strengths, they all immediately launched insane attacks at the three powerful double-headed monsters.


    The monsters were left unable to fend off the superior talents'' attacks. In an instant, their skins were cut open and their flesh torn apart.


    "Run!"


    The three double-headed men started to retreat, desperately dashing away. However, as soon as they turned around, they were immediately blocked by several superior talents at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm.


    Within an hour, the three monsters had been completely beaten and were on the verge of death. But even so, the superior talents showed no mercy and continued to drag their limp and almost lifeless bodies on the ground.


    Then Darren and Tom flew over¡ªboth were severely wounded and the blood had dyed their clothes red.


    "Darren, Tom, what should we do with these beasts?" one of the superior talents asked.


    All the superior talents were certainly very much in favor of killing the three monsters. However, in consideration to the fact that Darren and Tom saved their lives, they felt obligated to ask for the two''s opinions before doing anything.


    "You can treat them how they have treated you. I think it''s within reason," Darren responded, staring icily at the limp bodies of the monsters.


    "That''s right. Killing them would be letting them off too easily. Take your revenge, buddies!" Tom shouted, pumping one fist into the air.


    The thirty superior talents also raised their fists and cheered in response to Darren''s and Tom''s answers. They then proceeded to make the three double-headed monsters suffer, making them have a taste of their own medicine.


    "You lowly human bastards! You will all pay for this someday! I will kill you all!" one of the double-headed monsters exclaimed, eyes bulging out in anger.


    Unable to bear the pain any longer, each double-headed man slammed his own two heads together and exploded.


    Seeing this, the fury in the hearts of the superior talents subsided and the air had become somewhat calm.


    "We''re all extremely humbled and grateful to you two for saving us," one of the superior talents said. "Your great kindness has my eternal gratitude!"


    "You have our eternal gratitude!"


    the other superior talents echoed as they dropped on their knees and kowtowed before Darren and Tom.


    "There''s no need for that. We''re all friends." Tom lifted them up. "I wouldn''t have been able to save you if Darren hadn''t killed the double-headed monster that guarded the Seven-holy Fruit tree," he said.


    "We are all very grateful, Darren. If you need our help in the future, just say the word and we will do everything for you. Even if you ask us to climb a mountain of swords or plunge into a sea of flames, we will do it for you without hesitation!" They


    gave him. Hanson had recorded this tablet in his note.


    Taking out his note, Darren found the relevant information written about the stone tablet. It read that the superior talents need to give a drop of their blood essence onto the stone tablet in order to hunt for treasures and Primitive Stones.


    Darren dripped a drop of his blood essence onto the stone tablet as instructed in the note.


    "What are you doing, Darren?"


    A puff of bleak and ancient aura immediately greeted Darren. It was the kind of aura that was more ancient than the aura in the Ancient Void Battlefield or the aura of the dark domain that he had encountered.


    "Drip your blood essence onto it to search for treasures," Darren nonchalantly said.


    Everyone raised their eyebrows in confusion, but did what Darren said. A shadow materialized out of the stone tablet after all of them dripped their blood essence onto it.


    A few moments later, they saw a shadow of a wrinkled old man standing in front of them. His clothes were made of linen studded with a few patches of animal skin and he carried a hoe in his hand. Judging from his appearance, he was indeed a farmer.


    "This is..."


    Everybody felt a sense of rustic aura from the old man standing in front of them. There wasn''t any breath of a martial artist on him.


    "Welcome everyone. I am the village head. You may call me Village Head Fris.


    You have all passed the blood lineage authentication. Please prepare to enter the grave. The treasures that you will be able to get depend on your destiny and ability."


    The superior talents were surprised to learn that the old man spoke the same language as them.


    The old man chuckled. "I learned the language from those guys who had come here earlier than you, so of course you understand me," he said with a relaxed smile.


    Everyone was surprised by his words¡ªhe was apparently able to read their thoughts.

 Chapter 297 Bloodline

    "All right. You can enter now," the village head, Fris, said as he raised his hand. In the next moment, mist enveloped everyone.


    The superior talents were transferred to the stone tablet. Darren was surprised as they had disappeared without a trace.


    "Eh? Where are they?" As soon as Darren stepped inside the stone tablet, he found himself standing in front of a huge grave. A glance showed him that no one else was around.


    "Each of the superior talents has entered a different grave." Fris explained as he magically appeared beside Darren.


    "Sir, we have come here for the Primitive Stones. Are the Primitive Stones in the graves?" Darren saluted Fris and asked.


    "I can perceive that the Primitive Stones are important to you. However, are you sure that you don''t want the other treasures?" Fris smiled faintly as he continued to speak. "After you enter the graves, not only will you get the Primitive Stones, but you will also get other more precious things. Do you want to know about these treasures?"


    "Yes, sir." Darren was curious. He wondered what other precious items had been buried in the graves, aside from the Primitive Stones.


    "Okay. You should relax and use your spiritual sense." With a light chuckle, Fris waved his rough hands above Darren''s head. As strange memories flooded his mind, Darren was dumbfounded by what he saw.


    Numerous ancient pictures appeared in his head. As he looked through those pictures, he learned about the history of the Primitive Stones and the invaluable treasures that were buried inside the grave.


    "The Raksa Sea is also an ancient battlefield!"


    According to the memories, the Raksa Sea was an ancient battlefield of the Middle Age. It had been around for well over thirty million years!


    Darren knew that the Lothlann Continent had four ancient Ages¡ªthe Remote Age, the Ancient Age, the Middle Age, and the Last Age. Sprinkled between those milestone Ages were several small Ages that didn''t last long, such as the Hadean Age.


    Every Age had a miserable history marked by massive devastation.


    The memories, however, didn''t give Darren a clear idea of the details that would help him with his exploration. But he knew that in each historically significant age, numerous talents disappeared without a trace. They were so smart and wise, and few people could match their abilities at that time.


    In the Middle Age, unsurpassed geniuses gathered in the human world. But, they were all destroyed in the end. Darren could tell that the Primitive Stones had something to do with this destru


    ough the bloodlines were insignificant to Fris, they were rather precious to Darren. If he could have the bloodline, his strength would be a thousand times powerful than it used to be. He couldn''t imagine how great that would be.


    Darren yearned for the bloodline, but when he thought that only extreme talents like Finley could acquire it, he became a little depressed.


    "Little fellow, cheer up. In over ten thousand years, only three people have succeeded in getting the bloodline in the Raksa Sea. It has only been a hundred years since those three people got the bloodlines. So, you might meet them in the future."


    "About one hundred years?" Darren was surprised. What Fris said reminded him of someone. It occurred to him that John Doe, who was on the Sky Chart, must be one of the three people.


    There were four islands In the Raksa Sea. Each island had a unique inherited bloodline. So Darren didn''t know which island John Doe had been to. He asked Fris about it, but he didn''t know either.


    "This time, all of the superior talents who entered the Raksa Sea are not qualified to get the bloodlines. So, you don''t need to be depressed. There are some other good things in the grave too."


    "Alas. Thank you so much, sir. I will try my best. If I can''t get it, then that is my fate," Darren replied.


    "Right. You can go now. And, there is one more thing that I want to tell you. From all the superior talents, if you get the most treasures, I will give you an extra chance. You can choose a grave and fight again. You can pick up another day to fight, but it must be within a hundred years. Do you understand?"


    "I see. Thank you so much, sir." Darren nodded before entering the grave.

 Chapter 298 Flame Intent (Part One)

    Frissons of brisk icy winds crept through Darren''s skin as he looked down on the grave. With a broken tombstone perched on top of it, the tomb was with a radius of at least one hundred feet.


    Unkempt and scattered in front of the grave was a golden skeleton. An intense aura emitted from the pieces of bones settled over the whole place. It was as if something maleficent was looming just around the corner.


    After Darren made a keen observation of the skeleton for a few moments, he discovered that some broken weapons were lying on the ground. Except for the weapons, Darren didn''t find anything strange. As he was lost in messed up thoughts, a deep furrow appeared between his brows.


    "What is this?


    In the far corner, something caught Darren''s attention. Beneath the pile of golden bones, he saw that there was some sort of green fluid that dripped out from the bones. The green liquid kept on spinning around the rotten bones.


    "That''s the inherited bloodline!" Realizing what it was, Darren felt giddy with excitement. He instantly raised his hand and planned to get hold of the liquid.


    However, to his surprise, the ground trembled, and there appeared a sharp crack as he walked a few inches towards the liquid.


    Because of the sudden tremble, Darren lost his balance causing his right leg to be severely injured.


    "Fuck!" Darren hollered in pain. The quake caught him off guard, and the excitement blinded him that he hadn''t anticipated that something awful might happen. Limping, he dragged his broken legs behind him and stepped away from the skeleton.


    "Well, I see. It is like the bronze coffin that I went before. If I want to move forward, I will have to sustain continuous pressure!" More careful this time, Darren took out some spiritual herbs from the Space Ring to cure his broken leg. The spiritual herbs calmed the searing pain he was experiencing in his legs, and he felt grateful for that.


    Several minutes had passed, Darren recovered from his injuries. He stayed put and


    verberated across the entire place. He was the dead master whose remains were left scattered inside this cold grave.


    As soon as he finished talking, numerous green flames erupted from the ground. The flames stretched out their claws in the air and entrapped Darren. The moment they opened their bloody mouths, the flames revealed their emerald green sharp teeth.


    "So it means that not only weapons, such as blade and sword have intents, but also these nasty creatures." Darren could sense that the aura exuding from the flames where somewhat different from the aura discharged by the blade and sword intent.


    Worst was, the intent of the flaming creatures were more powerful than Darren''s blade and sword intent. Judging from their aura, Darren could say that the creatures'' intent reached the premium stage.


    "Okay. Let''s get this started!" Darren gave out a roar.


    Gathering his strength, he immediately turned into a flash of rotating light and went straight towards the flaming Intent Creatures.


    Not letting his guard down at the same time, Darren used his blade and sword and kept on blowing his intent towards his nemesis. Though the intent was potent, yet, the creatures were rather strong, and they discharged intense fire from their bodies. The fire alone was nothing less potent than Darren''s blade and sword intent.

 Chapter 299 Flame Intent (Part Two)

    Standing amidst the raging fire, Darren endured the sweltering heat while gasping for air.


    The Intent Creatures were not rational, and they were under the influence of the golden skeleton. Thus, they kept on attacking Darren like emotionless robots. Because of such reckless actions, the creatures inflicted some damage to Darren. Most of the injuries Darren received were from the intent that emitted from their bodies. It was so powerful than Darren couldn''t hit back, and he just soared every direction every time a creature hit on him.


    "I can''t be like this anymore. Otherwise, I will melt away sooner or later! This must stop at once."


    As he was saying that, Darren soared in the sky. Following him, the Intent Creatures that shaped like an enormous green fire united and all dashed towards him.


    "Domain!"


    Darren shouted as he let out his Blade and Sword Domain. In a split second, and all the Intent Creatures were trapped inside his domain.


    Inside Darren''s domain, the enormous power pressed against the Intent Creatures, and the blade and sword intent kept on flapping and billowing towards them. As a counter-attack, the creatures released more and more flame intents to hit back. Despite their struggle, most of the creatures couldn''t sustain and were about to break into pieces.


    ''If I can kill some of them, their power would weaken a little. Before long, I will be able to destroy all of them, '' Darren quietly thought to himself.


    Though he was determined to defeat them all, Darren was still in doubt and asked himself in silence, ''Would things go according to my plan?''


    "Crap! What happened? What''s wrong with the domain?" Darren shouted in shock.


    When Darren was smug about his plan, suddenly, over one hundred Intent Creatures piled up together. With their unison, a tremendous aura emitted from them. Its strength was nearly eq


    he thought that he was not sure about whether the technique would work or not. He would not dare take the risk and endanger his life. Moreover, if he couldn''t defeat them using that technique, he would not have enough strength to hit back anymore.


    Moreover, if he used the Blood Dragon Phantom, it would require him to burn his blood essence. In doing that, he would sacrifice his divine soul to combine with his avatars. Thus, if he were not in a perilous situation, he would not resort to using that technique. Considering that the dragon blood aura emitted from Darren''s body was exceptionally pure, he only had to consume a minimal quantity of blood essence and the divine soul, so this whole process didn''t inflict significant damage to him.


    If his strength would improve over time, and he would be able to generate tens of thousands of avatars, he would have to be more cautious about it. Conjuring clones of himself was not an easy task. It was tricky and risky at the same time.


    After he wiped out all the Intent Creatures, Darren assimilated all the flame intents and compressed them in his elixir field. The enormous intents converged into a flickering flame and quietly took their place beside the blade core and sword core.

 Chapter 300 Condense Ice Crystal

    As soon as Darren tried to rotate the nimble flame, a gush of powerful flame intent rushed into his meridians. It contained so much energy that Darren felt it would explode at any time.


    Boom!


    Darren pushed the flame intent out of his meridians. The fierce flame intent with its powerful aura exploded the minute it left his body, destroying the land around Darren.


    ''Ha! It is almost as powerful as my blade intent and sword intent!'' Darren surmised. He was overjoyed. The level of the flame intent was almost as mighty as the premium sword intent. While it was not as strong as Darren expected, it was certainly not weaker than the blade intent and the sword intent that he had learned.


    Of course, if Darren''s sword intent and blade intent could be enhanced to the premium stage, then the flame intent would not be as compelling.


    Regardless, Darren felt content as he had learned an extra skill.


    Now that the Intent Creatures were dead and the green fire in the Hot Flame Domain had extinguished, Darren could see a stone tablet with several small words inscribed on it.


    Before he could step closer and examine it, the tiny words started to swim toward his head, like tadpoles.


    Some cultivating methods and martial arts skills were engraved in Darren''s mind, which excited and delighted him.


    "This is an ancient legendary martial arts skill!" Darren whispered in awe. Then he murmured, "I understand now. The flame intent should be used together with the ancient legendary martial arts skill so that the power reaches its maximum potential!"


    Based on their levels, this ancient legendary martial arts skill that Darren had obtained was probably higher than the legendary martial skills that appeared later in this world. More importantly, if he successfully practiced this martial arts skill, the spiritual energy in nature could be continuously transformed into flame intent. When used with the ancient legendary martial arts skill, the flame intent''s strength would increase manifold.


    ''This martial arts skill consists of three moves. The first one is to practice the flame intent, while the second and the third moves focus on attacking. I will be much more powerful once I finish practicing all these three moves.''


    As the martial arts skill had been etched in his mind, Darren was not in a hurry to learn it. For now, he would focus on the next reward.


    Darren glanced around and found that two gates had appeared in the front of this grave.


    As he ran toward the gates, the mighty voice was heard again, "Congratulations on obtaining the reward. You now have the chance to select either the Blue Ice Domain or the Wind Chasing Domain. Once you pass, you will get the reward associated with the


    free himself from the constraints. This was harder than being confined by the Shackle Rule.


    The tremendous freezing ice intent broke through his skin and seeped into his bones, little by little.


    "Flame intent!"


    At that moment, Darren had no other option but to use this skill as he knew that if this continued, he would die in about fifteen minutes.


    He was so desperate that he used the flame intent.


    Psst, psst.


    Powerful flame intent exploded from his body, and the hard, freezing ice around Darren began to crack.


    "Break the ice!"


    Darren mustered his strength and released the demonic internal force. Alongside, he discharged his blade intent and the sword intent combined with the flame intent.


    Boom! Boom!


    The firm freezing ice finally broke, and Darren''s figure shot out.


    He soon fell on the surface of the ice and felt stiff all over. He was not able to fight anymore.


    ''I have no other choice, '' Darren thought. Darren gritted his teeth as he summoned the last Primitive Stone containing the Heavenly Repression Rule from inside his Space Ring.


    "Go and die!" After Darren absorbed the Primitive Stone, he emitted a dark gold internal force.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    As the blue ice in the space started to heat, a deep gully as wide as thousands of meters formed.


    Immediately after, the blue figure vanished, and ice intent spread out. The energy from the dark golden internal force had defeated the guardian!


    "Assimilate!" Darren flew closer to assimilate the ice intent. He spared no efforts as he tried to condense it into his elixir field.


    However, the ice intent contained by the blue figure was too much. In a short while, Darren formed a blue ice crystal in his elixir field.


    The moment the blue ice crystal formed, Darren felt terrible! It was too dangerous!

 Chapter 301 Water Kylin Was Not Convinced

    In Darren''s elixir field, the flame and blue ice crystal collided fiercely, releasing great power. The struggle between them was as violent as the battle between the sword intent and the blade intent.


    However, unlike that battle, no spiritual energy was absorbed as the flame and the ice crystal clashed violently in Darren''s elixir field.


    Darren felt severe shooting pains in his belly and was unable to do anything to stop it.


    Ice and fire mingled in his abdomen, and the agony almost rendered him unconscious.


    "Damn it!" Darren shouted as pain coursed through him. By now, sweat covered his whole body.


    He instinctively mobilized the blade core and the sword core as he intended to use the sword intent and the blade intent to stop the fight between the ice intent and the flame intent.


    "Ah!"


    Darren roared as he released the blade and sword intent to suppress the ice intent and the flame intent.


    As the blade intent and the sword intent subdued the ice intent and the flame intent, tremendous amount of power poured out. Overwhelmed, Darren blacked out.


    After a long time, Darren released a pain-filled cry out as he woke. His nightmare had left him soaked to the skin in sweat.


    "Oh." He took a deep breath and felt quite relaxed despite the slight pain in his elixir field. Fortunately, the pain was bearable.


    Darren used his spiritual sense to check his elixir field. To his surprise, the ice crystal and the flame had disappeared.


    "What has happened? Were they destroyed by my blade intent and sword intent? That''s impossible!" Darren murmured, astonished.


    Then he checked again and found something even more amazing.


    The flame and the ice crystal hadn''t disappeared. Instead, they had entered the blade core and the sword core.


    The green flame glittered in the blade core, and the blue ice crystal had condensed in the sword core. What was more, they were at peace.


    "Well?" Darren didn''t know why this had happened. He could, however, feel that there was an extraordinarily powerful force hidden in his elixir field.


    Bang!


    Darren gathered his blade intent and landed a fatal blow.


    The whole area trembled slightly as the blue ice cracked. A gully was formed following a series of cracking sounds.


    Such a hit was as viol


    "Okay. This should be easy for me," Water Kylin said. Then he ran toward the skeleton.


    Before he could move more than a few steps, several cracking sounds filled the space around him.


    Water Kylin was weighed down on the ground. Darren''s eyes widened at this shocking development.


    Darren was a hundred feet away from the skeleton. Water Kylin was crushed while he was still about eighty feet away from the skeleton.


    The sound of miserable screams from Water Kylin filled the air. Water Kylin''s bones broke under the pressure. So injured was the creature that he could only move back slowly.


    "Are you okay?" Darren asked, worried.


    "I almost died!" Water Kylin quickly healed his injuries and stood up. He looked terrified.


    "Master, why don''t we leave right now? I will come back when I am stronger," Water Kylin said as he formed his escape plan.


    "Okay. You are too weak. If Finley was here to help me... It is a pity," Darren sighed. He then closely observed Water Kylin''s reaction.


    The creature stopped, stared at Darren with curiosity, and asked, "Finley? Master, do you mean that Finley is still stronger than me? I don''t agree with you!"


    "What I have said is a fact. If Finley were here, he would get the drop of liquid in a short time," Darren said while staring disdainfully at Water Kylin.


    "Am I weaker than him? I will show you that I am stronger," Water Kylin said before releasing power from his body. The energy emitted such immense pressure that Darren couldn''t breathe.

 Chapter 302 Achieved The Bloodline (Part One)

    Awestruck by Water Kylin''s display of his omnipotent power, Darren was surprised by the impossible aura of the beast. His strength was way more potent than he used to be. If only the Water Kylin had been a little careful, he would have been able to get the inherited bloodline.


    The village head had said that he was seventy percent sure that Finley could get the bloodline. When, in fact, the Water Kylin''s strength was nearly equal to that of Finley''s. It was just that the beast was still too young.


    At that instance, Water Kylin was enraged by Darren, and as aftermath, his strength kept on increasing. When his power reached the limit, he slowly walked over the golden skeleton laid scattered on the barren ground.


    Ten feet.


    Twenty feet.


    Thirty feet.


    Water Kylin never stopped and just kept on threading the path.


    However, after he walked a fair distance of almost ninety feet away, his body started to shiver. The power that pressed against him was so overwhelming that he could hardly suppress it anymore.


    "Ah! Argghhhhh!"


    Struggling with all his might, Water Kylin let out a howl. As the piercing roar slowly faded, an array of glittering furs stood erect from his back.


    From the fur blew out a power that lurched towards the sky, looking threatening. It seemed that Water Kylin was not yielding to the aura and was fighting against his fate.


    At a far distance from the beast, Darren suddenly discerned that Water Kylin resembled a legendary creature with all the glittering furs that grew out of from him.


    However, albeit all the transformations and the magnificent show of power by Water Kylin, the whole process seemed to be very hard for him. Though Darren was watching him at a distance, the warrior could sense how the beast struggled as he limped and lolled along the way. After he walked for another five feet, the power that presse


    ng on the ground, crying like a child.


    Startled by Water Kylin''s silly actions, Darren rolled his eyes, feeling speechless. He thought that he should not have praised the beast at all. He was such a brat.


    "Twice! My bones were fractured by that vicious power twice! And I can''t even cry now? I have to let it all out!" Seeing the look of disdain on Darren''s face, the beast hollered with tears in his eyes.


    "That''s right; you go ahead and cry. You deserve it. When you are done crying, you can give me the fluid," Darren said while drawing a faint smile on his face.


    "Ah?" At the mention of the fluid, Water Kylin looked up and stared at Darren with a blank expression. "Fluid? What fluid? I have swallowed it all. It was tasteless," Water Kylin exclaimed.


    "Fuck! What?" Hearing that, Darren jumped up with rage. ''That bastard swallowed the bloodline?'' Darren thought to himself.


    "Master, please don''t hit me. Boo-hoo." Sensing that Darren was in a rage, Water Kylin whimpered and begged pathetically.


    After Darren calmed down, he shook his head and said, "That''s all right. You risked your life to get that fluid. It is not that big deal if you have swallowed it. But it was a waste of the bloodline since it does you no good."

 Chapter 303 Achieved The Bloodline (Part Two)

    As Darren''s face dropped with extreme disappointment, Water Kylin looked up with a beaming smile on his face and said, "Ha-ha. Master, here is the bloodline."


    While the beast''s mouth was held open, a drop of fluid came out from it¡ªa glittery green colored liquid.


    "I think someone needs a good kick up the backside. How dare you lie to me!" Darren scolded as he realized that the beast was playing games with him. Darren felt so humiliated, and it angered him so much that he raised his hand and wanted desperately to slap it in the beast''s face. But, before he could even touch Water Kylin, the latter suddenly slumped onto the ground, looking deathly pale.


    Thanks to his quick reflexes, Darren immediately caught the green fluid from the Water Kylin''s mouth. Seeing his miserable face laid on the ground, Darren changed his mind and didn''t want to hit him anymore.


    Boom! Boom!


    The firm ground where they were standing started to shake violently. In the blink of an eye, Darren disappeared without a trace.


    "I can''t believe that you actually got the bloodline!" Fris reckoned in amazement. As soon as Darren came out of the grave, the village head appeared in front of him. He stared at Darren with a look of surprise and homage on his face.


    However, when his eyes rested on the Water Kylin on Darren''s shoulder, he had a complete understanding of what had actually happened. He nodded at Darren with utmost reverie and felt happy for him.


    "You do have a lot of secret skills. You even have that legendary beast from the Ancient Age." Fris praised Darren and even acknowledged the Water Kylin.


    "Yes, that is true. But I depend on the help of others to get the bloodline. I didn''t do it alone. I guess knowing that might make you look down on me," Darren said with a disappointed look on his face, a little embarrassed of him


    ng to do with the consumption of the bloodline? What will happen to my cultivation stage?" Darren asked as the idea popped out of his head at the mention of the Holy Realm.


    "Yes, it does. The higher the cultivation stage you reach, the faster your bloodline will be consumed," the village head responded.


    "I see. Thank you so much, sir," Darren reciprocated. After Darren expressed his gratitude to the village head, he cupped his hands together and raised them in front of his chest as a salute. He was grateful to all the help the master had offered.


    "Ha-ha. You can go outside first and wait for your friends to come out," Fris suggested. After saying that, Fris waved his hand, then Darren disappeared and returned to the impoverished village.


    Though Darren collected a lot of treasures from the trip, he had not gotten the most valuable treasure¡ªthe Primitive Stone. Worst was, he had no idea whether he was able to accomplish the obligation that Mathew asked him to do.


    "I don''t know whether Mathew''s body is still in the so-called Devil Den," Darren doubted. The notion made him a bit anxious. For sure, he would be devastated if Mathew''s body was not in there. That would mean one thing¡ªhe failed Matthew.

 Chapter 304 Leaving The Others

    Darren waited outside for two days before the other superior talents emerged.


    "Darren, how long have you been waiting here?" one of them asked the moment he saw Darren.


    "It has been two days."


    "You must have benefitted tremendously! Tell me, did you acquire any powerful cultivation method or fighting skill?" the superior talent asked with a smile.


    "I got two. Ha-ha," Darren smiled as he replied.


    "Hee-hee, I got an incredible fighting skill as well. However, I almost died in there. I was foolish enough to try to take the inherited bloodline. I am lucky to have escaped with my life! The pressure in there is so horrible," stated the superior talent. Lingering fear could be seen in his expression as he spoke about his experience.


    They chatted for a while before most of the other superior talents emerged. Then, the crowd began to talk about what they had gained.


    "Darren, what are you going to do next? Are you going to any other islands?" Tom walked forward and asked. He handed Darren two pieces of Primitive Stones containing the Heavenly Repression Rule.


    "I have something important to do, so I will not go to other islands," Darren answered. He smiled and respectfully accepted the Primitive Stones.


    "What is the matter? Can I help you with something?"


    "Darren, if you ever need any help from us, let us know."


    Hearing that Darren had something to do, the group of superior talents immediately surrounded him and offered their assistance. One by one, each superior talent handed Darren the Primitive Stones containing the Heavenly Repression Rule that they had collected.


    As a result, Darren now had over two-hundred pieces of Primitive Stones containing the Heavenly Repression Rule, from the thirty superior talents.


    Darren was delighted and grateful. "Thank you, everybody. Don''t worry about my business. I can handle it myself."


    The superior talents exchanged surprise glances before offering their help again. However, Darren refused. It was not because they would be unable to help him, but because they would be putting themselves in danger. Darren didn''t want the other superior talents to risk their lives. Besides, it would be easier for Darren to handle it alone.


    "Be careful, Darren. By the way, you didn''t lose the jade card Mr. Chad Lou gave you, did you? Remember, if you want to leave, you nee


    oudly. Pride glinted in his eyes as the creature spoke.


    "Good. I will be able to open the Ancient Void Battlefield in about a month. Once that happens, I''ll send you to the Ancient Void Battlefield. You will then get your chance to get your revenge," Darren explained.


    Upon hearing this, Water Kylin was fired up. A grim expression flashed through his eyes as he replied, "Excellent! I''m going to beat Finley until he begs for mercy, and then I will have him kowtow to me. Hum!"


    "That''s all?" Darren couldn''t help laughing.


    "Of course not, I''ll make him my ride!"


    At the moment, Darren quietly released his spiritual sense to probe the Ancient Void Battlefield for an update on Finley''s progress. Darren shook his head slightly and thought, ''Instead of avenging himelf, the beast will have to kowtow again.''


    It was because he found that Finley''s strength had improved significantly.


    "Huh? I smell a female Kylin. I''ll look for her. She must be a beauty!" cried Water Kylin, sniffing like a dog, his mouth watering.


    Before Darren could speak, he disappeared.


    "Damn! Unexpectedly this beast is a lecher!" Darren yelled, but he had lost track of the Water Kylin.


    With no other option, Darren decided to continue with his plans. He leaped in the air and flew toward the middle of the island.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    As soon as he reached the destination, an overwhelming aura came toward him.


    Darren became alert and tried to escape, but it was too late. He felt that the aura was from a human being and that the person had unleashed the domain!

 Chapter 305 Is There More To The Story

    Sensing danger, Darren cast his Blade and Sword Domain and looked around warily.


    "Come out!" he barked.


    There was a croaky laughter. "At last someone had come. It''s been years," an old gravelly voice warbled.


    The purple mist gradually dissipated and a ragged old man came into view.


    The old man''s hair was untidy and long, dragging on the ground. He was gaunt and his skin, corroded by the mist, was unsightly.


    "Who are you?" Darren''s brows were furrowed into a scowl.


    The old man brushed his tangled hair aside and revealed a face as hollow as a skeleton. He looked at Darren, with a steady stream of muddy tears rolling down his cheeks.


    "Who am I? Ha! Who am I?" The old man laughed in tears, looking like a madman.


    Darren did not know that there was a human being on this island. There were even two other sets of bleached skeletons right next to the old man. There had apparently been three people stranded on this island.


    "Sir, do you need any help?" Darren asked, eyes still watching the old man vigilantly.


    The old man continued to laugh for a while before replying, "Yes, very much. You must have a jade card with you for teleportation. Give it to me, boy, give it to me!"


    At that moment, Darren saw mixed feelings from the old man''s muddy eyes¡ªhappiness, sadness, and killing intent.


    "Sir, I can cut those chains that are binding you, but I have only one jade card for teleportation. I''m afraid I can''t give it to you." Darren tried to explain. A few moments later, he suddenly found himself confined to the old man''s domain, unable to escape.


    "Boy, I''ve been waiting so long for this day. Do you have a family? I will give them endless gifts when I get out of here. In return, you may rest here." The old man stared wide-eyed at Darren, his festering hands trembling with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.


    "There seems to be no need for us to go on talking, sir."


    Looking into the old man''s expectant and murderous eyes, Darren knew that no matter what he said, the old man was determined to kill him for the jade card.


    Darren''s momentum exploded with a loud rumble.


    He simultaneously released the flame blade intent and the ice sword intent, causing the whole deserted island to tremble. The rumble of the blade intent and the sword intent he released was almost powerful enough to pierce the sky.


    "Blade intent and sword intent!"


    the old man shouted, obviously very surprised and excited at the same time.


    Tears started spilling from his eyes once again. It reminded him of another remarkable figure as he stared at Darren.


    ade intent and sword intent, the two intents'' low level of integration, and his low realm.


    If the two kinds of intents had reached the top level or even the extreme and had integrated, the old man would have definitely died.


    As the endless silver starlight descended, Darren¡ªonce again¡ªfelt the threat of death.


    The grand warrior was simply too powerful and nearly unmatched.


    "Although you follow the same cruel path as my master, you must die, because that is the only way I can get out." The old man suddenly sounded sober.


    "Sir, let''s discuss this. I''d be willing to give you my jade card. Just please don''t kill me!" Darren had no choice but to beg to him.


    The old man withdrew his silver starlight and Darren finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    The old man gave a chuckle. "No, that''s impossible. You must die. If I let you live, you will suffer years of pain and anguish, just like my master. I might as well kill you now," he somberly said.


    "Sir, that should be my choice, not yours. You don''t have to do that." Darren''s expression grew rigid and his lips curled into a frown.


    However, the old man just ignored him. He looked up to the sky and shouted, "Master, Jesse can finally get out! If I have the chance, I will cut off Mathew''s head in your honor!"


    Darren''s head jerked up in shock upon hearing the old man''s words.


    "Jesse? Mathew?"


    Darren suddenly remembered that the servant who had killed Mathew was Jesse Li.


    But judging from the old man''s words, things were different. ''Is there more to the story?'' Darren wondered. The old man mentioned that his master had chosen the same path as Darren, which meant that his master also cultivated both blade and sword. Who was his master?

 Chapter 306 The Help From Grand Blood Refiner

    "Why does the old man wanted to kill me?" Darren was puzzled at the older man''s odd behavior. Worst was, the man''s killing intent was growing more and more intense and almost made him suffocate.


    "It''s time to end your life. After all, your life is just painful and boring. I''m helping you to your freedom, boy. I hope you don''t blame me for your death," yakked the older man.


    While saying that, the older man punched Darren''s face with a high strength equaled to that of the grand warrior.


    Bang!


    Despite the formidable attack, Darren wouldn''t yield and refused to remain still while the older man was beating him up to death. He wouldn''t allow himself to die even if he was wounded. Determined to fight back, he tried his best to mobilize his dark gold internal force to resist the older man''s attack.


    When his dark gold internal force plowed into the older man''s fist, the older man''s domain shattered, and a shower of stars fell from the sky. Of course, they were not the real stars but the illusion of his opponent''s domain.


    Contrariwise, Darren''s dark gold internal force was wholly suppressed by the older man''s domain in a moment. He didn''t expect that such an older man had such potent strength.


    "In terms of martial arts, you''re nothing compared to my original master. Even he had failed and died, let alone you. So, stop struggling!" the old man continued. The words that poured out from the older man''s mouth and the demeaning remarks about him irritated Darren up to the point that the sweats formed on his forehead out of anger.


    "You''re a lunatic, and you will be a dead old man when I am done with you! My fate is none of your business. What does my future matter to you? You''re just making an excuse for your cold-blooded murder," Darren yelled angrily.


    "Give up now! Life is meaningless and dangerous for ants like you. They get themselves busy with every day, and then, in the end, they would just be crushed to death. You are as inferior as an ant. I have to help you out for your sake. Do you understand?" enraged this time, the older man bawled. The expression he wore on his face showed that he was eager to put an end to Darren''s life.


    Unable to believe what he was hearing, Darren kept his silence. His strength was drained, and he could not afford to lose some more. Thus he opted not to resist as well. Beforehand, if it were not because of Darren''s conflicting blade and sword skills which had caught the older man''s attention, he might have already been killed by his domain skill. After all, the older man''s cultivation stage was in the Grand Realm.


    ''Oh, yes. I still have a chance to survive, '' Darren thought momentarily. Although in such a crisis, he was not flustered and was thinking about how to escape and save himself from the older man''s wrath.


    Having thought of something, he took out a blood-red bead from his Space Ring at once. He couldn''t take away his eyes from the shimmering red pearl as it was his last resort.


    "The Grand Blood Refiner, help! Help me!" Performing one swift move with his body, Darren transmitted his spiritual sense to the bead desperately.


    "Free yourself, kid!" Saying this, the older man raised his hand at Darren once more, giving him a more lucid attack this time.


    "Stop!" On the spur of the moment, a weird voice


    elper in the first place.


    "All right, all right. Calm down now, my master! Let''s see what I''ve got for you first," the Water Kylin chuckled. Though he had a mirthful tone while he was speaking, he also looked weak and miserable with badly mutilated paws. The skin just below his stomach was wounded, and blood was dripping out of the wounds.


    When he noticed all this, Darren''s anger at the poor creature, ceased. It was replaced with pity when he realized that the Water Kylin had also been in danger and was seriously injured.


    Thinking about it, Darren even lamented that the fellow, though a nuisance, was so pathetic that he was being beaten up most of the time.


    "What did you say? Can you make it faster? I''m about to faint. Take me to a safer place then!" Darren ordered in a complaining voice.


    "Yes, master, here it is!" the Water Kylin said and opened his mouth. A black stone flew out of his mouth and floated in the air.


    To Darren''s surprise, the small stone that came out of the Water Kylin''s mouth grew into the size of a small hill.


    With his eyes wide, Darren was stunned, staring at the black stone as he sensed the massive volume of Heavenly Repression Rule that it contained.


    "What a huge Primitive Stone is that! And it contains the Heavenly Repression Rule. Unbelievable!" he muttered.


    Such a vast Primitive Stone was almost equivalent to more than ten thousand pieces of small stones, which were stored inside his Space Ring.


    "Where did you get that?" Looking at the Water Kylin, Darren asked, unable to hide his disbelief.


    "Damn, it''s a long story. I wanted to pursue a female Kylin, but she turned out to be an illusion or a trap. When I ran away from that deception to save myself, I found this stone and brought it back for you," replied the Water Kylin while gasping for air.


    "Owwww! It hurts! Am I going to die this time?


    I''m so smart and brave, yet my life is so short..." Water Kylin''s voice gradually diminished. Darren noticed that the beast had difficulty in breathing, and he seemed to be losing his balance.


    As Darren took a closer look at him, he found the beast''s eyes lost their vitality, and he fell unconscious into the boundless sea.

 Chapter 307 Break Through To The Wonder Realm

    Darren immediately flew towards Water Kylin and caught him.


    Darren had no idea what Water Kylin had been through. He had been severely injured three times. Now, he looked deathly pale. It seemed that Water Kylin needed to rest and heal his injuries.


    ''Thanks a lot, '' Darren quietly thought to himself. His heart ached when he saw how many wounds covered the creature''s body.


    He lifted the Water Kylin on his shoulder and flew towards a quiet and safe island.


    "He must be in agony because of his injuries. I need to place him in the Ancient Void Battlefield as soon as possible. Otherwise, his life will be in danger," Darren nervously muttered.


    But no matter how hard he tried, with his current strength, he still couldn''t open the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    Unsure of how to help the creature, Darren placed Water Kylin in a safe area. He thought that after several hours, he could probably force open the Ancient Void Battlefield. Before that, Darren needed to complete a rather important matter. Now that he had collected an abundance of Primitive Stones, he had to prepare to break through to the Wonder Realm.


    "After waiting for so long, I''m finally about to reach the Wonder Realm," Darren murmured. Although on the outside, he appeared calm, on the inside, Darren felt anxious.


    Even though he had the Primitive Stones, it didn''t mean that the breakthrough process would be smooth sailing from here. A person always faced several crises when cultivating conflicting martial arts skills.


    But he was left with no choice except to keep moving forward. He spent four hours absorbing spiritual herbs and recovering from his injuries.


    As Darren assimilated the spiritual energy, a deafening sound came from the sky. It was a sign that indicated that Darren was about to break through to the Wonder Realm.


    The power released was more intense than that of ordinary people who were about to break through to the Wonder Realm.


    Boom!


    An enormous amount of spiritual energy descended from the sky and entered Darren''s body.


    "Let''s get started!" Darren shouted. He sat on the giant Primitive Stone and prepared for the breakthrough. Once the spiritual energy entered his body and turned into the blade and sword intent, he would immediately use the Primitive Stones to combine them.


    During the breakthrough process, Darren had to remember to improve the level of his sword core and blade core inside his body. Since he had done it before when he was in the Ancient Void Battlefield, it would be like a walk in the park for him.


    The blade core and sword core could be categorized based on colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple. Currently, Darren''s blade core and sword core were at the orange level.


    Once his blade core and sword core levels improved, with the practice of proper martial


    n Rule couldn''t allow the ice and flame intents to combine.


    Since the ice and flame intents were attached to his blade core and sword core, as the level of his cores improved, the level of the ice and flame intents also upgraded. The ice and flame intents were more powerful than they used to be and became more destructive to his body.


    Darren felt that his elixir field was about to explode. The unbearable pain tortured his soul and body.


    Despite the agony coursing through him, Darren didn''t want to give up and wait for death. Although he didn''t stand a winning chance, he wanted to fight for himself.


    "Open the Ancient Void Battlefield!" Darren roared. After opening the Ancient Void Battlefield by force, Darren gathered Water Kylin and ran inside.


    Once inside the Ancient Void Battlefield, Darren looked up at the sky. The black lightning was so intense that it broke through the layers of space. The Ancient Void Battlefield didn''t affect the lightning. It kept on expanding and circling in the sky.


    "Darren!" Finley shouted. He flashed across the sky and headed for Darren. However, he stopped when he was ten thousand feet away from Darren.


    Totally dumbfounded by the experience, Finley stood as still as a rock. He trembled with sheer terror. He felt as though the strange aura Darren was emitting would tear him apart. When Finley looked up at the sky, he saw numerous flashes of black lightning. They were so frightening that he felt as though the lightning would destroy everything in the world.


    Even the little boy with dark eyes knelt on the ground and shivered with fear.


    Darren couldn''t help but smile bitterly. He was afraid that everyone would die with him, and no one would be able to rescue them.


    Even if Darren didn''t enter the Ancient Void Battlefield, if he died, the Ancient Void Battlefield would shatter, and everyone in it would be killed.

 Chapter 308 A Golden Hand

    The two figures on the desolate island shrouded in purple mist stopped their violent fighting and looked up at the black thunder in the sky.


    "How terrifying." Jesse, the old man, stared at the sky and muttered to himself, "Even if my master was here, he wouldn''t survive from this. Cultivating conflicting martial arts skills is against natural rules."


    There was a sort of relief in his eyes as he gazed at the shocking scene.


    "Alas. Even if my master hadn''t died under a sneak attack, he still wouldn''t have had a happy ending. I''ve harbored a profound hatred for the attacker over the years, but what on earth did I hate? Is it meaningful?" He lowered his head as he said these words in frustration, making him look a lot older than before.


    Grand Blood Refiner stared at the terrifying scene. His expression was unreadable. ''I have been cultivating and hiding for so many years. I wasn''t expecting that I''ll die now. What a shame that I haven''t taken revenge on my enemy, '' he thought.


    Besides Grand Blood Refiner and Jesse, all the creatures in the Raksa Sea felt the looming aura of death. However, instead of being alarmed and going into a state of panic, they were calm and at peace¡ªalmost welcoming towards their death.


    There was a loud thunderous noise.


    Flashes of black lightning tore the sky open, creating numerous rifts in the space above.


    It was impossible for human beings to fight against such strong power.


    Darren stood there quietly, waiting to be turned into ashes. There was no other choice.


    Black lighting struck the ground, giving the impression of a mountain crumbling to the ground.


    Suddenly, something had started to happen.


    Darren experienced an extreme pain in his head and nearly passed out, barely just blinking in and out of consciousness.


    A golden hand had appeared out of nowhere and covered the entirety of the world.


    It settled itself in front of the atrocious black lightning and slapped it towards the sky¡ªfarther, even. The scene was too far away from the ground thus all the people and other creatures below could only see it vaguely. It appeared that something in the sky was continuously collapsing and then finally vanished.


    "It''s the weird stone from inside my head!" Darren suddenly had a moment of epiphany. The strange stone did something and then the golden hand appeared in the sky to save everyone.


    All the creatures in the Raksa Sea were shocked by the unbelievable scene. Even the golden monkey in the deep sea stared open-mouthed and wide-eyed at the sky. He was impressed at whoever was responsible for that golden hand, thinking that whoever it was must have had a powerful cultivation base.


    Within a few moments, the sky became clear and the sun was shining once again. The black lightning had disappeared and so h


    e Heaven Degree? Won''t my realm be upgraded quickly?''


    He breathed out a sigh of relief. However, he still had questions about Mathew. He sorted out his thoughts then flew back towards the desolate island shrouded in purple mist.


    He flew at top speed and


    in a blink of the eye, he had reached the desolate island and landed on the ground.


    The black lightning appeared and the golden hand quickly slapped it into the sky. The whole thing didn''t take much time. Grand Blood Refiner and Jesse were still standing there and hadn''t gotten over their shock when a figure releasing unreadable aura suddenly appeared in front of them.


    "Darren!" Grand Blood Refiner''s eyes flashed in excitement and relief as soon as he saw Darren.


    "Y-you didn''t die! How... how was that possible?" Jesse was surprised and incredibly shocked to see Darren. He couldn''t believe the fact that he didn''t die. "T-the golden hand came to save you, save you¡­" he continued to mutter.


    He couldn''t believe Darren had survived from the thunder and lightning that appeared because of the Heavenly Repression. After all, even if his master had been there, he would have died.


    "Mr. Li, you wanted to kill me. I can let it go, but you must give me an explanation first," Darren solemnly said, glaring icy daggers at Jesse. With his upgraded cultivation base, he was not afraid of Jesse anymore¡ªhe was ready to confront him.


    "Explanation? Do you think I will be afraid of you just because you went through all that difficultly? Why should I made an explanation to you?" Jesse was infuriated. He lifted his arm and tried to send an attack towards Darren.


    Grand Blood Refiner immediately stood in front of Darren, ready to fight Jesse. However, a white hand pushed him away and an indifferent voice came from behind him. "You can have a rest, sir. I can take care of him," Darren said.

 Chapter 309 Darren Tested His Own Strength (Part One)

    "Darren, you can''t defeat him. I had fought with him, and both of us were badly injured. He has reached the Grand Realm. Even if you have some secret weapons, I''m afraid that you won''t stand a chance in defeating him," the Grand Blood Refiner said glumly as he dodged the old man''s powerful attack. He felt defeated because both of them were no match to the old man despite any hidden skills or weapons they used. When Grand Blood Refiner arrived here, he sensed that Darren''s dark gold internal force was indeed flowing with power.


    However, despite the great power he was sensing from the dark gold internal force, he was worried that Darren''s cultivation base was not high enough to compete with a grand warrior. Needless to say that it wouldn''t make any difference if his cultivation base was still low.


    Even though the grand warrior was badly hurt and was unable to use his real strength, Darren still couldn''t defeat him within his capabilities. He would still end up in an overwhelming defeat.


    "Ha-ha." Darren let out a humorous laughter. Darren walked towards Grand Blood Refiner. His eyes were beaming with confidence when he replied, "Sir, there is no need to worry. Even if I can''t defeat him, he can''t inflict a damage to me either."


    "Humph. You are nothing but a loser." The old man gave out a loud snort, his lips twitched from the obvious mockery. He then swiftly lunged at Darren once again.


    "Fine. You should earn some experience too. If you can''t defeat him, I will help you with it!" Grand Blood Refiner replied exasperatedly. He set aside his uncertainty and let Darren take over the fight. He didn''t insist on this point anymore and chose to believe Darren.


    "Ice sword intent!" Darren let out a loud roar. In a split second, an enormous sword intent was blown towards the old


    kill and generated intense pressure to disturb Darren.


    "Not necessary yet!" Darren retorted. He then countered the old man''s attack with his own strength. "Augmented Attack Bloodline!"


    A hint of green blood started to flow inside his body and a strange power passed through Darren''s meridians.


    "Ice sword intent!" When Darren combined his bloodline force and the ice sword intent, his ice sword intent''s power increased ten-fold. It became much more powerful than it used to be.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Suddenly, the entire barren island shook so violently that it produced such a loud disturbing sound. Howling wind started to pick up and numerous dust and dirt floated in the sky. In the blink of an eye, the whole world had turned dark and gloomy.


    "Go to hell!" Darren cried. He released his attack and the powerful blow came rushing to the old man.


    To Darren''s surprise, the old man didn''t dodge Darren''s attack and stayed rooted to his place. Instead, he slapped towards Darren with all his force.


    A sharp crack was heard coming from Darren''s body.


    Several of Darren''s breastbones were broken and he was thrown away by the old man''s intense power. He clutched his chest painfully.

 Chapter 310 Darren Tested His Own Strength (Part Two)

    ''Shit! If that old man hadn''t gotten into a big fight with Grand Blood Refiner, and he hadn''t been restrained by his domain, I would have been dead, '' Darren thought to himself, terrified. He felt his broken bones and thought that he could have suffered far worse than this if the old man had not been restricted. Darren knew that if that punch came from a grand warrior whose strength was at his peak stage in cultivation, his instant death was an absolute certainty.


    ''I should be careful now, '' Darren thought. Even though several his breastbones were broken, he shrugged it off like it was not a big deal. Since he had experienced all kinds of pain and suffering, this was nothing new to him. He immediately transferred his power again and blew towards the old man.


    This time, he combined his bloodline force with the blade and sword at the exact same time. His power was as strong as that of a cultivator at the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm!


    Darren thought that since the old man looked rather feeble, he might stand a chance of winning against the old man when his power was equivalent to the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm.


    The old man went into panic state when he found himself enveloped by Darren''s powerful blade and sword intent. He struggled to find for release but he couldn''t find a way out.


    He transferred his power and randomly and thoughtlessly blew attacks towards Darren. He had lost his composure under the pressure of Darren''s attack.


    "Feeling hard to sustain? Try this one!" As Darren flew towards the old man, eight avatars suddenly appeared in the sky. Darren had formed this additional eight versions of him to overwhelm the old man with attacks.


    Nine shadows of Darren attacked the old man at the same time and kept on


    intent.


    Feeling the surge of the old man''s fierce power, Grand Blood Refiner expressed a faint smile on his face.


    "Ha-ha. His sword intent has reached the top level of premium stage. He is indeed powerful!"


    The old man combined his sword intent with a legendary martial skill. He transferred all his power into his sword and repeatedly attacked Darren with his sword.


    "The old man''s sword intent is indeed strong. But this one movement of his sword will use up all his power. If he can''t defeat Darren by then, he will be too worn out. He will not stand a chance of winning and Darren will smash him to pieces," Grand Blood Refiner calmly analyzed the fight, his lips turning upward into a slight smile.


    The old man''s sword intent was so strong that it was nearly equal to the eighty percent power of a one-star grand warrior who reached the top level in cultivation base. Grand Blood Refiner thought that Darren had no choice left but to run away from the old man''s attack. Even if his life would be at risk once he fled away, it was the only way for him to survive. Because he would doom to fail if he insisted on sustaining the old man''s strong intense sword.

 Chapter 311 What Was The Truth (Part One)

    After what happened, Darren started to be cautious. Making sure that he used his power efficiently this time, he began activating his dark gold internal force.


    When the force was building up inside him, Darren started to initiate internal force of the blade and sword. At that moment, his integrated dark gold internal force of blade and sword, flooded towards the old man with such extreme pressure.


    "Ha! How do I forget that Darren just broke through the repression of cultivating both the sword and blade skills together? Now he gains more strength! That is unbelievable!" Grand Blood Refiner said. After moments of realization, he soon understood that what he just said was true. His mind was now filled with praises and extreme adoration for Darren. Yet, as he looked up the sky, his heart was still fluttering with fear whenever he thought about the dark lightning caused by Darren''s force. Now, for the second time, Darren let out the same force again. Grand Blood Refiner knew that If the horrible lightning came back, it would be nothing but dreadful.


    However, observing the sky for a while now, Grand Blood Refiner was expecting to see something horrible. He was relieved, however, when he didn''t see anything strange. Pulling out a breath of relief, the blood refiner felt at ease.


    On the other end, the elder''s premium sword intent was on the top level. The sword intent was reinforced and enhanced to its optimal state. Combined with the elder''s legendary sword skill, his sword intent crashed against Darren''s dark gold internal force.


    Following the callous clash, hundreds of blasts fluttered away. The impact force was so strong that even the Grand Blood Refiner lost his balance and had to move backward. He was forced to unleash his domain to protect himself from the impact force.


    A collection of smoke and dust rose into the air and covered everything up to the


    d warrior. How can he be dead that easily?"


    Without letting Darren answer the question, the elder ranted another question while shouting angrily.


    "Believe it or not, the reason why I come here today is that a hint of his soul entrusted me to come and find his dead body." Darren didn''t explain too much. Because he knew that the elder would let out everything he knew.


    "Did you really meet him before?" the elder suddenly calmed down and asked. This time, he looked at Darren with a serious look in his eyes.


    "Of course. Why would I lie about that? I don''t need to prove anything to you. Here, he gave me a notebook. You can have a look and see if you can recognize the handwriting." While saying that, Darren took out the note which Mathew had given him and handed it to the elder.


    "Ah!" As soon as the elder saw the handwriting on the notebook, he couldn''t help but quiver and move backward to maintain his footings. In his eyes showed a strong feeling of hatred. With a heated expression on his face, he exclaimed, "It''s him, the old fucking bastard!"


    "Sir, could you please tell me what happened? Mathew and Hanson are brothers. How could it be possible that they wanted to kill each other?" Darren asked the elder with heightened confusion.

 Chapter 312 What Was The Truth (Part Two)

    "Hmm. Do you really want to know?" the elder asked and forced a bitter smile. "Mathew is a brutal and relentless bastard. He is unworthy of being my master''s brother. Young man, I believe that you are not lying to me. But he, Matthew, did lie to you. He was trying to take advantage of you for his goals to be realized."


    Looking at Darren''s eyes this time, the elder continued, "He didn''t really mean to find his dead body. Instead, what he wanted was my master''s dead body. It was Mathew who killed my master several thousand years ago and pushed his dead body into the Devil Den."


    "Mathew killed Hanson?" asked Darren as he was totally confused at the moment. Darren was extremely surprised. The elder''s words were completely different from what Mathew had told him. However, he could sense that the elder was telling the truth. He was severely injured now. He was about to die, and it would be meaningless for him to tell a lie.


    "Hanson is such a genius who has always been considered number one in the past ten thousand years. However, he chose to cultivate both the blade skills and the sword skills together, which led him to his death. What a pity!" Grand Blood Refiner said. Even the Grand Blood Refiner who stood aside had ever heard about the story of Hanson.


    "As for Mathew, he might be well-known at that time. However, as time passed by, there were fewer and fewer people praising and glorifying him. In other words, compared to Hanson, Mathew was not talented or strong enough for other people to remember him forever. How did he manage to kill Hanson in the end?" Grand Blood Refiner asked. It was also what Darren was curious about.


    "Haha. You all think that Mathew was just an ordinary seven-star grand warrior without anything special, don''t you? You are completely wrong. What he had done was a great a


    him. Judging from Grand Blood Refiner''s past performance, his words must be valid. Even if his words were not true, Darren didn''t care. Everyone had his own distinct experience, and Darren didn''t need to care too much about that.


    "Yes. At the moment when I saw you exert your Bloodshed Domain, I was doubting that you were practicing the martial skill, which was the same as Mathew''s," the elder said.


    "At that time, except for my master, Mathew was the top one in the Medium Spiritual World. But he never came to fight against my master so as not to let my master know who he was," the elder added amidst gasping breaths.


    "Did you know why Mathew contrived to kill his brother on purpose? Do you really believe that his only reason to murder his brother was to cultivate his Killing Martial Skill? Absolutely not!" After these words, Darren knew that the elder was going to tell them the primary reason why Mathew had done the horrible act of killing his brother.


    Darren listened and waited quietly, not interrupting the older man in any way. He didn''t like being cheated or being taken advantage of by others. Thus as much as possible, he wanted to clear things about the real deal and get done with it.

 Chapter 313 The Real Reason (Part One)

    "He did that to obtain the blade core and the sword core from my master!" The older man gave Darren the reason with a horror-struck expression on his face.


    "To obtain the blade core and the sword core? But why did he do that? He didn''t seem to need those cores, did he? Plus, even if he needs the blade core and the sword core, he can obtain them from other blade and sword cultivators. Why did he kill his own brother?" Clouded by the turn of events, Darren still could not understand how Mathew afforded to kill Hanson.


    "No, he can''t! He can''t just rob other cultivators of their blade core and sword core. As to what we have learned, that bad guy, Mathew, has acquired some evil methods to make puppets with the blade and the sword cores from the same body. That kind of puppet is lifeless at first. It is nothing more than just but a toy. Mathew was desperate to bring the vile creature to life, especially when he got to know that the puppet could inherit its master''s cultivation base. In short, the cultivator''s spirit and power will be caught inside the puppet. Moreover, the puppet will not get the punishment of nature because of the integrating of the blade intent and the sword intent.


    If Mathew can make such a puppet successfully, he will own a powerful killing tool, and no one can defeat him," the older man explained to Darren, not missing a single point.


    "That sounds kind of reasonable. Being bloodthirsty, he had the reason to kill Hanson if he had learned such an evil method," Grand Blood Refiner said calmly.


    At that moment, Darren was almost convinced to believe the whole story. However, he always had such a feeling that Mathew was not that kind of man.


    "Is there anything we did not know about what really happened?" Darren asked


    his world, the stronger one is always respected. Your strength now has been close to a grand warrior like me. I am flattered that you regarded me as your friend." Grand Blood Refiner smiled bitterly. In his head, he had nothing but pure admiration and praise for the young warrior.


    "It is not a big deal for me. That is nothing compared to the help you have given me," with a sheepish smile, Darren uttered back. Then he went on saying, "As per the Primitive Stones you need, I will ask my friends for help after we get out of here. What they have will surely be enough to heal you."


    "Nice. I am feeling bad as there is some force suppressing me slowly in Raksa Sea. So I will get out of here now. After you collect the Primitive Stones, you can summon me by activating the bead I gave you. When you do that I can sense it and will come to you as soon as possible. Thank you in advance," Grand Blood Refiner cupped his hands to Darren and said.


    "Okay. I will summon you to take the Primitive Stones after I finish collecting them. But don''t kill innocent people after you recover your strength. I am begging you," Darren said to Grand Blood Refiner with a serious look.

 Chapter 314 The Real Reason (Part Two)

    "Believe me, boy! I promise only to kill my enemies after I recover. And I will not kill anyone else, especially those who are innocent! As for the two mortal enemies that I have, it would be hard for me to kill them even if I regain my strength. I need more time to focus on my cultivation."


    "I see. If you need my help when you have trouble facing your enemies, please let me know. I''m sure to give you a hand," assuring Grand Blood Refiner, Darren nodded and replied.


    "Good! I will count on that! If you are right to your words to help me when I fight against my enemies, I will ask your favor frankly when I need one. But for now, I have to leave. See you outside the space." Finishing his words, Grand Blood Refiner disappeared in the thin air. He needed to find a quiet place to restore his strength and activate the jade card.


    ...


    In the following days, Darren was not in a hurry to leave as he had another thing to deal with. That was to find the dead body that fell into the Devil Den. He was eager to get the dead body out, whether it was Hanson or Mathew. The story from the older man made him so curious that he couldn''t wait to uncover the truth behind all the questions he had.


    But, looking at the other side of it, Darren knew that it was perilous to get into the Devil Den by himself now. So he cultivated himself here patiently, in hopes of regaining the force of control so that he could open the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    Pulling up his strength this time, Darren checked with his spiritual sense and saw that everything was going well in the Ancient Void Battlefield. The Water Kylin had recovered with the help of Finley.


    The only odd thing he notice


    e improve so much in such a short time? My magic herbs have been used up by you already. But you are still improving at such a high speed."


    As Darren asked that, he sensed that at that moment, Finley was about to advance to being a four-star grand warrior.


    "Shit! Darren. Are you really so stupid not to know the reason?" Hearing Darren''s question, Finley was surprised and gave Darren a quizzical look.


    "What? What do you mean by that? Is there something I need to know?" A furrowed brow appeared on Darren''s face as he was stunned by what he had heard from Finley. Yet, Finley just gave him an embarrassed smile as he dared not be arrogant to Darren. After all, he knew that Darren had the force and the control of the Ancient Void Battlefield. It would be very easy for him to punish Finley. He could just cast one spell to make him lose everything.


    "Quickly! Tell me the exact reasons!" a little upset this time, Darren shouted with a weaning smile.


    "Okay. I will do as you say, master." Sensing the threat in Darren''s words, Finley nodded his head hurriedly and prepared himself to tell Darren the truth.

 Chapter 315 Black Beetle

    "What I am talking about is talent degree. Why do you keep on asking me such an easy question?" Finley rolled his eyes towards Darren.


    "Talent degree?" Darren furrowed his eyebrows quizzically. Suddenly, he was hit with a wave of realization. He had forgotten that talent was the base of the martial world. No wonder the master with a big golden hand kept on reminding him that he should make the best of his assimilation skill.


    Darren recalled how fascinated he was when he read about those ancient superior talents on a brochure. He couldn''t help but gasp in administration as he flipped through the pages. He couldn''t figure out why those superior talents were able to make such great achievements in history.


    For example, at just the age of fifteen, Finley had already reached the Grand Realm. By the time he was twenty years old, he had refined the holy body. How shocking was that?


    "So what level of talent degree have you reached? The ninth level of the Heaven Degree?" Darren asked out loud. He was beaming with curiosity.


    "Ha-ha!" Finley couldn''t help but let out a chuckle at his oblivious question. "Do you really think that the level nine of the Heaven Degree is the top level in talent? Let me tell you one thing. The talent of level nine of the Heaven Degree means nothing more than a worthless trash in martial art world."


    Darren''s eyes widened in surprise as he stared incredulously at Finley. The realization that there was a level higher than the Heaven Degree left him dumbfounded.


    "You mean that there are some super geniuses in the world who are superior to those masters whose talent have reached the Heaven Degree?" Darren asked, subconsciously voicing out his thoughts.


    "That''s right. And that is the secret behind those super masters in the history," Finley calmly replied as if he just didn''t share some mind-blowing information to Darren.


    "Well, I see. Can you tell me what kind of talent is that?" Darren asked.


    "My talent is the most powerful one in the world¡ªthe Genuine Domain Degree!" Finley''s heart swelled with pride as he explained. "Talent can be graded at different levels. A person whose talent is at the Genuine Domain Degree is able to absorb spiritual energy from other unknown fields. Thus, it is way more powerful than the spiritual energy that you normally absorb from the sky and earth only in your world.


    Actually, there are some martial artists whose talents are far more powerful than my talent, but I don''t know much about them."


    Upon hearing Finley''s explanation, Darren pieced together the obvious reality. He realized that it was because of the powerful martial art talent enabled those super talents to have such great achievements in history. He recognized the importance of improving his talent as it played such an important role.


    "Darren, do you think that I must be a rare talent since I had been in the Sky Chart of the Talent Roll before?" Finley suddenly asked.


    "Yes. You ranked the number three in the Sky Chart of the Talent Roll at that time. Did it mean that you are almost the best in your era? There are few people who can match your power," Darren immediately responded, as he was certain Finley was among the top superior talents in his era.


    "Ha-ha." Finley burst out laughing. He must have thought Darren was so clueless. "You should remember that only those who


    said angrily, his heart filling with rage.


    "Well, there is one thing I want to ask you. That beetle you were talking about, what does it look like?"


    "It is just an insect. What else do you expect it to be?" Water Kylin randomly waved his claws in the air and tried to explain what it looked like.


    "You are such an idiot." Darren and Finley rolled their eyes at Water Kylin at the same time. "Does it look like this?" Darren asked as he turned on the demon core.


    He activated his demonic transformation skill. In no time, his entire body was covered with black shell. The killing vibe that emitted from his body was a lot stronger than earlier.


    "Huh? Holy crap. Master, are you a black beetle too?!" Water Kylin''s eyes grew wider.


    "You idiot, I have used demonic transformation skill before. You have seen that, haven''t you? How could you forget about that?" Darren railed at him. He looked at him disapprovingly.


    "Oh. No wonder I felt something familiar with that black beetle when I first met it. So you and the black beetle are of the same kind." Water Kylin hummed and stared at Darren with a look of complete disdain.


    "Get lost! We are gonna give you a good kick!" Darren and Finley lunged their fists towards Water Kylin. Water Kylin moved defensively.


    "Boo-hoo. You guys are bullying me. You guys promised that none of you will hit me again! Now you can''t keep your word. Your human beings are all bastards!" Water Kylin murmured in a pitiful tone. His voice was resentful from their betrayal.


    Darren let out an embarrassed cough. He covered his mouth and shifted his eyes to the opposite direction. "You asked for it and you only have yourself to blame,"


    Darren said as he approached Water Kylin. "Can you come with me? I might have some good ways that can get us into the Devil Den. You can guard on the outside, so you can help me when we are in danger." He reached out his hands and stroked Water Kylin''s head tenderly as if he was petting a dog.


    "Humph!" Water Kylin gave out a snort and said, "There is no changing in your mind, huh? I knew I will die one day because of you."


    Darren disregarded his retort and used his spiritual sense to transfer both of them out of the Ancient Void Battlefield.

 Chapter 316 In The Devil Den (Part One)

    Darren took the Water Kylin and headed straight for the desolate island shrouded with a thick layer of mysterious purple smog.


    "Where is the Devil Den? We had a fierce fight on the island, but no creatures came out. Weren''t they alarmed by the chaos? Why?" asked Darren with curiosity.


    "There is an intense restriction power under the mountain over there. That prevented the black beetles from coming out," replied the Water Kylin.


    "All right," Darren said to the Water Kylin with a quick nod. "Take me there and stay out of the Devil Den. If you hear something strange in the den, then come and help me out of this damned den. Understand?"


    "Of course, master."


    The Water Kylin guided Darren toward a huge, steep mountain. A wide cleft on a sharp cliffside came into view as they approached the mountain. The cleft appeared to be a long and unfathomable opening that led to the world of darkness.


    "It''s over there in the cleft, master. Just go in. The powerful restrictive force will prevent the black beetles from leaving. Master, you must drop your demonic transformation form and reveal your real body when you exit the den. Otherwise, you''ll be suppressed by the restriction force as well." The Water Kylin offered his advice to Darren. His tone and expression conveyed the seriousness he felt.


    "I understand. Keep an eye on the situation inside. Don''t fool around like the last time. Both of us will be doomed if you are careless this time." Darren could not help but remind the Water Kylin of his responsibility again. The creature''s impulsive and thoughtless nature had, indeed, caused many problems in the past.


    "Go, master. I''m a reliable partner, aren''t I?" The Water Kylin grinned with confidence.


    "Reliable? That''s the last w


    ulty.'' Relief filled Darren as he thought about how small this place was in comparison with the vastness of the secret places he had searched previously.


    Darren was lost in deep thought for a long while. He needed to consider his alternatives and form a plan of action. As he wondered how he should test those creatures to see whether they had found him or not, something cold and hard brushed his fingers. He turned to check and got startled.


    Three creatures in black carapaces were by his side. Each was covered in a thick layer of black evil aura. They closed in on him, cornering him against the cliff wall.


    Fear coursed through Darren. There was no denying that the combined strength of these three creatures surpassed his. Together, they were equal to the top level of a one-star human grand warrior.


    "I''m doomed!" Darren felt a chill crawl up his spine. If the three creatures launched attacks at him, there was no way for him to escape. And there were more creatures in the valley, who were more forceful than these three.


    With no idea what to do next, Darren stayed put. He stared at the three monsters in front of him and waited for them to attack.

 Chapter 317 In The Devil Den (Part Two)

    The three creatures, however, launched wafts of black smoke at Darren to test him. They seemed to have no intention of attacking him.


    Sweats covered Darren''s forehead. He couldn''t imagine what would have happened to him had he still been in his human body.


    The three monsters conversed with each other in some alien language after the test. Though Darren knew nothing about their language, he was stunned by what they did next.


    Without any warning, the three creatures knelt before Darren. They kowtowed repeatedly and murmured something that sounded like prayers.


    To Darren''s greater surprise, the whole pack of creatures in the valley also knelt and sprawled themselves under his feet as if they were showing their respect to God. They murmured the same sob-like prayers as their companions.


    Then something moved in the shadows and rustled the air.


    Darren sensed an aura much stronger than Finley''s. A human-sized creature covered in black carapaces flew toward Darren. Apprehension filled Darren as he felt that this creature must be the most powerful one here.


    When the creature approached, Darren found, to his amazement, that this creature resembled the youth from the coffin. In fact, the more he studied the youth, the more convinced Darren became that they looked the same!


    The strange man stared at Darren for a little while. The youth emitted a tremendous demonic aura. Soon, the silent man knelt before Darren as well.


    "You''ve finally returned home, Father!"


    Darren heard a weird voice speaking in his mind. This was the language the youth from the coffin spoke, which was why Darren had no difficulty understanding it.


    Since he had no idea what was going on here, Darren did not dare to speak to the man. He knew that even the slig


    han the creature in front of him.


    The creature''s furious force weakened after Darren had hit him several times in succession. His fury extinguished, and his force finally died out. He knelt on the ground and prostrated himself in front of Darren.


    ''That was dangerous, but the tactic paid off!'' Darren sighed with relief.


    All the other creatures shuddered at the sight of their leader being slapped by Darren.


    Not willing to provoke the creature leader again, Darren walked to and fro in the valley. All the while, he casually tried to detect the aura of sword intent. Though he was eager to find it, Darren had to pretend that he was observing the surroundings of the valley within its radius.


    Suddenly, he sensed something familiar.


    A faint but powerful aura of sword intent came from behind a rock cliff. He was so elated that he could not help but launch a powerful demonic internal force. All of a sudden, explosive sounds filled the valley. Rocks collapsed and a cave as long as several thousand feet formed on the cliff in the blink of an eye. Darren slipped into the cave without hesitation.


    To Darren''s surprise, there were two corpses inside the cave!

 Chapter 318 Share The Primitive Stones (Part One)

    "Why are there two bodies?" Darren asked as he looked down at the two corpses laid down in front of him. One belonged to a young man. Judging from its flesh and form, it looked like it was still alive. The other was a mummy, rotten, and dried.


    Despite his confusion, Darren put the two bodies into his Space Ring, and then backed out slowly.


    "Father, when will we get out of here?"


    As soon as he started walking out, the weird voice of the human-sized creature came into his ears. Hearing the sound made the hairs on his back stand in horror.


    However, he dared not make any response. Instead, he just bit on the bullet and pointed to the space above him. He kept his guard and readied himself for any unexpected attack that might commence.


    At once, all the creatures in black carapaces cheered up. They had been trapped inside the Devil Den for thousands of years. Thus they ached to be freed at once.


    They knew that their king was back. Though not very powerful yet, the pureblood and the ferocious aura were the symbols of his identity as the king, which they never doubted. They acclaimed and celebrated their king for being able to save them. Soon enough, he would rise to take them out of this place.


    Since Darren had gotten the bodies, he was left with no choice but to lead the creatures flying up to escape through the path amongst the stone cracks.


    Walking ahead, Darren felt the intense rage released from the excited creatures. They couldn''t wait to flee away from the place.


    Finally, they arrived at the restricted zone located at the entrance of the cleft.


    Darren raised his hand to halt the creatures in black carapaces behind him. Then, he continuously released the demonic internal force to aid in making an illusion that he was going to break up the restrictive force so that t


    ody, the Water Kylin was overwhelmed with the pain.


    "Ha-ha," Darren laughed. "Good job! Thanks for having my back."


    "What an unfair fate! But what can I do with it?" The Water Kylin shook his head and started to heal himself.


    It took the Water Kylin about ten days to make a full recovery.


    "Do you know any other places where we can find more Primitive Stones? Somewhere that won''t be too dangerous for us?" with a confused look, Darren asked explicitly, observing that the Water Kylin had partially recovered from its wound.


    What he had in mind right now was to send the Water Kylin back to the Ancient Void Battlefield. However, his force of control was too weak, which required at least one month to recover. Thus, as an alternative, rather than wait in vain, he thought about collecting more Primitive Stones as presents to the grand warriors. Darren believed that the Primitive Stones would foster good relations with them.


    During the next month, led by the Water Kylin, Darren had threaded over hundreds of uninhabited islands, leaving no stones unturned in search of the Primitive Stones. With their combined efforts, they were able to collect more than eight thousand Primitive Stones.

 Chapter 319 Share The Primitive Stones (Part Two)

    "Why didn''t you tell about these places earlier? We would have collected the Primitive Stones from here in the very beginning and not wasted much of our time." A little annoyed, Darren gave the Water Kylin an angry stare.


    "Holy shit. I was beaten half-dead all the way. How could I find time to lead you in searching for the Primitive Stones? Alas! Why do you always blame me?" the offended Water Kylin said with an innocent face.


    "Well. You''re right," realizing that the Water Kylin had a point, Darren said with a smile. With that, he prepared himself to go back to the outside world.


    As for the hill-sized Primitive Stone which contained the Heavenly Repression Rule, when he reached the Wonder Realm, he had absorbed only a third of them. Thus, the rest of them were readily available for him for quite a long time in case he needed some. Darren was confident that he could manage along the way. Granted that there were no more Primitive Stones containing the Heavenly Repression Rule for him to absorb, the dark gold internal force inside his body was reserved to give him the strength to carry on.


    After having gathered enough Primitive Stones, Darren opened the Ancient Void Battlefield and sent the Water Kylin back, thanking him for his help as he bid him goodbye.


    ''I''m not sure whether the Ancient Void Battlefield could take the Water Kylin out of the Raksa Sea too, '' Darren thought for a while. ''Never mind. I should generate the jade card for transmission first.'' He dismissed the earlier thought about the Water Kylin in the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    Left alone by himself, Darren settled on a safe deserted island and started to generate the jade card.


    Worried about his safety and the success of the transmission at the s


    ."


    "That''s right. We''ve collected some Primitive Stones ourselves. Though still not enough, they are plenty than before. No matter how many you got, they would be a substantial addition to the number of the stones," with an eloquent expression on his face, Brian echoed.


    The grand warriors assumed that Darren didn''t obtain many of the Primitive Stones, given the fact that he had faced hideous opponents along the way.


    "The Primitive Stones..." Not being able to finish what he was about to say, Darren was interrupted for the second time. The woman grand warrior stepped forward and said, "Darren, don''t worry much about the Primitive Stones. If Chad doesn''t give you the rewards you deserve, I will make them up for you," the woman grand warrior smiled.


    "Alas. Sirs and madam, please allow me to finish my words. What I want to say is that you can discuss how to share the Primitive Stones I''ve gotten for you." With that, Darren made one swift move and took out the Primitive Stones from his Space Ring. Right then and there, laid before the eyes of the grand warriors and the superior talents, a pile of Primitive Stones clumped at a towering height.

 Chapter 320 The Mishap In The Holy Land

    The sudden appearance of so many Primitive Stones startled the three grand warriors. They looked at the precious stones with widened eyes. To everyone''s astonishment, the Primitive Stones collected by Darren were several times greater than those carried by the other superior talents.


    However, before surrendering the Primitive Stones, Darren had picked out all the Primitive Stones containing the power of the Life Rule. He wanted to give these to the Grand Blood Refiner. Since he promised the Grand Blood Refiner, Darren would keep his word no matter what the cost.


    "That''s...unbelievable! Where did you get these Primitive Stones, Darren? There are so many of them!" shouted Chad with excitement as he had never seen so many Primitive Stones in one place before.


    A glint of excitement and envy sparkled in the eyes of the other two grand warriors as well. Since Darren was Chad''s underling, neither of them felt that it was appropriate to claim the stones without Chad''s permission.


    "Everyone present should have a share. What do you say, Chad? It''s not good to keep all the stones for yourself," said Brian in a hurry lest Chad decided otherwise.


    "I couldn''t agree more, Chad. Do not forget my share for the sake of our friendship," said the female grand warrior while winking at him seductively.


    "You, indeed, deserve a portion of the stones as you insisted on waiting for Darren here. What about this suggestion¡ªI''ll take half the stones, and you two split the rest? It was not easy for Darren to bring back all these Primitive Stones, so you must award him generously in return. Do you agree?" said Chad with a mischievous smile. Since he only needed a few more Primitive Stones to improve his skills, he didn''t mind giving the rest to his companions as a sign of his generosity.


    "Of course. We will reward Darren handsomely. Thank you, Chad."


    "You''re a nice guy, Chad. Thank you!"


    flirted the female grand warrior. The way she addressed Chad nauseated everybody present.


    Each of the grand warriors collected his or her due portion from the huge pile of Primitive Stones before offering Darren numerous valuable treasures as rewards. Unfortunately, the treasures were of little use to Darren.


    "Darren, all these gifts are worldly possessions that you can choose to keep or discard. However, this one is different. You must carry it wherever you go in the southern land. That way, if you need our help, you can release your spiritual sense and summon our assistance." said Chad while passing a bead to Darren. It looked similar to the one the Grand Blood Refiner had given to him.


    The only difference was that Chad''s bead was filled with the spiritual intent of the three grand warriors. Therefore, once Darren used his spiritual sense to summon their spiritual intent in the bead, all three grand warriors would sense it and come to his rescue.


    This was precisely what Darren wanted. As for the other valuable treasures or tools, he showed no interest.


    "Thank you!" Darren took the bead and cupped his hands before the three grand warriors to show his gratitude.


    "It''s unnecessary for you to be so polite, Darren. We feel honored to help you a


    s inner world. To his amazement, he found that Colin''s Spirit Power was chaotic.


    "This appears to be the tricks used by rule cultivators!" uttered Darren through clenched teeth.


    In an attempt to subdue the force that had disturbed Colin''s mind, Darren tried to initiate his Spirit Power.


    Since Darren knew nothing of orthodox healing skills, he had to use his Spirit Power to drive out the evil force inside Colin. Four hours passed. Darren felt a sharp pain in his brain as if it were about to explode. At this critical moment, however, the strange power inside Colin''s head had been banished.


    Luster returned to Colin''s eyes and they responded to Darren. They were full of tears as soon as he recognized the young man in front of him. Darren could even hear the tears dripping from Colin''s face.


    "You''re...Darren?" asked Colin. His lips trembled like those of a dying man. He stopped to get a closer look at the man in front of him before continuing, "You''re back, Darren! Are you really Darren?"


    Colin rose to his feet with excitement. He hadn''t moved his gaze from the man in front of him for a single minute this whole time. Then he just stood and stared at Darren, speechless.


    Darren launched his spiritual sense toward Colin as he needed to check his friend''s physical state. It seemed that all of Colin''s meridians had broken and his cultivation base had disappeared.


    "Tell me, sir, what happened here? Where are the Holy Lord and Elsa?" murmured Darren.


    Colin shook his head and turned to look at the dilapidated palace. Then he sighed, "It''s all over. We are doomed!"


    Darren''s heart missed a beat when he heard Colin.


    "Bryan is a real bastard. We never expected that he would have such a terrifying ally supporting him. What a cunning snake!" There was a trace of fear in Colin''s voice.


    "Bryan? You meant the Blade Holy Lord? That son of a bitch?" roared Darren. Fury reflected in his eyes.


    Instead of inquiring any further, Darren helped to heal Colin''s wounds first. Since he was not in a state to speak, Darren believed that Colin would tell him everything once he had healed.

 Chapter 321 Both Principal And Interest (Part One)

    For ten days now, Darren was assimilating the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and poured it into Colin''s body. His condition had been better, and Colin''s vital energy passage and injuries were almost healed and restored, but the cultivation base that he had lost was beyond redemption.


    "Oh, no... What happened?" Colin opened his dull eyes and asked with a confused and bothered expression on his face.


    "Colin, tell me! Is it because of me that the Holy Land suffered such a tragic misfortune?" asked Darren the moment he saw that Colin regained consciousness. He was anxious to ask Colin, now that he was about to know the truth, his heart was bleeding. He knew the answer to that question perfectly to his heart, but he wanted to hear the words from Colin himself. He wanted to be slapped with the truth on his face that it was because of him. It all started with him killing the bloody son of the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land.


    "Indeed. Bryan was attacking our Holy Land under the pretext of revenge for his son. It was only at that time that you had already left. Bryan might have been planning it for a long time, but that was not the worst yet. All of us did not expect that he had such a strong backer," sighed Colin again. Inferring from the sound of his voice, Darren knew that Colin was in pain. Yet, the way he confronted Darren with the truth appeared as the tragedy happened a long time ago.


    "Oh, it''s all my fault. I should carry the blame upon my shoulders. But what about the disciples in the Lotus Holy Land? What did they do when the tragedy happened? How about the Holy Lord and Elsa, and my dear friend Bruce?" Darren ranted Colin with rains of questions. He was growing impatient and wanted all his doubts to be answered for the time being.


    "At that time, Bryan took away Holy Lord Diana and named Elsa as his next victim of merciless slaughter. Luckily, El


    I take away from them. I will show them no mercy!" Angered and frustrated at the same time, Darren snarled in resentment.


    Hearing the determined conviction from Darren, Colin forced a smile and shook his head discouragingly.


    "What''s with that hopelessness? You do not have faith in me?" questioned Darren as he saw the downcast look on Colin''s face.


    Darren was confident and made such a promise because several grand warriors also supported him. Even if they were not two-star grand warriors, they possessed formidable powers. Putting it on the other side, even if the grand warriors would not come to Darren''s aid, he still had the Water Kylin as his trump card


    In the outside world, once Darren released the Water Kylin, though, the beast had few rivals among the four regions of the continent when it came to strength and ability. It was even fair to say that he was invincible!


    However, it was also fair for Colin to doubt him. As an aftermath of what had happened, nobody would believe Darren. They did not think that he could avenge them; after all, the enemies were so powerful that they even destroyed the Holy Land and had the Holy Lord captured.


    Thus, Darren had to prove himself by taking actual actions, not just blubbering his words.

 Chapter 322 Both Principal And Interest (Part Two)

    Later, Darren inquired about some details from Colin and took him away and made some proper temporary arrangements for him. After making sure of Colin''s safety, Darren bid him goodbye and left.


    He was set to find Elsa, to reassure and rescue her. Aside from that, he would make sure that she was safe and would promise to avenge her from those who had threatened her life. Because of his journeys, Darren was gone for more than a year. Because of that, he could not imagine how Elsa looked by now, or worst what had happened to her if she was still safe and unharmed after the unknown rule cultivator saved her.


    "Elsa, Elsa, where are you? Aha! It must be Hailey or someone Hailey sent that took away Elsa." The first name that jumped in Darren''s head was the girl in purple garments.


    Though the idea excited Darren, the problem he had was finding Hailey. He was not able to maintain contact with her since she went away with Elder Thomas. This was one of the moments where Darren regretted not keeping close ties with friends.


    "Well, since I don''t know where to find her, I better go off to the Blade Holy Land. I am going to make some noise there. Maybe words about me will reach her, then she will find me instead." This was the best plan Darren could think of. He was going to make some noise in the Blade Holy Land. The news would break, and at that time, Hailey would come to him. He wished that his plan would turn out well, and he would be able to find Elsa as soon as possible.


    Killing Bryan was not part of his plan, for now. As based on Colin''s account of the tragedy, Bryan had a two-star grand warrior at his side, if Darren wanted to do something, he must be well-prepared.


    He could release the Water Kylin and start a massacre, but that would almost inevitably alert the grand


    ld realize, his hands and feet were severed from his body.


    "I won''t kill you because killing you is showing you too much mercy." Then, Darren flew to the older man and broke all of his energy meridians.


    A Wonder Realm true master now became a piece of weak and limbless garbage. It was way more painful than killing him.


    "Oh, you beast! You monster! How can you do this to me? I curse you! I will kill you!" The Blade Holy Land elder cursed with blood spluttering out of his mouth.


    "Beast? Monster? If I am a beast and a monster, then what are you? Are you not a monster when you mercilessly slaughtered the elders, their wives, and their children at my Holy Land? Today is the day of retribution. This is the price you have to pay." Saying that with extreme displeasure, Darren severed the elder''s tongue as well.


    "How dare you!" the elder mumbled. At that moment, a group of over twenty warriors arrived at the scene. They were all-powerful Blade Holy Land elders, some of which were even at the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm.


    "Good. This is exactly what I am looking for. Go to hell, all of you, scumbags!" While cursing them all at once, Darren grinned and drew out his weapon.

 Chapter 323 Massacre

    After hearing what had happened, almost all the powerful elders of the Blade Holy Land rushed over instantly.


    "It is that bastard!" The elders who had taken part in the deadly pursuit of Darren immediately recognized him.


    At the same time, they also noticed the elder lying on the ground whose legs and arms had been cut off. They all burst into fury.


    "You son of a bitch! How dare you hurt an elder of the Blade Holy Land? I will tear you into pieces!" the chief elder roared angrily. He was already at the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm and his strength was only a little less than the Holy Lords.


    "All right, you old assholes. Let''s play a cat and mouse game. None of you will be left alive today!" Darren didn''t want to talk nonsense with them any longer. He directly flew at them, casting the ice sword intent and the flame blade intent on an elder at once.


    Before the other elders could even react, the elder who had just been attacked by Darren had his limbs cut off.


    "Shit! This damn bastard is as fast as we are. We shouldn''t have underestimated him!" One of the elders at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm instantly flew over and caught the badly hurt elder.


    Darren had become incredibly strong now that he could easily destroy them all in a blink of an eye if he used his full power. He was invincible against the cultivators at the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm. He could even compete with a newly promoted grand warrior.


    However, thinking of the elders of the Lotus Holy Land who had sacrificed their lives for him, Darren decided not to kill the elders of the Blade Holy Land so quickly. He wanted to torture them slowly as they had done to the elders of the Lotus Holy Land. He wanted them to suffer ten times as much.


    "The strength of the little bastard has increased drastically. Let''s kill him together!" the chief elder ordered the other members, sensing how threatening Darren was now.


    All the elders of the Blade Holy Land then released their power. The combined power was so mighty that the earth trembled and the sky changed its color.


    "Omnipotent Talent Skill!" Half of them immediately used their strongest skills to attack Darren.


    Darren''s figure whooshed by.


    He did not feel an ounce of fear as he dashed towards them.


    "Domain!"


    Countless screams were suddenly heard from the elders.


    All the elders of the Blade Holy Land trembled at the sight of Darren''s blade and sword intent¡ªthey had never seen such a terrifying intent before.


    "How is that possible? He has a domain! A domain of blade intent and sword intent!" Two elders at the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm had just narrowly escaped the domain. The


    came.


    A figure stepped through countless blade shadows and walked into the void.


    A strong surge of killing intent immediately washed over Darren.


    Darren gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Humph! Mere bravado!" he said, brandishing his sword towards the man.


    With a wave of his hand, a powerful blade intent rushed out and wiped out Darren''s sword intent.


    "Ah! Here comes the Holy Lord!"


    "Our distinguished Holy Lord has reached the Grand Realm?"


    The two elders of the Blade Holy Land who had sustained serious injuries from Darren''s attack, now wore a look of pure joy and relief on their face. They sensed that the strength of their Holy Lord was profoundly overpowering, especially his blade intent¡ªit was so powerful that it could subdue other blade intents.


    Bryan glared at Darren with vicious eyes.


    "Choose a way to die," he coldly said.


    Bryan was actually shocked to find out that the bastard who had escaped would become so powerful now, but he did not let his emotions show.


    "Are you kidding me? You want to kill me? Bryan, even if you somehow managed to have reached the Grand Realm, there would still be no chance for you to win against me. You will die in my hands!" Darren had met several grand warriors. He had even met a powerful grand warrior like Finley. Just by looking at Bryan, Darren could tell that he had only just perceived the Blade Domain and had not reached the Grand Realm.


    That was to say, his strength now could only be compared to an injured Grand Blood Refiner, not even a real grand warrior. Darren still had sixty percent chance to win against him.


    "Well, you''ll still be dead today, anyway. You''ll find out in hell whether I''m a real grand warrior or not!" With these words, Bryan explosively released all his blade intent.

 Chapter 324 Appoint A Fight (Part One)

    "Bryan, I know you want to kill me as much as I want to kill you. But it''s not the time we settle the hatred between us!" said Darren through clenched teeth. Since Bryan had taken Diana as a hostage, Darren dared not to rush into a fight with him at this moment. He knew that saving Diana from the hands of his enemies would be even more difficult if he defeated or even killed Bryan.


    "Bring Diana to the Lotus Holy Land on the third day of the seventh lunar month. I''ll have a duel with you on that day to settle all the grudges between us. Only one of us will survive while the other one will be killed without mercy. You will never see me again if you dare hurt the Holy Lord Diana. Understand?" Darren spoke those words in an attempt of securing Diana''s safety and saving her in the future. He knew well that Bryan hated him so much that he would never find peace unless he killed him with his own hands.


    "Do you think you can escape your doom in your fight with our Holy Lord, bastard?" said the Chief Elder, standing arrogantly by Bryan''s side.


    "What a noisy beast! Go to hell!" roared Darren. He turned around to swing his sword at the Chief Elder of the Blade Holy Land. One moment, Darren''s sword flashed in the air and the next moment, the Chief Elder''s legs had been cut off.


    "No!" Seeing the mishap of his companion both enraged and frightened the other elder. To protect himself from being attacked by Darren, he rushed towards Bryan without delay.


    "Holy Lord, please kill that bastard and take revenge for us!" The elder wept as he trembled by the Holy Lord''s side.


    Bryan''s face contorted in extreme fury¡ªthe scene was an absolute atrocity. He then immediately turned around to launch a surprise attack at Darren.


    Instead of darting towards Bryan and warding off his attack, Darren swiftly backed off to avoid the fight and flew away at a fast speed.


    "Don''t come after me, Bryan. Let''s fight at the ruins of the Lotus Holy Land on the third day of the seventh lun


    elp of a two-star grand warrior, he would be invincible even if Darren had numerous tricks up his sleeve. No amount of trickery and deceit would help Darren escape from his doomed fate now.


    "The third day of the seventh lunar month is just one month away. Just wait, you bastard! The day of your death is not far away!" The elder wore a sly grin. Having watched how Darren cut off the limbs of his companions, he had housed endless hatred against Darren in the heart of his hearts.


    In just three days, the news of how Darren had cut off the limbs of the elders of the Blade Holy Land had spread to every corner of every Holy Land.


    With the circulation of the news from one person to another, Darren was described as the god of fight. The appointment to be held on the third day of the seventh lunar month was also talked about in every part of the Holy Lands.


    "Seems like Darren has achieved a lot in his martial arts. I know he practices blade and sword skills at the same time. I must go to the Lotus Holy Land to watch the fight with my own eyes," Holy Lord Landon of the Lightning Holy Land said to an old man by his side. Landon didn''t believe the news when he first heard about it, so he went to the Blade Holy Land to confirm it. He was shocked after he had found out that everything was true as the news told.

 Chapter 325 Appoint A Fight (Part Two)

    "Do you think Darren is capable enough to fight with Bryan, the Blade Holy Lord?" asked the old man, a hint of doubt evident in his tone. He was shrouded under a forceful aura typically belonging to an excellent warrior.


    "The fact is he went to the Blade Holy Land alone and disabled so many elders on his own. Not only that, but he also escaped from Bryan''s fatal attacks completely unharmed. I suspect that he is better than Bryan in terms of cultivation base!" said Landon confidently.


    "How... how is it possible? I''ve heard that with the help of a secret capable warrior, Bryan is only a half-step away from achieving the level of Grand Realm. Darren is just a young lad having little experience in the field of martial arts. How could it be possible that he is a match for Bryan?"


    "That''s why I must go to see the fight in person! If Darren is as smart as the news describe, I have to wipe him out with my own hands. It will be disastrous if he returns and finds some clues that can compromise us!" Landon furrowed his eyebrows and wore a solemn expression on his face. Green lightning flashed around him as he uttered every word in his cold voice.


    In addition to the clamor in the Holy Lands, Darren''s story made quite a stir in the Heavenly Palace Sect as well. No one believed that a young man under the age of twenty had an ability that almost reached a grand warrior. If everything about Darren was true, then his talents must be incredible.


    An advanced warrior in the Heavenly Palace Sect even sent people in search of Darren as he was eager to recruit Darren as his disciple.


    During the past few days, Darren didn''t idle his time away just waiting for the appointment. He traveled in every part of each of the Holy Lands and made his name known to the local people when necessary. He did so in an attempt to provide his


    hands and bear the ceaseless assaults from his enemies in silence.


    ''I know the Elder Star! He''s a nice guy. Wouldn''t it be improper to just watch as his disciple go under such humiliation without offering any assistance?'' thought Darren to himself. Before he knew it, he had already stepped towards the crowd in the fight.


    "Stop!" Darren commanded in a cold voice. This made all the perpetrators stop and turn around to look at him.


    "Who do you think you are, you son of a bitch? It''s none of your business!" One of the disciples of the Martial Holy Land raised an annoyed brow and scoffed at him. He and his companions had obviously become furious at Darren''s sudden appearance.


    "You dared insult me. That''s not very wise of you." Darren flashed a smug smirk at them before continuing, "Oh well... If you haven''t insulted me, I, Darren, wouldn''t have had any excuse to give you all a heavy beating!"


    The disciples scoffed at him. "Darren? Shake off your mask, you liar! You''re nothing but a bastard using Darren''s name! Even if the so-called Darren did come here himself, we will give him no chance of return. Attack, brothers!" All the disciples from the Martial Holy Land rushed at Darren upon the man''s order.

 Chapter 326 The Request

    Boom!


    Several disciples of the Martial Holy Land, who were at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm, ran towards where Darren was standing and shot their weapons on the young warrior.


    However, Darren remained motionless with his feet firmly rooted to where he was standing. The murderous intent in his eyes was so lethal that the enemies'' livers and galls seemed to be torn out from within.


    "Ah! This young man?"


    A certain disciple couldn''t believe his eyes at the sight of Darren.


    "Is he really Darren?" the man inquired further in astonishment. At that point, many people had gathered around. They were all stunned at the scene that was before their eyes.


    Nowadays, Darren''s physical strength had propelled to a higher level. Even the attacks of the overmatch at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm, he could effortlessly withstand without getting hurt.


    "Does anybody want to go on and attack me?" seeing that everyone was held frozen and nobody dared to take the first move, Darren asked indifferently.


    "No, no." The disciples pushed against each other as they staggered backward one by one.


    Whoosh!


    With one wave of his sword, Darren gave out an ice sword intent and knocked all of the disciples down on the ground.


    "What a powerful sword intent! He really must be Darren! He is the young man who created a tremendous uproar in the Blade Holy Land!" a disciple that was trampled on the ground reckoned.


    "Wow. I never expected that I have lived to see the powers of the legendary Darren. He is really an extraordinary genius. It pays me good to go out and join you today," echoed another disciple.


    People around started to discuss Darren''s magnanimous encounters and unbelievable feats in battle. Some young girls among them looked at Darren with tenderness, their hearts skipping a beat frantically.


    "Go and save yourself, futile minions!" Darren shouted in a cold voice. "If you are not convinced, you can take your revenge on me. I will wait for you here."


    "You really are Darren? Aren''t you? The legendary warrior?" one disciple asked.


    "Well. Let''s go,"


    another disciple said. Enduring great pain, they fled helter-skelter after giving a glare at Darren.


    On the other hand, Darren didn''t kill them for his own consideration. He wanted to see the real power of Shane, the man who even looked down upon the Heavenly Palace Sect.


    "Thank you so much, sir," the disciple of the Heavenly Palace Sect said as he stood up from the ground. Having witnessed Darren''s cultivation base, he thought it was necessary for him to show respect to Darren.


    "You are welcome. I know Elder Star. What I did is to help him as my friend," Darren replied with a light smile while letting his guard down.


    Hearing Darren''s words, the disciple was utterly sure that the man before him was indeed


    out as she threw herself into Darren''s arms and sobbed. The great beauty that glimmered as a pearl in the vast deep abyss was Elsa.


    Since they had been separated for a long time, Darren also missed her very much, so he hugged her tightly, feeling her warmth and sweet scent.


    "Oops. Do you need me to arrange a bed for you here?" Callie laughed at the moment, though she seemed to be a little jealous of Elsa being hugged tightly by Darren.


    The woman standing beside her was Hailey. Like Callie, she shared the same feeling.


    Blushing at the words of Callie, Elsa removed her hands, and just leaned on Darren''s shoulder.


    "Elder, are you all right?" Darren hurriedly asked as he bent down to salute to a middle-aged man.


    A relieved light released from his eyes, the middle-aged man came over to hold Darren up and said, "Darren, I''m so happy that you came back. Elsa was so worried about you in the past months."


    The man was Thomas, Elsa''s father.


    "Alas. It nearly caused your life to save me. I don''t know what to say. Darren, thank you so much for what you have done for me," Thomas sighed with his hands on Darren''s shoulders. No words could express how thankful he was to Darren.


    "Elder Thomas, you don''t need to thank me. It''s good to see that all of you are safe and unharmed." Darren gave Thomas a reassuring smile. The sincerity in his heart was betrayed in the expression on his face. The young warrior had such a pure heart, blameless, and always willing to help.


    "Oops. Why are you father-in-law and son-in-law so polite with one another? Don''t do that again. Darren, now that you have come back, Hailey has something to confide to you. You must help her," looking at Darren with a mysterious smile, Callie uttered.


    As expected, Darren knew that Hailey wouldn''t help him for no reason at all, so he immediately sat down to give an ear to her request.

 Chapter 327 The Seed Of Heavenly Repression (Part One)

    "We''re not in a hurry, Callie. Darren must be tired. He needs to rest first," said Hailey Yao to the girl clad in a purple attire.


    "What can I do for you, Miss Yao? You have helped me for several times. I''ll do my utmost effort to help you. So please let me know what I can do for you," Darren told Hailey earnestly. His eyes were full of kindness and appreciation.


    "It''s complicated. I have to ask my master for the detailed information before we talk about it,"


    replied Hailey, her lips forming an awkward smile. Darren nodded gently to her as a response.


    Hailey then proceeded to arrange a bumper meal for everybody''s treat. Afterwards, when they finished their nice and delicious meal, Darren and Elsa went out together for a walk.


    "Do you already know the mishap in the Holy Land, Darren?" Elsa turned to look at Darren as she asked her question. They continued to walk slowly outside as they talked. Her whole aura had turned gloomy. Her eyes were sad and distant and her lips had turned downwards to form a frown. Her face was full of anguish and misery as the sad memory replayed inside her mind.


    "Yes, I know it very well. I will kill Bryan no matter what the cost. That bastard must repay the debt with his blood!" Darren almost roared with indignation. His voice was full of rage and determination as he stared into the distance. He clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles turned white.


    "Kill Bryan? Isn''t it too risky? Bryan is terrible, and he has a grand warrior in support of him. We should not take any rash actions. We must be careful, Darren!" exclaimed Elsa, her eyes shifting from sadness to fear and uneasiness.


    "Don''t be so worried, Elsa. I have achieved the Wonder Realm and is close to a grand warrior in terms of strength. Bryan has somebody in support of him in secret; why can''t I find some source of assistance for myself? I''ll kill both Bryan and the grand warrior,


    e it," said Callie while pointing at an old thatched cottage in the front. Elsa followed the direction with her eyes and saw what she was pointing at.


    "Okay." Elsa nodded at Callie and pushed open the door.


    The interior was so dimly illuminated that it was hard to make anything out inside the room. A faint smell of mildew filled the air inside. A flickering oil lamp on an old shabby table was the only source of light in the room.


    Elsa scanned the room and noticed that a person wrapped in black hood and robes was sitting by the side of the table. The person sat with his or her back against Elsa.


    Elsa stayed silent from the first moment she stepped in. She studied the person in black and tried to measure the person''s height as she wondered who he or she was. Then, she fixed her eyes on the person''s hands on the table, and her eyes caught an object which looked exactly like dry twigs. Elsa''s heart missed a beat as the sight brought back some memories to her that she had long forgotten.


    "How should I address you, sir or madam? Are you..." asked Elsa with hesitation.


    The person in black slowly turned around to face Elsa. The hood was removed to reveal the face carefully wrapped in it. Elsa backed off in astonishment after seeing who the person was.

 Chapter 328 The Seed Of Heavenly Repression (Part Two)

    This face was dry and old as an aged person. Besides, there were barely any flesh on it nor blood within its skin. The framework of the face could clearly be seen as there was only a thin layer of dry skin on it. Under the dry skin was a web of green meridians, and a trace of green light could be seen in the eyes.


    "Witcher! You''re a witcher! Am I right, sir?" The memory about the powerful witchers in the forbidden area was still fresh in her mind.


    Elsa was startled at the appearance of a witcher outside their own world. She wondered why this witcher wanted to see her in private. At the same time, she understood that this witcher must be the master of Hailey and Callie.


    "Take your seat, Elsa." Elsa heard the witcher speak in a dry voice as if he hadn''t had water for a million years.


    "Yes, sir." Elsa nodded and obeyed. She took her seat on an obsolete bamboo chair by his side.


    "Are you willing to help Hailey if she needs your assistance?" asked the witcher directly. He was very straightforward and didn''t beat around the bush.


    "Help Hailey? Of course! I''ll do whatever I can to help her. Please tell me, sir, what I can do for her," responded Elsa without any hesitation.


    The witcher nodded his head slightly. With a glint of green light flashing in the witcher''s eyes, a segment of memory was transmitted into Elsa''s mind.


    Elsa had sunk into silence for a long while when she received the message of memory from the witcher. Then she shook her head violently and spoke with sheer determination, "No, sir, I cannot do it!"


    At the same time when Elsa and the witcher were holding their secret conversation, Darren and Hailey were carrying out theirs.


    "Do you know why I was in the Ilmen Sect back then, Darren?" Hailey suddenly raised this unexpected question in the middle of their conversation.


    Darren shook his head.


    "I was infected with Heavenly Repression at that time. My master


    pression before you reach the Holy Realm," said Hailey with great confidence.


    This made Darren very much delighted. Now he was more determined to help Hailey as this would benefit both of them.


    "All right. Since this is conducive to the both of us, let''s do it as soon as possible. Please take me to see your master, so we can immediately commence this whole thing."


    At that moment, Darren felt extremely curious at Hailey''s master because of his powerful magical skills. He knew well how powerful the Heavenly Repression was, so he was eager to know how her master had helped her survive the initial attack of the Heavenly Repression. Her master was even able to seal the integrated force of Primitive Feminine and Primitive Masculine power! How capable was this man? Darren was eager to find out.


    He couldn''t wait any more to see this powerful rule cultivator and his body was tingling with anticipation. It was even impossible to eliminate the Heavenly Repression in the Ancient Void Battlefield. But the rule cultivator was able to seal it in Hailey''s body. No matter who he was, his magical skills startled Darren to the extreme.


    "But..."


    Suddenly, Hailey became hesitant. She stammered because she had no idea how she should tell the following words to Darren.

 Chapter 329 The Reluctant Decision (Part One)

    "Why? What is it? Come on! Just tell me!" Darren beckoned Hailey to come over and encouraged her to spill it out to him as he saw the hesitation in the girl''s eyes.


    "This...hmmm" Pulling all the confidence that she had, Hailey stepped closer to Darren, leaned over, and whispered something in his ear. After doing that, Hailey''s cheeks were scarlet red with embarrassment, and her hands were shivering as she waited for Darren''s response.


    At first, Darren couldn''t believe what he had heard from Hailey, but as the words synced into him, Darren frowned and blurted out, "No way! I can''t do that!" Confused, stunned, and in torment, the young warrior was caught in a grave situation.


    Meanwhile, inside the thatched cottage, while everything else was calm and quiet, Elsa sat in a bamboo chair deep in her thoughts. The chilly breeze, coupled with the chirping of the birds were not able to suppress what Elsa was feeling.


    With battling emotions, Elsa didn''t expect that the only way to help Hailey was so weird. Weird to the extent that she found it hard whether she should condone or go against it.


    "I am afraid I can''t do that, sir. You may think that I am too selfish, but that is just more than I can handle." Elsa bowed her head as she expressed her refusal. Deep inside her, she could not accept the proposal, and not even think about it.


    Upon hearing the response, the witcher gazed at Elsa, with the green light shimmering in his eyes. The witcher understood that it would be hard for Elsa, yet that was the only way, and they could do nothing but let that happen, no matter whether Elsa liked it or not. After giving the girl a few quiet moments, the witcher came closer and said with a s


    offer," Darren said firmly. He was staring at Hailey without blinking his eyes. He wanted to show her that he really meant his words.


    Accepting the harsh rejection from Darren, Hailey stayed put and kept her silence, and tears were filling her eyes.


    Right at that moment, she just felt terribly sad, as if the world had dawned at her. During the days when she was not under the threat of the Heavenly Repression, she lived up like the stars in the sky. She was a very attractive girl, adored and sought after by a significant number of talented young men.


    However, by whatever twist of fate, she was forced to propose such a taboo for the first time in her life. She knew that many of the men who pursued her dreamt of doing the act with her. However, with Darren, he just refused her.


    At the moment, thinking about her fate and Darren''s rejection, Hailey couldn''t help the tears from running down her face quietly.


    "I know it is hard for you to accept what I have proposed, but I have to do it. That is the only way. Sometimes, I just want to live for myself, but there are too many things that we have to do in the world.

 Chapter 330 The Reluctant Decision (Part Two)

    A person like me is naturally doomed to live for others. You, of all people, should know how it feels when you empathize with the sadness and the joy of the people who you care about while they cry and laugh. But, Darren, did you ever imagine what your life would be if you were just living for the world?" Hailey said in tears, and her radiant face was now etched with a deep sense of emptiness and hopelessness.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about, but what I am certain of this time is that, whatever happens, I will not disappoint the girl who I have already loved," Darren said firmly, still not yielding to agree with Hailey.


    With that, Hailey softly wiped away the tears on her face and said with a bitter smile, "You are a good man, but some things are doomed to happen. I am sorry, Darren. I just have to do what needs to be done."


    Then Hailey released a robust Spirit Power to wrap Darren. The Spirit Power was so potent that it was difficult or even impossible for Darren to resist.


    Just at the moment, Callie suddenly appeared to help Hailey. She also released her Spirit Power and bound Darren more.


    With the combined forces from both Hailey and Callie, Darren was utterly immobilized, though his Spirit Power kept trying to fight. Yet, the Spirit Power that the two girls released was so strong that he soon fell into silence.


    Soon, Darren seemed to have forgotten everything, and his mind seemed to be an empty shell, light and void. In his eyes, he could only see Hailey.


    He was experiencing an illusion that was the same as that unleashed by Callie towards him when they were in the Blade Holy Land.


    In his eyes right a


    aid the witcher before turning around and walking out towards the light door.


    After the witcher left, Elsa flopped herself down on the ground. She was unable to come to her senses until a purple figure came over.


    "Elsa, you should have known by now that to untie the seed of Heavenly Repression in Hailey, she needs my master''s magical skill to help her. Uniting with Darren through sexual intercourse would be the only way to do that. Do you know about that?" Callie said abruptly as she came in front of Elsa, not wasting a single moment.


    "Yes, I know, and I understand," answered Elsa shortly with her eyes still fixed on the ground.


    "So, what would be your decision?" asked Callie hastily. She was eager and afraid at the same time to hear what Elsa would say.


    After a moment''s silence, Elsa raised her head and waved one sleeve of her garments to wipe the tears off her eyes. Then with firm convictions, she stated, "I agree."


    Hearing Elsa''s answer, Callie was supposed to be delighted, but she could not afford to do so. She had felt Elsa''s ineffable sorrow and felt sorry for her.

 Chapter 331 Split Up (Part One)

    "Elsa! Are you okay?" The grief that radiated out from Elsa pierced Callie''s heart. She wanted to comfort her as much as she could, yet she was at a loss for words. The baffled cultivator could not think of anything better to do except being with her for the moment.


    "I am okay. I guess this is just the way life is. Let''s go and find Hailey." Elsa gave a bitter smile while turning her head to look at Callie. She wanted to show her that she had already accepted her fate. At the bottom of her heart, she just made an unwavering decision.


    "You know what is going to happen to Hailey if she won''t do that, right?" Callie asked while staring at Elsa''s back.


    "I have no clue. But I have seen what I should know. Those visions are enough for me." Elsa stopped for a second before she continued with her shaky voice. "Callie, can you do me a favor at least? After Darren and Hailey are done with the act, can you please make up some excuse so that you can take me to them?"


    "Why do you want to put yourself through something like this?" Baffled, Callie asked out of her instinct. She could not understand Elsa''s request. If it was Callie in her shoes, under such circumstances, wasn''t she supposed just to pretend not knowing anything to get through the ordeal of the whole process?


    "I have to find the closure that I need so that I can leave all this behind me." As she uttered those words, Elsa''s voice echoed across the gray surrounding, filled with frustrations. After such phrases filled with uttermost grief escaped her mouth, Elsa slowly walked out of the hut with her spirits detached from her body. Callie could sense how miserable she was even when she tried so hard to suppress it inside her.


    Left alone beside the well, Callie grew silent after Elsa''s departure. She was heartbroken and was almost as miserable as Elsa. She was obliged to sy


    he knew that could fool the Heavenly Repression. However, he was still spotted, blanked out, and demoralized at the turn of events.


    His black robe rustled by the waves of the gale. He fixed his eyes on that hut, and then finally understood the reason why the thunder appeared.


    Two strong powers were confronting each other in that hut. The dark gold internal force and purple gold internal force both shot straight to the air as if the entire space was about to be shattered into pieces.


    Not anticipating the incredible scene, the witcher walked over to the hut briskly. His black robe suddenly expanded and covered the two confronting powers, confining them entirely and not letting them escape.


    He hunkered down in a curved position while floating into the air. Joining the palms of his two hands together, he began to cast some dark spells to ward off the threat.


    Right at that moment, both powers were blocked entirely, and not even a strand could seep through the witcher''s black robe. With that, the black thunder finally dispersed and vanished into thin air. However, underneath that black robe, the withered body of the witcher was pulverized like sand. He was slowly descending from the sky like a weightless feather.

 Chapter 332 Split Up (Part Two)

    The strong wind blew over the black robe. The witcher was now turned into sand completely, scattering slowly in the wind. The black rope that was left of the witcher finally settled down, with a soft churn on the earth. When the robe was untangled, however, two bodies appeared out of all the dust therein.


    At this instant, in the darkest place of the eight Holy Lands, countless black-robed men gathered and stared into the sky. Sense of sadness grasped all of their hearts. They were mourning for their loss.


    "He has fallen," one of the black-robed men uttered.


    "Then, that means that the day shall come very soon," retorted another man in a black robe.


    In the blood pool at the forbidden area of the Dragon Holy Land, a bloody claw was waving like crazy above the surface where the pool of blood laid scattered. The disturbance rattled the entire area.


    Twelve powerful witchers were highly concentrating, using their Witcher Powers to suppress the disturbance in the pool.


    "It is coming," they signed and looked at each other with worried expressions on their faces.


    In the land of wilderness, the storm finally settled, revealing the ravaged landscape and two entangled bodies on it.


    A black robe drifted down from the sky and covered the naked bodies.


    A beautiful figure appeared in front of the two unconscious bodies. Looking down at them with a forlorn expression on her face, Elsa couldn''t lift her eyes away from the two bodies that were entwined.


    "Wake them up," with a mellow voice, Elsa instructed Callie, who just flew over.


    "Yes." Stepping aside, Callie nodded and unleashed her Spirit Power. As the spirit condensed upon them


    he had been putting herself in a humble position, yet she turned out to be the antagonist in the whole scheme of the story.


    She had been dwelling on this question for too long in her mind. Strands of her once-black hair turned white visibly because of the torture and the ordeals.


    "You are not the only one who is hurt, and no one would constantly put themselves in a humble position like I did. One day you will understand, Darren!" Hailey murmured to herself with a barely audible voice before she took off into the air and disappeared, leaving Darren and Callie behind.


    As she flew away, Darren stared at her receding figure and hatred was lessened in his eyes all of a sudden. He sensed the desperation and pity in her eyes when she left.


    "Whoo!" Still enraged, Darren stood there for a while before he also took off and left. He continued flying though he didn''t know where he was heading to.


    At the same time, in the vast land of wilderness, there was only a figure in purple garments was standing, all alone, shattered, and desolate. Callie had no idea what she should do next and where to go.

 Chapter 333 A Period Of Getting Calmed Down (Part One)

    With a heavy head and a broken heart, Darren fleeted away in distress. His entire being, credibility as a warrior, and loyalty as a lover, all of which sank as if they were flushed into an endless abyss. He couldn''t help but feel violated and abused in a way.


    This whole thing happened completely beyond his expectations. Elsa looked terribly sad when she flew away after seeing him naked with Hailey. Her woeful yet radiant and innocent face tortured his heart whenever the thought of her lingered in his mind. The sadness that he was enduring right now was immense. But what could he do? He let everything happen because he was given no other options.


    As he was determined to dismiss the nightmare off his head, Darren dashed forward like a furious bell. Since the witcher was dead, the restriction spell over the vast land of wilderness lessened. Thus, the furious warrior had all the freedom to fly at the fastest speed he could. He was able to fly out of the area after a couple of deep breaths.


    Yet, no matter how fast he went, he flew in the air like a stray bird. He had no idea where he should go. A sense of hollowness had taken control of his heart as well as his mind that he couldn''t think clearly at the moment.


    Suddenly, after a few moments of thinking hard, an idea struck him. ''Why can''t I go and hide in the Ancient Void Battlefield for a while?'' thought Darren to himself. Thinking of that as an advantage for him, he channeled all his strength and initiated his spiritual sense to open the entrance of the Ancient Void Battlefield. As for Elsa, Darren knew there was nothing he could do to regain her trust. What he had done to her was unforgivable. The distressed warrior had to wait, and maybe then, time could heal her wounded heart and ease the bad memories away. Then, perhaps, he could find an opportunity to explain what really happened.


    "Aha! Darren, it''s you! Why do you come here? Does any danger befall on you in the outside world?" asked Finley as he sensed that someone entered the Ancient Void Battlefield. He immediately flew to check and was surprised to see that it was Darren.


    "No. I just came to have a look here. How was the kid?" asked Darren in a low spirit while looking at Finley.


    is cultivation base, so he could do nothing to improve his martial skills any further. Since the dying Water Kylin needed some time to recover, he had no one in his company. Finley felt extremely bored. He pondered for a moment and decided not to bother Darren at this moment. So he leaped toward another direction. The next moment, he found himself standing in front of the Water Kylin. Looking at the stupid beast covered in blood, Finley could not help but burst into a wild fit of laughter.


    "Stop laughing at me, you idiot! I''ll smash your face and tear apart your lips after I finish this process of transformation ten years later!" arrogantly shouted the Water Kylin in spite of being physically weak at the moment.


    "Smash my face and tear apart my lips? Just look at yourself, dude! Be gentle to me, or I''ll slap you without mercy!" Saying that, Finley disappeared for a while. When he reappeared, with him was a handful of fine white sands cupped in his hands.


    "Do you know what this is, dude? These fine grains are sea salt left in the Dead Sea from the Last Age. It will bring you a fantastic scorching feeling when I sprinkle them on your flesh. I think it is much more unbearable than the most advanced Flame Intent. What about have a try of it, dude?" Though he was still suggesting it, Finley already sprinkled the salt on the Water Kylin''s bare flesh before he had an opportunity to reject. In response, the Water Kylin''s flesh hissed immediately as the salt fell on it.

 Chapter 334 A Period Of Getting Calmed Down (Part Two)

    "I... will... fuck... you!" yelled the Water Kylin with a woeful shriek. The pain was so harsh that he cried with tears rushing down his eyes toward the ground.


    "I will never forget this, Finley. How dare you spray salt on my wounds? You''re a dead man. I swear I will never forgive you! You must repay multiple times than what I am experiencing today. My god, that really hurts!" shouted the Water Kylin in desperate craziness. He then passed out amidst his wailing.


    "Stupid beast! The salt is an excellent way to enhance your physical strength. You should thank me that the idea came into my mind all of a sudden. Your body will become as solid as iron and steel after that pain. You owe me your gratitude, man! Don''t be such an ungrateful ass!" murmured Finley seriously. Then he left to collect more salt.


    At the same time, when all these funny things were happening, Darren was wandering about aimlessly in the Ancient Void Battlefield like a ghost.


    He had gone so far that he came to a place he hadn''t visited before. Everything in that place was new to his eyes, even the feel of the gentle breeze that touched his skin. "What is this place? I''ve never seen such a place here in the Ancient Void Battlefield before!" As he was wondering, a cave with a dim light inside caught Darren''s attention.


    As the controller of the Ancient Void Battlefield, Darren knew every sand and stone in the area with his spiritual sense. To his amazement, however, he hadn''t noticed this cave before.


    Seized by curiosity, Darren walked into the cave without hesitation.


    A gentle force at the entrance stopped him from advancing any further. Though the energy was as soft and calm as water, Darren was unable to ward it off, no matter how hard he had tried. The special force startled him to the point that he was so eager to know where it came from.


    "It''s weird! I''m the one that controls and owns the whole land. What kind of restriction spell can stop me in my domain?"


    Asking that question to himself, Darren felt puzzled. Though he was comparatively weak in his contr


    rrior''s force of control had a very close connection with the levels of martial arts. Darren was just a warrior in the Wonder Realm in the Ancient Void Battlefield. That meant he was still weak in his force of control inside the battlefield.


    Therefore, to improve his force of control, he had to adjust the level of his martial arts accordingly. If Darren was able to reach the middle stage of the Wonder Realm in the outside world, he would be at the level of the middle stage of the Wonder Realm in the Ancient Void Battlefield as well.


    With that idea in mind, Darren stayed in the Ancient Void Battlefield. Here he had spent three years practicing his martial arts. But the three years just equaled to over ten days in the outside world as time in the Ancient Void Battlefield flowed much more slowly than in the outside world. The three years in the Ancient Void Battlefield had brought peace to Darren''s mind. He was grateful that he recalled less and less the bad memory of that day. He would be even more thankful if he would forget all of it as time went by.


    In a couple of days, the appointment on the third day of the seventh lunar month between Darren and Bryan would commence. Looking forward to that day, Darren decided to leave the battlefield as he must face his duty and destiny. When he was fully set and prepared, he flew out of the Ancient Void Battlefield.

 Chapter 335 Search For Darren (Part One)

    After staying for quite a long time at the Ancient Void Battlefield, Darren felt a sense of renewed spirit now that he was out of his refuge once more. The sunshine was gentle and felt warm to his skin, and the air emitted a sweet scent to his senses. He must admit that staying at the battlefield was good for him¡ªhe was able to calm down.


    "I must do what I should do now," Darren muttered to himself as he was quite motivated right now and decided to shut off all the unpleasant things on his mind. However, instead of flying back to the Lotus Holy Land, he headed towards the Martial Holy Land. He had planned to meet Shane first before heading to the Lotus Holy Land. He felt obliged to see him because he was quite curious about that man.


    At breakneck speed, Darren arrived at the street of Martial Holy Land in about an hour.


    During that time of the day, on the street gathered a group of powerful malicious-looking martial artists who were asking around about something. Once the person they asked couldn''t answer their questions, the martial artists would beat them violently.


    "I heard that the bastard once lived in your inn. Tell me where the brute went! Don''t lie to me!" a young martial artist at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm bellowed as he grabbed the waiter of the inn where Darren once stayed. With a ferocious blow of his clenched fist, he punched the waiter fiercely.


    "I..." The waiter was about to say something when another punch hit his mouth. This time, blood sputtered out, and his teeth were knocked off.


    "Don''t you want to tell me the truth? You want to be dead, huh? Ha-ha," the youth laughed vehemently, not giving the waiter a break. A punch, a kick, a nudge, the waiter took all the blow from the domineering martial art


    s life hanging in a small thread. Covered by a pile of superior spiritual herbs, he hurried to take them one by one and was grateful to improve a little from his wounds.


    At the moment, he, being both astonished and excited, made kowtows to the back of Darren, seeing him as a man with remarkable power. He was grateful that he came just at the right time to save him from that barbaric martial artist.


    Saving him, and offering superior spiritual herbs to heal him, flattered the waiter so much. Such acts of kindness from Darren were far more significant than treasures that the waiter couldn''t manage to obtain throughout his lifetime. Albeit, while looking at the pile of superior spiritual herbs in front of him, the waiter was so overwhelmed. He became so rich instantly that he could buy hundreds of inns with them.


    But why did Darren go to the wild land out of the city? As for Darren, because the disciple of Elder Star told him that Shane had almost reached the Grand Realm, he decided to meet him at the wild land on the outskirts of the city. He did that as a precaution so that they wouldn''t hurt innocent people once a fight broke out between the two of them.

 Chapter 336 Search For Darren (Part Two)

    When he walked out in the crowd, however, many people who had seen him before and known his true identity shouted in excitement, "Hey, it is Darren, the unusual genius."


    "Wow. He has disappeared for dozens of days. I supposed that he was scared away," echoed another bystander.


    "Bullshit! Even the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land couldn''t rival him. How could he run away? He must have dealt with something important," implied someone.


    "Something interesting will surely happen. I heard that the man who troubled him was also a big bug. His status is even higher than the Holy Lords. He is a genius of the mysterious Chasm Clan!" argued another observer.


    Though he had overheard the discussions clearly, Darren ignored them all. He just continued walking with his head held high towards the wild land out of the city. Darren knew that words of his arrival would eventually spread and reach Shane in no time. He would surely come to Darren once he heard that he was around.


    When Darren got out of the city, he flew the distance and arrived at the wild land. The area would be a perfect spot as it was an almost empty vast that spread about a hundred miles. Upon reaching the wild land, however, several powerful men chased after him at a fast pace.


    "Stop right there!"


    a man shouted and warned Darren. They blocked his way, and Darren eventually slowed down.


    "He is the man that we want!" one of the young men amongst the group at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm said to the three other men.


    Craaaaack! To everyone''s surprise, the youth at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm was heavily slapped in the face by one of the three other men.


    "You beast. How dare you lie


    m was completely taken aback as if he had stepped into a trap of unredeemable depth.


    The sword intent was so sharp and potent with the nip that chilled them to their bones. The chills froze the three warriors and prevented them from generating their power for a counter-attack.


    The sword intent greatly impaled the body of the middle-aged man at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm. Within seconds, he was frozen stiff and fell on the ground with an eerie thud.


    The two men beside the fallen middle-aged man were all stunned in dumb surprise. Having sensed the mighty sword intent and witnessed the death of the man at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm, they were all terrified and trembled at their knees. They remained still and motionless, entirely at a loss, their faces blanching pale with fear.


    "How dare you!" At the point, a daunting voice roared from the skyline and descended upon Darren.


    "Ha-ha. Now you''re finally here," Darren laughed grimly upon hearing the voice. After wasting so much time and power, his interest somehow intensified at the sight of the inhumane face he had been waiting to see.

 Chapter 337 The Battle Between Overmatches

    Up in the sky, a figure clad in blue floated high in the clouds with a strong momentum. He held a black spear of which the coldness was on par with that of the ice intent of Darren.


    Darren raised his head and fixed his eyes on the stalwart figure. The moment their eyes met, both of their murderous intent looked as fierce as real weapons.


    The person looked to be only in his thirties, but Darren could tell that he was very powerful. He was really a striking genius.


    Even the Holy Lords of the eight Holy Lands wouldn''t be able to match with him.


    Like Darren, the figure also was aware of Darren''s mighty power.


    With his spiritual sense, though Darren standing on the ground, who was under twenty, was only at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm, the figure felt that Darren was like a sharp sword held up to his throat or a potent saber erected on his head. In fact, he seldom had such feelings when he met the younger generation, especially young men not belonging to the Chasm Clan.


    "You are really powerful." The rough voice of the figure came. Despite their great distance, Darren could hear it loud and clear.


    "You too. Your spear intent has attained the peak of perfection. I guess it is probably at the premium stage," Darren praised in a calm and peaceful tone. He continued to stare at the figure in the sky.


    "Ha-ha. You are an observant man. If you are not a busy-body, I would like to make friends with you," the figure said.


    "Shut up! I will never accept friendship from a man with the style like yours!" Darren shouted coldly. He remembered the evildoings done by the figure''s men, so he did not trust nor respect him. He had already looked down upon the outrageous man. When he thought of him looting others'' treasures, Darren''s antipathy towards him surged higher.


    "Well! Let''s fight like enemies!" His bossy and arrogant voice resonated as he descended from the clouds.


    Whoosh!


    Darren suddenly moved and turned into a shadow, shooting into the midair.


    The blade and sword intents released around his body exploded in the air. As a result, the space was carved up with some tiny crannies.


    "Ha-ha. You are a cultivator of both the blade and the sword! You are even stronger than I have expected. It seems that I really confront an overmatch. Let''s fight to full!"


    The figure was exactly Shane Xiao. Rather than get startled, he exclaimed in excitement. For others with the power close to the Grand Realm, they would always be taken aback by Darren''s mighty blade intent and sword intent. However, Shane was so different.


    Obviously, Shane was also extremely powerful with serious faith in himself and his capabilities. When he met an opponent on par with him, his morale was activated.


    Boom!


    With an unparalleled aura, more aggressive than Darren''s blade intent alone, Shane''s spear


    st before you talk big!" Shane shouted, matching Darren''s arrogance. He swiftly pounced on Darren to beat him. Darren was forced to take a step back.


    "The domain skill!" Darren yelled out loud while displaying the Blade and Sword Domain after he fought Shane back with a blast of strong blade and sword intent.


    "Damn it! The Blade and Sword Domain!" Shane cursed, for he had never expected that the young man at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm could use the domain skill.


    At that moment, he was shocked at Darren''s talented power. He was impressed by the extent of his abilities. He had to admit that he couldn''t rival him at his age.


    "Well. So you want to fight me with the domain skill.


    Fine! Invincible Spear Domain!"


    Shane grumbled. After snapping back to reality from his astonishment, he found that he had been sieged by Darren''s domain. Thus, he must demonstrate his real power now, or he would be defeated in less than an hour. Considering this, he activated the Invincible Spear Domain that he had never displayed after he had mastered the skill.


    "Good job. You have comprehended the incomplete domain skill. You are not far from the Grand Realm," Darren praised, his voice calm as the sea.


    Roar!


    The sky seemed to explode when the Blade and Sword Domain and the Invincible Spear Domain contended with one another. This time, the Blade and Sword Domain was one upon the Invincible Spear Domain. Shane looked exhausted and unsteady under the forceful collision.


    "Damn! You are really powerful. I will use my trump card now. I''m so worried that I will kill you if I couldn''t control my power. It is so rare to meet a genius like you. If I kill you by accident, please don''t blame me!"


    Shane thundered, his eyes full of blood streaks. His body was flowing with tremendous power. At that moment, he could no longer contain himself to use his utmost power.

 Chapter 338 Fight To Hearts Content

    Darren attacked Shane fiercely. He had thought that Shane had used his full power in previous attacks. However, it seemed that he still had other skills. Thus, Darren couldn''t afford to be fainthearted and hesitant in action.


    In fact, Darren had also hidden two unique skills¡ªthe Blood Dragon Phantom and the dark gold internal force. So, he wasn''t too worried.


    Whistle!


    Just as Shane was about to release his most potent skill, several figures flashed past, like rainbows, and landed around Darren and Shane.


    "Oh, these are two young men. I thought they were two grand warriors fighting against one another!"


    "The lad looks under twenty. How could he be so mighty? We felt the blast wave of the battle seven hundred miles away."


    "Brother, should we stop them?" one of the men asked as he looked at their leader, a man in his forties.


    "No. They are so powerful. We''d better not provoke them. But, you can watch and learn before we return to the Heavenly Palace Sect," the leader replied.


    "Okay." The man nodded.


    Four men had flown to investigate the battle when they felt the shock waves. After discussing for a while, they retreated far from Darren and Shane to watch their fighting.


    Darren continuously suppressed Shane with his domain skill while directing violent blade and sword intent at his opponent. After a short while, it appeared as though Shane was weakening and not in a position to continue resisting Darren''s attacks.


    "Ha-ha. Good. You deserve to try my Spear Soul!"


    Shane blurted. Then, he promptly spat a mouthful of blood essence on his black spear.


    Darren''s eyes widened as a sense of foreboding coursed through him. He wasn''t as anxious about Shane as he was about the black spear in his hand.


    "Let''s see if you can defend against this! And remember, you forced me to use my skill, the Spear Soul! Nothing could suppress my Spear Soul except the domain skill displayed by a true grand warrior.


    Crush him!"


    Shane shouted. The black spear in his hand looked alive as it released a cold roar. Instantly, an overwhelming aura enveloped Darren.


    In the blink of an eye, more than ten thousand spear shadows darted into Darren''s domain.


    The space trembled and shook violently. Streaks of lightning kindled by the spear shadows danced in the air.


    Thunder!


    A roar as deafening as thunder resounded in the space as Darren''s domain crumbled after the attack by the formidable spear shadows.


    What startled Darren more was that the force adhered to the black spear was endowed with such overbearing might.


    In the distance, the onlooking overmatches w


    " Shane howled, no longer as calm as before. Since Darren had managed to withstand his unique skill, Shane was both astounded and wrathful.


    However, at the point, his desire to win the battle increased manifold. What such a close battle required was enduring fighting capacity. Shane was convinced that he would win if he persisted.


    Darren and Shane continued to fight for at least another four hours after releasing their superior skills. Afterward, the battle''s result was still doubtful as both contenders stood in their corners of the battlefield, bruised and wounded.


    "I feel so great!" Darren called out. He didn''t worry much about his wounds. What was important to him was this experience of fighting against a worthy competitor against whom he could unleash his skills to their fullest potential.


    "Humph. Your power is still decreasing. You will lose if we continue. But, we don''t have to reach that point just yet. If you admit defeat, I promise I won''t kill you," Shane suggested. A sense of relief flooded him when he realized that Darren''s power was decreasing faster than his.


    "You must be kidding. I''ll never admit defeat! I am enjoying fighting against you. I won''t take your life, either. But you''d better behave from now on!" Darren responded with a sneer as the dark gold internal force surged high in his body.


    "Eh?" Shane was stunned when he felt a horrible force. "Does the lad have yet another unique skill?"


    With that, Shane suddenly turned pale as despair coursed through him.


    In the next instant, he saw a dark gold force tear a piece of the void before heading toward him.


    "Gosh! I''m done," Shane muttered to himself, going as white as a sheet when faced with the unrivaled dark gold force.

 Chapter 339 Making New Friends (Part One)

    "What the hell! What is that force?" hollered the spectators in chorus as they observed the raging fight on the sideline.


    They backed off hurriedly to keep a larger distance with the two men in the middle of the fight. The dark gold internal force frightened them to their cores.


    Shane seemed to have significantly lost his strength to ward off. In face of the dark gold internal force darting at him at a fleeting speed, he stood there motionlessly, as he could do nothing but to watch and wait for his doom. At this critical moment, he felt the call of the God of Death.


    This terrifying scene could drive fear into anyone''s heart.


    Shane was shocked at Darren''s capabilities. It seemed that he had underestimated him as he did not expect that Darren would be able to use such a great force at the very beginning of the fight. According to his estimations, he would be defeated within just an hour even if he fought back with all the might he had had in his prime. In face of such a dreadful force, Shane did not dare to fight back directly. He focused on the defense, and kept dodging aside to escape the fatal force and sought opportunities to attack whenever it was possible.


    ''I''m a loser. There is not the smallest chance for me to win him.


    He''s just playing games with me. How ridiculous!''


    Shane thought, as the feeling of bitterness surged into his heart. In the heat of the moment, he realized he was much inferior than his powerful opponent.


    At last, Shane could not help but resist automatically with the primitive instinct of survival, regardless of all the fighting skills and techniques. The threat of death had settled in him, and never departed him during all the time.


    "Boom!" A huge noise resonated.


    Darren swiftly leaped forward toward his enemy at a lightning speed, and launched another attack of the dark gold internal force at his flank. The new force overtook the former one and collided with it before it hit Shane.


    The dreadful dark gold force was enforced to unite with another before it could reach Shane. Meanwhile, a shadow with lightning speed pounced on Shane and rapidly pulled hi


    about the whole thing.


    "Those disciples of the Martial Holy Land bullied and insulted on the strength of their close connections with the so-called Shane. I will not let go of this matter easily. Justice must be done! They must pay for their insults!" the young man said in indignation, as he looked terrifyingly enraged.


    "Now I am aware of this whole thing very clearly. It was not your fault. You can leave now." Darren signaled at the young man to let him go.


    The young man repeatedly expressed his apologies before leaving with the man he had brought with him.


    "Well, I think there is a misunderstanding between us, dude!" Darren said to Shane while cupping his hands apologetically. There was a friendly smile hanging on his face.


    "Since it''s a misunderstanding, you''re not to be blamed for it. I don''t think it is a bad thing, however, as it has brought us to meet here. I admire your martial talent and temperament very much. Why not we make friends to each other?" Shane replied. He then stretched out his hand towards Darren and gave him a reassuring smile.


    Darren swiftly stretched out his hand and shook Shane''s hand, "You''re a capable warrior as well. I''m honored to be your friend!"


    "You''re too modest, man. You''re excellent, much more capable than me. Let''s go to have some drink. My treat!" Shane beamed with a brilliant smile on his face, putting their earlier dispute behind their backs.

 Chapter 340 Making New Friends (Part Two)

    Darren was about to give his consent when they saw several other supreme disciples of the Heavenly Palace Sect flying towards them. Soon after they approached their spot.


    "Both of you are excellent warriors. That was really a wonderful fight between two martial masters. We admire you so much!" A disciple, who seemed to be the group leader, stepped forward and spoke to them with a bright grin.


    "Why are you here? You have watched us for a long while. You think watching is not enough and want to join the fight?" Shane asked sarcastically in a stone cold tone, great irritation was evident from his voice.


    "You misunderstood me, sir. We are the supreme disciples of the Heavenly Palace Sect. The fight between you and Darren was great! We know both of you are capable warriors, so we came to say ''hello'' and make friends," the leading disciple of the Heavenly Palace Sect explained defensively.


    "You know me?" Darren asked in surprise as he heard the disciple mention his name.


    "Whoever sees your powerful blade and sword intent will know who you are. Your skills are famous. Besides, we have heard about you for numerous times as our elders like to talk about your accomplishments before us. Are you interested in going with us to the Heavenly Palace Sect and spending a couple of days there?" the leading disciple invited as he smiled at him.


    "Not now. I''d like to have some drink. Why not we find a nice restaurant to wine and dine?" Darren suggested instead.


    "That''s fantastic. We all listen to you."


    "Let''s go to wine and dine!"


    Shane and the other disciples of the Heavenly Palace Sect nodded in unison.


    Darren and his new companions found a restaurant and drank to their hearts'' content. They consumed as much as their stomachs allowed. Several strangers met because of a series of incidents and thus became good friends.


    "Listen to me, everybody. I must leave now as I have something to deal with tomorrow." After several rounds of toast, Darren expressed his intention of leaving. Since he was going


    stones might have helped him a lot in healing his injuries.


    Aside from the warriors brought by the disciples of the Heavenly Palace Sect and Shane, Darren would have several grand warriors in support of him. With these excellent warriors on his side, he was not afraid of the mysterious two-star grand warrior at all. Odds were looking great in his favor. But the Water Kylin''s absurd plan to get completely transformed had indeed caused him a little problem. It was certain that the stupid beast could not come to join him for that reason. With the help of the Water Kylin, Darren would not hesitate to kill the two-star grand warrior.


    Darren sped up towards the Lotus Holy Land at a fleeting speed as soon as he had informed all the grand warriors.


    On his way towards his destination, however, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of Darren and blocked him from advancing any inch forward. Since the figure stood with his back against Darren, he had no idea who the person was.


    Meanwhile, disturbing noises filled Darren''s ears.


    Darren realized the person standing in front of him was the cause of the noise, as he could clearly sense an impressing might aura from the latter. The person seemed much more powerful than Shane in the level of martial arts. Darren even felt that this person was even stronger than Chad and other grand warriors.

 Chapter 341 The Demonic Internal Force And The Aura Of Dragon Blood

    Darren cautiously took a step back and politely asked, "What can I do for you, sir?"


    As he looked at the man in the white robe and sensing the cold aura emitting from him, he somehow felt something familiar about him. He must have seen the man before.


    "Hey, Darren," the man said with his back to Darren, "I haven''t seen you for a very long time."


    He suddenly turned around. A strange smile was plastered on his cold but handsome face.


    "Scott! It''s you!" Darren exclaimed as soon as he recognized the man standing in front of him, his eyes flashing with great joy. "You scared me, Scott! You look absolutely appalling! What are you doing here?" He stepped towards Scott and gave the man a friendly slap on the shoulder.


    "After I''ve finished my practice in seclusion, I sensed that you were in danger, so I immediately came here to help you." Scott''s tone was indifferent, almost detached¡ªone could hardly see any trace of emotion from his face.


    "Don''t worry, it''s not a big deal. I was just practicing some martial arts with a friend. Well... How about you, Scott? Did you succeed in getting into the Grand Realm?" Darren asked. Scott had once told him that he would likely break through to the Grand Realm after he ate the Dragon Saliva Fruit.


    Scott nodded his head. "Yes. I actually didn''t expect that I would get into the Grand Realm so smoothly. My domain has also improved quickly. I owe my success to the Dragon Saliva Fruit that you gave me. Thank you so much, Darren."


    "Congratulations, Scott! Is that why I''ve sensed that you are much stronger than the average one-star grand warrior?" Darren was quite thrilled.


    "How do you know the levels of the grand warriors?" Scott''s brows rose up in surprise.


    "So many things happened in the past few months..." Darren looked intently at Scott and then around them. "Let''s find a place to have a good talk," he suggested. Darren was extremely delighted to have encountered Scott by chance. He had so much to tell him, they were best friends after all.


    "Okay, sure. Let''s go."


    They then flew to a nearby mountain peak and found a comfortable resting spot.


    "It was very fortunate that you survived the Heavenly Repression successfully. Your current strength is probably close to the Grand Realm. If I haven''t reached the Grand Realm, I would certainly be no match against you," Scott said, expressing his admiration for his friend. He had sat and listened until Darren had finished recounting everything he went through.


    Darren kept nothing secret to Scott¡ªhe told him everything, including the strange stone inside his head. He regarded Scott as his closest and dearest friend, so he found no reason not to completely be honest with him.


    "It really was fortunate. I


    ternal force would clash with the aura of dragon blood." Brows pulled together in disconcertment, Scott looked at the suffering Darren. He did not dare use the aura of dragon blood to suppress the black internal force any more. If he continued, he would probably get Darren''s elixir field destroyed.


    "Ah! Shit!" Darren was sweating profusely and was on the verge of losing consciousness from the pain.


    All of a sudden, he remembered how he had handled the conflict of the ice intent and the flame intent before. This gave him the idea to mobilize the blade and sword intent to deal with the demonic internal force and the aura of dragon blood.


    Fortunately, the blade intent and sword intent were soon able to suppress both the demonic internal force and the aura of dragon blood. And so, Darren gradually calmed down.


    However, this method would not be able to completely solve the problem. Darren couldn''t utilize the blade intent and sword intent at all times¡ªhe had to stop once in a while.


    Without the pain, he could think clearly again. After a few moments of consideration, with brows furrowed in determination, he said, "Scott, please send a great deal of aura of dragon blood into my meridians again."


    Scott reluctantly delivered a huge amount of the aura of dragon blood into Darren''s meridians. As long as the aura of dragon blood did not enter his elixir field, Darren would be safe. They had to try and take the risk.


    Scott did not exactly know what Darren was planning to do. He was baffled, but he trusted Darren and his capabilities.


    At the moment that the aura of dragon blood entered his meridians, Darren activated his spiritual sense. Using his spiritual sense, he tried his best to compress the aura of dragon blood into his elixir field and rotated his pyramid-like demon core at a high speed.

 Chapter 342 The Nebula At The Elixir Field (Part One)

    ''If I fail, I will be doomed!'' This was the thought that occupied Darren''s mind as he was mentally disturbed at the moment. By the same token, he was sitting on a powdered keg and had to move on.


    Then, with his enhanced spiritual sense, Darren operated the aura of dragon blood in his elixir field to compress it into the revolving demon core.


    "Ah! Ahhhrrrggghhh," Darren cried out as the sharp pain in his elixir field made his whole body tremble. He had not anticipated the pain to be so agonizing.


    "Darren, are you okay?" Scott asked worriedly, looking at Darren, who was in torment. He panicked and did not know what to do to help Darren overcome the situation.


    "Scott, I''m fine. Transmit more aura of dragon blood to my meridians," Darren shouted, gnashing his teeth in pain while instructing Scott.


    As a knee-jerk reaction, Scott nodded. Hollowing out his strength, Scott continuously transmitted a steady flow of the aura of dragon blood into Darren''s meridians. Accepting the immense aura, Darren controlled it and compressed it into his demon core.


    Soon enough, the pervasive flow of the aura of dragon blood was turned into streams of liquid under Darren''s compression, flowing on the surface of the demon core. The demonic internal force in the demon core grappled to break through the suppression of the blade and sword intent, which intensified Darren''s agony.


    Crack!


    A sharp cracking sound was heard from the rotating demon core. A few moments later, hairline cracks crept around the demon core, signifying that it was about to burst out.


    "Ahhhhh!" Darren roared, bearing with the tormenting pain. With the last of his spiritual sense, he continued compressing such a significant quantity of the aura of dragon blood, preventing more cracks from developing on the demon c


    wo-star grand warrior will kill you before my arrival," with a sheepish smile, Scott advised repeatedly.


    "Rest assured, and I won''t be playing with fire. I know what to do. I should go back to see Elder Colin. Scott, I''ll be leaving now," Darren said as he saluted to Scott and turned away.


    With Darren gone, Scott picked a mountain and exploded a cave with the force of his palm. Then he entered the sanctuary to strengthen his cultivation base. If Scott wasted more time, he wouldn''t be able to reach the highest level. That was why he didn''t go back with Darren and preferred to cultivate in that place.


    After flying for a while amongst the clouds, Darren could see the ruins among the green hills, which had been the prosperous Lotus Holy Land in the past.


    With a soft thud on the ground covered with tiles and stones debris, Darren landed from the sky and looked around the view of the ruins.


    ''The Lotus Holy Land should also have a forbidden area. Where is that forbidden area, and how is it now?'' instead of pursuing his original plan of meeting Colin first, Darren speculated about the matter. He couldn''t dismiss the idea of discovering the forbidden area in the Lotus Holy Land.

 Chapter 343 The Nebula At The Elixir Field (Part Two)

    Thinking of this, he started to search for it. Before long, he arrived at the place where, as far as he could remember, the Holy Lord of the Lotus Holy Land had met him for the first time.


    After numerous battles, the whole Lotus Holy Land had been destroyed except for this place. It was kept safe, sound, and pristine. Darren thought that if the Lotus Holy Land had a forbidden area, that wouldn''t be somewhere than this place.


    Looking around, a massive lotus on the pool that seemed to be so special, caught Darren''s eye. Thus, instinctively, he flew over the lake promptly.


    Splllattt! Clap!


    As he was hovering over the mysterious lotus flower, a big hand showed up out of nowhere. In a split second, the hand strangled and clapped Darren like a mosquito, pulling him into the underground.


    "Damn it!" Caught unprepared and unguarded, Darren was startled. The big hand had approached without casting a shadow or even a slight aura that Darren hadn''t sensed any sign of it before he was attacked. Obviously, whoever was behind the sibylline hand was powerful.


    Whoosh!


    Freed from the grapple of the hand, Darren flew out from a ruptured hole on the ground and saluted to the big lotus, saying, "Sir, I''m sorry to offend you and disturb you in any way."


    "Leave now! You''re not allowed to be here. You are not supposed to be here in the first place." An old cracking voice emerged from the big lotus. Hearing that, Darren felt inexorable stateliness.


    "Okay. I will leave. I am sorry for trespassing," not wanting to incur further arguments, Darren replied as he bent down, and he flew away from the pool.


    By now, Darren finally realized why the Blade Holy Land dared send men to destroy and conquer the Lotus Holy Land. As long as they didn


    ved. Thus, he didn''t hurry to find his sister since only when he saved the Holy Lord of the Louts Holy Land, he could know her whereabouts.


    Sensing that the situation was somewhat suspicious, Darren searched Colin''s body. Additionally, he let out the spiritual sense to check for any clues of his death.


    To his surprise, his eyes led him to Colin''s clenched fist. With his heart skipping a beat, he unfolded his now dried fist and discovered something in there.


    "Purple, rule,"


    with furrowed brows, Darren read. Those were the two words that appeared on Colin''s right palm. Judging from the dry, dark purple bloodstain, the two words were dug out and etched by Colin''s fingernails.


    "Purple rule?" moving back and forth, Darren muttered to himself repeatedly. While doing that, he was gradually releasing the Spirit Power to search the rest of Colin''s body. Stopping abruptly, an idea lit up in his mind. Instantly, his eyes were filled with fury.


    "It''s the rule cultivator in purple!" realizing what the words etched on Elder Colin''s palm signified, Darren yelled. At the thought of that, dense murderous intents were stating to intensify inside his body.

 Chapter 344 The Grand Warriors From Both Sides

    To determine the identity of the murderer, Darren, once again, released his Spirit Power to check Colin''s body. As expected, he felt an aura of the rule cultivator hidden deep in Colin''s body.


    Colin had been wounded by a rule cultivator before. That fact, combined with the bloody words engraved on his palm, convinced Darren that the rule cultivator in purple was the murderer.


    When the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land intended to kill Darren, the rule cultivator in purple was the mastermind behind the scheme. Moreover, he tried to torture Darren with his Spirit Power. For Darren, the rule cultivator in purple was as good as dead because no matter how hard it was, he would surely kill him.


    Both sadness and murderous intent could be seen in Darren''s eyes as he carried Colin outside and buried him where they had met for the first time. Then he knelt before his tomb.


    "Elder Colin, you may rest in peace as I will avenge your death and find Cathy and treat her as my sister," Darren swore before he flew to the crumbling square of the Lotus Holy Land.


    He stood there quietly and watched as the sky gradually darkened. In the blink of an eye, it was early morning. Darren had waited all night for Bryan, the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land.


    Boom.


    Shortly after daybreak, the clouds in the sky surged high. A formidable aura, which seemed to crush the void, headed for where Darren stood.


    "Here you are," Darren mumbled as he looked at the sky.


    In a flash, several figures landed beside Darren.


    "Darren, we are here to help. Tell us. Which bastard wants to attack you?"


    one of the men asked. They were Chad and the other grand warriors.


    Initially, Darren had informed only three men about the fight, including Chad. However, seven men had appeared to help him, and they were all grand warriors from the Grand Void Manor.


    At first sight, they looked like average people, who were amiable and easy to approach. However, since they had come to help Darren, they all released their aura, which shook the earth.


    "Sirs, thanks for coming," Darren said as he bowed to the grand warriors.


    "Hey, boy, don''t mention it. No matter who comes today, we will teach him a lesson!" one of the grand warriors yelled.


    "To be honest, the opponent may be accompanied by a two-star grand warrior. Sirs, please take care of yo


    o be taught a lesson for lying!" another grand warrior bellowed in a cold voice.


    Embarrassed, the Blade Holy Lord could say nothing more. He had always been a cautious person. However, since he had witnessed Darren''s escape previously, he grew concerned.


    "Enough bullshit. Where is the Holy Lord of the Lotus Holy Land?" Darren questioned. Although he appeared composed, Darren was stressed before the grand warriors.


    "You bastard! You are dead meat today. Do you want to save Diana? Here she is! Come save her!" the Blade Holy Lord growled. It seemed that his hatred had gotten the better of him. He roared and threw a woman at Darren.


    Darren caught the woman, but he bristled with anger after getting a closer look at her.


    The woman''s face had rotted to the core after being destroyed by something. More shocking was that every bone in her body had been broken.


    Darren''s heart ached. All of this was a consequence of his actions. He had killed the Blade Holy Lord''s two sons.


    Because of this, Colin and the elders of the Lotus Holy Land had been killed. In addition, his sister and Bruce had been separated from him. Now, looking at Diana''s miserable condition, his heart was engulfed in murderous intent.


    "You beast. Bryan, I will not let you go today. Go to hell!" Darren roared, and blood streaks filled his eyes.


    "You bastard, I will wipe the floor with your dead body. By the time I''m done, there will be nothing left of you," the Blade Holy Lord shouted. Meanwhile, blade intent burst out from his body and headed straight for Darren.

 Chapter 345 Fight With Bryan

    Cold and fierce blade intent surged forward, but Darren didn''t defend against it. Instead, he retreated with Diana in his arms. Since she was severely injured, he needed to put her in a safe place. Unconscious and unable to protect herself, she might die from the battle between Darren and Bryan.


    Darren dodged Bryan''s attack. After flying for a while, he tossed Diana in the air, and her body vanished in a flash.


    What Bryan didn''t know was that Darren had thrown Diana in the direction where Chad and the other grand warriors were hiding. When her body flew close to where his friends were standing, Darren transmitted a voice. Chad caught her and settled her as per Darren''s instructions.


    Now that he wasn''t worried about Diana''s safety, Darren was ready for the inevitable fierce fight. This battle had attracted much attention.


    The Blade Holy Lord had four helpers¡ªthree one-star grand warriors and a two-star grand warrior, while eight one-star grand warriors were ready to help Darren. It had been about a thousand years since such a great war had happened in the southern land.


    "Little bastard, you saved Diana. But it doesn''t matter. I am going to tear you to pieces." Bryan had been eager to kill Darren. He had spent many nights dreaming about the day that he would get his vengeance.


    Darren hovered in the air and didn''t say anything because he was transmitting messages to some of the grand warriors.


    "Darren, should we step forward and help you fight?" Chad asked, using his spiritual sense.


    "No. The grand warriors supporting Bryan haven''t joined the fight. Bryan, that son of a bitch, made me suffer tremendously. I want to kill him myself. Once you join the fight, I won''t have that chance."


    And, Darren was right. If all the grand warriors joined in the fight, chaos would ensue, and he would lose the opportunity he sought so eagerly. For the moment, it appeared as though the grand warriors who were supporting Bryan were not interested in fighting. This was the perfect time to kill Bryan.


    "Gerald, in my opinion, everything will be over once we kill that man," said a one-star grand warrior, one of Bryan''s helpers. He thought there was no need to waste time.


    "Oh, don''t worry. Let us take our time. He cultivates both sword and blade skills. I have never met such a cultivator. I''m curious to see his skills. Besides, Bryan doesn''t know what is good for him. It''s good to let that lad teach him a lesson." The two-star grand warrior named Gerald was interested in watching the fight. Although Darren was young, he was strong.


    "Okay. We will wait and watch the fight," echoed the three one-star grand warriors. As Gerald was the strongest warrior in the group, the others wouldn''t argue with him.


    "Don''t join the battle unless the situation is life-threate


    till so young, and yet, he has cultivated powerful blade skills and sword skills. He is at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm, but he could fight against a grand warrior. I really admire him!'' The other grand warriors could not help but wonder.


    "Stop talking and pay attention to the fight. If the grand warriors on the Blade Holy Lord''s side suddenly attack Darren, he will be in danger. We must be ready to save him at any time," warned one of the grand warriors. The others nodded and focused on the fight.


    The Grand Blood Refiner was watching the fight from one corner of the square. He was idle and didn''t worry about Darren at all. He had seen Darren beat a weak grand warrior in the Raksa Sea and had great confidence in his abilities.


    However, he was annoyed by the presence of the other grand warriors. He didn''t know that Darren had other helpers. He also worried that Darren wouldn''t win if the remaining warriors joined the fight.


    ''After Darren kills his enemy, I will jump out and take him away. Fighting with so many grand warriors is not wise, '' the Grand Blood Refiner thought. He closed his eyes and focused on the two-star grand warrior''s aura. Once he recovered his full power, he would kill the grand warrior fighting with Darren now. At that time, it would be as easy as killing an ant!


    "Blade Domain!"


    Bryan was exhausted after the battle with Darren. However, he could not admit defeat. With no alternatives left, he summoned his domain skill, although it was incomplete.


    "Little bastard! Taste the power of my domain!" Bryan''s eyes were red and filled with rage. He thought that his domain skill would help him to kill Darren.


    "Go to hell, old bastard!" Darren shouted as he unleashed his Blade and Sword Domain.


    "Ah!" Bryan''s expression reflected the horror he felt. He yelled in fear, "Impossible! You have domain too?"

 Chapter 346 I Must Kill Him (Part One)

    Cognizant to the domain skill released by Darren and being fully aware of how compelling the murderous intent was, Bryan was taken aback, and he immediately turned pale. In the back of his mind, he panicked as he thought of ways how to counter-attack the domain skill.


    "Ah! I will kill you!" sensing the inevitable trouble, Bryan howled as mad as a rabid dog. He was aware that since Darren had used his domain skill, he couldn''t be able to kill Darren or even be on par with his abilities. With that, Bryan waged a desperate struggle to kill him. Though he didn''t know how he would do that, he was determined to get his hands drenched with Darren''s blood.


    After a roar, a bloody, blinding light blazed out from his body, which signified that he had activated a unique skill to light up his blood essence.


    Possessing the activated blood essence this time, Bryan dashed towards Darren with hatred. Gradually, his aura rose continuously¡ªso as his rage and hatred towards Darren. Judging from the aura that exuded from him, it could be assumed that his power was equivalent to that of a one-star grand warrior without using the domain skill.


    This would be now or never for Bryan, and he should kill Darren no matter what it took. If, in any case, he couldn''t kill Darren at the risk of his blood essence, he wouldn''t be able to conjure such power he had now in the future. Worse than that, he would retrogress by at least two stages, and it would be hard for him to restore his cultivation base.


    "Humph. Don''t fancy killing me that easily! Killing me would not be a piece of cake for you. I would make sure of that! You are too naive!" Darren sneered towards Bryan with a mocking expression on his face. His calm and confident disposition made Bryan uneasy.


    With his spiritual sense, Darren generated the nebula that was well-balanced in


    eged in a real grand warrior''s domain, even if Darren used the dark gold internal force, he would have no chance to escape.


    Yet, to everyone''s surprise, in the domain of the grand warrior, a big burning purple palm came down from heaven. Even if with the other grand warriors'' protection, the earth couldn''t avoid splitting up. Darren himself was also at the edge of being crushed by the gust brought by the big palm.


    "What a shame you are!" A roar from heaven was descending. Then a figure landed at once, and he violently kicked away the grand warrior who had released the domain. Receiving the tremendous kicks, the grand warrior raised his hand to shoot the big palm shadow, protecting himself.


    "A grand warrior? Who could that be?" The grand warriors that were together with the Blade Holy Lord were confused. They asked among themselves as to who was the figure that descended upon the heavens.


    "Humph. Shame on you! How could you, grand warriors hand in hand, attack a boy at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm? I''m so ashamed of you!"


    Realizing who the unexpected grand warrior was, Darren stood and smiled lightly, saying, "Mr. Brian You, don''t bother to scold the shameless pugs. They won''t understand."

 Chapter 347 I Must Kill Him (Part Two)

    "How dare you say that?!" the two-star grand warrior yelled loudly. The sound almost deafened the ears of the people present. Then he stepped forward and said coldly, "Who are you vagrant champion? How dare you interfere with our fight? Yet, considering your hard-earned cultivation base, I will let you off this time. However, if you insist on helping that lad, I won''t mind wiping you out!"


    "Oh! Is that a threat? I know you are a two-star grand warrior, but you are too boastful! Are you sure you can do that?" Brian You taunted, challenging and triggering anger out of the two-star grand warrior.


    On that occasion, out of nowhere, six robust-looking figures suddenly landed between the battling warriors, each of them possessing the aura of a grand warrior.


    "They are the seven grand warriors in Talent City!" one of the grand warriors on the Blade Holy Lord''s side said as he recognized Chad and the other six grand warriors.


    Then the grand warrior whispered to the two-star grand warrior named Gerald, "Lord Gerald, they come from the Talent City, and they have a good relationship with the Lord of Void at the Grand Void Manor. I heard that if they formed an array, their power could be enhanced to a higher realm, which made them such opponents that were not easy to deal with."


    Though the seven grand warriors always fought over some small affairs within their group, their bond was reliable and remarkable at the same time. Otherwise, they wouldn''t come here together to Darren''s aid.


    "How could I be shaken by the lowly grand warriors inferior to me? If they are too annoyed, I will wipe them all out. I don''t care whether they will form an array or not. Humph!" Gerald snorted, not showing any sign of fear or doubt facing


    ing for Gerald''s mercy. His manner was quite like his sons.


    "Damn it. I say once again. Bryan must go with us. If anyone dare stop us, don''t blame me for being rude, but a blood bath would commence!"


    Gerald laid his cards out. As a two-star grand warrior, retreating from a battle was such a shameful thing. However, Darren was still unwilling to let them go. This had almost touched the bottom line of what he could take.


    "No way. I must kill Bryan," the determined Darren asserted and persisted coldly, taking no consideration of Gerald''s status.


    "Well, well! Then I guess we have to do it the hard way," eyeing Darren with a malicious rage this time, Gerald said as his face turned dark. He couldn''t tolerate that such a weak man could be so arrogant. Regardless of the Lord of Void, he was about to burst out his powerful momentum.


    "You are courting death. You bastard, don''t blame me!" as rage brewed inside of him, Gerald thundered. His voice resounded in everyone''s ears. At that moment, the temperature of the air in the Lotus Holy Land dropped to the freezing point that everyone, even Darren, felt unusual chills creeping on their bodies.

 Chapter 348 The Battle Of The Grand Warriors Had Commenced

    "How dare you!" Chad and his men shouted all together while he, unleashing his full energy with the rest of them, set to prepare the Seven Stars Slaughtering Array. They were confident that with their array they could at least save Darren if they were unable to defeat the two-star grand warrior.


    "Then I shall have all of you killed! Take them down!" Gerald, oozing with cold murderous intent, commanded the three one-star grand warriors.


    "Shit! He''s got help! If they defeat even just one of us, our array will fall. This will be a tough battle!"


    "Before you dare make a move against Darren, you will have to go through me!" At that moment, a more intense killing aura swept through the entire square. Although its energy was still no match against that of Gerald''s, it was not too far behind.


    The Grand Blood Refiner was only at the top level of a one-star grand warrior, but he still stood a chance against Gerald given his combat experience and his technique¡ªas was expected from someone who was once a three-star grand warrior.


    "There''s another one?" The three grand warriors standing next to Gerald suddenly tensed up as they sensed the new comer''s surprisingly strong killing aura.


    All twelve grand warriors then unleashed their powerful energy forces, causing the place to become an unbearable hell for any ordinary person.


    Darren would have been crushed if it weren''t for the protective energy field created by the grand warriors. After all, it was the extremely powerful grand warriors who had unleashed the energy forces.


    The energy forces affected such a large area that strong warriors from thousands of miles away were still able to sense it. The news had gotten out that the battle among grand warriors was about to take place, making the Holy Lords rush over from the different Holy Lands.


    The several warriors at the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm who were already at the location of the fight were gathered hundreds miles above the battlefield to avoid being caught in the violent confrontation.


    Holy Lord Landon was also here, watching from afar.


    "H-holy Lord, that y-young man..." stuttered out the elder beside Holy Lord Landon, at a loss for words at the tremendous power he felt.


    "Damn it! I can''t believe that the young man has so many grand warriors on his side! They''re an almost equal match against Bryan''s supporters!" exclaimed Holy Lord Landon, fists clenching in anger. Green lightning flashed around him as his fury grew.


    "Hol


    ood Refiner did not mind it at all.


    Chad and his men came down after hearing Darren calling the two powerful grand warriors his brothers.


    "Hey, spare me with terms like distinguished¡ªthat''s too much! You''re also our friends and your power is way more powerful than any single one of ours. You can call us brothers too, if you''d like," Chad told Darren, with the other grand warriors nodding in approval.


    Darren''s strength was already close to that of a grand warrior. Aside from that, he was also at the same status as Scott and the Grand Blood Refiner, so it would indeed be too much for Chad if Darren called them distinguished.


    "If that''s the case, I accept it graciously, Cha¡ª Chad, my brother Chad!" Without saying any more words, Darren saluted the grand warriors. "I''m counting on your help today. Please help me kill the Blade Holy Lord!"


    As these grand warriors did not block out the senses of the onlookers from afar, they were able to hear the conversation between Darren and the grand warriors clearly with their spiritual sense. Every single one of their faces turned red in envy.


    "No problem! We''ll give it all that we have so you can kill Bryan today!"


    Gerald was infuriated by their conversation. Those nine one-star grand warriors thought of him as nothing.


    "Die! All of you!" Gerald''s golden chain swooped in like lightning with a force that was powerful enough for the destruction of the whole world.


    Scott, who was closest to him, instantly unleashed his domain, sending out a dragon''s horrifying roar that echoed all throughout the land.


    With the roar of a dragon, the battle of the grand warriors had commenced.

 Chapter 349 The First Round Of The Battle

    The domain Scott released was different from those of the other grand warriors. The overbearing momentum, like pressure from a real dragon, shocked everyone.


    As a one-star grand warrior, it was striking for Scott to demonstrate such a powerful suppression. Even the Grand Blood Refiner had to acknowledge Scott''s superiority.


    In the meantime, Gerald cracked the golden magic whip and assaulted Scott. However, Scott maintained a cold and arrogant demeanor despite the oncoming attack.


    "The Genuine Dragon Strike!" Scott said coldly when he saw the golden whip.


    In an instant, a huge cyan dragon shadow danced in Scott''s domain.


    Boom!


    Heaven and earth seemed to collapse as the huge cyan dragon shadow, and the golden whip attacked one another.


    At the moment, all the grand warriors were startled as Scott''s power was far beyond their expectations.


    "No one-star grand warrior can rival him alone. Scott, a grand warrior from the Dragon Blood Clan, is remarkable for being able to do so," Chad praised. The other grand warriors standing beside him nodded in agreement.


    "Scott''s abilities are truly surprising. As a one-star grand warrior, he dares to fight against the two-star grand warrior. He is a rare genius in this world!" The Grand Blood Refiner nodded. He admitted that if he confronted Gerald, he wouldn''t be so composed. What was more, he wouldn''t be able to deal with Gerald''s attacks as calmly as Scott had. This was astounding as the Grand Blood Refiner used to be a three-star grand warrior!


    It could not be denied that Scott''s power was formidable!


    Gerald cracked the golden whip at Scott repeatedly. However, even after a few rounds, he didn''t gain any advantage. Humiliated, Gerald flew into a fit of rage.


    At present, he and Scott were in a deadlock. This was embarrassing for Gerald as Scott was just a one-star grand warrior. Though angry, he realized the fearless style of the Dragon Blood Clan! More than that, with his power, Gerald could easily perceive that Scott hadn''t used his complete strength.


    "Damn it. How dare a one-star rubbish talent contend with me? Go to hell!" Gerald grumbled. After a quick shake of his hand, the golden whip was divided into ten thousand sections.


    Immediately, the ten thousand golden whip shadows, each of which was endowed with unmatched power, headed for Scott.


    "Scott, we will help you!"


    Chad shouted. Having sensed the mighty power of the golden whip shadows, the seven grand warriors, including Chad, prepared to fight against Gerald.


    "No, I can handle him alone!"


    However, Scott stopped the other grand warriors before they could intervene. Very soon, Scott, who was dressed in a white robe, produced thirty-two avatars. Each owned ninety percent of Scott''s power.


    "Ah! Didn''t Darren use this skill once?!"


    d gasped with astonishment. They did not dare to move.


    "I don''t care how you fight against each other, but if you influence the forbidden area once more, I will kill you all! Go away!"


    the old voice yelled with fury. The roar unbalanced the grand warriors, who were levitating mid-air. Although they remained suspended, they suffered from internal injuries.


    "We apologize. This is entirely our fault,"


    the grand warriors cried out in unison as they bowed to the forbidden area.


    "There is an arena one thousand and three hundred miles south from here. Go and fight there! I don''t mind if all you die!" the old voice stated. Then, the strong aura disappeared.


    Shortly after, Scott, the Grand Blood Refiner, and the seven grand warriors flew past the ruins of the square and landed beside Darren.


    "Darren, what do you think?" Scott frowned and asked.


    "I can''t kill Bryan unless his supporters are dead. So, the battle must continue!" Darren asserted firmly after glaring at Gerald and the other three one-star grand warriors.


    "Well. It will be as you said. We will wage a life-and-death struggle with them today!" the Grand Blood Refiner growled in excitement.


    "You, a two-star grand warrior, are not a big deal. Let''s fight on the arena that is one thousand and three hundred miles south from here. We will chop off your head there!" Chad shouted as complex emotions surged through him. The other grand warriors'' morale surged high after hearing Chad''s words.


    With this agreement, the grand warriors, including Chad and the Grand Blood Refiner, flew higher in the sky. They directed their power to strike Gerald and his men while forcing them to the south.


    "You arrogant bastards, I swear I will kill you all!" Gerald bellowed, and the veins on his forehead twitched with the embarrassment of being attacked by a group of one-star grand warriors.

 Chapter 350 Fight Alone With A Grand Warrior (Part One)

    The warriors from both sides were suspended in mid-air as they engaged in the fierce battle. The fight had started to move all the way towards the south, so Darren flew after them towards that direction as well.


    Gerald continued to guard Bryan, protecting him with all his might. Even when he had been surrounded by several enemies, protecting Bryan was still his top priority. No one knew what precious treasures Bryan had promised him to make him so exceedingly loyal to the Holy Lord. Darren was burning with his desperate desire of killing Bryan, but he had no chance to do so if Gerald and the other guardians would not leave Bryan unguarded for even just one tiny second.


    Besieged by so many one-star grand warriors, Gerald was suppressed to fight back¡ªhe could only protect himself at this critical moment. Such great pressure had almost driven him to the point of going insane. While warding off a dangerous attack from one of his enemies, Gerald hurriedly took a bead from the pocket on his chest and sent a message through his spiritual sense.


    "Help me! Stark! Ethan! I need your help!" The message was sent to the bead in just a breath''s time.


    "What''s happening, Gerald? Are you in trouble? Who dares bother you?" A voice produced by spiritual sense immediately responded from the bead.


    "It''s a gang of disgusting one-star grand warriors! I need your help immediately!"


    "What?" A fit of laughter was heard from the bead. Then the voice continued, "You''re such a weakling, Gerald! You''re asking for help just because you''re being attacked by a group of one-star grand warriors?"


    "Stop talking nonsense, buddies! They''re too relentless! Come help me as soon as possible!" Gerald was furious, but he felt apprehensive at the same time. The situation had gotten so out of hand that he could not


    d warriors tried every possible means in their arsenal to crush their enemies, as brutal and merciless as their skills allowed. The earth violently shook under their feet. It was a good thing that the old battle arena was shrouded in a strong restriction power¡ªit still seemed quite solid in spite of the warriors'' violent attacks. If it were any other ordinary battle ring, it would have collapsed by now.


    The intensity of the fight was too much for Darren to stand that he had to withdraw and keep his distance from the battle arena for a while.


    A few moments later, a grand warrior withdrew from the battle arena as well, carrying the weakened Bryan in his arms. The force from the battle arena was much beyond his ability to bear.


    If Scott and the other grand warriors on Darren''s side had intended to kill Bryan, they could have easily done so. However, killing Bryan was Darren''s responsibility¡ªhe had to do it in person. So, instead of killing Bryan directly, Scott and the other grand warriors chose to jointly go against Gerald. The fact that they had fought a two-star grand warrior together was enough to thrill them. After all, every warrior dreamed of meeting a strong and worthy opponent.

 Chapter 351 Fight Alone With A Grand Warrior (Part Two)

    Darren had already noticed the withdrawal of the grand warrior from the battle arena. He concealed himself and hastily flew towards them, trying to get as little attention as he could. He was afraid that Bryan might escape in secret.


    He followed the grand warrior for a few miles. After they had reached ten miles, he then suddenly accelerated his speed, overtaking the grand warrior and blocking his way.


    "Who said that you could run away?" Darren glowered icily at the two. His stance oozed with such a mighty aura, denoting that he was prepared for an intense fight.


    "You bastard! How dare you follow me! All right then, since you''re here, I don''t have to go through the trouble of finding you. I''ll kill you right here and now!"


    The grand warrior had already fought Darren previously, but was forced to retreat from the latter''s violent attacks due to his own carelessness. He had been so furious and wanted to get back at Darren, but never had the opportunity to do so since the boy was guarded by many grand warriors. The grand warrior could not help being crazy with elation¡ªnow was his chance and he would not want to miss it.


    "Shame on you! Do you think you can kill me with your shabby skills?" sneered Darren at the grand warrior.


    The grand warrior was badly injured during the last fight and was unable to use his domain skills. His current strength was much lower than what a true grand warrior should possess. He was now much weaker in certain areas, therefore, Darren had very little reason to fear him.


    "You''re asking for trouble, you son of a bitch! Do you think you can defeat me? I know you have some special skills, but they''re nothing against


    olive-black forces. They all darted towards the grand warrior''s domain like black arrows flying through the air.


    "You''re still using this skill? Go to hell!" The grand warrior waved his hand to form numerous purple palms in the sky, which then sped down towards Darren one after another.


    The earth rumbled as the attacks hit the ground.


    Sand and stone clouded the whole area.


    A few moments later, rays of dark gold internal force emerged from the dust-covered ground and soared towards the sky, resembling pillars from a far distance.


    "How is this possible? The force is so powerful!" exclaimed the grand warrior in despair amid the sand and dust. He saw with his own eyes how his domain was broken and shattered under the attacks of the terrifying power that could have destroyed everything between heaven and earth. There was no denying that this dark gold force was much more powerful and terrifying than the olive-black force.


    The severely injured Bryan lay on the ground a few distances away from the scene, watching in sheer terror. Too weak to flee, he could not do anything but tremble in fear.

 Chapter 352 Heated Battle

    Boom!


    After shattering the domain of that grand warrior, Darren swooped in and began to kick him until every inch of his bone was broken. It was a terrifying moment as the scene was filled with loud thuds and grunts along with the continuous sounds of bones cracking.


    That grand warrior, after taking an hour''s beating, finally lost all his strength and fell from the sky.


    Darren stomped on his face. "Do you really think that you can do whatever you want just because you are now at the Grand Realm? Aren''t you going to kill me? How''s that now? I am right here!"


    That grand warrior did not have the strength to move a muscle now, and Darren''s sarcasm only added more fuel to his deteriorating condition. Feeling frail and humiliated, the grand warrior could not take it anymore and passed out.


    Darren cast the grand warrior aside and walked briskly towards Bryan, who was now paralyzed.


    Bryan''s pale lips were shaking involuntarily when he saw Darren approach him like the embodiment of death. His pulse quickened and his breaths became short. Suddenly, Bryan began to vomit gall out of fear.


    "Bryan!" Darren''s voice was like a thunder rendering Bryan disorientated. His mouth tasted like crap because of his vomit and there was a huge weight settling on his chest.


    "You have killed so many elders from the Holy Lands. Now it is time to pay for what you have done!" Darren glared at him with sword pressed against Bryan''s throat. He loomed over him like a warrior about to sentence this man to death. The air was filled with an ominous aura as they looked at each other.


    "Ha-ha!" Bryan knew that he was going to die. He suddenly looked relaxed, as if he had accepted his fate and was no longer afraid of anything. "You win, and I lose. I am at your mercy. So stop acting like you are on the side of righteousness and justice. You killed my two sons first. Am I just going to let it slide instead of seeking revenge from you? Of course I will do the same to you! I want you to suffer the same way that I have!" he roared in indignation.


    "You sons deserved what they got! And you are the one who should be responsible for their death!" Darren stared at Bryan coldly. "Your older son came to the Ilmen Sect and with the help of his warriors of the Wonder Realm, took people''s life for fun. Doesn''t a cruel animal like your son deserve to die? I have reason to believe that you are the reason for his perverted and cruel personality!


    And your fat younger son was no better than his brother. He took prisoners of innocent people and made them kill each other for his amusement. And you! You were turning a blind eye to this unspeakable and monstrous action. You are the reason that they are dead!"


    Bryan could only respond with a bitter smile because he knew that Darren was telling the truth. There was no denying that his sons had indeed done those terrible things.


    "I am sick of talking to you. Now it''s time for you to reunite with your sons!" With that being said, Darren held up his sword an


    ipotent Talent Skill!" Seeing that Gerald could no longer hold himself, Scott once again assembled all his power which was a hundred times stronger than before. At the same time, he activated the domain skill.


    Boom!


    Once again, Scott used his power to attack Gerald. This time, he struck out his palm on Gerald and blasted a hole in his abdomen. Gerald gathered all his remaining energy to counterattack and smashed Scott''s right arm into pieces.


    The Grand Blood Refiner and Chad immediately swooped in and blasted away Gerald while using their domains to restrict his movements.


    Gerald could no longer pull himself together and had no more energy to defend himself from any attack. He was far too beaten and exhausted from all the hits he took and the energy he used to fight back. The Grand Blood Refiner then stabbed his palm into his chest and grabbed his heart!


    Scott, due to the exertion and the heavy wounds sustained during the battle, fell from the sky and crashed right next to Darren with a loud thud.


    The Grand Blood Refiner, with his hand clutching at Gerald''s chest, also landed right next to Darren along with Chad and the other grand warriors.


    "Shit!" The two two-star grand warriors cursed in the middle of the air at this scene. They were just messing around with Gerald yet those one-star grand warriors took advantage of this situation and nearly beaten Gerald to death. What was worse was that they just got his heart! Immediately, they approached them for vengeance.


    "Release Gerald now! Or all of you will feel the wrath of my power!" Ethan flew closer with the pressure of a mountain!


    "Stop! One step forward, and I will crush his heart! Now get away from us!" the Grand Blood Refiner warned. His face looked dead serious and he did not even flinch at the presence of Ethan, who was a two-star grand warrior. His eyes were full of determination as he clutched the heart in a threatening manner. After all, he had once been a three-star grand warrior at the top level!

 Chapter 353 Two-star Grand Warriors (Part One)

    "How dare you threaten me?" warned Ethan, anger flashing across his eyes. He was a very irritable guy. Without hesitation, he waved his hand in an attempt to slap the Grand Blood Refiner upon hearing the latter''s words. But Stark, who was clad in a blue robe and stood by Ethan''s side, took a firm hold of his arm and stopped him in time.


    "Don''t take rash actions, Ethan. If you push them too much, they might kill Gerald. What are we going to do then if that happens?" said Stark calmly as he continued to grip Ethan''s arm.


    "You know me, Gerald. I hate to be threatened. I must kill anybody who threatens me. So if they really kill you, I swear to avenge for you!"


    "You..."


    Ethan''s absurd words apparently irritated Gerald very much that he was lost for words. He was so enraged that the veins in his head looked like it was about to pop. Immediately, he puked a mouthful of blood.


    The Grand Blood Refiner''s hand felt a dramatic throb in Gerald''s heart as it was placed exactly upon the latter''s chest. Gerald seemed very angry and frustrated at this friend of his.


    "Ethan, you asshole. If I die here because of you, I will never forgive you. My ghost will come to you and drink every drop of your blood. Let them go, you idiot!" exclaimed Gerald desperately with the last share of his strength.


    "Bullshit! You''ll die because of me? You''re the most stupid and useless warrior in the world. As a two-star grand warrior, you lost your battle to several one-star grand warriors. Shame on you!" Ethan degraded, his eyes glared with fiery wrath.


    Hearing this hot-tempered warrior''s words, Darren and his companions began to feel worried about the current situation. It seemed this so-called friend of Gerald didn''t care too much about Gerald''s life. They would be in great trouble if th


    e suffering of their friend. They could feel their wrath in their bones as they witnessed the horrifying scene. The air was filled with the tangy smell of blood as it oozed out from the bloody wound at a fast rate.


    Darren''s face had turned pale and his heart ached. He felt a twitch in his nose as he was on the brink of crying.


    "Scott, Grand Blood Refiner, Chad, Brian... I''m very sorry. This is all because of me. I brought you to this great trouble and miserable suffering. I''m the one to be blamed!" exclaimed Darren apologetically He felt the lessening of the fettering force on him. He knelt down before his friends as soon as he could move his body. He needed to apologize for his wrong decision.


    "Don''t be so silly, dude. We just had a bad luck today. The price is worthwhile as we have almost killed that freaky two-star grand warrior, right?" said the Grand Blood Refiner with a relaxed attitude. He smiled reassuringly at Darren.


    "Yes! We''ve beaten Gerald heavily. Haven''t you seen how pathetic he was a moment ago? A dying wild dog! My reputation will last even if I die here today!" exclaimed Brian with bloodshot eyes. It seemed that they had no regrets with their decision.

 Chapter 354 Two-star Grand Warriors (Part Two)

    But Darren''s face was filled with bitterness. He was so sad that he could not speak any word.


    "You''re tough, men. In that case, I should let every one of you die in despair!" A cold ruthless smile emerged on Gerald''s face. He raised high one of his legs and stamped on another grand warrior''s legs with all his might. They all heard a loud crack as his bones shattered from the impact.


    All the grand warriors on Darren''s side could do nothing but to see this crazy beast torture their friend without mercy. The sense of helplessness stung their hearts to the extreme. In spite of all the pain they felt in their hearts, however, none of them showed any trace of it on their faces nor was there any feeling of regret.


    "That''s good of you! It seems you all are not sensitive to pain. Then I have to choose another way!"


    Gerald passed through several male grand warriors and walked to the only female grand warrior in them. His lips curled to flash a lascivious smile at her.


    "Thank you very much, Stark and Ethan. I would have been dead if you hadn''t come here in time. What do you think about this female grand warrior? Hot, isn''t she? What about you both have a good time with her one after another?" Gerald glanced at this female grand warrior up and down lustfully.


    "Ann!" Chad stared at her with great shock, his eyes full of worry and concern. It seemed the thing he feared the most would happen soon.


    But Ann, instead of flying into a rage, licked her lips and said, "Come on, you cowards! I wonder whether you can hold on for a total of three hundred times. Do you have the guts to try me? I''m afraid you cannot persist that long!"


    Ann imitated a lewd woman, which made her look


    ed.


    "Why not? This bitch doesn''t feel bashful at all. I''m much more brazen than her! Just watch, dude!" Gerald started to take off Ann''s clothes as soon as he finished speaking.


    "Fuck you, you fucking asshole!'' The grand warriors still conscious on Darren''s side closed their eyes at such a scene. None of them was willing to see such a despicable and humiliating thing happening under their noses. A feeling of extreme sadness overwhelmed them. They were in great despair, and there was nothing they could do about it.


    The agony in Darren''s heart was so much that it had already numbed his senses. He had lost the ability to speak.


    "You shameful beast! I''ll smash your dirty balls today!"


    In midst of everyone''s despair, several stalwart figures appeared from nowhere all of a sudden. The very moment after they had landed from the air, the majority part of the sky was blocked by several enormous powerful domains.


    Darren spotted a familiar face among the crowd. In such a desperate situation, he wasn''t sure they would be able to do anything. But now, his face lit up, and there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

 Chapter 355 The Ending Of The Battle (Part One)

    "Eh?" Both Stark and Ethan raised their head to follow the gleam of light that etched across the celestial sphere. The spectators were all shocked at the overwhelming momentum that lit up the sky, accompanied by surging outbursts of unchartered energies.


    Boom!


    Breaking the eerie silence, an old man lurched in the air and gave out a mighty legendary martial skill. He focused all his strength to hit Gerald''s crotch.


    Bang!


    Without missing the target, injured flesh and blood materialized in between Gerald''s legs. Parts of his loins fulminated in every direction, creating a grotesque ambience over the place.


    At that moment, Ann finally sighed a relief with a non-stop flow of tears. To her disgust, just now Gerald''s penis was just a few inches away from her. She wished the ground could swallow her alive because her face was scarlet red with shame.


    As an outcome of what had happened to him, Gerald collapsed and hollered in pain on the ground. His legs were trembling while blood continued to gush out of the wound.


    "Who did that?! Tell me who did that so I can make him suffer the same fate," Stark shouted furiously, shooting another palm shadow to the sky. He was showing off his sharp skills and was putting up a dare to those who would want to challenge him. In the intervening period, taking advantage of the distraction, Ethan flew over to Gerald and released a domain to protect him and somehow conceal his aura from the old man.


    "How dare you bastards from the eastern land! How dare you defy our warriors and act wildly in the southern land? Don''t try to run now! We will take our revenge upon you," a middle-aged man bellowed. The loud sound shook Stark, causing him to take a few steps backward in retreat.


    Given the present circumstances, Stark and Ethan were aware of the skills and capabilities of the people


    incerest voice, Darren said. He bowed and saluted the men to whom he was very thankful. Without them, he and the grand warriors with him would have already died.


    At present, Darren regretted that he had consumed his force of control to open the Ancient Void Battlefield a few days ago. Otherwise, he could transmit Gerald and the grand warriors with him to the Ancient Void Battlefield. If in any case, he had succeeded in doing so, Finley could have killed all of them using only one of his palms!


    ''I shouldn''t have opted to open and use the Ancient Void Battlefield until the emergent situation commenced, '' filled with regrets, Darren thought in his heart.


    "Well. Darren, let''s save the chit chat after we are done with the bastards. What''s important right now is to save and cure your friends," preparing himself to attack, Shane reminded Darren.


    "Yes, let''s do that. Thank you so much." Agreeing to what Shane had said, Darren nodded.


    With that, one-star grand warriors initiated an aura to cure the wounds inflicted upon Scott, Chad and the other grand warriors who were severely injured. Since some grand warriors, including the Grand Blood Refiner, were still conscious, thus they cured their wounds themselves.

 Chapter 356 The Ending Of The Battle (Part Two)

    "You bastards from the eastern land, you''d better take your own lives. Otherwise, once the elder sentences you to death, you won''t have a decent one!" letting all his sentiments out, Shane howled as he flew to midair. He had already arranged the affairs on the ground, and now he would deal with issues above the sky to end the arguments sooner than the opponents were expecting.


    "Who do you think you are? If not for the two old grand warriors, I can kill you in just a blink of an eye!" vexed at the arrogant show of attitude by Shane, Ethan growled, turning red with anger at Shane''s vehement words.


    "How dare you behave so arrogant and proud?" the elder from the Chasm Clan shouted as he launched thousands of palm shadows towards Ethan.


    Sensing the inevitable danger, Stark and Ethan turned pale all of a sudden. As a knee-jerk action, they released mighty domains to confront the palm shadows.


    Not to cause too much devastation to the land, the elder drove Stark and Ethan with his power. There in the arena, the elder fought with them.


    The loud booms and bangs resounded through heaven and earth. On the arena, they were locked in a fierce struggle. To Darren''s surprise, the elder alone came through amidst the confrontations of Stark and Ethan¡ªunscratched and unharmed.


    "Humph. You are just gangsters! Such babies!" the elder snorted, shooting a purple, golden magical spear. Soon enough, an amaranth force exploded across the space, creating many black cracks.


    After an hour, Stark and Ethan were driven backwards. The two of them couldn''t match the old man''s skills, least withstand his attacks.


    "Ethan, we''d better go now. The elder alone is too powerful for us to handle, and there are so many other grand warriors waiting in line. If we don''


    .


    "Okay. After all, I haven''t gone out for a long time. Perhaps a stroll to the Heavenly Palace Sect would do me no harm. But before that, I want you to meet the genius. I think you would be excited to know him," Elder Sky said while leading Dylan Lin towards Darren''s direction.


    "Ha-ha. You are right. I came here to meet him personally. In fact, Darren and some of my disciples are friends. They asked me to come here to help him. I never thought that I would meet you here. The trip has been well worthwhile. Let''s go and meet him," Dylan laughed.


    With that, they both flew over to where Darren was standing.


    "Sirs, nice to meet you. I''m Darren," welcoming them as they approached, Darren said with respect, making a deep bow to Dylan and Elder Sky.


    Appreciating such respect from a well-known warrior, Dylan and Elder Sky both nodded slightly, casting admiring glances at Darren.


    The atmosphere was filled with an overflowing sense of gratitude and respect among warriors as they exchanged thanks and salutes. However, when Elder Sky looked around, and his eyes rested on the Grand Blood Refiner, his eyebrows were immediately etched into a furrowed crease.

 Chapter 357 Recognizing The Grand Blood Refiner

    Elder Sky glanced at the Grand Blood Refiner for a few seconds. Suspicion flashed through his eyes but it disappeared as fast as it occurred. Then, he looked back at Darren.


    "Young man, I heard that you even beat Shane. You are indeed a talent." Elder Sky examined Darren carefully and detected that he was only at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm. He couldn''t help but be astonished. However, because of his status, he didn''t show his emotion on his face. He stared back at Darren neutrally.


    Of course Dylan, the supreme trainer of the Heavenly Palace Sect, was also very surprised.


    They were two-star grand warriors at the top level who had lived for over hundreds of years. Never had they seen someone at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm like Darren.


    "You are a good one, Darren. My disciples are quite lucky to know you," Dylan praised with a smile on his face. He patted Darren softly on the back.


    "I''m the lucky one to meet them. I can only say that it is fate that brought us together. Thank you very much for what you did today." Darren bowed respectfully to them once again.


    "Don''t mention it. It''s not a big deal." Then he rose up and gave him a gentle smile. "I heard that you also know Elder Star. Come visit if you have time. Here. It''s the token of our Heavenly Palace Sect. You can get in freely with it." Dylan handed over a token to Darren to which he didn''t refuse. He received it in his hands gratefully.


    Even though Elder Star was not a grand warrior, he held a very high place in the sect. So when Dylan mentioned his name, he sounded respectful.


    "Thank you, Sir. I will definitely take up your offer and visit you one day." Darren expressed his gratitude and nodded his head.


    "All right. We won''t disturb you anymore. I''m going for a walk with Elder Sky. You guys go ahead and do your own thing." With these words, Dylan turned to Elder Sky and motioned for him to go with him. Elder Sky responded in agreement, and they were about to leave when suddenly, he exclaimed, "Wait a minute!" Elder Sky halted, his gaze falling on the Grand Blood Refiner again.


    "You look so familiar, and there is also a strong murderous intent on you. If what I think is right, you are him!" he blurted out. His gaze was like a sharp knife that could pierce through everything. He stared at the Grand Blood Refiner with a clear look of recognition on his face.


    "Haha! Who do you mean by ''him''?" The Grand Blood Refiner laughed mockingly, and pretended not to know what he meant.


    "Are you really asking me this, Grand Blood Refiner?" Elder Sky threatened as he glared at the Grand Blood Refiner with stone cold eyes. He pursed his lips and put his hands behind his back.


    ''Damn it!'' Darren''s heart dropped all of a sudden. The Grand Blood Refiner was a famous demon for over hundreds years. Now that Elder Sky had recognized him, he would never let them go easily t


    ink that maybe there was indeed some misunderstanding.


    "To be honest, you are my elder. If you can really prove that you were framed, of course I will come and apologize to you. I will let you off easily this time for Darren''s sake. Many people have told me that he is an honest young man. I believe him,"


    Elder Sky said, then turned to Darren and added, "Because you insist that the Grand Blood Refiner was framed, Darren, I won''t fight him today. But you have to know that you will be responsible for the consequences if it turns out that he has been lying to get all his strength back."


    The message was clear as day. If the Grand Blood Refiner was truly framed, Elder Sky would humbly apologize to him for his mistake. But if he was really a blood-thirsty demon who was going to kill more people, then Darren would probably take responsibility for it and make amends with his life.


    "Don''t worry, Sir. I don''t think I believed in the wrong guy. I will do my best to help him get his strength back and find the person who framed him. Everything will be clear then, so will his name!" Darren promised confidently as he stared at them with great determination.


    "I hope so." To be honest, Elder Sky didn''t fully believe his words. But now that Darren promised so honestly to him, he didn''t want to put the Grand Blood Refiner on the spot anymore.


    Then he turned and said to Dylan, "Please take me to your Heavenly Palace Sect, Dylan. We will pay a visit to the master."


    "Okay, Sir. Let''s go." Dylan disregarded the Grand Blood Refiner. He said a few words to the supreme disciples and left with Elder Sky.


    The people that Shane and Tab had brought also left after them. Soon after, the only people who were left were those familiar with Darren.


    Bang!


    Darren dropped to one knee before the Grand Blood Refiner all of a sudden and opened his mouth, "I''m sorry that I slapped you in front all those people today!"

 Chapter 358 A Satisfactory Settlement

    "Darren, what are you doing?" the Grand Blood Refiner asked in confusion, his expression extremely displeased as he stared at Darren''s kneeling figure. Before he realized what had happened, Shane and the other grand warriors came to hold Darren up.


    "Darren. Why did you do that? Don''t you see me as your brother? Don''t do that again, or I will slap you in the face," the Grand Blood Refiner said seriously as he hurriedly reached out to hold Darren up. He knew well Darren''s action just now was to protect him. He was saddened at the fact that Darren felt the need to do that.


    "Yeah. Darren, why did you do that? We are like brothers now. Brothers would always beat and scold each other. In this way, our relationship will get closer. Don''t do that again," Chad added solemnly once he had recovered. They were all startled at Darren''s actions.


    "I see." Darren nodded in understanding. He flashed them a light smile as he stood up.


    Soon, harmonious and comfortable atmosphere returned. The Grand Blood Refiner also let the displeasure go as he relaxed his shoulders. Next, they should go to deal with Gerald.


    The injury in Gerald''s private part wasn''t fatal. The real thing that made him motionless was the genuine force left in his body by Elder Sky, for which he was overwhelmed with great pain.


    "Ann, you can do it first," Darren offered. Since he regarded the other male grand warriors as his brothers, naturally, he saw Ann as his sister.


    Ann nodded, walking over to Gerald with her eyes burning with extreme rage.


    Boom!


    The loud sound thundered as she kicked Gerald''s private part violently. It was dripping with his sickening blood. Ann yelled so loudly as she insulted him, "You bastard, who on earth is dirty? Your mother is the dirty one! You shameless thing!"


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Then, Ann continuously kicked his private part for hundreds of times without stopping to lessen the indignation that settled in her heavy heart.


    If Darren''s friends hadn''t come in time and successfully helped them win, she would have been utterly disgraced and humiliated by Gerald. Her heart filled with anxiety and disgust as she remembered this disgusting detail. The panic and fear she felt never left her, even after the battle.


    "Please let me go. I''ll give you whatever you want," Gerald begged for mercy, his breathing ragged and slow. He lay on the ground pitifully, as he was on the brink of his death.


    "Ha-ha!" Chad laughed sarcastically as if he had just heard a joke. The hate in his eyes was like sharp daggers shooting towards Gerald.


    "Let you go? You beast, you killed so many of Darren''s seniors and attempted to torture us. How could I keep you alive?" one of the grand warriors yelled as he rushed to Gerald and hit him fiercely.


    Instantly, the rest of the people came forth with a rush, applying all the means they had to torture Gerald.


    Only Scott stood still, releasing a cold aura.


    "Scott, how about your arms?" Darren a


    he sky as the cool wind hit his chiseled face.


    He sat on the wild land for two hours taking in the cool breeze. At last, in order to get rid of his personal matters and feelings, he decided to fly back to the Lotus Holy Land.


    Before Chad left, he told Darren where the hideout of the Holy Lord of the Lotus Holy Land was, so he was able to locate Diana easily. Unfortunately, she was still in a coma.


    He determinedly carried Diana to a wrecked hall and took all the magic herbs he had to cure her terrible wounds.


    Her wounds recovered quickly, but the powerful force of the rule cultivator still remained in her body and Darren couldn''t wipe it out so easily.


    "Damn the rule cultivator in purple. It''s you again. I swear I will kill you!"


    Darren cried, his eyes glistering with unspeakable wrath. The rule cultivator in purple now was as detestable as Bryan for Darren. He would never let him off so easily.


    However, Darren couldn''t take the plunge, because at the top floor of the Medicine Pavilion, a dreadfully powerful rule cultivator stood guard so that Darren could not dare to arbitrarily break into it. With that, he could only find an opportunity to induce the rule cultivator in purple out and kill him out of the Medicine Pavilion.


    The power of the rule cultivator was unnatural and strong. Once he was induced, Darren planned to call the Water Kylin out in order to successfully slaughter him as well as to avoid any trouble later on.


    Once he got out of that mess, Darren continued to cure wounds for the Holy Lord of the Lotus Holy land. Even though he couldn''t fully healed her in all totality, he should at least let her come around.


    After half a month''s significant effort, Darren finally achieved that goal.


    However, when Diana woke up, she was panic-stricken, her eyes filled with great fear and anxiety. Once she recognized the man who had saved her was Darren, she said something scary and ominous to him that chilled him to his bones.

 Chapter 359 Fix Things

    "What did you say?" Darren asked after he heard Diana''s explanation. He could not believe his ears. Agony coursed through Darren as he processed the news.


    "Your sister has been kidnapped," Diana repeated. She had just woken from her coma, and her pale face suggested that she was still weak.


    "What happened? Mr. Li told me that you had asked someone to send her away. Hadn''t you?" Darren became more and more agitated.


    First, Diana nodded, but later, she shook her head and added, "I did ask someone to escort Belle and Cathy to a safe place when Bryan arrived. But soon after, I was informed that they had been captured," she explained.


    "This is not good," Darren was very anxious. "Who took them?" he asked.


    Despite being extremely tired at this time, Diana tried her best to support herself. She answered weakly, "I am afraid the culprits are the people from the eastern land. And Belle''s capture may have something to do with her Primitive Feminine Bloodline."


    Hearing this, Darren''s heart twisted. He had heard earlier that one of the most powerful groups, the Primitive Feminine Bloodline Clan, had been exterminated. As a sole survivor, Belle must be in great danger.


    Darren was distressed by Belle''s situation. He wanted to save her, but he didn''t know how.


    "Darren, thank you for saving me. It is my fault that I wasn''t able to protect Belle well," Diana reproached herself.


    Once again, Darren felt a sting in his heart. Diana shouldn''t be blaming herself. In fact, the whole issue started because of him. It was he who had brought misfortune to Lotus Holy Land. How could he blame Diana?


    Thinking of this, Darren knelt before her and said, "It''s all my fault, Holy Lord. So many elders got into trouble because of my actions. What''s worse, I am the reason why you have suffered tremendously. Now, my sister has been captured. It''s all my fault. I''m so sorry."


    After recent events, Darren knew that he should take greater responsibility than anyone else. Since Diana was an elder and he respected her a lot, Darren knew that he should kneel before her and make amends.


    "Oh, poor boy, stand up," Diana coughed. She held out her hands and tried to lift Darren, but she wasn''t strong enough.


    "Although I was unconscious, I still had some perception of the outside world. Not only did you defeat Bryan, but your strength is also comparable to that of a grand warrior. How can you degrade yourself by kneeling? Get up," Diana rationalized while pretending to be angry with him. Despite her request, Darren lowered his head and remained silent.


    To ease her mind, Darren nodded and stood up. He raised his head and looked at Diana with tear-filled eyes. She had suffered a lot because of him. With a sigh, Darren said, "Holy Lord, I have killed Bryan, that fucking bastard. I have avenged the death of the elders. From now on, I take responsibility for protecting you. If you don''t mind, may I call you Aunt? I swear that I will treat you as my aunt."


    "Of course, not. You are such an adorable boy


    etly waited for his answer.


    "You are also my buddy," Darren finally replied as he gazed at the Water Kylin blandly.


    "Ha-ha," the Water Kylin laughed. He was so happy that he skipped with joy like a kid. "From now on, master, I will do anything for you."


    Then he turned to Finley. "Humph! Finley, did you hear that? Now, I have the same status as you. And, we are well-matched in strength as well. Do you still dare to bully me?" the Water Kylin said proudly. With his head held high, he defiantly glanced at Finley.


    "Our strength levels match? Let''s fight and see who is stronger," Finley sneered.


    "Eh..." the Water Kylin didn''t expect Finley to declare war on him. He floated an excuse, "We have a guest today. And if you are beaten to your knees, you''ll lose face. We''ll fight another time." As soon as he finished, the Water Kylin disappeared from the scene. He knew that he could not defeat Finley yet.


    A faint smile danced on everyone''s lips as they watched the Water Kylin escape.


    Then Darren said to Finley, "Aunt Diana will live here for a while. I need you to take care of her."


    "No problem. She''s in good hands." Immediately after that, Finley sensed something strange. "There seems to be a rule cultivator''s force in Aunt Diana''s body. Did I sense that correctly?" he asked, frowning.


    "Yes, there is. Do you know how to get rid of it?" Darren asked. Delight reflected in his expression as hopes of helping Diana rose.


    "I''m not sure if I can help, and the process of getting it out would cause significant pain. Why don''t you ask the defender in the tenth space for help?" Finley suggested.


    "Oh! How could I forget him? Please follow me, Aunt Diana. We will go and find him," Darren exclaimed. Then he took Diana and flew to find the fishing boy in the tenth space.


    As it turned out, Darren was not disappointed. The boy cured Diana in an instant!


    After Diana recovered, Darren stayed in the Ancient Void Battlefield for a few more days. He left only when everything was fixed.

 Chapter 360 Misfortune In The Chu Clan

    After leaving the Ancient Void Battlefield, Darren headed for the entrance of the ordinary land¡ªthe land outside the eight Holy Lands.


    Before Darren left, Holy Lord Diana reminded him that he should not massacre cultivators or any common people in the ordinary land. Otherwise, he would be severely punished.


    When visiting the ordinary land, cultivators, who were at the Wonder Realm, but had not reached the premium stage of the Wonder Realm, were supervised by the Holy Lords. If they went on a killing spree, they would be hunted and punished by the responsible Holy Lord. Bryan had spoiled his son. That was why his son dared to behave so recklessly.


    Cultivators above the premium stage of the Wonder Realm or the Grand Realm needed to be more careful when they were in the ordinary land. If they damaged the land or killed heedlessly, the law enforcement team of grand warriors would punish them.


    Darren was almost as strong as a grand warrior. He was so powerful that if he released all his force, he could destroy hundreds of countries in the southern land within a few seconds. If he did so, the law enforcement team of grand warriors would catch and discipline him.


    "How strong are the warriors in the law enforcement team? Even a three-star grand warrior could be subdued," murmured Darren. Darren had heard that the law enforcement team of grand warriors would pursue and punish four-star grand warriors if they dared to abuse their power in the Bottom Spiritual World. Their ability to subdue a four-star grand warrior showed how powerful the law enforcement team was!


    Anyway, Darren was not too concerned as he was returning to look for his sister and his clan. Since he wasn''t going to cause trouble, he didn''t need to worry about the rule.


    It took Darren two hours to fly to the edge of Lotus Holy Land. Once there, he went to a stone tablet.


    Slipping his hand inside a pocket, Darren removed a token and placed it into the stone tablet. In a flash, Darren''s figure vanished from the Lotus Holy Land.


    "Cool! I haven''t been out for a long time!" Darren mumbled. He then flew to a mountain outside the Lotus Holy Land, released his spiritual sense, and perceived the area for thousands of miles. He could see figures of the ordinary martial artists in the region.


    ''I need to finish this case before I can begin the search for my sister. I also have to deal with Mathew''s case. Alas, why are there so many things to do?'' Darren wondered. Before leaving the Lotus Holy Land, Holy Lord Diana had told him that Belle''s kidnappers d


    you are."


    Darren''s face flushed when he put his hand in his pocket. He had forgotten to carry money! Now, Darren could not pay the stall keeper for the steamed buns.


    "I''m sorry, but I seem to have forgotten to bring money. Can I give you this spiritual herb in exchange?" Darren picked a low-level spiritual herb from his Space Ring and offered it to the stall keeper. He was afraid that the stall keeper could not recognize the value of herbs at a higher level.


    "Oh, yes, of course. Thank you so much, sir," the stall keeper bowed and thanked Darren. The moment he saw the herb, he identified that the spiritual herb was worth more than ten thousand tael of silver!


    Darren smiled lightly and didn''t say anything. He then handed the steamed buns to the beggar and left.


    The beggar was so famished that he began to devour the steam buns like a starving wolf.


    "Well, the affairs of the world change without warning. The Chu Clan once thrived and prospered, but now it has become destitute. Darren is to blame. If he had not gotten into trouble, the Chu Clan would not have become like this."


    "I can''t agree with you more. Reed is a cultivator at the Spirit Realm. Who expected that he would go mad and become a beggar? It is all because of Darren."


    "I heard that the elders of the Chu Clan suffered greater misery, especially the guards of the Martial Skill Library. They preferred to die than be enslaved. Now, they are treated with great cruelty."


    Darren, who was about to leave, stopped when he heard the discussion. Fury coursed through him when he heard the conversation.


    He turned and walked to the beggar. After he gently smoothed his hair away, Darren saw a familiar face.

 Chapter 361 Like A God (Part One)

    "Uncle Reed!" Darren shouted to catch the attention of the beggar. At first, he couldn''t believe his eyes, for he wasn''t able to recognize his uncle. Wearing a tattered, messy, and crumpled garments, Darren had to take a closer look to ascertain that it was indeed his Uncle Reed.


    After all that he had endured, and the battles that taught him hard-learned lessons, the renewed and changed Darren right now was more open-minded. He had learned to forgive and not hold any grudge of what had happened in the past. Yet, seeing Reed in such a situation, he was angry now. It made Darren feel guilty and angry at himself, all at once.


    At the mention of his name, Reed looked up and fixed his eyes at Darren. Though his eyes were empty, clearly, it showed that he didn''t recognize Darren, nor knew that he was of a close relationship to him.


    "P...Please don''t hurt me! P...Please..." With a quivering voice, Reed stuttered as he was terrified with Darren''s angry shout. He kept retreating and stepping away from the warrior. A frightened and confused expression was drawn on his face.


    Judging from how he looked and the way he acted, Darren knew that he wasn''t himself anymore. He was out of his mind because of what had happened.


    Pitying his uncle''s miserable state, Darren soon realized that he could make use of his Spirit Power to get Reed''s Spirit Power back. That would, in turn, regain his normal state of mind and revive his sanity.


    "Ahhhhh!" The moment the Spirit Power reacted with Reed''s body, he was twitching and hollering in pain. The process was so excruciating that it made Reed shout garishly. Darren couldn''t almost stand seeing his uncle under such torment, yet he held on to his faith that what he was doing was for his good.


    After a few moments, Reed finally stopped shouting. The Spirit Power had done its task, and gradually the gleaming lights of hope were back in Reed''s once empty eyes.


    to his uncle and the rest of his kin that he would do everything that he could to avenge the fate that was not destined to be met by them.


    "That''s impossible, Darren. You don''t understand. They are the royal members. It''s an order from the Holy Lands, and the royals execute it. We are to be slaves until we die. That''s final. It is impossible to turn it the other way around. Listen to me, nephew, Darren. Just go away. The elders won''t blame you for leaving. Instead, they will be happy that you get a chance to live." Tears kept streaming down Reed''s wrinkled face as he insisted on Darren leaving the place. What he was holding onto was not anchored to any principles of martial arts nor any beliefs in battles¡ªfighting or yielding. Convincing Darren to leave right now and save himself was Reed''s way of showing his love for a family member, which was what really mattered. Sad for Reed, though, that it was almost too late for him to realize.


    "Wait here, Uncle Reed. I will be back soon." Knowing his uncle, Darren knew that any argument would not convince him at all. The only thing he could do right now was to show his real strength so his clan would see it with their own eyes and believe that he could rescue them from the wrath they were enduring all these years.

 Chapter 362 Like A God (Part Two)

    After saying these words, Darren made sure that his uncle was concealed in a safe place, then he rushed straight into the massive gates of the Chu Clan, ignoring Reed''s protest.


    Finally, giving up on changing Darren''s mind, Reed just kept his silence as he watched his nephew fly towards the gates. After Darren left, he fell on the ground as if the last of his body''s strength had left him. He started wailing, thinking that the only descendant of his clan who could have lived would also be dead shortly.


    "Who''s that? How dare you get in here!


    Leave now, or you will be dead!"


    As soon as Darren got in, an angry martial artist clad in armor walked straight towards him. The man bellowed a warning at him with a spectral voice.


    Seeing him approach and the rest of the soldiers behind him starting to move forward as well, Darren just ignored them all. He kept walking further inside as if he hadn''t heard anything of the man''s warnings. His spiritual sense guided him, and his weapons were ready at bay.


    Being ignored as if they were invisible, the soldiers just got even angrier. They charged towards Darren with spears in their hands.


    Clash! Clash! Clash!


    The spears all burst into dust three inches away from Darren''s face. Yet, after a few blinks, the soldiers all fell back, scampered on the ground with blood oozing from their mouths. Without the soldiers'' knowledge, Darren let out a powerful spell. However, Darren didn''t even release his aura yet, and if he had released his aura, the soldiers would have all burst out dead in the blink of an eye.


    "What!


    We are all at the sixth stage of the Spirit Realm, and we can''t even get near him?" exclaimed a bloody soldier.


    The severely injured soldiers were all shocked at what happened. They had never encou


    ion to the soldier and Darren, many middle-aged men whose eyes reddened in awe, were terrified when they saw what had happened.


    "Go! Go away! Get the hell out of here!" A gaunt and shabby older man with grey hair shouted to Darren with tears streaming down his hollow cheeks.


    "Chief Elder..." With a surprised tone, Darren mumbled. He could barely recognize the once energetic and robust elder.


    "Darren, you fool! Why did you come back? You have to go now!" All the middle-aged men that knew him also got worried. They all gave him a warning.


    "What? He''s that Darren? Ha! You finally came back for your death after all these years!


    Come on, guys! Get him! Whoever catches him gets the reward!"


    At the mention of Darren''s name, the soldiers charged towards him with the reward on their minds.


    But to everyone''s surprise, they were only able to run a few steps before their bodies burst into a bloody mist. They died even before they had a chance to get their weapons to attack Darren.


    "What the hell?"


    All eyes were on Darren this time. Mesmerized and awestruck, they looked at him as if he was a god who could make everyone feel feared and hopeful at the same time.

 Chapter 363 Down On Your Knees (Part One)

    Right at that instant, the soldiers who charged towards Darren were killed in an instant. No one knew how Darren managed to do that, but deep down, they all knew that Darren was compelling and someone not to be messed with.


    Recovering from a brief shock at what they have witnessed, the Chu Clan once again grew worried. All of them knew that what Darren had done was like hitting himself against the wall. He declared war against the Royal Army, who had warriors at the top level of the Mysterious Realm or higher. If Darren stayed a little longer in the place, he would probably be obliterated from the face of the earth.


    His clan was enslaved under the order of the royals. This was made as a consequence of what happened at the Ilmen Sect. What Darren''s family did not know was, Darren was potent enough to have killed two warriors of the Wonder Realm. It was quite natural that such news was well contained in utmost secrecy as it was very embarrassing for the Holy Land to have their warriors killed by someone inferior to them.


    So no one in entire Doriath knew Darren''s strength and potentials back then. They certainly had no clue what he was capable of doing now.


    After all, just by looking at him, he was such a young man¡ªbelow twenty years old. What harm could he possibly do regardless of whatever gift he might have? This was the question that lingered on the minds of almost all of Darren''s clan as they had never met any real genius. That being the case, Darren''s show of skills and immense power drove them mesmerized and unbelieving.


    After such a massacre, a couple of daring soldiers wanted to come up and subdue Darren despite what they had witnessed. However, they were stopped by several officers.


    "I have sent someone to bring in Mr. Elias Chen. When he arrives, this freak will die for sure. The best thing to


    Weighing all the odds, Darren took a good look at each member, and all that he saw were pale and withered faces. He could no longer hold himself together and began to tear up.


    He was the main reason for their suffering, yet they did not even blame him. Instead, they were urging him to save himself. Darren felt that he could never repay them for their action today and for bearing on their shoulders the suffering, he was supposed to carry. Especially for those who had already lost their lives, Darren would be forever indebted to them.


    ''At times like this, I cannot leave them behind. I have to make a name for myself and let others fear me! For those grand warrior enforcers, I will kill as many as they come!'' he thought to himself. Though it was hard for Darren to disobey the elders of his clan, he had made up his mind and now looked stern and ferocious as he had already decided to stay, fight, and kill!


    "My brothers and sisters, and dear elders, I, Darren, at this moment swear to you that I will not let you suffer like this! Not ever!" with a voice full of resolute determination, Darren said. He was looking straight at ever Chu Clan members assuring them that their suffering will end right at that moment.

 Chapter 364 Down On Your Knees (Part Two)

    Everyone sighed as they saw that Darren was determined to stay. In their hearts, they were grateful to the warrior and wished him to succeed in his battle with the royal warriors.


    Realizing that they could no longer change his mind, three elders of the Chu Clan, who were now withered and depressed by all these years of suffering, came to Darren. They looked at him with desperation all over their faces.


    "Elders!" Bowing down, Darren saluted them and then asked, "May I know where is the guard of the Martial Skill Library?"


    What worried Darren the most had been the elder who always helped him before¡ªthe guard of the Martial Skill Library.


    However, their lips were shaking, and sorrow flashed through their eyes upon hearing the question. The three elders were unable to utter a single word.


    Seeing their reaction, Darren panicked a little as he feared that the guard of the Martial Skill Library might be dead.


    "He is quite persistent, and he refused to be enslaved. So the royals had him captured, and they said that they were going to make him suffer for eternity," the Chief Elder said in a flurried manner as if he was still shocked by the cruel act of the royals.


    That made Darren furious at first, but the fury was overpowered by the relief of knowing that the guard of the Martial Skill Library was still alive. After all, that was what mattered to him. Working out the plan he had in mind, Darren just needed to find him first, and then he would make whoever had hurt him pay dearly.


    "Which one of you is causing a disturbance on the royal turf? Have you all forgotten what I am capable of? Are you not afraid of me anymore?"


    An arrogant voice came from afar, sending chills down everyone''s spine.


    "Master Chen is here! Ha-ha!"


    The members of Chu Clan looked scared and frightened while the royal guards were thrilled as


    el of the Mysterious Realm had just been killed by that young man in an instant! It was shocking!" hollered a warrior that was standing nearby.


    The soldiers, who were on their knees now, were scared to death. At this moment, Darren, for them, was the embodiment of death!


    "Darren, since when have you become this strong?" an elder asked from afar. The members of his clan could not believe what they had just witnessed, tantamount to what they had seen earlier. They had nothing but pure admiration for the young boy that was now a skilled and crafted warrior.


    "Darren, they may send warriors of the Wonder Realm to fight against you and see you dead. Do you think you would be able to take them on? Or at least get our people out of here?" the Chief Elder asked with hopeful eyes as he pointed the members of his clan.


    "Chief Elder, you can rest assured. Even the warriors with the cultivation base of the Holy Lords would still have to kneel in front of me," with a serious face, Darren said in a flat tone as if facing the Holy Lords was just a child''s play to him. Hearing that, everyone was once again shocked. They wondered in awe as to how one of their kin had improved so much that he could take down even the Holy Lord.

 Chapter 365 Punishment (Part One)

    Over the past few years that they had suffered under in the desolate place, the Chu Clan members knew clearly that the Holy Land was such a place ruled by such intoxicating powers. Reality could not be concealed how powerful a Holy Lord was, that ruled and influenced the land and its subjects.


    Yet, for Darren, it was as if the threat posed by the mighty Holy Lord was nothing but a joke. Especially when he declared that, even if a person as powerful as a Holy Lord appeared, that person should kneel to him. Darren''s sentence shocked all the members of the Chu Clan, and they could not believe their ears for the words were too good to be true. Albeit all these, they were Darren''s family, and all of them believed that Darren was not a boastful person; he was truthful, and standing firm by his words.


    "Darren, is it really possible that for just a few years, you have grown to a level that no one can defeat you? Are you that potent now, that you have no fear facing a powerful cultivator in the Wonder Realm?" asked a middle-aged member of the Chu Clan.


    "I have the same question. All of us know that you will never speak in big words before, but what you have said now is out of our imagination!" asked another member.


    One by one, the members of the Chu Clan started to put forward their questions. They didn''t doubt Darren, but they dared not believe his words. It was as if that doubts were troubling them, either they were amazed at what Darren had achieved as a martial artist, or they couldn''t believe what he was saying and assume that he was just lying all this time.


    "Please don''t ask me such kind of questions, for I don''t know how to answer them. For now, why don''t you take the spiritual herbs to heal yourselves first? If you would just be patient and wait until those who have been summoned came, maybe then you will find the answers to all your questions. That is when you see with your own eyes how I kill them with my skills. One more thing, please send someone to take Uncle Reed here and make sure that he''s safe." Finishing his instructions, Darren gave each member of the Chu Clan a piece of superior spiritual herb to replenish their strength and revive them to their maximum


    hree of them had just reached the primary stage of the Wonder Realm, and the other three were at the top level of the Mysterious Realm.


    "No wonder the royal family can overpower the whole kingdom. Now I see that a cultivator at the Wonder Realm is allowed to stay here and guard the place."


    As a rule, a cultivator at the Wonder Realm was not allowed to stay in the ordinary world. In rare cases, if a kingdom''s safety was risked, and it needed to be guarded, then a cultivator at the ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm alone would not be strong enough to guard the place. Thus, that would probably be the reason why the Holy Lands permit that a cultivator at the Wonder Realm could remain in the ordinary land.


    "Now tell me the truth! Why did the royals make the Chu Clan as your slaves?" Standing confidently from where he was seated, Darren voiced his question with a booming voice and a calmed look, giving off his aura secretly.


    Like an arrow from a bow, the face of the older man, the leader of the group, turned pale the moment he felt Darren''s aura. To Darren and the rest of the groups'' amazement, he bent his knee and got down afront Darren.


    Of course, it was easy for Darren to let the leader give in. Any of his force, the power of the blade and sword, the ice and flame intent, could make a cultivator at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm surrender. Not to mention the fact that the older man was only at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm.

 Chapter 366 Punishment (Part Two)

    The other cultivators behind the older man saw him kneeling in front of Darren. They were both confused and shocked, exclaiming, "Sir, what... what is happening to you?"


    "Sir, it was the Holy Land that sent some people here and ordered your clan to be put under enslavement. If we didn''t do as they asked us, they would ruin Doriath. We had to obey them and dared not go against their orders," the older man vouched to Darren with his head dropped low. He sensed the fearful aura of Darren, and his voice trembled as he spoke. All this time, he was trying very hard to suppress the trembling of his knees so it wouldn''t be that obvious.


    Hearing the words that came out from their leader''s mouth, which signaled that he had yielded, the rest of the cultivators felt uneasy as if they had no air to breathe.


    The senior elder of the royal family, the cultivator at the Wonder Realm, should be and supposed to be invincible. Yet, now he was calling Darren "sir" with utmost reverence. Much more was, he was terribly frightened to the point that he got down on his knees to show his admiration to him! All this had been out of their imagination.


    "Is Bryan responsible for all these? Is he the one who made the orders?" showing his authority, Darren asked again. This time he took small steps forward and made his voice a little louder and firmer.


    "I haven''t heard of the name that you''ve mentioned, Sir. What I merely know is that all of those people were from the Blade Holy Land and they were all cultivators at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm," responded the still kneeling leader. This time his voice was more submissive.


    "Humph! It doesn''t matter. Actually, they were only some ants for me. To tell you the truth, I have killed the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land," with a seething tone, Darren sneered. His aura contained some blade intent and sword intent, which terrified them.


    Upon hearing the words from Darren that he had killed the Holy Lord of the Blade Holy Land, a cultivator at the Mysterious Realm behind the older man got such a fright that he passed out.


    "I see what you mean, sir. I will ask the leader of our kingdom to rel


    him with his hand.


    "Hum! You break one arm by yourself quickly. Otherwise, I will kill this bad old guy!" warned the cultivator, taking the elder as a hostage. The cultivator of the Wonder Realm could see that Darren attached much importance to the members of the Chu Clan. So he thought he could threaten Darren by seizing one elder.


    "Puff!" With just a blow of his fingers, Darren blew an intent to that cultivator. The power contained some ice sword intent, which left a slash on his neck. In a jiffy, the cultivator fell to the ground suddenly with a desolate thud. His eyes were still opened, lifeless, and dull.


    All the members of the Chu Clan felt relieved seeing what had happened, although they felt very nervous when the Third Elder was threatened. Yet their amazement overpowered the fear and relief they had felt right now. A mix of battling emotions was stirred upon each one of them. They were so grateful to have Darren on their side.


    "We all accept your conditions, sir!" This time all the royal members echoed in chorus. They were all paled and got down on their knees after witnessing what had happened. Their faces were almost touching the ground in humble acknowledgment of Darren.


    At that moment, all the members of the Chu Clan were thrilled and exasperated that some were in tears. No words could be used for them to describe and express their gratitude to that former young weakling and now their savior.

 Chapter 367 The Future Of The Chu Clan (Part One)

    Since these cultivators from the royal family had confessed to their crimes, Darren chose not to kill them. Instead, he imprisoned the offenders so that they could be interrogated with the other prisoners.


    Later, Darren inquired about what had happened to the guard of the Martial Skill Library. He intended to rescue the guard as soon as he finished what had to be done here.


    "Listen to me. Everyone must gather at the training ground now. Darren has some news to share with us." Once the Chief Elder summoned all the clan members, they followed Darren to the training ground.


    The members of the Chu Clan almost recovered from their wounds and injuries after absorbing the superior spiritual herbs. Now that they had also regained their freedom, many people had hot tears of gratitude and relief rolling down their cheeks.


    While walking toward the training ground, Darren used his spiritual sense to communicate with Finley, who was inside the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "Finley, let me ask you a question. Do you know which of the martial arts skills that I collected in the Ancient Void Battlefield can be used in the outside world?" Since Finley had merged with the Shadow Emperor, it was fair to say that Finley knew a lot more than Darren. So, it was wise to consult him first.


    "Well, theoretically speaking, none of those things can be used in the outside world. Previously, the rewards that were given to those who passed a test were specially transformed ones. Those skills could be used in the outside world. But, now the special ones are basically non-existence. However, I think there are other treasures that you can take out. By the way, why did you think of asking me this? Is there something wrong in the outside world?" Finley inquired. He was also a bit worried th


    suffered before, he sounded very hoarse. It appeared as though he was not as strong as he used to be.


    Then Darren showed up. He said, "My dear brothers and sisters and my respectable elders. I asked everyone to gather at the training ground because I believe it is necessary to make arrangements for the future of the Chu Clan. We must get stronger so that no one will bully us. Never again! And we need to work toward becoming the greatest clan in the 100 countries of the southern land." Darren''s voice was full of energy, and what he said excited everyone.


    "The number one clan in the southern land? Oh, my god. I can''t believe this!"


    "Oh, isn''t that the greatest news in the world? I almost fainted. Is Darren going to help cultivate a Wonder Realm warrior for the clan?" People started to wonder how Darren was going to deliver what he had just promised.


    Then, to their surprise, Darren opened the chest instead of answering their questions. He pointed at the pills, took a look around, and said solemnly, "This pill is called the Talent-upgrading Elixir. Taking one means an upgrade in a person''s talent by one level. And everybody can take as many as five in his or her life."

 Chapter 368 The Future Of The Chu Clan (Part Two)

    After hearing Darren''s explanation, the crowd exploded in a heated discussion. Upgrading the talent of warriors by taking pills would be an invaluable opportunity for any cultivator, even the royal family. However, one pill for one upgrade sounded too good to be true. It was almost like cheating!


    Some people even lost consciousness because they were too excited when they saw so many Talent-upgrading Elixir pills in front of them.


    "Please be quiet. I am not finished yet," said Darren calmly. The crowd in the training ground quieted down as soon as Darren showed a little impatience. Instead of verbalizing their excitement, the members of the Chu Clan started to express their eagerness with their eyes. Some even stared at Darren fervently.


    "Although these Talent-upgrading Elixir pills are my gift to the Chu Clan, you can''t take them as you please. There must be rules, and I am making the rules now. As you all know, the Chu Clan does not have a leader. So, the first thing we should do before everyone gets his or her pills is to appoint a head of the clan who will keep the pills for everyone.


    Now, my uncle, please step forward."


    Darren nodded at Reed. He couldn''t have been clearer about who he wanted to be the head.


    "Me? Are you sure?" asked Reed. Though he was anxious and shocked, he followed Darren''s request and walked to the stage.


    "I nominate Reed, my dear uncle. Reed will be a great chief. What do you say?"


    After saying what he had to say, Darren glanced around, indicating that he was truly the boss here. Everybody else, of course, was simply complying with his wishes.


    Darren had chosen Reed for two reasons. First of all, Reed was still i


    t do nothing?" Reed was a little bit worried about forcing the members of the clan to be gentle and docile toward others.


    The southern land was by no means a small area. A lot of powerful clans were rooted in this land. And once the news broke that the Chu Clan had thousands of Talent-upgrading Elixir pills, things would get ugly. They would have to endure attacks and all kinds of evil actions from greedy tribes and cultivators.


    "Reed, there is some measure of truth in your concern. Don''t worry. I am going to fix this problem for the clan now," responded Darren.


    Then he released his powerful spiritual sense and flew toward the clouds.


    Darren''s spiritual sense could reach as far as one thousand kilometers in the ordinary land. He could also fly at such an astonishing speed that he could travel the one hundred countries in the southern land in no time. As for now, he flew across the southern land and landed in front of a cave on the top of a barren mountain.


    "The one who resides in the cave, please show yourself to me," requested Darren. And then his solemn voice reverberated in the deep cave.

 Chapter 369 Invited Guardian (Part One)

    A person flew from the inside of the cave. He stood in front of Darren with a perplexed look on his face, measuring the stranger up and down quickly. He then cupped his hands together and bowed. "May I know your reason for being here, sir?"


    The man seemed calm on the outside, but in reality, he was quite terrified inside. The young man in front of him did not seem to be any ordinary person as he was exuding with an extremely overbearing aura. The man from the cave was certain that the young man was an incredibly powerful warrior whose abilities were much more superior to his. If this young man was here with the intention of killing him, it would not be difficult for him to take his life in an instant.


    "Relax. I''m here just for a talk. How should I address you?" Darren gave the man a friendly smile.


    "I''m Gary Gao. What can I do for you, sir? Please tell me straight away." Gary Gao felt relieved upon sensing Darren''s friendliness. He had mistaken the young man as a troublemaker looking to cause him problems.


    "All right. I won''t beat around the bush." Darren looked at the man with sincerity.


    "I''ve been to numerous countries. Among all of the reclusive cultivators I''ve met, you''re the most excellent in terms of cultivation base. You''ve reached the top level of the primary stage of the Wonder Realm. I came here with the intention of inviting you as the noblest invited guardian of our Chu Clan. Are you willing to accept my invitation?" announced Darren cordially.


    "I, uh..." stuttered Gary, full of hesitation. He was reluctant to accept such an invitation, but he was afraid to refuse it.


    "Why are you hesitant? You can tell me your reasons," reassured Darren in a soft manner.


    "Well... I''ve been leading a reclusive life on this mountain and had kept my hands clean from the affairs of the outsid


    autiful wife, he thus became madly infatuated with her. This royal member became so deranged that he molested Gary''s wife in front of him and killed her and their son afterwards. Gary was able to survive because of his skill in the martial arts, but he was left severely injured.


    Gary then fled from his homeland and hid in this mountain. He cultivated tirelessly every day in an attempt to reach the level of the Wonder Realm and to avenge his family.


    The warrior from the royal family even went as far as to hire several other advanced warriors to come after him. After those terrifying life-or-death fights, Gary discovered that he had reached the limit of his cultivation base and would not have any chance to improve it any further. It was therefore impossible for him to take revenge for his wife and son for the rest of his life. In his despair and frustration, he lived in the mountains like a hermit and had been unwilling to return to the outside world ever since.


    If he left the cave and emerged again unto the outside world, there was an extreme possibility that he would be found and killed by his enemy. Therefore, despite the offer of many spiritual herbs, Gary dared not accept Darren''s invitation.

 Chapter 370 Invited Guardian (Part Two)

    "I understand, Gary. Don''t worry, I can kill and behead your enemy for you." Darren nodded at Gary, still remaining calm and coolheaded.


    "You believe me, sir? You''re not suspicious that I''m just lying to you?" Darren''s reaction was far beyond Gary''s expectations. He never dreamed that this young man would promise to avenge him just by hearing his stories.


    "You cannot lie to me. I know everything you said is true." Darren gave Gary a slight smile. He had detected the fluctuation of Gary''s Spirit Power with his own forceful Spirit Power when Gary was telling his story. As Darren judged according to his experience, the movement of Gary''s Spirit Power fit perfectly with his words. So it was impossible that Gary was lying.


    Darren then aimed his spiritual sense towards the palace and found Gary''s enemy. To his surprise, the bastard was surrounded by several sobbing beautiful girls and was throwing obscenities at them. He groped one of those girls and wildly thrust into her as she trembled underneath him. Once he got bored with the girl, he kicked her aside and took another one. Darren had no doubt that this man was really a piece of shit.


    A noise suddenly stirred in the air.


    Darren launched a ray of powerful ice sword intent towards the sky, which was immediately shot thousands of miles away.


    The royal warrior at the top level of primary stage of Wonder Realm, was still indulging himself with the girls when the forceful sword intent reached him out of nowhere and beheaded him before he could realize what was happening.


    Afterwards, the sword intent, commanded by Darren, returned with the warrior''s bloody head on it and fell directly by Gary''s foot.


    "That''s his head, Gary. Your enemy is dead. Check it yourself


    from the younger generations might be evil and carry on misdeeds. So, he had to remind Gary of this in case something unexpected might happen.


    After this affair with Gary was done, Darren flew to a few other places to see several other reclusive cultivators and invited two reclusive cultivators at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm as invited guardians for his clan. He then returned to the residence of the Chu Clan with the three Wonder Realm warriors.


    Darren had been so engaged in the affairs for his family that during all these days he had not spotted the several pairs of eyes that were watching him wherever he went.


    "When can we slay this bastard, Holy Lord?" asked an old man.


    "Darren is going to kill an emperor of a state. I will appear as the Holy Lord on that very day when the killing is done and announce his crime of slaughtering the sovereign. Then we can kill him directly. Even if the killing calls the attention of the law enforcement team of grand warriors, we will have a justifiable cause," said Holy Lord Landon with a darkened face. The green lightning surrounding him turned gloomier as the evil idea came into his mind.

 Chapter 371 Many Doubts

    After Darren returned to the Chu Clan, he completed all necessary arrangements, including ordering the three invited guardians to take action in times of crisis. If they acted at whim, they would break the rules of all Holy Lands, which would trigger repression. At that time, if Darren were absent, there would be trouble.


    Satisfied with the preparations, Darren called the three elders to a private room.


    One of the reasons Darren had undertaken this journey was to figure out his true identity.


    "Elders, please tell me honestly, am I the son of the Chu Clan?" Darren asked directly.


    The three elders froze for a moment. They didn''t know what prompted Darren to ask this question.


    From among them, the Chief Elder was the first to speak. "Darren, what made you question your lineage? Of course, you are the biological son of Gavin. Unfortunately, your poor father was killed on that day. Alas! We have never learned the identity of his murderer."


    Darren probed the Chief Elder with his Spirit Power and found that he hadn''t lied.


    A frown appeared on Darren''s face as a strange feeling coursed through him. Darren had been gifted with a good memory¡ªright since childhood, he could remember incidents that others had forgotten. He was three years older than Belle and clearly remembered the busy scenes in the yard when his sister was born. But Diana had said that he and Belle had not been birthed by the same mother.


    So, who was his mother?


    Creak.


    At this time, the door opened, and a tall figure entered.


    "I know the truth. You are correct. You are not Gavin''s son," the man said.


    Darren''s elder uncle, Reed, had interrupted the conversation.


    "What nonsense? I was present on the day of Darren''s birth," the Third Elder declared. Agitation coursed through him when he heard Reed''s absurd response.


    "Sir, what I have said is the truth. Gavin picked up Darren. No. It''s not completely accurate to say so," Reed replied.


    The elders were confused.


    "Nonsense! Did you lose your mind again?" The Second Elder didn''t believe it at all.


    "Elders, let Uncle Reed continue his explanation. Let''s start with whether I was picked up or not." Darren had a feeling that he would learn the truth soon.


    "On that day, I was in the backyard speaking with Gavin when a fireball shot across the sky and landed in front of us.


    We were terrified that it might explode after the disastrous landing. However,


    ''Is this the strange ball in which I was transported?'' After recalling Reed''s description, Darren was nearly sure that these were the shells.


    "Ah!" Darren shouted. Darren''s eyes were still silvery white. What he didn''t know was that a quirky rule on the shell would trigger an invisible attack when exposed to an alien power. The explosive headache distorted time and space before him.


    Darren quickly got out of the state of silver-eyes. He whispered in shock, "It seems that space-time rule is inscribed on the shells. This is so weird."


    Darren put the shells into the Space Ring and buried the grave. Now that he knew who killed his adoptive father, of course, he would get revenge.


    ''Reed said that a jade tablet is missing. Could Landon have taken it?'' Darren wondered.


    ''Anyway, I must ask when I confront him!'' Darren decided that he would find and punish Landon after finishing other trivial matters.


    But at this time, he still couldn''t figure out why Landon had killed his father. Did Landon murder his father for that jade tablet? Or did he have another purpose?


    Darren couldn''t figure it out. He knew that he needed to confront Landon to find answers.


    Whoosh!


    Since he was getting nowhere with these mysteries, Darren tried not to think too much about all this. He rationalized that it would be easy to kill Landon with his current strength. Even if he couldn''t, Darren could ask Scott to help him. Landon wouldn''t get away.


    At this time, Darren did not know how wrong he was. Ordinary grand warriors could not confront the so-called Holy Lord Landon. Dealing with him was not that simple.

 Chapter 372 Find The Clue (Part One)

    With the sun peeking at the horizons, and its light cast a silhouette at the mountains afar, a new and refreshed hope stirred inside Darren. Overseeing the scenic view painted by the sunlight, he took a deep breath and prepared himself to set out. Today, he would head to the capital of Doriath to pick up the guard of the Martial Skill Library.


    When all was set and ready, Darren hovered over the clouds with his destination in mind. However, as he was afloat midair, a strange feeling swept over him. He was so troubled by that outlandish sense that he released his spiritual sense to check on the vicinity for something suspicious. To his dismay, he found nothing.


    "Hmm, that''s so peculiar. I am certain I sensed a strong aura flashing across just now. Was that just my illusion?" with all his senses heightened, Darren mumbled while shaking his head.


    Then he went on flying ahead, dismissing the thought on his mind. Though the aura had disappeared as he moved further away, he still felt vaguely uneasy.


    While flying, he examined his force of control. Gauging his potentials, he estimated that two to three days from now, he could open the Ancient Void Battlefield. By that time, he would be able to enter the battlefield and visit the Water Kylin and Finley. Even though the idea thrilled him, Darren became vigilant because of the illusion earlier. After the previous bitter lesson that he had experienced, he reminded himself always to make sure that he could open the Ancient Void Battlefield as an escape route, only with that assurance that he could set his mind at rest.


    After a few moments, Darren arrived at the capital of Doriath. He was not mesmerized to have arrived at the place for just a short flight because his mind was quite full at the moment. Getting his eyes accustomed to the familiar place, he let out his spiritual sense to sea


    Darren had taken him back just now. As a warrior at the top level of the ninth stage of the Mysterious Realm, he had no defense against Darren.


    Besides, his elder left with a few strong warriors and hadn''t returned yet. Left in charge while the elder was away, the emperor had predicted the dreadful consequence that his elder might have already died and would not come back.


    "Come in!" the middle-aged man shouted. Then several guards at the Mysterious Realm flew over to stand beside him. The warriors were so vigilant in case Darren would let out any unexpected and unsolicited attack. He was at the rage and was on the verge of vexing out his frustration at the moment.


    Bang!


    The middle-aged man beat them and roared, "Where were you just now? What should I do? What should I do?"


    "As the emperor of Doriath, how could you be so panic-stricken?" asked a figure that had just arrived at the palace.


    Strange scurried voices came as few figures walked into the hall at the moment.


    The middle-aged man was shocked, for he sensed that the momentum of the men approaching wasn''t weaker than that of Darren.


    "Here is the Holy Lord. Go down on your knees!" an old man shouted as he announced the entrance of the Holy Lord.

 Chapter 373 Find The Clue (Part Two)

    "Ah! He is the Holy Lord?" the middle-aged man in the dragon robe asked in astonishment. Immediately, he prostrated himself before the Holy Lord, with no laudable tolerant spirit of an emperor.


    "Distinguished Holy Lord, please save me. Someone wants to kill me," the middle-aged man pleaded, trembling as the Holy Lord neared him.


    "Humph. You don''t need to do that. Our Holy Lord will never let off anyone that destroys the stable life of the ordinary land. You could live in peace in the following days. When he comes again, our Holy Lord will execute him on the spot," assured the old man.


    "I understand. Thank you for your assurance." Grateful to the Holy Lord, the emperor nodded again and again. A sheepish smile couldn''t help but be drawn on his lucid face.


    On the other end, as he was flying through the clouds, Darren was severe and calm.


    ''I''m sure there is someone following me!'' Darren thought to himself as he sensed an unwelcomed aura nearby.


    Just earlier, when Darren threatened to kill the emperor, he felt several powerful auras flashed against him. Thus, he was confident that what he felt last time was not just an illusion.


    Though the auras vanquished quickly, with Darren''s perceptivity, he identified a little aura of thunder intent.


    "He must be Landon, the Holy Lord of The Lightning Holy Land. It seems that he is more powerful than I expected," Darren said to himself.


    Darren had hesitated to kill the emperor moments ago, for he had felt the aura was so strong. So, he had changed his plan and left promptly.


    Now, Darren dared not act recklessly. The reason why he had said he would come back three days later was that then he could be powerful enough to open the Ancient Void Battlefield. By that time, he would have nothing to fear.


    Very soon, Darren returned to his family. He took


    iable possible power ever that not even Holy Lord Landon could withstand!


    I have both absorbed and assimilated the spiritual energy. In theory, the speed has reached its limits, but why is the stage of realm improved so slowly?"


    Darren mumbled in confusion. He had spent three days absorbing the spiritual energy, but his realm was improved very little.


    "I guess my talent is not enough. If I could reach the ninth level of the Heaven Degree like Finley had said, my realm would be improved effortlessly!" thinking about Finley, Darren said after a series of speculations.


    ''My next goal is to improve my talent degree as much as possible. Yet, for now, first things first. I should kill the emperor!'' with a determined will, Darren thought as he flew towards the imperial city.


    Since he had sensed the illusion that day, Darren foreboded that killing the emperor today wouldn''t be smooth, but he had to hold on to his convictions. After all, he had accumulated enough force of control, which could open the Ancient Void Battlefield. With that, he could let the Water Kylin out or drag his enemy to the Ancient Void Battlefield to ask Finley to help him. That was the plan that Darren had in mind all this time.

 Chapter 374 Landons Strength

    Though the day started peacefully and everything appeared normal, a tense atmosphere filled the air. The news of Darren making a scene three days ago had spread throughout the imperial city of Doriath. People were talking about the incident, and today in the town, many low-level warriors crowded into the streets to wait. They were anticipating to witness a bloody massacre.


    "Look, there is Darren!"


    Everyone looked up and saw a figure land from the clouds onto the top of the royal palace as a middle-aged warrior pointed at Darren''s descending figure from the sky.


    "Damned emperor, get out of your foxhole!"


    Darren yelled, facing the palace where the emperor was lurking.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    In a flash, more than thousands of people flew onto the roofs of the palaces. Darren wondered if they flew in to stand guard or to have a more unobstructed view of what was about to happen.


    A middle-aged man in yellow robe stood proudly and bravely in front of the crowd and faced Darren. Not a trace of fear was betrayed on his face, nor on the aura that exuded out of him.


    "Who the hell are you, badass? How dare you threaten to assassinate me? If you would surrender, I will let you die with your body intact!" The emperor looked at Darren contemptuously, without fear of the latter.


    Darren was a little surprised. Just three days ago, the emperor was scared to death as if seeing a ghost. Yet now, he was behaving so arrogant. He must be supported by someone behind, someone whom he relied so much upon¡ªsomeone so powerful.


    "Hum, very well, how arrogant you are today! But you are about to die.


    Tell me! Is killing and enslaving the Chu Clan in Valmar made under your orders?" Darren did not intend to kill him in a rushed manner. Instead, he pronounced his crimes for everyone to know.


    "Yes! What would you do about it? Who do you think you are, brat? Do you want to influence my decision?


    The Chu Clan deceived me, so I can deal with them as I wish. Do you have any questions? Hahaha"


    The emperor was so confident because of the assurance that Holy Lord Landon promised to back him up. He knew that Darren was no match for the Holy Lord, and that the boy would sure eat some dust in the hands of Landon. Thus, right at that very moment, not a tinge of fear was traced in his voice¡ªhe was not afraid of Darren at all.


    "How did the Chu Clan deceive you?" Darren said, icily. His brows were joined in a furrow because he was confused by the emperor''s words.


    "Don''t talk nonsense! If I say whoever has been guilty of deceiving me, then that is it. I can also kill whomever I do not like. You think you can stop me, huh?" the emperor challenged Darren.


    "Well, with that attitude of yours, you are seeking death! Today I am going to cut your head off in front of all the civilians, you asshole!" fed up by the emperor''s arrogance, Darren announced before he leaped to attack the emperor.


    "How dare you! Go ahead, warriors! The one who kills this guy will rec


    ture in black shell that Darren had met in the Devil Den of the Raksa Sea.


    "Damn it! He is at least a top three-star grand warrior!" Realizing his opponent''s actual skills, Darren was extremely shocked. He immediately mobilized the force of control.


    "Water Kylin, come out!"


    Howl!


    Howl!


    With a mighty howl spreading all over the area, a fearsome black figure showed up. It leaped in the sky and landed beside Darren, causing towers of dust to rise in the air. The howls the beast made added a deadly air in the previously catastrophic atmosphere in the area.


    Wasting no time, the Water Kylin stretched out one of his front hooves and hit Landon back away.


    "Ah, what a mighty aura! How could this boy summon a legendary beast?" The older man had never expected such a situation.


    "Well, I can''t believe that you have a legendary beast to help you, but you are doomed to die!"


    After a short while of shock, Landon released a colossal swirl of green lightning, and the great force nearly made the sky fall apart.


    "Oh, my goodness! Master, he is nearly a four-star grand warrior. I am afraid that his strength could compare with that of Finley!" The Water Kylin shouted with a trace of nervousness in his voice as he felt the violent aura of Landon''s strength.


    Standing behind the Water Kylin, Darren was greatly astonished. He had never expected that the Holy Lord Landon had such mighty strength¡ªit was utterly beyond his imagination.


    His existence was unreasonable and not allowed in the four regions. He was really a terrible enemy to be able to have hidden his cultivation base for so long.


    "Water Kylin, lure him away to a desolate place. I am going to open up the Ancient Void Battlefield and ask Finley to deal with him!" Darren instructed the Water Kylin.


    "Okay, master, I can resist this guy''s power for more than ten days," replied the beast.


    With that, the Water Kylin then carried Darren towards the border of the southern land in a bottleneck speed.

 Chapter 375 Water Kylin Fighting Against Landon

    "Damn it!" With a roar of rage, Landon, the Holy Lord, was so frustrated with the fact that he found it hard to chase after his enemies. As a fearless warrior, it was a slap in the face not being able to be on par with your opponent in both speed and strength.


    Though when it came to fighting capacity, the Water Kylin was among the three-star grand warriors of the top level. The war between them was almost a close match. To say the least, the Water Kylin could absolutely escape with Darren if he were defeated.


    The Water Kylin''s silhouette couldn''t be followed by the naked eye. As if torn apart by the void, the beast moved miles swiftly after miles.


    Only within seconds, both the Water Kylin and Darren had got out of the southern land almost miles away in the distance from the Holy Lord Landon.


    "Master, this is a wasteland. Shall we stop and have a rest first?" the Water Kylin asked without stopping.


    "Absolutely no. We must leave the ordinary land. Keep flying!" As far as Darren knew, if he would allow the battle to happen here, Landon would undoubtedly destroy the whole ordinary world with his power. Darren mustn''t let that happen, thus to save the land from total destruction, they had to escape as far as possible.


    At this time, Landon was less than two miles from his enemies. He was enveloped with green lightning, like numerous curling snakes creeping all over his body.


    "Damn! What speed!" Frustrated this time, Landon couldn''t catch up with Darren and the Water Kylin. The thought made him exasperated.


    The distance between them kept unchanged for a long time. Occasionally, Landon would speed up with the assistance of the green lightning and made attacks, but he could not penetrate the Water Kylin''s defense.


    Four hours had passed, and a mist covered the whole world. Darren had no idea where they had reached after flying non-stop. What he was sure though, was there weren''t any human beings where they were now. Darren assumed that the place would be a best battlefield for them.


    "Okay, I guess we can stop here," Darren told the Water Kylin, motioning him to stop and make land.


    "The border of the southern land! Good idea, Darren. I had never been here before. It is no bad to kill you here. By the time the law enforcement team arrives, I have fled already! You and the legendary beast would be lifeless by then." Seeing that the Water Kylin and Darren stopped ahead, Landon was in rapture.


    However, he didn''t rush towards them right at that instant. Landon had never been to the border before. He was vigilant as there could be unpredictable dangers lurking somewhere.


    The border meant the limit of the city in the four directions. ''What was on Darren''s mind? Why had he chosen to land on that part of the land?'' the Holy Lord thought silently. As far as his knowledge about the land permitted him, Landon knew that this area had existed for thousands of years. There


    s!" Surprised by the sudden attack, Landon was enraged by Water Kylin''s harassment. He launched his green lightning intent and started to deal with the Water Kylin.


    The border area was much more stable than the ordinary land, but it still couldn''t endure the ferocious exchange of attacks made by Landon and the Water Kylin. Mountains, hills, and rivers, alike were shaking violently and collapsed in the end. The entire place was about to be ruined.


    From afar, Darren witnessed the combat. The Water Kylin''s vast body ramped when hit by the green lightning. He was using his body as a weapon to attack Landon.


    Although the two warriors were fighting in the sky, the land still kept collapsing with lava rushing out of the mantle. Everything was buried in dense smoke and flames. Darren couldn''t help worrying.


    "Things will get worse if the battle lasts long. I must kill Landon as soon as possible!"


    With that idea in mind, Darren frowned and fled slowly towards the battlefield. It was so hard to move forward amidst the heated combat.


    "Howl!" Blue flames surrounded the Water Kylin. He owned the real invincible power of the legendary beast, and he was maximizing his skills to fight against Holy Lord Landon.


    "Do not play tricks on me. We must have a real fight!" Challenging the Holy Lord, the Water Kylin''s shot was powerful enough to shake the earth. He would make full use of his capacity, especially now that he was determined to end Landon''s life.


    "You are doomed, beast!" Enraged by the Water Kylin''s challenge, Landon made a roar, too. Two streaks of greenish-blue lightning gushed from his eyes and pierced towards the Water Kylin.


    The lightning was so violent that the sky was torn apart. Dozens of dark clouds and smoke were produced which seemed to engulf everything.


    "How powerful that lightning force was!" Standing afar, Darren couldn''t help shuddering as he felt the intense aura that exuded out of Landon.

 Chapter 376 Law Enforcer Is Coming

    Instead of avoiding the incomparable green-blue bolt, the Water Kylin transformed into a streak of blue light and charged toward it.


    The violent collision formed a giant dark hole that forcefully sucked the broken land into the void and reduced it to nothing.


    "The space has collapsed!"


    Darren was astonished. Even though he was a great distance away, he could feel an enormous strength pulling him to the dark hole.


    The unprecedented battle started by two three-star grand warriors had disintegrated the space in the border area. If the battle were to happen on the center of the ordinary land, the impact would be horrifying! The hundred nations in the southern land would have been reduced to a gigantic lava pit.


    The force was frightful!


    "There is no use trying to defend against my divine thunder. You are injured. You are destined to lose the battle!"


    Blood boiled in Landon''s chest as he spoke. He was also injured. It was beyond Landon''s expectation that the legendary beast''s fighting capacity would rival his own after summoning the fundamental force.


    "Nonsense! Face your destiny, double-headed beast!"


    Numerous wounds on the Water Kylin''s body showed that he had been severely injured. However, he had not ceased his violent attacks. His hill-like paws kept flailing in the air.


    Another two hours passed. Now, Landon''s body had been severely wounded, and his breath had become feeble. Unfortunately, the Water Kylin''s condition was much worse, as bones could be seen in some wounds.


    It was clear that the Water Kylin was no match for Landon.


    "The battle needs to end now." Darren closed in on them. He intended to open the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "Bang!"


    Suddenly, a fiery-red spear descended from the sky. The enormous strength carried by the spear collapsed Darren''s spiritual sense.


    Bang! Bang!


    The fiery-red spear pierced Landon and the Water Kylin''s body, reducing their inner power by seventy percent!


    Darren was astounded. He could not believe what he saw.


    A


    astonished. What was worse, the icy and formidable tone in the enforcer''s voice forced Darren to submit.


    Darren was stupefied when he saw the law enforcer stepping forward in the void. He was headed for the Water Kylin.


    "You do not belong in the outside world. If I remember correctly, your place is in the Raksa Sea. You dare to do evil here? I must put you to death right now!"


    The law enforcer then grabbed the fiery-red spear, intending to slay the Water Kylin.


    Darren panicked. If the law enforcer decided to kill him, the Water Kylin wouldn''t stand a chance even with Finley''s help.


    "How can a law enforcer be so unreasonable?"


    To divert the law enforcer''s attention, Darren decided to reproach him.


    "Watch your tongue! Do not seek death!" The honored law enforcer was humiliated by the young man''s accusations. How could he not be exasperated?


    "Am I wrong? The man before you is absolutely a double-headed man. Why do you punish the legendary beast instead? Are you a qualified law enforcer? If every law enforcer were like you, the superior talents among human beings would be exterminated!" Darren held up his head bravely as he prepared to confront the law enforcer''s anger.


    The law enforcer took a deep breath and glared at the offending boy. His eyes, filled with murderous intent, seemed to pierce Darren''s body!

 Chapter 377 Dragged The Law Enforcer Into The Ancient Void Battlefield

    The law enforcer''s killing intent was so strong that, of course, Darren could not bear it. Instantly, pain exploded in his chest. Darren fell to his knees as he could not support his body under pressure released by the law enforcer.


    "Finley, can you handle the situation if I bring a five-star grand warrior or above into the Ancient Void Battlefield?" Darren tried to contact Finley. At that moment, he had no choice but to pin his hopes on the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "Darren, what happened? Is the situation so bad that even the Water Kylin cannot help? If he is stronger than a five-star grand warrior, I cannot defeat him. I can use the power of the Shadow Emperor twice. If you are sure that you have no other choice, then just get him in and I''ll let the Shadow Emperor kill him," Finley replied to Darren.


    Since Finley had only two opportunities to summon the Shadow Emperor''s force, he planned to use it to deal with the boy in the Ancient Void Battlefield. Although the boy appeared quiet now, he could lose control and become violent. As the Shadow Emperor''s force was precious to Finley, he didn''t want to consume it unless he had to.


    "I see. I will try my best not to waste the two chances," Darren answered.


    "Sir, please recheck him. He is not human. He must have some reason for hiding among human beings!" Darren said to the law enforcer. As Darren had the law enforcer''s attention, the Water Kylin was not in danger. So, he relaxed a little.


    The law enforcer was much stronger than Darren, and his purpose was to maintain order in the ordinary land. That Landon had deceived him was unexpected. Darren couldn''t hold the law enforcer responsible.


    Seeing that Darren was sincere, the law enforcer put away his killing intent.


    Then his gaze turned to Landon. A red light shone in the law enforcer''s eyes as he probed the Holy Lord. The painful expression on the law enforcer''s face allowed Darren to guess why he did not use this skill previously.


    The law enforcer stared at Landon for a few moments, but the latter appeared calm. Apparently, Landon was confident that the law enforcer would not see through him. At the same time, he also glimpsed at Darren with killing intent.


    ''This is not good! Landon''s reaction shows that he believes he can survive the law enforcer''s detecting skill, '' Darren rationalized while preparing himself to use the force of control.


    After a short while, the law enforcer''s forehead was covered in sweat. Using this arcane skill to detect others really consumed a great deal of spiritual intent.


    "What explanation do y


    relax. Give me a hand only when necessary. We are sure to kill this double-head creature!"


    While inside the Ancient Void Battlefield, Darren could not use the force of control to kill creatures that came from the outside world. However, he could come and go freely and quickly. For this reason, Landon would find it difficult to attack him. As long as they did not battle with Landon face-to-face, Darren and the Water Kylin could defeat Landon.


    "You lower-level warriors are too bold and impudent! I will kill all of you here!"


    The law enforcer erupted with fury after hearing their conversation. The fiery-red spear became blood-colored as he thrust it at Finley.


    Meanwhile, Darren and the Water Kylin began fighting Landon in another place.


    "Double-headed bastard, I will take your life today!" The Water Kylin roared as he used the full force of his body, which was as large as a mountain, to rush at Landon.


    ''Damn! This beast has recovered again!'' Astonishment reflected on Landon''s face as he summoned and released powerful thunder and lightning force to fight back.


    Darren did not just stand beside them. He used the inheritance skill of the Dragon Blood Clan to attack Landon. With nine avatars merging into one, Darren''s strength reached its zenith. In the next instant, the olive-black force and the dark gold internal force gushed in Landon''s direction like floodwaters.


    ''What? His force is really strong! The young human bastard is mightier than I expected! I have to kill him even if it means I risk being defeated and killed here today!'' Landon was shocked when he sensed the tremendous power that approached him from behind. His killing desire multiplied manifold as he vowed to kill Darren.

 Chapter 378 The Shocking Battles

    Fierce battles arose. Tremendous exchange of auras, spirits, and intents occurred, especially with Finley. As countless lights broke out in all directions, the thirteenth space shook tempestuously because of the repercussions.


    At this time, Darren and the Water Kylin pushed Landon back. Luckily, they had compelled him farther away from Finley. Otherwise, their battle against Landon would be affected, and Darren wouldn''t want that to happen.


    "Finley is a beast. He really fights with the five-star grand warrior! That Holy Lord would be a piece of cake for him," the Water Kylin exclaimed when he noticed the progress of the battle.


    Stimulated by Finley''s exceptional courage, the Water Kylin turned furious. As a result, his fighting capacity went up along with his determination to help Darren out in defeating the Holy Lord. Thus, gathering his strength, he launched intensive attacks to Landon, even prevailing over him.


    At the same time, Darren fought like a guerrilla, assaulting Landon with powerful skills one at a time. Under the converging attack of Darren and the Water Kylin, Landon had been all scratched up. He was so exhausted at receiving each blow, sweats soaked his garments, and he was panting hard to breathe.


    "Damn you bastards! Go to hell!" Not giving up, Landon bellowed as his belly lit up. Then a cloud of hyacinthine lightning gathered around him. The force accumulated around him stirred and collected around his body.


    "Eh?" A furrow appeared at Darren''s brow as he wondered, sensing that something horrible was about to happen. It seemed that the lightning in Landon''s belly was a lot stronger than the lightning shot from his eyes.


    "Man, watch your back. He is going to put up a desperate fight!" Darren whispered to the Water Kylin using his spiritual sense.


    "Master, stay away. Let me confront him with my absolute power!" the Water Kylin shouted valorously back to Darren. Instead of showing fear, the Water Kylin shrank and spat out a crystal bead.


    Seeing the bead, Darren was surprised for he had never seen the Water Kylin displayed such a skill, even when he was at death''s door.


    The crystal bead ceaselessly rotated before the Water Kylin, and the blue flames on his body suddenly blazed, painting the sky in blue. Maybe that was one of his hidden skills¡ªone that would be his last retort in desperate times.


    "I see. This is your most powerful skill!" Darren sighed in sudden comprehension of the Water Kylin''s display of power. Since the aura continuously rose, he receded to somewhere far away. The collision that would reach such a high level was far beyond Darren''s power. Even if he was in the Ancient Void Battlefield, he couldn''t afford to handle it. Darren knew that if he insisted on staying on the battlefield the moment the Water Kylin released his power, he would be obliterated in no time.


    Therefore, Darren flew as far as he could away from the battle and started to watch the combat between Finley and the law enforcer.


    Judging from the look on the faces of both warriors and the exchange of powers that commenced between them, Darren could say that the battle was so heart-stirring. The law enforcer, holding a fiery-red spear, da


    ame time was hurt.


    "Come back!" The law enforcer ordered as his palms were put together and waved towards the black vortex. Then some fiery-red particles rushed out from the other end of the black vortex and reunited on his hand.


    On the other side, the Water Kylin and Landon fought bitterly and desperately. None of them showed signs of yielding nor retreating. Both were eager to fight till their last breath.


    The blue flames on the Water Kylin had been dimmed, and Landon had been burned black with only a little lightning glittering. Landon was so severely injured that he almost passed out.


    Bang!


    By this point, both of them had run out of their powers. With that, they were engaged in hand-to-hand combat with one another using their fists and palms.


    Seeing this, Darren saw his chance. With a beaming grin, he flew over to them.


    As he approached near them, he bellowed, "You double-headed beast. I admit that your skill to hide is excellent. If I hadn''t owned the Ancient Void Battlefield, you might have killed me.


    But now you should pay the price."


    He noticed that Landon was forceless now, by the way his shoulders slumped and his face downcast. Thus, he decided to confront him directly.


    "You human bastard, kill me if you can!" Challenged, Landon, though he was as weak as a prey. He was looking intensely at Darren''s eye while those words came out of his mouth.


    "Good. You should receive the deserved punishment!"


    Darren shouted in response. Even as the sound of his voice faded away, the blade and sword intent around him was released as a ray of light darting towards Landon.


    In the void, the light of blade and sword intent gushed out ceaselessly. At the same time, the dark gold force was shot violently to Landon, who could not escape nor withstand it.


    "Ah!" Hit by the intents, Landon suddenly roared in pain. He was on the verge of death, and his soul seemed to escape out of his eyes.


    At the moment, he finally revealed his cruel face. To Darren''s surprise, the hideous scar between his neck and shoulder began to stir. It was as if a creature was about to break out from the spot.

 Chapter 379 The Apology From The Law Enforcer (Part One)

    Landon struggled and moaned with agony. The scar on his neck widened with each of his shrieks. Suddenly, an ugly head wrapped in disgusting slime popped out from inside his scar.


    The second head was pure scarlet red and resembled the peeled skull of an animal. It was more grim and hideous than the one on Landon''s neck.


    At this terrifying sight, Darren understood that Landon was going to use some arcane skills again. But, he would never give him that opportunity. Without delay, Darren launched an attack with the dark gold internal force at the scarlet red head.


    To Darren''s surprise, the bloody head opened its mouth and sprayed lightning. A deafening sound reverberated in the space as Darren''s dark gold internal force collided with the lightning.


    "Go to hell, you asshole!" shouted Landon furiously.


    As the two forces battled, Landon darted at Darren like a bomb.


    Since Landon was at the same level as a three-star grand warrior at his prime, his physical strength was dreadful, as well. Now, Landon was fighting for survival, so the power he exercised was much beyond Darren''s ability to defend against.


    Fully aware of the current situation, Darren was confident that just one strike from Landon would reduce him to ashes.


    In the face of such emergent danger, Darren had no other option but to release his domain and put on his incomplete black armor. After a quick breath, Darren released every skill he had learned with violent force in succession.


    The air stirred, and a piercing noise echoed in the space. Taking advantage of his strong body, Landon dashed toward Darren like a desperate bull, regardless of the attacks of the dark gold internal force and the pain they caused. Although the force of the attacks had separated the flesh from his body,


    s, the law enforcer felt sorry for Finley as well. Finley was more handsome than Darren. But he had received such a substantial beating that no one could recognize him now. How could the law enforcer face the consequences of misjudging the two young men?


    All law enforcers were required to report their missions to the Sacred Palace as soon as they were finished. But, this law enforcer had made a terrible mistake by trusting Landon. As a result, he had punished two innocent young men. Severe retribution would await him if his errors were reported to the Sacred Palace.


    Finley cast a quick look at the law enforcer and saw the embarrassment on his face. Then he said with a chuckle, "Our fight was fabulous. You''re a great warrior!"


    Having mastered the spatial rule, Finley was confident that although it was impossible for him to win against a five-star grand warrior, he would never suffer a severe defeat either. After battling the law enforcer, however, Finley realized how capable this law enforcer was. Since the law enforcer could easily break Finley''s skills with the spatial rule, he must be at a higher position in terms of strength among all five-star grand warriors.

 Chapter 380 The Apology From The Law Enforcer (Part Two)

    "You were excellent as well, young man. Few people at your age can fight me and survive. You''ve earned my admiration." Finley''s words delighted the law enforcer as he knew that this young lad held no grudges even after what transpired between them.


    But, he was serious when he admitted his admiration for Finley. Finley was young, no more than twenty years old. But, he was very powerful and knowledgeable about the basic skills of spatial rule. He was, indeed, a genius rarely seen under the heaven.


    Upon hearing the law enforcer''s praise, Finley flashed him a sincere smile. Then after sharing a pretext, Finley left. Though he seemed composed, Finley had been severely wounded during the fight with the law enforcer. He needed to heal and recover from his injuries.


    "Sir, please interrogate the mutant with me," suggested Darren. He wanted to assure the law enforcer that he wasn''t upset either.


    "My pleasure." The law enforcer approached Landon, who was still kneeling. He then launched a powerful pressing force until all of Landon''s bones shattered. "Tell us about your purpose! Why have you lurked in the human race for so long?"


    "You want the answer? I will never tell you!" Landon spat a mouthful of blood at the law enforcer''s face. His face twisted to the extreme as he burst into a desperate fit of laughter. Then, Landon refused to say anything more.


    "It seems you don''t know what I''m capable of!" Instead of flying into a rage after being humiliated, the law enforcer composedly crossed his arms behind his back and spoke. A mighty force of spiritual sense surged from his mind and poured into the deepest part of Landon''s brain.


    The spiritual sense attack was similar to the att


    ary in the future. I think it would be easy for you to reach the level of a seven-star grand warrior. And, there is also the possibility of you reaching the level of the Holy Realm. Darren, try your best!" said the law enforcer with a big smile on his face.


    Darren flashed the law enforcer a brilliant smile as well but said nothing.


    "I don''t have anything useful for you on me. But... please wait a minute!"


    After this, the law enforcer searched Landon''s body carefully for something. He then inserted his hand into Landon''s heart and fetched a colorful bead from it.


    "This is the most valuable treasure in Landon''s clan! But why is it here with Landon? We must thoroughly investigate his clan. This bead is precious. Keep it to yourself, Darren." The law enforcer tossed the bead at Darren without asking whether he would accept it or not.


    Darren felt the extraordinary features of the bead, and so, he took it without hesitation. Then Darren initiated the force of control and sent the law enforcer and the badly wounded mutant out of the Ancient Void Battlefield. A moment later, peace reigned in the ancient land again.

 Chapter 381 Meet Denise Again

    After the law enforcer left, Darren could no longer hold on to his curiosity so he started to sift through the colorful bead. His eyes were big in awe, not missing a single detail of the shimmering treasure that was in his hands.


    "Hah! That bead is really a precious gem. I can sense that there''s a tremendous force of lightning in it which was even more potent than the power Landon owned,"


    with a high pitched voice, Darren exclaimed in surprise after checking the bead with his spiritual sense.


    "Eh... Master, I can see that the bead is very similar to my Natal Divine Bead. The breath contained in it smells ancient just like mine," the Water Kylin uttered, astonished when he suddenly sensed the power of the bead. Darren''s words interrupted him as he was focusing on healing himself. Besides, the bead was such a rare treasure that was hard to ignore¡ªeven by the Water Kylin himself.


    "Your Natal Divine Bead?" asked Darren. He was baffled at the Water Kylin''s mention of a Natal Divine Bead.


    "Yes. I guess that is a Natal Divine Bead of another powerful legendary beast. As for the fantastic amount of lightning force contained in it, it might belong to the Thunder Beast, which was another legendary ancient beast.


    Millions of years have passed, but the force of lightning in it was still so strong. It is not hard for me to imagine how powerful the bead''s owner was when it was alive," the Water Kylin narrated.


    Looking intensely at the Water Kylin, Darren had never seen him show such a solemn face. He was bothered though if the grim face was because of the injuries he had suffered from the battle or because he sympathized with the Thunder Beast''s fate.


    "How did you know all that?" Darren asked out of confusion. He was determined to know the story behind the mysterious bead.


    "I have known those things because the internal memories passed down from the ancient legendary beasts of my race are so deeply rooted in my concepts. The Thunder Beast with pure bloodline is, no doubt, a kind of legendary beast. They could even match up with my ancestors." As the Water Kylin was explaining the notion to Darren, he couldn''t help but gasp in admiration.


    With the cloud that hovered on his mind, a bit cleared by now, Darren nodded as a consent. In that case, it wasn''t a surprise that Landon, such a mutant in the border would acquire the powerful lightning skill. It turned out that the bead made the most significant contribution.


    "What am I supposed to do with the bead?" Though Darren got the great treasure, he had no idea of how to use it, so he could only ask the Water Kylin. Besides, the beast was the only one who had an idea of what the bead was in the first place.


    "Well...As for that!" Clearing off his throat, the Water Kylin flicked his head up high, and deliberately coughed in a condescending way.


    Clever, as Darren was, just then, he immediately noticed that there was a cunning look in the Water Kylin''s eyes.


    "The bead needs to be nourished first before it could do you anything useful, and the process of sustaining it would be filled with suffering


    n the end, a blue sea appeared in front of me.


    There was nothing but waves in the sea. So I kept swimming until I got lost. There was no way at all.


    I was so scared at that time. I wanted to go swimming forward, but I couldn''t find my way. I wanted to go back, but I forgot the way where I came. I was completely lost. Adorable fish, please tell me, what was I looking for?"


    Denise was talking to a fish in the river, and Darren listened carefully. He felt a surging sense of bitterness in his heart. Denise was really a poor, naive girl.


    ''What was she looking for?''


    Darren thought for a moment. Denise''s words made him curious and confused at the same time.


    "Don''t go yet! I am not finished," Denise said to the fish.


    Seeing the fish swim away, she stamped her feet heavily on the shore. She was so lovely, and her radiance was the most beautiful scenery in the world.


    "You are looking for freedom, right?"


    Darren suddenly appeared beside Denise and asked her in a curious tone. Darren''s question startled her a lot, the same way as it surprised her in her dreams.


    "Ah! It''s you!" Turning back to see who was the owner of the voice, Denise was excited to see Darren. She didn''t answer his question. Instead, tears were glistening in her eyes.


    "You know what? Last night I dreamed... Never mind. I am not going to say it, or you are going to leave too like that fish.


    Am I a sad sack? Boring to talk to? No one wants to hear my stories, like butterflies, bees, birds, and fishes. They are all gone. They all hate me," Denise said in a quivering voice.


    Sensing her grief, Darren decided not to comment. He just stood there quietly with a smile on his face, listening to her rants.


    Denise kept talking and seemed to have forgotten Darren''s existence. She was crying and laughing at the same time while narrating her experience. Though, Darren thought that she was out of her mind, he kept on listening to her, making silly reactions from time to time to keep her talking. At that point, time seemed to freeze for both Darren and Denise.

 Chapter 382 The Mist

    Darren did not know how long he listened to Denise talk; all he knew was that he could not understand her words. She talked a mile a minute as if trying to speak out all the words inside her mind all at once. Once she finished talking, she lay down on the grass and fell asleep peacefully.


    "Hmm," Darren hummed as he gazed at Denise''s beautiful figure and smiled to himself.


    He was finally starting to understand why Denise felt so lonely. She was an emotional soul who spent endless days in a void. It was no wonder why she came to be this way.


    Darren then decided that if he would have the chance to let Denise have her real life back, he definitely would. He would take her to the outside world where she could see everything.


    With a soft whoosh, Darren flew away so as not to bother Denise''s restful slumber.


    In the thirteenth space of the Ancient Void Battlefield, Darren sat on his feet in the air alone in quiet. He started to check the two dead bodies inside the Space Ring.


    The two dead bodies were exactly what he took out from the Devil Den.


    One of the dead bodies was full of blade intent and sword intent, the aura of which was incredibly dreadful that it even made the blade core and the sword core quiver inside Darren''s body.


    "This dead body must be Hanson''s!" Darren knitted his eyebrows together as he sensed the blade intent and the sword intent.


    Now that he had somewhat confirmed that the dead body was Hanson''s, he was starting to think that maybe what Jesse Li said was true. Was it Mathew Xiao who had killed Hanson Xiao?


    "Is Mathew Xiao really the Grand Sword Killer, an evil man who killed his only brother?" Darren still did not dare to believe it. In his eyes, Matthew Xiao was a kind man who did not have even the faintest killing aura.


    "But on the other side, who really knows what is really behind people''s faces? The double-headed man could cheat the powerful cultivators successfully and control the Lightning Holy Land for hundreds of years." Darren immediately opposed his initial thought.


    He then stopped thinking about it. He decided that he would just wait patiently and improve his strength in the meantime. Once he grew stronger to be able to protect himself, then he would go to see Mathew and try to figure out the whole thing.


    Darren then started on the other dead body. It was all dried up, but Darren could still sense that the man must have been extremely powerful before he died.


    What surprised Darren was that the second dead body also gave off a powerful aura of the sword intent. It was even much stronger than that from the dead body of Hanson.


    Darren laid out the two dead bodies horizontally in the sky. In that way, he could carefully ob


    bamboo forest, Diana was drinking tea by herself in a small cabin built entirely of bamboo.


    "Aunt Diana," Darren called as he landed beside her.


    Diana greeted him back by nodding her head slightly. With a warm smile, she said to Darren, "It''s good to see you, Darren. Please have a seat."


    "Aunt Diana, I came here to ask you a question. Do you know a place where I could find powerful demonic monsters? It will be best if they are demonic monsters that are at the primary stage of the Grand Realm." Darren put forward his straight to the point.


    "Why do you ask such a question?"


    Darren sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Heh heh... It''s a long story, but it''s extremely necessary for me to find some powerful demonic monsters."


    "Boy, you seem to have a secret!" The Holy Lord laughed and said, "Besides the demonic monsters in the demonic monster domain, powerful demonic monsters can only be found in the Heavenly Serene Graveyard. It is said that the demonic monsters there are incredibly powerful. If super cultivators hadn''t suppressed them thousands of years ago, the whole eastern land as we know it would not have existed. You have to be very careful when you go there."


    "I see. You really are knowledgeable! Thank you so much, Aunt Diana!" Darren was overjoyed by the information. He was just about to leave when the Holy Lord suddenly called out, "Wait!" Diana looked at him with a gloomy face. "There''s actually one thing I didn''t tell you previously. I was reluctant to tell you a while ago, but I think I should let you know about it because I know you deeply care about your sister."


    Darren''s whole body tensed up and his face went rigid at once. He had already guessed that what Diana was trying to tell him had something to do with the fact that his sister had been captured.

 Chapter 383 The Eastern Land, The Destination (Part One)

    "Diana, I''m a totally different person now. The powers I possess are no longer weak like before. You can tell me frankly what that is all about. You don''t need to hide and bottle it all up from me. Don''t you know that I am so worried about you?" Darren said with an emphatic voice, letting Diana know that he was serious this time.


    "Okay then, I will tell you. But you must promise that you will not make any hasty and emotional decision after I let you know," Diana, the Holy Lord of the Lotus Holy Land, sighed in helplessness while giving Darren a warning. After moments of contemplating, she went on, "As far as I know, it was the Red Inferno Sect in the eastern land that captured Belle. The sect''s power is beyond compare with the numerous powerful warriors they have. Aside from that, the sect is one of the three dominant heretical sects in the eastern land. They are known for their mastery of the fighting craft and sharp skills.


    It was a long time ago that I have discovered that the Red Inferno Sect vanished the clan of the Primitive Feminine Bloodline." A downcast and solemn expression was displayed on Diana''s face as she relayed the sad story to Darren. She let out a sigh of disdain, and her heart seemed to ache in sympathy to the Primitive Feminine Bloodline Clan. After pausing for a while, she continued, "Since the clan of the Primitive Feminine Bloodline was doomed, their family members were hunted down from generation to generation. Women, children, elders, young men, and women alike fled in every direction to save their own lives. Not a single soul escaped from the ruthless hunt, and even the member of the young generation with relatively pure Primitive Feminine Bloodline had been captured in every possible way¡ªtortured and beaten to death." Diana''s voice was a bit shaky now. Yet, she was compelled to tell the whole story to Darren.


    "However, as the slaying and butc


    en. Always remember to be careful," Diana exhorted again.


    Without much ado, Darren flew from the Ancient Void Battlefield and set out for the eastern land. His mind was filled with thoughts on how he could defeat the sect and all the other enemies that stood along his way to save Belle. If he would just permit himself to do whatever he fancied, he should be there right now, slashing and beating whomever that would contest against him.


    However, the suggestions of Diana, the Holy Lord of the Lotus Holy Land, had changed his mind. If he directly went to the Red Inferno Sect now, he would just seek his doom. With that idea in mind, Darren opted to calm himself down for a moment and heed to his first destination. That was the Heavenly Serene Graveyard, for he planned to improve his talents as much as he could. He believed that by going to the Heavenly Serene Graveyard, his power could be primarily enhanced.


    "By the level of my cultivation right now, I can say that I''m too weak. I should become at least a three-star grand warrior in the Bottom Spiritual World to free myself from other warriors'' restrictions. That is my goal for now!" fluttering in midair, Darren muttered to himself, having made up his mind to improve his power this time radically.

 Chapter 384 The Eastern Land, The Destination (Part Two)

    Before he left the southern land, he still had one more thing to do. That was, he needed to find the rule cultivator in purple, for he had some avenging to do.


    The rule cultivator in purple was so notoriously vicious that not only had he tortured many elders, but he had also killed Elder Colin. Thus, Darren must take his revenge on the rule cultivator for the elder that was dear to him. He couldn''t let such ruthless action come to pass.


    Flying extremely fast this time, as if being enraged by the thought of Elder Colin''s death, Darren first checked on the situation of his clan. After he made sure that everything went well, he continuously flew to the Holy Lands.


    Finally, Darren arrived at his destination and landed before a magnificent hall, the Medicine Pavilion.


    For a moment, Darren speculated whether or not the rule cultivator in purple was in there. At the same time, he was thinking of ways on how he could induce him to get out and face him.


    It was not a good idea to kill him here, because there were thousands of rule cultivators present. For sure, they wouldn''t allow their kin to be killed alone without avenging his death. Many of them were as powerful as the rule cultivator in purple, himself. Moreover, on the top floor of the Medicine Pavilion, a fearless powerful man inhabited the place.


    Reckoning and weighing things for a long time, Darren thought that treasures could attract and lure the rule cultivator in purple out. As far as he knew, rule cultivators always placed great importance on treasures. Thus he would use one to deceive the rule cultivator in purple.


    "Got it! I have the emerald Divine Spirit Fruit from the law enforcer. It must be a treasure. Maybe the treasure could trick him an


    nd warrior, and I killed him in a pet. I never expected that a two-star grand warrior would come after me to revenge on that grand warrior''s death. I come to you now to take refuge and ask for your help,"


    a lean old man said. His aura was flat, while deep rage was revealed from his eyes as if he hated everything in the world.


    "Haha. Brother, don''t be angry with my words but, I believe that with your power, that two-star grand warrior could do nothing against you. You can assassinate him later," the rule cultivator in purple said with respects as he made tea for the two of them to share.


    "That''s right. I was thinking the same way. But I thought that having you behind my back would be a much better option in case fate was not with me." The lean old man contentedly smiled while taking a sip of the warm tea.


    At the moment, a roar downstairs came into their ears.


    "The Divine Spirit Fruit? Did I hear that, right?" the rule cultivator in purple asked in a startled expression.


    "Let''s go and have a look," the old man said since he was sure about what he had heard. Thus, he beckoned the rule cultivator in purple and went downstairs.

 Chapter 385 The Allurement

    After shouting at everyone present, Darren left the Medicine Pavilion in a calm and unhurried manner as if he had not been affected.


    He had no idea whether the noise had caught the attention of the purple-robed rule cultivator. Even though Darren was unsure of whether the purple-robed rule cultivator was in the Medicine Pavilion, he thought it was still worth a shot.


    Judging from the deal between the purple-robed rule cultivator and Bryan, the former was an extremely greedy man. If the purple-robed rule cultivator had heard about the Divine Spirit Fruit, he would stop at nothing to get it.


    ''What is this? I can sense two strange auras here.'' Darren felt as though two people were approaching him from behind. Although he was overjoyed when he sensed the rule cultivator''s aura, the other aura concerned Darren. He could not estimate the person''s power from his aura.


    "Hold up, young man!"


    At this moment, a commanding voice ordered Darren to stop.


    Darren turned to look and found that the purple-robed rule cultivator was the owner of that commanding voice.


    A smile danced on Darren''s lips. He had not expected to draw out the purple-robed rule cultivator with his trick. However, Darren was lucky as the purple-robed rule cultivator had shown up.


    Darren tried to contain his rage and hatred toward the rule cultivator so that he could feign terror and deference in front of him. Since any ordinary martial artist would be scared when in the presence of such a powerful rule cultivator, Darren had to pretend to be afraid. Otherwise, he would be exposed.


    "Greetings! How may I be of help to you?" Darren asked while saluting the two men.


    "Are you the one that claims to have the Divine Spirit Fruit?" the purple-robed rule cultivator asked coldly.


    Although the purple-robed rule cultivator and his fellow apprentice were powerful enough to detect the Divine Spirit Fruit''s scent on Darren, he asked with the hope that Darren would surrender the Divine Spirit Fruit willingly, thus saving them the trouble.


    "Well......" Darren pretended to be so nervous that he could not utter another word.


    "You prick! Just answer our question! Or better, just give it to us. I already know that you have the magic fruit. Why don''t you hand it over and avoid trouble? And I will give you ink stone as compensation. How does that sound?" The purple-robed rule cultivator infused strands of his ruling power into his voice. Any other ordinary person would have turned limp and caved in to such power. So, Darren pretended to be astounded. He trembled as he took several steps back.


    "Yes, of course! Just take it!" Darren nodded his compliance as he fetched the emerald green fruit.


    The purple-robed rule cultivator''s eyes flashed with greed. He gripped the air in front of him. Instantly, the Divine Spirit Fruit began to fly toward him, like metal drawn to a magnet.


    Darren did not stop him as he intended to lure the purple-robed rule cultivator away from the Medicine Pavilion. Naturally, he was prepared for the rule cultivator to take the Divine Spirit Fruit. He was sure that he would take it back soon.


    "What are you doing? I am a senior a


    d place that was hundreds of miles away from the Medicine Pavilion.


    "Hey, how far away is it exactly? Do not try to test us!" The purple-robed rule cultivator once again grew impatient.


    "It is only eight hundred miles away now. Relax, sir. I would not dare to fool you!" said Darren in a flattering tone.


    "Fine! Tell me in which direction, and I will fly you there. If you dare to trick me, I assure you that you will die a horrible death!" the purple-robed rule cultivator warned Darren while preparing to carry Darren.


    "I would do no such thing! It is in that direction." Darren pointed with his finger.


    After two hours, Darren and the two rule cultivators had covered thousands of miles of distance.


    "Hey, little prick! Where the hell is it? If we are not there in the next fifteen minutes, I will crush your head with my bare hands!" The purple-robed rule cultivator was on the verge of losing his temper. They had been flying as per Darren''s instructions for hours, and that cliff was still nowhere to be seen.


    "It is right over there. The cliff on that mountainside! Put us down on the mountaintop." Darren figured that it was time. So, he randomly pointed at the first mountain in his sight.


    Very soon, the two rule cultivators, along with Darren, landed on the mountain top right next to a cliff.


    "Where is it? Where are the two Divine Spirit Fruits you mentioned?"


    "They are right there on the cliff. But, they are guarded by powerful diabolic beasts. If the two of you go down like this, you will most likely be killed," Darren said in a cold and aloof tone, which was completely different from his behavior earlier.


    "What?" The two rule cultivators noticed that something was amiss about this young man.


    In the next moment, Darren removed his bronze mask. His expression was ferocious as he glared at the two rule cultivators. "Even if there are no diabolic beasts, do you really think that you can make it out of here alive?"


    With that said, Darren unleashed his sword intent and blade intent. The purple-robed rule cultivator''s eyes widened when he recognized Darren!

 Chapter 386 Revenge

    "What''s going on?" The lean old man pulled on a disgruntled face.


    The rule cultivator in purple did not respond, eyes fixed on Darren. "It''s you, bastard. This is great! It was said that many grand warriors stand behind you, and that was why you were bold enough to kill Bryan. I suspected that you''d come here to take revenge, but I didn''t expect that you''d come to see me all by yourself," the rule cultivator laughed. "Well then, let me have the pleasure of killing you today!" The rule cultivator in the purple robe knew Bryan was killed by Darren. It frightened him so much that he did not even dare to step out of his door. However, now that the enemy was alone and practically at his doorstep, the cultivator was extremely delighted. He could not possibly pass up on the opportunity to kill the lad.


    If he had been by himself, the rule cultivator would probably be a little worried. But with his senior apprentice, killing the bastard would definitely be a small piece of cake.


    "I will avenge Elder Colin and the other elders today! So shut your mouth and get ready for your death!" Darren bellowed, voice cold and sharp.


    "Nonsense! Just you? Let me tell you the truth. Colin, the old bastard, committed suicide because he couldn''t stand the soul torture I implemented. Would you like me to try it on you?


    With the assistance of my senior here, you won''t stand a chance even if you are as strong as a grand warrior. You''re the one who should get ready to die!"


    the rule cultivator in purple robe savagely said. With his senior''s strong back-up, he seemed to fear nothing.


    It happened in a flash.


    Without saying any more words, Darren darted towards the rule cultivator, the clanging of knife and sword pervading the whole space.


    "Humph!" the rule cultivator in purple robe snorted in displeasure. He then immediately implemented a huge Shackle Rule on Darren while a light purple air shelter was simultaneously formed around him to help him withstand the lad''s attack.


    "Insignificant skill!" Darren roared out, his stare as cold as ice. He then shot out a streak of dark gold internal force towards the rule cultivator.


    The air shelter was immediately broken into pieces.


    "Watch out!" The lean old man joined the battle.


    He muttered something in a low voice. A rune suddenly dashed towards the rule cultivator and produced a pattern on his purple robe, shielding him from the dark gold internal force.


    The pattern disappeared soon afterwards.


    "Marvelous! Now it''s my turn, boy!" The lean old man squinted.


    "Hot Flame Domain!" The lean old man uttered out. Darren was instantly surrounded by a sea of roaring flames. The scorchin


    coming to save his fellow apprentice, the lean old man turned around and fled instead.


    "I admit I have lost the battle, boy. There will be a time when I''ll be able to kill you!" The lean old man knew that to continue fighting would be a losing battle¡ªhe would only be defeated. He found no need to save the rule cultivator at the cost of his own life. Besides, who knew what other powerful magic this young man was hiding under his sleeve? It was too dangerous to risk.


    The lean man gave up on attempting to save the rule cultivator in the purple robe and got ready to make his escape.


    Boom!


    The Earth Formation was destroyed by Darren''s numerous swords. Every inch of skin and each meridian vessels of the rule cultivator were torn apart.


    He fell from the air, full of pain and despair.


    "Help me, brother.


    You son of a bitch! How dare you! I did so much for you and now you repay me by abandoning me!"


    The cultivator''s eyes were fired up in pure hatred. He did not want to lose like this.


    Darren knew the rule cultivator was already done for. He must then catch up with the lean old man.


    All the enemies must be eradicated. Darren was not that stupid to let a strong opponent just run away. What if he called for strong reinforcements?


    Darren zoomed towards the sky.


    As he was flying, he made use of his Spirit Power to perform a thorough search.


    "Shit, he''s fast." The smell of the lean old man became weaker and weaker by the second. Darren needed the Water Kylin''s help.


    "Go after him!" Darren ordered the Water Kylin.


    "Right away, master!" Water Kylin went with the speed of a three-star grand warrior at the top level. A rule cultivator was nothing compared to him. His shadow disappeared swiftly, like a meteor gliding past the sky.

 Chapter 387 It Was Over (Part One)

    The lean older man kept on running while putting restrictions around him to avoid the attack coming from his opponent that was chasing him from behind. Without looking back, he could sense that the Water Kylin was not that far from him because he could feel the mighty strength that radiated out of the beast. The restrictions that he was releasing were of no use¡ªthey were easily broken and suppressed by the Water Kylin.


    "Please, young man, don''t kill me! I have no animosity against you. You can kill Waldo, the purple-robed guy, instead and beat him as long as you like! I will give you no trouble for doing that!" bellowed the older man as he was catching his breath. He could feel his legs were about to give up from running, and his heart seemed to leap out of his chest. Seeing that he was about to be caught, with the beast just a few inches away from him, the thin older man panicked. The beast that kept chasing him made him feel extremely frightened. Yet he kept on running determined to keep a safe distance away from his doom.


    "Ha! Are you telling me that you don''t want to die? Don''t think that I didn''t hear what you said just now. You said that you would kill me as soon as you get the fruit! You won''t even let an ordinary martial artist live. Don''t you think you deserve to die by just saying those words?" Darren shouted. He was just on the back of the Water Kylin and didn''t even care about the thin older man''s begging words. He intended to teach that older man a lesson that he would surely remember for the rest of his life. After all, Darren was such an effective teacher, not so kind though, but his teachings would do.


    "Die old man! Run for your life!" The Water Kylin roared, while he was stretching his claw to grab the older man like a small mountain crushed under a gigantic palm.


    In an instant, the air around the older man shattered, as if a


    out Waldo and the older man. All he wanted to do was award them the punishment they both deserved.


    "Haha! Kill me first! I am not afraid to die. But before you do it, let me give you a piece of advice. That older man is using his arcane skill to send a message asking for help. If you don''t kill us now, his followers would be here soon. Though I doubt that they can do any harm to you and your legendary beast, at least, they might take him away," the purple-robed rule cultivator said with a determined look on his face. Clearly, he had given up all hopes of saving his life. He knew for sure that Darren would not allow him to see the break of dawn.


    Hearing his words, the thin older man vomited even more blood. He was so furious right now, but sadly he couldn''t do anything about it. What Waldo said made him lose his last chance to live¡ªthey were all true, and he couldn''t find any means to contest his words.


    "Waldo! You bastard! What a foul mouth you have. I''m going to kill you!" the old man shouted angrily.


    With those words from the older man, Darren gave him a malicious glare. Being cautious this time, Darren scrutinized the man from head to foot. Right then and there, indeed, there was a red rune shining hidden on his palm.

 Chapter 388 It Was Over (Part Two)

    Swoop!


    With one swift blow, Darren used his sword to cut off the older man''s hand without a word. The older man opened his mouth and was about to give a shrieking noise because of the intolerable pain.


    Yet, before he could even make a sound, with another blow, Darren stabbed the thin older man straight in the heart. He didn''t want to give any message to the disgusting bastard, nor hear anything from him at all. After all, he would never spare his life no matter how he begged.


    As for the purple-robed rule cultivator, Darren was planning to torture him before putting his life to an end. But now, he didn''t have the patience for it. Darren killed him too with his sword, and then without looking back, he flew away with the Water Kylin.


    About thirty minutes after Darren left, more than ten powerful rule cultivators flew to the place where the lifeless bodies of the purple-robed warrior and the thin older man were laid. The aura around the powerful rule cultivators was even stranger than the skinny older man''s, that would mean that they were more powerful.


    "They were killed! Who the hell had the guts to cross the line with us Ancient Immortal Sect?" one of them said in an angry tone as he overlooked the dead bodies.


    "Show me what exactly happened!" the leader of the group ordered.


    "Yes, master!" a middle-aged man answered.


    Gathering together, several rule cultivators used their power and the scene where Darren and the thin older man fought reappeared in the air.


    "Damn it! That guy has a legendary beast! Anyways, that would be good news for us. We must find that guy, take our revenge, and capture his legendary beast!"


    On the other end, after Darren killed the purple-robed man, he felt relieved. Now that it was all over, he could fly to the transmission array in the Holy Land.


    The eastern land was very far away from the southern land, and it would be too tiring for him to fly there. So Da


    eady," retorted another man who was more relieved that at the very least, they were alive.


    As for Darren, he didn''t care if he was transported in the middle of nowhere. In the first place, he was not familiar with the eastern land at all. After all, he could just fly and find his way across the area.


    "Guys, do you know where the Heavenly Serene Graveyard is?" asked Darren with furrowed brows. They all had relatives in the eastern land so that they might be familiar with this land. That was why Darren asked.


    But much to his disappointment, they hadn''t heard of this place.


    The most powerful one among them was just in the Mysterious Realm, so it was not a surprise that they didn''t know much about the eastern land. The same case was valid with the southern land. Most of the martial artists of the Mysterious Realm in the ordinary land wouldn''t know much about the eight Holy Lands.


    Darren was about to fly from where the array had transmitted them and began his search for the city. However, an angry shout made him stop in his tracks. "You! Get the hell out of here! Now!"


    Then, a man with blood smeared all over his body came into view. His face had a hallowed expression, and he limped his way while walking. It confused Darren why he wanted them out of the land.

 Chapter 389 Recruit Powerful Cultivators

    "Get out of here! Quick!" the man shouted as he swept his sword intent near the crowds'' feet, trying to force them to leave.


    He struggled as blood oozed out from the wounds on his body.


    "This¡­" The people glanced at one another, perplexed. No one knew what was going on.


    They then found out that the man was a martial artist at the Wonder Realm.


    In ordinary martial artists'' eyes, a martial artist who had reached the Wonder Realm was incredibly powerful. So, they were frozen in place, completely dumbfounded from being shouted at by such a powerful martial artist.


    "What''s wrong?" Darren asked as he stepped forward.


    "Hurry! You must leave now!" the man anxiously said, prominent lines forming between his eyebrows.


    Darren found it very hard to get any information from the man, so he just released his spiritual sense. He sensed several beasts in the woods running towards their direction. And sure enough, they were not weak.


    "Oh, level six demonic monsters." A faint smile appeared on his lips.


    "It''s over. We''re all done for. It''s too late to leave now." The man let out a hopeless sigh as he saw that the people still had not moved while the demonic monsters were getting closer and closer. He was becoming desperate and the despair was written all over his face.


    Suddenly, a loud noise was heard.


    The hills shook under the stomping of the demonic monsters'' feet.


    A few moments later, several gigantic demonic monsters appeared in front of the people. They looked like cattle with bodies as big as the hill behind them.


    All the people present screamed in terror, "Powerful demonic monsters! Run!"


    It was only then did they realize what the man was trying to tell them¡ªrun for their lives. They all knew that it was too late to run away now. The man had reached the Wonder Realm, but he wasn''t able to defeat the monsters all on his own. Their chances of survival were very slim.


    "You go on and leave. I will stay here and fight them. Run like your life depended on it!" The man was determined to fight the demonic monsters alone by himself.


    Darren then approached the man and lightly touched his shoulder. With a calm voice, he said, "Don''t worry. I can take care of this. Please stand back." He then pushed the man behind and stepped in front of him.


    The others watched the scene in bewilderment. Several of the low-level martial artists were even shocked. "That young man is so rash! Why is he so willing to risk his life to fight the demonic monsters?


    Just look at the state of that martial artist at the Wonder Realm¡ªhe''s bloodied and beaten! What could a young man like him do?


    While the people continued to speculate about Darren''s abilities, the martial artist at the Wonder Realm was still in shock. He felt strong and irresistible power emitting from Darren that made his low-level sword core tremble.


    The loud noise was approaching them at a steady speed.


    The demonic monsters'' eyes shone blood red as they marched towards Darren.


    Darren swung his sword in one swift motion.


    A few seconds later, the gigantic demon


    at chance for him to go to the Heavenly Serene Graveyard. He then tore off the notice from the wall without any hesitation.


    He got a few gasps and curious looks from the crowd. "That young man tore the notice! He must be powerful!"


    "He has reached the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm? Is that possible? How could that be possible?"


    The people began talking. They were surprised to see such a young man be interested in the notice.


    Darren did not care whatsoever about the discussion. After a few moments of waiting, a small army of soldiers arrived.


    In the front row of the soldiers were a man and a woman. They wore dedicate clothes and looked to be about twenty years old. The woman was quite beautiful, immediately grabbing the people''s attention.


    They scanned around to see who took the notice. Their faces immediately fell once they saw that Darren was the one who was holding it. They sized him up with knitted brows.


    "Do you know how to read, boy?" The young man glared at Darren, giving off an air of arrogance and standoffishness.


    "What? What do you mean?" Darren asked, eyebrows furrowed into an annoyed scowl.


    "Read the notice carefully. The Governor''s Office is recruiting masters at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm. You tore the notice. Did you do that to show your contempt for the Governor''s Office?" The young man''s tone was starting to get aggressive.


    "Seize him! He doesn''t know how to behave properly!" the young man ordered at his soldiers before Darren even said anything.


    "Forget it, cousin. This young man may have come from a different place. He probably doesn''t understand the situation. We could let him go this time." The young woman had noticed that Darren''s clothes were different from the ones that people wore in the eastern land, prompting her to intercede with her cousin for Darren.


    "Humph! If everyone is as ignorant as him, what use are our notices for? I will punish him to warn others. A beating can''t be spared. Seize him at once!" The young man was not taking no for an answer.

 Chapter 390 The Atonement (Part One)

    "Ignorant bastard! You have no idea what I am capable of. I pity you!" With such tremendous energy, Darren had reduced the notice in his hand to pieces and went on his way forward without uttering another word to the young man.


    "Hey! Stop right there! What are you guys waiting for? Stop him!"


    the young man screamed in so much frustration as he saw that Darren was leaving and a group of soldiers, instead of blocking his path, cleared a way for him.


    "What is that about? How come these soldiers are scared of him?" The woman grew curious as she fixed her eyes on Darren''s receding figure.


    Just as she murmured to herself, she suddenly noticed that the young man beside her had frozen. He just stood there, motionless with nothing but his Adam''s apple moving up and down.


    "What a powerful sword intent!"


    Everyone present, aside from the woman, felt like an extremely sharp sword was being held against every inch of their thick skins. It was so strong that they were deeply convinced that if they made a single move or even just flinch from the pressure, it would tear their flesh and they would be reduced to a pile of meat.


    Darren unleashed such a formidable sword intent in a rather casual manner that it shocked everyone present to their cores. It also made that young man realize that Darren was actually a peerless warrior that he would worship all his short life.


    "I...I am sorry, sir!"


    Darren finally faded away from everyone''s sight and along with his disappearance, the powerful sword intent also vanished into the thin air. The young man could no longer hold himself together and collapsed on the ground, kneeling in the direction where Darren had gone to. He expelled a breath he did not know he was holding.


    The ordinary people, who couldn''t feel the sword intent, were baffled when they saw the group of soldiers standing there motionless with faces pale as white sheet. They observed them nervously and intensely as they could not understand what had actually happened.


    "The young master of the Governor''s Office, who is a warrior of the Wonder Realm, kneeled because of that young man?"


    "That young man must be somebody. He even made the young master scared, which is quite ra


    he woman blushed all the way to her neck. She was indeed trying to provoke Darren with her beauty as she was quite confident with her appearance and charm. However, not only did Darren choose to ignore her, he also explicitly pointed out her intention, which gravely embarrassed and angered her at the same time. Despite her mixed feeling, she dared not shoot back at Darren. Thus, she could only stand there awkwardly, speechless.


    "I am really sorry for what we have done, sir. Please give us a chance so that we can repent." Seeing that Darren was about to leave, the young man fetched a thorny vine from his back and whipped his body with full power. Within a matter of minutes, most of the bare skin on his upper body had turned bloody. Every onlooker cried out in shock and many of them turned their heads away to avoid seeing such a brutal scene.


    However, despite causing quite a scene, Darren still continued to leave without even turning his head to look, which disappointed the two of them gravely.


    If they could not find a powerful warrior for the meeting, then the Governor of this city, who was also this beautiful woman''s father, would be forced to resign from his post. Furthermore, it was highly likely that he would be punished for it. Thus, both of them regretted their action when they first met Darren deeply. It was not easy to come across a powerful warrior, yet when they did, they pissed him off and pushed him away because of their stupid arrogance.

 Chapter 391 The Atonement (Part Two)

    "Take me to the Governor''s Office now."


    Just as the two of them grew extremely desperate, Darren''s thunderous voice came to them, which made them overjoyed. Their despair was replaced with a glimmer of hope.


    Without any hesitation, they did not waste any time and ran towards the direction of Darren as if they were a drowning man trying to grab the only floating object on the surface of the water.


    "Tell me, how do I get to the Heavenly Serene Graveyard?" Darren asked, still in an indifferent tone, while kept walking forward and did not send them so much as a glance even as they hurriedly followed suite to his position. He knew that they were coming up from behind.


    "Thank you for your forgiveness. Please follow me and I will lead you to the Governor''s Office. Now there are too many people around. When we reach the Governor''s Office, I will tell you everything that you wish to know," the young man said, his voice full of deep respect. This time, Darren did not turn him down and followed him to the Governor''s Office instead.


    When they reached the Governor''s Office, the Governor was there waiting for them and he personally greeted them outside of the gate. At that moment, there was already another powerful warrior at his residence.


    "Greetings, sir!" Even from such long distance, the Governor already began to salute Darren with deep respect.


    "Governor, I need to remind you of your current position. You are a Governor and you are the leader of this entire area. So there is no need and it is also quite inappropriate for you to be so humble in front of anyone." A middle-aged man came next to the Governor, holding his head up with great pride and arrogance as if he was the king of the world. His cultivation base was indeed powerful as anyone could tell from his aura. He was the warrior that the Governor had recruited earlier.


    When he accepted the Governor''s proposal, the Governor was also very nice and respectful towards him. However, he not


    s too scared to even look at that middle-aged warrior as he continued, "Of...Of course, I wouldn''t dare wasting your time. This meeting is arranged directly by our grand warrior. Besides the top-notch warriors from his side, he ordered that each cities must send two warriors at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm to attend the meeting. This meeting is mainly about discussing and planning the take down the Heavenly Serene Graveyard. Also, discussion about a groom-selection competition will also be held at the meeting. My apologies to you, but I have not been notified of the detailed information about the competition. So this part will be up to you to find out.


    There are many perils looming on the path of this journey. Two masters, although I know that both of you are very powerful, please be extremely cautious and vigilant. We are all counting on you!"


    "There must be many tier-one warriors who will attend this meeting, so even a warrior at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm may only add the headcount and be treated as a cannon fodder," Darren, after a moment of contemplation, voiced his concern in a flat tone.


    Boom!


    Upon hearing Darren''s comment, the hot-tempered middle-aged warrior was once again set off, and out of rage, he blasted the desk in front of him to pieces using his palm.

 Chapter 392 Going To The Violet Phoenix Sect

    "What do you mean? Did you refer to the warrior at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm as a cannon fodder? Were you talking about me? Who do you think you are?" the middle-aged man bellowed at Darren.


    Darren was dumbstruck. He had simply explained what he had observed. He hadn''t intended to offend the middle-aged man.


    "I didn''t mean that. Please forgive me if I upset you," Darren apologized with a pleasant countenance.


    "Forgive you? How? I could never bear the sight of you, bastard. Don''t pretend to be so arrogant before me! Who are you?!" The middle-aged man didn''t soften after Darren''s apology. Instead, he seized the opportunity to exaggerate matters.


    "Don''t go too far. I''ve already asked for forgiveness. However, if you insist on holding a grudge, you''d better ensure that you can handle the consequences. Humph," Darren growled. Now that the middle-aged man had provoked him, Darren wouldn''t hold back.


    "Well. You are courting death. Today, I will show you the power of a warrior at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm!" the middle-aged man shouted as he shot a palm attack at Darren.


    "Kneel!" Darren commanded. The blade and sword intent around his body exploded like mighty torrents to suppress the middle-aged man.


    Promptly, the middle-aged man retreated. Frightened by the blade and sword intent, he almost fell to his knees as Darren had commanded.


    "Kneel!" Darren roared again. As he unleashed the bloodline force, the blade and sword intent''s power increased manifold.


    This time, the bones and the meridians in the middle-aged man''s legs broke. Thus, he couldn''t withstand Darren''s formidable power and knelt. Sweat trickled down his forehead.


    Since Darren directed the blade and sword intent only at the middle-aged man, the other people weren''t threatened by it, even though they could feel the strong power. Everyone was astonished by Darren''s real force. They could sense that he had only used less than one percent of his real strength.


    They didn''t know that Darren could defeat a grand warrior who didn''t demonstrate the domain skill. In fact, the power he had shown didn''t rival one-tenth of one percent of his real power. The middle-aged man was just at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm, so he wasn''t at par with a grand warrior.


    "My lord, it''s my fault. Don''t kill me, please," the middle-aged man begged for Darren''s mercy. Tears pooled in his eyes when he realized Darren''s might.


    "Humph! Leave. You senseless bastard. Many grand warriors have died at my hands. Who do you think you are?" Darren questioned as he removed the blade and sword intent from the middle-aged man''s body.


    The middle-aged man had proven that he was an insignificant ant. Abrogating the meridians in his legs was enough to placate Darren. Since he wo


    ural and historical background in the eastern land is equivalent to that of the southern land," Darren sighed with amazement. Besides, among the hundred thousand people, he sensed that there were about a hundred warriors equivalent to grand warriors.


    On the other hand, since the Violet Phoenix Sect could convene so many overmatches, its power and status must be quite high.


    On the vast square, the overmatches beyond the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm were offered seats, while the other ordinary martial artists could only stand around them. At present, they were waiting for the important people from the Violet Phoenix Sect to appear.


    Two hours passed. Joshua, who had accompanied Darren, as well as his daughter and his nephew, appeared pale. Sweat beaded on their foreheads as they continued to wait.


    Although standing for two hours or even a year was easy for an overmatch in the Wonder Realm, the suppression released unconsciously by the numerous overmatches in the square repressed the Wonder Realm-level martial artists.


    "Joshua and you two, come sit here," Darren instructed when he noticed their discomfort. Fortunately, there was an unoccupied seat next to his, which could be shared by two people. As the seats were wide enough, Darren could share his seat with one of them as well.


    "This... My lord, thank you for your kindness. But, we dare not sit," Joshua refused politely.


    "It doesn''t matter. The seat is vacant. Come sit with me," Darren instructed again.


    In fact, Joshua was eager to take a seat. Thinking of Darren''s power, he gave up his misgivings and sat down with his daughter and his nephew. Joshua''s daughter turned crimson as she shared Darren''s chair.


    "Joshua, how dare you? How could you sit there?" the Governor called Ware, who had mocked Joshua previously, exclaimed loud enough for everyone to hear.

 Chapter 393 The Unexpected Person

    "Ware, why are you shouting? What''s the matter with you?" Joshua replied coldly.


    "What''s the matter with me? You know that your low status implies that you cannot sit as only the masters are afforded that privilege. But you are sitting. Is it because you want to lower the status of all the masters present? Or do you have no self-awareness at all? Let me venture to say that the brat you have brought has no talent. How dare you sit when he asked you to? You must have a death wish!" Ware mocked.


    Slap! Slap!


    The sound of skin colliding with skin echoed through the square. Someone had slapped Ware''s face twice, with lightning speed. Ware hadn''t seen who had attacked him. As his cheeks swelled from the impact, Ware rubbed his face.


    "You..."


    Although Ware didn''t see the attacker, he intuitively felt that the young man had beaten him.


    "Sirs, that boy struck me in your presence. He is expressing his contempt for you. Please get justice for me." Ware knew that the man who had hit him was Darren, and he wanted to fight back. As Darren was sitting, he had to have been at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm, if not higher. Thus, he did not dare to retaliate. Instead, Ware decided to invoke empathy and justice from the two masters accompanying him. For this reason, he turned to and implored his masters to avenge his humiliation in an aggrieved voice.


    "You deserve to be beaten because you were mean and vindictive," replied one of the two masters. He was a middle-aged man with a calm face.


    "However, he knows that you are our lackey, and still he dared to fight you. So, yes, he does need to be taught a lesson. If we do not react to his impudence, others will mock our ability and take delight in bullying us. Am I right, brother?" the younger of the two masters added.


    "All right then. Force him to climb down and apologize. Since we are at Violet Phoenix Sect today, don''t make a fuss," the middle-aged man suggested with a faint nod. Then, he leaned on the seat to rest.


    "Thank you. I will resolve this issue, brother."


    With that, the young man got up and walked toward Darren, who was seated in the row behind him.


    "Why are you getting so upset, boy? If you admit to your mistake, we will spare your life," the young man said disparagingly.


    "You heard him? Ware made a scene for no reason. Why do you think I am to blame?" Darren glanced at the young master. He sensed that the young man had just reached the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm, while the middle-aged man was at the supreme stage. Considering the strength difference between them, Darren didn''t take the young man''s threat


    man opened and shut his mouth. He was rendered speechless, for he knew that the old man named Herman was a grand warrior and an elder of Violet Phoenix Sect!


    "Back off now. There is no need to make trouble," Herman Su ordered the middle-aged man before sitting beside Darren.


    The middle-aged man retreated as ordered. However, a trace of malice flashed in his eyes.


    By then, Darren could perceive that the old man had extraordinary strength. And so, he did not continue to provoke the middle-aged man.


    "On behalf of Violet Phoenix Sect, I welcome you. This time, with your help, our chance of success in killing demonic monsters has increased, ha-ha."


    "Thank you, sir. But many experts are present today. I''m afraid my rank isn''t that impressive," Darren replied, politely.


    "You don''t have to be so modest. I believe you can easily rank among the top 100 with your blade and sword intent. I am surprised that you have such a high cultivation base at such a young age," Herman praised sincerely.


    Darren smiled but remained silent.


    "Given your age, I suppose you are not married as yet. Just wait for a matchmaking competition. I am sure that you can find a good girl. All the girls who come here for marriage are from famous families. They definitely deserve young talents like you, ha-ha."


    "Thank you, sir. Your words are, indeed, kind. However, you praise me too much," Darren smiled faintly.


    "Don''t rush to reject my advice. You see, they''re already here, boy. Their beauty will move you."


    As Herman spoke, hundreds of attractive girls flew forward from the platform.


    Darren still didn''t think that he would find himself attracted to any of the girls. However, he was stunned when he accidentally glimpsed at a figure.

 Chapter 394 Joining The Groom-recruiting Competition (Part One)

    The crowds were cheering in loud chants, and some were even waving cloths in festive sways. The air was filled with the ambiance of celebration, and on everyone''s face, the joy and excitement were painted. On the high stage in the front, groups of fair and radiant maidens with hair as black as flaxen wool and skins as delicate as porcelain descended from the sky¡ªeach of them wore a graceful smile that would enchant any man that laid eyes upon them. Each one of them was like a goddess, lean, majestic, enigmatic, and alluring, drawing a hundred thousand men''s attention. All the men and even women, both young and old alike, got excited and started murmuring among themselves.


    The young martial artists who were exceptionally strong and powerful that were lined up in front of the high stage were especially excited for those pretty girls. Their hearts started pounding in their chests as they were thinking about the priced treasure they were about to win¡ªin case fate was with them along the course of the battle to commence.


    "It seems that I have made the right decision to come here! I heard about this groom-recruiting competition a long time ago. But I didn''t think that the brides who are looking for a man to marry would be this fair looking. They are fit for a queen!" remarked one young martial artist.


    "Yeah, you are right! They are not only beautiful and elegant, but they also have perfect cultivation bases. They all belong to the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm or even above, can you believe that? Who wouldn''t want a wife like them, beautiful, skilled, and durable at the same time? The grooms-to-be would be very lucky!" retorted another aspiring groom-to-be.


    Darren, just like other martial artists, had his eyes looking up at the girls at the high stage. But unlike other martial artists, his gaze fell only on one of the girls.


    looked up one more time at the high stage, he saw Hailey''s name on the first row. Her name was the first on the list. He marked her name on the wooden board, absent-mindedly.


    Then the disciple collected some necessary personal information from Darren before going to other young martial artists.


    After about thirty minutes, the martial artists who signed up to join the competition were all registered. The match was about to start officially. The crowd was getting excited, and so were the girls that were on the high stage. Hailey, on the other hand, was seated there with nothing on her mind but negative thoughts. Her face, though, was very radiant, showed a glum expression, and her aura seemed to be heavy and in deep solace. Darren could sense that even if he was from afar.


    "All right. Let me announce the list of competitors.


    There are 38 competitors for Rosa. They are Duncan, Carr...


    And there are 42 competitors for Bonnie. They are..."


    The elder host on the stage kept announcing the names of the competitors. Most of the girls had about 40 competitors each. Hailey''s competitors were the last to announce. The instant the elder announced her name with emphasis, a commotion and blubbering arose in the crowd.

 Chapter 395 Joining The Groom-recruiting Competition (Part Two)

    "There are 1, 458 competitors for Hailey, and they are..." It took the elder about 15 minutes to finish the roll-call of names for Hailey''s suitors.


    The martial artists present had an excellent cultivation base. So the elder assumed that the announcement of the names of all the competitors for Hailey was clear enough, and they all heard what he said.


    However, at the mention of Darren''s name, Hailey, who was slumped on the stage, clearly recognized his name and glanced down the scene looking for that familiar face. But to her dismay, there were just so many people. Aside from that, Darren had already put his mask on, so she didn''t find him at that instant.


    The martial artists who were going to fight for Hailey were way more than the other girls'' competitors, causing the people to discuss what was with her to have so many suitors. Even the pretty girls standing beside her couldn''t help but turn to look at her with jealous eyes.


    Though the other girls were not as beautiful as Hailey, they were pretty good-looking and could make men drool. But there was just something about Hailey that made her unique and different among others. She was more elegant than them, too, especially now that she was dressed in pale green and stood gracefully on the high stage. Besides, one could not easily find out about her cultivation base. It rested as a mystery, which attracted the young men even more.


    Then, finishing off with the roll-calls, the elder on stage announced the rules of the fight, and soon the competition momentarily began. Considering the arena, plus the fact that there were just too many martial artists who wanted to compete for Hailey, the competition for her was saved as the last event.


    In every fight, there woul


    and bid him farewell too.


    "Yes. Thank you again, Elder Herman."


    After Governor Joshua left, Elder Herman asked, "Why did you shake your head just now, Darren? I can see that you are a compelling martial artist, and you have an excellent chance to win. Why don''t you have that confidence? It''s not something a strong and talented martial artist like you would do. Haha."


    "Elder Herman, it''s not that I am not confident enough. It''s just that even if I win, I won''t be together with her as a couple. I don''t intend to marry her," Darren said simply, shrugging his shoulders. The reason why he agreed to join the competition was quite complicated to explain¡ªhe was too lazy to tell as well.


    "Yeah? Then what are your plans then?"


    Elder Herman got curious, and right when he was about to ask Darren for more explanations, the elder on the stage announced that it was time for the competitors for Hailey to go up on stage and fight.


    After the announcement, more than one thousand superb martial artists flew on stage at the same time, showing off their skill. Gathering up his strength, Darren, like them, also flew on the high stage, ready to fight.

 Chapter 396 I Come Here To Fight (Part One)

    The arena was a comprehensive square platform, vast and spacious enough to handle several martial artists. Those who were going to take part in the tournament all flew into the platform. All the participating warriors stood on both ends. All of them were busy flexing and getting themselves ready for the battle to win Hailey''s hand in marriage¡ªso was Darren.


    "Everybody, listen up. Remember that you''re allowed to attack your opponent for one time only. You had better avoid meaningless or intentional harm to your opponent during the combat. Friendship first, competition second. Are we all clear?"


    That was the second time that the elder of the Violet Phoenix Sect hosting the competition reminded the participants. For Hailey''s hand in marriage alone, more than one thousand cultivators took part in the contest, which was unprecedented in scale. Such number of participants made the sect elders a little uneasy. They were worried that something would go out of control.


    Soon, the two groups which were divided by the elder were on their position; they had chosen their opponents and spread out around the platform.


    As for Darren, his opponent was a man in his thirties. His cultivation level was at the premium stage of Wonder Realm. Awaiting for the signal from the elder for the battle to start, the man looked contemptuously at Darren and laughed.


    "Lad, have you grown up? I don''t want to hit a kid. I''m afraid you''ll cry and make yourself look silly in here. Just go home!" the man mocked Darren. Concealing his face, Darren was wearing a mask. But using his spiritual sense, the man judged that his opponent was apparently under the age of twenty. Generally, one''s cultivation level was proportional to his age. Hence, the man assumed that Darren was not that strong and wouldn''t stand a chance against him.


    "Stop nagging, old man. Bring it on!" Darren countered with a sinister expression drawn on his face. Hearing those words, the man burst out in rage, especially when Darren called him "o


    lief at Darren''s show of power.


    "Hmm, that was interesting. I think that the warrior''s cultivation level must be at the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm. He is a top-level cultivator even though he looks very young," adjoined in another grandmaster.


    "Yeah, it seems that there are quite a lot of talents in this competition. This guy is one of them. I''m not entirely sure I can beat him," stated another skilled warrior.


    The crowd went bustling as the discussion about Darren spread. Some grand warriors also attached great importance to his ability, while some thought that he was using some arcane tricks.


    Of course, among the more than one thousand cultivators present, some of them mastered the supernatural martial skill. Darren also noticed that and realized he should be more careful in the next rounds.


    With such a showcase that was hard to ignore, Hailey''s attention was caught by Darren''s performance. But it was too brief that she soon looked away from him, that even their gaze had no chance to meet. The curiosity on her face, however, was replaced by calmness.


    In the first round of competition, more than five hundred candidates were eliminated. Those who had won were separated on the other side of the arena, waiting for the second round. The second round, third round... The competition had been going on.

 Chapter 397 I Come Here To Fight (Part Two)

    An hour later, there were only sixteen people left on the platform, and all were vying for Hailey''s hand in marriage. The sixteen remaining warriors were definitely the best of the best. Everyone''s cultivation level reached at least the supreme stage of Wonder Realm. By the way they stood, it is clearly visible that they were men of courage and exceptional skills, all of which were fit to be a groom for Hailey.


    Moreover, in terms of appearance, they were all dashing and noble. They really deserved the spot and the title of young talents.


    "Hey guys, do you really want to compete with me for the rare beauty? She is mine. How about giving me a favor? Please go down the platform and save yourselves from the humiliation," Hunk uttered boastfully.


    "Hunk, don''t you know how to be ashamed? It''s not just the cultivators from the eastern land who came here for that fair lady. Do you think if you give your name, we will be afraid of you? Think again, man," countered another young martial artist. "You are just the supreme disciple of your sect, not the whole world. Who do you think you are?" figured another martial artist in an annoyed tone.


    "My name is Timothy Shaoyan. I am not afraid of all the supreme disciple from the three big sects of the eastern land," declared a young man named Timothy Shaoyan.


    As he was saying that, Timothy looked at Hunk with his eyes full of disdain. He seemed to be challenging Hunk and saying that he would not yield to him whatever might happen. By this time, a tensed air hanged by the atmosphere of the arena, the remaining warriors exchanged heated glares and arguments against each other. Timothy used a secret power to spread what he had just said all over the entire arena. So almost everyone in the square heard his declaration, and it caused a heated discussion in the crowd.


    "Timothy? I''ve hea


    ree," responded another young warrior inside the arena.


    In no time, everyone agreed with Abelard''s suggestion. Fighting for the beauty was why they were there, after all. Though, some people just came to fight for fame, yet now was the most crucial part. It was now or never since there were only sixteen of them left. There should only be one man standing. Each one of them must prove their worth to gain such credentials, plus the radiant maiden Hailey as his wife.


    But to their surprise, as everyone had already agreed, a man wearing a bronze mask stood silently, not saying a single word.


    The eyes of the other fifteen warriors naturally turned to him. They wanted to know if he was with or against the suggestion.


    "Hey, man. Could you please say something?" encouraged a fellow warrior. "If you don''t fight, please get out of here!" mocked another young warrior.


    They had all witnessed the mighty power of the olive-black force from the bronze-masked warrior in the previous round, so they dared not provoke Darren too much.


    "Nonsense! Of course, I come here to fight. How soon will we get this started?" Darren made a cold and harsh response, with a voice as confident as a mountain, tall, unmoved, and invincible.

 Chapter 398 A Grand Warrior Got In The Fight

    After hearing that Darren had agreed to fight, the martial artists on stage released their auras. They were ready to battle, as well.


    "Well, now that everyone has decided to fight, I will not stop you. But there is one rule. You can''t kill each other, or Violet Phoenix Sect will severely punish you."


    At the same time, a young man with a powerful aura flew out from Violet Phoenix Sect''s palace.


    As soon as he appeared, all eyes were on him.


    The young man seemed to be in his twenties. He was dressed in violet and held a white paper fan in his hand. He looked handsome and elegant. But, people shuddered at the coldness and threat in his words.


    The onlookers could perceive that the young man''s aura belonged to a grand warrior, a real grand warrior.


    No matter how strong and powerful they were, none of the sixteen martial artists on stage had reached the Grand Realm.


    "Who is that?" Surprised by the man''s strength, Darren felt the need to learn more about him. After all, how often did a person come across a twenty-year-old martial artist at the Grand Realm? He must be exceptionally talented!


    "Oscar is Violet Phoenix Sect''s first supreme disciple. You would think that he is in his twenties, but he is actually over sixty. He has been practicing a top-level martial arts skill that contains the Life Rule. That''s why he looks so young," one man on stage explained after hearing Darren''s question.


    ''No wonder!''


    Darren finally understood. Oscar looked young because he practiced a special skill. It would be a miracle for someone in his twenties to reach the Grand Realm.


    Even though he was over the age of sixty, Oscar was still very talented to be a grand warrior. Darren knew of people like Scott, who didn''t reach the Grand Realm when they were less than a hundred years old.


    It was extremely hard for someone who was at the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm to upgrade to the Grand Realm. Yes, the other fifteen martial artists were all in the Wonder Realm, but Darren could guarantee that no more than four would reach the Grand Realm in the next fifty years.


    "Please don''t worry. We aren''t fighting to kill each other. We are only looking for a winner here," Hunk, the Cloud Sect''s first supreme disciple, answered.


    "That''s good to know. I am certain that you are all exceptional martial artists. So, how about a challenge? If the winner can take ten moves from me, I will give hi


    rly so that he could observe the strength of the other contenders. So, he activated the power in his elixir field, filed it with all his might, and summoned the olive-black force.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The air around Darren trembled. The sound was so loud that the weaker martial artists fainted. Blood dripped from their mouths from the impact of Darren''s attack.


    "Reinforce the restriction!" Seeing the incident, an elder from Violet Phoenix Sect sent a message to the palace.


    After a short while, strange runes started to shine in the air. The restriction around the corner where Darren was fighting was reinforced manifold. Only then did the stage become calm again.


    Everyone turned to stare at Darren. In just a few moments, he had incapacitated Edgar. Darren''s opponent was so severely hurt that he had no strength to fight back. Blood dripped from injuries all over his body.


    "I admit defeat! I admit defeat!"


    Seeing that the olive-black force was about to hit him again, Edgar shouted.


    The runes shone and deflected most of the power from the olive-black force before it could hit Edgar. The only reason Edgar survived was because the runes reduced the impact of the attack!


    After witnessing Darren''s strength, everyone was aware of how much damage he could do. In a short time, he had defeated a cultivator who was at the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm! Darren must be extremely powerful.


    Rumble!


    Right at the same time, an axe that was faster than lightning appeared above Darren''s head.


    "Huh?" Darren''s eyebrows furrowed. He didn''t need to look to know who was targeting him.

 Chapter 399 Fury (Part One)

    As clearly explained before the competition commenced, the rule was to fight one on one, then the winner could fight another warrior in another round. Ironically, the attack towards Darren made by the woodcutter-looking man without even a warning was breaking the rule.


    Though he didn''t know why the woodcutter-looking man chose to break the rule and blow such a surprise attack on Darren, the young warrior couldn''t help but get furious at his action. In response to that unwanted act, Darren''s blade and sword intent burst out immediately.


    Everyone in the arena got surprised and awestruck when they felt the sharp blade and sword intent of Darren. It was the first time that they had felt such an unusually potent force, some even thought that the intent might be from out of this world.


    Both the warriors and the common people who were at the arena were aware of what cultivating the blade and the sword at the same time meant. From the limited knowledge they had, what they knew was, when choosing to cultivate both the blade and the sword at the same time was equal to looking for one''s death. Nobody had dared to do such thing as far as everyone knew in fear of losing their lives. But now, right there and then, laid before the very front of their eyes, they could see as bright as the cloudless skies, that the young man was unharmed and alive. Aside from that, he was also powerful and influential. One could call this a miracle¡ªa one in a million instances.


    "Haha." The young martial artist whose name was Abelard laughed, then he withdrew his axe before turning back and hid amongst the clouds. As he was completely hidden, he let out a chuckle towards Darren, saying, "Don''t be so


    this time, was somewhat grating and louder.


    A cold smirk appeared on Darren''s face when he heard her words. "You know very well what happened that day. Whose fault was it? I won''t allow you to do this before you make everything clear. Do you hear me?" the young warrior yelled.


    "Who the hell do you think you are? Yes, what happened was my fault. I have bound you and forced you to sleep with me for three days. So what? I don''t have to explain my actions to you! Do you think you are the only one that has been hurt by what happened? Ha! What about me? What about me, skilled warrior? Victim? The innocent one?


    Do you really think that I did that because you were attractive? Let me tell you one thing. I would never let you touch any part of my body if it wasn''t a life or death situation! Now, please kindly fuck off. You don''t have the right to be in this competition. You don''t deserve to be on this stage at all!"


    Right at that moment, Hailey''s body was shaking violently. When those words came out of her mouth, an intense aura filled with vexation was released from her, making everyone present feel her contempt.

 Chapter 400 Fury (Part Two)

    "Fine. Good then! So now it all becomes my fault, doesn''t it? Now you think you have the right to hate me all of a sudden? Ha! How funny is that? Tell me, do you really have the right to hate me for it?" As if there were only the two of them who are talking at that moment, Darren stared at her with stone-cold eyes.


    "Ha-ha, why? You want to know why? If you could see the look in your eyes and the expression on your face at that time, you would know why. Let me get things straight for you, in case you don''t get my point. I am not the kind of person you think I am. I don''t want to have anything to do with you anymore. To be honest, if I could kill you right now, I would," she roared.


    Though her voice sounded confident, tears were brimming in Hailey''s big eyes. Darren, on the other hand, was confused if the tears were out of anger or humiliation.


    "Humph." With a smirk, Darren turned around, not looking at her anymore. He let himself calm a bit, then said, "Tell me why. Why did you do that in the first place?"


    "You will know the reason at the right time, at the right place. Now, get the fuck out of here," Hailey demanded. With these last words, Hailey let out her strong aura, making all the talented martial artists on stage shudder. Even Oscar, a grand warrior, became pale on his face. He could feel the death threat in the strong, powerful aura.


    At the center of it all, Darren, who was standing under the strong aura, couldn''t help but be a bit surprised. But then he figured it out. He knew that Hailey practiced the feminine power and the masculine power at the same time, and the p


    lly lost.


    "Shut up!" Darren shouted, his voice vibrating with his blade and sword intent.


    "How dare you ask us to shut up? You slept with that slut, and you tricked us into competing for her. What were you thinking, huh?"


    Seeing that Hailey had left, people started to blame Darren for what happened.


    Rumble! Rumble!


    Filled with anger this time, Darren''s eyes reddened. He shot up in the sky and split himself into nine before finally merging as one.


    Then he let out his Blade and Sword Domain. The olive-black force and the dark gold internal force came out of his body and launched at the big plaza.


    Hearing those disrespectful words aiming at Hailey, Darren just couldn''t contain his anger anymore. He attacked without even thinking about it. It seemed that there was an urge in his heart that kept him going. He wanted to kill all the people at sight.


    "What the hell?"


    "Damn it!"


    The strong olive-black force and the dark gold internal force wrapped the entire arena in the blink of an eye ¡ª everyone in the arena smelt death at that moment.

 Chapter 401 Obstruction

    "Such a powerful dude!"


    The young men on the fighting stage were shocked and awed by Darren''s power. Their eyes light up with excitement.


    "Let me handle him!"


    Fury coursed through the young man with the axe. Before anyone could respond, he directed the rusty axe on his back toward his target.


    "You are not strong enough. Let me help you!" Timothy said.


    All of a sudden, a sword condensed by purple light in his hand also flew toward Darren.


    Everyone was surprised after they saw Timothy attack. It was not because Timothy was stronger than the young man with the axe. The purple light sword had shocked them.


    "Humph, this dude dare to act recklessly in Violet Phoenix Sect. I have to fight back." The one-star grand warrior, Oscar, was the last to join. He flew into the square, intending to overwhelm Darren by joining forces with the other contenders.


    Enormous olive-black force and dark gold internal force were about to destroy the whole square. Different kinds of weapons rose to the sky and powerful force from people on the stage as well as in the square attacked Darren. If these powerful forces collided, the whole square would be in ruins.


    Deep in Violet Phoenix Sect, a man dressed in white and an old man wearing a red robe began discussing. They had been watching the incident since Darren began his attacks.


    "Master, what do you think? Shall I block them?" The old man in the red robe sent a message with his spiritual sense.


    "There is no need. But, please, use your omnipotent power to protect our sect''s ground and the low-level martial artists in the square. We don''t want him to kill anyone."


    "I see. You want to see his strength," the old man murmured.


    The man in white did not speak. Instead, he just nodded. The old man was silent as his withered hand made a fast movement in the air. Many red runes appeared above the square to protect everything. However, he did not protect the people he thought would survive. The old man wanted to see them fight against that young man.


    Back in the square, different types of lights rushed forward as they tried to break through Darren''s attack.


    Rumble!


    The collision force was so powerful that the sky and the earth shook ceaselessly.


    "Killing axe, chop!" The you


    nged as he glared at Darren.


    "Whether or not he deserves punishment for any of his actions is your and your sect''s business. But you must give him the reward you promised. He has earned that. It is acceptable if you kill him and reclaim it later. But you must give him the reward now. Guys, don''t you think so? If you don''t, we will know that you were trying to deceive us." Timothy sneered. He assumed that Oscar did not have any treasure to give and that he only wanted to show off by challenging the contenders.


    Oscar was embarrassed. Timothy was right¡ªOscar had no treasure to give. Even if he had one, he would disgrace himself if he took it out at this point. After all, giving the reward meant acknowledging that Darren had defeated him, a grand warrior!


    Darren hovered in the sky and watched the debate.


    "Dude, what punishment do you think I will give you? Huh?" Oscar ignored Timothy. Instead, he sneered at Darren.


    "Don''t change the topic!" Timothy interrupted.


    "Everyone shut up!" Darren shouted. His voice was as cold as ice.


    "I will spare you all this time. But if I hear anyone insult her again, I will kill you!" After threatening the squabbling warriors, Darren turned and flew out of the square.


    "Fuck" How dare you? Attack him."


    "Humph, you want to run away after attacking us?"


    The martial arts masters, who were also levitating in the sky, roared. Despite their hatred for Darren, no one dared to stop him.


    After a moment, Oscar flew forward and stopped Darren.

 Chapter 402 Cheerful Conversations And Blooming Friendships (Part One)

    The other people in the crowd looked towards Darren with dread in their eyes. They were afraid of getting beheaded by Darren right then and there if they so much as dared to make a move against him. That was the reason why every single person in the crowd was reluctant to take the lead.


    They knew that few of those present would have survived without the sudden appearance of the runic protection. On top of that, even those lucky enough to survive would have been badly injured.


    As for Oscar, he was well aware of his level as a Grand Realm master. Not only that, he was also the first supreme disciple of the Violet Phoenix Sect. It would be so disgraceful if he didn''t stop Darren and just left him go. Moreover, earlier when he had jumped into the attack range of Darren''s dark gold internal force, he had been immediately struck and beaten without even getting a chance to use his domain skill. The crowd had been watching, and so Oscar had felt so embarrassed. Anger surged through his body when he recalled how he had been defeated. He needed to set the record straight in order to not feel embarrassed anymore.


    "Hey, you little punk. What do you take me for? Do you have any idea what the Violet Phoenix Sect is? After pulling that ignorant stunt, do you want to run away now? Don''t even think about it!" Oscar cut to the chase and immediately released a domain, which crept over Darren and covered him completely. He was hoping to intimidate and scare Darren with his domain.


    However, Darren didn''t even blink. He was completely calm and stared at Oscar''s domain more out of curiosity than even a hint of fear. And why should he be scared? He had experienced this before. In fact, he had been covered by the domain of grand warriors a couple of times in the past. Among them, there was even the domain of two-star grand warriors. T


    nds to recognize them. It was Timothy and the young woodcutter.


    "Oscar, do you really want to kill him?" asked Timothy with a hint of accusation in his voice. With a cold and unflinching gaze, Timothy stared Oscar down. With an even voice, he continued, "It seems to me that what the young man said is not unreasonable. It is undeniable that everyone present insulted him and the girl first. That made him angry, so he launched the attack. It was not only his fault." Timothy made a sweeping motion with his hand, as if to dismiss any possible objections to what he had said.


    "I have no idea what the relationship between the girl and the young man is. The only thing obvious were the grudges between them. They might just feel wronged and then acted rashly. However, you people insulted them. Is there anybody daring to say he should just stand all of this?" Timothy raised his hands slightly as he spoke the last part, gesticulating between Oscar and the still watchful crowd.


    "Timothy, what you just said was reasonable, and I''m glad I didn''t say anything I shouldn''t have. Nevertheless, I did hear Hunk curse in quite the unbecoming way," said the young woodcutter cheekily, while showing off a slightly lopsided grin.

 Chapter 403 Cheerful Conversations And Blooming Friendships (Part Two)

    "What do you mean? I just cussed them out, so what? Mind your own damn business!" Hunk replied angrily. Without missing a beat, he immediately rushed towards the young woodcutter.


    "What? You want to try me? Hold on, I will play with you for as long as you want after dealing with the business of this young man," said Abelard, the woodcutter, mockingly. He was glaring at Hunk, his previous smile long gone from his face. Abelard''s glare was so piercing that Hunk felt it deep in his bones and a sudden fear gripped him. A cold shudder ran down his back. He decided to keep quiet, even though he wasn''t sure if he could''ve uttered a single word in the face of that glare anyway.


    "Timothy, and you, a woodcutter. Are you two aiming to get in the way of my punishment for offending the dignity of my sect?" Oscar''s voice was void of any emotion. He had no intention of arguing with them. Slowly but surely, Oscar transferred the most intense power of the domain in the direction of those two annoying guys.


    The two men were by no means weak. Nevertheless, they stood no chance to actually fight against the domain. Therefore, when a hit of the blast came, they were almost knocked to their knees.


    "Humph, Oscar, you went too far. You have my word. I am going to beat you today. Try me if you dare," threatened Timothy. He had a murderous look in his eyes, all while holding a sword condensed by purple light in his hand.


    At the same time, Abelard raised the wood-cutting axe that he was holding.


    The strength of the two men was lower than that of the grand warrior. It didn''t matter, though, as the weapons in their hands radiated a powerful feeling of immeasurable domination. Once their weapons made an appearance, even Oscar''s


    ng to them talk, he was suddenly all too aware that those three young men were all capable of beheading grand warriors. This realization frightened him so much, he felt his blood run cold. What was more, Timothy was the top young genius of the overlord family in the Western Desert Island. Oscar wouldn''t dare to attack Timothy on his own, as he knew better than that.


    As for the young woodcutter, he was hard to deal with as well. At least according to the personal background that he had just revealed in his conversation.


    So, Oscar drew a conclusion that none of the three men in front of him felt even slightly afraid of a one-star grand warrior like him. If he fought against them, he might be defeated.


    In that moment, Oscar didn''t know what to do. He felt shame gnaw at his insides. Launching an attack wasn''t an option, he simply didn''t dare to, but he was also too embarrassed to just back down.


    "Elder Herman, please help me handle this." Oscar could not think of any other solution but stealthily send a message to Elder Herman who was far away. Obviously, he didn''t want to be embarrassed in front of everyone. His pride wouldn''t let him.

 Chapter 404 A Big Move

    "Ha-ha!" Herman laughed heartily. He then flew over and landed beside the group of people. Herman looked reproachfully at Oscar, and said, "Oscar, I understand that you are trying to uphold our sect''s prestige and rules, but you must also remember that this is not how our sect treats friends from far away. Darren is a visitor, and he does not know our rules yet. This is not his fault. More importantly, all the warriors that have come to our sect are answering our leader''s call for the crusade to the Heavenly Serene Graveyard. Please, do not let this unpleasantness ruin everyone''s passion and harmony. You may stand down now, Oscar. I will take it from here!"


    "Hum!" Oscar snorted before answering respectfully, "My apologies, Elder Herman. You are right. For the sake of our crusade, I will let it slide. However, if I ever catch him undermining the status of our sect, I will show no mercy. I mean it!"


    With that said, Oscar settled his sleeves before he turned to return to the palace. Once in the sky, he didn''t look back.


    After leaving, Oscar could not help but feel relieved. Had Herman not come to his rescue, he would be in serious trouble.


    This was the first time that he, a warrior at the Grand Realm, had been outmatched by someone inferior. Obviously, he was extremely embarrassed. Hence, his hatred for Darren and the other two warriors was beyond comparison. It was so strong that simply killing them would not be enough for Oscar.


    "Those three sons of bitches! I am going to kill them one by one," Oscar murmured to himself, looking ferocious.


    Back in the square, it was evident to a bunch of powerful and experienced warriors that Darren and his new friends were stronger than Oscar, and that the elder had come to smooth things over.


    Now that Oscar had retreated without any gains from the confrontation with Darren, a group of outside warriors did not dare to provoke Darren any further. And so, they landed in a different area. The square was once again empty as if nothing had happened here.


    "I see we have three young and promising young men among us. On behalf of our sect, I apologize for the unpleasantness that you have experienced. You are on our turf now, and it is our responsibility to show you better treatment than this." Herman said with a smile before speaking seriously, "However, I must say that you were, indeed, acting irrationally. Had my guard not stepped in, you would have caused the death of many, which would have been a tragedy. It would also have affected our cause significantly. If I may offer a suggestion, please refrain from acting out of passion again.


    Given that we all faulted today, I sincerely wish that everyone present takes a deep breath to calm down and forget offenses. For the sake of Violet Phoenix Sect, please let it go. I would be deeply honored if all of


    ting that blood." Abelard turned to look at Darren.


    "I am afraid that you are wrong. I do not want anything!" Darren smiled mischievously.


    "What? Why?" Both Timothy and Abelard asked in unison.


    "We are in no rush. I will explain later." Darren turned away from them without another word.


    "Damn! What is with you people and your secrets?" Abelard murmured to himself, rather displeased.


    As the three men chatted, the Violet Phoenix Sect elder provided detailed information and reminders to the warriors. Seeing that everyone was prepared, the elder waved at them to begin!


    "Warriors! Let''s move out!"


    As his voice echoed throughout the square, a group of warriors suddenly flew into the sky from the palace. Each emitted a strong aura.


    "Holy shit! There are twenty three-star grand warriors!"


    "That sure is something! Sending so many ace warriors is a big move from Violet Phoenix Sect. No wonder they put us in charge of only the outer perimeter."


    "Tell me about it! Are the demonic monsters at the Heavenly Serene Graveyard truly so powerful that Violet Phoenix Sect has to mobilize twenty three-star grand warriors? There has not been a mobilization like this for thousands of years!"


    Sensing the aura of those three-star grand warriors, the other warriors in the square burst into a heated discussion with excitement in their voices.


    Three-star grand warriors were very rare as they were often not seen for hundreds of years. Now, the scene of twenty three-star grand warriors simultaneously swooping into the sky shocked everyone present.


    Even Darren and his two companions stared at those three-star warriors in the sky with astonishment.


    "Where did Violet Phoenix Sect find all these warriors? To my knowledge, there are only three three-star grand warriors and one red-robed warlock in their sect," Timothy murmured to himself, sounding incredulous.

 Chapter 405 Enter The Heavenly Serene Graveyard

    "Who knew Violet Phoenix Sect could gather so many three-star grand warriors?" Abelard rolled his eyes.


    "It doesn''t matter. Let us follow them." Darren was secretly pleased. He was determined to enter the battlefield where the three-star grand warriors would fight, as he believed that he would find chances to assimilate countless talents of powerful demonic monsters!


    "Yes, we better head in their direction. Since the five-star grand demonic monster is hard to defeat, I reckon Violet Phoenix Sect invited reclusive masters who are three-star grand warriors," stated Timothy.


    A few moments later, the crowd, led by three one-star grand warriors from Violet Phoenix Sect, flew toward the eastern land''s border.


    After flying for two days, the advancing human army arrived at a desolate place and stopped.


    When they landed on the ground, the white mist dispersed, revealing a huge palace.


    "Guys, this place is where my sect was set up. Please wait here for the masters to open the entrance to the Heavenly Serene Graveyard," stated one of the elders.


    After the crowd followed the elder into the palace, they were awed by the fact that Violet Phoenix Sect was rich enough to build such a magnificent palace.


    As everyone began to settle in the palace, they felt violent vibrations and heard loud noises in the distance. The warriors in the palace were immediately on alert.


    "Everyone, take it easy! It must be the masters attacking the entrance to the Heavenly Serene Graveyard. Just wait a moment," said the elder.


    The crowd calmed after hearing the elder''s explanation.


    "As twenty three-star grand warriors are releasing their power together, it is no wonder that we hear such loud sounds."


    "To my knowledge, if so many powerful masters fight together, wouldn''t they destroy the area?" Darren questioned doubtfully.


    "Ha-ha, it seems you know a lot, Darren. However, the eastern land''s border has a far more stable space than the borders of the other three regions. I reckon that even a four-star grand warrior would be unable to destroy this place. And, I have heard that two six-star grand warriors once fought in the Heavenly Serene Graveyard, but they did not cause any damage. You must believe that Heavenly Serene Graveyard''s space is very stable," Timothy said confidently.


    "I understand. You are very knowledgeable, Timothy," Darren said in admiration.


    "I just happened to hear about it before. As I have the same purpose as Abela


    about three thousand kilometers away. It looked like a white thread from this great distance.


    After the excitement settled, the human warriors scattered. They flew along the edge of the area toward the eight exits.


    "Let us fly toward the right side. According to the map, that exit is closest to the river. If we go to that exit, we are more likely to sneak through," explained Timothy. Before coming here, the elders had given everyone a topographic map of the area.


    Both Darren and Abelard agreed with Timothy. Soon, the three men flew toward the farthest exit on the right side.


    "Damn it! The three sons of bitches are together all the time. I can''t find a chance to deal with each of them separately." Oscar cursed with a frown as he watched Darren and his companions.


    "Well, I have to keep up with them, and find the opportunity to deal with them!" murmured Oscar, as he flew in the direction of Darren and his friends.


    About an hour later, Darren and the other two men arrived at their destination.


    Darren''s main purpose was to slaughter high-level demonic monsters and assimilate their talents. As soon as he landed on the ground, he released his spiritual sense to search for demonic monsters.


    "Eh? Hey guys, do you find it odd that there is not even a single monster around?" Darren asked after inspecting the place for a while.


    "Yes, I sensed it too. As the masters made a lot of noise trying to break through the barrier, the powerful demonic monsters are aware of our arrival. We must be cautious," said Timothy.


    "Oh no!" exclaimed Darren.


    At that moment, the three people sensed an aura of extreme danger.

 Chapter 406 The Revenge

    When they sensed the dangerous aura, Darren, Timothy, and Abelard released their spiritual sense to check the situation.


    "Did I imagine it?" Timothy mumbled with his brows furrowed.


    "No. You didn''t. I also felt something powerful closing in on us," Abelard muttered as he glanced at the surrounding area.


    As Darren''s Spirit Power was more powerful than the others'', the dangerous aura touched him more deeply. After searching for a while, he said, "A demonic monster must be around. We just cannot sense it because of its superb hiding skill."


    Timothy and Abelard nodded as Darren''s explanation seemed logical. Subconsciously, they tightened their grip on their weapons.


    All three men kept strict vigilance for a while. However, the dangerous aura didn''t reappear. The woods with towering old trees remained silent.


    Rustle.


    "Eh? Someone is hiding in the trees!"


    Darren said as a slight noise caught his attention. Though the aura couldn''t be perceived, the three men didn''t let down their guard.


    "You beast, come out!" Timothy yelled.


    "Ha-ha. You bastards. Your spiritual sense is very sensitive. To tell you the truth, I didn''t expect you to sense me."


    After Timothy''s yell, a figure descended from a tall tree and landed before the three men.


    "Oscar? Why are you following us? And why did you hide your aura?" Timothy asked with a serious expression.


    As Darren wasn''t convinced that the aura belonged to Oscar, he stood silently and continued to probe the surrounding area for signs of the dangerous aura they had sensed earlier. His instincts told him that there was a powerful demonic monster in the region.


    Although Darren was preoccupied with searching for the powerful demonic monster, he kept a watch on Oscar. After all, he knew that Oscar was only trying to make trouble for them.


    "What did you think? Did you assume that I would forgive you so easily after you offended me in front of everyone? How naive you are!" Oscar sneered. His handsome features morphed into more hideous ones as he flashed Darren and his companions a sinister smile.


    "Timothy, you come from the Western Desert Island. Your status is so high that even the sect will show respect to you. You are incredible. However, it is a pity that no one will search for your body in this wild land."


    He then glared at Abelard. "You, the woodcutter, I know that the old fisherman protects you. The question remains whether or not the news of your death will pain him."


    Finally, his eyes fell


    d to be well-matched in terms of strength with the mysterious man.


    However, at this point, Oscar, who was watching the fight, burst into laughter. In a flash, he flew forward and landed before Darren, Timothy, and Abelard.


    "Ha-ha. What other skills do you have? I guess you have nothing more! Well. Don''t blame me for being rude!"


    Oscar bellowed as he continued to laugh. The two men whom he had dreaded all this while had demonstrated their unique skills. Since he could overpower them, Oscar was convinced that they were not a threat to him anymore. After all, he was a warrior in the Grand Realm.


    Hearing Oscar, Timothy and Abelard became flustered. It was true that they had used their unique skills against Oscar. It was also true that they couldn''t rival Oscar, who was a grand warrior.


    "Step back," Darren whispered to Timothy and Abelard before flying forward and glaring at Oscar coldly.


    "Darren, be careful!" Timothy shouted. He and Abelard realized that only Darren had the skills to defeat Oscar. So, with a quick warning to Darren, the other two men retreated.


    "You? There is a slim possibility that the skills shown by your two bastard friends might scare me. But, I am not afraid of your dark gold internal force. You are so ridiculous!" Oscar mocked. Since there were no restraints around Darren, Oscar was confident that once he displayed the domain skill, he could effortlessly kill Darren. With that, Darren had no opportunity to activate his powerful dark gold internal force.


    "Go to hell!" Darren said coldly as the blade and sword intent burst out from his body like torrents rushing toward their target with terrifying force.

 Chapter 407 Submitting To Darren (Part One)

    The powerful blade and sword intent boomed towards Oscar.


    "How dare you start a fight against me?" Oscar didn''t hesitate to activate his domain skill to its fullest extent and immediately boomed back to Darren.


    Being engulfed by the domain of a grand warrior was by no means something to just brush off. Darren had to admit to himself that he was quite impressed, especially considering that there was no limit to how much Oscar''s powers could be increased. That was, if Darren couldn''t manage to crush his domain, that was no easy feat, so Darren found himself in a tough situation. He was faced with the power of a real domain after all.


    "Water Kylin, come out now!"


    If the situation had been different, this would have been a great opportunity for Darren to practice fighting against a rather weak grand warrior. But with how things were, it was no longer an option. There was another two-star grand warrior involved in the battle, so Darren had no other choice than to call the Water Kylin out. He couldn''t afford to waste time.


    Boom!


    There was a big explosion and bits and parts of flesh were thrown through the air. It only took a split second for Oscar''s body to be completely crushed into pieces. Without a doubt, it was truly a gruesome sight for anyone who was watching it unfold. There was a moment of silence where the world seemed frozen in time. Then, all of a sudden, a figure filled with an ancient aura appeared in front of everyone.


    "Alas, Master! Such an easy job isn''t worth my time. You can easily deal with it yourself. Just keep fighting for a few more seconds," the Water Kylin said, somehow sounding both smug and exasperated at the same time.


    "You''re speaking too soon. There is another two-star grand warrior here. Kill him for me!" After Darren finished giving his orders, he turned and walked back over to Timothy. Darren crossed his arms in a cool and controlled manner while standing next to his friend.


    "Darren..."


    Lost for words and unsure how to continue, the two friends just stared at Darren. Truly, they were completely stunned and didn''t know what to say. There was a short, almost awkward silence.


    "What''s wrong?" Darren finally asked them calmly. He w


    ter he stumbled upon Oscar who was also beaten by Darren. Fueled by their distaste of the man, the two had plotted to kill Darren in secret. Never in his wildest imagination could he have expected that Darren could call out a legendary beast to fight against them.


    Faced with this new development, Ethan''s confidence had turned to fear. He was scared to death of what Darren and the legendary beast could do to him. Now, it didn''t take much imagination to guess the outcome of a fight. He would most likely be killed by the Water Kylin. He gulped at that thought.


    "Please forgive me," Ethan pleaded as he was looking at Darren with fear in his eyes.


    "Are you trying to say something to me?" Darren gave him a smile that was mocking and filled with disdain.


    "Please forgive me and I promise that I will never bring you any trouble. Truly never again from this moment on. If you are in danger, I can even give you a hand. If you so wish." Ethan tried not to show how frightened he was. He doubted that he could keep the emotion from showing on his face, so he lowered his head. In reality, he was simply begging Darren to let him go. The survival instinct kicked in, his pride being damned.


    "Do you think that is possible? Have you forgotten what has happened that fateful day? To tell you the truth, your good friend, Gerald, was tortured harshly. Are you angry about that?" Darren spoke in a monotone voice, while his face stayed completely blank and emotionless.

 Chapter 408 Submitting To Darren (Part Two)

    "Gerald deserved that. After all, he had previously done some awful things! And I will not take care of him. It is Stark who has a really good relationship with him. I don''t. As long as you don''t kill me today, I can even serve you as your body guard." Ethan bowed. He hoped to convey his submission and respect to Darren.


    "Darren, his confidence has been destroyed by you. I think it is not a bad idea for you to have a helper," Timothy mused, turning to Darren as he gave his friend advice.


    "Oh, no, I don''t think so. He is Darren''s enemy and hates him with passion. What happens if he changes his mind? How could Darren handle the situation if he suddenly attacked our friend in secret? He is such an evil guy. Yes, at the moment he is bowing his head and making promises, but I don''t think he is a man who keeps his word," Abelard injected, disagreeing with Timothy. He was frowning in displeasure at the mere idea of trusting a man like that.


    "What you say is reasonable. Darren, what do you think?" Timothy turned to Darren with a questioning look.


    A few moments passed in silence, but in the end Darren didn''t reply to Timothy. Instead, he spoke directly to Ethan. "Just as my two good friends said, what if you change your mind at a later point in time?"


    "How could I dare to do that? Your legendary beast is even stronger than a three-star grand warrior. I will definitely die if I try to stealthily attack you. I really mean it when I say that I can serve you. Please give me this chance, sir." Seeing that there was a chance that Darren might say yes, Ethan bent over even more. He even respectfully called Darren "sir" in the hopes of swaying the decision in his favor.


    "All right. I will forgive you and you will not die by my hand now. You can follow me and I will see how you will behave. If you serve me with sincerity, I will reward you." Darren finally agreed to what Ethan was requesting.


    "Darren, please consider it one more time," Abelard said to Darren in a low voice. Ultimately, it was Darren''s choice whether to trust that guy, but Abelard didn''t want his friend to be harmed. Trust was good, but it had a time and place, and this was not it, as far as he was concerned.


    "I know what you mean. Don''t worry about me. I am keenly aware of the fact that Ethan will attack me later. He is waiting for


    now that he knew what Darren was doing, the whole situation seemed amusing to him. He certainly felt no pity for the man who had brought this upon himself.


    "No, no! It is my honor to be ridden by the Water Kylin. Please, come, you can sit on my body." After hearing what Timothy and Abelard had said, Ethan''s heart rate spiked up again. The fear he felt made his blood run cold. Quickly, before they could say more and make Darren change his mind, he fell forward on the ground. His stomach landed on the ground and he quickly pushed up on his hands and knees, without doubt looking like a dog. Ethan waited for the Water Kylin to come over and sit down in order to ride him.


    "Humph! That''s more like it!" The Water Kylin''s body became smaller and he finally jumped onto Ethan''s back.


    "Okay. We have handled Oscar now. But I think the dangerous aura we sensed earlier belonged to a powerful demonic monster. Everybody, keep being cautious! Water Kylin, can you scan the surroundings and detect whether there is a powerful demonic monster here? The beast is otherwise invisible," Darren requested with a serious look. Despite the whole ordeal with Ethan, there were still other, more important things that needed his immediate attention.


    Following Darren''s words, the Water Kylin started to search the area around them at once. After just a few seconds, he roared like thunder. The sound he emitted was so immensely loud that it made everything around them shake. Not only that, hundreds of tall trees were simply broken apart by his booming voice!

 Chapter 409 Upgrading His Talent (Part One)

    "Master, back off!" the Water Kylin shouted in a tone filled with urgency. Without missing a beat, he hit the ground in front of him. The impact was so powerful that it caused the whole place to start shaking. Surprised, some of the people present almost fell over. The ground was erupting in cobweb-like cracks that drew lines away from the Water Kylin.


    Darren furrowed his eyebrows, and slowly but surely inched away, with Timothy following suit.


    "What did your legendary beast find, Darren?"


    "I have no idea. But it must be a powerful diabolic beast that is a master at hiding itself," Darren answered while quickly releasing his Blade and Sword Domain. He had to be ready to fight at any moment.


    Meanwhile, the Water Kylin seemed to be in a heated fight with someone or something. But unfortunately, Darren and Timothy couldn''t see anything as the fight was happening in a sphere not visible to their eyes. They both tried to at least feel any traces of the invisible beast, but it was to no avail.


    "Do you really think you can hide right in front of me?" the Water Kylin shouted, blue fire wrapped around his body. He was fighting even harder than before. Losing wasn''t an option, especially seeing as his master depended on him.


    Bang!


    With a loud bang, the Water Kylin was hit by a huge blow and went flying through the air. Darren sucked in a surprised breath, his whole body tensing up. He never thought this could happen.


    "What the hell is that diabolic beast? I never expected it to be this strong!" Darren exclaimed, feeling truly shocked. His two companions were in equal states of disbelief, merely able to shake their heads slightly while still trying to follow the fight.


    After all, the Water Kylin was a very powerful legendary beast. The fact that he was hit by that invisible beast meant that whoever he was fighting had to be powerful beyond imagination as well!


    A few seconds passed and everybody seemed to collectively hold their breath. Then, the Water Kylin came back in their view again. Deep anger filled his eyes, his aura lookin


    iabolic beast?"


    "Yeah, I know it. It''s the descendant of the demonic monster of the Ancient Age. It is extremely good at hiding itself and making itself invisible. It is normally as strong as a two-star grand warrior. But even a three-star grand warrior most likely wouldn''t even notice its existence. In other words, once faced with it, even a three-star grand warrior has little chance to live.


    This Invisible Panther was even more powerful than other Invisible Panthers. That''s why it took so long for a legendary beast to beat it. It was just too skilled at hiding itself."


    Everyone nodded in understanding after hearing Ethan''s words. Frankly, they were slightly surprised. Nobody had expected that he would know this much about diabolic beasts. For the moment, it definitely seemed to be a good decision to let him live for a while.


    "Humph! It could only use its invisible skill. That''s the only reason it had a chance to fight me. Otherwise, I could have killed it with just one blow of my claw," the Water Kylin muttered in disdain. He didn''t like diabolic beasts that were sneaky and cunning. There was no real strength in that.


    "But if you and your companions had met it first, master, you all would have already been dead. Let me scan this area for you. If there are any other Invisible Panthers, I will kill them," the Water Kylin added in a reassuring tone.

 Chapter 410 Upgrading His Talent (Part Two)

    "Okay, go check in a radius of a thousand miles. See if there are more beasts of this kind around this place," Darren nodded and instructed the Water Kylin. "If there are indeed some, just drag them here and kill them in front of me. Do you understand?" Darren looked at the Water Kylin, waiting for his response.


    "Haha. Okay. Master, I didn''t know that you like to watch me kill diabolic beasts this much?" The Water Kylin teased him with a laugh.


    "Don''t waste more time. Just go!" Darren scolded him, feeling impatient and not in the mood for jokes. If there were truly more beasts around, they had to be dealt with immediately.


    "All right. All right," the Water Kylin answered lazily, not impressed by his master''s lack of humor. He had the situation under control, there was no need for this kind of urgency. Nevertheless, he followed his orders and shrank himself to a much smaller size. With a grin, he got on Ethan''s back. "Let''s go!" he exclaimed, and Ethan did as he was told. Within seconds, they were gone.


    "Hey, Darren, your legendary beast is quite smart. He knew it would be dangerous to leave Ethan here with us, so he dragged Ethan with him," Timothy remarked, eyes full of appreciation. The Water Kylin really thought of everything. Such strength and intelligence were truly impressive.


    "Haha, no. He''s just like a silly dog sometimes. He wouldn''t have thought about it that much. Knowing him, he probably thought it would be funny to let Ethan carry him." Darren shook his head with a laugh.


    Even though they believed Darren''s words, it didn''t really change how impressive it was. Timothy and Abelard stared at Darren with both envy and awe. He had tamed a legendary beast of the Ancient Age for God''s sake! It didn''t matter if he called him a silly dog, or if the Water Kylin genuinely only brought Ethan because he thought it was funny. Who wouldn''t be envious of Darren?


    Darren noticed their looks and just laughed again. He didn''t comment further on it and instead changed the subject. The three of them just stood there for the next coup


    s breaking point, Timothy and Abelard also used their strongest force to hit the demonic monster as hard as they could.


    Both axe and sword kept getting propelled back and forth, leaving countless deep wounds on the demonic monster''s body when they plunged their weapons into it. However, this served to make the demonic monster so furious that it wanted to spit out its demonic inner elixir. This would ensure that it could have one last fight with them. But before it could go through with its plan, Darren pierced its head from behind with just one move.


    In that moment, a demonic monster in the Grand Realm was killed by the joined effort of the three friends.


    Darren didn''t want to waste a second and immediately started to assimilate its talent. As for its blood and demonic inner elixir, he made sure to give them to Timothy and Abelard.


    Once finished, all three of them sat down on the ground to rest a bit and catch their breath. However, all of a sudden, a loud noise broke the companionable silence that had settled around them. Far away on the other side of the river, blood-colored lights shot to the sky, as roars and shouts were echoing around the whole area.


    "It seems that there''s a fight! Should we sneak over there to check it out?" Timothy felt pleasantly surprised, and he turned to Darren and Abelard to find out what their opinion on the matter was.

 Chapter 411 The Water Kylin Was Stranded (Part One)

    "I don''t think that''s a good idea. We can easily tell that the fight there is violent. I''m afraid that if we go there, we will be in danger," Abelard said after a moment, his voice betraying the worry he felt.


    Darren was still staring in the direction of the noise and flash of light. Like the other two, he had of course also heard the unmistakable sounds of a fight. If he was honest, it shocked him as well. It didn''t seem like an ordinary fight, far from it, it sounded like a fight between many powerful beings. But that meant if they got there early, he could surely assimilate more talent.


    "I know you two want demonic monsters'' blood. If we get there after everything calms down, the useful composition of the blood will probably be gone already. So, I suggest we go there immediately. We just need to be extremely careful," Darren finally replied. Slowly, he rose to his feet, getting ready to move.


    "All right. We will do as Darren says. But it would be better to first call back your legendary beast, Darren. It''s safer and a great advantage for us if he accompanies us," Abelard suggested, following suit and getting to his feet as well. He brushed away some dirt from his pants, an anticipatory nervousness making his heart beat a bit faster.


    "Yeah, Abelard has a point. How about we go look for your legendary beast first, Darren?" Timothy agreed with Abelard''s idea while surveying his surroundings, once again alert.


    "Okay, you two are right. Let''s go get him first." Darren knew his friends had a valid point. Without doubt, it would be much safer if the Water Kylin went with them. They didn''t really know what was awaiting them at the scene of the fight, after all. They wasted no time and flew up, searching for the Water Kylin around the forest. They couldn''t spot him anywhere.


    "Is it possible that the Water Kylin is in danger? He should have already been back by now," Timothy speculated with a frown on his face, his tone worried. He had felt


    me!" Darren instructed his companions, needing their help to deal with this. Timothy and Abelard took out their weapons right away and started attacking the place with all their might. They were still exhausted from the previous fight, but they didn''t let that stop them or slow them down.


    After attacking non-stop for over an hour, sweat was dripping down their foreheads and their bodies were aching. Still, they kept going and in the end it seemed to pay off. The river under the runes finally started boiling, and they could also hear roars coming from underneath the river.


    "Ahhhh!"


    The moment the runes started to shake, a black figure roared out loud, and rushed to the runes, breaking them with a mighty force. It was the Water Kylin.


    The Water Kylin had finally broken free, and blue fire was burning in his angry eyes. He was furious right now, his body pulsating with the force of his rage.


    The hairs all over his body stood up due to the anger that made his blood boil. He called out a colorful lightning that was thirty feet wide, aiming it directly at the river.


    It struck its goal with a powerful cackle. After the attack, countless dead bodies floated up. Before anybody could even get a good look at them, the river exploded. Suddenly, about seven or eight dark green figures rushed out.

 Chapter 412 The Water Kylin Was Stranded (Part Two)

    The Water Kylin went after them. He didn''t hesitate and showed no mercy as he killed each of them with just one strike of his claw.


    "You all have to die! I will kill you!" The Water Kylin roared in fury, his voice making even Darren and the other two back off a few steps. Goosebumps formed on their bodies and they were all just glad to have the Water Kylin on their side. There was no getting in the way of that pure, unadulterated rage.


    Nevertheless, Darren wasn''t too worried about it. What he cared about was acting fast. He was doing his best to assimilate the talent of the dead creatures.


    An hour passed, and the Water Kylin was still attacking the river with his lightning. About ten more dark green creatures came out of the river and the Water Kylin immediately killed them on sight.


    As for Darren, he was ready for every single one, as he didn''t want to waste any of their leftover talent. He kept assimilating it. His talent upgraded almost two levels in a row. At this point, he was at the top level of level two of the Heaven Degree!


    After all of this, there didn''t seem to be any more Invisible Panthers coming out of the river. However, the Water Kylin in his rage just kept his lightning attack coming, never pausing. It took a long while for him to finally stop.


    When he did, it was like all the rage left his body in one go, and it seemed like it was the only thing that had kept him going. He fell down on the ground as if he lost all his strength. Breathing hard, he looked absolutely exhausted after all this fighting.


    "Damn it! I almost died because of those petty creatures!" The Water Kylin had his head hanging low. His tongue rolled out and touched the ground. He huffed.


    "What the hell happened? Why were there so many Invisible Panthers? And where is Ethan? Is he dead?"


    have now reached the top level of the primary stage of the Wonder Realm." Darren mumbled to himself. After assimilating a great amount of spiritual energy from nature, he finally managed to upgrade further, even if it was just by a bit. He moved his limbs a little, feeling stiff after not moving for so long.


    Timothy and Abelard heard what he had said to himself. And to say that they were surprised was an understatement. They glanced at each other, almost as if to make sure they hadn''t just imagined it all, and then looked back at Darren.


    "What did you say, Darren?"


    "Don''t joke about something like that, Darren!"


    They sat up straight and stared at Darren as if they were looking at a monster.


    "Eh? What? What did I say?" Darren was still coming out of his trance-like state, feeling lost and confused. He looked at his friends with a bemused expression.


    "You said that you have reached the top level of the primary stage of the Wonder Realm..."


    "Yeah, the top level of the primary stage of the Wonder Realm..."


    Timothy and Abelard both repeated the same thing, too dumfounded to say much more or express themselves differently. They stared at Darren, eagerly awaiting his response.

 Chapter 413 The Opposite Bank Of The River

    Darren shrugged casually, even though Timothy and Abelard were eagerly waiting for his response. Right from the start, Darren had hidden his real cultivation base. Although he had unintentionally exposed it to them, he wasn''t worried. He believed that the two were trustworthy friends, and hence, he would not be at risk if they knew such a secret.


    "I have been a little slow in improving my cultivation base. So, my cultivation base is at the peak of the primary stage of the Wonder Realm," Darren responded calmly as he revealed his real cultivation base. As a result, Timothy and Abelard soon realized that he was telling the truth about his cultivation base.


    "Oh, my God! You are at the primary stage of the Wonder Realm,"


    Timothy and Abelard exclaimed excitedly. Then they rushed to Darren and put their arms on his shoulders.


    Darren was speechless. One of the reasons why he hid his real cultivation base was that he didn''t want people to make a fuss about it. When Darren didn''t react, the two friends began to talk with greater excitement.


    "You are a miracle! Oh, no, to be more exact, you are a living legend. We are lucky to be friends with a living legend!"


    "Abnormal! It''s just far too abnormal. I can''t imagine how strong you are going to be when you reach the Grand Realm in the future!"


    The two surrounded Darren and continued to speak enthusiastically, their faces flushed with excitement. Never had they met a young warrior with such tremendous potential in martial arts.


    "Come on, guys! Stop it! I am not as excited as you guys. I don''t know why you are so astounded," Darren replied as he rolled his eyes. Then he casually shook off their hands from his shoulders.


    "How can we not be excited? You are a rare genius, the likes of which ordinary people are lucky to encounter once in a million years. We can''t believe that we had the chance to meet you and become your friends. Isn''t it reasonable for us to be thrilled for a while?" Abelard said with a grin as he tapped Darren on the shoulder.


    When Darren studied Timothy''s and Abelard''s expressions, he observed genuine happiness. For a moment, he thought they could be his true friends. After all, it had been Darren''s experience that people wanted to either please him or use him once they learned of his true potential for martial arts. And yet, Timothy and Abelard''s attitude toward him had not changed after learning about his real cultivation base level. Darren had expected to sense false respect and patronization from them. However, they just showed their true feelings.


    This convinced Darren that they regarded him as their good friend. They made friends with him because they liked him, not because of his real strength and potential.


    Once the excitement died, Timothy regained his composure and then suggested, "Guys, I think we''ve had enough rest. If we don''t go to the opposite bank of the river now, I am afraid that we will miss the war,"


    Darren nodded before adding, "You are quite right! If we don''t leave now, there won''t be much demonic monster blood left for you. And what I want will not exist, either."


    "Then, what are we waiting for? Let''s hurry up!" Abelard said.


    Darren walked to the Water Kylin, who was still asleep, kicked him gently, and delivered a message through his spiritual sense. "Hey! You idio


    it would be a complete disaster for that place as they would destroy everything there. What was worse, no other areas beyond the river would have twenty three-star grand warriors to fight these creatures.


    The whole sky above the river was filled with blood, and the smell of blood rain permeated through the surroundings as the powerful demonic monsters were continually being killed. Even though Darren was a thousand miles from them, he could feel the talent of the diabolic beasts scatter around like a waterfall after they died.


    "Assimilate," Darren said and began to absorb the scattering talent.


    As there was an excess of beast talent, Darren could assimilate some of it even though he was still far from the main battlefield. However, the amount of talent he was consuming was too little.


    "Timothy and Abelard, you two wait here. I''ll go to the main battlefield alone." Darren did not want to waste the talent. Thus, he chose to take the risk of going closer.


    "No, I don''t think it''s a good idea. We can''t go any further. Even the Water Kylin might not be able to protect us if we are found and attacked by a group of demonic monsters." Both Timothy and Abelard strongly disagreed with Darren''s desire to take such a risky step.


    Their disagreement was justified. After all, if a large number of grand demonic monsters besieged them, even the Water Kylin wouldn''t be able to help. They knew that several powerful demonic monsters would launch sneak attacks to kill them as soon as they were discovered.


    "I am sorry, but I have to go. You two should be careful and hide your traces. The most powerful demonic monster hasn''t appeared yet. You must not go there rashly," Darren said as he began to move forward.


    Seeing that Darren was leaving, Timothy and Abelard sighed. Since Darren was a rare genius that would appear only once in a million years, he would take the risk to improve his talent faster. Thus, they knew they couldn''t stop him. So, they lurked in the jungle on the ground and waited for the most powerful demonic monster to appear.


    Before Timothy adventured here, he had heard that this time, a group of strong human warriors would unite to kill a five-star grand demonic monster!

 Chapter 414 Sneaking Into The Battlefield

    Darren didn''t want the others to accompany him as they would surely attract unwanted attention from the demonic monsters. So, he didn''t let them tag along, especially the Water Kylin. He had such a strong and unique aura that if he got close to the battlefield, there was no way that he could hide from the demonic monsters. That was why Darren decided to sneak into the battlefield alone.


    Darren flew up and down between the big mountains. At the same time, he used his internal force to get rid of the blood raindrops that fell from the sky. He was cautious, as he did not want to draw any attention to himself.


    When he was about five hundred miles away from the battlefield, Darren could easily assimilate the talent of the dead demonic monsters. There were so many dead grand demonic monsters below the three-star level that Darren still benefitted from assimilating their talent.


    Darren hid under a huge rock and stared at the sky while greedily assimilating the talent left by the dead demonic monsters. After about an hour, he upgraded to level three of the Heaven Degree. His progress speed was astounding!


    "Too much talent is being wasted like this. I have to get closer," Darren mumbled to himself. He felt distressed when he saw how much talent he couldn''t assimilate due to the distance.


    So, he flew forward at a languid speed. Meanwhile, he continued to consume the talent. After about two hours, he finally reached the area right under the battlefield in the sky.


    Countless bodies of dead demonic monsters littered the ground under the battlefield. In some places, there were so many bodies piled up that it looked like a huge mountain made of dead beasts.


    Darren hid behind the mountain of diabolic beast bodies. Bright red blood continued to rain down from the sky as the fight carried on. The scene was so frightening that it would make one''s hairs stand. After releasing his spiritual sense to detect what was going on secretly, Darren found that groups of demonic monsters were continually joining the battle. When he looked up, there were so many creatures that he could no longer see the sun nor any light.


    Now that Darren was below the battlefield, the talent he could assimilate doubled. He remained hidden behind the bodies for about four hours and eventually reached the top level of level three of the Heaven Degree! In fact, he was almost ready to break through to level four.


    The speed at which Darren was upgrading was rather horrifying. He knew that once he reached the Heaven Degree, the talent he would need to assimilate would increase hundreds of times with each level that he upgraded. For example, when Darren was at level one of the Heaven Degree, he only needed to assimilate the talent of a few demonic monsters that had reach


    shocking as the Water Kylin could kill a normal four-star grand warrior with ease.


    After a few rounds of fighting, the twenty three-star grand warriors weren''t at an advantage. Not only that, if they kept fighting like this and started to lose their strength, they would die. Even if they were lucky enough to win in the end, it was possible that at least half of them would die.


    However, to kill the grand demonic monster Cain, they needed every one of the twenty three-star grand warriors. If one of them died, they wouldn''t be able to use the Sky Piercing Array, and they wouldn''t have any chance to kill Cain at all.


    Rumble!


    As they exchanged violent attacks back and forth, another unexpected powerful force descended from the sky and joined the battlefield.


    Seeing the purple force, Darren couldn''t help but widen his eyes in shock. He was just too familiar with the purple force to forget it.


    ''Is that Hailey? Her fusion power is so intimidating!'' Darren was certain that a fusion power of this magnitude could only belong to Hailey and no one else.


    In the next second, a beautiful figure surrounded by purple mist descended into the battlefield, like a goddess.


    Purple internal force was launched at the three-star grand demonic monsters bolt after bolt, making it hard for them to defend.


    "Come on, guys. Let''s kill them!"


    Now that Hailey had come to help, the twenty three-star grand warriors used their most powerful skills to attack the grand demonic monsters in unison. Almost immediately, one monster died.


    "Ahhhhh!"


    "Owwww!"


    The other nine grand demonic monsters were furious when they witnessed the death of their buddy. They spat out their demonic inner elixirs and increased their strength to a frighteningly high level.


    Then, they turned to target the beautiful girl surrounded by the purple aura.

 Chapter 415 Legendary Beast Sub-species (Part One)

    Nine three-star grand demonic monsters used their most powerful skills and charged towards Hailey. The power the grand demonic monsters demonstrated was so strong that even Darren, who was at the foot of the corpse mountain, felt the wave of the assault.


    Darren was both concerned and astonished. As the power of the attack grew increasingly denser, he frowned. Suddenly, he found himself thinking, "Could she get through such a mighty blow? For one of those blows is something to be reckoned with!" Darren wondered woefully.


    His concern proved to be quite unfounded. For just when the grand demonic monsters struck towards Hailey, the human grand warriors reacted in time and shielded her. Flashes of blazing light shot throughout the sky as they wielded their weapons and fended off the attack. The protection move by the human martial artists was great to watch.


    "You vile monsters! This is how you will end today!" someone shouted at the monsters. The three-star grand warrior in front activated his skill and released a giant blinding circle of light and attacked the grand demonic monsters. The grand demonic monsters withdrew backwards as bits of them were blown to smithereens from the light.


    Meanwhile, grabbing this opportune moment, Hailey moved swiftly aside and kept herself from being the target in the middle of the battlefield. She felt grateful for their protection, but also she knew that it was time for her to fight now. While releasing a purple internal force from her palms, she murmured and let out a number of runes. The runes were not invisible, however. As they were read out, they floated in the air and gradually were shaped into a beautiful, gigantic and formidable sword aimed at the grand demonic monsters, just ready to attack anytime.


    An ear-splitting explosion emanated from the cluster of the grand demonic monsters. Everything vibrated to the frequency of the sound of the explosion.


    In the blink of an eye, the nine grand demonic monsters were shot into the air by the lethal attack and heavily fell to the ground. Some were dead, while some were badly injured and whined. It was a war scene.


    It was clear t


    re now relaxed and crowded around Hailey with admiration and respect. Hailey once again felt protected.


    Undoubtedly, Hailey had already become accustomed to such compliments. However, she remained poised. "I appreciate your esteemed perspective of my skill. Protecting humans is my due responsibility. You don''t need to feel gratitude," Hailey said gracefully.


    All the grand warriors nodded their heads in agreement, feeling even more fond of Hailey''s humility. After some small talk, they started to tidy up their stuff in order to pursue Cain: the king of the grand demonic monsters. It would be a meeting to remember.


    Darren did not leave at once. He still hid in the corpse mountain and started to collect those demonic elixirs and to put them into his Space Ring. He had big plans to pursue. By now, Darren had already acknowledged the skill of assimilating spiritual energy from demonic cores and demonic elixirs. He had learned the skill and perfected it.


    Using his spiritual sense, Darren actively sought those demonic elixirs of grand diabolic beasts as they were much more powerful and potent than ordinary elixirs. In less than a few minutes, Darren had already collected tens of thousands of demonic elixirs and stuffed them in his Space Ring. As those three-star grand demonic monsters had been defeated, Darren also got their demonic elixirs and placed them in his service. The work was hard but very satisfying.

 Chapter 416 Legendary Beast Sub-species (Part Two)

    After collecting so many demonic elixirs, Darren grew weary. He wanted to take a break as he had run out of energy. Alarmingly the hairs on his body started to rise.


    Suddenly, a gust of a strong aura drew his attention. It would seem it was not yet the time to relax as something ominous was looming closer and approaching.


    "Where is this formidable aura coming from? Is it released by the legendary five-star grand demonic monster?" Darren could not help but wonder out loud to himself. He strained his eyes and tried to see through layers and layers of clouds.


    "No, it was just from a four-star grand demonic monster," a familiar voice said from behind. He thought he recognized the voice so he turned around. It was none other than the Water Kylin, who had returned with both Timothy and Abelard.


    "How terrifying! Even a four-star grand demonic monster can emit such a strong aura!" he exclaimed. The aura was stifling. Timothy and Abelard could not help from feeling pressures as they thought of the potential dangers ahead of them in battles to come.


    "They are indeed powerful! I remember Finley was at the four-star level at that time, and he gave me quite a hard beating one time. I still have a scar from it," the Water Kylin sighed then grumbled. The displeasure was obvious.


    "Who is Finley?" Timothy asked, puzzled as it was the first time he heard the name Finley.


    "He is a freak! A complete and utter freak!" the Water Kylin blurted out with a frown and pursed lips.


    "Be quiet! I don''t want to be noticed by those people! This four-star grand demonic monster seems to be difficult to handle. Listen to me now! If they cannot get power over him, you go and help them out," Darren carefully instructed the Water Kylin. Darren knew how much power a four-star grand demonic monster possessed, so he anticipated that the fight that was coming quite soon, would be a very tough one.


    Darren''s advice brought the Water Kylin back from his grudge of Finely and aroused his interest regarding the current situation. He blinked twice very quickly as if waking up from sleep. "It is so lucky t


    e. Although the needed time did not last long, the array nonetheless consumed lots of their united cohesive force and decreased their power. Now they were in the plight of moving their last chance of activating their Sky Piercing Array from a five-star grand demonic monster to this four-star grand demonic monster that they originally did not expect to encounter.


    "We have no other way but to activate our array. Otherwise, before we could even get a chance, the monster would have put our people to death," Jacob replied worriedly, trying to warn the others.


    "What if Cain shows up after we have killed this monster? We would totally not be a match for him in strength by then," another one said wistfully.


    "We need to hurry! Once we have succeeded in taking this grand demonic monster down, we must leave this place immediately. We can come for Cain later, after we have completely recovered our strength," Jacob astutely advised.


    The plan was settled then. All 20 grand warriors prepared to put the Sky Piercing Array into action. The time was approaching.


    "Your enemy is just a sub-species! Let me see what he has got!" A roaring sound was heard from behind them and following that a strong, invincible figure shot through the air and stopped right in the middle of those grand warriors.


    It was none other than the Water Kylin who had been ordered to help the grand warriors by Darren.

 Chapter 417 Fighting Against The Winged-Tiger

    Suddenly, a legendary beast rushed out. All of the human grand warriors were instantly on their guard, bodies tensing up and getting ready for an attack. However, they noticed straight away that the Water Kylin showed no hostility towards them. As they felt that there was no harm that could befall them, they as well had no intention to kill him.


    "That''s a legendary beast!"


    "That''s a Kylin!"


    All the grand warriors were startled. They could clearly feel that the being in front of them was different from the grand demonic monster standing before them, as they could sense the aura of a legendary beast. Truly, the Water Kylin was emitting a dense aura of the bloodline of the legendary beast. It was easy to spot, as it was far more pure than the grand demonic monster.


    Instantly, the four-star grand demonic monster turned sinister in appearance. The aura of the Water Kylin made him squirm, feeling uncomfortable due to the suppressing force that was inflicted upon him from the real legendary beast.


    "You, the true descendant of Kylin, why do you help those contemptible humans?" the sub-specific descendent winged-tiger exclaimed with an overwhelmingly nefarious aura.


    "You have no right to tell me how to behave. Who do you think you are?" the Water Kylin sneered while demonstrating his unmatched speed and strength.


    He showed it in the form of the strong momentum that was derived from a sense of superiority of the real legendary beast. When faced with the impure descendants of the legendary beasts, it became particularly strong. Such a sense of superiority would naturally reveal the true strength that was hidden underneath the surface.


    Meanwhile, the humans who were listening to their exchange came to the realization that the Water Kylin had come here to help them. However, that made no sense. They looked at each other with confused expressions, not understanding why the Water Kylin would come to their aid.


    "My lord, may I ask why you came to help us?"


    a three-star grand warrior asked as politely as he could. To show his respect, he even saluted the Water Kylin. This was not done because he thought that the status of the Water Kylin was beyond theirs, but rather to follow common etiquette for polite and respectful behavior. After all, the Water Kylin was still a beast and for that reason not above them in status.


    "I come here at my master''s command. So, save your lecture. Even if my master didn''t ask me to do that, I would still come and teach a lesson to the subspecific descendant," the Water Kylin replied coldly, still staring at the grand demonic monster.


    "Roar!"


    the subspecific descendant of a winged-tiger suddenly roared loudly, the sound waves making everything around the monster shake. His evil aura, changing its form as if it was a weapon, suddenly surged high into the sky. It was apparent that he was truly enraged.


    "You bastard, don''t get carried away by your sense of superiority just because of your pure bloodline. I will kill you, you hired thug. You will find out what real power is!" the winged-tiger bellowed as he was ready to launch his attacks. Thorns appeared on his paws, reflecting light and glittering due to their composition of ice light.


    "My lord, it all depends on you," another three-star grand warrior said while saluting the Water Kylin, right before the battle was


    re on more even ground, the winged-tiger and the Water Kylin started fighting each other in a fierce and violent way.


    With a fight this powerful going on, though the space they were in was stable, tiny cracks started to appear.


    Since the fight had been upgraded between the two legendary beasts, nobody could match them anymore. Both had the power of a four-star grand warrior, so the other grand warriors could not afford to intervene. They stood no chance. However, what they could do was to watch intently and find the winged-tiger''s flaws. Upon finding them, they could attack him with the intention of disturbing and irritating him.


    The intense fight kept going for a long time with neither one showing signs of slowing down. Almost eight hours had already passed. Now, the Water Kylin had been injured, and the winged-tiger wasn''t faring much better, clearly bruised and bleeding as well. However, the wounds of the winged-tiger seemed to be less severe than the Water Kylin''s.


    "Damn it. If the fight continues, I''m afraid we will lose," Timothy cursed, the worry he felt clearly etched on his face. He knew the situation was bad for them.


    "Relax. The great beauty Hailey is still waiting over there, after all this time," Abelard assured his friend in a confident voice.


    However, Darren didn''t say a word. He figured that even Hailey couldn''t be able to turn the tables. If the fight went on like this, it would be easier for the winged-tiger to attack and kill one of those grand warriors.


    "They will certainly suffer a crushing defeat unless they use the Sky Piercing Array," Darren said anxiously, his cool mask slipping.


    "Young man, I don''t think so. If the woman joins the fight, the winged-tiger will fail." Suddenly a towering voice boomed behind them.


    Hearing the voice, Darren, Timothy and Abelard all broke out in a cold sweat that raised goosebumps on their backs. Their hearts started racing. Slowly, they turned around.


    Standing there was a handsome young man in his twenties, with a light smile gracing his lips. He looked at the three friends with mild curiosity.


    Even though the smile looked kind and inviting, a terrible sense of foreboding loomed over them, making their hearts feel heavy.

 Chapter 418 The Frantic State

    "Who the hell are you?" Darren instinctively shouted without a second thought, his tone hostile.


    "Don''t get your panties in a twist. Let''s just watch what happens next." The handsome young man let out an amused laugh, avoiding answering Darren''s question.


    "We''re not in the mood for that. Either you leave, or we''ll go." Timothy was in a confrontational mood as well. Although he did not feel any dangerous aura from the young man, he was still wary of him, as any person in their right mind would be when a stranger appeared in front of them all of a sudden.


    "All right, all right. I can tell that I''m not welcome here. I will go. Goodbye." The young man was not the least bit ruffled by the other two young men''s attitudes¡ªhe was at ease and a smile was still on his face. He waved his hand at them and slowly walked away.


    However, he didn''t get too far before he stopped and continued to watch the battle in the sky, standing about a dozen feet away from Darren.


    Darren and the two others stared at the young man, left speechless by what he did.


    "Forget about him. Let''s just focus on the fight for now," Abelard said, waving his hand dismissively.


    The fight in the sky was starting to get into a more violent state¡ªseveral three-star grand warriors had already been badly wounded.


    The winged-tiger had already lost some of his strength as well, but he was still able to easily chase after grand warriors and incapacitate them.


    There was a loud rumble as an explosion violently hit the winged-tiger.


    Right when he was chasing after a grand warrior, Hailey struck out and used her purple internal force to send an attack towards his direction.


    Hailey''s purple internal force was unquestionably powerful that the winged-tiger could not resist even if he wanted to. The purple internal force clobbered his whole body, leaving him extremely wounded.


    However, as impressive as the attack was, the winged-tiger''s wounds healed quickly. After only a few seconds, the majority of the wounds on his body were already healed. He then immediately charged at Hailey with all his might at a frightening speed.


    "Stop right there, you beast!" The Water Kylin chased after the winged-tiger, descending on him at an equally fast rate and blocking his way like a huge black mountain.


    The two beasts engaged in a vicious fight once again. The grand warriors took no time to extend their help towards the Water Kylin, all using their strongest skill to aid him.


    A sword made out of runes also appeared¡ªit was another rule attack from Hailey.


    "Ha! Do you really think that''s going to hurt me?" The winged-tiger sneered as he then opened his huge blood red mouth and gulped down the sword made of runes.


    "Everyone, attack the beast with all your might!" Hailey urged at the others immediately after her attack, shouting at them in a desperately loud voice.


    The rest of the martial artists did not really fully understand the situation, but they had a feeling that it might be the chance to kill the beast.


    Hailey then waved her hands, m


    her face immediately changed.


    "Get back, you fool!" Her voice shook in a mixture of worry and anger.


    However, much to her disappointment, Darren took no notice of what she said¡ªhe still continued to charge at the two figures fighting despite the caution.


    "Don''t come here, master!" the water Kylin shouted in a hasty attempt to stop his master from approaching his own doom. He slightly moved away to keep the winged-tiger''s claw away from his heart.


    Darren didn''t seem to hear the Water Kylin''s warning. He just kept launching his dark gold internal force towards the winged-tiger.


    Darren''s strong power exploded on the winged-tiger''s body, but it still was not enough to kill him. The winged-tiger turned his head around to face Darren and roared angrily. His voice alone made Darren feel like he was about to be torn apart.


    "Ancient Void Battlefield, open for me!"


    From observing the fight, Darren was aware that his power would not be able to hurt the winged-tiger at all. He only used his internal force to attract his attention in order to stop him from killing the Water Kylin anytime soon.


    Under Darren''s force of control, the Ancient Void Battlefield opened in the blink of an eye. The strong suction immediately dragged the Water Kylin inside along with the winged-tiger.


    "Kill the winged-tiger immediately, Finley!" Darren used his spiritual sense to send a message to Finley.


    "Of course. Don''t worry about the Water Kylin. I''ll keep him safe," Finley responded.


    Darren was confident in Finley''s strength. He finally let out a small sigh of relief. With Finley''s help, he was slightly assured.


    Although Darren knew that Finley had the strength to kill the winged-tiger in the frantic state on his own, he still wanted to witness it with his own eyes. However, when he tried to enter into the Ancient Void Battlefield, a frightening feeling washed over him.


    "What happened? Why did I lose connection with the Ancient Void Battlefield? " Darren mumbled, his brows furrowed in shock and confusion.

 Chapter 419 Cain Is Here (Part One)

    All of a sudden, Darren lost control of the Ancient Void Battlefield. There was no way of getting access to it anymore, as he couldn''t even feel the existence of the Ancient Void Battlefield anymore, let alone get to it.


    He was floating in the sky with dazed eyes reflecting the bewilderment he felt. He still hadn''t fully registered what the hell just happened. Meanwhile, the other human grand warriors flew over to stand beside him.


    "Young man, was it a small space that you used just now?" one of the three-star grand warriors asked him in an impressed tone.


    "Oh, it''s you! What a nice coincidence!" Before Darren could process what was happening, much less give a reply, one middle-aged man interrupted them. He wiped away the blood and shook off the dust that had settled on his body, and then flew even closer to Darren. He leaned in, bringing their faces in closer proximity.


    "And you are?" Darren asked.


    "I am the sect master of the Violet Phoenix Sect, Jacob. You haven''t met me before, but I have seen your performance that day when you were in the competition," the middle-aged man dressed in white answered with a smile on his face. His voice was gentle and soothing.


    "Oh, nice to meet you, sir," Darren greeted him, cupping his hands while lightly bowing to him out of respect.


    "Nice to meet you, too, young man." Jacob nodded his head, then added, "I can''t believe you are this talented and powerful at such a young age! You even thought of a way to fight the winged-tiger in his frantic state. We are quite lucky to have you on our side."


    "Thank you, sir. I appreciate that." Darren just smiled at Jacob in a polite way.


    "You''re simply lucky to still be alive. If the winged-tiger hadn''t been so fully focused on killing the Water Kylin, you wouldn''t have stood the slightest chance to open the small space at


    ding some distance away from them.


    Noticing that Darren was staring at him, the young man winked in a mischievous way. He was smiling, but the smile seemed laden with hidden meaning. Darren couldn''t help but immediately feel suspicious.


    "Was it you?" Darren demanded an answer, never one to beat around the bush. His tone was cold as ice.


    "Shush!" The handsome young man lifted his hand and pressed a finger to his lips, a clear gesture for Darren to keep quiet. Then he walked over to them and said in a quiet voice, "The show is still on. Don''t alarm the prey."


    After hearing this, everyone was instantly alert. How could the three of them not feel like something was terribly wrong now? They immediately let out their auras at the same time, and were about to attack the young man standing in front of them.


    "Tut, tut! I told you to be quiet. Don''t make me do it. Look, the best part is yet to come. Be good and don''t distract me, okay?" he told them while raising one of his hands. In the blink of an eye, Darren, Timothy and Abelard were restricted by a Shackle Rune. All of the strength they had was sucked out of their bodies and vanished completely. They didn''t even have enough strength left to cry for help.

 Chapter 420 Cain Is Here (Part Two)

    The slightly worried and confused expressions on their faces immediately gave way to shock and anger. They finally realized that the handsome young man was extremely powerful. As it was, they didn''t even stand a chance against him.


    "You are Cain!" It took all of Darren''s strength to just be able to utter these three little words. However, the intensity of his stare made up for the lack of physical strength.


    "Well, aren''t you a clever one?"


    "Is it you who cut off my connection with the Ancient Void Battlefield?" Darren asked, and now he was able to summon his strength better. But he was almost certain what the answer would be anyway.


    "Of course it is me! Who else would have the power to do so except me?"


    Darren fell silent after hearing his answer. It seemed that Cain wasn''t just a simple five-star grand demonic monster. He could even use the power of a rule cultivator! Not only that, he was very good at it as well.


    "You petty humans! I am here! Didn''t you say that you wanted to have a fight with me? Okay! Let''s fight!"


    Right at that moment, a figure appeared in the sky. He floated in front of the human grand warriors and began to shout some audacious words at them.


    A feeling of dread washed over Darren. With difficulty, he raised his head to look up at the sky. He found that there was a man who looked just like the young man in front of him. The only difference was that the man in the sky looked older.


    "Grand demonic monster Cain, you finally came for your own death!" one of the three-star grand warriors shouted.


    ''No! He''s not Cain! Run!'' Darren had a really bad feeling about this. He wanted to warn the martial artists so badly.


    But without his strength, he just could


    .


    "What?" Cain turned to stare at him, face stone cold.


    "Am I wrong? You are a coward for getting an avatar to make the grand warriors use the Sky Piercing Array instead of fighting yourself! You are afraid to die, weakling! I bet you won''t dare to fight with the human martial artists yourself, right? A beast is a beast. And you will always be a filthy beast," Abelard sneered, disdain evident in his eyes and dripping heavily from his every word. He stared back at Cain with courage. So immense was his fury that he didn''t even consider what his words could cause, how they could put him into even more danger. He was far beyond caring at this point.


    "Ha-ha! I know you are only saying this to get me angry and irritated. Well, I have to say, you succeeded. I hate people when they start ranting about something they don''t even have the right to judge. So, you will have to die first!" Cain was indeed irritated by Abelard''s words. However, he tried to swallow down the anger he felt so that he didn''t lose his cool. Calmly, he raised one hand into the air and it transformed into a white claw. He aimed it straight at Abelard''s throat.

 Chapter 421 Sending A Message

    "Wait!" Darren used all of his strength to call out. Then he added, "Mr. Cain, there is no use in you killing him. Besides, you will attract trouble if you do so!"


    "Oh?" As Cain was intrigued by Darren''s words, he stopped his attack on Abelard halfway.


    Meanwhile, fright made Abelard''s heart beat faster in his chest. He could swear that he smelled death just now. He also saw his life flashing in front of his eyes in that second. He had been so close to the end of his life. He had wanted to anger Cain to force him to leave them and join the fight in the sky. But he hadn''t expected that Cain would want to kill him on sight. Abelard couldn''t help but feel frightened for his life.


    "Well, what are you waiting for? Tell me. What trouble am I getting myself into?" Cain asked as he glared at Darren.


    "If I sensed correctly, you won''t have the strength to surpass a five-star grand warrior even after using all these dead bodies to cultivate. If you kill Abelard, six-star grand warriors will come for you. Even if you find a way to hide from them, you will still be doomed. Why don''t you save yourself the predicament by letting us live?" Darren tried to stall for time by making up an excuse.


    "Tut, tut! Six-star grand warriors. That''s quite worrying. Even if six-star grand warriors come to avenge the death of this filthy little bastard, how will they know that I murdered him? They won''t find out because dead men don''t speak, for God''s sake! Do you really think that you can trick me into believing you? Were you so confident that I wouldn''t notice the imprint planted on him? You are also a filthy human, full of lies. I am sick of you humans."


    Darren''s expression hardened when he heard Cain. He then said calmly, "Well, if you don''t believe me, Mr. Cain, you can kill us all. I will presume that you are not afraid of six-star grand warriors because of your strong power."


    "Ha-ha! You want me to kill you? No, I won''t! But, remember that I didn''t kill you three only because you called me Mr. Cain, not because of your lies. I will let you live for now. After I successfully practice my special skill, I will find you and kill you!"


    Grand demonic monster Cain was at least a five-star grand demonic monster. It was easy for him to kill the human martial artists levitating in the sky as they were only three-star grand warriors. And yet, he didn''t fight them in person. Instead, he tricked them into using their strongest skill by sending his avatar. Darren could tell that he was a very cautious and prudent demonic monster. And that was the only reason why Darren''


    hting with Cain''s avatar.


    As the fight between the three-star grand warriors and a five-star grand demonic monster increased in intensity, the ground started to shake.


    "Devastation Skill!"


    The twenty grand warriors used their strongest skill in unison.


    More than a hundred thousand shadows of palm, sword, blade, and fist were aimed at Cain''s avatar. What a powerful strike!


    The blow was so strong that it tore open a few cracks in the thin air, exposing frightening darkness.


    "Roar!"


    Cain''s avatar bellowed as he transformed into a huge dark green monster after sensing the power that the grand warriors had unleashed.


    "He is an Invisible Panther!"


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat when he saw the dark green figure. Although Cain restricted Timothy, Abelard, and Darren, they could observe the fight from this distance.


    ''No wonder he can use the skills of a rule cultivator. He even cut off my connection with the Ancient Void Battlefield.''


    After witnessing how the Water Kylin had been stranded by the Invisible Panthers the last time, Darren was aware that they were not only good at hiding, but they were also masters of restriction skills. It wouldn''t surprise Darren if Cain could use even more powerful skills, for he was truly a strong demonic monster.


    "Oh, they are fucked," Darren couldn''t help but mumble when he learned of Cain''s true identity. He was worried for the martial artists because he was aware that they could never win against an Invisible Panther.


    And just as Darren expected, when the grand warriors launched their strongest skill at Cain''s avatar, the avatar disappeared into thin air. No trace or smell of him could be detected. It was as if he had never existed.

 Chapter 422 The Purgatorial Tripod

    The group of human warriors suddenly fell ill at ease as they suddenly felt Cain''s existence disappear. All of them were incredibly on edge.


    "Ha-ha, what a bunch of total pathetic nonentities! You cannot even defeat my avatar, how can you dream about triumphing over me in the flesh?" Cain snickered, boasting at the human warriors.


    The real body of Cain flew and landed in front of the group of grand warriors.


    "Your... avatar?" one of the warriors asked, his whole body trembling in fear. Several agitated murmurs grew among the other grand warriors as they started to panic.


    Boom!


    Out of blue, the twenty grand warriors spewed out blood all over the place. It seemed like they had been attacked by a force too quick that it could not be seen by the naked eye.


    "But no matter, I will grant you all the honor to be killed by me." Cain let out a sigh. He was the one responsible for the attack on the grand warriors. A dozen shadows of an Invisible Panther then gradually emerged and rushed back into Cain''s body.


    Cain strolled leisurely in the air, looking perfectly carefree as he approached the injured grand warriors. With a wave of his hand, the fruit of the warriors'' painstaking work¡ªthe Sky Piercing Array¡ªshattered and vanished into thin air while the pitiful warriors were struck back by a great force.


    "Oh no, you''re the real Cain!"


    "You son of a bitch!"


    The warriors wanted to escape but were unable to find any way out. They were sealed inside an invisible wall like insects trapped inside a glass jar.


    "Oh, so now you understand." Cain gave them a sinister smile. "But it''s too late to escape."


    His demon-like pupils turned fiery red like the beams of a setting sun.


    He reached out in front of him and grabbed a three-star grand warrior by the waist. The man started to panic, eyes widening in fear, unable to move.


    "I have been told that the heart of freshly killed human is a real delicacy. How about I eat yours so I can taste it for myself?" Cain plainly said, poking his finger through the poor grand warrior''s chest.


    "You must stop this, Cain!" a lady''s voice called out from afar.


    Her tone had an air of coldness and dignity


    "Who is speaking? Show yourself!" demanded Cain.


    He swiftly turned around and saw a woman whose beauty was comparable to that of Helen of Troy''s¡ªit was none other than Hailey.


    Three more figures soon arrived at the scene¡ªthey were Darren and the other two.


    "Well, well, look who''s here. It looks like someone had broken my spell. So now what? Four more fresh hearts for my dinner? Wow, I''d like that." Cain peaked out his pointy tongue to lick at his lips.


    He immediately threw away the three-star grand warrior that he was holding, who now seemed unappetizing compared to the newcomers.


    "We can talk if you let them go," Hailey unflinchingly said, as stern as always.


    "Ha-ha, hilarious!"


    Cain burst out laughing.


    "Ugh,


    that someone must be Hailey¡ªthe only person at the scene who was capable of destroying the tripod.


    Timothy and Abelard chose to stick around for a good reason. They had already sent a message to ask for help. If they fled before the rescue was able to come, the group of powerful warriors would never lay a finger on Cain. There were rules in the Bottom Spiritual World¡ªa grand warrior above three-star attacking anyone for no good reason, even if the victim was a demonic monster, was a punishable act. Their masters wouldn''t take a risk of punishment just to save Darren or Hailey. Therefore, Timothy and Abelard chose to stay to make sure that Cain got what he deserved.


    It was the only way they could think of to help everyone, including Hailey and Darren.


    "Just go!" Hailey firmly shouted. She then immediately blew the three men away from her. It was only Hailey, Cain, and the tripod left now.


    "Thank you, woman. Thank you for being so considerate and noble. How else would I have had my Purgatorial Tripod back?" Cain howled with laughter, voice looming behind Hailey. "What?" Hailey''s face furrowed into a scowl.


    She whipped around and there it was, the tripod on Cain''s palm.


    "Watch out!" Darren shouted from afar. Hailey looked at her empty palm, her face turned as white as a sheet.


    While the four of them were still in shock, a ghostly green shadow appeared next to Cain¡ªit was his avatar. The beast took away the tripod when Hailey was distracted by the argument between Darren and the other two.


    If she had not blown Darren and the other two away, she would have possibly detected the approaching avatar. Hailey suddenly regretted doing so, but there was nothing left to be done about it.


    Losing the tripod, now they were back to square one.


    "Oh, you pitiful, weak nonentities. Let me do you a favor and end your pathetic life!" Cain roared. Fiery red veins crawled on his once good looking face, shattering it.

 Chapter 423 Thrown Into The Purgatorial Tripod (Part One)

    The moment they saw that Cain was trembling in fury with his brows creased in a tight furrow, an intense sense of intimidation crept upon each one of them, resulting from the frightening aura. The outrage of Cain''s vexation heightened, especially now that he was furious. Darren and the rest of the warriors were all pale in the face. It was as if they were about to be crushed to pieces under such horrifying aura.


    Cain''s show of power right now was the showcase of the real strength of a five-star grand demonic monster. Even Finley was severely injured when he faced a five-star grand warrior before. Right now, faced with the same situation, how could they resist an attack from Cain?


    Cain transformed back into his true form¡ªa huge Invisible Panther. He roared out loud in the sky, making the air around him shake violently and sent horrors of fear and chills of coercion to the four of them.


    "Roar!"


    With this frightening and reverberating growl, the Purgatorial Tripod in his hand floated in the air and started to spin non-stop.


    With the spinning of the tripod, a gloomy and dark aura with a putrid smell immediately dispersed throughout the place.


    As the Purgatorial Tripod kept on spinning, the countless dead bodies on the ground and their blood started to fly towards the tripod. It was as if the tripod was siphoning and gathering them all, sucking all that was left of the blood and severed body parts. The process painted the sky red and masked the air with a pungent smell of blood and pure evil.


    "The moment I successfully refine this purgatorial divine body, I will kill all of you, humans!"


    By that time, Cain finally revealed his true colors and showed them what he really wanted to do. All this time, he was planning to use the Purgatorial Tripod to refine the bodies and the blood. When all of these would be done according to his pleasure, he would have a divine body and would carry out his plan, which was to kill whomever he wanted.


    "Get in there!"


    With a bellowing c


    s withered and pulverized.


    Pain flashed through the older man''s eyes, but he quickly tamed and managed to hide it. Gathering up his strength, he focused his attention on his arm, and only after a short minute, his arm grew out again. Though he had regained his arm, he couldn''t hide his disappointment at all.


    "Let me have a try," the other influential martial artist said. He volunteered himself, sensing that the older man needed some time to regain his strength. Meanwhile, he used a pale gold force to form a big net, aiming at the Purgatorial Tripod.


    Yet, by now, the tripod had absorbed so many dead bodies and much blood. It was as if it had formed a mind of its own. The Purgatorial Tripod wouldn''t let anything near it. The pale gold net quickly broke and disappeared into thin air after it was thrown out.


    "It seems that I can''t fulfill the Shaoyan Clan''s task anymore," the man mumbled to himself, a stern look on his face. He couldn''t believe that his plan didn''t work for the Purgatorial Tripod. That was what he could think as the best approach, yet it failed. Such an embarrassment for him.


    The two compelling martial artists were both dismayed as they weren''t able to save the ones they wanted to keep. Thus, with that thought in mind, they turned their angry eyes at Cain, who had been silently fumbling aside.

 Chapter 424 Thrown Into The Purgatorial Tripod (Part Two)

    As he sensed their malignant stares, however, Cain exposed his sharp teeth in a threatening way, eyes angry red.


    "You both have to die! No matter how powerful you are, you still can''t save them! Hahaha! You can only watch them die!" By that time, Cain was so angry that he even laughed out crazily. If only he were stalwart by that time, he could have blown out the two warrior''s heads.


    Slap!


    The older man slapped Cain in the face without a word. The slap was so powerful that it sent him flying in the air like a crumpled paper tossed in a trash bin.


    Yet it was not the end of Cain''s misery. As he was midair, the other martial artist quickly flew out and kicked him back.


    Hollering in pain, Cain didn''t even stand a chance facing the two influential martial artists. He wanted desperately to fight back, but the two warriors were so mighty that he just let them beat him all they wanted.


    If Darren were here, he would be utterly surprised because the lie he had made up to trick Cain indeed came true. Both of the martial artists that were kicking and slapping Cain back and forth were six-star grand warriors!


    "Hahaha!" Lunatic as he was, Cain laughed out loud though he was vomiting blood. The look on his face was frightening. "Kill me! Both of you kill me if you have the guts! Ha! You won''t dare kill me, would you?"


    In his mind, Cain knew very well that there was a rule in the Bottom Spiritual World. Anyone that was over three-star could never kill in the Bottom Spiritual World, human or not. That was the only reason why he still provoked them amidst the beatings that he received from the two warriors. He was confident that they would not dare to kill him.


    But why was Cain, a five-star grand demonic monster, able to be in the Bottom Spiritual World?


    Maybe it was because he was born at the Bottom Spiritual World a long time ago. As long as he didn''t go


    erful older man let him get away? He was just too overpowering, and Cain''s power and skills were by far so inferior compared to him. Right when Cain got himself above the Purgatorial Tripod, the older man''s hand touched his head and smashed it in the blink of an eye.


    His immense lifeless body fell limply in the Purgatorial Tripod, disappearing in the darkness.


    Cain was killed right there and then. Silence enveloped the entire place, and the two warriors faced each other with glum satisfaction in their faces.


    Moments later, the law enforcer invited by the Shaoyan Clan quickly left, while the older man was still by the Purgatorial Tripod. His eyes were filled with pain and regret. He really wanted to see his disciple out of the big tripod, safe and unharmed. But he knew that this was impossible.


    Meanwhile, in the Purgatorial Tripod, Darren felt terribly uneasy as there seemed to be countless pairs of eyes staring at him in the cold darkness. The chill that crept through his bones combined with the pungent smell of dead bodies and blood haunted him, making him feel vulnerable. He was very helpless, and his eyes searched through the darkness as he didn''t know what to do. That was the first time in his life that Darren felt discouraged.

 Chapter 425 The Fall

    It felt as though time had stopped in this space. In his current state, Darren could only feel strands of warmth next to him while the rest was ice cold.


    "Hey, are you okay?"


    From somewhere in the darkness, a hand reached forward and grabbed Darren''s arm.


    Darren shivered when he felt how cold the hand was. Without looking, he knew that the hand belonged to the beautiful girl with a pale face. As for his two companions, Timothy and Abelard, they had fainted earlier. They had been unconscious ever since.


    "I am fine," Darren answered softly. He felt quite frail at the moment.


    "I never thought that we would die together so soon." Hailey''s voice was filled with bitterness and frustration.


    Darren''s heart twitched when he heard Hailey. After a brief pause, he said, "Every time we meet, you speak of fate and inevitability. Why is that? And what do you mean by saying that we would die together so soon? You sounded like we would die together sooner or later."


    "Are you sure that you want to know?"


    "Yes, I want to know. Please do enlighten me."


    There was nothing but dead silence as Darren''s voice faded. Hailey''s and Darren''s breaths were the only audible sounds.


    "It is so cold," Hailey said after a while.


    "Tell me why. I need to know." Darren pushed with the hope that Hailey would give him a straight answer.


    "Have you seen the well?" Hailey did not answer his question. On the contrary, she asked Darren a question.


    "Well? What well?"


    "The well where you can see the future. Elsa must have seen it." Hailey''s voice was getting weaker and shakier because of the low temperature.


    "Elsa has seen it? Hold on a second! What are you talking about?" Darren grew even more curious when Hailey mentioned Elsa.


    "I don''t know what she saw. I only saw yours and my future. I even saw what would happen to the people in this world. I cannot share how it ends because everything will change if I tell you."


    "Suit yourself." Darren''s response was curt. After a brief hesitation, he continued, "We are dying now. Do you think that talking about fate will change anything? If not, then what is the point?"


    His rationale helped persuade Hailey.


    It suddenly struck her that Darren might actually be right. Her master had once said that the end could only be seen under the perfect circumstances. If anything happened before, then the end would be reset, and everything else would become meaningless.


    "I can only tell you one thing. Demons from outer space will return and the world as we know it will be on the verge of destruction," Hailey said after a few moments of contemplation.


    Darren''s heart twitched again at this new piece of information. He recalled the mural that he had seen at the forbidden area, which depicted an epic story about atonement, where numerous heroes stood up and fought for the protection of ordinary people.


    And what made everything worse was the fact that the demons had not been eliminated yet. They had simply been sealed


    ard woke, one by one. They moaned as they were still quite disorientated. Hailey, who had only been dizzy, was now alert.


    "Holy shit!"


    Abelard noticed the revenants and jumped out of fear.


    "Do not move! Stay close to me so that I can protect you!" Abelard nearly broke away from Darren''s protective circle with the sudden movement. If it hadn''t been for Darren quickly grabbing him, Abelard would have left the protection circle of the runes on Darren. Then, the revenants would have consumed him within seconds.


    "Darren, are we in that big tripod?" Timothy, who was a little bit calmer than Abelard, asked in a flat tone.


    "Yes, we are. I still do not know how this will end, but if we stick together, they will not be able to harm us. The protection of the runes should buy us some time to figure out a way to escape!"


    "The runes on your armor look unique. I have never felt such a powerful and special rune before. Not once." Hailey had been the first to sense the presence of the revenants. She had been certain that the revenants would kill them all. To her surprise, they were still alive. Given her deep understanding of rule cultivation, Hailey was also the first to notice that it was the runic power of the black armor on Darren that had repulsed the revenants.


    She was pleasantly surprised, and, at the same time, harbored an instinctive fear of the black armor as only she could fully appreciate its true strength.


    The four friends were still falling through the darkness as if there were no bottom to the tripod. They gathered around Darren and tried not to move for fear of being pulled out of the safe zone. However, at this moment, Darren suddenly felt anxiety course through him. At first, he could not pinpoint the reason, but he knew that something was off.


    A few moments later, he realized that the turmoil he felt was coming from the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "This does not feel good. Could it be from that weird kid?" Darren''s heart sank at the thought.

 Chapter 426 Aaron Is Out (Part One)

    Odd, creepy, and unusual, these were the sensation that Darren felt in the Ancient Void Battlefield. A tinge of suspicious intuition was telling him the cold, scary feeling was from the strange little boy.


    "How is that little boy, Finley?" questioned Darren with his brows raised. He sent a message to Finley with his spiritual sense.


    "He looked rather irritable these past few days. It was as if he had sensed something from the outside, and that was bothering him day and night," Finley replied gravely. He, too, sensed the little boy''s strange behavior but didn''t delve in much more thoroughly.


    At that point of Darren and Finley''s conversation, the boy climbed out of the cave where he stayed. Turning his head sideways, he cast his eerie, spooky gaze into the sky as if to penetrate through the boundaries of the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "Kill!"


    The boy''s deep, icy voice echoed across the Ancient Void Battlefield. At the same time, plenty of black runes lit up all over his body, cracking the ground with their violent force. Tremendous energy radiated out from the boy''s body and dispersed throughout the entire Ancient Void Battlefield.


    Darren could sense the quake and the potent energy from the Ancient Void Battlefield. If the boy continued doing the destruction, the whole Ancient Void Battlefield would be shattered completely.


    By this time, Darren''s cultivation base level was not that high, and his force of control was not that strong yet. Thus, it followed that the stability of the Ancient Void Battlefield was not that transcendent and could be compromised any time soon.


    "Do you need me to stop him?" Finley said in an indifferent voice, sounding already a little similar to the Shadow Emperor. A trace of worry was evident in his voice.


    "No, I don''t think there is a need for that," Darren replied after thinking for a short while, as he knew that even if it was the Shadow Emperor who fought against the boy, he was not sure if the Shadow Emperor could suppress the little boy''s power right now.


    s, they just watched the boy do whatever he fancied doing and did nothing about it.


    Inside the Purgatorial Tripod, there were a high number of resentful revenants. Even though the boy was mighty, he wasn''t able to kill all the revenants after a long while.


    However, on one end, Darren hoped that the resentful revenants here were endless. He feared that the moment the little boy killed all the revenants, it would be their turn to be killed. He didn''t want that to happen as much as possible. Yet, all they could do right now was hope that the revenants would never run out.


    "Um? Look! Over there, there is a faint light!"


    After a long time, the corners of Darren''s eyes caught a glimpse of a red glow below. Although it was quite far away, the queer light was evident in the darkness.


    "Great, I hope that light would end our troubles," Abelard shouted joyfully.


    "It is still not certain whether that light will do us good or not. Who knows where that will lead us?" said Timothy in contrast to Abelard''s rejoicing.


    Following Darren''s orders, they continued falling for a while with the red light as their guide. As they gradually neared, the red light progressively brightened up. Darren and the rest of the group also felt the sudden rise in temperature. The warmth crept through their bones, easing the grave coldness they felt earlier.

 Chapter 427 Aaron Is Out (Part Two)

    "Here he comes." As the red light grew brighter and they fell closer and closer towards it, Hailey blubbered with a trembling voice.


    Hearing her erratic voice, Darren and the rest of the group turned their faces back at Hailey and saw a black ray of light quickly fly over before halting at less than a thousand feet from them. They couldn''t believe their eyes. All of them were confused as to what the black ray of light was.


    To their amazement, it was the little boy. He stood there with his completely dark eyes fixed on them. There was something odd about how he stared at them with his black eyes. The dark aura that he had was also eerie as if it was one of the most mysterious places in the world. The way he flexed his shoulders and clenched his fists made the group realized that he was ready to swallow them up at any time. The fright made their hairs stand on ends.


    "How are you doing, brother?"


    The little boy grinned mischievously, just like the Cheshire cat, which gave them a creepy feeling. Worst was, his voice sounded like a ghastly ghoul, creepy yet annihilating.


    Like a block of ice broke from being frozen, Darren suddenly transpired in a cold sweat and said gingerly, "I saved you before, don''t you remember? Could you please spare us for now? Leave us alone and let us live."


    "Yes, you saved me, brother. That is the reason why I always wanted to repay you," the boy replied calmly.


    "Mr. Little Boy, how about you stay away from Darren? That would be enough to repay him," suggested Abelard with a hesitant and quivering voice. He was trying very hard to ensconce the trembling of his knees, yet his voice betrayed him.


    "Poof!"


    Hearing the words "Mr. Little Boy," Darren and Timothy could not help but give a little giggle amidst the heavily tensed atmosphere. It seemed that Abelard was somewhat frightened, too, so he had no idea about the words that came out of his mouth.


    As the little boy heard A


    r Darren, the moment he sensed that the three people beside him could no longer stand the heat, he tried to mobilize the flame intent to surround them. He did that with the hope that it would somehow relieve and help them resist the unbearably hot furnace.


    "Hmm, I feel much better now. What is going on?" questioned Timothy, feeling a little relieved and cooled by now.


    "Oh, I see! It is the flame intent in your body. That is protecting us. Am I right, Darren?" asked Abelard.


    Right at the same time, Timothy and Abelard looked at Darren in surprise. The fact that Darren was able to acquire and cultivate the flame intent right now shocked them.


    "Thank you!" wiping the sweat off her forehead, Hailey said, nodding at Darren. She was grateful to the warrior for helping them bear with the scalding heat.


    "That is good news for me if the flame intent works," with a sad smile on his face, Darren responded softly. Then, with a forlorn look, he cast his eyes to the distance.


    While everyone was silent, as they were thinking of ways on how to escape the fervid torture, the little boy fell to the dancing flames. His descent was so fast that they noticed that he was not paying any attention to Darren any more. Yet, his dark, maleficent eyes were fixed in a particular direction.

 Chapter 428 Exploring

    Darren, Abelard, Timothy, and Hailey hovered in the air, observing the space. There was boundless boiling hot magma as far as their eyes could see.


    "It''s so horrible in here!" Abelard exclaimed, eyebrows furrowed in displeasure.


    "There''s magma everywhere. Without Darren''s protection, we no doubt would have been burned to ashes," Timothy muttered as he stared at the boundless fire. He held a deep gratitude towards Darren. It would be horrible to be burned alive. Anyone would be horrified to die in that way.


    "It''s not magma. It''s a kind of soul refining skill," Hailey said after a careful observation.


    Abelard squinted his eyes and surveyed the magma below them. "Oh, yeah... You''re right. It''s not magma. Look at that! Some sort of strange runes flash after the bodies of revenants fall into it," he said, pointing down.


    "We don''t have time for that right now. We have other things to worry about at the moment, like finding a way to leave this place," Timothy chided, unamusedly waving his arm around for emphasis.


    A shrill scream was suddenly heard beside Darren.


    It was the kid named Aaron who was staring into the distance.


    Darren stared at Aaron in apprehension. He had already known what the kid was capable of and how much destruction he could cause.


    "What the hell is he doing?" Darren was on edge and his guard was up. He had no idea what Aaron was up to, but he knew better than to stick around and be caught up in whatever it was. He quickly flew away while protecting the others.


    There was a horrible crash.


    Aaron continued to stare unblinkingly into the distance, a dark intense gleam flickering in his eyes. Ghastly black runes appeared and dashed forward.


    The magma started to boil and then surged up, creating huge waves several thousands of feet high.


    The black runes that Aaron unleashed had formed itself into a black spear, repeatedly piercing into an unseen object.


    All of a sudden, a thick pillar made out of magma emerged from below and rose up into the sky. Soon afterwards, an enormous red hand drew close towards Aaron.


    A long ear-splitting howl from Aaron echoed out and


    black runes flooded out from his mouth.


    Darren just stood and watched the battle unfold. He had always thought that Aaron was essentially invincible for the most part, but in that moment, he sensed fear from the kid.


    Aaron sent continuous attacks, but the fiery red hand still drew closer and closer towards him, showing no signs of halting.


    Aaron howled ceaselessly causing the whole world to tremble.


    The enormous hand was eventually able to grab Aaron. It held him so tightly that he was unable to move and free himself.


    Everyone watched in horror as the scene unfolded.


    Darren had never seen a creature more powerful!


    "What on eart


    looked at Darren, waiting for a reply.


    Darren thought for a moment and then finally said, "In our current situation, there''s no other choice. We have to do as Miss Yao said. But, we have a problem. My flame intent won''t be able to keep all of you safe in the magma."


    "I see. If you dive into the magma, you have a chance to enter the underground world. If you take us with you, the chance is nearly zero,"


    Hailey sighed and squared up her shoulders. "I think it would be best if you leave alone. If you find the exit, you can survive."


    Timothy and Abelard looked at Darren and nodded in approval.


    "Darren, just go ahead and give it a try. We''re just going to have to stay here. It doesn''t really matter as long as you can make it out of here. We''ll just have to depend on our luck if we''ll survive or not." Timothy let out a lighthearted chuckle.


    "Yes, Darren. It''s a pleasure to have met you. I''ll die without a regret." Abelard beamed at him.


    "No. I can''t leave you here!" Darren pressed his lips together in frustration.


    "Even if I have the chance to escape from this place, I wouldn''t just leave my friends here waiting for their death. We will leave together, I''ll make sure of it!" he firmly said.


    "You''re a good friend. We''re very grateful for your kindness, but now''s not a good time to be considerate. If you don''t leave, you''ll die with us. Don''t be stupid."


    "Don''t say that. Now that we know that there''s a chance to leave, we can find a solution together. I can''t give up your chance to survive so willy-nilly." Darren''s mind was made up. It would be hard to ask him to change his decision.


    Darren''s persistence moved Timothy and Abelard. Hailey looked at Darren, smiling at him affectionately.


    There was a moment of silence and nobody talked for a while.


    "I have an idea!" Darren leapt up, eyes flashing in excitement.

 Chapter 429 No Path

    Everyone turned to Darren.


    "How thick is the magma layer?" Darren threw a questioning look at Hailey.


    "This magma has been derived from the soul refining skill, and it has evolved over a long period. Therefore, the magma layer is quite thick. I estimate it to be about eight kilometers deep," Hailey answered.


    "My flame intent could protect us for the first kilometer or so. Once we reach that depth, we could combine our powers to bombard a vacuum tunnel to reduce the distance. It is possible for us to get through the magma layer," Darren analyzed.


    As the suggestion made sense, the others agreed that this was the only way available for them now.


    "But we are not at our full strength. So it would be impossible for us to produce a seven-kilometer deep hole.


    Even if we can make that deep a tunnel, the magma would cover the gap quickly and there would be no time for us to leave."


    Timothy thought about Darren''s suggestion for a while before pointing out the flaws.


    "That is true." Hailey nodded in agreement.


    "Let me try something first." Abelard observed the magma for a while. Then, he took out his ax.


    "Killing ax! Cut the magma now!"


    Abelard adjusted the angle to yield his maximum power as he brandished the ax fiercely.


    Then, an ax shadow flew through the magma ocean.


    Bang!


    The magma exploded around the shadow of the ax. Hundreds of meters of rock waves erupted above the sea''s surface.


    Unfortunately, the attack was not powerful enough. Darren and the others were dissatisfied with the outcome as the hole made by the ax was only about two to three hundred meters deep.


    "Hoo." Abelard let out a relieved breath, but soon, he frowned at the sight. He said, "The magma is of high viscosity. I may only achieve a one-kilometer deep hole if I summon the soul of the ax."


    "I will probably get the same result if I use the Ancestor Sword Soul," Timothy said as he calculated in his mind.


    The two friends, Timothy and Abelard, were not weak. On the contrary, if they used their top-secret skills, they could kill a powerful two-star grand warrior. However, at this moment, they could only create a one-kilometer deep hole. Hopelessness coursed through Timothy and Abelard at the thought of how far they were from the underground world.


    And then, Darren and Hailey tried.


    Hailey only made a two-kilometer deep hole after employing all of her skills. Darren, meanwhile, didn''t even reach one-kilometer.


    Darren calculated the power of their attacks and found that if everyone combined their skills, they would only make a five-kilometer deep


    the others couldn''t hold back their astonishment anymore. When they heard that the Water Kylin had only reached 500 meters, they felt that the depth was unrealistic. They hadn''t thought that the legendary beast would lie to them. They had never expected that result, and now, they wondered whether he even reached 300 meters!


    "There must be something in the magma," Hailey said solemnly.


    "Darren, why don''t you try the flame intent? I think we underestimated the magma before," Hailey added.


    "That''s right. Don''t laugh at me, master. Try it yourself, and you''ll know that I''m not lying. But be careful. If you die, I will die, too," the Water Kylin said as he stepped aside.


    "Just shut up!" Darren muttered to Water Kylin before nodding at the others. Then he rushed into the magma.


    Buzz.


    A dull ringing sound filled Darren''s ears as the scorching magma encased him.


    In a flash, Darren activated the flame intent to resist the heat. As nothing adverse happened, Darren focused on diving deeper.


    But then Darren panicked when he sensed strange runes engulfing his flame intent. He could not resist the magma anymore.


    Whiz!


    Darren summoned all of his powers to fly out of the magma.


    Once he left the magma layer, he cried out in pain, as well. His skin had been burned so severely that it looked like charcoal.


    "Oww, that was so intense!" Darren stared at the magma sea in shock. "I could only dive fifty meters or so. If I hadn''t escaped quickly, I would have gotten scorched."


    Although the others were thankful that Darren got out safely, they were disappointed with the result, as well.


    Since Darren couldn''t get through the magma layer alone, they knew that their escape plan was worthless.

 Chapter 430 Blast Their Way Through The Magma

    Darren''s and the Water Kylin''s skin had burned completely. Without wasting time, they crossed their legs and sat in mid-air. Eyes closed in meditation, they began to heal themselves.


    Over the following three days, Hailey used her strength as a rule cultivator to help heal Darren and the Water Kylin. It was the only way to remove the heat toxins inside their bodies.


    "It seems that we must use the previous method," Darren said as soon as he woke from the state of restoring his energy.


    "Yes. With the Water Kylin''s aid, it is possible for us to reach a depth of seven or eight kilometers."


    There wasn''t any other solution except to blast their way through the magma layer.


    "Miss Yao, the magma layer varies in thickness in different areas. Can you find the thinnest place?" Timothy asked.


    "Over the past few days, I''ve checked the magma sea. There is a spot about ten kilometers from here to the east, where the thickness of the magma layer is about seven kilometers." Hailey knew that the other methods wouldn''t work, and so, she had begun to check while Darren and the Water Kylin were still healing.


    "Great! Let''s go." Darren nodded, and then they flew eastward while Darren protected the others with his flame intent. They were grateful for Darren''s flame intent because it safeguarded them as long as it was not damaged by the magma.


    After they arrived at the spot identified by Hailey, Darren and his friends prepared themselves.


    "We must hit the magma continuously and as quickly as possible so that the magma can''t gather immediately. Then, we will have a chance to fly through."


    "Yes. We need to attack the same spot accurately, one by one."


    "Well, let''s try it now," Darren said.


    Then, Darren mobilized his strongest skills to bombard the sea of magma below.


    Boom!


    A hole about a hundred meters in diameter opened in the magma sea. The gap, being wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, formed a funnel shape. But the depth of the hole was less than expected. Darren estimated that it was only about six-hundred meters deep.


    Abelard followed immediately after Darren had finished. But he didn''t summon his strongest ax skill during the experiment.


    Then, Timothy and Hailey attacked the magma in the hole as quickly as possible to prevent it from closing.


    "Humph, it''s my


    nse the movement of the magma.


    "Great. Come with me!" the Water Kylin said as he prepared to dash into the hole first.


    "No!" Hailey screamed to stop the Water Kylin. "The force of the soul refining at the bottom of the magma is very strong. You will melt in a split second if you go now."


    The Water Kylin stopped in his tracks. Instead of flying forward, he continued to bombard the magma with Darren.


    "It''s too late!"


    The magma was crashing down on them like monstrous billowing waves, dropping melted rock and metals onto their bodies.


    "Ah! Ah! Ah!"


    Now that they had made contact with the magma, Darren''s flame intent could no longer protect them. Abelard and Timothy cried out with pain. Meanwhile, Hailey had to use her abilities as a rule cultivator to support.


    "Oh! Oh! Oh! It hurts..." the Water Kylin screamed as the magma splashed on him.


    Darren grew flustered. Only about a hundred meters of the magma layer was left. However, the magma at the bottom was so terrible that Darren couldn''t hold on for a few more seconds.


    "Shit! Are we going to die?"


    Hopelessness coursed through everyone when they realized they were so close to death.


    "Open the Ancient Void Battlefield!"


    Darren roared. In a flash, an enormous force yanked everybody, except for Darren himself, directly into the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    After feeling a wave of dizziness, the three people and the Water Kylin entered the Ancient Void Battlefield. They began to worry about Darren who was still outside, being enveloped by the magma.

 Chapter 431 Darren Is Dead (Part One)

    In a split second, before Timothy, Abelard, Hailey, and the Water Kylin had enough time to react or protest, they were already spurred into the Ancient Void Battlefield. Darren had taken them all into the safe haven just in the nick of time, a few inches away from the hot magma.


    "We are safe now. Thanks to Darren for bringing us here. But what about him now?"


    "Yeah, if he is drowned in that hot magma, we are afraid that..."


    Timothy and Abelard stopped their words abruptly and looked very anxious. Hailey next to them was distraught too. Her mind was preoccupied with the thought whether Darren had survived or not. Yet, all of them knew they couldn''t do anything for Darren at that moment apart from praying silently for his safety.


    Even the Water Kylin, Darren''s beast slave, had a strange feeling in his heart, a feeling that he never experienced before. For his entire existence as a beast, nobody ever treated him like the way Darren did.


    Scenes of the past flashed his mind. When Landon, the double-headed man, was injured by him, and the law enforcer was about to kill the Water Kylin as well, Darren risked his life and persuaded the law enforcer to spare him. Also, when he was about to be killed by the winged-tiger, Darren opened the Ancient Void Battlefield by force despite the huge risk and saved him from the winged-tiger. Now, for the third time, the same thing happened once again¡ªDarren saved him at the most critical moment.


    Aside from all the rescuing and saving that Darren had done for the Water Kylin, what moved him most as a slave was Darren''s behavior towards him. Especially when Diana, the Holy Lord of the Lotus Holy Land, came to the Ancient Void Battlefield, Darren introduced the Water Kylin to Diana as his buddy¡ªnot his beast slave! Although the Water Kylin was always careless and disinterested, he actually kept all those things in mind and was very grateful to Darren. Now that Darren''s life was in danger, the worry that the Wat


    tears anymore.


    "Don''t hide like a little boy. I know what you are doing. If I didn''t learn how to remove the bond between you two from the defender of the tenth space of the Ancient Void Battlefield, I am sure that you will be dead too," Finley said in a sad tone, casting a saddened glance at the Water Kylin crying on the ground.


    Hearing that, the Water Kylin raised his head, looked at Finley with tears blurring his eyes, and said hesitantly, "You mean that master... is already...?" He didn''t dare to say the last word. It hurt him so much to accept such an ill fate for Darren¡ªhis master, his friend, his brother, all in one.


    Finley nodded silently, and he was held speechless. Yet, deep inside, he was devastated at the loss of such a good friend. With that, the aura he was exuding became stronger and colder, which was the aura of a Shadow Emperor. That was his outlet of showing his anger, the anger that he could no longer contain inside him.


    "Thirty years later, this little world without its master will collapse, and you all should make preparation for that," the Shadow Emperor said coldly. After saying those words, he turned and flew away. That left the wailing Water Kylin, Hailey, Abelard, and Timothy in deafening silence. This time the sorrow and misery seemed to press harder upon them.

 Chapter 432 Darren Is Dead (Part Two)

    They felt like thunder-struck, painful as if their hearts had been stabbed hard by sharp needles. The Shadow Emperor''s hidden message among those words was that Darren was dead already. They must learn to survive and live without him from that moment on.


    On the other end, outside the Ancient Void Battlefield, the surging and tumbling magma layer finally subsided, and a blackened body was quietly lying at the bottom of the magma layer.


    If only the blackened body could move only about two meters further, it would get out of the magma layer safely. Yet by the look of it, the body might have lost its strength during the last minute and had been entirely covered by the hot magma.


    "Roar!" A loud and furious roar could be heard from the place far away.


    At that very minute, streams of black runes immediately wrapped the blackened body, engulfing and covering the entity as if the flames were hungered to deluge the being.


    Out of nowhere, a little boy with tender and ferocious face showed up abruptly in front of the body, while his dark and deep eyes were staring at the body, and he looked outraged.


    After a few moments, the little boy''s arm, which was formed by the black runes, was fumbling something in the magma, not minding the heat. It was as if he was just playing with sand. Yet, on his face cast a look that was somewhat anxious and fretful.


    Bang!


    Misty fumes of smoke spiraled in the air. Soon enough, a colossal scarlet arm shuttled through the magma at a breakneck speed and appeared in front of the little boy. Apparently, the scarlet arm tried to stop the little boy from finding the thing he was looking for.


    It grabbed and dragged him swiftly away from the bubbling magma. In a flash, the little boy was being pulled away from the blackened bod


    nt, the transparent soul stepped towards the blackened body and finally dived in it.


    Time passed quickly, and as swift as the early morning dew faded as the sun shone up the sky, hours turned into days, days into weeks, and weeks into months. One month had gone by.


    The giant black palm, at that moment, managed to defeat the scarlet palm, and the destructive battle that lasted for a month finally began to subside.


    The battle had not impacted the place at the bottom of the magma layer where Aaron was staying. It had been protected by the black runes all the time. Meanwhile, a seed of life was sprouting there and would wake up at any moment.


    "Uh-huh,"


    someone yawned and stretched as if he just woke up from his sleep. Magically, Aaron had succeeded in rescuing the blackened body, which turned out to be Darren and gave him a second life.


    "Hum? Where am I now?" While stretching himself out, Darren looked around blankly and didn''t know what was going on or where he was in the first place.


    After a while, there was a throbbing pain in his head. Memories flashed back in his mind, and as the many visions surged, he remembered everything that had happened before.

 Chapter 433 Waiting and Returning (Part One)

    "Aaron, you just saved my life! I can''t believe it! I owe you a great deal!"


    Although Darren had indeed been dead early on, his soul was not completely shattered. So when he was brought back from the dead, he still knew about the events that had taken place during his death, which was how Darren knew that it was Aaron who just saved his life. The veil between life and death had become very transparent for him then.


    "Brother, glad to have you back with us! Welcome back!" Aaron gave out a hearty laughter, from the pit of his stomach to express his genuine happiness.


    "I see why you have been asking me to die. I know now that had you done so, I could be reborn much stronger and much more powerful. Why didn''t you explain it to me?" Darren finally understood the reason why Aaron had been on his case all this time. It was for Darren''s benefit so he could improve the strength of his body and soul. If only Darren had understood or known back then.


    Nonetheless, Darren checked his own body and found its strength was now at a very high level. It was so strong that he believed that he could take on a two-star grand warrior at the top level and survive his blast with nothing but his body. He was quite confident of his body''s strength and quite thrilled of the potential challenge.


    More importantly, Darren felt that his Spirit Power had never been this powerful before, and this was the sign that his soul had been elevated to a higher level.


    "Why didn''t you say so earlier? I thought that you meant to harm me! You have really got to be clear in your communications," Darren asked Aaron, with much gratitude in his voice, which was slightly shaky.


    "I am not good with words. So I thought that it would be best for me if I just showed you," Aaron answered, with a little bit of awkwardness in


    .


    Darren nodded slightly with relief as one month was much shorter than he had anticipated it would be. He could hardly wait.


    "The spiritual energy here was quite dense. Maybe I should stay here and improve my cultivation base for a month before I reach out to my friends and let them know that I am still alive."


    Darren had just realized that the density of the spiritual energy in this underground world was many times of that in the outside world. So this presented Darren with a perfect opportunity to increase the level of his cultivation base.


    With this thought in mind, Darren hunkered down and began to use his talent to absorb the spiritual energy in this world, and he also activated his assimilation skill to assimilate the cardiac core that he had kept in his Space Ring.


    A giant spiritual energy vortex began to gather above Darren''s head and then shot straight into his body. It was quite a phenomena.


    Darren''s talent degree was now at the fifth level of the Heaven Degree, plus the fact that he was assimilating spiritual energy at a very quick speed; his actual cultivation efficiency was tantamount to that of the ninth level of the Heaven Degree, something quite impressive.

 Chapter 434 Waiting and Returning (Part Two)

    Seeing that Darren hunkered down for practice, Aaron immediately stood guard for him quietly by his side, keeping a vigilant lookout for anyone who might come and disturb Darren.


    One month quickly passed by, and Darren came to from his immersion in the cultivation. He had acquired significant experience.


    "I am at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm now," Darren mumbled to himself after gauging his current strength. He was not quite satisfied with the progress that he had made. He still felt it to be a little bit slow. He was a perfectionist after all.


    It was quite understandable given the fact that he had taken in a lot of ancient spiritual energy that was of higher quality than that of the current spiritual energy from the outside world. However he did not make much progress, not even to the top level of the middle stage of the Wonder Realm, and that frustrated him.


    "Brother, what''s wrong? You don''t look happy," Aaron asked Darren. Aaron looked at Darren curiously as he had no idea why he was frowning. He tried to think of potential reasons but came up with none.


    "It''s all right. Don''t worry about me. Ha-ha!" Darren said lightly. Subsequently, Darren gave Aaron a light smile, and Aaron also smiled with him halfheartedly.


    Darren quickly estimated his current strength. Now that he had made it one level higher than his old realm, his Augmented Attack Bloodline was significantly strengthened and his Blade and Sword Domain had also improved exponentially. He estimated that he was able to kill a one-star grand warrior with relative ease now, even should the grand warrior activate his domain skill.


    Darren also knew that if the strength of that one-star grand warrior was as strong as Scott, unfortunately he would still


    and for taking care of me like Darren did. I am really happy."


    Denise ran around in the planted flower shrubs as she had never been this happy in her entire life.


    Right then, Hailey had a distant look in her eyes accompanied by a bitter smile. ''Do I really get to meet him when I die?'' she thought to herself.


    While she was thinking about Darren, her expression was exactly like that of Denise when she first met Darren, full of fortitude and expectation.


    Rumbling!


    All of a sudden, monstrous flashes of lightning tore through the once calm and blue sky, and danced above around the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    The entire Ancient Void Battlefield was shaking as if doom was imminent. The atmosphere was charged and electric¡ªvery tense.


    Finley looked up at the sky, with coldness in his eyes. However, in the next second, the coldness dispersed and was replaced with waves of exuberance.


    In a dark corner of the Ancient Void Battlefield, the Water Kylin immediately held up the once drooped head and looked towards the sky with tears welling up in the eyes.


    "Could it be......


    could it be my master? Has he really returned or am I just dreaming?"

 Chapter 435 Celebration (Part One)

    A soft and gentle breeze played along with the leaves and the grasses that sent a lofty smell of renewed spirit and refreshed hopes to the world at large. Everyone''s eyes were fixed at the horizon¡ªthey were expecting something.


    "Hailey, it is him! He''s back! He''s alive!" Denise exclaimed while shaking Hailey''s arm. She was overjoyed, and bliss was evident in the way her eyes shimmered with gladness.


    But Hailey, on the other hand, knitted her eyebrows and didn''t get as excited as Denise. She did not believe that Darren would come back. Besides, she knew that Denise was fond of making stories and always said something weird.


    "A man cannot come back from the dead. Denise, are you making a story of your own again?" Hailey said to Denise scolding and shoving the latter slightly away. Yet, Hailey was curious, and her eyes were also fixed at the sky where Denise was staring.


    "You are right. Denise is always making stories for herself." A familiar voice was heard from behind. The voice lingered through Hailey''s mind; she searched her thoughts as to who owned such ubiquitous voice. Yet, deep inside her, she clearly knew who the man behind that voice was. She just had to make it sure.


    Right at that moment, Hailey''s slim body stiffened as if she was electrocuted with millions of sparks running through her veins. Without hesitation, she turned around abruptly, finding a familiar face with a beaming smile.


    Tick-tat.


    Glistening tears fell to the ground like raindrops from the heavy clouds. At that instant, everyone kept their silence and just cherished the moment. With the eerie silence, the sound of the tears falling was very audible. Those were tears of joy for Darren''s coming back to life again.


    "Long time, no see!" Darren didn''t know how to greet them since it had been twenty years in the Ancient Void Battl


    rest.


    Hearing Darren''s words, Denise laughed sweetly. But Hailey felt a little disappointed in her mind. Seeing that Darren could say that aloud, it was apparent that Darren regarded her merely as one of his friends.


    "Aren''t you done yet? Stop hugging them now!" Finley said, teasing Darren as he noticed that the warrior was still hugging Denise and Hailey a bit longer by now.


    "He''s right, Darren. You want to keep hugging them always, don''t you?"


    "Get away from the beautiful girls and let us hug them too. We also want to celebrate!"


    Abelard and Timothy said with joking expressions while they were trying to draw closer to the girls.


    "No! Only Darren can hug me!" seeing the two men coming, Denise shouted gently with a little anger. Then flexing her legs¡­.


    Boom! Boom!


    The two naughty guys, Abelard and Timothy, were both kicked away. Both were sent fluttering in the sky like nest-less birds.


    "My god! Denise is actually as powerful as a grand warrior!" Timothy and Abelard cried in great surprise while spreading their arms in midair.


    "You deserve it! Hump!" Seeing the two guys kicked away, Denise laughed joyfully. There was always a child-like spirit within her that she could not suppress.

 Chapter 436 Celebration (Part Two)

    "Ha ha ha!


    Let''s go to have some wine!" invited Darren.


    He took out some century-old vintage wine from his Space Ring and started to drink with others.


    While they were eating and drinking in merrymaking, Darren narrated to them what had happened to him outside the Ancient Void Battlefield. Hearing his story, everyone sighed at his experience¡ªso epic and arduous.


    "So that boy is really friendly to you?" asked Abelard with an intrigued tone.


    "Yes, he is. Without Aaron''s help, I would have been dead," replied Darren shortly.


    "Who is Aaron exactly, that he can actually let the dead ones come back to life? He is really amazing!" Abelard asked again with his eyes widely opened.


    "Truly, I don''t know either. As for now, Aaron cannot talk too much. I can ask him after he regains his ability to speak. Let''s go on drinking."


    In his return, Darren didn''t take Aaron with him to enter the Ancient Void Battlefield. The reason was that he wouldn''t stay that long inside the Ancient Void Battlefield after everyone had heard the news that he was alive. Because he had not gotten out of the Purgatorial Tripod yet.


    "All right. Let us go out together. We have been away from home for so long, and we need time to tell our families some news about us," Timothy suggested. The news that he had died had probably been sent to his clan. Though that was not true, he knew his parents would be devastated.


    "I''m afraid we can''t. We are still in the Purgatorial Tripod. We have to depend on Aaron on how to get out of the infernal cage. After this celebration, I will go out to look for alternative ways on how we can escape. You guys just stay here and wait," Darren put forward. His voice was filled with


    dead dog! Stop running. I will kill you and eat all your flesh!" Looking at the Water Kylin this time, Finley vented all his anger to the innocent beast. There should be someone to blame for all his ill-fates, and Finley eyed the Water Kylin as a perfect target. A maleficent smile crept on his face at the thought of having a reason to torture the beast.


    "Well. Ahhh... Good Finley, please forgive me..."


    Soon, the voice of the Water Kylin was heard by others. He was begging for Finley''s mercy. Soon enough, the Water Kylin was seen tumbling up and down, receiving Finley''s slaps and kicks¡ªpoor creature.


    "Ha Ha Ha!" All of them could not help but give out a good, loud laugh.


    Getting out of the Ancient Void Battlefield, Darren saw that Aaron was still waiting for him at the same place. Yet this time, his expression was frigid. He couldn''t help but wonder what had gone wrong.


    "What is going on, Aaron?" Darren asked, momentarily.


    "Brother, be careful. It is still there," Aaron responded with his head bowed low. The moment he lifted his head and opened his eyes, black runes emanated out from his scope and shot far away.

 Chapter 437 The Request

    When Darren heard that, he became vigilant. He understood that the "it" Aaron had mentioned might be the master of the fiery-red hand.


    A feeling of unease filled Darren when he saw that Aaron''s black runes dispersed in the distance without any fluctuation.


    Rub-a-dub.


    The next moment, the sound of heavy footsteps came from afar.


    Gradually, a giant black figure came into Darren''s view. The creature was so big and powerful that the earth shook with each step it took.


    Whistle!


    Aaron bared his teeth as he pounced on the black figure and began to attack it.


    "You, the son of a holy emperor, are too weak. It is a pity, indeed."


    The area echoed with the deep voice of the black figure as he roared. The sound was so loud that it almost deafened Darren.


    Crack!


    The black figure waved his hand and flung Aaron aside.


    After witnessing the force released by the black figure, Darren realized what real might was. Even Aaron was unable to match the creature''s strength! What horrifying power he had!


    This was shocking to Darren as Aaron was as powerful as the Shadow Emperor, who could rival a seven-star grand warrior.


    Taking all that into consideration, it seemed that the black figure was a holy warrior.


    "Pasquale?" Darren furrowed his brows as he asked.


    "Yes, it''s me," Pasquale growled. His loud voice swept over Darren like a landslide. The force was so compelling that Darren got down on one knee.


    However, Aaron was reluctant to accept defeat. So, he generated more black runes with which to hit the black figure as he flew toward his opponent.


    "You little thing, be quiet,"


    the black figure yelled before fixing Aaron on the ground with only one hand. Even though Aaron struggled, he couldn''t move.


    "Sir, we were tricked into coming here. We didn''t mean to disturb you. Please let us go," Darren said respectfully, as he cupped his hands to salute Pasquale.


    Faced with such an overmatch, Darren knew that he wouldn''t be able to defend against him. Diplomacy was Darren''s only option, as it would be fairly easy for Pasquale to kill him.


    "It is a miracle that you are still alive," the black figure remarked.


    "Sir, as you know, it was Aaron that saved me. Had it not been for his timely assistance, I would have died," Darren explained as he pointed at Aaron.


    "No. Aside from the help of the son of a holy emperor, you survived because of your strong soul. Incredibly, you didn''t melt in the refining pool," the black figure corrected Darren.


    With his head bowed, Darren nodded. He knew that Pasquale''s justification made sense. If his soul hadn''t been powerful enough, h


    bles, and stone chairs. When he glanced around, Darren found that the rest of the cave was empty.


    "Do you want to live or die?" the Giant Ape asked directly.


    "Of course, I want to live," Darren answered, puzzled. He thought the question was unnecessary.


    "Well. Since you want to live, help me save a person," the Giant Ape stated.


    "Sir, who do you want to save? I want to help you, but I''m not sure if I am capable. Besides, because of your unmatched power, it would be easier for you to save the person yourself,"


    Darren said. He didn''t understand why the powerful Giant Ape would ask him to save a person for him.


    "Don''t bullshit me. If I could do it myself, why would I let you live?" the Giant Ape roared. "As you can see, I have only half of my body. Due to some reasons, I am trapped here. It is very likely that I won''t be able to leave for three thousand years."


    "I understand. Sir, tell me who you want to save. If I can help, I will," Darren said after he understood the reason why the Giant Ape needed his assistance.


    "Good. Come here." The Giant Ape gestured to Darren to come closer to him.


    After taking a deep breath, Darren walked toward the Giant Ape.


    At this point, the Giant Ape took out a tower. It looked tiny in comparison to his big hand! Then, without any explanation, he stabbed Darren''s chest with it.


    "Sir!" Darren was shocked. Feeling as though a strong force was restricting him, Darren tried to withstand it.


    Rattle!


    After emitting a loud sound, the tower in the Giant Ape''s hand gradually shrank into an iron nail. In the next instant, it punctured Darren''s heart.


    "Ah!" Darren, ghastly pale, screamed as agony coursed through him. He sensed that the aura of death was near at hand again.

 Chapter 438 The Master Of The Giant Ape (Part One)

    The pain inflicted upon Darren was so unbearable that he was shaking all over. As he was lying on the ground, Darren''s face was pale and soiled with sweat. The warrior was utterly paralyzed by the sharp pain that even breathing was becoming hard for him.


    "You! Y...you!" Darren stuttered in a shallow voice, trying his best to be heard.


    "Don''t worry. Just take a rest." With these words, the Giant Ape turned and walked away without saying another word to Darren.


    Being left helpless in the ground, Darren''s heart was hurting in an awful way, and he couldn''t even bear it. Darkness washed over him, and the cold wind added an ounce of bitterness to the pain that he was enduring. His eyes were getting heavy, and his visions were in a hazy blur¡ªDarren fainted.


    The moment he lost his consciousness, strange runes covered Darren''s body. The runes danced and twirled around his body for a short second before disappearing in his chest.


    By this time, seeing that Darren was motionless, the Giant Ape put Aaron, who was in his hand, in the sarcophagus and used his arcane skill to seal it closed. The Giant Ape made sure that the sarcophagus was wholly sealed, giving Aaron no chance to escape.


    Bang!


    After securing the sarcophagus, the Giant Ape fell and crouched on the ground with a loud bang, and the pain was evident on his face. He was confused as to what caused the sudden searing sensation. Yet, indeed, the pain was too much for him to bear.


    "My sense is right. This boy is not just a son of a holy warrior, but he''s a son of a mighty holy emperor. Had he used the same skill that destroyed my arm for the second time, I wouldn''t have been here now. He would have killed me when he had the chance," the Giant Ape muttered to himself, feeling lucky that he was still alive. By this time, the pain subsided, and the Giant Ape was juggling thoughts on his mind.


    ''The body of a half-holy demonic


    e Giant Ape''s voice, Darren was startled for a short second. The moment he realized where he was and what happened to him, he backed up a little in an awkward way. Taken aback, Darren was a little frightened because the Giant Ape was smiling at him, showing all of his dirty-white teeth. Yet, the ape''s smile was just too ugly for his liking.


    "Sir, I was..." Darren, who had almost regained his strength, stuttered as he stood up from the ground


    "Young man, you promised that you would help me, so I planted the One Rule Tower in your heart. I admit that the process was painful, but it will do wonders for your future cultivation," the Giant Ape explained to Darren, seeing that the warrior was waiting for him to explain himself.


    ''Since when did he become this gentle and nice towards me?'' Hearing the Giant Ape''s words, Darren couldn''t help but wonder. He was much kinder and gentler than before, and that was strange. ''Well, at least he is still as loud as he was before, '' Darren thought. The ape''s voice was so loud that it made Darren''s ears hurt.


    "What''s up, young man?" asked the Giant Ape when he noticed that Darren gave a jerk as if being pained. "Can you speak with a lower voice, please? My ears hurt," Darren requested with a painful look on his face.

 Chapter 439 The Master Of The Giant Ape (Part Two)

    "What? Oh, okay." Being so embarrassed in front of Darren, the Giant Ape was left with no choice but to agree with the warrior''s request. All this time, he didn''t realize that he was talking way too loud. He thought that he had just a normal voice since nobody was complaining at all.


    To conceal his bashfulness, the Giant Ape roared for a short second before calming down again. Then he said in a gentle voice, "Sorry, it''s my fault. I will try to speak in a gentler voice from this moment on."


    With that, Darren raised one of his eyebrows in surprise. It seemed that the Giant Ape had a change of heart; he was astonished as the ape agreed to his condition without putting up an argument at all. Darren knew that he wanted so badly to throw a tantrum just now, but he contained his anger. An ugly smile climbed up the Giant Ape''s face once again, and Darren tried his best to hold on and not give out a disgusting smirk.


    "The One Rule Tower is a very precious treasure for rule cultivators. Once you gain the tower, whether you are human or a demonic monster, you will reach significant achievements in the rule cultivation. Of course, the process won''t be easy. One has to sacrifice a lot and put in a lot of effort to achieve it," explained the Giant Ape intending to divert the topic off from his loud voice.


    "I see. But why did you give the tower to me? Does it have something to do with the man you want me to save?" Darren guessed after he had a more transparent concept of what the One Rule Tower was.


    "Yes, you''ve guessed right. It has something to do with that. Now, let me tell you what you have to do."


    As the Giant Ape started explaining things to him, Darren didn''t interrupt. He waited silently and patiently while listening intently at the same time.


    "After you get out of here


    time ago can compare to my master!


    But you have to know that my master had killed more than ten holy emperors. Even if he was only a senior holy warrior, not a holy emperor yet. A holy emperor is someone who surpasses the peak of the Holy Realm, reaching the Emperor Realm."


    Hearing that, Darren''s mouth opened wide in shock at the Giant Ape''s description.


    "If... If he is really that powerful as you said..."


    Bang!


    Before Darren could even finish his words, the Giant Ape roared and banged his fist on the ground, then shouted in an angry voice, "Are you suggesting that my master is not that powerful? Are you questioning his power? Huh? My master is Barnes the Holy, and he is the strongest! Nothing more, nothing less!"


    Appalled by the sudden mood swing, Darren didn''t know what to say about the Giant Ape''s short temper. He was quick to explain, "Of course not, sir! You misunderstood me. I can only admire your master after hearing your description. I don''t doubt his power; believe me. Just hear me out. I am only curious about why is your master stranded in the Raksa Sea when he is so powerful and influential? If he can''t escape as such a powerful man, then how can I save him?"

 Chapter 440 Back To The Outside World

    Once the Giant Ape realized that Darren was not questioning his master, his expression immediately eased back to normal.


    "This world is not as simple as what you imagine. Just as you''ve seen in the depiction in that mural on the wall, the Nine-headed Serpent is very powerful. My master had been battling the serpent for as long as thirty years before finally being able to kill it. But I have to tell you that according to my master, even though it took that long for the Nine-headed Serpent to be defeated, it was merely just an unimportant pet out of many other lackeys of an extremely powerful cultivator.


    The reason why my master had been trapped had something to do with the master of that Nine-headed Serpent, the powerful cultivator. Anyway, enough about that. You don''t need to know much about it. What you need to do is to focus on your cultivation and reach the top level.


    Of course, I won''t let you help me if it will all just end up being in vain. After all, it''s such a dangerous task,"


    the Giant Ape disclosed.


    "Don''t worry, sir. Since I''ve promised to help you, I will do the best that I can." Darren cupped his hands together and bowed his head at the Giant Ape. At that moment, what he mainly wanted to do was to leave. Therefore no matter what the Giant Ape asked him to do, he was willing to say yes.


    "Hmm. The reason why you quickly agreed with me is that you''re eager to leave this place, isn''t it?" The Giant Ape had been living in that world for so many years that had become perceptive¡ªhe was able to easily see the motive behind Darren''s intentions.


    "To tell you the truth, I do want to go back soon. I have several friends who are trapped in here. I want to help them return home and let their families know that they''re safe. I know their families must be very worried about them," Darren admitted.


    "Don''t be in such a hurry to leave. You can rest assured that you''ll soon be able to go back unharmed. But before you leave, I want to offer you something as a reward," the Giant Ape said.


    "No, no. There''s no need for you to do that. It''s more than enough for us that you allow us to leave. I don''t need any reward." Darren shook his head, declining the Giant Ape''s offer.


    "You don''t want any reward? But you have to accept it. The Purgatorial Tripod must be partially controlled by you. As long as you are sincere in the task to help me free my master, it will definitely be beneficial for you." To Darren''s dismay, the Giant Ape seemed like he was not going to take no for an answer.


    The Giant Ape waved his hand and a flood of strange and unusual runes flew towards Darren''s chest.


    Darren soon felt an equally strange sensation spread throughout his entire body. He then gradually felt a sense of connection to the world he was in. He did not know how much time had passed, but he felt the connection become stronger when the process was finished. He was able


    not push hard to improve his cultivation base, the Giant Ape would not be pleased and he could kill Aaron to get back at him.


    Darren felt displeased at seemingly receiving the short end of the stick in the situation. But he had promised the Giant Ape that he would free his master and he would surely do that¡ªhe was a man of his word. For the most part, the Giant Ape was gauging Darren''s backbone with the firm hand of a villain.


    "All right. Let''s do this. Three hundred years is really a long time," Darren said, trying to hype himself up.


    Just then, he suddenly heard a whooshing sound.


    He whipped his head around to see what it was. An aged man wearing clothes that were made of rough linen appeared in front of him, staring at him in surprise.


    ''This is a powerful cultivator, '' Darren immediately thought when he looked at the older man.


    "You... Did you just get out of the Purgatorial Tripod? " the aged man exclaimed, his voice low and raspy.


    Darren was stunned and just stared at the older man, not quite knowing how to respond.


    He raised his head and looked at the older man, carefully taking note of his clothes. Seeing the clothes gave him a somewhat familiar feeling and he soon calmed down.


    Suddenly, loud noises pierced through the air.


    Along with the noises, several figures emerged out of nowhere.


    "Hah! We''ve actually gotten out!"


    "Darren, you did it! You brought all of us out! I can''t possibly show my gratitude enough!" Abelard was shaking in excitement, tears of joy almost falling down from his eyes. After nearly experiencing death, he had gained a rapturous appreciation for being alive.


    When the aged man saw Abelard, his hand started to quiver, barely able to contain his delight.


    "Abelard, you didn''t die... You''re alive! Thank goodness you''re alive!" Tears were running down the aged man''s cheeks.


    "Ah! Master!" Abelard got down on his knees and fell to the ground at once.

 Chapter 441 The Old Man In Red (Part One)

    Finally, all the long wait had come to an end. All the necessary things that he had done to rescue Abelard had paid off. Now, standing and waiting outside the Purgatorial Tripod, the old man was very excited to see Abelard. He had never expected that his disciple would survive and come out alive of the Purgatorial Tripod.


    At that surreal moment of celebration, Abelard gave a brief account of what had happened inside the Purgatorial Tripod to his master. Alternate expressions of fury, amazement, and sympathy for the group were shown on his face as he listened to Abelard''s story. Yet, as the day lengthened and welcomed the night, everyone was ready to leave.


    Before they left, Abelard''s master thanked Darren for saving his disciple and insisted on leaving a saber as a gift of gratitude. After this, the grateful master took Abelard back to their sect. Seconds before parting their ways, Abelard left a contact bead to Darren. The bead was almost identical to the bead given to him by the Grand Blood Refiner before.


    Darren appreciated the saber from the master and the contact bead from Abelard. However, he wasn''t able to check them carefully and just put them into his Space Ring.


    At the same instant, Hailey, who had no plans of leaving and would love to stay a little longer with Darren, was obliged to say goodbye. She had something important to do, so she also went. Meanwhile, Timothy was in no hurry. He was at peace and not pressured to go home, for he had already used an arcane skill to send a message to his clan¡ªnews that he survived and was still alive.


    "Where are you going next, Darren?" Timothy asked in a casual tone.


    Entertaining the same question in mind, Darren looked into


    That means they all owe you a big favor. If you go to the Violet Phoenix Sect to visit Master Jacob and ask him to order those three-star grand warriors to help you, I think they will certainly not refuse.


    As for me, I am going home to summon masters just in case. How about this plan, Darren?" suggested Timothy, thinking that he had a better idea this time that would make Darren say yes.


    Hearing Timothy out, Darren was silent for a moment. He sensed that Timothy was right after all. In the wake of moments of hesitation, Darren agreed to the plan.


    "Alright then! I will go back home first. Take care of yourself!" Timothy bid goodbye.


    "You too!" Darren replied shortly.


    With that, Timothy nodded and flew away.


    After Timothy left, Darren had a moment of silence to himself. He thought about his sister and what could have been her situation right now. Though he knew that she was such a strong woman, yet deep inside him, there was a subtle sense that she needed his brother. With that thought in mind, Darren was encouraged not to waste any time, and he flew out of the border towards the Violet Phoenix Sect abruptly.

 Chapter 442 The Old Man In Red (Part Two)

    After a period of flight, he landed in the palaces of the Violet Phoenix Sect. The same familiar view greeted his eyes, and the same comfortable scent lingered through his nostrils. However, there was something unusual with the ambiance of the palace. Darren wondered what might be wrong, but dismissed the idea shortly.


    "Stop! Who are you?" snapped a disciple of the Violet Phoenix Sect the moment he saw Darren.


    "Go and tell your sect leader that Darren has something important to tell him," facing the disciple, Darren said calmly.


    "Ah, you are Darren!" The disciple obviously had heard of Darren''s name before. Immediately, he had a change of expression and treated Darren with respect. Bowing down, he said, "Sir, just wait a moment, please! I will inform the leaders of your arrival."


    Leaving Darren behind, the disciple scampered quickly into the hall. Soon enough, a figure darted over and welcomed Darren.


    "I am surprised to see you here, Darren! I am so glad to see you well and safe!"


    It was Elder Herman. His face was beaming, and he was sincerely happy to see the young warrior.


    Amidst their exchange of greetings, he recalled that day when the twenty three-star grand warriors withdrew. All of them were severely injured, almost to death. Later, many elders told him that Darren and his other pals rescued them.


    "Elder Herman. Can you take me to see your sect leader?" Darren explained the reason for his visit and asked the elder if he could help him out.


    "You want to see Master Jacob?" Elder Herman hesitated for a while and said, "Come along with me!"


    Judging from the expression on the elder''s face, Darren felt something was not right, but he did


    asked no further.


    "Sir, if you have nothing else to ask, I will have to leave." Darren nodded to the old man and to Elder Herman as well and was about to go away.


    "Hey, Darren, you must have something important reasons for coming here. The sect leader is healing now, so you can''t see him. It would be rude of me to put your traveling in vain. You might as well tell me. Maybe I can help you!" the old man in red said with a smile.


    Hearing that, Darren thought that the old man was just showing his kindness. However, Elder Herman looked pleased and immediately said, "Darren, this is the guard of our sect, and he is a rule cultivator! He is willing to help you, and you might as well tell him."


    Hesitant and confused as to what to do at the moment, a sudden surge of memories raced at Darren''s head. It was at the square of the Violet Phoenix Sect, and he did his best to unleash the dark gold internal force. At that time, he was resisted by a burst of active runes so that he could not kill those who were rude to him. Obviously, the one who had stopped the fight at that moment was this old man in the red robe.

 Chapter 443 Track The Red Inferno Sect (Part One)

    Thinking that the elder in the red robe could have been very powerful and been the one who had stopped him from killing those who spoke rudely, Darren then released his Spirit Power to detect his real strength. Soon, he found that old man''s Spirit Power could be described as being unfathomable! How stunning!


    "Sir, it turns out that you are a senior rule cultivator. Please kindly forgive me for my lack of manners before," Darren said with his hands cupped before him, his eyes staring at the floor.


    If the old man''s Spirit Power were not a lot higher than Darren''s, then Darren could have easily detected that he was a strong rule cultivator earlier.


    The elder in the red robe smiled, nodded, and said in a friendly tone, "Darren, thank you for helping our leader and the grand warriors out of trouble. If you need any of our help, just let me know. I will try my best to help you out. We owe you a great deal."


    "Sir, thank you so much!" Darren said, turned and walked back to the elder in the red robe. "This time I came here to ask the leader and the senior warriors of your sect to help me save a person who is very important to me, but I forgot that they have been badly injured and are still in the healing and recovering process. I really came at the wrong time. I apologize." His tone sounded despondent.


    The elder now learned the reason behind Darren''s visit. He lowered his gaze, braced his hands and nodded his head. Since Darren said that he needed the assistance of the leader and the grand warriors, the elder believed that the rescue task would not be that easy. There would be challenging times ahead. At once, he responded, "Oh, I see. Tell me, Darren, Who exactly do you need to save? Where is he or she currently trapped?"


    "It''s my sister.


    try to break into the Red Inferno Sect. The best option is that you wait for two or three more months when our leader and the other grand warriors will finish their healing process. By then, they will help you since you have risked your life to help them before," said the elder in the red robe, hoping Darren would take his advice.


    "Sir, thank you for your wise suggestion. I will make the right decision and you''ll see." Darren smiled and nodded confidently.


    "Well, that''s good to hear! As for how to use this ring, you will know its ins and outs after you have released some of your Spirit Power into it," the elder said and nodded wisely.


    "All right. Sir, then I need to go now. Thank you for your kind and generous help," Darren said at once and then he turned to Elder Herman and expressed his appreciation and gratitude. Following that, he gracefully cupped his hands at the two to show his respect, and then he flew away.


    "Alas!" After Darren left, the elder in the red robe shook his head in dismay and sighed.


    "Sir, why did you shake your head in dismay and sigh?" Herman was intrigued and puzzled.


    "I am afraid that this kid may be in grave danger."

 Chapter 444 Track The Red Inferno Sect (Part Two)

    "Oh? Really? Why would he be in danger?"


    "I am sure that he would be probing the whereabouts of the Red Inferno Sect after leaving here. If he really found its location and broke in, even my ring would not be able to protect him and his chance of survival would be very slim," the elder in the red robe said sadly with a sorry look on his face.


    "Oh, I see. So the kid Darren is impatient to wait for our leader to finish his healing process. What a pity!" Herman said and heaved a deep sigh as well.


    After Darren left the Violet Phoenix Sect, he quickly flew towards the other side of the eastern land.


    As the top sect of the main three evil sects of the eastern land, the Red Inferno Sect not only had strong overall strength, but its location was also unknown to most people in the eastern land. It was very hard to get to. It was rumored that the headquarters of the Red Inferno Sect was not fixed and that it had a secret palace, which could appear out of nowhere in any place among the million barren mountains of the eastern land at any time.


    All these factors had made it harder for the righteous sects to suppress the Red Inferno Sect.


    In the past 1, 000 years, the major righteous sects in the eastern land had organized several times of siege against the evil Red Inferno Sect. Yet, the results of the sieges all turned out to be unsatisfying. The first few times of siege had failed because it was hard to track its mysterious whereabouts; the last time, they finally found its whereabouts and a large number of their masters and rule cultivators surrounded its palace, but they never expected that they would have suffered heavy losses in the process of fighting against the evil warriors and were forced to retreat.


    Since that time, the eastern land never again organized a large-scale siege oper


    ene Graveyard that day, Ethan had attempted to kill Darren, but was subdued by the Water Kylin and became the latter''s ride. However, Ethan was so sly and evil that he led the Water Kylin into the siege of the Invisible Panthers. That was how he escaped from the Water Kylin''s control.


    Darren was extremely taken aback to meet him here. He could not help but wonder what he was doing here.


    ''Shall I summon the Water Kylin out of my small world to kill the nasty Ethan?'' Darren immediately thought to himself.


    ''That bastard Ethan has tried to kill me several times! This time, I must not let him go!'' Darren was enraged when he thought of what Ethan had done to him.


    Just as Darren wanted to release the Water Kylin to kill Ethan, a figure in a black robe suddenly dropped from the sky far away and landed right in front of Ethan.


    "Lord!" Ethan called with humility and full respect and immediately knelt in front of the figure, almost worshiping him as his god.


    ''Huh?'' Darren was confused as soon as he witnessed that scene. He immediately stopped summoning the Water Kylin. After that, he tried to conceal his own aura, and kept watching how things between Ethan and the black figure would unfold.

 Chapter 445 Capture Ethan

    When Darren approached, he hid somewhere hundreds of meters away to better observe the situation. He held his breath and hid his aura.


    Since he obtained the skill to conceal his aura together with his strong Spirit Power and the ring given by the old man in red robe which could help him hide his aura, no matter how powerful a martial artist or a rule cultivator would be, he could not sense his existence. That skill was priceless.


    "My lord, please tell me, what do you want me to do?" Ethan asked respectfully, while still down on his knees.


    Even Ethan, who was a two-star grand warrior at the top level, looked humble before the man in black. It seemed that the status and power of the man in black was not low.


    "Humph. Ethan, after I saved you, you promised me that you would pay me 1, 000 souls. Where are they now huh?" the man in black griped, looking down at the prostrated Ethan.


    Though the voice of the man in black robe was just slightly loud, Ethan was, on the other hand, dripping cold sweat from his forehead, and frightened.


    "My lord, I have just recently recovered from my wounds, so the number hasn''t reached 1, 000. Please give me a few more days and you''ll have your heart''s desire," Ethan eagerly pleaded as he made a kowtow to the man in black, looking like a lost puppy.


    "Well. It is very sensible of you. I will give you another three days. If you still can''t give me 1, 000 souls, you shall suffer dire consequences. Have I made myself clear?


    And I must remind you. Don''t expect to flee. You must be certain of the thing I planted deep in your soul. If you flee, you will be in more pain! I hope that''s clear now!" the man in black said in a gloomy tone before disappearing as his body thinned out. He simply vanished into the air.


    "Damn! Damn!"


    Ethan roared in fury, trembling from head to foot. He smashed a boulder hard with his palm and kicked another with his foot from the frustration.


    "What did I do wrong? What? First, I was driven by the legendary beast of the little bastard. After I was saved, I encountered the evil cultivator. It''s unbelievably outrageous! In balance, it is all Darren''s fault really! He is a total bastard!" Ethan shouted, grinding his teeth in anger, hatred filling his heart, and shooting through his eyes.


    Seeing the entire scene and hearing Ethan''s words, Darren realized that the man in black was an evil cultivator, but he couldn''t be certain whether he belonged to the Red Inferno Sect or not. He must think of something.


    "Damn Ethan. He has even been reduced to a flunky of an evil cultivator. In this way, I shall not let him off," Darren muttered to himself. "It won''t be an easy ride for you, Ethan," Darren continued.


    Darren heard that the man in black asked Ethan to collect 1, 000 powerful souls. To put it simply, in order to accomplish the task, Ethan had to kill 1, 000 people. Darren had decided to wipe him out before he conducted this evildoi


    Ethan. He did not want to see him again!


    "You villain. How dare you appear before me? Well. I will tear you to pieces! And that is a promise!"


    Ethan was taken aback for a moment for he had never expected that the Water Kylin would come out of nowhere. He was almost frightened and about to collapse on the ground.


    "My...my lord, please, please spare my life,"


    Ethan begged for the Water Kylin''s mercy. He even had no courage to escape, his legs weak and limp, kneeling down on the ground.


    "Spare your life you say? You beast, you even defected to an evil cultivator. How dare you want to kill a newborn baby? You don''t deserve to be a man, let alone a grand warrior! "


    Darren bellowed in anger.


    "My lord, I have no choice, no choice. My lord, please spare me, please," Ethan said and started crying.


    "Don''t quibble to me!


    You once did me harm. And for this crime alone, I could sentence you to death," the Water Kylin shouted, not caring for Ethan''s begging. Swiftly, he hit Ethan with his claw with all his might.


    Crack!


    The bones all over Ethan''s body were smashed. However, he didn''t die. It was torturous.


    With blood flowing on the ground, Ethan wailed painfully, as he was paralyzed on the ground.


    Lifting his big claw, the Water Kylin prepared to kill him, but Darren jutted in and stopped him.


    "That''s enough. Keep him alive. I have something I need to ask him,"


    Darren said. Upon hearing Darren''s words, the Water Kylin withdrew his claw.


    "Tell me the truth Ethan. Who is that man in black? And why did he ask you to collect souls?" Darren questioned Ethan in a loud voice.


    Tears and blood flowing from his eyes, Ethan suddenly burst into grotesque laughter and said, "You little bastard, you have tailed me. Huh? Since I will die, why should I tell you? Don''t you ever dream of getting any information from me!"


    Realizing that he was doomed, Ethan became even more strong-willed rather than beg for mercy.

 Chapter 446 The Resurface Of The Black-robed Man (Part One)

    Hearing Ethan''s words, Darren gave out a cold smile. He was thinking about the possibility that Ethan''s soul was still here even if his body and bones were disheveled, torn, and shattered. Darren was pleased to know that his opponent had never stood a chance against him from the start¡ªhe must have improved these past few weeks.


    All this time, as a result of numerous battles that he had, Darren knew how to attack his opponent''s soul. However, it usually would not work, especially when he was up to face an opponent who also had powerful souls. After all, there was still much room for improvement for his Spirit Power.


    Ethan''s soul was indeed quite strong, but he was dying at the moment. With his dying body, his soul was about to collapse, another blow from Darren would inevitably end his life. The warrior couldn''t withstand Darren''s soul attack in the first place.


    Hiss!


    A Spirit Power Arrow that was invisible to naked eyes pierced into the spirit of Ethan. The skill was so potent that, along its path, swirls of combined smoke and dust towered through the air.


    "Ahhhhh!" Right after the impact, Ethan was immobilized and could not do anything but to scream out of pain. He limped and lolled in agony and couldn''t cry out much louder. The torture was way too excruciating for him.


    When it came to battles, the attack on one''s soul was more intense and damaging than any form of physical assault on one''s body. It certainly would cause much more pain, hundred-fold stronger. Darren knew all these, for he had experienced the same thing earlier.


    While Darren was looking down at him, he could see that Ethan was in great pain and on the verge of dying. On the one hand, as he laid there bearing all the torment, Ethan sincerely wished that he had been dead so that there wouldn''t be a need for him to suffer such pain of this scale. However, he could not even lift a finger to end his own life.


    "Are you going to talk or not? Do not test my patience. I am starting to reach the end of my rope


    e.


    "Do you know where the Red Inferno Sect is based in? And how do I gain access to the sect?" asked Darren, in hopes of locating and eradicating the evil sect from this world.


    "Put it in your word, and I am simply a dog of that messenger. They will definitely keep that information from me. How am I supposed to know that?" Ethan gave a bitter smile while joking about himself. Now that the cat was out of the bag, he admitted his status of being a servitude to the Red Inferno Sect.


    Darren did not say anything as he knew that Ethan was most likely telling the truth. Judging from his situation at the moment, he could not possibly be able to contact the Red Inferno Sect directly.


    But, Darren also did not want to let this newly-acquired piece of information go to waste. He was not happy about how things went, but after a moment of contemplation, he decided that this was still a dead end, and he needed to find new information to track down the Red Infernal Sect.


    "If you really want to find the Red Inferno Sect, I think you can follow that messenger with your ability to conceal your aura." Breaking the dull moment, Ethan suddenly began to speak. His idea surprised Darren a little.


    "Is that possible?" With a challenging tone, Darren frowned after giving it a thought. "Then, how do I find that black-robed messenger?"

 Chapter 447 The Resurface Of The Black-robed Man (Part Two)

    As a plan was formed in Darren''s head, he was grateful for the ring that the red-robed elder had given to him. The ring could help him resist the attack from rule cultivators as well as hide his aura for them not to detect him. The ring could conceal him well enough that even the powerful black-robed messenger might not be able to find him. Thus, Ethan''s suggestion might just actually be workable. However, the question that remained was how to summon that black-robed messenger here.


    "I can help you lure him out. He does not know that I have been compromised," Ethan offered. More than anything else, he was doing it for himself rather than helping Darren at all. He was with the hope that if Darren could kill that black-robed messenger, he too would be freed from his bondage with him.


    "You? Are you really going to do that for me? Or are you thinking that maybe I will spare your life if you help me with that?" Curious and bothered at the same time, Darren was a little hesitant as to why Ethan offered to help him.


    "Look at me. I am better dead than being alive. This is not for me, and I just want a quick death. That''s all." All of a sudden, Ethan began to laugh as if he was relieved to know that a painless death was right around the corner.


    Even if he got to keep his life today, he would still be a useless person who could barely take care of himself. Furthermore, now that he was incapacitated, that black-robed man would most likely kill him since he was of no use to him. If he once again fell into the hands of that black-robed man, he would most likely be tortured the way that he had just experienced from Darren. He was scared by that pain, and he would not want to live through it anymore, which was the reason why he wanted to help Darren so that he could have a quick death by return.


    However, Darren could not read Ethan''s mind. He was worried that Ethan might use it as an opportunity to call for the backup of many powerful rule cultivators to attack him s


    Only then did Darren realize that Ethan really wanted to die. So he chose the back-robed man''s way to end his own life.


    Just a few steps away from them, Darren decided not to speculate further on the reason for Ethan''s action. He had collected more than seven hundred souls, which could only mean that he had killed many people to acquire such souls. That simply meant that his death was rightful and not worth any tears.


    The current issue at hand for Darren was whether he should tail this black-robed man or just take him down right then and there and force him to lead him to the Red Infernal Sect.


    Looking at the black-robed man, Darren could sense that his Spirit Power was mighty, and his rule cultivation must be equally strong. Even if he managed to outmatch him with the help of the Water Kylin, his plans would still be ruined if the black-robed man managed to escape.


    "He had been wounded before he died. Who did this to my dog? Could it be from some warriors that are onto us?" As curiosity stirred him, the black-robed man noticed the wounds on Ethan''s body and soon realized that he did not inflict the injuries to himself.


    With that, as a knee-jerk action, the black-robed man immediately activated his Spirit Power and began to check for any suspicious presence in the radius of hundreds of miles.

 Chapter 448 Chase

    Darren could feel the ring on his finger slightly quiver to block the Spirit Power that the man in the black robe had released.


    The Water Kylin was a legendary ancient beast and was therefore adept at hiding its own aura, making it hard for the man in the black robe to find as well, even with the use of his Spirit Power.


    After a while of observation, the man in the black robe did not detect anything unusual. He released a flame to burn Ethan and prepared to leave.


    "These more than seven hundred souls are quite powerful than I expected. I''m just going to have to collect the rest on my way back to the sect," the man in the black robe muttered to himself.


    Unbeknownst to the man, Darren was close by and had overheard him. The latter was delighted to find out where the man was planning to go. All he had to do was follow him so he could find out where the Red Inferno Sect was.


    After cleaning up the mess, the man in black robe unhurriedly left. Darren followed closely behind him.


    "Damn it, why haven''t I encountered anyone along the way?" The man in the black robe had been walking in the barren mountain for a long time and was becoming disgruntled at the lack of any suitable targets.


    "Oh, well. Looks like I have no choice but to take a detour and slaughter a village, then." The man released his Spirit Power to locate any nearby villages, turning around to walk towards another direction as he did so.


    Darren knitted his eyebrows together in apprehension. He knew something horrible would happen; the man in black robe would not leave if he had not collected enough souls.


    The man in the black robe soon found a village and made his way towards it.


    "Hey, there''s a man in a black robe over there."


    "He''s probably from someplace far away. He must be tired. Zack, fetch a bowl of water for him in case he''s thirsty."


    The unsuspecting people working on the farm at the periphery of the village were quick to hospitality, too trusting for their own good.


    A boy walked towards the man, carrying a bowl of water. "Hey mister, are you thirsty? Here, you can have some water," he said.


    The man in the black robe blinked at the boy, a bit stunned. He stared down at the boy and said, "How simple and naive you are. Unfortunately though, you''re very unlucky."


    "What are you talking about, mister? Who''s unlucky?" The boy grinned.


    "Nothing. Just pray that you''ll be luckier in your next life." He then bent his fingers to form a claw and pierced the boy''s skull.


    "Ah, you!"


    The people on the farm stared at the scene in shock.


    "You devil! I will kill you!" A middle-aged man lifted his hoe and rushed towards the man in the black robe, eyes seething with fury.


    at Darren and the Water Kylin.


    However, Darren was not able to help them for the time being because he was preoccupied with searching for the man in the black robe. He had searched the area within a hundred miles from the village, but to no avail.


    "Gee, that guy must be good at using the invisibility skill. I should probably use this ring to break his skill in order to find him."


    With that thought, Darren immediately directed his Spirit Power into the ring. Another function of the ring was to break the protective barrier of a rule cultivator.


    "I''ve found him!"


    Darren had only found a vague shadow shrouded by a rule power and had not yet confirmed if it really was the man in the black robe, so he hastily flew towards that location to find out.


    Before leaving, Darren scattered thousands of superior spiritual herbs from the air as compensation for the villagers. He could not bring the dead back to life. It was the only thing he could do.


    The Water Kylin then flew away as well, following after Darren.


    In the blink of an eye, Darren had flown dozens of miles away and was nearing the figure.


    "It''s indeed him!" Darren confirmed that it was indeed the man in the black robe once they reached closer.


    He then turned himself into a ray of light and flew towards the man at full speed.


    "Shit. That was close. That legendary beast is so powerful. I would have died if I hadn''t used the Teleportation Skill." The man in the black robe was all smug, thinking that he had luckily escaped Darren and the Water Kylin.


    However, his expression turned ghastly in the next second¡ªa powerful sword intent and blade intent were flying towards him.


    "Damn it! How could they have detected me so soon! This is impossible!" the man in the black robe exclaimed as he trembled in fear.

 Chapter 449 Get A Token

    The man in the black robe felt so scared that he didn''t use his power to hide his body and directly flew away as fast as he could. One could almost not see him fly because he sped away.


    "The speed of commanding the Wind Rule is really fast! I must say!"


    Darren''s fist failed to land on the man because the man was faster than him. Darren had to find a way.


    But the man wouldn''t be faster than the Water Kylin.


    "Run perhaps?"


    the Water Kylin roared and smashed the man''s line of retreat with his claws. The man was astonished and stopped mid-way.


    "Who the hell are you? Why are you deliberately trying to pick on me? What''s going on here?" The man asked after he felt that he couldn''t escape. He thought that he might survive as long as he handed over enough treasures. He was trying to think of other ways too.


    Darren flew over and directly landed in front of the man, scaring him further.


    "That''s something I''m supposed to be asking you. Who are you? What''s your status in the Red Inferno Sect? Huh? Go on, speak up!" Darren''s purpose was to rescue his sister from the Red Inferno Sect, so the man could be forced to tell them much useful information if he had a high status in the Red Inferno Sect. The important thing was to find out who he was.


    "Why should I tell you? Give me one good reason why?" The man patted his wide sleeves and coldly looked at Darren. His fear had vanished.


    "You are such a hard-ass! Don''t you know what can happen to you? You should know how horrible Ethan''s death was. If you want to follow him, you don''t have to answer. It''s that simple," Darren said coldly and his words were filled with murderous intent, piercing through the man''s heart.


    The man began to tremble and realized that he fell for the trick. Ethan, his slave, was wounded by them and forced to lure him. It then wasn''t a surprise why Ethan dared to scold him so recklessly. The man should have known better.


    The man paused for several seconds. And then he begged, "Sir, don''t kill me please! I beg you, please don''t kill me sir!"


    In the face of such a powerful legendary beast as the Water Kylin, it was futile for him to use any rule spell attack. So he gave in. He was no match for the Water Kylin.


    Besides, once his rule spell attack was warded off, even the young martial artist in front of him could easily kill him. He feared for his life.


    "Okay, you must answer questions honestly. If you don''t, there''ll be consequences." Darren released his blade and sword intents to envelope the man. If the man dared to rebel against him, there would be numerous bone-deep gashes on the man''s body. The man realized the danger he was in.


    The man sweated heavily and yielded completely.


    "I''m just a reclusive cultivator who worked in the Red


    n I will send you to the mountain thousands of miles away. Then you need to live there forever. Those are the terms!"


    Although the man killed many people, this time he helped Darren and was genuinely repentant about his mistakes. That was what made Darren decide to spare his life.


    The man put his head to the ground with boundless hatred in his eyes.


    ''I need to deprive all of my cultivation base and be imprisoned in the mountain? Those are the terms? It''s like a lifetime in prison. What''s the point of living like this? What''s the point?''


    the man thought desperately. ''It''s worse than killing me if that is the case.''


    "Thank you ever so much sir, I am indebted to you sir." Even though the man was so angry in the back of his mind, he still looked surprised and constantly kowtowed to Darren. He had to play this right, he thought.


    "Do it now, right now," Darren said coldly, without hesitation.


    The man raised his head, which was heavy now, with a deep sigh. And then he gathered all of his rule power so that the runes on his hand started shining.


    "Eh? What? Do you really need so much rule power to ruin your cultivation base? Is that really necessary?" Darren asked with his eyebrows knitted, and a cold look on his face.


    "Yes, you''re right. You''re absolutely right. I''ve never suffered such humiliation. I''m taking you down with me to the bottom of hell! You little bastard! Ha-ha-ha¡­" the man yelled, with a hideous smile on his face.


    "Shit! No!"


    Darren had a bad feeling and he suddenly realized that the man was activating the most powerful skill by burning a soul to kill him. He knew he was in trouble then.


    In a blink of an eye, the man''s eyes gradually lost glow. A flaming arrow penetrated the space aiming at Darren. The speed of that arrow was so fast that even the Water Kylin couldn''t resist it.

 Chapter 450 The Rule And Martial Arts Cultivation (Part One)

    Bewildered and dazzled, something unusual met Darren''s eyes as the arrow condensed out of the rule power. This time the conjured weapon was much different compared to that of a martial artist¡ªvisible but not tangible.


    With a chilly light, the arrow aimed straight towards Darren, fast and unstoppable. Bemused with such potent skill, Darren was held frozen at the moment and couldn''t move a single muscle.


    As the raging arrow neared him, Darren brandished his sword and attempted to block the deadly weapon. However, his effort was in vain. As the arrow was just a vague shape, there was no way Darren''s sword could get in touch with it. Like a shooting star, the arrow slipped quickly through his sword and continued to charge towards his chest.


    The swiftness and invincibility of the arrow showcased a significant superiority, whose power could only be waned by weapons that were cast by a more robust rule power than the arrow itself.


    With almost an inaudible sound, the arrow made its way into Darren''s chest, piercing and shattering him gradually.


    All at once, Darren felt a gust of vigorous stir in his chest. He was waiting to feel the searing pain, but it came later than he anticipated.


    The power of the arrow seemed to slit open his chest and destroy him from inside. He was so distraught at the moment that he couldn''t afford to look at his chest¡ªafraid that he might not like what he would saw.


    Just as Darren stood transfixed in horror, the ring in his hand began to wobble and let out several abstruse, unintelligible runes.


    Like a steady stream of calm water, the runes began to flow into Darren''s chest as if they were guided by a gentle leading hand.


    The runes confronted the power of the arrow. A severe fight was evident, and in the end, the runes were proved to be the potent ones. After a series of clashing sounds, the arrow was at last cut into pi


    unted to continue his plan.


    "There are tons of malicious rule cultivators in the Red Inferno Sect. This man''s death must have warned them. How can we get in without catching their attention now?" Darren murmured in dismay. Thoughts about how to locate and sneak into the Red Inferno Sect kept on spinning on his mind.


    He contemplated a little and found that he had so little knowledge about rule cultivators to be able to predict what their next proceeding should be. Suddenly, the One Rule Tower that the Giant Ape had imprinted in his heart came into his mind. He had an instinct that the One Rule Tower would likely tell him something about rule cultivators.


    He could have investigated and studied the One Rule Tower earlier if he had not been in a hurry the whole trip that he gave little attention to it until now.


    With his hopes renewed by such notions, Darren transferred his Spirit Power to his heart. After that, he began to activate the small tower that was stowed in there.


    Upon activating the One Rule Tower, a buzzing sound started to ring around his ears, and the next thing he realized was that the whole scenario in front of him had been changed. Now, he was standing in front of a high tower, above which, lines of runes floated.

 Chapter 451 The Rule And Martial Arts Cultivation (Part Two)

    "You have finally come."


    A hoarse and gruffly voice reached Darren''s ears. He looked up and found that the sound emanated from a transparent ripple that floated high up in the air. The ripple danced in the air and gradually formed into the shape of an ape.


    The ape seemed quite aged with the appearance resembling the Giant Ape. The only difference was that this ape was much smaller in size and was almost as tall as a human.


    "Sir!" Although the ape was only a shadow, Darren cupped his hands and bowed to him modestly.


    "I am just a shadow created from a rule power. The purpose of my dwelling here is to teach you the knowledge about the rule cultivators. But you ought to know that my cultivation method is different from you human beings. Mine is a lot like what you humans call it black magic. Because of that, I cannot teach you powerful fighting skills directly. Instead, I can only offer you suggestions when you are at a loss for what to do next. The final decision is still yours to make," the ape stated with an authoritative voice.


    "I understand!" Darren answered and nodded his head in agreement.


    "Now, I will explain to you the basic principle of becoming a rule cultivator. The road to being a rule cultivator is nothing different from all the other cultivation methods in the world. The powerful skills that rule cultivators possessed originated from the forces of the heaven and earth and the Universe Rule, of course. Powerful as they are, they still cannot match up to the genuinely prominent rule cultivators in strength. A compelling one can easily comprehend the true rules through the Universe Rule.


    For instance, human rule cultivators can perform such means of attacks like Wind Blade and Wind Spear with the help of the Wind Rule. Those means all belong to the basic standard of utilization. The compelling r


    lity at the moment. At the same time, it is complicated to explain as well. Let me ask you a question first! You are holding both blade and sword intents in you. That means you are cultivating the conflicting martial arts skills, am I right?" the ape questioned.


    "Yes, it is true that I am cultivating the conflicting martial arts skills." Although still confused, Darren answered the ape''s question obediently.


    "Do you know what the cruelest Conflicting Cultivation is?" The ape continued to ask Darren strange questions.


    ''The cruelest Conflicting Cultivation?


    Is it Ice and Flame Cultivation? Or is it Blade and Sword Cultivation? Or the Feminine and Masculine Cultivation?''


    Darren''s mind swiftly went over all the skills he had known that were conflicting with each other.


    After a while, he seemed to have realized the correct answer to the question. He knew all this time that all the conflicting martial arts skills were nothing but martial arts cultivation. What about the rule cultivation?


    "Do you mean that cultivating the martial arts and rules at the same time is the cruelest Conflicting Cultivation?" Darren blurted out. The thought was so abominable that he himself was even astonished by his answer.

 Chapter 452 Choosing The Rule Formulas (Part One)

    The ape nodded his head in approval, and added, "Yes, you are right. In fact, the cruelest Conflicting Cultivation in the world are cultivating rules and martial arts at the same time!"


    "But, isn''t... Sir, I have seen someone who is rule cultivator and martial artist at the same time, and she is also good at both. But nothing strange has happened to her. Why is that?" Darren immediately thought of Hailey when they talked about practicing martial arts and rule cultivation together. She was very skilled at both.


    As for martial arts, Hailey practiced Primitive Feminine and Primitive Masculine skills at the same time, and she was even more powerful than Darren. Not only that, she was a very good rule cultivator as well. At the very least she could only use her power of a rule cultivator to kill a two-star grand warrior. That was pretty impressive by any standard.


    "Well, there are indeed the kind of people you have seen. They exist. But eventually, they have to choose one of both cultivations. And they need to make the choice before getting into the Holy Realm. It''s imperative. So, it''s okay to practice both martial arts and rule cultivation before that for the time being."


    "So, you mean that martial artists who reach the Holy Realm can never be a rule cultivator simultaneously. Did I understand you correctly, sir?" Darren asked, puzzled and wondering why.


    "Yes, you are right. The Holy Realm is a very delicate and mysterious realm. If someone who is also a rule cultivator before he or she gets in the Holy Realm, then he or she will definitely have to give it up so they''d have a chance to get into the realm. It''s a must and a condition in order to get into the realm."


    "Then what about rule cultivators? I mean, is it the same for them too? Can a po


    a lot of effort, Darren finally understood.


    The knowledge that Darren had received included every detail about all kinds of rules and countless ways to practice different branches of the rules. There were also many tricks of how to get started. He was sure that they would help him a lot in the future. He realized there was so much he didn''t know.


    "All right, get in the first floor of the tower to choose the rule formulas. I don''t care what formulas or what rules you choose. But remember, you can''t choose too many of them. You can only choose three rule formulas at most. I''m serious about it. You hear me? I don''t want any mistakes now!" With that last warning, the ape waved his hand and sent Darren into the One Rule Tower. The last warning kept echoing in Darren''s ears.


    Once he got into the One Rule Tower, there were countless shimmering screens appearing in front of his eyes. On the screens, there were some ancient words carved, which Darren looked closely at.


    He realized they were all introductions of the rules and the formulas. He was fascinated.


    "The Fire Rule includes the True Fire, the Fantastic Fire, the Burning Fire, the Dark Fire, the Cold Fire..."

 Chapter 453 Choosing The Rule Formulas (Part Two)

    Darren skimmed over them randomly. There were thousands of branches under the Fire Rule. And there were even smaller branches under each branch.


    "The Hiding Rule, the Wind Rule, the Shackle Rule, the Spatial Rule, and the Avatar Rule... Wow, there are just too many rules. How can I learn all these rules..."


    Darren was flying in front of the countless screens at a very fast speed, reading the introductions of the rules. At the same time, he was considering which rules he should choose. He had to be very wise in choosing the three rules.


    "I have dabbled in the Wind Rule and the Rule of the Earth. And I have also learned a little about the Avatar Rule. But the Avatar Rule I know came with the inheritance skill of the Dragon Blood Clan, and it''s different from the Avatar Rule of a rule cultivator. So should I choose that one?


    Not only that, I have the flame intent and the ice intent too. They are two small branches of the Fire Rule and the Water Rule. Well, I''ll just consider that I have dabbled in both of them then. It seems that I''d better choose formulas of other rules," Darren muttered to himself, carefully considering the rules he''d choose.


    His goal for now was to get into the Red Inferno Sect, so he''d better choose some rule formulas that were practical. Maybe this would be helpful for him. He needed to focus.


    "Oh, the Illusion Rule is great!" It seemed he had found a useful rule.


    Darren saw that there was a rule formula called the Copying Skill under the Illusion Rule. He was intrigued.


    He was interested in the Illusion Rule only after he read the description of the Copying Skill rule formula. It sounded extremely interesting.


    The Copying Skill rule formula was a branch of the Illusion Rule. And as its name suggested, wh


    pirit Power got stronger because that way, he could practice them at a faster speed, and he would have greater stamina.


    ''Well, I am now at level 18 of the Spirit Power. I should master these simple rule formulas in 10 days maximum, '' he thought proudly.


    "I can only choose one last rule formula. Which one should I get? They''re all so tempting," Darren mumbled to himself. He was hesitant. He looked around, flew around and skimmed the descriptions of several rule formulas in order to help him decide.


    After deep consideration for some time, Darren decided to choose a rule formula that had something to do with speed. He had dabbled in the Wind Rule before, so he could practice a formula of speed under the rule much faster. Besides, it would also be easier and more convenient for him to run when he was in danger. He knew he had made the right choice.


    "This is it, the Hurricane Teleportation Skill! I can''t believe it!" After silently giving it some consideration for a while, he finally made up his mind.


    If Darren fully mastered the Hurricane Teleportation Skill, he could then teleport anywhere, thereby achieving some effect of the Spatial Rule. That was it!

 Chapter 454 Sneaking In

    "Though one can only teleport for 100 feet after mastering this rule formula, the special part is that there''s no incantation needed; only the movement of Spirit Power is required, which makes it a very special skill to acquire." Darren briefly checked through.


    This formula was also very helpful during battles among martial artists because powerful attacks could be dodged by teleporting a distance of 100 feet. It was indeed a precious skill. It was also useful for escaping; as long as one had enough Spirit Power, this technique could be used infinitely. The trick was to have enough Spirit Power.


    After choosing the three rule formulas, Darren returned to where the ape was, who was expecting him.


    "You''ve chosen your formulas, and the method of training is also passed on to you. Now the rest depends on you alone. No one can do it for you. There''s one more thing that you need to know: your Spirit Power is at level 18 now, but don''t hastily surpass level 36. Something unexpected can happen to you, and you won''t like it," the ape warned him, hoping he would heed the warning.


    ''Do not surpass level 36?''


    Darren had heard of what could happen to him if he did so. A witcher told him that Spirit Power over level 36 could cause its owner to become the witcher itself!


    Strictly speaking, a witcher was not considered a human being anymore; in fact, it was, another kind of species.


    However, it also meant one more thing. Normally, no matter how powerful a rule cultivator was, his Spirit Power level would not be over 36.


    "I know, I know, so I''ll control myself, how hard can it be?" Darren replied with a question.


    "There''s no need for control though, but the awakening of the Spirit Power can be very difficult, especially after level 20. It may take over decades or hundreds of years to increase even one level. After level 30, thousands of years are considered short.


    Even if you have some special methods to obtain Spirit Power, reaching level 30 within a thousand years is difficult and hard, to say the least. The Spirit Power of my real body just barely passed level 30, but with the rule formulas of the demonic monsters, I could easily defeat an inferior holy warrior without any effort at all," the ape said nonchalantly.


    "Oh, really?" Darren gasped with shock, "Rule formulas mastered with the Spirit Power of merely level 30 can be so horrifying? I''ve heard that some witchers have even reached level 72. How powerful is that! I can''t imagine what they are capable of!"


    "You''ve heard of the witcher, haven''t you?" Surprised, the ape looked at Darren and calmly replied, "As far as I know, a person doesn''t necessarily become stronger after level 36, even though his Spirit Power''s level increase further, due to the fact that rule


    rs.


    Other rule cultivators would be frightened with shock if they knew he learned all three rule formulas within such a short time. They would also be intimidated. Normally, a rule cultivator with Spirit Power of level 18 would require at least two years to master these three formulas. But Darren was far from normal.


    His silvery eyes made it possible for him to shorten such an immense amount of time. The pupil could directly perceive the rules, so he did not need an extensive length of time to detect and unearth them, like others did.


    Darren released the dead body of the black-robed man, and copied his appearance, and then collected every item it owned.


    After that, he took out the true soul token, and scanned for the position of the Red Inferno Sect.


    "It''s located at a place 30, 000 miles away from the barren mountains. I can certainly get there in half a day." Darren had finally found it.


    Whiz! Whiz!


    Darren soared into the sky.


    Winds by his ears echoed as Darren accelerated to his maximum speed. He was already near the palace in half a day''s time, as he had correctly estimated.


    He landed a few miles away from the palace of the Red Inferno Sect, and walked with great speed before he found himself standing in front of it.


    On the surface, everywhere appeared deserted, but with the true soul token, a huge palace could be seen, firmly standing in the mountains, a world beyond a world.


    Darren stepped forward, and a great wave of rule power rushed at him, suppressing everything within its region. It took him by great surprise!


    "Oh, my! It is such a powerful attack of a rule array. Even a three-star grand warrior cannot survive if he steps in without caution."


    Darren immediately comprehended how powerful the Sect-protecting Rule Array was, with his profound knowledge of rule cultivation now.

 Chapter 455 The Interrogation (Part One)

    From the knowledge that Darren gained from the ape, he knew that the Sect-protecting Rule Array set up by the rule cultivators included three small arrays, the Killing Array, the Restriction Array and the Illusion Array. He was grateful to the ape for that knowledge. Each of the three arrays could be used individually. If one wanted to use more than one of them at the same time, it would be more difficult than using only one.


    The moment Darren stepped inside the Sect-protecting Rule Array, he felt that the three kinds of arrays were all activated. With the three of them combined together, the power could kill a three-star grand warrior! He must be careful!


    ''If I didn''t get the true soul token and got here accidentally, I would have already been dead by now! What a trap!'' Darren thought to himself, feeling extremely lucky to be alive.


    After a while, the Sect-protecting Rule Array detected that Darren had the true soul token with him. Only then did the frightening aura of the array disappear.


    While the big array calmed down, a person dressed in gray appeared in front of Darren''s eyes all of a sudden, startling him a little. Who could it be, Darren wondered.


    "Master Kaleb, why are you back this late? The young master is dead furious. I''m afraid that even if you have finished the task, he still won''t forgive you. You have no idea the state he''s in," the gray-robed man said hurriedly with a worried look on his face, after using his Spirit Power to check Darren''s identity.


    Darren was sure that he didn''t find out his true identity, and he silently let out a small sigh of relief before opening his mouth and answering, "Something happened. I almost couldn''t make it back. I will explain it to the young master myself. No need to worry."


    Darren was identical to the dead black-robed ma


    opinion. In either case, something was wrong.


    "Shut up, will you? Just direct the way! Lead me to it!" Darren demanded harshly. Reading the man''s memory had used much of Darren''s Spirit Power, and that was why he appeared to be tired. Darren immediately stopped using the tiring skill once he gained some useful information. He was irritable because he was tired.


    The gray-robed man couldn''t help but shudder a bit at hearing Darren''s harsh tone. He had thought that Kaleb became much nicer after coming back from his task, but it seemed that he was awfully wrong. He was still the bitchy guy he once was. Nothing had changed. ''Ha! The young master will definitely punish you, Kaleb!'' he thought viciously and vindictively.


    "Okay, okay. Please come with me, Master Kaleb, follow me this way." The gray-robed man appeared to be polite, but underneath he was full of insults.


    Once they stepped inside the palace complex, Darren was utterly shocked. He did not expect this.


    To say that the place was huge was an understatement. Countless palaces were situated among the mountains and rivers, like a sleeping dragon. Darren couldn''t even tell where the beginning was nor the end was. He was mesmerized.

 Chapter 456 The Interrogation (Part Two)

    He knew from the memory he read that there were more than one hundred thousand disciples in the Red Inferno Sect. And most importantly, many of them were very powerful. He had to be very discerning.


    Faced with such a huge sect, it became even more difficult for Darren to find and save his sister. But he was not going to give up that easily.


    Walking for a while, Darren followed the gray-robed man into a huge and magnificent palace. Darren looked around him to take in the magnificence of the place.


    There weren''t too many people in the palace. There were about a dozen men. The man who was sitting in the very front in a careless way seemed to be in his thirties. On his left side stood a skinny older man while on his right side was a black-robed young man. The rest were attendants.


    "How dare you, Kaleb Yu! How dare you? Huh?"


    As soon as Darren stepped in the huge palace, the young man sitting in the front slapped his hand on the big chair in anger, and stared at Darren with dead fury inside his eyes, as if he wanted to kill him right there and now.


    "Please forgive me, young master! I beg you, please forgive me!" Darren tried his best to act, or he would be in big trouble if he was discovered. He knelt down on the ground, cupped his hands and bowed down to the young master. He even almost groveled.


    "Someone get him out of here and kill him! Get him out of here now!" The young man shouted angrily without even demanding an explanation. He was furious.


    "What? Why, please no!" Darren almost couldn''t believe his ears. A frown formed on his face. He had to find a way out.


    "What? What now? Are you trying to disobey the young master''s order? Has it come to


    o was in dilemma. The words were already out, but in the bead left by the dead black-robed man, there were only more than 700 souls. What should he do right now? He needed to think quickly.


    If he told the truth, all the effort he had put in this disguise would have been in vain. Not only that, he would be in danger as well. He was hoping a better idea would come to him.


    The young master seemed to be a very powerful man. Even Darren couldn''t tell his true strength at all, which made him all the more dangerous. Not only that, the man that made Darren worry the most was the skinny older man standing beside the young master. His dark eyes seemed to be piercing through Darren''s soul. And his Spirit Power was so strong that it made Darren gasp. He felt surrounded from all sides.


    Darren could tell that he must be an extremely strong rule cultivator! Yes indeed! Besides, if they discovered Darren''s true identity when he was in the Red Inferno Sect, he would be doomed. Countless powerful rule cultivators would be coming to kill Darren, and it would be almost impossible for him to escape. He was trapped for now.

 Chapter 457 Investigate Kaleb’s Spatial Treasure (Part One)

    Darren, who had disguised himself as Kaleb after killing him, was panicking. He had a wild thought about what he should do if he couldn''t deliver enough souls of the dead to the young master of the Red Inferno Sect.


    Although Darren looked calm on the surface now, his heart was thudding in his chest.


    "As my spatial treasure is broken, I can''t get them out yet," Darren answered at once.


    "Broken? I think you just lied to all of us. The fact is that you can''t deliver anything to our young master. As for the matters of where you have been and what you have done recently, I have doubts about them," Kaleb''s younger brother, who was standing next to Darren, commented instantly. As soon as the opportunity arose, he would seize the chance to put his elder brother''s life in danger. Apparently, the two brothers didn''t get along with each other and even hated each other.


    "Bradley Yu, you are going too far this time!" Darren snarled. He knew that he had to behave like Kaleb and avoid showing signs of weakness if he didn''t want others to suspect him.


    After Darren finished speaking, he took a threatening step toward Kaleb''s younger brother, Bradley Yu.


    Of course, Darren would not attack Bradley, because Kaleb''s rule cultivation skill was different from what Darren had grasped. If he attacked Bradley, Darren would expose his true identity to others.


    "Stop your quarreling now," the young master ordered sternly. Yet, he appeared relaxed when he saw Kaleb''s aggressiveness. It meant that Kaleb could have finished collecting the number of souls that he had wanted. As the young master of his sect, he didn''t want to kill Kaleb. Deep inside, he knew how vital Kaleb was to him. Earlier, when he threatened to kill Kaleb, he was bluffing. Killing him would be equal to cutting off


    o be unreasonable based on his understanding of Kaleb''s personality. After reading the memory of the disciple in gray, Darren had learned that Kaleb was extremely concerned about privacy, reputation, and honor, which was a well-known fact.


    "You mean, even Elder Judah doesn''t have the right to review your spatial treasure? Don''t you realize that you have insulted Elder Judah by saying that? Or you are afraid that your lie will be exposed, and therefore, you are protecting yourself at the cost of offending Elder Judah?" Bradley pressed his brother hard. He didn''t give up his aggressiveness toward Kaleb at all. He knew he had to strike his brother while the situation favored him.


    At that moment, Darren was aware that he couldn''t compromise and let the old man investigate his spatial treasure. The fiercer their argument grew, the more frustration and trouble Bradley would meet later.


    After Bradley made such a comment, the old man became greatly annoyed by Darren''s words. ''What does he mean by ''he can''t allow others to investigate his personal belongings freely''? Even the young master will respect me in public. Why can''t I investigate his stuff?'' the older man thought irritably.

 Chapter 458 Investigate Kaleb’s Spatial Treasure (Part Two)

    "Hey, brat, I insist on examining your spatial treasure today. How are you going to stop me?" he questioned Darren coldly. There was even a sense of murderous intent in his eyes!


    "Elder Judah, in the presence of the young master, it''s not good to press me so hard, right?" Darren replied. "Elder Judah, you have a distinguished status in our sect. If you want to investigate my spatial treasure by force, I will not stop you. However, I still have to say that I strongly disagree and protest!"


    "How dare you?" the old man burst out after hearing Darren.


    "Well, Elder Judah, don''t get so angry at Kaleb. You know his personality quite well. You also know that he doesn''t mean to offend you," the young master soothed the old man. Then, he said to Darren, "Kaleb, I order you to let Elder Judah examine your treasures now. Even if others find out about this later, they''ll know that Elder Judah is following my orders. In that case, you won''t feel ashamed, right?"


    Darren hesitated, and then said, "Since it is our young master''s command, I will not disobey. But I have a small request before the investigation is carried out."


    "You still want to raise a request? You are just prolonging the commencement of the investigation! Let''s wait and see how long you can delay," Bradley sneered. When he heard the young master ask Elder Judah to investigate his brother, Bradley couldn''t be more joyful. He was almost 99 percent sure that his brother couldn''t deliver enough souls.


    "Shut up! You''ve talked too much!" the young master yelled at Bradley. Then, he turned to Darren and said, "Tell me about your requirement."


    When the y


    .


    "That''s very good!" The young master was delighted. He stood and patted his seat, before he asked, "Elder Judah, can you release them?"


    "Yes, I can. But once I get the soul beads out, Kaleb''s spatial treasure will be completely ruined. Therefore, I need his consent to remove the soul beads," the old man said carefully. Obviously, he was more polite to Darren now.


    "I agree," Darren said and nodded at once.


    The old man then released his Spirit Power and shattered Darren''s spatial treasure to remove three soul beads from it. One was Kaleb''s original bead and the other two were the metal balls that Darren put inside just now.


    "Hmm? Why do you have two metal beads, which are different from our sect''s soul beads?" Bradley raised his doubt at once. His face was pale at that time, but his mind was still very clear. As soon as he saw the three beads, he noticed that two were different. He quickly seized the opportunity to fight back.


    "These two resemble those from the Soul Hunter Sect!" the old man blurted out. He frowned, and his face became cold and sharp again.

 Chapter 459 Reward As A Guard (Part One)

    Known for the ruthless battles they made and their mordacious way of killing their enemies, the Soul Hunter Sect was popularly known as one of the three big evil sects in the eastern land as well.


    One would think that the Red Inferno Sect was the most prominent, most influential, and vilest sect among the three. But in fact, that was just a myth.


    For all intents and purposes, the Soul Hunter Sect was the most terrifying sect among them. Despite that fact, there hadn''t been any news about them over a hundred years by now. Moreover, nobody had seen nor located them. Thus, ordinary folks thought that the entire Soul Hunter Sect was probably wiped out by some mysterious, influential martial artist or some arcane forces. These past few years, however, news about sightings of members of the Soul Hunter Sect were out again¡ªa solid proof that the sect still existed.


    "Why do you have two beads of the Soul Hunter Sect, huh?" The young master of the Red Inferno Sect''s face became stone cold in the blink of an eye.


    Bradley, who was standing beside them the whole time, didn''t say a word. He just stared at Kaleb with an evil smirk on his face. The Soul Hunter Sect and the Red Inferno Sect were enemies, and their rivalry dated back to antiquity and originated from a very long history. Now that Kaleb possessed things that belonged to the Soul Hunter Sect, even if he finished the young master''s task, he would still be severely punished. The mere thought of his brother being punished made Bradley extremely glad.


    "They are..." Darren opened his mouth to explain. He was not worried at all because he had come up with a perfect excuse to flummox them, in his opinion.


    "Keep lying and making up ex


    soul was stranded before, and I almost died. But that''s also the reason why I was able to kill the disciples of the Soul Hunter Sect. When they let their guard down, I used a treasure I got by accident and suppressed their soul attack. Not only that, the attack backfired and killed the two disciples, momentarily. That''s when I got the two soul beads.


    I have to say that it was a dangerous move. But I am not afraid to die for our young master at all!"


    As much as he could, Darren used every small chance to show the young master his loyalty.


    "What is that treasure that helped you resist a soul attack?" as he grew curious with Darren''s story, the older man asked. He was aware that a soul attack from the Soul Hunter Sect was powerful and strong, and no one could easily resist it. If what Kaleb had said was true, then how could a treasure help him kill two powerful opponents when his soul was about to disappear?


    Hearing his question, Darren took off the ring that the old red-robed man gave him and said, "I got this ring from a tomb years ago, and it has been with me ever since. I discovered its use by accident one time."

 Chapter 460 Reward As A Guard (Part Two)

    While explaining himself, he handed the ring to the older man to let him have a closer look at the treasure.


    With the ring on his hand, the older man inspected it for a while, then used his Spirit Power to test its spiritual force. After a few moments, he found that the treasure was indeed very useful in resisting a soul attack from rule cultivators.


    "He wasn''t lying. This thing can even resist about ninety percent of my soul attack. If he uses it without being noticed, it would be easy for him to kill someone whose Spirit Power was one level higher than him," the older man said honestly while still holding the ring in his hand with extreme caution.


    "No way! Why didn''t I know that you have such a powerful treasure?" hearing the words from the older man, Bradley questioned sharply. His eyes widened in shock because he couldn''t believe that was what really happened.


    "You are so ridiculous! Why would I tell you about it? I bet you also have some treasures that can save your life, and you never told me, huh? What? Do you want to show us what you''ve got?" Darren retorted back in an equally sharp tone. Bradley immediately fell silent.


    "Hahaha, good. Given that explanation, now everything''s clear!" At this time, the young master stood up and clapped his hands. He walked to stand beside Darren and said to him, "You really risked your life to finish the task, and you suffered much. I almost punished you by mistake. To show you my apology, I will send a reward to your place when we are finished here. I know that you all want the best for our sect, and that''s why you two argued. Kaleb, please don''t mind your brother."


    Hearin


    plotting a plan in his mind. He thought that the set-up would be an excellent chance to lay hold of the young master and force his sister''s whereabouts out from his mouth.


    Though Darren was aware that the young master of the Red Inferno Sect was a very powerful rule cultivator, he also knew that everyone was at his weakest when he was breaking through, no matter how powerful he was. So it would be easy for Darren to take control of him during that time because he would be too enfeebled to fight back.


    "You can go now," the young master bid Darren.


    "Yes, young master."


    Showing his respects, Darren bowed to the young master one last time before he turned around to leave. Before he left, he winked at Bradley, who had been silently fuming the whole time. The corners of Darren''s mouth lifted into a dangerous smile, making Bradley''s heart skip a beat in fright. He almost started shuddering under that cold smirk.


    ''That...That smile is so horrifying. What could that smile mean?'' Bradley thought to himself, as he felt that there was something unusual on the way his brother acted.

 Chapter 461 Lure Darren Out To Kill Him

    Immediately after Darren left, the expression of the young master of the Red Inferno Sect changed.


    He turned to Bradley and fumed, "You want to force my hand to get rid of your elder brother, Kaleb, don''t you? It is too presumptuous of you to do so.


    How dare you try to take advantage of me? Do you wish for death?"


    The young master''s angry outburst shocked Bradley.


    He fell to the ground and trembled with fear, as he explained, "No! No! I suspect that something is wrong with Kaleb. That is why I ventured to speak about it. I have absolutely no intention of taking advantage of you. I did it only for your safety and for the sake of our sect. Please trust me." Tears of terror welled in Bradley''s eyes.


    "Leave now! Don''t play your silly tricks before me, or I will send you to the Soul-refining Pool to be the sacrificed next time," the young master muttered.


    "Thank you, young master." Bradley bowed his head and thanked the young master for his forgiveness. Then he crawled away from the young master.


    "Humph, this guy is getting more and more arrogant," the young master said coldly after Bradley left.


    "Since he is so bold, why don''t you punish him or demote him?" Elder Judah, who was standing beside the young master, asked with a mischievous smile when he heard that.


    "We have always known that there is a long-standing dispute between the two brothers. Giving them equal status is a way to ensure that there is a system of checks and balances between them. They will make every effort to catch each other''s mistakes if it benefits their progress. In that case, I don''t need to waste resources confirming whether they''re loyal to me, as they will do it for me," the young master replied.


    "Ha-ha! You are really shrewd," Elder Judah laughed as he admired the young master''s intelligence.


    Then he continued, "But isn''t letting Kaleb join the guardians too big a reward?" Elder Judah took the opportunity to voice his concerns.


    "It doesn''t matter. The Spirit Power emitted when I make the breakthrough is of no use to me," the young master explained casually.


    "But I agree with Bradley. Kaleb does seem a little strange," the elder said while frowning.


    "Oh? What do you mean? He gave a clear explanation about what happened before. Did I miss a detail?" The young master was confused.


    "Yes, his explanation was clear. However, the clearer his explanation was, the more problematic he became.


    He seemed to have a good head on his shoulders today. He provoked Bradley all the time, which is different from his past behavior. It is t


    ious smile morphed his features.


    "Do you want to kill me?" Darren asked.


    "Why not? I''ve wanted to kill you since you stole my lover. But I held back the urge because I wanted her to be happy. However, you failed to protect her! Someone killed her! I vowed to kill you when I learned of her death!" Blue veins stood out on his temples as Bradley yelled.


    "If you kill me today, aren''t you afraid that the young master will blame you?" Darren sniffed.


    Hearing this, Bradley asked, "If I were scared, would I bring you here? No one would know that you died here. Even if they learn of your death, I won''t leave any evidence to show that I killed you. My avatar is drinking with Mr. Lan in his room right now. My alibi would speak for me." Bradley thought his scheme was flawless.


    "By the way, I have to say that you have changed a lot. You would never have chased me in the past. But today, you did. So foolish," Bradley gloated.


    "So everything is going according to your plan. Are you sure that you can kill me?" Darren asked.


    "Don''t I know what you''re capable of? It''s easy enough for me to kill you!" Bradley bellowed. In the next instant, runes gleamed on his body.


    Earlier, when Darren fought Kaleb, he couldn''t win on his own. Now that he was facing a rule cultivator whose strength was even more terrifying, how could he win?


    More importantly, since Darren was in the Red Inferno Sect, if he called the Water Kylin for aid, it would attract other people''s attention. The Water Kylin couldn''t be of help to Darren. He was alone and had a slim chance of winning!


    Surprisingly, Darren smiled confidently and took a few steps forward, "That sounds like a coincidence. I want to kill you, too."

 Chapter 462 The Bonanza (Part One)

    "This is so unlike you, all calm and confident. Do you even realize that you are about to die now? Has it even sunk in yet?" Bradley figured that he could definitely kill Kaleb today so he decided to take his time with his prey without any intention of rushing anything as he did not want to spoil the fun. After all, in addition to his incomparable power, this place had been rigged with a rule array that he had prepared for many years, so there simply was no way for Kaleb to escape. Absolutely no way. Bradley made damn sure of that.


    "Well, at least you got one thing right. I am indeed unlike Kaleb. Just see for yourself if you don''t believe me!" Darren knew that Bradley must have placed a lot of traps and array that most certainly sealed this place airtight in order to kill Kaleb, so no one else could possibly know even if he revealed his true identity. Bradley had it all planned out, and Darren was stuck.


    "What the hell? What is going on here? Who are you? Where is...? How did you get in here?" Bradley instantly grew solemn when he saw Darren, instead of Kaleb, standing in front of him. This man clearly was not Kaleb. Bradley was taken aback by this sudden turn of events as many thoughts rushed through his head. He needed to get a grip on the situation and resume control.


    "Since I am not the real Kaleb, how about we sit down and have a benign conversation? I promise I''m not a danger to you," Darren inquired as an attempt to find a clue regarding the whereabouts of his sister. He figured that Bradley might know something about it. He needed to speak to him to find out.


    "No, where is Kaleb? What did you do to him? Have you killed him? Where is he?"


    Bradley was antagonized and rattled, which greatly surprised Darren who thought they could change the subject now that Bradley saw him and realized he wasn''t Kaleb.


    "I killed him. There, are you happy now? I helped you get rid of him. Don''t you think that you should be grateful to me? What do you say? Kaleb is dead and I am here and we need to talk," Darren answered coldly, but he was slightly irritated at the whole situation.


    "Grateful? Are you kidding me? You must be out of your mind! How dare you kil


    along with a formidable dark gold internal force. It seemed Darren was about to fight after all.


    "Ah! Ah! You are a martial artist! How could I miss that? A martial artist who has mastered the Teleportation Skill! Who taught you? It takes years to master that skill!" Bradley''s face suddenly changed as he shouted out of surprise and awe at the martial artist he was facing and about to fight.


    However, Bradley only panicked for a second before he regained his composure. He immediately unleashed the Earth Shield to defend himself against Darren''s attack. He knew he could beat Darren''s martial arts skills.


    The fact that Darren was quite a powerful martial artist shocked Bradley, so he started taking him seriously and directed all his energy to form the Earth Shield to cover his back. He was determined to win this battle.


    The way he saw it, this defense was fused with all his energy, which was more than enough to withstand Darren''s attack. He was very confident that he would be safe. In fact, he knew he would be safe, because the Earth Shield was a mighty power.


    It was almost amusing for Bradley to see Darren, who was only a martial artist with the pathetic strength that was equivalent to a one-star grand warrior, trying to kill him as he knew that Darren''s efforts would be in vain, and it could only end up with him killing Darren instead. He looked forward to that indeed. Bradley did not see any other way. He would make sure of that.

 Chapter 463 The Bonanza (Part Two)

    Clang! Clang!


    Darren''s attack landed directly on Bradley''s Earth Shield, and he only managed to push him back a little bit instead of causing any harm to him, which was just as Bradley anticipated. It was already working according to Bradley''s plan.


    "Ha-ha, I infused a strand of defensive rule formula of the inferior true rule into my shield. If you were a three-star grand warrior, it would not have been enough to stop you. Too bad that you are only a one-star martial artist trash! Now it is my turn! And you will be defeated like you have never been before in your life!" Bradley rambled coldly to himself, but with a hot boiling fury inside him.


    Slash! Slash!


    A sound of a sword piercing through a body stopped Bradley''s rambling dead in its track. He was struck dumb where he stood, and he slowly turned to look at Darren with horror in his eyes. Slowly he lost control over his body and started shaking.


    "You...have....you...I..." He could no longer speak as he began to choke on the blood that was gushing out of his month. It was a gruesome sight.


    Right in front of him stood another martial artist, with the exact same look and strength as the one behind him, and he was the one who pierced his chest with the sword intent. It was another Darren and a puzzling moment.


    "Surprised to see me here, I bet? Don''t drop your jaws yet. There''s plenty of time for that later on. Just keep watching!" Darren said indifferently. And copies of Darren began to appear one after another. Within minutes, there were nine Darrens standing in this place, of the same look and the same strength. No one could tell them apart, and Darren was very proud of this skill.


    "Phuuuu huuuuu!" A projectile of blood came out of Bradley''s mouth, and he fell to his death with surprise and hatred in his eyes. He convulsed a bit before finally breathing his last breath, dying eyes wide open, as if he didn''t want to miss a thing.


    After Darren had killed Bradley, he immediately assimilated his Spirit Power, improving his Spirit Power to a higher level, which had some unexpected achievements. There were powers Bradley had that Da


    Darren picked up the bottle for a closer look, and he saw that there were a couple of characters of the rule cultivation runes carved on it, which made it all the more mysterious.


    Because Darren had vast knowledge of rule cultivation, he immediately recognized these characters to be "rule power blockade." He stopped for a moment.


    Then he recollected his composure and when Darren saw these characters, he immediately found the relevant information from his rich knowledge about this rule power blockade. He was immediately impressed.


    "Damn! This is a good stuff! How did Bradley get his hands on this?" Darren was once again overjoyed by this item, ''This may be the thing that gave Bradley the confidence to defeat me. Who would have thought that I could have something like this! Never in a million years would I have ever thought I would possess this. Had Bradley actually used it in our fight, I would have been totally screwed. Phew!''


    After Darren packed up everything, and just when he was about to leave, a powerful Spirit Power penetrated the array that had been set up by Bradley for years, coming straight for Darren. Its strength was palpable.


    "What is it? What could it be? Have I just been spotted? But by whom? Who could be here now?" Darren immediately assumed the appearance of Kaleb. He was able to change into anyone whom he had copied earlier at any time that he needed. Then, he waited.

 Chapter 464 In Danger

    Darren transformed into Kaleb before the Spirit Power could reach Darren and check him.


    As the Spirit Power coming after him was extremely powerful, Darren didn''t plan to run. Besides, it was Bradley who had lured him here to kill him. Why should he be the one to run? Darren had every reason to kill Bradley, and he was not afraid to let them know.


    After a short moment, an elder''s figure appeared in front of Darren. It was Elder Judah!


    The elder''s sharp eyes seemed to be piercing through Darren as he glared at him.


    "You killed Bradley!" The older man glanced at Bradley''s dead body on the ground before exclaiming in a cold tone. He wasn''t even asking because he was sure that it was Darren who had killed the black-robed young man.


    "Yes, I killed him." Darren nodded as he confirmed the accusation. After all, there was no need for him to lie.


    "How dare you? Don''t you realize that you killed the young master''s Left Guard? You will be punished!" the older man scolded.


    "Ha. I will be punished? Maybe. But, as a powerful rule cultivator, I''m sure that you can sense that Bradley placed the restrictions here. Am I right? Don''t you realize that it was Bradley who wanted to kill me in the first place? Of course, I had to fight back! Do you take me for a fool? Why would I allow someone to take my life?" After saying these words, Darren didn''t wait for the elder''s response. He just turned and walked away, disappearing in the dark. He was sure that the older man would believe him and wouldn''t do anything to him without the young master''s order.


    Something flashed through the older man''s eyes as he squinted at Darren''s retreating figure. However, Elder Judah made no move to go after him.


    In fact, what Darren had said was true. He could feel that this place was filled with Bradley''s restriction. And he could easily guess why Bradley had done this. He wanted to kill Kaleb. So, Kaleb really had a good reason for killing Bradley. And even if the older man had stopped Darren from leaving, he couldn''t do anything to him because he was the young master''s right-hand man.


    But, he also had a feeling that Kaleb was getting bolder.


    The older man''s gaze followed Darren long after he was gone. After a while, he turned to leave. But before he left, he checked Bradley''s body to make sure.


    "What? Why do I feel a faint aura of sword intent?" Elder Judah''s eyebrows knitted into a deep frown. Something was wrong about Bradley''s death, and Kaleb was the only suspect.


    Darren walked straight back to the black-robed man''s place and ignored everything else. He was confident that Elder Judah wouldn''t try to punish him. The only thing he could do was tell the young master what Darren had done.


    Darren was not afraid of that. To be honest, what could the young master do about it now? Would he really kill Kaleb to avenge a dead man? Of course, not! He had already lost a loyal guard, and he wouldn''t want to lose another one. The young master was not naive. He knew that he could still us


    to execute his plan flashed through his mind.


    After a short while, Elder Judah walked toward him accompanied by another middle-aged rule cultivator. It was evident that their target was Darren.


    "Mortimer, use your Piercing Eye to check him," Elder Judah said while pointing to Darren.


    "Umm... He''s the young master''s right-hand man. Is it acceptable for us to investigate him, Judah?"


    "Don''t worry. We are doing this for the young master''s safety. Just check him," Judah said firmly. He knew that the young master wouldn''t blame him for suspecting Kaleb''s identity and having someone to check him, even if the result refuted Judah''s suspicions.


    "All right. I haven''t used my Piercing Eye in a long time anyway."


    As the two rule cultivators were communicating through their arcane skills, Darren couldn''t hear them.


    But he could feel a pair of eyes with strong piercing power staring at him.


    ''Damn it! That middle-aged man must have mastered some sort of searching rule formula of the Supreme Vision Rule. He will surely discover my true identity!'' Darren cursed in his heart. He had intentionally memorized the rule formulas of the Supreme Vision Rule in case such a situation happened. This was why he was able to recognize that the middle-aged man must have a way to confirm his true identity.


    If Darren were exposed at this time, with so many powerful rule cultivators and over a hundred powerful arrays protecting the young master, he would not stand a chance against them, even if he called the Water Kylin for help.


    Besides, with so many evil rule cultivators here, the connection he had with the Ancient Void Battlefield might be cut off. Darren''s shoulders sagged when he realized that there was a possibility that he probably couldn''t open the Ancient Void Battlefield, either.


    In that way, death was certain if his true identity was discovered.


    Just as the middle-aged man was about to use his skill to probe him, Darren stood and shouted angrily, "What are you doing?"

 Chapter 465 Expose Darrens Identity

    "Be quiet!"


    the elder with the strongest aura yelled. He had been sitting cross-legged alongside the others.


    "Elder Quentin, I doubt the man''s identity. I asked Mortimer to check him, but the man is resisting!" Judah explained as he stepped forward.


    Elder Quentin was startled by the allegations. He glanced at Darren before releasing his strong Spirit Power to examine Darren''s soul.


    Checking a person''s soul was different from attacking his soul. Thus, the strange stone in Darren''s head wouldn''t strike back.


    After only one scan, sweat trickled down Darren''s forehead. The force was so intense that he almost fell to his knees.


    "I didn''t find anything abnormal. Don''t cause trouble while the young master is cultivating," Elder Quentin concluded after checking Darren''s soul. He had complete faith in his Spirit Power.


    "But the man killed Bradley. When I probed Bradley''s body, I sensed an aura of sword intent. I believe that he is a spy!"


    Although most of the disciples of the Red Inferno Sect were rule cultivators, they also had powerful martial artists to guard the sect. There were a few swordsmen among them. However, since Kaleb had entered rule cultivation in his childhood, he showed no talents as a martial artist. He couldn''t release sword intent. Considering this, the situation was worth investigating.


    Besides, Judah had always been suspicious of Darren. With that, he became more insistent that Darren should be checked.


    "What do you mean?" the powerful elder named Quentin asked. Judah''s explanation had confused him. He was also annoyed as he didn''t care much about this internal bickering. What really mattered to him now was the young master''s breakthrough. If the young master succeeded, then Elder Quentin would earn appreciation and rewards.


    "This..." Judah was stunned speechless. Then he communicated with Mortimer using his spiritual sense. "Mortimer, check him. It would help if we could show that Kaleb is a spy."


    "But if we cannot prove your suspicions, then Elder Quentin will believe that we are deliberately making trouble!" Mortimer hesitated.


    "You don''t care that we have a spy amongst us? Why don''t you believe me? You are driving me mad!" Judah''s voice was laced with fury.


    "Well. Alas!" Mortimer agreed. As they were good friends, Mortimer couldn''t defy Judah, or he would risk offending his friend.


    With no other alternatives, Mortimer summoned his Spirit Power in his eyes as he activated the Supreme Vision Rule. Then, he g


    nded with confidence.


    Elder Quentin nodded and prepared to torture Darren''s soul.


    Boom!


    A light green soul arrow darted into Darren''s mind. It was so forceful that even Darren''s dark ring couldn''t resist it.


    "Ah!"


    "Ah!"


    Two painful screams emerged at the same time. The crowd was taken aback.


    While the first came from Darren, the other scream was from Elder Quentin.


    What was strange was that Darren could quickly return to normal after the attack. However, the strongest elder fell and rolled on the ground with his hands laced behind his head. He was overwhelmed with pain.


    As the soul attack was too powerful, the strange stone in Darren''s head couldn''t resist it entirely. As a result, his soul was torn, which caused Darren great pain. Equally, the soul arrow that wasn''t consumed by Darren rebounded to the elder. Therefore, he was also in agony.


    Thus, Darren realized the limit of the resistance of the strange stone in his mind. He now knew that if the soul attack were stronger than the elder''s, his soul would be severely injured.


    "Kill him!" Elder Quentin ordered as he clenched his teeth in bitter hatred.


    Meanwhile, the rest of the elders used their arcane skills to cure him.


    After hearing the command, the powerful rule cultivators ran toward Darren.


    Over a hundred rule cultivators had been summoned to guard the young master. From among them, some were powerful enough to kill three-star grand warriors. Moreover, the elders'' rule power could slaughter three-star grand warriors at the top level.


    Boom!


    Blade and sword intent exploded around Darren. He wouldn''t await his death without putting up a fight!

 Chapter 466 Use The Rule Power Blockade

    Darren couldn''t handle all the powerful rule cultivators simultaneously. With the restrictions in place, he felt like he was stuck in the mire and couldn''t move a little bit.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Without any hesitation, Darren released all of his tricks at the cultivators.


    But the rule cultivators were so strong that it only took one or two of them to defuse Darren''s attacks.


    Crack! Crack!


    Tens of runes combined and transformed into a long whip. In a flash, the whip lashed Darren on his back, leaving several bone-deep wounds on him.


    And what was worse, the whip was made from a special composition. When it connected with Darren''s back, the whip left that composition in the wounds. Darren was in tremendous agony now!


    As the rule cultivators intended to capture Darren alive, they didn''t deal a fatal blow to him when they noticed how weak he was. Otherwise, they would have killed Darren by now.


    "Ha-ha. He is weak, just like a mouse. When we are tired of playing with him, we will start to interrogate him. After learning what we want to know, we will kill him."


    "He is a rule cultivator and a martial artist. However, his cultivation base is so weak."


    The rule cultivators continued to torture Darren the way that cats played with mice.


    Darren was shocked and also angry. He had secret skills that could have killed at least one powerful cultivator. However, instead of trying to kill them, Darren was thinking about how to escape.


    While struggling to dodge their attacks, Darren took out the white jade bottle from his Space Ring. He had acquired this bottle from Bradley.


    ''The bottle contains the rule power blockade and can be used three times. Every time the bottle is activated, it suppresses one person''s rule power. With this bottle, I could kill three of them!''


    Darren thought. When he first got the white jade bottle, he studied it carefully and found that the principle inside the bottle could block any rule skills that were below the level of true rules.


    But the rule pieces inside the bottle could only be used once on a person. What was more, it could be used on human beings, and on things that were derived from rule powers and rules.


    "Step back. This spy belongs to me!"


    Judah roared and gestured to the others to stop attacking Darren. Then he stepped in front of Darren.


    "You will pay for trying to fool me. You''ll know the true pain of being hit by my dark venomous sting."


    "Judah is cruel and excellent.


    re determined to kill him, Darren shelved his hesitation and used the rule power blockade to break the Protection Domain.


    Suddenly, a black hole appeared above the Protection Domain. In a flash, Darren employed his Hurricane Teleportation Skill to rush into the gap.


    "What? He can teleport? He broke the Protection Domain?"


    "Let''s kill him now!"


    One strong elder produced a snake-shaped rune and shot it at an astonishing speed to the hole above the Domain.


    However, Darren disappeared before the rune could reach him. After a few more seconds passed, the Protection Domain closed again.


    "Damn! He rushed into the Protection Domain. Will he be a danger to the young master?"


    The Red Inferno Sect''s rule cultivators started to panic.


    "How? How could he break into the Protection Domain? That''s impossible!"


    Four elders checked the Protection Domain.


    "He used the rule power blockade. We didn''t anticipate that."


    As the four elders were experienced, they could ascertain what Darren had done.


    Now, everyone was concerned about the young master.


    "Don''t worry. The guy won''t survive in the domain," Elder Quentin, who had just recovered from the rebound of the soul attack, explained confidently.


    "Elder Quentin, since the young master is in the Soul-refining Pool, he can''t use any rule power. He might be severely injured if he tries! So why shouldn''t we be worried?"


    "Ha-ha. Have you heard of the manipulated soldiers?"


    "Oh, I see. Elder Quentin, you placed manipulated soldiers in it? Ha-ha. Then there is no chance for him to survive in the Soul-refining Pool."


    The other four elders were now relieved.

 Chapter 467 They Were About To Rebel

    "What is a manipulated soldier?"


    Some high-ranked rule cultivators present did not know about the manipulated soldiers. And so, they asked the other elders this question.


    "A manipulated soldier is made by cultivators who practice puppet-making. In short, a manipulated soldier is a killing machine without any emotions or sense of pain," one elder explained.


    "That guy is powerful. Do you think that the manipulated soldiers can defeat him?" someone asked.


    "Humph! He is an unknown low-level rule cultivator and a martial artist with power similar to a one-star grand warrior. How can he defeat the manipulated soldiers?


    A manipulated soldier doesn''t have a soul. Even if he has the rule power blockade, he cannot weaken the attack of the manipulated soldiers. Besides, the manipulated soldiers are really powerful. Each of the manipulated soldiers I have put in the pool is as powerful as the top level of a two-star grand warrior. Escaping to the Protection Domain is a terrible idea. He is as good as dead," said Elder Quentin, the most powerful elder. He was brimming with confidence.


    After he finished his explanation, he silently started to heal the injuries to his soul.


    After Darren broke into the Protection Domain, he walked to the side of the deep green pool. Gusts of Spirit Power started to rise as he neared.


    Darren began to feel terrible as several poisons were coursing through him. He stood beside the pool long enough to check the middle for signs of the young master.


    "What? The young master is not in the pool?"


    After detecting the pool, Darren did not feel safe. Suddenly, some chilling auras surrounded him.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Four bodies that seemed to be made of metal appeared beside Darren.


    "What are these? Their killing intent is so strong!"


    Darren was shocked. He looked at the four bodies carefully as he probed them. He sensed no life auras coming from them. But, they emitted another aura that was cold and powerful.


    "The one who breaches the Protection Domain must die!" An emotionless voice broke the silence as it announced Darren''s death sentence.


    The four bodies summoned their weapons and attacked Darren in unison.


    Darren was about to avoid their attack by using the Hurricane Teleportation Skill, but a shield with rule power suddenly appeared and blocked him.


    "How did you come in here?" a voice questioned.


    Darren raised his eyes to find that the young master was staring at him coldly.


    "Young master!" Without any hesitation, Darren fell to his knees.


    Darren could sense that the young master of the Red Inferno Sect hadn''t weakened since entering the Protection Domain. That meant that he hadn''t started to break through yet.


    What had he been waiting for? Darren guessed the answer.


    Now, Darren still had the same aura and appearance as Kaleb. With his power, it was impossible for him to defeat the four cold soldiers. Not to mention, the young master of the Red Inferno Sect was still as strong as before.


    "Yo


    Boom!


    At that moment, the Protection Domain seemed to quiver a little bit. Obviously, someone was attacking it from outside.


    Sensing the attack, the Red Inferno Sect''s young master began to believe Darren''s story. His face reddened as anger coursed through him.


    Outside the Protection Domain, the most powerful elder''s body began to ooze blood when the manipulated soldiers were smashed to pieces. Although the four manipulated soldiers were gifts from one of his friends, he had connected them with his Spirit Power. So, he was severely hurt when the manipulated soldiers were destroyed.


    "This is not good. That guy killed the manipulated soldiers! Our young master is in danger!" the most powerful elder said, regardless of his pain.


    They had not even considered the possibility that their young master had crushed the manipulated soldiers, not Darren!


    The destruction of the four manipulated soldiers disturbed all the rule cultivators. A sense of foreboding filled them as they thought of the consequences! Now that the manipulated soldiers sent to protect the young master had been annihilated, their young master was in great danger. If he died, they would probably be severely punished by the sect leader.


    The only thing they could do was to rush in by force and save their young master.


    The five elders knew that they would die if they burned their souls to open the Protection Domain. Of course, they were unwilling to do that before they tried other ways to open the Protection Domain.


    Plus, they also suspected that the imposter might have other powerful trump cards since he had defeated the four manipulated soldiers. If the five elders burned their souls and died after that, weaker cultivators could not possibly save the young master.


    The best way for them to open the Protection Domain was to use the combined power of all the cultivators!


    But they never thought that their behavior would reinforce Darren''s lies, and compel the young master to think it was the truth!

 Chapter 468 Means To Save His Life (Part One)

    The Protection Domain was continually shaking, signifying that the barrier was breached and was about to knuckle under. The young master of the Red Inferno Sect was green and sweaty in the face sensing the threat of what was happening. He could feel from the trembling and clashing sound that those people outside wanted so badly to get in.


    "Young master, in case they get in here, I will burst my soul to stall them so you can run away and escape!" Darren proposed an escape plan, looking at the worried young master. Yet, deep inside him, he knew that he was not true to his words. He just said those words to show his "loyalty" and to gauge if the young master trusted him or not.


    "Those ungrateful bastards! I knew those old bastards wanted to have my treasures!" the young master of the Red Inferno Sect cursed. It seemed that he had utterly believed in what Darren had said.


    Hearing his words, Darren couldn''t help but feel elated, but he just couldn''t let this emotion show on his face. He was more confident of his plan now that the young master entirely relied his trust on him.


    "Young master, they are really vicious for doing this. How dare they trespass and interrupt you on your cultivation. If they hadn''t been informed that the master are in closed-door cultivation, they wouldn''t have dared to do such things to you! They planned to launch the attack before the master can come out of his cultivation. Not only that, but they also planned to kill you and blame your death on Elder Judah. Elder Judah was so angry and tried to stop them from succeeding in their plans. Unfortunately, he was already killed by them," with a forlorn look on his face, Darren added. The longer he stayed with the young master, the more fabricated his stories got. By this time, telling lies came naturally to him, as if he was born with that talent.


    "What? Is that true? Elder Judah is dead?" the young master asked in surprise.


    "Yes, he''s dead, young master. They torture


    nsing the worry on the panic-stricken face of the young master, Darren couldn''t help but laugh coldly in his heart. The young master was paranoid at this moment. He was testing Darren''s loyalty even at this urgent time!


    "No! I will never do that! I''d rather die protecting you than inheriting the true rule myself, young master!" with his shoulders perplexed in a confident stance, Darren refused in a firm tone. A stern look was cast on his face.


    "Good! You are truly loyal to me!" The young master of the Red Inferno Sect smiled and patted Darren on the shoulder. He was now convinced that he had Darren under his command, and the young man was willing to lay his life for him.


    As a show of appreciating his loyalty, the young master gave four things to Darren for him to use. After this, he made himself ready to get in the pool to break through.


    "Kaleb, you are wounded, absorb the Spirit Power that would flow out of the pool with all your might. It will make you feel better and would help you regain your strength in the fastest time possible."


    "I will. Thank you, young master."


    This time, the young master of the Red Inferno Sect nodded his head and focused all his attention on the pool. Moments later, he jumped in the pool and started absorbing the Spirit Power as much as he could contain.

 Chapter 469 Means To Save His Life (Part Two)

    Substantially, as a rule cultivator, he couldn''t absorb the external Spirit Power and make it all for himself. The only way he could increase his Spirit Power was by cultivating and comprehending, so that he could awaken more Spirit Power.


    Yet, at any rate, there were precious Soul-fixing Stones in the Soul-refining Pool. Coupled with the treasures and the souls inside, the young master could use a secret skill to absorb the Spirit Power. This secret skill was discovered by the master of the Red Inferno Sect from the relics of the Soul Hunter Sect.


    In the meantime, left alone, Darren arranged in an array the four things that the young master gave him.


    The first thing was a very potent rule power shield containing the Protection Rule. It was no weaker than the Protection Domain of the elders.


    With a flicker of his Spirit Power, Darren made the shield cover the entire pool. In that way, even if the rule cultivators managed to wreck open the Protection Domain, it would be challenging for them to break the rule power shield.


    The second thing was the jade bottle that the young master used before. Inside the jade bottle was a golden-armored martial artist. Once again, Darren let out his Spirit Power, added with the arcane skill that the young master taught him, he could use his Spirit Power to control the golden-armored martial artist to fight for him.


    The third thing was a Killing Array. Darren could tell that the Killing Array was much more dominant than the golden-armored martial artist. Not only that, the Killing Array could attack not only one rule cultivator, but many rule cultivators at the same time. Once this array was activated, more than half of the rule cultivators outside would eventually die.


    The last thing was also the most powerful, and it was saved, especially to attack the elders. It was a crystal ball. Inside the ball, there was a small part of the master of the Red Inferno Sect''s


    "Elder Frederic has a point. That guy probably can only disturb the young master''s breaking through. He doesn''t have the power to kill the young master at all."


    "You are awfully wrong! The young master is frail when he is breaking through. Even if he has some treasures to use, he won''t have enough Spirit Power to maintain them. The situation might be the other way around. That impostor is a threat to the young master''s life! Let''s just face it that you aren''t willing to burn your souls to open the Protection Domain! If you don''t open the domain, I will go and report everything to our master even if I risk my life!"


    The people outside were in a heated discussion. They were all afraid that the young master inside would die. Yet, they didn''t know what to do, and they couldn''t reach an agreement.


    "Enough!" the most powerful elder among the group yelled, making everyone silent. He then ordered, "You four, burn a small part of our souls with me to open the Protection Domain. The rest of you wait till the Protection Domain is at its weakest to break it fully. We can''t make any mistakes! Do you hear me?"


    After arguing for a very long time, the elders couldn''t refuse the order anymore. They had no choice but to burn a part of their soul to open the Protection Domain.

 Chapter 470 About To Break In (Part One)

    Burning even a slight hint of a person''s soul would cause substantial damage to the person himself. But this was how it was. It was a unique skill.


    The five elders had no other choice. Back then, in order to make the young master feel safe, they set the Protection Domain very strong, to the astonishment of all. However, a strong young man had broken into it. They could not open the domain even after they had attacked it for quite a long time. Now this was the only method they could figure out how. One by one they tried.


    Under the guidance of the most powerful elder, all the five elders sat down with their legs crossed and activated their arcane skills. They were preparing themselves.


    After a few seconds, all of them had a painful look on their faces and their bodies started to shiver and shake as if they had seizures.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Then, just several seconds later, a soul arrow was shot at the Protection Domain. It was so fast you could hardly see it.


    A large variety of complicated runes on the Protection Domain started to sparkle. Black lightning emerged indistinctly, shimmering and glittering everywhere.


    Whoosh!


    Another soul arrow was shot by the five elders. It precisely hit its target as the elders focused deeply on their goal.


    The Protection Domain could not withstand the powerful attack. It was broken into pieces and disappeared completely without a trace as if it never even existed before.


    "Let''s go! Come on! Hurry up!"


    After burning part of their souls, the five elders could not stand up since they were weak and in great pain. Burning part of one''s soul drained one''s body of great soul energy and the body naturally couldn''t function as normally as before. The other powerful rule cultivators rushed over very swiftly for they had a purpose in mind.


    Bang


    rit Power..." After checking his Spirit Powder, Darren was overjoyed. He could not believe it. He had to check again to be certain.


    His Spirit Power reached the peak of level 25, really close to the top level. This was not an easy stage to reach and many masters trained for years to reach that level.


    After reaching level 20, it was quite difficult to increase the Spirit Power by one level. In order to break through to level 26, the young master of the Red Inferno Sect¡ªwhose Spirit Power had been at stage 24 in the beginning¡ªneeded a pool full of Spirit Power. This was very difficult to come by.


    Actually, increasing the Spirit Power from level 25 to 26 required over ten times more Spirit Power than increasing it from level 24 to 25.


    Therefore, Darren only assimilated less than thirty percent of the Spirit Power from the pool to increase his Spirit Power to level 25. He had gotten to the level he desired for now.


    Darren didn''t assimilate all the Spirit Power in the pool, because he needed the young master of the Red Inferno Sect to kill those powerful rule cultivators outside after his Spirit Power reached level 26, otherwise he could not run away. There was a reason for everything.

 Chapter 471 About To Break In (Part Two)

    Darren could also kill the young master and grasp the basic true rule to kill the rule cultivators outside. Yet he chose not to, yet. It was very dangerous. From memory, Darren knew the inherited-type true rule was restricted to bloodline. If a person from a different bloodline wanted to obtain an inherit-type true rule, his chance of success was one in a million. Besides, if he did not succeed, he would definitely die. Darren had to carefully weigh his options.


    And Darren didn''t dare to try either one.


    As such, it was essential to allow the young master of the Red Inferno Sect to increase his Spirit Power, according to the plan Darren had in mind.


    One day later, the green liquid in the pool had dried out and the young master woke up. Darren did not know what to expect, he was on guard though.


    "What? What is? Where?"


    Frowning, the young master was very unsatisfied and grumpy once he woke up. His face was crumpled up like a tree bark.


    "Young master, has your Spirit Power broken through to a new level? Is it true? Congratulations! This is great news!" Darren pretended to be very happy and elated.


    "Yes indeed it has, quite right." The young master nodded, asking, "But why has my Spirit Power only reached the beginning of level 26? It should have gone much further by my estimation! I planned to increase my Spirit Powder to the upper level of level 26. This is very odd and strange!"


    "It must be due to those bastards outside! Damn them!" Darren said, coldly.


    Hearing this, the young master gritted his teeth, agreeing with Darren, and said angrily, "Humph, give me one more day and I will kill them all! Every last one of them!"


    "I will absolutely try my bes


    n through, he could use the tricks the young master had taught him to kill some of the rule cultivators. But he could not kill the more powerful rule cultivators. If they got the chance to talk with the young master, then the young master would know the truth! Darren must never let this happen!


    Darren tried his best to use his Spirit Power, but the attacks were really powerful, harshly agonizing his spirit. Nonetheless he did his best to continue.


    ''I cannot resist the attacks anymore. I''m trying but I cannot, I simply cannot anymore!'' Darren finally gave up. If he had forced himself to resist anymore, his soul would have been absolutely injured probably beyond repair.


    ''So those five elders used the soul attack method again after they had recovered? I don''t believe it! It simply is not possible. I don''t think they can recover only within one month. Plus, their soul attack before was not as strong as now. So it must be...it must be, no it can''t be...'' Darren thought of one worrying possibility, but he wanted to put it out of his mind.


    That had to be it! There must be a more powerful rule cultivator coming!

 Chapter 472 Killing Spree

    Outside of the Defense Array


    The elders kept their heads down in fear and the other strong cultivators knelt on the ground with heavy hearts.


    "Have you done nothing for more than a month, you idiots? You still haven''t found a way to save Carey?


    If he''s still alive, you useless bastards will be imprisoned for one year. If he''s dead, you will all face your deaths as well! Humph!"


    A middle-aged man in a grey robe glared at everyone.


    "Vice master, we have no other choice. In order to protect Young Master Carey from being disturbed, we set up the strongest Protection Domain. However, the man who sneaked in here was able to enter by using a rule power blockade. We can''t open it," an elder explained as he kept his head down.


    "Bastard! Don''t you know how to ask for help? Why didn''t you tell me right away? If you make any petty excuses again, I will kill you!"


    The middle-aged man, Arnold Chi, was the vice master of the Red Inferno Sect and was Carey Chi''s uncle. His status was second to that of the master of the Red Inferno Sect.


    All of the elders present dared not utter another word. There was a powerful array in the passage which made it so that if the young master didn''t come out, the other remaining elders and powerful disciples couldn''t enter. They thought it was pointless to tell this information to the vice master as it would have made them look exceedingly incompetent.


    In addition, once they informed others of the unfavorable situation, everyone in the Red Inferno Sect would know that they had made an enormous blunder. They wouldn''t be able to escape if the young master was killed.


    Needless to say, most of them thought it was preferable to escape rather than be punished if the young master had been killed. None of them were unwavering and definitely foolish enough to inform the sect and basically turn themselves in.


    However, Arnold Chi had a strong rule cultivation base and thus could break through the Defense Array.


    He had some obligations to attend to outside the sect and had suddenly gone back two days ago. When he received news that Carey was going to break through, he immediately rushed back and went out of his way to see it for himself. He most certainly did not expect to find this situation upon his arrival.


    Arnold''s cultivation base was nearly equal to that of the strongest elder, but he had mastered a basic true rule which he inherited. So at present, his power had surpassed that elder.


    What was the basic true rule?


    If the completed true rule was compared to a big tree, the basic true rule was like the branches of this tree. It could also be said it had all the same basic framework needed for the whole completed true rule.


    Once someo


    eyes flashed in excitement as he hid behind the Killing Array. He could not help but marvel at how powerful it was.


    Many of rule cultivators that were killed could defeat a first stage three-star martial artist grand warrior.


    The fifteen rule cultivators, including the five elders, inched backwards in shock. A moment later, they seemed to be forming a strange but powerful array.


    "If we want to break his array we need to attack its center and crush the crystal core of the rule power," the strongest elder stated.


    Numerous runes came flying towards the center of the Killing Array, making it tremble.


    "He''s a worthy and powerful rule cultivator. The Killing Array''s greatest weakness is in the very center of the array. If they break it, they can without a doubt enter," Darren murmured to himself, eyebrows furrowing as he scowled.


    The Killing Array was immensely powerful, but its weakness could easily be discovered. If the Killing Array was combined with the Illusion Array and the Restriction Array, it had the potential to be the strongest array.


    The ground suddenly shook.


    The rest of the rule cultivators were finally able to break down the Killing Array.


    "I guess it''s time to use the crystal ball. I wonder how strong the soul of the master of the Red Inferno Sect is? Can it kill the rest of the rule cultivators?" Darren then made preparations to execute his last defense.


    "Kaleb, do you hear the voice of rule cultivators? I think I hear them!"


    At that moment, Darren heard Carey''s voice.


    "Damn it! The young master of the Red Inferno Sect has woken up! What should I do if he starts to attack the rule cultivators himself?" Darren''s heart was starting to be filled with apprehension. If Carey somehow managed to contact the rule cultivators, his lie would be exposed.

 Chapter 473 The Last Struggle

    When Darren heard Carey speaking, he didn''t care that the rule cultivators had crossed into the array. He immediately turned his head to look at Carey and asked, "Did you succeed, young master?"


    "I still need about an hour. You have to protect me until then!" Beads of sweat were running down Carey''s face. Clearly, he was at the most crucial moment of the inheritance.


    "Okay. Don''t worry, young master. I will try my best to keep you safe." Darren let out a small sigh of relief after hearing the young master''s words.


    Carey didn''t reply. He fell silent as he concentrated on his inheritance breakthrough. But before that, he employed another small defensive array to safeguard himself. This was another treasure that Carey had brought to protect his life.


    Seeing that the fifteen rule cultivators were about to enter, Darren didn''t have the time to think. He rushed out without a second thought, and at the same time, he put a considerable amount of his Spirit Power into the crystal ball to activate the power of the portion of the master''s soul.


    Earlier, only Carey could activate the crystal ball as he was the master''s biological son. But when Carey gave the crystal ball to Darren, he removed this restriction so that Darren''s Spirit Power could also activate the crystal ball.


    "Huh? The impostor is approaching us! Come on. Let''s kill him!"


    Seeing that Darren was out, the fifteen powerful rule cultivators used their rule power to launch attacks at him with all their might.


    All kinds of powerful weapons, blades, hurricanes, Shackle Runes, and even thunder were aimed at Darren, in unison.


    Darren was now facing over ten different kinds of attacks!


    To the rule cultivators'' surprise, Darren didn''t dodge. They didn''t know that he had already released the power of the small part of the master''s soul.


    Rumble!


    With a loud sound, a horrifying strong aura appeared.


    The rule cultivators gasped in fright when they sensed the frightening aura. It was so intense that they almost stopped breathing.


    "It... It''s our master!"


    "No! It''s the master''s soul power!"


    The rule cultivators were so stunned by the figure that had been condensed by the power that they almost fell to the ground in fear.


    "Don''t panic! The impostor must have gotten the young master''s treasure. Come on, continue the attacks!" The most powerful elder was the first to realize what was happening. He immediately ordered everyone else to continue bombarding Darren. Hearing his order, the other cultivators snapped out of their trance.


    "Whoever attacks my son will die!"


    the master''s figure spat out these words in a stone-cold voice. Under the control of Darren''s Spirit Power, several soul attacks were launched at the rule cultivators.


    "Ahhhhh!"


    Ten powerful rule cultivators cried out in pain. After a short while, they exploded. To be more precise, their souls couldn''t take the intensity of


    oul when attacking Darren. His attack had been overwhelmingly strong. Now that the two elders planned to burn their souls to attack Darren, he knew that he would not survive.


    "You will die today!"


    The two elders used their last rule power to initiate the process of burning their souls.


    It happened very quickly. To escape, Darren tried to use the Hurricane Teleportation Skill.


    But he had consumed too much of his Spirit Power when controlling the soul shadow in the previous attacks. So, he could only use the Hurricane Teleportation Skill a few more times. It would be difficult for him to escape this time.


    "You will have to die, you betrayers!"


    Right at this time, a voice laced with venom and hatred echoed in this place. A figure appeared above them in the blink of an eye.


    The two elders and Darren found themselves restricted by the Shackle Rune. They couldn''t move at all.


    "Young... Young master!"


    Seeing the familiar figure, the two elders stopped their attacks. Excitement reflected on their faces.


    Meanwhile, Darren''s heart skipped a beat. The young master of the Red Inferno Sect had woken up only after about fifteen minutes. Not only that, he was much stronger than before!


    Darren summoned the bottle with the rule power blockade in his hand. He would use the rule power blockade for the last time to escape if things didn''t work out.


    "Young master! It''s such a relief to see that you are safe and sound!" the strongest elder said excitedly.


    "Don''t listen to them, young master! Don''t be fooled by the vicious old bastard! He only wants to kill you!


    They had planned to feign innocence and loyalty to you if you survived all their attacks. Earning your trust would help them lure you into their last trap. If I guessed correctly, they would claim that I am the traitor to fool you," Darren sputtered as anxiety coursed through him.


    "You fucking liar!" shouted the two elders simultaneously.

 Chapter 474 Prototype Of The True Rule (Part One)

    "What have you got up your sleeves? You damn old bastards! Do you think I''m an idiot?" Carey yelled at the two elders with his previously calm face now turned beastly and ferocious.


    Obviously, Carey believed Darren''s words over the elders''. ''Is that the consequence of being an active servant?'' Darren thought. He had been helping and backing up Carey all this time, and he was driven by one purpose why he was such a loyal aid to him¡ªthat was to win Carey''s undivided trust.


    By this time, Darren was convinced that he had succeeded in doing that, for Carey had given him a hefty sum of life-protecting skills. It was the best proof that Carey had begun trusting Darren. ''While I was engaged in breaking through to a higher Spirit Power level, Kaleb didn''t attack me. He didn''t even do anything harmful to me. If he wanted to kill me in the first place, he would have seized the opportunity. Even though I have the life-protecting skills to save my life, my breakthrough would certainly be disrupted, '' Carey figured in his mind.


    Given this consideration, he realized that he should put his trust on Kaleb rather than the elders of his sect.


    From his nature, Carey was a man who was very suspicious but not that smart. Thus, he readily believed Darren''s words without having second thoughts at all. In his eyes, Kaleb had proved himself to be loyal all this time.


    Right now, he grew impatient, listening to the explanation of the two elders. He didn''t want to hear any word from them because Darren had brainwashed his mind that the elders were just fabricating lies to inflict harm on him and wished him to be doomed and ill-fated.


    "Go to hell, you old dogs!"


    Cursing and shouting at the elders as if they were his mortal enemies, Carey started his attack towards the helpless elders.


    In an instant, after conjuring his attack, numerous withered hands appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the two elders from all directions. The assault was the basic true rule that Carey had mastered from his


    to a scowl by the thought.


    The mysterious man scared him and made him more vigilant. Thus, as a precautionary measure, he released his Spirit Power to search the surrounding areas carefully to find any traces of the strong disappeared man.


    "Then there it is the aura of that strong rule cultivator. I must be familiar with it," Darren said to himself.


    After a lengthy search, Darren finally traced a faint aura of the powerful rule cultivator that remained in the air. He etched it in his mind to be more cautious in case their paths crossed in the future.


    After doing that, Darren returned to Kaleb''s residence and began to plot ways about how to get news about his sister.


    The Red Inferno Sect remained peaceful for several days after the chaotic events as if nothing happened at all. People went on living their normal lives, and not a single hint of tension was in the air¡ªeverything was calm and quiet.


    To be prudent and act normally, Darren also stayed at Kaleb''s room quietly. He didn''t want to raise any suspicions if he would go around roaming in the place.


    The dominant figures of the Red Inferno Sect were absolutely not only those who had been killed at the incident that happened several days ago. Of course, there must be many great masters still in the sect. So Darren had better not set himself on fire.

 Chapter 475 Prototype Of The True Rule (Part Two)

    Above all, Darren''s Spirit Power had strengthened these past few days. Given that it was the best opportunity for a cultivator to improve his cultivation level.


    ''With my present level 25 Spirit Power, I can practice a lot of powerful rule formulas. It is time for me to go to the One Rule Tower again, '' mused Darren.


    With the thought in mind, he prepared himself to enter the One Rule Tower. After setting a simply restricted zone around his house, Darren went into a deep meditation state to let his mind travel to the One Rule Tower.


    Amidst his meditation, the scene before his eyes was changed gradually, and an ape''s shadow appeared in front of him.


    As the ape looked at Darren, his eyes widened in surprise. It was as if he had seen a dead man risen. Yet, it was Darren''s cultivation level that shocked the ape.


    "What? Is that you, Darren? You have reached level 25 Spirit Power. It is just incredible! How did you do that?" the ape exclaimed and shook his head in a look of disbelief and wonder at the same time.


    ''How did his Spirit Power get improved so fast in a short time? Even for my real body, it is impossible to improve so fast given such a short time. How has this young man done that?'' the ape wondered in his mind.


    "Nothing extraordinary. I just ran into some opportunities that I could take advantage of." Darren smiled. It was apparent that he was teasing the ape. Then with a sheepish smile on his face, he continued, "Sir, you see my Spirit Power has strengthened a lot. I would like to practice more powerful rule formulas. Could you help me to get into the tower so that I can choose them myself?"


    "You? Choose them yourself?" After a short pause, the ape recovered from the astonishment. The question blurted out of him as a consequence of being too excited for Darren''s


    waved his arms. In a moment, a piece of paper full of written characters of the rule cultivators appeared in front of Darren.


    "Oh, my! It is at the prototype level of the true rule," Darren exclaimed the moment he realized what the characters on the paper meant.


    "The rule formula at the prototype level of the true rule is scarce. The requirements of cultivating this formula are also above standards. The minimum requirement for a cultivator is to achieve level 26 Spirit Power or above. You are not even close yet, boy."


    The ape was right. Darren''s current Spirit Power was at level 25, and it was still a long way from breaking through to level 26. Only one level gap away, but that one level required a lot of cultivation and practice.


    Of course, Darren didn''t doubt the words of the ape, and also knew that he couldn''t practice this formula by now. However, when he looked at what was written on the paper, his eyes showed intense desire.


    "This prototype of the true rule is really a priceless treasure for me. I want it, I choose it, and I will work for it," with determined eyes and committed spirit, Darren said with great certainty. His heart was filled with a thirst for knowledge.

 Chapter 476 Finally There Was A Clue (Part One)

    "Why do you want this formula now? Leave. Come back when your Spirit Power is good enough. You are not qualified. Your Spirit Power needs to be good enough. Come back later. Besides, this kind of rule formula that specializes in concealing is useless. Like this rule formula here, even if you do finish it and reach a high level, you can only conceal your body for an hour. An hour is far too short and it''s all this formula can do for you. No attacking, just concealing. It''s a passive skill, not an active one.


    But if you master an attacking rule formula at the same level, it is far more useful to you. Isn''t it better to attack than to hide your ass? Don''t you think?" asked the ape. The ape was more than being honest. He was being brutally honest.


    "But I like this rule formula. And I have made up my mind. That''s final, no ifs or buts," said Darren. Darren completely ignored whatever the ape had told him. It was as if he had not heard him. He picked up the formula book and tossed it inside his Space Ring.


    "Ah, young man, you should listen to me. I have your best interest at heart. And don''t forget what I have told you," sighed the ape. The ape shook his head, pursed his lips, frowned and looked tense.


    "Relax, a promise is a promise. As I told you before, I won''t forget it," Darren reassured the ape. The ape looked at his eyes and Darren smiled as they shared a moment of camaraderie.


    After receiving another attacking rule formula from the ape, Darren said his goodbyes and left.


    As soon as he returned to reality, Darren reached out his rule formula for concealing skills.


    "This rule formula is exactly what I need. Not only can I conceal for as long as a whole hour after I master the skill, but it is also devoid of any negative consequences. It''s a god-made master piece, not a garbage skill of little value. The ape doesn''t know how to


    es," murmured Darren, listening to his gut instinct. This was not a surprise, since Darren knew how hard it was for Timothy to ask his clan''s strong warriors to help him.


    And Darren wouldn''t blame Timothy if there was nothing he could do or nobody he could invite¡ªit was out of his hands after all.


    "Come on buddy, don''t blame yourself. I got this. Have some faith in me. I''ve been through tougher situations," Darren responded, trying to be cool, while inside he was shaken.


    Another message came through, and again Darren was startled.


    This time, it was Abelard. Darren was surprised at the proximity of the two messages. Darren reached out and got hold of another bead and listened carefully to Abelard''s message.


    "Darren, are you safe? I heard that you have entered the Red Inferno Sect. Did you save whoever you went for?" asked Abelard with concern in his voice. "You really should have told me. If you had told me, I would have been there for you, you know. We could have gone together. But now I am seriously preoccupied. My master killed Cain, so the people up there summoned him and were going to ''just ask him some questions.'' I guess he won''t be able to leave there for the moment. So sorry, buddy. If only you had told me.

 Chapter 477 Finally There Was A Clue (Part Two)

    And I am with Timothy now. He is about to give up. It''s like torture. We will come for you as soon as we get out of this mess. Take care and be careful!" This message was long and sincere.


    "Wait, what torture? What happened to Timothy? What''s going on?" asked Darren hurriedly. But there was no response forthcoming.


    And there was still no response on the second day. Darren decided to put it aside for now. His current priority was rescuing his sister and he must focus.


    Darren studied the formula for a total of 10 days, which was quite a long time, and finally, he grasped a superficial knowledge of it. It was no easy task, to be fair. And now he could communicate with several Hiding Rule lines and construct something on it. But he was still clumsy. It would take him a little longer to fully grasp it.


    On the 11th day, someone knocked on his door. Darren had no clue who it could be.


    It was the first visitor in days and the sound of knocking felt unreal. It echoed in the place and in Darren''s ears.


    "Who is it?" Darren didn''t open the door, in case it was an unwanted guest out there. He was taking all the extra super cautious precautions.


    "Sir, the young master is asking for you. He said it was urgent," the man outdoor responded without hesitation, with a clear and firm voice.


    "Good. I heard that. I will go now, thank you. You can leave now," Darren responded plainly.


    Darren even smartened up a bit before he left the room. Irrespective of everything else, he still wanted to make a good impression.


    The hall was completely empty. There was no sign of Carey anywhere whatsoever. Darren stood in the middle of the hall, closed his eyes, and waited. And after a short while, a ghostly figure approached him. Darren felt the presence even with his eyes closed.


    "Follow me," silently whispered th


    n count on me. Anything for you." Darren lowered his head to avoid direct eye contact so Carey would not catch the insincerity in Darren''s eyes.


    "Anything for me? Oh Kaleb, thank you, that''s great. I knew I could count on you. Listen, here is the plan: for your own safety and mine, we must suppress the three most powerful grand-elders in the sect. It is imperative! But we are no match for them now. So we have to kidnap, kill, and seize the souls of the several hundred men who have a Primitive Feminine Bloodline. Then we can force the Primitive Feminine Bloodline into our bodies and master the inferior true rule. Is it clear so far? Ok.


    But if we want the Primitive Feminine Bloodline, we must have three keys to open the place where those people are locked. I have one key. The second key belongs to my uncle, which I have already gotten it. And the last one is in the pocket of the three grand-elders. So I am asking you to steal that key from them, from the three grand-elders. Will you do it, Kaleb?" The moment Carey found his uncle''s dead body, he took the key and burned the corpse.


    And at the moment, the only thing Darren cared about was his sister''s whereabouts. Finally, it seemed there was a clue.

 Chapter 478 Slipped Into The Underground Palace (Part One)

    The moment he heard the order from the young master, a sense of doubt grew inside Darren. He was curious as to what might be the reason why Carey did not take the key by himself in the first place? Instead, he asked Darren to steal it for him¡ªsomething was murky.


    "With all due respect, young master, you can just go and ask those three grand-elders for the key. Why do I have to go and steal it on your behalf?" as he was puzzled at the moment, Darren asked the young master. A scarcely credible expression was drawn on his face.


    "You might have no idea that my father had imposed on those three old madmen an ironclad duty. That would mean that, without my father''s words, I cannot get the key from their hands. Besides, those three old lunatics are very astute and prudent, if I went and asked them for the key, I''m sure that they would consult my father for an answer, and then they would know my father''s death. My whole plan will be exposed. That would be awful, and I will not allow such things to happen," explained the young master.


    "You and I could tell the elders'' true colors from the incident that happened during my cultivation last time. There are so many unfaithful people in Red Inferno Sect not worthy of my trust. Those three old madmen are no exception, and they are not honest and loyal to me and my rule. You are the only one whom I put my trust in, and I can only ask no other disciples except for you. So, help me in taking the key. I can''t do it myself, for I would be punished severely and be doomed if I went to steal the key. For sure, I would be beaten to death and put on to the pedestal of shame if I get caught by them. Please help me, my dear brother."


    With a voice as mellow as a kitten, Carey hopefully explained with patience and pleaded Darren for help.


    On the other hand, when he heard all of the reasons that Carey just had explained, Darren''s doubt cleared off as he had a precise understanding as to why Carey asked him for help in stealing the key. As a consequence of the circumstances during his cultivation, Carey, the skeptical young master, had lost his trust to


    rmore, I have been humble to him. As much as possible, I am friendly and amiable to him for this matter. Judging from his actions towards me, I am sure that he must feel very connected to me and would instead take his own life than tell the truth. But just in some unfortunate cases, I would kill him right away once he had been discovered or caught," the young master disclosed with an evil voice.


    "I understand, young master. Did you give him the invisibility cloak and have it rigged? What if he would succeed in getting the key? How do you intend to reward him?" the man questioned. It could be sensed in his inquisitive voice that he was very curious.


    As he thought about the man''s question, Carey nodded and admitted that he had rigged the invisibility cloak to Darren. "If he would succeed in retrieving the key for me, I will surely reward him. I will make sure that the reward will be something extraordinary, and that will be his death! Ha-ha, ha-ha!" Carey chortled evilly.


    Initially, he planned that the moment Darren handed him the key, he would cultivate the true rule and achieve that very powerful strength. By that time, Darren would no longer serve any value for Carey. Moreover, Darren had seen how frightened he was when facing danger. It was such a disgrace to the young master. Thus, to let no one know this humble side of him, the young master had made up his mind to kill Darren.

 Chapter 479 Slipped Into The Underground Palace (Part Two)

    Outside the secret chamber, hidden in the shadows, Darren heard all of these words. After he had heard enough, he withdrew his Spirit Power for him not to be discovered by Carey.


    "He is such a vicious bastard! But I am not the die-hard Kaleb; I am Darren!" Vexed at the moment, Darren uttered with the anger of murderous intent. Then he hurried off and was lost in the darkness.


    A couple of hours passed, and Darren came back to his residence. Using the map given to him by Carey, he started to study how to steal the key. After all, though he knew where his little sister was, he couldn''t get her out of bondage without the keys.


    "I must cultivate the prototype of the Air-integrated True Rule to make sure that I would succeed in this task." After the spying that he had done, Darren knew that Carey rigged the invisibility cloak, so he would not use the cloak all the way. Also, the invisibility cloak was not so powerful and useful, compared with the Air-integrated True Rule. Besides, the chances of getting discovered and caught were higher if he would put on the invisibility cloak.


    "But how did the master of the Red Inferno Sect die? It was so strange." The master''s strange death prompted Darren''s mind all of a sudden. It made him wonder and think about the incident.


    "Anyways, what mattered to me right now is to save my little sister out of that place." With that thought in mind, Darren shut off the master''s strange death out of his head. He focused his attention on studying the prototype of the Air-integrated True Rule again.


    The Air-integrated True Rule, as its name implied, could allow a cultivator to integrate into the air. That was to say, the cultivator''s body would become part of the air. No one could attack the cultivator unless he or she was discovered.


    Moreover, the prototype of the Air-integrated True Rule that was comprehended by the cultivator himself could be further cultivated and develop into the level of the complete Air-integrated True Rule.


    On one end, if the prototype of the Air-integrated True Rule, had developed into an inferior true rule, the cultivator could integrate their body with the space


    r, Darren felt hopeless and helpless at the same time. He didn''t anticipate that he would be facing such a hindrance, and he felt very disappointed about this.


    Ta-ta, ta-ta¡­


    At that very moment of desolation, a gentle sound of footsteps echoed in the Underground Palace; three strong but different auras were approaching Darren from behind.


    "Brother, you said you had received words from the master before. What do you mean?" asked one of the three grand-elders.


    "I am not sure if that was true or not, and the voice was muffled. It sounds like the master was seeking help, but I have no idea about that. Out of fear, I responded to him, but the master did not react after. Thus, I thought it was bizarre, and I just kept my silence. I was afraid something disturbed him. After all, I cannot afford to pay the price and bear the severe punishment," reiterated the other grand-elder.


    Hearing the voices, Darren hid in a corner gingerly with his invisibility cloak over him. He watched the three grand-elders walk in the Underground Palace.


    "Wait! There is something wrong in the Underground Palace," warned one of the three grand-elders whose face was paled and suspicious. Suddenly, one of the three grand-elders became aware of the unusual aura and frowned. His sharp eyes were shining the light of strong Spirit Power. Then to Darren''s horror, the grand-elder''s eyes darted directly at the direction where he was hiding.

 Chapter 480 Planned for A Sneak Attack

    "Have I been discovered?" Darren''s heart was beating fast. He then quickly employed the Air-integrated True Rule and integrated into the air.


    "What''s wrong, Louis?"


    "I''m not quite sure... I sensed someone was here for a second. I might be wrong..." The grand elder trailed off as he dragged his gaze around.


    Darren''s chest suddenly felt lighter as he breathed a sigh of relief. He surmised that the Spirit Power of the grand elders was at least at the twenty-sixth level, which was why one of them almost found him. Thankfully, they were no longer able to sense him after he used the prototype of true rule.


    "The invisible cloak is not reliable on its own. They definitely would have caught me if it weren''t for the Air-integrated True Rule."


    Darren was able to tell from the grand elders'' auras that their rule power was much more powerful than that of the other five elders''. If he were to be caught, he would not have any chance of surviving.


    "Hmm... I don''t know why, but I''ve been feeling somewhat unsettled recently."


    "Louis, don''t worry about it. Let''s start now."


    Another grand elder then waved his hand and the door sealed by the rule power opened.


    "This is my chance!" Darren''s eyes flashed in delight. He quickly fluttered inside and followed them.


    Once Darren entered the room, he immediately got a whiff of the strong coppery scent of blood permeating in the air inside the room. The scent seeped into his nose as he was still integrated into the air.


    "Agh! So many corpses!" Darren exclaimed, eyes wide in shock.


    There were over one hundred corpses and over one hundred live people who were hanging in iron chains in this backroom.


    "Several more people with the Primitive Feminine Bloodline have died. I''m not quite sure whether the rest of them would be enough for us to cultivate the Primitive Feminine True Rule," one of the grand elders said, sighing as he looked at the corpses on the ground.


    "Oliver will finish his closed-door training soon. If we did not grasp the true rule, it would be impossible for us to usurp him from his position. As a matter of fact, he would probably go and kill us first before we even have the chance to seize him."


    "Alas! We have not detained enough people with Primitive Feminine Bloodline. Oliver has a lot more of them than we do. Even if we grasped the true rule, we could not defeat him."


    Darren''s heart almost leaped out of his chest as he heard the grand elders'' conversation. All the people that the grand elders secretly kept inside the room were from the Primitive Feminine Bloodline Clan. As such, it was highly likely that his sister was


    ," the Water Kylin replied.


    Eight hours passed and Darren could use the Air-integrated True Rule again. He headed back to the Underground Palace.


    This time, aside from stealing the key, he also wanted to kill the three powerful rule cultivators.


    After entering the backroom, Darren found the grand elders sitting in a small pool of blood with runes sparkling on their bodies. It was obvious that they were cultivating.


    Nevertheless, Darren did not use the Ancient Void Battlefield at once. Because he knew even if a powerful rule cultivator was cultivating, his Spirit Power was still very sensitive. Darren did not want to take any risks.


    "Get ready to attack them with all your strength!" Darren sent the message to the Water Kylin using his spiritual sense.


    "Copy that."


    Darren then released the Water Kylin.


    Boom!


    An enormous aura suddenly enveloped the whole room.


    The backroom was filled with blue lightning.


    The room would have been broken into pieces if it were not guarded by a mighty rule power. If the Water Kylin had attacked using his full strength, even the space outside would be guaranteed to collapse.


    "Time to die!" The Water Kylin did not think of the three old men as powerful, so he directly attacked them with his blue lightning and his huge claws.


    However, a terrifying black crack suddenly appeared in the backroom, swallowing Water Kylin''s attacks.


    "Where did you come from, you monster? How dare you sneak into the backroom and attack us behind our backs!"


    The grand elders, who had been unconscious, were immediately woken up. Their reactions were too fast¡ªthe water Kylin''s quiet attacks were immediately blocked by a space crack.


    The three grand elders were indeed extremely powerful.

 Chapter 481 Finley Is Powerful (Part One)

    "Oh? It''s a legendary beast all right, but it seems much more powerful than a three-star martial grand warrior at his top level."


    The three grand-elders felt surprised at the sight of the Water Kylin. He came out of nowhere and was huge.


    "No matter why you are here, you''ll die for your rashness. This is a promise. The blood of a legendary beast is precious, after all. We''ll thank god for the gift he sent us. You are no match for us!"


    The old man with the highest cultivation base among the three cultivators stared at the Water Kylin with extreme excitement. His eyes showed no trace of fear at all. He was full of confidence.


    "You want to kill me and take my blood? I don''t even think you have the smallest chance of victory over me even if you three fight me together!" sneered the Water Kylin with arrogance. He was full of hubris. Suddenly, he then attacked the three old men without any warning. He lunged at them and fought them.


    "You''re indeed a rash beast. Since you showed no respect and awe before your senior warriors, let us give you a lesson to learn how to speak and behave yourself before us. Let''s give him a heavy beating, brothers!" said the same old man to the other two younger cultivators by his side. They looked at him in agreement, as they shared his opinion.


    The three senior cultivators focused to rally their rule power. The whole space in the secret room stirred all of a sudden. Then numerous space cracks formed around the Water Kylin, besieging him right in the center. The storm of space cracks twirled and twirled around the Water Kylin.


    "Damn it! Those space cracks have absorbed all my attack forces. And the force of the space cracks is so strong that it keeps pulling at me without stop. Damn all to hell and back!" murmured the Water Kylin to himself, struggling to free himself from the space cracks.


    Surrounded by countless space cracks, all the attacks of the Water Kylin were fruitless as they were all sucked into the seemingly fathomless cracks with a huge force. Though the Water Kylin was mighty in physical strength, those widening gaps in the space kept pulling at and even tearing his body as each second passed by. The Water Kylin kept fighting to free himself with all his


    er turn, a fierce one.


    "The Water Kylin is in desperate danger," whispered Darren to himself, deeply worried.


    He had been observing the fight since the very beginning. The three old men had put all their attention on the battle to the extent that they never imagined that there was another guy watching them in secret all the time. Darren was hiding very well from them, and the three old men were fully absorbed in combat.


    Darren was unable to fight when he transformed himself into the state of air. Nevertheless, he still had the ability to use his force of control. He could manifest himself once he initiated the Ancient Void Battlefield. And that was exactly what he would do, Darren thought.


    "Ancient Void Battlefield, open now!" shouted Darren assertively.


    With his fierce roar, his image emerged from the air. A violent piercing force formed in a mere second. The force was so strong it felt as if the air almost shook.


    Since the Ancient Void Battlefield had been activated, there was no way for the three grand-elders to seal it again. Only those with a force equal to that of the Giant Ape might have a try at it. And there were very few with a force equal to that of the Giant Ape. On the other hand, if warriors with an ability like that of the Giant Ape were sucked into the Ancient Void Battlefield, it would mean great trouble for Darren as the small world would be completely destroyed to the point of no return. So Darren had to be very careful whom he fought.

 Chapter 482 Finley Is Powerful (Part Two)

    "What the hell is it? What on earth? It''s the force from a small space! Block his rule power! Quick! Quick! Hurry up now!"


    The three old men realized what was happening only when the violent piercing force had reached them. But alas, it was already too late for them to take any action. Under a huge dragging force, they all disappeared from the secret room in a fraction of an instant. The force was like a black hole, leaving no strong cultivators behind, except perhaps one of their cloaks.


    Now it became Finley''s job to deal with the three old men, who had currently been transmitted into the Ancient Void Battlefield. And Finley was looking forward to it.


    "Finley, I have transmitted three old guys into the Ancient Void Battlefield. They are hard nuts to crack. Entertain our guests with everything you''re capable of! This is your specialty!"


    Darren came into the Ancient Void Battlefield as well. At the exact moment he talked to Finley with his spiritual sense, the latter appeared in front of him like a ray of lightning. Finley looked inquiringly at Darren.


    "Why are you so fond of inviting unexpected guests for me to treat, Darren? I don''t like entertaining people! You should bring me some gifts for the hard work I do here. Do you know how exhausting it is to teach those dreadful warriors a lesson by kicking their asses, dude? Maybe you should take my place to know how exhausting it really is!" said Finley with a cheeky grin.


    "I''m the owner of the Ancient Void Battlefield. You live here and breathe the spiritual energy here. Didn''t you feel ashamed when you spoke those words? Don''t you have any pride? What''s more, dude, you''ve consumed all my magic herbs. You should show your gratitude that I haven''t yet found fault with you for that reason or asked you to replace all my magic herbs." Darren returned Finley''s smile with a much more brilliant one.


    The three old men watched the two young lads chatting and joking with each other with wide eyes. They did not understand a thing of what was taking place.


    "Are you really the controller of this small space?"


    "We don''t know who you are, nor do we care to know. You''d better let us out of this weird space, otherwise we''ll r


    visible on the faces of the three elderly warriors, as they had already experienced the dreadful forces inside the space crack. And now they feared Finley, who had managed to bring them back from the space crack.


    "Your spatial skill is so strong. How did you learn all that? No, it''s impossible! No one can have such a powerful spatial skill! It''s just impossible!"


    "Your spatial skills are nothing in front of me, old guys! Let me show you what real spatial skills are! Watch closely now!"


    Finley fetched a piece of space with his hand. Then he folded it several times, tore it off into strips, and kneaded it together as if he were playing with a piece of paper. The three grand-elders watched with wide, amazed eyes. Finley knew his audience was bewitched.


    "Uh, Wow...That''s...That''s... unbelievable!" sighed the grand-elder, who was able to use some spatial rules, but not like Finley.


    He felt so excited that tears came to his eyes. He could not believe such skill existed.


    "There is no hatred between us, sir. Would you please forgive our arrogance and let us go? We mean you no harm."


    The three grand-elders felt shocked and admired Finley''s powerful spatial skills. They addressed him with respect and begged for mercy. They were humbled before Finley now.


    "There is no use begging for my mercy, old guys. You have to ask him, the owner of this world, not me." Finley shrugged at the three old men while casting a direct knowing look at Darren.

 Chapter 483 Took Them As Subordinates

    "Forgive you? How dare you ask me for forgiveness? You guys must have killed so many innocent people, to be as powerful as you are now," with a vicious voice and an angry stare, Darren yelled coldly at them.


    "Sir, in this world, if one person wants to become powerful, he must be steeped in blood.


    Besides, since getting the hang of the prototype of true rule, we have not been out of the Red Inferno Sect, which means we have not killed anyone for more than one hundred years. Please don''t kill us. Spare us our lives, sir."


    The grand-elders of the Red Inferno Sect all kowtowed to Darren as they begged him to be merciful towards them.


    By rights, as grand-elders of a sect, they should have their pride and not bend a knee to a young man to beg for his forgiveness. Yet, they were left with no other alternatives at the moment, bowing down to Darren was the only way for them to save their lives.


    In all truths, the way Finley manipulated the space had shocked them. Knowing that Finley was following Darren''s orders, the grand-elders surrendered to him as well.


    In the present circumstances, Darren had a grim expression on his face, but deep inside his heart, he was thinking about what the grand-elder said just now. He was right, and this world was governed by the laws of the jungle. To become a master warrior, a person must kill some people to prove himself worthy. The variance, however, lay in the number of people killed. That was just how it was, the survival of the fittest, and the elimination of the unfit.


    "Darren, these old men are very powerful and skilled, why don''t you take them as your subordinates?" Finley sent a message to Darren using his spiritual sense.


    "I don''t think it is possible. Yes, they are powerful and skilled, but what they had are on the extremes. How can I take them as my subordinates if I cannot control them?" Darren replied shortly.


    At first, Darren actually thought it was a good idea to take them as his subordinates. Even though they had killed so many people, they would not commit the same crimes under his control, which would mean the same effect as killing them. However, he was not confident that he could control the ruthless and powerful grand-elders.


    Yet, Darren thought that to save their lives, they might agree to be his subordinates. Despite that idea, Darren still had his doubts and was not totally convinced. What if they changed their minds after Darren freed them from the Ancient Void Battlefield? It was almost impossible to drag them back into the Ancient Void Battlefield once they were liberated.


    "Ha-ha, don''t worry about that. I often go to the tenth space these past few days, and I have obtained several wonderful skills from the defender. One of them is the Soul Control Skill. With this skill, they cannot escape from your control. But with one condition, that is they agree to be your subordinates." With an excited expression on his face, Finley sent the message to Darren using his spiritual sense.


    "Soul Control Skill? Can I use it?" hearing the good news from Finley, Darren asked immediately.


    "With my help, you will definitely succeed," Finley assured Da


    , "But these grand-elders'' rule power and Spirit Power are very powerful. Can they unbind the control by themselves?"


    "Unbind the control? Stop being silly. Unless they die, the restriction will be impossible to unbind. Besides, if they ever planned to kill you, you would notice it as soon as possible, which would give you enough time to kill them in return," totally confident about the Soul Control Skill, Finley explained.


    "That''s very good. If that''s the case, I don''t need to feel worried when I ask them to do things for me," somewhat cleared from all his confusions, Darren verbalized to Finley while eyeing him with a furrowed brow.


    "Guys, I am sure you have realized by now how powerful this Soul Control Skill is. I just want to get one thing straight here. If anyone of you wants to rebel or does evil things behind my back, I will not forgive you again. Remember that I can kill you instantly with just a flick of my fingers. So don''t do anything beyond your bounds." While his eyes fixed at the group of grand-elders, Darren gave them a warning.


    "Master, please trust us. We will try our best to assist you and never in our wildest dream will we betray you."


    The three grand-elders had a very high cultivation base, so they easily fathomed that the Soul Control Skill was more potent than the control skill the Red Inferno Sect had. They knew well that if they plotted any means of rebellion or betrayal, they would unquestionably die. With that knowledge, they did not dare entertain any wicked ideas, neither in thoughts nor in their speeches.


    "Good to hear that. Now, please stand up. Do you have any ideas why I caught you and why I am in the Red Inferno Sect in the first place?" While he was asking that, Darren planned to tell them the truth. Especially now that they were bounded to him as subordinates, he could tell them his plans and instruct them what to do for the next steps.


    With controlling these grand-elders, things turned out to be way easier for Darren. With all the potent grand-elders on his side, it would be a piece of cake for Darren to save his sister.

 Chapter 484 Get The Key (Part One)

    Darren then said everything about what had taken place, which made all the three grand-elders feel awkward and embarrassed, and they could not stop apologizing to Darren for what had happened to him. They felt truly sorry.


    "What is past is already past. You had only been following the sect leader Oliver''s order, and you did not know any better at the time, so I do not blame you for what had happened. Let the bygones be bygone. However, on the other hand, now that Oliver is already dead, we only need to get the keys from Carey so that we can save my sister. This is critical."


    When Darren said that Oliver was already dead, all three grand-elders immediately looked shocked and incredulous. They had no news of that.


    "I am sorry, did you say that Oliver is dead? Did I hear you correctly? How could it be? How could he be dead without any disturbance? I would have at least expected an earth-shattering epic battle? He can''t just die like that, without any turmoil."


    "Well, I am telling you the truth. Carey summoned me for a discussion about how to take care of this, and then he decided to let me steal the key from you and help him with his cultivation to reach the inferior grade of true rule so that he could kill you all. And that is the absolute truth."


    "I see! So you really must be telling the truth! No wonder when I sent a message to Oliver with my spiritual sense, he did not respond, not even once. So he must have already died by that time. It all makes sense now." The three grand-elders grew rather solemn at this revelation. Even their facial expressions dramatically changed.


    "Master, your sister''s imprisonment is the result of the fault of the Red Inferno Sect, but we also played a part in the abduction of your sister. So this time we decided to kill Carey for you and save your sister first, and then we will surrender ourselves to any punishment that you deem necessary. Hopefully we can atone for our sins. I believe this is a just retribution.


    But master, I still wish to point out to you that we three have never laid a hand on your sister, let alone hurt her. We did not know that she is you


    o? I hope you were successful. I don''t want to hear of any faults or errors now."


    Carey looked really excited at this moment, but a killing intent flashed through his eyes for a split second when he first saw Kaleb come back. Despite Carey''s excitement, it appeared he was not all what he seemed to be.


    "Young master, I have already acquired the key, but it is locked inside this box, which I could not open despite my multiple attempts. Here you are. The box is yours now." Darren then fetched and handed over the box that contained the key to Carey, all while disguised as Kaleb.


    This box was imbued with strong rule power, and it normally would take the power of at least three grand-elders joining together to open it by force. It was no ordinary box indeed.


    Carey took the box and frowned at this realization as he probed it with his Spirit Power when it was in his hand. He knew instantly that Kaleb was telling the truth. There was indeed too much restrictive power imbued with this box, and none of the people around him were powerful enough to open it. He had to think of another solution.


    "Those bastards! How did they manage to imbue the box with such a strong power anyway? What should I do with it now? I must find a way. Damn I need that key!" Carey rambled to himself while he was immersed in deep contemplation. And at this moment, he was not even thinking about killing the man in front of him.

 Chapter 485 Get The Key (Part Two)

    "Young master, I also heard a new piece of information when I was eavesdropping. I heard one of the grand-elders saying that this box could only be opened in the presence of two other keys. Other than that, even the sect leader was not powerful enough to open it. The two other keys were essential to open this box." Now that he was certain that Carey was not able to open the box, Darren just made up any lies that he wanted Carey to believe.


    "Are you actually sure about that? This is the first time I hear of this." Carey stared at Darren, looking very suspicious. He tried to hide the murderous intent in his eyes again.


    "Yes, that is what I heard back then when I was stealing the key. They were conferring about how to kill you before the sect leader finishes his closed-door cultivation, and that''s when I heard it," Darren responded with a sincere and genuine look on his face, hoping that Carey would buy his story.


    "Those old pricks, I knew it! They want to overthrow me. When I have mastered the inferior true rule, I shall have them killed instantly! A horrible death is what they will get! Plotting against me now? Oh I shall have no mercy for them!" Carey shouted with a snort, as a strong murderous intent and fury burnt at the bottom of his heart. He was enraged.


    "Wait a minute. Something is off. Tell me now? They did not spot you when you listened in on them? I despise them, but I also know them to be extremely powerful. How did they not sense your presence at the time? That is highly irregular and unlike them." Carey''s tone grew colder and deeper while staring at Darren in a deadly manner.


    Carey''s suspicion was well-founded not just from Darren''s response. He had done something with the invisible cloak, which enabled him to sense the presence of Darren. However his aura disappeared completely without a trace for some moments. And this made him more suspicious about Darren''s words. That was why he was testing Darren''s story.


    Carey was an extremely paranoid character, and he even suspected that Kaleb had been captured by the three grand-elders and defected to their side. There was no end to Carey''s paranoia.


    Otherwise it would not make sense to him that Kaleb could eavesdrop on the three powerful grand-elders and steal the key with relative ease without them ever noticing it. The way Carey saw it, something must be off, and it was very likely that the Kaleb standing in front of him right now was a traitor. How Carey hated traitors!


    This question also caught Darren completely off guard. Without any hesitation, he decided to ignore this question by Carey and pretended to be anxious for him instead. "Young master, at this moment, maybe we should just focus on getting the key so that you can get your training of the true rule underway before we get to anything else. After we have those with the Pri


    ve entirely sealed off this space, and Carey would not sense anything if we kill him right now, but we must be swift!" Horace gave Darren the green light and Darren acknowledged it.


    The reason why Darren had been having this long conversation with him was simply to buy himself some more time so that Horace could seal off this entire space. No one else would notice what was happening here now.


    "Good job. Then it''s your turn now. Get on with it quickly as I figure that Carey may have got the key already, go ahead now," Darren barked the order into the thin air, as the shadow looked surprised.


    "Yes, master! Right away master!"


    After a deferential response of acknowledgement, Horace, the grand-elder, appeared in front of the shadow, startling him and his dead eyes.


    "Damn! It''s you! You! You! You traitor!" The shadow panicked as his voice shook with fear.


    "Your little trick of Shadow Rule is nothing but child''s play before me. Now it is time for you to die! Get ready to breathe your last breath!"


    Runes began to flash in Horace''s hand, and without any hesitation Horace used his most powerful kill shot, and blasted space cracks at the shadow. Despite the state of the shadow, he was still reduced to pieces in an instant under the force of the space cracks.


    Darren saw what was left of the shadow and he was very satisfied with the strength of his subordinate. That grand-elder was truly powerful. The shadow was in tatters now. The strength of this shadow was only slightly weaker than that of the Water Kylin. Darren would not have stood a chance against him, but Horace managed to kill him within a split second, which was indeed quite impressive to Darren. Darren was grateful to have Horace on his side now.


    "Let''s go and find Carey to get the key now that this is over, come on!" Darren ordered and then headed towards the chamber in the depth of Carey''s palace.

 Chapter 486 Carey Was Dead (Part One)

    As he was preparing himself to face Carey again, Darren transformed back into Kaleb''s appearance. Together with Horace, he walked towards the secret chamber with swift and steady steps, determined not to make an early announcement of his arrival to Carey. On their way, they came across some Restriction Arrays, but Horace dealt with them smoothly and efficiently.


    Soon enough, they were on Carey''s secret chamber, after one of a hidden rule-powered door opened. Darren walked in first.


    Adjusting his sight, he glanced around the room. As his visions get accustomed to the place, his gaze fell on Carey, who was on the far corner of the chamber.


    In his hands, he was holding two keys. The young master was silently thinking about how to get the other key in the box with a deep frown on his face. All of a sudden, he felt an odd presence as if someone was coming towards him. As the presence drew near, he immediately turned his head to see who the intruder was.


    "Huh? How did you come in here?" a hoarse and raspy voice came out of his mouth as Carey asked. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Kaleb, and it was as if a ghost was standing in front of him. Seeing the man that he presumed to be dead, the young master couldn''t help but have a horrible feeling.


    "I''m here to help you get the key, young master," offering to lend a helping hand, Darren answered calmly. A faint yet mocking smile was portrayed on his face.


    "How dare you! I am commanding you, get out of here. Leave right now!" with his trembling hand pointing at the door, Carey shouted at Darren. Secretly he was wondering what might happen and why Elder Hugh hadn''t killed Kaleb. Why didn''t he do it? Did something happen, and Kaleb killed Elder Hugh instead?


    A ton of questions were on his mind. Yet, in the meantime, he was secretly sending a message and summoning Elder Hugh to make sure everything was alright.


    But much to his disappointment, Elder Hugh didn''t heed to his call. Worst was, there was no trace of his existence, and it made Carey feel anxious and worried. He was starting to panic right now. Caught at


    around Darren all of a sudden. Each of them was powerful, and they all targeted Darren''s avatars.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    In a split second, a few of Darren''s avatars were shattered by the dry claws and disappeared into thin air like early morning dew.


    "Air-integrated True Rule!" The corners of Darren''s lips lifted into a cold smirk. Frustrated at the loss of his avatars, he directly used the prototype form of true rule and camouflaged in the air so Carey couldn''t find him.


    "What? Where is he?"


    Realized that Darren was nowhere to be found, Carey felt shocked and panicked that he suddenly couldn''t feel Darren''s presence. The fact that he had an invisible opponent right now made him feel even more anxious.


    In fact, Carey, whose Spirit Power was at level twenty-six, could still faintly feel Darren''s existence just now when he used the Hurricane Teleportation Skill. But now, it was like that Darren completely disappeared. He couldn''t feel his presence at all, no matter how hard he tried.


    ''Basic true rule! That bastard can also use the basic true rule!'' The look on Carey''s face immediately changed. Especially now that he realized he couldn''t underestimate Darren''s powers and skills. All this time, Carey thought that Darren was just an ordinary martial artist not capable of doing something extraordinary. Yet, now, the young master realized that Darren was even more potent.

 Chapter 487 Carey Was Dead (Part Two)

    The basic true rule was also called the true rule prototype. Their names were different, but they were at the same level.


    While Darren was unseen, he was still observing Carey, who was standing in a defensive posture ready to launch an attack anytime. Unfortunately, Darren couldn''t find the perfect timing to attack, because Carey''s Spirit Power was just too powerful. Darren thought that the moment he reappeared and came after Carey, there would be a big chance that Carey could resist his attack and fight back.


    Now, however, Darren celebrated with the little victory in scaring Carey. Albeit, he knew he couldn''t kill him with one blow.


    "Master, let me kill him for you," while he was observing them in the shadows, Horace asked Darren again. Judging from their fight, he had a premonition that Darren couldn''t kill Carey.


    "No. I will kill this guy by myself. I just have to waste my precious treasures on him," using his spiritual sense, Darren replied and was ready to attack.


    Rumble!


    At the release of his power, the air started shaking, an olive-black force along with the dark gold internal force was shot out of thin air. At the onset, Darren also reappeared along with the two forces.


    "Ha! I thought you possessed some powerful skills. Yet, what was that? Your hiding skill is just a piece of trash! Do you really believe that you can kill me with that? You are too naive!" Feeling Darren''s existence again made Carey feel more assured of his victory. Darren''s attacks couldn''t break his defense, and all his future attacks wouldn''t break his front as well, he thought.


    "You are awfully wrong, young master! It is, in fact, effortless to kill you!"


    The instant that Darren was just an inch away from Carey, he took out a jade bottle from his Space Ring and yelled, "Rule power blockade!"


    Hearing these words, Carey immediately paled in fright. He shouted in a crazy tone, "Where''s my rule power? Why did the rules I mastered disappear?" He almost couldn''t believe what was happening at the moment.


    Swoop!


    Before Carey''s rule


    dly, its use is limited to three times only. Now it''s completely useless." Holding the jade bottle in his hand and eyeing it with longing and regret, Darren shook his head, for he knew he had lost a strong skill and could do nothing about it.


    "Come on, let''s go to the dungeon," motioning to Horace, Darren said with a determined voice. He didn''t want to waste more time. Thus he hastily turned around and walked out.


    "Yes, master." Horace nodded his head and followed Darren out.


    After walking through countless secret channels and coming across several arrays, they finally arrived in front of the dungeon.


    Standing in front of the gate, Darren used his spiritual sense to send a message to the other two grand-elders. The box that contained the third key needed the three grand-elders together to open.


    Soon enough, the box was opened, and Darren had with him securely the three keys. He was getting excited and exuberant at the same time, for he knew he was holding in his hands the keys to his sister''s freedom. With firm conviction and determined spirit, Darren was ready to open the dungeon.


    "I hope you are safe, Belle," Darren mumbled to himself in a small voice. That was his prayer, hoping that his sister was safe, sound and unharmed¡ªmost especially alive. Then, taking a deep breath, Darren held on to the keys and opened the door to the dungeon.

 Chapter 488 Blood-red Body

    They opened the dungeon door. When Darren tried to step into the dungeon, a ray of scarlet light suddenly shot at them, forcing him to take a few steps back. It was a very strong force. He almost fell.


    "What is this? I''ve never encountered anything like it!" Darren turned around and asked the grand-elders as he looked at them in surprise, hoping they had an answer.


    "This is such a weird aura. There are no restrictions in this dungeon. Where does this aura come from I wonder? It''s truly puzzling!" The grand-elders also did not have a clue. They were just as baffled as Darren.


    "Let''s go inside first. Maybe we''ll understand it better once we''re inside." Darren did not care what it was, instead he walked straight into the dungeon, throwing caution to the wind.


    The dungeon was a gigantic space, full of red mist which could not be penetrated by Spirit Power or spiritual sense. Darren could only grope his way forward and he could not sense that there were any people in this dungeon. It was merely a large empty space.


    "What happened in the dungeon?"


    "Master, you have to be careful. This is quite unusual. Take Oliver''s death into consideration, it must be very dangerous here, please be careful master,"


    Horace warned Darren with a fearful voice.


    Darren was groping his way forward. It seemed like he did not hear what Horace had said. At this point, he only wanted to find his sister and make sure she was safe and sound. That was all that mattered to him.


    "Rocky and Louis, let''s use our rule power to disperse the mist. I''m sure it must work."


    The grand-elders used their rule power together, but the red mist had only been dispersed for 10 feet and it soon converged back again.


    "It does not work. We''d better just follow the master and see where we end up." Horace shook his head.


    The visibility was very poor. Darren walked forward in the red mist, not knowing where he was going. He felt he had already lost his way.


    A few hours had passed.


    "Fuck this shit!"


    Darren roared, worriedly. Then, he turned around and suddenly grabbed one grand-elder by the collar very aggressively.


    "Where is my sister? Tell me now! Where is she? Speak up man!"


    Seeing Darren this furious, Horace yelled at him, "Master, please calm down! Please, try to calm down, master! We also don''t know what happened. How does it help if you become angry? Anger won''t solve anything, master!"


    Darren settled down a little and let go of the grand-elder, realizing that Horace was right.


    "What can I do now? Where is my sister? I must find my sister." It seemed that Darren had lost all his strength and did not know what to do now. He was disheartened and felt as if he was out of options.


    "Rocky and Louis, spread out and look for her. We need to cover the entire dungeon." Horace unleashed a gentle Spirit Power to pacify Darren, and gave an order to the other two grand-elders. He tried to maintain the energetic balance of everyone.


    "Yes, Brother."


    "Take care. We don''t know what could be hiding in this dungeon."


    Several more hours had passed, but they did not find anything at all. There were hundreds of peopl


    lden runes sparkled. It was quite a large stone table.


    Darren looked over. There were many human bodies on the stone table, forming a circle, and there was one more human body in the center of the circle. The blood-red body seemed like a person whose skin was removed. The entire scene was repulsive.


    What was more, above the blood-red body, a girl was hanging by a thread condensed by rule power. Drops of blood dripped from the heart of the girl into the mouth that was open of the blood-red body. There was blood everywhere.


    "Belle!"


    Looking at the girl with a pale face, Darren was absolutely furious! His fists clenched and his jaw tightened.


    Grunt! Grunt!


    When Darren tried to dash towards the stone table, the blood-red body began to snore. Darren did not know what to make of that.


    "Is it alive? Is it breathing?"


    The grand-elders were surprised and stopped Darren immediately. He resisted them, but then realized they were right.


    "Master, please calm down. Let us explore it first. We don''t know what is going on here."


    Louis was the first to attack the body with a Storm Loop. Darren and the rest just stood there and watched.


    What happened next shocked everyone as they never expected it.


    Louis''s Storm Loop was so powerful that it even had hurt the Water Kylin before. However, when it attacked the blood-red body, nothing happened and the storm disappeared like a breeze, as if the body could not be touched or moved by any power.


    "Without protection by any Defense Array, it can discharge Louis''s attack with ease. Such a horrible body! Just awful, awful!"


    At the same time, in the forbidden area of the Red Inferno Sect, a corpse in a yellow robe floated up and down, as if it was being manipulated by an invisible hand. It was a very strange sight.


    "Ah? Damned bastards, how dare you break into the place where I put my body? Such nerve you have! You all deserve to die." Cold murmurs came from the distance.


    After that, a ray of macroscopic dark-green light pierced through the empty space, directly shooting at the dungeon where they all were.

 Chapter 490 It Was Him (Part Two)

    "Alas! I did not expect that I can be attached to you and be grateful to you in the end. It should be destiny, and our fates are entwined. Besides, you have such surprising skills and brilliant potential at such a young age. You will surely grow into a great master in the future. It is a waste of good talent if you die.


    But, now it seems that none of us could escape from here,"


    Horace said calmly after praising and commending Darren.


    On that occasion, while Horace and Darren were lost in their conversation, another dark greenish soul attack went shooting in the air, aiming at no other than Darren.


    This time, the soul attack was so swift and disastrous that the naked eyes couldn''t perceive it. Darren was not able to avoid it at all, and he was caught entirely unprepared. He was held frozen at the moment. All he did was watch the runes rush into his brain.


    "Ahhhhhhh!"


    At the impingement, Darren''s body quivered violently, making him staggered and lost his balance. He thought his head was about to explode because of the searing pain. Feeling so hurt, he could not help rolling and crawling in the ground. Amidst the pain, a sense of familiarity crept through his thoughts. He seemed to have a familiar experience before that caused him the same painful experience.


    "It''s him! The one who attacked me in the demonic monster domain!"


    Now that the memories flashed back on his mind, Darren understood why even the strange stone in his head could not block the soul attack. It was because of that guy!


    Just in front of Darren, Horace and Rocky were held dazed and stood there looking at him. Their minds had completely blacked out at the turn of events, and they could do nothing to help Darren even if they wanted to. What they did, as their bodies suddenly felt numb and stiff, was to watch Darren roll on the ground. But to the cultivators'' surprise, Darren was still alive and did not die after such an omnipotent attack. After all, he was attacked by such a desolating and destructive soul attack.


    Although the strange stone in Darren''s head could not


    of the Soul Hunter Sect was a Soul Saint, who died thousands of years ago!" Horace had searched and read plenty of information about the Soul Hunter Sect. That was the reason why he knew this fact.


    "Why would I bother to explain this to you, a weak ant? Now, shut up and let me swallow that young man''s tasty and powerful soul."


    Finishing off with his words, a transparent human-like figure appeared. Without much haste, the figure dashed in the direction of Darren with a firm and steady flight.


    At that moment, being bound under the attack made by the man earlier, Darren''s soul was like pinned by millions of needles. One move and a searing pain would be felt. He was almost passing out and did not have any strength to fight back against the figure.


    "Young man, before you die, give me that body containing the Primitive Feminine Bloodline. Do you understand?" the transparent figure said as he looked down on Darren, who was nearly unconscious on the ground.


    "No!" with a frail and almost inaudible voice, Darren uttered one word through his gritted teeth.


    "Good. That''s very good. You are such a stubborn kid! I guess I just have to consume your soul and crush your small world to take it! Don''t you think that''s a good idea? Haha!" The transparent figure''s eyes glowed with a cruel expression. In a quick instant, he rushed towards Darren like a wolf marking his food.

 Chapter 491 The Extremely Powerful Rule Cultivator (Part One)

    As the burning rage inflamed in his eyes, the transparent man charged at Darren, aiming straight at his head. The assault was made with the man''s ultimate goal of taking Darren''s soul out and assimilating it on his own¡ªselfish and ruthless at the same time.


    There, lying helpless on the ground, Darren didn''t have the ability nor the frailest strength to resist his opponent''s attack at all. He was so weak and stiffened that all he could do was give up and let the transparent man get in his head.


    Vroom!


    In excess of the excruciating pain, Darren''s head started to spin. The world seemed to be shaking as he lay there flat on his back. More diabolical than that, a compelling aura of soul seemed to be squeezing and pressing on his brain.


    "Ahhhh!"


    A cry of pain echoed in Darren''s brain and was voiced out in his parched mouth. In the next second, a twisted and transparent figure emerged from Darren''s brain. The figure was hunched in an arch-like shape as if he was severely hurt.


    "How powerful!"


    While he was throwing out the words, the transparent man calmed a little and returned to his normal state. He praised and commended Darren''s soul in an awed tone saying, "Young man, you have a mighty soul. It''s frightening to know such a man possessing such an overpowering soul. I am lucky to have met you today, haha! Yet, the bad news for you is, no matter how dominating your soul is, it belongs to me now! Pity, you can do nothing about it." While his mouth twitched in mocking Darren, the transparent man sounded full of mirth and excited for a good catch¡ªDarren''s powerful soul.


    Wasting no time, with a snatch of his bare hand, he directly grabbed hold of Darren''s soul. With all his might, he was trying desperately to get the young warrior''s soul separated from his earthly body.


    "Get out, you little thing! Don''t make this hard for me!" the transparent man yakked while pulling the foreboding soul out. At the onset, Darren


    nsparent man sneered in a disdained tone. Letting out a curse, a pale golden rune was aimed at Horace and Rocky at a breakneck speed.


    Caught unprepared, Horace and Rocky were both stunned and mesmerized to say a word. The pale golden runes were like an attack from a god, supreme, and stalwart. The assault made them freeze in place while holding on to their breaths. They couldn''t do anything else but stare at the pale golden light in consternation, waiting to be knocked dead.


    "You bastard! Stop what you are doing right now."


    At that juncture, the air inside the dungeon started to shake, and an older man appeared from non-existent.


    With just a straightforward wave of his hand, the pale golden runes disappeared and were completely erased along Horace and Rocky''s path.


    Right at the very same time, a golden light shone in the older man''s eyes, and an arrow made of shimmering golden runes was shot aimed towards the transparent man.


    Bang!


    With a deafening sound, the attack sent the transparent man flying. With that, Darren''s soul was retrieved back in his body again.


    Yet, the battle had not come to an end. After a short while, the transparent man was back on his feet. This time, he looked even viler as he stared at the older man with eyes widened in shock and fright.

 Chapter 492 The Extremely Powerful Rule Cultivator (Part Two)

    "You..."


    The transparent man''s voice was full of fear and disbelief. It seemed that he was overwhelmed by the older man''s presence.


    "Master!" His voice was full of venom and menace rather than of respect when he greeted the older man. It was evident that he feared and loathed the older man at the same time.


    "Master? How dare you call me master!" the older man shouted in a stone-cold voice as he reciprocated the transparent man''s stare with another vicious gaze.


    "Hahahaha!" To the old man''s surprise, the transparent man started to laugh maniacally. "You finally came! You haven''t come for me for thousands of years, why are you here all of a sudden? To kill me? That made me wonder why?"


    "You don''t have to know why. I can kill you myself if I want to!" The older man''s voice was full of contempt and determination. It was clear that all he wanted right now was for the transparent man to be killed.


    "Ha! Let me guess. You are here for him, am I right?" The transparent man reckoned while pointing his shabby finger at Darren. Then he added, "Tell me who this guy is, that he even made you come here?"


    "I won''t repeat myself for the third time. You don''t have the right to know," the older man scorned.


    "Humph. Do you really think that you can kill me? Besides, even if you can kill me, don''t you fear that the Sacred Palace will give you trouble for that? Have you forgotten the order of the Sacred Palace?" As the transparent man reminded the older man about the order, he didn''t seem to be worried that the older man killing him.


    "You know very well the Sacred Palace''s order. Do you really think that the Sacred Palace will protect you when you don''t have the value they need?" The older man smirked coldly as a response to the transparent man.


    After hearing this, the look on the transparent man''s face changed. He froze as if he suddenly thought of something important, and he shouted angrily at the older man, "Do you believe that this guy can replace


    d the place, it would have already been entirely shattered by now.


    "They are just too powerful, each of them! Judging from their powers, I guess they can even fight a seven-star martial arts grand warrior," reckoned Horace.


    "Maybe you are right. They are indeed very powerful," responded Rocky.


    As warriors, Horace and Rocky both knew that a seven-star grand warrior was a threat to everyone. If a seven-star grand warrior was triggered to a fight, he would probably break the whole Bottom Spiritual World with just one blow!


    "Look! The transparent man is about to lose," exclaimed Rocky while pointing at the battle scene where the transparent man was lying flat on his back.


    During their fight, the transparent man was trashed and trampled by the older man again and again. But each time, he had recovered and stood still firm and fighting. This time, the older man used another true rule, directly suppressing his broken body.


    "Damn it! Lawrence, you old bastard! You make me do it! You have to die now!" A vicious and angry voice echoed in this empty space, along with the colossal blow of golden runes. The dungeon was shaken and was on the verge of being shattered.


    On the stone table, the withered blood-red body moved¡ªits arms, its legs, its head, and all the shriveled body parts came to life.

 Chapter 493 An Epic Combat

    The stooping older man, whose name was Lawrence Hong, noticed something unusual, so he immediately turned and looked at the blood-red body.


    "A holy body?"


    Lawrence Hong started feeling slightly scared, for he realized it was a holy body lying on the stone table.


    Boom!


    A huge dark golden rune was unleashed by Lawrence, aiming at and hitting the blood-red body.


    However, the blood-red body only stepped back 100 feet and it stabilized itself again, as if Lawrence''s dark golden rune was a minor incident.


    Lawrence''s eyebrows furrowed tightly at the minimum effect his golden rune had on the blood-red body. At this stage, he realized what his disciple had been doing for the past thousands of years.


    "Do you by any chance try to enter into the holy body and control it? Is that what you want?"


    "Geezer, you are completely wrong. It is not that I want to enter into the holy body. The truth is I have already entered into the holy body and I completely control it now. Unfortunately, it hasn''t completely absorbed the pure Primitive Feminine Bloodline, so it does not have any skin at all as you can see. It is indeed an ugly body, but as long as I can use it, I still use it." After entering into the ugly blood-red body, the transparent person seemed not to be afraid of anything at all. He was absolutely fearless, and perhaps that was what was scaring Lawrence.


    "Eddy, you''d better not act recklessly. Let go of him right away. Only then will I give your another chance. But only then." Lawrence was compromising with Eddy only on this condition.


    "Old bastard, don''t go and be silly now. Don''t you think it is a little too late to become scared now? For so many years, I have always existed only as a soul, but you don''t even know why, am I right? I bet! Now that I''m feeling generous, let me tell you the reason. I was born a soul creature. And, except for the body at the stage of the Holy Realm, no other bodies are powerful enough to contain me. Absolutely none.


    But once I have owned a body, my cultivation base will increase to another stage. Now, pray do tell me, how can you stop me? For the present time I want you to watch how I will swallow this man''s soul in your presence!"


    The combination of the blood-red body and Eddy''s soul was tremendously powerful! Indeed, it was a merger made in hell!


    However, this body belonged to the Primitive Feminine Body. So, in order to merge his soul with this body, he needed multiple bodies with a Primitive Feminine Bloodline as the medium for the combination to work properly. Previously, he had sent the most powerful soul hunters to kill people from the Primitive Feminine Bloodline Clan. And, although they were extremely careful, law enforcers began to investigate this issue meticulously afterwards.


    As such, he hid himself and used a strategy in order to make the leader of the Red Inferno Sect continue collecting Primitive Feminine Bloodlines for him, and it worked.


    Eddy had concocted a lie which was that after absorbing the Primitive Feminine Bloodline, a person could grasp the Primitive Feminine True Rule. The lie was all in order to enable Oliver to work for him. However, this lie sounded perfect to everyone, ther


    !


    "Ugh! Argh!"


    Eddy was in so much pain that he growled endlessly.


    "Eddy, you do not deserve to live in this world. It is now time for you to receive your due retribution. It is high time too!"


    Golden runes were now all over Lawrence''s body, and a hand solidified by the runes suddenly appeared between his eyebrows, reaching out for Eddy, who was still in a lot of pain.


    "Old bastard, do you have any idea why the Sacred Palace has not allowed you to kill me, huh? I bet you have no clue!"


    Eddy stabbed Lawrence''s large hand and the rule turbulent flows endlessly with the spear. Even though he was obviously at a disadvantage, he was entirely unconcerned, as if he was certain he would win this battle.


    "I don''t know what those people have been thinking, and I don''t want to know. The only thing I am certain of is that you will absolutely die today, mark my words Eddy," Lawrence replied, indifferently. He was truly not interested to know why the Sacred Palace had not allowed him to kill Eddy, or so Eddy thought.


    "Ha-ha, it is not that you don''t want to know Lawrence. Actually, the case is that you are not qualified to know the reason. Now I will tell you why, see how I''m being generous?"


    "World Upgrade now!"


    Eddy''s body and Lawrence''s large hand attacked each other on and on, but Eddy stopped moving all of a sudden after he mumbled that command.


    A blood-red cover suddenly appeared all over Eddy''s body. Out of nowhere, Lawrence''s attack could no longer hurt Eddy in any way.


    Lawrence was shocked, but not because Eddy''s defense became stronger all of a sudden, but due to the words he had said, the command he ordered.


    Witnessing this epic combat made Darren and Horace exceedingly frightened. Before the end of the fight, Lawrence abruptly stopped attacking and stared at Eddy''s blood-red body, with a trembling face. There was a look of disbelief in his eyes. It was as if he wanted to shout ''It cannot be!''


    "So you are the one who grasped this skill. Eddy, don''t be impetuous. Please take it back as fast as you can! It is not trivial!" It suddenly seemed as if Lawrence was begging Eddy.

 Chapter 494 A Mysterious Story

    Darren didn''t understand what was going on. However, he could feel that Lawrence was suddenly afraid. He had never seen him this way.


    "Hum! Don''t push me! Don''t provoke me! I tell you! Since you''ve executed the space turbulent flows in order to kill me, I will upgrade the Bottom Spiritual World. Then you won''t be able to activate the space turbulent flows anymore," Eddy said with a venomous smile, and a mischievous look in his eyes.


    The space turbulent flows were so powerful that Eddy couldn''t overcome them. But the space turbulent flows which were executed by Lawrence were formed from the broken space of the Bottom Spiritual World, not from his broken World Illusion, which was entirely different.


    Once Eddy upgraded the Bottom Spiritual World, the space would become extremely stable. Then Lawrence would not be able to make space turbulent flows to kill Eddy any longer.


    "Eddy, don''t do it! If you forcibly upgrade the Bottom Spiritual World, you will weaken the power of the legendary means. Do you think you''ll have a chance to survive? Think carefully now Eddy! Lord Donald of the Sacred Palace will kill you!" Lawrence shouted to get his point across loud and clear.


    "Ha-ha! It''s too late now old man! There''s nothing more important than killing you! Absolutely nothing!"


    Eddy said while activating the rule power which was hidden in his body. The whole Bottom Spiritual World then began to tremble violently. It was like an earthquake.


    "When I finish upgrading, you will die! And that is a promise!"


    Although the whole process of upgrading would take a long time, not just anyone could kill Eddy, not even a "holy emperor." That was because he would own the most powerful protection ever during that period.


    Meanwhile, Lawrence felt absolutely helpless and looked up at the sky in desperation. His eyes seemed to pierce the sky and look forward to something. It was not an ordinary look. A moment later, he bowed his head down with a heavy sigh.


    "It will take at least four hours to wait for Lord Donald''s men. It''s too late. Way too late. Am I going to be a sinner in my old age?" Lawrence shook his head slightly, feeling despondent, and then he walked towards the protective cover.


    Darren, Horace and Rocky saw Lawrence coming and their hearts thumped loudly. They also had many questions to ask him, and were quite nervous.


    "Sir, thank you for your help. We really appreciate everything you are doing."


    They deeply saluted Lawrence.


    "You''re welcome. Alas! I wish the result were different," Lawrence said with a wave of his hand, and a glance at the ground.


    "Sir, can you tell us what''s going on now? If you don''t mind that is?" Horace asked, extremely worried about the situation now.


    Lawrence said


    re detail.


    "It''s a pity that such a strong power is held by such evil people, Alas, a great pity!" Horace sighed, looking depressed.


    "No one knows for sure. No one." Lawrence shook his head too and said, "After Eddy uses the World Upgrade skill to upgrade the Bottom Spiritual World, the power which is emitted by the integration of the worlds will be reduced. If that power can''t defeat the fiend, we will be the guilty ones."


    "We are the guilty ones..." Darren murmured with a wry smile although he didn''t know if his words were right or wrong. "Sir, can no one control him? Absolutely no one?"


    Darren knew that there was a Sacred Palace in the Medium Spiritual World, and there were countless powerful ones in the Sacred Palace. Even the No. 138 law enforcer had the strength of the five-star grand warrior, and other law enforcers would be even stronger. So there must be someone able enough to control him.


    Therefore, Darren tried to find out why they allowed Eddy to do anything. It was quite puzzling.


    "I can''t speculate about Lord Donald''s decision-making. I''m afraid I''ll die this time around. So I don''t want to think too much. But it will be a pity if you too are killed. Lord Donald and the witcher master place their hopes on you. That''s why I came to help you whenever I could," Lawrence said in explanation.


    "Me? Are you sure? Why? I mean...yes why?" Darren didn''t understand at all.


    When Lawrence wanted to explain further, suddenly a dark passage appeared and several persons came out of the space passage. It was slightly macabre.


    Those people, who all wore a purple armor, owned a very strong power which made them quite oppressive and intimidating.


    "They are the law enforcers! They are here!" Even before Lawrence had said it, Darren had somehow already seen the identities of the visitors.

 Chapter 495 Impressive Scene (Part One)

    Falling in with the way they looked and the potency of their aura, the law enforcers present here looked even more powerful than the law enforcer Darren had met before. They exuded astonishing destructive power and overwhelming confidence.


    "I guess the leader is a legendary seven-star grand warrior. All of his subordinates are six-star grand warriors." Darren expressed his surprise to see such a powerful group.


    There were fifty martial artists in total, all of which wore a purple suit of armor. The power that emanated from them as they stood there in the open made Darren and the grand-elders wonder in awe.


    "Mr. Lawrence Hong." The powerful law enforcers greeted and bowed to the older man who walked towards them. The greeting was in a chorus, and their movement was done as if they were one person.


    "Lord Donald asked you to come here?" Lawrence asked the leader of the group. The expression on Lawrence''s face was unreadable. The leader of the group, in return, could not gauge whether he was glad at their arrival or not.


    "Yes, sir. Lord Donald felt like there was something unusual. He received reports that there was a big problem. After checking and confirming, he had sent us here to explore what happened and settle it for him," the leader said as he made an explanation as to the reason why they are there.


    "I think I know the problem Lord Donald was referring to. Look, that bastard used the World Upgrade," said Lawrence, while pointing at the bloody figure in the distance.


    The martial artist who talked to him just now shifted his gaze at Eddy. After this, he frowned and released a strong spiritual sense to cover and probe the entire Bottom Spiritual World.


    In his eyes, he could see the changes that were happening in the Bottom Spiritual World as he released his spiritual sense. All the rules in the space were improved, and the space became more and more stable. With the increased stability and improvement, the level of the Bottom Spiritual World soon became half of the Medium Spiritual World. The moment the Bottom Spiritual World''s level reached the Medium Spiritual World''s level, the two world


    id of you? After the Bottom Spiritual World upgrades, I will seal the space passage, and you have to go back. If that happens, do you suppose that Lawrence himself can defeat me?" In his mind, Eddy had thought of a solution to run away before he used World Upgrade. Yet, his words were indeed a provocation to the law enforcers.


    He mastered the legendary martial formulas and was able to integrate different worlds. Sealing the space passage leading to the Bottom Spiritual World would be a piece of cake for him. Moreover, according to the rules Hiram the Great made, when the space passage was sealed, the six-star and seven-star grand warriors couldn''t stay in the Bottom Spiritual World anymore. Eddy thought that as an escape because the law enforcers would be taken away and would be sent back to the Medium Spiritual World.


    Besides, he didn''t believe the law enforcers would kill him. In fact, they had their misgivings about saving the world from future danger!


    Hearing the rustic words from Eddy, the leader of the law enforcers forced a lucid smile. There were truths in Eddy''s words. In all facts, he could do nothing against Eddy''s provocation.


    "Mr. Hong, why is it going like this? What happened?" This time, the leader of the martial artists turned to Lawrence Hong, waiting for his explanation.


    As he felt obliged and responsible, Lawrence didn''t hesitate. He narrated to the leader what had happened.

 Chapter 496 Impressive Scene (Part Two)

    Now that he had a vivid picture of what was the root of all the mayhems, the leader frowned at Lawrence''s story. Yet, as he thought about things in a more profound sense, his eyes were focused on Darren.


    Out of the blue, at Lawrence''s surprise, the leader suddenly slapped Darren hard in the face.


    The sound was sharp, and the slap itself was burning in Darren''s face. Although the strength he used was not stronger than an ordinary person''s strength, Darren could feel his face numbing and tingling at the same time. He was slapped unprepared and was not expecting the leader to do such a thing on him.


    "Why did you slap me?!"


    Moments later, after a somewhat lengthy pause of disbelief, a look of pure hatred flashed across Darren''s face. He shouted to express his anger and was wondering what the reason behind the unexpected action was.


    "It is because of you, and Eddy grew crazy regardless of the Sacred Palace''s order. Dare you say you shouldn''t be blamed?" the martial artist wearing a purple suit of armor yelled at Darren. His voice was cold, with a malicious aura surged towards Darren.


    "I should be blamed? Why is that so? He wanted to kill my sister. What would you suggest I do? Let him be? Should I see my sister die in front of me? He wanted to kill an innocent girl, but I shouldn''t fight him or at least stop him? Is that what you mean?" As he vented out the anger in his heart, Darren clenched his fist. The clenched fist was so tight that his nails nearly poked into his palm.


    The leader, in return, was overwhelmed at Darren''s outrage. He didn''t mean to slap Darren because, in fact, the leader had wanted to blame Lawrence for this trouble. Yet, he dared not hit him. Lawrence was superior and had a higher status than him. Darren, on the other hand, was young, less powerful, and way too inferior. Thus he deviated his anger on him¡ªa slap on Darren''s face made him feel a bit better.


    ''If Lawrence didn''t come to save this not so important person, this mish


    needed to do was to get himself more powerful. If he became powerful enough, he would be respected. No one would ignore an influential martial artist¡ªleast slap them in the face.


    With the hatred he felt inside, memories of the incident that happened in the past flashed back his mind. The same humiliating feeling was felt by Darren when his relatives bullied him in the Chu Clan.


    "I haven''t felt like this for a long time," muttered Darren in a tone filled with self-pity. Yet, he didn''t show any signs of being crossed. Instead, he made a faint smile. The mark and the tingling sensation left by the slap was still there, but he soon fathomed out how to deal with the trouble.


    "Humph." The leader glared at Darren from head to foot and snorted.


    "Haha. Sir, I have a deep understanding of your insult. But sooner or later, you will definitely have a taste of that insult too." After saying that, Darren made a big smile and looked at the leader''s eyes warily. He vowed to himself that he would get even with this man one day, by hook or by crook.


    The leader was about to insult Darren even more, when he felt changes with the oppressive aura in the air. As he looked at Eddy''s direction, it seemed that he had almost completed the World Upgrade. The red light that radiated from him began to fade away gradually.

 Chapter 497 The Surrender (Part One)

    "Is the World Upgrade almost done?" asked the purple-armored martial artist who had a mixed emotion of surprise and worries cast on his pale face.


    "Eddy, since you have already activated the World Upgrade once, I don''t want to dwell on that matter any longer. Let''s move on and think about what our next move should be. What I would require you to do is very simple. You just need to go back with me and explain to Lord Donald about your affairs. You have my word that he won''t blame you that much," the purple-armored martial artist, who was the leader of the law enforcers advised Eddy. He was determined to persuade Eddy in any way possible so as not to create further havoc to the already unpleasant mess he had created.


    "Haha, do you think I am an idiot? What makes you think that I will go with you willingly? Especially now that my World Upgrade is about to succeed? The moment I have finished the process, with the flick of my fingers, I can quickly seal the gate of the space passage. I will be the dominator of this Bottom Spiritual World, and I can assimilate as many souls as I please. Your lord is no longer a match for me in strength. I won''t waste my time and energy talking to that old bastard anymore."


    Then came Eddy''s satirical and haunting voice along with his diabolical laughter.


    "Damn it!"


    the purple-armored martial artist growled in a fury. This time, panic had crept through him, and he was in a desperate situation to put Eddy''s plan to an end.


    "You gave me no choice but to end your life. You are useless to us if you don''t follow our rules!" he roared and motioned to the other grand warriors to launch an attack to the unyielding warrior.


    Under his command, the six-star grand warriors present lifted their spears and charged towards Eddy all at once.


    The united force of the grand warriors was powerful and devastating. They steadily pressed on and weakened Eddy''s power. Panting heavily with exhaustion, Eddy stumbled backward as the holy emperor defense of his body g


    d only made him insulted and frustrated. A flame of anger flared up dangerously in his eyes as he was determined to get even¡ªor best kill Eddy.


    "Invincible Warfare Domain!" the purple-armored martial artist roared.


    Instantly, he was crowned with a blaze of dazzling light as his belligerence streamed out of his body. Not wanting to bother with Eddy any longer, the purple-armored martial artist demonstrated his most powerful skill.


    The domain skill was known as an inherent attack means of martial arts grand warriors to end the enemy''s life. As a seven-star grand warrior, the purple-armored leader could be considered as invincible and matchless in his own domain, unless he was facing an enemy at the level of the Holy Realm.


    "Wow, you scared the hell out of me. I am tired of playing with you boys. Now, get the hell out of my way!" Eddy yelled in response to the purple-armored martial artist''s incoming attack.


    Although scoffing at the purple-armored martial artist, under the jest, Eddy personally felt the suppression of the Invincible Warfare Domain. Upon realizing that he would soon be defeated and swallowed by the skill, Eddy activated his legendary martial arts skill without a second thought. He felt that the earlier he had sealed the gate of the space passage, the higher the chances of saving his life would be.

 Chapter 498 The Surrender (Part Two)

    "You want to run away with your tail between your legs? I can just stab you to death within seconds!" mocked the leader of the law enforcers.


    Watching the space passage starting to collapse, magnified the purple-armored martial artist''s anger. He was resolved to utilize his most potent skill to take down Eddy.


    As he was about to launch his attack, his body seemed to enlarge. Standing in the middle of the Invincible Warfare Domain, he looked like a Genuine God who was summoning his power for the assault. The spear in his hand began to shine with a blazing light as it filled full with the force of belligerence. Then, to everyone''s astonishment, the spear pricked nimbly through space and reached Eddy''s throat.


    This time, the strike was beyond Eddy''s power to resist. As the spear pointed at his throat, he could not help experiencing a sudden shudder of terror. He quivered as a stream of chilling cold went over him.


    "Fuck off!"


    Driven by the horror, Eddy fumbled to seal the space passage by expediting his martial formula.


    However, it was a tad too late, no matter how hard Eddy tried to speed it up.


    In this small period, the purple-armored martial artist''s spear had already slashed his throat, and now it was slithering up towards his head.


    The situation was critical and parlous for Eddy, for the resource of all his power: his head was now at a stick.


    "Soul Penetrating Skill!"


    At this very moment of life and death, Eddy activated the most powerful soul attack skill he possessed. He knew that the skill might not enable him to defeat the martial artist in purple armor, but he knew that at least the skill would buy him some more time.


    Consequently, the force of the Soul Penetrating Skill took the martial artist in purple armor less than three seconds to react and overpower it.


    The result of the fight was dramatic enough for both Eddy and the leader of the law enforcers. Jus


    rrior at a much lower level do to change the result of the fight between two equally powerful warriors?


    "Sir, what are we supposed to do next?" Darren asked Lawrence, staring worriedly at the scarlet body of Eddy that was drifting in the sky. They could see that the wounds in Eddy''s body were stitching themselves together quickly. With no doubt, Eddy would be fully healed and would become as robust and powerful as ever. If that were the case, then the path that was laid ahead would be disastrous for any of the men present.


    "Don''t panic! Since I have already rescued you once, I won''t shrink from the thought of saving you a second time around. Although I am incapable of killing him now, I could still try some other ways." Saying that, Lawrence turned to Eddy''s figure.


    "Eddy, let them go! I will stay here as your hostage!"


    Lawrence called out loud to Eddy, his voice echoed through space.


    Everyone was taken aback by Lawrence''s offer. Everyone that heard such a suicide-intention was pale in the face. ''Is this his means of rescuing us? By surrendering himself as a hostage?''


    "Sir, you cannot do that! Even if you had sacrificed yourself, that perilous bastard would not let us leave quickly." Stalwart and bold, Darren stepped forward and stopped Lawrence.

 Chapter 499 Lawrences Sacrifice (Part One)

    "Perhaps, he is right. I have paid a high price to ingest his soul. Of course, I won''t let him go without getting what I want! Besides, all of you are doomed to death, what''s the use of spilling a bargain for your lives?"


    With the mocking words, Eddy opened his eyes, which flashed a bloody angry light. It was evident that his heart was filled with unbounded murderous intent. He couldn''t wait to lay his hands upon these annoying people before him.


    "You are such a brute! Do you really intend to kill them?" While he was confronting the ruthless warrior in front of him, Lawrence''s face turned icy.


    "You old bastard! What a shame for you to say so? Let me help you to recall what happened years ago, for you to look back on the cruel things you have done to me!


    At that time, I was as innocent as a baby. I did things and made decisions just by instinct. I indeed made some mistakes because I had ingested some warriors'' souls that were nobodies. But you showed me no mercy. You didn''t want to give me a chance to live but wanted to kill me instead! You tried to burn me alive by True Fire. How could you torture me in such a cruel way? I was just a baby then! What a ruthless bastard you are! I, the poor child, had begged you to let me live again and again. And yet, what did you do? Have you ever been softhearted to me? Of course, you haven''t, because YOU are a damn ruthless dog! Hahaha..."


    Eddy laughed like a lunatic. Behind that menacing laugh, nobody knew the mixed feelings he had deep inside¡ªhatred, regrets, self-pity, and vengeance, all were tossed and tousled up inside him.


    A moment later, Lawrence was still in silence, as the truth synced in on him. Eddy realized that at that very moment, Lawrence was at his weakest, and then he seized the chance to make an attack. A spear with runes was directly shot at Lawrence unannounced and at breakneck speed.


    "All your bastards must go to hell! GO TO HELL!" Eddy roared as he let out all his displeasures.


    At the same time, a rune-powered spear that had an overwhelming power that bore a force like thousands of huge mountains was directly shot at Darren. Caught unprepared, Darren and the two grand-elders that were standing with him trembled. The approaching spear was as


    ed to be dragged out of hell, Eddy clenched his teeth and yelled his threat towards Darren.


    As shivers of fear crept through Darren''s skin, he rushed to the dark prison and peeped at Eddy through a crack on the dark prison cell.


    "Roar!"


    Still unable to accept his defeat, Eddy bared his teeth and roared at Darren.


    "It''s your lucky day, bastard! Enjoy the rest of the twenty years. Sooner or later, I will break out of the dark prison and take your life! Mark my words, useless bastard."


    To hinder Eddy from doing any more harm, Lawrence sacrificed his soul to activate the Imprisonment Rule and contain the vile warrior inside. However, the Imprisonment Rule was soul-consuming; as time went on, Lawrence''s spiritual energy would vanish gradually, and the shackle force that bound the prisoner would similarly be weakened. Twenty years was Lawrence''s best efforts to stay Eddy imprisoned.


    "Twenty years is not a long time; indeed, I can wait. I will make sure that twenty years later, I will make certain of your death by killing you with my own hands!" Darren bellowed coldly, stepping away from the prison cell. He was not afraid of Eddy this time, and he meant his words heartily.


    "Are you kidding me? You? The loser? Forget it! No matter how much effort you spend in cultivating, eventually, one fact is inevitable. You will be defeated, and I will always win against you, weakling!" Not even moved by Darren''s threat, Eddy shouted sneeringly with a voice steaming with anger.

 Chapter 500 Lawrences Sacrifice (Part Two)

    "Well then, let''s wait and see. I don''t care whether you are still in prison or not. I just want to cut your head off and take your life to avenge Lawrence''s honor. I''ll pledge my word that I will do that in twenty years."


    After saying those words, Darren turned around and left without even looking back. With quick steps, Horace and Rocky caught up with Darren, who was walking with gigantic leaps.


    "Soul attack!" As he heard the group''s fading footsteps, Eddy summoned an attack. He was outraged after he listened to the words uttered by Darren. Thus the soul attack was released intending to kill him. However, inclusive of the Imprisonment Rule, the prison cell could shackle anything, including the soul attack that Eddy released. He failed again this time, and it crossed him even more.


    Soon enough, as the light of day grew apparent, Darren''s figure appeared in the outside world. The warmth of the sunshine and the refreshing breeze that kissed his face resembled a renewed hope to Darren. With all those dear to him that had been lost battle after battle, Darren was thankful that he was still alive and would live to give them honor and justice.


    Lifting his head to enjoy the view, Darren stared at the white clouds floating leisurely in the sky, with mixed feelings in his heart.


    "Master, what should we do next?" with a solemn voice, Horace asked as he appeared behind Darren.


    "What do you mean?" The question made by Horace made Darren furrow his brows. He was confused as an aftermath of everything that had happened.


    "Master, as you can see, Oliver has died, and Eddy was imprisoned. Everything had been sorted temporarily, at least. That''s indeed great for us. But, there are so many disciples from the Red Inferno Sect and the evil hunters from the Soul Hunter Sect. How do we deal with them?"


    With Horace''s explanation, the cloud on Darren''s mind was slightly cleared off. He soon realized that it was indeed an important thing that Horace just put forward.


    "I want to request that you two deal with these things. How about that? Disciples from the Red Inferno Sect shall be deprived of using the rule power. Build some new towns among the huge mountains and make them live there for the rest of their lives. As for the evil cultivators from the Soul Hunter Sect, once you


    d warriors could exert their strength more fully now that the space was stable. The moment the border mutants started to revolt, human beings at the Bottom Spiritual World would be exterminated in all probability.


    "Oh, my god! Things are getting horrible." As he let out his frustrations, Darren took a deep breath. He didn''t know how to deal with such a complicated puzzle.


    In the first place, all that Darren wanted was just to save his sister. He didn''t expect that he would be mixed up with a much bigger tangled web.


    "Sirs, in your opinion, how soon can the border mutants notice that the space passage has been sealed?" out of his curiosity, Darren asked.


    "Eddy had used the World Upgrade; thus, any knowledgeable master warrior might discern this matter as soon as possible. Among the border mutants, those priests and rule cultivators can undoubtedly sense the alterations made at the Bottom Spiritual World. But, I guess, it will take three years at least for them to notice that the space passage has been sealed," Horace said, giving Darren an approximate time frame based on his knowledge of the border mutants.


    "Well, if that were true, three years would be enough for me. I will focus on my cultivation, and by that time, I can reach the stage that can kill a five-star grand warrior. Besides, I will deal with the consequences by myself," confident with himself, Darren said in a calm voice. In his mind, he had a vision of himself with an increased level, and on his feet laid bodies of fallen border mutants.

 Chapter 501 Pals Are In Trouble (Part One)

    At the onset of Darren''s confident statement, the two elders'' doubting eyes flashed with a shadow of half-heartedness. Yet, they chose to suppress the feeling within them and dared not verbalize it¡ªthey had a high reverence for Darren to do so.


    However, no matter how hard they acted normal and tried to hide their apparent stand about the issue, Darren keenly detected the glints of doubt in their eyes. Knowing that they did not believe his words, Darren''s desire to improve grew within him more intensely. In Horace''s mind, there lingered the question, ''How is it possible that Darren is going to improve his strength within just three years from the level of being able to kill a one-star grand warrior to the level of killing a four-star or even a five-star grand warrior?''


    As he thought about it, Horace had come to think about Finley. That, even Finley, a potential holy emperor, was unable to do that. It might also take him many years to be able to advance at that stage.


    "Horace, Rocky, I believe you will have to stay here to deal with some minor problems. I have to leave first," breaking the ice that froze them awkwardly, Darren said his farewell and did not say too much.


    "Okay," the two grand-elders replied shortly with a nod.


    With the grand-elders'' consent, Darren lurched and soared into the sky like a bird freed from captivity. As swift as he could, he flew out of the region away from the Red Inferno Sect.


    There were vast stretches of mountains outside the Red Inferno Sect, luscious and paved with evergreen trees. Creatures of varied species were scattered across the plains, and Darren enjoyed seeing such life forms. As he neared his destination, Darren randomly landed on an isolated peak.


    Now that he was alone and had all the time in the world, all he needed was to concentrate. He was diverting all his attention on how to improve his cultivation base in the fastest way possible.


    "How can I improve my strength quickly?" murmured Darren as he had some self-reflections amidst the vast and peaceful land.


    In all truths, even Darren himself was kind of unsure that he could take merely


    progress tremendously and to an extraordinary extent.


    Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!


    Just as Darren had enough motivation to continue his cultivation, the contact bead in his Space Ring sounded an alert.


    "Darren, are you all right?


    I am afraid that Timothy and I will be unable to help you. I hope you can save your sister successfully."


    Abelard''s voice came out of the contact bead. He sounded like he was apprehensive for Darren, which made the latter confused as to what made him behave so.


    "No worries, Abelard! I have resolved my affairs. What''s wrong with you?" responded Darren abruptly as he was eager to have his mind cleared off at the thought of what was troubling Abelard at the moment.


    Yet, staring at his Space Ring, Darren grew annoyed as he remembered the last time that Abelard sent him a message through the contact bead. Darren responded immediately, but he, in return, did not get any messages back again. Waiting in vain frustrated him a lot, and that made him curse Abelard, though he was miles away from him.


    Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!


    This time, however, soon after Darren sent his response, Abelard replied.


    "Alas, Timothy is in bad shape! He has been severely injured. We are now hiding inside a protective device, but I am afraid it will not last long before we get caught. I think I have to say goodbye to you for the last time in my life, buddy," Abelard hollered in fear and desolation.

 Chapter 502 Pals Are In Trouble (Part Two)

    "What the hell happened?" At the sound of such remorse from a mighty warrior like Abelard, Darren believed that they were really in great danger. Thus, he asked urgently and demanded an urgent response as well.


    "Some rebellious guys in Timothy''s clan attacked his family, and I came in to help him, but they were too strong. There was a four-star grand warrior among them, and Timothy''s parents have been killed."


    "Oh, my goodness! How long can you hold out? I will be right there," Darren reckoned anxiously. Wasting no time, he prepared himself for battle.


    "No, don''t come here! This wretched guy is solid, and I reckon that even the Water Kylin can''t resist him. I just want to say goodbye to you, pal. Promise me that you will not come over on impulse, or else you will die as well!" with a shout-like voice, Abelard warned Darren anxiously. He was afraid that Darren would come and save them. That for sure would put his life on the line, and Abelard didn''t want that to happen, especially knowing that it was for their sake.


    "Don''t worry about me! Just tell me, how long can you hold out? And how could that four-star grand warrior appear in Timothy''s clan?" Darren asked incredulously in a demanding and commanding voice.


    "Seven days! If we get lucky, I am afraid we will live for seven days at most. The bastard actually is not even a human but a border mutant who has spied in Timothy''s clan for many years," Abelard surmised in between gasps. It could be sensed in his voice that he, too, was in pain.


    "Oh, that makes sense. Just hang in there for a bit longer. I will be there as soon as I can." With that, Darren sent his last message and then cut off contact. He knew that Abelard would undoubtedly try to dissuade him, in any way possible not to go there.


    Yet, Darren had made up his mind, and no one could stop him. As he flew on his way towards Timothy''s clan, Darren mulled over the situation.


    ''The Water Kylin and I couldn''t be able to defeat the border mutant who is a four-star


    ed Darren. The space passage between the Bottom Spiritual World and the Medium Spiritual World had been sealed, so of course, there wouldn''t be any enforcers coming.


    Jacob wore a surprised look as he heard Darren''s words.


    Yet, whether Jacob believed him or not, Darren glanced at him and continued to say, "At this point, a lot of things are happening, and lives are in danger. I will talk about the details with you some other time. But for now, could you do me a favor and call on the masters of your sect to help?"


    "No problem! I will notify them at once. I am sure that they will not refuse if they know that you need their help. Just wait for an hour." At the onset of Darren''s supplication, Jacob did not hesitate to make a decision. The action, in turn, made Darren warm at heart.


    At the same time that Jacob informed the other masters, Darren also sent messages to Horace and Rocky. Considering their reliable rule power, they could kill a rookie four-star grand warrior together.


    "Copy that. We will come over very soon," Horace immediately responded the moment he received Darren''s message.


    With all the preparations, Darren believed that he was well likely to save Timothy and Abelard. He was also praying that there would be no five-star border mutants in Timothy''s clan, or else the rescue would be more arduous.

 Chapter 503 Prepared The Sky Piercing Array (Part One)

    Though Darren was thrilled at the thought that the grandmasters of the Violet Phoenix Sect would help him out, still, he couldn''t help worrying about Timothy and Abelard. Apart from that, Darren also felt anxious if the border mutants had known that the space passage was sealed. Otherwise, how could they dare invade Timothy''s family? The thought made Darren even more fazed.


    As he walked back and forth along the hall of the palace, an hour later, Jacob came back to the hall after informing other masters of martial arts.


    "Darren, you mentioned earlier that both the Red Inferno Sect and the Soul Hunter Sect were exterminated. What happened?" Because it took some time for those masters to come, Jacob had the leisure of the time to ask Darren. He was curious about the details of what happened to the sects.


    Since he had arrived, Darren knew that Jacob was curious about the fates of the sects. The young warrior, in return, did not mean to conceal the truth, so he narrated to Jacob the story on how the two vilest factions had reached the end of the existence of their dominance.


    "What? Is that so? How horrible!"


    After hearing the account from Darren, who was present at that time, flesh and blood, Jacob was totally at a loss for words.


    As a matter of fact, he indeed felt something unusual that day, when the incident happened. It turned out that it was not one of his illusion, but something commodious and unbounded happened.


    Boom!


    To convince himself a little more, Jacob stood up and chopped the air outside of the hall with his palm fiercely. To his bewilderment, his action did not have any influences on the space at all.


    "Oh my God! So, it is indeed true!" As he was uttering those words in disbelief, Jacob had a grim expression on his face.


    While the master was immersed with thoughts about the alterations in the space, an older man in red robes marched towards the hall with quick steps.


    "That''s true, Jacob. I, myself, noticed that space had been upgraded since that day, but I did not expect that something detrimental happened on the other side of the lands."


    The older man in the red robe was Nick, and he was the invit


    utant grand warrior had mighty fighting capacities. Even with the three-star human grand warriors'' combined strength, and Darren''s too, they wouldn''t be on par with the four-star mutant grand warrior.


    Back then, the sub-specific legendary beast, which was the winged-tiger, almost killed twenty three-star grand warriors all at once.


    That was actually excellent. Yet, at the onset, Darren''s biggest fear was, what if there were other much stronger mutants there? Even higher than a four-star mutant? Even if there was just one more four-star mutant joining in the fight, it would become extremely difficult for them to handle. If things came to worst, they might meet their doom on Western Desert Island while facing the powerful mutants.


    "A four-star grand warrior is indeed very powerful, especially when backed up with numerous equally powerful minions. Thus, we really need your help, elder." While saying that, Jacob turned to Nick. His eyes were full of supplication and pleas towards the elder.


    The instant Nick met Jacob''s eyes, he readily knew what he meant. To let Darren know about what was on their mind, Nick slightly shook his head and said, "Do you suggest we should use the Sky Piercing Array? However, I cannot create the required powerful rule power crystal core at the moment. But if someone, whose cultivation base is as strong as mine would assist me, I could create the crystal core of the Sky Piercing Array again."

 Chapter 504 Prepared The Sky Piercing Array (Part Two)

    Hearing Nick''s dilemma, Darren''s eyes brightened in excitement. ''Horace and Rocky have a similar cultivation base of rule cultivation with Nick. They might be able to help, '' he thought.


    "Horace, have you arrived?" Determined to have them sooner at the Violet Phoenix Sect, Darren sent a message through his spiritual sense.


    "In a minute," replied Horace shortly.


    "Nice. When you reach the palace, please don''t tell them who you are. Maybe just tell them you are my friends or some elders," the worried warrior suggested.


    As a precautionary measure, Darren planned to conceal Horace''s and Rocky''s true identities. The reason was that he wanted to avoid any unnecessary conflicts that might arise if others knew that they had been grand-elders from the Red Inferno Sect.


    "I see. I understand, sir," replied Horace, who was on their way toward the Violet Phoenix Sect.


    After a little while, Horace and Rocky arrived at the hall. Their auras were felt the moment they landed on the ground. Darren, Jacob, and Nick, all at once turned their heads towards them.


    However, to Darren''s surprise, the atmosphere had become intense the moment they draw near. It was as if the sun suddenly hid among the clouds, and the ether started to dim.


    "It is you!" Nick''s tone was filled with anger. The instant he set his eyes upon Horace, he recognized him at once.


    "Humph, Nick, it''s been a long time," Horace greeted the pale-faced Nick. Contemplating Nick''s reaction, Horace and Rocky looked at each other, giving a bitter smile.


    "Don''t call me by my name. I am surprised that you guys are still alive! Traitors and betrayers of trust! humph!" Glaring at them, and eyeing them from head to foot at the same time, Nick snorted coldly.


    "Yes, Nick, we are still alive, and we are thankful for that. But, Louis, on the other hand, is not lucky enough that he died," with mournful scorn on his face, Horace answered.


    A


    d, and he was hoping that Nick would understand the situation and forgive them in his heart.


    "Big brother, please stop it here. I get your point, and I don''t want to talk about it anymore," looking at Horace''s eyes, Nick replied.


    "Good then, that would be fine with me. As you might have known, Rocky and I have become Darren''s subordinates. We will not do anything evil. Let''s work together to save those people in his friend''s clan," reckoned Horace, with a relieved smile spreading over his face.


    This time, as they shifted their gaze towards Darren, Nick slightly nodded without saying anything more.


    "Let''s start to prepare the Sky Piercing Array. With your help, the power of the Sky Piercing Array will be greatly increased. Later, we can go there together and use it against the border mutants. Even if there were two four-star mutants, we would be able to defeat them," assured Nick with all hopes high.


    "That would be great. Let''s start then. Darren, please wait for six more hours."


    "Okay, I will do that. Thanks, elders," With his hands cupped and his head bowed, Darren expressed his gratefulness towards the elders. Reciprocating his gesture, Horace, Rocky, and Nick made a slight bow and then left to refine the crystal core of the Sky Piercing Array.

 Chapter 505 Arriving At The Western Desert Island (Part One)

    While the three elders isolated themselves to focus on preparing the Sky Piercing Array, Darren, on the same instant, settled in a relatively quiet place and opened the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    Ever since Belle was brought into the Ancient Void Battlefield, Darren had been checking on her with his spiritual sense every day. Days and weeks had passed, and Darren was saddened to see that her condition had not progressed at all. She had been unconscious the whole time.


    As she had sustained heavy and constant bleedings after being hit by some spells, Belle couldn''t wake up any time soon. Darren understood that her body needed some time to recover.


    Today, as Darren had enough time while waiting for the elders to be done with refining the Sky Piercing Array, he thought a visit into the Ancient Void Battlefield would be a good idea. After all, seeing his sister physically before facing the border mutants would add up to his courage and motivation to win the dreaded battle. A few moments later, Darren appeared in a quiet valley where a thatched cottage stood humbly by its nether side surrounded by luscious vegetation and a gently running stream.


    As quiet as he could, Darren opened the door to the cottage where Belle was staying. Belle, his sister, was lying on the bed, face still pale and motionless. The only sign that she was still alive was her chest that moved up and down as she breathed.


    "You suffered a lot, my little sister. I hope you survive this one and get well soon,"


    the hopeful brother mumbled in a gentle voice. While he was stroking his sister''s face, Darren''s heart couldn''t be spared from hurting, seeing his little sister so weak and helpless.


    Ever since they were kids, Darren and his little sister had been bullied. Though he was too innocent to understand why they were always browbeaten, Darren made a vow that it would never again happen to his sister. He had thought that he could protect his little sister when he gained the experience of his adventure. But he was wrong all this time, he failed and was not able to fulfill h


    to help them out.


    "With the help of my senior fellow apprentices, the rule power crystal core that I refined is even more powerful. Its strength is equal to the strength of a four-star grand warrior," the older red-robed man, Nick, interrupted at this time, taking out a crystal core shining with runes. Only with this potent crystal core could they maintain the Sky Piercing Array.


    The grand warriors all heard what he said and turned to look his way and towards the crystal. But their gazes fell on to Horace and Rocky, whom they hadn''t met before.


    "May I ask who the two men are?" one of them asked politely.


    "Oh, I forgot to introduce them to you. They are both powerful rule cultivators, and they are like Nick''s brothers,"


    with a gentle voice, Jacob said simply. His tone was casual, for he knew that many of the grand warriors were enemies with the Red Inferno Sect, and they hated the members of this sect. Jacob also made the right decision in not telling the grand warriors Horace and Rocky''s real identities.


    "Oh, I see. I bet with the help of you two, we are more confident that we will succeed in killing those mutant bastards this time, haha!" Judging from the way Master Jacob introduced them as Nick''s brothers, the grand warriors didn''t overthink about the identities of the two new men. They continued laughing and chatting as if nothing was unusual.

 Chapter 506 Arriving At The Western Desert Island (Part Two)

    As time drew near and everything was set and ready, Darren, Horace, Rocky, and the grand warriors prepared themselves to head towards the Western Desert Island.


    The grand warriors were soon flying in the sky. There were so many of them that the shadows they made as they flew made the living creatures that came across them shiver in fright.


    Having a swift flight, it only took them a short time to get to the transmission array. Once they got in the transmission array, they were immediately transported to the Western Desert Island.


    In the extreme west of the Bottom Spiritual World was a big blue sea. While, on the edge of the sea was a big island that was a thousand miles in width¡ªthe Western Desert Island.


    Vroom!


    In a secret valley, countless runes started to shine, and many powerful figures appeared at the same time. The place was steaming with the different aura of varying levels of cultivation bases, and all were potent.


    "The Shaoyan Clan is in the center area of the island. Should we go there directly and attack the enemies, or should we check the situation first?"


    as they lurked among the shadows to hide, one of the grand warriors asked. After this, they started to discuss their plan of action.


    Meanwhile, in the ancient complex of palaces in the center of the Western Desert Island, many black human-like creatures with black scales were roaming around the place as if they were guarding them.


    One of the palaces was extremely ornate and had a very frightening ferocious aura around it.


    "Master, the first group of human martial artists are here to save the men of the Shaoyan Clan," the voice of one thin, black mutant echoed as he relayed the words to a much more powerful black mutant who was sitting on an extensive chair at the front of the palace.


    "Where are they from? Are they from the Heavenly Palace Sect in the southern land? Or from the Chasm Clan? Perhaps, they are martial artists from the North Desert?"


    the powerful black mutant, as he was seated firmly, asked nonchalantly. It seemed that he wasn''t worried ab


    t he didn''t dare do anything else. He just knelt on the ground and asked in a quivery voice, "M...Master, can you tell us what made you so angry? We are sorry if it''s our fault."


    One had to know that the black mutant was as powerful as a human four-star grand warrior. Now, faced with the young purple mutant, he was so frightened. It was apparent that the young purple mutant was even more powerful than him!


    "I got some bad news. I heard that one person of the Dragon Blood Clan had arrived on this island. How the hell did you guard this place? Huh?


    Are you sure that the space passage is one hundred percent sealed? Answer me!"


    His angry voice made the powerful black mutant shiver even more violently. No one had the courage to answer him least; his wrath would fall upon them, knowing that he was extremely vexed at the moment.


    Meanwhile, on the edge of the Western Desert Island, Darren and the other grand warriors decided to let someone make a few discreet inquiries before making a move after discussion.


    As bold as he was, Darren was the first to volunteer because once he used the Air-integrated True Rule, even Horace couldn''t feel his existence. He thought that he was the best choice for this task.


    Swoop!


    Unseen to the naked eye and unfelt to most spiritual sense, Darren was flying close to the ground, directed towards the center of the island.

 Chapter 507 The Rescue (Part One)

    With his aura concealed and his entire being close to non-existent, Darren immediately launched a quick search of the area using his Spirit Power. Soon enough, he discovered some movements not far from where they are hiding. Following through the aura as to where the movements originated, the young warrior immediately sensed that the approaching figures were not that friendly.


    "Is that what I think it is? I can''t believe that I actually run into some mutants like these here!"


    At the sight of the two black mutants in patrol, Darren was a little bit surprised and couldn''t help himself from cursing.


    These black mutants were precisely the same kind of the mutant that Bruce had transformed into. The fact made him wonder whether they were of close kinship or not.


    What Darren hadn''t figured out yet was whether this kind of mutant was descendant of the fiend or a more bizarre species. He remembered how frightened Bruce was when he first saw Darren in the demonic transformation form. So, he reckoned that these black mutants were naturally and instinctively scared of Darren when he had transformed himself.


    ''Perhaps, these mutants may have everything to do with the fiend sealed in the forbidden area, and it is also possible that they are the descendants of the human experiment subject.'' Making more in-depth scrutiny of the mutants, Darren thought to himself in speculation.


    While he was doing that, he stayed hidden on the side with no absolute intention to launch an attack on them. Darren''s primary purpose was surveillance, instead of alerting the enemies by killing a couple of low-level black-scaled mutants.


    After all, Darren was only at the prototype stage of his Air-integrated True Rule. Thus he could only keep his cover for a short period. That would also mean that he still could not use such ability unrestricted. Yet, lucky for him, Darren did not have to apply such an advanced set of skills on the two black mutants as their Spirit Powers were not strong enough to detect him.


    After the patrol of these black mutants passed, Darren kept searching while making his way to the city center, where many tall buildings stood. The city center was the core area that was tightly controlled by the Shaoyan Clan.


    It w


    his judgment. He felt relieved when the purple mutant shifted his gaze and addressed his servants, saying, "Another group of humans has arrived, and they are hiding in the south side. Hold on a second¡­. I have been informed that one of them is quite powerful, the one with a spear. I don''t want any of you to touch him. I will handle him myself and make sure of his death, and then you guys can take care of the rest."


    "Of course, master! Everything will be done as you please. But, would you mind telling me who they are? Or perhaps, who sent them?" a four-star black mutant, who sat next to the purple mutant, asked with uneasiness in his voice.


    "I don''t care who they are, what they are, or whoever sent them! What would it matter as we will kill whoever that come to our turf? You do not need to know that much!" growled the purple mutant.


    "Yes, master! Certainly, master!" the black mutant replied while bowing as low as he could to show his apologies to the purple mutant.


    On the far corner, while eavesdropping to their conversation, Darren was deeply disturbed by their short argument.


    Aside from that, another realization bothered Darren. That was, if this purple mutant was able to detect the presence of other human beings, then he must have found out about the infiltration of Darren''s group. But he could not wrap his head around why such a powerful purple mutant chose to stay inside the central city, safe and hidden, instead of coming over and wiping all the intruders out.

 Chapter 508 The Rescue (Part Two)

    However, looking at the flip side of the coin, the instant this purple mutant joined the fight, Darren''s group would still not stand a chance even if they combined all their forces against him alone.


    "The Air-integrated True Rule will not hold much longer. I have to get out of here now before being found out," Darren said to himself as he noticed the lax in his Spirit Power.


    At will, Darren had wanted to stay longer to learn more about the mutants'' strengths and plans, but his Spirit Power was not powerful enough to keep the Air-integrated True Rule up. Thus, he was left with no choice but to exit the place as quick as he could.


    "Guys, please be on high alert! I think it is most likely that we have been spotted. Look out for any sign of enemy movement!" After Darren left the center hall, he found a relatively secluded spot so that he could inform his companions about the situation of their opponents using his spiritual sense.


    "We are spotted? Then how come they did not send out any mutants to intercept us, or confront us at least?" a three-star grand warrior asked Darren with his spiritual sense, and his voice was filled with both concern and worry.


    "I can''t gauge their exact strength, but I have come across an extremely powerful mutant with the strength of at least a five-star grand warrior. So please be cautious of your surroundings and do not try to engage with that powerful mutant head on!


    One more thing, we are not the only human group on this island. There are also people from other places here, and they have just been spotted. Anyhow these mutants must be cooking up some conspiracies against us human. If possible, could one of you go and find the other groups that are on this island so that we can give them a head-up that the mutants are coming? I have a feeling that we may be able to work together on this," Darren warned and gave them instructions as well.


    "Got it. We will stay sharp and keep our guards up. We will try to make contact with them if we can. You be careful out there!" a grandmaster responded.


    Before cutting their connection off, Darren told them everything that he had learned so far, and he was almost sure that the mutants from the west had found out that the space passage had been blocked. Otherwise, they would not dare to send such powerful mutants to this place without even a slight disguise.


    Clearly, they were not scared of human law enforcers any longer. The sealing of the passages was their ticket to revolt and had put their suppressed desires of vengeance ablaze.


    However, this was not Darren''s concern as of the moment. His priority was rescuing Timothy and Abelard. He


    put his life on the line to save them as well.


    Deciding whether to give his plan a go or just dismiss the thought, Darren provided a preliminary assessment of the cultivation base of these four black mutants. He determined their strength to be equal to that of a two-star human grand warrior. Given that, they might be able to have an outburst with their power, the actual power during combat would be close to the top level of a two-star grand warrior.


    "Fine. This is also a great opportunity to test my strength. Just kill them!" Darren encouraged himself.


    Boom!


    When Darren gave up his cover and appeared out of thin air, he blasted a sturdy dark gold internal force towards one of the black mutants.


    In a blink of an eye, that black mutant was reduced to a pile of ashes by Darren''s internal force. Soon, the mutant ceased to exist and was blown in the air like dust swaying in the gentle breeze.


    "Sound the alarm! We have an intruder!" bellowed one of the three remaining black mutants.


    The rest of the black mutants heard the movement, and two of them instantly jumped over, ready for a battle to kill Darren.


    At the same instant, the members of the Shaoyan Clan, who had been taken prisoners and barely breathing, were startled by the sudden movement and began to notice Darren''s presence.


    "Damn, human! How did he pass through our security outside? You two hold him off, and I will notify our force stationed outside!"


    These black mutants were not stupid at all. The moment they sensed Darren''s indomitable aura, they instantly knew that they would not be able to withstand him. Thus, only two of them came swooping down on Darren as an attempt to buy some time while the other one ran towards the exit of the stone castle to summon backup.

 Chapter 509 The Hereditary Treasures

    The instant the black mutant tried to escape, Darren flung out his hand and activated his Hurricane Teleportation Skill.


    "Did you really think you could pull that off under my watch?"


    Darren sneered coldly as he covered the distance in a blink and landed in front of the black mutant, barring his path.


    "You bastard!" the black mutant snarled. Enraged and shocked at Darren''s speed and the fact the way out was blocked, the black mutant launched his attack, his razor-sharp claws swiping at Darren.


    "Humph!" Darren snorted coldly.


    He split into eight avatars, surrounding the black mutant.


    The eight avatars countered the mutant, bombarding him with unmatched blade and sword intents and powerful dark gold internal force.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The body of the black mutant burst open in several areas, gushing blue-black blood.


    He threw back his head and let out a pain-filled screech.


    His body swelled until his veins became prominent. They appeared as if they would burst through his skin. Or that the skin itself would rip apart.


    Darren smirked. The black mutant''s combat power matched that of a two-star grand warrior at his top level. He regretted not being able to kill the mutant in a second or less.


    At that very moment, the other two black mutants dashed forward. Killing intent spilled from them as they charged toward Darren. Claws spread, they closed the distance quickly.


    Whoosh!


    Darren''s figure disappeared. He''d reactivated the Hurricane Teleportation Skill, causing his eight avatars to re-integrate.


    His figure showed up again. In that instant, olive-black force exploded from him.


    Sizzle!


    The attack melted one of the onrushing mutants. His body turned to thick black fluid, spilling into the air and across the ground.


    Darren grinned.


    ''It turns out that the olive-black force fused with the aura of dragon blood and demonic internal force can kill a black mutant in an instant after all!''


    Previously, his demonic internal force would have been only sufficient to intimidate a mutant. Now, fused with the aura of dragon blood, the black mutants'' natural enemy, an entire new world of possibilities had opened. The power was something for them to fear. The threat of instant death was something to send them fleeing.


    Swish!


    Darren waved his sword horizontally. A wave of the olive-black force rippled around the whole area. Before the remaining two black mutants could react, even as their eyes bulged with fear, they melted into puddles of viscous black fluid.


    "Awesome!" Darren exclaimed.


    Grinning, he could barely contain his excitement. Within a second, he could kill a black mutant whose power was equal to that of a top level two-star grand warrior. Such an accomplishment was amazing.


    His mind worked as he considered the possibilities of his newfound power. ''If I use this olive-black force, in conjunction with my Hurricane Teleportation Skill and the Air-integrated True Rule, maybe I could kill a black mutant at the top level of a three-star grand warrior in a second!'' The thought sent a thrill through Darren. He frowned. "But could I do the same to a mutant with the power of a four-star gran


    anding. Despite being in his twenties, his combat power is beyond any of us. He might be strong enough to use the crystal. The same thing with the three Divine Weapons. No one in our clan can wield them. If they were not taken away by the mutants, maybe he could be their owner. Didn''t you find out that he cultivates both the sword and blade skills at the same time?" Adam gestured to an elder grand warrior. The elder grand warrior nodded.


    Adam continued, "Warriors who cultivate both the sword and blade skills are legendary figures.


    He might have broken the repression of Conflicting Cultivation. It''s the very reason he wasn''t killed long ago."


    The elder warrior bowed. "Chief Adam is right. Darren has definitely displayed power unlike anyone I ever witnessed. He''s also proven to be a good friend. He came to help our young master, and even rescued us without hesitation. His such qualities are hard to find nowadays. If these hereditary treasures are useful to him, then all the better. They can be considered as our rewards to him. If they are not useful to him, we will owe him a lot." Sincerity lit the elder''s eyes.


    The first grand warrior bowed to both of them in turn. "Both Chief Adam and the elder have made very good points. I was foolish to raise such a doubt." Adam smiled at him. He then turned to the others.


    "All right! Let''s be quick about healing our wounds. Those spiritual herbs, elixirs, and pills Darren left are also very valuable. We should appreciate his generosity, and be ready in case he needs our help.


    If it were some other person, they would not have given such valuable items to strangers." The people of the Shaoyan Clan bowed to the Chief. Many offered their thanks and respect for Darren.


    Darren soon reached the stone castle''s second floor.


    The place was a mess. All that remained of the large pool at the center was broken stone and rubble. Disappointed, Darren shook his head.


    On a whim, he released his spiritual sense to detect the entire floor. Soon, he felt an extremely majestic, profound aura flowing in the broken pool. He grinned at the discovery.

 Chapter 510 More Powerful

    "Such a powerful spiritual energy fluctuation."


    Darren flew towards the rubble that had once been the pool. The closer he came, the stronger the spiritual energy grew, until he could feel it all around him, calling to him.


    Unlike other spiritual energy, this one was purer. And it smelled of age, of centuries, of the passage of time and tide, the cycle of many moons.


    Following the fluctuation, Darren picked out a bluish glint among the rubble. The energy was thicker now. Suffocating. Drawn to the glint like a moth to a flame, Darren found a crystal among the rubble at the bottom of the pool. The crystal looked like blue ice and was as large as the head of a bull.


    Darren reached a tentative hand down and picked up the crystal. Its power suffused him. Holding the crystal up, Darren tried to absorb the spiritual energy within it.


    Darren frowned. "Why isn''t it working?"


    He tried again but could not absorb the tiniest bit of the abundant spiritual energy.


    "Maybe I should try to use my Assimilation Skill."


    Focusing, Darren activated the Assimilation Skill.


    Within his mind came a roar like that of a waterfall.


    Spiritual energy poured into his meridians like a river overflowing its banks.


    "Wow." Darren''s eyes shot up.


    "My cultivation stage. Wow, it is increasing so fast!"


    Seconds later, Darren felt as if he was going to break through from the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm to the premium stage of the Wonder Realm.


    The speed of the change was astounding. Normally such progress would take half a year of normal cultivation.


    He tried to think of other reasons why his cultivation seemed to have been progressing slowly. Perhaps it was because the spiritual energy he had been absorbing in the past did not suit him. Was ancient spiritual energy more suited for his development?


    Deciding that to be the answer, Darren assimilated some more spiritual energy. Soon, his cultivation base broke through to the premium stage of the Wonder Realm.


    Such progress was a huge step in his development. By reaching this premium stage of the Wonder Realm, he had elevated the integrating degree of the Augmented Attack Bloodline within his body.


    "I think my power is probably fifty times stronger now. I might be able to defeat a three-star grand warrior even if I only use blade and sword intent."


    With the elevation of his Augmented Attack Bloodline, his Blade and Sword Domain had automatically become perfected, increasing its power immensely.


    After fifteen minutes, one fourth of the spiritual energy in the blue crystal had been assimilated. Darren guessed the rest of the spiritual energy could make him break through to the top level of the supreme stage of the Wonder R


    overed.


    When the air was thick with their power, they began to work on Timothy and Abelard. Threads of spiritual energy snaked out and into the two.


    In the meantime, Darren took out the blue crystal.


    "Misters, can you please explain how is it that this crystal contains so much spiritual energy? What is it?" Darren asked the masters of Shaoyan Clan.


    An elder spoke up. "According to records, this spiritual crystal was a treasure from ancient times and contains pure spiritual energy. If it melts, it can form a lake with a diameter of 100 miles.


    However, for many years, even the most talented in our clan could not absorb spiritual energy from it. We could only melt the crystal with arrays in order to access the power. By doing so, cultivation speed of talents in our clan is much faster than other talents,"


    one elder of Shaoyan Clan said.


    "Ah." Darren nodded. "I see. I''ve absorbed one fourth of the spiritual energy from the crystal. Please allow me to return the rest to you, together with these weapons."


    Darren passed the spiritual crystal and Divine Weapons to them, but no one took them. The masters from Shaoyan Clan regarded Darren with surprised expressions.


    "Mr. Chu, did you really absorb one fourth of the spiritual energy from the spiritual crystal?" An elder looked at Darren with doubt in his eyes.


    "I didn''t mean to, but when I assimilated the spiritual energy, it streamed into my meridians faster than I could have anticipated. Before I knew it, I had assimilated one fourth of the crystal''s contents," explained Darren.


    "Ah, that is amazing!" declared the elder. "Mr. Chu, you are a real prodigy that only appears once in ten thousand years. Please take it. On behalf of Shaoyan Clan, I beg you to accept it." The elder bowed to Darren, pride beaming on his face.

 Chapter 511 Really Good Friends (Part One)

    "I''m afraid that this is the family heirloom of the Shaoyan Clan. This prized possession should be handed down to members of the family and not just transient strangers like me. It''s not proper for me to take such treasures," refusing the gift of gratitude from the Shaoyan Clan, Darren said in a hesitant yet overwhelmed voice.


    "Don''t think of it that way. You have taken such a significant risk to save us. Darren, you are our clan''s savior and hero. We owe you a lot. Only you can own this. We were worried that this might be of no use to you. It turned out that you can absorb the spiritual energy of it. This is the most valuable thing that we have, and I am afraid we do not have anything more precious to offer you in thanksgiving. So, please accept this as a sign of our gratitude," a powerful warrior of the Shaoyan Clan said to Darren. His head was bowed low while he cupped his hands towards Darren.


    "Well, if that is the case, and because you insist, I will take this crystal. Thank you very much, sir! But, as to these weapons..." Darren accepted the blue crystal. Then, as his eyes set on the treasured weapons, Darren''s curiosity heightened.


    "Well, these are the so-called Divine Weapons; they are also from the Ancient Age. It was said that since the ancestors acquired those three weapons, no one in our clan was able to use them, even up to now. Mr. Chu, you can keep them. Maybe one day, they would bring you help in one of your battles.


    This one, written on a scroll, is the martial art skill of how to use the Divine Weapons. You should keep it too, for you will not be able to use the weapons without this one. Later, you can try to let the Divine Weapon to claim you as its master. But you should read the directions written on the scroll carefully before you put any of the weapons to the test. Otherwise, you will be in danger."


    The elder of the Shaoyan Clan passed the instructions and the martial art skill recorded on an ancient scroll to Darren.


    "These things have been kept in Shaoyan Clan for countless years and been handed dow


    powerful warriors of the Shaoyan Clan were so startled that they even did not know what to say. After Darren finished absorbing the spiritual energy contained in the spiritual crystal, he just broke through to the top level of the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm. Given the case, the cultivators couldn''t help wondering about Darren''s cultivation base before that. ''His cultivation base was probably lower than the premium stage of the Wonder Realm!'' one of the them assumed, yet was too taken aback to voice it out.


    The people of the Shaoyan Clan couldn''t keep their heads on the thought that Darren did not reach the Grand Realm, but he could fight against a three-star grand warrior! The fact was too good to be true, shocking, and hard to believe. The cultivators had never heard of such a thing before.


    Even a holy emperor who was told in the legends would show his difference and outstanding skills from other talents only after he had surpassed the Grand Realm! Yet, Darren, on his case, was still in the Wonder Realm, but he was much more outstanding than other talents.


    "Ha ha! I''m flattered, sirs!" with a sheepish smile on his face, Darren replied shortly.


    "Mr. Chu, you are really effacing yourself. We are so lucky to have you here to help us! Is it okay if you show us your fighting strength level now? Can you be as potent as a four-star grand warrior?"

 Chapter 512 Really Good Friends (Part Two)

    The powerful warriors of the Shaoyan Clan were looking at Darren eagerly and waiting for his reply with eager eyes. Realizing that Darren was really an unusual warrior, all of them felt excited in their hearts. At the same time, all of them were gratified to be at Darren''s presence and the mere fact of being saved and rescued by him.


    "If I fight against a four-star grand warrior of the mutants, I can defeat my opponent surely. If he is a human four-star grand warrior, I think, the chances for me to win would be halved." With a furrowed crease on his forehead, Darren was not satisfied with his reply. He actually guessed it and just gave the cultivators a half-truth assumption.


    "That''s excellent!"


    All the three-star grand warriors present shouted aloud in chorus. Amazed, astounded, and astonished, they seemed to have an idol in front of them, worshiping and adoring Darren all at once. Hearing what Darren told them just now, shocked them even more.


    "That is indeed, remarkable. Well, Mr. Chu, I have another question. We all know that mutants will be more powerful than our human martial artists at the same level. If that is the case, why can you defeat a four-star mutant surely but can''t fight even against a human warrior at the same level?" someone in the crowd was confused and asked Darren.


    "Actually, I have some special skills to fight against the mutants. Once I use such a skill, my strength will be improved greatly, and killing the mutants would come easy. But my skill can only work especially to fight against the mutants of the west," Darren explained carefully. He wanted the crowd to understand what he wanted to imply.


    "I see. Now, it makes sense."


    At the same instant, after hearing Darren''s words, all the warriors were delighted as they, of course, would not doubt Darren.


    The fact that Darren could defeat a four-star mutant meant that the members of the Shaoyan Clan could certainly escape safely. Previously, the Shaoyan Clan was defeated heavily because a four-star mutant came to attack them, and they did not receive any h


    tions.


    Seeing Darren''s reaction, Abelard, who wanted to bow to Darren, stopped his move at once. Then he patted Darren on his shoulder and said, "You came so quickly, buddy, what more can I say to you? Haha!"


    "You''re good! That''s the least I can do for you, my friend," answered Darren while giving Abelard a beaming and encouraging smile.


    "Haha! My bad. I was wrong to kneel to you, my buddy." While saying that, Timothy stopped his tears and laughed. Then, he said to Darren, "I cannot cultivate myself from now on. So I have to rely on you!"


    As Timothy limped on the ground, he patted Darren on his shoulder as an act of gratitude.


    Consequently, Darren also patted Timothy on his shoulder, seeing the sadness hidden in his eyes. A firm grasp of his shoulder was Darren''s way of giving hopes to his comrade.


    "Who told you that you could not cultivate yourself? I have some friends who possess great rule powers. They must be able to work out some way to let you recover," Darren said, trying to console his friend.


    Hearing his words, Timothy nodded his head and felt kind of relieved.


    Staying with the clan for long, Darren now was contemplating how to get out of the place. If he went out and fought against the enemies face to face, that would be the start of the battle. But, what bothered him was the purple mutant as he was a tough guy for him to handle.

 Chapter 513 Reunion (Part One)

    After the discussion, they all agreed that it was best if Darren escaped first, all on his own. The idea was that he would sneak out quietly and then go looking for help from other capable human cultivators.


    It was difficult to deal with the purple mutant, after all.


    By this point, the warriors from the Shaoyan Clan had recovered to a large extent. Now they were already able to protect themselves and slay their enemies. As long as they weren''t attacked by a large amount of mutants that were at the top level of three-stars or at the level of four-stars, they would feel no difficulty in fending the enemies off. They would be fine and it wasn''t an issue if they were left alone there without Darren''s protection.


    Therefore, Darren agreed to the plan and made the decision to leave. Determined, he walked in a straight line towards the periphery of the stone castle. To get there he used the help of the Air-integrated True Rule.


    Black mutants could be found at every corner of each palace. Their job was to guard the whole place with great vigilance in order to catch anyone who dared to sneak past them, or at least dared to attempt such a feat. However, despite their watchfulness, not a single one of them was able to notice Darren.


    Darren decided to check the intention of the purple mutant before he snuck away towards the edge of the island. If the purple mutant intended to leave and lessen his guard here, then everything would be a lot easier for them to handle. In that case, they could rally all the strong warriors and launch a surprise attack to eliminate all the black mutant creatures here.


    Slowly, with quiet steps, Darren walked to the center of the hall. To his annoyance, the purple mutant was still there. He was dining and drinking to his heart''s content. Unfortunately, that meant he wasn''t showing a single sign of leaving any time soon.


    "How many of those abject humans are here?" asked the purple mutant in a lazy manner, seemingly completely unbothered.


    On the contrary, it looked like he was enjoying the fact that he got to spend his time here and keep an eye


    he old black mutant hesitated slightly, the trepidation clearly etched onto his face, before he continued, "It''s weird that such a powerful warrior exists in a world much inferior to the level of his ability. Besides, the warrior has so much strength that his ability has surpassed the range we are able to detect."


    "I''ve known about that already. Since it is impossible for us to detect him, you can simply ignore him. Maybe all there is to him is just a very creative story. Even if he truly exists there in the Talent City in the North Desert, he is nothing compared to our king. When the king returns, he can kill that legendary warrior easily. It would be like trampling an ant to death," said the purple mutant in a flat voice, clearly not impressed.


    "Our great king has divine power, and he can subdue and slaughter everything and everyone as he wishes." This time, when the old black mutant responded, he didn''t resort to flattery at all. What he had said was true. He was simply expressing his respect and admiration towards their king sincerely.


    Darren had almost run out of the time he had for using the Air-integrated True Rule. For that reason he could not stay in that room any longer. So he turned around and hurried towards the open space outside.


    ''The border mutants on the West are strong. They even have a king much more powerful than themselves! What should I do with them?''

 Chapter 514 Reunion (Part Two)

    Darren could not help but feel worry etching its way into his heart. The purple mutant was a forceful enemy¡ªhe already knew that much. Still hurrying along, Darren began to wonder how mighty the king who the black mutant had mentioned would be. According to their discussion, their king was even able to defeat the lord of the Grand Void Manor in the Talent City.


    In reality, the lord of the Grand Void Manor was just a haunted soul. Like a ghost, it evaporated into nothingness when Darren became the new master of the Ancient Void Battlefield. However, Darren was the only one privy to this fact.


    Darren estimated that the lord of the Grand Void Manor must have been a warrior at the level of a seven-star grand warrior. Still, he was probably weaker than the Shadow Emperor, as the Shadow Emperor existed in the small world created by a holy emperor, which would add to his strength.


    Lost in his musings, Darren was flying towards the edge of the area. With the information he had overheard, his mind was racing a mile a minute. Nevertheless, he decided to calm his mind for the time being, as leaving in secret was his priority at that point in time. After all, it would be wise to avoid fighting with the border mutants at the present moment.


    Darren kept flying in the same direction, and it didn''t take him long to finally leave the land that was controlled by the mutants.


    "What the hell is that?"


    Suddenly, Darren felt a strange and terrifying aura that was approaching him. The air around him dropped in temperature. Without much warning, it was suddenly as cold as if he had fallen straight into a freezing cellar made of ice. The cold was so heavy and pressing that it made Darren shudder.


    ''Damn it! Is it the purple mutant?''


    Darren''s heart missed a beat or two the second that thought entered his mind. He hurriedly rallied his force to hide his own aura and came to a halt. Quietly, with a racing heart, he remained in the same spot and just observed his surroundings.


    After a few seconds, Darren felt a hand land on his shoulder and give it a little pat.


    Immediatel


    each other right now. So I haven''t taken any rush actions yet," revealed Scott.


    "You''re right, Scott. There is a mutant in the hall whose ability is equal to a five-star grand warrior," explained Darren to his friend. He was glad that he had the foresight to observe everything and not simply charge in there without a plan.


    "Five-star? No wonder the mutant''s aura is so fierce. Tell me everything you know about this place, Darren."


    Scott had actually spotted Darren right before the latter had entered the central hall. But Darren had suddenly disappeared completely, right when he was about to inform him of the current situation. After that, there was no way for Scott to detect Darren''s whereabouts. Hoping for a reappearance, he had simply sat back and waited for Darren and his aura to appear. When he was finally able to sense it again, he made his presence known.


    That was how he found himself in that moment, with Darren telling Scott everything he knew about that place. As they weren''t in any immediate danger, he took his time and explained everything, sparing no details. Subsequently, he told his friend about some of the things that had happened to him.


    Their talk wasn''t one-sided, though. Scott made sure to tell Darren everything about him and his most recent experiences as well. The things he shared with Darren surprised and delighted the latter at the same time.

 Chapter 515 The Four Four-star Mutants

    "Family inheritance?" asked Darren. After all the stories he''d heard about Scott, Darren was really wondering what kind of family inheritance would enable him to improve so much.


    "Yes," Scott explained. "After reaching the Grand Realm, and especially after fighting with the two-star grand warrior, I was certain I''d grown strong enough, so I went to the family forbidden area. There, I received the inheritance of our clan.


    Inside, I stepped into some kind of time turbulent flows, which allowed me to train at ten times my normal speed. After spending a whole year inside, I broke through to the level of a three-star grand warrior. That was why I had no idea of the danger you were in. If I had known, I would have come here sooner." Having said all this, Scott bowed his head in apology.


    His friend, however, was in high spirits. "Hah! That''s no problem at all. Everything''s been taken care of already. I''m very glad that you were lucky enough to meet with such a great opportunity." In fact, Darren was beside himself with excitement.


    Scott nodded at him, staying reserved as usual. "Your own skills have improved greatly as well. By now, I think you must be as powerful as a three-star grand warrior."


    "Oh, yes. I can fight with a three-star grand warrior at the top level, and even with an ordinary four-star grand warrior." Darren felt no need to hide his real power from his friend.


    "Excellent!" For the first time, Scott''s eyes lit up. "Together, you and I can kill all the mutants who are plaguing the human race!"


    "I''m afraid that won''t be so easy. The five-star mutant here is not the most powerful one of them all. I heard them mention about a king. Their king seems to be much more powerful. We''ll need to watch out for him. And there''s something else I need to tell you, something I forgot before."


    "What''s that?"


    Darren briefly explained about the space passage and how it had been sealed up.


    Scott furrowed his brows as he listened. His face was looking grimmer every second.


    "If that has happened, then the Bottom Spiritual World is on the very brink of disaster," he murmured.


    There were more than a few brutes making trouble at the borders, including the black-scaled mutants, the double-headed men, and the demonic monsters. As for the mutants in the border of the southern land, however, Darren hadn''t seen any of them. Still, these races had some truly fierce fighters among them. If all of them started to invade the Bottom Spiritual World together, the humans there would be in grave danger.


    "Yes," said Darren. "That''s why I''m trying to improve my skills as fast as I can, so I can join the fight against the mutants."


    Having reached the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm, Darren was now facing a bottleneck unlike any before: he had to break through to the Grand Realm!


    If he could achieve that, then afterward his strength would increase exponentially. But he didn''t yet have enough Primitive Stones containing Heavenly Repression Rule in his Space Ring. Furthermore, once Darren tried to break through to the Grand Realm, he would have to fuse the sword intent and blade intent once again. That meant he would experience another round of suppression caused by the Conflicting Cultivation. It would perhaps be the greatest challenge of his life and he was very


    ontroller.


    Darren and Scott studied their fellow humans, noting their exhausted expressions and their weary stances. It was clear that they had already spent some time fighting for their lives. Beaten down and surrounded, they were in a tight place indeed.


    From the looks of them, the four black mutants were nothing to sneeze at. They were probably at the level of four-star grand warriors, if not higher. The warriors from the eastern land had the power of the Sky Piercing Array, and with the help of Horace, Rocky and Nick, they should be able to handle two four-star mutants. Moreover, there were other, equally skilled warriors from the southern land. Even so, the human warriors were beaten by the four mutants.


    "Where''s your leader, the purple mutant?" Darren asked one of the mutants in an almost casual tone.


    "Hah! Are you talking about that bastard, Dahl? He has no authority over us. Our leader is Quincy, and we''re here to take charge of things. And as for you humans, we''ll crush you like ants!"


    Now Darren understood the situation completely. These four black mutants weren''t under the purple one''s control at all. Their group was independent. They had come across the human warriors accidentally, and so battle had resulted.


    "Crush us like ants, huh? We''ll see about that!" Scott said, his voice low and dangerous. Meanwhile, he prepared to unleash his powerful aura of dragon blood.


    Once that was brought into the fight, it would suppress the four mutants'' strength. Even with the four of them fighting together, Scott would wipe the floor with them!


    But just as he was about to burst into motion, Darren suddenly held up a hand. "Hold up, Scott. Don''t waste your energy on these four. How about I fight them on my own? They''re the ones who will be crushed like ants."


    Scott gave his friend a puzzled look. Rather than objecting, however, he nodded his head, drew his aura back, and relaxed. Apparently he agreed with Darren.


    Meanwhile, the nearby human cultivators were staring in shocked silence. Mocking several vicious opponents like that was cocky enough. But now Darren wanted to fight all four of the four-star mutants the same time? It was impossible for him to win!

 Chapter 516 Fighting The Black Mutants Alone (Part One)

    "Darren, you should take it seriously and be more cautious. These four mutants are very powerful, and their joint force broke even our Sky Piercing Array!" someone from the group of martial artists of the eastern land reminded the young warrior spontaneously.


    All of them were worried sick for him because they had experienced the wrath brought by the power of the four mutants and they were not pleased with the experience.


    "Sirs, please don''t worry about me. I will be more vigilant as I know what I am going to face," Darren said with a confident smile. Then, under the watch of the crowd who were full of shock and concern, he turned into a vague shadow and rushed towards the four mutants at lightning speed.


    "How can that young man become stronger in such a short time? His speed almost equaled mine," a three-star grand warrior with higher seniority blurted out. His eyes brightened up abruptly at the thought of Darren''s advancement.


    Boom!


    Taking his time, Darren was not in a hurry to release his olive-black force. Instead, he first busted out waves of dark gold internal force, and at the same time, he turned into a stream of light that continuously cut and pierced through the four powerful mutants.


    "Humph! A low-down ant! I must say that I admire your courage in facing us. Four against one, you are truly a stalwart and nasty ant!" one of the four mutants roared as he looked down upon Darren.


    In the meantime, their massive arms all launched attacks frantically to resist Darren''s dark gold internal force.


    If only Darren''s dark gold internal force hadn''t significantly been weakened by the owner of the big golden hand in the Raksa Sea, the four mutants couldn''t have resisted such a force of an attack.


    "Is that all you got?" one of the four mutants asked disdainfully after dodging the blow of Darren''s attack.


    At the battlefield, the four black mutants moved so swiftly and so quickly that most of the spectators were not able to have a glimpse of the four shadows that were moving back and forth. Only a few three-star grand warriors in the crowd were able to spot them and knew how the fight was g


    not use the olive-black force. However, the most potent combat force that he had inflicted upon them had left only a few non-lethal wounds on the bodies of the four black mutants. The attack made by the four mutants had shaken Darren to his senses; he was not as calm as he was before. Their heaven-splitting bombarding force often had a high impact on him, making him lurch inside, and he had the nasty feeling that his internal organs were about to be broken into pieces.


    Seeing the big palms were slamming towards him in all directions, Darren didn''t dare to resist them by any chance. After all, his physical strength was limited. The moment the colossal palms hit him, he would be seriously injured if not killed. Thus, he did a quick search in his mind and then yelled, "Air-integrated True Rule!" After that, he just disappeared in situ.


    "What? He just vanished out of the blue?" grasped one mutant. The next second, when the four black mutants realized that their target disappeared abruptly, they were startled.


    Also, they were even more furious when they had contemplated that even the breath of their human enemy completely disappeared and couldn''t be sensed at all.


    "You bastard! Show up immediately!" all the four black mutants growled irritably.


    Yet, Darren was still out of their sights. No sign of him in the battlefield, no aura, no movement, no scent, shadow, even no breath of him could be traced.

 Chapter 517 Fighting The Black Mutants Alone (Part Two)

    Similarly, the human grand warriors who had been watching the fight all the time now became extremely shocked. They were both astounded and dazzled at the four mutants who were now enraged with fury.


    Prior to Darren, the grand warriors had the chance to face the four black mutants in battle. Each one of them used their most reliable skills, yet, the best that they had couldn''t cause any harm to the mutants. Moreover, several two-star warriors among them were killed by the sneak attacks of the mutants. They were far less calm than Darren when they were fighting the mutants.


    "This lad really surprised me a lot. When he was in the Heavenly Serene Graveyard, except for the small world he has, his combat power was at most equal to a one-star grand warrior. But after such a short period, he could even fight against four four-star mutants alone. His growth speed is just terrifying!" a senior elder among the crowd said first.


    "Mr. Zhou, you might not know that just before we set off, I secretly checked Daren''s cultivation base and found that his combat power was equivalent to that of the top level of a two-star grand warrior. In other words, his cultivation base has been improved a lot within just a few days here on this island!" Jacob added, his eyes full of appreciation and awe for all the hard work Darren had done to improve himself.


    "What! Are you certain of that? Within just a few days? Huh, it''s too shocking! Unbelievable even, Darren was indeed a remarkable warrior," many of the grand warriors exclaimed wildly, completely taken aback by what they had heard.


    They found it hard to put into words to describe Darren''s amazing talent. Not in their wildest imagination, they had known someone who had done what Darren had done, accelerating his cultivation base in a short period.


    Meanwhile, Scott, who was just standing nearby, watched coldly, without talking to anyone.


    "Darren, you are still not enough," Scott whispered and shook his head slightly.


    Someone had to read between the lines to understand what Scott meant in his words. Did it mean that he didn''t think highly of Darre


    the punch, Darren was hit squarely in the body by the massive blow.


    Consequently, his body was thrown away quickly, bursting the black bubbles around him, while blood was constantly spewing out of his mouth, and dozens of bones in his body were broken.


    ''Damn! The punch is just too formidable!'' thought Darren. He was shocked and never had foreseen that such a punch almost got him killed.


    After the black mutant who was stabbed in the heart by Darren''s sword burst out such a grand launch, his eyes grew dim, and he collapsed to the ground abruptly.


    "Kill! Kill! Kill!" the other three black mutants yelled hysterically. When they saw the death of their companion, they became extremely violent and then launched deadly attacks against Darren without hesitation.


    Amongst the crowd, Scott witnessed the whole scene. He didn''t rush to help Darren but using his spiritual sense to ask lightly, "Darren, do you need my help?"


    "No, thank you. I don''t play with these mutants anymore. I''ll kill the three beasts soon!" Darren responded at once. Taking hundreds of the best healing pills from his Space Ring, Darren immediately swallowed them, which would help him quickly recover from his injury.


    A few moments later, Darren waved his blade and sword to summon his olive-black force. The next second, waves of olive-black force began to slash towards the three remaining mutants like a rushing river!

 Chapter 518 The Purple Mutant Came (Part One)

    Having power beyond extraordinary was by far the most significant possession a warrior could really be proud of¡ªlike a feather in one''s hat. Right now, with that battle between Darren and the four black mutants, it would be one of the bizarre celebrated moments if Darren would be able to defeat the mutants. After all, they were as powerful as four-star grand warriors. Yet, by now, Darren had already taken down one of the four mutants, and he had three more to handle. At the fall of the first doomed mutant, all the human warriors at present were embezzled in awe and admiration for the stalwart warrior.


    They had thought that Darren defeating one of the four mutants was his limitation. But now they saw with their own eyes that Darren continued fighting and killing the three remaining mutants in a relaxed tone. This made all the human warriors expect something more unusual from Darren and the mutants as well.


    At this juncture, the other three black mutants rushed towards Darren and tried to kill him directly, wasting no time. Intending to neglect the olive-black force that Darren gave off, as they could sense the strength of the olive-black force was not as potent as the dark gold internal force that Darren had given off a while ago, the deceived mutants did not show any fear about it.


    Flummoxed by the concealed potency of the olive-black force, the three black mutants did not realize they were wrong until the olive-black force completely immersed them with no point of retreat.


    In a split second, considerable pain started to spread from their skin, went deeper into their flesh and then consumed their very bones.


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Ahhhh!"


    All three powerful black mutants were in so much pain and began to cry in agony. Such excruciating pain tormented them up to the point that they could no longer bear the imbroglio.


    "Go and die!"


    Despite the toll, the three black mutants used their most potent attacking skills to boom off the olive-black waves and rushed out of


    news. Amidst their bewilderment, Darren asked them to get themselves ready for whatever the situation might bring.


    "Darren, I was told that you have a good relationship with several main disciples of our Heavenly Palace Sect. They have invited you more than one time, and you refused them each time. After you have settled everything you have to do in here, how about paying a visit to the Heavenly Palace Sect someday?" a cultivator from the Heavenly Palace Sect said to Darren with a smile. He had heard of Darren many times. Plus, the fact that Darren was from the southern land made all the human warriors from the southern land so happy and proud.


    "Well, Darren, you are also a good friend of my nephew. So I sincerely invite you to go and spend some time in relaxation with me for a few days." Another human cultivator from the Chasm Clan also gave Darren his invitation as well.


    "Well, thank you for all your warm invitations," replied Darren shortly. He was overwhelmed by the cultivators'' show of appreciation towards him. After which, Darren gave the human warriors at present a grateful smile and said, "Sirs, let us deal with this case first and then talk about relaxations and good places in some other time. I guess the purple mutant has noticed what has happened here. He would certainly be here any minute from now."

 Chapter 519 The Purple Mutant Came (Part Two)

    "You are right. He is coming,"


    Scott, who had been standing silently beside, said without any expression on his face. Yet, as he uttered the words, warning Darren and the rest of the warriors, a glum look was etched on his face.


    A moment ago, the human warriors paid all their attention to the fight between Darren and the black mutants, neglecting Scott. The reason was that Scott could hide his aura very well, and the human warriors almost did not notice him at all.


    "Are you the Holy Lord of the Dragon Holy Land, sir? Sorry, we haven''t recognized you earlier as we were preoccupied with the battle.


    Scott, nice to meet you," one of the cultivators asked and apologized to Scott.


    Bearing the title of the Holy Lord was a pedestaled position, and all the human warriors cupped their hands towards Scott and showed their respect.


    In response, Scott did not say anything else but nodded his head to greet the human warriors back.


    "Scott, if you would help us fight against the purple mutant. What do you think are the possibilities that you can defeat him?" turning his head towards Scott this time, Darren asked.


    "Who is that purple mutant?"


    Most of the human warriors did not know that there existed a purple mutant; thus, they''d thrown the question to Darren.


    "He is another mutant whose power is on par with a five-star grand warrior at the top level," Darren explained briefly while watching the eyes of each warrior widened in surprise and fear.


    "If I fight against him, I am afraid there is only a slim chance, about thirty percent, for me to defeat him or it may be even impossible," with a scorn on his face, Scott made an assumption and replied.


    "What? The Holy Lord of the Dragon Holy Land has a possibility of thirty percent to defeat a five-star mutant?"


    Hearing Scott''s reply, most of the human warriors were shocked, their hearts skipped a beat.


    The purple mutant indeed


    u are arrogant enough to trespass territories where you are not welcomed. I know some members of the Dragon Blood Clan are powerful! But I do not know who you are in the first place. I guess it would be right for me to feign that you are just one futile weakling."


    Just finishing his sentences, the purple mutant started to attack Scott abruptly with a sharp whistle.


    His purple body was reduced to nothing. The sea below them roared, and the air was disturbed with several powerful energy fluctuations. Such disturbances made the other human warriors'' heart tighten and tremble.


    "Hump!"


    Scott sneered while his body was still and steady. One of his palms stretched and pressed to the point where the purple mutant had been.


    While everyone''s attention was fixed at the attack that Scott made, a dragon''s voice was heard all of a sudden. It was as if the dragon''s cry originated from the highest sky. After a while, right then and there, a cyan dragon shadow was shot out swiftly, breaking through the clouds that hung low across the ether.


    Boom!


    The cyan dragon shadow exploded in the air. The light of purple and cyan mixed and burst brightly, making the entire space bright and spectacular. The three-star human grand warriors all felt that their eyes were hurt.

 Chapter 520 Transform Into A Dragon (Part One)

    After the massive explosion, the purple mutant reappeared in the air and managed to stable himself immediately while Scott was pushed several steps back before regaining his balance.


    "Well, not bad. I am impressed that you could follow my shadow," the purple mutant commended Scott''s capabilities while licking his lips.


    In fact, the purple mutant was a little surprised by Scott. The Holy Lord had exceeded his expectation, and the mere fact that he was able to survive his attacks challenged the purple mutant even more. The mutant, though, could sense that Scott, the guy from the Dragon Blood Clan, was not strong enough to handle the last attack he had inflicted upon him. Yet, the purple mutant was disappointed for he didn''t benefit from that hit, nor could he harm Scott at all.


    "The damned purple mutant is powerful! He was not an easy one to handle," uttered Scott in astonishment. Both the purple mutant and Scott were on the same boat, for Scott was shocked by the purple mutant''s powers as well. He had taken out both the legendary martial skill and the aura of dragon blood to attack the mutant. But those attacks just forced the mutant to show himself up from being concealed without imposing any real harm. The attacks even didn''t make him step back.


    It was widely known that the aura of dragon blood had a strong suppression effect upon this sort of purple mutant. But from Scott''s attack, it was evident that this one was much stronger than ordinary purple mutants, both on the body and the strength.


    "Roaaarr!"


    Darting his eyes towards the Holy Lord, Scott, the purple mutant paused a while. After a couple of seconds, he rushed toward Scott, intending to throw another hit.


    Skills were not recommended in this kind of war. Instead, the origina


    e of the warriors expressed his doubt.


    Everyone was shocked by Scott''s power to stay and suppress such an attack. That level of skill and power was every warrior''s dream.


    While those split arms were busy fighting with Scott''s avatars, the real Scott burst out an enormous aura of dragon blood to fight with the purple mutant single-handedly.


    "Damn it. The suppression effect of the aura of dragon blood on me is so strong that frequent attacks wouldn''t harm him," the purple mutant cursed as he noticed that he still couldn''t harm Scott a bit. No one was taking advantage in this battle, nor dare to leap at moving the balance towards their side. The purple mutant was annoyed by the situation. He wanted so much to defeat the Holy Lord of the Dragon Holy Land and escort him to his doom.


    "Shit!" The purple mutant made out a loud shout immediately. The mutant''s height increased and was stretched up more than one hundred feet, with the mutant''s power increasing.


    Bang!


    The speed of the giant purple mutant was not slowed down; on the contrary, it became faster, despite his current size. The enormous palm hit Scott from above, just like a hammer pounding on a nail.

 Chapter 521 Transform Into A Dragon (Part Two)

    There was no way for Scott to escape from that, so Scott threw thousands of fierce hits on the palm. The aura of the cyan dragon accompanied each run.


    Boom!


    The earth trembled, the mountains swayed, and the sea below exploded apart. The seafloor was now visible, leaving several black cracks and scattered chunks of boulders.


    All these mess and mayhems were caused by the dominant exchange of blitzes of the cyan-dragon auras and the purple mutant''s red arm.


    To Scott''s surprise, the strength of the red palm was weakened by those auras. But despite that, its power was still equal to that of a five-star grand warrior.


    Overwhelmed by such ravages, Scott was thrown hard down to the bottom of the sea by the big palm, leaving a deep hole behind.


    The force of the palm''s blow was so strong and dominating, devastating even!


    The grand warriors who used their spiritual sense to watch the combat from faraway felt their hearts were seized by a forceful hand. They wondered badly if Scott survived that lethal blow.


    Darren was the one who worried about Scott the most. He felt if he were in his shoes, and he was the one who got hit by that palm, he could have been dead by now. The power of a five-star mutant was much stronger than what he had presumed.


    "Haha. You are nothing but a loser,"


    the purple mutant stood in the air, laughing out wildly while mocking Scott from above.


    "Roar!"


    Bewildered by the unusual sound, the purple mutant lingered around, determined to locate where the sound was coming from. Soon, he noticed that the earth started to shake. With his eyes focused on the spot where Scott had fallen, a vivid dragon roar was heard from the sea.


    "Haven''t you been dead yet?"


    You just forced yourself, which turns out to be in vain. Now I wouldn''t waste any energy or time anymore. I''ll just kill you right away!"


    the purple mutant retorted towards Scott, the dragon calmly.


    "Roar!"


    Hearing the mocking scorn from the purple mutant, Scott sent out a big shout. After which, his body again was split into one hundred and eight avatars in just one breath. Then, within a second, those avatars merged into one again.


    "Scott!"


    Darren cried out worriedly. He knew very well that the price of activating the inheritance skill of the Dragon Blood Clan to unite the avatars was the burning of his soul.


    Everyone from the Dragon Blood Clan had to pay such price except for Darren.


    But Darren himself did not need to burn much when he activated the skill. He didn''t know the exact reason why he didn''t have to pay that price. He attributed that to the fact that he kept the human shape rather than transformed into a dragon.


    Yet, at that very moment, the whole world was frozen by the aura of dragon blood.


    "What has he done?!"


    The purple mutant started to panic seeing the threat of what Scott had done.

 Chapter 522 The Purple Mutant Is Finally Killed

    "This is the true inheritance skill of the Dragon Blood Clan!"


    The purple mutant''s mouth fell open. His shock lasted all of a moment as he bared his fangs and snarled in defiance.


    With a resounding boom, Scott blasted forward.


    In a wavy movement, his dragon body shot toward the purple mutant. Before the purple mutant could move, Scott slammed into him.


    The purple and cyan figures wrestled. Snarling and roaring, they snapped, clawed, spewed fire, and spiritual energy at each other. Winds whipped. Clouds swirled. Lightning crackled across the sky, the resounding boom of thunder joining it. The battle seemed as if it would tear the world apart.


    Rays of brilliant light cascaded upon the area. The spectators threw up their hands to protect their eyes against the luminance. They cowered before the power on display.


    The ocean beneath the battle churned and spun, forming a great maelstrom. The water boiled. Countless creatures died, their flesh melted by the vast energy.


    "Can you believe it?" a person in the crowd exclaimed. "The Holy Lord of the Dragon Holy Land is so powerful that his dragon incarnation can fight the purple mutant!"


    "Yeah, it''s reasonable to believe Holy Lord Scott could be the most powerful Holy Lord since the beginning of the Holy Lands!" another person said.


    The crowd watched the fight in awe. From one to another they voiced their amazement.


    The light intensified until it completely obscured the battlefield. Not even spiritual sense could penetrate the area.


    An explosion rocked the air.


    Shock waves rippled across the area. The force of them felt as if they would wash away anything for miles.


    Darren was the first one who flew towards the fighting area. He waited quietly for a while until the light dissipated. Then, he saw a severely bruised cyan dragon standing proudly. The purple mutant had exploded into seven or eight pieces.


    "Scott, you won?"


    Grinning, Darren rushed toward the dragon.


    Scott threw back his head and roared. He glared in Darren''s direction.


    Undeterred, Darren continued forward. Scott whipped his tail toward Darren, causing him to leap back.


    ''What''s going on?'' Darren wondered. Then his brows rose as understanding dawned.


    A wave of tremendous auras gushed from the bits of the mutant''s body. The pieces shot into the air, gathered together, and began to reform.


    In seconds, a perfect purple mutant was standing in front of the cyan dragon again.


    "How is that possible?" exclaimed people in the crowd.


    "Is he actually immortal?"


    Clamoring and shouting, the people tried to make sense of the events.


    "Hmm! You are very interesting. I never expected that you could break my body apart. But do you understand now that you can''t kill me?" the purple mutant said in an indifferent tone.


    "You are nothing but a spent arrow now." Scott''s voice was hoarse and cold.


    "Humph!" the mutant snarled. "Who the hell is the spent arrow? The power of my single finger is enough to kill you now!" Grimacing, the purple mutant regarded Scott with contempt in his eyes.


    His confidence seemed justified. Judging from Scott''s appearance and labored breathing, Scott was indeed extremely weak now. His


    struck out at Darren. His rotten palms closed in for the kill. If he was to die, he would take one of them with him.


    "Roar!"


    Before the palms touched Darren, the dragon shot past the giant palms, and placed himself before the attack.


    "Scott!" Darren cried out in fear.


    The power of the palms had cracked open Scott''s dragon head.


    "I''ll kill you!" Darren roared. His eyes grew blood-shot.


    Taking advantage of Scott''s sacrifice, Darren launched countless sword and blade attacks strengthened by the olive-black force. The attacks rippled out and into the purple mutant.


    "Kill, kill, kill!" came the furious roars from the three-star grand warriors who had been watching from far away. They knew they couldn''t just stand by anymore.


    As one, they launched themselves into the fray. They besieged the purple mutant and released the maximum power of their domains against him.


    Struggling against death, the purple mutant tried to counter. He frantically launched attacks against the three-star grand warriors, and even the three strong rule cultivators, including Horace, were almost hit by him and dropped.


    But as he was now struggling with his last gasp of breath, he could not avoid Darren''s formidable attacks.


    Swoosh!


    Darren''s Unbeatable Sword Skill finally stabbed into the heart of the purple mutant. Not willing to risk the purple mutant again returning to life, Darren used his sword and blade ability. He smashed the mutant''s head into hundreds of pieces.


    "Assimilate!" Darren snapped at once.


    The next second, he assimilated the talent of the purple mutant. His own ability increased greatly.


    Without a thought to his current power, Darren zipped down toward Scott, whose dragon body was plummeting from the sky.


    "We won!


    We finally won the battle!" the rest of the human grand warriors yelled.


    They cried out in disbelief as the four-star and five-star mutants all had been killed.


    But even as they celebrated, they also knew none of it would be possible without Scott. He was their backbone. Without him, they would be dead. Concerned for him, they hurried toward Darren and Scott.

 Chapter 523 Prepared For The Riot (Part One)

    As the sea started to quiet down and the whole place grew dead silence, even the faintest chirp of the crickets could be heard with the gentle frissons of the air. Though the enemy had been defeated, a warrior was also beaten with his life baited on the line. Whether he would be spared or not, a fate only knew. His fellow warrior, a close friend, and a true brother, Darren, had a desolate expression on his face while he carried Scott''s bloodshed body in his arms. He flew him back to the Western Desert Island.


    "Are you all right, Darren?" greeted one of the masters of the Shaoyan Clan the moment he approached Darren at midair.


    Once Darren''s presence was sensed around the island, some of the masters of the Shaoyan Clan flew over to meet them. The masters, too, had blood all over their bodies.


    Clearly, while Scott, Darren and others were fighting with the purple mutant, those masters were killing the rest of three-star mutants left on the island.


    "I am fine. Don''t worry. The purple mutant was killed. But my big brother here is severely injured. Sirs, please help me to save him."


    Being carried in Darren''s arms, Scott''s body had transformed back into its human form. He looked ragged, and there were wounds all over his body. Worst was, there were a few terrifying cracks on his skull.


    "Let''s all work together to save the Holy Lord."


    At their descent, Darren put Scott on the ground and laid him comfortably, preparing him to have his wounds healed. Momentarily, all the grand warriors whose cultivation base was beyond the three-star level gathered around and transferred their spiritual energy to cure Scott.


    In a whole day, with the cultivators'' continuous efforts in reviving and healing him, Scott''s body had been healed.


    After everything that he had endured in his fight with the purple mutant, Scott was still fortunate. For without the aura of the dragon blood which protected and increased his body strength, Scott would be torn to shreds in no time.


    The rest of the masters in Shaoyan Clan expressed their gratitude to those who had come to help them, especially when the


    tt might need some help along his way.


    "There is no need for that, Darren. My clan is so particular that I am afraid you are not permitted to go in. Why don''t you just make out most of your time and cultivate hard? Try to be a seven-star grand warrior as early as possible. When I am fully recovered, I will go and try the ultimate inheritance of my clan. If I were to obtain a tiny bit of inheritance from the dragon soul, I would become powerful enough to deal with those stronger mutants," Scott retorted back.


    "Okay. I guess that''s the best thing to do for now. Take care then, Scott." Darren bade him farewell.


    "Take care, Holy Lord," bade one of the masters.


    "See you later, Holy Lord," another master called out.


    While others were still saying goodbye to him, Scott flew high into the sky, heading to the sea of the far west.


    A few days after Scott had left, Darren and the masters had a get-together and feasted in merry-making. A couple of days passed before the human warriors went back to their places. They had to do so, for they needed to inform their clans about what had happened. Furthermore, they needed to know that the space passage had been sealed. The human warriors deemed that the earlier they got their clans informed, the more prepared would they get. At the same time, they could come up with a better solution or plan on how to deal with the threats of the mutants.

 Chapter 524 Prepared For The Riot (Part Two)

    "Darren, do you want to go to the southern land with us?"


    one grand warrior from Heavenly Palace Sect asked Darren.


    "Not at this point. It is quite urgent now, and I think we all need to improve our cultivation base as fast as we can," with urgency in his voice, Darren declined the cultivator''s invitation.


    "Darren''s right, but we don''t need to be extremely worried. Even if the mutants revolted everywhere, we would be able to defend them for a couple of years. Liam, am I right?" a grand warrior of Chasm Clan said with a confident tone.


    "Defend for a couple of years? Are there any extremely powerful masters and elders in Chasm Clan and Heavenly Palace Sect?" asked Darren in surprise. He was confused by what the grand warrior meant by his words.


    "No, we haven''t, but the Heavenly Palace Sect and my clan have two legendary weapons, one to defend and another one to attack. If one day these mutants start a riot, these two weapons can absolutely defend our land and our people for a couple of years," the master from the Chasm Clan explained.


    "It is good then, if that''s the case, otherwise, I''m worried we don''t have enough time," responded Darren. After hearing the master''s explanation, the feeling of both worry and nervousness inside him was somehow alleviated.


    "Sirs, please go back to your place and start to prepare for the riot. It will be sooner than we expected," suggested Darren while urging the cultivators to prepare for the worst.


    "Okay, we will do that. When you have some time in the future, you are always welcome to come to our sect." The master was persistent on his offer towards Darren.


    After this, the grand warriors of both the Chasm Clan and the Heavenly Palace Sect left and headed towards their respective clans.


    "Horace, can you please come here for a moment?"


    After everyone had left, and Darren was


    en wanted to go to the Starry Tower, but he dared not go because Mathew was a mysterious person.


    However, this time, he was desperate to elevate his cultivation base, so Darren had to go to the Starry Tower, whether he fancied it or not. Moreover, he was always curious about what had happened to Mathew. He thought it was not that simple and wanted to figure out what really happened.


    "Okay, then take care of yourself. It is time for me to go back to my place." Abelard did not ask the details, and he then bade farewell to Darren.


    "Take care too, Abelard," responded Darren.


    After the exchange of goodbyes, Abelard nodded and flew away, leaving Darren behind.


    "Whew!" After a few moments of lingering, Darren took a deep breath. Within him was the memory of the battle he had with the mutants. He would use such memories as a stepping stone to push him higher and harder to his goal of increasing his cultivation base. With an uplifted spirit and a motivated heart, Darren flew and headed towards the Starry Tower.


    In the meantime, the places where mutants dwelled grew very busy like they had many irons on the fire. The situation commenced after the leaders of the mutants knew what had happened on Western Desert Island.

 Chapter 525 The Omen Of Riot (Part One)

    The sun was peeking in the horizons, and as it continued to rise from the east, it cast a glow that painted the sky with a golden hue. A new day, a good day to start things anew with fresh hopes and enduring strength. Howbeit, in the north side of the Western Desert Island, a total irony was apparent. The sea that spanned across the land was dark. At the center of the sea, there stretched an island isolated, desolate and seemed to be uninhabited. Moreover, the island was all damped, soaked, and muddy for it rained all year round.


    Scattered across the island were numerous huge humanoid statues. At one look, they appeared to be gigantic statues but were actually palaces as high as ten thousand feet.


    In one golden statue, amongst the many statues, there were tens of thousands of black mutants taking refuge inside.


    "General, I am sorry to be the bearer of the bad news, but, Dahl was killed," an aged black mutant reported to the mutant who was sitting at the center of the hall. He was pedestaled on the throne above the steps and had purple gold scales covering his body.


    "I see, and I am not surprised," the purple-gold mutant replied shortly in a small, uninterested voice. He did not seem to care about Dahl''s death at all.


    "Humph, Dahl could not defeat those inferior human beings. He deserved to die."


    "That bastard was not even on the top ten levels of our cultivation, but he was so arrogant because he was young. It is not strange that human beings killed him."


    "Is that fair? Think about it, why on earth human beings could kill Dahl? Did the Sacred Palace send law enforcers down to help them?"


    "The high priest said that the space passage between the Bottom Spiritual World and the Medium Spiritual World had been sealed. That means there are no possibilities that law enforcers came down to the Bottom Spiritual World. Do you doubt the high priest''s words? Is that what you mean? Huh?"


    Over ten purple mutants wit


    mutant had ordered, all the powerful mutants were shocked, stunned, and confused at the same time.


    "General, why do we need to do that?" queried the aged mutant.


    "Why? How dare you question my discretion? Do I need to explain myself to you? Or to anyone of you?" The purple-gold mutant''s eyes swept from the aged mutant to the powerful mutants, whose heads were hung low in fear. The arrogance and cold-heartedness shown by the general, rendered them to take steps backwards.


    "Arrange some of our warriors to do this. Make sure the message is spread naturally and not like it was done on purpose. Aside from that, let it be known to other tribes too, that the king of our tribe has been born. After that, we will not do anything else, and we will just wait. While we are waiting, I don''t want anyone of you to go on intruding into the human''s dominion. Let those old bastards fight with human beings first." The purple-gold mutant grinned hideously as he was instructing these orders to the mutants in front of him. Apparently, he was planning something on the back of his mind.


    "General, your plan is so brilliant!"


    Hearing how the aged man commended the general, the other mutants in the hall finally understood the purple-gold mutant''s intention, and they knelt to him at the same time.

 Chapter 526 The Omen Of Riot (Part Two)

    It was obvious that the purple-gold mutant intended to let the other tribes fight with each other first. Then, they would enter the picture and work out on whatever the outcome of the prior battles would be. In the way, the chances of winning the battle would be more favorable on their side. Moreover, to make sure the other tribes would not harass them first, the purple-gold mutant asked his subordinates to spread the message that their king had been born. The general was certain that the moment the other tribes heard about the birth of their king, they would be scared and alarmed. If that plan worked, as long as they did not make any moves, the other tribes would not do anything to them either.


    Right now, the mutants were just waiting for the general''s signal. Once the purple-gold mutant''s plan was put into action, just a few hours from now, they were confident that the other tribes would know that the space passage had been sealed.


    Meanwhile, Darren stayed in the Western Desert Island for several days more. After Timothy had been healed, he prepared himself to leave.


    "Timothy, I heard that the inheritance test of your clan is really challenging. Be careful."


    "Alas, I don''t have any other choices. My cultivation base is too low at the moment. If I obtained all the inheritance of the Ancestor Sword Soul, I might be able to help you guys when the mutants start to riot. Before, I was too lazy and did not cultivate hard. If only I have been determined in the past, I would have qualified to try the inheritance test a long time ago. If I had obtained the inheritance earlier, I could have protected my clan."


    As Timothy was relating those rants to Darren, his eyes were red. The death of his relatives saddened him a lot and he somehow blamed himself for not being able to save them.


    "Hmm, I am sure you will succeed this time, buddy." Darren pat


    Then I will be leaving now. Sirs, take care, and good luck." Darren cupped his hands and lowered his head to bow politely towards them while they were still afloat.


    Other grand warriors all said their goodbyes to the young warrior. Darren, who was really young, could defeat a four-star grand warrior, and he was modest and gentle, as well as loyal to friends. Those attributes made these grand warriors admire him a lot.


    Rumble!


    Soon after Darren left, he heard the sound of vibration spreading from the south end as well as the northern end. Even people in the eastern land could feel the shake as he sensed their panics using his spiritual sense.


    "Err?" As he was held frozen midair, Darren''s eyebrows furrowed tightly. He had a presentiment that something terrible had happened.


    After a while, the sky in both the southern land and northern land was filled with thick clouds, lightning, and thunder. Aside from that, there seemed to unusual figures looming in the thick clouds.


    "Does this mean that the riot has started?" as he asked the question, Darren was surprised. He did not expect that the riot of the border mutants initiated earlier than expected. Worst was, the riot started from the southern land and the northern land!

 Chapter 527 Legendary Weapon Protection

    Darren turned to look at the clouds and marveled at the aura he sensed above them. It was strong indeed, despite its vast distance from him.


    "How powerful mutants are! I must say!" he exclaimed. "Are there any seven-star grand warriors among them?"


    He felt an equally strong aura in Eddy, but that aura was a little weaker than that of a seven-star law enforcer.


    However, now that the law enforcers couldn''t come to the Bottom Spiritual World, the mutants would prove themselves a serious problem for this world.


    At that moment, all the great and powerful martial artists and rule cultivators in the Bottom Spiritual World looked toward the clouds with no little sense of unease.


    That unease was doubled when a booming noise shook the heavens.


    Their amazed eyes were drawn to the southern sky, where the inky black tail of a dragon swept its way through the air. Gradually, the rest of the creature''s body emerged from the misty clouds. It was huge, perhaps three thousand feet long.


    By comparison, Scott, whose skill was equal to that of a five-star grand warrior, was only a hundred feet long when he transformed into a dragon. So how strong could that black monster be?


    "Perhaps this dragon is the Dragon King of the demonic monster domain," Darren murmured to himself in astonishment. "Could he belong to the Dragon Blood Clan?"


    He had once thought that only Scott''s family had a dragon bloodline. Supposedly, the legendary Dragon King to whom he just had referred was also a dragon, or could turn into one.


    But on second thoughts, the existence of the Dragon King was entirely plausible. Darren had once met a flood dragon himself, and subsequently gained the inheritance skill of the Dragon Blood Clan by killing it. Maybe that flood dragon''s bloodline had not been the only one of its kind.


    Before he could ponder this any further, there was another sound like a tremendous thunderclap, but this time from the north side of the sky. There, a double-headed man appeared among the clouds, one thousand feet in height.


    This new creature''s skin was a deep blue, darker than the sky behind him, and its two heads were fierce and terrible to behold. It was plain that its power was no less than that of the Dragon King.


    Boom! Boom!


    The whole landscape shook as the two titans made their presence felt. The double-headed man roared and the dragon swept his tail about, and horrible quakes rattled the mountains.


    If the Bottom Spiritual World hadn''t been upgraded before, it was certain that the whole land would be destroyed by this two mutants.


    One of the many warriors present finally regained his nerve and let out a defiant shout. "You bastard! Stop!"


    His courage spread like a wildfire among his comrades, many of whom immediately joined him. Taking flight together, they sped upward toward the two giant kings.


    "Kill them right now!"


    But even as he said these words, the skies around the two kings began to fill with their troops: double-headed men and demonic monsters.


    For a nerve-racking moment the two airborne armies surged toward each other. The people on the ground watched breathlessly as they finally crashed together, and the battle was joined.


    But, as brave as the men in the air were, it was clear that they were outmatched by their monstrous opponents. As quickly as the fight had begun, it was over, and soon they were raining back to the ground, beaten and exhausted.


    Darren observed all this with mounti


    erson who could summon that net had enough power, then even the holy emperors in the later ages would need to work hard to break it.


    But at the same time, it would take a lot of power to maintain this defense net. So when the successors of the Chasm Clan used it, it would last for five years at most.


    That was why the masters in the Chasm Clan said that the legendary weapon could protect the Bottom Spiritual World for several years, but not indefinitely.


    The mutants attacked the fishing net in a frenzy, but for all their combined strength, they couldn''t break through it. Slowly but surely, they exhausted themselves, and their confidence crumbled.


    Seeing all this from the remote eastern land, Darren was exceedingly relieved. That legendary weapon would give him time to improve his skill.


    "In three or five years, I have to achieve the power which can defeat the seven-star grand warrior," he said through clenched teeth. It was a formidable challenge indeed, but it was not impossible.


    Meanwhile, the Dragon King and the Double-headed King still couldn''t breach the net. Gradually they lost interest in it and began to take notice of each other.


    "So, Dragon King, you finally showed yourself," said the double-headed mutant, revealing his sharp tusks with a lick of his lips. "You may not be a real dragon, but you still look like you taste pretty good."


    Hearing this, the Dragon King hissed with irritation. Rather than lashing out, however, he took to the sky, heading back toward the demonic monster domain.


    "You won''t get a chance to find out, you two-headed insect," he retorted coldly as he went. "Once I kill these human beings, it''s your turn to die."


    With the crisis averted for the time being, Darren steeled himself, flew outside, and unleashed his spiritual sense to feel the sword intent.


    Hundreds of thousands of sword intent''s fragments of Starry Tower were scattered across the land. Although they had been consumed for the most part, there were still many left. Thus, Darren was able to find them by using spiritual sense.


    After searching for ten days, he had found several sword intent''s fragments. Some were deep inside a mountain, while others were beneath the surface of a wild lake. Soon after that, he would reach his next destination: the Starry Tower.

 Chapter 528 Visiting the Starry Tower (Part One)

    Darren plunged into the mountain lake and continued his search for the fragments of the sword intent.


    "Well, not bad," he said to himself with satisfaction.


    The reason for his satisfied remark was the notion that he had located two fragments of the sword intent in the lake and finally felt at ease at such discovery.


    For the past ten days, he had gone through many detours and was disturbed by the residual sword intent left by some swordsmen a long time ago.


    When he detected the sword intent in this lake, he felt that the odds were with him this time. Sure enough, he succeeded.


    ''The fragments of the sword intent from the Starry Tower propagated across the continent, which made me travel five hundred thousand miles before I found these. It was really challenging, but I did it, '' he thought with a sense of triumph.


    After this, Darren gathered the fragments and poured his blood essence into one of them. He waited patiently as to what would happen next and held on to his breath while doing so.


    Soon enough, the space in front of him twisted like a coiled snake, and an ancient wild scene appeared before him. As he was dazed by the scene, a gigantic hand grabbed and took him away all of a sudden.


    Gradually as the scene grew clearer and vivid, Darren saw the Black Cliff of Sword Intent that he had seen before. The movement skills of the sword cultivation drawn on the cliff seemed simple and familiar to him now.


    As usual, like the last time that he had been there, numerous huge demonic monsters appeared behind the cliff. They were busy minding their own business.


    ''Most of them are one-star grand warriors, while some reached the level of two-star and three-star. No wonder I felt that they were unrivaled during my last visit, '' Darren thought with a smile. He was much stronger now


    , here you are now, so I guess you are in search of something important in going back here. If I''m not mistaken, you want to improve your cultivation level, don''t you? Don''t you know that even though I am confined in this place, I''m also well-informed? I know what is happening in the outside world, and I''m sure that you won''t give up the opportunity to get your hands on the grand treasure," with an eerie grimace on his shadow-like face, Mathew articulated.


    "You''re right. But I have one important reason for coming here that you don''t know of," Darren responded.


    "I don''t know of? I believe you''re wrong. Actually, I know that sole important reason that you have. Thank you for trusting me, Darren," intoned Mathew while giving out a faint smile. The expression that he wore on his face was replaced by kindness, one that resembled the face of an older man talking to a young boy.


    His words were very well said. Darren was lost for words when Mathew got it right. In fact, the essential reason why Darren had come over was that he believed in Mathew.


    After hearing Mathew''s words, Darren felt a little better in his heart. The whole story might be more complicated than what Jesse Li had told him.

 Chapter 529 Visiting the Starry Tower (Part Two)

    "Darren, I have to go now. I''ll come back here to see you in ten days. You can practice here at will." While bidding him goodbye, Mathew gave the Space Ring back to Darren and took the body containing the blade intent and the sword intent with him.


    However, just after Mathew''s figure vanished, Darren sensed that a tempestuous sword intent enveloped him. Darren knew that the intent was from Mathew''s master, the youth who had a black sword and a white sword in his eyes.


    ''The matter about Mathew and Hanson is too confusing. I''d better wait for him to answer it.'' At the thought of it, Darren shook his head and forced himself to stop thinking about it anymore.


    In the span of ten days, Darren didn''t indulge much of his time in cultivation, but instead, he entered the place where he had passed the test before.


    The tranquility and beauty of the lake spread in front of him, and the landscape was still the same. It never failed to amaze him and took his breath in awe.


    The scenery reminded Darren of the time when he was with Elsa. The sound of the steady flow of the stream, the soft breeze, and the melancholic humming of the birds. All of which reminded him of Elsa, her flowing hair, her scarlet cheeks, and her sweet scent.


    "I don''t know where and how she is now. Is she thinking about me too?" as the thought of Elsa lingered through him, Darren whispered and felt a burst of sadness.


    Feeling the grief seeping through his bones, Darren didn''t love the feeling at all. Determined to shut off the emotion out of him, with a loud splash, he jumped into the lake and let the cold stream of the lake carry all his lamentations away.


    The moment he jumped into the water, several Sword Type Creatures came up and attempted to attack Darren.


    Swis


    ially when it came to matters that were considered as secrets. Thus it was hard for Mathew to dare and ask further.


    "Yes, master." Mathew could only give off a simple respond though there were plenty of questions in his mind.


    "I''ll exert my power against the Death Rule and let your soul back into your body by force. Then you''ll revive.


    After your resurrection, bring Darren into the Starry Tower. Remember to let him feel the threat of life," the master gave his order to Mathew.


    "Yes, master. I understand," answered Mathew before he prepared his soul shadow to be immersed into the body lying on the ground.


    The immense Death Rule spread over the body was trying to drive Mathew''s soul away, inhibiting the assimilation and adaptation that they desired. Meanwhile, a superior force of the black sword intent and the white sword intent came suddenly and began cutting the threads of the Death Rule.


    As for Darren, he dived in the cold lake and stopped abruptly in front of a dark shadow.


    "Who are you, lady? How come you live in the lake?" the moment he came face to face with the lady on the lake, Darren asked. His eyes sparkled with intense curiosity.

 Chapter 530 The True Appearance Of Mathew (Part One)

    "It is none of your business to know who I am. What would it benefit you anyway? But, if you continue to kill the Sword Type Creatures like this, I will definitely teach you a lesson. You are such a bastard, aren''t you aware of that? You''re wasting precious sword intents,"


    the figure in the lake spoke. The figure was a female with a crystal clear voice, and she was scolding Darren for the overkill of the Sword Type Creatures on the lake.


    "Ha-ha, I was not wasting your sword intent. Besides, whatever I do with these Sword Type Creatures is none of your business too," with a teasing tone in his voice, Darren laughed as he jokingly responded to the figure''s remarks.


    "It is not my business? Then whose business is it then?" the female asked angrily with her brows an inch higher and in a tight crease. While she was doing that, the female figure crossed her arms on her chest and made a smirking gesture. Anger and annoyance were apparent on her face as it grew scarlet matching her eyes that darted a glum look towards Darren.


    "Ah! I see," exclaimed Darren. As the thought rang a bell on his mind, Darren suddenly became interested, asking her, "As far as I know, there are three different types of sword intent, mainly ice, fire, and thunder, in this lake. Do they all belong to you? If that''s true, then it seems to me that you are very powerful."


    "Do I need to repeat myself? It is none of your business. Get out, or I will teach you a lesson you haven''t learned yet," said the female who was now furious.


    "You are quite confident with your power. Hmmm, you really challenged me. That made me eager to know how you will teach me a lesson." After saying this, Darren attacked her with the blade and sword intent. Indeed, Darren had the element of surprise, and this time he believed th


    and enhance his strength, Darren also absorbed the spiritual energy at the same time, attempting to strengthen his cultivation base.


    Time flew by, and ten days passed quickly. Day in and day out, the young warrior never ceased to cultivate his base with the primary motivation of that female figure in his mind.


    "My cultivation base is improving too slowly. It''s more than a thousand times slower than obtaining spiritual energy from the spiritual crystal of the Shaoyan Clan," Darren proclaimed. At such observation of himself, Darren let out a deep sigh. The spiritual energy he had absorbed these days could not help him to elevate his cultivation base at all.


    "It would be great if I had some more spiritual crystals. Once I reach the Grand Realm, I will be very powerful!" Reminiscing the sensation of surging strength upon his veins, Darren missed the feeling when he assimilated spiritual energy from the spiritual crystal.


    Nevertheless, more than glory, Grand Realm also meant crisis. To break through to a higher realm, he needed enough Primitive Stones, which contained the Heavenly Repression Rule to suppress the Heavenly Repression caused by the fusion of blade and sword intent.

 Chapter 531 The True Appearance Of Mathew (Part Two)

    "Is this the spiritual crystal you need?"


    On the spur of the moment, a figure quietly occurred next to Darren. He spread out his hand, and there on his palm was one spiritual crystal like the one Darren had assimilated.


    At the sight of the spiritual crystal, Darren turned and looked at him silently. The appearance of the figure bothered Darren at once.


    He had large eyes and thick eyebrows, and a cyan robe fluttering with the wind. Furthermore, he had an extraordinary aura exuding out from him.


    To Darren''s great surprise, unceremoniously, the aura of the sword intent released by the figure appeared to pierce his soul.


    "Are you Mathew?" Even though this person''s appearance was totally different from that of Mathew''s shadow, Darren could still feel that he was Mathew.


    The figure, who was indeed Mathew nodded in confirmation. Then looking at Darren, he said," This is my actual appearance. Do you want the spiritual crystal?"


    "Of course, I do!" Determined to assimilate the spiritual crystal, Darren did not think about any other things. Instead, he replied without a second thought.


    "Don''t worry," assured Mathew. All that time, Darren assumed that Mathew would hand him the crystal, but Mathew put away the spiritual crystal and took out another stone. At the glow of the stone, Darren noticed it was a Primitive Stone that contained the Heavenly Repression Rule.


    "I also have a couple of mountain-high pile of these Primitive Stones. Do you want them?" with his eyes still fixed upon Darren, Mathew said. He was looking at Darren with a sinister smile on his face.


    At the sound of Mathew''s odd offers, Darren felt something was not right. He thought that since he had a lot of Primitive Stones, why didn''t he give them to him back then?


    "What


    as so scared at the moment that he was starting to grow desperate.


    "I am sorry to tell you, but I really killed her. But why? You know, I have killed thousands of people. I am an awful person, and I enjoy watching you losers struggling. It has so much fun. Haha!" reckoned Mathew as if he had just killed a nasty mosquito biting his arm.


    With Mathew''s confirmation, Darren was nothing but dumbfounded. Worst was, he was starting to believe that Mathew''s words were real. He entertained such an idea because he sensed Elsa''s aura earlier, but now the aura had completely dissipated¡ªnot even the slightest feeling of her could be detected.


    "Ahhhhh! I''m going to kill you!"


    Enraged and vexed at the maximum level, Darren summoned all the power he could use to attack Mathew.


    "Want to take revenge on me? Kiddo, you are too weak."


    With a mocking and underestimating voice, Mathew waved his hand, creating mighty sword intent to sweep over Darren.


    It was just a simple wave, but it was much more powerful than the attack made by the seven-star law enforcer in purple armor.


    However, the mighty sword intent only left a few wounds in Darren''s body instead of killing him.

 Chapter 532 Rules

    Darren shook himself, struggling to endure new scars and bruises that now covered all over his body. More painful, however, was the despair that welled up in his heart.


    But even that wasn''t going to stop him yet, and he prepared to throw another punch.


    Yet the blow hit nothing but air, and before he could blink, his opponent retaliated with a hit that sent him flying.


    He landed, grunted, then got right back up and charged, only to be slapped aside again. And again. Over and over he repeated his fruitless assault, until at last he was knocked down and could not get back onto his feet. But through it all, his murderous gaze stayed on Mathew, and he even started to crawl back toward his foe.


    Only slightly winded, Mathew stood tall and looked back down at him disapprovingly.


    Letting out a soft breath, he wiped sweat from his brow and spoke.


    "Enough, Darren. This method doesn''t suit you. I don''t want to push you any further." He gave a little shake of his head before continuing.


    "This is all because my master made this fake Elsa perfect, as vivid as the real one. No wonder you''re fighting so furiously."


    As Mathew said this, he produced a transparent pill, crushed it, and spread it over his exhausted opponent.


    Darren was so bloody and wounded that he looked like a dead man, but this pill was designed for someone in exactly such a state. Thanks to the magic herb, he was healed and his strength restored in short order.


    When he realized he was healthy again, Darren slammed a fist against the ground. "What the hell is going on?!" he demanded, his eyes shining red with anger and disbelief.


    "Let me explain," said Mathew. "My master wanted you to try the tests of the Starry Tower and made me out to be a villain. He thought that stirring up your hatred would make you stronger and more motivated.


    But from the beginning, I knew this was a mistake. I don''t want to see you like this. If I sent you into the Starry Tower the way he wants, it could very well make things much worse. Therefore, I''m disobeying him now. I will deceive you no longer."


    "So this Elsa is fake?"


    "Of course. Why would I kill the real Elsa? But it seems my performance was good enough to fool you." Saying this, Mathew reached out, took Darren''s hand, and pulled him onto his feet.


    Seconds passed, and in the silence Darren felt himself flooded with an indescribable emotion.


    When he could no longer contain it, he drew his sword with a howl, spun, and swung at Mathew''s head.


    Astoundingly, the man did not move, and the sword didn''t so much as pierce his skin. The impact caused a terrific clanging sound, as though it had struck metal.


    "Ha-ha," said Mathew with a gentle, almost mischievous smile. "Take another shot or two, if it will help you cool down."


    Shrugging, Darren hit him two or three more times until he had finally let out his emotions. Returning the sword to its sheath, he offered an apology. "Sorry about all that. I lost my mind back there... I couldn''t control myself."


    "That was the idea," Mathew pointed out. "That girl has an important place in your heart. I knew that it would be easy to provoke you with an illusion of her. But we should move on from that. You''ll need to save all of your strength for


    ured there was no point in taking too long to make up his mind. "Then that settles it," he declared. "I will challenge the tests of the tower."


    The thought of his strength equaling a seven-star grand warrior was too tempting to resist. That kind of power was exactly what he needed.


    Suddenly Mathew laughed again. "Well, actually, I was exaggerating a little," he said. "I wanted to see what kind of guts you have. The power of the defenders in the Starry Tower is adjusted according to the strength of every participant, which means that you may not actually have to fight against a seven-star defender on the sixth floor.


    Now I''m going to tell you the most important bit of information. Every time you defeat a defender, there''s one thing you need to pay attention to in addition to getting your rewards. You will need to try your best to find the time turbulent flows, and then use them to cultivate your skills as much as possible. Improve your level of cultivation base first before you go to the next floor. That is the best way to get through the tower."


    "Time turbulent flows?" Darren repeated. He remembered hearing Scott talk about such things not long ago, but wasn''t sure exactly what they were.


    "Yeah," Mathew said, as if what he was saying should have been obvious. "Time passes much slower inside some of the time turbulent flows. So if you cultivate your skills inside it, you can make far more progress there than you would outside. You could feel a hundred years go by in one of the time flows, while in fact it was only a single year in the outside world."


    Darren understood at once. The time turbulent flows were just like the Ancient Void Battlefield. There, too, time traveled at different speeds, depending on where you happened to be. There was a critical difference between the two, however. Any strength you gained while inside the Ancient Void Battlefield would be wiped away as soon as you left the area, whereas with the time turbulent flows, this was not the case.


    "I understand now," he said. "I will enter the Starry Tower at once. Time waits for no one." And without hesitation, he set out. He didn''t want to lose a second.

 Chapter 533 The Power Of Fused Sword Intent (Part One)

    "I see that you are in a big hurry. I like that rush from you. Fine, I''ll let you go now. Just remember what I have taught you and try to exit the Starry Tower as early as possible. It is all on you soon!" With his eyes fixed seriously on Darren, Mathew gave a warm and understanding smile as his response. After this, he used his arcane skill, passed on to him by his master, to open the entrance to the third floor of the Starry Tower, making way for Darren.


    "Right, Mr. Xiao. Thank you, and by the way, do you have any idea about what is happening in the outside world? I assume that, now that you have resurrected, that you can try and stop those mutants from advancing on their riot?" With that being asked, Darren suddenly realized that Mathew''s current strength could easily wipe out all the mutants, every last one of them, with a single slash of his sword. If Mathew could intervene and go against those mutants, then there would be no need for him to get in the Starry Tower.


    "Of course, I know exactly what is going on in the outside world, but I am afraid my soul and my body do not match well enough just yet. So I could not get out of the Starry Tower in the foreseeable future, which means that I am unable to help you with that. Sorry, but I just couldn''t help you by now. But let me assure you that if you can walk out of the Starry Tower successfully, you have a great chance at beating the most potent being of those species, which may just push them back where they came from," exclaimed Mathew with a forlorn look on his face.


    "I see. Well, if that is the case, it leaves me with no choice. I have to go in. See you, Mr. Xiao!"


    As he was about to leave, Darren felt it a shame that Mathew could not come out of the Starry Tower yet. Anyhow, he cupped his hand to salute Mathew and then took off from the first floor and landed directly on the third.


    Arriving at the third floor, Darren found himself standing in a boundless open field, where the only visible colors were red, blue, and cyan, as if those were the single three colors existed in this world.


    The mountains, water, flowers, and grass, and even the animals were all of these colors with no exception. After usi


    ut a purple sword and ice, fire and thunder sword intents were going wild in their vicinity. The aura that exuded out from her at the outrage of such intents was so intense and overpowering.


    ''She is indeed very powerful!'' thought the young warrior. The moment the intents were unleashed from her sword, Darren was shocked. The reason was that the power that she had upon all three sword intents were at the premium stage, which was especially impressive as she was only sixteen years old.


    However, there was one fatal flaw Darren presumed he could take advantage of, which was the fact that her cultivation base was not that high, considering that she had not even made it to the Grand Realm.


    Similarly, Darren, who also had not made it to the Grand Realm, could unleash the power that was equal to that of a four-star grand warrior. In that way, he was more than confident that he could take on the stalwart girl.


    Hiss!


    With breakneck speed, Darren was like lightning. He dodged the girl''s sword intent while at the same time made it next to her before she got a chance to react.


    "Blade and Sword Domain!"


    Darren glared as he deployed the Blade and Sword Domain on the girl, which enveloped her completely as a result.


    "How could it be? You''re not even at the level of the Grand Realm. How could you have such a strong power of domain?" the girl murmured to herself as she was genuinely surprised by the domain power that Darren had demonstrated.

 Chapter 534 The Power Of Fused Sword Intent (Part Two)

    "Does it wear all the wits out of your brain? There are a lot of things in this world that you do not understand! Watch and learn!" Darren mocked and challenged the girl.


    Every time he made use of such a domain skill, Darren was invincible. Once the Blade and Sword Domain had been deployed, Darren struck out with his blade and sword intents at his opponent.


    "It seemed like I really have underestimated you. You are full of surprises!"


    Though the girl kept striking out with her sword intent, she kept backing down under Darren''s attack.


    Seconds later, she fell behind and was entirely suppressed in this encounter with Darren, which pissed her off much as she had thought that she could crush Darren easily even with just a snap of her fingers.


    "It is nothing but a child''s play. It is time to show you my real power!" growled the girl at the feeling that her pride was being trampled upon.


    With a determined and resolute will, the girl did not panic at all. Instead, her face just turned grim and ferocious when she struck out both fire and ice sword intents, which fused when they entered the domain deployed by Darren.


    The buzzing sound echoed throughout the entire area, coupled with the snapping of forces from the struggling intents.


    Right after the collision, Darren''s domain began to shake violently under the power of the girl. Consequently, he pressed on with his attack in hopes that he could neutralize his opponent when she was launching a full-blown attack against him.


    However, the sword intent from the girl after the fusion became several times more potent than they were separately, and it kept blasting on Darren''s domain, over and over.


    "Die!"


    The girl brandished her purple sword as she unleashed waves upon waves of fused sword intent on to Darren like a landslide, which significantly weakened his domain.


    ''Wow, she is surprisingly powerful! Her strength is close to the power of my weakened dark gold internal force," taken aback by the blow, Darren thought to himself as the girl''s young age was indeed misleading. He rested on the fact that he had somehow underestimated her strength, and he was wrong in doing so.


    Boom! The ground was shaking violently.


    Massive explos


    The girl gave out a sneering snort while ranting out those words of displeasure.


    "Hey, little turd! It appears that I have indeed underestimated you! Now that I know what you are capable of. Give me your best shot as it just gets real this time!"


    the girl challenged Darren in a cold voice.


    "Pfftt, forget it, for we just had a real fight. As you can see, you cannot overpower me completely. If you want to keep this up, it will not end well for you. Is this really what you want?" questioned Darren while maintaining a relaxed and calm composure.


    "Ha-ha, what did you just say?"


    The girl suddenly burst into laughter as if she had heard the ridiculous things ever.


    "Are you telling me that was your best shot? Ha-ha, I am afraid that you don''t stand a chance against me. I am giving you only two options for now. One is for you to stay here for the rest of your life, and the other is for you to die at my hands. It is up to you now! What would you fancy?"


    While letting out those remarks, the girl jumped into the air, and an intense sword intent began to shoot out of her at all directions, which brought her power up to an even higher level. The sudden increase in the girl''s power moved Darren a bit and intimidated him in a way. By now he was baffled by thoughts on how to defeat such valiant opponent knowing that it was already a challenge for him in the first place. Yet, the fire in the young warrior''s heart remained undiminished, burning, and still ablaze.

 Chapter 535 The Winners Rights

    Feeling a more powerful sword intent, Darren immediately backed away in retreat.


    "Leaving so soon?"


    The girl taunted as she gave chase.


    Darren didn''t waste his breath on a retort. He wasn''t scared of this girl, but he thought she might let her guard down if she thought he was.


    Meanwhile. she wasn''t letting up, incessantly releasing her sword intent in an attempt to cut off his retreat.


    "Blood Dragon Phantom!"


    Saying this, Darren created eight avatars and sent them right at the girl.


    But she only laughed. "Ha! Not bad. I didn''t expect you to have such a skill. Looks like each avatar is even as strong as your real body. Too bad you''re not fighting somebody weaker. You and all your avatars will die in here."


    The girl moved like lightning, her purple sword whirling as she brought it to bear against Darren''s avatars. Since they didn''t have dark gold internal force, they stood no chance, and she dispatched them in only a moment.


    "Is that all the skill you''ve got?" she asked. "Even if you managed to beat me, you''d die on the fourth floor for sure. I''m a nice person, though, so I don''t think I''ll kill you. Just trap you here forever." The young girl was proud of herself after beating Darren''s avatars. She''d always been told how powerful a cultivator who cultivated both the sword and blade skills was, but now it seemed the stories had been exaggerated.


    Compared to her fusion of three different sword intents, she thought someone who could only use blade intent and sword intent separately was nothing special.


    The chase went on, and as the moments passed, the girl started to treat it like a game. In flashes of supernatural speed, she repeatedly appeared in front of her quarry, blocking his path and forcing him to change course.


    However, Darren refused to lose his cool and was ready to let her chase him as long as she wanted. Sooner or later she would lower her guard, and then it would be his turn to strike.


    Despite her big talk and her showy tricks, this was clearly a person who had little real experience in fighting. Darren wasn''t about to waste any more strength on her than he had to.


    After quite a while, he stopped before a hill. It seemed there was nowhere else to go, and he would soon be defeated.


    A familiar voice followed him. "Ha-ha, you are so weak! Do you only know how to run away like a mouse? Where will you go now?"


    The girl caught up to him then.


    Grinning maliciously, she added, "I''ll give you one more chance. Give yourself up, or you''ll have a really hard time."


    Darren looked her up and down, as calm as ever. "How many more times are you going to say that, you brat? You are so annoying."


    "How dare you talk back to me!" the girl retorted. "Watch this!" The girl waved her purple sword, cutting flashing sword trails through the air.


    A mighty swor


    ra changed completely. Though she kept speaking, her voice was low, monotonous, and more like that of a machine than a human being.


    "Congratulations, challenger. You have defeated the guardian of the third floor. According to the rules, you now have the right to know the following information.


    As the challenger proceeds through the Starry Tower, he or she is allowed to seek out the treasure on each floor after defeating its guardian. The victorious challenger is also allowed to stay on that floor for one year to cultivate.


    During that time, he or she can ask the defeated guardian for information about the protector of the next floor, and also ask to be taught new skills. The defeated guardian is not allowed to decline."


    Having explained all this, the girl''s aura returned to normal, as did her posture.


    "Hey, loser, what''s your name?" Darren asked.


    "Anna Gu." The girl glared at Darren then, adding, "Don''t talk to me! Just shut up and go find your treasure."


    "You have a short temper indeed," Darren observed, raising an eyebrow. "Listen up. We''re going to be living together here for one year. Don''t be difficult with me, or I''ll teach you a lesson again.


    But if you want to do this the easy way, you''ll just tell me everything you know right now. First I want to hear about the guardian of the fourth level. Then you''ll teach me how you grasped the premium sword intent. Also, I need to know where I can find the treasure." When he was finished speaking, Darren lay down on the ground and got comfortable. Spotting a nearby twig, he stuck it in his mouth and chewed on it, ready to listen.


    "Uh-uh! No, I am not going to tell you."


    Anna Gu was red-cheeked with rage, but she knew she could not break the rules of the Starry Tower. It took her only a moment to settle down again, and she began to talk.


    "The guardian of the fourth floor is a real devil."

 Chapter 536 Get More Spiritual Crystals (Part One)

    "A real devil?" asked Darren, unfazed. "How strong a fighter is this thing? Does it have any powerful skills?"


    "It was discovered by my master somewhere in the lava of the Ancient Age," Anna explained. "By my estimation, it should be about as strong as a human five-star grand warrior. I don''t know if it has any special skills or not."


    Darren nodded, knowing that she had told him the truth, in accordance with the rules.


    ''I''m not sure I''d have an easy time if I tried to fight this devil now, '' he thought to himself. ''But I think I''ll have a better chance after spending a year in cultivation and training. And if I can find the time turbulent flows, I will have more time for my cultivation. Right now, though, the most important thing for me is to find more resources for my cultivation. Mr. Xiao told me there are spiritual crystals here on the third floor. I must find them as soon as possible.''


    Still, before Darren started hunting for the treasure, he had one more thing to ask this young girl. He wanted to know exactly how to obtain the premium sword intent through cultivation!


    If he managed to elevate his sword intent level to the premium stage or even higher, his overall strength would also improve correspondingly.


    More importantly, if Darren could also promote his blade intent to the premium stage, then his dark gold internal force, formed by fusing the blade intent and sword intent, would also be greatly strengthened!


    However, actually fusing the two intents would be a real challenge, as the Heavenly Repression caused by the fusion would be a great threat to his life.


    He quickly considered the matter. ''Mr. Xiao also told me that there are Primitive Stones on the fourth floor, ones which contain the Heavenly Repression Rule. Even with the he


    The girl watched him leave and continued to scold him as he shrank into the distance. She couldn''t help but vent her anger.


    "No," she said to herself at last. "I''m going to follow that brat. When he gets himself killed, I want to be there to see it." When she thought of the strength of the ruthless creatures, she thought for sure that Darren was going to lose badly, and be killed. As she daydreamed about this, she calmed down a little bit.


    She considered it further. There were a lot of ruthless creatures in the edge zone, not just a few. Even Anna would find it hard to resist their attacks. But a cocky sneak like Darren, who only knew sneak attacks? He was dead meat for sure.


    The girl couldn''t help but laugh cruelly as she imagined Darren''s end. But it wasn''t enough. She had to see it for herself. Making up her mind, she disappeared and set off after him as fast as she could.


    After two hours'' flight, Darren found himself over a dark and very unfriendly-looking swamp. The stench of rotten plant matter assaulted his nose.


    Doing his best to ignore the smell, he extended his spiritual sense and started scanning for the aura given off by the spiritual crystals.

 Chapter 537 Get More Spiritual Crystals (Part Two)

    He was intrigued and alarmed when he detected one almost immediately. "It can''t be this easy!" he exclaimed to himself.


    The aura was a powerful one, perhaps a kilometer deep inside the swamp.


    Ready for anything, he sped over until he was close to the crystal, then dived straight down into the darkness of the swamp.


    Sure enough, he immediately felt several creatures nearby, closing in fast. Whoever or whatever they were, they definitely weren''t going to be friendly.


    "Hurricane Teleportation Skill!" Darren announced.


    With his speed boosted exponentially, he was closing in fast on the spiritual crystal.


    Soon he could see it. It was the size of his fist, and it glittered like fire. Without hesitating, he snatched it up, put it into his Space Ring, and took flight again.


    With a sound like the roar of a fierce wind, he burst through the canopy of the swamp.


    However, so did a handful of other figures, reaching for him with cold hands, incensed at his attempt to escape.


    Not far away, Anna was observing the scene with a satisfied smirk.


    ''You despicable scum. I wonder how you''ll handle danger this time, '' she thought disdainfully.


    Coming a little closer, she saw the figures that now surrounded Darren as he left the swamp. They all had metallic skin, and the aura they gave off was a powerful one indeed. They were the ruthless creatures she had mentioned earlier.


    Sizing them up even as he fled, Darren frowned. ''Each of them are as powerful as a top-level four-star grand warrior. It''d be pretty tough to defeat them all.''


    He quickly made up his mind to continue his speedy retreat, rather than confronting them head-on. After all, it was really the spiritual crystals that he was after.


    "You shameless bastard!" Anna shouted yet again. "Are you going t


    ht things would go, '' Anna realized as she watched them all go. ''That shameless moron didn''t kill the ruthless creatures guarding each spiritual crystal. Now he has an army chasing him! Does he have any idea how he''s going to deal with them?''


    Unable to contain her curiosity, the girl did her best to keep up.


    When Darren finally sensed that he was close to the last spiritual crystal, he called upon his blade intent and sword intent to bombard the ground. With a terrific noise the earth split open, revealing the crystal. As soon as he saw it, he dived into the fissure he had opened and collected the prize with his Space Ring.


    "This spiritual crystal is the size of a bison!" he exclaimed in triumph. "I sure made a killing this time." He estimated that the spiritual energy in all the crystals he had found would be enough for him to break through to the three-star Grand Realm, or perhaps even the four-star Grand Realm!


    As he felt exalted over his success, however, the ruthless creatures were going berserk. Now there were more than a hundred of them, hurtling down toward him as well as bursting out of the ground, and as one they swarmed toward Darren, eager to obliterate him.

 Chapter 538 That Is Bad (Part One)

    By now, Darren had realized that more than one hundred ruthless creatures whose attention was drawn and focused on defeating him were all top-level of four-star grand warriors. He knew he had to face and defeat each one of them now, or else it would be the other way around.


    However, as he gauged the way the creatures fought, in all honesty, Darren admitted that he couldn''t defeat them. Though his skills and capabilities were exceptional, the ruthless creatures, on the one hand, didn''t seem to feel tired and pained. Each of them would fight to the end of their lives. As such, they were much more horrible than the humans at the same level.


    Despite that fact, it was apparent that Darren had figured out how to deal with them. He had worked out a plan in mind on how to send the ruthless creatures to their doom.


    Previously, when Darren entered the Starry Tower, he had tried and succeeded in activating the Ancient Void Battlefield; he made sure it could be of use any moment the need arose. Holding on to that notion, Darren didn''t worry much about the creatures, for he had the Ancient Void Battlefield as an escape route in case things got messy.


    At the moment, with their teeth clenched in anger, the ruthless creatures were chasing after Darren. The power they unleashed as they ran after him was dominating and devastating in the same manner.


    "What reckless things does Darren plan to do? Does he want to die?"


    Anna said after she saw that situation, not understanding what Darren was going to do. All this time, while watching Darren struggle with the creatures, Anna couldn''t help but feel annoyed at how he handled the enemies and even thought that Darren must be killed.


    Just then, Darren had been cornered and surrounded in a split second. Soon enough, countless


    "What a temper!"


    Anna burst out, taken aback at Darren''s show of rudeness. But Darren didn''t mind her and still brushed her off. Just as he wanted to fly away, he suddenly remembered something that brought him out in a cold sweat.


    "Damn it!" At the thought of it, Darren growled and flew into the Ancient Void Battlefield at once.


    As he had planned about it, Darren originally wanted to give those ruthless creatures for Finley to deal with. However, as he remembered that the Water Kylin once told him that Finley was in closed-door cultivation, Darren sprang up to his feet and hurried inside the Ancient Void Battlefield in haste. If Finley wasn''t there to guard the Ancient Void Battlefield, those creatures would have destroyed it.


    The instant Darren entered into the Ancient Void Battlefield. The Water Kylin, with a worried and disheveled face, welcomed him momentarily.


    "Master, help me, please! They''re too strong."


    Darren saw how the creatures besieged the Water Kylin. Though the Water Kylin desperately bombarded them with his blue lightning, only a few of the ruthless creatures were beaten back, and others pounced on him again, knocking him to all their want.

 Chapter 539 That Is Bad (Part Two)

    "Where is Finley?" though he knew the answer to his question, still Darren asked.


    "Finley is meditating in seclusion! Help me now, or they will kill me," the Water Kylin begged, dashing here and there in attacking and defending himself against the creatures.


    Whoosh!


    In a flash, Darren joined the fight. With Darren brandishing his sword towards the enemy, the Water Kylin was a bit relieved for the beatings that he was suffering would somehow be lessened.


    Facing numerous creatures at once, Darren constantly emitted his dark gold internal force and the olive-black force alternatively. He was sweating and struggling to push the creatures back, and worst was they were a bit invincible.


    Moreover, the ruthless creatures were very united. They usually resisted Darren''s attack together, and they defused in several seconds. Such techniques made it even worse for Darren.


    As he was busy dealing with the enemies in front of him, Darren saw that the Water Kylin was struck with a creature that pinned him down. Immediately, he summoned his teleportation skill and rescued the Water Kylin.


    Swoosh!


    While swooping down, Darren activated his blade and sword intents to cut at a ruthless creature.


    However, the blade and sword intents only left two shallow wounds on the body of that ruthless creature, which were not enough to kill it.


    "The creatures'' bodies are as strong as Scott''s."


    Earlier, Darren focused on evading the attacks from the creatures. Thus he had never wounded a single ruthless creature. After this attack, however, Darren realized the horror posed by the creatures.


    Seeing that the creature was not killed and Darren''s attack led to the agitation rather than weakening, all of the no


    find him. Master, let me tell you a secret. Finley has wholly immersed himself in cultivation and can''t wake up even if we beat him violently. Isn''t it amazing!"


    the Water Kylin said with a gloating smile, and then he began to slap Finley with his claws.


    "Damn you! You used to bully me. Now let me bust you! Haha!" The Water Kylin constantly smacked Finley.


    "Stop! You beast! Finley is meditating. What if you kill him?" with a demanding voice, Darren shouted at the Water Kylin.


    "No, he won''t. Trust me, sir. I have beaten him many times the first time I saw him here. He is all right," the Water Kylin said with a smile and raised his claws wanting to beat Finley again.


    Seeing how the beast had beaten Finley, Darren was speechless. He thought that the shameless Water Kylin must have hit Finley many times before, and now he was planning to beat him out even more.


    Boom!


    All of a sudden, a huge palm came down and smashed the Water Kylin into a meat cake, curdled and shivering on the ground.


    "What''s happened? What was that?" The unforeseen and unexpected scene shocked Darren making him thought, ''Is the Water Kylin dead?''

 Chapter 540 To See How Powerful the Demon Was

    Darren froze. What he had seen was inconceivable.


    The Water Kylin had been killed with one blow?


    "You bastard, how many hits have you given me?"


    At that moment, the runes surrounding Finley vanished, and he stood up, opening his eyes.


    Standing before him, Darren contended with a spell of dizziness.


    Despite being the master of the Ancient Void Battlefield, he was not totally immune to the aura of suppression.


    But he shook it off as best as he could. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.


    "What have you done?" he demanded. "Why did you kill him?"


    Finley, however, seemed relaxed. "Don''t worry, Darren. Here, watch this."


    Saying this, he waved a hand, and a stream of deep green aura appeared, gathering over the Water Kylin''s remains.


    As both men watched, the various pieces quivered, slid across the ground, and rejoined themselves. Even the blood that had been spilled began to move, flowing back into the regenerating body.


    "What... What is this skill?" Darren asked, his eyes bulging.


    Impossible as it seemed, Finley was somehow bringing the Water Kylin back to life. Whatever power he was using, it was clearly as incredible as it was disturbing to witness.


    "Ah!" the Water Kylin said when he stood up at last. He did so slowly, unsteady. He couldn''t quite remember what had happened.


    A shudder passed through him as his memories started falling into place. "I was just dreaming. I dreamed I was wandering alone someplace cold and empty, endless. That was very unpleasant."


    Seeming then to notice the other two men, he went on, "Ah, Finley, you''re awake as well. Congratulations! You must be very powerful now, after the closed-door practice. To be honest, I was worried as you were cultivating while unconscious. I kept needing to come by and sweep the dust off your body. I am very relieved to see you awake again."


    A smile grew on his face as he said all this.


    "You don''t seem to remember what happened just now," Finley replied. "Here, let me help you."


    With that, he pressed his hand to the beast''s forehead, restoring his memory of the past few moments.


    "Damn it! You just slapped me to death!" the Water Kylin snarled.


    "Finley, I have cared for and treated you as a brother for all this time! But now you just killed me. For that, you and I are through. Farewell." With that he turned and swiftly began to leave.


    Things did not go as he wanted, however.


    He''d hardly gone a stone''s throw when a huge hand appeared in midair and sent him sprawling to the ground with a smack.


    When he got his senses back and lifted his


    ?"


    "Are you a moron? Of course I know. You need them so you can have more time for cultivation."


    "All right, then," he said. "Where can I find the time turbulent flows?"


    However, the rules allowed defeated guardians to refuse to answer this particular question.


    "I don''t think I''m going to tell you," Anna said with an impish laugh. "However, I can show you how mighty the guardian of the fourth floor is. You''d better give up while you can, because your small world is going to be sealed soon."


    Darren frowned at that. "Why?"


    "Don''t look so surprised," she said. "You''re not allowed to open your small world in the Starry Tower. You already opened it once, and the tower noticed, so it cut off the connection between you and your small world. It wasn''t me who did it. I don''t have that kind of power."


    "I see," Darren said slowly. He took a moment to check the Ancient Void Battlefield. Sure enough, he found it sealed by a strange power. Whatever it was, he wouldn''t be able to open it.


    As he came back to himself, Anna asked, "Do you want to see how powerful the demon is or not?"


    "How are you going to show me that?"


    "This is how." Anna''s hand waved in the midair and an image showed up.


    It showed a young man, facing away from them, dressed in a white robe that fluttered in the wind. He had his head tipped back to gaze at the sky and somehow looked very lonely.


    "That''s supposed to be the demon?" Darren asked incredulously. It certainly wasn''t what he had imagined.


    "Of course not. He is a martial artist at the top level of the five-star Grand Realm. Keep watching." Saying this, Anna stood beside Darren and crossed her hands behind her back. A little smirk crept across her face.

 Chapter 541 Reaching The Premium Stage (Part One)

    As vivid as it appeared in the image presented by Anna, a young man in a white robe kept looking up at the sky. He seemed to be waiting for the arrival of whatever or whomever it was.


    A few moments later, a blast of purple-black air suddenly appeared in the space. The sudden appearance of the odd scene made the man in white linger around with vigilance.


    Following the sudden uproar, a sharp cry rang out as if it was from something colossal and powerful. Soon enough, a very fast-moving figure flashed from behind the young man in white.


    "Huh?" With his mouth gaped open in awe, Darren was mesmerized abruptly. Such a reaction was made as he saw that there etched at the young man''s back a five-claw-shaped wound. The wound looked deep and grave, with his bones visible!


    At the sight of such injury, Darren even began to wonder, ''Is this young man in a white robe really a five-star grand warrior? How could he be so easily knocked down? Or is the devil so strong and dominating that it could inflict injury on a five-star warrior that easily?'' As Darren thought wildly, he kept staring at the image presented by Anna.


    While his teeth clenched with the searing pain, the young man in white turned around to face his enemy. His face was full of frightened expression as he struggled to stand straight while blood was still dripping from his wounds.


    The enemy, which was a purple-black, rat-like, huge creature, stood in front of him with its fangs shown in anger. The creature was with a build of shocking muscles, and a stream of saliva flowed over its beastly mouth. Its little eyes that were glowing vehemently were staring at the young man in white as if it had seen some kind of incredibly delicious food to feast on.


    "See? This is the devil I''ve mentioned to you before. It is exceptionally fierce. If you go there and meet it, you will be killed for sure. Humph!" with a confident tone, Anna commented. While she was saying that, she had a look at Darren, hoping to see the fear on his face.


    "Well, don''t jump to that conclusion so hastily," with a calm expression and tone, Darren responded. He just couldn''t take his eyes off the pictures in the midair, for he was curious as to what would happen next.


    "Kill!" the young man in white roared furiously.


    the Starry Tower as soon as possible.


    ''I have enough spiritual crystals now, but my power is suppressed to prevent me from reaching the Grand Realm, so the space for improving my ability is limited, '' Darren thought as he analyzed and weighed things carefully.


    In his haste to accelerate his cultivation base in the fastest way possible, Darren''s various methods now seemed to have reached their limit. For example, the power of his olive-black force was fixed as of the moment, and so was the power of his dark gold internal force. As long as there was no stronger fusion of blade and sword intents, the power of his dark gold internal force would also be fixed¡ªnothing more nothing less. As for his other skill, the Augmented Attack Bloodline, the power was linked to the realm and hence, couldn''t be promoted at once, making it totally useless for Darren.


    After having a thorough analysis of all his skills for a while, Darren concluded that he could only improve his strength by increasing the level of the blade and sword intents. However, such an improvement would not be significant enough to defeat the five-star grand warrior at his top level, let alone the six-star grand warrior devil.


    ''Well, let it be now. Come what may, I''ll just figure out the solution later. In the meantime, I need to find the time turbulent flows for my further cultivation.'' Making up his mind, Darren decided to put all the considerations aside for a while and focused his attention on searching for the time turbulent flows.

 Chapter 542 Reaching The Premium Stage (Part Two)

    "Where on earth are the time turbulent flows?" Darren asked Anna again, shifting his gaze towards the lady who kept her silence after being ignored.


    "You''re really an idiot. After I''ve told you so much about the possible dangers of facing the devil, I can''t believe you still choose to leave and take risks. Okay, then I will show you the location of the time turbulent flows, and you check it by yourself," Anna said in a huff. Unable to wrap her head at how hard-headed Darren was, Anna just rolled her eyes at him while shaking her head in disbelief. After which, she threw upon him a sheepskin map bearing the location of the time turbulent flows.


    And then, Darren took the map, studied it for a few minutes and without saying a word, flew away. He didn''t even bother to look back and express his gratitude to Anna, which made the latter even more annoyed.


    After two days of flight, meeting the weird air, and changing weather, Darren landed on a cold and secluded area.


    The space in that area where he landed was precarious. Horrible black cracks could be seen everywhere. Those cracks were called the space cracks and were scattered all over the place. Darren was familiar with such cracks. He knew very well that, once anyone was sucked into the space cracks, it would be hard for him to survive.


    Among these space cracks, Darren also saw numerous colorful clouds, which seemed to be very distorted and were continually changing shapes. According to the mark on the map, such an area should be the place where the time turbulent flows were located.


    However, the function of those time turbulent flows in the area was not merely to slow down time. Some of them could accelerate time, as well. It was possible that when a warrior spent more than two months inside the time turbulent flows, one year had passed in the outside world. Thus, Darren knew he should make careful choices before he jumped into any of the time turbulent flows.


    With his keen eyes, Darren observed each flow. After quite a few hours, he finally chose a cloud of light, also the time turbulent flow he wanted to jump in. He ducked the space cracks around and then flew


    could achieve such powerful intent in a short time. Even she couldn''t have such an achievement within three years. With her talent at the second level of the Heaven Degree together with the coaching of her master, she still used eight years to reach the early stage of the premium sword intent. Therefore, she found it quite hard to accept such a confounding fact.


    ''Humph! It will be useless even though you made that achievement. You still can''t beat the devil, '' Anna comforted herself in her mind. Her pessimism grew at the fact that Darren had now outdone her skills. Suddenly, while she was amid her self-reverie, she felt another strong and eye-popping aura that burst out. Such strapping aura made her lose her balance and rattled her mind for a while.


    "What? The aura of the premium blade intent... It''s impossible. I didn''t give him the method to cultivate the premium blade intent!" Anna denied spontaneously. At the most straightforward thought of it, Anna was in dire dubiousness. She just imagined that Darren had somehow improved his cultivation base, but what she was sensing right now was more than she had expected. In her desperation and rejection of the truth that Darren had advanced his sword and blade intents massively, Anna was on the verge of losing her sanity in an outmost quandary. Yet, the fact remained that Darren succeeded. The young and determined warrior made it¡ªhe had advanced to the premium stage.

 Chapter 543 Divine Weapons Of Blade And Sword

    While Anna was still stuck on the roller coaster of awe, the cloud of light in one of the time turbulent flows started to oscillate fiercely. At the same instant, a figure slowly fluttered out of the flow with a distorted shape. It returned to normal state when it left the cloud of light.


    Anna glanced at him steadily. Spontaneously, she felt that his auras of the blade intent and sword intent were very powerful, blasting to the surroundings.


    "What exactly just happened? Why do I feel your blade intent also expands to the premium stage?" Once Darren was out of the range of space cracks, Anna flew towards him right away.


    "Is there anything wrong?" Darren interrogated calmly.


    "Of course something is wrong! Be honest with me now, do you know about the method to cultivate the premium blade intent?" Anna bombarded him with another question.


    "No, I know nothing about it," Darren responded while pretending not to care about the question she asked.


    "I don''t trust your words. I would rather frisk you to believe what you just stated." Anna curled her lips furiously.


    "Why the hell are you acting so strangely? Why would I even lie to you? Plus, does it have anything to do with you whether I know the method to comprehend premium blade intent?"


    "Fine, I believe you." Anna nodded, proceeding to state, "It amazes me how without martial formula, you have grasped premium blade intent on your own. You indeed are sort of gifted."


    "Umm! You can say. But feel free to think that fortune was in my favor. Where is the passage to the fourth floor? It''s time to go to the next floor," Darren asked.


    "Err......" Anna hesitated for a while and uttered, "I am not underestimating you. But trust me, even if you have comprehended both premium blade intent and premium sword intent, you stand no chance to beat that demon. And, I truly mean it! Please don''t go to the fourth floor. I hope you understand?"


    Darren observed that there was no contempt in Anna''s eyes at this point. He answered with a faint smirk on his face, "You really need not worry about me! Well, you really think in the past three years in the time turbulent flow, I have only elevated blade and sword intents, huh?"


    "So, have you comprehended any other skills? What are they? Are they powerful? Show me, otherwise stop bragging." Anna was genuinely anxious to know about his powers from the bottom of her heart.


    "Whatever you thought is correct, okay? I don''t want to argue with you." Darren was impervious to what Anna thought. He stated, "Guardian, please open the passage to the fourth floor."


    In the Starry Tower, as long as the challenger asked the guardian to open the passage, the latter could not decline their requirement. For this was against the rules.


    Boom!


    The floor vibrated for a bit. After that, a high ladder protruded towards the sky, appearing right in front of Darren.


    Darren''s figure soon vanished and then emerged on the high ladder, directly escalating towards the top.


    "S


    pening. However, she could sense scary blade and sword intents blasted all of a sudden, making her both surprised and joyful. She was proud of Darren too now.


    "Why do his auras of the blade and the sword intents elevate a lot again all of a sudden?" Anna exclaimed in bewilderment.


    The fourth floor was now a chaotic battlefield, roar and crash of metal strike mixed together echoed throughout the space. It meant Darren was fighting fiercely with the demon. Out of Anna''s imagination, Darren had not been killed quickly.


    Four hours had passed by now.


    "Such powerful weapons." In the thick fog, the demon was out of breath and gross liquid dripped out of his mouth to the ground. It was his purple-black blood.


    On the contrary, Darren was just slightly disheveled, but his breath was steady. The blade and sword holding in his hands were different from what they looked before. Vintage dragon pattern was engraved on their surfaces and they were covered by light golden halo.


    "No wonder you are divine weapons. Because of you, I am way much stronger now!"


    The blade and sword in Darren''s hands were exactly the legendary weapons of Shaoyan Clan handed down from their ancestors.


    Actually in the time turbulent flows, Darren spent three months to grasp the premium sword intent. After that, out of a whip, he started to study the blade intent. By just relying on his excellent talent, he successfully grasped the premium blade intent within two years.


    During the last few months, Darren tried to control these three divine weapons and learnt about them. Apart from the spear that was not controlled by him, Darren could integrate well with both the blade and the sword. But now the integrating degree was less than thirty percent after a couple of months.


    Although Darren hadn''t mastered the divine weapons of blade and sword very well yet, he could sense how extraordinary he now was. This explained why he had been confident that he could defeat the demon in the first place.

 Chapter 544 A Mountain Of Primitive Stones (Part One)

    From the start, Darren had had the upper hand in this battle, thanks to the divine weapons. Not only did it boost his strength, but it also suppressed that of the demon. He was about as powerful now as a five-star grand warrior at the top level.


    The demon''s chest heaved as he took laborious breaths, and his eyes flashed with brutal ferocity. He was never one to gracefully accept defeat.


    "You lowlife. I cannot believe you would stoop to using those divine weapons to suppress me. How unspeakable and shameful of you!"


    The demon took a moment to grind out these wrathful words. As soon as he was done, though, he did something that was way beyond Darren''s comprehension.


    In a fast, deliberate motion, he lifted a razor-sharp finger and jabbed it into his own head. Moaning and grumbling painfully, he dragged his hand downward, making a wound that traveled all the way down his middle.


    With further hideous noises, the demon tore at his own chest, the two halves of his face twisting and twitching until he''d at last pulled himself in two.


    But as soon as the two pieces had completely separated, they began to regenerate, reforming until now two whole demons stood, ready for combat.


    Darren''s face was screwed up in disgust as he observed this revolting spectacle. ''Well, damn! That was gross. I''ve never seen anything like that before!'' Nevertheless, he wasn''t particularly alarmed. After all, he was sure he could handle two demons about as easily as one.


    However, to his shock and dismay, the two newly-formed demons immediately began to tear at themselves just like the one before, intending to repeat the process of generating more avatars.


    "Shit! This looks really bad for me!" Darren exclaimed.


    No


    u take that thing and keep it on you, I assure you that you will die a very horrible death. It''s no joke!"


    "Are you serious?" asked Darren, frowning. "What makes it so dangerous?"


    "The Starry Tower is a place full of temptations and traps," the young lady explained, "and this purple bead is one of them, set for those who are greedy and insatiable. If you so much as touch that thing, you will be poisoned with an incurable drug and your flesh will melt away over the course of three days before you finally die. Doesn''t sound very pleasant, does it?"


    "What kind of poison is this? Can it really be that strong?" Darren knew for a fact that he was tough, and it was hard to believe that any mere poison could even penetrate his skin. Besides that, he wasn''t going to take anything Anna told him at face value.


    She shrugged at him. "You don''t believe me, do you? I can see it in your eyes. You know what? Go ahead and touch it. See for yourself. But before you do, you should know that that bead can even kill someone at a much higher level than yourself. Someone like this demon you just killed, or someone who has reached the Holy Realm!"

 Chapter 545 A Mountain Of Primitive Stones (Part Two)

    "Okay, then," Darren said, mirroring her careless demeanor. "I believe you about the bead. I was only being curious. But what''s it about the demon? What made him so special?"


    She gave him a sly smile. "Well, I''m not exactly sure. I don''t know everything my master does. But as for that bead, I did see someone get poisoned by it. Someone much, much more powerful than you, and I can tell you it didn''t end well for him. In fact, you may just meet him, and he can tell you all about it himself."


    Darren shook his head, irritated by Anna''s behavior. Despite having made such a fuss about the bead, she now showed herself unable, or at least unwilling, to give any facts in support of her argument. All the same, Darren decided to let the matter drop. After all, it was only a bead. Even if it actually was beneficial somehow, he surely could do just fine without it.


    He remembered then how Mathew had told him there were Primitive Stones on the fourth floor, which was where he was at right now. If he could get his hands on those stones containing the Heavenly Repression Rule, he would be able to work on increasing his own strength toward the level of the Grand Realm.


    "Well, right now I''m more interested in what''s waiting for me on the fifth floor. I''m kind of looking forward to getting up there."


    Saying this, Darren looked over at the site of his latest battle. The demon on this floor was a real livng beast, so he couldn''t come back to life. The moment the demon was killed, a stairway leading up to the next floor had appeared there.


    Already excited, he sent his spiritual sense probing up the passage, only for it to be stopped cold.


    It was shocking enough t


    asked and helped you as best as I could. What have I done to annoy you?"


    Darren decided to get right to the point. "You don''t listen to anything I say, all the while trying to convince me of your own groundless speculations. Besides that, you talk too much."


    "How dare you!" Enraged, Anna stamped her foot¡ªor tried to, since they were still a good distance off the ground. The way she saw it, she had been nothing but nice to Darren, but nobody she could remember had ever treated her with such contempt.


    "Fine, then! I''ll stop following your stupid ass. It''s your loss, anyway!" Having said this, she turned away and flew off, humiliated.


    Half a year flew by as Darren turned his full attention to seeking out the Primitive Stones containing the Heavenly Repression Rule. He searched meticulously, shaking every tree and turning over every stone.


    At long last, he discovered an enormous mountain hidden in a vast stretch of lava. This would have been impressive on its own. Adding up to his astonishment, the mountain itself was made out of the Primitive Stones that contained the Heavenly Repression Rule!

 Chapter 546 The Special Ordeal

    Darren was quite thrilled by the discovery that the mountain was formed by Primitive Stones that contained the Heavenly Repression Rule.


    Without wasting time, he brandished his sword and blade as he flew toward the vast lava lake. After several swift movements, he had chopped through the bottom of the Primitive Stone Mountain. Once the entire mountain had been separated from the lava lake, Darren placed it in his Space Ring.


    "Now I can try to make a breakthrough and reach the Grand Realm," Darren murmured to himself.


    As he was in possession of so many Primitive Stones, the first thing Darren thought of was reaching the Grand Realm and improving his strength as fast as he could.


    At that time, both his blade and sword intents were at the premium stage. If the two intents merged again, the power of his dark gold internal force would increase significantly.


    Darren''s realm was at the top level of the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm. He knew that by absorbing a few spiritual crystals, he could break through to the Grand Realm in one fell swoop.


    As he had met every condition for the breakthrough, Darren knew that he had to be quick. Thus, he didn''t search for the time turbulent flows on the fourth floor. Instead, he flew out of the lava lake and started assimilating the spiritual crystals to facilitate his breakthrough.


    After he assimilated the crystals, Darren felt as though a warm stream was spreading through his body, and that his realm was slowly improving. Soon, he reached a critical point in the breakthrough.


    "Stop!" A voice rang out at that precise moment.


    Not only was Darren''s breakthrough interrupted, but he also woke from his cultivation when he heard the voice.


    "Don''t go any further in your process. I will keep the spiritual crystals for you temporarily," the voice said.


    Darren released his spiritual sense to look around, but he didn''t see anybody. Just as he began rationalizing what had happened, the spiritual crystals in his hand and Space Ring flew out and disappeared in mid-air.


    Stunned, Darren''s eyes widened in surprise. He asked in disbelief, "What just happened?"


    Before he could figure it out, a big palm reached out from the fifth floor and grabbed him. Soon, Darren found himself being dragged to the fifth floor.


    By now, Darren was utterly baffled. ''Who could be strong enough to forcibly haul me to the fifth floor so easily?'' he wondered.


    "Hey, young man, don''t be surprised. Just go to the seventh floor, and you will understand what happened," the voice said again.


    When Darren was lost in thoughts, a middle-aged man appeared before him. He seemed to be the guardian on the fifth floor. It was he who had spoken to Darren.


    Darren returned to his senses when he heard the voice. Now that he was on the fifth floor, he had no choice but to fight the middle-aged guardian. As long as this middle-aged man was not a six-star warrior at the middle or premium level, Darren was confident that he could defeat him.


    "Then, let''s fight now. It will be to my advantage if we conclude this test as soon as possible," Darren said to the guardian with a frown.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the dragon patterns on his divine sword and divine blade lit up, and his momentum was


    energy and forcibly make a breakthrough to the Grand Realm. However, when he wanted to take some Primitive Stones, he discovered that his Space Ring had been sealed. Thus, his plan wouldn''t work.


    As he wandered in the empty space, Darren felt restless. Soon, he became a little bit dizzy.


    A month later, he still hadn''t thought of a solution. He became increasingly upset and worried. From time to time, he would explode a barren mountain to vent his pent up frustration.


    "Since I can''t pass the test by improving my strength, what other methods can I use?" Darren roared. His eyes were bloodshot.


    "Kill, kill, kill," he snarled as he felt overwhelmed by this tricky situation. In the meantime, he brandished his sword and blade wildly and bombarded the space around him randomly.


    It appeared as though the dilemma Darren faced had driven him crazy.


    In the sky not far away from Darren, the middle-aged man watched the whole scene. Then, he shook his head and said with great disappointment, "It turns out that he is an impetuous guy. I believe it will be hard for him to pass my test."


    The middle-aged man sighed and flew away without looking back. Such an impetuous warrior was not worthy of his attention as he had a high possibility of failing the test.


    Another month went by in the blink of an eye.


    Darren was no longer crazy. He had calmed himself gradually.


    "Ha-ha-ha, I am really foolish. Since this floor is not about testing my strength, it must be a test of my wisdom and attitude. I have been so impatient before that I would never pass the test of this floor," Darren said to himself as he felt enlightened all of a sudden.


    Pursuing martial arts was challenging. A warrior couldn''t just rely on his talent. His wisdom and character were also essential for improvement in martial arts. As Darren was more capable than other warriors, he was able to understand this.


    ''If this challenge is really about testing wisdom and mentality, then I believe that I may have come across the clue of such a method before. So, where was the clue? How could I find it?'' Darren was now completely calm and began to rack his brain for a possible solution.

 Chapter 547 A Boring Game

    The warmth around the place started to increase, making sweats drip from Darren''s forehead at once. With his legs crossed and his spirits in deep meditation, Darren sat firmly on the ground. He recalled repeatedly in his mind the scene when he first saw the guardian of the fifth floor.


    Though the scene lasted only a quarter of an hour, yet it flashed in Darren''s mind many times.


    Just as he was in the act of meditation, at one and the same instant, Darren also recalled how he attacked the middle-aged man, in addition to a few brief conversations that they had earlier.


    "No fight means that I cannot depend on skills.


    I can''t attack him, but he can attack me in return, and his power is far better than mine,"


    Darren muttered while meditating, along with his calm and stalwart stature at the moment.


    Sun, moon, and stars, together with the clouds that seldom brought forth rain, alternately dominated the sky. Days passed by so quick that it had been a month since Darren started his meditation.


    "Oh! So that was it! I get it!"


    Like a nocturnal owl that awakened from a whole day of sleep, Darren suddenly opened his eyes and released his inner power to shake the dust that accumulated and clung in his body.


    Swoosh!


    With his hands stretched resembling the eagle''s wings, Darren swiftly flew down to the base of the high ladder.


    "Huh? Do you want to barge in by yourself?" out of nowhere, the middle-aged man said dryly, breaking the silence with his raspy voice.


    "If I don''t give it a try, how would I know if I can do it? What do you think?" Darren asked while turning his head, waiting for the man''s response.


    "Please," the middle-aged man said coldly while he was stretching his hand, pointing it towards the high ladder.


    Swoosh!


    Contingent upon the moment, Darren stepped on the ladder, took a deep breath, stooped a little, and ran up as quickly as he could.


    Judging from the speed of his sprint, it would take him at least an hour to reach the end of the high ladder.


    He was midway the ladder panting and almost out of breath when the middle-aged man caught Darren and pulled him down.


    As an aftermath of such action, Darren fell from the high ladder. Down he went, almost to the starting point.


    Considering the middle-aged man''s potent strength in pulling Darren down, he fell on the ground with a sickening thud. But then again, he stood up calmly and patted the dust off his body.


    "Continue?" the middle-aged man said in an ironic tone while his brows were raised suspiciously.


    "Of course,"


    Darren retorted, energized and more excited this time. As he dashed towards the high ladder again, he left a puzzling smile behind for the middle-aged man to ponder.


    Correspondingly, the middle-aged man dashed with speed way faster than Darren and reached out for him again.


    This time, however, as he saw the middle-aged man approaching, Darren flew away from the high ladder. The instant he made a safe distance away, he began to attack the middle-aged man at once.


    "Hum!"


    Realizing that Darren made such a reckless action, the middle-aged man sneered and allowed Darren to hit him. He was confident that Darren''s attacks wouldn''t reach him.


    "Do you think you can kill me when I transformed into my physical body to pull you down the ladder? You''re too slow, weak even.


    Besides, my power is way much stronger than yours. Even


    n my current level, no matter how I improve my speed, I can''t be on par with your speed," retorted Darren towards the middle-aged man. By this time, hearing Darren''s words made the man confused whether Darren was praising him or insulting him.


    "It''s not certain. If you had just carefully looked for it, you would find that there are many speed creatures at the edge of the space. As long as you patiently capture and kill them, you will accumulate the Speed Rule. In a year, your speed is likely to exceed mine," the middle-aged man explained while his head cocked to the side in an arrogant expression.


    After hearing that, Darren shook his head with a deep sigh.


    "Well. I guess this is where your journey ends. Are you sorry now? Do you regret what you have done? But it''s too late now. Even if you had started collecting the speed creatures a few months ago, you still couldn''t make it."


    "No, I don''t. I don''t regret anything, nor was I sorry. I just think that I''ve overestimated you and the master of the Star Tower. It turns out that the test is only for my speed and patience. I thought all the while that it was designed to test the mind and wisdom," Darren said.


    "How dare you! I''ll need to teach you a lesson after making sure that you''ll stay here forever."


    To Darren''s surprise, the middle-aged man''s anger was triggered by his words. He snapped out of his wits after he heard Darren''s words. ''What does he mean to have overestimated the master of the Starry Tower and me? Can I forgive such people who are so incompetent and speaks about madness?'' the middle-aged man thought.


    "Forget it. I will continue my mission in trying to break through this high ladder," Darren said and walked toward the high ladder, while shaking his head.


    Unable to believe Darren''s unyielding determination to pass the test, the middle-aged man just gave out a sigh. Soon enough, the moment Darren was halfway through the high ladder, the middle-aged man snorted and prepared to stop Darren.


    Yet, as he neared the climbing warrior, the middle-aged man''s eye widened in terror. He was really shocked by the scene in front of him.


    "You..." the middle-aged man stared at Darren, and cursed him at once. His face was terror-stricken and was full of shock.

 Chapter 548 The Choice (Part One)

    Just as Darren was slowly proceeding up the ladder, one step after the other, the middle-aged man flew up and landed right next to him.


    "Hey kiddo, where did you learn to transform the state of your physical body into a virtual body?" The middle-aged man''s face twitched in shock at this revelation. He was still trying hard to process what he had witnessed.


    "Sir, with your skill and experience, I''m sure that you can figure it out yourself," Darren said smiling at him.


    The middle-aged man paused for a moment and his eyes were deep in contemplation. After a while, his face broke into a happy grin as he realized the rationale behind it. He saluted Darren out of sheer respect. "You really are a genius. I just figured out how you were able to do it. I truly admire your skill and wit."


    "Oh, come on. That was nothing. No one had thought about doing it in the past, which was why you couldn''t think of it right away. It''s actually pretty simple." Darren smiled. His tone was as serene as his face was.


    "Yes, you''re right!" The middle-aged man chuckled. "You deliberately let me catch you, so that you could figure out this technique by watching me transform between the two states. Moreover, your understanding of this skill is so profound that even I could not catch you, which is indeed very impressive.


    I had never thought that you were gifted in learning and understanding the rules with such ease. Congratulations, kiddo! You have made it! You can move on to the next floor!" The middle-aged man was excited and marveled at the ingenuity Darren had demonstrated when he made it through this test.


    However, the reason why Darren could easily understand the technique of the middle


    blue and purple. Purple was the highest level of all. Once the blade and sword cores of this level were acquired and condensed, one could activate the extreme sword intent or extreme blade intent even without cultivating it.


    It was extremely difficult to condense a purple blade core or a purple sword core. There were millions of geniuses of sword cultivation, but only very few were capable of condensing a purple core.


    Even Darren being the genius he was, could only condense green blade and sword cores, at this stage. Green cores were inferior to purple cores.


    "What would be the task on this floor?"


    Darren said aloud, after regaining his composure. That was the most important question to be answered before he could take a step further. He felt that the test on this floor would require him to do a task with the blade and sword cores.


    "It is simple. You pick a pair of blade and sword cores for me to fit into this body. And then you should fight against this body in a battle. If you win this battle, you will pass this test and enter the next one,"


    a shadow that had appeared next to Darren boomed loudly.

 Chapter 549 The Choice (Part Two)

    "Are you the guardian of the sixth floor?" Darren asked staring at the shadow with caution.


    "No, I am not the guardian. It is the guardian." The shadow pointed to the silver metal body that was lying next to him.


    After taking a quick glance at the metal body, Darren realized that it was another type of ruthless creature. The only difference was that it was still dead, unlike the ones Darren had seen on the third floor, which were alive and moving.


    "Sir, I have a question." Darren''s head snapped up at the shadow.


    "Yes, what is it?"


    "These blade and sword cores...were these left here by the ones who had practiced both sword and blade at the same time?"


    The blade and sword cores didn''t look like they were randomly discarded in the pond. They were rather meticulously placed in pairs. For every blade core, there was a sword core of the same color placed right next to it. The sight of it had impelled Darren to ask the question.


    "Yes, you are absolutely right. There are eighteen thousand pairs of blade and sword cores in this pond. Some of them are powerful, while the rest are weak. If you are lucky enough, you will get to choose a pair that is weak for your opponent, which will increase your chance of winning and survival. But I need to remind you that if you are not lucky enough and happen to choose the blade and sword cores of the colors of cyan, blue or worse purple, I suggest you to give up," the shadow said.


    "Give up? Why?" Darren knitted his brows in confusion.


    "Well, if you accidentally choose a pair at the level higher than yours, you will have absolutely no chance of winning your opponent," the sh


    buzzing sound inside. Some of the most powerful blade and sword intents were agitated and were waiting to be unleashed.


    Darren watched the blade and sword cores glow in the pond. It was a beautiful sight.


    "I see an orange pair of blade and sword cores shining, but the light is meek.


    Oh, those yellow pairs of blade and sword cores are also glowing and they are slightly stronger than the orange ones,"


    Darren mumbled in awe. He finally began to understand the rule of this game. The blade and sword cores that were chosen by him was the pair that was shining the brightest.


    The blade and sword cores in the pond were still twinkling as Darren''s blade and sword intent travelled in the pond. Darren stared into the pond with rapt attention and prayed that the cores chosen by him were not above the level of blue.


    "Okay, that will do. I must say that luck isn''t in your favor."


    The face of the shadow twisted for a second and he extended his hand. A pair of blade and sword cores came flying towards him.


    "They are purple!" Darren stared at the pair of cores in astonishment.

 Chapter 550 Despair And Hope (Part One)

    Staring at the blade and sword cores that glinted with dazzling purple light, Darren could not help but let out a cry of wonder and disappointment.


    What would happen if the blade and sword cores of such a high level were affixed to that metal statue? The power the metal statue would obtain would be beyond his imagination!


    "Your luck is bad today. Even if it were a cyan core, you would still have a slim chance of winning. Do you want to give up?" the shadow asked with a sigh.


    "No, I won''t give up just yet," Darren replied obstinately.


    Given the current situation, he knew that surrendering would mean having to stay in the Starry Tower forever, with no chance of escape. Darren was not ready to accept that fate.


    "Then there is no way around but to challenge the metal statue guardian. The ensuing fight will be a matter of life and death. Once the battle begins, I will lose all control over the situation. Do you understand?" Thinking that Darren was likely to be slain in the fight, the shadow grew concerned and warned him.


    "I understand. I would rather fight to the death than be imprisoned in this hideous place!" Darren persisted.


    Now that Darren had made up his mind, the shadow realized that there was no way to dissuade him. "Well, then, I wish you luck. But don''t forget what happened here in the past. There was a seven-star grand warrior, who was as resolved as you are right now. Although his strength was in extreme spear skill, he was unlucky enough to encounter a metal statue whose strength was equivalent to that of a warrior at the Holy Realm. Had he given up, he would be breathing now." The shadow paused, as if lost in thought.


    Darren knew that the shadow was speaking about the same cultivator whom Mathew had mentioned earlier.


    It was said that in the sixth level test, the metal statue


    illed with killing intent released by Darren and the metal statue. It was clear that neither opponent would give up until the other one was slain.


    To Darren''s surprise, the blade and sword intents that wafted around the metal statue gradually grew so dense that they became impossible for him to overcome them.


    "Is that extreme sword intent and extreme blade intent? How very formidable they are!" Darren cried in wonder.


    Anyone would feel a great sense of helplessness and uneasiness when confronted by such a potent blade intent and sword intent. As for Darren, he could not remember when he faced such a big challenge before.


    He perceived that the power of the metal statue exceeded the power of any seven-star grand warrior he had seen so far. He even wondered whether the statue was powerful enough to compete against a cultivator from the Holy Realm.


    "As there seems no hope of getting out of here alive, I shall fight till the end of my breath." Although despaired, Darren now understood that the path that lay before him was extremely dangerous.


    The metal statue took a step toward Darren. Although it was only one step, the blade and sword intents that circled his leg stirred like an enormous wave.

 Chapter 551 Despair And Hope (Part Two)

    However, as he moved, a faint sound of clashing and rending was emitted.


    Although very low, Darren''s ears were keen enough to catch the dull din in the quietness and emptiness of the space. The statue seemed to creak like the doors of hell.


    Surprisingly enough, after emitting the creaking sound, the metal statue stopped moving.


    "What is happening?" Darren blurted out. It seemed to him that the statue had ceased its intention to kill him.


    "Ha-ha, this is great!"


    Suddenly, the shadow shouted with joy as it flew to Darren''s side.


    "Sir, what is happening? What is so great about the statue''s stopping?" Puzzled, Darren asked anxiously.


    "It appears as though you are destined to live longer. Although you had the bad luck to choose the most dangerous blade and sword cores, in the end, you are fortunate enough to escape the danger," the shadow stated gaily.


    "Why is that?" Darren pushed for an explanation as he looked at the wavering shadow.


    "This pair of blade and sword cores is not an ordinary type that you have encountered so far. I dare say that the strength of the metal statue will wane soon," the shadow replied with a strange confidence.


    Hearing that, Darren glanced at the metal statue. He could sense that the original incredible strong aura around the metal statue was now fading.


    How was that even possible?


    The shadow continued his explanation, "If you can peer through it, you can find that the blade and sword cores that I transferred into its body is now full of cracks."


    "Sir, do you mean that the blade and sword cores are breaking down on their own?" Rejoiced by sudden hope, Darren cried out loud.


    "It is not cracking. Like I just told you, this pair of blade and sword cores is not an ordi


    I right?"


    "You cannot underestimate its power at this moment. Its level of the blade and sword cores is still very high for you to withstand. Although its power has diminished a great deal over the past ten days, with the support of a hard and tough metal body, the statue could still be as potent as a six-star grand warrior. You don''t have much hope of winning even now," the shadow stated with a frown.


    "Why is it still so strong?" Darren cried out in despair. Darren was at the premium blade and sword intent level. He thought that the purple blade and sword cores were amazing as they provided the metal statue with the strength of a six-star grand warrior in such a short period.


    "I cannot wait any longer. This is my last chance to get out of here alive!"


    Darren was resolved to confront the statue. He felt that compared to his earlier dismal circumstances, the fate that lay ahead of him had brightened.


    So, without further hesitation, he sprang up and raced toward the metal creature.


    Almost at the same time, the metal creature''s eyes flew open, and once again, a strong blade intent and sword intent blazed out and filled the whole space.

 Chapter 552 Life Or Death (Part One)

    Along with the towering column of dust displaced off the ground, and the continuous trembling of the mountains nearby, the battlefield was a total mess. Furthermore, the entire space was filled with the dominating sound of clashing and clanging of blades and swords.


    As the battle progressed, Darren was so bold that he moved toward the front of the metal creature by using his Teleportation Skill. As soon as he positioned himself in what he assumed to be the perfect spot to attack, he released his sturdy blade and sword intents abruptly.


    At the same time, as it was determined to counter the attack launched by Darren, the metal creature unleashed its blade and sword intents as well.


    "My blade intent and sword intent are being suppressed!"


    Darren murmured to himself while frowning, astounded by what just turned out from the clash of intents. It was apparent that his blade and sword intents were weaker than that of the metal creature.


    In spite of that, Darren didn''t lose hope and continued to fight with the metal creature by using Teleportation Skill.


    Clang!


    One blow after the other, Darren could cut on the metal creature every once in a while. Yet, it was a pity that its body was tough and rigid that Darren couldn''t break through its defense at all.


    "The Sword Intent Storm!


    The Blade Intent Tide!" the metal creature called out.


    At the onset, after hearing the metal creature summoning such intents, Darren was flabbergasted. He was knocked down with a feather knowing that the metal creature could use martial skills of blade and sword intent!


    Seconds after, a tornado made up of sword intent and waves formed by blade intent evoked before his very eyes. Darren was held in awe and was held immobilized at the sight of such devastating intents. He was so overwhelmed that he couldn''t move a muscle. It was as if h


    ents. Not in his entire life, Darren had met this kind of defense.


    Above all this, one fact remained true, and that was the blade and sword intents of the metal creature were much better than that of Darren''s. Though, Darren doubted that the metal creature''s ability to resist his attacks was the contribution of the purple blade and sword cores.


    After all of Darren''s full skills were blocked, he couldn''t figure out other possible solutions on how to defeat the metal creature. He started to panic and grew desperate at once in his eagerness to put an end to the creature''s life.


    Unlucky for him, Darren didn''t grab the opportunity to catch his breath. While he stood their weighing things out, the metal creature quickly turned into a shadow and dashed straight for Darren again.


    Boom!


    With one swift blow, Darren swung his blade and sword to resist the metal creature''s attack.


    One hit and Darren had shaken away. The metal creature didn''t stop until Darren was trounced on the black stone wall. After such a high-impact collision, Darren spewed out a mouthful of blood.


    A beat and a blow, Darren was all bloody and wounded in no time. His inner organs had been swollen, and a burning pain came from inside of him.

 Chapter 553 Life Or Death (Part Two)

    "How strong his strength is! He is really comparable to a six-star grand warrior," Darren spoke out.


    At the thought of it, Darren pitied himself, for he hadn''t even reached the Grand Realm. Thus, he presumed, for sure, that he couldn''t defeat the six-star martial artist, the metal creature. He had previously defeated a five-star grand warrior only because of the divine weapons he had.


    It was known for a fact that there was a wide gap between the six-star grand warrior and the five-star grand warrior. One hundred five-star grand warriors couldn''t necessarily beat one six-star grand warrior given a chance. Yet, on the contrary, it was a mere matter of minutes for a six-star grand warrior to kill one hundred five-star grand warriors.


    Moreover, this metal creature, mastering the premium blade and sword intents, definitely owned the upper-middle level of a six-star grand warrior.


    Given such circumstances, Darren couldn''t win over the metal creature. Darren knew this by heart, and he had to accept the fact¡ªwhether he liked it or not.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    With a determined will, the metal creature continued to attack Darren. His only goal was to kill the challenger.


    Just then, the metal creature''s blade and sword intents completely shrouded Darren. Bearing the blows, Darren suddenly felt that his blade core and sword core were about to be crushed and jeopardized.


    Yet, being a stalwart soldier as he was, Darren braved the pain from his inner organs and elixir field. With all his hopes drifting away, Darren wanted to escape by executing his Teleportation Skill.


    Buzz!


    Albeit as thoughts were spinning on his mind, Darren heard a sound that shocked him all of a sudden. The metal creature''s blade and sword intents penetrated the space and continuously a


    leaving him on the edge of the soul collapse.


    Twisting and coiling at once, Darren was so racked in pain. He wanted to cry like a baby to somehow ease the pain, yet he stopped himself from doing so.


    Pain was the only feeling Darren knew for now, and he had somehow gotten used to the sensation. He was almost reduced to tears, yet the brave man inside him pushed him to endure the pain.


    Whoosh!


    Though Darren was almost near his death, the metal creature showed no mercy upon him and continued its ruthless attacks.


    "Maybe I can help him once. But I don''t know if the master would blame me," the shadow watching from afar said with hesitation. But in the next moment, he made a decision. "He can get the Dark Emperor''s Armor. It''s my destiny to help him. If the master wants to blame, then he can blame all he wants!"


    When that metal creature was about to crush and kill Darren, a pair of bronze shoulder protectors coupled with a pair of bronze leg protectors flew directly to Darren and covered him.


    Rumble!


    A buzzing sound reverberated in space, and the bronze protectors began to connect harmoniously with Darren''s incomplete armor under the lingering black runes.

 Chapter 554 Get To Know The Legends

    In a split second, the process was done, and Darren was clad in a set of armor that was more complete now.


    ''After he was equipped with the Dark Emperor''s Armor, this young man''s safety is guaranteed. If he has a pair of boots and the Dark Emperor''s Dark Token, that''ll be better and he can definitely kill any seven-star warrior, '' the shadow thought to himself. It relieved him to see Darren have the protection of the armor.


    Darren''s consciousness had been hazy, but the moment the different parts of the armor connected with each other and covered his body, a huge stream of vital energy poured into his body and his broken bones repaired in a flash.


    Bang!


    The sword and blade slashed at Darren at lightning speed without giving him the chance to react. It was so fast that he couldn''t dodge and was thrown in the air, dropping hard against the black stone wall.


    Unlike before, he felt that he was protected by a powerful force and didn''t suffer anything other than a slight concussion.


    While he was unharmed, he noticed that the metal creature was standing in situ but the sword and blade in its hands had visible cracks.


    "What a strong armor!" Darren exclaimed.


    As someone who fought against the sword and blade, he was well aware of their power. Although they weren''t as hard as his own divine sword and blade, they weren''t inferior either. It was only because of the shadow''s help that he could get the more complete armor. So, Darren flew towards him.


    "Thank you, sir!"


    Darren politely cupped his hands as he spoke gratefully to the shadow.


    "It''s all right. You can now have a good fight." The shadow faintly nodded.


    It would be difficult for the metal creature to hurt Darren because of the protection of the Dark Emperor''s Armor and that offered him a good opportunity to fight against the creature again.


    "Kill!"


    Darren roared and dashed towards the metal creature, brimming with determination to kill it soon.


    They fought each other with all their might and made the space around the fighting area tremble again.


    Even with the protection of the armor, Darren was still often hit by attacks and thrown away because he was still far weaker than the metal creature in combat power.


    Yet, it didn''t frustrate Darren. Because it didn''t hurt at all!


    "If I keep on fighting like this... I may not be killed by it but I can''t defeat it either," Darren concluded.


    It was still difficult for him to land a deadly blow to the creature despite that he had fought it for nearly two hours. The longer the fight dragged on, the more unfavorable it would become for him.


    "Young man, you may want to try and use your blood essence to communicate with the Dark Emperor''s Armor, it might help you."


    The shadow was observing the fight for a long time and felt that the power of the Dark Emperor''s Armor shouldn''t only be used for defense. Thus, he offered Darren a slight hint.


    The words reminded Darren and without any hesitation, he activated his blood essence and pou


    go since he heard the information.


    "Ha ha... you''re quite knowledgeable but you still don''t know the whole thing. The Remote Age, the Ancient Age, and the Middle Age are so long ago. Thus, we have no way to learn many things from the three ages. Yet, we do know that the period from the end of the Middle Age to the beginning of the Last Age, is not just a simple replacement and many earth-shattering events happened during that time.


    During the period from the destruction of the Middle Age to the time before the beginning of the Last Age, many rulers emerged and ruled for a short period. Among them, the most famous one was Barnes the Holy, followed by the Remote Emperor, the Ruin Sword Emperor and the Dark Emperor. The four rulers all emerged at the change of ages."


    The ancient history piqued Darren''s interest and he asked anxiously, "Did they appear at the same time? Were they all strong holy emperors? Then, what were their rankings in strength?"


    "No, they weren''t born at the same time. The four never met because the new ruler wasn''t born until the previous one died. Each of them was amazingly talented and their strength was far too powerful. As for their rankings, Hiram the Great has a short evaluation of them. He thought that if these four people''s strengths were compared, Barnes the Holy was invincible, because when he ruled the world, he was only a senior holy warrior¡ªone who was at the senior stage of the Holy Realm, and didn''t declare himself holy emperor.


    Even though he was only a senior holy warrior, he still killed plenty of very strong warriors who had reached the Emperor Realm. It was said that he met the soul of an ancient emperor but smashed the soul into pieces after he had a dispute with it. Of course, it''s just a rumor and nobody could prove it."


    The more Darren heard about the holy emperors, the more intrigued he was. His blood pumped through his veins as he couldn''t help but imagine how strong the holy warriors and holy emperors of the past were.

 Chapter 555 Unbeatable Grand Warrior

    "Well, let''s talk about this later. With your talent, you''ll know more in the future.


    Now that you are ready for the seventh floor, do you want to claim your reward before proceeding?" The shadow asked.


    "Uh... What kind of reward?" Obviously, Darren was surprised.


    "Don''t you remember? I told you that once you defeat the guardian, you''ll be rewarded with the blade and sword cores of your choice. If you want, I can replace your current blade and sword cores with the cores that you select."


    "Replace my current cores? Do you mean that I can have this pair of purple blade and sword cores?" Darren was delighted.


    But soon, he felt as though it was not so simple. So, he asked another question before the shadow could reply. "Sir, since the purple blade and sword cores are already covered with cracks, they probably don''t work. Right?"


    "There is no simple answer to your complicated question. Let me try to explain it to you.


    Although the purple blade and sword cores seem broken, you can still restore them to the top level when they are in your possession. But that will take time and treasures. And, there''s one more thing. Although the purple cores are about to upgrade, as soon as they enter your body, they will lose that opportunity.


    However, your current blade and sword cores are capable of improving. Perhaps, you can refine them to a superior level in tens of thousands of years," the shadow explained.


    The clarification helped Darren realize that if he replaced his current cores, he would obtain extremely powerful blade and sword intents. However, restoring the purple blade and sword cores would consume a lot of his time and resources. The catch was that he could never upgrade the purple blade and sword cores.


    On the other hand, if he didn''t replace his current cores, he would not attain a powerful combat force within a short time. But, his current cores still had unexplored potential.


    After thinking for a moment, Darren chose the latter. He believed in his talent and felt that in the future, his current blade and sword cores could also be refined to the extreme.


    "Well, I won''t take the replacement," Darren replied.


    "I agree with your choice. Even though the purple blade and sword cores are formidable, they didn''


    r!


    The unbeatable grand warrior from thousands of years ago was standing right in front of him. Darren was too excited to talk.


    After the shock wore off, doubts crept into his mind. As Hanson was alive, had Jesse lied to him? The more Darren thought about what Jesse had said, the more confused he became.


    "Brat, you made it! I counted on the right person, and so did my master."


    At the moment, a familiar figure walked over and stood beside Hanson.


    "Brother." Hanson greeted as he glanced at Mathew.


    "Sir... Hmm... I am overwhelmed. Why did Jesse tell me that you killed Hanson? Did he lie to me?" Darren couldn''t help but voice his doubts.


    "That is a long story. We had no choice but to spread such a rumor at that time. The truth is that Mathew died for me. That''s why I am still alive." Hanson sighed.


    "I have been lucky in this cruel world. Master saved me after I died. Thousands of years have passed since then. Now you''ve retrieved my body, and I can live again. I''m truly a lucky dog. Hah." Mathew laughed casually.


    Darren was completely lost by now. The explanations provided by Mathew and Hanson had not cleared his doubts.


    "Darren, you called me ''unbeatable''. However, that is not the truth. The title rightfully belongs to my brother. He is the unbeatable grand warrior," Hanson said seriously and respectfully.


    "Well, let''s get to the point. Tell Darren what he should know. Have you heard that it is a mess out there? It''s time for him to show!" Mathew reminded Hanson.

 Chapter 556 The Explanation

    Hanson nodded to Mathew.


    "Darren, I was being suppressed by the Heavenly Repression and at the same time, I was also being hunted!" Hanson continued to explain.


    "Being hunted?"


    "Yes! It was a miracle that I survived. I could have died if it weren''t for my brother who had risked his life to save me.


    I was in the state of breaking through to the Holy Realm when the spiritual energy dashed within my body, which put me under the risk of causing the Heavenly Repression to arise. So, I rushed towards the Raksa Sea, desperately looking for the Primitive Stones. I prayed not to get trapped in that tormented situation. However, a special mark had been forced onto my body decades of years before I went to the Raksa Sea. Because of that mark, the mysterious killers had been chasing after me all the time."


    As he ripped his clothes off, Hanson explained the black cross mark which was forced on his body.


    "Sir, do you have any idea what that black mark symbolized? You had almost reached the Holy Realm! No ordinary man can ever bring down such a powerful man like you. How could they dare to hunt you?"


    Darren could never imagined what kind of man could have hunted a warrior who almost reached the Holy Realm and who cultivated both the blade and sword skills as well. ''Could it be a holy emperor?'' Darren thought.


    "I was not hunted by a human being!" Drowning into that mind, Hanson frowned. His growing irritation was obvious.


    "The demonic monsters?" Darren asked hurriedly.


    "No. They are from one unknown race that you might have never heard of. They are from the Formidable Ghostdom and possess a huge amount of strength.


    They lived in the inter-layer space. Not even a senior holy warrior could handle them. Crossing over beyond the worlds and through spaces, they leave marks on humans they want. Through these marks which are made on the victims, they are easily trailed and are made to obey and live under the shadows of fears of being tormented."


    Hanson paused. Breaking out in cold sweat, he continued his story. "After all these years of being hunted and chased after, I had been living in fear. I couldn''t recall when or how I had gotten these marks on me.


    By the time I arrived at the Raksa Sea, never did I expect them to have cut in during those critical moments of my breakthrough. I could have died. But in the nick of time, a powerful cultivator of Blade and Sword Cultivation showed up and switched our souls onto each other''s body using one mystical skill. I survived the attack but the attack took his life away."


    A look of sadness and reluctance passed over his features. "Of course, the one


    his head and wore a bitter smile on his face.


    "What''s wrong with you, sir?" hearing that, Darren asked immediately.


    "Ah." Mathew sighed and said, "Hanson had been poisoned at the Raksa Sea. It''s called the Ghost Poison. Sadly, no one could cure that. My master''s power was being suppressed on this land. He could not give remedy to that poison. So Hanson could only stay in the Starry Tower and live on the precious herbs."


    "Isn''t that too cruel? Is there really no one that can fix that?" Darren frowned and paused towards that question.


    "That is true. I''ve searched through thousands of books and recordings but to no avail. However, one recording said that long time ago, there was a master called Barnes the Holy who was also taken into the Formidable Ghostdom. And he had been already poisoned with the Ghost Poison before being taken.


    And several days passed, he eventually returned. From that instance, the Formidable Ghostdom never showed up within the next ten thousand years. It was said that Barnes the Holy had torn up the Formidable Ghostdom into pieces. If the recording is true, only he could cure the poison. However, there are no traces of Barnes the Holy in a long time. While there were rumors that he died, there was no solid evidence to prove this," Mathew said.


    "Barnes the Holy was known to be just a legend. In some books, he was known as the blonde monkey. He was the one which killed the evil monster from the outer space. This evil monster was said to be a Nine-headed Serpent," Hanson added.


    Suddenly, there was a sparkling ringing in Darren''s head. He had heard the exact same words before.


    "Barnes the Holy? He is in the Raksa Sea!" Darren suddenly recalled the exact same words by the Giant Ape named Pasquale.

 Chapter 557 Reaching The Grand Realm

    Both Mathew and Hanson smiled faintly when they heard Darren.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "It''s true! Barnes the Holy is in the Raksa Sea." Darren recalled his conversation with Pasquale, the Giant Ape. Pasquale had informed him that Barnes the Holy, the monkey with the golden hair, had killed the Nine-headed Serpent that had come from the outer space. Pasquale had also repeatedly begged him to save Barnes the Holy.


    Confusion had coursed through Darren then. He had never imagined that the monkey Pasquale asked him to save was such a legend.


    "Well, stop talking about these things. We have got something more important to do," Mathew said seriously.


    Hearing this, Darren had no choice but to stop explaining.


    "This is the reward that the master gave for you. Keep it carefully. The mutant tribes outside are going to break through the divine weapons. You''d better get ready to go out and deal with them as soon as possible." The reward that Mathew presented to Darren was an ordinary key.


    Darren''s mind cleared of all thoughts when he saw the key.


    "What''s this?" Darren muttered.


    "This is a supreme treasure. The key is crucial to reaching the Emperor Realm. With it, you will have the right to become a holy emperor as long as your cultivation base reaches a certain level. Keep it safe. I will tell you when the time to use it is right.


    And one more thing. You can be regarded as the nominal disciple of my master since you have reached the top of the Starry Tower. But, as the master can''t use his avatar to come here at this stage, he cannot formally accept you as his disciple. So, he wanted me to ask whether you are willing to become his disciple,"


    Mathew stated.


    "Uh..." Darren hesitated.


    The young man with black and white sword eyes was an invincible master from an alien world. If Darren became his disciple, he would not suffer any losses. So why not accept his offer?


    "Yes, I do. But could you please let me know the identity of your master?" Darren agreed.


    "Let''s talk about that later. For now, you only need to know that your master is a powerful man with a strong background. He is an extremely powerful figure even in the outer space, as he can suppress all forces. This is the gift he gave for you if you accepted his offer to be his disciple. Take them," Mathew instructed.


    "Well, these two legendary martial skills are extraordinary. When you completely master these skills, they can help you to improve your blade and sword intents to the extreme level. At that time, you will be as powerful as me." Even Hanson''s eyes lit up when he saw the gift.


    Darren


    s.


    Black lightning flashed across the sky.


    "Gee, the Heavenly Repression is not too powerful, is it?" Hanson stared up at the sky as he spoke. His clothes flowed in the wind as the storm grew in intensity.


    In fact, after being suppressed by the golden hand, the Heavenly Repression that Darren could trigger was relatively weak. The power of the Heavenly Repression this time was not even as strong as one-tenth of that in the Raksa Sea when he broke through to the Wonder Realm.


    As such, the dark gold internal force Darren generated when he fused his sword intent and blade intent was not as powerful as the original one.


    As Darren''s cultivation base increased, the blade intent and sword intent in his body began to grow violent. He used the Primitive Stones, which contained the Heavenly Repression Rule, to fuse them continually.


    Streaks of more powerful dark gold internal force formed in Darren''s body.


    Boom!


    At this time, streaks of black lightning also began to fall from the sky.


    Even though the Heavenly Repression was much weaker than that in the Raksa Sea, Darren still felt overwhelmed by the power. With each lightning flash, Darren''s body quivered.


    Whoosh!


    A handsome figure flew into the air and rushed toward the ferocious black lightning.


    "Is Hanson going to be all right?" Darren murmured, feeling a little worried.


    "You don''t need to worry. Hanson has a way to resist the Heavenly Repression. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to stay alive this long. Do you forget that he is close to reaching the Holy Realm?" Mathew also stared up at the sky as he spoke.


    Hearing his words, Darren nodded lightly before looking up intently. He wanted to see how Hanson resisted the Heavenly Repression.

 Chapter 558 The Seven-star Grand Realm

    A ferocious black lightning struck the figure that was in the air.


    Hanson waved his sword up in the sky. The black lightning converged with the tip of his sword and then streamed towards his body like a torrent.


    His body and eyes continuously flashed black lightning, outlining Hanson with a current of electricity.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a streak of dark gold internal force surged out of his sword.


    Witnessing all of these unfold, Darren was stunned.


    He had never felt such a powerful force. The dark gold internal force coming from Hanson was so much stronger than his own.


    Soon after, the unstoppable dark gold internal force transformed into a giant dark gold sword and a dark gold blade, and then stabbed themselves to Hanson.


    A long spear made of black lightning rushed out of Hanson''s body and collided with the dark gold sword and blade.


    At this moment, the sky was shaking and even the Starry Tower trembled constantly.


    "What''s going on?" Darren curiously asked.


    He hadn''t expected this at all. He thought Hanson would use the dark gold internal force to deal with the black lightning. But now it was the other way round. Hanson was attacked by his own dark gold internal force, and he fought back with the help of the black lightning. How was it possible?


    "Hanson will explain it to you later. It''s not his only way to deal with the Heavenly Repression. It''s just that the Heavenly Repression is so powerful that he can''t resist it at all before getting into the Holy Realm," Mathew answered, sitting beside Darren.


    Baffled with Mathew''s response, Darren was unable to say anything more. His eyes were intensely fixed at the sky.


    While the dark gold sword and blade and the black lightning spear fought all over the place, Hanson''s incredibly striking figure remained motionless on the battlefield. It was truly a shocking scene.


    The fight carried on for an hour. The black lightning spear was smashed again and again, but new spears constantly formed and fell from the sky. However, the aura became weaker each time a black lightning spear broke.


    While all of these were happening, Darren was fusing the sword with blade intents. Streams of dark gold internal force wildly grew in his body. His aura had become stronger than before, and had reached an unprecedented limit.


    After passing into the Grand Realm, Darren''s other skills had also improved greatly. The Blade and Sword Domain and the Augmented Attack Bloodline had both reached their highest peaks.


    As the process of the fusion of Darren''s sword intent and blade intent was finished, the black lightning in the sky dimmed. Soon, the last black lightning spear had dissipated. The top floor of the Starry Tower became clear again, and all the haze and lightning disappeared.


    Hanson successfully resisted the Heavenly Repression this time. After t


    n, the dark gold internal force he had released had already disappeared. Mathew was standing in front of him, unscathed and unharmed.


    "Are you satisfied now? Get up quickly." Mathew laughed at Darren and lifted him up with his force.


    "That was so terrifying," Darren sighed, still suffering from the shock. The killing sword intent was so powerful, it was beyond his imagination.


    "Aha! Now you know. In this world, there is almost no seven-star grand warrior who can battle against my brother.


    Even more, the seven-star Grand Realm is so vast that you can''t fight against a seven-star grand warrior just because you are as powerful as any other seven-star grand warrior. Do you understand?" Hanson insisted.


    "I understand." Darren nodded in shame.


    It was an eye-opening experience for him. The fight against Mathew made him understand that a seven-star grand warrior such as Mathew and Hanson were indeed terrifying.


    "Darren, don''t feel dejected. You just entered the Grand Realm, but you already have the strength of an ordinary seven-star grand warrior now. You remind me of myself when I entered the Grand Realm. So you better work hard. When you really get into the seven-star Grand Realm, you will definitely have the ability to fight against my brother and me," Mathew said, consoling Darren for his recent defeat.


    "I see. I will do my best, sir," Darren replied.


    "Wait. What?"


    While he was hearing Mathew and Darren''s conversation, Hanson suddenly frowned. His face turned ferocious, a tremendous aura bursting out.


    "Bastard!" Hanson burst out with a murderous look. His voice made the sky shake. He raised his sword and blade at the same time and charged at Darren!


    It all happened so fast and without warning that Darren was caught dumbfounded. He fell under the pressure of his unequaled power. He couldn''t even ask why Hanson suddenly had a violent outburst.

 Chapter 559 The Cross Mark (Part One)

    Though his head was throbbing in pain, and he seemed to be losing his balance, Darren struggled to steady himself and stood his ground. Right at that very moment, he was too dumbfounded as he could hardly breathe under the pressure of the tremendous force that was pressed upon him.


    In a matter of three seconds, the expression on Mathew''s face also changed dramatically. His eyes popped wide as a much stronger killing sword intent burst out, rushing towards Darren.


    ''What was that? What happened?'' Darren shouted the question in his heart, his face pale, and his knees trembling, but he could not speak a word. Not a single word escaped his mouth as his voice was totally inaudible amidst the rumbling sound of the clashing intents.


    Boom!


    Following the intense impact of the clash, cracks suddenly appeared in the space of the Starry Tower. The tower was on the verge of collapsing as it was nearly smashed into pieces by both Mathew''s and Hanson''s power.


    "Phew! Phew! Ha-ha!"


    A few seconds later, as the smoke and dust drifted off, a child-like, sharp voice was heard.


    When Darren heard the voice, he was astounded that he was still alive. All the while, he thought the deadly powers from Mathew and Hanson were aimed at him. But instead, he was protected by the potency and infallibility of the stronghold provided by Mathew and Hanson. Even the pressure he felt earlier seemed to have disappeared. Only a little itch was left in Darren''s chest.


    On the spur of the moment, while Darren was pre-occupied with what just happened, a hand appeared out of nowhere, grabbed him, and threw him recklessly in the air. He was flung effortlessly like he was just a piece of trash thrown in a bin.


    At that very moment, when Darren was sent flying in the air, he caught a glimpse of a little figure. ''Was that little creature, the one who sent me flying?'' he asked himself silently.


    Fo


    ted his finger and cut off a piece of Darren''s clothes in front of his chest. Such action baffled Darren at once and made him look down at his chest. He did so to clear his mind off as to what was Hanson referring to.


    Aghast and paled, the three of them were horror-stricken, and their faces darkened as their eyes were fixed at Darren''s chest.


    There it was, raw and glaring on Darren''s chest¡ªthe mark of a half-done black cross.


    "Damn it!" Hanson roared at the sight of such a mark. He was filled with horror and hopping mad at the same time. Turning to Mathew, he continued, "Those creatures are targeting Darren. He''s been marked even when he is inside the Starry Tower."


    Like the Formidable Ghostdom, the Starry Tower also existed between the spaces. But generally, no one dared to get close to the tower because the avatar of the young man with black and white sword eyes was carefully guarding the Starry Tower. Those who dared to come near the tower with undesirable intentions would surely die.


    However, for some reason, the young man with black and white sword eyes couldn''t send out his avatar to guard here for a while. Thus, those greedy and aggressive creatures from the Formidable Ghostdom took the chance and trespassed the Starry Tower.

 Chapter 560 The Cross Mark (Part Two)

    At the same instant, Darren, as he looked down at his chest, felt his heart thumped as if horses were racing on his chest.


    The weird clayed figurine was so powerful that Mathew and Hanson had to join forces and struck it twice in full force before they could kill it.


    All this time, Darren was aware why Hanson had been hunted all the time was because of this mark. Thus, thinking about it, Darren knew that his strength was much weaker compared to Hanson. If things came to worst, how could he escape from the fate of being hunted down?


    "Maybe it was just a coincidence. I think those creatures were after you because they sensed your aura, in the first place," retorted Mathew as he analyzed the situation at hand.


    "It''s more likely that they''ve found and marked him because of me. But fortunately, the creature was killed by us. Since this mark is not completed yet, it would not be easy for them to track Darren down," added Hanson with a somewhat guilty tone.


    The creatures from the Formidable Ghostdom lived in-between spaces, too. According to their ways, they had to mark their targets to track them.


    "Sir, what should I do now?" asked Darren as he calmed down a little.


    "Although you are only half marked, you are still too weak, and they can find you with relative ease. If those creatures want to hunt you, you are not strong enough to resist all of them. It would be better if you stay in the Starry Tower until the avatar of the sword-eyed master descended again," suggested Mathew with a serious expression.


    "I have the same advice for you, Darren, and it would be safer if you stay at the tower for the meantime. By the way, we can give you a hand on practicing the two legendary martial skills. In that way, you can enhance your strength as soon as possibl


    avatar that my elder brother is going to make for you should be no less than the six-star grand warrior in terms of strength. After that, you can give your armor and the divine weapons of the sword and blade to that avatar. Although your tangible avatar can''t kill the strongest mutants, you can still protect the human race in the best possible way that you can," assured Hanson. "Now, you should focus on practicing the martial arts skills gifted by your master and try to reach at least a level that is slightly stronger than an ordinary seven-star grand warrior as soon as possible.


    After you get out, nobody from the side of those mutants can challenge you. Come with me now so I can help you with your practice," continued Hanson. He was determined to help Darren advance in his cultivation. As much and as fast as possible, he wanted Darren to achieve his goal.


    "Yes, sir." With his spirits being lifted at the moment, Darren nodded at Hanson and followed him. After what had happened to him in the hands of that tiny creature, Darren was even more determined to accelerate his cultivation base. Never again would he allow other creatures to trample and trounce on him like that.

 Chapter 561 Darrens Avatar

    Ten days later


    Mathew reappeared on the seventh floor of the Starry Tower.


    A handsome young man with long black hair stood next to him. But the young man''s eyes were dull, and he looked rather lifeless. He was Darren''s avatar, which was created by Mathew.


    "Darren!" Mathew shouted.


    Whoosh!


    Darren flew toward Mathew to greet him.


    "Ha-ha! Your sword and blade intents have improved again!" Mathew exclaimed. Excitement flashed in his eyes as he studied Darren.


    "Sir, it''s all because of Mr. Hanson Xiao''s guidance. Oh, is this the avatar that you have made for me? It looks exactly the same as me, except that it appears expressionless and cold." Darren looked at the young man beside Mathew. Astonishment and eagerness coursed through him.


    "Don''t worry. The avatar is not finished yet. As he hasn''t been infused with a soul, he can''t have self-consciousness. That''s why I am here. I need your help to complete the last step.


    To do that, I will need to extract a strand of your soul and infuse it into his body. You need to relax during the whole process, even if you feel discomfort or pain. You must not try to resist them. I''m sorry, but it''s going to be a painful process. Fortunately, it won''t take long. So, please endure the pain until the process is finished," Mathew explained.


    "Well, I have endured soul torturing previously. Sir, please proceed with the process. I am ready to bear the pain." Darren looked relaxed as he spoke.


    Mathew nodded slightly. Then, he took out a small silver blade and stabbed it into Darren''s head.


    "Ah," Darren screamed when he felt the agony of his soul being split. The attack was so unexpected that he couldn''t control his reaction.


    Yet, soon, he calmed himself. With gritted teeth, Darren remained silent as Mathew worked on removing a strand of his soul.


    It was so painful that before long, Darren''s expression was distorted, and beads of sweat covered his face. Everything in front of him was blurry, and he could not see properly.


    After what seemed ages, the pain finally subsided a little.


    "Darren, take this," Mathew said as he handed the boy a pill.


    Darren did as he was told. After that, he felt something cold in his mouth, and a sense of relaxation and ease coursed through his body. A few seconds later, Darren felt that the pain from the soul splitting had disappeared.


    He began to pant heavily, as the feeling of removing a part of his soul was akin to drowning.


    "I''m sorry that you had to go through this. You should rest now." Mathew knew how painful it was when one''s soul was cut. Thus, he understood what Darren was feeling.


    "Okay." Darren sat cross-legged on the ground and closed his eyes as he focused on relaxing himself.


    "Darren, now try to contact your avatar," Mathew suggested.


    "Thank you for bringing me to life, sir." Darren''s avatar, who stood beside Mathew, bowed to him with a smile.


    "Well, not bad. You already can control yo


    kill me? The snail tribe''s defense is the best in the world. Even though you are a five-star grand warrior, you won''t be able to kill me. Ha-ha!" The snail mutant sounded very arrogant.


    The people on the ground had also felt Darren''s strength. Soon, they knelt before him.


    "Sir, please help us drive him away."


    "Sir, please help us! This mutant can''t be killed. We only hope that you can banish him and save us."


    Some of the people who knelt on the ground had seen such snails more than once. Thus, they knew that the snails were powerful. Moreover, some of them had witnessed a human grand warrior die from snail poisoning.


    Darren did not respond. He just stood in front of the snail with a cold expression on his face. In a blink, a strong killing intent burst from his eyes.


    "Tell me, how did you break through our defense and get to our world? If you don''t answer me, I will torture you to death," Darren stated threateningly. He needed more information before he could launch another attack against the snail.


    "Ha-ha, you lowly human. Do you think our tribe needs to break through your defense? Don''t you know that our tribe has been hiding in the southern land?" Apparently, the snail mutant was confident in his shell''s defense power and didn''t fear Darren at all.


    "So, the mutants that have been dormant in the borders of the southern land are disgusting creatures like you. Good to know! You can go to hell now," Darren snarled.


    Whoosh!


    Before Darren could launch an attack, the snail released a mucus attack against him.


    The mucus was extremely poisonous. Even a three-star grand warrior would die on the spot if it touched him.


    However, before the mucus could reach Darren, he disappeared.


    The next moment, a shiny golden blade slashed at the snail''s shell.


    "Ha-ha, you just can''t kill..." The snail mutant began to taunt Darren. However, before he could complete his sentence, he turned into a small pool of bloody water.

 Chapter 562 Kill

    The ordinary people were completely impressed with Darren after he killed the snail mutant.


    "Thank you, sir."


    "Thank you, sir."


    Everyone fell to their knees and thanked Darren, sobbing uncontrollably.


    But Darren wouldn''t have it. "Stand up. You don''t have to hide anymore, for I will kill those mutants."


    With that, he soared into the sky and directly headed straight to where the mutants were gathered.


    Soon enough, Darren found himself surrounded by figures cutting off his path.


    "Who are you? You are not allowed to get closer."


    Darren paused midair. "Who are you? Shouldn''t you be protecting the ordinary people now that the legendary fishing net is about to be destroyed?"


    "Ha-ha, are you kidding me? The life or death of those nonentities have nothing to do with us."


    "Brat, you do know that the Heavenly Palace Sect is right ahead. This road is blocked, so you''d better step back immediately."


    Darren could sense that the group standing in front of him had the strong aura of a rule cultivator.


    "I know this guy. He killed two of my fellow disciples," one of them shouted.


    "He''s the one with the legendary beast?"


    "Yes, that''s him. He killed two of my disciples a few years ago and vanished. No one had heard a thing about him since then. I didn''t expect to see him today."


    Darren''s face darkened at those words.


    It immediately dawned on Darren who this group of people really were. They must have been fellow senior apprentices of Waldo, the rule cultivator in purple from Medicine Pavilion.


    "We''re facing some formidable enemies right now. Whatever problems we may have, can''t you wait until we''ve dealt with them?" Darren suppressed his anger.


    "Ha! You naive bastard. Who cares about these so-called formidable enemies? You are done for. Now take out that legendary beast of yours and let us kill it and drink its blood. It''s the only way for you to stay in one piece!"


    The rule cultivators glared at Darren viciously.


    "Would you like to die?" Darren asked in an indifferent tone.


    "It seems that this brat doesn''t know how to appreciate favors. Just kill him already. Anyway, we''ve already taken control of the Heavenly Palace Sect. The border tribes promised us control over the southern land once they invade us. Then we''ll be able to get whatever we want. So, you should forget about the legendary beast''s blood now." That came from a wicked looking rule cultivator with a mustache.


    "You''


    er.


    Hearing that voice alone made the grand warriors of the Heavenly Palace Sect feel as if they were suppressed by countless mountains and couldn''t breathe. Immediately, they quieted down and looked up at the sky filled with hopes and expectations.


    "What? There''s a human actually heading our way!"


    Several mutant generals found Darren outside the fishing net.


    "Humph! Once he''s one kilometer away, I''ll be able to kill him!"


    a double-headed mutant general shouted.


    "Who do you think you are? Let me do it. I''ll kill him instantly!" A black-scaled mutant general, who stood aside, sneered contemptuously.


    The large mutant tribes were usually hostile to each other, but they became temporarily allies in order to attack the fishing net.


    "Stop arguing. Whoever kills him gets a reward. Look at that human, he seems pretty powerful. Let''s fight!"


    When Darren was one kilometer away from the edge of the fishing net, all the mutants started to get excited. Their attacks came at Darren one after another.


    As their attacks couldn''t break through his blade and sword intents that were around him, Darren wasn''t concerned by their attacks. They wouldn''t be able to hurt him after all.


    Whoosh!


    A long spear was shot straight at Darren from above.


    The spear was thrown by the five-star double-headed mutant general.


    "Damn it! You are one step ahead!" The black mutant general certainly wasn''t happy.


    He thought the spear was powerful enough to kill that human. It was a pity he couldn''t do it with his own bare hands.


    To their surprise, Darren didn''t dodge their attack. Instead, he dashed towards it.

 Chapter 563 The Arrival Of Two Kings

    In just three seconds, the long spear swiftly pierced the human that was flying over.


    "What? I''ve never seen such a desperate man like you." The double-headed mutant general was overly confident with his technique with a spear. Even a five-star grand warrior, who was at the same level as he, dared not to resist his spear directly, and had no choice but to scurry. As for such an insignificant human, he stood absolutely no chance against this spear.


    Bang!


    Unexpectedly, something terrible happened. The spear shattered into pieces upon hitting Darren''s chest.


    "What?!"


    The mutants in the sky were all startled. Their faces showed disbelief.


    The young man fearlessly took the blow of that spear from the double-headed general himself. He was not only safe and sound, not even injured, but his body was strong and powerful that it smashed the spear into pieces!


    They all wondered, in great confusion, ''How could there be such a powerful existence among the humans of this world?''


    Whoosh!


    The legendary fishing net wouldn''t pose any restraints on human beings, so people could rush out unharmed.


    Knowing that, Darren had rushed into the mutants like a comet. Nothing could stop him!


    "How terrifying that power is!"


    Everyone felt the spine-chilling force emitted by his speed and the horrifying blade and sword intents. They had never felt such formidable force before other than from their own master.


    Everything happened so fast that soon, myriads of light reflected from the cross of blades and swords, targeted at the mutants.


    For such a time, a large crowd of mutants that were almost comparable to three-star grand warriors were slashed into pieces and fell from the sky, thus making the whole world appear to be in the color of scarlet as the sky was sprinkling with blood rain from mutants!


    On the other hand, the human warriors who were watching below were all extremely shocked.


    The tiny figure continued to appear here and there in the crowd of mutants. With a sword in his hand, he had ferociously killed countless mutants. How powerful he was!


    "Darren, How could he be so powerful?"


    whispered by one of the warriors from the Heavenly Palace Sect, who happened to know Darren.


    "That''s great! I''m afraid that Darren''s strength is not too far from that of Dragon King and Double-headed King." They were thrilled and so excited.


    In less than an hour, Darren had eliminated hundreds of thousands of mutants. These were quite a number!


    The moment came where only a few mutant generals were still struggling with their lives. Darren refrained himself and did not go all out to deal with them.


    "Let us go, or you will die when our king arrives!"


    These mutant generals had tried to run away. But every time they wanted to slip out, their attempts turned futile as powerful blade and sword intents immediately blocked them,


    nd long before the hand of that mutant general reached his head to commit suicide, it had exploded.


    "Scott, I knew it was you!" Darren exclaimed in the air. His face was beaming with pride.


    The figure in white, exuding a strong and cold aura, immediately appeared in the air.


    "Long time no see, Darren. I''m so impressed by your power." Scott nodded at Darren, greeting him with a smile.


    "Ha-ha! Welcome to join me! Let''s kill these mutant scums together!" Darren flew over and abruptly stood beside Scott while looking at the sky around him. He didn''t wish to waste time.


    "Yes, Let''s kill them all! I would like to see if these mutants of the inferior dragon race have the balls to make one of them a king."


    As soon as Scott spoke, a lot of black clouds had gathered in this direction. He naturally knew who it was!


    "Well, I really want to know how much power the so-called Double-headed King possessed!" Darren trained his eyes towards the other side of the sky.


    Unmistakably, the Dragon King and the Double-headed King had arrived. The leader of the black mutants, however, had not been seen yet.


    Instantly, two formidable forces swept the area as if the whole sky was going to collapse.


    Boom!


    Before anyone could realize what had happened, a giant black dragon and a huge double-headed man had swiftly reached above Darren and Scott.


    "Humble man, you will miserably die if you torture more my beloved generals!"


    "I will make you feel the pain that is a hundred times stronger than the one that you have inflicted on my son!"


    The two wild and violent sounds came in quick succession, shaking the mountains and rivers below in tremors.


    "Humph!"


    Scott gazed up at the sky with a powerful and resounding shriek, sounding like it came from a dragon. Then his body soon turned into a thousand feet long cyan dragon with ferocious eyes staring dangerously at the black Dragon King.

 Chapter 564 Fighting Against The Double-headed King

    "Darren, you deal with the Double-headed King. I''ll handle the inferior dragon." Scott''s cold voice echoed in Darren''s mind. A strong sense of confidence accompanied Scott''s declaration.


    "That dragon is strong. Are you sure you can do that, Scott?"


    When he witnessed the colossal body of the black dragon, Darren was afraid that Scott might not be able to defeat it.


    "Although I''m not sure if I can kill him, I''m pretty confident that I am not weaker than him. I want to fight him first to test his strength. You should be careful as well. That double-headed mutant is no easy fight. He''s as strong as a six-star grand warrior at the top level," Scott said worriedly, as he could tell that Darren''s combat power was at the beginning stage of a six-star grand warrior. The Double-headed King could be stronger than him.


    "Don''t worry. I have powerful defenses and to tell you the truth, this is just my avatar. It doesn''t matter if it is killed," Darren said with a collected tone.


    Scott cast a surprised glance at Darren, who was actually an avatar. With great astonishment, he couldn''t believe how easily the real Darren could control his avatar. Nonetheless, Scott composed himself and didn''t ask anymore. They prepared themselves for the fight against the mutants.


    Of course, the death of Darren''s avatar would have detrimental effects on his soul. He said that just to make Scott focus on the fight and not worry about him. Such a declaration was only to lessen Scott''s worries.


    The battle would come sooner or later. Scott decided to take the initiative and directly shot his body at the black Dragon King. A fierce aura surrounded his body as he aimed for the mutant.


    With great haste, Darren then dashed towards the Double-headed King. A serious expression painted the mutant''s face as he gathered his strength to face Darren.


    "Damn it! How dare you attack me! Know your places, imbeciles!"


    the Double-headed King roared. With his brutal strength, he immediately attacked Darren. Four hands delivered countless punches towards Darren.


    Darren had to admit the Double-headed King was really powerful. The oppressive pressure almost overwhelmed him.


    Bang!


    Without any hesitation, Darren condensed his energy. Immediately, a majestic dark gold internal force was released by him directly towards the Double-headed King.


    Even the space which was already very stable was torn up. Multiple space cracks suddenly materialized and twisted in the surrounding environment.


    The powerful dark gold internal force collided with the Double-headed King''s four palms. A painful sensation radiated from the Double-headed King''s fists.


    The Double-headed King retreated after a blare. The expression on his faces remained ferocious as if he was about to swallow Darren.


    However, his four palms bled excessively. Red blood flowed viciously from his large palms. He was already injured after a single blow.


    "Well, the double-headed beast is really powerful! What a tough body it has. Even my dark gold internal force wasn''t enough to break its arms!" Darren was also shocked by the result. His dark gold internal force was much stronger than before after the second fusion. A tremendous amount of destructive power was within that skill. It was hard for Darren to believe that the Double-headed King had withstood it with his palms.


    It just proved how powerful and formidable the Double-headed King was.


    Darren jumped up after his attack. With in


    er than the Double-headed King!" the grand warriors who knew Darren shouted excitedly. A deep admiration for him was formed in their hearts.


    The attacks from the Double-headed King had no substantial damage to Darren after he wore the Dark Emperor''s Armor. The brutal power of the Double-headed King wasn''t even enough to make Darren flinch.


    Nevertheless, the Double-headed King had to bear Darren''s powerful attacks one after another. As such, his body was covered with wounds and bruises. Agony lingered throughout his anatomy as blood flowed down his mouth.


    "You can die now, you miserable beast!"


    As soon as Darren finished his words, he disappeared with the help of the Air-integrated True Rule.


    Darren was nowhere to be found, so the angry Double-headed King slammed into the air like a beast on the verge of death. A painful expression painted the Double-headed King''s battered face.


    Just as the Double-headed King went wild due to rage, a figure suddenly appeared again. Mighty dark gold internal force rushed towards the Double-headed King like sea waves.


    Howl!


    When he saw this, the Double-headed King didn''t take a step back. Instead, he dashed towards Darren.


    However, to Darren''s surprise, the Double-headed King took two heads off his shoulder with all his eight arms. Immediately, he tossed them at his back before the dark gold internal force hit him.


    "What the hell is he doing?" Darren was stunned with the Double-headed King''s weird actions.


    "Damn it! He''s running away!" A surprised expression painted Darren''s face as he realized the Double-headed King''s devious plan.


    But when Darren tried to chase after the heads, the gigantic body of the Double-headed King came closer to him.


    The dark gold internal force was so fierce that only a skeleton was left of the Double-headed King''s body. However, the body did not retreat since the Double-headed King used all the strength he had got. With intense speed, it charged towards Darren.


    The ferocious bloody bone claws stabbed at Darren''s head at the same time. With great sharpness, the claws tried to puncture Darren''s face.


    Darren had no way of dodging the blow, which was as powerful as the blow of a seven-star grand warrior. A vicious predicament had befallen upon him towards the end of the intense battle.

 Chapter 565 Fleeing And Hunting

    The Double-headed King''s claws drew closer to Darren''s head. It was too late. He had no choice but to face the upcoming blow head-on.


    Bang!


    A loud crack was suddenly heard.


    Like a phantom, a dragon tail swooped towards the Double-headed King''s skeleton. In a split second, the skeleton deviated from its original direction, and Darren was luckily out of its attack''s range.


    At that moment, Darren saw that the dragon tail was Scott''s, and it was badly mutilated from his attack on the Double-headed King.


    Darren was in awe. He was far away from Scott. If Scott hadn''t been keeping an eye on the fight between Darren and the Double-headed King, he wouldn''t have been able to save Darren in time. Darren might have been severely injured, possibly on the brink of death.


    But Darren had to focus. He didn''t have the time to show his gratitude towards Scott at such a crucial moment. He rushed forward, trying to find the heads of the mutant he was fighting.


    The Double-headed King must be destroyed, and he couldn''t let him escape!


    He chased the mutant but to no avail. In desperation, Darren released the spiritual sense and the Spirit Power, the range of which could cover thousands of kilometers around. Much to his dismay, he could not find the king''s heads.


    "Damn it! He escaped!" In frustration, Darren bellowed and turned around to return to where he was.


    Upon arriving, he examined the area to find Scott. He found him lying on the ground, looking lifeless. Darren hurriedly moved towards him.


    He examined Scott''s abdomen and found it was pierced by the claw of the black dragon, and its tail hit Scott''s head causing significant damage.


    Scott''s injuries were severe, all because he aided Darren when he was in danger and needed his help.


    Realizing this, Darren growled in fury at Scott''s state.


    He knew that if Scott hadn''t helped him, he wouldn''t have been injured by the black dragon so easily.


    Quickly, he rushed towards the black dragon using the Teleportation Skill.


    Darren attacked the black dragon using his divine blade and divine sword; the golden dragon patterns sparkled, which made the black dragon''s huge body tremble.


    "You humans, you both must die!"


    The scales on the black dragon''s body were crushed into pieces by Darren, and the Dragon King turned more ferocious as he felt the pain.


    Darren furiously fought against the black dragon in order to give Scott a chance to rest.


    Although he was seriously injured, Scott didn''t lose his fighting power.


    "Roar!"


    Scott shouted angrily and formed hundreds of avatars, which merged with his body, granting him more power.


    This was Scott''s most powerful skill, the inheritance skill of the Dragon Blood Clan.


    Why did he hide it earlier, only us


    "Oh?" Darren had a hunch that the black dragon was going to use every skill he had. Not wanting to give him any chance, Darren threw himself at the black dragon while releasing his dark gold internal force.


    However, to Darren''s surprise, the dark gold internal force could not hurt the black dragon as his physical strength was exponentially increasing.


    "In order to kill you, I burned my dragon soul. It doesn''t matter, because you deserve to die!"


    the black dragon roared angrily.


    His claws broke the limit of the space and hit Darren directly.


    The Dark Emperor''s Armor on Darren''s body created black runes to surround him.


    ''It''s a pity that my avatar can''t activate the attack carried by the Dark Emperor''s Armor, otherwise I can definitely kill this black dragon!'' Darren thought helplessly.


    In face of the immense power, he had no choice but to withstand it with the Dark Emperor''s Armor.


    Darren was hit by the black dragon and was thrown away like a shooting star. Apart from that, the vibration from the attacks also had a substantial impact on his real body.


    But the attacks were not enough to kill Darren.


    "What the heck!" The black dragon was astonished.


    The power of his blow after he burned his soul was as strong as that of a seven-star human grand warrior and this blow could easily kill any six-star grand warriors.


    But, he felt that when he hit Darren, his strength had been resisted at least half, and it seemed to have bounced back, which made him suffer a big shock.


    This made him resentful and desperate. If he couldn''t kill this human, it was likely that he wouldn''t be able to escape today. He''d be destroyed.


    Bang!


    Just as he was stunned, the tail of a cyan dragon suddenly appeared and hit the black dragon in his body.


    The black dragon fell down like a black shooting star.

 Chapter 566 Unity Of The Mutant Kings

    The falling black dragon looked like a lifeless wheat sack thrown in the air, but Scott wasn''t done yet. He chased after it. Scott''s tail circled the black dragon''s body to bring the latter up again.


    Using his claws, Scott pierced the black dragon''s chest.


    Blood gushed out like a waterfall.


    The black dragon roared as a sharp pain shot through his body. He could hear his fast heartbeat in the ears that sounded more like horse''s hoofs at a fast pace. The black dragon started flinging his arms in fear.


    Kill!


    Darren''s breath accelerated at the scene. A desire to kill the dragon rose in his heart. His grip tightened against his blade and sword, and he rushed forward. Darren raised his blade and sword to point them on the black dragon''s head.


    Clang! Clang!


    Darren and Scott froze in the place and stared at the black dragon''s body. Weren''t they trying to kill the black dragon? What did they accidentally hit?


    Darren and Scott had been forced to retreat and flew backwards for a long distance by an incomparably hard thing.


    Darren''s chest moved faster, but he didn''t have time to rest. His eyes landed back to where the black dragon was. He furrowed his eyebrows at the scene.


    A mountain size shell enveloped the black dragon''s body completely.


    "Snail mutant!" Darren''s eyes widened at the realization. His opened mouth looked like it was inviting a bunch of flying insects to enter. He had never thought that such a big snail mutant would appear.


    Darren''s face went ghastly pale as he remembered the hard surface of the shell. Darren''s divine blade and sword were known for their strength, and they failed in front of the snail mutant''s shell. Why the snail mutant seemed to be similarly strong? He glanced back at the hard thing with shaky breath.


    A smooth head popped out from the shell.


    "Human beings, you have been poisoned by me." The snail mutant paused for a moment and squinted his eyes. "Now, you''ll all die."


    His sharp voice echoed in Darren''s ears.


    Darren''s heart raced, and his palms became sweaty. At that time, he felt a nudge from Scott. The latter pointed at his hands. It was then Darren realized that it really happened. He could see his skin being tainted with pools of purple mucus. His nose wrinkled at the scene, and he looked back at the similarly troubled Scott.


    Buzz.


    The mucus acted like an insect at that moment and crawled on Darren''s skin. A shrill escaped his mouth because of piercing pain.


    This poison was very powerful!


    Even the dragon body of Scott, who was not far away from him, started to emit purple smoke. The dragon scales had been corroded.


    "Kill!"


    Darren and Scott looked at each other and rushed toward the snail mutant.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The dragon claws, the divine blade and sword, like illusions, crashed into the snail shell.


    The weapons pounced back with the impact, and they flew back. Darren and Scott narrowed their eyes at the snail mutant, but it didn''t even move.


    The defense of the snail mutant was too powerful!


    "Hey, human beings! Are you trying to break my defense? You must be daydreaming," the snail mutant snorted. "I am not going to play with you. See you later."


    The snail mutant once again stretched out his head and looked at Darren and


    He hesitated.


    "If you don''t want to cooperate with me, then get out! I''m fine without you! Let''s see how you kill those humans." The Snail King''s face twisted to form a disdainful look.


    The Double-headed King clenched his four fists and then opened them.


    "Fine! As long as I can kill people, I don''t care about other things. Call me in!"


    The Double-headed King looked at the Snail King without blinking. He was the kind of mutant that was born to slaughter human beings.


    "Ha-ha, I hope we will have a good cooperation. That human bloke beat you like this. In my opinion, we should first find the whereabouts of his friends and relatives and kill them!" The Snail King''s face wriggled with a smile, which looked more disgusting.


    "Good idea." Dark shadows started swimming in the Dragon King''s eyes at the thought of the two humans who nearly killed him. His jaw tightened, and he looked at the two kings beside him. With their help, he would take his revenge.


    In the Heavenly Palace Sect, two exhausted figures stumbled as if they would fall any minute.


    "Darren, Scott, are you all right?"


    Darren and Scott looked around only to find that a group of strong human warriors had surrounded them.


    "We are fine. We were just poisoned by a giant snail, and feel a little bit uncomfortable."


    Many people''s faces changed when they heard this. They knew that the poison of the Snail King was incomparably hazardous. If a person was poisoned, it would be challenging for him to detoxify.


    "That''s dangerous! What are you going to do now?" one of the warriors asked worriedly.


    Scott''s face softened, and he glanced at a few of them. "It doesn''t matter. I can use the aura of dragon blood to remove the poison, and it will only take a few days. Darren can also use the same method. Let''s go." Darren''s shoulders relaxed at the words. He knew Scott would find a way of detoxification.


    Then, they went into closed-door cultivation to detoxify themselves.


    In the meantime, something big happened in the Chasm Clan. The elder, who was in control of the fishing net, was killed by someone, even though the elder was under the protection of lots of powerful masters.

 Chapter 567 Fight Face-to-Face

    Since there wasn''t any rule power to maintain the fishing net, it began to dim. Soon, it disappeared.


    A few days later


    "Humph! Snail King, you should''ve sent someone to kill the person who controlled the legendary fishing net long before. Why didn''t you do that earlier?"


    "We didn''t cooperate at that time. Why would I do that?"


    "Well, that''s enough. Snail King, you sent someone to inquire about the relatives and friends of that human kid. Did you find the information we seek?" the Dragon King asked.


    "It''s done. Have a look!"


    the Snail King said as he conjured a picture in mid-air. Several human figures were displayed in the image.


    "Well, now that I have memorized their scent, we should find them and kill them all. Let''s go!"


    The Dragon King couldn''t wait anymore. Without any further delay, the Double-headed King and the Dragon King wormed themselves into the Snail King''s shell. Then, they headed for the human city.


    In Talent City in the North Desert


    "Chad, do you know how Darren became so powerful in a few years?"


    "It is natural for him to grow stronger faster than normal. After all, he is a rare genius. And, he must have had several adventures in recent years, which would have helped him enhance his strength further."


    "It''s lucky that he is here. Otherwise, we would have died had the mutants invaded us."


    "Yes, the battle scene from a few days ago was horrible! Considering my power, even the aftermath of the battle would have shattered me."


    "Let''s go find Darren. We should have a drink with him to thank him. I haven''t seen him for a long time, and I don''t know if he still regards us as his friends. Ha-ha."


    The seven grand warriors in the North Desert witnessed the battle a few days ago from a distance. At the moment, they were drinking tea and chatting in a courtyard.


    They hadn''t realized that danger had arrived.


    "Hey, seven grand warriors in the North Desert. You are having fun."


    A strange voice suddenly echoed through the courtyard.


    As soon as the Snail King descended into the quiet courtyard, Chad and the others immediately stood. The concern they felt reflected in their expressions.


    "Mutants..."


    "So that human''s name is Darren. I heard that you are his good friends. Am I right?" the Snail King asked in a shrill voice.


    "So what? Didn''t Darren scare you a few da


    courtyard, stopping Darren in his tracks. The Snail King''s shell flew toward Chad and the others.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Simultaneously, two figures swiftly flew toward Darren and Scott from a different direction.


    Bang!


    The battle began quickly. Darren and Scott fought with the Double-headed King and the Dragon King.


    "Go to hell!" Darren screamed. He was furious and fighting with all his strength.


    "Well, well done!" The Snail King suddenly cut off a grand warrior''s head.


    "Rolf! No!"


    The other grand warriors, who were lying helplessly in pools of blood, screamed when they lost their friend. Tears brimmed in their eyes.


    Although there had been minor internal disputes between the grand warriors, their friendship had been strong enough to endure fights. They had always helped each other, no matter what.


    Seeing their good friend die, they were all heartbroken.


    Apart from them, Darren felt a sharp pain in his heart.


    They had treated him kindly when he had been weak. And when he needed assistance, they had risked their lives to help him.


    But now, a mutant dared to kill his friend in front of him!


    "Snail King, keep going. We can hold on."


    There was only a slight difference between the Dragon King and the Double-headed King''s strength and that of Darren and Scott. Darren could do nothing to stop the Snail King as he was fighting the Dragon King and the Double-headed King.


    "Damn it!"


    Scott was utterly infuriated by this scene.


    "Ancient Void Battlefield, open!" Abruptly, Darren''s roar shook the earth and mountains.

 Chapter 568 There Are Many Ways To Kill You

    "What?"


    The Ancient Void Battlefield couldn''t be used at all!


    Why?


    Because the Ancient Void Battlefield was in the body of the real Darren. Darren''s avatar couldn''t open the small world. Darren''s avatar shared the same mind with his real body, so naturally, he wanted to use the Ancient Void Battlefield on instinct. He forgot that he couldn''t use it in the form of an avatar.


    ''Damn it!'' he cursed, beginning to worry.


    ''The Ancient Void Battlefield won''t come in handy this time. Meanwhile, the Dragon King''s attack grows more desperate as the battle goes on.


    How can I let that snail mutant kill my friend?'' Darren thought to himself, worried and helpless.


    At that moment, Scott had just transformed into a dragon and used the inheritance skill of the Dragon Blood Clan.


    The icy dragon''s roar was deafening.


    So were the impacts of his blows upon his opponent.


    The Double-headed King quickly lost his confidence as he weathered the ferocious assault.


    Turning tail, he flew hastily toward the Snail King.


    "Let me in!" he shouted. He had good reason to fear. Darren had already destroyed one of his bodies, leaving him with just one, and now Scott was making short work of him.


    If the Double-headed King were to lose yet again, there would be no chance of survival for him.


    Hearing his plea, the Snail King gave him a sly look. "Okay, come on in!"


    Yet the moment his distressed ally neared the shell''s entrance, the Snail King sealed himself inside.


    He blocked the entrance, and the Double-headed King ran into it with a bang.


    Despite the force of the impact, the barrier was unscathed.


    There was only one word the now-lone king had on his mind. "Shit!"


    He could hardly believe that he was being humiliated by a damned snail, of all things.


    Meanwhile, Scott was coming up right behind him, still in the form of a dragon.


    He made no effort to hide the earth-shaking sound of his gait.


    A pair of fierce claws flashed toward the Double-headed King.


    Seeing a window of opportunity, Darren broke away from his own fight with the Dragon King, but only just long enough to send a blast of his dark gold internal force at the Double-headed King.


    With that devastating energy coming in from one direction and Scott''s attack from another, the Double-headed King had no chance of escape.


    "Argh!"


    he screamed resentfully as the dragon''s mandibles savaged him, raking his flesh too fast to see.


    Blood wept from all four of his eyes.


    Finally Scott plunged one hand into the Double-headed King''s torso, clutching onto his heart.


    Even then the Double-headed King fought back, frenziedly tearing and ripping dragon scales from his foe''s body.


    But Scott kept on him until, with a final exertion, he crushed the heart to a pulp in his fist.


    With a sigh of relief he pulled his arm out, stepped back, and watched as the Double-headed King''s enormous body tottered before crashing to the ground. After that, he was still.


    S


    r to escape through space.


    But then, without warning, three figures appeared around them, orbited by shining runes. They were Horace and his two fellows.


    Earlier, when Darren''s avatar was communicating with his real body, the real Darren had sent a message to the three rule cultivators, asking them to come and help.


    Waves of runes flashed from their hands, immediately blocking the space surrounding them.


    The Snail King was shocked as his space escape skill failed to work.


    "Ah, what''s going on?! Where did somebody so powerful come from?"


    Although Horace''s space rule spell was not as potent as that of Finley, he was still unbeatable in the Bottom Spiritual World. What was more, he had grown stronger and learned much in the past few years. With the help of the Shackle Runes of Rocky and Nick, he could render the Snail King completely helpless.


    "Take him away." Darren gave the order coldly.


    "Certainly," Horace replied with a nod.


    Ultimately, Darren didn''t regard the three as mere subordinates.


    Nevertheless, they had created a master and slave bond with Darren, and so they respected him very much.


    Horace went on, "We''re perfectly able to keep him imprisoned, Darren. However, actually breaking through his defense is another matter."


    "That doesn''t matter," replied Darren stonily. "There are many ways to kill him. He''ll have a very miserable death, I promise."


    Sure enough, the Snail King heard this and protested. "No, wait! Release me!


    Let me go, and I''ll take you to the treasures of the Dragon King and the Double-headed King.


    Please, I promise you this!"


    But though he went on and on, his captors paid no attention to all his pleadings.


    Darren turned to Scott. "Scott, I need you to help take care of Chad and his team. There''s something I need to do. I''ll be back in a few days."


    His partner looked at the western sky with a trace of uneasiness in his eyes. "Go ahead," Scott said at last. "We''ll wait for you here."

 Chapter 569 Clean Up The Remnants (Part One)

    With a heavy heart, after Darren left the Snail King to his friends, he went to look for fragments of sword intent.


    Without the pieces of sword intent, Darren, though now a nominal disciple of the Starry Tower''s owner, was not allowed to enter. No exception to the rule, nor a particular treatment was given to him.


    The Snail King had killed his friend. The mutant was so hateful that Darren would never let it go. After seven or eight days of diligent searching, he finally found two pieces of sword intent.


    "Oh, right. I forgot that there is a fragment of sword intent in my Space Ring too. How silly of me."


    blurted out Darren as he suddenly remembered that he had found two pieces last time in a lake before he entered the Starry Tower. He used one, and the other one was left and stored in his Space Ring. He was feeling ridiculous and sorry at the same time that he didn''t remember and wasted his time looking for more fragments of sword intent. Anyway, he would need to go back to the Starry Tower from time to time. Thus, it was good for him to secure some more fragments of sword intent in his Space Ring.


    Darren then flew to the palace of the Red Inferno Sect where Horace had imprisoned the Snail King. Without wasting his time, he triggered the sword intent fragment. In a couple of minutes, he took the Snail King away.


    On the top floor of the Starry Tower


    After the real Darren appeared, his avatar shut his eyes and sat beside him quietly. It was such an instant action, like a servant that knew what to do the moment his master arrived.


    "Ah, y-y-you¡­" stuttered the Snail King as he felt the real Darren''s aura. The Snail King had sensed the heightened, maximized, and strengthened potency of Darren''s aura which made him terrified.


    His avatar and the true Darren were like two peas in a pod. But Darren''s true self was way sinewy and stalwart than his avatar. ''What


    ight against it by myself." Darren expressed his sentiments, with a serious tone and expression.


    "You''re right. There is indeed a powerful mutant in the far west that is about to be born. If it takes shape, even if your real body stands out to fight it, I am afraid you may not be able to defeat it. Therefore, you need to try your best to comprehend the legendary blade and sword skills during this time," Mathew stated in a gloomy tone, worried about Darren and his fate with the mutants.


    In the same manner, Darren was shocked, too, when he heard about the news. The mutant, which was about to be born, was prophesized to be powerful and dominant among its kind.


    With that being known, Darren was on pins and needles. He had comprehended a little of the legendary blade and sword skills and had the combat power of a seven-star grand warrior at the middle level. However, even with such power, he wouldn''t be able to fight against that unborn mutant.


    "Your cultivation base has improved a lot. You are a two-star grand warrior now. But it is far from enough. Only when you reached the five or six-star level can you compete with those who have really stepped into the seven-star level," emphasized Mathew when he saw the worried look on Darren''s face.

 Chapter 570 Clean Up The Remnants (Part Two)

    "Well, I know. I am well aware of that. It''s a pity that I don''t have more spiritual crystals. If I had much, probably I could promote myself to the six-star level in twenty years." While he faced numerous battles along his way, Darren had used up all the spiritual crystals he got for accelerating his cultivation base. Consequently, it would take him a longer time to improve his stage without the aid of the spiritual crystals.


    "Spiritual crystals are very precious and hard to obtain. You''d better not rely on them too much," said Mathew.


    "Is that so? Well, I got it! Even if there are no spiritual crystals, there is still a way to speed up the progress of my stage."


    The method that Darren was talking about was to upgrade his talent degree. In due course that he attained the talent of Genuine Domain Degree, Darren believed that his upgrade of cultivation base would not be slowed down.


    "That''s a good plan. You can stay here and practice with Hanson for a while. We will decide whether you can leave here or not after my master comes back."


    With that consensus with Mathew, Darren nodded and released his avatar again.


    After coming out of the Starry Tower, Darren''s avatar immediately looked for Scott.


    On his way, he learned that Chad and the others had recovered after the treatment.


    "Chad, are you all right?" Darren greeted.


    "I am all right now. Well enough than before. Thank you for coming and helping us, or we all would have died without you.


    Unfortunately, Rolf has been killed. That''s hard for us to accept," Chad responded with his head hung low.


    All of them looked rather sad and disheartened. They had lost a friend, as mutants killed him. Worst was, they had no strength to fight back nor even avenge their friend''s death.


    "Don''t be so sad. Those mutants are so vile an


    that of a four-star grand warrior, you should come out right now. Otherwise, I will kill you without mercy."


    The threat descended from the two figures who were like gods, which floated in the cold sky.


    "Humph! How dare you! Kill them!" bellowed a double-headed mutant.


    At his command, dozens of four-star double-headed mutants flew into the air with one or two five-star generals among them.


    Swish!


    Soon enough, powerful sword and blade intents covered the whole area.


    Blood and bodies of double-headed mutants alike fell one after another.


    In a split second, all of the powerful double-headed mutants were defeated. They were like a school of fish caught in a net¡ªhelpless and with no escape.


    "Sir, we yield under your power. We serve you. Please have mercy on us."


    In no time, a five-star general was kneeling and begging on the ground, along with tens and thousands of his members.


    Before this incident, the general had heard that humans had killed their king. As he witnessed the strength of the two humans in the air, he knew for sure that they were the ones who killed their king. Certainly, if they didn''t surrender, their whole tribe would be doomed and vanquished to existence.

 Chapter 571 A Sad History

    "Scott, now that they are willing to surrender, do you think we should still kill the powerful mutants or not?" Darren licked his lips and continued to stare at Scott.


    Scott tilted his head to look at Darren and remained silent for a few seconds. "If they really intend to submit, we''d better not kill them. We don''t need a dispute in the future." He looked up and weighed the pros and cons in his mind.


    "Dispute?" Darren furrowed his eyebrows at Scott''s words.


    If they killed all the mutants, then there would be no dispute. It sounded like a winning idea.


    "Yes, it is. There are powerful mutants of different tribes in the Medium Spiritual World as well. They reached an agreement with the Sacred Palace that gave birth to the state of peace. Once we kill all the mutants in the Bottom Spiritual World, even if we had a reason, it would be difficult for human beings in the Medium Spiritual World to solve the problem in the future." Scott crossed his arms.


    "I don''t know much about these things. I only heard it from the elders in my clan," he added. Scott''s serious face looked icy cold to Darren at that moment. Darren pressed his lips together. He knew Scott was right.


    "In that case, we''ll just let them go. After all, there are civilians in the mutant races as well. If we slaughtered all of them, we would become the bad guys."


    Among every race, the ones with great ambition were always the ones at the highest level. It wouldn''t be right if these people became enemies. If they were to slaughter all the mutants, no matter they were good or bad, it also would be against their conscience.


    "Let''s go down and have a look first," Scott said in a low voice.


    Darren and Scott looked down and landed in front of the double-headed mutant general.


    "Do you genuinely surrender? You and any other mutants of your race cannot bother us again. If I catch you, I''ll kill you all." Darren''s cold voice sent a wave of shock down the spine of the mutant general. With his soft legs, he stood shivering on the spot.


    The double-headed general gulped and tried to calm his racing heart that was trying hard to shoot out of his chest. "Yes, we genuinely surrender. We won''t bother you anymore. I''ll lead them. I will make sure they are prohibited from entering the human territory." He lowered his head and knelt on the ground. He did not even dare to raise his head to look at Darren and Scott.


    Once the double-headed mutant general finished his words, the crowd started whispering. Loud voices of contempt tensed the environment even more. One of them couldn''t hold it in and said, "I understand the law of the jungle. But why are we always the lowliest in this world? I can''t accept this! I can''t! God is so unfair! Our ancestors risked their lives for nothing!" His piercing gaze landed on Darren and Scott. The double-headed man bared his teeth and roared at the top of his lungs.


    "I have infuriated you. Now you must want to kill me." He gave a tight lipped


    tcher said that to become stronger, some human ancestors began to study the bloodline of the fiends and transformed themselves to a fiend to improve their strength, so that they could fight against the real fiends.


    So, Darren concluded that the elder double-headed man must not be making up stories.


    Darren looked into the eyes of the old priest. "I really admire the great loyalty of the ancestors of all the mutant races. I sincerely apologize for the unfair treatment their younger generations have received."


    Darren closed his eyes and bowed in front of everyone. Little gasps from the mouths of several double-headed individuals spread in the crowd.


    He straightened his back and licked his lips. "There''s one thing, though. Your king wanted to kill all humans because the space passage had been sealed. I didn''t do anything wrong by killing him." Darren continued to look at the older man to see any traces of fear or disgust against humans. Fortunately, Darren was proved wrong when he heard the next words of the priest.


    "Yes, the distant grievance should have been erased already. I have no complaint against you. The king was at fault this time. But we also cannot ignore the seed of hatred that we have inherited from generations." The double-headed priest''s lips curled up into a pleasant smile.


    "Well, in that case, I, Darren, promise that from now on, the humans in the Bottom Spiritual World will not meddle with your race in the future. I will deal with the person who does not obey this." Darren paused for a while. "But please make sure you don''t harass the innocent humans," Darren said.


    "Thank you. I really admire your righteousness. If it were someone else, my people wouldn''t even have a chance to defend ourselves. I really appreciate your understanding." A flood of tears started rolling down the priest''s cheeks. His eyes glistened with joy for the first time in a few years after seeing a sincere human soul, and he bowed his head toward Darren.

 Chapter 572 Investigation

    After settling the double-headed race''s problems, Darren and Scott found a transmission array with which to reach the demonic monster domain.


    In the demonic monster domain, Darren released a strong aura to intimidate all the demonic monsters.


    After sharing some instructions with the demonic monsters, Darren and Scott left.


    Darren and Scott had been hunting for the land of the snail mutants for a long time. However, after an unsuccessful search, they decided to move forward with their plans.


    "Scott, shall we sneak into the land of the black mutants?"


    Now that things were almost ready, it seemed like the right time to start the most crucial part.


    Boom! Boom!


    As Darren and Scott flew toward the far west, the earth began to tremble. Lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled as thick clouds covered the sky.


    A gigantic water pillar rose toward the sky from the distant sea.


    Darren and Scott heard the roar even though they were tens of thousands of miles away.


    "It''s emerging." Scott''s expression was as cold as ice. When he saw the water pillar, Scott could gauge that the king of the black mutants was extremely powerful.


    Darren''s gaze also shifted to the pillar. Thousands of miles away, an intense killing aura rose toward the sky. It was so terrifying that Darren and Scott shuddered.


    "It''s really powerful. Why don''t I look first? You can wait for me here," Darren advised Scott.


    "I know you can employ your skill of concealment, but I am unsure of whether the mutant can detect your presence."


    Scott knew that Darren had a powerful invisible skill.


    "I will be fine. As the mutants haven''t awoken the Spirit Power, they can''t detect me."


    "Okay. But, please take care. I will wait for you on that island." Scott pointed to a small island not far away.


    "Okay,"


    Darren answered with a quick nod before heading toward the pillar in the distance.


    After flying for over half an hour, Darren saw a large island shrouded by black mist. It appeared to be the home of the black mutants.


    The island was quiet, and Darren noticed no abnormal phenomenon on it as he neared.


    As he flew further into the island, Darren used the Air-integrated True Rule to protect himself.


    Several huge human-shaped statues appeared in front of him.


    "These statues might be the ancestors of the bl


    e jungle in the next moment.


    "It''s gone!"


    A frown appeared on Darren''s face when he realized that he was alone in that spot.


    He hadn''t expected the mysterious person to sense his Spirit Power.


    At that moment, Darren was a little nervous.


    On this island, even the purple-gold mutant Darren had seen could not escape his detection, let alone disappear without a trace under his sudden chase.


    This indicated that the person who had pried on Darren was stronger than him.


    Enemies hiding in the dark were the most terrifying.


    Darren frantically searched around but could not find any traces. He had disappeared in a flash!


    Soon, Darren flew away from the mutant-guarded island to a safer place.


    He had no intention of finding Scott at this moment as he had not yet investigated the thing inside the forbidden area on the island.


    As Darren flew away at his maximum speed, he didn''t sense that under the sea beneath him, a black figure was swimming parallel with him.


    Darren didn''t stop until he was two to three thousand miles away from the island of black mutants. Here, the seawater under him had turned blue.


    As soon as he stopped, Darren''s expression changed to shock. He turned and released blade and sword intents at the area behind him.


    "Who is there? Show yourself!"


    The strong blade and sword intents didn''t hit anything.


    Buzz.


    In a flash, some runes lit up, and the figure of an old man appeared in front of Darren.


    At the same time, a pair of cold eyes still glared at Darren from under the seawater.

 Chapter 573 Shadow Of The Sacred Envoy

    "Who are you? Why are you following me?" Darren asked sternly.


    However, considering the being that had appeared in front of him was a human being, Darren didn''t launch an immediate attack.


    "Good. I can see you''re very vigilant. I''m a Sacred Envoy from the Sacred Palace. You can call me your excellency," the old man that had materialized from the runes said arrogantly.


    "I don''t know what the Sacred Palace is." Darren was dissatisfied with the old man due to his arrogance.


    "Well well well, what an arrogant boy! Even with your current power, you''ve never heard of the Sacred Palace?" The old man turned defensive.


    "Does it really matter if I know the Sacred Palace or not? You called me arrogant. I don''t even know you. And now you want me to call you your excellency. Not only that, but you''re just a shadow, not a real human, aren''t you?" Darren bombarded the old man with questions, making him confused.


    The old man stayed speechless for a while, then burst out laughing. "Ha ha, good boy. It was me who was too bold. I''m sorry."


    "Now tell me, why are you here?" Darren asked.


    "I think you know better than anyone that the space passage has been sealed. When this happened, the entire Sacred Palace was shocked. They thought the human race in the Bottom Spiritual World was in danger. Fortunately, even though you made a mistake, you took the responsibility and saved the human race." The old man looked at Darren meaningfully.


    "I don''t think I''ve made any mistakes," Darren told the old man.


    "Well," the old man coughed and said, "let''s discuss that later. The most important thing right now is the king of the fiendish mutants. He is our biggest enemy. If he is completely awake and there''s no one to stop him, we''ll all be doomed."


    "I know that the so-called king of the fiendish mutants is very powerful. Since you''re the envoy of the Sacred Palace, you must be very strong, right? Why don''t you do something to stop him?" Darren asked.


    "No, I can''t do that. It''s hard enough for me to even form a shadow here with the rule power, let alone fight against the king of the fiendish mutants. Since you are one of the two strongest warriors in the Bottom Spiritual World at present, the Sacred Palace is ordering you to do your best to stop it," the old man declared. His voice slipped back into a condescending tone unco


    old man''s mouth kept twitching. After a long while, he bowed his head and said, "I''m sorry. It was my fault, sir."


    "Go apologize to Darren right now, and explain to him the seriousness of the matter. Don''t be arrogant or impolite to him again," the middle-aged man ordered.


    "Yes, sir," the old man replied in a low voice.


    "Sorry, I was too apprehensive just now. I''m not really blaming you. But you have to realize that he is in the lower world, and you just communicated with him using a shadow that has no rule power. You can''t scare him, so, why would he respect you?


    You have to persuade him nicely. If we can stop the fiendish mutants, both of us will have made a great contribution. Otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable.


    As for the boy''s sins, if he remains alive, I will be the one to either reward or punish him. Am I understood?"


    The middle-aged man''s voice softened.


    "I will try to talk to Darren again in three days. I''m leaving now, sir." With that, the old man left his face still full of anger.


    In the Bottom Spiritual World


    Darren''s Spirit Power had recovered. So he decided to go to the so-called forbidden area on the island again.


    He flew to the island and activated the Air-integrated True Rule.


    However, when he approached the forbidden area, he found that all the black mutants had disappeared.


    He scoured the area meticulously and found something extraordinary.


    All the black mutants on the island had died.


    Their corpses were piled up in the hall.


    ''What happened here?'' Darren was bewildered.

 Chapter 574 The Young Man In Black Armor (Part One)

    In just a matter of a few days, all the black mutants on the island died and vanished as if they were wiped out. Such bizarre phenomena were truly inconceivable to Darren. He couldn''t wrap his head as to what was the truth behind the sudden disappearance, thus making him more curious and eager to find the missing piece of the puzzle.


    Whoosh!


    Along with all the heavy thoughts in his head, Darren flew at high speed. A few minutes later, he stopped in front of the so-called forbidden area.


    After probing the place and examining it for a while, he immediately sensed that there was something wrong in the place. He noticed the runes surrounding the black gate of the statue in the forbidden area were all gone.


    Buzz.


    Held dazed and confused at the moment, Darren''s mind went blank for a split second. The more he thought about it, the more unbelievable and inconceivable things appeared to him.


    With his curiosity motivating him to probe further, Darren dragged his feet and flew closer into the black gate. He was vigilant along the way in case anything unexpected might happen.


    Traversing and prodding the endless darkness, Darren felt nothing but cruelty. He could smell it in the air and sense it in the ambiance of the place.


    At the end of the dark path, a transparent hexagon was spinning incessantly. And there laid a withered skeleton in the middle.


    "It''s really coming out to life!" chirped Darren out. While he bent over to take a closer look, Darren''s heart skipped a beat. Aside from the reality that not a single mutant could be seen or even felt in the place, a compelling aura emanated from the skeleton under the spinning hexagon. He thought to himself, ''Could it be that all the black mutants outside were killed by the so-called king?''


    Ringing bells on his head, Darren carefully recalled the death of the black mutants that he had witnessed. Gradually, things turned out clear to him, and he suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, so those black mutants'' b


    blood essence take a life form.


    "We cannot say it has come back to life or taken a physical body of any sort. I am also confused about that part too. As far as we, elders, understood it, to choose a new master to bring back to life, the drop of blood essence needs a body with very pure bloodline of a fiend.


    So, I wonder, does it mean there is a specially chosen descendant among the fiendish mutants? And we haven''t known that such a thing existed beforehand?"


    The older man was very perplexed. The Sacred Palace knew whatever the strongest warriors among human beings and the other races in the Bottom Spiritual World had done. But in general, the Sacred Palace would not interfere.


    For example, the Sacred Palace knew a lot of Darren''s experiences and ordeals, for they were keeping a close watch on him. Of course, if things were happening at some ancient relics, they could not know. It was impossible that the Sacred Palace, despite its vigilance and the cautious watch on the Bottom Spiritual World, hadn''t noticed the birth of a mutant with an extremely pure fiend bloodline.


    The elder man couldn''t figure out the reason.


    "Very pure bloodline? My fiend bloodline was very pure too. I inherited it from a young man in black armor who flew out of the bronze coffin," Darren muttered in a low voice.

 Chapter 575 The Young Man In Black Armor (Part Two)

    "What did you say?" barely hearing the words that were muttered by Darren, the elder man looked and asked.


    "Oh, nothing. Just never mind that." Casting a pretentious expression like he had just said nothing, the confused Darren shook his head.


    However, a thought bothered Darren. It was the fact that the Sacred Palace knew that Darren could transform into a fiend before. But the Sacred Palace had no idea where he had obtained that power and capability of transforming into a fiend. Probably it was because Darren was not worthy of their attention at that time.


    "Now that I have relayed to you the facts I know about the mutant, please take the situation into account. If you will, please hurry to the forbidden areas and try everything to stop the catastrophe from happening as soon as possible," pleaded the elder man. After which, he utilized some runes and procured on his hands something valuable, which he handed towards Darren, saying, "These are the Killing Elixir and the Soul Exploding Rune. Take these with you. They might come in handy in case things get rough for you." The elder man''s tone was foreboding as he handed the rune and elixir to Darren.


    At the sound of it, Darren thought to himself that the old man still wanted him to die.


    But before Darren could say anything, the elder man continued, "You are such a genius. It will be a pity if we lose you. You can go to the Lotus Holy Land and hand these two things over to the guardian there. He knows what to do, and need not say any other things."


    Hearing his words, Darren immediately understood what the elder man had meant. He wanted the elder who was responsible for guarding the forbidden area of the Lotus Holy Land to do his part in stopping the most powerful mutant.


    "Must someone die to stop that mutant?" For the threat the task imposed, and the uncertainty of it, Darren sighed and dropped his head low at the same time. He was reluctant to follow


    pale in the face, Darren''s heart skipped a beat at the sight of the phantom''s looming figure.


    It was so fast that it dashed from one point to the other. Darren couldn''t even follow it with his eyes. Worst was, after several attempts, Darren couldn''t capture the phantom with his spiritual sense.


    Caught unaware and surprised at the instance, Darren looked around warily. After a while, a familiar and frightening figure suddenly appeared and flew towards him.


    "It''s you. Why are you here?" As the phantom drew closer to him, Darren murmured and was totally stunned.


    In front of him, a young man in black armor gazed at him coldly and without any expressions. As the young man was just a few inches away from him, the hair of Darren''s skin stood on ends at the young man''s dominating aura.


    Rummaging through the memories on the back of his mind, Darren grew familiar with that young man''s face. He knew very well that he was the one who flew out of the bronze coffin.


    "So, you have been following me all this time, and not the shadow of that elder man?" asked Darren in a probing tone. He had such a realization as to the young man''s sudden appearance. Darren couldn''t believe that he had lazed his guard too lax; he wasn''t able to notice that he had the young man like his shadow.

 Chapter 576 Common Goal

    Darren had never expected to see the young man in black armor again here.


    Darren looked at the young man. He originally wanted to ask some questions, but he didn''t know what to say. His mouth opened only to exhale a small amount of air and rapidly closed it.


    He still remembered Scott''s fight with that youth in the Fire Cave. The memory was still fresh in his mind. In the end, the young man in black armor had let Scott go. The youth had said that day, "You owe me one." Darren still didn''t understand what the words meant.


    "Help me."


    Two strange characters sounded cold and distant in Darren''s brain.


    Darren had communicated with the young man in this way before, but he could not take the initiative to say anything.


    Since the young man in black armor opened his mouth first, Darren cooperated and decided to reply. "What do you mean by ''help me''?


    Are you the one who left the forbidden area on the island? I do owe you, but if you want me to help you open the forbidden areas of the Holy Lands, then I can''t do it. I really can''t." Darren stared at the young man with unblinking eyes.


    At this point, Darren couldn''t think of anyone else who had pure bloodline of a fiend and mighty strength at the same time. The only exception was this young man in black armor.


    Darren could not help but be secretly surprised that the strength of this young man in black armor was growing too fast. Back in the Fire Cave, he was only powerful as someone in the Grand Realm. Now, when Darren was as strong as a six-star grand warrior, he had a terrible feeling that the young man was even stronger than before.


    "No."


    The stone-faced young man remained cold as usual. When the man stood with tight shut lips, Darren furrowed his brows and stared at the youth for a while.


    "I want you to help me stop it." The young man in black armor continued to send words into Darren''s brain.


    Darren was still confused, and it showed on his face. Before he could say something, the young man in black armor sent more words to Darren''s brain.


    "It is transformed by my real body''s blood essence. Help me find it, and I''ll kill it."


    "It?" Confusion still swam in Darren''s mind, and the added words deepened his furrowed brows. ''Is he saying that the king of the black mutants is not him at all?'' Darren wondered.


    By the looks of it, the black-armored young man wanted to kill the mutant transformed from the blood essence.


    Those doubts made Darren''s heart heavy. This time, however, he wouldn''t let it go. He had to clarify everything!


    "Tell me where you come from first." Darren licked his lips as he prepared himself for the answer.


    The young man in black armor hesitated for a moment before flooding Darren''s mind with the number of words beyond expectations. Darren''s eyes widened at the overwhelming data in his head.


    "My real body was divided into eight parts by the strong human warriors, and my soul was divided into three. Two of them were dead, while the last one was hidden in a divine coffin. I am the last part of the soul that had been in the coffin, assimilating the sp


    ve good news!" Darren leaned forward and sent a message to Scott.


    A figure dressed in white flashed in front of Darren. Before Darren could even register, he heard a noise.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Unfortunately, the noise was just a start. Darren was about to face something that surprised him even more.


    When Scott showed up, the whole uninhabited island began to shake violently. Even the sea within hundreds of miles began to surge. Darren struggled to stand up straight.


    Two icy auras soared, and Darren''s legs started to tremble.


    One was the aura of the demonic internal force.


    The other was an icy aura of dragon blood.


    Darren gritted his teeth and held something beside him for the support. His legs started to feel like jelly only to find an overwhelming pressure had begun to crawl up his skin. He almost felt like vomiting blood right there.


    The pressure remained the same, but light started to emerge that nearly blinded Darren. By the time he opened his eyes, Scott had directly turned into the cyan dragon. The dragon''s cry started to threaten Darren''s ears.


    It was the same with the young man in black armor. Shrouded by the terrifying fiendish aura, his eyes were even colder than anything Darren had seen.


    "What... What the hell Scott!" Darren was stunned. He frowned at the sight of a roaring dragon as if someone had threatened to kill him.


    "Scott, please stop. He isn''t a threat!" When the pressure continued to attack his body like a tornado, Darren knew it was useless to talk. He clenched his jaw and flew to Scott right away.


    To Darren''s surprise, Scott didn''t say anything to him at all. He just used the dragon claw to hit Darren and forced him two kilometers back. Darren''s eyes were still wide opened when he hit the ground and spat a mouthful of blood. He brushed the dust off of his body, and a thought flashed in his mind. He turned to look at the roaring Scott.


    ''Oh, damn it. I know what is happening, ''


    Darren thought to himself. Though he was still surprised, he finally figured out what was going on.

 Chapter 577 Preparations

    The fiend''s bloodline and the dragon''s bloodline were the natural sworn enemies!


    Darren had not known why, but he had generated nebula in his elixir field before just because of this mere reason.


    The meeting of Scott with the young man in black armor naturally caused the innate hatred, which was even beyond their control. This explained why such a scene happened.


    At that time, the situation was so intense that the fight was just another futile word to explain it. Darren was sure that if the fight broke out, Scott would definitely be the one who lost.


    Darren was standing on a side and trying to get the hang of all of this. He was worried because he was not wanting them to fight, so he flew over and stood between them, trying to stop the battle.


    As Darren tried to stop the fight, he started to feel heavy and weak at the same time because of the enormous pressure crushing his bones and making them creak, and he was unable to bear this burden any longer.


    "Scott, please restrain yourself," Darren worriedly yelled at Scott.


    Yet Scott had paid no heed to Darren''s call since he was so furious and eager to get into a fight. Fear was evident in Scott''s dragon eyes, but the dragon blood in his body began to boil with rage. He knew he was no match with his opponent, but still, he was ready to fight till the last breath.


    The brutal aura of the young man in black armor soared to the extreme. His face was burning with violence like hell. He was ready to kill Scott with bare hands. Darren knew the consequences would be unimaginable if he made a move.


    "What could I do now?" Darren asked himself.


    Darren was a young and warm-blooded guy. He fought many wars with his blade and sword. But for now, it was certain that he couldn''t stop them with his strength, so he started pondering about other tactics to become triumphant in this fight.


    Suddenly, Darren came up with an outstanding idea that could resolve the conflict.


    He drew out his blade and sword, emitting countless of olive-black force to hover between Scott and the black-armored young man.


    Darren deemed that his olive-black force was made from the combination of aura of dragon blood and demonic internal force, which had reached an unprecedented state of balance. Maybe releasing this olive-black force could stop the innate hostility between the two.


    "Great! It works!"


    A few moments later, Darren was overjoyed.


    As he felt that the confrontation aura between the two was slowly weakening.


    The young man in black armor relied on Darren to find the blood-essence mutant. Scott and Darren were friends that fought many wars and had been together in many life and death situations. Therefore, both the black-armored young man and Scott certainly had no intentions to keep hating each other in their minds.


    Several minutes later, the rage between them started to fade away and both of them returned to peace. Now the situation was under control, and Scott also came back in his human form.


    "Phew!" Scott heaved a sigh of relief. In fact, he was scared when he confronted the young man in black armor, who was much stronger than him.


    "I just failed to suppress my instinct, and I heartily apologize, Darren," Scott spoke humbly.


    "It doesn''t matter. As long as you are fine now." Darren was finally relieved


    ow me to meet him," Darren commanded in an unperturbed tone.


    "Mr. Chu has strictly directed that no one is authorized to intrude into or exit the Holy Land without sanction. Evade right now, or we will edify you a lesson." In an endeavor to threaten Darren, the two guardians extricated their power.


    Darren gave an imperceptible smile upon hearing this.


    Darren was happy and satisfied because this order was given by him to the three-star grand warriors. Now the guards of the Holy Land were stopping him, which meant they had done a great job.


    Darren after introducing himself conveyed that he would be shielding this place on his own along with these people. "I''m Darren. I''ll guard this place with you guys on my own."


    As Darren was done with his speech, colossal blade and sword intents blazed by, which made the two guards'' faces deadly anemic.


    With blade and sword intents, he was able to freely control his horrifying aura. Who else in the world could achieve this except Darren? These at least, convinced the two guards and they believed Darren.


    "We didn''t expect it''s you, Mr. Chu. We are sorry!" The two guards instantly knelt on the ground and kowtowed subserviently to Darren.


    Darren ordered them to stand up and further added, "No one is allowed to kneel in front of me. In fact, I don''t like this courtesy and favors to have simple and common greeting only."


    Darren responded calmly and disappeared into thin air.


    "I''ve met Mr. Chu!"


    "We are fortunate to have met Mr. Chu. As others declared that he is indeed, so kind."


    After Darren left, the two left behind got upright, being very bright-eyed and bushy-tailed that they failed to contain their excitement.


    "Welcome, sir!"


    Darren went straight to meet the new Holy Lord.


    "You''re welcome, Distinguished Holy Lord! Lord, does anything wrong happened lately?" Darren asked in a gentle tone.


    "Nothing special! But there is a senior who is requesting to meet you," the novel Holy Lord of the Lotus Holy Land declared.


    "A senior?" Darren questioned him in great astonishment.


    "Ha-ha! Bloke, aren''t you going to give me the reward from the Sacred Palace?" a skinny elder man said as he walked up to Darren.

 Chapter 578 No Movement (Part One)

    Darren looked the wrinkled, old man up and down with an intense stare. He was slowly sizing him up.


    "What are you looking at? You obviously don''t know me. Hand over my stuff now," the old man said with a smile, his voice soft and yet demanding.


    "What stuff are you talking about?"


    Darren straightened up, still pinning him down with his stare. In reality, Darren wasn''t oblivious to who was standing in front of him. He knew that this old man was the one who had been guarding the Lotus Holy Land all this time.


    "Don''t play dumb with me. I slapped you before. If you do not give it to me immediately, even if you are strong now, I will slap you again. Give it to me now," the old man said. Even though he was threatening Darren, it was easy to not get this impression, as he spoke with a calming voice.


    In fact, Darren now realized that the old man''s threats and demands weren''t a sign of confidence, but rather a cover for his fear of death.


    Obviously, he had been informed by his superior that Darren could deliver a Soul Exploding Rune along with the Killing Elixir.


    If he were to use either one of those two objects, it would result in certain death. Just as he was thinking this, the wind picked up a bit and made his clothes flutter. The breeze carried a sense of foreboding with it.


    "Sir, I won''t give you these two things. No one will be happy if you die like this. You can quit putting on that smile of yours." Darren, despite the harshness of his voice, felt a touch of sadness in his heart. He truly did not want this to end badly.


    "Ha-ha." The old man flashed a wry smile. "Give them to me. No one is afraid around here. I did not receive any direct orders from the top. This is my own choice."


    The tr


    t. He ran his hands through his hair more often without even realizing he was doing it.


    "What if that mutant never shows up?"


    The fiend''s first ancestor had been suppressed in the forbidden areas for hundreds of thousands of years now, and it could certainly wait a few more decades. That was no issue for it.


    The blood-essence mutant must have been hiding somewhere. Looming in a secret place, waiting patiently for them to let down their guards before swooping in.


    Apparently that mutant was not afraid of any human being except for the young man in black armor.


    And so more time passed. Days turned to nights, again, and again, and again. Before they truly realized it, three years had already passed since the incident. The whole world was now at peace.


    For this reason, Darren decided to depart from the Lotus Holy Land one day. He did his usual patrol and, after finding nothing noteworthy yet again, simply left.


    "It''s not good to just wait here."


    Convinced he wasn''t getting anywhere by staying where he was, Darren flew to the Dragon Holy Land to converse with Scott. He hoped that they could come up with a solution together.

 Chapter 579 No Movement (Part Two)

    "Darren, you are here."


    Scott was in the middle of his meditation in the Dragon sect. He had his eyes closed and looked completely calm and serene. Yet, he felt the shift in the air, the unmistakable presence of Darren. He finally opened his eyes.


    Over the past few years, he had kept on practicing and enhancing his strength. He made sure to train all the time. Now, his aura of dragon blood was a much stronger force than before.


    "Well, the blood-essence mutant is always just on the horizon. It''s useless for us to wait here like this. Everyone will eventually let their guards down. Maybe not now, maybe after ten years or even a hundred years. Whenever it will happen, the mutant will have been waiting for this opportunity," Darren said helplessly, feeling a sense of desperation clouding his thinking.


    "That''s true. If the mutant keeps going like this, he will eventually find his chance to invade.


    I have thought about it for a while now. Let me go out and search everywhere. I am quite sensitive to the fiend blood. As long as I''m within one thousand miles, I am highly likely to sense it," Scott said in a serious voice. He had obviously been thinking about this issue for some time now.


    "If you follow this plan, you will be in danger. If that mutant ambushes you from the dark..."


    Darren did not dare say it out loud, but the meaning behind his words was clear. There was no doubt that if it came to this, if the blood-essence mutant really ambushed Scott, he could be killed in a mere second.


    But Darren was different. Once Darren detected that mutant, the black-armored young man could also sense the presence of the blood-essence mutant directly. With his speed, he could come over in a few seconds


    danger.


    "Darren, I have found the location of that mutant. It is the Fire Cave," Scott hurried to inform Darren. He wasn''t sure he had time to waste.


    Darren, who was sitting quietly in the Lotus Holy Land once again, suddenly opened his eyes.


    Darren activated the vital essence left by the young man in black armor and immediately informed him of what was going on!


    Whoosh!


    Darren jumped up and rushed towards the Fire Cave at a high speed.


    On an uninhabited island, the young man in black armor flew at the speed of thousands of miles per second, in trace of Darren''s aura.


    However, when Darren and his companions rushed toward the Fire Cave with all their might, a short, stooped old man raised his head and, upon seeing them, laughed in a menacing way.


    In the next moment, he seemed to have chosen a different direction and disappeared from the spot he had occupied just a moment before. In a few seconds, his figure appeared in the Void Holy Land that was thousands of miles away.


    "They''re fooled," the stooped, old man spoke in an icy tone. His face was set in a hard line and his eyes were suddenly filled with cruelty.

 Chapter 580 Crisis Of The Forbidden Areas (Part One)

    Back in the demonic monster domain, a battle was brewing. A bad stench was mixed with dusty air all over the place.


    Darren and the young man in black armor landed just a moment later.


    "Show yourself!"


    The young man in black armor snorted. His eyes stared coldly at the mountain for a long time.


    Boom!


    He swooped in and continued to bomb the entrance of the Fire Cave with his power.


    "Help me."


    The young man in black armor''s voice sounded high pitched as he looked at Darren hastily.


    "Let''s do it together!" Darren shouted at Scott.


    Darren had been unleashing the olive-black force to surround the young man and Scott, in order not to trigger the innate hatred in their bloodlines. His hands raised to wipe the tickling sweat beads from his forehead. Even though he was exhausted, he forced himself to take this step to stop them from consuming each other with hatred.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The three of them attacked simultaneously. Yellow runes flashed out from the mountain as their power struck it, and debris was sent flying in all directions.


    When everything settled down, three pairs of eyes impatiently stared at the scene. Darren continued tapping his feet subconsciously. He expected that the blockade on the mountain would loosen up. Unfortunately, that wasn''t the case. His eyes widened at the scene laid down in front of him.


    "Something is not right. The three of us are joining forces together, and we still could not open the Fire Cave. The blood-essence mutant!" He looked at the young man in black armor. "How did he enter?" Darren pressed his lips in annoyance. He closed his eyes and racked his brain for answers.


    The strength of the blood-essence mutant was a little weaker than that of the young man with black armor. If the blood-essence mutant had entered through the Fire Cave gate, it wouldn''t be impossible for the three of them to open the door the second time. Perhaps he did not enter from the entrance of the Fire Cave.


    The young man in black armor a


    pair of pitch-black eyes stared at them. They could have sworn that it was rather an abyss instead of dark eyes. His entire body glistened brightly, and an expressionless youthful face appeared in front of them.


    "Ah, it is him!"


    The three-star grand warriors stilled and stared at him with wide-opened eyes. They wanted to retreat and call for help, but their feet were glued to the ground. The warriors trembled in fear.


    Slap!


    The blood-essence mutant extended its arm and struck down like a giant hammer towards the three-star grand warriors. They didn''t even get a chance to scream when their heads were smashed into three piles of flesh.


    A slight close-lipped smile appeared on his face that made him look even more terrifying. The blood-essence mutant slowly walked toward the place that he had always dreamed of.


    Along the way, he encountered more warriors, but he crushed all the defenders with his giant hand.


    "Send a message to Darren! The blood-essence mutant has arrived!"


    The three-star grand warrior that remained hidden immediately activated the contact bead.


    As soon as the transmission was completed, a grim black smoke enveloped the entire Void Holy Land. It turned all the humans into piles of blood and flesh.


    In front of the ancient palace, the blood-essence mutant raised his head to look up.

 Chapter 581 Crisis Of The Forbidden Areas (Part Two)

    His dilated pupils stared at the sky for a long time, and the corner of his lips went higher.


    "I am coming for you, my real body!"


    "Ah! Ah! Ah!"


    Inside the hall, deafening cries came through and pierced the depths of the sky and mountain.


    Green flames were kindled in the eyes of a withered man in black robes.


    "His descendant is coming."


    A witcher''s dry hand trembled.


    "Go and report to master."


    The deep and cold voice entered in the ears of the witchers assembled in the hall. The group of witchers in black robes looked at each other and flew into the deepest cave.


    In the middle of the cave, the blood pool kept rolling. A blood-red hand was continually scratching to try and break through the restriction.


    Twelve powerful witchers stood around the pool and started unleashing their Witcher Power. They were trying to suppress it with all their might.


    "Ah! Ah! Ah!"


    The bloody hand sensed the bloodline force outside and started shaking in excitement.


    Those twelve strong witchers seemed to be exhausted. Some of them were forced back because of the extreme flow of energy, but they continued to suppress it. Sweat beads started forming, and the bones of their hands felt like melting. They could barely contain it.


    At this time, the group of people in black robes also released their Witcher Power to help. The furrowed eyebrows of several witchers released. They were soon able to take constant breaths without feeling pressure on every part of their bodies. The extra energy seemed to send a wave of relief into the witchers'' hearts. With their combined efforts, they nearly suppressed the blood hand.


    "What is coming?" After the episode, a powerful witcher started taking long breaths. His voice was dry and trembling.


    "It''s his direct descendant."


    "No, it''s his real body''s blood."


    The assembled witchers carefully checked the aura outside. Soon, the realization dawned in their hearts, and they trem


    to the air.


    The blood-essence mutant stared at his opponent, and blood rushed on his face.


    He gripped his fist tight as he roared at Scott with his red eyes.


    Boom!


    Someone released a strong dark gold internal force that attacked the blood-essence mutant. Dust rose in the air, and they heard a chilling voice of blast.


    Bang! Bang!


    The blood-essence mutant dodged the blast and gritted his teeth as he prepared himself for the attack. His dark eyes flashed, and a blackish fog started to emit from his body. Layers of demonic internal force emerged from his skin. He looked at Darren with his cold eyes as the force began penetrating the dark gold internal force.


    There certainly was a massive gap between the strength of the two sides.


    The blood-essence mutant''s aura was darker than anything Darren had ever seen. Darren was sure that the mutant had the power of a seven-star grand warrior, at the top level.


    The blood-essence mutant''s face turned red with anger, and throbbing veins popped in his neck. He coldly looked at Darren and rushed at him in a flash.


    When Darren''s eyes landed on that ferocious face, he froze on the spot. His mouth hung open.


    "How could it be you? How could it..." Darren''s mouth twisted as he mumbled to himself. He just could not believe it.

 Chapter 582 Return Of Darrens Real Body

    A long lost familiar face appeared in front of Darren.


    Unlike in his memory, that face was now full of infinite evil and hatred.


    "Bruce..."


    Darren whispered. He''d never expected Bruce to be the blood-essence mutant.


    But when Bruce looked at Darren, he was expressionless. He attacked him with no mercy in his eyes.


    The majestic demonic internal force tore out many ferocious space cracks.


    Using the Teleportation Skill, Darren dodged the attack. But when he reappeared, the powerful demonic internal force was still aiming at him.


    Darren activated both his olive-black force and dark gold internal force.


    However, the gap between those two forces and the demonic internal one was too big. They were annihilated in an instant.


    Bang!


    A thousands of feet long figure fell across the sky like a shooting star.


    It was Scott, who was paying close attention to the direction of the attack and headed into the face of the fire to spare Darren.


    His dragon body was badly mangled by the attack and the scales were crushed into pieces.


    "Scott!" Darren was heartbroken. He couldn''t even catch the falling body because his was locked by the blood-essence mutant.


    The blood-essence mutant was so strong. A seven-star top level was one Darren and Scott couldn''t contend with.


    "You are weak."


    The blood-essence mutant sneered as he spoke in the human tongue.


    "Bruce! If you still remember your past, you should stop now!"


    Darren urged him with gritted teeth in a loud voice, his eyes red with rage.


    "Human, the owner of this body has been assimilated by me. Your words are useless.


    Actually, you''re part of the reason for this. If you hadn''t channeled the purest fiendish power into this body, I would never have had the chance to come back to life."


    The blood-essence mutant had read Bruce''s memory and learned what had happened between Darren and Bruce.


    ''No wonder...''


    Darren understood now.


    The demonic internal force he''d transferred to Bruce had purified his fiend blood, which gave that drop of blood essence of the fiend''s first ancestor a chance to come back to life.


    "Thanks to you humans expelling this body''s owner to the mutant clan, I got to have this body. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have had the chance to come back to life, ha-ha."


    The blood-essence mutant emitted a sinister aura. It had been a supreme blessing to him.


    Darren then understood why he couldn''t find Bruce after he''d returned from the Raksa Sea. It tur


    t join the battle at all, so he was extremely anxious.


    Seeing the three fighting warriors, Darren felt sorry for them.


    This moment was very dangerous, however, he could do nothing to help. This powerless feeling was very painful.


    "Go to hell, all of you!"


    Although the blood-essence mutant was also injured, his fighting power was still superior to those of the three.


    Slap!


    The black giant sword was beaten into the ground.


    Kick!


    The giant ape''s body was pierced through.


    "It''s your turn."


    The ferocious blood-essence mutant rushed to the skeleton with blood flames.


    Buzz!


    The whole world suddenly fell silent.


    A piercingly cold wind swept over this broken land, bringing a crisp ringing.


    The claw of the mutant that was about to tear the skeleton stopped.


    Fear filled the mutant as he raised his head and bared his sharp teeth.


    "Sword. It is the sound of a sword. And the light groan of a blade.


    I''m coming! My real body is here!"


    Raising his head, Darren''s avatar looked up to the sky with tear-filled eyes.


    "You''ve done a great job. Thank you so much, my avatar."


    Darren''s avatar disappeared, and another peerless Darren appeared in the sky¡ªthe real Darren!


    "Bruce, my old friend," Darren whispered.


    His robe fluttered in the wind as he looked at the strange yet familiar face.


    Sensing this new Darren, the blood-essence mutant seemed to be frozen for a moment before he moved backward step by step.


    On the ground, the three broken bodies crawled together and sobbed.


    "I never expected this young man could be so peerless now."


    They looked up at the figure in absolute shock.

 Chapter 583 Escape (Part One)

    Time seemed to stop ticking, everything froze at the moment, and Darren did not care about the blood-essence mutant. Instead, he hurried to Scott, who was almost breathing his last on the brink of death.


    While he held on to his head, Darren fed Scott with several pills and activated all of his spiritual energy to help him heal from the injuries that he had sustained.


    After a while, thanks to Darren''s pills and spiritual energy, although Scott was not fully recovered, he was free from danger. After making sure that Scott was stable and secured, Darren flew to the three compelling martial artists of the Ancient Families and gave them a lot of healing pills, letting them heal themselves too.


    "Thank you so much, sirs. If it weren''t for you, I would have been too late," Darren said sincerely.


    In fact, Darren knew everything that was happening in the forbidden area although his real body was inside the Starry Tower all this time. When he saw that the blood-essence mutant was about to break through the restriction of the forbidden area, he was also anxious and shaken. Yet, he was caught between two pressing rocks for his master''s avatar was still trying to remove the cross mark for him. Because of that, he was not allowed to go, lest he endangered his life and everyone that surrounded him. Thus, he was left with no choice but to wait until his master''s avatar was done with extinguishing the cross mark.


    It was lucky for Darren that the three masters from the Ancient Families had helped him to hold the mutant at bay for three days. They had bought him some time and had succeeded in delaying the mutant from reaching the forbidden area, and Darren was grateful to them.


    "It''s fine. Killing these mutants is also our mission while we are in the Bottom Spiritual World," one of the masters said.


    Darren nodded lightly and gave them a


    h?"


    "Ah! It is a return to the original nature!"


    The two masters suddenly made sense of Darren''s attack under the guidance of the other master, who could transform himself into a giant sword.


    "Look at that move! It looked like he was cutting wood with the sword. Yet, if that sword lands on us, we won''t be able to resist. We will just turn into ashes in no time!"


    "You''re right. This is one extremely perfect and devastating attack."


    Awestruck and held in bafflement, the three masters on the ground couldn''t describe Darren''s excellence with words.


    He was so young, but he had the power which was equal to a seven-star grand warrior. It was incredible that a cultivator of both sword cultivation and blade cultivation could be that close to the extreme. What a terrifying warrior he was.


    The masters could hardly imagine how powerful Darren would be the moment he advanced into the seven-star Grand Realm or even the Holy Realm one day.


    And what if he would be lucky enough to enter the Emperor Realm as well? How earth-shaking would it be? How dominating and compelling would he be?


    In the thick of all the masters'' thoughts about Darren, an arm covered with black scales fell to the ground with a thunderous thud.

 Chapter 584 Escape (Part Two)

    Hell-for-leather, the blood-essence mutant half knelt in front of Darren. He looked up at him in horror, unable to believe that Darren thwarted him at once.


    "Human, you are so powerful," the blood-essence mutant hollered.


    "No, you are too weak,"


    Darren replied calmly, looking down at the frustrated mutant.


    Though it seemed to be that Darren was sardonic, he was, in fact, not mocking the blood-essence mutant. In all truths, Darren felt that the mutant was weaker than he thought.


    Even when Darren had just reached the Grand Realm, he would be able to defeat him.


    In other words, as far as his skills in combat were concerned, the blood-essence mutant was just as powerful as a seven-star grand warrior at the beginning level. Specifically, the mutant couldn''t even reach the middle level of a seven-star.


    "Weak? You think I am a weakling, huh? Then let me show you how strong I am!"


    the blood-essence mutant roared, and the demonic internal force on the surface of his body exploded. The power resisted Darren''s blade and sword intents that were looming around him.


    "He does make some improvement, but it''s still too weak!" At the sight of the mutant''s show of power, Darren shook his head. He could tell something was not right.


    Kill!


    Despite the weakness and frailty he could sense on the mutant, Darren did not pay attention to that strange feeling. Ironically, he activated his dark gold internal force and threw a lethal strike at the mutant.


    "Haha! Come and kill me!"


    Peculiar to what Darren had expected, the blood-essence mutant laughed crazily as he resisted Darren''s dark gold internal force. The mutant seemed very happy.


    "Darren, go to Dragon Sect. Hurry up!"


    Suddenly, out of the blue, a face appeared in the sky. The face sh


    ade a mistake, couldn''t help himself from turning pale and sweaty.


    "There are no conflicts between us. Just let me live. Let me live,"


    begged the young man in black while joining his hands in a praying-like gesture.


    In the Void Holy Land


    "I am the leader of the Sacred Palace. Darren, can you hold on for another day? We will gather all the power and break through the space to come and face that fiend."


    At this moment, another face appeared in the sky and addressed Darren.


    Anxiety was written all over that face, but the superiority in his aura made Darren want to give in.


    Darren knew without hesitation that the man was a warrior of the Holy Realm.


    "No, I can''t,"


    Darren replied shortly, on the spur of the moment.


    Weighing things out, Darren knew that diabolical aura from the fiend was no weaker than the aura from the leader of the Sacred Palace. There was no way Darren could resist the fiend at all.


    This was just the escape of one arm of the fiend''s first ancestor. Its next goal was undoubtedly the other seven forbidden areas. Once the eight pieces went into one, even the person who became the holy emperor would have no choice but to die.

 Chapter 585 Did Darren Run Away

    "Ha-ha, my real body, the first fiend ancestor, is finally out. You will all die now."


    The blood-essence mutant''s avatar laughed wickedly.


    From the moment he was born, he''d been looking forward to the arrival of his real body.


    Darren''s clothes fluttered in the wind, his eyes shining with determination.


    "Even if you''re a mere avatar, you should have been torn apart!"


    Darren didn''t show mercy. His Blade and Sword Domain covered the blood-essence mutant''s avatar.


    "Kill me if you want!"


    The blood-essence mutant''s avatar was oddly excited.


    But then he exploded into a mist of blood as the sword went through him.


    "All of you, go and stop the fiend right now. Stop him even if it''s at the cost of your lives!"


    The command came from an imposing voice in the sky.


    "As you command."


    The three martial artists of the Ancient Families bowed towards the sky and flew towards the Dragon Holy Land.


    "Darren, hurry up! We may be able to stop him with the Soul Exploding Rune and the Killing Elixir." The voice came from the sky again.


    "What''s the point? All this will do is add to his extensive headcount."


    Ignoring the order, Darren flew to the east with the wounded Scott.


    "Damn it! That prick just ran away! He ran away!"


    The anxiety was written all over the face in the sky.


    In the Sacred Palace of the Medium Spiritual World, the desolate air was filled with desperation.


    Many martial artists who exuded a strong aura stood on both sides of the hall in silence.


    "That brat has ignored my orders and ran away. I''ve misjudged him!"


    A middle-aged man in a golden robe stood at the end of the hall, his face twisted in anger.


    Considering how dire the situation was, Darren should have been fighting to the death right now.


    "Ha-ha, that boy doesn''t have backbone, yet you''ve treated him as a genius and a lifesaver. Do you finally see his true nature?"


    This came from the old man who''d visited Darren before. He still held a grudge against Darren ever since he was scolded by the middle-aged man.


    "Where are my top ten law enforcers?"


    "Yes!"


    Ten martial artists dressed in light golden robes with spears in their hands stood up after being summoned.


    They happened to be the strongest martial artists here, and every one of them was an inferior holy warrior¡ªa warrior at the inferior stage of the Holy Realm.


    "Work with me! Let''s shatter the space and kill the fiend ancestor!"


    the middle-aged man in a golden robe shouted and took the lead in flying out of the palace


    uppress the fiend.


    Darren''s powerful attacks were slowly breaking through the gate.


    In the Dragon Holy Land


    The blood red figure stared at the black-armored young man who was kneeling on the ground.


    "Come home."


    The words were so softly spoken that they almost sounded hesitant.


    "No, no!"


    the young man shouted madly, then sprang up from the ground and kept backing up.


    But the blood red figure reached out his hand, and a strong demonic power rushed towards the young man.


    "Ah!"


    Screams pierced through the air and into the distance.


    The black-armored young man''s body melted away and transformed into a pure demonic internal force that flew towards the figure.


    A few seconds later, the young man vanished as if he''d never existed.


    A howl of triumph was released from the figure as his aura got stronger with the surge of power he''d absorbed.


    He looked in the direction of the Holy Lands.


    Right then, all the forbidden areas of the other seven Holy Lands began to roar as if strong demonic power was about to erupt.


    The blood red figure soared into the sky in a flash.


    However, many strange runes suddenly appeared and blocked his way.


    After crashing into the wall of runes created, he was surprised to find himself being pushed back several feet away.


    Figures in black robes appeared in the air, their eyes glowing with a green light.


    "Roar!"


    He hit the wall of runes with his huge hand and the wall immediately broke into pieces.


    The witchers took this chance and began to cast a spell on him.


    Their withered bodies were burning with green flames. The auras of life and death were constantly interspersing with one another.

 Chapter 586 Crazy Eddy

    Streams of burning Witcher Power emitted from their bodies and formed a net that covered the bloody fiend.


    The bloody fiend roared ferociously. With each roar, several mountains collapsed, and a few witchers fell from the sky.


    "Twelve Star Witchers. Let''s suppress this bloody fiend!"


    Twelve powerful witchers flew out of the forbidden area of the Dragon Holy Land.


    When the blood-essence mutant first entered the forbidden area, they chose to stay hidden and did not stop his advance.


    They knew that once the blood-essence mutant stepped into the forbidden area, his blood energy would be assimilated by the first fiend ancestor, which would give him additional power. And this process could not be stopped.


    Thus, the twelve powerful witchers chose to avoid the fiend when he was at his strongest in case they were slaughtered one by one. By remaining safely hidden, they could bide time till when it was right to strike the creature.


    At this time, they stepped out of hiding and burned their Witcher Power to trap the bloody fiend.


    The bloody fiend''s claws continued to smash the net. The ordinary witchers were either burned or killed by the shockwaves from his attacks.


    Witchers were limited in their abilities as they mainly served as an auxiliary function. Consequently, they were not very powerful. Hence, none of the witchers could kill the bloody fiend singlehandedly. As a result, after so many years, they could only suppress him in the forbidden area instead of killing him.


    "Mister Honor, we can only trap it for six hours."


    "Then give me everything you got! Let''s hold him back for as long as possible!"


    Once the order was given, twelve strong witchers removed their black robes in unison, revealing their bark-like dry skin.


    They closed their eyes and clutched each other''s withered hands. Soon a raging green flame spread across their bodies.


    The bloody fiend, enveloped in the green net, remained motionless to save energy as he waited for his moment.


    Meanwhile, Darren finally broke through the prison cell where Eddy was held.


    "Aha, I didn''t expect that you would release me."


    Eddy rushed forward. Anger reflected in his expression.


    "Why don''t you use your skill to suppress the bloody fiend?" Darren felt as though something was wrong.


    "Humph, I understand that I have to stop the bloody fiend, but before that, I need to kill you!" Eddy''s rage had driven him crazy. He had been suppressed for several years, and he had convinced himself that it had been Darren''s fault. Had it not been for Darren, Eddy would have become an overlord credited with unifying the Bottom Spiritual World.


    "Do you think that you can defeat me with your pathetic s


    e Witcher Power loosened. Blood light flashed in the blood fiend''s eyes as he began to move.


    With a simple swipe of his hand, the creature destroyed the net. Soon, the twelve witchers vanished into thin air.


    He stepped forward as if enjoying this freedom.


    Whoosh!


    A huge black sword shot toward him.


    Unfortunately, it was turned into dust when it was a thousand feet from his body.


    Next, before a giant ape''s fist landed on him, he annihilated the ape.


    Then a human figure with blood flames all over his body exploded about ten miles away from the fiend.


    The creature was so powerful that even a seven-star grand warrior couldn''t get close to him. How could anyone stop him?


    The sky became overcast, and the ground trembled.


    It looked like doomsday.


    The middle-aged man in the golden robe in the Medium Spiritual World continually attacked the space. However, his palm had turned bloody because of his constant attacks.


    The spears of the ten powerful law enforcers broke over and over again, but they didn''t give up and continued with their attacks.


    However, at this time, the blood fiend had arrived at another forbidden area.


    Even if he had reacquired a part of his body, he would be unstoppable and more than powerful enough to kill the middle-aged man in the golden robe and the ten prominent law enforcers.


    Buzz.


    All of a sudden, the whole ground began to reverberate like bees.


    The sun, the moon, and the stars appeared in the sky before they began to fall to the ground. At the same time, a huge black hole appeared in the middle of the Medium Spiritual World. It seemed as though the huge black hole was absorbing something.


    "Ah."


    The middle-aged man in golden robe stopped as tears of joy flowed down his cheeks.


    "The worlds are now merging."

 Chapter 587 Arresting Darren

    When the two worlds trembled, a huge black vortex appeared in the middle.


    The sky shook when a terrifying world power shone from the black vortex.


    This was the reason why Hiram the Great and the witcher ancestor had divided the Lothlann Continent into three worlds. The re-merging of the worlds would produce an enormous force.


    Previously, this force had been used to deal with the first fiend ancestor''s complete body. Now, it was needed again.


    The Bottom Spiritual World was so dark that the sun, the moon, and the stars seemed to have disappeared.


    On the dark ground, the bloody fiend released an evil aura as it levitated in the air.


    The creature raised his head when he felt that the mighty force released from the black hole would tear him apart.


    This was just the precursor of what awaited him.


    At this time, inside the Red Inferno Sect''s dungeon, Eddy continued working his rule power.


    His rule power was already at its peak.


    Every rune that he drew was destructive.


    "No! I don''t want to do this!"


    He struggled, but the Rule Force in his soul was so strong that he couldn''t disobey it.


    Eddy had no choice but to complete the task.


    Darren stood still. When he sensed the terrifying primitive power between heaven and earth, he did not dare to move.


    "Kill!"


    After a while, the rule power completely controlled Eddy.


    He exerted all his strength to activate the legendary skill. If seen from the depth of the void, the Bottom Spiritual World looked like a small stone flying toward the black hole in the center of the land.


    And when the Bottom Spiritual World was embedded in the black hole, the power of the worlds'' fusion burst forth.


    A cyan halberd was condensed from the gap in the fusion.


    Tremendous fear coursed through countless creatures as they glanced at the cyan halberd.


    In the Medium Spiritual World, in the eighteen cities surrounding the continent hundreds of millions of kilometers away, influential figures stared at the sky before bowing respectfully before the halberd.


    "Hiram the Great''s battle halberd has been released. It seems that the first fiend ancestor has resurfaced."


    "How did the battle halberd come out so early? There''s no holy emperor in the eighteen cities yet. Without the protection of Hiram the Great''s battle halberd, our years of efforts would be in vain."


    "That''s right. As junior holy warriors, even we can''t leave this city. Once the first f


    is at least a seven-star grand warrior at the top level." Darren was shocked.


    Then Darren saw countless men with spears in their hands.


    Darren recognized them when he saw their purple armor. They were the law enforcers of the Sacred Palace!


    "Wow!"


    Darren gasped.


    Hundreds of people who had surrounded Darren were emitting the aura of a seven-star grand warrior, and none of them was weaker than the martial artist in the purple armor that Darren had first seen.


    It was just too shocking. When was the last time anyone had seen any of the seven-star grand warriors?


    "I''m Darren, and I am here to check on the status of the fiend." Darren immediately saluted.


    "It''s you! Arrest him!"


    one of the law enforcers commanded. When he heard Darren''s name, his face darkened. He then released his powerful force upon Darren.


    "What? Why would you want to arrest me?"


    Darren was puzzled. He had been trying his best to stop the fiend. Although he had not eliminated the fiend himself, he still deserved some credit. Why would they want to arrest him as soon as they met?


    "You did not obey our lord''s order and escaped. For that, you will receive severe punishment. Return with us and we just might show you some mercy."


    "I ran away? Ha-ha. This must be a joke!"


    Darren sneered. If he had listened to their so-called lord and had not left to find Eddy, he would have died. The blood fiend would have occupied the world, and all the creatures would have probably been killed as well.


    "I''m sorry, but I won''t do what you have asked!" Darren shouted seconds before his blade and sword intent hummed to life.

 Chapter 588 Resolving The Confusion

    A blade and sword intent vortex emanated from Darren''s body.


    "Wow, this guy is so powerful."


    The law enforcers were shocked.


    As a sever-star grand warrior, of course they could sense Darren''s blade and sword intent level. It was almost at the extreme blade and sword intent level.


    "You take him down,"


    the leader of the law enforcers ordered.


    Since it was clear they feared Darren, they''d sent ten seven-star law enforcers to attack him.


    "Young man, I advise you not to resist, or you will be seriously punished!"


    "You want to arrest me without a reason? I have no crime. Why will I plead guilty? What kind of law enforcers are you? Even pigs are better than you!"


    Darren was very angry. He''d worked so hard, but in the end he''d been labelled as a deserter.


    "You are a little loser! Kill him!"


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Ten fiery red spears were thrust at Darren one after the other.


    Darren activated the Teleportation Skill to fly up in the air and waved his blade and sword to counter the coming spears.


    Clang!


    His attack broke three spears.


    "His blade and sword are the divine weapons!"


    The law enforcers'' spears, which were made of top-level materials and infused with runes of rule cultivators, were extremely hard. Despite that, those spears were all cut off by Darren. That proved how divine his weapons were.


    Whenever a law enforcer lost his spear, he retreated, and then three more came to their aid.


    Anger surged through Darren, making him unleash the Blade and Sword Domain.


    "The domain skill?"


    When the ten law enforcers saw Darren use his domain, they also used theirs. Their domains were equal to that of seven-star level grand warriors, which weren''t inferior to Darren''s Blade and Sword Domain.


    So Darren''s domain was completely suppressed by the ten law enforcers'' domains.


    Bang!


    Darren had no choice but to release a dark gold internal force, stirring up a strong storm, and attacked the ten law enforcers.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Even if they used their domains at the same time, their figures would still be blown away by a few hundred feet.


    "The power of his Blade and Sword Domain is really extraordinary.


    I''m afraid only our leader can be an opponent to him."


    The law enforcers were shocked, sensing the great power of the dark gold internal force.


    They were referring to the leader of the hundreds of law enforcers here. He possessed the power of a top level seven-star grand warrior.


    Although other law enforcers were a little weaker, their powers were close to that of a top level seven-star grand warrior. So they were confident that they could fight Darren together.


    An hour passed where Darren managed to injure a dozen law enforcers. However, when the third group of law enforcers unleashed their attack, Darren was at a disadvantage.


    "Your combat skills are amazingly effective. But you hurt ten of my elites. For that, I will get you!"


    Then one of the law enforcers whose aura was even stronger than that of Darren shot into the center of the battlefield.


    had torn the first fiend ancestor into pieces in the middle of the continent. At that time, both Hiram the Great and the witcher ancestor were on the verge of death. At the last moment, they hurriedly sank that piece of land to make it into the Bottom Spiritual World. However, they couldn''t transfer the forbidden areas out of it as it had been blocked by the witcher. Therefore, the forbidden areas had always been part of the Bottom Spiritual World.


    The Bottom Spiritual World has been its own world since then, hiding an important method from Hiram the Great. If three-star and higher grand warriors stayed in the Bottom Spiritual World, it would have been very easy to destroy it. Therefore, the three-star and higher grand warriors were not allowed to stay in the Bottom Spiritual World. If we made Hiram the Great''s method go to waste, we would be sinners.


    That''s why we can only send appropriate law enforcers to the Bottom Spiritual World with Lord Donald''s permission. We must leave here immediately after our mission ends and none of us are allowed to stay."


    After listening to his explanation, Darren understood their reasoning.


    The Bottom Spiritual World was a resource left for the descendants of the humans before the death of Hiram the Great and the witcher ancestor. Because of the unstable space, the existence of the three-star and higher grand warriors in the Bottom Spiritual World was prohibited.


    Once someone exceeded the peak of three-star Grand Realm, he or she would be recruited into the Medium Spiritual World.


    It was commonly known that before the Bottom Spiritual World had been upgraded, it would collapse under the full attack of a four-star grand warrior, let alone a five-star and higher masters.


    "Well I more of less understand all of this. But there is one thing I don''t understand. As far as I know, the Lothlann Continent is divided into three parts: the Bottom Spiritual World, the Medium Spiritual World and the Upper Spiritual World. So where''s the Upper Spiritual World?" Darren asked.

 Chapter 589 Who Is Guilty (Part One)

    Resembling a puzzle with a missing piece, Darren''s question baffled the law enforcer in golden armor as well.


    After searching the back of his mind for answers, he replied, "I don''t know either, because nobody in the whole Sacred Palace knows where the Upper Spiritual World is."


    "Well... It''s so strange," Darren murmured.


    "You used to live in the Bottom Spiritual World, and the setup there was too limited. Unlike your old world, there are many strange things and setups in this real Lothlann Continent. You can try to find about the place and see for yourself later," the law enforcer suggested.


    After that, the law enforcer shifted his gaze from Darren towards the far horizon. As his eyes narrowed to a point across the vast land that stretched before them, he instructed Darren to speed up.


    After flying for what seemed like an eternity, they finally arrived at a palace which was a hundred thousand feet tall¡ªunbelievably strange yet surreal.


    In front of the palace, while he followed with his eyes the pinnacle of the towering palace, Darren felt himself just much smaller than a tiny ant. It even reached to the point that he felt tiny as a grain of dust¡ªalmost negligible and close to nothing.


    Aside from the unique feature of the palace, the ancient glorious aura that was exuding from it filled Darren with great respect and reverence towards the place.


    "Hoo, no wonder it is called the Sacred Palace. It is way more magnificent than any other palaces I''ve ever seen," Darren praised, with his mouth gaped open.


    "Let''s get inside now. We can talk about this after we meet Lord Donald," the law enforcer urged Darren, breaking him out of his wondering and amazement.


    Inside the palace, e


    hod that Hiram the Great left to us just because of him. And I know that you know, the witchers can suppress the fiend''s body parts for another five hundred years at most. By then, how can our human race fight against the fiend before a holy emperor is born? In my opinion, we were forced to use the weapon and skill that Hiram the Great had left for us. It was a great crime that Darren had committed!"


    the old man said sternly, stressing out that Darren needed to be punished. Anyway, that was what he wanted from the start.


    Hearing the old man''s stern tone, Donald slowly nodded his head and said, "You are right. I will scold him for a while when he comes."


    "What?"


    The old man wanted to say something more, but Donald stopped him. His raised hand was enough for the old man to understand that he was already fed up about the issue. Thus, he kept his silence and didn''t delve in deeper lest the punishment meant for Darren might end up as a punishment for him.


    ''Just scold him for a while?'' the old man thought silently. It was apparent that he was not satisfied with the lord''s discretion, but he didn''t dare to say anything more.

 Chapter 590 Who Is Guilty (Part Two)

    Soon enough, just as they wrapped up with their conversation, two figures came towards them from the other end of the palace.


    Darren followed the golden-armored law enforcer and stopped in front of Lord Donald. The law enforcer then remained silent in an empty seat at the left side of the palace, and even his breath was concealed.


    At that very moment, there were ten law enforcers in golden armors on both sides of the palace.


    These ten law enforcers were the best warriors, and each had the combat power of an inferior holy warrior. Thus, it was not hard to imagine how powerful the Sacred Palace was.


    "Darren, will you plead guilty?"


    The voice of the middle-aged man spread all over the palace while his eyes were closed.


    "What?"


    Surprised at the question, Darren made a high-pitched tone query.


    According to the law enforcer who led Darren to the Sacred Palace, the lord would apologize to him. What was with the sudden change of the plan? How could he be so angry and even ask if Darren would plead guilty?!


    "My Lord, may I know what I''m guilty of?" taking a step forward, Darren said calmly, standing straight.


    "How dare you!" the old man on the side berated furiously. After a pause, he continued, "Your attitude was so arrogant even when you are in the presence of our leader. You should kneel and make a salute, but you didn''t. Being so disrespectful is your first guilt!"


    Darren''s eyes swept over the old man after he heard that. It was not until he saw the old man''s face that he realized that it was this conceited old man who thought he was superior to others.


    "Why do you have to be so unreasonable? Let me ask you, why should I kneel when I''m not from the Sacred Palace? I addres


    Shouldn''t I resist? Since you think Eddy is influential and can''t be killed, you still can send the law enforcers to prevent him from killing innocent people, right?


    But, you didn''t send out a few weak law enforcers to help us until Lawrence fought to the death to protect us. You were trying to wait for the moment that my sister was devoured by Eddy so that he can become stronger and kill us all!"


    as if hitting a bull''s eye, Darren snapped. He had seen through every plot in the incident.


    Indeed, if the Sacred Palace had sent a strong law enforcer to suppress Eddy, then he would have been subdued a long time ago. Consequently, he would never have had the chance to seal the space passage.


    Besides, from what the law enforcer who came to rescue them had said to Darren, it was clear that the Sacred Palace didn''t care about Darren''s life at all. They only cared whether Eddy''s will was satisfied!


    "Ha ha ha! What a talkative brat! Do you think that after you have talked so much nonsense, you can avoid your punishment? If that is the case, you are just too naive!" the old man who had been silent for a long time sneered coldly.

 Chapter 591 Badlands

    Darren shot a cold glance at the old man.


    "If you have to make trouble out of nothing, I don''t mind teaching you a lesson here!"


    Although the old man had mastered two or three true rule prototypes, he was at most as powerful as a top-level seven-star grand warrior. Darren still stood a chance of defeating him.


    "How arrogant this brat is! At your word, Lord Donald, I will have him punished!" The old man''s eyes twitched as he was humiliated by Darren''s words.


    "Shut up,"


    Donald said flatly and then looked at Darren.


    "You are good at arguing. Like you said, even if the Sacred Palace is partly responsible for the incident, it is an undeniable fact that you have wasted the weapon and skill that Hiram the Great left us. You cannot do this with impunity."


    "Why are you so unreasonable?" Darren''s chest heaved violently.


    "Guards!" Donald looked at the people guarding the door with a flushed face. "Exile him into the Badlands. Ban him from entering the area of the Sacred Palace for one hundred years," Donald ordered without looking at Darren.


    The old man pursed his lips as his eyes landed on Darren. What kind of punishment was that?


    He took a step forward and was about to speak, but Donald''s cold eyes swept on the old man, sending shivers down his spine.


    "Enough. You are annoying me on purpose!" Donald''s lips twisted into a dark smile that was even more terrifying to the old man. "Perhaps you would care to make the decision?"


    Donald''s robe billowed and a terrible pressure descended on the old man, making him almost kneel.


    "No, I dare not," the old man said in a trembling voice. His face became pale as if he had seen a ghost.


    "Humph, take action right now!"


    Darren''s jaw clenched after he heard his punishment.


    Although he didn''t know what the "exile" meant, it was obviously a punishment. He hadn''t done anything wrong, why should he be punished?


    Buzz.


    Darren raised his hands, releasing a wave of blade and sword intents.


    "What are you doing? How dare you defy me openly? Since that''s the case, one hundred more years for you!"


    Darren''s face was cold. He took out his sword and rushed out of the palace.


    Donald''s expressions hardened. "Catch him!"


    "Yes, sir!"


    Ten golden-armored law enforcers'' eyes lit up at the same time, and they rushed after Darren.


    Clang!


    A long spear flashed in front of Darren, and he stopped in his tracks.


    Darren''s back broke into a cold sweat. The aura attached to the spear was too strong to resist.


    His stunned face was apparent, and two golden-armored law enforcers saw an opportunity. By the time Darren decided to move, the law enforcers had twisted his arm behind his back.


    Darren, marched by the golden-armored law enforcers, could not resist at all.


    He was easily suppressed by the inferior holy warriors.


    Darren was marched all the way to a place fu


    p by people from other forces. Donald had to do something to protect them.


    The door had already been closed from where Darren was thrown into the clouds. He remained in daze for a while and still wondered why Donald was forcing him to go through such tribulations. When Darren recovered, he stood up and scanned the area, only to have his forehead creased. Was he in a wilderness?


    This cloud was actually like a transmission array, but the transmission location was very special. This vast territory was actually a huge prison.


    This place was especially used to imprison evil men. After thousands of years, no less than ten million of them were confined here. After generations, it became a small world.


    The current world in front of Darren had the presence of both vicious and honest men equally.


    Darren''s mouth twisted, and a frown found its way to his face. Why was Lord Donald so apt in sending him to this godforsaken place without thinking twice?


    What kind of punishment was it?


    Just as Darren was about to give up his last straw of hope, something caught his eyes. He squinted his eyes to scan it for a while. When the realization dawned on him, his mouth fell open. "What is this? An extraordinary magic herb?"


    Right before him, he could see wild ginseng with an abundant spiritual energy that waved back and forth because of wind.


    "It must have lived for at least fifty thousand years!" Darren picked the ginseng and found that the spiritual energy it contained was ten times more than that of an ordinary magic herb.


    ''Unfortunately, it''s useless for me to absorb its energy.'' His face contorted at the thought. Darren put it away. Perhaps, it could become an exciting gift for someone.


    He took a few steps ahead only to halt suddenly. Darren took a step back, and his hand made its way toward his wide-open mouth. Apparently, ginseng was nothing compared to what was before his eyes.

 Chapter 592 The Extremely Shameless Men (Part One)

    With the delicate release of his spiritual sense, Darren inspected the area within one kilometer around him. Surprisingly, he found no less than 50 magic herbs. Moreover, the spiritual energy they contained was higher than that of the ginseng he had.


    Darren''s figure flashed with great speed. Within a few seconds, he had already picked all the magic herbs and put them into his Space Ring.


    "No wonder there are so many strong warriors in the Medium Spiritual World. The magic herbs stored even in a desolate mountain here possess such superior quality," Darren murmured.


    The magic herbs of that level were better than the ones in the Ancient Void Battlefield Darren had found before. The people of the Medium Spiritual World had such rich resources. The consumption of those herbs would increase their strengths exponentially. As such it would be too strange if they were not strong.


    "Young Master Luke, please let us go! Have mercy on us, please. We have already given you all the magic herbs we had."


    In the far off distance, Darren suddenly heard a girl''s cry. With a desperate tone, the girl pleaded miserably.


    He then scanned the area with his spiritual sense. About a kilometer away from his location, he found a group of people that surrounded a man and a woman.


    Since Darren had nothing to do at that time, he became intrigued about the situation. Immediately, he flew as fast as he could to see what was going on.


    "Young Master Luke, we really don''t have any herbs left now. Please spare us. We only picked three herbs in total and we already surrendered them to you."


    Darren saw a girl of seventeen or eighteen years old. Tears trickled down her face as she complained to someone. A young man of the same age as the girl stood by her side.


    The girl was dressed in plain clothes but she was very beautiful. With her delicate face


    ess words, her face suddenly changed. The previously pitiful expression on her face turned into hatred. With her amazing strength, she jumped up from the ground.


    "How dare you say such things! You really want to drive us to the corner? I can kill you all with Fergus. I already tried being nice. Nonetheless, if you still refuse to let us go and keep pushing us, I will kill you all!" A ferocious expression painted the girl''s face as she snarled at the people around her and Fergus. She began to gather her strength as she released her momentum at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm.


    "How dare you! Who do you think you''re talking to? For your information, our young master has a secret treasure with him. If he is ever in danger, he can use the treasure to summon more grand warriors to help him now. If that happens, your whole village will be killed by the warriors. A miserable faith would fall upon those who oppose him. You should think twice before you take any action!"


    "Humph! I don''t care! I''m going to murder you first!"


    The girl was overwhelmed by fury. The previously delicate face of hers grew red due to hatred. Without a second thought, she immediately drew her sword and was about to dash towards her enemies.

 Chapter 593 The Extremely Shameless Men (Part Two)

    Bang!


    Unexpectedly, the young man next to her suddenly gave her a heavy slap in the back. The girl was shocked by the man''s unforeseen action.


    Darren frowned at the sight. Nonetheless, he remained in his place and didn''t take any immediate action.


    "Fergus, what the hell are you doing? Why did you suddenly launch a sneak attack against me?" The girl''s eyes were filled with disbelief. A trace of blood had already hung on the corner of her mouth. A pained expression was seen on her face.


    "Ella, you are too impulsive. It would be better if you just calm down. How could you act like this in front of Young Master Luke?" Fergus Chen said reproachfully as his eyes met with Ella''s.


    "What the hell are you talking about?! You are my fiance. These people wanted to offend me. Why do you take the side of the outsiders?" Fergus'' words were quite a shock for Ella Chen. She just couldn''t believe that amidst the irrational demands of the people around them, Fergus Chen would tell her to back down.


    "Ella, you can''t act so stubbornly. You should already be aware. If you continue to be impetuous, our entire village would be destroyed. Please realize which is more important, okay?


    Since Young Master Luke is interested in you, you should serve him well. If you do a good job, I believe he won''t make trouble for our village. He might even take good care of us in the future if you perform well. Why don''t you stay with him for a few days and entertain him?"


    When she heard that, Ella Chen grew extremely mad. The anger in her chest almost suffocated her.


    Bewilderment enveloped Ella as she couldn''t comprehend the actions of her fiance. At that moment, somehow, a thought passed by her mind. ''Did Fergus say that on purpose so that


    er anger and terror, she closed her eyes. After a deep swallow, she felt dead inside.


    "Please, Young Master Luke. Have fun with this bitch as much as you can. Forgive her if she doesn''t appreciate your grace. She is just a whore to be used for your pleasure!" Fergus replied respectfully as he bowed and nodded continuously to the young master.


    "Well then, I will enjoy myself. But damn, she sure is beautiful. Guards, take off all her clothes now!" A wretched expression painted the young master''s face as he gave such a vile order. He even rubbed his hands as if to show his perverted intentions.


    "I haven''t seen your body either. You didn''t even allow me to hold your hand before. It''s pretty exciting to see that a prude like you would be broken in front of me. Haha." Fergus laughed wildly as he also felt excited. Not a single hint of shame could be seen in his character.


    ''How can there be such a shameless person in the world? This has gone far enough! I, Darren, have witnessed a lot of ridiculous things today, '' Darren thought to himself with great annoyance.


    The very next moment, a quite handsome figure suddenly appeared in front of Ella.

 Chapter 594 Took His Life

    All eyes were focused on this handsome figure.


    "Damn it! You bastard! Where did you come from? How dare you ruin this pleasurable moment of our young master?" One of the underlings scowled at Darren. "Get on your knees!"


    He continued to throw a glare, but didn''t dare to come close to the handsome figure, who was actually Darren.


    Darren didn''t even look back and ignored the underling''s words. He took off his own outer robe and wrapped it around the girl whose clothes were messy.


    "How can there be such a bastard like you in the world? You are nastier than the ugly bloke!" Darren fixed his eyes on Fergus.


    Why did he allow some other men to have their way with his fiancee? And it seemed like that he had every reason to do so. Fergus was really a scum. Darren gritted his teeth at the thought and looked away.


    "Ha-ha, ha-ha, wow! No wonder you refused to let me touch you even though we''ve been together for three years. It turns out there''s an adulterer here," Fergus said with a smile, pointing at Ella, who was slumped on the ground. "I thought you are a virgin, but you turned out to be a bitch." Fergus smirked as his gaze landed on Ella''s collapsed figure, and his eyes started to travel from Ella''s head to toe.


    "This young man must have slept with you hundreds of times. You are such a bitch. And now you pretend to resist? You must have been thrilled to see that Young Master Luke wanted you. You had only acted innocent in front of me. Fortunately, I''m smart enough to draw your lover out. Humph!" Fergus''s cold gaze landed on Darren.


    Ella gritted her teeth and fell silent. Her eyes started to burn with fury that made her limbs tremble.


    She had always thought that Fergus was a gentleman, but she never imagined that he was such a scum. She was now grateful that she did not give him any chance to touch her.


    Fergus turned his gaze toward Luke. "Young master, please uphold justice on my behalf. You must punish these two assholes!" Fergus knelt in front of Luke unexpectedly.


    Luke pressed his lips together. "Get up, Fergus. This asshole has spoiled my enjoyment. I will also tear him into pieces even without your request!" Fergus was delighted to see Luke''s ferocious face. He licked his lips and looked at the young master.


    "Young master, I can''t detect his cultivation base. I suggest that we should call Captain Hitch over and kill him." The underling at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm stood next to Luke with his chin up.


    "OK. Send a message to Captain Hitch, saying that there is a man who doesn''t know his place wants to rob me. Captain Hitch is a one-star grand warrior. So he can kill this guy quickly." After Luke''s instruction, one of the underlings sent a message to captain Hitch.


    The underling ran back and bowed his head. "Captain Hitch will arrive soon."


    "Well, you guys get ready to attack this lad and test his real strength." The underlings'' eyes lit up after they heard the order of their young master and rushed toward Darren.


    Darren''s cold eyes swept a glance at the running


    Darren. "It''s him! He killed my underling and even wanted to rob me. Captain Hitch, please help me!"


    "What did he take from you, Young Master Luke?"


    "It''s...Err..." Luke looked away and hesitated for a while. "Forget it. Just cut the crap and finish him this instant!"


    "Yes, Young Master Luke!"


    Darren sneered and instantly moved his sword. His body flashed in front of Luke, and he used the sharp blade to attack Luke''s throat.


    "Let me tell you, I took his life."


    Darren threw the head of the young man as soon as Darren finished his words.


    All of a sudden, the one-star grand warrior named Hitch was dumbfounded.


    He was completely stunned.


    Darren had actually dared to kill Luke in front of the one-star grand warrior.


    "The young master is the favorite son of the master of the Black Dragon Fortress. How should I explain his death?"


    Hitch was sweating as he thought of the strength of the young master''s father, who was a three-star grand warrior.


    "You dared to kill the young master Luke in front of me? You will be torn into pieces!"


    The one-star grand warrior''s eyes turned red. He thought that he had no way to live unless he killed this bloke.


    He raised his spear and aimed at Darren.


    "Mister, run! RUN!"


    Tears shimmered in Ella''s eyes, and she stared at Darren. She was scared because of the big man''s terrifying aura. Her lower lips trembled as she imagined Darren''s miserable fate if he didn''t run away. She didn''t want Darren to die for her.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do.


    Darren unhurriedly drew his sword from the sheath and pointed it at the big man. He still had his cultivation level suppressed, and he continued to fight with the grand warrior like an ordinary man.


    He was at a little disadvantageous position.


    Ella was even more distressed at how Darren continued to ignore her pleas. Fergus and the lackey of Luke had been stunned for a while and didn''t dare to look over. They knew that the death of the one-star grand warrior would be inevitable.

 Chapter 595 No Mercy

    Hitch, the one-star grand warrior, was quick to believe that his opponent was nothing special.


    He was just as surprised as he was irritated, then, when he realized that none of his killing blows were coming near Darren.


    "You killed the young master! For that, I''ll kill you right now!"


    As Hitch roared this, he activated his domain skill, and the black iron spear thrust like a phantom toward Darren.


    Darren put on a show as he resisted this power, pretending that it was close to overwhelming his strength. At the last moment, though, he "unintentionally" swung his arm out, landing a heavy punch on Hitch''s face.


    Even as the warrior fell to the ground, Darren pummeled him with several kicks, sending him rolling back several meters.


    Hitch came to a stop, favoring his bruises and glaring up at Darren with wide, furious eyes. As he saw it, he owed his new injuries to his own carelessness, not to any superiority on Darren''s part.


    With his pride thus intact, he barked, "Who are you, boy?!"


    "I came from the Chen Village," Darren answered coolly. He wasn''t about to share his name with this blowhard.


    "Ha! So you have guts enough to tell me where you''re from," Hitch gloated. "You''ll regret that when the Black Dragon Fortress comes to destroy your whole village!"


    Darren raised an eyebrow. "First you''ll have to get back to your buddies alive to tell them about it," he pointed out.


    "Humph! You think you can kill me just because you thrashed me just now? Try and catch me!" Hitch snarled. With that, he produced an Escape Rune from his pocket and activated it with his blood essence.


    The coward was gone in the blink of an eye, but Darren knew that that inferior rune could only take him a kilometer or two away. Not only that, but he would still be easy to track down with spiritual sense.


    In any case, though, Darren had no intention of chasing him down. Letting him spread the word to the Black Dragon Fortress would only hasten their ultimate defeat.


    Seeing that Darren had won, Ella breathed a sigh of relief.


    The next moment, Darren went over and removed the seal from her body with his spiritual sense.


    "Thanks for your help, sir."


    Saying this, she bowed low to the ground with tears of gratitude in her eyes.


    "No need to thank me," Darren replied, turning toward Fergus. "It''s just your own bad luck that you ran into this scum. I''ll kill him for you now, then."


    "Please don''t, sir,"


    Ella said, suddenly on her feet.


    "Why?"


    Darren frowned, staring at Ella in disbelief.


    ''Even after all the evil this man has done, she wants me to let him go?'' he wondered. ''Is she really so soft-hearted?''


    He laughed in derision, shaking his head. "You actually wa


    illage could resist their attack. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have begged for mercy earlier.


    Turning to Darren, she said, "Sir, you must run from here. Get as far away as you can. I''ll go back to the village, explain the situation, and tell everyone to hide. As for my having just killed Fergus... Well, let his father do whatever he wants."


    Darren shook his head, saying, "If members of the Black Dragon Fortress are looking for you, it''s no good trying to hide. I need to just kill them all together. It''s my duty to protect your village, no matter what. You need to take me to your village now."


    "No, sir," she insisted, though she was impressed at Darren''s bravery. "You''ve already saved me from a terrible fate. There''s no need for you to risk yourself any further. There are three-star grand warriors in the Black Dragon Fortress, and they''re strong as gods. If you faced them, you''d be throwing your life away for nothing."


    Darren smirked at her. "Ha! Do you really think I am so weak? I tell you, no one can come within ten thousand kilometers, let alone kill me. Now, let''s get going."


    Having said this, he had a look around with his spiritual sense and spotted only one village within fifteen kilometers. Knowing it had to be the Chen Village, he flew off toward it.


    He left so fast that Ella, wrapped up in her anxieties, was caught off-guard.


    She was just about to follow Darren when she noticed a member of the Black Dragon Fortress nearby. He was hiding and not a little afraid, so she thought she would kill him quickly.


    As Ella drew near, however, something she couldn''t see sliced the man''s body to pieces, which in turn dissipated like dust.


    Looking around, she was alarmed to sense a powerful aura of sword intent close by. "What a powerful aura of sword intent!" she exclaimed.

 Chapter 596 Everyone In The Village Had Been Killed (Part One)

    On the path to the village, Ella sneaked a glance from the corner of her eyes as she walked next to Darren. She could see Darren''s straight and elegant pace.


    "Sir, you..." At the thought of the powerful aura of the sword intent, Ella trembled with fear, and she abruptly closed her mouth.


    Darren turned sideways and frowned. "What''s the matter?"


    Ella hesitated for a while. "May I ask what your cultivation base is? Are you a third-star grand warrior?" She got up the courage to ask Darren.


    "Why do you think so? Do you consider a three-star grand warrior very powerful?" Darren gave a half smile.


    "Of course!" Ella glanced ahead, and her mouth curved into a smile. "My father once said that a three-star grand warrior could even smash a boulder weighing up to ten thousand pounds into powder at one blow. How could a three-star grand warrior not be mighty?"


    The space of the Medium Spiritual World was even more stable than that of the upgraded Bottom Spiritual World.


    At that time when the Bottom Spiritual World was in crisis, Lord Donald, who was a junior holy warrior cooperating with ten golden-armored law enforcers, could not break through the weakened space of the Medium Spiritual World. It apparently meant the space of the Medium Spiritual World was extremely stable.


    A three-star grand warrior was able to smash tens of thousands of pounds of massive boulder, which meant that the person was one of the most powerful individual in the Medium Spiritual World.


    It was only a piece of cake for Darren to destroy several mountains with a blow since he now had combat power of a seven-star grand warrior at the top level.


    "No matter how strong a three-star grand warrior is, that person will always be weaker than me." Darren calmly lift


    and continued to stare at him with wide-open eyes. She couldn''t believe what Darren had just said. Did that mean he wanted to treat her as his sister? A smile slowly plastered on her face.


    "Darren. Big brother, wait for me!" Ella''s eyes glistened with joy as she hurried towards Darren with a grin on her face.


    Darren walked in front of Ella. However, the more he walked, the more he felt something wrong. The whole village was extremely quiet, which was terrifying. Both Darren and Ella slowed their paces.


    "Where is my uncle and others? Why aren''t they at home?"


    Ella murmured as they passed a house.


    Darren squeezed his eyes shut and released his spiritual sense. His energy looked around. Perhaps, he could find out about what had happened.


    However, after searching the whole village with his spiritual sense, Darren stood still.


    Ella frowned and looked at him. "What''s wrong, Darren?"


    "Dead. Everyone is dead."


    Darren found out that there were 780 corpses in the whole village, including different genders and ages. Everyone in this village had been killed.


    "What... All dead?" With a pale face, Ella rushed to the innermost part of the village.

 Chapter 597 Everyone In The Village Had Been Killed (Part Two)

    Darren spared a glanced at her and turned to focus on the current situation again.


    Before they came here, he used his spiritual sense to explore the village, finding everyone was alive and busy.


    When they arrived in the village, he had just talked to Ella for a short while. How could everyone die?


    "Does Black Dragon Fortress have such powerful martial artists? I can''t even sense their existence while they are killing all the people in this village."


    Darren''s eyes narrowed at the row of empty houses.


    Although he had no relationships with the people in this village, he once said that he would save everyone here. But now, all the people in this village were dead. He gnashed his teeth in anger.


    Besides, if he had directly gone to the Black Dragon Fortress, the situation would have been totally different. Even if a few people of the Black Dragon Fortress had escaped, they could have not slaughtered all the people in the village.


    A flush of guilt washed over Darren''s heart at the thought. He was the reason causing their death.


    He never expected that there would be such powerful martial artists in the Black Dragon Fortress.


    Whoosh!


    The next moment, Darren''s figure vanished, and he appeared next to Ella.


    Ella was out of mind. Tears shone in her eyes as she glanced at the familiar lifeless faces on the ground.


    "Dad, Mom, Uncle, Aunt..." Ella murmured. Her lower lips quivered at the sight in front of her.


    "Where is this Black Dragon Fortress? I''ll go and kill them all!" Gritting his teeth, Darren yelled at the top of his voice.


    Ella was silently gazing at those lifeless faces for a while. "Darren, it was not people from Black Drag


    eled down the master''s spine. The pressure slowly started to fill up the master''s body. It became so heavy that he found it hard to breathe, and he fell down.


    Dust rose in the air because of the impact. The master coughed for a while and tried to get up. He had no choice but to give respect to the powerful young man who stood in front of him.


    He never thought there was someone so strong in the world. How could he dare to run away again?


    "I''m sorry, sir! I''m so sorry! Please forgive me."


    Terror overtook the master''s face, and he begged for his life.


    Whoosh!


    A sword intent came over and cut off his head directly.


    Darren would not let off a bandit who participated in a lot of evil deeds.


    Moreover, his son killed so many people because of his status. He deserved to die! Darren did not want to listen to his blabbering anymore, so he killed him immediately.


    "Ella, how did the people in the village die? Tell me, I will get revenge for you. I promise."


    Darren released a hidden force to brush off blood and dirt from Ella''s body. Ella seemed to know who killed the people in the village.

 Chapter 598 The Impeccant City

    Ella was a little hesitant.


    She knew that Darren was very powerful but at the same time, she could not overlook the fact that those who killed the villagers were some of the most evil villains in history. There were talks of how even a five-star grand warrior cowered in their presence and struggled to escape from them for as long as he could.


    She felt that Darren''s power was no match for the enemy''s strength and cruelty.


    Suddenly, a buzzing sound drew her back to reality.


    The sound of clashing metal rang around her.


    Ella soon realized that the buzzing sound was coming from none other than Darren, who realized she doubted his strength. Because of this, Darren decided to manifest his strength to prove to her just how strong he really was.


    Darren''s aura continually grew stronger and as his power emanated outward, his blade and sword intents also grew in their power and all creatures within a thousand kilometers began to tremble with fear.


    Although Ella was under Darren''s protection, she could still feel the power of his blade and sword intents as they radiated throughout the air.


    It was, to her, indescribable as she could not think of anything more powerful than what she was witnessing.


    "Darren, are you a Holy Realm master?" Ella murmured in her soft, sweet voice.


    "Not yet. But I think I will be one soon enough!" Darren answered with confidence.


    Upon hearing what he had said, Ella began to wonder.


    ''If he is not far away from being a Holy Realm warrior, then does that mean that he is a seven-star grand warrior?'' she thought to herself.


    After having witnessed Darren''s formidable strength and having Darren himself reassure her of his abilities, Ella became certain that he was indeed a seven-star grand warrior.


    It was said that all the seven-star grand warriors were legendary masters.


    They only existed in those powerful tribes or clans.


    For so many years, Ella had been under the impression that anyone who came close to a seven-star grand warrior would be murdered without a second thought. In all the tales she had heard about them, they were described to be devils, evil beyond compare.


    However, she had never thought that she would encounter such a gentle seven-star grand warrior such as Darren. From the moment that they had met, Darren had not only helped her many times but also treated her like family.


    Ella suddenly felt blessed to have met him.


    "Darren," she began. "My family was killed by the Divine Lunar Sect, which is a very evil faction." Ella told Darren the whole truth about how the villagers died.


    "How did you know that?" asked Darren, his heart crushed by what he had just found out.


    "The elders told us stories of long ago when our land was inhabited by people who were banished from their homes for the crimes that they committed. All the people who were found guilty for committing such horrible crimes were exiled here and kept away from the rest of the world. As the years passed, the population of the land grew and soon, this land became an independent world.


    But it was said that


    pened the scrolls and scanned them quickly.


    Upon reading them, he immediately understood why the city before them was called the Impeccant City. The scrolls claimed that nothing that the citizens of the city could do would ever be considered wrong. No matter what they did, they were all regarded as innocent.


    Moreover, if they wished to enter the city, they had to pay the guards at the gate a thousand magic herbs or something of equal value in exchange.


    "Darren, do we really need to get in?" Ella was hesitant after reading the scrolls.


    "Aren''t you tired? We''ve been flying around all day. We need to get some rest." After giving it some thought, Darren and Ella both signed the scrolls.


    "Alright. Listen up, you little brats. No one in this city would care about who you are or where you come from. If you die in this city, no one would even give it a second thought. Are you sure you want to go in?" The city guard looked at them with disdain, feeling that neither Darren nor Ella possessed any form of power.


    "Why do you care so much about us? How does this look to you? I dare say it is worth at least two thousand magic herbs."


    Darren unsheathed his sword and waved it in front of the guard.


    The guard''s eyes lit up. He recognized without a doubt that the sword in front of him was no ordinary sword. Why? He knew it was worth far more than two thousand magic herbs!


    "You may enter!"


    the guard shouted.


    Darren looked at him thoughtfully and began to speak. "Thank you! But before we go, I just have one more question."


    The guard sneered at Darren. "Shut up you piece of shit! Get the hell out of here if you don''t want to enter now," he roared angrily.


    "Wait, let him ask! He only needs to give us ten magic herbs!" Another soldier came running towards them and placated the other guard.


    "Here you go." Darren plucked out ten magic herbs from a small pouch and handed them over to the guard. "I just wanted to know. If I killed you, no one would blame me, right? I mean, after all, we are in the Impeccant City."

 Chapter 599 Catch Him

    Hearing those words, the two city guards were struck dumb. There were sudden changes on their facial expressions.


    "Are you trying to cause trouble?" one of the guards questioned, raising an eyebrow.


    The soldier who was at the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm blew up his top. His growing irritation was obvious. "What attitude is this?" he demanded as his voice raised by several decibels.


    "Just answer my question," Darren said calmly. He shook his head disapprovingly with his arms crossed.


    "Go to hell!"


    The other soldier came rushing immediately towards Darren.


    However, a spear was thrown in the air and he too became frozen. His eyes widened and his jaws dropped at the sight of the scene. His lips were pulled back in a strangled scream.


    Bang! The heart-stopping scream was followed by a long drawn-out moan.


    Within seconds, he collapsed on the ground with a loud bang, like a pile of flesh without bones.


    "Don''t you know that this is the Impeccant City? Why are you being arrogant?" Darren threw a cold glance at the other soldier, and walked away with Ella. His face fell and anger was written all over his face.


    "How dare you! How dare you kill the guard of the Governor''s Office? You are so dead!" Those words were charged with exasperation. The living soldier responded in a trembling voice. He was so afraid Darren would hear his words. Driven by fear, he raced blindly ahead.


    "Interesting." The performance was simply electrifying. The audience were totally enthralled. They stood wide-eyed at the cast.


    A young man and two other older men happened to witness this incident.


    "I have someone to play with now." The young man smirked evilly. His eyes, originally narrow slits of red suddenly fluttered open.


    "Please don''t be so careless, sir. As far as I''m concerned, that guy is at least a five-star grand warrior. There is no need for us to provoke him," altered the older man standing on the left beside the young man. He reckoned for a solution, while waiting for what seemed like eternity.


    "Haha, you know I have come out to have fun. With the strength of both of you, the two six-star grand warriors, Whom do I need to fear?" the young man responded in a cold voice. He craned his neck as he let out a wink and grinned.


    "Fritz, you''re just overthinking. Besides the Governor, there''s no one in this place that we can''t deal with," the other older man said to the first older man. He glared in rude amazement. "But please go back after playing for one or two months, sir. If you delay for too long, I am afraid that the Left Guard might blame you." He turned to the young man and made his point.


    "I see. That guy''s sword is pretty good. We can find the opportunity to get it together with some slaves to play along before going back," the young man said.


    The moment he got inside the city, despite the city looking pretty much alive on the surface, Darren could sense a strong killing aura even though there was not a single fighting at all.


    "The killing aura is so strong here. I don''t understand why there are still so many people dropping by." His mind was in a whirl, as his stomach was churning. Darren murmured to himself, looking around at the


    nor''s Office," the other older man said disapprovingly.


    "Yes, you are right. I almost forget this rule. We can''t afford to offend the Governor. He is a strong martial artist of the seven-star Grand Realm."


    The three chatted while following Darren.


    Along the way, many people had already scanned Darren with their spiritual senses to see if he had some treasures with him.


    As a matter of fact, in this city, people who came out during the day were all out to seek some information. In other words, they were out to find the targets they could attack at night.


    According to the rules of the city, no matter what happened at midnight, the Governor''s Office wouldn''t take any responsibility at all.


    Darren found an inn for Ella to have a rest.


    Since Ella was merely a martial artist at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm, it was really a great challenge for her to follow Darren''s pace of flying. Now she was very tired. Her face lifted up with an instant smile when they finally found an inn to rest.


    Inside the room, Ella, who was red in the face, muttered in a low voice, "Darren, why did we only get one room?" she asked, stealing a furtive look around.


    "What? Do you want to be by yourself?" Darren asked.


    "No, it''s not like that..." Ella lowered her head and stammered, "I... I just feel a little bit embarrassed..."


    "Don''t think too much of it. The people here might be dangerous. I just want to make sure you are safe. Get some rest." Darren sat on the floor and began his cultivation.


    "Oh, I didn''t mean that." Ella''s face turned even redder and she felt more embarrassed. Lowering her eyes, she turned away hoping to avoid the stares, pretending nothing happened.


    Soon, the night came.


    Outside of the inn, there were all kinds of noises, which made people tremble in fear. Courage melted away. People were immobilized with fear.


    Whoosh!


    A figure suddenly appeared in front of the window in Darren''s room.


    Darren opened his eyes and shouted, "Fuck off! You are looking for your death!"


    "Humph! You are so arrogant! Catch him!"


    Instantly, countless figures rushed into Darren''s room.

 Chapter 600 An Encounter With People Of The Divine Lunar Sect

    Darren looked around and found that the people dashing in his room were not ordinary people, but all soldiers in armor.


    The one who took charge wore a bright red armor and had the aura of a five-star grand warrior. He was a general, the top leader of the soldiers. As soon as he spotted Darren, he started yelling at him, "You committed a crime and killed the Governor Office''s soldiers. I demand that you surrender now!"


    His yell woke up Ella who had been in a sound sleep.


    "Huh?"


    The general''s eyes lit up the moment he saw Ella''s beautiful face.


    "You are so lucky to have a beautiful girlfriend like her," the general said as he licked his lips in excitement.


    "General, shall we arrest this guy first, so that you can stay and interrogate this beauty alone?"


    one of the vice generals who was familiar with his leader''s taste suggested and winked at him.


    "Well, that''s a good suggestion. The woman is together with a criminal after all; she deserves a good interrogation. You take the brat out, and you have my permission to kill him if necessary," the general said.


    Looking at Ella''s beautiful face, he felt his heart beat faster.


    He''d fooled around with different women for many years, but most of these women were coquettish. It was his first time to meet such a beautiful and pure woman. How could he let her go?


    "But I''m worried we''ll be screwed if we are reported, general," one of the soldiers noted hesitantly.


    "According to the city rules, officers aren''t allowed to participate in any crime, but I''m just an ordinary person today. Do you understand?" The general removed his armor while he spoke.


    "Ha ha, I understand. Then, bro, please enjoy yourself," the nearest subordinate said. Instead of using his title, he''d talked to him casually.


    "You really know how to swim with the tide. I''ll reward you later. Just do your job and get out," the general said with great satisfaction.


    "Yes, sir!"


    Darren watched and listened quietly during all of this. Now, he was plainly irritated by the general''s greed.


    "I had intended to let you go, but you just lost your chance. Don''t blame me; you dug your own grave," Darren said with a shrug.


    "How arrogant! I''ll beat you hard, break your bones and then play all I like with your wife!"


    As he spoke, the general dashed towards Darren, attempting to kill him with one strike.


    Although Ella was a little nervous, she knew that these people were no match for Darren. Thus, she didn''t run away.


    Bang!


    Darren punched the general''s head abruptly and instantly. Without any warning, the general''s head exploded like a watermelon.


    "What? Ho


    ouldn''t dare act rashly.


    However, a strong sense of hostility exuded from Darren instead.


    "How can you prove that you are a member of the Divine Lunar Sect?"


    Darren went through everything in his head. He wanted to get more information about the sect.


    "Ha! Are you afraid now? I''m the son of the Left Guard of the Divine Lunar Sect. How dare you try to kill me?"


    Hearing Darren''s question, the young man stupidly thought that he''d frightened Darren. He then tore his collar and a cross mark appeared on his skin.


    If it were anyone else, he might not have been able to tell whether it was true or not. But as soon as Darren released his spiritual sense, he immediately felt a familiar aura. The aura was exactly the same as the half cross he had in his body before.


    "Well, tell me then, where is your Divine Lunar Sect?"


    Darren asked with a sneer.


    "Shut up! What makes you think you have the right to inquire about our sect''s location?" shouted the old man that hadn''t spoken so far.


    "If I can''t do that, then you can go to hell now!"


    Darren disappeared into thin air. When he reappeared again, the sword and blade slashed the old man''s neck in an extremely ordinary way.


    The old man glared at Darren as the life drained out of him.


    A six-star grand warrior was killed in the blink of an eye. It was a shock, of course, to the remaining two.


    Naturally, for a warrior of this level, his talent in martial arts was pretty good. Thus, Darren assimilated the dead old man''s talent at once.


    "Fritz!" the remaining old man cried out hysterically. "Even if I die today, I''ll take one more person along with!"


    In the next moment, an enormous force came from the old man''s hand and dashed towards Ella''s throat at lightning speed.

 Chapter 601 Marked Again (Part One)

    For a six-star grand warrior, killing a person at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm would be a piece of cake. With a single blow and most straightforward move, he could easily defeat such an opponent. So normally, it wouldn''t be difficult for the old man to kill Ella.


    However, now that Darren was here, the old man stood no chance.


    Relentless and unstoppable, Darren''s blade and sword intents had already appeared behind the old man and instantly pierced into his heart.


    Right then and there, he died instantly before he could have the time to adjust his power to resist and even launch a counter-attack.


    Right after he made sure that the old man was lifeless, Darren assimilated the martial talent of that old martial artist. To his advantage, the old martial artist''s talent was more than enough for him. Consequently, assimilating such talent boosted and strengthened Darren''s talent degree.


    "Great! My talent degree is very close to level six of the Heaven Degree," Darren exclaimed in excitement.


    Now that he had assimilated two warriors'' martial talent, which were both substantial, Darren''s talent degree had increased a lot.


    Darren had used up his spiritual crystals. Only when his talent degree reached the Genuine Domain Degree, could he upgrade the stage of his cultivation base the fastest way possible.


    Seeing that the two old men were dead, the young man that was left scared to death fell on his knees to the ground helplessly.


    "You, how dare you kill the subordinates of my father? Aren''t you afraid of the payback from our Divine Lunar Sect?" bellowed the young warrior despite the trembling of his voice.


    "Ha-ha, I have already killed the two of them, and I will also kill everyone from your sect.


    that such an explosion killed the clayed man. Yet to his horror, the clay figurine seemed to be invincible, immortal even.


    "Ha-ha."


    A peal of dull laughter resounded in Darren''s ears as the rumbling of fallen rocks and debris ceased.


    What was set before Darren''s eyes was a clay figurine, who was as big as a baby. The baby-like figure smiled at Darren before it tore open a space crack and crawled in¡ªvanishing and escaping from Darren''s wrath.


    At the thought of how the vile creature had slipped through his fingers, Darren felt both angry and surprised.


    Especially when he thought about Ella, although he and Ella had not known each other for a long time, they were at least friends. His heart ached when he saw that she was killed right in front of him. The worst thing was that he wasn''t able to do anything to save her at the very least.


    Above anything else, he was astonished by the origins of these clay figurines. How could they tear up space?


    However, Darren could tell that the clay figurine he had encountered was not powerful enough. If he fought him with his full force, he would definitely be able to outmatch the clay figurine.

 Chapter 602 Marked Again (Part Two)

    When everything was calmed and settled, Darren was left standing, alone, desolate, and filled with remorse and misery. All these mixed up emotions made him frown momentarily.


    Yet, torture and torment didn''t end there. Horror filled Darren''s eyes when he saw in his chest the mark of the cross. This time, however, the mark was made to completion.


    As it all synced into him, Darren''s face turned livid with rage. After all that they had done to him, Darren was overwhelmed with hatred at these unknown subjects.


    "Come on if you want! I''ll kill all of you!" Darren roared, shaking the whole city with his uproar.


    But after this shout of challenge, the noise in the Impeccant City suddenly quieted down as if they were jounced and shuddered by Darren''s powerful aura.


    To vent out his anger, Darren roared and roared incessantly until he was parched and exhausted.


    He wanted to find Ella''s dead body and give her a decent burial that she deserved. Howbeit, he searched high and low, but he couldn''t find anything, as she was reduced to dust by that vile figurine creature.


    "I''m sorry, Ella. You may rest assured that I will kill those creatures from the Divine Lunar Sect to avenge you and your family''s death!"


    Clutched on his hands was the dust from the ruins as he made such a promise to Ella in a deep voice. After shedding a tear or two, Darren soared into the sky at breakneck speed.


    As soon as he was midair, a powerful aura locked in on him.


    "No need to hurry," whispered a voice in Darren''s ears.


    "What?" asked Darren in a puzzled tone.


    Whoever it was, Darren knew that he was not that weak when it came to both talents and intents, but Darre


    er was in dire desperation and at the loss of words on how he could persuade him further.


    "Well. In fact, if you join the Sacred Wind Palace, for our protection, there will still be a condition for you to conform upon. Once the Divine Lunar Sect invades us at any time, you will have to come and help us no matter where you are. That is the sole condition,"


    Zavier revealed with embarrassment.


    "The Divine Lunar Sect?" at the mention of the sect, Darren asked with great interest.


    "What kind of sect is the Divine Lunar Sect? Why are they coming after human warriors everywhere?" Darren asked further, eager to learn more about the malevolent and contemptible sect.


    "It seems that you have also faced people from the Divine Lunar Sect, haven''t you?" Looking at Darren''s curious expression, Zavier smiled slightly.


    "Yes, and I believe that they have left a mark on my body," Darren said, opening his chest and revealing that cross mark for Zavier to see.


    At the sight of the horrible mark, Zavier''s face darkened at once. It was as if he had seen the devil face to face as represented by the mark.

 Chapter 603 Deep Valley (Part One)

    "You have been marked, that could only mean one thing, and that''s trouble," Zavier frowned while mouthing out the words slowly.


    "What trouble do you mean?" probed Darren further. He was intrigued by how the expression changed on Zavier''s face as he talked to him about the mark.


    "Those who are marked are not only chased by people from Divine Lunar Sect, but also by the mysterious sect behind them. The worst thing about that is the chase only ends the moment the one who has been marked died.


    You are so powerful at such a young age. What a pity! It''s only a matter of time before you die or disappear at the hands of those sects." As he was narrating that, Zavier was quite sorry for Darren''s fate. He couldn''t wrap his head around the thought of wasting such a one of a kind warrior as Darren.


    "I am sorry, but I am a bit clouded. Can you make it clear for me? What do you mean by the mysterious sect behind the Divine Lunar Sect?" His eyebrows were on the flick, and the creases on his forehead deepened as Darren asked.


    "I just heard that they are like babies made of soil. They are very sinister and terrible creatures based on accounts of those who had encountered them. Once they targeted one person, one can never break free nor escape their wrath. But no one knows when and where they will attack," Zavier responded at once. His eyes never left Darren''s face while he relayed the information to him.


    "I have come face to face with that creature, you said. It was indeed peculiar, but powerful not one to be taken for granted. But, let me clear this out. In other words, the so-called Divine Lunar Sect is not the clay figurines?" One question after the other, Darren was determined to learn more about his oppressors. Thus he constantly asked queries from Zavier to gather as much information as he could.


    "Of course not. The members of the Divine Lunar Sect are the followers of the clay figurines. Moreover, they are especiall


    n I reach the seven-star Grand Realm, maybe I''ll possess the power on level pegging to the inferior holy warrior, or even higher, '' Darren thought silently.


    On one incident, Darren had heard from Mathew that the seven-star Grand Realm was a vast realm, and reaching the apparent peak of the seven-star Grand Realm would enable one to kill an inferior holy warrior.


    But Darren, at the extremes of it, felt that Hanson and Mathew, who were at the seven-star Grand Realm, could even kill the golden-armored law enforcer of the Sacred Palace!


    Being with Mathew''s company, Darren had witnessed how potent he was when it came to battle. Thus it would be fair to say that he was well aware of how terrible Mathew''s killing sword intent was.


    Similarly, Hanson had cultivated both blade and sword simultaneously. The moment the poison was removed from his body, he would be even more potent than Mathew. Hairs on his back stood on ends at the thought of how devastating and destructive would Mathew''s and Hanson''s powers be. Darren could not put into words how dominant would the two of them be.


    Therefore, as he saw himself on the same level with them, the instant Darren stepped into the seven-star Grand Realm and reached the top level, he assumed that he would also have the strength of Mathew!

 Chapter 604 Deep Valley (Part Two)

    With the inspiration provided by such outlook, Darren flew fast in the sky and used his spiritual sense to explore.


    Many people who owned stalwart talents of martial artists, and myriads of variant beasts were scattered across the Medium Spiritual World. Knowing that fact, Darren naturally wanted to find opportunities to improve his talent.


    After flying steadily for three days and nights, a deep valley separated from the world caught Darren''s attention. The valley was dark and mysterious. With the aid of his spiritual sense, he faintly felt that there were many powerful creatures along the valley.


    As a feast for a famished man, those powerful creatures were undoubtedly a treasure for Darren. He had seen an opportunity for him to assimilate their powers somehow and advanced his level.


    Thus, wasting no time, Darren dashed into the deep valley. He didn''t mind the darkness nor the eerie ambiance at all. His mind, as well as his heart, was focused on throwing himself on the pool of overflowing powers.


    As a loud thud was heard when Darren landed on firm ground, a deep, raspy, and grotesque roar reverberated across the valley. Many of red eyes that appeared to be vile and malevolent looked at him occasionally.


    "This place is a blessing in disguise. There are plenty of four-star and five-star variant beasts that just roam around, pristine and untapped," gawked Darren at the sight of sources of power for him.


    What hyped him more was Darren found more than five thousand variant beasts in the deep valley, and none of them was weak. He thought he would make use of all of his time to assimilate as much as he could and would not allow a single beast to go astray.


    Although the varieties of the beasts did not possess powerful talents, there were a lot of them. Accumulating all the minute talents each beast could offer would eventually add up to something massive, and Darren was with all hopes for that.


    Soon enough, Da


    arable to the shape of a top-level of a seven-star grand warrior.


    ''Did this mean that such a strong body could even remove impurities after absorbing this plant?'' Darren asked himself.


    "It meant that this plant was the supreme magic herb for marrow refining! Or it was the precious treasure beyond magic herb!


    It''s really precious. If I absorb a large number of these plants, my body will be much stronger!" exclaimed Darren.


    With such realization, Darren began searching for the plant again. But after flying for a long time, he still couldn''t find another stem of it rooted on the ground.


    But he didn''t stop and kept flying deep into the valley. He even scurried high and low in search of the stray plant.


    The further he went, the darker it got at the crease of the valley. Strangely, while he was in the valley, Darren felt that his spiritual sense was suppressed a lot, so he could only sense about a kilometer around at most.


    "Why do I sense a dangerous aura?"


    As Darren suddenly felt a chill down his spine, he had a strange feeling that something was staring at him.


    With his increased strength and heightened sensitivity, he would never have this kind of feeling without any reason.


    Thus, taking an extra ounce of caution, Darren slowed down and became very vigilant.

 Chapter 605 Inherited Magic Herbs

    Darren then moved on cautiously. With fog surrounding him, this place looked even darker and more terrifying.


    He wasn''t afraid of it. After all, he was a powerful martial artist.


    The way narrowed as he moved forward. In the current scenario, Darren''s spiritual sense could only cover an area of dozens of meters around him.


    This strange atmosphere made him even more curious about what was going on inside.


    Darren continued to move forward. In the narrow channel between the black rocks, he saw a weak green light.


    "Huh!"


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat. He knew what the green light was. It was the green magic herb he had absorbed before.


    Hundreds of such herbs stood on both sides of the mountain wall. He had to tilt his head up to see them all. It was probably hundreds of meters high.


    Darren did not hesitate at all and prepared himself for flying over.


    Just as he took off, his brows snapped together after he felt a little pressure that went against his direction. The pressure intensified, but he kept flying and clenched his jaw to suppress the urge to retreat.


    With his power and strength, he only flew more than two hundred meters high and picked dozens of such herbs.


    "It''s a weird place. It seems like something is suppressing me." Darren''s forehead crease grew deeper only when he started finding it hard to go against the pressure anymore.


    He sighed and flew back to where he was initially standing. Dozens of herbs were enough for him to absorb for a while.


    Darren sat on the ground with his legs crossed, trying to absorb the green herbs.


    He felt a steady stream of warmth coursing through his body. The energy from the herbs surrounded him and started entering his body as if he had been an empty vessel.


    After what felt like hours, he was done absorbing all the green herbs.


    Darren woke up from his trance and picked up his divine sword. His hand gripped the sword tightly only to force its pointed end at his stomach.


    Clang!


    A crisp sound rang out. The divine sword did not pierce through his skin. It only left a white trace on his body.


    "Good!" Darren was thrilled. He had just used sixty percent of his power to stab the skin. Typically, with this strength, he could pierce a seven-star grand warrior.


    He swung the blade toward his arm with force.


    This strike was full of sword and blade intents, and it had used more than eighty percent of his strength.


    After another crisp sound, a shallow wound appeared on his arm, like a thin blood line.


    "I merely broke my skin when I used more than eighty percent of my strength. So my physical strength has increased more than ten times!


    What kind of magic herb is it? It''s just so powerful!"


    He darted his eyes at the swaying herb


    und was covered with countless cracks. His body rushed up.


    ''This guy is almost as powerful as me in terms of physical strength. Who the hell are they?''


    Darren did not show up. He was observing from above.


    When the strong man rushed up, the young man with animal skins couldn''t help but want to rush up as well.


    "What a fool you are! Haven''t your patriarch told you about the existence of a mighty guardian who is protecting the inherited magic herbs in the last challenge? Just wait, Riley is about to get hurt." The woman wearing a mask sneered. Her eyes landed on the stilled young man with animal skins.


    The big man sprinted to the spot about 200 meters high, and it was 80 meters lower than where Darren was hiding.


    "Ha-ha, I get it!"


    The strong man obtained a thumb-sized herb that emitted a green light.


    This herb was too small so Darren didn''t pick it up.


    Whoosh!


    A sound of air-breaking came, and a blood hole appeared on the strong man''s arm.


    His mouth hung open, and he took a few steps back.


    "Watch out! The guardian is coming!" The woman''s face paled for a second, and she couldn''t help but shout loudly.


    The three of them stood in a stance and stared at around the cliff with narrow eyes. They stood like a statue, but nothing happened.


    Darren smirked above them. It was him who threw a small stone at the strong man, and it hit through his arm.


    "You can leave now. You don''t deserve the inherited magic herbs."


    Darren released his hidden strength to circle around his throat. The impact made his cold voice echo throughout the cliff.


    The three of them trembled momentarily before coming back to their senses. "Ah, the guardian has spoken. What should we do now?"


    The young man dressed in animal skins retreated a step. He felt that the master of the voice was very powerful.

 Chapter 606 The Tomb Of A Holy Rule Cultivator

    "I''ve told you that there are powerful guardians here," the masked woman hissed threateningly. "If you''re not careful, you may just end up like Riley here, or worse. The brainless lout just got off with one wound, and he''s lucky to still be alive at all."


    "I am not brainless!" snarled the strong man named Riley Kui, striking his fists together in rage.


    Without waiting another second, he started to run towards the woman.


    Luckily the young man clad in animal skins, whose name was Carter Qiu, restrained him. "Wait a minute!" he cried. "The three of us have made it this far, but passing the last challenge won''t be easy at all. If we fight among ourselves, none of us will make it in the end. So, just listen to Abby''s suggestion. We''d better work together and kill the guardian instead."


    Riley Kui gave a snort at that, but backed down all the same. He had to admit Carter Qiu had a point.


    Rather than replying, the woman drew forth a weapon of some kind, though with such an air-cutting speed that it could not be identified at first.


    As she flung it upward, it turned out to be a length of hemp rope, and it attached itself to the crevice in the rock wall above them.


    Riley Kui offered a sly smirk. "It seems that your tribe treats you very well," he said with a chuckle. "They even gave you the tribe''s special weapon."


    From the precipice above, Darren watched this exchange with some interest. Despite the rope''s humble, simple appearance, it gave off a powerful ancient aura similar to that of Darren''s divine sword and blade.


    "Now, that''s interesting," he said to himself. "Let''s see who has the more powerful weapon, then."


    Saying this, he quickly lashed out with his sword and blade.


    Dazzling runes shone in the air as the sword and blade sliced at the rope.


    Still holding onto it, the masked woman trembled as though lightning was passing through her, and a terrific pain shot through her body.


    The moment passed, but her insides still tingled slightly.


    Turning aside, she spat blood, then quickly drew the rope back to herself.


    To her dismay, it now sported a nasty cut, one almost deep enough to sever it completely.


    "It must be the guardian!" she cried. "How powerful is he?!"


    Astonished, the three companions turned and looked around for their attacker. Almost losing that special weapon without warning had to have been a nasty shock.


    "Oh, have I gone too far?" Darren asked himself, smirking. He decided, though, that he''d spent enough time messing with these people.


    From their conversation, he deduced that they were here in search of those green magic herbs, and that they''d passed many difficult trials just to reach this place.


    Ready to talk to them now, Darren dropped from the cliff wall and came out into view.


    As soon as the three noticed his approach, they cautiously stepped back.


    Having expected the guardian, they were not sure what to make of this stranger.


    Remarkably handsome though he was, Darren looked like almost any ordinary young man.


    "Our clan patriarch said that the guar


    oken out in a cold sweat upon hearing his warning.


    "Don''t misunderstand, sir," the masked woman said to Darren, though at the same time she was glaring at Carter. "I wasn''t talking about you. What I meant was that I don''t want to give up. We haven''t even tried to get into the ultimate forbidden area yet."


    Riley stared at her like she had two heads. "Are you out of your mind? That''s not going to be easy, nor will it take a short time to get through."


    Hearing this, Darren smirked and relaxed the blade and sword intents. "Oh, I get it now. You want me to take you there because I''m so tough, right?"


    The masked woman looked at him, suddenly overjoyed. "Are you willing to help us with that?"


    Darren gave her a hard look. "Let me tell you something. If I hadn''t killed those metal creatures, all three of you would be dead now. And none of you stand a chance against a seven-star grand warrior. You do realize that, right?


    You ought to be grateful that any of you are still alive at all. So why are you so interested in risking your necks trying to break into the ultimate forbidden area?"


    Before answering, the three exchanged looks. They had a feeling that this young man was not trying to scare them off, nor did he have any reason to try.


    It had never occurred to them that they would have to face off against seven-star metal creatures, much less that Darren had saved them from such a confrontation. If they had broken in by themselves, they would indeed have been killed.


    "Sounds like you also had a hard time dealing with those creatures," the woman said under her breath. "That''s why you didn''t dare to go to the ultimate forbidden area."


    Seeing that Darren was still silent, she continued, "You''re right, of course. Who indeed would dare break into the tomb of a senior holy warrior? In fact, he was a holy rule cultivator. That''s why the true rules have been buried for hundreds of thousands of years now."


    "The tomb of a holy rule cultivator?" asked Darren slowly. Now this sounded very interesting indeed!

 Chapter 607 Making Friends

    Darren always believed that he wasn''t strong enough when it came to rule cultivation. But that was mostly because he didn''t have much of a chance to perfect his rule cultivation base.


    However, he was definitely more than qualified to become a powerful rule cultivator.


    His body was in the best shape to help him become a powerful rule cultivator, with the level twenty-five Spirit Power he''d awakened and the One Rule Tower in his body.


    That was why, when he heard the woman talk about the tomb of a holy rule cultivator, he determined to check it out.


    "What are your names respectively?" Darren asked.


    "I''m Carter Qiu, the big guy is Riley Kui and this beauty is Abby Ji. We are from three different tribes nearby." At first, Carter had wanted to order people from his tribe to kill Darren, but he''d been intimidated by the man. After sensing Darren''s imposing aura, he took the initiative to introduce himself and his friends so they could endear themselves to Darren.


    "Nice to meet you! My name is Darren Chu. I''m about your age. I found myself here by accident. If you''re all right with it, I''d like for us to be friends," Darren told them sincerely.


    The three of them looked at one another.


    While the young man in front of them was very strong, he didn''t mean them any harm. It was rare to find a powerful warrior that was humble, so befriending him would definitely be to their benefit.


    "Ah ha, this was just a misunderstanding. Let''s forget about it. We would like nothing more than to be friends. In any case, I''m 138 years old. How old are you, Darren?" Riley asked.


    "138?" Darren was stunned.


    "Yes, he is. Riley is the strongest warrior of the younger generation of the Bulk Tribe, and he is a bit younger than us. Darren, I am guessing you''re a little older than him, aren''t you?" Carter, the young man in animal skins said.


    "Well...I''m more along the line of thirty years old." They looked to be around twenty years old to Darren. He hadn''t expected them to be over a hundred years old.


    Though to be fair, Darren realized that one probably shouldn''t guess the age of a powerful martial artist by his or her appearance. Scott was over a hundred years old after all, but he looked around thirty.


    "What? Are you serious? You are only 30 years old?" Hearing Darren''s age had shocked the woman named Abby Ji.


    In their tribe, a person was only considered an adult after turning one hundred and fifty years old. Darren was only thirty years old, meaning he was just a child.


    It wasn''t just Abby Ji who was shocked by the news, the other two were just as amazed. How could he be so power


    iting me to stay with you. I didn''t really have any other places to go anyway," Darren replied.


    "You are very welcome. I''d like you to help me in cultivation when you have time."


    "Yes! Darren, you are much more powerful than us. Would you please tell us how to improve our skills?"


    "No problem. But I don''t think I am strong enough to instruct you guys. I can give you some herbs, though," Darren said with a smile.


    "Darren, you are really modest. Oh, come to think of it, why haven''t people from our tribes come to pick us up? They should have been prepared a feast to welcome us since we''ve succeeded in breaking into the forbidden area." Carter realized something was very wrong.


    "Bullshit! Why do you need others to welcome you? Don''t be such a show off. Let''s go, the tribe is 700 kilometers away by flying." Abby glared at Carter.


    "I''m not trying to be vain at all! Breaking into the forbidden area is a very big deal. No one has been indifferent to this accomplishment like this before. I''m just worried that something might have happened."


    "Fine, you''re right. Let''s head back and see what''s going on."


    Hearing this, Darren began to probe their tribes carefully.


    His spiritual sense was not suppressed in the outside world. With his Spirit Power, his spiritual sense could cover a thousand kilometers around in the Medium Spiritual World.


    "Your tribes are being slaughtered."


    Darren frowned. He sensed a huge man with a big iron hammer fighting vigorously against three old men.


    Most of the houses in their tribes had been destroyed. There was blood and bones everywhere.


    "We need to get there as fast as we can!" None of them even questioned Darren''s words. Together they flew into the sky and headed back.

 Chapter 608 Kill Them All

    They could reach a distance of more than a hundred kilometers in a matter of seconds.


    Darren followed them closely behind.


    "They are from the Tiger City!"


    The three of them saw that there was nothing left of their tribes but ruins and felt resentment bubbling up in their hearts.


    Riley was itching to exact revenge and wanted to fly over to fight but Darren stopped him.


    "If you go now, you will die in vain."


    Darren observed the fighting in the skies. The big man with a sledgehammer possessed the strength of a first-class law enforcer from the Sacred Palace while the three old men matched the strength of seven-star grand warriors at the middle level.


    Now all three of the old men were badly beaten and injured.


    "Johnson Zang, I have given you everything you have asked for! Now that you have killed him, what more could you still possibly want?"


    one of the old men roared.


    "Do you want to live? How dare you offend my son!" The big man showed no mercy and instead, he attacked with more ferocity.


    The pressure from the attacks were almost too great for Riley and his other two companions to bear. They almost fell out of the sky as the fight ensued.


    "Darren, we ask for you to lend us your strength."


    The three companions knelt in the air simultaneously.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll help you." Darren used his force to hold them up.


    "Johnson! If you still do not choose to surrender, our ancestor will ensure your death once he appears!"


    Johnson Zang chuckled. "That''s funny. Are you really trying to frighten me, a Governor, who is unbothered by all this talk about ancestry? Even if your ancestor shows up, I will not be beaten. Go to hell!"


    Yellow light began to radiate off of Johnson Zang''s skin and with this, he placed his power into his sledgehammer and delivered a painful blow that knocked one of the old men down from the sky.


    Johnson Zang chased the old man''s fallen figure and raised his arm to drive his sledgehammer into the man''s skull.


    "Patriarch!" Abby''s eyes brimmed with tears. If the hammer hit her patriarch, he would surely die.


    Suddenly, there was a loud bang!


    To Abby''s surprise, the hammer didn''t fall on the old man''s head.


    Instead, the hammer was blasted into the sky and it vanished.


    Johnson Zang took a step back and looked down, in shock of what had happened.


    From out of nowhere, a young man appeared. A powerful energy surrounded his body and the strength of his blade and sword intents was magnified. When Johnson''s sledgehammer made contact with the young man''s blade, the sledgehammer flew from the sheer force and Johnson Zang was left weakened.


    "Who are you?"


    Johnson


    the air.


    However, the three old men were overjoyed.


    "Ah, it''s our ancestor!


    After three thousand and two hundred years, our ancestor has finally come out!"


    The three old men bowed to him in reverence.


    Upon learning of the arrival of their ancestor, all the other members of the three tribes also bowed to him.


    A figure slowly stepped out of the smoke.


    Darren immediately felt the strength of the figure''s sword intent.


    Darren sensed that it was unique and powerful.


    The more that he studied it, Darren realized that it was the extreme sword intent, which was a higher level than the one that Darren had been able to master.


    Buzz.


    Darren''s sword intent began to buzz by his side as it, too, sensed the figure''s power.


    Tension filled the air and everyone began to fear an imminent fight between Darren and the ancestor.


    "Sir, Darren saved our three tribes," one of the old men said in a trembling voice.


    The ancestor seemed to not have heard him and continued to move towards Darren.


    Their two sword intents clashed in middle of the air.


    In an instant, Darren''s sword intent vanished as he withdrew his sword and returned it to his side.


    "Your sword intent is quite unique and powerful. I am no match for you, sir,"


    Darren said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.


    "No, you are being too humble. If you also activated your blade intent, your power would definitely be able to match mine. You are indeed a genius!" the ancestor, who was wearing a cyan robe, said.


    At that moment, everyone let out the breath that they had been holding in and they were all relieved that neither man had the intention of fighting the other.


    Everyone also gained more respect towards Darren as they saw him to be on par with their ancestor!

 Chapter 609 Get To Know The Extreme Level

    The so-called ancestor was a middle-aged man in a cyan robe. He approached Darren. As soon as he stood nearby, his sword intent made the sword core in Darren''s elixir field produce a low buzzing sound.


    ''The sword intent the man released is probably less than fifty percent of its power. At its maximum power, the extreme sword intent must be really terrible, '' Darren thought.


    He could feel the sword intent more clearly now that he was closer to the man in the cyan robe.


    Darren then compared the man to Mathew. They had their own merits, but the sword intent of the man was not as intimidating as Mathew''s killing sword intent. Overall, the man''s combat effectiveness was probably higher than Darren''s but slightly weaker than Mathew''s.


    "I was at a critical juncture of my cultivation when the trouble started. I couldn''t help but want to stop my cultivation to save my inferiors. Fortunately, young man, you saved them and the three tribes. Thank you," the middle-aged man said.


    "You are welcome. Please, consider it a small favor. By the way, sir, have you reached the Holy Realm?" Darren asked.


    "Ha-ha-ha." The middle-aged man gave a bitter laugh before explaining, "I haven''t completely mastered the Holy Will. Thus, I didn''t make a complete breakthrough to that realm."


    "Really?" Darren''s eyes lit up. "Sir, do you have insight about the Holy Will?"


    "That''s right. After over 3000 years of hard work, I finally gained some insights about it. But, if I want to comprehend it thoroughly, I can''t reach my goal by mere closed-door cultivation," replied the middle-aged man.


    "Then, sir, may I ask you some related questions?"


    Hanson had been instructing Darren when he was in the Starry Tower. However, as Hanson had been poisoned for an extended period, his understanding of the little bit of Holy Will had dissipated. So, he couldn''t teach Darren.


    Mathew had sensed some will about killing sword intent as he chose the Killing Cultivation. But it was not suitable for Darren.


    Although the middle-aged man seemed to walk on a unique road and pursue sharp and fierce skills, his cultivation method was a little similar to Darren''s sword intent. That was why Darren wanted to learn from him.


    "I would like to chat with you, as well, my little friend. Let''s speak after I settle some business here," the man said to Darren.


    Then, he turned to the crowd and instructed, "You may leave for the moment. I guess you need time to clean up the damage and bury the dead. When the right opportunity comes, I will help you get revenge."


    "Yes, sir!"


    Everyone present responded respectfully by kneeling.


    With their ancestor''s and Darren''s help, they were not afraid of anyone who wanted to make trouble.


    assed can you reach an extreme level.


    I can sense that you''re cultivating both sword and blade intents at the same time. It''s one of the biggest Conflicting Cultivations in the world. Maybe, you have already taken a different path," Isaac Hu added.


    What shocked him most was that Darren cultivated both sword and blade intents at the same time.


    From ancient times till now, many people had tried to walk down this path, but they died miserably. No one became a senior holy warrior, let alone become a holy emperor.


    It was amazing that Darren had reached such a level while practicing sword and blade skills simultaneously.


    "Well, thank you for your advice, sir. I will try to explore my path." Darren cupped his hands and expressed his gratitude.


    "That''s great to hear. Darren, let''s go. I''ll show you my shallow Holy Will." With a faint smile, Isaac Hu looked into the distance.


    "Sir, what do you mean?" Darren asked as confusion coursed through him.


    "Have you forgotten that those pests invaded my tribes? I have to teach them a lesson. If I swallow the insult and humiliation silently, they will think that I''m dead," Isaac Hu said through gritted teeth.


    "You are right." Darren smiled before continuing, "But, Isaac, since your surname is Hu, how could you be the ancestor of the three tribes? I remember their surnames are Kui, Qiu and Ji."


    Darren was puzzled.


    "Ha-ha, these three tribes were created by three of my disciples. As they hadn''t achieved anything of significance, they respected me as their ancestor."


    "Oh, I see. Then I''ll go with you. Let''s see how strong the so-called big tribe, who dared to attack the three tribes, is," Darren said with a smile.


    "That''s good to hear. Let''s go to Tiger City first," Isaac Hu suggested. Then, he flew toward the north with Darren.

 Chapter 610 Another Shameless Coward

    Darren and Isaac flew side-by-side till they reached a city.


    "Is this Tiger City?"


    "Yes, this city has existed before my closed-door cultivation," Isaac said before he turned to look at the buildings below him


    "Zang Clan members, come out!" Isaac roared. His voice was so powerful that the whole city trembled with fear. Many people shivered as they looked up at the sky.


    Several middle-aged men rushed out of Tiger City''s Governor''s Office.


    "Who the hell are you? How dare you act like this in Tiger City?"


    These people seemed to be subordinates of the dead Governor, Johnson.


    Isaac and Darren probed the people and found that they were at the level of six-star grand warriors.


    "I killed Johnson. Now, I want to speak with his son. Bring him here, or you''ll die," shouted Darren.


    The rumbling sound shocked the people who were flying toward them. Astounded, they did not dare to go forward.


    "Wow, his energy is so strong! Go and inform the uncles." With anxious expressions, they instructed another member to apprise the other members of the Thousand Souls Tribe.


    "Isaac, should we stop them?" Darren asked when he sensed that someone had flown out of the city.


    "No need. I''m not here to make trouble for Tiger City. I''m here for the Thousand Souls Tribe. So, for now, we will let them inform the tribe. Otherwise, I won''t be able to intimidate the tribe."


    After Darren heard what he said, he understood Isaac''s strategy. Killing some members from Tiger City''s Governor''s Office would be counterproductive.


    If Isaac wanted to avoid trouble in the future, he needed to intimidate and deter the powerful members of the Thousand Souls Tribe.


    After an hour''s wait, an old man finally flew toward them.


    "Who are you? Why do you bear a grudge against the members of the Zang Clan?"


    The old man in a black robe asked when he saw Darren and Isaac.


    "Are you the one to speak for the Zang Clan?


    You want me to answer your questions even though you know that Johnson Zang has killed thousands of disciples of our tribes?"


    Isaac asked coldly.


    "Shut up! How dare you kill him? Johnson is the direct descendant of the Thousand Souls Tribe. If you dare to act recklessly here, I will kill you on the spot," the old man shouted.


    "Are you denying the crime he has committed?" Isaac''s face turned c


    gs.


    Bang!


    Then Darren kicked him with one-thousandth of his strength. He was not inclined to allow the young man a quick and painless death.


    "Ahhhhh!"


    The young man fell in a pool of his blood, tumbled about, and shouted.


    "Sir...sir, please believe me. This bitch coerced me to attack!"


    Even after Darren punished him, the man continued to blame his mother.


    Isaac, who was standing next to Darren, was fuming with rage. Blue veins stood out on his forehead.


    With a quick movement of his finger, a sword intent slit the young man''s meridians. Isaac was so furious that he wanted to torture him.


    However, the pain Isaac inflicted on the young man was not enough for Darren.


    He immediately launched a spiritual attack. In a flash, a spiritual arrow penetrated the young man''s brain.


    The young man trembled with pain and had no strength to speak. The agony coursing through him made him think that it would be better if they just killed him.


    Seeing this, the woman fell to the ground and sobbed.


    "It''s your misfortune to have such a son. Don''t feel sorry for him. He deserves it," Darren said before taking to the sky with Isaac.


    "Mother, help... help me."


    The young man glared at the woman with bloodshot eyes. His meridians and soul ached all over.


    "This is all my fault. I shouldn''t have spoiled you. I deserve to die," the lady said weakly.


    "Bitch...bitch, hurry up. Save me..."


    Swoosh, swoosh.


    Silence filled the room as the young man''s head rolled on the ground. His mother had cut it off with a sword.

 Chapter 611 Let Me First

    Darren and Isaac ignored the young man and flew toward the sky to wait for the others.


    Boom.


    After a short while, the sky was overcast with thunder and lightning. A massive crowd of people was approaching them.


    "It looks like there are a lot of people." Darren smiled calmly.


    "Humph, they are just small potatoes. I''ll teach them a lesson."


    Isaac snorted as he released a tremendous amount of extreme sword intent and directed it toward the advancing people.


    In a flash, the people began falling from the sky.


    "Who the hell are you? How dare you fight with the Thousand Souls Tribe?"


    With a thunderous roar, a man released an attack aimed at Darren and Isaac.


    Bang!


    The space trembled.


    Isaac took half a step back. However, the attacking man flew backward for hundreds of feet before he was able to stop himself.


    "Ha-ha! You seem to be a powerful man. Are you a top-level seven-star fist cultivator?" Standing with his hands clasped behind his back, Isaac looked relaxed.


    "What''s your name?" the man asked while staring at Isaac with shock. In only one attack, he could see that he was at a disadvantage.


    "I am the ancestor of the three tribes. My name is Isaac Hu." With his eyes half-closed, Isaac looked rather indifferent.


    "Isaac Hu? I''ve never heard of you. It doesn''t matter if you have an influential background. You provoked the Thousand Souls Tribe. You must die for your sins. Kill him now!"


    The man knew that he couldn''t defeat Isaac singlehandedly. After he shouted, two other powerful men at a similar level immediately flew over.


    "Well, well. Three versus one? No matter. I will kill you all." Isaac showed no fear as he readied himself for the fight.


    "Hold on, Isaac." Darren smiled faintly as he stopped Isaac with his hands.


    "What''s wrong, Darren?"


    "You said that you would like me to see the little bit of Holy Will that you have comprehended. I don''t think these weak figures warrant its use. Why don''t you let me deal with them? After I kill them, more powerful people will come to avenge their deaths. You can help me fight them. What do you think?"


    Darren glanced at the three men. Through his probing, Darren could sense that they had reached the top level of the seven-star Grand Realm by cultivating their own skills.


    However, the top level of the seven-star Grand Realm was incomparably vast. Their powers were still far from that of real masters! Darren wanted to practice with them.


    "Darren, the


    idn''t expect you to be so powerful. Ha-ha."


    "You are flattering me. These warriors were just small potatoes. If you had fought them, I''m certain that you would have killed them all with one blow," Darren said, modestly.


    "Ha-ha. You did well! Now, let''s stop talking. It''s my turn next. The Thousand Souls Tribe has several powerful masters, and one of them is comparable to an inferior holy warrior. I''d like to fight against him,"


    Isaac said as they levitated mid-air. They were still waiting for the powerful members to arrive.


    The people in the city below were shocked by the scene.


    They trembled with fear because of Isaac''s and Darren''s auras.


    "Listen carefully. This is the consequence for anyone who dares to offend our three tribes."


    Isaac''s warning reverberated through the whole city.


    "They come from the three little tribes? I didn''t expect that the three little tribes would have such powerful masters."


    "You are right. They killed the masters of the Thousand Souls Tribe. Obviously, they have more powerful skills. The situation is going to change. Do you think we will be captured and forced to be slaves?"


    "That''s possible. We''d better hide."


    Everyone was terrified and hid in their cellars at home.


    Howl!


    Howl!


    A sky rending growl echoed through the city.


    A young man appeared. His aura was much stronger than the three men that Darren had defeated.


    "Wow, this person''s power is not bad. He seems to be close to the inferior holy warrior level," Isaac said with his eyes half-closed.


    "Can I fight against this one as well?" Darren asked with a sly smile.


    "No way!" Isaac said sternly.

 Chapter 612 The Young Man With Holy Will (Part One)

    "Isaac, let me practice first. If things get worst and I really can''t defeat him, you can intervene and help me. Is that all right with you?" Darren asked, hesitant whether Isaac would conform with him or not.


    "I fear that his strength is extraordinary. If anything happens to you, I''m afraid I can''t save you in time. You''d better not take the risk."


    It was reasonable for Isaac to say so. That man was also a swordsman, and he looked very overpowering. Judging from his aura, the man should have practiced Domineering Sword Cultivation and possessed overbearing power.


    "Are you Gaston?" asked Isaac from behind.


    The moment he caught sight of the man who was just a short distance away from them, Isaac immediately called out to him.


    "Ha ha! I don''t think that you are qualified to mention my brother''s name," responded the man. He laughed contemptuously after hearing the question from the stranger.


    Isaac asked in that manner, because, as far as he knew, the patriarch of the Thousand Souls Tribe was named Gaston Qian.


    It turned out that the young man was Gaston''s younger brother, who had also stepped into the seven-star Grand Realm, and also practiced Domineering Sword Cultivation. From the way he moved and the potency of his aura, it appeared like he had been taught by his elder brother well.


    But the fact that he learned from his brother also implied a problem. If it were true that Gaston mentored this young man that would mean that his sword intent was inherited from his brother. In other words, he couldn''t comprehend the extreme level of sword intent.


    Yet, considering that case, Isaac grew confused. Since Gaston''s brother''s sword intent hadn''t reached the extreme level yet, how could he have such a powerful aura? The moment he set ey


    body all of a sudden. Consequently, the aura attached to the flame made Darren shocked and a little suppressed.


    "What''s this? So oppressive!" With his eyes opened wide in astonishment, Darren was hot and bothered.


    A moment later, like a flash of lightning, he recalled on the back of his mind that he had seen something like this before. Back in the demonic monster domain, the Divine Bull King had used the same red flame, which was called belligerence. Moreover, as far as Darren knew, the Yu Clan, one of the three Ancient Families, had the same trick, which they called Bloody Belligerence.


    But apparently, the flame summoned by the powerful cultivator from the Yu Clan was much weaker than the flame the young man just summoned.


    "I see. So, it was because of the skill."


    Standing on the side and watching, Isaac understood at once why he felt that the young man''s aura was so powerful.


    The burning red flame was a kind of imminent Holy Will.


    However, under his careful sense, Isaac found out that the piece of Holly Will that exuded out from him didn''t belong to the young man himself. It was supplemented to him by someone else using a drop of blood essence.

 Chapter 613 The Young Man With Holy Will (Part Two)

    By the look of it, Isaac assessed that this supplemented Holy Will could last no more than 45 minutes. Only those with a strong physique and soul could bear it.


    "If I''m not mistaken, Gaston must have been within the threshold of the Holy Will. Thus, he added a little bit of Holy Will to his younger brother," Isaac murmured while weighing things about the matter on his head.


    "Darren, he is supplemented with a piece of Holy Will. His fighting ability has been greatly improved. You should be careful," Isaac reminded Darren immediately, using his spiritual sense.


    With the reminder from Isaac, Darren then realized that what was on this young man was the so-called Holy Will.


    Of course, this level of Holy Will had only reached the edge. It was a long way far from the complete Holy Will; thus, it went by the eponym: Fringe Holy Will.


    With the aid of the Fringe Holy Will, the young man''s aura increased dramatically, which overtook Darren''s.


    "Will you kneel and kill yourself, or do you want me to do it for you?" the young man asked mockingly and grinned at Darren with scorn.


    "Are you kidding me? Who do you think you are? Today, I will let you die without regret! " The Fringe Holy Will possessed by the young man didn''t intimidate Darren at all¡ªnot even afraid of it.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    At breakneck speed, Darren''s figure constantly flashed around the young man.


    Swoosh!


    Along with each swift move, Darren waved the blade and the sword at the same time. The potent weapons rained their attacks on the young man steadily, and the battle started to heat off.


    Boom!


    With a burst of explosions, Darren was bounced off.


    "How can this thing be so powerful? I can''t even hurt him?!" Desp


    strained by the damage inflicted upon him by Darren, the young man looked a bit distressed. However, as he grew infuriated, the red flame on his body was even more dazzling. His black sword also burned red by the intense Fringe Holy Will.


    Boom!


    Hell-bent on getting even, the young man activated his domineering sword intent and dashed to Darren like a flash of blood.


    At the sight of the surging intents, Darren frowned. He felt a dominant and aggressive aura, which suppressed him completely. He even found it difficult to operate the blade and sword intents to protect himself from the impending danger.


    "Is this the power of the Holy Will?" amidst the threat, Darren murmured. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn''t avoid the blow.


    At the onset, Isaac''s heart missed a beat as well. It never occurred to him that the young man had been attached with so much Fringe Holy Will and became so powerful.


    ''Shit! I can''t help Darren, either, '' he thought to himself. With his eyes following the released sword intent aimed at Darren, Isaac could see that the speed of the sword was too fast. It had already exceeded his rescue range.

 Chapter 614 A Crisis Resolved

    The red sword came very close to Darren. To make matters worse, the strong pressure rendered Darren unable to activate his strength at all.


    Darren was about to be killed when the space around him suddenly fluctuated.


    Isaac was astonished when Darren and the man both suddenly disappeared in front of him.


    With confusion in his eyes, Isaac seemed to have seen something incredible.


    "Is that a small world?" Isaac couldn''t help but growl at what happened. A frown immediately decorated his face.


    Actually, when Darren felt that the young man was about to approach him again, he had already prepared to open the Ancient Void Battlefield. When the man came to kill Darren, the Ancient Void Battlefield immediately took effect!


    Darren''s cultivation base had greatly increased. Additionally, his control of the force had also improved. Under his control, the Ancient Void Battlefield was much more stable than before. He was sure that the young man would not be able to destroy it.


    What mattered most was that when Darren tried to pass the tests in the Starry Tower, Finley grew even stronger. Finley had finally reached the seven-star Grand Realm and mastered a Life True Rule.


    In the Ancient Void Battlefield


    A strong force drew the young man in. As such, Darren dodged his attack.


    The young man looked around with a confused look. A very unfamiliar scenery was in front of him.


    "You brat, it looks like you own a small world. Nonetheless, you are still not on my level. Do you think that you can survive in this way? Prepare to die, weakling!"


    The red blood flames of the young man flared up as his energy continued to boil. He lifted his giant sword and pointed it towards Darren. With a swift step, he was about to swing it to deal the last blow.


    "How dare you do such things here!"


    A thunderous voice roared from the sky.


    Suddenly, a white figure vaguely flashed in the air.


    "Who the hell is that?"


    The young man was immediately stunned. In his eyes, the man in white clothes seemed to have a faint halo. Furthermore, the stranger in white continuously flickered The absurdity of the situation made the young man a bit scared.


    "Darren! You haven''t taken prey here for a long time. Do you have any idea how bored I am?"


    "Don''t you feel that I have gotten stronger? I don''t need you to kill ordinary enemies who are weaker than me," Darren said with a devious smile.


    "Wow, you became stronger! Finally! Congratulations, Darren!" Finley smiled as the two continued their relaxed conversation.


    "Oh, by the way, I''ll be able to go out soon. I need you to do me a favor then."


    "What is it?" Darren asked curiously.


    "You two idiots! How dare you ignore me!"


    the young man shouted with rage and emba


    quite respectable yet idiotic that you didn''t beg me for mercy." Darren sneered as he pitied the young man.


    "Bah! What guts are you talking about? I also had a lot of backbone before. Having a backbone is useless. I will beat him until he''s convinced!" the Water Kylin roared angrily as he raised his claw to beat the young man again.


    "Okay, I''ll leave him to you. However, don''t kill him. Just lock him up when you get bored of torturing him."


    Darren rarely met someone like that who wouldn''t yield to him. As such, he decided to keep the young man alive for the time being.


    "Why did you ask me for help?" Darren then casually continued his chat with Finley.


    "I''m going to enter the Holy Realm." Finley didn''t answer directly but instead, he said, "Look at this!"


    As he spoke, Finley''s robe bulged. Suddenly, a light cyan flame was ignited on his body.


    "Huh!"


    Darren instinctively stepped back. If he hadn''t, he would be almost crushed into minced meat by the power of the cyan flame.


    ''Finley''s power is much stronger than that of the young man, '' Darren thought as he was impressed by Finley''s display.


    Darren was sure that if Finley used his skill, he could kill the young man in an instant! Of course, Finley couldn''t do this in the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "Hey, I''m sorry. I already retracted it. Are you okay?" Finley flew to Darren and said with a playful smile.


    "Damn it! You almost killed me there. Nonetheless, I can''t believe you are going to enter the Holy Realm!"


    "There is still a final step that I need to do. I need some time to perfect my Holy Will. Afterward, I''ll be able to reach completely the Holy Realm. So I need your help," Finley said in a serious tone.


    "What do you need me to do?"


    Darren was puzzled. With great curiosity, he wondered why Finley needed his help.

 Chapter 615 The Powerful Gaston

    "Listen, I''d like for you to help me out. I honestly don''t want to stay in the Ancient Void Battlefield forever. I already know everything about this place. It''s become too boring," Finley told Darren sincerely.


    "Okay, I understand." Darren nodded.


    This brought to mind something that Finley had told him before. He''d mentioned that the only way to leave the Ancient Void Battlefield was to make it into the Holy Realm.


    "But you are going to make it to the Holy Realm, aren''t you? What could you possibly need my help for?" Darren was confused on why Finley would ask him for help.


    "That''s not enough. I need a real body. Strictly speaking, I''m just a perfected soul now. Even if I make it to the Holy Realm, without an actual body, I still won''t be able to get out."


    "That doesn''t sound so hard. I''ll find you a body once I get out. Come to think of it, what about that guy just now? Can you use his body?" Darren asked with a raised brow.


    "It''s not that simple, otherwise I would have done it already. I''ll need the body of a holy warrior at least that can withstand my soul. The stronger the body, the better. The optimum choice would be a senior holy warrior''s body. But if you can''t manage that, then please at least get me the body of a junior holy warrior. Please help me, Darren!"


    "Are you kidding me?


    What kind of power do you think I have? It''s practically suicide to help you get a holy body! Whether what you''re hoping for is the body of a senior holy warrior or a junior holy warrior, there is nothing that I can do to help you!"


    Darren rolled his eyes at him.


    "Please don''t leave me here! I''m dying to get out of here. You must help me with this. You owe it to me. I have helped you so many times."


    Darren thought it through for a moment and then said, "If I manage to get a holy warrior into the Ancient Void Battlefield, will you be able to handle it yourself? If you can do that, then I''ll go and find one for you."


    Finley shook his head. "No way. I''m merely a soul, there is no way I can defeat a holy warrior with a real body. Besides, with your current level of the force of control, you can''t drag someone that powerful in here. Even if you bring him in, the Ancient Void Battlefield will be destroyed."


    "Then what exactly are you asking me to do here? Do you want me to die?" Darren glared at him.


    "Anyway, you have to help me, Darren. Get me out of here as soon as possible. Oh, I forgot to mention, there''s one more thing I need from you. I''ll need you to completely seal the Ancient Void Battlefield when I''m breaking through to the Holy Realm. If we cause any disturbance to the outside world, the H


    Thousand Souls Tribe. You go first and I will cover for you." Isaac had a grave expression on his face.


    He never expected that the Thousand Souls Tribe had someone who could summon forty percent of the Holy Will.


    "No way. Let''s go together first. After my friend becomes a holy warrior, we can come back and kill him," Darren said.


    "Just do what I told you!" Apparently, he was not a man to be trifled with.


    "Do you really think that you can do as you wish?"


    A figure appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of Darren and Isaac as if he had teleported himself there.


    It was a middle-aged man in a grey robe. He had sharp eyes and a domineering sword intent.


    "You must be the mighty Gaston Qian, right?" Isaac asked calmly.


    "Since you know that I am the patriarch, kneel down and I will grant you a quick death!" Gaston glared at Isaac icily.


    "I think that your ego has blinded you. Do you really believe that I am afraid of you?"


    "Really? So you''re the one who mastered the extreme sword intent. You''ve lived for three thousand years, and you seem to have made some progress."


    Several thousand years ago, Gaston had sensed someone suddenly master the extreme sword intent. He made inquiries and found out that it was a man called Isaac. But after searching for a while, he still couldn''t find the man because Isaac had been in seclusion for his cultivation at that time.


    "That''s right. I see that you have already reached the Holy Will threshold. But you''re nothing compared to me.


    I have to remind you that if my brother dies, you two will suffer the cruelest kind of torture in the world. Of course, if he''s still alive, I''ll be kind enough to only tear you apart. Ha-ha."


    After laughing to himself, his face turned ferocious.

 Chapter 616 Arrest Darren

    Darren''s eyes went wide when he saw a domineering sword intent that rushed toward them.


    Isaac''s brows snapped together, and his lips pursed when he noticed the sword intent. Both of their robes fluttered as if they were standing in a windstorm.


    "Darren, you run first!"


    With a low shout, the extreme sword intent rushed out of Isaac''s body and was on par with Gaston''s domineering sword intent.


    Darren frowned. The two types of extreme sword intent made the blade and sword cores in his body began to tremble. He felt a sharp pain in his elixir field by it, especially the blade core, and one of his hands subconsciously gripped the robes around his abdomen.


    "Be careful, Isaac! You must run away if you get a chance!"


    At first, Darren didn''t think about running away. He squeezed his eyes shut and focused on extending the limits of his energy. Unfortunately, the pain in his belly increased, making his body tremble. Gaston''s power was too high! Even if he and Isaac fought against the person together, they would fail for sure. His lips tightened in a thin line at the thought.


    And he might be a burden to Isaac. Therefore, Darren decided to leave first.


    "If I die in this battle, you need to flee with the disciples of the three tribes." Isaac sent a massage to Darren.


    Darren and Isaac had planned to come here to fight, but they didn''t expect that they were in a life and death crisis. Sadness clouded Darren''s features.


    "I got it."


    Darren thought about using his teleportation skill to escape. Just as he raised his hands, a cold voice echoed in his ears, and he froze.


    "Do you want to escape?"


    Gaston threw out a sword toward Darren. The sword intent, which was rolling like a cloud, caused countless space ripples.


    At the same time, Darren mobilized his dark gold internal force to resist Gaston''s attack.


    The dark gold internal force and Gaston''s domineering sword intent exploded in midair, which seemed to tear apart the sky.


    "Good boy. I can''t believe you have such a powerful skill. I can''t let you go!"


    In a blink of an eye, Gaston had tracked for several hundred kilometers and came closer to Darren.


    "Your opponent is me!"


    Isaac screamed at the top of his lungs and increased the power of his attack. An extreme sword intent hit in front of Gaston and blocked his way.


    "Well, let me kill you first!"


    Although Gaston was a little bit better than Isaac in terms of power, Isaac was not an opponent to be underestimated.


    Gaston''s brows snapped together, and his focus went to defending himself in an instant. Gaston''s Fringe Holy Will was stronger than Isaac''s, but they were both overwhelming in terms of sword skills.


    Gaston and Isaac sometimes disappeared and sometimes flashed, making the void vibrate ceaselessly.


    "Well, it''s time for you to have a taste of my Invincible Holy Will."


    The corner of Gaston''s mouth lifted, and he released red flames from his body. The intense pressure was too much for Isaac to handle, and he started taking a f


    t a doubt."


    Darren found it more and more challenging to fight against the four clay figurines. Just as he was about to throw another attack, his eyes landed on the sedan chair.


    "Maybe only by killing the thing inside the sedan chair, I can escape from death."


    Darren''s figure flashed and rushed to the sedan chair. He used all his skills at the same time.


    The dark gold internal force, the olive-black force, and the blade and sword intents rushed to the sedan chair like the sea waves.


    "I made it!"


    Darren''s shoulders relaxed, and his eyes brightened when he saw his attacks were hitting at the sedan chair.


    Boom!


    Darren heard a blast, and he closed his eyes because of the light that emerged due to the attack. When he opened his eyes again, he was stunned.


    He couldn''t see a scratch on the sedan chair. In fact, he felt there was an invisible wall that had protected it. His attacks smashed one after another in the air.


    At the same time, the sedan chair kept trembling, and the door curtain was opened by a clay figure''s hand.


    Darren felt something cold and dark coming towards him.


    His face turned pale. He couldn''t even hurt the sedan chair with all his skills. If something came out, he probably had no power to fight back.


    The figure in the sedan chair stepped into the void.


    It was a clay figurine who was about the same height as an average person with armor on the body. A gray chain was wrapped around the hand of the clay figurine.


    Darren took a few steps back.


    He had always seen small clay figurines just looked like a child all the time, and this was the first time that he had seen a clay figurine of a normal person''s size. His jaw tightened. The clay figurine must be much more powerful than a small clay figurine.


    The big clay figurine seemed to have a similar stretched smile and cold eyes as others.


    Darren didn''t get enough time to wonder when the armored clay figurine threw out one end of the gray chain in his hand and shot towards Darren.

 Chapter 617 An Old Man

    The gray chain surged toward Darren, its rattling sound like the din of an avalanche.


    Darren went into a frenzy as he tried to dodge, but the undulating fetter seemed to know what he was thinking and adjusted its course.


    He was trapped in the void with this thing. As it had been before, no matter how he tried to escape, he was running on the same spot.


    Before he knew it, the chain had wrapped itself around him several times.


    The next instant it tightened, and his limbs couldn''t move. He was caught. Then he was moving, being dragged along behind the armored clay figurine as it ponderously approached the space cracks.


    Darren was in a cold sweat.


    Few things could put such a fear into him. But now, before this thing''s terrible might, he was as vulnerable as any ordinary man.


    Thick, dangerous-looking clouds gathered in the sky. A frigid wind rolled across the landscape, stinging Darren''s face and sending shudders through his body.


    Before him, the black space crack loomed like the mouth of some giant, ferocious monster, getting ready to swallow him alive.


    As they came closer, Darren peered inside the space crack.


    At the far end of the dark expanse, he beheld what seemed to be a field of pinpoints of light. It looked like nothing so much as a star-filled night sky.


    "Is... Is that another world?" he breathed in astonishment.


    The terrific clattering of more chains interrupted his thoughts.


    The armored clay figurine stopped, staring blankly into the space crack as though waiting for something.


    Meanwhile, the noise was coming closer and closer.


    "What a horrible sound!" he cried, though his own voice was swallowed up in it.


    It was a titanic din, like the collision of mountains.


    A moment passed. Just as Darren began to think the noise would drive him mad, he happened to look into the space crack again. What he saw made him sweat harder than before.


    From the distant starry void came an entire crowd of beings; all of them were clay figurines like the one that had captured Darren.


    They were similarly armored, but the dark auras that surrounded each of them were even stronger and more intimidating than that of the first one.


    Dozens of clay figurines formed a team, and each team pulled a gray chain that was ten feet thick. There looked to be total of eighteen groups.


    Faced with this sight, Darren''s alarm over his own capture was overpowered by sheer curiosity. Someone or something was being held captive by those eighteen enormous fetters.


    The questions of who or what that was, and why, now utterly absorbed Darren''s mind.


    He and his captor waited for two hours, motionless as they watched the bizarre procession moving under the starry sky.


    By the time two hours had passed, two hundred feet of the chains had gone by.


    Their holders seemed to be struggling, as a


    He stewed in these miserable thoughts for a long moment, and soon was almost ready to give in to his injuries and allow unconsciousness to take the pain away.


    Yet it was just then, at the other end of the void, that the old man slowly lifted his head again.


    In a weary motion, he lifted his arms and stretched them.


    As he did so, the chains that surrounded him practically exploded, scattering broken links in all directions.


    The commotion that this made drew everyone''s attention. For their part, the armored clay figurines who had been pulling him quickly gathered together. It was impossible to miss, however, that they were visibly trembling.


    After taking another look at Darren, the old man started to move, meaning to cross to the other end of the fissure in space.


    At this point, his would-be captors threw themselves at him, clearly motivated by panic rather than reason.


    In the end, their colossal strength was all for nothing.


    The old man walked straight through their onslaught as though he didn''t even realize it was happening.


    Their clay bodies broke against him like empty porcelain bottles, spraying the ground with their shattered remains.


    The empty shells of their armors clattered about, ringing like cymbals.


    As the old man came closer, the clay figurine guarding Darren continuously stepped backwards in terror.


    Meanwhile, the whole landscape shook with a roar like the world ending.


    Even as the old man continued his unconcerned march, the space cracks were beginning to close, blocking his path.


    Darren watched in awe, trying to stay conscious.


    Seeing the fissures begin to close, however, his face went deathly pale. His last hope of survival was being crushed as surely as the clay figurines had been.


    Slowly, inevitably, darkness covered Darren''s sight, hiding the mysterious old man, the starry sky, and everything else around him.

 Chapter 618 An Enormous Amount Of Spiritual Energy

    Swoosh!


    Darren could vaguely hear the sound like cloth tearing.


    A pair of thin and withered hands stretched out from inside the starry night sky.


    Then the elderly man with shaggy hair walked out of the space crack.


    Raising his head, he looked around. He was suddenly wide awake, like a newborn looking around him with curiosity.


    His body trembled as he stepped in the void. With every step he took, the void started to collapse.


    The dazzling ray of sunlight shone in, blinding everyone.


    With the continuous collapse of the dark void, the clay figurines'' domain ended up being completely destroyed, making the entire world appear astonishingly vast and clear.


    The clay figurine in armor looked at the figure of the elderly man in absolute fear. A moment later, he slipped into the sedan chair.


    "Humph!"


    The elderly man with shaggy hair snorted like an angry child as he studied the clay figurine in armor trying to make its escape.


    He stretched out his hand and held the chair firmly in his grip.


    The extremely hard sedan chair immediately turned into ashes, drifting with the wind.


    "Oh, shit. What did I do?"


    The elderly man stomped anxiously like a child who had broken one of his toys.


    Darren, standing on the side, watched the elderly man''s behavior. He couldn''t dare go forward before he figured out who he was and what he was doing.


    But the elderly man accidentally stamping his feet made Darren feel very uncomfortable. The space waves the elderly man caused were almost enough to make him fall apart.


    Every time he did it, he made the ground around them shake.


    All of a sudden, countless spiritual senses came in the elderly man''s direction.


    However, these spiritual senses didn''t detect anything about the old man and went back without any findings.


    Even Darren, who was near the elderly man, could only see him with his bare eyes. Once he attempted to detect him with his spiritual sense, he found nothing there.


    "Who the hell is he? It''s so scary that he cannot be detected by spiritual senses, but he also seems to have lost his mind. Why? What had happened to him?"


    Just then, the elderly man raised his head and looked into the distance at the faraway mountains and clouds. He seemed very interested in them as was apparent from the smile on his face.


    Darren looked at him for a long time, finally mustering up the courage to go over to him.


    "Thank you for saving my life, sir!" Darren bowed with cupped hands.


    But the elderly man ignored him as if he hadn''t heard what he''d said. He just kept looking into the distance instead.


    When a giant bird flew over the sky, the elderl


    d for another three thousand years, he will not defeat me!"


    "Ha-ha, Gaston, you are too confident and obnoxiously arrogant. My friend is cultivating both the blade and sword skills at the same time. He has more potential than you can ever imagine. If he wants to avenge me, I''m sure ten years is more than enough!"


    "Idiot! I got one Holy Will Map from the Heaven Lake Sect as a reward. As long as I understand it, I will have a forty percent chance to become a holy warrior in a hundred years'' time. Do you really think that young man can defeat me then?


    Don''t worry. After I kill you, I will slaughter your tribe and force that guy to come out. I can kill him all by myself. Do I need to wait another ten years?" Gaston laughed coldly.


    "You! How dare you join the Heaven Lake Sect? What a shameless wretch!" Isaac''s eyes clouded over when he heard this.


    "Humph, the five major forces nowadays control this sinful land and are masters of this world. Should I have not joined it and instead waited to be killed? You''re just lying. If I hadn''t killed you today, you would''ve been just as happy to join one of the five major forces if you got an invitation." Gaston sneered.


    "You are nothing but a dog running errands for the five major forces. They have no dignity at all.


    Kill me if you want. My friend will absolutely kill you to avenge me!"


    "Okay! I hadn''t planned on letting you go anyway. Today, I will kill you first, and then I''ll kill everyone in your tribe!" As Gaston spoke, a sword intent was formed and flew towards Isaac.


    "Do you really think you can do whatever you want? I won''t allow it as long as I''m alive."


    A handsome figure suddenly appeared in front of Isaac. It was Darren. He waved his hand and got rid of the sword intent.

 Chapter 619 Share The Holy Will (Part One)

    "Darren? Are you insane? Why do you come back again? Run away, now! Save yourself!"


    When Isaac saw Darren, his face turned deadly pale. All the while, he thought that Darren was somewhere far and safe.


    "You''ve already fled, why do you come back? You want to die?" Isaac asked again, desperately. He couldn''t understand why Darren decided to return after having a chance to escape.


    However, in all truth, Isaac didn''t know Darren very well. What he had just said to Gaston that Darren would avenge him was his mere imagination. He didn''t think, even at extreme conditions, that Darren would avenge him. After all, they had just known each other for a few days.


    But now, like a word from an angel, Darren had come back. Isaac knew that it was not just a coincidence, and he was moved and worried at the same time.


    "Good boy, you come back to die?" Gaston sneered at the sight of Darren.


    Though he wasn''t happy with it, Darren''s return was absolutely unexpected for Gaston. He failed to sense any sign of Darren and thought that the latter had already run away with his tail behind his back. But it turned out that Darren would rather die than run like a coward.


    At the thought of it, Gaston considered Darren to be a lunatic rather than a brave warrior willing to die for his principles.


    "Why do you ask? Are you scared?" Darren smiled calmly with a sinister expression on his face.


    "Ha ha. Whom will I be afraid of? You?"


    Gaston asked while bursting in diabolical laughter.


    "What a fool you are! You are risking your life for your so-called friendship, aren''t you? Before you die, I will give you a piece of advice. Life is the most valuable thing in the world. Compared to life, brotherhood and friendship are all nonsense. Do you understand?" Gaston stared at Darren. In his eyes, Darren was the one who would die soon, and he would make sure of that.


    "Darren! Why do


    skillfulness. Despite all that, he was not in a panic. Instead, he flew backward and retreated over a hundred kilometers in the blink of an eye.


    The red swords that formed from the extreme sword intent rushed in chase of Darren¡ªlike his shadow except at a fast pace.


    While he looked behind at the red swords, Darren began utilizing his skill. "Augmented Attack Bloodline!"


    Now that he was a five-star Grand Realm warrior, his Augmented Attack Bloodline was more than three times stronger than before. Except for the olive-black force and dark gold internal force, all of his other skills had increased five hundred times. Once Darren broke through to the Holy Realm, he would completely fuse the Augmented Attack Bloodline. By that time, his strength would have the tendency to increase a thousand times more.


    After being a Holy Realm cultivator, Darren''s powerful skills would be improved a thousand times. How terrifying would that be for his enemies?


    Even now that he just increased by about five hundred times, he was still extremely terrifying.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    One intent after the other, Darren released the blade and sword intents once again. But this time, his blade and sword intents were much stronger than the ones he fired earlier.

 Chapter 620 Share The Holy Will (Part Two)

    Cutting through the air, Darren''s blade and sword intents turned into a massive sword along with a mysterious light flashing. The mountains and rivers nearby were all shivering as if they were surrendering to a mysteriously powerful sword intent.


    Buzz...


    In the turn of events, the tens of thousands of red swords that came after Darren also began to tremble violently¡ªlike vines that withered instantly. A moment later, the red swords collided with Darren''s bland and sword intents. A thunderous, ear-shattering, and hair-raising explosion followed, a clear manifestation of devastation.


    The colorful lights illuminated the sky, and the broken sword intents smashed several mountain tops.


    Caused by the clash, the earth, dilapidated as it was, was ablaze with raging flames. Stones, mounds, grasses, bushes, and trees alike were on fire.


    Billowing black smoke converged into heavy clouds, covering the entire space as if the doomsday was coming.


    In the sky, there was a loss on both sides. The sword intents from both Darren and Gaston all dissipated.


    ''The power of five hundred times of my blade and sword intents were on par with that of the extreme sword intent of Gaston.


    It seems that I have underestimated him, '' Darren calculated in his mind.


    Right then and there, Darren was worried because Gaston''s extreme sword intent was so powerful. He hadn''t been so shaken until now after he had witnessed how dominating Gaston''s sword intent was.


    "Huh! I didn''t expect you, a destined loser, to be able to contend against my extreme sword intent."


    After he dispersed the rolling black fog, Gaston stared at Darren with a murderous look.


    Judging from what had just happened, Gaston admitted that he was also surprised by Darren''s capabilities. Worst was, he had some Holy Will attached to that extreme sword


    d defeated Isaac, but he knew it was not easy anyway. Otherwise, the fight that they had wouldn''t last for hours.


    Now that they had joined against him, and knowing that Darren was as strong as Isaac, Gaston was rattled. Moreover, what terrified him now was the fact that Darren possessed the Holy Will as well. As for fighting against two strong enemies, he had no assurance to win and even sensed some danger on his way.


    ''The young man is peculiar. He''s cultivating both sword and blade skills at the same time. It''s hard to say whether he has other powerful means.'' With all these thoughts battling in his mind, Gaston was flustered¡ªbothered and even soaked in sweat.


    "Cut the crap! Even if I die today, I''ll kill you first with my friend Darren,"


    Isaac shouted. Apparently, he would not accept the fact that he had been severely beaten. Now that he got the chance to take his revenge, he was geared up to kill Gaston. No matter what it took, he would fight for it.


    "Right. Today I''m going to kill you with my friend, Isaac. Let''s fight!" Darren also gave a roar. After this, his blade and sword intents, intensified with the Holy Will, swept around madly, waiting for Darren''s move to rush towards Gaston.

 Chapter 621 More People Came

    With the aid of the Holy Will, Darren felt that he became extremely powerful. The sword and blade intents he slightly released seemed to have the power to destroy the entire place.


    "So, this is the feeling of owning the Holy Will?"


    Darren lifted his chin and cried out. He felt he was so contemptuous of the whole world.


    The pale green flame was burning furiously on Darren''s body, to the point where it was almost like the flame on Isaac''s body.


    "Come on, Isaac!" Darren''s voice echoed in the sky, and he vanished into thin air.


    Overwhelming sword and blade intents swept over like a storm, covering the whole space.


    Of course, when Gaston felt the formidable power of Darren''s sword and blade intents, his entire body started trembling because of an intense force. He rolled over and backed up for a dozen kilometers. He spat a mouthful of blood and glared at Darren, who stood at the distance. How could the situation go against Gaston? No! He had to try hardest! He pursed his lips and lunged at Darren in fury. A red light was flowing on Gaston''s bloody red sword, and his Fringe Holy Will was also increased to the extreme.


    Kill! Kill! Kill!


    After several rounds of strong attacks and dodging, he finally broke through the scope of Darren''s sword and blade intents. He started taking deep breaths, and that was when his eyes landed on Isaac. Without thinking twice, he charged at Isaac first.


    In his mind, it seemed that Isaac was an easier target than Darren.


    "Do you really think I am a push-over?"


    Isaac gritted his teeth. He moved his hands and streaks of extreme sword intent gushed out from Isaac''s body and rushed at Gaston.


    Intense energy covered the entire sky. The mountains trembled, and rivers swayed. It looked like the end of the world.


    When Darren saw the two people fighting, of course, he did not watch them foolishly. He started forcing out his attack. A majestic olive-black force shot out toward Gaston.


    His figure flashed again and again, and he rushed to Gaston as well. His sword and blade constantly cut through the sky in an ordinary but powerful trajectory.


    Accompanied by a loud crash, streaks of multicolored light scattered.


    The situation had reached a deadlock for a couple of minutes. As a result, Gaston was forced to retreat one step after another. He had no choice but to defend against them without a break.


    "Gaston, weren''t you very fierce? How about now? Show me your real power!" Isaac had been defeated earlier. Now that he could fight again, his hands itched to return the favor to Gaston. That was why he was trying his best to fight back.


    "Don''t be so arrogant. I will kill you two today!"


    Gaston''s thunderous roar made his throat dry. But he didn''t care. He was crazy enough to kill the two people in front of him. His bloody red Fringe Holy Will started to burn and engulfed his bo


    kept addressing Gaston as old loser was not because they looked down upon his strength, but because they thought that he had lived for thousands of years and had only reached this level. His talent was not good, and he had little potential in the future.


    However, they all admitted that the present Gaston was qualified to fight against Ryan.


    In the middle of the battlefield, Darren and Isaac beat Gaston to a pulp. Even his clothes were stained in blood.


    "Kill that bastard! Kill him in one go!" With wounds all over his body, Isaac dashed towards Gaston and tried to kill him.


    Gaston finally looked at Isaac with widened eyes. He supported his exhausted and wounded body with his sword and looked at his fellow apprentices from the sect. "Hey, please help me! I''m Gaston."


    In a hurry, he shouted loudly, and his voice spread far away. He was like a wild dog running everywhere to dodge the attacks.


    However, no one responded.


    Swish!


    Countless blade and sword shadows surrounded him. It left him no way to escape.


    "Go to hell!"


    Darren rushed in, and he divided his figure into eight avatars. Those forms slowly merged back into one rapidly, only to turn into a cyan light. It flashed forward and pierced through the abdomen of Gaston.


    "Help, help!"


    Instead of giving up at the last moment, Gaston still hoped that the three would come and save him. His eyelids were heavy, but he tilted his head only to look at Ryan and the other two with tears in his eyes


    Unfortunately, he was doomed to be disappointed. Those three people gave him the cold shoulder and had no intention of helping him. Gaston finally lost all hopes of living.


    Swish!


    The cyan sword flew across his head and split it in half.


    Bang!


    The Holy Will in Gaston''s body burst out, and his whole body turned into a blood mist.


    "Assimilate." Darren would not forget to assimilate his martial arts talent.

 Chapter 622 You Will Be Killed If You Refuse

    Gaston, who was a powerful warrior that had comprehended forty percent of the Fringe Holy Will, had been killed.


    "Old bastard, you are not weak. Your martial arts talent is evidence of that." Darren finished assimilating Gaston''s talent and his own talent was further improved.


    By doing this, Darren became a step closer to attaining the legendary Genuine Domain Degree!


    "Darren, I feel anxious. I don''t know if the people coming would be hostile towards us and they may be equal to us in power."


    After he had killed Gaston, Isaac was very much relieved. However, he decided that he must still keep his guard up. There were still several forces lurking about and spying on them.


    "Just pretend you don''t notice any of them and leave right now," Darren whispered.


    "Well, if they try anything, I''ll take up the rear," Isaac replied, his frown deepening.


    "Let''s play it by ear." With those words, Darren flew away with Isaac flying right behind him.


    They had been flying for some time when they felt a surge of power overwhelming them.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Suddenly, Darren and Isaac were surrounded.


    "Who are you? Why are you stopping us?" Isaac''s face became wrought with nervousness.


    He was still recovering from his wounds from the battle he had just fought. Darren''s Holy Will was also wearing off, making the both of them more vulnerable. They were not ready for a fight. If the enemy were to attack, Darren and Isaac would have a difficult time.


    "Get out of here! We are looking for him,"


    a man dressed in all black said, pointing at Darren. He was wearing a strange bronze half mask that resembled a ghost.


    Beside him, there was a young man wearing the same mask. He looked over at Darren as well.


    "Boy, take this."


    Ignoring Isaac, the man in black produced a bright beam of light that pierced through the air as he flicked it towards Darren.


    Darren caught the light beam with his fingers. It materialized in his hands as a jade tablet and it pulsated with energy. The word "invitation" was carved into it.


    "Is this the way you guys at the Crimson Sea Sect invite geniuses?"


    The sky shook as three more figures appeared beside Darren.


    They were exactly Gaston''s senior fellow apprentices, the members of the Heaven Lake Sect.


    "What a coincidence! We were able to meet people from both the Heaven Lake Sect and the Crimson Sea Sect today." Another voice came from the sky.


    Two more men


    ht there!" the woman noticed them leaving and shouted at them. "Boy, first you don''t accept the invitation of the Heaven Lake Sect and now, you dare try to slip away?"


    "Why should I accept it?" Darren turned around and faced her, his blade and sword intents beginning to pulsate and radiate their power.


    "What she meant to say was people like you who dare refuse us must be killed in order to ensure that you do not pose a threat to any of us¡ªor join any other faction, for that matter,"


    the people from the Golden Sacred Sect spoke. They, too, desired to kill Darren since he refused to join any of them.


    "If you lot from the Crimson Sea Sect really want to fight with us, bring it on. But before that, don''t you think we should take care of this arrogant little boy and his friend first?" Ryan, the leader of the three from the Heaven Lake Sect said.


    "Arrogant? Me? Are you sure you know what you''re getting into?"


    Darren gritted his teeth, feeling anger course through his veins.


    "May I remind you that you are the ones who followed me here and started heckling me? You guys want to kill me just because I refused to join you. In spite of all the hostility you have shown me, somehow I''m still the arrogant one? I just want to ask you, who do you think you are?" Darren shouted.


    "Calm down, Darren! We can''t afford to provoke these people. We should focus on finding a way to escape." Isaac sent a message to Darren with his spiritual sense.


    "They were never going to let us go anyways. We might as well prepare for a fight," Darren responded with his spiritual sense, getting ready for the imminent battle.

 Chapter 623 Provocation

    A wave of murderous intent shot at both Darren and Isaac like a storm.


    "You''re right. We have no choice but to fight!"


    Seeing the murderous intent, there was no choice for both of them but to fight. His remained Fringe Holy Will was burned with every second that passed by.


    "How about letting you, the Crimson Sea Sect, finish them off?"


    Ryan stood with his arms crossed as if enjoying the show.


    The masked young men from the Crimson Sea Sect looked stunned for a moment. They communicated with each other with their spiritual senses. "Brother, this guy''s bone age appears to be less than thirty. He is like no other we''ve ever met before. Even though he''s so young, yet his cultivation base is so strong. He must have someone powerful in his corner. This makes me believe that there must be something fishy about the guy from the Heaven Lake Sect for making us take action against him," one of them said.


    The other young man in the mask thought for a moment then responded, "With the presence of three forces, and the fact that this guy doesn''t have the aura of the other two forces, no one in our world will be able to protect him. If we kill him, it won''t cause us any trouble. Don''t let the people from the Heaven Lake Sect think less of us."


    "Wait a minute, brother, there are rumors that the world we live in is just a land for criminals, and there are a lot of praise-worthy places right outside of this world. Do you think he is from the legendary Sacred Palace in the outside world? Only the Sacred Palace would be able to cultivate such a powerful young man.


    Brother, also don''t forget that there had once been a Cloud Dragon Sect, whose power was only a little weaker than the five major forces. However, they killed a top level seven-star grand warrior who was sent here to receive training by the Sacred Palace. Later, all their members were eradicated by a super law enforcer sent by the Sacred Palace. Since then, this sect has disappeared from the world."


    "You might be right since I also heard this story from the master. I''m afraid there''s a backstory to his abilities. Let''s wait and see."


    "Yes, let''s do that."


    After discussing the issue together, the two men from the Crimson Sea Sect decided it was wiser not to take action right away.


    "They''re as weak as ants. Do we really need to kill them with our own hands? Aren''t your guys from the Heaven Lake Sect excited about this? In my opinion, none of you would have been able to kill them on your own. As a matter of fact, they might have just ended you instead." They tried to goad the men from the Heaven Lake Sect into taking action.


    "Well, let me do it then. I can kill both of them all by myself. Let those cowards see who is the strongest here!" The young man in blue, who was already upset with Darren, rose to their bait wanting to fight.


    Ryan shot him a glare the moment he was done talking.


    "Ha-ha! You are nothing but a group of cowardly rats. None of you strong enough to take on a young man and an old guy? If that''s so, then where did you find the courage to claim that you are the strongest sect?"


    The people of the Golden Sacred Sect looked at the two forces with mockery. One of them walked closer, making the first move.


    "Young man, I wil


    ut? Get back here now!"


    "What? What''s wrong with you? Why are you yelling at me? Someone with your strength can''t possibly be afraid that these nobodies would attack you and rob the Holy Will Pill, right?" The woman was forlorn that he''d treat her like that publicly.


    "Shut up!" Ryan was trembling with anger.


    He looked at the other people standing around. The greedy light in their eyes was blatantly obvious to him.


    The Holy Will Pill was a very precious piece of treasure after all. One pill was enough to make someone''s Fringe Holy Will increase by ten percent. This kind of treasure was even cherished by the heads of various forces. How could these mere underlings not be moved?


    Darren was overjoyed when he''d heard her outburst. That was the moment he knew he''d won.


    "Sirs, it''s better for us to fight quickly," Darren goaded the rest.


    "Brothers from the Crimson Sea Sect, let''s work together. When we get this treasure, we will divide it amongst ourselves. What do you think?" They looked at each other.


    "All right. We will divide up the Holy Will Pill into four shares, and whatever other treasures we find will belong to us. Otherwise, we won''t join the fight."


    The two men from the Crimson Sea Sect were conniving liars. They didn''t want to divide the Holy Will Pill. They wanted to take everything so they deliberately made the people from the Golden Sacred Sect believe that they would be on their side. For now.


    The two men from the Golden Sacred Sect were actually thinking along the same lines.


    "Don''t worry, sirs. Once we succeed, we will help you kill the people from the Crimson Sea Sect. You can take all the treasure with you as a gift for me joining your distinguished sect,"


    Darren assured the two men from the Golden Sacred Sect with his spiritual sense. Instantly, the two men laughed grimly, and their auras suddenly surged.


    "All right then, this means we no longer need to be polite. Kill them now!"


    The faces of the people from the Heaven Lake Sect changed drastically under the pressure of the four overwhelming forces coming at them. The woman was so scared to the extent that she was on the verge of tears.

 Chapter 624 Despicable

    "Wait!"


    Ryan of Heaven Lake Sect panicked. The other side had four people, who were as powerful as him, and his team had a junior sister apprentice. Once the battle began, she would be a burden. That would mean that he and the young man in blue would fight against four equally powerful people. There was no chance of winning.


    "Do you really want to oppose the Heaven Lake Sect because of the words of this kid?"


    "Cut the crap. When has Golden Sacred Sect ever been friendly with you? You brought a stupid woman and revealed your precious treasure inadvertently. Hah!"


    "So, we have no other choice?" The young man in blue frowned.


    "Now that you''re about to lose your life, don''t you think it''s funny to talk about choices?" the young man from the Crimson Sea Sect said coldly.


    "Kill him!"


    Suddenly, the battle broke out. A strange wave of Fringe Holy Will exploded in the air.


    "Wait! I will hand over the Holy Will Pill. Let us go!"


    Ryan drew back swiftly and took out a pill that was surrounded by fluorescent light from his spatial treasure.


    "Let you go? Do you think that is a reasonable request?"


    Darren stepped forward and asked.


    "My senior fellow apprentice is offering to hand over his treasure. What else do you want?" The woman was so scared that she almost cried.


    "Humph! My two senior fellow apprentices and the brothers from the Crimson Sea Sect want to kill you. I am inviting trouble if I let you go after I take your treasure.


    I know what you are thinking. You are going to save your lives first, and then, you will tell powerful people to avenge you. Am I right?" Darren said calmly.


    "Bullshit!" the young man in blue roared. Then he blurted, "You have no right to speak here. You silly dog."


    Ryan glared at Darren resentfully. Then he turned to the other four and said respectfully, "Guys, I promise you that I will not avenge myself after I return. We will forget everything and pretend that none of this happened. Please trust me."


    Ryan feigned being calm and humble to save his life. To have to promise not to seek revenge after being robbed was the greatest humiliation he had suffered in his life.


    "You can lie to naive children. You were so arrogant just now that I can tell that you are not a good person. Why won''t you take revenge? Maybe, one day, you will find out our whereabouts and then you will ambush us."


    Then, Darren turned to the other four and said, "Sirs, one enemy in the dark is already hard to deal with. Why


    mastering various defensive methods, they were blown backward by the explosion. Darren didn''t know whether they were injured or not.


    The young man in blue had bought Ryan some time, and he took advantage of this moment to flee.


    "You want to escape?"


    Seeing this, Darren mobilized his speed to the maximum and even used the Teleportation Skill. Soon, he was standing right in front of Ryan.


    "Fuck off! You are courting death!"


    With blue veins standing out on his forehead, Ryan stretched out his palm and struck Darren.


    Bang!


    Darren used all his skills to return the attack.


    As Ryan had comprehended forty percent of the Fringe Holy Will, it was difficult for Darren to hurt him. However, Darren could still stop him from running away.


    At this time, Ryan was very anxious. If the four men caught up with him, he would lose his chance to escape.


    "Let me go."


    Ryan knew that it would take him longer than a few minutes to kill Darren. This was time he didn''t have. So he suddenly stopped and roared.


    "Hand over the Holy Will Pill," Darren said with a smile.


    Seeing that Ryan was hesitant, Darren continued, "If you hesitate for longer than ten seconds, you won''t be able to escape."


    Whiz.


    With a flash of white light, a pill flew toward Darren, and he caught it.


    Ryan''s eyes were full of hatred, but he didn''t dare to stay longer. Just as he was about to flee, a loud sound echoed in the space.


    Boom!


    A strong dark golden internal force soared toward Ryan like a turbulent wave.


    At the same time, Darren moved again, and his sword intent almost penetrated Ryan. "You despicable rat! " Ryan''s voice became hoarse.

 Chapter 625 The Setup (Part One)

    "Despicable? Yes, I know. And I know too that if I let you go, you will come back and hunt me down every day for the rest of my life, won''t you?" Darren sneered and eyed his opponent with an intense glare. The way he looked at him sent a clear message that he meant his words.


    Earlier, Darren had said that he didn''t want to join any forces, and these people said that they would kill him. Now, however, that Darren had a chance to take revenge and kill a couple of them first, he would definitely not let that chance slip through his finger.


    "Go to hell!" cursed Ryan loudly.


    Having nowhere to go now, Ryan was angry down to his core. He stopped trying to escape at once, but instead gathered all his strength and blasted towards Darren.


    With the potency and the strength that he had, Ryan''s move was so fierce and blistering that Darren had to use his Air-integrated True Rule.


    In a flash, like greased lightning, Darren''s figure disappeared from this world, and not even a single and slightest sense of him could be traced.


    "Ahhh!"


    The blow given off by Ryan missed. Such a waste of power made him grit his teeth in disappointment. As plain as a pikestaff, Ryan was exasperated. Worst was, he could not find any sign of Darren, no matter how hard he tried.


    "Damn it, you will die a horrible death when I get my hands on you!" cursed Ryan. It was evident that he was starting to grow crazy, being tormented by the notion that he couldn''t see where his enemy was nor feel him at the very least.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Soon enough, to his astonishment, several figures had shot towards him and surrounded him.


    "Please, don''t kill me!" Threatened by the appearance of people


    As for the four men, they thought Darren''s words were reasonable. All four of them believed that the idea of Darren getting the Holy Will Pill was a lie made up by Ryan.


    "Bastard! You took my Holy Will Pill, and now you won''t admit it? How dare you!" Ryan yelled. This time, he was brewing with anger that if only Darren were just within his arms'' reach, he could have given him a blow straight in the face.


    "Don''t be so confident that they will believe you. Where are your proofs? Can you tell me how I snatched the Holy Will Pill from you? Perhaps, you couldn''t possibly just give it to me, could you? Do you think you can fool them easily? How childish you are!" In his dire intention to lure the four men, Darren kept talking. The foolishness of words from Darren made Ryan''s face turn red. He could not say a word for a long time¡ªhe was held speechless and daunted.


    By the way it looked, nobody would believe that it was Ryan who gave the Holy Will Pill to Darren. By some twists of fate, had he got the leisure of time to escape, Ryan would not, even in his wildest imagination, give up the Holy Will Pill to anyone.

 Chapter 626 The Setup (Part Two)

    "Little bastard, I''m going to kill you, even at the cost of my life, ah!" Ryan shouted, madly. By this time, he was now filled with rage at Darren''s fibs.


    In fact, he knew that even if they believed Darren got the pills, there was no way they would let him go. Darren''s words were simply heavier than his, and that frustrated him even more. Now, he hated Darren to the core and wanted to drag Darren down to hell with him.


    "You can''t explain yourself, so you want to unleash your anger and frustration on me?" Seeing Ryan''s outburst of anger, Darren sneered and continued, "My senior fellow apprentices, kill him quickly, or he will destroy the Holy Will Pill, knowing that he will die soon."


    "You''re right. Let''s kill him now!"


    Heeding on to Darren''s suggestion, the four men looked at each other and rushed towards Ryan.


    A catastrophic and harrowing fight commenced as Ryan, and the four men exchanged assaults. The battle was fierce and nonstop.


    At the onset of the battle, Darren stepped back. He was afraid that Ryan would go crazy and try to kill him at any cost.


    Four against one, Ryan was still trying to hold out, but his eyes were fixed on Darren.


    Correspondingly, Darren winked at him, as if to let him know that there was nothing he could do about it even if he had known that Darren had tricked him.


    Boom!


    Full to the gills with all the wreck and havoc, Ryan took a hell of a beating, and he began to try to turn himself into a bomb like the young man in blue.


    "Don''t let this guy explode with his Holy Will, or all the treasures will be destroyed," Darren shouted in a warning.


    In an i


    gested at the same time.


    "Open it now!"


    the man of the Crimson Sea Sect gave Ryan another slap while ordering him to open his spatial treasure.


    "All right. Give me a healing pill so I can open it," Ryan gritted his teeth while asking in between his breaths.


    "Dream on! A healing pill for you?" Darren scorned in refusal.


    "Wait, give it to him so that he can recover and open the spatial treasure for us."


    "Well, you are right."


    The other young man from the Crimson Sea Sect put a healing pill in Ryan''s mouth. A moment later, when he had gained some strength, he opened the spatial treasure.


    "Wow, so many valuable things! They are mine now!" sneered the young man who searched Ryan''s spatial treasure. The moment the young man caught sight of every treasure inside, a smile appeared on his face. Greed and insolence grew inside him in his desire to amass Ryan''s riches. However, as he searched high and low, he couldn''t find the Holy Will Pill; thus he asked, "Where is the Holy Will Pill?"


    They all frowned and looked at Darren with eyes full of suspicions.

 Chapter 627 Loss At Both Sides

    "Why are you staring at me?" Darren looked uncertain.


    "The Holy Will Pill is not in his spatial treasure. Who else could have taken it? If you''re playing tricks on us, we''ll kill you without hesitation!" The men from Crimson Sea Sect looked at Darren icily.


    "Do you want to frame me?" Darren sneered. "There are only two possible answers as to where the Holy Will Pill could be."


    "What are they?" a young man from the Golden Sacred Sect asked.


    "The first possibility would be that that guy over there has destroyed the Holy Will Pill in order to frame me. The second one is that the Holy Will Pill is in the hand of the person who just opened the spatial treasure. He just wanted to keep it himself," Darren told them.


    Everyone looked at the young man from the Crimson Sea Sect who searched Ryan''s spatial treasure.


    "Young brother, did you take it?" the elder young man from the Crimson Sea Sect asked using his spiritual sense.


    "No, I didn''t. You were standing right beside me when I checked his spatial treasure. There was no Holy Will Pill in it!" the younger man who''d first checked the spatial treasure told his companion.


    They both knew the truth and believed it, but what about the two guys from the Golden Sacred Sect? There was no way they''d believe them.


    "Darren, are you sure that you didn''t take the Holy Will Pill?" a young man from the Golden Sacred Sect asked Darren using his spiritual sense.


    "Don''t you get it? Obviously, it was the person from the Crimson Sea Sect who wanted to pocket all the treasures. The Holy Will Pill must have been taken by the person who''d checked the spatial treasure. We''d better kill them and retrieve the treasures!" Darren replied telepathically.


    "These two guys are powerful. There''s no way we can kill them."


    "You are so silly. We have four people on our side, but they''re only two. Though Isaac and I are weak, we four can easily defeat them. After the two of you defeat one of them, we four can easily kill the other one!" Darren elaborated.


    Hearing Darren''s words, the two men from the Golden Sacred Sect found it was plausible.


    "Well, we''ll do as you said. If we successfully get the treasures, you will get your share! Now, I''ll pretend to intimidate you, and you fake fright and step back slowly towards them. Call your friend over there, and we''ll attack and kill the man on the left first. Get it?" The young men from the Golden Sacred Sect prepared the kil


    lefield and hit two men from the Crimson Sea Sect occasionally.


    Darren, on the other hand, flew and grabbed Ryan who appeared to be still alive.


    "Tell me! Where the hell is the Holy Will Pill?" Darren pretended to interrogate Ryan. He tried to stall for time so that both sides would suffer great losses.


    "Darren! It''s not the right time for you to interrogate him. Help us kill those two bastards!" The two men from the Golden Sacred Sect were angry at Darren for not having their priorities in check. This was an emergency after all.


    "Darren, help your senior fellow apprentices kill those two villains first," Isaac shouted. This was all to help ensure the people from the Golden Sacred Sect were convinced that Darren was indeed on their side.


    "Coming! Hold on!"


    Darren replied, but he didn''t move right away.


    "Do you know the consequence of offending me? Anyone who wants to kill me will die first." Darren lowered his head and whispered in Ryan''s ear with a gentle smile on his lips.


    "So insidious..." Ryan''s face was distorted in pain.


    This was the moment Ryan alone realized how vicious the young man in front of him was, bringing everyone to their death using nothing but his words.


    Swish!


    Darren looked around and wandered off to the edge of the battlefield like Isaac had done. He occasionally pretended to strike with his sword.


    The men from the Golden Sacred Sect and those from the Crimson Sea Sect were attacking each other with all their might.


    "If they fight like this for another hour, it will be time for the real show to start." A murderous look flashed across Darren''s eyes.

 Chapter 628 All Of You Will Die

    The sky was lit up as all colors of the Holy Will soared through into the air.


    The aftermaths of the numerous battles that had taken place in the area were horrendous. The mountains were blown away into ruins, and any area within fifty kilometers was desolate.


    With Darren and Isaac''s "help," the two men from the Golden Sacred Sect were still at a disadvantage. As a result, they got seriously injured.


    Before they knew it, an hour had passed. All four of them had slowed down their attacks, since it was obvious they couldn''t do that much harm to one another.


    "Stop!"


    A scream came from one of the men of the Crimson Sea Sect.


    "Why would I listen to you? Kill him!"


    The disciples of the Golden Sacred Sect didn''t want to give up, because they believed that with two more men on their side, they would definitely win in the end.


    "If we continue to fight like this, none of us will be able to win. One Holy Will Pill is not worth it. You can just take it," one warrior from the Crimson Sea Sect said. He didn''t want to fight anymore. If it went on like this, both sides might die.


    "Ha! You stole the Holy Will Pill, but now you''re pretending to be generous? We will not stop until one of us dies!"


    It appeared that the people from the Golden Sacred Sect still believed Darren''s words, thinking that the Holy Will Pill was stolen by the Crimson Sea Sect. Since there were so many people on their side, there was definitely no need to let the others go.


    "Darren, go all out and attack them! Kill them!" the young man from the Golden Sacred Sect ordered.


    They''d noticed that Darren hadn''t used all his strength so far. They''d assumed he was saving his strength for the last blow. Now that both sides had released their strength and became weaker, it was a good opportunity for Darren to use all of his strength.


    "I''m still not strong enough. If you attack with all your might again for a little more, Isaac and I will finish them off!" Darren vowed telepathically to the young man.


    "Okay, let''s have our final battle!" The Golden Sacred Sect''s two disciples started to attack with all their might. The Fringe Holy Will lit up the sky again.


    The lights blew up the sky from within. Anyone looking at it wouldn''t be able to believe their eyes.


    "Hey, Isaac, get ready!"


    Darren shouted. After the fierce battle, the damage on both sides had gotten even worse, and their fighting capacity had also declined a lot.


    "Who should we kill first?" asked Isaac telepathically using his spiritual sense.


    "Since the Golden Sacred Sect trusts us, let''s kill a man from the Crimson Sea Sect first."


    "Okay, I will do my best,"


    Isaac responded. The Fringe Holy Will exploded at twenty percent from his body. But his Holy Will could only work for this battle, because he had shared his Holy Will with Darren before, and the


    own interests.


    "You''re right, buddy. I didn''t consider the consequences completely. I will kill the man on the left from behind and you kill the one on the right." Hearing Darren''s words, Isaac remembered that the men from the Golden Sacred Sect weren''t actually trying to help them. They were just trying to take advantage of both him and Darren.


    After their discussion, Darren and Isaac got closer to the two men from the Golden Sacred Sect.


    "Hand over the Holy Will Pill now! Otherwise, you will suffer a lot before you die," Darren roared.


    "I don''t have the Holy Will Pill. Killing me won''t gain you anything." The man from the Crimson Sea Sect looked innocent.


    "Hahaha!"


    Mad laughter rang out from behind them.


    "What?" They all turned to the direction of the voice. It was none other than Ryan.


    "A group of stupid pigs and dogs. All of you fooled by a young boy. All of you go to hell!" Ryan was both sobbing and laughing maniacally.


    "Are you still trying to frame me?" Darren sneered. His words were meant as a distraction, as he stealthily rushed to a man of the Golden Sacred Sect.


    Swish!


    Darren stabbed his sword into the man''s chest. He''d been startled and dodged the attack so the sword pierced through his abdomen instead.


    While that was happening Isaac also started to attack. He summoned his extreme sword intent and directly pierced through the other young man from the Golden Sacred Sect''s chest.


    "You!" The young man who had been stabbed in the abdomen gaped at Darren in disbelief, blood gushing out of his mouth.


    "Is this thing really so valuable that everyone is willing to kill for it?" Darren said with a playful smile on his face, his hand holding a pill with a fluorescent glow.


    "Ah!"


    The remaining young men from the Crimson Sea Sect and the Golden Sacred Sect started to regret what they had done, their faces contorted with hatred.

 Chapter 629 The Life Forbidden Zone

    When they saw the Holy Will Pill in Darren''s hand, they felt as if their hearts had shattered. It turned out that Darren had taken it.


    "Darren, I have no grudge against you. Please don''t kill me,"


    pleaded the young man, who had been stabbed in the abdomen, as he retreated step by step.


    "Why not? Weren''t you forcing me to join your Golden Sacred Sect? You threatened to kill me if I didn''t accept. Is your request fair?" Darren shouted, coldly. As they had already killed one person, it was impossible to set the young man free.


    "Isaac! Kill him now!"


    Isaac''s extreme sword intent was aimed at the two men.


    Suddenly, the earth shook violently.


    "What happened?"


    Isaac''s attack couldn''t cause the trembling.


    "All the disciples of the Heaven Lake Sect need to return immediately."


    "All the disciples of the Golden Sacred Sect should return to the sect at once."


    The rumbling sound reverberated through the sky. In a flash, the two men from the Heaven Lake Sect and the Golden Sacred Sect were covered with white light.


    A moment later, another thunderous sound deafened everyone. It was the Crimson Sea Sect calling their disciples.


    "Ha-ha-ha, we have been saved."


    The other three men were overjoyed, especially Ryan, who shed tears of surprise.


    In their final moments, the three sects had used the teleportation door simultaneously. What had happened?


    Instead of wondering why the teleportation door had been used, the men focused on the relief coursing through them. They had been saved! They weren''t going to die.


    Darren felt uneasy. After the three men were enveloped by the white light, they seemed to fall through a door in space. There was no trace of them! Even their aura had dissipated.


    Bang!


    Darren brandished his blade and sword at Ryan in unison.


    Ryan had suffered the most. If he escaped, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Bang!


    But Darren''s blade and sword couldn''t penetrate the white light.


    "Ha-ha-ha, you little bastard! My sect will hunt you now. And soon, I will kill you!" A ferocious expression morphed Ryan''s face. He was no longer in danger as the white light protected him as well.


    A moment later, Ryan fell into the door behind him and disappeared.


    "Darren, I will never forget you. You killed my fellow apprentice of the Gol


    the cloud, stared at Darren with a solemn expression.


    "Someone has crushed the Ancient Age''s Life Forbidden Zone. All disciples, no matter where you are, please enter the teleportation door and return to your sects. Let''s grab this opportunity together. Quickly now!"


    When the old man''s voice faded, another scene appeared in Darren''s mind.


    It was a purple place covered with a purple haze. A figure swayed there, almost as if ready to run.


    A moment later, a huge crack appeared in the sky. The figure seemed to have broken something and he ran away timidly.


    He ran thousands of kilometers a step and disappeared from the screen in just a few seconds.


    "That figure... Ah, it was that old man! How could it be him?"


    At first sight, Darren thought that the figure looked familiar. After careful consideration, he believed that the figure resembled the old man, who had come from the other end of the starry sky not long ago. What convinced Darren, was the figure''s child-like reaction when he had broken something.


    "The Life Forbidden Zone of the Ancient Age was broken? What''s the meaning of this?"


    Darren was very curious about the location of the Life Forbidden Zone and why all the sects had recalled their disciples. He was even more interested to learn about this opportunity everyone wanted to grab.


    And who was that old man? He broke the Life Forbidden Zone!


    "It''s better to investigate and learn the truth than to make uninformed and naive assumptions," Darren smiled once he had decided where he was going.

 Chapter 630 The Method To Enter The Life Forbidden Zone

    Darren had never heard of the Life Forbidden Zone, which was why he wasn''t about to look for it without having any clues as to where it might be. Instead, he went in search of cities he could ask about it in.


    After ten days of flying, Darren came across more than ten cities and collected a lot of useful information. He also heard a lot about the Life Forbidden Zone.


    It appeared that the Life Forbidden Zone had always existed in this sinful land. In fact, some believed it was there before this sinful land was even formed, a forbidden zone from the Ancient Age.


    It was said to be tremendously terrifying. No one that ever went there had returned in many years. They were believed to have all died there.


    There were so many rumors surrounding the place. One claimed that someone had seen a human-shaped creature there, with blood red hair that covered his entire body. One look from that creature and whoever it was it looked at would explode and turn into blood mist.


    Recently, the rumors about the forbidden zone had become so widespread everywhere. There were heated debates about it going on in all the cities Darren had visited.


    The debates were due to a master claiming he''d seen a human figure near the Life Forbidden Zone a few days ago. Right after that, the Life Forbidden Zone had started to collapse, as if it was the end of the world. The news had made everyone in the cities uneasy upon hearing it. They were convinced that something had escaped the Forbidden Life Zone and was now out to kill them.


    In addition to the Life Forbidden Zone''s information, Darren had also learned more about the five major forces, including the location of these forces.


    Darren stopped at one restaurant in a city and sat down.


    He wasn''t in a hurry to go to the forbidden zone. After all, if it was as dangerous as the rumors claimed, it wouldn''t be much of a good idea to go there so early. But if the place wasn''t that dangerous at all, that meant it wouldn''t be a fruitful trip to go there. So, he didn''t need to rush anything.


    ''If I go to the Life Forbidden Zone, I will definitely meet people from the five major forces. I mustn''t be recognized by those escaped bastards!'' His goal was to fly under their radar.


    "Everyone fuck off out of here! I''ve reserved the whole restaurant!"


    Darren was leisurely drinking his tea when several strong men in armor rushed into the restaurant. They scared a group of people away in their wake.


    "What are you doing? What''s wrong with you? Why did you drive away all of our guests?"


    The manager of the restaurant asked anxiously as many customers had left without paying.


    Darren checked the young man''s bone age and found that he was only over a hundred and eighty years old, but he had reached the seven-star Grand Realm level.


    ''He must be the one who has got the invitation from the Dragon Chasing Sect, '' Darren thought to himself.


    "You...young...young master, that brat refuses to leave, so we were going to kill him."


    "Why are you stammering? What did you do?" The well-dressed young man''s face was as cold as ice. He raised his hand and hit the man with his palm. The man quickly dissolved into blood mist.


    ''Killing a guy for stammering, that seems to be very cruel, '' Darren thought.


    Seeing one of their own get killed, the remaining men immediately knelt down and trembled, unable to even beg for mercy.


    "The guests will be arriving here very soon. You can''t even do something as simple as this? Why should I allow you to keep living in this world?"


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The rest all exploded into blood mist as well.


    Witnessing this heinous abuse of power, the manager hid far away. He didn''t dare to face the young man.


    "You son of a bitch, this is all your fault. Time for you to die!"


    The young man looked at Darren, his eyes full of killing intent.


    "I was just drinking a cup of tea. If you won''t allow me to drink my tea here, I''ll just go." Darren quirked his brow, a plan already in place.


    He''d been thinking of a way to sneak into the Life Forbidden Zone. An invitation letter from the Dragon Chasing Sect would be useful.


    "Who do you think I am? Do you really think you can leave now that I have every intention of killing you?" The well-dressed man laughed maniacally. No one could stop him once he made up his mind on doing something, and he''d made up his mind to kill Darren.

 Chapter 631 Take Away The Invitation Letter

    Darren rose from his seat and walked up to the young man.


    "How do you wish to die?" The young man narrowed his eyes to glare at Darren.


    "Why bother? I just came here to have a cup of tea. Is it a good idea to fight me?" Darren answered nonchalantly.


    At this point, the young man was flustered and wondered, ''Why isn''t he panicking?'' Though as he identified Darren''s aura, he could obviously sense that Darren was inferior to him as a low level grand warrior. How could he be so calm?


    But when he checked Darren''s bone age, he found that Darren was only about thirty years old. Immediately, he felt relieved.


    ''He must be a bumpkin from some small tribe, '' the young man thought to himself. He believed that Darren must have never encountered such a strong man as him, so naturally he would not be intimidated.


    "Huh? Where is he?"


    As the young man was lost in his own thoughts, Darren had stepped out of the restaurant.


    "Fuck! He got away!" he cursed and proceeded to release his spiritual sense to detect Darren''s whereabouts.


    In less than no time, he was able to locate Darren.


    The young man promptly turned into a phantom and disappeared from the restaurant.


    Eventually, he frowned and paused his search.


    "What a bizarre bodily movement skill! It''s clear that he''s here, but when I arrive, he''s gone."


    The warrior chased after Darren several times, but the results remained unchanged. Every time he arrived at the place where the detection was located, the latter had already fled somewhere else. He seemed to always be a kilometer away from the latter.


    "Humph! I''ll just see what tricks you''ll play. When I catch you, I will skin you alive!" The young man declared to himself and swiftly flew off to continue his pursuit.


    After half an hour, he finally sighted Darren.


    "You son of a bitch! You want to escape from me? Go to hell!"


    He was furious. It took him unreasonably long to track the other down. He was sure that the bumpkin must have mastered some kind of speed skill; it was the only explanation as to why he had been able to escape so fast.


    Darren stopped in his tracks and turned around to stare at the so-called young master.


    "You''ve chased me for quite some time. Aren''t you tired?"


    "Screw you!"


    The young man dashed towards Darren.


    Bang!


    Darren struck the young man''s fist with his palm, and the young warrior immediately sprang back.


    He winced and, to his horror, realized that the bones in his arm were broken. He looked at Da


    ds.


    Darren could have been invited if he wanted to join the Dragon Chasing Sect. However, the purpose of his journey was to go to the Life Forbidden Zone. There would definitely be the people of the three sects there. If he went there with his true identity, it would be very easy to cause trouble.


    That was why Darren was so excited when he found out that this young man received the Dragon Chasing Sect''s invitation.


    Not to forget that Darren had mastered the "Copying Skill." He could become the exact copy of his young man without raising any kind of suspicion.


    "You''re a murderer! I''ll let you know how it feels to be killed!"


    Darren had no intention to let him go. He violently rolled out the blade and sword intents.


    "Ah!" The young man''s face was pale, and then his head fell on the ground.


    Although the young man''s power was weak, Darren had assimilated his talent of martial arts.


    Next, Darren needed to take this young man''s look.


    Before the young man''s soul completely faded, Darren exerted the Copying Skill to transform into the young man''s look. He even dressed the same way as the young man.


    ''No, there are too many powerful people here. If I am detected by some powerful rule cultivators, they will find me, '' Darren thought.


    He decided to practice here for a few days and grasp the Copying Skill better to ensure his own safety.


    "Besides, the Dragon Chasing Sect must have recorded the young man''s skills. I can''t expose my blade and sword intents so casually, so I have to learn some fist skills as well."


    To his luck, he found a book about fist skills inside the man''s pocket. Darren decided he''d start from there.

 Chapter 632 Treasure Collection And Evil Punishment

    In the ten days that Darren practiced, he was able to understand the Copying Skill and master the fist skills.


    As Darren''s martial arts talent was at the seventh level of the Heaven Degree, it only took him ten days to grasp the fist intent.


    Adequately prepared, Darren thought that it was time for him to leave. He intended to visit the Dragon Chasing Sect.


    But before that, Darren had to return to the city in case the young man''s family reported his disappearance to the Dragon Chasing Sect.


    Darren flew quickly, and soon, reached the city.


    The soldiers on patrol in the city spotted Darren immediately.


    "Go and inform the Governor that the young master has returned safely!"


    The soldiers were overjoyed when they saw Darren.


    When the young master''s disappearance had been noticed, the soldiers had suffered tremendously. Over the past ten days, the Governor had killed hundreds of soldiers as punishment. This caused others to panic.


    Soon several figures appeared where Darren stood.


    "Oh, my dear son! Where have you been for the past ten days? Your mother and I were so worried," a middle-aged man said to Darren.


    "A thief framed and injured me. I returned as soon as I recovered," Darren answered. As his appearance matched that of the missing young man, everyone thought that the young master had returned.


    "Who is that thief? He must be insane!" The Governor''s eyes widened in exasperation when he heard the explanation.


    "I have already killed him. By the way, do you have any treasures at home?" Darren asked.


    "Uh..." The Governor hemmed and hawed as he didn''t know whether or not to answer that question.


    "Don''t you want to give them to me?" Darren sneered.


    "Of course, I want to. But, Lewis, why do you need treasures? What do you want to do with them?"


    "You have been the Governor for so many years. Don''t you know why I would need the treasures?" Darren pretended to be impatient and continued, "This is my first visit to the Dragon Chasing Sect. I''m a mere nobody to them. So many senior fellow apprentices are at the sect. Do you think I will survive without some treasures? If I don''t give them any benefits, I''m afraid that they will kill me!"


    "Oh! I understand," the Governor patted his head and said. "Forgive my momentary confusion. My son has a thoughtful mind. Let me think about what treasures I have."


    After contemplating for a while, the Governor said, "Lewis, why don''t we send our box?"


    Hearing this, Darren began to search the memories he had gotten from the young man''s soul, but he couldn''t find any reference for the box.


    f you want them, I can ask someone to bring some for you. They are great, ha-ha."


    "Answer me!" Darren''s tone was full of killing intent.


    "Uh, huh. May be ten times? What''s wrong with you, Lewis?"


    "Where are they?"


    "Who?"


    "The farm girls!" Darren roared.


    "Oh! I killed them. Do you want them? But I''ve already played with them. This is so embarrassing. If you want to play, I can ask someone to bring new girls for you. Don''t lose your temper, ha-ha."


    "Well, old bastard, it''s time for you to be punished." Darren was furious when he heard what the Governor had done.


    ''This old dog has ruined many innocent girls. How miserable those girls were?''


    "Shut up! Don''t forget that I created you. You are getting more and more disrespectful every day. How dare you call me an old bastard?" Although the Governor feared his son, he couldn''t hold back his anger.


    Whoosh!


    Darren did not want to say anything more. Instead, he released a spiritual arrow that pierced the Governor''s mind.


    "Ahhh!"


    The Governor''s body convulsed, and the blue veins on his face wriggled like bugs. The agony caused by the spiritual arrow was unbearable!


    After a while, he fell out of the bathtub. The Governor''s eyes bulged as though they were going to pop out of his face.


    His soul felt as if thousands of ants were eating him alive. This was a pain that no one could bear.


    Darren didn''t care enough to hang around and watch. This old bastard would live like this and not die. It was going to be a long and miserable life!


    "Now that I have the treasures and I have punished an old beast, it''s time to go to the Dragon Chasing Sect. I wonder what is happening in the Life Forbidden Zone now," Darren murmured as he left.

 Chapter 633 Entering The Dragon Chasing Sect

    When Darren went out and was about to leave, he told the subordinates that his father suddenly had a stroke. He asked them to carry the Governor out.


    After making sure that the Governor was taken away, Darren left and went all the way south to find the Dragon Chasing Sect.


    After flying for about four or five days, Darren found that the scenery around him had changed dramatically.


    Streams of flowing water stretched in all directions. Mountains that stood tall and bold across the land were like paintings. Palaces in the distance were born on clouds, which were magnificent and surreal. Caught dazzled by the landscape, Darren thought that the beauty of the place was out of this world.


    Darren flew over and landed on a palace hidden amongst the range of mountains.


    "Huh! The restriction was so strong. It was not easy for me to fly here."


    Before he flew near the palace, Darren felt that a mysteriously tremendous force was suppressing him. The effect prohibited him from flying further and getting closer to the palace.


    Thus, Darren was left with no choice and landed on the ground. He then climbed up the stone ladder that he saw on an opening along the walls of the palace.


    "My name is Lewis. I''ve received the invitation letter of the Dragon Chasing Sect," Darren said.


    He took out the invitation and gave it to the two disciples guarding the entrance.


    "Come with me,"


    one of the disciples said coldly and walked inside, leading the way for Darren.


    With confident strides, Darren followed the man all the way. After they walked for about fifteen minutes following the twists and turns from one wall to another, they came to a small hall.


    "Elder, this is a newcomer. When do you plan to test him?" asked the disciple.


    As Darren surveyed the entire hall with his eyes, he saw an older man sitting at the top of an elevated pedestal. With a slight glance, he took a look at Darren and asked someone to hand the invitation to him.


    "He doesn''t have to be tested. I just need to check his identity. You can leave now," said the old man while motioning to the disciple to leave at once.


    "What? But, it''s against the rule, elder. New members of the Dragon Chasing Sect need to accept eight levels of tests," the disciple who accompanied Darren said with a hesitant expression.


    "Humph! I know what I''m doing. You may leave now," ordered the elder.


    "Yes, elder!" the disciple responded. He gave the elder a low bow in reverence and left momentarily.


    "Come here." The elder waved at Darren the moment the disciple left.


    Following the elder''s request, Darren walked over and stood there.


    "I''ll be honest with you. You are not qualified to be a member of our Dragon Chasing Sect. But we need more disciples, so we break a rule to accept you. As long as you work hard to improve your strength and do things conscientiously, you will get more benefits. Do you understand?" implored the elder.


    "I got it, elder. Loud and clear," replied Darren shortly.


    With Darren''s confirmation, the old man came down from his chair and laid one of his hands on Darren''s shoulders. His hand felt heavy on Darren''s shoulder.


    "Release your fist intent now," the old man commanded Darren with a firm and compelling voice.


    In fact, Darren was


    t at the instant he felt his aura, the elder man turned to face him.


    At the sight of the middle-aged man, the old man gave a smile and said, "Elder Yves, it''s enough for 300 people now."


    "That''s good," replied the middle-aged man shortly. Thinking about the matter at hand, Yves paused for a moment and then continued, "About half of the first batch of disciples have been dead and injured, and they need new disciples to replenish their strength. But I''m warning you, don''t fool me. Otherwise, I will punish you."


    "Yes, yes. Don''t worry. I have worked as an elder for many years. I know that. They are all elites, and all of them will help you gain more opportunities," the old man named Elliot retorted back.


    "Okay. I''ll trust you with that." Yves nodded. Not a tinge of slightest doubt could be sensed on his face about his conditions with the elder man.


    "Err, Elder Yves, may I ask why more than half of the first batch disciples have been killed or injured? Where is the Chief Elder? Is he dead?" At the thought of Yves'' statement earlier, Elliot asked, frowning.


    "Shut up! How dare you curse the Chief Elder? He is so strong and powerful! He could not die!"


    "No, no, no! I just want to know if something happened to the Chief Elder. I''m just concerned about him." Sweat trickled down Elliot''s forehead as he tried to make up with his insensitive statement.


    "Humph!" A bit annoyed, Yves flicked his sleeve and said, "You shouldn''t ask this question. Don''t ask again."


    With these words, Yves turned around and left with a worried look. Elliot, in turn, was left like a puzzle with a missing piece. He was confused about why Yves went berserk with his question. It might be true that something wrong might have happened to the Chief Elder, and Elliot couldn''t be more specific.


    Forty-five minutes later, Darren arrived at the square as Elliot told him¡ªall prepared and geared up for the task.


    As Darren lingered his sight around, studying every warrior present, he was overwhelmed to be among of the hundreds of people that had gathered there. What made him fold in a bit was none of them seemed to be weaker than Darren in their aura and cultivation base!

 Chapter 634 Started The Treasure Hunt

    "The Medium Spiritual World is a remarkable place, and the Dragon Chasing Sect is full of elites. I guess other sects are similar."


    The people in the square were as powerful as those from the three major sects Darren had met before.


    These people were just the high-end power in this sinful land. Outside this land, in the vast land of the Medium Spiritual World, there must be countless more talented and powerful people.


    Darren entered the crowd.


    In a flash, numerous ferocious spiritual senses began to scan him unscrupulously.


    Darren ignored their probing and pretended that he knew nothing.


    "Humph, I don''t know how this son of a bitch got in here."


    "It must have been Elliot''s doing! I struggled for over eighty years in the Dragon Chasing Sect because I didn''t give Elliot any treasures when I enrolled. This loser must have given something precious to Elliot."


    "Stop talking about that and focus. I don''t know what kind of danger we will face when we enter the Life Forbidden Zone. I heard that many people from the first group died."


    "Nonsense. I heard from the elders that the first group of people found many treasures. Some people even got great opportunities and comprehended sixty or seventy percent of the Fringe Holy Will."


    "Really? The people who mastered sixty percent of the Fringe Holy Will are on par with our eldest brother apprentice! Then, it seems like this is a good time for us to try our luck. I thought Elliot was lying to us."


    The disciples in the square began to whisper among themselves. Every so often, someone would throw Darren a scornful glance.


    As there were so many conflicting rumors about the Life Forbidden Zone, the disciples were scared. This was why they hadn''t gone there before.


    But, the elder had shared news of many people finding treasures. This had motivated these disciples to take the risk this time.


    After waiting on the square for a while, three figures emerged from the void and stood in the front.


    Darren looked at the three people¡ªtwo middle-aged men and a woman. They emitted a majestic aura, and they seemed to have the power of breaking the space.


    "These three people are very powerful!" Darren muttered. After he came to this sinful land, except for the old man he met earlier, t


    appear in the picture. They might not exist at all.


    After staring at the picture for a while, Darren spotted something.


    At the bottom left corner of the picture, he seemed to see something flashing away.


    Darren closed his eyes and tried to replay the scene in his mind. After a little while, he found that the thing that had flashed away was a red figure who had been eating a bloody body!


    ''I''m sure it''s not as easy as the elders claim. I have to be careful, '' Darren cautioned himself.


    "Okay." The elder withdrew the picture and said, "We are about to open the transmission channel. Don''t resist it. You can step into it in an orderly fashion."


    "Yes, elder!" the disciples answered in unison.


    A moment later, a hurricane whirled in the sky, and thick clouds gathered.


    Gradually, the thick clouds began to spin and sink as it approached the front of the square. Soon, it turned into a black vortex.


    "Good skill! I must say!" Darren praised.


    "Be quiet! You are just a piece of junk. Don''t be a drag on us!" Someone beside Darren gave him a cold look and released a killing intent.


    Darren looked at him dismissively and said softly, "One more word and I will kill you when we reach the Life Forbidden Zone."


    "You! I''ll skin you alive!" The man glared at Darren with bared teeth. His ferocious expression made him look like a beast.


    "Well, come on in!" an elder roared. In a flash, the crowd flew toward the whirlpool.


    At last, Darren flew in and started the unknown treasure hunt.

 Chapter 635 Joining The Battlefield

    In the darkness, time passed by silently.


    Darren felt as dizzy as he''d felt when he''d gone to the Raksa Sea.


    After some time, the feeling of discomfort disappeared as a weak light penetrated through the darkness and shined near him.


    Water-like ripples appeared on the purple ground. A moment later, a lot of figures rushed out from them.


    As soon as the figures fully emerged, a cold wind started to blow. The earth was desolate and withered.


    "Is this the Life Forbidden Zone?"


    "It''s such a desolate place. I don''t think that there are treasures here. Where are the other disciples? Why don''t I see them?"


    Everyone looked into the distance. There was nothing but an endless sea of purple here.


    "Look! There''s a speck of cyan light!"


    They all turned and caught sight of a green light in the distance and immediately got excited.


    "Is that the Holy Will? Go get it!"


    "Stop!" The three elders stopped all the disciples who wanted to fly over there to get the cyan light. They shouted at them to stop, "Everyone stay where you are. Those who disobey the order will be killed!"


    Hearing this, they all looked at each other in confusion, not knowing what was going on.


    "Why won''t you allow us to get the Holy Will?"


    one of them muttered. If they weren''t going after the treasure, what was the point of even coming here?


    "Do you really think that it will be this easy for you to get it? How naive, all of you!" the female elder, Queena, yelled out.


    "Yes, Elder Queena is right. Just follow our orders. We''re not letting you go there for your own good. You''ll die the second you enter the deep purple zone," another elder explained.


    The area Darren and the others stood in was a light purple. It got darker the farther they advanced inside.


    Hearing the elder''s words, Darren agreed. It was bound to be dangerous in this barren land. But he still didn''t understand why the elders had summoned these disciples here.


    Suddenly, the earth began to shake.


    A cloud of thick purple dust rose from the ground a little farther out.


    "What happened?"


    Everyone released their spiritual senses to try to figure out what had happened. However, since the senses could only cover a small distance, they weren''t able to find anything out.


    Even when Darren brought out his own Spirit Power, he failed to detect the cause of the disruption. No one was able to find out what had happened there.


    "Come with us."


    T


    young guy had such a powerful attack."


    "You are too careless, Elder Ivan. Why did you use only half of your Holy Will? Where is he? Where did the guy go?"


    Ivan was enraged. He didn''t expect Darren to be so strong. How dare he pretend to be weak and so he wouldn''t go out into the battlefield! Damn it!


    Unfortunately, he''d underestimated the young man''s strength and didn''t kill him with one blow as he should have done.


    "He''s in the battlefield." Ivan''s spiritual sense hadn''t left Darren, clearly sensing that he had entered the purple dust.


    "Well, I''ll kill him after our sect wins the battle and the barrier is broken."


    "Yes, you must kill that disobedient coward."


    The three elders waited it out.


    The purple dust in front of Darren created a powerful barrier.


    When several great sects arrived, many elders had rushed over to fight their way into the passage. However, once they stepped into the purple mist, they immediately turned into ashes.


    People who had acquired more than forty percent of the Fringe Holy Will were forbidden from entering this area. That was why the elders had sent a large number of disciples to fight in their stead. People of their level couldn''t enter here.


    Darren''s figure disappeared into the purple smoke. The inside was a mess, and a bloody killing intent came at him.


    "Kill!"


    Several people rushed towards Darren as soon as they saw him.


    ''Damn it! These bastards have all acquired a little Fringe Holy Will. It won''t be easy for me to survive, '' Darren thought to himself. His face was grave, and the sword and blade intents swept wildly around his body.

 Chapter 636 Puncturing The Elixir Field

    On the spur of the moment, a dark gold internal force exploded in the center of the battlefield creating a devastating impact around the entire space.


    Consequently, the men who were rushing toward Darren were immediately forced to retreat. However, such a colossal explosion, which caused the entire space to tremble coupled with the enemies retreating away, attracted more people''s attention.


    "Kill him!"


    Though still dazed by the explosion, several people managed and dared to rush towards Darren.


    "Air-integrated True Rule!"


    Without any hesitation, Darren used the Air-integrated True Rule and disappeared from where he was.


    Having vanished in thin air, all the attacks aimed towards him missed.


    Those who had launched the assault against him didn''t have time to think about what was going on. Because if they wanted to take another action, their weakness would be exposed. If that happened, then they would be immediately besieged.


    "Phew!" Being invisible and unfelt right now, Darren could finally breathe a sigh of relief amidst the chaotic battlefield.


    As free as a bird, mindless of his enemies, Darren flew in the air and checked around. The scope of the battlefield was about ten kilometers¡ªa vast and spacious arena for killing.


    In his viewpoint, high above the sky, Darren had a clear picture of what was happening below. At least two thousand people were fighting, and the entire battlefield was in a mess and mayhem.


    Judging from their clothes, Darren could tell that they were from different forces.


    In the innermost part of the battlefield, Darren had detected a sizeable imprint-like dent stretched across the field with his spiritual sense. It was an enormous crater that spread out from its edge and left a deep footprint in the middle.


    "This was definitely stepped out by a human!" Darren chirped out.


    At the thought of the rumor that someone had broken the forbidden zone, Darren knew that the footprint must be from the old man who came out of the space crack the other day.


    The warriors on the battlefield were all at the top level of the seven-star. Although their cultivation base had been suppressed, they were still fighting fiercely, and the impact was huge. Some people might die at any time.


    "Oh, how can I miss such a good opportunity?" At the thought of it, Darren patted his head. How could he forget to assimilate the fallen martial artists'' talent since many people died on this battlefield? It was a very precious opportunity, yet he got his mind so preoccupied that he forgot about it.


    "Assimilate!"


    Staying hidden with the help of his Air-integrated True Rule, Darren flew to the center of the battlefield. He started to assimilate those spiritual energies crazily¡ªfeasting upon them.


    Darren''s Air-integrated True Rule could last for a quarter of an hour. During this period, he could make use of the time that he got to assimilate all the powers without showing up.


    One figure after another was beaten into pieces. Gradually, they all fell on the ground, and Darren desperately assimilated them.


    With all the different kinds of talents from various forms of martial arts kept pouring into his mind, he felt light and comfortable at once.


    But then again, the clock was ticking, and time was almost up.


    "The top level of the eighth


    ody bull''s-eye headshot.


    "Run to the crowd!" shouted the man whom Darren did not know of.


    Grateful to that man who fired the arrow, Darren then realized that since there were so many people in this battlefield, chasing and killing people was courting death. It was a far better idea to stay in a place with a lot of people and play dumb.


    Despite that, Darren hadn''t forgotten the assimilating talents when he escaped. Now that he continued assimilating, he had reached the ninth level of the Heaven Degree!


    Talents of this level were rare in the entire Medium Spiritual World. Once they were discovered, they would definitely be the object of great admiration by the Sacred Palace and various forces.


    To a greater extent, Darren dismissed the thought and wandered on the battlefield. Killing one or two lonely strong men from time to time, he attracted a lot of pursuits, but fortunately escaped successfully.


    "Ah!"


    With the battle ebbing a little, Darren, at this point gave out a loud roar.


    Stretching and swaying himself, he felt a terrible pain in his back.


    Confused as he was, as to what and who caused the searing pain, Darren shot a beam of dark gold internal force at his rear and then turned around.


    Surprisingly, there was a human figure laughing hideously behind him.


    As he sensed the hidden man''s presence, Darren''s heart jolted. This person, whoever he was, had mastered the shadow rule. It wouldn''t be a surprise if he were killed before he could realize it.


    The piercing pain made Darren sweating and rickety that he ran away desperately.


    "My elixir field was pierced through." At the thought of it, Darren''s face was deadly pale. His back and abdomen were stabbed, and blood spewed out of his body, profusely.


    "You want to escape? You son of a bitch! You secretly killed many disciples of the Crimson Sea Sect. I finally have time to punish you!" promulgated the man. Before long, the figure burst out his killing intent and transformed into wisps of black smoke and rushed toward Darren at high speed.


    With such skills in transformation, Darren was shocked. The person behind him turned into black smoke, and his speed was incredibly fast. He couldn''t escape.

 Chapter 637 Darren Was On The Verge Of Death

    "You want to run away? Don''t be so naive. There''s no escaping me!" The voice that followed Darren was far too close for comfort. Hideously inhuman though it was, there was an unmistakable playfulness in its cruel roar.


    Knowing that there was indeed little hope in retreating, Darren abruptly stopped and fired his dark gold internal force.


    To his dismay, his elixir field had been pierced, causing an awful pain to tear through his body for as long as he used his skills. The only thing that could hurt more, in fact, was a direct attack on his soul.


    Meanwhile, his dark gold internal force was slow enough that the dark smoke dodged it with ease.


    This foe had grasped the Shadow Rule, and was in fact the stronger of the two.


    While still injured, it would be almost impossible for Darren to win this fight.


    After dodging his attack, the dark smoke condensed into an arrow and shot toward Darren.


    It struck home, piercing him through the belly again.


    "Ha, you little weakling," the man taunted. "How does it feel with your elixir field broken?"


    Darren did not answer at first. He swayed on his feet, blood soaking the lower half of his body even as he tried to cover his wounds.


    "Oh, what are you waiting for?" he gasped. "If you''re going to kill me, just get it over with."


    These words of Darren''s were a gamble on his part. He was hoping that his attacker was angry enough, or sadistic enough, to be goaded into taking its time. Otherwise, the man would indeed just finish him off immediately.


    "Ah," came the reply. "So it''s a quick death you want? I don''t think so. Not after the trouble you''ve caused me, killing so many of my disciples in the Crimson Sea Sect. No, I promise you anything but a quick release from the pain."


    Hearing this, Darren felt a small measure of hope. It seemed he might actually have a chance of survival now.


    Gritting his teeth, he backed away, heading to the spot where several powerful masters were locked in fierce combat, oblivious to Darren''s existence.


    If he could lure his assailant there, he thought an opportunity for escape might present itself.


    Meanwhile, the dark smoke wasn''t letting up for a second. He followed Darren and repeatedly stabbed at his elixir field, clearly taking his time with it.


    Incredibly, the pain continually grew worse and worse, and Darren was near-constantly hacking up blood as he endured the torture. If he lost consciousness or finished bleeding out, it would be the end for him.


    Finally he wasn''t far off from the fighters. The Holy Will was blasting around them, which made Darren very uncomfortable.


    However, the thought of a slow, gruesome death made him more uncomfortable. He steeled himself and flew toward the center of the battlefield.


    Seeing this, the dark smoke realized what his victim was up to. "Oh, you''re clever," he mutter


    w."


    Saying this, he struck his palm against Darren''s elixir field, this time shattering it completely and putting a nasty hole in his abdomen.


    Darren convulsed, unable to help shouting in pain. He felt almost like his soul was being torn apart.


    But even then he had some power left in him, in a way. With his elixir field open, his powers activated entirely of their own accord. There was a burst of blade and sword intents, then a fiercer blast of olive-black force which went right at his assailant.


    The young man was caught off-guard and howled as his shoulder bone was smashed to pieces.


    "How dare you!" he said through gritted teeth, even more enraged than he already had been. "After the beating I''ve given you already, you still have the gall to try and fight me? You have no idea how cruel I can be!


    I''m surprised, though, to see that you practice both blade and sword at the same time... I''ve only ever seen people who cultivate one or the other. I think I''ll just take out your blade and sword cores, then, and see what the difference is."


    With a grim expression, he reached his hand out toward Darren''s elixir field.


    Unable to resist, Darren felt his already-weakened life aura start to rapidly drain away. There were no more last-ditch gambits for him to try. Even the one attack he had just managed had really been a reflex, rather than anything he could consciously do.


    An overpowering sense of despair enveloped him. By the time his adversary was through, Darren would almost certainly be dead. But even if he somehow survived this ordeal, he would be a nobody without his blade and sword cores.


    "Huh, what''s this?" the thin man asked himself, hesitating at the last second. "This is a weird bastard. He''s got a nebula inside his elixir field."


    Overcome by curiosity, the thin man forgot about Darren''s blade and sword cores and reached out to the nebula instead.

 Chapter 638 Transformation To The Demonic Dragon

    Bang!


    As soon as the thin young man put his hand in Darren''s elixir field, it bounced back as if deflected by a mysterious power.


    He took several steps back and felt paralyzed as if he had been struck by lightning.


    ''This is weird. What is it? It must be something valuable. I must take it, '' the thin young man thought.


    To avoid the same result, the thin young man placed a layer of Fringe Holy Will on his hand before he approached Darren''s elixir field once again.


    Darren felt such agony that he could not even scream.


    "Ha-ha, I''m holding it in my hand," the thin young man shouted.


    The nebular in Darren''s elixir field constantly quivered in the hand of the thin young man as it resisted him.


    "Hum, let me pull it out first!" Then, the thin young man tried his best to pull the nebular in Darren''s elixir field.


    Buzz...


    The speed at which the nebular was rotating was obstructed, and it shook violently.


    Darren felt the ultimate pain course through his body, which made him feel as though he was in hell. He wished that he would die immediately so that he could breathe a sigh of relief.


    "What powerful strength! But you better come to me obediently!" With gritted teeth, the thin young man mobilized his Holy Will and tried again.


    Crack!


    As the thin young man''s strength increased, the nebular began to shatter.


    If someone observed the incident from a distance, it would look like countless dense green or black lightning drifting over the broken nebular.


    "Ah!"


    At this time, the thin young man shouted and quickly retreated.


    The hand he had used to pull the nebular in Darren''s elixir field had been smashed to pieces.


    "Oh, my hand! What''s happened?"


    The thin young man looked at Darren in horror. His soul trembled as two icy rays of air as if released from the Darkest Hell, swept through his body. The power was so terrifying.


    While he was still in shock, Darren''s body underwent a dramatic change.


    The thin young man stared at Darren and saw some dark scales sprout from his body.


    ''Is this guy a demonic monster? He is not human. I must kill him.''


    The thin young man, however, overcame his fear and pain at the sight of Darren''s sudden change. He didn''t want to waste any time as he was afraid that Darren would cause him trouble later.


    Bang!


    The thin young man punched Darren''s head with all his might. He hoped to kill him with one blow.


    Bang!


    Just as his hand touched Darren''s head, tremendous power was rele


    summoned the Shadow Rule to escape.


    Bang!


    An olive-black dragon''s claw moved toward the fleeing shadow.


    "Oh, my God. I''m in so much danger! Even my flesh had melted!" cried the thin young man.


    When Darren''s shadow flashed over him, only a pool of bloody mud was left where the thin young man had been hiding.


    A master who had comprehended forty percent of the Fringe Holy Will was killed in one second. It was horrible.


    "Roar..."


    As a demonic growl converged with a dragon''s roar, everyone shuddered.


    All the elders who had been waiting outside heard the sound. Their expressions changed to reflect the horror they felt.


    "Is something coming out of the forbidden zone?" one elder asked as he turned to others.


    "It''s highly possible. The sound is so awful. It''s definitely a creature from the forbidden zone," another answered.


    The elders outside were shocked. If something terrible came out of the Life Forbidden Zone, it would be a real problem.


    On the battlefield


    Five powerful young men were left at the entrance of the array. They also stopped fighting and looked at each other.


    "Damn it! I don''t know what kind of monster that is. Even if it is a real dragon, I will kill it. I heard that a dragon''s blood is priceless," one of them cursed.


    "Well, let''s stop the battle for now and kill it!"


    The five powerful young men gathered their Holy Will and rushed toward Darren.


    Seeing that their leaders had taken action, the remaining warriors headed for Darren as well.


    In a flash, over two hundred warriors that had been on the battlefield sped toward Darren in unison. The power they released was appalling!

 Chapter 639 Getting Into The Forbidden Zone

    Everyone turned to the dragon, thinking that it was a powerful creature from the forbidden zone.


    "Kill it! Kill it then drink its blood and eat its meat!"


    The survivors on the battlefield were unhinged.


    A creature this powerful would surely have precious treasures in both its flesh and blood.


    Darren gave off an icy aura, olive-black light bouncing off of every scale, his eyes were filled with a killing intent as deep as an abyss.


    Bang!


    Darren''s dragon body suddenly vanished. When he reappeared, there were more than ten mutilated corpses under his claws.


    These people were probably just as strong as him. However, as the battle had made them use up a lot of their strength, Darren could at least exploit the tolls it had had on them by killing ten of them with one attack. That would frighten them enough to think twice about attacking him.


    ''My demonic internal force and dragon blood aura are being consumed so fast, '' Darren thought to himself.


    Darren had only launched one attack, but he already felt a sharp pain in his elixir field. It was a result of overexertion using two kinds of powers.


    After a dozen of the remaining martial artists were killed, the rest of them no longer dared to act rashly. Even the strongest ones didn''t dare to move at all.


    ''My power is being consumed. I have to end this quickly, or I will return to my original body.''


    Darren was deep in thought. He had been quickly using up all of the strength in his body ever since he turned into a dragon.


    He thought striking first would give him a flashy advantage with the crowd gathered around him.


    With a sweep of his dragon tail, he was able to shatter one or two top level seven-star martial artists, just like a god of death.


    Blood mist filled the air. It was a disgusting hell of mangled bodies and rivers of bloods, enough to make anyone gag.


    Darren''s attack, had destroyed most of the remaining martial artists, leaving only about twenty or thirty of them.


    He felt that his strength had reached its limit and was about to return to his original body.


    "It''s your turn now."


    Darren stared at the five most powerful young men who hadn''t moved an inch during the whole time.


    "You speak the human language?"


    The group of people took two steps back cautiously.


    "I''m a disciple of the Dragon Chasing Sect. Why can''t I speak the human language?"


    Sinc


    ogether." With these words, Darren took two steps forward.


    The remaining people watched them. They were a little weaker than the ones surrounding Darren, so they''d decided they would wait until Darren and the rest of his group left.


    "Please." Darren let the others go in ahead of him.


    "You''re welcome. I wish you all the best in finding the treasure." One of them stepped on the footprint.


    When nothing happened to him, the rest also stepped on the footprint and disappeared.


    Eventually, it was Darren''s turn. He stepped on it and his figure faded away.


    A moment later, he was surrounded by purple mist unable to see more than ten meters in front of him. Even if his spiritual sense and Spirit Power were combined, he could only reach a hundred meters ahead.


    Bang!


    A figure knocked into him while he was studying his surroundings.


    Darren frowned. When he was about to draw his sword and kill the man, a trembling voice reached his ears.


    "Hey, it''s me. Stop!"


    Darren recognized him as the young man who had called him a fellow apprentice a moment ago.


    Darren looked at him carefully, then froze for a second when he saw that half of his face''s flesh had been torn off, revealing the horrible sight of his bones. There were also several scratches on his body that were bone-deep.


    "What happened?" Darren growled urgently.


    "No, you can''t go in there. You can''t go in there." That man''s eyes were vacant, stuck in a state of infinite fear.


    "Ah!"


    Just then, a heart-wrenching howl came from not far away. A moment later, silence befell the place again.

 Chapter 640 Break The Restriction

    Darren unleashed both his spiritual sense and Spirit Power to probe the location where the heart-wrenching howls came. No matter how hard he tried, though, to his disappointment, it was as if all of the men there were dead.


    "Heal yourself first, then tell me what happened."


    Darren took out some magic herbs and healing pills, and then asked the man to take them.


    After waiting there for a few hours, the young man willingly swallowed the magic herbs and pills, and the wounds in his body and face gradually healed.


    "Thank you so much!" The instant he felt a little relieved and at ease, the young man cupped his fist and showed his gratitude to Darren.


    "You''re welcome. Who hurt you?" asked Darren at once.


    "I don''t know what type of creature it is, but it''s so powerful. I just feel like something flashed by, and then, the next thing I know, I was seriously injured. Worst was the one who had stepped into the Life Forbidden Zone before me was dead, and his head had fallen directly on the ground," the young man said with fear.


    "By the way, my name is Hobson Qi. What''s your name?" asked the young man. He would like to know the name of the one who saved him from grave danger.


    "My name is Darren."


    By this time, Darren had showed his real face. There was no need for him to hide his identity anymore.


    "Nice to meet you, Darren!" Hobson Qi nodded his head in acknowledging Darren and thanking him at the same time.


    "Darren, we''d better stay here first!" suggested Hobson. In his mind ran the thought that their oppressors were lurking somewhere, waiting for them to show themselves as prey. Thus he made such a suggestion to Darren.


    After considering for a while, Darren nodded slightly and said, "But once we come in here, there is no way out. So, staying here is not a long-term solution."


    "I know another way out. Right now, we''re on the periphery of the restriction array. Once we find our way towards the center of the array and break it, the elders outside will come in. Then we''ll be safe with them," Hobson explained. His hopes were a bit lifted now that Darren was with him. At the very least, he could have someone to rely upon, rather than alone and vulnerable.


    Unknown to Darren, Hobson was among the first batch to come to the place. He was ordered to break the center of the array so that the elders waiting outside could enter.


    "Where is the center of the array? Why didn''t the person who came in first destroy it?" Darren asked in between furrowed brows. Being caught and trapped in a situation like this, he had lots of questions in his mind waiting for concise answers.


    "I have a map. It shows the position of the center of the array detected by an expert rule cultivator in the Divine Mountain Sect. The old man sold it to four sects at the same time and earned a lot," Hobson said, took out the map, and handed it to Darren.


    "Let''s go and find it," Darren voiced out after studying the map for quite a while.


    In his determination to vamoose from the place as soon as possible, Darren didn''t dare to act rashly. He knew very well that the elders from all sects were mighty, thus if they could come in, that would be a relief for both of them.


    At this time, Darren was not afraid of the three elders who had previously at


    d.


    With that, everyone that was left behind also went in at once.


    These cunning old men didn''t take action against each other even though they hated every last one of each sect. Because in their level, once they began to fight, they would inevitably be injured or even killed by each other. They would not easily take action until a crucial moment commenced.


    The elders of all sects gradually disappeared from the area as their curiosity led them deeper inside the forbidden zone.


    "Someone must have destroyed the restriction without using the rune. Otherwise, we wouldn''t have been able to get in here."


    "Who on earth can break the restriction array?"


    "I don''t know yet. Let''s move quickly. Otherwise, those old dogs get the chance."


    The elders of the Dragon Chasing Sect said in their exchange of thoughts.


    "Who is this powerful man? Show yourself at once!"


    Elder Walt let out a loud shout as he felt someone was approaching.


    "Elder, it''s me, Hobson," Hobson answered.


    Within a short time, two figures came out from the purple mist and walked closer to the group.


    "Hobson?" implored one of the elders as if he doubted his eyes.


    "Sir, I broke the center of the array in a forcible way. Please punish me," Hobson said, yet with a smug look on his face.


    "There is no rune on your body. It''s good enough that you were able to open it. There is no need to punish you. But where is your senior brother apprentice?" the Chief Elder of the Dragon Chasing Sect asked.


    "Brother has already entered the forbidden zone, and I''m afraid he is on his way to look for opportunities," Hobson responded.


    "Humph, that bastard. He brought the rune in but didn''t break the restriction. When I find him, I will punish him severely. Hobson, you come with us. If we find good things, we will give you some," invited the elder from the Dragon Chasing Sect.


    "Yes, sir!" Hobson said, happiness radiating from his gaunt face.


    "Who is this guy?" Elder Ivan asked Hobson at the sight of Darren. All this time, since Darren came out of the purple mist with Hobson, Elder Ivan, who had attacked him earlier, had kept his eyes on Darren¡ªnever letting him out of his sight.

 Chapter 641 Move On

    "Don''t you know him, Elder Ivan?" Hobson asked curiously.


    Darren stepped forward and bowed to them. "Thank you for meeting with me, elders. I''m Darren Chu, a new disciple of the Dragon Chasing Sect. When Elder Elliot noticed my talent, he arranged for me to come here."


    The elders looked grim when they heard Darren''s explanation.


    "Elliot! This must be his doing. That bastard. I didn''t get even with him the last time he sent trash here. Now, he has sent us another one," Ivan snapped. Killing intent laced his voice.


    "Come here so that I can check your cultivation base," Elder Walt said coldly. From their experience, even if a newcomer''s talent was high, their strength was unimpressive.


    "Yes,"


    Darren replied as he calmly stepped forward.


    Ivan stretched his hand and pressed his palm on Darren''s shoulder.


    "Activate your strength," Ivan snapped. His expression was grim as if warning Darren that he would be crushed to death if he failed.


    It was clear that Ivan couldn''t recognize Darren. However, if Darren used the blade and sword intents or dark gold internal force, Ivan would see through Darren''s trick.


    Fortunately, Darren had more methods through which to show his strength. He could use his demonic internal force and the aura of the dragon blood.


    Darren''s body began to tremble as a cold cyan breath enveloped his body.


    Then the breath turned into a violent wind. Ivan''s hand which was pressing on Darren''s shoulder, was nearly pushed away.


    "Wow, this guy seems very strong."


    "Ivan, why did I feel the breath of a dragon just now?" Elder Walt asked.


    "Let me check him," the old man with the most powerful aura said flatly.


    "Yes, Chief Elder." The other two elders spoke reverently.


    The Chief Elder also placed his palm on Darren''s shoulder.


    This time, Darren activated both his demonic internal force and the aura of the dragon blood in unison. The power released forced the Chief Elder''s palm away!


    "How dare you?"


    The elders behind the Chief Elder glared at Darren as they shouted. But the Chief Elder waved his hand to stop them.


    "Ha-ha, you are a promising young man! Now, follow us." The Chief Elder laughed when he sensed Darren''s strength.


    "Yes, sir." Darren saluted.


    As Darren was accepted by the elders of the Dragon Chasing Sect, he reminded himself that the elders'' intention for inviting him and Hobson


    , he almost hit an elder. The elder shoved Hobson.


    Surprised and unable to balance, half of Hobson''s foot remained outside the deep pit. As soon as his leg touched the ground, with a sizzling sound, it started to melt!


    Seeing the terrible situation, Darren immediately dragged Hobson down.


    "You!" Hobson glared at the elder who had pushed him.


    "What? You almost bumped into me. Be grateful that I will not punish you for that. Do you have any objections to what I''ve said?" This man was the weakest from among the elders, but he had comprehended seventy percent of the Fringe Holy Will.


    "No, it''s not like that. I was too anxious after the accident. I''m sorry, elder," Hobson lowered his head and apologized. But at that moment, Darren''s eyes were filled with killing intent.


    "Humph!" The elder snorted coldly and ignored Hobson.


    "Thank you so much, Darren. You saved me again," Hobson said sincerely.


    Darren nodded but remained silent.


    When they reached the first deep pit, the Chief Elder, who was in front of them, released another powerful punch. A second deep pit was revealed about a thousand feet away. The group flew over as soon as they found the chasm.


    As and when more footprints were revealed, the men continued to fly forward. After over twenty hours, the ground in front of them was no longer flat. Some low purple mountains stood in the distance.


    Whoosh!


    Something flashed by as soon as they stopped.


    "Stay alert. Those creatures might be here." The Chief Elder frowned as he released his spiritual sense to probe the area in all directions.

 Chapter 642 Blood Lotus

    After the Chief Elder''s words, everyone straightened their back, ears perked up for any attacks.


    It wasn''t unusual to encounter any powerful creatures here. Moreover, there had also been rumors spreading of a red-haired monster lurking in the Life Forbidden Zone.


    Darren himself had spotted a red figure while he was observing the picture presented by Elder Walt.


    They probed the place with their spiritual senses for a long time, but they found nothing.


    It was like the calm before the storm, and as each minute of silence passed, the more anxious they started to feel. It felt like someone was watching them from a distance.


    "Let''s keep going. According to the Jade Slip, we can step forward when we reach the land with hills," the Chief Elder said. With that, he flew down into a deep hole. With a bounce, he rushed to the land with hills.


    Darren and the others also followed, arriving to the land of the hills a second after the Chief Elder did.


    "There''s really nothing to be scared about."


    "Look! There''s something red in the cliff!" an elder shouted, pointing to the direction where he spotted the red hue.


    "It''s the Holy Will Blood Lotus!" One look at it, the Chief Elder jumped in surprise, blurting out what he had just seen. With not a minute to waste, he flew towards the direction.


    The rest of them followed.


    As they got closer, Darren could now make out a red lotus the size of a millstone. It was sitting on the cliff, standing steadily against the wind.


    The red lotus was made up of hundreds of small petals. Within each petal, one could make out tiny veins that stretched across the color¡ªlooking as if blood was flowing through one petal to the next.


    "It smells so good." Hobson took a deep breath.


    "The Holy Will Blood Lotus is extremely valuable. Chief Elder, please extract it and break through to the Holy Realm at once."


    Ivan glanced at the blood lotus, envy pouring into his gaze. What he really wanted to do was to keep it to himself.


    "Ignorant boy." The Chief Elder glanced at him indifferently.


    "Umm... Why did you say that, Chief Elder?" Elder Queena, who was standing beside the crowd, asked in confusion.


    What was wrong with refining this precious treasure? Why was Ivan ignorant for suggesting it?


    "It is recorded in the Jade Slip that the Holy Will Blood Lotus grew from a stone stained by the blood of a great martial artist and accumulated after countless years of evolution. Although it contains the Holy Will of the ancient martial artist, his Holy Will may be different from ours¡ªgiven the length of time it resided here. If we extract it ourselves by force, our bodies might not be able to handle it. We''ll die," the Chief Elder explained.


    "I see, but doesn''t that render the flower useless?"


    Walt looked at the beautiful blood lotus, frowning. Such beauty turned out to be useless to them all. It was a shame.


    "Bullshit!" The Chief Elder cursed again.


    The elders hid their faces from the C


    mission.


    "It''s us who found the blood lotus first, and we''re here to claim it. You think you can take it from us? I''d like to see you try." Ivan snorted, jeering at them. He took a step forward as if daring them to spar with him.


    The other sect burst into laughter. "You think you found it first so it''s yours? Are you kidding? Even if you did, if we''re going to take it from you, what can you do?" One of them stepped forward. "You want a fight? We''ll give you one!"


    The elders of the Golden Sacred Sect released their Fringe Holy Will at the same time, which made Darren and Hobson step back. The bright power made them all feel the pressure as the tension surged through each and every one of them.


    "Forget it." The Chief Elder interrupted. "There''s no need to fight with these bastards. We''ll go look somewhere else."


    "Chief Elder, no! We can do this. If we retreat now, they''ll think of us as cowards," Ivan insisted.


    "Yes, he''s right, Chief Elder! We will fight them to death!" The others agreed, pretending to be anxious at the sight of the elders before them.


    "Silence! We''re here for treasure, nothing else. If we all die now, how could our quest continue? We''ll both be losing something if we go head-to-head with these bastards. Have you forgotten what I said?" he demanded, like a father lecturing his son.


    "Yes, Chief Elder." All of them slumped back, disappointed that they wouldn''t be able to go head-to-head with them.


    One of the elders of the Golden Sacred Sect snorted. "Old man, you''re pretty smart after all.


    Let''s go and get the treasures together!"


    The leader of the group of elders from the Golden Sacred Sect strutted over the blood lotus, feeling as if he had finally won the battle. He glanced over his shoulders with a snotty look. The Dragon Chasing Sect was afraid to face them!


    "Get ready to attack and kill!" The Chief Elder sent a message to the crowd, steadying his stance. This would be the fight they were all waiting for.

 Chapter 643 Fight Among Elders (Part One)

    The crowd gradually thinned out as the group of people from the Golden Sacred Sect flew towards the blood lotus with faces beaming with happiness.


    "The people of the Dragon Chasing Sect are just a bunch of trash. They gave up this opportunity because of our frightening words. What a coward!"


    "Humph! With the presence of our Elder Webster, their so-called Chief Elder is not worth mentioning at all. If they didn''t give up, they would be killed by us!"


    The people of the Golden Sacred Sect conversed with loud voices on purpose and made sure that the words would reach the ears of the people from the Dragon Chasing Sect.


    "Elder Webster, let me take the lotus for you," an elder of the Golden Sacred Sect said. He used every small chance that he had to show his loyalty to Elder Webster.


    "Go ahead. But you should be careful and don''t destroy the lotus," Webster allowed and reminded the elder of the Golden Sacred Sect. By the way it appeared, none of the people from the Golden Sacred Sect knew the danger of picking the blood lotus.


    "I got it,"


    the elder said as he flew to the cliff and tried to grab the blood lotus with his bare hand. He was reckless and careless at the same time that he was like a blind walking on a road of nails.


    "Let us kill them now!"


    the Chief Elder of the Dragon Chasing Sect ordered. After such order, the other four elders, following the Chief Elder, rushed at the people of the Golden Sacred Sect. An ambush was made, leaving the Golden Sacred Sect surprised while they are caught unprepared and unguarded.


    "Darren! Let''s kill these arrogant dogs!" Hobson whispered towards Darren.


    At the sight of the sudden attack by the elders from the Dragon Chasing Sect, Hobson took out a black spear from his spatial treasure and also wanted to join them.


    "No! Are you stupid?" Darren rolled his ey


    away from the dead man, I was able to assimilate portions of talents from him." At the onset, Darren was delighted with what he had gained. Now, with the accumulated talents that he got, he had reached the peak of level nine of the Heaven Degree.


    Before the other elders of the Golden Sacred Sect figured out what was going on, they were surrounded by five elders of the Dragon Chasing Sect.


    A radiant light of Holy Will burst out, like a divine light that fell from the sky, piercing this world.


    "The Invincible Destruction Skill!" screamed the Chief Elder of the Dragon Chasing Sect.


    He gave a hard slap, and the overwhelming Fringe Holy Will dashed over like waves.


    Simultaneously, the other four elders of the Dragon Chasing Sect all made their attacks.


    With the aftermath, all the people of the Golden Sacred Sect were immediately hurt by various powerful attacks from the elders of the Dragon Chasing Sect.


    "Son of a bitch! I will kill you all!"


    At the turn of events, Webster, the leading elder of the Golden Sacred Sect was stunned. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and then raised his palm in the void. Immediately, after such a move by the leading elder, a stone tablet fell from the sky.

 Chapter 644 Fight Among Elders (Part Two)

    Bang!


    With a plangent noise, the stone tablet was magnified and was buried in the ground, creating a circle of purple ripples.


    "What a powerful skill!"


    Though they were quite far from where the stone landed, Darren was still hit by the wave. He felt stuffy in his chest and almost spat out a mouthful of blood. On the other side, Hobson''s face turned pale, and he was severely shocked by the wave.


    "That old man''s power is also very terrifying. When he''s equipped with the nameless stone tablet, he''s really a match with our Chief Elder!" Hobson exclaimed. He was horror-stricken at the thought of two extremely devastating power that could clash right before their very eyes.


    "I am curious. What is the use of his stone tablet?" Darren asked as he had a more unobstructed view of the stone the moment the cloud of smoke ebbed.


    "I don''t know either. Let''s take a closer look," Hobson said excitedly. He had never seen such fierce battle before, nor did a stone weapon, and that triggered his curiosity.


    Being equally curious as Hobson''s, Darren nodded and stepped back at the same time to one of the hills with Hobson. This area was very stable, and even if it was a big war occurred, both of them were confident that it couldn''t break the mountains here. Thus it was safer.


    After the stone tablet was erected amid the battlefield, the remaining four elders of the Golden Sacred Sect were all covered by a silver light column. And their auras were also improved.


    "Wow! That''s a fantastic skill." Hobson stared at the gargantuan stone tablet without a blink.


    "Let us kill them now!" shrieked one of the warriors from the Golden Sacred Sect. Though they were held dazed and thunderstruck for a moment, the people of the Golden Sacred Sect were determined to kill each and every one of the opponent sect. Thus, they rushed toward the


    d astounded. His body was much weaker than that of the hill. If that golden light hit his head, he would definitely die.


    "Let''s go!" ushered Hobson. After the incident of the golden light, Darren and Hobson stepped back again. They couldn''t bear the impact of the fight and the fact that even the mountains couldn''t protect them.


    Flying backward for more than ten kilometers, they fell behind a hanging wall, where they could still see the battle. They landed on firm ground and settled themselves in there.


    "Even if I transform into a dragon, I may not be able to withstand a golden arrow. Ninety percent of the Holy Will is really terrible," Darren murmured, still unable to believe what he had just witnessed.


    "In that case, the old guy of the Golden Sacred Sect is so strong that he can just wipe off the golden arrows using his bare hands," mentioned Hobson. Moreover, Hobson had seen Darren transform into a dragon. He knew how hard and tough the dragon scales were along with the cyan light that enveloped it.


    "It''s my turn!" Webster let out a roar, and he broke through the attack of golden arrows. After which, he rushed towards the Chief Elder, leaving a ferocious and lethal trail of strange light behind him.

 Chapter 645 The Big Shot

    The strongest leading elder of the Golden Sacred Sect, Webster, advanced towards the Chief Elder, his eyes reflecting pure rage.


    "Go to hell!"


    Webster howled and proceeded to strike the Chief Elder a thousand times with his almighty fist.


    The Chief Elder took a step back, one after the other, dodging the strikes so easily that it put the other''s strength to shame. He then raised his hand and called upon the golden plate.


    "Do you really think your body cannot be destroyed?" the Chief Elder sneered.


    The golden plate in the Chief Elder''s hand released golden light again. This time, all the golden light condensed into a saber in his hand.


    With speed beyond comparison, the saber slashed its way towards the elder of the Golden Sacred Sect.


    "Humph? Too weak! Did you really think that kind of weapon could even land a scratch on me?"


    Webster crossed his arms over his head in an attempt to block the attack, which ended up colliding with the golden saber.


    The deafening explosion resulted to both of them being thrown into the air, debris filling up the space between them and blinding their sight.


    Whoosh!


    A few moments later, a silhouette emerged from the sky.


    He stood in front of the other man with an aura to kill overflowing him. It was the Chief Elder from the Dragon Chasing Sect.


    Webster, on the other hand, was severely injured with both of his arms dripping with blood and it took everything in him to muster up the energy to even sit up. He gaped at the former in shock. It was clear that he was still in disbelief to what had happened mere seconds ago.


    "No way! That is impossible! Both of us possess ninety percent of Holy Will. How could you so easily destroy my indestructible body?" Webster roared, glaring daggers at the other in front of him while cursing to himself under his breath when his limbs refused to cooperate. Never in a thousand years would he ever imagine himself being in this kind of situation.


    Upon seeing the event unfold, the rest of the elders of the Golden Sacred Sect who watched the battle were also shocked. Immediately, they broke out in cold sweat. If Webster died, they would have absolutely no chance of survival against the Chief Elder of the Dragon Chasing Sect.


    "Indestructible? Bullshit! What a complete buffoon! Was that the quality that made you think so highly of yourself to the point of birthing arrogance?" barked one of the elders from the Dragon Chasing Sect.


    "We initially wanted to spare your lives, but your shamelessness that convinced you to steal our treasures will be your downfall. Forgiveness is no longer an option. Go to hell!"


    Now it was the elders of the Dragon Chasing Sect''s turn to act arrogant. They had the Chief Elder to back them up, after all. Defeat was no longer siding with them¡ªnot when the odds were in their favor.


    Boom.


    A blast of light suddenly exploded onto the ground. Webster stood up despite his wobbling legs, presumably demanding a rematch with the Chief Elder.


    "If I can break this so-called indestructible body of yours the first time, what makes you think I can''t do it the second? Do you really think you can beat me? Are you still willing to put up a fight?" the Chief Elder sneered.


    "Even if I die by your filthy hands, I will try whatever I can to hurt you!"


    Webster raised his fist and swung it towards the Chief Elder''s direction like a shadow once again.


    His fist


    he mountains constantly.


    "What? Don''t rush. Stop!" Darren stopped immediately after he heard the sounds. He raised his hand and stopped Hobson before continuing any further.


    "What''s that sound? Is anything coming?" Hobson turned around to face the direction where the voice had suddenly emerged.


    A few moments later, a pale golden light began to cover the horizon.


    An eye-catching man walked over to them from the golden hue. The smile he gave when their eyes met could steal hearts.


    Their hearts skipped a beat just from looking at him.


    The muffled sounds from earlier were produced from the man''s steps. A step of his was as far as fifty kilometers. Moments after, he arrived to the crowd.


    "Why do you kill people?" the man broke the silence and asked calmly. His aura was full of unrivaled magnificence, frightening everyone present.


    "Who are you? How dare you meddle in our business?" The elder who had the lowest cultivation base of the Dragon Chasing Sect gathered his courage to shout. He had come to a conclusion that as long as they had the Chief Elder with them, they could not be defeated in terms of momentum.


    Slap!


    The elder was slapped hard in the face.


    To everyone''s surprise, it was not the man who had appeared out of nowhere, but the Chief Elder had flown over from the other side of the venue and slapped him.


    This had made everyone lost for words. They all wondered to themselves who the mysterious man was.


    After making sure that elder had understood that he had made a mistake, the Chief Elder quickly flew towards Webster and gently helped him up.


    "Ha-ha, are you alright, Webster? I apologize for hurting you when we practiced our skills moments ago. I truly am so sorry!" The face the Chief Elder was making was far from a smile as his own voice had begun to betray him; it was as if he was trying hard not to cry.


    Darren and the others stepped back, not being able to piece the puzzles together as to why the Chief Elder had suddenly had a change of heart. They only understood that the man who arrived was peculiar and frightened the Chief Elder terribly.


    "Master." The elders of the Golden Sacred Sect stood dumbfounded for a moment before they flew over in realization and gave a salute to the man, half kneeling.

 Chapter 646 Going Deeper

    "He is the master of the Golden Sacred Sect, Dexter Jin!"


    The elders of the Dragon Chasing Sect gasped.


    It was said that the master of the Golden Sacred Sect had tremendous strength and seemed to be close to reaching the Holy Realm. But no one knew where he was and few people had seen him except his disciples.


    "No wonder the Chief Elder slapped me. What should I do now?"


    "What else can we do? It depends on what the Chief Elder does next. We must follow his lead."


    The Chief Elder was mortified. His pathetic excuse had embarrassed him enough to bring a blush to his cheeks.


    "Old bastard, ''Man proposes but God disposes.'' Can you still kill us? What are you going to do now?" Webster asked. He was covered in blood, but he still gave the Chief Elder a ferocious smile, since his master was here for support.


    "Webster, why are you so useless? Can''t you even defeat an opponent in the same realm as you?" Dexter Jin asked calmly. He wasn''t happy that Webster had been defeated by the Chief Elder.


    "My Master, I was careless and fell for these despicable people''s ambush. Sean has been killed by them. Master, please seek justice for us." Webster''s humility was blatant now that his master stood by him.


    "Justice! There isn''t any justice in the world. Everything follows the law of the jungle. Do you understand?"


    After saying this, Dexter Jin waved his hand to the elder who''d just been slapped by the Chief Elder of the Dragon Chasing Sect.


    The pale golden light, like dust, shot towards the elder. The elder didn''t move at all, but his body started to break into pieces. It turned into grit which was then carried away by the wind.


    "The Fringe Holy Will at a hundred percent!"


    With a wave of his hand, Dexter Jin had killed a master who had a seventy percent Fringe Holy Will, which was so terrifying. He was tremendously powerful.


    ''This man is actually very powerful. He might be only a little bit inferior to Mathew and Hanson, '' Darren muttered to himself, shocked by Dexter''s strength.


    On second thought, Dexter was at most a half step away from the Holy Realm, with the Fringe Holy Will at one hundred percent. What about real holy warriors then? How powerful were they? In addition to the inferior holy warriors, there were also junior holy warriors, senior holy warriors and then holy emperors who reached the Emperor Realm. Their strength must be truly amazing and unimaginable.


    Even that mysterious elderly man had reached an unbelievable level.


    Hundr


    for the treasure," another person said to Hobson.


    "That seems like a good idea. But before that, everyone, can you welcome my junior fellow apprentice, Darren,"


    Hobson said as he pointed to where Darren had just landed beside him.


    "Welcome?" Someone sneered.


    "We thought highly of you to let you join us. Why should we welcome your junior fellow apprentice? Is he worthy? Before this incident I would have killed both of you losers without a second''s thought," a big and strong man with a mace on his back roared.


    "Hobson, your words were unnecessary. I don''t need others to welcome me. It''s our fate to meet each other here after surviving such a horrendous battle. Don''t say anything disrespectful," Darren said calmly.


    "Well, Darren, you are so modest. Though I''m a bit reluctant, let''s still join them," Hobson replied, trying to appear like he didn''t care whether they joined them or not.


    "Don''t go too far with the act. That''s too much!" Darren told Hobson telepathically with his spiritual sense.


    "Of course not. If we don''t show off, these people will look down on us," Hobson explained, since he was convinced of his plan.


    "Fuck off! Get out of here, or I will kill both of you!" Hobson''s words had provoked the man, and incited his fury.


    "I am sorry that my brother offended you just now. Please don''t mind us," Darren said as he cupped his hands and lowered his head to bow politely to him.


    "Who do you think you are? Why should I obey what you say? I don''t mind killing the both of you!"


    As soon as the big man finished speaking, he employed forty percent of the Fringe Holy Will and swung his mace at Darren''s head.

 Chapter 647 Looking For The Holy Tomb

    A monstrous roar shook the air.


    On his way here, Darren had absorbed a large amount of spiritual energy from the purple leaf. Thanks to the pyramid-shaped object rotating in his elixir field, he had accumulated a large number of demonic internal force and the dragon blood aura.


    So the minute the big guy launched his own attack, Darren turned into a dragon.


    Had he not done so, he would definitely not be able to win this fight.


    The genuine dragon, which was thirty feet long, had power unmatched in this world.


    The newly-transformed Darren spun, swinging his dragon tail, and struck the man''s mace while it was still in motion. There was an explosion of power as the big guy was blown back a great distance, taking his weapon with him.


    The onlookers were dumbfounded to see this.


    The man was anything but the weakest among them, and yet this dragon-man had swept him away with ease. Darren''s power was terrifying indeed.


    They turned toward Hobson and addressed him respectfully.


    "Hey, buddy, your junior fellow apprentice sure is powerful," one of them said.


    "Who is he? Is he a legendary demon?" Polite though they were, the men were just as nervous. The last thing they wanted to do was offend the dragon which still hovered overhead.


    "Humph, how can I explain this to you casually?" Hobson replied coldly as he straightened his clothes. He figured now was the time to put on airs.


    "Well, you should''ve told us how strong your brother is," one of the onlookers said. "Nixon would''ve thought twice about messing with him!"


    Hobson drew himself up. "What, then, are you going to blame me for this?"


    The strongest of the men was quick to answer him, "No, that''s not what we mean at all! We''re not blaming you for anything. In any case, you''re welcome to join us! Ha ha!" Saying this, he clapped Hobson on the shoulder for good measure.


    Just then, Darren changed back to his normal form and joined them on the ground. He had no intention of killing Nixon Cao, only intimidating him and, more generally, making sure these other people knew better than to mess with him.


    "You''re welcome to join us," one of the men said, facing him. "What''s your name?"


    "Darren Chu," he replied without bravado.


    "Nice to meet you, Darren." There was a murmur of greetings from the group, and each member nodded at Darren courteously.


    Soon after this, Nixon Cao flew back to the scene and joined them.


    His clothes were tattered, and he''d taken a fair amount of bruises and cuts. The impact of Darren''s dragon tail had left a sunken mark on his chest, which looked particularly nasty.


    "I''m sorry to have offended you just now. Let us not fight anymore." Saying this, Nixon Cao bowed toward Darren. Though his apology was not entirely sincere, he wasn''t about to sign up for another beating either.


    Before Darren could respond, Hobson spoke up in a magnanimous tone. "Think no more of this incident. All is forgiven, and Darren will let you go this


    alized that something was wrong. He was being pulled downward by a force that was much stronger than mere gravity.


    Looking around, he saw that his companions were being sucked down even faster than him. The strongest young man, in particular¡ªhe was falling like an arrow.


    This got Darren curious. ''Is it that the stronger one''s level, the greater the pulling force?'' he thought to himself.


    In the end, though, he didn''t care very much and just let himself fall for a while.


    There was no point in panicking. After all, he was trying to get to the bottom of the canyon anyway.


    Soon enough Darren began to hear wet, plopping sounds echoing through the canyon. There was indeed water at the bottom, and the group was beginning to reach it.


    "Where is Aldric?" someone exclaimed irritably.


    Aldric Wang was the first one who had gone into the mists.


    "I don''t know. Let''s find him and get back on track," replied someone else.


    With that, they all dived into the water.


    A short time later, before Darren could join them, the other men emerged, dragging Aldric Wang. He was covered in mud and unable to see. "What the hell happened?!" he blubbered as he tried to wash out his eyes and nostrils. "I was suddenly so weakened, I couldn''t even pull myself out of the mud! Another minute or two and I might have choked to death."


    Before Darren could come closer and try to get a better explanation of what had happened, he fell into the water himself with a wet thump.


    Caught off-guard, he sank into the depths like a stone.


    A horrible chill spread through his body as he neared the bottom. As he thrashed about, he was shocked to discover that a thickening layer of ice had spread over his skin.


    Darren wasn''t about to let that stop him. But just as he began to fight his way back up through the currents, he paused, frowning. Difficult as it was to pick out anything by sight, he could swear that he saw a pair of bright eyes flashing away through the dark water.

 Chapter 648 A Great Number Of Monsters

    Darren tried his best to rush up back to the surface, then he used a hidden force to break and disperse the ice crystals on his body.


    "Why is it so cold in here?" Darren muttered.


    "Yes, it is. It''s really strange that we can''t stand the cold with our current cultivation base." The others all felt the same.


    "Forget about your cultivation base. Mine has decreased a lot. Try to attack with your force," another man responded loudly after recovering from the shock.


    Splash!


    They targeted the water with the force, but it only made the water splash.


    "What''s wrong? What happened? Why is my cultivation base this suppressed? I feel as if I''m gone back to being a third-star grand warrior!"


    Splash! Splash! Splash!


    "Me too. After releasing all of my Holy Will, my fighting capacity is now at the level of a three-star grand warrior," the others all shouted. They had no idea what was going on.


    Only the leader of the group remained silent with a worried expression on his face.


    ''It seems that I was right. The stronger a person''s power is, the more suppressed their strength is. So, it''s possible that the strongest young man''s cultivation base has decreased to that of a primary level of three-star Grand Realm, '' Darren thought to himself.


    He checked his own cultivation base, surprised to find it was at the primary level of the four-star Grand Realm.


    ''My fighting power is comparable to that of a seven-star grand warrior, close to the top level now, because most of my skills are not mainly determined by my cultivation base.'' Darren was secretly delighted at this realization. After all, most of his fighting power came from the blade and sword intents which were almost at the extreme level. His dark gold internal force was also still doing pretty well. Only the Augmented Attack Bloodline and the force of control of the Ancient Void Battlefield were influenced by his cultivation base.


    ''That''s not right. Some of them are also swordsmen and their sword intent powers were also suppressed. Following that logic, my sword intent should be suppressed as well.'' Darren thought it over. Just now, someone had released a sword intent to test its fighting power, and discovered that he only had the strength of a three-star grand warrior.


    ''It seems that I can only count on the dark gold internal force, as well as the infused demonic internal force and the aura of the dragon blood.''


    To test out his theory, he sank back into the water and released a small force to test his fighting power.


    As he''d expected, his dark gold internal force had not been suppressed at all. However, the blade and sword intents, the demonic internal force and aura of the dragon blood were all slightly affected.


    "Darren, what are you doing? Let''s go up there and take a look."


    Darre


    them. So how had Reuben Liu escaped? They were all confused as to what had happened.


    "I saw someone save me. A beam of dark gold light flashed. The thing was hit and sank deep in to the water. Whoever saved me is really powerful." Reuben''s mind went blank. At that moment, he felt that figure was like a God from the heaven to protect him.


    "It''s Darren!"


    "It must be him!"


    They finally made sense of what had happened.


    "How could Darren be so powerful?"


    "It''s lucky that we met him then. Otherwise, I''m afraid none of us would have survived this place."


    "Don''t be so excited too early. Let''s pray for Darren to return safely. If not, we might still die."


    The crowd retreated to the giant statue''s foot.


    It was very dark and cold.


    Darren was moving quickly in the water. Because his spiritual sense was suppressed, he could only detect a range of five meters away.


    ''Fortunately, I have a strong Spirit Power. Together with my spiritual sense, I''m able to sense things at a range of thirty meters.'' Darren unleashed his Spirit Power to increase his scope area.


    After searching the top layer, Darren flew down to the middle and bottom layers.


    "Roar! Roar! Roar!"


    Sudden roars came through from the bottom of the water.


    The next second, Darren was completely surrounded by the same dark giant figures.


    Soon, a few of them came into Darren''s scoping range.


    "A monkey? A man? Or fish?"


    Darren was slightly surprised when he saw what they really looked like.


    Those things all had monkey-like heads and sharp teeth.


    They had two claws on the upper bodies, and fins on the lower half of their bodies. In addition to all of that, their bodies were covered in red fur.


    ''Are they the red-haired monsters I''ve seen before? But that was very unlikely, '' Darren thought as more and more red-haired monsters rushed towards him.

 Chapter 649 Monsters With Tiger Heads And Dragon Bodies

    The water was filled with a large number of red-haired monsters, most of whom were as powerful as a six-star grand warrior.


    Whoosh!


    Darren''s sword light flickered, and an intense streak of his blade intent shone.


    As many red-haired monsters were dismembered, blood gushed out of their bodies and turned the water red.


    "My blade intent and sword intent haven''t been suppressed too much. They still have the fighting power of a six-star grand warrior." Darren was delighted.


    However, he didn''t want to waste his time with these red-haired monsters.


    Boom!


    As soon as he unleashed his dark gold internal force, it galloped through the water, slicing through all creatures. In a flash, all the monsters in Darren''s sight vanished.


    Boom.


    The water began to tremble and surge like waves in a violent storm. Soon, a huge water column shot upwards. A red light flashed in its center.


    Darren dashed out of the water the second he sensed something unusual.


    "It''s Darren. He is coming," said the crowd.


    At first, when everyone outside the water saw the water column, they felt that something terrible was going to happen. Terror coursed through them when they tried to imagine what was heading their way.


    But, when they saw Darren, they calmed down.


    The water column rushing toward the sky gradually fell, drenching everyone in icy-cold water.


    Despite their dangerous predicament, everyone gasped when they saw the light sparkle in the spray as it disappeared into the purple mist. They had never before seen such beauty.


    A red head gradually floated up from the water.


    The creature''s head was similar to that of a saber-toothed tiger. What perplexed everyone was that his head was covered with red scales. Long red hair sprouted in the cracks between the red scales. Adding to the creature''s terrifying appearance were the several horns on its head.


    As its body gradually surfaced, the monster fixed its icy eyes on Darren.


    ''What''s that? Is it a dragon or a tiger?'' the crowd wondered.


    When the crowd saw its appearance, they could not help but feel astonished. This monster had a tiger''s head, but a dragon''s body. His entire body was covered with red scales and red hair.


    But what surprised people the most was its ancient and fierce aura.


    As Darren was closest to it, he could feel the creature''s aura clearly.


    ''I can''t feel its life energy, but it is alive. This monster must be very powerful.''


    Darren could feel the creature''s intense hostility toward him, so much so that it didn''t even glance at the others.


    ''A fight is inevitable.'' As soon as the thought flashed through Darren''s mind, he pre


    clearly not in his favor. Darren knew that if he stayed, these giant monsters would kill him. All he could do was escape.


    The scales on Darren''s body disappeared quickly, and he returned to his original form.


    Eight giant monsters suddenly rushed toward Darren. Their open mouths, like black mountains, were ready to swallow him.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    After releasing his dark gold internal force, Darren used the Air-integrated True Rule.


    ''It didn''t work?!'' Darren was astonished.


    No matter how hard he tried, Darren''s Spirit Power could not manipulate the Air-integrated True Rule. Perhaps, it was because this place was very ancient.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Giant palms released by the creatures smashed Darren''s dark gold internal force. The shockwave from the collision rocked the water. Everything quivered as if a big earthquake agitated the surrounding area.


    On the surface of the water, the people hiding around the giant''s legs were shocked.


    As they couldn''t see what was happening, the aftermath of the battle underwater frightened them. They could only rely on the giant''s legs to avoid it. Otherwise, they would have been smashed to pieces.


    What about Darren? How was he?


    "Damn it! Darren must have encountered some extremely terrifying monsters."


    "Well, the ferocious aura from the creatures underwater is stronger than Darren''s scattered dark gold internal force. This doesn''t bode well for Darren."


    "No, it doesn''t. Darren is doomed. Let''s run. Quickly!" Hobson shouted desperately.


    "Where do we escape to? If we are attacked by the monsters when we are fleeing, we''ll die for sure. "


    "If you don''t run, you will be doomed, just like Darren. We may be safe if we reach the Holy Tomb," said the young man in the front.

 Chapter 650 Between Life And Death

    After a brief discussion, they finally decided to run back to safety. If Darren was dead, they had no hope for themselves in this battlefield as no one could protect them.


    They made their way out at once, oceanic waves in the sky washing over them more often than not, making them terribly dizzy.


    "Come on, move it! We shouldn''t waste time when there''s no monster in sight!"


    They tried their best to struggle through the waves and advance further. If they took any longer, the waves wouldn''t be the only thing giving them a hard time.


    At the same time, they saw what seemed to be several people running towards their direction from a distance.


    "Oh my God! Are those the monsters from earlier?" They all immediately looked as if they had seen a ghost.


    "No, they''re people. Wait a second, they are the Elders of our Crimson Sea Sect. Ha-ha! We will be saved!"


    After a moment, the young man who led the group frowned and shook his head. "Your elders cannot save you even if they come. They are also suppressed."


    As he was speaking, the said elders rushed towards them.


    "All of you need to follow us!" several of the elders exclaimed, then proceeded to charge into the distance without a moment''s hesitation.


    After they had rushed away without even explaining the reason, the group stood there, dumbfounded as they only stared at the retreating figures of the elders.


    It didn''t take long for them to see an army of red figures, all in human form holding weapons such as axes or spears, flying towards their direction.


    In a flash, they decided to follow the elders from behind.


    "Listen, the blokes behind us go and attack those monsters and attract their attention now. We shall be on the run for the time being."


    After flying for a while, one of the elders of the Crimson Sea Sect roared in a demanding tone.


    "Why?! All of us are running for our lives. Do you wish for us to die?" Nixon roared, resentment dripping from his words.


    "What? If you don''t do it right now, I won''t even hesitate in smashing you to pieces!"


    one of the elders said coldly and raised his hand in Nixon''s direction. The majestic Fringe Holy Will ended up hitting him straight on.


    Nixon was not even given the chance to struggle before he was turned into a bloody mist and faded away in the purple mist.


    "Why is the elder still so powerful?" Everyone stood terrified. They were shocked to find that this elder still had the strength of the top level of seven-star Grand Realm.


    However, the elders, who were already so powerful, were trying to escape. How could they resist those monsters now?


    "Humph! You are just pawns used to open the forbidden zone.


    Did you re


    Ancient Void Battlefield," Darren cried out weakly.


    He activated the force of control with his final breath and summoned the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    However, disappointment was the only thing that was gifted to him.


    Darren had temporarily sealed the Ancient Void Battlefield after Finley''s warning, so he couldn''t open it now.


    The moment the force of control tried to activate the Ancient Void Battlefield, it immediately vanished.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The little monster with a tiger head and a dragon body, who seemed to be very interested in Darren, continuously patted Darren''s body with its dragon tail.


    Most of Darren''s body bathed in his own blood, and his flesh had been completely smashed due to the scales on the tail.


    "If I was not suppressed, I would have definitely tear you up,"


    Darren said with complete malice in his eyes. Then he laughed at himself. He thought, ''Why would I have such childish ideas when I''m dying? Why now when my time is about to end?''


    "No, wait a second. When I was in the Raksa Sea, I removed the suppression with the Seven-holy Fruit. Maybe I can find it in this area."


    Darren suddenly remembered that he had 100, 000 Seven-holy Fruits in his Space Ring prior to this.


    When he tried to save those superior talents, he only released around ten thousand of Seven-holy Fruits. The rest of them were still in his Space Ring.


    Recalling this, Darren took out several Seven-holy Fruits with his weakening spiritual sense and transmitted them into his abdomen as the attacks from the monsters continued.


    Darren suddenly felt sharp pain spreading over his body, making it unbearable for him when his body was already frail.


    But this was a good thing, something to be celebrated; Darren was regaining his consciousness.

 Chapter 651 Returning To The Top Level

    Darren''s dragon body was almost crushed by the small monster''s powerful blow.


    His consciousness slowly but surely came back as he took in more hits. Darren felt a deep pain started to spread and engulf his entire body.


    But this kind of physical throbbing pain had filled his heart in delight.


    As the small monster continued its attacks on Darren, he kept on taking the Seven-holy Fruits and refining them in his stomach.


    As time went by, his internal organs began to heal little by little, and he started to recover as the elixir started to kick in. Despite so, it focused more on critical areas and thus the throbbing sensation of his outer body was still strong enough to stop him from reaching his full potential.


    At this point, Darren had the ability to refine the Seven-holy Fruits in his hands.


    Bang!


    The monstrous palm hit Darren''s body again, though this time it didn''t break his bones. Darren felt a smile creep up his lips as he raised his head to look at the monster.


    The beast with a tiger''s head and a dragon''s body was stunned for a moment, realizing that the tattered body of Darren from moments ago had become stronger all of a sudden.


    Its eyes were now nothing but full of malice. It moved and struck Darren with its most powerful attack. It didn''t want to torture Darren''s body any longer; it just wanted to kill him as soon as possible.


    But it didn''t expect that the body it was grabbing would suddenly move, and the bloodied dragon tail swept at it at a speed beyond compare.


    Boom! With an ear-piercing sound, blood, flesh, and bones exploded out of the water.


    As a result, the small monster''s body was torn into several pieces of flesh and met its demise.


    After the small monster perished, a dragon''s aura began to disperse out of its body.


    "Assimilate." Without a moment''s hesitation, Darren released his assimilating skills and engulfed it. A complex aura began to rush into his body. The warrior started absorbing only the aura of the dragon blood, abandoning the rest of the auras¡ªtiger and bear, as he didn''t need them.


    After obtaining the dragon aura, Darren felt rather odd. The small monster was powerful, but it possessed close to no talent for martial arts. He wondered why.


    Despite so he had no time to ponder about why and ifs. Once the small monster had died, the other eight, far larger than the perished one, refused to stay silent and decided to avenge their small friend. They simultaneously raised their palms to Darren''s direction and immediately landed their attacks.


    With the suppression alleviating, Darren''s strength was restored, followed by his speed and agility.


    He ran as fast as he could while using as many Seven-holy Fruits as possible. The aura of the dragon blood filled his body, at the same time healing whatever leftover injuries he had.


    "The suppression has been completely removed." A


    in their hands, with either stone axes, or stone spears.


    Darren felt some humans'' auras within the thousands of red-haired creatures.


    Darren flew down into the water, and used his spiritual sense to direct his way, surpassing these red-haired creatures with ease. Then he flew up.


    "Oh my God! We''re done! Someone is coming after us!"


    The humans trembled in shock. The figure that was flying over had a terrifying aura.


    After a moment, those people screamed, "That''s a human, someone black-haired."


    Looking at the disheveled figure with messy hair, their fear dissipated and was replaced with tears of joy.


    The cold wind blew the man''s hair back, revealing his face.


    "It''s...it''s Darren!"


    The humans were the ones who were ordered by the elders to distract the red-haired monsters while the rest of them made a run for it.


    "It''s Darren, my junior fellow apprentice! He''s not dead! He''s still alive!" screamed Hobson.


    "Darren! Darren is still alive!"


    Darren flew towards them and continued with them.


    "Why are there so many red-haired monsters chasing you?" Darren asked calmly.


    "It was the damned elders of the Crimson Sea Sect who drew their attention. In order to escape, they forced us to distract these red-haired monsters. Otherwise, they would have killed us with a slap," Hobson barked, retelling Darren the awful thing that the elders did to them.


    "Humph! Those damned elders! They are all just like these bastards. I will get even with them after I kill these red-haired monsters," Darren declared.


    Everyone was exhausted that they felt like couldn''t move any longer. However, Darren''s words made them feel nervous and excited at the same time.


    Could Darren really take these red-haired monsters down? One had to find the answer as to why those seven-star elders with the strength at the top level could only flee as fast as they could facing the red-haired monsters.

 Chapter 652 Look For The Entrance

    All of these red-haired monsters had the aura akin to that of seven-star grand warriors. Even though Darren sounded confident when he said he would deal with them by himself, the others didn''t have any faith in him.


    "I''ll hide you first otherwise you won''t be able to withstand the fighting." Darren released a force to lift them up and his speed sped up all of a sudden.


    After flying for what felt like forever, Darren looked behind and found out that the red-haired monsters were ten kilometers behind.


    "Stay here and don''t come out. I will go fight them," Darren said and was about to rush back.


    "Hold on, Darren!" Hobson said, holding Darren''s hand. "Don''t fight now. That will take a lot of time. I think our priority should be to reach the Holy Tomb as soon as possible. Otherwise, all the treasures will be taken away by those old men."


    "Hobson is right. It doesn''t matter if those monsters are killed or not. At the moment, our focus should be on the treasures. It was you who saved our lives this time. If we get the treasures, you are free to take whatever you want. Then we will split the rest. What do you think?" the man with the map suggested.


    "I agree. If it weren''t for Darren, we would have died before we could have a chance to get the treasures. I am so grateful to Darren that I wouldn''t mind even if he takes all the treasures."


    "I have no objection to that either."


    "The treasures are supposed to belong to Darren."


    Everyone made a sincere statement. Just like they said, without Darren''s help, none of them would have survived and proceeded with the quest for treasures.


    Besides, even now they couldn''t get the treasure on their own. They might be attacked as they continued their journey. So they would still need Darren''s protection.


    "That''s something we will talk about later. We still haven''t seen any treasures. Now we have to speed up and find them. We can''t allow those old bastards to get there before us," Darren reminded, knowing they shouldn''t be wasting any time.


    "Okay, we have made a detour so now we should be flying in that direction." The young man with the map pointed in a direction.


    "Before we go, I have something for you. This can help you improve your strength,"


    Darren said as everyone was getting ready to take action.


    Darren wanted to give them some of Seven-holy Fruits to help them regain their strength. By doing so, if they encountered something more dangerous to deal with, they would be able to help him. It wasn''t easy to fight alone so he wanted everyone to have enough strength.


    "How can we accept your gifts?


    weird it contains so many creatures here? I thought it would be bereft of living beings."


    "It doesn''t matter. The only thing that matters now is finding the treasures."


    They chatted as they walked. Soon a collapsed stone city appeared in front of them.


    "This place really reminds me of the Raksa Sea. This stone city also has charred marks everywhere. It feels like the entire city was ravaged by fire." Darren looked at the city and sensed some familiarity.


    "Could it be possible that this land was from the same era as the Raksa Sea?"


    The Raksa Sea was an ancient relic. It had separated from the main land since ages. Due to this, it had managed to remain untouched until today.


    "According to the map, this should be the Holy Tomb." The young man looked at the map in confusion.


    They couldn''t see any plants here on the ground but instead they came across some collapsed stone walls. All around them was only the black barren ground, making it hard for them to find the entrance to the Holy Tomb.


    "We''ve been following the map properly and have reached the destination marked here. The location of the Holy Tomb is very important so there is no way this map is incorrect. Let''s go and find out if there is anything unusual about this place," Darren said.


    "All right, let''s split up. Check everything but don''t go too far."


    Then they got immersed in the task of searching this place. However, half an hour passed but they were still searching, not having found any clues.


    Just when they were about to feel hopeless and defeated, Hobson said, "Hey, I think I found something here!" By chance, he had kicked on something hard. After he shook off the ash on the surface, he found a fist-sized bronze coffin.

 Chapter 653 Dig Up A Holy Tomb

    "Everybody comes here now. I found something." After Hobson called out, Darren and the others flew over without wasting another second.


    "What''s this? It looks very old," someone exclaimed as he went over and picked it up.


    But as soon as the man touched the small bronze coffin, which was found earlier by Hobson, the space surrounding them began to fluctuate, and it emitted a purple mist.


    Everyone surrounding and observing the scene was all startled and immediately stepped back.


    When the purple mist dissipated into nothingness a few moments later, the man, who touched the small bronze coffin, also disappeared without a trace.


    "Where is he? Is he dead?!" someone anxiously asked as his voice shook with fear.


    "No, I guess he is not dead. And this should be the Holy Tomb," Darren merely said, rather calmly.


    He supposed that it must be the same as the statue he had previously seen in the Raksa Sea. He vividly recalled that when it was touched, it would instantly activate a unique domain.


    "What should we do? Shall we go in?" someone tentatively asked, confused, and in panic.


    "Of course!"


    Hobson interjected. Undaunted, he took hold of the small bronze coffin without a word and also disappeared as soon as the purple mist filled the coffin.


    "Let''s enter it together. I think those elders who came first must have already gone in. They deliberately arranged some coal ash to bury here so that no one would discover this."


    Darren pointed out. Then he touched the bronze coffin as well, and then the rest followed his lead.


    Buzz.


    A sudden sound of tremors reverberated around them, almost deafening them, and within a moment later, the scene in front of them had changed.


    The desolate land was dark, other than bleak and dismal. Above the mountains that looked craggy, the bloody sun cast an eerie vibe at a glance.


    There were dozens of mounds in various sizes on the ground. They immediately recognized that these were the graves of the warriors of the Holy Realm.


    Observing their location, Darren could sense a vague familiarity. And it reminded him of the scene in the bronze coffin that he had entered before.


    It looked boundless with spiritual herbs scattered all over the ground. The graves there seemed to be endless. Darren also had spotted the weakest grave, which was the tomb of a Demon King.


    "There are only graves here. Where are the treasures?"


    All of them froze as panic engulfed them, and they didn''t know what to do next as a trace of fears clearly showed on their pale faces.


    "I''m curious, where are the people who came in first?" someone blurted out.


    They all turned their gaze at the new traces of footsteps on the ground. But what puzzled them most was that not a single person could be seen. It seemed like they all vanished.


    "Are they dead?" someone said in horror, feeling extremely agitated.


    "Then there should have some blood even if they are dead. But


    irst and was ready to die.


    "Don''t be silly. They move at such a speed. Escape is impossible as they can easily surround us in just a few seconds," one of them said.


    "Then what should we do?" Everyone turned and looked at Darren expectantly.


    "What else can we do? Kill now! Make a road to escape!" Darren roared and dashed towards the blood-red wall first.


    The crazy blade and sword intents were forming in this zone. Tens of thousands of blade and sword illusions were hitting the blood wall.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The reverberating sound of swords was deafening, and the rest of them also dispatched the Fringe Holy Will to help support Darren.


    Everything was covered by gorgeous light, while some of which even became bloody.


    "Watch out!"


    Inside the blood wall, there were various skills to block several people''s attacks consistently.


    Just then, several blood red vines came to view by slowly crawling behind Hobson and directly pierced towards his heart.


    Darren noticed this, and he immediately jumped over and cut the vines with his sword.


    When he looked up through the vines, Darren saw a monster with a rat''s head and a tree''s body in the middle of the blood wall. It was attacking them viciously.


    "Kill!" Darren unleashed a dark gold internal force and beat the monster to pieces.


    But in the blink of an eye, the broken part was immediately fixed by other bloody bodies, and it was still airtight as if it was never broken.


    "Roar!"


    Darren turned into a dragon at once after he killed a few shadows for so long.


    The dragon blood aura in Darren''s body significantly increased after he assimilated those strange dragons before. He also had absorbed a large amount of spiritual energy and transformed it into a demonic internal force.


    His fighting power had been greatly improved after he transformed into a dragon.


    The olive-black dragon''s fifty-foot-long body swam in the air, emanating nothing but coldness!

 Chapter 654 A Holy Warrior Came out

    The aura of the dragon blood and the demonic internal force were surging in the space, like cyan and black lightning dashing around every which way.


    "Let''s kill from the other side, and not disturb Darren." Hobson let out a roar and led the others to attack from the other direction.


    Their strength was weaker than Darren''s now that he''d transformed into a dragon. If they entered into the battlefield, Darren would be conscious of them and try to keep them safe instead of focusing on the battle. So they chose to avoid this area and take actions from the other side.


    Darren''s dragon body moved.


    His tail smashed at the blood wall. Hundreds of bloody bodies collapsed and shattered into pieces.


    ''They don''t have talents of martial arts either.'' Darren tried to assimilate them. Like the previous monsters with a tiger''s head and a dragon''s body, these bloody bodies did not have martial arts talents either.


    He kept sweeping over the blood wall with his dragon tail. Occasionally, he would rush over and hit the wall with his dragon claws. As a result, the blood wall kept collapsing then reassembling again and again.


    Darren let out a roar, his body bending like a huge bow.


    After a while, he shot out.


    The dragon tail was like a huge monster dashing towards its target.


    Boom!


    Countless bodies were smashed into pieces making the sky rain flesh and blood.


    A red light shone in and the blood wall completely collapsed, this time unable to reassemble.


    "That''s great! Darren opened the exit for us and we can escape now!"


    The ones on the other side were thrilled. They immediately flew out of there.


    The remaining blood walls behind them began to collapse, yet numerous figures came after them.


    Darren peered around and found the whirlpool of the blood lake in the distance getting deeper and deeper. He was convinced there was something about to come out of there.


    ''We can''t afford to wait around. We must leave as soon as possible, '' he thought to himself.


    Sweeping the blood bodies with his dragon tail, he smashed them into pieces.


    Clang!


    A rusty spear descended from the sky all of a sudden and stabbed into Darren''s back.


    The dragon let out another roar.


    With a shrill scream, his tail flew upward.


    Bang!


    A palm slapped Darren''s dragon tail.


    One blood body rolled backward like a shooting star, and Darren''s body bounced off some distance away.


    He stopped his body and looked up.


    There was a living creature in the air, with an upper body like that of a huma


    incredible speed.


    Those who had flown to Darren''s side were very shocked. The light trembled as if the entire space around them was shaking.


    It was obvious that the human-shaped blood body hadn''t died. He rushed out and began to fight Darren with bare hands.


    They had no idea what was going on inside. They had to try their best to avoid the dispersed power fluctuation. If they were hit, they would be seriously injured or they would even die.


    "Alas! Damn it! How hateful it is! We have no strength to help Darren!"


    They gritted their teeth with resentment.


    "Guys, look!"


    someone exclaimed and everyone looked into the distance following the direction he was looking in.


    A figure slowly stood up in the surging blood lake.


    It had a human body, with fiery red hair flying with the wind.


    His armor was also blood red, but with a golden light gleaming off of it. His eyes were cold as ice as he looked at them.


    Their bones shook with the look he gave them, as if he wanted to devour them.


    "This is not good. He looks unbelievably powerful!" They couldn''t stop their shaking limbs as they studied him.


    The figure in the blood lake walked towards them. Every time he took a step, the void trembled. The space became shrouded in black cracks, a sign that it was being smashed.


    Even a strong man who had comprehended ninety percent of the Fringe Holy Will could only smash a few mountains. But this man almost resulted in the collapse of the space around them when he moved forward. What a powerful person he was!


    "Is he a holy warrior? He came out from one of the Holy Tombs, so he must be a holy warrior!"


    Everyone was desperate to find a way out.

 Chapter 655 Holy Will Crystals

    The figure''s emergence seemed to bring the world to a stop, including the battle between Darren and the human-shaped blood creature.


    Still in midair, the two combatants broke apart, separated by the sheer, ominous significance of the newcomer.


    Darren watched uneasily as his foe turned toward the newcomer, knelt down in submission, and went still.


    No longer caring about finishing the duel, Darren flew back to join his companions, who were visibly stricken.


    "He''s far too powerful for us," one of them told him. "We''re doomed!"


    Brave as Darren was, he couldn''t find it in himself to disagree. His heart pounded wildly as he returned to his human form.


    "Maybe he just won''t attack us," one of the others said doubtfully. "It''s possible, right?"


    Their impulse for nervous chatter died as the cause of their terror drew near. Unseen power crackled and radiated out from him, pressing against their very souls until they thought their hearts would burst within them.


    Soon he stood a hundred feet off from the group, as fearsome and unapproachable as a god.


    A dreadful moment passed as he stared them all down with a cold, emotionless gaze. Worse yet, nine black vortexes appeared behind him, roiling with titanic bursts of lightning. He was haloed by a display of world-ending power.


    At last the men could stand it no longer, and one of them called out, "Sir, have mercy! Forgive us if we have displeased you!" Immediately there was a chorus of similarly terrified pleas as all those gathered bowed down in midair, trembling.


    All, that was, except for Darren, who still retained some of his earlier courage, not to mention his pride. Staying upright, he withstood the blood figure''s glare and returned it. A fierce, hot wind tossed his black hair behind him.


    Knowing he had been affronted, the figure gave no warnings or second chances. Only a single word escaped from his mouth, hoarse and inhuman, "Die."


    With that, he raised a hand and dropped it toward Darren.


    It was a simple, almost indifferent movement, as if to smash an insect. Yet even that motion sent a lattice of black space cracks rippling outward. The whole space shuddered as peerless power swept through it, and Darren''s companions were even more paralyzed than they had been before.


    Darren''s level of relative calm surprised even himself as he watched the blow come down to meet him like a moon falling from its orbit. "Is this the real Holy Will?" he murmured aloud.


    No one thought to answer him. Nor did anyone have any thought of escaping.


    Everyone within a hundred kilometers would be absolutely obliterated when the falling hand struck. There was no outrunning the power at this being''s command. Their doom approached, agonizingly slow. Each second seemed magnified to the length of a century. Darren, at least, was resolved to not face it begging for his life.


    "How dare you!" roared a booming voice.


    As though rocked by the sound, the terrible blood figure fell back two steps, withdrawing his hand.


    "Who is there?!" he thundered, looking around for the one who had spoken.


    Darren and his companions quickly passed from that monstrous figure''s mind. Compared to whoever had just struck him, they were of no importance at all.


    The voice of his endless challenger came again, full of endless anger. "Leave this place! Leave at once,


    e little particles which held a brilliant glow.


    While his fellows murmured, the man flew over, and picked several of the strange particles, and brought them back.


    "Wow, look at these," he remarked, holding them up. "They sure are colorful. Might be worth it to get our hands on more of them. They''d make great jewelry."


    While he said this, Hobson took one of the particles in his hand.


    He inspected it carefully, then pinched it between two fingers, and unexpectedly cried out in pain. The little stone had cut his finger, whereas he had thought he would crush it with ease.


    "What are these things made of? How is it so hard?" Saying this, Hobson focused his internal energy on the particle and tried to refine it.


    Before anyone could blink, there was a flash of light as energy exploded from the particle.


    The others leaped back, shielding their eyes. Hobson himself was thrown away, crashing into a sand dune.


    Darren and his companions stared dumbfounded for a short moment before Hobson burst out of the sand, looking none the worse for wear. "It contains Holy Will!" he shouted excitedly as he flew back to join them. "These are Holy Will Crystals!"


    "What, seriously?" someone replied.


    Then they all began rushing about, finding the holes they had created in the sand and searching through them.


    Each man found a few crystals of various colors and set about trying to refine them, though more carefully than Hobson had his first one.


    ''These really are the Holy Will Crystals, '' they thought. ''They are so precious! What a discovery!''


    Obsessed over their discovery, the men forgot their earlier frustrations completely. In fact, they even started digging more and deeper holes in the sand, hoping to find more crystals underground.


    As the others dug themselves further down into the earth, Darren burrowed a little down into another sand pit by himself, where he found another one of the crystals.


    He took it in his hand, but hesitating, simply feeling it instead of refining it.


    "That aura," he said to himself. "It feels like Holy Will, but it''s... weird."


    It was the Fringe Holy Will that Darren felt, and it made him exceedingly uncomfortable. He wasn''t sure where it was coming from.

 Chapter 656 Exchange Of Information (Part One)

    Darren abandoned the crystal and focused his spiritual sense on the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "What''s wrong with you, Finley?" he blurted out at once.


    At the sight of Finley, Darren unleashed his spiritual sense to create a sound that would wake him up. He was shocked to find Finley sitting in a high mountain with his eyes closed and his face deathly pale.


    "Phew!"


    After the clamor made by Darren''s spiritual sense, Finley opened his eyes. It looked as if space collapsed in his eyes, judging from the confused expression that appeared on them. A glance from him would make one shudder.


    "Shit, I am seriously injured when I forced myself to use the Holy Will," Finley explained to Darren.


    "Have you reached the Holy Realm or not?" Darren asked after hearing Finley''s elucidation.


    "Yes, I have. I''m an inferior holy warrior now. But I''m just a soul, so when I forced myself to break through the restrictions of the Ancient Void Battlefield to scare that holy body, it caused too much damage to me." Finley smiled bitterly as he reiterated the incident to Darren.


    "Besides, how could I stop him if I had not reached the Holy Realm?" with a faint voice, Finley sighed and continued.


    "Oh, I see. So that blood figure is indeed a strong master of the Holy Realm?" Darren asked calmly.


    "Hmm, I could say, yes and no," while taking a deep breath, Finley answered as he furrowed his eyebrows.


    "What do you mean by that?" Darren asked again as he was totally confused by Finley''s response.


    "I could feel that his Holy Will was real, and his body was also a real holy body. But I could not sense his soul. From the start, I even doubted that his soul was even existing!" Finley felt it was unbelievable, impossible even. What he had seen and sensed were two


    ssible, in case you meet a living holy warrior again, you''re dead for sure," Finley said while teasing Darren a bit. Though he was threatened by his situation right now, Finley just couldn''t dismiss the sunny attitude that he had.


    "It''s not that easy to find a holy body. It all depends on both fate and destiny," Darren exclaimed with a complaining expression. After seeing that Finley was not heeding to his words, Darren rolled his eyes at him and asked, "By the way, how did you know it was safe here?"


    Astonished by the sudden question, Finley was about to reproach Darren when the latter said everything depended on fate and destiny, but he stopped after he heard what Darren asked next. He took a deep breath and said, "At that time, when I broke through the Ancient Void Battlefield, it was like I was in the outside world. While I was there, I somehow sensed that there was a place in the western region that could suppress the Holy Will. I even tried to cross the space to come here, but a strange force blocked me. With that, I assumed that the holy body could not come here either, and later on, I have proven that assumption to be true, and now I am certain of that."

 Chapter 657 Exchange Of Information (Part Two)

    "I see. By the way, we have found many Holy Will Crystals here. I wonder if they would be useful," Darren blurted out, changing their topic at once.


    "Let me have a look." Finley stretched out his hand and asked Darren to hand him the crystals so he could have a closer look.


    "I don''t have the crystals at the moment. You can sense it on your own," Darren said.


    "Bullshit! I don''t dare to look outside using my spiritual sense anymore. Otherwise, I''m going to be struck by lightning and die. Come on. Grab some of those crystals and let me have a look," Finley ordered Darren demandingly.


    "Oh, wait a second." Summoning his strength, Darren withdrew his spiritual sense and searched for the crystals. He soon found a crystal and sent it into the Ancient Void Battlefield. Then he pushed it to Finley using his force of control.


    "Wow, what a bizarre, ancient Holy Will!" As his eyes were fixed upon the glistening gem, Finley continued, "This is a real Holy Will Crystal, and an Overbearing Holy Will Crystal at the same time. The person who owned this Holy Will must be compelling, at least he is a junior holy warrior."


    "Can I refine it? Does it have any harm to me? Besides, do you know how these things formed?" Darren poured out his questions when he heard Finley''s assertions.


    Still held mesmerized by the crystal, Finley observed for a while and said, "Of course it is okay to refine the Holy Will Crystal, but it may not be good for you."


    After a pause, he continued, "That is because of the process to form this kind of crystals. Before the ancient holy warriors died, they


    as you stay in the Ancient Void Battlefield every day?"


    "My real body had become a holy emperor. But now I am just a strand of soul, much weaker than the previous me. My real body would never imagine that a part of his soul he left behind when he was young could survive until now. But because of that, each time my cultivation base is increased, I receive some strange messages.


    I''m sure all these memories are from my real body, which means my real body is still alive. Ha-ha. If I find my real body one day, I will be the most powerful person in this world. Who dares to mess up with me?" Finley smirked as if he was invincible in the world.


    "Hey, don''t be so complacent if it was as you said that your real body is still alive. Do you really think your real body would allow you to exist? What if he swallows you the moment he comes face to face with you?" Intending just to give Finley a joke, Darren thought of the scene of the first fiend ancestor swallowing the young man in black armor. He considered that this situation might also happen to Finley.

 Chapter 658 People From The Divine Mountain Sect

    Finley''s face darkened after he heard those words.


    "Don''t talk nonsense! I''m kind even if I''m just a soul, so I''m sure the real body of me must be a kind person. Why would I get swallowed?"


    When Darren glanced at him, he saw slight traces of fear on his face.


    "Ha-ha, I''m just kidding," Darren smiled.


    "By the way, if I bring some enemies in, can you handle them?" Darren asked before he left.


    "You''d better not do that. Since I''m severely injured, I will go to a secluded place to cultivate. Once I start my cultivation, it might be impossible to wake me. Then, it will be useless. Why don''t you seal the Ancient Void Battlefield for the moment? When you find a holy body for me, I will wake up. After I leave this place, I will beat the crap out of all those who dared to provoke you."


    "Okay, I will seal the Ancient Void Battlefield. You can go now."


    After reassuring Finley, Darren withdrew his spiritual sense from the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    The other people outside were busy trying to find crystals in the sand.


    While someone like Darren, who wanted to pursue something big, might not consider the crystals to be valuable, it was a treasure for others.


    In the outside world, one Holy Will Crystal could be exchanged for tens of thousands of magic herbs, because many masters at the seven-star level of the Grand Realm needed them.


    Darren did not collect the crystals. He knew that if he could not leave, then the crystals he collected would be useless.


    He sat on the ground with his legs crossed and took out the purple leaf. After absorbing its spiritual energy, he refined it into the demonic internal force and the aura of the dragon blood.


    With the help of the pyramid in his elixir field, Darren was able to refine at high speed, and his strength grew continually.


    After over ten days of cultivating, Darren felt that he could not make any further progress. He, thus, woke from his meditation.


    "Darren, look!"


    When Darren woke, he saw that several people had gathered around him. They held a pile of colorful crystals in their hands.


    "Ah, you''ve found so many. I''m afraid you have about a thousand in total."


    "Of course, he did. Darren, you can pick some for yourself first. Take away whatever you like, and the rest will be ours."


    Everyone walked closer to Darren to show him the crystals.


    "There is no need for that. You guys worked so hard to collect these. Why would you give them to me?" Darren refused with a polite shake of his head.


    "Darren, what''s wrong with you?"


    "Did we do something wrong?"


    "Are you angry?"


    They glanced at each other, anxiety clear in their expressions.


    he three people, the elder could not hold on for even a quarter of an hour. He was beaten to the point where he was crippled and on the verge of death.


    "Wow, these rule cultivators are so mighty."


    Darren and his companions gasped as they watched the fight.


    It was hard for Darren to resist such kind of power even if he became a dragon. After all, the elder who had sixty percent of the Fringe Holy Will was instantly crippled.


    "Bastard!"


    At this time, an old man in a black robe walked out of the hall.


    He walked up to the three men in grey robes and slapped each of them.


    "You can''t even seal the power of such a weakling. Why are you so useless?"


    "I am so sorry. Please spare me," the three men begged as they fell to their knees.


    "Get out! Guard the door for me. If the two masters of the other two sects break the seal, it will take a lot of effort to defeat them. They might even escape without being noticed. Be careful, or I will kill you next time."


    "Yes, yes, you''re right." The three men kowtowed.


    "The masters of the two sects? Did the master of the Crimson Sea Sect and the master of the Heaven Lake Sect get caught?"


    There was one disciple from each, the Heaven Lake Sect and the Crimson Sea Sect. They were shocked when they heard the news.


    Both were at the same level as Dexter, the leader of the Golden Sacred Sect that Darren had met before. They had nearly become holy warriors.


    Since the two big shots had come here, they must have found a way to resist the suppression. Even if they couldn''t completely withstand the suppression, they should have eighty percent of their fighting power when at the top level of their strength. Since they had been caught, how powerful were the people from the Divine Mountain Sect?

 Chapter 659 They Had No Choice

    Darren and his companions observed for a while before quietly retreating.


    "Darren, how about we try to find another way?"


    Darren shook his head and said, "We have no other way. Although these rule cultivators are here now, they can''t stay forever. Sooner or later, they will take action."


    "That''s right. We should watch them. Once they move, we will follow them."


    After their discussion, Darren and the others concealed their aura and stopped at a safe place about ten kilometers away from those rule cultivators. Every day at the same time, they sent a man to check the situation.


    Soon, a month went by. Finally, the people from the Divine Mountain Sect took action.


    "They have put away the palace and moved west," said the person in charge of the investigation that day.


    "Did you see how many people there are?" Darren asked.


    "There are at least fifteen rule cultivators. They carried a palanquin that flashed with some runes when they left. I suspect the leader of the Divine Mountain Sect, Jordan, is inside it. He is a holy rule cultivator."


    "A holy rule cultivator?" Darren was surprised.


    "It is said that he calls himself a holy rule cultivator. But his real level should not be in the Holy Realm."


    "Oh, I''m glad to hear that." Darren was relieved. If the opponent were a Holy Realm rule cultivator, it would be challenging to deal with him. Even if Finley had a holy body, he wouldn''t stand a chance in a fight with a Holy Realm rule cultivator.


    "Let''s see what they plan to do."


    Darren and his companions followed the rule cultivators secretly for a few days.


    The people from the Divine Mountain Sect marched with their captives, the elders of some other sects, till they finally arrived at their destination.


    This place should be a black desert, as well. But for some reason, the desert had burned red and turned into a sea of sand and fire. The heat radiating from it was almost unbearable.


    The people of the Divine Mountain Sect stopped at the edge of the Sea of Sand and Fire.


    "Make the array,"


    a commanding voice ordered from inside the palanquin.


    The remaining rule cultivators, including the old man in the black robe, stepped forward.


    Runes gleamed on the rule cultivators'' bodies. A moment later, several beams of light fell from the sky and danced in the air.


    After four hours, the light curtain condensed into an ark that floated above t


    he old man in the black robe brightened when he saw the crystal. Then, he ordered his people to take it.


    Once in his hand, the old man''s fingers ran over the crystal. He smiled.


    "It''s a Holy Will Crystal of a junior holy warrior!" he blurted out, which shocked the crowd, including the man in the palanquin.


    The palanquin door opened, and a short figure stepped out.


    He approached the old man in the black robe, who immediately bowed and handed him the crystal.


    "This guy is Jordan? He''s a dwarf!"


    "Fuck! As a small man, he makes a big wave! I''m going to kill him when I get a chance,"


    an elder from the Crimson Sea Sect muttered softly.


    A pair of eyes fixed on the elder.


    The elder was transfixed by the sense of oppression released by the eyes.


    The look chilled him to the bone, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Cold sweat burst out across his whole body. The eyes were terrifying as they seemed like demons who wanted to swallow him whole.


    Then, the elder lowered his head and dared not to look at the dwarf again.


    A cruel twist grew on Jordan''s lips as he grinned with satisfaction. At the next moment, the elder''s face contorted with pain. In a flash, his body dissolved into light spots and disappeared.


    "He can kill a man with his eyes?! " Darren''s heart skipped a beat. He couldn''t tell if the dwarf used his Spirit Power or not!


    "Sir, what do you think we should do with these bugs?" the elder in the black robe asked respectfully.


    Jordan didn''t reply. He simply glanced at Darren and his followers as he did with the elder he''d just killed.

 Chapter 660 The Endurance (Part One)

    Jordan''s cold and indifferent gaze landed on the people in front of him, and they shivered. They stood transfixed, rooted with horror as if they had fallen into a bottomless abyss. They were all terrified after realizing that the death was upon them.


    "Hold on, sir. I have got some other treasures."


    Darren looked at Jordan in horror. His palms had already started sweating.


    "Hand it over." Jordan''s eyes squinted slightly, and he gave them an indifferent glance. His voice held an irresistible authority.


    Restlessness embraced Darren''s heart when he saw an unmoved Jordan. Darren licked his lips and continued to stare at him. "If you promise not to kill us, I will give them to you," Darren announced after taking a deep breath.


    "Are you negotiating with me?" Jordan snorted and narrowed his eyes at Darren.


    "Yes." Darren clenched his jaw and nodded. He didn''t have a choice but to pretend to be calm. "I still have dozens of such things. If you let us go, I will be willing to give them all to you. Otherwise, I won''t hand them over even if I have to die."


    The elder in the black robe, who had been standing beside Jordan, stepped forward. His face became red in anger. "Boy, do you think you can stop us if you don''t hand them in? I have a lot of ways to deal with you.


    Let''s see if you can bargain again after tasting my strike. We can also get the Holy Will Crystals after killing you."


    His eyes fixed coldly on Darren, and the elder''s palms lit up with runes.


    Darren stayed silent for a while. To others, he looked fearless, but his heart wanted to shrink back since he knew it was hopeless to fight both Jordan and the elder. "It''s useless for you to kill me if I don''t hand them in. Once the spatial treasures are destroyed, all the things will disappear along with them. Don''t you know that?" He fixed his cold gaze at the elder in the black robe. He knew that in such circumstances, he had to fake fearlessness. The more f


    ction was just a tiny part of what they all collected during these days. It was beyond doubt that Jordan would kill Darren after seeing Darren was not the only one who possessed the crystals.


    "But if things go on like this, Darren will surely die," Hobson cried in dismay.


    The group fell silent for a while and looked at the agonized Darren, who still tried to remain silent. "We have no choice but to take a bet. After all, in their eyes, Darren''s life is worthless. They might not kill him unless they got the crystals."


    "Okay, let''s continue watching. It seems this is all we could do for now," Hobson muttered. He gritted his teeth and darted his cold eyes at Jordan.


    There was a harsh buzz.


    Dust particles in the air started to shake violently and rushed at Darren with blinding speed. A wave of strong rune soon followed by and circled Darren.


    The rune turned into a ghost claw and began wavering around Darren.


    The ghost claw pulled the faint shadow of Darren''s soul out of his body. Darren wrinkled his nose and looked coldly at Jordan.


    "Finally, you are going to use your soul attack on me? Come on then!"


    Darren blinked several times to calm his dizzy head. Although Darren''s consciousness was vague, he was prepared to endure the extreme pain that was going to come.

 Chapter 661 The Endurance (Part Two)

    The ghost claw began to pull Darren''s soul and tore it into various distorted shapes.


    "Ah! Ah! Ah!"


    Darren''s shrill echoed in the sky. His body started convulsing from the pain.


    "Will you hand in the crystals or not?" The elder in the black robe took the opportunity to shout at Darren when he saw that Darren could not hold on any longer.


    "No, I won''t!"


    Darren squeezed the answer through his clenched teeth.


    The ghost claw dragged Darren''s soul even more fiercely, and gradually, cracks began to appear.


    Darren dropped on his knees and panted for breath. The pain he suffered had already exceeded his limit. Unfortunately, under the soul attack, as long as his soul did not dissipate, he had no chance but to endure the pain. In a way, it would be better if the soul was completely broken because that would faint Darren and save him from the torture.


    Darren''s scream had silenced already, but his body was still trembling. It had already been an hour! How much longer were they going to torment Darren? He gritted his teeth.


    "Ha-ha! He''s the toughest guy I''ve ever seen. It''s a miracle!" Jordan cried and laughed out loud only to withdraw his soul attack. His gaze fixed at Darren''s lifeless figure.


    "Cure him for me." Jordan darted his cold gaze at the elder.


    "What? Why do you want to heal him? He shouldn''t have defied against you by concealing his crystals. He should be sentenced to death, sir." The elder tilted his head to throw a glance at Jordan.


    "What? Do you want to teach me what I should do?" Jordan threw a hard glance at the elder. The other drenched in a cold sweat after feeling a terrifying stare on him.


    "Not at all! I don''t have the guts to challenge your decision. I will do as you ordered right away." The elder in the black robe nodded and ordered his subordinate rule cultivators to release the treatment skill on Dar


    cy like a dog. Ha-ha!" Jordan flaunted even more viciously. The crowd once again roared with laughter.


    The face of the Heaven Lake Sect leader was ghastly pale. He didn''t dare to look at the Crimson Sea Sect leader shivering on the ground.


    "Master, do you want to have a try?" Jordan''s mouth lifted, and he turned to look at the master of the Heaven Lake Sect.


    "No, I will skip it." The Heaven Lake Sect leader''s lips went dry, and he desperately licked it. He was too terrified to say anything that might offend Jordan. He knew that even the proud Crimson Sea Sect master could not handle the pain. As predicted, Crimson Sea Sect''s master begged for mercy. He had never been through many hardships in the past. So upon realizing that he definitely couldn''t resist it, he thought it was better just to bow low and admit his inferiority.


    "Ha-ha-ha, it''s really interesting today. If I didn''t think you might be useful, I would have tortured you to death." Jordan spat at the Crimson Sea Sect leader and withdrew his soul attack.


    The Crimson Sea Sect leader''s tensed up limbs relaxed when the pressure from his body retracted. He felt that he had just been dragged back from the thresholds of death. He curled up on the ground like a dog.

 Chapter 662 Ill Give You A Task

    It wasn''t that the master of the Crimson Sea Sect was a weakling. It was just that the pain of soul attack was too much for anyone to bear.


    By the comparison, Darren had indeed appeared to be more tenacious.


    A man of the sect master''s stature could not bear what he was going through and he could not resist the urge to cry out and beg for mercy. Darren, on the other hand, only grunted in pain a few times. His fortitude was impressive!


    "No need to waste time. Just open it."


    Jordan became quite satisfied with how the master of the Crimson Sea Sect had suffered and he decided it was time to get down to business.


    At Jordan''s command, the crowd of rule cultivators started to get busy. They began to pile into the ark.


    "Get out of here!"


    A disciple of the Divine Mountain Sect kicked the master of the Crimson Sea Sect and threw him into the boat. The master of the Heaven Lake Sect was also taken into the boat. The dwarf flew towards them and landed on the bow of the boat.


    "Are they leaving?"


    Darren, still feeling weak, began to feel anxious. He did not know what to expect now that he saw them beginning to depart.


    Darren could not help but think that all the pain and humiliation that he had suffered would be for nothing if they were to leave.


    Their purpose was to board the ark with these rule cultivators.


    However, because of the pain he had endured, Darren began to harbor resentment towards the elder in the black robe and the dwarf named Jordan. He swore to himself that he would kill the both of them when he got the chance.


    To Darren''s comfort, the boat came to a halt after it sailed for a while in the middle of the Sea of Sand and Fire.


    Buzz!


    The whole world shook and all sorts of runes appeared from the rule cultivators.


    An ancient jade sword suddenly appeared in the midst of the runes.


    The runes began to whirl around the sword as if they were being swallowed by it and they radiated with a strange energy.


    A violent gust of wind began to blow all around. The jade sword was shimmering and was enveloped in a bright white light. The earth began to shake violently and tendrils of black smoke rose from the sea below.


    "Master, should we offer them up as a sacrifice?"


    the old man in black robe asked, gesturing towards the leaders of the Crimson Sea Sect and the Heaven Lake Sect.


    "Now is not yet the time." Jordan kept his eyes fixed forward.


    "So you want to open it!" The master of the Heaven Lake Sect was aghast and his face turned crimson.


    "I am amused it took you this long to figure it out," the dwarf replied drily.


    "You are courting death by doing this, Jordan


    great that Darren could feel the life draining from his body.


    In spite of his agony, he gritted his teeth and moved forward until he was only a few feet away from the bead.


    Darren lifted his eyes and saw that a black flame surrounded the bead. Terror seeped into his heart and he was tempted to give up.


    However, he knew there was no other way. His friends'' lives were at the dwarf''s mercy and if he failed, he was certain that they would all be killed.


    The black flames danced around Darren and it became increasingly difficult for him to move.


    ''This flame could burn even my very soul," he thought to himself.


    Darren felt the pain at his core and he felt as if even his soul were on fire. However, the robe still offered him protection which allowed him to continue forward, albeit with tremendous effort.


    His pain increased the closer he got to the bead.


    Hiss.


    The runes on Darren''s body exploded and his skin began to sizzle. His robe flew open with a gust of air and its edges began to fray.


    "This is bad."


    Jordan, who had been watching the scene from a distance, was taken aback. If Darren''s clothes were ripped to shreds, the boy would surely die. Without the robe''s protection, he would not be able to accomplish his task.


    "Make sure that that robe stays intact!"


    The dwarf ordered all the rule cultivators to unleash their power to keep Darren''s robe together. He also used his own power to assist them.


    Darren felt relief when he felt the magic surround him and edge him closer towards his goal.


    However, he still felt as if his very soul was burning, which made it more difficult for him to move forward.


    Even though he was only one foot away, he felt like succumbing to his pain. He could not hold on any longer.

 Chapter 663 Task Completion

    At this moment, Darren found it difficult to move. No matter how hard he tried, his muscles wouldn''t respond. It was as if he were paralyzed.


    He swayed helplessly in the sea of fire, not knowing where it would take him. In such a wretched state, even moving an inch seemed an unachievable task to him.


    Deep in his soul, the pain that he bore had exceeded his limit. Darren felt as though his soul was only one step from collapsing.


    The orange robe he had donned had more or less weakened the power of the black flame. Had he not protected himself with the robe, his soul would have long been dispersed and turned into nothing.


    "Boy, hold on, or I will kill you!" Jordan exclaimed. The anxiety coursing through him reflected in his expression.


    He became worried when he saw that Darren was trembling and not moving. He was afraid that Darren would fall and that his efforts would be in vain.


    Although he was intimidating Darren with his threats, he had also released a healing rule power to assist Darren.


    "Boy, you are only one step away from success. If you dare to pause, I will kill your friends!" Jordan threatened again.


    How could Darren have the strength to heed Jordan''s words when he was consumed by torment? He desperately hoped to take the first step forward and escape this disaster as fast as he could.


    Time went by achingly slowly. Darren had been still for an hour! All this time, he had been struggling to move, only to end up with failure.


    "Damn it! If you don''t move, I will kill your friends!"


    Jordan threatened out of exasperation. He was not bluffing; he genuinely meant it. A rune whistled over Darren''s head and flew toward his friends, who were standing at the edge of the fire sea. In a second, one of them was reduced to ashes.


    Although it happened in the blink of an eye, terror paralyzed everyone. Darren''s heart beat violently at the sight. Sorrow and fury coursed through him. However, he could do nothing except curse the murderer, Jordan.


    "Why don''t you move? Do you want me to kill more?"


    Jordan released another rune and blew up another man''s head.


    Now, only Hobson and the other young leader remained.


    Darren''s heart was full of anger, but he knew that he could not stop Jordan. He realized that the only way to prevent Jordan from killing further was to go forward with all his might and get him the bead.


    Finally, with great effort, he managed to move a little forward. But even so, his hand was a few inches away from the bead.


    "Let''s get it over with!"


    He was resolved to advance. Although agony coursed through his soul, Darren pretended to be unaffected by the pain. He was determined to leap forward, even if it meant falling into the sea of fire so that he could grab the bead.


    He plunged forward with outstretched arms. However, just as his fingers grazed the bead, Darren found that he was unable to hold on because his fingers would not


    er. Only by staying alive would Darren have the chance to kill Jordan one day!


    "Master," the elder in the black robe called out to Jordan before turning to look at Darren. "This guy survived the soul black flame. Is he hiding another powerful treasure from us?"


    Only after being reminded by the elder in the black robe, did Jordan realize that something was amiss. The thought entered his mind that if Darren had grasped some powerful treasure with which to overpower the soul black flame, then he''d better take it from him.


    "Well." Looking at Darren, he bargained, "Lad, for the Holy Will Crystals that you have hidden from me, I have decided to let you have them. But I have one condition. You need to hand over the soul defense weapon that you used to resist the black flame."


    Hearing Jordan''s condition, Darren felt an impulse to kill him. ''He had the cheek to say that he would leave the Holy Will Crystals to me? And now he is coveting my other treasures?'' Darren''s heart could not help but boil with anger.


    "That''s enough! I almost died while helping you to complete that task. If it weren''t for a strange aura that protected my soul after the robe was burned, I would be on the road to hell. What else do you want from me? Why don''t you just kill me instead of making up excuses such as requesting some soul defensive weapon that never exists?" Darren countered coldly. He felt that the angrier his expression was, the more convincing he would sound.


    "Shut up! How dare you speak to our master like this?" the elder in the black robe thundered as if he would charge at Darren any minute.


    "Hold on!" Motioning to the elder in the black robe to stop, Jordan said with great interest, "Well, you have a terrible temper. For the time being, I will believe that you have no magic weapon."


    "Hum!" Darren snorted coldly and said nothing more.


    As Jordan had something more important to do, he did not continue to pressure Darren.

 Chapter 664 The Bronze Palace

    The jade sword floating in the air in front of Jordan glowed even brighter after the bead was embedded in its hilt.


    The whole Sea of Sand and Fire began to surge violently once more. The scorching sand lava went up into the sky and the earth rumbled; something was about to break out from beneath.


    "Master, it''s time to start the sacrifice with the holy blood." The old man in the black robe was overjoyed as the palace was about to open.


    "Very well, grab them and bring them here." Jordan nodded in satisfaction.


    The leaders from both the Crimson Sea Sect and the Heaven Lake Sect were caught and brought to Jordan. A runic knife was condensed in Jordan''s hand and he used it to cut the two sect masters'' wrists at once.


    After the blood flowed out, Jordan took out a jade cup and proceeded to fill it up with their dripping blood.


    "Jordan, how dare you extract our blood! I will make sure you pay for your sins!" The leader of the Heaven Lake Sect looked furious as he barked at the dwarf.


    Nonetheless, the leader of the Crimson Sea Sect kept silent. He seemed dejected, as if he had suffered a heavy blow just from the cut on his wrist.


    "Ha-ha, even if you two used your peak combat power, I could easily kill you both within a second as soon as I get the power. And yet you still dare to threaten me? Not to mention, the possibility of you living when I get those powers is low. Shame, you wouldn''t have the opportunity to have me kill you with my bare hands," Jordan snickered with a nasty smile.


    "Master, they don''t even deserve to have you talk to them. Let me explode their heads for you later on," the old man in the black robe added.


    "When it is the right time, I will kill the old bastard in the black robe first," the leader of the Crimson Sea Sect noted through his spiritual sense.


    "Don''t worry. No one can escape. Luck will be on our side," the leader of the Heaven Lake Sect responded using his spiritual sense.


    As the jade bottle had been filled with blood, the preparatory job was complete.


    "Jordan, why did you take our blood? We are not real holy warriors. The blood in our bodies are not the genuine holy blood you are looking for," the leader of the Heaven Lake Sect questioned. He did not understand why Jordan would do so.


    "Do you think I am as ignorant and useless as you? Would I step into the forbidden zone if success wouldn''t be in my hand?"


    As Jordan mocked them, he took out another similar looking jade bottle. He opened the said bottle in front of them, revealing some kind of white powder.


    Jordan then proceeded to pour all the powder into the blood he had collected. Multicolored light was created and spread out from the jade bottle.


    There was a real aura of Holy Will in the light!


    "Oh, I see. The white powder was actually the holy marrow! The combination of the holy marrow and our blood, which is close to the holy blood, will produce something that will have the same functio


    A gust of wind blew, and white dust sprinkled everywhere.


    The figure of the old man had vanished into thin air. His body had turned to ash which were flying with the wind.


    "Huh!"


    Jordan then realized something was going terribly wrong and immediately took a step back.


    "Are you afraid now? But it is too late,"


    the leader of the Heaven Lake Sect said coolly. His voice was like a thunderclap in Darren''s ears after the latter heard it.


    Even Jordan couldn''t help but tremble.


    "You two..." Jordan looked at the two men in confusion. He did not know what happened.


    The initial depressed look on the face of the leader of the Crimson Sea Sect also faded away. He slowly stood up, fury reflected in his eyes.


    Darren sensed that the aura and killing intent of the leader of the Crimson Sea Sect were somewhat similar to that of Mathew, clearly weaker but far more ruthless.


    "Dwarf, you know what? Harrison had suffered a lot for the sake of the bronze palace. Even if you used the soul attack, he automatically led it into his body instead of resisting it. If he wants revenge, then you are doomed!" The robe of the leader of the Heaven Lake Sect fluttered as if he was a king.


    "Good, very good." Jordan said, gritting his teeth. His voice sounded like he was being strangled from his throat. "So you have pretended to be bounded by me all this time. And you have been waiting for me to open the bronze palace. But do you really think that you can compete with me after giving me the chance for completing this? The fate of you two will not change. A word is enough to describe¡ªdeath!"


    "Ha-ha. Ha-ha." The leader of the Crimson Sea Sect felt tears forming in his eyes from laughing too much.


    "Little dwarf, with your strength, do you think you can survive fighting against both of us at the same time?" The leader of the Heaven Lake Sect wore a cruel expression on his face. Ninety percent of the top level Fringe Holy Will suddenly erupted.

 Chapter 665 Reach A Peaceful Agreement

    When the leaders of the Crimson Sea Sect and the Heaven Lake Sect burst out their Fringe Holy Will at the same time, Darren found it a little difficult to withstand the pressure.


    Jordan''s face twisted in fury. Nine light pillars of runes were lit up around his body.


    A fierce battle was about to take place; Darren could feel it, and it terrified him. Everyone close to reaching the Holy Realm might end up severely injuring him.


    "Hold on, guys!"


    Darren tried his best to resist the pressure and stood in the middle between the two opposing sides.


    "Fuck off! Who the hell are you? How dare you speak to me like that?" the leader of the Crimson Sea Sect roared while directing a great killing intent at Darren.


    But Darren chose not to pay him any attention, he continued, "Each and every one of you is powerful. You won''t be able to defeat one another in time. If a war breaks down the Spiritual Boat, no one will be able to enter the bronze palace. You''ve done everything to qualify and enter the palace. Do you really want to lose your chance? What will you even gain if you kill one another? Is it worth it to lose this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?"


    Once the Spiritual Boat was broken, each of them would have to fly back to the bank. They would not be able to get close to the bronze palace let alone enter it.


    Hearing Darren''s words, both sides cooled down a little.


    A mysterious person had stepped into the Forbidden Life Zone and opened it. Without him, the Forbidden Life Zone wouldn''t have opened for thousands of years. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, they couldn''t afford to miss it.


    "Ha-ha, that guy is right. If you dare to attack me, I will destroy the Spiritual Boat even if I can''t defeat you!"


    Jordan didn''t fear fighting any of them, the worst that could happen was them reaching a draw. But if he had to fight both sides at the same time, he would definitely lose, and his life would be in danger.


    Darren''s words were a reminder of that. He''d take full control of the Spiritual Boat, and once he was defeated, he would destroy it immediately. No one would be able to enter the bronze palace in that case.


    "How dare you!" the leader of the Crimson Sea Sect, Harrison, roared. He had endured torture for so long. He''d been treated as a slave and for that, he didn''t want to let Jordan go.


    "Harrison, what that young man said makes sense. How about we just put up with the bastard for a while and wait for an opportunity to kill him in the palace?" the leader of the Heaven Lake Sect sent a message through his spiritual sense.


    "No way! I must kill the dwarf!" Harrison responded.


    "Harrison, we''ve been enduring for such a long time, and now we hav


    Spiritual Boat here, otherwise I will shoot you with all my might." The leader of the Dragon Chasing Sect thrust his spear into the ground.


    "Arlo, calm down. Don''t ruin our relationship now," the leader of the Heaven Lake Sect immediately advised. He didn''t want this opportunity to be ruined by this obnoxious man.


    Even Harrison who had always been arrogant didn''t say a word. Seconds before he would have done the same thing as Arlo.


    Jordan tried to calm down. He had no choice but to control the Spiritual Boat in order to retreat.


    When the Spiritual Boat reached the edge of the Sea of Sand and Fire, the leader of the Heaven Lake Sect grabbed Darren and threw him into the bank.


    "Someone as weak as him shouldn''t go with us," the leader of the Heaven Lake Sect said calmly. The rest, of course, agreed with him. It was impossible for someone as insignificant as him to enter the bronze palace.


    Darren, with a poker face, walked toward Hobson and the young man who were still restricted by the net.


    "Since you''re going to the palace, can you let my friends go?" Darren shouted to Jordan in a loud voice.


    Jordan was already in a towering rage. When he heard Darren''s words, he was even more furious, so he threw some runes at the huge net. The young man who''d taken the lead before was killed in an instant.


    "You! Why did you do that?" Darren shouted angrily.


    "Lad, I have kept my promise. Look, your friend is still there." Jordan had wanted to release some of his pent up anger. Messing with Darren would help alleviate some of it.


    Hobson clenched his teeth, his face turning red in rage.


    Standing next to him, Darren put a hand on Hobson''s shoulder and said, "Calm down now. We cannot beat them at this stage. We will definitely have more opportunities in the future."

 Chapter 666 Hurling Curses Towards The Elders

    "You''ve done them such a big favor! Now look at how he''s repaid us! He killed our friends!" Hobson shouted angrily.


    "Loser, I agreed to let that brat''s friends go but I didn''t say exactly how many of them I would let go. If you keep talking, I will have no choice but to kill all of you," Jordan said in a cold voice.


    Hearing this, Hobson took a deep breath and calmed himself down.


    He was not as strong as Jordan and he knew this. If he tried anything, he would hurt Darren. He forced himself to let go of his anger.


    "Listen to me carefully. Stay where you are and don''t move. Wait for me to come back," Jordan told his followers.


    "Wait!" The leader of the Heaven Lake Sect began to speak. "Are you going to continue keeping my sect elders as slaves?"


    "Unseal them all," Jordan roared with anger.


    "Everyone, listen to me. You must keep order amongst yourselves until I return. Otherwise, you will be punished," the leader of the Heaven Lake Sect commanded.


    They were the strongest members of his sect. It would be a tremendous loss if all of them died.


    Later, the other sect leaders gave out the same order. Finally, five of them took the Spiritual Boat and got close to the bronze palace. They drew the blood essence at the same time and threw it towards the bronze hall. Suddenly, the hall flooded with light and they were swallowed up.


    Only the elders, Hobson and Darren were left in the desert.


    "You two were able to run fast, huh?"


    These elders were the strongest men after everyone else had gone. The man who was asking was the elder of the Dragon Chasing Sect, Ivan.


    He glared at Darren and Hobson. His eyes shone with anger and malice.


    Hobson froze and didn''t know how to answer.


    "Your grace, we were stuck in a difficult situation that we were not strong enough to overcome. We attempted to escape to see if we can find the sect leader to save you," Darren said, bowing his head out of respect.


    "Humph! In battlefield, you are not allowed to escape and find reinforcements. Have I given such an order before?" Ivan kept barraging Darren and Hobson.


    Darren was silent for a moment.


    He knew Ivan intended to kill them but strangely enough, he did not feel afraid.


    With his strength suppressed, Ivan would only be able to give full play to the


    u. You are such a coward. Do you think you even deserve my respect?" Darren asked, his anger building.


    Hobson stood by in shock. He felt the tension building up.


    A moment later, he roared, "Well said! These old dogs treat us as if we were less than human. They force us to kill each other. These animals are far inferior to you, Darren!"


    Hobson felt invigorated with Darren''s words. He was ready to risk his life. Even if he faced death, he refused to cower in fear.


    "What are you looking at? I''m talking about you old dogs! You have no idea how long I have waited to cut you into pieces!


    Bow to me!" Hobson kept hurling curses towards them and he felt more joyful with every word that he let loose from his lips. He was no longer afraid.


    "You assholes! I will kill you both!"


    Ivan was so furious that his veins popped out on his forehead. He rushed towards Hobson in a rage.


    Halfway through his dash, a transparent rune thread appeared under his feet. He was immediately tripped. The elders of the Divine Mountain Sect had casted it towards him.


    "Ha!" Everyone laughed.


    Ivan was livid with rage. He looked back but he didn''t know who did it.


    "Ahhh!" The more he thought about it, the more furious he became. He then stormed towards Darren and directed all his anger towards him.


    "Great." Darren curled his lips into a sneer.


    He had the power to battle Ivan now. Even if he couldn''t defeat him, he would be able to bring Hobson with him into the bronze palace.


    There was nothing for him to fear.

 Chapter 667 Kill The Elders

    Darren made a gesture to ask Hobson to dodge. He gritted his teeth and flew up to Ivan.


    Bang!


    Darren swung across his palm with all his might to evade the attack of Ivan.


    The impact made Darren fly back hundreds of feet. Ivan, with an evil grin, didn''t move one bit.


    The result was surprising to everyone. They hadn''t expected Darren to resist the attack without getting a single scratch on his body.


    ''That guy''s physical strength is only a little weaker than the elder''s?'' everyone wondered secretly.


    One should know that Ivan was a powerful martial artist who had comprehended eighty percent of the Fringe Holy Will. Even if his strength was suppressed, his physical strength and power were still there.


    "You are just so-so." Darren shot a cold glance at Ivan.


    The physical strength he had displayed had decreased because of his current human body. If he had a chance to turn into a dragon, Ivan would have been the one to retreat hundreds of feet! Darren could even have hurt Ivan with just one blow!


    "Chief Elder, let me go help Elder Ivan," another elder of the Dragon Chasing Sect requested anxiously.


    "Bullshit!" the Chief Elder snorted. "Do you want to go and dishonor our sect?" His cold eyes swept towards Darren and Ivan. The scene only made him more furious. He wanted to rush in himself, but he had to hold himself back. In the end, the Chief Elder could only settle with sending a sharp glare at Darren.


    Why?


    The reason was simple. It was disgraceful enough for the sect to have two disciples who insulted the elders. Wouldn''t it be more ridiculous if they couldn''t take care of such disobedient disciples after sending more elders?


    Therefore, as the Chief Elder, who was in high position and dignity, he didn''t allow anyone to help Ivan at all.


    "You are right, Chief Elder. Elder Ivan is strong enough to kill that little bastard. I just worry too much." The elder bowed his head, but didn''t wish to make a move anymore.


    Darren rushed towards Ivan first.


    The sword and blade intents were frantically surging.


    "It''s you!"


    Realization dawned on Ivan when he felt the blade and sword intents. He had fought a weak disciple with this skill before. Ivan frowned and swept a glance at Daren.


    "Yeah, it''s me. So what?"


    "Go to hell!" Ivan barred his teeth and rushed at Darren.


    He activated his Fringe Holy Will. It flooded towards Darren like a torrent.


    Darren scoffed, and a dark gold internal force exploded from his body. It collided with Ivan''s Fringe Holy Will.


    Even though Darren was confident about his attack, he knew that his combined force was not as powerful as Ivan''s Fringe Holy Will. In fact, it was still a bit weaker than Ivan''s sixty percent Fringe Holy Will. Since Darren''s sword and blade intents hadn''t entered the extreme level yet, the power of the integrated dark gold internal force was also limited.


    Besides, his dark gold internal force had been suppressed and weakened by the owner of the golden hand. Otherwise, the real strength of his dark gold internal force would have blown Ivan into pieces.


    After fighting for a quarter of an hour, Darren''s attack m


    and continued to find an opening to rush at Darren. However, no matter how much they struggled, Darren was always one step ahead. Ultimately, quarters of an hour later, Darren''s dragon claws lunged at one person.


    Bang!


    The man was thrown in the direction of the Sea of Sand and Fire because of the impact. He vomited mouthful of blood and his eyes soon started to become heavy.


    "Get him back!" Ivan ordered the female elder.


    The female elder flew over in an attempt to bring the elder back.


    How could Darren let her do as she wished? Of course not!


    He turned into an olive-black light and flew towards the elder who had been thrown away. His dragon claws shot hundreds of times, and he sent the elder directly into the depths of the fire sea.


    A cloud of black smoke rose from the sea of fire. The elder was burned into ashes. Darren naturally absorbed his martial artist''s talent.


    "Oh my God! You killed Elder Walt! I''ll kill you, bastard!"


    This female elder stared at the scene for a long time. Her face turned from pale white to green, and she was finally red in anger. She had a dubious relationship with Elder Walt. Now that Walt was dead, of course, Elder Queena went mad.


    Ivan and Queena mustered all their strength to attack Darren.


    The fight was fierce, and they almost regretted jumping impulsively. After an hour of battle, the elders'' body had severe injuries, and blood was continuously dripping on the ground. They were beaten up and almost fell from the sky.


    On the other hand, Darren only got several scales broken and was not seriously injured at all.


    "Ah!" The Chief Elder roared like a beast when he saw that the three elders were all defeated. His face flushed in anger. The Chief Elder''s body flashed towards Darren.


    ''So you''re using only seventy percent of the Fringe Holy Will? It seems that your power has been suppressed quite a lot too, old asshole, '' Darren thought, and the corner of his lips lifted.


    Yes, the old man had the capacity of using seventy percent of the Fringe Holy Will. So what? He still hadn''t used his black flame yet!

 Chapter 668 Entering The Palace

    It needed hardly be said that, of the four elders, the strongest one was the Chief Elder who had acquired seventy percent of the power of Fringe Holy Will.


    The Chief Elder raced for Darren with the swiftness of a howling wind and struck him with both palms.


    The mighty blow sent Darren hurtling like a meteor down toward the Sea of Sand and Fire.


    Not satisfied, the Chief Elder snorted with contempt and followed him down.


    He had no interest in playing fair or in prolonging the fight. If he could simply throw his victim into the sea of fire and incinerate him in an instant, that would satisfy him.


    Without hesitation, the Chief Elder fell through the air with the speed of an arrow.


    Despite the speed at which Darren was falling, his assailant nimbly caught up to him in a matter of seconds.


    "That bastard," said one of the onlookers, dismayed. "Here''s the greatest Chief Elder of the Dragon Chasing Sect, stooping to the level of killing an ordinary disciple!"


    The others who were present agreed and murmured among themselves. The Chief Elder''s conduct struck them as petty and unbecoming of a man of his station. "That young man is doomed, no matter he is in dragon form or not," another one remarked. "It''s unfortunate for him that he had to cross paths with this merciless old freak."


    Standing with the observers, Hobson watched the spectacle with a sinking heart. He hadn''t expected the Chief Elder to attack with such lethal intent. ''Damn it! Darren doesn''t stand a chance of surviving!'' he thought ruefully to himself.


    The knowledge of his own helplessness tormented him. He wasn''t strong enough even to fly above the raging fire, let alone to help his friend. There was nothing to do but watch.


    Just then the Chief Elder closed the distance between himself and Darren, slamming him with a blow even more terrible than the last one.


    An awful lattice of chinks and cracks spread across the armor of Darren''s dragon scales.


    The air rang with his ear-splitting scream.


    Desperately, he spun, lifting his tail to lash the Chief Elder right in the face.


    There was no time to dodge. The strike hit the Chief Elder so hard that he blacked out for a brief moment and fell limply toward the awful fires below. With only seconds to spare, he recovered his wits and swooped away from the hazard.


    Meanwhile, the rebound force of the tail strike had propelled Darren away, but he quickly swerved around and came at the Chief Elder again, picking up speed.


    While still approaching, Darren intensified his dragon blood aura and his demonic internal force, pushing them to their limits.


    The Chief Elder saw this, but was too haughty to notice the terrible black flame at Darren''s command as well. ''His skills are insignificant, '' he thought to himself. With his seventy percent of the Fringe Holy Will, he thought he had nothing to be afraid of.


    Thinking it was time to finish the duel for good, the Chief Elder concentrated all his power into a single palm strike and flung it at Darren as they crashed together.


    All the spectators staggered as a thunderous boom smote their eardrums.


    Their eyes, too, were dazzled by a terrific blaze as the Fringe Holy Will struck its target.


    With the noise of the impact, however, there was another sound.


    It was a terrible, blood-curdling scream.


    "So much for that young man¡ªpoor thing!" bewailed one of


    ugh, Darren and Hobson could see blackened ruins in front of them.


    "Even this palace had been destroyed?" Darren murmured.


    He knew no more than anyone else about what had happened in the ancient times. But judging from the scattered Holy Will Crystals outside and the barren, ravaged landscape, he could guess that the war of annihilation there had been truly unprecedented in its cruelty.


    Still, he hadn''t expected to find that its effects had spread to the inside of the bronze palace as well.


    For a long time Darren and Hobson simply stared at the devastated remains, unsure of what to do next.


    In fact, there was little even that was recognizable, except for a huge, lone pillar that loomed off in the distance.


    For some minutes, Hobson studied the ground. "Darren, look at this!"


    Saying this, he took a multicolored crystal out of the dirt.


    Darren took the rock from his friend and studied it. He soon recognized it as a Holy Will Crystal, clearly one from ancient times.


    "I have no use for this. You can keep it," he said, handing it back.


    Hobson accepted the crystal gladly, regarding it as a great treasure. "What should we do now?" he asked, staring into its mesmerizing glow.


    "We fly north," Darren said after thinking it over.


    "Why? Did you sense something up there?"


    Darren shook his head and pointed at the earth. "Look, there are no tracks going that way. That means that the five sect leaders who came here before us all went in other directions. So we need to go north if we want to avoid running into them."


    "Oh, I get it," replied his companion. Hobson smiled awkwardly, realizing he ought to have noticed something so obvious himself.


    Without trading any more words, they confirmed the direction and took flight, aiming north.


    After several days of travel, they seemed to reach the boundary of that land. Before them they caught sight of a great, lofty wall. On closer inspection, though, it appeared to belong to the outskirts of a palace.


    Then, without warning, Hobson cried out in pain and fell from the air.


    He struck the ground and rolled about, covering his eyes as though he was in great pain there.


    Without wasting a second, Darren hurried down to his side. "Hobson, what''s wrong?"

 Chapter 669 The Portrait

    Darren shot a glance at Hobson. One stream of blood traveled all the way from Hobson''s neck to his fingers, dripping continuously.


    "What happened?"


    "I, I just looked at the portrait on the wall, and then I became blind," Hobson hissed in pain and stammered.


    Darren turned his head back and narrowed his eyes at the scene. He could see a portrait of two people, and every part of it felt surreal. In Darren''s eyes, the picture was too vivid. The person making this image must have been a professional, and he didn''t feel anything uncomfortable about the portrait.


    "I''ve seen this portrait, and it should have affected me just like it happened in your case." Darren turned to look at Hobson. "Why don''t I feel anything?" His eyes landed on the trembling fingers and blinded eyes of Hobson. "You should refine some magic herbs to heal yourself first," Darren said.


    Hobson nodded only to find some magic herbs. "I just used my spiritual sense to probe. I don''t know how, but I suddenly felt immense pain in my eyes, and I became blind." If Hobson''s eyes were fine, he would''ve looked at Darren with eyes full of worry. He pursed his lips and continued to do his work. He knew Darren would check the portrait too. "Darren, if I were you, I wouldn''t try to repeat what I just did." Hobson went silent and began to refine magic herbs to cure his eyes.


    Darren looked at the wall again.


    The portrait had two figures. One of them was a young man in white with a ruler engraved in ancient runes in his hand.


    On the other hand, the second person in the portrait was an exceedingly beautiful woman. Every limb of the woman felt like it was animated and moving in front of him. Darren''s eyes fixed on her, and his mind became blank. It felt almost as if she was alive and could jump out any minute.


    The woman in the portrait tempted Darren to unleash his spiritual sense to scan her.


    He felt a lump in his throat.


    The portrait released a strong aura. It sent a chill down Darren''s spine. Dizziness washed over him for a moment as if he was drowning in the deep water. His ears could hear nothing but the beep sound.


    His mind was utterly absorbed in the portrait of this woman. The more he looked at her, the more she started to allure him. Darren''s heart started thudding wildly in his chest. The beauty of that woman seemed to increase ten-fold, and he was unable to look away. It was as if someone had nailed his face on the wall, and his eyes could only see her.


    Even if he missed one second, he would regret it for the rest of his life.


    Her purple clothes felt like waving back and forth in the air. Darren could almost see her smiling that made his heart jump. He had not felt this comfortable and warm since forever. Who would have thought that this happiness was only a small fleeting cover for the portrait to act against him?


    "Ah!"


    The piercing pain in his eyes brought him back to his senses.


    Darren covered his eyes and squatted on the ground. His hands started to tremble because of immense pain. He felt a drop of wet blood


    uld happen after the previous one. Darren looked at the third picture and confirmed this fact. In the third picture, the divine thunder triggered by the ruler hit the monster, who vanished in a flash.


    In the fourth picture, the thunder rushed into the void. The stars exploded and formed a scenery as beautiful as the colorful Milky Way.


    "What these drawings show is the power of the Divine Thunder-Manipulating Formula," Darren concluded after reading them.


    Under these pictures, there were a few words that Darren could understand.


    "This is a rule formula of an immortal. Martial artists can''t practice, or they would die immediately.


    Even if you are a rule cultivator, you are not allowed to practice unless you have already entered the senior Holy Realm. If you are a rule emperor, it would be the best. A rule emperor can practice hard to achieve small achievements."


    Darren''s mind went blank when he saw this.


    According to the text, the cultivator who wanted to practice this rule formula must be at least a rule cultivator who was in the senior Holy Realm. And he had better be as strong as a rule emperor to achieve little success. What did this mean?


    Who was the young man in the portrait? It seemed that the young man didn''t give enough face to the emperor.


    "It must be a great treasure. I should remember it." Darren used his spiritual sense to keep the words of this rule formula in his mind.


    The portrait was finally done, and he blinked twice only to find his eyelids becoming heavy. He kept breathing hard because of exhaustion. Darren got out of the state of silvery eyes and returned to the normal state.


    "Darren, what happened to you just now? Why didn''t you wake up? You scared me!"


    Only then did Darren hear a cry. Darren slipped his stunned eyes at the worried face of Hobson.


    "I am fine. I used some special means to observe the portrait, and I am just fascinated by it." Darren smiled lightly, and he cleared his mind to recover his Spirit Power. He had two more pictures to observe.

 Chapter 670 The Battle Between The Emperor And The Immortal

    After three days, Darren''s Spirit Power made its progress to recovery.


    After it recovered, he flew towards a different portrait.


    It was a picture of a man with an enormous axe in his hand. His eyes were wide open as if he was glaring at something or someone, but there was nothing in front of the man.


    Darren used his silvery eyes to understand and examine the picture carefully.


    A figure then appeared in front of the man with the axe in the picture.


    The figure had his back facing towards the man holding the axe. His purple robes were so enchanting as if he was a real man, not a portrait.


    ''This man in the purple robe seems to be stronger than the man with the huge axe, '' Darren guessed.


    Suddenly, the picture moved.


    The man threw the axe into the air. A large number of runes bombarded the sky and countless stars shook and dropped down.


    "Oh!" Darren was startled to the point that he kept retreating back, as if he was on the verge of death once more.


    It was not until a while later that he realized it was just a portrait.


    Then, he realized that the power of the big fellow with the huge axe was neither inferior to the man nor the woman in the first portrait he had previously seen.


    Then, a sword suddenly materialized in the air as the huge axe fell.


    The figure in purple robe stretched his hand to snatch the sword from the sky and swept behind the man. The man and his axe were split into halves in a blink of an eye.


    "What kind of sword intent is this?"


    Darren screamed out in a mixture of shock and panic. The sword intent he had sensed from the young man in the purple robe inside the painting was so formidable that he had never experienced before. The man''s powerful sword intent made Darren''s sword core in his elixir field nearly break.


    ''His sword intent is far more superior than the extreme sword intent.''


    Darren could not express the strong sense he felt in words. After a moment of thought, he remembered the young man possessed a black and white sword in his eyes, who was Darren''s master in name.


    ''This young man''s sword intent is not weaker than the black and white sword intent my master has, '' Darren thought.


    Of course, the black and white sword intent that Darren had known was nothing compared to its original force. His master had weakened it when it was in use.


    At this point, Darren had realized that the extreme level of sword intent in this world wasn''t the ultimate level.


    The man in the painting soon broke into millions of tiny runes and fr


    od, even if you don''t share it with me, I will never complain. But could you please tell me to sate my curiosity?" Hobson pressed. He had noticed that Darren spent a number of time on each painting, so he assumed there must be something extraordinary behind those pictures.


    "Okay, though it''s very complicated. It''s just some records about the origin of these people. They said in the painting that there were the immortals from the outer space and the holy emperors from our world. It''s just an incomplete story." Darren had no choice but to make it clear.


    "Wow, do tell me!"


    Hobson''s eyes lit up with excitement. He didn''t know what the immortals looked like, but he had heard about the holy emperors and was very interested in them.


    "It''s nothing, really. I''ll tell you about it after we get out of here." Darren shrugged.


    "Well then, any ideas on how should we get out?" Darren didn''t want to continue with the subject, so Hobson had no choice. He looked at the black land behind him and felt confused.


    "Let''s go and find the five men who came in before us and see what they''ll do," Darren suggested.


    "Are you trying to get yourself killed? They will kill us the moment they realize we''re here," Hobson disagreed.


    Boom!


    There and then, they heard a loud sound from a distance. A few kilometers away, a black smoke rose into the sky. Even from where they stood, Darren and Hobson could see it clearly.


    The two wondered what was going on over there, and why there was such event.


    Just as Darren contemplated whether or not he should fly over to see what had happened, the red-haired humanoid creature in the portrait behind them suddenly opened his eyes.

 Chapter 671 An Old Man Of A Foot Tall (Part One)

    The painting was soon brightened by the blood-red light.


    As the ambiance gradually changed, Darren and Hobson immediately felt the bleak coldness. Thus, they turned back and looked at the wall.


    To their dire amazement, on the wall, the red-haired figure moved. It was so horrible that the character seemed to walk out of the painting.


    At the sight of it, both Darren and Hobson were shocked. From their point of view, all the figures painted in the wall were powerful enough to shake the world. More than that, the red-haired creature was actually going to come out of the picture. How could it not scare them?


    There were ripples like water waving on the wall. Gradually, a twisted face stood out from it and stared at Darren and Hobson. By the look of it, the figure struggled nonstop, and after a moment, he actually jumped out of the wall.


    After the loud thud from his fall, the figure stood up and straightened himself.


    "Oh! Shit, it hurts!" he complained while holding on to his behind.


    Throughout these episodes of events, both Darren and Hobson were in a daze and had their eyes fixed on the figure from the wall.


    Judging from the way he appeared, the figure was an old man wearing a cotton cloth whose face was covered with stubbles. What amazed them the most was, though he appeared to be old, he was only one foot tall.


    "Sir? May we know who you are?" Darren asked, lowering his head to have a closer look at the one-foot man.


    "Well, good that you know that you should call me sir! It''s you who took the two rule formulas of the immortals out, right?" he asked without answering Darren''s question. As he accused Darren, the minute elder stroked his beard and curled his lips. Then with lucid and judging eyes, he stared at Darren suspiciously.


    Hearing his question, D


    it! How many years did he survive?


    Even a holy emperor couldn''t live as long as he had lived!


    "Sir, are you born in the ancient times? Say the Ancient Age? But why do you speak the same language as us?" Darren questioned reverently. What the old man had said triggered his curiosity. Thus he wanted to learn more about the palace and much more about its owner.


    "Silly boy, who says the owner of the bronze palace has to be a member of the ancient times? I was born in the last chaotic era of the Last Age. And by that, I meant maybe just several hundred thousand years ago," responded the old man.


    "Yes, the Mythological Palace belonged to the ancient times. But it had been through many generations. I''m the twenty-ninth generation head of it," the old man continued as he saw the eagerness to know more in Darren''s eyes.


    As he counted the years on his head, Darren thought that if the short old man was the head of the twenty-ninth generation, it meant that the palace had existed a terrifyingly long time.


    "But why do you come out now, sir? Just because I have obtained two rule formulas?" Darren asked even more. It seemed that he had never run out of questions for the old man.

 Chapter 672 An Old Man Of A Foot Tall (Part Two)

    "Haha, you are really shameless. Don''t flatter yourself. I came out because a lad has already condensed the Holy Will and is about to reach the Holy Realm. I was going to check if he had the right to inherit any inheritance, but seeing you wandering around here, I chatted with you.


    But don''t be self-abased because of my words. Your potential is in the top list above everyone else who has broken into my palace," retorted the old man.


    The message between the lines employed by the man''s words was never a good idea to Darren. He guessed that the man who was about to reach the Holy Realm was one of the five sect leaders.


    Similarly, Hobson''s face turned deathly pale. He prayed in his mind that the leader of the Dragon Chasing Sect was not the one who reached the Holy Realm. Otherwise, he and Darren would be in danger of the crime of killing the elders.


    "Sir, it is destined for us to meet. You must protect us. Some of the men who came in the palace regard my junior fellow apprentice and me as ants and want to kill us." Hobson tried to seek shelter from the old man. With the words that he had said, he was hoping he would gain the old man''s mercy and convince him towards their side.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t. Killing is not being prohibited in this bronze palace. That is a rule set by the first leader of the Mythological Palace. I don''t have the right to regulate anyone at any circumstances," the old man said calmly with his head raised in over pouring arrogance.


    "How could that be? You are also the head of the bronze palace now. You can make orders and change the rule, right?" implored Hobson. The tone of his voice betrayed the fear he felt inside which was mixed with the hopelessness and desperation.


    "Well. I am afraid I


    ancient time like the Remote Age," the old man said, not conforming with Darren''s statement.


    "From the Middle Age to the Last Age, there is a transition of the chaotic era. I am quite familiar with that. And I know a powerful warrior named Barnes the Holy. I wonder if he can fight against the first leader," Darren voiced out.


    "Hahaha." The old man couldn''t help laughing and said, "You''re not that ordinary warrior as I thought. I am impressed that you know something about Barnes the Holy, but in comparison, you''re still too shallow."


    "Why? Why am I shallow?" asked Darren. He was totally stunned after the old man''s declaration.


    "Can we compare people of different ages? How can we compare them when the Universe Rules are totally different?" retorted the old man back, while he rolled his eyes at Darren.


    "Well, I don''t want to talk to you anymore. I''m going to see the fellow who has understood the Holy Will. I have some business to attend with him." After saying that, the old man took one last look at Darren, and soon, his figure faded.


    "You can come with me." He grabbed Darren''s and Hobson''s arms before totally vanishing in the thin air.

 Chapter 673 Attack The Dwarf

    The moment Darren and Hobson were taken to a spot by the old man, they saw a man sitting there.


    "It''s Jordan, the dwarf!" Hobson growled.


    There were countless strange runes surrounding Jordan. Each one of them could only be described as terrifying.


    Darren could feel the real Holy Will coming from the dwarf.


    ''That''s too bad. If Jordan manages to enter the Holy Realm, will he kill me?


    I don''t think Jordan is a good person. In Jordan''s eyes, a person with a low status could be killed at any time he wants to do it.


    But it could be worse if it was the leader of the Dragon Chasing Sect who would break through to the Holy Realm. After all, if the leader of the Dragon Chasing Sect finds out that I''d killed his elders, he''ll definitely kill me, '' Darren thought to himself.


    "Huh! I thought he was a man of my clan, but it turns out he''s just an ordinary dwarf," the one-foot-tall old man said shaking his head.


    Hearing this, Hobson almost burst out laughing. He thought it ridiculous that the old man, who was only about a foot tall, called Jordan a dwarf.


    However, he obviously couldn''t laugh because, it was always possible that once Jordan entered the Holy Realm, he''d kill him the second he got the chance.


    "Sir, this dwarf isn''t a good person. You must help us no matter what happens next. You can even threaten him using your standing," Hobson begged the old man pitifully.


    However, it appeared that the old man didn''t care about Hobson at all.


    Bang.


    Crawling on the ground, Hobson searched for the old man''s feet. He grasped them tightly, and begged again, "Sir, we''re all good people and we''re still young. Please grant us this favor."


    Seeing Hobson''s cowardly expression, Darren really wanted to kick him.


    "Hobson! Why are you such a coward?" Darren sent Hobson a message using his spiritual sense.


    "How can you call me coward? That old man has lived for hundreds of thousands of years and is super strong. There''s nothing shameful about asking for his help," Hobson replied confidently.


    ''Nothing shameful...'' Darren thought to himself. He almost burst out laughing, but he decided to ignore Hobson instead.


    "All right, all right. You''re acting like a pathetic woman. I can order this dwarf not to kill anyone before you leave here," the old man said impatiently.


    "Well, thank you so much, sir. You are so kind. I hope you can live for another 100 years!" Hobson said and jumped up.


    "What


    u, Orval. Did I offend you just now?" Hobson asked.


    "Humph!" Orval ignored Hobson.


    "Sir, why is Orval''s body...?" Darren studied him in confusion.


    He had seen many creatures who were pieced together by different kinds of animals since he came here, and they were all very powerful. The most bizarre thing was that these creatures didn''t have souls, according to Finley.


    "Well, to put it simply, the creatures you saw outside were all created by me, including Orval. But unlike the rest, Orval does have a soul," the old man explained.


    "Ah, I get it now," Darren said. Although he didn''t really understand what was going on, he didn''t want to ask any more questions.


    "After I kill these people, I will show you around and you will understand everything," the old man continued.


    "That''s great! Thank you very much!" Hobson was first to respond.


    The old man didn''t say anything, but he looked at the people who were trapped in the soil.


    With a slight wave of his hand, the four men flew outside. They lay on the ground, their lives hanging by a thread.


    "Please spare me, sir!" the leader of the Heaven Lake Sect begged.


    "How dare you hit my godfather? You are doomed!" Orval took a step forward, exposing his sharp teeth and a ferocious light, the red hair on his back standing up.


    "Wait a minute. Don''t disturb the dwarf. We''ll deal with them later," the old man said, and then Orval stopped.


    Boom!


    The runes exploded suddenly, making Jordan shine so brightly.


    A holy aura stopped Darren in his tracks. He sensed an aura similar to that of the blood red figure who had come out of the tomb.

 Chapter 674 Happened To Get Into The Holy Realm (Part One)

    The aura of the Holy Will only lasted for a few minutes before it began to disappear.


    The runes on the dwarf started to dissipate and slowly collapsed.


    "It seems that these guys have brought harm to the dwarf by halting his way into the Holy Realm." The short old man''s cold eyes swept toward the other four sect leaders.


    "Great! That''s great!" Hobson chuckled to himself, feeling delighted.


    It was indeed a good news for Darren and himself that Jordan couldn''t get into the Holy Realm. They wouldn''t have to be afraid.


    The short old man shook his head. "It all depends on his good luck whether he can get into the Holy Realm or not," the old man added.


    When Darren heard those words, he frowned and looked at the old man. "Sir, whether he can get into the Holy Realm or not, why should it matter?"


    The short old man turned around only to cast his cold gaze at Darren. "Of course it matters. He can take part in the examination of the bronze palace if he gets into the Holy Realm. And if he succeeds in the examination, he will become the next lord of the Mythological Palace. Then I can finally leave."


    Hobson froze for a moment after he heard the old man''s words. "Sir, I don''t understand. Whoever sits on the throne of the Mythological Palace ends up gaining more power. Why do you want to give it to someone else, let alone this little dwarf?"


    The old man sharply turned his face toward Hobson. "What exactly do you know about this place? What''s the fun of staying here and dealing with the corpses all day long? I broke into the bronze palace when I had entered the Holy Realm. My curiosity drove me to be the lord. Over a hundred thousand years have passed, but I haven''t got an


    . The first leader of the bronze palace had set the rules, and the old man was helpless.


    "Please, don''t let them go!" Hobson anxiously stared at the old man for a long time. He licked his lips and clenched his jaw. He couldn''t give up now! "If you can''t kill them, just ask Orval to help you kill them!"


    "Orval follows my orders, and that''s true. He can punish any outsider, but I will also be punished if he kills anyone." Hobson''s face turned pale when he heard the old man''s stern and bitter words.


    "Ha-ha-ha."


    The four people on the other side were relieved that the old man wouldn''t kill them. Thinking like this, they decided to act boldly and started mocking Hobson.


    "You brat! You dared to urge the lord to kill us. We will surely make you pay for what you have done to us. Just you wait!" The master of the Crimson Sea Sect gave a loud roar with a murderous look on his face.


    "Well, I..." Hobson didn''t want to face those four people again. His restless eyes continued to go everywhere except the four of them. This was when he heard the laughter again. Hobson winced and retreated back to stand beside Darren.

 Chapter 675 Happened To Get Into The Holy Realm (Part Two)

    The old man clenched his fist tightly. "Just get the hell out of here now! I can''t kill you, but that doesn''t mean that I can''t hurt you." The short old man''s cold eyes were enough to send a shiver down their spines.


    "Yes, yes. We are leaving now, sir."


    The four people nodded and flew away in different directions. They hoped to obtain the opportunity to get into the Holy Realm. If the dwarf got into the Holy Realm, they would definitely die.


    "Sir." Darren''s fist tightened when he saw the back of those four people. "You might have noticed that they were not good people at all. Why did you let them go? Wouldn''t it be better to lock them up?"


    The old man was silent for a while. He was a lord and had his own secrets. If he were to tell a wrong man about it, everything would be ruined. "That''s the rule. You don''t have to know." The calm voice of the short old man echoed in the space. After a moment of silence, he looked at the dwarf Jordan. Then he continued, "It seems that this dwarf won''t get into the Holy Realm any time soon. Come on, let me show you around."


    The old man turned around, and Darren frowned. They didn''t want to stay in that godforsaken place for a long time. "There''s no need to show us around, sir. Could you please just send us out?" Hobson voiced Darren''s concern, and the old man stopped in his tracks.


    "That''s impossible. I don''t have the power to let any living being out." A small smile found its way on the old man''s face.


    "What?"


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat when he heard this. He opened his mouth and closed for a moment without uttering a single word. Why couldn''t they get out? "So, you mean we can''t get out of here fo


    when it comes to fighting, I''m even weaker than an inferior martial arts holy warrior." The old man''s face displayed a half smile.


    "How come?" Darren was surprised to hear that the old man wasn''t that powerful while fighting martial arts holy warriors. He couldn''t digest the words that he had heard. "I know that when a rule cultivator gets into the Holy Realm, generally speaking, his fighting ability becomes stronger than that of a martial artist in the same realm. As a junior holy rule cultivator, you can''t defeat an inferior martial arts holy warrior?"


    Darren found it hard to believe, especially when the short old man had mastered a powerful Space True Rule.


    "Everything has an exception, ha-ha." The old man forced a smile. He continued to fiddle with the hem of his robes, and then he said, "I''m not afraid to tell you two the truth. I was a farmer before. As for entering the Holy Realm, it was an accident."


    Darren and Hobson were stunned. They slipped a curious glance at the old man standing in front of them. He seemed to surprise them every once in a while. "Can you explain it to us, sir?"

 Chapter 676 Weapon Command Skills

    To reach the Holy Realm was the unfulfilled lifelong dream of many of the wisest and strongest of warriors.


    Yet this runty old man claimed that he had only become a holy warrior by accident. In fact, he said that he used to be a farmer. Such an unlikely claim piqued Darren''s interest.


    "I was nothing special," the old man began when asked to explain. "One day I was just minding my own business, plowing my field, when I dug up a red fruit. I was hungry and thirsty at the time, so I just ate it without thinking twice.


    As soon as I''d done so, however, I started feeling very strange¡ªlike the earth was collapsing in on itself, or time was unraveling. Ah, but there''s no real way to describe the experience. All I know is that it scared the hell out of me at the time. So much so that I hid myself at home for a month. Ha!


    In time, however, I came to understand what had happened.


    When I ate that fruit, I directly acquired a superior Life True Rule, and my cultivation base reached the Holy Realm as well."


    Hobson''s eyes shone with fascination as he listened to this. "Wow, that''s lucky. Such a boon to your abilities, and all you had to do was eat a fruit."


    "Indeed, I am fortunate," said the old man, smiling. "After investigating the matter later on, I became convinced that the fruit had in fact fallen from the outer space. It would be accurate to call it a divine fruit."


    "Tell me, sir, where are you from? Does that land still exist?" Hobson couldn''t keep the excitement from his voice.


    Hearing this, Darren rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Hobson. You are a seven-star grand warrior, not a little boy. Don''t start getting your hopes up over this."


    "Why not?" asked his companion. "What if there are more divine fruits out there, waiting to be found?"


    The old man shook his head as the two young men bantered. "Stop daydreaming, young man," he said with a chuckle.


    Before it could go on, Darren smoothly changed the subject. "But sir, by the way, if you''re a junior holy warrior, why is your fighting power weak? You haven''t explained that yet."


    "It''s very simple. I don''t have any attacking skills¡ªnever bothered to learn them. I don''t care much for fighting and killing. So on the rare occasion that I might need to, I have only my physical strength to rely on.


    On the other hand, I''m very good at keeping myself alive. If even a senior holy warrior wanted to kill me, he couldn''t do it without his full strength. Can you guess why?" Saying this, the old man raised his eyebrows. He was quite proud of his power.


    "Of course," replied Darren. "You have the Life True Rule, so your ability to recover from injury must be incredibly strong. Besides that, you have a Space True Rule, which cannot attack others. So you must be an expert at survival and escape."


    The old man nodded. "Quite so. My Life True Rule can almost make me immortal. As long as there is any flesh and blood left of me, even a trace, I can recover on my own from grievous harm. What''s more, once I escape into space, even a senior holy warrior will not be able to catch me."


    After explainin


    ntrating, he gathered his Spirit Power, once again feeling the vitality that surrounded him. As he did so, a warm green light gathered about his wound.


    In mere seconds, his arm was healed and good as new.


    Watching closely, the old man nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad. You''re quickly mastering the elementary skills. But you''ll need to work hard and put in a lot more practice in the future. In time, you''ll be able to turn what you''ve learned into a true rule. Then you will go on to achieve great things indeed."


    "Thank you very much, sir!" Saying this, Darren cupped his hands and offered a solemn bow.


    "You''re welcome," answered his teacher. "The Space True Rule is much more complicated than this, however. Since I can''t guide you to learn it, I won''t attempt to transfer it to you."


    Darren nodded. "Yes, that''s fine."


    The old man went on, "There''s one other thing you should know. If you truly master the Life True Rule and reach its maximum potential, supposedly it will render you unable to die. Even then, however, a strong master could still chase you down and beat you, and give you a very unpleasant time. As such, you would be wise to learn the Weapon Command Skill. Such a thing will make a rule cultivator more powerful, for certain."


    Darren was confused, as he had never heard of this before. "What is this skill of which you speak?"


    "Simply put," his teacher explained, "it allows you to use the divine weapons as if they were your own. More exactly, you can channel the powers of the heavens through your weapons. For rule cultivators, this method is the single most powerful means of attacking. As for arrays and illusions, they are insignificant by comparison, and should only be used for auxiliary purposes."


    Darren listened to all this very thoughtfully. It reminded him of the mighty immortals he had seen on the wall before.


    He realized then that they had been attacking with the power of thunder, channeling it through their seemingly ordinary weapons. In a reverent tone, he said, "Sir, can you teach this art to me?"

 Chapter 677 Future Plans

    The old man thought for a minute then said, "It''s not that simple. Unless you''re a strong rule cultivator, there''s no way for you to simply master the Weapon Command Skill. That''s because for one to completely master a weapon, they need to be one with it. After that, they can channel the power from heaven and earth through the weapons and absorb it into their body. This is said to be the ultimate way to strengthen the combat effectiveness as a rule cultivator."


    After a moment''s silence, Darren asked, "Sir, what''s the difference between the Weapon Command Skill of the rule cultivators and the skills used by martial artists?"


    "You''ve reached such a high level of Spirit Power, but you weren''t taught by a master of the rule cultivation? Rule cultivators should turn the forces of heaven and earth into forces of attack. Martial artists improve their bodies, their strength, and their souls through their own exercise. That way they can enhance the effectiveness of their combat skills.


    To put it simply, rule cultivation means borrowing power, while martial arts cultivation means controlling power. In other words, the power of a martial artist''s weapon comes from his own body. However, the power of a rule cultivator''s weapon is the inherent power of both heaven and earth. For example, someone can transform the Thunder Force, the Wind Force and the Fire Force into attacking skills. This is the Weapon Command Skill,"


    the old man tried to explain briefly.


    Darren thought for a while. Then he asked, "But I have a feeling that the power of a martial artist should be stronger than a rule cultivator''s, when they reach a particular level. Because the forces of heaven and earth, which a rule cultivator uses, should have a limit. For example, a rule cultivator in the senior Holy Realm can use the Wind Force, but the wind is sometimes strong and sometimes weak. He can''t control it."


    "Ha-ha!" The old man couldn''t help but laugh. "You are still too ignorant. Every power in the world is extremely terrifying when it reaches its limit. Take the Wind Force you just mentioned. It comes from the Wind Rule, right? If a rule cultivator is powerful enough, he can use all of the Wind Rules in the world.


    Let me give you an example of something that was passed down from ancient times. A senior holy rule cultivator of commanding wind owned a special fan. This fan was said to be able to activate storms within thirty thousand kilometers. That kind of storm could kill one hundred senior holy warriors of martial arts cultivation!"


    "W


    n a hand to hand combat. Otherwise, you''ll be easily hurt by the rules, you might even die."


    "Oh! I get it," Darren said. "Then, I think I''ve made my decision, I want to use my blade and sword as a martial artist. When I acquire other divine weapons, I can also use them to develop my rule cultivation."


    "Well, it''s up to you. Now you should try to understand the Life Rule more. It will benefit you a lot when you fight with others in the future," the old man told him.


    "Okay." Darren sat on the ground and entered the silvery eyes state, working on comprehending the Life Rule.


    Soon enough, two months passed and Darren woke up from his meditation. There were some faint green lights faintly reflected on him. A moment later, he stood up, feeling that his body was full of infinite vitality.


    "Ha-ha, you really a prodigy. You''ve learned twenty percent of the Life Rule. If you master all of them, you can master the Life True Rule." The old man appeared beside Darren.


    "Thank you so much for leading the way!" Darren answered, bowing to the old man with his hands clasped. Then he added, "By the way, sir, I think I should go out now. Do you have any idea how?"


    The old man nodded slightly and said, "There''s only one road out, but it won''t be easy. Do you know there''re holy tombs outside? The dead holy warriors had attempted to break out but failed. After they died, I attached a wisp of Life True Rule to their bodies, and I asked some of my resurrected creatures to bury them there in the graves. Then they could rest in peace."


    Hearing this, Darren''s expression hardened. The holy warriors died when they''d attempted to leave. What sort of terrifying answer would he get?

 Chapter 678 The Road To Get Out (Part One)

    "Are you sure you want to go out now? If you choose just to stay here, after you become a holy warrior, you might still have a chance to go out," the old man implored anticipating for Darren''s decision.


    "Sir, could you please let me know what kind of road it is before I make a decision? Why is it so hard to get out of here?" Darren asked and requested a favor from the old man.


    "Okay, come with me,"


    the old man said and led Darren to walk out of the world of corpses.


    After walking for a while, they came to another door. Darren noticed that the old man, by this time, looked grave. It could be seen that the old man was hesitant, especially when he raised his hand and wanted to open the door, but then took it back momentarily.


    "Father, don''t open the door."


    Appearing from behind them, Orval followed them all this time and rubbed the old man''s hand.


    "It''s okay. Take a step back and stay away from this door." With a reassuring glance, the old man touched Orval''s head. The latter then, understanding what his godfather meant by such a gesture, nodded, and ran away in a panic.


    With a squeak from the door being pushed by the old man''s trembling hands, Darren froze in silence and anticipated on what lay behind that door.


    Soon enough, as the old man pushed a little harder, the vintage door was opened.


    Exceedingly curious and sweating in excitement, Darren, together with the old man, entered in a flash¡ªat breakneck speed even.


    Clatter! Clank!


    As the door closed behind them, it was utterly dark that Darren could not see anything. The sound of waves spread to his ears and made him vigilant at once.


    "Sir, I cannot see anything, and my spiritual sense cannot detect anything either," Darren verbalized to the old man.


    "Keep quiet and just wait," the old man said in a severe tone. A slight hush was evident in his voice as if he was waiting fo


    s of thousands of years, the holy emperor''s power was still existing. It was impossible to enter his heart!


    "Until now, there have been many reliable people who have come to the Mythological Palace. Only a few of them are willing to become the Lord of the Mythological Palace, and most of them want to take this path to go outside. Therefore, it is safe to say that hundreds of holy warriors have died here. What you can see outside are the holy tombs, where bodies of strong holy warriors are kept, while the remaining emperor''s power directly crushed the rest," the old man continued to state, stressing out that it would be a hard road for Darren to take.


    "Now, do you still want to go out?" The serious-faced old man smiled at Darren. He knew that Darren must be scared, and it was normal for him to retreat.


    "Have none of them really been out yet?" Challenged by the fact, Darren did not answer the old man''s question directly, but asked in a small voice, feeling frustrated.


    "Yes, as far as I can remember, there was one person. Shortly after I became the lord, there was someone who broke into the palace and managed to get out of here."


    "Who was he? He must be so powerful to do that. Was he at least a junior holy warrior, just like you?"

 Chapter 679 The Road To Get Out (Part Two)

    "Ha-ha." The old man chuckled and said, "No, he was just at the top level of a seven-star grand warrior."


    "What? Is that true?" asked Darren in surprise. Though he was a bit in doubt, his eyes eventually lit up. He was glad to hear that such a warrior at the top level of a seven-star grand warrior was able to live up to the challenge.


    "That simply means I still have a chance and not just a slim chance but a fat one. Yet, I couldn''t understand what''s going on? Why the holy warriors could not get out of here, but a seven-star grand warrior did manage to escape. Can you make it clear for me, sir?" probed Darren, that was, even though he saw a glimmer of hope. After learning from the old man that someone was able to get out from the holy emperor''s heart, Darren believed that he could also do the same. He relied on his belief that if another person could, why couldn''t he.


    "He was such a powerful person. You are way much weaker than him, Darren," discouraged the old man.


    "Why am I much weaker than him? What made you say so, sir?" Darren sought an answer hurriedly as he was a bit intimidated by the old man''s words.


    "First of all, that dude had a bulky body built from the Remote Age; thus, his body was terribly strong. Secondly, he had grasped seven extreme martial arts skills. If he had used all of his strength, he could have killed an inferior holy warrior at his top level or have run away after attacking face to face with a junior holy warrior for three times. Now tell me, do you think he is strong or not? What do you think?"


    After hearing such an explanation, Darren kept his silence. In his mind, he just played on the thought of how terrifying that man would be.


    After all, he couldn''t even defeat a cultivator who had mastered ninety percent of the Fringe Holy Will. How much more facing an inferior holy warrior without a s


    t be very dominating, isn''t he? I did not expect there is a person with this realm who has been practicing Conflicting Cultivation exists. I guess this one is probably a little stronger than the other one who has been practicing the Killing Cultivation," the old man put his admiration into words.


    "You are also cultivating the blade and sword skills. You should know how powerful it is by now. All in all, what you said is right. These two people indeed can compete with that guy who got out of this palace. It seems to me that you have a lot of experience too. You even know such powerful people. Ha-ha!" the old man praised Darren.


    "I knew them by chance, but they have helped me a lot," Darren replied modestly.


    When they were talking, the old man frowned suddenly. He was a little stunned as if he was investigating something.


    "Come on, let''s go out of this place first. As for the things you want to do, you plan for it and come back a few days later." After saying that, the old man took Darren away.


    At such a hasty and forceful pull made by the man that almost dragged Darren to the ground, the warrior was confused and had no idea what had just happened. Before they left, he saw the old man''s eyes gleam with worry.

 Chapter 680 Attempt To Kill The Leader Of The Bronze Palace

    Darren walked out to the black palace, following the old man from behind.


    "Halt!" the old man stared in front and shouted, abruptly stopping his tracks.


    Orval was tied up by several rune chains, his body covered in purple colored bruises.


    "What? Who the hell are you? How dare you mind my business?"


    a short human in front of them barked. He was none other than the dwarf, Jordan.


    "Silence! This man is the person who is in charge of the Mythological Palace," Darren roared loudly, offended at how this bastard wouldn''t even show the slightest bit of respect.


    Jordan threw a cold glare at Darren as the corners of his lips twitched to stop a smirk. "How did you get in here? Well, never mind that. After I kill all of you, I will give you my congratulations. Ha ha."


    Jordan didn''t give a damn about Darren''s announcement. He had reached the Holy Realm now and arrogance was already embedded in his blood. There was no need to care about who was in charge of the palace.


    "How dare you!" The old man''s figure disappeared and then suddenly appeared above the dwarf.


    Bang!


    The runes on the old man''s palm exploded as the space in front of him began to collapse. The black space cracks caused a small wave reverberate around his target''s throat.


    "Ah, you! You have reached the junior level of the Holy Realm!"


    The dwarf stood in shock when he sensed the strong power coming from the old man.


    Once the old man ensured that the dwarf was restrained by the space cracks he had created, he walked up to Orval''s side and merely waved his hand. In a second, all of his injuries recovered.


    "I have to kill him right now!"


    Orval''s eyes turned red and he rushed towards the dwarf.


    The fact was, Orval was much stronger compared to the other four sect leaders, but far weaker than a real holy warrior.


    Orval kept swinging his sharp claws which had left horrible scars on Jordan''s face. Despite so, it was almost impossible for him to kill a holy warrior.


    "Stop! You absolute garbage, I''ll kill you even if it costs my life!" Jordan was enraged. He did not have the guts to fight against the creature who was much stronger than himself. But he was the kind of person who wouldn''t bear suffering losses and if he really got angry, he would dare to fight!


    Boom!


    The black earth began to shake and rumble violently.


    Bang!


    The space cracks that restrained the dwarf were completely shattered by a spear.


    Three people gracefully landed in front of the dwarf one by one.


    "You?"


    The dwarf was shocked when he realized who those people were. He could feel that they all had managed to step into the Holy Realm!


    "You also manage to break through to the Holy Realm?"


    "Of c


    of thousands of years couldn''t be brought back to life. Anyone would be sad.


    To be fair, there were no real living beings in this palace. Without Orval, perhaps as the old man himself said, he would have gone mad too due to loneliness.


    Darren felt his chest ache.


    "Damn it! I will kill those bastards to avenge Orval!" Darren vowed.


    "Ah!" The old man''s sadness immediately changed to fury. One rune on his body exploded, and the entire hall shook.


    A moment later, the shaking stopped and he raised his head, determination glinting in his eyes.


    He bore a look of anger and utter humiliation. "Why should I be so merciful? Why don''t I cultivate the method of killing! As a junior holy warrior, I could only stand by and watch as my child was murdered by those new holy warriors. Why am I so stupid?"


    the old man roared with remorse. He regretted that he did not have any means of attacking. As a junior holy warrior, he could not even suppress the supposedly inferior holy warriors.


    "Darren, you must help me kill them. Even if I break the rule of the first lord of the palace, I still want you to kill them. Promise me!" The old man was silent for a while, and then looked at Darren hopefully.


    "No, sir." Darren shook his head.


    "You! You don''t want to help me? Why? Why?" The old man felt like he was about to go crazy.


    "Sir, you misunderstood me. It''s not that I don''t want to help you, it''s just that I was already planning to kill them!" Darren said coldly.


    "Good, that''s good. You can concentrate on your cultivation. Once you reach the combat power that is equivalent to eighty percent of the Fringe Holy Will, with my help, you can kill them however you want!"


    Darren looked at the old man. At that moment, he realized how horrible were the eyes looking back at him were.

 Chapter 681 Plan For Revenge

    The old man could effortlessly stay alive while fighting all four of them, not even getting a scratch, however he could also not kill any of them. It would be an indecisive battle; no side would win over the other. He was not seeing any end to it, as he had no attacking power himself, so he had to ask Darren for help.


    Darren''s strength wasn''t strong enough. He didn''t stand a chance against the holy warriors, and he knew better than to grace the front line of a war that he had no way of conquering.


    But fortunately, the old man had mastered the Life True Rule and Space True Rule. He could use them to heal Darren''s body and help him avoid the attacks respectively. Once Darren was able to improve his cultivation base again, he would have a chance to kill the four holy warriors.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a domineering spear shadow was shot toward Darren; the sharp screeching sound racing past his ears like knives being grated against steel.


    "What?" Darren exclaimed, taken aback. He immediately shot a dark gold internal force toward the spear.


    When the two collided, Darren''s own dark gold internal force was blown away, as Darren''s mind had been when he realized what this meant.


    The person who controlled the spear must be very powerful.


    But Darren wasn''t one to give up. He gave a loud roar, and when he was about to transform into a dragon, he saw a handsome figure standing before him with a smile.


    "Ha-ha, Sir and Darren. You didn''t expect me to be here, did you?"


    The man grinned as he walked toward Darren and the old man. It was Hobson.


    He was shrouded by the overbearing Fringe Holy Will, and he exuded a completely different aura. He was not the same person he once was. The change was evident; really hard to miss especially at that level.


    "How did you comprehend such a powerful Fringe Holy Will?" Darren asked, surprised. Hobson''s current strength was no weaker than that of Harrison and the other sect leaders before they reached the Holy Realm.


    It also meant that Hobson managed to comprehend at least ninety percent of the Fringe Holy Will.


    "It is all because of Sir and Orval," Hobson replied happily, the smile still dancing lightly on his lips.


    Then he told them the reason behind it all.


    The scroll the old man gave him was actually a spear skill that was passed down by a senior holy warrior, which contained his dominating spear intent.


    Of course, that didn''t mean it was all smooth sailing from the get go. It was impossible for him to improve so fast by only obtaining such a piece of spear skill and spear intent.


    His growth should be attributed to Orval. When Hobson left the stone hall, he was worried about finding a good place to practice, and at that time, he met Orval who took him to a very mysterious place. That place was a space and time vortex where time was accelerated for a thousand times, yet the outside world remained virtually unaffected.


    That was why he could master the profound Fringe Holy Will in a short time.


    "Where is Orval? He helps me a lot. Now I''m not afraid of those bastards anymore," Hobson declared, his chest jutting out proudly.


    Darren gave Ho


    ed you dwarf. What are you going to do then?" Hearing the exchange of threats, the leader of the Dragon Chasing Sect, Arlo, balled his hands into fists, ready to fight with his legendary spear.


    "Don''t do this, Arlo! At our current state, we can''t afford to fight among ourselves. We don''t know, maybe the short old man is hiding somewhere, quietly preparing unimaginable methods to kill us. We must find and stop him as soon as possible. Otherwise, our lives will be gone before we know it. Keep in mind that he isn''t just any old man; he is the lord of the Mythological Palace and a junior holy warrior. You''d better keep an eye out and be on your toes, always," Dexter, the leader of the Golden Sacred Sect, said, trying to reason with Arlo.


    The truth in his words couldn''t be denied. If the lord of the Mythological Palace were to hide and concentrate on cultivating the Attack True Rule, the four of them would only be cornered into a dead end after decades of hard work! It would all go to waste.


    "Humph, I won''t argue with you for the time being," Arlo relented with a deep frown.


    Jordan''s face darkened, but he didn''t say anything and continued to investigate carefully.


    About a day later, Jordan had used up almost all of his Spirit Power. He finally found a very unusual place on the remote side of the palace.


    "There is a very complicated space passage here. They must be hiding inside," Jordan stated, sounding quite confident with his discovery.


    "But how to open it?"


    "Very simple. Once I recover my Spirit Power, you three can use all of your power to attack that point. Then I will use my rule power to destroy the space, rebuilding and merging it. This way, the space passage will be destroyed," Jordan explained without an ounce of hesitance.


    Three days later


    The stone palace began to shake violently, and a black vortex appeared on the stone wall, only to disappear just as quickly, as if something was about to break through the wall.


    "Damn it! They are coming!" Hobson''s face darkened as he faced the wall, waiting for the attack that was sure to come.

 Chapter 682 Sneak Attack

    Just as Hobson was worrying about the situation, a spear shot towards him from the side of the wall.


    The spear shone brightly. When it flew over, tiny cracks appeared in the air as if its mere presence caused disturbance in the space. The sheer power of it made him tremble.


    "Young man, show your spear, too!"


    The old man''s voice came from behind Hobson.


    Hobson didn''t need to be told twice. He pulled out his spear and rushed toward the enemy like a flash of lightning.


    The tip of the spears collided with each other, creating terrifying ripples that could be felt well within bodies of flesh and bones. It had such a strong force that the stone palace shook and a tornado of dust rose to the sky.


    Hobson was face to face with the spear, trying to prevent sustaining fatal damages. Without a word, though, he felt a gust of Holy Will piercing into his body; the impact was so powerful that his innards got torn apart, every tissue ripped to shreds. Dark red liquid started oozing from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Blood. He was dying at a rapid rate.


    At that moment, he felt another gust, but it was unlike the first. It was a magnificent breath of life, pouring into him from behind like waves from the ocean waters.


    Then the air around him came to life; the wind circling beneath him and propelling him a few feet away from where he previously stood with incredible speed, at a safe distance from the enemy''s range of spear.


    Hobson knew that it must be the old man''s work. Only he had the ability to do so. He looked down on his body and noticed that his injuries had already recovered, and there was no pain at all. It was as if the attack never happened.


    "Kill!"


    Hobson roared, circling in mid-air, his spear slashing sideways.


    A brilliant light exploded, blinding their eyes for a fraction of a second. Both spears bent under pressure, and the Holy Will attached to them dispersed.


    Hobson was overjoyed at what he saw. He had managed to use ninety percent of the Fringe Holy Will to smash up the real Holy Will!


    "With your help, my speed is invincible, sir! Moreover, when I fought with the real Holy Will, the force of the impact didn''t come as fast as you used the Life True Rule to heal me. So, the chances of me being killed by them are minuscule. As long as I keep attacking, my chance of killing them increases."


    Hobson''s confidence soared. With the help of the old man, he didn''t need to worry about the attack from the enemy at all. He was invincible. All he needed to do was fight back with all his might.


    The bent spear bounced back and fell onto a hand. The spear started emitting the same bright light, and then it was repaired by the Holy Will.


    "How dare you fight a


    icing, a huge amount of life vitality was quickly healing his body, and he approached the four men in perfect condition.


    "It''s time!" When he was only three feet away from the dwarf, Hobson turned and swung his spear at him with the Fringe Holy Will.


    Shocked, Jordan turned, only to realize he had been stabbed in the head. He didn''t expect this turn of events, especially since he expected Hobson to drop dead after being hit by the old man''s palm.


    A horrible ripping sound echoed in the air.


    "Ah!"


    Jordan screamed in agony as he placed his hand on his head, blood dripping through his fingers. Holy Will runes exploded, forming a huge sword and piercing Hobson through the chest.


    Hobson was penetrated by the sword, but he didn''t care. He withdrew his spear and, in one swift motion, stabbed it toward Harrison''s chest.


    It all happened in an instant, even faster than the blink of an eye.


    Moreover, Harrison was distracted, as his attention was completely on the battle between Arlo and Dexter. He never thought that someone would attack him while he was watching his allies fight. So, by the time he came to his senses, he had already sustained a fatal injury to the heart.


    Bang!


    Harrison realized what happened and slammed his hand onto Hobson''s body. The impact torn Hobson apart into a dozen pieces, showering them with flesh and blood.


    However, a green rune immediately surrounded Hobson''s body, and in a flash, his body came out unscathed.


    "Damn it! Kill that man!"


    Since Jordan was a rule cultivator in the Holy Realm, he wouldn''t die even if his head was stabbed, but his combat strength had significantly declined.


    He could hardly contain his fury. He and Harrison rushed forward and pounced on Hobson and the old man, their murderous intent evident in their sharp eyes.

 Chapter 683 The Punishment

    As both of them were injured, the strength of their Holy Will slowly declined.


    But even so, the force was still significant and was at least stronger than what Orval could have done while he was alive.


    Jordan''s head was bleeding, but he didn''t care much. He frantically released countless runes and transformed them into various weapons, desperately wanting to kill Hobson.


    Harrison was furious too. Despite his oozing blood and torn heart, he charged towards Hobson with all his might.


    Various kinds of Holy Will attacks fell upon Hobson, all fatal and potentially disastrous. Within a few seconds, Hobson''s body had suffered hundreds of injuries. However, they were all completely treated by the old man.


    But since he had to use his Life True Rule to cure Hobson frequently, the old man himself had now consumed too much of his Spirit Power and was slowly growing weary.


    With his body breaking and healing over and over again, Hobson found it difficult to bear the pain any longer.


    "Kill them!" the Crimson Sea Sect leader, Harrison, thundered as he waved his hands.


    Instantly, two streams of blood gushed out of his palms. One was aimed at the old man, the other charged its way towards Hobson.


    As for Jordan, he had already approached the old man and launched a large amount of runes at him.


    They caught the signs of weariness on the old man''s face. This made them believe that as long as they struck him and distracted his attention from Hobson, killing Hobson would become much easier for them.


    As the old man was constantly moving through the space, Jordan and Harrison couldn''t inflict much harm on him. But even so, constantly healing Hobson had worn the old man out. Hobson could feel the recovering process get slower and more painful.


    ''If it goes on like this, I will die without a doubt, '' he thought ruefully. He sensed that the old man''s ability to master the space and repair his body was waning noticeably.


    "Sir, please aid me with your Space True Rule!" Hobson called out to the old man, then released his overbearing Fringe Holy Will and raced towards Harrison.


    Given the circumstances, the old man had no choice but to try his best to control the Space True Rule so that Hobson would be able to dodge Harrison''s attack and then charge him.


    A howl ripped through the air. Harrison thundered as he noticed Hobson coming his way, a furious light shining in his eyes. In this critical moment of life and death, he released all his power.


    But by then, Hobson''s spear had already been unleashed in Harrison''s direction.


    After a harsh clang, Hobson''s spear was smashed to pieces.


    Harrison''s energized Holy Will had broken through Hobson''s spear and blasted upon his body.


    "Jordan, aim at the old man!" Harrison shouted to Jordan.


    Grabbing this opportune moment, Jordan revealed all his runes and assailed the old man.


    As Hobson''s body exploded in the blast, the old man had no time nor spare energy left to deal with Jordan''s attack. Hastily, he fumbled to heal Hobson without heeding the approaching danger. Jordan''s blow fell upon the old man and the force of it flung him against the stone wall. It was a very damaging blow that a big chasm appeared in the wall.


    For the first time since this whole ordeal had started, the old man had failed to escape the blow. It was plain that the reason for this failure was that Hobson was too weak and frail that th


    t!" Harrison cursed, looking furiously at Arlo''s receding figure. ''Even Arlo has fled away, then what is keeping me here?'' Making up his mind, Harrison quickly followed wherever Arlo was headed. Dexter also followed them.


    Darren and Hobson were about to chase after them when the old man stopped them.


    They turned to him and found drops of sweat coursing down his face.


    "Stop chasing them! I am so very exhausted. Let''s get some rest until my Spirit Power is replenished," the old man suggested, panting heavily. Needless to say, as he had been using two kinds of true rules from the start of the battle, he had now consumed too much of his energy. His Spirit Power also seemed to have now become fragile and unclear.


    "Are you all right, sir?" Darren squatted down and helped the old man up by the arm.


    "I have activated my Life True Rule for more than a thousand times today. It''s hard for me to hold on anymore. I need to recuperate," the old man explained.


    It was widely known that one needed to consume a significant amount of Spirit Power to resurrect a life, not to mention reviving a life so many times in such a short period of time.


    "I understand. We''ll go after them after you''ve completely recovered," Darren answered and nodded his head.


    Apart from his concern over the old man''s health, Darren knew that his enemy had no power to escape the Mythological Palace. With that in mind, catching up to them would be just a matter of time.


    Suddenly, the old man''s eyes were full of fear.


    "Oh, No. It''s coming," the old man murmured.


    "What''s wrong, sir? Are they coming back?" Darren inquired, looking puzzled. Hobson looked up at the space passage warily, but he didn''t see anything out of place.


    "No, it''s not them. It''s the punishment." The old man''s face went as pale as death as he wailed.


    Before they could understand what was going on, a stone door appeared in the air above the old man.


    With a creaking sound, the door slowly opened. Nothing could be seen except for the complete darkness that came from within.


    Gradually, a streak of faint red lightning lit up and streamed towards them. The space seemed to have no restriction over the red lightning. It grew both brighter and stronger, until it fell on the old man''s body.

 Chapter 684 Let Them Fight One Another

    The terrifying lightning violently struck the short old man.


    He then subsequently forced out his Life True Rule to repair his damaged body. However, the speed of the repairing process was no match against the speed at which his body was being destroyed.


    Both Darren and Hobson stood frozen in astonishment¡ªthey did not even dare think of coming close to the thing. They highly suspected that once the blood red lightning touched them, they would be doomed to die a horrific death in an instant.


    The old man''s face was contorted in misery.


    "Why are you punishing me? Why!" the old man dolefully cried out. "I have been managing the Mythological Palace for a hundred thousand years. Is this what I get for my service? My child was killed! Why can''t I take revenge? Ignorant fool! You made the most foolish rules in history!"


    The old man continued to roar at the dark emptiness behind the stone gate, letting out his rage and indignation at the cruel and unfair predicament that he was facing.


    As the lord of the palace, he had treated everyone with a degree of courtesy that did not fall short on being fair. But that being said, there were still others in the world who were ungrateful to his deference, vicious people. The old man found the fact that the first lord of the palace decided to make a rule in which all the succeeding lords could not kill anyone to be extremely unreasonable.


    Another flash of blood red lightning appeared from the darkness, directly suppressing the old man''s spiritual soul. The old man''s entire body convulsed that even his Life True Rule was rendered useless.


    "Sir!"


    Darren''s heart ached for the old man. Even as a junior holy warrior, the old man had treated them as any kind elderly would. He should not be punished like this.


    Be that as it may, Darren would be powerless faced against the frightening blood red lightning. He could not save the old man even if he wanted to.


    A few moments later, a bloody character that read "sinner" in ancient writing came into sight and slammed into the old man''s body, bringing him down to the ground. He then started to disappear, presumably to be brought to a different space.


    "I will be sentenced to eight thousand years of imprisonment for the two crimes I have committed. You must be careful, young men."


    The trembling voice of the old man echoed before he completely vanished.


    Only Darren and Hobson were left in the stone hall.


    "What the hell are the dumb rules? Damn it!" Hobson''s face was scrunched up into a spiteful scowl. He swung his spear violently against the wall to vent out his anger.


    "The first lord has been dead ages ago. He had left those rules for this palace. We can''t really blame the rules because rules don''t have a mind of their own. They just operate according to the way the first lord had set them. Our anger is completely useless in this situation," Darren said as he calmed down.


    "He is being suppressed


    s grew desperate and decided to get out at the risk of their lives.


    At a certain point in those lords'' life, they felt that isolation and loneliness was a fate worse than being punished to death. At the end of it all, they were still only humans who craved company as any human being did when isolated for so long. They could not do anything about it.


    "As long as a new lord shows up, the former lord will be freed. The so-called sin will be lifted," Darren remarked.


    As long as someone else took charge of the palace, the old man would stop being suppressed and he could finally get out.


    "So what you''re saying is either one of us needs to take part in the assessment? Which of us should it be?" Hobson directed his gaze downwards and shook his head. The most basic requirement of becoming the lord of the palace was to get into the Holy Realm. He knew that it would be impossible for him and Darren to reach the Holy Realm in just a short period of time.


    "Humph. We can''t take part in the examination, but we can let the three bastards outside to do it." A sly smile appeared on Darren''s face.


    "What do you mean?" Hobson asked, confused.


    "Those three outside are extremely greedy. They''re not aware of the disadvantages of becoming the lord of the Mythological Palace. If we get the information out to them, they will surely fight for the chance of becoming the lord," Darren calmly explained.


    "Yes, you''re right! That''s a clever idea!" Hobson jumped with joy. "I''ll go talk to them right now."


    "Wait." Darren sternly looked at Hobson and said, "Are you out of your mind? The master of the Golden Sacred Sect is very cunning. If you go straight to him and tell him about it, he must be suspicious. He might even kill you on the spot."


    "Then what should we do?"


    "I have a plan. Maybe I can even let them fight one another."


    Darren confidently smirked. He already had the perfect and well thought out plan pictured inside his mind.

 Chapter 685 A Dog-eat-dog Fight (Part One)

    "Darren, please tell me what we''re going to do next," Hobson asked eagerly.


    Darren looked up and thought for a while. His lips quirked up when an idea formed in his head. He turned and whispered a few words in Hobson''s ear. The latter smiled with understanding, and the two walked towards the space passage.


    When they arrived at the black hall, Darren and Hobson stayed at a spot that was not far away from the space passage. Both of them stood in front of each other at a distance. Darren nodded at Hobson and put his hands above in a fighting stance. Hobson licked his lips and looked at Darren. Not long after, they seemed to be engaged in a fierce battle.


    The unparalleled force exploded around them, causing a loud noise.


    Hobson dodged an attack. "Darren, will they come?" He didn''t want to put up an act of fighting Darren for nothing. If they failed to fall into this trap, wouldn''t it all be a waste of time and energy?


    Darren''s face remained calm and relaxed as he threw one attack after another. "What do you think? If they see us fighting near the space passage, they will have to come to kill us." Hobson looked at Darren in awe. Darren''s confidence seemed to be his source of inspiration to put up a bigger act and throw a powerful attack at Darren.


    "Okay, let''s keep fighting."


    Darren and Hobson continued the fight. Half a minute later, someone came over.


    The three approached Darren and Hobson silently, preparing to kill them in one move. They didn''t know that both Darren and Hobson went stiff for a moment after sensing the presence of three people. That was, however, momentary, and they continued to fight.


    "You two have the guts to come out? Now you''re asking for death." Harrison sneered as his eyes darted at Darren and Hobson, and his face grew dark. His killing intent soared.


    "Humph! I will kill these two assholes with one move using my spear." Arlo also wanted to kill them immediately.


    "Wait!" Dexter furrowed his eyebrows a


    n of the space passage, preparing to escape.


    Dexter gripped the scroll tightly and narrowed his eyes at Darren and Hobson. Just what was in the scroll for which both Darren and Hobson seemed anxious?


    He raised his head high with an arrogant look and said, "Humph, you want to kill me? Go to hell first!"


    Darren''s eyes widened when he saw Dexter''s fighting stance. He threw a frightened glance at the space passage. "Sir, please save me! The bastards outside are coming to kill us!"


    Dexter frowned and started taking few steps back.


    The three people were afraid of the fighting power Darren and Hobson had with the help of the old man.


    They would have to hide and improve their strength. When they would be strong enough, they planned to enter the space passage to attack again.


    Dexter took Darren and Hobson for granted. He thought even if the two of them were given two or three years, their strength wouldn''t improve much. On the contrary, the three of them had just entered the Holy Realm, and they had a lot to improve, and their cultivation base would increase very fast.


    Therefore, they were not in a hurry at all. It would be more secure in killing both Hobson and Darren after cultivating about a year.


    Dexter took the parchment scroll and fled, and Arlo and Harrison also followed him.

 Chapter 686 A Dog-eat-dog Fight (Part Two)

    Once the three of them fled, Darren and Hobson relaxed their shoulders and breathed a sigh of relief. Hobson looked in the direction where the three of them went and chuckled. "Ha-ha, they are fooled." Hobson snickered.


    Darren, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes at the distance. "I''m not sure. Let''s take a look." He wasn''t sure whether the three of them fell into his trap or not.


    Hobson waved his hand. He didn''t seem too worried about this aspect. "No need for that. If they suddenly attacked us, we would be doomed."


    Darren turned to Hobson and knocked his head. "Don''t be foolish. We have to be sure. They haven''t paid much attention to us now. They will not notice us if we are cautious enough."


    Hobson rubbed the spot where he was hit and nodded. "Well, let''s go and have a look."


    Both sneaked forward silently and followed the three people who took the ancient scroll.


    On the other side of the palace, Darren found the three people who were one kilometer away from them.


    The corner of Darren''s lips lifted at the scene in front of him. Dexter, Arlo, and Harrison were fighting with each other fiercely, and they had no time to check if anyone was around.


    Harrison threw an attack at Dexter. "You''d better hand it over to me, or I will teach you a lesson." His cold voice didn''t frighten Dexter. Instead, Dexter dodged the attack and gnashed his teeth.


    "Can''t you stop and listen to what I have to say?" Dexter roared. "We will read the content of the scroll together and make a decision after that."


    He hated Harrison and Arlo from the depth of his heart. The two brainless guys always wanted to fight without saying a word. Dexter swore in his heart that if his strength increased quicker than both of them, he would definitely kill them!


    "Fine! Let''s do it." Arlo snorted coldly.


    The three of them scooted closer and opened the scroll. When they finished reading the content, their eyes widened. Before anyone could react, Arlo grabbed the


    ry at all after being attacked. On the contrary, he felt more than happy. Even though he would prefer it more if Harrison and Arlo killed each other, he could still rejoice at the current situation. He was just worried about how he could persuade Harrison to join him only to get rid of Arlo. Fortunately, his chance had arrived.


    Arlo was born violent, and his fighting power was a little bit higher than the other two. If he were left in the end after killing Harrison, Dexter would find it very difficult to win. On the other hand, Harrison was an easy target. Dexter could easily kill him after getting rid of Arlo.


    "Harrison, this guy is too arrogant. Let''s kill him together. You can go to take part in the examination after that. I will keep my promise." Dexter squinted his eyes at Arlo and uttered his words without once glancing at Harrison.


    On the other side, Harrison swept a glance at Arlo and turned back at Dexter. "Well, I''ve always wanted to kill him. Let''s kill him together." Harrison wasn''t a good man, and he also had a bad temper. Now that he had the chance, he decided to kill Arlo first!


    Dexter and Harrison joined hands and rushed at Arlo. The latter stood in a stance and continued to dodge one attack after another. Soon, the earth began to vibrate because of the majestic Holy Will.

 Chapter 687 Fearless

    The fierce fight between the three sect leaders had caused lots of storms and destroyed the entire space. Even though Darren and Hobson were a kilometer away from the battlefield, they were still actively suppressed.


    "Without the old man''s protection, we can''t even withstand that dispersed Holy Will of them." Struggling to steady himself, Hobson paled at the dispersed Holy Will attacking them randomly.


    "After all, they are holy warriors, who have gotten over a barrier of the martial arts. Definitely, they would be compelling," Darren said despite being between a rock and a hard place.


    "Well, we will be no worse than them when we become holy warriors. Especially you, I can''t imagine how powerful you will be like after you become a holy warrior."


    "It''s not that easy to reach the Holy Realm. Especially for me, to become a holy warrior, I have to go through unbearable tortures and painstaking tasks. It would be a miracle if I were to reach the Holy Realm alive," Darren said in a calm voice. He was grateful that the dispersed Holy Will had ebbed a little by now.


    Darren was telling the truth. Once he broke through to the Holy Realm, he had no choice but to experience the Heavenly Repression again. It was hard to conclude whether he could live through it or not.


    Moreover, the Giant Ape advised Darren before that the hardest Conflicting Cultivation in the whole world is the Rule and Martial Arts Cultivation.


    According to the ape, the conflict usually occurred the moment the person reached the Holy Realm. It was hard for Darren to imagine what kind of sufferings he would go through if ever he reached that stage. Especially considering that he cultivated both the rule and martial arts at the same time!


    Twenty hours later, as the huge and surging Holy Will finally waned and the battle gradually subsided, Darren and Hobson put themselves at ease and let down their guards.


    Darren and Hobson discreetly released their spiritual senses and found that Arlo, the leader of the Dragon Chasing Sect, had been crushed, amputated, and eventually died.


    "Unfortunately, I can''t assimilate his talent. Otherwise, I would be a step closer to the Genuine Domain Degree talent," Darren uttered in dismay.


    Nonetheless, even if he couldn''t assimilate the talent, he still felt relieved since one enemy had been killed¡ªone less oppressor to deal with.


    As for Harrison and Dexter, after the violent battle, they were covered with wounds that their bones were visible over their skins. Arlo was apparently extremely powerful judging from the injuries he had inflicted upon them.


    "Darren, how about we sneak up on them and kill them behind their backs?"


    Seeing a perfect time to strike while the iron was hot, Hobson had found that both of them were very weak after the battle, and their fighting power had dropped to the lowest point after they reached the Holy Realm.


    "No, it''s not safe to do that," Darren opposed directly, totally dismissing Hobson''s suggestion.


    Darren knew for a fact that the most powerful method for a holy warrior was not dependent on their bodily strength, but the pressure and attacks by the Holy Will. Even if they were injured now, Darren and Hobson still could not compete with them if they would decide to attack them in surprise.


    Back then, still fresh in his memories, Hobson had been smashed


    obson said to himself in a small voice. As his mouth gaped wide open, his mind was with the thought that he could be as powerful as the holy emperor one day.


    "Stop daydreaming. It''s challenging to become a senior holy warrior. Becoming a holy emperor requires you to be the invincible master of an era. Do you think we can be that person?" Darren rolled his eyes at him and discouraged him cutting short his fantasies right at that very moment.


    "Can''t I even dream about it at least?" A bit annoyed by Darren''s expression, Hobson smacked his lips and said, "In other words, Darren, I think you have a chance to become one. After hundreds of years or thousands of years, you''ll undoubtedly become an invincible lord in existence in the whole world."


    "You''re overthinking. As far as I know, my strength does not deserve to be mentioned now. Perhaps everyone in the eighteen cities mentioned by the Lord of the Sacred Palace could crush me to death quickly. Besides, many super-powerful warriors are more deserving around the world."


    Judging from his argument, Darren was not belittling himself. His current power was nothing at all compared to the many warriors in the Medium Spiritual World.


    "Damn it! If you don''t accept my compliments, I''ll take them back then. You''re such a loser." Hobson laughed at Darren''s loss of hope.


    "Cut the crap, loser! Let''s hurry up and improve our strength. If Dexter passed the examination, we might not be able to compete with him even with the help of the old man," Darren said, seriously ushering Hobson to go on his way and start practicing his skills.


    "Okay, let''s do it!" With that, Hobson jumped up and started to practice spear skills.


    Left alone in the ground, Darren found a quiet place and began to assimilate spiritual energy to enhance his cultivation base.


    If they could practice inside the time and space turbulent flow, their cultivation base would increase much faster. What a pity, they couldn''t go there now and had to cultivate outside.


    Darren took out one of the purple leaves and absorbed the spiritual energy with all his efforts. The moment he stepped into the seven-star Grand Realm, his strength would improve significantly¡ªhe couldn''t wait for that to happen.

 Chapter 688 Cultivating For Three Years

    Time seemed to be meaningless to them when cultivating. Three years passed in the blink of an eye.


    A statue sat on the side of the stone hall.


    The figure was cross-legged on the ground, surrounded by spiritual light. Occasionally, it released a stream of spiritual energy that shot up into the sky.


    Crack!


    With a loud sound, the statue shattered. Inside it was a young man with a graceful aura. He was none other than Darren.


    As he had remained motionless for three years, the dust had covered him and given him a statue-like appearance.


    At this moment, he had reached a bottleneck, and so, he woke from his meditation.


    "I''ve reached the top level of six-star Grand Realm. My progress has been a little faster than expected."


    Darren could quickly absorb spiritual energy from the outside world because of his martial arts talent at the ninth level of the Heaven Degree. Thus, his cultivation speed was much faster than that of other martial artists.


    However, advancement in a cultivator''s realm did not rely only on spiritual energy, but also on experiences and perception.


    Therefore, just as he was about to enter the seven-star Grand Realm, Darren encountered a bottleneck and could not advance further, no matter how hard he tried.


    Since he was unable to break through in a short time, it was pointless to continue the cultivation. That was why Darren woke. He knew that he could cultivate again later.


    "Although my sword and blade intents haven''t reached the extreme level, people feel that they have."


    Darren hadn''t practiced the blade and sword intents to their extreme level when he had once practiced in the time and space vortex. He knew that for each branch of cultivation, there could only be one person to master the extreme intent. He had inherited his blade and sword intents from that young man with a pair of sword eyes. In theory, it would be impossible for Darren to cultivate it to the extreme level while the young man still lived.


    "Wait a minute!" Darren''s eyes widened as a thought flashed through his mind.


    "Fire is attached to my blade intent. And ice is bound to my sword intent. If I can merge the ice and fire completely into the blade and sword intents, it will be a different kind of cultivation method."


    Darren couldn''t help but be excited at this thought. He was sure that no one had considered combining fire and ice essence with blade and sword intents before.


    At least, it was almost impossible for anyone else to have set foot on this road from among the strong martial artists of this world.


    After realizing this, Darren had to figure out how to integrate them.


    "If my belief is correct, and I work in this direction, I will eventual


    Darren smiled.


    "By the way, Dexter has not come out for so long. Could he have died?"


    Three years had passed, but the stone gate remained motionless. Hobson wondered whether Dexter had died inside a long time ago.


    "I don''t think so. The road of the examination must be very difficult. It has only been three years since it began."


    Darren thought that it would take decades or even hundreds of years to complete such an examination.


    "You are right." Hobson nodded and added, "Then should we continue our cultivation or not? I feel that my spear intent has reached its peak, and I can''t take any further steps. It doesn''t matter if I continue to cultivate or not. Achieving a breakthrough probably depends on luck at this point."


    "I also met an obstacle in my cultivation," Darren said.


    "By the way, Darren, didn''t the lord said that there was a way to leave here? You might have seen it, right? Why don''t we try?" Hobson suggested.


    "No way. It''s impossible for us to get through. Let me tell you what I know. There is a body of an emperor behind that door. If we want to leave, we must go through his heart. Do you think that is possible?" Darren asked.


    "Wow!" Hobson jumped in surprise. "Why didn''t you tell me earlier? I have never seen a living holy emperor in my life. It will be a great honor to examine an emperor''s body. Hurry up and take me there!"


    Hobson was understandably very excited. Any other strong martial artist would also be this curious.


    "Ha-ha, okay, let me show you the way. But I must warn you. You might be scared to death," Darren replied as he walked with Hobson toward the stone gate where the sea of blood was hidden.


    But, what they didn''t know was that the waves behind the stone gate were more terrifying than anything they had experienced before.

 Chapter 689 Someone Is Attacking The Palace

    Darren gathered his Spirit Power and opened the door.


    The violent blood-red waves flooded the holy emperor''s corpse.


    Hobson coughed a mouthful of blood the moment he stepped in. He felt as if he was tormented by the sea of blood.


    "No, we cannot stay here. Let''s go." Hobson frowned painfully as he shouted to Darren.


    He couldn''t bear the pressure that the sea of blood gave out, so Darren and Hobson decided to leave immediately.


    "I feel like I''m going to explode when I take a look at the body locked by the iron chains." Hobson shuddered. He felt more uncomfortable this time. The feeling was far more overwhelming compared to when he saw the portraits on the wall.


    "So it''s ridiculous if we try to leave here through the emperor''s heart," Darren growled.


    They could not stand a chance against the aura emitted from the holy emperor''s corpse.


    A month had passed since and something finally broke the peaceful atmosphere here.


    The entire palace shook violently for three days, as if there had been a big earthquake.


    "Is Dexter coming out?" Hobson asked, the possibility of whether or not the latter coming making luck against them.


    "Maybe, we don''t know. We need to be careful and get ready to welcome the old man."


    Darren and Hobson stayed alert since they knew something big had happened and it was only a matter of time since it would catch up to them. On the ninth day, the outer hall began to collapse.


    Several beams of bright light materialized into the air and it seemed as if the sky had poked several holes.


    "No way!" Darren and Hobson both stood in shock. It was not Dexter that had come out, but the bronze palace seemed to have been pierced through by someone!


    Both Darren and Hobson were horrified at the sudden change. Who could break through the bronze palace?


    "Darren, now''s the right time for us to get out of here!"


    Standing on the black ground, Hobson stared at the sky and smiled joyfully.


    Darren was considering if he should rush into the sky as suggested. Hobson, however, darted towards those small holes without any hesitation.


    He was fast, flying more than ten kilometers in the blink of an eye.


    "Ahhh!"


    There was a frightening roar coming from the sky. Hobson fell and broke into several pieces before falling to the ground.


    "Hobson!"


    It happened so fast, Darren had no idea what happened; Hobson had been


    dy of a senior holy warrior from the blood sea, sir?"


    "How do you know?" The old man cast a glance at Darren.


    "I went in and found one missing. So I guess it was you who helped my buddy Finley take that away," Darren said with difficulty, trying to stabilize his shaking body.


    "Yes, it was me. I''ve sealed the body inside my space. I''ll bring it to you as soon as everything calms down. After your friend reaches the Holy Realm, we won''t be terrified by the new leader," the old man said.


    "A new leader? Are you saying that Dexter is still alive?"


    "That''s correct. I can sense his existence. He has passed thirteen tests in such a short time, and he just needs to comprehend the rule of control and then he will become the new lord here. The two warriors'' fight disturbs the rules of the test, which gives him a perfect chance. Otherwise, he would definitely die in three years."


    As the current lord, the old man could clearly figure out everything about Dexter.


    "Hey, if the palace is not broken and we are still alive, once Dexter dares to come out, with your help, Darren and I must kill him," Hobson said.


    "You underestimated the controller of the palace. He will obtain a lot of benefits each time he passes one round of the tests. Now, he is already close to the top level of an inferior holy warrior. His combat power is much stronger than the four of them combined back then," the old man said.


    "Really?" Hobson was shocked.


    Just then, the hall shook violently once more. Inside the stone chamber, there was some dispersed holy emperor''s power pouring in.

 Chapter 690 Dexters Attack

    The holy emperor''s power had already been weakened by the stone hall but it was still potent enough to wound Darren and Hobson. If it weren''t for the old man, they would have already perished.


    "No. If it goes on like this, I myself will no longer be able to hold on." The old man''s face grew serious. He used his finger to trace a circle in the air which expanded to reveal a hole.


    "Get in," said the old man. He quickly entered the void with Darren and Hobson close behind.


    After a few moments, the three men emerged from the darkness and found themselves in another stone chamber.


    "This is the very heart of the Mythological Palace. We will be safe here unless it is destroyed." With these words, the old man cast a trace of rule power on the mirror wall in front of him.


    The wall glimmered and gave off a gentle light. Suddenly, the surface was distorted and the men were met with a gruesome scene.


    A golden figure was standing atop the Mythological Palace, brandishing his spear. Every time he would launch an attack, a large mass of land would crumble. The black mountains in the distance continued to crumble and the terrain was dotted with countless gullies that stretched over the whole expanse of the battlefield.


    "It''s the scene of the battle between the two strong martial artists!" Darren and Hobson stared at the image before them unblinkingly.


    "Indeed. This is the only place I can go to see the outside world. To tell you the truth, only the lord is permitted to set foot in this place but I took a chance to bring you two in because everything here has become disorderly." As the old man spoke, he also stared closely at the wall before them.


    "Wait. Why are we only seeing one man attack? Why can''t we see the other warrior?"


    Darren was confused. The mysterious old man was nowhere to be found.


    "The emperor''s soul cannot attack without being provoked first. Perhaps the mysterious man is too fast to be seen through the mirror wall," the old man explained.


    "Wow!" Darren and Hobson were both amazed at the mysterious man''s otherworldly speed.


    They focused their attention back to the mirror wall and saw the lone shadow launching attack after attack without any hesitation. His power was felt throughout the entire space and made the ground tremble. The terrain continued to crumble and collapse and even the sky began to crack under the pressure of his energy.


    Suddenly, an old man''s figure appeared on the screen.


    At first glance, he did not appear to be powerful. His hair was mussed up and he was covered with dirt and grime. His eyes were dull and muddy and he looked frail.


    The emperor''


    "Go? I''m now in charge of the palace. It will be easy for me to find you." Dexter gave them a sinister smirk and he disappeared.


    The short old man took Darren and Hobson to a small, secret room. At the center of the room, there was a pond filled with blood. Lying in the pool was a corpse of a young man.


    "Darren, give the body to your buddy quickly or we will all die. That little bastard has the strength of an inferior holy warrior at the top level." The short old man''s face was as pale as a ghost. The attacks he had received hurt him terribly and he knew that it was going to take him a long time to recover and recuperate.


    "Okay, I''ll tell him right away."


    Turning to Finley for help was their only hope for survival.


    Darren activated the force of control to connect with the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    However, since he had sealed off the Ancient Void Battlefield before, even the force of control couldn''t easily penetrate it.


    "Damn it! I need it to open right away!"


    Darren pushed the force of control hard against the Ancient Void Battlefield. At last, he was finally able to project his spiritual sense inside it.


    "Finley, I''ve found the body of a senior holy warrior for you. Come out quickly!" Darren''s voice echoed throughout the whole Ancient Void Battlefield.


    Vroom!


    In a cave inside the Ancient Void Battlefield, Finley awoke and flew out in a flash.


    At the same time, the body of a senior holy warrior also flew in front of him.


    Bang!


    A sharp pain suddenly hit Darren square on the back before he could utter another word. He felt as if his spine were being twisted and his bones were being dislodged from their sockets one by one.


    "Ha, did you really think you can escape from me?"


    Dexter had come.

 Chapter 691 At A Critical Moment

    Caused by the impact of the assault, Darren felt all his organs were about to blow up after being hit by Dexter''s palm. Fortunately, the old man was there; otherwise, Darren would have been dead.


    To counter Dexter''s attack, Darren and Hobson both turned around and released their auras. The urge to avenge himself overwhelmed Darren that he would rather die than be not involved in the fight.


    "If we can deal with him until Finley enters and controls the holy body, we will be saved." While catching his breath, Darren prayed in his heart that Finley could be integrated with the holy body as soon as possible.


    However, as he recalled what Finley had said before, it would take him a long time to merge the holy body. If Dexter attacked with all his strength, Darren and the others would definitely not be able to hold on for that long¡ªthey were in grave danger.


    "Bloke, why are you so aggressive? What benefit can you get by killing me? You are the new lord now. Can''t you behave and contain yourself?" screamed the old man.


    On the spur of the moment, the old man, who was the previous lord of the Mythological Palace, took a step forward and stood in front of Darren and Hobson.


    "Ha-ha, what explanation is needed for the joy of killing a junior holy warrior? I am the lord now, why should I behave myself? I can do anything I want, and that includes killing all of you," Dexter said and laughed menacingly while his eyes were burning in a reddish glow.


    "Don''t blame me for not reminding you that once you kill anyone, you will definitely be suppressed by the rules. You know that, don''t you?" the old man asked tentatively. It could be heard on his tone that he was giving Dexter a warning.


    After hearing the old man''s words, Dexter was stunned for a while. He appeared to be searching for something in his mind. Dexter was a bit bothered for after he took over the lord''s position, there were a lot of memories he had digested, and his mind was a bit mixed and messed up at the same time.


    Dexter''s face slightly changed after he searched for a while. There was a rule that kept on reverberating on mind: If the lord killed a person, he would be severely punished.


    However, on second thought, Dexter told himself, "The short old man also killed the dwarf before. Why is he fine? Why is he not punished?"


    He was considering that when he took the thirteen levels of the examination to be hailed as the lord before, many examination rules were of no avail. Thus, he figured out something.


    "Now, the rule shadow left by the first lord is fighting outside. He won''t have time to punish me even if I kill you. Are you trying to frighten me?" Dexter exclaimed ferociously. The expression on his face signified that he was not moved by the punishment, as indicated in the rule. In other words, he was not afraid to kill.


    From the start, Dexter was experienced and cunning, that might be the reason why he found out the truth right away.


    Boom!


    A thunderous sound was heard from the outside. The fierce battle had not yet ended, and this hall was not as stable as the core stone chamber, resulting in the hall''s direct collapse.


    "Let''s go!"


    The old man took Darren and Hobson by the hand and escaped through space.


    "Well, I won''t allow you to run away from me," bellowed Dexter, who had


    ter the holy body. The body of that senior holy warrior is too resistant," Finley said in an anxious voice as he jumped up.


    "Please try your best, Finley. If you don''t succeed soon, I will definitely die, and Hobson and the old man too!"


    "Why? What happened? Who is chasing after and trying to kill you?" asked Finley in a startled tone.


    "He is at the top level of an inferior holy warrior. If you don''t come out to help, we will die for sure."


    "Shit, you are awesome, Darren. It''s only been a while, but you have riled an inferior holy warrior. Good on you!" Finley said and curled his lips.


    "Shut up and complete the integration as fast as you can. Otherwise, if I die, you would also turn into ashes," Darren said seriously, along with a slight threat to Finley.


    Yet, in all truths, if Darren died, the Ancient Void Battlefield would also be destroyed. The vanishing of a small world would have burst out a huge amount of power that even a real senior holy warrior would not be able to withstand the power, let alone Finley.


    "Okay, I see," Finley said in frustration. "But my Life True Rule is too weak, otherwise I could give the holy body a little vitality, and then I would forcibly control the holy body after I enter into it. It would be completed sooner if only my Life True Rule was stronger."


    "You mean you are short of Life True Rule? Let me ask you if there is someone that has comprehended a superior Life True Rule to help you, how long can you fuse the holy body?" Darren was thrilled as he asked Finley, making his eyes pop wide.


    "Oh, Darren, don''t think about those silly things, you don''t even know what the superior Life True Rule is. I''ll try my best to improve mine, and maybe we''ll succeed in a few years. A few years equal to only one month in the outside world. Please hold on."


    Bang!


    A bit annoyed by his blabber of words, Darren slapped Finley on the head and said, "Just answer my questions. Don''t waste your time at such a crucial moment. Otherwise, I will teach you a lesson!"


    "Please don''t do it. Ah, it is hard to be your friend, you know that, right? You are always so irritable." Finley rolled his eyes at Darren, still not answering his question.

 Chapter 692 Finley Showed Up

    After a pause, Finley finally spoke out, "With the help of a superior Life True Rule, I''m confident that I''ll be able to enter and control the holy body within an hour."


    "Good." Darren faintly smiled and continued, "How''s your fighting power after you merged with the senior holy warrior''s body? Do you have the strength close to a senior holy warrior?"


    Finley burst out laughing. "Darren, don''t blame me for always saying you are too naive. Do you really think that it''s that easy to be as powerful as a senior holy warrior? After I integrate with the senior holy warrior''s body, my body strength will only get stronger than an inferior holy warrior''s at most. No other special benefits other than that. After all, the owner of this body has been dead for tens of thousands of years. Most of his power has been long gone."


    "I see. I''m going to bring someone to help you then."


    Darren then immediately withdrew his spiritual sense from the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "Sir, please help Finley with your Life True Rule. Otherwise, he won''t be able to control the holy body in a short time," Darren said to the short old man.


    "Where is he? If he is sealed in some special space treasure, I''m afraid I can''t enter that place with my junior holy warrior''s body." The old man was a junior holy warrior. If he entered an ordinary spatial treasure or a magic weapon, he would inadvertently destroy it.


    "As long as you don''t use your Holy Will to attack it, I don''t think there will be any problem."


    As Darren spoke, he activated the force of control to open the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "Please don''t resist, sir."


    Suddenly, an enormous force drew the old man and Hobson in.


    But of course, they could not prevent Dexter from knowing that they had entered the Ancient Void Battlefield. Because once Darren entered the Ancient Void Battlefield, it would turn into a grain of sand and lay unguarded outside. With his current strength, it would be very easy for Dexter to detect it.


    Once he found out the existence of the Ancient Void Battlefield, he might even be able to smash it with a single blow.


    Surprise flashed across the old man''s eyes after he entered the Ancient Void Battlefield and Hobson could not keep calm.


    "Holy hell, Darren! You control a world?" Hobson exclaimed.


    "It''s just a remaining small world. Why are you so surprised?" Darren rolled his eyes at him and then turned to the old man and said, "Sir, that man over there is my buddy, Finley."


    Finley flew towards them before Darren even asked him to come.


    "Oh, wow! I''ve never imagined there t


    rk on his face.


    "You son of a bitch! I''ll kill you!" Hobson grew furious at having been fooled. He immediately brandished his spear and flung it towards Dexter.


    Bang!


    Brilliant lights burst out. Hobson''s spear was pulverized into dust and his whole body was thrown sideways.


    Dexter''s figure flashed towards Darren and hacked at Darren''s head with his palm.


    Blood splattered and the dragon scales broke into pieces, spattering in all directions.


    A sharp pain spread over Darren''s soul. He felt like he was on the verge of death.


    At this point, Darren could not lie still and wait for death. He would resist and even fight towards his death!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The gigantic aura of the dragon blood and demonic internal force were unleashed, black flames mixed in with them.


    "Tsk! You still haven''t given up!"


    Then without any hesitation, Dexter hit it with his palm, breaking the aura of the dragon blood and the demonic internal force apart.


    However, within the matter of a few moments, he felt a sting in his soul. He then hurriedly mobilized his Holy Will to expel the black aura from his mind.


    The black flame that Darren mastered was still too weak. Within a few seconds, it was forced out of Dexter''s soul. After all, Dexter was a holy warrior, so the weakened black flame could not burn out his soul.


    However, that feeling of searing pain still made Dexter go mad.


    "Where are they?"


    Dexter came to his senses but found that Darren and Hobson had disappeared in front of him.


    "I thought you are someone incredibly powerful, chasing Darren and trying to kill him. But, from what I see, you are just a piece of garbage."


    A figure in white suddenly appeared in front of Dexter.

 Chapter 693 Darren’s Change

    Finley''s white robes waved back and forth, giving it an elegant touch. After fusing with the holy body, he became an entity that existed in real.


    "Finley, why do you still have your original appearance? Shouldn''t your appearance be like the holy body?"


    Darren asked curiously as he walked past and stood in front of Finley, who had saved Hobson and him. The old man had helped in the healing process.


    "I have merged with the holy body and dominated it. Of course, it''s the appearance of my real body." Finley''s smile widened after he uttered his words in a calm voice.


    "Ha-ha."


    Dexter laughed out loud as if he wanted to attract the attention of others, which he did.


    "What the hell are you laughing at? Now that Mr. Feng is here, go to hell!" Hobson cursed, and he jumped only to stand beside Finley.


    Finley watched Hobson in amusement. "Gee, you have my style. Not bad. I admire you very much." The corner of his lips quirked up when he saw the childish behavior of Hobson.


    "Thank you for your praise, Mr. Feng." Hobson also laughed.


    "That''s bullshit! We are all buddies. Just call him by his name," Darren snorted.


    Hobson stood dumbfounded for a moment and slipped a confused glance at Finley. Could he be his buddy too? "Mr. Feng, Do you think I can..." He stared at Finley expectantly. He was more than willing to be his friend like a brother.


    Finley smiled again, knowing exactly what was going on in Hobson''s head. "Of course. Just follow Darren''s order. He is my master." Finley''s voice had been calm and soothing. He would always follow Darren''s orders.


    Darren suddenly thought of something and asked, "By the way, where is the Water Kylin? I almost forgot him."


    "He..." Finley was about to reply when he was cut off by a loud noise.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    When they were chatting, Dexter felt utterly neglected and mobilized his Holy Will. He glanced at them with his malicious eyes and shot it with his entire force.


    "Humph!" Finley''s eyes turned dark. He disappeared for a moment and appeared in the void. There, he caught a piece of space and folded it a few times in his hand to create a sword which was then thrust out.


    Crack.


    The moment Finley brought out the sword by exerting some force in his hand, a specific part of the sky cracked only to release black thunder and lightning all over the stone hall.


    Everyone watched the scene with eyes wide open. "It seems you have mastered the attacking Space True Rule."


    The short old man next to Finley saw the entire scene with glistening eyes. Truthfully, what the old man had mastered was the Space True Rule for running for his life. It was a bit inferior to the attacking Space True Rule of Finley.


    The lightening landed on Dexter that made him stumble on his feet. Pain shot through his body, and he retreated a few steps back. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed the attack had destroyed his already restored clothes again.


    "You!"


    Dexter was startled and g


    oared, and its vast body suddenly broke free from Dexter''s palms. Then, the dragon tail attacked the latter.


    Finley wasn''t standing idle. He waved his palms, and piercing light started shining. Finley darted his eyes at Dexter and aimed his hands at the head.


    That palm contained infinite space attacking formulas. The moment it collided with Dexter''s head, the head was smashed on the spot.


    At that time, the battle above seemed to produce devastating aftermath. The attack started falling on Darren''s and Hobson''s bodies, and they turned into pieces.


    Fortunately, they had the short old man to their rescue. The old man used his superior Life True Rule to resurrect them.


    "Dexter is so stupid. He cannot kill us when the elder man is here," Hobson sneered.


    Darren opened his eyes and looked at the disgusting scene in front of him. Several body parts of Dexter landed on the ground because of the impact. "He was desperate! He had no other plans." He assimilated the martial arts talent of Dexter and flew over towards the old man.


    Hobson shook his head and glanced toward Darren only to furrow his eyebrows. "Hey, what''s wrong with you, Darren? Are you all right?"


    He saw that Darren''s body was covered by a faint light, which made him look like an ethereal figure as if he had been out of the mortal world.


    Not only Hobson, but the short old man and Finley were also staring at him with a complicated expression.


    Darren noticed their eyes were continuously staring at his body. He used his hands to touch his body and looked down. Everything seemed fine. He curled his lips and shrugged. "Nothing. I am fine."


    Darren didn''t feel anything strange.


    Boom!


    A violent blast sounded in his ears that made him almost dizzy. Everything in front of his eyes blurred, and he constantly blinked to clarify his vision. Unfortunately, his dizziness only enhanced.


    His eyes went black, and his soul seemed to break out of his body only to go to another space.

 Chapter 694 Palace Escape

    At the moment, Darren felt vibrant.


    He seemed to be surrounded by countless mirrors which reflected many colors and light. The entire space was extremely bright.


    ''What is this place?''


    he thought to himself. Darren wondered how he got there in the first place.


    He paced around and discovered that the space was actually very small.


    ''Wait a minute! This is... ''


    Darren touched the surface of the wall and he felt something unusual.


    ''An ancient spiritual crystal!''


    He discovered that the space was full of ancient spiritual crystals.


    ''Huh. What happened?'' Darren thought. ''Does it mean that I''ve surpassed the ninth level of the Heaven Degree?''


    After Dexter died, he instinctively assimilated his martial arts talent, and then he became like this.


    ''Finley told me that spiritual energy can be absorbed from a space different from this world as soon as a person reaches the Genuine Domain Degree talent. I must have broken through to the Genuine Domain Degree. That''s how I ended up here, surrounded by ancient spiritual crystals.''


    Darren felt exhilarated after figuring out everything.


    The ancient spiritual crystal was a much better catalyst for Darren''s powers than any other common spiritual energy.


    Darren plucked out a spiritual crystal the size of his fingertip and tried to absorb it. A burst of spiritual energy spread throughout his body and he felt that it was more powerful than the spiritual energy contained in the purple leaves.


    ''I should assimilate them.''


    Overwhelmed with joy, Darren engulfed the spiritual energy in a crazy attempt. There was a sign that he would step into the seven-star Grand Realm very soon.


    The next moment, however, he felt dizzy and disappeared from the space.


    "Congratulations, Darren. You have finally reached the Genuine Domain Degree talent. Now, you are as talented as me. It''s so great."


    As soon as he woke up, Finley approached him with a smile on his face.


    "Both of you have the talents of the Genuine Domain Degree? Amazing!"


    The short old man beside them was shocked.


    Having the Genuine Domain Degree talent implied that the person had the potential of becoming a holy emperor.


    "Sir, what is the talent of the Genuine Domain Degree?" Hobson was confused.


    The old man went on to explain the Genuine Domain Degre


    As long as they didn''t do anything to harm the Mythological Palace, the phantom of the first lord''s soul would not care about anyone in the outside world, including those escaped the palace.


    The body of the phantom began to condense and grew stronger and stronger.


    In a flash, Darren transformed himself into a dragon. With his tail, he picked Hobson up and flew toward the crack in the sky.


    Darren and Hobson barely zipped through the palm as it covered the crack but they were able to make it outside.


    Outside the Mythological Palace


    A desert spread out before them with magma bursting out of its crevices, setting the scene aflame. Thick smoke billowed about, making it hard to see anything.


    "Where is Finley?" Hobson gasped and looked below him.


    The bronze palace lay beneath him, the phantom''s hand firmly covering the cracks so that no other could escape.


    "Oh my God! He sacrificed himself and now he''s trapped in there!


    Should we go to save him?" Hobson asked.


    "That''s impossible. Now that the phantom has recovered, we will get blasted into pieces when we enter. Don''t forget that without the old man''s help, we can''t come back to life again if we die." Darren frowned. He was also worried about Finley, but there was nothing he could do.


    Inside the bronze palace, a figure in white was disheveled. He tried to break through the palm, but failed. A few moments later, the Mythological Palace was fully restored.


    When Finley tried to rush over again, black lightning struck him and cut him into pieces.

 Chapter 695 The Heaven Lake Sect

    "Damn it! I just left the Ancient Void Battlefield, but I''m going to die. I''m so miserable." That was Finley''s last thought before he was struck by the black lightning.


    However, when he opened his eyes again, he found that the old man was beside him.


    The old man appeared to be a little weak at this time. It had cost him a thousand times more of the Life True Rule to resurrect someone at the Holy Realm than what he had paid to resurrect Hobson.


    "You''ve wasted me a large amount of Life True Rule, boy. I''m afraid it will take more than ten years to recover. You cannot leave the Mythological Palace for the time being. Just stay." The old man smiled.


    "I almost forgot that you have the superior Life True Rule, ah." Finley''s face darkened. The wonderful world and the freedom that he had been looking forward to for a long time was right in front of him. But, he was trapped again. "I can''t seem to find any good luck! Although, it appears as though this is just the right time to ask you about the supreme technique of Life True Rule."


    "I''m glad to hear that. Your understanding of Life True Rule is superior to Darren''s, and you are even better than I thought. You would make a suitable successor.


    When the time is right, you can leave here through the emperor''s heart. I think ten years will be enough."


    The old man was very satisfied with Finley. Considering Finley''s skills and understanding, the old man was convinced that he would not meet another great potential successor even if he searched for a hundred thousand years.


    "What is the emperor''s heart? And can you send a message to Darren so he won''t worry about me?" The old man''s words had calmed Finley.


    "There is a lot to tell about the emperor''s heart. We shall speak more about this later. I can send messages for you. Come with me." After saying this, the old man took Finley to the room full of corpses.


    In less than ten seconds, the old man had assembled a creature.


    "Engrave what you want to say on its back," the old man ordered.


    Without hesitating, Finley began etching these words, "I''ll stay here for a little while. Expect me to find you in ten years. Finley."


    "Oh, I almost forgot. I have to give this to them too. Otherwise, they will struggle to find a way out of the Life Forbidden Zone." The old man affixed a Jade Slip on the dead body''s back.


    After that, he used his Life True Rule to resurrect the corpse.


    Once the corpse was revived, the old man drew a space rune to send it out.


    This was the old man''s job. He


    d every one of my dreams." Ryan gnashed his teeth as he spoke. Extreme hatred reflected in his eyes as he glared at Darren.


    "Is he your enemy, Darren?" Hobson asked calmly.


    "Yes, he is. I took his Holy Will Pill," Darren said with a smile.


    "Hand over the Holy Will Pill, and I''ll leave your corpse intact!"


    "Don''t talk to him anymore, Darren. Just kill him." Hobson didn''t want to waste more time.


    "Ha-ha-ha! You think that you can kill me? I''ll kill you, idiot!" Ryan transformed into a shadow and rushed at Hobson.


    "It seems you''ve comprehended fifty percent of the Fringe Holy Will! You have grown a little stronger since we last met." Darren crossed his arms over his chest and watched the fight with interest.


    Bang!


    As soon as Ryan reached Hobson, Fringe Holy Will exploded. Ryan''s body stopped in mid-air.


    "Brother, why does Ryan stand still? Let''s kill these two bastards!" a disciple asked his senior fellow apprentice.


    "No need. We don''t need to fight against two thieves..."


    Before the other disciple from the Heaven Lake Sect could finish speaking, many wounds appeared on Ryan''s body, and blood began spurting out.


    "Ah, Ryan is dead!" When those disciples saw that Ryan was frozen in mid-air, they used their spiritual sense to detect the breath of Ryan''s life.


    "Inform the grand-elder!"


    Terrified by the thought that Ryan had been killed with just one hit, the dozen disciples immediately dispersed.


    "Who the hell are you? How dare you offend the Heaven Lake Sect? Go to hell!" An old man shouted as he approached Darren and Hobson.


    "Kneel!" Both Darren and Hobson roared in unison as they released immense pressure on the old man.

 Chapter 696 The Thought To Unite The Five Major Forces

    The grand-elder, who came from the Heaven Lake Sect, felt two immense pressures coming toward him at the fastest speed. He tried to run, but as soon as the force hit his body, he started trembling fiercely. He felt goose bumps breaking throughout his limbs. Soon, his legs started feeling like jelly, making him almost kneel on the ground.


    The grand-elder narrowed his eyes at the two young men standing in front of him. They sent forth such strong pressure! They might not be weaker than him.


    His vicious look softened. He bowed to them, and a small smile crept on his lips. "Why did you kill the disciple of the Heaven Lake Sect? Did he offend you?"


    The disciples of the Heaven Lake Sect around were all dumbfounded. The dominant grand-elder came ferociously and became soft-hearted as soon as he saw those two young men. Who on earth were they?


    One disciple couldn''t understand just why the grand-elder suddenly changed his expressions after seeing these two men. "Grand-elder, these two men suddenly came out of our treasure house. I went in to have a look, but all the treasures were gone." He tightened his lips and swept a suspicious glance at the two young men.


    "It is I who took the treasures." Hobson stepped forward with his arms clasped behind his body.


    "Ha-ha." Cold sweat sprang up on the grand-elder''s body. This wasn''t good. These stupid disciples shouldn''t take matters in their hands when they didn''t have a single clue about the level of these youths. He took multiple breaths to calm his racing heart and smiled. "It''s not a big deal. Since you think highly of those treasures, just take them as my gifts for you."


    The smile faded off of the face of that disciple when he saw the grand-elder behaving like this. "What? Is the grand-elder afraid of them? Who are they?"


    Another disciple looked at the two youths suspiciously. "Are these two really so powerful that we need to give them our treasures?"


    Other disciples also voiced their concerns aloud, giving the grand-elder a splitting headache. Why couldn''t they just stay silent and stop making things difficult for him?


    "Humph, I''ve taken the treasures. But I have to tell you one thing, I''m not robbing your Heaven Lake Sect. They are things your sect owes me," Hobson said and sneered.


    "What do you mean, young man?"


    "The leader of the Heaven Lake Sect had worked together with the other leaders of the major forces to try to kill my good friend and me. Although they have been killed, the beloved godson of our senior died in their hands. It is an atonement for your sin. Do you understand?"


    Everyone''s expressions changed greatly, and the eyes of the grand-elder twitched several times.


    "Darren, do you think we should punish disciples of the Heaven Lake Sect?" Hobson turned to Darren and slipped him a hopeful gaze.


    Darren thought for a while and shook his head. "In my opinion, let them go. They have nothing to do with us. Why should we kill them?" His voice was calm as ever.


    In fact, the disciples of the major sects joined in those forces just to obtain more resources and martial arts skills. Most of them were not scoundrels. Darren never killed innocent people.


    The disciples heard the conversation and felt a flush of anger creeping up their faces. "Fuck! Enough! These two guy


    r Heaven Lake Sect. If you want to unify the five forces, it is quite impossible," Tommy said calmly.


    "So now you want to brag about how powerful your sect is, huh? If your sect really has ten such powerful warriors, why are you so polite with us? They should''ve killed us a long time ago," Hobson sneered.


    "It''s all up to you whether to believe it or not. However, I strongly declare that without the help of a powerful person, you two cannot unify the five major forces." Tommy shook his head in disagreement.


    Darren could see that things were getting out of their hands. He poked Hobson''s back urgently. "Forget it, Hobson. Let''s go. The five major sects have existed for such a long time. They can''t survive without a strong background." It was a sudden idea of Darren to unite the five major forces. It was okay if they did not do it. For Darren, it really wasn''t a big deal!


    "Darren, he must be bluffing. I don''t believe they have so many strong warriors,"


    Hobson said and he jumped up into the air. His violent Holy Will surged crazily and smashed a few pillars below into pieces.


    "Hey!" He looked around and squinted his eyes at the disciples surrounding them. "Are there any powerful warriors?" When no one replied, Hobson started chuckling loudly, staring at them with his dark eyes.


    Darren felt a surge of anger flooding through his veins. "Let''s go." He stayed silent and looked coldly at Hobson. His voice was sharper than a harsh gust of wind.


    "Don''t stop me now, Darren."


    That was it! Hobson had surpassed all limits. Veins started popping on Darren''s forehead. "Let''s go!" Darren released the blade and sword intents at Hobson. When Hobson felt a pressure coming from the direction where Darren was standing, his eyes widened and looked back. He dodged the attack quickly.


    Now when Hobson came back to his senses, he realized he unknowingly made Darren mad at him. His Adam''s apple bobbled, and he peered at Darren. "Don''t be angry, Darren. I''ll listen to you. Let''s go now, ha-ha." Hobson let out an embarrassed laughter.


    "I''m sorry, guys. I don''t think you can leave now."


    A few human figures came from all directions and surrounded Darren and Hobson.

 Chapter 697 Siege

    Each one of those surrounding them was quite powerful¡ªskilled and stalwart needless to say.


    "As I have told you, there are ten strong guards in the Heaven Lake Sect. You didn''t believe me," while saying that in a somewhat whispered tone, Tommy stepped back and sneered.


    "So, you''re actually stalling for time!" Hobson roared. He was a bit enraged at the moment.


    "No, I didn''t mean to provoke you at first. But you didn''t listen to me. You''re digging your own grave. I have to summon the ten seniors to help me."


    As he spoke, ten old, yet fierce-looking men all landed on the area. The other inferior disciples retreated away in fear of the seniors.


    "Are you really going to fight?" asked Darren in an intimidating gesture. As he looked at the group of mighty warriors, Darren''s gaze was as cold as ice.


    "Hah! You think too highly of yourself. Would you still call it a fight when ten seniors are against you? That is called slaughter." With a diabolical tone, Tommy laughed grimly. He was eyeing Darren with pity, for he was confident that he would not stand against his oppressors.


    "Haha." Darren let out a childish laugh and said, "With the strength of the two of us, even if you besiege us, we can still take time to smash your Heaven Lake Sect into ruins. Do you guys think it''s meaningful for your old guys to stay in this Heaven Lake Sect by that time?"


    Indeed, with Darren''s strength alongside that of his companion, they could smash the land and even kill all the disciples of the Heaven Lake Sect in no time.


    "That''s none of your business, poor boy. My old friends, take them down! Now!"


    one of the old men shouted, and out of the blue, dozens of figures with intense aura appeared, armed and ready to fight.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    At full speed, phantoms fell on the ground and surrounded Darren and Hobson.


    "Are you the two nonentities who killed our head?" an elder from the Crimson Sea Sect said to Darren and Hobson as he looked at them from head to foot.


    "When we can lay our hands on them, then everything will be clear," retorted another elder.


    It turned out that these figures who suddenly appeared were the strong elders of the five major forces. They hurried here according to the message received from the Heaven Lake Sect. All of them were super powerful warriors, and they were close to reaching the Holy Realm.


    "In order not to destroy my beloved Heavenly Lake Sect. Elder Moss, will you do the honors and start the fight?" When Tommy spoke, he turned his head towards an old man who had a strong aura of a rule cultivator.


    As Darren followed Tommy''s gaze with his sight, he could say that the old man whom Tommy was referring to was from the Divine Mountain Sect.


    "Suppressing Vat!"


    the old man, known by the name of Moss, shouted and threw out a large vat, enveloping the entire Heaven Lake Sect.


    "Elders from the five main forces come out at the same time. It just fits for the two of you to die," Tommy sneered.


    "Darren, th


    gered by extreme anguish, Darren roared beastly. In a flash, he transformed into a dragon, which was dark, cold, and powerful. Such a horrible transformation caused the elders to tremble on their knees.


    "What! He has turned into a dragon!"


    Everyone was surprised and curious at the same time. Never in every elder''s wildest imagination had they thought that the man they faced as an enemy had an exceptional skill that enabled him to take the form of a dragon¡ªunbelievable yet true.


    "This is not good. His strength has greatly improved. Let''s besiege him. Altogether, now!" ordered one of the elders.


    Following such stipulation, more than thirty masters dashed towards Darren at the same time. Their majestic Fringe Holy Will kept exploding.


    As a recourse, Darren gathered the aura of the dragon blood into the dragon''s tail and swept towards them sharply.


    Bang! Bang!


    The two seniors who rushed in the front were immediately smashed into pieces.


    But there were just too many people surrounding Darren. After he killed two of them, all the other people''s attacks all fell on him.


    One attack after the other, pungent and consistent, blood splattered, and the dragon''s scales broke.


    Overbore and overwhelmed, Darren was knocked out and hit onto the vat with a loud and eerie thud.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    On one side of the battlefield, with the domineering spear intent, Hobson dismissed everything and rushed to help Darren resist the attack.


    "Are you okay?" Hobson asked the moment he reached Darren''s side.


    By the look of it, despite the fact that much of the dragon scales on his body had been shattered, his breath did not decrease at all.


    "Roar!"


    Following the horrendous roar, Darren''s body was surrounded by dark cyan halos. The aura of the dragon blood and the demonic internal force, like the sea waves, covered towards dozens of masters in the opposite direction. A hint of frightening black flame rose and towered above the sky, almost reaching the ether.

 Chapter 698 The Golden Water Kylin

    "Aren''t you going to help us, Elder Moss?"


    In the face of this frightening aura, even the strong cultivators felt a little scared. Which was why they immediately asked for help from the Divine Mountain Sect''s strong cultivators.


    Waves of powerful runes soared into the sky forming a huge robe that enveloped everyone.


    "Let''s kill him together!"


    More than thirty powerful cultivators burst out their strongest Fringe Holy Will and fought against Darren''s aura of the dragon blood and demonic internal force.


    It was apparent that the combined power of these people was too strong. A man weaker than an inferior holy warrior would not have been able to hold it.


    Darren''s dragon blood aura and demonic internal force quickly disintegrated under the attacks of more than thirty strong cultivators.


    However, the black flame''s traces had not completely disappeared. They scattered into the heads of several people.


    "Ahhh!"


    Several old men who''d been unfortunate enough to be attacked by the black flame fell to the ground and rolled around in pain. Their souls were burning painfully.


    "Humph, this guy has mastered the soul attack. Hurry up and help them recover." The rule cultivator named Moss, directed the rest of his companions to help dispel the black flame.


    Hobson, seeing what was happening, quickly rid himself of his attackers and rushed in for the kill.


    Boom!


    Hobson shot out thousands of spear shadows, killing three old men.


    "Damn it! Kill him for me!"


    The rule cultivators launched all kinds of attacks at Hobson, slowing him down drastically.


    Other martial artists'' also launched their own attacks at him, so fiercely that they tore parts of his skin apart.


    Darren''s dragon, who was on the other side flicked his tail, forcing all the people around him back a little. He then flew to save Hobson.


    Bang!


    He waved one of his dragon claws breaking one man''s head off, and in a flash, he was flying away with Hobson in his claws.


    However, the entire Heaven Lake Sect was still covered with the Suppressing Vat, so he couldn''t rush out even if he wanted to.


    The remaining martial artists and rule cultivators all rushed to attack at the same time.


    There were just too many people attacking them. Darren and Hobson had been fighting for a long time and their fighting abilities were greatly damaged at this point. Their chances of survival were now pretty slim.


    "Aaah!"


    All of a sudden, Darren heard a yawn as loud as thunder in his ears, which made his heart jolt.


    "Where is this sound coming from?


    Is it coming from the Ancient Void Battlefield?"


    Darren felt around the space for the source of the deafening yawn and found out that it had indeed come from


    "Why is the Water Kylin even more powerful now?"


    Darren landed on the ground in his human form while Hobson lay unconscious beside him.


    Meanwhile in a magnificent palace in the Medium Spiritual World


    "My Lord, there is a fierce battle happening in the number nine Badlands,"


    a golden-armored law enforcer said as he walked to the center of the palace.


    "Really? Are the sinners'' descendants fighting over the territory again? Did you find any cultivator that has entered the Holy Realm? If you have, just bring the strong cultivator back here to become a law enforcer," said Lord Donald in a golden robe.


    "My Lord, they are not fighting over the territory."


    "Then why are they fighting?"


    "I found that they are the most powerful warriors of the five major sects. They are working together to attack Darren," the golden-armored martial artist responded.


    "What!"


    Lord Donald banged his hand on the seat and stood up.


    "What did Darren do to get all five sects to attack him together? Go and help him! It will be a pity if he dies."


    "My Lord, didn''t you ask us not to help him even if he was killed?"


    "What do you know?" Lord Donald stepped forward and said, "Last time you reported to me that Darren, who was only a five-star grand warrior, fought against the man who had acquired forty percent of the Fringe Holy Will. He is much stronger than I had expected. It will be a shame if he dies."


    "Yes, I agree with you. Darren is the most talented cultivator in these past thousands of years. I found more information about him. If I tell you, I''m afraid that even you will be shocked."


    It was rare for the golden-armored martial artist to speak to the lord in such a tone. But he just couldn''t help himself. The news of Darren''s expertise and his talent just made him so excited.

 Chapter 699 Deceiving The Water Kylin

    "What have you found during this period of observation?" Lord Donald hurriedly asked.


    "My Lord, the entrance to the Life Forbidden Zone in the number nine Badlands has been broken by a mysterious man. Darren went to find the treasures and had come out successfully. When he came out, I found that he already possessed the talent of the Genuine Domain Degree.


    What''s more, Darren also possesses the inheritance skill of the Dragon Blood Clan. He is much stronger than the other members of the Dragon Blood Clan at the same realm. His current strength is nearly matched to that of an inferior holy warrior. Only a few warriors at the top level of the seven-star Grand Realm could rival his strength. He was besieged by dozens of top-level warriors who had grasped ninety percent of the Fringe Holy Will. He was able to kill several of them.


    He then summoned the legendary beast, Kylin. The beast blew up the heads of several other strong warriors. Soon enough, more than a dozen masters were killed."


    The golden-armored law enforcer reported the findings from his investigation, not leaving out anything.


    "Talent of the Genuine Domain Degree! That is what a potential holy emperor genius could have!" Lord Donald exclaimed, eyes flashing with excitement.


    "He is the only six-star grand warrior who can transform into a dragon and summon a legendary beast. It''s incredible!" Lord Donald was ecstatic. It was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to encounter such an extremely talented young man. "You should go and pick him up as soon as possible. He is absolutely qualified for the next adventure."


    "Right away, My Lord," the golden-armored law enforcer replied with cupped hands.


    "Hold on," Lord Donald walked over the enforcer and said, "the fight just now might have attracted the attention of that man in the Badlands. You''d better go with No. 3 law enforcer. It would be safer."


    "Yes, sir." The No. 2 golden-armored law enforcer then retreated.


    In the Heaven Lake Sect of the number nine Badlands


    The golden Water Kylin landed beside Darren.


    "The blasted thing is too damn hard! My hand swelled up trying to break through! So, yeah... they escaped!" the Water Kylin angrily shouted.


    He chased the Suppressing Vat for almost one hundred thousand kilometers but had failed to pierce it. Eventually, the vat broke through the space and sank into the black crack. The Water Kylin had to turn back.


    "Killing most of them is enough." Darren nodded in reassurance.


    At that moment, Hobson regained consciousness. As soon as his eyesight focused and saw the Water Kylin, he immediately stood up in surprise. "Wow! This dead dog is


    epped far away from him.


    "What?" The Water Kylin looked up at the two, clearly expecting more explanation.


    "He''s still alive and is trapped inside a palace, but he should be able to come out after a few years..." Darren awkwardly clarified.


    The golden hair on the Water Kylin''s body exploded all of a sudden as he gritted his teeth and growled.


    "Calm down, man. I didn''t know that you were so sensitive." Both Darren and Hobson continued to step back.


    The Water Kylin growled louder. He rushed towards them with all his might.


    Violent growls and screams were heard for three days and three nights.


    The Water Kylin eventually calmed down. Darren and Hobson were completely tattered¡ªteeth prints and several wounds covered their bodies.


    "Are you... satisfied now... legendary beast? Please... just... stop biting me... already..." Hobson barely had enough strength left to speak.


    "How dare you deceive me and ridicule my feelings? You definitely deserve to be bitten." The Water Kylin gritted his teeth, growling like a ferocious dog.


    "That''s enough, Water Kylin." Darren got up, wincing at the pain.


    "It seems that you have a deep relationship with him. You won''t be so sad when you find out that your father is dead, will you?" Darren smiled triumphantly.


    "Bah! I don''t have a father. Besides, I had long figured out that you were lying to me. I just played along. As for Finley, once he escapes from that palace, he will taste a beating much harder than the one I gave you guys!" the Water Kylin roared with laughter.


    "Legendary beast, Finley is now at the peak of his ability and would be able to kill an inferior holy warrior. Are you sure you still want to fight him?" Hobson warned.


    "What?!" The Water Kylin was frozen in shock.

 Chapter 700 A Demon-like Young Man

    The Water Kylin jumped to his feet and shouted, "You are lying to me again! How can he reach the level of a holy warrior so easily?"


    "I''m serious this time, Water Kylin," Hobson said cautiously.


    "If he hadn''t become a holy warrior, how could he have been able to leave the Ancient Void Battlefield?" Darren asked calmly.


    "Yup, you are right." The Water Kylin was frustrated. It seemed impossible for him to teach Finley a lesson.


    "Well, let''s get back to business." As Darren and Hobson had been superficially wounded, they recovered as soon as they absorbed some spiritual energy.


    "What''s bothering you?" Hobson asked.


    "Those old bastards wanted to kill us. What do you think we should do?" Darren muttered as he glanced at Hobson.


    "I know what we should do! We should kill those old bastards and unite the five major forces," Hobson answered with a sparkle in his eyes.


    "Humph, you don''t have to worry about them. If we find them, I''ll slap each one of them to death." The Water Kylin was already in a bad mood, and he felt more annoyed by what he had heard. As fury coursed through him, he vowed a painful end for each culprit. Only in this way could he vent his anger.


    "Water Kylin, what is your cultivation base now? Are you also a holy warrior?"


    "Of course, not! Legendary beasts do not have levels like the Holy Realm. Our power is improved by awakening our bloodline. As far as my strength is concerned, I can defeat all men who are at the seven-star Grand Realm. As for cultivators at the inferior holy warrior level, I have a few tricks that will help me fight against them," pride reflected on his face as the Water Kylin replied.


    "Stop bragging, and let''s go." Darren patted the legendary beast before leaping toward the sky.


    Soon, a month passed.


    Darren and his companions had searched and killed all the top masters of all forces except the Divine Mountain Sect.


    Of course, they only killed the people who had tried to hurt them. They did not kill any innocent disciples or elders.


    "Darren, only the Divine Mountain Sect is left now,"


    Hobson remarked as they reached a large mountain, and looked up.


    "There are powerful restrictions everywhere. Even Water Kylin can''t unlock them. It seems that the Divine Mountain Sect''s defense is the strongest from among these major forces."


    "Damn! It appears as though I am going to have to use my most powerful skill. Watch me."


    After attacking the restrictions for a long time, the Water Kylin became genuinely upset as all his efforts w


    aw.


    "Who are you?"


    "Young men, why did you attack the Divine Mountain Sect?" The demon-like young man''s voice was clear, and he spoke in a calm voice. But there seemed to be an irresistible power in his voice.


    "The people of the Divine Mountain Sect tried to surround and kill us. We must take revenge," Hobson said boldly as he swallowed.


    "But, I heard that it was you who killed the leader of the Divine Mountain Sect first. And they were simply avenging his death by attacking you," the young man stated as he caressed the Water Kylin''s head.


    "Do you mean the dwarf? But, he wanted to kill us first. We were just defending ourselves," Hobson explained.


    However, Darren stood still and said nothing. He could feel the strong killing intent floating from the man. No matter what they said, Darren was afraid that there was no way to avoid a battle.


    "Water Kylin, what''s wrong with you? Why are you letting him manipulate you?" Darren asked the legendary beast using his spiritual sense.


    "Oh, my God. That person has my Natal Divine Bead. I have no other choice. If he crushes my Natal Divine Bead, I will die," his voice trembled as he replied to Darren.


    "Can''t you control the Natal Divine Bead and take it back?" Darren asked, using his spiritual sense.


    "I tried but failed. I don''t know how this person managed to sever my connection with the Natal Divine Bead. He is definitely a terrifying and powerful rule cultivator. Even if he didn''t control my Natal Divine Bead, I''m afraid I''m not powerful enough to contend against him.


    Master, you''d better leave here as soon as possible. I will find a way to get away after you escape," the Water Kylin replied.

 Chapter 701 Pretend To Submit Himself To The Young Man

    The Water Kylin had made his point, and Darren thought about it. He thought if he and Hobson had the chance to leave, then they shouldn''t hesitate, or else it would be more troublesome if both of them had to stay.


    At that very moment, some influential figures flew over.


    "Ancestor!"


    They all knelt at the sight of the young man. The kowtow was for their show of reverence to the young man.


    As stories were handed down from one generation to the next, they had heard legends about the ancestor for a long time, but they had never seen him in blood and flesh. Many people thought that it was something out of thin air; a story meant to scare young children.


    Today, however, the ancestor was standing right in their midst. As they bowed their heads low in respect to him, the young man waved his hand lightly. With that, the disciples got up and straightened themselves to be worthy after the ancestor''s presence.


    "Ancestor, it was these two guys who killed our leader, Jordan. We joined forces with other sects and wanted to punish them. However, they killed many of our strong warriors. Ancestor, please stand for us and kill both of them,"


    Moss, who was the leader of the elders, said respectfully.


    After hearing that, the young man did not say anything, but instead, he turned around and looked at Darren with fierce and killing eyes.


    "Why don''t you submit yourself to me?"


    Unexpectedly, the young man said so.


    "What do you mean by submitting myself to you, sir?" Darren replied in a calm voice, pretending that he could not get his hands on what the young man meant.


    "It''s very simple, just like you''ve signed the master and slave bond with this legendary beast. The only difference would be, this time, you are the slave, and I am your master."


    After he heard that piercing insult, Darren''s heart sank. ''The powerful young man wants me to be his slave, '' he thought.


    "You are dreaming, aren''t you? How can we become your slaves?" Hobson broke in before Darren was able to say anything.


    "Young man, you are overthinking. I only want this bloke to be my slave. As for you, your potentials are too limited, so you cannot become, at the very least, my slave. I will kill you later on to avenge the death of my disciples in the Divine Mountain Sect,"


    the young man said indifferently as he smoothed his hair. His eyes were fixed at Darren the whole time.


    "Ancestor, I strongly suggest that we should kill that boy and the legendary beast as well. They also killed several masters of our sect," one of the elders said. His purpose was to fuel the ancestor''s wrath so he would burn in rage towards Darren and the Water Kylin.


    "As a younger generation, don''t tell me what to do. It seems so impolite,"


    the young man said in a calm voice. He stretched out a snow-white finger and tapped on the elder''s forehead.


    To everyone''s bewilderment, a frightening scene happened. The elder''s expression froze, and his body turned into light red powder, floating in the air¡ªgone and vanished in a blink of an eye.


    A simple tap killed a master who had mastered ninety percent of the Fringe Holy Will. Darren c


    s message.


    "I''m faking it. Let''s kill him when we find a chance later on!"


    "Well, as long as I recover a little bit of control over the Natal Divine Bead, I will blow it up. Even if I cannot kill him, at least I can let you run away," the Water Kylin replied.


    "Don''t be silly. Don''t explode yourself at any time. I don''t want to lose you as a good friend again," Darren said, hurriedly. He could not stand losing another friend after the fall of a precious one.


    With that, the Water Kylin went silent.


    "My little puppy, why are you crying? Don''t be afraid. I won''t kill you."


    The young man touched the Water Kylin''s head and patted it like he was rewarding a good dog. It seemed as if he fancied the Water Kylin.


    ''Fuck you! I''ll swallow you sooner or later, '' the Water Kylin swore silently in his mind.


    "Ancestor, since you come out and preside over the situation, our Divine Mountain Sect can rule the world."


    At this time, Elder Moss came forward, delighted¡ªoverjoyed even.


    "Fuck off! This place is not the world. When I grasp the legendary skill, I will obtain a real world to show you!" The young man''s voice was cold, and the killing intent in his eyes turned into a black hole and shot into the sky.


    After saying that, a few light red runes flashed on his body, and he disappeared together with Darren and the Water Kylin.


    "Ramon, where is that boy?"


    In the southern wilds of the number nine Badlands, the space twisted, and two golden-armored martial artists suddenly appeared.


    "He totally disappeared. I cannot detect his presence now," the number two golden-armored law enforcer, Ramon, said, frowning.


    "Is he dead?" the number three golden-armored law enforcer, Edward, asked indifferently.


    "It is impossible. Darren''s strength is not weak. And with the help of his legendary beast, no one can kill him in number nine Badlands," Ramon denied unable to accept the possibility that Darren might be dead.


    "How about that man?"


    Ramon''s expression completely changed when he heard what Edward said, as if he had seen a dead come to life.

 Chapter 702 Two True Rules Being Translated

    "You mean the betrayer who has been hiding in the number nine Badlands?" number two law enforcer, Ramon, asked.


    "Yes, the betrayer who killed the Lord of the Sacred Palace tens of thousands of years ago. Then he was beaten by some elders and been suppressed for a few years, but after that, he escaped to the number nine Badlands and totally disappeared since then. He should have recovered by now," number three law enforcer, Edward, responded.


    "It is said that he is a powerful demonic monster. He was so desperate that in order to break into the Sacred Palace, he forced himself to exchange for human blood to cover his demonic aura, is this true?" Ramon asked as his curiosity was triggered at the mention of the betrayer.


    "I don''t know. It''s highly possible."


    "Alas! The other four races hate us so much that they want to kill humans all the time." At the thought of possible uprisings, Ramon sighed with his shoulders slumped in an odd downcast.


    "Don''t think too much about it. We have many powerful human warriors. They can''t kill all of us. We''d better hurry to find that guy. Our lord thinks highly of Darren. If he dies, we would surely be punished."


    "Let''s go."


    The two golden-armored law enforcers flew towards the last place where Darren''s aura was sensed.


    Meanwhile, at the Divine Mountain Sect


    As he was trailing behind the ancestor, Darren''s mind went blank for a while. The moment he regained his consciousness, he came to another space.


    A totally new atmosphere welcomed his eyes as well as his other senses. The air was fresh, and luscious green grass spread everywhere. Red bees, blue butterflies, and different kinds of birds flutter their wings in the dancing air. As Darren breathed in, he was enthralled, smelling the air filled with the scent of flowers. This place was beautiful, just like a paradise.


    Just a few steps ahead of Darren, the demon-like young man sat down on a wooden armchair, enjoying the sunshine leisurely.


    "Although you have become my slave, you have to be punished for disturbing my cultivation before,"


    the demon-like young man said in an indifferent voice. Then, a blue flame appeared around Darren and completely wrapped him.


    "Ah!"


    While he stood amidst the scorching flames, Darren could feel that the blue flame was not an ordinary thing. It was burning his meridians.


    Fortunately, Darren had high endurance. Ordinary people would have already rolled about with pain¡ªleast already died if they were on Darren''s place.


    "As far as I know, you have entered the Life Forbidden Zone. Unfortunately, I was in a critical period of recovery at that time, or I would go and search that place as well.


    Tell me what treasure have you got?" the demon-like young man asked Darren while letting him endure the flames a little longer.


    Bearing with the heat and the turmoil, Darren was stunned for a while. He replied slowly, "Master, I got many magic herbs and some Holy Will Crystals. Here they are."


    As he spoke, Darren took out a pile of magic herbs and more than ten Holy Will Crystals from his Space Ring.


    At the sight of such hefty treasu


    able.


    "You, go and catch a diabolic beast for me," the young man said, pointing at Darren.


    But a moment later, he shook his head and pointed at the Water Kylin instead. "Go and catch a diabolic beast that is close to reaching the Holy Realm. If you did not come back in two hours, I''d crash your Natal Divine Bead."


    He thought for a while and felt that the strength of the Water Kylin was stronger; thus, he assumed that he could capture one robust and stalwart diabolic beast for him.


    The Water Kylin had been entirely controlled by him, one mistake, and his Natal Divine Bead would be crushed. There was no way for him to resist.


    After he vented out his orders, the young man drew a circle in the air, which turned into a ferocious black hole. Then, he directly threw the Water Kylin into the hole.


    This space passage was connected to an unknown space filled with powerful diabolic beasts.


    "Ah!"


    Pretty soon, runic lightning flashed around the young man''s body, which made him twitch.


    The Natal Divine Bead of the Water Kylin he had been holding all this time fell to the ground.


    "Master." At the sight of the Natal Divine Bead on the ground, Darren walked towards the young man and pretended to help him up.


    "Fuck off!"


    the young man shouted at the top of his lungs, which caused Darren to fly away. As he was sent flying, Darren''s ribs were broken.


    Despite that, his heart rejoiced, for he had gained something from it. The Natal Divine Bead of the Water Kylin was lying in his Space Ring now.


    In order not to be noticed by the young man, Darren walked over again and irritated him. Only then would he forget the existence of the Natal Divine Bead.


    The young man fanned Darren away and staggered towards a mountain. He didn''t notice the Natal Divine Bead of the Water Kylin had been gone from his possession.


    After walking for a while, the young man seemed to sense that something was wrong.


    He turned around and looked at Darren with his frightening eyes. "As my slave, he doesn''t listen to my orders. Is this guy not under my control?"

 Chapter 703 The People Darren Hadnt Seen For A Long Time

    Enduring the pain that shot through every part of his body, the young man walked toward Darren.


    He would not allow this man, who did not become his slave, to stay with him.


    "Take out your sword," the young man ordered.


    Darren did as he was told.


    "Stab yourself in the chest, right in the heart," the young man continued.


    "Yes," Darren answered.


    ''Oh, no. He has found out that I''m a fraud, '' Darren thought to himself.


    The young man had just ordered him to put a sword through his own heart. If he did not obey, the young man would see that he had been pretending all along. Wasn''t he going to die if he thrust a sword into his heart?


    Since the young man was obviously testing him, there was a probability that he was unsure about Darren''s deception. As long as Darren obeyed every order, the young man would find no reason to doubt him.


    The most important thing to figure out now was how to impale himself with his sword and somehow survive.


    There was no time for hesitation. If Darren paused for so much as another second, the young man would recognize the trickery and go for the kill.


    Swish!


    Without delay, Darren swung the sword into the air so that it faced him and then thrust it into his heart.


    "Move the sword up to cut open your heart," the young man said, still not satisfied.


    "Yes, master."


    Darren made a horizontal upward cut with the blade.


    "Humph!" After the sword had been moved halfway, the young man snorted. Ignoring Darren completely, he turned around and walked toward a mountain.


    Darren''s body fell to the ground with a thud.


    On the other hand, the Water Kylin was teleported to a forest.


    These woods were home to powerful diabolic beasts, each one as capable as a six-star grand warrior.


    There were even diabolic beasts here who were as strong as a seven-star grand warrior of the highest level.


    And yet, wherever the Water Kylin went, the beasts scrambled to steer clear of him. Feeling vulnerable, they ran for their lives. The aura of the legendary beast terrified them.


    As he set foot in this area, the Water Kylin was temporarily freed from the young man''s control. Here, he could move freely. He also regained his normal strength.


    However, he had to catch a diabolic beast and return as soon as possible. Otherwise, if the young man finally crushed his Natal Divine Bead, it would be the end of him. He would die in the blink of an eye. Besides, Darren was still technically under the young man''s control. He had to do as the young man ordered.


    "Damn it! Once I get my hands on my Natal Divine Bead again, I''ll devour you to death, you son of a bitch,"


    the Water Kylin cursed. The feeling that his life was in the hands of another person infuriated him.


    Whoosh!


    The Water Kylin turned


    de yet."


    On that fateful day, in order to force Darren to save his master, Pasquale had kept Aaron as a hostage.


    Now, Darren was much stronger than Pasquale had been back then. It was time for him to go inside and have a look.


    Without delay, he concentrated his spiritual sense and entered the Purgatorial Tripod.


    He had to hurry up. If the demon-like young man returned and found out that there was only one tripod there, he might destroy it.


    Darren descended into the darkness. Revenants found him but did not dare approach. They all shivered and retreated.


    When he reached the bottom, he found a river of boiling magma.


    Darren stepped into the magma and descended into the decaying, neglected world. He easily found the mountain where Pasquale was.


    Giggle, giggle, giggle.


    Darren heard the sound of children''s laughter in the distance.


    He flew over to where he thought the sound was coming from. Suddenly, he sensed the presence of a black-eyed child who was riding a Giant Ape, constantly tearing out its hair.


    "Aaron, please spare me. I''ll grow bald if you keep torturing me like this."


    The Giant Ape''s voice was rough and helpless.


    "No, I will go on. Unless you let me out to look for my brother." The black-eyed kid continued to pull out hair from the Giant Ape''s head.


    "Don''t mention that brat to me. He has been gone for so many years. He never even thought to cast his spiritual sense here. Not once! I''m afraid that he has already forgotten you. Don''t call him ''brother''! He is bad."


    "Bah, you silly ape. I''ll beat you!"


    Aaron hit the Giant Ape on the head a few times. Suddenly, he stopped. His eyes glowed with a powerful black light.


    "Who''s there?" he asked.


    Without waiting for a response, he condensed a black rune into a skeleton soldier. The soldier, wielding a knife, rushed toward Darren.

 Chapter 704 Leave It To Aaron

    "Oh my God! Aaron is still so much powerful! He is even admittedly a little bit stronger than me!"


    Darren muttered to himself as he could feel a great pressure coming from the skeleton soldier made by Aaron.


    Immediately, Darren mobilized the blade and sword intents and tried his best to kill the black skeleton soldier made of runes that were coming after him.


    Boom!


    The explosion as a result from the two attacks forced Darren to step back.


    "Aaron!" Pasquale, the Giant Ape, shouted out.


    As his first blow didn''t kill the young man, Aaron wanted to mobilize the runes to attack him again.


    "Aaron, stop now!" Pasquale stopped him at once.


    Because Pasquale recognized the young man, whom Aaron was preparing to attack, was Darren.


    "He is your brother, Darren," Pasquale said to Aaron.


    "Oh, he really is my brother, Darren!" With great joy overflowing him, Aaron flew towards Darren in a flash.


    "Darren, are you here to pick me up?" Aaron held Darren''s arms, laughing happily.


    "Aaron, I didn''t expect that you hadn''t grown, but you can speak quite fluently now." Darren laughed and caressed Aaron''s head.


    "It''s all because of that old ape, ha ha!" Aaron giggled as he pointed at the approaching Giant Ape behind him.


    Pasquale walked over to them and said, "Humph, you finally show up. I thought something bad had happened to you while you were outside."


    "Haha, don''t be angry at me, sir. I just have too many things on my plate these past few years," Darren smiled.


    "It''s just an excuse. But you are much more powerful than before. You could even resist Aaron''s attack," Pasquale said.


    "Nothing more but slight improvements. Oh! One more thing! I have something important to ask you," Darren added.


    "What is it?" Pasquale asked.


    "I''m currently being suppressed by an evil young man and could die at any time. I still have two rolls of true rule here. Help me and see if I can quickly comprehend them. Only by increasing my strength can I have a chance to escape death," Darren answered briefly.


    "Don''t worry. Tell me in detail." With a serious look on his face, Pasquale gestured for Darren to fly into the cave.


    Darren then told them what he knew and engraved the contents of the true rules.


    When Pasquale saw the two rolls of true rules, he was stunned for a moment.


    "Well! That''s very good! If these two true rules are complete, they can even be as powerful as Barnes'' Invincible True Rule. But even though t


    s is definitely the best way at the moment. It''s only a true rule. Give it to Aaron. But I feel as if someone''s coming, so I have to leave."


    "Well, you''d better leave as soon as possible. Don''t let that demonic monster find the Purgatorial Tripod, or he might try to break it. Then, all of us will die inside," Pasquale reminded.


    "Then I''ll go out first. Have you kept the true rule formulas in your mind?"


    "I''ve kept them in mind and will teach Aaron later. Once he understands a little of them, he can help you out."


    "Okay!" Darren nodded.


    "Darren, I want to go with you, too," Aaron said to Darren. He didn''t understand what they were talking about, but he wanted to follow Darren when he was about to leave, especially when it had been so long since they last saw each other.


    "No, you stay here and improve your strength. This is the only way you can help your brother. Come with me," Pasquale said with a long face.


    "Go ahead," Darren said with a smile and pat Aaron''s head.


    "All right. As long as I can help you, I''m not afraid of anything."


    "Well, I''ll take my leave now."


    With that, Darren flew out of the Purgatorial Tripod.


    Outside the Purgatorial Tripod, there were still green plants in full bloom.


    But not far away, there was a bloody body lying on the grass.


    Darren rushed towards that place. It was the Water Kylin.


    At this time, his skin and flesh was torn, and he was already at his final breath. Not to mention that his body was not as shiny as before.


    "What''s wrong with you, you damn dog?" Darren stood in shock and immediately used low-level of the Life True Rule to heal the other.

 Chapter 705 The Cyan Dragon

    The Water Kylin was brought back to life after several hours'' treatment.


    "Damn it! That was a very strong beast!" he exclaimed. The Water Kylin opened his eyes.


    "How am I able to speak again?" he asked himself.


    It was a peculiar phenomenon. He was not given the privilege to speak ever since the demon-like young man seized his Divine Natal Bead.


    He looked around, spotting Darren who held his Divine Natal Bead. Joy consumed him for he was no longer under the control of the vicious young man.


    Darren raised the bead to the Water Kylin''s direction. "Here. I am returning your Divine Natal Bead." The bead floated in the air, making its way to the Water Kylin''s position.


    The Water Kylin eyed Darren in awe. "Master, did you kill the beast?" he asked in disbelief.


    The Water Kylin hurriedly caught the bead with his strong jaw, swallowing it immediately and regaining his strength.


    Darren shook his head. "Impossible. He dropped the bead by accident when he left in a hurry," he replied to the Water Kylin. He crossed his arms, turning to face the Water Kylin. Narrowing his eyes he asked, "What had happened to you to receive this much injury?"


    "You have no idea, master! He was so strong. I could not beat him no matter how much I tried," the Water Kylin growled in frustration. "Luckily, the time was up and I was teleported back. Otherwise, I would have been dead." He stomped his paw on the grass to emphasize his point.


    Darren''s eyebrows met in confusion. "What kind of powerful diabolic beast was it?" he asked the Water Kylin.


    The Water Kylin met Darren''s eyes. "A dragon. A huge cyan dragon," he replied. Fear swam evidently in the Water Kylin''s eyes as he spoke.


    "A dragon?" Darren frowned at the thought. "How huge was it?"


    "It is certainly larger than you in your dragon form," the Water Kylin described, nodding his head. "It must be at least ten thousand feet long!"


    "Ten thousand feet..." Darren muttered. Darren estimated the cyan dragon''s strength based on its length. A dragon that big must contain power like that of an inferior holy warrior, if not, stronger.


    His own curiosity poked at him constantly like a spear. ''Why might there be a cyan dragon, let alone a huge one, in that space?'' he thought to himself.


    "However," the Water Kylin interrupted his thoughts. "He is not just a beast. He can also take the form of a human being just like you. I sensed human blood flowing through his veins as we fought," the Water Kylin added.


    Sudden realization washed over Darren upon hearing those words. He finally understood.


    The person that the Water Kylin had encountered was most likely a member of the Dragon Blood Clan!


    "How was a member of the Dragon Blood Clan trapped in the space full of diabolic beasts?" Darren questioned.


    The Water Kylin shrugged. "Who knows? Something must have happened in the diabolic beast space that lured him there." The Water Kylin suddenly remembered the young man who once held him in captivity. "Anyway, since my Divine Natal Bead is back, I will fight that demon-like man no matter what!" he announced proudly.


    Darren sighed, shaking his head. "You stand no chance. The young man is a powerful being. His strength is far greater than even if we combine ours. Attacking him now is the same as courting your own death," he explained to the W


    g for the cyan dragon but I got a giant loach instead," Darren whispered to himself.


    "Little dragon, I shall show you hell!"


    the creature that looked like a loach roared.


    Darren calmed his dragon body as he stared at the loach. "You better not interfere. I had not provoked you. Or else, you will die miserably!" Darren replied coldly, charging towards the loach.


    The loach refused to succumb to Darren. Instead, he swiftly slithered towards Darren''s dragon form, summoning millions of lightning bolts. The bolts hit Darren''s dragon form.


    ''I''m afraid the lightning of the loach is just as strong as that of the Water Kylin, '' Darren thought to himself.


    Darren, once again, activated the dragon blood aura and the demonic internal force abruptly and shot them at the lightning.


    Resuming his human form, he dashed towards the beast at lightning speed.


    Boom!


    The dark gold internal force and the blade and sword intents, as well as the black flame, surged crazily.


    "Ah!" The loach screamed as Darren''s powerful attacks hit him, sending painful vibrations and fire throughout his body.


    The lake beneath Darren shook violently and a school of giant loaches flew up in the air.


    All of the loaches had lightning flowing through their bodies as they glared angrily at Darren. Their oppressive aura made breathing extremely hard for Darren.


    ''If I will be attacked by all those bolts, I doubt that I will be able to withstand it!'' Darren thought, clenching his fists, bracing for impact.


    A loud roar boomed throughout the cliff.


    As if on cue, a much larger body emerged from the water violently.


    He opened his bloody mouth and swallowed a giant loach.


    Then its ten-thousand-feet-long body swept over the hoards of loaches at insane speed.


    His speed knocked up all the loaches on and above the lake''s water, allowing himself unlimited access to the food supply which was currently the countless loaches.


    The cyan dragon was in front of Darren in only a few breaths. The loaches were definitely not enough to satisfy his hunger. He wanted more.


    His cold, enraged eyes stared hungrily at Darren.


    Darren felt like his heart was stabbed by ice crystals, which made him feel extremely cold.

 Chapter 706 The Way To Destroy The Space

    Darren was as weak as an earthworm in front of the cyan dragon. He started racking his brain to find a way out.


    The cyan dragon roared loudly and started to make a daring move. Just as he was about to attack Darren, the latter formed an idea in his head.


    Darren released his aura of dragon blood, but he did not let go of the demonic internal force this time.


    The huge cyan dragon stopped in his tracks and started staring at Darren with widened eyes. He felt a familiar aura from Darren.


    "Sir, are you from the Dragon Blood Clan?" Darren asked after he transformed into the human form.


    The cyan dragon was in a daze in the midair for a long time. When he came back to his senses, he also took the human form and came down to stand in front of Darren.


    This was a middle-aged man who wore ragged clothes, and his hair was messy. He swept his curious eyes at the young man before him.


    The middle-aged man''s gaze was filled with complicated emotions. It had been a long time! His eyes started welling up with tears.


    "What''s your name, kid?" His voice was hoarse.


    "I''m Darren Chu. Sir, are you really from the Dragon Blood Clan?" Darren repeated the same question again.


    The man nodded and burst into tears.


    "I didn''t expect to see my clan''s descendant in my life. Thank God!"


    The man looked very excited and roared for a long time.


    Darren wanted to tell the truth that he wasn''t from the clan, but he hesitated. He waited until the man continued to howl and roar in excitement. "Sir, I am not from the Dragon Blood Clan." He pondered and decided to tell the truth.


    "What?"


    The man was stunned at first and stared at Darren with astonished eyes. He squinted his eyes and released his powerful pressure that enveloped Darren.


    "Then how did you get into the dragon shape? And how did you get the aura of my clan?" he asked and stared at Darren with a cold expression.


    When Darren saw that expression, he knew he had to clarify a few things. He looked at the man without blinking. "Please listen to me, sir. I have a good friend called Scott Ao, who is a direct descendant of the Dragon Blood Clan."


    Darren told the man the things that happened between Scott and him. He was able to transform into a dragon because Scott had transferred the aura of the dragon blood to him.


    The shoulders of that man relaxed after he heard the explanation. "Oh, I get it. You and the descendant of my clan are good buddies, and you have got the dragon blood inheritance. You can be considered as a member of my clan too." His voice had calmed down, and there wasn''t a trace of coldness anymore.


    "What should I call you, sir?"


    "Theodore Ao!"


    "By the way, why are you here in this kind of space?" Darren curiously gazed at Theodore Ao.


    Theodore''s expressions hardened when he recalled the memory of why he had been trapped in that godforsaken place. "Humph, let me tell you in detail."


    He gave a cold snort and signaled Darren to find a stone to rest.


    "Tens of thousands of years ago, I used to work in the Sacred Palace. I had a friend called Ulin at that time. We had a similar cultivation base, and our personalities


    situation. "It seems that I was too hasty. Ulin is a holy warrior. How can you break through his means? Besides, he had declared that he controlled this space using some of his soul power. You can imagine how powerful it is." Theodore sighed in disappointment.


    Darren frowned as if he had recalled something. His mind seemed to focus on the words "soul power" in the entire sentence. Somehow, he felt like he already had a solution.


    "Sir, you said it was controlled by his soul power?"


    "Yes, this space used to be a magic weapon he had carried with him years ago. It can only be controlled if he infuses his soul power in it."


    Darren''s face brightened when he heard Theodore''s explanation. "So, in this case, I have a way to get you out of here!"


    Theodore furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Darren. He was still somehow skeptical. "Really? Tell me about it. But if you will be in danger, then don''t do it."


    Darren licked his lips in anticipation and shook his head. "Don''t worry, sir. It''s not dangerous. I have a method to burn the power of soul. It can be useful."


    After this, Darren activated his spiritual sense to call upon the black flame in his elixir field.


    With the help of the black flame, Darren had burnt off the soul power that Ulin had shot into his brain. Presumably, the soul power that the latter had infused into the black metal ball tens of thousands of years ago could also be burned off.


    The black flame crawled out of Darren''s body and shot toward the metal ball with full force.


    Boom.


    The whole space began to tremble.


    "Ha-ha, it may work. I can feel the black flame burning the soul power inside the ball. But the black flame I can control now is too weak. It will take some time." The eyebrows on Darren''s forehead wrinkled when he started focusing on his black flame.


    Theodore''s ears perked up at that. "Really?" He was startled after hearing this. Theodore had been desperate to go out of the space but failed. He hadn''t expected that he could go out anymore.


    He didn''t expect that a young man who entered by accident could give him hope!

 Chapter 707 Found Out

    The constant release of the black flame made Darren feel very uncomfortable, but he was frankly relieved that the soul power in the black metal ball was weakening overtime.


    "Oh, no! I''m running out of time!"


    Darren then realized that almost two hours had passed and he would be teleported out of the space very soon.


    "Boy, won''t you please hold on for a little bit longer?" Theodore gazed at Darren with a longing desire. He was desperate to be free and to finally kill Ulin with his own hands.


    "Ulin teleported me in here and only gave me two hours. Once the time is up, I will be automatically be teleported out.


    But don''t worry, sir. I will infuse the black flame into it as much as I can. It is only a matter of time before the soul power is totally removed. And I am sure that the time will not last too long!"


    Darren replied, determination painting his words of promise.


    "Good, good, that''s good." Theodore could not help but tremble in excitement. The time he had dreamed of for years would finally come.


    "Sir, please catch a diabolic beast for my sake, or he won''t be satisfied," Darren requested.


    "Well, of course, young man."


    Theodore flew away. A moment later, he came back with two diabolic beasts lying dead in both of his hands.


    "Are these enough? I will get more if needed."


    "Just one is already more than enough. I don''t want Ulin to recover from his injury too fast."


    As long as Ulin was being tortured by his injury, he would be distracted and would buy Darren time. Only in this way would Darren''s safety be reassured as Ulin could not find out Darren had lied to him.


    Darren exerted all of his strength to summon the black flame. Nearly all the black flame in his body was called out and soon infused into the black metal ball.


    "Please wait patiently, sir. I believe you will be able to come out soon," Darren said with confidence.


    "Well, young man, don''t worry. As long as I get out, if anyone dares to even lay a scratch on you, he will meet death!"


    The time was up.


    Darren picked up one of the unconscious diabolic beasts and disappeared from this space the next moment.


    Back outside, the Water Kylin was still lying seemingly lifeless on the ground, feigning death.


    "Wow! Master, it''s you! I thought it was the demon-like man from earlier,"


    the Water Kylin acknowledged happily after he realized the person approaching him was just Darren.


    "Don''t be so careless. He will be coming soon. Keep pretending to be dead."


    "Damn i


    ut if Theodore escaped and drew the attention of the Sacred Palace, he would be done for.


    The number one law enforcer of the Sacred Palace was an extremely terrifying existence. It was because of him that he had been hiding for so many years!


    Thinking of this, the figure of Ulin disappeared from where he stood and reappeared above the cliff.


    "Theodore, how are you?" He gave a demon-like grin.


    Hearing this, Theodore turned around suddenly. The killing intent and pure anger reflected in his eyes seemed to burn the whole world to ashes.


    However, a moment later, he calmed down.


    "Ulin, you finally dare to come and see me. How much longer are you planning to lock me up? The hatred between us in the past has been mended by time. Haven''t you seen it enough?" Theodore asked in a voice as calm as the sea.


    "Is that so? My dear big brother, I have hurt you so badly before. Do you not hold anger towards me at the slightest? It does not seem like something you would do," Ulin responded with a faint smile.


    "Tens of thousands of years have passed, and I''m still alive. Why should I still bother about it? We just aimed and worked for different intentions and masters," Theodore replied. He tried to keep himself calm and indifferent for this to work.


    He merely said this because he didn''t want Ulin to realize that the metal ball was being damaged.


    "Ha-ha, time really will change a person, I see. Though, I didn''t expect my former big brother to be a liar now.


    You said so much just to cover up the fact that the controlling ball is being destroyed, am I right?"


    Ulin''s expression turned cold, and his eyes were full of malicious light.

 Chapter 708 A Coincidence

    ''He''s seen through me!''


    Theodore exhaled hot aura of the dragon blood as the thought flashed through his mind.


    As he was a man of action, Theodore had never resorted to tricks. This was the first time that he had tried to deceive someone, only to fail.


    "Ulin, aren''t you afraid that I will kill you?" Theodore asked. Since he had been discovered, there was no need for him to continue pretending. An instant later, killing intent burst out from Theodore''s eyes.


    "Ha-ha, man, do you think you can kill me?" Ulin retorted.


    "Roar!"


    Suddenly, Theodore turned into a huge dragon that was ten thousand feet long. In a flash, dragon claws flew toward Ulin.


    Not one to be defeated easily, Ulin formed a rune sword to defend against the dragon claws.


    "This is useless. We have almost the same strength. The winner cannot be decided unless we fight to the death.


    But I''m not stupid enough to fight you to the end. Instead, you will always be my pet, ha-ha," Ulin said.


    He poured a little soul power into the metal ball, and then his figure disappeared.


    "Howl!"


    Theodore was overwhelmed with fury when he saw that Ulin had escaped. Since he had no one to unleash his anger on, he turned to the cliff and lashed out. Several huge stones rolled down from the impact of his attacks.


    "Ulin, I will tear you to pieces!" Theodore growled at the sky after he returned to his human form.


    Since the black metal ball had been refilled with new soul power, Theodore''s hopes of leaving were shattered. Moreover, Ulin had discovered this, and the young man outside would probably die.


    Theodore withdrew his strength and let his body fall on the ground. A loud sound echoed in the space as a deep black hole appeared on the ground.


    Desperation coursed through Theodore when he realized that he couldn''t get out.


    What he had missed was that even though Ulin had infused another soul power into the metal ball, he could not disperse the black flame that Darren had left there.


    It had been three days since Ulin returned to the outer world.


    "What a brat! How could he deceive me so easily?" Ulin used his index finger to flip the hair on his forehead. His eyes were evil and terrible.


    After leaving the diabolic beast space, he learned that Darren and the Water Kylin had disappeared. He knew that he had been cheated.


    Ulin was so furious that he searched the area for three days. His efforts were in vain as he failed to find Darren and the Water Kylin.


    As he had accidentally discovered the area, Ulin had no con


    oor blocked the entrance.


    "The thing behind the stone door must have something to do with the cave in the Ancient Void Battlefield," Darren said. As he neared, the feeling became stronger.


    "You are right. I feel it too," said the Water Kylin.


    Now, both Darren and the Water Kylin were curious about how the aura here matched the aura from the cave in the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    What was the connection between these two?


    Driven by curiosity, Darren decided to explore the cave in the Ancient Void Battlefield first.


    Darren activated the force of control to open the Ancient Void Battlefield. Then, they both stepped into the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    They went straight to the mysterious cave, hoping to find some clues.


    What Darren didn''t know was that the water of the pool could only block his Spirit Power. It couldn''t prevent the force of control from being detected.


    The force of control was very special as it could create waves of rule power when activated.


    Outside, in the vast green field.


    After several days'' searching, Ulin immersed himself in comprehending the true rules from Darren. As long as he mastered them, his strength would significantly increase. When that happened, he would kill Theodore before looking for Darren and the Water Kylin.


    His goal was to kill the people from the Sacred Palace and return to the clan.


    Partway through the comprehension, Ulin''s eyebrows trembled as he felt a faint wave of rule power.


    There were no other living creatures except him and Darren in this space. Who had released this rule power? The answer was evident.


    After careful examination, Ulin grinned wickedly and flew toward the mountain.

 Chapter 709 Ulins Hunt

    Darren and the Water Kylin stood before the mysterious cave in the Ancient Void Battlefield, eying it carefully.


    "It has the same aura as the cave outside," Darren observed. "Finley once said that he had some grand adventure to do with this cave, and comprehended the Life True Rule here, in front of it. I wonder if there''s a huge treasure hidden inside."


    Darren recalled that on the day Finley was cultivating by himself in front of this cave, the Water Kylin had showed up and disturbed his cultivation. Then, the Water Kylin was smashed to death by Finley, but was resurrected the next moment with the help of Finley''s Life True Rule.


    "Humph!" the Water Kylin snorted. "Finley is always someplace else when he''s really needed¡ªunlike me, who is always faithful and ready to protect you. Isn''t that right, master?"


    "Cut the crap," Darren scolded. "Let''s just focus on busting into this cave together."


    "That''s not a good idea," his companion replied, ignoring the rebuke. "With our full strength combined, we would easily cause the Ancient Void Battlefield to collapse."


    Darren frowned. "You''re right. I didn''t think of that. Let''s try and take it easy, then. We''ll control our strength and hit the restriction of the cave little by little."


    "Very well. Let''s give it a try," the Water Kylin agreed.


    With that, the two focused their power together and started to bombard the cave, carefully testing its strength. However, the runes covering its outer layer seemed impervious to their efforts.


    After a moment, Darren suddenly felt something strange.


    However, it had to do with another person rather than with the cave.


    As the controller of the Ancient Void Battlefield, Darren was able to sense what was going on with everyone in this small world.


    His eyes fell on a stream, where a beautiful figure lay among the flower shrubs.


    It was Denise, writhing and struggling as though she had fallen and found herself unable to rise.


    "What''s going on?" Darren wondered aloud, aghast. "Someone has hurt Denise!"


    Glancing at the Water Kylin, he said, "We have to stop! Wait here."


    Having said this, he flew over to the stream.


    "Denise, what''s wrong with you?"


    Darren couldn''t keep the dismay from his voice. Denise''s normally lovely visage was now as pale as paper, and marred by a sickly, miserable expression.


    "Oh, there you are, Darren."


    Saying this, the woman smiled bitterly.


    "You were gone for such a long time¡ªI thought you''d forgotten me. Yet one day I realized I was still just as lonely as before. Butterflies and fish and flowers could not talk to me, listen to me, or love me..."


    Her voice was strange¡ªweak, low and raspy, and Darren''s heart ached all the more for it.


    Still, he had a clear enough head to not waste time answering her ramblings. The important thing was to keep he


    trength and potential is well-deserved."


    "You don''t have to say that," Darren answered coldly. "Just to be clear, I will never serve you."


    "Well, you don''t have to if you don''t want to!" Ulin said with a strange voice.


    "Oh, so you''re just going to go easy on me and let me go this time?" Darren knew there was no chance of this, however, and his question had been little more than a joke.


    "Go easy on you? Don''t be so naive, young man. As a matter of fact, I''ve changed my mind. Even if you had accepted my offer, there''s no doubt you''d prove a danger to me in the future, sooner or later. So I think I''ll just kill you instead right now." When he had said this, Ulin''s eyes began to glow as the power of an evil spirit rose up within him.


    Thinking fast, Darren tried to stall for time. "Really, Ulin? I thought I was little more than an insect to you. Why, then, are you in such a hurry to dispose of me?


    Are you feeling guilty and just hoping to get it over with? Or are you afraid of giving me a chance to put up a real fight?"


    "Afraid of you? What a joke!" Ulin sneered, too enraged to do anything but respond. "You''re nobody, Darren, and we both know it.


    I''ve once killed the Lord of the Sacred Palace. Just who the hell do you think you are?"


    Darren cracked a sly smile. "Is killing a lord by trickery really something worth bragging about?"


    "That''s bullshit!" Ulin snarled lividly. "I fought him man-to-man! I would never..." But he trailed off then, shaking his head, and a wicked smile took over his face. "You silly little boy. You must think you''re really clever, stalling for time like this."


    Despite the animosity he bore toward Darren, Ulin couldn''t help but be impressed. He hadn''t thought his opponent would be capable of fooling him.


    Nevertheless, Ulin was just about done playing games. Being impressed with Darren wasn''t enough to let him live.

 Chapter 710 Here Came The Law Enforcers

    At this moment, Darren suddenly felt Ulin''s overwhelming aura possessing such a killing intent.


    With this, stalling for time would be next to impossible. And fighting to the death was the only choice left for him.


    But before that, Darren had already cast his spiritual sense into the Purgatorial Tripod.


    "Your death is truly a pity," Ulin mocked as he sarcastically grinned, seemingly provoking Darren, who was currently bracing himself for the worst.


    In a split second, runes on Ulin''s body flashed, and a vast rule power exploded instantly.


    "Roar!"


    Darren immediately turned into a dragon. His dragon tail swept across the area.


    However, Ulin''s hand swiftly grasped Darren''s dragon tail. He could not move now.


    Ulin shook his head, and mockingly said, "You are still too young. In my hands, you have no chance to fight back."


    Whoosh!


    And without saying another word, his runic sword pierced Darren''s dragon tail.


    Soon, a pool of blood dripped from Darren''s dragon tail and converged on the ground like a flowing stream.


    Boom!


    To counterattack, Darren gathered his Spirit Power, fueling the black flame condensing in his elixir field and shot it to Ulin''s brain.


    "Hmm!"


    Ulin groaned. He was stunned as he felt a sharp pain in his head.


    He was caught off guard. He even felt the burning sensation in his soul caused by the black flame.


    However, Ulin''s soul and Spirit Power were extremely powerful so the black flame was expelled in an instant!


    "This method shows having great power and strength. I have never seen such a powerful black flame," Ulin acknowledged in a faint voice.


    "Cut the crap. Kill me if you can!"


    Darren bent his body in a swift motion and bounced out abruptly, before turning around to hit Ulin with his dragon claw.


    This blow contained all his power, but unfortunately, it only made Ulin retreat a few staggering steps.


    Ulin''s lips twitched. Loosening his grip, he put his palms together at once.


    A moment later, thirteen swords condensed by golden runes shot out, tearing the space and eventually destroying the ground. The attack was as powerful as that released by an inferior holy warrior at top level.


    Bang!


    A loud explosion reverberated, and a figure dashed towards Darren, sending him flying away. It was unfortunate that the figure was stabbed by a runic sword.


    The runic sword pierced through the figure''s body, and then he fell to the ground with a loud bang.


    "Water Kylin!" Darren roared. It was the Water Kylin who had saved him.


    "Don''t worry, master. I''m still alive!"


    the Water Kylin exclaimed as he flew to Darren and stood in the midair next to him. It was apparent that both of them kept bleeding.


    "That''s great," Ulin touted. He stared at the two creatures in front of him, and his eyes brightened. "I''ve killed a lot of creatures before. But this time, I will kill a legend


    neered.


    So to speak, they could find this mysterious space because of the powerful aura of the natural thunder. If Ulin didn''t test his methods and directly killed Darren and the Water Kylin, they would never find this mysterious space.


    "Dying men find my hiding place, so what?"


    Ulin haughtily exclaimed as the runes on him exploded. Tens of thousands of runic swords gathered in the midair, ready to attack.


    "Edward, he is going to take action. I will fight against him and you go to protect Darren and his legendary beast as soon as possible."


    "Roger that," Edward replied.


    Whoosh!


    Ramon hastily took up his long spear and deftly threw it at Ulin. Tens of thousands of runic swords heavily condensed into a whirlpool and started to shoot towards them.


    Ramon neatly moved among the runic swords along a perfect trace. In one''s naked eyes, it seemed that he had been stabbed thousands of times. But looking at it closely, each of the figures stabbed was merely a phantom. His agility was exceptional.


    "Go to hell!"


    Ramon stretched his arms and aimed directly at the void, making it collapse.


    "You''re still wet behind the ears, boy!"


    Clang!


    A plain and vintage metal jar popped out in front of Ramon and fended off his spear.


    "The rule cultivator''s weapon command skill?" Ramon was slightly shocked.


    In terms of a rule cultivator, the ultimate attack method depended on controlling the weapons using rule power.


    Generally speaking, this method could only be comprehended after a rule cultivator reached the top level of the junior Holy Realm. If one wanted to develop it, he had to become a senior holy warrior.


    Tens of thousands of rays of light were emitted from the metal jar, each of which seemed to have the power to shoot through the human soul.


    At the same time, eighteen black vortexes were surrounding the metal jar, which was much more terrifying than the space cracks.

 Chapter 711 Aaron Took Action (Part One)

    After Ramon dashed over the battle arena, Edward moved beside Darren and his friend. He was anxious for the safety of the injured people and quickly dragged them away from the battlefield. The only thing he could do at that time was to release the Holy Will to protect them.


    He shot a glance at the people resting on the ground. "Darren, are you all right?" Edward crouched down and used his hand to provide more spiritual energy to Darren. The power slowly started flashing over the wounds only to penetrate deep in the body. It started healing Darren''s injuries, making the latter feel refreshed.


    Darren had already transferred back to his human body, and his face was deathly pale. Thankfully, his injury wasn''t fatal any longer.


    As for the Water Kylin, he had been knocked out by the thunder and lightning and hadn''t woken up yet.


    "I''m fine. Thank you for the rescue, sir." Darren nodded.


    When red scars on Darren''s body started to vanish, the shoulders of the law enforcer relaxed, and he looked over at the Water Kylin. Before he could do anything, Darren''s hand slipped over the lifeless body only to mobilize a low level of Life Rule.


    Darren waited for a long time, and when nothing happened, his eyebrows furrowed. Why couldn''t his Life Rule fix the damage caused by the thunder and lightning to the Water Kylin?


    Edward''s expressions changed when he observed Darren using Life Rule to heal the Water Kylin. "This is the damage from the natural thunder and lightning. You won''t be able to heal his wounds since your Life Rule is of a low level. It is even impossible for a person with higher level of Life True Rule to attempt to heal the wounds."


    "Why is that?" Darren shot a curious glanced at the number three law enforcer.


    The law enforcer shook his head. "I can''t tell. There are many rules b


    rs were actually masters of the Holy Realm.


    The sky continued to crack as if someone had decided to tear it apart from the void. Multiple colored lights shone out of the emerging cracks that seemed beautiful and terrifying at the same time. It seemed like the world was approaching its end.


    The battle had lasted for a few hours before it ended.


    Darren was continually watching the entire episode from afar. Once he noticed that the light faded away, he shot a spiritual sense to probe the whole place. The two law enforcers, who had been injured, were surrounded by eighteen black vortexes, and they eventually were swallowed.


    "Ah!"


    A heart wrenching howl came.


    Darren could see a bloody body shooting through the sky and finally went landed on the ground.


    Without delaying a second, another bloody body was knocked down heavily by the impact and fell down beside Darren.


    Darren jumped and looked at the injured body with mouth opened ajar. "Damn it!"


    The law enforcer groaned and moved on the ground. His entire body was drowning in the intensity of unlimited pain because of injury. Like a peeled creature, he got to his feet, and took his spear which was lying beside him on the ground.

 Chapter 712 Aaron Took Action (Part Two)

    Darren''s heart ached when he saw that the law enforcer was beaten so severely.


    "Sir, do you still have the strength to fight? Why don''t you just use the last bit of your energy and run away before you end up dying? Please, I urge you to leave me here." Darren didn''t want the man to die because of him.


    The injured law enforcer gnashed his teeth and darted his sharp eyes at Darren. "Kid, have a little faith in a law enforcer, will you?" Darren''s words only motivated the law enforcer to fight with all his might. Thinking like this, he started staggering on the field toward his target.


    In the end, Darren could only watch the injured man forcing his steps forward. Although, he couldn''t tell which one the law enforcer before him was.


    Darren wanted to say something to stop that law enforcer. Before he could even open his mouth to form a shape, the law enforcer suddenly stopped. "I''d rather die! Never surrender!"


    A spasm of anger flashed across the law enforcer''s face when his eyesight landed on Ulin. "Kill!" The law enforcer tightened his grip against his spear and flew directly towards Ulin.


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat: not only for the law enforcer''s miserable appearance but also for his courage.


    The two forces collided that produced a loud bang echoing across the sky.


    Darren''s heart crawled on his throat after he saw the clash of two sides. He knew exactly who would win. And his guess was right. A moment later, the law enforcer was thrown into the air by one wave.


    Ulin was in a mess as well, but he was not severely injured alike.


    "These law enforcers are tough to deal with!" Ulin didn''t expect that these two law enforcers, who were weaker than him, could be so fierce when they fought.


    S


    energy fading away?" Ulin was startled.


    After a moment of pondering over the matter, realization dawned on his face and he roared, "Life Shortening Incantation!"


    This was the other powerful true rule that Darren gave him!


    Ulin had tried many times but still couldn''t even get the basic knowledge. He didn''t expect that the little boy who hadn''t even entered the Holy Realm could use this skill so easily.


    In the true rules, there was no existence of incantations that were not extremely powerful.


    It was said that this kind of incantation was made from some witchers from the outer space. No one could get it except those powerful people who were called "immortal."


    So when it came to the incantation of the true rule, it must have been passed down from an immortal.


    Aaron''s face surged in fury. "Go to hell!" Ulin went crazy as he was cursed to death. He knew once his breath of life decreased to the extreme, he would no longer have any strength to fight.


    His black hair was waving wildly in the air. His body bent in midair like a bow.


    The next moment, the flesh on his body began to crack and black thorns emerged from his body.

 Chapter 713 Aarons Thunder-Manipulating Formula

    A moment later, a dark body was exposed in front of them.


    Darren''s gaze fell solely onto the body. It was surrounded by sharp thorns and had a shape that made it look like a tiger. There was a pair of matching black flapping wings on its back.


    Darren felt that he was very familiar with this appearance.


    That dark body was exactly the same as the winged-tiger Darren had seen at the Heavenly Serene Graveyard. But this one was several times bigger than the first and possessed an awful aura!


    "He was formed from the winged-tiger."


    Written in the legends of this continent, the winged-tiger was the beast in the Ancient Age, whose fighting power could be on par with a legendary beast.


    "Ulin''s blood and aura are much purer compared to the winged-tiger in the Heavenly Serene Graveyard."


    "It''s been tens of thousands of years since there was someone who saw my body.


    But it''s a pity that all the people who have seen me have to die."


    The thick voice of Ulin shocked everyone as it reverberated all over the place.


    Ulin knew that Aaron was currently his primary enemy. If Aaron kept on reading the Life Shortening Incantation, his life force would be diminished to limit, and then he would be unable to fight any longer.


    Ulin rushed towards Aaron.


    Bang!


    His huge claws shot across the sky like shooting stars, trying to press over the boy.


    Buzz.


    A black stick suddenly shot out from the top of Aaron''s head, hovering upwards above him.


    After a short while, the black stick flew out and collided with Ulin''s claws.


    "The Weapon Command Skill!" Ulin roared.


    There was a hint of shock in Ulin''s voice.


    This strange boy had mastered the Weapon Command Skill of the rule cultivation and knew a lot about it to even try to use it in battle.


    The black stick was so strong that it kept bursting with raging power and didn''t fall behind overtime at all.


    Under such circumstances, Ulin had to mobilize his metal jar and counterattack the stick that was attacking him at the same time.


    "This black stick is impenetrable, and its level is absolutely on par with my divine blade and sword. It must be from Pasquale," Darren muttered to himself.


    He was also surprised when he felt the power surging from Aaron''s weapon.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The furious Ulin and his divine weapon rushed towards Aaron, attacking him ten thousand times in an instant with desperation.


    The black stick was blasted away by Ulin''s great force,


    "Boy, come close to me!" Theodore immediately released his Holy Will to protect Darren. As the pressure from zenith was too strong, he was afraid that Darren would be crushed in the attack.


    "Don''t worry, sir. I''ll be fine." Darren was not as weak as Theodore thought he was.


    "Good boy, you have good physical strength." Theodore nodded.


    A moment later, the black stick that was wrapped by lightning, shot towards Ulin at a dangerously incredible speed.


    At this time, all the severely injured law enforcers, Darren and Theodore were looking forward to the performance that would soon be demonstrated by the stick.


    The moment finally came.


    The stick fell on the front of Ulin, and he was a tad slow to even try to avoid it.


    "Ah!"


    With a long howl, the metal jar and eighteen black vortexes burst out, Ulin''s dark body rushed towards the stick.


    Crack.


    Countless thunderbolts drowned everything that it pounded against their heads while lights covered everything in the world.


    People far away only knew that the space was collapsing and the earth was destroyed. What happened in the battlefield was unknown to all who were absent.


    Outside the mysterious space, a handsome young man was flying in the air with a long spear in his hand, gazing at the distant sky.


    The man''s dressing looked similar to Ramon''s and Edward''s. The only difference was that his golden armor faintly glowed with a ruby like light.


    "How could Ramon and Edward be so strong? Or is Ulin not fully recovered yet?"


    Needless to say, this handsome young man was the most mysterious and powerful number one law enforcer whose name was Auberon.

 Chapter 714 Number One Law Enforcer

    The dazzling light in the mysterious space dissipated.


    The whole space was charred, making it become a wasteland just like the Life Forbidden Zone.


    Ulin floated in the air above it.


    He was in a completely disheveled state right now.


    On the ground below, Aaron''s body was already merging back together from the pieces it had broken into.


    But he also looked pale and in a whole lot of pain.


    Using the Divine Thunder-Manipulating Formula had exhausted both his Spirit Power and rule power. Even if he didn''t die, he couldn''t exactly restore his fighting power quickly.


    "Ah!


    Ah!"


    Ulin roared. He was furious that he''d been so badly beaten up like this by a mere boy who hadn''t even reached the Holy Realm.


    However, he was somewhat grateful that the thunder was still too weak to kill him just now.


    He knew he couldn''t kill Aaron right now, so he attempted to flee now that he still had strength left and his life force had not weakened to its limit.


    Escaping seemed to be the only way out for him now.


    He ignored his pain and flew towards the space''s exit.


    "It''s my turn now." With a cold look on his face, Theodore''s figure disappeared. Darren, on the other hand, flew to Aaron''s side and took him to where the seriously injured law enforcers were.


    Whoosh!


    A figure stood in front of Ulin, stopping him.


    "It''s... it''s you!"


    "It''s impossible for you to escape. I''ve infused some soul power into the control ball."


    The sight of Theodore almost drove Ulin crazy. Theodore''s strength was on par with his when he was in top shape.


    Right now, his body was broken, his rule power was consumed, and his vital force had also decreased. How could he fight Theodore?


    He was so frightened.


    "Humph! So what if you''ve infused your soul power into it? It''s your fault for being too careless. You didn''t get rid of the black flame the young boy had left that can burn your soul power!"


    At that time, Theodore had been desperate and depressed, lying under the cliff and not wanting to move.


    However, a few hours after that, he''d suddenly found that the metal ball above was trembling.


    Curiosity got the best of him, so he flew over and found that the metal ball had many cracks. Then the metal ball started breaking, so he made his escape.


    "It''s him, that guy."


    Ulin suddenly recalled that Darren had been


    er fairly. All his crimes will be judged by our current lord. Please forgive me, Theodore," Auberon slowly explained.


    What Auberon said totally made sense, so Theodore couldn''t argue.


    "Okay, just do as you said. But I beg you not to torture him," Theodore said.


    "Don''t worry. I will absolutely follow the rules." Auberon nodded slightly.


    As he spoke, Auberon''s eyes turned to Aaron.


    When he saw Aaron, his eyebrows twitched, and a strange look flashed in his eyes.


    "No, this isn''t good." Theodore roared in secret and immediately sent a message to Darren using his spiritual sense, "Darren, hurry up and hide your little brother. Don''t let Auberon find out that he has the Eternal Life."


    "Why not?" Darren asked.


    "Just do as I say. I''ll explain it to you later."


    "Okay." Darren answered immediately then flew towards Aaron and took him into the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    As he did that, the number one law enforcer locked Ulin with a mysterious chain and flew towards Darren.


    "Darren, right?"


    "Yes, sir."


    "Good. You are talented." Auberon nodded seemingly impressed with him.


    Then he took out two pills and put them into Ramon''s and Edward''s mouths. In an instant, their skin and flesh grew out again, and their aura recovering as well.


    "Thank you, Auberon." The two went down on one knee.


    Auberon signaled for them to stand up. He then looked at Darren, and said, "Well, about that kid just now..."


    Darren''s heart jolted, and he thought to himself, ''Does the number one law enforcer really have something against Aaron?''

 Chapter 715 Taking Darren Away

    "Sir, to whom do you refer?" Darren pretended not to know what the number one law enforcer was talking about.


    With a slight smile, the number one law enforcer, Auberon, said, "I need to know the background of that kid."


    "He''s my younger brother. Why do you need to investigate, sir?" Darren replied calmly.


    "We are simply following the rules of the Sacred Palace."


    At first sight, Auberon felt that Aaron was not a member of the world. It was his duty to examine the background of any foreign creature in this world.


    "Auberon, he is Darren''s younger brother. He just mastered some ancient martial skills. How can you be so serious with a kid?"


    Theodore walked forward and patted Auberon on the shoulder.


    "Theodore..."


    "Don''t speak more about this! I am inviting you to have a drink with me since I have just earned my freedom after a lot of suffering. You won''t refuse me, will you?"


    Auberon was only a kid when Theodore became famous as the number two law enforcer. Theodore had once been Auberon''s mentor. Later, Auberon''s strength surpassed Theodore and even became the number one law enforcer.


    This was why Auberon had great respect for Theodore.


    "Okay. Let''s return to the Sacred Palace as soon as possible. I believe that the Lord of the Sacred Palace will be pleased to learn that you are still alive. From now on, there will be one more powerful man guarding our Sacred Palace. Ha-ha," Auberon said as he burst out with laughter. As he had just met an old acquaintance after tens of thousands of years, he ignored the other matters.


    "Let''s go. The lord thinks highly of you, kid," Auberon said as he signaled for Darren to follow.


    Then, they all leapt into the air and flew out of the Badlands.


    In front of the magnificent palace, lines of law enforcers stood in an orderly fashion. The Lord of the Sacred Palace, Lord Donald, also came to welcome them.


    Of course, this arrangement was not for Darren''s benefit only.


    The main reason for this display was that Auberon had informed them that Theodore was still alive.


    Darren, Theodore, and the others walked forward as Lord Donald ambled toward them.


    "Ha-ha, Theodore. I''ve been looking forward to seeing you ever since I heard of your return," Lord Donald greeted as he reached them.


    Theodore was stunned for a moment. Then he responded, "Oh, it''s you, Donald. Congratulations on your promotion to Lord of the Sacred Palace."


    Although Theodore and Do


    t the elderly man had come from outer space.


    "Theodore, you might be right," Lord Donald nodded.


    "As for the Death Palace, I don''t know much about it either. Its whereabouts are a mystery.


    I will now ask Auberon to explain to Darren in detail about the Aborigines Worlds," Lord Donald said.


    Just as Auberon was about to stand up and explain about the Aborigines Worlds, several figures barged into the palace.


    Everyone was shocked. After all, this was the Sacred Palace. Who would dare to break in?


    "Let me explain to Darren."


    Three people stood at the entrance. In a flash, one person flew forward.


    "How dare you?"


    Auberon lifted his spear as he rose to his feet. All the other law enforcers also got ready.


    "Auberon, sit down," Lord Donald instructed.


    "You, three. What do you want from the Sacred Palace? Why did you break in?" Lord Donald asked coldly.


    "Ha-ha, Lord Donald, please forgive us. We are here to ask you to surrender two people."


    "You want someone from me?" Lord Donald furrowed his eyebrows. He clearly did not understand what they wanted.


    "That''s right. We aren''t here to waste your time. We came here to take Darren and Theodore. I wonder if you will agree or not."


    "Bullshit! You can''t simply take people from the Sacred Palace at whim," Ramon cried out. All of a sudden, the atmosphere in the palace tensed.


    At this point, Darren was confused.


    He didn''t know who these people were, nor did he understand why they asked for him and Theodore.


    Lord Donald gestured with his hand at Ramon to calm down. Then he asked, "Why do the three great clans want these two men?"

 Chapter 716 The Condition Of Invitation

    Bang!


    To vent his anger out, this time, Theodore pounded the table and stood up.


    "Take us away? Do you think you can take us away as you like? Who do you think you are? I don''t care about all of your three great clans," he bellowed out.


    "Theodore, don''t be angry. The resentment between the Dragon Blood Clan and us has long been resolved, right?


    It''s just a slip of the tongue to say take you two away. In fact, we are here to invite you to join the Cross Expeditionary Force. Sincerely, Theodore, would you please think about it?"


    Following through the conversation, all this time, Darren had already been very puzzled, and he was even more confused when he heard Cross Expeditionary Force.


    The faces of the other people softened when they heard that they were not here to make trouble.


    "Theodore was a law enforcer of our Sacred Palace. If he wanted to go on an expedition in the Aborigines Worlds, he could enter the eighteen cities at any time. As for joining the Cross Expeditionary Force? I don''t think it''s necessary. Theodore, what do you think?" Lord Donald asked.


    "Of course I won''t join the Cross Expeditionary Force," Theodore agreed with Lord Donald.


    "Since Theodore doesn''t want to join us, we can''t force him. But Darren isn''t from the Sacred Palace, can we invite him at least?" one of three people looked at Darren and asked with his brows raised in a quizzical expression.


    "Darren is inexperienced, and I don''t think he is qualified to go on an expedition. Maybe not," Lord Donald interrupted before Darren could say a word.


    "Hey, Lord Donald. Why do you decide for Darren? We have to ask for his decision whether he wants to join us or not, right?" repulsed one of the members of the force.


    "Darren, on behalf of the three great clans, we formally invite you to join the Cross Expeditionary Force reserve service. Are you willing to do that?" he continued, asking Darren directly this time.


    Darren kept silent for a while and said helplessly, "I don''t understand what you are talking about. Moreover, I have no idea what the Cross Expeditionary Force is. How can I join you?"


    "Ha-ha, you are right. Why don''t we sit down and talk about it in detail? Lord Donald, you aren''t going to drive us away, are you?" The three of them smiled faintly as they exchanged glances.


    "Have a seat then," Lord Donald said expressionlessly.


    "Darren, take this Jade Slip and release your spiritual sense to it," one of the members of the force said and handed over a Jade Slip to Darren.


    Darren took the Jade Slip and did as he said.


    Boom.


    In a flash, a tremendous amount of information poured into Darren''s head, overpowering him entirely. The process caused beads of sweat to form on his forehead and soaked his entire face in no time.


    "So that was it."


    In minutes, the cloud in Darren''s head was soon cleared off. By now, Darren clearly understood what they were talking about.


    It turned out that the Lothlann Continent was not the only existing world in this void. Many small worlds were in the state of desolation on the edge of the Lothlann Continent.


    More than that, these small worlds were what they referred to as the Aborigines Worlds.


    Aborigines Worlds were independent in this void, and some of them were even adjacent to the Lothlann Continent, separated by space turbulent flows of thousa


    as I know, if a person has an Emperor Weapon, the clay figurines will not dare chase him. Am I right?"


    "What?!"


    At that very moment, both Theodore and Auberon lost their calmness.


    By this time, all cards were laid, and they expressed their opinions clearly. If Darren were willing to join the Cross Expeditionary Force, they would be willing to give him an Emperor Weapon!


    Taking all these into consideration, Darren had learned from the short old man of the Mythological Palace that the Emperor Weapon was classified into two kinds. The holy emperor used one, and the other was created and sharpened by the holy emperor.


    "Humph! Don''t talk big here. There are only three Emperor Weapons in your three clans, and even the leader of your clan dare not use them. Will you really give Darren one?" Theodore stood up and said. He wanted to clear off the doubt in his mind as well as everybody else''s doubt too.


    Growing up with all the legends and myths about these clans, Theodore knew how precious an Emperor Weapon was! Thus, Theodore didn''t believe their words at all.


    "What a coincidence! Is that too good to be true? After the discussion made by our three great clans, we are willing to give one Emperor Weapon to Darren," one of the men spoke out, giving dire emphasis on each word as if they were a matter of life and death in significance.


    At that point, Darren was stunned. He thought of what he had done to deserve such a potent weapon.


    Why did the three great clans say so? Why would they give him such a weapon? What would it cost him? Darren''s mind was filled with questions. With all these, Darren didn''t think he had reached the level at which three great clans would love to give him an Emperor Weapon regardless of his strength or potential.


    It was known that there were several super talents in the three great clans and the Sacred Palace. Moreover, many talents were not weaker than Darren. However, most of them were hiding and honing to improve their strength.


    Everyone in the palace kept silent. A moment later, Lord Donald seemed to remember something.


    "Are you going to give that Emperor Weapon to Darren?" While he threw that question, the expression on Lord Donald''s face suddenly changed.

 Chapter 717 Refusing To Join

    "Yes, that Emperor Weapon is a good match for Darren." All three men looked at each other and nodded at the same time.


    "No, I don''t agree. You should go now." With a resolute expression on his face, Lord Donald directly rejected their suggestion without asking for Darren''s opinion.


    "As I said, it is all up to Darren. Lord Donald, you don''t want to decide by yourself for Darren, do you? Let him speak for himself," one of them said in a calm voice looking from Lord Donald to Darren.


    "Darren, join the Cross Expeditionary Force, and you get one Emperor Weapon. What do you say?"


    After several times of being asked, Darren didn''t reply. He was thinking about the matter and was hesitant on how to respond.


    "Don''t talk anymore. Only Darren is indeed able to wear the cursed armor, but once he puts it on, he will become a killing machine without any emotions. Darren won''t agree even if I don''t say anything," Lord Donald said coldly. It was evident that he was vexed at the moment.


    Only then did Darren understand and had a clear picture of what the cursed armor was like¡ªand what it was built for.


    "I refuse to join," Darren verbalized at last.


    After all, nobody in his right mind would agree to such an agreement. How could Darren agree to exchange human feelings for an Emperor Weapon?


    "Darren, don''t believe in what Lord Donald said. The Emperor Weapon is not a cursed armor, but an armor made by an ancient emperor who cultivated blade and sword. It is called the Blade and Sword Armor. If an ordinary person wore it, there would be a certain probability that he would be controlled by the Weapon Soul and become a killing machine. But you are different. Since you are cultivating the blade skill and sword skill at the same time, it is absolutely fine for you to wear it," said a member of the three great clans.


    "Shut up! How many geniuses has that thing ruined? Why don''t the elders of your clans destroy it?" Lord Donald asked angrily. His voice was getting louder as the conversation lengthened.


    There were at least one hundred peerless geniuses who had worn the Blade and Sword Armor. Without exception, they all became emotionless and only intended to kill people. They all ended up dying during the battles.


    "There''s no need to persuade me anymore. It''s just an Emperor Weapon. I, Darren, will not risk my life for it. What''s more, I don''t want to help you plunder the resources. Please leave now," Darren refused again and drove them away. He had come to a final decision, and nothing would make him change his mind.


    "Great! Darren, your decision is absolutely correct. It''s just a weapon. It''s no big deal." Glad about Darren''s rejection of such an indecent invitation, Theodore nodded and smiled.


    "Huh! How dare you!" Contrariwise, the faces of the three men darkened when they heard Darren''s refusal.


    "No! How dare you!" Raising his voice, Lord Donald pounded the table and released his entire oppressive force. With his face trembling, he said, "You have barged into my Sacred Palace without permission, and you e


    the body resulted in too many martial arts masters of our clan to die for his selfish interest. He deserved to die!


    After that fight, according to the rules, all members of our Dragon Blood Clan should be executed. But other clans found out after investigation that it was all because the leader of our clan who deceived so many people. So, they decided to suppress the Dragon Blood Clan forever, unless there is a holy emperor in our clan."


    With that, Theodore was relieved that he had told Darren the history of their clan.


    "But I don''t get it. Why did the clan leader help release the fiend?" Darren asked further as he was still confused.


    "In fact, even I haven''t figured out the specific reason. I only heard from the predecessors that the clan leader was a crazy person. He released the first fiend ancestor to eat it up, so he himself would become unbeatable. Unfortunately, he was wrong. The first fiend ancestor was much stronger than he thought," Theodore explained with a downcast expression on his face.


    "Yup, the fiend''s first ancestor is indeed very powerful. I remembered that an arm of him had escaped a few years ago, and he had huge fighting power even if he had not yet fully recovered. If the halberd of Hiram the Great hadn''t been triggered, our continent would have been destroyed." As he imagined the incident on his mind, Darren''s heart beat fast at the thought of the situation back then.


    "What? He escaped again?" asked Theodore in dire disbelief.


    "Yes, let me show you the place, sir. We will pass by that area later on," Darren volunteered.


    "Okay! I will be glad to set my foot on that place." Theodore''s eyes grew with excitement.


    In a matter of minutes, from their hastened flight, Darren and Theodore landed on the dilapidated ground.


    As both of them did a visual scurry of the place, they noticed that law enforcers guarded the place within five hundred kilometers. As Darren and Theodore looked from afar, the huge halberd was still standing erect in the center¡ªa clear symbol of hope.

 Chapter 718 Return To The Hometown

    Darren and Theodore neared their destination.


    "Stop. This is a forbidden area. No one is allowed to advance further."


    A dozen law enforcers dressed in purple armor surrounded Darren and Theodore at once.


    "It''s you!" One of the law enforcers was surprised to see Darren. Dread reflected in his expression.


    Darren also recognized the law enforcer robed in purple armor. When Eddy tried to kill him a long time back, this law enforcer had been ordered to save Darren. However, he had slapped Darren across the face.


    At that time, he didn''t think that Darren had any outstanding talent except for simultaneously cultivating blade skill and sword skill. He believed that it would be better to assault Darren than offend Eddy.


    "It''s been a while since we last met, sir," Darren said in a calm voice.


    The law enforcer''s heart skipped a beat.


    He trembled with fear when he felt Darren''s aura. He had been a significantly weaker young man back then. He also felt ashamed of how quickly he had judged Darren.


    "You are too nice to me. Please punish me, Mr. Darren Chu," said the law enforcer in purple armor as he lowered his head in fear.


    But, when he looked up, Darren and Theodore had flown to the edge of Hiram the Great''s halberd.


    The law enforcer gazed at Darren. Complex emotions coursed through him. With a wry smile, he said, "He just ignored me. This is worse than being slapped several times."


    The long arm covered with blood scales lay quietly on the ground less than three thousand feet from Hiram the Great''s halberd.


    "What a strong fiendish aura. That is really the arm of the first fiend ancestor." Theodore''s expression changed when he tried imagining how terrifying the living fiend''s body was.


    Darren looked at it quietly for a while. Suddenly, he felt very uncomfortable as if something was surging inside his body.


    "It''s my demonic internal force! It is fighting to leave my body!" Darren was surprised as he couldn''t control the demonic internal force in his body.


    Besides, he felt dizzy, as if something was calling him.


    "Let''s go, sir!" Darren said and flew away quickly.


    Theodore caught up with Darren and asked, "What''s wrong, Darren?"


    "I don''t know. I''m not feeling well. I think we should leave before something bad happens," Darren replied curtly. He did not


    was so gratified that he knelt and kowtowed three times in front of the tombs.


    After whispering for a while in front of the two graves, Darren strode out of the place. He planned on walking around the new sect.


    "I might as well meet the person who established this sect."


    Out of curiosity, Darren unleashed his spiritual sense to probe for elders. He found a man with a strong aura in one hall.


    Of course, Darren had only searched casually. The sense he got from this person was not very clear.


    In a flash, Darren disappeared from the gravesite and appeared in the center of the hall.


    "My name is Darren Chu. I was passing by your sect and wanted to visit you, are you..."


    Darren was so stunned that he couldn''t finish his sentence.


    The middle-aged man with gray temples sitting in the hall was also astonished.


    He stared at Darren, unable to move for a long time. His lips trembled so much that he could not speak a word.


    "Darren!"


    After a long time, he cried out excitedly.


    "Elder Thomas..." Darren murmured.


    "Ha-ha, ha-ha." The man strode forward and patted Darren on the shoulder with both hands.


    As he stared at Darren, he could say nothing. He just smiled.


    "Come, have a seat."


    After a while, Thomas came to his senses and asked Darren to sit.


    "Elsa, come quickly! Darren has returned."


    Thomas didn''t take his eyes off Darren, as he yelled at the room next to the hall.


    Hearing that, Darren''s heart beat fast, and he felt a lump in his throat.


    Could it be? Was Elsa here? Darren wondered.

 Chapter 719 Reunion

    Over the years, Darren had imagined in his mind of the scene when he met Elsa again countless of times.


    Would she slap him and turn her heel around?


    Or would she cry in his arms just like all the times before?


    And now, it was finally the time for them to face each other.


    "Elsa, hurry up. We don''t have all day," Thomas urged.


    Whoosh.


    A mint green figure flew out like a goddess. The figure made Darren''s throat tighten and dry as he laid his eyes upon her.


    "Haha." Such a familiar laughter rang to Darren''s ears that made his chest tighten.


    "Darren, you bad boy. You''re finally back,"


    Elsa said as she landed beside Darren and patted him on the shoulder.


    "Why won''t you speak? Are you shy? Or you do not remember me, your senior sister apprentice? Ha ha."


    Darren was stunned as he stared at her gorgeous face.


    This scene was far different from what he had imagined all these years.


    The two words of "bad boy" and "senior sister apprentice" actually hurt Darren deeply.


    "Elsa, are you okay?" Darren felt a lump forming in his throat. If he didn''t use his internal force to hold back his tears, he surely would have already been a sobbing mess.


    "No! Humph!" Elsa wrinkled her nose and tapped Darren''s forehead with her snow-white finger. Then she smiled and said, "At least I am your senior. You haven''t come back to see me for such a long time. You are so ungrateful.


    Do you know that year when I heard that a fiend escaped from a forbidden area, the whole world was in chaos? It really freaked me out. Fortunately, I also soon found out that the fiend was being suppressed by the Emperor Weapon. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have seen me.


    What are you thinking about now? Say something for once." Elsa tapped Darren''s forehead once again.


    "Oh! I''m very sorry, Elsa."


    "Don''t be silly. We just haven''t seen each other for a long time. You are like a fool now. What are you sorry for?" Elsa asked.


    "I can''t believe it!" Darren roared and murmured to Elsa, "I just can''t believe you can be so relaxed and composed. You''re pretending, aren''t you?"


    "Ha ha! Don''t tell me that you think I''m still mad at you for what happened that year? Don''t think too much about it. It happened a long time ago. By the way, where is Hailey?" As Elsa spoke, her expression did not change or wav


    y you forgot about me, how lonely would I be when all I was thinking was the love we had all those years."


    In the image, Elsa talked to herself in the dark, no one but the stars being her audience.


    "Since you''re so scared, why don''t you pursue the present? Even if that day comes, you''re still together, aren''t you?" the purple figure asked.


    "I''m not scared. I''m not..." Elsa shook her head desperately.


    "Elsa, Don''t refuse Darren. If you think that letting him stay alive like this is proof of your love to him, you are so silly. Nothing is more precious than getting along with each other day and night, right?


    If one day he really forgets you, you are just holding onto nothing and what you care about would be nothing. You will finally find that you have nothing but obsession."


    "Nothing? He won''t forget. I won''t have nothing!" At this moment, Elsa couldn''t help but sob.


    "Go ahead, embrace him. Let all the prediction of fate go to hell, you need him now." After the purple figure was finished, she turned around and began to fade away in the mottled light.


    "But what about you, Hailey?" Elsa asked and cried even harder.


    "He doesn''t possess feelings over me," Hailey said. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Only she could acknowledge the swift coldness in the air.


    The purple figure disappeared. Elsa stood in the flickering moonlight, a girl with long hair flying in the air and droplets of tears formed in her eyes.


    Whoosh.


    She flew up and went to the direction that she longed for in the deep of her heart.

 Chapter 720 Embracing Each Other

    Moonlight cascaded on a shiny figure wearing glistening green robes. Elsa''s moist eyes blinked twice before confirming it was really him!


    She stared at Darren without blinking, and her eyes couldn''t help but shimmer with tears. She clutched her chest to soothe the racing heart that had been in pain for so long! Elsa finally realized what she had been missing out and made up her mind. As Hailey said, nothing was more precious than this moment.


    Elsa wiped her eyes with her delicate palms. Just as she was about to take a step ahead, something encircled and gripped her foot.


    She suddenly jerked up and bowed her head, her heart trembling. In a blink of an eye, she fell back to the woods.


    "Miss Elsa, you can''t see him,"


    a man with blue skin said as he broke through space and climbed out to stand in front of Elsa.


    "No, I want to see him!" Elsa stood firmly on her ground.


    "Have you forgotten our agreement? If you go to see him, you will never get stronger. He will die in front of you one day. Don''t be deceived by the girl in purple," the blue-skinned man said and gazed at her with utmost urgency.


    Elsa hesitated, and her lower lips quivered. Now that she had made up her mind, she couldn''t back out. She would be a fool to miss out on such an opportunity.


    "The fortune telling is just a prediction. I don''t believe it. I believe nothing. All I want is Darren," Elsa said. And that was when tears streamed down her rosy cheeks.


    The blue-skinned man rubbed his temples and sighed. "You are too stubborn. You will destroy everything if you continue to be like this."


    Her hands trembled at the thought of being alone again. "I don''t care. Tell them I won''t go back to the Space-time Palace anymore, and I want to be with Darren."


    Elsa ignored the blue-skinned man and flew in the direction where Darren was standing.


    How could the blue-skinned man let her get away with it? He rushed after her at his top speed.


    A force surged out of the blue-skinned man that instantly circled Elsa, making her stop in her tracks. He raised his palms that shone with sparkling energy, and he aimed at Elsa''s feet.


    Whoosh!


    A pale blue sword intent shot at his palm quickly.


    "You!" The blue-skinned man dodged the sword intent and looked very angry.


    Another attack was shot at the blue-skinned man, but he dodged it again.


    Suddenly, the earth began to tremble, and a handsome figure appeared in the sky only to stand in front of the blue-skinned man. Darren shot a cold gaze at the man, who was trembling.


    Darren''s eyesight shifted at the girl standing behind him with wet cheeks, and his eyes widened. "Elsa..."


    His eyes immediately softened.


    "Darren." Elsa rushed at him and put her arms around his neck. She hugged him tightly, clinging onto his body as if he was her life force.


    When the blue-skinned man saw both of them finally confronting each other, anger in his heart grew and rose toward his face. "Elsa, how dare you! We will not spare you an


    savior. To save the life, she will die. She had to do that with you only because she has a mission to fulfill.


    Just think about it. Hailey is such a beautiful and extraordinary woman. Why would she fall in love with you, idiot? Humph. Her purity is much more precious than anything else. You bad guy, don''t blame her anymore," Elsa pouted.


    Darren started stroking her cheeks but stayed calm. He was silent because he had already figured it out.


    "I wish she could be fine," Darren said with a sigh, not knowing what to say. He suddenly remembered something and pinched Elsa''s jaw, to force her face up.


    "Who is that monster with blue skin?" Darren also wanted to know why she saved the monster even though he attacked her.


    "Strictly speaking, he is my senior brother apprentice." Elsa thought for a moment and decided to tell Darren the truth.


    "Your senior brother?" Darren swept a confused glance at her.


    "It''s a long story. In fact, after that day, I was baffled. I really wanted to hide in a deep mountain and disappear from the world forever. But only three days later, a man with a blue and robust figure came to me. He told me that he wanted to make me stronger so that I could save you when you would be in danger. I thought for a long time and then agreed.


    They came from another world, and I lived in a place called Space-time Palace."


    Elsa held his hands firmly. "Darren, look at my current strength."


    She backed up a few steps and flew in the sky.


    A pale blue sword intent came at Darren and covered him.


    Darren''s heartbeat sped when he noticed the icy aura. It was too strong! He had no choice but to release a stream of his sword intent to fend off the blow.


    "Elsa, are you promoted to a seven-star grand warrior?" Darren was surprised.


    "Am I really awesome? Though you are much stronger than me. By the way, I''ll take you to the place where the witcher lived before. Maybe you can see something in the well too." Elsa smiled and dragged him along.

 Chapter 721 Gazing At The Abandoned Well

    ''Can I really see the future in the abandoned well?''


    Darren had no doubt about the witcher''s ability. But the future was uncertain. Would the result be real?


    Since there was such a magical thing, it would be all right to take a look. Moreover, Darren would like to visit the deceased witcher.


    "Let''s go. I want to see what my future is like." Darren followed and jumped in front of her, pointing at her chest.


    "And you silly girl, no matter what happens in the future, don''t leave me. Okay?"


    Elsa nodded with a happy smile on her face. She thought for a while and turned her head. Her mouth lifted, showing off a mischievous smile.


    "Humph, that''s not right. What if you have a crush on someone else in the future?" Elsa pouted and looked at him with "really depressed" eyes.


    Darren''s mouth curved up at that. "That''s easy. You can be my wife, and they can be my mistresses." His smile widened from one ear to another, turning into a grin.


    Elsa''s mouth twitched at that. Anger flashed on her face, and she shot a cold gaze at him. "You are courting death! You bastard!" she threatened, as if she wanted to kill Darren.


    "Well, if you dare to hit me, I will end up kissing you as a punishment." Darren leaned at her only to be pushed away by Elsa.


    "No! No! Don''t do that!"


    They came across a wild place, filled with clouds and mists, which looked a little isolated.


    In the depths of the clouds, two extraordinary figures stopped in front of a cottage.


    "You bastard, you dared to talk about punishment and offend me? I''m your senior sister apprentice. It is me who should punish you for disrespecting me!" Elsa''s hair was a little messy. Her expressions twisted into a stern and angry look, although her heart was filled with sweetness.


    "Oh, really?" The corners of Darren''s lips quirked up and slipped into a teasing smile. "Then how exactly did I offend you? You don''t have to hide it, tell me everything in detail."


    ''You didn''t offend me. Instead, you were trying to find innovative ways to kiss me, '' Elsa thought in her heart, but her face looked expressionless. She pushed Darren and marched ahead. "Go away!" Elsa''s face slowly turned pink, and she hid her red cheeks behind her hair.


    "Where do you want me to go? Let''s go together!" Darren followed Elsa, not willing to stay away from her.


    "You shameless bastard! You really deserve my punishment." Elsa turned around, faked her angry look, and glared at Darren. She was going to pinch Darren by the arm when she heard a voice.


    "What are you doing here?"


    A young man flew over and stared nervously at Darren and Elsa.


    Darren straightened himself and shot a curious gaze at the young man. "We just come here to have a look. We don''t mean anything bad. You don''t need to be afraid." His face became calm and composed.


    "Oh, you are Darren, aren''t you?" The young man looked at Darren up and down, and recognition filled his eyes.


    It turned out that he was the little boy who had brought Darren to this thatched cottage back then. Now he had grown up.


    "Oh, it''s you. Long time no see. You are all grown up." Darren''s shoulders relaxed, recognizing the young man.


    "Hey, Darren, Elsa, come in and have a seat. I''m so happy to see you again today. I''ve been li


    Countless huge beasts were galloping there, and some fierce birds were raging with strong breath. Rotten meat and blood were scattered everywhere.


    ''Is this the ancient wilderness?''


    Darren wondered why such a scene was unfolded before him. ''Didn''t they say people could see the future in the well?''


    Darren looked at the well for a while. Suddenly, a man with dark golden eyes appeared. He couldn''t see his face clearly, except his eyes.


    Boom!


    The man suddenly launched his attack. The ground cracked and collapsed.


    Everything was covered with dark golden energy that circled like a cyclone. It started sweeping throughout the world, destroying many lands.


    ''That is the dark gold internal force formed by the fusion of the sword and blade intents!


    It''s a million times stronger than my dark gold internal force!'' Darren''s mouth fell ajar, and his eyes were wide opened after he saw the scene in front of him.


    He looked closely, and yet, he could not find out what the man with dark golden eyes was attacking.


    He looked around, and another face appeared before his eyes.


    That person seemed heroic and courageous by observing the way he dressed. He was wearing red armor and a red mask. He held a spear burning with blood flame in his hand, and then furiously swung it at the man with dark golden eyes.


    At this moment, the blood-red light shot into the sky and suppressed the dark gold internal force. The air was full of cracks, and countless lightning filled the whole world.


    ''He is even stronger than the cultivator of both blade and sword skills!'' Darren was very shocked. He could not describe the mystery and strength of the blood-red power.


    By the time the screen cleared, everything was back to silence. The man with dark golden eyes was pierced in the chest by the blood-red spear and fell down.


    Darren''s heart started racing at its fastest speed. He couldn''t calm himself down even for a second. He knew that he could see the future in the well. Even though he couldn''t see the face of the man in the well, he guessed that the man with dark gold eyes was himself.


    But the next moment, he suddenly realized that he was wrong.

 Chapter 722 Going Home

    Darren''s body bounced back all of a sudden. Anxiousness coursed through him.


    "What''s wrong, Darren? Are you okay?" Elsa flew over and looked at him with concern.


    "It''s nothing. I am fine." Darren shook his head. However, his eyes were still full of astonishment.


    "What did you see? Was it..." Elsa wondered if Darren had seen the same thing she did.


    Darren shook his head and said, "I didn''t see the fiend wake up. But, I saw a savage land where two people were fighting."


    "Who were they?"


    "Me and another man. What confused me the most is that I was not the one with the blade and sword intents. At the end of the image, a man in crimson red armor and a long spear removed his mask. He looked like me."


    This was what had surprised Darren.


    Moreover, when the man in crimson red armor took off his mask raised his head, his gaze seemed to pierce time and space as it landed on Darren. The intensity of the glare made him retreat in fear.


    "Perhaps this is not a future well. Darren, don''t trust it," Elsa tried to console Darren.


    "Well, perhaps you are right. The future is just too changeable. If only a single well can determine the future, then what''s the point of everyone''s life? I don''t care what it showed." Darren nodded in agreement.


    Shortly after, Darren and Elsa left.


    "Elsa, should we visit my clan?"


    "Didn''t they bully you mercilessly back then? Why do you want to go back?" Elsa asked as confusion coursed through her.


    "I have forgiven them."


    The hatred Darren had felt for so long vanished after he visited his clan the previous time.


    "Okay. If you''re sure, then, yes. We should go."


    With a nod, Darren leaped into the air. Elsa followed as he headed for Sky Maple City. In the blink of an eye, they reached.


    While walking on the street, Darren found that significant changes had taken place in his hometown. He could only vaguely remember the direction of the Chu Clan.


    "Who are you? The Chu Clan is not open to outsiders,"


    two young men shouted at Darren when they saw him.


    "Young man, you are strong. You are in your teens and yet you''ve reached the Mysterious Realm." Darren smiled.


    "Our uncle, Darren, left us precious treasures with which to improve our talent. If you have nothing else to say, you can leave now."


    "Little boy, is the uncle that you mentioned powerful?" Elsa asked as s


    you will get some magic herbs. You can get as many as you want with your ability."


    Darren released over a thousand magic herbs and piled them up behind him.


    All the younger cultivators flocked toward the herbs. To Darren''s surprise, these young people didn''t fight over the magic herbs.


    On the contrary, they assigned one person to distribute them one by one equally.


    "Ha-ha. Darren, are you disappointed? Let me share with you that our clan rules are very strict. Clan disciples are not allowed to fight with each other under any circumstances."


    An old figure stepped forward and laughed heartily.


    "Elder, nice to meet you."


    Darren''s face lit up when he heard the elder''s voice. He immediately bowed and greeted him. Elsa, who was standing beside Darren, also bowed to him. He was the guard of the Martial Skill Library.


    "This is great. You are a grand warrior, but you show me so much respect. How rare it is." The guard of the Martial Skill Library nodded with satisfaction and said, "What are you waiting for? It does not matter if your legs ache from standing. But don''t make our new daughter-in-law stand for so long."


    The guard of the Martial Skill Library smiled at Elsa as he spoke.


    "Ha-ha, let''s all go inside. From now on, we, the Chu Clan, will hold a three-day celebration for Darren and our new daughter-in-law to welcome them home."


    "Ha-ha."


    Then, the members of the Chu Clan escorted Darren and Elsa into the hall.


    After everyone had left, the slate under an old tree suddenly cracked, and a clay figurine''s head popped out.

 Chapter 723 Tracking

    Along with the festive ambiance that hung in the air, the hall was seated full of Chu Clan elders.


    "Darren, come and sit with Elsa in the high seat!" Reed ushered with a cordial smile.


    "No, I cannot accept your offer. Everyone seated here is either my senior or my elder brother. How can I take the high seat when all these respectable people are present? They deserve that high seat rather than me. Besides, according to the rules, I think you should be the one to sit in that place, Uncle Reed," Darren refused immediately. He insisted that Reed should take that seat of honor.


    "Reed, stop making Darren uncomfortable. Let him sit wherever he likes," the guard of the Martial Skill Library uttered grimly to Reed and motioned Darren to sit.


    Receiving the request, Reed bowed and didn''t say anything. Thus, at length, everyone took their seats, and the feast officially started.


    "Where are the Chief Elder and the other two elders?" Darren asked, suddenly noticing their absence in the hall.


    "Those old bones haven''t been informed yet. They are living too far off in the mountain that the messages need to take a longer time to reach them," the guard of the Martial Skill Library informed. As he was about the same age as the three important elders, he just called them casually and did not bring up their names in a formal manner.


    "Okay, then we''d better leave them alone and keep them from any unnecessary trouble," Darren said with a nod.


    "How is everything going during my absence?" after a short pause, Darren inquired again.


    "It''s quite peaceful. Our Chu Clan has now become the most powerful clan in the entire Doriath. In the last several years, our power has spread all over the country that even if we had claimed to take the mastery, I dare say that no one would have stood up against us." Moving his line of sight from left to right as if looking for something, the guard of the Martial Skill Library lingered for a while and then continued, "But Reed preferred to stay quiet and stay low. From his point of view, our disciples'' training and healthy growth are far more important than declaring the throne."


    Darren was delighted with what the guard of the Martial Skill Library had said. He realized that after that incident in the past, his uncle had become rational and sophisticated.


    "My uncle is right in that respect. It matters little how much power one has when there is no healthy and harmonious life," Darren consented and turned to Reed, his mouth curled in a content smile.


    "Darren, I''m glad that you agree with me," Reed smiled, feeling rejoiced by Darren''s recognition.


    Soon after they had casually chatted for a while, the family banquet officially began. Time slipped away swiftly as they enjoyed their talks and all the food and drinks that had been set for the feast.


    The evening drew on, and the celebration nearly came to an end. People began to rise from their seats and headed for their own quarters. After everyone had gone, Darren and Elsa got up and returned to the courtyard that had once been so familiar to Darren.


    "Darren, is this where you grew up?"


    Elsa asked, looking around the neatly cleaned courtyard and the great phoenix tree that shadowed over half of the yard.


    "Yes. My sister and I grew up here," Darren related softly and went to put his hand on the tree. A feeling of sadness overwhelmed his mind. He wondered how the time went by swiftly and how those hard yet happy times had become remote and unfamiliar to him by now.


    "You must have been so close to each other. Where did your sister go then?" Elsa asked as she came closer to him.


    "Her soul has been seriously injured and she is now receiving treatment in the Ancient Void Battlefield. I assume it will be two or three years before she finally wakes up," replied Darren, looking dejected and concerned.


    "Why? What happened to her?" Elsa exclaimed. Worry clouded her beautiful, delicate face as she looked up at Darren with concern.


    "It''s a long story. Let me explain to you briefly."


    Under the phoenix tree, with the warm and soft wind gently blowing over their faces, Darren told Elsa briefly of what had happened to his sister before. Brief as the story was, it still cost Darren quite a long time to finish. By the time he finished speaking, the darkness had already enclosed the world, and there was no other sound around but the sound of their warm breath.


    The night was warm and cozy. Elsa nestled herself in Darren''s arms and enjoyed the very moment of being with him alone.


    "It is fortunate that my sister had come through a hard time and had the chance of being treated in the Ancient Void Battlefield. Recovering is just a matter of time, so I won''t worry about her much. Think abou


    access to so many resources of our Space-time Palace. Shouldn''t you be returning them if you are to discard us?" he roared, a raging fire in his eyes. The blue-skinned man was exceedingly enraged by now that it seemed that any moment soon, he would launch an attack towards either Darren or Elsa.


    "I will return the resources you have used on Elsa. But if you come to harass us again, then I won''t mind killing every single one of you!" Darren warned coldly. The frustration that he had was slowly reaching its limit.


    "Ha-ha, who do you think you are? Do you know what you are talking about? Since Elsa joined us, she has occupied four years of our time and space turbulent flows of a hundred times'' power. How can you expect to pay us? Do you have anything worth the price?


    But frankly speaking, even if you offer to provide a time and space turbulent flow of your own, we won''t accept it. Elsa''s cultivation base must be returned, an eye for an eye, and the process is simple. I only need to gouge out half of her heart and remove 80 percent of her meridians."


    Laying the terms, the blue-skinned man grinned hideously. He knew by now that what he wanted to happen was understood by Darren. Judging by the expression on Darren''s face, however, the blue-skinned man knew that he had won the argument. Darren was obviously angered and seemed to be overpowered by that anger.


    "Oh, if that is the only way, then please just do it!" Darren voiced, in a tongue that sounded light but piercing.


    The blue-skinned man was stunned. A sudden shiver went through his veins as if he was put naked outside in the chilly winter.


    "I meant to send you to hell!"


    Whoosh.


    With one swift move, the blade and sword intents roared off and detached the blue-skinned man''s head within a second.


    Prior to the blue-skinned man''s beheading, at the sight of the impending attack, Elsa didn''t try to stop Darren because she had no special relationship with the people from the Space-time Palace. She only agreed to join them at that time because they had firmly persuaded her to do so.


    During those hundreds of years in the time and space turbulent flow, she was left to herself in that dark space. Her longing for Darren grew as time went by for hundreds of years, and during which, all she had felt was loneliness and pain.


    "Darren, I guess we can''t stay in the Chu Clan any longer, or we''ll get them into trouble. The Space-time Palace will come for revenge very soon," looking up at Darren, Elsa said ruefully. She knew deep inside her that the next days that she would spend together with Darren would never be the same again. The Space-time Palace and the blue-skinned men were not the kind of people one would wish to be enemies with.


    "Yes, we have to leave right now. Besides, I just found out that this blue-skinned man was not the only one who bothered me these days. I suspect that they are already on the way," Darren pointed out with a frown.


    The imminent danger gloomed his heart. A peaceful life had once again become a distant dream to them. Gone were their dreams of one quiet and normal life¡ªshattered, crumbled to pieces, and drifted with the air.

 Chapter 724 Going To The Starry Tower

    The night had passed peacefully.


    "Elsa, can you please tell me about the origin of the Space-time Palace?"


    Darren and Elsa had stayed in the room, planning to leave in a few days.


    "Actually, I don''t know much about it. Everyone there was very strong. The lord of the Space-time Palace is very mysterious and it''s said that he is very powerful. Even an ordinary elder has the strength of a mighty holy warrior," Elsa said.


    "This is going to be tough to deal with. Since I can''t fight against the cultivators at the Holy Realm, we better avoid them first. But I''m worried that they may go after the Chu Clan after we leave."


    "As far as I know, they aren''t allowed to attack inferior martial artists. This is a rigid rule. No one is allowed to violate it."


    "If you''re sure about this, then that will make things much easier," Darren said.


    "I''m pretty sure of it. There was once an elder among them who accidentally killed a low-level martial artist and was immediately killed by a mysterious force," Elsa said.


    "I''m relieved. Let''s set off now." Darren was overjoyed to hear that. It definitely eased his mind.


    "But where should we go?" Elsa asked.


    "It seems that we have to go to the Starry Tower," Darren told her.


    Elsa nodded. "Right, they can''t find the Starry Tower."


    What Darren was worried about the most was not the people from the Space-time Palace, but those clay figurines, the most difficult and powerful ones.


    The Starry Tower was Darren''s best option.


    After making up his mind, Darren told Reed and the others that he would be going away for a while and left a lot of magical herbs behind. Then he flew away with Elsa.


    "Elsa, let Elder Thomas know first," Darren reminded her.


    "I told him through the message bead. And my father asked us to be careful."


    "Well, that''s good." Darren nodded.


    "But, Darren, how can we get into the Starry Tower without the sword intent''s fragments?" Elsa asked.


    "The Starry Tower''s owner has become my master. I don''t need the pieces of sword intent to enter now. Let''s go."


    "What? Have you been to the Starry Tower again?" Elsa asked curiously.


    "Of course."


    Darren and Elsa flew to a deserted area. Darren took out a black iron token and activated it. Then they were teleported out of the area.


    A familiar aur


    es to catch you," Hanson said.


    Once Darren reached the Holy Realm, it would be much easier for him to escape even if more powerful clay figurines came after him.


    "I really need to get stronger. There are so many things I am currently unable to fix due to the fact that I''m not a holy warrior yet," Darren said.


    "Well, hurry up and raise your cultivation base to the seven star Grand Realm. After that, all you''ll have to do is fully acquire the Holy Will. Once your Holy Will reaches the high level, entering the Holy Realm will be much easier."


    "Elsa, I see that your cultivation base is a little higher than Darren''s. Since you are also a sword cultivator, let me show you how to become a holy warrior," Mathew stated.


    "Really? I can enter the Holy Realm too?" Elsa was thrilled. Although she wasn''t exactly weak, she was nowhere near as strong as Darren regarding the combat power and didn''t want to be a burden on him.


    "Of course it''s true. Come with me. I happen to have a very powerful sword skill for you."


    "Darren. I am going to learn swordsmanship from Mr. Xiao. Don''t work too hard in cultivation. Take care of yourself." Elsa kissed Darren.


    "Go ahead, I will do that." Darren nodded.


    After Elsa and Mathew left, Hanson''s face was even more serious.


    "Darren, the Space-time Palace is much more terrifying than you think. It''s even more horrible than the Death Palace," Hanson told Darren since he didn''t want Elsa to worry about Darren.


    "What? Can you please explain, sir?" Darren asked in surprise.

 Chapter 725 A Competition With Hanson Xiao

    ''The clay figurines of the Death Palace are so strange and powerful, yet the blue-skinned people from the Space-time Palace are even more terrifying than them?'' Darren thought to himself. He couldn''t imagine how powerful they could be.


    "As far as I know, Space-time Palace has existed for a long time. It has passed through millions of years from the Last Age to the present.


    They are secretive and often attack the Aborigines Worlds. Aside from that, they will change places every few decades when the resources are used up," with brows raised a little, Hanson explained to Darren.


    "But sir, I just killed a man with blue skin a few days ago. He was not very strong and I can say that he was like a newcomer to the seven-star Grand Realm," Darren said, his brows raised in an unconvinced expression.


    "You don''t know that the real fighting power of the Space-time Palace is not those blue-skinned men, but many powerful killing weapons controlled by them. Those so-called weapons are actually the dead masters," contradicted Hanson at once.


    "When I was young, I had witnessed a battle. To suppress the junior holy warrior, the people from the Space-time Palace exhumed a senior holy warrior''s corpse from the relic and resurrected it. That was the weapon they had used to kill the junior holy warrior instantly. What''s more, it seems like an easy task for them to resurrect a senior holy warrior''s corpse," Hanson continued while shaking his head in disbelief.


    "Resurrect the senior holy warrior''s corpse?"


    Hearing this, Darren thought of the short old man he had met at the Life Forbidden Zone. That particular old man also could resurrect the dead body using the Life True Rule.


    "Sir, it means that they have mastered the Life True Rule?" Darren asked at once. He wanted to make certain of his assumption more than anything else.


    To Darren''s surprise, Hanson shook his head and denied it.


    "Among the rule cultivators, there are indeed some masters of the Holy Realm who have mastered the Life True Rule that can resurrect corpses. But there is a limitation to the process of resurrecting. For the corpses resurrected by the rule cultivators, once they gain a breath of life again, they will be voided of emotions. Thus, they do not care about anything aside from killing¡ªthey will be transformed into killing machines. Moreover, as far as I know, a rule cultivator who owns the strongest Life True Rule just can resurrect the one below the level of the junior holy warrior.


    According to these facts, the method of the resurrection of the Space-time Palace is not through the Life True Rule at all," Hanson elucidated.


    "If that was the case, it would be fitting to assume that the blue-skinned men from the Space-time Palace are really powerful. But even so, I still think they are not as potent and skilled as the clay figurines of the Death Palace," Darren uttered momentarily weighing the odds between his two equally lethal enemies.


    "Don''t rush to your final conclusion. There''s one more thing you need to know. Thousands of years ago, when I lived in that era, it was said that by that time, the Space-time Palace had gotten three holy emperor corpses.


    Imagine that! How powerful the Space-time Palace would be if the three holy emperor co


    t. It was obvious that Hanson hadn''t used his full strength. But even so, Hanson''s attack was so hard and horrible.


    "The Heaven Burial."


    Before Darren could react, Hanson took the initiative to attack him, which was the extreme sword intent that he had comprehended.


    "What was that? It''s so scary!" Darren said with his mouth gaped open wide.


    At the sight of the incoming assault, the sword intent Darren had sensed was unmatched except that of Mathew''s killing sword intent.


    "The Earth Extinction!"


    Hanson released one strike after the other, intent upon intent, and another horrifying blade intent in an instant.


    In the same manner, Darren owned both the blade and sword intents, but Darren''s achievements in cultivating both of them were much inferior compared to Hanson''s. The horrible aura made the blade and sword cores in his elixir field tremble violently.


    Roar!


    Following his horrific growl, Darren gathered all his strength and threw out a counterattack.


    Bang! Bang! Bang.


    In the void, the sky above them glowed brightly, as the power of various colors dispersed profusely.


    But unfortunately, Darren''s attack was quickly defeated by Hanson''s blade and sword intents and was deviated towards his direction and about to land on Darren in an attack ¡ª like his intent was killing him.


    The powerful aura sent shivers down Darren''s spine. He didn''t even have the mood to dodge.


    "Your blade and sword intents alone are enough to make me feel like facing an inferior holy warrior. I''m afraid that your real strength is on par with Auberon''s." While saying these words towards Hanson, Darren was shocked.


    At such a critical moment, a dark gold internal force occurred out of nowhere and crushed the blade and sword intents that were falling towards Darren. After the attack, everything in the Void Space resumed to its peaceful state.


    "Haha, have you felt it? There is still a long way to go for you." Hanson smiled faintly. But the next moment, his face twitched, and he spurted out a mouthful of blood.


    "Are you all right, sir?" Taking long and quick strides, Darren dashed forward at Hanson''s side, his eyes filled with horror and panic.

 Chapter 726 The Way To Reach The Holy Realm

    Hanson''s face had turned pale except for his lips, which were now a sickly purple. His aura was suddenly very weak as well, which alarmed Darren all the more.


    "I''ll be fine," Hanson insisted. "It''s just that the poison has taken effect."


    He had been infected by the Ghost Poison of the clay figurines. Since then he''d had no means of curing himself. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been hiding in the Starry Tower for so long.


    "Sir, you must have magic herbs that can help your body heal," asked Darren, confused. "How can this poison still be affecting you?"


    His companion replied, "The medicine I''m using has kept it at bay for thousands of years. After all this time, though, it''s becoming less and less effective. I feel the poison''s effects so often now that I''m almost used to it."


    Previously, Hanson had told Darren that Barnes the Holy had also suffered the effects of the Ghost Poison. In the end, however, he had survived it.


    It seemed, then, that only Barnes the Holy could cure Hanson.


    Darren gave his ailing fellow a sympathetic look. "Sir, if I manage to save Barnes the Holy, I''ll make sure that I ask him to heal you. Until then, I''m afraid you''ll have to put up with it. I''m sorry."


    "Save Barnes the Holy," Hanson repeated. "So he''s alive, then? Is that true?"


    "Let me explain," Darren said. "I met a subordinate of his called Pasquale, the Giant Ape. He was hiding in the Purgatorial Tripod after his body had been destroyed. This ape told me repeatedly that I need to comprehend more than two kinds of true rules in order to save his master.


    What''s more, I saw a portrait of Barnes the Holy in his palace. He''s almost like a monkey, with golden hair¡ªvery strange, but also somewhat ferocious-looking..."


    He went on, relating everything else he knew about Barnes the Holy.


    For his part, Hanson believed everything he heard, for he knew that Darren would not fabricate or exaggerate anything.


    "So Barnes the Holy has been suppressed in the Raksa Sea?" he said when Darren had finished speaking. "That is incredible..."


    Reserved though he normally was, Hanson''s astonishment was plain on his face. This legendary figure from an ancient era, who had been invincible, was still alive!


    "Darren," he asked, "when did the Giant Ape tell you to rescue Barnes the Holy?"


    Darren looked grim. "He said I should do it within three hundred years. But to tell the truth, I don''t know if I''ll be powerful enough by then."


    "If even Barnes the Holy could ever be suppressed, then saving him is bound to be an incredible challenge. Let''s talk about it again later, when your strength has reached a higher level," Hanson said.


    "Yes, I was thinking the same thing. Right now it''s too early to talk about such an undertaking."


    After the discussion, Hanson left, trying to suppress the poison that still wracked his body.


    Darren decided then to focus on cultivating and improving his strength.


    "Right now,


    orm in his mind.


    All too soon, however, he lost it.


    With a roar, a stream of sword intent burst out of him and shot into the sky, where the maelstrom devoured it in an instant.


    "It''s not that my master won''t allow me to learn," Darren said, trying to recover his lost idea. "What if I mastered these sword intents and then fused them together? Would I step into a new extreme?"


    He thought of the nebula in his elixir field from before. It had resulted from merging the aura of the dragon blood and the demonic internal force.


    It also occurred to him that when he''d been passing the test in the Starry Tower, the guardian on the third floor had combined three kinds of sword intent: ice, thunder, and fire.


    That was enough to prove that the fusion of sword intents was feasible.


    Just then, Darren remembered something else as well. "I got a reward from that little girl, but I kept forgetting to check it."


    After defeating that girl, he''d gotten the cultivation skill which was suitable for him. This seemed like the perfect time to make use of it.


    Without wasting a moment, Darren produced a scroll from his Space Ring and started to read it aloud.


    "Condense your sword intent into your sword core. Then infuse a second kind of sword intent to cause the sword core to crack. Use the original sword intent to force it into the cracks, then repair the sword core. Repeat the same process as many times as desired..."


    Darren carefully read the scroll multiple times to make sure he understood.


    In order to integrate the aura of the dragon blood with the demonic internal force, he had first crushed the two forces in order to create a new balance.


    In its essence, that method was the same as what this scroll was recommending for the fusion of sword intents.


    "What will happen if I try to integrate all of these eighteen thousand sword intents?" Darren asked himself.


    The very thought sent a jolt through him, and his heart surged.

 Chapter 727 The Fusion Of Sword Intents

    Darren moved as soon as he knew what he needed to do.


    There were 18, 000 extreme sword intents, each of which was dreadful. It was difficult to master even just one of them.


    What Darren needed to do now was to master one sword intent. He would cultivate it to get close to the strongest it could be and then integrate it into his sword core.


    He thought to himself that the first step was to choose a sword intent that was gentle¡ªnot a rampant and violent one.


    ''This purplish blue sword intent seems to be tame, but it is also sharp. It should be my first choice.''


    After observing for an hour, Darren decided to use the purplish blue sword intent.


    Whoosh!


    Darren cautiously flew into the air and approached the small stream of extreme sword intent.


    ''Should I use the Assimilation Skill or attempt to master it slowly?'' Darren thought to himself.


    The sword intents were all intertwined. It was impossible to isolate just one by using the Assimilation Skill. If many of the sword intents bonded with Darren''s core as he attempted to assimilate them, the force would be too great and would cause his body to explode!


    "It would be better for me to comprehend it. Although it takes time, it''s definitely safer."


    Darren called upon his spiritual sense and gingerly probed the purplish blue sword intent.


    Buzz.


    All his senses began to buzz.


    "Oh, it turns out to be a sword intent from a sword skill that was condensed from 3, 000 other sword skills."


    The complicated sword tracks flashed through Darren''s mind as he tried to make sense of them.


    Darren began to calculate the amount of time he would need to comprehend the sword intent. ''If it''s two sword skills condensed into one, I would need to keep condensing them by halves... So that would be 3, 000 to 1, 500, then 1, 500 to 750...'' Darren''s mind began to swim as he realized he would need plenty of time.


    ''I would need an hour to condense two sword skills into one, and I might need a longer time later on.


    If it goes on like this, it will take me at least a hundred years. Even so, it might take me even longer to fuse all 3, 000 into one single sword skill.'' Darren was surprised by the amount of time it would take to comprehend one sword intent.


    After all, every warrior who was able to comprehend the extreme sword intent was extremely talented. However, even the most talented of them all would still need thousands of years to comprehend an extreme sword intent.


    "You don''t have to worry about time,"


    a voice whispered. Darren turned around and saw the young man with black and white


    mobilized his original sword intent and forced the purplish blue sword intent into the cracks.


    After another ten days of painful struggle, he finally completed the task. The sword intents had been fused.


    "Phew!" Darren ached all over, but he was relieved. He had finished what he had set out to do.


    He simply needed to take some time for both he and the sword core to recover.


    "It took me so much time to fuse one new sword intent into my sword intent. To fuse 18, 000 different kinds of sword intent will be really difficult. I don''t know whether I can finish it," Darren sighed.


    His sword core took three months to recover.


    He tried to call upon his sword intent. Although it felt new, it was not totally unfamiliar.


    Bang!


    Darren made a move. His sword intent began hovering around the void, crackling with powerful energy.


    "The power... The power is stronger than some extreme sword intents!"


    Darren was overjoyed. He had just merged two kinds of sword intents, and it was so powerful. If he had combined several more sword intents, the might would be incomprehensible.


    Darren then began to choose another sword intent he needed to comprehend and repeated the process he had done a hundred years ago.


    After three hundred years passed, Darren was able to integrate two more sword intents into his sword core.


    "Darren, you have practiced for such a long time. Why haven''t you become a holy warrior yet?"


    Mathew''s figure suddenly appeared in front of Darren.


    "Ha, you came just in time, sir." Darren gave him a tired smile.


    "What do you mean?" Mathew narrowed his eyes.


    "Just in time to feel the power of my sword!" Darren called upon his integrated sword intent to attack Mathew.

 Chapter 728 Where Should We Go

    Boom!


    The majestic sword intent swept across the space.


    Countless swords were condensed in the sky, each containing the power to break and destroy the sky.


    "Your sword intent isn''t at the extreme stage, but is rather several times stronger than the extreme sword intent.


    Well then, let me fight with you!"


    Mathew''s voice was laced with a little bit of surprise just before he unleashed a small killing sword intent.


    Darren gasped in awe as he saw the killing sword intent. Every hair on his body stood on end. It was unlike anything he ever felt. It was more terrifying than the Holy Will.


    "Sir, your killing sword intent is still so powerful, no wonder there are not many people who have mastered it since the ancient times," Darren said.


    When the two sword intents collided, Darren''s sword intent instantly vanished within a few seconds.


    "It''s still not enough. My power is so weak," Darren lamented, shaking his head.


    Mathew let out a small chuckle. "Don''t be too hard on yourself, kid! You''re doing great. Among all the sword cultivators I know, you''re only second to me and Hanson," he said.


    "Another disciple of your master had acquired the fusion of sword intents too. The only problem is that her limit is not very high and she can only bear so much. As a result, the fusion of the sword intents that she had managed to comprehend was not strong enough. It''s a little bit weaker than yours.


    Of course, that''s just the power of her avatar. I don''t know her real strength," Mathew imparted.


    "Sir, are you talking about the guardian on the third floor of the Starry Tower? Is her avatar still there?" Darren inquired.


    "Her avatar has long been dissipated. Even your master doesn''t dare to release his avatar here, so her avatar has dissipated many years ago.


    Speaking of which, in another two years, your master''s avatar must also disperse. He will not descend again. Are you aware of that?" Mathew asked.


    Darren had been practicing in this space for four hundred years, which was equivalent to eight years outside. It had been consistent with what the youth with black and white sword eyes said.


    "Yes, my master once told me about it and asked me to take control of the Starry Tower once that time comes," Darren answered.


    "Well, it''s good that you know it."


    "Sir, do you know what kind of restriction my master is subject to when he is here? Why can''t he just come here at any time?" Darren insisted, growing curious at the nature of his master''s predicament.


    "I''m not very clear about that either. I only know that in order to show up here, he has violat


    jumped out of Darren''s arms.


    "Well, alright. Let''s go!"


    Darren activated the force of control. They disappeared into the distance and landed on a desolate mountain.


    "Phew!" Mathew and Hanson took a deep breath at the same time.


    "It''s been thousands of years! it''s really a special feeling to be able to breathe the air of the Lothlann Continent."


    "Sir, what do you plan to do now?" Darren asked.


    "We''d better hide in seclusion for the time being. You and Elsa need to leave a profound spiritual sense in this bead. Whenever you''re in danger, we''ll quickly come to help you as best as we can," Mathew handed Darren a white bead.


    "Okay." Darren and Elsa then put their spiritual sense inside.


    "There are too many powerful people in this world, many of them possibly want to come after you. Young man, always remember that there will be times where you must control yourself. Don''t try to get too much public attention. Only when you stay in obscurity will you be able to become stronger, understand?" Hanson instructed.


    "Don''t worry, sir. You know me well. I never make trouble."


    "Yes, that''s true. But don''t be too nervous when you are in danger. We are here with you," Hanson said with a nod.


    "Got it. Elsa and I will go on ahead. We''ll see you later," Darren said as he bowed to Mathew and Hanson.


    "Good bye, sir." Elsa demurely bowed down as well and then soared up to the sky with Darren.


    "Darren, the Starry Tower can''t protect us anymore. Where should we go?"


    "To the Sacred Palace. Let''s join the expeditionary force. It would be difficult for the Death Palace and the Space-time Palace to find us if we are in the Aborigines Worlds." Darren had already made up his mind before he went out again.

 Chapter 729 An Unexpected Visitor

    "What is an expeditionary force?" Elsa had never heard of it.


    "It''s the army organized by the human race to attack the creatures in the Aborigines Worlds," Darren explained.


    "Aborigines Worlds?"


    "Yes. The small continents around Lothlann Continent are called the Aborigines Worlds. I''ll explain it to you on our way to the Sacred Palace."


    "Okay." Elsa nodded before leaping into the air to follow Darren.


    On their way, Elsa understood everything that Darren explained to her.


    "Darren, don''t you think it is too cruel for us to attack creatures in the Aborigines Worlds? They are also living creatures, even though their intelligence and strength are not on par with human masters. Should they be slaughtered because of this?"


    Elsa felt sympathy for the creatures in those Aborigines Worlds.


    "Don''t worry, Elsa. We will just join the expeditionary force. We will not be participating in the slaughter."


    "Ha-ha, that''s good. Thank you, Darren," Elsa said with a smile.


    After flying for tens of thousands of kilometers, Darren and Elsa reached a deserted mountain. However, as soon as they neared, they sensed a strong aura and intense strength.


    Darren used his spiritual sense to probe the surroundings.


    "Darren, what''s that? It''s killing humans!" Elsa asked with shock. She had also detected the situation in front of them.


    "Let''s investigate."


    In a flash, Darren and Elsa appeared at their destination, hundreds of kilometers away.


    The land that lay before them had been destroyed. A man in a beast hide and with straggly hair carried a stone spear in his hand. It appeared as though he had killed two seven-star grand warriors and was attempting to kill a third one.


    "How dare you?" Darren roared. This creature was tall and looked like a human, but its facial features were cat-like. Darren speculated that it was a demonic creature.


    Elsa dashed toward him before Darren could do anything.


    Whoosh!


    She released a sword intent that covered the whole area.


    Howl!


    The creature in the beast hide roared and glared at Elsa with bloodthirsty eyes.


    He swung his stone spear and charged at Elsa''s sword intent in all directions.


    "What?" Darren frowned. "He can resist Elsa''s sword intent just by using his physical strength. This creature is very strong."


    But in the next moment, Darren saw that he was wrong. After charging forward briefly, the creature could no longer continue. The immense


    u are accusing me of slaughtering humans?" Nate grinned as he retorted. However, Darren could see the anguish that had filled the creature''s soul at that moment.


    "You human beings came to our fertile soil and killed all of our clansmen. As the ''God of War'' of my clan, I was forced to watch human beings peel the skin off my clansmen. How could you say that I am the beast?


    These devils ate my wife''s heart! Can''t I kill them after what they have done to my clan? You, humans, are devils who like to invade and slaughter other races!"


    Nate was very excited as well as in tremendous pain.


    Darren repeated his explanation to Elsa, whose expression conveyed the horror coursing through her. She almost cried!


    "I''m sorry, Nate. I shouldn''t have hurt you. I''m really sorry," Elsa asked Darren to apologize to Nate on her behalf through his soul.


    When Nate heard her apology, he could hardly believe that humans were capable of such feelings.


    At this moment, he believed that these two humans were genuinely different from the others. He could not feel any enmity emanating from them.


    "Can you let me go now? I want to return to my clan to bury the bones of my clansmen. I can give everything precious in our world as long as you let me go." Aware that these two people were not like the others, Nate felt the hope of survival blossom in him.


    "Don''t worry, Nate. We''ll let you return to your clan, safe and sound," Darren replied.


    "Really?" It was still hard for Nate to believe Darren and Elsa''s promise. On the contrary, he became a little suspicious. Were the cunning humans playing tricks to fool him again?

 Chapter 730 Scumbags From The Cross Expeditionary Force (Part One)

    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Several figures flashed ahead like shadows.


    Dozens of humans in armors appeared in the sky.


    Darren sensed with his spiritual sense that these people did not deliberately release the killing intent. Instead, their bodies revealed cold killing intent without even doing anything.


    Only those who had been killing for a long time would naturally give off such an aura. Darren knew about it clearly.


    "These people are the true Cross Expeditionary Force." Darren judged their auras and spoke firmly.


    "Ha-ha." The man, who was knelt on the ground, stood up with a grim smile.


    "Masters, in order to save a savage, these two people killed two members of the Cross Expeditionary Force reserve service. Please punish them, masters." The man turned to the masters in the sky and put on a stern face that could fool anyone out there, except for Darren and Elsa.


    "Is that so? Can we believe in you?" The leader looked at the man suspiciously.


    "Bullshit! You and your companions chased Nate and attempted to kill him, but those two were killed by him. But now, you accuse us of killing them? How dare you!" A spasm of anger crept on Elsa''s face.


    "Humph, how dare you tell a lie in front of all the masters?" It was clear that the man wasn''t going to budge. His lips curved up to form a sinister smile.


    "You! You are framing us." Elsa''s body was trembling because of anger as she pointed her finger at the man.


    "That is enough!" The leader of the men in the sky looked coldly at Elsa and Darren. "I don''t care whether you have killed the members in the reserve service or not. You will still be punished! Just protecting the savage is a capital crime. Kill them!"


    Darren felt someone had poured cold water on his body as soon as the words ente


    e blade intent swept into countless storms and rushed to them fiercely.


    "What? He is very strong!"


    That captain was stunned. He noticed Darren was cultivating blade skill and sword skill at the same time. His sword intent alone was powerful enough to make others jealous.


    For a moment, he continued to stare at the formation Darren was making. Once the realization dawned on the captain''s face, his eyes went wide. "Cross Battle Array!"


    The captain''s cold voice had a hint of fear that made everyone anxious. Dozens of them hesitated before forming a strange attacking and defending array.


    Darren sneered at the scene. Did they really think they could stop him after threatening Elsa? "Do you think you won''t die after you use this kind of array?" He looked at them with his cold eyes and began to call upon his integrated sword intent to sweep away all obstacles in the way.


    The attack hit the men, and Darren could see a huge blast in front of him.


    Some heads fell on the ground as the sword intent passed by.


    Their array was nothing in front of Darren! It was as weak as a sheet of paper!


    The Cross Expeditionary Force would fall apart with just one more hit!

 Chapter 731 Scumbags From The Cross Expeditionary Force (Part Two)

    Cold sweat started forming on the captain''s forehead. He had never imagined that he would meet such a powerful guy in the deserted mountain.


    He tightened his face only to show how stern he had been. The captain wanted to hide his expressions of fear toward Darren. "Lad, do you know what you are doing? You are slaughtering members in the Cross Expeditionary Force. Even if you were the Lord of the Sacred Palace, you still would be suppressed!" He tried to maintain an intimidating voice while he uttered those words.


    It seemed to backfire him. Darren started fuming in anger, and he stared at them with his darkened eyes. It looked like Darren was possessed with demons. "Fuck you! Fuck Cross Expeditionary Force! The Cross Expeditionary Force is something worse than bandits! Go to hell!"


    The blade and sword intents of Darren rushed out at full force.


    Heads fell one by one from the midair. In just a few minutes, only the captain was left struggling. Others were all killed by Darren.


    The one who was in the reserve service of the Cross Expeditionary Force had totally been stunned after watching Darren kill them so quickly like a slaughtering God.


    Other members in Cross Expeditionary Force were massacred by Darren without any chances to fight back. He finally knew that Darren was really powerful.


    When Nate, who was next to Darren, saw the fight, he ultimately believed that Darren was not on the same side with the devils. It was because the people Darren had killed were the devils who murdered his clansmen.


    "Brat, no matter who you are, you will die miserably if you don''t stop." The captain started trembling when Darren''s darkened eyes shot at him. At this time, the captain knew his end had come. Still, he was too stubborn to surrender. He gritted his tee


    ate was kowtowing him on the ground.


    Nate was respected as an invincible God of War in his clan who was carrying the mission of protecting his clansmen.


    He had never knelt to any living creatures in his whole life, except the gods that his clansmen and he believed in.


    Now, Nate had supreme respect for Darren after recognizing the latter''s power.


    "Nate, please stand up." Darren helped him up.


    Nate looked at Darren with sparkling eyes. "God, thank you for your mercy. Thank you for saving me. Please accept me as your slave." After saying that, Nate knelt and started kowtowing again.


    "No way! I can''t take you as my slave!" The situation only made Darren more embarrassed.


    Bang! Nate was heavily kowtowing to Darren.


    "God, please accept me as your slave. I am willing to serve you forever and give you the most precious Primitive Mine."


    Darren shook his head and said, "Don''t say that again, Nate. In my eyes, all living beings are equal as long as they don''t intend to harm others. I can''t let you be a slave. We can be friends if you want."


    Nate''s eyes widened in shock.


    He was astounded after hearing this. He could be friends with such a powerful person?

 Chapter 732 Arriving At The Sacred Palace

    As he knelt on the ground, Nate felt transfixed. It was as thunder had struck his mind.


    "I... I would like to be friends with you, master." Nate was so excited that he couldn''t speak clearly.


    "Ha-ha, this is great. My name is Darren Chu. This is my wife, Elsa Gongsun. We can address each other by using our first names from now on," Darren nodded with a smile as he introduced himself and Elsa to Nate.


    "Thank you, Master Darren," Nate replied.


    "Well, as we are friends now, you don''t have to call me, master. If you repeat this, I will be very unhappy with you."


    "Yes, I understand." Nate nodded and grinned.


    "By the way, I can introduce our language to your soul so that you can understand it as well. It will be inconvenient for both of us to continue communicating through our souls only."


    As Darren''s Spirit Power was strong, it would be easy for him to infuse human language into Nate''s brain.


    "Okay."


    "Please, be patient. This hurts a bit."


    "Oh. Thank you for cautioning me, Darren. I will try my best. Please, go ahead."


    Darren''s Spirit Power carried basic information of human language into Nate''s soul.


    Nate gritted his teeth and trembled when agony coursed through him, but he didn''t make a sound.


    "Wow! Nate''s enduring ability is similar to mine."


    A moment later, the pain in Nate''s soul vanished.


    "Darren, Elsa, thank you so much," Nate said as tears filled his eyes.


    "You''re welcome. I believe fate brought us together. It was our destiny to meet!" Darren smiled.


    "Yes, I agree. I thought you were a demonic monster that was killing humans, so I wounded you. Don''t be mad at me, please," Elsa implored as she teased him.


    "No, No. I would never dare to get angry at you, Elsa." Nate scratched his head and laughed.


    "By the way, where are you from, and why were they chasing you?" Darren asked.


    Hearing this question, Nate was reminded of his hometown. His face darkened.


    "My home is located on a floating continent. Our ancestors have been living there for over a hundred thousand years. We lived an easy life. Not long ago, a group of devils arrived in my hometown. They wanted to occupy our village and loot our ores.


    We knew that we couldn''t defeat that group of devils. So, we agreed to let them mine our ores. But they were not satisfied. They captured my clansmen, treated them as slaves, or killed them for fun.


    In their eyes, we were worse than animals. What''s more, they controlled me with a strange force and captured my wife. Just as she was


    My Lord, I was too angry. I know that I was a little unreasonable. Please forgive me," Darren apologized.


    But, Darren was also confused.


    Aside from the Cross Expeditionary Force, didn''t the eighteen cities controlled by the Sacred Palace also have an expeditionary army? Didn''t they kill people in the Aborigines Worlds, as well?


    "My Lord, since you are so ashamed of the Cross Expeditionary Force, what about our Sacred Palace? The expeditionary forces of our eighteen cities..." Darren paused now.


    "Humph, boy, what are you thinking?" Lord Donald glared at Darren and said, "The expeditionary force of our Sacred Palace only suppresses two kinds of aborigines. First of all, there are powerful bandits in the Aborigines Worlds as well. They burn, pillage, and do evil things. We do not suppress them according to the rules until we got evidence.


    Second, there are people there who harbor evil plans. They have attempted to assault our Lothlann Continent. To defend our hometown, we will suppress them based on the conditions.


    As for the clans that behave themselves, we will never hurt them. Not even a little bit. If we find the resources we need, we will send someone to negotiate with them. If they agree, we will exchange resources with them. Everything has been done as per the rules. Whoever forcefully takes resources will be executed by the law enforcers right away.


    Do you think the Sacred Palace will do what the bloody Cross Expeditionary force has done?"


    Hearing Lord Donald''s explanation and sensing his outrage at the accusation, Darren felt excited. Lord Donald would be a wise and responsible sovereign of a nation if he were in the ordinary land!

 Chapter 733 The Generals Order (Part One)

    "My Lord, I was discourteous. Please forgive me if I have offended you!" Darren expressed uneasily and promptly got down on one knee. Regret was clearly evident in his whole being.


    "Offended me? Not in the least! Please get up and stop making your heart troubled. Ha-ha! I knew you meant no harm when being mad at me regarding the Cross Expeditionary Force. On the contrary, I see it as a manifestation of your goodwill. How can I blame a man of good virtue? Please stop blaming yourself and rise immediately!" Lord Donald paused and thoughtfully watched the young man kneeling before him. Sighing, he purposely took a step forward and reached out right away to help Darren up by the arm.


    "Oh, come on. What is the use of drawing the blame to yourself when you are not at fault? It''s all because of the Cross Expeditionary Force. They are the ones that are responsible for this whole drama," Elsa pointed out with a warm smile plastered on her face.


    "Ha-ha! You are right!"


    Hearing Elsa''s outburst, both Darren and Lord Donald laughed in unison and good-naturedly nodded in agreement.


    So, without further platitudes and formalities, Lord Donald and Darren eventually sat down and soon embarked on their council.


    "Auberon, come out and show yourself!" Lord Donald commanded authoritatively as soon as he settled himself. Then immediately after, Auberon came into everyone''s sight in the room.


    "What can I do for you, My Lord?" Auberon inquired almost immediately as he stooped low, showing his deep respect for the lord.


    "I dispatch you to check out the Cross Expeditionary Force straight away. If there is anything that they are not doing based on the rule, have them provide a rational explanation. Otherwise, I should suppress their evil spirits even if I have to send an army upon them!" Lord Donald instructed with a grave expression on his face. His deep voice reverberated with expected firmness.


    "Yes, sir!" Auberon solemnly responded as if everything was anticipated. And a moment later, he efficiently


    untly at Darren.


    "I got it," Lord Donald nodded and implied. "So you think he killed your team members, right? But did he try to kill you?"


    "Lord Donald, don''t talk nonsense! Just hand him over!" Eason Ye interjected. His attitude was cold and arrogant, and his words were mean.


    "Don''t worry, Eason. If I remember correctly, you are the general of the Third Army, under the command of Edwin Ye, right?" Lord Donald calmly pursued.


    Eason Ye snorted with anger, and he felt restless and annoyed. "I told you. Don''t talk nonsense! Hand over that brat or your Sacred Palace will be demolished!" he thundered, looking stubbornly straight into Lord Donald''s eyes.


    "That''s great," Lord Donald commented dismissively. He still didn''t give his consent.


    Just as Eason was about to draw out his weapon in wrath, Lord Donald suddenly vanished from his seat. And when he reappeared again, Eason''s head had already exploded.


    "You don''t deserve to be a general. How dare you threaten me like that? It is no exaggeration to end your life here. Throw his body out!" in a tone of voice as calm and flat as ever, Lord Donald ordered his men.


    While Darren, who keenly observed the exchange of words between the two, stared at Lord Donald with total disbelief showing in his eyes. He didn''t expect the ever kind and amiable lord to kill someone today.

 Chapter 734 The Generals Order (Part Two)

    It was an absolute surprise, and what was more, he didn''t just slay an ordinary man but a general of the Cross Expeditionary Force.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    After receiving Lord Donald''s order, ten golden-armored law enforcers swiftly showed up at the same time.


    "Yes, My Lord!" they responded in chorus.


    The sudden appearance of these law enforcers, with their ringing answers, nearly got the remaining two generals blacked out.


    Realizing that they were now in such an inferior state, they began to tremble with fear as they felt cold shiver along their spines.


    "My...My Lord, if you will excuse us, we shall retire now. If there is anything you need, please tell us. We will pass your message to our leader, Edwin." Quaking with terror, one of the two men faltered as panic engulfed him.


    "Why are you in such haste? Stay for a while now that you are already here!" Lord Donald insisted. And soon after he said his request, Lord Donald''s calm demeanor suddenly turned seriously grave, and he roared angrily, "Do you think my Sacred Palace is a place that you can just enter or leave as you wish?"


    Bang! Bang!


    To everyone''s astonishment, the echoing sound of Lord Donald''s words blew the two men away into the air until they were thudded heavily to the ground a few seconds later. Blood started to ooze out of their mouths.


    "My Lord, please forgive us for our imprudence. Please spare our lives!" panicked, the two golden armored generals implored and frantically knelt down in front of Lord Donald.


    However, Lord Donald gave no heed to their earnest and humble request. Instead, he turned to Darren and began, "Darren, you have killed several men of the Cross Expeditionary Force. I guess they were not powerful enough to inspire your spirits.


    How about I give you another chance? Now I appoint you to be a first-rate law enforcer and order you to punish these two brats by the military discipline."


    "Yes, My Lord. Now bei


    o the Holy Realm.


    "Lord Donald, do you think Darren can defeat them?" asked Elsa, her voice full of concern. She felt worried when she sensed the mighty strength of the two golden-armored generals.


    "Don''t worry! I have already wounded them with my blow. Their strength is now slightly weaker than that of the cultivator of the Holy Realm. Judging from Darren''s current strength, it would be enough for him to kill them ten times over under such circumstances."


    In fact, the moment Darren had arrived at the palace, Lord Donald had felt his invincible strength outright. He strongly believed that no one whose strength was weaker than that of the Holy Realm could be Darren''s rival.


    "Power-enhancing Elixir!"


    Each of the two golden-armored generals who rushed to Darren took out a red pill and hurriedly swallowed it.


    "Damn it! They just took the pills that would triple their power!" The law enforcers, who stood on both sides, were taken aback with horror.


    They understood so well that this kind of pill was an exclusive elixir for the cultivator of the Holy Realm. Once a cultivator took it, he would become three times stronger than he previously was.


    At this point, as the two generals had already reached Darren, he had no option but to fight against them with all his might.

 Chapter 735 Kill The General

    The two generals of the Cross Expeditionary Force were a bit injured, but their combat power was three times stronger after taking the pills.


    Two spears in the hands of the generals started burning up, and a brilliant light spread in all directions. It was so bright that anyone gazing at it directly would squint their eyes in pain.


    Boom!


    Their two spears'' power surged and turned into shadows, attacking Darren directly. He was surrounded by the shadows, and it was difficult for him to escape. His furrowed eyebrows and his slightly squinted eyes continued to scan through the spears'' power.


    Elsa''s heart jumped in the middle of her throat when she saw that Darren was surrounded by the spears'' shadows.


    That was when she noticed the tremendous shaking of the shadows.


    Streams of tremendous sword intent condensed into ten thousand sharp swords that flew to all directions.


    Boom!


    The whole Sacred Palace started shaking because of the powerful energy. The scattered energy charged at everyone present.


    A splendid light penetrated the sky because of the presence of powerful energy in the environment that slowly increased its brightness and dissipated after a moment.


    Elsa''s nervous gaze shot at the attack made at them, and she started to scatter in a different direction with others.


    As long as Darren was safe after this blow, the rest of the law enforcers could go forward and attack the two generals.


    "So powerful!"


    The law enforcer who was close to the scene saw the result of the collision, and his eyes widened.


    Darren stood firmly in the air while the two golden-armored generals were covered in blood, and their arms kept trembling.


    That one blow didn''t hurt Darren. On the contrary, the two generals were severely injured.


    "Ha-ha." Lord Donald''s eyes lit up when he saw there wasn''t even a scratch on Darren''s body. "I have underestimated Darren''s strength. His sword intent has reached the peak of perfection!"


    On the other side, the two generals were both at the Holy Realm, whose spear intent was at the extreme level. Yet, both of them were defeated by Darren. The strength of Darren surprised all law enforcers.


    He didn''t reach the Holy Realm, but he was able to fight against holy warriors! Only very few people in history were able to do so.


    Elsa''s heartbeat sped at the highest rate when she saw Darren standing with a cold gaze, and his robes fluttered in the wind. To her, that scene was more enchanting than anything else. "Darren is so awesome. He''s sure to win this battle." She was thrilled to the extreme.


    "Don''t make a rash conclusion. The two generals only used spear intents and martial skills and look at what happened. They still have the Holy Will." Lord Donald furrowed his eyebrows at the two generals. Even though Darren was powerful, these generals weren''t as simple as he would expect them to be.


    Smile slipped away from Elsa''s face, and she turned to Lord Donald. "What? Lord Donald, please help Darren! Don''t let them hurt Darren!" Elsa panicked when she heard the generals still had powerful attacks. She swept a concerned glance at Darren.


    "Now that you love Darren and worry about him so much, why don''t you go to help him?" Lord Donald''s mouth quirked up to form a faint smile.


    Elsa''s heartbeat leaped up when she heard his words. "Can... Can I?"


    "Little girl, be confident in your power. I have detected that you are only slightly weaker than D


    put up a desperate fight.


    A spear shadow condensed in the void. A moment later, it fell like a mountain was casting directly through the roof of the Sacred Palace.


    At the tip of the spear, the red flame was particularly striking, which was the burning Holy Will.


    This was the most powerful blow that golden-armored general had ever performed!


    ''Darren won''t be able to take this blow, '' Lord Donald thought with a grim face.


    The spear was as powerful as the strongest attack from the inferior holy warrior in his prime.


    Boom!


    Darren confronted the attack with his blade and sword intents.


    Unfortunately, the blade and sword intents were soon wiped out by the red Holy Will.


    The dark gold internal force surged over like a torrent but also disappeared.


    The olive-black force that accompanied the dragon''s roar was also wiped out by the Holy Will.


    The Holy Will started to lose its flame''s strength by the time it nearly reached Darren. It seemed the spear was weakened to its limit, and its power was much lower than before.


    Whoosh!


    Darren looked coldly at the spear and rushed towards the mountain alike lightning flash.


    On the other side, Lord Donald saw Darren''s movements and momentarily stopped in his tracks. Lord Donald''s eyebrows furrowed at that. "Is Darren going to use his body to withstand that blow?" Lord Donald was surprised.


    The face of the golden-armored general was covered in blood, but he suddenly laughed sinisterly.


    He didn''t think Darren could stay alive after clashing with the Holy Will. If Darren wanted to challenge his unique skill with the body, he was courting death!


    The two sides clashed with a blast.


    What everyone couldn''t see in the blast was that Darren had aimed for the spearhead.


    Countless flames exploded, and within the Sacred Palace, countless fireballs flew wildly, as if the end of the world was approaching.


    Lord Donald panicked at the scene. He had never been this anxious before. What if Darren failed to survive this attack? "Number four, five and six law enforcers. Go and help Darren!" He continued to watch the scene from the distance.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Three powerful figures flew into the flames that covered the sky and the sun, and the Holy Will were also lit up on their spears.

 Chapter 736 A Dragon, Two Xiaos, And Three Demons

    Three law enforcers attempted to violently attack the mountain-like divine spear.


    But to their surprise, all of them seemed to have completely missed the target. The divine spear''s shadow had dispersed completely.


    The sight that met them next was truly terrifying. A bloody body dropped from the sky.


    One law enforcer had the presence of mind to catch it before it reached the ground.


    "It''s Darren!"


    "This lad doesn''t know when to give up, we should have just joined the battle earlier when we had the chance."


    The three law enforcers helped catch Darren and break his fall.


    "I''ve killed your top talent. Even if I die today, I''ll have no regrets." The general, now covered head to toe in blood, let out a hysterical laugh. He was certain that Darren had taken his last breath and was no longer among the living.


    "Slash him!" Lord Donald roared coldly. A law enforcer flew towards the general ready to thrust his spear at his head.


    But before the general died, he caught sight of the bloody figure standing up suddenly and staring daggers at him.


    "He isn''t dead! No!" the golden-armored general roared with dismay.


    Swish!


    The spear pierced through his head, dropping him to the ground.


    Even with the state he was in, Darren hadn''t forgotten to assimilate the general''s martial arts talent.


    On the other side of the hall, the other golden-armored general went mad and started to ferociously attack Elsa.


    Elsa was gradually losing the fight, her abilities no longer able to serve her and help her defend herself.


    "Quick, go help Elsa out!" Lord Donald ordered. A law enforcer was fast to obey. He flew towards her with his spear in hand.


    "Go to hell!" The remaining general suddenly shot out a spear the size of an embroidery needle, aiming it at Elsa''s head.


    Elsa''s eyes widened; she hadn''t expected that move and with the speed it was coming at her in, there was no room to dodge. Before she could process it, the spear was perched between her eyebrows.


    Everyone down there was horrified, especially Darren. He rushed into the air despite his serious injuries.


    "It''s too late, young man. You must watch your beloved die," the general shouted loudly.


    "You want to kill me, but I won''t let you have your way!" The general''s body turned red, a telltale sign that he was going to commit suicide by exploding the Holy Will.


    Whoosh!


    A sword intent shot from the middle of Elsa''s brows.


    It was full of murderous intent that it shocked everyone present.


    It was the most primitive killing intent anyone had seen, one that couldn''t be emitted by any ordinary person.


    "Killing sword intent!" Lord Donald roared gasped in surprise.


    He kne


    finally calmed down.


    "A long time ago, there were notoriously famous figures in our world. Together, they were referred to as one dragon, two Xiaos and three demons. I thought only one of the three famous demons was still alive to this day. But I''m glad to know the two Xiaos are too," Lord Donald sighed.


    "I know who the two Xiaos are, but who are the dragon and three demons?" Darren asked perplexed.


    "If they can be on par with Mr. Mathew and Mr. Hanson Xiao, they must be rare prodigies as well. I guess the dragon belonged to the Dragon Blood Clan. Am I right, Lord Donald?" Elsa said.


    "You''re smart, Elsa. Darren, there''s no way you can catch up to her." Lord Donald smiled and continued, "There is a dragon that''s indeed the genius of the Dragon Blood Clan. His name is Kirk Ao, the first prodigy born to the Dragon Blood Clan in nearly a hundred thousand years. He was able to turn into a ten thousand feet dragon at the age of eighteen and behead a holy warrior with ease. Ever since he was young, he was known all over the continent.


    Unfortunately, he disappeared when he was 19 years old. It is said that he was suppressed by a senior holy warrior. I don''t know if it is true.


    The three demons are all from the demonic monster race and come from a very powerful bloodline. They were believed to be on their way to becoming emperors, but unfortunately two of them died. Now, only one more remains," Lord Donald explained.


    "The last big demon should be very terrifying after thousands of years of cultivation, right?" Darren inquired.


    "That''s definitely true. That big demon was originally a roc. It''s now in charge of the entire demonic monster race, and people refer to it as the Roc Demon Emperor."


    "Roc Demon Emperor?" Darren and Elsa both asked in surprise.

 Chapter 737 Ready To Go

    Seeing that both Darren and Elsa paled with surprised expressions on their faces, Lord Donald said with a faint smile, "Don''t be scared by his title. In fact, he is only in the Holy Realm. As to how far he has reached, that shall be confirmed further."


    "Oh, I see. I assumed before that there was a holy emperor in the demonic monster race." Darren nodded, eased himself, and let out a sigh.


    "My Lord, since there is such a powerful person in the demonic monster race and the race is known to have deep hostility towards us human race, why do they still stay in a remote place without attacking the human cities?" asked Elsa. The thought came through her as they were worried about the threat brought about by the demonic monster race.


    Startled by such imploring from Elsa, Lord Donald meditated for a moment and replied, "Lothlann Continent is not that simple as what you think. Not one in the human race nor the demonic monster race could destroy the races that have been passed down since ancient times. Perhaps, even the legendary Barnes the Holy wouldn''t be able to make it."


    Lord Donald used the example of Barnes the Holy for two reasons. One was that his combat power was at the holy emperor level, and the other was that the time of his coming, which was quite close to now.


    However, as Lord Donald perceived it, even Barnes the Holy, the most potent cultivator of an era, couldn''t destroy a long-existing race, let alone the so called Roc Demon Emperor.


    "All in all, whether the demonic monster or the human race it might be, both races are diverse and dynamic in their own ways. Those without any profound background and rich history would never have survived to this day because they would have long been wiped out in the flood of history." A serious look was drawn upon Lord Donald''s face as he stressed out those true and inevitable facts.


    Hearing those remarks, Darren thought that Lord Donald sounded reasonable. In this world where natural selection was ensured, those weak races wouldn''t have existed for millions of years¡ªthey should have been eliminated.


    "The Roc Demon Emperor is talented, just like Mathew and Hanson. Since he had never been through any disasters, he must be more powerful than the two masters now," Darren retorted out of his curiosity.


    "That''s for sure. Although the two Xiaos are gifted, unlike the Roc Demon Emperor, they have suffered too much. That would result in their strength being naturally much inferior. On the contrary, the demon emperor must have been improving his strength smoothly all these years. But as long as the two Xiaos are alive, it''s only a matter of time for them to cultivate and catch up with the Roc Demon Emperor," responded Lord Donald momentarily.


    "How is that possible? The way I see it, although Mr. Mathew and Hanson Xiao are gifted, the demon emperor has practiced for thousands of years more than they have. How can the two seniors catch up with the demonic monster easily?" Elsa asked in confusion. All this time, Elsa had that keen observation and had looked at things differently.


    "Haha, everyone has his bottleneck in the martial arts


    purple-crystal ship is 3000 distorted kilometers, and the ship can only accommodate no more than two people. Otherwise, it''ll be in danger of collapse," cleared out Lord Donald.


    "If so, then why could those brutal Cross Expeditionary Force get to Nate''s hometown in large numbers?" Elsa blurted out another confusing question.


    "They had conquered a small continent full of supreme purple crystals a few years ago. The purple crystals they obtained far exceed those of the Sacred Palace in both quality and quantity. With that, they created ten super large purple-crystal ships. The ships could transmit three thousand people at one time to and can travel up to nine thousand distorted kilometers away," Lord Donald said helplessly, his shoulders slumped as he narrated the fact.


    "Then how did you get here, Nate? Did they take you here using that purple crystal ship?" Elsa was still unwilling to give up because she knew that if the ship could only hold two people, Darren would definitely let her stay.


    "Yes. Those devils thought I was strong and wanted to take me back to be their permanent slave. After arriving here, I managed to kill two guards and escaped. Then I met you before I was captured," Nate nodded, which in turn disheartened Elsa. Nate''s confirmation would only mean one thing, she would be left, and Darren would go with Nate.


    "My Lord, please find another purple-crystal ship," Elsa pouted and pleaded Lord Donald at once. Her determination to go with Darren caused her to be persistent.


    "Pretty girl, we have sent all the hundred purple-crystal ships out, and only the smallest one is left. There''s no other option." Relaying the sad news to Elsa, Lord Donald shook his head.


    "Elsa, would you like to stay at the Sacred Palace and wait for me? I will come back right after I send Nate back, okay?" Darren consoled her.


    "No! I want to go there!" Elsa shouted angrily, showing her child-like behavior.


    "My Lord, if Miss Elsa insists on going, there is still a way," interrupted the disciple who was responsible for exploring the Aborigines World.

 Chapter 738 Traveling Across The Space Turbulent Flows

    "Really?" Elsa grinned.


    "Well, we still have a purple-crystal cabin to be fixed to the ship, which happens to have the ability to accommodate one person," the disciple explained in a calm tone.


    That made Elsa excited to death. "Great! Let''s go!" Elsa clapped her hands together.


    "You look so happy." Lord Donald smiled faintly and turned to the other man standing beside Elsa. "Darren, you must be careful when you go there. The space turbulent flows are very dangerous, and you may come across marauding bandits at any time."


    "Got it. Let''s go."


    Darren knew that Nate must have been out of patience. After all, the members of his clan had been dead for many days.


    Darren didn''t say anything and followed the disciple to a purely white space, where a purple ship stood in a serene environment.


    They stepped on the purple-crystal ship after the disciple narrated the rules.


    "Darren, I will stay in this small cabin, and you and Miss Elsa will stay in the boat." Nate entered the cabin and popped his head out only to speak in a gentle tone.


    Darren''s mouth slowly curved up at that, but he didn''t say anything. After the disciple finished setting the route, they prepared to go.


    "Darren, it will take you three years to get there. It can be kind of boring." The disciple slipped an apologetic smile toward Darren.


    Darren waved his hand. "It doesn''t matter. Three years is not a long time." In fact, for Darren, three years with Elsa on a boat wouldn''t be enough.


    "Okay, then I''ll start the ship. Have a nice trip.


    By the way, I have a small request. If you were to see some purple crystals, please do your best to get some for us. Our purple-crystal ships are not enough."


    "No problem. I''ll do it if I have a chance."


    Buzz.


    The purple-crystal ship started to quiver, causing the space to ripple. Then the boat submerged in it.


    In the black space, there were ferocious lightning everywhere, and countless terrifying black vortexes.


    Even though Darren and Elsa were on the boat, they all felt the devastating power that had been enough to make them tremble.


    "The purple-crystal ship is tough. It could even survive the turbulence in such strong space turbulent flows." Darren''s eyes lit up when he observed the extreme power the boat they were riding.


    "Yes, it''s so terrible outside. If we went in the turbulent flow, we would have been torn to pieces." Elsa was also surprised. All of them continued to travel. The scenery started to change when something caught Elsa''s eyes. Her eyes stared at the scene, and she started poking Darren.


    "Darren, look!" Elsa pointed at the scene before her eyes. "It''s so beautiful. I have never seen such color before." It was a scene of space showing off a unique scenery mixed with multiple colored lights.


    "Yes, it is." Darren nodded with a smile.


    Time flew by. It had already been two and


    anting.


    When Darren heard this, his heart trembled. Elsa ended up saying the exact words that swirled in his heart.


    "Elsa..." Darren brought her closer and kissed her forehead.


    Boom.


    The purple-crystal ship shook violently in the space. It was like thunder exploding in the boat, which made Darren and Elsa feel dizzy.


    Just as they thought the worst was gone, Darren''s eyes caught something. "What is that?"


    When their ship was drawn into the windstorm, Darren looked closely at it.


    He saw a huge purple-crystal ship with a width of three kilometers in front of them.


    Shoop! Shoop! Shoop!


    A group of arrows with individual ropes shot towards Darren''s purple-crystal ship. After fastening the purple-crystal boat, many black shadows on the huge ship began to pull the ropes.


    "I see. It was these creatures on the big ship that deviated our boat from the original route," Darren understood at once and said to Elsa. Elsa frowned at the scene.


    "Are these the bandits that Lord Donald mentioned before we set out?"


    Darren narrowed his eyes and stayed silent for a moment. "I suppose so. If it is a real space windstorm, we will surely die. That''s good. At least we won''t die at once." Darren''s tensed face slightly relaxed, seeing that he could find time to have an escape.


    "Yay, yay!"


    The creatures on the huge ship began to roar, preparing to collect their spoils.


    Even though Darren could stay calm in such a situation, Elsa couldn''t help but be worried. "But those creatures must be not easy to deal with since they could have such a large purple-crystal ship and roam in the space turbulent flows." She threw a concerned gaze at him.


    "Let''s get to know more about the situation first and don''t fight in the first place," Darren nodded and said.


    Soon, Darren and Elsa''s purple-crystal ship was already close to the giant ship. The creatures on the boat then pulled them up.

 Chapter 739 Alien Creatures

    The huge purple-crystal ship was packed with creatures that had green skin and horns poking out of their heads.


    Peculiar roars of different pitches grated violently into Darren''s and Elsa''s ears. The creatures looked a little too excited at the moment.


    "We''ll have to be extra careful as we haven''t got a clue about the strength of these creatures," Darren concluded.


    "Yes, I understand." Elsa nodded in understanding.


    The rule power shield hanging above the purple-crystal ship was cracked open by the green-skinned creatures as they all simultaneously rushed inside.


    A stream of mist spread from them towards Darren and Elsa''s direction.


    Darren suddenly felt his muscles become sore and numb all over his body the moment the misty cloud touched his skin. His limbs felt as heavy as lead as he couldn''t move an inch.


    "Holy crap! What is this?" Darren was determined he wasn''t in a good position now. He did not expect that these green-skinned creatures had such a strong and effective paralyzing drug.


    Elsa, who stood next to Darren, unfortunately was also unable to move due to the same mist that hit Darren. "What should we do now?"


    "Don''t worry. I think I can get rid of this paralyzing effect. It''ll take some time, though." Darren began to focus and used the aura of the dragon blood to probe around the mist that paralyzed him.


    Several of those green-skinned creatures searched the entirety of the ship Darren and Elsa were riding on, but found nothing out of the ordinary.


    Bang!


    One of the angry green-skinned creatures curled its hand into a large fist and landed a punch directly onto Darren''s chest.


    "What? Is that all it got?" Darren was delighted as he didn''t feel any ounce of pain when the green-skinned man landed a punch on him.


    "Are they only an equivalent to a cultivator at the Wonder Realm?" Darren analyzed from his years of experience.


    Darren and Elsa still couldn''t move. The green-skinned men dragged them further inside the huge ship.


    It was akin to a dark cave, filled with a pungent smell and moist from top to bottom.


    Darren and Elsa were thrown recklessly into the room and the door closed behind them.


    In the dark, many pairs of glowing eyes stared at them.


    Darren dispersed his spiritual sense immediately to clearly probe the appearances of these creatures they''d be dealing with. They were all strange looking with an incomparable messy appearance.


    A creature whose figure was similar to a human being lunged towards them.


    His skin was dried up, and his eyes were filled with a bloodthirsty light.


    Whoos


    a-ha." The woman smiled bitterly and said, "You don''t know how terrifying they are. My ability is useless on them. If you want to escape from them by your means, I think it is impossible at all.


    Because they are all devils, devils without souls. Their captain is an extremely powerful creature. I saw with my own eyes that he could destroy a mountain, which spanned over several hundred kilometers, with one hand."


    Hearing this, Darren shook his head with a smile. Then he walked away, leaving the woman behind.


    "Elsa, let''s attack together to see if we can open the door."


    "Okay."


    Darren and Elsa worked together to hit the door of the sealed cave.


    The whole space was shaking, but the door of the hole still remained intact.


    "Damn it! This door is also made of purple crystal, too hard."


    Purple crystal was a kind of material that could resist windstorm of space turbulent flows. It was hard for Darren and Elsa to open the door only with their pure strength even when they were at their prime.


    "Long live my king!"


    "Long live my king!"


    However, Darren''s and Elsa''s attacks just now had shocked all the alien creatures.


    What a powerful force it was to shake the whole cave!


    The woman with wings walked over in surprise and knelt down in front of Darren.


    "King." Obviously, she submitted herself to them after feeling the combined power of Darren and Elsa.


    "Get up, please." "As long as you have a way to open the door, I promise you all can go home safely," said Darren in a calm tone.


    Darren''s loud voice echoed in the whole cave, shocking all the living creatures.


    Home? It was a dream that they had yearned for thousands of years; no, perhaps even tens of thousands of years.

 Chapter 740 Take Control Of The Purple-crystal Ship

    "Escape..." the woman with wings on her back murmured.


    Then, she shook her head. With a bitter smile, she said, "It''s impossible for us to escape. Even if you are stronger than them, you can''t open the door of this dungeon."


    Every creature imprisoned here had tried to escape, but this door had been the biggest obstacle to them.


    "Are you saying that those green-skinned creatures haven''t allowed you to leave this dungeon for thousands of years?"


    Darren couldn''t figure out why those green-skinned creatures had caught so many aborigines and kept them here. Was their purpose just to detain the aborigines?


    "Do you know what their purpose is for arresting people?" Darren continued.


    "I don''t know." The woman shook her head.


    If they could not open the door of the dungeon, Darren''s power wouldn''t matter. He would not be able to help them, either.


    "Darren, did you find any answers?" Elsa asked.


    Darren shook his head and said, "They have been imprisoned for many years. But, they don''t know why the green-skinned men have done this."


    "Don''t worry. We might find a way to escape once we''ve recovered our strength." Elsa tried giving Darren some hope.


    "It seems as though no one has been able to force the door open from the inside. We have to find a way to compel the green-skinned men to open the door," Darren stated. A second later, an idea flashed through his mind.


    "Force them to open it? But how?" Elsa asked. Confusion reflected in her expression as she glanced at Darren.


    "I''m not sure yet. Let me think for a bit."


    Then Darren dusted the spot next to Elsa and sat down.


    Time went by. Three years passed in the blink of an eye. The cave still looked the same.


    During these three years, Darren practiced the blade and sword skills engraved in his mind. Not only had his strength recovered, but it had enhanced a little bit.


    "We can''t wait any longer," Darren abruptly said as he opened his eyes.


    Elsa woke as well.


    "Elsa, have you recovered now?"


    "I have, yes." Elsa nodded.


    "Let''s attack the door together. If we make a loud enough noise, maybe they will come to check. That will be our chance."


    "Okay." Elsa nodded.


    "All of you hide behind that purple crystal," Darren instructed as he pointed at a purple crystal.


    The creatures obediently lowered their heads and walked behind the purple crystal.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Darren and Elsa gathered their strength and bombarded the door. The impact of their attacks s


    ordered one of the aliens.


    "My king." The alien crawled on the ground and waited for Darren''s instruction.


    "Find a green-skinned man and learn their language. Do you think that three years is sufficient time to accomplish this?"


    Darren could not use his soul power to learn the language of the green-skinned men. So, he asked the aliens to do it.


    "My King, I can accomplish it in three months."


    "Okay, you can go."


    When three months passed, the alien creature had not only learned the language of the green-skinned creatures, but he also knew everything about the purple-crystal ship.


    These green-skinned men came from Purple crystal Continent that was covered in purple crystals.


    The green-skinned men relied on the purple crystals to roam through space, capture the people who entered, and rob the resources of the other alien races.


    Every one hundred thousand years, they would send the captives to their continent so that they would dig in the purple crystal mine.


    "You, learn how to control their ship. Come find me when you''re done," Darren ordered the alien.


    "Yes." The alien creature was very happy to be under Darren''s command.


    "Darren, after he grasps the ship controlling skills, let''s leave and find Nate. You know, his hometown has the Primitive Ores you need," Elsa suggested.


    "Don''t worry. I am not that close to breaking through to the Holy Realm. Perhaps we should explore the Purple-crystal Continent first."


    Darren thought that if he could acquire the purple crystals, he might be able to create a super purple-crystal ship. In this case, he might be able to travel to deeper space turbulent flows.

 Chapter 741 The Arrival (Part One)

    The purple-crystal ship skidded towards the other end of space turbulent flows while flowing itself at a great speed.


    "Milo, how much longer will it take for us to reach the Purple-crystal Continent?" Darren inquired as he furrowed his brows and stared out into the sea.


    Milo was none other than one of the formerly imprisoned alien creatures whom Darren had requested to master the green-skinned men''s language and their skill of steering boats so he could lead them to their destination.


    "It will take us about ten years, give or take.


    But my king, won''t we just be putting ourselves in grave danger on our way to the Purple-crystal Continent? I was told by them that this purple-crystal ship is just one of the small boats that they have throughout the entire continent. They usually use bigger boats compared to this," Milo asked in concern, the worried frown on his face decorating his words.


    "No need to worry. Elsa and I are capable and strong enough to fight through the dangers that may lay ahead. Let''s collect more purple crystals for the time being so we can make more of these purple-crystal ships that should allow you to get home safely," Darren concluded.


    "That''s a great idea!" Milo agreed and nodded his head, his eyes gleaming with expectations at the thought of going back to his home after years of thinking how he''d stay there for the rest of his life.


    They marched on. The huge purple-crystal ship glided its way towards the destination for ten years and during this period of time, having nothing else to do, Darren and Elsa continued cultivating their skills.


    One day, Milo came rushing to the bow of the ship and reported the situation to them with vivid delight.


    "Darren, we have finally arrived! Please look over there!" he cried, pointing to the direction of the place.


    They looked out, and found that they had already passed the margin of the space turbulent flows. Ahe


    hit him hard, enough for him to take a step back. After several rounds of collisions, Darren had a clear acknowledgement of their strength.


    ''They are comparable to the top level cultivator of the seven-star Grand Realm. These ones are not bad, '' Darren pondered while his hands were busy with the fight going on around him. A faint smile tugged on his lips. His quick mind went over all the seven-star grand warriors he knew of and much to his surprise, he found it difficult to name a man who could be a match for him in terms of strength.


    He thought that if he must name one, then Mr. Hanson Xiao and Mr. Mathew Xiao would be the only two masters who could earn his respect and awe. The others, mighty and powerful as they were, still could not compete against Darren.


    Whoosh!


    Darren swung his sword and chopped down at those green-skinned men in mere seconds, not wasting any energy on those who were too stubborn to back down. In an instant, the group of green-skinned men were thrown into the air by the force and were shot towards the continent in the far distance as fast as shooting stars from the sky.


    However, it was only a matter of time before they flew back, unscathed as if they weren''t thrown hundreds of thousands of kilometers away a few seconds ago.

 Chapter 742 The Arrival (Part Two)

    "These purple-crystal armors are so hard that even I can''t break through." Darren felt a mixture of pressure and annoyance rooting from their current problem and tugging at the back of his head like a child pulling on someone''s long hair. With the full protection from the purple-crystal armors, it seemed hard for him to even try and kill his opponents.


    Noting the failure of his previous attacks, Elsa dashed towards one of the green-skinned man.


    Upon unfurling her sword wings, she released countless of sword feathers and charged towards that man. Before long, the green-skinned man had completely been drowned by the rain of sword feathers and could no longer be seen, the relentless attacks making the images of him vague and blurry.


    However, to their utmost disappointment, the strike of the sword feathers did no harm to the man. By the time the swords were retreated, they found that the man remained unscathed and stood there smugly. Elsa stood a good distant in front of him, a pout on her face when all her efforts were for naught.


    This repeated as the green-skinned men were beaten off and then flew back for countless of times until Darren realized that using their skill against them was of no use.


    "Elsa, put away your sword intent. Let''s attack them with our physical strength this time."


    After the battle had lasted for a while, Darren stopped all his attacking means and advised Elsa to do the same as him.


    "Why is that? My sword intent can''t even shatter their armor. How can I be certain that I can break through just with my bare strength?" Elsa asked in confusion.


    "We will know it for sure after we have given it a shot. Trust me!" With a confident smile, Darren pointed at one of the green-skinned men and said, "Let''s choose that man as our first target. You go attack him from his back and I will attack f


    hem without much difficulty.


    But this one, this green-skinned man was almost on par with Darren in strength. It was impossible for them to launch an attack from both sides.


    Or even if they had somehow succeeded to get close to him and had hit him, their strike might still not be able to harm his body under the purple-crystal armor.


    The thin green-skinned man''s eyes flashed with a strange light as he looked at Elsa.


    Bang!


    Reaching the man, Elsa thrust her fist upon his chest. However, to her great astonishment and fear, she lurched forward and nearly fell.


    She missed, as before her fist could even reach the green-skinned man, the man had already disappeared.


    A sudden fear and panic fell over Elsa. For a moment, she stood in shock, unable to make out what her next move should be. After a few seconds, when the green-skinned man showed up again, he had already moved behind Elsa and his purple-crystal sword was an inch from Elsa''s back.


    The aliens hiding in the ship below stood petrified as they witnessed this scene.


    Never in all their years of trust would they expect that among all the green-skinned men, there existed a man who could contend against their king whom they had always respected.

 Chapter 743 The Powerful Green-skinned Men

    Darren was worried about Elsa.


    He rushed to the front of the thin green-skinned man and activated his strongest power to bombard him.


    However, the thin green-skinned man did not bother to resist or even evade Darren''s attack at all. He knew that Darren could not kill him.


    His target was Elsa.


    Fizz!


    The sword pierced Elsa''s shoulder.


    At the same time, Darren''s attack fell on the thin green-skinned man. He was knocked away and flew down like a shooting star.


    "Elsa! Are you okay?"


    Darren''s eyebrows pressed together in worry as he held Elsa.


    "It''s all right. I''m fine. It was very fortunate that my sword wing mitigated the impact of the attack, or else the sword would have pierced my heart." Despite her calmness, Elsa was still suffering from the shock. After all, she got close to death just a few moments ago.


    "You go back to the purple-crystal ship. I''ll deal with him," Darren insisted.


    "Don''t worry. It''s not a big deal. I''ll recover in a moment," Elsa replied.


    "Listen to me. Go and take a rest on the purple-crystal ship. I''ll call for you if ever I would need your help. Is that okay?"


    "Okay, fine. Just be careful."


    "I will."


    Elsa then flew towards the purple-crystal ship.


    The thin green-skinned man flew back again and stood in front of Darren.


    However, instead of immediately retaliating, he just crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Darren with interest.


    Darren did not understand what he was trying to do. But just as he was about to make a move, he found three purple figures flying up into the air.


    The three flying figures were about the same height as the thin green-skinned man, and it seemed that they were as powerful as him.


    "Damn it! There are four of them now." Darren frowned.


    He already could not deal with just one green-skinned man, and now there were three more. He was certain that it would definitely be even more difficult to deal with them.


    The green-skinned men were immune to his spiritual attack, and even after having tried other means, he failed to break their defense.


    They were basically indestructible.


    With the way things were heading, Darren obviously would not be able to deal with them alone for much longer. Thankfully, he also had helpers.


    "Aaron, Water Kylin, come out!"


    Boom!


    A strong pressure shook the void.


    Aaron and the Water Kylin appeared at the same time.


    "Where are we?"


    The Water Kylin smacked his lips as he felt the strange atmosphere of his surroundings.


    "Darren, who are they?" Aaron asked, pointing at the green-skinned men


    hree green-skinned men then quickly ran towards the Purple-crystal Continent.


    The Water Kylin roared. He was about to chase after them, when Darren suddenly stopped him.


    "Don''t chase after them. We still don''t know if there''s anyone stronger." Darren thought that there must be someone much more powerful than an inferior holy warrior on this continent.


    "Humph!" Aaron angrily snorted. He was reluctant to let them go at all.


    However, Darren stopped them, and therefore they had no choice but to stop.


    Darren and his companions then flew back to the purple-crystal ship.


    "Milo, get out of here and hide for a while," Darren said to the alien who was driving the purple-crystal ship.


    "My king, the purple-crystal ship is out of my control now. I don''t know what happened to it."


    Milo was covered in sweat. From the moment they flew into the sky above the Purple-crystal Continent, he had been unable to set any other route. The purple-crystal ship had been automatically moving towards the continent.


    Darren frowned. It seemed that it was impossible for them to leave now.


    They were still about one thousand kilometers away from the Purple-crystal Continent. It was a vast purple land as far as their eyes could see.


    There were towering mountains, purple rivers and purple forests.


    They were all made up of purple crystals.


    "Since we can''t escape, let''s just go and see what would happen." But all of a sudden, something caught Darren''s eye.


    His gaze froze.


    An earth shattering howl suddenly came from the continent below.


    A mountain across a few hundred kilometers suddenly started moving.


    "What! That mountain is a living creature?" The Water Kylin''s eyes widened in shock.

 Chapter 744 To Kill Or To Flee

    Puffs of purple smoke covered the sky as the mountain shook.


    Using his Spirit Power, Darren was able to deduce that the mountain was actually a living creature with soul.


    Suddenly a roar echoed through the air.


    It shocked Darren and the rest.


    Three figures wearing purple-crystal armors rushed into the purple mist.


    They were the three princes from the Purple-crystal Continent. For some reason they were crawling on their knees in front of the huge mountain.


    "My Lord, please kill the powerful living beings who have intruded into the continent and tried to steal the purple crystals."


    All three crawled on the ground in awe, holding their breath in fear of offending the Holy Beast.


    Another roar sounded.


    Only this time when they looked, it turned out the mountain wasn''t a mountain. A snake-shaped body unveiled itself and lifted its head.


    "Humble race. Delicious soul. I want to swallow them whole."


    The purple-crystal snake, hundreds of kilometers long, could actually speak.


    Hearing the rumbling sound, Darren and the rest couldn''t understand what it was saying, but they got a very eerie and dangerous vibe from it.


    "Run!"


    Darren wasn''t about to wait and find out what it was saying, he rushed deep into the continent with Elsa.


    The Water Kylin and Aaron followed closely behind.


    "My king, please don''t abandon us."


    "My king, help us!"


    Watching Darren flee, the aliens on the purple-crystal ship shouted in desperation.


    "Don''t resist. Save your lives. I promise I will come back and take you away!" Darren replied through his spiritual sense.


    If Darren decided to bring these weak aliens with him, none of them would actually make it. Such a decision would be unnecessarily stupid.


    Watching Darren and the others'' figures disappear, the group of aliens was in complete despair.


    "He abandoned us..."


    "He will come back!" The beautiful girl with wings firmly looked at where Darren had disappeared.


    "Stop dreaming. He won''t risk his life again for us."


    Darren and his companions flew all the way and finally landed in a valley.


    "You want to escape?"


    The three green-skinned men wearing purple-crystal armors suddenly appeared in front of Darren and Elsa.


    It seemed that they had created count


    Swoosh!


    The three green-skinned princes caught up with Darren and the others through the secret passage.


    "Humph, as long as we can keep them here for a while, the Holy Beast will be here." They blocked Darren''s way.


    The three green-skinned men launched an attack in a flash.


    They drew their purple-crystal swords all ready to kill Darren and the others.


    Whoosh!


    A purple crystal was shot at a green-skinned man at an extremely high speed.


    Bang!


    The purple crystal hit him, making him fall backwards uncontrollably and some cobweb-like cracks appeared on his armor.


    "It worked."


    "Kill him!"


    Darren and his companions held purple crystal weapons in their hands.


    "They can break through our defense. What should we do?" one of the green-skinned princes said in horror.


    "What else can we do? Run!"


    Now it was the three princes'' turn to run away.


    "Kill them!"


    Darren''s figure flashed and blocked one of the green-skinned princes.


    Fizz!


    The sharp purple crystal in his hand pierced one of their armors.


    He then flew up, spun several hundred circles around his body, and kicked the end of the sharp purple crystal.


    Rip!


    The purple crystal pierced into the green-skinned prince''s armor, and the prince fell to the ground.


    Elsa and her companions followed suit as the two remaining princes were also pierced to death.


    "Roar!"


    After all the three green-skinned princes were killed, the huge snake finally appeared and rushed towards Darren and the others.

 Chapter 745 No Way Out

    Boom!


    The purple-crystal mountains continued to collapse, leaving behind the debris of the purple crystals. The stones began to fly towards Darren and the others like shooting stars.


    "Master, let me cook his goose."


    The Water Kylin, carrying a purple crystal, flew towards the huge snake.


    In front of the huge purple-crystal snake, the Water Kylin looked as tiny as a mosquito.


    Whoosh!


    The Water Kylin shot out the high-degree purple crystal towards the head of the huge purple-crystal snake.


    However, as soon as the purple crystal hit the snake''s head, the crystal was smashed into a million pieces.


    "It didn''t work. This purple-crystal snake is made up of higher-degree purple crystals," Darren said and let out a disappointed frown.


    Suddenly, the purple-crystal snake wriggled its body with extreme speed, immediately throwing the Water Kylin against a big purple-crystal mountain.


    "It really hurts!"


    The Water Kylin fell onto the ground and felt his bones break into pieces.


    Darren realized that they couldn''t kill this giant snake without a higher-grade purple-crystal weapon. Under the dire situation, they only had one choice; to run away.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    They flew swiftly towards the direction which was filled with purple mist.


    "I could sense a strong trace of a soul in this giant purple-crystal snake. So it''s obvious that there is no green-skinned man in his body," Darren said while flying.


    "Darren, if you are sure he has a soul, why don''t you attempt soul attack?" Elsa suggested as soon as this thought popped into her head.


    "But I am afraid his soul is extremely powerful. If my hunch is right, then chances are that my attack won''t work. In the face of such a powerful soul, I will be defeated easily even if I use the black flame attack," Darren replied with bitter disappointment.


    "Then we have no choice but to escape." The Water Kylin winced in pain.


    They flew for about thousands of kilometers, with the huge purple-crystal snake behind them in hot pursuit.


    "Fortunately, he is too giant, hence he can''t move fast enough to catch up with us. Had he been small, we would have been caught by him a long time ago," said the Water Kylin, extremely grateful for these small mercies.


    As he stopped speaking, they suddenly realized the deafening sound of the crumbling mountains was gradually fading away.


    Darren and the others looked behind and saw the huge purple-crystal snake was shrinking slowly. In a matter of seconds, his body shortened to only tens of thousands of f


    about it, Darren had finally come up with a plausible plan. He waited for their reaction after he delivered this message to the rest.


    "No, this purple-crystal snake is quite powerful. It''ll be very dangerous for you to draw him away," Elsa objected, not wanting anything bad to happen to Darren.


    "Master, I''ll lead him away. You three just run away!" The Water Kylin sent out a message.


    "No, you go with Elsa and protect her if she is ever in danger, do you understand?


    As for Aaron, he can stay and help me since he has obtained the Eternal Body," Darren spoke using his spiritual sense.


    "Darren, why should we be separated? Instead, we could all go inside." Aaron pointed to the dark purple fog.


    "Go inside? There is a transparent wall around. We can''t get through it," Darren replied.


    "How about you transform yourself into a dragon? I think you can help us pass through the wall if you became a dragon," Aaron said affirmatively.


    "What? Are you sure of it?"


    Darren couldn''t take any risk. If he suddenly turned into a dragon, he might irritate the purple-crystal snake. And perhaps the purple-crystal snake would attack them immediately.


    "I don''t know. I have a strong feeling that the aura on the wall is similar to that of yours when you turn into a dragon." Aaron''s eyes darkened. The wall in his eyes was not transparent, but an olive-black power shield.


    "Why can''t I see it then?" Darren asked, still not convinced. If the transparent wall really had such aura, he should have sensed it as soon as he got here.


    "You can''t sense it because there is a very thin layer of purple crystal outside the wall," Aaron explained after having observed the wall carefully.

 Chapter 746 He Was A Dragon

    Darren was silent for a moment, but he believed what Aaron said.


    However, what he did not understand was how come he could break through the wall just because they had the same aura. Darren was nursing some doubts.


    For that reason, Darren asked them through his spiritual sense not to make any moves for the meantime. He then decided that he would transform into his dragon form only if he did not have any other choice.


    Boom!


    All of a sudden, a huge figure fell down in front of the purple-crystal snake.


    The figure immediately knelt on the ground when he saw the purple-crystal snake.


    "My Lord, my children are dead." His voice was low and full of sadness.


    "I know." The purple-crystal snake replied nonchalantly, "I heard that you, Gorge, dared to disrespect me? Plus, you want to make some soup out of me?"


    Gorge trembled upon hearing his words and said, "No, I didn''t. I would never dare to disrespect you. I didn''t even think about that. My Lord, where did you get that idea from? Please trust me."


    The purple-crystal snake turned his head to look at Darren and the others.


    "You bastard! How dare you lie to me. I will make you die a horrible death!


    Gorge, they killed your four children. Do you want to take revenge?" the purple-crystal snake asked.


    Gorge turned around, his eyes oozing with murderous intent.


    "My Lord, please give me this opportunity. I''ll avenge my children''s death myself," Gorge said, kneeling on the ground.


    ''This is it!'' At that moment, Darren was secretly overjoyed.


    If Gorge made a move, it would be impossible for him to kill them with his current strength. This gave Darren and the others the perfect chance.


    It would be the perfect opportunity for Darren to transform into a dragon during the battle against Gorge¡ªwhile the purple-crystal snake was not attacking them and while he had his guard down.


    "Humph! You bastards! You''re robbing and capturing slaves everywhere! Yeah, I killed your children, and they deserved it!" Darren coldly declared.


    Gorge then burst into an angry roar.


    His huge body trembled, eyes bulging out and nostrils dilating in ferocity.


    The next moment, a set of purple-crystal armor appeared on his body. Based on the color, his purple-crystal armor''s grade was higher than those of the princes.


    "Well, what are you waiting for? Go and kill these lowly creatures!"


    the purple-crystal snake ordered as he retreated back a few steps. He was clearly delighted by the impending slaughter as watching slaughter for entertainment was one of his pastimes.


    Whoosh!


    Gorge''s fi


    s is our only chance."


    "Okay."


    Darren started to retreat gradually.


    "Are you scared?" The purple-crystal snake let out a laugh.


    "Am I afraid of you? Don''t be silly. I''m only backing off because I wanted to have more space, so as not to kill your little purple-crystal men accidentally," Darren casually lied.


    The next moment, Darren bent his body into a bow and the dragon tail swept back sharply.


    Boom!


    With a violent tremble, countless cracks appeared on the transparent wall behind Darren.


    However, the wall was still not completely broken.


    "Shit!"


    Now it was too late for Darren to release a second attack.


    "You dare break through the forbidden wall of our ancestors'' place!


    Go to hell!"


    The purple-crystal snake, like a phantom, shot straight towards Darren.


    Slap!


    The purple-crystal snake flicked his tail and struck, and a deep visible crack appeared on Darren''s body.


    "How about that, huh? I can defeat you by using only thirty percent of my strength.


    Now, I need to increase it to fifty percent of my strength. I really want to see you break into two pieces. I really want to devour your delicious soul. You are a dragon, a dragon!"


    the purple-crystal snake roared ferociously.


    He was thinking about countless legends that were passed down to him about dragons. All those legends portrayed the dragons to be the highest, painting unparalleled dignity.


    To his surprise, he was able to unexpectedly encounter a dragon in this era with his own two eyes. What was more, he could assimilate the soul of a dragon, which made him extremely delighted.


    Whoosh!


    The purple-crystal snake started to attack again; his tail swept across the space like a divine whip.

 Chapter 747 Those Days Of Cultivation

    The immense force attached to the purple-crystal snake''s tail forcibly split the space and remarkably left a black crevice.


    Shortly after mobilizing his dragon blood aura and demonic internal force at the same time, Darren let out an angry roar.


    Darren was on full alert though he didn''t think he could withstand the blow. He mulled over the thought of his body splitting in half like what the purple-crystal snake claimed.


    Just when the powerful snake tail was about to hit Darren''s body, a figure, who was silently observing at the side, acted immediately and appeared in front of him. He seemed to shield Darren from the attack.


    Bang!


    The figure was directly shattered, with blood and flesh spattering around.


    "Aaron!" Elsa, who was cautiously standing beside them, screamed instinctively.


    "Don''t worry. Aaron possesses an Eternal Body. Hurry up, let''s go to the master," the Water Kylin urged hastily.


    After the purple-crystal snake''s tail smashed Aaron into pieces, its strength declined by half. And it wouldn''t be so terrifying if it tried to hit Darren again.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Both the Water Kylin and Elsa didn''t waste another second and rushed towards Darren.


    Then moments later, Aaron had rebuilt his body as if nothing had happened. When his gaze landed on Darren, he approached him.


    Boom!


    Everyone heard a sudden booming sound when Darren swept his dragon tail again, knocking a big hole in the broken, transparent wall.


    And in no time, Darren and the others swiftly jumped into the hole.


    "Damn it!"


    Their actions were taken within less than a second. And even the purple-crystal snake didn''t have the time to react.


    When he attempted to kill Darren again, their figures had already disappeared in the purple mist behind them.


    "Get him!"


    The purple-crystal snake dared not step into the ancestral place, so he yelled an order to the small purple-crystal men to chase after them.


    "Squeak! Squeak! Squeak."


    The little purple-crystal men turned very excited as they scented and marked Darren''s breath as well as that of the others. Then they chased after them.


    "They are chasing us!" the Water Kylin roared.


    Several small purple-crystal men moved so fast and soon caught up with them. Their speed was indeed notable.


    "Kill them!"


    Darren transformed back into his human form in an instant while holding a piece of first-class purple crystal in his hand. With his figure flashing out, Darren smashed the head of a small purple-crystal man.


    However, more and more purple-crystal men came up one after another at an accelerated speed, and that gave them a hard time.


    "They are so fast!" one of them exclaimed, feeling agitated.


    "Wait a minute! It''s not that they are fast, but that we are sluggish!" another from the group blurted out.


    By this time, Darren realized that their bodies were getting heavier and heav


    ned high praise from everyone. When they got inside the cave, they were all amazed as there were several rooms designed exquisitely.


    "Now, let''s start to cultivate," Darren prompted.


    "Then I''ll go to that room and leave you alone," the Water Kylin countered and left first in a hurried manner.


    "Darren, I''m going to practice now," Aaron said.


    Darren and Elsa then chose a room across them and started to cultivate together.


    With all of them engrossed in their cultivation, time flew without them realizing it. Ten years had passed in the twinkling of an eye.


    During the past ten years, Darren had been practicing the sword and blade intents in his mind, trying his best to comprehend their very nature.


    He adopted an arduous path to integrate the blade and sword intents. Though his future was unknown, once he succeeded, he would be unprecedentedly powerful.


    "My strength will level up a notch higher than the previous one, if I fuse one more sword intent."


    Darren decided to add another sword intent into what he already had after careful consideration.


    But Darren''s blade intent was still at the original level, as he had yet to fuse any more kinds of blade intents.


    "The imbalance is the scourge of my defect in power. After integrating another sword intent, I should give first priority to cultivate my blade intent." Darren made up his mind secretly.


    Darren had already deduced the fifth kind of sword intent over those years of wandering in the space turbulent flows. Therefore the last challenge was comprehension and fusion.


    "This kind of sword intent is overbearing and keen. It''s not easy to be well versed in it."


    Darren then indulged himself in the cultivation, and practiced in his mind.


    The complex sword tracks gradually perfected, and a strong stream of sword power burst out one day fifteen years later.


    Darren had practiced this sword intent close to the extreme level.

 Chapter 748 Keep Moving On

    The comprehension of the fifth kind of sword intent was completed, and Darren sighed in relief. He had finally moved on to attempt the next step that was to fuse them.


    Darren''s eyebrows furrowed, remembering how painful the process of fusing the sword intents had been for cultivators. He didn''t want to experience it again.


    Darren pressed his lips in a thin line when he thought of his strength. He wasn''t powerful enough, and the fusion process was the pathway to becoming strong. He had no choice but to endure the pain to become more powerful.


    After deciding on it, he gathered all his strength to suppress the sword core in his elixir field.


    Every time his ultimate strength hit the sword core, a wave of pain would spread all across his limbs, making him tremble violently. Darren would just grit his teeth and endure it all without groaning even for a second.


    Crack.


    After several hours in a row, Darren''s sword core began to shatter, covered with spider web like cracks.


    In the next step, he had to force the fifth kind of sword intent that he had comprehended into his core.


    Darren was familiar with this step, but he got into trouble this time.


    It was impossible for the new sword intent he had just comprehended to insert into the cracks. It was full of countless tiny crystals in it.


    ''Damn it! The size of my sword core is fixed. I have filled it with the first four sword intents. No matter where it cracks, the fifth sword intent can''t be secured in it.''


    His eyebrows snapped together in worry. He had a feeling that his method of fusion would fail.


    ''No wonder from ancient times until now, no one has tried this simple solution.''


    At the thought of this, Darren knew that the things were not as simple as he imagined.


    The sword core had its limit. Once it was filled, it could not hold any more sword intents.


    Darren had only fused four kinds of sword intent, and he could not practice anymore. How could it be possible for him to have eighteen thousand types of sword intent integrated?


    "I underestimated it." Darren''s mouth twitched into a bitter smile.


    He paused for a moment before doing anything else. His mind was trying to find a solution so that he could upgrade his strength. He kept rejecting ideas in his head until he came across a unique method. ''Since I can''t fuse anymore, how about I try to upgrade the current four sword intents to the extreme?''


    Darren hesitated for a moment before giving up on his original plan to merge 18, 000 kinds of sword intent. If he could upgrade the current sword intent into the extreme, it would also be a boost in his strength.


    That was the only way for Darren to improve his strength.


    Darren looked inside his body only to start the process of compression before he could hesitate more.


    The integrated sword intent became a set of perfect sword moves in his mind, and he repeated again.


    The process had been too slow, and it took ten years for Darren to go anywhere near success.


    By the time Darren had nearly upgraded his sword intent, the energy inside his body had started leaking out.


    On this day, Darren opened his eyes. Unlimited energy of sword intent was surging in his eyes.


    The whole cave had tur


    one is allowed to enter there without my permission, so you don''t have to be afraid."


    "Okay." Aaron nodded and entered the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    Darren turned toward the girl beside him. "Elsa, let''s go. We should get out of here." He thought he would continue to improve his strength later. For now, Darren would have to give up.


    "It just so happens that I can''t improve my strength. Let''s go out to have a look."


    Outside, the area was still covered by the purple mist, which made Darren''s Spirit Power hard to spread.


    When Darren didn''t say anything else, Elsa turned toward him. "Darren, I guess that purple-crystal snake didn''t chase us anymore, right?"


    Darren looked at her from the corner of his eyes. "We can''t be sure. But with our current strength, even if we meet him, we still have a chance to escape." Darren paused for a moment only to stare at the scene in front of him intently. "Since we are already here, let''s go deep to find out what''s in here."


    He was curious about the transparent wall outside. Darren didn''t know why there was a dragon breath there, so he wanted to know what was happening.


    "Okay, I''ll follow you."


    After mutual agreement, Darren and Elsa walked towards the increasingly oppressive region.


    They had walked several hundred kilometers, and that was when Darren and Elsa found out that everything in front of them was filled with clear purple crystals. Judging from their level, it was almost like the level of the purple-crystal snake.


    "Let''s collect them."


    Darren collected a large number of best level purple crystals and put them into his Space Ring.


    When they had collected almost ten thousand tons of crystals, Darren stopped. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked around, holding Elsa''s arm.


    "Stop!"


    Elsa was stunned after seeing a cautious look on Darren''s face.


    "What''s wrong?" She continued to slip a confused gaze at him for a while.


    "Something''s been going on here. This place might be more dangerous than we had previously imagined." Darren''s Spirit Power was unable to explore the area in front of him. He had an ominous feeling in the pit of his stomach.

 Chapter 749 An Old Man Of The Dragon Race

    "Let''s head back," Elsa cautiously said. Darren''s instincts were never wrong.


    "It''s too late," Darren said. He did not move from where he was standing.


    Whoosh!


    A flash of purple light swept past them.


    Darren dodged, reaching out his palm but he felt nothing.


    "Hiss!"


    They heard hisses all around them. Suddenly, a large number of purple-crystal snakes began to appear and surround them.


    Darren straightened up. He sensed that these snakes were more powerful than the one they had encountered outside. They emitted a more powerful energy than the one outside had.


    The situation was spinning out of control.


    "Guys, I didn''t mean to offend you. Could you please let us go?" Darren spoke in the same language of the snake outside.


    However, these snakes didn''t seem to understand what Darren had said because they did not stop their movements.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    In a flash, all the snakes flew towards Darren and Elsa.


    Bang!


    Darren''s sword intent flared up frantically and stirred up the winds around them.


    However, the snakes were too strong! Darren''s sword intent could not hurt them at all.


    Whoosh!


    Elsa triggered the killing sword intent in her mind and directed it towards one of the snakes. However, no matter how strong it was, it just left a small crack on its head.


    Elsa''s face fell. Even a strong attack such as the killing sword intent could not kill a purple-crystal snake. How could she and Darren escape?


    However, Elsa was unable to kill the snake because the killing sword intent she had launched was not strong enough. If it had been launched by Mathew, it would have turned out differently.


    "These purple-crystal snakes are all as powerful as the inferior holy warriors using their Holy Will. Moreover, their bodies are extremely hard. We can''t kill them." Darren felt utterly helpless.


    "Roar!"


    Darren''s body began to shift. Scales appeared on his skin and he began to grow. He transformed into a dragon in order to protect Elsa.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The purple-crystal snakes went crazy. They all rushed towards Darren and began to fly around him. They began to nip at him and attack.


    The snakes'' teeth bore


    platform with a soft thud.


    It was a figure with a human form. He emitted a cold aura.


    However, his entire body was totally made out of purple crystals¡ªas dazzling as the night sky.


    Seeing this creature, Darren couldn''t help but think of the young man in black armor flying out of the bronze coffin. Their auras felt similar.


    The creature''s purple eyes shone like diamonds and when he locked eyes with Darren, Darren shivered.


    "Roar!"


    His shrill and ferocious roar shocked Darren into spitting out blood.


    "You bastard!"


    the shabby man standing next to Darren shouted, conjuring a powerful energy to protect Darren and Elsa.


    "What..." Both Darren and Elsa were taken aback.


    "H-he can''t come in," the disheveled man said slowly.


    Darren felt relief.


    "Sir, who is he?"


    "Purple-crystal King," the man replied simply.


    The Purple-crystal King! No wonder his aura was so strange and powerful.


    Just by looking at his dazzling purple-crystal body, one would find it difficult to resist him.


    After watching them carefully, the Purple-crystal King soared into the sky and disappeared into the purple mist.


    Darren and Elsa both exhaled a sigh of relief.


    "Kid, I I''m K-Kirk Ao." The man stuttered to get out his words.


    Buzz.


    Darren was astonished.


    Lord Donald once mentioned about the legends of a dragon, two Xiaos and three demons. Darren recalled that Lord Donald said the dragon went by the name of Kirk Ao!

 Chapter 750 The Origin Of The Purple-crystal King

    Kirk was a genius of the Dragon Blood Clan who was on par with Hanson and Mathew. It was said that he disappeared thousands of years ago after being suppressed by a senior holy warrior.


    Darren never dreamed that he would meet Kirk in this Aborigines World.


    Tens of thousands of small continents were scattered around the Lothlann Continent. Considering the vast and treacherous terrain, it was highly unlikely for Darren to encounter him here.


    "I''ve heard some legends about you, sir. But I don''t understand why you''re here. Your body..." Darren couldn''t speak when he saw that Kirk had lost half of his body. He was so astonished that he couldn''t even begin to imagine what this man had suffered.


    Under normal circumstances, even a one-star grand warrior could recover after losing half his body. A master warrior like Kirk should have had no trouble healing himself.


    But why didn''t he? Darren couldn''t figure it out.


    Kirk wanted to answer Darren''s question, but he had no way to as his language abilities had also been suppressed.


    A moment later, the aura of the dragon blood coursed through Kirk''s body, and a large amount of information flooded into Darren''s mind.


    It took Darren almost an hour to digest the facts.


    Thousands of years ago, Kirk was hailed as the first genius in the Dragon Blood Clan. At the age of only 35, Kirk possessed the strength to kill a holy warrior.


    However, he met a huge bottleneck at a crucial period during the breakthrough to the Holy Realm.


    To overcome this setback, Kirk decided to embark on his journey to another region. He entered the space turbulent flows to seek opportunities.


    After several decades of floating in the space turbulent flows, Kirk encountered strong turbulence that almost destroyed his purple-crystal ship.


    Just when he thought he was doomed, a deafening sound resounded through the sky.


    Then, a purple figure appeared in the space turbulent flows.


    The figure was exactly the Purple-crystal King!


    A battle broke out in the space turbulent flows, and Kirk lost.


    However, the Purple-crystal King did not kill Kirk. Instead, he imprisoned Kirk in the Purple-crystal Continent.


    Once every decade, the Purple-crysta


    y to fight against a human senior holy warrior."


    "Sir, you mentioned that you could compete with him. Does that mean you can rival a senior holy warrior?" Elsa questioned.


    "I''m not that good. Now I am a junior holy warrior at the top level, I might not be able to defeat a senior holy warrior, but at least I won''t get beaten too quickly.


    However, this is only my assumption. His strength seems to be improving all the time. As far as I know, he is still in his infancy. He is at his weakest stage. He will make a formidable enemy once he grows up," said Kirk.


    "What! Infancy?"


    Darren was astounded. The Purple-crystal King was so powerful despite being in his infancy. If he matured, how strong would he be?


    "Sir, could a grown Purple-crystal King be comparable to a holy emperor?"


    Kirk shook his head and replied, "I''m afraid that he will be stronger than that."


    These simple words struck Darren''s heart like a heavy hammer. ''Stronger than a holy emperor?''


    "This is unbelievable. I can''t figure out his origins," Darren murmured to himself.


    After meditating for a moment, Kirk raised his finger and pointed at the void before saying, "An outsider.


    I''ve been thinking about it for thousands of years. I believe that the Purple-crystal Continent doesn''t actually belong to this world. It comes from the depths of the void."


    "A continent that fell from the void?"


    "No, I think it''s more like a body that has fallen."


    Darren was shocked.

 Chapter 751 The Ultimate Battle Between Kirk And The Purple-crystal King

    "Sir, do you mean the whole Purple-crystal Continent was a creature?" Elsa was shocked too.


    Kirk took a deep breath, looked into the void, and nodded.


    "It is very likely that the birth of the Purple-crystal King is the extension of that corpse," Kirk added.


    "The depths of the void are too mysterious." Darren sighed, full of yearning.


    "Darren, you have inherited dragon blood in your body along with another aura that is completely against the dragon race. How did you manage to make this work?" asked Kirk, unable to hide his wonder. He had detected Darren''s aura and figured this out.


    "Honestly speaking, it is a pure coincidence. I had gained them both by accident. After suffering a lot, I managed to make them reach this balanced state."


    Kirk nodded listening to Darren''s explanation.


    "Don''t worry about it. I know you have great potential. By the way, have you comprehended the inheritance skill of the Dragon Blood Clan?"


    "Yes, but I am not very skilled at it. I know it is a shame. But truth be told, I can only divide eight avatars now."


    Actually, Darren now had better ability to comprehend the inheritance skill. However, he didn''t put much effort to improve and practice it.


    "Oh, the number of avatars is too small! The inheritance skill of the Dragon Blood Clan is very powerful. I advise you to make good use of it. Wait, I have a plan! How about you relax your soul and let me guide you to comprehend further into it? This method will help you improve a little faster," Kirk suggested.


    Hearing this, Darren became curious. "Do you think that will help?"


    "Of course. Don''t resist and I will transfer my aura of the dragon blood into your body."


    After saying so, a pure aura of the dragon blood had reached into Darren''s meridians.


    Then, Darren''s eyes turned silver. His eyes were full of rule silk threads.


    Darren easily found the Avatar Rule in the chaotic and complicated rule world and then went ahead to communicate with it.


    "Wow, it''s so easy."


    In an instant, Darren had managed to comprehend and refine a huge amount of Avatar Rules.


    Both of them remained silent for about two months.


    "Haha, it went so smoothly this time. If it weren''t for the fact that my dragon blood hadn''t grown strong enough, I would be able to keep on comprehending," Darren said with joy after he woke from the meditation.


    "You''re doing quite well. Your dragon blood is pretty pure, but it hasn''t been developed yet. It shouldn''t be difficult to divide eight hundred avatars when your comprehension has reached such a degree," said Kirk, n


    the battlefield.


    A dragon''s roar resounded through the sky and Kirk began to fly out of the ground.


    A huge dragon, tens of thousands of feet long, passed through the air, making people want to surrender to it.


    Boom!


    In a blink of an eye, he came towards the Purple-crystal King.


    His dragon claws, like many black stars, fell onto the Purple-crystal King''s body.


    The Purple-crystal King was blasted away, tumbling down from the sky and destroying dozens of purple-crystal mountains in the process.


    Everything in this area was destroyed. If someone saw this place, they would have assumed that it had experienced countless vicissitudes of life.


    "Roar!"


    Kirk dashed to the Purple-crystal King.


    "Howl!"


    The Purple-crystal King looked cruel. The next moment, the purple light on his body became brighter and streaks of rule light descended from the depth of the void.


    "It''s so terrifying. How could he activate the power of heaven and earth so easily?"


    "That seems to be devastating!"


    The horrifying aura made Darren''s heart tremble.


    With a towering figure, Kirk stared at the Purple-crystal King coldly.


    The next moment, the dragon body was divided into two avatars. In a blink of an eye, it turned into four avatars.


    The sky was getting darker and darker under the shadow of those giant dragons.


    "Tens of thousands of avatars!"


    Feeling the powerful aura, Darren and Elsa felt suffocated. If it wasn''t for the special protection of the purple-crystal platform, they might have been suppressed into ashes.


    "This should be the ultimate battle."


    Darren protected Elsa from being hurt. Wanting to see how this battle would turn out, he kept his eyes firmly glued to the sky.

 Chapter 752 The Heart Of The Continent

    Tens of thousands of dragon avatars covered the sky and the sun.


    While the silk threads of rule called upon by the Purple-crystal King could suppress everything.


    Such a strong fight was just too shocking.


    It was coupled with loud bangs of the explosion that could shake the entire place.


    Tens of thousands of dragon bodies pressed over, and nothing was seen in the sky. On the contrary, the explosion continued to torment everything.


    The power was so high that both Darren and Elsa were unable to do anything at all. Darren pursed his lips and turned his gaze at Elsa, only to be surprised by the frightened expression on her face.


    "Are you okay, Elsa?" Elsa''s face was ghostly pale at that moment.


    She took a deep breath through her parted lips and nodded. "I''m fine." Elsa clearly wasn''t fine to Darren, but he knew the reason behind her fear. He looked back at the scene.


    "They are too powerful, especially the Purple-crystal King, who can actually activate the rule power from heaven and earth, with a little aura of the Destructive Force in it." Darren sighed thinking how powerless he felt at that moment in front of them.


    "Yes, I heard from Mr. Xiao that the Destructive Force is as strong as the Killing Force."


    Darren was silent for a moment. Indeed, their power of annihilation was ultimately devastating. "Yes, and the third kind is the Spectral Force. These three forces are the strongest power of all ages," he said without looking at Elsa. She soon grinned and let out a deep chuckle.


    "Darren, you are wrong. Ha-ha!" Elsa''s ghostly pale face was long forgotten.


    Darren frowned at her bold statement and swiftly turned toward her. "What? I heard it from a junior holy warrior. How could it be wrong?"


    "Of course you are wrong because those three forces aren''t not the only strongest ones. Except for these three forces, there was also the power of the Conflicting Cultivation. Mr. Xiao once said that the power of the Conflicting Cultivation was not weaker than the other three kinds of power." Elsa lifted her chin and grinned again.


    A smile touched Darren''s lips. "Ha-ha, you are right." Darren turned his focus to the scene in front of them only to jerk slightly because of a sudden blast.


    Boom.


    At this time, the entire continent was trembling. The sky was covered with dark space cracks.


    When the air from the blast cleared, Darren was even more astonished to see the situation in the sky. Thousands of Kirk''s Blood Dragon Phantoms had been smashed into pieces.


    Even after this, the Purple-crystal King was still emitting strong rule power.


    "Humph!" The Purple-crystal King snorted seeing the destroyed pieces and continued his attack.


    Twenty thousand dragon phantoms roared together, and the thousands of kilometers of purple-crystal ground jolted. Several cracks appeared on the ground, and slowly, it was damaged to pieces.


    "Mr. Ao is going to use the fusion of the dragon phantoms."


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat at the sight.


    In the second stage of the inheritance skill of the


    them stop in their tracks. "What a frightening aura!"


    "This is the heart of the purple-crystal creature. Its aura is more horrifying than the Purple-crystal King."


    Darren and Elsa looked around, surprised.


    It was not difficult to imagine how powerful this purple-crystal creature would be when it was alive!


    The purple-crystal creature transformed into a continent after he had died. In Darren''s eyes, the beast was even more horrible than the huge cyan dragon in the Fire Cave.


    Along the way, Darren and Elsa reached an area of hundreds of kilometers around. That was where they were stuck, and they didn''t have anywhere to go. Many petrified veins emerged on the purple crystal wall around the place.


    Darren released a small stream of sword intent to collide with the purple crystal wall.


    The crystal wall was swaying like ripples, and it emitted a frightening aura.


    Darren''s mouth formed an "o" shape, and his eyes went wide. "Destructive aura!"


    This aura was the terrifying power of the Destructive Force, countless times stronger than that of the Purple-crystal King.


    "Darren, the power of the Destructive Force seems to have no owner. Can your assimilating skill work?" It occurred to Elsa that Darren''s assimilating skill could absorb the sword intent. If he could assimilate this rule power, that would be great.


    Darren thought for a moment. He had to increase his power anyway. It wouldn''t be harmful to try this aspect. After pondering over it like this, he nodded. "I''m thinking about trying it too."


    On the other side, the Purple-crystal King walked toward the crack of the black space. His indifferent eyes gazed at the crack for a long time. Taking a broken body in one hand, he was trying to tear the space apart with the other hand and rush out.


    Just a moment later, the Purple-crystal King''s eyes turned cold and ruthless. His lips curled in annoyance.


    "Human!"


    The Purple-crystal King was now both anxious and angry. He sensed that someone had invaded the heart of the continent.

 Chapter 753 Thunder Punishment

    Darren activated his assimilating power in the heart of the purple-crystal creature to examine the surrounding crystal walls.


    Boom!


    Darren''s head shook violently as if it had been struck by lightning.


    Some weak rule force rushed into his mind.


    "Darren? Are you okay?"


    "Well, that felt strange! What I''ve assimilated isn''t the Destructive Force, but rather another strange and strong force."


    What Darren had assimilated was a kind of rule force that he had never seen before.


    "So many runes!"


    After Darren assimilated the rule force, numerous runes emerged in his mind, forming a golden formula.


    "What''s this?


    It''s the attacking method of the rule cultivator!"


    Observing the golden formula through his soul, Darren found out exactly what it meant.


    "The Nine Degree Life and Death Formula."


    Darren was sure that was what the formula was called. He was quite astonished as he observed its first level.


    He felt that the formula was even more terrifying than the one he got from the portrait of the immortal in the Mythological Palace.


    "But... why wasn''t my soul impacted when I tried to comprehend the first level of this rule formula?"


    Darren was puzzled. Under any other circumstance, if he tried to comprehend that kind of high level rule formula with his level thirty Spirit Power, he would definitely die as a result of his soul being harmed.


    However, he did not perceive anything strange or even anything remotely different.


    "I got it!" Darren''s eyes suddenly widened. "I''ve assimilated some rule force before which means I''m already on the way to understanding this rule formula. Therefore my comprehension of the formula has nothing much to do with the degree of my Spirit Power. If there''s any connection at all, I may need to have a stronger Spirit Power to master it faster. The stronger the Spirit Power that I have, the sooner I''ll be able to comprehend the formula!"


    Darren was thrilled because if it was so, he could comprehend it without any reservations.


    "I''m finally on my way to rule cultivation."


    Although one thing to be considered was that Darren could only figure out the meaning of the first level of the rule formula while the rest of them were as chaotic as a primitive world to him.


    "It''s necessary to be in the midst of life and death for one to be able to comprehend the so-called Nine Degree Life and Death Formula. The higher the level is, the more difficult to comprehend.


    But if I succeed, I can defeat the true immortals!"


    Darren was over the moon. Al


    Holy Realm, and that moment would come at any time.


    All of a sudden, a crackling sound was heard.


    The next thing, lightning came out of nowhere, striking all living creatures.


    Even the creatures living in the other Aborigines Worlds nearby felt the violent force.


    It was like a black lightning from the Darkest Hell, flashing violently into the deep void.


    "Is that the thunder punishment?"


    Darren remarked as he saw the black lightning.


    The lightning looked like the Heavenly Repression of the Sword and Blade Cultivation but its aura was quite different and more frightening.


    Darren''s rule power was rising to the highest point. He was now in the Holy Realm.


    Boom!


    The black lightning grew more violent.


    Darren looked up at the sky and saw a pair of cold and dark golden eyes behind the lightning. He blinked rapidly, not quite sure whether it was real or not.


    Darren''s heart almost exploded after he confirmed that it was indeed real.


    The black lightning whirled in the air, forming a huge whirlpool.


    The void collapsed, and the stars were swallowed up and smashed by it.


    "Darren, will you be okay?" Elsa asked as tears poured down her cheeks.


    She had witnessed Darren experience Heavenly Repression once. If not for the help of the young man in black armor, Darren would have already died.


    However, there would not be such a strong man to help him this time around.


    Even Barnes the Holy from the ancient times was not able to resist the horrifying aura of the thunder punishment.


    There was a short moment of painful silence as the first flash of thunder repression slowly descended from the void.


    It was aimed directly towards Darren.

 Chapter 754 Resurrection (Part One)

    The black lightning with the power of destruction sped toward Darren at its fastest pace.


    Elsa''s eyes widened in horror and desperation coursed through her as thoughts of saving Darren flashed through her mind. She needed to rescue him!


    She focused on her killing sword intent and directed it toward the power of destruction that was heading for Darren. In a flash, power surged out of her forehead and attacked the wave of black lightning.


    Bang!


    Her forehead creases deepened when the black lightning didn''t disperse after colliding with her killing sword intent. Instead, it grew more violent. It overpowered her, and the shock from the collision threw her figure backward. As Elsa forcefully landed on the ground, she groaned in pain.


    Fortunately, the thunder punishment would only be directed at the cultivator who was practicing Conflicting Cultivation. Otherwise, she would have died.


    For Darren, however, the punishment finally came. His body went numb when the divine thunder finally reached him.


    Darren''s eyes closed as soon as the divine thunder passed through him. He expected to feel tremendous agony, but there was no pain. His body was simply breaking down and fading away.


    Elsa knew what was happening to Darren. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at the fading figure of the person whom she loved from all her heart. The pain in her heart grew intense, and she clutched her chest. "No!" Elsa screamed as hot tears poured down her face.


    Darren''s body was turning into grains of sand and dissipating in the air.


    "Elsa..." Darren murmured before he vanished. It was as if a thin thread of life was keeping him alive, but he couldn''t make any sound. At that moment, he wanted to see her face one last time!


    "Roar!"


    A purple crystal figure suddenly rushed into the heart of the continent.


    Then, the figure started attacking the whole place.


    It was the Purple-crystal King! Just as he entered, the Destructive Force from the four walls bombarded him ruthlessly. The attack was triggered because of the sudden appearance o


    But Darren''s resurrection did not mean that he was safe.


    In the void, several destructive divine thunders circled him as they waited for the right time to attack.


    Darren, on the other hand, did not care much about the thunder. He continued to comprehend the Life and Death Formula by creating more Resurrection Forces.


    When he finished comprehending the fifth level, a storm arose in his mind, and things started to change. He had never thought of condensing the Resurrection Forces to form an amazing whirlpool inside his mind. However, due to the circumstances, he was forced to attempt this technique.


    How could the Purple-crystal King stand by and watch? He roared.


    The Purple-crystal King glared at Darren menacingly.


    It appeared as though he knew what had happened to Darren.


    The Purple-crystal King acted by bombarding Darren.


    At this time, he was not only withstanding the Destructive Force but also forcing himself to attack Darren with the Destructive Force.


    Before the attacks could harm him, Darren urged his Resurrection Force out of his body to counteract the Purple-crystal King''s blow. The two powerful forces collided in the sky and sparks spread all over the place.


    When Darren was sure that the Purple-crystal King would remain silent, he turned to focus on his mind again. A few moments later, the storm in Darren''s brain vanished.

 Chapter 755 Resurrection (Part Two)

    The storm cleared the arena of his mind just as if it had been a muddy ground covered in dust. Able to see clearly, Darren spotted a crystal clear hexahedral object in his mind.


    Next to the hexahedral object was the strange black stone.


    Darren focused on the crystal object for a moment, as he tried to figure out what it was. His brows furrowed for a moment only to be released when he realized it to be an Immortal Crystal!


    Now that the object was in his mind, information began entering Darren''s brain out of the blue. This knowledge helped him understand what it was.


    That was when Darren realized that the object in his mind was beyond his imagination. The rule force he had comprehended was condensed into the object that was similar to the Purple-crystal King''s black hexahedral object. And that was an Immortal Crystal!


    At this time, Darren''s movements balanced with holy momentum.


    For a while, Darren continued to stare at the new Immortal Crystal. He had to find a way to enhance its power! Something flashed in his brain as if he recalled a small memory, and his eyes widened. That''s right! What he needed was the Destructive Force!


    Darren fixed his gaze on the Purple-crystal King as the Destructive Forces started gathering in his body.


    The Purple-crystal King seemed to be aware of Darren''s gaze. He almost wanted to scream in anger and fear, but he couldn''t as the painful waves in his body increased in intensity.


    At this time, the Purple-crystal King looked miserable. His Immortal Crystal could not bear the Destructive Forces anymore and was about to explode.


    If no one would help him, the Purple-crystal King would soon disappear.


    Darren glared at the Purple-crystal King. He knew that it was the right time. "Purple-crystal King, give me your Destructive Forces." His voice was indifferent.


    The Purple-crystal King''s body swelled to such a degree that it looked ready to burst.


    His eyes blurred, and his eyelids nearly dropped. Although weak, the Purple-crystal King could only th


    ed when a sudden thought entered his mind. "Even though I have survived once, what about next time?"


    Anxiety coursed through Darren as he tried to answer his question. For the moment, the thunder punishment seemed to be endless. There would come a time when his power would be exhausted, and he would die in the thunder repression.


    He pursed his lips and started racking his brain. His eyes shone with joy when an idea flashed in his mind. ''It''s the punishment of practicing the Rule and Martial Arts Cultivation. I have to separate the two kinds of cultivation for the time being to break through the thunder repression.''


    Darren finally knew what to do.


    Boom!


    The divine thunder descended again, and the terrifying whirlpool seemed to destroy everything in the world.


    The Purple-crystal King retracted his black hexahedral object as he was also terrified of this thunder repression. If he forcefully resisted it, he would lose his Immortal Crystal.


    Just as the destructive divine thunder was about to reach Darren''s head, his facial muscles tightened. What he was about to do would perhaps send an ocean of intense pain through his body and soul. His face contorted at the thought, but he still fixed a calm appearance on the surface.


    "Soul, break!"


    Darren formed a destructive blade in his mind and directed it at his own soul.

 Chapter 756 Rule Soul Avatar

    Darren''s soul split into two in the golden ratio.


    He then infused a large amount of the Resurrection Force into his body.


    This time, he was clearly taking a big risk.


    He chose to believe that his Resurrection Force would be able to repair his soul.


    It had been completely torn apart, which caused him an unbearable amount of pain.


    Darren could feel that the two parts of his soul were about to disperse into ashes.


    But instead of being overwhelmed with despair, he endured the pain and continued to split his soul apart. He needed to separate the martial arts cultivation and the rule cultivation and store them in two different souls!


    An abundance of information on rule formulas and runes was stored in the left half of his soul.


    The same with his knowledge and comprehension of martial arts, he transferred them to the right half of his soul.


    He worked so fast that the black lighting disappeared as it no longer had a target anymore.


    That was how Darren could truly break the inner conflict between the martial arts cultivation and the rule cultivation. However, it was hard to say whether or not he would survive afterwards.


    The Resurrection Force continued to repair the two halves of his soul, keeping Darren in a state between life and death.


    The hexahedral Immortal Crystal and the strange black stone fell into the two halves of his soul respectively.


    Time crawled as he waited.


    In the blink of an eye, three months had passed. Two phantom souls stood in Darren''s mind at present.


    The phantom soul on the left was elegant. His eyes were silver and his rule cultivation aura was both cold and powerful.


    The soul on the right was surrounded by a domineering power. It was extraordinary in a rather imposing way made to overlook all other living beings.


    That was the difference between being a rule cultivator and a martial artist.


    The two souls were completely independent, and one body wouldn''t be able to accommodate both of them at the same time.


    Darren opened his eyes, they were muddled over due to the uncertainty of the souls inside him.


    ''Fortunately, Mathew had created a tangible avatar for me before. Now it''s time for me to detach it from my real body.''


    Darren called upon the avatar and prepared to slide one soul into it.


    ''My real body is a perfect fit for martial arts. Then, I''m going to slide my rule soul into my avatar!''


    Darren drove his rule soul out of his real body using his spiritual sense and infused it into the avatar.


    "Roar!"


    After the rule soul diffused into his avatar, the cold and strong rule cultivator''s aura made the avatar roar ferociously.


    The aura of the avata


    s and Elsa''s sword intents burst out at the same time and destroyed them one by one.


    After they released all the slaves, Darren found himself looking at familiar faces.


    "It''s the king. He''s back."


    They cried out of joy. Darren had finally come back to save them.


    "Milo, tell the green-skinned men to make a purple-crystal ship for each of us, or I''ll kill them all."


    Darren and Elsa stood in the air like killing gods. After Milo repeated Darren''s words to the green-skinned men, they all kept kowtowing to Darren, stating they would obey his order.


    Their huge green-skinned king flew out of the underground palace.


    "Milo, ask him if he wants to fight me," Darren said to Milo.


    Milo passed the message to the king of the green-skinned men.


    The king remained silent for a while. Then he bowed to Darren to show his allegiance.


    "My King, he chose to build purple-crystal ships for us."


    The king of the green-skinned men wasn''t stupid. He could feel that Darren''s and Elsa''s strength rivaled his. Even if he had the purple-crystal armor, he might not be able to survive fighting with them.


    So he decided to play nice during this difficult time then send Darren and the others away.


    The purple-crystal ships were completed within three years.


    The one the green-skinned men had built specifically for Darren was made from the best purple crystals. The ship was three-kilometer long and half-kilometer wide.


    After getting everything ready, Darren watched the aliens leave. Finally, he was able to fly into the space turbulent flows in his purple-crystal ship.


    But before he left, Darren felt the need to do one last thing. He used a superior purple crystal to penetrate the head of the green-skinned men''s king.


    He had to kill this bandit.

 Chapter 757 Nate‘s Hometown

    Darren''s huge purple-crystal ship flew through space turbulent flows.


    As Darren had found a few green-skinned men who were good at controlling the purple-crystal ship, he didn''t worry about traveling in the wrong direction.


    They moved forward smoothly this time. A year later, the purple-crystal ship reached its destination.


    It was a small continent that covered a range of tens of thousands of kilometers.


    Satisfied that they had reached the correct place, Darren ordered the green-skinned men to stop the purple-crystal ship.


    Whoosh!


    A figure levitated in the air near the ship.


    "My Lord, the devils have come again. What should we do?" a lot of alien creatures below exclaimed.


    The powerful figure remained motionless as it hovered in mid-air, his gaze fixed on the huge purple-crystal ship.


    Then, two people disembarked from the ship.


    "Oh, is that..."


    The figure in the air trembled with excitement.


    In all the years that had passed since he last saw them, he had thought of them every day.


    "Miss Elsa and Darren..."


    "Nate! This is a wonderful surprise! What are you doing here?" Darren exclaimed. A broad smile lit up his face when he recognized his friend.


    "It''s really you!"


    Nate cried with excitement as he flew forward to greet them.


    On their last day together, Darren and Elsa had been dealing with the huge windstorm in the space turbulent flows. To evade the danger, Nate had taken the purple-crystal cabin at Darren''s demand. For so many years, he had been consumed by guilt. He had imagined the worst outcome for Darren and Elsa and felt sorry for his actions.


    Now that they were before him, Nate was overjoyed with the knowledge that they had not died. How could he not be excited?


    "Did the God of War just kneel?"


    "Are these the gods that Lord Nate mentioned?"


    Seeing that Nate was kneeling in front of Darren, the other aliens also prostrated in worship.


    "You brat! Why do you kneel so often?" Darren was speechless by the reverence Nate and his clansmen had shown him.


    "You must accept this gesture, or I won''t be your friend." Nate looked at Darren with tear-filled eyes.


    "Well, okay. But, this is the last time, understood?" Darren smiled as he helped Nate to stand.


    "Let''s drink and catch up!" Pleased, Darren suggested that they all feast and drink together.


    "Absolutely!" Nate grinned as he led Darren


    said that anyone who touches them ends up with bad luck,"


    Nate explained as he carefully navigated through the valley of skeletons.


    Confused by Nate''s comment, Darren used his spiritual sense to probe these skeletons. But, he didn''t find anything unusual.


    The further they walked, the colder the air became. There was even the smell of killing in the air.


    "Slaughter of unimaginable proportions must have taken place here. Otherwise, the traces of the killing aura wouldn''t have lasted a hundred thousand years," Darren murmured.


    "Here we are."


    Nate stopped. He seemed uneasy as he peered into the dark cave ahead.


    "What''s in it?"


    At this time, Darren felt as though the atmosphere of that cave was familiar.


    But he didn''t know where this sense of familiarity came from.


    "You''ll know when you get inside."


    After taking a deep breath, Nate entered the deep, dark cave.


    A rotten and moist smell overwhelmed them. After four hours'' walking, Darren and Nate stepped into a stone chamber.


    Three mummified figures sat in front of the stone.


    Darren''s eyes swept over the three people. His body suddenly froze as if he had received an electric shock.


    "Huh!" Darren took half a step back and exclaimed, "They have been dead for such a long time, and yet, the aura around them is still terrifying. They must have been incredibly strong when alive."


    "I have heard that these three were our ancestors. They came from a very distant world."


    Surprise registered on Darren''s face. He thought, ''Could it be that these three are also creatures from outer space?''

 Chapter 758 The Ancestors

    Darren approached and inspected the three unmoving corpses carefully.


    In the middle of the three was a man with a tiger for a head albeit having a human body, wearing black clothes from head to toes.


    Next to him sat a rusty halberd, and the killing aura that was emitted from it was suffocatingly heavy that it was almost hard to breathe.


    The other two corpses looked similar to the one sitting in the middle, and they were wearing some kind of cyan colored armor.


    Darren proceeded to check their auras once more.


    Immediately, he froze there and was in complete shock.


    "No wonder I''ve felt a familiar aura. The man in the middle reminds me of Aaron so much."


    The man gave off a deep and dark breath that was at least eighty percent similar to that of Aaron''s.


    The two men who sat beside him also fed Darren''s confusion a tad too much because Darren was able to catch the same aura of the clay figurines emitting from them!


    Where on earth did these aliens even come from? He felt curiousity growing inside him the longer his attention stayed attached to the three aliens.


    "Do you have any records about them, Nate? Where their origin was, what kind of beings they were, things like that?" Darren asked, turning around to look at the other in hopes for a satisfactory answer.


    "There are a lot of words written on the wall right there. It''s a pity that we still haven''t been able to figure out what they are and what they mean."


    Nate pointed to his right. The stone wall was filled with thickly dotted words that truly were incomprehensible even to him.


    Despite so, in Darren''s eyes, those characters seemed as if they were dancing on the said wall. Moreover, they were a tad too similar to the runes that were released by Aaron.


    "Aaron, are you there? Can you hear me?"


    Darren immediately sent a message to the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "What''s the matter? Is something wrong, Darren?"


    In the next moment, Darren was able to summon Aaron.


    "Can you help me understand what the words written on the wall mean?" He pointed at the wall before them.


    "Of course, leave it to me."


    Aaron turned around to take a look at it and stood there stunned by the engraved words.


    "Do you understand it?" Aaron ignored the question as if he had lost his mind.


    At this time, Darren noticed the shining words on the wall reflected in Aaron''s black eyes.


    Darren chose to leave him alone and wait quietly for his answer. Three days later, Aaron finally made his move.


    "Bloody Shura,"


    Aaron murmured, his brows furrowed as he tried to resist the urge to vomit tasting in the back of his throat.


    "Darren, this is a cultivation method, albeit a very terrible one."


    "Is that so? Would you be able to explain it to us?"


    Then, Aaron slowly but surely stated the meaning of these words with great care.


    It


    .


    The dead body had been extremely strong when it was still alive, but after so many years of endlessly decomposing, it was less likely that Darren could get hurt by the aura.


    A small current of Primitive Fighting Force shot out from the corpse abruptly.


    Darren then used his spiritual sense to force the power to move in Nate''s direction.


    Whoosh!


    Darren''s sword intent flowed out and penetrated a very small hole in Nate''s abdomen, quickly urging the Primitive Fighting Force to go in his body with no hesitation on his side.


    "Ahhh!"


    The moment the Primitive Fighting Force entered Nate''s body, the blood vessels bulged from Nate''s face, and his eyes looked as if they were about to burst out from the extreme pain he was experiencing.


    "Hold on."


    Darren couldn''t understand what had happened, but he could feel and was entirely sure that there was no life risk for completing this.


    The sharp pain made Nate curl up on the ground and forced his body to twitch violently.


    After around six painfully slow hours, Nate began to calm down.


    The ground he was lying on could almost be mistaken as a puddle of sweat.


    "It''s finally over." Darren was secretly overjoyed. "Nate, how about you try and draw the Primitive Fighting Forces now, and see how they form. That way, you''ll be able to understand it better."


    The Forces that Darren was able to get a hold of would only be able to be used as a trigger. What Nate truly needed to do was to cultivate and polish the Primitive Fighting Force by himself in order to get better control of it.


    Nate struggled but mustered the energy to nod his head. He began to use the method that Darren had just taught him to activate the Primitive Fighting Force.


    Boom!


    As the Primitive Fighting Force was drawn, a string of black runes suddenly exploded from the corpse in the middle, and it surged towards Nate overwhelmingly.

 Chapter 759 The Phantoms Of The Ancestors

    "Oh, crap!" Darren yelled.


    The sight before him was enough to break through even his stoic demeanor. If the Dark Rule and the Primitive Fighting Force collided, Nate''s body could be disintegrated outright.


    There was a whoosh as Darren moved.


    In a flash, he put himself before the black runes. His blade and sword intents surged, as did his dark gold internal force.


    But the runes deftly went around the obstruction and continued toward Nate, barely slowing down at all.


    "Damn it! I have to try to assimilate the attack."


    Saying this, Darren activated his assimilation skill. The black stone in his head buzzed, and the flying runes reversed course, coming back and disappearing into his body.


    "Well, that''s good. It actually worked!" he remarked.


    Normally such a gambit wouldn''t have worked for him, and in fact he wasn''t sure why it had this time. Perhaps the fact that the runes'' owner had been dead for a long time somehow left them vulnerable to assimilation.


    In any case, the runes were inside Darren''s body, soaring and roiling about. Regathering his blade and sword intents, he took a moment to suppress them in his elixir field.


    The black runes integrated with one another, forming a black esoteric symbol within the elixir field.


    Darren was surprised. ''Have I discovered how to cultivate the Dark Rule?'' he wondered aloud.


    That, however, was a question for another time.


    Leaving it alone for the moment, he went over to Nate and asked if he was all right.


    "I''m fine, thanks to you," Nate answered with a sigh of relief.


    "Then let''s get going," his rescuer said. "You''ll need to try cultivating according to the method I taught you, combined with your own understanding."


    Nate nodded. "I understand."


    With that, the two prepared to leave.


    But that, of course, was not going to be so easy.


    There was a terrific boom as a massive stone fell over the entrance of the chamber, sealing it completely.


    "What''s happening?!" Nate exclaimed, staring.


    Darren was no less shocked, but said nothing.


    A moment later they found that they weren''t alone when three other figures appeared in the chamber.


    "Darren! Who are they?" Nate asked, his voice shaking.


    "Don''t panic," Darren hissed, studying their adversaries. Even as he watched, the three slowly levitated off the ground.


    In appearance, they closely resembled the three corpses from earlier, except that they were full-muscled and powerful, full of an eerie vitality.


    The middle of the three, a fierce figure dressed in black, addressed Nate in a frigid, menacing voice.


    "Young man, you have received your inheritance. But you must pass a test here, now, or else you will not be allowed to leave this place."


    Nate shivered and struggled to master his voice. "What is the test, my ancestor?"


    "It''s quite simple," the one in black replied. "You m


    direct hit.


    Cracks spread across the chest plate of the phantom''s armor.


    "Damn it all!" he cursed as he backed off.


    His two comrades were no less enraged.


    "Enough of this, you whelp!" one of them shouted at Darren. "It''s time we showed you our true power!"


    Darren didn''t answer, only meeting their frigid stares with his own.


    Then the two cyan-armored phantoms attacked at the same time, blasting their Primitive Fighting Force at Darren.


    Darren watched the attack roar toward him, gathering strength.


    "All right¡ªI''ll use the Dark Force to fight you, then!"


    Saying this, he released his spiritual sense, and the black symbol that had formed inside his elixir field lit up.


    Then, streams of black runes rushed from his body.


    The two energies met in midair with such an explosive power that even Darren was surprised. The room shook yet again, and flashes like scarlet lightning dazzled his eyes.


    "You are strong indeed, outsider," the phantom in black said begrudgingly. "Perhaps we will need to use the Shura Force to defeat you, then!"


    The mention of the Shura Force caught Darren''s interest. Despite the danger he was in, he was interested in seeing this power in action. Simply reading the formula translated by Aaron could only tell him so much about it.


    "Come on, then!" he goaded. "Let''s see who''s stronger: you with your Shura Force, or me with my dragon blood aura and demonic internal force!"


    But even as he said this, Darren was transforming into his dragon form, his voice morphing to a terrifying, serpentine growl.


    He took care to keep his height from exceeding ten feet. Otherwise, he feared he really would destroy the stone chamber in short order.


    The mighty and cold dragon stared at the three phantoms.


    In turn, the phantoms seemed undaunted. In fact, their eyes were as full of fury as ever. They wanted to see this fight through to its finish.

 Chapter 760 The Shura Force

    The three phantoms moved about mysteriously.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Dark Rule and Primitive Fighting Force rushed toward Darren at the same time, moving so fast that they became a blur.


    Darren''s dragon body exuded the power of the olive-black force as he concentrated the power on the dragon tail. He was ready to give it a sweep.


    However, before he could strike, everything began to change.


    The black-robed phantom suddenly disappeared, and when it reappeared, it had already been integrated into the Primitive Fighting Force.


    The same thing happened to the two cyan-armored men, but they seemed to have been absorbed into the Dark Force.


    "Ah! I''ve got it." Darren realized that they used the Shura Formula.


    The three shadows charged toward Darren, each with a varied degree of strength but all fatal, nonetheless.


    "Roar!"


    Darren''s voice boomed and he swept the dragon''s tail out.


    The unparalleled force dissipated. Nate stood on the other side, shocked from the magnitude of the power. He began to cough out blood.


    The dragon flew between the two powers. The three shadows all became bloody red. They moved so fast that even Darren could not keep up with them.


    "Bloody Shura!"


    One of the phantoms that used Primitive Fighting Force carried a spear and hurled it towards Darren.


    Darren deflected the weapon with his dragon claw.


    The power rippled throughout the space and shook the stone walls, causing them to collapse.


    The blow threw Darren off and many of his scales were broken.


    "This is really powerful!"


    Darren was astounded at the strength that the phantoms were able to accumulate in such a short time.


    "Really? This is just the beginning! "


    Another one of the phantoms that cultivated Primitive Fighting Force flew towards Darren and shot a blast towards him. The blast bore a bloody hole in Darren''s body.


    "You are too weak to withstand even a single blow!" the phantom mocked.


    Darren grew furious.


    His body morphed and targeted one of the phantoms.


    As both the dragon blood aura and demonic internal force peaked, the air seemed to freeze. Black power spread in the space and opened up a crack in the ground. It was ferocious and terrifying.


    "You are becoming stronger? But it is still no use!"


    Blood-red light shone around one phantom. It looked like


    face twisted with fury and he prepared himself for a fight.


    He actually had another goal. The Shura Force was so mighty¡ªhow could he give up without attaining it?


    One of the phantoms turned blood red all over. Holding his spear, he dashed towards Darren.


    Boom!


    The blade and sword intents surged out. Protected by the Dark Emperor''s armor, Darren was able to withstand the attacks thrown at him.


    Even though Darren was clearly the underdog in this battle, he made sure to observe every move of his opponents, calculating the strength and the attacks used on him.


    Countless battle tracks flashed through Darren''s mind. Combining with the formula he had memorized, he realized what he had to do.


    "Their Shura Force is too weak!"


    Darren realized that their Primitive Fighting Force and Dark Rule merely supported one another but were far from working as a perfect fit.


    He marveled at the Shura Force. Even just like this, the power of the Shura Force was already extremely powerful. If the two forces were perfectly matched, how much more powerful would it be?


    Darren began losing ground after fighting for a long time. He would have been defeated miserably, had it not been for the power of the Dark Emperor''s armor.


    Whoosh!


    Darren retreated while fighting, and then he flew to the side of the three dead bodies.


    "Assimilate!"


    He released some of his power and began to assimilate some Primitive Fighting Force from one of the corpses.


    "I will kill you one by one after I evolve the Shura Force," Darren sneered.

 Chapter 761 Attaining The Shura Force

    After assimilating the Primitive Fighting Force, Darren compressed it into his elixir field.


    "What is he doing?"


    The phantoms didn''t stop Darren, instead, they stopped to watch.


    "He is assimilating the Primitive Fighting Force!"


    "He''s killing himself!"


    The phantoms didn''t care how Darren assimilated the Primitive Fighting Force. They only knew that whoever possessed both the Primitive Fighting Force and Dark Force at the same time would undoubtedly die.


    In no time, Darren had gathered all of the Primitive Fighting Force in his elixir field.


    A cyan war spear stood quietly at the right side of his blade core. On the other hand, the black esoteric symbol floated on the left side of the sword core.


    In an attempt to keep the Dark Force and Primitive Fighting Force from colliding, Darren called forth the dragon blood aura and the demonic internal force to form a "wall" between the two forces.


    "What?" With comically wide eyes, the three phantoms stared at Darren, astonished to find him still safe and sound.


    "Fight!"


    Now that everything was set, Darren needed to focus on the actual combat to obtain the Shura Force.


    Whoosh!


    Darren dashed towards the three phantoms.


    "We have to observe this strange outsider. Brother, you go first." Two of them stepped back, and the youngest one of them advanced and started to fight.


    The scarlet figure thrust his spear out, viciously collapsing a blood wave as if it was from the hell.


    Darren''s figure looked like an illusion. His Dark Emperor''s armor was covered in black runes forming rings that encased the armor.


    Bang!


    He gathered his Dark Force and hit with the back of his palm.


    A string of black runes connected to form a spear, rushing towards the blood light.


    Boom.


    The stone chamber wasn''t damaged, but the ground outside it shook. Countless cracks spread out, giving the illusion that the entire continent was on the verge of collapsing.


    "It''s amazing that an outsider has such a handle on the Dark Force right after comprehending it." The two phantoms on the side found it incredible.


    In reality, the Dark Force''s growing strength was all due to the Dark Emperor''s armor.


    Despite that, Darren was still sent flying backward by the dispersed power of the Shura Force.


    He regained his composure, held his sword and blade tightly in his hands, lightened his figure and began flying around like a ray of light.


    The thr


    ghting Force and Dark Force in his body.


    "It took too long to heal."


    Darren could feel that both the black symbol and the cyan spear in his elixir field were creating two kinds of forces, but their speed was incredibly slow.


    He roughly estimated that if he used the Shura Force as he had used just now, he would need to develop both the black symbol and cyan spear for at least a decade before he could gather enough of the two forces at the same time.


    "I''ll find a way to improve my cultivating speed. The Shura Force can be used as my trump card in critical moments."


    After resting for about two hours, Darren walked out of the cave.


    The blue sky was clear, and the air was fresh.


    Outside the cave, Nate and Elsa had been waiting for Darren for a long time.


    "Darren, are you all right?" Nate asked nervously.


    "How could I have come out if something was wrong with me?" Darren smiled.


    "So you passed our ancestors'' test?"


    Darren nodded.


    "You are so careless, Darren. Don''t just walk into such a dangerous place. What if something happens?" Elsa pouted.


    Darren wrapped his arms around Elsa''s waist and murmured, "I''m sorry I made you worry, Elsa."


    "Yes you did. Remember to ask me to go with you when you do something next time." Elsa scowled, pretending to be angry.


    "Okay, we''ll do it together." Darren stroked her beautiful hair.


    "Good." Elsa leaned her head on Darren''s shoulder and smiled sweetly.


    "Help! Help! Lord Nate, something happened in the Primitive Mine. Please come and take a look." A member of Nate''s clan, covered in blood, rushed over in a hurry and shouted.

 Chapter 762 A New World (Part One)

    "What happened?" Nate asked.


    "There''s an evil presence around us. You had better come and see for yourself!" the man cried, panting heavily.


    "Let''s go take a look," Darren answered.


    Following the alien, Darren and the other two soon found themselves in front of a mountain.


    They found piles of crushed stones at the foot of the mountain. A little further on, a mine passage was mounted on the hard wall of a bare slope.


    There were many alien creatures there. Some looked to be badly injured and some looked dead. The ground soaked with their dark blood.


    "Who the hell did this?" Nate roared then looked about with a raging fire in his eyes.


    "My Lord, we don''t know what happened inside. We followed your order to mine the Primitive Ore for Mr. Chu. However, soon after we entered the mine passage, we heard the screams of the group that had gone ahead of us. Just as we were wondering what to do next, a few bloody dead men were thrown out from the darkness. It was too dark inside for us to clearly see who had done all of this," the leader of the group said.


    "I am sorry to have put you in danger. Now please, get some rest and leave this evil to me," Darren said and gently patted the man on the back. His heart sank. These people had been ordered by Nate to be in his service. So it was natural to feel guilty for what had happened to them because of him.


    Noting his concern, the leader consoled him. "You saved us, so we all believe that we are obliged to help you if ever you need help. Mining for you is just one way for us to show you our gratitude. But right now, apparently there is something evil dwelling there and it''s very angry about our mining,


    h''s narrow and limited space was filled with a revolting stench.


    Whoosh!


    Darren moved in the speed of light and swiftly made his way towards the beast. His sword intent shone with a blazing bright light, and along with it, a gust of blood sprayed out and flecked the stone wall.


    There was an animal''s bellow and a hiss coming from the stone wall.


    To Darren''s surprise, black smoke rose from the stone wall where the blood had landed. Once it subsided, there was an obvious hole where the hard and tough stone wall had melted off.


    "Wow, what a corrosive creature!" Darren cried out in wonder.


    Then, without even turning around, Darren sensed that the animal was creeping right behind him. In a flash, he brandished his sword and tore off all four legs.


    A dull thud sounded as the creature flung itself to the ground. Turning around, Darren saw a black beast with long teeth like jagged blades.


    "It''s incredible! How could such a small thing have eaten so many people?"


    Indeed, to Darren, the creature looked almost as small as a rat. Only its fur was brighter and its eyes more dark and ferocious.

 Chapter 763 A New World (Part Two)

    Writhing on the ground in pain, the little creature let out a hissing sound.


    After suppressing its pain, it stared upward at Darren without blinking.


    Darren''s curiosity got the best of him, which was why he wasn''t in a hurry to kill it just yet. Instead, he wanted to know where it had come from.


    "Now, run for your life!" Darren ordered and kicked it away with one foot. Then, using his Air-integrated True Rule, he made himself invisible.


    Though its legs were cut off, the wounds it had sustained weren''t deadly enough to endanger its life. It lay still but on alert for a long time, holding its breath and pretending to be dead.


    Time passed, and once everything quieted down until it could only hear the sound of its own breathing, the little creature rose warily. After scouring around with quick cautious eyes, it flew towards the deepest part of the cave.


    Darren followed it, of course. He halted until they reached a green stone. The creature bore itself into it and disappeared from sight.


    "Is there a passage here?"


    Darren revealed himself and studied the green stone for a while.


    To him, it looked like an ordinary stone only the color was different. Gingerly, not wanting to disturb whatever might be lurking inside, he reached out his hand and touched it softly.


    The stone appeared cold and soft to the touch. As soon as his hand got in contact with it, a wave of ripples spread out like a water flow. Darren immediately realized that a strange and abstruse Spatial Rule was hidden behind the stone.


    "Oh, I see." Darren smiled lightly then entered.


    The second his feet touched the ground, he felt an ancient and desolate aura suddenly encircling him.


    The sight before him slowly blurred and faded until he could no longer


    ain.


    As they flew along, the sun started to go down and was now lingering on the western horizon. All day, they''d seen many strange plants and creatures but still there was no trace of the little creature that Darren had come across in the mine.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Just when Darren and Elsa wanted to stop and practice, streams of black shadows flashed about and encircled them.


    These black shadows, as Darren had guessed correctly, were none other than the companions of the little creature that he had seen back in the mine.


    "Wow, they seem very fierce!" Elsa pursed her lips.


    "I don''t want to smear this place with blood. If you don''t want to die, just run for your life!" Darren roared, startling all the other beasts wandering about.


    However, his threatening words did not scare those little creatures off.


    Instead, they all snarled at Darren like infuriated rabid dogs. Their teeth were long and jagged and their eyes red and fierce.


    "What the hell!"


    Darren frowned. It wasn''t until then that he''d realized the strong primitive aura that wafted around the creatures. It gave off the same feeling as the Primitive Fighting Force he knew.

 Chapter 764 A Great Harvest For Darren And Elsa

    ''What kind of creatures are these?!'' Darren thought to himself in alarm. ''And how do they possess the pure Primitive Fighting Force?!''


    The question had only just gone through his mind when the black shadows leaped, hungry for a kill.


    Darren was prepared, though, and had his sword intent at the ready.


    The first ones to pounce were the first to be struck. Darren shattered them in the span of a single breath.


    Their broken remains roiled and shuddered as an enormous amount of Primitive Fighting Force exuded from them.


    Not one to miss an opportunity, Darren employed his assimilation skill.


    The Primitive Fighting Force began to pour into his elixir field in a stream.


    In a short moment, he had received almost as much of the Primitive Fighting Force as he could accumulate in an entire year.


    An emphatic voice drew his attention. "Look out!"


    That was Elsa, warning Nate as another group of the black creatures rushed toward him.


    The very next second, Nate was furiously trying to fend them off. Though he tried his best, he was quickly accumulating wounds. With the combat power of a seven-star grand warrior, he was no match for these ferocious opponents.


    Quickly enough, though, Elsa ran in to help him out, her sword intent surging and leaving a shower of blood in its wake.


    Both warriors'' attention was soon drawn by a blood-curdling roar.


    Turning, they saw a figure the size of a young bull approaching.


    Its body resembled that of a tiger, and it had a head like a dragon''s. The huge wings protruding from its back were inky black, as was the rest of its body except for its two tusks, which shone with a cold light.


    "What is that?" Darren wondered aloud. "It looks like a winged-tiger, but there''s something different about it."


    At any rate, this creature was obviously an oversized version of the others, and it was soon clear that they regarded it as some kind of leader.


    Darren, Elsa, and Nate had only killed a handful of these beasts. The numerous ones that remained were rallying behind the big one, whose paws thudded heavily against the ground. Their running feet added an ominous rumble to that sound.


    It was a terrifying sight, far more so than any collection of ordinary animals. Given the choice, Nate would have preferred to face a multitude of giant elephants.


    "Elsa, Nate, wait here."


    Saying this, Darren shot past them. He aimed straight for the oncoming black onslaught, ready to meet them with his blade and sword intents and his dark gold internal force.


    This once-peaceful world had become a hellish battlefield.


    The black beasts met Darren''s charge with all their Primitive Fighting Force. It roared like a sea of anger.


    As the energy reached him, though, Darren assimilated it into the cyan spear in his elixir field.


    The mystical weapon glowed and its weight noticeably increased. No doubt its potency wa


    an event, creatures over the world threw themselves to the ground, shivering, as if an ancient god had descended before them.


    As the black beast finally closed in, Darren held out his palms and launched thousands of attacks at once.


    The earth cracked and space shivered.


    The two combatants were blasted apart.


    Darren convulsed as he pulled himself to his feet. His internal organs hurt. "Looks like I''ll have to use the Shura Force," he remarked.


    Just then, he noticed Elsa standing beside him.


    "Darren, let me do it," she said. A murderous determination was in her eyes.


    "No, get out of the way, Elsa!" he retorted. "You''re no match for this thing!"


    "Don''t worry," the woman explained. "I seem to have condensed the killing sword core."


    Darren was dumbfounded.


    "Really?"


    The killing sword core was an extraordinary thing. Anyone who condensed it successfully had mastered the Killing Cultivation.


    If Elsa had indeed accomplished this, then her future achievements would be absolutely extraordinary. Realizing this, Darren couldn''t help but be happy for her.


    "Okay," he said finally. "But watch yourself!"


    A strange buzz filled the air.


    Then several more joined it, forming a sequence of sorts.


    It was almost musical, as if a sword could sing.


    Meanwhile, the vitality around them began to drain away.


    Then, suddenly, the sword wings on Elsa''s back unfurled as each sword feather there gathered killing force, humming with power.


    "There you go!" Darren complimented, his eyes lighting up.


    The killing intent was almost tangible. It was not as terrifying as that of Mathew, but it was powerful indeed.


    Besides that, Elsa''s killing sword intent seemed to be superior to Darren''s extreme sword intent. After all, it was one of the top three skills.


    Finally she was ready.


    The sword wings glittered as Elsa soared off into the distance, toward the giant black beast.

 Chapter 765 A Mysterious Master

    Killing.


    The whole world was filled with a crazy killing sword intent.


    It made Darren shiver in excitement.


    He was truly happy that Elsa had stepped into the road of Killing Cultivation that few people in hundreds of thousands of years had managed to practice.


    Of course he knew that Mathew had a lot to do with it.


    After all, if it only took killing some creatures to begin the Killing Cultivation, all those great masters from ancient times would have been invincible by now.


    A fierce killing sword intent rushed toward the black beast with a frightening speed.


    The sounds of a vicious howl filled the air.


    Finally, the black beast was feeling scared.


    This kind of power made it feel like it was caught in a dark killing abyss, it made it tremble to its core.


    However, how could such a fierce creature be affected by the fear hidden in the bottom of its heart? It bared its teeth and rushed to Elsa''s sword wings, its claws glistening with blood light.


    The resounding clang of killing sword intent colliding with the beast''s claws filled the air.


    Now Elsa''s fighting power was even stronger than Darren''s without him using the Shura Force!


    Dazzling lights filled the sky that even Darren was unable to detect what was going on in the center of the battlefield through his spiritual sense.


    "It seems that the killing sword intent and the Primitive Fighting Force have destroyed my spiritual sense." Darren felt worried when he failed to sense what was going on in the battlefield. What if Elsa was no match for the black beast?


    After a long while, a figure flew out. Darren flew towards her and held her in his arms.


    Elsa looked disheveled, with many wounds all over her body.


    "Your killing sword intent isn''t at a high level yet, I shouldn''t have let you go." Darren looked at Elsa, feeling bad for her.


    "Don''t worry. I am doing far better than it is." Elsa smiled, her face lighting up. Since she was so powerful, she barely registered the pain at all.


    "Nate, take care of Elsa. I''m going to get it."


    "Okay, Darren. Be careful, too." Nate stood in front of Elsa to protect her.


    "You don''t need to be so serious. I''m fine. I won''t mind if you hide somewhere," Elsa said to Nate.


    "No, I can''t slack off on a task assigned by Darren."


    Boom.


    A dispersed force flew over. The whi


    . Please forgive me."


    "Of course," the man said lightly, then moved away.


    "May I know your name, sir?" Darren shouted.


    "Mysterious Emperor, please don''t call me sir." But then the man shook his head and corrected himself, "No. You aren''t the Mysterious Emperor. Or are you him? I can''t figure it out."


    His words were muddling up Darren''s thoughts.


    "If you want to find me, you can travel eight thousand kilometers west and reach the peak of the Barren Mountain. But I have to warn you that you may not use your Shura Force there."


    The figure pointed out and disappeared.


    Darren started to feel his tension ease up.


    The force constraining his body had disappeared as well.


    But something struck him, how could such a powerful person exist? And what did he mean saying those parting words?


    He''d called Darren the Mysterious Emperor, but then he said he had mistaken him.


    Everything about the man''s odd behaviors had fully aroused Darren''s curiosity.


    Swoosh!


    Elsa and Nate flew over, staring at where the stranger had disappeared, both rendered speechless.


    After a long time, Elsa was finally able to find the words. "Are you really going to see him, Darren?"


    "Why not?"


    "He''s so strong. What if he hurts you?"


    "Don''t worry. If a warrior of this level wants to kill me, any mere intent would do it. Do you think he needs to actually move and attack me?" Darren assured her.


    "That''s right. Let''s go together then." Elsa was also very intrigued by the man''s words. Darren''s reassurance helped her make up her mind.

 Chapter 766 A Battle Between Holy Emperors

    It was a piece of cake for Darren, Elsa, and Nate to fly for eighty thousand kilometers as they headed west.


    Unfortunately, after slaughtering millions of tiny black beasts, the air was filled with the smell of blood. It was almost suffocating for them to fly through that region.


    A towering mountain came into their view.


    Colorful clouds and mists encircled the mountains, and peculiar birds shuttled in-between. Everything seemed quiet and serene.


    "Phew!" Darren, Elsa, and Nate took a deep breath. As the fresh air filled their lungs, they felt revitalized.


    "Let''s fly higher and investigate." Darren raised his head and gazed at the summit that stretched into the sky.


    "That man is so powerful that it will not be easy for us to go up," Elsa remarked with a frown.


    "You guys stay here. I''ll go up and check," Darren instructed.


    "Why do you do this all the time, Darren? You go off on your own and leave me behind, humph!" Elsa said with a pout.


    "This time, it''s different, Elsa. You and Nate can cultivate here. And if anything happens to me, you can always help me, right?"


    Darren knew that the speed of cultivation in this region was several times faster than that of the outside world. Once Elsa''s killing sword intent improved, her fighting power would also be enhanced. Since this would be helpful to him, Darren suggested that Elsa stay and cultivate.


    When Elsa didn''t reply, Darren smiled and said, "At least try the cultivation speed here before getting upset with me. I promise you will love this place more."


    "Humph!" Reluctantly, she sat and began to practice the killing sword intent in her mind.


    "Ah." After a while, she glanced at Darren in surprise, and said, "How did I cultivate so fast?"


    "Do you remember the time I told you about the precious treasure I found? It is here!"


    "Oh, I see. I should also cultivate now, or else I will lag behind you and Elsa, and be a burden." Nate called upon the Primitive Fighting Force and began to cultivate and deduce.


    In a few seconds, Nate and Elsa both quieted down as they became completely immersed in their cultivation.


    With a slight smile, Darren leaped into the air and began his journey to the top of the Barren Mountain.


    The wind howled in Darren''s ears, and he disappeared into the clouds.


    Crack.


    Bolts of lightning sparkled next to Darren. These seemed to contain a mysterious power that people did not understand.


    Rows of iron chains had


    escended from the darkest area of the void, a fierce blood light lit up the whole ground.


    A figure dressed in armor descended like a God.


    "Do you think you can kill me?"


    he roared. The spear in his hand shook as he spoke, and everyone present stopped mid-battle.


    "Cut the crap. Just a fight is enough."


    The Dark Emperor glanced at him coldly. His eyes were as dark as Aaron''s but more abstruse.


    Whoosh!


    He flew toward the void, followed closely by the man holding the spear.


    "That man must be a holy emperor as well!"


    Darren was so excited that he could hardly believe that he would witness a battle between two holy emperors.


    Seeing this, Darren''s heart beat so fast that he thought it would jump out of his chest.


    Boom.


    A huge opening suddenly appeared in the void, which was like a gigantic beast opening its mouth.


    Two figures stood in front of the black opening.


    Even Darren couldn''t see them clearly as they stood in the distant void. Everything was blurry.


    Whoosh!


    Darren tried his best to get close to them.


    After a long flight, to his surprise, the two figures were still far away. Only then did Darren realize that they had broken through the limit of space and had reached a farther place. And this place was not something that he could attack with his full strength.


    Darren shook his head as disappointment coursed through him. The result of the battle was still unclear.


    Buzz.


    Suddenly, a crack appeared in front of Darren, and space began to surge with strange rule force.


    All of a sudden, a pair of silver eyes appeared in front of Darren.


    "Avatar!" Darren roared.

 Chapter 767 The Powerful Avatar

    The space cracked, and it was clear without question that the face showed up in the crack belonged to Darren''s rule soul avatar.


    Darren couldn''t fathom how powerful the avatar was then. He just felt that the silver light in the avatar''s eyes was even brighter and more obvious.


    "Oh my real body, follow me!"


    Before Darren could speak up and ask him why he had suddenly appeared here, a stream of space power wrapped around him and the two of them disappeared into thin air.


    "Rule Soul Avatar, what brings you here?"


    Darren remembered that the avatar had vowed he would dive deep into the rules and improve himself to be an immortal, but now he suddenly appeared once again without warning.


    "There is an abundance of rule force lying around here. I must learn to comprehend it before I continue on with my journey,"


    the avatar replied rather coldly with absolutely no emotion dripping from his tone, as if he was a mere metal creature.


    "What level of strength do you currently own as of now?" Darren asked curiously.


    "I cannot give a determined estimation. However, I''m sure I haven''t reached the Emperor Realm yet." The avatar gave a brief reply, not wanting to add anything else in this meaningless conversation.


    Within a few words, Darren and the avatar had already managed to rush out of the cracks and arrive in the void.


    While the shadows of the two holy emperors were still fighting far from them, everything was as clear as day to him now.


    Darren still owned a handful of doubts regarding the avatar''s sudden appearance. But, it was a good time to keep tabs on the battle between the two holy emperors at the moment. He couldn''t afford to get distracted and miss it.


    Boom!


    The whole void started trembling as the two figures moved at the same time.


    Majestic black runes surged in the void, as if their mere presence could and would annihilate everything that was in their way.


    The bloody light from the spear seemed to pierce through the layers of space and spread out and through the area.


    Darren couldn''t stop himself from trembling as he faced this kind of aura and had nagging feeling that it was a must for him to kneel down as proof of inferiority towards the two.


    It was not until a stream of cold and gentle power enveloped him did the fear inside him receded.


    The avatar was protecting him with his power. Only there and then did Darren realize that the power of his rule soul avatar was beyond his imagination.


    "Howl!"


    The deep growl echoed in the void, powerful enough for it to shake the space between. The breath of resentment typical of the Darkest Hell was truly a terrifying feeling.


    nd growled, "Avatar, what are you doing?"


    "To borrow some power of yours."


    The two flowing forces were actually absorbed by the avatar


    After giving out some of the two forces to the avatar with reluctance, Darren noticed a figure flying straight towards the center of the battlefield.


    "What?" It was the avatar that had flown over! "Wasn''t he just here a moment ago?"


    The avatar flew over and stood beside the man holding the spear. As the palm of the Dark Emperor was about to approach, bolts of thunder exploded in the void.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The avatar waved his hand and led the thunder towards the Dark Emperor.


    Suppressing!


    The nine rune towers surrounding the Dark Emperor flew out and fell onto the avatar.


    The void was shattered into pieces, and the avatar was not saved from getting mashed. At the same time, the figure holding the spear was also suppressed, vivid cracks appearing on the armor draped on his body.


    "Avatar, what are you doing?"


    The avatar didn''t respond and instead, transferred messages into Darren''s soul.


    After a moment, Darren understood everything.


    What happened was completely simulated by the avatar with his Spirit Power. The actions, for example; he attacked the Dark Emperor, the Dark Emperor unleashed runes to suppress the avatar, the injuries he caused to the Dark Emperor, and the Dark Emperor smashed his body, were all designed by the avatar to create a virtual battle with the emperors.


    To put it bluntly, the avatar was just acting in a play of fighting against the two emperors. However, such a scene felt so real in Darren''s eyes.


    The information the avatar sent to Darren just now not only explained everything, but also contained something that delighted Darren to his very core.

 Chapter 768 Ending

    Wisps of the rule silk threads were embedded deep into Darren''s soul.


    This kind of rule silk thread had already been comprehended by Darren''s avatar, so it was unnecessary for him to try and comprehend it again.


    Apparently, these rule silk threads were the rules originating from the Dark Force and Primitive Fighting Force that the avatar comprehended in the simulated battle from moments ago.


    Darren tried to trigger the black symbol and the reddish war spear inside his elixir field. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth poured into his body and quickly transformed into two kinds of different power.


    "It is now several times faster than before!"


    With his current speed, Darren estimated that he could use the Shura Force once in ten days.


    If he could speed up any further, he''d be able to use the Shura Force at his own will!


    It was as powerful as the power of the Conflicting Cultivation. If he could use it freely, it would be hard to imagine how terrifying of a sight would it be.


    The two holy emperors were still fighting as the Rule Soul Avatar stayed by the Dark Emperor''s side for a while, pretending to withstand the attack of the powerful emperor with a long spear. And after a while the avatar took the powerful emperor''s side and attacked the Dark Emperor instead. The avatar comprehended and deduced every move of the two holy emperors perfectly.


    Witnessing this, Darren stood in shock because of his avatar.


    The Rule Soul Avatar was so powerful that he could even imitate the battle between the holy emperors.


    His silvery glittering eyes constantly radiated similar silvery light, examining everything to capture the two kinds of rule silk threads that Darren needed among the hundreds of millions of rule silk threads floating in the space between them.


    The void continued to produce cracks and the avatar was smashed to pieces again and again.


    After one month, Darren was surprised to find that the avatar could almost withstand the holy emperors'' attack more than one round in the simulated battle. More often than not, he could even fight with them up to three or four rounds!


    For a long time, Darren was far too stunned to calm himself down after watching such a scene unfold.


    Apparently, his Rule Soul Avatar was now capable of competing against the holy emperors.


    Massive rule forces condensed into numerous thunderbolts, aiming solely towards the Dark Emperor.


    The eighteen runic towers released a ferocious aura as if they were coming from some parts of the Darkest Hell.


    Boom!


    The void collapsed, the cracks getting bigger and wider as it swept everything away.


    With two forces colliding, the avatar''s thunder was wea


    rce."


    The Primitive Emperor grinned wickedly; his whole body turned blood-red, giving out a strong fit of the Shura Force.


    "Primitive Emperor! You crazy man, you''re courting for death!"


    "It is indeed a matter of life and death. What do you mean?"


    Blood light poured like a torrent of water.


    "Well, well!" As the Dark Emperor howled, a large shadow floating behind him.


    The shadow was dark green all over, exuding a strong aura of life.


    Seeing this, a hint of despair flashed through the Primitive Emperor''s eyes. But at this critical moment, he had no choice but to carry his long spears and sprint along the blood light.


    "Howl!"


    The nine runic towers transformed into a shadow like a Demon God, rushing themselves into the blood light together with the Dark Emperor.


    The sky above was splendid and several stars on another sky even fell down. Darren couldn''t even look at them, terrified as if he would be destroyed with merely one sight.


    Before Darren could watch the last scene unfold, all the things had disappeared all of a sudden.


    The void restored to its original calm state without any cracks.


    After all, it was nothing more than an illusion.


    "What have you gotten?"


    Hearing the old and dry voice, Darren opened his eyes. It was not until then that he realized that he was in a grass field in front of a thatched cottage and rather than in a void witnessing a battle between two powerful emperors.


    "Sir." Darren looked at the figure covered in the mist and nodded slowly.


    "Good. Do you recognize who I am?"


    Darren wanted to say no, but on second thought, after checking the old man''s aura, he understood immediately.


    "You''re...Primitive Emperor..."


    As the mist around the old man dispersed in that very moment, Darren saw an old face.

 Chapter 769 A Conversation With The Holy Emperor

    Although he appeared aged with a wrinkled face and coarse hair, the vigor of his manner still remained. Darren was right. This old man was none other than the holy emperor with the long spear who practiced the Primitive Fighting Force.


    Darren stared at the holy emperor for a while with a look of awe and respect. After all, holy emperors were reputable, high-leveled people who he had only heard about in legends and stories.


    "Sir, was what you just showed me the battle that happened between you and the Dark Emperor? What happened to the Dark Emperor in the end? Did you kill him?" asked Darren.


    The battle ended abruptly and he really wanted to know what had happened.


    "Kill him? He cannot be killed," said the Primitive Emperor, shaking his head.


    "Then what happened at last?" Darren continued.


    "In the last stage of the battle, I really did strike him hard. However, did you notice the green shadow behind him?" asked the Primitive Emperor.


    Darren thought back to the battle and remembered a dark green shadow floating behind the Dark Emperor. "Yes! I do!" Darren exclaimed.


    "That''s what keeps him immortal. That''s his Eternal Body," said the Primitive Emperor. "Even if I blast him into a million pieces, he will still live. I think you could guess that the battle ended with my defeat. I was able to detach my soul from my real body and transfer it into my avatar in time. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be standing here and talking to you right now."


    Darren felt the tiredness and shame in the Primitive Emperor''s voice. He must have been disoriented during the entire battle.


    Striking a man who possessed Eternal Body was a futile attempt, because no matter how hard one would fight, they would never beat them. It was the same case with Aaron, who also possessed Eternal Body.


    Under the circumstances, it was impossible for the Primitive Emperor to kill the Dark Emperor. The Primitive Emperor was doomed to be defeated.


    "Sir, do you mean that if one possesses the Eternal Body, he can never be killed?" asked Darren. He was incredulous that anyone could have that kind of strength.


    "Not really." The Primitive Emperor shook his head and began to explain, "Possessing Eternal Body would be able to keep you from most of the dangers. If a warrior of the same level or a bit higher were to attack you, you would be kept safe from any harm. However, someone far mightier and more powerful might stand a chance if he would fire attacks constantly. If all the particles of his body were dissolved and were spread far apart, he would not be able to regenerate in time..." the Primitive Emperor trailed off.


    "Darren, do you know about the immortals?" he asked abruptly.


    "I had heard about them somewhere. I guess they are some kind of rule cultivators from the outer space," Darren answered.


    "That''s right. It was said that an immortal managed to kill a holy emperor who had Eternal Body before. I don''t know if it was true. It''s an ancient tale," said the Primitive Emperor.


    "Oh, I see. What had beco


    to practice the Conflicting Cultivation since the Last Age. I know you have poured out lots of effort and have been through some tough times.


    You have been fated to meet me today and I think that it was destiny that has allowed us to meet. I think I will help you get through the punishment of entering the Holy Realm," the Primitive Emperor said with a smile.


    He also had a secret agenda.


    As a great holy emperor who had cultivated the Primitive Fighting Force, he knew how difficult it was to condense the Shura Force. Being a holy emperor, he could only release the Shura Force at the cost of damaging his own soul. Darren, on the other hand, seemed unharmed in spite of activating the Shura force. The Primitive Emperor began to think highly of Darren''s potential and thought of how much he would be able to achieve in the future.


    "I am honored that you would deign to lend me a hand," Darren cried, bowing in front of the Primitive Emperor.


    "Don''t mention it. Actually, it is more important for you to practice your Shura Force if you want to get through the thunder punishment. I am merely here to support you. The outcome still lies in your hands.


    It seems that you haven''t fully comprehended the Holy Will yet. From now on, you should focus on cultivating it with all your might. Once you have been able to reach the breakthrough, I will come to your aid," said the Primitive Emperor.


    "I''ll head down the mountain to practice," Darren replied, nodding his head vigorously.


    "No, you don''t," rejected the holy emperor. "You just stay on the mountain. It will be much easier for you to practice here."


    Darren paused.


    "Are you worrying about that little girl and the alien. Don''t worry. I will just take them here. The little girl has been able to condense the killing sword intent. She will definitely be a force to reckon with in the future. She may even grow stronger than you!" The Primitive Emperor chuckled and disappeared. After a while, he reappeared with Elsa and Nate by his side.

 Chapter 770 Enlightenment

    After Darren and Elsa conversed for a while, the three of them soon started to immerse themselves in deep cultivation.


    Their silence made the noise at the top of the Barren Mountain to hush down during the whole duration of their refinement.


    There was a part at the Barren Mountain which was considered to be a tranquil place. And there, Darren could be spotted sitting with his legs crossed. There was an overwhelming calmness emitting from his aura as he concentrated all his mind on cultivation.


    If anyone could unravel his mind at that time, they could see countless blade shadows appearing in his imagination, which was flying to various courses.


    Those perfect tracks were steadily rehearsing in Darren''s mind. It urged him to practice harder, hone his skills up another level, and come out more refined than ever!


    And in the end, they transformed into a blade intent close to the extreme level, next to perfection.


    Darren had an unswerving desire to comprehend the four kinds of blade intents that he needed. And it only took three years for him to understand finally all the underlying principles there were.


    And the rest was to fuse them successfully.


    At any rate, the whole process was remarkably painful. But Darren had to do this to find the balance between the sword intent and the blade intent.


    And combining these four kinds of blade intents into one took him a full year. It was fortunate though that his blade intent also reached an extreme level.


    Boom!


    As the loud sound resonated, horrifying blade and sword intents suddenly covered the whole sky.


    And Darren''s fighting power greatly improved with both sword intent and blade intent reaching the extreme.


    "Ha-ha, good boy. Only by your blade and sword intents, you can match up to an inferior holy warrior.


    And you can even compete with the inferior holy warrior at the top level."


    Feeling that Darren''s blade intent was also highly improved and advanced, the figure of The Primitive Emperor instantly appeared in front of Darren.


    "Sir, my blade intent and sword intent both have reached the extreme at the same time. All I need to do is to comprehend the Holy Will. But I have no idea about the Fringe Holy Will. Could you please give me some advice, sir?" Darren humbly replied.


    "The comprehension of this kind of thing can''t be explicitly taught by others. You have to rely on yourself positively.


    What''s more, you are different from others. You have great potential. Don''t just randomly grasp a piece of Holy Will because you are too greedy. You should try your best to understand the Holy Will, which is the most suitable and perfect for you. Got it?" the Primitive Emperor meaningfully stated.


    "I see. Thank you for your instruction, sir," Darren replied with full understanding gleaming in his eyes.


    The Primitive Emperor nodded and continued to say, "Come with me now."


    "Yes, sir."


    Darren soon stood up and now followed the pace of the Primitive Emperor. They were heading toward a white swirl located at the top of the so-called Barren Mountain.


    Buzz.


    When they reached their destination, Darren calmly stepped inside the white swirl.


    Looking around, he carefully observed that this was a stone chamber, which was not very large, with only three hundred feet in length and width.


    Be


    ce indicated that it was not the Life Holy Will?


    Time passed slowly, and the prosperous green plants withered before his intent gaze.


    Then in a quick moment, a cool breeze blew over, and the whole world became prosperous again. The scent of wild flowers and plants floated in the wind, inducing a fresh smell of hopes and beginnings.


    "Enlightenment!"


    Boom!


    The next second, streaks of rule force fell abruptly and fully infused into Darren''s body.


    "Reincarnation."


    "Turns out what I have comprehended is the Reincarnation Holy Will,"


    Darren whispered before his figure vanished from this world.


    Outside this world, Elsa, who was sitting on top of the Barren Mountain with her legs crossed, suddenly fluttered her eyes open. Similarly, Nate also focused his gaze at the white swirl.


    And even the Primitive Emperor who was calmly sleeping under a tree suddenly woke up as if something jolted within him.


    His old eyes darted and stared at the direction where Darren was, and unmistakably, he sensed lots of terrifying rule force landing there.


    "What? Someone has become a holy emperor?" The Primitive Emperor couldn''t help shouting at the sudden outburst of his thoughts.


    He continued staring ahead, as his old eyes hinted an unflinching recognition. The scene was way too similar to the time when he became a holy emperor!


    Bursting of enthusiasm, the Primitive Emperor shortly disappeared and reappeared consequently in the white whirl in a blink of an eye.


    "Sir, I have made it," Darren eagerly told the Primitive Emperor.


    The Primitive Emperor closely observed Darren up and down and then furrowed his eyebrows.


    "He isn''t a holy emperor yet? Why did I have this kind of misconception just now?" the Primitive Emperor murmured to himself.


    "Sir, I feel that I have comprehended the Reincarnation Holy Will. Is it good or bad?"


    "What?" The Primitive Emperor could only stare at Darren in surprise. Then as if knocking some sense in him, he hurriedly flew towards Darren and pressed him on his shoulder.


    "Ha-ha, ha-ha!" The Primitive Emperor laughed wildly and burst out, "You are far more than grasping the Reincarnation Holy Will. You are indeed a rare talent."

 Chapter 771 A Well-intentioned Mistake

    These words of the Primitive Emperor confused Darren. He couldn''t grasp what he meant by saying them. ''How could I get such an admiration just for comprehending the Holy Will?'' he helplessly wondered.


    "What do you mean, sir?" Darren managed to ask after a brief moment of his utter confusion.


    "You not only learned the Reincarnation Fringe Holy Will but also created and developed the prototype of a small world," the Primitive Emperor answered with such great joy, making his demeanor oozed with overwhelming happiness.


    Darren was momentarily shocked by what the Primitive Emperor just announced. It was making him feel like it was simply too good to be true.


    It was because the Primitive Emperor fully knew that only the cultivator whose level was at the Emperor Realm could develop a small world.


    "Just now, I suddenly felt that someone seemed to break through to the Emperor Realm. But think about it more carefully, how could that be you? I checked on it once I got here. It turned out that the prototype of the small world you have developed gave me this kind of illusion," the Primitive Emperor thoughtfully explained, a flicker of excitement laced his voice.


    "Sir, can the prototype of the small world improve my fighting ability exceedingly?" asked Darren, out of his curiosity.


    The Primitive Emperor merely shook his head and spoke, "Not really. The meaning of the prototype of the small world is not about improving your fighting ability. It means the key to break through to the Emperor Realm. You are so lucky to develop the prototype of the small world at such a young age. In the future, you merely need to perfect the small world and break through to the Emperor Realm.


    To put it plainly, just as you need to grasp the Holy Will to advance to the Holy Realm, you have to develop the small world to break through to the Emperor Realm. Now that you have stepped into this stage, so it will be easy for you to make headway to the Emperor Realm in the future."


    "So it is," Darren chuckled to himself. Amazement swelled within him.


    Buzz!


    Then he adeptly focused his spiritual sense to the small world where the flowers were still in full bloom. This world was the one he created, but it was not perfect at present and was merely called the prototype.


    "I first thought it was only a space of nothingness. I surely didn''t expect it to exist," Darren meaningfully stated.


    He intently gazed at the vast land and tried to control and dominate it.


    With the endless and boundless force of control pouring into Darren''s soul, he perfectly merged himself with the prototype of this small world. The feeling of controlling everything in this new small world was even deeper and more satisfying than the time he had skillfully mastered the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "Since you were born together with the Reincarnation Holy Will, I''ll call you the Reincarnation Space," Darren murmured with contentment plastered on his face. Th


    red to come here when I kill you," Darren responded.


    "Ha! Ha! Ha! You''re too proud of yourself, human. I am Silas, the legendary beast from the Ancient Age. How can an ant like you kill me?


    To say the least, even if you can defeat me, the three guys behind me can still tear you to pieces with just one claw,"


    Silas said mockingly, as he went fully displaying his poisonous fangs and claws, and giving off a stinking air.


    The offensive smell was akin to rotten corpses.


    Darren held his breath hard as he fought the urge to vomit and discreetly looked out of the space beyond the bridge.


    In no time, he had quickly assessed that there were lots of fluorescent skeletons floating outside, and each of them had the aura of Holy Will.


    "I think those are all inferior holy warriors," Darren murmured more to himself.


    "Little bug, it''s too late for you to understand now, don''t you think? Go to hell!" Silas shouted.


    Whoosh!


    Turning into a stream of light in a flash, Silas charged straight at Darren to attack.


    Two bloody claw prints became visible on Darren''s chest. If he hadn''t dodged quickly, his heart would have been pierced mercilessly.


    With this abrupt encounter, Darren was considerably quick in estimating that the strength of Silas was almost the same as that of the Holy Realm warrior.


    ''The place where the Primitive Emperor has sent me is not suitable for me to practice the Holy Will, '' Darren mulled over. He had no idea that the reason he came here was because of the careless mistake the Primitive Emperor executed.


    ''All right. Now that I am here, I have to get out alive, '' he continued to muse.


    Buzz.


    In a split second, Darren''s blade and sword intents soon swirled into a terrifying tornado and ferociously rampaged in the void.


    "It looks like I''ve underestimated you, but you have to die anyway!" Silas'' husky voice reverberated, with killing intent. Soon, a tremendous dark aura enveloped Darren in an instant.

 Chapter 772 Upgrading

    Darren could feel outright the powerful dark aura released by Silas. It was immensely oppressive.


    But subconsciously, his whole being instantly reacted by hitting Silas with the Primitive Fighting Force.


    And soon, a rumbling sound echoed in the void. It sounded fierce and terrifying as the Primitive Fighting Force surged like a river, forcibly colliding with the dark aura.


    These two forces dispersed simultaneously, causing the void to fluctuate in an undulating movement.


    "Damn it! Don''t play a dirty trick! I''ll take your life!" Silas grunted.


    Silas was raging like a bull when he suddenly disappeared, thus making Darren enveloped himself with crazy killing intent.


    "Since you choose to fight head-on with me, I will not back off!"


    Darren countered back while he quietly closed his eyes to feel his existence.


    Whoosh!


    And in profound silence, Darren summoned the blade and sword intents. The blade and sword intents transformed in a flash into tens of thousands of perfect moves and encircled Darren straight away, forming a solid defensive line in the process.


    The sound created by the forceful impact between the blade and sword intents was resoundingly loud, echoing painfully in the ears. Seeing this, Silas tried to break through Darren''s line of defense of swords and blades.


    "Well, you are as capable as the inferior holy warrior. But let me show you my power!"


    Silas roared angrily.


    With the dark aura circulating incessantly, shadows fell from the sky like beasts from hell. It gave off a ferocious and horrifying vibe as the scent of danger lurked wildly at this face-off.


    Within a few moments later, layers of visible frost wholly covered the void, and in no time, spread directly into Darren''s heart.


    "Damn it! It seems that I should take it seriously from now on." Darren shook his head as he forcefully discarded the tiny speck of doubt invading his mind.


    On the other hand, Silas'' power had undeviatingly climbed to the top level of the inferior holy warrior. And it seemed effortless on his part.


    If Darren conventionally fought him, he still had a chance to win. However, even if Darren succeeded and won, he would be severely harmed and even acquired incurable injuries.


    "I will kill you in a second!" Silas yelled, somewhat impatiently.


    "How dare you say that! You are just a nobody!" Darren quickly retorted.


    Boom!


    And as quick as lightning, the Dark Force and Primitive Fighting Force in Darren''s body surged wildly.


    The two forces startlingly combined at a perfect node under the operation of the Shura Formula and consequently became a frightening and destructive power.


    Like an apparition, Darren''s body gave off blood-red light, and even his blade and sword fluidly turned crimson red.


    "What!"


    Silas was startl


    h of the junior holy warrior!'' he thought to himself.


    "You lowly man, you are still alive!


    Do you know it''s already a miracle for you? If you could endure another strike, I can let you go. However, it''s impossible!"


    The skeleton rolled quickly and got closer to Darren in the blink of an eye.


    "Go to hell!"


    He yelled while he raised his hand. And the blade cut through the void, causing waves of space windstorm to surge and roll up.


    "Bloody Shura!"


    Darren initiated a command, and his body turned crimson red in a snap. With his lithe body, he turned around speedily and hacked down with his blade.


    Bang!


    With the raging Shura Force pouring out, the blade in the hand of the skeleton was soon smashed into pieces.


    "Ah! My Emperor Weapon was broken!"


    A light glimmer flashed in the skeleton''s eyes, which made him look extremely surprised.


    His weapon was once used by a holy emperor when he was young. It was very hard. ''How could it be broken by a single blow!'' the skeleton silently mused.


    On top of that, the blood-red light bursting out from the human body was so powerful that he had never felt something like it before.


    "I admit defeat. You go. But I have to remind you, even if you use this power, you are no match for the devil in the third space,"


    the skeleton humbly said, half kneeling in front of Darren.


    Paying no attention to him, Darren casually strode straight towards the iron rope bridge. From the corner of his eyes, the skeleton watched and took another drastic move.


    Bang!


    The next second, Darren pivoted around and dispatched his sword at the skeleton.


    "No! How do you know I intend to attack you?" the skeleton roared.


    "Those who have submitted would only show fear instead of the intention of killing in his eyes," replied Darren calmly.


    The next moment, the skeleton''s head exploded!

 Chapter 773 Is It Real

    Darren then entered a zone of ice and snow.


    He was met by the view of someone''s back in front of him.


    The said figure was cloaked by a black robe, standing deathly still as a wooden stake.


    "Why have you come here?" the figure asked Darren, his calm and emotionless voice resounding through the air. The figure''s voice made every hair on Darren''s body stand on end in apprehension and excitement.


    "I came here to toughen myself, hone my Fringe Holy Will," Darren answered.


    "Well, you have come to the wrong place. This is the life and death path, the place where deathless warriors are created."


    "It doesn''t matter. Since I am here, I should try to get out alive," Darren said.


    "Fine, but you should know me first."


    The man turned around, his handsome face as emotionless as his voice.


    "I have only taken my sword out for three times in my whole life. When I was twenty-one years old, I killed an inferior holy warrior with only one strike. This was my first sword strike. When I was forty-six years old, I killed a junior holy warrior with only one sword strike. As for my third sword strike, you have probably already guessed it, I killed a senior holy warrior."


    ''How horrible.''


    That was the first thought that flashed through Darren''s mind after the man recounted his kills.


    This man had killed a senior holy warrior before. Darren would not be able to defeat him in any case.


    Darren could not understand why there was such a powerful man guarding the path.


    "According to what you said, you should be a person who has surpassed the senior Holy Realm but has not reached the Emperor Realm yet. Why are you willing to stay here? Don''t you think that it''s a waste of your time and your talents?" Darren calmly pondered out loud.


    "It''s not about wasting my time. Once you get to my level but could not take a step forward, you would understand."


    Darren just kept silent. He did not know what to say.


    "Take my hit. You can go on to the next space if you live."


    Darren was at a loss for words. This man was already too strong for him and now he found out that there was a next space? How powerful could the guardian of the next space be?


    "I will give full play to this strike," the man said, his voice cold and flat.


    "Alright, then. Come on!" Darren exclaimed.


    He then called upon the Shura Force.


    "Not bad," the man said. "But it''s a pity that your cultivation base is too low. Otherwise, you could have been able to compete with me in terms of strength." There was finally some expression on the man''s face.


    It would be impossible for Darren to survive


    id it feel incomprehensible, but it also felt incredibly unreal to Darren.


    "I want to completely grasp the Reincarnation Holy Will," Darren answered without any hesitation.


    "Are you sure? Is that all?" the shadow asked.


    "What? Wait, no. I want to reach the Holy Realm safely," Darren corrected himself.


    "That''s a very unremarkable dream that you got there, but alright, I will satisfy your wish."


    "Wait!" Darren frowned and continued, "I want to be a holy emperor!"


    "Are you going to change your mind again?"


    "No, I won''t," Darren replied firmly, his voice filled with resolution.


    And then, boom!


    A bombardment of rule forces related to blade and sword flooded into Darren''s body.


    His Blade and Sword Cultivation was reaching unprecedented perfection.


    Darren felt like he could jump out of the void and go to the mysterious outer universe if he wanted to.


    He felt invincible. But he was still unsatisfied.


    "Fusion."


    He continued to fuse his blade and sword intents.


    The skies started crackling.


    It then filled up with black divine thunder and formed a huge whirlwind, giving off an overwhelming force.


    "Humph!" Darren gave a snort of contempt as he shot into the sky, feeling invincible.


    The void shattered and his blade and sword intents effortlessly extinguished the black thunder. No force could stop him now.


    Torrents of dark golden internal force wildly rushed out. This kind of aura made Darren feel as if he was the most powerful person in the world, so powerful that he felt like he could kill the holy emperors from the ancient times and even the immortals.


    But there was a nagging voice deep in the bottom of Darren''s heart.


    ''Is this all real?'' it asked him repeatedly.

 Chapter 774 Loneliness

    "Ah!"


    Darren roared out.


    He stood proudly in the air as his loud roar blew up mountains and rivers.


    "I''m invincible," he murmured to himself.


    Soon afterwards, he walked towards the void.


    Stars fell as the void collapsed. Darren was exuding a godlike aura, invincible and transcendent.


    But after a while of marveling at his newfound power, Darren suddenly felt hollow.


    He had discovered that there were no other living beings in the world aside from himself. He was completely alone.


    In an empty world, what use did he have with being strong? He felt like an ant.


    Once Darren calmed down, he realized that everything would be meaningless in such a lonely world.


    "You lied to me! I didn''t get through this!


    Everything is an illusion, a delusion!"


    Darren''s blood boiled in anger. He began madly striking at the ground with dark gold internal force.


    With each dark gold internal force surging out, millions of kilometers of the earth was obliterated, not even leaving any dust behind.


    But it was useless. The world was endless. Even with Darren''s current strength, he could not break through it.


    Trying to destroy the world would be a futile attempt.


    "Come out!"


    Darren fumed as he furiously searched around him for the beautiful phantom.


    But no matter how hard he yelled and roared, the whole world just fell into silence.


    The river of time seemed to skim over his heart. Darren felt as if a million years had already passed under the endless withering loneliness.


    Over the course of a million years, he had first been in a state of madness, then eventually fell into meditation while he cultivated. At last, he got back to being insanely deranged when he could not sit still.


    It was an unceasing cycle until he became old.


    "Time, space and power¡ªthey are all meaningless."


    After countless years had gone, he gazed at the eternal setting sun in the sky, contemplating how he had become a lonely old man.


    "A long time ago, I lived in a beautiful world. There were flowers, grass, morning mist and the beautiful scenery of dusk. There were numerous happy creatures there. Some were busy and some lived a peaceful life.


    You know what? I almost forget their faces, except their laughing and swearing, which often echoed in my mind..."


    The old Darren murmu


    e void, and the rule forces were condensed in his hands one after another.


    Thousands of tremendous buzzing came.


    Rule forces dispersed to all directions and got entangled with the sword intent.


    As powerful and experienced Darren was, the power still shocked him.


    The bright light pierced through the space. The space was torn apart as if it was just a piece of paper. The destructive aura spread out from it, disturbing countless living beings from the outside.


    Swish!


    After the attack, Luther suddenly appeared in front of the avatar and stabbed him in the heart.


    Buzz.


    A sword spun rapidly before the avatar''s heart akin to a small tornado.


    The frightening sword intent rushed into his body like silk threads.


    "What!


    You have no heart?"


    Luther exclaimed in shock. For powerful warriors like them, missing one blow was the biggest weakness. As he was distracted, a palm shadow loomed over him and hit his head.


    This palm contained the Destructive Force and more than a thousand kinds of rule forces. It violently shook his head, making blood burst out.


    The next second, the avatar pierced at Luther''s heart with his palm.


    "Stop! Don''t kill him!" Darren intervened through his spiritual sense.


    "But why?" The avatar was confused.


    "He''s a human. He''s very strong." It was the only reason Darren could think of.


    The avatar''s silvery eyes flashed. He had a difficulty seeing through Darren''s mind. But he did what Darren had told him. He drew his blood-covered fingertips back from Luther''s heart.

 Chapter 775 Breaking Through To The Holy Realm

    "I lost..." Luther murmured.


    The avatar showed no emotion at all. He then released a burst of the rule force and started to gradually dissipate.


    "Darren, remember what I have told you. Don''t fight against such strong men from now on, otherwise I can''t help you anymore.


    But, you have comprehended a very strong power." The avatar looked solemnly at Darren.


    He merged himself in the rules once more and searched for a force he wanted among thousands of other rules.


    Luther then said to Darren, "Why did you let him go? Aren''t you afraid that I will kill you?"


    He stood up, his heart feeling empty.


    "You should go. It''s meaningless for you to stay here," Darren said to him, ignoring his question. He then began to walk away.


    Standing behind him, Luther suddenly grinned. "What a talent!" he muttered, clearly amused.


    His figure then suddenly turned into a sword intent and disappeared from the space like a phantom.


    Before Darren knew it, a door opened, and dazzling sunshine shone on his face.


    A stooping figure then appeared in front of him. He stared at Darren with his old eyes, saying nothing.


    "Primitive Emperor, don''t you want to praise me?" Darren grinned at the old man.


    The Primitive Emperor shook his head and said, "I don''t know what to say to you."


    Although he looked calm on the outside, he was as excited as a violent wind in the bottom of his heart.


    Darren''s success meant that he had broken the Fantasy Rule! Even he himself dared not to step into the dream where countless geniuses had been trapped and eventually died inside.


    "Your Holy Will has almost reach the level of a junior holy warrior. Come on. Upgrade your realm." The Primitive Emperor walked forward.


    Darren did not say a thing and just followed him.


    Soon, they arrived in front of a stone platform.


    "Stand on it, Darren," the Primitive Emperor instructed. "It''s time to break through."


    Darren nodded. "Ok."


    He then stepped onto the platform and activated his skill, entering into the light space and assimilating several ancient spiritual crystals.


    Boom!


    Thick clouds gathered and enveloped them with pressure. Ferocious black lightning condensed into whirlwinds in the depths of the void.


    After Darren had reached the Holy Realm, the blade and sword intents inside his body continued flying around him.


    "Take advantage of this moment and try to comprehend the Holy Will of the blade and sword," the


    e said.


    "Ha-ha! I should be the one thanking you." At that moment, although the Primitive Emperor turned old again, he looked more lively and energetic than before.


    "Thank me?" Darren was stunned.


    "Of course! You made me feel the real Shura Force and exercise it without any hesitation in my declining years. It was the dream of mine all my life. You helped me realize it,"


    the Primitive Emperor said with a smile.


    "Ha-ha, I see. If you ever want to experience it again, you could enter my soul any time," Darren generously offered.


    "No. If I force my way into your soul again, it may cause damage to both of us. I am satisfied to have gone through it at least once."


    "Well then, thank you again." Darren saluted.


    The Primitive Emperor nodded and said, "You have already broken through to the Holy Realm. What''s your plan now?"


    "I plan to go back to the Lothlann Continent. I''ve been wandering outside for a long time and I miss my hometown."


    Darren recalled the depressingly lonesome time he spent in his dream. It made him want to go back to the Lothlann Continent and visit his relatives and friends even more.


    "Alright then, you can go back to your hometown. I would be glad if you can visit me in ten or even in a hundred years,"


    the Primitive Emperor said with a faint trace of loneliness and desolation in his eyes.


    "I will. Don''t worry, sir."


    "Go ahead." The Primitive Emperor waved his hand and turned away.


    Darren breathed out a long sigh. Withdrawing the sadness of parting, Darren then flew back to Elsa and Nate.


    They talked for quite a while, and then flew away together.

 Chapter 776 Misfortunes Of The Sacred Palace

    "Goodbye! Take care!"


    Tears welled up in Nate''s eyes as he watched the huge purple-crystal ship. He waved at Darren and Elsa who were about to start their journey to go back to the Sacred Palace.


    Darren thought about how long they had been away from the Lothlann Continent and sighed wistfully.


    But it was a fruitful trip.


    Not only was he able to reach the Holy Realm, but his avatar was also close to becoming a holy emperor. He never would have imagined accomplishing such feats.


    He found their journey to be very valuable, and he was grateful for it.


    "Darren, I''ve wanted to go back to our hometown for a long time, but I''m afraid that after we go back, the Death Palace and the Space-time Palace will come to make trouble again. Not to mention, the Cross Expeditionary Force of the three major clans might also rise up," Elsa said, leaning against Darren''s chest.


    "Now I have entered the Holy Realm, I am much stronger now. You are also strong enough to defend yourself. We don''t need to worry anymore," Darren said softly, stroking Elsa''s hair.


    "You''re probably right..." Elsa nodded and buried her face further into Darren''s chest.


    Water waves billowed in the air, and a huge purple-crystal ship appeared in the teleportation zone of the Sacred Palace.


    Darren and Elsa jumped down from the purple-crystal ship with joy.


    After several decades, they had finally returned.


    Darren scanned the area. To his surprise, there was no one guarding the teleportation zone.


    "Let''s go out. Something''s wrong," Darren said.


    Darren and Elsa walked out to the main hall of the Sacred Palace.


    The entire palace was empty, and it seemed as if there had been a fight.


    "What?" Darren furrowed his eyebrows.


    What had happened in the Sacred Palace?


    A terrible thought came to Darren''s mind. He felt very worried.


    "Is this because of the Cross Expeditionary Force?" Elsa blurted out.


    Buzz.


    Darren used his spiritual sense to assess their surroundings.


    "Come with me, Elsa."


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The two of them soared up to the sky.


    A moment later, Darren and Elsa landed in front of a deserted mountain.


    "Come out!" Darren called out. Several figures rushed out of the mountain, looking frightened.


    "Oh, it''s Darren and Elsa!" They were all shocked.


    Whoosh!


    A man landed on the ground, holding a spear in his hand.


    "It''s really you."


    The man''s hair was messy and his eyes were wild, but his face was very familiar to Darren.


    He was the number two law enforcer, Ramon.


    e too strong. They were all as powerful as Lord Donald. Even Theodore, who had recovered all his strength, was only able to defeat one person. When Theodore lost to the second junior holy warrior, no one in the Sacred Palace was able to fight anymore. We had no choice but to surrender.


    At that time, I was on an outside mission and escaped getting arrested. Over the years, we have been thinking about how to rescue them, but have found that that is impossible to achieve that with our limited strength.


    I didn''t expect you to come back with this much power and strength at a time that we need you the most," Ramon said.


    "Let''s go meet the Cross Expeditionary Force. Humph!" Darren said, flying into a rage.


    The disciples of the Sacred Palace looked at one other. Darren appeared very powerful. If he could not save Lord Donald and others, it would be meaningless for them to still live in this world.


    "Let''s go! We will fight until the death!"


    "Follow Darren!"


    Dozens of disciples of the Sacred Palace became much more confident with Darren as their leader and followed him.


    "Darren, if you still don''t show up, I will think you are dead." A voice jokingly whispered in Darren''s ears.


    "Damn it!"


    Darren was stunned for a moment, but in a flash he flew to a figure in white.


    "Finley! How did you get out of the Mythological Palace?" Darren was thrilled to see his good buddy Finley once again.


    "Alas, it was so hard for me to escape that place," Finley sighed. "After I stepped on the heart of the holy emperor, I suffered a lot."


    Darren was overjoyed that Finley was able to escape the Mythological Palace. It meant that he, too, was incredibly strong.

 Chapter 777 Breaking Into The Military Camp

    "You came just in time. Come fight with me." Darren''s lips broke into a smile.


    "Why? I''m not about to do this," Finley replied, frowning.


    "No? Why?"


    "Well, I find it boring. I would kill all those on this land with a blow, and that I do not want to do that at all! We haven''t seen each other for a long time. We must have a drink. Where is the dead dog?"


    Finley rolled his eyes.


    "Look at you! Which stage have you reached?


    The dead dog is sleeping at the Ancient Void Battlefield and will be awakened soon. Do you want to make things hard for him again?" Darren said.


    "You don''t have to know what stage I''ve reached. All you need to know is that I''m invincible now. It''s been a long time since I last saw the dead dog, and now I really want to... beat him up! However, since he is still resting, I''d better reserve the beating." Finley laughed.


    They talked for a while. Finley didn''t agree to fight the Cross Expeditionary Force with Darren until Darren pointed his sword at his neck.


    Dozens of figures flitted about in the sky and windstorms began to form.


    They headed directly up north. After flying for three straight days, the camp of the Cross Expeditionary Force were already in sight.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, strong streams of aura surged left and right and a crowd rose up into the sky.


    Darren and his dozens of companions were a far weaker force than those who stood before them.


    "Here is the stronghold of the Cross Expeditionary Force! Anyone breaking in will be killed!" An inferior general''s voice boomed in an attempt to frighten away Darren and his companions.


    "Kneel," Darren said calmly. A strange force shot out from his body and hit the general.


    Crack.


    The general''s shank broke and he knelt down, crying out in pain.


    Horns blared throughout the camp and a figure clad in armor with dragon patterns clutched his spear and shot up into the sky.


    "Who the hell are you? How dare you break into our number eight camp! Bow to me or die!" the man growled. Many of the disciples of the Sacred Palace were almost killed by his sound wave. Luckily, Darren conjured a force field and covered them.


    "My name is Darren Chu and I am the law enforcer of the Sacre


    ''re right, even the commander is afraid of him. I''ll take them there, and show them what real darkness is all about!"


    Whoosh!


    Suddenly, a soul attack cut through the general''s head. He looked at the direction it had come from and saw that it came from Finley.


    "Ah! Stop! Stop! I''ll tell you! I''ll tell you!" The general writhed in pain.


    "I don''t need you to tell me." Finley''s eyes flashed as he collected the general''s memories.


    A moment later, the general stopped squirming but he had a dull look in his eyes, no longer able to function properly.


    "I know where to go now, but they are being guarded by an extremely powerful being," Finley said.


    "Then we better go meet him." Darren smirked.


    "Let''s go. It''s been a long time since I had fought with a worthy opponent!" Finley said, bristling with excitement.


    Darren directed his companions to fly with him towards the North Sea.


    "Idiots! How could you let that law enforcer best your general like this?"


    a young warrior clad in blue armor began to berate the soldiers.


    "Commander, I suspect that the two men may have been senior holy warriors. I am afraid that even you... could not rival them," the vice general said timidly.


    "Idiot! There cannot be senior holy warriors in the Sacred Palace! How dare you lie to me? Your head will be chopped off!" With that, the man''s head fell on the ground.


    Whoosh!


    The blue-armored commander flew up to the sky and headed for the North Sea.

 Chapter 778 Fighting Against The Man In The Black Robe

    Flying on the way to the North Sea Prison, the blue-armored commander was suddenly stopped.


    "Do not stop them, lest your life be put in danger. This is an order from the ancestor,"


    a middle-aged man in a black robe said calmly.


    "Does the ancestor mean what he says, brother?" the blue-armored commander asked.


    They were the last remaining law enforcers of the Sacred Palace and he thought that he would be able to overcome them easily. He did not understand the danger that it posed. He couldn''t figure it out.


    However, the blue-armored commander dared not to challenge what the ancestor said.


    "Our ancestor has commanded we let them be for the time being. Once we are all complete, he himself will show up to take them down."


    Hearing these words, the blue-armored commander''s heart skipped a beat. Were they so powerful that the ancestor had to be the one to go up against them? Who were these men?


    "Yes." The blue-armored commander and the middle-aged man flew away after this.


    Following the coordinates found by Finley, Darren and his companions found themselves at the edge of the North Sea.


    The strong wind blew towards them.


    The waves crashed wildly but somehow, Darren found watching them to be peaceful.


    They stopped for a while to bask in their surroundings and when they were ready, they dove deep into the sea.


    The creatures of the sea were frightened of the aura that they exuded and kept away from them.


    Thirty thousand leagues beneath the sea, there was a cage. It was chained to the bottom of the sea and with just a glance, Darren knew it was enchanted.


    The water was cold as ice.


    They swam closer to the cage and saw several figures in it, each one covered in ice.


    "Lord Donald!"


    Darren exclaimed. He used his dark gold internal force to unleash an attack on the cave and golden light shot out from his chest.


    The bottom of the sea stirred but the cage did not budge.


    The prisoners, however, were awakened.


    "D... Darren..."


    The middle-aged man opened his eyes and looked at them in surprise.


    "Why are you here? You should leave! Now!"


    Lord Donald gasped weakly. The cold made him look more disheveled and he was still unable to move.


    Auberon also opened h


    trying his best to break the cage. He tried to contain his own anger as he worked silently on the bars.


    "Alas." Lord Donald sighed. Darren was just as stubborn as before.


    "My Lord, please believe in him. Everything will be fine," Elsa blurted.


    Lord Donald shut his eyes, worry eating up his insides.


    Bang!


    Streams of sword intent swirled across the bottom of the sea.


    "All of you, take cover!" Darren yelled to his companions.


    "Yes!" Except for Ramon, all of the others retreated.


    A fierce sword intent attacked the man in the black robe, stirring up a storm under the sea.


    "That''s it?" The dust settled and the man in black laughed a hollow laugh. "My turn," he said.


    Immediately, he stretched out his withered hand and grabbed at Darren''s sword intent. He captured it in his palm and crushed it without hesitation.


    "I own a Golden Indestructible Body and I''m indestructible. Your sword intent cannot hurt me!"


    He raised his head and locked eyes with Darren. He grinned ferociously and made a pulling motion with his hands. A cyan spear appeared in his hand.


    "Kill him!"


    He stabbed at the water and it crackled with electricity. Everything went dark. The seafloor shook and mountains on the land above the sea crumbled into pieces.


    "If that''s all you have, you don''t need to fight!"


    Buzz.


    Suddenly, a dark gold light seemed to break through the darkness.


    It invaded the space and began to fill in the cracks left by the thin man''s attack.

 Chapter 779 Ive Seen A Holy Emperor

    "What?"


    The man in black robe suddenly felt frightened.


    The dark, golden aura that emanated from Darren made him fear for his life.


    He hadn''t had this kind of feeling for a long time since he had been cultivating the Golden Indestructible Body. Only then did he realize that this young man in front of him was as powerful as he claimed he was.


    Kill, kill, kill!


    He waved his spear around and its shadows fused into one.


    "Ah, you have mastered the Fusion Rule," Darren scoffed. He was not afraid of the man or what he could do.


    The fused spear shadows made the aura pulsate and its power grew stronger and stronger.


    The spear shadows collided with the dark gold internal force and the bottom of the sea exploded.


    The force was enough to send Elsa and the others tumbling backwards, but Finley was able to stand his ground.


    The two forces fiercely combatted each other.


    Both sides battled each other ferociously but, alas! The fused sword shadows were weaker than the dark gold internal force. It began to fizzle out and after a while, it dissipated.


    The dark gold internal force shot towards the man in the black robe and hit him square on the chest.


    Fizz!


    The blast sent him flying backwards. Panicked, he tried to deflect it by unleashing thousands of spear attacks but unfortunately, Darren was still much stronger.


    Bang!


    The dark gold internal force hurt the man in the black robe badly.


    Blood trickled down his chest.


    "No way! This is impossible!" the man in black robe roared in disbelief.


    With just one attack, his Golden Indestructible Body was broken!


    He was incredulous that he could be disarmed this easily.


    Seeing this, Lord Donald and others were all stunned. Darren''s strength was hundreds of times stronger than several decades ago.


    Lord Donald found Darren''s dark gold internal force to be particularly terrifying.


    "Darren... Darren has become so powerful now!" Auberon murmured. He realized that Darren was now more powerful than him. This was a bittersweet realization for Auberon.


    "Hey! What''s wrong with you? Didn''t you say you can defeat me with only one attack?" Darren raised his head and looked at the thin man scornfully.


    "You! I admit that you are strong.


    I will not do anything to you as long as you can unlock the cage," the man in black robe said.


    "Ha! Didn''t you say you wanted to kill me?" Darren replied.


    "Why are you so aggressive?" The man in black robe furrowed his brows and sneered. "If I were to fight with you to the death, I have a fifty-fif


    ren felt like he was hit by the force of thousands of stars and he began to fall.


    Boom!


    Darren went into the sea, passed through the bottom of the sea and kept running through forty thousand kilometers in the hard rock layer.


    "How frightening!"


    Darren felt searing pain that spread through every inch of his body and he felt his heart pound.


    After this blow, he seemed to have lost the ability to move.


    ''Is he as powerful as my avatar?'' Darren thought to himself, amazed.


    He hurried to assimilate the spiritual energy to be able to mend his body quickly.


    He rested for an hour and when he was ready, he flew back up.


    "I''ve been waiting for you for a long time."


    A middle-aged man dressed in cyan stood in the air, his body surrounded by a powerful aura.


    ''This man is weaker than my avatar, but his strength is not too far behind. He must be the one behind the Cross Expeditionary Force, '' Darren thought to himself.


    "What is your name?" Darren asked, calmly.


    "Ha. You seem so composed even though you are seeing me face to face. I can see why they think so highly of you," the man said. He spoke plainly but his voice made Darren''s eardrums ache.


    "Ha, you may have reached a high level of the realm but you are still not as strong as you think. You have overestimated yourself," Darren said calmly.


    "Is that so? Interesting." The middle-aged man smiled slyly.


    "What, do you think I''m joking? Even a holy emperor does not present himself as arrogantly as you do. Why, you think too highly of yourself!" Darren said, mockery edging into his voice.


    "What are you talking about? A holy emperor, you say?"


    The middle-aged man''s eyes flashed with curiosity.

 Chapter 780 Invincible Finley

    After a while, the middle-aged man broke into peals of laughter.


    "Which relic did you enter and find the emperor''s portrait?"


    The middle-aged man knew that this was the only way for Darren to have seen a holy emperor.


    "Since I know that you don''t believe me, I won''t bother explaining it to you. Tell me. Will you let me take Lord Donald and the others away? Or will you try to kill me?" Darren decided to speak directly.


    "Kill you!" The middle-aged man spat out the two words. After a moment''s consideration, he added, "It''s a pity that I have to kill you. Young man, given your strength and potential, I will not quibble with you this time. I will spare you if you leave without the lord and his companions."


    "There''s no room for negotiation. I have to take Lord Donald and his people with me. I also demand an apology from the eight commanders of the Cross Expeditionary Force." Darren didn''t compromise.


    "Ha-ha." The middle-aged man glanced at Darren with a befuddled expression. The tone that Darren had used when speaking with him amused the middle-aged man. Then he replied, "Didn''t you know that this is not a discussion?"


    "Since this is no longer a dialogue, don''t blame me for what happens next.


    Finley, are you done?" Darren''s roar spread through the sea.


    Under the dark waters, Finley''s body dazzled with light. A dense mist spread, and many rule silk threads broke. Then the dense mist turned into small storms that shook the North Sea Prison.


    Boom.


    The earth and sky quivered violently as a water column, several hundred kilometers in diameter, shot into the void.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Dozens of people, led by a middle-aged man with an aged face, arrived. It was Lord Donald.


    "Sir."


    Lord Donald bowed respectfully when he saw the man in the void.


    "Donald, I heard that you acquired a good helper in the palace. Regardless, you lost a bet to the eight commanders on that day. As per the rules, you must return to prison," the middle-aged man said.


    "Old man, I don''t care about your rules. My friend has come to escort those people away. How dare you stand in his way?"


    Finley''s arrogance and strong aura immediately caught the middle-aged man''s attention.


    "Who are you?" The middle-aged man was surprised when he tried to detect the young man''s level.


    we need to continue that battle. What do you think?" suggested the middle-aged man.


    "I don''t care about the fight. If you continue to argue, the eight commanders will surely die," Finley shouted.


    "How dare you? Brat! If you dare to hurt the eight commanders, I will kill Darren. Anyway, he is not a member of the eight clans," the middle-aged man said just as his palm appeared behind Darren.


    Finley panicked.


    The middle-aged man could not hurt him, but he couldn''t protect Darren from the middle-aged man.


    "Darren, what do you think?" Finley asked.


    "You mean the Sacred Palace has to fight the eight commanders one more time?" Darren asked calmly.


    "That''s right," the middle-aged man nodded.


    "Good. I''ll fight them. If I win, your eight commanders will be taken to the Sacred Palace for conviction. Is that acceptable?" Darren negotiated.


    "Bullshit! You think we will lose?" one of the commanders roared. He seemed to be the most aggressive.


    "Make those people shut up, okay? A simple yes or no is enough," Darren said to the middle-aged man, calmly.


    The middle-aged man ignored Darren''s arrogance. After a brief pause, he replied, "Of course, it is okay. But if you lose, you have to leave the people from the Sacred Palace in prison. Moreover, you will be judged by my Cross Expeditionary Force. The eight commanders will decide your punishment. However, you can be assured that we won''t kill you. In fact, I can guarantee it."


    "In that case, let''s fight!" Darren roared as he released an intense force.

 Chapter 781 Defeated Two Commanders Consecutively

    The blade and sword intents released the aura of a holy warrior as they rotated around Darren.


    Such an aura, however, disappointed the eight commanders.


    "Did you just become an inferior holy warrior?" They wanted to laugh and weep all at once after sensing Darren''s aura.


    Although Darren had simultaneously cultivated the blade skill and sword skill, he had only reached the level of an inferior holy warrior. He couldn''t challenge the eight of them! Was he daydreaming?


    There was a massive difference between an inferior holy warrior and a junior holy warrior. In fact, the skill gap was so large that it was equivalent to comparing a God with an ant!


    "Brat, let me see what makes you so arrogant!"


    a commander dressed in red armor with a blade on his shoulder said to Darren.


    "You are too weak. I would be wasting my time."


    Darren glanced at him as he replied. The man in front of Darren was at the top level of the inferior holy warrior. However, his fighting power was inferior to that of the man who guarded the North Sea Prison.


    "How dare you? Humph! Come with me if you have the balls!" the commander in the red armor roared as he flew toward the sky.


    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.


    Several figures soared high in the sky, one after another.


    "Hancock, don''t be careless. After all, this dude is cultivating Conflicting Cultivation," someone reminded Hancock, the commander dressed in the red armor.


    "Humph, my Sea Holy Will is not weak either. Besides, my cultivation base is higher than his. How can he win in a fight against me? Just wait and see what I do to him, brothers."


    Hancock readied his blade as he rushed toward Darren.


    Darren did not care about Hancock. He was confident that he would defeat the commander. However, Darren did not want to show his trump card in the first battle.


    "He uses blade skill, so I''ll use my blade, as well. Moreover, I can use my aura of dragon blood to make up for any weakness in my cultivation base."


    Decided, Darren wielded his blade as he charged at Hancock.


    They fought each other, using only their blade skills. Darren also infused his aura of dragon blood into the blade, which was enough to cover the gap in their cultivation bases.


    The sound of metal clashing against metal resounded in the space for quite a long time.


    Hancock was a little shocked. After having fought Darren for this long, his arm had turned numb, and his blade had a few holes. Obviously, Darren''s weapon was more powerful than his.


    Bang!


    Darren summoned the fused extreme blade intent, which rushed out like the tide toward Hancock.


    "Humph, great! Now, I will show you my Sea Blade Intent!"


    All of a sudden, waves of blade intent mixed with Hol


    ue-armored commander continually swung his weapon across the sky. But he was forced back by the explosion of the colliding forces and looked a little embarrassed.


    "How can you defeat me if you can''t even get close to me?" Darren said casually before vanishing.


    Whoosh!


    The blue-armored commander blinked when Darren disappeared. Before he could react, Darren reappeared right next to him.


    Sizz.


    The blue-armored commander employed his most powerful Holy Will to attack Darren.


    Whoosh!


    As a response, Darren''s blade and sword storms swept over.


    "Reincarnation Holy Will," Darren murmured.


    A strange feeling suddenly rose in the blue-armored commander''s heart. He felt as though he had fallen into a black wheel disc, and that time around him was flowing quickly. He didn''t know whether it was accelerating or slowing down.


    As a result, he felt dizzy deep in his soul.


    "Howl!"


    With a thunderous roar, the commander released the belligerence spirit and the Holy Will from his body. Then, he forcefully shook the black wheel disc in which he had been trapped.


    "That''s not too bad. As you can disturb my Holy Will, you are not as weak." Before he could respond to such a casual remark, the blue-armored commander felt a sharp pain course through his body.


    Over a hundred wounds appeared on his body. Some of them were handprints, and some were footprints. Each injury was so deep that bones could be seen.


    "Howl!"


    The blue-armored commander released an agonized cry, and his face twisted in pain, but he was unable to resist the intense attack.


    ''I lost...'' the blue-armored commander screamed in his heart.


    Just when the commander felt that the pain had subsided and that his body was not being torn apart, a sword pierced through space and stopped right before his head.

 Chapter 782 One On Three

    "I admit defeat,"


    the blue-armored commander said in a strained voice.


    "Good job, Darren!"


    The disciples from the Sacred Palace were all overjoyed.


    Darren''s victories reminded them of Lord Donald''s and they marveled at his strength.


    However, in the end, Lord Donald himself was bested by a commander who had just became a junior holy warrior during the battle that day.


    "Darren, you must take caution. Three of the remaining commanders have just become junior holy warriors. If you find yourself incapable of defeating them, you must retreat. Don''t put yourself in jeopardy." Finley''s voice rang out in Darren''s mind.


    "Don''t worry. I have a few tricks up my sleeve," Darren replied confidently.


    "You are indeed a great warrior, Darren. It''s a pity that you''re against the Cross Expeditionary Force. You would have been a great part of our team. I would have been able to turn you into a junior holy warrior," the middle-aged man said nonchalantly.


    "I despise the Cross Expeditionary Force, and how dare you suggest I need your help to become a junior holy warrior?"


    Darren said flippantly, crossing his arms. The middle-aged man before him could not match his avatar''s strength yet he had the audacity to talk to him like this.


    "Ha! It''s finally my turn." Another commander stepped forward.


    "Get back!"


    Darren yelled.


    The commander who came forward was one of the two that Finley had injured.


    Some of his wounds had healed and he was itching to fight Darren.


    Darren looked down on him in disdain. In his mind, fighting with this commander would only be a waste of time.


    "What? What do you mean?" The man gritted his teeth, seething with anger.


    "You''re weaker than the blue-armored commander I just defeated! Why should I bother with you?" Darren retorted harshly.


    "Go to hell!" The commander deeply resented being looked down upon, so he rushed towards Darren without a second thought.


    The Reincarnation Holy Will burst out from Darren''s body. Swirls of dark gold and olive-black light twirled together and hit the man.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The commander was hit with a series of blasts and the power overwhelmed him.


    Whoosh!


    Suddenly, a Holy Will rushed out and shielded the commander from Darren''s powerful attack. If it were not for this Holy Will, he would have been blasted into smithereens.


    Darren had defeated his opponent with only one move!


    The commander''s mutilated body was lifted out of the battlefield.


    "Don''t you think that was too much? He is badly injured!"


    Darren whirled towards the direction of the voice. The one who spoke was on


    out and thick smoke rose straight to the sky.


    Lights began flashing, making everything hard to see. No one else, save for Finley and the middle-aged man, knew what was going on.


    The fight lasted for a long time. The middle-aged man furrowed his brow.


    Using his spiritual sense, he could feel that Darren''s dragon body was badly injured, but he had not lost the fight just yet.


    In spite of the attacks directed at him, Darren began to get stronger.


    The center of the battlefield was a disaster.


    Darren''s dragon tail was wounded, but he was still strong enough to use it to keep the three commanders at bay.


    Fizz!


    One of the commanders hurled a long spear towards Darren and hit him in his dragon arm.


    "Damn you! You all deserve to die!"


    Darren grew irritated.


    Buzz.


    In a second, hundreds of dragon shadows shot out in all directions.


    "Humph, it''s just the inheritance skill of the Dragon Blood Clan. Big deal."


    When Theodore used the inheritance skill of the Dragon Blood Clan, he was still defeated by Henderson.


    In their minds, since Darren''s dragon body was not as strong as Theodore''s, Darren probably also had less avatars.


    The next few moments for them, however, were filled with dread. Darren''s dragon body multiplied into three thousand dragon avatars.


    Darren could achieve this because Kirk had helped him master the Avatar Rule. Darren had practiced this until he could perfect it, and it came in handy for him now.


    "Kill!"


    The three commanders were still unfazed. They flew to smash a few dragon avatars using their skill.


    "Fusion!"


    "Augmented Attack Bloodline, one thousand times!"


    Boom.


    The entire void trembled, and more than two thousand dragon shadows fused together.

 Chapter 783 Horrible Power

    Darren''s aura was like that of a dragon descending from outer space, making everyone around him cower in fear.


    Even so, his aura continued to grow stronger.


    Cold and dark.


    These two words perfectly described Darren at that time.


    "Roar! Roar! Roar!"


    His roars were flat, devoid of any emotion.


    After fusing, the inheritance skill of the Dragon Blood Clan had evolved to the top level.


    Darren''s Augmented Attack Bloodline also began to activate.


    One hundred times.


    Two hundred times.


    One thousand times!


    After fusing the dragon avatars and activating one thousand times Augmented Attack Bloodline, Darren''s dragon body''s fighting capacity drastically increased. It was a pity, however, that the Augmented Attack Bloodline was unable to increase the power of the dark gold internal force and the olive-black force on its own.


    The three commanders all stared blankly at the dragon.


    "His aura surpasses that of Theodore!"


    The three commanders bristled, threatened by what they were seeing. All sorts of Holy Wills shot out from their bodies, their auras getting stronger by the minute.


    "Let''s use the Cross Combination Skill. We will lose if we don''t work together!" one of the commanders said, impassioned.


    Cross Combination Skill was a powerful martial arts skill. It would combine the three''s fighting capacities into one.


    "Okay, let''s use it to protect ourselves."


    Buzz.


    Their bodies swirled around, bending time and space.


    Gradually, they began to join into one entity.


    All these Holy Wills were working together in full cooperation.


    "Roar!"


    "Ah!"


    Darren moved and so did the three commanders. It was time for them to end this.


    The spectators watched them in awe.


    "I didn''t expect Darren to be this powerful."


    Finley could feel that Darren had matched the power of junior holy warriors who had been mastering their skills for centuries.


    "Amazing!" the middle-aged man murmured.


    Colorful lights flashed all around and roars erupted from the figures, terrorizing the crowd.


    With powerful momentum, the dragon''s body clashed with the Holy Will.


    Bang!


    Darren''s dragon tail whacked the three commanders.


    Their armors were reduced to dust and their clothes disintegrated into nothingness.


    Blue flames tried to incapacitate Darren and reduce his speed and power, but they were not able to do much.


    Belligerent spirits rose into a storm and shot towards Darren''s heart.


    red light.


    The Shura Force was so violent that it significantly damaged the Holy Will of the middle-aged man before fully disappearing.


    Though he had just become an inferior holy warrior, Darren was able to incapacitate a senior holy warrior. He was such a legend!


    Everything was quiet now. The Shura Force on Darren''s body receded.


    Among the eight commanders, seven of them had passed out all weak and bloody. The only one whose body was intact was the commander that Finley had hurt earlier.


    He felt lucky that he got injured first, otherwise he would end up like the other commanders. The rest of them were seriously injured. He was not sure whether they would wake up again. Even if they did, they would never be the same.


    Darren won.


    He defeated the eight commanders on his own.


    Nothing could surpass this moment.


    "Master Darren is awesome!"


    The small crowd formed by the disciples of the Sacred Palace whooped and cheered, their voices thundering throughout the space.


    Their joy couldn''t be contained.


    "Hey, you! Take these bastards away to heal, and then send them to the Sacred Palace to stand on trial. Am I making myself clear?" Darren said angrily.


    The middle-aged man''s eyelids twitched and he stood there speechless.


    "You have a great potential, but you are arrogant. I must teach you a lesson."


    At this time, Darren was standing very close to the middle-aged man. Not even Finley could go to rescue him.


    The middle-aged man shot out his hand, attacking Darren.


    "I will break some of your meridians and send you to sleep for hundreds of years!" the middle-aged man roared coldly.

 Chapter 784 The Roc Demon Emperor Came

    Darren''s heart skipped a beat when he felt the powerful pressure.


    Earlier, Darren had thought that the middle-aged man, at least in existence, was similar to a senior holy warrior. He didn''t believe that the middle-aged man would attack him just because they lost the battle. Now he realized that he had overestimated this middle-aged man.


    When he felt that the Holy Will was trying to invade his meridians, Darren knew that he could not avoid that palm attack.


    "If you dare to lay a finger on him, we will wipe out your three clans!"


    "After the massacre, I will kill you!"


    Two voices came from the crowd one after another.


    The space vibrated as two tall figures paused in midair.


    The middle-aged man felt as though something was strange about these threats. He immediately stopped and withdrew his Holy Will.


    Then, he turned to glare at the two people who were trying to intimidate him.


    At first, he didn''t sense any strong power coming from the two people, although their aura was slightly sharp.


    After a second, he recognized the two men.


    "Mathew and Hanson?" The middle-aged man''s eyes beamed as he spoke.


    "Talcott, if you dare to lay a finger on Darren, we will carry out our threats." Mathew''s eyes turned cold, and he released an intense killing intent. The killing intent was so terrifying that it even overwhelmed the space around him.


    Hanson, who was next to Mathew, on the other hand, turned pale with pain. But the blade and sword with vintage runes in his hands continued to glow with dark gold light, scaring the others.


    "Interesting. Over ten years ago, when the Cross Expeditionary Force went to the Sacred Palace to seek justice, you two appeared. But when I rushed there, you two left because of my brother''s threat. I didn''t expect you to appear again today.


    Two outstanding talents that lived thousands of years ago have been resurrected. This is truly inconceivable," the middle-aged man, Talcott, said.


    "Darren, it is fine now. Come here." Mathew, ignored the middle-aged man as he spoke with Darren gently.


    "Ha-ha." Talcott laughed before saying, "He is arrogant and doesn''t respect elders. He needs to be taught a lesson. Why should I listen to you two? How dare you say that everything will be fine? You two are just at the Grand Realm. What makes you think that you can protect him while I am here?"


    As the middle-aged man spoke, he began to shackle the space around D


    d man said with furrowed eyebrows. His tone reflected the nervousness that he felt.


    "I just told you. Don''t worry, Mr. Ye. I won''t kill you today." Although the Roc Demon Emperor smiled faintly, his eyes were full of demonic aura and ferocity.


    Darren, Finley, and the others flew to Mathew and Hanson''s side.


    "Sir, are you acquainted with the Roc Demon Emperor?" Darren asked.


    "Not at all. Although we are deemed to be equally powerful, we''ve never met before," Mathew said with a shake of his head.


    "I didn''t expect that he would enter such a realm. These past few thousand years have been a waste for Mathew and me," Hanson sighed.


    "Hey, you two, why don''t you say something?" the Roc Demon Emperor asked.


    "Why are you looking for us?" Mathew asked coldly.


    "Thousands of years ago, someone adjudged us to be at the same rank. I have always refused to accept this, but I didn''t dare to step into the land of the human race to start a life and death battle with you. Now, I don''t need to fear anyone. Can you guess why I am here?"


    The Roc Demon Emperor stepped forward. This time, he released a much stronger demonic aura.


    Mathew and Hanson remained silent, but their expressions turned colder.


    "You''re shameless, Roc Demon Emperor."


    Darren spoke after the deathly stillness.


    Sweep!


    A strong demonic aura enveloped Darren, and he felt as though he was falling into an abyss.


    "Fuck off!"


    Mathew roared as killing sword intent erupted from his body.


    "Since you are here for us, we will give you the fight you seek. Leave Darren alone." Mathew''s eyes were full of killing intent.

 Chapter 785 Kirk Also Came

    The Roc Demon Emperor recalled his demonic aura and grabbed the killing sword intent with his hand. It was beyond everyone''s expectation that he would absorb the killing sword intent with his body.


    After a while, a streak of blood vitality surged under his skin, rushed out of his body, and dissipated.


    "Your Killing Cultivation is impressive. I cannot claim it as mine," the Roc Demon Emperor stated calmly.


    Darren gasped in admiration. The Roc Demon Emperor had neutralized Mathew''s killing sword intent so easily. It was impossible to estimate his strength, but at least now Darren knew that the Roc Demon Emperor was stronger than the middle-aged man, Talcott.


    "Roc Demon Emperor, how dare you?"


    The old man stepped forward and stood in front of the Roc Demon Emperor. He released a tremendous amount of intense pressure toward the latter.


    "Yorick Ye, since when can someone like you scold me?"


    Demonic light flashed in the Roc Demon Emperor''s eyes, and an intense demonic aura soared to the sky.


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat when he glanced at the Roc Demon Emperor. His figure seemed to be shrouded in a haze as if there were indistinct layers of space.


    "Ah, this man is stronger than my Rule Soul Avatar." Darren sighed.


    In the next moment, the wrinkles on Yorick Ye''s forehead smoothened, and his face quivered.


    Buzz.


    When the intense Holy Will was withdrawn, Yorick''s face relaxed a little. He took a few steps back.


    "I said I wouldn''t kill you today. That doesn''t mean that you invite trouble! You know, I don''t always keep my promises," the Roc Demon Emperor said indifferently.


    Yorick Ye stood still and speechless as the stirring feeling in his internal organs had not settled yet.


    "You are shameless, Roc Demon Emperor. Mathew and Hanson were in a great catastrophe, so their cultivation base hasn''t increased in thousands of years. Don''t you think it is ridiculous to fight them for the first rank on the list?" Although Darren was afraid of the Roc Demon Emperor''s strength, he had to speak up.


    "Darren is right, Roc Demon Emperor. You call yourself Emperor, however, you don''t have the tolerance and courage of a holy emperor. Are you afraid that Mathew and Hanson will kill you after their cultivation base upgrades?" Finley chimed in, agreeing with what Darren had said.


    "Are you using stupid human moral principles to dissuade me? Ha-ha, ha-ha!" The Roc Demon Emperor laughed as if he had heard a joke.


    From his experience, the Roc Demon Emperor knew that human beings indulged in a lot of int


    ell from the darkness, straight for Mathew''s head.


    Boom.


    The rule currents converged from all directions and condensed into a killing abyss.


    "Huh!"


    The Roc Demon Emperor, Kirk, and Yorick retreated ten thousand feet.


    "Killing power pouring in!" Mathew roared.


    Talcott, who had retreated the furthest, was terrified.


    Darren and the others, who were hundreds of thousands of kilometers away from the void, were a little anxious.


    "Lord Donald, do you think that Mathew and Hanson will return safely?" Elsa asked. Worry laced her voice as she spoke.


    "I don''t know much about the Roc Demon Emperor''s strength, but Kirk''s appearance and his power surprised me. Now that his cultivation base has reached a shockingly high level, perhaps he can protect Mathew and Hanson," Lord Donald stated.


    "Kirk''s aura is more intense than before. I believe he is as powerful as the Purple-crystal King back then. Mathew and Hanson will be fine since Kirk is there.


    What''s more, Mathew and Hanson aren''t as weak as we think," Darren said.


    "Why are we standing so far away? We''re worrying ourselves for no reason. Let''s take a closer look." Finley wanted to watch their battle.


    "Okay, we can watch from a safe place." Darren agreed with Finley.


    "You''d better not go, Darren. Except for Finley, no one can bear the dissipated power from their battle," Lord Donald cautioned.


    "It''s okay. I will regret it if I don''t watch this battle.


    Ramon and the others, please continue to heal Lord Donald and Auberon. I''ll go and watch the battle with Finley."


    "Yes, sir," Ramon and the others replied in unison.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh.


    Three figures flew into the air, including Elsa.

 Chapter 786 Mathew And Hanson Reaching The Holy Realm

    In the void, a strong killing aura came from all directions and converged into Mathew.


    At this moment, the whole world rumbled and shook as Mathew emerged as a God of Death.


    Soon, the killing torrent stopped, and the void fell silent.


    "You''ve reached the Holy Realm."


    The Roc Demon Emperor stared at Mathew.


    "You are only an inferior holy warrior. Do you think that you can defeat me with only your killing sword intent? You are still weaker than me. But it''s okay. Your improvement will make the battle more interesting at this stage."


    Mathew''s expression grew cold. He ignored the Roc Demon Emperor as he turned to Hanson and said, "It''s your turn."


    "Hmmm,"


    Hanson replied softly. Dark gold light surged in his eyes at the thought of reaching a new realm.


    For thousands of years, he had dreamed of becoming a holy warrior. But because he practiced conflicting martial arts skills, the overbearing thunder punishment of Heavenly Repression had stopped him from reaching the Holy Realm.


    "Remember to use what the master gave you when he left," Mathew reminded Hanson.


    "I see."


    Of course, the Roc Demon Emperor would not stop Hanson from entering the Holy Realm. On the contrary, he looked forward to it.


    Boom!


    The spiritual energy of the sky and the earth surged again before converging in Hanson''s body.


    Deep in the void, the black thunderbolt vortex appeared and obscured everything.


    "Shit! This is bad!"


    At this time, a thought flashed through the Roc Demon Emperor''s mind.


    If the thunder repression fell from the sky, would he suffer as well? Considering the power released in the thunderbolt, he was unsure of whether he could withstand it.


    The thunder punishment of Conflicting Cultivation only attacked the cultivator practicing conflicting skills, not the others present.


    However, if the bystanders were too weak, the aura from the thunder punishment would kill them.


    Deep in the void, there was incomparable power, as if it would annihilate the whole world.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Right then, a beam of black light and a beam of white light gushed out of Hanson''s body and rushed toward the vortex of thunderbolt.


    As soon as the two rays of light appeared, everyone was shocked and retreated several thousand feet.


    The powerful aura scared everyone!


    "What''s that sword intent?"


    Despite being a senior holy warrior, the old man, Yorick, was also terrified.


    He had felt the power of a holy emperor in an ancient relic before. However, that was not as horrifying as what was happening now.


    Kirk''s heart thumped with fear, too. Such an aura seemed to be even more frightening than that of the purple-crystal beast from the outer sky.


    The Roc Demon Emperor trembled as if lightning had struck him.


    The thunder punishment activated by Hanson was much stronger than what


    the killing whirlpools poured into Mathew''s body simultaneously. His killing intent soared, and he became cold and ruthless.


    A hundred thousand killing sword shadows rose in the dark red abyss, and in the blink of an eye, these sword shadows condensed into Mathew''s sword.


    The strong killing sword intent released by the sword in Mathew''s hand was as frightening as if it had killed a holy emperor.


    "Ultimate Killing!"


    A strong killing sword intent surged forward, destroying everything.


    "Howl!"


    The Roc Demon Emperor''s wings painfully slammed into each other.


    An unimaginably destructive storm swept up and shattered everything.


    The violent storm and the killing sword intent battled furiously, forcing Kirk and the others to retreat for ten thousand feet.


    Boom!


    Everything in the space cracks had been annihilated.


    Darren, Finley, and Elsa had long wanted to fly closer to the battlefield.


    However, they stopped in the distance when they felt the strong killing intents.


    Just for a moment, they saw the space far away, breaking into pieces, like a layer of wave drowning hundreds of thousands of kilometers around. Everything had vanished.


    "Watch out!" Finley furrowed his brows as he controlled the intact space around them. Over a hundred layers of space shield formed around them.


    The windstorms caused by the collapsing of space continued to sweep toward them.


    The space shield enveloping them began to crack. The power disappeared only after all the hundred layers had been destroyed.


    Space turbulent flows comprised the place where they stood.


    These space turbulence flows had almost suffocated Darren and Elsa. Fortunately, the Spatial Rule provided by Finley had protected them.


    "This is just too terrifying! Is Mathew still fighting the Roc Demon Emperor? What''s the result? Who won?" Darren murmured anxiously as they moved forward.

 Chapter 787 Losing The Battle

    It was difficult for them to advance through the space turbulent flows even though they were under Finley''s protection.


    "We''re moving too slowly. Let me form a space passage." Finley reached forward and grabbed a piece of intact space with his hand. Then he used the Spatial Rule to make a path.


    As a result, they moved faster.


    However, they soon reached a patch where everything was blank, and the space path couldn''t continue.


    Despite the complication, they could still feel what was going on ahead.


    "Mathew was seriously injured."


    Thousands of kilometers away, Mathew''s body bled profusely from the wounds he sustained. Even his killing sword intent had been shattered.


    The Roc Demon Emperor hovered nearby. Only a few scars were visible on his left wing.


    "Mathew, I admit that I underestimated you before."


    After this battle, the Roc Demon Emperor no longer belittled Mathew. It was beyond his expectation that Mathew''s strong killing sword intent could resist forty percent of his power.


    He was a genius at the same level as Mathew and his brother. There was a huge gap between the senior Holy Realm and the inferior Holy Realm. Even so, Mathew had managed to hurt him. This was why he admired Mathew''s Killing Cultivation.


    "Why do you talk so much nonsense?"


    Hanson took a step forward, and the dark gold internal force began to flow all over his body.


    "Hanson, I used forty percent of my power to beat your brother. You''ve reached the Holy Realm with the Conflicting Cultivation. Even if your strength is a little higher than his, you can''t defeat me.


    We don''t need a fight to prove that. After I defeat Kirk, I will kill all of you,"


    the Roc Demon Emperor said coldly. The truth was that he was a little afraid of Hanson. More precisely, he was terrified of the black and white sword intent released by Hanson before.


    As that sword intent could destroy everything, the Roc Demon Emperor feared it from the bottom of his soul.


    "Hanson, he is right. Let me fight him to the death." Kirk flew to Hanson''s side.


    After thinking for a while, Hanson realized that his brother was severely injured and needed assistance. So, he decided not to get involved in the fight.


    With that thought, Hanson retreated.


    "Roc Demon Emperor, you think that I don''t deserve to be ranked at the same level as you. I also believe that you shouldn''t be at the same level as us. You''re just a timid guy who hid and grew secretly,"


    Kirk said coldly.


    "Humph. So what? Hiding is an


    e passage to reach there," Finley said.


    "Okay. Be quick." Darren knew that the old man from the Mythological Palace had previously been a farmer and that he was not interested in the chaos of killing. But, they were going to ask him to save warriors, not fight.


    Finley levitated in the air after he wrapped Darren and Elsa in layers of space. Then, he disappeared.


    "It''s a pity that my Rule Soul Avatar broke through the rules to save me last time. If he appears now, the Roc Demon Emperor would be less difficult to deal with," Darren uttered as he continued to probe the situation ahead.


    Boom.


    The three figures continued to fight with all kinds of bombardment power.


    As the massive dragon body moved around, Darren could see the several wounds on its body. Even the elder, Yorick was covered in injuries.


    On the contrary, the Roc Demon Emperor was still intact, and his demonic aura was even more frightening.


    "So fragile!" The Roc Demon Emperor turned into a beam of light and bombarded Kirk''s body thousands of times.


    Yorick sensed that the Roc Demon Emperor was ignoring him. His figure quietly disappeared, and as soon as he reappeared, he turned into a blade intent windstorm.


    "Finally, I found a flaw." Yorick felt as though he was about to succeed with his sneak attack.


    Buzz.


    A wing swished through the air and swept past the blade intent windstorm.


    Blood sprayed in the air like a fine mist. The attack crushed Yorick''s bones, and he was thrown backward thousands of kilometers. He was lucky that Hanson caught him.


    "He has retained a lot of power!" Yorick became frightened when he realized that his sneak attack had failed.

 Chapter 788 Powerful Men In History

    Without the protection of Finley''s Spatial Rule, Darren''s spiritual sense could not penetrate the space and see what was happening on the battlefield.


    Moments later, the dispersed power became more and more violent. Darren and Elsa had to retreat.


    Time passed slowly. Each second felt like a hundred years.


    "How is the battle going?" Darren wondered.


    "You care too much," a voice spoke out flatly.


    Darren and Elsa both whirled around.


    Out of the darkness stepped out a handsome, young man, his long hair flying in the wind. He stared at them with his piercing eyes.


    "Luther." Darren was a little surprised.


    On the day that Luther fought with Darren''s Rule Soul Avatar, Luther lost. Darren did not expect to find him at the Lothlann Continent.


    "How did you find me?" Darren asked.


    "It was not my intention to look for you. The Lothlann Continent is my hometown. I returned just now, because I sensed a disturbance in the atmosphere. I came to see what was happening and I am surprised as well to see you here.


    With the strength of your avatar, he will be able to join the fight. What are you worrying about?"


    Luther sounded calm, but his words were like a sharp sword cutting through the air.


    Under the pressure of the strong sword intent, Darren and Elsa felt very uncomfortable since the two of them were also sword cultivators.


    "You won''t understand how my avatar works," Darren replied quickly. "Can you help me save those humans?" he ventured.


    "No, I won''t,"


    Luther replied sharply.


    "Darren, who is he?" Elsa had no idea why this man was here and why Darren knew him.


    "He''s... an acquaintance of mine."


    "Alright."


    Darren fixed his gaze on Luther.


    "It''s not that I don''t want to help. It''s just that my return has alerted someone, and I don''t want him to find me," Luther explained.


    "Who?" Darren didn''t understand. "You are so powerful. Is there anyone in the Lothlann Continent who can go up against you?"


    Luther rolled his eyes and scoffed, "You clearly don''t know much. My cultivation level is indeed very powerful, but there are many people who are stronger than me. They just have chosen to hide themselves and haven''t come to challenge me.


    I just don''t know the extent of their power, but I know that they are extremely powerful."


    After saying that, Luther fixed his gaze on the void and looked towards the battlefield.


    Darren was silent.


    The Lot


    Radiant light illuminated hundreds of kilometers, even reaching where Darren and Elsa stood.


    "Luther, can you tell me what''s happening on the battlefield?" Darren felt extremely restless when he felt the energy.


    "The one from the Dragon Blood Clan was defeated." Luther turned to look at the spot where Kirk fell.


    "The demonic monster already had traces of the mighty holy emperor power. He belongs to the top senior holy warriors. Even if I fight with all my strength, I''m afraid that both sides will lose. It''s impossible for them to survive at the Roc Demon Emperor''s hand," Luther added.


    "No!" Darren''s heart sank.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh.


    Suddenly, Finley tore through space. He appeared beside Darren and with him was an old man.


    "Huh!"


    Finley and the old man both looked at Luther in surprise.


    "Nice to see you again, sir." Darren saluted to the old man.


    Although Elsa did not know the old man, she also gave him a salute.


    "Long time no see, Darren. Go and save your friends now," the old man said. Finley had already filled him in.


    "Yes." Darren nodded and prepared himself.


    "Darren, you can''t force him back!" Luther reminded Darren. "Even if there are two holy rule cultivators here, you will not succeed in forcing the demonic monster back. They are only junior holy warriors."


    "I have heard all this talk about the impossible, but I have proven time and time again that the impossible can be challenged." With that, Darren flew and called people to fight by his side at the center of the battlefield.


    Luther''s eyes stared into the space and he was lost in thought.

 Chapter 789 Fight Together

    With the help of the elder from the Mythological Palace, Darren and the others could advance through the void easily.


    Soon, they arrived at the place hundreds of kilometers away from the battlefield.


    "Darren, are those your friends?" the old man asked.


    "Yes, they''re all injured. Please help them. As they are at a high cultivation level, summoning the Life True Rule for all of them may consume a lot of your Spirit Power. Please know that we are grateful for any assistance that you can provide, sir," Darren said.


    "Don''t worry. My Life True Rule has advanced a bit, and my Spirit Power has improved significantly too. Even curing a senior holy warrior won''t be as much of a challenge as you expect." As the old man spoke, green light with a breath of life burst forth and turned into rain, sprinkling on the injured.


    A majestic aura of life began to rise.


    The falling dragon gradually recovered from his injuries and regained consciousness.


    Yorick, the senior holy warrior, recovered soon as well. And so did Mathew and the other people.


    "What happened?" Talcott, who had been cured by accident, was surprised and pleased as well.


    The cured people unleashed their spiritual sense to investigate and discovered Darren and his companions. At the same time, the Roc Demon Emperor also found them.


    "A holy rule cultivator capable of using Life True Rule?" The Roc Demon Emperor looked at them with interest.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Several figures flew to Darren''s side.


    "Darren, who is this senior?"


    Everyone looked at the old man with gratitude.


    "I know him from before. He has lived for a hundred thousand years. At one point, he was a lord of an ancient palace," Darren briefly introduced his companion.


    Hearing this, everyone felt great respect for the elder. After all, he was an experienced man who had lived for over a hundred thousand years.


    Among everyone present, Yorick was the oldest as he was eighty thousand years old.


    "Thank you so much, sir!" Everyone bowed and expressed their gratitude.


    "It''s okay. It''s okay. You are senior holy warriors. There''s no need to flatter me."


    "Oh, come on, man. Don''t worry about these formalities now. It doesn''t matter whether we call you senior or junior. We need to think about how to deal with the Roc Demon Emperor," Finley, who had known the man for a long time, casually advised.


    "Deal with me? Do you think that you can defeat me with the help of an old rule cultivator? Ha-ha..."


    The Roc Demon Emperor flashed in front of them and laughed insolentl


    was finally terrified. The intense aura warned him that someone stronger was coming, and it was enough to make him feel insecure.


    All the swordsmen present, including Mathew and Hanson, were shocked.


    Only a warrior of the top level of sword skill could have such an aura.


    "Brother, do you know who he is?" Hanson asked.


    "I''m not familiar with this new sword intent. He seems to have stepped into the rules to comprehend sword intent. Only extreme sword intent when combined with the power of the owner''s cultivation level, could be so powerful," Mathew figured it out.


    "Leave or die."


    These three cold words shattered the silence.


    "What an arrogant tone!"


    The Roc Demon Emperor summoned more strength, and he reached the top level with a little bit of the aura of a holy emperor.


    Whoosh!


    A sword intent dashed through everything as it swept toward the Roc Demon Emperor.


    "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!"


    With the support of such a strong man, no one wanted to waste this opportunity to kill the demonic monster.


    They were not powerless before the Roc Demon Emperor, and now, with the help of this supreme sword intent, they were sure to injure him severely!


    The aura of the dragon blood burst forth, and the light of Holy Will spread out.


    Mathew used his Killing Abyss Skill while Hanson released his dark gold internal force.


    "And me!"


    A long spear made of space runes also joined the attacks aimed at the Roc.


    "Do you think that I''m weak?" Finley stood on the end of the spear that was flying toward the Roc.


    "Reincarnation." Darren stayed behind and watched quietly. He exerted his internal strength, which he thought was most likely to help everyone.

 Chapter 790 The Retreat Of The Roc Demon Emperor

    The Roc Demon Emperor was appalled with the magnitude of attacks coming his way.


    Especially since the space-breaking sword intent had threatened his life. He could feel that the man''s level was definitely not lower than his.


    Attacks rained down on the Roc Demon Emperor.


    The rotation speed of the pale yellow hexahedral crystal was pushed to its limit, and after a series of rule forces collapsed, they continued to condense again.


    Crack.


    The silence in the void was shattered.


    "Howl!"


    The Roc Demon Emperor felt a sharp pain in his body.


    Whoosh!


    The sword intent that the rule forces had blocked finally broke through everything and rushed toward the Roc Demon Emperor.


    The Roc Demon Emperor''s wings dazzled with golden light and continually fluttered back and forth.


    "What?"


    Just then, he sensed a strange force heading toward him. Suddenly, he felt that time was twisted.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Within half a minute, a second round of attacks was launched. Kirk and his peers struck the Roc Demon Emperor.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    All the power, including the mighty sword intent, began to collapse.


    As for the Roc Demon Emperor, he flew across the sky and fell to the ground. In the blink of an eye, he had been thrown tens of thousands of kilometers away.


    The area where he passed, only space turbulent flows were left. A gaping black ditch appeared in the void.


    The Roc Demon Emperor''s body had been completely charred, and he looked like a drowned mouse.


    Anger surged in his heart. A group of nobodies had injured him so severely. This was unacceptable to him!


    But, the Roc Demon Emperor was very cautious. He wouldn''t allow his emotions to affect him. So, he tried to make a rational choice.


    To everyone, it appeared as though he had made a hasty decision when he came to the human territory alone. However, after a thorough investigation, the Roc Demon Emperor knew that the several people who could threaten him were not in the human territory. That was why he had dared to come.


    To his surprise, he encountered a mysterious man who was adept at the sword. No matter how angry he was, the Roc Demon Emperor had to suppress his fury.


    ''It''s better if I retreat now and find another time to kill them, one by one.''


    The Roc Demon Emperor decided not to risk his life. He turned into a ray of light and flew away.


    "He''s gone." Kirk sensed that the Roc Demon Emperor''s breath had dissipated.


    "Don''t let him go! Let''s kill him!" Talcott roared.


    Yorick glared


    n instructed.


    "Got it." Darren nodded.


    "The sooner, the better. Let''s go!" Mathew bowed to the old man as he spoke.


    Hanson, Mathew, and the old man left after exchanging a few more words with Darren and instructing him to keep in touch via the contact bead.


    "What about you, Kirk?"


    "I''ll return to my hometown. I need to visit my clan. Let''s drink together another day. By the way, we injured the Roc Demon Emperor this time. He will be mad at us, and he will try to seek revenge. Be careful. Take care of yourself."


    "I know. Take care."


    Kirk nodded before flying toward the West Sea.


    "Now, how do we deal with the Cross Expeditionary Force?" Darren glanced at Talcott as he asked.


    Talcott didn''t dare to speak. Darren''s friends were powerful. He couldn''t boast about his strength and status and mistreat Darren anymore.


    "Just do as you have agreed on earlier," after a while, Yorick replied instead of Talcott.


    "Talcott, I already told you not to quarrel with the Lord of the Sacred Palace over trivial matters, but you didn''t listen to me. You have to ask the eight commanders to apologize and plead the Lord of the Sacred Palace for forgiveness. Understand?" Yorick ordered.


    "What?" With a frown, Talcott thought, ''You are too unreasonable. When we besieged the Sacred Palace at the time, you stood out to threaten them and set the rules of the competition. Now, you have shifted sole responsibility onto me.''


    "Do you have a problem?" the old man asked as he glanced at him.


    "No. I understand." Talcott reluctantly nodded.


    "We''ll see you at the Sacred Palace. Goodbye," Darren said indifferently. Then he flew away with Elsa and Finley.

 Chapter 791 Incident In The Forbidden Area

    Darren and the others landed on the ground.


    Even though the fierce battle had occurred hundreds of thousands of kilometers deep in the void, the earth''s surface had been devastated. The impact of the battle had destroyed everything, and everyone could see only deep pits.


    "Darren and the others have returned!"


    The people of the Sacred Palace had hidden in a cave while the battle raged in the void. When silence descended, they came out of the cave and found Darren.


    "What happened? Are you all right? Where is the Roc Demon Emperor?" Lord Donald asked immediately.


    "He left."


    "Great! That''s great. You forced the Roc Demon Emperor to leave. That''s so great!" Lord Donald was thrilled.


    "The credit goes to the seniors. I watched their battle from a distance for a while. Lord Donald, let''s return to the Sacred Palace before we speak more about the fight."


    "Okay, let''s go."


    The group returned to the Sacred Palace. Very soon, they repaired the dilapidated Sacred Palace.


    The next day, the eight commanders appeared at the Sacred Palace as promised and apologized.


    Lord Donald, though highly offended by their actions, decided not to make the situation worse. After the commanders admitted their mistake, he let them go.


    The event didn''t cause any deaths anyway, and now, the powerful masters of the Sacred Palace were still in the eighteen cities. Even the senior behind the Sacred Palace had not returned. They could not ask for too much!


    "Darren, what are you going to do? How about visiting the eighteen cities and improving your strength?" Lord Donald asked.


    "Pure cultivation is useless for me at this stage. It''s better if I stay on the continent. I have something to deal with."


    "That''s good. You can stay at the Sacred Palace. I will arrange a bedroom for you and Elsa."


    "My Lord!"


    Before Darren could reply to Lord Donald, an anxious voice rang through the palace.


    "Come in."


    "Lord Donald, I have bad news!" a Sacred Palace law-enforcer said. He appeared panicked.


    "Is that so? Take your time and tell me what happened."


    "The forbidden area. Something has happened in the forbidden area."


    "What!" Lord Donald jumped to his feet as he exclaimed.


    Darren and Elsa exchanged glances as a sense of foreboding coursed through them.


    "Tell me everything in detail." Lord Donald yelled at the law-enforcer. His brows furrowed as he waited for the law-enforcer to speak.


    "Lord Donald, please go and check the forbidden area with the masters. I am not sure that I can explain everything to you."


    "Come with me." Lord Donald waved his hand before flying in the direction of the forbidden area.


    Darren and several other law-enforcers followed Lord D


    blade and sword intents spinning around Darren''s body cut the body of the mutated disciple into pieces. However, as the mutated disciple''s hand brushed past Darren''s face, it pierced his skin.


    A sense of foreboding coursed through Darren.


    However, he didn''t have the luxury of time. Without further thought, he summoned his blade and sword intents to crush the remaining mutated disciples.


    The whole process was so quick that it took less than several seconds.


    Whoosh!


    Darren struggled to shake off the suppression and rushed outside.


    After he was a safe distance from the halberd, the cold aura dissipated.


    "Darren? Are you okay?" Elsa asked nervously as she flew to his side.


    "I''m fine." Darren nodded. Then, he continued, "We need to leave this area at once. Have someone guard at tens of thousands of feet away from the halberd. No one is allowed to get close to the halberd."


    "Do as Darren has instructed," ordered Lord Donald.


    "Yes, sir."


    Everyone started to retreat.


    "My Lord, I feel that the fiend is about to return to life. We must send stronger people to guard the forbidden area."


    "Auberon, will you stay behind and guard the area? If you find anything, report it to me," Lord Donald turned to Auberon and said.


    "Yes, My Lord."


    Darren and the others remained in the forbidden area for a few more hours to observe. When nothing happened, they left.


    Late at night, in the darkness, a ray of blood appeared on the halberd of Hiram the Great.


    The muscle of the fiend''s arm, which was covered in the bloody scales, trembled. Then, a wisp of the fiend''s aura quietly integrated with the bloody light.


    Gradually, a shadow stepped out from Hiram the Great''s halberd. No one around seemed to detect it.


    The shadow perfectly matched Darren''s appearance.

 Chapter 792 The Cave Door Burst Open

    A month passed since the crisis in the forbidden area. Nothing special had happened since then.


    Darren and the others let their guard down.


    One day, Darren entered the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    A beautiful woman lay in a bed in a simple, thatched cottage.


    "Belle, I am here to see you."


    Many years had passed, but Belle was still unconscious.


    Darren had checked on Belle''s condition using his spiritual sense regularly. Recently, he felt as though Belle''s soul had almost recovered. Despite that, she didn''t wake up. As Darren was worried, he came to see her.


    "Her soul is complete. But why won''t she wake up?" Darren asked as confusion coursed through him.


    "Finley, come here."


    Darren''s voice echoed in the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    After the battle with the Roc Demon Emperor, Finley had said that he wanted to check on the Water Kylin. He had remained in the Ancient Void Battlefield since.


    A figure dressed in white appeared in the thatched cottage.


    "You want to know about Belle, right?" Finley asked Darren.


    "Yes, I do."


    "I checked on her when I came in. Her condition is very bizarre. She has a complete soul, and her aura of life is normal. However, she won''t wake up. It seems as though something is suppressing her," Finley explained.


    "How could it be possible? Eddy died. What else can suppress my sister at this moment?" Darren asked as he was still puzzled by his sister''s condition.


    "You have to accept this explanation. I know what suppresses Belle. I''m just afraid that you''ll be more worried if I tell you," Finley explained.


    "Why are you talking nonsense? If there is a problem, we should solve it. Why don''t you tell me? Do you want my sister to keep sleeping?" Darren asked as he grabbed Finley''s collar.


    "Why are you so aggressive, Darren? Finley just doesn''t want you to worry unnecessarily," Elsa said as she flew toward the two men. She had entered the Ancient Void Battlefield with Darren.


    "Phew!" Darren took a deep breath to calm himself before giving Finley an apologetic look.


    "Well, I will tell you now. Actually, I sensed that that thing has been suppressing Belle since she came here."


    "What?"


    Finley pointed to where the weird cave was located.


    "You mean the thing in the c


    an''s perfect figure merge into her body.


    "What are you doing? Leave Elsa alone!" Darren protested angrily, still unable to move an inch.


    A moment later, the aura around Elsa changed. Her body emitted an infinite amount of immortal aura.


    "Elsa" walked toward Darren, glanced at him up and down with her beautiful and bright eyes. But he didn''t recognize the strange expression in her eyes.


    "She is dead. Why are you in such agony?" the female asked curiously.


    "Screw you! I will kill you!" Darren roared before struggling to release himself from whatever power had imprisoned him.


    "I don''t understand." The female shook her head with indifference and pointed in one direction.


    Boom.


    The void ruptured, and a figure flew from the crack in the void.


    "No, I don''t want to..."


    Denise''s figure fell on the ground in front of the new Elsa.


    "There is something similar in your soul and his," "Elsa" said to Denise as she pointed at Darren.


    She didn''t understand why these creatures were so sad. The soul waves that they radiated were very strange to her.


    Buzz.


    A stream of soul power poured into Denise''s brain.


    "Emotions, feelings, such complicated things.


    What does loneliness mean?" The woman had learned about this feeling from Denise''s soul.


    She was stunned for a moment, but couldn''t understand soul waves. So, she decided to give up. Then she pointed at Denise.


    "Go back," the female said.


    Denise burst into hysterical sobs as her figure began to disappear.

 Chapter 793 Going To The Raksa Sea

    Denise disappeared.


    Silence enveloped the whole world.


    "I want you to die."


    Darren''s eyes were bloodshot. Although he had calmed down, he looked terrible.


    "You are weak," the female stated.


    Her cold voice was devoid of any emotion.


    She glanced at Darren one last time before quietly walking away.


    Boom.


    An explosion rocked the skies. When a big hole appeared, the woman flew toward it. Her light green dress flew with the wind as she hovered before the gap for a brief moment. She was so beautiful that it was almost breathtaking.


    A moment later, she disappeared.


    The sound of footsteps dispersed the silence.


    A figure bathed in gold light appeared in the space all of a sudden.


    "What just happened? What woke me?"


    The Water Kylin, who had been in a deep sleep had felt the mighty aura. It had been so intense that it woke him.


    "Master, did someone dare to offend us? Allow me to kill him in an instant! Humph!" the Water Kylin said arrogantly. He did not know about the events that had transpired while he was asleep.


    "Master, what''s wrong with you? Why do you look like you are going to kill someone?" The Water Kylin realized that something was wrong when he saw the expression on Darren''s face.


    "Shut up," Finley rebuked the Water Kylin. His voice carried so much anger that the Water Kylin trembled.


    "Damn it! What''s wrong? Have I offended you?" the Water Kylin asked in an innocent tone.


    "If you say one more word, I will beat you," Finley roared at the Water Kylin. Still puzzled and terrified, the Water Kylin didn''t dare to speak.


    "It''s okay, buddy," Darren said with a bitter smile.


    Only then did the Water Kylin realize that something was wrong. When he asked Finley for details through his spiritual sense, Finley explained the incident to him.


    "Elsa, she..." When the Water Kylin heard Finley''s explanation, his heart skipped a beat, and sorrow coursed through him.


    "Let''s go see my sister." Darren tried his best to remain calm, but his composure frightened Finley and the Water Kylin.


    "Darren, don''t be too sad. Perhaps Elsa is still alive. I received some soul information before she disappeared."


    "Yes, master. Elsa will be fine. We can kill the ''immortal'' after we improve our strength. Then, Elsa will return," the Water Kylin tried to console Darren.


    "She is an immortal... How can we fight against her?" Darren looked up at the sky as he murmured.


    "So what? The three of us will work har


    new that an intense hatred remained deep in his heart.


    "We are not powerful enough. Even if we found her, it would be pointless," Darren replied in a calm voice. However, deep in his heart, he felt like a needle had stabbed him.


    "Well, I see. Master, you are right." The Water Kylin nodded in agreement.


    Soon, they approached a cave on the hillside of a large mountain.


    "Sir, have you found a method to detoxify Hanson?"


    "Yes, I have been able to refine the antidote pill after extensive research. But I need several special medicinal herbs. Have a look." The old man handed over a beast hide on which there were drawings of several plants they had never seen before.


    "I''ve never seen these things. I don''t know where to find them," Darren said.


    "Mathew saw these things in the Raksa Sea before, but he is unable to go there at present. He wants you to look for them," the old man explained.


    "Darren, back when Hanson and I tried to hide from the clay figures in the Raksa Sea, I was suppressed by the rules during the fight. Now, I can''t enter the Raksa Sea by any means. I''m sorry, but I have to bother you with this," Mathew stated.


    "No problem. I will go with Finley and the Water Kylin." Darren nodded.


    "Okay. Thank you. And be careful, please."


    Once outside the cave, Darren, Finley, and the Water Kylin opened the entrance to the Raksa Sea using the method Mathew had told them.


    "Since we are here, I will take the opportunity to look for Barnes the Holy."


    The idea struck Darren right before he entered the black vortex channel. ''If I find Barnes the Holy, can I ask him to kill the immortal?'' he wondered.

 Chapter 794 Little Turtles

    Two minions were reporting to the Roc Demon Emperor in the easternmost area of the Lothlann Continent.


    "We have found Darren. He is going to enter the Raksa Sea."


    "What? Okay." The Roc Demon Emperor, who was standing in the hall, was thrilled with the news. His eyes were filled with demonic aura.


    Darren was a new rising talent of the human race. Now that Darren had chosen to oppose the Roc Demon Emperor, the only option was to kill him.


    ''Since Mathew and Hanson chose you, I will kill you to give a heavy blow to the two losers. Ha-ha, '' the Roc Demon Emperor thought to himself.


    He shouted, "Thirteen blood shadows, come out!"


    Thirteen streaks of blood appeared as soon as the Roc Demon Emperor''s roar shook the palace.


    "Listen up! I can''t enter the Raksa Sea. So I must send you to kill that brat. Make sure you bring his severed head to me! Do you understand?"


    The thirteen orbs of blood mist accepted the order simultaneously.


    "Very well. As he has a companion who knows the Spatial Rule, take the Shackle Divine Weapon. With this weapon, you can lock space within fifty kilometers. Then kill that brat, too."


    At the same time, a pagoda-shaped object was thrown into the hands of the blood mist closest to the Roc Demon Emperor.


    "Yes, Your Majesty." The thirteen streaks of blood mist disappeared.


    "Your Majesty, what if the thirteen blood shadows are no match for the two human brats?" an old monkey beside the Roc Demon Emperor questioned.


    "Don''t speak nonsense! The thirteen blood shadows withstood several attacks from me. They are capable of killing the two brats."


    "Yes, yes. You''re right, Your Majesty."


    In the center of the Lothlann Continent, a phantom wandered in front of the Dragon Holy Land.


    Gradually, he approached the door of the forbidden area.


    Buzz.


    The forbidden area trembled, and a frightening spooky aura filled it.


    The phantom stopped in front of the door as it couldn''t go any further. Intense Witcher Power guarded the entrance.


    Inside the forbidden area, in the middle of the blood pool


    None of the twelve witchers noticed a drop of blood flying out of the boiling pool silently.


    With a whir, the drop of blood passed the barriers and finally escaped through a gap in the door.


    This was Darren''s drop of


    "You deserve it," Darren remarked grumpily.


    "Let go of me! You want to eat me, bitch? You want to die?" a young and arrogant voice said.


    "Eh, the little turtle can speak?" The Water Kylin blinked rapidly with disbelief as it glared at the turtle curiously.


    Crack.


    The turtle suddenly moved at a strange speed and bit the Water Kylin''s nose. Instantly, blood began to flow profusely.


    "Fuck! You''re courting death!"


    Enraged, the Water Kylin slammed his hands around the turtle.


    To his surprise, the turtle wasn''t injured.


    Both Darren and Finley were curious now.


    "Humph! You want to kill me? Rubbish," the little turtle stuck his head out of his shell and said disdainfully.


    "Your shell is unbelievably hard!" The Water Kylin was surprised.


    "Let me help." Finley smiled blandly and forced a rule force toward the turtle.


    "Oh, no! Why am I unable to go inside?" The little turtle panicked when he could not get into his shell. If he were hit by that kind of force now, he would surely die.


    "Continue with your arrogance." The Water Kylin was all smiles at the little turtle''s plight.


    Slap!


    In the next instant, the Water Kylin slapped the little turtle''s head.


    "Alas! Heroes, I was so blind that I didn''t recognize you! Please forgive me!" The little turtle cried.


    This scene reminded Darren of the time when he met the Water Kylin for the first time.


    "Stop hitting him," Darren said as he walked closer to the creature.


    "Sweetie, how long have you lived here?" Darren asked.

 Chapter 795 The Kylin Clan

    "Why should I tell you? Who are you?" the little turtle asked Darren.


    "Hum! You are even more arrogant than me. I''ll teach you a lesson!" The Water Kylin slapped the turtle.


    "Ouch! That hurt!" The little turtle cried.


    "Th... Sir, don''t fight me anymore. I just live here... I came here too many years ago. I can''t remember everything clearly." The turtle thought about Darren''s question, but could not remember how much time had passed.


    "Well, have you seen these things?" Darren showed the list of herbs on the parchment scroll to the little turtle.


    "No, I haven''t. Even if I did see these ragged plants before, I can''t remember them now." The little turtle pouted.


    But then, the ferocious expression on the Water Kylin''s face changed the little turtle''s tune in a hurry, "Ahem! I need to take a better look."


    The little turtle pretended to study the scroll before he said, "Ah, I''ve seen these herbs before. There are a lot of them in that place. Let me take you there."


    "Little bastard, are you thinking of cheating us?" Obviously, the Water Kylin didn''t believe him at all.


    "No! Absolutely not. I plucked this flower when I pursued Jill." The turtle pointed at the Burial Spirit Flower on the scroll.


    "Who is Jill?" the Water Kylin asked curiously.


    "She''s the one I love. She is a big, beautiful female turtle," the little turtle said proudly.


    "Pfft!" The Water Kylin laughed. He was about to vomit when he heard the name, Jill.


    "Well, don''t talk any more nonsense. Take us there now," Darren ordered.


    "Okay, sir." The little turtle glared at the Water Kylin one last time before turning and swimming toward a direction. Mischief shone in his eyes.


    After crossing many deep canyons and mountains under the sea, they didn''t see the herbs they sought.


    "Were you lying to us earlier? Are you intentionally wasting our time?" The Water Kylin was enraged.


    "You must keep calm. Otherwise, how can you become powerful in the future?" the little turtle said with arrogance.


    Hearing this, fury coursed through the Water Kylin. He wished he could kill the little turtle who was even more arrogant than him.


    "We are almost there."


    Before the Water Kyl


    ttle turtle turned toward the Water Kylin as he spoke.


    Slap!


    Angered, the Water Kylin whacked the little turtle on the head. Soon, his face swelled up.


    "My Lord, please show mercy. Our prince was born with a dirty mouth. Please don''t take his words to heart." One turtle man pleaded for the little turtle. But then he realized that he had said something offensive, which frightened him greatly.


    "Ahem."


    In fact, a storm seemed to be raging in the Water Kylin''s mind.


    As far as he could remember, he had never seen any of his clansmen.


    Now, to his surprise, he heard about a Kylin Clan.


    "Do I have parents?" Sorrow filled the Water Kylin''s heart, and tears welled in his eyes. He took a deep breath to stop himself from bursting into sobs. All this while, the Water Kylin had thought that he was alone and that he didn''t have parents or a family or a clan.


    "Listen up. Take me to see the Kylin Clan, or I''ll kill this little bastard."


    "Yes, My Lord. But please be merciful toward our prince. I''ll take you to meet our patriarch first, as only he can get in touch with the noble Kylin Clan."


    After he spoke, the turtle man turned and led the way to their patriarch.


    "Darren..." Finley muttered as he turned to look at Darren.


    "Let''s go with him. Although the Water Kylin seems aloof and detached, he really wants to meet his family. We are not in a hurry to prepare the herbs," Darren said.


    "Yes, you''re right." Finley nodded.

 Chapter 796 Not A Good Time To Return To The Kylin Clan

    The world was very monotonous as scarlet magma, and dead grey plain were the only things anyone could see.


    "My Lord, we are only fifteen thousand kilometers from our destination," the turtle man, who was leading the way, said politely.


    "This place is so rotten. How can you live here?" the Water Kylin asked as he curled his lips.


    "Well, as we have lived here for several generations, we are used to it."


    "Have you ever seen the other members of the Kylin Clan? What do they look like? Are they as mighty as I am?" the Water Kylin suddenly asked.


    "They look just like you. Apart from the clan leader, you are the only one whose hair is golden. You are also very handsome and brave, just like the clan leader."


    The Water Kylin laughed from the bottom of his heart. ''Is my father the leader of the Kylin Clan? He must be. Ha-ha.'' The Water Kylin was overjoyed at the thought.


    Silence descended on the group as they continued their way forward.


    Bang.


    The earth began to tremble. Before anyone could react, the ground beneath their feet gave way. Suddenly everyone was falling in a deep pit.


    "This is not good. The remaining members of the Water Demon Clan must have made this trap!"


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Numerous fire-red arrows flew out from the ground.


    To protect themselves and the others, Darren and Finley released their power in unison.


    Thanks to their quick reaction, everyone reached the bottom of the trap safely.


    "Ha-ha, we''ve caught some members of the Turtle Man Clan. Let''s kill them!"


    Several creatures, who looked like carps, rushed toward the prisoners.


    Shoop! Shoop! Shoop.


    Powerful sword intents flew upward from the pit and massacred the advancing members of the Water Demon Clan.


    "What? What kind of power is this?" The other members of the Water Demon Clan, who hadn''t entered the trap, were surprised when they felt the aura.


    "It''s your turn!"


    Several female members of the Water Demon Clan, who were standing beside the trap, prepared for the next round of attacks.


    "Hey!"


    They released a shrill, harsh sound from their mouths.


    Waves, which could be seen with the naked eye, descended into the trap at a rapid pace.


    "Ah! Ah!"


    Hit by the sound waves, the turtle men fell to the ground in agony.


    "Oh, my God! Stop! I can''t stand it!" The little turtle in the Water Kylin''s hand looked extremely pained.


    But, Darren, Finley, and the Water Kylin were not affected by the sound at all. They felt as though their ears were numb.


    "Soul sound wave?" Darren realized that this sound wave was a type of soul attack, but it was too weak to influence him, Finley, and the Water Kylin.


    Whoosh!


    Without any hesitation, Darren flew to the top of the pit. He released his sword intent, and the females from the Water Demon Clan, who had launched the soul sound wave attack, died in an instant.


    rteously as he asked Darren and his companions to come into the palace.


    After everyone had settled, Darren explained their mission and asked him about the medicinal herbs.


    "I''ve seen one of these things before. There are a large number of this kind of flower in the east waters. But..." The old turtle man stopped and shook his head.


    "Sir, please go on."


    "It''s a very dangerous place. Even I won''t dare to go too close. It''s not easy to get the flower."


    "It doesn''t matter. As long as we know the location, we can think of a way to acquire it," Darren said with a nod.


    The old turtle man turned and looked at the Water Kylin. "Why aren''t you with your clan?"


    "Gee! There is nothing strange about this. I have never heard of the existence of the Kylin Clan before. Old man, you''d better take me to the Kylin Clan as soon as possible," the Water Kylin ordered. He was a little impatient by now.


    "Ha-ha." The old turtle man, however, shook his head, saying, "I''m afraid it''s not appropriate for you to go there now. Something big has happened in the Kylin Clan."


    The Water Kylin frowned and asked, "What happened? What is it?"


    The old turtle man remained silent for a while and then said, "You must be the direct descendant of the legendary beast since you have golden hair. I''m afraid you might be severely injured, if not worse, if you return to the clan at this moment. I think it''s better if you stay with these two human geniuses for now. Once your bloodline has awakened completely, you can return to your clan."


    Boom!


    The whole palace trembled just as the Water Kylin was about to ask the old turtle man to explain.


    In a flash, the old turtle man and Finley disappeared from in front of Darren and the Water Kylin.


    They materialized outside the palace, where a Kylin legendary beast lay in a huge crater. The spider-like cracks on the ground slowly filled with the Kylin''s blood.

 Chapter 797 The Reason

    Then Darren and the Water Kylin left the palace as well.


    As the body was covered with blood, they could only faintly see his grey-black fur and shape.


    But judging from the aura around him, it was apparent that he was a Kylin.


    "Come, let''s bury him,"


    the old turtle man ordered calmly.


    "Sir, what on earth happened to the Kylin Clan?" Darren couldn''t help but ask.


    "Alas." The old turtle man sighed and said, "This is an internal matter of the Kylin Clan. Even though their clan leader helped our clan before, I can''t interfere in this matter. Anyway, your buddy better not return at this point."


    "Hey, old man, please tell me what happened. Don''t hem and haw. Stalling is only making me angry!" The Water Kylin couldn''t hold back anymore. He wanted to know what had happened to his clan.


    "You bastard! How dare you behave like this in front of my grandfather? I will beat you! Humph!" the little turtle cursed the Water Kylin as he jumped up and down repeatedly.


    "Be quiet, grandson." However, the little turtle didn''t calm down until the old turtle man glared at him.


    "Fine, I''ll tell you. According to legends, the ancestors of the Kylin Clan came from the outer sky in the Ancient Age. The Kylin is a real legendary beast. However, when the first ancestor of the Kylins appeared on our continent, he had both water and fire bloodlines. And so, a strange rule suppressed him.


    Although he was very powerful, he couldn''t resist the suppression of the rule. He was determined to crack his soul and divided his body into two parts. Then, he had two bodies¡ªone was a fire body, and the other became a water body.


    As the fire body and the water body extended their bloodlines separately, the subsequent generations were fine. However, after several generations, an unknown warrior killed the fire body and water body of the first ancestor. This left the clan with only one divine bead. His descendants fought with each other for the divine bead. A war that lasted for tens of thousands of years between the Water Kylin Clan and the Fire Kylin Clan started at that time.


    This war ended with the defeat of the Fire Kylin Clan. After that, they were expelled, and no one knew where they went. However, in recent decades, after a new legendary beast with pure blood emerged in the Fire Kylin Clan, the Fire Kylins returned to this world. He brought his clansmen back and tried to suppress the Water Kylin Clan. Thus, a war broke out once again.


    I advised you not to return because that the leading Fire Kylin is too powerful. So far


    dare to scream.


    "Well, never mind. I will forgive you for the sake of your grandfather," the Water Kylin said nonchalantly.


    "Shame on you!" The little turtle stretched his head out of his shell.


    "All right. That''s enough. It''s time to stop arguing." Everyone obeyed the old turtle man. Then, the old turtle man asked, "What are you going to do? If you don''t have a place to go, you can stay in our clan for a while. After all, as the leader of the Water Kylin Clan helped our clan, I should protect his direct line of descent."


    The old turtle man was generous toward the Water Kylin as the leader of the Water Kylin Clan had assisted the Turtle Man Clan earlier.


    Everyone in the Turtle Man Clan had astonishing defensive power, and their fighting ability was almost as strong. However, they had one fatal weakness¡ªtheir weak soul. And that was why the Water Demon Clan almost destroyed the Turtle Man Clan.


    Even the old turtle man could not resist the soul sound wave of the leader of the Water Demon Clan. Had it not been for the intervention of the Water Kylin Clan''s leader, the Turtle Man Clan would be doomed.


    "Thank you so much, sir! We might stay for a few days."


    Darren decided to accept the offer. After all, the old turtle man knew the whereabouts of the Burial Spirit Flower, and he could ask him about it while they stayed with the clan.


    What was more, Darren knew what the Water Kylin was thinking. He would not give up the idea of returning to his clan. At that time, he would have to ask the old turtle man to show him the way.


    ''I really want to meet the Fire Kylin, '' Darren thought.


    Little did he know that Finley and the Water Kylin had the same thought.

 Chapter 798 The Fire Kylin

    Darren lived a life of leisure while living with the Turtle Man Clan.


    But Darren knew that he couldn''t stay for too long. After all, the sooner he found the medicinal herbs, the earlier Hanson''s poison would be removed.


    With that thought, Darren searched for the old turtle man.


    "Sir, could you please tell me where to find the Burial Spirit Flower? I need to collect it urgently."


    When he heard Darren''s request, the old turtle man slowly stood from his seat. The expression on his face became serious.


    "Darren, a big demon guards that place. With your strength, it will be a bit difficult to obtain that flower. But, you might have a slim chance if the demon is asleep. Then, you can take the flowers undetected. I won''t stop you if you really want to go there. Whether or not you can collect the flowers depends on your luck."


    "Thank you for the advice, sir. Please tell me where to find the flower."


    "If you''re sure," the old turtle man sighed as he transmitted a route map to Darren''s mind.


    "Thank you so much, sir!" Darren left with a polite bow.


    A day later, Darren and Finley appeared in a sea canyon.


    They left the Water Kylin at the Turtle Man Clan as Darren thought it was safer.


    "The old turtle man said that we would find the Burial Spirit Flower in the depths of the canyon. Also, it blooms once a month for thirty seconds. So, we have to be quick. If we don''t pick it in thirty seconds, it will disappear," Darren said.


    Fortunately for Darren and Finley, the Burial Spirit Flower was expected to bloom on the day of their arrival.


    If the two men didn''t get the flower today, they would have to wait another month. Darren didn''t think they had that much time. And so, he wanted to be certain that they would be successful.


    "Let''s go." Finley remained silent as he flew into the depths of the sea canyon.


    The deeper he went, the colder the water became. The considerable pressure, weighing hundreds of thousands of pounds, bore down on the two men.


    Darren had to slow down at that depth.


    When they arrived at the appointed place, Darren and Finley waited quietly. Six hours passed before some specks of light appeared in the darkness ahead.


    "It is getting ready to bloom!"


    Darren concentrated all his attention on their surroundings in case the big demon, as mentioned by the old turtle man, appeared.


    The slightly nervous moment


    .


    "His Flame Rule is so powerful." Finley was astounded.


    Nevertheless, he sent a boundless rule force toward the Fire Kylin. At the same time, Finley''s and Darren''s figures faded as they stepped into the space passage again.


    "Humph, you want to use the same trick with me?"


    Boom!


    As the Fire Kylin grasped and smashed the space, Finley and Darren fell again.


    Roar!


    The void collapsed after the Fire Kylin released a terrifying roar.


    He rushed at Darren and Finley at a much faster speed than before.


    Finley didn''t even have time to use the Spatial Rule.


    Boom!


    The Fire Kylin''s claw pierced Finley''s abdomen, and blood exploded through the hole. Finley couldn''t believe that he had been impaled so quickly.


    Slap!


    Finley''s palm attack landed on the Fire Kylin, but he couldn''t shake the creature at all.


    Whoosh!


    Instantly, Darren released his blade and sword intents. However, as they swept across the Fire Kylin, they did no damage.


    The Fire Kylin was indeed as powerful as the old turtle man had said.


    Darren and Finley were certain that there was no way left for them to escape.


    "Roar!"


    Darren transformed into a dragon as a last bid to fight for their survival.


    "Ha-ha!"


    After a short pause, the Fire Kylin seemed extraordinarily excited, and the flames on his body began to surge.


    "Dragon, you are a dragon..."


    The flame in the Fire Kylin''s eyes flickered. He was so thrilled that he licked his lips.


    "I am going to awake my power again. Ha-ha-ha, this is my fate, ha-ha-ha."


    His mirthless laugh echoed through the space.

 Chapter 799 Hiding In The Black Turtle Shell

    The Fire Kylin almost went crazy at the sight of the giant dark dragon.


    "I''ll be invincible if I swallow you, ha-ha."


    "You are daydreaming!"


    The cold voice of a golden Kylin echoed through the collapsed space.


    His appearance was very similar to that of the Water Kylin, but his breath was different. He was so majestic that his presence seemed to eclipse the entire world!


    The Fire Kylin shook his head.


    "Damn it, you old asshole! Why are you here?" Darren and Finley shivered when the Fire Kylin barred his teeth. He looked terrifying!


    "I advised you to stop killing. Your actions are only bringing shame to your ancestors," the golden Kylin said coldly.


    "Ridiculous! I was bred by nature. I don''t have any ancestors.


    I will kill you after I swallow this dragon. This is your only chance to leave. Get out while you still can!"


    the Fire Kylin said as resentment coursed through him.


    "Do you think that I will leave just because you asked? I am not going anywhere until I stop you."


    "I will kill him, and there''s nothing you can do to stop me," the Fire Kylin said with a sinister smile.


    His words sent a chill down the golden Kylin''s spine. He had battled with the Fire Kylin before and was familiar with his strength. If he decided to kill that dragon, the golden Kylin wouldn''t be able to stop him.


    What worried him more was that if he swallowed that dragon and awakened his blood, the Fire Kylin would no longer be stoppable.


    "What about me? Can I stop you?"


    An old voice dispersed the silence that had descended. It seemed like something colossal was approaching the sea surface.


    "It''s you! You old turtle man! Aren''t you afraid that I will destroy your whole clan if you intervene now?"


    "Since I''m here, do you think I am afraid of you?" The old turtle man narrowed his eyes, but he looked composed.


    "Darren, take your friend and leave," the old turtle man ordered.


    "Thank you so much, sir!" Darren returned to his human form.


    In the next moment, Finley used the Spatial Rule to create an escape passage for him and Darren.


    Howl!


    Enraged, the Fire Kylin raised his claws and slashed at his rivals.


    Clang.


    By now, the old turtle man had summoned his earthy yellow shield. A loud sound echoed in the void when the Fire Kylin''s sharp claws collided with the shield.


    "Well, very good!"


    Within a few seconds, Darren and Finley escaped the Fire Kylin. He was furious.


    This was a once-in-a-lifetime awakening opportunity for the Fire Kylin. However, this old t


    he little turtle man''s explanation, he couldn''t pass up the opportunity to refute him.


    "Are you insane? The Water Demon Clan uses a soul attack, and our Black Turtle Shell can''t withstand it either. That''s why you idiot," the little turtle man said as he glared at the Water Kylin.


    "Well, let''s not waste any more time. Shall we head inside?" the old turtle man interjected.


    "Okay," Darren responded. Then, he turned to glare at the Water Kylin. He was using eye contact to warn the Water Kylin to stop him from talking.


    The interior of the Black Turtle Shell was empty. Except for the ceiling and the four walls, there was nothing in it. They could even see the texture of the tortoise shell.


    "It''s a dead turtle shell," the Water Kylin murmured.


    Buzz.


    All of a sudden, a strong power descended upon him.


    Even the old turtle man appeared angry.


    "Keep silent. No one will regard you as a dummy!" Darren roared at the Water Kylin.


    The turtle shell belonged to the Turtle Man Clan''s ancestor''s and the Water Kylin''s words were offensive.


    The Water Kylin was shocked and embarrassed. After Darren reprimanded him, he realized that he had gone too far. So, he apologized immediately, "I''m sorry. Please accept my apology..."


    Only then did the pressure dissipate.


    "We will probably be here for quite a while as we can''t leave until the Fire Kylin cools down or shifts his attention somewhere else.


    As this place is not spacious, we have little else to do but practice our skills."


    "Yes, sir."


    All the members of the Turtle Man Clan fell asleep in a flash, and the whole space became deathly still.


    Only the little turtle man looked around idly.

 Chapter 800 Enter The Dark Emperors Domain Again

    In the twinkling of an eye, three months passed.


    Darren was quite anxious and restless when he thought about the matter of collecting herbs. And because of that, he couldn''t focus on his cultivation.


    "I can''t stay here forever. Hiding does not fix anything."


    In the past three months, there had been no movement outside, and the Fire Kylin hadn''t come, either.


    So, Darren decided to take the risk of stepping out. After all, the Raksa Sea was so big that it would be impossible for the Fire Kylin to find him easily.


    "Hey Water Kylin, I''m going to step out of the Black Turtle Shell for a while. You should stay here and wait for the opportunity to return to your family. Okay?"


    Darren instructed the Water Kylin this time.


    "Master, staying here and not doing anything the whole day is comfortable. Why do you want to go out?" The Water Kylin communicated with Darren using spiritual sense.


    "Mr. Hanson Xiao is waiting to remove the poison, and it is possible that in twenty or thirty years, even the old man of the Mythological Palace will be unable to restrain the poison. So, I need to hurry up," Darren replied.


    The Water Kylin hesitated for a moment. Although he had awakened much of his power, he was still inferior to Finley. If they confronted the Fire Kylin, he wouldn''t be of much help to Darren.


    So he decided to follow Darren''s advice and stay here.


    This way, he could also get some information about his family.


    "Okay. But please be careful. And remember to take Finley with you," the Water Kylin responded.


    "Don''t worry. It won''t be that easy for the Fire Kylin to capture me."


    In the northern end of the vast sea, a fiery figure was chasing something.


    "I finally found you, huh!"


    The Fire Kylin fixed his sight on the figure he was pursuing.


    "It''s so strange. How could the speed of this dragon increase so much in such a short time?" the Fire Kylin wondered.


    The figure pushed himself to his full speed as he tried to escape the Fire Kylin.


    He looked the same as Darren, and they even shared the same aura. However, his facial expression wasn''t like Darren''s. In a perilous position, the figure''s expression should mirror the anxiety coursing through him. Yet, the figure being hunted by the Fire Kylin was expressionless. It was almost as if he were made of metal¡ªcold and unfeeling.


    "Master, I have encountered a strong enemy that is chasing me and trying to kill me. What should I do, escape, or fight?" This figure''s voice crossed the restriction of rules and traveled to the forbidden area.


    "Run! Just focus on your one task¡ªabsorbing that human''s blood." An order reached


    m attack as well. In a flash, a Primitive Fighting Force shot out and fought against the Dark Emperor.


    Bang!


    As the attacks collided and exploded, such bright light was released that it lit up the whole world.


    "The strength of the seven-star Grand Realm at top-level is insufficient."


    A moment later, the runes shattered, and the Primitive Fighting Force turned the shadow into nothing.


    "What?"


    At this time, a strange thing happened. After the shadow dispersed, a dim hexahedral crystal fell out.


    "Hmm!"


    Finley''s eyelid twitched.


    "Is it similar to the Immortal Crystal condensed by the Dark Emperor?"


    Its appearance was similar to the Demonic Crystal that the Roc Demon Emperor had condensed. With it, one would have the ability to become a holy emperor or even be eligible to enter the Super Emperor Realm.


    As the Immortal Crystal of the Dark Emperor had been condensed after he became a holy emperor, it was of a higher grade than that of the Rule Soul Avatar and the Roc Demon Emperor.


    Darren rushed forward and picked up the hexahedral crystal.


    Buzz.


    He felt like an electric shock was coursing through his body. In the next moment, the Dark Force in his body surged wildly.


    The hexahedral crystal came to life after sensing the Dark Force from Darren. It seemed to want to drill its way into Darren''s brain.


    "No, if I let it enter my body, then I''ll return to the way of Rule and Martial Arts Cultivation, and then I will trigger the thunder punishment of Rule and Martial Arts Cultivation again. That would be a catastrophe!"


    Darren gathered all his strength to suppress the Dark Force in his body. At the same time, he sent a message to Finley to cut off the connection between the Dark Force and the crystal.

 Chapter 801 Fighting Against The Thirteen Blood Demonic Monsters

    Following Darren''s instructions, Finley tried to use his power to control it. However, the hexahedral crystal began to tremble, as it was not willing to be controlled.


    After Darren had suppressed all the Dark Force and Finley cut off some of the rule silk threads, the hexahedral crystal stopped shaking. It floated quietly over Darren''s head.


    Darren used his spiritual sense to place it in his Space Ring.


    Regardless of whether he could use it or not, the crystal was a treasure worth keeping. It was also the right decision to take it away.


    The darkness quickly receded, and light sprinkled on the ground.


    At this moment, numerous black runes surged. And in the warm sunshine, a large area of black grass began to sprout on the ground.


    "Ha-ha! It''s the Darkest Grass! I never thought that they would grow like this."


    Darren was exhilarated after he collected enough Darkest Grass.


    Now that they had finished their business here, Darren and Finley left the place.


    The sea seemed endless.


    Darren and Finley had been searching for a month, but they hadn''t found any traces of the remaining medicinal herbs.


    At this moment, they stopped on a deserted island to grill some fish.


    "I haven''t eaten anything for years. There''s no harm in taking a break and having a few bites. It tastes really good," Darren stated.


    Darren took a bite of the fish, which had turned golden after being grilled. He seemed to enjoy its taste.


    "Yuck," Finley replied as his mouth twitched.


    "Why don''t you grill your fish better before eating it?" Darren rolled his eyes at Finley, who was trying to consume the fish, which was still bleeding.


    "Gee? Something is not right."


    Finley looked at the fish before stepping back ten feet.


    Only then did Darren realize that something was wrong. They had used the flame intent to cook the fish. Even if the temperature had been suppressed, it was impossible not to grill a fish properly. The blood in the fish was strange!


    Whoosh!


    A sword intent rushed over and cut the fish into pieces.


    Nothing unusual happened.


    "Watch out!"


    In the next second, Finley moved behind Darren.


    He reached out and made several rapid movements with his hands. The space vibrated for a while before a bloody red fog was pushed away from Darren''s body.


    Bang!


    Darren drew his sword and swung it at the fog.


    "Ah!"


    The agonized cry of a beast echoed through the space.


    "They''ve found us."


    Thirteen orbs of blood fog condensed into a line, and a terrifying demonic aura enveloped the island.


    "Who are you?" Darren roared.


    "We are the thirteen blood shad


    , Finley thrust his runic long spear at the huge demonic monster''s head.


    "Human, you underestimate me!"


    All of a sudden, a pair of palms stretched out from the huge demonic monster''s back and slapped Darren and Finley.


    Bang! Bang!


    The palms blocked Darren''s and Finley''s attacks. Darren, who had been hit by the shock wave, flew backward. After all, the opponent''s strength was comparable to a senior holy warrior.


    The demonic monster was undoubtedly a terrifying existence.


    "Really?"


    Finley said in a cold voice as he waved his hand.


    Tens of thousands of runic spears suddenly appeared from all directions and shot toward the giant demonic monster''s head.


    Bang!


    Panicked by the thousands of incoming attacks, the giant demonic monster slashed at Finley''s abdomen.


    Finley flew backward, fell into the sea, and braced himself under the rocks on the seabed.


    In a flash, the runic spears hit the giant demonic monster''s head. Darren, who had recovered by now, flew back to the giant demonic monster.


    The bloody red light surged like the sea waves, and intense Shura Force burst out like never before.


    Whoosh!


    Darren''s bloody-red figure flew forward as well. Armed with the scarlet blade and sword, he stabbed at the demonic monster''s head.


    "No! Howl!"


    The earth-shaking cry flung Darren backward.


    Bang.


    The next moment, the giant demonic monster''s head exploded, and the sky was sprinkled with blood and flesh.


    "Assimilate."


    Although Darren''s talent had reached the Genuine Domain Degree and could not make any progress, he still innately assimilated the giant demonic monster''s martial arts talent. After all, he couldn''t waste the skill of a creature as powerful as the giant demonic monster!

 Chapter 802 Meeting Village Head Fris Again

    A tremendous amount of talent poured into Darren''s head.


    Buzz.


    Darren''s consciousness reached the space filled with ancient spiritual crystals. The assimilated talent for martial arts turned into a white light and plunged into the narrow space. However, it didn''t raise even the slightest wave.


    "It disappeared? It seems that the Genuine Domain Degree is my limit."


    Darren withdrew his mind from the spiritual crystal space.


    However, just as his mind had retreated, the white light went through the crystal wall and slipped into endless darkness.


    "Are you okay?" Finley asked, puzzled by Darren''s expression.


    Darren shook his head.


    Finley flew over and secured the tower-shaped Shackle Divine Weapon that had been suspended in the air. As a stream of Spirit Power poured into the weapon, complicated rule silk threads of the Spatial Rule were transmitted to Finley''s brain.


    Buzz.


    When the powerful rule force shocked Finley''s mind, he withdrew his Spirit Power.


    "This is great. With it, I can understand the Spatial Rule of a higher level." Pleased, he put the tower away.


    "We have to leave as soon as possible. The fight was quite fierce. The Fire Kylin may be sensitive enough to detect our position," Finley suggested.


    "Yes, we will be in a lot of trouble if he finds us. We should not linger."


    Darren nodded before he leaped in the air, ready to fly.


    Soon, they arrived at the ruins of a village.


    "Wow, the ancient aura here is so strong!


    That light-gold skeleton must have been a senior holy warrior when he was alive." Finley was amazed by the scenery.


    "I have been here before. And as far as I know, that skeleton was never a senior holy warrior. He used to be a farmer," Darren explained.


    "What? It''s impossible!" Finley rolled his eyes.


    "Look at the rusty hoe beside him." Darren pointed.


    Finley was stunned for a long time.


    "Maybe, it''s a kind of emperor weapon the likes of which we''ve never seen before. We can''t judge its level by its appearance." Finley tried to rationalize.


    "You are right. But, an old man''s shadow guards it. He called himself, Village Head Fris. That''s why I feel this place used to be a


    e same question after having left the village head.


    "You are annoying! You''ll know when I collect all the medicinal herbs. It''s troublesome to explain." Darren rolled his eyes at Finley.


    "Fuck! Don''t you know how curious I am? I will draw it out with my Spirit Power if you don''t tell me!" Finley''s face lit up at the thought of finally getting an answer to the question that had plagued him all this while.


    "You got me." Darren shrugged. He ignored Finley and went straight toward a black gap.


    Finley chased Darren.


    Darren landed in front of the Devil Den on the island shrouded in purple mist.


    The descendants of the first fiend ancestor lived in this area. With his demonic transformation skill, Darren had successfully entered the cave at that time.


    He still remembered that the head of the descendants in the cave was a young man in a black shell, who had called Darren "father"!


    He had earlier surmised that the youth was perhaps a direct descendant of the first fiend ancestor as well.


    One of the herbs he needed to collect this time was called the Fiendish Root, which grew in the cave.


    Darren walked toward the dark gap, with Finley in tow.


    It was dark inside the cave.


    An aura that carried intense rage and soul-depressing dampness hit them.


    "It''s been years since I was last here. I wonder how much the black mutants have grown."


    Although Darren and Finley were strong now, they were still very cautious.

 Chapter 803 A Mad Monkey

    "What a strong aura of the fiend!"


    Darren frowned when he felt that the evil spirit inside the cave was stronger than before.


    It didn''t take long for Darren and Finley to reach deep inside the cave.


    To Darren''s astonishment, the cave was empty. It had been full of black beetles as well as the black mutants before.


    "What has happened there? Where are those creatures now?" Darren was puzzled.


    Finley frowned and glanced around as a sense of foreboding filled him.


    "Hurry up! We need to leave as soon as we find the Fiendish Root," Finley said as anxiety coursed through him.


    Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.


    The sound of crunching bones echoed through the cave.


    "What are you guys looking for? Do you need my help?"


    Darren and Finley were astonished when they heard the voice.


    "Who are you?"


    they asked, but there was no reply. Gradually, a short figure walked out from a narrow crack.


    Bang.


    When the figure tripped over a stone, the nervousness Darren and Finley had felt, turned to surprise.


    Both Darren and Finley glanced at each other.


    "Fuck, I fell over a stone? Just get out of my way!"


    The figure stood and punched the stone on the ground.


    That ordinary stone was not hurt at all. Instead, the little figure''s fist began to bleed.


    Darren and Finley were rendered speechless.


    How weak was the creature if it couldn''t even break a stone?


    "Ahem, as I haven''t eaten much recently, my strength has reduced significantly. I apologize for my outburst, though."


    When the figure stepped out of the darkness, Darren and Finley saw that it was a monkey.


    As soon as the monkey neared them, Darren''s and Finley''s hearts trembled as if they had received an electric shock.


    However, the monkey hadn''t put any pressure on Darren and Finley. On the contrary, it gave off a natural aura that intimidated other creatures.


    "Darren, we must be careful. This monkey scares me. And the fear I feel is coming from the depths of my soul." Finley sent a secret message to Darren.


    "I feel the same," Darren replied.


    "We came here in search of a kind of herb. If something we did made you uncomfortable, please forgive us, sir." Darren was the first to speak.


    "Well, you don''t need to be so formal and apologetic. You can just call me bro.


    Now, come and sit here."


    The monkey was as polite as the farmer from the human race.


    Both Darren and Finley felt their blood freeze when the monkey behaved so calmly and friendly.


    "No, thanks. We just need to find the Fiendish Root, and then we''ll leave. We don''t want to bother you, bro." Finley waved his hand as he tri


    t stand it anymore. He shook his head and probed the cave with his spiritual sense to look for the so-called Fiendish Root.


    According to what he had been told, the Fiendish Root grew in wet underground surroundings. It would be easy to find as it would emit an extremely strong evil aura.


    Darren found something after searching for a while.


    He leaped a few feet forward, released a wave of blade and sword intents toward the dark red ground, and opened a cave ten thousand feet deep.


    Darren jumped into the cave and followed the strong evil aura inside. When he reached the end, he was stunned.


    There was no Fiendish Root here. Instead, the cave was full of heads. Most of these belonged to the black mutants.


    They had died miserably¡ªthe remnants of their skulls were covered in claw marks, or their heads were cracked open, and their brains had been shattered.


    The stench of death and rot made Darren want to throw up.


    "The monkey is so ferocious. How could it be possible that it has no strength left now? Did he hide his power from Finley and me on purpose?" Darren looked serious as he tried to find answers to these questions.


    The howl of the monkey reached Darren''s ears. A shiver tingled his spine as he glanced at the creatures one final time. The scene was so tragic.


    Darren focused his spiritual sense again as he tried to identify the location emitting the strongest evil aura.


    Buzz.


    Darren''s brain trembled a little. He sensed a breath of fiendish aura that was so intense that it made his heart palpitate. It was almost as powerful as the moment when Darren sensed the first fiend ancestor''s broken body.


    "It''s that monkey..."


    Darren found that his spiritual sense had converged on that monkey.

 Chapter 804 The Inner Fiend

    Darren quickly flew out of the cave.


    He saw the monkey getting beaten by Finley.


    "What the hell is happening?" Darren whispered to himself. He telepathically sent a message to Finley. "Stop this. This monkey may possess more power than we can fathom."


    Hearing this, Finley stopped. He remembered that the monkey''s aura was indeed that of a powerful warrior when they first met him. He took a step back.


    "Well, well, well. This must be your lucky day." Finley let the monkey go.


    "Mark my words. I will have my revenge. Unless you let me take a few hits at you both now, you will live to regret hurting me!"


    the monkey said, groaning in pain.


    "Come on! Let''s see what you''ve got." Finley waved his hand, daring him to come closer.


    "You bastard!" The monkey looked away. "Forget it. This isn''t worth it."


    The monkey huddled himself into a corner. He grew silent.


    Darren studied him for a while and suddenly thought of Pasquale, the Giant Ape. Perhaps he knew the monkey''s origin.


    "Finley, be nice. Wait for me. I need to find someone," Darren said. He concentrated his spiritual sense and entered the Purgatorial Tripod.


    Darren soon arrived at the home of the Giant Ape. He immediately saw Pasquale.


    "Sir, I''ve been visiting the Raksa Sea these days,"


    Darren said.


    "Really?" Pasquale, who was dozing off, suddenly lifted his head up. In doing so, he hit the rocks above his head.


    "Darren, are you going to save my master? How many true rules have you comprehended?" Pasquale asked, rubbing his head.


    He began to probe Darren''s rule cultivation base.


    "How could this be? Darren, I can''t believe you lost all your rule cultivation base. Your Spirit Power has even returned to normal!"


    "In order to avoid the thunder punishment of Rule and Martial Arts Cultivation, my rule cultivation base has been transferred to my avatar. I have something more important to tell you. I met a strange monkey just now. I can sense his power but he doesn''t appear threatening at all!"


    Darren said.


    Pasquale was silent. He seemed to be thinking deeply.


    "It must be him..."


    Pasquale suddenly shivered


    nnot exert his strength to its fullest extent, at least we will be safe. We are not so worried.


    I will go back and try to find a way out. If I am lucky enough to get out of there, I will try my best to find your master and save him." Darren saluted.


    "You have lost your rule cultivation base. Even if you find my master, you can''t break the shackle runes that bind him," Pasquale sighed.


    "Don''t worry, sir. My friend''s rule cultivation base is much better than mine. He will be able to deal with it," Darren said.


    "Really? That''s good. Be careful. I believe in you guys!" Pasquale nodded, flashing a small smile.


    Darren returned to the cave.


    "How is it going?" Finley flew to him.


    "Ha, don''t worry. This monkey can''t hurt us," Darren said with a smile.


    "How come?"


    Darren filled Finley in on his conversation with the Giant Ape.


    ''I didn''t expect this crazy monkey to be so powerful.'' Finley began thinking to himself.


    "This is good news. If the monkey hasn''t been suppressed by the mysterious force, he would have been able to kill me already." Finley let out a sigh of relief.


    "It seems that you have found out my identity. Come on! It''s time to kneel down and kowtow to me," the monkey said arrogantly.


    "Watch your mouth. It will get you in trouble."


    Darren and Finley walked towards him and began kicking him around.


    "Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!" The monkey let out cries of pain.

 Chapter 805 Resentment

    The beating was real and violent. The monkey shrank in the corner and didn''t dare to say a word.


    Darren and Finley finally calmed down.


    Later, they explored the cave and found the Fiendish Root three kilometers below the ground.


    The Fiendish Root was a root-like object that resembled a withered claw. It was named because of its shape.


    "Finley, can we tunnel through the ground and create a passage to escape?" Darren asked.


    Impatience had set in now that Darren and Finley had been trapped in the cave for three days.


    "I probed the area earlier. The restriction around this cave is like a ball with a diameter of ten kilometers. It''s impossible for us to tunnel our way out."


    Darren rubbed his chin as he wondered whether or not his idea had been too naive. If it were simple enough to escape, the descendants of the fiend wouldn''t have been trapped here for so many years.


    "Hmm, I am very curious about how that crazy monkey got here," Darren said.


    "I''m more curious about how you walked out the last time..." Finley said.


    "The situation was different at that time. As long as I didn''t use my power of transforming into a fiend, that restriction did not affect me. In other words, that restriction had no impact on creatures without a fiendish aura.


    Now things are different. That monkey has such a powerful fiendish aura that he has activated the restriction to its limit. As such, even we can''t leave," Darren sighed as he explained.


    Finley nodded in understanding. Then he waved his hand and said, "Monkey, come here."


    "Erm... What can I do for you two?" The monkey nodded and bowed.


    Finley had beaten him so much these past three days that he did not dare to misbehave.


    "What brought you to the Raksa Sea, and why are you in this cave?" Finley asked.


    "I was hungry and in search of food. Is this explanation acceptable to you? If not, I will try to provide a more suitable reason," the monkey answered with an awkward smile.


    "Still trying to be smart, is it? It seems that you haven''t suffered enough." Finley flashed, and before long, agonized cries shook the whole cave.


    "Hey, you two. It''s not appropriate to beat me so frequently, okay?" The monkey squatted and wiped the blood off his face.


    "Don''t talk nonsense. If you don''t want to be beaten any more, you should answer my questions." Finley thought that the monkey was a rare fiend and that he was intentio


    ats are amazing!"


    The monkey returned to normal after his outburst. He was surprised by what he found when he detected Darren''s and Finley''s hidden resentments.


    The fact that Darren and Finley would rather die than give up reminded the monkey of his past self.


    "Die. After you die, you will no longer suffer," the monkey whispered in delight.


    Boom.


    The whole cave trembled.


    A dark aura, like a torrent, gushed out of Darren''s body.


    A loud crack was heard.


    Then, he opened his eyes.


    "You want to use my resentment to stimulate my fiendish nature so that I will die when my soul collapses?


    It''s no wonder that you were the Inner Fiend of Barnes the Holy."


    As Darren mumbled, the negative emotions in him faded like the tide.


    "Ah! You are awake?


    How is this possible? Ha-ha?"


    the monkey exclaimed in disbelief. He stared at Darren as though he was some kind of monster.


    Darren''s expression was cold.


    In the blink of an eye, he pierced the monkey''s heart with his sword.


    "Let my buddy wake up."


    This time, the monkey didn''t cry or scream. Instead, he stared at Darren defiantly.


    "Do you believe that I will grow more afraid after you hurt me?


    Humph... Ha-ha..." The monkey laughed. However, his laughter was more like a cry.


    "So, what do you want? Killing him won''t do you any good," Darren questioned.


    "Why do I need a reason to do something? If there is a reason, it could only be that I want to live with dignity in this world. And I will kill anyone who dares to offend me."


    His eyes were dark, and resentment surged out of the monkey violently.

 Chapter 806 Getting Out Of The Cave

    Every part of Finley''s body quivered as his soul was about to collapse.


    "Monkey, I know why you came to the Raksa Sea. You wanted to save your real body, right?" Darren said quickly.


    "A mysterious power suppressed you, and you know that your real body can help you. You want to return to the peak of your skills, you want your self-esteem, and you want to continue your invincible era.


    If I am right, let my friend go. We have the same goal¡ªto save Barnes, the Holy. If he dies, Barnes the Holy will never return," Darren continued.


    The monkey was stunned by what he heard, and the hatred in his eyes receded as he stared at Darren.


    "If you don''t decide quickly, time will run out, and you will live in this menial way forever. You cannot leave this cave without our help."


    The monkey shook his head as he refused to believe Darren. After all, since their arrival, Darren and Finley had behaved horribly toward him. Why would they be nice now? The monkey stared at Finley for a while as he contemplated his options.


    A moment later, the deep resentment in Finley''s body faded, and he returned to normal.


    A stunned Finley blinked rapidly before he opened his eyes.


    Before anyone could speak, weakness surged through Finley, and he collapsed to the ground.


    "He wants to kill me..." Finley murmured.


    "It was an illusion created by the monkey. He magnified the fear, darkness, and resentment present in your heart," Darren explained hurriedly.


    "Phew!" Finley did not respond to Darren as he had fallen into a state of unconsciousness.


    "Why did you say that you can save Barnes the Holy? How can you achieve that?" the monkey raised his head and asked calmly.


    Darren was speechless as he didn''t know how they could save Barnes the Holy. He had said what he thought would change the monkey''s mind about hurting Finley.


    "Do you know what has suppressed him?" Darren asked in reply. Perhaps if he knew, Darren could figure out how to help.


    "I don''t know, and it is impossible for me to know. But, considering his abilities, the only two things that can trap him would be the resurrection of the old holy emperor and the thing from the outer sky," the monkey stated.


    Time passed quickly.


    When Finley woke a month later, the first thing he wanted to do was kill the monkey. However, he found that the monkey had Eternal Body.


    "Aren''t you afraid that I will remobilize your fiendish nature if you hit me like this?" The sinister smile on the monkey''s face and his blood-covered body made


    n race.


    "Great! Finish him."


    "Yes, master. But there''s one more thing. Your descendants have been massacred."


    "Roar!" Angry cries were sent to the figure''s mind.


    "Check it out and then chase the human." A moment later, the cruel and fiendish voice instructed the figure.


    "Yes, master."


    The fake Darren did not choose to chase Darren just yet. He first flew to the Devil Den on the purple island.


    He hesitated in front of the cave''s entrance for a moment as the aura he sensed terrified him.


    But, he couldn''t disobey his master''s order. So, he finally stepped into the dark gap.


    Meanwhile, Darren and Finley reached the village.


    The figure of Fris appeared before the stone tablet.


    "Did you get the medicinal herbs you sought?" Fris asked.


    "Yes. Thank you for showing us the way."


    "Come with me. It''s time to show you the Equinox Tree... It is on the other side of the river... " Fris murmured as a space passage opened. Darren and Finley stepped through and found themselves in a graveyard.


    Darren and Finley followed Fris to a small river.


    Green grass grew on both sides of the river. The only other thing in this grassland was a big tree with thick branches full of leaves.


    "It''s right there.


    All you need to do is to cross the river and pluck the leaves on that tree," Fris explained.


    "That''s all? This sounds simple," Finley mumbled. He was shocked at how effortless this sounded.


    "It''s not easy." Darren shook his head and continued, "From the memory Fris sent me, crossing the river will be challenging. Even if we make it across, we might be unable to pluck the leaves from the tree."


    "What do you mean?" Finley asked.

 Chapter 807 State Of Mind

    Darren fixed his eyes forward. "Let''s give it a shot and you will know."


    He walked towards the clear river.


    One, two...


    Darren had already walked many steps but his feet were still dry. It was as if he was walking in place.


    "It''s not easy to cross the river," said Fris, the village head.


    "I''ve got it!" Finley suddenly became enlightened. "The river appears close to us but there are actually layers of space in between us. It''s an illusion!"


    Fris shook his head at Finley''s statement.


    "According to your understanding of Spatial Rule, it should only take a little time to reach the other shore. Do you really think it''s that simple?


    This river before us was the place for a powerful cultivator from a foreign land to have an ''Epiphany.'' It depends on your state of mind if you want to cross it. Even so, I''m not exactly sure what that would achieve," Fris explained.


    Darren crossed his arms, deep in thought. He faced the village head.


    "What do you mean by ''Epiphany''?" Darren asked.


    "A foreign man arrived here just before the Last Age disappeared. I remember that he was bald and he was dressed in a coarse, yellow robe. He cultivated the skills related to the state of mind, which I have never seen before. I don''t even understand the ''Epiphany'' he was talking about.


    He glowed with a golden light once he had the ''Epiphany''. In those moments, he was very calm and composed, but it also seemed like he could destroy the world if he wanted to.


    It took a few days for him to speak again, and when he did, he said that he had to go off and fight a fiend. He never came back."


    Darren and Finley listened to him intently.


    "I didn''t expect the origin of the Equinox Tree leaves to be so complicated. How did the senior of the Mythological Palace even come up with this prescription?" Darren asked. The old man had never been out of the Mythological Palace. He was not supposed to know these things. However, not only did he finish the pre


    " Darren couldn''t help but shout. Finley had made it!


    Finley was silent. His black hair flew wildly in the wind. He suddenly seemed very hostile, just like when his fiend nature was mobilized by the monkey.


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat.


    ''Finley fears his real body from the bottom of his heart. This river may be influencing his feelings, and may make him fail.''


    Darren realized that things would go wrong. If it were him who was crossing the river, he would not be swayed by such emotions. He had successfully woken up from the illusion created by the monkey the last time. Unfortunately, he could not even calm himself down.


    Darren held his breath and prayed that Finley would pull through.


    He saw a faint smile on Finley''s face. Finley began to move across the river. He would kneel and crawl at times but he did his best to make it through.


    Boom!


    The ground began to shake.


    Finley opened his eyes.


    "Ha! No matter how much you taunt me or try to frighten me, I won''t let you mess with my head. I''ve come too far now."


    Finley looked calm and composed.


    When he made it to the other side, he approached the tall tree. He sat under it and sat in silence once again.


    Seeing this, Darren was thrilled.


    "He made it! Perhaps he is no longer afraid of his real body." Darren smiled.

 Chapter 808 Completing

    Finley sat under the tree in silence.


    Spots of dazzling light fell through the leaves on the tree and danced on Finley''s body.


    As time went by, his body began to radiate with the same brilliant glow.


    As Darren looked at Finley from a distance, a sense of peace filled him.


    "Finley must have stepped into that path of cultivation," Darren said with a smile.


    Gradually, Finley woke from his state of unconsciousness. As he opened his eyes, two leaves left the vibrant tree and floated down.


    Finley reached out, and the two leaves landed in his hand.


    Then, his figure disappeared from under the tree. Darren''s eyes flew open with surprise. However, in the next instant, Finley reappeared beside Darren.


    "How did it go? What kind of cultivation method did you grasp?" Darren asked as excitement coursed through him.


    Finley shook his head and said, "I don''t know its origins, but everything I have learned is against the monkey."


    "The monkey is filled with an infinite fiendish nature. Will this cultivation restrain him?


    Besides, Fris had said that the man who had comprehended this cultivation earlier went to suppress a very powerful fiend. Perhaps he was talking about the monkey."


    The more Darren thought about it, the surer he became. After all, the man got the Epiphany at the end of the Last Age before disappearing. He left the place during the chaotic era after the Last Age, which was also known as the era of Barnes the Holy.


    "You''re probably right." Finley nodded in agreement.


    Clatter!


    As they were talking, the stream not far from them began to flow. A moment later, the stream transformed into stained glass that shattered into millions of pieces before it finally condensed into an ancient book.


    The book flew toward Finley and infused with his mind.


    Buzz.


    The space rippled, and a bald young man appeared in midair.


    "Since you have inherited my skill, you must spare no effort to completely master it through dedicated cultivation. No matter who you were in your last life or who you will be in your afterlife, you shall tell good from evil, know the law of the universe, which is the law of the heart..."


    The man said the mysterious words slowly and calmly.


    Finley made a strange gesture with his palms put together, and the man left.


    "Damn it! I will have a hard time from now on,"


    Finley exclaimed as he fell to the ground.


    "What happened?" Darren asked. Concern for his friend laced his voice as he spoke.


    "The book that just flew into my mind i


    they tried escaping through the space passage.


    "Don''t worry. I have a powerful way to hide my aura now. If he can''t locate my aura, how will he find me in the vast space?" Finley said confidently.


    "Are you sure?" Darren asked. He was still unconvinced about Finley''s plan.


    "Of course. If I didn''t get the powerful skill to hide our auras, the Fire Kylin would have found us a long time ago."


    "You are right."


    "I''m ready. Us the time to get in the Black Turtle Shell."


    "Okay, be careful!"


    Finley nodded and leaped into the air.


    "Dog, why are you barking? Are you looking for your grandpa, Darren?" Finley taunted.


    "What?"


    The Fire Kylin turned to see who was belittling him. Surprise flashed in his eyes when he saw Finley.


    "Are you looking for death? Tell me. Where is that dragon?"


    As he spoke, the Fire Kylin morphed into a red light and rushed toward Finley.


    Swoosh!


    Finley knew what the Fire Kylin would do, and in a flash, he disappeared into the space.


    The Fire Kylin''s attack failed.


    Bang!


    A sinister smile grew on the Fire Kylin''s face. After all, twice before Finley had tried to escape like this and both times, he had caught Finley. Confidently, the Fire Kylin clapped his claw and broke the space, in an attempt to grab Finley.


    But to his surprise, he didn''t find any sign of Finley''s aura.


    "Loser! You are just a loser. How can you kill me?" Finley reappeared a hundred thousand feet away.


    "Damn it! Go to hell!" the Fire Kylin roared as he rushed toward Finley again.


    Soon, Finley''s plan materialized as the Fire Kylin was sufficiently distracted.


    Darren quickly flew over and entered the Black Turtle Shell.

 Chapter 809 Killing The Water Demon King

    As soon as Finley led the Fire Kylin away, Darren entered the Black Turtle Shell.


    His eyes widened with surprise when he saw many severely injured turtle men lying on the ground.


    Darren probed, but couldn''t sense the Water Kylin.


    He probed again, this time for the old turtle man.


    However, Darren could not sense him either. After looking around frantically, Darren spotted the little turtle, who was squatting beside a turtle shell. He seemed to be guarding it quietly, and his expression was dull.


    Darren rushed toward the little turtle but stopped when he realized that the turtle shell belonged to the old turtle man.


    "What happened? What''s wrong with your grandpa?" Darren asked.


    Intense hatred reflected in his eyes as the little turtle turned and glared at Darren.


    "It''s all your fault. If it hadn''t been for you, my grandpa wouldn''t be suffering right now!" the little turtle gritted his teeth as he spoke.


    "Tell me what happened!" Darren implored. He wanted to know what had happened in his absence.


    The little turtle, however, didn''t say another word. Another turtle man came up to them and said, "After you left, the Water Demon King attacked us. He released his soul sound wave and targeted our leader. Severely injured, he had no choice but to retreat in the shell.


    You have no idea how powerful the sound wave released by the Water Demon King''s soul can be. Even the clan leader fell to the ground in pain after being hit."


    "Alas! If the Water Demon King is not killed, I''m afraid our clan leader will never wake."


    Some more turtle men sighed as they approached Darren.


    "You mean your leader will be fine after the Water Demon King dies?"


    Darren had seen this kind of soul sound wave before. It was different from the soul attack because it was continuous. Once the person who released the sound wave was killed, the sound wave would be ineffective.


    "Yes, only by killing the Water Demon King can we save our clan leader," one of the turtle men said.


    "Okay, I''ll kill him then.


    By the way, do you know the whereabouts of the Water Kylin?" Darren asked.


    "Three days after you left, Lord Kylin declared that he was going to look for the Kylin Clan, and then he disappeared."


    "Damn it!" Darren shook his head and cursed.


    "Tell me where I can find the Water Demon King." As the old turtle man was suffering, Darren thought it was best to help him first. He knew how painful it could be when the soul was being attacked.


    Once he got the location of the Water Demon Clan, Darren left.


    While traveling to the de


    en said.


    The Water Demon King stared at Darren in confusion. He thought, ''How do I know this dragon?''


    "Don''t be silly. I carried you when you were a child," Darren said with a smile.


    "Who are you?" It was true that the Water Demon King couldn''t remember that, and his anger subsided when he sensed the kindness in Darren''s words.


    "Hey! I am the leader of the Flood Dragon Clan. I can''t believe you have forgotten me!"


    "Bullshit! I don''t know anyone from the Flood Dragon Clan," the Water Demon King growled. The uncertainty in his gaze made Darren realize that the Water Demon King almost believed his words.


    What Darren had said about carrying the Water Demon King when he was young almost made the Water Demon King trust Darren.


    "Hey, naughty boy! But I will not blame you. Your parents moved with you because of some unforeseen events only a few days after you were born. No wonder you cannot recognize me.


    Come on. Let me show you something. You will understand after you see it."


    Darren appeared relaxed as he swam toward the Water Demon King.


    The Water Demon King was distracted by now. He was racking his mind trying to figure out whether what Darren had said was true or not. And so, he forgot to guard against Darren.


    Darren had aroused his curiosity with the promise of proof as well. The Water Demon King couldn''t help but wonder what kind of evidence Darren would show him.


    Darren took out something from his Space Ring and placed it on his hand.


    "You, little boy, take it and look at it carefully."


    As soon as the Water Demon King grabbed the object, he felt a sudden tearing pain in his heart.


    "Howl!"


    The Water Demon King realized that he had been tricked.

 Chapter 810 Going To The Water Kylin Clan

    The Water Demon King''s heart ached. His breath of life faded quickly.


    He was a demon with the strength of a junior holy warrior, so his power was extraordinary. Even though he was on the verge of death, he fought on valiantly.


    The Water Demon King pierced Darren''s abdomen with his sharp claw.


    Soul sound waves kept stabbing into Darren''s head. The attacks came too quickly for Darren to fend off.


    He dug his dragon claw into the Water Demon King''s heart and tore it into pieces.


    He thrust his full power onto the Water Demon King''s body and watched as the demon was overwhelmed by the strength.


    Boom!


    Blood and flesh spattered all around and the Water Demon King became a bloody heap on the floor.


    "Assimilate."


    Darren assimilated, as he always would after killing a powerful enemy.


    He made sure to recover and heal before he headed out.


    Everything happened so fast and the water demons outside did not seem to know what had happened.


    "Lord Flood Dragon, why are you leaving so soon?" The guards outside were confused.


    "Humph. That brat said he was busy cultivating. I really wanted to beat him. But, I forgive him. He tries so hard," Darren said, puffing out his chest.


    "Yes, yes. Our king is usually very busy. Please forgive him if he made any mistakes."


    The two guards bowed to Darren.


    "Well, I will come back to visit him again. I must go. Serve your king well and I will reward you handsomely."


    Darren was itching to go and dared to take leave right then and there when the guards continued speaking to him.


    "Wait a moment, master. Our senior is coming. He''s a senior holy warrior. Why don''t you stay for a while and speak with him? If you get him on your side, even the Fire Kylin from the Kylin Clan would not stand a chance!" one of the guards said.


    "No. That is fine. I will see him in a couple of days."


    Darren thought to himself, ''Their senior must be a super powerful cultivator. It would be troublesome if I met him.''


    Boom!


    The skeleton mountain shook and a slim figure appeared in front of Darren.


    "What?"


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat.


    "Monkey..." he murmured unconsciously.


    The one walking towards them was exactly the same monkey as the one from the Devil Den.


    "What do you know a


    he Kylins. Besides, he had to think about it for the sake of the other clansmen. That was why he did not come to the aid of the Water Kylin Clan.


    Saving Darren and Finley angered the Fire Kylin. It was far better to duel with him.


    "Alright. Alas, I''m the one who got everyone into trouble." Darren bowed apologetically.


    "Don''t say that. The Fire Kylin is young and full of potential. It''s only a matter of time for him to go against the Water Kylin Clan. When the Water Kylin Clan is defeated and flee, his next goal would be to wreak havoc in this place. By then, the result will be the same." The old turtle man was deep in thought.


    "In that case, we have to work together!" Darren roared.


    "Alright!" The little turtle man beside boomed, "I''m glad to hear that. The Fire Kylin is so arrogant. We must put an end to his impudence!"


    "Grandson, I don''t think you can do anything," the old turtle man said, shaking his head.


    "Says who? I''ve decided to enter the inheritance passage. When I come out, I can definitely kill the Fire Kylin!" the little turtle man said, puffing out his chest.


    "Oh, my grandson. Have you really made up your mind? I''ve been waiting for this day for a very long time." The old turtle was very happy.


    "Of course. Grandfather, open the passage. I must go now," the little turtle man said.


    "Well, then. Don''t be afraid of suffering."


    At the end of the Black Turtle Shell, a little black door opened. The little turtle man flew into it without any hesitation.

 Chapter 811 The River Of Forgetfulness

    A few days later, the old turtle man had almost recovered from his injuries.


    As Darren had fulfilled his promise to help, the old turtle man led him to the territory of the Water Kylin Clan.


    "Sir, did the first Kylin ancestor come from outer space?"


    Darren asked as they flew. The journey was long, and with nothing else to do, Darren had gotten very bored. A conversation seemed like the best way to pass the time.


    "Well, according to the Kylin Clan, their first ancestor chanced upon this continent by accident. And yes, their first ancestor was from outer space."


    "Then he must have been very powerful! Who is stronger, he or the Fire Kylin?"


    "Ha-ha, the Fire Kylin cannot compare to the first ancestor.


    You know, in ancient times, there were numerous kinds of cultivation methods and many great masters. The first ancestor of the Kylin Clan could be considered an unsurpassed master back then. He was tens of thousands of times stronger than the Fire Kylin," the old turtle smiled as he explained to Darren.


    "You are right." Darren nodded. After a brief pause, he said, "I wish I could go back to the ancient times."


    "From ancient times to the present, many geniuses have had the same thought as you. They have dreamed of seeing the immense wisdom present in ancient times. However, time always moves forward. We can''t return to the past. But, there is one thing that I''m sure about. Strong warriors from ancient times haven''t completely disappeared in the torrent of history."


    "What!" Darren exclaimed in surprise.


    "Do you mean that great masters from ancient times still exist in this world? How could it be possible?" Darren''s eyes lit up at the prospect.


    "Ha-ha." The old turtle man smiled when he saw Darren''s excitement.


    "Darren, do you know how long a holy emperor can live?" the old turtle man asked.


    "Well... I''m not entirely sure. But, I guess no less than hundreds of thousands of years," Darren speculated.


    "No. They can live for millions of years, at least."


    "That long? But, even if they could live for millions of years, they couldn''t be alive today. The continent has seen four great ages, and each period lasted for tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of years.


    Moreover, people living in these ages have experienced times of great prosperity and catastrophes that ended their era. At the end of each age, almost all the holy emperors died. They could not have survived until now." Darren furrowed his brow as confusion coursed through him.


    "I''m i


    ar. The grey world became even more active.


    Darren and others stopped in front of a huge pale blue lake.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh.


    In an instant, several figures flew over.


    "Ha-ha, master! I felt your aura the second you arrived."


    The Water Kylin looked extraordinarily powerful and brave now that he was dressed in armor.


    "You bastard! How dare you sneak away? What if the Fire Kylin had captured you?" Darren flew forward and knocked the Water Kylin on his head.


    The Water Kylin rubbed his head, and said, "How can that idiot catch me? Master, you worry too much. Ha-ha."


    "I need you to be careful. He is not a good creature. If it weren''t for the old turtle man''s help, Finley and I would have died at his hands."


    "Never mind all this! Let''s go. I''ll take you to see my father. Oh, no! He''s my grandfather... Alas! I have always said this wrong," the Water Kylin said.


    Darren rolled his eyes. He was astonished that the Water Kylin could not tell the difference between his father and grandfather.


    "Sir, please this way." The Water Kylin was no longer rude to the old turtle man. He greeted the old turtle man with a warm, welcoming gesture.


    Then they all flew toward the blue lake.


    As soon as Darren and others jumped into the blue lake, many powerful figures rushed out.


    "What happened?" the Water Kylin stopped them to ask.


    "Your Highness, an extremely ferocious creature is trying to break into the passage. He is so strong that our ancestor''s power couldn''t even suppress him," one Kylin answered.


    "Could it be the Fire Kylin?"


    "No, it''s a monkey! A ferocious monkey."


    Darren''s expression changed when he heard their answer.

 Chapter 812 Two Powerful Creatures Came Simultaneously

    "Let''s kill him!" the Water Kylin screamed and hopped as fury coursed through him.


    "Your Highness, that freak monkey is very powerful. Breaking our passage by force is challenging for any clan leader. But that monkey is destroying the passage at will. I''m afraid that you cannot deal with..." one Kylin began to explain. He was so nervous that he couldn''t finish.


    "Water Kylin, you don''t have to fight every time, okay? With your strength, that monkey can kill you easily." Darren glared at the Water Kylin. Then he continued, "The monkey must have followed me here. I''ll take a look. Please lead the way."


    "Yes, sir."


    Several Kylins led Darren and the others to the passage.


    Once they reached, they could see the figure of the monkey on a mirror-like wall.


    The monkey swept wildly through the chaotic space passages with his stick. In a flash, one space passage collapsed.


    A few moments later, he had destroyed eight passages.


    "If this continues, he will destroy all the passages in ten days," one Kylin estimated.


    Boom!


    At this moment, a fiery red figure appeared. He walked along the damaged passage unchallenged. Soon, the picture cleared and everyone could see who this new figure was.


    "Oh, that is... the Fire Kylin!"


    "It''s him! It''s him!"


    "It''s all over now. I''m sure the monkey and the Fire Kylin will break through our defenses very soon."


    Everyone in the Water Kylin Clan was deeply worried.


    Darren was not anxious. On the contrary, he was relieved.


    He knew that the monkey, who called himself Barnes the Holy, had a strange origin, and that he had no relationship with the Fire Kylin.


    "Don''t worry so much. Let''s observe for a while."


    It didn''t take long for the Fire Kylin to detect the monkey''s aura.


    When that happened, the Fire Kylin stopped and did not continue his journey forward.


    "He must have sensed the monkey''s presence." Darren knew that the Fire Kylin was not stupid. ''He has sensed the presence of a cultivator in the passage and he has detected that the creature is a powerful one. And so, he has chosen not to cross paths with the monkey.''


    It would be disastrous if the Fire Kylin waited patiently for the monkey to cut through the passage and then snuck into the Water Kylin Clan''s territory slyly.


    "It''s a pity that Finley is not here. If he were, I could ask him to lead the monkey towards


    gh several layers of space, and approached the Fire Kylin.


    "What?" The Fire Kylin was frightened.


    Although he had sensed the existence of a powerful creature long ago, the Fire Kylin thought he could avoid being detected. Now that the monkey''s attack was nearing, the Fire Kylin thought he had been discovered.


    The Fire Kylin gathered all his strength and turned the space passage into a sea of fire. Tens of thousands of flames dashed at the monkey and Finley.


    Boom!


    The entire passage seemed to collapse. The dissipated forces spread in the air and shook Finley, who had hidden in the space.


    Finley felt as though both the forces were tearing him apart. Fresh injuries caused more blood to pool in his mouth.


    After this confrontation, the Fire Kylin retreated quickly. He was shocked by the strength of the creature he had detected.


    "There is another strong creature here!" The monkey had sensed the Fire Kylin''s presence just as Darren had instructed Finley to orchestrate. As he looked in the direction from where the attack originated, the monkey''s gaze seemed to pierce through the layers of space. Then, he saw the Fire Kylin''s figure.


    He gave up chasing Finley, quickened his pace, and headed for the Fire Kylin.


    Outside the space passage


    Darren and the other people were relieved when they saw the scene through the mirror.


    Finley carefully hid his aura and fell from the space passage.


    "Damn it!"


    Terror filled the Fire Kylin''s heart when he noticed that the powerful creature was chasing him. He was so scared that he decided to flee.

 Chapter 813 The Monkey Versus The Fire Kylin (Part One)

    Shock was written all over the Fire Kylin''s face when he sensed a surge of violent fury behind him.


    "Where did this monkey come from? When did such a monster appear in the Raksa sea?" the Fire Kylin murmured as he turned toward the passage''s exit. Aware that the monkey was significantly more powerful than him, the Fire Kylin''s only option was to flee.


    "Sizz!"


    Meanwhile, the monkey had forgotten entirely about chasing Finley. His entire focus was on the Fire Kylin. The more he wanted to escape, the more the monkey wanted to chase him!


    The monkey murmured an incantation.


    After a long chase, the monkey''s anger multiplied to the point where he could no longer contain it. The runes on the stick in his hand lit up. In the blink of an eye, the stick enlarged at a visible speed and shot into the void like a heavenly pillar.


    A crack appeared in the void, and then, everything shattered.


    Boom!


    Everyone trembled when they heard the deafening noise. Eight pillars, with lit runes on them, flew toward the Fire Kylin.


    The Fire Kylin avoided the pillars by changing the direction of his flight. Instead of flying in the open sky, which made him an easy target, the Fire Kylin thought it would be wiser to hide under the ground.


    Crack.


    As the Fire Kylin tried to tunnel into the ground, a flash of lightning formed by a rune rushed out from the ground. Aghast and with nowhere left to hide, the Fire Kylin shot into the sky again.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    Before he could reach a safe distance, the eight pillars encircled the Fire Kylin. Now, he was as flustered. Those colossal eight pillars made him feel as weak and helpless as a mouse.


    "Howl!"


    Flames soared into the sky as rage coursed through the Fire Kylin. With gritted teeth and fury reflecting in his eyes, the Fire Kylin looked as terrifying as a creature from hell.


    "If you keep chasing me, I will fight you!"


    the Fire Kylin roared. The word, "fight," carried such power that it echoed in the space and crumbled dozens of mountains around.


    The monkey was pushed back by the impact. He tumbled in the air a few times before coming to a stop.


    The breath and strong fighting spirit released by the Fire Kylin excited him.


    Meanwhile, at the Water Kylin Clan


    Finley, with all his injuries, couldn''t stand anymore. As he fell to the ground, Darren gathered all his strength and began to heal Finley''s wounds.


    "Those two guys are really powerful. If I hadn''t mastered the skill of hiding my aura, I would have been shocked into dust."


    As Finley recalled the fight in the passage, his heart fluttered with fear. The monkey''s fighting power was comparable to the


    es turned deathly pale.


    Suddenly, an earthy yellow light encased them. Instantly, Darren and his companions felt as though the strong discomfort had dissipated.


    "Thank you, sir!" The Water Kylin bowed and showed gratitude to the old turtle man. He now knew how powerful his defense was, and thus, the Water Kylin respected him more.


    The patriarch of the Water Kylin Clan stood firm despite the raging battle. His golden hair fluttered in the air, and his whole body lit up with intense fighting spirit.


    "My grandson, stay with your friends. The old turtle man will protect you. I''m going to fight against them." The patriarch of the Water Kylin Clan could no longer hold back his enthusiasm. Determined to join the battle, he gave the Water Kylin strict instructions to keep him safe. Considering how the battle was going, the patriarch thought that this was the opportune time to kill the Fire Kylin.


    "Can you wait a little longer, sir? I''m sure that the Fire Kylin will lose. If we fight together against him, won''t we be more likely to kill him?" Darren suggested.


    "I can''t wait anymore. I''m afraid that he will escape," the patriarch of the Water Kylin Clan announced, raising his head.


    Whoosh!


    The golden figure flashed, and in an instant, tens of thousands of kilometers away, blue lightning lit up the sky.


    The horrifying blue lightning interweaved ferociously in the air as the patriarch of the Water Kylin Clan used a killing move.


    As everyone watched the fight from afar, a majestic blue lightning bolt struck the Fire Kylin, who was still fighting the monkey.


    "It''s you, old asshole! How dare you ambush me?"


    the Fire Kylin roared as his fury intensified. His eyes burned with fire as he glared at the patriarch of the Water Kylin Clan.

 Chapter 814 The Monkey Versus The Fire Kylin (Part Two)

    The Fire Kylin could barely defend against the monkey''s attacks. The sudden assault from the leader of the Water Kylin Clan caught him off guard, and he wasn''t prepared to fight back.


    "Howl!"


    Incapable of defending against both opponents, the Fire Kylin chose to ignore the attacks from the patriarch of the Water Kylin Clan. The Fire Kylin roared as several powerful blows hit him.


    He had no other alternative at this moment.


    If the monkey''s attacks hit him, the Fire Kylin would be severely injured, which would lead to a loss of his fighting capacity. There was also the likelihood that he would die from the monkey''s attacks. The Fire Kylin couldn''t take that risk. However, the blows from the patriarch of the Water Kylin Clan were still within his tolerance range. As such, his fighting capacity would not be significantly affected if he allowed the attacks to hit him.


    Dazzling blue thunder and lightning headed for the Fire Kylin.


    "Humph! Another beast wants to take away my toy. How can I allow that?"


    The monkey''s reaction to the patriarch of the Water Kylin Clan joining the battle, however, puzzled everyone. Instead of continuing his attacks on the Fire Kylin, the monkey swung his stick at the Water Kylin Clan''s leader. Numerous shadows appeared, ready to target the latter.


    At the same time, the monkey''s figure disappeared, and in the blink of an eye, he reappeared in front of the blue lightning.


    The Water Kylin Clan''s patriarch''s heart beat faster as he thought, ''This monkey is interfering in my plans. Damn it!'' As the shadows created by the monkey were nearing him, the patriarch had to defend against them.


    Tens of thousands of kilometers away, Darren and the others frowned when they noticed the situation.


    "The monkey is so stupid! Why did he turn to attack my grandfather? Damn it," the Water Kylin muttered as rage coursed through him.


    "A fierce beast as strong as the monkey will be too proud and arrogant to share a target with another fighter. He will not battle the Fire Kylin with your grandfather," the old turtle man explained calmly. He seemed to have a better understanding of the thinking of fierce warriors.


    "Darren! This monkey has astonishing power! Could he be Barnes the Holy?" Finley asked abruptly.


    "It''s not possible. Barnes the Holy earned quite the reputation. Over the past few million years, everyone heard about his skills. This monkey can''t compare with him. From what I have heard about Barnes the Holy, he can kill a holy emperor!" Darren rejected Finley''s suggestion.


    "Maybe an unknown force still suppresses him, which is


    e blow, and his body would shatter.


    "It is indeed a powerful attack. That''s how strong he is."


    When the patriarch of the Water Kylin Clan saw this scene, shocks arose from the bottom of his heart.


    "Is he going to kill the Fire Kylin?" he whispered.


    For some reason, the thought of the Fire Kylin''s death unsettled the leader of the Water Kylin Clan.


    A tinge of regret filled his heart as he seemed to have seen the shadow of the first ancestor in the Fire Kylin.


    He was crazy, unruly, and bloodthirsty. The Fire Kylin seemed to share these characteristics with their first ancestor, as recorded in the clan book.


    "No!"


    the Fire Kylin roared. The stick was so mighty that he felt utterly powerless and unable to fight against it.


    Buzz.


    Suddenly, a buzz resounded through the sky and the earth.


    A split second later, silence descended in the space.


    A fiery red hexahedral crystal rose slowly from the Fire Kylin''s head.


    The dazzling fire pierced the sky, and with the mighty power, it eclipsed the light of the stick shadow.


    "What?"


    the patriarch of the Water Kylin Clan shouted.


    He couldn''t believe what he had witnessed. He felt as though he was in a dream-like state when he saw the fiery red hexahedral crystal.


    "That''s impossible. That''s impossible,"


    the patriarch murmured. Then, as though an invisible power was controlling his body, the patriarch bent his front legs and kneeled before the Fire Kylin.


    The scene confused everyone in the distance, except for the old turtle man, who stood still and seemed to understand what had happened.


    At the sight of the fiery red hexahedral crystal, the ferocious monkey released a sizzling sound before retreating tens of thousands of feet.

 Chapter 815 The Monkey Versus The Fire Kylin (Part Three)

    The monkey''s face paled, and his body trembled. Even though he was a vicious creature, the crystal terrified him.


    The fiery red hexahedral crystal floated up slowly till it reached the stick shadow.


    At this moment, like the name of the monkey''s skill revealed¡ªthe whole world would be devastated.


    From the depths of the sky, a stream of flame descended like a waterfall.


    As the whole sea below began to boil, several giant fish swimming near the surface stewed and were eventually refined.


    The fiery red crystal, meanwhile, battled the runes on the stick shadow until they broke down. Then, the crystal dispersed the shadow.


    The monkey''s face convulsed violently as the crystal reminded him of a creature that terrified him.


    Only he could have such an unmatched aura.


    But, the monkey knew that this crystal couldn''t be the creature''s as it came from the Fire Kylin.


    "Back off now, or I''ll kill you no matter what,"


    said a phantom that had condensed from the hexahedral crystal.


    It was a small kylin covered in flames, just like the Fire Kylin.


    But, his aura caused the sky to collapse, and the monkey had the uncontrollable impulse to kneel.


    "You are the legendary beast from outer space!"


    The monkey gritted his teeth and retreated tens of thousands of feet once again.


    The small kylin''s shadow was cold and silent.


    Not far from them, the patriarch of the Water Kylin Clan looked grim as he remained half knelt in the air.


    "He''s our first ancestor. How could the Fire Kylin be compatible with the incarnation of our first ancestor? Ha-ha..." The patriarch of the Water Kylin Clan felt as though he was going crazy.


    When the fiery red crystal rose, the patriarch felt a resonance in his blood. And so, he naturally bowed to it¡ªan instinctive reaction that stemmed from his most primitive impulse.


    At this moment, even the Fire Kylin was shocked. He had not known that such a terrifying object was embedded in his mind.


    The moment that fiery red crystal popped out, he felt superior and invincible.


    The monkey stared at the kylin phantom for a moment. In the end, he could not suppress his fear and was about to retreat.


    "Are you afraid?" A voice echoed in the monkey''s brain.


    "No, I''m not afraid of it. Ha-ha, I''m not afraid of it!" the monkey retorted.


    "You are not me! You aren''t at the peak of your skills. You have no cause to be fearless!" Another monkey with golden hair appeared in the monkey''s mind. This monkey also balanced a long stick that shone with golden runes on his shoulder.


    The appearance of this figure caused the monkey to collapse. To him, the golden monkey was even more frightening than the hexahedral crystal.


    "Waah... Waah..." Between sobs of desperation, the monkey groveled. "Let me go. Please let me live in the world, okay? Please!"


    "Begging him is useless." A black monkey appeared next to the golden one. He emitted a terrible fiendish nature, which was even more horrible than the creatures from the Darkest Hell.


    "Inner Fiend! Inner Fiend! Please help me! I don''t want to die!" the monkey begged as he knelt.


    "From the


    s message to Darren.


    "Alas, you are right. All I saw was that his irritability led him to hurt many innocent people. Afraid that he would continue to develop a fierce nature, I scolded him without thinking. But, I have gone too far by saying that he will not be my friend if he continues," Darren replied through his spiritual sense.


    Then he walked to the Water Kylin''s side and patted him on the shoulder.


    "My good friend, try to understand that being frantic will not help your grandfather to regain his consciousness," Darren said in a softer voice. "I heard from Mr. Turtle that your grandpa fainted because his faith was shaken after he saw that the Fire Kylin had received the inheritance from your first ancestor.


    As far as I know, your clan has such an ancestral inheritance crystal as well. But, your clan hasn''t found a pure-blood kylin to be compatible with it in many years. Perhaps you should focus on trying to be compatible with the crystal. Once you succeed, your grandfather will feel that your clan also has the aura of your first ancestor, and I believe that will help him wake up."


    Tears welled in the Water Kylin''s eyes, and his heart ached when he thought about Darren''s earlier unkind words. However, when he heard Darren''s suggestion now, he raised his head.


    "Are you telling the truth?"


    "Mr. Turtle knows your grandpa better than anyone else. He must be telling the truth," Darren replied.


    "Well, then, I must make myself compatible with the Water Soul Crystal, and then, I must kill the Fire Kylin!" The Water Kylin became high-spirited all of a sudden. Determination reflected in his eyes as he glanced at Darren.


    Then, he turned and walked towards the place where the old turtle man stood. Before leaving the room, the Water Kylin said, "Master, you can hit and curse me any time you want. But don''t say that we are not friends. I will be so consumed by sadness that I will die."


    Darren was stunned for a moment. His heart ached when he thought about how much he had hurt the Water Kylin.


    "I''m sorry, buddy." Darren murmured.

 Chapter 816 The Explanation Of God Character

    Over the next month, everyone stayed and recuperated at the Water Kylin Clan. During this time, as nothing special happened, time was peaceful.


    Even the Fire Kylin seemed to have disappeared.


    However, all the members of the Water Kylin Clan were uneasy. They were afraid that their clan would be exterminated when the Fire Kylin returned.


    Darren took this time to visit the old turtle man.


    "Sir, why hasn''t the Water Kylin returned yet?"


    A month ago, the Water Kylin entered the territory for inheritance. Since he hadn''t returned, no one knew whether he had succeeded or failed.


    "Wait patiently. It''s not easy to obtain the inheritance of the Water Soul Crystal. It could take him anywhere between three years to a few decades."


    For generations now, every member of the Water Kylin Clan, whose bloodline was superior, had participated in the Water Soul Crystal compatibility test. However, no one had succeeded in tens of thousands of years.


    "The Fire Soul Crystal of the Kylin''s first ancestor is terrifying and much stronger than the Demonic Crystal I have seen before," Darren stated.


    Darren remembered the scene when the fiery red crystal suppressed the monkey.


    The aura had astounded him more than the crystals condensed by his avatar and the Roc Demon Emperor.


    "The Kylin''s first ancestor was a legendary beast from outer space. The crystal he condensed is close to the God Character, which is stronger than objects of the same type condensed by other holy emperors," the old turtle man explained.


    The name, God Character, piqued Darren''s curiosity.


    "Sir, can you please tell me more about the God Character? And how did you learn about it?" Darren asked immediately.


    "Do you remember when I told you about the senior holy warrior from ancient times?"


    "Of course, I do." Darren nodded.


    "That senior holy warrior had been in hiding for millions of years. When he re-emerged, the first creature he saw in this world was me. At that time, he was happy and spoke with me for a long time. He mentioned the God Character during one of our conversations.


    He told me that the holy emperor was supreme in this continent, but was very weak in outer space as what they condensed was only a Fake God Character. The Fake God Character can never upgrade to the Genuine God Character," the old turtle man explained.


    "Did you mean that kind of hexahedral crystal is called the Fake God Character?" Darren was surprised.


    "Yes, you can say tha


    u."


    "Then, be ready!"


    Darren shouted just as his blade and sword intents rushed out.


    Finley sat still in the void, with his legs crossed. He seemed unperturbed by the incoming attacks.


    He placed one palm on his chest and made a special gesture with the other hand. Then, he pushed his chest-facing palm outward slowly, pointing it at Darren.


    Bang!


    Darren was rendered speechless when he saw that his sword and blade intents hit Finley''s body.


    "What the fuck?"


    Finley couldn''t help but curse. He had been so confident of being able to defend against Darren''s attack, and yet, he had failed.


    Darren couldn''t help but laugh. Finley appeared so graceful and elegant earlier that Darren had thought that Finley was different. But his curse showed Darren that he was wrong.


    "What a useless move! Why didn''t it attack you?" Finley asked as anger filled him.


    "Wait a minute! I think I understand what happened!" Then Finley suddenly thought of something and said, "Darren, please attack me as if I was the Fire Kylin or the monkey. Make sure you believe that I was like them."


    "What do you mean? I''m not sure I understand," Darren asked, puzzled by Finley''s odd request.


    "Just do as I ask, please. We''ll see what happens."


    "All right."


    Darren closed his eyes and pictured the Fire Kylin in his mind.


    After a little while, the image in his mind began to change. The Fire Kylin did not show up as he had hoped. Instead, an astoundingly beautiful woman with a cold aura appeared.


    "Kill!"


    Darren screamed as fury overwhelmed him. The memory of the woman and what she had done to Elsa magnified his fiendish nature.

 Chapter 817 A Trick

    There was a boom as a dark gold torrent burst into the still air.


    It was headed straight toward Finley.


    Not a second later Darren was moving, positioning himself before Finley.


    He gathered the power of Shura Force until his body was suffused with a red glow.


    ''Huh!'' thought Finley. ''It seems like Darren thinks I''m somebody else. He''s more hostile to me than he''d be to the Fire Kylin or the monkey! Well, this is the only way I can test the real limits of my strength.''


    With his mind made up, Finley smiled, knowing he would get what he was after. He felt his opponent''s brutality and strong fiendish nature. He made a move which was identical to the one he''d made before.


    Its result, however, was different.


    A ripple of golden light, formed by many rings of energy, flew toward Darren.


    The dark gold internal force was surging inside the ripples, but it was unable to penetrate them.


    Frustrated, Darren had his scarlet blade and sword slice through the air toward Finley.


    Finley extended one open palm. Simultaneously, a massive, glowing golden shadow of the same shape flew out at Darren.


    A thunderous sound came with it, like a voice from the heavens chanting in Sanskrit.


    When the palm shadow closed in on Darren, Finley bent his fingers inward. The shadow mimicked his movement, its fingers closing around his victim.


    Then, Finley murmured a few words, perhaps an incantation.


    A giant hieroglyph, meaning "suppress," ejected from his mouth and landed on Darren''s immobilized form.


    Pain surged into Darren.


    He thrashed and strained against the uncanny grip, screaming uncontrollably.


    Blood flecked and splattered from his mouth.


    But as he continued to struggle, the agony only increased.


    When he was certain it was about to become unbearable, it began to ebb.


    The "suppress" glyph and the palm shadow gradually faded away.


    "Whew!"


    Darren shuddered and gasped in relief.


    "What a strange force!" he murmured. "The more violent I am and the harder I struggle, the more powerful it is.


    The pain is almost equal to the soul attack."


    "You are right. My cultivation method aims at creatures with strong fiendish nature.


    In other words, it''s designed to suppress the fiends," Finley explained. At that moment, he totally understood the skill he had cultivated.


    "No wonder the bald man said he wanted to suppress a fiend after he had a sudden ''epiphany''," Darren remarked, nodding in agreement.


    "It''s very effective," Finley went on. "If I can attain more levels, I might be able to deal with the Fire Kylin."


    Although the Fire Kylin was not a fiend, he was much more ferocious and had a stronger fiendish nature than Darren had just demonstrated.


    Fighting him with this skill would truly be something to witness.


    "Then you need to make sure that you cultivate hard," Darren urged him. "That way, you''ll really be able to help the clan of the Water Kylin."


    "Well, in that case, I''m going to go cultivate right now


    tle choice.


    For example, it was already taking most of Darren''s strength to just remain conscious while caught in the monkey''s choke-hold.


    All of the top senior holy warriors were far stronger than Darren, and this creature was one of them.


    Fortunately, the monkey had some strong interest in the Inner Fiend. So as long as Darren didn''t tell him where the Inner Fiend was, he would never kill him.


    At least, that was what Darren was betting on.


    The monkey drew Darren closer and hissed, flecking his face with spittle.


    "Tell me where he is, or I''ll kill you," he snarled.


    "Are you kidding me?" Darren gagged. "Without me, you''ll never learn where the Inner Fiend is. Go ahead and kill me, I dare you."


    With a sound like a cannon going off, the monkey struck Darren with his other fist, then flung him away.


    Darren fell to the ground in a heap and did not move for a minute.


    "You dare try to bluff me?" the monkey demanded. "Even if I kill you, there will still be another human who knows where the Inner Fiend is."


    As Darren tried to sit up, he convulsed as a sharp pain went through his chest. Turning aside, he spat up blood several times.


    When he could finally speak, he propped himself up on one elbow. "Finley doesn''t know," he lied. "All you heard from him was what I told him."


    "Really? Even if what you say is true, I think I still want you dead.


    It might''ve gone better for you, if you''d cooperated. Too bad you decided to be the tough guy instead!"


    With that, the monkey lifted his stick again, holding it high overhead as he stalked toward Darren. When he brought that weapon down, it would fall with absolutely explosive force.


    Darren''s heart sank. Sure that there would be nothing left of him in a few seconds but a red stain on the ground, he cursed the monkey over and over again.


    But just as the monstrous creature began to swing the stick downward, Darren blurted out, "He is in the relic, under guard by a strong man called Fris!"

 Chapter 818 The White Mist Area

    "Well."


    The monkey withdrew his stick and let out an ugly laugh.


    "I told you not to bluff me. No one can act stubborn in front of me," the monkey mocked.


    Grabbing hold of Darren, he flew up to the air.


    "Show me the way," the monkey ordered.


    "To the north," Darren replied. It shamed him to think that he was caught by the monkey. This proved that he was still too weak to fight him.


    "You better not be playing tricks on me or else you will die a horrible death," the monkey threatened. They continued to fly north with Darren tucked in the monkey''s arms.


    As they traveled, Darren debated on whether he should direct the monkey to the place where Fris was in. Maybe Fris could deal with the monkey himself.


    But in the end, Darren decided against it. The village head was only a shadow and he might not be a match against the monkey.


    "Hey, why are you looking for the Inner Fiend? You call yourself Barnes the Holy, which means you''re enemies with the Inner Fiend. Are you planning on killing him?" Darren asked tentatively.


    The monkey pinched Darren''s arms. His sharp nails pierced through the flesh, making it painful.


    "It''s none of your business. So you better keep your mouth shut or else I''ll beat you to a bloody pulp." The monkey''s threat shouldn''t be treated lightly.


    Darren decided to shut up.


    After flying over a million kilometers, the monkey finally couldn''t hold it in any longer.


    "You lied to me." His tone was flat but it had an underlying hostility in it.


    Darren was flustered. Indeed, the direction he gave the monkey wouldn''t lead them to the place where Fris was in. In fact, he hadn''t been in this direction before.


    He had no other choice now. He had to keep up the front. "I''m not lying. We''re in the right direction."


    However, the monkey stopped.


    A thick mist settled over the sea in front of him. He couldn''t see anything past it and even his spiritual sense couldn''t penetrate through it.


    The monkey froze for a moment.


    He stared at the mist, frowning. Then he suddenly exclaimed, "Impossible! How could he be there?"


    At those words, Darren burst out laughing.


    Fear and apprehension descended upon the monkey as he continued to gaze at the mist.


    "Yes, I have seen the Inner Fiend in that white mist," Darren said with certainty.


    "That''s nonsense!" the monkey howled.


    "There''s nothing I can do if you don''t believ


    had a large number of advanced purple crystals stored in his Space Ring. He doubted that it would be enough to break the stone man''s defense, but he had no other options.


    "Maybe I can use them."


    With his spiritual sense, a sword made out of purple crystal appeared in the dragon''s claws.


    Whoosh!


    Darren moved quickly and rushed towards the stone.


    The stone fist descended upon him again.


    With all his might, Darren swung his dragon claw and aimed it at his enemy''s fist.


    He stabbed it again and again.


    "There is hope!"


    The purple-crystal sword pierced through the stone fist.


    The stone man roared wildly.


    His cries began to turn frantic with pain.


    With his dragon tail, Darren slapped at the creature a thousand times. Then he infused his olive-black force into the cracks in the stone man''s fist. He began strangling the creature.


    Bang!


    The stone man''s fist exploded.


    Darren took the opportunity to tackle the creature, striking the purple crystal into its head.


    Boom!


    The stone man exploded and died.


    Darren then summoned his Assimilation Skill.


    He wasn''t sure if the creature''s talent would be useful, but he still assimilated it.


    A grey aura began to flow through Darren''s meridians.


    It entered his body until it automatically melted into his flesh and his blood.


    With that, every bit of his flesh began to harden like stone.


    "What! By assimilating the stone man''s talent, my body''s physical strength improved!"


    Darren was thrilled as he felt the increase of power rush through him. He felt himself become stronger by 10 percent.

 Chapter 819 The Island

    Darren found no relief after killing the stone man. A split second later, several more stone men popped out of the white mist and rushed toward him.


    "I have no choice. I have to try my best to kill them all!''


    Darren said as he returned to his human shape. As he focused his mind, his body emitted blood-red light. He knew that only the Shura Force would allow him to kill them fast enough.


    The blood-red light stood out in sharp contrast to the white mist.


    Boom!


    A stone man that was over ten thousand feet tall collapsed with a loud bang. As and when more stone men fell, Darren assimilated them in succession.


    "Howl!"


    Rage filled the stone men. Soon, a dozen powerful stone men besieged Darren.


    Boom!


    Several huge fists, each bearing millions of pounds of power rushed at Darren, one after another.


    Darren knew that he wouldn''t be able to take all these blows head-on. And so, he kept dodging the attacks.


    "Ha-ha."


    When the opportunity arose, Darren jumped behind a stone man and smashed his head with his sword and blade.


    "The force and hardness of the stone men are acceptable, but it is a pity that they are so stupid!"


    Two hours later, Darren had killed over fifty stone men.


    "Phew!"


    Seeing how many stone men Darren had killed, the inferior stone men did not dare to go near him.


    "My physical strength has increased manifold!" Darren was thrilled with the progress he had made.


    "Where is the monkey?"


    At this time, Darren realized that the monkey had disappeared. When he glanced around, Darren couldn''t find any trace of him.


    The white mist didn''t help the situation either. It spread from all directions and enveloped everything. When Darren tried searching, he found that he had lost his way.


    Darren dashed in one direction desperately, hoping to find the exit.


    Swoosh!


    A figure flashed by.


    Darren was startled, and he became alert.


    "Don''t try to escape."


    Shock coursed through Darren when he felt a sharp claw grab his shoulder.


    Darren was speechless.


    The monkey had found him!


    "Didn''t you go to fight with your enemies? Why didn''t I hear any battle noises?" Darren asked curiously.


    "Humph! He escaped before I could kill him. What a coward!" the monkey snorted.


    "Monkey, as you are so humble this time, I will let you go. Get out of here!" A wild voice echoed from the depths of the thick mist. The monkey''s expression changed to reflect the anger coursing through him.


    "Fuck you! I have something important to do, which is why I spoke with you about passing through your domain. Who said I am humble? Bastard!" The monkey was


    d into the void as well.


    Boom.


    Darren stayed where he was. He could hear bursts of frightening sounds in the sky, and streaks of space cracks flashed in the void as the battle raged on.


    Darren couldn''t watch the fight between the monkey and the woman. Neither could he escape. So, he walked straight ahead.


    As all the beasts on the island were frightened by the fight, they all hid in the foliage. A deathly silence descended on the once, noisy forest.


    Along the way, Darren found many superior magic herbs. Upon inspection, he discovered that their grade was higher than any herbs he had seen.


    But, the spiritual energy contained in the magic herbs did not work on Darren. Nevertheless, he still collected several herbs, since he thought they might be beneficial to his friends in the future.


    "You bastard! How dare you steal the flowers from my home? I''ll teach you a lesson!"


    Darren looked in the direction where the voice came from and saw a girl about sixteen or seventeen years old. She was dressed in red and glared at him with her mouth pouted.


    "Your home?" Darren was stunned.


    "This whole island belongs to my family. How dare you steal things from us?"


    Without waiting for Darren to reply, she rushed at him. In a flash, she slapped him in the face.


    Darren reached out and grabbed her slender, white hand. "There''s no need to be aggressive. They are just some plants."


    As Darren still held the girl''s hand, she could not move.


    "You!" The girl struggled and stamped her feet with anger.


    "Brother, a bastard is bullying me..." the girl shouted. Her scream was so terrifyingly loud that the island shook.


    "Who the hell are you? Go to hell!"


    A figure in green flew toward Darren from a distance.

 Chapter 820 Roasting Darren To Eat

    A tall and strong man with green hair all over his body appeared in front of Darren.


    Adding to the oddity of his appearance were his sharp lips that resembled a bird''s mouth.


    "Are you a bird man?" Darren blurted when he saw the man.


    "Ha-ha." The girl beside him suddenly laughed. But then, she glared at Darren with hatred.


    "Brother, this guy has been troubling me. He not only stole my flowers, but he also grabbed my hand," the girl said as fury coursed through her.


    "You bastard! Now that you have touched my sister, I''m going to rip your hand from your body!"


    the man roared. Then he transformed into a green light and rushed toward Darren.


    "You are so fast!" Darren exclaimed with shock. Then by instinct, he stretched out his palm.


    Bang!


    A circle of ripples spread as the two collided. The impact forced Darren to retreat half a step, but the big man flew backward and his palm was injured.


    "What?" When the girl saw that her brother had been pushed back, she was surprised and thought, ''This human brat is so powerful.''


    "Brother, let''s run. We can''t defeat him," the young girl said as she turned to dash down the path toward the woods.


    "Humph, of course, I can defeat him. I''ll kill him with my real body!" Although his sister had left, the big man was determined to stay and fight. He growled, and a pair of green wings grew behind him.


    Then his body began to change and expand. In the end, a huge green-black giant bird stood before Darren.


    "Go to hell, boy!"


    the giant bird roared.


    "Bird with green feathers, you can''t defeat me even though you have grown in size," Darren said with a smile.


    "Screw you! You are the bird with green feathers. I am the legendary beast, the Green Phoenix!"


    "The Green Phoenix?" Darren paused for a moment. It was not the giant bird''s name that stopped Darren. At this moment, his thoughts were on the fiery red girl from before.


    Since this man was the legendary beast, the Green Phoenix, the identity of the woman was obvious. She was a Fire Phoenix.


    According to legends, the Fire Phoenix was a legendary beast at the same level as the Genuine Dragon¡ªa creature that was nobler than the Kylin Clan.


    "Ha-ha, are you afraid now?" the Green Phoenix asked proudly.


    "Since you want to use your phoenix body to fight me, then I will also confront you with my dragon body!


    Roar!"


    Darren turned into a dragon. In a flash, his body grew about a hundred t


    re he was.


    He shook his head to clear the dizziness he was feeling.


    However, to his shock, Darren found that he had been bound and placed over a fire.


    He glanced around and found that the monkey had also been tied to a stick! As Darren watched, the monkey was flipped over the fire, like a roasted lamb.


    "Oh, my God! There must be some misunderstanding!"


    The heat from the fire scorched Darren''s skin.


    "You don''t need to do this. I am not your enemy," Darren said to Augustine and the girl standing in front of him.


    "I''m sorry, buddy. But this is not my decision. My aunt said that you were friends with the monkey, and that she wanted to grill you and eat you. I didn''t dare to stop her."


    Darren''s eyes flew open when he heard Augustine explain that their aunt was going to eat him.


    He glanced at the blackened, dying monkey next to him. He didn''t know how to react as the situation was both funny and annoying.


    Darren didn''t know what to say either. After all, such a ferocious monkey with terrifying power was being treated like this.


    "Sizz!"


    When the monkey noticed Darren''s gaze, he bared his sharp teeth.


    "Please, tell your aunt that the monkey and I are not friends. He captured me and brought me here."


    The heat from the fire was so overwhelming that Darren felt as though he was going to be reduced to ashes.


    The fire''s temperature seemed a little higher than the fire produced by the Fire Kylin. If he were to be roasted for a few more days, Darren would undoubtedly turn into ash.


    "Really?" A glimmer of joy reflected in the girl''s eyes. "I''ll tell aunt to come here right now."

 Chapter 821 What Did Friendship Mean

    A moment later, a fiery red figure with a long trail of flame on her back appeared in front of Darren.


    He looked at the woman in the long red dress and could not help but notice how naturally flushed red her face was. It was a gorgeous face that could make anyone intoxicated just by glancing at it. She also seemed to be in her early twenties.


    Compared to the immortal who took Elsa away, this woman had her own type of beauty. It was impossible to say who was more beautiful than who, but both were definitely among the most beautiful women in the world.


    "Aunt Caroline, Darren said he had just been caught by the monkey. Please let him go," Augustine pleaded with the woman.


    "Yes, Aunt. Darren is a noble dragon. He isn''t in the same side as the damn monkey. My brother has been treating him for a while, so we know him a bit. He is not a bad guy," the girl standing beside them spoke up, putting in a good word for Darren.


    A strange flame flickered in the woman''s eyes when she heard their pleas.


    She turned to look at the young girl. "Is he a dragon?"


    The girl nodded her head excitedly. "Yes, he is. And he''s a huge one."


    The fiery red lady pointed a slender finger at Darren and a ray of red light hit his body.


    It was a drop of her blood essence.


    Darren felt the essence seep into his skin as soon as it landed on him.


    His brain began to buzz incessantly. The blood in his body started boiling. An aura of the dragon blood flowed out of his elixir field and made contact with the drop of blood essence.


    With his spiritual sense, Darren observed as his aura of the dragon blood fused with her drop of blood essence.


    Swoosh!


    After the fusion, her drop of blood essence flew out of his body and back into the woman''s fingertips.


    "A very pure dragon bloodline," she mused.


    "Naomi, let him go!"


    "Yes, Aunt Caroline. Thank you!" The girl nodded her head and then turned to the rope that bound Darren''s body. She murmured a few words and made strange gestures with her hands that loosened the binds until he was finally free.


    He immediately jumped up and found himself refresh.


    "Gee, I was almost burned to death," Darren said. For some reasons, he felt dehydrated.


    "Here, Darren, take a drink." Augustine handed him a bowl of alcohol and Darren drank it up in one gulp.


    "What''s the relationship between you and the monkey?" the fiery red lady named Caroline asked lightly.


    "Here''s the thing, Aunt Caroline," Darren began, choosing to call her "Aunt" just like Augustine. He then went on to briefly narrate


    eing invincible was terrifying.


    "If you are truly invincible, then you must know how lucky you are to have someone by your side every step of the way.


    You can''t even survive this moment. How can you even call yourself invincible? You''re going to die soon enough," Darren said, coldly.


    "You said you would save me. Were you lying to me?" The monkey became livid.


    "Now why would I save you? You aren''t even my friend. Why should I keep my promise?" Darren retorted.


    "Oh!" The monkey was speechless after realizing that he was tricked by Darren.


    He pondered on Darren''s words as it continued to echo inside his head.


    Then, in a soft voice, he asked, "Then how can I be your friend?" He sounded as if he was embarrassed to be voicing out such question and wished no one could really hear him ask.


    Darren rolled his eyes at him, saying, "Friends help each other and treat each other sincerely."


    The monkey seemed tentative. "Okay, I will not kill you in the future. But I can help you. Is that okay?" This was how he understood the concept of friendship.


    Darren was speechless.


    "Never mind. Since you''ve taken the initiative, I will try my best to save you."


    The monkey seemed unsure as well. "Aren''t you afraid that I might turn on you after saving me?"


    "If I don''t trust you on this, how can I call you my friend? If you''re really as cunning as you said, I deserve to be the unlucky one," Darren responded, giving him a faint smile.


    For a moment, the monkey''s mind seemed unable to comprehend what was happening. ''How can a human be so naive? But it''s strange that I don''t have the slightest intentions of killing him now even if he is being stupid, '' he thought to himself.

 Chapter 822 Telling The Truth

    Darren looked at the dumbfounded monkey and thought the latter was pitiful.


    "Try to hold on for some time. I will find an opportunity to save you as soon as possible," Darren told the monkey.


    "I can hold on for at most three months," the monkey stated. The temperature of the fire was so high that even the monkey couldn''t survive for a long time.


    "Okay. I will see what I can do." Darren nodded and turned, intending to leave.


    "Wait!" The monkey''s pitiful voice forced Darren to stop.


    "I''m a mutated hair of Barnes the Holy." The monkey revealed his true identity.


    At this moment, he felt sour in his heart, and scenes of his struggle to survive filled his mind.


    "A hair?" Darren nearly shouted.


    ''A hair of Barnes the Holy is so powerful?'' Darren wondered as he stared at the monkey in disbelief. No matter how much he tried to rationalize, Darren just couldn''t believe what he had just heard.


    "This is odd. Why do I feel better after telling you the truth?" Although he had earlier felt a pang of sorrow, the monkey was now thrilled. He continued to say, "I want to tell you everything about me. Would you like to hear my story?"


    "Of course, I do." Darren nodded.


    The monkey closed his eyes as he tried to figure out where to start.


    "Let''s start from the day that I was born.


    A long time ago, Barnes the Holy, and the Inner Fiend fought each other over control of the Golden Indestructible Body. During this fierce battle, they almost tore apart their souls.


    One day, the Inner Fiend succeeded in gaining control of the Golden Indestructible Body after driving Barnes the Holy out of it."


    "Wait a moment!" Darren''s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn''t help but interrupt the monkey.


    "What''s wrong?" The monkey looked at Darren with confusion.


    "Are you sure that it was the Inner Fiend that expelled Barnes the Holy from the Golden Indestructible Body? I heard that Barnes the Holy removed the Inner Fiend from his body. I have seen the Inner Fiend, so that must be true!" Darren said anxiously.


    "What did the Inner Fiend you saw look like?" The monkey''s expression was calm as if he was not worried about what Darren had just said.


    "His body was covered in black hair, and he acted like a crazy monkey..." Darren described all the characteristics of the Inner Fiend to the monkey.


    "All right. I am sure that he is Barnes the Holy," the monkey said with confidence. The monkey was so calm that Darren felt dis


    me. If he agrees, I will find a space and live a peaceful life," the monkey replied.


    Darren''s heart ached when he heard the reason why the monkey was in search of the Inner Fiend.


    "Do you think he will let you go?" Darren asked with a bitter smile.


    "What do you think?" The monkey''s eyes reflected the confusion he felt. He longed for an answer, and hopefully, a positive one.


    "Of course, not." Darren answered firmly.


    "Ha-ha, I knew it, and I understand. He won''t let me go," the monkey said as he laughed in despair.


    "I don''t understand. Why should you beg him for a glimmer of a chance to live? Since he won''t allow you to live, why not kill him instead?" Darren said with a cold expression.


    "You are too naive. The Inner Fiend''s power is unimaginable. No one in the world can kill him." The monkey thought Darren was daydreaming.


    "What about Barnes the Holy? If Barnes the Holy regains his power, won''t he be able to kill the Inner Fiend?"


    Darren''s words helped the monkey see a new possibility.


    "Now, I know where Barnes the Holy is. If I can rescue him, I believe he will find a way to find the Inner Fiend and kill him. Am I right?"


    Darren realized that the monkey he saw in the Devil Den was not the Inner Fiend, but Barnes the Holy!


    "What you suggest makes sense. But how will we break the suppression power on Barnes the Holy? It will be no less challenging than killing the Inner Fiend. Besides, I''m afraid that when Barnes the Holy regains his strength, he will want to kill me, as well."


    "But why would Barnes the Holy want to kill you? There is no reason," Darren said with furrowed brows.

 Chapter 823 Asking You To Help Me

    "Think of it this way. Barnes the Holy had the chance to kill the Inner Fiend at that time. But because of my mutation, he failed. His hatred for me is even stronger than the Inner Fiend''s. He absolutely wants to kill me," the monkey said. He smiled bitterly.


    Darren pondered on this for a while before realizing that the monkey was correct.


    Barnes the Holy had turned into a madman. With his fiendish nature unchecked, Barnes would not let the mutated monkey go.


    "We''ll figure it out after I get you out," Darren reassured.


    The monkey closed his eyes and nodded in silence.


    Darren then went to Augustine''s place.


    "Come here, Darren, let''s have some drink together." Augustine had the alcohol prepared already as he waited for Darren.


    Unable to resist the temptation of delicious alcohol, Darren drank several bowls in a row.


    "Darren, I have to show you something funny after this," Augustine said mysteriously.


    A graceful figure suddenly sprung out, grabbing Augustine''s ear.


    "Brother, you''re going to that place again? If you dare go there, I will tell Aunt Caroline," Naomi said angrily.


    "Ouch! Stop pinching my ear, my sister. I''ll be with Darren, and he''s strong. There''s nothing to be afraid of." Augustine cried out in pain, struggling to slip out of his sister''s grasp.


    "No. Aunt Caroline has already warned us not to mess with anyone there. We don''t want to get in trouble, so no one is allowed to go there," she insisted.


    "All right, all right. I won''t go." Augustine shrugged her off.


    Naomi was seemingly appeased by this. "Good."


    Darren shook his head and picked up another bowl of alcohol. "Come on, let''s stop arguing and drink instead."


    Feeling quite down, Augustine drank ten bowls in a row.


    Naomi noticed this immediately. "Well, it seems that you are not convinced. I''ll tell Aunt Caroline right away."


    "Please don''t, Naomi. You''re totally right. I promise I won''t go," Augustine pleaded.


    "You better keep your promise then," Naomi replied.


    Hot air suddenly came blowing inside the cottage. It brought with it a fiery red figure who turned out to be Caroline.


    "What are you two arguing about? Naomi, stop bullying your brother," she said.


    "It''s not my fault, Aunt. I was just stopping him from going to the Shura Abyss," Naomi protested. Unknowingly, she had blurted out Augustine''s previous plans.


    Darren was silent all this time, but he couldn''t help but perk up at the mention of "Shura Abyss." He was suddenly curious.


    "You are not allowed to go there," Caroline reminded Augus


    on, it would take him three years to get out of it. The monkey would have been roasted dry by then. Darren hit himself in the head.


    "I must save him first."


    Darren quickly headed back to the cottage.


    "Aunt Caroline, I have something to tell you," Darren called out respectfully. The beautiful fiery red figure appeared.


    "Are you having trouble understanding the skill?" Caroline asked.


    "No, everything''s going smoothly as planned. I was just hoping to ask a favor."


    Caroline nodded her head sagely. "Very well. What is it then?"


    "I want you to release the monkey."


    "What?" Caroline''s expression morphed so suddenly at Darren''s request.


    "You said that he is your enemy and yet you''re asking me to release him. Were you lying to me before?"


    "No, no, no! Please don''t get me wrong, Aunt Caroline. I wasn''t deceiving you when I said that he was my enemy. But I had talked to the monkey after and found him pitiful. He was only searching for the Inner Fiend of Barnes the Holy. He meant no harm this time. So please, have mercy on him," Darren explained.


    Caroline was adamant. "The monkey can be devious and cunning. Don''t let him trick you."


    "He wasn''t trying to trick me. I''m sure of it," Darren said confidently.


    "Fine. Since you have agreed to help me, I shall grant you this favor in return. However, this is the third time that I have forgiven the monkey. If he dares break into my island again, I will spare him no mercy then."


    "Thank you, Aunt Caroline. I will let him know." Darren cupped his hands together in gratitude.


    "Go find Naomi. She can unlock the lock."


    "Okay, I am going now. Thank you very much."


    Wasting no time, Darren flew to Naomi''s residence.

 Chapter 824 The Monkey Changed His Attitude

    Darren landed in front of Naomi''s cottage.


    "Naomi, I need your help." Anxiety laced Darren''s voice as he called the girl.


    A beautiful figure quickly flew out.


    "What do you want?"


    "Help me release the monkey." Darren came straight to the point.


    "No way!" Naomi shook her head. Then she said, "The monkey is fierce. Aunt Caroline won''t be happy if I release him."


    "I have already spoken with Caroline, and she agreed," Darren said.


    "Really? Wait, let me check." Naomi glared at Darren suspiciously before using her spiritual sense to speak with her aunt.


    "Well, it seems that you are right. She has agreed to spare the monkey. But, if you want my help, you have to give me something in return, ha-ha." Naomi smiled. Mischief danced in her beautiful eyes as she teased Darren.


    Darren laughed before releasing a sigh of resignation. "Okay. What do you want?"


    "I haven''t thought of anything yet. How about I tell you later?"


    "Agreed. Now, come with me. We''d better go as soon as possible, or the monkey will die." Darren turned and set off.


    The monkey had been grilled for so long that his body was completely charred. It was hard to detect his breath of life.


    Naomi made a complex gesture with her hands and muttered mysterious incantations.


    Runes flew out, one by one from her fingers. After a moment, the rope on the monkey loosened. Darren flew to catch the monkey before he fell to the ground.


    "Okay, it''s done."


    "Thank you."


    "Don''t forget! You owe me a favor. I''m going to practice my skills now. Bye!" Naomi left without another word.


    Darren placed the monkey on the ground and infused spiritual energy into his body to heal his wounds.


    After three days, the monkey''s body returned to normal. He even grew new skin!


    "How are you feeling?"


    "Well¡­" the monkey said as he opened his eyes. "You really saved me."


    It had been over two months since they last spoke. Even though Darren had assured the monkey that he would rescue him, the monkey thought that Darren was lying. Now that he had been saved, the monkey knew that Darren was trustworthy.


    "Of course! I always keep my promises. It''s my principle," Darren replied with a smile.


    "Thank¡­" The monkey was too shy to express his gratitude, so he swallowed the word "you."


    Half a month later, the monkey had completely recovered.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    One day, as the monkey and Darren were talking, a hot wind swept past them. In a flash, a fiery red shadow appeared. It was Caroline.


    "Sizz!" The monkey gritted his teeth and jumped up from the ground.


    "What? Would you like to fight me again?" Caroline a


    w moves to complete his comprehension.


    The monkey, led by Augustine and Naomi, flew for over two hundred thousand kilometers. As they left the island, a scarlet rock wall appeared before them.


    There was a gap several kilometers wide beneath the surface of the precipice, and the inside appeared bottomless. Blood light rushed out of the abyss and shot straight toward the sky.


    The monkey knelt in front of the precipice and looked down.


    Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!


    He heard the desperate whistling of a phoenix.


    "As she has transformed into her real body, she must be in trouble," the monkey said with a grin.


    Before the others could react, he jumped into the bottomless blood abyss.


    The monkey was familiar with this place. Darren had reported seeing the Inner Fiend and bringing him here. The monkey had intended to enter the Shura Abyss as he thought that the Inner Fiend was hiding here. That was why he had come to visit the island where Caroline lived.


    As he continued to fall toward the bottom, a huge force burst out and hit the monkey.


    Since the monkey was one of the top talents, the considerably weaker power didn''t bother him.


    After a long while, the red rock walls disappeared, and the monkey finally reached an open underground space.


    Ten kilometers away, a stream of blood light shot into the sky, and Caroline''s light red flames flew out.


    The monkey flashed and rushed toward that direction.


    A flaming phoenix was wildly fighting with a blood-red figure.


    "Go to hell!"


    The blood-red figure held a long spear and suddenly stabbed her.


    "Tweet, tweet, tweet!"


    As the blood light pierced the phoenix, her feathers scattered. She looked very embarrassed.


    "Do you need my help?"


    the monkey asked.

 Chapter 825 Crush

    Caroline, the phoenix, felt relieved to see the monkey.


    "Help me get rid of him!" she said in a sharp voice.


    As soon as the scarlet figure saw the monkey coming, his attacks on the phoenix grew fiercer. He could sense the monkey''s strong aura.


    But the monkey didn''t move immediately.


    "If I help you, that means you''ll write off your grudge on me," he bargained.


    "Come on, monkey! It''s not the time to talk about this. Help me out first, or I''ll die here!" the phoenix shouted. Her anxiety was skyrocketing.


    "Well then, I take it you agree to my terms." The monkey grinned.


    He then muttered under his breath, "Devastation Skill!"


    Boom!


    The ground beneath them began to tremble as the monkey''s power began to take effect. A shining stick covered in runes dropped from the sky. The sight of it made the blood red figure nervous.


    With a mighty blast that was powerful enough to break the sky, it rushed towards the figure.


    The blood red figure threw his long spear into the air. It instantly multiplied into a thousand spears, trying to fend off the incoming blow.


    As the two were locked in battle, Caroline turned into a ray of light and charged towards the blood red figure.


    Her pair of wings were sharper than swords, and she used them to stab at the blood red figure. Her attacks were like burning flames pouring out in torrents.


    The blood red figure turned furious. A bright scarlet light exploded from his body and he directed it towards Caroline with the intention of hitting her.


    Then the monkey suddenly appeared behind the blood red figure.


    He bent the stick and started attacking the figure.


    The entire area began collapsing. The stick disintegrated into a million shadows, raining down upon the blood red figure.


    Bang!


    The blood red figure blasted the phoenix with a powerful blow. She fell to the ground upon impact. At the same time, the monkey''s stick made contact with the figure, throwing him backwards.


    He would have crashed into the cliff if his body wasn''t weighed down by eight iron chains wrapped around him.


    "Damn it." His voice was cold and hoarse, mixed with fury.


    He knew that he didn''t have a chance against two such powerful people at the same time. It left him no choice but to flee the battle. "You have ruined all my plans! Just you wait. In a month, I will return and I will kill you!" he threatened before gradually disappearing.


    "What?" The monkey tried to get one last strike on the figure, but it was already too late. He was gone.


    "It''s useless. The chains around him is a divine weapon that suppresses him and protects him at the same time. Since we


    o slowly?" she demanded, coldly.


    "I''m worried that your wounds might reopen if I fly too fast," he explained. "Also, don''t ask me why I''m being kind. I just found out I like you." As he said this, he kept looking straight ahead.


    Caroline was too stunned to speak.


    But her anger came back quickly enough. "Aren''t you satisfied with kidding me once?"


    "I''m serious this time," the monkey replied.


    Back on the island, Darren finally woke up from his cultivation.


    "It''s done. Ha-ha."


    He had finally completed his training and what he needed to do next was to perfect the cooperative combat skills with Caroline.


    But despite his success, Darren could not help but be worried about the monkey and Caroline, so he flew out to see whether they had come back.


    Whoosh!


    As he was about to fly out of the island, he saw the monkey with Caroline in his arms approaching from afar. He also saw that Naomi and Augustine was already there, waiting for them as well.


    "What are you doing? Help me down," Caroline roared at Naomi angrily as soon as they arrived.


    Naomi, completely surprised to see Caroline being carried by the monkey, found herself stuttering an affirmation. "Yes. Right."


    She hurriedly went over to the pair and helped Caroline down from the monkey''s arms.


    But for some reason, the monkey wouldn''t let her go. Despite Naomi''s attempts, he was unmovable.


    "Let go of me!" Caroline said.


    Caroline was embarrassed to be seen in her current predicament especially by the younger ones. Her face burned red, and this time, it had nothing to do with her own flame aura.


    Darren glanced at the monkey, astonished to find that his face was red, too.


    Suddenly, Darren could no longer stop himself.


    He burst out laughing.

 Chapter 826 Practice

    It had already been half a month since Caroline sustained her injuries.


    After seeing that most of her wounds were already healing, she immediately went her way to find Darren.


    All of a sudden, Caroline heard a voice calling her. "What''s up, Aunt Caroline?"


    "Do you know the reason why I went to the Shura Abyss by myself the other day?" Caroline asked.


    "Did the senior holy warrior of the ancient times do anything?" Darren replied.


    "As a matter of fact, yes." Nodding, Caroline continued, "That day, when I was cultivating, I suddenly felt uneasy. I just couldn''t stand the feeling so I went somewhere next to the Shura Abyss to have a check. Out of the blue, I was dragged down by a strange power. I''m sure that the power was from the ancient senior holy warrior. As I entered the area, I found that he was about to break the seal and escape from there."


    "I''m sure he''ll come out in a few days,"


    Caroline said as her face suddenly turned rigid. Once the senior holy warrior of the ancient times got out of the shackles that bound him, his combat power would infinitely increase. If that happened, then it would surely be difficult to deal with him.


    "On the other hand, how''s your combat skill practice going? Caroline jumped to another topic.


    "Thanks for asking. Actually, I''m almost done," Darren replied happily.


    "You have to strive for the best. See to it that every connection between each move must be flawless."


    "Ahem, maybe it is already perfect. How about I show you what I can do. Care to practice with me, Aunt Caroline?''''


    "You read my mind. That''s exactly what I was thinking about." Caroline nodded as she gave a little smirk at the corner of her lip.


    "But who should we fight against? We can''t fight each other." Darren scratched his head as he thought.


    "Ah, no doubt. Of course, it''s him." Smiling from ear to ear, Caroline looked as if she was ready to tear her enemy to shreds.


    A moment later, in the void, three figures stood still, emitting a strong murderous aura.


    "You bastard! Once I rip you to pieces, you''ll know how powerful I am." Caroline locked eyes with the monkey tightly. At that moment, she still held a grudge against him for what had happened that day.


    "You don''t have to remind me. I''ve learned it a long time ago." The monkey''s eyes were glued to Caroline''s. In fact, his stare was so intense that it even made Caroline feel uneasy.


    ''You crazy monkey! How dare you!'' Caroline muttered at the back of her mind, with her sharp eyes still scowling at the enemy.


    "Hit him hard, Darren! Attack him without mercy!"


    Like a blaze, Caroline materialized into a flash of flame and started attacking the monkey directly, without hesitation.


    Upon recognizing Caroline''s skill, Darren immediately used another move that would suit it best. Suddenly, two figures appeared and punched the monkey heavily at the same time.


    "Sizz!"


    The monkey felt the punch and was enraged. As retaliation, he swung the stick that he held towards Darren constantly.


    "Hey, be careful, Darren."


    However, Caroline found that both of their efforts in fighting against the monkey wa


    ice tomorrow."


    As her voice trailed off, Caroline left without saying more.


    "Monkey, how could you be so pathetic. You are powerful! How can you be defeated so quickly?"


    "Well, I don''t care if I get hurt because of her. After all, I find that as long as she is happy, I will be happy even if I am beaten. Is there anything wrong with that?" the monkey asked in a serious tone.


    "Ahem, then I guess you''re under her spell." Darren gave a shrewd smile and left.


    "What did he say? What spell?" The monkey was confused at his words. At that point, Caroline''s every move was all over in his mind. He seemed to find everything about her so striking, that he even found Caroline''s palm dropping on his face so breathtaking.


    "Darren, I want to ask you something." In the cottage, Naomi came in while Darren was drinking a glass of good wine.


    "Sure, go ahead." Darren raised his arms. Pointing at the chair, he asked Naomi to sit down.


    "I think..." Naomi hesitated to say what was on her mind. In fact, she seemed to feel embarrassed.


    "Oh, just say it."


    "Well... Do you think Caroline might have a thing for that monkey?" Naomi found her own words inconceivable after she asked the question.


    "What!"


    But before Darren could reply in full context, a big man''s shadow showed up in the doorway.


    "Caroline and the monkey?! How could that be?! Oh my God..." Augustine''s roar shook the whole island.


    "Hush." Naomi immediately flew over to him and covered his mouth.


    Meanwhile, in the distance, Caroline was sitting in the hut. Hearing the loud roar, she got angry and was even prepared to go down and teach the boy a lesson.


    But after a while, she calmed down. She could not help but feel a little scared as she recalled every interaction she made with the monkey these days.


    "Then, the damn monkey must be driven away," anxious, Caroline said to herself in a low voice.


    Her body flowed with the real legendary beast blood, while the monkey''s blood was complex. Thinking about this, she was afraid that something would happen if the monkey continued to stay here.

 Chapter 827 Driving Away The Monkey

    On the second day, Caroline and Darren found the monkey again. They wanted to practice cooperative fighting skills once more.


    The three of them stood still in the void.


    "Hey, monkey. How about we go at it for real this time? To make it more interesting, let''s bet on it." There was a hint of coldness in Caroline''s voice.


    "Uhh, okay. What''s the bet?" The monkey scratched his head.


    "Let''s fight! If you lose, get out of here right now!"


    Buzz!


    The monkey was stunned.


    "Uhm. What do you mean? What if I win?"


    "If you win, I will leave after I kill the ancient senior holy warrior," Caroline said directly.


    "Ha-ha! But that''s silly. We could kill him and leave together." The monkey grinned cluelessly.


    Suddenly, he saw the unwelcoming expression on Caroline''s face. The monkey felt something was off.


    "Are you driving me away?"


    The monkey''s stomach felt as if it were tied in knots.


    "There is no kinder way to say it. After this battle, either you or I will leave. Let me make this clear for you. I don''t want you here or anywhere near me. Stop importuning, understand?" Caroline said disdainfully without showing any remorse for the monkey.


    The monkey''s head began spinning as if his world was falling apart. He had never experienced the bitter feeling of rejection.


    "Why? I don''t understand. I''ll let you beat me. Just don''t let me go, okay?" The monkey looked at Caroline with longing eyes.


    Darren stood aside awkwardly. He was shocked and did not know what to say.


    "Stop talking nonsense. When will you accept that there is no way in hell that there will be something between us?" she said impatiently.


    "Yes, there is!" The monkey nodded childishly as he stomped his feet with all his might.


    "You are so simple-minded. Are you really that dumb? Since you''re humiliating yourself. You know what? I''ll tell you the real reason.


    We can''t be together because I come from a much more noble clan than you. I am a legendary beast. Your inferior blood doesn''t even set you apart from any of the feral monkeys in the jungle. That''s where the difference lies.


    I''m sorry, but you clearly don''t deserve me. Are you satisfied now?"


    Caroline''s words echoed and lingered slowly in the monkey''s mind like an explosive thunderstorm.


    "But if I practice harder, I will be stronger than you one day," the monkey said while his l


    ore. The Thunder-cloud Heavenly Tribulation Stick was a dangerous move for it could cost his soul.


    "Damn monkey," Caroline whispered. She had not seen that skill even though he was nearly killed by her previously.


    Crack!


    The countless stick shadows were condensed into a lightning rod and rampaged the void.


    "End it!"


    The phoenix flame and the aura of dragon blood interwove into a peerless spear, attacking the shadow of the stick.


    Boom!


    Brilliant rays burst out endlessly and ripped the void. Moments later, everything was tranquil as a millpond.


    Two figures gradually appeared in the light.


    On the battlefield, it saw a colossal dragon and a magnificent phoenix.


    "You''ve lost," Caroline said calmly.


    The monkey half-knelt in the void. It seemed that he was too weak to stand up.


    "I lost, but I don''t acknowledge the bet, ha-ha." The monkey attempted to raise his head and worked up a smile. Darren could see that his eyes were filled with deep sorrow.


    "Don''t be so childish. If you are really a man, you should leave before I start to hate you." Caroline flashed an alluring flame arc in the sky and disappeared in the distance.


    The monkey stared at her elegant figure at a loss. His heart began to sink.


    "Dude, monkey..."


    Darren flew over.


    "I''m really sorry. I somehow used my all-out powers."


    Darren wanted to comfort the monkey, but he could not come up with the proper words.


    The monkey stood up and smiled bitterly, carrying the stick on his shoulder.


    He turned around indifferently and walked towards the sunset.

 Chapter 828 The Toad

    Darren could only sigh as he watched the depressed monkey leave.


    The whole world fell silent as the monkey walked forward in the void. Even the setting sun stained the horizon in hues of red, making it appear as if someone''s heart was dripping blood.


    "Hmmm."


    The monkey shook his heavy head. He felt as if he were sinking to the bottom of the cold sea.


    "Bloodline..." the monkey whispered. "She is noble."


    The monkey kept moving forward, muddle-headed. Everything was so distorted that he did not know where he was. A few moments later, he felt so tired that he landed on an island.


    The whole island was covered with purple bamboo plants.


    When the wind blew, the bamboo grove rattled, but the noise left the monkey feeling even colder as if he were the only creature in the world.


    Unable to continue, the monkey resigned to the exhaustion coursing through him. He fell on the dry bamboo leaves and sobbed.


    "What''s wrong with you?"


    A voice seemed to echo in his mind.


    When he looked up, he saw another monkey''s smiling face. He shook his head as he thought he was out of his mind and hallucinating.


    "It''s rare for you to cry like this. Tell me. Who makes you sad? I''ll kill him with a dozen martial arts skills no matter who he is."


    When the monkey heard the teasing words, he jumped up as if he had received an electric shock.


    His body trembled when he saw the black monkey. He wasn''t hallucinating after all!


    On the island


    Caroline glanced at the sky with sorrow-filled eyes. Her heart felt somewhat empty.


    "You seem to have feelings for him,"


    Darren remarked dryly to Caroline after he flew to her.


    When Caroline shook herself free from the daze in which she found herself, she noticed that Darren was beside her.


    "Don''t talk nonsense. His status and bloodline are poorer than mine. How could I fall in love with him?" Caroline tried to sound practical.


    "You have lived a long life, and yet, you don''t see things clearly. Why don''t you follow your heart? At least, in my eyes, bloodline means nothing. It is up to you to decide who is noble and who is not!"


    Darren disappeared as soon as he finished speaking.


    The corner of Caroline''s mouth twitched as she pondered over Darren''s advice. Then she muttered, "How can a creature''s bloodline be inconsequential? Ah! Does it really matter?"


    All of a sudden, a strong wind swept through this area of the sea.


    The wind cut through Caroline''s island, the area covered in white mist, and beyond.


    Hundreds of thousands


    rough him. Then, blisters grew on the exposed skin. Finally, his wounds began to fester.


    ''It''s highly toxic, '' Darren thought.


    Before he could contemplate his move, several white tadpoles crawled out of the mucus.


    Each of these tadpoles had a mouth full of sharp fangs.


    Several tadpoles rushed toward Darren.


    Darren''s blade and sword intents swept toward the tadpoles wildly, but they didn''t fear his attack at all. His blade and sword intents passed straight through them, hit the bubble wall, and dissipated.


    "No, not good." Darren frowned.


    "Darren, I will cooperate with you from the outside. Let''s use our combined skills to kill the toad."


    Relief flooded through Darren when he heard the secret message Caroline sent through her spiritual sense.


    "Okay, I''ll try."


    As Darren was enveloped in a disgusting mucus bubble with no access to the outside world, he didn''t know what kinds of moves Caroline would use. Only an understanding of each other''s skills would allow Darren and Caroline to cooperate.


    "Let me think. She might use the move the ''Dragon Shadow and Phoenix Illusion'' first." Based on his understanding of her attack style, Darren mobilized his battle skill, and a majestic aura of dragon blood gushed out.


    Outside, Caroline had already begun her fight with the toad. At this time, she seemed to have sensed what skill Darren had used and continuously clapped her hands.


    "Ha-ha, Caroline, you can''t save him on your own." The toad was quite confident in his refining bladder skill.


    Boom!


    The stone man and the bull-like creature next to them were shocked when a powerful force that changed the color of heaven and earth exploded.

 Chapter 829 The Ancient Senior Holy Warrior

    That mighty power of the dragon''s aura and the phoenix''s aura had combined into a more terrifying power.


    The bull-like creature and the stone creature were greatly shocked.


    They surmised that it would be impossible for them to fight against their two powerful rivals.


    At that moment, the toad was the most afraid of them all. Before he could figure out what had happened, his refining bladder had already been shattered.


    His heart felt a sharp and excruciating pain.


    Boom!


    A huge dark dragon suddenly showed up.


    "What! I can''t believe he''s a dragon! No wonder he could cooperate with the phoenix and mix their power."


    "What a pure dragon''s aura!"


    The toad''s heart skipped a beat when he saw Darren''s dragon body clearly.


    "So what? No matter what he is, I will kill him!"


    When the toad sensed Darren''s aura again, he had discerned that Darren was not strong enough. Thus, the toad thought that he could still try to kill him.


    "Finish him, Darren!" Caroline told Darren through her spiritual sense.


    "My pleasure."


    The Dragon-Phoenix Cooperative Skill was overwhelming.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The shadows of the dragon and phoenix filled the whole space.


    "Ah!"


    The toad''s body was instantly wounded badly due to the various attacks.


    "Damn it!"


    By then, the toad was frightened. He knew that his enemies'' power was very penetrating and hard to resist.


    "I admit defeat! I admit defeat!"


    The toad lay in the air and did not dare to fight again.


    "Since you tried to kill Darren, I will not let you go!"


    Caroline swept over the toad with her cold eyes. She turned into a beam of light and shot the toad mercilessly.


    Bang!


    The toad''s stomach instantly exploded. She slapped the toad''s head with her other hand at the same time.


    "Caroline, stop!"


    The bull-like creature and the stone creature shouted together.


    "We four have lived in this sea area for so many years. It seems that you have gone a bit too far to kill him."


    "He''s right. If you kill him today, are you going to kill us as well if we offend you one day?" The bull-like creature flew over and stopped in front of the toad in an attempt to protect him.


    Caroline hesitated and withdrew her hand.


    "Fine. I''ll spare you this time. If you dare act presumptuously again, I won''t hesitate then."


    The toad shrank into a ball and did not dare to speak again. He was too terrified. It felt like he was on the verge of his death.


    "It''s all the dragon''s fault. I m


    he dragon form with the help of Caroline."


    The Shura Force was Darren''s greatest trump card. It was much stronger than the dark gold internal force.


    "Aunt Caroline, prepare for a full blow. I''m going to use my most powerful means," Darren said to Caroline through his spiritual sense.


    "What do you mean? What are you going to use? If you are confident, I can give my full energy to the refinement of the phoenix flame. But after that, my combat power will go down. If I were to use that move, we must succeed at one try," Caroline replied while resisting the man''s attack.


    "If we can''t kill him even if I do my best and cooperate with your strongest attack, it means we''re really no match for him, Aunt Caroline. But I''m willing to take a shot," Darren said.


    "All right. I believe in you. Let''s go for it," Caroline replied.


    With the help of Caroline, Darren kept attacking the man. Secretly, he mobilized both the Dark Force and the Primitive Fighting Force in his body.


    "I''ve underestimated you. The power of the dragon and the phoenix is so impressive. Well then, you leave me no choice. I shall use the Shura Force to kill you!


    Scram! Ha-ha-ha!"


    "He''s mobilizing his Shura Force too. It seems that I have to use my Shura Force first.


    Aunt Caroline, let''s kill him!"


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Darren''s body turned blood red, which gave off an endless light and was much more dazzling than the senior holy warrior in front of him.


    "What? The Bloody Shura..."


    The man was taken aback as he felt Darren''s power.


    "Is there a real Bloody Shura descendant in this world?" the man muttered, with an astounded look on his face.

 Chapter 830 The Monkey And Barnes

    The light of blood was intense.


    Darren kept roaring while his blood light was flowing. As soon as Caroline sensed Darren''s sudden surge of strength, she immediately refined her phoenix flame and her aura became stronger.


    "Darren, let''s launch an all-out attack!" Caroline told Darren through her spiritual sense.


    "Okay," Darren replied.


    "Go to hell!"


    His colossal blood-red dragon body burst out with great force.


    Beside him, Caroline was also ablaze with a bright, burning fire. Her wings rushed out like sharp blades splitting heaven and earth.


    "Your force of Bloody Shura may be very powerful. Unfortunately, you are too weak to exert much fighting power."


    The man woke up from shock.


    "Shura!" he roared. The Dark Force converged with the Primitive Fighting Force in his elixir field, which produced a fit of blood-red force.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The blood-red force shot out along with his weapon, which evolved into countless blood-red spears.


    It was a clean sweep.


    Darren carried his blood-red dragon tail across. At the same time, Caroline joined him in the battle.


    The whole void almost collapsed. However, a moment later, it stopped shaking. It seemed as if it was protected by a mysterious force.


    The blood light scattered in every corner of the space.


    Outside the abyss


    The toad and his companions were so scared that they almost knelt down when they heard the sound coming from below.


    Huge waves that were tens of thousands of feet high were erupted across the ocean.


    "I can''t imagine what a terrible battle it is below!" the bull-like creature murmured in horror.


    "It''s impossible for Caroline alone to unleash such a powerful force. The dragon must have helped her a lot," the stone creature added.


    The toad was full of resentment. He felt ashamed and agitated for he did not expect that Darren, whom he had looked down upon, was not only a dragon, but he was also of such great help to Caroline.


    "Croak, croak." The toad''s entire body had swollen up as he jumped forward and fell into the abyss.


    "What''re you doing? Are you courting death?" The two creatures behind were shocked.


    "I must kill that dragon first before I die!" Then, the toad disappeared.


    Five hundred thousand kilometers away from the blood-red abyss


    Meanwhile, in the purple bamboo forest, an extremely scared monkey knelt on the ground.


    At that moment, the earth suddenly began to shake violently.


    The


    pirit Power.


    It was indeed "Darren" who had recently fallen into a coma due to the many severe wounds all over his body.


    "What?"


    The monkey frowned and his heart throbbed.


    "Sir, why did you beat Darren to such an extent?


    No, your power could not possibly compete with Darren!" The monkey was confused.


    "Do you think I can''t defeat him just because I don''t have the strength? It''s his own fault. Who knows his fiendish nature would get in the way of him. It was not difficult for me to bring down a person who has much fiendish nature,"


    Barnes the Holy said proudly. Darren had come back soon after leaving.


    Barnes the Holy thought that Darren was making fun of him, so he lost his temper and swung his fiendish nature at him. However, he discovered that Darren had no power of resistance. He was beaten almost to death in just three seconds.


    Barnes the Holy had never thought of killing Darren, so he stopped and left him alone.


    When Darren woke up, he wanted to escape the black-haired monkey at once. Thus, he broke through the restriction of the Devil Den. Barnes the Holy was extremely happy. He finally was free! He then followed Darren and caught him once again.


    Barnes the Holy was suspicious of Darren''s strange aura but he did not think of it too much. He just put Darren into his spatial treasure.


    Barnes the Holy did not know that the person he clamped down on was not Darren, but the emissary of the first fiend ancestor.


    The emissary was transformed from Darren''s blood essence. He knew the specific means to break through the restriction of the cave, so Barnes the Holy managed to escape.

 Chapter 831 A Sneak Attack

    "No, this is not Darren!" When the monkey had sensed the aura of the Darren lying on the ground, he realized that it was different.


    Barnes the Holy was already suspicious of this Darren. Upon the monkey''s words, he took a closer look at the Darren before them and realized that the monkey was correct.


    Boom!


    The ground beneath them trembled once more. Clouds in the sky turned blood red in an instant.


    Those were definitely caused by Caroline and Darren.


    "Oh, no. Darren and Caroline are going to kill the ancient senior holy warrior," the monkey murmured.


    "They''re planning to kill the ancient senior holy warrior? But Darren is no match for him!" After a pause, Barnes the Holy continued, "Even at my prime, it would be difficult for me to kill that guy. If Darren meets him, he would get himself killed." The monkey became anxious at that.


    "Barnes the Holy, please let me save him and Caroline."


    He couldn''t possibly let Darren die like this. Over the years, their bond had become strong. The mutated monkey considered Darren now as his best friend after Darren showed him what friendship was.


    On the other hand, the ancient senior holy warrior had eyes for Caroline''s phoenix elixir. Even though she looked down on him, he still wanted to keep her safe.


    This was how much her beauty had affected the monkey. It had seeped into his bones so deeply.


    "If you were still as strong as when we fought in the past, you might have been able to save them. But now¡­ To put it bluntly, you have grown weak. You won''t be able to face the ancient holy warrior," Barnes the Holy said.


    When the mutated monkey was first infused with the Inner Fiend''s soul, he grew a thousand times stronger than he was now. This was the only reason Barnes the Holy lost to the Inner Fiend.


    With his current state, the monkey knew that he wouldn''t be able to help his friends. These thoughts made him feel depressed.


    "Don''t worry. Let me save Darren, okay?" Barnes the Holy offered. His voice was so sincere that it gave the monkey some hope.


    In the Shura Abyss


    Darren''s dragon body was worn out as evidence by the bloody holes in his body.


    Caroline''s bright feathers, on the other hand, had also been greatly damaged. There were some areas where they were crushed and crumpled.


    Across them, the ancient senior holy warrior was also not in good shape. His flesh was torn in several places, revealing patches of his white skeleton underneath.


    "I have to admit, your combined powers have exceeded my expectations," he said.


    His voice was dry and hoarse. It sounded unc


    ss blows at the senior holy warrior until their opponent could no longer withstand them. The warrior had no time and energy to break another two chains.


    "Here''s my chance." The toad was smiling hideously.


    He had finally seen an opening. "Go to hell!"


    While Darren was too preoccupied launching his attacks at the senior holy warrior, the toad sneaked behind him and attacked. He attempted to stab through Darren''s heart.


    Darren was too focused on the senior holy warrior that he didn''t see the toad''s attack coming. He was completely vulnerable.


    Bang!


    A sharp pain bloomed beneath his chest. As he looked down, he saw a huge gaping hole where his heart was supposed to be.


    He turned around to face the toad.


    While Darren tried to recover from his shock, the senior holy warrior seized the opportunity to attack him as well. Pushing back his other three opponents, he focused on Darren.


    A blood red spear pierced through the air and aimed at Darren''s heart.


    After successfully landing his first surprise attack, the toad decided to stab at Darren''s heart again.


    Two powerful attacks were targeted at Darren''s heart at the same time. Darren had no way to escape.


    Sensing that something went wrong, Caroline watched in horror as Darren was pierced through the heart. "Toad! What are you doing? You despicable bastard!"


    Her fury burned brightly, but there was nothing else she could do. The stone creature and the bull-like creature seemed unsurprised by the turn of events.


    They were aware of the toad''s plan for a long time now. All they could do was sigh. "Go to hell!"


    The toad held his front paw up and touched Darren''s bleeding heart. With just one blow, he could blast it to pieces.

 Chapter 832 Talking Too Much Nonsense

    "Roar!"


    The dragon''s roar was deafening.


    The toad touched Darren''s heart. As long as he exerted even a little force, Darren would surely die.


    But at that critical moment, Darren noticed that the long spear of the ancient senior holy warrior was also flying towards him.


    "Go to hell!"


    The toad let out a sinister laugh and began to pierce Darren''s heart with his sharp claws.


    Darren realized that it was too late for him to retreat. He decided to take a more risky move and leaned his huge body forward forcefully to fight back.


    "He must be out of his mind! How dare he take the initiative to get closer to me?" The toad was furious.


    "Humph!"


    Darren was in severe pain. He felt a third of his heart had been excruciatingly pierced through.


    "Damn it!" The toad let out a curse. Darren took the initiative to come closer, so that the toad could not seize his heart completely. However, the lower half of his heart was punctured instead.


    "Humph! Do you think you can escape from my attack that easily?" The toad''s claw was still stuck in Darren''s chest. If he raised his hand for a few inches, he could easily kill Darren.


    However, something frightening happened. Because Darren had moved forward, the spear of the senior holy warrior continued to dash towards the toad directly.


    "No!"


    When the toad came to his senses, the spear had already gotten closer and closer to him.


    Bang!


    The toad''s head instantly exploded into a mist of blood.


    The spear continued to move ahead and went straight at Darren''s heart.


    Clang!


    Suddenly, a stick with runes flashed in Darren''s chest.


    The spear collided with the stick and was immediately recoiled.


    Trying to escape from death, Darren rolled backward and fell into the scarlet magma.


    "Sizz!"


    A figure seemed to step out of the darkness.


    Everyone looked at him.


    "Monkey..." Caroline murmured as she saw the creature.


    However, she felt that the monkey was a little strange. It was different from usual, and had black hair on his body.


    Darren flew out of the magma and turned into his human form.


    There was a horrible hole in his chest, and his broken heart was faintly visible.


    "Monkey, thank you so much." Darren''s face turned deathly pale as he struggled to fly in the air.


    "Of course. If it weren''t for me, you brat would have died." The black-haired monkey looked like a hooligan as he shook his legs an


    nd. However, he was able to hide his true emotions.


    "Barnes the Holy, hurry up. We are running out of time," a voice urged him in his mind.


    "OK. I got it. You are so naggy," Barnes roared. With a flash, he raised his stick and dashed towards the ancient senior holy warrior in the stone platform.


    The stick was so powerful that a gust of strong wind rolled up and shook the stone platform apart. It almost fell down and crushed the head of the senior holy warrior.


    "Oh my god. Time''s up."


    Halfway through the stick hit, the horrible power that came along with it suddenly faded away like the tide.


    Clap!


    The stick fell on the head of the ancient senior holy warrior gently, as if a wooden stick had struck a stone.


    The monkey''s body were suddenly divided into two parts. One had gray hair, while the other had black hair and looked ferocious.


    "I''m sorry that I have talked too much nonsense, bro. You can handle the next part. I have to go now."


    After some dry coughs, Barnes the Holy glided away and exited the abyss. However, he flew so slow as molasses. The people who witnessed the scene were all speechless.


    "Damn it!"


    A bloody light burst out from the eyes of the ancient senior holy warrior.


    Boom!


    He rushed to reach the black monkey and grabbed him before he could get away.


    "Kill me! Just kill me!" The senior holy warrior was so angry that he was lost for words.


    "Come on! I was just kidding! I hate dealing with people like you. You are so easily irritated."


    Barnes had a look of disdain on his face.


    "Please help me. Be quick!" Barnes said sadly.

 Chapter 833 Powerless To Kill

    Out of sheer anger, the mutated gray-haired monkey''s face twisted.


    Barnes the Holy had finally messed up the situation. At that moment, things started to get more difficult to deal with. They didn''t know how to handle the matter since they weren''t able to slay the ancient senior holy warrior.


    "Sir, by any chance, can you please bond with my body again?" the mutated gray-haired monkey asked using his spiritual sense.


    "Cut the crap! If only it was possible, then I wouldn''t have called for help!" Barnes answered eagerly with sincerity.


    Barnes the Holy and the mutated monkey had a strong relationship. In fact, if he attached himself to the mutated monkey, then a part of the suppressing force on him would be weakened.


    But unfortunately, he could not keep being fused with the mutated monkey for a long time. This fusion would only be good for more than a quarter of an hour. If prolonged, then the suppressing force would discover him.


    "There you are, monkey! It''s good to see that you''re still fine!" Darren exclaimed as he was thrilled to see the monkey.


    On the other hand, Caroline took a glance at the monkey and could not help but jump for joy.


    "Hey, guys! It''s good to see you, too," the mutated gray-haired monkey greeted back and nodded.


    "Once I kill all of you, I will eat your flesh and blood for my body''s recovery! Haha," the ancient senior holy warrior taunted in a hoarse voice.


    At that moment, everyone''s eyes were glued to him as he held Barnes the Holy in one hand. They were shocked to see that he had broken one more iron chain that had been suppressing him.


    "Damn it! "


    Everyone''s heart sank upon seeing the scene; all of the people in the area trembled in fear. They knew that he had become much stronger after breaking one more chain.


    "Hey buddy! Hurry up and let''s get out of here!" The stone creature could not help but catch the attention of his peer to get out of there as soon as possible.


    "What are you waiting for? Kill him! Why do you even want to escape?" the bull-like creature said.


    "How could you be so dense? Can''t you see that this guy''s target is Caroline? It has nothing to do with us so why would we even die for her?"


    "Well, I guess you have a point. But what if he escapes and chases us?"


    "I assure you, he won''t. I''m sure that he will leave this place if he escapes, so isn''t it a great idea for us to hide for a few years and then show up again?"


    "I can''t see why we can''t. I guess that''s fair enough. Let''s go!"


    Upon agreeing on their escape plan, the stone creature and bull-like creature flew away hastily.


    On the other hand, the ancient senior holy warrior didn''t want to deal with them anymore, and that was why he didn''t stop them from leaving. He didn''t want to stray away from his ultimate goal of healing his wound with Caroline''s phoenix elixir.


    "What''s your name?


    I''ve let you go just now, so you should do the same to me. In that way, we are even. What do you say?"


    Barnes the Holy smiled mischievously at the ancient senior holy warrior as if


    your fiendish nature! But I don''t have the strength to kill him now," Darren said in a helpless manner.


    "Oh, shit! He is the ancient senior holy warrior. His soul strength is probably not much weaker than mine at my peak stage."


    "But if that''s the case, then what should we do about it? "


    Darren felt powerless. He could barely kill the ancient senior holy warrior who was trapped in front of him now. His power was too weak at that moment.


    "Damn it. I''ll still give it a shot!" With determination, Darren roared.


    "That''s right. The worst thing that could happen is to be shaken to death by his reaction. To me, you are a hero!" The black monkey grinned from ear to ear as he smiled at Darren.


    Meanwhile, the flames of blood light around Darren blazed up.


    Darren''s heart burst as he gathered the Shura Force with all his might.


    "I...I don''t think I can do this. "


    Darren spat out a mouthful of blood. He slowed down as he could not exert any more of his strength now that his heart had been pierced. He even feared that he would die of a heart explosion even before he could reach the ancient senior holy warrior.


    "You coward, "


    Barnes the Holy taunted in a broken voice.


    "Oh, I almost forgot. I failed to mention that there is another Darren and he is more powerful than you."


    As soon as he finished speaking, he released another creature in the shape of Darren from his spatial treasure.


    "What? How could this happen?"


    Seeing his double, Darren was taken aback by the young man''s appearance. He surely resembled him like a clone.


    That man looked exactly like him¡ªfrom the strands of his hair to even his breath, they were the same in every manner!


    "Wake up!"


    Barnes the Holy withdrew the fiendish nature that he possessed on this other "Darren". Upon hearing the command, the other Darren opened his eyes. However, his eyes were different despite being alike with the original Darren in so many ways. Everyone in the area gasped as they saw that his eyes had a haunting expression in them.

 Chapter 834 A Sudden Attack

    Darren found himself enveloped by a fierce beam of light.


    It sent shivers down his spine as he sensed its hostility.


    "Who are you?" Darren shouted instinctively, staring at the man who looked like himself.


    "Talk about that later." Barnes the Holy shrank his stick, small enough to be used to pick his teeth. He went on, "Brat, go to kill that skeleton. This is an order."


    The emissary of the first fiend ancestor snapped his attention on Barnes the Holy. Fear was evident in his eyes.


    The fear came from the depths of his soul as if he was facing the first fiend ancestor.


    But despite his fear, he refused to obey Barnes the Holy''s command.


    "If you don''t move now, I''ll kill you instead," Barnes the Holy threatened.


    The emissary trembled in terror. He felt the intensity of Barnes the Holy''s threat, and his body began to move involuntarily.


    The senior holy warrior was trapped within an illusion where all he could see was his enemies from the ancient times. He could not extricate himself from it.


    But with his strong soul, it was only a matter of time before he could break out of this trap caused by the fiendish nature.


    The emissary approached the ancient senior holy warrior. A wave of malicious aura rushed through him, making him feel suffocated.


    Then suddenly, he began to shake.


    His figure rippled in the air, slowly fading until he disappeared.


    "Humph! He finally made his move under my deterrence." Barnes the Holy crowed, laughing triumphantly.


    Meanwhile, Darren sensed danger lying ahead. After the toad''s betrayal, he had become more cautious. Moreover, the guy looked exactly like him but looked infinitely more hostile.


    With this, he knew he couldn''t let his guards down.


    Buzz.


    The air rippled again, and a white palm appeared.


    A violent aura surrounded it like dark clouds coiling over it. It suddenly shot towards Darren''s heart.


    "I was right!" The attack was sudden, but Darren was prepared for it. He crouched down, dodging the palm but it still grazed at his collarbone. Just right above his heart.


    Its fiendish aura flowed into Darren''s body, b


    as left stunned by the scene in front of him. He could feel the full brunt of Barnes the Holy''s invincible aura.


    "What''s going on? How did he manage to burst out such powerful force? Isn''t he being suppressed by a mysterious force?" The thought flashed through Darren''s mind.


    But he had no time to think. He wouldn''t be able to survive the next attack so he had to move.


    Upon assimilating yet another of the fiendish aura, he swiftly fled. He hid himself under the magma, letting his body recover.


    However, due to his desperate effort to escape, a part of his healed heart collapsed once again. The strain was too much on his battered body.


    Nonetheless, he didn''t dare stop. He kept going underground, covering a hundred thousand kilometers in an instant.


    He knew he couldn''t relax. His duplicate was sure to be on his trail right at this moment.


    Meanwhile, a vortex disturbed the stretch of the northern area of the Raksa Sea. Blood red magma then shot out from deep within the sea, burning the ancient sea in bright light.


    It was followed by a dark power, soaring right into the sky. It was the fiend power which could suppress the whole world.


    The sea became uneasy and restless by the sudden burst of power.


    Meanwhile, at the foot of a huge mountain, forty thousand kilometers under the sea, a monkey with golden hair looked up. The image of a black monkey was reflected in his eyes.

 Chapter 835 The Crystal Of Barnes the Holy

    "It''s him!"


    the golden monkey roared, sending shockwaves across the seafloor.


    A rod laden with golden runes was on the black mountain behind him. It shone momentarily but after a few seconds, it dimmed gradually.


    "No! He has regained his strength!"


    The golden monkey was aghast.


    The Order Inscription in the black iron chain that bound him shone, suppressing his fierce aura.


    "Argh!"


    The golden monkey struggled and struggled. He tried his hardest to get free but he could not.


    A black wheel suddenly appeared on the mountain and streaks of Order Inscription glowed on its surface. A force passed through the long chain and hit on the golden monkey.


    "Hiss!"


    The golden monkey bared his fangs in anguish.


    He rolled on the ground, groaning in pain.


    His pain continued until he was stripped of all his fiendish aura.


    He knelt on the ground, succumbing to the energy around him.


    At the north of the Raksa Sea, huge, rolling waves and scarlet magma toppled over each other ferociously. Smoke billowed into the sky, signaling destruction and devastation.


    Underground, the dodecahedral crystal outshone the shadow of the gray pyramid with its power.


    Far away in the forbidden area, blood gushed out like a river and the first fiend ancestor''s roar awoke all the witchers.


    "His strength has weakened a little!"


    They unleashed Witcher Power to suppress the fiend and they were astonished at their discovery.


    "I thought I was dreaming when I felt that his power had weakened. It seems that someone was indeed able to suppress his strength!"


    "Who is this warrior, and how has he gained such magnificent power?"


    one witcher asked excitedly.


    Back underground, Barnes the Holy stood in stunned silence.


    He stared at the dodecahedral crystal and tears filled his eyes.


    It was as if he was seeing the light of hope itself, and his heart swelled with emotion.


    The crystal spun around, faster and faster. With a gentle hiss, it implanted itself into Barnes the Holy''s mind. He felt enlightened.


    "Yes, I understand. I finally understand," Barnes the Holy murmured. "As long as I find him, I may be able to e


    dral crystal began to tremble. Tiny cracks appeared on its surface as it shook.


    "What?" Darren''s senses tingled. This guy was going to destroy his own crystal!


    While the tetrahedral crystal was not as powerful as the hexahedral crystal, it could still pack quite a punch. If it exploded, it would level an entire city.


    Whoosh!


    Darren''s dragon body surged forward and he aimed his tail at the head of the fiend emissary.


    Bang!


    Darren''s enemy was sent flying. His head cracked in half as he landed.


    "Something is not right!"


    Darren stared at the crystal. Light spilled out of its cracks. It was about to burst!


    Darren ran as fast as he could.


    However, no matter how far he went, the crystal followed Darren.


    Boom!


    The crystal shattered. Darren was blinded by the blast.


    Darren felt an excruciating pain crawling throughout his body.


    Darren immediately sensed that the light was full of fiendish aura!


    "Assimilate! Assimilate! Assimilate!"


    Darren frantically called upon his Assimilation Skill, trying his best to assimilate the aura.


    However, the aura had already begun to attack Darren. It gnawed at his body, threatening to tear it into pieces.


    "Argh!"


    Darren roared in pain as his skin ripped apart. He felt himself blacking out.


    Buzz.


    Before succumbing to the darkness, Darren took a last glance up. When he did, he saw a dodecahedral crystal humming and pulsating in the air.

 Chapter 836 One Hundred Thousand Senior Holy Warriors

    The dodecahedral crystal encircled Darren and prevented the terrifying fiendish aura released from the explosion from hitting him.


    The waves of runes that shot out from the dodecahedral crystal dispersed the fiendish aura, turned the aura into the most original power, and then disappeared.


    Barnes the Holy appeared in front of Darren.


    "Ha-ha, the fiendish aura can mobilize my Fake God Character." Barnes the Holy was indeed very excited.


    His Fake God Character had appeared twice in a row because of the fiendish aura. This kind of fiendish aura could awaken his most primitive instinct, and he could attack his rivals with the Fake God Character. Even the mysterious power that suppressed him was ineffective now. No wonder Barnes the Holy was excited!


    Barnes the Holy thought that if he found the fiend who had condensed a gray pyramid shadow to battle him a moment ago, he might even remove the suppressive force in his body and return to his peak.


    The thought put Barnes the Holy in a good mood. Soon, he lifted Darren and flew upward.


    Although they had been flying for three days and nights, Barnes the Holy still couldn''t leave the magma.


    "Damn it! My Fake God Character is ineffective now. My speed is too slow,"


    Barnes the Holy muttered as frustration coursed through him.


    "Well¡­" Darren woke after a light snort.


    After speaking with Barnes the Holy, he learned that at the last minute, it was Barnes the Holy who had saved him.


    "Where''s that guy who resembles me?" Darren suddenly remembered that although the fake Darren had detonated the crystal, he hadn''t died.


    "He ran away."


    "Why didn''t you catch him?" Darren was unhappy when he heard the news.


    "Brat, don''t be so presumptuous. I saved your life twice. How dare you ask for more favors?"


    "Ahem." Darren was rendered speechless by Barnes the Holy''s arrogance.


    "Where are the monkey and Caroline?" Darren asked despite Barnes the Holy''s uncivil nature, as he was anxious about his friends.


    "Go and find them yourself. I have to leave now," Barnes the Holy declared before he turned to depart.


    "Okay." Darren flashed toward the space under the ground.


    "Come back! Take me with you!" Barnes the Holy shouted.


    "I thought you are too busy to help me. Isn''t that the case? Or were you lying?" Darren laughed as he flew back.


    "Fuck off! I''m not busy now. Take me with you." If Barnes the Holy wanted to fly out of the magma, it would tak


    power after two months. Then he can kill you with one finger,"


    Darren taunted as he wanted to trick the senior holy warrior to reveal more secrets.


    "The black monkey has astonishing potential. But when one hundred thousand ancient senior holy warriors return, we''ll be able to drown him with our spittle."


    The ancient senior holy warrior smiled as he imagined the scenario where he and his companions would eliminate the monkey.


    A brief moment later, when the excitement had vanished, the senior holy warrior realized that he had exposed the secret. Although he was enraged at being tricked, on second thought, he figured it didn''t matter as Darren was going to die sooner or later.


    Darren''s heart thumped. ''Does the River of Forgetfulness really have one hundred thousand senior holy warriors from the ancient times hiding in it?


    If it were true, it would be terrible! And their purpose is to occupy the whole world?''


    Darren''s instinct told him that conquering the world was not their real purpose. It was so unrealistic. There must be a deeper reason for their actions.


    "Don''t even think about it. As far as I''m concerned, you have been suppressed for so long that you''ve lost your mind. There can''t be one thousand senior holy warriors in the world, let alone one hundred thousand," Darren sneered.


    "Don''t be silly, brat. I know you''re trying to bait me." The ancient senior holy warrior looked at Darren disdainfully.


    "So what?"


    "Well, since you''re going to die anyway, I''ll surprise you, and you could die with no regrets!"


    As he spoke, a black box came out from the senior holy warrior''s chest.

 Chapter 837 Golden Law Enforcer

    Darren stood quietly as he waited for his enemy''s next move.


    After a series of intricate changes, the black box turned into a cave which emitted white light.


    Gradually, the light weakened and the scenery began to change.


    It revealed a peaceful, flowing river. Wild grasses adorned the riverbanks on each side where everything seemed normal.


    As the cave moved towards the flowing water, Darren saw the bottom of the river.


    It was filled with lots of fishes and water plants, but aside from those, he couldn''t find anything special.


    Suddenly, the cave began to move rapidly along the side of the river. It traveled deeper and deeper into the water until it finally reached the darkness.


    Rays of light spread throughout the space.


    Finally, Darren could see mud-covered, human-shaped creatures sitting at the bottom of the river.


    His eyes roamed along the view of the cave. "This is the River of Forgetfulness..."


    Darren''s eyes followed the movement of the cave. In a few minutes, he saw thousands of human-shaped figures sitting there with their legs crossed.


    "Are those all the senior holy warriors from the ancient times?"


    Darren was left awestruck. If they were all the senior holy warriors from the ancient times, then nobody in the world could stop them.


    Even a genuine holy emperor wouldn''t dare fight them¡ªlet alone Barnes the Holy.


    "Boy, I may be strong but my strength is nothing compared to theirs."


    The senior holy warrior from the ancient times spoke up after seeing the stunned expression on Darren''s face.


    Recovering from his shock, Darren asked, "Why do you hide in the River of Forgetfulness?"


    "Why?" the warrior echoed back. He didn''t seem to know the answer.


    "It''s useless for you to know so much since I will still kill you after I swallow the phoenix elixir!" He then gave a hideous smile as he approached Caroline, who was currently trapped in her illusion caused by the fiendish nature.


    From afar, Barnes the Holy secretly watched the scene in the river. His eyes were filled with shock and ferocity.


    His eyes swept over the people in the bottom of the river and found several of them were not far away from his peak period. This made him wary. But he knew he couldn''t dare fight them. They were too powerful for him now.


    There was nothing else he could do except to release Caroline from the trap that confined her. After all, it was only fair that she got out of her illusion when the anc


    kill you!"


    What came next happened too fast.


    Darren could only watch in shock.


    The bronze coffin was familiar to him for it looked like the coffin he had entered before. It even had the same inscription engraved on it.


    How did such a powerful warrior come out of it? He remembered that the coffin only contained a stretch of graves inside.


    The grey-armored warrior swooped down from the sky, rushing to meet the Shura Force headed towards him.


    As soon as his spear collided with it, there was an explosion of light. The Shura Force collapse, paving the way for the grey-armored warrior to attack the ancient senior holy warrior at an unparalleled speed.


    "What?!" Shocked, the ancient warrior tried to flee.


    "Trying to escape?" The grey-armored warrior''s spear flew towards the ancient warrior.


    It found its target, piercing through flesh.


    Then, the warrior in grey armor suddenly disappeared only to reappear once more in front of the ancient senior holy warrior. He slapped the ancient warrior several times, smashing some bones in the process.


    His fingers dug into the ancient senior holy warrior''s chest and lifted him off the ground.


    Despite having recovered sixty percent of his strength, the ancient senior holy warrior was completely wiped out.


    Darren was stunned. Doubts slowly clawed inside him.


    Whoosh!


    Just before the warrior in grey armor entered the bronze coffin with the ancient senior holy warrior in his hand, his gaze landed on Darren. Their eyes met. There was an unreadable expression on the grey-armored warrior''s face, but he was gone before Darren could even make sense of it.

 Chapter 838 Celebration

    This space was filled with billowing smoke and echoed with the sound of the sea waves.


    Darren and the others hovered in midair, unable to calm down. The threat of death appeared and disappeared suddenly.


    No one had expected that a strong warrior would suddenly rush out and take the ancient senior holy warrior away.


    Barnes the Holy flew in front of Darren and others. He peered into the void for quite a while.


    "Hiram Hao was indeed powerful. It is a pity that he died too early," Barnes the Holy murmured to himself.


    "Hiram Hao?" Darren asked as he also peered into the void.


    "Brat, haven''t you heard of the savior of this world?" Barnes the Holy sneered.


    "Hiram the Great!" Only then did Darren realize that Barnes the Holy had lived longer than Hiram the Great. And since Barnes the Holy had not died, he must have heard about Hiram the Great.


    Barnes the Holy turned and glared at Darren.


    "That brat was way more powerful than you."


    "Darren is not an ordinary man. He achieved this strength in just over a hundred years. Few people in the world can do that," the monkey stated after he landed beside them.


    "I don''t think so. You don''t have enough experience." Barnes the Holy turned and said, "If it hadn''t been for the restriction of ages, Hiram would have been an invincible man in his era. He was almost as powerful as me."


    "Ahem," Darren coughed. Then he said, "Barnes the Holy, are you praising yourself?"


    "So what? You don''t think I''m powerful?


    I will beat you!"


    Barnes the Holy then flew to Darren and attacked him with a dozen punches.


    "Your hands are swollen again. Please take care of yourself, Barnes the Holy." The monkey was tired of all this bickering and wanted to stop Barnes the Holy.


    "Awesome! Barnes the Holy was the most invincible cultivator in one era. Of course, he is powerful!" Darren patronized with a smile, which made Barnes the Holy unhappy.


    "I will beat..."


    "That''s enough, Barnes the Holy. Although you are not afraid of pain, your hands have swollen like pig''s feet. Please tell us the story about Hiram the Great and the origins of the bronze coffin.


    I believe the warrior in the grey armor is as powerful as you when you were at your peak, right?"


    Darren said to stop Barnes the Holy who was rushing to attack him again.


    "Ha-ha," Barnes the Holy could not help but laugh. Then he said, "Do you think that guy can compare with me? No matter how many people as powerful as he attack me, I will kill them all."


    "Fin


    After a while, he had finished a jar of the spirits. Augustine''s eyes widened, and his heart lurched.


    "Barnes the Holy, please drink slowly. You will not be able to enjoy the taste if you drink so fast," Naomi said with a giggle.


    "This little phoenix looks lovely too. How old are you? Let me examine you later, okay?" Barnes the Holy squinted his eyes and laughed.


    "Behave yourself!" Naomi''s face darkened.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The black monkey was thrown out of the cottage.


    "Fuck!" Barnes the Holy stood and went back to the cottage. He glared at everyone and asked, "Why did you do that? How many times do I have to tell you that I''m just joking?


    Damn it! Since you don''t like my jokes, I won''t embarrass myself. I will punish myself with three jars of spirits as an apology. Then you can toast me with three jars of spirits as an apology. Is that acceptable?


    You idiots! How dare you punish me for drinking alcohol?"


    In the blink of an eye, Barnes the Holy rushed into a big vat and started to drink. Everyone was aghast when they saw how quickly the alcohol in the vat decreased.


    "Barnes the Holy, you are so shameless. Leave some for me," Augustine said with dismay. Darren could beat Barnes the Holy, but Augustine dared not.


    "Hey, are you insulting me? Did you imply that I drink too much? How dare you? Now you have to be punished. You will have to drink this vat of the spirits," Barnes the Holy said through gritted teeth as he glared at Augustine. "However, considering that you are young and thoughtless, I will help you to drink it. Am I merciful?"


    After saying that, Barnes the Holy jumped into another vat and began to drink.

 Chapter 839 The Immortal Assimilating Bug

    After spending several days on the island, Augustine''s spirits were almost consumed up, drunken by Barnes the Holy.


    But in the next few days, Barnes the Holy would become irritable and uneasy because he didn''t have any spirits to drink.


    "Sizz!" Barnes the Holy rubbed his body against the bark while hanging on a tree.


    "It''s all your fault! Who let you drink all of the spirits that was left?" Darren said, smiling.


    "Who knows how much spirits that little bird had? Catch him and beat him up! He must have hidden some spirits," Barnes the Holy hatefully said.


    "I''m not addicted to the spirits. I''m okay if I don''t drink it. And I don''t care if he hides it or not." Darren laughed off as he prepared to leave.


    "Dear Darren, please don''t go. We have to discuss something."


    Hearing Barnes the Holy call him "Dear Darren," Darren was stunned and thought, ''Is this alcohol really magic?'' Barnes the Holy jumped down from the tree he was in.


    "He doesn''t have any more spirits. He has collected it for thousands of years, and you have drunk it all up."


    As they talked, Augustine carefully walked past them and carried a leaf in his hands.


    He was licking the leaf while he walked.


    "Yummy." Augustine licked his lips clean, enjoying the leaf''s flavor.


    "See that! I told you he had more!"


    Barnes the Holy could smell the alcohol from a distance. The scent was so strong.


    "You little brat! Show me your alcohol or I will kill you!" Barnes the Holy stopped Augustine. Obsessed with the alcohol, Augustine licked the drops of alcohol that were on the leaf.


    "No. There''s nothing left. I drank it all up. There were droplets on this leaf, but I drank them up as well." Augustine felt satisfied to lick off the alcohol on the leaf.


    "I will beat you!"


    They fought for a long time. The hands and feet of Barnes the Holy got swollen even though Augustine didn''t use any power.


    "Monkey, come here! Someone is bullying your brother!" Barnes the Holy shouted. The mutated monkey immediately appeared.


    Seeing the two twisted together, the monkey wanted to kick Barnes the Holy.


    In the monkey''s memories, Barnes the Holy was an unruly and indomitable person who would never yield to anyon


    ved it for a while and felt it. A weird expression appeared on his face.


    "What kind of spiritual energy does this assimilate?"


    Seconds later, he jumped up from the ground! His eyes looked very shocked.


    Darren had never seen Barnes the Holy shocked like this before.


    "Why? What''s wrong?" Darren asked as he realized that there was something wrong.


    "Immortal Assimilating Bug..." Barnes the Holy murmured. He cautiously placed the bug on the vat.


    All of a sudden, the bug in the vat sprang to life.


    "Help!"


    Barnes the Holy calmly called out. Both Darren and Augustine didn''t understand what was going on.


    "What on earth is happening?"


    Darren strode over and picked up a white bug. He found nothing special when he examined it.


    "Does this bug possess the immortal aura?"


    "If I am not mistaken, there must be a piece of Immortal Character under the vat." The expression of Barnes the Holy''s face had begun to look more serious.


    "Immortal Character?" Darren was slightly shocked. "Then what are you afraid of?" he asked.


    "Will you be afraid if they wanted to assimilate you?" Barnes the Holy pointed at the white bugs that were climbing towards him. His face looked deathly pale.


    "What?"


    Darren stepped forward. He was confused.


    He felt a sharp pain on his foot and found blood all over the ground.


    The bugs didn''t continue biting Darren. Instead, they climbed up to the body of Barnes the Holy, reaching the very top of his head.

 Chapter 840 The Holy Emperor Paradox

    The white bugs desperately tried to drill into the head of Barnes the Holy as if they were badgers digging up for food.


    "Here. Let me help you."


    Using his blade and sword intents, Darren walked over to help Barnes the Holy get rid of the bugs.


    "Wait! Don''t move!" Barnes the Holy stopped him. "For now, they can''t get into my head. Just don''t provoke them."


    "What the hell are these Immortal Assimilating Bugs?" Augustine was frightened when he saw the pale crawling bugs.


    "Are you stupid? Like its name, it could naturally assimilate any immortal it came upon, especially one''s Immortal Character. They must be attracted to my Fake God Character, which is close to that level. That''s why they are riled up and excited." Since Barnes the Holy had an indestructible body, he could easily resist and heal from the bite marks on his head.


    After fifteen minutes, all the Immortal Assimilating Bugs scurried over the head of Barnes the Holy.


    "Darren, quick! Find the Immortal Character under those broken vats and attract the bugs with it."


    Darren immediately rushed to move the broken vats carefully. He found a dark green crystal, which was the solid body of the Immortal Character.


    Darren moved the crystal with his spiritual sense and then threw it at Barnes the Holy.


    Instantly, the bugs sensed the aura of the Immortal Character and hopped off Barnes the Holy''s head.


    When Darren moved the Immortal Character, the bugs followed step by step. In just a few moments, he was able to lead them away from Barnes the Holy.


    "Phew!" Barnes the Holy was relieved.


    "I was wondering why the wine tasted so good. It turned out to be the bugs'' aroma that stems from its attempt to assimilate the Immortal Character." Barnes the Holy was shocked.


    "You mean to tell me that the crystal is the solid body of someone''s real Immortal Character?" Darren asked.


    "Yes," Barnes the Holy said. "This is a remnant of the Immortal Character of a dead immortal. Fortunately, if it''s aura had not been assimilated by these bugs for tens of millions of years, you would have been killed by the surging rule force of the Immortal Character."


    With a serious expression, Barnes the Holy kept his eyes firmly on the Immortal Character covered in bugs.


    "Really? Then where did these bugs come from? They could even assimilate the Immortal Character!" Augustine was appalled. He could not believe what he had witnessed.


    Barnes the Holy curled up his lips. He pointed one finger upwards and said, "Where else can it come from?


    They are from the outer space." Darren understood at once.


    "Let''s go." Barnes the Holy crept along the wall carefully. When he


    usand years for a normal person to become a holy emperor, it would take Barnes the Holy one hundred billion years. Thus, it was almost impossible for him to be holy emperor.


    "I don''t understand. Why then do you condense such a dodecahedral Fake God Character?"


    "You silly boy. It may be difficult to be an emperor, but it does have its advantages. But I am the most gifted person in the world who has the ability to condense a dodecahedral Fake God Character! Once I become a holy emperor, I will be invincible in this world.


    I could beat a real immortal into pieces instantaneously,"


    Barnes the Holy said proudly.


    "It''s a paradox. You will never be able to become a holy emperor," Augustine added.


    Barnes the Holy jumped over and threw several punches at Augustine. "Brat, even if I don''t become a holy emperor, I could still fight against any true immortal because my power will be neck and neck even with the most vigorous holy emperor there is! Humph!" he snorted.


    "Awesome!" Darren shouted. He realized how formidable Barnes the Holy was.


    "My first priority, however, is to find that bald man who is suppressing me to remain at the basic level of the senior holy warrior. If I don''t find him in time, I will never have the chance to regain my full power," the black monkey said indifferently with his legs crossed. He loathed the man who stifled his full potential.


    "By the way, is this the guy who''s suppressing your power? It had occurred to me that I knew someone who was dressed in a yellow robe. He had no hair on his head, and he looked calm and serene..." Darren elaborated.


    Barnes the Holy raised his head and stared at Darren strangely.


    All of a sudden, he jumped and grabbed Darren by his collar. "Where did you see him?" he yelled.

 Chapter 841 Settling The Score With The Fire Kylin

    Seeing the eagerness of Barnes the Holy, Darren could tell just what kind of power had suppressed him.


    "One of my friends has inherited that man''s cultivation method," Darren uttered.


    A hum went through Barnes''s mind


    and a single thought surfaced.


    That cultivation method had been passed on? This was his chance to regain his power and Darren''s friend was the key!


    "Oh, so that''s how it is..."


    Barnes let go of Darren and started straightening his clothes.


    "Your friend must be quite the looker then," Barnes said in praise.


    Darren rolled his eyes. "Barnes the Holy, I don''t quite understand how someone of your high status can only resort to flattery now."


    "And how the hell would you know? Do you have any idea what it''s like to fall from the top level of warriors? You don''t, right? Don''t call this mere flattery. I will say anything I want and call anyone whatever I want if it means I will regain my power."


    Barnes said this with an air of confidence and a huff. You could sense his resolve.


    "Anyway," Darren sighed. "Think nothing of it. You''ve saved my life on several occasions by now. I''ll tell Finley to give it a try."


    "Wait. It can''t be. You mean...It''s that brat!" Barnes felt his heart skip a beat. He realized the friend Darren was talking about was the man he nearly killed in the past¡ªthe man in white.


    "Yes, I hope you now see the importance of thinking things through before you act. Imagine, if you had killed him that time, you wouldn''t have your chance of regaining your power now."


    "Yes, of course. You are a very wise man indeed, Darren. One of the wisest, even." Barnes gave an almost cartoonish smile at Darren while he said this.


    "Don''t even try. You''re going with me when I leave in a few days. I don''t have any news on the Fire Kylin Clan. All I know is that the Fire Kylin is not easy to deal with."


    Darren had heard from neither Finley nor the Water Kylin in a while, and this worried him.


    Aside from this, he''d been tricked and left suddenly without saying. Finley must also be worried by now. He had to return.


    "What of this Fire Kylin you speak of, then?" Barnes asked, as he nodded.


    "The Fire Kylin is a legendary beast. He too has inherited power from his ancestors and plans on using this to destroy my other friend''s clan."


    "Huh! Have no fear! I will charge forward bravely and slay the beast!"


    "I doubt you''ll come even close. Monkey could probably handle it. Strength-wise, he was on par with the Fire Kylin before¡ªa bit stronger, even, but I''m not sure about now," Darren said this matter-of-factly, but he


    We need to act carefully because if the Fire Kylin sees you, he''ll hide away and build up his power."


    The Fire Kylin would be smart enough to hide away if he saw the poweful companions Darren had brought with him. This would be to Darren''s disadvantage. If the Fire Kylin hid away and built his powers up to bond with the Fire Soul Crystal, he would be too strong for them to defeat.


    "Yeah right. You just want to defeat him all by yourself and take the credit," Barnes said with disdain.


    "Not now, Barnes! This is for the good of everyone. Go hide with the others! Quickly!" Darren whispered commandingly.


    "Barnes the Holy, just trust Darren on this and hide. You''re going to scare off the Fire Kylin," the mutated monkey explained.


    "Hum, you do have a point. I am the great and ever-popular Barnes the Holy, and the whole world cowers at my feet. Can''t blame him for fearing my might. In that case, I''ll let you deal with him first then." Barnes was flaunting his strength again, but this convinced him enough to comply with Darren.


    The mutated monkey flew everyone away. For the meantime at least they could relax and wait.


    Soon, four kylins appeared in front of Darren.


    ''Ok, it isn''t the Fire Kylin, '' thought Darren. This put him at ease.


    The four kylins all gave off a powerful aura, but they were nothing compared to the Fire Kylin.


    "It''s that dragon!"


    They recognized Darren at first sight.


    "Seize him! The king will reward us handsomely if we bring him back with us! Haha!" they cackled.


    The four kylins went into a frenzy. It was their lucky day. They had really only come to spy on the Water Kylin Clan, but instead they chanced upon the man their king wanted to capture the most¡ªDarren.

 Chapter 842 Messed Up The Situation Again

    Four kylins launched attacks as they flew toward Darren.


    Suddenly, the whole sea was covered in flames. It appeared as though their strength was at the top level of the junior holy warrior.


    Darren didn''t want to waste time sparring with them. So, he transformed into a dragon.


    Bang!


    He swung his dragon tail, and a kylin was knocked into the air.


    "What? This dragon''s strength has increased significantly."


    According to the information the kylins had received, Darren''s strength was a little inferior to them. But now, as Darren was much stronger, it seemed that the information they got was wrong.


    Darren had assimilated a tremendous amount of fiendish aura and transformed it into demonic internal force and aura of dragon blood. Therefore, after he morphed into a dragon, his strength had improved significantly. Unless he battled with a master of the senior Holy Realm, no one could challenge him.


    "Let''s use the Four Flames Array!"


    The four kylins were quadruplets and they had practiced a very powerful blood lineage array and decided to use it against Darren.


    At this point, the bottom of the sea lit up as burning flames surrounded Darren.


    "Roar!"


    A terrifying dragon roar caused ripples in the sea.


    Undeterred, they attacked Darren from all angles. Disdain was written all over Darren''s face as he gathered his energy in his dragon tail and swept it toward them.


    "What?"


    To Darren''s surprise, the dragon tail didn''t collide with his target. Instead, the kylin he was targeting had disappeared.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    A split second later, the four kylins'' attacks hit Darren in unison.


    As they were at high stages in their cultivation, the intensity of their attacks caused Darren to suffer.


    Fortunately for Darren, he had cultivated his body strength before and was not that weak. So, his injuries were not fatal.


    "Ha-ha, brat, we become one when we use the array, and you can''t attack us," a kylin roared proudly.


    What he meant was that the kylins could interchange their positions at will when attacking Darren. What''s more, they could shift to any other companions'' position to avoid Darren''s attack as well.


    This kind of array was unique and not easy to break through.


    Now that the kylins had revealed their secret, Darren figured out how to break it.


    "If I attack all four simultaneously, they will have nowhere to escape!"


    "Roar!"


    Darren''s dragon body divided into two parts. In a split second, both parts further separated into four.


    In an instant, several dragon shadows were swimming at the bottom


    ndish natures were quite powerful. So, Barnes could use his own fiendish nature to suppress them to death. He just wanted to frighten them and enjoy the sense of power surging through him.


    "Are you afraid now?"


    Barnes smiled and revealed his sharp teeth.


    "Fighting!"


    Although they were frightened, the three kylins launched their strongest attack in unison. As a result, Barnes the Holy was beaten into a bloody mist.


    "What is that?" The three kylins were even more frightened by what they had witnessed.


    They didn''t believe that they could beat such a strong opponent into a bloody mist. The kylins thought that this might be a trap to torture them even more.


    "Big brother, flee from here! We will sacrifice our lives for you!" one of the kylins said to another.


    "No way!" the eldest kylin said.


    "There''s no time!"


    The other two kylins sacrificed themselves by turning into mists of blood. Then, they covered the third kylin.


    "Something is wrong!" A sense of foreboding filled Darren, and he swept his dragon tail toward them immediately.


    Bang!


    The cloud of blood mist was harder than Darren anticipated. Not only did his attack prove futile, but the scales on Darren''s tail also broke.


    Darren was about to use his most powerful strength to bombard it again, but before he could release his attack, the blood mist gradually disappeared.


    "Dragon, my king will kill you!" a painful voice was heard as the fog of blood disappeared.


    "Alas." Darren sighed. Barnes the Holy had messed up the situation again. And his fiendish aura had showed the escaped kylin that there was a peerless master on Darren''s side.


    Now they would have to deal with the complications of the situation.

 Chapter 843 Would He Do Anything Bad To Me

    "Darren, what are you doing? You''re letting him get away!" Barnes the Holy snapped at Darren. His eyes were accusing as he looked at Darren, trying to avoid getting blamed for the kylin''s escape.


    Darren''s face darkened upon hearing Barnes'' accusation.


    Unable to control himself, Darren went over and slapped the other man in the face.


    Barnes was too stunned at first, but it was immediately replaced by fury.


    "How dare you slap me? You really are looking for death. Come here and I''ll kill you myself," he bellowed in pain.


    The mutated monkey and the others immediately interceded.


    "Don''t mind him, Darren. Barnes the Holy is only in a bad mood. He didn''t mean to annoy you. Also, the kylin is an easy opponent. He can run away now, but we''ll definitely get him soon." Caroline tried to soothe Darren.


    But he was still too angry. "You''re the one who messed up and let him get away, not me. But now you''re putting your mistakes on me? I''ll get you for this."


    "Hey! Don''t take this too seriously. This is all just a joke." Barnes rushed to the mutated monkey''s side, as if searching for protection.


    "Darren, you''re back!"


    At this moment, an old kylin of the Water Kylin Clan flew out.


    He then froze in his tracks, feeling a little uneasy upon seeing the people with Darren.


    Sensing this, Darren made the introductions. "These are my friends, and they are here to help us fight against the Fire Kylin."


    The old kylin didn''t say anything. He only continued to size them up, taking note of how powerful Darren''s friends were. He couldn''t help but wonder if bringing them with him would cause trouble in the long run.


    Of course, his doubts didn''t have anything to do with not trusting Darren. After all, he was the prince''s good buddy. But if Darren was threatened by them, then these people could pose a problem later.


    "Old kylin, if you won''t let us in, then we''ll have to leave with Darren," Augustine said, rather impatiently.


    After some deliberation, the old kylin chose to put his trust on Darren and his companions.


    "You are Darren''s friends, so you are distinguished guests of our Water Kylin Clan. Please come in."


    Everyone then entered the passageway.


    "Did your patriarch wake up?" Darren asked the old kylin as soon as they were inside the passage.


    The old kylin shook his head. "Our patriarch is badly ill due to depression. I''m afraid he won''t wake up until the prince manages to obtain the inheritance."


    "What about Finley? How is he?"


    "He is in closed-door cultivation for now. I believe he has just made a breakthrough recently, so we dar


    ''t know what you are going on about. Why are you so suspicious? I''m a man of principle. How could I kill someone who helped me? You think too much." Then, Barnes laughed.


    "Well then, don''t you want to kill your Inner Fiend?"


    With these words, Barnes froze in his tracks and the murderous light flared back to life in his eyes.


    "I have to kill him." He spat out as a ferocious aura steadily flowed out of him.


    Darren turned around to face Barnes, his confusion evident on his face. "I don''t understand why you two want to kill each other? Aren''t you guys from the same origin? Just like my Rule Soul Avatar and I. He is stronger than I am, but as long as I am in danger, he wouldn''t hesitate to help me. We get along. So why can''t you guys do that?"


    Barnes laughed coldly.


    "Think of it this way. What if one day, your avatar decides to drive your soul out of your body and occupy it entirely? How would you feel?"


    "No, that''s impossible for him to do so. He also won''t dare," Darren said confidently.


    "Young man, nothing is impossible in this world. You just haven''t encountered this because you are still not in that level yet. Once a cultivator reaches a certain level, he starts losing his emotions. He becomes more rational and practical until he is driven by only reason and self-interest.


    Someday, your avatar might become like that. I only advise you to be careful."


    Dread descended upon Darren, but he still refused to believe Barnes. "No, he wouldn''t do that. There''s absolutely no way."


    Silence fell between them as they flew toward the cave where Finley was. Darren was obviously too preoccupied by the topic. He couldn''t help but wonder if his avatar would eventually come to that point as well.

 Chapter 844 The Urgent Need To Return

    The cave emitted a soft light that shone on people indescribable ease.


    Barnes the Holy was standing beside Darren. The expression on his face started to look hideous and, at the same time, seemed frightened.


    The kind of power he was witnessing in front of him was all too familiar. It had suppressed him for millions of years, making him hate it to the core.


    "It''s not him, Barnes the Holy. Calm down," Darren reminded.


    "Phew!" Barnes closed his eyes and took a deep sigh of relief. "It feels exactly like the bald man''s aura," he murmured.


    "Let''s go in there."


    Darren entered the cave first. Finley sat in silence, his legs crossed. He seemed relaxed and comfortable.


    "Check who''s coming!" Darren alerted his friend. Then Finley finally shook his senses awake.


    He opened his eyes and looked at Barnes, still looking very calm.


    Buzz...


    There was a wave of power in the air. It was a strange wave of runes that loomed in the air and gradually surrounded Barnes.


    "Roar!"


    Barnes looked extremely ferocious. His sharp teeth were exposed and the fiendish aura around him formed numerous terrifying faces.


    Darren looked towards the direction the voice came from. But at that moment, he felt that there was nothing darker than Barnes.


    The kind of darkness Barnes was projecting could easily terrify people from the bottom of their hearts and make their souls tremble.


    Darren had no idea what was possibly happening in the dark. All he could do was watch and listen quietly.


    It was only about an hour later when Barnes started to calm down. He was sitting on the ground. His hands were clasped together and he was falling into another state.


    The weird runes came out of his body and flew back to Finley.


    Three days had already passed by. Time flew by quietly.


    "So...That''s how it is," Finley sighed as he woke up.


    Darren had been impatiently waiting for the past three days.


    "What''s going on?" Darren walked over, closely observing everything around.


    "The black monkey''s body has been sealed by Heart Sutra of Prajna. Sealed with eighteen layers."


    "Can you possibly remove it?"


    After a short pause of silence, Finley said, "I''m sorry. I can only intensify his seal. But I cannot remove it."


    "Why is that?" Darren was surprise when he heard that.


    "This cultivation method is created for suppressing the fiends. If it was used to help out the fiends, I will fall into the Darkest Hell and wouldn''t make a comeback." Finley heaved a sigh


    bead in Darren''s Space Ring had started to move.


    "Darren, have you found the medicinal herbs? We badly need it! Hanson is very dangerous now!" The message came from that old man of the Mythological Palace.


    "What''s wrong?" Darren sent a message to the old man immediately.


    "There''s no time to explain. If you can''t collect the medicinal materials within ten hours, I''m afraid..." The old man sighed.


    "Sir, I have already gathered all the herbs. I''ll be back soon."


    "That''s great! I thought you wouldn''t be able to acquire the herbs. Come back quickly."


    After receiving the message, Darren went to explain a few things to the members of the Water Kylin Clan. After that, he was about to leave the Raksa Sea.


    "Finley, I''ll leave everything to you and the monkey. I''ll come back here once I''m done."


    "Be careful on the way," Finley nodded.


    Darren started preparing to leave.


    "Wait!" Barnes stopped Darren. "I haven''t been out of the sea for a long time. I want to go out and have a look. Take me with you," he said.


    "Why should I take you with me? I have something important to deal with. A senior was poisoned by the Death Palace. He needs me there as soon as possible," Darren reasoned.


    "The Death Palace?" Barnes smirked. "I used to beat their leader up," he continued. Barnes laughed in a sinister manner.


    "Right!" Darren suddenly remembered that Barnes the Holy was also poisoned with the same kind of poison as well. He had been caught to the Death Palace, but managed to find a way to come out successfully.


    "I''ll take you, but you have to avoid causing any trouble." Darren had no choice but to bring Barnes with him.

 Chapter 845 Stewing The Black Monkey

    After coming out from the Raksa Sea, Darren and Barnes the Holy wasted no time in flying over to where Hanson was.


    It took them two days to arrive. As soon as they landed, Darren hurried into the cave''s opening where the old man was waiting.


    "Darren! You''re back!"


    Darren took out the medical materials he had collected and laid them all out. "I have collected everything you need."


    "Good. I''ll make the pills right away," the old man said.


    Darren nodded and went straight into the cave.


    He reached the bed where Hanson was lying on. The latter was pale and his face was contorted in pain.


    "How are you feeling, sir?"


    "Not bad. I think I can manage a few more days." Hanson struggled to give a reassuring smile, but his strength was on its last straw.


    "Barnes the Holy, come here." Darren called out towards the entrance of the cave.


    "What''s going on, Darren?" Having not seen the black monkey before, Mathew stood beside Darren in shock.


    Too preoccupied, Darren introduced Barnes the Holy briefly. "Sir, this is Barnes the Holy. Barnes, this is Mr. Mathew Xiao."


    Suddenly, Hanson began to tremble.


    The inside of Mathew''s head also began to buzz in disbelief. Was this really the legendary man? How could he still be alive? And now, there he was standing before them!


    Mathew shot a skeptical look at Darren. "Darren, are you sure?" he passed on to Darren through his spiritual sense.


    Darren gave him a reassuring gaze. "There is no mistake. He is Barnes the Holy.''''


    With that, Mathew stretched out a hand for a polite shake. "Nice to meet you, sir.''''


    Barnes grasped the proffered hand. "You can just call me ''bro''. That would be enough." Then, he moved to stand beside the bed where Hanson laid.


    "Wow, those rubbish surely did it." Something dark flashed through Barnes'' eyes. In a blink of an eye, his fiendish aura covered Hanson.


    "Ahhh!"


    Hanson began to writhe in pain, screaming hoarsely.


    Mathew was immediately on his guard, deeply troubled by what he was witnessing. "What?!"


    "It''s alright, sir. Barnes the Holy knows what he''s doing. He''s been poisoned with the same venom before. He must be driving it out of Hanson,"


    Darren hastily explained, putting an arm out to calm Mathew down.


    It took four hours of agony before Hanson fell into a peaceful slumber.


    "How did it go? Were you able to remove the poison?"


    "Of course not. My ability can only do so much. I was able to drive out large portion of the venom, but the toxic bug rem


    nt and almost barren.


    This made Darren feel restless. Unbidden, Elsa came suddenly to his mind. The bitter feeling of pain blossomed inside his heart. It caught his breath like a punch in the gut.


    Amid the pain, anger rumbled sleepily inside him. Gradually heating up until it boiled inside him. Looking up the sky, he couldn''t help but say, "Immortal, where is she?"


    Then, as sudden as it came to him, he felt drained and powerless. The immortal was a powerful creature. Even Barnes the Holy couldn''t defeat him. How could Darren possibly face such invincible being? The gap between them in terms of power was too wide to possibly overcome.


    Suddenly, the voice of Barnes rang out across the dense forest.


    "Fuck off! Release me!"


    Darren was baffled. "What? Why is he here?"


    ''Did Barnes the Holy come here to find peace as well?'' he wondered.


    A burst of white smoke rose from within the forest. Faint voices began to stream out of it as if several people were speaking all at once.


    Darren dashed towards the source of sound. When he finally reached it, he found himself torn between laughing and crying.


    The black monkey was all tied and thrust up inside a huge iron pot. Fire roared beneath it, happily stewing the contents of the pot as well as the black monkey.


    Two men sat around the fire, watching the pot intently as they waited for the stew to boil. There was a bit of drool coming out of their mouths as they stared. "Elder brother, what kind of a monkey is this? Why does it speak?


    How long before it is finally cooked?" one of them asked.


    "Sixteen hours. The soup will taste delicious."


    "Yeah, yeah." They continued to wait.

 Chapter 846 The Miners

    The longer Barnes the Holy stayed inside the pot, the more he began to boil with rage.


    The men who caught him were martial artists at the advanced stage of the Wonder Realm, but they didn''t seem to have fiendish nature. Thus, Barnes couldn''t use his own fiendish nature to suppress his captors.


    The shame of being stewed inside a pot was unbearable, and it made him all the more livid. If people found out about this, he would die of embarrassment.


    The men looked up when Darren suddenly stepped out of the forest. They greeted him warmly.


    "Oh, young man, it''s such a pleasure to see you here. Let''s have some soup together."


    Darren smiled and walked over them.


    Upon seeing him, Barnes could no longer hold himself back. "Darren, you are here! Kill these people right now! How dare they put me in the pot and boil me!"


    But the men simply laughed at him. "Oh, don''t mind him. This black monkey has been talking nonsense for a while now. He keeps calling himself ''the Holy.'' Ha-ha. What does that even mean?"


    "One thing''s right, though. You are an unlucky monkey and we are all starving."


    "Ah, I haven''t been home for ten years now. When will we finish mining anyway? I hope we''ll still be alive to get home at this point."


    "We''ll definitely get back to our homes, alive. So let''s have a big meal first."


    "Come here, buddy. Sit down and wait for the soup to boil."


    Darren took the empty seat beside the men. The iron pot was just across him.


    "Darren, are you blind? Can''t you see how upset I am?" Barnes kept hollering.


    The men turned to look at Darren, looking sheepish and embarrassed.


    "Buddy, is this black monkey your pet?"


    Darren spared a glance at the black monkey, who was looking more and more annoyed by the second. "No, I haven''t seen this monkey before. He probably had just made up that name."


    "I knew it. The monkey is so cunning.


    Bro, go and shut him up or he''ll talk our ears off. Oh, don''t forget. Let''s put a lid on the pot."


    "Got it."


    Stripping a piece of cloth, one of the men stood up and gagged the black monkey''s mouth shut. Then, he cut a piece of the towering tree and turned it into a lid for the pot.


    Casually, Darren asked, "Hey buddies, why do you boil this monkey anyway?"


    "We have no other choice, you see. We have been mining here for so many years and have consumed too much of our spiritual energy. We need to eat to replenish it, and then we found this monkey, so now here we are."


    "This monkey would help us replenish our spiritual energy


    this to me? You even pretended that you don''t know me while I was being boiled alive?! I''m leaving. Goodbye."


    With one last glare, Barnes flew up in the air, landing on a tall tree, and then jumping on to another, and then another, until he was gone.


    Darren shook his head and ignored him.


    But Barnes hadn''t really left yet. He was simply lying on a big tree, keeping his sharp eyes trained on one direction. Gentle black smoke floated from his head.


    ''It almost ruined my plans, but it turns out my business is just over there, '' Barnes thought.


    Darren was talking with the men.


    The men were all kneeling down in front of him.


    "Sir, can you truly save us?"


    Darren lifted them gently back to their feet. "Of course, now get up."


    The men were thrilled to hear such confidence from him. They couldn''t believe their luck to have stumbled upon such a strong man.


    "Very well. Come with us, sir."


    They led the way to the mines with Darren following right behind them. They stopped when the ground beneath them turned brown-red.


    The terrain was steep, gradually leading them to some mountains where dozens of caves were dug out.


    Thousands of martial artists trudged along the caves. All of them were busy carrying out ores to and fro the caves.


    "Sir, we have arrived." An air of apprehension stirred over them. They couldn''t help but wonder how Darren could possibly defeat their blue-skinned captors. If he failed, all of them would be executed.


    In their hearts, they prayed that it would not come to that.


    Suddenly, Darren dashed towards the mine.


    Whoosh!


    His presence alerted the guards. The alarms were raised.


    "Someone is breaking in!"

 Chapter 847 Destruction Of A Mine

    Several blue-skinned figures emerged from the back of the mines. They all looked fierce and hostile.


    Among them was the leader of the group. He stood imposingly but he hadn''t attacked Darren yet.


    "Who are you? How dare you come and create trouble?"


    Darren simply ignored him and headed straight into the mines.


    "Young man, you are trespassing into the property of the Space-time Palace. The three major clans have a deal with us so now this area belongs to us. We can kill you now if we wish, and the three clans won''t be able to do anything about it."


    Darren finally turned around to face the leader defiantly. "Really? Are you saying that the three clans gave you this land?"


    "Of course. It''s impossible for them to refuse. If they dare say no, we''ll not only capture miners but we''ll also have them all executed."


    At that, Darren sneered. During their conversation, he had probed the ores using his spiritual sense and noted that none of them seemed special.


    This puzzled him.


    But since he had made a promise to the miners, he would make sure that he got them out of there. So he had to compromise. These ores weren''t so special after all.


    "How about this? These are my friends. If you let them go, I will stay out of your business."


    "Hey, you..."


    The men broke out in cold sweat upon hearing Darren''s demands. If he claimed that they were friends, the blue-skinned men would know that they brought him there.


    They were so full of dread that they were almost in tears.


    "Who the hell are you? We have shown you great kindness by not killing you and yet you dare make such request?


    Come here and watch as we kill all the slaves who brought an outsider into the mines. We''ll not only execute them, but we''ll also kill their whole family. We''ll punish them all!"


    one of the blue-skinned men bellowed.


    The miners then fell down on their knees, crying out, "I''m sorry! I''m so sorry! I''m so sorry!" For so long, they had been working hard just so they could go home and reunite with their families.


    But their plans had gone to waste. They were to be executed, and what was worse, their families were to be punished as well.


    Darren, on the other hand, was unfazed. "Humph. This is for you, then."


    Shooting out his blade and sword intents silently, he charged towards the


    couldn''t find anything special inside.


    "That''s strange. The Death Palace has the best resources possible. What could possibly interest them in ordinary metal ores such as these ones?"


    He felt like he was missing something here, so he continued his inspection.


    But in the end, his search was fruitless.


    He took out an ore and broke it into pieces.


    Red light burst out of the broken ore, revealing grain-sized crystals hidden inside them.


    He picked up one crystal and tried to figure out what it was.


    "What is this strange aura?"


    Darren tried assimilating it, only to discover that it didn''t have any spiritual energy.


    Nonetheless, this must be what the blue-skinned men were after.


    "Damn you!"


    Darren heard an angry voice.


    A thin, blue-skinned man suddenly appeared in front of him.


    Darren frowned. This man before him had a forceful aura that was comparable to any powerful junior holy warrior at top level.


    But he only glanced at the man, fearlessly. "What do you want?"


    "You have destroyed the mining area. You will pay for this!"


    the thin blue-skinned man roared, using a strange force to push Darren out of the mine.


    But Darren remained firmly in place. "Is he afraid that I will destroy this mine?


    Well then, I shall do exactly that!"


    Darren''s entire body began to shudder. Energy burst out of him, changing the colors of the space around him. It pierced though the mine until the entire mountain began to collapse.


    "Ahhh!"


    the blue-skinned man roared, and his face turned pale.

 Chapter 848 The Wrath Of The Blue-skinned Man

    The blue-skinned man''s eyes darted around the mining area. Nothing that had once surrounded him was left standing. He had been afraid of this and now that dust and smoke was stinging his eyes, the blue-skinned man felt doom overcome him.


    Despite the blue-skinned man having had control over the mining area, Darren had destroyed everything. The blue-skinned man had thought he could easily defeat Darren, but Darren was clearly more powerful than anticipated.


    "What''s wrong? Did I hurt your feelings?"


    Darren raised his head, looking at him scornfully.


    "You!" The blue-skinned man felt anger rush into his body so fast that his entire body began trembling. His fists clenched and his teeth gritted back and forth against each other. It seemed like the ground beneath him was quaking. Deep in his heart, he felt uneasy about the consequences.


    Even if he were to make it out of this alive, his life would end because the mining area had been destroyed, and the Death Palace would not be able to forgive him.


    The whole reason behind the Death Palace''s painstaking efforts all these years was to acquire these crystals.


    Darren stood casually with his arms crossed. He understood that the ball was in his court and the blue-skinned man could do nothing. Extending his spiritual sense, he probed the multitude of particles that had scattered around the mine.


    ''Hmm... Should I destroy all these crystals?'' Darren thought for a while. Finally, he decided to keep the crystals until he had killed the blue-skinned man and collected them.


    "Go to hell!''''


    The blue-skinned man felt anger jump in him again but his heart sank as he knew he was doomed. He would die in this mine or outside of it, and the choice was not his to make.


    Suddenly, the blue-skinned man moved. Using his full strength, he left a gigantic crack in the earth that spread far into the distance. Pieces of rock and chunks of dirt fell away into the inky blackness.


    Whoosh!


    Darren leaped from the ground just before it swallowed him up and flew into the void above him.


    "You''re running away?"


    the blue-skinned man asked before he laughed and chased after Darren.


    ''Perfect, '' Darren thought, smiling widely. The blue-skinned man''s strength was equivalent to that of a human junior holy warrior, and combing their two skill levels in a fight would have destroyed this land even further. That was why he flew to the void.


    After Darren had gone ten thousand kilometers into the void, he stopped.


    Bang!


    A dark gold internal force appeared and shattered the space, just narrowly missing the blue-skinned man.


    "What?" The blue-skinned man couldn''t believe what he was seeing. Darren''s power was so strong that he couldn''t see a way out. An ominous feeling spread all the way to his extremities.


    As more attacks flew his way, the blue-skinned man didn''t try to dodge the attacks. Instead, he pulled out an axe and swung it in front of him. From the source of the axe''s impact, a dark blue force rushed towards Darren.


    Bang!


    As the two forces collided, colors shot out in every direction and Darren''s dark golden internal force glowed a little bright


    e carefully placed them all in his Space Ring for safe keeping.


    Then, just in case, he traveled deep into the earth in search of more crystals, but did not find any.


    After collecting, Darren flew away.


    Not long after he had left, three figures appeared in the mine.


    "What''s this? Those damn humans! They think that they can destroy our mining area. Well, they can die for it!"


    "Kill! Kill all the human beings!"


    "Hold on. Don''t get too excited. It''s not the time yet. When the holy emperor''s corpse comes back to life, all the human beings will be dead. We have to be patient."


    "But dark-spirit crystals have been stolen. I''m afraid the time will extend."


    "Then we will have to slaughter tens of millions of humans first as compensation! And I know just who took the dark-spirit crystals. It was this human. We have to catch and kill him."


    An image of Darren''s face appeared in the air as he spoke.


    "It''s him!" one of the blue-skinned men asked, frowning at Darren''s picture.


    "Do you know him, Conrad?"


    "He is a talented human. He stole a human girl who possessed great potential that we had cultivated. We wanted to kill him, but he disappeared.


    I didn''t expect him to grow so strong in such a short time. Let me kill him myself."


    "Okay. You kill him then. It''s time for us to go back," another blue-skinned man said with a tired look on his face.


    "Sirs, please wait for my good news," said Conrad.


    "Don''t let the elders and leader know about this. Otherwise, we''ll be doomed."


    "Sure."


    As they stood gathered together and spoke, a human figure appeared.


    "How dare you come to our human territory? Do you want to provoke us?" the human figure shouted.


    If Darren were here, he would have definitely recognized this person. He was Talcott, a man of the senior stage of the Holy Realm.


    "You are right. This time we will not only provoke you humans, we will kill the ants like you." With a flash of glee on his face, Conrad charged at his target, ready to kill.


    Bang!


    With a single strike, Talcott''s body exploded before he could even react.

 Chapter 849 Attitude

    A dead body was placed in the middle of the hall of the three major clans.


    Around it, there were eight angry old men.


    At the front of the hall, an old man sat. The expression on his face was cold as ice and his eyes held such malice that it might have killed anyone with just a glance.


    "I need to know who killed Talcott," he said. His voice was deceptively calm, but it betrayed the anger simmering underneath it.


    "Sir, Talcott was killed by people from the Space-time Palace. I saw it with my own eyes and they even threatened to kill me. Fortunately, a few of my fellows arrived. The blue-skinned men were afraid that you would get involved so they decided to retreat."


    Talcott had just become a senior holy warrior not so long ago, and yet his life was unexpectedly put to an end with just one palm strike. His death was a huge blow to the three major clans.


    By killing him, the blue-skinned people had just sent out a lethal warning.


    "With all due respect, sir, we must avenge Talcott. My fellows and I will gather and hunt down those people from the Space-time Palace," someone suggested.


    The eight people present in the hall were those who held top-ranking positions in the clans. The dead Talcott was the weakest one among them.


    Yorick stood up and said, "In my opinion, there''s no need for us to do anything stupid. We should, instead, inform the Sacred Palace of this matter as quickly as possible. They''ll figure out what should be done next."


    "This has nothing to do with the Sacred Palace! The man who died is one of ours. They won''t give us any support because their strong masters are in the eighteen cities. It''ll be useless to bring the matter to them."


    "The strength of the Sacred Palace should not be underestimated. It won''t be useless to inform them of the issue because an alien race was involved. They''ll surely want to be informed about this."


    "I agree with you. To human race, the approval of the Sacred Palace matters more than that of the three major clans so it is only reasonable that they deal with the problem. In this way, we get their support while also keeping our original agreement."


    "Humph! By fulfilling the agreement, you are giving the Sacred Palace free reign to lead. I can''t agree to that."


    The elders began to quarrel among each other.


    "Stop! It''s necessary to inform the Sacred Palace of this incident. If they won''t do anything, it''ll be a direct violation of the agreement. If that happens, we can take back control from them leg


    corpse, then our human race will suffer."


    "But this also means the Space-time Palace will definitely not go easy on us now. Darren, we''ll go to the Sacred Palace with you. You need to explain this clearly to the lord so that we can get their protection."


    Hanson and Mathew told him this patiently.


    Darren nodded his head in understanding. "Well, we should tell Lord Donald about it."


    Before Darren could leave for the Sacred Palace, Auberon arrived, looking for him.


    "Is Darren here?" Auberon yelled outside instead of going in directly.


    Darren immediately went out to meet him. "What''s wrong?"


    "The senior holy warriors from the three major clans came to the Sacred Palace claiming that the Space-time Palace had killed one of their men. They also said that you were involved in the murder so the lord sent me to escort you back to the palace," Auberon replied.


    "Very well. I''m about to come, too. Let''s go." Darren nodded.


    But Auberon stopped him hesitantly.


    "Hold on, there is one more thing I want to tell you."


    "What is it?"


    "I feel that something''s happening in the forbidden area of Hiram the Great''s halberd. It''s making me very restless. Maybe I''m just making it all up inside my head."


    Auberon had been guarding the forbidden area ever since the first fiend ancestor''s arm was suppressed. Lately, he had sensed something peculiar was going on in the forbidden area, but he couldn''t figure out what it was. He had come to Darren to warn him about it.


    "Don''t worry. I believe in you. Let''s go meet the lord first. I have something important to explain."


    With that, all of them went off to face the lord of the Sacred Palace.

 Chapter 850 Ready To Advance

    In the Sacred Palace


    "Darren, come. Sit here,"


    Lord Donald said to Darren, gesturing him to sit next to him.


    Next to Darren was an old man with such a profound aura. He coldly looked at Darren from head to toe.


    "Tell me why you have to mess with the Space-time Palace. Tell me." Apparently, he was arrogant and contemptuous.


    Darren simply projected a blank face and didn''t answer him. He was waiting for Lord Donald''s questions. Because Darren belonged to the Sacred Palace. He didn''t have to answer any questions from outsiders.


    The old man was Chilton. He got impatient with Darren and hit the seat with his palm.


    "Are you deaf? Answer me!"


    But still, Darren continued to ignore him. He stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "My Lord, I have found something. I need to report it to you privately. The other people here must leave. Those who are irrelevant should leave."


    Lord Donald''s eyelids were twitching when Darren finished speaking. "Darren, this is the elder from the three major clans. You can say whatever you want in front of him," he said to Darren.


    "Yes," Darren replied. He was about to tell them about the dark-spirit crystal, but he was interrupted by Chilton.


    "How dare you call me irrelevant?


    I will remove your meridians and kick you out the ranks of martial arts. You are really arrogant, do you know that?!"


    "How dare you!"


    After being quiet for a long time, Mathew and Hanson stood up, slapped their chair, and glared at Chilton.


    Chilton glanced back at Hanson and Mathew. His face turned ghastly pale.


    He remembered that these two brothers and the one from the Dragon Blood Clan had fought against the Roc Demon Emperor.


    Yorick, the senior holy warrior who was from the three major clans, was also present when they were fighting with the Roc Demon Emperor. After that, he explained to the others the entire process in full details. He also recalled that there was a mysterious sword holy warrior supporting Darren.


    After thinking for a while, his expression gradually softened.


    "You brat! I know there are many powerful men behind you, but don''t get to be too arrogant. Nobody can stop me from punishing you!" He said something just to help Darren get out of such an awkward situation.


    "I don''t seem to have anything to do with you, do I? You act arrogantly as soon as I came here. Why are you doing that? Why are you bluffing?


    I am a law enforcer of the Sacred Palace. Of course, I will report to Lord


    ting on the cultivation in the courtyard arranged by the Sacred Palace.


    In this world, strength was something of great importance. Only if Darren had reached the junior Holy Realm as soon as possible could his strength have a leap in terms of quality.


    Darren''s mind was completely focused on the space of the ancient spiritual crystals, attempting to assimilate the spiritual energy.


    To advance to the junior Holy Realm from the inferior Holy Realm, one had to comprehend a higher level of Holy Will. Accumulating spiritual energy was never enough.


    "My Reincarnation Holy Will is quite useless against any senior holy warrior."


    The Reincarnation Holy Will could only be released when he fought against an enemy with equal strength. Otherwise, it wouldn''t be able to create any effect and would be rendered useless.


    "But if I want to be promoted, I have to enhance the Reincarnation Holy Will."


    The Primitive Emperor had once said that Darren''s Reincarnation Holy Will was not very powerful, but had great potential. Once he entered the Emperor Realm, his Reincarnation Emperor Will would definitely become very strong.


    And if he didn''t enhance the Holy Will, he couldn''t step into the junior Holy Realm. So Darren prepared and comprehended the Holy Will wholeheartedly after assimilating some spiritual energy.


    Before that, Darren also found something unusual. The ancient spiritual crystal space he communicated seemed to have changed a little.


    Black cracks started to appear on the crystal wall of the space.


    "How did this happen?" Darren had no idea that this was the result of him continuing assimilating powerful talents.

 Chapter 851 The Commotion In The Forbidden Area

    Standing in front of the crystal wall, Darren used his spiritual sense to pierce through its cracks.


    He could only see an endless void behind the wall. Everything was completely dark and empty. The atmosphere was so still and undisturbed.


    Darren marveled at this discovery.


    He knew that this was a spiritual space created by his mind. But he could feel that it was real. He couldn''t help but shudder at that thought.


    As he tried to figure out what it was, a thought came up to him, unbidden. ''Does this space have something to do with the small world prototype I''ve developed?''


    The memory of the last time he tried breaking through to the Holy Realm came back to him. Back then, he had comprehended the Reincarnation Holy Will and a little knowledge of the small world prototype.


    ''Or could it be my Assimilation Skill playing some part in this?'' The thought also occurred to Darren.


    After reaching the Genuine Domain Degree, the crystal space had come to its existence. It hadn''t changed since then even though he had been assimilating many other talents for some time now.


    ''Never mind. It''s no use guessing if there aren''t any proof. I''ll just keep an eye on this ancient spiritual crystal space next time when I use my Assimilation Skill.''


    Upon reaching that decision, he turned his attention on comprehending the Holy Will.


    Three months had passed.


    And Darren still hadn''t made much progress with the Holy Will. He was greatly discouraged by this and his spirits were low.


    One day, Lord Donald sent someone for him.


    Darren was led into a hall where Lord Donald sat. There was a grave expression on his face.


    Before Darren could even bow and show his respect, Lord Donald immediately spoke up. "I''m afraid I have some bad news, Darren."


    "What''s wrong? Are the three clans challenging us? Or is the Space-time Palace causing trouble?" Darren inquired, worriedly.


    Lord Donald shook his head. "No. It''s none of those things. I''m afraid Auberon is dead."


    For a moment, Darren feared his heart had turned to stone and was now sinking at the bottom of his guts. The words rang inside his ears, but his mind couldn''t process what they meant.


    "What?"


    While it was true that Darren and Auberon''s relationship weren''t that close, he hadn''t forgotten how he had rescued him from the number nine Badlands.


    With the news of his death, the memories of what they had gone through poured into Darren''s mind like a wave. Tears sprung up into his eyes, blurring his vision.


    Auberon had been Lord Donald''s most trusted law enforcer for many years. In those years, he had proved himself loyal to the lord, never once questioning or defying his decisions and commands. He was not simply a law enforcer, but he was also a friend in many ways. Losing him, Lord Donald was the one most affected by grief.


    After a while, Darren finally composed himself and asked gently,


    make a fine addition in my hunt list," he sneered.


    Hanson only snorted at him with disdain. "We look forward to it."


    Unwilling to talk to these inferior people, Chilton stepped back and flew back to his companions.


    Darren drew his attention back to the black fog in front of them.


    It had swallowed the entire sky in darkness. Silhouettes of ferocious beasts flashed here and there as the fog rippled, but they faded away eventually.


    Three days had elapsed, but nothing unusual had happened yet.


    As hours passed, its ominous aura had remained still and undisturbed, but everyone became more and more apprehensive.


    "Darren, can you sense any fiendish aura inside it?" Matthew asked.


    Darren shook his head. "It''s strange, but I don''t think the fog has any fiendish aura."


    "I don''t feel it, either," Hanson agreed.


    Suddenly, a harsh sound clanged through the air.


    The northern part of the black fog was surging wildly like dark waves.


    "What? What''s happening?" Hanson exclaimed.


    "It''s going after the direction of the three great clans!"


    Darren and the others immediately followed the fog''s direction. Soon, they found several senior holy warriors locked in battle against several beasts that seemed to have been borne out of the fog. However, Darren and the others couldn''t see them quite clearly.


    Amid the clash, a cry of terror pierced the air.


    A senior holy warrior stumbled forward as if pushed by an invincible force. Blood oozed out of his mouth as he fell.


    This shocked Darren and the others.


    A cold gust of wind blew around them. Its icy aura stabbed at them, burrowing deep within their bones. Everyone shuddered.


    "Get the hell out of here!"


    the mightiest of the senior holy warriors shouted at them.


    But another senior holy warrior only shook his head, smiling wryly at them as he dealt with the invisible force attacking them. "It''s too late for them to leave now."

 Chapter 852 Barnes Change (Part One)

    A strange, perilous attack sneaked up behind Darren, but he was able to move swiftly aside before it could even hit him.


    Even though he didn''t feel the impact, he could feel its immense suppressing aura. It was as if he was marked by something evil.


    Behind him, Hanson had stretched out his hand and hit something hard with a loud bang.


    Nobody knew what had caused the collision since their foes remained invisible.


    Hanson''s attack had distracted their invisible enemy and gave Darren the opportunity to strike back by releasing his blade and sword intents.


    A terrifying bellow broke out.


    It seemed like Darren''s strike had hit its intended target.


    The agonized shout gave everyone else hope. This meant their enemies could still be wounded even though they couldn''t see them.


    With renewed vigor, Matthew released his own killing sword intent, pushing it to its highest state. The resulting attack was so powerful that the entire area seemed to have become a Killing Abyss.


    The black fog began to stir. It was like a storm brewing as waves of dark mist surged. The creatures behind it howled and whined, seemingly injured from the attack.


    On the other side of the battlefield, the senior holy warriors of the three clans were having difficulty in keeping the invisible beasts at bay. Their energy was nearing their depletion while some were already severely injured. And yet the beasts behind the mist continued to fight ferociously.


    The ear-splitting wail caught the senior holy warriors by surprise. They didn''t expect Darren and his companions to fight against their invisible enemies with much ease.


    They pondered on how Darren and the others could have possibly done that until it finally hit them.


    "It seems that Mathew''s killing sword intent can somehow suppress the invisible enemies. That''s how t


    l crystal came back to Darren. It just went to show how Barnes was using the fiend''s power to replenish his strength.


    Nonetheless, Darren hoped he could talk some reason into the monkey. "Don''t be stupid, Barnes the Holy. Come out now. We all know what will happen if the fiend comes out. The whole world will collapse and all creatures will be in danger. Let''s be rational about this."


    Finally, a voice spoke out from inside the black fog. "Don''t be silly, Darren. I won''t fall for your words! When I regain my full strength, no one could defeat me, not even the fiend!"


    It was indeed Barnes the Holy.


    Upon hearing his voice, Darren could already sense how powerful Barnes had grown.


    "Was it you who attacked us just now?" Darren roared.


    "Yes, I was just testing out my newly regained strength. Do not blame me for not warning you, Darren. Get out of here, or I will kill you!" Barnes gave him a vicious smile.


    Darren felt a stab of pain that pierced through his heart. Barnes had proved to be cunning indeed.


    He cursed himself for trusting Barnes in the first place. His naivety had blinded him of the evil plans going on behind his back. But it was too late now. Things had gone beyond his control.

 Chapter 853 Barnes Change (Part Two)

    "Barnes the Holy, I know that you want to regain your strength, and I understand why you need it, but please, don''t release the fiend. You know what would happen if you do. So I''m begging, please don''t," Darren pleaded.


    "I don''t need your advice so shut up! I will count to three, and if you don''t go away, I''ll kill every single one of you here." Barnes made a terrifying picture as he held on to his threat.


    Irked by Barnes'' arrogance, Mathew stepped forward and shouted, "How dare you? Come out and surrender yourself! You have seen how powerful Hanson and I are. If you don''t stop now, we won''t have qualms in fighting back until either you or we die."


    Barnes grew livid. Fire flared in his eyes. "You little vermin! I admit that your Killing Cultivation may be a little more powerful compared to those wretches hiding behind your tail. But do you really think you can suppress someone like me who is a senior holy warrior?"


    With that, he delivered a mighty blow at Mathew. The latter immediately activated his killing sword intent to block off the attack.


    Bang!


    The impact from where their powers collided threw Mathew into the air. Everyone could only watch in horror as he fell heavily to the ground. The attack left an imprint of a shadowy, black palm on his chest.


    Everyone could see that Mathew was already badly injured by just one move. It was as Darren had feared. Barnes had regained his strength much faster than as he had anticipated. This explained why even with the combined efforts of the senior holy warriors of the three clans were useless.


    "I haven''t killed you yet because you are a friend of Darren, and I still owed Darren a favor. I won''t be merciful next time, so get the hell out of here."


    rrant." The remaining members of the senior holy warriors had also started displaying hostility towards them.


    All of them blamed Darren for getting them into this mess, so now they wanted to eliminate him.


    Darren suddenly laughed. "You still want to kill me now even when we''re in the brink of crisis? Are you forgetting that you senior holy warriors are appointed to defend the human race? But now you plan on killing a human first?"


    "Boy, don''t try to shift the blame on us. Your words would not sway us!" one of the senior holy warriors said, angrily.


    "I know whether I am guilty or not. But do you really want to kill me because of this? Or are you simply looking for an excuse to punish me for offending Chilton?"


    Darren stared at each of the senior holy warriors'' faces. It was as if he was challenging them. "If you kill me now, then the elders of the Sacred Palace will definitely avenge me. They will wage war against you which will only end badly for both sides. This feud is between me and Chilton, and I prefer to keep it to ourselves. I suggest that you leave it to us to handle the situation instead of involving everyone else."

 Chapter 854 I Will Challenge Him Anyway

    The senior holy warriors of the three clans were stunned.


    This brat dared to challenge Chilton?


    He was only an inferior holy warrior. Even if he had practiced the Blade and Sword Cultivation at the same time, he was still much weaker than Hanson. How could he possibly go up against a senior holy warrior?


    "You''ve got yourself a deal!"


    Chilton was afraid that Darren might go back on his word. He puffed out his chest.


    "This is a fight to the death. I hope you all understand that. This fight is between the two of us only. If either one of us dies, no one must try to avenge our death. Understood?" Darren sneered.


    "Alright!" Chilton became chipper all of a sudden. ''Now I can kill this brat without hesitation, '' he thought.


    "On one condition! Our fight happens after three months," Darren continued.


    "What?" Chilton frowned.


    Mathew used his spiritual sense to send a message to Darren. "Are you crazy? Even if you take three more months, defeating him would be impossible!"


    "Darren, what tricks do you have up your sleeve this time?" Hanson asked. He was under the impression that Darren was making excuses for himself.


    "No tricks! I just want to be able to kill him fair and square!" Darren replied.


    "No way! He has been a senior holy warrior for a long time. Even if my brother or I tried to go up against him, we wouldn''t stand a chance. What makes you think you would?" Hanson shot back.


    "It doesn''t matter. Once I get to become a full-fledged junior holy warrior, I''ll have a chance of defeating him," Darren said firmly.


    Chilton was deep in thought.


    "Chilton, give him the three months before you end his life!"


    After all, Chilton was a senior holy warrior of the three great clans. If he even refused such a small request, the humiliation would be too great!


    "Humph, what if you run away in the next three months?" Chilton asked Darren.


    "Oh, pipe down. Not everyone is like you, you coward!" Darren sneered.


    When Chilton felt as if he were in danger, his first instinct was always to hide behind Mathew and Hanson. However, once he realized he was in the clear, he turned into a pompous creep.


    "You!" Chilton''s face contorted with anger. "Swear on the name of the Sacred Palace or I''ll kill you right now!"


    Da


    e from the forbidden area came from none other than Barnes the Holy," a senior holy warrior replied.


    "Yes, we all felt his power. He is stronger than all of us combined. My guess is he can even go up against the Roc Demon Emperor." Yorick had fought in the battle against the Roc Demon Emperor. He knew what he was talking about.


    The patriarch shook his head and narrowed his eyes.


    "The legendary Barnes the Holy... How could it be possible for the Roc Demon Emperor to compete with him? The Roc Demon Emperor called himself a holy emperor, but he was certainly far from being a holy emperor. Even if he manages to become one, he is still no match for the real Barnes the Holy."


    "So it means that the brat was lying?" someone asked.


    "No, I don''t think so." The patriarch stood up. "Didn''t you say that Barnes the Holy had used a fiend to recover his strength? He should have been suppressed."


    "Yes, indeed!"


    "Ah. Since he has been suppressed, that means we have a chance!" The patriarch''s eyes flashed with a cold ferocity.


    "What do you mean?" The men began to get very excited. Their eyes widened and their pulses began to race.


    The patriarch looked on at the crowd and made a slicing motion with his hand across his neck.


    "Ah!"


    The crowd buzzed with lively chatter.


    "Sir, are you going to kill Barnes the Holy?" one of the men asked.


    The patriarch leaned back into his chair wordlessly. He scanned the crowd for a few seconds, gazing upon the faces of his men. Then, he nodded.

 Chapter 855 Help From Luther

    "Darren, what are you going to do? Why aren''t you cultivating?"


    Mathew asked as confusion coursed through him. It had been three days, and yet, Darren had not cultivated.


    "I can''t make any progress in just three months. It is useless to focus only on cultivating."


    "Then why do you still challenge him?" Mathew looked at Darren helplessly.


    "I''m communicating with my avatar. As long as he can help, killing a senior holy warrior should not be a problem."


    Darren had thought it over when he started to challenge Chilton. If he couldn''t defeat him, he would ask his avatar to help.


    However, when Darren summoned his avatar, he didn''t receive a response. Over the past few days, Darren''s continued efforts to connect with his avatar proved futile as well.


    "What avatar?" Mathew asked as he didn''t know that Darren''s avatar had become extremely powerful.


    "It''s the one that you helped me to condense. Now, he has condensed the Immortal Character. His power is comparable to that of the senior holy warrior," Darren explained.


    "What? How could this happen?" Mathew was surprised.


    He had never expected Darren''s avatar to become so mighty.


    "Okay, then keep trying. I''m sure that he will eventually answer you. Since I know that you have a powerful avatar who can help, I won''t bother you anymore, hah." Relieved that Darren wasn''t alone, Mathew left.


    Darren, however, could not relax.


    Back then, the avatar had to forcibly break the rules to save Darren. Since his essence was damaged, it would take a hundred years for him to recover.


    Even though a hundred years hadn''t passed yet, Darren tried to communicate with his avatar. Concern coursed through Darren when he got no reply after several days.


    "Alas, will I be the only one fighting?" Darren shook his head.


    With his current strength, it was unrealistic to believe that he could deal with a senior holy warrior single-handedly.


    Even after three months of cultivating, Darren felt unable to reach the level of a junior holy warrior.


    "Never mind. I''ll go out for a walk." As Darren had reached an impasse, he decided he needed a change of scenery. Perhaps that would help clear his head.


    As he strolled in the wilderness, Darren felt a little relaxed.


    "Ah!"


    "Ah!"


    Suddenly, screams were heard from the distance.


    When Darren flew over, he saw several blue-skinned men chasing a group of humans and slaughterin


    was by asking Luther to help.


    "Lad, I advise you to mind your own business, or I will kill you as well," Conrad shouted at Luther.


    "Over the years, many people have wanted to kill me, but none of them have succeeded." Luther''s voice was cold as he released powerful killing intent.


    "You! I''m from the Space-time Palace. If you dare to hurt me, you''ll surely die!"


    Conrad was a little scared now. The human sword holy warrior was so intimidating that Conrad believed that he could not defeat him.


    Luther glanced at him scornfully, and without another word, he released a mighty sword intent.


    The destructive sword intent was so powerful that Conrad could not resist it. His only alternative now was to flee.


    Boom.


    Space collapsed, and he disappeared into the black crack.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Several sword shadows suddenly shot forward, formed a circle, and stabbed into the black crack.


    In an instant, a dazzling light rose toward the sky. It was so intense that people were unable to open their eyes.


    Then, a figure fell from the space crack.


    Darren sighed with admiration when he witnessed this scene.


    "Go ahead," Luther said flatly.


    Darren did not hesitate. Following Luther''s instructions, he flew toward the figure.


    Bang!


    Dark gold internal force gushed out like a torrent.


    At this time, a fierce light shone in the eyes of the seriously injured Conrad. He turned his palm, and a grey aura surrounded it.


    Boom!


    He stretched his palm and the gray aura he released broke through Darren''s attack, and dashed at him with an unparalleled momentum.

 Chapter 856 The Strange Stone

    Darren''s meridians were invaded by the grey mist. It easily destroyed them as if it were crushing dry weeds and stones. Eventually, it started to rush straight into Darren''s head.


    Even the strange stone in his head could not resist the strong and uncanny aura. After all, the trace of the soul power in the strange stone had already disappeared.


    Darren''s face had started to turn pale and twisted. He was having a difficult time breathing already.


    Luther thought that he had been too careless. The blue-skinned man they fought against was at the senior Holy Realm. Even on the verge of death, there were powerful means for him to fight for his life.


    Whoosh!


    A bloodcurdling sword intent was shot over, making Conrad''s head explode.


    "Ah!"


    Meanwhile, Darren was roaring in pain and falling to the ground.


    His face was turning ghastly pale. And not soon after, his soul collapsed and he lost his breath.


    Darren''s death took Luther by surprise!


    "Roar!"


    In Luther''s mind, someone had been crying in pain.


    "Is this his avatar?"


    Luther was familiar with the aura. It was Darren''s avatar roaring in agony.


    A few moments later, a phantom forced its way out from under the rule silk threads. The threads were like thorns that were wrapped around it.


    "Awwwww!"


    His eyes were silver and his face projected coldness and pain.


    The avatar had mentioned that he would disappear if Darren''s soul vanished.


    He had to rush out even if he was surrounded by the rule silk threads.


    "I''m sorry, bro,"


    Luther apologized to the avatar. The avatar had asked him to protect Darren, but he hadn''t expected that he indirectly caused Darren''s death.


    The avatar''s silver eyes fell on Luther, looking as if he was pleading.


    Luther couldn''t understand him. But when he saw the avatar turn his gaze to Darren, he quickly understood what he meant.


    He held Darren up and flew towards the avatar.


    After a while, the sky had turned completely dark. Luther dashed into the area that was filled with thunderbolts and space cracks. No one could bear the violent force, even him.


    "Howl!"


    The avatar''s roar was so loud. His breath became weaker and his figure had started to fade. He couldn''t break through millions of rule silk threads'' shackle.


    The sword intent


    oul had already recovered. His consciousness was basically awake.


    Darren stood in his consciousness sea and stared at the hexahedral crystal as it rotated.


    "This Fake God Character... Should I fit this?"


    Darren wasn''t feeling happy. If he fit with this Fake God Character, it would be equivalent to inheriting the Fake God Character of the Dark Emperor. His future achievements would therefore be limited.


    "Forget it! It saved my life. That''s enough for me," Darren helplessly sighed.


    Crack!


    A gold divine thunder suddenly appeared in Darren''s mind, making him shudder with fear.


    Three seconds seemed like a hundred years. Gold lightning fell on the hexahedral crystal.


    When the gold light burst out, Darren''s soul raised up his arm and resisted it. Soon after, he found out that he couldn''t feel any type of pain at all.


    The hexahedral crystal turned into powder and floated in Darren''s consciousness sea.


    "Did the strange stone move?"


    The strange black stone in Darren''s consciousness sea floated over and landed in the same place where the hexahedral crystal had been.


    The crystal''s powder spun around the strange black stone.


    Finally, all the powder had seeped into the strange stone.


    The stone then began to quiver. Its spiked edge began to fall off with a dark gold luster.


    Hours later, Darren found the scene shocking.


    A third of the strange stone that was standing in the center of his soul had totally transformed.


    It had already formed twelve dark gold smooth surfaces.

 Chapter 857 Soul Sublimation

    A third of the strange stone had transformed into twelve surfaces. One could not help but wonder how many sides it could produce after all this.


    Eventually, it could probably turn into a crystal with thirty-six faces.


    At this point, Barnes the Holy now had a Fake God Character with twelve faces. With his dodecahedral crystal, his strength was comparable to a holy emperor, even though it was difficult for him to really break through to the Emperor Realm.


    Darren could only imagine how terrifying he would be with a thirty-six sided crystal.


    ''I know next to nothing with this stone except that it landed in my head from outer space and it can assimilate anything. It must be very extraordinary.


    And now, it has entered my soul and become an incomplete Fake God Character. Once it transforms into a complete one, then...''


    His thoughts were interrupted by a buzz.


    The strange stone was restless inside Darren''s soul. It spread out roots like a tree until it finally took a hold of his soul.


    A wave of comfort washed over him. He could feel himself changing, but he didn''t know how to describe it.


    His soul was growing like crazy as it got to know the powers of heaven and earth.


    "Over the past one month, my life had been in danger, and the Reincarnation Holy Will has become stronger."


    The Reincarnation Holy Will worked like the Resurrection Force. It would grow stronger when he was on the brink of death.


    "But now that I''ve become stronger, I''ll continue studying it."


    Darren was determined to analyze and master the Reincarnation Holy Will.


    Outside, Luther noticed that the noises had dissipated. He immediately flew to Darren.


    He found Darren sitting cross-legged and bathed in a shining, strange light. For a moment, it made Luther feel as if he was stuck in an endless quagmire, unable to extricate himself from it and completely oblivious of his surroundings.


    "Darren''s Holy Will... It looks weird."


    It took him a moment to get his bearing, but he eventually came back to his senses. The next moment, he felt Darren''s aura rising.


    Luther couldn''t help but admire Darren''s strength even though he, himself, was talented as well.


    "This guy is still alive and is getting stronger day by day. His skills are really amazing."


    Meanwhile, back in the Sacred Palace, Mathew and Hanson were feeling anxious.


    Lord Donald, on the other hand, remained silent.


    Eventually, he spoke up. "We still have no


    g in the inheritance area of his clan. Now that he had finally come out of it, he immediately went out in search for Darren.


    He wasn''t expecting to receive such news.


    "Scott, please excuse my curiosity. I''m guessing that you''re around three hundred years old, right? And with your aura in your dragon form, I believe that you''re as powerful as Kirk. I''m really impressed," said Lord Donald.


    Kirk was a genius who was as famous as Mathew and Hanson. He played an important part in fighting the Roc Demon Emperor that day. He was even more powerful than the senior holy warrior Yorick.


    While it was true that Scott was still a bit weaker than Kirk, the former was still so young. But he was already at the senior Holy Realm.


    In time, his strength would be too inconceivable.


    "I have fully obtained the entire heritage of my clan. I''ve also gained a little dragon blood aura from the extraterrestrial dragon in the Fire Cave. So it''s normal for me to have such strength," Scott explained, shrugging.


    It surprised Lord Donald to learn that Scott had obtained the inheritance of the Dragon Blood Clan. Even Mathew and Hanson were shocked to learn what Scott had gone through especially about the extraterrestrial dragon.


    "You got the inheritance of that cyan extraterrestrial dragon?"


    Everyone had heard about the dragon corpse that lied in the Fire Cave. It was said to be strong. Even a senior holy warrior would be reduced to dust if he ever approached it.


    The mere fact that Scott was able to gain its dragon blood aura was stunning.


    No wonder even Hanson was afraid of Scott when he turned into a dragon.

 Chapter 858 The Gathering Of The Senior Masters

    Time flew, and it was time for Darren to fight with Chilton.


    The members of the three clans were already waiting at the Sacred Palace.


    "Humph. Are you kidding me? Where''s Darren?"


    In the palace, several senior holy warriors suppressed Lord Donald with such intense auras that he almost fell to his knees.


    "Hand over that brat who had connection with the fiend. Otherwise, we will have to search your so-called Sacred Palace."


    "In my opinion, that guy must have been instructed by someone at a higher level. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have had the chance to be associated with a fiend."


    "So, the Sacred Palace doesn''t deserve to be the leader of our human race, right?"


    They spoke disrespectfully with Lord Donald.


    "How dare you!"


    The roar shocked everyone.


    "You old bastards! How dare you think that the Sacred Palace doesn''t have a strong warrior to fight you?"


    An old man appeared in front of the members of the three clans.


    "Leighton Lu!"


    When the senior holy warriors from the three clans saw the old man, their eyes widened with surprise. The old man, Leighton Lu, was one of the masters who supported the Sacred Palace.


    "Humph, Leighton, you didn''t even inform us of your return. Did you forget that we were friends when we were young?"


    "How dare you call me your friend? You came to my Sacred Palace and behaved disrespectfully! Leave, or you will die." Leighton Lu was ill-tempered and aggressive.


    The expression on the faces of the senior holy warriors from the three clans reflected the fury they felt, but they remained silent when they heard Leighton Lu''s threat.


    They could no longer suppress the Sacred Palace as per their plan. The elder, Leighton Lu, had returned, which meant that the other elders had come back as well.


    "Lord Donald." Leighton Lu cupped his hands before Lord Donald and said, "Please allow me to expel these troublemakers."


    As an elder of the Sacred Palace, Leighton Lu''s seniority and strength were much higher than Lord Donald''s. However, he had to follow Lord Donald''s orders.


    The members of the Sacred Palace strictly believed that a man with good virtue should be the leader and that everyone would respect him regardless of their rank.


    "You needn''t ask for my approval, sir. I will agree with whatever course of action you take." Lord Donald smiled politely.


    "Take the order!"


    "Leighton Lu, you seem to want a fierce battle." Several of the senior holy warriors from the three clans summoned their powers as they spoke.


    "Leave t


    by the fury coursing through him that he wanted to explode. But he couldn''t say anything to him.


    "Now that my brother Darren isn''t here, could you please let me take his place?"


    At this time, Scott stepped out from the inner hall. His cold demeanor and handsome figure caught everyone''s attention.


    "Who the hell are you? How dare you speak in this place?"


    When a young man interjected in their conversation, Chilton found the opportune moment to vent his anger.


    "What are you doing here? Brat, step aside."


    Chandler from the Sacred Palace ordered when he saw Scott.


    When the elders of the Sacred Palace had returned three days ago, they had had a talk with Scott. As they believed that he was a talented man, they didn''t want him to take risks.


    "Elders, the authority of our Sacred Palace cannot be violated. Since Lord Donald has issued a challenge, if I don''t fulfill it on Darren''s behalf, people will speak ill of us. I hope that you will agree with my request," Scott negotiated.


    "No way. The other side has a senior holy warrior wanting to fight a life-or-death battle with the younger generation. They are the shameless ones! The Sacred Palace didn''t do anything wrong." Leighton Lu opposed, as well.


    "Since we have made a promise, we''d better not take it back. This is my principle. I will never take back what I have said."


    A clear voice came from the outside of the palace. Before anyone could react, a handsome young man walked leisurely into the palace.


    "Darren!"


    "Darren has returned!"


    "This is great! Darren, it''s a relief to see that you''ve returned safely."


    Scott, Lord Donald, Hanson, and Mathew were thrilled to see Darren.

 Chapter 859 A Bet

    "Darren." Scott called out his name. His pleasure was evident on his face.


    Darren could not help but reflect back that same joy upon seeing Scott again. It had been decades of years since they last saw each other. "Long time no see, Scott."


    Although they were both pleased to see one another again, now was not a good time for small talks. Their brief greeting had to suffice as they faced all the elders in the hall.


    Chandler gazed at Darren''s face for some time. His eyes were gleaming with appreciation.


    "So you''re Darren that everyone''s talking about?"


    "Yes, sir." Darren confirmed.


    "I''ve always wondered how come you''ve become a rival of those senior holy warriors if you''re still at a lower level? Is it because of your bold and impulsive personality? Or is it really because you are capable enough? Let me see what kind of strength you possess." From the other side of the hall, the senior holy warrior Leighton watched Darren intently. He released a steady stream of spiritual sense to probe over Darren.


    Suddenly, he cried out, full of wonder. "What the hell? What a weird and uncanny aura this fellow has! I can''t even get through it and check his cultivation base."


    Noting Leighton''s futile attempt to get through Darren''s aura, the other senior holy warriors joined in as well. Together, they released their respective spiritual senses.


    Among them was Chilton. In his case, he also used a strong suppressing force in the hope of breaking through Darren''s aura.


    But Darren only snorted at Chilton''s efforts. His intimidation tactic wasn''t working on him. With that, he let out his own powerful spiritual sense and dashed towards Chilton. It all happened so fast that Chilton could not help but draw back by the force.


    The entire area fell in a shocked silence. Nobody moved or spoke. Darren''s strength was unexpected and had caught everyone off guard.


    Horror and rage devoured Chilton. His face twisted in rage and fire flared in his eyes. He was supposed to humiliate Darren in front of all these people, but his plans had backfired.


    It took a moment for him to calm down. "You little rogue, it seems like you''ve been training hard recently. Do you remember what we agreed on? Since you didn''t die outside, we should fulfill our agreement and have a fair fight now. What do you think?"


    Despite Darren''s sudden display of powerful spiritual sense, Chilton still believed that he was more powerful than the younger man in martial arts skills.


    Darren only shook his head. "As much as I want to end this right now, I''m afraid I have to refuse. I''m not foolish enough to set aside the crisis we''re currently facing."


    But Chilton would not stand for this. "Are you backing out on our bet, you little rascal? You piece of trash truly belong to that trashy Sacred Palace."


    "When did I say that I wanted to back out? You old bastard!" thundered Darren. Chilton''s words had hit its target and Darren felt insulted by it. Before long, Darren had his hand on his sword, a hair''s length away from pouncing on Chilton.


    "Get a hold on yourself! How dare you speak to the master like that? You insolent fool!" The senior holy warrior beside Chilton barked at Darren.


    Und


    . Even if you kneel before me and kowtow a hundred times, I won''t let you go." This time, Darren was serious.


    Chilton gritted his teeth and barked, "Fine! Everyone has heard what this boy said. Who would tolerate such offensive rogue? No one! I won''t let him stand there and continue flinging mud at everyone''s faces."


    "Stop talking nonsense! If you have guts, come after me!"


    Darren roared before flying out.


    Boom!


    The earth cracked and a battle platform in the likeness of a lotus rose from the ground in front of the Sacred Palace.


    This platform was one of the most precious treasures of Chandler''s clan. It was sturdy enough to withstand battles between holy emperors. It could definitely survive the battle between Chilton and Darren and prevent the damage from spreading further out the regions.


    Wind whistled around them, sending Darren''s robe rustling in the air. He stood tall and erect as if he could dominate the entire world.


    Chilton followed behind him. His entire body was prepared to fight.


    To his surprise, Darren raised a hand in placation. "Hold on!"


    "Are you kidding me, boy? Don''t tell me that you have at last come to your senses. I won''t let you back out anymore. Speak quickly while you still got the chance!" Chilton said, scornfully.


    Darren simply glared at him but he didn''t bother responding to his taunts. He turned to the crowd and said loudly, "Everyone, do we agree on the bet I have proposed?"


    At that, Leighton could not stop himself from bellowing, "Darren! You dare mention that bet again!" With Darren''s current level, it was no doubt he would die in this battle. Leighton may not care about Darren very much, but he didn''t want the Sacred Palace to submit to the three major clans. Fear gripped him at the very thought of that happening.


    "Bravery is one thing, but foolishness is another. His recklessness has overshadowed his rational judgment. A person like him can never escape the doom of death, no matter how talented he might be." The senior holy warrior Gabriel could only sigh in pity for Darren. It was obvious to him that Darren would not survive this battle.

 Chapter 860 Taking The Bet

    Chandler''s face darkened as he thought more about Darren''s conceited nature.


    "Everyone in your Sacred Palace is a coward. Stop talking nonsense. Go to hell!" Chilton let out an evil laugh.


    "Alas!" Darren shook his head. Using his spiritual sense, he said, "Mr. Chandler, aren''t you brave enough to take the bet?"


    Before Chandler was able to respond, Darren''s spiritual sense rushed into Chandler''s mind. The spiritual sense was mixed with extremely strange power and turned into a figure who looked like Darren inside Chandler''s consciousness sea.


    "Try to battle it, sir." Darren sent Chandler another message.


    Another figure in green robe was formed in Chandler''s consciousness sea. After that, he launched a palm attack towards Darren.


    The figure that was formed by Darren''s spiritual sense also raised his hand and punched back.


    This kind of scene was only a mock battle. It was happening in the consciousness sea, and no one would surely notice it.


    "You! You are only a junior holy warrior at the top level. How can you have the strength that is able to surpass the ordinary senior holy warrior?"


    After the mock fight, Chandler couldn''t believe that Darren possessed some exquisite powers.


    "I have had some unusual experiences." "Why don''t you accept the bet, sir?" Darren answered.


    "Fine then!" Chandler agreed.


    "Ha-ha. Sir, just wait and see what I can do!" Darren said confidently.


    Their conversation only took a few seconds.


    "Okay! I accept the bet. Townsend, do you dare to take the bet?" Chandler said.


    "What?"


    "What!"


    Everyone present were dumbfounded. ''Is Chandler an idiot?''


    The other senior holy warriors of the Sacred Palace also couldn''t believe that Chandler agreed to the bet. It was obviously a losing game!


    Townsend had a strange feeling after hearing what Chandler had said. His feelings were mixed with joy and concern.


    Chandler''s abnormal behavior was able to cause such a complicated emotion.


    "It''s just a martial arts competition. We don''t have to bet on it." Townsend refused to take the bet.


    It was humiliating to surrender to the other party. Townsend didn''t want to take any risk. Or else, he would be considered a sinner by the three clans.


    Townsend


    lame. Use it to break his defensive armor," Townsend said to Chilton.


    Once on the battle ring, Chilton couldn''t be more excited.


    After this battle, if he managed to kill Darren, he would also force the Sacred Palace to surrender! This was his dream for so many years!


    "We should unite. You deserve to die!" Chilton murmured.


    "Really?"


    Darren didn''t want to say anything more. The bet was already set. He could feel that a powerful aura had started to surround him.


    Boom!


    The arena let out a loud roar. The clouds were rolling in the sky and the earth suddenly became dark.


    "Haha! Your aura may be close to a senior holy warrior, but you''re still weaker than me!"


    Chilton roared. The flames he lit up burned everything to ashes.


    "You didn''t expect me to have this skill, did you?! Your armor is useless to me. I will show you my Wild Heavenly Flame''s immense power!" Chilton was roaring furiously.


    Townsend was looking at Chandler with infinite mockery.


    "You have been cautious all your life, Chandler. But now, you made the biggest mistake of your life. Do you really think that your defensive armor is useful against Chilton''s Wild Heavenly Flame?"


    "So what?"


    Chandler, calm as usual, had no worries at all.


    Chandler''s calm reaction made Townsend feel wrong. Townsend wasn''t feeling great and started to panic.


    "You pretend to stay calm now. Let''s see how you manage yourself later!" Even though Townsend was panicking, he still looked confident.

 Chapter 861 Fight

    In the arena, two kinds of power finally broke out, but it seemed obvious to all that the oppressive force of Chilton was the stronger by far.


    With the exception of Chandler, everyone from the Sacred Palace was very worried.


    From Darren''s side of the arena there came a buzz.


    Then blade and sword intents came sweeping through the air.


    "Humph!" Chilton scoffed. "So you are cultivating both sword and blade at the same time! But even Hanson is no match for me, let alone you!"


    With that, Chilton sped toward Darren, bypassing the intents.


    He seemed to turn into a flash of lightning, and his palm glowed with ferocious heat.


    This kind of flame differed from that of the Fire Kylin in which it contained the aura of thunder.


    An indistinct, sharp sound echoed about the arena, as if the blow had already landed.


    Closing in at last, Chilton thrust his hand out.


    "Let''s see how you escape this!" he crowed.


    He thought his target had no chance of dodging.


    Indeed, Darren didn''t even try to move aside, and the palm strike hit him right in the heart.


    As they connected, overjoyed shouts rose up from the members of the three clans. "Ha-ha! It seems that the winner has been determined!" someone exclaimed. As for Townsend, the heavy load on his mind finally began to ease.


    The explosive noise in the arena drowned out any further chatter from the observers.


    For a moment, the sky seemed to vanish in the brilliant array of light, and the sun was outshone.


    Caught in the center of the display, Darren''s body collapsed, apparently disintegrating into a collection of spots of light.


    Not a few onlookers gasped.


    The people of the Sacred Palace were shocked at the power of such a blow! Chandler''s heart sank.


    But all of a sudden, a voice rang out¡ªfamiliar, yet also ethereal and distant, seemingly coming from every direction at once.


    "No match for you? We''ll see about that!"


    "What?! That guy is still alive. Does he have an Eternal Body?" one of the spectators wondered aloud.


    When Darren''s body had been broken apart, there hadn''t seemed to be any vital energy left in it. Only an Eternal Body was capable of surviving such an ordeal.


    As if to prove the guess right, Darren called out, "Reincarnation!"


    Then, in a matter of seconds, his body reformed itself. Before Chilton could react, he found himself trapped in a boundless quagmire, where dizzying patterns of light and dark passed before his eyes.


    Meanwhile, Darren''s form turned black as night, and he charged his opponent again.


    Catching him off-guard, he turned into a dark blur, slapping Chilton thousands of times.


    The blows landed with furious speed, their impacts sounding like a hailstorm buffeting a house.


    Chilton jerk


    Meanwhile in the arena, Darren had no intention of holding himself back, now that Chilton was using his most powerful strength.


    But now he wondered whether he should turn into a dragon, or else use the Bloody Shura Force.


    ''Turning into a dragon may not necessarily win the battle. I''ll just use the Shura Force now!'' he decided to himself.


    The next moment, the black runes in the arena surged up into the air, one after another.


    "Oh, that is... The aura must belong to the Dark Emperor!" cried one of the spectators.


    All the senior holy warriors present had observed the aura of many powerful people in the Emperor Realm who had died. As such, they were familiar with the Dark Emperor and his powers.


    A breath later, they were even more amazed, as the Primitive Fighting Force surged crazily.


    "What! How could he possibly have the aura of Primitive Fighting Force too?!" someone yelled.


    The observers were rightly incredulous.


    Both of these powers were immensely potent and dangerous. It was impossible for Darren to use both of them at the same time!


    "Ha-ha! This lad is really a genius!" Chandler remarked.


    "No wonder I couldn''t detect his cultivation base," Leighton added with eyes full of admiration. "This guy has comprehended these two forces."


    "Elder Chandler, it was far-sighted of you to accept the bet. How wise you are!" Gabriel said.


    Hearing this, Chandler almost blushed, but said nothing.


    Now Chilton was in a state of madness. He didn''t care what kind of power Darren had on hand. All he thought of was how much he wanted to kill Darren¡ªand to do it in one shot.


    The air crackled with power as Chilton leaped.


    His huge fist, combined with the Holy Will, blasted at Darren with quintuple combat power.


    If a martial artist of the same realm was hit, he would surely die!

 Chapter 862 Ring Down the Curtain

    Darren kept his calm, using his Dark Force and Primitive Fighting Force to ready a counterattack.


    The strange stone in his head had merged with the black hexahedral crystal, and the power of Darren''s Dark Force was greatly increased. After the upgrading of the Dark Force, the balance between it and the Primitive Fighting Force was broken, so after some time of cultivation, the Primitive Fighting Force was promoted as well to create a new state of balance.


    The arena was hidden by a burst of light as Chilton''s massive attack landed.


    However, high-level martial artists such as Chandler and Townsend could still detect the two fighters with their spiritual senses.


    Townsend frowned when he realized that Darren was still alive. Chilton''s final blow hadn''t killed him!


    Yet Darren was just a junior holy warrior. Although he had brought out two terrifying powers at once, he should not be any match for Chilton at all. A single blow from Chilton should have been enough to send him packing.


    A familiar rotating, swishing sound reached everyone''s ears.


    Then, suddenly, a pulse of bloody light rushed into the sky, and all those present shivered as they felt its terrifying aura.


    "What?!


    What kind of power is this?!" shouted someone uselessly.


    Meanwhile, the whooshing sound continued.


    It was the sound of a sword and a blade sweeping across the air.


    As it ceased, Darren reappeared under the battle platform, facing the spectators, and the light dissipated in an instant.


    Chilton was still standing up on the platform, staring at the front with a look of ferocious concentration.


    For the next few seconds, nobody so much as took a breath.


    Then, with a splash, Chilton collapsed into a shapeless puddle on the ground, as if his body had instantly turned to mud.


    Everyone except for Chilton''s killer stared, their minds blank. Darren had killed him with just one move.


    The faces of the three clans'' members turned deathly pale.


    "You crafty son of a bitch!" Townsend shouted, infuriated. There was no mistaking the murder on his face.


    There was a burst of power as he extended one hand.


    Those nearby flinched away.


    Darren fell back as a blast of hellish red light struck him square in the chest.


    It was hardly the toughest blow he''d ever received, though.


    In just a second or two he had righted himself and was ready for more violence. At his mental command, the scarlet sword and blade thrust at Townsend.


    Townsend was shocked as he fell back under the enormous force.


    "Evil Seal!" he called out frantically.


    Instantly, something


    help. We were very worried at that time. But thanks to your talent, at last, Eddy was able to use Hiram the Great''s battle halberd to suppress the fiend. Now we''ve finished our cultivation, we must not let that first fiend ancestor get out again," Chandler said.


    "Once the fiend collects the eight body parts into one, no one will be able to stop him," Gabriel warned.


    "In that case, Leighton and Gabriel, please summon the other two senior holy warriors and go to the forbidden area," Chandler said. "I''ll be there soon."


    "Yes, sir." Saying this, the two flew out.


    Looking perturbed, Scott urged his friend, "Darren, just take care of yourself right now. I will go to guard the forbidden area with Hanson and Mathew, too."


    Darren shook his head. "No, you can''t go to the forbidden area. Only the senior holy warriors can protect themselves there. You mustn''t go."


    "How dare you look down upon me, Darren?" Scott said with a smile.


    "He''s right, Darren. Your brother is no worse off than you now," Hanson chimed in.


    "Really?" Darren''s eyes lit up. "It seems that you''ve been having your own adventures. Well, I won''t say anything more. Take care with the two seniors."


    "All right." They nodded.


    A few moments later the crowd had mostly dispersed, but Chandler had not left.


    "Darren, what kind of force did you use just now?" Chandler asked.


    "Bloody Shura Force," Darren answered frankly.


    "Sure enough!" Chandler looked excited. "Well, well! Come with me."


    "What?" Darren was rather confused. Seeing Chandler start to fly towards the palace, he started in the same direction.


    "Darren, it seems that the elder is going to lead you to the Emperor Realm," Lord Donald said with surprise.

 Chapter 863 Storytelling

    Darren followed Chandler to a room he was unfamiliar with.


    The house was bright and well-made of special stones.


    "Where are we, sir?" Darren asked.


    "Have a seat." Chandler didn''t answer Darren''s question. Instead, he motioned to Darren to sit. Soon after, one of the walls emitted a bright white light.


    "Darren, I can''t believe that you have mastered such a powerful force. When we first met, I knew that you were a genius. At that time, I thought you were not qualified to fight for the Emperor Realm. Now it seems that you are eligible to try," Chandler said.


    "To fight for the Emperor Realm?"


    Darren was surprised. As he was just a junior holy warrior, how was he eligible to fight for the Emperor Realm?


    Moreover, he didn''t know what was the way to reaching the Emperor Realm.


    "Yes." Chandler nodded before he continued to explain, "You should know that over the past hundreds of millions of years, we human race has many talents. Almost everyone wants to become a holy emperor. However, since ancient times, how many have become holy emperors?


    The road to the Emperor Realm is very difficult, and all kinds of geniuses need to compete for it! Only the winner will become a holy emperor!"


    "Uh..." Darren didn''t find anything insightful in Chandler''s explanation. On the contrary, he even thought that Chandler might be talking nonsense.


    When Chandler figured out what Darren was thinking, he smiled and said, "Well, it''s time to show you a real genius of our human race."


    All of a sudden, the glimmer of white light emanating from the wall flickered, and a young figure suddenly appeared in the house.


    "Who is this?"


    Darren sensed that this young person had extraordinary talent the moment he saw him.


    "His identity is not important. I''d like you to try and fight him," Chandler instructed with a smile.


    Darren glanced at Chandler before summoning a stream of sword and blade intents.


    As soon as the attacks rushed toward him, the young man''s eyes flew open. His sharp eyes emitted a ray of light that seemed to have the power of the thunder punishment.


    Then, he raised his palm slowly and shattered Darren''s blade and sword intents.


    At the same time, a strange thunder and lightning rushed toward Darren''s feet.


    "What?" Darren''s eyes widened when he saw the incoming attack. With a quick, deep breath, he focused and mobilized his Dark Force to block the attack.


    Boom!


    A massive explosion occurred when the two forces collided. The house shook for a moment but did not collapse. This surprised Darren as well, as he hadn''t thought that the hous


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    piritual World. However, the Upper Spiritual World is still outside.


    Think about it. Where is the Upper Spiritual World?"


    He smiled as he knew that Darren would figure it out.


    "So the bronze coffin is the Upper Spiritual World? !"


    Everything was clear now. It turned out that the Upper Spiritual World, which had disappeared, was the bronze coffin!


    "Ha-ha, you didn''t expect it, did you? If you hadn''t known of the existence of the bronze coffin, I wouldn''t have told you the secret," Chandler said.


    "This is just too amazing. I can''t believe it," Darren murmured.


    "Sir, you said that the young man is an inferior holy warrior who survived tribulations. Can you explain that, please?" Darren asked.


    "You have heard the saying that the seven-star Grand Realm is vast, right?" Chandler inquired.


    "Yes, I have heard about it. But I didn''t think it was anything special. No matter how powerful a grand warrior is, for example, the two masters, Mathew and Hanson, they can fight with warriors who have reached the junior Holy Realm at most. I''m not even sure if they can kill them," Darren said.


    "You are right. But the real seven-star Grand Realm is divided into two paths. The first path is to follow the way we comprehend the Holy Will to reach the Holy Realm. The other way is crueler, but once a person reaches the Holy Realm, they will be very powerful.


    Let me put it this way. Barnes the Holy is a good example as he is a senior holy warrior who has survived seven tribulations! Besides, he has an unmatched Fake God Character, which makes him as powerful as a holy emperor."


    After Chandler finished, Darren was intrigued by the story about the senior holy warrior who had survived the tribulations.

 Chapter 864 The Eighteen Cities (Part One)

    "Sir, I''m having a hard time understanding it. It is all about entering the Holy Realm, but why is it that one can acquire more strength by surviving the tribulations than comprehending the Holy Will?" Darren inquired as he was filled with curiosity.


    Chandler paused for a moment and contemplated over Darren''s question. Soon after, he spoke, "Grand warriors from the seven-star Grand Realm need to exert extremely powerful strength in order to overcome the resistance of the heavenly tribulation. Simply put, it is a behavior against the natural course of the universe. If, by any chance, one has acquired a cultivation base of his level, he would inevitably enter the Holy Realm, leading to the activation of the heavenly tribulation.


    And if he successfully got through and passed all the obstacles, the heavenly tribulation would provide him great power in the end. Can you imagine it?


    By surviving the heavenly tribulation, one could manage to reach the Holy Realm. Also, the strength one will possess will be beyond all anticipation as it will be energized by tremendous heavenly tribulation. Even an inferior holy warrior who has survived one tribulation, can easily be compared to an ordinary senior holy warrior who has comprehended the Holy Will."


    Darren had been enveloped by wonder. With wide eyes, he stared at Chandler. According to what Chandler had said, the strength of an inferior holy warrior who had survived one tribulation was much greater than that of an ordinary senior holy warrior. If so, then how much strength could a senior holy warrior who survived one tribulation possibly acquire? Also, what about the senior holy warriors who survived more than one tribulation?


    "But sir, if that''s the case, wouldn''t it be easy for a senior holy warrior who survived one tribulation to slay a senior holy warrior who has entered the Holy Realm by comprehending the Holy Will?" Darren ask


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    you too much with my questions. Why are you telling me all these, sir?" Darren asked in a polite manner.


    Chandler rose and stood beside Darren. "I have good news for you," Chandler said. He mysteriously looked at Darren and said, "I''ll arrange your training course until you are capable enough to become a holy emperor."


    "How?" Darren exclaimed as his eyes shone with joy and wonder.


    "It''s simple," Chandler said as he put his hand on Darren''s shoulder. "Make for the eighteen cities, a place where talents from all over the world assemble. I know that you have heard of it already. The eighteen cities were built in the ancient wasteland, where there are rich resources and tempting treasures such as the emperor''s tomb. Apart from cultivating your skills, you could also dig for treasures. Sounds intriguing, don''t you think?


    But I must warn you. People who have gathered in the eighteen cities are extremely talented. They are from various clans. You don''t have much of an advantage there, especially when it comes to strength."


    "Sir, do you mean that all the cultivators that are training in the eighteen cities are talented people who are from those clans in the blocked area? Is there any tribulation holy warrior in the eighteen cities?" Darren asked.

 Chapter 865 The Eighteen Cities (Part Two)

    "Yes, the place has countless talented cultivators of human race. That includes those holy warriors who have survived the tribulations. All their goal is the same, to become a holy emperor," Chandler explained.


    "But Lord Donald once told me that the eighteen cities are places for breaking through to the Holy Realm. It is said that if one couldn''t achieve the realm, he wouldn''t be allowed to leave the place," Darren said. He looked puzzled.


    "Those are all lies! They spread those lies to the outside world on purpose. After all, the place is so vital. It could easily attract the attention of evil and unfriendly eyes and not just those who are talented. Do you understand?" Chandler said in an alarming tone.


    "I understand," Darren nodded.


    "Have you decided to make a journey for the eighteen cities?" Chandler asked.


    "Of course I have. This is a rare chance that I should not throw away," Darren answered, delighted with getting such a precious opportunity for the betterment of his skills. In addition to learning greater and better skill of cultivation methods, he could also encounter talented folks that he had never seen or heard before. Darren''s heart was burning hot with thrill with the thought of all the bright possibilities that lay ahead.


    "It is settled then. I''ll arrange your trip in a few months," Chandler said, looking very pleased with Darren''s enthusiasm. Once Darren consented, Chandler knew that he had to proceed with the application process right away. He presumed that the whole preparation would take at least half a year. He understood that Darren was now in a hurry to rush towards the eighteen cities. So he advised Darren to stay patient and wait for further notices.


    just yet! I believe there is another way. No one but you can get close to it," Darren appeased Scott.


    "True," Scott muttered as his heart eased a little. Scott proposed a toast to Darren and they emptied their glasses immediately.


    "About your bloodline, Darren. I remember that your blood is pure too. Why don''t you give it a shot?" The thought suddenly occurred to Scott.


    "I don''t think I can do it. My blood is not as pure as you thought. I was able to turn into a dragon because I absorbed the bloodline of that flood dragon at first. After that, I was only able to get the dragon bloodline with your help and the plants in the Fire Cave. After many twists and turns, I think my blood has become impure," Darren said.


    "It doesn''t matter. If you have time, let''s go together and try it out. It won''t do you any harm to try," Scott advised.


    "Maybe. Let''s talk about it later. I have other pressing things to attend to right now. The nasty folks of the Space-time Palace have been trying to hunt me down. I need to get rid of them first," Darren said.


    He narrowed his eyes and a fierce killing intent shone in both of them.

 Chapter 866 The Aura Of A Holy Emperor

    After a few days of rest, Darren had finally recovered from his wounds.


    During those days, he had not forgotten to practice his cultivation.


    His progress had hastened ever since the strange stone in his head merged with his soul.


    "It seems like I can progress faster than Finley now even though both of us have the talent of the Genuine Domain Degree," Darren murmured to himself.


    But despite this, he knew that he still had a long way to go although he had the combat power to fight a senior holy warrior now.


    Moreover, according to Chandler, the tribulation holy warriors¡ªthose who entered the Holy Realm by surviving tribulations, were much stronger than ordinary holy warriors.


    Not to mention, there was still the Emperor Realm that stood above the Holy Realm. All cultivators aimed to reach the Emperor Realm.


    In truth, it wasn''t his goal to become a holy emperor. All he wanted was to have the power to kill the immortal.


    Ever since that day, the immortal had disappeared completely, leaving no trace behind. Darren couldn''t help but worry about Elsa.


    Up until now, he had no idea whether she was still alive or not. The very memory of her always sent needles stabbing at his heart. The pain was still fresh in his mind, like an open wound that refused to heal.


    Putting away such thoughts, he went back to his cultivation. Half a month later, everything was still going smoothly.


    When suddenly, a loud rumble woke Darren up from his cultivation.


    Boom!


    He flew out of the room and into the sky where he had a better vantage point.


    The black mist brewed along with the clouds, covering the world into darkness.


    Darren thought something ominous was happening inside the forbidden area of Hiram the Great''s halberd. But when he strained to look closer, he couldn''t find anything wrong with it.


    "What happened?" he wondered.


    The black mist shot out a terrifying force that caught Darren by surprise.


    "Where is it coming from? What the hell is going on?"


    This kind of strength wasn''t like the powers of Barnes or the first fiend ancestor, but it didn''t mean it was inferior to them either.


    Curious, Darren rushed towards it.


    After flying for a while, he noticed several people were heading towards that direction, too. And once they were getting closer, he finally recognized Scott, Mathew, Hanson and several other senior holy warriors of the Sacred Palace.


    Scott was the first to spot Darren.


    "Darren, you are here."


    "Do you know what happened?"


    "The seniors said


    aster with strong sword intents came over to Darren.


    "Darren, are you also here to check on the holy emperor''s aura?"


    It was Luther.


    Chandler stared at the handsome young man. His eyes widening in shock at the latter''s swordsmanship. From where he stood, he could feel the sting of the young man''s sword intents. "Who are you?" he asked.


    Instead of introducing himself, Luther said, "It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Chandler." Of course, Luther knew who Chandler was. The latter used to be his idol after all.


    As a child, he had watched a seven-star grand warrior fight diabolic beasts. Back then, he believed that the seven-star grand warrior was the greatest warrior in the world. That warrior had motivated Luther to push himself in becoming stronger and more powerful. Of course, the warrior was none other than Chandler.


    As he was growing up, he made several attempts to meet his idol. But he never succeeded. He had then turned his focus on mastering his swordsmanship. Trying to get a breakthrough had led him to travel to the Aborigines Worlds. Later, he was trapped in the space created by the Primitive Emperor and became one of the guardians. That was where he and Darren had met for the first time.


    "Hello! It''s nice to meet you! I would like to compliment you on your sword intents. They are truly remarkable and rare."


    "Thank you. I''m flattered." Then, Luther suddenly turned serious. "Are those demons causing you troubles?"


    "Hey, it''s you! You''re the one who launched a sneak attack on me last time!"


    the Roc Demon Emperor exclaimed as soon as he sensed Luther''s aura. His own demonic aura exploded in response, disturbing the space around him.

 Chapter 867 The Four-tribulation Junior Holy Warrior

    The Roc Demon Emperor glared at Luther. His hostility was palpable under that look.


    "Well, Roc Demon Emperor, are you trying to humiliate yourself in front of all these people?"


    Leighton smirked upon seeing the Roc Demon Emperor''s expression.


    The white-skinned old man shot the Roc Demon Emperor a look, letting his spiritual sense pass over his companion. "Forget about fighting him. It''ll be useless."


    "I have suffered tremendous loss over that young swordsman. I can''t just let him go," Roc Demon Emperor snapped back at the white-skinned old man.


    "I understand why you want to exact your revenge, but we can''t be too hasty. We can take care of him after we figure out where the aura of the holy emperor''s power is coming from," the white-skinned elder suggested.


    "Fine. I''ll do as you say, but next time, I won''t let him go that easily."


    With that, the Roc Demon Emperor reigned in his anger.


    "Let''s go now." The Roc Demon Emperor stepped into the void with the two elderly men in tow.


    As soon as they vanished, Chandler motioned for the rest of the group to move forward.


    After a whole night of flying, the black mist gradually dissipated, but the powerful aura was still pushing down on them.


    Finally, they were beginning to see the stars like sparkling river in the sky. It dotted the white region ahead of them.


    "Be careful not to get too close to that or you might suddenly find yourself trapped inside the Space-time Palace," Chandler cautioned them.


    Darren looked ahead with curious eyes. He was drawn to the mystery shrouding the river of stars ahead of them.


    "Is there anything mysterious behind the Space-time Palace''s location?" he asked.


    "For thousands of years, the Space-time Palace has stood there, strategically placed and defensed by rule arrays so that time flows turbulently around it. Once you get stuck in it, there''s no way you can ever get out," Chandler answered.


    "Indeed, it is said that even the holy emperor wouldn''t be able to escape its rule arrays. It is that powerful," someone from the crowd chimed in.


    They all stopped for a moment to gaze at the starry white region. Silence descended upon them as they were all lost in their thoughts for a moment.


    "We have to be really careful, then."


    Three days later, nothing out of the ordinary had happened yet.


    "The pressure is starting to fade away. Does that mean the Space-time Palace has failed to resurrect the holy emperor''s corpse?" Chandler couldn''t help but wonder.


    And true enough, he could sense how the pressure was gradually dissipating like a puff o


    t want to be killed, I advise you leave now as soon as possible."


    With that, the two old men used their arcane powers to escape, bringing the Roc Demon Emperor with them.


    Leighton and Gabriel seemed ready to go after the elders, but Chandler prevented them.


    "There''s no need to chase them."


    "But sir, this is our chance to kill the Roc Demon Emperor," Leighton argued, reluctant to let their three enemies go.


    Chandler only shot him a silencing look. "How can you be so ignorant? How old are you? Those three are the senior leaders of the demonic monster race. They may not be the strongest, but we''ll receive the wrath of the entire demonic monster race if we kill them.


    And anyway, we still have to deal with the forbidden area first. Plus, the Space-time Palace is getting aggressive now. It would be foolish of us if we also provoke the demonic monster race as well."


    His words delivered a heavy blow unto Leighton''s heart. It was like a hammer nailing his heart close.


    Resigned, Leighton bowed respectfully at Chandler. "You are right, sir."


    Meanwhile, Darren looked into the distance, his eyes trying to reach as far as the horizon. "Sir, I don''t think the situation is that dire since it wasn''t the holy emperor that got resurrected. We can retreat now."


    "Yes, that''s exactly what I''m thinking. A four-tribulation junior holy warrior wouldn''t be much trouble for us," Chandler said.


    However, Darren could feel excitement fluttering in his heart. He couldn''t help but wonder, ''A four-tribulation junior holy warrior injured three powerful demons. How terrifying could he be?


    The Roc Demon Emperor and his two companions aren''t easy targets. They are even as powerful as Chandler and Luther.''

 Chapter 868 Divide And Conquer (Part One)

    After having stayed for a while, it was time for them to leave.


    They made haste through the land.


    They could hear the wind in their ears as they soared through the air at great speed; the mountains in the distance came rising into view.


    They passed many mountains before a feeling of doubt washed over Darren.


    "Wait, something doesn''t feel right. We''ve been flying for an hour and the scenery hasn''t changed," Darren said, as he stopped and looked down at a deep ravine below them. His eyes widened as he realized what was going on.


    Everyone also halted mid-flight when they heard Darren speak. As Chandler scanned the area, the thought hit him as well. They had been flying in circles, and were now right back where they started.


    "You''re right. We must have been placed under a powerful space rule array," said Chandler. His voice cracked as he spoke in despair.


    Knowing that they had spent an hour''s journey in vain weighed down on the rest of the party as well. A look of terror and weariness could be seen across all their faces. None of them had foreseen the situation at hand.


    Luther scouted the area in an attempt to figure out their current location. He started to get frustrated after a while, as his efforts were turning up fruitless. There was no place in sight that seemed even slightly familiar to them. As far as they could see, all the mountains looked the same. They deduced that the rule array they were trapped in had also inhibited their spiritual and navigational capabilities.


    In a last-ditch effort to escape their current predicament, Luther shot out his sword intent.


    He concentrated all of his energy into the sword intent and made a quick slash towards a mountain in the distance.


    With a great boom, the mountain


    zed what was going on.


    They were close to each other, but could not hear or feel one another. It was as if there was an invisible blanket encasing all of them that prevented any kind of contact.


    "Shoot! Not this!" It became clear to Darren that the Space-time Palace was planning to take them out one by one.


    Suddenly, he heard a cracking noise from above.


    He looked up and witnessed a dark figure descending from a hollow chasm in the space. A miasma of death began to fill the air.


    The figure wielded a large blade over his shoulder. The man, with his gaunt face and sunken eyes, seemed to have no spark of life in him. He looked like a creature that crawled up straight from hell.


    The look of the man was strangely familiar to Darren. He was reminded of the red-haired creatures in the realm of the Mythological Palace.


    The man was clearly a zombie resurrected by someone to do their evil bidding.


    "Measly human boy, you''ve got some guts to show yourself in these parts!"


    Just as Darren had expected, the corpse''s master appeared; a man with blue skin stepped out from behind the undead creature¡ªhis gaze at Darren as cold as the color of his skin.

 Chapter 869 Divide And Conquer (Part Two)

    Darren remained silent and carefully sized up the man''s aura. He sensed Conrad could match up to the blue-skinned man''s strength¡ªhe needed to buy some time to strike.


    Darren tried to size up the resurrected corpse, but he met this task with difficulty.


    "I didn''t expect that I could lure you into this place. It seems there is cause for celebration at the Space-time Palace," the blue-skinned man cackled. His sinister smile gave away terrible intentions.


    It became apparent that the supposed appearance of the holy emperor''s power was a conspiracy invented by the Space-time Palace.


    Their plot was simple: bait and trap humans and elite beings of other races with the arrays, and then slaughter them. Aside from this, they had also hoped to trap Darren, specifically.


    They knew Darren had obtained the item they''ve been scouring after for a long time¡ªthe dark-spirit crystals. News of the holy emperor''s power was the perfect bait for Darren and they intentionally made this up to trap him.


    The favorable results of their plan were still completely unexpected on their end. Darren had fallen right into their hands. This greatly pleased the Space-time Palace.


    "You bastard! So you faked the holy emperor''s power to capture me?" Darren asked coldly. Darren already knew this for a fact. He just needed to stall.


    "Fake the holy emperor''s power? Stupid brat. Do you think faking the holy emperor''s power would work against these old foxes?" the blue-skinned man said scornfully. He seemed defensive.


    This answer piqued Darren''s interest. Based on what he said, it seemed that the holy emperor''s power could actually exist.


    "Don''t play dumb. If you could actually obtain the holy emperor''s powers, why go through all the trouble of capturing us? If you wielded that kind of po


    ary junior holy warrior.


    Darren was relieved to hear the blue-skinned man''s mumbles.


    Now he knew that the creature was only a two-tribulation inferior holy warrior, which was more or less a manageable enemy to Darren. Despite the feeling of relief, a gamble was still at hand here. Defeating an inferior holy warrior who had survived two tribulations would be an easy feat for Darren. On the other hand, there was a fear that the creature might be of three or four tribulations¡ªcrushing any chance of escape.


    "Go to hell!"


    The corpse man''s cold and merciless eyes met with Darren''s as he muttered in a hoarse voice. It seemed it was a struggle for him to even cough out the words.


    The creature raised his weapon. It was a large blade, thick and rust-covered. A large flash appeared and a number of electric snakes emerged and quickly sprung towards Darren.


    "His blade channels powers of the thunder punishment!" Darren felt he underestimated the size of the corpse man''s strength and the powerful weapon he wielded.


    The electric snakes darted towards Darren like hound dogs tracking their prey.


    The space began to rumble and shake as the hissing of the snakes filled the air.

 Chapter 870 Is That True

    It was becoming evident just how strong a two-tribulation inferior holy warrior was.


    The raw power emanating from his cold blade was enough for Darren to know that he should not take his opponent lightly. The inferior holy warrior wielded his blade so skillfully in a way that Darren could not predict the direction it was headed. What he was witnessing was the difference between surviving the tribulations and comprehending the Holy Will to enter the Holy Realm.


    ''How can he pull off that kind of pure skill? I have never seen such thing in my entire life, '' Darren thought just as he narrowly avoided getting sliced by a blade that was just inches away from his head.


    The air whistled where the blade passed through, effectively knocking him back to reality.


    His own sword and blade intents swept out to block his opponent''s blow.


    This move didn''t even make the two-tribulation inferior holy warrior flinch. The corpse man''s face remained impassive as he hewed his swords against Darren''s resistance.


    Then, a shrill sound broke out.


    The corpse man''s blade sliced through Darren''s blade and sword intents easily as if it was only slicing through a cake. Darren''s blade and sword intents split apart. A light shot out from the collision, looking like a meteor flying across the void.


    Darren cried out in astonishment and fear.


    He knew that the two-tribulation inferior holy warrior was strong, but experiencing it first hand was entirely different. It left him awestruck by the sheer force of the warrior''s abilities.


    As their blades kissed, it jarred the space around them, tearing through the air upon the lethal impact. Darren could feel the numbing cold of the blade as it pressed down on him.


    Hastily, he brandished his sword and blade, forming a perfect arch of light in the air.


    They were immediately surrounded by the sounds of weapons clashing and clanging against one another. Darren exerted his physical strength with each blow.


    The blue-skinned man who was watching the battle from the side was beginning to sense that there was something different about Darren for he was not as weak as he appeared to be. "This one seems powerful,"


    he sneered.


    "I''ll be sure to enjoy this interesting show." After a few rounds, Darren was beginning to see a pattern in his foe''s strikes. This eased his mind a little, allowing him to put in more force and intensity in his own attacks.


    "Number 89, go and kill him!"


    the blue-skinned man shouted immediately upon realizing just how powerful Darren could get.


    "Yes, sir!" The inferior holy warrior obeyed. The expression on his face remained unchanged.


    "Profound Nine Cracks!" he roared.


    Suddenly, his power swelled a million times over. Just one heavy blow could shake the entire ground beneath their feet.


    "His strength is not of this world. I might not be able to resist it much longer."


    Darren staggered back by the force of it. The combination of raw power and a masterful martial arts skill was too much.


    "But I''m not going to give up just yet!"


    Darren gritted his teeth in defiance. His fighting spirit was threatening to burst out of him like a flood. Until finally, it


    becoming apparent to him that this must be another resurrected corpse. But it was baffling how it seemed to have a mind of its own and arrogant at that.


    Darren knew that a tribulation holy warrior who had a mind of his own was very hard to deal with. Even those in the low level would prove to be difficult for him to defeat.


    Judging by this one''s domineering aura and manners, it was likely that he would be far stronger than the two-tribulation inferior holy warrior that he had just defeated.


    "I won''t kneel down. Go to hell!"


    Darren forced himself to remain calm. He pushed away the fear threatening to well up inside him.


    "You are nothing but a puppet. I don''t think you will truly kill me," he added scornfully.


    He knew that this man was simply a weapon wielded by the Space-time Palace. He had no control of his actions. But Darren could also sense that this man didn''t wish to kill him either for if he had intentions of killing him, he would have done it a while ago without hesitation.


    Then, a shadow jumped out of the darkness and stood beside the black-armored man.


    "You sure do have some guts."


    "I''m flattered to hear that, but please, who are you?" Darren asked, sarcastically. Up to this point, he knew that a fight would be inevitable especially since he still couldn''t find an escape.


    "Call me Misty Emperor!" the shadow replied.


    Darren rolled his eyes at that. "Everyone in the world wants to become a holy emperor nowadays. And then they call themselves that when in fact they''re only pretending to be one."


    The shadow stepped towards Darren, threateningly.


    "According to the information I got about you, you mentioned many times that you''ve seen a holy emperor somewhere."


    The shadow had disregarded personal boundaries as he got close enough to Darren for their breath to mingle in the scant space between them. "Is that true?"


    Then, a loud rumble cut through the air.


    The ground shook violently and everything around them began to collapse. Layer by layer, the space began peeling off until Darren could only feel an indomitable aura enveloping him wholly.

 Chapter 871 The Half-step Emperor

    Darren was struck with great wonder and horror.


    The atmosphere around the man was so horrible and invincible, making Darren have a hard time restraining his pounding heart. Recognizing the aura, he was in extreme awe.


    He knew that this was an aura of a holy emperor.


    So far, he had only sensed this kind of aura from the Primitive Emperor.


    Before, Darren thought that the Primitive Emperor was the only holy emperor in the world, although he was only a remained soul.


    With the appearance of this man, Darren realized that his cognition had been proven ill-founded.


    Darren realized that both the black-armored man and himself were pressed too hard. They were having a hard time breathing and nearly falling on their knees.


    "You can''t be the true holy emperor," Darren shouted as he recovered from his trance-like state.


    He sensed that the man came from the Space-time Palace. If he had really reached the Emperor Realm, he would have brought his army with him and slaughtered the human race. It would be unreasonable not to use such a valuable and incredible resource. This made Darren think that the man must have some flaw he didn''t know of.


    "You don''t know for sure, boy! No matter what, I can just knock off your head with just one finger," the shadow arrogantly said.


    Darren uttered no words and simply sneered. But despite the man''s arrogant manner, Darren felt helpless and sulky. He knew in his heart that the man meant the words that he had just said.


    "As I said, you can kill me. But you won''t get the dark-spirit crystals," Darren said after being silent for a while.


    The shadow remained silent for a few moments.


    He suddenly said, "It doesn''t matter. It''s useless for a human being to take that thing. I believe that the superior leaders of the human race will take the crystals in exchange for you."


    "I see that you think highly of me." Darren sneered. "I don''t want to disappoint you, but there are so many human geniuses. I am not merely a percentage of what they are. I am not as important as you think. After all, we are talking about the safety of the entire human race," he said.


    "Don''t belittle yourself like this," the shadow laughed. "A talent like you can be considered a miracle in the history of human race. If you can harness more potential, you can be as mighty as Hiram the Great," the shadow said, implying that human beings would never give Darren up because of the dark-spirit crystals.


    After speaking, the shadow released a great wave of power and charged towards Darren.


    Darren immediately felt his head getting woozy. His head was swaying as if an earthquake had just struck.


    Soon after, Darren couldn''t fight the feeling anymore and fainted.


    Outside the space Darren was in, the other members of the company had also been trapped in the respective similar spaces. Same as Darren, each of them


    he released his sword intent towards the shadow.


    As frightening and mighty as the sword intent was, it still failed. Like a mounting smoke driven by the wind, it faded into nothingness.


    "You do really have some strength. If you grow more powerful and become more prominent, you might really threaten me in the future. I might have to end you right now so that the threat won''t happen."


    The shadow swept away Luther''s sword intent and extended his own killing intent, spreading his power over the whole space.


    "Sizz!"


    Suddenly, they heard a hissing voice.


    Even though the sound wasn''t loud, it was clear enough for everyone to sense that it was coming from all directions, mingling with a strong and extreme dark aura.


    "Who is it?"


    The shadow transformed into a man''s shape and roared towards the sky. Everyone saw the shadow''s horrific and distorted face.


    The shadow didn''t dare to move again. Like a terrified animal, his glance shifted from side to side, trying to catch sight of his predator.


    As time went by, the shadow remained alert and wary.


    The voice shocked both Luther and Chandler as well. The dark aura seemed to be so deep and ominous that they clearly felt more terrified.


    The air was filled with silence until a black figure appeared in the distance, slowly walking towards their direction.


    As the black figure was getting closer, its shape began to grow and became more distinct. Although still blurry, they felt the figure hopping and prancing. It had a shining stick imprinted with runes on its shoulder. Its hand was constantly scratching at his face and neck.


    "I heard that there is a half-step emperor. I have come here to take a look!"


    To everyone''s wonder, the black figure suddenly hastened forward and reached the lord of the Space-time Palace in just a blink of an eye. What astonished them more was the fact that they found out it was a black monkey.

 Chapter 872 Time Fragment Rule (Part One)

    Everyone seemed to see the deepest darkness in the world as the black monkey stood there. None of them ever remembered feeling so terrified and horror-stricken before. It was as if something utterly evil and perilous was clutching at their hearts and dragging their souls down.


    "I am the Misty Emperor. Who are you?"


    Although scared, the lord of the Space-time Palace ventured to ask with a tone that conveyed both fear and awe.


    "The Misty Emperor?" The black monkey eyed him from head to toe as he asked.


    "Yes." The Misty Emperor nodded.


    The black monkey burst into laughter. "You have the cheek to call yourself an emperor? Do you believe your skills qualify you for that title? I''ve killed tons of half-step emperors, and every one of them was stronger than you, asshole!" the black monkey jeered with disdain.


    "Who the hell are you?" the Misty Emperor asked as fury coursed through him. "Don''t try to deceive me with your foul words. You''re not as strong as you think. If I have estimated correctly, you are the so-called Primitive Emperor. Am I right?"


    As tales of the Primitive Emperor had been in his mind, without much thought, the Misty Emperor concluded that the monkey was the one that Darren and Luther had mentioned.


    "Me?" The black monkey paused and glanced around. He noticed that everyone present was waiting for his answer with eyes widened and bated breaths. A cunning smile danced on his lips, and when it seemed intolerable for the Misty Emperor to wait any longer, the black monkey declared, "I am your grandfather."


    Boom!


    The black monkey''s words had hardly left his lips when the wrath of the Misty Emperor burst forth like a gushing flood and shook the entire space.


    "Did that anger you? Taste the power of my stick. Perhaps it


    deceive me, you rascal!"


    The Misty Emperor was indeed doubtful, for he had never thought that the famous Barnes the Holy would look like a ferocious black monkey.


    Moreover, he clearly perceived that his strength was even no stronger than that of a senior holy warrior who had survived six tribulations. The Misty Emperor continued to ponder over the situation in his mind. Gradually, he became more confident that the black monkey could never be Barnes the Holy. From his understanding of senior holy warriors who had survived six tribulations, he judged that killing a new half-step emperor like himself would be just like smashing an ant to them.


    So, at length, the Misty Emperor concluded that the black monkey was not Barnes the Holy.


    "It matters little whether you believe that I am Barnes the Holy or not. You are going to die anyway!"


    Barnes growled and gritted his teeth.


    Once again, he released his golden stick and flung it at the Misty Emperor.


    "Space-Time Collapse Skill!"


    the Misty Emperor roared. He was prepared this time, so he instantly put his mightiest skill into action. A few seconds later, a seven-colored beam of light rose from his palms.

 Chapter 873 Time Fragment Rule (Part Two)

    The sight startled Luther and Chandler.


    "Time! He has got time fragment in his skill," Luther cried in shock.


    In the history of rule cultivation, obtaining the skill of the Spatial Rule was considered valuable. However, it was far more rare and precious for a person to get a little bit of the skill of the Time Fragment Rule.


    The Time Fragment Rule was something that even the immortals found difficult to control. This was not yet the terrifying part, however. If one was able to master the Time Fragment Rule, then it was very likely that he could eventually obtain the Time Rule.


    Presently, the seven-colored light shifted and circled Barnes.


    Darkness overwhelmed him, for he was now standing right in the middle of the light and was receiving its significant oppression. He cringed, and his face distorted with the agony that coursed through him. As this was not the first time that he was being suppressed by the Time Fragment Rule, the old fear hiding deep in his mind surfaced. Now, the black monkey trembled with fright as he felt horrified in both his body and mind.


    He could no longer see the Misty Emperor and the others. Instead, before his eyes were images of thousands of different scenarios from varied times, and in which, he witnessed thousands of himself doing different things in different ages.


    Being in so many states and time courses, the black monkey felt it hard to control his complex mind. The more he tried, the closer he came to losing consciousness! It was plain that even though he had an Eternal Body, he could fall into the endless darkness of the Time Fragment Rule. The black monkey knew that each part of his body was in a different time course. Therefore, once hi


    save them all. Barnes the Holy is our only hope, and then too, we don''t know if he is good or bad for us," Luther rationalized dismally.


    All this while, they thought of their captured companions, but as the fight between the Misty Emperor and Barnes was so fierce and devastating, Chandler and Luther had no choice but to stand far away and watch.


    "Brat, let go of me!"


    They heard Barnes bark.


    "No way! Go to hell!"


    The Misty Emperor seemed resolved to destroy the black monkey, regardless of the pain his soul had to endure.


    Then, space reverberated with a great bellow of pain.


    Countless small blood spots appeared on Barnes'' body. Small as they were, they were still alarming as they indicated the appearance of fissures and gnashes in his body. Once torn apart, Barnes would definitely die.


    But, at this time of life and death, the surging fiendish aura burst like a gushing flood that had long been held by a dike.


    A phantom of a dodecahedral crystal appeared in between the eyes of Barnes. A moment later, the crystal began to spin so fast that it looked as though it would break free of his head at any time.

 Chapter 874 The Negotiation

    As the dodecahedral crystal spiraled out, the black vortex swept wildly amidst the seven-colored halos.


    The Misty Emperor''s face turned deathly pale, and countless pieces of fragments floated right in front of his eyes.


    "That is... the Fake God Character!" Chandler murmured in shock.


    His body was trembling, while the lotus in his mind was about to break.


    Luther clenched his teeth and did not dare look at the dodecahedral crystal. He also sensed tiny cracks on the sword-shaped crystal in his head.


    Both Chandler and Luther had just developed their respective Fake God Character, so their crystals were unstable under the pressure of the dodecahedral crystal.


    "Let''s go!"


    In an instant, the two of them turned into two rays of light and flew away in the blink of an eye.


    "Ouch!"


    Barnes was in great pain considering that his fiendish nature had reached its limit.


    Then, a pale golden shadow manifested itself from his body.


    The figure sat cross-legged, with one hand placed on his chest. His lips moved slightly as if he was trying to mutter something.


    After a while, the shadow raised his palm and gently pressed it down.


    Suddenly, the word "SUPPRESS" appeared, which was magnified infinitely in the air. It then flew towards the dodecahedral crystal.


    "Roar!"


    Barnes'' eyes were filled with blood, and the thousands of his minds in different time courses seemed to have been unified at that moment.


    Then, the golden stick in his hand spontaneously moved itself upward.


    A sudden burst of power had caused the seven-colored light spots that surrounded him to scatter straight away. The Misty Emperor was taken aback.


    "Retreat!"


    He could not think of any counterattack that could potentially deter his destruction. The Misty Emperor knew that if he continued to use the Time Fragment Rule, he would definitely lose his soul.


    As quick as a flash, he took back his rule power and immediately transformed himself into a dark shadow. He fled together with his four-tribulation junior holy warrior, and entered the starry area in the distance.


    When they had arrived at the colorful ocean of stars, the Misty Emperor stopped. He was too weak to fly anymore.


    He fell into a soft halo while his mouth oozed terribly with blood.


    "Damn it! I didn''t expect things to turn out like this. When I bring the ancient holy emperor back to life, my first target will be that runt of a monkey!"


    The silence continued to prevail.


    "Three parts. If you don''t accept my deal, then forget it!" Barnes shouted impatiently.


    "Okay, I agree to your terms." The fiendish voice rang in Barnes'' head. Then, he was wrapped in the fiendish aura and disappeared.


    In the Sacred Palace, Luther and Chandler sat still in the hall.


    "Is there a half-step emperor in the Space-time Palace?"


    Lord Donald looked gravely solemn. He was worried about the safety of Darren and the others, but he was more afraid of the existence of the Misty Emperor, the Lord of the Space-time Palace.


    "My Lord, in my opinion, you should use your highest power to invite the four greatest holy warriors," Chandler said.


    Lord Donald stroked his forehead slowly, lost in thought.


    "Chandler, the four greatest holy warriors have mastered the Heavenly Exterminating Array and can only exist in the world for no more than three years. If the Lord of the Space-time Palace would hide in dormant within these three years, or an unfortunate occurrence should happen in the forbidden area after the three years, what shall we do?"


    The four greatest holy warriors were very special. They had to hide themselves for tens of thousands of years after reappearing again for three years. Moreover, they could not be summoned unless it was at an extremely critical moment.


    "But, what should we do about Darren and the others? Who else has the ability to save them?"


    Lord Donald left everyone in a quandary even before Chandler could offer a reply.


    Chandler furrowed his brows and did not say a word. Luther did not know what to do as well.

 Chapter 875 Battle Among The Corpses

    Briefly, there was an uncertain glimmer of light in the endless darkness.


    Trying to shake off a headache, Darren opened his eyes¡ªnot that there was anything he could see.


    "Where am I?"


    Though his eyes were of little use in the dark, he had other ways of finding that out; he unleashed his spiritual sense. After spending a moment probing his surroundings, he found that he was in an enormous cave, one that stretched dozens of kilometers in every direction.


    The whole place was silent and devoid of life. Aside from Darren, nothing so much as breathed.


    In a way, though, he wasn''t alone. There were many, many dead bodies.


    His spiritual sense detected them easily.


    ''What is this place?'' Darren wondered. ''These seem to be the corpses of the senior holy warriors.''


    There was a great variety to them. Many were humans, but many others were of races Darren had never seen before. Most of them seemed to have been dead for many long years. There was little left except their bones, the tatters of their garments, and weapons or armors if they had any.


    Darren speculated that these corpses must have been collected from all over the world by the Space-time Palace.


    The purpose of that palace was to resurrect dead warriors in order to expand its own strength.


    Taking some time to explore, Darren flew about the cave, choosing several corpses to examine more closely. There was an uncanny power that fluctuated around them, somehow altering the flows of time. It was strange, as though time itself had become a living entity, quietly shifting and moving about before Darren as though watching him. But really, the feeling was impossible to describe.


    ''Are these people left here because of the failure of resurrection?'' Darren guessed.


    He continued his investigations, inspecting what felt like thousands of corpses. In the course of it all, two in particular caught his attention in a special way.


    ''These two corpses exude a strong aura of ancient times, and the aura of thunder punishment, '' he observed silently.


    Upon sensing the auras, he knew instantly that the two had once been tribulation holy warriors of ancient times.


    Curious but careful, Darren released his blade and sword intents, hovering them over the remains.


    He wasn''t quite ready for what happened next.


    There was a swirling whoosh, as of a sudden gust of wind.


    Then a current of lightning, the color of blood, flashed from one of the bodies. It illuminated Darren''s macabre surroundings for a split second, and a potent crackle of thunder bounced against the distant walls of the cave.


    "What was that?!"


    Darren was more than a little impressed. This person had surely died tens of thousands of years ago, and yet the thunder punishment aura that clung to his bones could still summon lightning.


    What was even more interesting was that Darren had seen the same blood red lightning before.


    This incident reminded him of the first lord of the Mythological Palace. The holy emperor with red hair in the portrait had released blood red lightning to punish an old man with his remaining spiritual sense.


    ''It is rumored that the first lord of the Mythological Palace was extreme


    to be a pushover.


    "Good! Use your greatest power!" bellowed the black-armored man with bloodthirsty enthusiasm. Once again he hefted his halberd, and arcs of lightning roiled up and down its length.


    Darren transformed into a shadow and flew towards the black-armored man.


    Blade and halberd collided in slashes and sweeps, parries and thrusts, and the clangs of steel filled the air.


    Power shook the cave, and the bones of long-dead warriors rattled and clattered about.


    The two combatants exchanged blows yet again, until the black-armored man rammed Darren in the gut with the blunt end of his halberd.


    Glowing red, Darren sailed over the ground for a moment like a shooting star until he smacked into the wall of the cave.


    Though he was careful not to show it, he was shocked by how this fight was going. The physical strength of this four-tribulation junior holy warrior was beyond his imagination.


    After several exchanges of blows, his blood was surging, and he knew this was going to be one tough fight.


    "I must admit that you are not as weak as I thought you are," his opponent called to him. But the loathing and arrogance in the black-armored man''s tone made it clear that his words were meant as anything but praise.


    Scoffing, Darren got to his feet. Withdrawing his Shura Force, he walked toward his foe. "You''re not too bad yourself, becoming a holy warrior after surviving the tribulations. But that''s nothing to be proud of. You are only a four-tribulation junior holy warrior. After I have cultivated on the path of surviving the tribulations, I''ll be able to kill you in no time."


    "What?" blurted the man in black armor.


    The next moment, though, he gave a mocking laugh.


    "Don''t even think about trying to survive the tribulations! You are just dreaming, little man."


    The way he saw it, there were no words more ignorant or childish than what Darren had just said to him.


    ''He has entered the Holy Realm by comprehending the Holy Will, '' the black-armored man thought. ''But now he believes he can cultivate on the path of surviving the tribulations? That will never happen.''

 Chapter 876 Torture (Part One)

    Darren frowned in mock exasperation. "What are you smirking about?" he asked.


    "I don''t want to waste my time talking to an idiot," the black-armored man replied.


    He lifted his weapon and sprang at Darren. He challenged him for another round of combat. The black-armored man thought that even if he could not kill Darren, he certainly wanted to give him a good lesson.


    Darren attempted to take a hasty retreat before he realized that a giant halberd had already appeared behind him.


    Using his sword, Darren utilized his special skills to fend off the attack of the halberd. As he did so, a tremendous force that radiated from the halberd instantly drilled into his internal organs.


    It was not long before hundreds of halberds of the same kind unexpectedly emerged and charged towards him from different directions.


    Darren''s body turned crimson red again, while his Shura Force surged all over the place.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The battle was so violent that it shook the entire cave.


    Under the continuous attack of the halberd, Darren''s power began to gradually plummet down.


    "That is enough!"


    Suddenly, almost at the same moment when the voice resounded, a handsome figure came into light and landed between the black-armored man and Darren. With his fair-skinned palm, he launched a powerful torrent-like assault that pushed the black-armored man over a hundred feet away.


    Thud! The black-armored man bounced off the wall of the cave, causing a crack akin to a spider''s web. Then, he fell face down on the ground heavily. Darren was shocked; it seemed to him that the man had only given out a small assault. He did not expect that the blow would bring such a deadly impact to his opponent.


    With a


    at the Misty Emperor sternly.


    "Ha-ha."


    The Misty Emperor cackled, "You are so naive. You have just revealed to me that you have crystals with you. Give me a reason not to kill you after I snatch them from you, because I cannot think of one!"


    Darren did not heed the Misty Emperor''s arrogant remarks. "You mean to tell me that you don''t want to get all of the crystals, is that correct?" Darren asked with a quizzical look on his face. "To tell you the truth, you''ll only obtain two-thirds of my crystals if you kill me. I hid the rest in ten different places. Also, if I am not mistaken, even if our elders did swap their crystals for me, they will still be insufficient for you to proceed with your plan."


    The Misty Emperor''s face turned grim.


    "What a cunning boy you are! Now, tell me! Where are these crystals hidden?" he roared.


    "Tell you? Are you kidding me? I won''t give them away now that they are my only hope of getting out of here alive," Darren said as he stared firmly into the Misty Emperor''s eyes.


    "Tell me or I will end you right now!" The Misty Emperor let out a thunder-like howl while his eyes blazed with fury.

 Chapter 877 Torture (Part Two)

    "Fine by me! If I cannot dodge the call of death one way or another, I would rather die with that secret. I take comfort in the fact that you have absolutely no idea where to seek for those crystals that you so desperately want." There was a tone of mockery in Darren''s voice that irked the Misty Emperor even more.


    "You dratted little vermin! Do you really think I will give you a quick and painful death? It seems to me that you do not know what true horror is," the Misty Emperor said eerily. He secretly hoped that he could dig information out of Darren with his threat of imminent torture.


    However, Darren countered, "I dare say that the worst thing you could do to me is to torture my soul, which I happen to have suffered for many times before. I''m quite accustomed to any form of pain you may possibly inflict on me, but I still encourage you to do your best. I have to tell you that I cannot remember a time that I considered surrendering no matter how much pain I bored." Darren grinned while a light of resolve and firmness came over his eyes.


    "Really? I would be glad to witness your first time conceding."


    With those words, the Misty Emperor began his attack. A gust of soul attack dashed out from his body and aimed directly into Darren''s head.


    In a second, Darren felt the intensity of the assault. Surprisingly, the Misty Emperor''s attack stretched its force all over his soul in the most compelling and shortest amount of time that he never remembered enduring a severer one.


    The rage of the soul attack began to spread in his head. Its green power gradually stirred that his head had started to feel like a vessel of boiling water. Darren''s body began to steam as w


    er the black-armored man''s watch.


    In order not to expose himself, Darren continued to wail and roll on the ground.


    The black-armored man came over and looked at Darren with pitiful eyes under his broken helmet.


    In the past, he was revived with the help of the Misty Emperor. However, the reward did not come without payment. The black-armored man may have regained his own consciousness, but in return, the Misty Emperor had conquered his soul and had taken him in his service.


    Because of that debt, he could never betray the Misty Emperor. If he did, he would suffer the same kind of torture as Darren.


    "Lad, you are no match for him in strength," the black-armored man said. "If my soul were only not under his control, I would try my best to escape from here. If I had the chance, I would kill him thousands of times!"


    "Really?"


    A voice suddenly echoed. The black-armored man''s heart skipped a beat. Without hesitation, he thought it was the Misty Emperor. Therefore, he immediately knelt down and hid his face behind his broken helmet. He trembled with the utmost fear, while his face turned deathly pale.

 Chapter 878 An Alliance With The Black-Armored Man (Part One)

    Soon the black-armored man realized that the voice he heard was not that of his master. As he looked about, he was even more puzzled and startled to find that Darren was nowhere to be seen.


    "Why are you so scared?" asked the voice, and it was closer this time¡ªcoming from directly behind him, in fact.


    Horrified, he whirled and found none other than Darren standing before him, smiling and looking none the worse for wear.


    "You!" the black-armored man gasped. "You... You can break the soul attack?"


    He was exceedingly astonished. He''d never guessed that anyone could survive after withstanding the soul attack, let alone be unscathed, as this man apparently was.


    "Of course I can. Otherwise, how do you think I could stand here talking to you?" Darren answered with carelessness.


    At that moment, a desirous light came into the other man''s eyes. Obviously, something was overpowering his fear: curiosity.


    "How did you escape the attack?" he asked earnestly.


    "It''s none of your business." Darren strode over and stopped before his erstwhile enemy. "I know that you want to get rid of his control, is that right?"


    The other man, powerful and imposing in his night-colored armor, trembled at those words. He had dreamed of freedom ever since the Misty Emperor had brought him back to life. The mere thought that he might stand a chance of getting it was overwhelming¡ªand, perhaps, too good to be true. "What do you want from me?" he asked cautiously.


    "It''s simple," Darren explained. "Just let me out of this place, and I''ll take you with me."


    Dread shrouded the mind of the armored warrior, and he shook his head gravely. "That''s impossible. My soul is in the hands of my master. I''m surely doomed if I try to escape." As lo


    e sure to find a way to save me sooner or later, so I''m not in a hurry." Saying this, he went, sat down against the wall, and closed his eyes as if taking a nap. The silence stretched on and on, and he frowned, hoping his bluff would work. He wasn''t sure what else he could say, if the black-armored man remained unconvinced.


    After some time, the black-armored man spoke. "Aren''t you afraid that he will kill you if I tell him that you are faking?"


    "You can just go ahead and tell him what you saw," Darren replied slowly. "But I don''t think you will. I mean, if you did, I''d be obliged to talk with him and let him know what sort of things you''re thinking about.


    From what I''ve seen so far, it''s plain that he''s extremely careful and suspicious about your loyalty. So, if I was to tell him that you''re plotting to turn against him, I bet he would believe me.


    Do you think he would keep a dangerous person by his side?"


    Now the black-armored man was even more perturbed. Once again, he found no way to dispute with Darren''s remarks. At last, he made up his mind and said, "You win. We will do as you say. Now get up! We may as well be on our way now."

 Chapter 879 An Alliance With The Black-Armored Man (Part Two)

    Darren was overjoyed. For a moment, he had doubted that the black-armored man would really take in his words. But as he thought it over, he understood how freedom weighed in a man''s heart. For those who had suffered much from the oppression of others, the desire for freedom was unimaginable. Now the black-armored man saw a chance of escape, and it was his very last hope. It was only natural, then, that he would willingly risk the doom of a second death to fight for it. Darren couldn''t help but pity this man.


    "I''m glad you see things my way," said Darren, sitting up. "But let''s not be hasty. You should go first and find out the exact route of our escape. I''ll stay here in disguise for a few more days. That will give us enough time to prepare."


    The reply of the black-armored man was fierce, driven by fear of betrayal as much as by hope. "Very well, I will follow your instructions. But if you dare lie to me, I will kill you for it, even if it means my own life as well!"


    "Don''t worry. Your strength is much higher than mine," Darren pointed out. "Wouldn''t it be suicide for me to lie to you?"


    Without any reply, the black-armored man left him.


    Two days passed. The Misty Emperor was indeed a very cautious person, and so from time to time he released his spiritual sense to spy on him. He planned to visit his captive to interrogate him again, once he saw that he''d reached the limit of his resistance.


    But Darren''s plan worked perfectly, as he was able to sense it whenever the Misty Emperor was about to spy on him. So, each time, he pretended to still be in torment from the soul attack.


    Whenever he didn''t have to put on a show, he passed the time by practicing his cultivation.


    One day, during the cultivation, Darren suddenly had a very strange


    dark-spirit crystals, to a far corner, trying to hold them there so that they would not provide the bodies with more energy.


    While he was still doing this, the Space Ring shuddered with a malevolent, ethereal presence.


    It seemed that the two corpses had already been imbued with some minimal level of consciousness. Seeing then that the resurrection process had interrupted, they grew extremely angry at Darren.


    Darren did not give much heed to their wrath, instead taking a moment to make sure that the link between the crystals and the corpses didn''t reassert itself. When he was satisfied, he withdrew his spiritual sense and went back to his practice.


    But even as he did so, an intriguing and hopeful idea came to his mind. ''If I could ever find a way to control them, then I would have two ancient tribulation holy warriors to protect me. In that case, I wouldn''t be so afraid of fighting the Misty Emperor!''


    The idea was not futile or fanciful. In fact, the longer he pondered it, the more confident Darren grew that it was in fact possible. He would get in contact with his avatar later because no one else was powerful enough to aid him in accomplishing this goal.

 Chapter 880 The Black-Armored Mans Past (Part One)

    After Darren had separated the connection between the dark-spirit crystals and the corpses of the two ancient warriors, the turbulence in the Space Ring steadily calmed down. However, he still released his spiritual sense now and then to check on it. In time he found that the resentful aura in it was growing rather than dwindling.


    Confident that the ominous aura could do him no harm, Darren did not give it much heed. Instead, with a mind at ease, he continued with his cultivation.


    Seven days later, the man in black armor returned.


    "When are we leaving?" he asked as soon as he set eyes on Darren. His gait and manner were unsteady; he looked weary and tormented by thoughts. The plan of their escape had been growing in his mind, and he could not banish his sheer excitement at the vision of freedom, nor his fear at the consequences of betraying his master.


    Darren, on the other hand, seemed relaxed and indifferent, sitting cross-legged on the ground. "What are you in such a hurry for? You''ve already endured waiting for so many years. A little bit more won''t do us much harm."


    A trace of resentment came over the man''s face. He turned his gaze into the hollow distance and grunted, "I''ve been tolerating my master''s oppression for so many years because I found no way of escape. But now, finally, I have hope. A man will always find it hard to go on waiting when his dream waves at him."


    Darren smiled, but said nothing.


    After a moment, the man came and sat down next to Darren. In a slow and heavy tone that did not sound much like him, he began, "Darren, you must not lie to me. I had a very hard time in my past life and ended up with a miserable death. I deem it a blessing that I have had the chance to live again, although so far I have had nothing but servitude. I crave freedom. I want it so badly that I cannot restrain myself from


    cept hope to escape such a loathsome sight. Really, if ever there was a hole that I could fit into, I would have long bored into it, no matter what beast may dwell there.


    However, I''d only made it a few paces when the adulterer seized me. They held me prisoner. What was worse, they shackled me before them and made me watch their happy performance against my own will. At that moment, the pain of my soul was even deeper than that of the soul attack."


    The man stopped and began to sob¡ªnot loudly, but nevertheless it interrupted his narrative for some minutes.


    At last, gnashing his teeth, he made himself go on. "For three whole years, they confined me like an animal. Practically every day, they would torture me and make me watch when they made love. Gah, so many sights and sounds¡ªto this day, the things I remember feel worse than death.


    But as time went by, the recurrent torment numbed my heart and my soul. I could no longer feel any pain. I became like a statue without soul and without hope. When they found that they could no longer afflict me with their dirty shows and get excitement out of my pain, they snatched what little was left of my power and slew me. And that, sir, was the end of my miserable previous life."

 Chapter 881 The Black-Armored Mans Past (Part Two)

    He fell silent, his eyes bright with grief and hatred. With the ending of the grotesque story at last, Darren let out a long sigh of sympathy.


    "That is a terrible fate," he agreed. "But I''m curious about why that Shirley would treat you so cruelly. Even if she chose to betray you, she didn''t need to torture you like that. She could easily have just plundered all of your power and killed you once and for all, instead of dragging it out in such a way."


    "I didn''t understand either. So I asked her before I was slain," the man said, his tone terribly matter-of-fact. "Her answer was very simple. She said that Sun liked to have sex with her in front of me, and my painful look would give him excitement. That''s all."


    Darren had seen and heard many mortifying things, but this was too much even for him. His countenance turned grave and fiery.


    "Curse them! I can hardly believe anyone would have such an unfortunate life! And after getting a second chance, you''ve had to be under the oppression of the Misty Emperor for so long. Even a malefactor wouldn''t deserve such a tragic fate. You certainly don''t!"


    "Indeed? You know, I''ve always liked to imagine the look on their face, when they find out that I''ve come back to life. From my very first day back in this world, I''ve sworn that I would become their worst nightmare. Even if I''m much weaker than them now, I''ll still use all my might to make their lives hell, as much as I can!"


    Sighing, the black-armored man hung his head. "Or, I would, if I could ever break out of the Space-time Palace. But look at me now, helplessly ensnared by the Misty Emperor. How could I ever dream of getting my revenge when I can''t even get myself out of this?"


    And sorrowful and disturbed as he was by the tale of this man''s mis


    " he went on, "your friends and those elders are locked up in another place. I''m afraid they will be in danger after our escape."


    Darren was shocked. It occurred to him then that he was the first one who had been caught by the Misty Emperor, and he had lost consciousness during the whole ordeal. He had no idea what else had happened on the battlefield that day. "What? Tell me more!"


    The black-armored man went into detail, recounting what had become of the battle after Darren had blacked out. Most significantly, he went into detail describing each of the other prisoners who had been taken.


    Darren immediately recognized that they were Scott, Hanson, Mathew and Leighton.


    "No, I cannot leave my friends behind. The plan has to be changed. I have to save them first if we are to escape," he declared.


    His face was drawn with determination, and with worry, because now the stakes were higher than ever. Just getting himself and the black-armored man out of this place was never going to be easy. But even if he succeeded in that, the Misty Emperor would surely kill the prisoners in his rage. And no matter the odds against him, Darren could not allow that to happen.

 Chapter 882 The Preparation (Part One)

    As Darren and the man in black armor looked at each other, silence hung in the air, and as time wore on, the man in black armor felt a sense of dread wash over him. Perhaps he shouldn''t have told Darren the truth about his companions. He worried that the day he was to be freed would be postponed or that all of the efforts would result in failure.


    "You can''t save them, not with your current strength," he said, trying to reel Darren back from making a bold decision.


    "You don''t understand. I owe it to them to try. If I run away now, they will surely die," Darren argued, staring grimly at the ground.


    At hearing Darren''s desperation and seeing his defeated posture while he thought of his friends'' safety, the black-armored man sighed. "All right. Now I can see that I have made the right choice teaming up with you. You are brave and loyal to your friends. That must mean that you wouldn''t lie to me either. Even though it will be difficult for me, I will do my best to help you save them. May we form a good plan that can get us out of this accursed place!" he said.


    Feeling a renewed sense of hope, the black-armored man stopped speaking. All through his body he felt that the Misty Emperor was summoning him. So in haste, he took his leave and flew away.


    Once again, Darren was left alone with his thoughts.


    Feeling troubled, Darren stared at his feet with a frown on his face. It seemed to him that the nature of the black-armored man was not bad at all, but there was a lot riding on this plan and how it would unfold.


    Despite feeling sorry for deceiving him, Darren couldn''t bear the thought of irritating both the Misty Emperor and the black-armored man and leaving all of his companions in danger.


    "It doesn''t matter now. Worrying won''t help any


    ing and tell me now! Or you''ll be tortured for another three months!" Like a flame, the Misty Emperor''s aura flared up again.


    "No, please don''t do that! I''ll tell you everything I know," Darren pleaded. "After I separated the crystals and put them in the ten respective places, I imprinted a clue map of each location in the soul of my ten friends and the elders. In order to remember the place, they must all gather together alongside me." Internally, Darren was impressed with himself at how easily he had come up with the story.


    "Damn it!" The Misty Emperor lifted his foot and kicked the ground, and as he did so, the earth shook and chasms appeared.


    "Boy, what were you thinking? This complicates everything! It seems like you want to die." The black-armored man, who had been standing beside the Misty Emperor, flew over and made eye contact briefly with Darren. In his heart, he knew what Darren was up to.


    Stepping forward, he lifted his halberd and directed it at Darren. He clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes in feigned anger. He figured that if he acted like he was really angered by Darren''s reply and was trying to vent, the Misty Emperor would be fooled.

 Chapter 883 The Preparation (Part Two)

    Bang!


    As he had anticipated, a blow thudded against his halberd and it clattered to the ground. The Misty Emperor was standing a few feet away and was lowering his hands. He had knocked down the weapon, thinking that the black-armored man would hinder his deed by hurting Darren. "You''re getting more and more presumptuous every day. How dare you make a move without my order!" he roared.


    "Yes, master. I promise I won''t do that again!" The man in black armor cowered on the ground, begging on his knees.


    At this moment, Darren silently appreciated the actions of the black-armored man. He was trying to distract the Misty Emperor so that he didn''t have time to question Darren''s purpose. So as a result, the Misty Emperor''s mind turned to who those map carriers might be.


    "Who are the ten people?" he asked impatiently.


    Fortunately, he had fallen for Darren''s simple lies.


    With faked effort, Darren stood up, leaned against the wall, and murmured the names one by one.


    "You idiot! How am I supposed to know who they are by just names?" the Misty Emperor shouted, collecting Darren''s collar in his fists. "Condense the pictures of their faces so I can see them!"


    When the Misty Emperor stared at him with a flustered look in his eyes, Darren felt a wave of relief wash over him.


    "I''m sorry. My head aches, and I can''t gather enough energy to condense their appearances." Clutching the wall, Darren forced small tears out of his eyes.


    Witnessing his helplessness, the Misty Emperor felt the urge to sweep Darren''s head off in an attempt to release his overwhelming fury. However, doing so would destroy his whole purpose. So, after cooling off a little, he began releas


    hand and slapped it heavily on Scott''s head.


    As planned, the new trauma added to the initial pain caused Scott to pass out.


    Darren immediately reached down and placed a palm on Scott''s chest. A relieved sigh pushed through his lips when he felt that he was still breathing. The process was going to be risky for Darren. If just once he were to use too much strength with his blow, he would kill one of his companions.


    "I''m so glad this is working. It''s nearly impossible for one to pass out under the torture of the soul attack. Now being unconscious, he will no longer feel any pain," Darren said, wiping his sweat with the back of his hand.


    Presently, Scott was lying unconscious, with only a breath of life left.


    Then Darren walked to the others and beat them with the same force he had used on Scott. After they had all passed out, he concentrated his spiritual sense and put them all in his Space Ring.


    This way, Darren would not have any scruples. Now all there was left to do was wait for the return of the black-armored man who had arranged the escape route that would lead them to their final escape.

 Chapter 884 Discovered

    Five days later, the black-armored man found an opportunity to sneak away from the Misty Emperor. He appeared at the cave where Darren was imprisoned.


    "Darren, where are the others?"


    The black-armored man was surprised to find that the others had disappeared.


    "I beat them to a near-death state and put them in my Space Ring."


    "What? !" The black-armored man was shocked.


    "They are not dead. There is still a chance to save them," Darren explained with a shrug.


    The black-armored man was speechless. And so, he nodded and said, "So that''s how it is. I agree that this is the only way to protect them. Now, are we ready to escape?"


    "That''s the plan." Darren nodded.


    "Great! I''ve been waiting for this day, for a long time! Finally, I will be free!" The black-armored man was so excited that his voice began to tremble.


    Darren didn''t know what to say. He knew that his lie would eventually be discovered. Until then, it was perhaps best not to tell the black-armored man.


    "Have you already planned the escape route?" Darren asked when the silence began to gnaw at him.


    "Yes! When we escape from the Space-time Palace, you''ll help me to cut off the Soul Control Skill, okay?" The black-armored man smiled as he patted Darren''s shoulder.


    Aware that he couldn''t do what the black-armored man had requested, Darren just nodded silently.


    "Let''s go!" The black-armored man''s eyes sparkled with the excitement coursing through him.


    As he had mastered a way to open the prison cave, he safely took Darren outside.


    Haloes of varied, dazzling light illuminated the sky. Darren was awe-struck with the beautiful scene.


    "This place is full of time traps. Once you fall in, you will never get out. Follow me closely," the black-armored man warned Darren.


    "I understand."


    When they flew past some colorful vortexes, Darren could feel the traces of time.


    As they continued their journey forward, they met no obstacles, not even a guard.


    After a while, a huge black vortex appeared before them.


    "Once we fly into the vortex, we will have escaped the Space-time Palace."


    The black-armored man stopped and gaped at the black vortex. Hope blossomed in his heart as the thrill of freedom coursed through him.


    Whoosh.


    Unable to contain his excitement, the black-armored man headed for the vortex at his fastest speed.


    "Why are you standing still? Hurry up! We will die if he finds out." The black-armored man urged Darren, who was staring blankly at the vortex.


    "Uh." Darren nodded as he followed the blac


    igure appeared before the black-armored man.


    "What happened?" The handsome man''s voice was full of killing intent as he questioned.


    "Master, he escaped." The black-armored man bowed his head as he hovered in the air.


    "How dare you betray me?"


    the Misty Emperor shouted before he lashed out at the black-armored man. The mighty attack hit him straight in the chest.


    "I wouldn''t dare to betray you, master." The black-armored man''s heart spasmed as tremendous agony coursed through him. However, he still forced himself to kneel before the Misty Emperor.


    At this moment, he felt inferior, but to live and to take his revenge, he knew he had to bear it.


    "You wouldn''t dare? If you hadn''t betrayed me, how could he have escaped? Answer me!" Runes burst forth and hovered threateningly above the black-armored man as the Misty Emperor shouted.


    "One of those five captives had a magic soul weapon. The weapon injured me and allowed them to escape,"


    the black-armored man lowered his gaze as he explained.


    The Misty Emperor had dominated his soul. He released his spiritual sense to probe the man''s soul. He discovered that there was no lie in the black-armored man''s soul waves.


    "Humph! Come with me and redeem yourself!"


    Hearing this, the black-armored man knew that he had once again survived.


    "Yes, master." The black-armored man struggled to stand straight. Then, with trembling feet, he took a step forward.


    Bang!


    The Misty Emperor kicked him.


    "You piece of junk! Get out!" He was furious when he saw that the black-armored man was unable to stand.


    Whoosh!


    The Misty Emperor transformed into colorful runes and flew in the direction Darren had taken.

 Chapter 886 The Liquids Power

    It was becoming obvious that the Misty Emperor was entertaining the idea of retreating. And yet, something seemed to be holding him back.


    He thought of Darren, gritting his teeth as he debated between letting him go or pushing on.


    In the end, however, the Misty Emperor decided to follow the aura to get close to Darren.


    Meanwhile, Darren was finally coming down from his powerful state. It was at this time that he realized just how strong the effects of the light red liquid was. It was so powerful that just a drop of it would be enough.


    ''It can boost my power and realm in an instant, but it burns up real fast.'' He made a mental note to himself.


    It was a good thing that Darren was able to gather twelve drops of the liquid. Now that he had used one, he still had eleven. Surely, this precious liquid would be enough to get him through many crises.


    "Such a pity that I had to use a drop already," he sighed. "But I wonder...would I be able to defeat the Misty Emperor if I use just one drop of this?"


    A plan began formulating itself inside his head. The memory of how such power surged through his body after taking that one drop was enough to push him to do something unthinkably risky.


    Finally, he had decided. The Misty Emperor was chasing him, while he, on the other hand, wanted to fight him now.


    By taking one drop of the liquid, he saw two outcomes in his confrontation with the Misty Emperor. Either he could win against the latter, or he could lose, but he would be able to escape the Misty Emperor.


    Determined now more than ever, he flew back.


    Back to the Misty Emperor, the emperor seemed surprised.


    "What?"


    With his Spirit Power covering the entire hundred feet around him, he could sense Darren''s location.


    "Ha-ha, I''ve finally found this guy."


    Excitement welled up inside him upon the prospect of seeing the human once again.


    He had been feeling cooped up inside the forbidden domain. Any longer and he feared he might provoke the thing.


    Not wanting to wait a second longer, he met with Darren halfway through.


    In a blink of an eye, he now stood behind the latter. With his raised hand, he delivered a forceful slap on the human''s back.


    Unfortunately for Darren, his spiritual sense was suppressed so he didn''t sense the incoming attack.


    It sent Darren reeling through the air.


    The impact had caused his back to collapse and blood spewed out of his body.


    The Misty Emperor let out a sinister laugh at that.


    "Human brat, let me see if you can escape that!"


    But Darren only stood his ground. Determination was flaring in his eyes, so bright tha


    rames and different places, all at the same time.


    "What kind of attack is this? It''s so powerful!"


    Darren exclaimed. He could feel the trickle of dread filling him up so he absorbed yet another drop of the red liquid. Without it, he was sure to be crushed by this peculiar, strong force.


    After taking in the drop, his aura reached its peak once more.


    Surging with newfound power, he cleared his mind and used his Shura Force.


    With the holy emperor''s power and his Shura Force combined, it pushed him to a whole new level of power. It was like the time when the Primitive Emperor took control over his body.


    Back then, the Primitive Emperor was able to wield the Bloody Shura Froce and break through the thunder punishment. It was such a terrifying force!


    But of course, a drop of the holy emperor''s power wouldn''t be enough to stand against the Primitive Emperor. For now, it would be enough to turn Darren into a half-step emperor.


    As he passed through countless of time frames, unconsciousness was threatening to take him over. But in the last second, a shaft of blood red light broke through the force. It suppressed everything around it.


    The multi-colored halo around Darren collapsed.


    The whole scene stunned the Misty Emperor. He couldn''t believe his eyes when Darren came out bursting with a power comparable to the strongest half-step emperor''s.


    Darren had become strong enough to smash the Misty Emperor''s Time Fragment Rule.


    "What?!"


    he roared and spat out a mouthful of blood, nursing his injured soul.


    At the same time, a face began to quietly form on the other side of the darkness. His expression was cold as ice while his eyes held such hatred and greed. He gazed intently at Darren''s direction.

 Chapter 887 In Exchange For A Life

    Darren''s body turned crimson as he activated the holy emperor''s power. A circle of seven-colored haloes appeared with his figure standing dead center. His appearance was that of a deity.


    The Misty Emperor fell to the ground, wincing in pain from his injuries.


    Darren approached him step by step. It was as if a bright and blood-red star was approaching the Misty Emperor. His eyes burned at the sight.


    "You!"


    The Misty Emperor''s face twisted in pain.


    Just a few months back, he had almost killed the fiercest black monkey, Barnes the Holy, with the Space-Time Collapse Skill. Now, he couldn''t believe that a human boy managed to destroy this powerful skill.


    "Please, let me go."


    As he was at death''s door, the Misty Emperor relented.


    "Let you go? What was it again that you were trying to do to me just now?" Darren retorted coldly. His eyes were sharply fixed on the Misty Emperor.


    It was obvious that the Misty Emperor had just tried to kill him.


    "I didn''t really want to kill you! It was a bluff. I simply wanted to gauge your power," the Misty Emperor explained hastily. His voice was beginning to stagger.


    "Haha," Darren sneered. "Alright, let''s say you don''t want to kill me. Instead, you just want to capture and torment my soul, right?"


    The Misty Emperor knew there was no convincing Darren at this point. He pondered for a moment, as his life was at stake. Finally, he asked plainly, "What should I do for you to release me? I will give you anything you want, just spare me, please!"


    "Sorry, I don''t need anything from the likes of you."


    Darren raised a clench fist and punched straight into the Misty Emperor''s chest. He bore a hole into the dying man''s body. One could almost see his rapidly beating heart inside.


    "Please don''t kill me, Darren! Have mercy!" The Misty Emperor screamed. His voice began to crack, as the fear of death welled up inside of him.


    "If you spare me, I can give you the holy emperor''s corpse and tell you how to resurrect it. You already have the dark-spirit crystals, so this will be easy for you. Then, you''ll have a genuine emperor for a guard! Isn''t that great? You could take over the world with that kind of power," the Misty Emperor said in a trembling voice.


    Darren withdrew his hand, slowly. The Misty Emperor winced again from the pain, but a glimmer of hope seemed to appear in his eyes.


    Darren was slowly getting convinced. If he had a genuine emperor for a guard, then he could handle the first fiend ancestor assuming it would escape one day. The first fiend ancestor was trapped for so many years it couldn''t possibly be at full strength when it escaped.


    Darren knew this was for the good of the human race.


    "How can I be sure you''ll keep your word?"


    The Misty Emperor was bargaining for his life, after a


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ret shortcut to the five-dimensional space. The chain can be unlocked with my lord token. You have to believe me. I wouldn''t risk something as important as my life on a simple lie."


    The Misty Emperor was in fact, telling the truth. The holy emperor''s corpse was not as important to him as his life.


    "What do you think, Darren?" Chaz Qiu asked.


    "Okay, we can trust him for now. But we can''t lower our guard. Watch over him for me, Chaz. The moment he regains some of his strength, punch him really hard, but don''t kill him."


    This was the reason Darren had asked for Chaz to be summoned.


    "Got it,"


    Chaz replied. He then punched the Misty Emperor hard in the stomach. A bloody, wheezing cough escaped him. The Misty Emperor looked pitifully soaked in his own blood.


    "Nice work!" Chaz had choked down the insults and humiliation for all those years. He finally had the chance to release all his frustrations with the Misty Emperor.


    The Misty Emperor laid limp and unconscious. He was hit so hard that he could hardly open his eyes.


    "Now that''s settled. What should we do next?


    In the Space-Time Palace are some of the Misty Emperor''s companions. They''re all about his level in power, but from what I know if they combine forces, their strength is comparable to the strongest half-step emperor. This is not going to be an easy feat for us,"


    said Chaz Qiu, eager for Darren''s opinion.


    "Don''t worry. I have some secret skills up my sleeve. Not even the strongest half-step emperor can kill me," Darren replied confidently. Since the Misty Emperor had been taken care of, Darren was about to get out of the forbidden domain together with him and Chaz Qiu.


    "Ah!"


    All of a sudden, a shadow creature struck through the sky and towards Darren.


    "What? Is that the holy emperor''s power?"


    Darren''s heart sank in dread upon hearing the sound.

 Chapter 888 The Holy Emperors Soul

    The fierce roar sent a bone-chilling sensation that dug deep into the core of the man in black armor. The shock he felt was comparable to the feeling of being shattered into pieces. Even Darren''s insides churned as the holy emperor''s power inside his body had already faded.


    Flustered, Darren fumbled and hastily swallowed another drop of the red liquid.


    "Chaz, take the Misty Emperor away and hide at the edge of the forbidden domain," he barked at his companion.


    Chaz blinked, bewildered by the order. "What? But what about you?"


    "Don''t you feel my aura?" Darren calmly asked.


    Only then did Chaz realize. So, he nodded slowly. "I understand. You have the holy emperor''s power..."


    After that, Chaz immediately took the Misty Emperor and flew towards the edge of the forbidden domain.


    A pair of bright eyes suddenly appeared in front of Darren.


    "Who are you?" Darren demanded. The aura emanating from the dark was no weaker than that of his.


    He still found it hard to believe that there was really a top half-step emperor dwelling in this forbidden domain.


    After the bright eyes had stared at Darren for a while, the ferocity in the eyes had somehow diminished.


    A translucent and unkempt figure walked out of the darkness.


    "You have my aura." His voice was cold and dry, tinged with a bit of ruthlessness.


    "What do you mean by that? I have never met you before. If I have offended you, please forgive me. If there''s nothing else, I''ll be taking my leave," Darren replied politely.


    After all, the quantity of the liquid he had was limited and the aura of the figure in front of him was very strong. Darren was afraid that the liquid would be consumed and he would not be able to win if he were to fight against him. If that would be the case, Darren would be in danger.


    Swoosh.


    There was a strong gust of wind and all of a sudden, the man''s translucent figure was standing right in front of Darren.


    "What? Do I have to fight against you?" Darren shot a cold glance at the figure.


    The man did not say a word but instead struck his palm directly at Darren.


    The space between his palms collapsed and the rule silk threads that connected the space appeared to be tearing apart.


    It was the first time that Darren had seen such a powerful palm.


    ''Seems like this man''s power is close to Primitive Emperor''s!'' Darren compared in his mind.


    However, he had no choice but to take up the gauntlet. The blood light on his body soared and he balled his hands into fists and punched back.


    The rule silk threads that were destroyed transformed into a power that was tens o


    e to check in person. The resentful soul should not be able to break through the sealing power. If we rashly go there, there''s a possibility that we will inadvertently help him, which is the exact opposite of what we want."


    "But if the Misty Emperor did meet the resentful soul, he would probably have the same end as his father."


    "I don''t care what his fate would be. He is just a useless dud. I couldn''t care less whether he dies or not," the blue-skinned man in front coldly stated.


    "Yes, senior."


    Boom!


    Soon after the blue-skinned men finished their discussion, a strong wave of power surged in the depths of the hall.


    The entire hall was in turmoil, almost nearing the brink of collapse.


    "Damn it! There''s a strange sound coming from the five-dimensional space!"


    With that one single detection, the blue-skinned men already knew what had happened.


    "The holy emperor''s corpse is the original body of the resentful soul¡ªthey''re inextricably linked to each other. With the deep connection between the soul and his original body, there''s a great chance that the corpse will be able to break through the shackles. Let''s go there quickly!"


    The old men faded and integrated into the air.


    The next moment, they emerged in a bright, isolated, transparent space, in the center of which were eighteen black iron chains, locking in place a cold body as cold as an abyss.


    The body trembled, making the whole space tremble along with it. The tremendous power frightened the blue-skinned men to their very cores.


    "The body of the genuine emperor is immensely powerful!"


    "Take action. Suppress its power."


    The several men joined hands and activated an unknown rule force to press down along the black iron chain.

 Chapter 889 Refuse To Help

    In the darkness, Darren stood face to face with the holy emperor''s soul.


    Darren could feel the holy emperor''s power slowly slipping from his grasp. As a result, he felt the holy emperor''s soul begin to overpower him.


    "If you''re trying to kill me, it won''t work. I still have enough strength to flee, you know,"


    Darren said.


    Darren still had eight drops of the light red liquid that could help him reach the peak state of a half-step emperor at any time. Even if the fighting power of the emperor''s soul was higher than his, it was impossible for him to kill Darren in an instant. Darren definitely had the opportunity to rush out.


    "I am aware. I won''t kill you," the holy emperor''s soul replied coldly.


    "Why have you come to me, then?" Darren asked.


    "I need your help."


    Darren was stunned. "What do you want from me?" he slowly began. "And why should I help you?"


    The holy emperor''s soul let out a low chuckle. "Don''t you think you owe me a favor after I let you inherit my power?" Darren narrowed his eyes.


    "You may be right, but I discovered how to get this power for myself this time. You had no part in it."


    As Darren spoke, the holy emperor''s soul burned brightly. Tension filled the air.


    "But, if you are in need of assistance... Tell me and I''ll see what I can do." Darren finished.


    This seemed to calm the holy emperor''s soul down.


    "I need to break free from this place," he said.


    Darren furrowed his brow. The soul had been trapped here for thousands of years. Surely, he should have been able to escape with his own might alone. If the holy emperor''s soul, with all his power, couldn''t break free, what could Darren do?


    "What you ask for is not much. However, I don''t know if I have the ability to help you," Darren said frankly.


    "I know you are. All you have to do is to bring in my real body. If you do that, the power that is keeping me here will lose its strength and I will be free!" the soul said.


    "Your real body?" At that time, Darren was not aware that the soul''s real body was the holy emperor''s corpse that was being held by the Space-time Palace.


    "Yes... Those lowly, filthy creatures stole my body and kept me trapped here..." the holy emperor''s soul growled.


    "But, if you bring me my body, I will regain my power. If you succeed, I will reward you richly."


    Suddenly, the space in front of Darren rippled, revealing an image of the ancestor of the Space-ti


    d, very hot and seared his skin. If it were not for the light red liquid, his body would have melted away.


    "Explode! Explode!"


    The holy emperor''s soul was hesitant to follow Darren into the magma, fearful of exposing himself to the heat.


    However, his desire to kill Darren overpowered his fear, so he sank down, chasing after him.


    As the holy emperor''s soul touched the magma, his translucent body seemed to disintegrate. His face was contorted with pain as he faced Darren. However, despite in such an anguish state, his speed was much faster. He rushed towards Darren with an alarming speed.


    Darren sensed the danger and began to run as fast as he could. If the holy emperor''s soul were to trap him here, he would surely die.


    Smoke began to fill Darren''s lungs and parts of his body were charred black. The deeper he went into the magma, the hotter it seemed to become.


    "If I go on like this, I will be burned to death."


    He felt the effects of the liquid wearing off, so he poised himself to absorb another drop.


    The holy emperor''s soul looked to be in a worse shape but nevertheless, he persisted in his chase.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, some of the magma bubbled up and condensed into a sharp arrow. The arrow shot straight towards Darren.


    ''Is this how I die?''


    Darren sighed. It seemed that he had underestimated the power of the holy emperor''s soul. His arrogance had finally gotten the better of him. He closed his eyes, accepting his fate.


    Buzz.


    Suddenly, the strange stone in Darren''s mind began to spin quickly. He opened his eyes.


    "What?"


    Pleasantly surprised, Darren chuckled.

 Chapter 890 Entering The River By Accident

    The strange stone in Darren''s soul only changed a third, but it appeared that the one third was a dodecahedral crystal. Upon examining the crystals of this sort, he understood that they could be used to attack.


    For example, when Darren saw his avatar''s hexahedral crystal for the first time, he found that it could activate the rule force. Roc Demon Emperor''s crystal could be used in the same way.


    ''This strange stone in my soul is also a crystal, or a Fake God Character. I should be able to use it to activate the rule force, '' thought Darren.


    ''But how exactly do I use it?''


    Previously, Darren had not concerned himself with this matter, but he was curious now. Unfortunately, he knew nothing about it.


    Even as Darren mulled this over, the strange stone began to spin, seemingly of its own power.


    A pleasant buzz sounded in his ears as the rotation picked up speed.


    Faster and faster it went, and Darren''s soul began to feel lighter, even weightless, and more at ease.


    The buzzing sound was swallowed up by claps of thunder.


    Lightning flashed within Darren''s soul as the strange stone detached itself and slowly began to float out of him.


    At the same time, the magma arrow was still approaching Darren, suffused with frightening power.


    Darren had no doubt that he would die if the arrow struck him.


    But just then, the black stone emerged from his head and hung suspended in midair.


    The whole underground world went still, as though time itself was frozen.


    The magma arrow, too, was halted, stopping inches from Darren''s heart.


    One thousand feet away, the holy emperor''s soul was likewise rooted in place. The ferocious expression on his face began to twist in dismay, as if he had seen something extremely horrible.


    "No!


    You are..."


    He paused for a moment. Then, suddenly, the holy emperor''s soul roared and began to back away.


    But he didn''t get far.


    A high-speed stream of what seemed to be magma blasted into him. The force slowed the holy emperor''s soul down. As the seconds passed, it even seemed to be pulling him back toward Darren.


    "No! How can this be possible?!"


    the soul cried out hysterically.


    Darren stood where he was, observing with awe and not a little fear. He felt a great and exotic power bursting out from the strange rotating stone before him.


    "This power seems to be a level higher than that of the Emperor Realm!" Darren exclaimed to himself.


    Indeed, the flow of magma triggered by the strange stone seemed to be irresistible.


    However, Darren still couldn''t control the strange stone. As if to drive this point home, its power abruptly disintegrated and vanished in a flash.


    Not wasting a moment, the holy emperor''s soul gasped with relief and fl


    could use his spiritual sense again. Releasing it now, he used it to scan the area tens of thousands of kilometers ahead.


    "So many powerful beings here!" he exclaimed.


    This finally confirmed his conjecture. He was indeed in the River of Forgetfulness.


    Darren''s heart leaped at the thought. There were many secrets in that ancient and mysterious river that even the witcher couldn''t reach.


    Still flying along and marveling over this discovery, Darren was caught off guard when he smacked his head against something very solid.


    It stopped him cold. As he clutched his skull while waiting for the pain to fade, he found that whatever he''d run into was invisible.


    ''What''s this?'' he wondered, frowning. ''Some kind of restriction. I can''t seem to move forward.''


    Nevertheless, his curiosity continued to drive him.


    Darren thought at first that he would just break through the barrier with sheer brute strength.


    Unfortunately, he found the restriction totally impregnable to him.


    "Oh, I can''t pass. That sure is disappointing," he mumbled to himself.


    He had sensed that there were many ancient senior holy warriors ahead of him, but he was unable to go and explore this secret area. He could hardly have been more unhappy.


    Darren released his spiritual sense again. However, something was interfering with it.


    ''Wow. It looks like there''s a total of eighteen restrictions!'' Darren observed, counting them.


    ''Wait a minute! It seems that there''s somebody in the twelfth one.'' Indeed, he remembered then that when he had first detected the barriers, there had been a vague human figure there in the midst of the restrictions.


    He used his spiritual sense again and began to inspect the twelfth restriction more closely than before.


    What Darren found left him stunned with anger and bitterness.

 Chapter 891 Witcher Ancestor

    The woman looked beautiful and graceful in her light green dress. No one was able to resist the otherworldly aura that woman possessed.


    ''It''s her!''


    The moment Darren saw the woman with his spiritual sense, he froze in his tracks.


    In front of the twelfth restriction, she turned her head and looked at Darren. A gentle and misty light illuminated in her eyes.


    "Why is she here?" Darren murmured to himself, extremely confused.


    Why would the immortal who assimilated Elsa appear in the River of Forgetfulness?


    "I will kill her!"


    Darren shouted. His chest was filled with endless hatred.


    The immortal gave him a cold look, just before shooting numerous rule threads towards him.


    Crack... Crack...


    With a streak of lightning sparkling all over his body, Darren was suddenly shot backwards.


    When he finally stopped, he was seriously injured and on the verge of death.


    Buzz...


    Darren''s face was painted with bitterness as he felt his heart sink. He knew that this was the power an immortal possessed. It was a power that surpassed that of a holy emperor.


    He knew that in front of her, he was as weak as an ant.


    "Please let go of Elsa. Will you, please?" Darren pleaded for mercy.


    His trembling voice confused the immortal. She felt something that she had never felt before.


    "Human emotions are complicated," she muttered. She shut down all her senses about Darren.


    Darren closed his eyes to hide his sadness, but tears rolled down his face and sorrow was projected in his eyes.


    "It''s my fate,"


    he sighed. His words echoed in the flowing water for a long time, ethereal and dismal.


    "Hush. Follow me." An old voice, raspy and low, came into Darren''s mind.


    A green aura suddenly began to spread throughout Darren''s body. It instantly healed his injuries despite how serious it was.


    Darren was surprised. He tried to find where the sound came from using his spiritual sense. His search came to an end when he found a dead wood in the shape of a human at the bottom of the river.


    He then sank to the bottom of the river. The dead wood seemed to be very close. But when he tried to reach for it, it was already far away.


    Not a few moments later, a cloud of de


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    n I obtain a God Character?" Darren asked.


    "You must become a god."


    Darren fell into silence as he knew it would be very difficult for him to become a god.


    "Can''t you defeat the immortal with the strength you currently have?" Darren asked the witcher.


    "I have my own reasons for not fighting her. And even if I fight her, I am simply no match for her.


    I''m old. I can''t use my power at will. I can''t help you. You have to fight her yourself," the witcher said.


    "I understand." Darren nodded. He was still a little disappointed.


    "Why are you in the River of Forgetfulness? What secrets are hidden in it? As far as I know, there are a hundred thousand ancient senior holy warriors in the river. What do they want to do?" Darren asked in confusion.


    The witcher quietly sighed. In his eyes, green flames strangely danced.


    "You are still too weak to know all of this. I''ll tell you once you become stronger."


    "But..." Darren felt he was ready to know the answers. When he was about to speak, the witcher interrupted him by raising his hand.


    "Let me tell you about the real catastrophe of the Lothlann Continent," the witcher said. "The real catastrophe is not the fiend from outer space. It is you..."


    His words hit Darren''s heart like a hammer.


    "What do you mean?"


    The witcher didn''t reply to Darren anymore. The green flames in his eyes went out. He looked like a body that died a long time ago. There was no more sign of life left in it.

 Chapter 885 The Nameless Drops

    The Misty Emperor used the runes to boost his speed, surpassing even the restrictions of space. Now, he moved as if he was teleporting.


    Darren, on the other hand, followed the instructions of the black-armored man and fled north. As soon as he reached the gorgeous land, he noticed the looming darkness ahead.


    ''That should be the forbidden domain the black-armored man mentioned, '' he thought.


    Without hesitation, Darren dashed towards it.


    But suddenly, a blue-skinned man appeared in front of him, blocking his path.


    With the long spear in his hand, he stabbed the earth. It pierced through the soft ground, leaving a horrible crack.


    Darren''s dark gold internal force surged wildly.


    "You brat! Do you really think you can just get pass me while I guard the outer perimeter of the forbidden domain?"


    Despite sensing Darren''s terrifying aura, the blue-skinned man still put up a tough front by being as intimidating as he could.


    The dark gold internal force reached out to the blue-skinned man until he was covered with it entirely. But Darren knew that it was harmless. He turned into a shadow and charged at the other man.


    Blood red light burst out from the void.


    It shone bright and painted area scarlet.


    And amid that explosion of color, a head was tossed out.


    It was the blue-skinned man who was as powerful as a medium senior holy warrior. In just one blow, Darren managed to kill him. The poor man didn''t even know what hit him before dying.


    Darren assimilated the man''s talent and jumped back into the gloom.


    "Damn human brat, do you think you can escape?"


    Thunder rumbled angrily in the sky. And from a distance, a colorful halo descended upon the land. It was the Misty Emperor.


    His unparalleled aura fell heavily upon Darren who immediately felt its suppressing force.


    ''I must escape!'' Darren knew that he could not stand a chance against the Misty Emperor. If he got caught this time, he wouldn''t be able to get away again.


    Nonetheless, he tried to stay firm against the onslaught of the Misty Emperor''s pressure.


    ''The forbidden domain has completely blocked my spiritual sense. I can''t detect anything at all, '' Darren thought. But then, he was overjoyed by this because it meant the Misty Emperor would have difficulty in locating him in the darkness.


    ''Great!''


    Beyond the darkness, the colorful halo landed. The light slowly faded to reveal the Misty Emperor.


    He had a ferocious look on his face. It was as if he desired to rip Darren


    reddened tips. They seemed to be drops from the bloody river.


    ''What could it be?''


    The only thing Darren knew was that the stone somehow manifested those red beams of light. However, he had no idea of their possible effects.


    Darren''s soul reached out to touch those drops.


    When suddenly, a drop of liquid fell unto it.


    "Wow!"


    Darren shouted as a mighty, overwhelming force pervaded his soul.


    A power so cold and ruthless immediately filled him to the brim. He felt like he had transformed into an entirely different person.


    It was as if he could smash the world in two with just one hand if he wanted to.


    "This feeling... This reminds me of my dream." Wide-eyed, he recalled the sensation he had while he was trapped inside one of his dreams. There, he became an invincible master. While he may be feel powerful now, his dream version was still stronger than he currently was.


    But a few minutes later, Darren could feel the powerful force receding.


    And just like that, it had dissipated.


    In the darkness, the Misty Emperor was getting nearer to where Darren was. His determination pushed him to go faster.


    He faltered when he sensed something in the air. He shivered.


    ''Damn it! Did the human brat trigger the holy emperor''s soul? I can feel its power surging through the air.''


    Fear and doubt clouded the Misty Emperor''s mind. He wouldn''t dare offend anyone with such formidable strength in the forbidden domain.


    He remembered how his father, one of the strongest half-step emperors in the realm, was severely injured by that thing. His old man eventually died. And now, he didn''t want to thread the same path as his father''s.

 Chapter 892 Let Me Tell You A Secret

    Darren felt a wave of helplessness creeping into the deathly silence as he was still unable to wake up the witcher ancestor.


    He looked around until his gaze landed on the River of Forgetfulness flowing over his head.


    A dry voice broke him out of his reverie. It exuded a deathly grey aura that enveloped him.


    "You should leave now. Just come here when you should come."


    The River of Forgetfulness was slowly moving away. It went farther and farther until it looked more like a galaxy in space. Finally, it crossed over to the void.


    Darren found himself still enveloped by the grey aura as he passed through the magma. Until finally, he had arrived at the edge of the forbidden domain.


    Chaz immediately took hold of the Misty Emperor''s hand.


    And together, they flew over to where Darren was.


    Chaz looked Darren over. The worry etched deeply on his face. "You''re lucky you got out of there unharmed. I was freaking out when I heard the noises coming from the inside."


    Indeed, he felt his fear growing every time he saw bursts of the holy emperor''s aura coming of the forbidden domain.


    "Did you beat the horrible guy?" Chaz asked eagerly.


    Darren shook his head. "No. The holy emperor''s soul is too powerful. He almost killed me. Let''s just go."


    Taken aback, Chaz fell silent and followed Darren as they flew off.


    "Darren, what should we do now? Should we get the holy emperor''s corpse?" Chaz asked.


    Darren frowned at that. His past experiences lingered in his mind, making him restless and unsure.


    "Let''s just see how it goes. We don''t have to do it now," Darren replied, nonchalantly.


    Chaz nodded his head. "I see."


    They cruised through the air until they reached a cluster of floating palaces.


    "Darren, this is the center of the Space-time Palace."


    Darren perked up and said, "Let''s come in and have a look."


    "We can''t. The Space-time Palace isn''t a place you can get in easily. It is built defensibly with many rule arrays surrounding it. Only the Misty Emperor could navigate through its arrays so we must be very careful."


    Darren seemed to weigh this in for a moment. "But the passage is sealed. We can''t get out of here."


    "Don''t worry. I have the Misty Emperor in my hand." As if to prove his point, Chaz lifted the Misty Emperor up and punched him in the stomach.


    Beaten down beyond recognition, the Misty Emperor groaned awake by the


    and Chaz into silence.


    Chaz was the first to recover. "Is this true?" Chaz shouted.


    "Yes. And the other holy emperor''s corpse is more powerful and terrifying than the one everyone knows about. However, no one knows how to revive this emperor''s corpse. This is why nobody knows about it." The Misty Emperor spilled out the details, fearing that Chaz and Darren might go through with their threats of his death.


    "The news is useless to me," Darren suddenly said.


    The Misty Emperor panicked.


    "It''ll definitely come in handy someday," he argued. "That holy emperor''s corpse is a rare treasure for he has these mysterious cultivation patterns written on his body. If you master that skill, who knows how powerful you can become?" He nodded his head frantically as if willing to convince Darren of how useful this information was.


    But Darren only remained silent, urging the Misty Emperor to add, "The aura of the holy emperor''s corpse is very similar to yours when you turned red. I believe you''ll have the leverage to master their cultivation method. Now I''ve told you all that I know. Please spare me!"


    With that, Darren was finally convinced.


    There was something more behind this information because it was possible that the corpse the Misty Emperor mentioned was not a holy emperor at all. It could be a corpse from the ancient Bloody Shura race.


    The mere thought of it had lit the desire within Darren. After all, the mysterious Bloody Shura race was very powerful. And since he was practicing the Bloody Shura Cultivation, this would definitely help him in his training.

 Chapter 893 He Was Trapped

    Darren continued to ask about another holy emperor''s corpse and finally became certain that the corpse was a member of the Bloody Shura race.


    "Where is the holy emperor''s corpse?" Darren asked.


    "He''s right down the hall. I''ll take you to him," the Misty Emperor said, lowering his eyes.


    Darren hung back for a moment. The Space-time Palace was notorious for having many traps around the area. If this guy were to play tricks with him, they would be in serious trouble.


    Darren began to think of a way to control him.


    "I suddenly remembered something, Darren," Chaz said.


    "What is it?"


    "This bastard has the ability to separate his soul from his body. Why don''t we ask him to do that? His soul can lead you to the corpse since he will be in a much weaker state then. I can stay behind and watch his body. I''ll destroy it if he tries anything funny!" Chaz said.


    The Misty Emperor glowered at Chaz. If he could only kill him, he would.


    "Good idea." Darren nodded. "Let''s do it."


    "Darren, my soul is badly injured. I can''t use the arcane skill." The Misty Emperor looked at Darren dejectedly.


    "Well, that''s too bad. You''re only of use to me if you can do that. Tell me why I should keep you alive then if you can''t help me out!" Darren snarled.


    The Misty Emperor began to plead for mercy when Darren thrust the tip of his blade at the Misty Emperor''s throat. A rivulet of bright, red blood trickled down his neck.


    "Don''t! Don''t kill me! I... I will try!" the Misty Emperor cried.


    "Humph!" Darren drew back his sword.


    The Misty Emperor began to perform his arcane skill. He felt pain shoot up throughout his body, but he gritted his teeth and pressed on. It was better to do this than to lose his life.


    A few moments had passed before he was able to successfully separate his soul from his body. His soul glowed weakly. He looked at Darren with sad eyes.


    "Be careful, Darren. He is very cunning,"


    Chaz warned.


    "Don''t worry about me. If he plays tricks, I will destroy his soul immediately. Even if I don''t obtain the corpse, I will kill him," Darren said, making


    s but he did not dodge, since he thought that the attack wouldn''t hurt him.


    But, at the next moment, he realized that the attack wasn''t aimed at him but towards the platform.


    Boom!


    That soul attack seemed to have set off a protective mechanism inside the chamber. The whole space shook and pieces of rock began to fall down from the ceiling.


    "I''ll kill you!" Darren shouted as he swung his sword and blade at the soul.


    But suddenly, his body went numb. He felt a sharp pain envelop him.


    He looked down at his body and saw that he was being constrained by bolts of red lightning.


    "Ha-ha!"


    The Misty Emperor laughed.


    "Little bastard, it''s time for you to die! I''ve pretended to be submissive for so long and finally, I''ve got you!


    Did you think it would be so easy to get the corpse of a Bloody Shura?"


    "You already knew it''s the corpse of a Shura?" Darren yelled.


    "What, do you think I''m stupid? It has been kept in the Space-time Palace for many years. Of course I know what it is.


    To be honest, I was surprised when I saw your Shura Force. I now know that the Bloody Shura, even though it has been gone for many, many years, can reappear in the world!


    If I hadn''t seen your Shura Force, I wouldn''t have been able to lure you here and I would have been killed by you. Seems like the heavens are watching out for me. Ha!"


    The Misty Emperor grinned at his triumph.

 Chapter 894 Get The Corpse Successfully

    It seemed like the red lightning had entered Darren''s bones and flesh. Now, he could feel nothing but pain enveloping his whole body.


    The Misty Emperor looked at his current predicament in satisfaction.


    "You almost killed me last time. Now I will end you once and for all!"


    The Misty Emperor then released another soul attack. It descended around the tall platform as red lightning frantically attacked any creature closest to it.


    This was the reason why he had lured Darren there.


    Bolts of red lightning cackled menacingly in the stone chamber.


    Together, they formed a nebula-like vortex that circled around Darren.


    As soon as the lightning struck, his body would perish like smoke. No matter what he did now, there would be no escape.


    "Phew!" It terrified him to think that the force of the red lightning was no less powerful than the thunder punishment.


    A horrible rumble ran through the air.


    The swirling nebula around Darren darted towards him all of a sudden.


    To counter the attack, he hastily gathered the power of the Shura Force. A bloody red light burst out of him and painted the whole stone chamber scarlet with its light.


    Even if the Misty Emperor was in his soul-state, he was still affected by the bloody light.


    "Ahhh!"


    The Misty Emperor suddenly cried out in pain. His soul was being torn apart until great cracks formed on it. The severe pain he was suffering from was enough to distract him from Darren''s conditions.


    Amid the red light, a lightning struck at Darren, but to his surprise, he didn''t feel it sting at all.


    In fact, it seemed to have flown through his meridians and went straight to his elixir field.


    And when it reached his elixir field, his violent breath immediately attempted to quell it.


    The blade and sword cores began to spin simultaneously until they burst out to charge towards the red lightning.


    "Pfft!"


    Sharp pain stabbed Darren''s belly and he spurted out blood instantly.


    The blade and sword intents dispersed in the air without doing any damage to the lightning. This resulted in the pyramid in his elixir field spinning and spewing out a large amount of olive-black force. It swirled around the red lightning. But the force cowered back each time it dared touch the red lightning.


    With nothing in its way, the red lightning broke itself into two. One separated force fell inside the dark crystal while the other went inside the primitive spear in his elixir field.


    Darren let out a loud roar.


    It was difficult to tell whether it was because of the pain he was suffering or because of his newly refreshed state.


    One thing was sure, though. His Dark Force and Primitive Fighting Force had grown tremendously.


    The process didn''t take lo


    e Ring. Maybe I should transfer them to the Ancient Void Battlefield as well?" Darren pondered on this for a while.


    Back when Darren and his companions were imprisoned, he did not dare hide Scott and the others in the Ancient Void Battlefield for fear that it might collapse under their sheer force. After all, Scott and the others were all senior holy warriors. Their powers, when combined, would be too much to bear.


    Since Darren''s cultivation base was only at the junior holy warrior''s level, the Ancient Void Battlefield wasn''t quite stable. It didn''t matter how strong he was because the Ancient Void Battlefield was only dependent on his cultivation base level.


    And anyway, Scott and the others were tortured by the soul attacks, and they would suffer great pains for the rest of their life if he didn''t beat them to a near-death state.


    "Never mind. It''s not safe for them to enter the cave. There''s too much spiritual energy in the Ancient Void Battlefield. If the energe heals their wounds and they wake up by themselves, their souls might end up getting tortured again."


    With that, he decided not to transfer his companions into the cave. He just had to find a way to escape from here and find a powerful rule cultivator to save them from the soul attack.


    Packing up, he flew out of the cave.


    He cruised over the vast land, urging himself to go as fast as he could along the way he had come.


    It didn''t take long for him to get out of the Space-time Palace and reach where Chaz was waiting.


    But as he came nearer to Chaz, a dreadful sensation filled Darren. There were two old, blue-skinned men beside Chaz. They seemed to be interrogating him.


    Darren stood back to analyze their breath only to find out that they were close to being half-step emperors.


    "Good."


    Darren smiled mysteriously.

 Chapter 895 Return To The Sacred Palace

    The two old blue-skinned men were interrogating Chaz.


    "When I saw him, he was already dead," Chaz tried to explain.


    "Humph, I haven''t seen you for a few days. You tried to run away when you saw us just now. You must have a guilty conscience. Did you kill him?"


    The two old men pretended to care about the Misty Emperor even though secretly, they didn''t care whether he was alive or not.


    However, they intended to kill Chaz. Since the Misty Emperor was dead, there was no need for his men to survive.


    "I..." Chaz felt the tension in the air. It seemed there was nothing he could say to get him out of this situation.


    "Kill him!" one of the old blue-skinned men shouted. He thrust his palm towards Chaz''s forehead.


    Frightened, Chaz attempted to block the blow. He became nervous. He was not strong enough to take on both men at once. They also knew how to suppress him. After all, they were the ones who resurrected him.


    Whoosh!


    A shadow appeared and the head of one of the men fell to the ground.


    The other blue-skinned man stared in shock and began walking backwards.


    The shadow struck again. This time, his hand grabbed the old man''s throat. The shadow held him up by the neck.


    "Who are you?" the old man sputtered.


    "Hey. Darren!" Chaz called out with excitement.


    Darren stood there, glowing with the formidable aura of a holy emperor.


    "You... You are a half-step emperor at the top level?" The old man was terrified. He never thought that this human boy would have that kind of frightening strength.


    "What do you want?"


    "Cut the crap! Take us out of here or you will die!" Darren shouted coldly.


    "You two?" The old blue-skinned man glanced at Chaz.


    "Yes. I got rid of the Misty Emperor''s control with Darren''s help." Chaz laughed and punched the old man in the stomach.


    The old man winced in pain and his vision swam. His anger began to build.


    "I killed the Misty Emperor! If you had any brains at all, you would open the passage right now!" Chaz roared.


    "Humph! You can kill me if you want, but you can''t get out of here." The old blue-skinned man stuck out his chi


    ndler suddenly stood up, giddy with excitement.


    "Ahem." Darren coughed, a little embarrassed. "Not really. I managed to do it by some special means. But now, I almost have used up my chances to get that power."


    "That''s very impressive. You are truly the greatest!" Chandler said, grinning from ear to ear.


    Darren smiled back. "By the way, where is Lord Donald? Where has he been?"


    "Oh." Chandler scratched his head and said, "We were worried about you so we finally decided to summon the four greatest holy warriors to save you. Now, Lord Donald is using the lord token in the secret room. We should probably stop him."


    The four greatest holy warriors were the greatest trump cards of the Sacred Palace. They were never to fight unless all other methods had been exhausted.


    Darren learned this after listening to Chandler.


    Darren was very moved when he learned that people of the Sacred Palace would use their trump cards to save him and his companions. Obviously, the people of the Sacred Palace valued them a lot.


    Later, Chandler sent a message to Lord Donald, telling him that Darren had already come back. When Lord Donald heard the news, he stopped summoning the four greatest holy warriors.


    "By the way, where are the others?" Chandler asked Darren.


    Darren used his spiritual sense to open his Space Ring and suddenly, Scott and all the others fell to the ground as if they were dead.

 Chapter 896 Ready To Go

    Chandler frowned when he saw them.


    "What happened?"


    "I beat them. The Misty Emperor launched soul attacks on them and I beat them until they were barely breathing,"


    Darren explained. Chandler breathed a sigh of relief.


    "You did the right thing. Soul torture is too unbearable. It''s not easy to patch them up either, considering how broken their bodies were," Chandler said.


    "It doesn''t matter now. Sir, you just need to find someone to expel the attack methods left in their souls. I will invite the old man from the Mythological Palace to heal them with Life True Rule."


    "Okay, that''s not too hard."


    Chandler nodded and left to find a rule cultivator in the senior Holy Realm. Darren began to summon the short, old man.


    A month later, Scott and the others fully recuperated with the help of the Life True Rule. They needed to rest for six months.


    "Darren, we''ve arranged everything about you going to the eighteen cities. Are you ready?"


    Chandler came to Darren, bearing the news.


    The land where the forbidden areas were located was just a small corner of the Lothlann Continent. There weren''t that many inhabitants and talents.


    On the other hand, talents from far and wide resided in the eighteen cities. That was where they needed to go.


    "I don''t have anything to prepare. I can go there any time."


    Darren also wanted to meet the talents there. It would help him greatly improve his realm.


    Most importantly, Darren wanted to become a tribulation holy warrior.


    "Alright. I''m glad that you want to go there. But I have to remind you that there are all kinds of people in the eighteen cities. There are no rules in place to discipline the major forces. You must be careful."


    "Don''t worry. I can protect myself," Darren said.


    "But you don''t really possess the strength of the half-step emperor. You should try to be as inconspicuous as possible. Moreover, there have been rumors that the ''killing policy'' has been set. That means killing is not prohibited, so there will be more chaos in the cities."


    "Killing policy? Why


    in a couple of days."


    Hearing this, Chaz was stunned. His armor shook.


    After a while, he let out a deep sigh. "I was controlled by the Space-time Palace before, so Chandler definitely won''t allow me to go there. What a pity."


    Chaz felt dejected. He had long wished to go to the eighteen cities and see the look on his wife''s and her lover''s faces when they saw him again.


    "Ha, don''t worry. Chandler is a kind person. I''ve persuaded him to let you go with me," Darren said with a smile.


    "Really? I can go with you?" Chaz was giddy with excitement.


    He rushed over and gave Darren a bear hug, almost crushing Darren in his embrace.


    "Thank you so much, Darren!" Chaz''s eyes glistened with tears.


    "Ahem... You don''t have to do this." Darren gently pushed Chaz away and smiled.


    "I have to. I''m so lucky I got to meet you in this life," Chaz said.


    Darren did not say anything, but looked at Luther.


    "Luther, may I ask you a favor?" Darren said.


    "Sure," Luther replied.


    "I want you to go to the Raksa Sea to help Finley and the Water Kylin."


    Darren briefly explained to him what had happened. When Darren finished, Luther nodded.


    "Be careful, okay? I''ll take care of your buddies." With that, Luther transported himself to the Raksa Sea.


    With Luther''s help, Darren had no worries anymore. He would go to the eighteen cities in three days.

 Chapter 897 A Deal Fulfilled

    Chaz made his way out of the yard after Luther. There were preparations to be made before entering the eighteen cities.


    Darren returned to his room and went through the scroll Chandler gave him. His eyes scanned over the various details intently.


    "The eighteen cities seem to have many powerful forces."


    The extent of this power was a shock to Darren. The scroll described tens of thousands of forces of varying sizes within the eighteen cities. The weakest forces were guarded by senior holy warriors. Their power was truly immense.


    The eighteen cities were governed by the eighteen most powerful forces. Every city''s size was about as big as a small world.


    The heads of these forces were as strong as a half-step emperor at the top level. Without a doubt, their strength was not to be messed with.


    Besides, there were also some invisible forces lurking about in the dark.


    ''The Chaotic Blade Restaurant specializes in training mercenaries who have the ability to use the Shadow Rule.


    There are not many people in the Ice Land, but they are not to be underestimated. Within their ranks is someone who could kill a half-step emperor at the top level in a heartbeat.''


    Darren read through the cities one by one, taking in every detail. He found that a great number of masters resided within them. A smirk started to rise up on his face.


    "Looks like a visit to this place would be worth our while." Darren put away the scroll with his smirk remaining. An air of excitement filled the room.


    In the forbidden area around the Hiram the Great''s mighty halberd, several teams of law enforcers were patrolling around, covering one hundred square kilometers. Overseeing them were several senior holy warriors.


    "Any strange activity to report?"


    inquired one of the law enforcers. He was an inferior holy warrior at the peak.


    "Captain, the surroundings have been peaceful. Nothing to report," replied his subordinate.


    "Good. Keep your eyes open for any unusual activity and report it to me if anything goes wrong."


    "Yes, sir." The subordinate then continued his patrol, as commanded.


    In the middle of the forbidden area, stood a black monkey under the halberd of Hiram the Great.


    In front of him, lay an arm drenched in blood. A dark red aura seemed to be flowing out of the arm.


    "Say, why don''t you put that weapon away?"


    whispered a cold and sinister voice into the black monkey''s ears. It was coming from the arm.


    The monkey hopped onto the halberd and peered at the view below. "Patience. You only dispelled one tenth of the suppressing force in my body. It''s too soon for you to come out."


    "You were the one who pro


    t.


    "Wait, you can''t! If the fiend that released that dreadful aura assimilates you, he will lash out. We''d better ask Chandler to come along."


    "You''re right. Let''s go report this to him." They made haste in sending Chandler a message.


    Chandler arrived right away, but by the time he had gotten there the fiendish aura had dissipated.


    "What happened?"


    "Sir, there was a rumble in the forbidden area just now and a fiendish aura washed over. We were worried of what could happen, and so we decided to call you to inspect it with us."


    Chandler listened while nodding slowly with a dark look on his face. He had an idea of what this could have been.


    After a moment of silence, he took out a mysterious pill from a summoned spatial treasure and gulped it down.


    His eyes suddenly flashed with light. He could see through the black fog in the area, and his gaze zoomed in on the area around the halberd of Hiram the Great.


    What he saw made him tremble with fear. A cold sweat ran over him.


    Within his vision was a monstrous black monkey. His sharp teeth shown, and there was a surge of a ferocious aura. More importantly, the monkey was trying to dislodge the halberd of Hiram the Great.


    A sizzling crack of electricity could be heard.


    The black monkey then sensed that someone was watching him.


    Chandler immediately averted his gaze, as not to be noticed. His heart began to race, but he had to look calm in front of the warriors.


    "Sir, did you find anything unusual? The source, perhaps?"


    "None of the sort. All areas are clear. Continue your patrol here, and do not summon me unless it''s important." Chandler gulped after he said this. He could not let them know that a terrible threat was nearby.


    Chandler then left with great haste.

 Chapter 898 The Fiends Arms Liberation

    In the Sacred Palace, Chandler hurried to where the lord was.


    He found him sitting cross-legged and cultivating.


    Hearing Chandler come in, Lord Donald stood up.


    "Why are you in such a hurry, sir?"


    Lord Donald appeared to be calm. He seemed to be more relaxed when Darren had returned.


    "I bring bad news," Chandler reported. His face was grim.


    Lord Donald faced him. "Is there anything happening in the forbidden area?"


    He had felt the ground shake but it ended as quickly as it started.


    However, seeing Chandler''s face made him worry.


    "Yes..."


    "Tell me what''s happening." Lord Donald motioned for Chandler to sit down.


    "A while back, when I heard the news about the unusual movement in the forbidden area, I went to investigate. I found Barnes trying to draw out the halberd of Hiram the Great, which is being used to suppress the fiend''s arm!"


    "What?!"


    Lord Donald''s face changed dramatically. This was a serious situation. Once Hiram the Great''s halberd was pulled out, the fiend''s arm¡¤ would surely escape.


    It was not a big deal that only one arm of the fiend escaped. What they were most worried about was that the fiend''s arm attacking other forbidden areas. If the fiend became whole again, they would all be in peril.


    "I''ll go and tell Darren," Lord Donald said, walking out of the room.


    "No, there is no need for that!" Chandler stopped him. "Darren is not yet strong enough to go up against Barnes and the fiend."


    "But Darren said he had the power of a half-step emperor at his peak," said Lord Donald, confused.


    "I sensed the aura of Barnes just now. I guess that he might have surpassed the peak level of a half-step emperor. He has gotten much stronger than he was when we had last seen him. So, it is useless to send Darren there."


    The fiend weakened part of the force that suppressed Barnes, which allowed Barnes to gain more of his strength and become as powerful as a six-tribulation senior holy warrior. Darren would surely die if he faced both Barnes and the fiend.


    "What do you suggest then?"


    Lord Donald asked. He was very anxious. Barnes wanted to release the fiend, and it was impossible for them to just sit back.


    "You have been trying to summon the four greatest holy warriors. How are things goi


    ength to do the work, so that you can come out earlier!"


    "Grargh!"


    The fiend''s shadow rushed out, growling angrily at Barnes. It was covered with blood flame and fiendish aura. It drew out its thick claws and aimed for Barnes''s head.


    Barnes grimaced and stepped to the side, narrowly missing getting caught in a headlock.


    "Don''t be angry..." he tutted.


    Barnes used his stick to deflect the shadow''s blow. The clash made the shadow shatter, but the fiend only became angrier at him.


    Several other shadows rushed out, trying to tear Barnes apart.


    "Hey, I just told you not to be angry. I''ll do whatever you want! You are too hotheaded!"


    Barnes yelped. He immediately set to work on Hiram''s halberd again.


    Streams of cyan emperor aura spiraled out of the halberd. Dragon shadows tried to bite at Barnes but he easily deflected them with a wave of his arm.


    The dragon shadows were powerless against him.


    As Barnes grew stronger, the more he was able to draw out Hiram''s halberd.


    Once he pulled out the halberd, the fiend''s arm would finally be free.


    Time flew. Two days passed in the blink of an eye.


    "Roar!"


    The fiend''s arm had been suppressed for a long time, and at this moment he felt his shackles slowly falling off. He roared in triumph.


    Barnes was halfway through his task. But just then, the cyan halo on the surface of the halberd began to pulsate violently.


    "How dare you!"


    Suddenly, a handsome young man''s shadow rushed out of the halberd and scowled at Barnes.

 Chapter 899 Attacking Barnes Together

    The shadow furiously glared at Barnes and a strong killing intent emanated from his body.


    "Oh?" Barnes smirked. Wasn''t this shadow Hiram?


    "I didn''t expect that your soul would still be around. It''s useless, however," Barnes murmured.


    "Why are you helping the fiend?"


    the shadow asked coldly. Although he was but a fragment of Hiram, he could still recognize Barnes. He did not understand what he was doing.


    "Telling you would be useless." Barnes didn''t want to explain anything to him.


    "Argh!"


    Hiram raised his hand and a tremendous holy emperor''s power came down like a torrent.


    Barnes narrowed his eyes. This attack contained at least eighty percent of Hiram''s strength when he was alive. Barnes felt the tension rise in the air.


    Sweep!


    A stick shadow met Hiram''s palm.


    Boom!


    The ground cracked. Thick smoke filled the area. The two forces clashed, tearing the rule silk threads.


    Every creature around the forbidden area looked on in horror.


    Back in the Sacred Palace, Darren awoke with a start.


    He heard the loud crash and immediately flew out to investigate.


    He raised his head and looked up. A large, thick cloud loomed in the sky and bursts of light were shining just behind it.


    He looked around. He could sense the aura of a genuine emperor, which sent a chill down his spine.


    ''Barnes, '' Darren thought, frowning.


    He should have expected that Barnes would not give up so easily.


    Darren was just about to fly out when he felt a hand hold him back.


    "Don''t, Darren."


    It was Chandler.


    "Why? I have to stop Barnes. After all, we are friends," Darren said.


    Chandler gave him a bitter smile. "In the eyes of those people, there is no friendship. You going there would be in vain. If he turns on you, you will be in big trouble."


    "But..."


    "Don''t worry. You can go to the eighteen cities to develop yourself. Lord Donald and I will deal with what''s happening here. When the four greatest holy warriors come back, even if the fiend flee out, we can still deal with him. You don''t have to worry about us," said Chandler.


    Darr


    with the Hiram the Great''s shadow. He looked around him and saw powerful cultivators surrounding him.


    "Barnes! I respect you! You are a powerful cultivator! But you must leave now, or I will be forced to drive you out!"


    "We are giving you a chance! If you don''t leave now, don''t blame us for what we will do."


    A few senior holy warriors shouted at Barnes.


    "Just you? You''re nobody!"


    Although Barnes''s power had weakened, he was still arrogant.


    "Talk it out with my stick!"


    His stick''s runes soared, and fell from the sky. It simultaneously attacked a few senior holy warriors.


    "So arrogant!"


    The senior holy warriors fought back with all their might.


    Several more cultivators surrounded him and directly attacked him.


    The few warriors who were comparable to half-step emperors focused all of their energy on Barnes.


    "Argh!"


    The men were able to defend themselves from Barnes''s attacks and even got to hit him a few times. This made Barnes very angry.


    In a flash, a turbulent fiendish aura rushed out. The fiend''s arm had launched an attack.


    The fiendish aura surged, but it didn''t attack the senior holy warriors. It went straight into Barnes''s body.


    With a large amount of the fiendish aura, the dazzling, golden light began to fade.


    "That''s right!"


    Barnes got excited. He could feel himself getting stronger and stronger as the seconds passed.

 Chapter 900 Everybody Came Back

    Darren and Chaz stood in front of a stone wall. This was the passage to the eighteen cities.


    The noise outside was getting louder, which made Darren feel restless.


    "Darren, why don''t we go and help Chandler?" Chaz said.


    "No need." Darren shook his head. "There are already so many holy warriors there. Let''s just get into the eighteen cities."


    "The human race always has so many troubles," Chaz sighed.


    One day later, a vortex suddenly appeared in front of the stone wall. The face of an old man came out of the vortex.


    "Are you Darren from the Sacred Palace?" the old man asked.


    "Yes, I am."


    "Show me your token," the old man said.


    Darren took out the token given to him by Chandler. The old man examined it carefully and used magic to probe it.


    "Alright. You may come in."


    "Thank you, sir."


    Darren and Chaz stepped into the vortex together. Suddenly, they were hit by a wave of dizziness. Their vision blurred and everything went black.


    "Ouch!" Chaz suddenly cried out in pain. "I feel like I''m being torn apart!"


    Darren''s face was pale as he felt his bones cracking with the force.


    If the force got any stronger, Darren would have to use the light red liquid.


    "Oh, no!" The old man gasped. "It turns out that I sent you to the wrong place! It will be too dangerous!"


    Back at the forbidden area, more than a dozen senior holy warriors attacked Barnes.


    The fiend''s arm released a large amount of fiendish aura, which again weakened the suppressing force in Barnes''s body and increased his strength.


    "Hiss!"


    Barnes''s eyes darkened and his fiendish nature was so powerful that all the senior holy warriors could hardly resist it.


    "Chandler, use your life vitality to help us!"


    a warrior who was as powerful as a half-step emperor pleaded when he saw Chandler fly in.


    "I''m on it!"


    Withou


    e ancestor of martial arts cultivators. It''s your duty to protect the human territory from invasion. Shouldn''t we blame you if something goes wrong?"


    Chandler was crestfallen.


    These reclusive cultivators had no respect for the Sacred Palace.


    Now that there was a crisis, they all blamed the Sacred Palace.


    "Old man, who do you think you are? How dare you criticize the Sacred Palace?"


    A voice boomed out.


    Surprised, all the senior holy warriors turned their heads and saw a group of people.


    Luther was walking ahead of the group. Two young men clad in white stood at his side.


    "Who are they?"


    All the senior holy warriors frowned.


    Chandler was surprised. He only knew one of the young men. He was called Scott.


    There were more figures behind the three men: a golden and red kylin, a beautiful woman, and a monkey.


    A strong aura emanated from the group.


    "They are friends of Darren. We just came back from the Raksa Sea," Luther replied.


    "Welcome!" Chandler greeted them with a smile.


    "I hear that that damn monkey is making trouble again. Where is he?" Finley asked.


    If Darren were here, he would be surprised at Finley''s new aura.


    He would also be shocked at seeing the Water Kylin.

 Chapter 901 The Eighth Tribulation Activated

    Chandler went up respectfully and asked, "You also know about Barnes, young friend?"


    Finley gave him a small smile and replied, "I have beaten that filthy monkey more times than I can count. He knows what we can do to him. How dare he cause trouble again?"


    "Hey, now. Don''t get all cocky, Finley. When you went against each other, he was still very weak. I''m the only one who could beat him now!"


    the Water Kylin said pointedly, staring at Finley.


    Finley flinched and said nothing.


    Inside, he was fuming. Powerful or not, this beast had no right to talk to him that way.


    "Ha! In your dreams. You only have your power because you''ve been compatible with your ancestors'' crystals. How dare you act so arrogantly?" Finley glared at the Water Kylin with contempt.


    "Do you want me to beat you up to prove my strength?"


    The Water Kylin bared his teeth and faced Finley.


    "You crazy bastard..." Finley''s face was tinged red with anger.


    "Ahem." Luther let out a small cough. "As much as I hate to break up your little game, we have more pressing issues to address. We need to head to the forbidden area. The sooner we fix everything the better."


    The Water Kylin relaxed his shoulders.


    "You got off lightly this time, punk. Next time, it won''t be so easy." The Water Kylin chuckled. Finley rolled his eyes at him.


    "You guys wait here. I''ll take care of that bastard Barnes first."


    The Water Kylin stomped off to the forbidden area.


    The senior holy warriors looked on in awe.


    "I did not expect Darren to have friends as powerful as these..."


    one of the senior holy warriors said. In addition to the terrifying legendary beast¡ªthe Water Kylin, there was also a legendary phoenix in Darren''s team. This group was simply too formidable.


    The rest of the men ignored him. It was the same senior holy warrior who had been blaming the people of the Sacred Palace moments ago, and no one wanted to talk to him now.


    "Sir, should we go and see if the Water Kylin needs help?" Luther asked Chandler.


    "No. There''s not much that we can do. We''d best let the Water Kylin handle this on his own," Chandler said.


    Luther nodded in agree


    has actually come..." the monkey murmured.


    The eighth tribulation!


    When the crowd heard the mutated monkey''s murmurs, they realized that Barnes was going through the eighth tribulation.


    In history, the strongest tribulation holy warrior had only survived up until the eighth tribulation. If Barnes lived through this, there was no telling how powerful he would become!


    In the forbidden area.


    The Water Kylin stopped attacking and looked up at the cloud, stunned.


    Barnes was also confused. He didn''t expect that he would be able to activate the eighth tribulation so quickly.


    ''This is impossible. I won''t make it! What''s going on?''


    Barnes trembled all over, terrified at the appearance of the vortex.


    Even in his prime, He had little chance of surviving the eighth tribulation.


    In the face of such a forceful tribulation, his Golden Indestructible Body was but a mere joke.


    The cloud grew thicker and thicker and the vortex seemed to burn even brighter.


    "That''s impossible!" Barnes bit his lip. He sent a telepathic message to the fiend. ''What the hell are you up to? Why did you activate the thunder punishment?''


    "I''m trying to help you get stronger but this wasn''t my doing! Someone else did this!"


    The fiend''s cold voice echoed through Barnes''s mind.


    The fiend was also terrified. Even at his strongest state, he wouldn''t be able to bear such a terrifying thunder punishment. Something was amiss.

 Chapter 902 The Thunder Punishment Is Coming

    Barnes began to rack his brains for an answer to how the tribulation cloud was activated. But he couldn''t seem to grasp it.


    There should be a reason why the eighth tribulation came.


    At first, the Water Kylin stood frozen in shock, but then, he recovered and quickly flew out of the forbidden area.


    "Hey! Aren''t you going to run for your life, too? Whatever''s coming doesn''t look so good," the Water Kylin shouted.


    "Why bother? We can''t escape here." Finley glared at him. He knew that no one could ever get away from the thunder punishment. As soon as it fell, everyone would be affected by it.


    "Then let''s just go back to the Raksa Sea," the Water Kylin urged on.


    Chandler shook his head and said, "The Raksa Sea is attached to this land. Even if we go there now, the thunder punishment can still reach us. I''m afraid it''s too late."


    "So what should we do then? Should we just sit back and wait for death?"


    Everyone fell silent. Fear brewed among them like a restless storm. At any moment now, it felt like it would surge and crest.


    Barnes, on the other hand, was still deep in his own thoughts, trying to figure out what was going on. Suddenly, somebody appeared in the forbidden area.


    "Darren?"


    Barnes had seemingly snapped out of his reverie and his eyes were trained at the figure in front of him.


    But the Darren before him was expressionless. There was something cold about him in the way he strode towards the fiend''s arm and ignored Barnes.


    "Master, I have brought back a worthy man," he said.


    "What kind of man are you talking about?" the fiend''s arm asked.


    A golden figure then appeared in front of them, interrupting the expressionless Darren before he could reply.


    "My real body! Long time no see." Staring at Barnes, the figure grinned. His gold hair floated around him like a halo. It made him a heroic and valiant figure.


    Suddenly, Barnes'' face twisted into something ferocious.


    He let out a howl.


    "It''s you! I should have known that you''ll be back. Well, you''re just in time, my Inner Fiend."


    Barnes finally figured out how the tribulation cloud was activated.


    It was impossible for him to trigger the eighth thunder punishment alone unless his Inner Fiend was with him and either one of them triggered it.


    "Why do you still have so much resentment against me?" The Inner Fiend, on the other hand, remained composed and elegant in the face of Barnes'' fury. His golden fur seemed unruffled by all these.


    "I do not resent you. I just want to smash you into dust." The stick in Barnes'' hand shook violently. It seemed to be egging for a fight.


    "Don''t be so anxious. Haven''t you noticed that the thunder punishment is coming? Let''s just put our grudges aside until the punishment ends, okay?" The Inner Fiend tried to be placating.


    ould fully assimilate Barnes.


    The time gap made the Inner Fiend hesitate and didn''t dare to go all out. He had to stop Barnes from exploding himself.


    "Hey! Calm down, will you? I promise that once we get through the heavenly tribulation, I will never be your enemy again," the Inner Fiend bargained as he used his own stick to block Barnes'' attacks.


    "Are you implying that I am afraid of death? Or that I am a coward?


    I''m sorry to tell you this, but I''m not afraid of death, and I am most definitely not a coward!"


    Barnes let out a mighty roar that seemed to reach deep inside the Inner Fiend. The latter began to panic.


    "You guys, step back or else you will also be destroyed."


    Fear began to settle over the first fiend ancestor as the thunder punishment drew even closer. And while he wouldn''t die even if the thunder punishment struck his indestructible body, it would take him many years to recover from the hit. He couldn''t afford to lose that much time as he didn''t know when he would have another chance to escape from the forbidden areas.


    "Stay out of this." Barnes gritted his teeth and hit the first fiend ancestor''s arm with as much force as he could muster.


    The fiend''s arm howled in pain.


    He just couldn''t comprehend why Barnes was reacting this way.


    A loud crack echoed through the sky, followed by another.


    Dark red lighting snakes rained down from the void as the thunder punishment continued to churn. They filled the air with their heavy bodies, wriggling and tearing through the sky. They zigzagged across the clouds and landed heavily on the ground.


    Dark clouds hovered over the forbidden area. A storm growled angrily inside it, gathering the darkness until everything was shrouded with gloom.


    Imminent destruction was coming.


    Countless creatures began prostrating on the ground, terrified of what was to come.

 Chapter 903 The Immortal Arrived

    Back in the space passage, Darren and Chaz could barely keep themselves upright as great pains wrack through their bodies.


    As they began to fall, the bleak landscape rushed around them.


    Eventually, their bodies hit the ground with a bang.


    The impact broke several bones in their bodies.


    "Huh. The ground here must be really hard. We barely even made a dent on it."


    And indeed, even with Chaz wearing his black armor on, the ground appeared untouched. There were no cracks at all.


    Darren gingerly sat up and crossed his legs. He began the process of healing by assimilating the spiritual energy. It was obvious how the space passage had done a number on his body.


    In the end, it took him an hour to recover.


    "What is this place?"


    Darren looked around him. It was a barren land with dark clouds hanging forlornly overhead. A cold wind blew, disturbing the stillness of the place every once in a while, and brought a light drizzle. From afar, the pale yellow outlines of the mountains loomed over the horizon. It was as if this whole place had already withered.


    "It''s different from how Chandler''s scrolls describe it to be."


    The scrolls that Chandler gave to him had descriptions of all the cities. But he hadn''t read anything that looked like this place.


    "When we were passing through the channel, I think I heard someone saying that it''s the wrong place... So maybe we are teleported to the wrong place?" Chaz murmured.


    "I heard that, too, but I thought it was all just in my head," Darren admitted as he recalled what the old man had said.


    "Well, that''s it then. We''ve been sent to the wrong place," Chaz said. The disappointment in his voice was palpable. He had waited many years for a chance to enter the eighteen cities. But now, with just an unlucky accident, he wouldn''t be able to fulfill his dreams.


    "Don''t worry. We still passed through the same passage that will lead us to the eighteen cities. Maybe we just landed on the wrong place," Darren said, trying to console his friend.


    According to the scrolls, there were also some large desolate areas surrounding the eighteen cities. These places were said to be so dangerous that even the masters of the eighteen cities did not dare roam these lands.


    Chaz started to feel a little bit better at Darren''s reassurance.


    "What should we do now?" Chaz asked.


    "Let''s just look around. Maybe we''ll meet someone along the way who knows the way to the eighteen cities."


    "Alright."


    They got back on their feet and began their trek in the deserted area.


    After a while, they were shocked to find a peculiar cro


    ncible the immortal was to the point that no other creature in this continent could possibly stand a chance against her.


    At the center of the forbidden area, the Inner Fiend stopped his attacks and looked up. He seemed surprised to see someone he wasn''t expecting to see.


    "Visitors from the outer space!" The Inner Fiend gritted his teeth in an attempt to hide his jealousy, but it still flashed through his eyes.


    A loud explosion jolted the entire scene.


    The thunder punishment rained down even more violently than before. A hundred rays of red light erupted simultaneously, shattering all the runes of the immortal.


    It was so powerful that the immortal was fazed by it. She stepped back before it could even dart at her.


    "Can''t she block it anymore?"


    Anxiety grew among the senior holy warriors as they watched. If she couldn''t fight off the thunder punishment any longer, then the entire world would surely be destroyed.


    But amid the violence, an octahedral crystal slowly emerged from the immortal''s head.


    It was a completely different crystal from Darren''s avatar''s and Barnes''.


    Its brightness seemed to shine infinitely as if its light would never dim. Its majestic presence was definitely not from the mortal world.


    It was obvious that the crystal had already reached the law level. Once it unleashed its full power, no one could stand in its way.


    After all, the Lothlann Continent was only a mortal world. And as a mortal world, it conformed to the rules of nature. How could it possibly contend against law itself?


    The crystal radiated the force of law. It swirled around the thunderbolts until it had them fully enveloped.


    A moment later, the thunder punishment was all frozen into icy crystals.

 Chapter 904 The Thief

    Everyone was amazed by the extraordinary skill used to freeze the thunder punishment. Wonder shone in their eyes.


    After the thunder punishment solidified, the immortal slowly came forward. Her steps were cautious and measured.


    Suddenly, a slap could be heard.


    The immortal had struck the thunder tribulation with her palm.


    Cracks grew on the surface of the frozen thunderbolt. They multiplied and grew until the entire thing shattered into pieces like glass.


    The shards then turned into rays of scarlet aura. They flew into the immortal''s hand, sinking into her body.


    "Is she absorbing the thunder punishment?"


    The Inner Fiend watched the scene unfold in complete awe. An indescribable feeling churned inside him. He was torn between admiration and jealousy.


    The immortal carefully moved on to the next frozen thunderbolt and shattered it. And just like the first time, she absorbed the blood red aura into her body. She did this several more times.


    From behind the tribulation cloud, a pair of silvery eyes peered back at the immortal.


    It followed the immortal''s every move. Its silvery light seemingly became more intense as the pair of eyes greedily watched.


    Sensing that the pair of eyes were watching her, the immortal''s face contorted in anger.


    She unleashed a strand of rule force straight at the pair of eyes.


    It ripped a hole in the sky and the earth shook. The entire air grew heavy with the turbulence of the rule force, gathering up its power. But instead of heading straight at its target, it veered off course and made its way towards the immortal. The eyes must have done something to divert its course.


    "You dirty rat!" the immortal shouted.


    From afar, Finley stared at the eyes with great bewilderment.


    He would have known those pair of silver eyes anywhere because those were Darren''s eyes.


    As far as he knew, Darren had given those silvery eyes to his avatar before he split his soul into two. That could only mean one thing: Darren''s avatar was here.


    "It''s our master''s avatar! What is he doing here?" The Water Kylin had also recognized Darren''s avatar. He turned to Finley, mirroring the same confused look on his face.


    "I don''t know, but I think he''s trying to steal things from the immortal," Finley answered with a frown.


    "What? How can he be so bold?" the Water Kylin exclaimed.


    "Keep your voice down! We''ll soon find out what he''s up to anyway." Finley glared at the Water Kylin, successfully silencing him. The subject was immediately dropped.


    The immortal hovered in the air. She was all poised and dangerous as a cold, piercing killing intent swirled around her. It was evident her aura was more intense than Mathew''s killing sword intent.


    Though the immortal''s attack was terrifying to look at, it still wasn''t powerful enough to finish off the silvery eyes. In fact, it resulted to an even stronger counterattack. The silvery eyes cast a rule force towards her, preventing her from absorbing more of the thunder punishment.


    The damage would have been lethal to anyone, but it wouldn''t be a big deal to an immortal.


    She then let out her immortal ener


    situation as Barnes.


    But the temptation to assimilate Barnes had not faltered. He had been waiting for this chance for ages. He couldn''t just let it go that easily.


    After debating on this for a moment, he decided to plunge headfirst into danger. He would fight these people. After all, if he were to defeat one in a single blow, the others would soon follow the same fate. But if he ever failed, he could always find a chance to flee.


    By quickly analyzing his opponents, he identified the mutated monkey as the weakest link.


    "Good." He chuckled. It made him sound slightly unhinged, but he was satisfied with his target.


    With a swish, he turned into a shadow, and rushed towards the mutated monkey.


    "I just knew you would play dirty!" The Water Kylin snorted with contempt as he stepped forward to waylay the Inner Fiend''s attack. He slashed at him with his claws.


    Bang!


    Both the Water Kylin and the mutated monkey were thrown through the air by the Inner Fiend. Fortunately, neither of the two was badly hurt.


    "Damn it!"


    The Inner Fiend had lost his opportunity. His plan to kill the mutated monkey was derailed. Out of desperation, he turned to Finley.


    He tried distracting his other enemies with his attacks, preventing them from unleashing their most prominent skills. He hoped this would buy him more time in taking them out one by one.


    However, Finley had already seen right through his plans.


    "The Space Cracks!" he shouted.


    The whole space shifted.


    It broke asunder, breaking off into formless regions that only Finley could navigate through with his high level Spatial Rule.


    The Inner Fiend rained down a thousand continuous attacks at Finley, but it seemed like he could never get a hit on him. Every time, his punches only fell on a shadow that served as Finley''s decoy.


    "You are so greedy."


    Finley''s voice rang out as he began to chant another spell. A wave of light crested and swirled around the Inner Fiend.


    A shout pierced through the air.


    Horror dawned on the Inner Fiend as his last shred of hope slipped from his fingers.

 Chapter 905 The Gathering Of The Beasts

    Wrapped up in Finley''s mysterious power, the Inner Fiend felt like he had fallen into a sea of magma. The very heat of it threatened to melt him entirely.


    Until suddenly, the Inner Fiend exploded.


    Streaks of light burst out of him. All of them had shot out into the distance.


    "Damn it!" the Inner Fiend uttered as he tried to piece himself together.


    He could sense that his strength had been sapped off him. With his weakened state, all he could do was flee.


    It was then that Finley showed up again.


    He didn''t expect that he could hurt the Inner Fiend that badly.


    The Water Kylin went over to him and patted him on the shoulder.


    "You''re not bad, Finley. You scared him away!"


    "Don''t be too cocky. Or are you already forgetting how I hit you before?" Finley rolled his eyes at the Water Kylin.


    "Now that you''ve mentioned it, I will finally get even with you today!" The Water Kylin immediately changed his stance from relax to alert. It was as if he was prepared to fight Finley.


    "Hey! Are you two done?" Caroline''s voice interrupted the growing tension between the two.


    "Of course not!" the Water Kylin shouted.


    Then, somebody suddenly cleared his throat. "Ahem." It was Barnes who staggered over them.


    "Hi guys. Thank you very much for saving me. I''m so lucky to have you guys." He faltered in every steps like a toddler tottering around. There was no sincerity in his voice.


    "Stop that. I won''t buy it!"


    Finley''s palm struck the black monkey across the face. "The tribulation is all your fault. Do you think we did all these just to save you?"


    "Aw Finley, don''t be mad. We''re all friends here so it''s only natural that you save me." Barnes took a few steps back to take a good look at Finley.


    "Take him back and torture him."


    In an instant, the Water Kylin now stood beside Barnes and held him up.


    "No! Please. I can explain." Barnes struggled a little under the Water Kylin''s grasp. But his attempts to defend himself were all in vain. Soon, he was taken away.


    The forbidden area had finally calmed down, and in the end, it was the first fiend ancestor''s arm that suffered the most.


    The arm lost a lot of powerful fiendish aura. When he tried to escape, those human warriors were there to stop him. The thunder punishment had also managed to injure him as well.


    The arm failed to escape and now he was extremely angry. Nonetheless,


    Its strength was sure to be unimaginable.


    However, Darren couldn''t push back the growing curiosity inside him. He desired to know why these beasts were all gathered around the ball.


    "I don''t think there''s any need for us to worry. We just have to hide ourselves and our aura."


    "Fine." It seemed like Chaz, too, was curious about the beasts and the ball. But his approach was more cautious than Darren''s.


    They watched as the ball killed many of the beasts who came near it. Until, finally, no more beasts dared approach it.


    Darren''s heart ached when he saw the corpses of the lifeless beasts. He couldn''t help but think his missed opportunities to assimilate their talents.


    "What a pity! All of these beasts had great talents.


    Perhaps by assimilating them, I can unravel the secrets of my talents and I''ll be able to reach my peak." Darren pondered on this for a moment.


    "Darren, what are you murmuring about?"


    Darren only shook his head and said, "Don''t mind me. Anyway, I think I would like to go there. Do you think there''s a way to get there?"


    "Are you out of your mind?" Chaz snarled. His eyes widened at Darren''s boldness. "These beasts are more powerful than us and there are too many of them. We''ll surely die there."


    "That''s why I''m asking you if you have a plan. I''m not foolish enough to rush over there without thinking it over first."


    "Well, I don''t have a plan."


    Chaz paused for a moment, when suddenly, he exclaimed, "Wait! I think I might have one." A thoughtful look crossed on his face before he took out something from his spatial treasure.

 Chapter 906 A Strange Ball Entered His Body

    "What''s this?"


    Darren saw that Chaz was holding something about the size of a sesame seed in his hand.


    "This is the Misty Emperor''s treasure. If you enter it, it will keep you hidden for a few minutes. But it can only be used for once."


    The Misty Emperor possessed three in total, and he had already used two of them. Chaz had taken his last one.


    "Such a marvelous treasure!"


    "Yeah. Those blue-skinned men are good at refining treasures for rule cultivation,"


    Chaz said, handing it over to Darren.


    "How do I use this?"


    "Infuse your soul power or spiritual sense into it."


    Darren nodded and tried to do so. He closed his eyes to focus. Suddenly, he felt a tremendous force dragging him into the treasure.


    When Darren opened his eyes, he felt like the world suddenly became so much bigger. He felt like he was a snail peeking out of its shell.


    "I''ll wait for you here. Come back as soon as you can," Chaz told him with his spiritual sense.


    "Okay," Darren replied. He flew towards the crowd of beasts.


    Darren soon found himself just a few feet away from the beasts.


    ''The mixture of nefarious aura is making me sick, '' he thought. His breathing grew labored and sweat began to bead on his forehead.


    Several powerful beasts rushed towards the floating ball but they were killed in the blink of an eye.


    "Assimilation Skill!" Darren activated the Assimilation Skill to assimilate the talents of the fallen beasts.


    When he was able to assimilate their talents, Darren felt as if he were being bathed in sunshine.


    He felt a large amount of talents coursed through his veins. When the talents entered his mind, they turned into a glowing ball of light. They were whisked away into a bright and mysterious space. Darren used his spiritual sense to better grasp what was going on.


    "They are disappearing?"


    Darren saw the ball of light fly into the crystal wall.


    He used his spiritual sense to probe the surface of the wall and found tiny cracks.


    ''They are bigge


    l rushed towards Darren but instead of fleeing, he stood his ground.


    When the beasts came nearer, he swung his mighty blade and sword and attacked.


    Darren''s blade and sword intents were too much for the beasts and they were all killed.


    But this sudden movement seemed to have attracted the attention of the ancient golden roc, whose fierce eyes pierced Darren like an arrow.


    ''It''s more powerful than I thought.''


    Darren could sense that the ancient golden roc was even stronger than the holy emperor''s soul that was placed in the forbidden domain of the Space-time Palace. He could not defeat it even if he drank more of the light red liquid.


    But the ancient golden roc merely glanced at Darren and continued to focus on the ball again.


    The ball spun wildly, breaking free from the claw of the ancient golden roc. It suddenly flew out.


    Whoosh!


    Darren was surprised to see that the ball was flying towards him.


    Its speed was too great that he could not outrun it.


    The ball shrunk and went into his heart.


    A small hole appeared in Darren''s chest, but he didn''t feel any pain.


    "You are a dragon? No! No!"


    A hoarse voice rang out in Darren''s head.


    Before he could figure out what was going on, heat enveloped his heart and he could feel his dragon blood aura and dragon blood rushed towards his heart.

 Chapter 907 The Slaughter

    Severe pain wracked through Darren''s body, rendering him unable to move. His heart hammered against his chest wildly that it threatened to explode.


    "What happened?"


    "Boy, stop right now. I''ll kill you if you dare try to assimilate me." A rude voice broke Darren out of his agony.


    "Who are you? How can I stop?" The dragon blood and aura ran hot inside his body. It felt like he was being boiled inside. But he didn''t know how to control it.


    "You must turn into a dragon to forcibly revert your dragon blood and aura." The voice urged him on.


    Darren was completely at a loss on what was happening. Nonetheless, he transformed into a dragon as instructed by the voice.


    He let out a loud roar.


    Upon his transformation, he let his dragon blood and aura flow.


    "Ah!"


    The process brought even more pain to his body, but he gritted through it. He let it wash over him, not daring to stop the reversion.


    The dragon blood and aura forcibly broke through his meridians.


    A cold aura flowed out from the center of his heart, leaving an icy trail along his damaged meridians. But it was a balm that soothed his hurt until his meridians were completely healed by this aura.


    Everything settled down eventually.


    "Young man, thank you so much." The voice was breathless from the strain.


    Before Darren could begin his inquiries, the ancient golden roc finally arrived.


    It landed in front of Darren. Its eyes were fiery with greed and anger.


    It was said that the ancient golden roc liked to feast on creatures with dragon blood. In fact, the powerful ones fed off from dragons before.


    The ancient golden roc stared at Darren with its killing intent blazing around it. There was hunger in its gaze as it looked at Darren. He would surely be a tasty treat. Darren had robbed a treasure from the golden roc, so now the golden roc really wouldn''t let him go.


    Then the ancient golden roc spread out its wings, flapping it furiously.


    A ray of light shot out towards Darren.


    "Humph!"


    Darren swallowed the last drop of the light red liquid, letting his aura reach its peak. His body glowed red as his Shura Force surged inside him, threatening to exceed its limits.


    He swung his mighty dragon tail.


    Everything within its range was knocked off by its force.


    The golden shadow suddenly appeared, but it was swept off by Darren''s dragon tail.


    Now, it flew several feet backwards.


    But Darren didn''t think that the force of his blow would be enough to defeat the golden roc. After all, his strength was only that of a half-step emperor and was only temporary. Once it was gone, it would be a dead


    clothes arrived.


    They were stunned by the sight of congealed dried blood ahead of them. It formed a vast blood-red lake that seemed to have come from any horror books they had read.


    "Oh my God! What happened in this Thundering Beast Land? How could the beasts be all dead? They are all top-level creatures. Their strength is similar to that of a senior holy warrior. This isn''t possible!"


    "Who the hell did this? It''s so horrible."


    "We should go back. The boy who had been accidentally sent here is probably dead," a handsome young man suggested. Fear shone in his eyes as he surveyed the entire bloody area.


    "We can''t go back! Our superiors had asked us to look for him, but we have nothing to report to them yet. It''s our city''s fault that the boy is here at all so now we have to pretend to continue searching for him. We''ll come back in a few days. For now, let''s just hang around here. Think of it as a sightseeing tour. Let''s not take too much risks."


    The suggestion sounded enticing, so everyone else agreed. However, there were some minority who were dissatisfied by the plan.


    "Why did our superiors even ask us to look for him? Who is the kid anyway? Isn''t he just a nobody? I don''t understand."


    "I don''t understand it either. I heard that he''s just some bloke who learned the Holy Will and reached the Holy Realm. He''s only a junior holy warrior so I don''t think he deserves to enter Holy City at all. If he dies here, it must be heaven''s will. Humph!"


    "Well, you''re one to talk. Since we''re already here, let''s just look around. Maybe there are some treasures lying about."


    This perked everyone''s interest, diverting their attention from their task of finding the boy. In time, they would have forgotten about him.

 Chapter 908 Change Of The Soul

    In an underground cave


    "The bird finally left. We would''ve been in a lot of trouble if it found us."


    Chaz came out of the cave to see what was going on. He saw that the aura of the ancient golden roc disappeared in the vast expanse.


    In the cave, Darren sat in silence. He was focused on immersing himself in refining his newly assimilated talent.


    In his mysterious crystal space, Darren was delighted to see the talent he had assimilated earlier materialized as drops of liquid. Once he added them all up, he realized it was ten times greater than all the talent he had assimilated in the past.


    After a few days of immersion, he had absorbed the liquid talent by one third. This time, the crystal wall space was undisturbed¡ªeven the cracks in the space had disappeared.


    Darren could really feel the difference after taking in all that talent.


    His soul seemed to have undergone a great change. He could sense the special forces of heaven and earth from within his body.


    "I wonder if my current level of talent has surpassed that of the Genuine Domain Degree."


    After his soul''s transformation, he found that his deducing ability had also greatly improved. It could be comparable to the ability of the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Darren tested his newfound abilities by using his sword intent. His speed was tremendously faster, and just by pushing a little more effort it was as if hundreds of thousands of copies of himself were grasping the sword intent at once. It was an amazing yet terrifying ability to wield.


    In just a few hours, Darren''s sword intent had reached record-breaking limits, and it seemed to have exceeded the extreme level.


    "I wonder if this ability changed the size of my sword core like it changed for my sword intent?"


    From the start, Darren had been considering the idea of fusing his different sword intents together. The only obstacle was that his sword core was too small, and could only contain four kinds of sword intents at a time.


    Since his sword intent got an immense upgrade, it was now possible for him to fuse more sword intents together.


    While pondering this, Darren started to check his sword core''s status.


    "It''s the same as before? It didn''t grow bigger." The only thing that had changed in his sword core was the color¡ªa glimmering purple and gold.


    "Boy, what are you mumbling about?"


    A voice suddenly echoed through. It was the man in Darren''s heart.


    "Huh? I thought you were dead already! What are you doing here?"


    Since his escape that day, Darren had tried to communicate with this voice many times, to no avail. Darren decided that whatever talked to him that day was probably some kind of ghost or a spirit.


    "That''s a load of bull. I won''t die, not eve


    I''m going to melt," cried the dragon ancestor, choking back his tears.


    Darren wordlessly infused more and more of the dragon blood aura and dragon blood into his heart.


    "Sir, boss, my lord, it''s my fault. I''ll tell you everything you want to know. Just please spare me!" the dragon ancestor whimpered and begged.


    "Humph! That sounds much better." Darren made a wicked smile of satisfaction and withdrew the dragon blood aura and dragon blood from his heart.


    "Now tell me, what on earth is the sword intent of Infinite Stage and the sword-god core you were going on about?" Darren asked again.


    This time, without any hesitation, the dragon ancestor told him everything he knew.


    After listening intently, Darren finally got a good grasp on the idea.


    Amongst the flurry of words the dragon ancestor spouted, the most useful information was actually very simple.


    The so-called sword intent of Infinite Stage was another extreme level a martial artist could reach. Strictly speaking, Darren did not necessarily break any limits. He instead achieved another branch of extremeness.


    Once his sword intent reached the heights of the Infinite Stage, his sword intent''s strength would make him one of the most powerful warriors in the world.


    As he was, his level was just not high enough yet. He was far from intimidating.


    As for the sword-god core, this came as an unexpected surprise.


    To Darren''s knowledge, the highest level of sword core was the purple sword core. It turned out that there was a level above purple sword core which was much more amazing.


    This higher level was similar to the "Immortal Character" crystal made by a rule cultivator.


    This kind of sword core was also called the "Fake God Character." It was the essential foundation for a swordsman''s journey into becoming a god!

 Chapter 909 Discovering A Human

    Darren was delighted to learn so much from the dragon ancestor. It was rewarding to receive such treasures after his trip.


    "If I condense a Sword God Character, what would happen?" Darren asked.


    "You fool! Once you condense a Sword God Character, there is a chance that you can break through to the God Realm through Sword Cultivation. Your sword intent could cause irreparable damage to all living creatures!"


    "Really?" Darren asked in disbelief.


    "Why would I lie to you? But don''t get too excited about that. It only means that you are qualified to break through to the God Realm through Sword Cultivation. You still need the help of eight kinds of rules and powerful sword skills to break through.


    But once you manage to break through to the God Realm through Sword Cultivation, you''ll become a deadly threat to the other rule cultivators at your level," the dragon ancestor said.


    Darren was puzzled after hearing that. "What did you mean by me being a threat to other rule cultivators? What about martial artists?"


    What he heard was far from what he had expected.


    "Silly boy," the dragon ancestor chuckled. "As I just said, it can cause irreparable damage to any living creature. Can''t you get that in your head?" The dragon ancestor frowned, obviously irritated by Darren''s slow comprehension.


    "I don''t understand!" Darren exclaimed hurriedly.


    "How stupid you are! Let me break it down for you. Generally speaking, a rule cultivator must have already mastered how to heal himself. For example, a rule emperor might master the Life True Rule. Then, his restoring abilities will be even stronger than that of an Eternal Body."


    The dragon ancestor went on, "That''s why a rule emperor who has mastered this kind of true rule is practically invincible. However, this type of emperor has an opponent that equals him in power: the warriors who have broken through to the God Realm through martial arts. The damage caused by their attacks can''t be healed quickly by any rules, medicines, or even immortal power.


    That means, if you manage to break through to the God Realm through Sword Cultivation, all that they''ve learned to heal themselves will not work if it''s you


    heard a human''s cry. But I was afraid that the bird hadn''t left, so I didn''t dare look into it," Chaz said.


    "Let''s move further down."


    The two slowly went deeper into the valley.


    Soon, they came across the corpse of a human young man. The body was nestled among the weeds.


    "There''s someone here!"


    Darren and Chaz moved deeper into the valley, this time with more urgency.


    Suddenly, a roar rang out and shook the whole valley.


    Chaz let out a small gasp.


    Darren looked up and ran towards the sound.


    A colorful beast suddenly appeared before him.


    More than a dozen corpses lay around the beast. When Darren saw it, it was attacking another young man.


    "Go to hell, you beast!"


    Darren rushed over, hurling his sword intent at the monster.


    "Aaaargh!"


    The beast felt Darren''s sword intent and attempted to run away, but it was too slow.


    Shoop! Shoop! Shoop!


    Darren''s sword bit into the beast. A moment later, the beast lay in a pool of its own blood.


    The young man was dumbfounded to see such a powerful sword intent.


    "Thank you for saving me!" The young man bowed in front of Darren.


    Darren was about to speak when he sensed the auras of a dozen men.


    "Sweet! A treasure beast!" "This is our lucky day!"


    The men rushed towards the beast''s corpse.


    Darren looked over at the beast and saw that it had dropped a bone. The bone glowed with an eerie purple light, and it seemed to beckon Darren to pick it up.

 Chapter 910 The Encounter

    "Ha-ha! The Runic Bone is mine!"


    A man with a strong aura took the bone into his hands.


    The others looked at him with envy.


    "Senior brother, you are so lucky to get it."


    "Yes, he''s right. It seems that our efforts were not in vain. The Runic Bone is very precious. With this bone, senior brother, you will be able to trigger the fourth tribulation!"


    The man put away the bone with a smile.


    "I''ll take this Runic Bone. But I promise that I''ll give such a treasure to you if I find any of them again," the man said, pretending to be generous.


    "Thank you, senior brother."


    "Thank you."


    Although everyone thanked him respectfully, they were secretly cursing him in their hearts. How would they ever come across a second Runic Bone? It was such a rare and precious thing!


    "Hey, guys, this treasure beast was killed by that man over there. I think that maybe he deserves to get the Runic Bone,"


    the young man stumbled out and said to the group of men as he pointed at Darren.


    "Brat, where are you from?" the group of people sneered and asked.


    "I''m Neal Du from Mega City," the young man replied.


    "Are you from the Du Clan?" The man in the lead frowned. The young man''s surname was Du and he was from Mega City. These two points implied that he had something to do with the Governor of Mega City.


    "What is the relationship between you and Governor Du?"


    "He is my uncle," Neal replied matter-of-factly.


    The faces of these people changed slightly. ''This brat really has something to do with the Governor of Mega City, '' they thought. The Governor of Mega City was a half-step emperor at the top level. Everyone in other cities respected him.


    "I see... So you are a direct descendant of the Du Clan."


    "Gentlemen, that young man over there saved my life just now. Please give the Runic Bone back to him for my sake," Neal said as he clasped his hands together.


    "Ha-ha!"


    The young man who took the lead of the group sneered. "You were in danger just a while ago. We risked our lives to save you. I think it''s only fair and logical that the bone now belongs to us. How can we give it to other people? I''m sorry. We can''t agree to your silly request."


    "You...!" Neal flashed a fierce look, but then quickly concealed it. "When did you save me? From what I saw, you wanted to forcibly claim the Runic Bone!"


    The young man raised his hand and slapped Neal without hesitation.


    Bang!


    "I''d back off if I were you! If you real


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    uch a dangerous place?"


    "Alas! It''s all my fault. I invited my friends to the Thundering Beast Land for treasure-hunting, but they all died in such a dangerous area." Tears welled up in the boy''s eyes.


    "You are too impulsive. Fortunately, you are still alive. Don''t run around now. Come back with us in a few days."


    "Yes." The young man nodded with tears. Then he walked over to Darren. "Sir, thank you very much for saving my life," he said with sincerity.


    "Don''t mention it," Darren said indifferently.


    The disciples of Holy City turned around and looked at Darren. After some simple detection, they felt a little bit disdainful for the fact that Darren had reached such a low level.


    "You are just an ordinary junior holy warrior. How can you kill a treasure beast? The man beside you did it, right?" one of the disciples from Holy City said.


    "It doesn''t matter who did it. The important thing here is that this young man survived; don''t you think so?" Darren said dryly.


    "You want to know what I think? I think you''re too rude!" the disciple of Holy City said coldly.


    "Huh." Darren shot him a contemptuous glance as if he was an idiot. "You know exactly who is truly rude," he said.


    "Humph! You want to die?!" The disciple was furious and was about to make a move.


    "No! Just let him go!" Arvin Jiang pressed the angry disciple''s shoulder. "We still have to look for that guy. There''s no time to waste. Let them go."


    He gave Darren a cold look and said nothing more.


    "Hey, where on earth is that good-for-nothing brat named Darren? I''m afraid it''s impossible for us to find him in this area," someone sighed.

 Chapter 911 Finding Another Treasure Beast

    These disciples were sent by Holy City to search for Darren. What they didn''t realize was that Darren was standing right in front of them.


    "Arvin, what does that guy even look like? Let me see the portrait the elder sent us," one disciple said.


    "Don''t bother, we''re not going to find him anyway. A weak guy like him must''ve been dead since entering the Thundering Beast Land. Let''s just have our fun here and go back to the city after a few days," said Arvin.


    "You''re right, at least they''ll think we tried searching," replied the disciple.


    Darren realized the "weak guy" they were talking about was him.


    He wasn''t very happy with their opinions. You could hear their contempt in the way they spoke of him.


    ''I won''t tell them it''s me. Let''s see what else these guys have to say!'' Darren said to himself. Darren didn''t enjoy hearing the insults, but if he revealed his identity, they''d just bring him to Holy City and ask for a reward. He decided they didn''t deserve that.


    "Chaz, go ask them how to get back to the eighteen cities. We''ll look for the Holy City on our own," Darren said to Chaz through spiritual sense.


    "Got it!" said Chaz.


    When Chaz stepped forward, the disciples shivered in fear. They were already intimidated, even though Chaz hadn''t spoken a word yet.


    "Hey, which way to the eighteen cities?" Chaz''s tone was cold and arrogant.


    The disciples couldn''t blame Chaz for it. They could all agree that this was how a powerful man would act.


    "You don''t even know the way to the eighteen cities?" Arvin asked, staring at Chaz in confusion. The question seemed absurd.


    "Cut the crap. Just tell us how to get there!" Chaz said impatiently. It only added to his intimidating aura.


    Arvin started to get annoyed by this, but he let the feeling go. "Just use the transmission token. Don''t tell me you don''t even have one of those with you?" he said a bit cockily.


    Chaz glared at him for a bit and turned back to Darren''s side, wordlessly.


    "You heard him. Do we just kill them and take their tokens?" Chaz asked.


    Darren shook his head slightly and said, "No. They''re from Holy City and were just sent to find us. They might have a bad attitude, but that''s no reason to kill them. On the other hand, we have a reason to kill the ones from Blue Cloud City since they tried to kill me before. They might have some tokens on them, so we can just take the tokens from their corpses once we''re done with them."


    Chaz nodded. Darren was right. These disciples from Holy City didn''t deserve to die¡ªthey wer


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    Do you want to die? You''re letting your personal interests get the better of you. If you don''t put that greed aside, we''re leaving you here."


    In a life or death situation, even a team leader''s orders didn''t matter anymore.


    "How dare you! Fine, then. Inform the young master, so he can slay it right away!" Considering the dire situation, the team leader had to tweak his plans. If they couldn''t kill the beast, they had to make sure that someone else from their side would.


    "Inform the young master? If we get his help and slay the beast, he''ll just take the Runic Bone for himself. What''s the point of putting in all this effort when we get nothing in the end?"


    "You fool, this treasure beast only appears a few times in a hundred thousand years. Rather than let it run away, we should just give it to the young master. It is likely that he''ll get so excited from having received the treasure that he''ll give us all promotions. He''ll probably give us a handsome reward for it too. Don''t you think this sounds ten thousand times better than just letting it go?"


    "You''re right. Let''s inform the young master right now. Surely, he''ll make haste."


    The young man leading them drove a great point. The rest of the team immediately gave up on the idea of retreating. They thought excitedly about the reward waiting for them after the young master arrived to help. It was worth keeping up with the treasure beast''s strength.


    A gust of wind passed through them.


    Two figures suddenly appeared.


    Then, a strong sword intent rushed toward the colorful treasure beast.


    "Wow! What a powerful sword intent!"


    Everyone quickly stood back. No one dared to stay in the sword intent''s path.

 Chapter 912 The Indomitable Force

    The sword intent condensed into a solid, tangible sword in front of the colorful treasure beast. Darren wielded the sword with immense strength, forming perfect arches in the air.


    Fury flashed in the treasure beast''s eyes.


    With a shuddering cry, it sprang forward, the sword slapping against its massive claw.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The sonorous sound rang out in the air. The claws of the treasure beast were indeed hard enough to resist Darren''s sword intent.


    The exasperation of the treasure beast was welling up. Before long, a thousand rays of lightning shot out of the beast and shattered Darren''s sword intent.


    "This beast is really strong, Chaz," Darren said as he smiled sheepishly. "I will have to leave him to you." Then he leaped back. Although his sword intent was very powerful, it was not strong enough to kill a treasure beast that was as powerful as a top level, four-tribulation junior holy warrior.


    "No problem," Chaz said with a cheeky grin. At once, Chaz transformed into a phantom and rushed towards the treasure beast.


    As soon as Chaz left, those men who had retreated came forth and surrounded Darren.


    "You!" one of them shouted at Darren.


    Darren knew that they were the disciples of the Blue Cloud City.


    "What a coincidence to meet you here!" Darren said with impassive look on the face.


    "This treasure beast is ours! If you dare to rob it of us, we will kill you!" the young man in the lead threatened.


    He was in panic, for he would suffer a great loss if the treasure beast was snatched. Moreover, they had already informed the young master. It was only a matter of time before he arrived. Right now, they had to keep the Runic Bone to themselves before his arrival. If they failed, the young master would surely think that they were useless and would definitely punish them.


    "Who said that the treasure beast is yours? Can you even kill it by yourselves? You all retreated in cowardice! Just shut up and watch!" Darren said coldly with a scoff.


    All of those men were filled with murderous intent at Darren''s arrogant manner.


    Although they all saw that Darren''s sword intent was very strong, they did not feel it strong enough to make them give in. They reckoned that Darren''s strength was on par with that of a top level junior holy warrior of three tribulations.


    "So does that mean you do not want to live?" The foremost young man narrowed his eyes.


    "Let''s not talk nonsense with him. We''d better kill this bastard while that four-tribulation junior holy warrior is busy dealing the treasure beast," someone from the folk suggested.


    "That''s exactly what I was thinking of."


    Saying that, the young man gave orders to the others. Instantly, they arrayed themselves and beset Darren, getting ready to assail him.


    There were more than ten people there, and all had the prominent cultivation base. Darren perceived that their joint efforts could fight against the treasure beas


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    surged like a flood, and he became as strong as a new four-tribulation junior holy warrior. What was more, he was not the only one who had gained the natural force of the earth. The whole company was now powerful enough to compete against even a treasure beast.


    Darren also noticed the change in their cultivation base. His body turned red, getting ready for his next assault.


    Then a dark gold internal force rushed out of his mouth and dashed towards the group of men.


    "What! It is the power of the Conflicting Cultivation!"


    Everyone was surprised. It wasn''t until now that they realized that Darren was not as weak as they had thought. Not only did he have the genuine dragon''s body, but also the Conflicting Cultivation, which made him no weaker than those talents who had acquired their cultivation base by surviving tribulations.


    Nonetheless, they felt the power of the Conflicting Cultivation suppressible. They believed that Darren would not be able to launch the attack a second time as it would require a significant consumption of energy.


    However, all their perception proved ill. A blood-red light flashed and filled the air.


    The aura of the light was terrifying enough to send all the men on the ground shuddering with fear.


    There was a harsh rattle, and then a piercing scream.


    It was Darren. His dragon body had turned blood red and his strength had enhanced to its limit.


    "We must kill him! Our fate will be decided by this fight! Give him all you''ve got!"


    Despite the terror towards their enemy, they had no choice but to fight Darren with all their might.


    They had never expected that Darren would become their key danger.


    As far as they knew, the blood-red light Darren released was far stronger than any power of the Conflicting Cultivation they had ever seen.


    Mustering up all their strength, the men exerted themselves in the battle against Darren. The earth began to shake, and the space began to collapse.

 Chapter 913 Defeat

    Three thousand kilometers away from where Darren was.


    A group of people were flying mid-air. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion.


    The crowd used their spiritual sense to check, and they found that there were several extremely powerful auras where the sound had come from. Multicolored lights shone throughout the forest. One of them was a blood-red light, which emanated shocking strength.


    "Wow, Arvin! There seems to be an epic battle happening just over there. I wonder if it''s the aura of the treasure beast we''re sensing!"


    "I think it is! We must hurry!" Arvin''s eyes lit up. The treasure beast with this aura must be a really rare one.


    "But... It seems that someone else has beaten us to it. Their fighting capacity seems to be much stronger than ours..." one of the men said nervously.


    They felt the energies that Chaz gave off from fighting the treasure beast and that Darren was using to attack the Blue Cloud City''s people.


    "Don''t be afraid. Both parties are bound to get hurt, somehow. Let''s move quietly and wait until they succumb to their injuries," said Arvin.


    "Sounds like a plan!" Everyone nodded.


    Darren''s whole body glowed red and his strength was at its limit.


    He knew now that he must not underestimate his opponents. One wrong move could cost him his life.


    "Humph!"


    Darren snorted. Individually, these men were weak but because they attacked Darren together, they were overpowering him. There must be a way for him to break through their group.


    ''I guess I have to take out their weakest link, '' he decided.


    The cultivators were positioned in such a way that if one of them was attacked, the rest could come to his defense.


    Darren decided that he needed to move even faster in order to get to their weakest member.


    As soon as he made up his mind, Darren shrunk his dragon body down to the size of an arm.


    Whoosh!


    The disciples of the Blue Cloud City felt wind rise up but they could not see Darren.


    "He''s moving too fast!"


    "Protect each other! He is trying to break through our formation!"


    Blood Clan: Fusion Skill.


    A wisp of his soul burned as the avatars went back into his body.


    Darren''s aura surged to the limit again.


    In a flash, he broke through the siege and killed three more disciples.


    Then, he rushed towards the treasure beast. He used all of his power to launch an attack on the treasure beast.


    The earth cracked and the air smelled of smoke. The attack startled the beast and it began to charge at Darren instead.


    It had already been terribly injured in the fight with Chaz. Darren''s attack had weakened it even more.


    Different forces exploded on its body, and its flesh fell away. Its body fell on the ground heavily and left a crater that was ten times its size.


    Chaz caught his breath and with one last push, he threw his halberd at the beast. It hit the beast''s head with a satisfying thwack.


    "Grarl!"


    The treasure beast shuddered before going still. It was finally dead.


    Seeing this, the remaining disciples of the Blue Cloud City no longer had the courage to continue fighting.


    "Flee!"


    Even their leader did not dare stay any longer.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Just as they began to escape, they were greeted by several men who were just coming onto the battlefield. They were the disciples of the Holy City.


    Without a word, the disciples of the Holy City cut them where they stood, defeating them all.

 Chapter 914 You Are Darren

    Darren and Chaz tore through the treasure beast''s body until they found two bones in its abdomen. The bones were shining so brightly.


    "Wow! There are two Runic Bones! We can make a fortune out of these."


    Chaz hurriedly picked up the Runic Bones and scrutinized them closely.


    He handed them to Darren afterwards instead of keeping them to himself.


    "Why are you giving them to me?" Darren asked. He seemed hesitant to take the bones from Chaz.


    "I should be handing the good stuff to you," Chaz joked.


    "You don''t have to do that. Just keep them. They''re useless to me anyway."


    "Well, you can still have them, and if you want, just give me one of them."


    To be honest, Darren wasn''t expecting Chaz''s words. It seemed like the latter really deferred to him.


    "Don''t be like that. We''re friends so you can keep them if you want." Darren rolled his eyes at Chaz.


    "Very well then. We''ll split it up. You take one and I''ll take the other. It may be useless to you now, but you can probably have it traded with something else." Chaz then placed one of the Runic Bones into Darren''s hands, who accepted it without another word of refusal.


    After that, they made their way to where the disciples of the Blue Cloud City were.


    "Hey! Aren''t you the disciples of the Blue Cloud City? Why are you acting like dogs?"


    The disciples of the Holy City sneered disdainfully at the disciples of the Blue Cloud City. They had the latter under their mercy.


    Those from the Blue Cloud City paled even more upon seeing Darren.


    "Sir, please let me go. They only forced me to do it! I didn''t actually want to kill you."


    One of the Blue Cloud City disciples kowtowed incessantly to Darren. His timid figure was almost shaking in desperation and fear.


    The disciples of the Holy City frowned at Darren.


    "Did you beat them like this?" asked Arvin, the leader of the disciples of the Holy City.


    Darren simply ignored him, heading straight to the leader of the Blue Cloud City disciples.


    "How do you want to die?" Darren asked. He appeared calm and composed but his tone held malice.


    But the leader of the Blue Cloud City disciples was completely unfazed by Darren''s intimidating presence. He met his gaze head on. His own hatred reflected back to Darren.


    He spat at the ground in disdain.


    "Very well then. I''ll make your death quick since you didn''t beg for mercy." Initially, Darren planned on taking his time in torturing them before ending their lives. But he changed his mind as soon as he saw the man''s tough facade.


    "Hey! Why do you get to kill him? Are you forgetting that he''


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    with his own spear. He had just saved him from death.


    "Don''t even think that we aren''t serious about killing you," Chaz threatened. His face was as cold as ice as he stared at the two disciples from the Holy City.


    "Just let them go. It''s no use provoking them into a fight." Arvin held the disciple back with his spiritual sense.


    Almost reluctantly, the disciple sighed and gave in. He might not agree to what Arvin had said, but he didn''t dare defy him.


    Arvin then stepped forward. His attention was solely on Chaz. "Those transmission tokens will allow you to go to the Blue Cloud City. It can only be activated if you fill it with Spirit Power or spiritual sense. That''s all you need to know. You can leave now."


    Chaz snorted, not even bothering to say thank you to Arvin. He turned to Darren and motioned for them to leave. "Let''s go, Darren."


    Darren nodded and walked after him.


    "Wait!" This time, it was Arvin who tried to prevent them from leaving. Darren and Chaz turned around, frowning.


    Darren had decided that if Arvin would disrespect them again, he wouldn''t hold himself back any longer.


    Surprisingly, Arvin didn''t do such thing. Instead, he asked, "Are you Darren Chu?"


    Before Darren could even answer, Arvin took out a portrait of his likeness. He looked at it and then back at Darren.


    "So you are Darren!" He sounded surprised by this.


    They had orders to locate Darren''s whereabouts, but he hadn''t expected that their paths would cross several times. Ironically, he hadn''t recognized Darren each time they ran into each other until now.


    This explained why this guy was looking for a transmission token to the eighteen cities. He was only a junior holy warrior and he didn''t have one.

 Chapter 915 Young Master

    When the crowd recognized Darren, their faces darkened.


    "Darren Chu, you know we were looking for you. Why didn''t you tell us who you were? Did you have fun messing with us?"


    Darren sneered and said, "You always call me trash, a loser. Why would I tell you who I am?"


    "You just wanted to make fools out of us!" someone retorted angrily.


    "I didn''t. Now that you have completed your task, I''m leaving."


    "Stop! Someone, hold him back. We have to teach him a lesson!" someone shouted.


    Boom!


    The withered forest shook and was covered with a strange aura.


    Out of the shadows came a figure.


    "It''s the young master!"


    The disciples of the Blue Cloud City, thinking they were saved, were overjoyed to see him.


    "Young master, we are here. We need you!" they cried out.


    "Ha! It is time for you to die," the leader of the disciples of the Blue Cloud City said, a smug grin on his face.


    He believed that the young master could defeat a four-tribulation junior holy warrior, considering now that that warrior was injured. As for Darren, the young master could defeat him with his eyes closed.


    "Kneel down and accept your demise!" the leader shouted, no longer afraid.


    "Damn it! It''s the young master of the Blue Cloud City, Myron Mu." The disciples of the Holy City glared, staring at the figure''s approaching form.


    Both Darren and Chaz stayed silent.


    The young leader walked straight up to Darren. "You little bastard! You should have killed me when you had the chance but you were too stupid to do so! Now, you will die! Ha!"


    Darren narrowed his eyes. "Do you think I will spare you just because your young master is here?"


    As he spoke, his body glowed crimson red. His sword and blade flew out.


    "Ah!" Frightened, the young leader let out a cry and tried to run away. However, he couldn''t escape from Darren''s combined power of the swo


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    and Chaz!


    "Well, do we fight?"


    Darren spoke first.


    "Ha! You''re a very interesting creature!" Myron laughed and continued, "I see you''re not as weak as I thought. Here''s a proposition: serve me and I will spare your life."


    "Do you think you can turn me into a servant?" Darren snapped.


    "Bastard!" Myron''s face darkened. "Your arrogance will be the death of you. One more instance of your rudeness and your head will roll."


    Darren began to feel pressured.


    "You''ll have to survive my attacks first."


    Darren gave a roar of rage and launched into battle. He was done arguing.


    Countless sword intents condensed into swords and surrounded Myron.


    Myron was an expert swordsman. He wielded his sword, sending a bolt of lightning to the sword intents.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Their forces clashed and threw the disciples of the Holy City into the air.


    "Fuck!"


    Myron suddenly cursed.


    "You little bastard, you actually have a sword intent that transcends the limit!"


    Myron''s own sword intent was the dark lighting sword intent, which was second only to the killing sword intent.


    He was taken by surprise at how powerful Darren''s sword intent was.


    He became green with envy, and this fueled his rage towards Darren.

 Chapter 916 Laura Ji

    Once again, the disciples of the Holy City were left flabbergasted by the scene.


    Darren''s talent had exceeded their expectations yet again. They couldn''t help but be amazed by it.


    It was rare to see someone possess both powerful blood red power and a sword intent which had surpassed its limit.


    It was then they realized that Darren must have been cultivating both blade and sword skills at the same time.


    If it wasn''t for the pain they were currently suffering after that violent blow, they would have thought they were only imagining Darren''s capabilities. After all, how could such a genius exist?


    "Boy, your sword intent may be admirable but you''re rubbish when it comes to being a junior holy warrior. It''s so sad to see such powerful sword intent go to waste. Now, you shall go to hell!"


    Indeed, his sword intents were strong but the level of his cultivation base was low. This hindered him from fully utilizing his skill.


    If only Darren was a top senior holy warrior or a four-tribulation junior holy warrior, he could have killed Myron in an instant with just his sword intents. But since he wasn''t, defeating Myron would be difficult.


    "Hey! Are you forgetting about me?"


    This time, it was Chaz speaking. It seemed like his injuries had started to heal.


    Myron only looked at him and snorted. It was obvious that he wasn''t taking Chaz seriously. "Humph! Your cultivation level is a little lower than mine. I could easily crush you without exerting that much effort."


    "Very well then. Show us what you got!"


    With his halberd in hand, Chaz rushed towards Myron.


    A splendid bright light shot up into the sky while a sonorous sound played at the background.


    The halberd collided with Myron''s dark lightning sword intent. Sparks burst out from their point of contact. The earth shook each time their weapons clashed as if the very ground shifted with each blow.


    Darren had to grab hold on something to avoid getting knocked off by the aftershock. He had to step away from the fierce battle brewing between Chaz and Myron.


    As the battle raged on, Darren began to notice something. He shook his head lightly.


    "It seems like Chaz is outmatched in this one."


    Indeed, Chaz was not fighting at his peak form since his body was still recovering from his previous injuries. Moreover, Myron was more powerful than him.


    This spurred Darren to join in the battle.


    He flew over to Chaz, prepared to add his weight into the fight.


    Suddenly, the sky exploded in blood red light.


    The entire ground was then covered by the blade and sword i


    re both feeling the yawning gap between their skills and their opponent''s. They couldn''t find a chink in Myron''s strength, and now, it was too late for them to retreat.


    ''I don''t think I can defeat him even if I transform into a dragon, '' Darren thought to himself.


    Suddenly, a loud crack snapped him out of his reverie.


    Streaks of dark lightning sword intents descended from the sky. They were like black falling stars that formed a whirlpool in the void. Each time another one fell, Myron''s power intensified.


    "Darren, his sword seems to be accumulating more power. I don''t think we''ll be able to survive his next attack if that''s the case."


    There was an electrifying charge in the air as more violent dark lightning struck the ground. Chaz couldn''t help but panic.


    "We have no choice. We have to face whatever comes," Darren said.


    "Well, the worst thing that can happen is we die together. On the other hand, let''s kill him!" With that, Chaz gathered up all his power until he reached his limits. His halberd was divided into ten thousand more. All of them charged towards Myron.


    Meanwhile, Darren summoned his Bloody Shura Force and pounced at Myron.


    "Tsk, Tsk. You guys must be out of your minds."


    Myron didn''t seem fazed by the incoming attack. He smiled instead, as if mocking their crazy plan.


    "Dark Lightning Sword!"


    There was a deafening clatter.


    Thunder and lightning started to rain heavily down from the sky. All of them gathering together to condense into a huge sword. The point of its blade was aimed at Darren and Chaz.


    "Why is Myron being so unreasonable? I won''t let him kill the handsome guy. He''s mine."


    Slowly, a wide, charming smile graced Laura Ji''s lips.

 Chapter 917 Retreat

    Darren and Chaz were under immense pressure during the fight. They were using much of their power.


    Suddenly, a figure descended into the center of the battlefield.


    "Humph, I sensed your presence a long time ago. Are you going to help them?" Myron stared at the figure, his eyes shining. It seemed that there was thunder in his eyes as well.


    "Ha! Myron, now that I''m here, why don''t you give me the honor of getting what I want? I want him. Why don''t you leave him to me?" Laura said with a sweet smile.


    But while speaking, Laura had flicked her wrists. A soft pink aura appeared on her white hands.


    Then, thousands of petals fell from the sky and gave off a sweet fragrance, intoxicating those who were able to smell it.


    "You!"


    Myron looked absolutely murderous.


    "What? Oh, don''t be angry."


    Laura giggled, floating gently towards Myron. She reached out her hand and tapped his forehead with her finger


    Myron''s face darkened. His eyes widened and he scrambled backwards, as if he were facing a dangerous foe.


    "Laura, are you really going to fight me to death for that bastard? Why?"


    Laura had implanted the image of her killing him for the man that she wanted.


    "Of course not. I''m so nice to you." Laura chuckled, covering her hand with her mouth. She might have looked frail, but Laura was an extremely formidable enemy.


    Myron''s chest heaved sharply. The clouds of thunder and lightning suddenly disappeared and the sky became clear.


    "Okay, fine. I will not fight with you.


    But don''t think I''m afraid of you. If you provoke me again, I will kill you even though you''re a woman!"


    After saying that, he landed on the ground and turned around, leaving with the disciples of the Blue Cloud City.


    Darren was surprised.


    Laura turned to Darren and stared at him.


    "Thank you so much, Miss..." Darren said, trying to calm himself.


    "Are you Darren?"


    Laura asked, smiling. A slight blush had crept up onto her face.


    Normally


    of the Holy City also saluted to Darren.


    "It doesn''t matter. It''s just a small misunderstanding," Darren smiled.


    "Let''s go, handsome men!" Laura beckoned.


    "Where are we going, Laura?"


    "It doesn''t matter as long as we leave here. Do you think Myron will not come back? He was humiliated. If he sees us still here, he will surely bring someone powerful and not hesitate to kill us!" Laura seldom looked that serious. Her face darkened.


    "Laura is right!" Everyone nodded in agreement.


    "I''ll go back to the city with you. I think it''s time for me to report my arrival. I came here by mistake because there was something wrong with the passageway."


    Darren was feeling better and decided to go to the Holy City first.


    "Don''t rush, Darren," said Laura.


    "Is there anything else?" Darren replied.


    "Of course there is. Do you think I came here just to save you? I didn''t even know who you were before today."


    Hearing Laura''s words, Arvin asked, "Has the elder sent you here on a mission? We can help you if you need some assistance!"


    "My, Arvin. You are such a sweet boy!" Laura sighed.


    Laura''s voice made everyone except Darren and Chaz melt with pleasure.


    Some of the other disciples had already been fascinated by this strange, beautiful woman but were determined not to show it.

 Chapter 918 The Holy Emperors Tomb

    "Laura, what exactly is your mission? Why did the elders send you here?" Arvin asked.


    "They want me to find the tomb of the ancient emperor," Laura replied.


    Shock rippled among the rest of them when they heard the ancient tomb. Even Darren felt his heart jolt at Laura''s answer, but he disguised his surprise with his calmness.


    Curious, Laura stared at his placid face. "Huh. You don''t seem interested by this."


    "I am interested, but I''ve already seen a powerful holy emperor and the soul of an ancient emperor. I''m afraid nothing can surprise me now," Darren said with a smile.


    His words made him sound arrogant in everyone else''s ears.


    "Stop bragging, Darren."


    Unfortunately, nobody believed him.


    "Darren''s not making it up. He really did meet a holy emperor''s soul." Chaz immediately came to his defense.


    Someone laughed. "I don''t believe it."


    "I believe in him." It was Laura, and she was staring at Darren with her bright eyes. "But Darren, I don''t think you understand the value of the tomb. It was said that it belongs to a genuine emperor of three conflicting martial art skills. Does that not interest you?"


    "Wow!" A spark of interest finally flickered in Darren''s eyes, disturbing his calm exterior. Back in the ancient times, although there was no thunder punishment for cultivators practicing Conflicting Cultivation, it was still a dangerous and difficult path to take. To reach the Emperor Realm via the Conflicting Cultivation was extremely difficult.


    Darren could remember clearly what the Shadow Emperor had told him back in the Ancient Void Battlefield. He said that he was defeated by a grand warrior with four conflicting martial art skills. If a grand warrior with four conflicting martial art skills could easily kill a holy emperor, one could barely imagine just how powerful this ancient emperor could be!


    Besides, Darren was always curious about Conflicting Cultivation. He had already practiced the sword and blade conflicting skills, and he was eager to know more about the Conflicting Cultivation.


    ''If only I was successful with the Rule and Martial Arts Cultivation, I would have been practicing two conflicting martial arts skills. Unfortunately, I had to give up and divide my soul in two as I couldn''t bear the thunder punishment.'' Darren pondered on this for a moment.


    Strictly speaking, the Blade and Sword Cultivation was the only Conflicting Cultivation for him. As for the Fire and Water Cultivation, since the powers of flame and ice in his body hadn''t merged, it couldn''


    d heard of this policy before he came to this land, so he understood where Laura was coming from.


    "So it''s normal to kill others to survive in the eighteen cities."


    Once again, Darren found himself consumed by his own thoughts.


    "But you don''t have to be afraid, Darren. Our policy isn''t as cruel as it sounds. All half-step emperors are forbidden from attacking anyone from the younger generation who is under five thousand years old.


    And anyway, we''re friends now. As long as you behave, I''ll be here to protect you."


    Darren rolled his eyes.


    "Thanks for your support," he said, dryly.


    "There''s no need for formalities. This is simply an exchange of favors, so that the next time I need your help, you''ll have no choice but to come." Laura laughed.


    "Of course I''ll come for you." Darren returned her smile.


    "Ah. I think my shoulders and legs are sore now after all that flying. Let''s stop and rest for a while. Darren, can you please massage my legs for me?" A charming smirk slid unto Laura''s beautiful face. She batted her long eyelashes at Darren.


    Upon hearing her request, two disciples fell down on their knees. They wanted to volunteer to take Darren''s place for the job.


    At the back of their mind, the voice of reason kept telling them that they were playing with fire by doing so.


    As soon as Darren and the others landed, Laura dramatically lounged against a rock. Her lean body stretched out on the ground with a flourish. Delicately, she lifted her skirt and motioned Darren to come to her. "Come on, Darren. You promised to help me when I need you. If you can''t do this little favor, how can I know that I can rely on you the next time I call for you?"

 Chapter 919 No Touching

    Laura''s blatant flirtation wasn''t left unnoticed by the others. Soon, jealousy arose among them.


    "How can I say no?" Darren smiled, seemingly happy to oblige with her request.


    Laura was still batting her eyelashes at him. Her expression was open and tempting, but something cold and aloof lay behind that mask. In her heart, she thought that Darren was a playboy.


    ''Huh. He sure is bold. How dare he lay his hand on me? I''ll break his arm when he does, '' she thought to herself.


    But Darren had still stayed back even when he already agreed to Laura''s request.


    "What are you waiting for, Darren?" Laura cocked her head to one side, staring at him expectantly.


    "Nothing." Darren nodded his head and then released a stream of his sword and blade intents.


    The stream of sword and blade intents reached for her, almost diffidently. Surprisingly, its touch was as soft as a lover''s caress. It rolled down to her thighs in a rhythmic manner¡ªalmost like a lullaby. The force behind it was moderate and comfortable.


    "Laura, are your legs still sore?" Darren asked. His eyes couldn''t seem to quite meet Laura''s.


    Laura needed to take some time to recover from her initial shock. The massage turned out to be really relaxing and enjoyable.


    To be honest, she couldn''t seem to figure Darren out now. His actions were truly unpredictable.


    ''When he first saw me, he seemed infatuated with me, but now, he doesn''t seem to have any feelings for me. How odd!'' Laura pondered on this in her heart. Finally, she voiced out, "Hey, what''s wrong with you? Do you not like me anymore? Why didn''t you use your hands?"


    Darren chuckled lightly. He then looked up and met her eyes. "I respect you," he said, calmly. "I didn''t want to offend you with my touch."


    Laura was struck speechless at this. Her heart seemingly stuttered for a bit, and she couldn''t help but be curious of this man before her. For some reason, she felt frustrated by him.


    The moment was broken when a figure flashed by Laura''s side.


    "Haha. I can do it if you want."


    He laid his broad hand on her thigh and pinched her hard.


    "Wow, it smells good!"


    In a bold move, the man proceeded to sniff the hand that had touched her creamy pale skin. The sound of air filling his lungs was disgusting.


    "How dare you!"


    "Hey


    round and around. The speed of it was so fast that he didn''t know which way was up or down anymore.


    "Bitch! Leave me alone or I''ll kill you!"


    Gregory Mu shouted in horror.


    "I''d like to see you try, you bastard!" Laura''s voice was sharp and clear amid the chaos, but no one knew where she was.


    "Falling Flower Attack!"


    In an instant, the petals began to fall down in torrents.


    It was like a pink waterfall pouring into the vortex.


    Gregory Mu''s face twisted in agony and he continued to howl in pain. Almost nobody could recognize him anymore amid the onslaught.


    His sound waves spread throughout the entire area.


    It shattered everything in its wake like a hurricane that had swooped down upon the land.


    "Damn it! The sound wave is too strong!" Darren frowned.


    Everyone could feel that dreadful pressure exerted by the sound waves. It forced them to retreat lest they were swept up by it. They knew that if they got hit, they could instantly die.


    "Ah!"


    It was Laura''s cry.


    There was a mad glint in Gregory Mu''s eyes as he continued to emit more sound waves.


    Even though his own powers were also tearing him apart, he still carried on with his frenzied attacks. Cracks began to appear on his face, revealing the gleaming white bones beneath his skin.


    "You''re going to hell with me, you bitch!" he roared.


    For a moment, Darren''s own hesitation held him back. But he soon couldn''t stand to watch idly by so he let out a dragon roar. In an instant, his dragon''s body hurled towards Gregory Mu.

 Chapter 920 The Dragon Ancestors Help

    Suffering the tremendous impact, Darren felt great pain all over his body. His dragon scales started to fall off.


    The sound wave attack was so powerful that Darren couldn''t resist it even after transforming into a dragon.


    "Grargh!"


    However, Darren did not retreat. His body glowed with blood-red light and he rushed forward with more ferocity.


    When Darren got close, he saw Laura''s pale face contorted with pain as she tried to fend off the sound wave attack.


    "Darren, don''t come any closer! You''ll die!" Seeing Darren transform, Laura knew that Darren would burst under the attack of sound waves. She didn''t want to get him involved.


    But Darren turned a deaf ear to what Laura said.


    The closer he got to Laura, the more pressure he could feel. He felt his body breaking slowly, piece by piece.


    "Get out of here, Darren! I''m going to die. Why are you here? Get back!" Laura shouted, her voice full of pain.


    Boom!


    Darren could no longer move forward. He used all his might to direct his Shura Force into the pink vortex. If Gregory died, the sound wave attack would disappear.


    Seeing the violent blood-red light rushing towards him, Gregory turned pale. He didn''t expect that kind of power to come from that ordinary boy.


    Bang!


    The Shura Force crashed into Gregory and shattered his body into pieces. He let out a wail and collapsed into a pile of dust.


    However, even though Gregory was gone, the sound wave attack did not dissipate at all! With his last cry, Gregory had even added to the power of the sound waves.


    His sound was so fierce that it tore into the atmosphere and washed over Darren.


    Darren was so close to death.


    "Idiot, how can a weak dragon like you withstand such a powerful attack? How can you be so stupid?"


    Darren felt his heart tug and heard a voice cry out to him.


    He was losing consciousness quickly and could feel himself bursting. He did not want his last memory to be of the dragon ancestor scolding him.


    Laura was moved to tears


    at Darren''s show of power. Never had they encountered such great power before, and they felt incredibly lucky to have seen it just now.


    "You are flattering me," Darren chuckled, shaking his head.


    "Darren, we truly admire you. That was one of the greatest things we have ever seen," Arvin said.


    "It wasn''t me. I had help from someone very special. Without him, both Laura and I would be dead by now."


    "What? Is it really true?" Everyone looked at Darren in confusion.


    "Yes. It is." Darren tried to get up but winced at the effort.


    "Darren, you risked your life to save mine. I am extremely grateful. How can I ever repay you?"


    Without anyone noticing, Laura had already fixed herself up. She was wearing a beautiful, pink dress and her long, black hair flowed in soft curls. Color had returned to her cheeks and she walked with the grace and poise of a queen.


    She was even more charming than she was when they first met.


    "You don''t have to repay me. It was the right thing to do." Darren smiled.


    "Don''t tell me you''re in love with me. That''s why you saved me, didn''t you?" Laura laughed musically.


    "Of course... not. I swear that I overestimated my own strength. If I had known that I would have been in that much danger, I would have run away," Darren joked.


    "You!" Laura stomped her feet, irritated.

 Chapter 921 The Dragon Ancestors Astonishment

    After staying there for a while, everyone flew away.


    The battle had just ended and Darren had shown his amazing strength. The battle was going to attract some strong cultivators and fierce beasts. Hence, the best choice was to leave first.


    "Darren, tell me the truth. Why did you risk your life to save me just now?" Laura, who had been flying alongside Darren, moved closer to him.


    "Laura, what do you want to know?" Darren smiled.


    "That''s what I want to know. So, why?"


    "Well... It''s always been my thing, you know? Even if we don''t know each other well, you''re my friend. It has always been my instinct to protect my friends and loved ones," Darren explained.


    Laura pondered for a while. "Instinct? You protecting me was instinctive? Well, now I''m a little sad... I thought..."


    Laura trailed off.


    She was waiting for Darren to ask her to continue but Darren was too focused on flying.


    "Humph!" Laura huffed when she couldn''t get Darren to follow along. She hung back a little and stayed silent.


    A few hours later


    The group had reached a stone forest. At this time, Laura asked everyone to go down.


    "Let''s just walk through this forest," Laura said.


    "But why?" asked Arvin.


    "Some strange natural Illusion Array is at work in this forest. If we fly, we may get lost and never find our way around."


    "Is it really so magical?" Darren asked curiously.


    "Why don''t you try, Darren? But, be warned! If you get lost, I won''t be able to find you," Laura said with a smile.


    "Ah! Forget it. Laura, how far are we from the holy emperor''s tomb?" Darren asked.


    "It''s just through this stone forest,"


    Laura replied. Suddenly, she felt a contact bead on her move.


    Laura frowned after hearing the message.


    "What''s wrong? Is it from the elders?" asked Arvin.


    "Yes." Laura nodded. "The elders say that something unusual has happened in the holy emperor''s tomb."


    "What''s wrong? Did the elders ask us to turn back


    ren said.


    "How can I disturb you? Don''t worry, I''m not letting my soul power in. You''d better lock in your senses and enter the void state. I just need a few seconds."


    Darren just shook his head and did what the dragon ancestor said.


    Darren''s soul felt a sharp sting. Then, he felt something powerful entered his soul.


    "Ha! Boy, you are too naive. You are so foolish that you even allowed me to pour power into your soul. In a moment, you will no longer exist. You will be devoured by me!"


    the dragon ancestor roared.


    "What!" Darren shouted.


    "I was just kidding. Don''t panic. Heh," the dragon ancestor said, chuckling.


    "Fuck!" Darren said, "Why would you joke like that? You scared me! I could have killed you!"


    "Nonsense! Now that my dragon blood aura is in your soul. You can''t assimilate me at all. How can you kill me?" said the dragon ancestor disdainfully.


    "Look carefully at what is in my soul. As long as I activate some kind of power, you will be assimilated by it. Go on."


    When the dragon ancestor heard this, he went into the depths of Darren''s soul and was completely stunned.


    "What... What is that? A dodecahedral Fake God Character? Oh. It''s not fully developed yet... Oh my god!"


    Darren''s mind rang out with the dragon ancestor''s cries of astonishment.

 Chapter 922 The Golden Crow

    Darren had expected the dragon ancestor''s astonishment.


    "What a surprise!" exclaimed the dragon ancestor.


    "I suppose it is." Darren put on a smug smile.


    The dragon ancestor continued to explore the crystal embedded in Darren''s soul in an attempt to figure out what it was. All of a sudden, he let out a painful cry. He was almost annihilated by a strange force.


    "That''s so strange!" The dragon ancestor hurriedly withdrew his spiritual sense and dared not explore the crystal again. "You''ll be an overlord in the future!" he said with a chuckle. "I have lived for so many years, and it''s the first time I''ve encountered such a strong Fake God Character.


    But your strength seems to be too weak. I think you should be at least a top level half-step emperor with the Fake God Character."


    "Well, I don''t know anything about that. Anyway, I don''t even know how to use it," Darren casually said.


    After a moment''s silence, the dragon ancestor clicked his tongue. "Alas, it''s such a waste! You actually can''t completely make use of such a powerful Fake God Character."


    "What about you? Do you know how to use it? Teach me," Darren said.


    "How could I possibly know? You got this! Why do you ask me how to use it? You are really a weirdo.


    Forget it. I don''t want to nag you anymore. No matter what, you''d better practice your swordsmanship first. I will keep an eye on you all the time."


    "Yes, yes, got it..." Darren mumbled under his breath, withdrawing his spiritual sense.


    "Darren, what are you thinking? You have been in a trance for almost an hour,"


    Laura said, breaking the silence.


    "Nothing," Darren said calmly.


    "Don''t try to hide your thoughts from me. Were you thinking of me?" Laura''s eyes were filled with an indefinite charm.


    "Don''t tease me. You''re with me right now. There''s no need to think about you," Darren answered as he rolled his eyes.


    "Humph!" She was starting to get more and more confused with Darren''s attitude. ''The first time we met, he was drawn to me. It''s like he''s never been attracted to me since then, '' she thought to herself.


    It was the first time that Laura had been in this kind of situation. She began to suspect that perhaps her charm was not enough to lure this man, which made her


    will guide you."


    "Okay!" Darren nodded. Then he rushed away and disappeared in the stone forest under the guidance of the dragon ancestor.


    "Tweet! Tweet!"


    After a short while, a painful cry from the bird came out. Then, it was silent once more.


    At a location three kilometers away from Laura and the others, Darren picked up a golden-red crow.


    "It''s nothing special," Darren said.


    "Nonsense! First collect its blood and crush its head to see if there is any special fragment in it."


    "Okay."


    Darren collected the blood and indeed found a golden fragment of the size of a finger in the head of the golden crow.


    "What''s this?" Darren asked curiously.


    "I don''t know. Perhaps it''s the key to enter the holy emperor''s tomb. You should keep it safe first."


    "Okay."


    After Darren put away the fragment and the blood, he quickly ran back to Laura and the others.


    "Darren, have you got it? What is it?" Laura asked promptly.


    When Darren was about to explain the situation, the dragon ancestor interjected in a serious tone, "Don''t you dare tell her, lad. Don''t tell anyone."


    "Well..." Darren answered. Then he said, "I don''t know what it was. Anyway, it disappeared without a trace. Don''t worry, it''s gone now. Let''s go."


    All of a sudden, a voice called out, "Stop! Hand over the golden crow or this will be the end for all of you!"


    Powerful figures flew over one after another, surrounding Darren and the others. There was even a five-tribulation junior holy warrior!

 Chapter 923 Body Search

    The people who surrounded them were divided into four groups. Each group exuded a different aura. It was easy to feel that they were all very strong.


    "Hello, Miss Ji. Nice to meet you," one of them greeted.


    "It''s my pleasure to meet you as well. You must be Mr. Xue from the Deer City. I didn''t know that you were so handsome," Laura replied, smiling charmingly at him.


    Hearing Laura''s sweet voice, the young man let out a hearty laugh. "I''m flattered, Miss Ji."


    "Let''s get down to business already," a brawny man shouted from the other side with a grim face.


    "Hand over the golden crow."


    "Are you Hudson Niu from the Beacon City? Why are you asking us for something we do not have? I haven''t seen any golden crow," Laura said.


    "Come on. It''s useless to act all innocent with me. Just now, after we injured the golden crow, we lost its trace here. Where could it have gone?" the brawny man named Hudson Niu said coldly.


    Hearing that, Laura got a little angry and cursed him deep inside.


    "Mr. Niu, you wronged me! I don''t even know what the golden crow is! Besides, I have no use for it."


    Pausing, Laura took a deep breath to calm herself down so that she wouldn''t end up offending them. "I would just like to say that we did see a shadow fly over and break one of my people''s leg just a while earlier. If you want to chase it, go that way," Laura continued to explain.


    After thinking for a while, Hudson Niu looked thoughtfully at Laura, and decided that she was telling the truth.


    But the other two groups had different opinions.


    "We can''t be sure whether you''ve stolen our golden crow or not. The best way is to let us do a body search," said a thin, sinister man.


    "I have badly injured the golden crow. If we need to search, our Moonlight City should do the search. Your Ghost City has no right to do that." The last man who spoke released the killing intent directly.


    "Hum, you sound so arrogant. It seems that you want a fight. Right?" The thin man was not convinced.


    "That''s exactly what I''m thinking!"


    "Wait!" Mr. Xue, the young man from the Deer City, stopped them. "There is more than one golden crow. Why should we fight for that? That one just now was injured by ou


    .


    The others were just as angry as Darren. How could they allow anyone to do body search on them? But they dared not to say anything. After all, those people from the four cities were too powerful. If they resisted the slightest bit, they would surely die.


    "If I say the golden crow''s fragment is with your mother, will you also publicly strip her down and search her body?" Darren sneered coldly.


    "What? What did you say?" Hudson Niu was stunned. He didn''t expect that Darren would snap back at them like that.


    "Will you humiliate your mother as well? Did you hear me now?" Darren repeated.


    "Fuck you, asshole!" The man seethed with rage.


    At this moment, Laura acted swiftly and began her attack.


    "You''ll have to smash me into pieces before I even let you search me!"


    The flower rain descended from the sky and the air was filled with fragrance.


    "Humph! You''re too weak to trap me!" Mr. Xue from the Deer City waved his hand. A white light fell down and a frost condensed in the air, which froze Laura''s petals instantaneously.


    "As I said, we need to undress you in public. Do you want to do it yourself or do you want me to do it by force?" The leading young man of the Moonlight City sneered.


    "Fuck off!" Laura turned into a pink light and rushed at the young man from the Moonlight City.


    On the other side, Hudson Niu from the Beacon City also took action against Darren. In his palm, a million shadow spears were surging right in his direction.

 Chapter 924 A Rescue

    Darren was already getting desperate. Any time now, he would be forced to use his Bloody Shura Force.


    "Have you already forgotten your promise?" the dragon ancestor asked.


    "Shit! At the crucial moment of life and death, if I only use sword skills, I will die!" Darren replied hastily.


    A million shadow spears surrounded Darren. They all came out from Hudson''s palm.


    Fissures erupted on the ground while smoke rose ominously from it. From Hudson''s palm alone, the strength of a five-tribulation junior holy warrior had been emitted.


    Generally, a top-level, four-tribulation junior holy warrior would be able to stand a chance against a common senior holy warrior. But Hudson was stronger. Barnes was a perfect example of how powerful five-tribulation junior holy warriors were. Back then, he could have been considered a match to the Misty Emperor.


    If Darren''s cultivation level couldn''t even reach Chandler''s or Luther''s, how could he possible defeat Hudson? His only chance of escape was if he used his Bloody Shura Force. His swordsmanship wouldn''t be enough to save his life.


    But the dragon ancestor had distracted him enough to eliminate all chances of escape. All his strength might not help him get away now.


    The shadows of the spear rained down like an overwhelming torrent that threatened to crush Darren.


    "I''m doomed." Darren felt his heart sink as dread settled at the pit of his stomach.


    The shadow spears impaled themselves on the ground.


    Dust and smoke billowed from where they were stuck onto. Immediately, the stone forest around them cracked to pieces.


    Darren now stood before a ruin. As for the other disciples of the Holy City, they might have the golden crow''s fragments with them. Hence, the people from the other cities protected them from the scattered energy of the battle. Otherwise, they would have been crushed to ashes.


    "Darren!" Chaz shouted. He had watched Darren get hit by the strong attack. The force of it should be enough to kill even him in normal circumstances. He could just imagine how it would affect Darren.


    His anger fueled him to raise his halberd and rush towards the brawny man.


    "Humph! You''re just a four-tribulation junior holy warrior. I can cut you to pieces."


    Hudson merely snorted and unleashed his spear shadows at Chaz. They enveloped Chaz completely.


    Chaz struck his halberd with all his might. Thunderbolts burst out of its blades as it clashed with the spear shadows.


    Each time the blades crossed, it produced loud explosions.


    Beams of light scat


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    her!" the man from the Moonlight City roared.


    "Take your time then. We will go," the thin man said. He looked down on the man from the Moonlight City. He found it laughable that this man was so obsessed with a woman when they should be focusing their energy on finding the golden crow.


    The people from the Ghost City began their search among the remaining disciples of the Holy City, but they saw no traces of the golden crow''s fragment.


    Hudson searched the other half, but he also didn''t find it. In the end, Hudson was so frustrated that he killed a disciple of the Holy City. The rest, they took as prisoners.


    On other hand, the two young men were too stuck in their own thoughts of Laura and the salacious things they would do to her body. Both of them were determined to hunt her down.


    Meanwhile, in a grotto three thousand kilometers away from the stone forest...


    "Darren, you saved me."


    Thoughts of suicide had filled Laura''s head back when she thought there was no hope for her escape. At that time, she was so desperate and miserable that she didn''t even notice the warm hand that held her. It was only when she noticed the scenery pass her by like a blur did she realize that she was traveling in an amazing speed. It felt as if time and space were in disarray.


    By the time it stopped, she found herself nestled in Darren''s arms. A feeling of warmth engulfed her, making her heart throb with life.


    "Darren, what''s going on? How are you moving so fast?" Chaz asked in surprise.


    Darren didn''t answer any of their questions at first. He simply took a robe out from his Space Ring and handed it to Laura. "Laura, can you please change into it for the time being?"

 Chapter 925 Looking For The Golden Crows

    "Thank you, Darren."


    Laura took the robe and hurried to put it on.


    Darren''s action made her feel warm... and a little disappointed.


    ''He may really not be interested in me at all...'' Laura thought to herself.


    "Do you want to know why I am so fast?" Darren smiled.


    "Of course I want to know. If you were any slower, we would have died!" Chaz said.


    "Yes, Darren. If it were not for you, I would have been¡­ Um..." Laura trailed off, her eyes glimmering with tears. She waited to see Darren''s expression change but got nothing.


    "It was my fault anyways. I took the golden crow''s fragment," Darren said as-a-matter-of-factly.


    "You were able to take it?" Laura was surprised. She turned to Darren and said, "It''s not your fault. Those bastards would have done it regardless of whether you took it or not. And they want me. You know what they will do to me."


    "Ahem." Darren coughed awkwardly. "It''s a good thing no harm has come to you. As for my speed, actually a master had told me to fuse the golden crow''s fragment. Doing so made me much quicker and helped me get you away."


    "Is the golden crow''s fragment so powerful? Your speed rivals that of a half-step emperor!" Chaz exclaimed in surprise.


    "Well, I won''t always be able to reach that level of speed. I have to use a secret skill that the master taught me," Darren said.


    "Darren, who is the warrior you are talking about? Maybe we can meet him." Laura was very curious with the master''s identity.


    "That would be really inconvenient."


    "Humph. You''re so mean. Forget it! Unless... Oh, I get it. You are afraid that the warrior is too handsome. You''re afraid that l might fall in love with him. Isn''t that right?" Laura smiled.


    Darren shook his head. "Not even close. You know, Laura, you''re good at flir


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    g time. I am going to take a nap for now. I will wake again when I need to."


    "Got it."


    According to what the dragon ancestor said, Darren made a detour to the west with the rest.


    "Darren, I''ve heard that the west side of the emperor''s tomb is very dangerous. Why are you going to the west? The entrance to the tomb is in the east." Laura tried to persuade Darren but he wouldn''t listen to her.


    "We need the golden crows."


    "Well, all right. But if we are in danger, you will need to protect me!" Laura said, pretending to be weak.


    Darren let out a small smile. "Laura, you are stronger than me. You don''t need my protection."


    "That''s not true. You have already saved me several times. I need a man like you."


    "Are you done now? Please. Stop talking." Chaz couldn''t take Laura''s flirting. He shot her a withering look.


    Laura glared at him but said nothing.


    The area in front of them was shrouded with a dark purple mist. The air smelled of rot and it was very cold.


    "Caw, caw, caw! Caw, caw, caw!"


    Suddenly, shrill cries rang out around them.


    "Oh my God! Are they all golden crows?" Darren was stunned. There had to be at least a hundred of them in the mist.

 Chapter 926 Anthony Arrived

    Hearing the crows'' cries made Darren both happy and worried.


    The greater the number of the golden crows, the more fragments he would get. But the strength of a golden crow was comparable to that of the half-step emperor. If there were more than a hundred of the golden crows, how horrible it would be!


    "Darren, why do we even need the golden crows? Can you speed up further if you get more?" Laura asked curiously.


    "No, it''s not about that. I heard that the golden crows'' fragments can help us enter the holy emperor''s tomb to obtain the inheritance," Darren stated.


    "What? Really?"


    Chaz exclaimed in surprise. Even Laura was taken aback. The tomb had been discovered for many years. There were numerous strong warriors who wanted to enter the tomb, but none of them succeeded.


    But now Darren told her that they could enter the holy emperor''s tomb with the golden crows'' fragments. It was really something worth noting. The dead holy emperor was indeed very powerful as he had practiced three conflicting martial arts skills. Even if they couldn''t get the inheritance, absorbing some of the holy emperor''s power in the tomb would be immensely beneficial for them!


    "Who told you that?" Laura asked, feeling a bit skeptical.


    "Surely that master," Darren answered.


    "The master is so knowledgeable! No wonder the elders sent other warriors here, and so did all the other cities. It means that the holy emperor''s tomb is about to open." Laura was excited. It would be the honor of lifetime if she had the chance to enter the holy emperor''s tomb!


    "All right. We should try to get as many pieces as possible first," Darren said.


    "That kind of beast seems to be very powerful. There''s no denying that it would be difficult for us to defeat one of them. How can we get more fragments in such a short amount of time?" Chaz could feel the power of the golden crows. The way the golden crows'' cries echoed all around them made his heart sink.


    Darren asked the dragon ancestor for help.


    "Sir, there seems to be many golden crows here, but I have my doubts that we will be able to defeat them all."


    "Silly boy... I have told you that I will help you. I have my own way." The dragon ancestor laughed confidently.


    "What''s it?"


    "The golden crows have masculine power. We should use feminine power to de


    painfully mistaken. Her eyes were starting to get hot with tears, but she swallowed her pain and tried to keep the atmosphere light.


    "Ha-ha, Darren, don''t be silly! I was just kidding! I know so many other men better than you! Besides, you''re too young for my taste.


    Did you really believe it? Look at your silly face!"


    Laura said hurriedly to cover up her embarrassment.


    "I knew it!" Darren pretended to be enlightened. "I was still fooled by you. Alas, how stupid I was."


    "Laura, you didn''t seem to be joking," a voice called out.


    As they were talking, a figure suddenly appeared behind them.


    Hearing the voice, Laura turned her head suddenly and was stunned when she saw the man.


    "Anthony!"


    "Ha-ha, long time no see. How are you doing, Laura?"


    "Good. I''m going great. When did you come? You scared me just now." In front of the handsome young man, Laura was like a younger sister.


    "Hailey and I have been here for a long time. We heard what you just said." Anthony was grinning and staring at Laura, making her blush.


    "Ha-ha, I didn''t know you would be shy." Anthony smiled and said to Darren, "This must be Darren, right? You''re really a young and handsome man. No wonder you easily won over Laura''s heart."


    "Hello, Anthony." Darren stood up and nodded politely.


    "Hailey, why don''t you come and meet Darren as well?" Anthony turned around, and beckoned for his companion to come forward. A beautiful figure emerged from the purple mist. Her face was so doleful that it would be nearly impossible to forget.

 Chapter 927 Increasing The Speed With Golden Crow

    When Hailey''s beautiful figure flew out of the purple fog, the earth seemed to have frozen over.


    Even though Anthony had come with her, seeing her still put him in a daze.


    "Hello," Darren said.


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat. Her face was so beautiful, yet it felt so familiar to him.


    "Hello? Is that all you have to say to me?" Hailey said, huffing. Her dress fluttered in the wind as she spoke. In that moment, it seemed that there was no one in the world more beautiful than she.


    "Long time no see. I don''t really know what to say." Darren smiled.


    "Darren, do you know Hailey?" Laura couldn''t help but ask. Her eyes filled with jealousy when she saw them looking at each other.


    "Yes, I do. We are friends," Darren nodded.


    "Oh, what a coincidence!" Anthony was standing right next to Hailey, and his gaze had never left her face.


    The corners of Hailey''s mouth lifted into a wry smile. She looked uncomfortable.


    A few months back, she had heard that Darren was going to enter the eighteen cities. She had imagined meeting Darren many times after she had heard the news. She did not expect to feel so calm.


    The wind whistled in their ears.


    Hailey tried to let her thoughts float away with the breeze. She smiled gently and walked to Darren. She reached out her hand. "Nice to meet you again, my friend."


    Darren''s heart suddenly swelled with an unidentifiable emotion, but he managed a small smile. He took Hailey''s delicate hand and shook it, but only for a few seconds.


    His politeness and his touch made Hailey feel like she had been struck by lightning. She felt a chill run down her spine.


    "Anthony, how about we go somewhere else to look for the golden crows?" Hailey said, stepping back from Darren.


    "Shouldn''t we all stay together?" Anthony asked, confused.


    "You know that I don''t like to be around too many people," Hailey said apologetically.


    "Oh! Right!" Anthony scratched his head. "I''m sorry. I''ll go with you to find the golden crows."


    "Laura, I''m sorry that I have to leave you and Darren alone," Ant


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    as weakened by the Serial Feminine Rings. Darren just took out his sword and cut the arrows in half.


    Then he raised his hand again and crushed the golden crow''s head with one blow.


    Finally, Darren obtained the golden crow''s fragment.


    "Assimilate!" he shouted.


    Darren began to assimilate the talent of the beast.


    However, to his surprise, he felt a different force enter his body instead of its martial arts talent.


    "What''s this?"


    Darren felt as light as a feather.


    "Oh! Golden crows are known for being exceptionally fast. I must have assimilated their Speed Rules!"


    To test out his theory, Darren sped into the void. Just as he had expected, his speed had increased.


    ''It turns out that assimilating the golden crow can increase my speed. If I had assimilated more of it, I would be as fast as I was when the dragon ancestor helped me activate the fragment.''


    Darren''s previous speed was only temporary, and he needed the dragon ancestor to activate the arcane skill to help him.


    Although the new speed he obtained after assimilating the golden crow''s Speed Rule wasn''t as fast as the previous one, it was permanent. It was a much better way to improve his speed.


    He decided to capture more golden crows to increase his speed. He freed his mind of any other thoughts and hid in the dark, waiting for more of the birds to fall into the trap.

 Chapter 928 The Grand Crow

    After half a month, Darren managed to kill three golden crows, acquire their fragments, and assimilate their speed.


    "Darren, come here! Quick!"


    Chaz called out, using his spiritual sense. Darren thought Chaz might''ve caught another golden crow.


    Darren followed Chaz''s call and flew straight into an ancient forest. Standing there was Chaz, guarding one of the Serial Feminine Rings.


    Chaz saw Darren and immediately waved to catch his attention. "Darren, look at this. What could it be?" he asked.


    Darren walked over and saw a bird trapped by the ring. The bird looked similar in stature and size to a golden crow, but its feathers were a bright red color.


    "Perhaps it''s a mutated golden crow," Darren said casually.


    "You''re the mutated golden crow! Your whole family are mutated golden crows!" To Darren''s surprise, the strange red-feathered bird could talk!


    "I thought the same thing but this beast had been cursing me for four hours before I asked you to come here." Chaz had to tolerate the cursing for four hours because he couldn''t slay the bird. Hence, he called Darren.


    "Now that I know you can speak, tell me what you are," said Darren.


    "Why should I tell the likes of you? Brat, don''t blame me for not warning you. If you don''t let me go, you''ll die!" the strange bird said arrogantly. It was completely fearless.


    Darren frowned, wondering what it was. His brows furrowed as he thought for a moment.


    ''Right! I can ask the dragon ancestor, '' he thought.


    "Sir, I caught a strange red bird. What could it be?" he asked.


    Darren''s call woke the dragon ancestor from his slumber.


    "Can you keep it down? I''m trying to sleep. How annoying! It''s just a bird. Why do you need to ask me about it?" the dragon ancestor mumbled, annoyed.


    But the very next moment, he started shouting.


    "Oh my goodness!"


    "Do you know what it is, sir?" Darren asked curiously.


    "Know it? Even more than that!" The dragon ancestor laughed and said, "This bird is called the Grand Crow. We''re from the same era."


    "Well, I called it a mutated golden crow just now and it scolded me," Darren said.


    "Of course he scolded you. The golden crow species originated from his wife having an affair with other birds. Do you understand why he was so angry now?"


    "Haha, seriously?" Darre


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    !''


    "Who the hell are you?" The Grand Crow became serious.


    "It''s really none of your business. But there''s one thing I''m sure you know about me. You will benefit from allying with a strong warrior like me.


    What''s more, you were in a big mess after entering the holy emperor''s tomb before. Don''t you want to return and restore your strength to its peak?"


    said Darren, making things up as he went. He knew that someone like the Grand Crow must be constantly trying to recover his strength¡ªjust like Barnes. The topic of regaining strength would definitely get his attention.


    "Restore my strength?" As Darren expected, the Grand Crow''s demeanor changed in an instant. He was even trembling with excitement.


    "That''s right."


    "Are you sure that''s possible? My strength is suppressed by the Emperor Character. How could I possibly recover from that?" The Grand Crow wanted to know more; he could not help telling the reason why his strength disappeared in the first place. This was his chance.


    Darren kept his composure, as not to give away too much. "I know you were repressed by the Emperor Character, and that''s why I know how to recover you strength. What I need from you now is access to the holy emperor''s tomb. Do you get what I''m saying?"


    "What? I can''t believe it!" The Grand Crow was hesitant, but his excitement didn''t wear down.


    "Haha, Darren, you rascal. You''re getting pretty good at lying here. I''d say it''s a good move to fool this guy." The dragon ancestor gave a hearty laugh from within Darren''s mind.

 Chapter 929 Being Surrounded

    After much persuasion, the Grand Crow became rather tempted at Darren''s offer.


    He thought that it would be possible for him to recover his strength in the holy emperor''s tomb.


    "Well, I can agree to your suggestion. I''ll follow you to the holy emperor''s tomb this time. But whether you can come out alive or not is your own business. If you die there, you deserve it."


    Darren was delighted to hear this.


    "Why are you still standing there? Let me go!" the Grand Crow roared.


    Darren withdrew the rings at once. The Grand Crow soared into the sky and vanished in a blink of an eye.


    "Damn! We''ve been fooled! He just ran away!" Chaz roared.


    After a while, a red shadow flashed and approached them.


    "Do you know what I did just now?" said the Grand Crow.


    "How would I know?" Darren rolled his eyes at him.


    "Humph! If you want to enter the holy emperor''s tomb, you would need this," the Grand Crow said, throwing a black bead at Darren.


    The bead fell onto Darren''s hand. As he let it roll around his palm, he tried to figure out what was so special about it.


    "What''s the use?" Darren asked confusedly.


    "I''ll tell you when it''s useful. If my calculations are correct, three beads of this kind will fly out of the holy emperor''s tomb in thirty days, and the humans outside will inevitably fight for it. But you don''t have to fight for it as I have given this to you as a sign of good faith," the Grand Crow said.


    "Great! Then let''s go inside!" Darren said enthusiastically.


    "Right now? It''s impossible to go in now. You have to wait for thirty days until the entrance of the holy emperor''s tomb opens."


    "What do you mean? If we wait until the entrance opens, won''t it be possible that everyone can enter?" Chaz asked.


    "Ha-ha, that''s not that simple. After we enter the holy emperor''s tomb, there are still three gates that we have to go through. Only through these three barriers can we enter the inheritance area. Getting there is much more dangerous and difficult," the Grand Crow explained.


    "Hmmm. I have a question for you," Darren said, "From what I''ve heard, killing the golden crows can help me enter the holy emperor''s tomb. Is there any truth to that?"


    "Those bastard gol


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    d behind Darren. It was Mr. Xue from the Deer City. At the same time, on Darren''s right side, some warriors from the Moonlight City released their aura.


    Darren''s face changed instantly. Now, two more five-tribulation junior holy warriors appeared, making it difficult for him to escape.


    "Sir, help me activate the golden crow''s fragment," Darren said to the dragon ancestor residing in his heart.


    However, there was no response.


    "Sir?" Darren called out, but still no response, which made him feel a bit of panic.


    "Kid, are you scared? Tell me where the hot girl is, or I''ll kill you!" the young man from the Moonlight City said viciously. Ever since he first encountered Laura in the stone forest, he couldn''t stop imagining her taking off her clothes and standing bare before him.


    "Screw you! Go to hell!" Darren cursed with anger as he ran towards the left.


    "You want to run? It''s too late for that now, boy!"


    They used all kinds of skills to block Darren''s way.


    "Damn it! Go all out!" Darren gritted his teeth. He began to disregard the sword skill agreement and his body began to shed a bloody light.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Three explosive sounds suddenly came. Before Darren started to move, the three warriors who had been chasing him flew backwards like arrows.


    They came down with so much force that their bodies created massive holes on the ground. After a long time, they shakily stood up. Each of them looked very miserable and embarrassed.

 Chapter 930 Haileys Strength

    "Who is seeking death? How dare you attack me?"


    Hudson looked around him, but there was no one there.


    The other two were too shocked to say anything. They looked around frantically. "We are sorry! Please forgive us if we have offended you!"


    The two realized that the one who had attacked them was stronger than them by far. Only Hudson with his fiery temper and short fuse would dare to provoke their foe further.


    "Who do you think you are, killing the disciples of the Holy City? Were you sent by someone? Tell me!"


    A bright, white light flashed and suddenly, Hudson was whisked up into the air by his neck.


    Hudson''s face turned red. His eyes went wide as he struggled to speak. "I-I-I...I''m...s-sorry, A-anthony. Urk!"


    It was none other than the Holy City''s most powerful disciple, Anthony.


    Darren flew to him. "Thank you so much," he said.


    Anthony nodded. "Why did they want to kill you?"


    "I don''t know, but they also captured Arvin and the others. They even tried to take advantage of Laura," Darren answered shortly.


    "Ha. No wonder the disciples of our city disappeared," Anthony said, giving a sinister smile.


    "Anthony, what did you do?" Suddenly, a loud roar rang out.


    A man appeared out of nowhere, rods of lightning flickering all over his body. His power was immense and Darren was terrified by it.


    "Why, nothing at all."


    With that, Anthony tightened his grip on Hudson''s neck. With a sickening crunch, Hudson fell to the ground.


    Anthony looked over at Hudson''s body with disgust and launched an attack towards his head, crushing it flat.


    Seeing this, the disciples of the Deer City and the Moonlight City were all stunned.


    "Anthony, it was a mistake. We just wanted to... to... to chat! Yes! To chat with Laura. We didn''t mean anything. Please don''t kill us!" begged Mr. Xue from the Deer City, fearing that he would be next.


    The man covered in lightning went to Anthony in a rage.


    "How dare you kill one o


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    licting Cultivation method. Her most powerful force was the fusion, and her fusion power had not been weakened.


    What astonished Darren the most was that Hailey was a top level senior holy warrior! He became very curious. Even he had only been able to reach the junior holy warrior level. What had happened to her after all those years that she had disappeared?


    "What? Cat got your tongue?" the dragon ancestor sneered.


    "Oh, hush," Darren muttered, fixing his eyes on Hailey.


    In front of him, Hailey transformed into an illusion. The grey and white sword intent swept across the battlefield and he could see that she was matching Madison Lei''s every attack.


    During the next few moments, Hailey triggered her fusion power. She released a golden and purple light onto the battlefield. Instantly, eighteen thunder punishment vortexes abruptly appeared behind Madison Lei to counter her attack.


    However, Hailey had overpowered him. All his vortexes dissipated and he was flung backwards. Blood trickled down the corner of his mouth.


    "You! You''re stronger than Anthony!


    Conflicting Cultivation is really amazing. But you''ve exposed your strength. Pity that you won''t live that much longer, ha-ha," Madison Lei said, disappearing with a flash of lightning.


    Hailey quietly walked over to Darren.

 Chapter 931 Enter The Holy Emperors Tomb

    "Are you all right?" Hailey asked indifferently. However, the concern in her eyes was rather evident.


    "I''m fine. Thanks." Darren nodded calmly. In truth, he actually felt a bit embarrassed.


    A lump came into Hailey''s throat. "Where is Elsa?" she asked after a moment of silence. "Is she okay?"


    Hailey had spent some time with Elsa, but she chose to leave silently when Elsa and Darren had reconciled.


    Hearing Elsa''s name, Darren gave a bitter smile.


    "No."


    "What happened? Did you two get into a fight?" Hailey asked.


    "No. It''s a long story. We can talk about it later." At the moment, Darren didn''t want to say anything more about the matter.


    Hailey felt that Darren didn''t want to talk about it, so she had no choice but to drop the topic. She thought for a while and continued, "Don''t you want to know how I gained my strength?"


    "Well, I already have an idea. You must have had a lot of adventures. Anyway, my friends are still there. I have to go and find them," Darren said, turning around to leave. "See you later," he added.


    There was nothing Hailey could do but stand frozen in place. The way Darren was acting so coldly towards her made her want to cry.


    A gentle gust of wind blew over; she watched as his figure fly away slowly. A part of Hailey wanted to call out to Darren. ''Stay here for a while longer, '' she thought. But she did not have the courage to say those words out loud.


    "Hailey, are you and Darren...?"


    Anthony suddenly appeared behind Hailey.


    "What do you want to know?" Hailey said, her lips pressed into a fine line.


    "Nothing." Anthony felt that there was something going on between Darren and Hailey, but thought that it wasn''t worth mentioning. "You''ve exposed your real strength, Hailey," he said, quickly changing the subject. "I''m afraid you can''t partake in the superior talent contest."


    "Why not?"


    "If you participate, I''m afraid the other cities will send some elders to kill you. The fights between the eighteen cities have lasted for many years. Once a super genius is born, he or she will be killed in order not to break the balance. You must be careful in the future."


    "Got it," replied Hailey indifferently. Then she turned around and l


    hem. I have one. It''s enough for us to get in," he said.


    Darren felt Anthony was a good man. He had saved them when they were in danger, so it was alright to let him enter the tomb with them. Even though something had happened between Darren and Hailey, Darren had already forgiven her. Because of this, he thought that it would be fine if he let her come along.


    Anthony was surprised to hear what Darren said.


    "Darren, how did you get the bead? I saw three flying away just now," asked Anthony in confusion.


    "Look," Darren said as he took out a black bead.


    Anthony took the bead from Darren, his eyes widening. "It really is a Blood Suppressing Bead. That''s amazing!"


    Darren laughed and turned to him. "I got it by accident. It''s no big deal."


    "It is a big deal. It saves us the trouble of having to fight others for it," Anthony smiled as he gave the bead back to Darren.


    "Darren, I suggest that we don''t rush to enter the tomb. Let''s wait and see who will get the beads," Anthony said.


    "I agree with you. After entering the holy emperor''s tomb, there will be a fierce battle. We should check out the strength of those who will enter the tomb."


    "Ha-ha, Darren, I''m glad we''re both on the same page!"


    Then they flew out, releasing their spiritual sense to probe those who were fighting for the beads.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A trembling sound echoed in the air. Dazzling light rushed to the sky. A fierce, cruel battle had torn the void apart.

 Chapter 932 Millions Of Beasts Entered The Tomb

    A black bead fell into the hand of a four-tribulation junior holy warrior.


    "Protect him! He has the Blood Suppressing Bead!"


    The four-tribulation junior holy warrior''s fellow apprentices rushed around him one after another, and the strong warriors of other cities also flocked to attack him with strong means.


    After a series of explosions, the group of people who had gotten the Blood Suppressing Bead were all smashed into minced meat.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    In an instant, a dozen strong warriors were killed.


    "How cruel!" Darren exclaimed as he shook his head in disbelief. This was just a scramble for a chance to enter the second door. When they finally entered the inheritance area of the holy emperor''s tomb, few of these hundreds of strong warriors might survive.


    In the following quarter of an hour, the Blood Suppressing Bead was exchanged constantly from hand to hand. Many lives were lost. The sky was dyed red by blood, like hell had been unleashed from the heavens.


    After observing for a while, Darren thought that he was a fool. "Since so many masters have fallen, why am I still standing here?" he muttered to himself. The death of so many masters was a good opportunity for him to use the Assimilation Skill.


    However, since the last time he assimilated a lot of the talents of the beasts, even if these dead people were powerful warriors, it was not very useful for Darren to assimilate their talents.


    He needed to assimilate the talents of much stronger warriors. Only in this way could there be unexpected effects. After reaching a saturated state, it would be less effective to assimilate the talent of the masters with the same level as what he used to assimilate.


    In spite of this, he didn''t want to waste any of them, so Darren just flew into the battlefield.


    Darren dodged left and right, releasing his strength to resist the dispersed attacks.


    "Assimilate!"


    Streams of talent flowed into Darren''s mind and gathered in the mysterious crystal space, condensing into the liquid with different colors.


    An hour later, the fight had gradually subsided, and one of the Blood Suppressing Beads fell into the hand of a five-tribulation junior holy warrior.


    This cultivator was very smart. After he got the bead, he announced that he could share it with others. He gathered the other ten cultivators of the same level with him immediately. With such a strong group, the rest couldn''t dare to make a move.


    The fight for the other two Blood Suppressing Beads soon subsided too, because the other two masters got the other two b


    "It doesn''t matter." Darren smiled. "I got the news that these fierce birds will enter through another entrance. As long as we don''t provoke them, nothing will happen."


    "Really? And you''re sure of this?" Anthony asked doubtfully.


    "Yes, I would have to say so. We''ll be able to confirm this in a short while," Darren replied. Anthony and others nodded and chose to believe him.


    A moment later, the birds gradually flew away, but the ground in the distance was full of thick smoke and dust, and the beasts on the ground were galloping.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Those powerful beasts'' aura was no less than that of the fierce birds, but they quickly rushed toward another direction.


    "Oh, you are right." Anthony felt relieved.


    The rest of the strong masters secretly heaved a sigh of relief too. If those fierce birds and beasts really came to attack them, it would be hard for them to survive.


    "Come on in," Darren said.


    When Darren was about to enter the entrance of the holy emperor''s tomb, a golden figure appeared suddenly. The air was full of its ferocity.


    Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!


    Darren was shocked. He didn''t know why there was a fierce bird trying to give him a sudden attack.


    Then he unleashed his spiritual sense to probe the bird with his mind. To his surprise, it was the ancient golden roc!


    "Damn it, why could you still recognize me?"


    Darren didn''t know what to say. The ancient golden roc had entered the tomb with the team of other birds, but Darren didn''t expect it to find him in such a situation.


    In an instant, the strong attack of the ancient golden roc had already come face to face with Darren. Such ferocity made everyone present terrified out of their wits.

 Chapter 933 The First Gate

    Darren dodged the sudden attack. Hailey and Anthony immediately came to his aid.


    The ancient golden roc roared fiercely. It flapped its golden wings, covering them with a shower of golden feathers.


    Anthony gathered his strength and transformed himself into a phantom. He charged towards the ancient golden roc.


    Bang!


    The ancient golden roc flapped its wings and Anthony was blown away.


    Anthony was a five-tribulation junior holy warrior, but he was not as powerful as the ancient golden roc. Hailey''s grey and white sword intent shot into the air as Anthony''s body flew backwards.


    The next moment, the roc was shrouded in a golden light. When the grey sword intent fell on the golden roc, it did no harm.


    "Darren, why did it try to kill you?" The question came from the Grand Crow.


    "I took its treasure. I didn''t expect it to catch me," Darren replied.


    "You''re very bold. But that bastard deserves it! I can help you, if you want me to. But you have to promise me one thing. Once you have enough strength, you must help me kill all the bastards in the Golden Roc Clan. What do you think?"


    The hatred of the Grand Crow toward the Golden Roc Clan was no less than its hatred towards the Golden Crow Clan.


    "As long as you can defeat it now, you have my word."


    Darren faced forward. Hailey was already using her fusion power, but the golden roc effortlessly dodged every single one of her attacks.


    The Grand Crow was their only hope now.


    "Take this!"


    Suddenly, a fierce roar rang out from the sky. A bright, red cloud loomed in the air.


    "Caw!"


    The roc raised its head and saw the cloud headed towards it. Fear crept into its heart and it let out a hiss.


    "Go to hell, you beast!" The ancient golden roc was frightened by the roar and crept into the void without so much as a glance behind it.


    "That... that was it?" Darren was surprised at his opponent''s sudden retreat.


    "Humph. It''s not easy to frighten it. H


    n''t be killed. There was nothing to do but wait for their doom.


    To make matters worse, they noticed that all of their attacks were being absorbed by the gate. Soon, the aura surrounding the guardian glowed even brighter.


    "He can absorb our power!" someone yelled out.


    "What should we do?" They looked at each other in dismay.


    The guardian took a step forward.


    Everyone watched the way that he moved.


    "What?"


    Darren frowned. He could feel the guardian''s spiritual sense enveloping him. He seemed to be the guardian''s target.


    "Damn it! Why?" Darren''s heart beat faster. He didn''t understand why the guardian was fixated on him.


    Suddenly, the guardian turned towards Hailey. He flew in their direction and landed right in front of her.


    "You can pass,"


    the guardian said gruffly.


    Hailey blinked in surprise. She was unsure why she was being allowed to go through.


    Darren thought it over.


    Buried in this tomb was the holy emperor who practiced Conflicting Cultivation. Since Hailey practiced Primitive Feminine and Primitive Masculine skills, which was also a form of Conflicting Cultivation, she was the most worthy of them to go through. If that was the case, Darren should be the next one to pass the gate.


    However, what happened next left him even more stunned.

 Chapter 934 Fighting Against The Guardian

    A husky voice came into Darren''s mind.


    "You, have a life and death fight with me."


    These words left Darren stunned. Surprise and anger swept through him. He and Hailey were both cultivating the conflicting martial arts skills. Why could Hailey pass it directly while he was named to fight with the guardian?


    It just didn''t make sense to him.


    On the other side, Hailey was also quite shocked. "Why did you let me pass?" she asked after a while.


    "There is no reason. You can go directly to the inheritance area if you wish."


    As soon as the guardian finished his words, the strong cultivators behind him couldn''t believe what they had heard. How could this beautiful woman get the access to the inheritance area as simple as that? If they had not been in the holy emperor''s tomb, they would have thought that there was something shady going on.


    Hailey wanted to ask more, but a horrible force wrapped around her. Her figure faded and soon disappeared into the darkness.


    "What?" Darren was speechless for a moment. "What are you doing? How come you won''t let me enter the inheritance area?"


    Before the guardian could reply, the crowd of warriors behind him burst into laughter.


    "Ha-ha-ha!"


    "Who do you think you are? Even we are not qualified to pass the test directly. Why do you think you can?"


    "Ha-ha. Anthony, don''t you feel embarrassed to bring such an idiot with you? Isn''t there anyone stronger in the Holy City?"


    Those people began to taunt Darren without scruple.


    Anthony was irritated, but he controlled himself and ignored them.


    "Tell me why you won''t let me go into the inheritance area!" Darren pressed further, ignoring their words of mockery.


    "You don''t deserve it!"


    said the guardian with disdain, which made Darren very unhappy.


    At this time, the Grand Crow hiding behind Darren chimed in, "Ha-ha-ha! This guy is looking down upon you. Don''t you want to kill him?"


    "Of course I do. But he is more powerful than I am. I don''t have a chance," Darren replied in a somber tone.


    "Humph. Being powerful doesn''t mean he is undefeatable. You are lucky that you''ve come across me. You can fight with him and I will help you kill him," the Grand Crow said confidently.


    "Are you sure?" Darren asked doubtfully.


    The aura of the guardian was comparable to a


    m very curious about how your speed was raised just now. You are now only a bit slower than I am," the Grand Crow said in a lazy voice.


    "Come on! It''s not a good time to talk about it. Kill him if you can!" Darren urged.


    "All right, all right. If it weren''t for the fact that I am excluded by the holy emperor''s tomb and I have to rely on you to enter again, I would not help you. Humph!"


    With these words, the Grand Crow took out an armor and covered Darren''s body with it.


    "What''s this? Are you sure this will work?"


    This armor was not made of metal, but something made of vines. With this armor, Darren felt even more unsafe.


    "Cut the crap. This is a treasure that I went out of my way to get from the emperor''s treasure house. Hurry up and try it!"


    Although Darren had many doubts in his mind, he had no time to think about it too much. He rushed to the guardian directly.


    "Look like that brat knew that his life is about to come to an end. Look at how eager he is to die!" When the crowd saw what was going on, they really thought that this would be the end for Darren. Even Anthony sighed and shook his head, thinking that Darren would be finished off.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Beams of dazzling white light shot out of the ground, and a black ball of light fell down from above. These two forces combined to attack Darren at the same time.


    "Is this.... Does the guardian practice Dark and Light Cultivation?!" murmured Darren.


    He suddenly understood what was going on when he felt the two formidable forces.

 Chapter 935 To Live Or Die

    The Dark and Light Cultivation was something unfamiliar to Darren.


    However, he could feel that it was a very shallow method of Conflicting Cultivation, and it hadn''t reached the stage of fusion.


    "Even if it''s a low-level Conflicting Cultivation, the power of the skill is still amazing."


    The rising beam of light possessed a power comparable to the power of a five-tribulation junior holy warrior. The power emanating from the glowing white and black light balls was quite amazing! When two different forces were combined, their power increased exponentially. This was what made Conflicting Cultivation so much stronger than normal cultivation.


    The powerful attack fell on Darren in an instant. He immediately condensed several Sword Intent Storms around his body to ward off the attack. He did not use his full strength because he knew he wouldn''t be able to fully defend himself even if he did.


    His only saving grace was the armor that the Grand Crow gave him.


    The white and black lights converged on Darren and they completely covered him.


    The group of warriors behind them kept retreating. They feared that they would lose their lives if they touched the light.


    "That brat is dead!"


    "He''s a goner! Are we next?"


    Panic filled the crowd.


    Shoop! Shoop! Shoop!


    Suddenly, white light and black balls of light shot out from where Darren had been standing.


    "What?" Everyone was surprised. They used their spiritual sense to survey the area and found that Darren was still very much alive.


    The white and black balls of light gathered midair and condensed into a giant beam of light. It shot directly towards the guardian.


    "What! What''s going on? How is he doing this?"


    The guardian was also caught by surprise.


    "You, have the holy emperor''s treasure!" the guardian exclaimed. He couldn''t believe that a human would be able to possess such a thing.


    The guardian turned over his palm and released a powerful beam of black and white light, countering Darren''s attack. It was like he was fighting with himself, and there


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    If the guardian were to really fire his strongest attack, the armor might reflect it right back and kill him. This was Darren''s last chance. He drew in a deep breath. His own life would be at stake as well if the guardian did fire his strongest attack.


    The guardian''s chest heaved heavily.


    He conjured up a spinning, black and white wheel. His aura had reached its peak.


    "Retreat!" When the warriors behind him felt the aura, all of their faces turned deathly pale.


    Darren''s eyes went wide but he stood his ground. ''Yes. This is it, '' he thought to himself. An attack like this was almost comparable to his Bloody Shura Force when it was supplemented by the light red liquid.


    The black and white wheel spun wildly, and the light and dark power seemed to have been merged in another way. Although their fusion was only superficial, the power that was released was undeniably strong.


    "Come on! Give it your best shot!"


    Darren became excited. He had a chance of beating the guardian.


    "Darren, be careful! You may use all of your strength this time. If you don''t, you could die of shock!" the dragon ancestor said worriedly. If Darren didn''t use the dragon body and Bloody Shura Force, he would definitely die.


    Even if he used these forces, he might not survive. After all, his opponent''s attack was far greater than his physical body''s strength now.

 Chapter 936 The Tiger Cat

    The black and white wheel descended with an overwhelming power, making the entire tomb tremble.


    At this moment, the enormous power of the Bloody Shura Force dyed the space red. Even Darren''s body was as crimson as the pits of hell.


    "Oh my god! What a powerful force!"


    The crowd was shocked by the power of the Bloody Shura Force that Darren had released.


    "I wonder how terrifying it would be if such a power could be developed!"


    Even though they were taken aback by the power of the Bloody Shura Force, they could feel that Darren wasn''t using its full strength yet.


    The Grand Crow was stunned speechless as well.


    As someone who used to be more powerful than a half-step emperor, he knew just how great this power was. "This boy actually has the ancient power!" the Grand Crow said in a trembling voice.


    But at this moment, Darren had no time to talk with the Grand Crow. His red eyes were fixed on the black and white wheel that was coming right at him.


    Boom! The bloody light exploded as it collided with the black and white wheel.


    After a moment, Darren''s Bloody Shura Force was completely destroyed.


    Luckily, the power of the wheel was weakened by half. Despite this, however, the black and white wheel hit Darren with an overwhelming power. At the same time, another black and white wheel flew out of Darren''s armor.


    In the depths of the holy emperor''s tomb, a creature which looked like some kind of tiger or cat was leisurely squinting to enjoy the last moment of peace.


    But he opened his eyes immediately when he felt something extremely powerful.


    "Interesting! This little guy is from the Bloody Shura Clan?"


    He spoke in human''s language as his eyes widened with surprise.


    "I really didn''t expect him to be so strong. I thought he was just a cultivator whose power was suppressed. I didn''t expect that he has the power of Bloody Shura. If it weren''t for that crow, he would have been dead, which would be a pity," murmured the Tiger Cat.


    Since the warriors entered the holy emperor''s tomb, the Tiger Cat had been paying close attention to Darren and Hailey.


    The reason behind this was simple: they were cultivators of Conflicting Cultivation. After analyzing the


    As they were talking, Darren''s body had been crushed into pieces at this point. Only his head and heart remained intact under his full protection.


    "Okay! I''ll do you a favor and take a risk this time, just for once."


    Then the Grand Crow spread his wings and rushed to the wheel.


    Bang!


    Bright red feathers spread in all directions. All the feathers of the Grand Crow were shaved off by the fast spinning black and white wheel in an instant. His body also started to crack and bleed.


    However, with the resistance of the Grand Crow, the black and white wheel couldn''t do any harm to Darren anymore, and Darren was able to breathe.


    "Yes! That''s it!" The dragon ancestor breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Kill!"


    All of a sudden, the guardian gave a frightening roar.


    Under the impact of the wheel that had bounced back, his body almost collapsed, but he still managed to stay alive. As long as he was still alive, he must carry out his orders of killing Darren.


    His body turned into a white light and suddenly shot towards Darren''s heart.


    "Darren won''t be able to make it."


    Anthony, who was watching everything, suddenly clenched his fists tightly.


    Then he made up his mind and rushed out like a shadow to save Darren''s life at this critical moment. But his figure pierced through the white light directly, making him unable to block the guardian.


    Anthony shook his head with pity. "Alas, I can''t attack him. This really must be the end for Darren."

 Chapter 937 The Blood River Behind The Door

    Even when consciousness was slowly slipping from him, Darren could feel that the guardian was coming for him. Both of them were no longer in their peak states, but the guardian could still kill him under such circumstances.


    The others wouldn''t dare confront the guardian. Their skills were too common so they didn''t have the capabilities to save Darren now. Even the Grand Crow couldn''t attack the guardian.


    After deflecting the third attack, Darren''s armor had returned to the spatial treasure of the Grand Crow.


    But now that he was on the brink of death, he had to use all his strength for a chance to survive. However, just staying conscious was a battle itself.


    Almost instinctively, he searched for his Space Ring.


    A black armor appeared, making a loud ruckus at its arrival.


    It wrapped itself around his heart and head to make sure that they were protected. It was the Dark Emperor Armor.


    But this didn''t seem to bother the guardian. He simply charged towards Darren and began pounding on the Dark Emperor Armor.


    Black runes burst out from each collision. The Dark Emperor Armor fought back automatically until a huge black hand came out of nowhere and grabbed hold of the guardian.


    Having lost his vitality from the last few rounds, the guardian couldn''t put all his strength in his struggle to get out of the grasp. Trapped by the Dark Emperor Armor''s power, he failed to shatter Darren''s heart.


    He let out a piercing howl.


    Mustering all his strength, he continued unleashing his attacks at Darren. His body was on the verge of destruction even as black and white lights shot towards Darren''s heart like sharp, black arrows.


    The Dark Emperor Armor wasn''t in good condition, either. With just one blow, it could fall apart anytime especially since Darren didn''t own the complete set.


    Just then, everyone heard a cat''s meow.


    They looked around, but they couldn''t see any signs of the cat. They saw a silver tail like that of a tiger flashed by, but it quickly disappeared again.


    With a flick from the tail, the black and white light dispersed in an instant.


    "Boy, you have passed the first test." A low rustling sound came out and Darren suddenly found himself covered in green light. His wounds began knitting themselves back and his bones rearranged themselves to mend the breaks. In just a blink of an eye, he was good as new.


    "What? What''s going on?"


    As soon as everything had settled down, everyone had a look of surprise and confusion on their faces. They didn''t know who was speaking.


    Then, a Tiger Cat jumped out of nowhere, revealing itself to everyone.


    "To those who wish to enter my master''s tomb for their own interests, listen to me.


    To be frank, you are all rubbish, and there''s no chance for you to get through this journey. Strictly speaking, none of you can pass the first test, let alone the


    st proceed with caution after this. If we had difficulties in the first one, the second one would be much harder," Chaz warned. He had finally woken up from the trance he was stuck in. His powers were also finally free from the suppression that restrained them.


    "I fear for you, too, Darren. It''s too dangerous," Laura echoed back. Her worry reflected Chaz''s own sentiment. She, too, had just come out of her trance and was now scared for Darren. But she was able to hide it better than Chaz.


    "We won''t know it''s true if we don''t try first. And if it turns out that it''s not dangerous, then everyone will get treasures," Darren said, shrugging casually.


    "That''s right," Anthony agreed. But he let out a sigh.


    Then, the stench of blood filled the place. It was pitch black in here and they couldn''t see where it was coming from.


    Finally, streaks of dim light broke through the darkness. The door opened and everyone stepped inside. Behind the door was a boundless black ground. And on the ground, there was the violent red of a blood river.


    "This is the blood river! It''s said that the emperor''s blood spilled and covered the entire land after he died. Thus, this river was created."


    Darren felt the pounding of his heart speeding up until it began to trip on itself. The sight of the river amazed him.


    He had already seen it once in the forbidden domain of the Space-time Palace. Back then, he had accidentally assimilated a lot of holy emperor''s power and condensed them into many droplets. Each drop was enough to increase his powers until he reached the level of a half-step emperor.


    This blood river was left by an ancient emperor who cultivated three conflicting martial arts skills. Darren found himself wondering what kind of strength he could get from devouring the remaining powers of the holy emperor in this place.


    Just the very thought of the possibilities excited him.

 Chapter 938 Anthony Was Cheated

    The holy emperor who cultivated three conflicting martial arts skills had left behind a river of blood! Darren could hardly imagine how much holy emperor''s power the blood river contained.


    The river''s deep red waves crashed against each other.


    The vast blood river was enormous, about a kilometer wide in width and stretched farther than the eye could see.


    "Wow! I bet the pressure will tear me apart if I move closer." Chaz took a few steps forward and stopped when he felt the river''s immense power.


    Anthony also tried to move closer to it. He also felt the great shock and dared not go any further.


    "It''s difficult to go across the blood river," Anthony said, shaking his head.


    Darren stepped forward. "Don''t forget, we have the Blood Suppressing Bead. It should protect us from the power of the blood river."


    "Oh, that''s right.


    Countless men have died fighting for the beads. Obviously, they knew how important they are," answered Anthony.


    "Let me try." Darren took out the Blood Suppressing Bead and walked slowly towards the blood river.


    Darren was immediately assaulted by the river''s magic and he felt his body begin to tear. The Blood Suppressing Bead in his hand glowed and released a red light that enveloped him, greatly reducing the river''s power on him.


    Just as Darren was about to step into the blood river, the cultivators from the other cities appeared behind him.


    "Why do you have the Blood Suppressing Bead?"


    Their eyes immediately fell on the magical object in Darren''s hand. ''Only three Blood Suppressing Beads flew out from the tomb. They are all with us. How did he get one?'' they thought to themselves.


    "It''s none of your business!" Chaz said, glaring at them.


    "You arrogant bastard! Who do you think you are? I''m going to kick your ass!"


    A strong warrior flew over to Chaz and was about to strike him when Anthony stepped in front of Chaz.


    "How dare you?!" Anthony exclaimed, countering the warrior''s attack.


    The man flew backwards with Anthony''s bl


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    Cat, visibly disgusted.


    He thought that Darren was a rare talent and had infinite potential. He thought that getting roughed up a little would toughen him up, but he did not think that the men would be so brash as to want to end his life.


    But regardless of what was happening, the Tiger Cat decided he would not help Darren. If he could not defeat the other warriors, it simply meant he was not strong enough and he wasn''t the great talent that the Tiger Cat thought he was after all. This was his fate!


    "May luck be on your side, boy. I now have other things to occupy my mind," the Tiger Cat huffed. Just like that, the Tiger Cat became indifferent to Darren''s struggle. Even if the boy perished, Hailey would still be there to take his master''s inheritance.


    Hailey might not be as potential as Darren, but she did practice Primitive Masculine and Primitive Feminine Cultivation, which was one of the three conflicting martial arts skills his master had practiced. This was what made the Tiger Cat choose Hailey over Darren in the first place.


    At the blood river


    "Chaz, Laura, follow me! Run!"


    Darren decided to cross the blood river. Once he assimilated the holy emperor''s power in the river, the men would be doomed.


    Crash!


    The waves of the blood river lapped wildly against each other as they fled towards the river.

 Chapter 939 The Blood River Creatures

    The waves roared as they surged along the blood river. Darren and the others realized they''d be whisked away if they tried to cross it directly, and they were forced to flee downstream instead.


    "Get them!"


    The group of warriors chasing them divided into three groups. Each group held a Blood Suppressing Bead, and rushed towards them into the blood river.


    "Darren, they''re running at us with great speed. I''m worried we won''t be able to escape," said Chaz, nervously.


    "Don''t worry. We''re going to be fine," Darren replied confidently.


    "Assimilate!" Keeping his pace up, Darren activated his assimilating skill.


    All of a sudden, several booming noises came from the direction of the river.


    A huge ray of blinding light came shining from the blood river.


    Darren was delighted to witness what was left of the holy emperor''s power.


    Suddenly, piercing howls began to emerge from the river, one after the other.


    Terrifying blood red figures began to rush out like a swarm of bees.


    "What in the world? Why are there still living creatures in the blood river?"


    Darren was shocked. As the mysterious creatures emerged, what was left of the holy emperor''s power in the blood river no longer gathered towards him. The creatures were absorbing it.


    As they gorged on the holy emperor''s power, their aura became stronger and their bloodlust heightened.


    "What''s going on?" Darren ceased. It seemed he''d just be helping the strange creatures if he continued to gather the holy emperor''s power. The creatures would all assimilate it just by their strength in numbers, leaving Darren with none of it.


    On the bright side, the group of warriors that were chasing them were now surrounded by the mysterious creatures. None of them seemed to be near Darren and his friends.


    "There are too many of these powerful creatures. What should we do?"


    The group of warriors were extremely surprised. These blood red creatures had fangs and were similar to fish. They all had the strength comparable to the peak of four-tribulation junior holy warriors. The number of them was probably hundreds of thousands or even more!


    With so many mysterious creatures, how could they contend against them?


    Luckily Darren had stopped his assimilating power. Otherwise, if these creatures could absorb more holy emperor''s power, they would be as powerful as five-tribulation junior holy warriors!


    The sound of quick scampering rang through.


    The army of mysterious creatures swarmed towards the crowd.


    As the creatures passed through the crowd, it seemed li


    ng eight drops, why can''t I increase it?''


    Darren had actually gathered enough holy emperor''s power to form a hundred drops, but after eight drops, the power disappeared as a result of the strange stone''s ability. It did not form any more liquid.


    ''Wait a minute! The strange stone in my head has created another crystalline plane face!''


    Only then did Darren find that the thirteenth crystalline plane face had begun to form.


    ''It seems that the holy emperor''s power that I assimilated from the creatures has bonded with the strange stone.'' Darren had solved his eight drops mystery.


    After some time, Darren''s aura began to simmer down and he returned to his original state.


    "The effect of the holy''s emperor power this time is similar to before, but it lasted for a longer time," Darren murmured.


    After a long time, the blood river finally calmed down. Darren tried to reactivate his assimilating power, but there was no more holy emperor''s power to assimilate. He was forced to give up on it, for now.


    Darren and the others flew to the five remaining survivors, and found that the bearded man who cheated Anthony was still alive.


    "You wanted to kill me just now, right?" Darren said coldly. He shot them a terrible glare.


    The remaining five people, with wide eyes, were utterly speechless. The fear in their eyes was even stronger than when they were under siege by the mysterious creatures earlier. A few of them had already begun to break out in a cold sweat just by making eye contact with Darren.


    They never thought that the weak kid from earlier that day would suddenly become so fearless and powerful.


    Even the Tiger Cat wore an unbelievably fearful expression on his face.

 Chapter 940 The Dark Cloud Beast

    Darren killed all of the creatures that came out of the blood river with a wave of his hand. The Tiger Cat couldn''t figure out how Darren made it.


    "Is this guy a potential super emperor?" the Tiger Cat muttered. Over the years, countless talents emerged on the continent. There were many who had the potential to become holy emperors, but few of them were actually able to enter the Super Emperor Realm.


    The Super Emperor Realm was much more superior than the Emperor Realm. The power was unimaginable. At such an incredible level, the warrior had to either become a god or an immortal.


    Of course, even gods and immortals were on different levels. If warriors became gods and immortals by this manner, they became more powerful than the creatures from outer space.


    In the ancient times, there had been instances of a genuine emperor killing an immortal. Once this kind of genuine emperor became a god or an immortal, they would become powerful without equal.


    Those who were seen to have the potential of becoming super emperors were truly gifted warriors, a cut above all of the rest.


    "Maybe someone is helping him. Ha! He might not be a potential super emperor anyways," the Tiger Cat said, laughing. He thought he might have been overthinking things. He had never seen a potential super emperor before. Maybe Darren was not as great as he thought.


    "Let me keep an eye on him. He''s quite a talented guy." The Tiger Cat lay at the top of a mountain and settled himself to take a nap, but he kept his spiritual sense focused on Darren.


    In the blood river, Darren stood tall amidst the chaos.


    The survivors shook with fear, unable to even beg for their lives.


    Chaz and the others flew over to him.


    "Darren, you are really an astonishing genius!" exclaimed Anthony, who had already recovered a little.


    Laura stared intently at Darren, breathless. Her heart beat wildly at the sight of him.


    Only Chaz knew what was behind Darren''s extraordinary power. He had already seen Darren use the holy emperor''s power before


    under some sort of illusion?"


    His words enlightened the dragon ancestor. "Yes! You are right. You are completely surrounded by the Illusion Array. The one who released this illusion should be a powerful Dark Cloud Beast!"


    "What is the Dark Cloud Beast?" Darren asked.


    "The reason why this kind of creature is called a Dark Cloud Beast is that they have never appeared in front of others. No one can capture them, either. The Dark Cloud Beast is not strong, but it can create a powerful illusion. Once you are trapped in it, it''s difficult to escape.


    When I was younger, I was trapped by the beast and I almost died."


    Hearing this, Darren laughed.


    "Since you were trapped and were able to escape, surely it is not impossible to get out of this illusion. Right?"


    "Ha! You smart brat." The dragon ancestor laughed. "Don''t count on me. You can find the weakness of the Dark Cloud Beast yourself. It wouldn''t include you in the illusion for no reason. It must have some purpose. As long as you use your head, things will be easy."


    After saying that, the dragon ancestor immediately fell asleep.


    Darren thought for a while. "What other purposes can there be? It trapped us to kill us and assimilate us."


    At this point, Darren thought it was easy to break the illusion.


    "Let''s stop here and continue our cultivation," Darren suggested.

 Chapter 941 The Battle Of Trapped Beasts

    Darren''s words had everyone puzzled.


    "Darren, shouldn''t we look for the third gate?" Anthony asked.


    "Everyone, please, just listen to me. It''s not that we won''t search for it anymore. We just have to wait for it to appear automatically." Darren then smiled faintly. Everyone was reluctant at first but trusted him enough to follow his instructions. They began to cultivate on the spot without further questions.


    It was worth mentioning that Darren had placed the five warriors from the other cities on the periphery and made sure that they surrounded him and his friends.


    Time flew by until three months had passed.


    During those times, everything was peaceful, but Darren knew that it wouldn''t last. Something was bound to happen soon because he could sense the aura of a beast approaching.


    One day, something flashed by before them.


    Suddenly, there was a bloody hole puncturing the chest of one of the warriors along the periphery. His heart was instantly damaged beyond repair.


    "Everyone, watch out!" Darren immediately opened his eyes and warily studied his surroundings.


    Alarm rose among them and everyone began to look around with caution.


    "Show yourself! You better be ready to fight us if you really want to assimilate us. We won''t make it easy for you," Darren shouted.


    "Damn it! You''ve found it''s an illusion!" a hoarse voice said.


    "Do you think we are idiots? It''s so obvious!" Darren sneered.


    "You may be smart, but can you escape my illusion?"


    A loud booming noise exploded in the air.


    The earth trembled and dark clouds began to condense in front of Darren and the others. Slowly, it formed a ferocious creature until it solidified.


    "Human, now that you''ve seen my true appearance, you must die!"


    the Dark Cloud Beast roared and rushed towards Darren and his companions.


    "Kill him!" The group of warriors under Darren''s command all had great strength that could match up to Anthony''s.


    Four warriors hastily stepped forward and began using their unique skills.


    There was a series of explosions.


    Colorful lights painted the air, and an immense pressure shattered everyone''s eardrums. With the combined forces of the four warriors, they were neck to neck in battle with the Dark Cloud Beast.


    ''Indeed, the Dark Cloud Beast isn


    head to one side, frowning. "You''re not from the holy emperor''s tomb, so why do you stop us here?"


    He couldn''t understand why these powerful creatures were guarding the third gate when they were outsiders themselves.


    "Humans! Do you think you''re the only ones qualified to obtain the inheritance of the holy emperor? How naive! Let me tell you this. The holy emperor is one-third beast. It''s in his blood. This means we, too, are qualified to obtain his inheritance!


    The golden crows had told us the news of the tomb''s opening. If we kill all the humans who enter the tomb, then we''ll have a greater chance of finding the inheritance. So now, you will all die!"


    the rhinoceros roared ferociously.


    "This guy is not weak. He might even be stronger than the ancient golden roc.


    Beasts from the Thunder Beast Land are said to be powerful. Some are even as powerful as half-step emperors.


    So you should be careful, Darren. This rhinoceros has astonishing defensive powers. You should not underestimate him. Even if my power is recovered, I''m not sure if I can kill him, but there is still a chance that I can defeat him."


    The dragon ancestor''s warning echoed inside Darren''s ears.


    Back when the dragon ancestor still had his own body, he was the overlord of the Thunder Beast Land. His only rival was the Grand Crow, who had amazing strength and speed.


    Darren took his warning to heart. He dared not take it lightly.


    "It seems like I have no choice but to use the holy emperor''s power." Darren grinned.

 Chapter 942 The Inheritance Area

    "Grarl!" The rhinoceros let out a howl. Bright, red lights shone on his body.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    In a flash, the rhinoceros created a deep crater in the ground.


    "Retreat!" Darren shouted. He swallowed a drop of holy emperor''s power.


    Bang!


    The rhinoceros drove his hard fist against Darren''s chest, but Darren did not move an inch.


    "What?!" The rhinoceros was stunned. With such a blow, even a large mountain would have been shattered to pieces. Darren should have been crushed.


    "You''re not strong enough," Darren said, eerily calm.


    In that moment, he had become more powerful than a half-step emperor. Even if the dragon ancestor himself had recovered his full power, he would have great trouble defeating him.


    "Argh!"


    The rhinoceros went berserk. He kept on frantically punching Darren, but it did no more than move him a few steps backwards.


    The surrounding beasts were all shocked by what they were seeing. The rhinoceros was one of the strongest fighters among all of them. But he couldn''t even put a scratch on this human.


    "You human!" The rhinoceros''s fists were covered in blood. He stared at Darren in disbelief.


    "What? Surprised?" Darren flashed him a bitter smile. "My turn."


    Bang!


    Darren turned himself into a shadow and gave the rhinoceros a hard punch. The rhinoceros was flabbergasted and could not defend himself.


    "Well, even if you are strong, I don''t think you would be able to break through my defense!"


    The red light around the rhinoceros shone brightly. He huffed and stood up tall, ready to take on Darren''s attack.


    Bang!


    The rhinoceros was hurled backward. He crashed into a transparent wall, making the whole space shake violently.


    "Ha! Silly human. You can''t do it!"


    The rhinoceros got up from the ground and laughed wildly, satisfied with his defense.


    Suddenly, he heard a cracking sound.


    He looked down at his body. Huge cracks were appearing all over and were threatening to break his armor completely.


    The rhinoceros was shocked. He did not realize that this human''s attack would be able to deal that much damage.


    Shoop! Shoop! Shoop!


    Blood spurted out of his body and made a pool on the ground. A short while after, the rhinoceros collapsed.


    He w


    not worth it.


    "You are very clever. Come with me. I will tell you the whole story." The Tiger Cat stepped inside the golden temple. Darren followed him.


    The layout of the temple appeared to be quite simple. Inside, there were only a few cushions laid out on the floor. Several statues made out of mud were erected.


    However, Darren was on his guard. The temple felt anything but ordinary. Darren felt a chill run down his spine the moment he stepped into the temple. It was as if he was thrust into the mouth of a vicious beast, which made him shudder.


    At the center of the temple lay four statues. Three of them shared the same face, albeit with different expressions.


    A black statue knelt in front of them, exuding a ferocious aura.


    As soon as Darren laid eyes on those statues, he felt like his eyes got stung. It was the same feeling he had when he came across the portrait of an immortal.


    "Ah!" Darren immediately averted his eyes and took two steps back.


    "You are brave. You even looked straight at the three gods," the Tiger Cat murmured.


    "What?" Darren frowned. "What do you mean about the three gods? Shouldn''t you be taking me to see the inheritance of your master?"


    "You''re rushing this too much. There are still some things you need to know. Besides, you''ve never seen a god yet, right? You''ve probably never even heard of it."


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat when he heard this. He had never seen a god before and the Tiger Cat''s words piqued his interest.

 Chapter 943 Surprising News

    Darren knew about the existence of immortals and gods from outer space, but he had never heard of the story about any gods.


    His curiosity was piqued when he heard the Tiger Cat''s explanation.


    "Are these statues of real gods?" Darren asked with wonder.


    "Yes. Those are statues of my master''s masters," replied the Tiger Cat. Pride reflected in his tone, and awe shone in his eyes as he looked at the statues.


    Darren''s heart pounded as astonishment coursed through him. It turned out that the holy emperor was the disciple of three gods! That was incredible.


    "Your master''s masters are from outer space?"


    "Why do you keep asking such ridiculous questions? Of course! Gods are from outer space. The continent we are on is very small. Humans originated in the Primitive Wilderness. You and I can''t even begin to imagine what kind of powerful figures exist. But, these mighty figures are called gods!" answered the Tiger Cat.


    Darren''s master¡ªthe young man with black and white sword eyes, had once asked him to travel to the Primitive Wilderness. That was when Darren learned a little about it.


    He murmured, "This means that my master is a god in the Primitive Wilderness. No wonder his sword intent is so powerful."


    "What did you say? Your master is a god?" The Tiger Cat was astounded. Since he didn''t know much about Darren''s master, he felt that Darren was absurd.


    "Nothing." Darren shrugged and dismissed the topic as he didn''t want to share this information with the Tiger Cat.


    "Well, tell me the truth. What did you mean just now?" Darren shook his head, but that only piqued the Tiger Cat''s curiosity.


    "Really, it''s nothing. I once saw a sword formula in a cave and suspected that a god left it. After learning the sword formula, I began to refer to the mysterious warrior as my master," Darren lied.


    The Tiger Cat eyed Darren scornfully. He thought that Darren was stupid for believing that a god left a random formula.


    "Well, don''t talk so much nonsense. Let me introduce my master to you."


    Darren nodded, and the Tiger Cat began to speak slowly.


    "My master cultivated three paths. These are Dark and Light Cultivation, Feminine and Masculine Cultivation, Water and Fire Cultivation. These three Conflicting Cultivations made my master so strong that he was a


    ger Cat rolled his eyes at Darren and said, "I don''t want to talk to you anymore. But let me clarify one last thing. It''s difficult for you to get any of my master''s Emperor Characters. Although you are also a cultivator of Conflicting Cultivation, your path is different. It will be a life and death attempt to obtain the inheritance.


    However, the woman with you is different. She practices Feminine and Masculine Cultivation. If she decides to strive for my master''s Feminine and Masculine Emperor Character, she will need to pass a few tests. Once she gets the Emperor Character, she will inherit the strength of my master in Feminine and Masculine Cultivation skills. Her future will then be limitless."


    Darren pondered over what the Tiger Cat had said. He thought, ''I have never touched dark and light, nor feminine and masculine, nor fire and water. Am I doomed to lose the inheritance?''


    "No way!" After some contemplation, Darren remembered that he had condensed the fire and water crystal. But, at that time, he didn''t develop the two skills further because he thought the Water and Fire Cultivation was weak.


    Perhaps he was eligible for the Fire and Water Emperor Character!


    "What''s wrong? Don''t make a fuss," the Tiger Cat said lightly.


    "Ha-ha, I think I am eligible for your master''s inheritance as I simultaneously cultivate fire and water," Darren said with a smile.


    "Bah! I probed your skills and didn''t sense any fire and water!"


    The Tiger Cat believed that Darren was lying to get the inheritance.

 Chapter 944 Impending Doom

    Darren had thought that the Water and Fire Cultivation was too common but now, he did not think so. It would not be bad to have the power of a half-step emperor if he was able to get the inheritance of the Fire and Water Emperor Character.


    "See? I cultivate both the fire and water skills at the same time."


    Darren stretched out his hands and triggered a fit of ice fog from the water crystal in his left hand. Meanwhile, light blue flames erupted on his right hand.


    "Well... You are, indeed, cultivating both fire and water skills at the same time..." The Tiger Cat stared at him, a little surprised.


    In the Tiger Cat''s mind, Darren had practiced the Blade and Sword Cultivation, the Shura Cultivation and had obtained the dragon blood, which were already quite extraordinary. He became more confident in Darren''s talents when he saw him master the Water and Fire Cultivation as well.


    "Boy, your overall strength is much stronger than that woman''s!" the Tiger Cat exclaimed, excited to have met someone as powerful as Darren.


    Darren smiled faintly. "I''m flattered, really. Based on what you said, I should be able to get the Fire and Water Emperor Character now, right?"


    "Of course. Although you have only learned a little bit about the Water and Fire Cultivation, my master''s Emperor Character will not reject you. I do believe that you are the right candidate to get the Fire and Water Emperor Character," the Tiger Cat replied.


    Darren nodded silently. Then, a question popped in his mind. ''Who could have been able to kill the Tiger Cat''s master¡ªa holy emperor who had cultivated three conflicting martial arts skills?''


    "Who killed your master?" Darren asked curiously.


    The Tiger Cat''s face turned grim and furious and his lips curled into a sneer.


    "It was a Shura cultivator, a powerful one," he said grimly after a pause.


    Darren was terrified. He didn''t expect the Shura race to be so powerful that they could even slay an emperor who cultivated three conflicting martial arts skills.


    "I got the Shura Force by chance. Are you somehow upset with me because of this?" Darren asked.


    "Nonsense! If I were, I would have killed you already!" The Tiger Cat rolled his eyes at him.


    "Ah... That''s good to hear, I suppose." Darren scratched his head.


    "Now, you should set off to the inheritance area of fire and water test. After you pass these three tests there, you can get the Fire and Water Emperor Character. Whether you succeed or not depends on your talent."


    After


    werful five-tribulation warrior, possessing him. The warrior turned into thick, black smoke and seeped into the ground.


    The four hands failed to catch their target and smashed into the ground, producing loud booming sounds.


    Pieces of rock and soil flew about as the hands flailed around in search of their target.


    "Damn it! He escaped again!"


    "That bastard Barnes released two of the first fiend ancestor''s body parts. Otherwise, we would have captured the fiend already!"


    "If the eighteen cities are sealed completely, maybe our world will be able to survive another hundred years. Let''s go back to the Sacred Palace first."


    "But... That bastard has put back together two of the first fiend ancestor''s body parts. It will only be a matter of time before the fiend recovers completely and when he does, there will be a massacre!"


    "That''s beyond our control. Sealing the eighteen cities is our best defense now. If we didn''t do that, it would have been easy for the fiend to save the other six body parts in ten years. If that happened, no one could defeat the fiend anymore."


    "Well, all right. Alas! The doom is coming! But this time, there will be no emperor to prevent the doom and rescue the world!"


    After they spoke, the four figures conjured up barriers, enclosing the eighteen cities. They uttered incantations that would enhance its protection, making it impenetrable to anyone outside.


    For the next hundred years, no one, including immortals, could go in or out of the eighteen cities.


    Everyone, stunned at the sudden turn of events, journeyed back to their respective homes. They forged on, uncertain of what the future held for them.

 Chapter 945 The Burning Test

    As soon as Darren lifted his foot and placed it over the threshold of the door, he noticed how time had seemed to speed up. His heartbeat rose for a moment.


    ''It feels like my strength is pouring out of my body.''


    However, Darren held his composure. After all, it was very likely that this was all part of the test.


    It only took a few minutes before Darren''s strength was completely drained from his body and he had transitioned into a mortal human being. He looked down at his hands and stretched his fingers outwards.


    ''What kind of test is this?'' Darren thought.


    There didn''t seem to be anyone else there and the room was very dark and empty. He remained standing in place, trying to figure out what to do next. After waiting for a while, a small fire blazed to life a few feet away and then floated towards him.


    As the flame stopped an inch away from him, heat flashed in his abdomen. His flame crystal had awakened.


    "Too weak. It''s too weak,"


    said a small voice mockingly.


    "Wait a minute. You can talk?" Darren asked, looking at the small fire in front of him.


    "Of course, I can. It''s me. I am the Fire Spirit. I have a test for you and you must pass it if you want to continue on."


    "Well, tell me what the test is," Darren urged.


    "Ha-ha." The small fire shook with laughter. "It doesn''t matter now. The flame crystal you condensed is too weak. It will be almost impossible for you to pass my test."


    "We''ll only know that if you let me try," Darren replied, crossing his arms over his chest.


    "You are so arrogant."


    "I''m not being arrogant. I just know I''m more skilled than you are giving me credit for and I won''t be laughed at by a flame. So why are you mocking me?" Darren asked.


    The small fire was stunned into a momentary silence by Darren''s words.


    "Very well. I''ll stop wasting your time. The rules of the test are very simple. As long as you can endure the heat of the flames and become a True Fire Spiritual Body, you can pass it," the small fire explained.


    "And you''ll start now."


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The whole area was engulfed with different sets of flames. Each blaze was a different color and intensity and they lit Darren''s skin up so that it danced with the colors of the rainbow.


    The clusters of flames were admittedly beautiful but the pain from the heat was so insufferable that Darren had to force himself to hold back screams. Now that he was a mortal, even if the flames were further away, he wouldn''t be able to withstand them.


    Still, Darren didn''t panic.


    He gritted his


    was now in a mortal body, that meant that his flame crystal had become very powerful.


    ''If he can hold on for another year, he will condense into a True Fire Spiritual Body. I did not see this coming!'' the small fire grumbled internally as he watched Darren continue to cultivate.


    ''He is arrogant, just like I thought. I''ll have to make it harder for him. If he dies, it doesn''t matter. It won''t be my fault.'' The Fire Spirit began to flicker and shoot sparks everywhere. Seconds later, a jet of fire streamed out of him, blazing hot.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Countless flames joined together and the temperature was more than tripled in a few seconds.


    Sizzling and slightly singed, Darren sat on the ground with his legs crossed. His clothes had been burnt and there were still some pieces hanging from his skin. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air and he looked down to see that areas of his skin had turned black.


    "It smells so good," the small fire said.


    But Darren was suffering. He understood that he had to try and increase the level of the flame crystal in his body further; however, the flame crystal was spinning so fast that it had begun to crack down the middle.


    For the first time, panic ripped through him.


    "It must be the small fire who is continuing to increase the temperature. The temperature outside has risen too high."


    Feeling anger replace his anxiety, Darren released his assimilating power. The large amount of fire spiritual energy entered his elixir field, nearly causing his veins to explode.


    Despite having advanced the flame crystal in such a short period of time, Darren still couldn''t use it to save him. He sighed, knowing that death was coming.

 Chapter 946 He Survived

    In a matter of moments, the temperature of the whole world had raised to a point where it could refine the most powerful senior holy warrior. Darren closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, hoping that he could use his human body and flame crystal to get him out alive, but the temperature was too high and it was going to win.


    On the inside, Darren''s blood had been boiled dry. On the outside, his flesh had been eaten away and his hair was burnt to a crisp and falling out. He looked like a charcoal skeleton. A gasping breath broke through his cracked lips.


    When the small fire saw that Darren was on the verge of death, all of the glee left him and he started to regret his choices.


    ''Is it cruel to kill him like this?'' he wondered.


    It was known fact that the only people who were able to enter this place had to be the most talented in the world. Perhaps Darren wasn''t being arrogant, maybe the small fire was too quick to judge him. He increased the difficulty of Darren''s test just because he had thought Darren hadn''t shown any respect to him. Now, it seemed like it was not the right thing to do.


    However regret was useless now. He wanted to lower the temperature, but it would take too long. Even if the small fire was the Fire Spirit of heaven and earth, he didn''t have enough skill to snap his fingers and make it disappear.


    "It''s out of my hands. I hope you are lucky and if you can survive, I will give you a great gift," the small fire murmured.


    Time was passing so slowly and Darren could feel every single twinge of pain that radiated through his mutilated body.


    Feeling panicked, Darren activated the Assimilation Skill again and again, but his flame crystal was too overworked and not upgrading fast enough to defeat the flames outside.


    Doubling over, Darren inhaled and exhaled sharply. He was clearly on the brink of death.


    Moments later, Darren''s body disintegrated and the ashes that were left blew away.


    "What a shame, he died. Even the strongest senior holy warrior would have been unable to survive the current temperature. Besides, he was in a mortal body. He shouldn''t have survived more than a minute." The small fire sighed.


    The test had come to an end and the small fire fell quiet. He had waited for tens of millions of years for someone to enter the world and when it finally happened, the human had died from a slight error in thought by the small fire.


    The small fire suddenly felt extremely lonely in the quiet space.


    "All right. I don''t care that you''re dead. It''s time for me to collect your flame crystal."


    The small fire flew over and landed on the spot whe


    high while the others were shining and others were colorful. More importantly, each one of them was more powerful than the Fire Kylin in the Raksa Sea.


    ''What would happen if I assimilate them?'' Darren wondered.


    As he looked down at the variety of fires, his heart skipped a beat.


    Now that he had passed the test, recovered his strength, and his body had condensed into the True Fire Spiritual Body, it was safe for him to assimilate any kind of fire.


    Without hesitation, Darren activated his Assimilation Skill to assimilate one fire. It was quickly under his grasp.


    He continued to assimilate until he started to feel a pure fire spiritual energy absorbing through his skin and into the flame crystal.


    "It''s of no use?"


    To his disappointment, it appeared that none of the fires'' special powers were transferrable.


    He had been hoping that he could turn the fire that he assimilated into attack skills but all he could do was turn them into spiritual energy to replenish the energy of the flame crystal.


    "Brat, what are you doing? Are you trying to assimilate these powerful fires so that you can use them in your fight?" The small fire ran over when he saw what Darren was doing.


    "It''s none of your business," Darren said calmly.


    "You''re acting childish, still...would you make a deal with me? Tell me how you successfully condensed your True Fire Spiritual Body, and I''ll give you a big gift. How about helping you control three kinds of godly fire from outer space? What do you think?" the small fire offered.


    Darren tried not to look at the small fire too eagerly. If he could control three kinds of godly fire from outer space, he would have more powerful means of attack.


    "Deal," Darren said without hesitation.

 Chapter 947 Darrens Reason For Passing

    The conditions were enough to satisfy Darren, but he couldn''t help but be skeptical towards this small fire. He was having trouble believing him so easily.


    "Very well then, little guy. Teach me how to control the godly fires first, and then I will tell you how I passed the test. What do you think?" Darren proposed.


    "You''re asking too much!" The small fire seemed angered by his demands.


    "How can you say that? I don''t even need the three godly fires, so it''s purely up to you to decide," Darren said.


    The small fire looked thoughtful for a moment, seemingly unable to retort anything back. "Fine. You win this time, humph!"


    "I have 108 types of godly fires that you can choose from. Each one has their own unique abilities. But I can only give you three kinds," the small fire said.


    "Can''t I get all of them?" Darren asked, thoughtfully. "You can ask for whatever you want in return."


    "Fuck off!" The small fire was indignant by Darren''s presumptuous attitude. "Don''t be too greedy for you can only control three kinds of fire. That''s the limit that your True Fire Spiritual Body will allow you to have. As for Fire Spirits like me, we can control all kinds of fire.


    Now, enough talking. Just relax your mind and I''ll draw the three godly fires into your flame crystal."


    Darren knew when to admit defeat in an argument. With that, he relaxed his mind completely and let the small fire do his work.


    The next thing he knew, Darren could feel the fire spiritual energy raging inside him.


    The whole world suddenly transformed into a sea of fire. The temperature rose until it exceeded the limits of nature. It was boiling hot, enough to melt everything around. The temperature had gone higher than when Darren experienced the test.


    "This is horrible." Even though Darren''s body could withstand high temperatures, this heat had reached such unbearable heights. It was so hot that even a half-step emperor could burn into ashes.


    Then, red, blue and green lights began to dance around the small fire.


    Shortly after, the three flames entered Darren''s elixir field.


    Surprisingly, Darren didn''t find the process uncomfortable at all. On the contrary, their warmth reminded him of the feel


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    dy.


    If Darren had divided the flame crystal into millions of smaller crystals, those fragments could absorb the fire spiritual energy and reach the top level.


    Hence when Darren came back to life, he would have the True Fire Spiritual Body.


    "I also think it was a fluke. And I''m sure I won''t be successful the next time I use this method again," Darren admitted.


    "Why is that?" The small fire seemed curious.


    "It''s very simple actually. At that time, I was in a mortal body so my life aura was weak. My Reincarnation Holy Will was just enough to protect my life aura. If I was in my junior holy warrior state, the Reincarnation Holy Will would be too weak to shield my life aura. This meant I wouldn''t be able to put back together the flame crystal," Darren explained.


    Finally, the small fire nodded his head and then sighed. "Alas, you got through this round. But that doesn''t mean that you''ll be passing the next test."


    However, Darren didn''t seem fazed by the small fire''s warning. "What is the next test?"


    "Why bother asking? This passage was created for the inheritance of a Fire and Water Emperor Character. Naturally, the next test would be related to water.


    And since you''ve passed my test, let me give you a word of advice. Don''t ever use any fire force or aura against the Water Spirit, or else you will die a miserable death. Now go. I have nothing more to say."


    With that, a powerful force seemed to be sucking Darren into the blue door.

 Chapter 948 You Failed

    The whole place was covered with snow.


    Darren could only feel the cold as it seeped into his skin.


    It bit into his flesh and wrapped his bones, freezing him from the inside out. Darren wanted to activate the godly fire to expel the cold in his body, but he suppressed the idea when he thought of the last words of the Fire Spirit. He must avoid using the fire.


    "Phew!"


    Darren exhaled and his breath turned into ice crystals which fell on the ground.


    "It''s too cold!"


    Darren looked around, but he could not see anything except ice and snow.


    ''What kind of test is this? Is this to test how well I can handle the cold?'' Darren thought.


    "Help! Help!''''


    A voice drew Darren out of his thoughts. It was a young girl.


    "What?" Darren did not move. There was nothing but ice and snow. How could anyone else possibly survive in a place like this? Darren immediately thought of the Water Spirit.


    "Who can help me¡­


    Help¡­"


    Darren heard the girl''s cries again but did not move. Instead, he sat down cross-legged and began his cultivation.


    It wasn''t because he was callous. Darren had good reasons for not setting out to find the girl.


    He did not fully know what he was supposed to do, so he thought that waiting was the most prudent course of action. He believed that the Water Spirit would come to him of her own volition. If he dared to seek her out himself, it could be dangerous for him.


    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!


    The cold wind blew fiercely, scattering snowflakes around the space. The scene was breathtakingly beautiful.


    Darren allowed the snowflakes to fall on his body. A moment later, he was completely covered in snow and the cold began to penetrate his heart.


    ''The small fire won''t allow me to use the godly fire against the cold. Well, then... I''ll just have to use the blue ice crystal to lower my body temperature.''


    This was similar to what he did during the previous test. If he matched his


    d not just some sort of trick?


    ''It may not be so bad to stay here, '' Darren comforted himself. It was definitely better than getting killed or expelled.


    Darren was in no mood to continue his cultivation. After all, he could now resist the cold.


    Whoosh!


    Darren flew up into the air and began to explore his surroundings. He was in awe at the beauty of the snowy mountains.


    For several days and nights, he flew. However, he soon grew tired of seeing the same scenery over and over again.


    ''This is getting too boring, ''


    Darren said. It no longer looked as attractive a place as it had in the beginning.


    ''How can I get out of here?'' Darren wondered.


    He did not wish to go out of the tomb yet, but to head on to the next test. Once he passed that, the Fire and Water Emperor Character would finally be his.


    "Water Spirit, show yourself! Let me take the test again!" Darren shouted towards the sky. He waited for a few seconds but there was no reply.


    "Come out!" Darren shouted again, to no avail.


    "Damn it! What am I supposed to do?" Darren thought aloud. He could not leave here without passing the test.


    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!


    For once, Darren felt powerless. He sat down on the snow, defeated. Loneliness crept into his heart as the wind blew on his skin.

 Chapter 949 The Water Spirits Wrath

    Darren started his cultivation again as he knew that he couldn''t participate in the test.


    Slowly, three years passed.


    During this time, Darren focused on upgrading the blue ice crystal and comprehending the true ice intent.


    But, he wasn''t the only one who felt bored in this desolate world of snow and ice.


    From time to time, the Water Spirit would observe Darren and gauge his comprehension of the true ice intent. As she now had something to do, she wasn''t quite as bored as before.


    "It only took him three years to form a high-grade ice crystal."


    One day, the Water Spirit checked Darren''s progress again, but to her surprise, his crystal was already close to the highest level. If he went further, he would become the True Ice Spiritual Body.


    After he succeeded, no ice element attack would cause him any damage.


    His progress came as a great surprise to the Water Spirit.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a loud explosion occurred. The snow and ice around Darren scattered in the air, and a blue light lit up the whole world. The light was so dazzling that even the Water Spirit couldn''t keep her eyes open.


    "Wow! He has become a True Ice Spiritual Body! He is so powerful!" the Water Spirit exclaimed. When she was observing him earlier, her calculations showed her that it would take another three years for this human to become a True Ice Spiritual Body. Unexpectedly, he reached a breakthrough before she could process her theory.


    "Hum, but he is too unsympathetic. It doesn''t matter that he is powerful. I can''t let him pass." The Water Spirit was reminded of the time when Darren first came here. He had completely ignored her! The memory upset the Water Spirit.


    When Darren woke from his cultivation, he noticed that all the cold had disappeared.


    "Ha-ha, I''ve become a True Fire and Water Spiritual Body. Now I should be eligible to inherit the Fire and Water Emperor Character." Darren was overjoyed.


    A second later, he frowned. He remembered that he had no idea how to leave this place.


    "Since the Water Spirit hasn''t come to see me, I will take the initiative to bring her here." Darren decided.


    The small fire had warned Darren not to use any fire energy, or the Water Spirit would harm him. Now, it seemed like the perfect time to use fire to draw the Water Spirit out.


    Moreover, Darren had become a True


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ed the godly fires from deep within his body. He had been so desperate that he released everything. In the blink of an eye, his flame crystal was empty.


    After erupting from his body, the three godly fires were quickly frozen by the true ice intent. However, this response consumed the power of the true ice intent.


    Darren threw out all three kinds of godly fires to weaken the ice intent. This action also helped him recover his lost strength.


    Exhilaration coursed through Darren when he realized that his plan was succeeding. His spiritual sense ran wild, and he immediately swallowed a drop of the holy emperor''s power attached to the strange stone.


    "Fortunately, this place is different from the flame zone. Had I been transformed into a mortal like the last time, I wouldn''t have a chance to swallow the holy emperor''s power."


    Previously, Darren had been faced with the threat of death in the flame zone. As his spiritual sense could not communicate with the strange stone in his head, he was unable to swallow the holy emperor''s power.


    But, in this world of ice and snow, Darren''s power did not decrease. The Water Spirit had just frozen him. As the seal was weakened, he could activate more spiritual sense to connect with the strange stone, and thus, was able to swallow the liquid of the holy emperor''s power.


    "Argh!" When the Water Spirit felt that something was wrong, she screeched and released another wave of potent true ice intent.


    This was a critical moment for Darren. If he were frozen before his power increased, he would die!

 Chapter 950 Please Help Me

    A flood of enormous true ice intent was hurled at Darren.


    Darren swallowed a drop of the holy emperor''s power. He could feel a surge of strength run through him, but the true ice intent was starting to freeze his power.


    The Water Spirit''s true ice intent was so effective that it could even freeze a half-step emperor.


    Darren howled in desperation.


    In an instant, he transformed himself into a dragon and used his Shura Force to retreat.


    He was fortunate that the true ice intent had only grazed him. This gave him ample time to climb to the peak of the half-step emperor level before it could have frozen him entirely.


    Sensing Darren''s horrifying aura, the Water Spirit shrieked in fear.


    She then turned into a blue shadow, camouflaging herself in the icy plain.


    With that, she was able to escape.


    Darren spread out his spiritual sense to search for traces of the Water Spirit. This was his only chance to defeat her because the next time they met, the Water Spirit would surely take extra precautions, making her harder to kill.


    He knew he had limited time left before his cultivation level would go back to normal. He couldn''t waste any more time.


    He flew through the air as fast he could.


    The ice plain was rushing below him like a blur, and with all his strength, he began smashing through it.


    He didn''t stop until the entire plain was destroyed. And yet, there were still no signs of the Water Spirit. The only note-worthy thing he discovered was a black ice that wouldn''t break even when he used his strength on it.


    He decided to come closer without hesitation.


    "I don''t have any plans on killing you, so you can come out now. Just let me pass and I''ll leave you alone," Darren called out.


    Beneath the black ice''s surface, a soft blue light glowed. Then she spoke. "This is the Absolutely Cold Pool. You can''t break it even if your power has increased. No one can get me from here. And, if I''m not sensing it wrong, your strength won''t last long, right?"


    After recovering from her initial panic, the Water Spirit was able to think clearly now.


    Upon hearing this, Darren knew that his secret was finally revealed. If he couldn''t get to her now, then he would get into deep trouble.


    He began banging against the black ice with all his might.


    rule of the test at all. I just wasn''t expecting a woman to suddenly appear asking for help.


    If I saved her without asking any questions, wouldn''t that make me a fool? Would you save her if you were in my place?


    If I had encountered her outside, I would have helped her without hesitation even if that means risking my life. The circumstances here, however, are vastly different from outside. So don''t judge me just because your childish tricks didn''t work on me!"


    The Water Spirit was left in a daze by Darren''s words.


    "How dare you say my method is childish?"


    "If not childish, then what should I call it?"


    "Well, it still does not make it childish. Humph!" But her annoyance had seemed to dwindle down a bit after his explanation. She didn''t want to admit it, but she understood what he meant. Nonetheless, she pretended to be nonchalant as she turned to him. "I don''t care about what you said. To pass this test, you must save me once."


    Darren rolled his eyes.


    "Will you save me or not?" she asked.


    "Is there a need for me to save you still? I''ve already told you my side of the story and have already spared your life. Just let me pass," Darren said.


    Once again, the Water Spirit''s tears returned. "No, please, save me once. Even if it''ll be a fake scenario, it''ll still make me happy. Please help me."


    The Water Spirit''s pleas had touched something deep inside Darren''s heart. It made him feel strange and inexplicably sad. For some reason, the Water Spirit looked like a whole different person.

 Chapter 951 The Black Sea

    Her silent, sorrowful expression reminded Darren of Denise.


    "You have stories to tell," Darren said calmly.


    "No. I don''t have any stories. Can you save me once? Please," the Water Spirit implored.


    "Yes." Darren nodded without hesitation when he saw her earnest expression.


    "Great! You agreed!" The Water Spirit leaped in the air. She was so beautiful and graceful that she reminded Darren of a blue spirit on the ice land.


    "A promise is a promise." The Water Spirit winked at Darren, then turned into a blue mist and flew away.


    "Help. Who can help me?"


    A moment later, Darren heard the Water Spirit''s call.


    Darren was speechless. He had expected to hear some fear in her tone. Instead, she seemed thrilled.


    As Darren had promised to play this game with her, he would save her, just as she had asked.


    Whoosh!


    When Darren flew in the direction where the Water Spirit''s voice had come from, he saw her lying on the Absolute Cold Pool.


    "What happened to you?" Darren asked as he feigned concern.


    "Help me. I have been trapped here for many years. Can you help me, please?" the Water Spirit pleaded.


    "Yes," Darren answered listlessly. This game was more boring than he had imagined.


    "Hey. Can you be a little more serious?" The Water Spirit frowned and pouted as she admonished Darren.


    "Okay." Darren nodded. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "Don''t be afraid, miss. I''ll help you."


    Suddenly, Darren laughed over the silliness of the game. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t take the game seriously. After all, she was the powerful Water Spirit, and she was not in danger!


    When he saw her expression, however, he swallowed his laughter and took a few steps backward. Simultaneously, he began to probe his surroundings with his spiritual sense. He wondered if he was too naive to see beyond the superficial ridiculousness of the game. Perhaps there were other tricks that he had to discover.


    Darren was dumbfounded when he found that the game was, indeed, as silly as it appeared. Nevertheless, he scooped the Water Spirit in his arms and carried her out of the Absolute Cold Pool.


    Darren was speechless as he stared at the Water Spirit in his arms.


    He really didn''t know what to say as this was such a childish game.


    "Hee-hee. Thank you for saving me, kindhearted man." The Water Spirit


    hat a few dormant creatures were on the coast. They appeared to be tens of thousands of feet tall and very strong.


    ''What kind of creature is that? They look like apes.'' Darren was confused.


    "Howl!"


    When one of the apes roared, Darren''s face paled.


    His ears, nose, and eyes began to bleed from the shock he had sustained. Even his internal organs started to feel very hot as if they were burning.


    The roar almost killed Darren! It was terrifying.


    Darren endured the pain as he turned and swam to the bottom of the sea. Had he not gone so far below the water''s surface, the next roar would have killed him!


    "Roar!"


    Although Darren had crossed tens of thousands of feet, the second roar shocked him. He became dizzy and felt as though his internal organs were about to fail.


    ''This is so horrible.''


    Darren was extremely frightened. He swallowed a drop of the holy emperor''s power to enhance his ability to defend against the roar''s power.


    It only took a few brief seconds for Darren to feel better, but he didn''t dare to stay there and continued to dive deeper.


    After he reached a depth of about a hundred thousand kilometers, he heard the next roar. This time, the sound did not hurt him.


    Desperate but relieved, Darren hid at the bottom of the sea, surrounded by its dark water. He couldn''t figure out what this last test was and how these extremely powerful creatures came here.


    ''Those creatures appear to be stronger than holy emperors. What''s going on?''


    Darren hoped that the guardian would be able to answer his questions.

 Chapter 952 Shes Here

    For the next few months as Darren waited, his heart was full of fear. There was no one at the bottom of the sea.


    Above the black sea''s surface, there were still frightening roars from time to time. Darren didn''t dare to swim upwards.


    ''Must I hide under the sea forever?'' Darren''s annoyance started getting the better of him as he even began to think that getting the Fire and Water Emperor Character was not worth the trouble he was going through.


    Throughout the course of that day, Darren had been seeing bubbles erupt under the sea.


    Now, he could feel a very faint human aura.


    ''Ha!'' Darren''s heart soared. He thought that the guardian had finally arrived.


    Darren swam towards the aura.


    As he moved closer to the aura, he could make out the figure of a woman.


    ''It''s her!'' Darren was surprised, because it was not the guardian. It was Hailey!


    Hailey spotted him and swam towards him.


    "Darren!" she gasped, looking a little surprised.


    "Why are you here?" they asked, together.


    "It''s alright. You go first,"


    Darren said. He examined Hailey. She was still as beautiful as ever, although she now appeared more haggard. Even though she smiled at him, she seemed exhausted.


    When she told him her story, he figured out why.


    It turned out that at that time, Hailey first went into the testing space for getting the inheritance. She entered the space for the Feminine and Masculine Emperor Character. Like him, she had to undergo three tests.


    During the first test, she met the Primitive Feminine Soul. A fierce fight ensued, and she was able to attain the Primitive Feminine Holy Body. She passed the first test.


    However, during the second test, she was tasked to practice the Primitive Masculine Formula. Because of her poor comprehension, she failed. She thought that she was going to be expelled, but the Primitive Masculine Soul told her that she could still push through if she was willing to take risks.


    At that time, Hailey was unwilling to give up. She agreed with the Primitive Masc


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    es


    In a grand hall, eighteen men sat side by side. Their faces were serious as they discussed the matter at hand.


    "The fiend from outer space has woken up. Two of his body parts had escaped into the eighteen cities and wreaked havoc here. The human race is in danger. What should we do?"


    These were the Governors. On that day, news broke out that the four greatest holy warriors were chasing after the fiend''s body. Anthony and his companions had flown back to warn the Governors.


    Everyone was on edge, feeling like the end of the world was near.


    The eighteen Governors decided to hold a meeting to discuss their situation.


    "Humph. The fiend has been buried for a million years. He has been suppressed by the eight selected clans and the witchers. Because it escaped, the responsibility should fall to the Sacred Palace."


    "I''d just like to point out that the four greatest holy warriors were meant to stop the fiend once and for all. Instead, they let him get all the way to the eighteen cities. How should they be punished?"


    The eighteen cities were where the top talents of the human race were fostered. It was even more important than the Sacred Palace. Now that the eighteen cities had been sealed, the humans here were close to destruction. The Governors were angered by how poorly the Sacred Palace had handled the situation.

 Chapter 953 Barnes Arrived

    "Didn''t we gather here to discuss how to fight the fiend? Is this the right time to talk about punishment?" someone complained.


    "You are right. It''s not the time to debate over who is at fault. Moreover, even if you want to blame the four greatest holy warriors, would you dare to punish them?"


    "They made a grave mistake! Don''t forget that the Upper Spiritual World has law enforcers too!" a Governor argued as he stood.


    "What are we discussing?" Suddenly, the room filled with the powerful aura of a half-step emperor.


    "Humph! What''s the purpose of this meeting?"


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    At this time, four powerful figures appeared in the center of the hall.


    "What?"


    "Sir."


    "Humph!"


    The eighteen people, who had gathered in the hall earlier, exhibited different reactions. While some were happy, a few were dissatisfied with the arrival of the four greatest holy warriors.


    When the four greatest holy warriors saw their expressions, they were displeased. However, they chose not to remark what passed in their minds.


    "Everyone here is the backbone of the human race. The reason why we are here is to discuss how to deal with the fiend that has escaped. I hope that we can work together to defend and ensure the safety of the human race," one of the four greatest holy warriors said.


    "Sir!" A Governor stood and said unhappily, "You are aware of the power of the fiend better than me. His power is close to that of an emperor. Even a top-level six-tribulation senior holy warrior may not be able to battle him. We are like ants in front of the fiend! How can we defeat him? It might be in everyone''s best interest if you deal with him. Besides, the four of you are already six-tribulation senior holy warriors. You also have the Heavenly Exterminating Array left by the witcher ancestor and Hiram the Great to help you."


    As he was terrified of facing the fiend, the Governor pushed the responsibility to the four warriors.


    "Ronald, you are wrong. The four greatest holy warriors can contend with the fiend with the powerful array. If the eighteen of us help them, we may stand a better chance of suppressing him. Wouldn''t it be better if everyone contributes?" someone suggested.


    "Are you kidding me? If they are so powerful, why did they let two body parts of the fiend flee to our cities? Why did they let the fi


    "


    Some of the Governors were displeased with the four greatest holy warriors. Now, they had the chance to follow Barnes the Holy, and make a significant contribution. This was naturally the best choice.


    "Will you guys do me a favor?" Barnes cupped his hands and looked at the crowd sincerely.


    As some of the Governors had begun to express their support for Barnes, the rest didn''t want to be excluded. So, they also agreed.


    "Well, since you are willing to help me, we should begin right now. Only after we kill that fiend can we vent our hatred. Let''s move!" Barnes shouted. In the blink of an eye, fury replaced the sincerity and humbleness he had been projecting.


    The other Governors were motivated by his fighting spirit and echoed that they were going to kill the fiend.


    "Sir, since you asked us to help you, would you happen to know the whereabouts of the fiend?" a Governor questioned.


    "Of course, I know. Everyone, gather your strongest weapon and follow me."


    Eager, the Governors soared into the sky. They followed Barnes to the desolate area of the eighteen cities.


    A few short moments after their departure, the four greatest holy warriors returned to the hall. Each of their expressions was grim when they saw that the hall was empty.


    "Eden, you said that you sensed the fiend''s aura. Are you sure?" another warrior asked with a frown.


    "Yes, I''m certain. He was in the hall a short while ago," Eden replied. He was also known as the Tiger Holy Warrior.


    "This is not good."


    In a flash, the four greatest holy warriors flew away.

 Chapter 954 Stupid Move

    There was an air of pride and fearlessness around the eighteen Governors as they flew.


    "It''s an honor to finally meet you, Barnes the Holy. Also, I would gladly fight by your side in the incoming battle."


    "Sir, your name has been known to us since childhood, and everyone here has grown up looking up to you. It''s a great honor to meet you today."


    The Governors eagerly fawned over Barnes.


    They had finally arrived to the northern part of the eighteen cities after flying nonstop for three days and nights. This was an area that they hadn''t explored yet. Looking around now, there was nothing but grass and mist.


    "Sir, where is the fiend hiding? Let''s all work together and tear it to pieces!"


    They all had stopped whatever they were doing to assist Barnes in his search for the fiend.


    "Don''t worry, everyone. The fiend is just hidden around here. I shall go and investigate first," Barnes said.


    "Very well, sir. We''ll wait for you here. Just call for us if you ever find the fiend. We''ll come to your aid as fast as we can. Be careful," one of the Governors said boldly.


    "Thank you very much for your offer. I shall make amends for my fault if I can find the fiend. Those four brats won''t be able to bite me like mad dogs anymore." Barnes grinned, showing a set of very white teeth.


    "Those four guys are too arrogant just because they consider themselves as the greatest warriors of human race. I can''t stand them either," someone responded, laughing.


    "I shall go now, everyone. Goodbye."


    Turning into a shadow, Barnes crossed over to the desolate grassland.


    After flying for over thirty thousand kilometers, he finally decided to land. A cold smile found its way onto his face.


    "Master, those humans are here. Have you arranged the Blood Refining Array?" There was no one there with Barnes, so it looked like he was talking to himself.


    Dark fog rose from the wilderness. It swirled and curled into the air, bringing with it a mix of the fiend''s aura. It was as if a legion of fiends were headed this way.


    A short moment later, the smoke turned into a horned-creature with blood-colored scales.


    His eyes were icy cold and his aura was void of any feelings. It was as if he was dead and had turned into something met


    e tensed as everyone was prepared for the inevitable fight to break out.


    As they were all talking, Barnes had already arrived and had released his fiendish sense to watch the scene unfold.


    ''Stupid humans! I definitely had them fooled.'' The fake Barnes smiled.


    However, he now faced a dilemma. If the four powerful humans were here, he couldn''t lure the rest of them to the designated place.


    He knew that he wouldn''t stand a chance against the combined efforts of the four holy warriors. Just thinking about the trouble he was in was giving him a headache.


    However, he had to fulfill the task his master had given him. If he gave up now, he would be assimilated by his master and he wouldn''t have a chance to live freely.


    He hid and observed the two groups, hoping that the four greatest holy warriors would leave eventually.


    Meanwhile, the humans continued with their squabble.


    "Sir! So now you threaten us with death. By that, you are already betraying the human race. Don''t blame us for being ruthless," another Governor said.


    "Now, you will know that we, eighteen Governors, are not weak. You have betrayed the human race, so now we shall use the Betrayal Suppressing Token from the witcher ancestor to eliminate all of you!"


    Indeed, the Governors not only held high statuses in the cities, but they also had some special abilities that were passed down to them. These abilities were to be used to ensure the safety of the human race and prevent acts of betrayal against them.

 Chapter 955 A Powerful And Mysterious Young Man

    The four greatest holy warriors'' hearts ached as if they were being stabbed with knives.


    "You idiots! We don''t care anymore! It''s up to you whether you live or die!" Francis roared.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Before the others could react, the four greatest holy warriors flew into the void.


    "Humph, something must be wrong with these four people. They fled in fear when they heard that we would work together and use the Betrayal Suppressing Token."


    "It seems that the four greatest holy warriors are acting suspiciously."


    Whoosh!


    The fake Barnes returned as soon as the four greatest holy warriors left.


    "Well, I disappeared when I sensed that the four guys were coming to catch me. Since I didn''t want to influence our plan, I figured it was best for me to hide. Please don''t be angry with me."


    The powerful cultivators present were pacified when they heard the fake Barnes'' explanation. It seemed genuine as he had returned immediately after the four greatest holy warriors had left. What was more, if he were lying, they would be suspicious of him. After all, the Governors were not idiots.


    "Ha-ha! Since we forced the four brats to retreat, I don''t believe they will dare to make trouble. If they irritate us again, we can''t guarantee that they can leave alive!" Ronald stated condescendingly with a wave of his hand.


    The fake Barnes was shocked at the comment and wondered whether these idiots had any way to deal with the four greatest holy warriors.


    If such were the case, he would take credit for the great contributions again! At this moment, his master feared the four men. If he could incite these idiots to fight the four men, he would earn the master''s gratitude.


    The fake Barnes was now thinking about how to provoke these stupid people to deal with the four holy warriors. He could always lead them to the master later.


    "Go to hell!"


    At this time, lightning flashed in the sky, and four colossal phantoms appeared in the void. They emitted such intense power that the void began to collapse.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Thousands of powerful attacks rushed toward the fake Barnes, one after another.


    "Sizz! Why are you still here? Haven''t you left?"


    The fake Barnes bared his teeth in anger. Only at this moment did he realize that the four powerful humans had only pretended to leave. They had been baiting him!


    Bang!


    He raised his stick and swung it t


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    and investigate. The handsome young man must be fighting somebody!"


    The four greatest holy warriors led the way, and the eighteen Governors followed.


    When they reached the spot, they saw that the violent runes had dispersed the black smoke. Deep in the light, they saw something evil and cruel struggle.


    Crack!


    An elegant white hand descended from the sky and subdued the monster. Half of its body collapsed at once, and it was on the verge of death.


    A moment later, a handsome, godlike, ethereal figure stepped forward. The dying monster lay in its arms.


    "It''s only the fiend''s avatar that mutated from Barnes'' blood essence, but it made you want to kill each other. How can you be so stupid?"


    the young man asked calmly. They had witnessed his power a few short moments ago, and it had astounded them. Now, up close, it seemed as though every movement of his body carried with it the power of heaven and earth.


    "What?" The eighteen Governors glanced at each other, but no one dared to ask him who he was.


    Only the four greatest holy warriors greeted him with cupped hands. Francis asked, "Young man, who are you?"


    "My name is Darren Chu," the young man replied expressionlessly.


    "What?" The Governor of the Holy City was stunned. When he recalled the portrait of the newcomer from the Sacred Palace, he realized that it was this young man. His name was Darren Chu.


    "Darren Chu?" The four greatest holy warriors were confused as well. They had heard about Darren, a rising talent, from the Sacred Palace, but neither of them thought that he had reached such a high level.

 Chapter 956 Fight The Fiend

    Little did everyone know that this Darren was in fact the Rule Soul Avatar. Everyone was shocked into silence when they sensed the powerful and cold aura of the young man. As soon as they returned to their senses, with hate-filled eyes, they glared at the fiend''s avatar that the Rule Soul Avatar carried.


    Relief coursed through the four greatest holy warriors at this point.


    "Governors, can you explain this?"


    All the Governors bowed their heads as they were filled with shame. Too embarrassed to speak, they stared at the ground speechlessly. By now, if they still did not understand that the so-called Barnes was a part of the fiend, then they would be idiots.


    "Sir, we made a mistake."


    Seventeen of the eighteen Governors fell to their knees and admitted to being at fault.


    The four greatest holy warriors were glad. After all, they had been caught in a terrible dilemma. They needed to kill the fiend, but with the eighteen Governors protecting him, they couldn''t. Even if they wanted to kill the Governors, they couldn''t as it would leave the human race without leaders. Now, this Darren had almost killed the fiend, and the Governors had realized their error. As thrilled as they were, the four greatest holy warriors needed to take remedial steps. After all, a serious issue had been exposed, and they had to deal with it as soon as possible.


    "Ronald." Francis'' stern voice shattered the silence. "You''d better kill yourself."


    Ronald''s eyes flew wide open. Of the eighteen Governors, he was the one who firmly opposed the four greatest holy warriors, and he led the attack on the four warriors. When he saw that Barnes was a part of the fiend, he thought he was doomed. However, hearing it from Francis turned his apprehension into reality.


    Francis meant to kill him. The thought was enough to terrify Ronald!


    "Sir, I admit that the fiend blinded me to the extent that I made a huge mistake. However, you have gone too far to sentence me to death! First, you don''t have the right to kill me. Second, I believed that I was suppressing the fiend and safeguarding the future of the human race. The lapse in my judgment was because of the fiend''s bizarre skills. I don''t think this mistake should cost my life, right?"


    Ronald said, pretending to be calm.


    The four greatest holy warriors glared at him but didn''


    Boom! Boom!


    "Howl!"


    After a few seconds, a thunderous roar came from thirty thousand kilometers away.


    "It''s the fiend! His real body is here!"


    The expressions of the four greatest holy warriors changed when they sensed the fiend''s aura.


    "It''s the fiend! Darren found the fiend!" The Governors were overjoyed.


    "Sir, let''s annihilate the fiend!"


    "This is our chance. With the four greatest holy warriors and Darren by our side, we will surely suppress the fiend!"


    The four greatest holy warriors were extremely powerful. Plus, they could use the Heavenly Exterminating Array, which had infinite power that could almost kill holy emperors! And the mysterious young man Darren''s strength was immeasurable. Besides, the Governors all had the power of half-step emperors. Wasn''t it enough to deal with the fiend?


    If they couldn''t defeat the fiend this time, they would never succeed in the future.


    This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!


    "Sir, what are you waiting for? Let''s go!"


    When the Governors saw that the four greatest holy warriors had no intention of taking action, they were a little anxious. Why were they avoiding the fiend?


    "Sir! It''s now or never. Come on!"


    "Yes, if we go too late, I''m afraid the fiend might kill Darren. It would be a serious crime if we let such a great talent die!"


    urged the Governors.


    Meanwhile, both the fiendish aura and the rune power surged. These two extremely powerful forces tore the void and created countless terrifying cracks.


    The land around them seemed to collapse.

 Chapter 957 A Destructive Power

    The four greatest holy warriors were still hesitant.


    "Sir, hurry up!" The Governors were getting impatient.


    "Well, then let''s go." After convening in hushed tones, the group decided to make their way over to the fiend.


    "Okay, we''re all set. Let''s go!"


    The crowd followed the four greatest holy warriors and together they soared over to the location.


    In a moment, they reached the battlefield. What they witnessed made them withhold their attack.


    "Does Darren have the upper hand?"


    When the Governors saw the scene, they were speechless in their astonishment.


    A bloody figure flashed quickly among a great fiendish aura and runes. In the space around the figure, there were palm shadows attacking it every second.


    "Bravo! What a feat!"


    "Goodness! Is he stronger than a half-step emperor now? In this way, his power is now comparable to the Heavenly Exterminating Array!" the Governors exclaimed.


    On the other hand, the four greatest holy warriors stood aside with a grave expression. They seemed far from excited about what they were witnessing.


    "You all have terribly underestimated that fiend." Eden frowned in disappointment. The power that the fiend displayed was much weaker than when they attacked him the other day.


    "Sir, do you mean to say that isn''t the fiend''s full power yet?" someone asked.


    "Not only that, but he''s only using less than half of his real strength."


    "No way!" said one of the Governors. "His current strength can already defeat a six-tribulation senior holy warrior!"


    "You''re correct, but think about it. Four of us have already passed the sixth tribulation," said Francis.


    It dawned on everyone that all the four greatest holy warriors were all six-tribulation senior holy warriors. Their strength were at the peak of the half-step emperor level.


    In order to defeat the fiend, the four of them knew they had to use some kind of special means. If they didn''t, defeat was certain. The fiend''s full power was visibly immense.


    The fiend let out a terrible roar.


    His aura blotted out the sky. Suddenly, the Governors began to cough up blood.


    The Rule Soul Avatar, while hiding out in the void, was giving consistent hits on the fiend. Each of his palms was strong enough to shatter a piece of the void.


    The fiend released another roar.


    His sheer rage was growing evident in his howls. He bega


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    possible. The collision force was simply destructive.


    "Well done, Darren. You have mastered so many peerless skills. You can become an immortal if you keep this up!" exclaimed the four greatest holy warriors as they flew away.


    Another rumble suddenly rang through the space.


    With tremendous force, the earth suddenly caved in. A huge pit, hundreds of thousands of kilometers deep, appeared. Its cracks spread over fifty kilometers wide. The whole earth was shattered into pieces.


    The void completely collapsed. Even the black cracks within the void were harshly damaged.


    The collision seemed to have been so strong that it destroyed the world they were in.


    The fiend, reaching the end of his line, let out another howl.


    It could not kill the human even with the Killing Rules, further motivating him to retreat.


    A cloud of black fog and dust hung over the entire sky. The fiend''s aura had completely disappeared.


    The Rule Soul Avatar had used his rule power to resist the Killing Rules. Unfortunately, he could not manage to search for the remaining traces of the fiend.


    "It''s a draw, then."


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s lips curled, as if he were smiling.


    In his mind, he began to analyze the pros and cons of the battle. He began to ponder millions of possibilities and strategies so he might maximize any future benefits from this battle.


    "The Killing Rule," he muttered, deep in thought.


    The Killing Rule that he encountered this time was his greatest harvest.


    "The right choice is to keep him alive," said the Rule Soul Avatar to himself.

 Chapter 958 The Search For Darren

    The Rule Soul Avatar''s search for the Killing Rule had finally come to an end. He immediately ingrained the rule into his Fake Immortal Character, so that he could study it later.


    He remained motionless for a moment before heading out to the crowd.


    A hundred thousand kilometers away, the crowd eagerly met him, but nobody knew what to say to him.


    It was obvious that this young man was extremely powerful. His strength was as unimaginable and unparalleled as a holy emperor''s.


    "Well done, Darren. You are truly the most talented person in the human race."


    The four greatest holy warriors smiled proudly at him.


    Since the Rule Soul Avatar was emotionless by nature, he just shrugged off their compliments and coldly said, "Tell me where he is."


    "Oh? Who are you looking for?" one of the Governors asked.


    "I''m looking for Darren." His words seemed to have stunned everyone.


    ''Didn''t this powerful young man claim himself to be Darren? Why is he looking for Darren? That''s strange, '' they all wondered.


    Garth, the Governor of the Holy City stood up and said, "There is indeed another young man named Darren in the Holy City, but he''s currently in the holy emperor''s tomb at the moment. Could it be that that''s the person you''re looking for?"


    The thought of the other Darren, the one in the holy emperor''s tomb, had instantly came up in Garth''s mind. The two Darrens looked so similar in appearance that Garth initially thought the other Darren must have had gotten out of the holy emperor''s tomb already.


    It made Garth feel silly now for confusing the two Darrens with each other.


    With his special method, he drew the face of the other Darren in the air and showed it to the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "It''s him." The Rule Soul Avatar nodded his head.


    "Some warriors in my city know Darren. Why don''t you come with me and we''ll ask them?" A huge smile spread over Garth''s face. It made him look pleased for inviting such a powerful man over his city.


    "Very well." Again, the Rule Soul Avatar merely nodd


    e been trapped there forever if it wasn''t for you. The master had condemned me stay there for all eternity.


    Therefore, I owe you for taking me out of there. And while I still can''t go outside, at least I''m able to go to other test areas now."


    The Water Spirit seemed sincere enough as she said this.


    "Alright. I believe you. Now tell us what the test is in here."


    The Water Spirit nodded her head and said, "This test is called ''Rivals''. Since both of you failed the second test, you two will be facing the same rival. If you defeat him, then you pass this test."


    "Who will we be fighting? Will it be the apes on the shore?" Darren asked.


    "No. Those apes are just normal creatures. Your rival will be much more powerful. In fact, it would be my master."


    Upon hearing this, Darren and Hailey looked at each other. Their shocked faces were mirrored in each other''s eyes.


    "Didn''t your master die a long time ago? How are we going to face him?" Hailey asked in surprise.


    "It''s true that my master is already dead. But this space is special because it has brought you to the ancient times. Pay attention now, because this isn''t some fantasy story or illusion array. This is real, and you are now a millions years back into the past," the Water Spirit said, cautiously.


    Both Darren and Hailey were taken aback by this information.

 Chapter 959 Get To Know The Details Of The Test

    Darren and Hailey were confused with the Water Spirit''s explanation.


    The Water Spirit had said that this black sea belonged to the ancient times, which Darren believed. He also knew another ancient sea; that was the Raksa Sea.


    However, the Raksa Sea didn''t have creatures as strong as the apes outside, but the Water Spirit claimed that the apes were only ordinary creatures! This made Darren very perplexed.


    "How can the ancient sea still really exist? Even if this black sea is an ancient relic, the ancient Universe Rule it contained should have dissipated and evolved into the sea areas as per the current Universe Rule. Moreover, since it has existed for hundreds of millions of years, those genuine ancient creatures should have long been turned to dust!" Darren voiced his confusion.


    As far as he knew, real ancient creatures could not have survived such a long passage of time. Those that survived could, at best, be regarded as descendants of the original species.


    "No, this is the real ancient sea, and those apes are also real ancient creatures. The apes that you saw have survived since ancient times.


    Because this sea area, including the several islands, were frozen by time," explained the Water Spirit.


    "What? What do you mean when you say ''frozen by time''?" Darren asked with a puzzled expression.


    The Water Spirit contemplated for a while before she continued her explanation. "It''s very simple. In ancient times, as a powerful warrior from outer space sealed this area with his god''s power, this area will not change with time. So, the creatures that reside here from ancient times will never disappear."


    "Oh, I see. That skill must have been incredibly powerful!"


    Darren and Hailey were shocked. If they hadn''t heard the explanation, they would have never believed that a magical method that could freeze time existed in the world!


    "It is indeed, very powerful. It is said that the strong warrior is a superior god and a good friend of the Lord Starry Sword," explained the Water Spirit.


    "Forget all that now. From what I remember, you need to find the water from the Spring of Forgetfulness," the Water Spirit continued.


    Darren and Hailey couldn''t help but tremble. When the Water Spirit mentioned the Spring of Forgetfulness, they were reminded of the River of Forgetfulness.


    "Why do we need to search for it?" asked Hailey.


    "After you drink the water from the Spring of Forgetfulness, you will be merged with the ancient rules of this sea. Afterwards, you will become ancient creatures for the time being and enter the anc


    Hailey''s eyes widened with surprise. She hadn''t thought of this! Besides, if a three-year-old flood dragon could have such an incredibly strong aura, its parents'' auras would be more terrifying! Darren was right to suggest that they should not provoke the creature.


    "What should we do now?" asked Hailey.


    "We should avoid it and go somewhere else," Darren said.


    "Okay." Hailey nodded as she followed Darren.


    The injured flood dragon didn''t want to let go of its enemies. However, it didn''t dare to chase them as it had sensed their powerful auras.


    "Howl, howl, howl..."


    After a moment''s silence, the flood dragon howled like a wolf.


    "No, this is not good. It''s calling its companions. Let''s hurry." Darren and Hailey quickened their pace.


    "Humph!"


    The furious voice was so loud that they could hear it despite being a considerable distance from the flood dragon. Then, a giant dark figure rushed toward Darren and Hailey.


    "Fuck!" Darren''s expression reflected the horror coursing through him. When the black shadow rushed toward him, he could feel that its power was even stronger than that of the apes on the shore! The shadow was more dangerous than he had anticipated.


    "These ancient creatures are too peculiar and terrifying," Darren cursed as he urged Hailey to move faster.


    "Roar!"


    The ear-splitting sound soon overwhelmed the two, who were desperately trying to escape. As they hadn''t reached a safe distance, they were hit by a wave of seawater. In the next second, they felt dizzy, and their internal organs seemed to explode.


    A dark shadow suddenly enveloped Darren and Hailey.


    "What! It''s too fast!"


    The giant flood dragon had already reached Darren and Hailey!

 Chapter 960 Godly Dragons Aura

    The giant flood dragon, with savage ancient aura, placed immense pressure on Darren and Hailey. The two had difficulty breathing.


    "We must run as fast as we can!" Darren yelled, signaling Hailey to follow him.


    Unfortunately, the flood dragon was too fast. His huge claws reached Darren and Hailey and grabbed at them.


    "Humph!"


    Darren transformed himself into a dragon, hoping that his genuine dragon aura would be able to repel the flood dragon.


    Compared to the ancient flood dragon, Darren''s dragon seemed like a mere earthworm.


    Feeling Darren''s dragon aura, the flood dragon stopped in his tracks. He stared at Darren with his huge, menacing eyes.


    "Hailey, run!" Darren urged.


    Hailey hesitated. She did not want to leave Darren to face this monster alone.


    "What are you waiting for? Go!" Darren roared.


    "What will happen to you if I leave?"


    She was touched that Darren wanted to protect her, but she did not want to leave him there to die.


    "Shut up! You''re not doing me any good by staying here. You stupid woman! You are just getting in my way! Get out of here right now!" Darren roared.


    Hailey''s heart skipped a beat. She knew that Darren was only pretending to be angry to get her to leave, but his words stung.


    "All right. But you must promise me, you will live through this!" replied Hailey through gritted teeth.


    When the ancient flood dragon focused his attention on Darren, Hailey turned into a purple light and quickly flew backwards.


    "Flood dragon! You''re not a genuine dragon! I''m a genuine dragon. How dare you try to kill me?" Darren didn''t care whether the flood dragon understood him or not. He just wanted to use their unique dragon language to intimidate him.


    "Argh!" the flood dragon roared. He seemed to get angrier with Darren''s words.


    "So what? I will swallow you and let you know what the real strength of a dragon is!"


    The flood dragon waved his tail and turned the whole sea upside down with his terrible power.


    When the tail approached Darren, he could feel its immense force. It had sent a wav


    Blood mixed with the seawater, making it sticky.


    ''The giant flood dragon is dead? How can this be?'' Darren was shocked.


    Darren couldn''t believe that the flood dragon, which had the strength comparable to a six-tribulation senior holy warrior, was dead.


    That tiny five-clawed golden dragon had the aura that subdued all the dragons. Was this what it did? It had to be!


    It was horrible. Just a trace of the godly dragon''s aura could kill an ancient flood dragon. How powerful the genuine dragon god would be!


    "The flood dragon has been dead for a few days. I wonder if it can assimilate his talent."


    Darren didn''t want to let go of this opportunity. He drew the assimilating power to cover the dead body.


    However, all of the flood dragon''s power had gone. Darren could not assimilate him.


    Although this was the case, Darren was still able to gain something. He assimilated some of the remaining dragon aura on his body. After the aura was transformed by the black pyramid, he was able to gain a lot of his own genuine dragon blood aura, which enhanced his dragon bloodline.


    When Darren thought it was time to withdraw his assimilating power, a golden light flashed right before his eyes.


    Crack, crack, crack.


    Tiny, golden streaks of lightning flashed on the giant flood dragon''s body.


    "Gee... Is that the godly dragon''s aura?" Darren was overjoyed.

 Chapter 961 Assimilating The Godly Dragon Force

    Traces of the godly dragon''s aura swam on the flood dragon''s body. The desire to assimilate it filled Darren. It would be a bountiful harvest, indeed.


    "Assimilate!"


    His assimilating power quickly covered the tiny golden lightning bolts.


    But the process wasn''t easy.


    The golden lightning bolts struggled under his assimilating power. This was the first time he had experienced such a thing.


    In the past, his skill would either devour the thing it wished to assimilate or it wouldn''t. Nothing had ever resisted against it.


    Every time his assimilating power had the golden lightning wrapped up, it would fight maniacally to slip through his grasp. In a matter of seconds, it would eventually escape.


    "This is amazing. It''s so powerful!"


    This was a pleasant surprise for him. It was highly possible that this golden Godly Dragon Force was at the same high level as the strange stone inside his head.


    This thought made him even more determined to obtain the Godly Dragon Force produced by the godly dragon''s aura.


    "Assimilate it! Assimilate it!"


    Darren activated the strange stone inside his head. His assimilating power surged wildly as a result. Its effort to capture the godly dragon''s aura doubled.


    With the skill''s increased strength, the struggles of the Godly Dragon Force gradually waned. It gave up eventually and let itself be absorbed by Darren''s assimilating skill.


    A faint golden light streamed into Darren''s meridians.


    It swam through his many channels until it reached his elixir field.


    Unexpected pain crashed inside him as the golden light left a trail of destruction along its wake.


    The pain was getting more intense. "It''s too powerful." He gasped and panted through it.


    He choked back the pain as it entered his elixir field and tried to get it close to the black pyramid through sheer spiritual sense.


    This caused the black pyramid to spin rapidly, trying to condense the godly dragon aura into it.


    But the Godly Dragon Force went berserk again, creating cracks along the black pyramid. It went on until it couldn''t bear the force anymore. This resulted to an explosion.


    "Ah!" Darren couldn''t hold back the cries of pain. His face had gone deathly pale as the damaged black pyramid tortured him from within.


    "Suppress!"


    As he roared, a tidal wave of spiritual sense poured into his elixir field to keep the Godly Dragon Fo


    .


    "Wait a minute. Does the spring contain the power of time?" Darren murmured.


    "Something strange is happening to me, too. I seem to be watching the evolution of the mountains, the rivers and the life and death of every living creatures," Hailey whispered back. This was exactly the same feeling Darren was experiencing. It was as if he was looking through the passage of time.


    "Oh, my God!"


    Their headaches intensified, and they suddenly found themselves unable to breathe.


    Then, there was a thunderous explosion.


    Both of them could feel the rule forces of the ancient times flooding inside their body like an unstoppable tsunami. They could feel something inside them change.


    "Congratulations for starting my test! From now on, you will be my sworn enemies. This can only result in either your death or mine. And..."


    A rumbling voice echoed inside their heads. However, the two were still too overwhelmed by the power of the ancient rules. They soon passed out before they could properly react to the unknown voice.


    Meanwhile, outside the holy emperor''s tomb...


    An elegant, ethereal figure floated above the tomb until it eventually landed in front of it.


    With his silver eyes, he glared coldly at the complicated rule silk threads.


    "It seems that my real body is indeed in this place, but the rules are too complicated to break,"


    he said. He turned out to be the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Probing the rule forces around the holy emperor''s tomb, he couldn''t help but frown. It was indeed too difficult for him to open and would need more time to get through it.

 Chapter 962 Ancient Humans

    Soft dripping noises slowly turned into a light drizzle.


    By morning, the rain began to fall.


    "Hmm." Darren let out a light snort as he was awakened by the rain.


    He looked around and realized he was in an unknown wilderness.


    "What? Why am I not at the bottom of the sea?" Darren was a little surprised and also confused. He turned around and found Hailey¡ªstill sound asleep. Darren quickly woke her up.


    Hailey woke up as puzzled as Darren.


    "I remember someone telling us something before we passed out."


    "Yes, it was something about the test rules.


    Do you still remember what it was, exactly?" Darren asked.


    "Well, if I remember correctly, the voice said we should join a tribe and gather our strength. But, I''m not sure about anything else," Hailey replied. She was trying her best to recall.


    "Yeah, that''s all I heard too." Darren nodded and said, "Let''s look around and see if anyone is out there."


    With that, the two of them prepared to leave.


    The next moment, a loud thud was heard as Darren hit the ground.


    As soon as Darren had hopped up to leave, his body had slumped over to the ground. Only then did he realize that all his strength had disappeared.


    "What?"


    Hailey immediately checked her strength level as well and found that it had also vanished.


    "What''s going on?" asked Hailey in surprise.


    After some pondering, Darren looked up at Hailey and said, "I see! Remember, before we fainted, a lot of ancient rules were entering our body, right?"


    "Yes, that''s correct," replied Hailey, uncertain where Darren was going with this.


    "That''s right. I think the ancient rules replaced the original rules in our body. Under the effect of the ancient rules, all our abilities have disappeared. This is because many of the abilities we''ve learned by now had not yet existed in the ancient times. Even if they did exist now, they''d be running under a different system of rules."


    Darren was certain, because he experienced the same thing in the Ancient Void Battlefield. Everything within the Ancient Void Battlefield was useless in the outside world, and any strength he gain


    ary person to kill a grand warrior.


    Fortunately, the beasts were all tied up and unable to move. Otherwise, Darren and Hailey would''ve been devoured.


    "Darren, let''s cultivate here. Although our strength has been reduced, we still remember those martial arts skills. It''s no big deal to start from the beginning," said Hailey.


    "Well, that''s exactly what I''m thinking. Let''s go back to the basics." Darren nodded.


    In his mind, he recalled all the martial skills. Most of them couldn''t be practiced and rendered useless because of the difference in the rule system.


    ''I know, now! The Profound Nine Sword Skills! A long lost sword formula!'' Darren thought excitedly. After thinking for a time, Darren found the first superior martial arts skill that he gained in his youth. It could be used under the ancient rules.


    In retrospect, this Profound Nine Sword Skills was a superior sword skill. It wasn''t something that could be normally obtained.


    However, when Darren''s strength slowly increased, the sword formula appeared to be useless, so he hadn''t used it for hundreds of years.


    ''This is going to be good. It makes sense for it to be weak at first, haha.'' Darren smiled triumphantly.


    Immediately after, he began to analyze the Profound Nine Sword Skills in his mind again. His talent was about to surpass the Genuine Domain Degree, so he made a perfect comprehension of his skill in an instant.

 Chapter 963 My Lord

    Although the Profound Nine Sword Skills was not very powerful, Darren, who had extraordinary talent in swordsmanship, would be able to maximize its power.


    In an instant, Darren comprehended it.


    ''Time to experiment, '' he thought.


    After cultivating for a short time, Darren''s spiritual sense could cover an area of thirty feet. He released his spiritual sense and probed for an ancient beast.


    He chose a creature that looked like a rat, but it was as big as a cow.


    As soon as the creature sensed Darren approaching, it bared its lips and revealed two dangerous fangs. It thought it could have a good meal by eating Darren.


    In the next moment, Darren brandished his palm like he would a sword, and several lights flashed quickly.


    "Ah!"


    The rat''s head fell to the ground.


    "This is so awesome!" Darren smiled as he activated the assimilating power.


    Since the creature''s talent was not impressive, it was useless to absorb it. But Darren''s greatest advantage was that he could assimilate the ancient spiritual energy in a creature''s cardiac core and improve his realm!


    "It''s a pity that I can''t absorb the ancient spiritual energy from the environment. Otherwise, I could reach the peak of a grand warrior in a month," Darren murmured.


    Unfortunately for Darren, inexplicable ancient rules blocked his assimilating power, and he couldn''t absorb ancient spiritual energy directly from the air.


    The ancient spiritual energy entered Darren''s body, transformed his meridians, and then turned into a source of power.


    "I''ve advanced. Although I don''t know what the level system is in this era, My power should be as strong as a warrior at the Mysterious Realm now." Darren was satisfied with the result.


    If all the hundreds of beasts were all assimilated, Darren thought that he would be able to advance to a one-star grand warrior. With his understanding of the sword formula, it would be a piece of cake for him to kill a man who was comparable to a five-star or six-star grand warrior.


    But, he wasn''t that lucky. Just when Darren killed three beasts, several ancient humans rushed into the cave.


    As these ancient humans were not tied up like those beasts, Darren couldn''t fight them.


    After a brief search, those ancient humans escor


    e for us to live and bring us some food. The beasts in that cave looked delicious. Have one roasted and sent to me," Darren ordered.


    Darren had made up his mind to join the Dark Tribe. Both Darren and Hailey had received the message to join a tribe at the start of the test.


    Soon, the people in the village arranged a hut for Darren. Inside was a simple stone bed on which they had laid a fresh beast hide. A short while later, they delivered well-cooked beast meat just as Darren had ordered.


    As Darren and Hailey hadn''t recovered their strength yet, they would feel hungry if they didn''t eat anything. When the delicious roasted meat was sent to them, Darren didn''t wait to start eating.


    "Eat more. Eat more." Darren wiped his mouth and urged Hailey to eat more when he saw that she was eating slowly.


    "Okay." Hailey nodded and continued to eat slowly.


    "Wooo, Wooo, Wooo..."


    Just as they were enjoying the food, a strange scream came from outside.


    "What? What''s wrong?"


    "Help! My Lord, help!"


    A moment later, a deafening sound reached Darren''s ears.


    Darren frowned, put down the meat in his hand, and walked out.


    As soon as he stepped through the door, an ancient human with blood on his face fell at his feet.


    "My Lord, the devil is coming! Please save us!"


    "Let me take a look."


    "Thank you, My Lord. Thank you so much."


    Darren followed the man to the periphery of the village. He was shocked when he saw what had disturbed the ancient humans. Then, he ran back.

 Chapter 964 Rivals Meet

    The ancient humans were stunned when they saw Darren flee. They had expected him to fight and save them. Instead, their only savior had chosen to run away!


    "My Lord, please don''t run away. Help us!" Someone chased Darren, caught his leg, and begged.


    "Ahem, I can''t save you. Ask everyone to escape quickly!"


    Darren kicked him away and continued to run. Right from the time he first saw a ferocious ape, Darren had known that he didn''t have the skill to fight such ancient creatures. Now that a ferocious ape had come to the periphery of this tribe, it made no sense to risk his life trying to kill it. Even though the ape was not big, its fierce aura had the power of the Holy Realm! What strength did Darren have in comparison? He would be courting death if he decided to confront the ape!


    Besides, a young man sat on the ape''s shoulder, and he did not appear to be an ordinary man.


    Darren would not risk his life.


    When Darren returned to the thatched hut, he told Hailey what he saw, and urged her to leave as well.


    Boom!


    Just as Darren and Hailey were about to escape, a violent force broke the hut. The force was so intense that it threw Darren and Hailey outside as well.


    The patriarch pointed at Darren and Hailey and shouted, "Yahya, that''s our lord. He will protect us. If you want to kill us, you''ll have to face him first!"


    Darren''s face turned pale. ''The ancient human is not silly at all. He is cunning enough to find a way to force me to fight their enemy, '' he surmised.


    The young man on the ape''s shoulder glared at Darren ferociously and then moved his gaze to Hailey. From then on, his eyes seemed to be glued on Hailey.


    "Young man, I''m not their lord. They kidnapped me. Could you let us go?" Darren explained how he and Hailey came to be at the village.


    The young man was stunned for a second. Then he tore his gaze from Hailey and smiled at Darren. The spite and deviousness in the young man''s smile made Darren shudder.


    "None of that matters. Since you''re with them, I''ll kill you too!" the young man declared as he released an insanely powerful killing intent.


    The patriarch summoned his courage and roared, "Yahya, don''t forget that you are a part of the village. Do you really have the heart to kill us?"


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    times to seek revenge, but he failed as he lacked strength. In the last few days, his strength had grown immensely for some inexplicable reason. He had also subdued an ape! Now that he had everything he needed to be successful, Yahya came to avenge his parents!


    Darren and Hailey, who were standing at a distance, found it impossible to save the people in the village. Besides, they were not involved in this personal vendetta. As this was a grudge between the young man and the village, they didn''t want to interfere.


    More importantly, both Darren and Hailey were not strong enough to protect themselves. Why would they get involved in this?


    The slaughter ended as quickly as it had started. Except for the patriarch, everyone else in the village was dead.


    At this moment, he was so scared that he trembled. He fell to his knees and crawled on the ground, unable to speak a word.


    "I left you for last because I wanted to kill you in front of my parents'' grave." Yahya walked toward the patriarch, gave him a heavy kick, and then glanced at Darren and Hailey.


    "It''s your turn," he said as he pointed at Darren.


    "Bro, we have nothing to do with these guys. They kidnapped us and brought us here as their prey," Darren explained again.


    Yahya ignored Darren and stared at Hailey. He grinned and said, "It doesn''t matter. It''s a crime for you to have such a beautiful girl."


    "Rivals meet. The ultimate test begins!"


    These words simultaneously popped into Darren''s and Hailey''s minds.

 Chapter 965 Darrens Avatar

    Darren and Hailey were startled by the voice resounding in their minds.


    ''What was that?'' they thought.


    Yahya was their ruthless rival in this test. It meant that the young man named Yahya was the master of the tomb¡ªthe holy emperor with three conflicting martial arts skills!


    The mysterious powerful ancient holy emperor had a miserable childhood, which made Darren sigh.


    It reminded Darren of his own experiences when he was young as he, too, was troubled with many difficulties during that time. However, those hardships had gradually made him stronger as a man.


    "Yahya, I feel sorry for what happened to you. Why don''t we become friends?"


    Hailey said before Darren could even let out a word.


    She knew that Yahya would become their enemy sooner or later, and he was already more powerful than them. Thus, she devised a plan to deceive the young man before beating him in the test.


    Her sly words were a tactic in order to buy them more time.


    Yahya smiled. "Oh. You are so beautiful. Of course I would like to make friends with you, but he has to die," he said as he pointed at Darren.


    "What? But why? Why should you kill him?" asked Hailey with a worried tone.


    "I don''t like him and he doesn''t deserve you," Yahya said coldly.


    "No, you misunderstood us. We are just friends!" Even with a half senseless smile on her face, Hailey had enchanted the young man with her charm and beauty.


    Darren felt very uncomfortable hearing their conversation. ''What the hell? This little punk thinks he has a chance with Hailey? Do I have to rely on Hailey''s beauty to survive?'' he thought. This made him extremely uneasy.


    "I''m so sorry, Darren. I just want to stall for time. There''s no way we can beat him now," Hailey told Darren through her spiritual sense, as if she had seen through Darren''s mind.


    "Run away with me. Don''t play tricks. I don''t like it," Darren answered her directly.


    "But¡­ He is too powerful." Hailey bit her lips.


    "The worst result is death. If I fail the test, then I will accept my fate. You don''t have to take advantage of your beauty to buy time for us."


    Upon hearing Darren''s reproachful words, Hailey felt ashamed of herself. She felt embarrassed in front of the man she loved.


    "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have done that," Hailey


    ver eyes were able to observe all the rules. With his immense rule power, he was able to cut open the rule system of the holy emperor''s tomb. Moreover, his spiritual sense was not restrained by time and space. Thus, he had broken through the restriction, and found his real body.


    "Oh, all right. Come here and help me. At this moment, I''m about to meet with a strong enemy, and there are two corpses of ancient tribulation holy warriors who are about to come back to life in my Space Ring. You need to help me control them so they can kill my approaching foe. Can you do that?"


    Darren told his avatar briefly, but his avatar had kept silent.


    "What? Are you scared?" Yahya said jokingly, as he saw the dull look on Darren''s face.


    Darren was waiting for his avatar''s response, but he still kept silent. Next to Darren, Hailey stepped forward and said, "What are you waiting for? If you want to kill us, just do it!"


    "What?" Yahya frowned and said, "Didn''t you say that you wanted to make friends with me? After I kill him, you and I can talk more about that."


    "Bah, I was fooling you!" Hailey wore a cold face.


    "Fooling me? Ha-ha, you were fooling me? I fell in love with you at first sight. To tell you the truth, I don''t like this feeling. Don''t play tricks on me. Ugh, I''m getting bored. I should kill him now," Yahya said coldly.


    "Kill him? If you do, I am willing to die together with him!" Hailey said with a proud smile on her face.


    At that moment, Darren finally received a reply from his avatar.

 Chapter 966 Revive The Corpses

    Darren''s avatar had finally acknowledged him.


    "You can really do that?" Darren replied through spiritual sense.


    "Yes. Let me just transfer a trace of my spiritual sense to you. You can use it to control the corpses," answered the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "All right, but be quick about it. Otherwise, I will be in grave danger," Darren said immediately.


    Buzz!


    His mind suddenly tinkled as a powerful spiritual sense was infused into his soul.


    "Be careful, my real body!" reminded the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Be careful of what?" Darren asked confusedly.


    "Don''t forget that I was born because you divided your soul into two, to avoid the thunder punishment of Conflicting Cultivation. Even if I return a trace of my spiritual sense to your soul, there is a chance that we may activate the thunder punishment," the avatar explained.


    Darren felt confident and said, "Don''t worry about it. I live in the ancient times now, and there is no such thing as a Conflicting Cultivation in this era."


    "That''s great!"


    Then, Darren''s soul accepted the avatar''s spiritual sense.


    The trace of spiritual sense carried the method of controlling the ancient tribulation holy warriors.


    Darren immediately put the spiritual sense into his Space Ring. At the same time, he placed the dark-spirit crystals on the two holy corpses.


    The two corpses, once in touch with the dark-spirit crystals, would tremble violently until resurrected.


    Yahya looked ruthless as he was about to attack Darren.


    "I''ll beat him to death, and you can enjoy the show," he said as he stared at Hailey menacingly.


    "You would have to kill me first!"


    Hailey moved and reached out her soft white hand, but Yahya instantly grabbed her arm to restrain her.


    "I won''t kill you, but I''m afraid you can''t save him," said Yahya with a faint smile.


    "Master, are you really going to kill him?" asked the little ape.


    "Of course!"


    As he replied to the ape, he smacked Darren using his backhand, and a tremendous force came over.


    Bang!


    While Darren was trying his best to resurrect the two ancient senior holy warr


    , and then they suddenly knelt on the ground with haste.


    "Thank you for reviving us, Master!"


    Finally, Darren was relieved.


    "Ha-ha, stand up please. How should I address you?" Darren said with a smile.


    "My name is Manfred."


    "My name is Justin."


    "Okay, I get it." Darren nodded.


    Yahya immediately felt ill at ease knowing that Darren''s two new servants were more powerful than him.


    "You! You have such strong warriors with you?" he said.


    "Hailey, come here."


    Darren did not answer, but signaled Hailey to come.


    Upon hearing him, Hailey rushed to Darren with joy.


    "Darren, what''s going on? How did you have such strong subordinates?" Hailey was astonished to see the two men appear out of nowhere. Since they were back to the ancient times, even if Darren had any friends hidden in his small world, they should''ve instantly lost their strength there.


    But she could feel the strong ancient aura that emanated from the two men, which was quite hard for her to understand.


    "I''ll explain to you later. Let''s kill Yahya first to pass the final test," Darren said.


    "Yes." Hailey nodded in agreement.


    "Yahya, you wanted to kill me first. Come at me and do your best!" Darren said coldly.


    "Haha, you''re courting death! Do you think you can kill me with your two helpers? You underestimated my power!"


    A strong hatred suddenly burst out of Yahya''s bloodshot eyes.

 Chapter 967 The Starry Tower Appeared

    Could Yahya have other powerful abilities?


    Darren knew he had nothing to fear because he had two ancient tribulation holy warriors.


    "Manfred, Justin, heed my orders!" Darren commanded.


    "Of course, Master." The two cupped their hands in servitude, awaiting their orders.


    "Kill him, quickly."


    "Understood!"


    A powerful aura erupted from both their bodies, causing a rumble in the space around them.


    The shaking caused the stones around the canyon to roll and dust to hang over the sky. Thousands of birds began flying in the air in fear.


    Yahya gritted his teeth in frustration. "Master, please help me! I''m about to be killed!" he cried out.


    "Master?" Darren was stunned. He began to look around as he pondered. The Tiger Cat had told him that the holy emperor had three masters and they were three gods from outer space!


    Darren thought to himself, ''If his masters really come, I''m doomed. These two revived holy warriors with me are worthless in comparison.''


    A buzzing noise suddenly sped through.


    Ripples began to form in the air until a man''s phantom emerged, moments later. He was wearing armor and held a piercing gaze right at Darren.


    "How dare you threaten my disciple?" the phantom bellowed. His cold voice echoed throughout the space.


    The voice came down like thunder, shaking the two ancient senior holy warriors. A cold sweat came down their bodies in fear.


    "He wanted to kill me. Why can''t I kill him?" Darren asked.


    "Don''t try to argue with me, boy. I''ll give you one chance to get out of my sight. Otherwise, I''ll kill you!" the phantom shouted.


    "Master, please don''t let him go," Yahya begged anxiously.


    "Silence," the phantom snapped. Yahya immediately recoiled in fear. He knew better than to speak another word.


    Darren hesitated for a moment. Something didn''t feel right.


    "Master, I don''t think that phantom is as powerful as it looks. How about I size him up?" Manfred told Darren through spiritual sense.


    Darren heard this and got the same idea. If this person was really that powerful, why would he let them off the hook so easily? It was definitely a bluff!


    "Go ahead and try," Darren replied curtly.


    With that, Manfred lunged at them with an unstopp


    deaths also meant that he and Hailey would also be doomed.


    ''What should I do?'' he asked himself, filled with self-doubt.


    Darren suddenly recalled what the Tiger Cat had said.


    When the Tiger Cat introduced his master to Darren, he mentioned that his master''s three masters were gods. The Tiger Cat also mentioned that those three gods were servants of Lord Starry Sword.


    According to the Tiger Cat''s description, the Lord Starry Sword had black and white sword eyes!


    From recalling this memory, Darren remembered his own master¡ªthe previous owner of the Starry Tower!


    If Darren''s guess was right, this meant his master was the master of those three gods. If he revealed his identity, would the phantom in front of him dare cross him? Darren had an idea.


    At this moment, the golden power only missed Justin by a hairline.


    Knowing this was his last shot, Darren shouted, "Starry Tower, come out!"


    Darren now was the owner of the Starry Tower!


    A great rumble echoed into the space.


    Suddenly, the golden tower appeared in all its splendor.


    "Hey man, as you can see, my master is the Lord Starry Sword. How dare you try and kill me?" Darren boasted.


    The phantom''s eyes clouded over with fear when he saw the Starry Tower descending from the sky. He tried to keep his strong front, but his cold and ruthless expression began to falter at the sight.


    "The aura of the master! It''s impossible, impossible!" the phantom murmured. He could not believe his eyes.

 Chapter 968 The Bloody Shura Force

    The Starry Tower was suspended in mid-air, emitting a golden light. The phantom stared at the Starry Tower and felt its aura.


    "Brat, how did you get this tower?" The phantom still could not believe his eyes.


    "Of course my master gave it to me," Darren calmly said.


    Yahya was baffled by what he had heard. ''This man''s master is the master of my master?'' he thought in disbelief. He couldn''t accept it.


    "Don''t trust him, Master. He must have played some tricks to deceive you!" Yahya anxiously cried out.


    The phantom slowly shook his head. "No, that''s indeed my master''s aura. No one in the world will be able to trick me about that."


    "So, my master is also your master! Shouldn''t you show respect to me now?" Darren beamed at the phantom.


    "Shut up, you brat. My master has recruited countless disciples in the boundless universe. In the end, whether you can become his real disciple or not depends on whether you have the ability to break through the Super Emperor Realm and enter the Primitive Wilderness. Right now, you are just a nominal disciple, a position you''re not even qualified for.


    But since you have been chosen by my master, it shows that you have some potential. So I''ll let you go one last time. Get out of here immediately. If you dare to kill my disciple again, I will show no mercy. Get out!" The phantom''s hands were balled tightly into fists as he glared at Darren.


    "Master, we''d better leave now," Justin muttered.


    "Yeah, Darren, let''s go," Hailey reiterated.


    Darren paused and thought for a while. Currently, it would be impossible to kill Yahya. The best choice for them was to escape unharmed.


    "Alright, let''s go."


    Darren turned around and led them away.


    Yahya was uneasy and had a few qualms about his master''s instruction but he had no choice but to follow it. However, he couldn''t help but voice out his concerns.


    "Master, you''re going to let him go just like that? But you promised me three terms. You promised me that you would help me."


    There was actually a special reason why he was able to become a disciple of the god from outer space.


    The phantom had met a devastating catastrophe that had left his original body ruined and his soul trapped. Yahya happened to come upon him, broke through countless restrictions, and by luck,


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    k it''s not easy to get the inheritance. There must be other conditions. Darren, do you think he wanted us to kill the Bloody Shura to avenge himself?"


    Darren''s heart started to beat fast as soon as he heard Hailey''s words. What she said was possible.


    Back when Darren became the new master of the Ancient Void Battlefield, the Grand Void Emperor wanted Darren to avenge him as well.


    "Maybe, the Bloody Shura..." Darren muttered to himself. He also inherited the Bloody Shura Force, but he hadn''t really developed its power yet, but he was looking forward to using the full power of Bloody Shura in the future.


    "Hang on¡­ Now that I''m in the ancient times. Will it be possible for me to improve my Bloody Shura Force faster?" The thought suddenly occurred to him.


    Darren''s time, after all, was hundreds of millions of years away from the ancient times. The rule system had changed, therefore he made slow progress on cultivating the Bloody Shura Force. Since he was now in the ancient times, perhaps a real Bloody Shura existed. Perhaps the ancient rule system would be very advantageous for the cultivation of the Bloody Shura Force.


    If that was the case, it would be the best choice to cultivate the Bloody Shura Force now.


    "There is a corpse of a Bloody Shura in my Ancient Void Battlefield. Could that be helpful?"


    All of a sudden, Darren remembered the corpse with red hair that he had taken from the Space-time Palace. If he could get something from it, his Bloody Shura Force would surely be greatly enhanced.

 Chapter 969 Kill The Beasts

    Ever since his encounter with Yahya, Darren had been thinking about how to defeat him. The best plan he could think of now was enhancing his Bloody Shura Force to the point that he could surpass Yahya''s master!


    "Since the Dark Force and the Primitive Fighting Force in my body have completely disappeared, it is important that I cultivate again."


    When Darren came to the ancient land, all his powers disappeared because of the difference in rule systems. Thus, he had to start from scratch to develop the Bloody Shura Force.


    "Well, it seems like I have to start all over again. Maybe I can learn something new."


    Then, Darren and the others found a cave where they could begin to cultivate.


    A month had passed. Darren''s cultivation speed was incredibly fast. By then, he had already reached the level of a one-star grand warrior!


    ''I still can''t assimilate the ancient spiritual energy from the environment. I can only rely on my talent to cultivate. This is too slow. I have to find a way to improve at a faster rate. Perhaps I could find some powerful beasts to kill and absorb their cardiac cores, '' Darren pondered. He was not satisfied with his speed of cultivation.


    Darren needed to improve his cultivation level as soon as possible. When he reached the peak of the Grand Realm, he would be able to explore the power of the Bloody Shura. After all, the dark crystal and the primitive crystal were still in his elixir field.


    "Manfred! Justin!"


    Darren called out the two ancient tribulation holy warriors who were guarding outside the cave.


    "Master, what can we do for you?" They bowed their heads and clasped hands.


    "Can you check where powerful wild beasts live? Let''s go there and hunt them down," Darren ordered.


    "Of course, Master."


    Then, the two unleashed their spiritual senses.


    "Master, there is a small island five thousand kilometers away from here. A lot of powerful beasts reside there; some are even more powerful than us," Manfred replied.


    "It doesn''t matter. We just need to be more careful."


    "Yes, Master."


    Under their guidance, Darren flew south of the cave, while Hailey stayed inside to continue her cultivation.


    In the blink of an eye, they landed on a remote island.


    The island was small and covered only a range of dozens of ki


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    and earth was, while Darren followed suit.


    Then, Darren saw a colorful little beast lying on a stone, peacefully basking in the sun.


    "I''m sorry, little guy," Darren murmured.


    "Justin, you should slash it quickly. I''ll guard the surrounding area in case it tries to escape," Manfred suggested.


    "Okay."


    As soon as he finished his words, Justin raised his sword. A sword shadow broke through the limit of the space and directly shot at the spiritual beast of heaven and earth.


    Whoosh!


    In an instant, the spiritual beast was beheaded.


    Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!


    Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!


    What happened next shocked Darren and his two servants.


    After the death of the spiritual beast, vivid beams of light flashed straight into the clear sky.


    "What''s happening?" Darren and his two companions were dumbfounded.


    They saw hundreds of spiritual beasts of heaven and earth rushing out.


    "Oh my God! We hit the jackpot!"


    Manfred cried out excitedly.


    "Hush!" Justin cast a stern glance at his companion. He was afraid that Manfred would scare away the spiritual beasts of heaven and earth.


    "Come on! Kill them!"


    The two were extremely thrilled. They never dreamed of seeing so many spiritual beasts of heaven and earth gathered there.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Without hesitation, the two men pounced on the powerful beasts.


    Bang! Bang!


    Two muffled sounds reached Darren''s ears.


    At that very moment, he saw Justin and Manfred quickly retreat, leaving two streaks of blood in the air.

 Chapter 970 A Powerful Old Man

    Darren was shocked. He witnessed how far Justin and Manfred were thrown back, but he did not seem to notice any power waves.


    "Oh my God!"


    Darren immediately went to his companions.


    Both of them were dumbfounded as they stared at him blankly.


    "It''s too terrifying."


    "Who is that guy? He is so powerful."


    They both said with a lingering fear on their faces.


    "What happened?" asked Darren.


    "Well, we were just about to kill the spiritual beasts of heaven and earth, but we were smacked by an old man! I''m surprised we''re not dead already!" Justin said with a trembling voice.


    "Let''s leave this place." Darren immediately wanted to escape the island. If they were caught by the powerful old man, it would be difficult for them to get away.


    As they were about to leave, the old man spoke.


    "You just leave after killing my little pet?"


    An old man wearing beast hide suddenly appeared in front of them.


    The old man looked feeble and weak. He seemed as though a puff of wind could blow him down. There were no signs of intimidating aura in his body.


    "We''re so sorry, sir. We did not mean to offend you. Please forgive us," Darren apologized instantly.


    The old man did not respond. Instead, he just glared at them sternly and said, "Do you know why I didn''t kill you?"


    The three of them were all speechless.


    "You killed my pet. Therefore, I shall make you my slaves forever!" The old man''s calm aura suddenly became so furiously strong that it felt like millions of stars had exploded above their heads.


    "What a horrible aura!" Darren exclaimed.


    "Sir, we didn''t know that the beast was yours. Please spare us," Darren tried to explain again.


    However, the old man ignored his pleas. He then reached out his dry and wrinkly hand, and put it on Darren''s shoulder.


    "How dare you arrest my master!"


    Justin and Manfred were both afraid of the old man, but they still tried their best to protect Darren even at the cost of their lives.


    Both of them waved their weapons and charged towards the old man.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The old man didn''t move a finger at all. He just stared at them, and they were immediately thrown backwards again.


    Then, the old man stretched out his other hand and carried Justin and Manfred as if he was carrying two little chicks.


    In the blink of an eye, all of them disappeared from the island.


    Muddleheaded for three days, Darren suddenly woke up.


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    imilated.


    That thought that he would still have to come a long way before he could suppress the immortal made Darren sad.


    However, he did not want to give in to his negative thoughts. Therefore, he tried his best not to think about killing that immortal.


    "Phew!" Finally, Darren had calmed down and decided to enter the cave. As he walked further and further, the chilling darkness began to engulf him.


    It was a small and narrow cave, which covered an area of no more than thirty feet.


    Then, he found a small stone with a silver light that dispelled the darkness in the cave. In the middle of the cave, Darren found an icy bed.


    The icy bed was originally a place for the immortal''s body, but a corpse with red fur was placed there now.


    Darren walked forward and stopped in front of the dead body.


    There was a cultivation method engraved on the back of the cadaver. Darren had remembered it with all his heart, but he could not understand the words.


    The corpse had tiny red sparkles that glittered all over his body. It was the purest Bloody Shura Force.


    "Let me see if I can assimilate it or not. If I fail, I will still have to wait for my luck to embark on the Blood Shura Cultivation," Darren murmured as he started to assimilate the power on the corpse.


    Crack! Crack!


    A great deal of assimilating power came into contact with the corpse. Then, an immense amount of lightning wrapped the body completely.


    "Wow! Such a treasure you got there, boy!"


    An old voice suddenly resounded that sent chills down Darren''s spine while he tried his best to assimilate the Bloody Shura Force.

 Chapter 971 Give The Shuras Corpse To Me

    Darren turned around and was surprised to see an old man standing behind him.


    "It''s you! How did you get in?" Startled, he realized that it was the same old man who had caught him.


    Since he was the master of the Ancient Void Battlefield, nobody should have been able to enter it without his permission. The mere presence of the old man here stunned him.


    "Young man, how come you have a holy emperor''s small world?


    Oh, wait. It didn''t belong to you. You''ve inherited it from someone," the old man mused, ignoring Darren''s incredulity.


    "Tell me, how did you get in here?" Darren asked again.


    "I just walked in. As you can see, I can enter any world as I wish. I can even get in the one you created and the one you inherited."


    This old man had locked up Darren and his two companions for some time now. A moment ago, he had wanted to make them do some heavy work for him. But when he came to the place where the three were locked, Darren had been gone. All that was left was a mysterious world that was as small as a grain of sand. Without second thoughts, he decided to enter it.


    Darren could only imagine how powerful the old man was to be able to follow him here.


    "Please have a seat, sir."


    Trying to calm himself down, he conjured a stone table and chair for the old man to sit down on.


    "If I may ask, what is your name? You see, we made a mistake in killing the spiritual beast of heaven and earth because we thought it was a wild thing. Please be magnanimous and spare us. It was all a misunderstanding," Darren said, apologetically.


    "Humph! My name is none of your business. But the beast, on the other... I can feel my blood boil just by the mere thought of its death. That beast is my favorite. How dare you send your companions to kill it! You shall be responsible for this crime." The old man sat down, but his face was impassive and cold as ice.


    Darren was speechless, not daring to speak up to the old man out of fear.


    "Young man, why do you have such a corpse? With your strength, you would have been crushed by his power from kilometers away. I find it odd that you''re able to move this body without breaking." The old man pointed at the floating Shura corpse over their heads.


    "To be honest, the corpse has always been in this world ever since I inherited it," Darren lied.


    The old man frowned at that and said, "This ice bed is made out of the magic ice from heaven. It can protect a body for millions of years and the body won''t


    om it," the old man said.


    "Sir, are you trying to force me to stay here? You can''t go back on your words now."


    "That won''t matter. If I get angry, I can always just kill you directly."


    Darren gave a bland smile and said, "I don''t dare offend you, sir. But since you ask me to stay, I have no choice but to obey. Although, I have one small request. If you refuse, I''d rather die than let you use my ice bed."


    Seeing how the old man was so keen on making him stay, Darren had a feeling that his ice bed was of great importance to him. But in his eyes, Darren was only a nobody he could kill. The only thing stopping him was the fact that Darren was the only one who could access the ice bed.


    "How dare you bargain with me?"


    "It''s not a bargain, sir. I''m asking for a favor," Darren corrected.


    "All right. Tell me what you want then." The old man finally conceded to Darren''s request.


    Darren was thoughtful for a while before saying, "Sir, can you please tell me how powerful your cultivation base is? If your cultivation base is too low, I shall go look for someone else who is stronger."


    "Humph, how dare you question my cultivation base? Listen to me carefully. No more than ten people in this area can stand three moves in a fight against me. Do you understand?" The old man puffed out his chest, proudly.


    "Are you saying that even the giant apes on the shore are not your match?" Darren could feel the thrill creeping up to him.


    "Indeed, I can crush those apes to death with just one finger."


    Delighted, Darren reckoned that the old man might be an ancient emperor. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be as confident as he was now.

 Chapter 972 The Primitive Tribe

    From the old man''s choice of words and venerable demeanor, Darren could tell that he was a very powerful person.


    "Sir, I have an enemy. Can you help me deal with him?" Darren paused as he was nervous for the old man''s response.


    "An enemy? Hmm. Do you want me to get rid of your enemy?"


    "Yes, exactly." Darren was thrilled.


    However, he did not want the old man to kill Yahya instantly. Instead, he wanted the old man to handle his enemy''s master. If the old man would finish off Yahya, it would be a violation to the holy emperor''s rules of the test. Thus, it would be considered as a failure.


    "What kind of enemy do you have?" the old man asked curiously.


    "My nemesis is not very powerful, but he has a strong reinforcement, which is his master. I don''t think you will have much chance to win against his master anyway," Darren said honestly.


    "What? That''s utter nonsense! I can best anyone of those masters anytime!"


    "Well, to be frank, he is a god from the outer space," Darren replied.


    The old man was speechless and his eyelids twitched.


    "That''s poppycock! Indeed some gods arrived on this continent thirty thousand years ago, but it is said that those divine beings were shocked to death by the ancient rules. How can there be any god left in this world? Ha-ha. You are one funny boy." The old man snorted. He thought that Darren was so weak that he had mistaken someone powerful as a god.


    "I''m telling you the truth, sir. He is a god from the outer space. However, his body was destroyed, so he is currently in his soul state," Darren said seriously.


    "Really? Are you sure?"


    "Yes! I also have a secret to tell you," Darren said.


    "Go ahead." The old man stared at Darren eagerly.


    "You know, there is an ice bed from outer space in my small world, but that''s not the best part. An immortal had once been sealed on that same bed."


    "An immortal? Are you sure?"


    "Yes!" Darren nodded.


    "Fuck off! Now, that is bullshit. Your small world was created by a holy emperor. How could it possibly trap an immortal?" The old man began to doubt Darren because he believed that such things could never happen.


    "Why would I lie to you? I do not know why she was sealed inside, but she did exist and even assimilated wi


    be.


    When he got inside the lavishly appointed house, an extravagant feast awaited him. The long table was filled with huge platters of the best meat stuffed with savory fruit and nuts. Countless breads, vegetables, sweets, and waterfalls of wine were also served.


    "You know what? I think this guy is a liar. How could he be the ancestor''s friend? Humph!"


    a young man shouted out loud before the end of the meal.


    "Aven, don''t be rude," Yusuf Hong scolded him lightly, but there was not much reproach in his words.


    Darren then realized that the people were polite to him only on the surface, including the patriarch.


    "Patriarch Yusuf, did I say anything wrong? This guy can''t even beat a five-year-old kid. How do we know that he''s really a friend of the ancestor? I don''t buy it!"


    "You are going too far, Aven! How dare you offend the ancestor''s friend?" The patriarch continued to reprimand Aven insincerely. Then, he said, "The ancestor is a wise man. He must have his reasons for choosing Mr. Chu as his friend. In my opinion, Mr. Chu is so modest that he must have been hiding his real strength all this time. If you continue to behave like this, I will have to imprison you, Aven!"


    "Humph! If an ant like him can survive a second under my Primitive Fighting Force, I''m willing to accept the punishment!" The young man suddenly stood up boastfully.


    ''The Primitive Fighting Force!''


    Darren did not get offended. Instead, he felt happy that they knew Primitive Fighting Force.

 Chapter 973 Recovery Of The Primitive Crystal

    It was beyond Darren''s expectation that the young man from the tribe had possessed the Primitive Fighting Force.


    The Primitive Fighting Force and the Dark Force were the primary sources of the Shura Force. Only when these two forces were mixed could the Shura Force be produced.


    Darren had both the crystal of the two forces, but since the rule systems were different, his power had dissipated. Therefore, since he was in the ancient times, he needed to cultivate again.


    In order to re-cultivate the two forces, he had to find the medium of the two forces. Otherwise, the two crystals in his body were obsolete.


    Luckily, Darren met a young man who had the Primitive Fighting Force, and it was exactly what he needed to recover his own primitive crystal!


    "Boy, do you have a problem with me?" Darren stood up hastily.


    Darren was weak, but he did not want to lose the chance of activating his primitive crystal through Aven''s Primitive Fighting Force. In addition, Darren had the ancestor of their tribe behind his back. Thus, he was not worried about his safety at all.


    "Yeah, so? What sorcery did you use to befriend our great ancestor? Losers like you don''t just get acquainted with powerful men like him! I''m sure that I can defeat you with my bare hands!" Aven shouted angrily. He did not plan on killing Darren directly since their ancestor might come after him and his family.


    "Oh, really? I accept your challenge!" Darren said.


    He could tell that Aven was as strong as an inferior holy warrior of the contemporary times. As he cultivated himself depending on the ancient spiritual energy, his real strength might be even stronger than a senior holy warrior in the later ages.


    Darren''s strength was not on par with the young man.


    However, he knew that Aven might use his Primitive Fighting Force to attack him. If that happened, his crystal could absorb it, and he would not be killed by it.


    However, it would only be possible if the young man would not use his physical strength, otherwise Darren would be smashed into pieces.


    "Deal!" Aven said while gritting his teeth.


    At that time, a man next to the young man also st


    imitive crystal suddenly turned into a bright cyan. It came to function again.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The Primitive Fighting Force continuously gushed into Darren''s body.


    The spectators were dumbfounded.


    "What? He did not even release any power to resist the attack!"


    "Why is he still alive?"


    "Aven, are you really this weak?"


    Everyone was puzzled. They clearly saw that the attack fell on Darren, but they were confused at how he managed to withstand the impact of the Primitive Fighting Force.


    Aven was shocked too.


    ''Is this guy a secret great master?'' Suddenly, a bad idea struck Aven.


    On the other hand, Darren was flustered.


    At first, he transferred a large amount of Primitive Fighting Force into his body to activate the primitive crystal. However, when the primitive crystal had reached its peak state, it could not consume more of the force''s power.


    The Primitive Fighting Force released by Aven was so tremendously powerful that an excess of a thousandth of it was enough to kill Darren.


    "Holy crap!" Darren was overwhelmed with how immense Aven''s power was. He immediately released the Primitive Fighting Force from his body in a hurry since it was too dangerous for him.


    However, he did not have enough time to resist it.


    "It''s too risky. Am I done?" murmured Darren.


    He thought that he could be safe with his high level primitive crystal. However, the result was always far from right.

 Chapter 974 The Murder

    One thousandth of the remaining Primitive Fighting Force was fatal to Darren.


    With Darren''s current cultivation base, he couldn''t withstand it.


    In the blink of an eye, Darren''s palms began to crack. Soon, his bones shattered, and his flesh melted as the Primitive Fighting Force flowed along his arms.


    "Ha-ha, that guy is going to die!"


    "I thought he was a skilled warrior. Now, it appears as though he is going to be smashed to pieces."


    At that moment, Darren stared at his arms with disbelief. Horror coursed through him at the thought that he was doomed.


    "Resurrection!"


    A cold and ruthless voice suddenly echoed in Darren''s mind.


    Then, a strange force cascaded through Darren''s body. It dispelled the threat of death and infused life into every inch of him.


    Darren''s arms recovered at visible speed and the Primitive Fighting Force that was threatening his existence vanished.


    "It''s my avatar!" Darren was overjoyed. He knew who had saved him as only his avatar could use the Resurrection Force.


    "My avatar, have you come into the holy emperor''s tomb as well?" Darren used his spiritual sense to communicate with his avatar.


    "No. I need more time. Just now, my spiritual sense infused with the Resurrection Force reached you. Are you all right?" the Rule Soul Avatar replied.


    "Yes. Thank you for your assistance," Darren voiced his gratitude.


    "You are welcome. But there is no need to be so formal. After all, we share the same soul. You must be careful in the future. As we are not in the same space, it is extremely difficult for me to help you. I''m afraid that I won''t be able to save you a second time," the Rule Soul Avatar explained.


    "I understand."


    Then, the Rule Soul Avatar''s spiritual sense dissipated.


    Darren remained unharmed despite Aven''s attack.


    This surprised everyone. Only a brief moment ago, Darren had been on the verge of death, but a strange and strong aura had suddenly appeared and helped him regenerate. This was amazing.


    "He must have concealed his strength!"


    "Yes. It''s the only explanation. Otherwise, how did he recover so soon?"


    "It seems that he is not as simple as he appears to be."


    The crowd whispered amongst themselves as they felt that they had underestimated Darren.


    "This guy is stronger than I anticipated, and the aura he released is quite strange as well. Judging from its power, it would take me a lot of effort to resist it," Yusuf, the patriarch of the tribe, muttered softly.


    He couldn''


    en if he continued to cultivate, there would be no benefit for him. The disturbance thus presented Darren with the opportunity to take a break. He decided to fly out and investigate what had happened.


    As soon as he exited his stone house, Darren saw people discussing something intensely.


    "Patriarch, please seek justice for Jamie. He was cut into dozens of pieces by that bastard!"


    A woman cried as she fell to the ground.


    The patriarch standing in the middle of the crowd looked ghastly pale.


    "Ray, what information did you get? Did a member of the Dark Tribe kill Jamie?" Yusuf asked a thin young man, who stood beside him.


    "Yes. My poor Jamie died so miserably," Ray, the thin young man, replied as he closed his blood-shot eyes and suppressed a sob.


    "Humph!" Yusuf snorted in anger.


    "The Dark Tribe has gone too far! How dare they send masters to kill the backbone of our tribe?! I would not be a competent patriarch unless I take revenge!" Yusuf remarked coldly.


    "Ray, did you find out who killed him? Which master is responsible?"


    "Well..." Ray froze when he heard the question. He seemed reluctant to reveal the culprit''s identity.


    "Don''t worry. Just tell me," Yusuf urged.


    "Okay." Ray nodded before he continued, "According to my gopher friend, he saw a human teenager, who rode an ape, kill Jamie."


    Ray could obtain accurate information because he had a special skill that enabled him to communicate with all kinds of beasts. That was why he said his gopher friend had witnessed the young man kill Jamie.


    Darren, who was standing behind them, was reminded of a man when he heard Ray''s description. Could it be Yahya?

 Chapter 975 Yahyas Traces

    Darren guessed that the young man on the ape was most likely Yahya. He kept silent and listened for more information.


    Yusuf was shocked when he heard the news.


    "A young man? Are you sure?"


    ''Jamie was a powerful warrior in the tribe. Could he have really been killed by a young man? It seems impossible, '' he thought.


    "I''ve asked several beast friends who were hiding in the area. They all said that Jamie was killed by a young man riding an ape.


    One of them also said that he had some black and white lights shining on his body. A mere glance at him would make people''s eyes explode," said Ray.


    ''Since when did the Dark Tribe have such a talented warrior?'' wondered Yusuf with a frown. His expression had darkened at the thought. ''He was even able to kill Jamie.''


    After hearing the description, Darren was certain the man was Yahya.


    One of Yahya''s three Conflicting Cultivations was dark and light powers.


    "It seems that Yahya has started his Dark and Light Cultivation. He must have gained a lot of strength in the past few months," Darren murmured.


    "Patriarch Yusuf, my gopher friend told me the young man wanted Jamie to hand over someone. When Jamie told him he didn''t know what he was talking about, the young man killed him," Ray added.


    "Gophers don''t understand human language. How would he have known that?" asked Yusuf, mildly confused.


    "I''ve known the gopher since childhood. Over the years, I taught him the language. By now his skills in the human language are no less than that of a teenager," replied Ray.


    Yusuf furrowed his brows at the thought but began to nod slowly. If that was the case, then the gopher didn''t misunderstand.


    "Who was he looking for?" asked Yusuf.


    Ray opened his mouth to say something, then immediately closed it. He didn''t dare say anything more.


    "Tell me!" The patriarch was infuriated by Ray''s hesitation. He raged at the lack of urgency. Ray, caught by surprise, kneeled to the ground.


    "He was looking for me."


    Darren quickly flew and stood in front of Yusuf.


    Yusuf was surprised to see Darren standing in front of him. His gaze fell to Ray, still kneeling on the ground.


    Ray got his point and replied, "Correct. I heard that the young man was


    mperor wouldn''t have had to take such great pains to select an inheritor.


    So Darren still wanted to know the real purpose of the test.


    His inheritance of the Fire and Water Emperor Character and becoming a half-step emperor took a backseat in his mind.


    He cared more about surviving and finding out the truth.


    "Patriarch Yusuf, that young man is heartless and cruel. I worry he may hurt the other members of the tribe. You''d better spread the news that I''ve already left this place, so that I can lure Yahya to somewhere else," Darren suggested after pondering for a while.


    "No way," Yusuf refused. "No, he killed Jamie. We must avenge him. Since our ancestor is unable to come out, I''ll kill him myself."


    "We can''t, Patriarch Yusuf." Darren stopped him at once. Yusuf was underestimating Yahya''s power.


    "Mr. Chu, do you think I can''t fight against a young man?" A trace of displeasure emerged in the bottom of Yusuf''s heart. Did Darren think he was that weak?


    "Well, in my opinion, you are second only to the ancestor. You''re powerful, no question.


    But you have to know that battling this young man will not be easy. Even your ancestor is wary of Yahya''s master. He is not exactly a force to be reckoned with," Darren said.


    "What? Even the ancestor is wary of him?"


    Yusuf couldn''t believe what Darren was saying. His ancestor was mighty and powerful. The only one who could combat him was the bastard of the Dark Tribe. Why would he be wary of a simple teen?

 Chapter 976 Dark Tribes Attack

    Darren''s words caught everyone in the Primitive Tribe off guard.


    In their eyes, their ancestor was equivalent to a god, a symbol of invincibility. How could it be possible that he had to be wary of a young kid who was a nobody?


    Yusuf fumed, his face red in anger. "Come with me! Let''s find him!" he ordered at a dozen or so members of the tribe.


    Darren was speechless at the patriarch''s apparent incredulity. He still was not convinced and continued to insist on taking revenge against Yahya.


    "Patriarch..."


    Darren began but was cut off by the patriarch.


    "Mr. Chu, what you said may be reasonable, but since the backbone of our tribe was killed, there is no reason to let him go. Furthermore, we''ve gathered the top fighters of our tribe to test his strength. If it''s really impossible to defeat him, we can retreat and wait for our ancestor to come out. What do you think?" he calmly said.


    Hearing this, Darren breathed out a soft sigh.


    "Well, in that case, I''ll go with you." Darren knew that he wouldn''t be able to dissuade him anymore. The most reasonable thing he thought to do was to just accompany the tribe.


    "Well, Mr. Chu, you have incredible strength. In this critical moment, we would gladly accept your help," Yusuf remarked, a soft smile appearing on his face.


    Darren, a bit taken aback by the unexpected compliment, gave a small smile in return.


    Darren, as well as more than ten strong warriors of the tribe, headed out under the leadership of their patriarch.


    "Is this the place where Jamie was killed?" After about ten hours of flying, they arrived at a vastly dense forest.


    Collapsed towering trees were strewn on the ground. Everything was a mess.


    "Yes, that''s where Jamie died," Ray answered.


    "Okay, you can go now." Yusuf nodded at him.


    "Yes, sir." Ray then flew back at a fast speed.


    Yusuf led the group in searching the premises, but they did not find any strange aura.


    "It seems that he had already left," one of the warriors sighed out.


    "Humph! He''s lucky that he was able to run fast!" said another man.


    "No, I don''t think he had gone too far," Darren said, carefully squinting at their surroundings.


    "Why not?" The fighters were all confused.


    "If he wasn''t able to find the location of the Primitive Tribe, he''d wander around and wait for the opportunity to come upon a member of the tribe and gather information from them, any information that woul


    destroy your patriarch. Why would they be interested in you? You''re overestimating yourself, idiot," the young man arrogantly remarked.


    Darren triumphantly laughed in his mind. This teenager really was too inexperienced and told him the important information so easily.


    "In that case, go to hell!"


    Darren''s face suddenly turned grim. He eventually transformed into a shadow and made the first move to attack.


    "Profound Nine Sword Skills!"


    Darren brandished his sword and sword shadows emerged everywhere.


    The Profound Nine Sword Skills would not exactly be considered very powerful in his era, but in the ancient times, after Darren''s further comprehension with the help of his Genuine Domain Degree talent, it was comparable to a legendary martial skill.


    Swoosh.


    Lights from the sword flickered out and flew in a perfect trajectory towards a visibly panicked young man.


    The young man, who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, was shaking in fear. He was no match against Darren who had experienced various kinds of dangers and had killed countless enemies.


    The teen was completely surrounded by Darren''s sword skills. He was doomed and had nowhere to hide.


    "Go to hell!"


    Darren transformed into a shadow once again and aimed his sword at the young man''s head.


    Just as he was about to strike, the black beast beside the young man howled.


    It then started to move as quick as lightning.


    The black beast was exhibiting power equivalent to an inferior holy warrior''s. Darren could sense that the ferocious beast had experience in fighting, much more than the young man.

 Chapter 977 Kill The Young Master

    Whoosh!


    The black figure swiftly flashed and slashed Darren''s arm.


    "Wow, that was quick!"


    Darren''s arm dripped with blood from his freshly cut wound. He was able to dodge the beast''s attack, but it still managed to slit his arm.


    "Stop!"


    When the black beast was about to attack Darren again, the young man stopped it.


    "You bastard, how dare you sneak up on me?"


    The young man, with the help of the black beast, was able to rest. However, at the moment, he was agitated and began to stare at Darren coldly.


    He was confident with his own strength, and he did not expect a nobody to threaten him. He thought he was not well prepared for the fight yet and that was why Darren had an upper hand just now. Now that he was ready, he believed he would surely kill Darren.


    Thus, in order to save face, he stopped the black beast.


    "Howl!"


    The black beast gave out a long and fierce howl.


    "Go away! Leave him to me! I''m the young master of the Dark Tribe, and I don''t need your help!" The black beast immediately retreated.


    Darren was thrilled to encounter such an arrogant enemy. For him, their pride always got the best of them in battle.


    Darren stepped forward and said with a look of contempt, "I will give you a chance to attack first."


    "Bullshit! I don''t need to attack first to kill such a nobody!" The young man got extremely agitated.


    "Well, you were almost killed by my sword!" Darren sneered.


    The teen was so annoyed that his face turned grim.


    At that time, Darren took a few more steps forward and came near the young man.


    "Lad, seize this opportunity. You may have a chance to survive if you attack first." Darren sneered.


    "How dare you look down upon me!"


    Swish!


    Before the young man could finish his words, a sword flashed.


    "You..." The young man was speechless. He did not expect Darren to pull another sneak attack.


    Darren looked at the young man with a wry smile. In such a critical situation, attacking the enemy at the fastest speed was the key to survive.


    Swish!


    A line of blood appeared on the teen''s abdomen.


    "Despicable..." The teen''s face turned pale and his lips got numb.


    Swish! Swish! S


    ies are coming!" Yusuf summoned all the strong men he brought.


    More than ten people gathered around Yusuf.


    "Wait, two are missing!" Yusuf counted and frowned upon the realization that those men were a lost cause.


    After thinking for a while, Yusuf ordered, "Retreat! We can''t stay here anymore!"


    "Hold on, Patriarch Yusuf. Darren hasn''t come yet," someone said.


    "Don''t worry about him. He''ll follow," said Yusuf.


    "Okay!"


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    At that point, a formidable aura came upon them.


    The immense ambiance appeared from all directions, and seemed to be extremely powerful.


    "Bastards of the Primitive Tribe, where are you going?"


    An old man with grey hair suddenly fell from the sky. His landing had resulted in a terrible impact that caused the earth to crumble.


    "It''s you, you old asshole! I dare you fight with me!" shouted Yusuf. Yusuf was worried deep inside, but he tried his best to be composed.


    Meanwhile, Darren had gotten rid of the black beast and had hidden in a dark cave.


    Although they were tens of kilometers apart, he could still feel the terrifying aura in the distance.


    "Shit! The members of the Primitive Tribe are being surrounded." Darren sighed.


    However, he could not join the battle because he was still so weak.


    "I have just absorbed the Dark Force. If nothing goes wrong, I should be able to condense the Shura Force. If that happens, maybe I can help them!" Darren murmured.

 Chapter 978 The Fierce Battle

    While Darren hid in the cave, he was delighted to finally possess the Dark Force and the Primitive Fighting Force, which were both conditions to cultivate the Shura Force.


    "Hmm. Will it be much more powerful if I cultivate the Shura Force in the ancient times? If not so, I won''t be able to join the battle of the two tribes."


    Darren wanted to help the Primitive Tribe. After all, they had been warm and kind to him after handling the conflict with Aven that day.


    He sat on the ground with crossed legs. Then, he gathered the Primitive Fighting Force and the Dark Force in his elixir field.


    The black rune and the bright cyan power began to merge in Darren''s elixir field.


    "The Shura Formula!"


    It was the formula that Darren acquired when he first practiced the Shura Force. After so many years, it had been the perfect cultivation method for the Shura Force.


    However, the Shura Formula was originally created for cooperation, and was initially used for a lower grade version of the Shura Force.


    Despite that, Darren mastered it on his own. No one could do that in the past hundred million years.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The earth began to shake when the two forces emerged out of his body.


    With a sword and a blade in his hands, Darren activated the two forces using the Shura Formula.


    Then, a beam of blood light spread in the air.


    "It''s done!"


    Because of his previous experience in cultivating the Shura Force, Darren had successfully cultivated the Shura Force again.


    Although the Shura Force was still very weak, it was much easier to strengthen it as long as its base had been created.


    "Unfortunately, the Dark Force in my body is too scarce. The dark crystal hasn''t reached its peak yet." Darren sighed deeply.


    The Dark Force that he had obtained from the young man was only enough to bring the dark crystal to life. It was not sufficient to strengthen the Shura Force.


    "The members of the Dark Tribe practice the Dark Force. If I lurk in the battlefield, I may be able to procure more." Thus, Darren decided to go out of the cave and into the battlefield.


    Whoosh!


    Darren flew and carefully follo


    depressed, he still had to do his best to improve the Shura Force in order to help the Primitive Tribe.


    The Primitive Fighting Force of the fallen member of the Primitive Tribe passed onto Darren''s elixir field.


    "Ah! Brother! They killed my brother! Let''s fight together to avenge him!"


    The members of the Primitive Tribe went berserk. They immediately broke out from the siege and rushed towards the murderer.


    Countless shadows of cyan spears shot towards that man like sharp raindrops.


    "Save me, Patriarch Hayden!" The man could not resist the combined attacks of his enemies and had to ask help from Hayden.


    However, the two tribe patriarchs were busy fighting against each other with all their strength, and thus could not attend to their constituents.


    Bang!


    The man instantly exploded into a mass of blood stains, and the Dark Force within his body began to dissipate.


    "Assimilate!" Darren drew out the assimilating power and immediately absorbed it. Then, he compressed it into the dark crystal in his elixir field.


    "I''ve finally gained enough Dark Force. Mingle!"


    Darren''s Shura Force had already been created. Once sufficient Dark Force was integrated into it, the Shura Force could be greatly enriched.


    "If they could kill ten more warriors from the Dark Tribe, maybe I can help Yusuf by distracting Hayden, and let him kill his opponent by surprise." Darren finally saw a glimmer of hope.

 Chapter 979 Yahyas Trick

    However, it was very difficult to kill more members of the Dark Tribe.


    Everyone''s strength was almost the same, but the Dark Tribe had more warriors.


    "Ugh, it''s so difficult." Darren sighed deeply.


    The fierce battle lasted until the night. By then, three warriors from the Primitive Tribe were killed.


    On the other hand, the Dark Tribe only had two casualties.


    "Since they are greatly outnumbered, sooner or later the Primitive Tribe will all be killed. If that happens, the warriors of the Dark Tribe could corner Yusuf and kill him instantly. This is not good."


    Meanwhile, Darren still hid from plain sight. The more he saw members of the Primitive Tribe die, the more he felt upset.


    Finally, six hours later, all the warriors of the Primitive Tribe were killed. Only Yusuf had survived the furious attacks of the Dark Tribe.


    "Brothers, let''s kill Yusuf!"


    Only three members of the Dark Tribe had fallen. The remaining members still had substantial fighting powers. Then, they gathered together and started attacking Yusuf from all directions.


    Bang!


    Yusuf was furious as he pounced on the Dark Tribe members with extreme ferocity.


    He quickly shot out his cyan spear, and instantly killed one of their members.


    "What? He''s still alive? Finish him now!"


    Dozens of people pulled back a couple of meters while releasing their powers to distract Yusuf, so that their patriarch Hayden could kill him soon.


    Every time Yusuf wanted to rush out, Hayden would attack him so fiercely that he could not escape.


    "Ahhh!" Yusuf bellowed in rage like a helpless wild beast.


    Although Darren''s Shura Force had been greatly improved, his cultivation base was still too low. If he had reached the Holy Realm, he could launch an attack to kill one or two warriors. However, he still had a long way to go in terms of his cultivation.


    ''Damn it!'' Darren thought as he gritted his teeth.


    "Hmm. Interesting."


    A playful and familiar voice suddenly came from behind, which sent chills down Darren''s spine.


    Darren turned around and saw a smiling young man.


    "It''s you!"


    ance.


    "Cut the crap. You''ve only been practicing for a few months. Of course you''re not a match for those warriors."


    "Well¡­ Master, how does the Shura Force compare with the Dark and Light Cultivation?" asked Yahya.


    "The Shura Force is definitely so much stronger. That is why you have to collect more of the Dark Force as soon as possible!" the god''s soul replied.


    "Master, please help me and give me more god''s power," Yahya said with a smile.


    "I can''t do that because I''m still a soul. You have to do it all by yourself. I will only help you when it''s necessary. Don''t rely on me all the time. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, master."


    He had always known that as long as his master was there, he would never be in real danger. Therefore, Yahya thought the battlefield was a good avenue to practice his skills.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    He turned into a black and white shadow, appearing among the crowd.


    With the aid of the god''s power, the wheel became invincible. The power of Double Cultivation made the warriors feel life-threatening.


    The battle continued for a while, but when someone was careless, Yahya flashed by to take his life.


    "Ha-ha, take that!" Then, he took out his Fortune Tripod in order to absorb the Dark Force.


    Little did he know that Darren, who was not far away, had also released his assimilating power to obtain the remnants of the Dark Force.

 Chapter 980 Sneak Attack

    Darren used his assimilating power to cover the corpse. In that way, the Dark Force would become invisible and would accumulate in the direction where he stood.


    Ninety percent of the Dark Force from the corpse had been absorbed into Darren''s elixir field.


    ''What''s wrong?'' In midair, Yahya frowned and thought, ''I noticed before that I couldn''t absorb the Primitive Fighting Force completely. This time, the Dark Force I gather is so much less. How is that possible? Is there something wrong with my master''s Fortune Tripod?''


    Yahya had been using the Fortune Tripod to collect the Dark Force, but he could not figure out why he was not able to consume them completely.


    "Kill him!"


    Suddenly, the members of the Dark Tribe began to charge towards Yahya.


    "Humph!" Yahya snorted as he mobilized the power of light and dark once again. He fought back with the help of the black and white wheel infused with the god''s power.


    After several hours of fierce battle, Yahya had killed more than a dozen members of the Dark Tribe. Of course, his master was helping him secretly.


    Meanwhile, Darren continued to assimilate the Dark Force of the dead people. If he was willing to expose himself, he could make Yahya''s tripod absorb even much less Dark Force!


    After gathering a substantial amount of Dark Force, the Shura Force in Darren''s body began to grow stronger. Even he himself was terrified of the horrible aura that the Shura Force had released.


    "Phew!" Darren took a deep breath.


    ''Break it!''


    Darren was confined by a Shackle Rule, but it was not that powerful. Thus, he activated the Shura Force to break it.


    ''Great.''


    Darren broke free but he did not rush to escape.


    ''The others are dead, but I will definitely regret it if I don''t save Yusuf, ''


    Darren thought. Although he had no idea how powerful his Shura Force was, he was sure that if he attacked Hayden of the Dark Tribe by surprise, the tribe patriarch would be significantly damaged.


    Darren was a nobody to everyone''s


    erywhere.


    "Wow! Darren is so powerful!"


    Yusuf gasped in admiration. Then, he gathered all his might to attack Hayden.


    The strength of Hayden and Yusuf was even. Since Hayden had released a lot of his energy to hinder the blood-red Shura Force, he did not have enough power left to fight Yusuf.


    Bang!


    A sharp cyan spear hit Hayden and left numerous holes on his body.


    "Ah!"


    Hayden''s body was covered in blood. He was furious and relentless to die.


    He regretted using too much of his energy to resist the Shura Force, because he had realized that he had overestimated its power.


    Darren''s Shura Force was only at the primary level. It was far from the peak level. What was more, Darren''s cultivation base level was still low, resulting in less destructive power of the Shura Force. Thus, Hayden felt that it was not necessary for him to use the strongest defense power to withstand it.


    "Kill!"


    Yusuf continued to attack the wounded Hayden.


    "Protect our patriarch! He is in danger!"


    Only then did the people of the Dark Tribe who were stunned hurry to fight.


    However, Yahya did not stop them. He still could not believe what he had witnessed. After the light receded, he saw the man behind the dynamic Shura Force.


    "That''s impossible!" Yahya''s face darkened.


    "It''s him!" Yahya''s master also gasped.

 Chapter 981 Why Dont You Run

    Yahya never thought that a weak man such as Darren could possess the Shura Force.


    He knew how difficult it was to embark on that road. His master had told him that even with the Fortune Tripod, the chances of him succeeding was less than one thousandth. However, Darren had successfully cultivated a powerful Shura Force!


    Yahya looked at Darren with utmost hatred. The man he loathed the most was able to practice the skill that he had been longing to cultivate! He wanted to destroy him as soon as possible.


    At that moment, Yahya''s master contemplated.


    Darren had especially caught his attention because of his recent inexplicable display of tremendous power. Besides, he was the nominal disciple of the Lord Starry Sword. Now Yahya wanted to kill the man, but should he let him?


    In the past, it did not matter so much. After all, his master, the Lord Starry Sword, had accepted many nominal disciples, and this young man was just one of them.


    But now this young man was practicing Shura Cultivation, which was a very powerful skill. He had huge potential. Would his master pay more attention to him? If he let his disciple kill this young man, would there be any unbearable consequences?


    Yahya''s master was at a loss for a moment.


    On the other hand, Yusuf launched a forceful attack, which knocked Hayden off his feet and sent him flying.


    When the members of the Dark Tribe came, Hayden was already at death''s door.


    "Finish him, Mr. Chu!" The warriors from the Dark Tribe had closed in on Yusuf, so he had no choice but to let Darren kill Hayden.


    Without hesitation, Darren rushed towards Hayden.


    Boom!


    The Shura Force was activated again, and was directly shot at Hayden.


    Bang!


    Hayden violently exploded under Darren''s Shura Force.


    "Assimilate."


    A strong Dark Force surged up to Darren''s body and gathered in his elixir field.


    "Howl!"


    "Howl!"


    Two howls came from the northwest.


    Darren could sense that it came from at least a million kilometers away from there, and was probably at the other end of the sea.


    "Mr. Chu, run for your life!" Yusuf said hurrie


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    continue the fight, so they quickly scurried away.


    Whoosh!


    After they left, two figures fell from the sky almost at the same time.


    Darren and Yusuf had completely drained their energies.


    "It''s a good thing I frightened them. Otherwise, we would both die if we continued to fight." Darren heaved a sigh of relief.


    They both fell to the ground. Then, Darren and Yusuf lay down to let their wounds heal.


    "There you are!"


    Yahya suddenly appeared in front of Darren.


    ''Oops.''


    Darren''s heart thumped. He forgot all about Yahya!


    His face turned deadly pale. Both of them had no energy left to run away.


    "Yahya, why don''t you run?" Darren said as he pretended to be calm.


    Yahya''s face changed dramatically. "Run? Why should I run? What a joke! You can''t escape this time, Darren.


    You did surprise me. I did not expect that you could cultivate the Shura Force. I have to admit, you are not as useless as I''d imagined.


    Unfortunately, it''s time for you to die. Ha-ha-ha!"


    Yahya laughed menacingly and delighted on the idea that it was time for him to kill Darren.


    "You talk too much! I gave you a chance to run, but you didn''t listen. Now it''s too late. You''re doomed!" snapped Darren.


    "Go to hell!" Yahya shouted as he raised his hand and readied to finish Darren.


    All of a sudden, he was stunned and confused. He stopped and looked back with infinite fear in his eyes.

 Chapter 982 Choose To Escape

    Yahya was not the only one who was frightened. Yusuf and Darren were terrified as well.


    A young man stood before them. His long hair flew with the gentle breeze. What astounded everyone was the black symbol engraved on the left side of his face. The symbol was like a living creature. One glance and people felt as though they were falling into an abyss.


    His frosty aura almost forced Yahya to his knees.


    "Who... Who are you?" Yahya''s voice trembled as he asked.


    Darren had sensed the young man''s arrival long before his appearance before them. He also knew of the young man''s overwhelming power, which was why Darren used the young man to frighten Yahya.


    Besides, Darren had already guessed the man''s identity. He was most likely the ancestor of the Dark Tribe.


    Perhaps he sensed the death of his tribe members, which was what forced him to appear. The timing of his arrival brought mixed blessings for Darren¡ªit was not good, nor was it a bad thing either.


    If the Dark Tribe''s ancestor hadn''t come, Yahya would have killed Darren. However, now Yahya wouldn''t be able to execute him. Since he had also murdered people from the Dark Tribe, Yahya would be too busy defending against the young man''s wrath.


    The man was as cold as an iceberg, which made everyone flinch.


    "How dare you kill my people?" the young man asked. His voice was laced with killing intent.


    Yahya trembled with fear. He had never before felt such tremendous power.


    "Master, he is too powerful. What should I do?" Yahya asked.


    "Run away," replied his master.


    "What? Who is he? Why can''t you deal with him?" Yahya was shocked.


    "I can deal with him. He is simply not worth it. I will have to sacrifice a lot to kill him. After all, I''m just a broken soul, but he''s a holy emperor of the world."


    The god''s soul had the power to defeat or even kill this person, but the action would cause significant damage to him. As the recovery time would be long, it would ruin his plans. And so, the fight was not worth it.


    "Holy emperor? If he is a holy emperor, how can I escape?" Yahya knew that a holy emperor''s speed was beyond anything he had ever seen. How could he possibly escape from this holy emperor?


    He also understood that if he fled, he would have to


    d at this astonishing result.


    He sensed that the cold voice had the power of a super emperor. How powerful could that person be?


    "You''re from outer space! Show yourself!"


    As he was a holy emperor, Talon was filled with pride. How could he be afraid of someone from outer space?


    The god''s soul remained silent and did not form a phantom like the last time.


    "Yahya, everything is ready. You should relax your soul," Yahya''s master instructed.


    "Yes, please hurry up, master." Yahya was so terrified that death would claim him, that he almost cried.


    "Nobody, I''ll kill you when I recover,"


    the god''s soul threatened Talon as Yahya''s figure faded.


    "Argh!"


    Talon realized that Yahya was about to escape. He reached out with his hand, and it broke the space. His arm traveled through the broken space. In an instant, it went through tens of thousands of kilometers.


    In the distance, Yahya''s figure shrouded in golden light was moving at lightning speed.


    Suddenly, Yahya was overcome with terror as he felt the palm coming toward him.


    "Master, he is coming!"


    "Huh! How dare you?" The god''s soul let out a cold snort. Earlier, the god''s soul had refrained from attacking the holy emperor as he was afraid of hurting himself and delaying the recovery of his body.


    But now, the holy emperor had dared to provoke him. The god''s soul''s anger flared, and he decided to teach the holy emperor a lesson.


    Whoosh!


    A wisp of golden power, like a snake, struck the chasing palm.

 Chapter 983 The Ancestors Arrival

    Talon felt a horrible aura from the golden light, so he changed his palm''s direction. Despite this, he did his best to keep his palm in Yahya''s direction.


    The golden light quickly changed its direction and followed Talon''s palm. The light rampaged throughout the space crack.


    Talon, the holy emperor, wore a darkened expression. Sensing danger, he quickly tried to withdraw his palm.


    In as quick as a twitch of his mouth, pain ran across his arm.


    In the space crack, Talon''s palm suddenly exploded! Blood spattered across the floor.


    The holy emperor roared in sheer agony. He didn''t retreat because of his smashed palm. Instead, he rushed into the space crack.


    "This is a great opportunity!"


    Darren and Yusuf were pleasantly surprised to see the scene.


    Talon, in his rage, forgot to chase after Darren and Yusuf. They were amazed at their luck.


    "Hurry up!"


    After recovering from their wounds, Darren and Yusuf staggered to their feet. They choked down the great pain from their injuries and flew toward the Primitive Tribe.


    The next moment, they realized their naivety.


    Even if Talon hadn''t been chasing after them, it was still easy for him to find them.


    They had been about ten kilometers on their way when a terrifying Dark Force tore open the space and darted toward them.


    The Dark Force of the holy emperor level was as powerful as that of the Dark Emperor. There was no resisting it! Their deaths were certain if they let the Dark Force strike them.


    Darren and Yusuf scrambled to defend themselves.


    "You bastard!"


    All of a sudden, a voice sounded in the ears of both Darren and Yusuf.


    With a flash, the Dark Force completely disappeared.


    "Ancestor! It''s the ancestor! He''s Here!" Yusuf cried excitedly as he felt his ancestor''s aura. They were saved!


    Sure enough, an old figure stood in front of Darren and Yusuf.


    The old man reached out his hands and put them on Darren''s and Yusuf''s shoulders. A sense of coolness spread throughout their bodies. Darren''s and Yusuf''s wounds began to close up, and half their injuries began to heal as well.


    They all descended to the ground.


    "What''s going on, Yusuf? Did that bastard get out?" the old man snapped.


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    come to kill my tribe and the Dark Tribe eventually. After all, he is under the guidance of a god''s soul," said Yusuf, assuringly.


    Yusuf was right. Even if Darren hadn''t been in their tribe, the god''s soul hiding in Yusuf''s body would have already sensed the existence of the two tribes. Yahya would have slaughtered them anyway.


    "Thank you Patriarch Yusuf. I hope that your clansmen can rest in peace." Darren sighed.


    Both of them were silent the entire way to the Primitive Tribe. There were no more words to be said as they carried their grief.


    In the tribe, families eagerly watched towards the sky, waiting for their loved ones to return.


    When they saw only Yusuf and Darren returning, their hearts broke. They realized that a great tragedy must have come upon them.


    The ancestor, on the other hand, rushed as fast as a flash towards the space crack with complete ease.


    In just fifteen minutes, the ancestor walked out of the space crack and was face to face with Talon.


    "You little bastard, you''re not getting away from this. Go to hell!"


    the ancestor bellowed.


    Talon''s body froze in complete shock as he heard the voice.


    "Hah! It''s you! My dear master!"


    Talon suddenly turned around, with a murderous smirk on his face. A few steps ahead, Yahya stopped to turn around as well.


    "Master, what happened? Why have you stopped?" Yahya asked the god''s soul fearfully.


    "Don''t rush. This is going to be quite a show," cackled the soul.

 Chapter 984 The Fight Between Two Emperors

    The two holy emperors stood opposite each other. Even the god''s soul was stirred about the prospect of a fight between the two.


    "I will kill you today, you bastard!" the old man coldly declared.


    On the other side, the corners of Talon''s mouth twitched. He sneered at his opponent, "Do you really think you have that ability?"


    The old man''s lips curled into a sour smile.


    "Do you think that I can''t do anything to you just because you''ve stolen the Dark Emperor Character?


    You have enjoyed enough all these years. Today I will let you know what you really should end up as!"


    "Shut up! You old bastard, the Dark Emperor Character belongs to me. How would I steal something that belongs to me?"


    "You insolent fool! Don''t even try to justify yourself!" the old man fumed.


    "I found the cave first! After you took the two Emperor Characters, you wanted to have them all for yourself. You are just a robber! How dare you say I stole it?


    I only took one for the sake of what you have once taught me. If you were anyone else, I would have already killed you! For years, you''ve constantly tried to kill me, and I chose to evade every time. But I won''t let it slide today since you''ve come at full force. Not this time. Let''s fight!"


    If the old man wasn''t already quivering in anger before, he definitely was now.


    Tens of thousands of years ago, the old man used to be a hunter who made a living out of hunting beasts. His strength was just as powerful as a five-tribulation holy warrior.


    One day, while he was hunting in the mountains, he unexpectedly came across an abandoned baby who was in danger of being eaten by a beast.


    That baby was none other than Talon. The old man initially decided to make the baby his adopted son. However, the cloth wrapped around the baby had his family name embroidered on it, hence the old man just took him in as his disciple instead.


    When Talon grew up, he accidentally stumbled upon a cave full of treasures guarded by beasts. He then went back home to inform the old man.


    After several life-and-death matches, the old man was able to obtain two Emperor Charac


    no one to rely on in the future.


    His whole body tensed just thinking about the predicament he was in.


    "It doesn''t matter. I''ll just wait for them to resume fighting. When they eventually get injured, I''ll spare some of my strength to kill them."


    "But master, it seems like that old man is planning to swallow the Dark Force. When that happens, not only will the crystal be gone, but his strength will also increase exponentially," Yahya protested.


    "Ha-ha! No, no. Do you think it''s that easy to get the Shura Force? Once the old man devours a little bit of the Dark Force, he''ll know how cruel it is. Just wait and see. He won''t dare to swallow all of it," the god''s soul said.


    "Alright then."


    Back on the other side, the old man was at a stalemate with Talon.


    "Master! I have endured you for so many years. Are you really going to fight to the death against me today?" Talon''s tone was still cold, but there was a tiny hint of fear and worry.


    "Now you''re afraid? Do you think I will spare you just because you called me master? I don''t have a cruel disciple!" The old man remained unmoved.


    "You''re too damn stubborn. You''re also a powerful holy emperor. You should know that no matter what kind of enemy I face, I will never be afraid," Talon confidently stated.


    It was only true. holy emperors, by all means, would not beg for mercy. They might die, but they would never show fear.

 Chapter 985 The Coming Of The Avatar

    "Enough of this charade," declared the old man. "No matter what else happens today, I will kill you, you bastard!"


    "All right," Talon replied lightly, calming down all of a sudden. "From this day forward, I''ll never need to care about you¡ªor be grateful to you for raising me up."


    For the span of a heartbeat, there was dead silence.


    It was shattered by a boom as two powerful forces burst out again.


    The old man didn''t want to waste time. Straightaway, he began to gulp the Dark Force in his hand.


    A small strand of it passed through his nose and then into his elixir field.


    "Condense!" the old man shouted.


    He knew that as long as the two energies were gathered together, they would form one very powerful force¡ªthe Shura Force.


    Prior to this fight, the old man had performed countless tests and found that the Dark Force and the Primitive Fighting Force would merge together, after opposing each other at first. But all his tests had taken place outside his body.


    When the two met inside him at that very moment, only then did he realize his mistake.


    The old man''s eyes widened, and he roared with a sudden pain.


    Meanwhile, Talon was watching him with a knowing smirk. "What''s this? Suddenly you find that you can''t merge the two forces, right? My dear master, do you think that I never once tried to refine two Emperor Characters at the same time? Now you understand why I only chose one."


    While listening to Talon, the old man was staggering with agony as his heart thundered within him. The Dark Force was not joining with his Primitive Fighting Force, as he had assumed it would. Instead, they were violently attacking each other!


    Fortunately, the old man had swallowed only a small strand of the Dark Force. Otherwise, things would have gone much worse for him. His Primitive Fighting Force was at the emperor level. Had it fought with a greater amount of this Dark Force from a dead Shura, his elixir field might well have exploded.


    Seeing that his efforts to merge the two forces together were useless, he relented and gave up trying. Gasping and groaning, the old man swayed, but managed to stay on his feet.


    Talon looked at him with something approaching pity. "Master, I hadn''t wanted to kill you after all these years. But you''ve shown your hand today; you are too dangerous. And besides that, my debt to you is paid. I hope you will rest in peace."


    With that, he began to arouse his momentum sharply.


    His face hardened and the air became cold as power flowed out of him.


    The space windstorm appeared, swirling fiercely with Talon at its center.


    The old man frowned in dismay, sensing that something terrible was coming into being.


    In a distan


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    bad to happen to her.


    "Just forget it for now; worry about it later," Darren mumbled to himself and shook his head. The best use of his time would be to cultivate.


    He was just about to get started in his room when a strong, subtle wave of force began to stir without warning.


    Darren was taken aback.


    There was a strange buzz that filled the air.


    Every surface in the room began to vibrate and hum with energy, making Darren''s eardrums itch.


    "What is this?! Who''s there?!" Darren shouted, looking about. He was on full alert.


    Moments passed, and as Darren looked about, his surroundings began to shimmer and ripple, like the surface of a lake after a stone has been thrown in it. From the center of the ripple, a fair palm materialized and stretched forth.


    Then a handsome, powerful-looking man emerged.


    He was dressed in white, and his long hair writhed as though tossed about by a wind. His breath was strangely cold, and there was a terrible fluctuation of rule power in his body.


    The man spoke. "Long time no see, my real body."


    At once Darren understood. This could only be the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "My avatar! It''s you! You''re finally here!" Darren exclaimed, overjoyed. Forgetting himself, he took a step forward, his arms outstretched as though to hug the avatar. But at the last second he remembered that the avatar was himself, so it would be somewhat strange to give him a hug. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Darren stopped himself.


    The avatar didn''t seem to notice. "Yes. The rules of this tomb are very special, so it took me a lot of rule power to break through."


    "You come at the right time. I have something important to ask for your help," Darren said.


    He decided that he would get straight to the point. He would ask the Rule Soul Avatar to kill Yahya.

 Chapter 986 The Third Holy Emperor

    "By the way, how strong are you now?"


    Darren knew that his avatar was strong, but he didn''t know how strong.


    If Darren were to ask his avatar to kill Yahya, his avatar would have to fight the god''s soul. So, it was imperative for him to know the avatar''s real strength.


    "I don''t know."


    Darren was surprised to hear the avatar''s answer.


    "What? You don''t know your strength?" Darren voiced his confusion.


    Then, Darren thought of something and asked, "Avatar, when you came to this ancient sea, did you lose your cultivation base because of the rule restrictions?"


    When Darren entered this place, he lost his strength because the rule system was different here. Therefore, he had to rebuild his cultivation base.


    Now that the avatar had arrived, it was possible that he was facing the same situation.


    But the avatar shook his head, which surprised Darren. This meant that his strength had not diminished.


    "Well, aren''t you restricted by the rules?"


    "No." The Rule Soul Avatar thought for a moment before explaining, "I have been practicing at the source of rules for many years. Since I am already on par with rules, I won''t be suppressed by any rules. Therefore, even an ancient rule system cannot replace all the rule systems I have comprehended."


    Darren was too shocked to speak when he heard this. It was unbelievable that his avatar was on par with the rules.


    "To answer your earlier question, I don''t know how strong I am, for I have been unable to find a worthy rival on whom to test my power."


    The avatar had been hiding at the source of rules. During this time, he robbed the rule of thunder punishment, which the immortal had shot last time, and fought two body parts of the fiend. He had met no other rivals.


    The Rule Soul Avatar didn''t dare to confront the immortal when he stole the rule of thunder punishment. Since he had fled, he had not fought the immortal. When he battled the fiend, he didn''t exert his full strength. And so, he didn''t know how powerful he could be at his peak strength.


    "Well, I guess you have the strength to fight a holy emperor, right?" Darren asked.


    The avatar was silent for a moment as he pondered over Darren''s question. Then he said, "I can almost fight the Dark Emperor if I exert all my st


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    ng him crazy.


    Immediately after, a cyan octahedral crystal emerged above his head.


    It was his Emperor Character! In the later ages, this was called a Fake God Character.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Deafening thuds echoed in the space as the enormous Primitive Fighting Force floated like an ocean of shadows.


    In a flash, the Primitive Fighting Force turned into cyan spears and was about to descend on Talon.


    "In all these years, you have never tried so desperately to kill me. Well, I will let you die in the right way today. I''ll kill you using my Shura Force!"


    Talon knew that the old man had released all of his Primitive Fighting Force.


    After this battle, even if the old man won, he would not have the strength of a holy emperor for another hundred thousand years. The victory would also cost him his realm!


    But Talon was convinced that he would win as he didn''t fear the enormous Primitive Fighting Force at all. He was very confident in his Shura Force.


    Clatter...


    Dark red light fluctuated behind Talon like an ocean.


    Meanwhile, the Rule Soul Avatar, who had witnessed the battle up to this point, narrated the events to Darren, who was still at the Primitive Tribe.


    "What?" Darren was both surprised and angry.


    He was shocked that Talon from the Dark Tribe had mastered the fake Shura Force.


    And what angered him was that the old man was on the verge of death.


    "Avatar, how long will it take you to get there? Come with me to help the old man," Darren stated decisively.

 Chapter 987 The Avatar Joins The Battle

    Darren did not hold any sentiments for the old man. He robbed his Shura''s corpse, after all.


    However, he had been getting along well with the members of the Primitive Tribe. Besides, he had indirectly caused the death of a lot of the tribe''s members. Asking his avatar to help the old man was the least he could do.


    "Okay."


    The Rule Soul Avatar had a deep understanding of the Spatial Rule, so it only took him almost a short instant to reach that end.


    As Darren''s avatar, he was compelled to follow his every request, so he immediately agreed with no questions asked.


    "Take me there."


    "Okay. But be careful when you get to the battlefield, and don''t get too close. I''ll release the rule force to protect you."


    "I understand." Darren nodded.


    Soon after, the space rippled and a strange rule enveloped Darren. Both he and his avatar disappeared.


    In the blink of an eye, Darren had reached the space windstorm.


    The rampage aura in the area was frightening. Beads of sweat formed on Darren''s forehead¡ªhad he not been protected by his avatar, he would have been crushed to pieces. Moreover, the holy emperor''s power in the space gave off immense pressure.


    A strong rule formed a transparent ball and surrounded Darren. The fierce external forces had no effect on him at all.


    Darren glanced towards the direction of the battlefield.


    At that moment, the old man was still at a stalemate with Talon.


    However, the moment Darren and the avatar appeared, their attention was shifted towards the new arrivals.


    The god''s soul in the distance also clearly sensed the arrival of the Rule Soul Avatar, directly ignoring Darren.


    "What?"


    The god''s soul was shocked after probing the Rule Soul Avatar''s cultivation base.


    "He''s not even a holy emperor!"


    How could a person who had not even reached the Emperor Realm have such a terrifying Spirit Power? The god''s soul found it unbelievable.


    He had also sensed that the young man had a complicated and strong rule system, one he couldn''t comprehend either.


    "What a genius!"


    he exclaimed.


    As the god''s soul was sharing Yahya''s body, Yahya al


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    iolently. Tens of thousands of rules frantically surrounded him. His aura was no weaker than a holy emperor''s at this moment.


    Bang!


    The Rule Soul Avatar made a move. His white palm turned. The first stream of rule force surged out.


    "That''s Destructive Force!" Darren could also feel the horrifying rule force from a distance.


    The Destructive Force was comparable to the Killing Rule, one of the most powerful forces.


    Bang!


    When the Destructive Force collided with the fake Shura Force, the two powers consumed each other, making the whole place collapse and turn into a huge void.


    "Shit! That guy is so powerful! He''s on par with the holy emperor who utilized the fake Shura Force!" Yahya was severely impressed by what he saw.


    "No, he''s not that strong. Yes, he''s powerful, but he''s still no match against the man who possesses the fake Shura Force. After all, he hasn''t reached the Emperor Realm and he lacks the holy emperor''s power."


    The god''s soul had been analyzing the fight between the two the whole time, pointing out the advantages and disadvantages of both sides.


    But was his judgment absolutely correct? After all, the Rule Soul Avatar had the power of soul attack, Resurrection Force, and the rule force of the thunder punishment, and many other powerful forces.


    In fact, the avatar had an immensely powerful force that he hadn''t finished comprehending and hadn''t tried using.

 Chapter 988 Tribulation Thunder

    It seemed that the Destructive Force and the fake Shura Force were in a stalemate. Suddenly, a powerful force surged out of the dark red light.


    With the pressure from the force, the fake Shura Force became even stronger, crushing the Destructive Force.


    However, the Rule Soul Avatar did not panic.


    "He utilizes the holy emperor''s power, which makes him a stronger fighter," the Rule Soul Avatar murmured. Then, his figure gradually faded away.


    The fake Shura Force went berserk and tore the space apart. However, it couldn''t touch the Rule Soul Avatar''s body.


    "This guy has a deep grasp of the Spatial Rule. He could almost reach the low level of law. His talent surpasses that of anyone else I have ever encountered!" the god''s soul exclaimed from a distance.


    It was known to all that the Lothlann Continent was a mortal world. And in the ancient times on this continent, cultivators were restricted by heavenly law. They could comprehend rules but would never be able to comprehend laws.


    This man who had appeared from nowhere was not even at the Emperor Realm, but he possessed a top-level Spatial Rule skill. How could the god''s soul not be surprised?


    "Humph! I''ll make you show up!" Talon grunted and struck the broken space. His holy emperor''s power began to search for the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Talon sensed a faint wave of vital energy.


    In a flash, he flew towards the source of the energy.


    "Die!"


    Bang!


    He blasted the space open with his fist and the Rule Soul Avatar flew out.


    However, to Talon''s surprise, the Rule Soul Avatar had come out unscathed. This meant that the avatar''s powerful space skill was beyond his imagination.


    "Do you think I can''t kill you just because you boosted your own power? You are too naive. You will never understand what I am capable of because you are not at the Emperor Realm!"


    Talon laughed coldly. His fake Shura Force surged out and formed a glowing ball of light. His intention was to trap the Rule Soul Avatar within the sphere.


    He succeeded.


    Even though the Rule Soul Avatar was


    came a holy emperor by refining the Emperor Character, he was still comparable to some genuine emperors like the Dark Emperor who had lived during later ages.


    After the body of the Rule Soul Avatar had merged, his silvery eyes stared coldly at Talon. Then, the Rule Soul Avatar turned his palms facing up and stretched his arms wide. A huge roll of tribulation thunder suddenly appeared in the sky.


    However, the tribulation thunder did not descend. It merely vanished.


    At this moment, there was a small tribulation thunder in Talon''s heart. He squirmed in agony, but the pain was not enough to kill him.


    Cold sweat beaded his back as he felt a strong natural force crowd the confines of his heart and exert pressure within it.


    He used his spiritual sense to probe it and found that the weak tribulation thunder grew stronger by the second and began to spread itself outwards.


    This was the most powerful attack that the Rule Soul Avatar had grasped after stealing the fragments of the thunder punishment.


    In order to achieve this, he had to transfer the tribulation thunder seed into the enemy''s body and then summon the tribulation thunder. By doing this, the condensed powerful tribulation thunder would instantly reach the tribulation thunder seed.


    That was why the tribulation thunder entered Talon''s body without the old man and the god''s soul seeing it.

 Chapter 989 See Through The Trick

    Talon felt the threat of death for the first time as the Rule Soul Avatar''s thunder attack overwhelmed him.


    However, as he was a holy emperor, he instantly thought of a way to save his life.


    Buzz...


    With a shudder, he moved the Emperor Character in his brain toward his heart.


    The tribulation thunder raged in his heart. As soon as the octahedral crystal descended, it released a powerful pressure that forcibly attracted the tribulation thunder.


    "Argh!"


    Talon was in extreme pain.


    "Help me kill him," said the avatar.


    When Talon''s heart didn''t explode, the Rule Soul Avatar understood what Talon had done. He told the old man through his spiritual sense to collaborate to kill Talon.


    The old man, who had been observing the battle, knew that it was an excellent opportunity to kill Talon. If he were late, something unexpected would happen.


    "Kill!"


    The old man''s figure flew forward. In the blink of an eye, he was standing in front of Talon. The Rule Soul Avatar, with rule force raging around his body, appeared behind Talon.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The old man activated his Emperor Character''s power. Massive waves of Primitive Fighting Force moved toward Talon, eliminating space as they passed.


    Behind Talon, the Rule Soul Avatar stretched his white palms, and ten thousand streams of rule force erupted. These were powerful enough to destroy heaven and earth.


    At this moment, Talon felt as though he was doomed.


    He hadn''t removed the thunder in his body yet. Now, he was being attacked from in front and behind. He had no way to resist, let alone run away.


    "Ah!"


    Outraged, regardless of injury to him, Talon directed his fake Shura Force to defend. But, he was a little too slow, and his opponents'' attacks fell on him.


    Bang!


    Talon''s chest collapsed, and his back was smashed to a pulp.


    Fortunately for Talon, two strands of golden power suddenly appeared in front of the old man and the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "What?"


    When they sensed the formidable power, the old man and the Rule Soul Avatar stopped attacking and retreated.


    The golden power not only forced them back, but it also counteracted the rest of their attacks.


    "Who is it?"


    the old man roared. The Ru


    y that I will join hands with him?" Talon sneered.


    "What? It is foolish of you not to consider working with me to defeat them," the god''s soul rationalized.


    "Do you think I''m naive?" Talon turned and released a strong killing intent toward Yahya. Then, he said, "You killed my people, my son, and my grandson to steal the Dark Force. How can I not avenge them? This is one of the reasons.


    Secondly, everyone knows your plan. You will pretend to ally with me now. After we kill them, you will try to steal the Primitive Emperor Character. Then, you''ll attack me and get my Dark Emperor Character. As such, you will achieve your ultimate goal and get the opportunity to cultivate the Shura Force. Do you think that I can''t see through your plans?"


    Talon''s analysis was the same as the Rule Soul Avatar''s.


    The god''s soul did have such an idea. He only wanted to reduce risk to himself and still get the two Emperor Characters. In doing so, his disciple would become stronger, and he would have the chance to save his brothers, who were still suffering.


    But the god''s soul tried to deny the allegations. "You are wrong."


    But, before he could finish his explanation, Talon interrupted and said to the old man and the Rule Soul Avatar, "Master, and young man, can we put aside our grudges after dealing with this scum?"


    As soon as he said that, the expression on the god''s soul''s face changed. He had never considered that Talon would propose to unite with his enemies!

 Chapter 990 Three Versus One

    In order to kill a holy emperor, the god''s soul would have to use his god''s power, which in turn would cause harm to himself. The greater the power, the greater the exertion it took to use it. Even worse, if the three holy emperors made the decision to work together, it would increase their odds of success to the point where the god would most definitely lose.


    "Hey, I just risked everything to save your life!" the god''s soul yelled, looking at Talon.


    "Yeah. Yeah. If there wasn''t something in it for you, you would have left me to die. Do you expect me to say thank you?" Talon replied coldly, crossing his arms over his chest.


    "Fine!" the god''s soul shot back. "Hey, guys. I won''t interfere any more. You two have a stronger wish to kill this bastard, not me."


    Over the past few seconds, the god''s soul had decided he was in fact alone in this battle. He would have to watch his own back and figure out his own way to deal with their choices. Perhaps he could forfeit the fight. Would that mean the other two would leave him alone?


    The old man and the Rule Soul Avatar were lost in thought.


    The choice between them wasn''t easy. They had the upper hand no matter what they chose but they still had to be smart in deciding which one to kill first. Who was the greater enemy?


    ''If we work with Talon to kill the god''s soul, what will the result be after the battle? There is a chance that all three of us may be able to kill the god''s soul, but we will all end up gravely injured. If that happens, there won''t be a chance of killing Talon. Or we could be injured so badly that the god''s soul kills us. After all, he is a god with great abilities.


    If we chose to kill Talon first, the chance of success is higher, but we may get seriously injured. Will the god''s soul just stay out of this matter? What if he attacks us?''


    the old man and the Rule Soul Avatar thought as they sized up both their enemies.


    "Avatar, kill the god''s soul,"


    Darren ordered into the avatar''s mind.


    "Why?"


    Normally, the Rule Soul Avatar would not question Darren''s decision, however, this choice was larger than any he had had to make before. The avatar needed to understand the reasoning before he would act.


    "The reason is simple. I''m in the middle of a test called "Rivals." My rival is none other than the young man that the god''s soul is protecting, and this is the perfect chance to kill him."


    In all honesty, Darren was looking for the easy way out. He saw the opportunity to take advantage of not only t


    unched themselves towards the god''s soul and began throwing violent attacks at him.


    Not far away, Darren was hidden in the space crack and observed so closely that he barely even stopped to blink.


    When he had known that the Rule Soul Avatar and the two holy emperors would join hands to fight against the god''s soul, Darren had become the most excited of all. He had never witnessed a battle like this.


    "What a coincidence! You are here!"


    Darren looked up to see Yahya floating into his space crack. He was surrounded by a gentle, golden light and a true look of surprise was on his face.


    "What a coincidence!" Darren mocked, frowning at his enemy.


    "I never thought that you could find such a powerful figure to help you. However, it doesn''t matter. After this battle, it will all be gone," Yahya spat. He was worried about his master, but he didn''t doubt the strength of his master. He was just afraid that his master would fall asleep after he killed the three powerful warriors.


    "You are overconfident. That will be your mistake," Darren threatened.


    "How could humans fight a god and win? It''s time to give up. They are going to die, and you can''t run away anymore. Let me kill you."


    Darren had already escaped from him many times. Yahya wouldn''t let this happen again.


    "Really? You mean it''s finally time for us to fight to the death?" Darren looked at him expectantly.


    "You won''t fight me to the death. What I''m saying is that you''re out of chances to escape. You die and I live!"


    As Yahya finished his words, a huge black and white wheel formed slowly behind his back. It was his strongest power of Dark and Light Cultivation at the moment.

 Chapter 991 The Gods Power

    Darren remained motionless. He didn''t need to worry about Yahya at all because he had the protection of the rule force. Yahya wouldn''t be able to break through no matter how much he tried to.


    Boom!


    Yahya exerted all of his strength, making the black and white wheel fall down towards Darren.


    Lightning crackled.


    The rule force condensed itself into small streaks of lightning formed around Darren and blocked the wheel''s descent.


    Yahya seethed in anger. "You! You are just a nobody. If it weren''t for that man helping you, you would have already died a hundred times over."


    He took back the black and white wheel, as he had accepted that he couldn''t harm Darren. He had to give up. Darren also wasn''t able to break through Yahya''s protective power, so the battle couldn''t really begin.


    This was an advantage for Darren as he was still unable to fight Yahya at the moment.


    On the other side of the battlefield, the three powerful warriors were all blasting out simultaneous attacks against the god''s soul.


    Golden light beamed from the palm of the god''s soul and wrapped itself around him like silk threads.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The three warriors'' attacks were all promptly blocked by the golden silk threads.


    "What a powerful force!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar used his silver eyes and studied the essence of the golden light, trying to find a way to break it.


    "Argh!"


    The avatar forced his eyes shut as he suddenly felt an incomparable pain.


    It seemed like that kind of golden power could not be explored by his silver eyes. It was a power that transcended all rule forces in this world.


    "Let''s break his defense together!" Talon shouted. His majestic fake Shura Force then condensed into numerous bloody blades and flew towards the god''s soul.


    At the same time, the old man used the Primitive Fighting Force to send a violent attack towards the god''s soul.


    But the Rule Soul Avatar didn''t attack.


    "What are you waiting for?" Talon exclaimed as he saw the Rule Soul Avatar standing still, suddenly suspicious of his intentions.


    "Just shut up," the Rule Soul Avatar responded coldly. He then flipped his palm over. Countless powerful runes condensed into a huge palm and positioned itself over the head of the god''s soul.


    This time, however, the palm only stayed there and did not attack him.


    "What the hell


    , the old man and Talon also tried their best to destroy the golden spears but failed.


    Bang! Bang!


    At last, the two were hit by the spears, leaving half of their bodies destroyed. They were on the verge of death.


    Bang!


    Soon afterwards, the Rule Soul Avatar was also hit. But because he managed to dodge slightly, only his left shoulder was completely smashed.


    "Resurrection Force!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s voice was still unexpectedly calm. Three streams of powerful Resurrection Force suddenly fell on all three of them.


    The three of them were cured in a flash. However, after they got injured seriously, their fighting capacity had declined.


    "Hmm, you have good skills. But unfortunately, you are not strong enough!" The god''s soul glared at the avatar.


    The three golden spears, after piercing through their bodies, didn''t dissipate. As the three men recovered, the spears flew back to attack them once again.


    The whole place turned into a real death space.


    "Die!"


    The god''s soul directed the three spears towards the warriors, injuring them one more time.


    The Rule Soul Avatar immediately summoned his Resurrection Force to cure them, but he failed this time.


    Three nets formed from golden silk threads were wrapped around the Resurrection Force, effectively blocking it from reaching the three of them.


    "I wasted even more of my god''s power! You should be honored to be killed by me!"


    The god''s soul was devastated. In order to block the Resurrection Force, he had used one tenth of his god''s power¡ªan incredibly high price.

 Chapter 992 Stall For Time

    As the Resurrection Force was blocked, the three men could not heal their injured bodies, which significantly affected their combat power.


    Not only were they vulnerable and severely injured, but it also appeared as though they wouldn''t survive.


    "Darren, do you see?" Yahya beamed with pride as he spoke. "My master is a strong cultivator from outer space. Even though he doesn''t have a body, he can easily kill three holy emperors. Your helper is not a challenge to him."


    Darren stared at the battlefield and ignored Yahya''s smug comment.


    "Avatar, run away!" Darren advised as he was afraid that his avatar would die.


    "I can''t escape," the avatar replied.


    The god''s soul had sacrificed so much god''s power in this battle. How could he let the three people run away?


    "Then what should we do?" Darren asked nervously.


    "I have another way, but I need your help," the Rule Soul Avatar replied.


    "Tell me."


    "If you separate a little bit of your soul and merge it with me, I may be able to launch an extremely powerful attack. Then perhaps we will have a chance," the Rule Soul Avatar answered.


    "If that''s the case, why don''t we fuse back into one being? As we are in ancient times, there''s no punishment for the Conflicting Cultivation. The rules don''t restrict us," Darren suggested.


    The Rule Soul Avatar trembled violently as if he were frightened.


    "No way!" The Rule Soul Avatar said, "I can listen to you on other matters, but reunification is not possible, and I will never agree to it."


    Darren was stunned by the avatar''s explanation.


    After some contemplation, he understood. A part of Darren''s soul had been taken to create the avatar. Now, after all this time, his avatar had become a real life. Why would he want to be assimilated? Would that not extinguish him?


    The situation was similar to that of Finley''s. He was afraid that his real body would merge with him, and he would cease to exist.


    "Avatar, don''t misunderstand me. I didn''t suggest a merge as I want to assimilate you. I am worried that a little of my soul is not enough for you to activate that power," Darren explained as he didn''t want his avatar to be afraid of him.


    The Rule Soul Avatar clarified, "As the Univ


    d of Darren''s soul entered the avatar''s mind.


    Buzz...


    There was a constant humming of life in the Rule Soul Avatar''s ears, a feeling in his heart that went from defective to perfection, although this feeling only existed for a moment.


    But it was at this very moment that he had done what he needed to do.


    The black rule silk threads formed perfectly in the avatar''s mind. Moreover, the Rule Soul Avatar was able to use his strong Spirit Power to alter the rule!


    On the other side


    "Master, the real reason why I murdered those people was that they wanted to kill you and take your Emperor Character," Talon explained.


    "Bullshit!" The old man''s eyes widened. "Why would they do that? Besides, if they had such sinister intentions and you could see through them, why didn''t you tell me the truth earlier?"


    The old man didn''t want to believe what Talon had said. But, deep in his heart, he suspected that it was true. He was probably not even aware of that.


    "Why would I lie to you when I am dying?" Talon asked impassively.


    The old man could not help but tremble. Since they were on the verge of death, it was pointless for Talon to deceive him again.


    The old man didn''t know what to do.


    In fact, Talon was just stalling for time according to what the Rule Soul Avatar told him.


    "Nobody, cut the crap. How do I cultivate the Shura Force?" The god''s soul became impatient as he didn''t want to hear all this nonsense. He was only interested in one thing.

 Chapter 993 Oath Rule

    "As a powerful warrior from outer space, you should know how to cultivate it. Why do you ask me?" Talon asked.


    Upon hearing this, the aura of the god''s soul grew colder and more vicious.


    "You are lying to me! You are just trying to buy time!"


    "How did I lie? I''m not trying to buy time!"


    "Damn it! No more dillydallying!"


    The god''s soul thought Talon had a secret method of cultivating the Shura Force. He wanted to ask Talon for it so that he could give it to his disciple. He knew that the method of cultivating Shura Force was extremely cruel to one''s body and the success rate was very low. He wanted Talon to tell him how to achieve it.


    However, Talon had no intention of telling him anything. This made the god''s soul extremely furious.


    Talon was in the Emperor Realm. If he didn''t want to tell him, there was no use forcing him. The god''s soul made up his mind to kill him there and then.


    "Brat, have you finished your skill?" Talon telepathically asked the Rule Soul Avatar as he couldn''t hold on any longer.


    "Yes," the Rule Soul Avatar replied calmly.


    "Attack him then. I''m in danger," Talon urged.


    "I will not. He didn''t attack me. Why should I attack first? Whether you are dead or alive has nothing to do with me." Talon was stunned.


    He felt betrayed.


    Only then did Talon realize that he was cheated by the avatar. After the avatar finished with the secret deduction of the skill, he was no longer of any use to him.


    ''Cunning! Shameless!''


    Talon stared at the Rule Soul Avatar, aghast.


    Whoosh!


    A golden spear flew towards Talon. Seriously injured, he couldn''t block it.


    "No! No!"


    Talon did not want to die.


    Bang!


    The golden spear pierced through his head.


    "Son of a bitch..."


    Those were Talon''s last words as he fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.


    After Talon died, the god''s soul immediately took his Emperor Character. As long as he was able to gain two Emperor Characters, he would have the chance to let Yahya cultivate the Shura Force. He could keep one of the two, and the other one would be in his hands very soon.


    "It''s your turn to die."


    The god''s soul w


    ng, the god''s soul calmed himself down and flew towards Yahya. In the blink of an eye, he and Yahya disappeared.


    Darren was surprised. He did not expect the fight to end the way it did.


    "Avatar, what happened? Why didn''t you kill them?" Darren flew to the avatar and asked.


    The Rule Soul Avatar kept silent for a moment. He looked up at Darren. "Firstly, while the Oath Rule is binding to him, it is also binding to me. If I kill him, I will also turn into ashes. Secondly, even if he doesn''t try to kill anyone, he can still defend himself. I figured that the best result is that he just retreats."


    Darren nodded. He remained silent for a while. Suddenly, a thought entered his head.


    "Then, how did you get the Oath Rule? Did you comprehend it by yourself?" he asked.


    "No. Do you still remember the day that you fought with the three great clans on behalf of the Sacred Palace? In order to make sure that the two sides keep their promise, Chandler and Townsend used something that could establish an oath between them. At that time, I found that that rule was so powerful, maybe even more so than any of the other rules. That''s why I stole it," the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    Darren tried to recall what had happened that day, but he still didn''t understand. "I don''t think the Oath Rule is very powerful," he said.


    "That, my real body, is where you are wrong," the Rule Soul Avatar said, an edge in his voice.

 Chapter 994 Yahyas Decision

    From Darren''s point of view, the so-called Oath Rule was a rule force that would only harm everyone involved. He was not at all convinced that it was powerful. However, he was just not knowledgeable on the rule force that his avatar took a fancy to.


    "Could you explain it to me?" Darren asked. He was eager to know the secret of the Oath Rule.


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s silver eyes twinkled as he moved closer to Darren. "At the moment, I am in control of the lowest level of the Oath Rule. This rule can evolve infinitely depending on the cultivator.


    From what I''ve learned, it can progress into the Curse Rule. If I master that, I could kill an immortal or a god with only one curse. That is why for me, it is the most powerful rule force.


    Moreover, after I''ve improved the Oath Rule, it can allow me to unilaterally conclude an oath with my opponent. Unfortunately, the god''s soul is too strong for me, so I cannot conclude a more cruel oath with him. I have no choice but to let him go. If only he were at the same cultivation level with me, I could have killed him using the Oath Rule," the Rule Soul Avatar expounded.


    Darren was shocked to learn about the power of the Oath Rule, especially that it could be used to kill an immortal or a god with a single curse.


    ''Wow, the Curse Rule is really powerful!


    Moreover, the avatar mentioned that the Oath Rule could destroy a cultivator of the same level as himself! That is amazing!'' Darren exclaimed in his mind.


    "Avatar, do you mean it when you said that you can instantly kill a cultivator of the same level with only one Oath Rule?" Darren asked again.


    "That''s right. However, your soul should enter into my body in order for me to use that rule; or else, it will not take effect. After all, I am just a broken soul," the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    "I understand," Darren nodded. The reason why the avatar asked him to pull a strand of soul into his body was because he wanted to establish an oath with the god''s soul.


    Then, Darren and his two companions got ready to go back to the Primitive Tribe.


    Meanwhile, on a small nameless island, Yahya landed.


    The god''s soul inside Yahya''s body panted heavily.


    He was in bad shape.


    Previously, the god''s soul wa


    spect.


    However, before knowing Darren, Yahya had thought that he was the most talented person in the world. After Darren had defeated him repeatedly through time, he began to feel a sense of loss and a growing hatred for Darren in his heart.


    "All right, master. I will ignore that brat and focus all my energy on my cultivation in order to save my two masters as soon as possible," Yahya said downheartedly.


    "Alas." The god''s soul sighed and said, "I shall sleep for three thousand years. Do everything in your power to save your two masters. Also, don''t forget to take care of yourself as well. Understand?"


    "Yes, master. I understand. Please have a good sleep."


    "Okay. Good luck!"


    After the god''s soul fell asleep, Yahya began to cultivate using the rich resources his master had given him.


    However, after three days, he felt very upset and uneasy. Whenever he tried to concentrate, there would always be a blood red and terrifying figure lingering in his mind.


    "Go to hell!"


    He would often roar as he woke up from darkness with a sweaty head.


    "No, absolutely not! That brat must die, or I will be tortured mad by the illusions,"


    Yahya said to himself coldly and with hatred in his eyes.


    "I''m sorry, master. This is the first and last time that I will disobey your orders. As soon as I become a holy emperor, I will kill Darren."


    When he made his decision, his aggravation miraculously disappeared, and his cultivation speed began to rise significantly.

 Chapter 995 Astonishing Discovery

    In the Primitive Tribe


    Darren, the avatar, and the old man came to a secret chamber.


    In the middle of the chamber was the Shura''s corpse.


    "Darren, I''m really sorry that I robbed your Shura''s corpse," the old man apologized.


    "It''s okay. If you hadn''t, I wouldn''t have made friends with you. Besides, I killed the spiritual beast you raised before, so we''re even." Darren smiled.


    "Ha-ha. You''re right. I have already sent your two subordinates into the tribe."


    "Thank you so much," Darren replied.


    The old man nodded back at him. Then he sighed, "You know, I don''t know if Talon really had a hidden reason for killing those people. It has been difficult for me to come to terms with his death."


    The old man still could not let it go. He had believed in what Talon said at the last moment.


    "Forget him. He is just a vile guy," the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    "What do you mean? Do you know something?" the old man asked.


    Then, the Rule Soul Avatar briefly explained their plan, and told the old man that his Spirit Power had detected that Talon had lied. After hearing that, the old man was relieved.


    "By the way, avatar, could you examine this corpse to see if I can obtain a stronger Shura Force from it?"


    Darren knew that no one was better than the Rule Soul Avatar in studying objects. Thus, if he examined the corpse, he might find something useful.


    "Sure." The Rule Soul Avatar nodded his head and then said, "You can go and cultivate while I take a look at the corpse. After I finish, I will come to you."


    "Okay." Darren agreed. He was about to leave when the Rule Soul Avatar stopped him.


    "My real body, I hope you can promise me that you will never think of merging with me again." The avatar was very concerned.


    Hearing this, Darren smiled and said, "Don''t worry. We are destined to be separated and to live as two independent creatures. You can count on me. Moreover, you are so much more powerful than me. Even if I want to do so, rest assured that I don''t have the ability to assimilate with you."


    The Rule Soul Avatar was stunned for a moment. He then answered coldly, "You will be more powerful than me one day. I hope you will still remember your promise by then."


    Then, the Rule Soul Avatar bowed t


    n''s brain and gave him a stone.


    "Can this stone directly trigger the thunder punishment?" Darren asked while he held the stone in his hand.


    "Yes, you can use it. I will protect you from any thunder," the avatar said.


    "You don''t have to protect me. I will gain more power after undergoing the thunder punishment."


    "All right."


    Then, Darren began to prepare for becoming a tribulation holy warrior.


    He flew out of the Primitive Tribe and came to an uninhabited island.


    Carefully, he searched the deserted island, but didn''t find any powerful wild beasts. Then, he started to activate the thunder punishment stone.


    Crack!


    A giant spark of dark red lightning was discharged in the sky.


    Darren was confused because he had not completely triggered the stone, thus it could not have drawn the thunder punishment. There must be a reasonable explanation for the sudden appearance of the thunder punishment.


    ''Is there anyone else who is undergoing the tribulation?'' Darren was baffled. He looked around but did not seem to find anyone.


    Boom!


    A thick dark red lightning bolt fell from the sky and struck down the center of the island.


    Darren looked up at the sky and found traces of black lightning among the dark red one.


    "Wait a minute! It can''t be. Isn''t that the aura of the thunder punishment for Conflicting Cultivation?" Darren was astounded.


    "How could there be thunder punishment for Conflicting Cultivation in the ancient times? It was absolutely impossible!"

 Chapter 996 Confused

    The thunder punishment of Conflicting Cultivation astonished Darren.


    There was only Double Cultivation in the ancient times, but not Conflicting Cultivation. This thunder punishment was only for cultivators of Conflicting Cultivation during his era. Why would it appear in the ancient times?


    Darren was puzzled.


    He then spread his spiritual sense around the island.


    Darren followed the route of the thunder punishment, but to his astonishment, he could not detect any aura of any living creature.


    "What''s going on?"


    Darren flew carefully to where the thunder punishment descended.


    After flying for several minutes, he reached a dark area that was burned by the thunder punishment. He did not dare to go to the epicenter where the lightning struck, so he released his spiritual sense to inspect the area.


    The violent thunder punishment had bombarded the ground as it exploded into flashes of lightning ball that wantonly spread in the air. Even the bright sky had turned dark red.


    Thick smoke billowed on the scorched ground. Darren''s spiritual sense was able to go through the smoke, but he did not find anything there.


    Boom!


    The black lightning that hovered in the sky had finally landed. The amount of energy was a hundred times stronger than the dark red thunder punishment.


    "That''s definitely the thunder punishment of Conflicting Cultivation!"


    Darren could never forget the thunder punishment of Conflicting Cultivation. He was almost killed by the thunder punishment for many times!


    "Argh!"


    At that moment, a loud roar came from the center of the thunder punishment explosion.


    "Who is it?"


    Darren shouted, but there was no response.


    "Avatar, come here quickly!" Darren summoned his avatar.


    He thought that perhaps only the Rule Soul Avatar could figure out what was going on. After all, his ability to analyze objects was unparalleled!


    "Roger that."


    After a cold reply, the Rule Soul Avatar appeared right away.


    He blinked his silver eyes and looked directly at the center of the thunder punishment.


    Darren had never seen his avatar so confused before.


    "Why is there a thunder punishment for Conflicting Cultivation in the ancient times? Do you have any clue?" Darren asked.


    "Uhm...It''s too complicated,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar replied as he continued to observe the withered and burned ground.


    Buzz!


    The Rule Soul Avatar used his silver eyes at its maximum amount to forcibly observe


    the other island. As soon as the thunder punishment disappeared, he wanted to check it out immediately.


    "Never mind. I need to enhance my cultivation base first."


    Darren sat cross-legged on the ground as he relentlessly absorbed the ancient spiritual energy. With the Rule Soul Avatar helping him with his arcane skill, his power gradually increased.


    Three months had passed. By then, Darren had finally reached the peak of a two-tribulation inferior holy warrior, and was about to reach the three-tribulation junior holy warrior level.


    "Phew!"


    After three months of cultivation, Darren opened his eyes and felt that his strength had remarkably boosted. The rate of his advancement was also astonishing!


    "An ordinary person would need at least ten thousand years to activate the thunder punishment, but I can activate my third holy tribulation in just a few months. My avatar is really powerful!"


    Darren attributed his fast cultivation speed to his avatar. If he did it on his own without the Assimilation Skill, it would take him at least a thousand years to reach where he was at right now.


    Thus, Darren triggered the thunder punishment again so that he could advance to the three-tribulation junior holy warrior level.


    Bang!


    The third thunder punishment was more forceful than the previous ones. The ear-splitting thunder made his heart skip a beat.


    "Oh my God! The power has intensified by several hundred times," Darren murmured as he stared at the sky.


    "Do you want me to help you break the thunder punishment?" the avatar asked.


    "There''s no need. I''ll deal with it myself!" Darren said confidently.

 Chapter 997 The Mysterious Cave

    The violent thunder punishment suddenly began to spiral and caused a tumultuous tornado on the island. Darren stood firmly on the ground and showed no fear.


    Boom!


    The first thunderbolt descended. It was ten feet thick, and it struck down like a heavenly pillar that collapsed.


    Darren''s eyes followed as he focused on the moving twister. He waved his palms in their air and motioned towards the violent thunderstorm.


    In an instant, a powerful force stopped the thunder punishment in the air. The blazing lightning scattered in all directions.


    "There will be three thunderbolts in this thunder punishment. The first one is the weakest. I can withstand it with my power."


    Then, Darren waited for the second thunderbolt to descend.


    Zap!


    The dark and gloomy sky suddenly became as bright as day.


    A broad lightning bolt rapidly struck Darren''s head.


    The power it contained was at least dozens of times stronger than the previous thunderbolt.


    Whoosh!


    The wind howled as Darren''s body illuminated a blood red light.


    "Come on!"


    Darren let out a loud roar and rushed towards the second thunderbolt.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    In a flash, Darren hit the thunderbolt thousands of times.


    The power of the thunderbolt disintegrated, but did not vanish. Instead, it transformed into small bolts of lightning snakes that crawled around Darren''s body.


    "Howl!"


    The power of the thunderbolt was not reduced, and it was all over Darren''s body.


    His face twisted as relentless bursts of energy charged his skin. If the thunder punishment entered his meridians and his heart, he could really be in grave danger.


    "My real body, do you need my help?"


    the Rule Soul Avatar asked Darren as he witnessed everything that was happening.


    "No need!"


    Darren replied as blood light started to light up from his body.


    Boom!


    Then, the immense rays of blood light vigorously spurted from Darren''s body. In an instant, most of the lightning snakes energy that surrounded him dispersed.


    Then, Darren hit himself hundreds of times. The strength of each palm was just enough to break the lightning snakes without hurting himself.


    Soon enough, the second thunderbolt was completely destr


    ast a top holy emperor, '' he thought.


    At that point, Darren wondered if the mysterious warrior was trying to reach the Super Emperor Realm.


    The mysterious thunder punishment, after being weakened by the space-time whirlpool, still lasted for months, and its power was much stronger than the thunder punishments Darren had ever experienced.


    Darren got excited. He hoped to encounter the powerful cultivator in the dark cave.


    Four hours later, Darren and the avatar were still flying down the cave, but they were much faster. Soon they reached the bottom of the cave.


    They found icicle-shaped formations that hung from the ceiling of the cave. The stalactite formations looked like a grand frozen grotto that was formed over millions of years ago. On the surrounding stone walls, there were many glowing gems, which illuminated the bottom of the cave.


    They also found frigid pools of stagnant and clear water. There were small puddles that were so clear that they reflected the light from the stalactites.


    A clear spring slowly flowed along the colorful puddles.


    "I wonder where this stream leads to," Darren muttered. At that moment, the avatar used his silver eyes to look into the distance.


    Darren knew that the Rule Soul Avatar was using his analyzing powers, so he did not disturb him.


    After a few hours, the Rule Soul Avatar finally took back his gaze.


    "Hey, you finished? Did you find something?"


    Darren asked, but the avatar frowned.

 Chapter 998 Distrust

    The Rule Soul Avatar seemed to have found something special.


    "Did you find anything?" Darren asked again.


    "No."


    The avatar shook his head.


    Darren felt strange. "Why are you lying to me? You found something."


    Darren could tell from the avatar''s expression that he had found something, but he could not understand why he needed to hide it.


    The Rule Soul Avatar kept quiet.


    Darren gazed at the avatar. "Do you have anything worth hiding from me? Don''t forget that we are one."


    "I am not hiding anything from you. I just can''t understand something. I''ll let you know when I''m sure about it," replied the avatar.


    Darren gave him a small smile. "You are an independent individual now. I can''t control you and tell you what to do. It''s okay if you don''t tell me."


    Then, he flew along the side of the small stream.


    The avatar stood there with a cold expression on his face before going after Darren.


    Darren and the avatar flew in silence for a while. This underground cave seemed endless.


    The stream seemed to grow wider and wider as they went on.


    Darren landed and began to observe the stream.


    "This underground cave seems to have no end, but the stream must lead somewhere. I wonder what is at the end..."


    Darren walked into the stream. He felt the cold seize his body. If he were not a True Ice Spiritual Body, he would have frozen to death.


    "What?"


    Darren felt something strange take over his body.


    "What kind of aura it this? Why does it seem like time is flying?" Darren murmured.


    Time was flying!


    Darren suddenly understood.


    "I''ve got it. I''ve got it!"


    "What did you find?" the avatar asked.


    "If I remember correctly, this aura is exactly the same as the aura of the River of Forgetfulness. The stream is flowing to our era, turning into the River of Forgetfulness!"


    Darren felt enlightened. Surely, this stream was the only one of its kind.


    "That''s right," the avatar sighed.


    "You knew th


    and the smoke cleared, they discovered a baby inside it. That baby was Darren.


    "Space-time disorder..."


    Darren used his spiritual sense to probe the half ball. It contained the Time Rule, or even Time Law, as he detected before.


    "What did the avatar detect?" Darren murmured. Until now, he still couldn''t figure it out. However, he knew he needed to dig deeper.


    "Wow!"


    After thinking for a long time, Darren suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head. He couldn''t figure out what it was coming from.


    "Well, no matter what kind of secret it is, it will be unraveled one day." Darren didn''t dwell on it. He could only move on to see what would happen next.


    After a while, Darren flew up and returned to the Primitive Tribe.


    When he returned, Darren continued to immerse himself in cultivation, hoping to pass the test as soon as possible. He did not care about the Fire and Water Emperor Character anymore. He just wanted to know the reason why the test was set up in the first place.


    A few months later.


    "My real body, I have found something important about the Shura Force. Come quick!"


    Since that day by the stream, Darren had not communicated with the avatar. He could feel a rift between the two of them.


    However, Darren did not think twice about heading towards the avatar.

 Chapter 999 Cultivating The Shura Force

    Darren entered the secret room.


    "What is it?" Darren asked calmly.


    "Behold, my real body."


    The Rule Soul Avatar released a rune toward the body of the Shura.


    A blood-red force engulfed the rune. The avatar then grabbed it with his bare hands.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Keep watching."


    The avatar''s silvery eyes shone and a silver light poured into his palm.


    Boom!


    With a loud noise, the thin stream of the Shura Force was disintegrated into the ancient spiritual energy, and then dissipated in the air.


    Darren didn''t know why it happened.


    Before Darren could ask, the avatar explained, "The pure Shura Force, when suppressed by the absolute power, will dissipate into spiritual energy. This indicates that the Shura Force is spiritual energy in nature."


    Darren pondered for a moment. "You mean since the Shura Force can be transformed into the spiritual energy, then you can also reverse the process and change spiritual energy into Shura Force?"


    "Yes, that is correct." The Rule Soul Avatar nodded, then continued, "In the past few months, I''d been trying to understand the process of reversion, but I''d been facing failure over and over. It was not until I carefully analyzed the words on its body that I suddenly realized the solution."


    "Can you understand the words on the body?"


    "After analyzing the body intently, I''ve found what I needed to know. After I teach you, you will have the ability to turn spiritual energy into Shura Force."


    Darren was surprised to hear this.


    All this time, the Shura Force, as Darren knew it to be, was the mix of the Primitive Fighting Force and the Dark Force. Now, the avatar was proposing he could turn spiritual energy directly into Shura Force. In other words, as long as a warrior mastered this cultivation method, cultivating the Shura Force would be easier.


    This made Darren feel a mix of shock and surprise.


    "Avatar, are you sure that you can now generate the Shura Force from spiritual energy?"


    "I''m certain," the avatar said firmly.


    "Let''s see it then. Show me how you produce the Shura Force," Darren said.


    "That, I cannot do."


    "What? Why not? You know the method. Why can''t you produc


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    an''t help you kill a spiritual beast king."


    "Hey, that''s not exactly true. Have you forgotten? My avatar has the Oath Rule, which can instantly suppress an opponent given it''s on the same level. Even if the avatar is weaker than a spiritual beast king, he still can use the Oath Rule to even the odds. We may stand a chance," Darren answered, in confidence.


    The spiritual beast king was indeed very powerful, but could it be stronger than the god''s soul?


    The avatar could restrict the powerful god''s soul with the Oath Rule. It would be much easier to use this rule to deal with a spiritual beast king.


    The old man thought for a moment; his eyebrows furrowed. "Hmm. What you said does make sense. Go ahead and ask your avatar. If he has the confidence to control a spiritual beast king, I''m willing to help you."


    "Thank you so much, sir!" Darren cupped his hands in gratitude.


    The old man smiled.


    "By the way, as far as I know, the island where the Ape Spiritual King currently resides is easy to access. I suggest you choose that one. As for the Sea Spiritual King, it is very mysterious and hard to find. You may meet some difficulty locating it. It is said that its strength is higher than that of the Ape Spiritual King. I don''t recommend fighting this one," the old man reminded sternly.


    "Well, I''ll heed your advice, then. I''ll be going to inform the avatar now."


    Darren''s shadow flashed and flew to the avatar''s place in haste.

 Chapter 1000 Embark On The Island

    Darren found the Rule Soul Avatar and told him about the situation of the two spiritual beast kings.


    "The two spiritual beast kings are powerful. I don''t know if my Oath Rule will take effect on them," the avatar replied.


    "In that case, I guess I have to back down."


    If the avatar''s Oath Rule would not work on the spiritual beast kings, it would be impossible for him to get their blood.


    "I''ll go to the island with the tribe ancestor, and find out whether my Oath Rule would work or not. If it works, I''ll take their blood back. My real body, please cultivate here and wait for me," the avatar instructed.


    "Okay," Darren nodded and said. "be careful."


    Then, the Rule Soul Avatar disappeared.


    On a deserted island in the vast sea, a young man sat cross-legged in the middle of a radiant beam of light.


    "Ha-ha, these resources given by my master are much more powerful than I thought. I have now stepped into the top level of the half-step emperor. I will reach the Emperor Realm very soon!" a young man said to himself.


    The man in the deserted island was none other than Yahya. After several months of cultivation, he had progressed so much faster than Darren. After all, the god''s soul gave him resources from the Primitive Wilderness.


    "Soon, I can break into the forbidden area and save my other two masters. With their guidance, I can be a holy emperor in no time."


    Although Yahya had the power to finish Darren, he did not kill him yet. He knew that there were powerful people behind Darren that he could not defeat.


    However, once he reached the Emperor Realm, he would not wait any longer. Besides, if Yahya managed to save the other two god''s souls, he could end Darren more easily.


    "Spiritual Ape Island, I''m coming!"


    he shouted as he flew towards the middle of the sea.


    Soon, he came upon a huge island.


    The uninhabited island had a few trees, and stones were everywhere. From a distance, one can see many stone statues, both big and small, all of which looked like apes.


    In the middle of the island stood a ten-thousand-foot high statue of a giant ape enveloped in a mountain.


    Yahya walked towards the mountain.


    When he arrived at the foot of the mountain, a little ape suddenly appeared.


    "Master, you ar


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    cted three streaks of human breath.


    "Grandpa, who dares come here and snatch our treasures?" the little ape next to him asked.


    "Hmm. Wait here and don''t run away. I will kill those intruders."


    "Be careful, Grandpa."


    "Ha-ha, you silly boy! Your grandpa is very powerful. Only the one who is at the bottom of the sea could hurt me, but don''t tell anyone about my Achilles'' heel. Stop worrying too much, okay?"


    "Okay, Grandpa. You are right." The little ape grinned as he felt relieved.


    Soon, Darren and the other two landed on the island.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a massive stone statue flew towards them.


    "Oh no, they found us!" the old man shouted with fear.


    "Go away, humans. Or you will die!" the statue said with a low and imposing voice.


    When the Rule Soul Avatar saw the stone statue, he immediately used his silvery eyes to see it through.


    In the blink of an eye, the Rule Soul Avatar got in front of the huge stone statue.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The Rule Soul Avatar attacked the stone statue thousands of times until it was crushed into pieces.


    "Damn it!" the old man said worriedly.


    "What''s wrong, sir? It''s just a stone statue, not a live creature." Darren stared at the old man with a confused look.


    "No, boy! You don''t understand. This island is guarded by the Ape Spiritual King. Even if the outsiders take a stone, he will be enraged. Your avatar broke a statue."


    "So that means we have to face the wrath of the spiritual beast king..."


    Darren''s eyes froze.

 Chapter 1001 Make An Oath

    "Our chances of survival are slim if we fight head-on with the Ape Spiritual King."


    As a holy emperor, the old man wasn''t scared, but he was worried.


    "Let''s wait and see. Perhaps we can negotiate." Darren was more optimistic.


    "Human, how dare you break my ancestor''s statue? You must die." An old voice echoed in the space an instant before the appearance of a pale golden phantom.


    "He is skilled at using Spatial Rule."


    When the golden figure appeared, the Rule Soul Avatar sensed his abilities.


    The Ape Spiritual King assessed the three people standing before him. Then, his gaze locked on the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "You''re not bad. Although your rule forces are very powerful, they are not the Universe Rules with which I am familiar," stated the Ape Spiritual King.


    The Rule Soul Avatar activated his silver eyes as he released his spiritual sense to probe the old ape. A moment later, he concluded that the Ape Spiritual King was mighty indeed!


    His strength was different from that of the god''s soul from outer space as his power was not restricted in many ways. The old ape also had an actual body. He was only a little weaker than the god''s soul who used the god''s power.


    "I don''t want to fight you." The Rule Soul Avatar''s voice was as cold as ever.


    The old ape''s wrinkled face twitched as if he were suppressing a laugh when he heard the statement.


    "Since you destroyed my ancestor''s statue, you will die. There is no point in negotiating." The old ape sounded grim and determined, like a judge announcing a death sentence.


    "Sir,"


    Darren flew forward and interjected.


    "We don''t want to disturb you. We just happened to pass through here. Please forgive us and let us leave," Darren explained.


    "Are you begging for forgiveness?" the old ape smacked his lips and said. "Begging doesn''t work on me!"


    "Old ape, don''t be so arrogant! If you pick a fight, you''ll be challenging two holy emperors. Even if you win, you will be severely injured!" The old man flew forward and released his holy emperor''s power.


    "Humph!" The old ape snorted and said, "You might be the emperor of human ants, but you are no match for me. How dare you challenge me? What''s more, I don''t see the two holy emperors you mentioned on your side."


    Although the old ape felt that the power of Darren''s Rule Soul Avatar was strange, he could sense that he was not a holy emperor. And Darren was far inferior to a holy emperor.


    "I


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    d see that the Spatial Rule that the old ape used was not inferior to his.


    Boom!


    The next moment, the Rule Soul Avatar disappeared just as a withered ape palm tried to grab his head.


    "Ever-changing Skill,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar murmured. Suddenly his body exploded into tens of thousands of light dots that hid in the space.


    "Howl!"


    The old ape was surprised to see the Rule Soul Avatar''s Spatial Rule skill.


    The Ever-changing Skill was also an example of skilled use of the Spatial Rule. It could divide his body into tens of thousands of pieces and hide them in space while his soul could be attached to any of the dots.


    This meant that the Rule Soul Avatar could avoid attacks because he now existed as tens of thousands of dots at the same time.


    "It''s unbelievable that a human being has such talent," the old ape couldn''t help but exclaim. A human being, who hadn''t reached the Emperor Realm, had a spatial skill that was on par with his! It was beyond his expectation.


    "Go to hell!"


    After observing carefully, the old man found the old ape''s body. And so, he shot at the ape with a long cyan spear.


    The shadow of the spear split into tens of thousands of shadows; the power of each was surprisingly destructive.


    The void burst and space vanished along the path taken by the spear shadows. The spear shadows'' fighting power was incredible.


    The expression on the face of the old ape darkened. He roared and wanted to gather a strong force with which to annihilate the old man.


    But, a split second later, he realized that he would die if he used more than seventy percent of his strength!

 Chapter 1002 Neck And Neck

    The old ape was furious. The Oath Rule restricted his fighting power. He knew what he was capable of but since he could not unleash his full power, he was incredibly frustrated.


    "Nobody! You are nobody!"


    the old ape roared. He rushed towards the old man of the Primitive Tribe to attack him.


    The old ape originally had the power of a high-level holy emperor. Even if he could only exert just some of his power, he still had the upper hand against the old man.


    The Rule Soul Avatar had been hiding somewhere. He released a roll of tribulation thunder when he saw the old man was getting beaten.


    Crack!


    Several beams of tribulation thunder descended on the old ape.


    "Huh, insignificant skills."


    The tribulation thunder could not break through the old ape''s defense at all. As the Oath Rule also restricted the avatar, the power of the avatar''s skill also decreased by thirty percent.


    Darren, on the other hand, dodged the collision power. He kept his distance from the battlefield because he thought that he would get killed because he was too weak.


    "Argh!"


    The attacks of the ape only drove the old man backwards but they could not kill him. The ape roared and he suddenly grew to ten thousand feet high.


    He immediately punched downwards. He was too fast for the old man to avoid.


    Bang!


    The spear sprung out in an attempt to deflect the punch and the old man was knocked into the ground.


    Instead of stopping, the old ape became more violent. He continued to punch at the ground with alarming speed.


    Then, the old ape stomped on the ground with his mighty foot. His stomp caused shockwaves to roll through the ground and threw the old man upwards.


    The old man was covered in his own blood and was on the brink of death.


    "Resurrect!"


    Seeing this, the Rule Soul Avatar immediately released a large amount of the Resurrection Force to cover the old man.


    The old man was healed from his injuries in no time!


    "Damn human!"


    The old ape was frightened and angry at the same time. He never thought that the powerful yo


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    andfather! He just didn''t use his most powerful means." The little ape pretended to be nonchalant but the truth was, Darren''s words struck him. He felt more worried about his grandfather.


    "I don''t want to talk to you anymore. Let''s just wait and see," Darren said.


    "Wait for what? Ha! I will kill you first!"


    The little ape''s killing intent burst out and he rushed towards Darren.


    The little ape walked up to Darren and raised his palm. He slapped Darren''s head with a fierce thwack.


    "Fuck off," Darren shouted, and a majestic tribulation holy warrior''s power gushed out, knocking the small ape over.


    "Argh!" The ape felt the immense power and his heart skipped a beat.


    Not long ago, this human being could easily be killed by him and his master. How did he get so powerful? It was uncanny.


    The little ape drew back and did not dare to attack again.


    "Human, although you have made great progress, you will never be a match for my master. Once he breaks through the restriction of the forbidden area, he will definitely kill you,"


    the little ape said, a cruel edge in his voice.


    The little ape was not always hostile towards Darren. In fact, he did not want his master to kill Darren at first.


    But this human dared to chase after his master and bring people to the island to attack his grandfather. Things were different now. This meant war.

 Chapter 1003 Despicable Humans

    Upon hearing this, Darren laughed and said, "Don''t place all your hopes on your so-called master. My avatar and the tribe ancestor had already driven him and his master away. I''m afraid he won''t dare come out again."


    "That''s bullshit! My master will come out of the forbidden area soon. And when he does, he will kill you and your companions." The little ape was adamant with his belief as he glared at Darren.


    Darren frowned. "Don''t be too arrogant. Your master isn''t strong enough to enter the forbidden area. And even if he did, he''s probably dead by now."


    Of course, Darren himself had no idea what the forbidden area on this island was, but the little ape didn''t have to know that. Darren was simply trying to wheedle information out of the latter.


    "My master is the most talented cultivator in the world. I''m sure that he will succeed in getting out of the forbidden area." As the little ape spoke, his eyes fell on the gigantic ape stone statue that stood like a mountain from a distance. This didn''t escape Darren''s notice.


    "So the forbidden area is in the giant stone statue!" Darren realized.


    The little ape laughed and said, "So what if you know? No one can open the way to the forbidden area except for my grandfather. You say you want to kill my master? Well, good luck on that!"


    "Then I suppose I ought to bother your grandfather for a bit." Darren smiled.


    "Go away. My grandfather won''t help you."


    But Darren ignored the little ape and continued, "Let''s see if your grandfather truly loves you."


    The expression on the little ape''s face instantly changed. He seemed to have guessed Darren''s real intentions.


    "Are you thinking of using me to threaten my grandfather?" The little ape seemed nervous about this.


    "So it seems you''re not that stupid."


    With that, Darren dashed towards the little ape at full speed.


    "I won''t let you!"


    With a roar, the little ape immediately set off into the sea.


    "Humph, I''m sorry." Darren sneered as his body suddenly turned red.


    With his palms, he let out the terrifying power of the Shura Force towards the sea.


    In a blink of an eye, the little ape was surrounded.


    Darren gathered all his power and flung the little ape''s body to the air.


    With his right hand, he caught t


    et the old ape give you his blood essence first before you let him go. If not, he''ll definitely kill us," the Rule Soul Avatar cautioned Darren after analyzing the situation.


    "Yes, you''re right. He has been humiliated today, so once he gets his grandson back, he''ll try to regain his dignity and kill us."


    Darren quickly picked up on the avatar''s conclusion and addressed the old ape, "Please don''t risk your life, sir, because I will tell my avatar to make an oath with your grandson. If you kill us, your grandson will die as well."


    The avatar proceeded with using the Oath Rule upon Darren''s instructions.


    With a weak creature such as the little ape, the Rule Soul Avatar could force any oath on him and kill him directly.


    "I swear to you in my name. If we, three people, die at the hands of the Ape Spiritual King, you will die immediately,"


    the avatar vowed. The black oath slithered its way into the little ape''s body in an instant.


    With that done, the Rule Soul Avatar turned his attention back to the old ape.


    Frustration clouded the old ape''s eyes as he realized that the three humans had undermined him.


    Unable to restrain his sadness, he howled.


    The sound echoed back his own grief.


    "You dirty humans! This won''t end well for you!"


    With that, the old ape raised his palm and stabbed it straight to his heart. Ten drops of blood slowly dripped down from his chest and made their way towards Darren. He now had ten drops of the purest blood of a spiritual beast king.

 Chapter 1004 Sea Spiritual King

    The ten drops of blood essence from the Ape Spiritual King were invaluable treasures. Even an ordinary person could reach the Holy Realm if he took them.


    Darren removed a jade bottle from his Space Ring and put the blood essence in it.


    "Thank you." Darren saluted as he released the little ape.


    Dissatisfied, the little ape snarled, rushed at Darren, and tried to scratch him. But the old ape dragged him back.


    "Behave yourself," the old ape said as he stroked the little ape''s head.


    "But, Grandpa, they are too shameless!" The little ape pouted.


    "Humans are cunning and despicable creatures. Now that the avatar has concluded an oath with you, there''s nothing I can do about it," the old ape said. Then, he turned to look at Darren and the other two people, and roared, "Get out of my sight, you shameless people."


    Darren curled his lips and said, "Sir, I heard that Yahya is still on your island. Is that true?"


    The little ape fumed at Darren''s question. He said, "Despicable human, what else do you want to do? It was a mistake for my master not to have killed you!"


    "Calm down," Darren said. Then he continued, "Yahya and I are rivals, and we must fight. It''s our destiny, and no one can change it."


    "Human, Yahya is indeed on my island. He is in the forbidden area. I can open a passage for you if you want to fight him,"


    the old ape replied calmly, which surprised Darren.


    "No, thanks." Darren laughed. The old ape''s attitude had changed. Earlier, he had seemed hesitant and unwilling. But now, he appeared almost eager. Darren knew that the old ape must have something up his sleeve, so he refused. He figured that the cunning old ape must want him to die in the so-called forbidden area.


    "Are you afraid? You despicable people," the old ape snorted.


    "Sir, you don''t have to provoke me. I''ll fight with Yahya sooner or later, but not now. When he comes out, please tell him that I will kill him in ten years."


    Then, Darren flew away with the Rule Soul Avatar and the old man.


    "Roar!"


    A roar laced with resentment echoed from the island after Darren and his companions left.


    The three flew over the sea at a comfortable speed. They were in no hurry as they had acquired the blood essence.


    "Darren, why do you need this blood essence?" the old


    was dissatisfied with the power of the Shura Force?" Darren was at a loss and didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. The Shura Force was such a powerful force, and yet the man rejected it! This made Darren even more curious. Who was that man?


    Boom!


    Just as the three were chatting, violent winds and massive waves suddenly rose above the sea.


    Immediately, they unleashed their spiritual sense to probe.


    "Someone is coming!"


    Darren sensed a human''s breath in the center of the storm.


    "It''s Hailey."


    The Rule Soul Avatar was able to detect the person in the storm more clearly.


    Before Darren divided the rule soul, the Rule Soul Avatar shared the same soul as Darren, so he was also familiar with Hailey.


    "We should investigate what is happening to her," Darren said.


    "Wait!" the old man said with a frown.


    "Why do you stop us, sir?"


    The old man did not answer immediately. Instead, he continued to probe the water for a while before he said, "There''s something else in the water. It''s him!"


    Astounded, the Rule Soul Avatar used his silvery eyes to probe the area thoroughly.


    The image of a terrifying living creature formed in the Rule Soul Avatar''s mind. Its whole body was pitch black, and it was very tall. It had a human body and a dragon head.


    "Are you referring to the overlord of the sea, the Sea Spiritual King who is more powerful than the old ape?"


    "Yes. Only the Sea Spiritual King can have such a powerful aura!" the old man nodded.


    Darren''s face darkened when he heard this.

 Chapter 1005 Haileys Confession

    "Sir, are you sure that he''s the Sea Spiritual King?" Darren asked.


    "I''m sure he is! I saw him when I first became a holy emperor. It''s a good thing he didn''t attack me that time or I would''ve died for sure."


    There was no mistaking that horrible aura; the old man could clearly remember it.


    Darren took this as bad news. The person caught in the big wave was Hailey. He had to save her.


    Under the huge wave was the powerful Sea Spiritual King. Darren was at a loss as to what to do next. If he offended the Sea Spiritual King, it would mean big trouble.


    "Let me go! You monster!"


    Darren and the others flew close enough to hear this angry yelling.


    "Hailey! Are you alright?" Darren shouted.


    Upon hearing that familiar voice, Hailey suddenly trembled in the huge wave. Tears began to form in her eyes.


    Since Darren left the village that day, he never came back. Hailey scoured the area, trying her best to look for him, to no avail.


    In resignation, she supposed Darren had been killed by Yahya.


    She had been plunged into despair after this. The whole world felt dark.


    Right in the face of danger, she heard the voice that she''d been longing to hear both day and night. How could she not be overjoyed?


    "Darren! Thank goodness you''re alive!"


    Hailey''s tone quickly turned to caution. "Darren, you have to get out of here. I''m being held here by a very powerful monster. He''s too strong for you. You have to retreat!"


    Darren paid no mind to Hailey''s words. He flew straight towards the giant wave.


    In a blink of an eye, Darren was standing in front of Hailey. He put his arm around her waist and tried to pull her out.


    The sound of a rush of waves rang through.


    Two black tentacles emerged from the depths and latched onto Darren and Hailey.


    Darren was unable to use his powers due to some mysterious force of the tentacles.


    "This doesn''t look so good." Darren''s heart sank.


    "Darren, what on earth are you doing here? Now we''re both trapped," said Hailey sadly.


    "How could I just abandon you when I saw you in danger?"


    Hailey was dumbstruck by Darren''s word


    he was too late.


    Two tentacles suddenly popped out, hovering around the Rule Soul Avatar and the old man.


    "What?" The avatar''s eyes darkened as he sensed the strength of the tentacle.


    Suddenly, his body turned into tens of thousands of sparkles and scattered into the space.


    The old man tried to cut off the tentacle with his long spear. Unfortunately, the tentacle overpowered him with ease. It caught him and sealed his power as well.


    "How could this be?!" The old man began to panic. His Primitive Fighting Force was sealed and he couldn''t activate it no matter how hard he tried to.


    "Human, how dare you rob my prey? How bold of you!"


    A wild voice bellowed. Darren trembled.


    "Sea Spiritual King, why did you bully a weak human girl?" the old man roared.


    "Who are you to even speak to me?" the Sea Spiritual King asked scornfully.


    "Go to hell!" the Sea Spiritual King roared. Several tentacles then pierced through the old man like sharp swords.


    Blood began to spurt out from the old man''s body.


    Darren''s eyes turned red at this sight, and he felt his killing intent boiling up inside of him. He was frustrated as he felt too weak for the opponent if he fought on his own.


    "Where are you, my avatar? Please help him!" Darren pleaded through his spiritual sense.


    With no reply, it was as if the avatar had completely disappeared.


    "Avatar? Avatar!"


    Darren roared.

 Chapter 1006 Out Of Danger

    In the midst of crisis, Darren realized that he had lost his avatar completely.


    "Avatar, the ancestor is dying. We need your help!" Darren called out.


    Next to him, the ancestor was dying. His body was riddled with holes after being stabbed several times by the tentacles.


    "I swear to you in my name..."


    All of a sudden, the avatar''s cold voice surrounded them. But before he could even finish his oath, another tentacle shot out from the void, and a figure in white followed suit.


    "Humph! My Spirit Power covers the entire sea. I''ve already seen how you used this trick to defeat the old ape. Do you dare use the same trick against me?" The voice of the Sea Spiritual King echoed around them.


    With the Sea Spiritual King''s strong soul and Spirit Power, he could clearly detect what had happened in this sea by the second.


    Prior to their arrival, he was already aware of the battle between the humans and the old ape, but he refused to meddle with their affairs. However, he didn''t expect for them to willingly come to him afterwards.


    Therefore, he already knew their tricks, and he vowed to not fall for them. Particularly, he was wary of the strange Oath Rule. In fact, he had been preparing himself against the Rule Soul Avatar ever since they arrived.


    "You have some skills. If you hadn''t showed up, I wouldn''t have caught you at all," the Sea Spiritual King sneered.


    The Rule Soul Avatar was now helplessly entangled by ten black tentacles. He couldn''t move at all.


    "This is bad." Darren immediately regretted his actions. The avatar could have avoided capture if he didn''t summon him in the first place. But now, there was nothing they could do. The Sea Spiritual King had the avatar in his grasp.


    "Let them go," the avatar demanded. The tone in his voice was cold and menacing.


    "How dare you order me? What makes you think I will just let you all go?"


    "Of course you will. You covet the Oath Rule for yourself," the avatar replied.


    A look of surprise crossed the Sea Spiritual King''s face. It was as if this human had read his mind. Indeed, this human''s Spirit Power was powerful too.


    Then, the entire space shook.


    Huge waves crested and fell as a dark shadow gradually formed into human-sized figure.


    "I appreciate you very much. Now,


    d up the image of the red fruit and showed it to the old man.


    "No wonder." A look of understanding passed on the old man''s face upon seeing the fruit.


    "Sir, are you implying that the red fruit has connections to all these?"


    "That''s right." The old man nodded. "This kind of fruit is called the True Spiritual Fruit. Legend says that its seeds fell from beyond the sky and have taken root here. Once you eat this kind of fruit, your Spirit Power will increase by a hundred fold. It is truly an amazing treasure."


    "Really?" Darren was in awe by this. "If the Sea Spiritual King eats this fruit, how powerful can he get?"


    The Sea Spiritual King was already extremely powerful even without the fruit. Darren couldn''t imagine how much stronger the Sea Spiritual King could get if he ever did eat the fruit. He shuddered just by thinking about it.


    "It''s just a legend. No one knows its exact effects. Maybe it will all depend on the person''s own Spirit Power. Creatures like the Sea Spiritual King who are already too strong wouldn''t probably improve that much," the old man reassured.


    "Miss, did you feel your Spirit Power increase upon eating the fruit?" He then turned his attention back to Hailey.


    "No, I don''t think so. I am also rule cultivator, but I didn''t feel my Spirit Power growing." Hailey shook her head.


    "How strange!" The old man seemed disappointed by this.


    "Forget it. Let''s go back to the tribe first."


    "Okay."


    The three of them sped up as they flew towards the Primitive Tribe.

 Chapter 1007 Yahya Came Out

    The three of them returned to the tribe.


    "Since I''m injured, Darren, I need to recover in seclusion for some time. Make yourselves at home, please," the old man said.


    "Okay. Thank you for your help, sir. Please get some rest," Darren replied with a respectful bow.


    "You''re welcome. I''ll take my leave now." The old man waved his hand and left.


    "Let''s go," Darren said to Hailey.


    "Where are we going?" The entire time, Hailey had been nervous because of what she had said to Darren.


    "We''re headed to where I live. You need to heal, as well."


    "Okay."


    When they reached Darren''s dwelling place, Hailey kept her head bowed and didn''t dare to speak.


    After a long time, she mustered the courage to ask, "Darren, do you hate me after what I said?"


    "Don''t be silly. You didn''t do anything wrong. Why would I hate you? Just focus on healing, okay?"


    Upon hearing Darren''s reassurance, Hailey was so happy that she almost cried. But, she tried her best to hold back the tears. Her face remained expressionless as she quietly healed herself.


    A month passed.


    During this time, Darren appeared calm, but he was restless in his heart.


    He tried to communicate with his avatar via spiritual sense, but he received no reply.


    ''Did the avatar...'' Darren didn''t dare to think further.


    ''The Shura Force. I have to improve my Shura Force!'' Darren had no choice but to pray that his avatar was safe. In the meanwhile, the restlessness he felt morphed into an obsessive determination to improve his strength. This way, he would still have the opportunity to save his avatar.


    "Let the blood of the spiritual beast king enter the crystals. Circle the energy for three hundred and sixty rounds, and then reverse the circulation. If done correctly, you will get the power..." Darren remembered the cultivation method that the avatar had taught him.


    Now that he knew the cultivation method and had the blood essence of a spiritual beast king, Darren could refine the Shura Force from ancient spiritual energy.


    But, it was easier said than done.


    During his practice, Darren stumbled across many difficulties. There were times when the spiritual energy wasn''t running smoothly, which caused Darren to face several setbacks. There was also a ti


    ence. This is so humiliating," the little ape remarked as fury coursed through him.


    "Okay. Let''s visit Yahya."


    "Okay."


    The two apes flew forward and stopped in front of the enormous statue.


    Buzz...


    Ripples spread in space.


    After a while, a figure appeared in front of the two apes.


    He was tall and handsome and dressed in a purple robe.


    "Sir," greeted Yahya.


    After ten years, Yahya was no longer child-like. He appeared mature with his angular features.


    "Good boy, did you make it?"


    "Yes, sir. I successfully broke through the forbidden area and rescued two other masters. Besides, I also mastered Water and Fire Cultivation and Feminine and Masculine Cultivation. Finally, I am a holy emperor," said Yahya.


    "Holy emperor?"


    The old ape was shocked by Yahya''s progress.


    Ten years ago, when Yahya entered the forbidden area, he was at the early stage of a half-step emperor. Ten years later, he had successfully become a holy emperor. No wonder the old ape was surprised by his speed. He had lived for so many years, and he had never heard of such a talent.


    "Good, good. My grandson made the right choice.


    Now, let me see how strong you are." Satisfaction glinted in the old ape''s eyes as he spoke.


    "Ha-ha, sir, you are not my match." Yahya grinned as he replied.


    "What? You are too arrogant. You don''t know my strength at all. Let me show you," the old ape declared. In his mind, a young man who had just become a holy emperor could not defeat him at all.

 Chapter 1008 Revealing Fate

    "Yahya, my grandson will be upset with me if I hurt you. And so, I will only use forty percent of my power to fight you. Still, be careful." The old ape smiled lightly.


    "Ha-ha, sir, you can''t hurt me if you only use forty percent of your strength. Use your full power, please. Since I''m a holy emperor, I will only use eighty percent of my strength," Yahya advised.


    "Don''t be so overconfident, Yahya!"


    Without another word, the old ape released an intense force from his body. His big palm transformed into many palm shadows, and rushed toward Yahya.


    Yahya didn''t even dodge the attack. He stood calmly and waited for the palms to land.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    A series of explosions shook the earth and sky! Clouds of smoke and dust erupted from the ground where Yahya stood.


    "Ah! Grandpa, you hit him too hard." The little ape was worried and looked at his grandfather with reproachful eyes.


    "What a silly boy! He became too confident of his abilities after he reached the Emperor Realm. Why did he think that he could block forty percent of my strength? He wasn''t powerful enough. He should have at least dodged," the old ape mumbled as he peered into the dust with the hopes of seeing Yahya''s figure.


    "Sir, I told you that you could not defeat me."


    All of a sudden, a strong wind dispersed the dust and revealed Yahya''s unharmed figure.


    "What?! You withstood my blow? You aren''t even a little bit hurt?!" The old ape was surprised.


    "Wow, master, you are stronger than before." The little ape clapped his hands as relief and excitement coursed through him.


    "Of course, I''m getting stronger." Yahya smiled and continued, "Sir, you will be able to judge my strength when I attack you. But be careful!"


    Then, he raised his palm and pushed it toward the old ape. His movement was so slow and light that it didn''t even cause a space fluctuation.


    However, the old ape''s face suddenly darkened, and he retreated a few steps. Then, the old ape''s body grew by thousands of feet, and he appeared ferocious.


    "What?! Is Grandpa using his most powerful strength?" The little ape''s eyes widened with astonishment. He knew his grandfather well enough to recognize that his grandfather would never use this move unless he was fighting with powerful cultivators in the same realm.


    Just then, Yahya''s palm pushed through the layers of space and closed in on the old ape.


    "Howl!"


    The old ape looked ferocious as he


    regard him as a real enemy. Only in this way could the test of "Rivals" really start.


    The real Yahya was not only very talented but also very kind.


    Now that Yahya had become a holy emperor, he was aware of what he had arranged in his future days. Now, his hostility toward Darren had disappeared entirely. It was just the rules he had set for the test.


    "I don''t understand." Puzzled, the little ape scratched his head.


    "Listen to me carefully..."


    Then Yahya told the whole story to the old ape and the little ape.


    "No, I don''t want to listen anymore." The little ape cried when he heard that Yahya would die one day. "Master, you said you would die. I don''t believe you. You are already a holy emperor. You can''t die."


    The little ape found it hard to accept that a Bloody Shura would kill his master.


    "That''s the truth. But, I will see you as my brother forever. I hope that you live a good life." Yahya patted the little ape''s shoulder and tried to comfort him.


    "But..." The little ape cried even harder.


    "Well, that''s enough." The old ape stopped the little ape. "I have sensed energy fluctuation of the Shura Force around Darren. Maybe if Yahya killed him, everything would change," the old ape comforted his grandson.


    "Is he really the one who will kill you?" the old ape asked and glanced at Yahya.


    "I don''t know. I''ll know when we have our final battle," Yahya replied calmly.


    "When will that battle happen? I believe that the sooner you do it, the better. If you wait too long, he might grow stronger," the old ape suggested.


    Yahya remained silent and peered into the distance.

 Chapter 1009 Pressure

    The sooner they would be able to battle with their rivals, the better it would be. Ordinary people would have found this to be a hard pill to swallow.


    However, this was not the case for Yahya. It was not his goal to kill Darren. Rather, he wanted to seek the truth.


    In order to achieve his goal, he couldn''t kill Darren while he was stronger than him. Otherwise, all his effort would be for nothing.


    "No, let him grow stronger. I will just put a little pressure on him."


    "That''s... You should think twice before you answer me, Yahya," the old ape said. Deep down, the ape thought that Darren would be the one to kill Yahya because he had the potential to do so.


    "I have thought it over," Yahya replied nonchalantly. "I will go now. You two wait for me to come back," Yahya said, turning to leave.


    In the Primitive Tribe


    Darren was still immersed in his cultivation. The cultivation of his Shura Force had reached its peak, which braced him to endure the next thunder punishment.


    After preparing himself, Darren flew to a deserted island.


    As a four-tribulation junior holy warrior, his strength now was at the peak. He could trigger the thunder punishment without the use of the stones.


    "Come on!"


    Darren released the most powerful energy he could muster. Clouds surged in the sky as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled.


    For a moment, the sky went dark. It seemed that the thunder punishment was ready.


    "Well, you are growing fast."


    At that moment, a purple figure appeared above Darren. The figure''s appearance gave Darren a jolt.


    He reminded Darren of his avatar¡ªespecially the ethereal aura he gave off.


    The figure gave Darren a sense of familiarity.


    "Yahya?" Darren studied the young man''s handsome face.


    "Yes, it''s me. I haven''t seen you in a long time." It seemed like power oozed out of every fiber of his body. He exuded the aura of a holy emperor.


    "You...You have become a holy emperor!"


    Although Darren couldn''t believe it, he could sense that Yahya''s power was, indeed, that of a holy emperor''s.


    "Yes, I''m a holy emperor now."


    "That''s amazing!" D


    orn... But, I''ve changed my mind," Yahya said, pursing his lips.


    "What do you mean?"


    Yahya turned his back to Darren. "Do you remember what got us into this feud in the first place? It''s because of that beautiful woman. She still isn''t mine."


    "You!" Anger boiled in Darren''s heart. "Leave her alone. This is between you and me. You said that you want to kill me because you want her, but I think you''re just looking for excuses to kill me. You may never admit to that, but it''s the truth."


    "No, you are wrong. I want her. She is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. I have never forgotten her, even after all these years. Now, I will hold her in my arms and watch you as you fall to your demise," Yahya said, flashing a cruel smile.


    "Ha!" Darren laughed.


    "What are you laughing at? Are you going insane?" Yahya said.


    "I''m not stupid. You are. Hailey is just a friend. You can do whatever you want with her. I won''t care. It won''t hurt me at all," Darren said. He tried his best to make himself appear calm.


    "Really?" At that moment, Yahya turned his head and looked in the other direction. His eyes glimmered.


    "Miss Hailey Yao, did you hear that?" As Yahya spoke, a beautiful figure slowly flew out of the forest.


    When she landed in front of Darren, she looked at him and her eyes began to fill with tears. Her hands shook as she absorbed what she had heard, and she wept.

 Chapter 1010 Unfair Test

    Upon hearing Darren''s words, Hailey was devastated.


    "Is that true Darren?" She felt her heart crack. Tears flowed down her cheeks in a continuous stream.


    Darren was dumbfounded. His words were, indeed, too much. Hailey must have been incredibly hurt.


    "Miss Yao, since he looks down upon you so much, why bother sticking with him? Being my wife would make you feel like the luckiest woman alive," said Yahya.


    "Get lost," replied Hailey, her annoyance evident in her voice.


    "Ha! Miss Yao, I know you are still angry. Please let me take you back. After we spend more time together, I''m sure you will fall in love with me."


    As he spoke, he controlled Hailey''s body with a powerful force. He hid her away.


    "Let me go!" Hailey cried.


    "You bitch! Ha! See how you like me now!"


    Yahya laughed out loud.


    "Don''t think so highly of yourself. I can do whatever I want to you!"


    When Darren saw this, flames of rage burning in his eyes.


    Yahya observed Darren''s expression. "Free her if you can. I''ll be waiting for you at the Spiritual Ape Island. But you better hurry! She may soon be with child."


    Yahya laughed maniacally as he and Hailey disappeared into thin air.


    Darren began to shake all over. His chest was tight and his heart hurt. Although Hailey wasn''t his wife, he and Hailey had once shared their bodies with each other. It hurt to see her suffer and be taken by such a terrible man.


    "Ah!"


    Darren''s eyes were bloodshot.


    On the sea


    The purple figure suddenly stopped.


    "Don''t cry, Hailey," Yahya comforted.


    Hailey''s face was a mask of pain and she struggled to speak.


    "Please let me go. I''m begging you. No matter he wants me or not, I belong to him. I will never yield to you,"


    Hailey begged, her voice hoarse.


    "Don''t be silly,


    iritual King.


    He knew the Ape Spiritual King quite well, so the only possibility was the Sea Spiritual King.


    "You''re right. It is indeed unfair," Yahya nodded.


    Darren''s powerful avatar might have already been killed, so he had lost his strongest means to fight. It would be impossible for Darren to defeat Yahya in such a short time.


    "Well, what do you think you should do?" asked Hailey.


    "I understand what you mean. You just want me to save Darren''s avatar. If I do that, will the test finally be fair to you?"


    "That''s true, but what I''m worried about is that you have just reached the Emperor Realm. Do you really have that much strength?"


    "You don''t need to worry about it. Just come with me," Yahya said with a confident smile.


    "You are not as evil as I thought, Yahya."


    "Don''t say that. I don''t need your appreciation."


    Then he and Hailey disappeared. A few hours later, they landed somewhere by the sea.


    "Sea Spiritual King, come out and meet me!"


    Yahya shouted. Waves surged in the sea.


    "It''s him! He''s back! He''s back!"


    At that moment, the powerful Sea Spiritual King was getting ready to reveal himself. However, fear crept into his heart.

 Chapter 1011 Emperor Yahya

    The powerful Sea Spiritual King was shocked upon hearing Yahya''s voice.


    "Sea Spiritual King! You must let go of the human you captured!"


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The Sea Spiritual King rose above the rolling waves of the black sea.


    "It''s really you! Emperor Yahya!"


    The Sea Spiritual King gave Yahya a once over. He could not believe that Yahya was still alive.


    As the most powerful living creature in this sea area, the Sea Spiritual King had existed for a long time. He was much older than the Ape Spiritual King. From what he knew about history, Emperor Yahya had died many years ago, but why was he still alive?


    The only person that he feared was Emperor Yahya, who had three Conflicting Cultivation skills.


    "Yes, it''s me. Can you release that young man?"


    "Of course!" the Sea Spiritual King stammered. "I will do as you say! Wait... Something''s wrong."


    Just as he was about to accomplish what Yahya asked of him, he sensed something strange. The Emperor Yahya standing in front of him seemed to be much weaker than the one he knew of. They had similar auras but still, it was not right.


    "You are not Emperor Yahya! Are you one of his descendants?" the Sea Spiritual King huffed.


    "Ha!" Yahya laughed and shook his head. "Sea Spiritual King, if I am to be frank... I''m not who I was, and you are not who you were. To put it simply, we have already died."


    "Bullshit!" The Sea Spiritual King roared. "Do I look dead to you? What are you talking about? Such utter nonsense!"


    "We are entities formed by the gods'' laws. You are not yourself anymore, whether you believe it or not."


    "You bastard! Get out! I don''t believe you!" The Sea Spiritual King was deeply irritated. How dare this character summon him and make such preposterous claims.


    "Then I don''t want to talk to you anymore. Let''s have a fight." Yahya shook his head. ''It seems that I have to beat him to get the avatar.''


    "Young man! Do you dare challenge me? Even if you are a descendant of Emperor


    sure that would allow him to withstand the Flaming Hell. It was the only way for him to rescue his masters. He dared not set foot into the Flaming Hell without the treasure.


    "In that case, can you take me there so I can see?" Yahya''s curiosity got the better of him.


    "Alright... I didn''t know that that guy was your friend, so don''t punish me for what I did!" the Sea Spiritual King said.


    "It doesn''t matter. If fate intended for him to die, he would have died. It is not your fault."


    "Ha! Emperor Yahya, you are so kind. Just follow me."


    As soon as the Sea Spiritual King finished speaking, he turned around, a sea of fury surging in his eyes.


    ''Boy, I will make you beg for death, '' he thought bitterly.


    Back at the Primitive Tribe


    Darren had been on the brink of madness since Yahya had left. His killing intent was at its highest point.


    His mind was occupied with how he could rescue the avatar and kill Yahya.


    Darren unwittingly arrived at the secret room where the body of Shura was being laid to rest.


    The fierce Shura Force surged throughout Darren''s body. It seemed that he had triggered the corpse because it began to tremble as wisps of Shura Force descended on it.


    As he turned towards the direction of the corpse, his eyes flashed with blood light. He suddenly thought of something.

 Chapter 1012 Entered The Flaming Hell

    ''If this Shura body were still alive, I wouldn''t have to worry about the Sea Spiritual King and Yahya!''


    This thought flashed through Darren''s mind when he saw the Shura''s corpse.


    After all, the Shura race was a powerful race. Yahya, who had just become a holy emperor, was no match for them. Even if he were at his peak, he still wouldn''t be able to defeat a Shura.


    Just as Darren was dwelling on this thought, another idea flashed in his mind. It occurred to him that he still had dark-spirit crystals in his Space Ring.


    The dark-spirit crystal was a unique treasure as it could rebuild one''s soul. Previously, Darren had used some to resurrect two ancient tribulation holy warriors.


    Darren wondered if the dark-spirit crystal could revive this Shura''s corpse.


    "The people from the Space-time Palace once controlled this corpse. They went to great lengths to get the dark-spirit crystals to resurrect it, didn''t they?"


    A bold idea came to Darren''s mind. At this critical moment, he might have a chance to resurrect the dead Shura.


    Doing this was also very dangerous as Darren was unsure whether he could control the Shura after the revival.


    "I don''t know whether my avatar is dead or alive. Besides, Yahya has captured Hailey. I have nothing to lose now. Ha-ha."


    A bitter laugh escaped Darren''s lips. At this point, he had already lost everything important to him. The rest didn''t matter.


    "Ancient Void Battlefield!"


    Then, Darren gathered the force of control and placed the Shura''s corpse on the ice bed in the cave.


    The Shura''s body that floated above the ice bed appeared very lifelike.


    "It''s time!"


    Darren removed a dark-spirit crystal from his Space Ring and threw it at the corpse.


    When the dark-spirit crystal collided with the Shura remains, it melted and transformed into a layer of lead-gray metallic liquid. Then it entered the body.


    After a while, the corpse seemed to recover a little vitality. However, instead of being pleased, Darren felt anxious because of the strange fluctuations it emitted.


    "The Space-time Palace must have done a lot of work on him and his resurrection. Perhaps the lack of the dark-spirit crystals stopped them at a critical time in the revival process. Otherwise, even if I have the dark-spirit crystal, I won''t be able to bring him back to life," Darren mu


    body was abruptly pulled in the direction of the Flaming Hell.


    "You!"


    His face darkened. Right from the beginning, Yahya had been careful as he had known that he couldn''t trust the Sea Spiritual King. But he had been absent-minded just now, and the Sea Spiritual King launched a sneak attack!


    "Ha-ha, boy, you were arrogant in front of me. Why would I forgive you?


    Although that strange human boy is not affected by the Flaming Hell, it doesn''t mean that you are impervious. You''ll live a life worse than death. And the best part is that you''ll suffer this agony for the rest of your existence!"


    The Sea Spiritual King was cruel and vicious, indeed. ''It doesn''t matter if you are an amazing holy emperor! Once you get sucked into the Flaming Hell, even if you can withstand the torment, you will never leave!'' he thought. Moreover, he was certain that Yahya would not survive in the Flaming Hell.


    "Enjoy yourself!" The Sea Spiritual King was about to leave.


    "Son of a bitch! I''ll drag you into hell with me!"


    Shock reflected in the Sea Spiritual King''s expression as this ruthless voice echoed in the space. A stream of power from each of Yahya''s three Conflicting Cultivation methods erupted from his body and swept toward the Sea Spiritual King.


    The three streams of power hit the Sea Spiritual King and pushed him into the Flaming Hell.


    "No!" the Sea Spiritual King roared. He knew that once he was within a certain range, the strong power of the Flaming Hell would begin to drag him, and it would be impossible for him to escape.

 Chapter 1013 Terms

    Outside the Flaming Hell, both the Sea Spiritual King and Yahya were being sucked into the glazed wall by a powerful force. When they fell through, they landed straight into hell.


    A thick, grey mist settled over the space. Even spiritual sense couldn''t cut through it.


    "Argh!"


    As soon as the Sea Spiritual King landed, he was attacked by multiple gusts of cyan winds.


    In an instant, he collapsed to the ground. His body twitched helplessly.


    "Help... Help me."


    The Sea Spiritual King was not immune to the suffering brought about by the Flaming Hell.


    This kind of pain was more difficult to bear than soul torture.


    However, Yahya pressed forward.


    Truth be told, he was not that much stronger than the Sea Spiritual King. However, he had the fragments of the defensive divine weapon. Together with his strong soul, he could still resist the attacks being thrown at him.


    "Yahya, why are you back in a Flaming Hell again?"


    The two gods'' souls, who had just been rescued, felt the danger lurking outside. They were extremely restless.


    "Masters, someone plotted against me and I entered a middle-grade Flaming Hell. However, you can rest assured that I can hold on for a period of time with the help of the divine weapon''s fragments. I will find a way to escape from here," Yahya said, using his spiritual sense.


    "Be careful, Yahya."


    "Yes, I will."


    With the help of the fragments of the divine weapon, Yahya formed a weak, orange force field to cover him. It helped protect him for the time being. However, to maintain this protective shield, he had to use up his power very quickly. Considering his current realm and soul strength, he would only be able to last for three days.


    "Emperor... Help me, Emperor Yahya..."


    The Sea Spiritual King writhed in pain on the ground. He reached out his hand to Yahya.


    "You wretch! How dare you expect me to save you?" Yahya''s eyes glowed menacingly. "Sea Spiritual King, do you know what is more painful than this hell?"


    The pitiful Sea Spiritual K


    s it because he doesn''t understand me?''


    Darren thought.


    ''That''s not right. His life energy is fluctuating so drastically that he must have reached a critical point of rebirth. I''m using the ancient language. There''s no reason that he can''t understand what I am saying.


    He is simply ignoring me. He wants me to continue to give him the dark-spirit crystals!'' Darren thought.


    "Humph!" Then Darren snorted. "Don''t pretend, Shura. I am the only one who can bring you back to life. If you don''t agree to my terms, I can also destroy you and make sure you stay a corpse forever."


    Darren was bluffing. He did not have any means to do what he said, but he had to try.


    The Bloody Shura stayed silent.


    "Well...Good. Stay this way, then!" With that, Darren flew out and closed off the cave.


    "What terms?"


    Suddenly, a cold voice rang out in Darren''s mind.


    It took a few seconds for Darren to figure out the words, but he finally understood them. The Bloody Shura was speaking to him!


    This kind of communication was similar to the communication Darren had with the young man in black armor. Only those of the same species would understand.


    "You are really alive!" Darren''s heart thumped violently. He took a deep breath. "It is very simple. After you resurrect, you must help me kill two people."


    The Bloody Shura didn''t respond.

 Chapter 1014 Assimilate The Shura Force

    "No, I won''t."


    After a long pause, the Bloody Shura''s voice echoed in Darren''s mind. His tone had been so cold that it sent a shiver down Darren''s spine.


    "Well, if you don''t agree, you will stay in this state forever. Do you think you can survive then?" Darren negotiated.


    "I have already regained most of my life aura. In ten years, the remainder will be restored, and I will be at my peak. You are of no value to me," the Bloody Shura said.


    Darren was stumped. He didn''t know this about the Bloody Shura. Now, he had nothing with which to continue the negotiation.


    The Bloody Shura was on the verge of revival. Even if Darren withheld the dark-spirit crystals, he was destined to be resurrected.


    "Aren''t you afraid that I will destroy you before you completely recover?"


    "You don''t have that power," the Bloody Shura remarked.


    "You!" Darren was genuinely worried now. He couldn''t convince the Bloody Shura to help him, nor could he destroy the Bloody Shura before he regained his powers.


    All this while, Darren had waited eagerly for this critical point in the resurrection process as he had hoped to negotiate with the Bloody Shura. Unexpectedly, the Bloody Shura saw through Darren''s intentions and did not compromise.


    Now that the Bloody Shura had refused to help him, embarrassment coursed through Darren.


    "Well, I respect your choice. I hope that you won''t regret it." Darren had no choice but to exit the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    When he stepped out, Darren found that the secret room was filled with Shura Force that was as thick as blood.


    "What?!" Although astounded, Darren instinctively activated his assimilating power.


    Buzz¡­


    The space began to tremble, and Darren was pleasantly surprised to see that he could assimilate the Shura Force!


    "What''s going on?" Darren murmured as curiosity coursed through him.


    Earlier, he had tried to assimilate the Shura Force in the Ancient Void Battlefield, but he had failed.


    Now, he had succeeded in assimilating the Shura Force that had spread to the secret room. Darren couldn''t understand what had changed.


    "Perhaps it''s because of the different rule systems," Darren speculated. Regardless of the reason, he continued to assimilate.


    Three days later, Darren had absorbed all of the thick Shura Force.


    At this moment, Darren felt unprecedentedly powerful. In fact, his body felt as if it would burst with all the strength it contained.


    ''Have I reached the Emperor Realm?'' A smile tugged on


    coursed through him. Now that he was free of both kinds of torment, he felt as though this moment was the most relaxed and happy in his life.


    "Tell me how to get out of here," Yahya demanded.


    At this moment, the Sea Spiritual King was stunned and didn''t know how to reply.


    "Did you dare to lie to me again? Huh?" Yahya was outraged.


    "Please calm down, Emperor Yahya!" The Sea Spiritual King cupped his hands and said, "I didn''t lie to you. I do know a way. But it''s very risky as the human boy I allowed in controls the pass.


    Although we will be affected by the storm of the hell, he won''t. If we go over, I''m afraid that he will break the protective shield, and we will be tortured again."


    Yahya paid close attention to the Sea Spiritual King''s actions and secretly asked a master to detect his soul fluctuations to determine whether he was lying.


    A soul that was more powerful than another could detect if someone was lying or not. Darren had used this trick before.


    "You are telling the truth. Now, you only need to take me to that place. I have a way to persuade him."


    "Persuade him? I don''t think it''s a good idea. Even though the human isn''t a holy emperor yet, he has no emotions. It is almost as if he were made of metal. If you don''t have something that will benefit him, you can''t make him listen to you," the Sea Spiritual King explained with furrowed brows.


    "If you keep talking nonsense, I will let you suffer more than before," Yahya threatened. He had run out of patience by now.


    "Please don''t! I''ll take you there."


    Under such circumstances, the Sea Spiritual King had no other choice but to take Yahya to the pass.

 Chapter 1015 Promise

    When the Sea Spiritual King put Darren''s Rule Soul Avatar into the Flaming Hell, he had also placed a tracker on him. That was how he knew exactly where the avatar was.


    The Sea Spiritual King led Yahya to a black flame domain.


    Five pagodas, each with a dark aura, stood tall. Each had a ghost-like mark on them.


    As Yahya moved closer to the nearest pagoda, he frowned.


    "This feels strange. It contains great power," he said.


    "The human is in one of these towers," said the Sea Spiritual King.


    Yahyas''s heart skipped a beat. Darren''s avatar was truly amazing. He had been sent down here to endure torture but instead, he was able to resume his cultivation in this strange pagoda.


    "Darren''s avatar, please come out and meet me."


    Yahya managed to calm himself down. He spoke with authority.


    Clank! Clank!


    Thousands of iron chains appeared on the five black pagodas and writhed around each one. It was a terrifying sight to behold.


    Slap!


    An iron chain came towards Yahya and shattered his protective shield.


    In an instant, a cyan storm appeared out of nowhere and started to attack Yahya and the Sea Spiritual King.


    "Ah!"


    The Sea Spiritual King fell on the ground and his body began to convulse.


    Yahya''s face was also contorted in pain.


    Buzz!


    The space fluctuated. A graceful figure clad in white stood in front of them.


    "You are my real body''s rival. How dare you come to me?" The Rule Soul Avatar''s icy voice sent chills down Yahya''s spine.


    "I came here to ask for your help," Yahya said, struggling to get the words out.


    Darren''s Rule Soul Avatar became silent. A black chain appeared in his hand. He was about to flick it towards Yahya when suddenly, a voice rang out in his head.


    "Wait!" Yahya had sent a secret message to the avatar through spiritual sense.


    The avatar was silent for a moment, then he withdrew his chain. He even released a wave of power to protect Yahya.


    "Deal," the avatar said coldly.


    "Thank you," Yahya said. He gave a small bow to the avatar.


    The avatar''s silvery eyes fell on the Sea Spiritual King. A powerful soul attack hit the Sea Spiritual King''s head.


    "Ah!"


    The Sea Spiritual King curled up in agony.


    "Remember your promise," the avatar whispered to Yahya. He then turned around and walked towards the fiv


    r a while when suddenly, the Shura''s voice rang out in Darren''s mind. "In ten days, to be exact. I have a lot of things to do, but the first thing on my list is to kill you."


    "I saved your life. Why would you kill me?" Darren sneered.


    "You''re useless to me."


    "Well, I see how it is." Darren''s face darkened. "I will put a stop to your revival process."


    Lightning crackled between Darren''s palms and he directed it at the Shura.


    Crack!


    Powerful Shura Force rained down on the Shura''s body.


    "Roar! Roar! Roar!"


    The Shura growled in pain.


    "No! How did you get so strong?"


    The Shura struggled to speak.


    "You are a living corpse. What power do you think you have? You are weak, and you are arrogant. How dare you think you can go up against me? Your body strength has been weakened by seventy percent and my Shura Force is from the same origin with yours. Only a god will be able to withstand my attacks!"


    Darren now had the strength of warriors from the Emperor Realm and the power of the Shura Force. The Shura Force increased the damage he could inflict on the Shura. The Shura would never withstand his attacks unless he was as strong as a god.


    "Fine! I agree! I concede!" the Shura cried out.


    He could feel his life slipping away from him. If Darren kept on going, he would never be able to resurrect.


    "It''s too late to compromise now," Darren said in a low voice.


    "I can offer you something else! You will reap great treasure!"


    The Shura hurriedly sent Darren a message using his spiritual sense.

 Chapter 1016 The Final Deal

    That was exactly what Darren wanted.


    He now felt in control of the Shura and Darren needed him to revere him.


    "No need." Darren feigned indifference.


    "You have no reason to refuse!" Shura roared.


    "You threatened to kill me! Why should I believe you?"


    Darren sneered. He cast out more Shura Force, which chipped away more of the Shura''s life aura.


    "Human!"


    The Shura was very angry, but he could not resist.


    "I can make a Shura Contract with you," the Shura proposed.


    "Really? What is that? Enlighten me," Darren said.


    "The Shura Contract is a rule system that was set up by our ancestor¡­"


    "Stop," Darren interrupted him. "Transfer to me your memories of the contract. Don''t talk to me."


    Secretly, Darren was afraid that the Shura would alter the contract.


    Being controlled by Darren, the Shura had no choice but to do what Darren told him. He transferred a copy of his ancient memories into Darren''s head.


    The Shura Contract was invented by the Shura ancestor of the first generation. Once the two parties with the Shura Force made this kind of contract, whether they were the descendants of the first generation of the Shura, they would be regarded as brothers. From then on, they could not go against each other. The penalty for breaching this contract was death.


    There was pure Shura Force in Darren''s body. He had what it took to fulfil this contract.


    "That''s not bad, but it''s not enough to save your life," Darren said using his spiritual sense.


    The Shura Contract protected only Darren from the Shura. What if he attacked someone close to Darren?


    "What do you want?" There was a hint of anger in the Shura''s voice. He was not used to not getting what he wanted.


    "Do you have master and slave bond?"


    "No way! Our Shura race will never submit to anyone else. That is impossible!"


    "Then, there''s nothing I can do. When you wake up, if you go against


    s. Ten years had passed, but he still couldn''t leave.


    The Rule Soul Avatar appeared in front of Yahya.


    "I only promised to let you go out. We never put a time," the avatar said indifferently.


    "Ha!" Yahya sneered. "You have three days to fulfil your promise."


    "No way," the Rule Soul Avatar retorted.


    "You will, because what I have offered is enough for you to make a small concession. Otherwise, I won''t keep my promise."


    Yahya smiled confidently. Since the promise he made had saved his life, it meant that it was very tempting to Darren''s avatar. How could the avatar refuse it now?


    Yahya regretted all the time he had wasted waiting for the avatar.


    "Ten days. That''s my final offer," the avatar said.


    "Deal."


    He had been waiting ten years. Another ten days would not hurt.


    Besides, his waiting had been beneficial. He was now protected by the Rule Soul Avatar and he was able to cultivate while in hell. He had grown much stronger.


    Deep inside, however, Yahya was not happy about his improved strength. Instead, he was worried, because he knew that Darren''s avatar was growing stronger as well. The avatar was a huge threat to him. He could clearly feel that the five black pagodas were about to fall into the hands of Darren''s avatar.

 Chapter 1017 The Ending Battle (Part One)

    The five black pagodas were unpredictable in their power. Once Darren''s avatar gained control of them, his strength would increase to exponential level.


    This kind of Flaming Hell was from the Darkest Hell, which was on par with the Immortal Land and the Primitive Wilderness. One could expect nothing ordinary to come from the Darkest Hell. Otherwise, the gods'' souls wouldn''t be so fearful of the Flaming Hell.


    "He entered three pagodas at the same time!"


    Yahya shockingly witnessed the moment the Rule Soul Avatar disappeared.


    "My cultivation level is at the peak of the Emperor Realm, but if Darren''s avatar controls those five pagodas, I might not stand a chance." Yahya grimaced.


    The Rule Soul Avatar hadn''t even become a holy emperor yet! Despite this fact, he was feared by a cultivator at the peak of the Emperor Realm. What if the avatar became a holy emperor? He would no doubt be a peerless holy emperor, if it were to turn out that way.


    Ten days then passed like a breeze.


    Above the black sea, two figures appeared emanating a crimson aura.


    "Have you sensed the person I''m looking for?"


    It was Darren, accompanied by the Shura.


    "I only promised to help you kill two people. I have no obligation to help you find them,"


    said the Shura coldly. If any other creature dared to come near them, they would be scared to death just by the sight of the terrifying Shura.


    "Whatever. I''d be wasting your time as well if I don''t find those two enemies soon," Darren said calmly.


    The Shura glared at Darren with his scarlet eyes.


    His long red hair suddenly rose up into the air as the surrounding spaces cracked and crumbled around him. A raging storm, about thousands of kilometers wide, rose in the sea.


    "Come with me."


    With that, the Shura flew straight to the bottom of the sea, with Darren at his tail.


    After about one hundred thousand kilometers deep, the Shura suddenly stopped.


    A muffled explosion suddenly sounded.


    With a wave of his hand, the Shura created a huge hole in the area. It was the Sea Spiritual King''s residence.


    A piercing scream could be heard.


    Darren recognized it immediately.


    "What? T


    t it was the Shura that helped him.


    "Wait, what? It''s not him?" Darren couldn''t sense the Shura''s aura at all.


    "My real body," said a voice.


    A young man in white then appeared in front of Darren.


    "Avatar? Is that you? Did you help me?" Darren looked at him, shocked.


    The Rule Soul Avatar nodded.


    "How did you make it?"


    "I saw through one law thread, so the Flaming Hell has no effect on me. I can protect you.


    Who is that powerful creature with you?"


    From the moment Darren and the Shura entered this place, the Rule Soul Avatar already sensed their arrival.


    He felt wary of the powerful crimson red creature, so he waited until it was out of sight before he rescued Darren.


    "He is the Shura, that corpse," Darren said.


    From the appearance and aura of the creature, the Rule Soul Avatar had already made his guesses on what it was. Darren''s confirmation made his heart skip a beat.


    "He is quite strong. Reviving him seems to have been a dangerous decision," the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    "That''s true, but Yahya is protected by several gods'' souls. I can''t kill him alone."


    "I understand. That''s why you revived the Shura and asked him to kill your enemies."


    "That''s right. Only through these means can I really end this test," Darren said.


    The Rule Soul Avatar stood in a daze, pondering on a thought.


    Explosions were then heard in the distance.


    By the sound of it, a battle had commenced.

 Chapter 1018 The Ending Battle (Part Two)

    "It sounds like a war is raging."


    The violent quakes and blaring sounds interrupted the Rule Soul Avatar''s thoughts.


    "Let''s investigate."


    Barely had the words been spoken when Darren and his avatar vanished.


    To Darren''s surprise, it was not Yahya and the Shura who were fighting. Instead, the Shura was battling the thousands of chains released from the five black pagodas.


    The mighty Shura Force rushed out like torrents, while the chains, like rules, repressed the Shura''s power.


    They appeared evenly matched.


    "What are those pagodas? Why are they so strong?"


    Darren''s heart lurched. How mighty were the black pagodas if they could resist the attacks from the Shura?


    "Howl!"


    the Shura roared as frustration coursed through him. As he had been unable to destroy those iron chains, he released a more violent wave of Shura Force.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The space started to tremble violently, and the power contained in the aftershock forced Darren to retreat.


    Not far away, Yahya moved backward quickly as well. But the Rule Soul Avatar remained motionless as he stared at the five black pagodas with his silver eyes.


    Darren stopped retreating once he reached a safe enough distance.


    "Yahya, it''s time to end it."


    Darren turned to face Yahya as he spoke.


    "Yes." Yahya sighed. "It''s time to end it. Now, I see the end."


    "What?" Darren frowned. Yahya seemed to be implying something more with his comment.


    "This test was arranged by my future self because I wanted to know how I died. When you stepped into this tomb with your Shura Force, the law that my master had left determined that you probably killed me. But now I know the truth. It was the Shura you brought that slayed me."


    "Nonsense." Darren shook his head at Yahya''s explanation. His tone was as cold as ice when he spoke, "The times in which you and I exist are a hundred million years apart. How could you have gone to the afterlife to look for the murderer when you died? How could the Shura be your murderer?"


    "It''s a pity. Before my future self died, my master told me that the Shura had traveled through space and time. He helped me to organize this illusion to find the murderer. Moreover, if I kill him, perhaps the result will change," Yahya mutter


    strike left a slight crack on the black pagoda.


    "Argh!"


    At this point, the Rule Soul Avatar, who had been silent all this while, spat out a mouthful of blood.


    The slight change did not escape the Shura. After he saw the avatar spit blood, he stopped the attack and then walked toward the avatar.


    "You control the pagodas," the Shura stated.


    "You finally figured it out!" the Rule Soul Avatar remarked. As before, his tone was cold and emotionless.


    "You''re strong. You can control three of the five pagodas."


    "Release me and share your conditions," said the avatar. The avatar was not interested in the Shura''s praise. He was wise enough to understand that there could only be mutually beneficial deals between them.


    "Control the five pagodas and be my slave,"


    the Shura suggested, without any hesitation. The ideal scenario would be for the Rule Soul Avatar to control all the five pagodas and then work for him.


    The Shura race would never be slaves, but they could have other living creatures as their slaves!


    "I''ll never be a slave," the Rule Soul Avatar refused. In this respect, the Rule Soul Avatar was similar to the Shura as he would rather die than become a slave.


    "I will not allow you to live in this world if you don''t become my slave as I''m aware that your existence will pose a fatal threat to me in the future.


    If you refuse, I must kill you."


    Boom!


    The Rule Soul Avatar couldn''t escape even with the space skills as the Shura Force was too powerful.

 Chapter 1019 The Ending Battle (Part Three)

    The Rule Soul Avatar felt his life slipping away.


    The Shura was different from the god''s soul. He had a physical body and was extremely powerful, so the Rule Soul Avatar could not use the Oath Rule to restrain him.


    Bang!


    The Rule Soul Avatar was blown away by the Shura Force.


    If he hadn''t used all of his rule force to resist the attack, he would have been smashed to pieces.


    "Be my slave. I will forgive you."


    The Shura took this as an opportunity to get such a powerful man to fall under his power.


    "Never!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His aura grew colder.


    "Then die!"


    The Shura would not let the Rule Soul Avatar go that quickly.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Several streams of Shura Force attacked the Rule Soul Avatar.


    The Rule Soul Avatar had no way to escape. He murmured to himself and the black pagoda beside him shot out a myriad of iron chains again.


    The chains wrapped around the Rule Soul Avatar. The Shura Force rushed over and broke most of the chains, but the Rule Soul Avatar wasn''t killed.


    The Rule Soul Avatar took his chance to divide himself into three and quickly entered three of the black pagodas.


    "Argh!" The Shura''s anger burst out. He directed his attacks towards the black pagodas.


    On the other side, Yahya was still trying to figure out the truth. He felt an excruciating pain in his head and his whole body shook.


    "You don''t have to think about it anymore. Even if the Shura I brought is the one who killed you, it''s still impossible for you to kill him right now. You can''t change the result of your fate."


    Darren''s words made Yahya raise his head.


    Yahya smiled bitterly. "You are right. I can''t kill the Shura. Everything is destined."


    "What about us? Do we really have to be rivals?" asked Darren.


    "I don''t think so." Yahya shook his head. "It''s my pleasure that you can inherit my Emperor Character. There''s no need for us to fight anymore."


    "But if we don''t fight to the death, the test won''t end. Only one of us can survive," said Darren.


    "That''s true." Yahya looked despondent.


    "Darren, I know my existence is not real, but before


    separated, there''s something you have to know. You need to be careful."


    "Is it the secret about the mysterious warrior who underwent the thunder punishment for Conflicting Cultivation?" Darren''s heart skipped a beat.


    "That''s right." The Rule Soul Avatar thought for a moment and then said, "According to my prediction, the one who went to a later age to undergo the thunder punishment probably wants to kill you."


    "Kill me? Why?"


    "Because he is probably you."


    "He''s...me?" Darren was surprised. He wanted to ask more questions but the space collapsed in an instant. He could no longer communicate with the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Argh!"


    The Shura failed in killing the Rule Soul Avatar. His rage boiled over.


    His red eyes stared at Darren as if he was going to swallow him alive.


    "It''s useless for you to hate me. You can''t kill me," Darren sneered.


    "I can''t kill you, but I know of something else that can." The blood light around his body receded and he suddenly calmed down.


    "Well, let''s wait and see," Darren said calmly.


    Then, he turned into a shadow and walked out of the holy emperor''s tomb. Wherever he went, the rule system of the holy emperor''s tomb would automatically shatter, making it impossible for him to stop.


    "It''s over."


    Darren looked around and found that he was in a stone chamber. To his left, he saw Hailey, lying down in a coma.


    At the center of the chamber was a crystal coffin.

 Chapter 1020 Inheritance

    Darren was a little upset to have reached the end of the test.


    "Alas! In order to find out who killed him, Emperor Yahya had set up such an elaborate test. In the end, he still could not figure out who did it!"


    Darren was wondering who had killed Yahya.


    "Ah, forget it. Just rest in peace, Yahya." Darren bowed towards the crystal coffin.


    Returning to ancient times allowed Darren to gain much.


    First, he would be able to improve his strength by inheriting the Fire and Water Emperor Character. Second, he would be able to analyze the battles of previous emperors in order to learn how to make his cultivation better. Last and most importantly, he finally discovered the secret behind the River of Forgetfulness.


    "Why did the avatar say that? How could he think that the mysterious warrior who had survived the thunder punishment for Conflicting Cultivation was me? And that I would be the one to kill me?" Darren could not understand.


    "Never mind. I''ll just cross that bridge when I get there."


    Darren shook his head, releasing a force to awaken Hailey.


    "Are we out?" Hailey, dazed, looked around her.


    "Yes. Yahya committed suicide. The test is over." Darren nodded.


    "Oh, it''s finally over." Hailey was relieved. Suddenly, she sat straight up. "Wait a minute. Didn''t you say there are three tests? Where is the last test?"


    "How can there be a third test? That last one was the ultimate test."


    "Oh, alright." Hailey nodded.


    "Let''s go. Let''s take the Emperor Characters and leave."


    "Yes."


    The two walked up to the crystal coffin.


    "Thank you, master."


    Darren had promised to treat Yahya as his master, so he bowed towards the crystal coffin.


    "Thank you, master." Hailey bowed to Yahya three times.


    Buzz¡­


    The space vibrated, and the lid of the crystal coffin slowly rose. A corpse floated in front of them.


    Three crystals flew out of the corpse''s head and were suspended in the air.


    One was red and blue, one was black and white, and the last was gray and white. These were the three


    way!"


    "How could that be?" Darren asked, confused.


    Crack...


    Suddenly, a crack appeared in the air and a terrible force rushed out.


    "Feminine and Masculine Force!"


    Darren could sense the frightening power from within the crack.


    Whoosh!


    In the blink of an eye, Hailey was dragged into the crack.


    "Darren!" Hailey''s screams echoed throughout the holy emperor''s tomb. Darren tried to reach for her but the crack had disappeared and so had she.


    "Hailey? Hailey!" Darren cried out.


    "Don''t worry. She''s alright,"


    a voice said. Darren turned around and saw the Tiger Cat standing behind him.


    "But why?" Darren asked.


    "My master valued the Feminine and Masculine Force the most when he was alive. Before he died, he had already found the ultimate method for Feminine and Masculine Cultivation. He left this method in the Emperor Character, so that his inheritor could practice it."


    "I see. I hope she won''t be in danger." Darren nodded.


    "What about you? What are you going to do?" the Tiger Cat asked.


    "I need to leave. I have a lot of things to do!" Darren answered.


    "Okay." The Tiger Cat nodded. "Before you leave, could you tell me what happened during the test?"


    Darren didn''t say anything. He just transferred his memory of the test to the Tiger Cat.


    "How could this be?" The Tiger Cat furrowed his eyebrows.

 Chapter 1021 Sneaking In

    "What is it?"


    asked Darren to the Tiger Cat. He could see the confusion on his face.


    "Nothing. I just feel sorry for my master. It seems that he''ll never be able to take his revenge," replied the Tiger Cat with a helpless sigh.


    "By the way, Darren, what is your current cultivation level?" the Tiger Cat asked.


    "It''s about a half-step emperor''s strength by now."


    "Let me have a go at it,"


    said the Tiger Cat, reaching his paw out to Darren. He wanted to witness this power firsthand.


    Darren subconsciously gathered the Fire and Water Force, and a destructive aura began to flow through his palm.


    A force suddenly exploded between Darren''s palm and the Tiger Cat''s paw.


    Darren staggered backward.


    "You are indeed a half-step emperor. Not bad, Darren." The Tiger Cat withdrew his paw, satisfied.


    Darren stood still and asked, "So what''s your plan?"


    "I''ll stay in the tomb. You must be cautious about going outside. It hasn''t been safe in these parts. A lot of people at the half-step emperor level have died already," the Tiger Cat reminded in reply.


    "What happened? Why did they die?" Darren frowned.


    "It was done by a guy with a strong fiendish aura. His strength is on par with mine at least. But I can''t leave the tomb. My strength will slowly degenerate if I go outside. I can''t help you, so you must take care of yourself."


    "Fiend!" Even before entering the holy emperor''s tomb, Darren had already noticed the fiend.


    "I''ll be going out first, then."


    "Okay."


    The Tiger Cat nodded and sent Darren out using a transmission array.


    Darren took a breath of fresh air under the clear blue sky. He hadn''t been in such a tranquil environment in a while, and it put him at ease.


    "Here you are at last!" A voice came from Darren''s heart.


    "Sir, you''re awake?"


    "I woke up a long time ago. It''s just that I was too weak to say anything. I was suppressed by the rules of the tomb and was unable to communicate with you," the dragon ancestor said.


    "Well. Are you okay now?"


    "No. You almost killed me. By the way, where''s the old bird?" He was referring to the Grand Crow.


    "I don''t know. After he got injured, he said he wanted to heal his wounds. After that, he just disappeared."


    "Humph, that old bird is no good. It''s better to just not contact him. Now, take me to the northwest," said the dragon anc


    obably give it a shot."


    "Alright." Darren nodded and turned back.


    Before long, Darren arrived at a huge cave under the guidance of the dragon ancestor.


    Suddenly, the wind whistled.


    As soon as Darren reached the huge cave, many black-scaled fiends appeared one after another.


    "Kneel!"


    After Darren merged the demonic internal force with his dragon aura, he couldn''t transform into a fiend. Nevertheless, he exuded a pure fiendish aura.


    The crowd of fiends looked at each other in confusion. The man was clearly a human, but he was letting out a menacing pure fiendish aura that shook them with fear.


    A loud thud was suddenly heard.


    The fiend that had seen Darren before knelt down first. Seeing someone take the lead, all the other fiends followed suit.


    "Sir," the fiends said in unison.


    "Humph!" Darren put on an indifferent and proud look. With his chin high, he strutted straight into the cave.


    Explosions suddenly rang through just as Darren was going to step further into the cave.


    A strong fiendish aura rose from the sky, making the earth hazy.


    The fiends on the ground trembled with fear as they rose from the ground to greet their superior.


    "The general is back!


    Long live the general!"


    all the fiends shouted in unison.


    ''Holy crap!'' Darren''s heart skipped a beat. ''Did the first fiend ancestor''s body return?''


    How was he going to maintain this disguise now? The first fiend ancestor would definitely see through it.


    Darren turned around and stood directly behind the crowd, making it easier for him to escape.

 Chapter 1022 The Fiend General

    A moment later, a fiend had black scales appeared. He came in human form and he had a very handsome face.


    "His scales are black... Phew!" Darren let out a sigh of relief. He knew the first fiend ancestor had the blood-red scales. He also possessed a more formidable aura.


    As long as it wasn''t the first fiend ancestor, Darren didn''t need to worry about it so much. He still had the chance to escape.


    "General!"


    The crowd kowtowed.


    The general did not move. Instead, he stared at Darren with cold, piercing eyes.


    "Kneel down," said Darren coldly. Darren showed no fear. He put on a brave face and faced the general.


    "Grargh!"


    The general was furious. "Who do you think you are? How dare you ask me to kneel?"


    "Kneel! Down!" Darren shouted. He emphasized each word, releasing an aura of pure demonic internal force.


    "Well..."


    The general retreated a few steps backwards and the ground beneath him began to collapse.


    His lips began to tremble.


    He was made from half a streak of the first fiend ancestor''s blood aura and his status surpassed those of all the other fiends. However, the aura that emanated from the young man in front of him was clearly from the blood essence of the first fiend ancestor. This gave the young man a higher status.


    However, what Darren was showing now was only the purer fiendish aura. The general did sense that Darren was not as strong as he was. This confused him.


    After struggling to decide for a while, the general gritted his teeth. He did not kneel down.


    "Since you are the direct descendant of the master, you do not need to kneel down."


    Darren knew that things were not right. If he forced him to kneel down, the fiend general might rebel.


    Hearing this, the fiend general relaxed. He put a hand on his chest and gave a small bow towards Darren.


    Darren''s identity was confirmed after the general showed respect towards him.


    "Wait here and don''t come in," Darren ordered. He walked towards the cave.


    Outside, the other lower-level fiends dared not move. The general, however, disregarded Darren''s order. He followed Darren into the cave.


    "General, that master said we are not allowed to go in," a fiend reminded him cautiously.


    Bang!


    , the whereabouts of the dragon scale still needs investigation. I''ll report to my master first to see what he wants us to do," Darren said as he walked towards the general.


    The fiend general was still kneeling on the ground.


    "Don''t be nervous." Darren realized that the general was still on his guard. "You''ve done a good job. I''ll give you a few drops of blood essence to help you improve your bloodline."


    Hearing this, the general was overjoyed.


    The man had the blood essence of the first fiend ancestor. If he could have his blood essence, his bloodline would be upgraded to a higher level.


    However, it was strange to receive such a reward. The general was puzzled.


    "If you take my blood essence, you''ll be under my command. You cannot work for the other one. Do you understand?" Darren made up another lie.


    "Master, do you mean there is another one who is on the same level as you?"


    "That''s right. He has just been born. After your bloodline improves, how about you go with me to kill him and we can share his bloodline?"


    "Yes, sir!" Hearing this, the general was no longer skeptical. Darren had explained everything to him clearly.


    Darren made a small cut on his finger, and a few drops of blood essence fell. The general knelt down and opened his mouth to receive Darren''s gift.


    "Argh! It''s the dragon blood aura!"


    Suddenly, the fiend general''s body convulsed. He could feel his insides melting and the pain was almost too great for him to bear.

 Chapter 1023 Come To The City

    The several drops of the dragon blood aura were the purest that Darren could condense. As soon as they fell into the mouth of the general, white smoke billowed from his mouth.


    The dragon and the fiend were the natural enemies!


    The dragon blood aura could certainly damage even the most powerful of fiends.


    "Argh!"


    The general wanted to fight back, but he could do nothing except claw at his own throat.


    Darren would never give him the chance to retaliate. The power of the dragon blood aura and demonic internal force combined came out and shattered half of his body.


    "You! You are human!"


    "Don''t you think you realized that a little too late?" Darren sneered. If the general had attacked him from the very beginning, he would not have stood a chance.


    Luckily, Darren was able to trick him into taking the dragon blood aura. He was too weak to fight back now.


    "You son of a bitch. Even if I die, my master will learn about this!"


    This fiend general had the ability to send a message to his master directly.


    "Then die!" Darren was afraid that the first fiend ancestor would come, so he smashed the general''s head with his palm.


    "What?"


    The moment the fiend general died, a wisp of black blood flew out and disappeared into the space.


    "Damn it! He has sent out the message."


    Darren immediately went out. It was not good for him to stay here anymore.


    When he arrived at the cave entrance, the lower-grade fiends were still kneeling on the ground.


    However, even though they were low-grade, that did not mean that they were weak.


    "You should all stay down on your knees. The master is coming!"


    Darren didn''t want to let these fiends go. Once they were out, the human race would surely undergo immense suffering.


    The crowd of fiends obeyed Darren''s orders and stayed on the ground.


    "Good." Darren pursed his lips and released all his powers: the dragon blood aura, the dark gold internal force, the Fire


    ere. Even if those fiends have been killed by you, we still need to check if anyone got left behind!" an old man said.


    "Be careful, everyone! Since you all on a mission, I''ll leave now." Darren nodded and activated the transmission token to take him to the Holy City.


    "Do you think Darren really killed all the fiends?" After Darren left, the men began talking amongst each other.


    "I heard that Darren never tells a lie. It must be true!"


    "I''ve heard from Anthony that he entered the holy emperor''s tomb that day. Now that he has successfully come out, I''m afraid that he has got the inheritance and should have the strength to eliminate the fiends."


    "Yes. Although he is at a low cultivation level, he is way more powerful than us."


    Darren felt dizzy. Suddenly, light flashed in front of him. He closed his eyes tightly and when he opened them again, he saw that he was surrounded by buildings and pavilions.


    He unleashed his spiritual sense to explore the city.


    "The Holy City is so huge. I haven''t been visiting a city for many years. Now, I can take a break and wander around."


    During these years, Darren had been very busy and seldom stayed in human city. Now that he came to the Holy City, he could relax for a few days before going to see the Governor of the Holy City.

 Chapter 1024 Kill Myron

    Darren spotted a crowd of people as he walked down the street. There were young men and women of different human talents coming into the city from different places in the world.


    As Darren walked by, he noticed a lot of disgusted glares in his direction.


    "Look at him, a common holy warrior by comprehending the Holy Will. What is he doing here?"


    "Maybe he is from some great clan and he''s just dropping by for a look."


    "Yes, it must be because of his family background."


    People whispered along the way.


    Darren chose to ignore their dull gossip.


    He stepped into the nearby tavern. Darren had sorely missed the merriment of eating and drinking in the many years that had passed.


    "Get me some food and good wine." Darren found a table and sat down.


    A waiter came over.


    "Sir, we don''t serve normal dishes here. All our dishes are made of high-grade herbs. Naturally, they''re very expensive. Are you sure you''d like to eat here?"


    The waiter looked Darren up and down and assumed he couldn''t be a very wealthy man.


    "Bring me whatever you''d recommend, then. Please remember that the wine must be good." Darren kept his cool.


    "Of course," the waiter answered in a low voice contemptuously.


    "I heard the eighteen Governors and the four greatest holy warriors chased the first fiend ancestor, but they were no match for him," said a voice from another table.


    "Apparently, halfway through the battle a mysterious youth showed up. They say he was as handsome as a god! With just the turn of his palm a world collapsed and he fought the first fiend ancestor all on his own. The fiend was beaten half to death. What a powerful young man!"


    Darren could clearly hear the chit-chat from the other tables.


    "Yeah, I heard his name is Darren Chu. His strength is horrifying."


    "No, no. He isn''t Darren. He is just Darren''s avatar."


    "Really? I wonder how terrifying the real Darren is then?"


    Darren was a bit embarrassed about eavesdropping since the conversation was obviously about himself.


    Suddenly, everyone heard loud thumping noises coming from above them.


    There seemed to be a fight going on in the attic of the tavern.


    A bloodied young man then fell from the attic.


    "Let go of my sister!"


    The young man looked up, his eyes red with blood. A few young men walked down cheekily


    ring Darren''s strength back then, all he wanted was to kill Darren. Now that Darren''s strength had surpassed his own, Myron was begging for mercy like a dog. His arrogance was nowhere to be found.


    "Oh, do you think I care about handsome rewards?"


    "Darren!" Hearing this, Myron knew that it had become useless to beg for mercy. He suddenly shot up and proclaimed proudly, "If you dare to kill me, my father will definitely behead you. I''d advise you not to risk your life like that."


    In the next second, another loud bang rang through.


    Darren''s palm struck Myron as fast as lightning.


    Myron''s head exploded and his corpse fell to the ground with a loud thump.


    "Scumbag," Darren spat.


    "He...he...he really killed Myron."


    "Let''s hurry up. The Governor of the Blue Cloud City will be here soon. If we don''t leave now, we''ll be in trouble."


    "Oh, no! This is not going to end well. A war is going to break out between two cities."


    Everyone in the tavern was shocked and afraid when they saw Darren kill Myron. They all flew away in fear of getting mixed up into the chaos.


    "Are you all right?" Darren helped the woman up and healed her injuries.


    "Thank you, Mr. Chu!" The woman and her brother knelt down crying. They expressed their utmost gratitude for Darren''s help.


    "You''re welcome. He deserved it. Please hurry and find Anthony. Tell him you are friends of Darren."


    Darren ordered them to flee, but he decided to stay and see the Governor. He wondered what kind of Governor he was to have raised a son like Myron.

 Chapter 1025 Plan For Revenge

    The tavern was empty. The owner of the tavern was scared to death so he asked a waiter to stand guard.


    "Waiter, come here," Darren called out.


    The waiter came over, trembling with fear. He looked at Darren''s face, feeling more frightened by the second. He knew what Darren was capable of.


    "Sir, I am at your disposal!"


    "Why are you so afraid? Bring me wine! Bring me the most expensive wine that you have!"


    "Yes, sir! Please wait a moment!"


    The waiter rushed to get the wine.


    Several pots of good wine were served to Darren.


    "Sir, you can drink as much as you want. I just need to go home. My parents are very old and they need me. Please let me go back to them."


    After the waiter served the wine, he knelt on the ground, crying.


    "I won''t kill you. Why would you think that?" Darren was aghast.


    "Sir, I know that you are a righteous person. You will let me live. But if the Governor of the Blue Cloud City comes, he will kill a lot of people. I''ll surely die. Please let me go home and hide!" The waiter cried even more.


    "You can leave now." Darren didn''t want the waiter to be afraid any longer.


    "Thank you, sir. Thank you so much." The waiter kowtowed and rushed to get home.


    There was no one else in the empty tavern. Darren drank alone. It had been six hours, but no one else came.


    After waiting for another half hour, Darren got up and walked out.


    The streets were empty, but he could see people peering out of the pavilions, waiting to see what would happen.


    Darren didn''t know why the Governor of the Blue Cloud City didn''t come. He didn''t want to waste time anymore. He took out his sword and waved around. He left a note on the ground: "The man who killed a bug is Darren." Then, he walked away.


    The people watching him were in an uproar.


    "He killed the son of the Blue Cloud City''s Governor and dared to leave in such a manner! How terrifying!"


    "If it were anyone else, the Blue Cloud City''s Governor would have pounced on him like a mad dog! He might be afraid of Darren!"


    "Wow, he''s really awesome. No wonder he i


    guards were a little surprised.


    "Young Master, are you talking about the Shao brothers who have been suppressed for eight hundred years?"


    "That''s right." Felix smirked. "When the two brothers work together, they can resist a holy emperor''s attack. Darren won''t know what hit him!"


    "B-b-but...Young Master! The two brothers are so vicious! How will you make them work for you?"


    "No more questions. Just consider it done. In just a few weeks, I will make Darren pay with his own blood!" With one final bow to his father, Felix turned around and left.


    "Felix, it''s all up to you now." Anderson Mu hoped for revenge. He was glad he had his other son around to carry out the plans.


    At the Governor''s Office of the Holy City


    Outside the hall, Garth and some of the warriors stood waiting.


    A figure appeared in front of them.


    "Ha!" Laughing heartily, Garth took a few steps forward. "Darren, you are finally back. Please come in."


    "Welcome, Mr. Chu!" The warriors all bowed to him.


    Darren was stunned. ''Isn''t this a little bit too much?'' he thought.


    "Governor," Darren greeted, bowing politely.


    "Come on in. Say... I heard that you had killed the son of Anderson. Is that true?" Garth asked.


    "Indeed. It is true," Darren admitted.


    "Great!" To Darren''s surprise, Garth was laughing. He had expected him to worry but rather, he seemed quite overjoyed.

 Chapter 1026 Linda Qin

    Everyone sat down after they had entered the hall.


    "Darren, you helped us deal with a massive disaster immediately after your return. It''s mighty generous of you," Garth praised.


    "Ha-ha, since you knew that he is a troublemaker, why didn''t you kill him?"


    Darren couldn''t understand why the officials had ignored what had happened in the Holy City. After all, Myron had done so many evil deeds.


    "There are things that you don''t know, Darren. If I had killed that guy and Anderson learned about it, he would bring his army here. At that time, blood would spill like rivers on both sides, and there would be countless casualties. We had no choice but to turn a blind eye to it.


    Fortunately, you took care of him. A battle between you and Myron would be considered as a personal affair. If he tries to use the opportunity to blame us and attack the city, the elders will suppress him. This is why Anderson does not dare to kill people in the city at random."


    After hearing this explanation, Darren had a better understanding of the situation.


    "But why didn''t you drive Myron away?" Darren asked.


    "And where would I expel him to? A scumbag like him would be a disaster wherever he went. Expelling him would not curb his activities. He would just be evil in another place."


    "That''s true." Darren nodded in agreement.


    "Anyway, you have done an excellent thing for the residents of the Holy City. You don''t have to worry about Anderson. If he dares to make trouble for you, I will do my best to protect you!"


    Garth assured Darren that he would personally protect him to avoid a war.


    The promise had been easy enough to make as Garth knew that Darren had a powerful avatar. He was not concerned about Anderson taking revenge on Darren because of the avatar.


    "Thank you, Governor," Darren replied politely.


    "Ha-ha, I should be the one to thank you for your help. If your avatar hadn''t injured the fiend, saved our life, and delayed its development, we and the eighteen cities may have already disappeared." Garth laughed loudly.


    "Not at all," Darren answered perfunctorily and then continued, "How is the first fiend ancestor now?"


    Garth''s face darkened. His tone was laced with anxiety as he answered, "The situation is not very good. The basta


    o laughter even before Darren finished. Then she said, "Darren, do you think that I want to pursue you?"


    "Don''t you?" Darren''s face flushed when he thought he had mistaken her advances.


    "Of course, not." Linda Qin turned and glanced at Darren. With a smile, she said, "My father might have meant that, but I wouldn''t. I know about the relationship between you and Laura. And, I love her too much to hurt her. It doesn''t matter that I have had a crush on you since we first met. I won''t take away the man she loves. Don''t worry.


    Be nice to Laura, or I will not let you go!"


    She pouted and threatened Darren with her raised delicate fist.


    Darren shook his head, speechlessly. He found it funny as well as annoying that Linda thought that Laura was his wife.


    As he didn''t want Linda to fall in love with him, Darren believed it was better if he didn''t explain anything to her.


    They remained silent until they arrived at a courtyard.


    "Darren, would you do me a favor tomorrow?" Linda asked Darren before he walked further.


    "What favor do you need?"


    "Could you pretend to be my boyfriend for a day?" Linda asked sweetly.


    "Damn it! Didn''t you just say that you wouldn''t pursue me?" Darren exclaimed as concern flooded him.


    Linda rolled her eyes at his overdramatic reaction. What he had said, had sounded so strange.


    "Humph! I said that I wouldn''t pursue you, and I meant it! Why are you so nervous? Do... you dislike me?"


    Linda said. Disappointment and hurt were evident in her tone.

 Chapter 1027 Attending The Party

    "I didn''t say I dislike you, Linda. It just so happens that sadly, your flirtatious charm isn''t working on me," Darren laughed.


    "What are you implying?" Linda shouted as she pointed a stern finger at Darren.


    "I just need a favor. So will you help me or not? Mind you, if you decline, I''m going to tell Laura," Linda said angrily.


    "Go ahead and tell her then. It won''t do anything anyway." Darren shrugged his shoulders.


    "Oh, Darren, help me just this once." Linda shook Darren''s arm with a pouty face.


    "Explain your request first. Why do you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend?" Darren asked.


    "I''m trying to get rid of those perverted bastards on my tail, of course," Linda blurted out.


    "Really?" Darren looked at her and immediately understood what she meant. Linda was a beautiful and attractive lady. Men were practically falling over their feet chasing after her.


    She made it quite obvious she wasn''t interested in any of them.


    "You want me to make your crowd of suitors jealous?" Darren asked.


    "Oh Darren, sweetie, you are ever so smart! Truly the cream of the crop here. So you''ll help me, then?" Linda said with a smile like honey.


    "Let me think about it." Darren pretended to think very carefully with his eyes furrowed. "This means all your angry and jealous pursuers are going to come after me, right? What do you think?"


    "Oh please. Hush, Darren. You''re such a renowned hero by now and you''re still afraid of those bunch of toads," said Linda while she rolled her eyes.


    "But, there''s nothing in it for me at all," Darren said with a grin.


    "Darren." Linda pursed her lips and cast a scornful glance at Darren. "So you want something good, right? I don''t think I have anything you might like. Unless, I''m enough for payment?" Linda said this with a coy smile.


    "Fuck off!" Darren chuckled. He knew that Linda was making fun of him. So he turned around and entered the room.


    Linda let out a chipper laugh. "Darren, I''ll come over to pick you up tomorrow morning. It''s settled, we''re going to a party together."


    As soon as she said this, she hopped off without waiting for Darren''s reply.


    On the way back to her room, Linda couldn''t stop imagining how painful it would be for her pursuers to see her with such a handsome boyfriend at the party the next day.


    at was that, Darren dearest? What did you say?" Linda asked, blinking her eyes innocently.


    "Nothing! I''ll go with you to the party."


    "Hee hee, thank you so much, Darren," Linda giggled.


    Not long after, they arrived at a posh venue.


    There were pavilions, terraces and towers hundreds of kilometers around. Landscapes reflected into the water looked splendid.


    "Hi Linda, you''ve finally arrived."


    A handsome young man flew over to escort her inside.


    "Mr. Qiu, where are the others?" Linda replied nonchalantly.


    "They have been waiting for you in the hall. Is this your servant? Our superior talents'' party does not allow servants inside,"


    the young man blurted out, giving Darren a look of disdain.


    "Nonsense. He is my fiance. He is a superior genius. Why can''t he go with me?" Linda thought to herself, ''If you knew this is the famous Darren, you''d be shocked.''


    But for now, she didn''t disclose Darren''s identity since she wanted to stand out at the party. She couldn''t have Darren stealing her spotlight.


    "Your fiance?" The young man and Darren were both surprised.


    "Linda, you asked me to pretend to be your boyfriend. When was fiance part of the agreement?" Darren asked through spiritual sense.


    "Oh, Darren! Fiance is more shocking than boyfriend. It''s all fake anyway. Are you afraid I''ll marry you or something?" Linda replied.


    "As you wish. Just for today, okay?"


    "Alright, alright. Don''t be such a sourpuss."


    The young man''s expression had changed from disdain to an icy glare of jealousy.

 Chapter 1028 Ridicule Everywhere

    "Linda, I gave up pursuing you because I know that I don''t deserve you. You have ample pursuers among the superior talents who are visiting today. It is naive of you to believe that you can use such a low-class man to get rid of them.


    Asking this guy to act as your fiance will only bring shame to you," the young man said coldly.


    Linda had ruthlessly rejected this young man, who had tried to pursue her. At last, he felt that he was not worthy enough to be with her.


    Now that Linda had introduced this low-class man as her fiance, the young man''s first feeling was pain.


    But, on second thought, he remembered how arrogant Linda could be and wondered why she agreed to have such a weak fiance. Some of his resentment stemmed from the fact that her fiance, although handsome, had entered the Holy Realm by comprehending the Holy Will only. This was an inferior path.


    After thinking for a while, the young man concluded that Linda was using this man to escape the advances of other men.


    "Hey, don''t be so presumptuous. If you dare to insult my fiance again, I will never forgive you." As she spoke, she took Darren''s arm intimately. "Honey, let''s go inside."


    Darren was in no hurry to teach the young man a lesson for his arrogance. After all, he came here with Linda, and she could take whatever action she thought best.


    As Darren and Linda walked toward the hall, the young man gnashed his teeth and his eyes filled with killing intent.


    "Hum, Linda must hate you deeply. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have brought you here to die, you idiot!" the young man muttered. He knew how horrible it would be for Darren once he entered the hall.


    There were more than a hundred talents in the hall, and many of them were young and beautiful women.


    However, very few were as beautiful as Linda. Darren could tell at a glance that two beautiful women had taken some pills to enhance their beauty. Hence, their beauty wasn''t as natural as Linda''s.


    When Linda and Darren entered the hall arm-in-arm, all eyes fixed on them.


    "Nice to meet you, Mr. Sheng."


    "Linda, you are more beautiful than before. I am so envious of you."


    "Hi, Mr. Ni, it''s been a long time."


    As Lin


    white stood in front of them.


    His eyes twinkled like stars, and a soft glow surrounded his body. He was more handsome and elegant than any other man in the hall.


    While this man could compare to Darren in terms of appearance, his temperament differed from Darren''s.


    "Ah, it''s Rudy. I like him so much. If I can''t get the legendary Darren, I will be happy to marry him."


    Many women affectionately stared at the man in front of them.


    "Hi, ladies and gentlemen, I invited everyone to this small gathering to exchange insights and information. I don''t want to see any outsider hurting the harmony here," the man spoke calmly and elegantly. However, he glanced at Darren indifferently.


    Obviously, he was referring to Darren.


    "Everyone, please take a seat. Let''s discuss our experience in cultivation and learn from each other. This is why I invited you here," the man called Rudy continued.


    Even though the tension in the hall had not subsided, everyone nodded and sat down. No one was going to defy Rudy''s orders!


    "Rudy, as we''re about to begin, wouldn''t it be better to remove some low-level cultivators as their presence might affect the process?"


    "Yes, you''re right. Even if someone mediocre joins the discussion, he would be confused. I''m afraid that Linda will take it personally and blame us."


    However, Linda didn''t get angry. Instead, she laughed as she stood. She wondered whether she ought to reveal Darren''s identity now.

 Chapter 1029 Kingsley

    "How dare you say that my fiance is mediocre? What right do you have?" Linda asked coldly.


    "What are you talking about, Linda?"


    Many of the young talents felt their heart break with the way Linda, their dream lover, insisted on defending this weak man.


    "Is this man intimidating you? Don''t be afraid, Linda. Just tell me and I will help you!"


    "Yeah, Linda. This man doesn''t deserve you! Look at me. I''m handsomer and more powerful than he is. Come with me instead!"


    Linda laughed in contempt for them and said, "I know that all of you are only after my looks, so I don''t think any of you deserve me. And anyway, my fiance must be unparalleled in power. Who among you can match that qualification?"


    "Don''t be too arrogant, Linda. Why would you think that no one deserves you? Everyone here is superbly talented in their own right. How ridiculous! Do you really think you are that special?" Dissatisfaction began to run among the crowd because of Linda''s words.


    Most of the people present are well-known geniuses since they were young. Many of them even had countless suitors, so none of them would stand being ridiculed.


    Linda laughed and smiled at them with indifference. "If all of you are as talented as you claim to be, then why are you after me then? If you still have shame, go for someone else. I''ve had enough of you disgusting bugs!"


    "Well, even if you don''t like anyone here, you still don''t have to go after such a loser, right? You''re only humiliating yourself," a woman said.


    This enraged Linda. "You bitch! How dare you call him loser?" She was so angry that she wanted to slap the stupid woman.


    Before she could do anything, Darren stopped her and took a step forward. He had been silent this whole time.


    "You called me a loser, so then what should I do so that I won''t be one? Please teach me," he said, almost sarcastically.


    "It would be useless to teach you. People have insulted you and your woman, and yet you have done nothing. Doesn''t that make you a loser?" This woman had heavy make-up on her face. It brought out the disdain in her eyes as she looked at Darren.


    "I admit that what you said make sense. I ca


    ther must show respect to my father. So who do you think you are? You''re just a nobody so you mustn''t be too arrogant."


    Rudy didn''t bother hiding his rage with the way Darren behaved towards his father. The latter was ill-mannered, and he ought to be called out for it.


    "Well, it seems like you are from a respectable position. Is your father one of the four greatest holy warriors?"


    "This is interesting. It seems like this young man doesn''t even know my name and my identity," the middle-aged man said, looking curious by this.


    "You brat, the man in front of you is Kingsley. Besides the four greatest holy warriors, he is the only six-tribulation senior holy warrior in the eighteen cities. No one dares disrespect him! You''re courting death with your foolishness," someone from the crowd shouted.


    "Uncle Kingsley, what brings you here? This is a party for young people. If we have disturbed you, I apologize. We are leaving now. My father will like to invite you to drink some other day," Linda said, politely.


    For some reason, her face had changed dramatically since the man''s arrival. She had realized that she was in trouble this time, and the worst thing that could happen right now was Darren losing his life because of her.


    "Linda, you become more and more beautiful every time I see you. I won''t keep you any longer if you''re in a hurry, but this young man must stay."


    Linda''s face paled when she heard this.

 Chapter 1030 A Request

    Kingsley didn''t belong to any of the eighteen cities. He lived in a villa in the mountains.


    Ten years ago, he had become a six-tribulation senior holy warrior. His strength was fearsome. It was difficult for the eighteen Governors to defeat him even if they joined hands.


    To deal with a six-tribulation holy warrior, one had to be very close to the Emperor Realm!


    "Uncle Kingsley, I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have brought him here. Please spare my fiance!" Linda pleaded.


    "Linda, what''s happening?"


    Darren''s words confused Linda.


    "Oh please! We''re in trouble! This old guy is a six-tribulation senior holy warrior. We can''t afford to get him angry! Unless... you can summon your avatar to suppress him!" Linda said, her eagerness evident.


    She had only ever heard about Darren''s power in stories. She had yet to see it for herself. Needless to say, she was curious to see what all the fuss was about.


    "That doesn''t matter." Darren smiled calmly.


    After all, Kingsley was not a holy emperor.


    "Do you want me to die?" Darren looked straight into Kingsley''s eyes.


    "Oh, young man! You are so funny. Why would I want that? It''s a matter for the younger generation. Why, how foolish would I be to get myself involved!" Kingsley chuckled.


    "Then why do you want me to stay?"


    "Well, you are an extraordinary talent! This time, I asked Rudy to summon young talents to give them a chance to rise. Since you are here, you should also try to break through. If we succeed, our human race will have another six-tribulation senior holy warrior who will help us deal with the fiends," Kingsley said.


    Darren froze for a moment after hearing Kingsley explain.


    "Are you asking me to get some treasure?" Darren replied, his tone much softer now.


    "You are not the only one. In fact, Rudy summoned all of you here today for the purpose of getting the Six-tribulation Heavenly Armor. Once you successfully get it and equip yourself with it, you will smoothly


    im?'' he thought.


    His heart stirred. He wanted to apologize, but he didn''t even have the courage to verbalize his feelings.


    "Since you asked me, I''ll give it a go. If I''m lucky enough to obtain the Six-tribulation Heavenly Armor, I''ll give it to Linda," Darren said.


    As Kinsley had said, the fiends were only getting stronger by the moment. If the human race had one more six-tribulation holy warrior on their side, they would have more strength to fight against the fiends.


    Linda was the only one Darren was familiar with in this crowd. If he could get the armor, he would give it to her.


    "No. I can''t take it, Darren," Linda said hurriedly.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "It would be a waste for me to take it. After all, I''m just a four-tribulation junior holy warrior. You''d better give it to Anthony. It will be more useful to him."


    "Yes, you''re right. I forgot all about Anthony. Why, your heart has no greed!" Darren said.


    Linda blushed.


    "Uncle Kingsley, why didn''t you tell me about the Six-tribulation Heavenly Armor? I can help!"


    At that moment, a handsome young man entered. He looked just like Myron, the man Darren had killed.


    "Felix Mu? What are you doing here? Humph!"


    Felix''s arrival brought a hush over the crowd. They stared at him, their eyes cold and their faces grim.

 Chapter 1031 Enter The Cave

    Felix scanned the crowd until he spotted Darren. Then he glared at Darren with a fierce expression.


    He walked toward Darren and stopped in front of him.


    "The famous Darren! Great! You will die miserably in the Talent Battle Ring half a month from now."


    When Felix was standing outside the door, he heard the uproar in the hall. Upon learning that Darren was here, he was both surprised and angry.


    "Are you the brother of the useless bug?"


    "You are the useless bug! Every member of your family is a useless bug! In half a month, when I kill you painfully, you will know that the world is cruel," Felix retorted as anger coursed through him.


    "Ha-ha." Darren sneered before he continued, "First, I don''t intend to participate in the Talent Battle Ring. Second, you don''t have the strength or skill to kill me."


    "You jerk. Are you scared? The moment you decided to kill my brother, you should have expected this consequence. You must die!" Felix declared confidently.


    With a smirk, Darren turned to the nearest person and asked, "Do you know Felix? Has he done anything immoral or wicked?"


    The man Darren had spoken to paused for a moment, then nodded and said righteously, "Like his brother, he is also a villain and does all kinds of evil things. He deserves to die!"


    "That''s good, enough for me." Darren nodded and turned to face Felix.


    "What are you doing?" When Felix saw that Darren''s pupils had turned red, he became terrified.


    "As a man who is about to die, you ask too many questions."


    As soon as he finished, a tremendous force erupted from Darren''s body. In an instant, the hall was shrouded in blood-red light.


    Bang!


    A mass of blood exploded.


    "Ah! Felix is dead!"


    "Oh, my God! What kind of power is that? He killed Felix in only one move!"


    "This is so horrible."


    Most people trembled when they felt Darren''s power.


    Felix, who was at the peak of a five-tribulation holy warrior, was unexpectedly reduced to a blood mist by one attack. It seemed that Darren was more powerful than they had expected.


    Felix had intended to provoke Darren and force him to appear at the Talent Battle Ring in half a month. He hadn''t expected Darren to be powerful and bold enough to kill him on the spot.


    Outside the door, two men with dishevele


    Darren nodded.


    The group moved forward slowly and vigilantly since everyone was wary about the creatures made from spiritual energy.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    After having walked for a few kilometers, they sensed something running in the white mist.


    "Be careful!" Rudy stopped and warned the others.


    Fizz!


    One of the men in the team suddenly lifted his sword. That was when he noticed that a white creature was sitting on the tip. The creature, dressed in a red cloak, was about the size of a baby.


    "Is this the creature that guards the place? It looks weak." The guy sneered. He estimated that this creature might have come from ginseng and was, hence, not powerful at all.


    "Waah! Waah!"


    The next moment, the chubby baby opened its mouth and revealed its sharp black teeth. With a flash, it broke free from the sword and rushed at the man.


    Crack, crack.


    A cloud of blood mist emanated from the man, and a split second later, his body was reduced to blood and bones.


    This scene shocked everyone. They never thought that the little thing could be so horribly fast.


    After swallowing that man, the white creature turned blood red and disappeared.


    The whole incident happened so quickly that even Darren didn''t have time to react and kill it.


    The blood-colored baby reappeared beside a middle-aged man.


    "You did a good job. Go and find the master,"


    the middle-aged man instructed as he patted its head. With a quick nod, the creature leaped into the air and flew toward a mountain.

 Chapter 1032 The Purest Spiritual Energy

    If the talents saw this middle-aged man, they would surely be shocked. Wasn''t he Kingsley?


    Kingsley raised his head and looked into the distance. He gave off a dark, cruel aura. His lips curled into a sneer.


    "Little guys, only your blood can revive my master!" Kingsley grinned.


    In the far distance


    Darren and the others used their spiritual senses to keep up their guards.


    After a long while, they did not detect anything. "I don''t feel those creatures anymore!" someone cried.


    "I don''t think so..." Darren shook his head. The baby creatures moved so fast that he could only detect them very slightly.


    "Watch over each other. I''ll go and kill them."


    As soon as Darren finished his words, he rushed towards the beasts with his sword and his blade in his hands.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The earth trembled and light shone blindingly. There were many rays of light shining through the white fog.


    "Let''s see if you can escape my attacks!"


    Darren put out his powerful force and covered a range of dozens of kilometers. He could kill anyone with just a single attack.


    "Ah!"


    Screams rang out throughout the space, shattering the eardrums of those closest to the sound.


    Whoosh!


    Darren swiftly shuttled through the space and collected the bodies of the baby creatures he had killed.


    "Assimilate."


    He began to assimilate the powers of the baby creatures. He felt power flow through his meridians.


    "Huh! What''s happening?" Darren was astonished after assimilating the spiritual energy.


    "How come this feels much purer than the ancient spiritual energy?"


    It was the purest spiritual energy Darren had ever encountered. The spiritual energy he had just absorbed was much purer than the ancient spiritual energy and was definitely a big help in Darren''s cultivation.


    ''This kind of spiritual energy doesn''t belong to the Lothlann Continent, '' Darren thought.


    Such spiritual energy could not be found on the Lothlann Continent.


    He could still remember the time he encountered a mysterious old man who seemed to have lost his mind. Two purple leaves containing powerful spiritual energy fell from the old man''s body. The power from those leaves were similar to what he w


    at the creature.


    Bang!


    Darren''s blade and sword intents shattered and he was knocked into the air.


    "Interesting." Darren didn''t get hurt. He sneered at the creature.


    "You want to play it that way? Fine.


    Roar!"


    The dragon''s roar shook the space and an enormous dragon appeared.


    In an instant, Darren''s dragon body shrank to ten feet long.


    "Humph!"


    The dragon''s body shot forward and its tail crashed with a deafening swish.


    Bang!


    The spiritual energy creature was hit by Darren''s tail. It almost succumbed to its sheer force.


    The next moment, Darren rushed over and opened his mouth, swallowing the spiritual energy creature.


    The creature revitalized Darren, filling him with immense power.


    When the spiritual energy creature entered Darren''s abdomen, various forces tried to temper it. Darren pulled the assimilating power and turned the creature into the spiritual energy as his own.


    "Wow!" Darren transformed back to his human form and fell on the ground. "This creature is equivalent to at least two hundred low-grade spiritual energy creatures!"


    After Darren assimilated it, his cultivation level immediately rose and he reached the peak of a senior holy warrior! His strength had increased a lot!


    "Amazing. No wonder his avatar can fight against the first fiend ancestor!"


    From a distance, Kingsley had been watching.


    "Master, do you want me to fetch Darren''s blood for you?" Kingsley bowed towards the distance.

 Chapter 1033 Fighting The Skeleton General

    After Darren killing the spiritual energy creatures, all the young talents felt like survivors from a disaster.


    "Those things were terrible. We''re lucky Darren was here, or we''d all be dead."


    "Is attaining the Six-tribulation Heavenly Armor worth sacrificing so many lives?" An air of doubt hung over them. Many considered quitting.


    Many had fallen not long after they entered the Spiritual Nether Cave. There were still many dangers ahead. They felt their chances of survival were slim.


    "We''ve come all this way already. The lives they lost will go to waste if we don''t get the armor. Let''s head into the Ghost Valley." After tidying himself up, Rudy was about to lead the crowd forward.


    Darren flew over and motioned for them to stop. "How about all of you wait here? Rudy, tell me the route by memory, and I''ll try to get it on my own."


    "No way, Darren! How could we let you take that risk alone?" a woman cried.


    "Don''t be silly. We''re just a burden to Darren as we are right now. Don''t you get it?"


    The crowd nodded in approval. These so-called talents'' skills paled in comparison to Darren. They couldn''t even keep themselves alive. They''d only be dead weight if they accompanied Darren.


    "We''ll remain vigilant and await your safe return, Darren."


    They went into formation, just in case another spiritual energy creature would come out.


    Darren rushed into the distant valley.


    As he pushed through, the white fog that surrounded him got thicker and thicker. Eventually, it transitioned into black fog.


    "The Ghost Valley, huh? I wonder if it''s full of ghosts?"


    Darren then arrived in the valley.


    The area was covered by a miasmic black fog. There was no sign of life to be seen.


    "Phew!"


    Darren scouted around to no avail, but he didn''t let his guard down.


    "Kill! Kill! Kill!"


    Cold voices echoed in the valley, as if there were thousands of troops in his midst.


    "Human! It''s a human!"


    A moment later, a skull made of black fog appeared in front of Darren.


    Suddenly, more than a hundred thousand skeletons crawled up from the ground of the valley.


    "Blood."


    Sparks of black lightning glittered in their eyes. They longed for Darren''s warm body.


    Darren stood there, showing no sign of nervousness.


    Despite the number of the skeletons, their aura was pretty weak. Darren stood in confidence that


    genuine dragon!"


    he exclaimed in disbelief.


    "Could you be from the cyan dragon race?"


    The dragon race had a superior status in the Primitive Wilderness. The cyan dragon race reigned supreme in their region. Even superior gods did not dare to provoke them.


    "Humph!"


    Darren ignored him and rushed behind the skeleton general.


    "Stop!"


    The skeleton general realized that he was no longer the target. It was his comrades.


    Darren made a mighty swing with his dragon tail, and thousands of black skeletons vanished into thin air.


    A miserable howl ripped out.


    The skeleton general went into a frenzy.


    All his people had followed and believed in him ever since he was still in Primitive Wilderness. Even if they had all turned into skeletons, he would never allow anyone to destroy his loyal followers.


    "Damn it! Damn you!"


    The skeleton general flew over and slashed at Darren. He swung haplessly in a mad rage.


    Caught off guard, Darren gave up killing the low-level skeletons and turned to fight against the general.


    With a brute force, Darren''s dragon tail flung the skeleton general into the air. Blood seeped out from his tail, as the sword had made deep cuts into it.


    ''If it goes on like this, I might still be killed.''


    Darren began to worry. The skeleton general''s physical body was sturdy, and the sword in his hand was not to be underestimated. Its grade was much higher than Darren''s sword and blade''s.


    If the skeleton general didn''t have his sword, he''d find great difficulty in making fatal wounds on Darren''s dragon body.

 Chapter 1034 Get The Opportunity

    Darren realized that he could defeat the skeleton general if he removed his opponent''s sword.


    The sword was not only powerful, but it was also strange, almost as if it were integrated with the skeleton general.


    "Kill!"


    The skeleton general was furious as Darren had killed tens of thousands of his people. He emanated intense power as he rushed toward Darren.


    With gritted teeth, Darren continued to fight the skeleton general. Simultaneously, he contemplated the best way to defeat his opponent.


    "Darren, you can''t kill him. His bones are as strong as the iron from outer space,"


    advised the dragon ancestor in Darren''s heart.


    Darren was stunned. He had forgotten the dragon ancestor in his heart. With the dragon ancestor''s help, they could find out the skeleton general''s weakness.


    "Sir, can you add the dragon blood aura to my body to enhance my strength?" Darren asked.


    "You brat! As I''m on the verge of death, how can I spare energy to help you?" The dragon ancestor had helped Darren several times before, and each time, his injury was aggravated. He couldn''t help Darren anymore.


    Bang!


    As Darren was distracted, he didn''t react quickly enough to dodge the skeleton general''s blow.


    "Argh!" A painful cry escaped Darren''s lips. Then he said to the dragon ancestor, "Sir, the skeleton general gets his strength from his sword. He can''t hurt me if I separate the sword from him. Do you have any suggestions?"


    Darren retreated as he awaited a response to his question.


    "It is indeed, powerful. Even if the sword were badly damaged, its strength would match a top-grade Emperor Weapon. Your dragon body cannot withstand it. But, if the weapon were to break, you might have a chance," the dragon ancestor said after some contemplation.


    "Please continue." Darren was thrilled by what he had heard and was curious to learn more.


    "Let me remind you of something. As he had a god''s body in the past, your forces can''t harm him. Only laws can hurt him. Since your forces are derived from rules, not laws, you can''t injure him. However, the sword in his hand is an inanimate object. Even if it is a very high-grade weapon, it cannot distinguish between laws and rules. Do you understand now?"


    stalling because you are weak." Killing intent filled the skeleton general, and he charged at Darren.


    "Wait!" The skeleton general stopped when he heard Darren''s roar.


    Darren knew how lonely and unwilling the skeleton general must be after guarding this place for so many years. How could a powerful person like him submit to people? How could such a powerful man not be touched when offered the opportunity to remove his status as a slave?


    Even if he didn''t want to believe, there would be a glimmer of hope deep in his heart.


    While Darren was curious about the effect of his proposal, the skeleton general continued to see Darren as someone who would definitely die. Hence, he could wait for Darren to finish speaking.


    "You still want to play tricks?"


    "No. I want to prove to you that I can help you be a free man!" Darren said.


    The skeleton general was silent for a moment.


    "Show me!" The skeleton general decided to let Darren try. Even if Darren were tricking him, the skeleton general could kill him with ease.


    "Okay, just watch."


    Darren nodded as he gathered the Shura Force, the Fire and Water Force, the dark gold internal force¡­


    As his powers converged around him, the space was smashed.


    The skeleton general watched cautiously.


    "What are you so anxious about? You have a strong body. Are you afraid of being attacked?" Darren said calmly.


    As expected, the skeleton general let down his guard, and Darren got the opportunity he sought.

 Chapter 1035 Kingsley Appeared

    The skeleton general found himself wondering how this human in front of him could possibly get him out of his master''s control. Was he telling the truth or a lie?


    These thoughts had completely distracted him.


    "Just relax. I''ll be using my power to hit the laws on your body, so don''t move," Darren said.


    The skeleton general heeded Darren''s words, knowing fully well that Darren couldn''t hurt him with the forces derived from rules. In fact, even the Shura Force, which came from hell, couldn''t be counted as a law force.


    Suddenly, a loud explosion wrecked the area.


    Darren''s power began to surge wildly. It was like an uncontrollable torrent.


    It shot out directly towards the skeleton general.


    The skeleton general let his body go completely limp.


    As he waited, however, something unexpected happened. The moment Darren''s force approached the skeleton, it suddenly changed direction.


    All the power rushed towards the skeleton general''s sword instead.


    This turn of events had caught the general off guard. He then realized that he couldn''t put his sword back anymore.


    There was another ominous rumble.


    All the forces hammered violently against the sword, battering it from all sides.


    Flashes of lightning fell upon the sword, disintegrating the bit of law in it.


    Another explosion echoed in the air.


    The impact broke the sword into several pieces from where the crack was.


    Darren was blown away by the impact of the explosion. His body was flung far away and it was suddenly covered with bloody holes.


    Taking advantage of the situation, Darren immediately retreated and activated his dragon blood aura. This made him transform into a giant dragon.


    It was at this moment that the skeleton general realized he had been tricked. "You despicable human!" he shouted. His voice was hoarse.


    "Die! I will kill you anyway!"


    The sword, which had accompanied him through many battles and had killed countless powerful enemies, had been shattered! This infuriated the skeleton general beyond words.


    This was almost similar to having lost a child.


    That bastard!


    The skeleton rushed towards Darren. His entire body was enveloped by a black fog.


    "Skeleton, it''s impossible for you to kill me now without that sword." Darren''s voice rang out. It was as cold as ic


    ious punch. This sent the skeleton general flying across the air until he crashed into a mountain.


    "What a rare genius!" Kingsley licked his lips at the display of strength.


    "Kingsley, what the hell are you doing here? You said it was for fighting the fiend and for the safety of human race. So, it was all a lie, right? You really are a despicable person!" Darren gritted his teeth as he tried to reign in his anger.


    "Humph!"


    Kingsley turned around with a snort.


    "Do you really think you can defeat the first fiend ancestor with only a few six-tribulation senior holy warriors? You''re too naive.


    Let me tell you this, no one can defeat the fiend. Reviving my master is the only way to kill him. In fact, even Hiram the Great is no match for him."


    "That''s bullshit!" Darren''s face darkened as he said, "Hiram the Great was able to cut the first fiend ancestor into pieces! That was how powerful he was! Your master has lied to you."


    "Bastard!"


    Kingsley turned around suddenly and shot a cold glare at Darren.


    "My master was a great warrior from the Primitive Wilderness. He promised that once I resurrect him, he will help the human race kill the fiend, and all our problems will be solved. Everything I''ve done is for the sake of humanity. But nobody can understand that.


    But don''t worry. Your sacrifices won''t go to waste. Your death will bring life to this world," Kingsley said. His eyes shone with passion.


    "You really are stupid."


    This time, it wasn''t Darren who spoke up but the skeleton general.

 Chapter 1036 Deceived

    Overcome by surprise, Darren turned to face the skeleton general.


    "Stupid man, do you really believe that Tywon will help you?" The skeleton general''s voice grew hoarse as he spoke.


    "How dare you?" Kingsley''s expression turned cold. "How dare you speak ill of our master?" he retorted.


    "Slave!"


    the skeleton general snapped as irritation coursed through him.


    "Let me enlighten you, human. Everyone who fell into the mortal world from the Primitive Wilderness is evil and murderous. They must break the mortal world, cross the void, and pass through the chaotic torrents to return to the Primitive Wilderness. This is the only way!


    Once you resurrect him, he is going to destroy your world. You''re naive to think that he is going to save you."


    The skeleton general was at the same level as Tywon in the Primitive Wilderness. His explanation and insight were hence, credible.


    "You!" Kingsley''s heart sank. He wanted to retort but didn''t know what to say.


    Darren was confused. "Tywon controls you. Why do you dare to resist him and reveal his background?"


    Black fog surged in the depths of the skeleton general''s eyes. He glanced at Darren and said, "If you live, his plans of revival will be shattered. This is the price he has to pay for enslaving me!"


    Darren was shocked when he heard this.


    No creature in the world, including the gods in the Primitive Wilderness and the emperors of the Lothlann Continent, would be accepting of such oppression. After being enslaved for so many years, the skeleton general obviously wanted to break free.


    He was no different from anyone else as he would rather die than submit.


    However, the skeleton general must have had a reason for becoming Tywon''s slave. And now his objective had been revealed. He wanted a chance to get revenge!


    And he believed that Darren could stop Tywon from being resurrected. If that happened, then the skeleton general''s years of servitude would be worth it in the end.


    "You''re so determined on getting your revenge that you endured being a slave." Darren sighed.


    "No! No, my master would never lie to me. Skeleton


    us?"


    The skeleton general knew everything about Tywon, including the fact that his current strength was weaker than when he was a god''s soul.


    "It doesn''t matter if I am not as strong as before. My strength is enough to kill you all," Tywon replied. The confidence in his tone showed how highly he thought of his abilities.


    "Well, then kill me first!"


    The skeleton general roared as he flew over and released a powerful attack.


    The skies darkened, and the ground shook with the intensity of the skeleton general''s attack. Soon, cracks erupted everywhere, and dust billowed in the air.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    As soon as their bodies collided, the space collapsed, and a strong storm surged.


    The skeleton general attacked with his hard bones. However, Tywon easily blocked all of his attacks with a single palm.


    "I will give you one more chance to be a faithful slave. If you kill Lincoln, I will let bygones be bygones and let you follow me."


    Tywon seemed to be speaking with Kingsley.


    "Follow you?" Kingsley glared at Tywon as disbelief coursed through him.


    "Yes, I will keep my word this time."


    "Ha-ha! You bastard. Do you think you can continue to deceive me and do more evil deeds for you?


    Go to hell! I will tear you to pieces to avenge my son!"


    As he spoke, Kingsley released the strength of a six-tribulation holy warrior, turned into a shadow, and rushed toward Tywon.

 Chapter 1037 A Final Chance

    After Kingsley joined the battle with the skeleton general, Tywon began to feel a little of pressure.


    "Your strength has now dropped to the lowest limit. It''s too early to tell who will emerge victorious!"


    Having sensed Tywon''s real power, Kingsley grew more ferocious and decided to kill him before he completely recovered.


    Darren could not keep still. He transformed into a dragon and rushed straight into the battle.


    With a loud boom, Darren swiftly swung his dragon tail at Tywon''s back.


    Tywon slapped Darren''s tail away with a loud crack. Coinciding with this, Kingsley and the skeleton general surged towards Tywon, hurling him back.


    "Good. The three of you are quite strong."


    Standing in the air steadily, he looked down on all three men.


    "But can your power hurt me? Ridiculous!" Tywon cackled.


    A golden light began to shine on his palm.


    The skeleton general quickly sensed this and flew towards him.


    He punched at Tywon''s shining palm.


    On contact, a loud crack sounded, and the skeleton general''s arm crumbled into dust.


    "Argh!"


    The skeleton general was aghast to discover that Tywon had quickly recovered.


    In mere minutes, his power had increased immensely!


    Now, Tywon possessed the strength of a six-tribulation senior holy warrior.


    "After five minutes, I could crush you all with just one finger."


    He was confident that he was close to reaching the peak of a six-tribulation senior holy warrior. Once he reached that peak, he''d become undefeatable.


    "Now!"


    Darren and Kingsley quickly rushed forward.


    Tywon stood motionless in the air, awaiting their attack.


    Several blunt noises sounded out as attacks fell on Tywon one after the other.


    He was thrown back mid-air, but was unscathed.


    "You dare try to hurt me, humans?" said Tywon in great disapproval.


    Darren felt his heart clench. This mysterious Tywon had a god''s body. Despite his lower cultivation level, his body strength alone was enough to resist all their attacks.


    "It''s time for me to take action!"


    Tywon said as he powerfully swatted Kingsley away.


    Kingsley landed straight against a mountain, his blood splattering from all sides.


    He had just entered the level of six-tribulation senior holy warrior, so the blow fro


    nging you to the grave with me. I''m really sorry."


    "Well, that''s hardly your fault. What a pity! If you hadn''t provoked the flood dragon at that time, I would have at least a sliver of god''s power left. If I can work with that skeleton, we may still have a chance to kill Tywon,"


    the dragon ancestor sighed.


    The god''s power that the dragon ancestor was talking about was the great force which he obtained from the scale of the five-clawed golden dragon. Unfortunately, he only had one trace of that power, and he used it to save Darren.


    "God''s power," Darren murmured.


    "Wait! That can''t be right!" Darren seemed to have remembered something. "Sir, the god''s power¡ªthe Godly Dragon Force¡ªyou released last time didn''t dissipate. I assimilated it and stored it," said Darren.


    "What? How could you have assimilated the Godly Dragon Force?" The dragon ancestor trembled in disbelief.


    "I have my ways. That little bit of Godly Dragon Force is indeed in my body," Darren said excitedly. He had finally been filled with hope again.


    "Okay! That''s great! Tell the skeleton immediately and ask him to plan it out. We still have a chance to survive this."


    "Yes,"


    Darren replied. Then he controlled his spiritual sense to enter his elixir field.


    ''I suppressed that bit of Godly Dragon Force in the black pyramid in my elixir field. Can I activate it?''


    Darren''s spiritual sense then gathered around the rotating black pyramid, trying to find the trace of the golden Godly Dragon Force.

 Chapter 1038 The Last Fight

    As soon as Darren''s spiritual sense entered the black pyramid, he found traces of the golden Godly Dragon Force.


    With that, he tried to activate the god''s power.


    A tiny golden lightning struck at his spiritual sense with a loud crack.


    It dispersed upon the impact.


    ''It''s a bit difficult, but I think I can still activate it.''


    He believed that he would be able to activate the Godly Dragon Force if he went all out. The whole process would be uncomfortable for him. In fact, it would be damaging his meridians.


    But he didn''t care.


    "General Lincoln. I have a trace of Godly Dragon Force in my body. Can you tap into it?" Darren communicated with the skeleton general through his spiritual sense.


    "You have the god''s power?" The skeleton general couldn''t hide the surprise in his voice upon hearing this.


    "Yes. The five-clawed golden dragon left it to me."


    "That''s good! Very good! With that divine power, I''m confident that I can kill him." Finally, the general skeleton was beginning to see hope.


    "Tell me how I can give you my Godly Dragon Force," Darren said.


    "Just infuse your god''s power into my body when my body disintegrates. But you have to make sure that Tywon won''t see you, or else we''ll fail," the skeleton general warned.


    "I understand."


    With that, Darren stepped back from his fight with Tywon and let Lincoln takeover.


    "Tywon, I''ll kill you today."


    The skeleton general rushed towards Tywon.


    At that moment, a golden light shrouded his black body and his aura flared so brightly around him.


    "Humph! Do you think I will fight you?"


    To be honest, Tywon was a little afraid of Lincoln whose body was beginning to disintegrate, so he chose to run away.


    Behind him, the skeleton general and Darren followed him. Both were relentless with their pursuit. All the while, Darren was practicing activating the god''s power, so that he wouldn''t make mistakes at the critical moments.


    Fifteen minutes later, the light on the skeleton was getting brighter and his aura was becoming stronger.


    Loud explosions resounded in the area.


    The skeleton general had finally caught up with Tywon and delivered a devastating punch.


    However, Tywon''s strength had been restored more at this point. His strength was comparable to that of a seven-tr


    that it spread its light all over the world. It made him look a thousand times bigger than before.


    But his splendor was cut short when his own god''s power disappeared completely.


    With the retreating of the law force, the skeleton general had finally reached the peak of his power. It was the highest point that he could possibly reach.


    That power, however, would not be enough to kill Tywon. The truth sat like a heavy stone in his heart. This heaviness in him was largely due to Darren''s betrayal.


    "Die."


    Sighing, the skeleton general turned into a light and shot towards Tywon. If he couldn''t kill him, he might as well injure Tywon gravely before he could die.


    "You stupid skeleton! I have tempted you into burning yourself. Do you really think that I can''t resist you? I did this so that you would die a painful and unwilling death.


    Absolute Domain!"


    Tywon roared. The air was thick with the cloying stench of death. The whole space began to collapse.


    "You!" The skeleton general fell into a bottomless chasm. His despair trailed after him.


    Although both were already weaker than before, Tywon still had the god''s domain skill. It would be enough to suppress the skeleton general.


    Even at the last moment of his life, he still couldn''t hurt his enemy whom he had sworn to defeat countless of years ago.


    "General Lincoln, here is the god''s power!"


    It was at this moment that Darren was able to emit a tiny golden power from his body after surviving the crushing pressure of the god''s domain.

 Chapter 1039 God Characters

    Tywon watched as the golden power flew towards the skeleton general.


    "The god''s power!"


    Tywon was unable to contain his shock as fear gripped his heart.


    He immediately turned into a shadow.


    And he headed straight towards the skeleton general.


    He had no intentions of attacking the general. His goal was to grab the tiny trace of god''s power.


    A howl ripped through the air.


    The god''s power was so close that the skeleton general only had to reach out his hand and grab it. And once he did reach it, his body would gain infinite power.


    "Sink! Sink now!" The space collapsed again as Tywon roared. The skeleton general found himself surrounded by grey aura as he slowly began to sink.


    In his domain, Tywon had absolute control. Even if he couldn''t kill Lincoln now, he could still create some trouble for him. And when Lincoln''s power dissipated, Tywon would win.


    "I can''t let Tywon get the god''s power."


    Indeed, Tywon also possessed the god''s body. If he ever got his hands on the god''s power, his strength would be terrifying.


    Unfortunately, Darren''s strength wouldn''t be enough to stop him. All he could do now was to help the skeleton general and hope that it wasn''t too late.


    Darren gathered up all his skills and attacked the grey aura.


    It resulted to a loud bang.


    The grey aura weakened under the force of his power, but it still didn''t budge from where it remained wrapped up around the skeleton general.


    Suddenly, a figure flew towards the grey aura.


    The two collided with a bang.


    Blood red light burst out from the impact.


    It pervaded the air as the figure released ten times more of his original power.


    It was none other than Kingsley.


    Upon seeing this, Darren didn''t know how to feel about it. He blamed Kingsley for everything that had happened. And now that his son was dead, he had chosen to blow himself up to help kill Tywon.


    "Well, maybe it''s fate." Darren could only sigh in resignation.


    But it was Kingsley''s sacrifice that drew the final straw. The skeleton general had now broken free from the grey aura and rushed up to snatch the god''s power first.


    "Go to hell, Tywon!"


    As soon as the skeleton general touched the god''s power, a golden light burst forth. It was so dazzling and bright that Darren could h


    e disappeared.


    Moments later, he had finally arrived at his next destination where the sky yawned out before him, blue and clear. White clouds floated overhead, looking like soft cotton. The air here was fresh and crisp. And everything seemed natural.


    Before him, the lush, green wilderness ran to the end of his sight. There was a towering tree on the endless grassland. Even though Darren was tens of thousands of kilometers away, he could see it clearly.


    This spurred him to fly towards it.


    His speed matched his mounting excitement.


    "Tywon is dead. There should be no guards here."


    He landed on the bottom of the huge tree. Its diameter was several thousand kilometers, and it was so tall that he couldn''t see the top of it.


    "It may be gigantic, but it''s nothing special." Shaking his head, he prepared himself to go on to his next destination. He still had to find the Nine-deity Mountain to get out of here.


    Then he heard water dripping.


    As he was walking, he stumbled upon a small pool of water where something in the form of a droplet fell on its surface.


    He only glanced at it briefly before pushing through with his journey.


    A few steps later, he suddenly turned around.


    "No way!"


    Darren seemed to sense something.


    "This drop is made of spiritual energy!"


    He quickly went back to touch the liquid with his own finger.


    "Huh!"


    He could no longer contain his excitement within him. He could feel a stream of purest spiritual energy rush through his meridians all at once.

 Chapter 1040 Nine Cultivation Methods

    "Phew!"


    Sweat dripped down from Darren''s entire body, but the feeling was refreshing as it cooled him down a bit.


    "The spiritual energy is several levels higher than that of the spiritual energy creatures!"


    The idea that this drop of spiritual energy was more powerful than ten spiritual energy creatures combined delighted Darren.


    And to think that this small pond had thousands of drops!


    "I can''t completely assimilate and refine them for now, so I''ll put them away first." Taking out a jade bottle, he scooped up the spiritual energy liquid. He made sure that no drop was wasted in the process.


    Then, he flew around the tree, hunting down for more pools like this, but he didn''t find anything.


    "Thank you, big tree. This would be enough to make me reach the peak of a half-step emperor."


    He cupped his hands together towards the giant tree before flying away.


    Upon getting out of the wilderness, he landed on a mountain.


    At first glance, it was nothing out of the ordinary. But when he looked at the southeast side of it, he was faced with a smooth mountainous wall that was covered entirely with inscribed words.


    He took a closer look at it and saw nine strange cultivation methods carved on it.


    Three of them were for rule cultivators. Another three were for martial artists. And the last three were unknown to Darren.


    "These three look strange. What kind of cultivation methods are these?


    Never mind. I''ll try the methods for martial artists first."


    With that, he skipped the three unknown inscriptions and selected the other three for martial artists.


    "This one is called ''Void Penetration''. It doesn''t seem special." He began studying the description for the method.


    Soon, though, he could feel his mind beginning to buzz.


    It was a low hum at first, until it became more pronounced.


    "Ah!"


    The buzzing had turned into a sharp headache that seemed to slice through his brain. He then realized that this grade of martial skill was beyond normal.


    "I am the person who has the highest talent degree in the world. How can I possibly not understand this one?"


    His frustration soon paved the way for astonishment. Generally speaking, low-level cultivators wouldn''t comprehend a high-grade martial skill. Even with a Genuine Domain Degree talent, he still couldn''t understand this martial skill. This could only mean that whoever


    re wasn''t one of them. How could he possibly comprehend it?


    "Well, let me follow what''s on the record first. I''ll practice that and then I''ll see."


    With that, Darren began studying.


    "Wow!"


    The splitting headache was back with a vengeance. The move was too difficult for him to comprehend. It was a sign that he didn''t have enough talent to do it.


    "No, I can''t!"


    The veins on his forehead throbbed incessantly and painfully. It threatened to pop under the strain. He gave up on it eventually.


    "I can''t do it! I don''t have enough talent!"


    His failure had upset him greatly. It made him sit down on the ground, needing to recover for three days.


    "Wait a minute! Maybe the reason why I can''t comprehend it is that there''s something beyond the Genuine Domain Degree talent," Darren concluded.


    He had always known that his talent could still improve. He just couldn''t seem to break through the barrier that blocked him from reaching the next stage.


    He never had the chance to get in touch with powerful people from the outer space. This was why he never knew if his suspicions were correct.


    But now, he was certain that there was another level higher than the Genuine Domain Degree. Otherwise, how could the people from the Primitive Wilderness learn such powerful martial arts skills?


    "Since my talent is not enough, I have to develop it more."


    With that thought, he let his spiritual energy explore the mysterious crystal space within him.


    It was there where the talent liquid from the different creatures Darren had killed and assimilated was stored.

 Chapter 1041 Suppression Removed

    The talent liquid was abundant in his body, but Darren had no idea how to use it. If he forced himself to refine the liquid, it would simply disappear and would be of no help to make him stronger and more powerful.


    ''How can I upgrade my talent after I reach the Genuine Domain Degree?''


    Darren was puzzled.


    ''How about I try to assimilate it again?''


    The idea suddenly flashed through Darren''s mind. If he were to assimilate the talent liquid again, what would happen?


    Darren immediately activated the assimilating power.


    Unfortunately, when the assimilating power entered this mysterious space, it seemed to have no effect on the talent liquid at all.


    "Well, it seems that I won''t be able to assimilate for a second time," Darren muttered under his breath.


    For months, Darren racked his brain and tried to do many things, but they still had no effect on improving the talent.


    He felt disheartened as he thought of all the mental work and energy he had poured out.


    Darren felt helpless. He did not know what else he could do. Desperate, he had to indulge himself in cultivating so he began to assimilate the spiritual energy.


    There was nothing for him to do except improve his realm.


    Darren first assimilated the spiritual energy creatures in the Space Ring. After all, they should be put to good use.


    After months of assimilating the spiritual energy creatures, Darren was on the verge of becoming a half-step emperor.


    It was the happiest he had felt in a long time.


    "I''m going to be a half-step emperor soon. I wonder how strong I am now?"


    Darren chuckled.


    He stood up and took out his sword and blade. A dark gold internal force shot towards the mountain.


    However, when the dark gold internal force hit the mountain, a mysterious rule wiped it out.


    "Sword and blade..."


    "Such a talent!"


    "I never expected that a human would be able to do this."


    "It''s a pity that the grade is too low."


    All of a


    .


    If he made the breakthrough now, the thunder punishment of Heavenly Repression might be stopped by the Restriction Array.


    However, if the array did not deflect the thunder punishment, he would surely die.


    "No, I can''t take that risk." Instead, Darren tried to hatch a plan.


    When he visited the ancient times, Darren had witnessed the thunder punishment of Heavenly Repression. It was far more powerful than he had imagined. He was sure that thunder punishment was much more powerful than what he was going to experience.


    That mysterious warrior relied on the River of Forgetfulness to redirect the thunder punishment of Heavenly Repression into the ancient times in order for him to survive the tribulation.


    This was an intelligent move.


    Darren thought of relying on the River of Forgetfulness to survive the thunder punishment.


    "If I can redirect the thunder punishment of Heavenly Repression to the ancient times, then I will be able to save myself!" Darren made up his mind. Once he got out of here, he would try to use the River of Forgetfulness.


    The passage to the River of Forgetfulness was located in the forbidden domain of the Space-time Palace. Darren remembered this clearly.


    However, he still had one major problem. How the hell was he going to get out of here?

 Chapter 1042 Finally Free

    It seemed to Darren that upgrading his talent remained the key to escape.


    "Okay, it won''t be a good idea to keep busting random plans from nowhere. The dragon ancestor is wiser and might know what to do."


    Darren racked his brains over it already. It was time to ask for the dragon ancestor''s help again.


    "Sir, it''s an emergency..."


    Darren''s urgent voice woke up the dragon ancestor from his slumber.


    "What? What''s wrong? Who wants to kill you this time?" He cursed Darren for having powerful enemies¡ªyet again.


    "No, wait, it''s not like that this time. Listen..."


    In the following hour, Daren explained his unique assimilating power to the dragon ancestor.


    Having heard the explanation, the dragon ancestor was silent for a moment.


    "What an incredible ability! Amazing! You are the most potential cultivator in the world!"


    "Tell me, what do you think I should do?" Darren asked worriedly.


    The dragon ancestor meditated for a moment and replied, "I''m not really sure about what you should do. These things are a bit unfamiliar to me."


    Darren was dumbstruck. It seemed that even the dragon ancestor didn''t know what to do about it.


    "Now, calm down. There''s a method you might want to try. While comprehending that martial skill, try to refine the talent liquid at the same time," suggested the dragon ancestor.


    During the comprehension process of the martial skill, Darren''s headache actually meant a lack of talent.


    It might be good to replenish his talent once his head began to hurt.


    "How could I have missed such a simple trick? Let me give it a shot." Darren patted himself on the head. It was so lucky to have someone to enlighten him in dire times.


    According to the method described by the dragon ancestor, Darren first tried to comprehend "Void Penetration." Once he started, the dull pain in his head came.


    Darren drew out his spiritual sense and immediately entered the mysterious space. He then started to refine the talent liquid stored in the space.


    "What in the world?" said Darren as he gave a hearty laugh.


    "What''s wrong? Have you gone insane?" His laughter unsettled the dragon ancestor. He was worried Darren might''ve lost his mind while forcing himself to learn the martial skill.


    "Sir, you''re a genius!" said Darren, reassuring the ancestor as he wiped tears out of his eyes from all the


    d? That''s unheard of."


    "Don''t forget that he''s backed by a powerful master."


    "You''re right. That master''s level is terribly high. If he willed it, he could quickly raise that kid to our level."


    "Ha-ha, he has mastered five moves of the ''Void Penetration.'' After he comes to the Primitive Wilderness, he will definitely become my disciple. This is great!"


    Darren could clearly hear what the shadows were saying, but remained speechless. He was sure these old men wouldn''t listen to him.


    Darren was overjoyed with the talent upgrade, and he excitedly continued to comprehend the way to integrate his blade and sword with Void Penetration skill.


    "I understand now!"


    After his talent promotion, he suddenly gained clarity with the things he had trouble comprehending.


    "I''ve finally made it."


    After another half month''s practice, Darren succeeded in integrating the five moves into the blade and sword.


    "First things first. I need to get the hell out of here."


    His ultimate purpose for practicing this martial skill was escape.


    The blade and sword started hovering around Darren.


    "Void Penetration! Blade and sword! Attack!" he shouted.


    The sword and the blade began to quiver in unison. Then they ceased, but the result pleased Darren.


    The intangible blade and sword intents silently cut through the void, breaking through the restrictions of the huge mountain.


    In a swift move, Darren flew straight through the crack.


    It was clear skies all throughout, and he landed right on the mountain''s peak.


    "I''m finally out of there!"

 Chapter 1043 The Fiends Attack

    Darren was relieved to feel a breeze.


    "This should be my way out of here." Darren found himself standing at the mouth of the cave.


    He suddenly felt remorse. "Alas, it''s a pity that those who accompanied me are all dead." With a sigh, Darren stepped into the cave.


    At the far end of the cave, Darren spotted a distorted space. It must be the exit!


    Without any hesitation, Darren swiftly flew over.


    His escape was cut short as a big pale golden hand smashed right into him.


    If this happened a year ago, he wouldn''t have been able to detect a sneak attack from this huge hand. He probably would have died!


    But now, Darren''s talent had been promoted and his strength had increased greatly. He could easily detect the palm''s attack now.


    "Humph!"


    For a split second, Darren was still. He then parried the huge pale golden hand with a whirl of sword intent coming from his body.


    They collided with a loud bang.


    From the force of the impact, the sword intent dissipated, and so did the pale golden palm.


    "That palm had the strength of a six-tribulation senior holy warrior. It was probably a trap left by the dead Tywon." Even in death, Tywon was out for blood.


    Darren was proud that his sword intent was able to break the palm. He really felt that he made a huge improvement since he arrived here.


    After the palm was destroyed, a dazzling maroon armor suddenly fell from above him.


    "Oh, this must be the Six-tribulation Heavenly Armor." Darren put away the armor and stepped into the space passage.


    After leaving the Spiritual Nether Cave, Darren headed straight to the Holy City.


    As soon as Linda heard Darren return, she flew to him. His long absence had worried her, and she looked both shocked and relieved.


    "Oh my God! Darren! You''re back! What happened? Have you gotten the armor?"


    "Yes, I did. I''m sorry to tell you that everyone who came with me perished," Darren answered, remorsefully.


    "What? All of them are dead?" Linda felt numb for a moment and was speechless. She didn''t like those boisterous fellows very much, but hearing about their deaths made her heart wrench.


    "Yes, we couldn''t have prepared for what happened."


    "What was it?" Linda asked eagerly.


    "I''ll deal with this. I''ll be the one to face your father with the news. After all, Kinsley is dead. Everyone needs to know about it," Darren said as he flew towards the hall.


    "Hey, wait! My father isn


    said Chaz. There wasn''t an inch of resentment in him. It showed just how much he trusted Darren''s wisdom.


    "Just kidding. I know you." Darren gave a small smile. "Well, I''m going to attend the meeting. You go find a place to sit and wait for my news."


    Even the elders from various cities were unqualified to enter the conference room, so naturally, Anthony and Chaz could not enter either. Darren entered alone.


    "Stop! You are not allowed to enter!"


    the guard at the entrance said firmly.


    "Sir, my name is Darren Chu. I''d like to attend this meeting," said Darren.


    "Huh!" The old man''s eyes flashed as he realized who was standing in front of him. Starstruck, he quickly found composure and said, "It''s you. Come on in. The four greatest holy warriors had sent people to inquire about your whereabouts several times by now."


    Darren nodded and strolled into the conference room.


    Immediately, all eyes in the room were on him.


    "You''re finally back. Come, and sit over here." Garth was the first to greet Darren.


    "Darren, it''s good that you''ve made it here. The fiends have been attacking the cities now. If your avatar guards the city, we won''t have to enter the Eternal Forbidden Domain," said Francis, the leader of the four greatest holy warriors, hastily. It was an urgent situation.


    Darren thought about his request for a moment. "I''m afraid I can''t have my avatar come to help this time. He''s still trapped in the holy emperor''s tomb."


    Darren felt no need to hide this fact anymore, especially at such a conference.


    "What!" The four greatest holy warriors were all stunned.

 Chapter 1044 The Spiritual Domain Degree Talent

    After a period of recovery, the first fiend ancestor became much stronger than he was when he had just escaped from the forbidden areas. Even the four greatest holy warriors found him to be unstoppable. Their array had also all been compromised at the time, motivating them to avoid his presence. It was a blessing that Darren''s avatar had finally defeated him last time.


    Now, the first fiend ancestor was sharpening his tools, ready to take action. The four greatest holy warriors relaxed at the idea that Darren''s avatar could come and assist them again, but as Darren mentioned, his avatar was unable to come. They began to worry.


    "Alas," sighed Francis. "It seems we must enter the Eternal Forbidden Domain as originally planned."


    Pin drop silence fell over the entire conference room as Francis said these words. They were all speechless with fear and worry.


    "Sir, what is Eternal Forbidden Domain?" Darren was confused.


    "The Eternal Forbidden Domain is a space created by Hiram the Great and the witcher ancestor based on the methods they gained from outer space. There is an absolute power restriction there. Once anyone enters, they are immediately locked inside. No outsiders can enter as well.


    We came to the decision of not to battle the first fiend ancestor. For the sake of survival, we will have all the people from the eighteen cities hide inside the Eternal Forbidden Domain," someone explained.


    "Retreat without a fight? Just like that?" Darren disapproved this method. It seemed defeatist to just give up before they had even tried.


    "Darren, you don''t understand how powerful the first fiend ancestor is. If you don''t enter the Eternal Forbidden Domain with us, you''ll perish," said one of the Governors.


    "Alas," another Governor sighed and stood up. "If we all retreat to the Eternal Forbidden Domain, then we will have nothing to do but wait for death. What difference does that make?"


    The Governor was adamantly against retreat. He looked around at the rest of the people at the conference with a strong look on his face. This was the look of a man who was ready to fight before facing death.


    "He speaks with reason. Once we enter that place, we will all be isolated from one another. We won''t even be able to speak to each other. That, I believe, is a fate worse than death," said another Governor, who stood up in support to his previous colleague.


    "We must fight," said Darren. There was a fire in his eyes that screamed of hope.


    Once a person entered the Eternal For


    arren nicely, but in fact, they felt disdain for Darren''s sheer ignorance.


    "Don''t you all know the talent of Spiritual Domain Degree?" Darren was baffled. These were among the strongest and most knowledgeable individuals in the eighteen cities. How could they not know about it?


    "What? Wait, you said you have the talent of Spiritual Domain Degree?"


    Eden, one of the four greatest holy warriors, suddenly recalled something.


    "That''s right," Darren replied calmly.


    "Francis, it''s Spiritual Domain Degree! Remember, the witcher ancestor once mentioned it." As he spoke, he pointed at the sky with a single finger.


    Francis nodded as he seemed to recall as well. He replied, "Yes, that''s right. The witcher ancestor once said that people from outer space have the talent beyond the Genuine Domain Degree, and it''s called Spiritual Domain Degree.


    Darren, do you really have the talent of Spiritual Domain Degree? Don''t make fun of us!" Francis suddenly shot up from his seat.


    "As I said, I do have it," replied Darren.


    "Okay, then let me test you. What''s so special about this cultivation method?"


    As he waved his hand, some words and a set of patterns appeared in the air.


    Darren glanced at it and answered calmly. "There''s nothing special."


    "Really?"


    The four greatest holy warriors were a little disappointed. The cultivation method Francis had displayed was an abridged version from the outer space, and thus, it contained very few words. Over the years, none could comprehend it because of insufficient talent.


    Darren had said that there was nothing special about it, which could only mean he didn''t have the talent of Spiritual Domain Degree.

 Chapter 1045 Hes Coming

    They concluded that Darren couldn''t possibly have the talent of Spiritual Domain Degree.


    "Can''t you see anything useful in it?" Francis asked, a bit disappointed.


    Darren''s mouth twitched. He gave a subtle smirk as he said, "Although it is indeed a cultivation method from the outer space, it''s missing a lot of parts. How could I possibly see anything in it? This is too little information for me to understand. Even a god wouldn''t be able to comprehend this."


    When the others heard this, their doubtful expressions lightened. It seemed Darren knew what he was talking about, after all. He knew that this was a cultivation method from outer space, proving his good judgment.


    "What about this section?" said Francis.


    With a wave of his hand, another cultivation method text appeared in front of Darren.


    "What?" Darren''s eyes lit up. "Hey, now we''ve got something good. Although it''s only one move, it''s at least complete. Its grade however, is not that high."


    Darren found that it was also a cultivation method from the outer space. However, compared with the nine cultivation methods he had obtained in the Spiritual Nether Cave, this cultivation method was quite ordinary.


    Darren closed his eyes and started to swiftly practice this skill in his mind. With his talent, it would only be a matter of seconds before he fully comprehended it.


    "Sir, take this!"


    Darren abruptly lunged a palm at Francis.


    The blow was so intense with power that Francis was stunned.


    Getting back to his senses, Francis quickly punched his fist against Darren in retaliation.


    With a loud bang, the violent blast of the collision swept over some of the Governors. Francis'' body was thrown back from the huge impact, and he crashed into a wall as he landed.


    It was quite a sight to see, considering both sides used only their physical strength. Had they used their true powers, they would have destroyed their immediate surroundings¡ªor perhaps the entire space as well!


    "Francis..." Eden murmured, unsure of what to make of the situation.


    "Good! Good! Very good!" Francis stood up, eyes full of excitement. He was mightily impressed by Darren''s show of power.


    "What an extraordinary genius! Your move just now shocked me down to my soul. You''ve truly comprehended that move from outer space. It seems that your talent really has surpassed the Genuine Domain Degree."


    Francis'' words were a shocker to everyone present. This was something they couldn''t imagine was possible. Darren''s strength and talent filled them with hope. The other Governors began to speak up in support.


    "It''s true! Darren is so talented!"


    "We are lucky to be graced by the presence of such a rare


    d time to think right before he died. He had severely underestimated Darren at that moment.


    Witnessing this scene, the four greatest holy warriors had mixed feelings. They had lost a Governor, but they were also excited. There was finally a human being who had the potential to become a holy emperor!


    "Good move, Darren! Great job killing that scumbag!"


    "That''s right. That old bastard had gone too far. He deserved that."


    While surprised, the Governors began to cheer for Darren.


    "Well, I''m going to comprehend the array. I''ll be on my way now."


    "Goodbye!" The crowd cupped their hands and bowed to Darren in respect as he flew off.


    Meanwhile, at the outskirts of the eighteen cities, a dozen guards were gathered to patrol the areas. They were preparing to defend against a possible fiend attack.


    Suddenly, the space rumbled violently, surprising all the guards on duty.


    "Be careful, everyone! It seems that something is coming."


    Everyone tried to use their spiritual sense to see what was going on.


    Unbeknownst to them, a black smoke was quietly rising from their feet. A malevolent force was at work.


    Suddenly, a pained scream ripped through the space.


    A man then exploded into a mist of blood. The crowd of guards quickly looked behind themselves.


    There appeared a creature with blood-red scales in front of all of them. What they feared the most had just appeared.


    "Ah, it''s the first fiend ancestor! He''s coming! He''s really coming!"


    Someone was trying to run away as he screamed, but suddenly fell to the ground, dead.


    The rest of the guards were dumbfounded and froze out of fright.


    "Die," bellowed the first fiend ancestor.


    With the single utterance of that word, all the guards¡ªall half-step emperors¡ªexploded into crimson mists.

 Chapter 1046 Slaughter

    After he massacred a dozen guards, thousands of low-level fiends began to appear behind the terrifying first fiend ancestor.


    Although they were of low-level status, the fiends were far from weak. Every individual fiend was more powerful than any of the guards.


    "Slaughter," ordered the first fiend ancestor menacingly.


    The low-level fiends pounced at the given order. They rushed into battle, bloodlust smeared on their faces.


    "Ancestor, shall we collect souls as well?" asked a low-level fiend in a unique language.


    The first fiend ancestor glared coldly in reply. The low-level fiend who dared speak twisted from extreme pain and let out an anguished cry before turning into a puddle.


    There was no patience for stupid questions for the first fiend ancestor. The other low-level fiends who witnessed this trembled with fear and immediately understood what to do. Human souls were naturally very useful to their ancestor so it was obvious that they needed to be collected.


    They simultaneously flew into the air, causing a wave of darkness as they blotted out the sky and the sun. Several panicked screams and cries burst from the city as they were engulfed in the darkness.


    "I come with a report!"


    A guard burst through the doors of a great hall, staggering to the ground as he trembled from what he needed to inform them about.


    "Terrible news! The Deer City has been overrun with fiends. Hundreds of thousands of casualties have been reported."


    "What?"


    gasped the four greatest holy warriors. The shock in their voices gave away a sense of panic.


    Just moments before, they had gone to patrol the city in the east. It was out of their calculations for the Deer City down south to be attacked.


    That was hundreds of thousands of civilians, most of which were some of the greatest minds and warriors of the human race!


    Gulping down their mourning, the four greatest holy warriors summoned seventeen Governors and hurried to the Deer City. There was no time for remorse. They had to face the fiends quickly to protect the other cities.


    Their arrival was met with desecration. The Deer City was in chaos. The buildings had collapsed, and the air was putrid from rot and blood. The smell of death was all over.


    The streets were painted with blood as severed arms and legs were strewn around the city. It was a bloodbath.


    The Governor of the Deer City fell to his knees as he cried in anguish.


    His wife and children were all residing in the city.


    "I''ll kill them! I''ll kill them all!" he cried.


    His eyes were scarlet with pain and rage as he started throwing random attacks into the air.


    "Where are the fiends?" asked Francis with a downcast look.


    "Sir, they seem to have retreated."


    Several strong cultivators who had witnessed the massacre from the sidelines reported that after the fiends had killed everyone in the city, they retreated like a massive tide.


    "No! This cannot be!" The faces of the four greatest holy warriors turned pale. The fiends'' retreat could only have meant one thing.


    "They must''ve gone off to another city to


    ough. Darren hadn''t even completed a tenth of the array.


    ''I have to go out and have a look, '' he thought nervously.


    Darren couldn''t wait to get out of the secret chamber. He swiftly flew off to see what was going on in the city.


    Upon his arrival, Darren''s heart dropped. He couldn''t believe his eyes. The situation was worse than he had imagined.


    The whole sky was covered with dark clouds and the city was utterly destroyed. Piercing screams and cries could be heard from all around him. The miasma of death hung in the air.


    Ten kilometers away from the city, there was what looked like a huge wave of black creatures.


    A few seconds later, several hundred humans could be seen flying into the air. At the forefront were the four greatest holy warriors.


    "Kill them! Kill them!"


    "Those bastards have slaughtered two cities, and we must kill them all! We must avenge all who have fallen by their filthy hands!"


    In the past few days, the four greatest holy warriors and the Governors had vigilantly guarded the cities. The fiends, perhaps anticipating them earlier, seemed to have deliberately avoided them and only attacked locations where they could not gather quickly.


    The fiends quickly destroyed another city and slaughtered all its residents¡ªalong with the city''s Governor¡ªand hastily retreated.


    At this discovery, the four greatest warriors decided to lead the warriors and lay ambush on one of the cities. They were lucky to run into the fiends just as they were en route to their next victim¡ªthe Holy City.


    "Kill!"


    Darren did not hesitate and went in for a kill in the blink of an eye.


    Fiends exploded into blood and guts as he passed them.


    Darren gave the fiends no time to think as he attacked them one by one while showers of blood spurted in his wake. In mere minutes, he had already killed thousands of fiends.


    "Look who it is! I see you''ve finally made an appearance,"


    cackled a blood-red figure in the distance. At the sight of Darren, he made a wicked smile as he stood under the gloom of the gray sky.

 Chapter 1047 Battling The First Fiend Ancestor

    There were two main reasons why the first fiend ancestor kept himself hidden in the cities. The first was that he had not recovered all of his strength yet, so he dared not launch an attack. The second reason? He feared Darren! Rather, he feared Darren''s avatar. He felt that the avatar still possessed formidable strength.


    However, the first fiend ancestor settled for a long period of recovery. He had sent low-level fiends to capture human souls that he could feed on. His two body parts had fused, and he felt his old strength gradually return. He no longer had to fear the silver-eyed avatar.


    He watched Darren from afar, biding his time. When the right moment came, he would kill him.


    Darren snaked through the low-level fiends and killed tens of thousands of them in an instant.


    When the low-level fiends saw Darren, they all backed away.


    "Darren, why did you come out?" Francis was alarmed. Darren''s current task was to find the flaw of the Heavenly Exterminating Array. It was vital that he accomplished it right away.


    "I heard noises so I came out to see what was going on," Darren said calmly.


    "You can go back now. We''ve got this. Remember, we can only truly defeat the first fiend ancestor by finding the flaw!"


    "I''m afraid I can''t do that," Darren said, shaking his head. He looked into the distance. "He''s coming."


    Upon hearing this, the four greatest holy warriors frowned at each other. They used their spiritual sense to survey the area.


    "It''s true. He''s coming."


    "What should we do now? Retreat or fight?" asked Eden.


    "Retreating is not an option. If we leave, hundreds of thousands of people in the Holy City will be killed. All we can do is fight against him together." "Time waits for no man," Francis sighed.


    The first fiend ancestor had chosen to come in person. This could only mean that he had prepared himself for battle. There was no place they could retreat except the Eternal Forbidden Domain.


    Even if they wanted to retreat to the Eternal Forbidden Domain, they could only take half-step emperors with them. The others would be left to fend for themselves. They had no other choice but to face their enemy head on.


    "Guards and elders, kill these low-level fiends," Francis said, telepathically.


    "Yes, sir!"


    "Darren, we mu


    d down and let me fight him!" Darren roared at the four greatest holy warriors. He flew to the center of the battlefield.


    Bang!


    Darren kicked the first fiend ancestor with such force that the first fiend ancestor was hurled away.


    The four greatest holy warriors were stunned. Darren''s kick was terribly strong!


    This meant he also had the strength of a six-tribulation senior holy warrior! They stood in awe of him for a few moments.


    A young man who entered the Holy Realm by comprehending the Holy Will had strength comparable to that of a six-tribulation senior holy warrior. What an amazing feat!


    "Darren, watch out!" The four greatest holy warriors stepped back and let Darren take over. They needed to heal, and Darren would give them ample time to do so.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Without a word, Darren released a blast of ice and flame power. The destructive power enveloped the space turbulent flows, seeping through every nook and cranny.


    "Roar!"


    The first fiend ancestor thrust out his hand and a tremendous burst of fiendish aura flew out. He stalked towards Darren, trying to force him down with his power.


    As the two forces collided, the power of the ice and flame almost succumbed to the fiendish aura.


    ''What?''


    Darren''s spiritual sense tingled. Suddenly, he sensed danger. A bloody hand clasped his shoulder.


    "Get out!"


    With a shout, Darren released the Shura Force. The bloody hand shook violently before bursting with a loud bang.


    "Shura!"


    exclaimed the first fiend ancestor.

 Chapter 1048 Form The Heavenly Exterminating Array

    "You know the Shura?" Darren sneered upon hearing the first fiend ancestor''s question.


    "You''re a miracle, human," the first fiend ancestor mused, amazed.


    Indeed, this human had not only inherited his purest blood, but he had also inherited the power of the race from the hell.


    This was the first time the first fiend ancestor had heard of such a thing. Even the Primitive Wilderness didn''t have such talent.


    There was more to this human''s power, and it wasn''t as simple as it seemed. It was obvious that the human had other powerful set of skills. And now, he realized that this person in front of him wasn''t the same person who had almost defeated him last time.


    "It seems like you are the fifth Reincarnation Master. You have to die this time." Darren strained to hear what the first fiend ancestor was saying, but it was all just gibberish in the end.


    "The fifth Reincarnation Master?"


    Darren was curious. ''What is he talking about? Why am I the fifth Reincarnation Master?''


    Thinking that this might be related to his history, Darren was eager to know the answers.


    "Never mind. You don''t need to know this."


    With that, the first fiend ancestor charged towards Darren with renewed vigor.


    On the other hand, Darren''s whole body turned blood red as the Shura Force flowed through him.


    A series of explosions rocked the whole area.


    Even though Darren was at a disadvantage facing the fiend''s attack, he didn''t lose the fight immediately.


    As the battle raged on, the first fiend ancestor released a strong aura.


    Amid the chaos, he muttered a few obscure words which made his aura soar around him madly.


    A few seconds later, Darren felt a repressive pressure closing in around him.


    "Well, are you going to use your real strength now? That''ll be fine!" Darren''s greatest skill was not the Shura Force. It was his skills of Blade and Sword Cultivation. He decided that he would use his secret weapon at the critical moment to catch his opponent by surprise.


    Anxiety brewed among the four greatest holy warriors as they watched the fight from afar.


    The first fiend ancestor''s aura was intimidating. They worried that it would crush Darren entirely.


    The terrifying aura surged wildly.


    Darr


    minating Array!"


    Francis'' words shocked the other three greatest holy warriors.


    "Are you sure, brother? Once we use the array, we will all die."


    "Brother, our sacrifice will be worth it if we''ll end up saving Darren. The worse that can happen is we die and fail to save him."


    There was a big flaw of the Heavenly Exterminating Array. It would only work for an hour after its first use. There wouldn''t be a third try because by the second, the four greatest holy warriors would be destroyed by then.


    "Let''s not think about it too much. Just follow my orders and prepare the array!"


    Francis ordered without hesitation. He believed that they could sneak in a few hits at the fiend even though they couldn''t suppress him fully.


    "Yes!"


    The other three followed without questions.


    With that, their bodies began to light up brightly. Their skin sparked with different colors until four phantoms formed behind them.


    A force of heaven and earth swooped down on the phantoms of cyan dragon, white tiger, vermilion bird and black tortoise. All four of them were connected in mysterious ways.


    The results of activating the array had the four holy warriors vomiting their blood essence at the same time.


    The noisy retches echoed in the air.


    They could feel the force of the array rattling their bones.


    "Hurry up! The longer we wait, the weaker we get."


    Once the Heavenly Exterminating Array was formed, the four greatest holy warriors flew into the battlefield.

 Chapter 1049 The Killing Abyss Skill

    Darren looked around at the one hundred thousand Killing Rules surrounding him. He realized all too late that he had underestimated their strength. His situation began to look grim, but he kept on fighting on.


    Amidst his impending doom, four powerful figures suddenly appeared.


    "Darren, back away!"


    Darren heard Francis shout while he was holding off the first fiend ancestor with all his strength.


    The four flew straight into the crowd of Killing Rules, tearing through them as they passed, and rushed straight towards the first fiend ancestor.


    Simultaneous howls then pierced through the space.


    Four beastly shadows appeared on the backs of the four holy warriors. Their sharp claws cut through the space with ease, and slashed at the first fiend ancestor.


    A nasty sizzling noise could be heard from the slashes.


    A sound of skin tearing also rang through as the first fiend ancestor was being torn to shreds by the four shadowy beasts.


    The ancestor''s wounds festered¡ªunable to heal.


    Everyone knew that he possessed an incredible recovery ability. Otherwise, he would not have survived being dismembered by Hiram the Great all those years ago.


    This feat proved that the power of the four greatest holy warriors was enough to damage the first fiend ancestor''s core. The power of the Heavenly Exterminating Array was truly mighty!


    The first fiend ancestor began to roar and twist from the pain.


    His body was covered in his own blood. This array was no stranger to him. His last escape from the forbidden areas had left him injured by the same array, and he knew exactly how powerful it was.


    The four greatest holy warriors then merged with their beast shadows and unleashed their full strength at the fiend.


    The battle was looking positive until the ground beneath their feet began to rumble violently.


    The rumble grew stronger at the area around the fiend. He shrouded himself in a fiendish aura and brought out his black pyramid again.


    It flew in the air at an inhumane speed. As it swirled, streams of killing aura began to gush out from all sides, surging violently like a stormy river.


    The killing aura gathered more and more until it became an entrance to another world. The four greatest holy warriors began to fall through it, and entered into what seemed to be a world made by blood red rule silk threads. They thrashed around as they got entangled in the mess.


    "The Killing Abyss Skill!"


    Darren was shocked to see the situation take a turn for the worse. The last time he had witnessed such a scene, it was when Mathew showed him his killing sword intent. However, the Killing Abyss Skill he was shown back then paled in comparison to what he was seei


    power of the same killing intent that was released!"


    Darren found it hard to deal with the situation at hand. The more killing intent they released would not only hurt them, but make the first fiend ancestor stronger.


    "Darren, we can hold him off for seven minutes at most. You have to find a way to get out of here. You''re our only hope," said one of the warriors frantically.


    Darren silently pondered for a moment. He could see that the four greatest holy warriors were at wit''s end and ready to die using the array. If they died, he wouldn''t stand a chance against the first fiend ancestor all on his own.


    ''Is escape really our only choice now?'' he thought to himself.


    Even if they bought Darren time to escape, the Killing Abyss Skill would not be easy to evade. A chance to retreat was not assured.


    "There is another way," Darren murmured.


    "What is it?"


    "I''m going to activate the thunder punishment of Heavenly Repression," Darren said. He said this confidently, but you could see the worry in his eyes as he declared this. He knew the repercussions.


    "What?"


    The four warriors had lived long lives, and hence, they knew well about the Conflicting Cultivation, and knew how terrifying the thunder punishment of Heavenly Repression would be.


    "Even if you can resist the fiend using the thunder punishment, what about you? You can''t possibly withstand the thunder punishment!"


    If Darren activated the thunder punishment of Heavenly Repression, the thunder punishment would be aimed at himself. As it descended, it could break the Killing Abyss and save them, but do no damage to the first fiend ancestor. He could easily dodge it.


    "In a life or death situation, I can only take risks!"


    Darren said firmly. He was decided about triggering the thunder punishment.

 Chapter 1050 The Shura Helping Darren

    At this point, Darren had no time to think anymore.


    He immediately assimilated a drop of spiritual energy liquid. His cultivation base soared upon making a breakthrough.


    A strong storm rose from within the Killing Abyss. Darren watched silently in his vigil. The forces of heave and earth poured into him all of a sudden.


    He had now reached the realm of a half-step emperor.


    Now that his cultivation level had improved, he could feel his blade and sword intents going manic with so much power.


    An explosion disrupted the whole area.


    Thick, dark clouds hovered over the Killing Abyss, while black lightning danced in and out of it.


    The sky threatened to collapse under such high pressure.


    This was the thunder punishment of Heavenly Repression triggered by a half-step emperor. The sight alone was terrifying!


    The force of such thunder punishment was even more powerful than anyone in the Lothlann Continent had seen. This display of strength only matched that that during the ancient times.


    No one with Conflicting Cultivation had ever reached the half-step emperor level!


    A howl rang through the air.


    The first fiend ancestor had already sensed the change in the air. Dread tickled down his spine and he looked slightly alarmed by all these.


    He knew he wouldn''t be able to withstand the thunder punishment.


    The blade and sword intents grew wildly as they fused together under the effect of blade and sword cores. The thunder punishment burst as soon as the first trace of unsuppressed dark gold internal force was generated.


    A small bolt of lightning struck down.


    Fortunately, the Killing Abyss blocked it from hitting Darren.


    More thunder and lightning rained down upon them as the dark gold internal force grew.


    The force resulted in a series of explosions.


    The barrage of lightning intensified, breaking the Killing Abyss into pieces. Everything else seemed chaotic.


    Upon seeing his skill destroyed, the first fiend ancestor began hatching plans to escape. Before he fled, however, he realized that the thunder punishment wasn''t coming from the human being. On the contrary, it was targeting the human.


    So the first fiend ancestor decided against his initial decision and stayed.


    The air cackled menacingly.


    A massive thunderstorm began to come down.


    Another loud bang exploded.


    Darren raised his head. The expression on his face was so cold it could freeze ice itself. The dark gold internal force inside his body swept towards the thunder, wrestling it to submission.


    Hanson ha


    le out the thunder.


    The sky was torn into two. One half was full of black lightning, while the other was a deep red sea of blood. Everyone from the ground watched in horror and awe as the two factions battled each other.


    Roars reverberated through the air.


    A myriad of blood red spears arranged themselves and thrust towards the depths of the sky.


    Blood spurted everywhere, while the black lightning dissipated.


    The Shura stood, regal and invincible, between heaven and earth.


    "Argh!"


    Eventually, everything settled down. The black lightning was gone, so was the sea of blood.


    With that, the Shura''s body quickly fell down, slamming unto the surface of the earth.


    Darren watched in surprised and concern.


    The Shura had indeed come to help him overcome the thunder punishment. Even with the strength of the Shura, the thunder punishment had almost killed him. This just showed how terrifying it really was.


    "Can he still resist a second wave?"


    Darren looked up at the sky. His anxiety was spiking up upon seeing that the tribulation clouds had not yet dispersed. At any time now, a new batch of thunder and lightning would descend upon them.


    A few seconds later, the Shura''s scorched body shot up from the ground.


    His entire body was trembling from the strain.


    The scene made Darren feel like he was falling into an abyss. Deep down, he just knew that the Shura wouldn''t be able to withstand the next barrage of thunder punishment.


    A black spear shaped like lightning fell down from the thick, dark clouds.


    It flew at such a slow pace.


    But the strength behind it was unmatched. It was a thousand times stronger than the earlier thunder and lightning.

 Chapter 1051 Its Him

    As more powerful thunder punishment rained down on Darren, he could feel himself getting crushed by its powerful aura.


    This time, he couldn''t rely on the Shura to help him because the latter had sustained serious injuries after facing off the sea of thunder earlier.


    The Shura himself knew this, so he was already trying to retreat desperately.


    The first fiend ancestor had finally snapped out of his stupor and was trying to flee again. He didn''t know how he could get out of there, but it was the only thing he could think of.


    On the other hand, Darren had already given up.


    "You are too weak."


    A voice echoed in the air. Its deep timbre shook the earth at its core.


    From amid the chaos, a person jumped out to stand in front of Darren.


    "Who are you?" Darren asked. He could feel his heart stuttering inside his chest.


    He couldn''t sense anything from this strange man. It was as if he was hiding the slightest fluctuation of his power. Even the Shura couldn''t do such thing.


    What surprised Darren the most, however, was that the person''s body was concealed behind yellow fog. A fog that seemed to be full of sand. Such thing was hardly from this world.


    They stood before each other for a while before the man sneered. He then began to walk over to the void. His steps were deliberate and careful.


    His next actions shocked Darren.


    "No way!"


    The man had grasped the black spear shaped like lightning with his bare hands. His grip was tight and certain. The spear then disappeared into the air, shattering into powdery-fine fragments.


    That was the thunder punishment of Heavenly Repression! Nobody, not even the Shura, could have done that!


    But this mysterious figure had crushed it with his bare hands!


    ''Is he from the Primitive Wilderness?'' Darren wondered as he watched the person in complete awe.


    Darren had met a lot of powerful warriors from the Primitive Wilderness, but none of them were at their peak. Their true strength had been suppressed by laws or they were in form of remnant souls.


    The strongest he met was the immortal that assimilated Elsa. She had both physical body and a soul.


    But the man in front of him seemed to be stronger than the immortal!


    The spear lightning''s demise had brought a strong gust of wind. It blew furiously from the person''s side, forming a vortex that pulled in a heavy, dark cloud. It collided with the tribulation cloud, crashing into it violent


    ear into thin air."


    Darren stood on top of a mountain, overlooking the horizon. Every passage was sealed in the eighteen cities, so the fiend couldn''t just get out of there. He should still be in this world.


    "Where are you hiding?"


    Darren looked around, trying to figure out what he had missed.


    After three days of meditation, the answer had finally come to him.


    "The holy emperor''s tomb! Is he hiding there?" Darren frowned.


    He had already been at every corner of the cities. The one place he hadn''t been to was the holy emperor''s tomb.


    "He must be there! Now, let me see you run."


    After he survived the thunder punishment of Heavenly Repression, Darren''s power had finally reached the half-step emperor level. He was confident that he could kill the first fiend ancestor at this point.


    With no time to waste, he rushed to the holy emperor''s tomb.


    He did so as fast as he could.


    Meanwhile, outside the eighteen cities...


    "It''s all over now..."


    Chandler stood on the ruins and sighed. His hair was disheveled as if he had run his hands through it so many times.


    Several powerful men stood beside him, staring straight ahead in silence.


    "I have a report, Master Finley!


    The Inner Fiend had broken into another forbidden area."


    Next to Chandler, Finley nodded his head at the news and then asked, "How is Barnes?"


    "He''s badly injured by the Inner Fiend and had already fled."


    "Okay." Finley nodded.


    "Three parts of his body have escaped. Counting the two in the eighteen cities, there are five in total. It won''t be long before he fully recovers," the Water Kylin sighed.

 Chapter 1052 A Crisis Is Approaching

    Darren flew to the edge of the holy emperor''s tomb.


    The gate of the stone wall was broken. It seemed like someone had forced his way in.


    The Rule Soul Avatar couldn''t have caused such damage since he could split the rules of the holy emperor''s tomb to enter.


    This was enough to confirm Darren''s suspicion. The fiend was here at the holy emperor''s tomb.


    With that, he flew in.


    His robes rustled softly behind him.


    As soon as he entered, he was greeted by a strong wave of power.


    But he pushed through it, flying deeper into the tomb.


    A deep howl ripped through the air.


    There were two figures inside the inheritance area.


    One was the first fiend ancestor, and the other was the Tiger Cat. The latter was as gigantic as a mountain.


    The first fiend ancestor''s claws were dripped with blood. The scarlet liquid matched the wounds covering the Tiger Cat''s body. Weakened and injured, the Tiger Cat was crawling on the ground.


    Without warning, Darren threw a punch at the first fiend ancestor while the latter''s back was turned on him. The impact was forceful enough to snap the fiend''s back.


    "Argh!"


    It was only then that the fiend realized that he and the Tiger Cat were no longer alone.


    "Tiger Cat, are you okay?"


    "Phew!" Relief shone through the Tiger Cat''s face upon seeing Darren. "That was a close one. He could have killed me if it weren''t for you, Darren. You''ve truly become stronger. Your aura alone is terrifying."


    The Tiger Cat began to shrink, lying on the ground, panting.


    The Tiger Cat was actually at the peak of a half-step emperor. But since he could use the ancient rules, his strength could be compared to that of a holy emperor.


    Nonetheless, he was still weaker than the fiend.


    "Go ahead and heal yourself first. I''ll deal with this."


    Darren then turned around to face his opponent.


    The fiend shuddered when he saw Darren.


    "Go away!"


    the fiend said to Darren in a special language.


    "Fuck off!"


    Darren let out a roar filled with rage and rushed towards the fiend. He grabbed him and hit him hard.


    But the fiend was fast.


    Immediately, he released the black pyramid and activated the Killing Abyss Skill.


    Another howl pierced the air.


    The fiend went berserk, attacking wildly without thought.


    His Killing Abyss Skill was even more powerful now than the one he used before.


    The abyss would suppress anyone with intentions of killing the fiend.


    But Darren didn''t care.


    "Kill!"


    Darren''s blade and sword intents circled around him. The power emanating from him had greatly improved after he reached the level of


    d probably use the Resurrection Force to kill himself just he could get pass the restrictions, and then, revive himself afterwards.


    Unfortunately, the avatar was still trapped in the ancient times and could not return. Even if he wanted to return, he could only get through the River of Forgetfulness, and he wouldn''t reach the cities.


    For days, Darren mulled this over. He was becoming more and more restless by the second, and yet, he still couldn''t find the solution.


    Meanwhile, in the forbidden areas...


    Finley, Scott, the Water Kylin, Caroline and the mutated gray-haired monkey all sat inside the hall.


    The years of battle and cultivation had honed their strength to reach the very limit of the forbidden areas. Their powers could exceed that of an ordinary senior holy warrior.


    In fact, Finley and the Water Kylin were almost within the level of holy emperors.


    Logically speaking, all of them shouldn''t have reached such level in a short time. However, they were probably lucky. The Water Kylin had assimilated the Fire and Water Immortal Character. Thus, his strength had surged since then. As for Finley, his drastic increase in cultivation base was very strange. No one could make out of his fortune at all.


    "Damn it. If we ambush him now, we still have a chance to kill a part of his body," Finley said.


    "No way. If the fiend successfully merges with his other two body parts, he will definitely kill us. Besides, we still have to deal with the damn Inner Fiend. There''s nothing we can do." The Water Kylin''s face was grave and serious.


    "It''s no good relying on you two only. It seems like I''ll have to go to that place myself."


    Scott, who had always been silent, stood up and looked out the distance.

 Chapter 1053 How To Fight

    "Are you going there, Scott?"


    "Yes. We have to get the cyan dragon out,"


    Scott answered coldly. He kept his gaze in the direction of the Fire Cave.


    The Fire Cave was a special relic that contained the million-kilometer long corpse of a cyan dragon. By obtaining the dragon''s inheritance, Scott would surely become invincible.


    "Scott, attempting to take the cyan dragon''s inheritance is dangerous. It''s best if we just wait for Darren. Then you two can look out for each other."


    Finley might be powerful, but he didn''t have a drop of dragon blood in his veins. Even if he wanted to help Scott, he couldn''t. Darren was the only one who could help him.


    "You don''t have to bother. The eighteen cities have already sealed their passages. Darren wouldn''t be able to return now for the time being. We can only rely ourselves to protect this world. With the first fiend ancestor''s body parts and the Inner Fiend on the loose, it would be difficult to fight them off," Scott insisted. His face was hardened into determination.


    "Well...Be careful."


    Finley and the Water Kylin had finally conceded. Scott might be right, and the best course of action for now was to get the cyan dragon''s inheritance before a crisis fell upon them all.


    Without saying anything else, Scott nodded his head at everyone and flew away.


    "Water Kylin, there''re only three forbidden areas left. If all of them are broken, we''re doomed," Finley said.


    "When the first forbidden area was destroyed, the Witcher Power had descended from heaven to guard the remaining areas. The fiend wouldn''t dare approach it now. Our problem now is that Inner Fiend. We can''t defeat him, so it''s him we should be worried about." The Water Kylin seemed bitter with resentment.


    In fact, it was the Inner Fiend who had destroyed the first forbidden area many years ago. Barnes was completely blameless from this. But since the Inner Fiend made an agreement with the first fiend ancestor, he spared no effort to save him.


    As a result from the Inner Fiend''s attack, a powerful Witch Power descended from the sky to guard the remaining seven forbidden areas. The first fiend ancestor couldn''t approach it, but the Inner Fiend still could. As he struggled to break through the Witcher Power, he released another part of the first fiend ancestor''s body.


    The four greatest holy warriors only noticed what was happening after the Inner Fiend released two parts of the first fiend ancestor''s


    enced before.


    Like Barnes, he was at the peak of a seven-tribulation senior holy warrior when he was at his prime. His combat skills and strength were unparalleled.


    If he devoured Barnes, then he would become the second eight-tribulation senior holy warrior. One of the two in this world!


    The first eight-tribulation senior holy warrior was from the ancient times. Up until now, his existence remained debatable.


    Once the Inner Fiend became an eight-tribulation senior holy warrior, he could even kill a super emperor! This was what he wanted most.


    "I get why you don''t want to kill him, but I just don''t understand why you let him go," the first fiend ancestor said.


    Obviously, he knew the difference between killing and capturing.


    "Do you think that I haven''t thought this through already? We can''t capture him alive." The Inner Fiend snorted, shaking his head.


    After all, Barnes could escape with his special technique. This made capturing him useless. They had to overpower him in all ways before they could catch him.


    The first fiend ancestor let out a piercing howl.


    It was filled with resentment and frustration. They decided not to speak anymore.


    But then, a low sound reverberated in the air.


    A dark crack suddenly appeared at the mouth of the cave.


    It yawned open.


    And a black pyramid spiraled out from the crack.


    The first fiend ancestor grabbed the black pyramid and pushed it inside his brain.


    "I want to cultivate alone. Help me open the rest of the forbidden areas as soon as possible."


    With that, he turned around and stepped through the darkness. In an instant, he was gone.

 Chapter 1054 The Way Out

    Back in the eighteen cities


    Darren was staying inside the secret room. He was trying to come up with ways to get out of there, but he had no idea at the moment.


    "Darren, are you here?"


    An anxious voice came into Darren''s head.


    "What''s up, Governor Garth?" Darren could hardly hide his annoyance for being disturbed.


    "I have some bad news. Come out!" Garth said.


    Darren stood up and walked out of the secret room.


    "What is it?" he asked, frowning.


    "I just received big news from the forbidden areas. It seems like the fiend''s three body parts have escaped."


    "What?"


    Darren''s face darkened upon hearing the news.


    This was bad indeed. When two body parts of the fiend had merged together, the fiend''s strength was at the primary stage of the Emperor Realm. If three merged, it would increase to the middle stage of the Emperor Realm. Even Darren wouldn''t be able to defeat him.


    As far as he knew, the strongest people outside were only within the Holy Realm. Nobody had the power to fight the first fiend ancestor.


    "When did this happen?" Darren asked, urgently.


    "It''s been years. Fortunately, Barnes guards the forbidden areas. The fiend can''t get close there. And since he has some restrictions placed on him, he can''t just kill anyone."


    "How did you know that?" Darren suddenly remembered something, and now he couldn''t help but wonder why the Governor was well-informed about the outside world.


    "There''s an old rule cultivator who has been trying to connect to the outside world all these years. He had finally succeeded a few days ago. That''s how we got the news," Garth explained.


    "Take me to him. I have some important things to say."


    "Okay."


    Garth took Darren up to a barren mountain.


    There was a bamboo forest.


    The air up there was sweet and fresh. There was a crispiness in the wind that only a very natural environment had. In the middle of the pool, an old man sat.


    "Sir, Darren is here." Garth cupped his hands together.


    The old man stood up. His eyes landed on Darren and nodded. "Indeed, he really is a genius."


    "Sir, can you really communicate with the outside world?" Darren asked.


    "Yes. I''ve finally succeeded after many years of studying. There is a flaw in the restriction that allows me to connect with strong warriors outside the eighteen cities." The old man nodded.


    "Great! Th


    l me in one shot!"


    Darren''s strength had increased throughout the years. So now, if they didn''t go all out, they wouldn''t be able to kill him.


    He had to reign himself in so that he wouldn''t resist them at all. Any signs of resistance could hurt their chances of killing him.


    "Darren, do you really need to go out like this?" Linda had also come out to see Darren off. They hadn''t really known each other for a long time, but she was still very worried about him.


    "This is the only way I can get out of here."


    "Darren, take good care of yourself. Please be safe," Chaz said, patting him on the shoulder.


    "I''ll be fine. Don''t worry. By the way, have you found your enemies? I haven''t been to the cities for most of the years so I never had a chance to ask. If you''ve found them, I can handle it for you right now."


    It was fortuitous that Darren remembered Chaz''s purpose for coming here just before he could leave. Chaz had wanted to come after the couple who killed him in his previous life.


    "There''s no need for that. She and that bastard had already died in the Thunder Beast Land a few thousand years ago," Chaz answered.


    "Okay." Darren nodded.


    "Well, this is goodbye, then, Darren." There were tears gathering at the corners of Laura''s eyes.


    "I hope to see you again soon, Darren."


    "Keep safe." Everyone knelt down before him.


    "Don''t worry about me. I''ll be fine. Goodbye, everyone." Darren gave them a salute before motioning others to begin.


    Dozens of attacks came to him from all sides. All of them landed straight into his heart.

 Chapter 1055 Fight The Inner Fiend

    Darren let down his defenses and was killed at a quick flash, as he was attacked simultaneously by dozens of half-step emperors. His body went limp and crashed to the ground!


    "Hurry up! Quickly, send Darren into the passage!"


    With no time to waste, a group of people hastily rushed Darren into the passage. His corpse vanished in a flash.


    "May the heavens assure his safe arrival," said Linda, choking back tears. Hope was all they could hold onto now.


    "Let us all pray for his safety," everyone murmured.


    Meanwhile, in the outside world, two figures were pacing around nervously, awaiting Darren.


    "It''s him! He seems to be coming!" one of them suddenly shouted.


    At the entrance of the passageway, Finley and the old man were waiting.


    "Quick!"


    Darren''s corpse, devoid of aura, came flying out through the passageway.


    Gusts of wind began to shift around the space focusing immediately around the corpse.


    Two powerful Life True Rules were applied to the body in unison.


    Shimmering green dots of light covered Darren''s body. His damaged heart slowly began to rejuvenate.


    After six hours, Darren finally woke up. The shock of life returning to his body had him feeling ecstatic.


    "Ha-ha, I made it!" he shouted in relief. He felt like a new person. Finley, weak and sweaty from healing Darren''s body for many hours, smiled excitedly upon seeing Darren wake up.


    Darren immediately got up and flew towards them.


    He landed in front of Finley and the old man with a proud smile on his face.


    "Good job, boy! You have made big progress in your cultivation level. Congratulations! You''re a half-step emperor now!" the old man of the Mythological Palace said with a smile. He was immensely proud of Darren.


    "This is still far from enough." Darren smiled. Then he turned to look at Finley. "Hey Finley, quit the modesty. You didn''t do so bad yourself. Now you''re even higher than me in terms of cultivation level!"


    "Of course I am, I''ve been cultivating faster than you! Let''s go back and celebrate," said Finley, chuckling. The three of them happily walked off together, ready for a celebration party.


    In the great hall, many people had been anxiously waiting for many hours. Nobody could speak a word as they were so worried about Darren.


    The moment Darren walked in, the entire room burst into excited gasps and joyful tears. Amongst the crowd, a golden figure flew over and collided right into Darren.


    "Master, I missed you so much! I thought I would never see you again!" Darren couldn''t breathe from the Water Kylin''s huge body knocking him onto the ground in a tight embrace.


    "Get off me! I just got back to life. Are you trying to


    electricity crackling, a golden monkey appeared from the shadows.


    "Excuse yourselves, do you think you deserve to have been lured here? I wanted Barnes! Where is Barnes?!" shouted a very annoyed Inner Fiend.


    The entire reason why he had caused a ruckus was to lure the injured Barnes out and devour him.


    With a strange turn of events, he''d instead lured two humans and a kylin.


    "Well I didn''t expect you to be alive and breathing, that''s for sure." The Inner Fiend sneered at Darren.


    "You''re still alive. So why can''t I be alive too?" Darren jeered back.


    "You bastards! You''ve ruined my plans! Go to hell!" the Inner Fiend roared, revealing sharp tusks.


    Finley looked on in horror as he sensed that they''d been completely sealed into the surrounding space. Even if he tried using his space skills, retreat was impossible.


    "I wouldn''t be so confident if I were you," Darren said indifferently.


    "Do you seriously believe you could win a fight against me?" The Inner Fiend sneered. He learned that Darren was only a half-step emperor. Killing him would be as easy as crushing an ant.


    Wielding a golden stick, he strode towards the three warriors.


    "Water Kylin, go!" shouted Finley.


    Knowing what he meant, the Water Kylin rushed out with him.


    Both of them knew that Darren was new to the half-step emperor realm and might be understandably weaker than them. They took the initiative to form a protective stance in front of Darren.


    "Master, we can''t hold him off for long. You must take this opportunity to escape," the Water Kylin said anxiously.


    "There''s no need to panic," Darren replied.


    An explosion then rang throughout the space, and the void began to shake. In a flash, the Water Kylin and Finley were already clashing with the Inner Fiend.

 Chapter 1056 Shattering It

    Finley attacked the Inner Fiend with the power of over ten different true rules.


    Such was the combined force of these true rules that it seemed to unsettle the Inner Fiend.


    "Damned you, Water Kylin, attack with all your strength!" Finley roared.


    "As you wish!"


    The Water Kylin''s golden hair stood up, accompanied by blue lightning, roaring flames from outer space, and true water skill. All kinds of powerful attack methods erupted from his hands.


    At the same time, a red and blue Immortal Character spun above him. As the Immortal Character was released, the Water Kylin''s power and energy soared.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Taking advantage of this surge in his strength, the Water Kylin flew forward and slashed at the Inner Fiend with his massive claws.


    Overwhelmed by the madness of these attacks, the Inner Fiend was forced back a little.


    "Sizz!"


    Despite the temporary setback, the Inner Fiend''s opinion of his opponents'' strength didn''t change. Still confident of his abilities, the Inner Fiend rationalized, ''The two nonentities'' skills are unique and aggressive. However, their cultivation levels are too low for them to exert strength comparable to the Emperor Realm. Even if they combined their powers, they would only be equal to a cultivator at primary level of the Emperor Realm, who only uses his physical strength. How can they be a match for me?''


    As a six-tribulation senior holy warrior at the top level, the Inner Fiend possessed a dodecahedral crystal. Its combat power was much higher than that of a human cultivator at the top-level of the six-tribulation realm.


    "Ah!" The Inner Fiend roared as he summoned all his power. A split second later, the rune on the golden stick exploded, and the power it contained burst forth in torrents.


    The blast pushed both Finley and the Water Kylin back and then the Inner Fiend chased them.


    "One attack of my stick is enough to kill you!" The Inner Fiend was elated at the thought that it would be easy for him to kill the two ants.


    The golden stick broke the space, and in the blink of an eye, it besieged Finley and the Water Kylin. It all happened so fast that they couldn''t avoid it.


    "Fight harder!" Although Finley''s aura was ferocious, he emitted a soft golden light.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll handle this." Darren flew over and patted Finley''s shoulder. Then, he thrust forth his palm.


    Bang!


    The golden light exploded, and the force pushed Darren backward. At the same time, the golden stick was repelled by him!


    "What?"


    The Inner Fiend was stunned. He had expected his attack to devastate the two nonentities. To his astonishment, his golden stick had been defeated. And by a non-match!


    Even a cultivator at the primary


    narrated by human beings!


    "I estimate that he will return to life after fifteen minutes. Water Kylin, it''s your turn to smash him to pieces," Darren instructed. He then turned to Finley and said, "Send Barnes a message that I''ve suppressed the Inner Fiend. It is time for him to finish this."


    The Inner Fiend had said that Barnes was the only one who could kill him.


    And hence, Darren commanded Finley to send such a message to Barnes. Once Barnes assimilated the Inner Fiend, he would reach the top level and become the second eight-tribulation senior holy warrior in history!


    "Darren, that damn monkey has made several contributions, but it doesn''t mean that he is righteous. Reconsider please," Finley reminded Darren after some hesitation.


    Barnes was a ruthless warrior, just like the high-level emperors who only cared about their interests.


    Over the years, he had guarded the forbidden areas only because it benefitted him. If the Inner Fiend had released all the first fiend ancestor''s body parts, the ancestor would have helped the Inner Fiend to slay Barnes. That was the only reason Barnes wanted to stop the Inner Fiend at any cost.


    Self-preservation was Barnes'' reason for siding with the human race. It was also his motivation to convince the strong cultivators behind the human race to help him. Of course, what he valued the most was not the law enforcers of the Sacred Palace. He didn''t even care about Finley and the Water Kylin.


    What Barnes cared about was someone more powerful in the human race.


    "You have a point. Once Barnes has nothing to fear, he may turn into a tyrant."


    Darren pondered over the dilemma for a while. He knew that Barnes had demonstrated both righteous indignation and evil tendencies. It was not prudent to let him ascend to the peak at this moment.

 Chapter 1057 The Inner Fiend Wants To Be A Slave

    Since it wasn''t prudent to let Barnes assimilate the Inner Fiend for the moment, Darren decided to shackle him. He just had to figure out a way to do that.


    "Finley, do you know a way to imprison him?" Darren himself was a martial artist. This meant he didn''t have the rule skills to imprison people.


    "He may have an Eternal Body, but he has been beaten too many times. He doesn''t have much strength left, so I think I can imprison him with my true rule. The question now is where I should do that," Finley replied.


    "Finding a place won''t be a problem. Let''s just put him in the Ancient Void Battlefield," the Water Kylin proposed.


    "That''s a good idea." Darren nodded.


    "How stable is the Ancient Void Battlefield at the moment?" Finley asked.


    "Don''t worry. I''m a half-step emperor now. It would take a long time for the Inner Fiend to smash the battlefield even if he''s in his peak stage. And now that he''s weak, there will be no problem with the battlefield''s stability."


    With Darren''s newfound strength, the state of the Ancient Void Battlefield had also been improved.


    "That''s good. When he revives, you send us in together," Finley said.


    Darren nodded his head at that. A few minutes later, the Inner Fiend''s body was finally condensed. There was no struggle or resistance on the Inner Fiend''s part because he was too weak to fight them off.


    "Darren, let me go." The Inner Fiend was afraid that Darren would try to break him again.


    "Why should I let you go?" Darren sneered.


    "We can make a deal," the Inner Fiend responded.


    "I don''t want anything from you!" Darren snapped. His face had turned cold.


    "Please hear me out." Deep inside, the Inner Fiend was panicking. His desperation had urged him to continue, "My purpose for cooperating with the first fiend ancestor is to assimilate Barnes and become an eight-tribulation senior holy warrior."


    "Cut the crap. We know that already." It was the Water Kylin who spoke. His fangs were bared, and he waved his claws in the air threateningly.


    The Inner Fiend''s face crumpled in anger. The corners of his lips were pulled down and his nose was all scrunched up. However, he restrained his fury because he knew he was too weak to fight them off any longer.


    "If it were up to me, I wouldn''t have cooperated with the first fiend ancestor in the first place. He''s dangerous, and I think you know what I mean," the Inner Fiend said.


    Darren remained silent. Finley glanced at him briefly before asking, "Are you saying


    id and specific to the point of being terrifying.


    Darren laughed and shook his head. "That''s because you aren''t as strong as he is. If he becomes an eight-tribulation senior holy warrior, the rule that bounds him as my slave would become unstable. Who knows maybe he can break it eventually.


    Besides, we have no proof yet that Barnes is targeting the human race. Maybe he won''t? Maybe he will? It''s all just conjecture. If Barnes really wants to help the human race, but we simply capture him and give him to his enemy, do you think it''s fair to him? It''s not my style to do such a thing.


    Lastly, if the Inner Fiend really wants to submit to me, then will it matter if I suppress him for some time? If Barnes turns out to be a threat to us, I''ll go to the Inner Fiend for help. I''m sure he''ll concede to my request once he is suppressed for some time. In this way, he''ll be more sincere."


    "Master, you are indeed wise. You really have it all, don''t you," the Water Kylin said, amazed at Darren''s explanation.


    There was no rush in accepting the Inner Fiend''s offer. After all, he was still under Darren''s mercy whether they accepted it or not.


    "Let''s head back to the Sacred Palace. The Inner Fiend has finally been suppressed, while the first fiend ancestor won''t be able to get close to the forbidden areas to save the rest of his body parts. We should be fine for now," Darren said. He and the Water Kylin then flew away together.


    "Oh no!" The Water Kylin stopped all of a sudden and turned to Darren. Worry was etched on his face. "What if the first fiend ancestor comes after us and tries to save the Inner Fiend after we leave the forbidden area?"

 Chapter 1058 Revisiting The Space-time Palace

    Darren stopped upon hearing the Water Kylin''s words. He believed that the Water Kylin''s argument was reasonable.


    As the first fiend ancestor depended on the Inner Fiend, he would not let the Inner Fiend be captured easily.


    "Hide the aura. Let''s go in the opposite direction," Darren commanded.


    Darren and the Water Kylin turned and flew in the other direction.


    An hour later, in the void between the forbidden area and the Sacred Palace, the blood-red figure of the first fiend ancestor stepped out of the darkness. He looked furious!


    "Damn human!" he cursed. Because of the Witcher Power''s restrictions, he didn''t dare to go to the Sacred Palace either, nor the area densely populated with ordinary humans.


    After they circled hundreds of thousands of kilometers, Darren and the Water Kylin prepared to return.


    "Master, now that we don''t need to worry about the matter of the first fiend ancestor for the moment, do you want to cultivate or help Scott?" asked the Water Kylin.


    "As I have reached the half-step emperor realm and can''t improve in a short time, I won''t cultivate now," Darren replied.


    "Should we visit the Fire Cave then?"


    "Not quite. I believe that there won''t be any danger to Scott in the near future. I want to go to the River of Forgetfulness," Darren answered.


    The River of Forgetfulness had many secrets that intrigued him. And since that immortal had stepped into the River of Forgetfulness, he wanted to explore it.


    "I''ll accompany you!" The Water Kylin didn''t know much about the River of Forgetfulness, but if Darren were headed there, he would follow.


    "Okay, you can come with me," Darren agreed. The Water Kylin was quite a strong cultivator now, so they could help each other.


    "Should we ask Finley to join us?" the Water Kylin asked.


    "He''s in the Ancient Void Battlefield. I can call him if we need help," Darren replied with a thoughtful nod.


    "Okay."


    As they flew at full speed, Darren and the Water Kylin returned to the Sacred Palace in half a day. Once back, Darren made some arrangements in preparation for their journey to the River of Forgetfulness.


    Barnes arrived just as Darren was about to leave.


    "Hey, Darren, when did you return? And why didn''t you visit me?" Barnes patted Darren on the shoulder as he asked.


    "I only came back a little while ago," Darren smiled.


    "Did you encounter any problems? I heard that the Inner Fiend made trouble again. You didn''t get beaten up by him, did you?" When he heard that Darren was going to guard


    or realm. Is that ugly black monkey the legendary Barnes? Well, well. Both your companions are famous for their power."


    Even though they sensed the astonishing aura emanating from Darren and his two companions, the four old men didn''t panic.


    "We were going to hunt you and kill you after what you did. Unfortunately, the fiends were making trouble, and our attention was diverted. So we postponed our plan to kill you. But, now you''ve come to us by yourself. God favors us!" an old man with blue skin remarked.


    "It seems that you have nothing to fear. If I''m not wrong, the other holy emperor''s corpse you possessed has been revived, right?" Darren stated unhurriedly.


    "Ha-ha, you are right, lad!


    You must not have considered it, but we found a dark-spirit crystal as big as a thumb at a hundred thousand kilometers deep underground in the mine which you destroyed. Hard work pays off! After searching for many years, we finally found it. Now that the holy emperor''s corpse has been revived, we will control the world!"


    Upon hearing this, Darren and his companions remained unimpressed. In the past, they would have shuddered at the thought of a holy emperor''s corpse being resurrected.


    But now, Darren could fight a middle-level holy emperor, and he had two strong assistants to help him. So, Darren was not afraid.


    "Well. Fighting a genuine emperor would be a good practice opportunity for me," Darren smiled.


    "You are too arrogant! We''ll just have to wait and see if you are right. Please, welcome the holy emperor!" The four blue-skinned old men gathered and motivated some kind of array. Then, a young man with a horrifying aura walked out from a space crack.

 Chapter 1059 A Battle Between Barnes And The Holy Emperor

    The handsome young man who stepped out of the space crack appeared cold, and his eyes were as deep as the void.


    Darren''s gaze swept over the young man, who was dressed in a blue robe. Two flags of different colors were inserted on his left and right shoulders.


    Behind him, a thirty feet long silver-blue cloak fluttered with the wind. It made his divine aura appear more dignified and aggressive.


    The four blue-skinned old men sneered as they called the holy emperor. They believed that these three half-step emperors would surely die at the hands of the holy emperor.


    "Listen to our orders. You must protect us with your power. And you have to kill these three creatures. Move now!" The four old men used an arcane controlling skill in unison to order this resurrected emperor.


    "Yes!"


    the holy emperor answered coldly. He didn''t dare to resist as his soul was obedient to the orders of the four old men.


    "Master, this guy is very powerful." The holy emperor''s aura intimidated the Water Kylin.


    "A cultivator at the Emperor Realm is indeed, powerful. But he has been dead for so many years. As he is not at his peak, we can fight him."


    Darren roughly appraised the strength of this resurrected holy emperor. He used to be a very powerful cultivator, at least at the higher level of the Emperor Realm. But, as much time had passed, Darren estimated that his strength had fallen to, at best, a primary level holy emperor.


    "Step back. I will fight him first!"


    When Barnes saw such a strong cultivator, the darkness in his eyes deepened, and fighting spirit filled him.


    "Okay, okay, you go first." The Water Kylin was thrilled. As the resurrected holy emperor intimated him, he was in no hurry to confront him. With Barnes volunteering to battle the emperor, he could stand back and not get involved.


    Darren did not comment on Barnes''s offer as he wanted to observe the strength of both sides.


    "Sizz!"


    Barnes jumped forward and bared his lips. His sharp fangs glimmered in the weak light.


    "I slaughtered guys like you millions of years ago. Today, I will show you what power means!"


    With a roar, Barnes raised his golden stick and swept it toward the man.


    The entire heaven and earth shook as golden light rushed toward the sky, and the void tumbled like a wave, moving with frightening intensity. The sound emitted was appalling.


    Blue light erupted from the holy emperor''s body as he raised his white palm and flipped it forward.


    Clang!


    The sound of one hundred thousand consecutive collisions rang out in unison, curling the air currents and shatterin


    g, it began rolling toward its target at supernatural speed.


    Bang!


    This time, as they collided, countless golden fragments appeared in the air. To everyone''s astonishment, there was even a hint of blue ripples.


    "Watch out!"


    Darren, without any warning, rushed to the Water Kylin and released his blade and sword intents. The combined force swept outwards and crushed the falling golden fragments and dispelled the blue ripples.


    "God!" The Water Kylin was speechless. Had Darren not stopped the falling power, he would have been severely injured.


    "Damn it! What the hell? I''m going to somewhere safe!" The Water Kylin''s eyes darkened as he spoke. He didn''t have the strength to withstand the aftermath of their attacks from this short distance. "Alas! Strength!"


    Darren shook his head. Unable to peel his eyes from the raging battle, he ignored the Water Kylin''s words and turned to watch.


    Crack!


    After the golden fragments dispersed, Darren spotted many spider net-like cracks appear on Barnes'' stick.


    "His weapon is about to explode. If that happens, he is sure to lose the battle," Darren murmured with a pensive frown.


    Barnes stood in the void surrounded by a dark aura. It was so unprecedentedly strong that it turned this world dark as well.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    After a moment of silence, the golden stick in Barnes'' hand began to shatter.


    However, only the external golden shell had been destroyed. As soon as the glittering particles faded, the dark inside engraved with ancient runes was exposed.


    "Finally!"


    Barnes raised his head and roared at the sky. His open mouth resembled a deep black hole.


    "It is finally out!" he grinned, but his voice trembled as though he were crying.

 Chapter 1060 The Holy Emperor Flees

    Darren could sense Barnes'' sheer excitement from the look on his face.


    There was a clattering noise coming from what he was wielding in his hand.


    The golden fragments on the surface of the stick had completely disappeared.


    "This is the end for you!" Barnes held the stick over his shoulder in a battle-ready stance. He felt his confidence rising from the adrenaline of the moment.


    Opposite to Barnes, the holy emperor stood menacingly in the air with a cold expression. He was completely unaware of the change in Barnes.


    The holy emperor charged forward in one fell swoop.


    He believed he had the upper hand in this battle as he fearlessly headed straight for Barnes.


    It seemed that this time, the holy emperor was holding three flags.


    They whizzed through the air as he threw them one by one.


    The flags landed in a circle around Barnes with a loud thud as the holy emperor came closer. They suddenly grew in size, and three different forces burst out from each of them. Barnes was trapped.


    "One enhances defense, one enhances offense and the other one disrupts the enemy. Those three flags have to be supernatural emperor weapons!"


    Darren could sense the power of the three flags. Once the holy emperor utilized the flags together, his fighting capacity would increase by at least forty percent!


    "Go to hell!"


    shouted Barnes, as he charged towards his opponent.


    Thunderous noises rang throughout the space as he slashed at the holy emperor.


    With every hit, darkness began to spread.


    "Barnes...His strength..." Darren murmured. "His strength has doubled!"


    Darren was shocked and amazed at the change in Barnes'' fighting power. After he transformed his stick, not only his physical strength, but also his fighting power as a whole had doubled.


    Darren had the Augmented Attack Bloodline, but this only increased his physical strength. This power was still worlds apart from being able to double his fighting power.


    Barnes fought with cool composure. With every swoop of his stick, the holy emperor was losing his ground as he was pushed back little by little.


    The holy emperor then ripped out a screeching howl.


    After he retreated some distance back, his eyes flashed with a brilliant blue light.


    With the glow of his eyes, only then did the holy emperor begin to use his unique holy emperor''s power.


    He began to give off an overbearing aura, in the form of a harsh wave of blue light, which heavily suppressed Barnes.


    If they were initially at odds in terms of strength, now it was as if the holy emperor had added a handicap of a heavy weight to his opponent.


    Barnes was taken aback by the holy emperor''s power.


    Suddenly, a thud followed by a loud crack sounded through the air.


    The holy


    d monkey, jumping wildly in frustration.


    "That''s for sure," chuckled Darren, as he nodded. "Your stick seems to be very special. If it hadn''t transformed, you might not have been able to beat the holy emperor, right?"


    "Special?" With a smile, Barnes replied, "Pal, my weapon is more than just special. Let me tell you something. This is called the Suppressing Stick. It was a weapon of a god from outer space! In fact, the layer of golden metal that was on its surface was a seal. Now that the seal is broken, it''s even more powerful than it used to be."


    "Seal? If you knew that, why didn''t you just open the seal before?" Darren asked.


    "The seal set by a god isn''t that simple. It''s really all thanks to that holy emperor. The seal''s strength adapts to its master''s realm. In the past, I was already at the peak of a seven-tribulation senior holy warrior, and nobody could break the seal. But now, I''m at a lower realm than I was before. I really didn''t expect that a holy emperor could shatter it. I''d call that divine intervention. That''s for sure!"


    The more Barnes spoke, the more his excitement grew. His Suppressing Stick had just transformed into an even stronger form. Though not yet fully developed, its combat power had increased immensely. Once he got the hang of it, even his fighting power could increase drastically.


    "That''s great. It''s better if you manage to beat him. That way, I wouldn''t have to beat him," said Darren.


    "Humph. You? He could crush you to death with a single finger, boy!"


    "Nah, I don''t think so. Don''t worry, you''ll have the chance to see it. Now it''s time for us to get down to business."


    Darren turned around and flew away as soon as he said those words. Barnes stared knives into Darren''s back as it disappeared into the distance. A hint of darkness flashed through his eyes.

 Chapter 1061 Revisiting The River Of Forgetfulness

    After the old blue-skinned men escaped, Darren flew to the forbidden domain in the Space-time Palace. The stream that flowed under the forbidden domain was the only way to the River of Forgetfulness.


    Boom!


    Darren pounded the ground with his palm. A split second later, his figure began to sink.


    "Master, wait for me." The Water Kylin didn''t hesitate to follow Darren. Not one to be left behind, the ever-curious Barnes trailed after them.


    Darren searched for the stream with his spiritual sense as he passed through the burning magma.


    "Darren, how do you discover the location of the River of Forgetfulness?" Barnes asked. They had been silently flying through the magma for a while, and he couldn''t take the quietness anymore.


    "I chanced upon it by accident," Darren replied calmly.


    "You are so lucky," Barnes exclaimed repeatedly.


    "What?" Darren''s brow furrowed when he heard Barnes''s reply. Puzzled, he turned and asked, "Why do you say so?"


    "From ancient times to the present, there have been legends of the River of Forgetfulness, but no one has ever found it. It is said that there are incredible treasures inside. When I was at my peak, I had searched everywhere for it. I found many remains and great treasures during my explorations, but I didn''t discover the location of the River of Forgetfulness," Barnes explained.


    "Really? The River of Forgetfulness has treasures? So we will have the chance to retrieve them?" The Water Kylin smiled.


    "It''s just a rumor. You shouldn''t believe everything you hear. But, even if there were treasures, your little strength would be insufficient," Barnes squinted as he replied to the Water Kylin.


    "Ahem, even though I can''t collect them, my master can. He is powerful. Don''t underestimate us." The Water Kylin was quite unhappy with Barnes'' insinuation that he was weak.


    "Little brat, you have witnessed my strength before. How dare you speak so rudely? Aren''t you afraid of being beaten?" Barnes sneered.


    "Fuck off, you damn monkey! My master is here. How dare you threaten me?"


    "Just you wait!"


    Barnes was beside himself when the Water Kylin didn''t apologize. He prepared to teach the legendary beast a lesson!


    "Stop it," Darren shouted as annoyance coursed through him. "Monkey, tell me. What kind of treasures are hidden in the River of Forgetfulness?"


    "How would I know?" Barnes rolled his eyes. "When we find the treasures, we''ll know."


    "Ha-ha." Darren curled his lips. "That is easier said than done. Last time I came here, I encountered the immortal."


    "You must b


    acked the first restriction fiercely with his black stick. Since he now had the strength of a holy emperor, the first restriction was no challenge to him.


    "That was easy." Barnes was satisfied with his current strength.


    "Then you can continue. I believe there is enough spiritual energy here for me to cultivate. I''ll go and practice for a while. Call me when you get through," Darren instructed.


    "What?" When Barnes heard this, he felt as though something was wrong. Why would Darren come all the way here only to leave before they broke through the restrictions?


    "Water Kylin, either you help the monkey, or you come and cultivate with me." Darren ignored Barnes'' outburst and calmly instructed the legendary beast.


    "Ha-ha, I''m not as diligent as you. It''s boring to cultivate. I''d rather follow the monkey and ensure that he doesn''t claim the treasures for himself," the Water Kylin smiled as he refused.


    "Well then, that''s your choice," Darren said as he looked away. Disappointment laced his tone.


    The doubts in Barnes'' heart dispelled when he heard their exchange. The Water Kylin was Darren''s most loyal subordinate. He would not play any tricks if he left the Water Kylin with Barnes.


    After three days, Barnes broke through the second restriction.


    At this point, Darren sank to the bottom of the river, and a black swirl enveloped him.


    Soon, Darren appeared in front of the witcher ancestor.


    "Darren, you are growing so fast." A hint of astonishment reflected in the witcher ancestor''s expression.


    Darren smiled faintly.


    "What do you want from me?" the witcher ancestor asked.


    "Phew!" Darren breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I have a lot of questions for you."

 Chapter 1062 The Treasure In The River Of Forgetfulness

    The witcher ancestor motioned for Darren to sit, and said, "What do you want to know?"


    "Sir, who brought the one hundred thousand senior holy warriors to the River of Forgetfulness?" Darren asked.


    After a moment of silence, the witcher ancestor questioned, "Why do you ask this?"


    "Because I know that there is an extremely powerful cultivator hiding in the River of Forgetfulness. He once survived the thunder punishment of the Heavenly Repression. He used the River of Forgetfulness to draw the thunder punishment to ancient times.


    Although I have never heard of such a cultivator in any legend or story, I know that he is real. Not long ago, he helped me to block the thunder punishment when I underwent a Heavenly Repression. So, I believe that the hundred thousand ancient senior holy warriors are connected to him somehow."


    The witcher ancestor shuddered when he heard Darren''s explanation.


    "You''ve met him before?"


    "Yes. But his body was hidden in yellow mist, and I couldn''t see his face clearly."


    "It''s good that you didn''t see him." Confusion coursed through Darren at the witcher ancestor''s remark.


    "What do you mean?" Darren asked as he glanced at the witcher ancestor.


    "You don''t have to know, because you are not supposed to know."


    "Why can''t I know? Please tell me. Who is he?" Darren beseeched.


    "This is not the time to tell you." The witcher ancestor stood and turned his back to Darren. His loose black robe fluttered even though there was no breeze. Finally, after a brief silence, he spoke. "If there is nothing else, you can leave now."


    "What?"


    Darren didn''t expect that the witcher ancestor would ask him to leave after only a few questions.


    "Sir, if it makes you uncomfortable, then I won''t ask about him.


    Can you tell me more about the immortal? Where is she?" Darren hurriedly changed the topic.


    The witcher ancestor''s black robe settled as he took a deep breath. "She has gone into hiding."


    "What?" Such astonishment coursed through Darren that he jumped to his feet. Why would the immortal hide? Did she encounter a strong enemy?


    "Is it because she met that person?" Darren asked. Since no one was willing to speak about the strong cultivator, and he seemed terrifying enough to unsettle the witcher ancestor, Darren assumed that the strong cultivator could be the reason the immortal was hiding.


    The witcher ancestor''s brief nod confirmed Darren''s suspicions.


    Darren''s heart thumped wildly in his chest. That mysterious warrior had scared the immortal. How terrifying was he?


    When Darren could feel anger emanating from the witcher ancestor, he changed the topic. "Sir, I have heard that there is a treasure in the River of Forgetfulness. Do you know about it?"


    "Do yo


    I can survive this as well. Please guide me, sir!"


    Darren found it harder and harder to resist the temptation to become a holy emperor. He didn''t have the courage or the strength to fight the immortal after she had assimilated Elsa so many years ago. This was a great opportunity for him to be on par with his sworn enemy. He couldn''t lose this chance.


    "Have you decided?"


    "Yes, I have!"


    The witcher ancestor hesitated. This was a huge gamble. If Darren failed, then countless years of wait would eventually lead to a destructive ending.


    He also knew that if Darren didn''t become a holy emperor, it wouldn''t be long before the Lothlann Continent was destroyed.


    "Okay, I will respect your decision.


    But I have a condition. You will cultivate for three years first. Then, I will send you to the Godly City," the witcher ancestor said.


    "Sir, please send me there now." From the moment Darren heard that there was a chance for him to rise to the level of a holy emperor, he began to feel restless. He didn''t want to wait a second longer, let alone three years.


    "Don''t be impetuous. I have asked you to cultivate first as sending you to the Godly City will consume a lot of Witcher Power. It will take me three years to accumulate enough power to send you there." The witcher ancestor was annoyed with Darren''s impatience.


    "Uh..." Darren realized that it had been inappropriate for him to be so eager. So, he nodded awkwardly.


    "In my space, spiritual energy cannot fluctuate. You can''t use the spiritual energy liquid you have brought here, either. You can leave now. I don''t care whether you cultivate or find another way to pass these three years. I''ll call you when I''m ready."


    "Yes, sir," Darren said as he bowed reverently.


    Then the witcher ancestor waved his hand, and a force carried Darren out.

 Chapter 1063 The Bad News

    Upon returning to the surface of the River of Forgetfulness, Darren flew alongside the river.


    There was a powerful force ahead of him that shook the river. He could see how the river was on the verge of collapsing from the attacks on its restrictions.


    Darren flew over and saw the dark aura around Barnes. The monkey had pushed his strength to the limit.


    Ahead, Barnes was struggling to get through the fourth layer of restriction.


    Soon, he fell to the ground with his stick in hand. It was evident that he was getting frustrated. "Alright. I give up," he said.


    "What''s wrong?" Darren was smiling when he asked.


    "This restriction is too powerful. I can''t seem to break it no matter what I do."


    The River of Forgetfulness had eighteen layers of restriction. Darren had discovered that the immortal was beyond the twelfth layer, which meant she was even more powerful than Barnes. After all, he couldn''t even get pass the fourth layer.


    Now, Darren''s strength had grown considerably the past years. But even if he used all his strength, he could break through the fourth layer at most.


    Knowing this, he spread his spiritual sense to search for any signs of the ancient senior holy warriors.


    "Why are there a hundred thousand senior holy warriors from the ancient times preserved here?" Darren muttered.


    "What senior holy warriors? Those aren''t just senior holy warriors. You can see how they have been sealed so securely," Barnes pointed out.


    Darren unleashed his spiritual sense again. It was then that he detected something unusual.


    The stone-like figures at the bottom of the river had some strange rule powers suppressing them.


    "Are they all half-step emperors?" Darren was surprised by this revelation.


    "In the ancient times, most were tribulation holy warriors. They shouldn''t be at the level of half-step emperors," Barnes explained, yawning.


    "So what kind of realm do you think they are in?" Darren asked.


    "They''re at least at the peak of a six-tribulation senior holy warrior. Some may even be seven-tribulation senior holy warriors." Barnes then soared up in the air. His deep, dark eyes swept far and wide.


    Darren frowned and remained silent.


    "They sound dangerous enough to become a threat to humanity if ever they get out of t


    ht flashed in his body.


    "Why would she choose to work with the Inner Fiend? She''s already too powerful. It''s unreasonable. Where did you even get this news? You are clearly lying to me!"


    Barnes glared at him accusingly. They were in the River of Forgetfulness after all. How could Darren know her whereabouts when he himself couldn''t?


    It didn''t even make sense that she would ally herself with the Inner Fiend.


    "Believe it or not, it''s my wife who told me this." Darren had no choice but to push through with his lie.


    Barnes was stunned by his friend''s determination. It made him hesitate. He had heard of Elsa and how she was assimilated by that immortal.


    He knew Darren wouldn''t just mention her if he wasn''t telling the truth.


    "My wife is inside the immortal''s body, so she''s a reliable source," Darren continued to lie.


    "Bullshit! I don''t believe it! How can the Inner Fiend have such powerful ally?


    He has nothing to offer to her," Barnes roared.


    "You''re being obtuse. If you''re an immortal, are you willing to have an eight-tribulation senior holy warrior as your salve?"


    Darren had made it clear that the two had gotten into an arrangement. The Inner Fiend would consider her as his master if she would help him assimilate Barnes. This would turn him into an eight-tribulation senior holy warrior, and she would have a very powerful slave in her hands.


    "Argh!"


    Barnes bared his sharp teeth making him look even more ferocious.


    "Damn it, damn it!" Finally, he believed Darren.

 Chapter 1064 Powerful Words

    It was terrible news for Barnes.


    He was surely shaken by it, but he also didn''t know what to do next.


    "What do you think I should do?" Barnes turned to Darren.


    "The only thing you can do now is find the Inner Fiend and kill him or assimilate him. This is the only way you can have a chance of survival," said Darren, firmly.


    "You''re right. I must kill the Inner Fiend!" Barnes was now frantic. His mind was scattered and he couldn''t focus. All he wanted to do now was to find the Inner Fiend and never let him escape!


    "Go with me, Darren. Come on. Help me out," said Barnes, in exaggerated pity.


    "Gosh Barnes, I''m too weak to help you." Darren felt relieved that he hadn''t shown his true strength to the Barnes.


    "Damn it! Tsk!"


    Barnes had gone from frantic to purely irritated. He knew what he had to do but he was worried about going about it all alone.


    "I''ll just have to do my best, then," sighed Barnes. He trudged away in a mild tantrum.


    He had no choice but to leave by himself.


    After Barnes left, the Water Kylin was confused. He knew that Darren was lying, since the Inner Fiend had already been suppressed.


    "Master, you lied to him. Could it be, that you found a treasure and you just don''t want to share it with him?" The Water Kylin smiled greedily as he drooled at the thought.


    "What? There''s no treasure! A crisis is coming!"


    "What crisis?" said the Water Kylin in shock. It was a quick turn of events.


    "It''s hard to explain right now. Wait for me here, and I''ll tell you about it as soon as I get back."


    Darren immediately sent a message to the witcher ancestor, asking him to transfer him to the river at the thirteenth layer of restriction.


    A stream of Witcher Power began to wrap around Darren and lift him up. He felt his body slowly lighten as he felt more and more floaty. He looked at his arms and his body and noticed he had become transparent as well.


    Darren proceeded to trudge on. The restrictions were of no hindrance to him at all, because of the state he was in now. He kept going until he reached the thirteenth layer.


    When he tried to access the fourteenth layer, he found that he could go no further. He supposed that was the limit of the Witcher Power bestowed on him.


    Darren sank into the bottom of the River of Forgetfulness and looked for the cave that the witcher ancestor had mentioned.


    He used his powerful spiritual sense, and in no time, found the cave and entered it.


    The interior was damp and terribly cold. An eerie darkness matched the chill of the air.


    Darren was lucky he possesse


    mpare with the witcher ancestor''s.


    "When those words attacked you, did you find anything special?" Darren asked.


    "I was on the verge of death! There was no time to notice anything special. How would I have done that?" Finley smiled bitterly. He couldn''t believe Darren was asking him this after seeing what just happened to him.


    "Finley, then please try again. I''m on the verge of a breakthrough with our predicament."


    "Ah, I''m so poor," whined Finley. ''It''s a matter of great importance, so I guess have to go all out, '' he thought.


    He stood up and forcibly gathered all his Spirit Power. This time, he chose not to charge it forward, but slowly covered the stone tablet as if his power was running water.


    He decided to be sneaky, as not to cause the characters on the stone tablet to turn violent again.


    It turned out to be very effective.


    With great care, he slowly tried to infuse the Spirit Power into the stone tablet.


    Finley entered a very calm state while he did this. Darren decided not to disturb him through it.


    "Oh, I get it now."


    After a while, Finley withdrew the Spirit Power, with his face beaming with joy.


    "What have you found?" Darren asked excitedly.


    "It turns out I should have been gentle with it. When I initiated my Spirit Power slowly, I was surprised to find the subtle traces on the tablet. These words are really very powerful. I witnessed a scene in which the immortal forced her soul to attack and returned with grave injuries," Finley said. He began to talk very quickly and got engrossed into his own story-telling.


    "Get to the point!"


    Darren slapped Finley square in the face to snap him out of it.


    "Oh, I seem to be rambling," chuckled Finley.

 Chapter 1065 Crisis Star

    "What''s inside the stone tablet?


    What did you see? Tell me," Darren urged.


    "It''s hell in there. I saw a bronze coffin floating inside," Finley answered under his breath. This was what he saw.


    "Is that all?"


    "Yes."


    Darren looked thoughtful for a while. His attention was piqued by the mention of a bronze coffin.


    "I think I understand."


    He reckoned that there was a connection between the World Essence and the bronze coffin.


    Many years ago, he had entered a mysterious bronze coffin. Later on, Chandler had told him that the bronze coffin was actually the Upper Spiritual World.


    This must mean that the World Essence was in the Upper Spiritual World.


    Relief came over to Darren upon this realization. The location of this bronze coffin must be very hard to find even for the immortal.


    There was only one person left who should know about its location. It was the witcher ancestor.


    After all, it was the witcher ancestor and Hiram the Great who had divided the Lothlann Continent into three worlds.


    "Finley, go back to the Ancient Void Battlefield. Make sure that the Inner Fiend remains suppressed."


    "Okay. Just call me if you need any help."


    With that, Finley returned to the Ancient Void Battlefield while Darren flew off.


    Upon reaching the River of Forgetfulness, he immediately sent out a message to the witcher ancestor.


    "Sir, the secret of the stone tablet has been revealed."


    "Really?" The witcher ancestor then appeared in front of Darren.


    "It was one of my friends who had discovered the secret. It couldn''t be broken by force, but the Spirit Power could seep through it," Darren explained briefly.


    "So that''s how it is."


    The witcher ancestor''s withered face twitched. He tried getting his hands on the stone tablet''s secret many times before. Each time, he failed. Even when he was at his peak, he acquired some injuries over time.


    "The simpler the object is, the more confusing it is," the witcher ancestor sighed in resignation.


    "That''s right. The stronger you get, the more dependent you become on it." Darren offered him a smile.


    "Never mind. Let''s just move on. So, where is the World Essence?" the witcher ancestor asked.


    "Strangely enough, my friend saw a bronze coffin floating in lava. I think the World Essence is inside that coffin," Darren repli


    in, you will have more chances of passing through the Godly City. It''s only by reaching the peak of a holy emperor that you can compete with the top figures of the world."


    These words confused Darren. "Shouldn''t I be focusing on suppressing the first fiend ancestor? Why are you talking about me fighting the top figures in the world?"


    At that moment, the witcher ancestor''s expression changed. He seemed to have slipped something he shouldn''t have said.


    "Well, I''ve mentioned this before. The first fiend ancestor isn''t the only one who covets the World Essence. You''ll find this out soon. I just hope that you''ll be ready by then."


    Then he turned around and looked at the sky.


    "Darren, look at that bright star over there." He pointed his finger to the void.


    Darren''s eyes followed the direction of the witcher''s finger and saw the star.


    "It doesn''t look special," Darren said honestly.


    "Look carefully. Use your soul to observe," the witcher ancestor urged.


    Darren looked at the star again. This time, he used his soul power. Doing so had made the star burn brighter. It was as if it could overshadow everything even the sun.


    "Oh my God! What kind of star is that?" Darren quickly withdrew his soul power.


    "That''s the Crisis Star. There are four more stars like it. When all five of them are shining, you''ll know that the time has come." With that, his figure slowly began to fade.


    "This one plus four other stars in the darkness? So that''s five of them." The warning reverberated inside Darren''s head. It terrified him.

 Chapter 1066 Back Home

    The five Crisis Stars represented the five figures who possessed the power to destroy the world. As only one had lit up, it meant that the other four were still dormant.


    Which of the five had awoken? Darren''s curiosity had been piqued, and he would have liked to question the witcher ancestor about the identity of the person represented by the Crisis Star. However, as the witcher ancestor had left, Darren''s query remained unanswered.


    "Let''s go back, Water Kylin!"


    Darren called before he turned and flew away.


    Once they returned to the continent, Darren did not seek the Sacred Palace.


    "Master, where are we going?" the Water Kylin asked as he followed Darren.


    "Home," Darren answered calmly.


    "Are we going to visit the Chu Clan in the ordinary land?" the Water Kylin asked. His eyes widened with surprise as Darren hadn''t seen his family in a while.


    "Yes. I encountered the bronze coffin in a mountain range when I was young. I want to check it," Darren explained.


    "Well, that''s a good idea. Since the fiend is hiding, and the immortal can''t find the bronze coffin, we have time." The Water Kylin nodded.


    They flew at their maximum speed.


    Soon, they reached the edge of the Medium Spiritual World and crossed into the land that used to belong to the Bottom Spiritual World.


    The landscape immediately changed to vast green mountains, blue skies, and white clouds.


    Although the Bottom Spiritual World had sparse spiritual energy, Darren felt revitalized as the air was fresh.


    "By the way, when are you going to see Scott?"


    The Water Kylin was still worried about Scott. He didn''t know whether he would succeed or not.


    "Let''s discuss it later. Right now, as my strength is insufficient, I won''t be of much help to him even if I go." As Darren had something important to deal with, he couldn''t focus on Scott.


    "All right."


    Darren and the Water Kylin glanced at the earth below them as they flew in the sky.


    "That''s Valmar." Darren excitedly pointed at a piece of land below.


    "Master, will the Chu Clan be frightened when they learn of your strength?" The Water Kylin grinned as he imagined the shock and astonishment Darren''s family would feel.


    "Ha-ha." Darren smiled faintly. "Remember to restrain your aura. I won''t be happy if you scare the kids of my clan.


    By the way, since I don''t visit frequently, I will need your help locating some of my old friends. As I''ve been running around all these years, I haven''t had the time to contact the


    ul spiritual sense to search every living creature in Doriath.


    Darren''s nervousness and anxiety settled, albeit by a fraction, when he learned that the members of the Chu Clan were inside a big cave in the Barren Wasteland.


    "Stop! Who are you?"


    Two young men stopped him as soon as they spotted Darren approaching the entrance of the cave.


    "A member of the Chu Clan." Darren smiled as he studied the two young men. "Not bad. You are at the middle stage of the Wonder Realm."


    The two young men panicked when they realized that this stranger had sensed their cultivation base.


    "Inform the grand ancestor."


    A moment later, a grey-haired old man stepped out of the cave


    When he saw Darren''s figure, his lips trembled, and he was too stunned to speak.


    "Uncle Reed." The smile on Darren''s face grew as he greeted.


    "You have returned!" Reed''s tear-filled eyes searched Darren''s face for a while. With every passing moment, the fear that he was imagining, lessened. Finally, his voice trembled as he said, "You''re really back."


    Tears spilled down his cheeks as he repeated those words.


    "Uncle Reed, you''re getting old." Darren was slightly sorrowful.


    Reed nodded. After a brief moment of silence, he instructed, "Inform the elders that Darren has returned."


    "What? He is Darren?" The two young men were astounded.


    Reed hit one of the young men on the head and said, "What did you say? Call him ancestor!"


    "Ancestor? Why? He looks younger than me. Why should I call him ancestor?"


    "You have no manners! Leave now!" Reed laughed.


    "Come on in, Darren." Reed''s face filled with joy as he stepped forward and held Darren''s hand.

 Chapter 1067 Brothers Reunion

    Suddenly, blazing lights lit up the walls of the huge cave underground. The space that Chu Clan had carved out was ten times larger than the Chu Clan''s house in the city.


    There were now more than a hundred of their elders gathered in the area.


    "It''s good to see you back."


    "Welcome back, my child."


    "Darren, welcome back."


    Every one of them seemed happy to see Darren again.


    "Oh, Uncle Reed, why did you move to the Barren Wasteland? Did something happen?" Darren asked after their greetings.


    "There is nobody in the whole of Doriath who dares threaten the Chu Clan. You left us with a lot of resources, so that we can cultivate our young talents. In fact, there are those who are at the supreme stage of the Wonder Realm among the younger generation!"


    "Is that so? Why did you move here, then?" Darren sounded skeptical by his uncle''s response.


    "Alas. We know that you work for the human race, and that you will have many enemies. We hide in this mountain in case one of your enemies come to us one day and take us as hostages. We don''t want to be a burden to you when that time comes, so we made ourselves difficult to locate."


    Darren burst into laughter.


    "Uncle Reed, you worry too much. There are law enforcers from the Sacred Palace who guard the ordinary land. No one would dare do anything wrong. And anyway, my enemies are all powerful. In fact, they are as strong as holy emperors. They wouldn''t resort to lowly moves such as that. I think it''s alright for the whole clan to go back."


    Looking back on it, Darren never really had the time to tell them about his enemies. It would be useless, anyway, to hide even hundreds of kilometers underground. His enemies could surely track down the entire Chu Clan if they wanted.


    Nonetheless, Darren was moved by the clan''s thoughtfulness of his situation.


    "I think we better stay here. We''re all used to it anyway. Also, it''s not really a big deal. We actually find it better to live in seclusion," Reed said reassuringly.


    "I see. I guess that''s true." Darren smiled and moved on from the topic. "Uncle Reed, what shall we eat tonight?"


    "We''ll be having roast meat with various kinds of herbs. I''m sure you''ll like it." Reed then turned to the rest of the clan. "Prepare the banquet! Don''t forget to take out three thousand jars of good wine from the cellar. Today is a special day for we are welcoming Darren. He


    unny enough, not everyone seemed to catch on to Darren''s answer immediately. They didn''t realize that he was talking about the Emperor Realm. This meant he was almost equivalent to Hiram the Great! He was like a god to them now!


    "That''s awesome!"


    "Terrific!"


    "So what if you''re that strong now? That doesn''t mean we won''t kick your butt for disappearing on us for years!"


    "Ha-ha."


    Everyone rushed towards him to offer their congratulations. Their bodies pressed up against him as they all began to piled up on top of him.


    A warm sense of fondness washed over Darren at this action.


    True friends wouldn''t care about his strength. There were no envy or bitterness between them. It was easy being with them regardless of how strong he was or they were.


    They really were his true friends!


    At this point, everyone was a little drunk. After all, they had been drinking for almost a month.


    "It''s strange. The Water Kylin hasn''t come back yet."


    Indeed, nobody had seen the Water Kylin for the entire month.


    "Water Kylin, where are you now? Where are Mathew and Hanson?"


    Amid the confusion, Darren spread out his spiritual sense to search for Water Kylin.


    It took him a long time to withdraw his spiritual sense, but there was no response.


    Three days passed, and yet there were still no signs of the Water Kylin. Darren was beginning to get worried.


    "Could it be he hasn''t come home because of a female kylin?" Darren murmured.


    "No, there must be something wrong." Unease sat like a heavy stone at the bottom of Darren''s stomach. He had a bad feeling about this.

 Chapter 1068 A Trace Of The Immortal

    The feast continued, but Darren was becoming more and more restless.


    A month had already passed since the Water Kylin''s last appearance. Something must have happened to him. Otherwise, he would have replied to his messages.


    "Everyone, excuse me for a moment. There''s something I have to deal with first."


    "What could be more important than drinking with us?" someone teased.


    "I need to check out why the Water Kylin hasn''t returned yet."


    "Of course. That''s a serious matter indeed. Where did the Water Kylin go after he informed us of your return?"


    "You guys go ahead and drink. I''ll just look for him," Darren said.


    "Alright. Let us know if you need any help," Chad offered.


    Darren nodded and flew out of the area.


    He spread his spiritual sense as far as it could go. It enveloped the Bottom Spiritual World completely, but he still couldn''t find the Water Kylin.


    "Could he be out of the Bottom Spiritual World?" Darren murmured to himself.


    He continued with his search until he came upon something suspicious at the Barren Wasteland. He landed on a clearing in the woods.


    There were golden hair scattered all over the ground.


    There was a familiar aura hanging in the air. It was the Water Kylin''s.


    ''Something bad has happened to him.'' As this thought crossed his mind, Darren frowned. The Water Kylin''s strength was almost within the Emperor Realm. Who could have that much power to pose as a threat to the Water Kylin?


    For a while, Darren was submerged deeply in his thoughts before he came up with a conclusion. Of course, with the Water Kylin''s power, only the immortal could do such thing. But it still didn''t add up the fact that there weren''t any signs of struggle in here.


    ''She''s here! She''s here!''


    With no other lead, Darren followed the Water Kylin''s aura until he came upon a valley.


    He had been here before. This was the place where he came upon the bronze coffin many years ago. At that time, there were low-level fiends roaming the area with the intent of killing any humans they encountered.


    Walking up to a stone wall, he paused for a moment.


    There was a cave engraved on the stone wall. It was where he had hidden himself from the fiends. They couldn''t get him from there because the place had a rule power restriction on it.


    ''Why would the immortal come here? Why did she kidnap the Water Kylin?''


    As these questions ran inside his head, he carefully observed the wall. The Water Kylin''s aura went beyond


    ty million kilometers away.''


    Indeed, it was strange to find a hint of spiritual energy in a dead zone like this. He had to follow this energy and see where it was coming from.


    After flying for ten days, Darren felt that the spiritual energy became more and more powerful.


    "It''s not spiritual energy. It''s the immortal''s aura!"


    He felt his heart stutter at the realization.


    With all his might, he flew.


    After flying for over a million kilometers, he was suddenly jarred by a strong impact.


    ''There''s a battle going on!''


    There was a wave of power surging in the air. He could sense a dozen people fighting three million kilometers away from him.


    He hid his aura and continued to fly.


    As he got closer, there were a series of explosions in the air.


    The whole area seemed to vibrate with it.


    Brilliant lights burst every now and then.


    He could sense ten strong human warriors in the area. They were all wearing golden armors and holding spears. At the center of them, there was an exceedingly beautiful woman.


    ''That is...''


    Darren was surprised to see powerful beings in this place who dared fight against the immortal.


    The warriors in golden armor looked familiar to Darren. It was as if he had seen them somewhere before.


    Skimming through his memories, he finally realized their identity.


    He had seen men like them back in the Raksa Sea. It was where he fought the ancient senior holy warrior with a fake Shura Force. In the end, a man in golden armor came over from the sky to take the ancient senior holy warrior away.


    That man claimed himself a Golden Law Enforcer, and he came from the bronze coffin.

 Chapter 1069 Location Exposed

    The ten Golden Law Enforcers attacked the immortal. Darren kept himself hidden, observing what was going on around him.


    Ten golden spears flew towards the immortal. Darren was shocked at how strong the impact of the attacks was.


    These Golden Law Enforcers were already high up the Emperor Realm!


    When he was in the Raksa Sea, the law enforcer was not as strong as what he was seeing. It turned out that he was holding back.


    Darren was surprised that the human race had such powerful warriors.


    The immortal''s body emanated a soft, green light, forming a protective shield around her. The joint attack of the ten Golden Law Enforcers failed to break her defense!


    She paused for a moment before lifting up her palm and pushing the air in front of her.


    Boom!


    A powerful force tore the void apart. The space filled with cracks.


    The two Golden Law Enforcers who were closest to her got hit and they were hurled backwards at an alarming speed.


    "Oh, no!"


    Darren wiped the sweat off his forehead. The men were surely injured, or worse, dead!


    However, Darren was astonished when he saw that the two Golden Law Enforcers seemed to be unaffected. They returned back to the fight.


    "What''s going on?"


    Darren observed carefully. He discovered that it was their golden armor that helped them resist most of the immortal''s attacks.


    "That''s amazing!" Darren was awed and relieved at the same time.


    "Golden Killing Strike!"


    The ten law enforcers gathered together, bringing forth an explosive power.


    They fused together all of their golden spears, creating a sharp, dark golden spear that vibrated with holy power.


    All ten law enforcers flew towards the spear and they blew on it. The spear began to glow.


    The power of the law enforcers were transferred into the spear.


    Whoosh!


    The dark golden spear pierced through the air and rushed straight towards the head of the immortal.


    Clang!


    During the first time, the dark golden spear recoiled and spiraled in the


    reat caution with every attack. This confused him.


    "No!"


    Suddenly, Darren realized something.


    "Is the immortal stealing their memories?"


    The ten law enforcers were from the bronze coffin. Darren knew that the goal of the immortal was to find the bronze coffin. That was the only way for her to get the information.


    Although the immortal''s current strength was limited to the primary stage of the Super Emperor Realm, her Spirit Power was incredible! She would definitely be able to steal memories if she wanted to.


    "She''s stalling! She just wants to know where the coffin is!"


    Darren was alarmed. He wanted to warn the law enforcers.


    But what would they be able to do? The law enforcers would not choose to escape. Even if they did, they still would be chased down by the immortal, who was much faster than them.


    "The North Pole; Thousand-star Chaotic Array; Nine Celestial Positions; In-between the Seventh and Eighth Constellations..."


    the immortal murmured.


    "No way!"


    The ten law enforcers were aghast.


    "She found the location of the bronze coffin!"


    "We''re doomed. She was able to read our memories."


    "Everyone, preserve yourselves!"


    The ten law enforcers panicked. The bronze coffin was extremely important. If the immortal was able to find it, they would surely be sinners of history!

 Chapter 1070 Hiram The Great Is Summoned

    A gray mist crept up on the ten law enforcers simultaneously until they were out of sight. Slowly, a death aura then began to emanate from them.


    When Darren checked them again, he found that they were marked for death. Their bodies seemed to be made of metal.


    Once they passed, the immortal could no longer take their memories.


    Sensing this, the immortal burst into anger. She was terribly disappointed in the ten law enforcers.


    "Ah!" she screamed.


    She flashed over where they were and smacked the ten law enforcers more than ten thousand times over.


    The ten bodies were sent flying from the sheer force of the immortal. In a frenzy, the immortal used her full strength to shatter the golden armor that the enforcers were wearing.


    "No, this is not good." Darren''s heart skipped a beat. "She''s going to kill them."


    She had already stolen ninety percent of their memories, and was perfectly capable of finding the location of the bronze coffin with the information she gathered. The ten law enforcers were as good as useless to her by now.


    ''I wonder if I should help them or not?'' thought Darren, with slight hesitation.


    He stopped to think about it for a while. Darren eventually decided it would be best to stay put.


    Even if he helped the ten law enforcers, their doomed fate was inescapable. Besides that, if Darren went out, he would surely die as well.


    It seemed wiser to stay alert and follow the immortal in secret. If he tailed her, he''d find the bronze coffin, and whoever entered the coffin first would obtain the World Essence.


    "Emperor! Descend!"


    Ten cold voices spoke menacingly from the side of the battlefield, shaking Darren out from deep thought.


    The space began to violently rumble.


    The void collapsed, and a blinding cyan light enveloped the ten law enforcers.


    Cracking noises rang through the space as


    the rumbling continued within a hundred thousand kilometers.


    The immortal, feeling the violent power, stepped back.


    She stared dead ahead with her beautiful and icy eyes. The cold cyan light complimented her eyes as it danced in her terrifying gaze.


    "Back off now! Or I''ll kill you!"


    The deafening roar of thunder reverberated throughout the whole world.


    From the light, a slender young man appeared. He donned dazzling cyan armor and wielded a halberd with dragon patterns. An air of nobility emanated from him.


    "Hiram the Great!"


    Darren gasped as he saw the figure. He sensed the same aura that he felt from Hiram''


    emnant of his soul that was able to burst out his power.


    Of course, this was only Darren''s intelligent guess.


    "Let''s go!"


    The ten law enforcers were seriously injured, but still alive. Since they were unable to defeat the immortal even after summoning Hiram the Great, they chose to retreat and live to fight another day.


    In a heartbeat, the ten law enforcers fled in ten different directions.


    Darren''s heart wrenched. Escape was impossible now. He felt that the ten law enforcers fled in futile.


    But the next moment, Darren was stunned. The immortal still stood motionless in the air. She didn''t chase after them in any way.


    Darren swiftly went back into hiding and observed the situation. After the ten law enforcers had disappeared, the immortal started to move again.


    She tried to step forward, but her steps were extremely unstable as she trembled. After just less than a kilometer, her charming figure left a green imprint of light in the air. She was falling!


    Darren suddenly realized that the battle did not leave the immortal unharmed. She was only holding a strong front, and it seemed that she was actually badly injured!


    The only thing that could make an immortal fall from the void was being on the verge of death!


    Whoosh!


    Darren didn''t hesitate. He transformed into a purple light and rushed in the direction of the immortal.


    After travelling in the space turbulent flows for only an hour, Darren finally got a clear glimpse of the immortal.


    Darren''s heart began to beat out of his chest.


    For so many years, he had hoped he could slay the immortal and save Elsa. He never expected that day would come like this!

 Chapter 1071 Human Beings Are Complicated

    Darren still remembered the time when the immortal emerged from that mysterious cave. She assimilated Elsa and Denise instantly.


    At that time, Darren felt like his heart was being cut open by a knife. He could do nothing but watch as his wife was assimilated by the immortal. He could never forget that feeling.


    Darren''s hatred for the immortal persisted over the years. However, no matter how talented he was, he couldn''t possess the power to kill an immortal.


    But now, he finally had his chance. Darren''s strength was comparable to that of a holy emperor''s. If he could not go up against the immortal now, he would never be able to do so.


    Whoosh!


    Darren''s figure rushed towards the immortal in an instant.


    A cold spiritual sense swept over and the immortal immediately sensed Darren''s arrival.


    The strong spiritual sense hit Darren''s soul.


    "Humph!"


    Darren felt the excruciating pain in his soul, but how could he give up? He needed to give his very best to defeat the immortal, once and for all.


    Darren used all his strength to fly. He was a few hundred feet away from the immortal.


    When the immortal felt Darren''s dangerous killing intent, she struggled to increase her speed of falling.


    The immortal prevented Darren from coming any closer to her using her strong spiritual sense. Darren continued to press on.


    "You can''t run away! You need to pay for what you did to my wife!"


    His hatred for the immortal grew stronger and stronger.


    "Kill!"


    Darren''s blade and sword intents shot at the immortal.


    Shoop, Shoop, Shoop.


    The blade and sword intents fell on the immortal''s body, and green lights began to swirl around her. The green lights served as the immortal''s protective shield. The shield was powerful enough to withstand Darren''s blade and sword intents.


    "Damn it!"


    Darren shouted indignantly.


    "Argh!"


    Darren screamed like a crazy beast.


    He seemed to lose his sanity. He went berserk and he moved even faster.


    His soul ached more and more as he


    w!"


    Darren calmed down. "I can''t kill you. You can''t die."


    "No, but we will both die if we fall into the sea."


    Hearing this, Darren quickly channeled his spiritual sense downwards.


    A ferocious ocean lay below them. If they fell in, the waves would devour them both.


    "What is this sea called? Will you die if you fall in?"


    "It''s the Sea of Nothingness. It can dissolve everything."


    "That''s all right." Darren smiled.


    The immortal looked at Darren with a cold and complex expression. Once again, Darren confused her.


    "What do you mean?" the immortal asked.


    "Let''s die together. I can''t save Elsa anyway. If I die, I won''t be in pain anymore! Don''t you understand?" Darren sneered.


    The immortal was dumbfounded at Darren''s words. Why would he choose to die? This defied all logic. He had no reason to do that!


    "Why can''t you live without her?"


    the immortal finally spat out. It had been weighing on her mind for quite some time.


    "You don''t understand. You will never understand. You have no real feelings, and you have no heart!" Darren said coldly.


    "Heartless," the immortal whispered. "Human emotions are worthless. What can they do?"


    "Then tell me, why should you exist? Do heartless beings deserve to live?"


    Darren''s question silenced the immortal, who thought very deeply about his question.

 Chapter 1072 The Blood-sharing Contract

    The immortal was dumbfounded by the question.


    It made her ponder on the meaning and value of her own existence.


    "The reason of my existence is that I aim to become stronger and eventually return to the Primitive Wilderness," the immortal answered adamantly, after giving it some thought.


    "Hah! And then what? So what if you get stronger and return to the Primitive Wilderness? What happens after that?" Darren said harshly.


    The immortal shook her head. She thought she had found the answer, but Darren''s follow-up questions only baffled her even more.


    "Well according to what you just said, your life is just as meaningless as mine," the immortal argued defensively.


    "Nice try, but I''m different from you. I miss the love of my life day and night. I have someone to protect. That''s the meaning of my life," said Darren softly. His eyes glimmered with a bittersweet happiness as he spoke.


    Darren''s words made the immortal''s heart wrench. From the way he spoke, she could see that he was speaking an irrefutable truth. It was a message from the heart.


    The immortal''s beautiful eyes gazed at Darren in a mix of envy and inspiration. She suddenly felt that this creature in front of her truly lived his life to the fullest.


    Jealousy was an emotion that was alien to her. It made her heart feel heavy and she felt strange from the newfound feeling.


    "Make me stop falling, please."


    Five hundred thousand kilometers below them was the Sea of Nothingness. Even if a being such as the immortal fell into it, like all, she would turn into nothingness.


    By now, the immortal was already seriously injured. After being chased down by Darren, she had used up the rest of her immortal''s power, and could not muster up enough energy to stop her body from falling.


    She knew she had no choice but to count on this human being.


    Darren did not respond, so she choked down her pride and muttered again, "Save me. In exchange, I''ll be your wife."


    Darren was stunned and a bit embarrassed by the offer.


    Was this still the cold and heartless immortal he was talking to? How could she say something like that?!


    "Are you crazy? Just to save your life, you''d say something like that? You''ve gone insane!" Darren shook his head.


    "You refuse?" The complexity of this human being was far beyond her imagination, and her judgment. She looked at him in pure confusion. "Huh? Don''t you need a wife? Why did you refuse?"


    The human in front of her had just been talking about his wife or something like that. It made perf


    itation.


    "I will not!" The immortal shook her head. She furrowed her brows as she stared angrily at Darren.


    "I don''t believe you."


    "Fine. I''ll establish a Blood-sharing Contract with you," the immortal said, after thinking for a while.


    Then, her memory of the Blood-sharing Contract was passed to Darren''s mind.


    This kind of contract was almost the same as the Shura Contract Darren had established with the Shura. Moreover, the contract did not require any immortal''s power. Spirit Power and blood essence would do. It was achievable even with the immortal''s current injuries.


    After such a contract was established, the immortal could never have the intent to harm Darren. The contract would rebound on her if ever she tried to harm him. This kind of promise was based on the law, and it was inviolable.


    However, after establishing the Blood-sharing Contract, Darren in turn also had to abide by the contract and couldn''t kill the immortal.


    Darren thought for a while and finally decided to establish the contract. If he didn''t do this, he wouldn''t dare cure the immortal. In the same breath, if the immortal didn''t recover more strength, escape was impossible. Making the contract seemed to be a win-win situation for both of them.


    "Okay, we should establish the contract."


    Only by establishing a contract would Darren treat her injuries. He no longer had to worry that she''d kill him.


    Suddenly, a gust of wind swept over Darren. In his arms, the immortal''s long hair was danced in the air, and a shimmering green light enveloped her. A drop of crimson blood flew from the immortal''s chest and directly into Darren''s.


    The contract was finally established.

 Chapter 1073 The Cunning Immortal

    After the contract had been established, Darren had lost his desire to kill the immortal. He believed that she, too, had the same feeling. They were both in the same boat now.


    "Very well. I shall fill you with spiritual energy, and you should recover as soon as possible."


    Time waited for no one. Darren estimated that he only had half an hour at most before he was about to fall.


    He immediately swallowed the liquefied spiritual energy. He then placed his palm on the immortal''s belly and let the spiritual energy flow into her.


    However, the immortal''s body was vastly different from a normal being''s. Even though his spiritual energy was of high caliber, he couldn''t cure her instantly.


    Waves of spiritual energy surged into her body, transforming into a fainter version of the immortal''s power.


    Half an hour passed, and Darren found themselves falling. Inch by inch, they were both nearing the water''s surface. Their robes touched the waves more and more frequently.


    But before they could fully go down, the immortal''s power streamed out of her body. It pulled them up, inch by inch.


    At this speed, Darren estimated that it would take them at least dozens of years to pull themselves out of this pulling force range!


    He couldn''t wait for that long, so he began transferring more spiritual energy into the immortal''s body.


    One month passed, and half of his spiritual energy liquid was consumed.


    During this time, the immortal hadn''t fully recovered yet. Most of her power was used to resist the pulling force instead of healing her.


    Slowly, they reached the height of three kilometers from the sea surface.


    "I''m afraid you will have to resist the pulling force yourself now. I need to reserve my power,"


    the immortal said.


    "Why?" Darren asked, puzzled.


    "The more immortal''s power I have, the faster I can recover. If we can hold on for a month, I''ll be able to get us out of here once I''m ready."


    Indeed, even if she only recovered twenty percent of her true strength, the pulling force would become insignificant.


    "Okay."


    And anyway, she couldn''t kill Darren now. He had nothing to worry about if he agreed with her.


    "That''s not right."


    After thinking for a while, Darren sighed.


    "You really are strange and


    hat, her strange immortal''s spiritual sense rushed into Darren''s mind. It was made up of runes with complicated structures. Those runes were from the Oath Law, which was more advanced than the Oath Rule.


    She first passed the contract that would bound Darren to never endanger her life.


    He accepted it without hesitation. He pledged his oath silently.


    But as he was making his oath, he felt the strange stone in his head rotating wildly. The runes began to disappear into the stone.


    He felt his heart stuttering against his chest as he watched the strange scene unfold.


    "Done?"


    Darren answered tentatively. But he knew that the contract did not come into effect.


    "Yes."


    To his surprise, the immortal didn''t seem to notice this at all.


    He kept his shock to himself. He could hardly believe that the strange stone inside his head was so magical that it could resist the power of oath!


    The Oath Law was one of the supreme laws!


    "Well then, you better hold up your end of the bargain."


    Now it was time for the immortal to agree to release Elsa''s and Denise''s souls.


    "No way."


    However, the immortal didn''t seem keen on pushing through with the deal.


    Only then did Darren realize that he had been fooled. Since the first contract was made, Darren could not do anything to endanger the immortal''s life even if she didn''t promise to release Elsa and Denise!


    Fortunately, she had no idea that it didn''t come into effect.


    ''Liar! The immortal is too cunning!'' Darren thought.

 Chapter 1074 Youre Fooled

    With the contract made, under no circumstances could Darren threaten her life. The immortal thought she was safe from Darren for the time being.


    However, what she didn''t know was that the contract hadn''t been established yet.


    The strange stone had absorbed the contract and couldn''t take effect on Darren. Even if it worked, Darren could still threaten her. The worst that could happen was death, and Darren had already made his peace with that.


    "Humph! You are so cunning. But don''t forget that I''m not afraid of death at all. We can die together," said Darren.


    Darren''s words were crystal clear. Of course, he was just bluffing.


    The immortal suddenly realized she was being careless.


    "You are too stubborn," the immortal said coldly.


    "So? I have lost my patience. Stop playing games with me," Darren said coldly.


    "I''m ready to make the contract about releasing their souls. Relax your soul now." The immortal had compromised. She could do nothing with this human. She could not understand why he would choose to die for his wife.


    In the immortal''s mind, this was unfathomable.


    A moment later, a rune containing the Oath Law rushed into Darren''s head.


    "Shit!" Darren felt a little nervous. He was worried about what would happen if his law was swallowed by the strange stone again.


    Darren immediately tried to take control of the stone and willed it to stay still with his mind.


    Darren and the immortal spoke out their vows at the same time. The immortal would let out Elsa''s and Denise''s souls at an appropriate time, as Darren asked.


    The strange stone in Darren''s head began to vibrate. A strange and powerful force seemed to devour the rune of law.


    Darren used all of his power to make sure that the stone was under his control. Fortunately, the strange stone belonged to him. The contract was set up.


    Darren felt relief flood through his veins.


    The immortal had already promised to release Elsa and Denise. He would wait until he became a super emperor and then he could ask the witcher ancestor to help him.


    His wish was finally coming true.


    ''


    gather enough strength, he might just be able to survive this.


    Three days later, Darren''s cultivation base had improved by a bit. He felt that he had almost accumulated enough power.


    If he did not move, his lower body would be completely dissolved.


    "Let''s go!"


    Darren gritted his teeth and gathered all his strength.


    He gradually rose from the waters and up into the air.


    It was slow, but it was better than being in the throes of death.


    When he had risen a few kilometers, Darren stopped. His power had been depleted. A balance was reached again.


    "Keep on improving the cultivation base!"


    Darren gritted his teeth and tried again.


    The first burst of power only bought him enough time to cultivate.


    One month, two months¡­


    After five months, Darren reached the peak of a half-step emperor. He had enough strength to continuously fly upwards.


    After flying for a month, the pulling force got weaker. Darren became faster and faster. Finally, he made it high into the sky and was not bound by the pulling force anymore!


    "You will pay for this one day!"


    Darren''s hatred towards the immortal grew even deeper.


    "Damn it! It has been half a year. Has she found the bronze coffin?"


    Only then did Darren realize that his purpose of coming here was to protect the World Essence. If the immortal had already gotten her hands on it, the consequences would be dire.

 Chapter 1075 A Quick Search

    "Ugh!"


    Darren patted his head in regret.


    He secretly blamed himself. He should have made her promise not to destroy the Lothlann Continent when he had the chance half a year ago.


    If such an oath was established, then the Lothlann Continent could have avoided an incredible threat!


    Darren''s mind was zoned in on Elsa at that time, and he had forgotten everything else. With some thinking, Darren realized he couldn''t be entirely blamed for it. His life was in danger, after all. How was he supposed to think about all of that? Also, if he asked for too much on their terms, the immortal might''ve just declined.


    "Forget it. The chance has passed."


    Darren decided not to think about it anymore. There was no use crying over spilled milk. The best choice was to carry on.


    He had to find the immortal''s location as soon as possible. If she had entered the bronze coffin, even more so.


    Inside the bronze coffin, lay a whole world. Even if the immortal had entered, she might not find the World Essence that quickly. Moreover, half a year wasn''t enough for her to recover enough to reach the peak of her power. Entering the bronze coffin would be a difficult feat¡ªeven for her.


    But where should he go look for the coffin?


    Darren cupped his face in his hands and sighed in frustration.


    "If only I could get in touch with the ten Golden Law Enforcers. If I could explain the situation to them, they might let me in."


    Only when the ten Golden Law Enforcers were together could they know the location of the bronze coffin.


    Darren didn''t even know the first place to look for them.


    Darren suddenly recalled the words, "North Pole, Thousand-star Chaotic Array, Nine Celestial Positions, In-between the Seventh and Eighth Constellations..."


    These were the words recited by the immortal after she took the law enforcers'' memories.


    Darren couldn''t understand what she had said back there.


    He couldn''t understand the first phrase "North Pole," because there was no such place in the void.


    But Darren was quick to think of a solution. He recalled a similar description was recorded in the secret array passed on to him by the witcher ancestor.


    The movement of the stars corresponded to some specific terms.


    Darren could pinpoint the exact location after skimming the memory about the secret array!


    It seemed like an impossible feat to search for specific words in the secret array, since this contained billions of words. But in fact, it was easier than attempting to comprehend the secret array as a whole


    eded more than ten days before he reached another star. If he couldn''t detect anything abnormal, he would fly away immediately. This way, he was much faster than the immortal!


    By the tenth star, Darren still hadn''t found any trace of the bronze coffin.


    During this period of time, he encountered two ravaged and destroyed stars¡ªobviously broken by the immortal.


    He decided to carry on with his search. Darren eventually descended on a black withered star. Once again, he immediately triggered the strong fiendish aura.


    "There''s still nothing here,"


    mumbled Darren in disappointment. Just as he was about to leave and move on to the next star, a strange feeling swept over him.


    A cold aura crept over him as a green shadow appeared in the distance. A single step of this being covered a thousand kilometers.


    "Ha." Darren sneered.


    In the blink of an eye, the immortal approached him. Her beautiful eyes were icy and her expression was grim.


    "So, you''re alive," the immortal said coldly.


    "Miss me? Sorry to disappoint you." Darren raised his chin and smirked mockingly.


    The immortal gnashed her teeth and let out an annoyed, "Tsk." She hated his indifferent attitude, but there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn''t kill Darren, nor could she release her killing intent.


    After gazing knives into him for a few moments, she quickly turned around in silence and continued her hunt for the bronze coffin. She knew she had no time to waste; she had to find it first.


    As soon as the immortal left, Darren felt something move. The black pyramid in his elixir field began to spin at an alarmingly high speed, and he felt a sudden sharp pain in his abdomen.

 Chapter 1076 Find The Bronze Coffin

    He felt the change in his elixir field, which indicated that the bronze coffin was likely on this star.


    Darren transformed into dragon and released the fiendish aura after making sure that the immortal had left.


    "Wow!"


    The violent fiendish aura was released and Darren felt pain spread throughout his belly.


    He suppressed the pain and began to look for the bronze coffin.


    Darren kept flying in the direction which made his elixir field ache more. The more pain he felt, the closer he was to the bronze coffin.


    Darren also kept his guard up. The immortal was an extremely cunning creature. Darren was worried that she would secretly follow him.


    After confirming that the immortal was nowhere near him, Darren flew to the star''s extreme west.


    Pink mist shrouded the area, giving the ice and snow a light tinge.


    "Is it down here?"


    Where Darren was, he could feel a very strange rune power. At that moment, the severe pain in his elixir field was unbearable. He transformed back into a human.


    Darren struck the ground with his powerful palm. The earth shook! When the dust settled, a cave tens of thousands of kilometers deep was opened on the ground below him.


    However, there was a layer of blue ice at the bottom of the cave. It was difficult for Darren to penetrate it, and he could sense power emanating from underneath.


    "It''s definitely here!"


    He was certain that this was the way to the bronze coffin.


    Suddenly, the immortal''s aura appeared.


    "What?"


    Darren frowned when he sensed the immortal''s aura.


    Darren jumped into the air and quickly covered the mouth of the cave with snow to conceal the blue ice.


    "I can''t find it," Darren said loudly, feigning disappointment.


    The immortal landed in front of Darren and glanced at him coldly. "You are also looking for the World Essence."


    "You''re wrong. I don''t want to find the World Essence. I just don''t want you to find it."


    "Why not?" The immortal''s voice was devoid of any emotion.


    "You don''t have to ask. The Lothlann Continent is my hometown, and I have family and friends there. How could I possibly let you destroy it?"


    "I


    rren.


    Darren was excited to find the bronze coffin. Once he entered it, he would get closer to finding the World Essence.


    "Argh!"


    Darren heard a piercing cry.


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat. "Damn it! The noise caught her attention!"


    "Howl!"


    After the first howl, another howl came. This one had a different aura¡ªthe Shura aura!


    "He''s here too? The Shura!"


    Darren was surprised. He didn''t expect that the Shura would also be around.


    "Why is he here?"


    Darren could not understand why it was so easy for the Shura to find the place since he and the immortal had such a difficult time getting there.


    "Let me go inside first.


    Argh!"


    His fiendish aura flowed out of his body.


    Darren released all his strength to fight against the suppressing power that came at him.


    Darren was nearly killed by the power.


    Suddenly, the coffin lid popped open with a creak.


    A streak of cyan light enveloped Darren.


    Darren sighed with relief. If he wasn''t able to resist the suppressing power, the bronze coffin would never open because the opening was going to suck Darren in for stronger suppression!


    At this point, Darren didn''t resist. He only absorbed most of the fiendish aura back into his body and let the pulling force drag him in.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Two figures, one clad in green and one clad in red, came down at an extremely fast speed and rushed towards the bronze coffin.

 Chapter 1077 The Shura Is Here

    The two figures rushing towards the coffin were the Shura and the immortal!


    They were not fighting one another. It was obvious that they had reached some agreement.


    They might have agreed to let each other go into the bronze coffin!


    Darren''s figure wasn''t fully dragged into the coffin yet when a dark, red palm grabbed hold of his ankle.


    The immortal approached Darren and grabbed one of his arms.


    The immortal and the Shura would be dragged into the coffin together with Darren!


    This meant trouble. He would never be able to find the World Essence in time because he was much weaker than they were.


    At this critical moment, Darren activated his killing intent.


    But he needed to be smart about this.


    Because he had established a contract with the immortal and the Shura, he would be suppressed by the law once it detected his killing intent.


    At this point, Darren intended to use the law to get rid of both the immortal and the Shura.


    As soon as Darren released his killing intent, an extremely terrifying law force came down from the sky and landed right in front of them.


    "Argh!"


    "Ah!"


    The arrival of this law shocked the immortal and the Shura. They both thought that they had broken the contract and had caused the law to come down and suppress them.


    Whoosh!


    The blade and sword intents rushed out immediately. Darren took the opportunity to cut off his arms and legs and immediately retracted his killing intent.


    Clang!


    In the blink of an eye, Darren entered the bronze coffin. The lid slammed firmly shut.


    Only then did the immortal and the Shura realize that they had been fooled.


    This human was too cunning. He was able to outsmart them both.


    He even cut off his own arms and legs to achieve what he wanted!


    After absorbing Darren, the bronze coffin quickly sank. It was shrouded in the blue ice cocoon once more and became impenetrable.


    The Shura and the immortal punched at the blue ice with all their might and while everything around them began to crumble, the blue ice stayed intact.


    The immortal and the Shura flew upward.


    They glared at each other col


    Shura was very angry about the immortal''s escape, but he needed to find the bronze coffin.


    The whole star exploded because of the clash of powers. Fire rained down around the Shura as he saw that the whole space had been devastated.


    After the shattering of the star, a huge blue ice crystal was suspended in the void, unaffected.


    The bronze coffin lay at the center of the ice crystal. The Shura flew to the blue ice crystal.


    A few moments later, a dark, red ring floated atop his palm. He silently activated the ring, and a low-level fiend fell out of the ring.


    He was well prepared!


    He had known that in order to open the bronze coffin he needed fiendish aura. The immortal even didn''t know this!


    When the fiend landed, it cowered in front of the powerful Shura.


    "Release your power!" The Shura commanded in the fiend''s language.


    "Howl!"


    The fiend bared its teeth and waved its claws. Its skin began to crack and black mucus oozed out of its every pore. It had released all of its fiendish aura!


    Buzz¡­


    The bronze coffin started to quiver, and tiny cracks appeared on the blue ice cocoon.


    Inside the bronze coffin, Darren found himself in a vast grassland.


    There were low tombs everywhere and there were many tall tombstones in the distance.


    "Here I am at last."


    Lying on the ground, Darren tried to heal his broken arms and legs by assimilating the spiritual energy liquid.

 Chapter 1078 The Graveyard Keeper

    Inside the bronze coffin


    Superior spiritual herbs grew abundantly throughout the space, but these were insignificant to Darren now.


    In order to repair his broken arms and legs, Darren had to assimilate the spiritual energy liquid.


    The spiritual energy liquid that Darren collected had almost run out. He needed to use it wisely.


    After a grueling six hours, Darren was able to heal himself.


    He stood up and looked into the distance.


    There was an eternal setting sun in the sky. Many powerful, ancient seniors were buried on this grassland.


    Darren was overcome with a feeling of desolation.


    He slowly walked forward and studied the tombstones. Many of them were engraved with words that he could not recognize.


    "It was a tragic fight in the past, and there were many other races participating."


    Darren was lost in thought for a moment. The first time that he came here, he saw the tomb of Demon King Andrew. At that time, he also obtained a new cultivation method and mastered the demonic transformation skill.


    Darren then decided to express his gratitude to his "master."


    Darren scanned the area in search of the tomb.


    On the tombstone, the name of the Demon King Andrew was engraved, and there was the martial formula of "Nine Changes of the Demon" on it.


    Darren bowed thrice towards the tomb and a faint smile appeared on his face.


    This martial formula was a turning point in his life. If it were not for this cultivation method, he would probably still be trapped inside the bronze coffin. After he learned this martial formula, Darren used the power of demonic transformation skill many times to get him out of sticky situations. He owed his life to it.


    But later, because his demon core transformed into a pyramid filled with both dragon blood aura and demonic internal force, he stopped practicing it.


    Darren looked through the records on the tombstone again and had a new, more profound understanding of the life of the Demon King Andrew.


    He was also a brilliant talent who had opened up the path of demonic cultivation for humans.


    When Darren read the martial formula again, he found that th


    me some?"


    Darren suddenly heard a voice speak.


    He was shocked. There was someone else in the bronze coffin? Darren immediately turned around, but could not see anyone behind him.


    This made Darren more surprised. Other than the law enforcers, there was someone else in the bronze coffin? And he couldn''t detect him!


    "Alas, I''m getting old. I fall to the ground when I walk."


    A moment later, a figure wearing a bamboo hat appeared in the midst of the flowers.


    Darren rolled his eyes. The old man had just fallen down. However, how could he escape his spiritual sense''s detection?


    "Sir, who are you?" Darren asked politely.


    "An old graveyard keeper, who is responsible for guarding the graveyard. I go to the lake to fish when I have nothing better to do. Young man, nobody has visited this graveyard for many years. How were you able to come in?" The old man walked to Darren''s side.


    Darren studied the old man up and down. His face was full of wrinkles and he was so bony that he seemed harmless.


    However, Darren knew better than to be fooled by appearances. Since the man could live in the cemetery, he must have some sort of power.


    "I have come here on the order of the witcher ancestor to protect the World Essence. It''s very important. Could you give me some advice?" Darren asked respectfully.


    "What?"


    The old man was stunned for a while. He didn''t understand what Darren was talking about.

 Chapter 1079 Couldnt Find It

    Darren was speechless for a moment.


    "Sir, I''m here to find the World Essence. It is vital to preserving the human race. Can you help me?" Darren repeated.


    "What are you talking about? I don''t understand."


    The old man stared at Darren in utter confusion.


    Darren explained the situation to the old man, but he still seemed to be at a loss.


    "Sir, when did you come here?" Darren prodded.


    "How should I know? It has been so long!"


    "Sir, you really don''t know who the witcher ancestor or Hiram the Great is?" The old man scratched his head.


    "Well... I know about Hiram the Great. He is buried there. But I have never seen him in person! Which dynasty is it now? Was Hiram the Great really an emperor?" the old man asked.


    Darren''s mouth hung open.


    He was completely speechless. He probed the old man with his spiritual sense and could not find anything threatening about him. The old man was weak and it seemed that he had no cultivation base at all.


    ''Is he really just an ordinary old man?'' Darren wondered. Darren could not believe what was happening.


    "Maybe he is wary of me. I shouldn''t push him too hard. I should try to get on with him for a while," Darren murmured to himself.


    "Alright! I won''t press any longer. But didn''t you just say that you wanted to have a drink? Why don''t we drink together right now?" Darren offered with a smile.


    "Really?" The old man smiled happily. "Is it the sweet smelling wine you poured out a while ago?"


    "Of course. It''s the first time we met. Only good wine can express how great it is to have met you!"


    "Oh! That is fantastic! I haven''t tasted good wine in years. I''m so lucky today! I caught a big fish today. I''ll cook and prepare it for you, and you bring the drink. It''s a feast! Ha!"


    The old man was as giddy as a child.


    "Come with me. Let''s go home and cook,"


    the old man said, leading Darren away from the lake.


    He brought Darren to a thatched hut, which was made up of superior spiritual herbs. The herbs seemed to be too extravagant, even for grand


    y.


    With the help of his spiritual sense, Darren found where the Shura was.


    The slender, blood-red figure landed on the edge of the cemetery. However, his rage surged as if he had been suppressed by a powerful force.


    The Shura raged and the Shura Force painted the whole world scarlet.


    However, after a long while, the Shura still stayed in the same place. It was as if he was glued to the ground.


    "Ho, the power of the bronze coffin is so strong that even the Shura can''t move!"


    Darren was relieved to see that.


    No wonder that witcher ancestor had said that the bronze coffin was a rare divine weapon. With it, the strong cultivator at the Super Emperor Realm could fight with the first fiend ancestor.


    Hiram the Great had been dead for so many years. It was safe to say that the bronze coffin had no owner since then. Even so, it still had the power to suppress the Shura. How powerful it was!


    "If I inherit the bronze coffin, I will be more confident of passing through the ordeals in the Godly City."


    The witcher ancestor had also said that Darren should take the bronze coffin away if he had the chance.


    "Oh my God! What''s that? It''s really freaking me out!"


    While Darren observed, a withered hand clapped him on his back.


    Darren turned around and found the old man staring at the Shura with wide eyes. He, too, was afraid.

 Chapter 1080 The Drunken Old Man

    When the old man showed up, Darren turned around to get a good look at him. He was met with an expression full of fear and shock on the old man''s face.


    ''Is this old man really not a big shot?'' Darren thought.


    "Don''t you have any idea what this is?"


    "How am I supposed to know where the scarlet monster came from?!" Without thinking, the old man stepped back and instinctively hid behind Darren.


    Darren kept silent. After some observation, he concluded that the Shura should be restrained for some time. During this window of opportunity, he should do his best to find the World Essence.


    "Let''s go. Just ignore him,"


    Darren said as he walked towards the lake. The old man wordlessly tailed Darren, shivering.


    In front of Hiram''s tomb, Darren stood contemplatively. He stared into nowhere, deep in thought.


    "Sir, did anyone ask you to relay a message, or any instructions before sending you here?" Darren said as he spun around to face the old man.


    Seeing Darren''s stern face, the old man was lost in thought for a moment before he finally spoke.


    "Now that you mention it, that man did give a few orders to me. But alas, I''m too old to remember what they were."


    "Who was it that asked you to come here? How long have you been here?" Darren asked.


    "Honestly, I can''t remember how long it has been. Though I do remember the man who brought me here. He was a young man, donning some dazzling cyan armor. Yes, he also looked very handsome and well built. There wasn''t a grave when I first arrived here," the old man said.


    "What?"


    Darren''s eyes widened when he realized just how long the old man had been here. Based on what he recounted, the old man had been living in the bronze coffin for millions of years!


    It was baffling. If he possessed an ordinary human body, how could he have lived for millions of years? Even a holy emperor could only live for one million years at most.


    "It''s quite eerie. After I came here, time seems to have stopped. I don''t even know how old I am anymore. I''ve stayed the same," the old man murmured. His voice trailed off as he spoke. It was as if he was falling back into deep thought.


    "No wonder you''re forgetful."


    Darren understood now. Millions of years had passed. Of course the old man couldn''t recall what happened.


    However, it also became clear to Darren that this old man was definitely not an ordinary person. The young man in cyan armor who brought him to this place should be Hiram the Great.


    in thought. Besides that, he would also visit Hiram the Great''s tomb with a downcast look.


    One day, the old man returned to the tomb again as Darren observed.


    "I''m so sorry, buddy. But I can''t control myself anymore. Please forgive me,"


    the old man said to the tomb while cupping his hands. Then he fumbled a few times, leaning on the tombstone.


    A large booming noise shook the surroundings.


    The tombstone suddenly collapsed!


    Darren was taken aback by the scene.


    He hurried out and sneakily rushed over to the side of the tomb.


    As he arrived, he noticed the old man was long gone. He noticed a cave appear in the area where the tombstone collapsed.


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat at the revelation. It turned out that there was an entrance at the tomb of Hiram the Great! This was likely the hiding place for the World Essence!


    But he was confused, why hadn''t the old man told him about this?


    Darren jumped into the cave and planned to scour it.


    It was a shallow cave by Darren''s standards¡ªa mere ten feet away from the ground. A dark passage lay ahead.


    Darren couldn''t feel the old man''s aura at the tunnel''s entrance. He treaded carefully further into the tunnel.


    About two hours later, a light shone in front of him.


    "Who goes there?!"


    An old voice bellowed. The old man frantically ran back and bumped right into Darren.


    "Hey, no worries, it''s me,"


    Darren said calmly.


    "What? How could it be?"


    The old man raised his head and squinted¡ªrecognizing Darren with the help of a faint light.


    "I''ve made a mistake. I''m guilty. I shouldn''t have come here," the old man said in a trembling voice.

 Chapter 1081 Four Coffins

    Darren was surprised. "What are you doing here? Why didn''t you tell me the cave under the tomb?"


    "Stealing is not something to be proud of. How could I tell you?" Like a child who had made a mistake, the old man lowered his head.


    "Stealing?" Darren was confused. "What did you steal?"


    "Wine," the old man blurted out. "It''s also your fault! You didn''t give me some of your wine."


    Darren rolled his eyes.


    "How can you open the tomb?"


    Darren changed a topic. Hiram the Great''s tomb was guarded by the bronze coffin''s strong power. How could the old man open it so easily?


    "It''s very simple. As long as I touch the tombstone, the cave will appear.


    But I swear! I didn''t take anything from here except the wine.


    I already quit drinking. But I didn''t expect your wine to make me crave for alcohol so much!" The old man sighed.


    "So... that means that you used to steal wine from here?" Darren asked with a smile.


    "Ahem." The old man coughed to mask his awkwardness. "I only stole one drop every dozens of years. If it weren''t for that, I wouldn''t have suffered so much.


    Young man, don''t go inside later. Half of the drop of wine I get will be yours. I''m not bluffing when I tell you this! There is some sort of alcohol bug inside the jar. It''s so terrible. If you touch it, you will surely die!" the old man said earnestly.


    "Ha!" Darren chuckled. "I''m strong. I''m not afraid of any bugs."


    "Don''t brag. I nearly died each time! Don''t underestimate me based on my appearance. I can endure a cut from a knife!"


    "Oh, I''d like to go in and have a look," Darren said calmly.


    "You! Forget it. You will know it when you''re bitten," the old man said angrily, shaking his head. He then walked forward carefully.


    Darren followed him for a while. The space in front of him widened. They seemed to be in a house.


    At one corner stood a big, black jar. The old man walked towards it.


    He carefully lifted the


    hadow appeared in front of the four coffins.


    The shadow was clad in cyan armor. His black hair flowed freely, as if being blown by a gentle breeze.


    "Hiram the Great!"


    Darren said excitedly.


    But Darren was confused. Had Hiram the Great been waiting for him?


    "Sorry, sir, do you know who I am?" Darren asked.


    "I don''t know you."


    "Then what did you mean by ''you''ve come''?" Darren asked.


    "People who are able to come here are the ones on the same path as me. I haven''t finished the mission of killing the fiend. The witcher ancestor has handed it over to you, right?"


    "Yes. I need to know where the World Essence is. This is a matter of life and death!" Darren said.


    "I was only formed by a strand of my spiritual sense. I don''t know where the World Essence is."


    The shadow''s answer disappointed Darren. Hiram the Great was extremely cautious. Even the strand of spiritual sense he left behind didn''t know the location of the World Essence.


    "So, why do you keep this spiritual sense?"


    If it was not for the purpose of leaving the clue of the World Essence, why did Hiram the Great build an underground cave in his tomb? Why did he leave his spiritual sense here?


    There were also four Immortal or God Characters lying around. Darren was genuinely confused.

 Chapter 1082 The Test

    Questions rushed through Darren''s mind one after the other.


    "Sir, why did you leave your spiritual sense here? And where did you get those four coffins?" Darren asked directly.


    Hiram the Great kept his gaze fixed at Darren and asked, "Do you know how many great disasters the Lothlann Continent has experienced since the ancient times?"


    Darren had long known the answer. The Lothlann Continent had experienced five stages¡ªduring each of which great catastrophes had taken place.


    "Five," Darren answered, confidently.


    Hiram the Great nodded and said, "Correct. Now, these four coffins have four very powerful devils in them. They have the means to destroy this world."


    "What?!"


    Darren''s eyes grew in surprise. He realized that the four coffins were in fact the exact tools used to suppress the destroyers responsible for the past great catastrophes.


    "The Remote Age, the Ancient Age, the Middle Age, and the Last Age...these four ages ended all because of some powerful creatures from the outer space, but this doesn''t mean we''ve reached the end of this world. During these four ages, shockingly powerful warriors emerged. With might and mettle, they managed to battle the deadly outsiders, and stopped them from destroying the world.


    During the chaotic era that followed the end of the Last Age several million years ago, the evil fiend appeared in this world. I was able to delay this catastrophe with the help of the witcher ancestor and warriors from the various races.


    Now that you''ve come here, the fifth catastrophe of this continent is bound to restart," announced Hiram the Great.


    "The fifth catastrophe is going to restart?"


    Darren noticed the detail in Hiram the Great''s words. He didn''t say he stopped the fifth catastrophe, but that he simply delayed it.


    "That''s correct. Since the combined forces of the witcher ancestor, other masters, and myself were still limited, we weren''t able to slay the intruder. Hence, the fifth great catastrophe still exists. Only once a powerful warrior whose abilities surpass my own is born can we be able to ensure the survival of the human race.


    In order to find out if you are this one powerful warrior, I''ll need to test you," said Hiram the Great.


    "Test me?" Darren was confused, and a little nervous. "By what means exactly?"


    "By trial of life or death!"


    Hiram the Great suddenly bellowed.


    "There are four fake spiritual souls of the four creatures that created the past disasters in this world. The Virtual Battle Space allows you to reach the highest peak of your power in a shor


    the Remote Age owned the Shura Force, too. So it will conflict with his skill. The dragon blood aura and the demonic internal force conflict with the capacity of the destroyer from the fifth catastrophe that was about to come; the Blade and Sword Cultivation also collides with the upcoming fifth catastrophe; the Water and Fire Cultivation is the skill of the Dark Immortal Master."


    Darren''s heart sank. It turned out that his chosen means couldn''t be related to these opponents'' skills.


    Darren didn''t even know until now that the disaster of the Remote Age was caused by the Shura.


    However, the rest of his skills all contradicted with the skills that existed in the upcoming fifth crisis. This all just further confused him. If it was the demonic internal force alone, he knew that it conflicted with the first fiend ancestor''s skill. But what about the dragon blood aura, and the Blade and Sword Cultivation?


    In this world, only Darren was able to cultivate the sword and blade skills at the same time, and up to the half-step emperor realm!


    What about the dragon blood aura? Presently, aside from Darren, Scott was the most powerful warrior to wield the dragon blood aura. Did this mean that the fifth crisis involved Scott as well?


    The mere thought made a cold sweat break out on Darren''s back.


    The fifth crisis was so intricate that it was testing Darren''s ability to comprehend now.


    In addition, the witcher ancestor had mentioned that when the five Crisis Stars all lit up, the battle they''d been waiting for would come.


    But now, only one was lit up. Who and where were the other four?


    Darren was running out of options as all his skills were rejected. For a moment, he was helpless.

 Chapter 1083 Comprehending The Nine Changes Of The Demon

    All skills were rejected. Darren thought about what he should do.


    Darren was forbidden from using any of his most powerful skills. How could he just make up a random cultivation method?


    Darren kept silent and thought it over. He finally came to a decision.


    "I choose to cultivate Void Penetration."


    This cultivation method was left behind by one of the great cultivators from outer space.


    So far, he had only mastered five moves. He had integrated these moves into his sword and blade skills.


    "The cultivation method is from outer space and cannot be used." The guardian of the Virtual Battle Space was familiar with all the cultivation methods. He knew that this one was from outer space.


    Darren was completely speechless. There was no other skill that he could think of.


    "By the way..." After a while, Darren''s eyes lit up. "I choose the Nine Changes of the Demon."


    The Nine Changes of the Demon had great potential, but Darren did not suggest it just now because he thought it was not going to be allowed either.


    "Successful," the guardian announced.


    He finally made it through!


    "Phew!" Darren sighed with relief. "Why doesn''t the Nine Changes of the Demon have any conflict?"


    "This cultivation method was created by the human race and has never been successfully developed. It doesn''t conflict with any destroyer''s skills," the guardian replied.


    "Well, then please make time fly by faster." Now that he had decided what kind of method he wanted, Darren was about to start his cultivation. This was the perfect chance for him to see how powerful the Dark Immortal Master from the Last Age was.


    Buzz.


    The whole space trembled. Colorful lights flew around quickly. A strange feeling swept through Darren''s body. He seemed to be bathing in a river of time. Time seemed to flow quickly.


    Darren calmed himself down and began to practice the Nine Changes of the Demon.


    On the other side of the Virtual Battle Space, the old man crashed to the ground.


    It was more desolate and chaotic than the Remote Age.


    a short time.


    Besides the first fiend ancestor, there were also some other intruders who wanted to destroy the Lothlann Continent. He needed to find the World Essence as soon as possible.


    "Once I create the tenth stage, I may surpass the first fiend ancestor."


    If Darren could reach the tenth stage, he could grasp and cultivate it in future even if he was unable to keep the strength he had gained in this Virtual Battle Space.


    What would the tenth stage be? Darren thought hard.


    "I get it! I should integrate the Augmented Attack Bloodline into the ninth stage!"


    Darren had an idea.


    The Augmented Attack Bloodline Darren possessed could increase his physical strength by a thousand times. In battle, this enhancement wasn''t really useful. Even if his physical power was increased by a thousand times, his fighting capacity would still be limited.


    Darren decided to upgrade his Augmented Attack Bloodline, so that it could enhance his other powers.


    It was not going to be easy. Over the years, many talents had tried and failed.


    It was still extremely difficult for Darren to comprehend the tenth stage.


    But if Darren succeeded, he would have another destruction method.


    "How do I merge the Augmented Attack Bloodline with other means?"


    He didn''t try to merge it with the Nine Changes of the Demon but started on his sword skills.

 Chapter 1084 One Tenth Of The Augmented Attack Rule

    Darren activated his Augmented Attack Bloodline. His physical strength began to increase dramatically. In the process, Darren had been observing the Augmented Attack Bloodline with his soul power. He wanted to know the principle behind the Augmented Attack Bloodline.


    However, because he had separated his rule soul a long time ago, Darren''s Spirit Power was not very strong.


    After studying it for a long time, Darren only found that it had something to do with one kind of rule. But he couldn''t figure out how to obtain or change the rule.


    Whoosh!


    Darren released a streak of sword intent. He tried to cultivate the sword intent with the Augmented Attack Bloodline, but he failed. His sword intent didn''t improve at all.


    "Although my Spirit Power is not strong enough yet, I have enough time. I don''t believe that I can''t see through you after tens of thousands of years have passed!"


    Darren refused to give up. He believed that even if his Spirit Power was not as good as that of his Rule Soul Avatar, he would make some progress over time.


    In the blink of an eye, two months in the outside world had passed.


    But since the guardian had sped up the time here, it was one hundred and sixty thousand years to Darren.


    For a cultivator who was in the Emperor Realm, it was a very long time too.


    During this period, Darren immersed himself in meditation. As time went on, his Spirit Power grew stronger and stronger.


    With over a hundred thousand years of non-stop comprehension, Darren was finally able to figure out solutions.


    One day, Darren awoke and opened his eyes.


    Sword intents sparkled in his eyes.


    Swish! Swish!


    A few streams of sword intent shot out, leaving several holes in the void. They then disappeared.


    ''A one-tenth increase. Very good!''


    Darren was very satisfied with the result. One hundred and sixty thousand years did not go to waste!


    He successfully comprehended the Augmented Attack Rule, which could be used with various skills.


    Although he had made only a tenth of progress in his sword intent, he had accomplished an amazing feat. Acquiring the Augmented Attack Rule was extraordinary!


    ''If one day I really master the Augmented Attack Rule, my strength will know no bounds!''


    Darren was so excited. It was much better


    to Darren.


    "Fusion of Fire and Water Force?"


    Darren was startled. The destructive power was very similar to his Fire and Water Force, but it was also different.


    After thinking carefully, Darren came to a conclusion.


    The destructive power was, of course, from the Dark Immortal Master. He was called an immortal, so he must be a rule cultivator in the Super Emperor Realm. His Fire and Water Force was also skill for rule cultivation.


    The Fire and Water Force that he was able to master might be derived from some kind of rule or fire and water law. Darren''s Water and Fire Force belonged to martial arts cultivation. It was condensed from fire and water crystals. That was where they were different.


    The Fire and Water Cultivation skill could be comprehended by martial artists and also by rule cultivators.


    Todd, the God of Sword kept still under the destructive palm. His black robe fluttered as he transformed into a peerless sword.


    The space in the picture collapsed! The earth was shattered, and the huge palm landed on Todd''s body.


    "Kill the immortal with my sword!"


    Todd roared in anguish. Then, he began to use his intangible sword intent.


    The palm disintegrated, and a man in a black, iron mask tumbled down.


    "No! You have actually broken through the Super Emperor Realm. How is that possible?"


    the man in the black iron mask roared wildly.


    "Do you think I just broke through the Super Emperor Realm?" Todd asked nonchalantly. With that, he and the sword in his hand became one.

 Chapter 1085 Battle With The Dark Immortal Master

    After Todd merged himself with the sword in his hand, the space turned into a space full of sword aura.


    "You want to destroy the Lothlann Continent? I''ll destroy you!"


    The sword flew towards the Dark Immortal Master in a flash!


    The Dark Immortal Master immediately used his Fire and Water Force. It erupted and rained down from the sky, turning into Destructive Force.


    The Destructive Force collided with the divine sword, creating a bright light.


    The light died down and the Dark Immortal Master''s body hung suspended in the air. His head, however, was cut off and had shattered into pieces.


    "Do you still want to revive yourself?"


    The Dark Immortal Master had an Eternal Body. He could easily revive himself once he was killed.


    The sword aura erupted, and countless intangible sword intents swept through every corner of the void. It prevented the Dark Immortal Master''s head from coming back together.


    The Eternal Body was broken by absolute strength!


    The Dark Immortal Master was dead and could not resurrect.


    Darren''s jaw dropped open. Todd was too powerful!


    Even if Darren could transform into the first fiend ancestor, Todd would still be able to kill him.


    "Guardian, what was the realm of Todd?" Darren asked.


    "He was at the peak of the Super Emperor Realm, but his fighting power can compare to that of a genuine god."


    "Wow!" Darren was in awe. He had only heard stories of people possessing such power. Seeing one right in front of him humbled him.


    "Where did he go after that?"


    Darren felt doubt creep into his heart. Todd should still be around at this time, with his strength and power. What had happened?


    "During that battle, too many creatures were killed. Todd was dragged away into the void by some mysterious force where he now lives out his punishment."


    "What? Really?"


    Darren roared.


    Todd had used his own strength to suppress unrest caused by the outsiders, yet he was the one who was imprisoned and punished? This made Darren angry.


    "Don''t think too much about the legend.


    Are you ready to challenge the Dark Immortal Master? Let me remind you, although this is only an imitation of the Dark Immortal Master, it''s as powerful as the real one. If your soul is killed during the figh


    lines of law silk threads, which added to his skill''s power.


    The aura of death was strong throughout the space.


    The immense power quickly engulfed the continent below. The scarlet lava spurted into the sky, and thick smoke billowed to every corner of the Lothlann Continent.


    Anguished cries rang out. Hundreds of millions of creatures were annihilated by this destructive power.


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat at the sight of the creatures getting slaughtered.


    Even if he had power that was comparable to the first fiend ancestor''s, the Dark Immortal Master still began to destroy the world.


    This situation would probably happen during the fifth crisis. If Darren''s strength couldn''t crush his opponent, his opponent would annihilate all of the living creatures on the continent!


    "Argh!"


    Darren let out a cry.


    At this moment, it was as if something erupted in his mind.


    Lines of rule silk threads descended from the sky. These were mysterious and supreme rules.


    "Go to hell!"


    Darren had used the Augmented Attack Rule, and by right, his power should have been consumed and he should not have been able to maintain his transformation into the first fiend ancestor.


    But now, because the rules had descended, Darren''s Augmented Attack Rule had increased. He was able to gain more strength.


    This time, he forcibly used up the fiend power in his body and brought out his claw. His arm broke through the space constraint and shot towards the head of the Dark Immortal Master.

 Chapter 1086 The Shura In Peril

    With the help of the Augmented Attack Rule, Darren gathered all the power in his body and launched an all-out attack.


    Darren then gripped the Dark Immortal Master''s Immortal Character with an enormous blood red palm.


    He let out a thunderous roar.


    His fiendish aura burst as all his power gathered over his palm in a frenzy.


    Shocked at the power of his attack, the Dark Immortal Master immediately retaliated by launching tens of thousands of palms to strike Darren.


    They exploded with power as they crashed into Darren one by one.


    The blood-red scales in the front part of Darren''s fiend body had been shattered from the attack, but he silently stood his ground.


    The sizzle and crack of electricity quickly followed.


    Numerous electric sparks flashed by as the Immortal Character was separated from the Dark Immortal Master''s body.


    Darren ripped the Immortal Character from the Dark Immortal Master''s body and tore it to shreds before throwing it into the sky.


    He let out a malicious cackle as the pieces flew into the air.


    The Dark Immortal Master''s body shook violently as he began to cough up blood. He was gravely injured by Darren''s brutal attack.


    "Go to hell!"


    Darren lifted his hand and cracked down on the head of the Dark Immortal Master with a satisfying crunch. Without the Immortal Character, the Dark Immortal Master was powerless against Darren. His head exploded easily, as if Darren had merely hit a watermelon.


    As the Dark Immortal Master''s body slumped to the ground, the broken void began to clear up; the broken pieces disappearing.


    Darren came out victorious in the mock battle.


    Darren reverted back to his human body and swiftly descended to the ground.


    "What a weakling. How dare he call himself an immortal?"


    Darren spat icily, his robe fluttering in the wind.


    "That body is just one out of millions of avatars of the Dark Immortal Master. Naturally, it cannot truly mimic his full strength," the guardian explained.


    Hearing this, Darren realized the so-called Dark Immortal Master he had just faced was simply an avatar suppressed by the laws.


    Just like Darren''s master, his avatar in the Lothlann Continent had also been suppressed and he couldn''t come out at will.


    "Congratulations! You have successfully killed the Dark Immortal Master. Next, you will face the destroyer from the Middle Age," the guardian reminded.


    "Say, what kind of person is this destroyer from the Middle Age?" Darren asked.


    "Divine Corpse."


    "A what?"


    "It is a corpse that descended from the outer space with no self-consciousness, and just


    ed the Shura ancestor.


    He was overjoyed at his descendant''s arrival.


    "Gather, my bloodline,"


    summoned the Shura ancestor. Remnants of his consciousness had been suppressed for countless years. Now that he had accidentally recovered his God Character, he might have a chance of coming back to life.


    The feat was nearly impossible, unless he could find a way to make his withered blood fully recover.


    In the ancestor''s mind, all of his descendants should have already been slaughtered thus blocking his withered blood''s recovery.


    It seemed that destiny had smiled upon him as his first sight upon waking up was a descendant of his bloodline. It was exactly what he needed.


    Once he swallowed up the descendant of his bloodline, he would be released from the control of the black iron coffin and come back to life!


    "Yes, my great ancestor."


    The veins on the Shura''s body bulged, clearly visible to all. His heart began to beat loudly in his chest.


    Upon hearing the ancestor''s call, a terrifying fear bubbled up within the Shura''s heart. He was immensely strong and usually had no fear of death. However, now that he was faced with his ancestor, his emotions went into a silent frenzy.


    The Shura slowly arose, trembling with every step.


    "Come, my child," the ancestor beckoned.


    In the ancestor''s eyes, he had already imagined himself coming back to life.


    The Shura walked up to the black iron coffin, and the shadow of the ancestor extended a dark claw and covered the Shura''s head.


    Just as the ancestor''s hand was about to touch him, the Shura suddenly raised his head, his eyes burning with rage.


    The Shura let out a bellowing roar.


    His pure rage spread like a shockwave throughout the space.

 Chapter 1087 To Defy The Ancestors Order

    Darren was still in the middle of practicing. He concentrated all his attention on practicing the Body Weaponizing. He had no idea what had happened on the other side of the battle space.


    However, that did not mean that the guardian did not know what had happened.


    Actually, the guardian had already figured it all out when the four black iron coffins landed.


    But the guardian was formed by rules and was only around to answer questions. He did not care about anything else.


    "Well... Let''s see.


    Body Weaponizing is also divided into nine different grades. The one who can truly grasp the ninth grade can turn into an otherworldly divine weapon!"


    That was what made this cultivation method unique and what enabled the cultivators to become warriors that bested even top masters.


    The force of Darren''s body couldn''t be increased by much if he only used an extraordinarily divine weapon. However, if his body itself were the divine weapon, then things would be much different.


    If he succeeded, he would become a legendary weapon that was capable of thought. He would be even stronger than Todd, the God of Sword!


    However, it was by no means easy to be able to turn a body into a weapon, because this cultivation method could not be mastered simply by relying on the cultivators'' comprehension.


    To succeed in grasping this skill, one needed to have a special bloodline. Only one of the Ancient Families, the Ji Clan, possessed this kind of blood power from their ancestors. However, after generations of Ji family members had been born, their special blood was no longer pure enough to practice the advanced stage of this legendary cultivation method.


    Darren was stumped by the fact that a special bloodline was needed to cultivate the skill.


    "If I force myself to comprehend the skill and break the limit of my own blood power, would it be possible for me to grasp the skill?" Darren pondered.


    The reason why specific blood power was necessary for learning the skill was because the man who had created it only wanted those with his blood to be able to use it. It was meant only for his successors.


    "Let me try to comprehend the first grade."


    Darren was able to master the first grade of the cultivation method. As long as his blood power was motivated, he had the chance to transform into a weapon.


    The first grad


    like a wake up call to the Shura.


    Although he couldn''t resist his ancestor himself, it didn''t mean that he couldn''t allow others to do so!


    He raised his head and glanced at the three black iron coffins beside him. Above the coffins stood the shadows of the other destroyers.


    "Kill him for me."


    The Shura raised his hand and pointed to the shadow of the Shura ancestor with his slender finger.


    "Betrayal! Are you really going to betray me?" the ancestor shouted angrily.


    The Shura could do anything he wanted and he was self-conscious. He could not reject the command of his ancestor, but that didn''t mean he could not kill him in another way.


    The Shura placed his hope in the three other destroyers beside him.


    The other three destroyers looked at the shadow of the Shura ancestor simultaneously.


    "If I kill him, you will help me resurrect?"


    The first one to speak was the shadow of the Dark Immortal Master.


    "I am willing to kill him for you if you are willing to bring me back to life," said another destroyer.


    The Shura stood silently. Apparently, he couldn''t do what the two destroyers asked him to do.


    To resurrect the destroyers, one must use the blood essence that belonged to a destroyer himself. The Shura''s bloodline was only inherited from his ancestor. How could he bring the others back to life?


    "In my name, I''ll make you my sacrifice!"


    At this moment, a voice shrouded by rules penetrated the Shura''s mind.


    The Shura''s consciousness slowly slipped away from him. He simply had no way of resisting anymore.

 Chapter 1088 Too Careless

    Several drops of red blood flew out of the tiny cracks that had appeared on the Shura''s chest.


    As soon as this blood fell on the black iron coffin, the Shura ancestor absorbed it.


    "Argh!"


    The Shura trembled as he fought to maintain control. But, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t stop what was happening.


    "Go ahead. Sacrifice yourself, my child!" ordered the Shura ancestor.


    More and more cracks formed on the Shura''s chest and dozens of drops of blood essence floated out.


    Whoosh!


    At this time, a strong sword intent suddenly appeared.


    "Humph! Don''t even think about resurrecting!"


    A figure materialized above the black iron coffin. It was Darren!


    Just when the Shura ancestor was about to get the blood essence to return to life, the guardian transmitted all of what happened here to Darren''s memory. Then, he teleported Darren to this place with the hope that he could prevent the Shura ancestor''s resurrection.


    Bang!


    Intense sword intent swept across the black iron coffin, and the Shura ancestor''s shadow distorted as though it was about to disperse.


    Darren''s power was enough to break the spell the Shura ancestor had placed on the Shura.


    "How did these four black iron coffins appear here?" For the time being, the threat had been mitigated. And so, Darren turned and questioned the Shura.


    The Shura transferred his memories to Darren.


    Darren''s brow furrowed when he realized that the Shura had come here in search of him and that he was unaware of what was in the black iron coffins.


    "Hum, you reap what you sow." Darren sneered. Even though the Shura had not intentionally released this threat, Darren''s attitude toward him was unforgiving.


    "Help me kill him, and I''ll pay you back." Since the Shura was bound by ancestral bloodlines, only Darren could help him now.


    "You are my enemy. Why should I help you? It''s better to let him assimilate you," Darren stated.


    "You and I are not enemies. I helped you survive the thunder punishment."


    "Do you mean that I have to pay you back for your aid?"


    After a moment''s silence, the Shura rationalized, "Even if you don''t want to kill him to help me, consider this. If my ancestor is revived, he will be a threat to the human race. You need to annihilate him regardless of your feelings toward me."


    "You are right. So be it. Even though we are enemies, I will help you, just as you assisted me.


    Tell me. How can I destroy him?" Darren declared after considering the Shura''s argument.


    "Human!" A cold voice echoed in the small space, catching the attention of all present. Then, the shadow fixed its harsh glare on Darren and said, "No, yo


    not take effect.


    Besides, even if it did work, Darren would not have agreed. The God Character belonged to the Shura ancestor. For the proposal to work, he would have to transfer half of his blood essence to him. That would enable him to control Darren! He wouldn''t risk being reduced to a powerful puppet at the hands of the Shura ancestor.


    "You are clever."


    This whole time, the Shura had been tempted by the offers. He hadn''t even thought of all these possibilities and risks.


    Whoosh!


    The Shura''s figure flashed while they were speaking.


    "What? No way!"


    It took a moment for Darren to realize that the Shura had rushed to the God Character.


    Darren chased him, but it was a pity that the Shura was faster. In the blink of an eye, the black God Character fell in the hands of Shura.


    "Put it down!"


    Darren roared.


    "Impossible," replied the Shura with a cold expression


    The Shura was the direct descendant of the Shura ancestor. Now that he possessed the God Character, he could forcibly refine and inherit it. Once successful, he would get at least eighty to ninety percent of the Shura ancestor''s power.


    He would rather die than give up such a cherished and powerful item.


    Moreover, now that his ancestor had gone, nothing could threaten him.


    It only took a few months for the Shura to refine the God Character and gain its power.


    Darren realized that he had been careless. He had solved one problem, only to have created another. What should he do now?


    "Guardian, do you think the strength I obtained in the Virtual Battle Space can be used to deal with him?" Darren asked the guardian.


    "I suppose not. But if I set him to be a destroyer, then perhaps, yes," the guardian replied.


    Darren breathed a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 1089 The Identity Of The Old Man

    Although Darren was in the Virtual Battle Space, his ability to quickly improve his skills to their peak level made it a piece of cake for him to deal with the Shura.


    "Guardian, please set the Shura as a destroyer," Darren said.


    "Even with the sped up time flow, I would still need a month to execute that request," the guardian replied.


    "Okay. He won''t be able to make much trouble in a month.


    Wait a second!" Darren suddenly realized that he had established a Shura Contract with the Shura. This meant he could not attack him.


    Even if he was currently in the Virtual Battle Space, he would still be suppressed by law.


    "Shoot. What do I do now?" Darren scratched his head in frustration. He was at a loss.


    By this moment, the Shura had already flown far away.


    "Lad, please help me." A faint voice called for help. Darren used his spiritual sense and detected the old man.


    "Essence! I want the essence!"


    The remaining three phantoms were thrown into a dire frenzy when they spotted the old man.


    "What?" Hearing the shouts of the three phantoms, Darren frowned and asked, "What essence are you talking about?"


    Before they could answer, Darren''s eyes grew as everything began to make sense.


    "So, he''s the World Essence!" Darren suddenly understood.


    He imagined the World Essence was something similar to a crystal. He was looking for something huge, at least. It never crossed his mind that the World Essence was actually a living creature!


    Witnessing the three destroyers driven to a nearly insane state was enough proof for Darren!


    "What luck!" Darren couldn''t care less about the Shura anymore. He rushed to the elder and helped him up.


    "Thank the heavens you''re here!" The old man patted his chest in relief.


    "There''s nothing to fear. I''ll get you out of here."


    Now that Darren had found the World Essence, his top priority was transferring the old man to a safe place. This was the most important thing on his mind at the moment!


    "Guardian, I need to leave immediately!" Darren shouted.


    "Absolutely not! You must kill all the destroyers in order to leave! An early departure is against the rules!"


    When anyone reached the Virtual Battle Space, he or


    s, I will be replaced by a new guardian for violating the rules. If during this period of time, you fail to kill all the destroyers, your strength will return to the starting point; your soul will become vulnerable to the destroyers."


    If the guardian changed the rules, so as to let Darren succeed, he would definitely disappear. Once this happened, right when the new guardian was formed, Darren''s strength obtained from sped-up time flow would also disappear.


    The limit of this process was two hours, so the guardian required Darren to kill the remaining three destroyers as quickly as possible.


    "Leave it to me. I''ll do my best," said Darren confidently; his head held up high.


    "Prepare yourself, then. I will help you to speed up the time. Remember, you''ve only got two hours."


    "That''s enough time! If the time flow is sped up to a million times, then I guess that''s about two million hours." Darren was merely cultivating his skills he already possessed, not creating new skills. It wouldn''t cost him too much time.


    With a crackle of electricity, a burst of colorful lights flashed by Darren. It was the sense of time. The time flow was beginning to speed up.


    Darren immediately sank into the cultivation. He began with his blade and sword. As time wore on, his level and strength continuously increased.


    Two hours flew by. As Darren''s eyes fluttered open, he gasped from what he saw up in the sky. A nasty spider web of deep cracks had appeared!

 Chapter 1090 Kill The Divine Corpse

    As the time flow increased by a million times, two hours became equivalent to two million hours.


    With Darren''s talent, all his forces had reached their peak after so many hours of cultivation. Additionally, in the virtual space, there was no bottleneck at the Emperor Realm. Darren was able to reach the Super Emperor Realm in the virtual state!


    His power and strength were admirable.


    With just one glance, even the sky itself fell to pieces! How terrible his strength was!


    "Guardian, please summon the destroyer," Darren said to the guardian.


    Boom!


    Thick, dark clouds gathered as the sky changed dramatically.


    Deep in the void, a giant appeared. He was more than ten thousand feet in height and in his hand, he was wielding a massive sledgehammer.


    He had a strong, muscular figure, but his skin appeared to be rotting away. He looked like he was on the brink of death.


    "This is the Divine Corpse, the destroyer of the Middle Age. You have to be careful. Although he doesn''t have a soul, his body is equivalent to that of a god''s," the guardian reminded.


    "It doesn''t matter. Even if his body surpasses a god''s body, I have confidence that I can kill him!"


    Without hesitation, Darren flew into the air and stood in front of the Divine Corpse.


    "Argh!"


    The Divine Corpse''s face twitched. The scent of rot pervaded the air, making Darren wrinkle his nose.


    "Penetrating sword intent!"


    Darren attacked at once. His sword intent was almost intangible but it penetrated the atmosphere.


    That was the result of integrating sword intent with Void Penetration. During cultivation, he had mastered three hundred moves of Void Penetration and was able to fuse them with the sword and blade skills.


    The Divine Corpse had sensed the attack so he swung his hammer at Darren.


    Boom!


    Countless sparks of lightning burst out and cracks spread throughout the space. The space collapsed completely under the immense impact.


    "Void blade intent!"


    The Divine Corpse had withstood Darren''s sword intent attack due to his magnificent strength. However, this did not stop Darren. Majestic blade intent gushed out of him.


    Darren did this to test the power of the blade and sword intents.


    "Huh. It''s alright..."


    Darren could be on par with the Div


    eincarnation Master you mentioned the one who guards the Lothlann Continent during times of crisis?" Darren asked.


    "Yes, each person who guarded the Lothlann Continent in times of crisis is called the Reincarnation Master."


    "So, Hiram the Great is also a Reincarnation Master?" Darren asked curiously.


    "No, he isn''t. Because he failed to defend the Lothlann Continent and he only delayed the fifth crisis. He is not a real Reincarnation Master," the guardian said.


    "Oh. So that''s how it goes," Darren said, nodding his head.


    The so-called Reincarnation Master was the one who had successfully killed the destroyer. Hiram the Great only dismembered and suppressed the first fiend ancestor, but didn''t kill him. He himself also died. As a result, he wasn''t fit to be called a Reincarnation Master.


    "Who''s the next destroyer?"


    It took Darren less than half an hour to kill the first destoyer. That was fast. However, he only had two hours in total. The sooner he was able to defeat them all, the better it would be. If he had to face the powerful Shura ancestor, he might not be able to do so with such limited time.


    "The destroyer of the Ancient Age was only at the middle stage of the Super Emperor Realm, but he is a mysterious and powerful rule cultivator. He is called the Plague Destroyer. You should be careful," the guardian said.


    "Plague?" Darren thought about it for a while but felt indifferent. At his current level, Darren didn''t have to worry about any attacks of plague or disease.

 Chapter 1091 The Plague Destroyer

    "Summon him. I should be able to handle it."


    Since the Plague Destroyer was only at the middle stage of the Super Emperor Realm, Darren believed he could easily crush him.


    "Don''t be careless." The guardian''s parting words reverberated in Darren''s mind as the entire world changed once again.


    The barren ground was stained a dark yellow, and all the plants and grasses had withered. Even the rivers were dark, murky, and lifeless.


    Darren frowned and glanced around. Almost immediately, he spotted a colorful mist in the world. He knew that the fog was the Plague Destroyer''s tactics.


    With narrowed eyes, Darren flew forward and shouted, "Come out and fight me!"


    His voice echoed throughout the world. In fact, he was so loud that even the dying creatures forgot their misery and glanced in his direction!


    However, there was no movement in the void. The Plague Destroyer did not appear as Darren expected.


    Soon, something strange happened to his body.


    A dark purple aura began to spread on his skin. Even before he could process what was happening, his skin showed signs of festering under the aura''s influence.


    "It is really a means of disease!"


    A stern expression appeared on Darren''s face as he gathered his blade and sword intents to disperse the dark purple aura. But, he failed.


    The blade and sword intents penetrated the dark purple aura, but they could not expel it.


    "What?"


    Darren was astonished. What was this disease, and what could he do?


    "The dragon blood aura can expel poison."


    At that thought, Darren transformed into his dragon form.


    When Darren fought the Snail King in the Bottom Spiritual World, Scott had used the dragon blood aura to expel the poison. Now, after so many years of cultivation in the Virtual Battle Space, Darren''s dragon blood aura had reached its peak, which meant that it would be more effective against poisons.


    After he morphed into a dragon, Darren mobilized his dragon blood aura and covered his body''s surface.


    As expected, the dragon blood aura blocked the purple aura, and it couldn''t erode his body anymore. Simultaneously, the dragon blood aura attacked the dark purple aura and wiped it out.


    "Dragon!"


    A cold, dry voice laced with astonishment, pierced Darren''s ears.


    "Your skill is useless on me. Come out and a


    rren did not hesitate to rush over. This time, he attacked the five altars.


    Bang!


    Darren''s dragon tail collided with an altar and smashed it into pieces.


    "Argh!"


    The Plague Destroyer released a cry of pain.


    ''Sure enough, the five altars are his real body!''


    Realizing this, Darren, of course, spared no effort to attack the altars.


    Within moments, three of the five altars were destroyed.


    The purple mist that formed the Plague Destroyer was on the verge of collapse. There was nothing he could do to stop Darren''s powerful attacks.


    "Human, I want you to die!"


    The Plague Destroyer knew that he would die, and so, he decided to kill Darren as well.


    Bang!


    Barely had he finished speaking, his purple fog body and the remaining two altars exploded in unison.


    The impact of the explosion did not affect Darren. He felt as though a breeze had blown over him.


    But, at this moment, a colorful light fell from the sky and rushed straight to Darren.


    Darren did not know what this light was or what it would do to him. However, his intuition told him to avoid being touched by it.


    Whoosh!


    At that thought, Darren turned and flew in the opposite direction. To his surprise, the colorful light chased him. It almost felt as though the light had locked onto him.


    Its speed was unbelievable, and it caught up with Darren in just a minute.


    As soon as the light touched Darren''s body, his skin, muscles, tissue, and bones started to decay. He quickly commanded the crystal in his brain to absorb the light.

 Chapter 1092 Control Of The Bronze Coffin

    Darren''s body was deteriorating fast. Lucky for him, the crystal in his brain had already begun to absorb the colorful light.


    After a quarter of an hour, the stone managed to absorb all of the light. Darren was reduced to a pile of bloody bones sprawled onto the ground.


    However, the fight was merely a virtual one. Darren would only actually die when his soul died. Any physical injuries would not be deadly.


    The virtual scene dissipated with the Plague Destroyer''s death. Darren, back to his normal body, landed on the ground.


    "You only have one hour left," the guardian reminded Darren.


    "Let''s get to it, then. I hope I can kill the Shura ancestor."


    The guardian made no reply and swiftly opened another illusion.


    An aura of the Remote Age filled the air.


    In the depths of the void stood the Shura ancestor. His cloak fluttered behind him as he stood menacingly. He looked like a demon god.


    Darren soared through the air and stopped right in front of the ancestor.


    Standing eye to eye with his next opponent, Darren immediately sensed the sheer power of the Shura ancestor. It unsettled him.


    "How about we use one move to decide the battle?" proposed Darren.


    "Human, do you have a death wish?" The Shura ancestor cast a cold glance at Darren.


    "Cut the crap. Let us battle!"


    Darren only had an hour left. His plan was to make an all-out attack in a single move on the Shura ancestor. He couldn''t afford to let the situation drag on for too long.


    "Die,"


    the Shura ancestor spat. He saw Darren as a mere insect.


    A loud hum began to sound, gradually getting louder.


    Around Darren''s body, his blade and sword intents began to form into transparent blades and swords. They swirled around him as they began to glow blood red.


    In an instant, Darren used all his means.


    "Kill!" At this point, Darren''s aura had gone as cold as a god''s aura. His eyes glinted with bloodlust.


    He rushed at the ancestor at top speed.


    The Shura ancestor stood motionless. Behind him was a sea of crimson blood. The power of the Shura Force had never been this overwhelming.


    An explosion rang out as Darren''s power and the Shura ancestor''s power collided.


    A blinding light burst out and covered the entire area.


    Several explosions of light followed.


    The whole world began to collapse, and the land of the Remote Age was destroyed in a fla


    s about to be born. If you''re late, I''m worried he''ll realize you broke the rules. Your result will become invalid."


    "Okay. Bye, then."


    A black swirl appeared in front of Darren. He stepped into it with the old man, who had earlier passed out from fear.


    A sudden gust of wind came over as


    a blood red figure dashed to the black vortex after Darren.


    A loud thud and a crackle of electricity sounded as


    numerous bolts of lightning forced the blood red figure back. Soon, the black vortex disappeared.


    "Argh!"


    he roared angrily, punching at the ground in pure rage.


    When Darren appeared back in Hiram the Great''s tomb, the phantom of Hiram the Great was no longer there.


    "He said if I passed, I would get an unexpected surprise. What kind of surprise would it be?"


    Darren remembered that Hiram the Great had said something like that.


    Then the whole underground cave suddenly trembled.


    "Congratulations. You passed,"


    a shadow of Hiram the Great said as it materialized.


    "Yes, and not only did I pass, but I also found the World Essence." Darren nodded as he gestured towards the old man proudly.


    "It seems that you are the real guardian of the fifth crisis. In other words, the Reincarnation Master.


    Listen up, this bronze coffin is something even outsiders sought after. When you inherit it, you must make good use of it. As for what it can do for you, you''ll have to explore it on your own," said Hiram the Great.


    Darren was stunned in amazement. He realized that the hidden surprise was most likely the control over the bronze coffin.

 Chapter 1093 Meet The Immortal Again

    "Thank you very much."


    As inheriting the bronze coffin would be of tremendous help to Darren''s adventure in the Godly City, he was willing to accept it.


    "Relax your Spirit Power."


    Darren nodded, closed his eyes, and did what Hiram the Great instructed.


    A few moments later, a weird power rushed into Darren''s head.


    The moment the force entered Darren''s mind, the crystal in his head started to resist it.


    It was only after Darren released his spiritual sense and controlled the crystal that the power could penetrate Darren''s soul.


    A few moments later, he was able to connect with the bronze coffin. The feeling that coursed through him was similar to when he mastered control of the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "With this bronze coffin, you will not face any challenges when you break through to the Emperor Realm in the future," Hiram the Great informed Darren.


    "Why?" Darren asked with a puzzled expression.


    "If you want to reach the Emperor Realm, you must condense a small world. Without it, you can''t become a holy emperor. But, this bronze coffin can be regarded as a small world. So, now, to become a holy emperor, all you have to do is to improve your cultivation base," Hiram the Great explained.


    Darren recalled that the guardian of the Ancient Void Battlefield had also told him the same thing when he inherited the Ancient Void Battlefield. To become a holy emperor, one had to condense a small world.


    The more Darren thought about this, the more curious he became.


    He had seen many holy emperors, but none of them had a small world. Why?


    Soon, he couldn''t help asking Hiram the Great.


    "The small world is not for attacking. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why you haven''t seen other holy emperors use it. However, that doesn''t mean that they don''t have it."


    "Ah! I understand." Darren''s brows shot up, and he nodded. He wondered why he hadn''t thought of such a straightforward explanation.


    "You must be stronger. For the sake of the world," Hiram the Great implored just before he vanished.


    "I will," Darren murmured. Then, he too left with the unconscious old man.


    After they exited the tomb, Darren returned to the old man''s cottage. There, he transferred some spiritual energy to the old man to help him wake.


    "Sir, how are you feeling now?"


    "Oh, that stuff almost scared me to death. What the hell i


    ronze coffin and the World Essence, he had forgotten about the Water Kylin.


    ''The immortal must have captured him. This is all my fault. I didn''t even speak with her about his release.'' Darren blamed himself.


    Just then, a cold wind blew behind Darren.


    When he felt the cold, an involuntary shiver coursed through Darren. He gritted his teeth, balled his fists, and turned around. As expected, a beautiful green figure stood behind him.


    "I was looking for you," Darren sneered.


    "Give me the World Essence." demanded the immortal. Her icy-cold glare pierced through Darren. But her voice and face remained expressionless as she stated her purpose.


    "Stop daydreaming. I don''t have it," Darren replied coldly.


    "Where is it?"


    "Why would I tell you? Who do you think you are?" Darren scoffed.


    "You need me. Your wife is still in my soul. If you don''t tell me where the World Essence is, she will die. And this time, I will ensure that she perishes completely," the immortal threatened Darren.


    "Don''t intimidate me. You have made an oath that you dare not break."


    Cruelty flashed across the immortal''s cold and beautiful face. After a while, she tried something else. "Your pet beast is in my hands. I will kill him."


    After several encounters, the immortal knew Darren well. Since the threat against his wife did not work, she had to threaten this human with the creature that often accompanied him. Emotions and sentiments were a human being''s biggest weakness.


    Darren''s expression darkened. As he had suspected, the Water Kylin was in her possession.

 Chapter 1094 The Ancestor Of The Lothlann Continent

    Since the Water Kylin was being held by the immortal, she wanted to use him to threaten Darren.


    However, she did not know that Darren had already gotten the World Essence. Darren decided to use that information as leverage to trick her into handing over the Water Kylin.


    "Let my friend go! The World Essence has already been discovered by the Shura, but he has not been able to take it yet. If you go now, you might still have a chance to take it for yourself!" Darren said.


    The immortal was silent for a moment, weighing the truth of Darren''s words.


    "If that''s the case, why don''t you go fight for the World Essence?"


    The immortal knew that Darren was also interested in the World Essence.


    "He is the Shura. I''m not strong enough to fight against him. I fought with you before just to seize the opportunity to get the World Essence. If I was able to find it first, I would have still had the opportunity to capture it. But now, the World Essence has been found by the Shura. Do you honestly think I still stand a chance?"


    Darren thought for a few seconds and then he continued, "I have told you all that I know. Please let my friend go now. Besides, when I break through to the Super Emperor Realm, you have to come to me and release Elsa''s and Denise''s souls." Darren looked at the immortal earnestly.


    After a long period of silence, the immortal released the Water Kylin. The Water Kylin fell through the air, his body slack.


    His hair was disheveled and he looked like he was half dead. Darren quickly activated his skills to pull him over.


    "I won''t come to you before I get the World Essence," the immortal said coldly.


    "How dare you break our oath?" Darren frowned.


    "There isn''t any time limit on this oath. I think it needs at least one thousand years before it takes effect."


    "You!" Darren gritted his teeth. The immortal had found a loophole!


    The immortal rushed into the cave in a flash, ignoring how angry Darren was.


    "I feel so beaten down. I don''t want to live anymore,"


    the Water Kylin lowered his head and murmured softly, with staggered breaths.


    "How did she catch you?"


    Darren asked, infusing spiritual energy into the Water Kylin''s body to heal his wounds.


    "I ran into her and she knocked me out with just a few strikes. I thought I could take her."


    "It''s a miracle you''re still alive," Darren said.


    "Yes, master. Why didn''t she dare to attack you?"


    "I have made an oath with her. She can''t harm me."


    "Alright..." After unde


    gods."


    "Okay... That sounds like a good plan," Darren nodded.


    He activated the force of control and let the old man out.


    The witcher ancestor was stunned. He hadn''t expected that the highly-coveted World Essence was actually an old man.


    Hiram the Great was the only one who had ever seen the World Essence. Even the witcher ancestor had never seen it.


    "Wow..."


    The old man stepped back in fear when he saw the witcher ancestor''s withered face.


    "Darren What''s this...? Who is this...?" The old man trembled in fear and hid behind Darren.


    "This is the witcher ancestor. He is a powerful warrior. He will be in charge of your safety from now on."


    "What?" The old man''s eyes widened and he trembled some more.


    After pausing for a moment, the witcher ancestor bowed to the old man.


    "Don''t worry, sir. I will do my best to protect you. I will give my life to keep you safe." The witcher ancestor''s voice was polite and sincere.


    "Ahem." The old man coughed drily. "Sir, I am not your senior..."


    ''He is even older than me... Why does he treat me like a senior... Besides, is he really able to protect me? He is so old! He looks weaker than me.''


    "I''m sorry. You''re indeed not my senior. You''re the ancestor of the Lothlann Continent. All the creatures on our continent were created by you."


    Darren was stunned by the witcher ancestor''s words.


    "Witcher ancestor, do you mean that he created the whole Lothlann Continent?"


    The witcher ancestor nodded.


    "Wow!" Darren was surprised. He had no idea who the old man was. However, Darren was also wondering why the old man who had created the Lothlann Continent looked so ordinary.

 Chapter 1095 The Riots

    Darren did not ask for much in front of the old man.


    "Witcher ancestor, I''ll leave him to you then."


    "No worries." He then carried the old man up with his Witcher Power and the old man disappeared into the air.


    "Darren, look!"


    After the witcher ancestor had concealed the old man, he pointed towards the depths of the void.


    Darren followed the direction the witcher ancestor pointed at, and was shocked in amazement. Another Crisis Star had lit up in the sky!


    Although the light of this star was fainter than the first one, it was clearly shining in the vast expanse of the sky.


    "Witcher ancestor, why did another star light up?" Darren asked immediately.


    "Did the Shura go with you?" asked the witcher ancestor.


    "Yes, he did."


    "Then he should have obtained a lot, correct?" the witcher ancestor asked again.


    Darren suddenly realized what the witcher ancestor meant by asking¡ªthe second Crisis Star symbolized the Shura!


    Since the Shura had obtained the God Character of his ancestor back in the Virtual Battle Space, Darren was worried he''d grown stronger. At present, the Shura was already a graver threat to the Lothlann Continent than the first fiend ancestor since the latter''s body parts hadn''t completely escaped yet.


    "Oh, it''s him. So I guess now I know who the five Crisis Stars you mentioned are."


    "Enumerate them, then," the witcher ancestor said as he stared blankly at Darren; testing him.


    "The first Crisis Star is definitely the mysterious man who is currently hiding in the River of Forgetfulness. The second one is the Shura. There''s no doubt about it. The third one will be the recovered first fiend ancestor, while the fourth will be the immortal. As for the last one..." Darren paused for a moment.


    "You are correct. Now, who do you think the last one is?" The witcher ancestor''s voice was flat, but brilliant green flames began to show in his eyes.


    "It''s me," Darren answered calmly without hesitation, and then added, "Or it''s my friend, Scott?"


    The witcher ancestor looked at Darren¡ªsurprised but impressed. "Why do you think it could be Scott?" he asked.


    "In the Virtual Battle Space created by Hiram the Great, I was unable to use my dragon blood aura. The guardian stated that my dragon blood aura conflicted with the abilities of the destroyers in the upcoming fifth crisis. From this, only two individuals came to mind¡ªScott, or me," stated Darren in full honesty.


    The witcher ancestor was silent.


    "To be frank, even I have no idea who the fifth Crisis Star is," sighed the witcher ancestor hoarsely.


    "Darren, I have a question for you."


    "What is it, sir?"


    The witcher ancestor quietly turned with hi


    tfulness.


    As soon as Darren stepped into the Lothlann Continent, he saw the sky far away shrouded in an ominous black fog. This was the aura of the first fiend ancestor.


    "Damn it. He''s really starting to take action!"


    Darren gritted his teeth and flew forward; trying to locate the first fiend ancestor by following his dark aura.


    Darren arrived at one of the forbidden areas and found a figure floating in the sky from a distance. It was the first fiend ancestor using his power to break the Witcher Power defense hanging over the forbidden area.


    "Fuck off!"


    Darren shouted, standing in the air.


    A beastly roar ripped throughout the space in reply.


    Even from a distance, the first fiend ancestor sensed Darren''s arrival instantly.


    "You must die."


    The ice cold words of the first fiend ancestor echoed into Darren''s mind from afar.


    "Humph! Last time, I failed to kill you, but this time I will have no mercy!"


    In all actuality, Darren had zero confidence in defeating the first fiend ancestor¡ªwho had already managed to gather five body parts. Despite this, Darren had to find a way to distract the first fiend ancestor from continuing his attack on the forbidden area.


    "You insect. You''re far too arrogant."


    As the cold demonic voice sounded, the first fiend ancestor''s bloody body flashed and headed straight towards Darren.


    Darren tried to keep a calm look as the fiend came towards him. He sensed the sheer power of the first fiend ancestor. The fiendish aura it wielded was now equal to that of a warrior at the highest stage of the Emperor Realm.


    However, Darren was left with no choice but to fight him.


    Quick swipes of a blade could be heard as they gained momentum.


    The intangible blade and sword intents began to circle around Darren.

 Chapter 1096 A Battle With Blood And Tears (Part One)

    The battle between Darren and the first fiend ancestor was inevitable.


    "I''ll kill you this time!"


    Darren roared as his body turned crimson-red, and his blade and sword intents gushed forward.


    With a malicious grin, the first fiend ancestor stormed toward Darren. He madly scratched and tore Darren''s blade and sword intents to pieces.


    ''He is much stronger than before.''


    Darren was astounded. The first fiend ancestor had collected five body parts, and he used only his physical strength to resist Darren''s blade and sword intents.


    Although shocked, Darren didn''t despair. On the contrary, renewed determination surged within him. While the first fiend ancestor attacked his blade and sword intents, Darren released his Shura Force. In the blink of an eye, the force surrounded and bombarded the first fiend ancestor.


    "To me, you are no better than an ant!"


    Although the first fiend ancestor was forced back by the Shura Force, he wasn''t injured. So, he disdained Darren''s powers.


    "Really?"


    Darren sneered as he quietly summoned and released his dark gold internal force.


    Swish, swish, swish...


    The dark gold internal force pierced through the first fiend ancestor''s blood-red scales and reached his bones.


    "Roar!" The agony coursing through him didn''t lessen the first fiend ancestor''s fighting power. On the contrary, the pain seemed to have increased his madness.


    So determined was he to annihilate this human that the first fiend ancestor unleashed his strongest skill. Soon, the entire sky filled with overwhelming Killing Rule.


    The sky turned into a Killing Abyss.


    Darren''s expression turned grim. Now that the first fiend ancestor had activated the Killing Abyss Skill, Darren''s attack would backfire if he used a bit of killing intent. This was something he had experienced before.


    What also astounded Darren was that the first fiend ancestor''s Killing Abyss Skill was more powerful than before.


    For a split second, he debated over which attack method to use. Then, he quietly activated the Nine Changes of the Demon.


    He had determined that only this powerful skill could counteract the threat of the Killing Abyss Skill.


    After he activated the Nine Changes of the Demon to the eighth change, his body started to transform into the fiend, and the effect of the Killing Abyss Skill reduced significantly.


    The only regret was that Darren couldn''t trigger the ninth change as he hadn''t fully comprehended it in the outer world. What he comprehended in the Virtual Battle Space had long since faded.


    To activate the eighth change to fight against the Killing Abyss Skill


    an is no match for the first fiend ancestor even after he transformed into a dragon."


    "God, please, please let him survive."


    Millions of humans sighed as hopelessness filled their hearts.


    Crack, crack...


    Countless bolts of lightning flashed across the sky. Soon, the first fiend ancestor''s attacks had badly mangled Darren''s body.


    As Darren was only a half-step emperor, with the strength of the middle stage of the Emperor Realm, he was far weaker than the first fiend ancestor. He was thus, destined to lose this battle.


    "Human, I have finally subdued you. Now, I will kill you."


    In a flash, the first fiend ancestor flew toward Darren''s dragon neck. Before he could do anything, a long scarlet claw pierced Darren''s chest.


    Sizzle...


    The first fiend ancestor''s claw corroded as soon as it came in contact with Darren''s dragon blood aura. But the pain was nothing to him. If he could push just a little more, he could crush Darren''s heart.


    Darren''s life was in grave danger.


    At this moment, many memories flashed through Darren''s mind.


    He knew by now that this was a sure sign of the omen of death.


    Whoosh!


    At this crucial moment, another dark gold internal force slammed into the first fiend ancestor''s arm.


    This dark gold internal force was weaker than Darren''s. However, as the first fiend ancestor was not expecting it, the collision repelled him a few feet. Now, he was no longer close enough to touch Darren''s heart.


    "Darren, run!"


    Hanson shouted as he squared his shoulders and prepared to face the first fiend ancestor.


    Darren, who was barely conscious, forced himself to move to a safe distance.


    "Do you want to die?" The first fiend ancestor directed a strong fiendish aura toward Hanson.

 Chapter 1097 A Battle With Blood And Tears (Part Two)

    Hanson had anticipated the attack and quickly dodged before the first fiend ancestor could make his move. Unfortunately, the speed of the fiendish aura surging at him was too fast. Although he had prepared for it, he was still hit by a small stream of the fiendish aura.


    Bang!


    The tiny amount of fiendish aura that grazed Hanson left a bloody hole in his arm.


    Keeping his cool, he swung his sword and a majestic dark gold internal force surged out from it and straight towards the first fiend ancestor.


    The first fiend ancestor scoffed at the dark gold internal force. After all, this force was far inferior to Darren''s.


    A loud gust of wind suddenly swept through the space.


    At this moment, a sword abyss came down and engulfed the first fiend ancestor.


    "Killing Rule!"


    Feeling this aura, the first fiend ancestor growled coldly. As hard as he tried, a sense of nervousness leaked out from his tone.


    "Yes, it''s called the Killing Sword Abyss!" Mathew shouted.


    Numerous blood red swords crisscrossed and slashed at the first fiend ancestor''s body; leaving tens of thousands of scars.


    Mathew quickly headed towards the first fiend ancestor.


    From his hand, a blood red sword flew at full speed, ready to pierce through the first fiend ancestor''s heart.


    However, Mathew was sorely duped by the first fiend ancestor''s reaction speed.


    Although Mathew''s sword speed was at its peak, the first fiend ancestor was able to dodge it with a slight tilt sideways.


    The nasty sound of tearing flesh was heard next.


    The sword had pierced through the first fiend ancestor''s body as planned, but it failed to reach his heart.


    Damaging any part of his body other than the heart posed no threat to his life.


    The first fiend ancestor stretched out his hand and squeezed tightly on the sword embedded into his chest.


    He pulled it out without a tinge of pain on his face and dropped it to the ground with a loud clang.


    Mathew''s sword turned into dust and scattered into the air.


    Bang!


    The first fiend ancestor threw another palm attack at Mathew, gauging through the latter''s chest.


    "Brother!"


    Hanson shouted in despair.


    "Hurry up. Bring Darren to safety!" Mathew could barely speak these words as blood kept gushing out of his mouth. His life aura was slowly fading away.


    "Sir!"


    Darren''s heart ached at the sight of Mathew''s deteriorating life force.


    Mathew had been the most generous person towards him. When he was weak, Mathew always took care of him and was always patient with all of his shortcomings.


    The moment the claw of the first fiend ancestor stabbed into Mathew''s chest, the pain Darren felt in


    y. The powerful dark aura swept through every corner of the world.


    In fear, the first fiend ancestor raised a pair of bloody claws over his head, defending against the power of the black stick.


    Bang!


    The first fiend ancestor''s claws exploded into a bloody mist from the impact.


    The black stick didn''t slow down or weaken. It continued toward the first fiend ancestor''s head.


    The blow caused the first fiend ancestor to panic. He felt that this power was truly a deadly threat to his life!


    Above his head, an octahedral crystal was swirling rapidly. It was ready to resist the black stick.


    Not so far in the distance, the man in the black robe collapsed and knelt in mid-air.


    Gazing at the octahedral crystal spiraling up over the first fiend ancestor''s head, he felt a feeling of helplessness wash over him.


    He had used up all his strength in this stick. If the crystal resisted his attack, he would have no more strength left for another attack.


    On the other side of the battlefield, when the heartbroken Darren saw the black stick, he knew the man in disguise from the human team was Barnes!


    Whoosh!


    Darren gathered the last of his strength and rushed madly towards the first fiend ancestor.


    Coinciding with this, the powerful black stick collided with the crystal of the first fiend ancestor.


    Bang!


    The runes exploded as the black stick hit the crystal, creating cracks of lightning millions of feet long throughout the void.


    Loud cracks began to sound as the first fiend ancestor''s crystal


    began to break.


    As hope kept slipping through their fingers at every sign, the power of Barnes'' stick seemed to have completely dissipated at this point. There was no more force to spare in order to kill the first fiend ancestor.

 Chapter 1098 Were Friends

    When Barnes whipped out the stick, cracks appeared on the God Character of the first fiend ancestor. How powerful it was!


    However, the stick had used up all its strength to beat the God Character. It no longer had any power left to slay the first fiend ancestor.


    More cracks continued to appear on the God Character. The first fiend ancestor''s body was writhing and squirming, its evil aura flowing crazily.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    When the first fiend ancestor took one step, his foot crashed through the ground and created a void.


    "Damn it!" Barnes'' sudden attack infuriated him.


    Barnes knelt in mid-air, his strength seemingly gone. His dark eyes stared coldly at the first fiend ancestor.


    "Why do you even help the humans? What benefit does it bring to you?" The first fiend ancestor descended in front of Barnes and looked him in the eye.


    "I''m not trying to help anyone! This is for me!"


    In the River of Forgetfulness, Darren had told him that both the Inner Fiend and the immortal were hunting for him and wanted to kill him. He immediately returned and hid around the Lothlann Continent.


    When he was certain that he was safe, he hid himself to cultivate and was able to develop the power of the Suppressing Stick.


    When he heard a loud noise outside, he realized that the first fiend ancestor must have been making trouble. That was what prompted him to go out.


    Then, when he saw that Darren was being beaten by the first fiend ancestor and was on the verge of death, he felt a strong compulsion to help Darren. However, although he had developed the power of the Suppressing Stick, he knew that his strength was still weaker than the first fiend ancestor. If he went into battle without thinking, he would surely die.


    After observing for a long time, when the human senior holy warriors rushed into the sky, Barnes couldn''t help but rush to Darren''s rescue. He couldn''t figure out why he had such a strong urge to fight for this human. He could have just continued to hide and deal with the crisis that the immortal brought to him.


    However, he could not fight what he felt.


    ''Does this mean he is my friend? And my friend is a human being? That''s funny, '' Barnes had thought to himself before going to save Darren.


    The first fiend ancestor glanced at Barnes coldly. He sent him a tel


    hair framed his face like a halo and his whole body was covered in runes. Every time the Inner Fiend had recovered a little, Finley would beat him and break his body again. Even if he had an Eternal Body, he wouldn''t be able to escape Finley''s suppression.


    "No! No!"


    The Inner Fiend could feel the arrival of Barnes. He was still conscious, after all.


    "Why are you here? You shouldn''t have come here!"


    The Inner Fiend was extremely terrified.


    "Inner Fiend..."


    Barnes groaned. He was astonished to see the Inner Fiend lying on the ground like that.


    "Monkey, I don''t have time to explain it to you. Now that Darren has ordered me to let you take care of the Inner Fiend, you know what you should do," Finley said calmly.


    "I know. The day has finally come..." Barnes'' voice was full of bitterness. Salty tears appeared in the corners of his eyes.


    "Inner Fiend, it''s time for you to come back..." Barnes whispered.


    "No, my real body! Please let me go. Please, let me go." The Inner Fiend''s voice was filled with desperation and longing. He stared at Barnes pleadingly.


    "You shouldn''t have existed. How am I supposed to let you go?"


    Barnes flew over, exposing his sharp teeth.


    Finley stopped Barnes with one hand. He looked at him with a serious expression. "When you regain your full strength, don''t bring trouble to the world."


    "I hope I can do it," Barnes murmured. With that, he pounced on the Inner Fiend.


    "Roar! Roar! Roar!"


    Roars of pain and resentment echoed throughout the Ancient Void Battlefield.

 Chapter 1099 Eight-Tribulation Barnes

    Outside the Ancient Void Battlefield, Darren returned to his human form. He had been so severely injured that he barely had the strength to remain conscious, let alone struggle with the first fiend ancestor.


    "Human, let me show you what I can do at my peak!"


    The first fiend ancestor didn''t kill Darren. Instead, he seized him and took him to a forbidden area.


    Bang!


    He unleashed intense fiend power and attacked the ancient palace.


    The old palace shook and trembled like a leaf in a terrible storm. Soon, cracks appeared everywhere, and a dust-haze blotted out the sun. Now, only the remaining Witcher Power was preventing the old palace from collapsing.


    Bang!


    It wasn''t long before the remaining Witcher Power weakened and dissipated under continuous bombardment from the fiendish aura.


    Boom!


    The forbidden area that had stood for millions of years collapsed.


    "Roar!"


    A bloody-red body part flew out of the forbidden area and quickly merged with the first fiend ancestor.


    Now, the first fiend ancestor had integrated six body parts into one. As a result, his strength increased exponentially.


    Even though he hadn''t, as yet, combined his remaining body parts, the aura emitted by the first fiend ancestor was already almost as strong as that of a warrior who had reached the Super Emperor Realm.


    "Since you are not the only destroyer in the fifth crisis of this world, it doesn''t matter how strong you become. Even if you regain all your power, you can''t escape death," Darren stated.


    The first fiend ancestor knew that there was another destroyer.


    "Well, that person needs the World Essence, but I don''t. So, we have no conflict of interests."


    "Do you believe that he will spare you just because there is no conflict of interests? You are too naive," Darren sneered.


    "Human, you are too weak to understand."


    "Really? You are doomed even if the other destroyer chooses not to kill you." At this moment, Darren appeared relaxed. Even though he was gravely injured, his eyes danced with joy. This was beyond the first fiend ancestor''s expectation.


    "You bastard..." Before he could finish his sentence, the first fiend ancestor''s face contorted, and he quickly retreated.


    Once he steadied himself, he found that the human he had captured had disappeared.


    "Roar!"


    He looked around cautiously but did not find any trace of the human.


    Boom!


    At this moment, a crisp sound was heard, and a sudden sharp pain surged in the first fiend ancestor''s head.


    The first fiend ancestor whipped around. His eyes widened with astonishment when he saw


    nine seconds a day,"


    Finley explained to Darren.


    "Wow, that is so awesome! If you could watch his view longer, then you could easily become stronger!" Darren patted Finley''s shoulder and felt happy for him.


    "I want to, but I''m scared. If my real body finds out, he will kill me," Finley said.


    "Perhaps not. After all, your real body has no reason to kill you."


    "He is already a god in the Primitive Wilderness. He doesn''t need a reason to do anything. I have to be careful."


    "You are right. It is better to be careful." Darren nodded.


    "It is a good thing that Barnes is watching the first fiend ancestor. Now, it will be next to impossible for the first fiend ancestor to fully recover and make trouble. Darren, let me out. I want to see how the first fiend ancestor is tortured." Excitement coursed through Finley at the thought, and he rubbed his hands like a delighted child.


    Darren shook his head and smiled before activating the force of control.


    "Be careful, or the aftershocks from their fight will kill you."


    "You underestimate me." Finley rolled his eyes. A split second later, he said, "I''ll take the Water Kylin with me."


    "Don''t disturb him. He seems to be cultivating now." Darren stopped him.


    "You think he is cultivating? He is sleeping! A few days ago, he spoke while dreaming. Do you know what he said? ''Baby, don''t run away. Just surrender to me. You''re awesome. I like you very much.'' Such lewd words. I''ll teach him a lesson!"


    Before Darren could say anything, Finley flew to the place where the Water Kylin had fallen asleep. As soon as he arrived, he kicked the Water Kylin.


    "Damn it! Who the hell are you? How dare you disturb me?"


    the Water Kylin swore like a shrew.

 Chapter 1100 The Recovery Of The First Fiend Ancestor

    The Water Kylin cursed Finley for waking him. Annoyed, Finley whacked the Water Kylin on his head and told him what had happened. The Water Kylin''s eyes lit up when Finley suggested that they go out and watch the battle.


    Crack, crack...


    Lightning bolts fell everywhere, and thunder boomed across the world. These were sure signs of the shattering of space.


    Barnes didn''t flinch as he hovered in the center of the storm. He waited for the right moment, and then, he raised his stick and struck the first fiend ancestor with it. The first fiend ancestor had to fly around to dodge his attacks. It appeared as though space did not influence Barnes'' attack, and it was easy for his stick to chase after and hit the fleeing first fiend ancestor.


    The first fiend ancestor wasn''t able to fend off Barnes'' attacks no matter how hard he tried. Finally, Barnes subdued his opponent. He placed one foot on the first fiend ancestor''s body and said proudly, "Brat, you were too arrogant in front of me before. Now you know what I am capable of. Kneel and surrender or die! Choose one!"


    "Ah, this is not fun."


    Finley shook his head.


    He had assumed that the first fiend ancestor, who had gathered six body parts, would be able to fight Barnes. Unexpectedly, Barnes was still more powerful.


    "What the hell? When did the monkey become so strong?" The Water Kylin''s eyes widened with surprise when he felt Barnes'' aura.


    "He has assimilated the Inner Fiend," Finley explained.


    "What? Then he must have become an eight-tribulation holy warrior, right?" The Water Kylin was shocked.


    "Of course," Finley replied casually.


    "Wow! I envy him." The Water Kylin melodramatically stuck out his tongue. Now, he looked more like a golden pug-dog.


    In the broken space, the first fiend ancestor was on the verge of death, but he still would not surrender.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Barnes had expected as much, and so, he decided to beat his opponent to death.


    After whipping the first fiend ancestor for an hour, Barnes still didn''t want to stop.


    The other two forbidden areas were relatively tranquil in the northwest region of the Lothlann Continent.


    That changed when a black-robed figure suddenly appeared in the air.


    Since his face was hidden under the large hood on the black robe, his identity was unknown.


    Once he arrived at the main hall of one of the two forbidden areas, the man in the black robe looked up, as if hesitating. But, a moment later, he stepped forward and headed straight to the forbidden area.


    Strangely, the restrictions of the forbidden area did not work on him. And so, he entered the forbidden area without any trouble.


    After a few seconds, the forbidden area trembled, and the hall that had stood for millions of years began to c


    the Water Kylin, tried to reassure him.


    "What do you mean?" questioned the Water Kylin as he turned and looked at Finley.


    Suddenly, a cold voice came. "I guess Barnes hasn''t exerted eighty percent of his strength yet."


    "Master, why have you come out? You haven''t recovered yet." When Finley and the Water Kylin turned in the direction of the cold voice, they saw that Darren had emerged from the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "It doesn''t matter," Darren said dismissively and waved his hand.


    Finley nodded slightly and said, "That''s right. The most powerful skill about a tribulation holy warrior is the force of the tribulation. If I''m not wrong, Barnes has only used his physical strength, not the force of the tribulation."


    "But, he has been seriously injured!" the Water Kylin muttered.


    "Don''t forget that both Barnes and the Inner Fiend have Eternal Bodies. Now that they have merged into one, do you know how fast Barnes will recover from his injuries? Be patient. Barnes is not going to lose," Finley explained.


    "Well, I hope so," the Water Kylin sighed. A little relief coursed through him when he heard Finley. However, doubt still niggled at his heart.


    Darren and the other two stopped talking. They released their spiritual sense into the void to observe the fighting situation.


    In the scarlet abyss created by the first fiend ancestor, Barnes instantly repaired the injuries to his body.


    This time, he seemed to sink into darkness completely. Even Darren could barely detect Barnes'' invisible shadow with his spiritual sense.


    "Damn it! It''s time to show you the power of an eight-tribulation warrior!"


    Barnes'' voice pierced the sky. He raised the stick, and it collided with a black vortex that had suddenly appeared before him.


    At this moment, Barnes was like a dark demon god with matchless momentum.

 Chapter 1101 The Mysterious Man Arrived

    "Fight!"


    The black swirl in the sky was completely absorbed by Barnes'' stick.


    Barnes had already regained his strength at this point. His body radiated the power of the tribulation thunder.


    He then swung his stick.


    Although the speed of the stick seemed very slow, it was actually gaining very quick momentum.


    "Argh!"


    Barnes coughed out blood. His killing intention was so strong that it began to harm himself too in the Killing Abyss.


    Despite this, his attack didn''t slow down by a second, and aimed right for the first fiend ancestor. The first fiend ancestor raised his arms in an attempt to block the stick.


    From the moment his arms grazed Barnes'' stick, an immense force reverberated through his body.


    The force was so powerful that even the first fiend ancestor''s fiend power couldn''t resist it. In a sudden flash, his arms exploded into several pieces.


    "It''s the law force,"


    the first fiend ancestor hissed as he hastily fell back.


    Just now he felt that the force attached to the stick also had a trace of the law force. It was just enough to cause a fatal injury to him.


    After one successful strike, Barnes continued with barrage attacks despite the injury he was indirectly inflicting on himself for using the force.


    The silhouettes of his stick danced across the sky, giving away a faint aura of law.


    The first fiend ancestor ripped out a beastly roar. Left with no other defense against the powerful attacks of Barnes, he finally revealed his God Character! It was an intact God Character!


    When the God Character, which was shrouded in a fiendish aura, appeared, the first fiend ancestor quickly recuperated. With his injuries healed, he began a counterattack on Barnes.


    Under the influence of the Killing Abyss Skill, Barnes skillfully dodged the oncoming attacks but realized that he was again, at a disadvantage in the battle.


    Sensing the battle up in the sky, Darren and the other two began to worry about Barnes.


    "When the first fiend ancestor is at full strength, he will be more powerful than a warrior who has reached the Super Emperor Realm. It''s not going to be easy for Barnes to defend against those attacks."


    A hoarse voice piped in amongst Darren and his companions.


    Darren knew this familiar aura even without turning his head to get a glimpse.


    "Witcher ancestor, why do you come?" Darren asked in surprise.


    The witcher ancestor floated to Darren''s side and said, "Because it''s time."


    "What do you mean?" Darren asked in confusion.


    "It''s time for you to go to the Godly City."


    "I''m afraid it''s not a good time right now." The first fiend ancestor''s


    stor roared and cast an icy look in the direction of the footsteps.


    "Howl!"


    Barnes also shouted at that direction. His body trembled.


    "You two insects were killing each other, and neither of you could kill the other. Alas, the final result is that both of you will die, because I''m going to kill you both."


    All of a sudden, the dense figures retreated to two sides and formed a glamorous path. A man, enveloped in a layer of faint yellow light, stepped out from the path.


    Barnes and the first fiend ancestor were both dumbstruck. The faint yellow light was obviously a primitive aura.


    To a greater shock was the identity of the person enveloped in the aura.


    "Fool! You dare come out and fight with me?"


    Though astonished, Barnes would never show weakness. He pointed at the yellow light with his stick and yelled ferociously.


    Meanwhile, the first fiend ancestor had a bigger sense of self-preservation and slowly backed away. He knew that it was not worth his while to fight this powerful creature.


    "I suppose we two beings can coexist peacefully in this world."


    The first fiend ancestor immediately sent a voice message to that mysterious man to win him over. Actually, the first fiend ancestor had known the existence of this man long ago and also knew that this man needed the World Essence.


    The first fiend ancestor himself had no need of the World Essence. He could return to the Primitive Wilderness as long as he killed all the human beings on the Lothlann Continent and destroyed the world. His interests did not conflict with the destroyers who sought the World Essence.


    "You are just an annoying insect. How dare you suppose you can coexist with me?"


    A sound of contempt came from the faint yellow primitive aura.

 Chapter 1102 Kill The Three

    "Stop playing these games! Fight me!"


    Barnes was not convinced. The stick in his hand lengthened and shot towards the dim, yellow light.


    Crash!


    The stick fell into the dim yellow light and made a sharp noise. The collision caused the stick to bounce back, crushing Barnes'' arm with the explosion. He was thrown several feet backwards.


    "What?!"


    Barnes was astonished. He could not believe that the layer of yellow light was so hard. He was also badly hurt by the recoil.


    His drive to fight dissipated because the person shrouded in the yellow light was already invincible!


    With Barnes incapacitated, the man finally stepped forward. He passed Barnes and the first fiend ancestor, and fell straight to the ground.


    "Tell me where Darren is."


    The man spoke directly to the witcher ancestor.


    "He hasn''t reached the Super Emperor Realm yet, so you can''t kill him," the witcher ancestor said in a hoarse voice.


    "I can''t kill him, but that doesn''t mean I can''t take the World Essence. You know what I mean."


    The witcher ancestor trembled at his words.


    "You don''t stand a chance. He''s already in the Godly City, and the World Essence is with him!"


    "Oh, really?"


    All of a sudden, the witcher ancestor was lifted up by his neck.


    "Since he''s gone to the Godly City, you''re useless to me. I will end your life. Rot in hell!"


    Crack!


    The man squeezed hard and the witcher ancestor''s neck broke.


    His body turned into black dust, which floated away in the wind.


    "Ha! What are you trying to prove? You can''t kill me!"


    The witcher ancestor''s voice rang out mockingly.


    "Damn it! Soul shifting!" The mysterious man glowered. It would be quite difficult to kill somebody who possessed this skill.


    "Take care of yourself. Darren might just best you on the battlefield, the first Reincarnation Master." The witcher ancestor spoke once more before his aura completely dissipated.


    The first Reincarnation Master!


    If Darren were here, he would have been surprised.


    This man was actually the first Reincarnation Master! What did that mean?


    This meant that he shouldn''t have been a destroyer. He should have been standing guard over the Lothlann Continent! The witcher ancestor had called him the first Reincarnation Master. He must have


    f him, he couldn''t figure out how this weak Shura survived. He remembered slaughtering every last one of his kind during the Remote Age.


    However, that did not matter now. He had much bigger goals. Killing the Shura was not one of his tasks.


    He just didn''t expect this weak Shura to inherit his ancestor''s God Character.


    The only thing in the world that could break his defense of primitive yellow aura was the Shura Force. Nothing else stood a chance.


    "In the Remote Age, I killed your ancestor with ease. Do you want to experience it?" the mysterious man said, glowering at the Shura.


    The Shura stood in front of him silently, but his heart raged and he was consumed with the fire of anger.


    Since he had inherited the God Character from his ancestor, he treated this man as an enemy. He wanted to kill him for what he had done to the Shura race.


    "Ha! Fools! I will kill you three! And when I''m done with you, I''m coming after Darren! I''m back, Primitive Wilderness! I am going to get what I came for!" the mysterious man exclaimed, a maniacal glint in his eyes.


    In the Distorted Space of the River of Forgetfulness


    The witcher ancestor fell into the empty space, and emerald colored blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth.


    He was seriously injured from the mysterious man''s attack. He needed to rest and recuperate.


    After a moment of silence, he looked directly into the eyes of an old man who had been staring at him.


    "It''s time for you to show up, the great Lothlann ancestor."

 Chapter 1103 A Complete Lothlann Continent

    The time that the old man spent in the Distorted Space left him depressed and frightened. The witcher ancestor''s request only rattled him more.


    "What do you want me to do?" the old man asked with trepidation.


    "Ancestor, you nurtured the Lothlann Continent. You won''t sit back and watch now that it is going to be destroyed. Right?" The witcher ancestor''s deep voice resonated in the space.


    The old man frowned and glanced at the ground. He seemed upset.


    "But, I''m old and frail. I can''t help you. Besides, you keep calling me ''ancestor'', but I don''t remember a thing.


    Even if I am the Lothlann ancestor as you insist, what can I do? I can''t even fly!" the old man said in one breath. His panicked gaze swept over the witcher ancestor''s face as he searched for an answer.


    The witcher ancestor was also a little puzzled. He scratched his chin and wondered why the ancestor of the Lothlann Continent had lost his memory.


    The witcher ancestor remained silent for a long time as he pondered over the reasons that led to this situation.


    After a while, he sighed and murmured, "So that''s how it is. You lost your memory because the bronze coffin that carries the Upper Spiritual World hasn''t returned. Without it, the continent that was separated in ancient times isn''t complete."


    The first fiend ancestor hadn''t been killed in the first battle. Knowing that the first fiend ancestor would return, he and Hiram divided the Lothlann Continent and left protection methods if none among the descendants could suppress him.


    The witcher ancestor didn''t expect that the World Essence would lose his memory.


    "Ancestor, please wait for a moment." The witcher ancestor bowed respectfully before he disappeared.


    He appeared in front of a huge black vortex a short while later.


    Darren was sitting in the center of the black vortex.


    "Summon the Upper Spiritual World, Darren," the witcher ancestor ordered.


    At this time, Darren was preparing to leave for the Godly City. If the witcher ancestor had appeared a moment later, he would probably have missed Darren.


    "Are you asking me to summon the bronze coffin?"


    "Yes. It holds the Upper Spiritual World. I need you to call it here."


    "Okay." Since Darren needed to leave for the Godly City, he didn''t ask the witcher ancestor any questions. He believed that the witcher ancestor had justifiable reasons.


    Soon, Darren concentrated all his force of control on the bronze coffin. The bronze coffin began quivering in the dark void, and then, it faded.


    had never taken any action.


    "This is my destiny. What else can I do?


    I''ll transform into the World Essence and let them fight for it," the old man said.


    "What?" The green fire in the witcher ancestor''s eyes surged. "Ancestor, why?"


    "For the sake of the human race. I hope that Darren will rise to prominence so that the humans will have a little more hope." The old man glanced at the sky as he spoke. His gaze seemed to penetrate through layers of space and reach a distant place.


    The witcher ancestor silently tried to analyze the old man''s words with his strong Spirit Power.


    At this time, the body of the old man beside him began to shrink. Soon, he turned into a crystal filled with a golden light.


    When the witcher ancestor woke from his meditation and saw this, he sighed deeply.


    "Is it possible that even the Primitive Wilderness¡­" the witcher ancestor murmured before he disappeared.


    When the old man became the World Essence, Barnes, the Shura, the first fiend ancestor, and the mysterious man detected it with their spiritual sense. Now they all wanted to fight for the World Essence.


    The Shura and the mysterious man battled for the World Essence to return to the Primitive Wildness. But why did the first fiend ancestor and Barnes fight for it?


    As Barnes supported the human race, he couldn''t let this World Essence fall into the hands of others. And, so he had to contest for it. As for the first fiend ancestor, he didn''t need it. But if he obtained the World Essence, he would have a trump card with which he could threaten other opponents.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The four mighty warriors flew toward the World Essence in unison.

 Chapter 1104 Set Foot Into The Godly City

    Crack!


    Four bolts of powerful tribulation thunder suddenly shot out from the World Essence. The four figures were struck simultaneously.


    The power of the four thunderbolts was many times stronger than that of the thunder punishment of Heavenly Repression that Darren had experienced. The four top warriors were forced to retreat. Even the mysterious man himself could not withstand the impact!


    "Why would the World Essence fight back?"


    The mysterious man was confused. He let out a sigh of exasperation.


    Suddenly, a powerful force was thrust towards the four peerless warriors. It was a force so powerful, it was as if the whole world was behind it! It was the World Force.


    Faced with the formidable power of the World Force, the four of them were unable to fight back.


    Boom!


    A surge of World Force first swept over the first fiend ancestor and pushed him to the west.


    Another wave of the World Force took up the Shura and pushed him to the east.


    Barnes was trapped in the forbidden area and was unable to move.


    Finally, a third wave of the World Force pushed the mysterious man up north!


    Another wave attacked the south, but there was no one there that they could see.


    After a while, four cities suddenly materialized in the air. The first fiend ancestor, the Shura and the mysterious man each landed in one of the four cities¡ªthe first fiend ancestor in the west, the Shura in the east, and the mysterious man in the north.


    The old man, who had transformed into the World Essence, floated gently down to the center of the four directions, where the human race was located.


    "I''ve got it."


    Seeing this scene, Barnes was enlightened.


    "A battle for the World Essence must ensue. Only when the five destroyers have gathered together can the battle begin."


    Barnes was right about what was happening. Before the five destroyers gathered, no one would be able to steal the World Essence. They needed to fight for it.


    The three creatures, including the mysterious man, were all imprisoned in the cities. When the fourth destroyer showed up, he or she, too, would be imprisoned in the city in the south.


    Only when the fifth destroyer appeared would the fighting begin.


    Since there was one destroyer in each of the four directions, there would also be a destroyer settling at the center of the cities, and he could only be from the human race.


    Essentially, Barnes


    He was about to become a real holy emperor!


    "It''s... This is just tremendous! If I continue to absorb this kind of energy, I bet I can reach the medium stage of the Emperor Realm in less than two weeks! One year would be enough for me to reach the peak of the Emperor Realm!" Darren exclaimed.


    "Can this really be happening? It seems too good to be true!"


    Darren couldn''t believe that he had the chance to reach the peak of the Emperor Realm so easily.


    "No way!"


    All of a sudden, Darren felt something strange.


    Although the "godly energy" he just assimilated had increased his level a bit, it hadn''t completely integrated into his flesh, his energy meridians, or elixir field.


    Darren felt the godly energy begin to flow all throughout his body. There was a lull, and then the energy began to riot inside of him!


    "Ah!"


    Darren gritted his teeth. His meridians began to break under the impact of the uncontrollable godly energy!


    The excruciating pain was one thing. If all his meridians were broken, then all his power would break out of his body! He would explode into a cloud of blood and flesh!


    "Aha. Just as I thought." Darren smiled bitterly and hurriedly mobilized his strength to expel the godly energy he had just absorbed.


    From the corner of his eye, Darren caught sight of something on the fortress. There were two simple, ancient words on it.


    "It must be the character ''Chu''... Eh? The Chu Space? Why is this fortress called the Chu Space?" Darren''s curiosity was piqued, but at that moment, it was critical that he expelled all of the godly energy from his body.

 Chapter 1105 Rebirth Of The Cyan Dragon (Part One)

    After three days of hard work, Darren finally eliminated the remaining godly energy from his body.


    He didn''t dare to absorb the herbs now as he knew that excess godly energy would cause his body to explode.


    At this moment, Darren''s attention was focused on the name of the fortress, Chu Space.


    "How did this fortress get such a strange name?" He was puzzled and intrigued. After all, his full name was "Darren Chu." Could it be that the owner of this fortress had the same surname as him?


    Of all the structures in this empty city, this fortress seemed to be the only special building. Therefore, Darren planned to explore the fortress first.


    After taking a deep breath, he began to ascend the steps leading to the fortress'' entrance.


    Surprisingly enough, the gates creaked open even before he reached them.


    A sense of foreboding filled Darren, and he cautiously pushed the grand door open.


    Almost instantly, he encountered trouble. A gust of strong wind blew toward him! Fortunately, Darren dodged quickly. If the strong wind had caught him, it would have torn him to pieces.


    Although he hadn''t yet encountered any living creatures in the Godly City, there were hidden dangers everywhere. And now, it seemed as though even the wind was a threat. He couldn''t let down his guard.


    After a brief rest, Darren stepped through the gate.


    It was dark, and there was no light behind the door.


    "What?"


    Darren felt strange as a peculiar breath rushed into his mind.


    Almost instantly, agony coursed through him. He felt as if a hand was tearing his soul.


    "Ah!"


    He released an involuntary scream as pain flooded every inch of his body and soul. He tried to transfer all his strength to stop it.


    But, the hand was almost invisible, and Darren''s power couldn''t touch it.


    Helpless, he released his spiritual sense to communicate with the crystal in his mind. Darren had hoped that it would drive away the big hand that was tearing his soul.


    Unfortunately, his plan didn''t work. Darren was further shocked when he felt that the crystal in his mind couldn''t be activated as it had been contained.


    This was the first time that he was encountering such a peculiar situation.


    "Damn i


    the land.


    Whoosh!


    Finley flew toward the Fire Cave.


    After moving forward for a while, he finally stopped in front of a large, dry lake.


    From afar, he saw a man covered in blood sitting cross-legged in the air. Ten kilometers away lay the body of the cyan dragon. It was hundreds of kilometers long, winding like a mountain.


    "Scott, are you okay?" Finley called.


    "Snarl! Snarl! Snarl!"


    Scott turned and growled.


    At this moment, his face was covered with cyan dragon scales, and his blood vessels and energy meridians flowed outside the dragon scales. The sight was terrifying, indeed.


    "Help me."


    A cold dragon''s voice pleaded as it echoed in Finley''s ears.


    Hearing this, he flew over without hesitation.


    But before he could approach Scott, a mighty dragon aura suddenly shot toward him.


    Finley immediately gathered several rule forces to resist the attack.


    Crack! Crack!


    The rule forces were torn apart and the runes were in chaos. Finley was hit by the impact and immediately spat out blood.


    The dragon blood aura was too powerful, indeed.


    With no other alternative, Finley flew back thousands of feet, till he was out of attack range of the dragon blood aura.


    "Scott, what should I do to help you?" Finley shouted.


    "Give your blood and soul to me."


    Scott''s cold, malicious gaze swept over Finley as he spoke. However, this expression was different from his usual look.


    "You!" Finley exclaimed. "You are not Scott!"

 Chapter 1106 Rebirth Of The Cyan Dragon (Part Two)

    His eyes were piercingly icy and beast-like. He couldn''t possibly be Scott.


    "So it seems that you''ve possessed Scott''s body!"


    Within the Fire Cave, the only thing that could have threatened Scott was the corpse of the cyan dragon.


    A moment of thinking gave Finley the answer. The cyan dragon''s soul must have awakened and then occupied Scott''s body.


    The cyan dragon had passed hundreds of millions of years ago. How was his soul able to survive? The question wracked Finley''s mind.


    "Human, come over." There was some kind of magic laced in Scott''s voice. Finley felt himself get bewitched. Fortunately, he had a strong Spirit Power and was able to snap out of it right away. He shook his head.


    "Where''s Scott''s soul? What did you do to him?" Finley slowly stepped back.


    "How could I have used his body if I didn''t swallow his soul first?"


    Scott''s soul had been eaten up!


    "If Darren finds out about this, he''ll definitely be heartbroken." Finley knew that the brotherly bond between Darren and Scott was no less than that of between him and the Water Kylin.


    The cyan dragon swallowed Scott''s soul. This not only made Finley sad, but also tremble in fear.


    Every creature that had fallen from the outer space was ruthless. Once the cyan dragon fully recuperated, he would surely become one of the destroyers.


    The giant corpse of the cyan dragon, which was hundreds of kilometers long, had died hundreds of millions of years ago and no one dared to approach it. If he came back to life, his strength would be no less than that of the mysterious man from earlier!


    ''I can''t allow him to come back to life!'' Finley made up his mind.


    Now that the cyan dragon was controlling Scott''s body, he must have some sort of restrictions. Otherwise, he wouldn''t just be sitting motionless.


    "Scott, I''m sorry!"


    At this moment, Finley made the big decision to destroy the dragon. As a result, Scott''s body would be destroyed as well.


    The serene sound of splashing water was heard.


    A burst of holy light shone from Finley''s body.


    His aura was completely different; the sound of Sanskrit echoed in the air.


    He put his palms together, then pushed his palm forward with force.


    A shadow of a palm with holy light was maneuvered towar


    e, and his figure was thrown back.


    He stopped communicating with his real body and looked forward.


    The impossibly strong dragon tail was pressed back by a black stick!


    "Barnes!"


    Finley was thrilled. The person was none other than Barnes!


    Barnes'' small figure stood upright in the air; his black stick was covered with raging thunder and lightning.


    This was not an easy task for Barnes. The muscles all around his body were bulging and ready to burst because he used too much of his strength. The Suppressing Stick in his hand was bent by the dragon tail.


    Whoosh!


    After fighting against the tail for a while, Barnes had withstood enough, and quickly flew back.


    Boom!


    The dragon tail fell down and smashed the ground around it into rubble. Magma surged and soared straight into the sky.


    The great shock put Scott''s body on the edge, ready to break at any moment.


    "Begone."


    The cold voice of the cyan dragon echoed in Barnes'' brain.


    "Are you kidding me? Why should I listen to you?"


    The cyan dragon fell silent. He could feel that this sudden dark creature was a threat to him.


    "I can help you become a god," the cyan dragon replied.


    "Fuck off! I''m a natural talent. Why in the world would I need your help? Go to hell!"


    Barnes raised his stick and rushed towards Scott.


    He had actually followed Finley all the way here, choosing to stay in hiding in order to assess the situation.


    As soon as Finley found himself in danger, Barnes knew he had to help.

 Chapter 1107 Rebirth Of The Cyan Dragon (Part Three)

    Barnes'' stick carried a tremendous amount of force as it rushed to hit Scott''s body.


    "Howl"


    The cyan dragon emerged a split second before a dark cyan light enveloped Scott''s body.


    Bang!


    The stick collided with the shield of dark cyan light.


    So powerful was the reaction force from the impact that it broke Barnes'' arm!


    The dark cyan light shield was similar to the mysterious man''s dim yellow light ball. The hardness of the dark cyan light shield was incredible.


    "Humph!"


    Barnes was not deterred. He recovered from the shock of the impact and mobilized his strength to heal his broken arm.


    "You burned your soul to block my attack. Useless move, I say as it didn''t seem to work for long!" Barnes had perceived that.


    The battle with Barnes had been so challenging that the cyan dragon had no other choice but to burn his soul.


    Whoosh!


    Before his opponent could launch another blow, a dark cyan light ball suddenly shot out from Scott''s body and rushed straight into the cyan dragon''s body.


    "What?"


    Both Barnes and Finley were so astounded with this unexpected move that they frowned and exclaimed in unison.


    "This is not good. His soul has returned to his body!" Finley shouted.


    By the time Barnes and Finley realized what the cyan dragon planned, it was too late.


    The cyan dragon''s body, which was several hundred kilometers long, suddenly trembled, and a gleam appeared in its eyes, indicating that it had a life aura.


    Boom!


    As the cyan dragon''s body shuddered to life, the earth shook, and mountains began to collapse.


    "Retreat!"


    Once Barnes sensed the cyan dragon''s invincible aura, he alerted Finley and asked him to backtrack to a safe distance.


    "Wait!"


    Finley nodded and turned to leave. However, he saw another ray of light erupt from Scott''s body.


    The light was also cyan, but it was a little fainter shade.


    It flew into the head of the cyan dragon''s corpse.


    In a heartbeat, the cyan dragon''s head, which had lifted just now, fell heavily onto the ground.


    "You''re an ant. Get out!"


    From the mouth of the cyan dragon''s corpse came an icy roar.


    "Now, you are just like an ant! It''s still unknown who will own this body!"


    Finley and Barnes were familiar with this voice. It was Scott''s.


    "Scott is still alive!"


    "Yes, it''s him."


    Finley was pleasantly surprised to learn that Scott''s soul


    Inside the head, one hundred thousand dragon avatars continued to attack the cyan dragon''s soul.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The sound of explosions rang out one after another, and several dragon avatars were annihilated by the attacks of the cyan dragon''s soul.


    However, before each dragon avatar dissipated, it left a wound on the cyan dragon''s soul!


    As the cyan dragon was in the soul state now, it became very difficult to bear the pain of these injuries. Wounds caused during the soul state were significantly more painful than when an ordinary body was torn. The pain was millions of times greater than that!


    The cyan dragon''s soul roared with each fresh injury, but he could neither stop struggling nor stop attacking. Otherwise, Scott, who had inherited the cyan dragon bloodline, would really tear him apart.


    Under the powerful attacks of the cyan dragon''s soul, all the one hundred thousand dragon avatars were eliminated. Now, Scott was the only dragon shadow left.


    The cyan dragon''s soul was scarred and shaken to the extent where he felt he would collapse. His soul was once again badly injured.


    "Argh!"


    The cyan dragon''s soul emitted a ferocious roar, and a cyan flame erupted on his body. He continued to burn his soul.


    "Die, ant!"


    The cyan dragon''s soul seemed to be ready to make his final attack.


    "Really?" Scott smirked as his body lit up with a cyan flame as well.


    "Inheritance skill: fusion!"


    Fiz¡­


    At this moment, Scott''s body divided into many dragons again. Soon after the dragon avatars appeared, they started to merge with him!

 Chapter 1108 Enter The Cyan Dragon

    Under normal circumstances, the Blood Dragon Phantom skill could only be used once for a short time.


    But now, Scott had forcefully employed it twice. As a result, one hundred thousand avatars were created.


    This time, Scott also triggered the second level of the Dragon Blood Clan''s inheritance skill¡ªthe Fusion Skill!


    This skill could hurt the cyan dragon''s soul, and the power it exerted was immense.


    Once the one hundred thousand avatars fused, the force they released would be significantly more powerful than Scott''s.


    In a flash, the dragon avatars merged with Scott''s body, and his power increased manifold.


    A loud howl pierced the air.


    Although Scott''s body was a little smaller than his opponent''s, his aura was mightier.


    Bang!


    Scott immediately attacked the cyan dragon''s soul. As his dragon claws slashed wildly, several holes were made in the shadow of the cyan dragon''s soul.


    Desperation coursed through the soul of the cyan dragon as he felt unbearable pain. Now, he could only think of escaping.


    At this moment, the cold-hearted cyan dragon also felt fear¡ªthe fear of death.


    Scott had sacrificed his soul power to increase his strength. How could he let the cyan dragon''s soul flee?


    Whoosh!


    Scott''s huge dragon body dashed forward at breakneck speed, and his tail pressed down with the power of a hundred thousand stars.


    "Roar!"


    Scott tore the cyan dragon''s soul into two sections.


    Now that the soul had been mangled, there was no chance for the cyan dragon to survive.


    After it died, the cyan dragon''s soul turned into cyan dragon blood aura that drifted in the space of the dragon''s head.


    Relieved that the battle was over, Scott transformed into human form. His soul had been gravely injured.


    Such intense pain coursed through Scott that he believed he was on the verge of death. His last desperate act was to crawl toward the dragon bead that floated in the distance.


    When he looked up, he felt as though the dragon bead in front of him was very far away.


    A sense of urgency filled Scott now. He knew that his soul would collapse and he would die if he did not get to the bead. The damage from forcibly using the Blood Dragon Phantom skill for a second time and invoking the Fusion Skill was too much for him.


    The seconds that ticked past felt like hours. And each time Scott glanced at the dragon bead, he felt as though he had made no progress. Trepidation filled him now as he knew that if he didn''t fus


    He used this opportunity to rush into the dragon bead.


    Outside the cyan dragon body


    Barnes returned to Finley. His complexion had paled, and he appeared weak.


    Finley hurriedly caught him.


    "Monkey, are you okay?"


    "I''m fine."


    Barnes'' entire body was convulsing, but he waved his hand and stared at the cyan dragon in front of him.


    "Roar!"


    The cyan dragon suddenly raised its head high and roared. The sound broke the heaven and earth and spread to every corner of the Lothlann Continent.


    In the forbidden area


    The first fiend ancestor, who had been cultivating in the western palace, trembled with such intensity that he almost fell to the floor and crawled when he heard the dragon roar.


    A dragon was his natural enemy!


    In the eastern palace, the Shura was shocked to hear the roar. His aura surged, and his Shura Force shot toward the sky.


    In the northern palace, the mysterious man awakened. He raised his head, and his gaze seemed to travel through the great hall and fall into the Fire Cave.


    "It''s been revived,"


    the mysterious man said in astonishment.


    "This is terrible news for me, especially if he helps Darren. The space-time disorder forced me to wait for hundreds of millions of years. Now, everything will be in vain. Alas!" the mysterious man sighed.


    In the Distorted Space of the River of Forgetfulness


    The witcher ancestor also sensed the dragon''s aura. He had mixed feelings about this situation.


    "Whether Scott is a destroyer or not depends on whether he dominates or is dominated after he enters the cyan dragon," the witcher ancestor murmured. Curious, he decided to investigate.

 Chapter 1109 Desolate Burning Mountain

    In the Godly City


    Darren floated along, his body light. The darkness around him seemed endless. There was nothing as far as the eye could see.


    "Am I dead?"


    Darren had asked himself this question many times, but he refused to believe that he could die like that.


    "Welcome to the Chu Space, young man."


    From out of the darkness, a voice spoke.


    "Who''s there?"


    Darren''s heart thumped loudly. He was ecstatic.


    "I''m the spiritual creature of the Chu Space. You may call me the Space Spirit."


    Darren nearly burst into tears of joy upon hearing the spiritual creature''s voice. He had spent such a long time in the darkness alone. It was comforting to know he was not.


    "Space Spirit, tell me. Am I still alive?" This was Darren''s biggest concern.


    "Well... technically... you have died..."


    the Space Spirit drawled out slowly. Darren''s ears buzzed and his head spun.


    "But you were fated to die, else you would not have been able to come to the real Chu Space. I can kill you but I can also make you reborn," the Space Spirit said, his voice metallic.


    "Space Spirit, I want to be reborn. Please let me be reborn. There are still a lot of things I have to do!" Darren pleaded.


    "Don''t worry. You can be reborn. Well, under one condition, that is. The Desolate Burning Mountain has eight stages. You have to pass through at least the first three stages and obtain the godly dark-spirit crystals. Only then can you be reborn," the Space Spirit said.


    "Three stages¡­ Godly dark-spirit crystals¡­" Darren murmured. "I will do my best."


    Darren realized that if he was able to pass some tests in the Chu Space, he would have the opportunity to reach the peak of the Emperor Realm.


    "Doing your best won''t guarantee your success. Right now, you have two choices. The first is to give up on going into the Desolate Burning Mountain. That means you will live in the soul state for the rest of eternity. Second, you can choose to go into the Desolate Burning Mountain, but your soul can perish and your death will be permanent. I have to remind you that you are not strong enough. Getting out of the Desolate Burning Mountain would be a very hard feat to accomplish."


    "It is better than living this life. I would rather take my chances than live the rest of my life wondering what if," Darren said.


    "I respect your choice. Let me enlighten you." As soon as the Space Spirit finished speaking,


    r me to improve. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have summoned me here. There must be a chance for me to pass," Darren said.


    The Space Spirit was silent for a moment. When he spoke, his eyes sparkled. "You''re very smart. However, even if I give you the divine crystal to cultivate, you still have very little chance of passing the tests."


    "Well, I won''t know it unless I try." Darren was determined to go into the Desolate Burning Mountain.


    "Well, now I will announce the rules of the tests. Listen carefully."


    Darren nodded silently. His heart beat wildly inside his chest.


    "Before entering the Desolate Burning Mountain, you can get two divine crystals. Generally speaking, these two divine crystals can help a warrior at the peak of the Emperor Realm reach the Super Emperor Realm. You won''t be able to accomplish that because your realm, sad to say, is too low.


    However, this has something to do with the use of the divine crystals. In theory, you still have a chance to become a super emperor if you make full use of the divine crystals. But even talents in the Primitive Wilderness can''t achieve that level of usage. Fifty percent of the usage of a divine crystal is already the limit.


    Oh, and one more thing. You have only three months to absorb the divine crystals. When the three months are up, you will automatically be taken to the first test to enter the first stage of the Desolate Burning Mountain. It will take half a year for a cultivator at the peak of the Super Emperor Realm to absorb a divine crystal."


    After the Space Spirit finished speaking, Darren was filled with confidence.

 Chapter 1110 Scotts Situation

    Darren had a feeling that the level of the divine crystals that the Space Spirit spoke of surpassed that of any other spiritual energy. It would require good absorption speed and proper usage. As Darren possessed the assimilating power, he was brimming with confidence.


    "Space Spirit, I have another question."


    "What is it?"


    "I have absorbed the godly energy from the herbs outside in the past, but this was not under my own accord. It destroyed my energy meridians. If it is the same with the divine crystals, I''m worried my body will immediately explode, killing me." Despite his confidence, Darren was actually worried about this setback.


    "Don''t worry. The messy energy outside is not the real godly energy. There will be no similar side effects once you absorb the divine crystals."


    "Oh. That''s certainly a relief."


    "Now, I will continue to tell you the rules."


    Darren leaned in as he listened carefully.


    "If you are lucky enough to pass the test of the first stage of the mountain, then you will receive four divine crystals and a legendary cultivation method. You won''t need to comprehend it yourself as the knowledge will directly enter your mind. That will be your reward.


    If you can pass the test of the second stage of the mountain, you will obtain a god''s body. You can utilize this in order to fight at the third stage of the mountain.


    Now, once you pass the test of the third stage of the mountain, congratulations! You will have become a disciple of the Chu Space. You will be protected by the Chu Clan as soon as you come to the Primitive Wilderness and you will have three hundred years to cultivate in peace well. After that, you can decide where to go.


    I''ve told you everything I have to say. Here are two divine crystals. Take them."


    Darren picked up two brown stones. He marveled in awe and slight fear. These were the divine crystals.


    Darren sensed the immense power contained in the stones. It was much purer than the godly energy contained in the herbs outside!


    "I''m in the soul state now. I can''t exert my strength without my body." A thought hit Darren. Now that his soul had separated from his body and he didn''t have rule skills, how could he possibly pass the first test?


    "You don''t need to worry about that. Once you enter the first stage of the mountain, you will have a physical bo


    would be hurt.


    However, the black smoke drifted past, and without any hindrance, it successfully entered the dragon head.


    "This old man''s soul is really powerful," Barnes murmured.


    What followed was a dead silence within the cyan space.


    After entering the cyan dragon''s head, the black smoke turned into the shape of the witcher ancestor.


    The witcher ancestor in his soul state was not as feeble-looking as he usual was. At the moment, he looked like a middle-aged man in black robe.


    He strode forward. The intertwining rule and law silk threads could not stop him. He passed through them with ease. His soul was not under any form of law or rule.


    "Scott, come out!" the witcher ancestor called out to the floating dragon bead in front of him.


    It was quiet for a long time.


    "I know you can materialize now. Come out and meet me," the witcher ancestor called again.


    "How dare you come to my soul space!"


    bellowed a voice from behind the witcher ancestor.


    Surprised, the witcher ancestor turned his head and saw a man in cyan. He looked like Scott, but on his left cheek, there were cyan dragon patterns, which made him look cold and ruthless.


    He didn''t look like a human being at all.


    The witcher ancestor sensed his aura, and had an extremely ominous premonition come over him.


    "Could you possibly be the cyan dragon?" he asked.


    "Of course I am. Now, who are you? How dare you come to my soul space? You must have a death wish by setting foot here!" Scott shouted in a cold voice filled with infinite killing intent.

 Chapter 1111 The Space Spirits Astonishment

    The soul of the witcher ancestor could feel the killing intent.


    "It seems that you really suppressed Scott."


    Hearing this, Scott, who had dragon patterns on his left cheek suddenly restrained his killing intent.


    "Who the hell are you?" he asked, scowling.


    The witcher ancestor suddenly realized it wasn''t as bad as he thought.


    "I''m Brayden. People call me the witcher ancestor."


    "Witcher ancestor!" Scott was astonished. "Are you really the witcher ancestor?"


    The witcher ancestor felt relieved at the man''s sudden change of expression.


    "I''m telling you the truth. Only Darren and Finley know that I''m still alive. Nobody else is aware of this," said the witcher ancestor.


    The patterns on Scott''s face faded away when he heard this. He bowed to the witcher ancestor''s soul respectfully. "Sir, nice to meet you," he said.


    The last time the first fiend ancestor was suppressed, it was largely due to the witcher ancestor''s power. If Hiram had fought alone, he wouldn''t have been able to save the human race.


    The witcher ancestor was a legend. Scott admired him greatly.


    Scott''s attitude indicated that he was the one who took over the cyan dragon''s body. The dragon did not enslave him.


    The witcher ancestor smiled a wry smile and hurriedly held him up. "It seems that you have successfully taken control of the cyan dragon. I think we''ve got a pretty good shot of making it through this."


    "To tell you the truth, I can''t take full control of the cyan dragon. There are too many rules and laws in the cyan dragon. My soul can''t bear all of them. I have to comprehend them one by one," Scott said, his tone serious.


    "Really?" The witcher ancestor thought for a while. "That is, indeed, a problem. But even if you can''t control it completely, you can use the cyan dragon''s body. Your power should be equivalent to the peak of the Super Emperor Realm, right?"


    Scott gave a small nod. "Well, if I control the cyan dragon, I do have the strength of the Super Emperor Realm, but it won''t last long. I''ll have two hours at most. I also can''t leave the Fire Cave now because the cyan dragon has very strong restrictions on its body."


    "It doesn''t matter. I''ll help you break the restrictions," said the witcher ancestor.


    "No, sir. They are extremely powerful. If they are broken using force, the dragon body will be destroyed. I can only get out once my soul has completely integrated with the dragon body and I have been able to take full control of it,"


    one hungrily.


    "He is such a talent! I must help him. I hope he can pass the tests and become a disciple of our Chu Clan."


    The old tree was, of course, formed by the Space Spirit.


    There were actually many talented people with Spiritual Domain Degree talent in the Primitive Wilderness.


    But for some unknown reason, it seemed that the Space Spirit valued Darren so much. Why? He even broke the rules and increased the speed at which Darren absorbed the divine crystals!


    To possess Spiritual Domain Degree talent in the mortal worlds and to possess it in the Primitive Wilderness were two completely different things.


    To put it shortly, in the Primitive Wilderness, all the top forces were secretly recruiting talents from the mortal worlds. This was because the talents from the mortal worlds generally had greater potential than the talents in the Primitive Wilderness.


    The talents in the mortal worlds had gone through countless hardships that had made them stronger. Some were even able to survive the thunder punishment of Conflicting Cultivation. Those talents were truly unmatched!


    Therefore, once talents in the mortal worlds were promoted to the Primitive Wilderness, the forces would protect them and fight for them. As long as the talents were under the guidance of the forces, they would grow rapidly. Some of them would even become overlords!


    That was why the Space Spirit valued Darren so much. He was the most talented among all the cultivators in the mortal worlds! Of course, the Space Spirit''s understanding was still very limited. There were many things about the mortal worlds that he and the Chu Clan still had to learn.

 Chapter 1112 The First Stage

    Time flew by quickly in the month that Darren had been immersed in cultivation.


    Swish!


    Darren opened his eyes. Absorbing the divine crystal had indeed helped him to improve his cultivation base. Nevertheless, despite the inexplicable increase in assimilation speed, he only finished absorbing one divine crystal.


    Now, his cultivation base was at the peak of the Emperor Realm.


    According to the information Darren received, it was impossible for a cultivator at the peak of the Emperor Realm to pass the first stage of the Desolate Burning Mountain.


    In his memory, Darren found that tens of thousands of people at the peak of the Emperor Realm from different mortal worlds had died at the first stage of the mountain.


    "I hope I get the chance."


    Darren didn''t feel desperate as his methods and skills were different from those of the other holy emperors. He was also stronger.


    At that thought, Darren stood.


    When he began to move, the space started to tremble.


    "Are you ready?"


    asked the Space Spirit.


    "I''m ready. Here is the remaining divine crystal. Since I don''t need it, I will return it to you." Darren tossed the remaining divine crystal.


    Such an action startled the Space Spirit.


    "I don''t know if you are smart or dumb." The Space Spirit laughed coldly as he sent the divine crystal back into Darren''s hands.


    Before Darren could say anything, the Space Spirit shouted, "Prepare to enter."


    The space around Darren started to distort, and a powerful force pulled his soul. In a flash, he disappeared from the darkness.


    It wasn''t long before Darren landed in a new world.


    With widened eyes, he surveyed his surroundings.


    When he had heard that the place was called the Desolate Burning Mountain, he pictured a barren, dead place. But the scene before him was different from what he had imagined.


    The land was not desolate. On the contrary, birds sang, and flowers bloomed everywhere. It was a beautiful world, full of sounds and colors!


    Darren gazed into the distance, and on the horizon, he saw mountains that appeared to have nine levels. That was the nine stages of the Desolate Burning Mountain.


    Darren, of course, had to contain the joy and wonder coursing through


    , the swarm of bees and butterflies seemed to retreat. Perhaps they had a natural fear of this aura.


    Although afraid, they still buzzed around Darren.


    One by one, regardless of their trepidation, they launched their attacks.


    After circling for a while, the bees and butterflies charged at Darren again. Only this time, their number increased dramatically.


    Boom! Boom! Boom


    When the small flying creatures collided with the Shura Force, Darren thought they would die. However, they bombarded him with the force of holy emperors!


    The power of the impact was so great that cracks appeared in this space.


    Besieged by so many bees and butterflies, all Darren could do was resist. He could not launch an attack as there were too many bugs, and each had a strong body. If Darren attacked rashly, he would probably be swallowed by the other bugs before he could kill one of them.


    ''Fire! How could I forget that I am the True Fire Spiritual Body and that I have the godly fire?''


    An idea occurred to Darren then. However, he wasn''t sure if the fire would have any effect on these insects. After all, they were in the Emperor Realm.


    Darren decided that he had nothing to lose by trying.


    Crash.


    Numerous dazzling flames suddenly appeared in the sky. A fraction of a second later, fire from outer space fell from the depths of the sky. Darren activated the godly fire in his body and summoned that fire.


    In an instant, the beautiful world was filled with flames.

 Chapter 1113 How To Pass The River

    The godly fire from outer space that Darren summoned began to scorch the green land.


    All sorts of flames danced and swept with a sense of destruction.


    Countless bees and butterflies rushed around in the sea of fire, terrified.


    "It worked." Darren was a little relieved.


    The godly fire from outer space he summoned was unable to directly burn these powerful bugs, but it could cause them endless pain and torment, giving Darren the perfect opportunity to kill them.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Streams of dark gold internal force surged out and transformed into sharp needles, each piercing through a single bug.


    With every precise stab of the needles, a satisfying crack sounded out.


    The bugs of the Emperor Realm were severely weakened after being grilled by the godly fire from outer space. The dark gold internal force easily killed them one by one.


    Suddenly, the whole world was silent. The buzzing noises of the insects were completely gone.


    Darren relaxed and let the summoned fire dissipate on their own.


    The lush green land had now been burnt to ashes.


    "Assimilate."


    Darren paused for a moment and remembered that the powerful bugs might have had great talent in cultivation.


    Taking advantage of the opportunity, he made sure to assimilate their talent before it dispersed.


    A clatter rang out through his mind.


    He could feel many streams of strong talent flowing into his head.


    "Woah!" Darren gasped in astonishment. The talent of these bugs was comparable to that of the human cultivators with Genuine Domain Degree talent. It was incredible!


    A few moments later, the mysterious space in Darren''s mind was filled to the brim with talent liquid.


    "Wait, there''s still a lot of talent in the air. I have to absorb as much as possible."


    At the thought of it, Darren''s spiritual sense entered the mysterious space, and began to compress the talent liquid to save space.


    After being compressed by Darren''s Emperor Realm spiritual sense, the liquid became solid and the space it took up decreased by ninety percent!


    "The gap in the talent liquid is greater than I thought."


    Generally speaking, when liquid solidified, the change in size would be minor, but the talent liquid seemed to be differ


    mely stern but vicious.


    Darren gave a bitter chuckle as he faced these young men. He was staring straight into duplicates of his own face.


    Darren sensed that the auras of the young men in purple were all his auras: the aura of blade and sword, the aura of Shura, the aura of dragon, to name a few. All the auras were his own.


    It was likely that their strength also matched that of his own.


    He still remembered that he once had a battle with himself when he entered the Starry Tower. Last time, the mirror in the Starry Tower created a perfect copy of Darren.


    Suddenly, Darren realized that he was copied by the river when he flew nearer and was reflected in the river!


    Darren''s confidence took a blow as he faced a dozen versions of himself.


    After all, how could he win when he was facing himself? To make matters worse, Darren was vastly outnumbered!


    "No wonder most of the people at the Emperor Realm had died in this river. If anyone could defeat dozens of opponents at their own level, their strength improvement in such a short span of time had to be at an amazing level," Darren murmured.


    Why did Darren think so?


    The moment those copies of Darren showed up, he suddenly had an idea.


    These duplicated figures wouldn''t improve their levels; their strength was fixed. If Darren wanted to get through this test, he must improve his cultivation base as fast as possible. Once he reached the next level, he would be strong enough to have a chance against the replicas.

 Chapter 1114 Talent Upgraded Again

    Dozens of Darren''s replicas silently stood in front of him. There was no emotion in their eyes.


    ''I gave the impression that I was strong, ''


    Darren thought as he smiled bitterly. Now that he was facing so many replicas that mirrored his strength, he could feel his heart thudding in his chest.


    ''I need to improve my cultivation base as soon as possible. Otherwise, I won''t stand a chance.''


    At that thought, Darren frantically absorbed the last divine crystal. He didn''t know when his replicas would attack him, but he needed to be ready.


    ''No wonder the Space Spirit gave me the two divine crystals. He knew that I would need both to pass this test.''


    When he received the two divine crystals, Darren had used one and tried to return the second. But, the Space Spirit asked him to take it back. The Space Spirit knew that no one could absorb two divine crystals in a month. Darren had wondered why he had given him two. Now, Darren understood the reason.


    When he thought of how he had tried to return the remaining divine crystal, he felt ridiculous. If he hadn''t received the divine crystal, it would have been impossible for him to improve his cultivation base now. After all, there was no spiritual energy in the first mountain.


    The pure spiritual energy in the divine crystal poured into Darren''s body.


    He was now at the top level of the Emperor Realm. If he absorbed this divine crystal, he might reach the Super Emperor Realm.


    But, it had taken him a month to absorb the last divine crystal. The replicas surrounding him would not give him so much time to cultivate. Darren worried that he would be killed during his cultivation.


    ''Wait. I have Spiritual Domain Degree talent, but it has not reached the peak.'' His brows furrowed as this thought flashed through his mind.


    The Space Spirit assumed that Darren''s Spiritual Domain Degree talent was at the top level. But, he didn''t know about Darren''s Assimilation Skill. So he took Darren''s speed of assimilating the divine crystals into account when he made the assumption.


    Now, Darren''s talent could be upgraded as he had many talent crystals.


    ''Let me try to refine it first, ''


    Darren''s spiritual sense came to the mysterious space and tried to refine a talent crystal.


    ''Wow, I did it!''


    A long time ago, when Darren had the Genuine Domain Degree talent,


    sible for Darren, who was at a little higher level, to fight against all the blade and sword intents released by dozens of his clones. There were simply too many!


    As expected, Darren''s blade and sword intents soon collapsed under their combined attack. With no other alternative, he summoned his Shura Force.


    Just as the Shura Force fended off the blade and sword intents, dark gold internal force shot toward Darren.


    "Damn it!"


    Darren''s heart sank. After he became a holy emperor, the dark gold internal force was his most powerful attack. When dozens of his replicas attacked him with their dark gold internal force, how could he withstand it with just his Shura Force?


    Even if he used his dark gold internal force, he could not prevail against theirs.


    So, Darren immediately activated the Augmented Attack Rule and attached it to the dark gold internal force.


    Now, Darren''s sword and blade emitted the dark gold internal force. Instead of using it to protect himself, he condensed it into a dark gold divine sword.


    Since it was insufficient to simply defend against the replicas'' attacks, he decided to try something more aggressive. After all, only by killing several clones would he have the chance to survive.


    Whoosh!


    The Augmented Attack Rule was attached to the dark gold sword, and Darren''s dark gold internal force proved to be stronger than his replicas''. The dark gold sword penetrated through the replicas'' attack and pierced one of the clones'' head.


    ''What? He is alive?''


    Darren found that the replica was still alive!

 Chapter 1115 A Battle Against His Replicas

    Darren was a little panicked. Although his dark gold internal force was already enhanced by the Augmented Attack Rule, he couldn''t kill one replica.


    ''These replicas are actually looking out for each other!'' Darren thought.


    He had pierced through one replica''s head, and the remaining ones immediately healed it.


    A replica''s dark gold internal force shot to him, and he had to activate his power to withstand it. He braced himself for impact.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The dark gold light exploded, and Darren convulsed in the air. The blast wounded him badly, and blood dripped from his body.


    The battle had just begun but Darren was already at a disadvantage! He was likely to be attacked and killed by his replicas very soon.


    Dozens of replicas charged towards Darren.


    Their speed, strength, and force were similar to Darren''s during the time that he flew over the river. Darren had nearly been killed trying to fend them off.


    ''I can''t just sit still and wait to die!''


    Darren quickly thought of a way to get out of this situation.


    ''My higher talent and the crystal in my brain should give me the upper hand.''


    Darren had finally found his way out.


    His talent had improved, which not only allowed him to quickly absorb the divine crystal, but also allowed him to comprehend martial skills faster.


    He also believed that the replicas would not be able to copy the high-level crystal he had floating inside his brain, so that meant that he was the only one in possession of the crystal¡ªthe strange stone.


    In order to pass this test, Darren had to act smart and use these to his advantage.


    "I just mastered a few moves of the Void Penetration. I guess now is a good time to give it a go," he muttered.


    The Void Penetration that Darren obtained had a total of over ten thousand moves. Before, because of his insufficient talent, he had only been able to comprehend five moves. Now that Darren''s talent had reached the peak of the Spiritual Domain Degree, he should be able to comprehend more of the moves.


    Darren had also familiarized himself with all the moves in the beginning. Now, it was much easier for him to comprehend them all.


    Swoosh!


    The replica''s head exploded.


    Darren thrust out his hand and released a powerful fiendish aura, killing two more replicas.


    The rest of the replicas charged at him and broke his scales. His body was badly beaten.


    ''Fortunately, everyone''s speed is restricted. They need to defend themselves from my attacks. If it weren''t so, I''d be dead meat by now, '' Darren thought.


    If their speed was not limited, the replicas would be much more powerful. They could launch attacks from all directions and work together to take Darren down.


    Darren just got lucky.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    With enormous fiend power, Darren let out a low growl and killed half of his replicas in the blink of an eye.


    In the end, Darren activated the Augmented Attack Rule and destroyed his replicas one by one. After Darren had slaughtered every last one, the air reeked of blood and death.


    Darren was exhausted after killing all the replicas, and he couldn''t maintain his transformation.


    He felt relief flood through him and he was grateful he had passed the test. However, he was also worried.


    What was he worried about?


    None other than the first fiend ancestor!


    He had killed dozens of his replicas when he assumed the state of the first fiend ancestor. What did that mean? It meant that even if Darren came out from the space with his strength at the peak of the Emperor Realm, it would still be impossible for him to defeat the first fiend ancestor!

 Chapter 1116 Passing The First Test

    The result troubled Darren.


    He was uneasy at the thought that even if dozens of his copies fought together, they''d still collectively be no match for the first fiend ancestor. This was assuming they were all at the top level of the Emperor Realm.


    What was more, when Darren used the Nine Changes of the Demon skill, he was just imitating the first fiend ancestor. Because of the different rules or laws they comprehended, the real first fiend ancestor would still come out much stronger than he was.


    In conclusion, even if Darren succeeded in passing three tests, he could only reach the top level of the Emperor Realm at most. This was far from enough.


    Darren had to face not only the first fiend ancestor, but also the Shura who had already inherited the God Character of his ancestor. What worried him the most was the mysterious man who had unsettlingly told him he would kill him.


    With the need to face those powerful destroyers, the top level of the Emperor Realm was simply not enough.


    "Alas," Darren sighed. He was still left with no other choice but to pass three tests first, even if the situation seemed hopeless.


    He was barely surviving the first test. How much more difficult could it be to pass the test of the second and third mountains?


    As overwhelming as everything was, there were a total of nine tests in the Desolate Burning Mountain. It was hard to imagine the difficulty of passing the fourth to the ninth test. The mere thought exhausted Darren.


    ''I think only people like my master would dare take part in the test of the ninth mountain, '' thought Darren.


    He decided to give his muddled thoughts a rest and flew over to the other side of the river.


    Darren''s heartbeat was rising with nervousness. He feared dozens of his replicas would appear again. At this point he was much too weak to handle another wave of replicas.


    Luckily, Darren landed safely on the other side of the river.


    He immediately began to absorb the remaining spiritual energy of the divine crystal after landing. Some of the energy was used to heal his wounds, and the other to improve his cultivation level.


    Presently, he was in no rush to go to the big tree. Since his talent had been promoted, he naturally had to comprehend first and improve his level.


    He practiced in that area for three months with no stops.


    In the Desolate Burning Mountain, Darren didn''t worry about wasting time because there was no concept of time to begin with. Even if he stayed there for three years, the time outside would not change too much. The message from the Space Spirit made this clear enough.


    In the past three months, Darren''s cultivation base had managed to almost reach the Super Emperor Realm.


    ''It''s a pity that I don''t have any more divine crystals. Otherwise, I''d surely break through to the Super Emperor Realm


    topped in front of the door and ripped out triumphant laughter.


    It turned out that the branch leading to the second mountain was just an illusion. If he forced himself to try and break the Restriction Array, he would have been trapped for an entire lifetime until he died of exhaustion.


    The only way to pass the test was to attack with strength!


    "That was close! If I didn''t do some quick thinking, I would have never been able to walk out of the first mountain," Darren exclaimed in relief.


    "Congratulations! You have passed the test of the first mountain. Here are four divine crystals and a legendary martial skill."


    The Space Spirit''s chipper tone echoed through the space.


    As the voice sounded, four divine crystals fell into Darren''s hands, and the memory of the legendary martial skill was merged into his mind.


    "You are truly a legend. I really hope you can pass the next test,"


    the Space Spirit said encouragingly to Darren.


    "I sure hope so. Space Spirit, what is the test rule of the second mountain?" Darren asked quite straightforwardly.


    "In the second test, you only need to fight with your own strength. Now, once you enter, you won''t have any time for comprehension or cultivation. Remember, before you enter, you must use the resources I gave you to practice as much as you can," the Space Spirit said.


    "Of course I get that. Anyway, how long will you give me?" Darren asked.


    "Three days. After these three days have passed, you will enter the second mountain. This is a rule even I can''t change. Come on! This''ll be a piece of cake for you. You just have to kill the three fiend gods from the abyss, and then you pass the test."


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat when he heard this. ''I can''t even break through to the Super Emperor Realm. Am I really going to fight three fiend gods in the next test?'' he thought, as a cold sweat came over him.

 Chapter 1117 Barnes Looked For The Immortal

    Before entering the second mountain, Darren needed to enhance his strength again, or he wouldn''t be able to defeat four fiend gods!


    The resources Darren now had were a book about a martial skill and four divine crystals. These had been given to him by the Space Spirit. However, he only had three days to cultivate.


    If, in the first mountain, Darren''s talent hadn''t improved significantly, these three days would have been insufficient.


    But now, his Spiritual Domain Degree talent had reached the top level. With the help of the assimilating power, his ability to absorb divine crystals had surpassed that of a warrior, who had the Spiritual Domain Degree talent. So, he still had a chance.


    Darren sat cross-legged and began to rapidly absorb the divine crystals so that he had a better chance to pass the test of the second mountain.


    On the Lothlann Continent


    After the witcher ancestor left the Fire Cave, he did not return to the River of Forgetfulness. Instead, he went to the Sacred Palace.


    At this moment, the top managers of the Sacred Palace, as well as Barnes and Finley, were present.


    "Barnes, Finley, I have to ask you for a favor."


    "What can I do for you, sir?" Although Barnes sat on the chair and ignored the witcher ancestor, Finley asked respectfully.


    "I need you to go outside the forbidden areas and gather powerful tribulation holy warriors. They will be useful someday," the witcher ancestor instructed.


    The Lothlann Continent was vast. Ever since the Upper Spiritual World returned, the forbidden areas were no longer separated from the other areas of the continent.


    Several mighty figures also lived among the hundreds of millions of human beings in the outside world. Most of them concealed their cultivation bases, including powerful tribulation holy warriors.


    "May I ask why they''re needed?" Finley frowned and asked.


    "The mysterious man enveloped by the yellow light brought a hundred thousand ancient senior holy warriors, which is a powerful force. I need powerful tribulation holy warriors to use arrays to fight them," the witcher ancestor explained.


    One hundred thousand ancient senior holy warriors could match Barnes'' strength if they had a powerful attacking array. Thus, this force could not be underestimated. That was why the witcher ancestor wanted to prepare.


    "Okay, I''ll look for them." With a courteous nod, Finley left.


    "B


    "I''ll kill you!"


    Now that he had found her, nothing would stop Barnes. He charged toward the immortal''s power.


    Bang!


    When the stick collided with the immortal''s power, tremors shook the whole Badlands. The huge mountain hidden in the special space exploded with the intensity of the aftershocks.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Both Barnes and the immortal flew into the deep void in tandem.


    "It is you." Barnes sneered.


    The stunningly beautiful woman in front of him was dressed in green. What surprised him was that her immortal aura was more remarkable than before.


    "Get out of here!"


    The immortal''s loud voice rang in Barnes'' ear. It was so loud that it made him dizzy.


    "You got stronger." Barnes shook his head. Using his powerful power as a tribulation holy warrior, he expelled the immortal''s sound. "But it''s uncertain who will live or die today!"


    "Why do you get in my way?" The immortal had never clashed with Barnes. She didn''t understand why this dark creature would fight her at this critical moment.


    "No reason. I just want to kill you. Is that reason enough?" Barnes sneered, and his teeth glimmered in the faint light in the void.


    "You are helping that human!" The immortal spoke after careful thought. She had figured that this creature had something to do with Darren.


    "You mean Darren?" Barnes raised his stick and pointed at her. "No, you''re wrong. I''m here for the Lothlann Continent."


    "You are not human, and yet you have human feelings?" she couldn''t help but ask in curiosity.


    "Cut the crap! Let''s fight!" Barnes roared and charged at the immortal.

 Chapter 1118 Thunder Punishment For The Immortal

    Barnes and the immortal were battling one another.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The void collapsed and a huge crack appeared. It looked like a ferocious beast attempting to devour everything that it could.


    Whoosh!


    A figure was hurled out of the chaos. It was Barnes!


    Barnes was badly hurt by the impact. He realized that the immortal had grown much stronger than when he had last seen her.


    If the immortal had not grown stronger, he would have been able to kill her instantly.


    But now, he was certain that she had mastered some sort of law force.


    "You have returned to your peak!"


    Barnes had a Golden Indestructible Body and his wounds disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    "You''re clearly no match for me. Get out of here."


    The immortal gave Barnes a warning and raised an eyebrow at him. He was not worth her time.


    When Barnes heard this, he knew something was up.


    The immortal was a cold and ruthless creature. She had no emotions or feelings, and could only see judge outcomes based on their pros and cons. If she didn''t want to kill Barnes, it was certainly not out of the goodness of her own heart. She had asked Barnes to leave. There was something she was afraid of.


    "No retreat, no surrender!" Barnes shouted and gritted his teeth.


    Barnes dashed forward again but this time, he did not go all out. He relied on his bodily movement skill to attack.


    He needed to see what the immortal was hiding.


    The two darted quickly around the void. Barnes constantly dodged the immortal''s attacks. For a moment, even the immortal couldn''t harm him.


    After an hour of fighting, the Badlands were in ruins. Barnes was still undefeated and he could feel the immortal getting more and more anxious as the minutes passed.


    Click!


    At this time, a bolt of lightning suddenly flashed in the sky.


    Outside the void, a thick cloud covered the space and weighed down on the void.


    Barnes felt the pressure pressing down on him and he could feel his heart beat extremely fast.


    "Oh, you are indeed going to go through the tribulation. The old man was right!"


    He finally understood why the immortal asked him to leave.


    Barnes quickly retreated and distanced himself from the immortal.


    She h


    ised his head, shocked.


    The immortal activated her strongest attack, hoping to kill Barnes once and for all!


    "Ha! She wants to drag me down with her!"


    After he sensed the incomparably powerful law force, he stopped attacking the Immortal Character and fled quickly. His speed was astonishing.


    After he escaped, the Immortal Character was still about one kilometer away from the immortal. With the Immortal Character''s rising speed, it would take at least fifteen minutes for it to fly into the immortal''s body. The immortal would not be able to make it speed up.


    Crack!


    There was no time left. The thunder punishment would not wait.


    The first bolt of thunder had already descended.


    The winding lightning, like a dragon swimming in the sky, rampaged through the void and finally landed on the immortal.


    Countless electric explosions lit up the sky.


    The immortal tried to protect herself but her green force shield was immediately shattered.


    The law force began to fight against the thunder. They consumed each other for a few seconds, and the weak law force was crushed.


    The immortal''s beautiful figure was surrounded by lightning. She spat out a mouthful of blood, and her delicate face was deathly pale.


    The first bolt of thunder had seriously injured her.


    "Oh, no!" At this time, Barnes, who was observing the scene from afar, scratched his head. "If she dies, won''t Darren''s wife perish too?"


    He knew just how much Elsa meant to Darren.

 Chapter 1119 The Ninth Tribulation

    When Barnes thought of Darren, the gloating feeling in his heart vanished.


    Elsa was the love of Darren''s life. If the immortal died, she would die as well. If such a thing happened, Darren would be driven to insanity with grief.


    As Darren''s friend, Barnes wouldn''t wish to see him in that kind of state.


    "Damn it! Should I help her?" He gritted his teeth in frustration as his mind went into a frenzy.


    After thinking for a while, Barnes finally decided to take action.


    Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. He realized that the immortal was more powerful than him by now. Even she couldn''t resist the power of the thunder punishment. How was he supposed to help her?


    "Unless I''m a nine-tribulation holy warrior," Barnes whispered to himself.


    There had never been such a warrior in history. Once he reached this level, he could surpass even a super emperor!


    "Nine-tribulation holy warrior. Alas!" Barnes sighed.


    "Wait, what? The ninth tribulation!" Just as he was about to lose all hope, a thought suddenly came to him.


    "Why don''t I try to go through the ninth tribulation, then?"


    It was definitely a dangerous feat, but this made Barnes excited all the more.


    He supposed if he forced himself to start the ninth tribulation, and used his own thunder to resist the immortal''s thunder, then it would make the best of both worlds!


    Barnes couldn''t help but tremble with excitement at the mere thought.


    Who on this continent had ever seen an immortal going through thunder tribulation? This was a fine opportunity!


    Barnes finally made up his mind. In the distance, the immortal faced the second bolt of thunder, but her Immortal Character was still slowly rising.


    A crack of electricity sounded throughout the space


    as snow-white lightning struck the immortal.


    The aura of the thunder was terribly destructive. Fortunately, its target was the immortal. Otherwise, the entire Badlands would have collapsed from the impact.


    The immortal looked somberly up at the sky, and the lightning lit her up. At this moment, she looked helpless and a little lonely.


    Boom!


    The law force on the immortal''s body erupted to resist the thunder punishment.


    Unfortunately, without the Immortal Character, she was too weak and her body was easily penetrated by the thunder.


    An unexpected gust of wind passed as a figure buzzed through the air


    up!


    If the time differed by even a tenth of a second, the two thunders would not collide into each other.


    At this time, the third thunder for the immortal had already begun to descend.


    This bolt of thunder looked surprisingly normal, and no signs of destruction could be sensed.


    "Soul Tribulation Thunder!"


    The immortal''s eyes shot up and she felt calmer at the sight of the less-threatening thunder.


    The Soul Tribulation Thunder was meant to attack the soul, but now most of her soul was already contained in the Immortal Character. Even if the remnants of her soul in her body was destroyed, she would not die.


    A mighty crack of lightning suddenly fell.


    The thunder pierced through the immortal and pierced right through her mind.


    This time, the immortal put up no resistance and let it break the remnants of her soul.


    The pain was severe, but still within the immortal''s threshold.


    "After five minutes, my fourth thunder will descend," the immortal croaked after some quick calculation.


    What she meant was quite obvious. She was reminding Barnes that his thunder needed to descend in sync with her thunder.


    Barnes nodded as he immediately got the message.


    "Howl!"


    Barnes turned into an ape, one hundred feet high, in a flash.


    He looked ferociously at the red tribulation cloud. He beat his chest over and over in order to use his rage to activate the thunder.


    Crack!


    A red lightning flashed in the cloud.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a sword-shaped scarlet thunder descended swiftly from the cloud and aimed straight at Barnes'' head.

 Chapter 1120 A Smart Method

    Barnes'' thunder was coming!


    This was unexpected as his thunder would miss the immortal''s thunder again.


    The red sword-shaped thunder rushed toward Barnes at an unimaginable speed.


    "Howl!"


    A ferocious expression appeared on his face as he thumped his chest and roared.


    Crack!


    The red sword-shaped thunder struck Barnes on the head.


    It didn''t matter that it was powerful enough to kill him. After all, he had a Golden Indestructible Body, which meant that he would be revived after fatal injuries.


    However, there was a complication!


    After the red sword-shaped thunder exploded, it didn''t dissipate. On the contrary, it turned into many tiny swords that stabbed the space randomly.


    The immortal, who was standing beside, felt that something was wrong.


    It only took her a brief moment to figure out that Barnes'' thunder would prevent his resurrection! If he couldn''t be revived, his vital energy would be crushed, and he would not be able to resurrect. Absolute power was the nemesis to all Eternal Bodies in the world!


    As she and Barnes were allies now, the immortal couldn''t just stand by and watch.


    She also had a selfish reason for wanting to help Barnes. She needed him to help her pass her tribulation!


    As the immortal moved, the law force surged and covered all the small thunder swords.


    Crack, crack.


    After the law force collided with the thunder swords, space began to vanish.


    Fortunately, the thunder''s power had significantly reduced after it had fragmented into tiny swords. Therefore, the immortal was able to destroy most of the thunder swords.


    A shadow gradually formed, and the remaining thunder swords immediately gathered, intending to shatter Barnes again. Fortunately, the immortal''s law force protected him, and Barnes was able to revive.


    Even though he had returned to life, Barnes seemed weaker than before.


    "Whoosh!"


    When Barnes returned to his original appearance, he gasped for breath, like a drowning child who had been rescued.


    "Thank you," Barnes said coldly.


    The immortal didn''t respond. A short moment later, she reminded him, "In a minute, my fourth thunderbolt will strike."


    Hearing that, Barnes knew that he needed to activate his second bolt of thunder.


    "No, I should trigger at least two bolts of thunder."


    Barnes realized he had only passed the first bolt of thunder and that he had eight more to endure. However, the immortal only had three left. He


    al, just as he had done several times before.


    Only now, he found that the immortal didn''t move.


    A sense of foreboding coursed through Barnes.


    "She..." He suddenly realized that this ruthless creature was going to force him to endure the last thunder by himself. She wanted him to die!


    The scarlet thunder formed a colossal hand and chased Barnes.


    The immortal seized this opportunity to move further away from Barnes, drawing her sixth remnant thunder away from him.


    Now that her Immortal Character was hovering above her, the immortal no longer needed his help. In a few seconds, she would recover her strength, and she wouldn''t fear the remaining thunder.


    She decided to kill the dark creature as she could sense that once he survived the thunder punishment, he would be a huge threat to her.


    Her rational mind told her that she had to kill this dark creature before he became stronger, so that he would never be a threat to her.


    "Ha-ha-ha." Barnes laughed bitterly.


    His heart was empty, and he felt ridiculous for having trusted her.


    He was a ruthless dark creature all his life. Once he made an unexpected friend, his mind changed too. He never thought that the immortal would betray him like this.


    If this had happened in the past, he would have watched her die.


    "Such is my fate! I met Darren and became a friend to him. Now, I will die because of him," Barnes roared.


    Hearing the horrifying roar from Barnes, the immortal said coldly, "Do you regret it?"


    "Regret? Impossible! If I regret meeting Darren because I might die, then I don''t deserve to be his friend," Barnes said firmly.

 Chapter 1121 Elsas Rebirth

    The immortal was shocked with Barnes'' words.


    This dark creature, who valued his life most, was willing to give his life without question for a human. Unbelievable!


    Buzz...


    Suddenly, the Immortal Character fell into the immortal''s head. The space was immediately filled with majestic soul aura.


    Streaks of holy, immortal light shot up into the sky.


    Crack!


    When the immortal''s soul returned, something in her heart seemed to have broken. However, she did not feel annoyed.


    Crash!


    Memories poured into her mind like a tidal wave hitting a great rock!


    Hundreds of memories flashed through her mind¡ªeach one starring the same person. It was Darren!


    His voice, his smile, his face... Every bit of him was intoxicating. Memories of him continued to flood the immortal''s mind.


    "No!"


    the immortal roared, looking a little sad.


    "How could you?!"


    The immortal trembled because she felt her soul stir with the memories of Darren. These were all Elsa''s memories!


    When her Immortal Character returned, Elsa''s soul had awoken inside her.


    It wasn''t Elsa''s doing. The immortal needed a bit of her soul in the Immortal Character to compensate for what she had lost.


    Her Immortal Character triggered Elsa''s soul that was hidden in the immortal''s mind. Unknowingly, the Immortal Character had also released her memories.


    The process didn''t assimilate Elsa''s soul. Instead, it completely fused Elsa''s soul with the immortal''s soul.


    The immortal was furious. This meant that in the future, her body and power could be under the control of another soul.


    She would no longer have full autonomy over herself!


    The immortal was powerless to stop this. The change was done by her Immortal Character and she could not reverse it.


    The soul fusion was completed in no time. Strange memories had entered into the immortal''s


    rpassed every other single rule.


    Realizing this, the immortal suddenly became silent. She was lost in her memories. She contemplated on the past.


    When she was immersed in the memories, she could not shake herself of them. They invaded both her heart and her mind. She had feelings and emotions now.


    "Oh, what a surprise! You''ve come back to life! When Darren finds out about this, he will be very happy." Barnes was filled with joy.


    "Yeah, it''s been a long time. How is he now?" Elsa murmured. Tears filled her eyes.


    The immortal looked even more beautiful when her face showed emotion.


    "Let''s get out of here first. I''ll let Finley tell you when he comes back."


    "Alright." Elsa nodded. She had been waiting for this day for so long.


    Barnes and Elsa flew all the way out of the Badlands.


    In the Godly City, Darren, who was cultivating, suddenly opened his eyes. He felt a very strange emotion welling in his heart.


    ''What a strange feeling! Why do I suddenly feel sad and happy at the same time?'' Darren couldn''t understand his emotions.


    "Never mind. It''s time to go to the second mountain," Daren said aloud.


    Darren''s strength had increased enough. It was time for him to go up the second mountain.

 Chapter 1122 The Second Test (Part One)

    When Darren finished absorbing the four divine crystals, he naturally reached the Super Emperor Realm. With the increase in his realm, his other skills also reached their upper limits.


    "I''d like to see what kind of fiend god I''ll be facing!" Darren murmured, revealing a newfound sense of confidence in his strength.


    There was a world of difference between the Emperor Realm and the Super Emperor Realm. Darren felt like he was a god the moment he stepped into the Super Emperor Realm! He was on top of the world; in his mind, nobody in the world could beat him.


    Darren stepped forward and entered the space door of the second mountain.


    "What? Is this hell?"


    Darren immediately felt what seemed like the flames of hell from the moment he stepped in. It was very similar to the Flaming Hell he''d seen in the ancient times.


    There was one big difference, though. He wasn''t swept by a fierce and raging storm this time.


    "I heard that there are four fiend gods. Why don''t you show yourselves?" Darren shouted as gently as he could, but his voice came out as loud and thunderous. The space shook as if there was a big earthquake.


    Suddenly, the clattering of chains


    came through.


    Darren looked into the distance and saw a black shadow shift in the dark. It was ten thousand feet high and looked like a fierce beast from the ancient times.


    The figure seemed to be on a slow pace, but in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Darren.


    In front of this colossal creature, Darren looked as small as an ant.


    "Boring."


    He gazed down at Darren with bloodshot eyes. It was easy for him to see through Darren''s cultivation base.


    The fiend god obviously looked down on Darren''s strength.


    With a slight grimace of disappointment, the fiend god turned around, ready to leave.


    "How dare you!" Darren sneered.


    Bang!


    The fiend god slammed his foot on the ground as his huge body came to a stop.


    "You feeble insect. How dare you look down on me?" the fiend god bellowed.


    "Oh, you think I''m looking down on you? That''s a reach. You''re nothing but a soon-to-be corpse to me."


    Darren reached out to attack as soon as he finished his words.


    "Howl!"


    Before the fiend god could retaliate, numerous cracks appeared on his thick armor, and blood spurted out from everywhere.


    "The i


    tered Darren''s mind, and it was compressed into a talent crystal.


    "Wow, it''s incredible!" Darren condensed the talent into a black talent crystal the size of a millstone. It was quite a harvest.


    After slaying this fiend god, Darren continued to search for the remaining three.


    However, according to the first fiend god, the other three fiend gods should be even stronger. A cold sweat came over Darren as he thought about this, but he quickly shook off any feelings of nervousness.


    Outside the Desolate Burning Mountain, the Space Spirit had been carefully observing the battle from beginning to end.


    When he saw Darren''s strength, he thought even more highly of him.


    "This talent from the mortal worlds is in the top 100 among all the talents who came to this test. If he cultivates long enough, he might even be the best one among them all!" the Space Spirit murmured in amazement.


    "Well, you still have to pass the test of the third mountain. The Chu Clan must keep a genius like you," he continued to whisper to himself.


    In the Space Spirit''s mind, it would be no problem for Darren to pass the second test with his current strength. However, the bigger problem still stood¡ªthe third test. Even the most renowned genius disciples of the Chu Clan didn''t dare go into the third mountain.


    "His surname is Chu. I wonder if he''s related to our Chu Clan." The question had crossed the Space Spirit''s mind before, but only now did he actually give it any thought. How could a Chu Clan disciple even exist in the mortal worlds?

 Chapter 1123 The Second Test (Part Two)

    Darren began to search for the remaining three fiend gods.


    After flying through this hell-like world for a while, Darren sensed strong fiendish aura being emitted from a small cave.


    "Stop hiding and come out! Are you scared?" Darren stood in front of the cave and yelled.


    Eventually, a shadow slowly emerged from the cave.


    Contrary to Darren''s expectation, the fiend god was tiny¡ªabout the height of a human child aged twelve or thirteen.


    As he exited the cave, a long scarlet cloak fluttered behind him. In his hand, he held a steel fork.


    "I can''t believe that you could kill number four."


    "There''s more you can''t imagine, like the fact that I''m going to kill you."


    "How about you make a deal with me?" the short fiend god proposed.


    "No, I won''t." Darren felt too impatient to listen.


    "It is true that all humans, no matter how weak they are, will always be arrogant, and you are no exception. Unfortunately, in our eyes, you humans will always be just a small and delicious meal," the short fiend god sniffed.


    "Your nonsense means nothing to me. Cut the crap and let''s fight!" Darren replied coldly.


    The short fiend god''s face twitched as though he were trying to hold back a wry smile. A dark and dangerous vortex surged in his dark eyes.


    Whiz!


    The cloak behind him flew open, and in an instant, it turned into a space, trapping Darren within it.


    "Let me show you the god''s domain! I''m invincible in my domain. Did you know that? Time for you to die, human!"


    Darren was not flustered even though he was imprisoned in this space.


    A cultivator would own a domain skill when he or she reached the Grand Realm, but it wasn''t really powerful. Rarely would cultivators at the Holy Realm and beyond use the power of domain.


    But then again, this fiend god''s domain was tens of thousands of times stronger than the domain of a human grand warrior. Darren estimated that it was stronger than the first fiend ancestor''s Killing Abyss as well.


    "Let me see how invincible you are!"


    roared Darren as he moved swiftly, like a sharp sword.


    Rip!


    His shadow pierced the fiend god''s body.


    Bang!


    Just as Darren''s figure passed through the fiend god, a heavy blow landed on his back, shattering all his bones. Agony and shock coursed through Darren.


    "In my domain, I am the absolute god. Do you really think that you can kill me?"


    In


    d reached the end, he could not sustain his demonic state for much longer. Second, Darren wanted to test the power of another powerful skill.


    "Reincarnation,"


    Darren murmured after he returned to his human form.


    He had comprehended the Reincarnation Holy Will a long time ago. The Primitive Emperor had informed him that it was a useless skill for warriors in the Holy Realm, but it was an extremely powerful skill for warriors in the Emperor Realm.


    Now that Darren had reached the Super Emperor Realm, how powerful could the Reincarnation Holy Will be?


    "No! No! No!"


    The Reincarnation Emperor Power enveloped the short fiend god, who howled and screeched as though he had encountered something extremely terrible.


    Under the Reincarnation Emperor Power, the small fiend god''s body changed continually. Sometimes, his body grew thousands of feet high, and sometimes, his body shrank to bug size. This was the process of his growth.


    But the process didn''t make it grow. On the contrary, it reversed his growth.


    "It''s incredible!"


    Darren exclaimed with widened eyes. He hadn''t expected the Reincarnation Emperor Power to downgrade a powerful creature so quickly.


    Most of the fiend god''s power was gone in just half a minute.


    "I must kill him as soon as possible!"


    Although the Reincarnation Emperor Power was incredible, Darren also knew its shortcoming¡ªit was ephemeral. Once the time was up, the opponent''s power would be restored.


    Unwilling to let that happen, Darren activated his dark gold internal force and sliced off the short fiend god''s head.

 Chapter 1124 The Second Test (Part Three)

    The short fiend god had died. Darren assimilated his talent.


    Darren knew from the very beginning that the short fiend god was not a threat to his life.


    ''The Super Emperor Realm. I have to reach the Super Emperor Realm in order to defeat the destroyers, '' Darren thought to himself. He felt the strength of a super emperor running through his veins.


    If Darren could get out of here successfully, he could only possess the strength of Emperor Realm. It would be far from enough to defeat the destroyers.


    Darren deeply desired to keep the strength of a super emperor.


    ''I will pass the third test first and then, I will ask the Space Spirit. Maybe he can help me.''


    Darren cleared his mind and began searching for the last two fiend gods.


    The two fiend gods appeared while Darren was looking around him.


    Their auras emanated the same strength as the short fiend god''s did. They flew in the air. They had huge, black, bone-like wings on their backs, similar to the appearance of bat wings.


    They landed in front of Darren.


    "Human, we can choose not to fight."


    The two of them had just witnessed the death of the short fiend god. They knew that this human had the power to kill them, too.


    "Why not?" Darren asked coldly.


    "We run the risk of losing to one another. It would be better for us not to fight."


    "How am I supposed to get out without killing you?" Darren huffed.


    "Why do you have to get out? Stay here. We can pass on to you our blood and make you stronger." The two fiend gods had witnessed Darren turning into a fiend and knew that he could inherit the blood of the fiend race. This was why they wanted to negotiate with him and avoid going up against him.


    Darren sneered. "You don''t understand. Strength is not the only thing I am after. I have a greater purpose. I have to protect my world. That is why I am doing this. Your offer does not interest me one bit!"


    "Kill!" Darren said no more and attacked.


    "Stupid human, you are doomed to die!"


    The bone wings of the two fiend gods spread out, casting shadows on the ground. Dark red stripes flashed on their bodies. This was a sign that they were about to use thei


    nto dust.


    "What?!"


    They were shocked. The dark gold internal force was much stronger than what they had encountered before.


    Whoosh!


    A purple figure appeared behind them from out of nowhere.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The sword and the blade charged towards them both. Their heads rolled on the ground.


    "No!"


    the two fiend gods roared at the same time. They regretted underestimating Darren''s power.


    Whoosh!


    The intangible blade and sword intents swept over, and the heads of the two fiend gods exploded. Darren immediately assimilated their talent.


    "Phew!"


    Darren landed on the ground and let out a sigh of relief.


    He was able to win this challenge because of his sudden enlightenment and the opponents'' carelessness. He took a moment to compose himself.


    "Congratulations, Darren. You have passed the test of the second mountain."


    The voice of the Space Spirit rang in Darren''s ears. A space door materialized in front of him, leading him to the third mountain.


    "What will I get for passing the test of this mountain?" Darren asked.


    He knew that it would be more difficult for him to pass the test of the third mountain. With a reward, he might have a better chance of prevailing.


    "There''s no reward."


    "What?" Darren asked, frowning slightly.


    "The reward will not be necessary for you to pass the test in the third mountain," the Space Spirit explained.


    Darren furrowed his eyebrows, confused.

 Chapter 1125 The Fifth Destroyer

    The Space Spirit''s words puzzled Darren.


    "Why is it useless?" Darren frowned and asked.


    "You are strong enough for the test in the third mountain. Actually, even a holy emperor can pass the third test. However, it''s not going to be easy. Once you enter, you''ll understand. Are you ready?" The Space Spirit''s reply was vague and offered Darren no clarity.


    "All right." Without a proper explanation, Darren had no other alternative but to proceed. He nodded and entered the third mountain.


    "What?"


    Darren''s eyes widened, and his mouth flew open. He was shocked by the scenery before him.


    The third mountain was the same as the first mountain!


    A serene, green field full of dancing creatures stretched to the horizon. A gentle river gurgled at the end of the grassland, and a towering tree stretched its thick canopy on the other side of the river.


    This was precisely what Darren saw when he entered the first mountain.


    "What?" Darren was even more confused now. What kind of test was this?


    In the forbidden areas of the Lothlann Continent


    Finley stared at the extremely beautiful immortal in disbelief. After several moments of hesitance and silence, he asked, "Are you really Elsa?"


    "Yes." A light smile replaced the cold expression on the immortal''s face.


    "This is great! Darren will be so excited to hear that!" Finley was wild with joy.


    "Where is he?"


    Elsa probed with her spiritual sense for Darren''s aura but couldn''t find it.


    "Ahem." Finley''s face darkened as he explained, "He went to the Godly City to improve his strength. It will be a while before he returns."


    "The Godly City? I''ve never heard of such a place. What is it?" Elsa''s brow furrowed.


    "I''m not sure either. We''ll have to wait until the witcher ancestor arrives."


    "It is a city that fell from the Primitive Wilderness." A figure dressed in a black robe appeared in the hall. It was the witcher ancestor.


    "Sir." Elsa bowed slightly. As she had inherited the immortal''s memory, she naturally knew the identity of the witcher ancestor.


    The witcher ancestor raised his hand, indicating that Elsa should not be so courteous. Then, he gave her a brief explanation about the Godly City.


    "Ah." Elsa''s eyes widened with surprise. Her voice was laced with concern as she asked, "Isn''t that very dangerous for Darren?"


    "There is some danger, but I believe in Darren''s ability to surpass challenges. H


    eared calm as he reassured the witcher ancestor.


    "Monkey, once the battle starts, no one from the human race will be a match for the destroyers. How can we not panic?" Finley said anxiously.


    "No one can match them? I''m here. Aren''t I? They can''t do anything!"


    After the witcher ancestor heard the declaration, he studied Barnes carefully and felt a little surprised.


    "You have gone through the ninth tribulation?" He was a little uncertain.


    "You have sharp eyes, old man. You are right. I have passed the ninth tribulation. Unfortunately, the last thunder almost killed me. As a result, it''s not considered complete. Nevertheless, my current strength is only a notch lower than a real nine-tribulation senior holy warrior.


    Regardless, I''m not afraid of anyone except the mysterious figure,"


    Barnes said as he released a strong aura. His power was so overwhelming, almost as if he were a god.


    "Ha-ha, great!" When he sensed Barnes'' invincible power, Finley found it difficult to contain his joy. He was so delighted that he patted Barnes'' shoulder as he exclaimed, "You''re awesome! The first nine-tribulation senior holy warrior in history!"


    "Boy, are you flattering me?" Barnes laughed.


    "Whatever you say. Monkey, I''m counting on you. I''m not kidding," Finley said. His tone had turned more serious now.


    "Why do you speak such nonsense?" asked Barnes.


    Buzz¡­


    Just as they were talking, a change occurred. The World Essence, which was hovering over the forbidden areas, began to shake. Tremendous World Force was released and enveloped the whole range of the forbidden areas.

 Chapter 1126 The Witcher Ancestors Shock

    At the moment, Finley and the others could clearly feel the increase of stability within the forbidden areas.


    "Wow, what a tough space! I''m worried that even I can''t break it." Barnes began to get curious about it.


    "This should be done by the ancestor of Lothlann Continent, in order to prevent the world from being shattered," explained the witcher ancestor.


    "So, that means battle for the World Essence is really about to start!"


    "That is correct." The witcher ancestor nodded.


    With the upgrade of the space of the forbidden areas came the simultaneous rumble of the five palaces.


    Whoosh!


    The fiend aura in the western palace emerged in a burst of power, and a fiend of more than ten thousand feet in stature appeared in midair. It was truly the first fiend ancestor to be released from imprisonment.


    To the east, the Shura stood domineering in mid-air as the entire sky turned blood red.


    As the immortal''s energy surged, a breathtakingly beautiful woman flew out of the palace in the south. The immortal had been freed from her imprisonment.


    There were a total of five destroyers who had been imprisoned. The mysterious man and the fifth destroyer had yet to make an appearance.


    Currently, there were three destroyers who were released and they all turned their eyes to the World Essence.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The first fiend ancestor and the Shura firstly flew to the World Essence. The immortal, with her icy beauty, stood motionless in the air.


    Two powerful figures quickly approached the World Essence and began to duel for it.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    While the two of them fought, the sky turned a dark red color due to the clash of the fiendish aura and the Shura Force.


    "Old man, do you want me to join the fight?"


    Barnes'' eyes were bursting with fighting spirit.


    "No, you must wait."


    "Wait for what?"


    "The right time for you to enter the battle would be when someone manages to touch the World Essence."


    "Okay." Barnes nodded and continued to gaze at the sky.


    The fight between the first fiend ancestor and the Shura was a close one. Their fierce strength was truly on par with one another.


    Whoosh!


    The immortal''s figure began to shift now. Leaving a trail of brilliant green light behind herself, she rushed straight into the battlefield.


    Splash!


    Beaming streams of law force flashed one after another across the sky. The powerful aura in the air was enough to make any creature surrender.


    "Argh!"


    The first fiend ances


    g me is useless. You still won''t get it."


    When the immortal attacked, Elsa forcibly controlled her body in order to hold her back. Otherwise, the immortal would have gained the upper hand by now.


    "If I let those two creatures take the World Essence away, the Lothlann Continent will perish. Now, if it falls into my hands, I can at least wait for Darren''s return and seek his opinion on the right decision," the immortal said.


    "That''s just rubbish. Why would you wait for Darren? What do you care?" Elsa didn''t believe it at all.


    "Don''t forget that I have already inherited your memories and your emotions now."


    Elsa was surprised to hear this. She exclaimed, "Oh, then that means you also love Darren?"


    "Of course," the immortal coldly shot back.


    "No, you can''t! I love him. You''re not allowed to love him too." Elsa snorted.


    "Well, that''s not up to me, but if you die, at least your lovey-dovey emotions will disappear from my soul with you."


    "You!" Elsa was rendered speechless with anger and frustration.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    While the immortal was talking to Elsa, an extremely powerful force suddenly burst out from the fifth palace.


    The domineering force flew towards the battling figures in the sky with great momentum. The aura was even more powerful than that of the immortal at her peak state!


    "What?"


    The mysterious man raised his brows at the sight; even he was amazed by this power.


    And at this moment, the one who was the most surprised was the witcher ancestor.


    "It''s him! How could this be? How could it be him?" The witcher ancestor''s hands trembled. He couldn''t believe who''d just appeared in their midst.

 Chapter 1127 Test Of Belief

    When he saw the witcher ancestor tremble, Finley grew concerned. He asked, "What''s wrong, sir? Do you know the identity of the fifth destroyer?"


    The witcher ancestor didn''t reply. His facial muscles twitched as he stared at the fifth palace. It was a while before he replied.


    Finally, the witcher ancestor answered, "Nothing. Perhaps I made a mistake."


    "Then what did you sense before?" His reply did not satisfy Finley''s curiosity. And so, he probed the witcher ancestor for more information.


    "Hey, old man, don''t hesitate. Just say it," Barnes urged impatiently. He was also very curious to learn the identity of the fifth destroyer.


    The witcher ancestor sighed but remained silent.


    After a while, the witcher ancestor''s figure began to fade. Soon, he disappeared from their sight.


    "What a naughty old man!" Barnes scoffed.


    "Don''t be so irritable. The witcher ancestor must have a good reason for not saying anything." Finley patted Barnes on the shoulder as he tried to pacify him.


    Barnes shut his mouth and snorted coldly.


    In the sky


    When the domineering force was released, the immortal, the first fiend ancestor, and the Shura were forced back into the void.


    These three destroyers had felt the power of the fifth destroyer simultaneously.


    And the mysterious man hiding in the yellow light was now concerned about whether the fifth destroyer would trigger the Balance Law!


    Once the Balance Law was activated, the fifth destroyer would be suppressed.


    A frown appeared on the mysterious man''s face. Even after observing for a while, he didn''t feel any law descending. Could it mean that the Balance Law allowed the fifth destroyer to exist?


    "He is obviously one realm beyond the other three. Why isn''t he suppressed?"


    The mysterious man was a bit confused. According to his understanding, the Balance Law should suppress the fifth destroyer. But he wasn''t. Why?


    The mysterious man couldn''t fathom the reason for this anomaly. So, he tried to probe the fifth destroyer.


    Bang!


    A strong Destructive Force shot toward the central palace.


    As soon as the force neared the palace, a domineering power in cyan rose into the sky and collided


    The test of this mountain was more difficult than the previous two.


    "Alas, what should I do? What should I do?" Darren sighed as he shook his head. He had tried everything and made no progress.


    ''If only I could transform into a bug. Then I might be able to communicate with them, '' Darren thought.


    If Darren was a rule cultivator, he could use the Copying Rule to achieve this. Unfortunately, his rule skills had weakened after he separated with his rule soul.


    After careful consideration, he realized it was not difficult to communicate with the Copying Rule, because he had done it when he was at the Grand Realm.


    "I have reached the Super Emperor Realm. I can try even if I am weak in rule cultivation!"


    Darren had no choice but to try and communicate with the Copying Rule.


    As there was no other alternative, he focused his efforts on trying to figure out the Copying Rule hidden in the space. As he didn''t have the silvery eyes, it was very difficult to take the first step.


    "Where is the Copying Rule?"


    Darren used his Spirit Power to search for the Copying Rule among hundreds of millions of rules.


    "No. Not this rule. It is not this rule, either."


    After searching like this for a long time, Darren looked tired, and for the first time in many years, he felt sleepy.


    "Whoosh!"


    Several months went by, and Darren still struggled to find the Copying Rule. Soon, exhaustion took its toll, and Darren finally fell asleep.

 Chapter 1128 Became A Bee

    After Darren fell asleep, he dreamed that he had morphed into a bee and flew around in flowering shrubs.


    A swarm of bees was busy with their work nearby, and he went to greet them. He rationalized that he had dreamed of becoming a bee, as before he had fallen asleep, he had considered becoming an insect as it would help him to communicate with the bugs around him.


    "Wait a minute!


    I have reached the Super Emperor Realm. How can I possibly dream?"


    Darren suddenly woke up. ''A super emperor can dream? How is that possible?''


    Intrigued, he released his spiritual sense to watch himself. To his surprise, at this moment, he really was a bee.


    ''Ha-ha.'' Darren was delighted. ''My effort paid off. It turns out that I mastered the Copying Rule without realizing it. And since I''ve been thinking about turning into a bee, it was actualized the moment I went to sleep.''


    After a few months of hard work, Darren had finally achieved his goal. The next step for him was to communicate with the bugs.


    Darren flew around for a little before landing in the green grass.


    "Help! Help! Boohoo."


    After walking for a while, Darren heard a faint cry for help.


    He ran in the direction the voice had come from and saw that a group of big black ants had surrounded a weak bee.


    They drooled a fishy, smelly liquid. It was apparent that they wanted to eat that little bee.


    "Leave her alone!"


    A protective urge surged within Darren, and he couldn''t help but shout at the sight.


    The ants turned and let out a faint but ferocious roar.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    They rushed toward Darren at lightning speed.


    "What?"


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat. Now that the ants threatened him, he readied himself to activate the blade and sword intents.


    However, he found that he could not use any skill!


    "Damn it!" Darren frowned and shouted. His elixir field had disappeared after he transformed into a bee, and his skills had vanished.


    As the angry ants continued to dash toward him, Darren''s first reaction was to flee. He could feel that they were as strong as cultivators at the top level of the Emperor Realm.


    Buzz...


    Darren flew as fast as he could, trying to escape.


    ''Wait.'' After flying for a while, Darren thought h


    tugged at the corners of his lips when the effect was as expected. The crystal quickly absorbed the venom in his body, and he returned to normal.


    After the poison was removed, Darren activated the Augmented Attack Rule.


    Bang!


    Darren kicked the head of the nearest black ant. In an instant, his aggressor died.


    "Wow!"


    The bee was astonished. She had not considered that an unremarkable worker bee would have a powerful enough force to break through the black ants'' defense.


    "You are powerful."


    "I''ve told you that before. Do you adore me now?" Darren grinned as he freed himself from the ants. A split second later, he killed all the remaining black ants.


    The little bee was amazed at Darren''s strength.


    "Uncle, you are so powerful! Can you escort me to my home?" the little bee asked as joy coursed through her.


    "Let''s go. Where is your home?"


    Darren gathered his strength and broke the spider web that was still stuck to the bee''s wings. Once she was free, they took to the sky.


    After flying for a while, Darren and the little bee reached a huge nest.


    "Here we are. This is my home."


    "It''s nice and chic," Darren complimented calmly.


    "Somebody, arrest him!"


    The change in the little bee happened so fast that Darren was dumbstruck. Her voice was no longer tender and child-like. Instead, it had become ice-cold and laced with the arrogance and majesty typical of a leader.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Buzz...


    Numerous bees with strong aura flew out.

 Chapter 1129 The Last Destroyers Identity

    "What the hell are you doing?"


    As hundreds of thousands of bees immediately swarmed around Darren, he looked at the little bee coldly. He didn''t expect that he was actually in front of the queen of the bees!


    "I didn''t expect you, a worker bee, to be so capable. Are you a spy? Tell me!" the little bee said bitterly.


    "Ha-ha!" Darren smiled and said, "You have already seen my strength. Do you really think these subordinates of yours can defeat me? I can kill you all with my bare hands!"


    "You!"


    The little bee shivered with fear.


    ''Since the mysterious worker bee could penetrate the defense of those black ants just now, my people could definitely not defeat him, '' the little bee thought.


    "Who are you?" The little bee pretended to be fierce.


    "Why should I tell you?" Darren retorted coldly.


    At that moment, an injured bee hurried and reported to her in a panic, "Your Majesty, I have bad news! A horde of big black ants is fast approaching!"


    "Oh my God! What should we do?" The little bee began to worry.


    "I''ll kill them for you on one condition: lead your subordinates to believe in me," Darren said.


    "Humph! No way!" the little bee refused and looked away.


    "All right then. See you." Darren turned around immediately.


    "Wait! Don''t go. Please."


    On the Lothlann Continent


    The sky was dark and gloomy while the battle continued.


    One hundred thousand ancient senior holy warriors were summoned and arranged in order in the sky.


    "What?" Finley was completely dumbfounded.


    The mysterious man was already powerful enough. Why did he want to lead an army of a hundred thousand ancient senior holy warriors?


    Even if those hundred thousand ancient senior holy warriors had some powerful array, they were still no match for the fifth destroyer.


    "Those ants are dead!"


    Barnes roared and glared at the group of ancient senior holy warriors. He readied himself and was about to bolt towards the void.


    However, all of a sudden, Finley stopped him. "Don''t go, monkey! If you rush to slaughter those ancient senior holy warriors, that mysterious guy may fight you to death. Let''s just wait and see for a while."


    Barnes fell silent after thinking about what Finley said. He thought it made sense, but he still wanted to see what the mysteri


    s man walked into the void and traveled through space.


    Seeing the mysterious man flying to take away the World Essence, the immortal, the Shura, and the first fiend ancestor stood still in the air because they knew that they were no match for him.


    Whoosh!


    Just as the mysterious man drew closer to the World Essence, a cyan halberd immediately flung in front of him and shattered the space it passed.


    "It''s you! It''s really you!"


    At that moment, an old man in black robe suddenly appeared above the palace.


    "Hiram the Great!" the witcher ancestor exclaimed in a dry and hoarse voice.


    Hiram the Great was his peer and junior. He had watched Hiram grow and develop into a strong warrior back in the days. During the crisis a million years ago, he and Hiram fought side by side. They had witnessed the destruction of war and the joy of victory together.


    In the witcher ancestor''s eyes, Hiram was the most benevolent and loyal man in the world who cared about the human race! When Hiram died for the human race, the witcher ancestor''s heart ached for the first time in his life. At that time, he felt that God was so unfair.


    However, he never imagined that such an extraordinarily talented human, who had protected the human race a million years ago, would actually emerge as a destroyer!


    Moreover, after the witcher ancestor sensed Hiram''s aura for the last time, he spent some time contemplating over what had happened in the past. He realized that everything was planned by Hiram a million years ago!

 Chapter 1130 A Deadlock

    The witcher ancestor stood above the palace. He did not know what to feel.


    A moment later, a cyan light shot straight out of the palace and landed in front of the witcher ancestor.


    "Long time no see." Hiram''s voice was calm and cold.


    The witcher ancestor''s withered face seemed to twitch. The two stared at each other until the witcher ancestor broke the silence. "Why did you pretend to be dead?"


    Hiram raised his head and looked up at the sky. His eyes shone strangely.


    "I respect the friendship that we had, so I am telling you to get out of the Lothlann Continent,"


    Hiram said, his voice full of emotion.


    It would be easy for the witcher ancestor to leave the Lothlann Continent and survive elsewhere.


    "Tell me the reason." The witcher ancestor found Hiram''s behavior to be so strange.


    "You don''t need to know. I have to get the World Essence and go to the Primitive Wilderness. It is my destiny," Hiram said.


    "You''ve changed, Hiram. It''s either that, or I never really knew you at all." The witcher ancestor turned around. After all, there was no more point in pushing him. Hiram had already made up his mind.


    The witcher ancestor fell beside Finley and Barnes and stood there quietly.


    In the void, Hiram was clad in strong, cyan armor. He was a peerless warrior. The halberd in his hand had a destructive power. As soon as he appeared, all the other destroyers seemed weak and inferior.


    The mysterious man''s attention was focused on Hiram.


    "It''s you." The mysterious man seemed to know Hiram.


    "How do you know me?" Hiram asked coldly.


    "Humph, I know everything about the war that happened a million years ago. I didn''t expect you to be here.


    I''m curious about how you could stay on the Lothlann Continent since you have already reached the God Realm," the mysterious man said.


    "Your strength is comparable to a warrior in the God Realm as well. You can also stay on this continent. That''s why," said Hiram.


    "You''re wrong. I''m a ten-tribulation holy warrior. The mortal world will not expel me. But, you. You are different. You have a true God Character, which is not allowed by the rules of the mortal world."


    "So what? I''m here now. It''s really not any of your business,"


    he once again rushed towards the ancient holy warriors.


    Hiram''s only chance now was to kill all of the ancient holy warriors. If he succeeded, the mysterious man wouldn''t be able to exert all his power.


    Crack!


    A hundred thousand bolts of lightning suddenly descended on Hiram''s halberd.


    Thwack!


    The halberd morphed into millions of shadows and rushed towards the remaining ancient holy warriors.


    Although the remaining warriors were protected by the power of the mysterious man, this was Hiram''s strongest attack. It was impossible for the mysterious man''s defenses to completely resist its power.


    The sound of breaking glass rang out. The protective shield cracked before shattering completely. Within seconds, it was gone.


    Hiram''s god''s power swept across the space, turning countless ancient holy warriors into mist. Blood rained throughout the space.


    "Howl!"


    Just then, three figures rushed to the ancient holy warriors.


    They were the immortal, the Shura, and the first fiend ancestor.


    The three released their strong power to resist the attack. Then, they each nabbed two ancient holy warriors before they quickly fled.


    "What are they doing?" Finley asked.


    "You don''t understand? You brat!" Barnes knew in an instant.


    Finley thought about it for a while and finally understood.


    They wanted to use them as bargaining chips to the mysterious man. He was the most powerful of them all. It made sense that everyone would try to win his favor.

 Chapter 1131 Xavier Chu

    The immortal, the Shura and the first fiend ancestor each got two ancient senior holy warriors.


    As soon as they had attained them, they utilized secret methods to prevent the mysterious man from discovering and robbing them.


    Having control over the ancient senior holy warriors meant already having the right bargaining chips to negotiate with the mysterious man.


    Hiram''s only wish was to destroy all the ancient holy warriors, and thus, it never crossed his mind to use them to have his way with the mysterious man. He had very nearly killed all of the one hundred thousand ancient warriors because of this wish.


    But, as long as the mysterious man dared not use his most powerful means, Hiram knew there was nothing for him to be afraid of.


    Now, the mysterious man was filled with rage. Since he had lost his grasp on the ancient senior holy warriors, it was impossible for him to use the blade and sword skills! He couldn''t use his full strength at all for the Balance Law would suppress him.


    Hiram soared across the sky with a domineering and confident aura.


    With a mighty sweep of his halberd, a majestic cyan god''s power shot straight towards the mysterious man.


    The mysterious man stood motionless, a primitive aura surrounding him menacingly. He gazed poker faced at Hiram''s oncoming attack, and didn''t even try to dodge it.


    Bang!


    The cyan god''s power met the mysterious man with an immense force. The mysterious man remained still as he was enveloped in a blinding yellow halo while the surrounding space collapsed.


    After a while, the halo finally disappeared. Still standing proudly in the air was the mysterious man.


    Everyone stared at the scene in shock. Without batting an eyelash, the mysterious man managed to withstand a direct blow from Hiram. He didn''t even have to use any special powers to defend himself¡ªthe mysterious man was completely unharmed!


    "The strength of the primitive aura around him is amazing. Even a god''s power couldn''t pierce through it!"


    "Even a god can''t break his defenses. He is unfathomably powerful!"


    Finley and Barnes gawked in awe at the sheer strength of the mysterious man.


    "Do you seriously think you can defeat me like this? You''re too naive," the mysterious man said coldly. "Even if I remove my shield of primitive aura, will you be able to break through my defense?"


    "Then, go ahead, remove it." Hiram decided not to attack again after hi


    best to activate the Augmented Attack Rule.


    Bang!


    Darren kicked the flying ant square in the claw.


    He managed to kick right through it as it shattered.


    Simultaneously, the flying ant''s other claws shot out in Darren''s direction.


    Darren had already been on guard from the moment he threw himself at the ant. After the first blow, he quickly moved upward in order to dodge the counterattack. After making some distance, Darren began to dip downward.


    ''Go to hell!''


    Darren screamed in his heart, and his leg fell on the flying ant like a divine sword.


    Rip!


    The flying ant''s head was bisected by Darren''s fell swoop.


    Darren dug his front claw further into the ant''s head and ripped the rest of the flying ant''s body apart. The giant flying ant ended up torn into two perfect halves.


    "Wow, he''s amazing! He managed to kill the king of the black ants!" The little bee clapped her hands in excitement.


    "Your Majesty, is he a god sent by the heaven to protect us?" The other bees surrounding the little bee all looked up at Darren as if he were their god.


    "Yes, he must be a god. From now on, he is the god of our race, and everyone has to respect him!" the little bee ordered.


    All the bees definitely feared Darren''s strength, but they also found solace and safety in his presence.


    Waves of invisible gray aura came out of from the bees who both admired and feared Darren. This aura converged in Darren''s direction.


    Darren''s body quivered as he was invaded by the gray aura.


    "Is this the Power of Belief?" Darren closed his eyes and smiled as he took in the gray aura, overjoyed.

 Chapter 1132 Sword God Character

    Darren finally felt that some of the creatures believed in him. This allowed hope to blossom in his heart.


    However, to pass this test, he needed to earn the belief of all creatures in this mountain.


    When Darren contemplated how he could finish the task, he remembered that the Space Spirit had said that he could use any means.


    The quickest way would, perhaps, be to kill all the creatures that did not believe in him, leaving only the bees who had faith in him. That way, he would pass the test!


    This thought convinced Darren easily.


    ''I have to finish this test. Many things are happening on the Lothlann Continent now, and I have to return, '' he thought.


    As there was no quicker way to earn every creature''s belief, and Darren was anxious about the precarious situation on the Lothlann Continent, he decided to take this course.


    "Kill!"


    Darren dashed forward, and all the black ants in his path turned to ash.


    There were several kinds of creatures on this mountain, not just the black ants. So, Darren''s actions killed many other bugs as well.


    During this process, several bugs saw how powerful Darren was, and they came to fear and admire him. As they were counted as his believers, Darren would not kill them.


    Half a month passed.


    By now, Darren had gained the belief of hundreds of millions of creatures, and he could sense each believer.


    "I still have three more bugs to kill. Once I finish, I can get through this." Darren stopped.


    At this time, he noticed that endless streams of gray Power of Belief had been pouring into his body.


    At first, he was puzzled about where the Power of Belief had gone after entering his body. Gradually he sensed that it had settled in his elixir field.


    "What? My sword core..."


    On inspection, he found that his sword core had changed dramatically. It had now turned into a small sword with edges and golden light.


    "What''s going on?


    I should ask the Space Spirit after passing the test."


    Darren didn''t overthink the change. Instead, he focused on locating the three bugs that didn''t believe in him.


    Soon, he found and killed them as well.


    Boom!


    Everything around Darren began to disperse. In a flash, he found himself surrounded by darkness.


    This indicated that Darren had passed the test.


    "Very good. You did a great job," the Space Spirit praised.


    "Space Spirit, will you help me if I want to retain my strength at the peak of Super Emperor Re


    ell you everything you want to know," the Space Spirit instructed.


    "What?"


    Darren was shocked. This hadn''t been part of his plan. He needed to return to Lothlann Continent.


    But he was being sent to the Primitive Wilderness! This was not Darren''s intention!


    His purpose in undergoing these tests was to strengthen his abilities. That was the only way for him to have the power to protect the Lothlann Continent. He did not want to go to the Primitive Wilderness!


    "What''s wrong?"


    The Space Spirit could feel Darren''s astonishment and hesitance.


    "Sir, the continent I belong to is experiencing a catastrophe. I have to return."


    "What?" Surprise laced the Space Spirit''s tone when he sensed the emotional turmoil in Darren.


    "Young man, are you a Reincarnation Master?" the Space Spirit asked.


    "You know about the Reincarnation Master as well? As far as I am aware, I should be a Reincarnation Master. Therefore, I need to protect my continent," Darren rationalized.


    Hearing this, the Space Spirit suddenly fell silent.


    "No wonder. What a pity!" the Space Spirit sighed.


    "What''s wrong?" Darren asked as confusion coursed through him.


    "Nothing. It seems you don''t belong to our Chu Clan. Good luck. Because you have great talent, I will help you with one thing. I promise that you won''t be taken to the Primitive Wilderness until three months later, so that you can have time to do what you want for your continent. You can leave now."


    The Space Spirit''s words did not give Darren any clarity. On the contrary, it baffled him more.


    However, before he could ask anything, he was teleported away.

 Chapter 1133 A Mark

    Whoosh! The next second, Darren''s soul was back into his body again.


    The moment his soul returned to his body, Darren felt as if there was an electric flash in his system. Every meridian, every cell, and every drop of blood was surging with vigorous energy!


    "It looks like my Sword God Character is taking effect."


    The whole process lasted for three days. Darren''s body had undergone a complete transformation.


    When the laws descended from the void, they fell into Darren''s Sword God Character.


    After he mastered those laws, Darren felt that he was truly becoming more powerful.


    "My sword intent..."


    Darren was surprised that his sword intent had reached the god level sword intent. Needless to say, his sword intent was his god''s power!


    "It''s unfortunate that my blade intent isn''t at the god level. Otherwise, I''ll be stronger." Darren felt a little regret in his heart. If only his blade intent had also reached the god level, his strength would be absolutely enough to kill any destroyer.


    Nevertheless, he was content with being a god. After all, he was much more powerful than a super emperor.


    Darren''s cultivation base was still improving. The pressure from the environment was getting more and more terrible, while Darren''s strength steadily upgraded.


    "What?"


    After an hour, Darren felt a bit strange.


    "Argh!"


    There was an inexplicable sense of fear in his soul.


    "What''s happening?"


    Darren was dumbfounded. He could not explain it, but an irrational fear started to overwhelm him.


    "How is this possible?" Darren could not believe that he would be terrified after he reached the God Realm.


    All of a sudden, the sky turned dark. Thick clouds billowed from all directions and immediately filled the boundless universe at the same time.


    Darren saw several cold faces faintly in the dense clouds. The coldness surpassed everything in the world, which made him shiver with fear.


    Whoosh!


    A beam of dark light rushed from the distant space and headed towards Darren.


    Darren was so shocked that he only stared at the sudden dark light until the moment it hit him.


    Whoosh!


    The pitch black light struck Darren''s chest.


    Strangely enough, the horrifying dark light did not cause any harm to Darren, b


    ters, and narrowly escaped the Water Kylin.


    "Humph!"


    Suddenly, the golden figure stood upright.


    "Do you think I''m afraid of you? I''ll kill all of you!"


    There was no trace of fear on the Water Kylin''s face. Instead, he looked like an exalted ferocious beast from the ancient times.


    "Ha-ha!" Finley laughed, "Nice!"


    "Get out of my way, Finley. You are still too weak," the Water Kylin said in a deep and majestic voice.


    "Fine, but be careful!" Finley stepped back.


    Holding the World Essence in his hands, the Water Kylin turned around and said arrogantly, "Come on! Fight for it if you can!"


    Boom!


    All of a sudden, a cyan halberd abruptly appeared above the head of the Water Kylin.


    "What?"


    A chill ran down the Water Kylin''s spine. The cyan halberd contained a dauntless and imposing power that slowly overwhelmed him.


    "Unbelievable! It''s god''s power! This man is at the God Realm, a realm that''s a little higher than mine!"


    The Water Kylin, who was filled with aplomb, was not so confident anymore. He had thought that he was close to the God Realm, and that he was strong enough to annihilate all the destroyers. However, he didn''t expect that a real god would show up!


    "Roar!"


    the Water Kylin roared furiously. He raised his claw, and blasted out another shadow to fight the halberd. Immediately, he ran away for his life hastily.


    However, what Hiram had used was the real god''s power, so it wouldn''t be that easy for the Water Kylin to get away from him.

 Chapter 1134 Fight The Destroyers (Part One)

    The cyan halberd rushed towards the Water Kylin with overwhelming force.


    "Howl!"


    The Water Kylin had nowhere to run. He quickly turned around, a layer of golden light being emitted from his body.


    He opened his large mouth, and a red and blue flame came bursting out from it.


    As soon as the flame appeared, the entire space was burnt to a crisp!


    "How can he be so powerful?" Finley murmured.


    "It seems that he has completely reverted to his ancestor form," said the witcher ancestor.


    "Reverted to his ancestor form?"


    "Yes, you see, he possessed only a half Fire and Water God Character. Some time ago he had been in a deep slumber, so I guess by now he has already completely merged with it. The half God Character should have become a real God Character by now. If he can cultivate for hundreds of years more, he''ll become a legendary beast from the Primitive Wilderness," explained the witcher ancestor.


    "Wow, he''s amazing!" Finley exclaimed. "Alas, compared to all of you, I''m just a drag."


    Hearing this, the witcher ancestor looked at Finley and gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "That may not be the case, Finley. Don''t forget what I have told you. Don''t hesitate."


    Finley was stunned for a moment. He knew what the witcher ancestor was referring to.


    "Let''s discuss it later." Finley seemed to have made a decision on the mysterious topic.


    When the Water Kylin was dueling Hiram''s battle halberd, everyone else retreated except for the mysterious man and the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Crack!


    After the flame from the Water Kylin was extinguished, he began to shoot blue thunderbolts that sizzled and whizzed through the air.


    Hiram''s halberd was hit by multiple thunderbolts, and the god''s power attached to it was heavily weakened. At last, it flew back into Hiram''s grasp.


    It was obvious who the stronger one of the two was. Hiram simply used his halberd, and the Water Kylin already had to use his full strength to resist. Clearly, Hiram had the upper hand against the Water Kylin.


    This was already quite clear to the Water Kylin; thus he focused on figuring out how to escape with the World Essence rather than defeating Hiram.


    Boom!


    Just then, Hiram''s cyan god''s power burst out. He rushed towards the Water Kylin.


    By now, Hiram had the greatest chance of obtaining the World Essence because the mysterious man remained unable to use his strongest power. Therefore, as long as he swiped the World Essence from the Water Kylin,


    l law forces were destroyed with just the mysterious man''s bare hands! His body took no damage, not even from the mighty god''s power.


    A ten-tribulation senior holy warrior was truly a force to be reckoned with. Even in the Primitive Wilderness, he was much more powerful than an ordinary god.


    After crushing the law forces like flies in the air, the mysterious man delivered a blow to the Rule Soul Avatar.


    At this moment, the Spatial Law was activated again. The Rule Soul Avatar quickly distanced himself from the mysterious man in retaliation. Now they were layers of space apart, with the distance of hundreds of millions of kilometers.


    "This skill was definitely enough to deal with that mediocre god, but it''s useless against me!"


    The mysterious man''s body shook as he broke through the Spatial Law with sheer force. Once he broke through, his palm shifted through the space and headed straight for the Rule Soul Avatar''s chest.


    "What? It''s a Shadow Law!"


    The mysterious man''s attack missed. What he saw was not the avatar''s real body, but a mere shadow.


    Crack!


    A thunder of law roared and struck the mysterious man from behind.


    Even though the mysterious man had an astonishing defense, his internal organs still took damage from the attack, and a sharp pain spread throughout his body.


    "Hahaha."


    After the attack, the mysterious man remained fearless and simply cackled in response.


    "I guess I underestimated you. You''re indeed a powerful rule cultivator." The mysterious man''s cackle took an ominous stop as his expression turned dead serious. "I''ll just have to kill you first before I kill the other me, then!"

 Chapter 1135 Fight The Destroyers (Part Two)

    The mysterious man transformed into a beam of light and rushed at the Rule Soul Avatar.


    This time, he wasn''t using only his physical strength. His shadows filled the void, sealing every corner!


    Now, there was no escape for the Rule Soul Avatar, even if he used space skills.


    Since the Rule Soul Avatar knew this, he didn''t invoke the Spatial Law to block the mysterious man. Instead, he mobilized tens of thousands of laws. In a split second, they merged to form an arrow of annihilation and shot forward.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Light soared into the sky.


    It was so dazzling that it could be seen from the outer world!


    The destructive arrow smashed all the shadows created by the mysterious man, but his real body wasn''t affected.


    Bang!


    A palm attack caused the Rule Soul Avatar''s chest to collapse on collision. Immediately, lightning was released from runes, and flashed in his chest.


    This blow caused significant damage to the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Unflinching and determined to continue, the Rule Soul Avatar immediately gathered the Resurrection Force and repaired most of his injuries.


    Buzz¡­


    Meanwhile, five black pagodas levitated out and hovered around the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Encouraged by the damage done in his first blow, the mysterious man eagerly prepared to beat the Rule Soul Avatar to death with another palm attack. However, after he sensed an extremely strange force, he quickly withdrew his palm and attacked with his ten-tribulation force.


    As the ten-tribulation force shot toward the Rule Soul Avatar, one of the black pagodas discharged a chain and smashed the oncoming force.


    The Shura, who stood nearby, trembled when he witnessed the destructive power of the black pagoda!


    He knew what the five black pagodas were! They were the altars in the Flaming Hell of the ancient times. Never could he have imagined that this avatar could control the altars!


    The five black pagodas continued to hover as they released a gray storm that swept toward the mysterious man.


    So overwhelmed was the mysterious man with the speed of that gray storm that he was unable to dodge it and was drawn into it.


    "Oh, shit!"


    Soon, agonized screams filled the storm!


    Obviously, the mysterious man''s soul was being tortured by the gray windstorm.


    When Darren was in the ancient times, the gods'' souls from outer space were also suppress


    e blade and sword intents swept out of the storm, but after the Shackle Law blocked them, they lost some of their power.


    This allowed the three destroyers to dodge the attack. Finley, Barnes, and the Water Kylin also avoided the blade and sword intents.


    Bang!


    Barnes'' stick elongated infinitely. He raised it high and swung it at the mysterious man. Meanwhile, the others also continued to bombard their target simultaneously.


    The warriors'' combined power fell on the arm of the mysterious man and pushed it back into the storm.


    "Argh!"


    The mysterious man was in such extreme agony that he revealed his cold aura.


    Crack!


    A pair of blood-red hands wrenched an opening in the storm, and a body covered with primitive aura emerged.


    Whoosh!


    Just then, a cyan figure joined the battle too. It was none other than Hiram!


    As he had recovered from his injuries, his god''s power barreled toward the mysterious man.


    Everyone present struggled to prevent the mysterious man from breaking through the storm because they knew that once he got out, the World Essence would be his.


    The mysterious man roared painfully, "Damn it! All of you deserve to die!"


    The gray windstorm gradually changed from gray to dark gold.


    "Damn it! I''m afraid that his dark gold internal force will break through the storm despite our efforts!"


    exclaimed the witcher ancestor, who had been observing the battle. Unwilling to let the mysterious man win, he invoked his power. In a split second, several black strange runes flickered to life on his body, and he joined the battle.

 Chapter 1136 Fight The Destroyers (Part Three)

    The witcher ancestor closed his eyes as his withered face trembled and his bony fingers quivered rapidly.


    With the movement of his fingers, a series of Witcher Power began to charge, which then formed a dark light between his palms.


    In the void, those who were fighting against the mysterious man couldn''t hold on any longer. At that moment, the mysterious man was about to break through the storm.


    All of a sudden, a pitch dark light emerged and directly attacked the mysterious man''s looming body.


    To everyone''s surprise, when the dark light touched the mysterious man, nothing happened. For a moment, there was dead silence in the void.


    Then, the dark light began to attach to the mysterious man''s arm. Like a sprouting seed, it quickly spread along the man''s body until it enveloped him completely.


    "Argh!"


    The mysterious man struggled, but the black lines around him crept like intricately woven spider webs that were too strong for him to shake off.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    With the mysterious man trapped, everyone immediately attacked him without hesitation.


    When the witcher ancestor opened his eyes, the green fire that was dancing in his eyes started to extinguish.


    His dry face was peeled off as the wind blew as if it were ashes.


    No one had noticed the change in the witcher ancestor except for Hiram. He cast a complicated glance at the witcher ancestor.


    The witcher ancestor also looked at Hiram. He opened his mouth slightly and seemed to be smiling, but he didn''t have any flesh left over.


    "Goodbye, sir."


    The indifferent voice of Hiram the Great carried a hint of sadness.


    The others didn''t notice, but a drop of tear gathered at the corner of Hiram''s eye.


    "Bye,"


    the witcher ancestor murmured in a hoarse voice as his body began to disperse. His body turned into black dust and sprinkled into the air, drifting with the wind.


    After his death, the last stream of Witcher Power gushed out from his body and shot into the gray windstorm, which further suppressed the mysterious man.


    Only then did Finley and Barnes notice the death of the witcher ancestor. They felt as if thousands of sharp arrows pierced their hearts.


    "Goodbye, sir." Finley choked with


    As they fought their way towards the World Essence, the four destroyers were all gravely injured.


    "Argh!"


    Just as the four destroyers nearly caught up with the World Essence, a huge black stick descended from the sky and directly attacked the Shura.


    The Shura had been hurt before, and was currently the weakest among the four destroyers.


    Barnes took the opportunity and prepared to kill the Shura first.


    However, there was an unexpected change. The first fiend ancestor, who was fighting with the immortal, suddenly charged at Barnes with fierce fiendish aura!


    At the same time, the Shura also used his Shura Force to kill Barnes.


    "An alliance? What?"


    He didn''t expect the first fiend ancestor to join forces with the Shura at that crucial moment! It was beyond his expectations!


    Barnes'' stick was deflected and did not even reach the Shura. Then, he was struck by two powerful forces!


    "Damn it!"


    His eyes were filled with terror and rage.


    Then, his body dissipated in the void.


    After the body of Barnes was destroyed, the Shura and the first fiend ancestor didn''t stop. They smashed the void where Barnes was, and permeated every inch of the broken space.


    In that way, even if Barnes had the Golden Indestructible Body, he would be completely annihilated!


    There was no doubt that he would die!


    "Who gave you the right to kill my good friend?"


    All of a sudden, a deep and cold voice reverberated majestically throughout the void.

 Chapter 1137 Darren Versus Hiram (Part One)

    Upon hearing the cold voice, the four destroyers looked in the distance.


    The immortal was the most excited person among them.


    She could feel his aura from the rich and deep voice.


    "Darren! It''s Darren!"


    The voice of Elsa, who was close to tears, echoed in the immortal''s mind.


    "You promised me that I can control my body before getting the World Essence."


    After Elsa had communicated with the immortal, she promised that the immortal could control her body before getting the World Essence. After getting it and when Darren came back, they would decide again who would control the body.


    However, when Elsa sensed Darren''s aura, she could no longer contain herself.


    Previously, when Barnes was attacked, she tried to control the immortal''s body and help him, but to no avail.


    But now, Elsa''s soul forcibly occupied the immortal''s body and took control of it when she knew that the immortal also missed Darren.


    "Darren!"


    Elsa ignored the immortal and hurriedly flew away.


    After flying for a while, she saw a familiar figure in purple clothes. Elsa immediately burst into tears at the sight of the figure.


    At that moment, even the immortal''s soul was full of joy and bitterness. She disliked this kind of feeling, but she couldn''t resist it.


    Whoosh!


    All of a sudden, a faint god level sword intent flew towards Elsa.


    "It''s you."


    At first, Darren didn''t recognize Elsa because he thought that she was the immortal.


    "Darren. It''s me, Elsa,"


    Elsa cried as she moved aside to dodge the sword intent.


    Upon hearing her gentle voice, Darren felt suffocated.


    "Elsa..." Darren murmured while his eyes filled with tears. "Is that you? Is that really you?"


    Elsa couldn''t help herself anymore, so she threw herself into Darren''s arms.


    "It''s really you." Darren instantly sensed Elsa''s aura. He raised his head and burst into tears. After a while, he lowered his head and deeply kissed the immortal''s forehead. "Elsa..."


    He stared at her as he gently touched her long hair.


    "Darren, we need to hurry and save Barnes. He is in grave danger." Even though Elsa was overwhelmed with emotions, she did not forget Barnes who brought her back to life.


    Darren restrained his joy, held Elsa, and


    ashed into smithereens and turned into a place of death.


    Darren''s sword intent penetrated Hiram''s god''s power and pierced his chest.


    At that moment, Hiram still had no intention of retreat. All of a sudden, a crystal halberd flew out from his abdomen. It was his God Character!


    "Transform!"


    Hiram roared at the top of his lungs. His God Character exploded and then turned into infinite god''s power. Even if his heart was perforated, he could not die. Instead, he became stronger.


    "Darren, he didn''t kill the witcher ancestor. The witcher ancestor died because he ran out of Witcher Power when he suppressed the man who looked exactly like you," Elsa said telepathically.


    "What happened?" Darren stopped and asked, "Are you talking about the Rule Soul Avatar?"


    When Elsa mentioned the man who looked exactly like him, Darren immediately thought of the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "No, it''s not the avatar. It''s the mysterious man who is surrounded by the yellow light," Elsa replied.


    "What?"


    Darren wondered why the mysterious man looked exactly like him.


    However, at that critical moment, he didn''t have time to think about it. What mattered was the truth: Hiram the Great did not kill the witcher ancestor.


    After Hiram''s strength soared, he once again attacked Darren.


    Darren unleashed the god level sword intent only to defend himself, but not to counterattack. He didn''t think that the man he had respected for his whole life should be killed, especially by him.

 Chapter 1138 Darren Versus Hiram (Part Two)

    After Hiram exploded and cultivated his God Character, his strength rose to a terrifying extent. He and Darren fought fiercely for several rounds. After a while, Darren felt that it was difficult for him to resist Hiram''s attacks.


    The longer the fight lasted, the fiercer Hiram was. Darren had to fight him with all his might.


    "Hiram the Great, you''re a remarkable man, and I''ve always held you in high esteem. If you are forced to do all of this, just tell me. I, Darren, will do everything I can to help you." Darren tried to persuade him as soon as he realized that Hiram was in a state of madness.


    "That is unnecessary. Soon, you will die."


    With that, Hiram thrust his cyan halberd at Darren aggressively.


    The halberd''s power was beyond Darren''s ability to dodge. He had to use all his strength just to block it.


    Eighteen swords with infinite god''s power hovered around Darren to protect him.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Darren''s eighteen swords collided with Hiram''s halberd in succession.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The eighteen swords exploded one after another. Then, the dispersed god level sword intents condensed into a huge sword. Without hesitation, it struck Hiram back.


    After the counterattack, the huge sword was divided into tens of thousands of small swords and surrounded Hiram from all directions.


    Hiram brandished his halberd strikingly. As a result, the majestic cyan god''s power formed a circular light barrier around him. Darren''s god level sword intent failed to penetrate the defenses of Hiram.


    Then, Darren dashed towards Hiram as swift as an arrow.


    While approaching, he stabbed a transparent sword against the god''s power of Hiram.


    Boom!


    In an instant, the god''s power of Hiram was smashed into pieces by Darren!


    For his attack, Darren not only used the Void Penetration skill, but also the Augmented Attack Rule. Otherwise, he couldn''t easily break the god''s power of Hiram.


    Whoosh!


    Countless of sword intents circled around Hiram''s head, which made him unable to move at the slightest inch. A small movement could slash his head into blood mist!


    At that point, Hiram was defeated.


    He was no longer a match for Darren since his god''s power and strength had already been exhausted.


    Boom!


    Out of nowhere, a bronze coffin appeared in the sky.


    "What?"


    Darren furrowed his eyebrows. The bronze coffin was a divine weapon from outer space. It had been subdued by Hiram the Great, but was later inherited by Darren.


    "


    "Okay." The Rule Soul Avatar nodded in agreement.


    "In your dreams." All of a sudden, a cold voice echoed. Darren turned around subconsciously to see where it came from.


    Darren''s heart sank when he saw the face of the man. He looked exactly like Darren himself! It was as if he was looking at a mirror.


    "You have escaped!" Darren had heard about him from Elsa before, so he knew he was that mysterious man.


    "Humph! Your avatar is so powerful that he almost tortured me to death!" the mysterious man said through gritted teeth.


    "What? The Grand Void Avatar Rune?" As soon as the Rule Soul Avatar saw the mysterious man, he immediately understood how the man had escaped from the storm. He did not expect that the mysterious man had a Grand Void Avatar Rune in his hand, which he used to escape. Moreover, the mysterious man had been using this rune without being noticed!


    "Who are you? What do you have to do with me?" Darren asked coldly.


    The mysterious man sneered, "Humph! What do I have to do with you? You were not even supposed to be born. Your existence is just a result of a time disorder. In this world, there should only be one me, Xavier Chu. Not you, Darren Chu!"


    "It''s true," the Rule Soul Avatar nodded knowingly.


    Darren didn''t quite understand what the man who looked like him meant, but the Rule Soul Avatar did.


    "When you arrived at this world, you encountered time turbulent flows. As a result, you were born in two places and at two different eras that are very far apart." The Rule Soul Avatar had predicted this a long time ago, so he said those mysterious words to Darren when they were in the ancient times.

 Chapter 1139 Victory (Part One)

    "It looks like your avatar is smart enough to figure out how we are both connected." Xavier Chu had a wry smile on his face as if he disdained Darren.


    "So, you are the same person as me!" Darren exclaimed. If Darren still couldn''t figure it out, he would be a fool.


    However, it was difficult for him to accept the truth, and he couldn''t make sense of many things.


    For example, why were they so different in terms of personality if they were the same person? Moreover, why did they have the same family name if they were clearly born in two different places and eras? More importantly, who on earth put them in that ball with walnut-like shell? What was this all for?


    All these questions still bothered Darren.


    "I know we exist because of the space-time disorder, but how did we come to practice the exact same Blade and Sword Cultivation at the same time? We''re two different individuals! It''s unreasonable!"


    At that point, Darren was completely baffled. He embarked on the path of Blade and Sword Cultivation by a coincidence. But why would Xavier take this path?


    "Yes, we are ages apart, but why are you so stupid? Everything is predestined. All of the things that happened and will happen had been arranged, including your way of cultivation!


    When my great Chu Clan in Primitive Wilderness was destroyed, I became its only hope. As the Reincarnation Master, I was put on this land. I didn''t expect something to go wrong halfway, which prevented me from returning for hundreds of millions of years.


    Finally! I''ve waited so long for the opportunity to kill you! Only by killing you can I really go back to the Primitive Wilderness and bear the responsibility of rebuilding my Chu Clan!" Xavier said.


    "You mean to tell me that you can''t return to the Primitive Wilderness because of my existence? Then that means you must have been waiting for this moment since the ancient times," Darren replied.


    "You bet I am!" Xavier''s face darkened. "Because you are my other self, you''d better commit suicide. Don''t force me to kill you myself."


    "Ha-ha!" Darren sneered coldly. "Even if you''re telling the truth, I am an independent individual now. Why should I die because of you?"


    "Oh, so you want me to kill you?"


    "By all means. I''d like to see you try." Darren''s


    t''s him!"


    Darren''s eyes were locked on the old man, whom he met in the Badlands at a previous time.


    That old man was not in his right mind. He hadn''t appeared since his fight with the first lord of the Mythological Palace. Darren didn''t expect that the old man would show up here.


    "Who?"


    Xavier looked vigilant as he prepared for the arrival of the old man with disheveled hair.


    "Wah-wah!"


    The old man continued to wail like a baby and turned a deaf ear to Xavier''s threats.


    "Humph! You are courting death, old man!"


    For the time being, Xavier ignored Darren and rushed towards the old man.


    He flew to the old man in an astonishing speed. Then, he reached out a hand, and the power of the ten-tribulation force gushed out nonstop!


    "Wah-wah! I''m scared!"


    The old man raised his hand and put it above his head. After a moment, his hand touched Xavier''s palm.


    "Run!"


    Darren''s heart was beating fast at the sight of the old man''s imminent death. Although he didn''t really know the old man, he didn''t want to see him die like that.


    However, what happened next left Darren stunned.


    In a flash, a powerful force spread from the distance and tore the void inch by inch. When the old man''s palm collided with Xavier''s, the old man flew from the impact, but he did not suffer any damage.


    "You''re also a ten-tribulation senior holy warrior!"


    Xavier was shocked to his core. He did not expect that the madman who appeared out of the blue was a ten-tribulation senior holy warrior like him!

 Chapter 1140 Victory (Part Two)

    Moreover, just now, a completely different ten-tribulation force dispersed in his body, which was stronger than his own ten-tribulation force.


    The old man didn''t understand what Xavier said. He flew towards Darren with fear.


    The old man, who seemed to recognize Darren, whined like a child, "I''m scared. He slapped me!"


    "Old man, don''t worry. You are more powerful than him. Don''t be afraid of that guy," Darren comforted the old man when he noticed his admirable strength.


    "Go to hell! You''re pretending to be insane!"


    After failing to launch an attack, Xavier rushed towards the old man again. The unexpected appearance of a strong warrior posed a threat to him. Thus, he had to kill his enemy as soon as possible.


    "Don''t be afraid. You can do it! Just fight him." Darren had no choice but to retreat after he cheered on the old man.


    The old man seemed to believe Darren''s encouraging words. Although he was terrified to death, he didn''t show the slightest hesitation on his face.


    Immediately, Xavier blasted a dark gold internal force to attack the old man. The old man''s timid eyes suddenly lit up. He pushed his withered hand forward, and blocked the dark gold internal force.


    Boom!


    The old man''s palm met the force, and they stood face-to-face in an intense dead silence.


    "Infinite Primitive Force!"


    Xavier shouted at the top of his lungs.


    His dark gold internal force touched the old man''s palm. Unexpectedly, a beam of dark yellow light suddenly ascended to the heaven, and completely withstood his dark gold internal force.


    Xavier knew the dark yellow light better than anyone else. It was the Infinite Primitive Force, whose grade was even higher than his Primitive Force.


    "Damn it!"


    Xavier cursed in exasperation. He was not confident if he could break through the Infinite Primitive Force.


    However, at that


    extremely petrifying scene.


    "Come on. Let''s fight!"


    With a tumultuous roar, Xavier gathered all his power and improved his Primitive Force''s defense to its maximum potential.


    Whoosh!


    The dragon body of Scott was several hundred kilometers long. It looked like a never-ending mountain range.


    He stretched out his dragon claw and smacked Xavier!


    At that moment, Xavier was hit violently as if the whole universe fell on him.


    Boom!


    The dark gold light soared into the sky, and the whole space turned into a dark gold ocean. Consequently, Xavier charged his strength to its extreme!


    Soon, the result of the battle was about to be revealed.


    Over the past few days, all the living creatures, in every corner of the Lothlann Continent, looked up at the sky.


    They all knew that the legendary catastrophe had come. When the powerful destroyers arrived, they were hopeless and in despair.


    After many days, countless of legendary figures appeared to protect the continent, but soon they died one by one. At that moment, they were no longer frightened. Everyone prayed silently and hoped that the real savior would show up. After all, it was the only thing they could do.


    Boom!


    The void was completely shattered.

 Chapter 1141 Victory (Part Three)

    Scott''s dragon claw broke, while Xavier''s body fell to the ground.


    Finally, the battle had concluded. But was it really the end?


    "Ha-ha, it''s not that easy to kill me!"


    Xavier suddenly burst into laughter.


    Suddenly, a twenty-four-sided crystal appeared on his head.


    The crystal emanated a golden light and enveloped Xavier''s whole body. At freefall, his descending body stabilized.


    "I know you have it as well. Unfortunately for you, you haven''t developed it yet! This is my greatest trump card¡ªmy crystal has twenty-four plane faces now!" Xavier said to Darren in a mocking way as he gradually floated in mid-air.


    "It turns out that the strange stone I acquired didn''t come from nowhere! So you also have the power to assimilate!" Darren''s face changed dramatically at the sudden realization.


    "No, you''re wrong! I don''t have the power to assimilate, but the power to evolve."


    As soon as he finished his words, the twenty-four-sided crystal unleashed a stronger golden light, and his skin suddenly turned golden yellow!


    "I can evolve my body to the strength of a god''s body at the middle-level in advance! How else can you compete with me? You''re dead meat!"


    Xavier didn''t use the crystal earlier because a forced evolution could hinder his future development. However, at that crucial moment, he had no choice. He had no time to think too much because of his formidable opponents. Even if it would hamper his future development, he didn''t care about it at all. It was a life or death situation.


    Whoosh!


    Xavier wanted to kill Scott first. After his evolution, his physical strength augmented to an unbelievable extent.


    He raised his hand and punched Scott''s abdomen in an instant!


    "Argh!"


    Scott bellowed as he felt death.


    All hope was lost, and desperation was spreading.


    "Let''s fight to the death!"


    At that moment, F


    ians!


    At that moment, Darren felt unprecedentedly powerful.


    Hailey was about to be killed by Xavier''s god''s power. However, at the exact moment, Darren disappeared and then appeared in front of her.


    He stretched out his hand and pushed forward. Then, a terror-stricken force came out of his palm.


    Boom!


    Everything was annihilated.


    A black god''s power swept everywhere.


    "No!" Xavier was petrified to death. "How could you possibly have..."


    Before he finished his words, the black god''s power had already covered him. His defense was broken, and his body was shattered into pieces!


    Xavier was finally dead. He had been dormant for hundreds of millions of years, but now his death finally came.


    Victory!


    A golden crack suddenly appeared in the sky. A grandiose palace, which was about a hundred thousand feet high, was looming in the crack.


    "Darren, the fifth Reincarnation Master, has successfully guarded the continent. Return to the Primitive Wilderness immediately."


    A divine voice rang out clearly in the ears of every living creature in the world.


    ''Well, it''s time to go back to the Primitive Wilderness. I need to know the truth. What happened to my family and my parents?'' Darren thought to himself.

 Chapter 1142 Undetectable

    The Lothlann Continent finally regained its peace.


    "Congratulations, Darren! You have successfully protected the Lothlann Continent from annihilation. I am giving you three days to settle your remaining affairs. Afterwards, you will be drawn to the Primitive Wilderness as mandated by the law. Understood?" A deep and rich voice came from the golden crack in the void.


    "Yes." Darren gave a nod.


    A beam of golden light descended from the sky, and carried the heads of the Shura and the first fiend ancestor.


    Then, another ray of golden light flashed down on the immortal.


    "What?" Darren''s face changed slightly. He immediately flew over and landed in front of the immortal.


    "This is my wife. She is not a destroyer," Darren said to the void.


    "With her current cultivation base, she is not allowed to stay in the mortal world. You don''t need to defend her." The voice was cold and full of arrogance.


    "No, you can''t take her away. She''ll be coming with me in three days," Darren asserted.


    The person in the golden crack was silent for a moment.


    "Well, considering you have protected the continent, I will grant your request and let her stay in this world. Don''t bring your ill temper to the Primitive Wilderness, otherwise you won''t last a day." With that, the cold voice dissipated, and the golden crack in the void also disappeared.


    After all of them had dispersed, a heavy rainstorm fell on the Lothlann Continent, and washed away the darkness and bloodiness.


    At that time, the creatures on the continent cheered and praised the gods in the void.


    Using his spiritual sense, Darren summoned some senior holy warriors who survived the great battle on the Lothlann Continent. Immediately, they flew over and half knelt in front of Darren.


    "Bury the casualties and make every effort to repair the damaged areas."


    Although the whole continent wasn''t destroyed, at least hundreds of millions of creatures had died in the battle and many areas were severely ravaged.


    "Yes, sir!" the senior holy warriors responded in chorus.


    "Elsa, please look after Hailey," Darren told the "immortal" in a low voice.


    "All right." Elsa didn''t hold any grudge against Hailey, so when she saw that Hailey was injured, she also felt sorry for her.


    Darren, on the other hand, flew down to find Barnes, the Water Kylin, Finley, and the others.


    All of them were unconscious, so Darren brought th


    ''s feeling, which made the immortal feel mixed emotions.


    "What is it? Tell me," Darren asked with a laugh.


    "I hate you. When we kiss, and you know..." Elsa lowered her head as she murmured her answer.


    "Oh... Like this?" Darren suddenly grabbed Elsa''s waist and laid her down.


    "No! Don''t do that..." Elsa hurriedly leaned against Darren and said with a giggle. "This is not my body. How dare you!"


    Darren held Elsa''s snow-white hand, gazed at her, and said, "The physical body doesn''t matter. As long as it''s your soul, you will always be you."


    "Well, that makes sense."


    "Ouch! What are you doing? Hey, what are you doing?"


    A moment later, the other soul in the immortal''s body also felt the most indescribable bliss in the world.


    After a day, Darren and Elsa returned to the ground and entered the Sacred Palace.


    "Elsa, we haven''t seen your father for a long time. We must pay him a visit before we leave," Darren said.


    "Yeah, you''re right. You don''t have a conscience. Why don''t you visit my father often? Humph!" Elsa pouted.


    "How can you say that? I''ve been on the edge of life and death myself. I would visit him if I weren''t busy saving the world."


    "Fine. I believe in your excuses. Humph."


    Then, Darren and Elsa flew together to the ordinary land.


    It was a familiar environment, especially to Elsa.


    The Delsa Pavilion was filled with peach blossoms. A middle-aged man was pruning branches carefully.


    "Father!"


    The middle-aged man was startled when he saw two figures suddenly appear from afar.


    "Elsa, Darren..." He couldn''t help but cry tears of joy.

 Chapter 1143 Going To The Primitive Wilderness

    Joy coursed through Elder Thomas when he heard Darren''s and Elsa''s voices.


    But when he turned, he saw that the woman was not Elsa. Astonishment and confusion reflected in his expression as he stared at the stranger.


    "Father, it''s me."


    Elsa jumped into Elder Thomas'' arms. Her voice was choked with sobs when she spoke.


    "Elsa..." Elder Thomas didn''t know what had happened to her, but he could feel that she was his daughter.


    The father and daughter hugged and sobbed for a while. Finally, Elder Thomas stroked Elsa''s long hair and said, "It''s good to see that you have returned."


    Then, the three sat in the room and talked about what Darren and Elsa had been through.


    Even though they had mentioned their experience in brief, Elder Thomas was worried.


    "It''s a relief that everything is fine." Despite his concerns, Elder Thomas tried to remain positive.


    "Darren, I think it''s time for you two to get married." After chatting for a long time, Elder Thomas felt relaxed enough to make such a suggestion.


    "Yeah. It''s time for us to get married." Darren suddenly got excited.


    As they were about to leave the Lothlann Continent, getting married now would mean that their relatives and friends would be able to witness their wedding and join in their celebration.


    "What do you think, Elsa?" Darren turned and smiled at the woman next to him.


    "Okay!" Elsa grinned.


    "How could you agree so quickly? As a girl, you should be a little more reserved," Elder Thomas said as he laughed.


    "I''m excited that this day has finally arrived. I''ve been waiting for a long time, you know. I don''t want to hide my joy. Do you think so, Darren?" Elsa rushed forward and held Darren''s arm.


    "Of course. I have also waited for this day for a long time."


    "Elder Thomas, shall we go to the Ancient Void Battlefield? Since my family and friends are there, Elsa and I would like to hold our wedding there. What do you think?" Darren was respectful and sought Elder Thomas'' permission.


    "I don''t agree." Elder Thomas frowned and shook his head slightly.


    "Why?" Before Darren could continue, Elsa interjected, "Father, why not?"


    "What did he just call me?" Elder Thomas feigned anger as he glanced at his future son-in-law and asked. A mischievous smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he waited for Darren to understand.


    Darren''s eyes flew open as realization dawned on him. "Father, please accept my respect to you," he said as he knelt.


    "Ha-ha, good. That''s better." Tears welled in Elder Thomas'' eyes. This was, indeed, an emotional day for him. Not only was he


    "What?!" Darren''s heart sank. All this while, he had hoped that he would be granted this concession. However, it turned out that he couldn''t take his friends and family with him.


    "What will happen to my family if my Ancient Void Battlefield turns into a mortal world?" As he hadn''t known about this, Darren had to ask.


    "Their life will continue as usual. When the Ancient Void Battlefield develops completely, it will automatically face its first crisis. The best of them will be allowed to enter the Primitive Wilderness."


    Hearing this, Darren understood at once.


    The Lothlann Continent had also been a mortal world left behind by warriors who had entered the Primitive Wilderness a long time ago. It seemed that the Ancient Void Battlefield was destined to continue without Darren.


    "It appears to be the only way."


    Then, Darren summoned Elsa, Finley, the Water Kylin, Scott, the Rule Soul Avatar, Barnes, as well as the old man in deep sleep. He planned to take them with him to the Primitive Wilderness.


    "Darren, what about me?"


    A childish voice reached his ears.


    "Aaron? Are you awake?"


    Aaron, the child with dark pupils, had been hiding in the Ancient Void Battlefield for fear of something. Eventually, he had fallen asleep.


    "Yes, it''s me. Please take me with you."


    "But..." Darren was worried that the boy would not have the cultivation base to be allowed into the Primitive Wilderness. However, before he could voice his concerns, he sensed that Aaron had also reached the Super Emperor Realm.


    He didn''t know what had happened to Aaron, but he wouldn''t refuse the boy.


    "Let''s go."


    Once everyone had gathered around Darren, they began to ascend toward the golden crack in the sky.

 Chapter 1144 The First Sight Of The Primitive Wilderness

    As Darren and the others rose, immersed in the golden light, everything on the Lothlann Continent was gradually growing farther and farther away from them.


    After a while, they looked down and found that the world under their feet was as bright as the galaxy until they couldn''t see the Lothlann Continent anymore. It seemed to have become a tiny speck among hundreds of millions of grains of sand.


    As they slowly rose further, Darren and the others could no longer see anything except the bright golden light.


    "Close your eyes."


    A voice warned Darren and the others.


    Even without the warning, Darren and the others didn''t dare open their eyes again. The golden light shined so brightly that they knew they''d go blind if they tried.


    After a long time, Darren felt his body become heavier. Then they began to fall.


    The feeling of the wind on all their faces rustled some of them to open their eyes.


    Darren opened his eyes first. What he saw was a desolate and ancient world.


    It was cold and misty. There was a bountiful primeval forest beneath a cliff. In the distance, the roars of fierce beasts echoed every now and then.


    "This is the Primitive Wilderness."


    Darren had mixed feelings when he saw this ancient world.


    "Welcome to the Primitive Wildness."


    As soon as Darren and his companions descended, an old man with waist length white hair appeared beside them.


    "Nice to meet you, sir."


    Darren sensed him for a moment and found the seemingly ordinary looking old man had a profound aura that he couldn''t quite figure out.


    "Politeness is not necessary in the Primitive Wilderness. In this world, the law of the jungle rules all. This is my first lesson for you,"


    the old man said coldly. His expression was devoid of emotion.


    "Now, I have something to tell you. Listen carefully."


    The old man paused for a moment and then continued, "There are many races born in the Primitive Wilderness. They are all very powerful. At the bottom of this food chain however, is the human race. Therefore, we have to make every means to find geniuses to enhance the strength of the population of the human race, so as to get rid of our predicament of being enslaved by those stronger than us."


    Hearing this, Darren was confused.


    "Get rid of the predicament of being enslaved? So, you''re saying the human race is actually enslaved?" Darren''s heart sank with despair.


    "Do not speak unless


    around again, and saw another bloody scene. This time, it was different. The actors of the bloody scene were not beasts, but humans.


    "Howl!"


    Several black creatures were mauling two humans.


    Darren sensed that the two humans were about as strong as the old man.


    After a short clash, one of the humans was torn into pieces, and the black creatures chowed down at his corpse, enjoying their food.


    Another human, standing in the center, looked upon his companion''s death with painful anguish.


    "Get to safety!"


    Darren shouted, ready to fly over to save that human.


    "Stop!"


    Unexpectedly, the old man let out an earth-shaking roar.


    "Why? I don''t understand. We just watched a human being die, and we can''t save the other one?" For the first time since they arrived, anger and rage coursed through Darren.


    "Save him? The Primitive Wilderness is cruel. This is survival of the fittest. What reason do we have to save him? They have cultivated for ten years, but they are just at the middle-level of the Primary God Realm. Their incompetence makes it clear that they don''t deserve to live."


    These two humans were human geniuses that had just come out of the Ancestral Land.


    Darren gritted his teeth and let out a hiss of frustration. While they were speaking, the other human had been completely devoured by the black creatures.


    "Howl!"


    As if not satisfied by their recent meals, the black creatures looked at Darren and the others with blood lust.


    "Let''s go." The old man gestured for Darren to push forward.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Suddenly, several fierce figures rushed over.

 Chapter 1145 Go Ballistic

    Boom!


    The black creatures were suddenly stopped by an invisible wall.


    Despite of that, they still roared at Darren and his companions ferociously with their mouths wide open.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Several black creatures crashed into the wall desperately.


    Crack!


    After several thuds, the wall cracked, and a creature rushed in.


    "What?" The old man frowned. "How can the defensive wall become weak with such a small impact?"


    The next moment, he waved his hand and released rule power to repair the small fissure.


    "Roar!"


    All of a sudden, the creature dashed towards Finley who was the nearest to the crack.


    As soon as its claw came down, deep claw slashes appeared on Finley''s chest.


    "Go to hell!"


    Without hesitation, Darren, Scott, and the Rule Soul Avatar launched several attacks against the black creature together.


    After the bombardment, the black creature fell to the ground, but it didn''t die.


    Darren dashed forward in an attempt to take its life.


    "Stop! That''s enough!"


    To his surprise, the old man stopped Darren.


    "What?" Darren said angrily. He stared at the old man coldly. "Are you insane? It almost killed Finley. Why can''t we kill it?"


    "Let it go," the old man said calmly, ignoring Darren''s words.


    "I''ll kill it!"


    Darren didn''t kill it, but Scott did. A powerful dragon blood aura gushed out and blasted the creature into pieces.


    The old man sighed deeply, but he didn''t say a word and went ahead.


    A few moments later, Darren and the others came to a huge square with the old man. The square covered an area of about one million square kilometers!


    In the center of the square, there was a million feet high golden palace. It was erected majestically at the middle, and the solemn atmosphere was daunting.


    There were many young people coming from all the four sides of the square, and they were all led by an old man respectively.


    Darren estimated that there were more than ten thousand young people in the square.


    He could feel the different auras that those young people radiated. He reckoned most of them cultivated unique methods that were different from him.


    "Who are those people?" Darren murmured to himself.


    "Like you, they are Reincarnation Masters." The old man did not turn around but he answered coldly.


    "What?"


    Darren was stunned. Were these young men all Reincarnation Masters? It meant that these people had just guarded their respective continents and successfully entered the Primi


    e now."


    The middle-aged man waved his hand slightly, which indicated that the two men could leave. Without any change of expression on their faces, the two men immediately left the hall.


    The middle-aged man slowly walked down the stairs and stared at Darren.


    Whoosh!


    All of a sudden, an inexplicable force was shot towards Darren.


    A crack appeared on Darren''s chest, but it did not hurt his skin.


    The thirty-six-face crystal mark appeared and glowed on Darren''s chest. When the man saw it, his expression changed drastically. A complicated and worried look flashed in his eyes.


    "You are really that kind of people."


    "Huh? What do you mean? Tell me!" Darren asked coldly. He was getting more and more frustrated.


    "My apologies. I shouldn''t have brought you here. You don''t belong to our Ancestral Land. You have three days to leave, or else you will be expelled forcibly," the middle-aged man said calmly.


    "What? That''s bullshit!"


    Darren couldn''t help but curse out of anger. Everything that had happened made him furious and depressed.


    Boom!


    In an instant, a powerful force lifted Darren up and sent him out of the hall.


    Then, the middle-aged man stepped on the stairs and walked up to the upper part of the hall. After walking for about a hundred flight of stairs, he bowed to a dark room.


    "Ancestor, I found a Defiant Master. I have ordered his expulsion."


    "What is his name?" A deep and hoarse voice echoed in the darkness.


    "Darren Chu."


    Dead silence reigned in the hall. Then, a strong spiritual sense probed the outside of the hall.


    "A descendant of the Chu Clan..." A deep sigh resounded in the dark.

 Chapter 1146 Leaving The Ancestral Land

    Outside the palace, Darren was completely baffled about everything that was happening. At the same time, he was still full of rage.


    "In three days, you should have left this place."


    A man in silver armor walked up to Darren with a spear.


    "I don''t need three days," Darren responded coldly. By then, the only thing he could think about was saying goodbye to his friends.


    "Darren, what should we do?" Elsa asked with concern.


    "They are too strong for us. It''s wiser to back down for the moment. I will come back for my revenge one day. Let''s go, Elsa." Darren held Elsa''s hand and was about to fly out of the square.


    "You can go, but she can''t."


    "Fuck off!" Darren roared. Finley and the others were also furious and were at the edge of their seats.


    The man in armor raised his spear that flashed a blinding golden light. In an instant, a group of powerful armored guards surrounded Darren and the others.


    "Let them go."


    At that moment of tension, a cold and rich voice descended from the sky.


    "Ancestor..." Everyone was shocked to hear the fervent voice. The ancestor had remained silent for thousands of years. Thus, everyone couldn''t help but gasp that he now spoke for a newcomer.


    All the armored guards retreated in an instant.


    "Young man from the Chu Clan, you can bring your wife with you. However, you can''t take anybody else. They will follow you to their deaths, and you will cause them great harm. Do you understand?" The voice echoed again.


    Darren was silent, but he thought, ''Why does this powerful man keep calling me "young man from the Chu Clan"?''


    "Darren, don''t leave us here. Please let us come with you. Even if it''s dangerous, it''s better than being enslaved and bullied here," Finley said.


    "Please, master," the Water Kylin pleaded.


    "Darren, take me with you." Aaron also looked at Darren eagerly. Even the mad old man gave a gesture as if he wanted to follow Darren to the ends of the world.


    "I think you guys better stay put." A moment later, Darren shook his head.


    He thought about it for a while. The outside world must be more treacherous than he thought. There were too many powerful races, so he did not want his peers to run the risk of encountering their deaths.


    "Young man from the Chu Clan, it is best that your companions remain here. If you survive outside, you are welcome to meet them in ten years."


    "Okay, then. I will only take my wife away. Thank you very much," Darren answered and bowed to the ancestor with his hands clasped.


    "Darren¡­" Finley hesitated


    to hand me your God Character by yourself, or do you want me to dig it out of your head with my own hands?"


    "You''re ballsy. Aren''t you afraid that I''m only hiding my level? If I were at the upper-level, shouldn''t you be terrified of death?" Darren retorted.


    "Bah. So what? If you are at the upper-level and you decide to kill me, my brother, my sister, and my uncle would avenge me! Humph!" the little girl said disdainfully.


    "All right then." Darren gave a nod and was ready to take the initiative.


    He had secretly mobilized the god level blade and sword intents and the black god''s power in preparation.


    Whoosh!


    In an instant, the blade and sword intents shot out.


    The little girl was quick to react. Even though Darren launched a sneak attack, she immediately sensed the imminent danger.


    "How dare you hit me first? I will not only take your God Character, but I will also kill you!" The girl took out a rusty iron ring from her waist, which contained waves of the god''s power.


    Darren probed the girl carefully and found out that she was indeed at the middle-level Primary God Realm!


    Boom!


    The blade and sword intents were completely shattered by the girl''s iron ring.


    "Ha-ha, you are such a weakling."


    The girl smiled complacently. However, after several seconds, her smile froze on her face. She felt a terrible force had suddenly hit her.


    "Ah!" the little girl screamed in pain. Immediately, the devastating force pierced her defense and rushed straight to her heart.


    The girl''s face turned deathly pale. She had never thought that such a low-level Primary God Realm warrior would be able to break her defenses!


    "Help! Please!" the little girl cried.

 Chapter 1147 The Reputation Of The Lord Starry Sword

    Several daunting auras suddenly filled the air as soon as the little girl cried.


    "Who dares to hurt my sister?"


    Four people arrived to aid the little girl. Their leader was a burly middle-aged man with stubble and scars on his face and he held a large axe in his hand. The three people beside him were two men and a woman. They looked like ordinary people, but the aura they released were undoubtedly strong.


    After withstanding the terrifying force from Darren, the girl staggered to the side of the scar-faced man.


    "It''s him! He pretended to be a low-level god to kill me. Boo-hoo!" She wailed.


    "A low-level god? Doesn''t look like it," a thin young man said as he touched his chin.


    "Hey, you! What''s your level?" The scar-faced man probed Darren''s strength and found that he was indeed at the low-level Primary God Realm.


    "Why the hell should I tell you?" Darren said contemptuously. He knew these people were not easy to deal with. Even if he treated them respectfully, they would not let him go easily. Thus, Darren thought that there was no need for him to be polite with them.


    "Humph. You''re pretty tough. It looks like you''ve just come out of the Ancestral Land and don''t know how cruel the world is!" one of them said coldly.


    "Who are you? I don''t even know you. Why are you getting in my way?" Darren said in a low voice.


    "Ha-ha-ha! I, Scar, will let you know before you die. We belong to the Bloody Sand Gang. We kill trash like you who have just come out of the Ancestral Land, so as to save godly energy for our world. Understood?"


    "Killing rascals like you contributes to the development of the human race!"


    "Go to hell, young lad!"


    They sneered. The short young man rushed over Darren, while the others stood still. They crossed their arms and watched the fight.


    The short man came in front of Darren in a flash.


    "Watch out, Darren!" Elsa was worried.


    "Elsa, run!" Darren pushed Elsa away gently and pushed his palm forward.


    Boom!


    Darren could feel a tremendous force crushing him. He was thrown backwards for dozens of feet. As soon as he landed on the ground, he spat a mouthful of blood.


    After delivering the heavy blow, the short man stopped.


    "My dear sister, he is indeed a low-level god. Why did you call us here?"


    "I''ve told you be


    wrong foot. We wouldn''t have known each other if we didn''t fight. When I go to the Starry Sword Region, I will share with you if I have something good." Since the hostility of his rival was gone, Darren didn''t want to pretend to be tough. Instead, he used courteous words for acquainting during social occasions.


    "Buddy, you are so frank. Ha-ha-ha!" Scar and the others knew they were just words used in social occasions and should not be taken seriously. However, since Darren had said so, he was obviously offering them an opportunity to make peace. Eventually, they took the chance.


    After all, they could not afford to offend the Starry Sword Region. Even those masters of the Ancestral Land did not dare to provoke the people of the Starry Sword Region recklessly.


    "May I know your name?"


    "It''s Darren Chu."


    "Darren, since we''re now acquainted, why don''t we go to the top of the mountain and have a drink?" Scar offered.


    "Don''t go, Darren." Elsa muttered with a hint of fear in her voice. She did not trust Scar or his companions.


    "Don''t worry. I know what I''m doing," Darren replied using his spiritual sense.


    "Come on, Darren." They all smiled at him.


    "Yes, of course. I accept your invitation. Please show me the way. I''m sorry to bother you."


    "Ha-ha! That''s great. This way, please." Scar made a gesture, which indicated that Darren should go forward to the mountain.


    "Scar, are you trying to lead him to the mountain and kill him by using secret arrays?" the girl asked using her spiritual sense.

 Chapter 1148 Vigilance

    Scar''s eyelids twitched when he heard the little girl''s question.


    He came up with a plan.


    ''Although Darren is a disciple of Lord Starry Sword in the mortal world, no one knows that he has come to the Primitive Wilderness. Maybe the guards in the Starry Sword Region won''t find him as long as he is concealed by the secret array and his Starry Tower is in good condition.


    Moreover, if I could successfully kill this guy and occupy the Starry Tower, I could even pretend to be a disciple of the Starry Sword Region! Lord Starry Sword''s avatars can be found in countless mortal worlds. Surely, he can''t remember every disciple. Therefore, the Starry Tower is a marker of identity, ''


    Scar thought to himself excitedly.


    "Ha-ha! This way, Darren. The mountain ahead is our stronghold," Scar said with a bright smile as he ushered the way for Darren and Elsa.


    An hour later, they finally reached the mountain.


    "Sister, ask Aidan to set up a secret array."


    "Ha-ha! I knew it," the girl replied using her spiritual sense. Unconsciously, she curled her lips contemptuously.


    Darren saw the little girl''s expression inadvertently.


    ''I think they''re up to something, '' Darren thought. He pretended to know nothing, but he could feel that the atmosphere was tense. He tried to remain vigilant like he was walking on eggshells.


    "Darren, why are we here? We can just leave," Elsa asked prudently using her spiritual sense.


    "We can''t. If we insisted on leaving, they would think that we are afraid of them and would try to fight us. I just have the Starry Tower. Even if I was killed, the Lord Starry Sword may not care, so we have to go with them.


    Elsa, I can sense that they are up to something. Let''s just play it by ear. Stay alert," Darren said using his spiritual sense.


    "Okay, be careful." Elsa gave a nod.


    Then, they headed forward.


    After passing some paths that had been equipped with arrays, Darren and the others finally arrived at their stronghold.


    There were many stone houses around a radius of tens of thousands of feet.


    Many people went on with their peaceful lives. It looked like a peaceful rural village.


    "Please, sit down."


    Scar led Darren and Elsa to his stone house, while the rest of his companions followed behind closely.


    Then,


    do? They keep on insisting that we stay with them. They are definitely up to no good."


    "That''s for sure. Don''t worry. If we can''t fight them, we must find an opportunity to escape." However, at that time, Darren couldn''t come up with a solution.


    In Scar''s room


    "Aidan, you are an upper-level law god. Is there any way I can get a hold of a secret array to kill them and get the Starry Tower?"


    "Well, it''s too difficult,"


    an old man said with a sigh.


    "Can''t you do that?" The little girl butted in. If Scar could become a disciple of the Starry Sword Region, their clan didn''t have to seek refuge in that remote place any longer.


    "Yes, but it will take at least three days. Moreover, I can''t guarantee that I can kill him without being noticed. The chances are 50-50. Scar, you have to think about it clearly. If we fail, our clan might be at risk of extermination." The old man was worried.


    "Aidan, I''ve thought it over. This risk is worth taking!"


    "Yes, Scar is right. Fortune favors the brave!"


    "I agree too."


    Everyone expressed their support for Scar because the prestige of being a Starry Sword Region disciple was so tempting.


    "Okay, you are our leader. I am going to prepare for it now. You must make sure that you can keep him here for three more days.


    If you can''t, there is actually another way, which might work as well," the old man said.


    "Really? What is it, Aidan?" Scar and the others were immediately interested. They gaped at Aiden intently and waited for his response.

 Chapter 1149 Hatching A Plan

    Everyone waited with baited breaths to hear the plan.


    "It''s very simple. If humans kill him, the guards of the Starry Sword Region may come to investigate. But, what if a beast kills him?" Aidan suggested with a sinister smile.


    "Wow! That''s an awesome idea!" The girl clapped and cheered.


    "Ha-ha, you mean we can find a beast to kill him?


    Do we dare to catch one? If we are discovered, the Ancestral Land might kill us," Scar said.


    In the Primitive Wilderness, as the other races were stronger than the human race, an agreement was reached wherein humans would not kill members of the other races. If a human broke the terms of the deal, it would spark a war that would lead to annihilation.


    Of course, there were exceptions to the agreement as some low-level members of other races didn''t enjoy real protection.


    However, the senior human leaders attached great significance to this agreement. Humans were forbidden from killing members of any other race. Even if their life was threatened, they could only flee.


    This was why Scott had been punished for killing a spectral beast.


    As they now had a new way, everyone was occupied with thoughts of how to get a beast to kill Darren.


    "Scar, do you remember the beast that killed your father twenty years ago?" Since no one had any ideas, Aidan used this opportunity to remind them.


    Scar''s expression turned gloomy at the prompt.


    Twenty years ago, when his father was cultivating away from home, he encountered an Iron Spine Beast. That beast mauled and ate his father.


    When they arrived, all that was left of his father was a pile of blood and bones.


    But they didn''t dare to surround and kill the Iron Spine Beast. So, they lured it into the shadows, injured it, and captured it.


    Over the past twenty years, the Iron Spine Beast had been locked in the cellar. Scar would send people to torture it to vent his hatred.


    "Aidan, are you suggesting that we use the Iron Spine Beast?" the short man said.


    "With my current ability, I can control it for about fifteen minutes. That should be enough time to kill that guy," Aidan answered with a confident nod.


    "No, we can''t." Scar shook his head.


    He was worried that if they freed the beast, it would be hard for them to catch it again. Since using it to kill Darren would be equivalent to releasing his enemy, Scar was unwilling.


    "Come on, Scar... Killing the brat with the Iron Sp


    in.


    "Good morning, Darren. Did you sleep well last night?"


    The short young man greeted Darren with a smile.


    "Yes," Darren replied with a smile.


    "Let''s eat together?"


    "No, thanks. I ate a lot yesterday."


    For warriors who had reached the God Realm like Darren, food was not a necessity for survival. People only ate when they wanted to indulge their senses.


    "Well, then I will leave you and Elsa alone. By the way, we will hold a small sacrificial ceremony at noon. We''d like to invite you and Elsa. The function is being held to bring long-term luck. You won''t refuse, will you?" the short man said.


    Darren sneered in his heart and thought, ''You finally take action!''


    "Of course, I''ll be there by noon."


    "I''m glad to hear that. Darren, thank you so much." The short man expressed his gratitude and left.


    Darren returned to the room.


    "Elsa, they are going to do something. You need to hide your soul and let the immortal control the body," Darren warned Elsa.


    Although Elsa''s soul could also control the immortal''s body, the strength she unleashed was much weaker than the immortal''s.


    "Okay, but you must be careful." Elsa agreed.


    "I will. Don''t worry. I''ll try my best to reach the middle-level of the Primary God Realm before noon." The confidence in Darren''s words relieved Elsa''s concerns.


    After the soul exchange, the expression on the immortal''s face turned cold.


    "What are you doing?"


    Darren exclaimed. To his surprise, once the immortal took control of her body, she wrapped her slender arms around his waist and brought her beautiful face close to Darren.

 Chapter 1150 Fighting Against The Iron Spine Beast

    The aura between the immortal and Elsa was worlds apart in difference.


    Even though they were in the same body, Darren could clearly sense them individually.


    The beauty of the immortal was suffocating, cold and unique. Elsa''s beauty was pure.


    Darren was shocked by the immortal''s sudden advancements.


    "Stop, stop, stop..." Darren gently pushed the immortal away.


    "I want it," said the immortal in an indifferent tone.


    Darren''s eyes grew at these words as he got a little confused. He wasn''t sure whether to laugh or cry from how awkward it was. "What do you want?" he asked.


    "I want to do something indescribable like you did with Elsa." The immortal recalled what Elsa and Darren did in the void that day. She recalled the pleasures Elsa felt when she was intimate with him. The immortal expected to become that close with Darren.


    Hearing this, Darren immediately understood what the immortal wanted to do. He shook his head.


    "No way!"


    The immortal was taken aback by the sudden rejection and asked, "Why can she do that with you, but I can''t?"


    "Haha." Darren smiled. "She''s my wife, and you''re not. So I can''t."


    "I''ve already told you that I can also be your wife as long as you do the same thing with me."


    Darren rolled his eyes and sighed. "You don''t understand. Elsa and I have feelings for each other. Stop this. I''m sure you already know that someone''s out to kill us. We need to prepare ourselves as soon as possible. If they take action, just defend yourself, and I''ll deal with the rest."


    The immortal pouted angrily at Darren for a moment; not being able to figure out why Darren refused her. Luckily, her rationality kicked in and she realized she was indeed in great danger. She then decided to drop the argument with Darren.


    The immortal realized that Darren just wanted her to be safe so that his wife''s soul, in turn, would be safe as well.


    An inexplicable bitterness rose up at the bottom of the immortal''s heart; one that she''d never felt before. She quickly dismissed the emotion as it made her very uncomfortable.


    There were several hours before noon, Darren stopped talking and immersed himself in cultivation.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Someone knocked on the door.


    "It''s time, Darren. Please come to the sacrificial ceremony,"


    said the girl.


    "Phew!" Darren opened his eyes and found that he had not yet been able to reach the middle-level of the Primary God Realm.


    "Okay."


    With no time to waste, Darren went out of the stone house with the immortal.


    With the girl leading the way, Darren and the immortal made their way to the underground cave. It turned


    r before they collect the bodies.


    Meanwhile, in the underground cave, Darren and the immortal were running frantically to dodge any oncoming attacks.


    The Iron Spine Beast ran towards Darren and it had its large mouth wide open and nearly dragging to the ground as if it were starving to death.


    "Come on! Keep running!"


    Darren had managed to dodge the Iron Spine Beast''s attacks several times by now, so the Iron Spine Beast had run himself into the wall the same number of times. It was furious.


    "Howl!"


    This time, the Iron Spine Beast slowed down. It stopped right in front of Darren and raised its front claw to hit him.


    The beast was extremely powerful and its body was very durable. Its skin looked like it was made of rocks. It was enough for it to tear up warriors at the upper-level of the Primary God Realm using only sheer strength.


    Darren stopped to face the blow full-on.


    "Give me your best shot!"


    Darren gathered his black god''s power into his palms and slapped hard on the Iron Spine Beast''s claw.


    Bang!


    A few seconds later, Darren delivered a punch with mighty force.


    "Wow!"


    Darren''s entire arm was broken by the great impact and it turned into a mist of blood.


    "This is one powerful beast!" Darren immediately gathered his god''s power to repair the broken arm.


    On the other side, it seemed that the Iron Spine Beast had sustained some injuries as well. The outer layer of its skin was cut by Darren''s black god''s power, and it started to bleed buckets.


    "My strength is only a tiny bit weaker! When I reach the middle-level of the Primary God Realm, I''ll definitely kill it!"


    Since Darren was almost able to break through to the middle-level, he had absolutely no fear of the Iron Spine Beast.

 Chapter 1151 Break Through To The Middle-level Of The Primary God Realm

    Although Darren was not as strong as the Iron Spine Beast at the moment, he could not be easily killed. Therefore, he used it as an opportunity to practice.


    Whoosh!


    After recovering his arm, Darren took the initiative to attack.


    The black god''s power rippled in the air between Darren''s palms, which undulated the space with countless waves. Even the air pressure was compelling enough to kill a low-level primary god!


    Boom!


    Darren punched the Iron Spine Beast several hundred times at an astonishing speed. However, the beast had a well-built defensive power that even the black god''s power couldn''t penetrate.


    After attacking for a while, Darren quickly flew backwards, leaving the beast no chance to fight back.


    "Roar!"


    the Iron Spine Beast howled in pain. Although its defenses had not been broken under Darren''s attack, it felt an excruciating pain in its viscera. Subsequently, it let out ear-splitting roars and chased after Darren wildly.


    The immortal, on the other hand, dared not to attack and activated the law force to protect herself.


    Inside the stone chamber


    "Are they still fighting?"


    Scar and the others had been waiting for about fifteen minutes. They could still sense the fluctuations of the battle, so they knew that it was far from over.


    The short man gulped nervously.


    "Scar, do you think that Darren is just hiding his real level using some arcane skill? Is it possible that he is at the upper-level Primary God Realm? If he''s not, he wouldn''t have almost killed her," the short man said as he pointed at the little girl.


    "Yeah," the little girl cried out, "I felt it at that time. It was a strange god''s power that almost crushed my heart."


    "In that case, he might be an upper-level primary god. Stay vigilant, everyone.


    Aidan, prepare the secret array. If this guy doesn''t die, we will surround him and kill him!" Scar said as he smashed the glass in his hand into pieces.


    "Okay, I''ll go set it up."


    Boom!


    After several rounds, Darren was finally hit by the Iron Spine Beast. His body landed and sank deeply in the stone wall.


    Then, he mobilized his god''s power to quickly repair his body and remove himself from the stone wall.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The god level blade and sword intents instantly blasted out and began circling the Iron Spine Beast.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The blade and sword intents continued to dissipate, and it only caused little


    n''t have helped anyone if it did not concern her.


    ''Does she have human feelings?'' Darren thought to himself, but he did not ask.


    With the help of the immortal and his god''s power, Darren was able to fully recover his body.


    ''I was too reckless. I should have infused the god level blade and sword intents and used the dark gold god''s power they produced. By doing this, perhaps I could have killed the beast in an instant, '' Darren thought.


    How powerful would the god level blade and sword intents be if they were infused? Darren felt that if the god level blade and sword intents merged, the dark gold god''s power would be more potent than the pure black god''s power.


    However, he was a little worried. He wondered if there would be something similar to the thunder punishment of Heavenly Repression that would descend after he infused the blade and sword intents in the Primitive Wilderness.


    Thus, he did not blindly integrate them before he could figure it out.


    "What? The battle is over?" In the stone chamber, Scar and the others hurriedly stood up.


    "Ha-ha! That''s great. He''s dead. We don''t need to take the risk to fight." The short man was overjoyed, but Aidan''s face turned grim.


    "He slayed the Iron Spine Beast!"


    Aidan murmured. He had a strong connection with the Iron Spine Beast, so he instantly felt the moment of its death.


    "What? Damn it!


    This bastard is really difficult to deal with. I''ll kill him myself!"


    Scar was furious.


    "It looks like we''re going to have to kill him together."


    "Wait. For our safety, go and call Larkin!" Scar thought for a moment and suddenly shouted.

 Chapter 1152 Larkin

    In the underground stone room, Darren had fully recovered from his injuries.


    "Let''s escape," the immortal suggested.


    "We can''t." Darren shook his head. He explained, "They must be waiting outside. If we try to leave, we might be attacked by some powerful arrays. Since this place is small, it won''t be easy for them to attack us. Let''s just wait here quietly."


    The immortal thought for a moment and felt that Darren''s rationale was reasonable. And, so she agreed to stay.


    Several hours had passed, but Scar and his men still hadn''t appeared.


    Darren was not worried. Instead, he continued to cultivate. Soon, his cultivation base improved enough to stabilize his middle-level Primary God Realm.


    Boom!


    An hour later, the door of the underground stone room flew open.


    Almost immediately, strange runes flew in, and it seemed as if they had cut off space and time.


    This was the secret array prepared by Aidan. When they used this array, it would be hard for the guards in the Starry Sword Region to notice that they had killed Darren. After all, this place was far from the Starry Sword Region, and Darren''s strength was not powerful enough to be noticed.


    More than ten figures entered the room.


    "Brat, I didn''t expect that you would hide your real level. Although you have the strength to kill the Iron Spine Beast, do you think you can survive?" Scar stated coldly.


    "Don''t talk nonsense. Just kill me if you can!" Darren replied with a somber expression.


    "You are so arrogant. Okay, let''s fight!"


    An ordinary upper-level primary god beside Scar rushed forward to attack Darren. The remaining people stood still as they wanted to observe Darren''s strength.


    That upper-level primary god flashed to Darren''s side and punched him on the head.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The sound of a blade and sword cutting through flesh echoed in the quiet room, and the man seemed to freeze in mid-air.


    "What are you waiting for?"


    "Kill him!"


    The others roared. However, that man fell to the ground. Everyone was aghast to see that his body had been sliced into several pieces.


    "What!?"


    The short young man was astonished. He was familiar with the strength of the man that Darren had just killed. He was not considered weak among upper-level primary gods, but he had been dismembered in one attack. How powerful was Darren?


    "How?"


    the short man muttered as confusio


    shed at Darren, making it impossible for him to dodge.


    Darren felt as though he was in immense danger.


    Just then, Aidan, who had been standing by, also launched his attacks.


    Boom!


    Aidan gathered the power of a law god to form a golden palm and launched it at Darren.


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat. It was difficult for him to withstand so many powerful god''s powers.


    "It''s time to merge my blade and sword intents."


    As Darren howled, the blade and sword winds rose around him. In an instant, the blade and sword intents began to gather and then mingled.


    Dark gold god''s power started to appear in wisps.


    "Kill!"


    He gritted his teeth and mobilized the dark gold god''s power to besiege the people attacking him.


    "What?"


    Everyone was terrified when they sensed the dark gold god''s power.


    "This guy..." The short man who was rushing forward felt that something was wrong, and so he immediately retreated.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Several people exploded, and their blood mist dyed the whole basement red.


    From among those who had fought Darren, only Scar and the short man were still alive.


    "What?"


    Aidan trembled with fear and tried to activate the array to escape.


    Darren sneered as a dark gold god''s power shot at Aidan.


    "Ah!"


    A massive hole appeared in Aidan''s chest, and he fell to the ground, screaming painfully.


    "How dare you? How dare you?" Just then, a man who seemed to have been watching from the darkness stepped forward.


    "Larkin has come!" The previously nervous Scar and the short young man were relieved at the sight of Larkin.

 Chapter 1153 The Invitation

    In the dim light, a man in a black robe walked down the stairs.


    Scar and the short man bowed to the man and said, "Nice to see you, Larkin."


    "Oh, come on. You and I are like brothers. You don''t have to bow." Larkin patted Scar''s shoulder.


    Darren glanced at Larkin and felt that Larkin was at least at the top level of the Primary God Realm!


    The top level of the Primary God Realm was higher than the upper-level of the Primary God Realm. After the Primary God Realm, the next level was the Domain God Realm.


    There were four main realms: the Primary God Realm, the Domain God Realm, the Star God Realm, and the Celestial God Realm. Breaking through to a higher realm was an extremely arduous task. However, when a cultivator broke through to a new realm, his or her strength would significantly increase.


    Darren was only at the middle-level of the Primary God Realm. It was already an incredible thing for him to kill an upper-level primary god. However, it would be unimaginable for him to win a fight against a primary god at the top level.


    "Larkin, here''s the thing. This guy is about to enter the Starry Sword Region. He has killed more than ten masters from our mountain. Can you help me kill him?" Scar asked.


    "Yeah, Larkin. You''re the probationary guard of the Cloud Forest Sect. Even if the guards of the Starry Sword Region found out what you''ve done, they wouldn''t dare to do anything to you. After all, this guy is not a disciple yet," the short man said.


    The Cloud Forest Sect was one of the orthodox sects of the Blood Cloud Region.


    "No matter who he says he is, if he lays a hand on my people, I will destroy him." Larkin''s sharp eyes seemed to pierce through Darren.


    "Ha-ha! Wow, your love for your people is really moving," Scar said with joy. Larkin was a homeless orphan. When he was just a little boy, the villagers from the mountains found him wandering aimlessly. Soon, they adopted him and raised him as their own. He was a talented young man. His strength improved rapidly in a short time, so the Cloud Forest Sect took an interest in him. Later on, they recruited him to become a probationary guard.


    Larkin then walked towards Darren.


    ''The middle-level of the Primary God Realm?''


    Larkin probed for Darren''s c


    ple of the Lord Starry Sword? Would it be appropriate at all if I accepted your invitation to join the Cloud Forest Sect?" Darren asked curiously.


    "Ha-ha. Don''t worry. In the Primitive Wilderness, as long as you have the strength and potential, you can join any sect you want. Heck, you can even join ten or eight sects. No one will make things difficult for you.


    But of course, you can''t join rival sects. If one wants to join two sects who are enemies, he will be killed by both rival sects. This has always been the principle.


    The Cloud Forest Sect is a direct subordinate sect of the Blood Cloud Region. There is no bad blood between the Blood Cloud Region and the Starry Sword Region, so you can rest assured that you are in good hands,"


    Larkin explained to Darren patiently.


    "Oh, okay." Darren nodded. He was a little relieved. In that way, he could just join a small sect and settle down. After he built up his strength, he could easily go out.


    "However, Darren, you must do your best in the assessment. If you don''t pass the examination, you won''t be recognized even if you have great potential," Larkin said seriously.


    "I understand. Thank you. I will try to do my best." Darren knew that if he passed the examination, Larkin would be rewarded by the Cloud Forest Sect. That was why Larkin was so nice to him.


    "Great! Since you can easily kill an upper-level primary god, I''m sure you can pass the test too and become a formal disciple!" Larkin said with excitement in his eyes.

 Chapter 1154 Looking Down On Us

    "Larkin, does this so-called examination mean engaging in combat with another person?" Darren asked curiously.


    "Yes." Larkin nodded and said, "Although the Cloud Forest Sect is not a big sect, at least 30 to 40 people visit our sect and want to become a disciple every day. However, not everyone who comes is qualified to join the sect. Thus, they need to be evaluated by the examination. Only three people are admitted each day."


    "Larkin, you are at least a primary god at the top level. Why don''t you take the examination as well and become a disciple of the sect?" Darren was confused.


    Larkin''s face suddenly changed. After a moment, he answered, "I do want to be a disciple. However, the Cloud Forest Sect carefully selects the cream of the crop to be their disciples. A loser like me who was born and raised in the Primitive Wilderness will not be accepted by the sect as a disciple."


    Darren could tell that becoming a disciple was Larkin''s lifelong dream.


    "Well, I''m sure you will have a chance in the future." Darren comforted him.


    "I hope so. Come on, let''s hurry up. Today''s examination is about to begin."


    "Okay."


    Then, Darren, the immortal, and Larkin flew at a much faster speed.


    Below them, they could see many wooden houses built in the mountain forest. It was the location of the Cloud Forest Sect.


    ''How crude, '' Darren thought to himself. He thought that a sect in the Primitive Wilderness was not as prosperous as a small sect on the Lothlann Continent.


    "Let''s go to the examination valley. Come with me."


    Darren and the immortal followed Larkin and flew towards a wide valley.


    As soon as they landed on the ground in the valley, it was already crowded with many people. The ground was with a radius of ten kilometers, and lots of arenas were erected in the center of the ground.


    "Darren, hurry up. Today''s registration is over," Larkin urged.


    "I brought someone. Please put him under my name; I am Larkin, a probationary guard. I hope you can still give him a chance to sign up," Larkin rushed over to the registration booth and said hurriedly.


    "There are no vacancies. You can come to sign up tomorrow." The elder in charge of the registration didn''t even look at him.


    "Please. He is a real genius! I''m afraid he''ll leave in one day. Please just give him a chance," Larkin asked anxiously.


    "Humph! What do you mean ''a


    lled, his reward would also be gone.


    "Darren, I''m so sorry," Larkin apologized to Darren through his spiritual sense.


    "Don''t worry, Larkin. I won''t lose," Darren replied with confidence.


    "Although Jeff is just a middle-level primary god, Owen had given him a powerful divine weapon. He also has a powerful cultivation skill that makes him invincible even to the upper-level primary gods! I''m afraid there is little chance of defeating him..."


    Jeff Xu was a famous figure in the Cloud Forest Sect. Rumors had it that he secretly attacked and killed a primary god at the top level. His strength was powerful!


    "If he''s powerful, and so am I. Have a little faith in me, Larkin. We''ll see who is more powerful in the arena!" Then, Darren went straight to the elder at the registration area.


    "Elder, please give me a chance. I want to sign up now." Darren tried to convince the elder.


    The elder glanced at Owen Xu and agreed without hesitation. He didn''t dare to offend Owen Xu.


    "Wow! You have the guts!" Jeff Xu sneered.


    "Brat, you''re only at the middle-level of the Primary God Realm. How dare you be so cocky! I''m going to rip you into pieces!" Jeff Xu gritted his teeth and whispered to Darren in a cold voice.


    "He deserves it. How dare he be so disrespectful?"


    "Alas! The world has changed. Even a middle-level primary god is so arrogant!"


    "Humph! He looks down upon us. I hope Jeff will teach him a good lesson!"


    The rest of the applicants took a dark pleasure in Darren''s misfortune, and looked forward to seeing him being smashed into a meat paste.

 Chapter 1155 Eye-catching Performance

    Darren loathed how those people gloated over him. Those who had reached the God Realm in the Primitive Wilderness were not that wise. They were spiteful bullies who thought they were a cut above.


    Darren couldn''t blame them. After all, those people had lived at the bottom of the Primitive Wilderness since they were born. Everything around them was all they had known and had seen.


    "All right. Here are your groupings. The top three contestants earn the privilege of joining the Cloud Forest Sect," the elder in charge of registration said rather indifferently.


    He divided the participants into five groups.


    "Everyone, listen. Intentional murder is strictly prohibited during the examination. Anyone who violates this rule will be severely punished by the Cloud Forest Sect. Remember, once your opponent yields, the fighting must stop," the elder announced in a loud voice.


    When Jeff heard this rule, the corner of his mouth curled into a sneer. ''The word "intentional" is good. After I kill that brat later, I can say it was an accident.''


    After a short while, the participants entered the five arenas.


    "Brat, you boast about being the number one genius, but you can''t defeat me!"


    In one of the five arenas, four people glared at Darren defiantly as if they were going to fight him together.


    "I''ve never said that I am the number one genius, but let''s see if you can win against me." Darren stood in the arena with a cold face. He restrained his aura and looked very calm.


    "I think you are extremely arrogant! Go to hell!"


    A big man with a huge axe in his hand immediately jumped towards Darren. The overbearing god''s power in his body began to surge.


    Darren sensed that the big man was an upper-level primary god whose strength was, however, not very stable. It was obvious that he had only become an upper-level primary god just recently. His strength was inferior to Scar''s and his companions''. Thus, Darren didn''t take the man in front of him seriously.


    "Brat, take my blow!"


    The man waved his axe with a golden crescent on the blade. In an instant, it slashed Darren directly.


    In the mortal worlds, the power of that axe could shatter a small world. Unfortunately, in the Primitive Wilderness, such power was quite ordinary.


    Darren did not even move an inch. He


    ocked to see Darren''s display of strength.


    It seemed that the guard who boasted about his abilities was right. He had just defeated three upper-level primary gods with a single move! In their eyes, that guy was definitely a genius.


    ''Great. There will be interesting moments later, '' Jeff thought to himself. Instead of getting worried, he was happy to see that Darren was a worthy adversary. He wanted to torture Darren in front of everyone later.


    Everyone''s eyes were fixed upon Darren that he even caught the attention of the people above the valley.


    "Elder Hassan, come and see me."


    The person above the valley immediately summoned the elder who was in charge of the registration.


    ''What is it? Miss Olivia?'' Elder Hassan''s heart skipped a beat. ''Why did the temperamental Miss Olivia call me out of nowhere? Did I do something wrong?'' he thought to himself.


    He flew up to the valley nervously.


    Then, he landed in front of a beautiful young girl. Her face was blank and cold.


    "Who is the man at Arena No. 4? What is his background?" Olivia asked indifferently.


    "Well... I don''t know. A probationary guard brought him," Elder Hassan replied.


    "He''s not bad. When he gets the first place, ask him to see me," Olivia Bai ordered.


    "What? What did you say?" Elder Hassan shivered.


    "Well?" Olivia Bai frowned. "Is there a problem?"


    "No, no..." Elder Hassan stammered. He shook his head, then thought for a while and said, "Yes, I have a problem. Miss Olivia, I''m afraid he can''t pass the examination."

 Chapter 1156 Owen Made His Move

    "Why? What happened?"


    shouted Olivia, with a sullen expression on her face. She had just felt that Darren''s strength was definitely the best among the participants. ''Why can''t he pass the test?'' She was confused.


    "Miss Olivia, this man has offended Owen and his brother. I''m afraid..." Elder Hassan said honestly.


    "Huh! How dare Owen hurt that genius? I swear his life will be over if he continues to be so reckless," Olivia said coldly.


    "Okay. In that case, I''ll go and warn Owen now," Elder Hassan said nervously.


    "Warn him? None of that. If he dares to break the rules and steps out of line one more time, I''ll kill him myself," Olivia said in a murderous tone.


    When Elder Hassan heard this, a cold sweat broke down his back. Olivia was known to be really moody. She was very quick to kill people.


    "I understand. Shall I take my leave?" said Elder Hassan, quickly retreating.


    "It seems that this young man will enjoy a high position in the future since Miss Olivia favors him so much. Perhaps I should treat him better," Elder Hassan whispered.


    The first round of assessment finally came to an end.


    There were still five people left in the arena, three of whom were masters who were about to reach the top-level Primary God Realm. Only Darren and Jeff were still at the middle-level Primary God Realm.


    "For the remaining five, you must draw lots. One of you will be promoted directly." As Elder Hassan said this, he threw five balls of light into the air, but he quickly shifted them around in a sneaky way. The ball of "promotion" had to fall into Darren''s hands.


    In this way, it would save Elder Hassan a lot of trouble.


    "What happened? Why was that brat chosen to proceed directly to the next round?"


    After the result came out, Jeff''s face turned sour with spite.


    "Jeff, it was a lucky draw. It really only proves that he''s lucky. Please let him go," Elder Hassan said and slowly flew over.


    "Bullshit! Old man, you''re pulling a trick on all of us. Are you seriously helping him on purpose?" Jeff jumped out of the arena and angrily grabbed Elder Hassan by the collar.


    "How dare you!"


    Elder Hassan pushed Jeff away and fixed his collar with a huff.


    "Do not forget your place here! You are just a disciple who has yet to join the sect. How dare you disrespect me? I''ll have you know this offense is enough reason for us to kill you!" Elder Hassan''s strength was at the Doma


    Owen who was at the low-level Domain God Realm.


    The oncoming palm attack definitely looked fatal to Darren. He quickly dodged to avoid as much of the palm''s power as possible. In retaliation, Darren released a fierce dark gold god''s power and hit Owen''s palm.


    Bang!


    The dark gold god''s power threw off Owen''s attack and Darren was thrown into the air from the impact.


    Even if Darren used the dark gold god''s power, he couldn''t resist the power of the Domain God Realm. After all, there was still a great gap between the two realms.


    However, after this blow, Owen realized it was not as easy to kill Darren as he''d imagined. His palm was bleeding profusely and his defense had just been broken through!


    The result was a great shock to Owen. He hadn''t expected that a young man at the Primary God Realm could possibly break his defense!


    ''He really is different, '' Owen thought to himself. He could feel how powerful the dark gold god''s power was. If Darren was at the same level as him, he would have been dead by now.


    "I must kill him, or he''ll be big trouble for us in the future." His mettle to kill Darren solidified even more.


    Right now, Darren was just a qualifier of the Cloud Forest Sect and he hadn''t officially been accepted as a disciple of the sect yet. If Owen killed him, Owen would only get a bad scolding at worst. If he let Darren go, once he became more powerful, things would get out of hand.


    Whoosh!


    Owen ran towards Darren in a flash.


    Whoosh!


    An arrow of god''s power shot out of Owen''s palm, and by then the arrow had already gathered ninety percent of his power!

 Chapter 1157 Powerful Dragon Power

    Owen, who was at the low-level Domain God Realm, was determined to kill Darren. Everyone present was certain that Darren would not survive Owen''s onslaught.


    When Darren sensed the powerful god''s power chasing him as he flew, he realized that he couldn''t block it.


    ''What should I do?'' he wondered.


    Although he couldn''t come up with a solution, Darren wouldn''t just wait for death to claim him. He summoned all his skills and formed a defense with which to protect his body. Then, he suddenly increased his speed to dodge the arrow, but it was too fast.


    In the blink of an eye, the arrow broke through Darren''s defenses and dispersed the blade and sword intents, the black god''s power, and the dark gold god''s power.


    Death loomed, and there was nothing Darren could do to stop it.


    "Roar!"


    Just then, a ferocious dragon roar pierced the sky.


    The sound was so powerful that it seemed as though it would destroy the whole world. All the masters in a three-hundred-kilometer radius, could not help but look in the direction of the roar. On a distant mountain peak where the Cloud Forest Sect was located, stood a young man with white hair. He seemed to have no breath¡ªalmost as if he had died many years ago. To everyone''s astonishment, the young man''s eyes flew open. There was a hint of surprise in his eyes.


    Owen''s arrow did not pierce Darren''s body. Instead, it was blocked by a hazy dragon shadow.


    "What?"


    Everyone was startled when they felt the overwhelming dragon power. Even Darren was no exception.


    ''What enviable dragon power!'' Darren exclaimed in his mind. He didn''t know how he came to have such mighty dragon power.


    "Darren, I have awakened." A familiar voice echoed in Darren''s heart.


    "Dragon ancestor!" Darren realized that the dragon ancestor had been sleeping in his heart for a long time. "How did you become so powerful? It''s unbelievable!"


    He could sense that the dragon ancestor had surpassed the Domain God Realm!


    "It''s a long story. I have woken from sleep, and only after I received the memory did I understand why I have become so powerful."


    "Well, let''s talk about it later. I''m in trouble now," Darren said.


    "He is only in the Domain God Realm. Even though I am a soul, I can still eliminate him." The dragon ancestor''s voice was


    you!"


    Then the Third Elder turned over his palm as he prepared to unleash his god''s power.


    "Humph! Third Elder, how can you threaten to kill him without a second thought? Since you enjoy making such decisions, should I persuade my father to abdicate and let you be the sect leader?"


    A beautiful girl appeared in front of everyone.


    "Miss Olivia?" They all knew that something terrible was to be expected every time this girl showed up.


    "Please don''t, Miss Olivia." When the Third Elder saw the young girl, he contained his arrogance and slightly bowed to her.


    "Is there anything in the Cloud Forest Sect that you wouldn''t dare to do?"


    "Miss Olivia, you can''t say that. Please don''t label me." The Third Elder''s eyelids twitched. He was furious, but he didn''t dare to be impolite or arrogant. After all, she was their sect leader''s beloved daughter.


    "Well. I just labeled you. Do you have a problem with that?" Olivia scolded sharply.


    "You!" The Third Elder was too angry to say anything. Olivia had always opposed him, and today was no different. As she was interfering, it seemed that he would not be able to punish this bloke today. He had no choice but to leave. Before leaving, he gave Darren a murderous look, as if he wanted to take out all his grievance and frustration on Darren.


    "Help me, elder. Please help me to avenge my brother," pleaded Jeff, who got up and followed the Third Elder.


    "Get out of my sight!"


    Barely had he finished roaring at the young man, and Jeff turned into ashes!

 Chapter 1158 Sect Leader

    "You may go."


    After the Third Elder left, Olivia told everyone else to leave as well.


    "Yes."


    The other elders were unwilling to stay with Olivia any longer and immediately flew away.


    "Come with me,"


    Olivia said, casting a glance at Darren. Then, she turned around and flew towards the peak in the distance.


    Darren didn''t follow her immediately. Instead, he walked over to the immortal.


    "Let Elsa out."


    "Why?"


    "Because you don''t have emotions or behave like humans do. You''re more than likely to offend someone with your attitude. You know, there are masters everywhere. They''re very likely to endanger your life." Darren knew that the immortal already had some semblance of human emotion, but her heart was still focused on one thing: survival.


    Darren knew if it came to a point that she needed to save herself, she would do so in a heartbeat.


    As expected, the immortal only gave him a curt nod. Now that she had returned to the Primitive Wilderness, it was time for her to cultivate more, so she agreed.


    "Oh, Darren. That was so dangerous just now. She didn''t even bother to help you! Humph!" Elsa was so worried that she was about to cry. She harbored deep resentment towards the immortal for her unwillingness to help Darren when he was in trouble.


    "With her current strength, she wouldn''t be able to help me anyways. Come on, let''s go meet Olivia," Darren said.


    "Okay." Elsa nodded her head. "Is it true that you are going to be a disciple of this sect and you will cultivate for a long time?"


    "It depends. Right now, we need to find a place to live. It won''t be easy for us to live in the Primitive Wilderness. I''m worried that I won''t be able to protect you when we encounter a strong warrior. The Cloud Forest Sect is our best bet in keeping ourselves safe," Darren explained.


    "I see. I''ll listen to you." Elsa nodded, obediently.


    Before he flew to the top of the mountain, Darren released god''s power to heal Larkin''s wounds.


    "Elder Hassan, please help me to take care of him," Darren said as he saluted to Elder Hass


    stor replied slowly. Darren could sense a hint of fear in his voice.


    The red silk ribbon flew towards Darren and came to a halt in front of his chest.


    Suddenly, a young man with white hair appeared from nowhere.


    "Olivia, you are going too far." The man said this in such a calm tone that it sent chills down their backs.


    Olivia pursed her lips and stared at him with hostility.


    "This is none of your business!" She was not afraid of the strong, young white-haired man at all.


    "I want him to be my disciple, so you can''t kill him. Do you understand what I''m saying?" the young man asked, cocking an eyebrow.


    "Why? Why can''t I kill him if you want him to be your disciple? Who do you think you are?" Olivia gritted her teeth and her voice dripped with resentment.


    "I am the sect leader and your father. Aren''t those enough reasons?" the young man said coldly.


    ''Father?'' Darren was surprised.


    "No! I don''t have a father!" Olivia was angry.


    The young man looked at her coldly, but did not speak any more. Instead, he released an irresistible force which scooped Olivia up and sent her down the mountain.


    "You! Let go of me!"


    Olivia struggled, but could not break free from the force. She gradually disappeared in the mist.


    "Are you from one of the mortal worlds?"


    The man looked at Darren. His cold gaze seemed to pierce through Darren''s soul.

 Chapter 1159 Acknowledged The Sect Leader As His Master

    "Yes, I hail from the Lothlann Continent," Darren answered.


    "Good. Are you willing to become my disciple?" the white-haired man asked straightforwardly.


    Darren kept silent for a while and suddenly said, "If I become your disciple, what will you teach me?"


    The white-haired man was stunned by Darren''s inquisitive question. He suddenly felt that Darren was different from the others.


    "I have half a scroll of supreme martial skill. Is that enough?" said the white-haired man, after a moment of pondering.


    "Supreme martial skill?" Darren was visibly awestruck, and so the white-haired man found him to be persuaded.


    Then Darren showed a preview of Void Penetration and asked, "So, what kind of level do you think this is at?"


    He remembered that the phantoms he met prior all claimed they were superior gods, and so he suspected that the Void Penetration was supposedly a very high level martial skill as well.


    But the white-haired man was not the last bit surprised after seeing Darren''s move.


    "The one who created this skill might be a great master, but unfortunately, in order to adapt to some rules, he deliberately put a cap on this skill''s power, so, its power is only equal to that of an ordinary skill." The white-haired man immediately saw through the skill.


    Based on his reaction, Darren found the white-haired man to really know his stuff about his skills. If the Void Penetration was a top-level legendary martial skill, no one in the mortal world could master it, and so neither could he.


    "I''m curious. Now that you have obtained this skill, you can just practice it by yourself. Why do you have to recruit disciples and teach them?" Darren said.


    "You prattle on like this, but really, you just need to choose whether to be my disciple or not." The white-haired man seemed to be a little annoyed now.


    "If I refuse, you''ll just kill me like what your daughter wanted to do, right?" Darren asked.


    "You may take your leave now."


    The white-haired man turned around and walked towards the cliff bitterly, as if he didn''t want to speak any more.


    Darren was surprised at this reaction.


    "Darren, I think he seems to have some reasons he''d rather not disclose, and it''s clear that he did not release any killing intent to you," Elsa conveyed, using her spiritual sense.


    "Yeah, honestly, I can sense that he is not a bad person." Darren also felt that although this man was cold, he had no ferocity about him.


    further. Although he was about to break through to the upper-level of the Primary God Realm, he knew he might not be able to make it in the next few years.


    "I need to keep trying!"


    Darren didn''t want to waste too much time. He wanted to succeed during this attempt.


    The black god''s power and dark gold god''s power gathered on Darren''s body and nearly emptied his elixir field.


    Boom!


    Darren released all the power to hit down the cliff, hoping that the rebound force could give him a boost forward.


    "Ah!"


    As Darren''s body moved upward, the pressure crushed many of his bones with a nasty cracking noise sounding out in several places.


    "Go!"


    Darren gritted his teeth and stamped his legs with all his remaining strength.


    Bang!


    His body was crushed by the great pressure. Blood sprayed in the air. Fortunately, his head and heart were still intact thanks to his great defensive skills.


    Bang.


    Bloodied and beaten, Darren finally landed in the cave three thousand feet high.


    "It worked. I made it, at last." Darren crumpled to the ground.


    When Elsa saw this, she was so worried that she was close to tears.


    "Darren, are you okay?" Elsa shouted anxiously.


    "Don''t worry. It won''t kill him." Suddenly, the white-haired man appeared beside Elsa.


    "He must have been badly hurt. Please go and help him!" Elsa knew that it was impossible for her to set foot in the cave where Darren was.


    "Go and cultivate yourself in the cave two thousand feet away. Worry not, he will come to you once he is successful."'' With that, the white-haired man directly sent her to another cave using a mighty force.

 Chapter 1160 Teaching The Sword Formula

    In the dark cave, god''s power rushed through Darren''s veins. His wounded body recovered instantly. It took only a quarter of an hour for him to recover most of his injuries.


    "You''re very good. You''re only the second one to have gone three thousand feet up the cliff."


    The white-haired man stood beside Darren. As he spoke, he exerted his god''s power to light up several oil lamps that were hanging on the wall of the cave. The dim, yellow light lit up the dark space.


    "Who was the first?" Darren asked.


    "I was." The white-haired man''s answer made Darren laugh.


    "What should I do now?" Darren took a breath to steady himself and he looked intently at the white-haired man.


    "Cultivate. You have to reach at least the peak of the upper-level of the Primary God Realm before I can teach you the martial skill. Remember, you have to make it in three years. Otherwise, it will be too late."


    "Why? Can''t I practice for more than three years?" Darren asked.


    "No." The white-haired man paused before speaking again. "Because I will be dead in three years."


    With that, the white-haired man''s figure faded away, leaving Darren all alone.


    "Ha!" Darren shook his head and cleared his mind. He needed to put all his concentration into cultivation.


    In the cave, the godly energy Darren assimilated from the environment would not increase much. However, he found that the godly energy he absorbed with the help of his talent was ten times more than usual!


    ''It really is ten times faster. In this case, it wouldn''t take me three years to reach the peak of the upper-level of the Primary God Realm.''


    Darren exerted all his strength into cultivation, absorbing godly energy to nourish his veins, and then turning it into his own strength.


    In the blink of an eye, two years had passed.


    Darren had been able to break through to the upper-level of the Primary God Realm a year ago. It took him another year to reach the peak of the upper-level. Now, he was so close to reaching the top-level of the Primary God Realm!


    "Master, I have met your requirements!"


    Darren said aloud, shouting at the air.


    Suddenly, a figure materialized in front of him.


    "Good, very good." The white-haired


    t meant that they were enemies, too.


    "To activate this law, you have to ascend the second step of the sword formula. We are not enemies... for now," the white-haired man said.


    "Oh, I see. So if I successfully ascend the second step, I have to leave. Otherwise, you will kill me, right?" Darren asked.


    "Theoretically, yes. But this time, it''s up to you whether you want to leave or not. I will be dead in a year''s time," the white-haired man said.


    "Why? How can you predict your death?" Darren was curious as to why his master was so sure he would die. He was too strong to die of a disease, and it seemed like nothing on earth could harm him.


    "Because she is coming."


    "Who is she?"


    "A powerful fiend."


    The white-haired man said no more. He turned his back to Darren before speaking again. "You can go now. This cave will not be helpful in increasing the strength of an upper-level primary god. You can''t set foot on a higher cave now, so I suggest you leave."


    With that, the white-haired man disappeared.


    Darren had too many doubts clouding his mind. However, his master had left. He shook his head to clear it of his thoughts. Darren got dressed and fixed himself up before going out. Now, the most important thing was to see Elsa.


    Whoosh!


    Darren flew out and immediately used his spiritual sense to look for Elsa.


    "Humph! You''re finally out!"


    Olivia snorted. She seemed to have been waiting under the cliff for a very long time.

 Chapter 1161 Divine Patterns

    Olivia flew forward as soon as Darren appeared.


    "Are you waiting for me?" Darren asked coldly.


    "Do you believe that I would not dare to kill you just because he took you as his disciple?" It was apparent from her tone that she still held a grudge against Darren for his refusal to be her daredevil.


    "I know you dare, but you can''t." A smirk tugged at the corners of Darren''s lips as he replied.


    "You must be joking. Enlighten me. Why can''t I kill you?" Olivia''s beautiful features were marred by the sneer that appeared on her face.


    "Because you are not strong enough," Darren replied with a shrug.


    "How dare you? I will kill you!"


    Olivia seethed. The killing intent in her eyes scattered, and a red ribbon shot out from her waist.


    Unfazed, Darren readied himself to give the ribbon a backhand slap.


    However, the red ribbon was like a living thing.


    It dodged Darren''s attack and started to twine around his arms like a snake.


    Once he was bound, Olivia morphed into a red light and rushed at him.


    Shoop! Shoop! Shoop!


    God-level blade and sword intents transformed into several white blades and swords and formed a protective shield around Darren.


    "What?"


    However, as Olivia approached Darren, the powerful sword and blade aura stopped her, and she didn''t dare to kill him.


    It was known to all that Olivia was a low-level domain god, which meant that she was stronger than Darren by two levels. Even so, Darren''s god-level blade and sword intents still oppressed her, and she could not attack him head-on. It was apparent that the power of Darren''s god-level blade and sword intents had increased significantly.


    While unleashing the god-level blade and sword intents, Darren mobilized his black god''s power to attack the red ribbon that had entangled his body.


    After struggling for a while, he broke the Shackle Law that was attached to the red ribbon.


    The red ribbon scattered in the air.


    "There has been a significant increase in your strength!" Olivia exclaimed as she hovered mid-air and recalled her red ribbon.


    "And that is why you can''t kill me." Darren was not afraid of her. He believed that if they fought, he had at least a fifty percent chance of winning.


    "Really?"


    Hearing this, Olivia''s killing intents intensified.


    "How can you be so confident? Perhaps you''ve never witnessed the power of the


    "What kind of powerful creatures are you talking about? Why can''t the humans in the Primitive Wilderness have the divine pattern fragments?" Darren inquired.


    "I don''t know why, but excluding humans, all other powerful races have innate divine patterns." The dragon ancestor''s answer surprised Darren.


    "Who are the supreme gods and chief gods you just mentioned?" Darren asked curiously.


    "Supreme gods are the most powerful beings of the human race, while the chief gods are the most powerful ones in the Abyss or the Flaming Hell. Neither you nor I can imagine how powerful they are. Since I don''t know much about them, you can explore and learn more about them in the future," the dragon ancestor replied.


    "Well, I see. So when my cultivation base improves a little, I can try to get some divine patterns." A plan began to form in Darren''s mind.


    "Don''t act recklessly. The human race is inferior to other races in the Primitive Wilderness. If you kill a member of any race, you will be charged with a crime. Don''t be greedy." The dragon ancestor reminded him.


    "Ha-ha, I am aware of that. I know what I''m doing." Darren laughed.


    "You! Come here."


    During his conversation with the dragon ancestor, a young man appeared and shouted at Darren.


    He ignored the rude man and continued to enjoy the sunshine with Elsa.


    "Darren Chu, come here!"


    Irritated by his indifferent attitude, the young man roared.


    "Are you playing deaf? Brat, the Third Elder asked me to summon you. How dare you pretend not to hear me?" The agitated young man flew toward them.

 Chapter 1162 The Sect Leaders Task

    Darren opened his eyes and glanced at the young man. The man was an upper-level primary god.


    "Fuck off!" Darren shouted as he released the blade and sword intents to force the young man back and to leave many small wounds on his body.


    "You!"


    The young man looked frightened. He clearly felt that Darren''s level was on par with his, but he felt that Darren''s god''s power was extremely dangerous.


    "Tell that bastard that if he wants to kill me, he can say it to my face," Darren said in a flat tone as he lay on the grassland peacefully.


    "You are so arrogant! Soon, you will offend the wrong people!" With that, the young man shivered with fear and flew away hurriedly.


    Boom!


    A moment after the young man left, an ear-piercing thunder rang out in the air above the Cloud Forest Sect. Then, a man in a blue robe arrived. Ripples of god''s power spread out everywhere he went.


    The man was the Third Elder. In fact, he had overheard what Darren had said through his god''s sense.


    The Third Elder descended from the sky and landed thirty feet away from Darren. Many disciples were intrigued, so they used their god''s sense to see what was going on. Some of them even flew to where the two were.


    The Third Elder stood there for a moment and suddenly shouted, "Kneel!" The disciples who spectated shivered in fear. Some of the weaker ones even spat out blood out of terror. However, Darren was left unmoved.


    Whoosh!


    Darren sprang out of the grassland.


    "Why? Why would I kneel down just because you asked me to?" Darren sneered defiantly.


    "Because you insulted me. You must kneel down to receive my punishment!" the Third Elder, with his hands clasped behind his back, answered as if he was cut above the rest.


    "Save it. I know you want to kill me to avenge your disciple. You don''t have to find any excuses to provoke me. If you have the guts, just kill me," Darren said indifferently.


    "How dare you slander me! I''ll break all your veins and annihilate your cultivation base as a punishment!" ''He is still too young. If he speaks in a humble manner and makes an apology, maybe I''ll spare him," the Third Elder thought.


    "If you want to destroy my cultivation base, you have to ask my master for his consent," Darren said nonchalantly.


    "I don''t care who your master is. I''m going to teach you a lesson for smearing me!"


    "Well." Darren lifted his eyelids and said, "It


    master''s privilege. He was not that kind of person. Instead, he wanted to understand the nature of the relationship between the Chief Elder and the sect leader.


    In a word, Darren wanted to know who was in charge of the Cloud Forest Sect and who was the strongest.


    "Come with me," the sect leader responded calmly and firmly to Darren.


    Darren immediately realized the answer to his question. It turned out that the sect leader was afraid of the Chief Elder! Darren could roughly guess that the Third Elder was on the Chief Elder''s side. It was probably why the Third Elder was always so unscrupulous.


    "Yes, master." Since he realized that the sect leader was scared, Darren did not dare continue to tangle with them foolishly. At that moment, he figured it was best for them to retreat.


    Immediately, Darren and Elsa followed the sect leader to a wooden shabby house in a remote mountain.


    "Master..." Darren wanted to say something but stopped on a second thought.


    "Are you trying to ask me why I''m scared of the Chief Elder?" The sect leader had already read Darren''s mind.


    "Yes." Darren gave a nod.


    "Ha-ha. I am not scared of him. However, due to certain rules and other factors, I cannot be in conflict with him.


    It''s complicated. Anyway, I have a task for you, Darren." Darren was confused by the sect leader''s words.


    "What is it, master?" Darren asked respectfully. After all, a disciple should behave appropriately to his master.


    "Would you like to help me kill the Chief Elder?"


    The sect leader''s request suddenly resounded in Darren''s mind like a thunderstorm.

 Chapter 1163 Soul Transfer

    Darren was completely taken aback.


    The Chief Elder''s cultivation base was at least at the top level of the Domain God Realm, a realm that was much higher than his. It would be impossible for Darren to kill him.


    Besides, Darren could tell that the sect leader was stronger than the Chief Elder. Why couldn''t the sect chief do it by himself?


    "Well¡­ I''m afraid I can''t do that with my current strength," Darren said. He was still stunned.


    "I know you are not strong enough, but I have a plan. You just have to agree," the sect leader said.


    "Can you tell me in detail? And why can''t you just kill him yourself?" Darren asked.


    "Before I became the sect leader, I''d established a contract with him that clearly stated that I couldn''t attack him and the people he wanted to protect."


    "What?" Darren was surprised. No wonder the sect leader just sat there and allowed the Chief Elder''s men to act so unscrupulously.


    "The reason why I asked for your help is because I want to use your body. I can transfer my soul to your body and kill him," the sect leader said.


    "Transfer your soul to my body?" Darren thought for a while and responded, "Master, since you have such a method, why didn''t you use the body of your other disciples to kill the Chief Elder before?"


    The sect leader glanced at Darren and thought that he was a cautious man. He then explained, "Once I transfer my soul to another body, my life vitality would be damaged. After I return to my original body, I would only have three years left to live, so I didn''t dare to use it before. But now, I am near my death. I would die within a year anyway, so I might as well use this method."


    "Oh, I see." Darren nodded his head. "Let''s do it then."


    "You agreed so quickly. Aren''t you afraid of the consequences? If I failed to kill the Chief Elder, he would surely destroy your body. Moreover, if I forcibly occupy your body, your soul would wander aimlessly for a month and then vanish from the world. Aren''t you worried about those things?"


    Darren smiled. "I believe in you, master. Besides, I also want to witness the battle of two strong cultivators. And I''m not worried that you will keep occupying my body. After all, your own body is much better than mine."


    The sect leader nodded and replied, "Then we''ll do it tomorrow."


    "Okay." Darren said nothing more and saw the sect leader off.


    "Darren, what i


    arriors at the top level of the Domain God Realm."


    "But..." Elsa was growing anxious about Darren. She didn''t want to stay there by herself, especially if Darren would be risking his life.


    "Listen to me. If the sect leader couldn''t kill the Chief Elder, I will only lose my body. Moreover, I still have the dragon ancestor inside my body. I have already informed him and asked him to help if the situation gets dire." Darren tried to comfort Elsa and persuaded her to stay.


    "Fine." Elsa also knew that her presence might cause trouble to Darren, so she had to agree.


    "Okay, I''ll be back soon. I promise."


    Then, Darren flew and followed the direction of his master.


    The sect leader hovered in the air for a while and soon stopped at the top of a mountain outside the Cloud Forest Sect. In the center of the mountain peak, there was a huge arena.


    "Terrance, you old bastard, come out and accept your death!"


    the sect leader landed on the arena and shouted at the top of his lungs. His voice spread across the whole Cloud Forest Sect.


    "Hey, it''s that guy named Darren!"


    Everyone unleashed their god''s sense to check what the commotion was, only to find out that the man who was summoning the Chief Elder in the arena was Darren!


    "How bold he is! How dare he call the Chief Elder by his name!"


    "I heard that the sect leader has taken him as his disciple. However, he doesn''t have to be so arrogant, does he? How dare he threatens to kill our Chief Elder!"


    "Let''s go and take a look."


    In an instant, many figures rushed into the air and crowded the mountain peak.

 Chapter 1164 Purple Thundering Sword Formula

    All the disciples in the Cloud Forest Sect rushed towards the mountain to witness the fight.


    "How dare you!"


    Several figures floated mid-air around the arena. Their god''s power spread across the entire mountain. They were the elders of the Cloud Forest Sect. All of them were at least at the middle-level of the Domain God Realm.


    The moment they heard that someone had threatened to kill the Chief Elder, they immediately showed up to have the chance to fawn over him or protect his dignity.


    The "Darren" who stood on the arena swept his cold eyes over the elders and wanted to find out who were the direct subordinates of the Chief Elder. In that way, he would know who to target. Otherwise, if he died, the Cloud Forest Sect could never regain its peace.


    In an instant, several terrifying sword intents swirled out of nowhere and shot towards some of the elders.


    Argh!


    The shrill screams resounded in the entire Cloud Forest Sect. Five elders were stabbed to death by those horrifying sword intents.


    "What?!"


    "How is that possible? How did he get a hold of the sect leader''s sword intents?"


    The several remaining elders were all shocked. They were very familiar with the aura of the terror-stricken sword intents they had seen. However, they couldn''t figure out how and why they came out of Darren''s body.


    "I knew this day would come."


    A stooping man suddenly came out of the shadows. It was the Chief Elder. Everyone immediately made a way for him. Some of them even ran away in fear.


    "Since you know, will you kill yourself or are you going to let me do it?" The sect leader''s cold voice was full of killing intent.


    "I risked my life to support you as the sect leader. Aren''t you grateful at all to me?" the Chief Elder said as he looked up at the sky with his old eyes. He seemed to be harboring strong feelings of resentment.


    "Let''s not talk about the past. You know why you have to die."


    "She came from the fiend race! Because of her, all of your family members died. Doesn''t she deserve to die?"


    "She didn''t kill my family in person!" the sect leader refuted. The Chief Elder''s words seemed to sting him. His terrifying sword intent continued to spread out across the sky that it even pierced the thick clouds.


    The disciples around couldn''t bear the sword intent at all. Many of them were injured and fell to the ground


    thout launching any attacks.


    "Goodbye, Terrance. When you die, my hatred for you will disappear as well. Farewell, my dear old friend."


    The cold voice of the sect leader echoed after a while.


    At that moment, the dense clouds dropped as if they were about to fall to the ground.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    A purple divine thunderbolt descended from the sky and landed on the sect leader''s sword.


    "What? Purple Thundering Sword Formula! You actually made it!"


    At the sight of the scene, the Chief Elder''s aged face revealed a look of infinite horror.


    "Yes, I made it three thousand years ago."


    "Ha-ha. Good for you. You are indeed very talented." The Chief Elder smiled at the sect leader bitterly.


    Darren also felt the aura of the purple thunder and was dumbfounded.


    The purple thunder was so much more potent and terrifying than the Heavenly Repression thunder punishment! Now that the sect leader showed his trump card, Darren was much relieved.


    Whoosh!


    The sect leader fell from the sky like a divine thunder sword. The farther he went down, the more violent the purple thunder was.


    The Chief Elder trembled in fear as he started to charge his god''s power. Gradually, the black vortex in front of him grew larger and spun faster.


    Boom!


    The sect leader unleashed a terrifying pressure that tore down the entire arena into pieces. When he fell to the ground, balls of fire flew out and dyed the clouds red.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    At that moment, the purple divine thunder and the horrifying sword intent finally engulfed the Chief Elder.

 Chapter 1165 The Fiend Princess Sheila Is Coming

    The Purple Thundering Sword was about to strike the Chief Elder''s black vortex.


    Crack!


    The violent purple thunder instantly shattered the vortex!


    Whoosh!


    At that moment, the divine sword was on the Chief Elder''s throat.


    "You win."


    The Chief Elder felt as if all his bones had been broken by the purple thunder, but he was not afraid at all. Instead, he felt a sense of relief.


    "Kill me!" the Chief Elder said in a low voice.


    "Before I kill you, tell me how my wife died," the sect leader said blankly.


    "Let it go. Otherwise, the pain and suffering will never end."


    "Tell me! Or I will kill all your descendants!"


    "You won''t find them." The Chief Elder still kept his composure. In fact, he had already anticipated his demise. He knew that this day would come. Thus, he had hidden his descendants carefully outside the Cloud Forest Sect.


    "In the inter-layer space of the Devil Cave," the sect leader said calmly.


    "You!" The Chief Elder trembled with horror. It was the secret place where he had hidden his descendants.


    "I''m giving you ten seconds. If you don''t tell me, I will wipe out your entire bloodline!"


    The Chief Elder gasped, and his eyes filled with despair. He slumped on the ground dejectedly.


    "It''s your father," he replied weakly.


    "What?" The sect leader''s eyes widened. "You old bastard! You dare slander the name of my father? He died protecting her! How could he have killed her?"


    "I''m already a dead man, and my children are in your hands. Why would I lie to you?


    It was your father who had planned to kill her. That mysterious man was your father."


    When he heard this, the sect leader quivered. When he thought back to that day, everything seemed to be clear. He subconsciously accepted this fact.


    "Ha-ha-ha." The sect leader laughed wildly, while his long hair fluttered in the wind. At that moment, his aura was terrible and ferocious.


    "Tell me! Why would he do that?" The sect leader pointed his sword at the Chief Elder''s face.


    "Why? Because you married a fiend! It was unspeakable! If your father had not killed her, you would have fallen into an endless abyss! You should be thankful. He did that for your own good!"


    "For my own good? Do you think I''m happy now? Or would I be happier here than in the abyss? I would rather be killed by people from the Ancestral Land


    e didn''t believe that big shots from the Ancestral Land didn''t know what was going on here.


    The so-called big shots could only helplessly watch the weak be killed and devoured by the fiend race! How could they do nothing?


    At that point, Darren''s blood was boiling in rage.


    "Stop it! Otherwise, I won''t let you take your revenge." Seeing this, the sect leader''s heart sank.


    "Humph! I knew you were afraid of death, so I''ve been prepared. Come out!" Sheila shouted.


    "Howl!"


    As the earth shook, an enormous black creature descended from the sky.


    "Fiendish beast! God level!"


    "Are you scared? You should be happy! Today''s the day that you will join my sister in the Hell!


    Listen to my order. Kill this human with all your might!"


    "Howl!" The beast stared at the sect leader with its scarlet eyes and walked towards him step by step.


    As the beast approached the sect leader, Sheila flew to Olivia.


    "You look ugly!" Sheila said after she took a quick glance at Olivia.


    "Humph. If you dare try to kill my father, I''ll fight you to death."


    "You are my sister''s daughter, but why did you inherit the stupidity of the human race? With your current strength, do you really think you can kill me?


    In order not to waste my father''s bloodline, I might as well devour you!"


    All of a sudden, a daunting fiendish aura spread and enveloped the vicinity, including Darren.


    "What?"


    To everyone''s surprise, Sheila did not immediately attack Olivia, but she glared at Darren.


    "Ha-ha." She laughed in disbelief. "You are a Defiant Master?"

 Chapter 1166 Fleeing Away

    Sheila was astonished when she noticed that Darren was a Defiant Master.


    "I can''t believe that such a weak person could be a Defiant Master!" Sheila was incredulous.


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat. ''How did she know I am a Defiant Master?'' Darren wondered. He had exchanged his body with the sect leader. She shouldn''t have been able to notice it.


    Darren lowered his head and looked down at his chest. He was surprised to find that the thirty-six-face mark had been transferred to the sect leader''s body. No wonder Sheila was able to figure it out so quickly.


    "Tell me, what is a Defiant Master?"


    The question left Sheila dumbfounded. She couldn''t believe that he didn''t know what a Defiant Master was.


    "Okay! That''s great! I was able to gain a lot today. It seems that God has his own plan. My sister might have died, but she would be happy to know I was able to capture a Defiant Master."


    Sheila seemed thrilled, and Darren was confused with her reaction.


    Swish!


    All of a sudden, Sheila reached out her hand and extended her claws towards Darren''s throat.


    Darren reacted quickly and moved to the side. However, Sheila seemed to move much faster than he did. She turned her claw around and caught Darren by his throat.


    "I can''t believe that I''ve caught a Defiant Master! Ha!" Sheila was very glad. Finding Darren seemed to be of more value than discovering priceless treasure.


    A fierce aura shot into Darren''s body and paralyzed him. Now that Darren''s soul was inside the body of the sect leader, he was unable to resist the power of her shackle force.


    "Kill them all! Kill them all!" Sheila was in such a good mood and she released powerful killing intent.


    Crack!


    A rod of purple thunder came towards them from the void.


    Not far away, both the sect leader and the beast had mustered to bring their strength to their peaks.


    Purple thunder and domineering sword intent simultaneously shot towards the beast. The huge beast roared, and faint, red lights flowed towards its body.


    Bang!


    The sword intent of the Purple Thundering Sword exploded on the beast''s body, breaking its hard scales.


    At the same time, the violent beast stretched out its arm and threw a massive punch. The ground below it shattered from the violent force.


    Bang!


    The beast''s punch fell on the sect leader.


    The sect leader could not withstand the violent attack of the beast because he was in Darren''s body.


    With that blo


    It was not because Sheila was weak, but it was because the sect leader''s real strength had already surpassed the Domain God Realm. His strength was now comparable to the Star God Realm.


    Soon, Sheila succumbed to the ground, badly beaten by the sect leader.


    As the sect leader stood in front of her, his sword intent began to spread out.


    "Are you really going to kill me? You killed my sister and now you want to kill me?" Sheila whimpered, trembling with fear.


    "Fuck off," the sect leader said, coldly.


    "Humph!" She stood up from the ground and brushed herself off. "Well, I suppose you still have feelings for my sister."


    "If you mention her again, I will strike you where you stand." The sect leader''s eyes were bloodshot with anger.


    Sheila shivered and quickly retreated.


    Whoosh!


    A bloodcurdling sword intent suddenly shot towards Sheila. It seemed that the sect leader had changed his mind.


    He mourned the loss of his dead wife. However, the fiend race was ruthless and cunning. Sheila was no exception. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have ordered for his disciples to be killed. If he let her go, there was sure to be trouble in the future.


    Killing her was the best option.


    The sword intent pierced through Sheila''s back and shattered her heart.


    Before she died, she was able to glance at the sect leader and give him a pained look.


    Then, her body disintegrated into black dust and got carried away by the wind.


    "What?"


    However, the sect leader suddenly saw a black aura soaring into the sky and flying to the west.


    "Oh, no! This is bad.''"


    He realized that Sheila''s soul had escaped.

 Chapter 1167 Ascetic Cultivator

    Sheila was prepared. She had left a little sliver of her soul somewhere so that her soul could have a chance to flee.


    This was going to be troublesome. After she returned, she would report this to her father, which might lead to war.


    Just then, an intense pressure suddenly descended from the sky, and the sect leader found it difficult to breathe.


    A moment later, a shadow appeared in front of the sect leader.


    This shadow was dressed in tight black clothes. The big, black bamboo hat on his head hid his face.


    "Guard of the Ancestral Land!" The sect leader was shocked. He did not expect that the fight had already alerted the guards in the Ancestral Land.


    Each guard in the Ancestral Land was a very powerful being. Even if a master, who had reached the Superior God Realm, broke the rules, they would dare to talk with the master, not to mention he was only the leader of a small sect.


    "Guard." The sect leader bowed to show his respect.


    "You killed the subordinates of Fiend King Archer." The sect leader shuddered when he heard the guard''s cold and majestic voice.


    "As they slaughtered the disciples of my sect, I had no choice but to defend my people. Please investigate the matter," the sect leader explained.


    "What you did is likely to cause a war. Did you even consider the consequences?" The sect leader frowned. It seemed as though the guard was blaming him.


    "Sir, the fiends broke into the human race''s territory and wantonly slaughtered the disciples of my sect. If we fought back, it was to protect ourselves. That shouldn''t cause war as we didn''t instigate the battle." The sect leader patiently explained their actions to the guard.


    "You''re unreasonable." The sect leader''s eyes widened with shock. How could the guard not see the truth?


    How could the guard accuse him of being unreasonable? The fiends came to kill his disciples. And they fought back. How was their reaction unreasonable?


    "I don''t agree with you, sir. If the fiends rushed into the Ancestral Land and killed people, what would you do? If you resisted by killing the fiends, you would also be guilty. Am I right?"


    "Shut up!"


    The guard roared and released an overbearing aura that crushed the sect leader''s legs!


    Agony coursed through the sect leader, and he fell to his knees.


    "You!" The sect leader was furious, but the guard was too powerful for him to resist.


    "You must be punished. Return to the Ancestral Land with me and take your punishmen


    e.


    "Are you new here in the Primitive Wilderness?"


    "Yes, sir," Darren replied.


    "You are very weak. But few cultivators can reach your level after cultivating in the Ancestral Land for ten years.


    You should leave now. Find a cave and hide there. You can leave after you break through to the Celestial God Realm," the man in the black robe instructed.


    Darren was stunned when he heard this. Why couldn''t he go out before breaking through to the Celestial God Realm? The frown on Darren''s face showed that he was puzzled.


    According to the information he received from the turtle shell, it was very difficult to reach the Celestial God Realm, second only to the Superior God Realm!


    "May I ask what realm you have reached, sir? And why do you cultivate here alone? And how are you alive? I just sensed that you seemed to have passed away..." Darren''s curiosity led him to voice his doubts.


    "There are countless ascetic cultivators like me in the Primitive Wilderness. You don''t need to know more."


    "But it will take me at least hundreds of thousands of years to reach the Celestial God Realm, right?"


    Hearing this, the ascetic cultivator''s mouth twitched as if he were suppressing a grin.


    "Hundreds of thousands of years? You are too naive. Very few outstanding human warriors would dare to say that. It is rare for cultivators to reach the Celestial God Realm even if they cultivate for millions of years."


    Darren was so astounded that he couldn''t bring himself to speak.


    It would take millions of years to reach the Celestial God Realm! Why did the black-robed man ask him to hide and cultivate for such a long time?

 Chapter 1168 The Wrath Of The Fiend King

    "Well, sir, I''m afraid I can''t cultivate in the cave, because there''s something else I need to do." It was impossible for Darren to both hide and cultivate for several millions of years.


    "What could be more important than your life?" the ascetic cultivator prodded.


    "I''ll be careful outside. Although it''s dangerous, I can protect myself once I get stronger."


    The ascetic cultivator glanced at Darren with a mix of emotions across his face.


    "You''re a Defiant Master, so you can''t possibly make it alive outside. The Defiant Abyss will become your final resting place, for sure. Young man, this is all the advice I can give you for now. Whether you take it or not is completely up to you."


    With that, the ascetic cultivator sat down with his legs crossed, and his body slowly began to dry up and decay; it was as if he had been dead for tens of thousands of years.


    "Defiant Master again. What the hell is a Defiant Master?" Darren murmured. Everyone he met in the Primitive Wilderness always mentioned "Defiant Master." He couldn''t grasp what this identity meant. People were resistant to be friendly to him because of his identity as a supposed Defiant Master.


    Curious, Darren tried to shake the ascetic cultivator awake, to no avail.


    Darren then flew off in search for Elsa.


    After flying for some time, Darren returned to the Cloud Forest Sect.


    The place was putrid with miasma. Blood and decay trailed all around. The sect had become hell on earth.


    Darren did not stay long, and immediately made his way to the sect leader''s residence.


    "Darren!"


    As soon as Darren arrived there, a beautiful figure rushed into his arms.


    "Are you okay, Elsa?" Darren cupped Elsa''s face in his hands and looked at her with deep concern.


    "Yes, I''m fine. When the monsters appeared, I found a place to hide. All I could think about was finding you, but when I couldn''t find you, I really freaked out." Tears rushed down Elsa''s face as she embraced Darren harder.


    "It''s okay. It wasn''t that much trouble for me," Darren said as he patted Elsa''s back.


    "By the way, where is the sect leader?" Darren asked.


    "I sensed that a powerful man wearing a bamboo hat took him away by force. Aside from that, I heard the sect leader call him ''guard'', and he said that the guard came from the Ancestral Land," Elsa replied.


    Upon hearing that, Darren grimaced.


    Those from the A


    t down shakily, in fear for their lives.


    Whoosh!


    In reply, Fiend King Archer cracked down on the general''s head and took a ravaged bite at his body. He gnashed his teeth down angrily at the body, as blood trickled down his mouth.


    "How dare you make excuses!"


    Fiend King Archer opened his bloody mouth and roared.


    All of the other generals scrambled and whimpered frantically.


    "Look for him immediately! Leave no stone unturned in the territories of the human race and find him this instant!" the fiend king bellowed.


    "Of course, Your Majesty!"


    The generals all scampered out and dared not stay for a minute longer.


    "Sheila, come here."


    From the darkness, a perfect figure emerged. It was Sheila.


    She began to tremble as she slowly paced forward.


    The call from her father brought a shiver down her spine.


    She knelt down nervously in front of her father.


    "Father, it''s all my fault. I deserve nothing but death. Please give me another chance. I will do my very best to capture the Defiant Master."


    "Humph!" The fiend king snorted. He reached out his hand and grabbed her by the neck. "You know how important a Defiant Master is to me. Don''t you think I should just kill you for your stupidity?"


    he spat coldly. It was far from the way a father ought to treat his own daughter.


    This was the fiend race, after all. They had no affection, even for their own kin. The only thing connecting a father to their child among the fiends was their inherited bloodline.


    "Father, please spare my life," whimpered Sheila, as tears began to well up in her eyes.

 Chapter 1169 Catch Him

    Fiend King Archer was furious that a Defiant Master had escaped. If his superiors learned about this, they would kill him.


    "Get out of my sight!"


    As Sheila was his daughter, he couldn''t kill her to vent his anger.


    "Yes, Father." Sheila quickly kowtowed and then rose to leave.


    "Wait!" The fiend king roared with such intensity that the terrified Sheila sprawled on the ground again.


    "Lead them in a search for the Defiant Master. I want him found!"


    "Yes, Father. What should we do if the human masters hinder us?" Sheila asked cautiously.


    "When you find the Defiant Master, inform me immediately. I''ll personally come there," the fiend king instructed.


    Sheila''s eyes widened, and shock was evident in her expression as she glanced at her father. After some hesitation, she said, "You will break the agreement if you step into human territory. I''m afraid that the human race will send masters here to..."


    "Humph!"


    The fiend king snorted, and a powerful fiendish aura raced through his body.


    "How dare you think that you can advise me? I know what I am doing. Now, get out!"


    Terrified that she would infuriate her father further, Sheila retreated in a hurry.


    On that day, all of the fiend king''s generals headed toward Cloud Forest Sect.


    The sky seemed to crumble under the overwhelming number of soldiers and generals in the fiend king''s army.


    A debate ensued in the Ancestral Land of the territory of the human race.


    "Sir, Archer''s subordinates are approaching for unknown reason. They''re only thirty thousand kilometers away."


    "Send someone to inform the ordinary cultivators nearby. They need to hide. There''s nothing else to be done," a guard instructed.


    "Well... I''m afraid that if they go on a rampage, they might threaten the Ancestral Land''s safety."


    "They are not powerful enough to wreak that kind of havoc. Just do as I say."


    "Yes, sir."


    A few inferior guards were soon sent to help evacuate the humans living within a radius of tens of thousands of kilometers. As for those outside this area, no action was taken.


    However, the Ancestral Land''s lack of action wasn''t mirrored by the Blood Cloud Region. They did care about the humans in these parts!


    There were nine regions and ten prefectures in human territory. Each area was incredibly vast and guarded by super-powerful masters.


    Although Cloud Forest Sect was located at the Blood Cloud Region''s perimeter, it was still an authentic sect


    e arrived at the place where Darren was being held captive.


    Whoosh!


    He flew to Darren and glanced at him coldly.


    A chill traveled through Darren. This fiend was too powerful, unlike any that he had encountered before.


    He shuddered with fear, just like the time when he had met a grand warrior. He had been very weak in comparison.


    "He is indeed a Defiant Master." After examining Darren''s aura, the fiend king was thrilled.


    If he caught a Defiant Master, he would get a huge reward. He might even be fortunate enough to be promoted to fiend emperor and be responsible for a small kingdom!


    "I''ve never seen a weak Defiant Master like you."


    The fiend king had seen a Defiant Master before. He had been captured by a powerful fiend god that the fiend king admired. That Defiant Master had been very strong, and he had killed several thousand fiend gods single-handedly. It was terrifying!


    It was said that the captured Defiant Master had been an ordinary one and was considered weak among Defiant Masters.


    As a result, to Fiend King Archer, Defiant Masters were supposed to be extremely powerful. When he heard from Sheila that she had met a very weak Defiant Master, he could not believe it. But now that he had seen it, he was astonished.


    "God is helping me. I don''t have to stay in this shit place anymore, ha-ha!" The fiend king laughed with joy.


    "Archer, what makes you think that you can come to the Blood Cloud Region and do whatever you want?"


    Six young men in grey robes suddenly appeared in front of the fiend king. The man at the head of the group crossed his arms and stared at Archer indifferently.

 Chapter 1170 Abandoned By The Human Race

    "Fuck off!" Fiend King Archer roared so furiously that his breath heaved a cloud of dust and dirt.


    "Calm down."


    The next moment, a man in grey robe appeared beside the fiend king, and placed one hand on the fiend king''s shoulder.


    A look of hatred flashed across Archer''s face. He reached out his hand to grab the man''s hand, but the man withdrew his hand before he could even grab it.


    It was then that Archer realized that the six human beings who just appeared were stronger than he had expected.


    "Get out of here this instant. You can''t afford to suffer the consequences of offending me," Archer sneered contemptuously.


    "Yes. I can''t afford to offend you, the fiend king, so please leave right now," the man in grey robe replied coldly.


    "Humph. That''s the right attitude you should have. Let''s go." The fiend king turned around and swaggered his long cloak.


    "Kill the rest of them! Slaughter all the other fiends in your sight!"


    the man in grey robe shouted coldly right after Archer turned his back on him. Without hesitation, the other five human beings launched multiple attacks right away.


    In an instant, ear-piercing screams rose one after another, and a heavy rain of blood began to fall.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Countless fiend generals were killed one after another. The five human beings were thrilled to take the fiends'' lives one by one.


    "Roar!"


    Archer turned around in rage, which exposed his two sharp fangs.


    "Human, do you really want to wage war?"


    "Fuck off! Or I''ll kill you as well!" The man in grey robe sneered coldly and was full of killing intent.


    "Father, please help me..." Just as Archer hesitated, his daughter cried for help.


    "One..." The man in grey robe began to count.


    "Two..."


    Whoosh!


    Archer leaped from the ground and held Darren by his shoulder. He was about to go away with Darren in his hand.


    "You''re dead meat, human!" Archer bellowed. As soon as he grabbed Darren''s shoulder, he began to fly away. He didn''t plan to save his subordinates, including his daughter.


    "Wait!" Before Archer was able to fly away, he was stopped by a powerful aura. "Leave that human to us."


    "Don''t push your luck!" Archer''s suppressing anger finally erupted. He could never hand over Darren, a Defiant Master.


    Boom!


    A daunting fiendish aura burst everywhere, and the s


    released the seal on Darren.


    "Poor boy, you must be very disappointed." Archer took the initiative to speak to Darren.


    Darren was devastated. The feeling of being abandoned by the human race hurt him a lot.


    After a moment of silence, Darren suddenly said, "Tell me, what''s wrong with being a Defiant Master? Can you tell me before I die?"


    Archer cast a cold glance at Darren and said, "Die? You don''t deserve to die. The punishment you receive will be eternal. It''s much worse than death. Ha-ha. "


    "Answer my question," Darren replied coldly.


    "You idiot." Archer spat and cursed in disdain, "Do you even know what a chief god is? Defiant Masters are the natural enemies of all the chief gods. Don''t you know that?"


    "You idiot, if I knew, I wouldn''t have asked you," Darren retorted sarcastically.


    Archer''s face darkened. "You! How dare you curse me?"


    "So what? You don''t dare to kill me." Darren sneered and continued, "Go on. Just tell me what the hell a chief god is."


    Archer trembled with fear after hearing Darren''s question.


    "Don''t you dare look down on the great chief gods, you damned Defiant Master!" At that point, Darren could feel that Archer''s eyes were filled with killing intent.


    "I don''t even know who they are! Why should I respect them?" Darren asked.


    Archer was shocked to hear Darren''s words. He glanced at Darren with an odd look. "You''re a really special Defiant Master. Unfortunately, you''ll never get the blessing of the chief gods. You will sink in pain forever," Archer replied with a straight face.

 Chapter 1171 The Prison

    Along the way, Fiend King Archer was silent. He brought Darren to his place, then he locked him up in a dark water prison.


    He left, and he did not show himself over the next few days.


    In the hall, the fiend king sat on a skeleton chair, leisurely sipping on the blood red wine. Even if no one was in his camp, he was in a jovial mood.


    "Archer, did you really catch a Defiant Master?"


    A cloud of strong, gray fog appeared in the hall, materializing into a skull with sharp horns.


    "Yes!" Fiend King Archer was in awe when he saw the Ninth Fiend Emperor, and he headed down in front of the skull to genuflect.


    "Sir, I did capture a Defiant Master," Archer said in a reverent tone.


    "Humph! What makes you think you can capture a Defiant Master? Even I don''t dare to fight against a Defiant Master. How can you?" the skull roared when he heard what Archer said.


    "Sir, what I have said is true. That Defiant Master is locked up in my water prison. Please take a look if you''d like," Archer said in a shaking voice.


    "Use your fiendish sense to guide the way."


    "Alright."


    Then, Archer released his fiendish sense and guided another more powerful fiendish sense released by the skull into the water prison.


    A moment later


    "Defiant Master!" The gray skull was shocked.


    "Great, Archer. You''re doing a great job. You must keep an eye on him. I will come and take him away in a month''s time." The gray skull was a little excited.


    "Don''t worry, sir. It will be impossible for those humans to come and save him," Archer gloated as he recalled how he had left the human beings behind. They might have been powerful, but they wouldn''t dare to offend him.


    "Idiot!" the Ninth Fiend Emperor reproached Archer. He then hit Archer hard with his god''s power.


    Archer was extremely frightened. The attack took him by surprise, and he was left on the ground writhing about.


    "I''m not telling you to pay attention to humans but to other people like Lucius Lu, who is nearest to your camp."


    Suddenly, it dawned on Archer that Defiant Masters were so precious and that they were coveted by other fiend emperors. He should definitely be ready to face anyone who came his way. Lucius


    A long silence ensued. Then, Darren spoke once more. "Then why did you try to kill the fiend emperors?"


    "Hahaha." The voice sounded cold and bitter.


    "What would you do if several fiend emperors took turns in assaulting your wife?"


    Darren''s heart sank.


    Gruesome scenes flashed through his mind, making his blood boil with anger.


    "Kill them!


    If I can''t kill them, I would rather kill myself!" Darren growled.


    "There you have it. I killed them, and then I was sold out. I was abandoned by the big shots and was sent to the fiend race."


    "Damn it!" Darren was overwhelmed with fury and he found it difficult to breathe.


    "Sir, let us meet each other face to face. We can break out of here together!"


    "Ha! Give it up, kid. If you run away, you will only be chased by countless people. You will find that there is no place for you to hide."


    "No, I want to escape. I want to make sure that all people tremble when they hear my name!" Darren roared, his heart brimming with anger.


    "Your intentions are noble. Alas, they are useless," the man said hoarsely.


    "It would be more useless if I gave up, wouldn''t it? The human race is too weak. It needs someone to stand up and fight against all evil!"


    After Darren spoke, the voice heaved out a small sigh. Then, he spoke no more.


    Another dozen days had passed in the blink of an eye. The fiend king was already waiting outside the water prison for the arrival of the Ninth Fiend Emperor.

 Chapter 1172 Prison Break

    The prison door was opened.


    After waiting for a while, the Ninth Fiend Emperor had not come, so Fiend King Archer went into the prison to check it out.


    "Not bad, Defiant Master. You have actually improved your cultivation base in a short period of time." Archer had sensed that Darren''s cultivation base had increased, but he wasn''t worried about it at all. He knew that Darren''s cultivation base was no threat to him.


    Darren opened his eyes and took a glance at the fiend king.


    "You come in alone. Aren''t you worried that I would try to run away?" Darren said calmly.


    "Ha-ha! Do you think you can?" The fiend king laughed scornfully.


    "You know that I''m not alone here."


    When the fiend king heard Darren''s words, the image of a few strong prisoners flashed through his mind, whom he couldn''t control.


    Boom!


    The fiend king flew out and activated a secret array to lock the prison door.


    "Ha-ha-ha." Darren laughed. "Look how frightened you are!"


    "Brat, I am just being cautious," the fiend king snorted and he continued, "A slave is a slave. You may be powerful. But you are still suppressed by the fiend race. Don''t you dare resist."


    "Roar!"


    A terrible roar suddenly echoed from the bottom of the foul-smelling pool as the water surged.


    Splash!


    A figure leaped out of the water and slammed into the prison door.


    Boom!


    The prison door was almost pushed open. Fortunately, Archer was quick to activate a more powerful secret array to hold it.


    The sudden turn of events surprised Darren as well.


    Since the figure couldn''t open the door, he went back to the water prison. Darren looked at him curiously.


    His pupils shrank at the sight of the figure. The more he looked at it, the more it looked strange. The figure had the head of a crocodile and the body of a human! His skin was made of black hard scales.


    ''Is this a human?'' Darren thought.


    "You have been transformed! You''ve absorbed the aura of the fiend race. You are doomed!" Archer sneered outside the door.


    "Transformed?" Darren murmured to himself.


    "Yes, he is mutated." When Darren murmured to himself, several more people who looked extremely peculiar appeared around him.


    "You are..." Darren trailed off. He couldn''t believe that there were more peopl


    fend himself, but his defense was easily penetrated by Archer.


    Fortunately, the other four people were quick enough to attack Archer, so their companion was able to escape death.


    "Archer, hold them off! I am now entangled with the Seventh Fiend Emperor!" Archer finally got a response from the Ninth Fiend Emperor.


    "I''ve already sacrificed my soul, and I only have four hours'' worth of life. If you don''t come now, the Defiant Master might run away, you idiot." Archer knew he wouldn''t live long anyway, so he didn''t waste time on being polite to the Ninth Fiend Emperor.


    "Brother, please hold them off. I will come as soon as I can. If you can hold off the Defiant Master, I will surely ask the superior to save your life." The Ninth Fiend Emperor was worried that Archer would give up his hold of the Defiant Master, so he remained modest.


    Upon hearing the Ninth Fiend Emperor''s words, Archer felt the hope of survival.


    "My dear Ninth Fiend Emperor, I will do my best. Please come here immediately." Now that he had a reason to live, Archer became humble again.


    Ten thousand kilometers away from Archer''s camp, two fiend emperors confronted each other.


    "If you let the Defiant Master escape, I will take pleasure in killing you over and over again even if you have ten lives. Get out of here right now!" the Ninth Fiend Emperor roared.


    "I can kill you in an instant! I deserve to possess a Defiant Master!" the Seventh Fiend Emperor replied. His killing intent was overwhelmingly malicious.

 Chapter 1173 Fight For The Defiant Master

    "You imbecile!" The Ninth Fiend Emperor was not afraid of the Seventh Fiend Emperor''s strength, because it was impossible for the Seventh Fiend Emperor to kill him. However, he was worried that the Defiant Master would be rescued by those humans.


    "If you stop me, the Defiant Master would escape. When that happens, you will be responsible for committing a serious crime," the Ninth Fiend Emperor shouted in exasperation.


    "Do you think you can deceive me with such a pathetic lie?" The Seventh Fiend Emperor didn''t believe it at all.


    "What? You can use your fiendish sense to detect it! Dimwit."


    "You know my fiendish sense can''t reach the distance of about ten thousand kilometers, and you ask me to do that? Come on, let''s stop this nonsense. Let''s fight. Whoever wins gets to have the Defiant Master!" Afterwards, without hesitation, the Seventh Fiend Emperor launched an attack.


    At that moment, the Ninth Fiend Emperor was annoyed. He couldn''t believe that such a stupid fiend emperor existed!


    Whoosh!


    The Ninth Fiend Emperor chose to escape without a fight.


    However, the Seventh Fiend Emperor had the space teleportation skill, so he blocked the Ninth Fiend Emperor''s way at once.


    "You can''t escape from me!"


    The Ninth Fiend Emperor was growing furious.


    His fiendish aura surged. He couldn''t stand the idiot anymore and wanted to kill him so badly.


    Meanwhile, in the prison, Archer became timid because he knew he stood a chance to survive. He didn''t dare to attack at all costs. After so many rounds of fights, he only managed to tie with the five humans.


    "You, come and help us!" a human shouted at Darren.


    Darren had only been observing for a long time and had a general idea that both sides were probably in the middle-level of the Star God Realm. Thus, he did not dare to intervene.


    "Come and help us. We will protect you, so you can attack with all your strength," another human said.


    In a heartbeat, Darren turned into a beam of light and rushed forward.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The god-level blade and sword intents shot out and boosted the strengths of the humans around Darren.


    Although Archer was powerful enough, he couldn''t ignore Darren''s attack at all. At that moment, the balance was broken, and Archer was gradually at a disadvantage.


    ''I must severely injure the Defiant Master first!'' Archer thought to himself. He didn''t dare to kill the Defiant Master, but he had to make th


    engths had significantly been lowered.


    "I didn''t expect that these humans would actually dare to escape and even take the Defiant Master away!"


    "Don''t talk nonsense, Seventh Fiend Emperor. Kill them this instant and bring the Defiant Master to our superiors to get our rewards."


    "Fine. I will personally kill them and catch the Defiant Master." The Seventh Fiend Emperor stepped forward. He was so excited when he saw the Defiant Master, so he relaxed his vigilance against the Ninth Fiend Emperor.


    Boom!


    All of a sudden, a powerful fiend power came from the back of the Seventh Fiend Emperor and pierced his heart.


    "Argh!"


    The Seventh Fiend Emperor''s fiendish aura poured out in an instant. He could feel the excruciating pain from the sneak attack.


    "How dare you attack me by surprise!"


    "Why not? I know that even if I attacked you secretly, I can''t kill you because of your teleportation skill," the Ninth Fiend Emperor said.


    "Humph! I will get you for this soon! I will wipe out your entire bloodline and throw you into the depths of the abysses!"


    "Don''t even think about it. Once I send the Defiant Master to my superior, I will definitely be promoted to a middle-level fiend emperor. By then, it would be very easy for me to destroy you. Get out of here or die."


    The Seventh Fiend Emperor''s face turned pale. He knew that if the Ninth Fiend Emperor sent the Defiant Master to his superior, he would definitely have a hard time and even be killed.


    "In that case, no one can get the Defiant Master."


    With that, the Seventh Fiend Emperor used all his remaining energy to rush towards Darren.

 Chapter 1174 Master

    Frustration and confusion painted Darren''s face. His arms fought against the shackles of the fiend''s power but he could only move them a few inches from his body.


    Realization struck him that even if a fiend emperor was seriously injured, Darren, who was at the Primary God Realm, still could not defeat him and escape.


    Before Darren could try and run away again, the transformed human with a head of a crocodile flew towards Darren and stopped a few feet away.


    Bang!


    Within seconds, the head of the transformed human was smashed by the strong, fiendish aura.


    "Such a shame. He is dead,"


    one of the companions of the dead man said. It was strange that they did not show much grief. They were all very calm.


    It was probably due to the fact that all of them had been abandoned by the human race, and they had nowhere to live in the world. Therefore, they were not afraid of death. Instead, they didn''t want to live humbly.


    "Sir!" Darren felt a pang in his heart when he saw the man in front of him die for him, but he could not help him now.


    His attention was pulled immediately to the Seventh Fiend Emperor who had released a magic power again in an attempt to kill Darren.


    The power snaked through the air and reached out for Darren.


    Bang!


    Darren''s eyes widened as the Ninth Fiend Emperor swooped in and blocked the Seventh Fiend Emperor. He reached out his palm, smashed the Seventh Fiend Emperor''s body into pieces, and released a fiend power to protect Darren from being hurt.


    "Leave now and perhaps I will spare you!" the Ninth Fiend Emperor yelled at the Seventh Fiend Emperor, pointing into the far distance with an angry, shaking finger.


    The Seventh Fiend Emperor''s head rolled on the ground and his eyes looked hazily in the direction of the horizon.


    Buzz.


    With a distortion of space, the head of the Seventh Fiend Emperor was sucked into a wave of space.


    "You will definitely regret this!" The voice of the Seventh Fiend Emperor echoed.


    Even though the Seventh Fiend Emperor had gone, the Ninth Fiend Emperor remained on high alert. He was afraid that the other fiend emperors would get in his way when they learnt about what had happened, so he flew straight to Darren and gripped his shoulders tightly in his hands.


    "Wow! I can''t believe I''ve caught a Defiant Master all by myself. Ha ha." The Ninth Fiend Emperor rubbed his hands together eagerly.


    "Now, it''s time to deal with all of you! My


    om behind him, a wind blade came flying and cut open the Ninth Fiend Emperor''s head.


    After flying for about three days, they finally descended on a deserted land.


    Carlisle Feng found a deserted mountain and used his hands to shape a small cave. Darren entered it and sat on the cool ground.


    "Sir, is it safe here?"


    "Master, please don''t call me sir anymore. Just call me Carlisle." After a pause, Carlisle Feng said, "It''s just a temporary safe place. If we really want to escape, we need to go to the Chaotic Land and fight until we have a territory that belongs to us."


    "Carlisle!"


    The other four were shocked into silence.


    "We can''t set foot in the Chaotic Land. It''s full of huge, fierce creatures of other races. Even the warriors of our race at the Celestial God Realm level couldn''t protect themselves there, so how can we fight and gain a territory there?"


    "Yes, Carlisle. That''s impossible."


    "Be patient. It''s just a goal. It doesn''t have to be completed in the present," he explained, trying to reassure them.


    "Okay. So what should we do now? I think that the fiends will find and attack us within the next ten days. After all, our master is a Defiant Master."


    "I have my own plan." A confident light was glinting in Carlisle Feng''s eyes as he turned to face Darren. He said, "Master, it seems that you don''t know much about the Primitive Wilderness, especially about the identity of the Defiant Master and the information of other races. How about I explain it to you?"


    "Great! Thank you." Darren stood eagerly from the ground and fell into silence, ready to have all his questions answered.

 Chapter 1175 More Information About The Primitive Wilderness

    "I have a question ready: the fiend king said earlier that I was the natural enemy of all the chief gods. What does that mean?" Darren asked, sitting back on the ground and looking up at Carlisle with curious eyes.


    The other four people joined him because they also knew little about the chief gods. Carlisle smiled since he knew a lot.


    "The chief gods are the real overlords of the Primitive Wilderness. They are the most powerful beings in the world. However, unfortunate for us, none of the nine chief gods belong to the human race.


    The Primitive Wilderness is perfectly divided into sections, which are the nine abysses and ten hells. Each of the nine chief gods is in charge of one abyss and one hell and controls all the creatures in it," Carlisle explained.


    "But wait. There''s still one more hell, right?" Darren let several possible explanations swim through his head. If there were a total of ten hells, one was left unattended.


    "Yes. That one is called the Chaotic Hell. The Chaotic Land where we are going to belongs to the Chaotic Hell.


    The Chaotic Hell has been left unattended for ninety million years. No one dares to take charge of it," said Carlisle.


    "Why is that, sir?" one of the other four men asked. Darren closed his mouth, as he was about to ask that same question.


    "That is a long story but I will shorten it the best that I can. Once there was a Defiant Master that killed the tenth chief god while he was still growing and took over the tenth hell. However, since he was a threat to the other chief gods, they killed him.


    After he died, his soul stayed in place, still guarding the tenth hell. For some reason, even the chief gods dare not step there again, so it has become a land of chaos, a place for all kinds of criminals to take refuge.


    Moreover, it is said that the powerful Defiant Master was a human!"


    Darren''s heart thumped so hard with excitement when he heard this that he nearly leapt to his feet. The chief gods were terrified of a human!


    The other four people exchanged large smiles of hope as excitement also filled their hearts.


    "Of course, this is just a legend. No one knows exactly what happened," Carlisle added.


    "So that means that a Defiant Master is the natural enemy of the chief gods. Why is that?" Darren asked, partially wondering why he had become a Defiant Master himself.


    "It''s too complicated to explain to you. I can only tell you that when you become a Defiant Master, you gain the chance to become a deputy god, and every deputy god has the qualifications to co


    ou think?" Darren offered.


    The other four didn''t respond, while the face of Carlisle darkened.


    "That will never work. Now that you are a Defiant Master, no one in this world will dare to take you in, even the Lord Starry Sword."


    Darren frowned, feeling like they were running out of options.


    "What about the Chu Clan? Do you know anything about it?" Darren had also passed the test of the Chu Clan, and that meant he was qualified to be a disciple of the Chu Clan.


    "The Chu Clan? Never heard of it," Carlisle said. It surprised Darren. Didn''t the Chu Clan have a reputation in the Primitive Wilderness?


    Darren slowly lowered himself back onto the ground and asked no more questions. It appeared that Carlisle wouldn''t have all the answers he needed after all.


    "Then where do you think we should go now?" Darren asked. This cave would not provide them the shelter they needed.


    Carlisle closed his eyes and thought for a moment. When he opened them, he said, "We will travel to the fiend race''s territory."


    Everyone''s jaws dropped. They were wanted among the fiend race. Why would they go straight into their grasp when it was the fiend race that they were trying to avoid?


    "Why would we do that?" Darren knew that Carlisle was too smart, and there must be a good reason behind it.


    "We are going to go to the villages of the fiend race, not the territory of the senior leaders of the fiend race.


    In those villages, there''s only underclass of the fiend race there, which we can defeat. If we can occupy a village once we arrive, there is little chance that the upper class will ever find out about it. It is, in reality, much safer than fleeing outside," Carlisle explained.

 Chapter 1176 Disguise

    After several days of cultivation in the cave, Darren and his companions prepared to leave.


    "Master, across this wasteland is a village of the fiend race. It might not be easy for us to go through this wasteland since it''s fraught with powerful beasts."


    "Then we''d better be careful and try to avoid them."


    "All right. Let''s go, or some horrible fiends might tail us."


    Darren and his companions flew in the sky towards the western part of the wasteland.


    Along the way, all they could see was desolation. The thick clouds in the gloomy sky were dark all the year round, which brought haze to the entire empty land.


    For a month, they had traversed the wasteland without encountering any dangers, except for a few beasts that they had managed to evade. They took all the detours they could just to avoid running into trouble.


    "Master, let''s rest for a while."


    "All right. You guys look so tired."


    Darren had already noticed that his companions seemed worn out, including Carlisle. However, he didn''t feel tired at all.


    "Master, don''t you feel uncomfortable with the fiendish aura in this area?"


    The closer they were to the fiend race''s territory, the stronger the fiendish aura was. The fiendish aura not only made them feel uneasy, but it also consumed a large amount of their godly energies. However, to everyone''s surprise, Darren didn''t seem to be affected by it at all.


    "No, I don''t feel suppressed by any fiendish aura," Darren said calmly.


    "That''s strange. Perhaps it''s because you''re a Defiant Master." After discussing for a while, they finally found a hidden place to rest.


    Boom!


    While Darren was taking a breather, a powerful aura suddenly intruded his head. At that moment, Darren''s body was trembling. It was a strong fiendish aura that could suffocate people.


    Boom!


    Immediately afterwards, Darren felt a dull pain in his chest.


    Darren was frightened out of his wits. How could there be a powerful fiend in such a barren land?


    "Protect master!"


    Carlisle was the first one to react. His god''s sense spread out, but it did not detect anything.


    "Don''t move. This fiend is too powerful. Let me deal with him."


    Darren thought quickly and came up with an idea. At that moment, he was not sure whether his pl


    was known in the Primitive Wilderness that all races were mutually exclusive. Generally, it was impossible for one race to assimilate with another race. Any attempt to assimilate or transform would instantly lead to death.


    "Let''s drop it. I feel that the fiend we have just met should not be underestimated. He let us off because he didn''t know that I am a Defiant Master. Once he finds out about the truth, he would definitely try to seize me." Darren was a little worried.


    The young man they ran into was too powerful. Darren reckoned that he must be related to a more powerful and influential fiend.


    "You''re right. We can''t pass through west. Once we reach the territory of the field race, we can go north to the poorer villages. In that way, it will be difficult for them to find us."


    "Good idea. We will do as you say, Carlisle."


    After deciding on the plan, Darren and the others flew for a few months before they finally reached the northern part of the fiend race''s territory. It was a land that was even more barren than the wasteland.


    "Howl!"


    All of a sudden, a doleful howl rang out from afar.


    Darren and the others immediately released their god''s sense to scan the vicinity. They found a few weak fiends near them.


    "I''ll go and kill them," one of them said.


    "Wait." Darren, however, stopped him and said, "I will turn into a fiend to investigate. You stay right here."


    Darren was extremely cautious. He knew that one reckless move could lead them to a risky situation.

 Chapter 1177 The Fiend Village

    Looking into the distance, Darren transformed into a fiend. Then, moments later, he flew to the place where the fiends took up residence.


    It didn''t take him long to locate some fiends. They had surrounded a scarlet bull and were trying to bring it down; however, the bull was too strong for them and two fiends were lying on the ground, dead.


    Darren perched himself in the high branches of a nearby tree and observed them in silence. He saw that these fiends were very thin and bony. Their strength was at most equivalent to that of the warriors at the top level of the Super Emperor Realm in the Lothlann Continent.


    Whoosh!


    Once he was certain that there were no strong cultivators in the surrounding area, he leapt from the tree and flew towards them.


    "Ah!"


    the inferior fiends gasped when they saw Darren''s figure land in front of them. Immediately, they dropped to the ground and trembled in fear, ignoring the enraged bull.


    "Get up," Darren ordered in a low voice. Several fiends scrambled to their feet.


    "Sir, the day for worshiping hasn''t come yet. You..." a fiend began before trailing off. His eyes were full of fear and helplessness.


    "I''m not here for that. My slaves and I will live in your village for a while."


    "What?" The fiends all looked at each other with worry and confusion.


    "Is there a problem?" Darren asked while he released a gush of fiend power behind him.


    "No, sir. We would be honored to have you as a guest."


    Darren nodded indifferently, then he summoned Carlisle and the others. They all appeared behind him and several fiends dropped to the ground once more.


    "Human! Human!" Seeing Carlisle and the others, the inferior fiends trembled even more. It appeared that they were more afraid of humans than Darren who was in the form of a powerful fiend.


    "What? These are only my slaves. There is no reason to be afraid."


    "Yes, sir. This way, please."


    Darren and the others began following several of the fiends as they hurriedly led the way into a dark brown fog in the distance.


    "When we get to their village, I can kill them all by myself, master," Carlisle said through spiritual sense.


    "Don''t worry about that yet. Let''s get there and see what we''re up against."


    It took four hours of walking before they reached an area that was spotted with stone huts.


    There were many fiends walking among the huts and every one of them was bony, like a human skeleton, with black skin.


    "Inform your village head to gather all the fiends here right now. I have something to say," Dar


    or die," Carlisle growled.


    "What''s the matter? You don''t believe me?" the old fiend asked, looking at Darren and Carlisle with begging, sad eyes.


    "We can''t trust anyone. Sorry," Carlisle answered for both of them.


    The old fiend smiled bitterly. It was an ugly smile and at the same time, it was heartbreaking.


    Then his face changed. He turned and walked past Carlisle, completely ignoring him.


    Carlisle garnered his god''s power and hit the fiend with the back of his palm.


    "Stop!" Darren cried out, but it was too late. The powerful god''s power had already shot out, enough to crush the old fiend.


    However, something unexpected happened.


    By the time it had reached the old fiend, the powerful force had disappeared in the air, leaving no trace.


    "What happened? How did he do it?"


    "No way!"


    Carlisle could only stare at his back as the old fiend got further away. The fiend seemed powerless, so how could he dissolve his god''s power?


    ''Was I fooled?'' Carlisle couldn''t help thinking. Did the old fiend took them there on purpose so he could imprison them?


    At this time, even Darren had become a little flustered. He rushed over, trying to stop the old fiend from leaving.


    However, the old fiend''s figure began fading before his eyes and by the time he had reached the mouth of the cave, he had completely disappeared.


    They all looked at each other uneasily.


    "I think we''ve been tricked, master."


    "By the way, our friend hasn''t come back yet!"


    The person who had said to check on the river had not returned yet.


    Darren frowned. If this old fiend was so powerful, then why did he still play a trick to bring them there when he could just kill them all?

 Chapter 1178 The Heaven Devouring Beast

    "Never mind. Let''s wait and see," Darren said as he watched the old fiend disappear into thin air.


    He turned to his companions and gestured for them to follow him. They walked forward and stepped onto the emerald green plain ahead of them.


    After wandering aimlessly in the open space for a while, they decided to stay still. After all, they had been tricked and there could be more to come if they got too curious. So, they sat and began to cultivate.


    Time flew, especially when one was cultivating. They simply had no concept of time.


    To Darren, it felt like three years had passed in an instant.


    "Master." The voice echoed in Darren''s head for a few moments before he opened his eyes and saw Carlisle in front of him.


    "What''s up?" Darren asked as he stretched his limbs. The blade and sword aura in his eyes was much stronger than before.


    "It''s not a good idea for us to continue to stay here. It''s far too dangerous. We need to move."


    "But this place is perfect for cultivating. No one will disturb us," Darren countered, remaining seated.


    Carlisle smiled bitterly down at him. "Master, despite it being barren here, it''s still the territory of the fiend race. The fiendish aura here is too thick for humans."


    Darren''s eyes widened slightly. He decided to extend his god''s sense to check his companions. It made him realize that their auras were in a state of disorder, and there was fiendish aura rushing in their bodies.


    Darren cast an apologetic look at Carlisle and said, "Sorry. I forgot that you can''t adapt to the fiendish aura."


    "Actually, we can bear the pain of the fiendish aura. The thing is that the fiendish aura can absorb our god''s power, so our strength is gradually weakening every second that we spend here," Carlisle told him. There were many crease lines forming on his forehead.


    "Let''s go a little further. Maybe we can find a way out," Darren suggested.


    "That''s great." The others had already thought about it before, but it was inconvenient for them to disturb Darren who was immersed in cultivation, so they waited to mention it until now.


    Without further ado, Darren and his companions chose a direction and flew out of the field together.


    After flying for a few days, they could spot the dark outlines of mountains in the distance. They lowered and


    ed the black hole open and close repeatedly.


    "This beast is definitely a newborn baby. If not, we would have already been eliminated."


    An adult Heaven Devouring Beast could even devour the stars.


    After a long time spent swimming, Darren and his companions reached the end of a long tunnel, but they were blocked by a lot of hard stones, so they couldn''t move forward at all.


    "Oh my God! There is no way to go! We are all going to die!"


    They began grabbing at the walls of the intestines and pushing but there was nowhere to go.


    All of them felt hopeless. The four men had been in prison for so many years before they met a Defiant Master, a man who was likely to rule the world. When that had happened, they once again had the desire to live.


    However, before the Defiant Master could become a powerful warrior, he would be killed, which made them feel very disappointed.


    "Don''t give up. As long as we are alive, there is hope!"


    "Ha-ha." Someone smiled a bitter smile and added, "You are so optimistic, master. But if we die, it''s not such a bad thing. After all, we will be free then."


    Darren looked at them strangely and said, "I said there was hope. I was not consoling you. Look!"


    They looked in the direction Darren had pointed. There was nothing to see in the intestinal wall but surging blood.


    "Master, what do you mean?" Even Carlisle searched with his eyes but couldn''t understand what Darren had meant.


    "Feel the aura of the blood," Darren said.


    All of them felt it and then Carlisle''s face lit up.

 Chapter 1179 Demonic Inner Elixir

    The other three people stared at Carlisle while he smiled with a slightly crazed look in his eyes.


    "Sir, I don''t understand. That''s the Heaven Devouring Beast''s blood. Would it make any difference?" someone asked Carlisle.


    "Yes, my dear fools. The beast is bleeding into his stomach, which means that he has been injured somewhere near the intestines. He might be hurt by the stones he has eaten!" Carlisle explained, still smiling.


    "Yes. That''s why I grabbed your attention. I actually sensed that there is a hole in the wall of his intestines that would allow us to fly out," Darren added, feeling like he was the smartest one.


    "But, master, even if we leave his intestines, we are still trapped in his abdomen." The others were confused by Darren''s words. Darren shrugged away their confusion.


    "Yeah. But we won''t be in danger of being corroded. Besides, there is always a way out."


    "That''s right. Maybe we can cut the meat from the inside out and roast it!"


    "Yes! Let''s go!"


    They flew towards the hole and through a river of pouring blood.


    The flesh of the intestines was a few dozen feet wide and it opened at the end like a large mouth. They passed through it, leaving the Heaven Devouring Beast''s intestines.


    They had expected to see a fat layer when they arrived but instead, it looked like a huge pillar.


    "Wow! This is where the blood of the Heaven Devouring Beast flows. So huge!"


    "If we walk along the veins, will we be able to reach his heart?" someone asked.


    Darren and Carlisle both thought the same thing. No matter how powerful the Heaven Devouring Beast was, his heart and soul must be the most vulnerable parts. If they could find the heart, they might have a chance of killing the Heaven Devouring Beast.


    Unfortunately, the inside of the Heaven Devouring Beast was designed like a maze, and Darren couldn''t find a way out.


    "Master, we are out of danger now. Let''s have a rest."


    "Yes. It looks safe here. I think we should hide inside of the beast for a long time."


    Upon hearing this suggestion, Carlisle''s eyes lit up. He had heard that the Heaven Devouring Beast was good at hiding. Although the beast had a huge body, superior gods still had difficulty in finding him.


    What was more, there were almost no natural enemies of the Heaven Devouring Beast. So that meant that they would be safe inside of the beast for some time.


    "Master, I think t


    The god''s power in Darren''s body had been growing at a high speed. With enough god''s power, Darren''s realm had actually risen to the middle-level of the Domain God Realm.


    In the past one year, Darren had upgraded continuously from the Primary God Realm to the middle-level of the Domain God Realm. Carlisle had never witnessed or heard of this happening in his entire lifetime.


    After one year of continuous absorption, the demonic inner elixir had shrunken and became dark black, almost without any fluctuation of god''s power.


    "Almost done,"


    Darren said, smiling with satisfaction at his harvest.


    "Human, how dare you steal my god''s power?" A childish voice resounded through everyone''s mind like a thunderclap.


    "Is this the Heaven Devouring Beast speaking?" Darren asked, looking all around in the darkness. He couldn''t see anyone.


    "Of course it is me!"


    "So, you can actually find me?" Darren didn''t panic at all because he was sure that the Heaven Devouring Beast could do nothing to him. Otherwise, he would have killed him instantly.


    "Get out of my body right now!" the voice demanded so loudly that it shook everything.


    "You ate us, and now you want us to get out? Oh, I''m sorry. I want to live here for a while," Darren replied in a teasing tone. He was deliberately provoking the Heaven Devouring Beast.


    "Human, aren''t you afraid that I will kill you?"


    "Are you kidding me? You don''t have that power. What the hell are you capable of? You even ended up with a cut after you swallowed a stone."


    Darren sneered, ignoring the threat from the Heaven Devouring Beast.

 Chapter 1180 Princess Lindsay

    This Heaven Devouring Beast was a newborn, and he only possessed a few inherited memories. Therefore, he had no understanding of human nature at all.


    Since Darren was talking down to him, the beast felt anger flare up in him but he could do nothing about it, which only infuriated him further.


    "Assimilate!"


    Darren ignored the beast and his shaking anger, and he began to assimilate the beast''s demonic inner elixir.


    In fact, there wasn''t much god''s power left in the beast''s inner elixir. If Darren continued to assimilate it, there was a chance that the beast would die from an insufficiency of god''s power.


    "Stop! Stop right now!" Through the beast''s words, they could hear tears forming and his body shivered beneath their feet.


    "Master, maybe you should threaten this beast and make him claim you as his master," Carlisle suggested.


    "That''s a good idea." Darren''s eyes lit up.


    If they were going to make a move against the beast, now would be the most opportune. A newborn Heaven Devouring Beast didn''t seem very powerful, but once he grew up and became an adult, he would be very terrifying. Even a superior god wouldn''t dare to provoke a mature Heaven Devouring Beast. Only the supreme gods of the human race dared to fight with it.


    "Wimpy kid. Claim me as your master, or I''ll assimilate your demonic inner elixir," Darren roared.


    "Claim you as my master? No way! You are nobody! You are not qualified to be my master!" the Heaven Devouring Beast said in a very disdainful tone.


    "Ha-ha. In that case, I''ll assimilate your demonic inner elixir and see if you are still sharp-tongued." Darren laughed and raised one arm.


    "How dare you!"


    "Assimilate!" Darren closed his eyes and opened his hand, allowing his god''s power to attack the elixir.


    "Boohoo..." The sound of crying was far away like a dull thunder, pricking the eardrum. The Heaven Devouring Beast cried out because of pain and helplessness, just like a human baby would.


    "Now, listen to me. If you don''t claim me as your master, you will lose your life. There will be no more warnings," Darren repeated, still holding out his hand.


    "But... But I have already had a master." Darren lowered his eyebrows into a frown and dropped his arm slightly.


    "Really? Do you think you can fool me with such a naive lie?" This beast was so new to the world that there was no way he already had a master.


    "It''s true. If you don''t believe me, I''ll prove it to y


    indifferently.


    "May I have your name, Miss?" Darren asked.


    "People call me Princess Lindsay, so you can call me that too," the woman said coldly, looking at him through hooded eyes.


    Darren nodded. The name didn''t sound familiar to him, but Carlisle and others were silent, all feeling that they had heard it somewhere before.


    After a moment, Carlisle''s expression changed drastically. "Oh, you! You are..."


    "Who am I?" the woman asked, giving him a suspicious look.


    "You are Vincent''s daughter! Princess Lindsay?" Carlisle said excitedly.


    "You know my father?" The woman smiled bitterly.


    "Ahem." Darren was a little embarrassed, so he asked Carlisle using his spiritual sense, "Who is Vincent, Carlisle? Why do you call her Princess?"


    "Master, her father is a Defiant Master! A powerful Defiant Master!" Carlisle replied.


    "What a coincidence! Her father is also a Defiant Master!" Staring at her in shock, Darren added, "Is her father as powerful as a superior god?"


    "Yes. It''s said that at that time, her father was called the great king of the nine abysses. He slaughtered gods of various races like he was cutting grass. Even the chief gods were shocked by him," Carlisle explained.


    "What happened to him?" Darren''s heart thumped with excitement as he awaited his answer.


    "Like all the Defiant Masters, he was suppressed in the abyss."


    Hearing this, Darren inexplicably felt a sense of loss. He also felt worry that he would someday end up the same way.


    "Just because you and my father are both Defiant Masters, I will help you to survive," Princess Lindsay said after a moment of silence.

 Chapter 1181 Transformation

    Darren frowned.


    "What do you mean? If I don''t choose you to help me, are you going to kill me?" Darren asked.


    "Ha-ha!" The woman looked at Darren as if he was an idiot. "Why would I kill you? A nobody like you will die no matter where you go. I meant to say that I will make you stronger. Only then can you survive."


    Darren then realized that he had thought too much. He was embarrassed. "I have misunderstood. How do you make me stronger?"


    "It''s simple. Help me destroy a sect, and I''ll give you a God Character that was left by my father."


    "What? Are you serious?" Darren was surprised.


    "You and my father are both Defiant Masters, so you can inherit his God Character. Even if you get only a little bit of his god''s power, it is powerful enough for you to break through to the Celestial God Realm," Lindsay said.


    "Ha-ha." Darren smiled and said, "I''m afraid I can''t obtain his God Character. You are so much stronger than me. You can''t destroy the sect you want; what makes you think that I can?"


    "Maybe you can." Carlisle stepped forward and said, "Princess Lindsay, if you can give the God Character first to my master, maybe it can enhance his strength and help you eliminate that sect."


    "No." Lindsay turned cold and said, "If you want to obtain the God Character, you not only have to be a Defiant Master, but you also need to pass the test by destroying that sect. Otherwise, I can''t give you the God Character."


    "Then tell us, which sect do you want to destroy?" Carlisle asked curiously.


    "The Starry Sword Sect," Lindsay stated indifferently.


    Carlisle''s face fell. Darren also felt that the name of that particular sect rang a bell. The sect must be related to the Starry Sword Region.


    "With all due respect, Princess Lindsay, the Starry Sword Sect is the largest and most influential sect in the Starry Sword Region. It has an important position in the entire human race. Even a superior god would not dare to destroy it, let alone my master." Carlisle believed that it was an impossible mission.


    The Starry Sword Sect had been deeply embedded in the history of the Starry


    ifying.


    "It''s over. We''re transforming."


    "I can''t hold on too." Carlisle''s breath was so weak that he couldn''t resist the billowing fiendish aura at all.


    Another month had passed. All of them, except Darren, had transformed into half-fiends.


    "What should we do?" Darren asked anxiously.


    "Calm down. It may be a good thing for them." An old voice suddenly rang out. Immediately, the old fiend appeared in front of Darren.


    "Oh, it''s you." Darren was pleasantly surprised and said, "I am sorry for what happened before. Please forgive us and help us find a way out."


    The fiendish aura there was too strong. Darren thought that as long as he took his companions away from the fiend race''s territory, they would feel much better.


    "It''s pointless. Human beings will never get their original appearance back once they are transformed."


    "What?!" Darren widened his eyes in shock.


    "Did you hear what I just said?" the old fiend''s expression did not change much as he said softly.


    Darren was dumbfounded for a moment. Then, he replied, "You said it''s a good thing..."


    "Yes, come with me." With that, the old fiend walked towards a certain direction.


    Immediately, Darren used his god''s power to lift Carlisle and the others up and quickly followed the old fiend.


    After about half a month''s travelling, the old fiend finally stopped. In front of him, there were two huge black vortexes.

 Chapter 1182 Enter The Vortex

    Darren could sense that the two black vortexes in front of him were the gates of space.


    "Where are we, sir?" Darren asked.


    "This is where we can save them," the old fiend replied. Then, he pointed at the vortex on the left and said, "Let them in."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Carlisle and the others were drawn by a powerful force and soon disappeared in the vortex.


    "Sir, will they be all right?" Darren was a little worried.


    "They will be fine, but I don''t know how long it would take until they can come out," the old fiend said as he shook his head.


    "Okay." Darren stopped asking questions. He decided to wait and see.


    "By the way, what is the right vortex for?" Darren asked curiously.


    "This was left by a great master from the human race. I don''t know what lies across that vortex, and I don''t know anyone who has ever entered it before."


    "A great master of the human race?" Darren''s interest was instantly piqued. He walked closer to unleash his god''s sense to probe the vortex, but his god''s sense couldn''t penetrate it at all.


    "That''s strange. Why would a human master leave this vortex here?" Darren murmured to himself and continued to stare at the right vortex.


    "This is the space where that human master used to dwell in. Maybe that particular powerful master left some of his treasures in that vortex for other lucky people to obtain," the old fiend speculated.


    "Hmm. But why did he leave them within the territory of the fiend race?" Darren didn''t understand why a powerful human cultivator would abandon something in a wasteland of the fiend race.


    "This space was brought here by a human, and thus, that powerful great master''s treasures in the space were transferred here as well," the old fiend explained.


    "Oh, I see." Darren nodded.


    "Defiant Master, do you want to try and enter the right vortex?" All of a sudden, Princess Lindsay barged in the conversation.


    Darren turned around and looked at her. "Can you tell me what''s on the other side?"


    "No, because I don''t know either," Lindsay replied.


    "Ha-ha. Forget it. If you don''t dare to go, what makes you think I will go there alone?" Although Darren had now reached the Do


    igher the layer is, the greater the level of the weapon is?" Darren asked to confirm his guess.


    "Correct," the voice replied briefly.


    "Well, I''ll choose the Perception Intent Sword and the Soul Hunting Blade," he declared.


    The two names Darren chose were the level-nine sword and blade that were at the top of the pyramid!


    "Are you sure?"


    "Wait!" Darren thought for a while and asked, "If I choose them, will you really make them for me?"


    "Yes."


    "How powerful are these level-nine weapons?" Darren asked.


    "Make a choice now." The voice ignored his question.


    "Fine, I choose them!" Darren replied abruptly. He still wanted to know how powerful those level-nine weapons were.


    Buzz!


    The whole cave began to tremble violently.


    "Go and acquire the raw materials you need. Finding the materials for level-nine weapons is an extremely arduous task. Only superior gods can successfully collect them."


    "Wait... What?! Why didn''t you tell me that earlier?" Darren''s eyes almost popped out.


    Only the superior gods could collect them?


    Darren was completely dumbfounded. He was just at the Domain God Realm, and was many times weaker than a superior god. There was no way he could do it.


    "What if I can''t collect them? Can I choose something else?" Darren asked.


    "No, the selected weapons are final. In fact, you don''t have to change your weapons, because you will surely die." The cold voice frightened Darren out of his wits.

 Chapter 1183 The Prince Was Coming

    "What do you mean?" Darren asked, frowning.


    However, the cold voice didn''t explain any more. Darren felt the list and aura of the materials transfer into his mind and then he watched as the voice vanished into nothing.


    Before he could so much as gasp, the scene in front of him had changed dramatically. He was teleported to a black land.


    On top of the black land, a thin fog danced. Darren peeled his eyes but he could only see a dozen feet ahead of him. He couldn''t spread his god''s sense at all.


    "Twelve kinds of divine iron, seven kinds of fusion crystals, and three kinds of weak water." These were the materials Darren needed to find.


    It was a short list, but Darren had no idea how to find them in the vast land.


    Walking on the black land, Darren felt extremely desolate. All around him, the air was mingled with extremely malicious aura and killing aura.


    "Where the hell am I?" Darren muttered.


    After walking for a long time and seeing nothing, Darren stumbled upon a group of graves in all sizes.


    ''Is this an ancient graveyard?''


    Passing through the graves, Darren found piles of bones and broken weapons on the ground.


    ''This sword is so weird!'' Darren paused to examine a dark red, broken sword on the ground. Immediately, he felt a murderous intent rush into his mind.


    Out of curiosity, Darren bent down to pick up the sword.


    As soon as he touched the broken sword, a large shock blasted through him and he shot upright.


    A bolt of dark red lightning had pierced through his heart.


    "Argh!" Darren cast aside the broken sword and backed away with his heart hammering against his rib cage.


    ''This sword has killing intent that is like lightning! I can''t touch it!''


    After that, Darren flew just above the ground because he didn''t want to accidentally touch anything on the ground. The further he flew, the more bones and broken weapons he saw.


    ''I get it now. The materials I need must be among these broken weapons.


    But what kind of people are qualified to use the level-nine weapons?''


    Darren gritted his teeth slightly. Even if he could find the broken level-nine weapons to get the materials, he might not be able to pick them up!


    After searching for a long time, the road began to get thinner and thinner. Eventually, it led to a vast, deep valley.


    He discovered that there were n


    side. He''s only spent twenty hours inside, '' she thought, feeling relieved.


    Bang!


    From the sky, a body collapsed in front of her.


    She frowned and looked to the ground.


    "Otis!" she exclaimed when she detected the aura of the body.


    Otis'' body was covered with black blood. His aura of life had become extremely weak.


    "What happened?" She descended to him and felt immediately helpless. Since Lindsay was a human being, she couldn''t help Otis heal his wound.


    "Leave here! Go with the Defiant Master! They are coming!" Otis said breathlessly.


    "What? Who is coming?" A strong killing intent flashed across her body, making her crumple.


    "General Kerr and Prince Derrick." As soon as Otis had finished speaking, he lowered his head in pain.


    A pang shot through her heart. She detected that Otis'' aura of life was very weak and he only had one breath remaining in his lungs.


    "Prince Derrick!"


    she cursed when she remembered how terrifying this fiend prince was.


    Boom!


    The whole space trembled. Apparently, there was someone attacking the entrance.


    "Defiant Master, I know you are hiding inside. Get out!"


    A vicious voice pierced through the space, shaking the air around it.


    "The Defiant Master attracts the prince here!" A cold light flashed across her eyes.


    "Do you think I can''t come inside if you don''t come out? When I catch you, I will make you suffer the most cruel torture in the world!"


    "Fuck off!" Lindsay shouted viciously.


    "Wait. There''s someone else inside?" Prince Derrick seemed to be more excited!

 Chapter 1184 How Did Darren Make It

    Prince Derrick was in fact the prince that Darren had met before.


    At that time, Darren had predicted that once the prince knew that he was a Defiant Master, he would definitely come after him.


    However, the prince had found this place so soon.


    Logically speaking, the old fiend had already ordered the villagers to drink the water so that they could lose the memories of Darren and his companions. No one, except the old fiend, knew where Darren was.


    Moreover, judging from his severe injuries, it was certainly not the old fiend who had disclosed Darren''s whereabouts. Otherwise, he would not have been almost killed. Besides, the old fiend would not do that.


    "This old bastard has been harboring human beings. General Kerr, let''s attack together to open this space."


    "Okay."


    Without hesitation, Prince Derrick and General Kerr bombarded the space with all their might.


    This space had been passed down for many generations, and its defensive arrays had decayed. With the combined strength of the fiend prince and the fiend general, it was entirely possible for them to open it.


    Lindsay immediately sensed the attack and knew that the space restriction couldn''t withstand the prince, so she brought the old fiend along and entered the right vortex.


    It was also the vortex where Darren was in.


    "Welcome, Your Highness." The guardian suddenly turned into a white-haired old man and greeted Princess Lindsay respectfully.


    "Saxon, where is the young man who just came here? Has he gotten the right weapon yet?" Lindsay asked hurriedly.


    "He had selected level-nine weapons." This was only the reply of the guardian. Lindsay''s face froze. She knew the consequences of choosing level-nine weapons.


    "What? Are you serious? That idiot!" Lindsay was very angry and thought Darren was so greedy! Only his father dared to ask Saxon to make level-nine weapons. As a domain god, how could Darren dare to expect level-nine weapons?


    Nevertheless, the more she thought about it, the more worried she got. For some reason, she didn''t want Darren to die. Darren was very important to her.


    "Where is he? Is he dead?"


    "I can''t sense his prese


    aura.


    Afterwards, he put his palm over Otis'' shoulder and poured the fiendish aura into his body to heal his damaged veins.


    "What... That''s impossible!" Lindsay was left dumbfounded by Darren once more. What on earth was he? How could he transform himself into a fiend that easily?


    However, when she sensed that Otis was slowly recovering his aura of life, she didn''t dare to disturb Darren. After all, Otis held a very special place in her heart, and he was just like her grandfather.


    About four hours later, Otis'' aura of life had stabilized that he was able to recover on his own.


    "Now who''s the idiot?" Darren rolled his eyes.


    Hearing what Darren said, she couldn''t refute.


    "Humph! Fine, you win!" Lindsay continued, "Tell me how you got the materials. I''m serious."


    Darren didn''t want to tease her when he saw her serious face.


    "See for yourself." Then, he used his god''s power to flash the scene on a screen in mid-air.


    In the scene, Darren was surrounded by twelve dark shadows. As she watched it, Lindsay was freaked out by the strong shadows even though they were just present in the imitated scene.


    All of a sudden, the twelve phantoms started to move forward in an attempt to kill Darren all together.


    However, to her surprise, after a few seconds, the shadows began to shiver and all of them began to retreat.


    "What? Why are they so scared?" Lindsay was confused. It simply didn''t make sense.

 Chapter 1185 On Genius

    The twelve powerful shadows were quivering with fear. Moments later, they vanished.


    Darren casually walked over and collected the floating materials one by one without any hindrance.


    Later, Darren found the other materials. He didn''t encounter any more obstacles when collecting those materials.


    "How did you do it? Tell me. Tell me!" Lindsay rushed over to him and placed her hands at the base of his neck, as if she were going to strangle him. She shook him aggressively.


    Darren cleared his throat and unleashed her hands, stepping away. "Don''t be so excited. I''ll tell you..."


    He hesitated for a moment. If he didn''t tell her the truth, she might really kill him by accident just because she was so overexcited and on edge.


    Buzz...


    With a small sigh, Darren closed his eyes. The air above him formed tiny waves and a thirty-six-face crystal floated out of his head.


    "What... what''s this?" Lindsay''s head cocked to the side as she examined the strange crystal. Normally, people''s God Character was an octahedral crystal. It was more rare for people''s God Character to be a dodecahedral crystal. But Darren had collected a crystal that had thirty-six plane faces! This was unheard of!


    So far, he had only explored twelve faces of it. The other twenty-four faces had not shown on the outline, so it could only be estimated that it was a thirty-six-face crystal.


    "I don''t know. All I know is that I made it show up and the shadows were scared off by it."


    Darren reflected on the battle. When things were at their most critical and he was on the edge of death, he had no choice but to activate this strange stone, and it did work.


    The moment that the shadows saw the strange stone, they became terrified and vanished into thin air.


    "Are you telling the truth?" Lindsay asked with her eyes fixed on Darren.


    "Why would I lie to you? You don''t deserve it," Darren said with a smile.


    "Alright. I believe you." Just the aura of the crystal was enough to convince her that he was being honest. He had come across a great treasure.


    "Your crystal must be extraordinary. You must keep it properly," she added.


    "I don''t need to keep it. It will be there as long as I am alive," Darren said calmly.


    "I just want to remind you," said Lindsay peacefully. Yet, on the inside, she was even more curious of him. Ever since she met Darren, he had been acting unusual. He was a weak Defiant Master and he could turn into a fiend. Now, he had a God Character that was a thirty-six-f


    tween the Primary God Realm and the Domain God Realm, and it was too difficult to break through the barrier in a short period of time.


    "Humph. It''s no big deal. I know many geniuses who could reach the peak of the Domain God Realm within ten years." Lindsay cast a scornful glance at Darren who was complacent.


    "Brag. Keep bragging." Darren shook his head. Even if he wasn''t taunting her, he still wouldn''t believe it at all.


    "You are narrow-minded. Do you think that the people from the Ancestral Land are geniuses? Let me tell you, they are not. The real geniuses are found in every region. I have been to the Dragon Hiding Region with my father. There are people who can reach the Star God Realm after decades of years of cultivation and some can reach the Celestial God Realm after several thousand years of cultivation. Compared with them, you are slow and pathetic.


    Even I can''t compare to them. It took me more than seven thousand years to break through to the upper-level of the Star God Realm," Lindsay said slowly.


    Darren rubbed his chin in thought. It didn''t seem that she was lying, but she was obviously at the low-level of the Star God Realm. Why did she say she was at the upper-level of the Star God Realm? Darren crossed his arms over his chest.


    "You are not at the upper-level of the Star God Realm. You are lying," Darren said, frowning.


    "Idiot, I have been poisoned by the Lord Dark Night, and my level has been degenerated. Look at my face. Is it beautiful? Beautiful? Would you like to kiss me?" Lindsay stepped closer and stuck her festered face in his, acting like she was proud of it. At that moment, she seemed like a lunatic.

 Chapter 1186 Fighting The Prince

    Seeing her eyes so wide and her smile so crazed, Darren didn''t want to taunt Lindsay.


    "Well, is there a way to remove the poison on your face?" Deciding to be empathetic, Darren sympathized with her. If half of her face was covered with the gauze, she would definitely be a beauty.


    "Yes, there is. Are you going to help me?" Lindsay asked, looking at him through narrowed eyes.


    "How?"


    "It''s very simple. You can bring me the empyrean dew from the Immortal Land. There''s a chance it can extract the poison."


    "Where''s the Immortal Land? If there''s a chance, I''ll try to get it for you."


    A flash of surprise was present in her eyes when she heard this. She shook her head and said, "Forget it. Now that you''re so sincere, I''ll stop teasing you. The Immortal Land is a place that even my father couldn''t set food in. You can''t possibly go there."


    "Don''t underestimate me. There will be a chance, and I will take it. You will definitely look very beautiful once your face has healed," Darren comforted.


    On the inside, Lindsay had turned to mush. However, she still pretended to be cold, quickly suppressing a smile. "So you''re saying that I''m too ugly now, right?"


    After a moment of silence, Darren nodded and laughed. "Yes. You''re too ugly to look at."


    "You!" She hadn''t expected Darren to be so straightforward. Most people usually placated her; this guy was so annoying.


    "Ha-ha. I''m just kidding," Darren explained. "We''d better find a way to deal with the fiend prince. He might be more powerful than you, so I have to find a way that will not get you and the old fiend involved."


    "You''ve already gotten us involved. Otis was almost killed because of you!"


    "Oh, just leave it. We need a plan." Darren thought for a few seconds while looking at the sky. "How about this? You can send me out later and he will come for me. After he''s caught me, he will go to ask for his reward immediately. Then I think he will stop looking for you."


    "Come on! You''re so cocky. That guy almost killed Otis. I must take revenge for him. And Derrick and I have a bad track record. I''ve wanted to kill him for so long," she said with resentment bu


    . He asked Lindsay with spiritual sense, "Is the guardian helping us?"


    "Yes, he is activating the reincarnation power hidden in this space, reducing their cultivation base to a certain extent," Lindsay answered.


    "The reincarnation power..." A shiver ran down Darren''s spine. He had comprehended the Reincarnation Holy Will before, but he hadn''t made any new breakthrough. He couldn''t use this skill to defeat warriors that were much stronger than him.


    Now that he understood what the guardian was doing, Darren felt more confident.


    "Let''s kill him together!" Lindsay shouted and charged towards the general.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Darren followed on her heels, yelling out a battle cry.


    Darren released his black god''s power and dark gold god''s power at the same time.


    Kerr turned pale at the sight of the horrifying power.


    "The Defiant Master''s skill is so powerful!" Kerr took a moment to assess Darren''s combat power and found that he was stronger than what his realm entailed.


    But no matter how powerful Darren''s skill was, he was only at the low-level of the Domain God Realm. It didn''t matter that his strength was close to the peak of the Domain God Realm.


    Kerr was as powerful as a cultivator at the peak of the Star God Realm. Even though his strength was suppressed by the reincarnation power, he could still have the strength of a low-level star god. As such, it was very difficult for Darren to hurt him.

 Chapter 1187 Possessing The Level-Nine Blade and Sword

    Boom!


    During the short time that Kerr was distracted, Lindsay had rushed towards him and smacked him on his back.


    As soon as General Kerr was hit by Lindsay, his armor collapsed, and black blood gushed from his left shoulder.


    "Damn it!"


    Kerr shouted angrily and retreated.


    "Your Highness, let''s fight them together," Kerr pleaded.


    By then, Derrick had noticed that Kerr''s strength had been suppressed. Otherwise, the Defiant Master and Lindsay wouldn''t have had the chance to fight back.


    "General Kerr, you are the most capable and loyal subordinate of my father. Is that all you got? Go on. Don''t disgrace me. Humph!" Derrick didn''t join the battle immediately. Instead, he belittled Kerr and spoke to him with disdain.


    Hearing this, Kerr became anxious. How could the stupid prince who did nothing but indulge in drinking and women sneer at him at that moment?


    However, the next moment, Kerr realized that he was wrong. As soon as Derrick finished his words, he had turned into a black light and dashed towards Darren and Lindsay. It turned out that the prince was trying to attack them by surprise.


    Bang!


    By then, Darren had no time to defend himself at all. As a result, he was hit in the chest.


    His body was thrown in the air, leaving a trail of blood in the air.


    "You''re despicable!" Lindsay sneered contemptuously.


    "Princess Lindsay, you are as stupid as that Defiant Master." Derrick retorted and thought, ''Who cares if one is contemptible or not in a life-or-death fight? Winning is everything. You human beings are a bunch of imbeciles!''


    "Derrick, don''t you think it''s shameful for you to use dirty tricks on a person who is much weaker than you?" Lindsay ignored him and continued to loathe him.


    "As I''ve said, you''re stupid. I know you can use some skills to weaken our strength. If I didn''t launch a sneak attack, my chances of winning will be lowered," Derrick said.


    "Well, in that case, we can also attack you secretly." When she spoke, a scornful smile appeared on her face, which made Derrick worried. Thus, he turned his head and looked back.


    Whoosh!


    A figure suddenly flashed by. As soon as Derrick turned around, Lindsay rushed towards him. As she approached him, a long whip suddenly appeared in her hand. It was her unique level-five divine weapo


    suppress Derrick''s strength.


    "Humph! Even if you suppressed my strength, I can kill you in a second!" Derrick also felt his cultivation base had degenerated greatly. However, he could still easily kill a human at the peak of the Domain God Realm, let alone a mere weak Defiant Master.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    As soon as Derrick activated the fiend power, several black shadows ferociously attacked Darren simultaneously.


    "Defiant Master, catch your level-nine divine weapons!"


    At the moment when Darren was about to be attacked, a pair of blade and sword dropped from the sky and fell into Darren''s hands.


    Darren held the long sword in his right hand. It was shrouded with an enchanting purple aura and was engraved with all sorts of ancient patterns.


    In his left hand, he had a heavy blade that emitted a strong and overbearing aura. Countless miniscule lightning bolts flickered on the surface of the blade. It was incredibly majestic!


    Darren was in no mood to appreciate the extraordinarily crafted sword and blade. He immediately activated the god-level blade and sword intents and attached them to the two weapons.


    Whoosh!


    Darren brandished his blade and sword magnificently and stabbed the fiend power that Derrick released.


    Darren''s blade and sword weren''t blocked at all. They directly penetrated Derrick''s fiend power. Then, Darren went straight with his sword pointing at Derrick''s heart and his blade cutting through Derrick''s head.


    Derrick was scared out of his wits!


    Despair and death filled his eyes.

 Chapter 1188 Made An Oath With Kerr

    A flash of light appeared in the sky above Darren. The extraordinary god-level blade and sword intents had been released using the level-nine divine weapons.


    Feeling panicked, Derrick closed his eyes for a moment and summoned up all his fiend power in an attempt to save himself.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    The moment that he knew it was over was written all over Derrick''s face.


    Within seconds, Derrick''s body exploded into a black cloud of blood and scattered in the air.


    "Your Highness!" After seeing what had happened to Derrick, Kerr screamed and rushed at Darren, trying to kill him.


    "Don''t even bother." Darren drew back his blade and sword and continued, "I''ve killed him. Even if you kill me, when you return home, they won''t forgive you. Besides, I''m too strong to kill."


    Darren''s words had left the fiend general in a daze. He stood with his weapon hanging at his side and his lips were stuttering.


    Even if he had the ability to catch Darren, the merit he had obtained was not enough to save his own life.


    He landed on the ground and slumped his shoulders.


    "How about I give you a way out?" Darren offered after thinking for a moment.


    "You want me to betray the great king and chief gods and follow you?" Kerr asked, raising his head all of a sudden.


    This was exactly what Darren expected Kerr to do.


    Killing Kerr would help Darren achieve nothing, but taking him as his subordinate would make him gain a powerful helper.


    "Being my subordinate and traveling the world with me is better than going back to be killed," Darren reminded him, shrugging.


    "You know what? Don''t even dream of it. I won''t betray my king."


    "Since you think your loyalty is more important than your life, then I have nothing else to say. You may leave now." Darren waved him off and turned to walk away.


    "You won''t kill me?" Kerr hesitated, unsure if he was actually free to go or not.


    "If you leave here, you will die. I don''t have to kill you myself."


    "You''re too naive, Defiant Master. If you let me go, aren''t you worried that I''ll tell the great king where you hide? Once he takes action, you will never be able to flee."


    Derrick and Kerr had come to catch Darren in


    ren or Chief God Heaven," the guardian explained.


    "Okay. I see." Now that the guardian had confirmed it, Darren knew it was not another trick.


    Darren went silent for a moment, thinking about what he wanted to address himself.


    "Fine. You can call me Conflicting Chief God." The reason behind the name was that Darren had been cultivating conflicting skills all throughout his life.


    "Yes, sir." Not daring to hesitate anymore, Kerr began to swear again, "The great Conflicting Chief God, Kerr Hughes is willing to become your most devout believer. Please accept my most reverent reverence..."


    After Kerr finished swearing, a pure force flew into Darren''s head and circled around the crystal inside it.


    "Accepted!" As soon as Darren said the word, the pure soul power entered the crystal. It glowed brightly.


    The Oath of Believer was established.


    "Why is there a gray aura?" Darren sensed a faint gray aura seeping into his body.


    ''This is the Power of Belief!'' Darren thought, feeling his heart lurch in his chest. When he had taken the test in the Godly City, he had obtained this gray power.


    During his last battle on the Lothlann Continent, he gained the Power of Belief of the human race. That was why he could break the mysterious space in his head and acquire the black god''s power to kill Xavier.


    After the tiny bit of Power of Belief had entered his body, Darren immediately sensed that his black god''s power was a little stronger.

 Chapter 1189 Ready To Go Back To The Ancestral Land

    "I see!" Finally, Darren had the reason why his black god''s power had increased slowly as he improved his cultivation base. It turned out that in order to enhance the black god''s power, the Power of Belief was needed.


    Now that Darren was a Defiant Master, he was qualified to accept believers. It shouldn''t take him long to fully cultivate the black god''s power.


    "Very well, Kerr. I will allow you to follow me in the future. As long as I rise to power, I will treat you well." Darren had a hard time containing his excitement.


    "Yes, sir.


    But there''s just one problem. If I don''t return home for a long time, the great king may use the master and slave bond to kill me," Kerr explained nervously.


    "There''s no longer a need to worry about that," the guardian said. "The Defiant Master''s status is equal to that of a chief god, so the bond of the Oath of Believer you established with the Defiant Master is much greater than that of the master and slave bond. As long as Darren doesn''t want you to die, your master can''t kill you at all, because the chief god''s will is above everything!"


    "Oh, thank goodness!" Kerr smiled up at the sky. This meant that his life was saved.


    "All right. You''d better cure the princess'' injury as soon as possible. After she recovers, I advise you to transfer the entire space with you, or someone might discover it," the guardian informed Darren.


    "Okay." Darren nodded and didn''t say anything else. He walked over to Lindsay, who was lying on the ground, and began to heal her injury.


    After three months of rest, Lindsay was much better. The old fiend Otis had almost recovered too.


    "Wow! The level-nine divine weapons are really powerful. You actually used them to kill a warrior at the peak of the Domain God Realm!" Lindsay said as she stared at the blade and sword that were glinting in Darren''s hands.


    "It''s not that cool actually. The guardian told me that I didn''t even use one ten thousandth of its power. When I reach a higher realm, I will be stronger with the help of my blade and sword," Darren explained, slowly putting the sword and blade away.


    A trace of envy flashed in Lindsay''s eyes again. She turned to D


    mmortal Land to find me the empyrean dew," Lindsay shot back, placing her hands on her hips.


    "I''ll try my best to do what I have promised you, but I can''t find it for you now. I need to increase my strength and I need to go to the Ancestral Land first," Darren explained.


    "The Ancestral Land? Ha-ha." With a cold smile, she said, "Many people have been kicked out of that place. If I''m right, you were also expelled like my father, weren''t you? Why do you still want to go back? I don''t understand!"


    "I need to meet with my friends that have been staying there for almost ten years," Darren explained.


    "Okay. But if you are lying, I will despise you forever. In fact, I will go with you just to see. We can''t go separately anyway."


    Darren cast a surprised glance at her and asked, "You always say that we should go together. Have you fallen in love with me?"


    "Don''t dream of it. You don''t deserve my love. I have my own reasons to go with you. You can rest assured that I will never harm you. Treat me as one of your friends and let me tag along. Please," Lindsay said sincerely.


    Darren kept silent for a while and finally sighed. "All right. I was just worried that you would be in danger if you went with me. Since you are not afraid, you can go to the Ancestral Land with me. Otis and Kerr can hide in the space left by your father."


    "Great. That''s more like it. Good boy." Lindsay patted Darren''s shoulder and laughed happily.

 Chapter 1190 Arrive At The Ancestral Land

    After waiting for a few minutes, as expected, Kerr came back with the head of a fiend.


    "Sir, I destroyed his camp and killed all his people." Then, he tossed the head away.


    "Well done. You have avenged the villagers. Let''s go." Darren nodded and turned to Lindsay. "Princess Lindsay, please take Otis and Kerr into your space. By the way, where are my mutated subordinates? Why haven''t they come out yet?"


    "Don''t worry. The vortex they''re in has the functions to transform body and soul. Once they get out, they will be recovered and will regain their strength," Otis said.


    "Transform the body and soul? Do you mean that they will become fiends?" Darren asked.


    "No, they won''t become fiends. They can only be a half-fiend. This is the best result for them. Otherwise, they wouldn''t even be able to survive," Otis explained briefly.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter as long as their lives are saved." Darren didn''t think too much about it.


    "All right. Let''s go." Lindsay had been in hiding for many years, so she couldn''t wait to see the outside world.


    "Wait, hold up. Otis, one of my subordinates secretly went to drink the water from the river that you mentioned. He hasn''t returned yet. Let me find him first." One of the four humans who followed Darren offered to try and drink the water. Ever since then, he had not come back. Thus, Darren had to look for him.


    Half an hour later, Darren came back with a long face.


    "Have you found him, sir?"


    "I found his body." His subordinate had been killed, so Darren had to bury him somewhere.


    "I''m sorry, Darren. Let''s go," Otis said dismissively. From his voice, Darren could tell that Otis was indifferent to death, as if he had grown accustomed to it.


    Immediately afterwards, Otis and Kerr entered Lindsay''s space. Darren and Lindsay flew up, and headed towards the territory of the human race.


    The two of them flew cautiously for a few months before they finally arrived at their destination.


    As soon as they set foot in the territory of the human race, they picked up their speed. After all, they didn''t need to worry about fiends there.


    "Darren, I want to give you something special," Lindsay said mysteriously while they were flying.


    les. Don''t you know that?" Lindsay stared at Darren as if he was an idiot.


    Darren thought for a while. He remembered the old man in the Ancestral Land had announced that after a ten-year period of cultivation, people from various sects and regions would come to select the most suitable disciples.


    "I knew that." Darren nodded and thought about his friends. ''How are they now?''


    Besides, Darren was still considering whether he would inform Finley and the others about his identity once he arrived at the Ancestral Land.


    ''I''d better not to tell them, '' he decided.


    In the distance, they caught sight of a magnificent palace that towered straight into the sky. It was the symbol of the Ancestral Land.


    "The emissary of the Ganges Sect, Yale, pays his visit to the Ancestral Land." In front of them, several guards in black robes questioned the arriving emissaries. The emissaries showed their tokens before they were allowed entry into the Ancestral Land.


    "The emissary of the Styx Sect, Victor, pays his visit to the Ancestral Land."


    "Pass." After inspecting their identity tokens, the guards authorized them to enter the gate one by one.


    Darren saw the situation from afar, and couldn''t help but feel a little worried.


    "I''m afraid we can''t get in the Ancestral Land." Darren frowned.


    "Humph. It''s a good thing I''m here with you. Otherwise, you can''t set foot in it." Lindsay gave Darren a smug look, as if to say, ''You are so lucky to have me around.''

 Chapter 1191 Scotts Situation

    "Hold on. You''ve known another way to get past the guards this entire time?" Darren asked, looking at Lindsay with doubt.


    "No, I don''t." Lindsay shook her head and continued, "I don''t know other ways to get in. But I have the token. You can just follow me."


    While she answered him, she pulled Darren and they flew towards the guards dressed in black robes.


    "No. Wait. You have to be joking!"


    Darren''s eyes grew larger as they approached the guards. He could clearly feel the guards'' powerful aura. It was so powerful that even a warrior at the Celestial God Realm would be risking their lives being there.


    "I''m not kidding. Let''s go."


    She flew to a guard in a black robe and handed over a rusty iron token.


    The next moment, something incredible happened. When the guard saw the token in Lindsay''s hand, he bowed to her!


    "Why are you still standing there? Idiot, let''s go!" she shouted at Darren, gesturing aggressively for him to follow her.


    Darren shook off the shock and flew inside behind her.


    "Where did you find that iron plate? Why are the guards so respectful to you?" Darren couldn''t stop looking at Lindsay like she was some alien or something.


    "Iron plate? Are you stupid? That''s something my father left to me. No one can stop me from entering the Ancestral Land, except the ancestor of the Ancestral Land."


    "Really? But you just used that iron plate. Does that mean your identity was exposed?"


    "Oh, I forgot..." Lindsay stuck out her tongue.


    "And it doesn''t make any sense. You said that your father was expelled by the Ancestral Land. Doesn''t that mean that the token should have been revoked of its power?" Darren asked.


    "You''re so annoying sometimes. Do you think I have all the answers? Let''s just go. I can''t stand you anymore." With that, Lindsay turned and ran away.


    Speechless, Darren sped up and flew forward.


    Ahead of them was a huge square made of green stone, where tens of thousands of disciples from the Ancestral Land had gathered.


    These disciples had practiced for at least ten years in the Ancestral Land. Some of them had practiced for more than ten years. Since new warriors arrived every day, ten years was just a rough estimate of time.


    Darren found an empty spot on the square and landed. Straight away, he began to look for his companions: Finley, Scott, Barne


    t that each of the emissaries only picked two disciples. So many people were unable to pass the examination and did not have the qualifications to obtain resources or protection.


    Those who didn''t get picked were banished from the Ancestral Land and must make their own living by themselves in the cruel outside world.


    Darren scanned the area with his god''s sense and found that most of them were at the middle-level of the Primary God Realm. There was no way that those people would be chosen.


    "If you move again, I have the right to kill you all!" At the edge of the square, there was an ordinary guard standing in front of some people.


    When Darren looked, his heart paused in his chest. He could see familiar faces.


    Finley, Barnes, the mysterious old man, Aaron... Everyone was there except for the Rule Soul Avatar and Scott, which was good news for Darren.


    "What happened? Why is the guard holding them prisoner?" Darren already harbored a deep grudge against the Ancestral Land, but his anger deepened when he saw his friends treated like this.


    He wanted to attack the guard but he could do nothing but wait. An ordinary guard in the Ancestral Land was strong enough to kill him. If he exposed himself too soon, it would be bad for everyone involved.


    "You guys must choose to pass the test in the Tussle Region, and then you can leave. If you fail to pass, you have to continue to labor in the mine area to make up for your crimes," the guard ordered. He then pointed at the battle ring of the Tussle Region, but no one moved an inch.

 Chapter 1192 The Tussle Region

    "What''s so special about the Tussle Region? Why did no one sign up to go there?" When Darren heard the guard order Finley, Barnes and his other friends to choose the Tussle Region test, he felt something was wrong. And so, he turned and asked Lindsay about the Tussle Region.


    "You don''t know anything about the Tussle Region?" She glanced scornfully at Darren.


    "Obviously! If I had heard about it, I wouldn''t be asking you, would I?" From the information Darren had received, he only knew that it was called ''the Tussle Region''. There was no other introduction.


    Lindsay glanced at Darren as she wondered, ''Is this the right attitude to have when asking a question?'' Although irked, she quickly reminded herself that those people were Darren''s friends. As it was natural for Darren to be a little anxious, she didn''t blame him for his attitude.


    "The Tussle Region is also known as a killing region," Lindsay began her explanation.


    "What do you mean?"


    "It is said that the law of the jungle is followed in the Tussle Region. Every living creature that enters the area must fight with other living creatures to survive. This cycle of killing must be followed throughout their lives. They won''t be able to leave until they have reached a certain level."


    "In that case, all the new entrants would be easy targets."


    "Of course, not. There are other rules besides the law of the jungle. I have heard of some. If the people they meet are at the same level, they must fight to the death. But if they aren''t at the same level, and the lower one happens to kill the person at a higher level in their battle, the lower one will get an extra reward. Anybody who is two levels higher than their match wouldn''t be allowed to start the battle.


    For example, if you were at the upper-level of the Domain God Realm, you would not be able to attack people at the low-level of the Domain God Realm. There are many rules. Only those who have entered the region would be familiar with all the rules in detail." She told Darren all that she knew.


    "No wonder no one is willing to go there. After all, being in a killing spree for their whole life is a hard way to live. Not to mention that there are high chances of encountering someone stronger. The warriors who survive will be heavily dependent not only on their strength but also on their luck." Darren frowned as he remarked.


    "What are you going to do?" Lindsay looked at Darren and continued, "Regardless of whether your friends will be chosen or not, it will be hard for them."


    and the others were dragged forward by a powerful force.


    "What a surprise! You''re not bad," the man remarked. The man''s gaze swept over Finley and the others as he assessed their abilities. It was almost as if he could see through them. However, he completely ignored Darren.


    "You are about to enter the test. Remember that there is a high chance that you might die during the test. You have to go all out to survive," the emissary advised.


    "Cut the crap and just tell me about the test." Barnes, who had become extremely irritated and impatient, roared.


    The emissary from the Tussle Region glanced at Barnes indifferently, "If you were in the Tussle Region now, you would have died hundreds of times."


    After saying that, the emissary waved and opened a spatial door on the battle ring.


    "You can enter now. If you come out alive, you will have passed the test.


    You''d better hurry up. If you exit in an hour, you will be rewarded when you enter the region with three days'' protection. Work hard!" the emissary prompted them when he saw that the group didn''t move forward.


    "Let''s go." They had no choice but to walk toward the spatial door.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Darren, Finley, Barnes, Aaron, and the mysterious, mad old man entered the gate.


    The moment they disappeared, a young man in white materialized in the crowd. His sudden appearance caused a commotion in the square.


    "What? You''re..." Lindsay was startled when she saw the young man. ''Isn''t that Darren?'' Lindsay finished her sentence in her mind.


    The young man in white looked exactly like Darren.


    "It''s him!"


    "He is coming! He is coming!"


    Many people in the square exclaimed softly.

 Chapter 1193 The Progress Of The Rule Soul Avatar

    "Is he the madman who killed a guard?"


    "Yes, it''s him. I heard that he killed the guard using only one move."


    Rumors and whispers spread like wildfire through the crowd of disciples.


    There had never been a time where the disciples had thought that the young man in white was a normal person. On the third day after he had entered the Ancestral Land, he had flown to the top of the hall and sat down to cultivate.


    In this state, he had cultivated for three years. One day, a storm suddenly rolled in over them. All sorts of laws erupted in the void, and the entire Ancestral Land trembled as if there were a violent earthquake.


    In an attempt to restore peace, a guard of the Ancestral Land flew up to stop the young man in white from continuing his cultivation.


    To his surprise, the young man in white released an extremely terrifying law force, which instantly killed the guard.


    All the disciples who had witnessed the scene had never forgotten the horror that they had felt.


    To think that a man who had just been cultivating in the Ancestral Land for three years could kill a guard in an instant was awful. What else would he be capable of? In all of history, nothing like that had ever happened in the Ancestral Land. Even in the future, a person that strong might never exist again.


    After he killed the guard, he was immediately seized by the guards in black robes and was imprisoned. Since then, he had disappeared from the Ancestral Land.


    Many people thought he must have been executed in secret. After all, killing a guard was a blatant betrayal of the Ancestral Land.


    But to everyone''s surprise, the young man in white had returned. As he walked through the crowd, people stepped back like he was contagious.


    The crowd could not help but take guesses at what his background was. He had killed a guard of the Ancestral Land, but they didn''t execute him.


    Was it because he was so gifted? Did the Ancestral Land not want to kill him because of his talent?


    Now, everyone was curious about the strength of the genius who had disappeared for several years. What would he do now that he was back?


    The crowd stepped aside so far that they created an aisle which he walked down alone.


    Eventually, he stopped in front of a battle platform.


    He looked up at the platform for the Tussle Region.


    "Is he going to join the Tussle Region?" Whispering started up again as everyone present, includi


    one could not resist.


    "The Immortal Lord has been waiting for you. Please come with us!"


    one of the girls ordered in a light voice.


    "Okay, let''s go." The Rule Soul Avatar was clearly not attracted to any of the girls. He looked indifferently at each one of them as he walked forward.


    The girls looked at the Rule Soul Avatar in surprise and all showed an approving look.


    "Please!"


    The next moment, several beams of immortal light came down from the sky and lifted the figures of the beautiful girls and the Rule Soul Avatar. Then they moved faster and faster and gradually, they disappeared into the clouds.


    At the top of the Ancestral Land hall, someone whispered in the darkness, "Two in one, a Defiant Master and a peerless rule cultivator. Will that day come soon?"


    Meanwhile, Darren and his friends dropped in a long and dark passageway.


    This passage was only large enough for a person to move forward at a time.


    "Everyone, be careful. It''s too quiet in here so that must mean there''s a fierce beast or something powerful lurking ahead," Finley reminded.


    "Finley, I''m so scared," little Aaron said with trembling voice, grasping onto Finley''s cloth.


    "Don''t be afraid, Aaron. You are as strong as us. We need to work together to pass the test." Finley patted Aaron on the head.


    "But... I''m still scared. Darren is not here. If he were here with us, I would not be afraid," Aaron said.


    Darren, who was behind him, could not help but feel worried when he heard what Aaron had said.


    "Don''t be afraid. I''m here with you." Darren stepped forward and held Aaron''s little hand.

 Chapter 1194 The Blood Pool

    Aaron cried out in surprise, which alerted Finley and the others to Darren''s presence. They turned around and rose some weapons.


    After all, Darren was in disguise now, so he was a stranger to them.


    "Stay away from Aaron!" Finley yelled, pointing a blade at Darren''s chest.


    "Ha-ha. I don''t think I need to." Darren smiled.


    Barnes thought Darren was provoking them, so he swung his stick vigorously. Darren didn''t flinch even when the stick got super close to hitting him.


    "Do you want to be beaten into a heap of meat by me?" Barnes growled, revealing his sharp teeth that gleamed in the low light.


    "Barnes, you are still so impulsive. Look carefully. Who am I?" Darren asked. Now that they were in the test space, there was no need to hide his identity.


    With a slight spin, Darren transformed back into his original look. His clean, purple robe and handsome appearance stunned the others.


    "Darren... Ha-ha. It''s Darren!" Aaron cheered, jumping up and down.


    "What the hell! Darren? It''s you! I thought you were a stranger. That''s why I panicked when a stranger keep talking to us."


    "You bastard!" Barnes and Finley dashed towards Darren. They scooped him up and squeezed him in the middle of a big group hug.


    "It''s been ten years. What happened to you?" Darren asked them once they had released him and calmed down.


    "Well, it''s a long story. In short, it''s been hard for the past ten years. How about you?" Minor flashbacks occurred from the day that Darren had been expelled and they remembered that they were so worried about him.


    "I''m okay. Don''t worry about me. Let''s get past the test first."


    "Okay. But we''ll talk about it after the test."


    Trying to stay focused, they continued to move forward.


    After a lot of walking that caused tired feet, the long and dark path came to an end. In front of them was a large pool boiling over with dark red blood.


    "I think this is the first obstacle," Darren said, reaching out his arms to stop the others in front of the blood pool.


    At the edge of the pool, thick blood mist rose up and condensed into skeletons which roared at them.


    "Okay. Let me try first," Barnes offered. He started to fly over the blood pool.


    However, when he had reached less than ten feet from shore, a blood wave burst upwards and hit him.


    Barnes immediately felt shackled by it, and then a murderous intent rushed along his meridians into his elixir field.


    "Howl!"


    Barnes lifted his stick and used it to push the blood waves dow


    the bank.


    "Ha-ha. Impressive. It seems that you have gained a lot," Barnes said with a grin.


    "You bet!" Darren smiled.


    "Darren, you''re amazing! We can''t pass this test without you!" Aaron complimented, looking up at Darren with intense admiration.


    "Well, let''s go together. The test isn''t over yet." Darren didn''t say anything more. He gestured for everyone to fly forward.


    There was not much killing intent left in the blood pool. As a result, they flew past the pool easily without any attacks.


    "Darren, if you hadn''t had the assimilating power, we wouldn''t have even passed the first test," Barnes said with some disappointment after they walked into a tunnel.


    "That''s not necessarily the case. In fact, there are other ways to pass it," Darren said.


    "How? Weren''t you trapped too?" Finley chimed in.


    "I was trapped because I haven''t used any other powerful means yet. If I use my black god''s power, it will be very easy for me to escape as well."


    "But we''re not like you. We can''t make it," Finley said.


    "My original plan is to let you fly above the blood pool together, and then I''ll use my god''s power to split the blood waves that will trap you so you can pass safely."


    There was no doubt in his mind that his plan would work. The strength of the blood waves coming out of the blood pool were determined by the strength of people flying over it.


    Darren''s strength far exceeded his companions, so it wouldn''t take them much effort to pass while he was distracting it with his powers.


    "Yes. But now I''m worried about what we will encounter next." With such a difficult first test, it was scary to imagine what was to come.

 Chapter 1195 The Crisis Of The Avatar

    "Don''t panic. If someone like me can''t pass the test, it means that the test is meaningless. I''m sure that if we get creative, we will make it through intact,"


    Darren reassured them. His words actually made sense because he could kill someone who was three or four levels higher than him. If he couldn''t pass the test, it meant that only those who were able to fight against five levels higher than their own selves would be able to pass. In this way, the test completely contradicted the rules of the Tussle Region.


    Therefore, Darren was confident that they could pass each test.


    As for Finley and the others, they were the best warriors among the disciples in the Ancestral Land, so it wouldn''t be difficult for them to pass either.


    Even during the first test, if they hadn''t had Darren there, they could have reserved some special powerful means before they flew over the blood pool in order to be successful; however, if they used their strongest power like Barnes did when they flew over, they might have failed.


    They walked along the tunnel for several days before they arrived at a wide stone chamber.


    As soon as they were all inside, the stone doors on either end of the tunnel slammed shut.


    "This must be the second test."


    They all stopped and listened hard into the pitch black darkness.


    "Darren, there''s someone here." Aaron grabbed Darren by the sleeve and pointed ahead.


    "Who? I can''t see anyone."


    Darren searched the space around them with his spiritual sense and there was no sign of life in the darkness.


    "I''m telling the truth. There are five people over there. It''s scary," Aaron repeated in a trembling voice.


    Darren once again unleashed his spiritual sense to scan the area, but he still couldn''t find any living creature.


    But Darren believed that Aaron wouldn''t lie to him. If he said there was something there, it had to be there. After all, this was a test.


    "Be careful!" Darren reminded.


    They positioned themselves so that they were back to back and they watched the darkness without blinking, powers poised for attack.


    All of a sudden, five sharp blades flew across the air, one to each of them.


    Even in the darkness, there seemed to be streaks of dark red blade left behind in the air.


    It was lucky that they were on the alert. They were all quick to activat


    . Nor do I dare to accept the fact," Darren replied in a voice dripping with sarcasm.


    Sizz! "I''m so angry." Barnes gritted his teeth in anger when he saw Darren''s attitude because he firmly believed that his stick was an unparalleled weapon.


    "Hahaha." Seeing Barnes'' reaction, everyone smiled and walked forward.


    After another few days, Darren and the others stumbled upon a natural light in a room in front of them.


    "Eh? Is that the exit?"


    "What? We pass?"


    "Is something wrong? Let me see first!" Barnes dashed forward before anyone could stop him.


    "What the hell!" A moment later, Barnes let out a cry, looking very frightened.


    In the Immortal Land


    The Rule Soul Avatar flew behind the girls and entered the Immortal Land


    In the garden, the flowers were in full bloom. Birds were singing. Creatures were flying in the sky, making the place look peaceful and harmonious.


    "Is he here?"


    a voice asked in the minds of the beautiful girls.


    "My Lord, he''s coming."


    "Great. I''ll kill him by myself at once." The girls all gasped and exchanged weary looks with one another.


    They thought that the Immortal Lord had thought highly of the young man, so they wondered why he wanted to kill him as soon as he arrived.


    At the sound of their gasps, the Rule Soul Avatar stopped in the air. He naturally sensed something wrong.


    Whoosh!


    The eyes of the Rule Soul Avatar were painted silver. Everything that fell into his eyes all turned to the silver silk threads. He was looking for something in the law silk threads.

 Chapter 1196 Perfect Escape

    The silvery eyes of the Rule Soul Avatar penetrated the complicated law silk threads and caught what he wanted.


    Using the magic silvery eyes, he trapped a voice wave that had almost vanished and re-condensed in his mind.


    "Great. I''ll kill him by myself at once."


    He stiffened as he heard the words.


    Realizing the danger, the Rule Soul Avatar withdrew his silvery eyes, but his expression remained cold and unchanged.


    Inside his head, he quickly ran through several options of escape; however, each of them had difficulties and he couldn''t come up with a perfect way.


    The one who was going to kill him was an Immortal Lord.


    There was no way that he could fight him and win so he had to choose a way to try and escape. At last, the Rule Soul Avatar came up with a plan.


    Closing his eyes, the Rule Soul Avatar gathered the latest understanding of the Splitting Law and split himself into pieces, vanishing in the air like a smoke.


    The girls beside him didn''t notice what was happening until he was gone.


    "My Lord, he disappeared," one of the girls said.


    "What?"


    Swoosh!


    A bright light shone in front of them and a handsome man in a golden dragon robe and a crown appeared.


    "Splitting? That''s clever! But do you really think that you can get away from me?"


    The Immortal Lord reached out his white palm and then snapped his fingers.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The whole space started to shake, and a terrible immortal''s power quickly swept through every inch of the space.


    Now that the Rule Soul Avatar''s body was only molecules, he wouldn''t be strong enough to survive the power.


    When it was over, the Immortal Lord was left confused. He frowned slightly and looked around, seeing that he had attacked nothing.


    "His analyzing skill is so strong! Even his escape route is disguised!" He tried harder, but the Immortal Lord could not sense the young man.


    Before he had arrived there, the Immortal Lord had used one of his strong skills to find out what had happened. With that skill, he had been able to discover that


    the Rule Soul Avatar had spilt himself into molecules with the Splitting Law. But he hadn''t expected that it had just been a distraction. In f


    .


    But because it took you two hours to pass, there is no reward for you," he explained. Two months in the test space was equivalent to an hour in the reality.


    Darren had spent time assimilating the killing intent for several months, so they couldn''t get the rewards.


    If Darren had only wanted to pass the test and he hadn''t assimilated the killing intent, they would have been out within half an hour.


    "It doesn''t matter." Darren pointed at the exit of the cave and said, "Sir, why are my other two friends trapped inside? We passed the test together."


    The emissary glanced through the tunnel and said, "They are different. They are tribulation cultivators, and they are very talented, so they have to pass through the killing test of tribulation."


    "Killing test? Does that mean that they might die in the test?" Finley asked.


    "You''re wrong." The emissary put his hands behind his back and said, "The killing test is a good thing for them. Once they pass it, they will be eleven-tribulation warriors. But even if they fail, their lives will not be in danger. But it will be more difficult for their cultivation in the future."


    Darren and Finley felt a little relieved after hearing the emissary''s words.


    In fact, it seemed that this test would reap lots of benefits for both Barnes and the mysterious old man.


    If they went through the eleventh tribulation outside, it would be very dangerous and there would be a high probability of death.

 Chapter 1197 Entering The Tussle Region

    "These are the transmission tokens to the Tussle Region. As soon as you activate it, you will be transferred there," the emissary explained as he handed Darren, Finley, and Aaron a wooden token each.


    "We can''t trigger it just yet. We have to wait for them to come out," Finley said.


    "Wait for them?" The emissary glanced at Finley and said, "It will take them at least ten years to survive the tribulations. Even if you want to wait, the Region won''t give you so much time. You need to go right now. In ten years, regardless of whether they survive the tribulations or not, as long as you are alive, I will bring them to you. I will never break my promise."


    Both Finley and Aaron looked at Darren with questioning eyes.


    "Let''s go. The monkey and the old man are safe here. When they join us in a decade, we would have grown, and it would be easier for us to protect them," Darren said.


    "Okay, I''ll tell the monkey." Finley flew to the exit and shouted, "Barnes, did you hear what we said? Practice hard and try to survive the tribulations. And remember to take good care of that old man."


    "I see. Go away now. I will meet you after I survive the tribulations successfully." Barnes didn''t want to be separated from Darren and the others, but he had no choice.


    "Okay, take care of yourself! Bye!" Finley said with a wave.


    Darren, Finley, and Aaron took a few steps forward and prepared to trigger the transmission token to the Tussle Region.


    "Wait! Someone is coming. You guys can go together." At this time, the emissary stopped them unexpectedly.


    "Who?"


    "Me. Were you abandoning me? How heartless of you! Couldn''t you think about taking me as well?" Lindsay teased as she flew over.


    "Who is she? Is she your friend?" Finley turned to Darren with furrowed brows and questioned.


    "Yes, she is my friend." Darren nodded as he faced Lindsay. "How can you go to the Tussle Region without participating in the test?"


    Lindsay lifted her chin and cast a scornful glance at Darren. She raised the rusty iron plate in her hand and remarked, "You forget that I have this. Now, stop talking nonsense. Let''s go."


    "Well."


    Darren didn''t say anything. Instead, he gestured to the others, and together, they triggered their transmission t


    y the way, my token hasn''t disappeared after it was used. What about you?"


    "Mine has turned to dust."


    "So has mine."


    "I have lost my token as well," Aaron said.


    Except for Lindsay, Darren and his two companions'' transmission tokens disappeared at the same time.


    "Ha-ha, I get it." Lindsay released her god''s sense and let it enter her token.


    Almost immediately, a rune flashed on the token, and a message automatically came to her mind.


    "Just as I thought. The rules are here." After receiving all the rules, the token in Lindsay''s hand also turned to dust.


    "Tell us the rules," Finley said.


    "No. Just follow me." Lindsay curled her lips and strode forward.


    Darren and others glared at her, but they followed obediently.


    After three days of walking in the forest, they saw no signs of life¡ªnot even the chirping of insects or birds.


    "Lindsay, are we just wandering around?"


    Over these past three days, Darren and Finley had asked Lindsay about the rules she had received many times, but she didn''t tell them.


    "Don''t worry. Just follow me!" Lindsay declared confidently.


    "Hey, girl, I don''t like your behavior. Don''t waste our time anymore! Otherwise, I won''t spare you." Finley jumped forward and blocked her way.


    "Just you?" Lindsay tittered.


    "Damn it! Are you underestimating me?" Displeasure and resentment reflected in Finley''s expression as he rolled up his sleeves. "If it weren''t for your ugly appearance, I would have raped you and then killed you."

 Chapter 1198 The Gangsters In The Jungle

    "Finley, you can''t afford to anger her. I am no match for her, let alone you." Darren used his spiritual sense to send a message to Finley when he perceived the danger.


    "What?" Finley was stunned for a moment, but soon, he smiled and said, "Ha-ha-ha, I''m just kidding. Your highness is very generous. Please don''t be angry. I admire you."


    After saying that, he immediately retreated behind Darren.


    "Didn''t someone just say that he would kill me after raping me?" Lindsay glared at Finley.


    "Lindsay, stop arguing! What should we do next?" Darren looked serious.


    "What else can we do? We need to enhance our strength to survive. When we pass the Bloody Road Altar, we can walk out of the Tussle Region freely." This was one of the rules that Lindsay had received.


    "The Bloody Road Altar? Let''s go there right now!" Finley suggested.


    "Do you think it is that easy?" Lindsay continued to glare at Finley as she explained. "The messages were clear. Only a cultivator at the Celestial God Realm or above can reach the Bloody Road Altar."


    "What? It''s the Celestial God Realm again!" This time, Darren couldn''t stay calm anymore.


    The Celestial God Realm surpassed the Star God Realm and ranked just below the Superior God Realm. Even the geniuses among talents had to practice for hundreds of thousands of years to reach the Celestial God Realm.


    "Alas, just accept your fate. If you practice hard and survive, you will have a chance to leave," Lindsay said and sighed.


    While they were talking, a rustling sound suddenly came from the woods.


    "Who is there?" Lindsay was the first one to react. After all, her cultivation was at the top-level of the Domain God Realm, and had once reached the Star God Realm in the past.


    "How dare you intrude in the territory of the king of the jungle? We''ll kill you!"


    Several people stepped out from between the trees.


    They were topless and wore beast hides around their waists. Various patterns had been drawn on their faces, and they carried long spears in their hands.


    "We should go now." Darren decided to ignore them and suggested.


    "Go?" A sturdy man with a beast pattern mask stepped out of the crowd and said, "You either give us killing points or become our slaves. Make a choice!"


    Darren and his companions looked grim


    re?" the man''s voice trembled as he asked.


    "Do I get points for killing your leader just now?" Darren asked.


    "No. You didn''t use a killing stone to collect his soul." The man stretched his hand and displayed a blood-red jade. It had the word "Three" on it.


    Darren grabbed the jade and turned to look at Lindsay. "Is there any information about this in the message that you got?" he asked.


    "Yes, the first thing we have to do after entering the Tussle Region is to kill people and get a killing stone," Lindsay answered.


    "Why didn''t you tell me about this earlier?"


    "We have not seen anyone until now. So there was no need to tell you about all this. Don''t waste time. Hurry up! Get the killing stone and kill them all," Lindsay urged.


    "Take it easy. What other uses does it have?" Darren continued to press for more information.


    "It can only be used to store killing points. These points are equivalent to money in the mortal worlds and can be used to exchange items. That''s all," Lindsay said impatiently.


    "Got it," Darren nodded.


    Killing intent surged in Darren''s eyes again, and the gangsters kowtowed and begged for mercy.


    "Don''t worry! I will not kill you as long as you are willing to be my believers."


    Most of these people were just at the upper-level of the Primary God Realm. Darren thought that it would be better to convert them into his believers instead of killing them, as it would improve his Power of Belief.


    Only in this way could Darren''s black god''s power become stronger.

 Chapter 1199 The Gangsters Den

    "Believers?"


    Astonishment reflected in the gangsters'' tone and facial expressions.


    They knew what the young man meant when he asked them to believe in him. What confused the thugs was that only the chief gods were qualified to have believers, and they didn''t think that this young man could be the chief god. They were also aware that the chief gods would never take a fancy to them.


    "Sir, please don''t mock us," someone replied in a trembling voice.


    "I will count to ten. By then, you either swear to believe in the Conflicting Chief God or your heads will roll on the ground.


    One, two, three..." Darren said coldly.


    The gangsters didn''t have time to think. They rushed to pledge their allegiance under the threat of death. "I swear with my soul that I will believe in the Conflicting Chief God forever..."


    Everyone swore in a minute.


    "I, I have really become a believer."


    "I see. The young man, he is... a Defiant Master!"


    There were only two kinds of people in the world who could accept believers. The first was the nine chief gods, and the other was the Defiant Masters.


    Now that they knew Darren was a Defiant Master, they felt that their fate was even worse than death. Belief in a Defiant Master was the most shameful thing in the world as it defiled one''s soul.


    But, they had no choice. And now that they had pledged, they could not regret it.


    "The Power of Belief from them is insufficient." Darren saw gray smoke rise from those people. But it was pitifully little, and not comparable to the Power of Belief provided by Kerr alone.


    It seemed that the stronger the believer, the more Power of Belief he would provide. No wonder the chief gods didn''t need the lower-level people to believe.


    "Hand over all your killing stones!" The men did not dare to disobey Darren''s order. Soon, several blood-red stones flew into Darren''s hand.


    Later, he distributed the killing stones to his companions so that they could collect killing points.


    "Tell me. Where is your king? What is his level?" He was eager to find a stronger believer to enhance his Power of Belief.


    "Sir, he is in a cave eighteen kilometers from here. He is at the low-level of the Star God Realm."


    Darren glanced at Lindsay and said, "It''s up to y


    r, as he contemplated Darren''s words, he noticed how his subordinates were standing beside Darren. His eyes widened as understanding coursed through him.


    "You are a Defiant Master!"


    Tim Wang was smarter than the others. When Darren ordered him to become his believer, he immediately recognized that the young man was a Defiant Master. After all, it was unimaginable that the chief gods would come to this shady place.


    "You are right," Darren admitted.


    "Go away now, or you will die miserably." Tim Wang looked even more sullen. But his killing intent reduced, almost as if he was afraid of Darren''s identity as a Defiant Master.


    "So, you mean there is no room for negotiation?" As soon as Darren finished speaking, he winked at Lindsay, signaling her to take action.


    Whoosh!


    Lindsay launched her attack.


    Bam, bam, bam!


    A black divine whip flashed many electric sparks in the air as it crackled.


    "Humph! You must wish for death!"


    Tim Wang raised his hand and grabbed Lindsay''s whip. Instantly, a tricky force was transmitted from Lindsay''s whip to his meridians.


    Whoosh!


    At this point, Darren acted as well.


    He summoned his dark gold god''s power, which had become stronger after he activated his level-nine sword and blade.


    Tim Wang felt threatened by this kind of attack.


    However, he was not alarmed. He reached behind him with one hand, and a small round bronze tripod emerged.


    The small tripod flew out and gradually grew bigger as it drifted toward Darren.

 Chapter 1200 Defeat

    The flying bronze tripod flew to Darren and encased him.


    Several evil spirits appeared in the bronze tripod and began to attack him.


    "Humph!" Darren was not afraid as these evil spirits were only capable of dealing with warriors at the middle-level of the Primary God Realm. They couldn''t hurt him.


    When Darren''s blade and sword intents swirled, those ferocious evil spirits were churned to pieces.


    Outside the bronze tripod


    When Lindsay felt a strange and strong force coming toward her, she gathered all her power to resist it.


    After all, she had been a warrior at the Star God Realm before. Even though her realm had downgraded, she knew a lot about the Star God Realm''s power. Eventually, she defended herself from Tim''s attacks.


    Lindsay lashed out with her whip, which was like a flying dragon.


    Tim was a real master at the Star God Realm level. Once he had battled with her for a few rounds, he realized that Lindsay was strong and that her strength was only slightly below his.


    About fifteen minutes later, Lindsay had only received minor injuries and showed no signs of being defeated.


    Bang!


    Meanwhile, Darren used both his black god''s power and dark gold god''s power to escape the bronze tripod.


    "Defiant Master! I didn''t expect that you would have such strength," Tim said coldly. His face darkened. He hadn''t anticipated that a warrior at the low-level of the Domain God Realm would break through his bronze tripod. It was enough to prove that this Defiant Master was at par with warriors at the top-level of the Domain God Realm.


    As soon as Darren flew out, he launched an attack at Tim, which greatly reduced the pressure on Lindsay.


    The two then worked together to fight Tim. However, it became apparent that neither had an advantage over Tim during the fight.


    Darren was a little distracted as one question plagued him. Tim was at the Star God Realm, while Darren was only at the low-level of the Domain God Realm. He wondered why Tim could attack him without being suppressed by the Suppression Law.


    "Hey, you bastard! Aren''t you afraid of being crushed by the Suppression Law? You''re several levels higher than me!" Darren shouted at Tim mid-battle.


    "Humph, you''re a Defiant Master. Anyone can disobey the l


    any of the chief gods," Kerr rationalized.


    "Ha-ha-ha! You shameless fiend! Who gave you the right to speak?


    If he was that strong, why are none of the people around him his believers? You stupid fiend have either yielded to his strength or been deceived by him. You deserve it." Tim stared at Kerr with disdain.


    In Tim''s mind, creatures that had become believers of a Defiant Master were worthless, even more dreadful than crawling bugs.


    "Then it''s settled. You''re dead!" Darren didn''t want to talk to him anymore, so he activated his god''s power again.


    "Kill him!"


    Kerr and Lindsay also launched attacks in unison.


    Boom! The battle started again. This time, they cornered Tim with all kinds of forces.


    An hour later, Tim succumbed to exhaustion and his injuries and fell to the ground.


    When his attackers landed on the ground, Kerr placed one foot on Tim''s chest.


    "Submit to my lord or die!" Kerr roared.


    "Kill me! Ha-ha! Just kill me!" Tim laughed grimly as blood poured out of his mouth.


    "My Lord, please kill him. He is too stubborn." Then, he glanced at Darren.


    "Forget it." Darren shook his head before he continued, "Let him go."


    "What?" Kerr was astonished. He stated hurriedly, "My Lord, we can''t let him off lightly."


    "Don''t be so loathsome! Do you think that being benevolent and sparing my life now means that I will be grateful and agree to become your believer? You are very childish to pull a trick like this." Extreme disdain glimmered in Tim''s eyes.

 Chapter 1201 Establishing A Force

    "Tim Wang, don''t flatter yourself." With a scornful smile, Darren continued, "I''m sparing your life because I want you to live to see the future, and witness the immense power of the Defiant Master that you looked down upon."


    "Don''t play dumb with me. If you let me go today, I''ll just exact my vengeance on you."


    "You?" Darren sneered. "Do you really think you can defeat me? I admit that I may not be your match right now, but in just a few days, I''ll kill you with my own strength. It''ll be as easy as kicking a dog dead. You''re trash in my eyes. Get the hell out of here!"


    These words struck a painful chord in Tim''s heart.


    Putting aside the identity of Defiant Master, this young man''s potential was truly incredible.


    It was unacceptable for him that a warrior at the low-level of the Domain God Realm could even pose as a threat against him.


    "Let''s wait and see, then." With a heavy heart, Tim staggered away; blood gushing out from his wound.


    "My Lord, do you need me to kill him?" Kerr asked out of grave concern.


    "No, let him go." Seeing Tim had some guts, Darren decided against killing him right away.


    "Listen, all of you! Make an oath to become believers of the Conflicting Chief God, or die!" Darren loudly announced to Tim''s subordinates¡ªwho were too scared to run away.


    They were not as tough as Tim, so they quickly began to make oaths when they heard Darren''s threatening announcement.


    There were about a thousand gangsters, and more than twenty of them were at the Domain God Realm. Darren attained much more Power of Belief from them than ever before.


    What was more, Darren would obtain more of the Power of Belief gradually as time passed by. As long as these believers stayed alive, Darren could obtain constant Power of Belief from them every day¡ªwhich would also strengthen his black god''s power.


    Even though most of their levels were really low, the Power of Belief that Darren obtained would be great as long as he maintained a large number of believers.


    Darren and his companions decided to huddle in the fortress since they had taken care of the gangsters.


    "Darren, what''s your next move?" Lindsay asked after resting for a moment.


    "I''ve made up my mind. I''m going to build up my own force and expand it. This place is where I start," said Darren.


    "Darren, what''s the point of building up your own forces? It''s of no use to you." Finley couldn''t grasp what Darren really want


    he Star God Realm in the forest. You''re going to get yourself in big trouble if you keep acting so brash," Lindsay reminded sternly.


    "Don''t worry about it. I''ll just seclude myself for a few days, and then you''ll understand."


    In fact, Darren wasn''t worried in the slightest, because he felt he was about to reach the middle-level of the Domain God Realm.


    In the Immortal Land


    The Immortal Lord had just issued the order to hunt down the Rule Soul Avatar. The four shadow guards were already scouring the land for him. They had finished searching the entire north by now, to no avail.


    "It''s impossible! How could he possibly escape our grasp? Could he be dead or something?"


    The four guards were all very powerful. Normally, they could easily find something out even if the Immortal Lord himself couldn''t.


    However, the Rule Soul Avatar seemed to have disappeared into thin air.


    "He must be dead."


    "Yes, as far as I know, he mastered the Resurrection Force. He must have utilized this force and is currently lingering between life and death to escape us."


    "You''re right. We have to be more careful. Keep your eyes peeled for an aura of resurrection; it''ll definitely be him."


    Since the four shadow guards had figured this fact out, they began to change up their original strategy in their search for the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Three days later, the four shadow guards arrived at a valley.


    "What?"


    They suddenly felt a strange presence simultaneously.


    "Let''s see how you''ll manage to escape this time!" they cackled.


    The four shadow guards all flew straight towards the bottom of the valley.

 Chapter 1202 Blade Devil

    The four shadow guards landed at the bottom of the white mist-filled valley.


    "We were tricked. The avatar is too smart to be found."


    They searched for his Resurrection Force, only to find that a low-level beast emitted the aura. Obviously, the Rule Soul Avatar had arranged this.


    Almost immediately, wave after wave of Resurrection Force appeared in the range of their perception.


    "Damn it. He is clever! He knew that we would track his Resurrection Force."


    To avoid being detected, the Rule Soul Avatar had put his Resurrection Force into several beasts. This was the only explanation for why the four shadow guards sensed so many sources of the same Resurrection Force concurrently.


    Considering the situation, they were unable to locate the Rule Soul Avatar by tracking the aura of his Resurrection Force.


    The only clue that would lead them to the Rule Soul Avatar was lost.


    Confused and unsure of how to circumvent the deceit, the four shadow guards glanced at each other. Just then, the Immortal Lord''s voice materialized. "What''s wrong with you four? Why haven''t you killed him yet?" he asked through his spiritual sense.


    His tone was laced with anger, which reflected his dissatisfaction with the four great shadow guards.


    "My Lord, this avatar is quite shrewd. He always seems to know how we would track him, and he has used that knowledge to avoid being detected."


    "He is in a cave three kilometers to your north. Hurry up and kill him," the Immortal Lord instructed after a moment of silence.


    "Yes, My Lord!" The four shadow guards were too embarrassed to say anything else.


    "It seems as though the Immortal Lord has asked the Blood Witcher for assistance."


    "That''s right. Only the Blood Witcher could detect his location so precisely."


    "Let''s not worry about all that now. We need to hurry up and kill him before something else goes wrong."


    The four shadow guards flew north as specified by the Immortal Lord. With their speed, it took them three seconds to cover the three-kilometer distance and search all places.


    "I found him. He''s over there!"


    There was a dark cave on the north side of the valley.


    The Rule Soul Avatar sat cross-legged. Even though he sensed that someone had located him, he did not stop his cultivation. Instead, his silvery eyes continued to observe universal laws.


    Bang!


    All of a sudden, the Rule Soul Avatar''s silvery eyes disappeared, and rage surged in his cold eyes.


    "Face my wrath." The Rule


    the four guards knew that they had to be polite.


    The Primitive Wilderness was filled with several reclusive cultivators and ascetic cultivators who worked hard to cultivate. Some of them were really strong, and some were as powerful as the superior gods in the regions.


    A man walked out of the fissure.


    He was dressed in an old black robe and carried a broad knife on his back. The blade was pitted and resembled an old wood cutting tool.


    The four shadow guards stared at him in unison. The middle-aged man with messy hair terrified them.


    "Sir, are you a friend of his?"


    "No, I''m not."


    "Then why do you protect him?"


    "You ask too many questions," the man remarked gruffly.


    "But, sir, if you stop us from completing our mission, I''m afraid that you''ll displease the Immortal Lord," one of the shadow guards said. He wanted the man to know that they were following the Immortal Lord''s orders with the hopes that he wouldn''t stop them from executing their task.


    "Tell him that the Blade Devil is waiting for him here." The middle-aged man in the black robe clasped his hands and appeared calm.


    "The Blade Devil!"


    one of the shadow guards shouted.


    It was such a resounding name that they felt as though they were being bombarded by lightning.


    Up until now, they had assumed that the Blade Devil was a legend. The fact that he still existed was too terrible to comprehend.


    "Sir, I would not dare to disobey you. We are leaving now."


    Without further delay, the four shadow guards flew away.


    The Rule Soul Avatar flew forward, and in his typical indifferent tone, he said, "Thank you. I''ll repay you in the future."

 Chapter 1203 Enter The Abyss

    The Blade Devil didn''t even turn to look at the Rule Soul Avatar as he roared, "Just go!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar was decisive. Without a word, he soared into the distance.


    After flying about ten kilometers, he started to get curious about the strength of the Blade Devil, so he released a sense of Spirit Power to assess the situation after he left.


    Upon sensing trouble with the Blade Devil, he immediately swerved and headed right back.


    "What on earth are you doing back here?" On the ground, the Blade Devil sat cross-legged. Terrifying blades sped around him; cutting many black cracks in the space.


    "You''re terribly injured. I can sense that you''re right on the brink of death." The Rule Soul Avatar returned for the sole purpose of helping the Blade Devil.


    "What does it have anything to do with you?" There was a malicious hint of murderous intent in the Blade Devil''s tone as he spoke.


    "I''m here to return a favor." The Rule Soul Avatar swiftly shrouded the Blade Devil in a Resurrection Force.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The power of the Rule Soul Avatar was then immediately cut into pieces by the Blade Devil''s menacing blades.


    "Young man, don''t think too highly of yourself. You''ll only do more bad than good on me with that measly rule power of yours," the Blade Devil spat coldly.


    The Rule Soul Avatar fell silent for a moment as he began to ponder on how to heal the Blade Devil''s injuries. After a while, he realized that it was an impossible feat due to his Resurrection Force''s level being too low.


    "Good luck then." The Rule Soul Avatar sighed and turned to leave.


    "Wait!" The Blade Devil suddenly stopped him.


    The Rule Soul Avatar turned around and made a confused glance at the Blade Devil.


    "Do you know where to go?"


    "Not really, no."


    "Humph!" The Blade Devil snorted coldly and said, "Others here wanted to kill you because you possess the special ability to perceive laws. To put it simply, it''s because of your apparent silver eyes; your eyes that are identical to that of a high-level warrior. If you wander around these parts aimlessly, your death is certain."


    "Who and what are you talking about? Please tell me." Once could tell by the Rule Soul Avatar''s tone that he was eager to know.


    "You will have chances to understand if you can stay alive. But if you die too soon, then it''s useless for you to know, isn''t it?"


    "I guess you have a point. Where should I go, then?" inquired the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Go to the abyss. You must settle down there." As the Blade Devil spoke, a message was transmitted to the Rule Soul Avatar''s mind.


    "Got it." The Blade Devil sent the Rule Soul Avatar comprehensive information about an abyss. After


    en gave a shout, and the cunning gangster came rushing in.


    "What can I do for you, sir?" the gangster knelt down and said respectfully.


    "How did Tim manage to live in peace with the other eighteen forces when he was here?" Darren felt something was amiss. He began to wonder why there were so many forces in the forest. There should have been only one force left since the strongest force should have killed all the other forces by now.


    "We never managed to get along with each other peacefully. We instead sent tributes to the four major forces."


    "Really? What kind of tribute?"


    "Killing points, sir. We collect killing points everywhere, and we have to give them ninety percent of the points every year. Otherwise, we would have already been crushed."


    "Okay." Darren understood. He then asked, "Has there been no news from the other forces as of late?"


    "None of the sort. Most of the people who went to send the flags were slain, but they didn''t try to launch an attack on us either," the gangster replied.


    "Got it. You may leave now." Darren felt that something was wrong.


    "Darren, have you reached a higher level? How strong are you now?" Lindsay sensed that Darren had made a breakthrough, so she walked in.


    "My strength has definitely increased, but I don''t know how high my current strength is now."


    "If you don''t know then you should try to find out. There is a force about a hundred and fifty kilometers behind us. Their boss is at the low-level of the Star God Realm. Give it a shot and see if you can kill him," Lindsay advised.


    "Okay, could you accompany me? I can''t wait to see what the hell they''re up to. Why haven''t they attacked us yet?"


    Since the other forces weren''t taking any action, Darren was ready to take the initiative to launch an attack.

 Chapter 1204 Bowing Heads

    Darren and Lindsay searched for the power nearest to them.


    In a flash, they reached their destination.


    It was a manmade clearing in which many wooden houses had been built.


    "Intruder alert!"


    A group of gangsters warned when they sensed Darren''s and Lindsay''s powerful aura. They immediately flew toward the trespassers and surrounded them.


    "Ask your leader to come out, or we will kill you all," Darren threatened.


    "Humph! Who the hell are you, moron? How dare you try to intimidate us?"


    "How dare you!" Irked by his insolence, Lindsay stretched her hand and sent a surge of god''s power that decapitated the offending gangster.


    "Kill them!"


    Rage coursed through the other gangsters when they saw their companion''s head roll on the ground. They roared as they lifted their weapons, intending to attack Darren and Lindsay.


    "Stop!"


    a short, fat man with a grim face ordered as he flew out.


    "Ha-ha-ha! Pal! Are you Darren Chu? I''m Jake Ni. It''s nice to meet you finally." The man laughed heartily.


    "Yes, I''m Darren, but don''t call me your pal," Darren replied sternly. He figured that this man was the leader.


    "I''ve heard a lot about you. What are you doing here, sir? Are you angry because I didn''t congratulate you in person?"


    "Cut the crap. I''m here for only one purpose. Submit to me and become my believer, or I will kill you. Choose one." Darren didn''t bother to negotiate with him. After all, which bandit in this forest wasn''t cruel and vicious? With that logic, he didn''t think he needed to show them any mercy. Then again, in the Tussle Region, killing was inherently a way of life. As such, no one could be considered ''moral'' as everyone alive would have blood on their hands. This was one reason why Darren would not hesitate to kill anyone.


    "Humph!" The smile disappeared from Jake Ni''s face when he heard Darren''s threat. He replied coldly, "Don''t be so egotistic. Do you think you can defeat me just because you took care of Tim? You should be grateful that I didn''t kill you the minute you threatened my people. Now, leave, or you''ll die."


    The corners of Darren''s mouth lifted in a disdainful smile. In the next moment, his figure disappeared.


    "So you''ve decided to attack, is it?"


    Jake Ni didn''t expect him to act so fast.


    "Leaders, the Defiant Master is in my area. You can do whatever you want." Before the fight began, Jake Ni secretly sent a message to the le


    anced significantly in each level. A warrior at the middle-level of the Star God Realm could easily kill a hundred warriors at the low-level.


    Since Darren faced four mighty warriors at the middle-level of the Star God Realm, there was a slim chance that he would win. He was no match for them because of the vast realm gap.


    "Ha-ha-ha, leaders don''t be angry." Darren was silent for a moment, but then he laughed as he tried to pacify them.


    "Defiant Master, it''s too late to show respect. It won''t save your life."


    "Please listen to me. We had no choice but to kill him," Darren justified as he pointed at Jake Ni''s body.


    "Really? Tell me. What was the reason?"


    "Very simple. I have just built my force and wanted to collaborate with you and help you make a fortune. But, when I asked to meet you, you wouldn''t consider my request. When I took action previously, I hoped that I would catch your attention.


    However, you were still indifferent to me. This is why I decided to catch your attention in such a ghastly manner. It was the only way to get you to come to me. In fact, my purpose is very simple. I just wanted to meet you. I hope you all don''t mind," Darren said unhurriedly.


    His explanation seemed reasonable, and it piqued their curiosity. And so, they asked, "Why were you so desperate to see us? You''d better give us a good reason, or you''re screwed."


    "Calm down, guys! I''m new here, and I am in search of someone powerful to follow," Darren said.


    "Fuck off! Who do you think you are? You are nothing but a weak Defiant Master. You don''t deserve to be our subordinate. Kill him!"

 Chapter 1205 The Hunting Plan

    "Wait!" Darren raised his hand and said, "Guys, I sincerely want to join you. And I have brought you some gifts. Please have a look before you decide."


    Then, he quickly pulled out some bright fragments from his Space Ring.


    "What?!"


    "These are the components to cast the level-seven divine weapon!"


    The four people couldn''t believe what Darren had presented to them. Even the gangster leaders stared at the fragments, their eyes full of longing.


    Once Darren had acquired the fragments to cast his level-nine divine weapons, he no longer needed the material for the level-seven divine weapons. However, these fragments were highly coveted by these gangsters.


    Splash!


    Now that he had caught their attention, there was no need to keep the components on display. And so, he returned them to his Space Ring.


    "Hand them over to me!" the leader shouted.


    He was dying to possess the fragments.


    "Ha-ha. Take it easy, sir. We came here to gift you the fragments. But first, you have to accept me," Darren said.


    "Don''t dream of it! We will kill you and take the fragments!"


    "Humph, my death won''t benefit you. I have enough material to make hundreds of level-seven divine weapons. Kill me, and all that material will be destroyed. I will comply once you''ve carefully considered my offer." By revealing that he had a large quantity of material, he could guarantee that these gangster leaders wouldn''t kill him without thinking.


    All he had to do was successfully negotiate his way out of this crisis. That would buy him enough time to deal with these gangsters in the future.


    Darren waited patiently. The silence in the clearing made it apparent that the gangsters were using their spiritual sense to discuss his conditions.


    The leaders knew that they couldn''t take the Space Ring by force. Once it was broken, everything inside it would be destroyed.


    "Do you really want to join us?"


    "Yes. I''m not lying to you, guys. Some bad people were chasing me, which is why I hid in the Tussle Region. Unexpectedly, I met Tim, who also tried to kill me. That is why I had to take over his territory.


    Then I learned that you four are the absolute kings of the forest. I am in awe of you and would like to be on friendly terms," Darren appeared sincere, as he explained.


    "What do you think?" one of the leaders asked another one through his spiritual sense.


    "We should pretend to be his friends first. After he gives us the treasure, we''ll see if he has any other use. If he can''t continue to


    os Tu, would pass through. Are you sure you want to do this?" As she had studied the information about the distribution of various forces before, she knew who Darren was going to attack.


    "Don''t talk too much. Just wait and see."


    Hardly had Darren''s voice faded, then a bald man slowly appeared in their line of sight.


    "Damn it! The fragments that I got are only enough to cast one level-seven divine weapon. I have done so much for them over all these years. I can''t believe it!" muttered Amos Tu, the leader of a group of gangsters.


    "Hey, bald man. Stop!" Darren flew forward and stopped in front of Amos Tu.


    The insult was sufficient to aggravate Amos Tu. His expression soured.


    "Humble bastard, how dare you block my way? Do you want to die?" Amos Tu was so enraged that he could not help curse Darren.


    "Don''t be so mad. I have something that will please you. But since you don''t want to see me, I won''t bother you anymore." That said, Darren turned and to leave.


    "Stop!" Amos Tu guessed that Darren must have more treasures on him. His sudden appearance told Amos Tu that Darren wanted to make a deal. Perhaps the young man was afraid of his power and wanted to make friends with him. This was the perfect opportunity to gain more treasures. And so, Amos Tu threatened, "Give me some of your materials, or I will attack your territory tomorrow."


    "I don''t have fragments on me now. But there is a way you can get what you want." Darren used Amos'' greed to set his trap.


    "What? Tell me how!"


    "We''ll steal it. If we work together, we can beat whoever we want except for the four major leaders." Darren implemented the first step of his hunting plan.

 Chapter 1206 Evil Plan

    "How dare you?!" Amos feigned anger. "I can''t believe that you would come up with such an evil plan. I will tell the other leaders what you are up to and make sure you will never again see the light of day!"


    Darren was disgusted by Amos'' remarks. In his mind, none of the gangsters in the forest were good people. ''An evil plan?'' Darren thought to himself. ''You bastards all long to eliminate one another. I just did you a favor.''


    "Never mind. It would be a pity to leave resources in the hands of others," he said, looking disappointed. Then, he sighed. "However, I think I have to remind you that even if you don''t take action now, it doesn''t mean that others won''t want to take you down. Take care of yourself."


    Darren turned around, preparing to make his exit.


    "Wait!"


    Amos stopped Darren hurriedly.


    "It''s very difficult to keep all the fragments without being noticed by others." This was what Amos was truly worried about.


    He had long wanted to have the fragments all to himself. However, the leaders of other seventeen forces were all at the Star God Realm. He would be doomed if someone were to find out that he stole the fragments.


    Even though Darren proposed to team up with him, he still wasn''t sure whether they could actually steal the fragments from others. Once the leaders of the four major forces knew their plan, they faced severe punishment.


    "You don''t have to worry about this. I have a secret weapon which can isolate the spread of our power. As long as we strike quick and we strike in secret, no one would be able to detect us." Darren did not possess any secret weapon, but Amos did not know that he was lying.


    "Really?" Amos was moved.


    "Why would I lie to you?"


    "Hmm... something isn''t right. You gave away those fragments yourself, which means that you don''t care about the treasures at all. Now, you want to steal them back. It doesn''t make any sense. Do you take me for a fool?" Amos thought for a while and then he questioned Darren. He thought that there wasn''t any reason for Darren to join hands with him for the sole purpose of stealing the fragments.


    "Amos, you''re gravely mistaken. At the time, my life was in danger. I had to choose between the treasure and my own life. Do you think I did not feel sorrow at having to give up the treasure? I just had no choice."


    "Then, why me? Why do you come to me instead of the other leaders?


    can do to stop the flow of poison throughout your bloodstream. In just a few minutes, you will be incapacitated, and you will not have the strength to stand up to me. What an idiot! Go to hell!" In an instant, Wilson Gui morphed into a shadow and attacked Amos.


    Amos weakened, and even his mind seemed to slow down. He was unable to process anything, and Wilson Gui just kept attacking him.


    Amos was at a disadvantage after several rounds of fighting.


    "Darren, why do you still not come out and help me?!" Amos was on the verge of being defeated. He shouted towards the trees where Darren had been hiding.


    Whoosh!


    Hearing Amos cry out, Darren sneakily attacked Wilson Gui from behind.


    He gathered his dark gold god''s power and black god''s power, unwilling to give Wilson Gui a chance to fend off.


    "What?"


    Wilson Gui was shocked. He activated his purple-gold armor to block Darren''s attack.


    Bang!


    Wilson Gui was crushed by the attack. He spat out blood from his mouth, and it trickled down the side of his lip.


    "Spare my life!"


    Wilson Gui was terrified. His purple-gold armor could resist the dark gold god''s power, but not the black god''s power. He was surprised that the black god''s power was able to break through his defenses.


    Darren flew over and stepped on Wilson Gui''s chest.


    Amos flew over as well. He stared at Wilson Gui ferociously.


    "Wilson, you will die today. Go to hell!"


    Bang!


    A powerful force crashed into Amos and sent him flying. Nearly every bone in his body was broken.


    "You!" Amos stared at Darren, utter disbelief in his eyes.

 Chapter 1207 Surrender

    "Idiot! You hit the wrong person!" Amos was in a towering rage.


    Darren sneered. "You still haven''t understood that I have been lying to you. Who is the idiot?"


    "You!" It was only then that Amos realized how absurd it was to enter into an agreement with Darren. He felt a sharp pain in his heart and spat out another mouthful of blood.


    "You bastard. You tricked me!"


    Whoosh!


    Darren flew over and kicked Amos'' belly.


    "Cut the crap. You have thirty seconds to pledge your belief in the Conflicting Chief God, or you''ll die."


    "Humble Defiant Master, I would rather die than be your believer," Amos replied. Contempt glimmered in his eyes as he glared at Darren.


    "You have a backbone. That is good. What about you?" Darren turned and walked toward Wilson.


    "I won''t believe in you. Never!"


    "Okay." Darren condensed his blade and sword intents into a pair of dark red blade and sword, and hurled them at Wilson.


    At that moment, Wilson felt like he was falling into a dark abyss. As he believed that he was close to death, his fear reached the extreme.


    "Please, please don''t kill me!" Wilson''s body was covered in sweat, and he screamed.


    Darren smiled knowingly and drew back his blade and sword.


    "You still have fifteen seconds to make the oath. Your life depends on whether you can make it or not," Darren instructed coldly.


    "I, Wilson Gui, swear by my soul that I will believe in the Conflicting Chief God for the rest of my life..." Wilson rushed to make the oath.


    Almost instantly, his body emitted waves of gray aura. It was the Power of Belief produced by the successful conclusion of the pledge.


    "You are a good man." Satisfied, Darren walked toward Amos.


    "Surrender or die!"


    "Get lost! I will never submit to a Defiant Master. That would be a blasphemy against my soul!" Amos roared.


    "Then, you die."


    Darren didn''t want to argue with him needlessly, and he was about to kill him.


    "Wait, sir." Wilson suggested as he hobbled over. With a deep sigh, he said, "Sir, let me torture him for you until he surrenders. Besides, if you kill him, you won''t be able to explain your actions to the leaders of the four major forces."


    Wilson had become a believer. Whether he wanted to or not, his soul had to be loyal to Darren. This was why he began to advise Darren.


    "Okay, you can try." After a brief moment of contemplation, Darren withdrew his god''s power and agreed.


    "Thank you for giving me this opportunity." Wilson bowed humbly.


    Almost immediately, he start


    can cast one for you as a demonstration."


    "Are you sure that you can make the divine weapon? The consequences will be unimaginable if my fragments are damaged!" Jefferson Kou threatened.


    "I swear. There will be no problem during the casting process. Please inform the other three bosses that I''ll do my best to make the weapons for them, even if I die casting," Darren said.


    "There is no need. You can use my materials for testing first." Jefferson Kou continued to glare at Darren as he communicated through his spiritual sense, "You can only cast weapons for me. Do you understand?"


    An impish grin tugged at the corners of Darren''s lips when he received Jefferson''s instructions. He had been testing the man all along as he was fairly certain that Jefferson Kou would want to make the weapons first and then find an opportunity to attack the other three major forces. Jefferson Kou''s order confirmed Darren''s belief.


    "Okay, okay, I will do my best." Darren pretended to be humble, but his heart filled with strong killing intent.


    "Well, I see. Wilson''s place has a weapon casting room. Let''s go there together. Bring Amos with you." Wilson bowed to Jefferson Kou and led the way.


    "Wilson, Amos, heal yourselves on the way. I will need your assistance to fight and kill Jefferson!" Darren secretly commanded them as they headed to Wilson''s territory.


    "Yes, sir!" The two men responded with their spiritual sense but their heart fluttered wildly with fear. They were only at the low-level of the Star God Realm. Even if the woman with Darren joined them, they were still far from a match for Jefferson Kou. The chances of them surviving this battle were slim.

 Chapter 1208 Jefferson Is In

    Darren and the others finally arrived at Wilson''s territory.


    Unable to wait any longer, Jefferson turned to Darren and said, "Make a battle axe for me. Here are the materials. If you fail me, I''ll make sure you''ll suffer. So, you better be careful."


    Once Jefferson obtained the level-seven divine weapon, he would become the strongest among the four major forces. This would give him the chance to rule the entire forest.


    "Yes." Darren nodded his head respectfully. Then, he turned to Wilson and asked where the forging room was.


    "Does this mean you''re going to start making the weapon now, Darren?"


    "Of course I will. I''m working for Jefferson so I have to act fast."


    "Of course! Come with me!" With that, Wilson led the way ahead.


    He brought Darren to an underground weapons room. Inside, there were many furnaces. However, they were cold and old. It seemed like they were abandoned for a long time.


    "Sir, are you really going to make a weapon for Jefferson?"


    "Of course not. I don''t even know how to forge weapons," Darren admitted. He then paused before saying, "Didn''t I tell you just now that I''m going to kill him instead?"


    "What?" A look of nervousness dawned on Wilson''s face. He broke out in cold sweat as fear took a hold on him. "Sir, please consider your choice carefully. His strength is far out of our league. He is in the middle-level of the Star God Realm. If we act too rashly, we will surely die."


    "Don''t worry. I have a plan." Determination flowed through Darren''s veins. His voice was firm and held so much confidence. With that said, he sent Lindsay a message with his spiritual sense. The message urged her to come to him immediately.


    It didn''t take long for her to arrive at the weapons room.


    "What else do you want, Darren? I don''t have time for your antics," Lindsay said.


    "Where''s the arrogant person I first met? Why are you being so timid now?" Darren smiled playfully at her.


    "Fuck off! Whatever it is you''re implying, I''m not afraid of Jefferson. I just don''t want to watch you die. What do you think I will do if you die?" Lindsay looked away from him. There was a bitterness in her voice as she said this.


    Darren was stunned by her words. It took him a while to answer. He said, "It sounds weird that you''re worried about me. Let''s just make this clear. We will never be together."


    "What are you talking about? I already told you that I don''t like you." She placed her hands on her hips and continued, "Just tell me what you''re planning to do."


    "Very well then. All you have to do is to let Jefferson into your space. Then Saxo


    render to you?" Jefferson gritted his teeth. His pride prevented him from admitting defeat.


    Before Darren could move, Wilson rushed in.


    He stood before Jefferson and began beating him with his fists. It wasn''t long before Jefferson was badly injured and beaten into a bloody pulp.


    "How dare you talk to our leader like that? You idiot!" Wilson kicked at Jefferson''s legs without remorse.


    The latter only continued to grit his teeth. He refused to show them his pain and agony. However, his eyes remained dark and murderous.


    "Wilson, I should have known. Why would you betray me like this?"


    Upon seeing Wilson, Jefferson could feel his fury rising up and filling his entire body. He could feel himself shaking and vomiting blood in anger. He remembered how Wilson was like a dog in his service. He was humble and obedient. Who would have thought that Wilson would betray him like this?


    Internally, Wilson was thrilled. He turned to Darren and said, "Sir, I believe that he will not surrender that easily. I beg you to allow me to use the Soul Assimilating Bug on him."


    The Soul Assimilating Bug was similar to the Immortal Assimilating Bug that Darren had seen in the past. It could absorb one''s God Character, while also causing pain on one''s soul.


    "You!"


    Jefferson murmured. His lips trembled upon hearing Wilson''s words.


    He had experienced the pain of those Soul Assimilating Bugs. It was back when he was cultivating in some illusion space. Even though thousands of years had already passed, he still shuddered at the memory.


    "Very well," Darren agreed.


    "Jefferson, you bastard! I look forward to seeing you suffer!" A glint of excitement shone brightly in Wilson''s eyes as he looked at Jefferson.

 Chapter 1209 Burkes Background

    "I surrender! Please don''t torture me!"


    Jefferson was terrified of undergoing the horror of the Soul Assimilating Bug. The agony from it was beyond anyone''s imagination.


    "Very good. Now, kneel down and swear an oath to our Conflicting Chief God." Wilson looked at Jefferson, haughtily. Excitement was still coursing through his veins. He had never felt this way in years.


    "Yes."


    With that, Jefferson straightened up and activated a little bit of his spiritual power.


    However, his eyes flashed with ferocity as soon as he lowered his head.


    "Go to hell!"


    Without warning, he lashed out an attack at Wilson. His palm collided with the other man''s body, and then he dashed straight towards Darren.


    "It seems like you don''t want to live after all."


    Fortunately, Darren had already prepared himself for Jefferson''s retaliation. He had been observing the other man''s movements since the beginning. So, as Jefferson rushed towards him, he instantly had his blade and sword intents turned into a pair of dark red blade and sword. With them, he stabbed Jefferson.


    The air whistled as he swung his mighty weapons.


    And in the next moment, the blade had cut cleanly through Jefferson''s arm.


    Since Jefferson''s strength had been suppressed by Saxon, his strength had dropped down to the top level of the Domain God Realm. This meant his attacks wouldn''t be strong enough to kill Darren anymore. But at this point, he doubted he could even get one hit at Darren.


    He crashed to the ground with great force.


    "Sir, I surrender for real this time. Please believe me." Jefferson''s plan to sneak in an attack was a failure. He had no choice now but to kneel down and beg Darren for mercy.


    Wilson stood up slowly. His face was drawn and pale after getting hit in the stomach.


    "Wilson, use your Soul Assimilating Bug now," Darren commanded, coldly.


    "Yes, sir." Wilson went over to Jefferson. He then took out a purple box that contained a few bugs inside and let the small insects fall unto Jefferson''s head.


    "Ahhh!"


    Jefferson began to scream in pain and agony. His body contorted and rolled on the ground uncontrollably.


    Darren decided to let Jefferson suffer for a while, and so he left the space with Wilson. Upon arriving at the stone chamber, Lindsay said, "Darren, let''s use this same method when dealing with the remaining three leaders of the four major forces."


    Before they could continue with their discussion, they first sat down and drank their tea in leisure.


    "We don''t have t


    way and established his own force. Up until now, he holds a grudge against his family," Jefferson explained.


    Lindsay took this as an opportunity to speak up. "So what if he has broken it off with his family? What are you afraid of?"


    "He didn''t completely break it off with his family. He only had a fight with his brother because he wanted to make a name for himself. They haven''t abandoned him. So, if we hurt him, we will make an enemy out of his family as well."


    "And how powerful could they be?" Darren asked.


    "They are one of the ancient families in the Tussle Region. Their family had stood for millions of years. In fact, the head of their family is now a warrior at the top level of the Celestial God Realm. Nobody in the Tussle Region would dare offend them," Jefferson warned.


    Darren looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "Then I''ll kill the other two main leaders first. We''ll worry about Burke Xiling later."


    Of course, Darren was not a fool. He wouldn''t dare provoke people whom he couldn''t defeat. After all, Tussle Region was renowned for its strength.


    "Yes."


    With that, Darren and the others walked out of the space together.


    Immediately, Jefferson set out to do Darren''s bidding. He arrested all the leaders of the remaining ordinary forces and forced them to surrender.


    Out of the twelve ordinary leaders, ten surrendered. The other two committed suicide.


    This left Darren with two strong leaders to deal with.


    At the center of the forest was Burke Xiling''s territory.


    "Sir! Jefferson has arrested everyone and made them surrender to the Defiant Master." The one who came to report to Burke Xiling was a talking crow.

 Chapter 1210 Crisis (Part One)

    Darren asked Jefferson to make most of the leaders of the gangsters surrender. Once these leaders submitted to Darren, their men followed suit. The gangsters became Darren''s believers.


    Because of this, Darren had tens of thousands of believers. His Power of Belief also began to rapidly increase.


    "Sir, I am going to take care of the other two guys now," Jefferson said to Darren, smiling. He was talking about the remaining two powerful leaders of the four major forces in the forest.


    "Are you sure you can take them down?"


    "You gave me a level-eight divine weapon. It''ll be a piece of cake."


    "Alright, proceed. But remember, you need to ask them to surrender first before killing them. By the way, take Wilson with you. Ask him to release the Soul Assimilating Bugs when the need arises."


    "Yes," Jefferson said, bowing to Darren. He and Wilson flew away.


    Darren had nothing else to do, so he began to practice.


    He sat on the ground, crossing his legs. He delved deep into his consciousness.


    The mysterious space in his mind had shattered and turned into a dark tunnel. Deep in the void, the sound of waves could be heard.


    Darren was curious about where the tunnel would lead him and why it appeared in his mind.


    Darren explored the void with his consciousness.


    Suddenly, ten feet in, he felt agonizing pressure bear down on him.


    Darren felt his soul sting. A huge wave of exhaustion swept over him.


    "Ugh! What a terrible force!" Darren was surprised. He released his spiritual sense into the mysterious space, but he did not dare explore the dark void again.


    ''Where''s the talent I had absorbed before?'' Darren wondered. The talent he had absorbed had been condensed into crystals and was stored here. However, it seemed to have disappeared.


    Darren also noticed a ray of black god''s power spreading towards him.


    These black forces seemed to be attracted by his Power of Belief. Although there was not much coming out of the void, his black force would gradually grow stronger as time passed.


    "Now my black god''s power should be comparable to the dark gold god''s power." Darren surveyed the black god''s power.


    With these two powerful forces, Darren could kill just about anyone whose level was lower than the m


    he same level. However, he didn''t expect that Jefferson would have a level-eight divine weapon. Even if he used all his strength, he would quickly be defeated by Jefferson because of the powerful weapon.


    "Yes, this is the divine weapon that Darren gave me. It is impossible for you to defeat me. I will give you a chance to surrender," Jefferson said coldly.


    "Hahaha." Burke laughed ferociously, blood coming out of his mouth. "Do you think he is strong enough to make me surrender? Kill me. If you kill me, this forest will be razed to the ground. If I go down, you will go down with me!"


    There was a special mark on Burke''s body. Once he died, his entire clan would immediately know and would come to where he was.


    "Oh, I won''t kill you," Darren said, flying over to him.


    "Are you scared? You''d better kneel down and surrender to me right now. Otherwise, I will send a message to my brother. He will kill you like the vermin you are!" Burke yelled, arrogance dripping from his voice.


    "You are too naive. I won''t kill you but that doesn''t mean I won''t torture you." Darren''s face turned grim. "Wilson, it''s your time now."


    Wilson flew out with the other two leaders in his hands.


    The men had swollen, red veins protruding from every inch of their bodies. Their faces were deathly pale and they trembled continuously. They had been tortured by Wilson''s Soul Assimilating Bugs.


    "Don''t worry, sir. Let these two losers surrender first." Wilson threw the two men in front of Darren.

 Chapter 1211 Crisis (Part Two)

    "Do you surrender, or should I continue to make you suffer?" Darren asked coldly.


    "I surrender. Sir, please let me go," one of the captives pleaded. His voice trembled, and his expression reflected the agony coursing through him. The other, however, endured silently.


    "Untie him," Darren instructed as he pointed at the man who had begged for mercy.


    "Yes." Wilson immediately withdrew the Soul Assimilating Bugs.


    "I, Marcus Qi, swear by my soul that I will believe in..."


    As for the other man, Darren wanted him to suffer a while longer.


    "Did you see that, Burke? Stubbornness and continued resistance will not end your misery. Stop fighting us." A sinister smile tugged at the corners of Wilson''s lips as he sauntered up to Burke, opened the purple box in his hand, and displayed its contents.


    Burke, however, snorted and glanced at Wilson disdainfully. "So what? Do you think they can hurt me?"


    Burke''s response was so unexpected that the smirk disappeared from Wilson''s face. "You are such a hard-ass! Let''s see how tough you are when pain saturates every inch of your being." The enraged Wilson unleashed a Soul Assimilating Bug immediately.


    Crack.


    Lightning flashed, and the Soul Assimilating Bug turned into a pile of ashes!


    "What!" Wilson exclaimed in astonishment. "You have a soul defense!" Now he understood why Burke seemed unfazed when he saw the purple box.


    "Well, your action has sentenced you to death."


    There was a flash of excitement in Burke''s eyes. A split second later, a dark gray aura rushed out of his body and turned into a human figure in mid-air.


    "Burke, did someone attack your soul just now?" The man, who had formed from the smoke, asked Burke.


    "Brother, save me. I was wrong to anger you. A Defiant Master has trapped me. He wants to kill me," Burke pleaded with the figure, like a whiny child.


    "What! A Defiant Master? I will ask our ancestor to save you at once." The gray man, who could only communicate with Burke, couldn''t see Darren and the others. Consequently, when he heard "Defiant Master," he assumed that their adversary was a powerful one. He wondered if their ancestor could protect Burke from the wrath of a Defiant Master.


    "There''s no need to bother the ancestor. As this Defiant Master is only at the middle-level of the Domain God Realm, you can release your avatar to deal with him."


    "What?" The gray man''s eyes widened with surprise.


    "Jefferson, stop him from talking to the gray man," Darren, who had observed this exchange for a while, ordered.


    "


    guts," Davis Xiling then smiled and turned to Wilson. "Come here," he ordered.


    "Yes, yes." Wilson, who was still spell-bound by Davis Xiling''s powerful aura, immediately ran over.


    "Let me see your Soul Assimilating Bugs," Davis Xiling commanded.


    With a quick nod, Wilson brought out the purple box. He moved in such a robotic manner, it appeared as though his fear forced him to comply.


    Davis used his god''s power to collect the box. He opened it, looked at the Soul Assimilating Bugs inside, and then shifted his eyes to Darren.


    "Perhaps these will help change your mind."


    "Do whatever you like!" Darren placed his hands behind his back and replied calmly, showing no fear.


    Wilson, who stood beside, turned pale when he heard this. He felt extremely regretful for giving the Soul Assimilating Bugs to Davis. "If you dare to use them against him, I will fight with you to death!"


    As he was one of Darren''s believers, Wilson''s soul was loyal to Darren. So, even though he was a timid man, Wilson would try his best to protect Darren.


    "Let''s attack Davis together!" Jefferson roared as a protective instinct surged within him as well.


    "That''s right. His realm is far higher than ours. We can attack him, but he wouldn''t dare to fight back!"


    This thought occurred to everyone because, in the Tussle Region, anyone who was two levels higher than their match could not attack as the laws would suppress them.


    Confident of the outcome, a warrior at the top-level of the Domain God Realm immediately flew over and stretched his palm toward Davis.


    Bang!


    To his and everyone else''s astonishment, the gangster was blasted into a bloody mist before he could reach Davis.

 Chapter 1212 Crisis (Part Three)

    The gangster''s death had put everything on hold.


    Davis had killed a man whose level was far below him. It made everyone wonder why he hadn''t been punished by the laws yet.


    "Anyone who has become a believer of the Defiant Master is no longer protected by the laws of the Tussle Region. Does nobody know that?" Davis leveled his gaze at everyone and then smiled. "Furthermore, my avatar is not restricted by the Suppression Law. This is the reason why no one dares defy me."


    "What do you want? Do you want to kill me?" Darren hissed.


    "Why bother asking? Do you think you can live after refusing to be our ancestor''s slave?" Davis asked. He gave Darren a disdainful smile.


    "Let''s fight him now, Darren. At least we''ll die with dignity then," Finley, who had been silent the whole time, urged after stepping forward from the sideline.


    "What?"


    Davis was surprised to see Finley. He hadn''t noticed the other man before he had spoken up. Upon setting his eyes on him, however, a glint of shock and amazement flashed through his eyes.


    "You? You''re..." Davis murmured under his breath. But then he shook his head. "That''s impossible. I''m probably only thinking too much."


    Finley didn''t miss Davis'' reaction towards him. The other man must have mistaken him for someone else.


    "Davis! I may not come here with my real body, but do you think you can act so presumptuous towards us? I swear the Xiling Clan will meet their doom if you lay a finger on us." Finley stood straight. He looked fierce in his white robe and with his hands behind his back.


    Upon hearing this, Davis became livid. "An avatar? Boy, do you really think that I''ll believe that such a trashy avatar like you exist? You''re definitely not his avatar!"


    "Really?" Finley looked steadily at Davis. ''Just as I thought. He is afraid of my real body, '' he thought to himself. Then suddenly, he released a breath of his aura and rushed towards Davis. "Do you really think you can see through my real body, Finley Feng?"


    Since Finley and his real body shared one same soul, their names were the same.


    Upon hearing the mention of Finley Feng''s name, Davis'' face darkened. He had heard of that name before. His ancestor had accidentally let it slip before. Nobody else knew about the name of this powerful warrior. Only the warriors in the Superior God Realm knew of it.


    It was because of this that he did not dare fight Finley now. He was afraid that this young man was indeed the avatar of such powerful warrior. The entire Xiling Clan could suffer if he offended the other man.


    When Finley had let out his aura, Davis had recognized it. It was the same as that of Mr. Feng. At this point, he was starting


    " Darren said.


    "Where should we go, sir?" Wilson asked. He had been standing at the side this whole time.


    "We can go anywhere. We just need a place where we can make our forces stronger," Darren replied.


    "Sir, are you still planning on attacking the others?"


    "Yes. I still need to get more believers."


    "That''s easy. I know the Tussle Region like the back of my hand. I''m sure I can find the best place. However, we must launch our attacks to the small forces first. If we conquer those within a thousand kilometers from here, you should be able to gather millions of believers by then," Wilson suggested.


    "Very well. I''ll let you draw up the plans."


    "Yes, sir. Thank you very much. However... Does this mean I can have the title of chief counselor of the Bloody Army?" Wilson looked up to meet Darren''s eyes and smiled.


    ''This guy is so shameless. He''s desperate for a title, '' Darren thought to himself as he returned Wilson''s gaze. To be honest, Darren didn''t care about titles. He was certain that all his believers were loyal to him.


    "Fine. You''ll be our counselor from now on." He conceded.


    "Thank you, sir. Thank you very much." In his excitement, Wilson bowed his head at Darren, again and again.


    "Everybody! Listen to me. I''m the chief counselor. We''ll be heading north for now." Wilson made a cutting figure as he stood confidently and solemnly in front of the others.


    Meanwhile, nine thousand kilometers away from the forest, the Xiling clan was restless.


    Inside a heavily guarded, secret room, Caleb Xiling, the Xiling Clan''s ancestor, suddenly opened his eyes. A loud voice thundered inside the room, disturbing the peace inside it.


    "Caleb Xiling! Why did you let the Defiant Master go?"


    This had greatly startled the old man. "Mr. Feng?"

 Chapter 1213 Expanding

    "Answer me." A disembodied voice rang out through the darkness. But no matter where the old man looked, nobody was there.


    "Why would you accuse me of letting the Defiant Master go, sir? I personally have detected the avatar''s protection with him. Was it not you who sent your avatar to him?" Indeed, Caleb was certain that it was Mr. Feng''s aura that he had sensed.


    "Humph! If you really want to have the Defiant Master dealt with, you can just do so regardless of my avatar. Do you understand?" the voice said coldly.


    The words had confused Caleb greatly, but he didn''t dare question Mr. Feng. "Yes, sir. I understand."


    Then, the horrible aura dissipated.


    Caleb contacted Davis with his spiritual sense and ordered him to capture the Defiant Master.


    "What do you mean, ancestor? He is guarded by Mr. Feng''s avatar. We can''t risk it..." Davis was puzzled as well.


    "Just do as you''re told."


    "But I''m still perfecting my avatar''s skills. Can''t it wait for two months?" Davis felt a torn with this dilemma.


    Caleb was delighted to hear Davis'' answer. "In that case, focus on your avatar for the meantime. When you''re done after two months, then go ahead and do as you''re told."


    "Thank you, sir. However, you can send someone else if you''re in a hurry. There are others in the clan who are stronger than me. Any warriors at the upper level of the Star God Realm or above can deal with the Defiant Master. He is very weak after all," Davis said.


    "No. It''s better if this is just between the two of us. I have already erased Burke''s memories. For now, the most important thing for you to do is to train your avatar. We''ll let the Defiant Master roam free for two more months. And then, we''ll capture him."


    "Yes, ancestor," Davis said respectfully.


    Meanwhile, Darren and the others were heading north. They had walked out of the forest and had reached 200 kilometers already.


    "Sir, there''s a small sect here called Lost Soul Sect. Their leader is only at the middle-level of the Star God Realm. I''m sure we can conquer them."


    Wilson led them to a temple on top of the mountain where they could discuss their future plans.


    "Darren, the Lost Soul Sect has never offended us. Why should we take them by force?" Finley voiced out his concern.


    "You''re only overthinking this. There is no such thing as a good man in the Tussle Region. They all have blood in their hands, so there''s no reason for us to show mercy. And anyway, the Lost Soul Sect is evil. They are crueler than us. They captured others'' souls


    because of some rumored greater force.


    "Yes, sir." Wilson couldn''t hide the worry on his face, but he didn''t dare go against Darren''s order.


    With that, Darren and the others flew into the sky.


    Their robes rustled into the wind.


    It wasn''t long before they spotted countless figures in the sky.


    "Darren, help!"


    Jefferson moved fast to catch Finley, who was falling from the sky.


    Darren and the others turned their attention to the direction where Finley came from. They couldn''t see anything except Finley''s swollen face and deformed body.


    "That son of a bitch! Their leader is too strong. He didn''t even flinch when I told him who I was." Finley coughed in pain.


    "Sir, what should we do now?" Jefferson asked.


    "We shall retreat for now." At this point, Darren could also sense a powerful aura coming from the distance. He instantly knew that they wouldn''t be able to overcome that much power.


    "Where shall we go?"


    Before they could even get away, three powerful forces appeared behind Darren. They blocked all ways for escape.


    "What?"


    Darren used his god''s sense to scan the area. There were at least four warriors of the middle-level of the Star God Realm among the people who surrounded them.


    "This doesn''t look good." Lindsay could sense this as well.


    "Sir, we''ve been fooled. They all came together. We''ll fight them off while you escape."


    Darren only had three warriors of the middle-level of the Star God Realm. This would be a very difficult battle to win.


    "Don''t worry, Darren. I know a way to make the enemies your powerful believers." An idea had suddenly popped into Lindsay''s head. Upon saying this, the others looked surprised.

 Chapter 1214 Dog Eat Dog

    Darren and the others wondered why Lindsay seemed undeterred with what was happening. There were several powerful warriors at the middle-level of the Star God Realm coming after them.


    "What''s on your mind?" Darren asked.


    "Have you forgotten that some friends of yours could help you?" she said, smiling.


    "Friends?" Darren was confused. He could not think of anyone in those moments.


    Lindsay shook her head slightly. "You''re so forgetful. Have you forgotten that you have some mutated friends?"


    Darren immediately understood what she meant. She was talking about Carlisle and his fellas.


    "Are they healed?"


    "Of course, I can feel that they''ve almost recovered. Just give them a little bit more time."


    "Release them!"


    Lindsay paused. "Don''t worry. They are still adjusting themselves to fight. Give them a moment."


    As Darren and Lindsay were talking, several groups of people surrounded them.


    "Humph! It''s you! You are such a jerk!" A tall, strong man stood in front of them and stared down at Darren contemptuously.


    "Are you the leader of the Snow Sect?"


    "Yes. My name is Duke Xue. Now that you know I''m the sect leader, bow to me and prepare to meet your doom!"


    Darren cast a cold glance at them. "If you really think I am inferior to you, why did you bring so many people with you? Are you afraid of me?"


    "Ha! You''re wrong. I just want an audience to watch how I tear you to pieces," Duke Xue said with a vicious smile.


    "Shut up! How dare you threaten our leader?" Jefferson immediately flew out. He gripped the battle axe in his hand and prepared himself for battle.


    "Go to hell!"


    The leader of the Snow Sect let out a wild roar and rushed towards Jefferson.


    Jefferson gathered all of his power and exerted it onto the level-eight divine weapon. As he launched an attack with his axe, a small crack appeared in the space.


    Duke Xue used his black iron gloves to fend off Jefferson''s attack.


    The axe collided with Duke Xue''s palm, glowing brilliantly. A loud bang rang out and Jefferson retreated.


    At the same time, Duke Xue''s iron gloves broke with a click.


    However, the breaking of his weapon didn''t surprise him. "Level-eight divine weapon! I can''t believe that you have a level-eight divine weapon! Hahaha!"


    The several warriors at the middle-level of the Star God Realm also stared at Jefferson''s battle axe. Their greed was


    een injured. Why don''t we join forces to defeat him and get the divine weapon for ourselves?" someone called out from the crowd.


    "Well, we can kill Duke together. But who should get the divine weapon?"


    "Yes, there is only one divine weapon. How do we decide which of us should get it?"


    "Now is not the right time to talk about that. We should grab it first and then make the decision. It would be better if one of us would get the divine weapon rather than Duke!" one of the sect leaders said eagerly.


    The others thought for a while and agreed with him.


    "Well, let''s kill Duke first. Come on! Let''s give it our best shot and kill him with all our might!"


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Several warriors at the middle-level of the Star God Realm suddenly rushed towards Duke Xue.


    Just as Duke Xue was preparing to kill Darren and his companions, he could sense some people coming from behind. He didn''t expect that the other leaders would attack him at the same time. He had to turn around and defend himself.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Duke Xue was able to singlehandedly defeat the other leaders at the middle-level of the Star God Realm, but he himself had also been injured.


    "How dare you betray me?!" Duke Xue''s eyes almost popped out from their sockets, and his face was red with fury.


    "Humph! What do you mean by betray? We are not your subordinates. How can you say we''re betraying you?"


    "Who do you think you are, Duke? Do you really think that we will obey your commands? You think too highly of yourself. Go to hell!"


    They all besieged Duke Xue at the same time.

 Chapter 1215 Primeval Bloodline

    "Sir, they are helping us. Let''s fight with them." Relief rushed through Jefferson as soon as he saw several strong warriors joining them in the battle.


    "They won''t be so kind next time," Lindsay said. She looked grave and solemn. "They''re only taking advantage of the situation. They saw that the man was injured so now they want to work together to kill him. But as soon as this is over, they''ll try to kill us and steal your divine weapon."


    "Lindsay''s right. We should just let them fight each other." Darren sneered.


    "Hey, kid! Why aren''t you joining us in battle? We are even kind enough to offer our help to you. Hurry up and send someone to help us," one of the sect leaders shouted at Darren.


    The truth was that these leaders didn''t think highly of Darren and his companions. They had seen them fight and witnessed them get injured in the process. They had no intentions of letting the level-eight divine weapon out of their sights. That meant, they shouldn''t let Darren and the rest to escape before killing Duke.


    "Do you think I''m stupid? But there''s nothing for you to worry. I won''t run away. I''ll be here to watch which one of you will die first." Darren smirked. It seemed like he was enjoying the show.


    "Oh, crap! We should have left someone to keep that brat in line," one of the leaders shouted.


    "Duke, I suggest that we get the divine weapon first before pushing through with the battle." It was then that the other sect leaders realized their mistake.


    Duke grew livid and bellowed, "You idiots! I will kill you all even if it means I can''t get that divine weapon."


    Duke had been like the king of this area for a long time. The other sect leaders would not doubt listening to him. It had never crossed his mind that the leaders of the other sects would betray him like this. Now, they wanted to kill him. It was because of this that he could feel anger rising up inside him.


    The other leaders could sense Duke''s killing intent emanating from him. However, they had no choice but to keep up with the battle.


    God''s powers began to descend upon them all. It smashed through the ground. Dirt and dust swirled uncontrollably and messily around them. It effectively blocked the sky.


    The fight lasted for about an hour. Duke was winning. His attacks hadn''t faltered once during the battle.


    "Duke, let''s stop fighting!"


    "Please forgive us, Duke. Think about it! If you kill us now, you will lose powerful allies in the future."


    Upon realizing that they didn''t stand a chance against Duke, the sect


    All of a sudden, a bright light flashed in the sky.


    The horizon stirred and writhed before their eyes.


    And then, crack!


    A scarlet thunder hit the ground and several figures appeared.


    They all roared at once.


    Blood lust and excitement coursed through their veins.


    One by one, the three figures flew towards Darren.


    They were Carlisle and his companions. He turned to Darren and asked, "Are you alright, Darren?"


    "I''m fine. How about you? Have you finally recovered completely?"


    "We didn''t just recover. Our strength had even improved, thanks to the fiend''s blood."


    "That''s great news! Then I shall thank you in advance for taking care of that python for me," Darren said.


    "You don''t have to bother Carlisle with this. Let me kill him instead," one of Carlisle''s companions shouted.


    He then rushed towards Duke.


    It didn''t take long for the half-human and half-fiend creature to stand before Duke.


    Meanwhile, a majestic, fiendish aura and a strange god''s power drifted towards Duke.


    Duke failed to block the mutated man''s attacks.


    He roared as his body was riddled with bloody holes.


    "No! This is impossible!" Duke finally realized that his opponents were stronger than him. Knowing it was futile, he started to run away.


    "You bastard! Where are you going to run?"


    Carlisle snorted in disdain. With that, a small storm rose from the ground and caught Duke in a blink of an eye.


    With a loud series of crack, Duke''s body was cut into several pieces.


    However, his head remained undamaged.


    "Don''t kill him just yet, Carlisle. I''ll have to turn him into my believer." Darren motioned for Carlisle to stop before he could even kill Duke.

 Chapter 1216 The Terrifying Pressure

    Duke wasn''t only talented. He was also born with a Primeval Bloodline. Darren couldn''t help but think he would be a great addition to the team.


    As soon as the battle was over, Darren flew towards Duke.


    "I''ll go straight to the point. If you want to live, you need to become my believer. Are you willing to do that?" Darren asked bluntly.


    Duke glared at Darren with venom in his eyes. He let out a furious roar, but didn''t say anything else.


    "You better think twice before answering me," Darren cautioned him.


    "Go to hell! I will never surrender to you," Duke growled. He sounded more beast than man.


    "Very well then. I shall respect your decision. There will be no torture. I will kill you here and now." Darren had expected that Duke would be a very difficult man to deal with. He was stubborn and determined. Now that he had made his decision, even the Soul Assimilating Bugs wouldn''t change his mind.


    "Sir, let me have a try," Jefferson said, stepping forward.


    "There''s no need. It would be useless to torture him now." At first, Darren thought that Jefferson was planning to make Duke suffer until he surrendered.


    "Sir, I''m not going to torture him. I want to try something else." It was as if Jefferson had read his mind. Then he added, "He''s a tough guy, so I''m certain violence is no use on him. But we can use his interest on the divine weapon to our advantage."


    Jefferson''s words seemed to perk Darren''s interest. It reminded him of when Duke first saw Jefferson''s level-eight divine weapon. There was a gleam of interest in his eyes as he looked at it.


    "I see your point." Darren nodded his head. He seemed pleased at Jefferson''s suggestion. Then he turned to Duke and said, "Duke, I still have some fragments that can be forged into a level-eight divine weapon. If you''re willing to become my believer, I will create another divine weapon for you. What do you think?"


    Darren kept his eyes on Duke the whole time he spoke.


    Upon hearing those words, Duke''s eyes widened. It was only a fleeting moment before it darkened again.


    "Did you really think that I would surrender... Just for a divine weapon? That''s ridiculous!" Duke closed his eyes.


    But just as when Darren was about to give up, Duke spoke up once again. "If you get me a level-nine divine weapon, then I will consider it. Otherwise, you can kill me now."


    "Huh? Who do you think you


    level-nine divine weapon any time you want."


    Duke then turned back into his normal human body. He seemed weaker now compared to before.


    He fell down to his knees and bowed to Darren.


    "I am willing to serve you."


    "That''s good to hear. Now, make an oath. Use your soul as you swear that you will now follow the Conflicting Chief God forever," Darren said.


    "The Conflicting Chief God?" It was only then that Duke realized something. "You! You are the Defiant Master!"


    "Correct. It seems like you haven''t noticed this before. If I am not the Defiant Master, then why would I be able to take over the other forces and turn them into my believers?"


    "I understand now. You really are the Defiant Master!" Duke growled.


    "Why? Are you taking back your words?" Darren frowned.


    "No. I''m still willing to submit myself to you and become your believer. I swear to it now." Then Duke swore on his soul that he would believe in the Conflicting Chief God for the rest of his life and that he would never betray him for all eternity.


    This took Darren by surprise. He wasn''t expecting Duke to say yes without hesitation.


    "Okay. Get up." After Duke''s oath, Darren used a kind of force to lift him up.


    All of a sudden, a bolt of lightning tore through the depths of the void.


    In a flash, the whole area was plunged into darkness. The lights had been blocked out.


    A pair of cold, dark golden eyes opened amid the darkness as it stared down on the earth.


    "Huh!" Darren suddenly found himself trembling all over. His body moved on its own accord, prostrating on the ground.

 Chapter 1217 Detected By The Chief God

    "What''s wrong?"


    When people saw Darren''s pale face, they panicked. Except for Darren, no one else could sense that terrifying power, and so, they didn''t know what caused this change in him.


    However, Duke, who stood behind Darren, trembled violently.


    Every fiber of Darren''s being wanted to cry out with the utter terror that coursed through him, but he found himself unable. He was desperate to settle himself, but he could not think straight.


    Buzz...


    The God Character in Darren''s head spun automatically at its fastest speed ever.


    As the God Character spun, it released a grey mist that instantly enveloped Darren''s body.


    The terrifying pressure receded at this moment, and Darren collapsed to the ground. Wave after wave of tranquility washed over him, leaving him feeling incredibly relaxed.


    Duke fell to the ground as well. However, he appeared lifeless.


    "What happened, sir? Are you okay?" Carlisle and the others rushed to Darren''s side and asked. Their voices and expressions were laced with concern.


    "I''m all right." Darren waved his hand and dismissed their unease. However, his heart still fluttered with fear as he got to his feet.


    He was curious and wanted to learn who had released the pressure. It had felt like the entire world was pressing on him, leaving him incapable of any thoughts of resistance.


    Whoosh!


    A shadow flashed and landed beside Darren.


    "What did you feel just now?" Lindsay''s brows furrowed as she asked.


    "Did you feel it as well?"


    "Yes," Lindsay nodded before she continued, "I didn''t feel it to the extent that you did. But it was enough to show me that you were in extreme danger. I can''t believe that you are unharmed."


    "So you know what that was?"


    "Of course. One of the chief gods detected you," Lindsay appeared grim as she spoke.


    "What?" Darren blurted as shock coursed through him. "Was that pressure from a chief god?


    Why did he suddenly focus on me?" Darren asked, puzzled.


    "According to what my father has told me, it is impossible for a chief god to detect and attack a Defiant Master under normal circumstances. This has something to do with some law restrictions. However, a Defiant Master can catch the chief gods'' attention in certain situations, at which point, the chief gods can crush the former with their god''s sense.


    My father said there could be two possibilities. First, if a Defiant Master dares to intrude in the chief gods'' territory, he wil


    ined a major achievement in his Lawless Avatar. He''ll have a great future."


    Caleb was speaking about Davis'' avatar.


    It was named the "Lawless Avatar," as no laws restricted it.


    In addition to the nine chief gods, only a few great talents possessed such an avatar, and each of them grew into a famous overlord later.


    This was why Caleb paid so much attention to this young man.


    "Ancestor, I have finally succeeded. I will explore the Immortal Land and find the medicine for you to make you immortal," Davis flew forward and said with great joy.


    "Good, good. What a good boy!" Caleb nodded with satisfaction.


    With the help of the Lawless Avatar, no rule cultivator would be able to hurt Davis. Hence, it would be easy for him to enter the Immortal Land and get the magic herbs and elixirs.


    "Oh, by the way, I will help you get that Defiant Master now. I apologize for making you wait."


    "You are right. It is time to catch him. I believe you should go by yourself. Your avatar''s safety cannot be risked," Caleb instructed.


    "But, ancestor, I have just reached the upper-level of the Star God Realm. I am far weaker than my avatar."


    "There''s no need to worry. Your real body can deal with a Defiant Master who is in the Domain God Realm. What''s more, the soul of your real body and avatar are independent of each other. Even if you are injured, or god forbid, you die, your avatar won''t be affected."


    "Ancestor, I understand. I shall do as you have asked." Davis didn''t hesitate any further. ''My cultivation level is at the upper-level of the Star God Realm. It is enough to deal with that brat, '' he thought.

 Chapter 1218 To Find A Way Out

    Darren had recruited everyone within a thousand kilometers and boosted his force to over three hundred thousand in a short time.


    Among them were dozens of masters at the Star God Realm, a feat that skyrocketed the Power of Belief that Darren obtained.


    This Power of Belief continually poured into Darren''s body, strengthening his black god''s power.


    "My black god''s power seems to be changing." Darren could feel that his black god''s power had grown stronger again and that perhaps, it had eclipsed the dark gold god''s power.


    "If I continue to raise my level and enter the upper-level of the Domain God Realm, I will be at par with a warrior at the upper-level of the Star God Realm. In a battle, I can flee even if I can''t defeat my opponents. At least, I won''t die."


    As long as Darren''s cultivation base improved, his swordplay and blade skills would advance as well. At that time, his strength would increase along with the dark gold god''s power and the black god''s power.


    Eager to attain this upgrade, Darren chose to cultivate in seclusion instead of attacking nearby forces.


    However, reality gave him no time to catch his breath. A few days later, a spooky aura enveloped him.


    "Darren, Davis has come again!" Finley flew over and informed him.


    "What?" Darren also felt Davis'' aura.


    "He is afraid of your real body, isn''t he? Then, how dare he come here?" Darren asked.


    "I don''t know. I tried to intimidate him when he arrived, but he slapped me away. He must have found someone to rely on." Finley placed a hand on his chest where he had been hit. He winced when a fresh wave of pain coursed through him.


    "Heal yourself first. I''ll take someone else with me to investigate." Darren immediately informed Carlisle and the other companions and flew out with them.


    Three people levitated in the sky above the sect. Their manner was intimidating, and they emitted a strong aura of oppression.


    Darren took the lead and flew upwards.


    "Davis, how dare you come to me again?" Darren questioned calmly.


    "Well, it seems that your friend''s supporter doesn''t pose a threat to me. Would you like to submit to me, or do you want me to enslave you?" Darren fell into a contemplative silence when he heard Davis'' ultimatum.


    He glanced at the two men next to Davis as he considered his options. They seemed as intimidating as Davis. These two men were the strongest war


    opes that it would convince him.


    "I''m afraid it''s not that simple. There must be many strong people in the Ninth Precipitous Mountain," Darren sighed.


    "It''s our only option. At least we don''t have any enemies there. If we hide well, cultivate and grow stronger, we will have a chance to survive," Wilson persisted.


    "That makes sense. Then let''s head for the Ninth Precipitous Mountain."


    "Sir, there is one more thing." Wilson clasped his hands and bowed.


    "What is it?"


    "Since we''re going into hiding, perhaps it''s best only to take some of the elite warriors. As for the rest, we should consider dispersing them." As he didn''t know how Darren would react to this suggestion, Wilson was uneasy.


    "What?" Darren hesitated for a while. Then, he said, "They are my subordinates. Will such a decision disappoint them?"


    "Sir, we have no choice. They can join a new force after they are dismissed. Such a step would increase their chances of survival. As they are your believers, they will still be loyal to you even if they join other forces. I don''t see any harm in this decision." Wilson tried to persuade him.


    The explanation made sense to Darren.


    The strength of the subordinates that Darren had recruited varied. While some could be considered elite, others were still at the Primary God Realm. If they moved together, it would not only slow down the progress of the entire force, but it would jeopardize them.


    "Fine. Please arrange it. We will take the people at the Star God Realm, and the others will be dispersed," Darren ordered.


    "Yes, sir." Wilson retreated.

 Chapter 1219 Deal With It Personally

    The battle outside the sect raged on.


    At this point, Carlisle had almost crushed Davis in the sky.


    "Damn the fiend race!" Davis ground his teeth. Resentment surged through him.


    "You''ll be dead soon so stop with your bullshit!" Carlisle shouted. His voice was cold and sharp. As if on cue, a sword made out of wind lashed out.


    Davis quickly tried to fend it off, but his injuries had hampered his agility. He was forced to retreat instead.


    "Run, young master! We''ll hold him off for you!"


    Davis'' subordinates quickly came to his aid as soon as they got rid of their own opponents.


    "Okay, then. I shall run first!"


    Davis didn''t even hesitate to let his subordinates fight Carlisle off. He immediately ran away at his full speed.


    On the other hand, Carlisle smiled strangely.


    "Do you really think you can just run away?"


    Then, a loud explosion rocked the entire area.


    In a blink of an eye, the ground ahead of Davis collapsed. A horrible whirlpool suddenly appeared at the center. It yawned at him, dark and menacing.


    "Ah!"


    Somehow, it was sucking him in. He roared in pain as his body was chopped mercilessly. It resulted to a fine mist of blood.


    This was Carlisle''s most powerful skill. He had learned this after he had grown stronger. Even though Davis was a warrior at the upper level of the Star God Realm, Carlisle killed him with one blow using that skill.


    With Davis'' death, Carlisle finished off the rest of his subordinates in no time.


    Meanwhile, Davis'' avatar had sensed the death of his real body.


    He howled in fury.


    His face was white as paper and was contorted in agony.


    In a flash, he disappeared from the room and came to the secret room.


    "Ancestor, my real body is dead," he said. He could feel fury and resentment building up inside him. He almost shook with it.


    "I know." Caleb suddenly opened his eyes. There was a fire burning in them. It spoke of his own fury at Davis'' death.


    The death of the real body wouldn''t affect the avatar''s life, but this was an unforgivable form of humiliation for him.


    "Ancestor, I beg you. Please let me go and avenge my real body!" Davis'' avatar clenched his fists as he tried to keep himself under control.


    "No. There''s no need for that." Caleb waved his hand.


    "Ancestor!" Davis was outraged when he heard this. "My real body is dead. He is killed by a fiend with only the strength of a warrior at the upper-level of the Star God Realm. As a warrior at the top level of the Star God


    someone with a supreme god bloodline and hand this over to him."


    As soon as his blood essence dissipated, his entire body seemed to wither fast. Soon, he was sucked out of life. What was left was just a bag of skin and bones.


    "Yes, I will." Without hesitation, the Rule Soul Avatar took the scroll.


    "Do you have any last wishes? Also, can I try practicing the Supreme Heaven Skill?" the Rule Soul Avatar asked.


    "I have nothing more to wish for. However, I must tell you that you must never try cultivating the Supreme Heaven Skill. In fact, don''t even open it. I beg of you. Do not ever use it without permission." The Blade Devil''s voice was growing faint.


    "Why not?" the Rule Soul Avatar asked.


    The Blade Devil only shook his head and said, "Just promise me that."


    The Rule Soul Avatar was silent for a while and then nodded slowly. "Okay. I promise."


    With that, the Devil Blade whipped out a sharp blade from his left hand and cut the space around them as if it was just a piece of cloth.


    The air whistled around the blade as it arched overhead.


    It was then that the Rule Soul Avatar realized that the Blade Devil could have killed him there and then if he hadn''t agreed to his request.


    But he didn''t blame the Blade Devil. Nobody could be trusted these days. If only he wasn''t dying, he wouldn''t have trusted the Rule Soul Avatar with the Supreme Heaven Skill.


    "Great. In that case, I shall teach you my unique skills and power instead."


    His voice softened gradually as if it was fading. His whole body suddenly turned into a black blade, and it flew towards the Rule Soul Avatar. Its sharp tip pierced right through his heart.

 Chapter 1220 Getting out

    An explosion of sheer force rocked the dark, cold space. The Rule Soul Avatar braced himself as countless blade shadows flashed and flickered in front of him.


    Before he could even realize it, the Blade Devil had turned into a blade and rushed towards him.


    The Rule Soul Avatar didn''t understand what had happened. The Blade Devil knew that he was a rule cultivator. There was no way he could inherit his blade cultivation. And yet, why was he doing this?


    The Rule Soul Avatar couldn''t help but cry out in pain as his body was filled with blade intents. It was too much for his body to handle.


    It was a good thing that he had activated the Resurrection Force beforehand. It was the only thing that kept him from exploding from the sheer pressure of the blade intents.


    Then, a black bead spun erratically in midair. It shot straight into his heart as soon as he felt like his body was returning to normal.


    It was painful at first, but when it burrowed deeper into his heart, he realized that the pain eased off a bit.


    Nonetheless, he still didn''t know what the bead was for. This made it even more difficult to understand the inheritance.


    Since he didn''t know anything about the black bead, he decided to ignore it for now. He sat on the ground with his legs crossed and activated his silver eyes. He then observed the law system in the abyss so that he could properly prepare himself.


    Three years passed.


    The Rule Soul Avatar had come here to avoid the Immortal Lord. He had no other intentions but to grow stronger and continue living. Thus, he didn''t mind staying in this cave as long as it kept him safe. He would only venture out when he felt confident he could handle the creatures in the abyss.


    However, something unexpected happened in the fourth year of his stay in the cave.


    It woke him up in his meditation, and he immediately cast his god''s sense out to check out the commotion. It was then that he saw several skeletal creatures with swords made out of bones in their hands.


    Their eyes twinkled in the darkness as they looked around the cave.


    A moment later, they suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a low roar in their wake.


    The Rule Soul Avatar immediately stood up upon sensing danger.


    And sure enough, a claw appeared out of the darkness and lashed out at him. Fortunately, he was able to put up a shield to def


    ne of the figures hissed.


    The creature in front of him had green, frog-like skin. His muscles bugled out of his skin as if they were on the verge of exploding.


    Their eyes, too, were huge and round. It popped out of their sockets. Their mouths were like a wide slash across their face. It looked like a gaping wound. And when they grinned, they showed rows and rows of sharp teeth. It didn''t help that there was also a vile, slimy liquid dribbling out of their mouths.


    "Fuck off," the Rule Soul Avatar said coldly.


    "Do you really want to save that human girl?" The frog creature stared at him with disdain.


    In truth, the Rule Soul Avatar had no intentions of saving anyone at all.


    "Hey! This young man is mine!" someone shouted.


    Suddenly, the whole valley became restless when a gigantic frog creature that reached over a hundred feet in height landed in front of the Rule Soul Avatar.


    The Rule Soul Avatar couldn''t stop his eyebrows from moving up slightly at the frog creature''s entrance. He could already tell that this frog creature was very powerful.


    Without looking back, he flew away.


    He immediately made his quick escape.


    This reaction caught the frog creatures off guard. They had always found humans extremely stupid for willingly sacrificing their lives to save other human beings.


    But this young man was different from the others. He had run away instead.


    "Chase him!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    Upon the powerful frog creature''s orders, the rest ran after the Rule Soul Avatar. It seemed like that frog creature was their king.

 Chapter 1221 The Rules In The abyss

    The Rule Soul Avatar flew at his maximum speed to distance himself from the enemy. Once he had left his pursuers behind, he hid in the void to avoid being detected.


    "Where did he go?"


    The frog creatures stopped and sniffed the air for traces of the Rule Soul Avatar''s aura.


    "He must be around here. Guard the area and make sure he doesn''t escape!"


    "Yes."


    The frog creatures were persistent and didn''t stop their search for their target. This forced the Rule Soul Avatar to stay in the void for the next few days.


    During this time, his anger and frustration intensified to the point where he felt as though he couldn''t contain his killing intent. All he wanted to do was kill the frog creatures.


    "Damn it! That human should be around, but why can''t we find him?" The Frog King became increasingly impatient.


    "Fetch the Blood Witcher!"


    the Frog King growled. Almost immediately, one subordinate nodded frantically and left to carry out the order.


    The Rule Soul Avatar didn''t know what a Blood Witcher was, but his instincts led him to believe that he was in grave danger.


    Pressed for time, he knew he had to kill the frog creatures as soon as possible.


    With no other options, the Rule Soul Avatar concealed himself and wandered in the space. He carefully circled to the Frog King and waited for a chance to take action.


    To his relief, all the frog creatures didn''t notice him.


    Finally, he found an opportunity.


    Bang!


    Several streaks of powerful crimson lightning suddenly descended from the sky in unison and bombarded the Frog King.


    "Hum! Finally, you reveal yourself!"


    The Frog King sensed the law attacks, but he was not afraid of them. Instead, excitement coursed through him.


    He believed that the Rule Soul Avatar, the delicious human, could no longer escape!


    In the next moment, he breathed in deeply, his belly swelled, and he became rather round.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The law attacks released by the Rule Soul Avatar fell on the Frog King''s round belly. However, they catapulted back.


    All the law attacks headed for the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Even though he knew that the law attacks couldn''t hurt him, the Rule Soul Avatar hid again. Now that his sneak attack had failed, it would be even more difficult for him to kill the Frog King.


    While in hiding, the Rule Soul Avatar finally figured out how to kill the Frog King. There was only one way.


    Without hesitation, he rushed toward the Frog King.


    "Humph! How dare you!" The Frog King wasn''t fazed. This human was the weakest he had ever seen. He was even weaker than the human girl


    ent." The woman in purple was bewildered by his attitude.


    "Farewell." The Rule Soul Avatar paused when he heard her comment. After a brief moment of contemplation, he uttered one word.


    As his voice was still devoid of emotion, the woman stared at him helplessly.


    "Hey, you can''t go. Now that your god''s power is exhausted, you will die if you go alone," the woman in purple shouted at the Rule Soul Avatar.


    He stopped and said, "Then what do you think I should do?"


    "Ha-ha." The woman in purple smiled and said, "I owe you for saving my life. How about this? I will protect you till the time that you regain your power."


    "I didn''t mean to save you. Do you still want to protect me?" the Rule Soul Avatar stated.


    "Humph! I know you didn''t mean to help me. But if you hadn''t passed by, I would have died. Whether you meant to or not, you did save me. Now, stop talking nonsense. Follow me. I will kill some shameless frog creatures as soon as possible to replenish your god''s power of law," the woman in purple ordered with arms akimbo.


    "Okay." Not accustomed to being ordered by a woman, the Rule Soul Avatar was at a loss for what to do. So, he agreed.


    The woman dressed in purple was perplexed by his attitude. The young man behaved as though she was begging him to protect him. It was both ridiculous and annoying.


    "Alas," she exclaimed with a shake of her head. "Never mind. You did save my life. By the way, my name is Jenifer Liu. What is your name?"


    The Rule Soul Avatar straightened when he heard the question. Unsure of what to say, he contemplated for a while before answering, "Darren Chu."


    "Your last name is Chu?"


    The smile on Jenifer Liu''s face disappeared when she heard his name.

 Chapter 1222 The Cliff Of Ten Thousand Souls

    "It must be just a coincidence," Jenifer said in a low voice. "He can''t be someone from the Chu Clan."


    "Alas. Let''s go. I will help you to regain your god''s power," she said to the Rule Soul Avatar. She sighed heavily, as if overcome with a hefty burden.


    "Tell me. What is so special about the Chu Clan?"


    The Rule Soul Avatar had overheard what Jenifer had said and he had seen the change in her expression, so he decided to ask her about it.


    He and Darren were of the same soul. Since Darren was obsessed with his origins, his Rule Soul Avatar also became obsessed with them.


    Darren had always wanted to know why he came to the mortal world from the Primitive Wilderness. He wanted to know who his parents really were and what had happened to his family.


    "It''s none of your business. Your last name may be Chu, but that doesn''t mean that you''re related to the Chu Clan I was talking about."


    The Rule Soul Avatar was silent. He thought for a while and felt that it was a good thing for him not to say anything about Darren. Since both his real body''s strength and his own strength were very low in this world, it wouldn''t do them any good if others knew too much about them.


    Jenifer led the Rule Soul Avatar around and carefully looked for the frog creatures. She stayed silent all the way.


    In three days, they managed to kill over a dozen frog creatures with carefully planned out sneak attacks.


    At the same time, Jenifer taught the Rule Soul Avatar how to absorb the others'' god''s power once they were dead. Almost every living creature in the abyss knew this kind of skill.


    However, absorbing the god''s power could only be used to replenish the consumed power. It could not be used to enhance the realm.


    "With your strength, we don''t have to sneak around to be able to kill them,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar said after regaining his strength.


    If she were in the low-level of the Celestial God Realm, she was a strong warrior. But somehow, she was still very careful and cautious. She wanted to make sure that she was well-protected. This confused the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Don''t you know that my strength is basically non-existent in the abyss? If I encounter some naturally powerful races, they could instantly kill me."


    Jenifer paused for a second before continuing to speak. "I had met a warrior from the frog race. He almost killed me."


    The Rule Soul Avatar nodded silently, further understanding the intricacies of the abyss.


    "I''ll be seeing you."


    Since his god''s power had recovered, the Rule Soul Avatar didn''t want to stay with Je


    there was very, very powerful.


    The Rule Soul Avatar did not respond.


    At this moment, hundreds of powerful warriors detected the Rule Soul Avatar with their god''s sense. They were all surprised that such a weak being would dare to go into that cave.


    "Choose another one. You can''t take over this one," Jenifer said urgently.


    The Rule Soul Avatar stood there for a moment. Suddenly, his eyes turned silver. He shot out a silvery light and used it to survey the inside of the cave. He was able to see everything.


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s action attracted the attention of countless warriors. They were all observing the Rule Soul Avatar with their god''s sense. Some of them were even extremely powerful warriors.


    "His eyes are Eyes of Law!"


    "A new talent has appeared!"


    "A human miracle! It''s a pity that he is forced into the abyss."


    Noticing Rule Soul Avatar''s silvery eyes, all the powerful warriors heaved sighs of regret and admiration and recalled a miraculous warrior long time ago.


    "He has chosen that cave. Should we go stop him?" the man in black robe murmured.


    "We have to obey the rules. The aura left in the cave was too weak so the young man made a wrong judgment. If we left the aura of a superior god in the cave, the young man would definitely not dare enter it."


    "He is only at the top-level of the Star God Realm, but he dares to choose a cave filled with the aura of a warrior at the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm. Do you really think he didn''t see clearly the person in that cave? He has silvery eyes. He will still choose that cave even if the aura belonged to someone at the Superior God Realm."


    "Alas."


    Two people stopped talking and sighed regretfully.

 Chapter 1223 Taking Over The Cave

    The Rule Soul Avatar stepped forward and prepared to breach the cave.


    The aura of the warrior at the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm increased in intensity, but it still didn''t stop the Rule Soul Avatar.


    On the other hand, Jenifer became very nervous as the aura in the cave frightened her.


    "Stop right now! If you fail to expel him, you''ll be banished. What''s more, with your cultivation base, you can be struck to death merely by his god''s sense. Why do you still want to do this?"


    "If I don''t drive him out and he doesn''t fight me after I enter, can I stay in the cave with him? Or will I still have the chance to claim another cave?" the Rule Soul Avatar asked.


    "No, I don''t think so. Each cave can only have one owner. And even if you leave the cave safely, you wouldn''t get another chance to choose," Jenifer said.


    The Rule Soul Avatar stopped and seemed to think about something. Judging from his expression, it wasn''t fear of the cave owner that had forced him to discontinue.


    A few moments later, he turned and flew in another direction.


    "That''s right," Jenifer sighed as the anxiety coursing through her lessened.


    Waves of relief also washed over the powerful warriors when they saw him leaving.


    After flying for some distance, the Rule Soul Avatar stopped in front of another cave. He effected his silver eyes to observe the situation inside.


    Based on the fluctuations of god''s power in the cave, he was able to estimate the cave owner''s strength.


    ''A martial artist at the top-level of the Star God Realm.''


    The Rule Soul Avatar immediately simulated a battle with the owner in his mind to calculate his odds of survival.


    Since they were relatively evenly matched, he estimated that both he and the cave owner would be severely injured during the battle. However, if the cave owner possessed a strong hidden skill, it was very likely that the Rule Soul Avatar would lose.


    Therefore, to avoid such an outcome, the Rule Soul Avatar turned and left. As the first two caves were unfavorable options, he approached the third cave.


    From what he had detected earlier, these three caves were the most suitable for him to invade.


    In the third cave, he sensed the presence of a man who was at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. But, he seemed to be seriously injured. What was more, his real combat power had been significantly reduced as well. Given these variables, the Rule Soul Avatar was unsure of how much strength this cave owner had left.


    "Get out of my cave!"


    When the cave owner sensed that someone was spying on the cave, he roared and r


    ill him. Do you understand? That is the rule."


    As the guard''s strength was unfathomable, the Rule Soul Avatar had no choice but to accept his decree. With nothing else left to do, he turned and flew toward his new cave.


    "Leave the Cliff within three days," the guard in the black robe instructed the former cave owner before expelling him.


    "Yes, guard." The man bowed his head and responded feebly.


    Jenifer followed the Rule Soul Avatar into his cave.


    "Hey," Jenifer said.


    "Are you feeling sorry for him?" the Rule Soul Avatar asked softly.


    "No. I just wanted to understand why you chose the first cave at the beginning. What did you see in the first cave?"


    She was curious about the Rule Soul Avatar''s choice.


    Jenifer couldn''t sense that the third cave''s owner was injured. However, the Rule Soul Avatar had selected this cave, which meant that he had known that he would be successful in expelling its owner. He had seen through everything. But how?


    So she was curious to learn what he thought of the first cave.


    The first cave''s aura showed that the owner was at the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm. Jenifer wondered whether that cave''s owner was injured or not.


    Out of curiosity, she asked about it.


    "He is a kid."


    The Rule Soul Avatar did not need to hide anything. When he examined the cave with his silvery eyes, he sensed that in it was a child of about four or five years of age.


    Moreover, the child was very strange. His expression was dull, and his body was dirty and messy. What surprised him more was that there was no fluctuation of god''s power in the child''s body.


    "A kid? How can that be possible?"


    "Why not?" the guard in the black robe asked as he entered the cave.

 Chapter 1224 The Legend Of The Supreme God

    The appearance of the guard in the black robe surprised Jenifer.


    "Sir, is the inhabitant of the cave really just a child? How does he have the aura of a warrior at the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm?" Jenifer asked.


    "We deliberately made the aura like that. We wanted him to live in peace," the man in the black robe said, his voice light.


    He looked at the Rule Soul Avatar. "You''re good. I didn''t expect you to have Eyes of Law and see through it. You''re quite a miracle."


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s expression did not change. Praises were meaningless to him. "Why are you here?" he asked.


    The guard in the black robe was slightly dumbfounded at how straightforward the Rule Soul Avatar was.


    "Nothing. I just wanted to thank you for letting that child go," said the guard in the black robe.


    "Who is he?" The Rule Soul Avatar was curious. Who was this child? Why were they so concerned about his protection?


    "A child of a supreme god," the guard said frankly.


    Ideally, no one was allowed to reveal the identity of that child. However, the Rule Soul Avatar''s actions blew his cover. People were now aware that there was no mighty warrior residing in the cave.


    If someone tried to occupy the cave in the future, the child would be expelled.


    It no longer mattered to hide the truth from the Rule Soul Avatar. The child would be transferred someplace else anyway.


    Moreover, the leaders of the Cliff thought the Rule Soul Avatar was a supreme talent and might become a supreme god one day. They intended to let the Rule Soul Avatar take care of the child. There was no need to hide the child''s identity.


    "What? How is this possible?" Jenifer was completely shocked. How could there be a descendant of a supreme god in the abyss?


    Besides, according to the Rule Soul Avatar, the boy looked rather silly without any cultivation base. He didn''t seem to be the descendant of a supreme god.


    The Rule Soul Avatar was also confused.


    "Why not? This child was left behind when Supreme God Braxton died. He said that it was his child and hoped that someone in the Ancestral Land could help him take good care of him."


    "The Ancestral Land? Isn''t the Ancestral located outside the abyss? How did this child end up in the abyss?" Jenifer asked.


    She seemed lost in thought for a few moments.


    ealm. His strength was unparalleled. Even if the five supreme gods were living in the world, they might not be able to suppress him. It was said that he had even broken into the Kingdom of the Chief Gods. He tried to kill the chief gods and turn himself into a new and improved one. However, for some reason, he failed. After he escaped, he was suppressed by the angry chief gods. In the end, he couldn''t escape death," said the man in the black robe.


    The Rule Soul Avatar was silent. All the Defiant Masters mentioned by the man were very powerful, but his real body had become a Defiant Master before entering the Primitive Wilderness. The Rule Soul Avatar felt a strange feeling bubbling up his chest.


    "Who is stronger, the Defiant Master in the Chaotic Hell or Supreme God Braxton?"


    The Rule Soul Avatar thought about what the man had said. He figured that the Defiant Master in the Chaotic Hell and Supreme God Braxton must have existed in the same era. After all, Supreme God Braxton had only been dead for seven hundred thousand years.


    "No one can answer such a question. Supreme God Braxton and the Defiant Master surnamed Chu have never actually met one another. It seems that they always miss the opportunity to do so." The man didn''t know much about them.


    Hearing this, the Rule Soul Avatar suddenly attained clarity.


    The Defiant Master''s surname was Chu. Chu!


    "Was the Defiant Master in the Chaotic Hell really a descendant of the Chu Clan?" The Rule Soul Avatar was so excited. He had never felt this euphoric before.

 Chapter 1225 Supreme God Braxtons Son

    "Yes, he is indeed from the Chu Clan of the human race. Back then, as the most powerful clan in the Primitive Wilderness, the Chu Clan was more influential than the Ancestral Land. They even became the core leading clan of the human race.


    However, the Chu Clan perished fourteen million years ago after the death of that Defiant Master. The Chu Clan''s descendants were either killed by other races, or driven into the abysses. No one knew whether they survived or not.


    There has not been a descendant of the Chu Clan in the recent million years," the guard in the black robe narrated.


    "Yes, my father worked for the Chu Clan as he was highly valued for his powerful strength. The chief of the Chu Clan even regarded my father as his brother. So, he had a close relationship with the Chu Clan.


    It''s a pity that my father also had to flee when the Chu Clan was chased and suppressed by the other clans and races. However, he was discovered three million years ago, and was killed by the masters of the Shura race," Jenifer stated.


    Most people who lived in the Primitive Wilderness were at the God Realm. With respect to time, three million years was the same for them as for an ordinary person. However, in terms of age, three million years was just a short period. Therefore, now, Jenifer''s skeletal age would only be about twenty years if she were in the mortal world.


    Now the Rule Soul Avatar understood why Jenifer was so surprised when she heard that his surname was Chu.


    The Rule Soul Avatar believed that his real body was probably from the Chu Clan that had perished. Only when he left the abyss could he communicate with his real body and inform him of these matters.


    "Do you have any other questions?" the guard asked.


    "No."


    "Well, on behalf of the Cliff of Ten Thousand Souls, I have a request for you," the guard disclosed.


    "Go ahead."


    The guard paused for a while. Then his gaze shifted to the cave where the child was placed.


    "We ask that you allow Supreme God Braxton''s son to stay by your side. We hope that your presence can help awaken his bloodline."


    "Why?" The Rule Soul Avatar couldn''t figure out why or how he could help awaken the child''s bloodline.


    "Because Supreme God Braxton also had the same silvery eyes as you," the guard answered straightforwardly.


    "What?" Upon hearing this, the Rule Soul Avatar, who had always been emotionless, frowned.


    ''Supre


    anything, Finley glanced at Lindsay and said, "I believe you have this sense of foreboding every day."


    "Shut up! I am not talking to you," Lindsay retorted as she glared at Finley.


    "Come on. Calm down," Darren said to both of them. If he remained silent, they would continue to quarrel. "Let''s leave as soon as possible. I also feel as though something is wrong."


    "Okay. Do you hear that? Darren and I both have this premonition that something is wrong. Humph!" With a snort, Lindsay continued, "For the sake of our safety, we''d better destroy traces of our auras. In this way, even if people come after us, they can''t find us."


    "I''m afraid that won''t be possible." Darren shook his head. With their current strength, it would be difficult for them to erase all their auras.


    "It is easy. Have you forgotten about the bead that I gave you? It can even mask a Defiant Master''s aura. Idiot," Lindsay mumbled.


    Darren''s eyes lit up when he heard her. This he hadn''t expected! "How do I use it?" he asked hurriedly.


    "Show me the bead. I''ll do it. You are so stupid," Lindsay remarked harshly.


    Then, with the bead in her hand, Lindsay gathered everyone and hid their auras using an arcane skill.


    Led by Darren, everyone headed for the Ninth Precipitous Mountain. Along the way, Lindsay controlled the bead and continued to erase their auras.


    An hour after Darren and his companions left, Caleb and Davis appeared together.


    "He has escaped." Davis snorted with frustration when he saw the empty site.


    "Come on. No one can escape from me," Caleb, however, said with a confident smile.

 Chapter 1226 Evil Spirit (Part one)

    Darren and his followers sneakily kept a low profile the entire way. The area was littered with killing intents, and they didn''t want others to catch wind of them.


    Caleb and Davis were still crawling around the area Darren and his followers had left; carefully scouring for any clues they left behind.


    "What a powerful method! Even I''m having a hard time detecting it!"


    Caleb used to be very confident about finding out their whereabouts, but after trying to detect them, his efforts were moot. This was an unpleasant surprise.


    "Sir, there are so many people in their force. They must have left some low-level warriors behind. If we can catch one of them, we can interrogate them to get vital information. As long as we know where they''re headed, it''ll be a piece of cake for you and me to catch up with them," said Davis.


    "You''ve got a point." The place did leave some traces of the aura of the inferior warriors.


    Whoosh!


    In a flash, Caleb soared hundreds of kilometers through the air. He stopped and blocked off several gangsters.


    Feeling the powerful aura emanating from Caleb, the group of gangsters slumped to the ground in bowing position. They trembled as they held their breath in fear.


    "Tell me, where is your leader?" These words came out as sharp as knives since they were mixed with the god''s power, leaving the gangsters trembling even harder.


    Despite their fears, these gangsters were believers of Darren. Since they swore absolutely loyal belief in Darren, it would be impossible for them to tell Caleb where their leader went.


    "I''ll kill you if you don''t tell me!"


    Caleb cracked down and smashed three men''s heads into bloody mist. He left one unlucky member alive in order to get him to talk about Darren''s location¡ªusing the three corpses as a stern warning.


    The remaining gangster kept his silence despite his obviously terrified expression.


    "Well then, if that''s what you wish." Caleb raised his hand, ready to crack down on the last gangster''s skull.


    "Wait a moment, sir. You must know that Darren is a Defiant Master. He must have made them his believers. They are probably now absolutely loyal to him. Even if we slaughter the whole lot of them, they won''t pipe a word."


    Davis'' wise words dawned on Caleb. "You''re right, I completely forgot that he is indeed a Defiant Master. It seems that it''s not an easy feat to track him down."


    "I''ve got just the solution for this, sir. Here!" Davis quickly whipped out a piece of paper.


    "Memory Searching Rune?" Caleb read


    asked when he saw the look of terror on Wilson''s face.


    "Sir, five members of our team have disappeared!" Wilson''s gut feeling was right. There were indeed fewer people than they had originally set out with.


    Darren made a headcount with great haste. There had been forty-eight people in his team, but now, there were only forty-three people. Five of them were really missing!


    They didn''t sense anything different as they moved forward!


    "Maybe some of them slipped away in the middle of our journey?" said Jefferson.


    "Don''t be silly. They are all Darren''s believers and they are absolutely loyal. They would never just slip away." Wilson frowned.


    "I agree with you. There is only one possibility. They must have been killed by some unknown force," Jefferson said. He immediately took up his axe and released his god''s sense, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings.


    "Duke, do you feel anything?"


    Darren asked as he summoned Duke to come towards him.


    "No, I didn''t feel anything unusual. I''ve been walking while healing my wounds, but I didn''t sense any danger."


    "How strange!" Lindsay murmured, "Duke has the Primeval Bloodline of the beasts. If beasts killed the missing men, he would have sensed it by now. So it couldn''t be a beast that snuck up on our team."


    "Then what could it be? If it can kill people right under our noses, this means that its strength far surpasses ours," said Wilson fearfully.


    "Not necessarily," Finley shook his head and said. "If it was really stronger than us, why did it have to be so stealthy about its attack? If this was a powerful foe, they''d fight us head on."


    Finley''s words made perfect sense to all of them.

 Chapter 1227 Evil Spirit (Part Two)

    Darren and the others did not dare to move when they sensed the danger. They gathered some dead tree branches with their god''s power to build a platform to rest.


    After they finished, Wilson walked around to ask the people, especially the men at the end of their group, if they had sensed anything strange.


    "Buddy, didn''t you notice that someone around you disappeared?" Wilson''s brow furrowed as he asked.


    "No. I wasn''t aware that someone was missing." The man shook his head in confusion.


    "How about you? What about you two?" Wilson asked several people, but none of them had sensed anything bizarre. At a subconscious level, they felt that the people around them were still there.


    "We must have run into an evil spirit," Wilson''s face paled as he muttered.


    "What kind of evil spirit?" Darren questioned puzzled.


    "Sir, you must have heard of the demonic monster race in the mortal world you lived in, right?" Wilson glanced at Darren as he asked.


    "Yes, there is a demonic monster race."


    "There is a rumor that the evil spirits in the Primitive Wilderness have evolved from the demonic monster race in the mortal worlds. Since they don''t belong here, they just wander around and swallow creatures'' souls, especially human souls to survive," Wilson elucidated.


    "Yes, my father once mentioned something like that. The dark laws in the Primitive Wilderness intensify the strength of the evil spirits, making it challenging to deal with them," Lindsay added. She remembered this detail when Wilson brought up the subject of evil spirits.


    Darren nodded slightly and instructed, "Everyone, be on guard. We''d better move slowly, back to back."


    "That might not be helpful, sir. Evil spirits have strong skills with which to confuse their targets. Even if someone around us disappears, it can still control our consciousness and make us believe that no one is missing.


    Besides, I feel as though an evil spirit is still near us. Perhaps it is hiding in a team member''s body while it waits for a chance to attack again!" After Wilson finished speaking, everyone glanced at each other to see if anyone had an unusual expression.


    While everyone appeared surprised, no one looked scared.


    "This is going to complicate things. Are you sure that there''s still an evil spirit in our midst?"


    "Yes, I''m certain. Usually, after the evil spirits devour the souls, they can''t hide in the void. So they will attach themselves to someone''s body to avoid being detect


    memories of the original owner?"


    "After an evil spirit assimilates a soul, the original owner dies, and his body is reduced to mist. But, if an evil spirit wants to hide in a person''s body, it can''t assimilate the original owner''s soul. In that case, the original owner is still alive. As for memory, it should not have access to it," Wilson explained.


    "Are you certain? If that is the case, then identifying the evil spirit will be much easier." Darren seemed more confident now.


    "Yes. I am very sure!" Wilson said, gritting his teeth.


    "Good." Darren finally found a way to resolve the situation.


    At this time, Lindsay walked up to Wilson and glared at him as she accused, "Wilson, I want to ask how you know so much about evil spirits."


    "What?" The blood drained from Wilson''s face, and he found himself unable to speak.


    "Humph. You can''t explain it, can you? You are the evil spirit! Otherwise, how would you know so much about them?" As Lindsay spoke, waves of murderous intent began to spread through her body.


    Pain flashed in Wilson''s eyes as he continued to kneel on the ground.


    "Princess Lindsay, I''m not an evil spirit. I... I was raised by one," Wilson trembled as he explained.


    He didn''t want to recall the memory, nor did he want to tell anyone about it. His childhood was miserable, and he''d rather forget about it.


    "How dare you lie to me? Go to hell!" Fury coursed through Lindsay, and she stretched her hand and tried to hit Wilson.


    At this time, Darren frowned and immediately rushed forward to fend off Lindsay''s blow.


    "Tell me, Lindsay. Where did we meet for the first time?" Darren asked coldly.

 Chapter 1228 Evil Spirit (Part Three)

    Suddenly, Lindsay understood what Darren meant.


    Wilson had said that the evil spirit could conceal itself in people''s bodies, but it could not read their memories. If she was unable to answer Darren''s question, that would mean that she was the evil spirit.


    "How dare you doubt me?! I should have cut you into pieces so that Jeremy could have had a nice meal," Lindsay growled angrily.


    Hearing this, Darren knew that he didn''t need to ask about anything else. She said something that only the real Lindsay would know about.


    "Haha! Don''t be angry. Let me ask them one by one," Darren said, smiling sheepishly.


    "You''re such an idiot! I don''t want to see you. Leave me alone."


    Darren shook his head helplessly. He looked at Jefferson next to him. "Jefferson, you have known Wilson for several years. Why don''t you ask him a few questions?"


    "Very well, sir," Jefferson said as he walked up to Wilson.


    "Wilson, do you still remember who defeated you and let you join our forces back then?" Jefferson was referring to the time when the eighteen forces of the forest were built.


    "Of course I remember. At that time, it was Burke who suppressed me and threatened me to become his subordinate."


    "That''s right. Do you remember that I once killed a good friend of yours? What was his name?" Jefferson asked indifferently.


    Wilson frowned and went silent.


    All eyes were on Wilson.


    "Wilson, answer. If you don''t, I''m afraid we will have no other choice but to kill you," Finley said coldly.


    Tensions rose as Wilson continued to stay silent. However, at the last minute, his face broke into a grin. "Jefferson, you''re fooling me, right? I have a lot of friends, but no good friends. Let me make it clear to you. The man you killed¡ªhe does not exist."


    "Yes, good!" Jefferson said and nodded his head. Everyone around them let out sighs of relief. Wilson had gotten the answer correctly. It seemed that Wilson wasn''t the evil spirit.


    Darren turned around and looked at Finley.


    "I met you when you entered the Ancient Void Battlefield. At that time, you were as weak as a little chicken." Finley


    et out."


    A hostile voice rang out through everyone''s mind.


    "Sir, I want to ask you a favor. Could you please let go of the boy with the black eyes? He is my brother," Darren pleaded.


    "Your brother? Are you kidding me?" The man laughed. "You are just a little Defiant Master. You''ll never have such a brother."


    Hearing this, Darren was stunned.


    "Sir, he is my sworn brother. Please let me take care of him. I will be greatly indebted to you," Darren said sincerely.


    "Get out of my sight now, or I will be very upset and withdraw my hospitality!"


    "Sir! As a great warrior, aren''t you ashamed of bullying a child?" Darren asked.


    "You ungrateful little bastard! I''ve told you to get out. You''ve made me angry. Let''s see just how strong you are!"


    Crack!


    A lightning chain appeared in front of Darren.


    Bang!


    The strike from the lightning chain numbed Darren, and he felt a sharp pain in his meridians. The lightning chain also attempted to attack his soul, and this greatly terrified Darren.


    He subconsciously activated the God Character in his brain.


    Darren''s God Character linked with the lightning chain and went with it as it wrapped around Darren''s body.


    Crack, crack!


    Under the effect of Darren''s God Character, the lightning chain dissolved into nothingness.


    "What? I can''t believe this!"


    A roar shook the earth as Darren freed himself from the lightning chain.

 Chapter 1229 Lord Akbar

    Darren was relieved, but fear still lingered in his mind.


    "Please don''t make things difficult for me, sir. I will remember what you have done and pay you back as long as you do me this one favor," Darren pleaded, his voice bitter and hoarse.


    "Young man, remember what you said just now."


    In the blink of an eye, a person came close to Darren.


    The person was wearing a big, grey robe. His hair was pulled up in a bun on top of his head, and his appearance was plain. He exuded a natural aura, as if he had been integrated with everything in this world.


    "It''s nice to meet you, sir." Darren saluted. "What I said is true."


    "Ha! I believe you. But, I can''t return that child to you."


    Noting the anxiety on Darren''s face, the man continued speaking. "You know it''s dangerous for him to stay with you. I keep him because I want to take him as my disciple, so he will be safer. Don''t you think that''s a good thing?"


    "Take him as your disciple?" Darren was a little surprised. "My sworn brother is not that talented. Why do you take a fancy to him, sir?"


    "I know something that you don''t know, but I won''t tell you. What you need to do is to just hand him over to me. If one day you become stronger and you are still alive, you can come back and reunite with him."


    Upon hearing this, Darren kept silent. He was hesitant with what the man was asking for.


    "Don''t tarry. Do you think that I will hurt him? If I hadn''t taken action, the evil spirit in his body would have devoured him. You don''t want your brother to die, do you?" The man looked at him seriously.


    "Well... You may be right. But with all due respect, I know nothing about you. I''d be a fool to let Aaron stay with you," Darren said straightforwardly. He was still worried.


    "Fine, just forget it. You are such an indecisive man. How about this? I''ll let you stay here with him for half a month. Then you can decide whether you want to take him away or let him stay," the man suggested impatiently.


    Darren was overjoyed. He hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed in front of the man. "Thank you very much, sir. May I have your name?"


    "You don''t know my name? Haven''t you heard of the name Lord Akbar?"


    "Uh, no. I''m afraid I have not," Darren replied.


    "What an ignorant man!


    flicked his sleeve, and an array of purple dishes appeared on the table. The dishes were laden with food.


    "Well? What are you waiting for? Sit down and have a drink. Do you want me to stand up and ask you to sit down?" Lord Akbar cast a glance at Darren and his companions.


    Darren smirked as he and the others sat down.


    "Pour me the wine." Darren took the jar in his hands and began pouring out the wine into cups for everyone at the table.


    "Wow, it smells so good. I think I will get drunk just by smelling it." Lindsay''s eyes lit up.


    "Yes, it smells good." Darren felt that this wine was much more delicious than the one made by the Immortal Assimilating Bugs.


    "Darren, let''s drink!" Lord Akbar said gleefully, raising his cup into the air.


    "All right. Thank you for your hospitality, sir." Darren, Lindsay and Finley lifted their cups and downed the contents.


    "Well, we have drunk the wine. It seems that we are sworn brothers now," Lord Akbar said slowly.


    "What?!"


    Darren spat out the wine all over Finley''s face.


    ''Sworn brothers? What is he talking about?'' Darren could hardly believe his ears.


    "Well, don''t you want to be my brother?" Lord Akbar''s face darkened.


    "I do not dare call myself your brother, sir." Darren was clearly at a loss.


    Lord Akbar stood up and looked down at Darren. "Young man, it is not up to you to decide whether you will be my brother or not. You have drunk my wine. You are my elder brother from now on!"


    Darren was totally dumbfounded.

 Chapter 1230 The Secret Of The God Character

    Lord Akbar wasn''t as famous as Lord Starry Sword, but his strength had already reached the low-level of the Superior God Realm. He was much more powerful than Darren. Darren was surprised when he offered to be his sworn brother. What was even more shocking was how Lord Akbar deferred to him as his big brother. For some reason, Darren couldn''t process what had happened.


    "Sir, are you confused?" In his confusion, he wondered why such a powerful warrior would consider him as a big brother all of a sudden.


    "I call you my big brother because I''m trying to be polite, kiddo. But that doesn''t mean that I consider you my senior. I won''t be bowing down to you anytime soon. You just have to accept the fact that I''m your sworn brother now," Lord Akbar said.


    Darren found himself at a loss of words. He thought that Lord Akbar was being too rash to consider him as a brother.


    "Akbar, why do you insist to be my sworn brother?" he asked, smiling slightly.


    "Wow. How dare you address me without my title? Are you challenging me to a fight?" Lord Akbar lifted his hand as if he was about to launch an attack.


    "Wait a minute!" Darren called out. "Can''t I call you by your name now that we''re brothers? Or would you rather that I call you little brother?"


    Upon hearing this, Lord Akbar was stunned. It seemed like Darren had already agreed to be his sworn brother. He thought about it carefully and decided that he was too old to be called someone''s little brother. It would indeed be better if Daren called him by his name instead.


    "Very well then. You can just call me Akbar. And that''s that. Please take good care of me from now on." Lord Akbar finally conceded.


    "But how am I supposed to protect you? I''m just a weak Defiant Master. It won''t be easy for me to do that." Darren sighed dramatically. However, he was only pretending to be sad deep down.


    "It will be alright. With your precious talent, you''re sure to become a supreme god as long as you continue to survive. It is my honor to have you as my big brother," Lord Akbar reassured with a smile.


    "Oh, could it be that you have sensed my God Character?" Darren seemed surprised by this.


    "Of course! Do you take me for a fool?" He scowled at Darren and continued, "If I''m not mistaken, you have the ability to evolve, am I right?"


    "Evolution?" Darren raised his eyebrows at that. He currently had the skill of


    about them so much, I won''t take them." Darren threw the weapons back.


    "You foolish boy! Those are level-eight divine weapons!"


    "So what? I have something better. Why would I even accept such cheap weapons?" Darren took out his own sword and blade and placed them in front of Lord Akbar.


    "Oh my God! I can''t believe it!" Lord Akbar almost jumped. He felt deceived and cheated on as he looked at what Darren had presented to him. "Those are level-nine divine weapons!"


    He couldn''t believe that a warrior from the middle-level of the Domain God Realm could obtain such treasures. This made Lord Akbar feel jealous!


    Feeling embarrassed by Darren''s weapons, he put away his own level-eight divine weapons.


    "I would never have expected that you have such great treasures. But never mind that now. I would have also given you my Realm-upgrading Elixir, but I guess I''ll just give them to Finley instead." He then brought out a few blue-colored elixirs. He threw them to Finley.


    "Oh Akbar! You''re so generous. Thank you for thinking of me!" Finley smiled widely as he caught the elixirs.


    But he also received a slap to the face as well.


    "Fuck off! How dare you call me by my name? You must show your respect to me!" Lord Akbar gave him a withering glare.


    "But why should I? Darren and I are also sworn brothers. If you''re his sworn brother, then we are brothers as well. In fact, Darren and I go way back. Therefore, you should consider me as your big brother as well. So, it isn''t wrong for me to call you by your name."


    Finley held his head high as he pointed this out.

 Chapter 1231 Aaron Became Akbars Disciple

    Of course, Finley''s argument only gave him another fierce slap on the face. He was forced to behave himself afterwards and showed respect to Akbar.


    What was worse, Darren snatched the Realm-upgrading Elixirs away. Poor Finley got nothing valuable.


    Feeling wronged, he said, "It''s just a couple of elixirs. You don''t have to take them all!"


    Darren cleared his throat and said, "I need these elixirs to help me improve my cultivation base. I need them now more than ever." He then pocketed the elixirs into his Space Ring.


    "But what about me, sir? You promised me that you''ll help me get back to my normal appearance. Hurry up! I can''t wait any longer."


    When Lindsay said these words, Darren and the rest couldn''t help but get goosebumps again.


    "Just go out and then turn left," Akbar said lightly.


    "Please don''t judge me like that, sir! Everyone wants to look attractive. Besides, you might even like my pretty face!"


    Akbar then rolled his eyes.


    Then he said, "Just go out and turn left. There''s a spiritual pool five kilometers from here. Soak in it for half a month, and it will help you suppress whatever toxins in your body for about twenty years. So, go and hurry up."


    "Really? If this works, I will do my best to pay you back!" Lindsay smiled brightly.


    "Go now!" the three men shouted in unison.


    Before she could even say anything more, Darren and the others stopped her. Their reaction was enough to startle her and effectively stopping her from saying anything else.


    "You bastards! Just you wait until I get back my fabulous appearance. Your eyes will pop out of their sockets!" Lindsay pounded her fist on the table and then left.


    "You ugly woman! No matter what happens, you''ll still be ugly," Akbar grumbled. He didn''t even bother looking at her original appearance with his god''s power. So he didn''t know how beautiful she actually was.


    "Well, we''re almost done drinking now. I will take you to see that boy," he said.


    "You go first. I want to eat some more. The dishes here taste so good." As he said this, Finley kept digging into the purple dish served in front of him.


    "The evil spirit has been practicing for so long so it tastes great," Akbar said lightly.


    "What did you say? Are you telling me that this is the flesh of that evil spirit?" Finley asked. He suddenly stopped eating.


    "That''s right. It''s delicious, isn''t it?"


    "Oh my God!"


    Finley''s face paled immediately. He turned his head to the side and began vomiting. Meanwhile, the expression on Darren''s face was the same as Finley''s. It seemed like he had also tried the dishes himself.


    "What''s happening?" Aa


    that?


    If you ever get unlucky and die, I''ll bring your body back and bury it. We''re buddies after all. So now, just go," Akbar said.


    "Really? You''re too good to me."


    "One month is enough. I won''t let you stay any longer."


    "Fine then. I get your point. A comfortable environment won''t turn me into a master." Darren had undergone a lot and had grown a lot as well. So, he knew what Akbar was talking about.


    "That''s right." Akbar nodded and then muttered to himself, "If I let you stay here, I might get myself in trouble as well." Darren was a Defiant Master. He also had an amazing weapon in his pocket. If people learned that he was here, they would have to deal with a lot of enemies here soon.


    Half a month passed by.


    "Sir, I''ve searched through this low-level warrior''s memories. That Defiant Master has headed to the Ninth Precipitous Mountain!" It took Davis half a month to gather this information.


    "Do you know which route he took?


    There are three ways to get to the Ninth Precipitous Mountain."


    "I don''t know, sir. He''s just a lackey so he doesn''t know much about it."


    "Humph. Go back then and summon our clan''s top warriors. We''ll split up and catch that bastard."


    "Ancestor, should we let the others know that we''re going to capture the Defiant Master?"


    "Just tell them that we''re going to catch a traitor. You don''t have to worry about anything else. I''ll try finding him from a different route."


    "Copy that."


    In an instant, Caleb transported himself to the route that Darren had most likely used.


    He began to fly as fast as he could manage. In his head, he knew that if the Defiant Master successfully went into the Ninth Precipitous Mountain, even he wouldn''t dare go directly into it to capture him.

 Chapter 1232 The Beauty Of Lindsay

    Darren had been immersed in his cultivation these past few days. The few Realm-upgrading Elixirs given to him by Akbar had proved effective.


    It was beyond Darren''s expectation that he would break through to a new level after he consumed the elixirs! Now, he had reached the upper-level of the Domain God Realm and felt that he was not far from the top-level of the Domain God Realm.


    Excitement coursed through Darren, so much so that he felt restless.


    It had just been about ten years since he entered the Primitive Wilderness. But, he had reached the upper-level of the Domain God Realm, and his strength was comparable to that of a warrior at the upper-level of the Star God Realm!


    Over the past tens of thousands of years, no one had improved faster except the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Of course, those Realm-upgrading Elixirs had contributed significantly to Darren''s quick breakthrough.


    After the upgrade in his realm, Darren went in search of Akbar.


    "Akbar, give me the remaining Realm-upgrading Elixirs," Darren asked straightforwardly.


    "What?" Akbar stared at Darren in disbelief. "Do you think they are sweets that you can have whenever you want? Be content with what I gave you, and don''t be greedy. Even I don''t consume them the way you have."


    "So, you don''t want to give them to me? Well, since you are mean, don''t blame me for being mean later." Darren grinned as he teased Akbar.


    "I''m not mean. I have only one left. As I have already given you several, this one is for my use.


    How about this? I''ll give you the formula for the Realm-upgrading Elixir. If you have the chance to visit the Immortal Land and get some herbs there, you can refine them yourself," Akbar said with a serious expression.


    "But, I don''t know how to refine elixirs," Darren replied with a shrug.


    With a wave of his hand, Akbar drew a small tripod from his pocket and tossed it in Darren''s direction. "Put the ingredients in it, and you can make pills in three days. Since it''s not a complicated process, you won''t spend much time on it. Ha-ha. Am I generous?"


    "Yes, absolutely! Thank you. Ha-ha." Darren''s eyes shone with excitement as he held the tripod.


    "You''re going to the Ninth Precipitous Mountain in a few days. Although you are strong, I''m afraid that you''


    ng to kill me. A beauty is trying to kill me,"


    Finley shouted after he snapped out of his daze. Although he was being chased and beaten, he didn''t feel embarrassed or resentful. Instead, he felt sweet.


    When Finley returned with Lindsay right behind him, everyone was stunned to see her.


    Even Darren was startled. Lindsay''s beauty was astonishing. In fact, she was more beautiful than the immortal!


    "Lindsay is really a beauty!" Darren laughed after he recovered from his shock.


    "Well, now you know how beautiful I am. Humph! From now on, I''ll show up in front of you every day, so that you can see me but can''t touch me. I''m going to piss you off!"


    "What?"


    Darren and others were taken aback by what she said.


    What was she talking about? They felt that her otherworldly aura had suddenly disappeared.


    "Lindsay, you can just be around me from now on." Finley waved his fan and said gently, like a well-educated man.


    Darren cast a scornful glance at Finley. "Oh, my God! You have a crush on her!"


    "Darren, everyone knows that I''m a gentleman. Don''t ridicule me."


    "I feel sick," Lindsay pretended to be sickened and said. "You''d better not act like a gentleman. It''s disgusting."


    "Is it?" Finley blinked rapidly. He thought he was charming.


    "You''re revolting! Fuck off! Stay away from me!" This time, it was Lindsay who got goose bumps.


    "Come on, guys. Let it go. Now that we are all here, let''s move."


    "Yes, sir."


    Darren led his companions and asked Akbar to send them out.

 Chapter 1233 An Encounter

    Akbar hurriedly sent Darren and the others outside.


    "Please take care of Aaron for me, sir." Darren spoke with more respect and sincerity than usual as he addressed Akbar.


    "Rest assured that I''ll take good care of my dear disciple," Akbar said as he patted him on the shoulder.


    "Thank you very much. We shall now take our leave." Darren then cupped his hands together to salute him. Soon, he and his companions left.


    It took them three days to get out of the swamp. Along the way, they had encountered a couple of beasts which Darren had easily dealt with.


    "There''s nothing in our way now, sir. We can start moving faster."


    "Well, it will be great if we get there as soon as possible, or else we''ll be in trouble if the Xiling Clan catches up with us."


    Hence, they all accelerated their flying. In a blink of an eye, another month had passed by.


    Finally, they landed on a deserted mountain for a rest.


    One by one, they landed.


    But hardly an hour had gone by when a grey figure suddenly showed up in midair. Then more grey figures began appearing above them until Darren and his companions found themselves surrounded.


    "Let''s go down and investigate!"


    The grey figures began descending all at once until they now stood in front of Darren and his group.


    "Who are you?" the late comer asked menacingly.


    "Shut up! Who the hell are you? How dare you threaten my master like that? Fuck off before it''s too late!" Jefferson stepped forward and stood between Darren and the mysterious intruders.


    "You?" The man frowned and looked at Jefferson. His eyes scanned him from head to toe several times before he turned to his companions. "I know him. He used to be one of the leaders of the gangsters in the jungle. He had worked with our youngest master, Burke."


    "Great! He''s exactly whom Master Davis is looking for. Let''s take them all. If anyone tries to resist, just kill them!"


    It was then that Darren realized that the intruders were warriors of the Xiling Clan.


    He scanned the group on the other side and noted that there were about two hundred warriors. The weakest seemed to be at the low-level of the Star God Realm, while the strongest was at the top-level of the Star God Realm.


    "Sir, we have to move fast. Davis'' avatar isn''t with them so now''s our chance," Wilson suggested.


    "Follow my orders. Go and kill them all!"


    Darren shouted at his people, who immediately rushed towards their enemies. Jefferson swung his battle axe mightily over two enemies. A thunderbolt burst out so suddenly. In a blink of an eye, he had successfully chopped of their heads. Meanwhile, Duke didn''t even have to think twice on using his Primeval Bloodline as he rushed towards their strongest enemy.


    In the midst o


    His roar was deafening.


    Meanwhile, his aura burst out and instantly suppressed Duke.


    Upon sensing danger, Darren tried to finish off the three cultivators as fast as he could.


    With his black god''s power, it didn''t take long for the three cultivators to succumb to his power.


    Desperation had finally taken hold of them.


    They had no strength left to resist the incoming blow.


    With the flash and glint of cold steel, three heads flew in the air and landed with consecutive dull thuds.


    "Assimilate."


    Darren released his power and began assimilating the three cultivators'' talents.


    He also assimilated the talents of the ones who were killed before.


    Countless balls of light began to rush towards Darren. They sank inside his head and disappeared into the black space.


    When all that were done, he didn''t rush towards Duke to help him out. At this point, he felt that he still couldn''t take on the cultivator at the top-level of the Star God Realm. He had to wait until he could simply sneak an attack on his enemy as soon as both sides showed any signs of weakness.


    He finally descended from the sky and stood beside Finley and the others.


    "Lindsay, prepare to call Carlisle. Duke''s life might be in danger now," Darren said.


    Due to their fiend characteristics, Carlisle and the others were currently cultivating in Lindsay''s space.


    "We should probably wait for the right moment. They have fiendish aura in them. If they ever fall in the hands of a powerful reclusive cultivator, they could get killed. Therefore, I don''t think it''s a good idea to call them out now," Lindsay explained.


    "I see. Let''s wait for a moment." Darren returned his attention back to the sky where the battle continued.


    Soon, Duke wouldn''t be able to hold out on Pollard''s fierce attacks. He would eventually lose.

 Chapter 1234 Dukes Evolution

    Duke''s primeval aura was going haywire. His huge body was littered with horrible scars.


    His strength now was no match for Pollard''s. Duke only reached the middle-level of the Star God Realm, but Pollard had reached the top level of the Star God Realm.


    "Sir, I''m afraid that Duke will die if we don''t help him soon."


    "I agree, sir. Please send him help."


    Upon seeing Duke''s condition, the others couldn''t help but be worried about him.


    "Lindsay, bring them out," Darren said decisively.


    "Alright. But you should be careful too. Pollard has finally gone crazy." Nodding her head, Lindsay sent a message to Carlisle and his companions.


    A few moments later, Carlisle and two other people appeared.


    "Sir, let''s sneak behind Pollard and attack him then. We''ll surely wound him with one blow,"


    Darren said after briefly explaining Duke''s situation to the newcomers.


    "Very well. We''ll do our best. Let''s go."


    With that, Darren and the others concealed their aura and slowly approached the battlefield.


    Meanwhile, Duke roared furiously.


    He hurled his huge body towards Pollard.


    Pollard''s strength had increased by more than thirty percent because of using a special belligerence skill. This had pushed him to the peak of his power.


    However, this special belligerence skill wouldn''t last long. As soon as his bloodline burnt out, he would die.


    As the battle between the two raged on, Darren and the others had reached the edge of the battlefield.


    "Kill!"


    Darren shouted. He was first as they rushed in. Soon, he was overtaken by three people. They now stood in front of him to protect him.


    The earth shook as several god''s powers were unleashed. All of them directed straight towards Pollard.


    These were followed by loud explosions.


    "What?"


    Pollard was fuming. He turned around. His blood red belligerence surged around him.


    "Duke, attack him with all your might!"


    Darren yelled at Duke with his spiritual sense.


    The distraction gave Duke the opportunity to launch his attack on Pollard while the latter was too focused on Darren and his companions.


    Duke roared violently.


    His huge body fell, releasing great pressure.


    Since Pollard was attacked front and rear, he had no choice but to use his right hand to punch Duke.


    The impact echoed loudly.


    The god''s power had broken Pollard''s arm as soon as he had hit Duke. Meanwhile, his punch had left a huge hole on Duke''s abd


    and innocently on the soil.


    "What is it, Otis?" Darren asked.


    "Ha-ha. If all go well, you might harvest a Primeval Python Dragon."


    "What do you mean?" Darren asked, confused.


    "Do you not know? Your believer, who has the Primeval Bloodline, is not dead. In fact, he is going to evolve soon."


    "What?" Darren was delighted to hear the news, but he couldn''t help but ask, "What''s a Primeval Python Dragon? Is it powerful?"


    "Of course it''s powerful. The Primeval Python Dragon is the highest form of the primeval snake race. When it grows up, it will be more powerful than a superior god. It might even defeat a deputy god!" Otis explained.


    "Wow! That''s great," Wilson exclaimed excitedly.


    "You''re truly blessed, sir. Duke didn''t die this time. What''s more, he has even evolved," Jefferson said, smiling.


    Darren nodded slowly. "I don''t care about being blessed. I''m just glad that he is alive," he said.


    "You are truly kind, sir."


    With that, Darren and the others decided to wait a few days for the egg to hatch. After ten days had passed, the egg shook minutely until the shell began to crack and shatter.


    A little head poked out of the broken egg. It looked at the world with curious eyes.


    "Duke, do you recognize us?" Darren couldn''t contain his happiness upon seeing Duke come back to life.


    "Master," the newborn dragon-shaped Duke called out. His voice sounded childish and small.


    "Ha-ha." Everyone smiled in delight.


    "Oh, so cute! Such a lovely snake. Now, come here and let me hug you!" Lindsay couldn''t contain herself upon seeing Duke''s new appearance. She found it adorable.

 Chapter 1235 Disciples Of Starry Sword Region

    Finley, on the other hand, looked at the small dragon with jealousy. He walked towards Lindsay and said, "Don''t be fooled by his innocent appearance. He is not as naive as you think. Be careful. He might try to take advantage of you."


    "It''s none of your business. I''m willing to be taken advantage of. What is it to you?" Lindsay held the little dragon-shaped Duke in her arms, snuggling him close to her and brushing his head with her cheek. Finley''s heart cracked at the sight.


    Finley had nothing else to say but glare at Duke.


    "Well, it''s time for us to get up. We should continue our journey," Darren said.


    There were only a dozen people left after the fight, and most of the cultivators at the low-level of the Star God Realm had been killed during the battle.


    A hundred thousand kilometers away, Caleb was alone, searching for Darren amongst the waves of the rolling sea.


    However, news reached him that Darren did not choose to take that route.


    "Humph! How dare you kill the child of my clan?! I guarantee you, you will pay for your crime!" Caleb''s eyes were murderous, and his expression was ice-cold.


    He immediately changed his course, desperate to find Darren right away.


    In the month that followed, Darren and his companions journeyed on without any breaks or pauses. They hadn''t encountered any major obstacles, so they were quite relaxed.


    "Sir, after we walk through this wild forest, we will reach the Ninth Precipitous Mountain."


    At the present time, they were passing through an ancient forest.


    "Well, let''s speed up and try to get there as soon as possible. We do not want to risk another run-in with the members of the Xiling Clan."


    "Okay."


    Howl! Howl! Howl!


    Just then, they heard several frightening roars. They did not seem to be very far away, and everyone suddenly felt on edge.


    "Just ignore them," Darren said, motioning for the others to move on.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a figure crashed into the ground in front of Darren.


    Darren frowned and stepped forward to check who it was. It was a young man soaked in blood. His robes were tattered and there was a large star emblazoned on the cloth.


    "It''s... This is..." Wilson was shocked. He could not form proper sentences, and his face was deathly pale.


    "Do you know him?" Darren asked, looking at Wilson.


    "No, I do not, but the symbol on his robe... It tells me that he is a disciple of the Starry Sword Region," Wilson replied.


    "Is he?" Darren looked at the


    d him before!"


    the onlookers exclaimed in amazement.


    Darren landed beside the girl and pulled her up by her hand.


    "Are you all right?" Darren asked lightly.


    "I''m fine. Who are you?" the girl asked coldly.


    "I''m supposed to be your future junior fellow apprentice," Darren said, showing her the Starry Tower.


    "Oh!" The girl was surprised. "You are a disciple of the Lord Starry Sword. My name is Freda You. Please accept my greetings!" She bowed to Darren respectfully.


    Darren laughed. "I just told you that I haven''t officially joined the sect. You don''t have to do that."


    "Uh..." Freda You was speechless for a moment. She nodded absentmindedly as her eyes turned toward the beast''s remains. Her eyes suddenly lit up. She flew over and picked something up.


    "This is a divine pattern fragment. It''s your fellow who killed the beast. It''s yours."


    In spite of her words, Darren could see both eagerness and reluctance in her eyes. He shook his head and gave her a smile.


    "Keep it. You guys came all the way here and have sacrificed so much for it. It''s yours. I won''t take it."


    Freda You was a little stunned. "Are you sure about it? This is a level-four divine pattern fragment!"


    Upon hearing her words, some of Darren''s fellows from behind were moved.


    The divine pattern fragment was extremely rare and precious. Even a level-three divine pattern fragment was enough to drive people crazy. A level-four divine pattern fragment was truly remarkable. It was enough to arouse the interest of a cultivator at the Celestial God Realm.


    However, Darren did not seem to be interested in it. They all waited for his reply.

 Chapter 1236 The Branch

    Darren glanced at the strange lightning that flashed across the surface of the fragment in Freda''s hand. Everything about the fragment gave him the impression that it was extraordinary.


    "Yes." Darren waved his hand and continued, "Just keep it. There''s no need to say anything more."


    "Thank you, Darren." Freda didn''t persist, either. She had been tasked with fetching the divine pattern fragments, and she would be punished if she failed.


    "Your name is Freda, right?"


    Darren asked. Now that they had tidied up, the group could afford to rest for a short while.


    "Yes."


    "Why are you in the Tussle Region?" Darren asked.


    "Well, our Starry Sword Sect has branches in every region, including the Tussle Region," Freda explained with a shrug.


    "Oh, I see." Darren nodded thoughtfully. He glanced at Freda as he asked, "Can I join your branch before I officially become a member of the Starry Sword Sect?"


    "Of course! My father is the branch leader. He will be thrilled to learn of the arrival of a nominal disciple of Lord Starry Sword. Shall I take you to him?" Freda flashed him a brilliant grin.


    "Well, then, please lead the way," Darren said as he cupped his hands.


    "Follow me."


    They traveled for five days and five nights. Finally, they reached the mountain where the Starry Sword Sect''s branch was located.


    "Forgive my curiosity, but might I ask why you didn''t go to the Starry Sword Region? Why did you come to the Tussle Region?"


    Freda blushed as she questioned. She couldn''t suppress her curiosity any longer. She wasn''t suspicious of Darren''s identity as she knew that no one could play tricks with the Starry Tower.


    "It''s a long story. Essentially, I came here to escape my pursuers.


    How far is the Ninth Precipitous Mountain from the branch?" Darren was straightforward.


    "Oh, it''s not far. We are actually right at the edge of the Ninth Precipitous Mountain. It takes about a day to reach it. But, you can''t go there as it is overflowing with bandits. You can''t afford to provoke them," Freda warned.


    "I did intend to hide in the Ninth Precipitous Mountain. But now that I am about to join your branch, I don''t have to," Darren smiled warmly as he replied.


    nth Precipitous Mountain is so desolate. I want to return to my hometown and live with my parents," Murphy sighed.


    Darren smiled. He understood that Murphy was so hospitable to him because he had an ulterior motive. He hoped that Darren could help him leave the Tussle Region one day.


    "Don''t worry. After I formally acknowledge Lord Starry Sword as my master, I will beg him to transfer you back to the Starry Sword Region."


    "Thank you." Murphy cupped his hands respectfully as joy coursed through him.


    They chatted and drank happily in the pavilion for a long time.


    "Darren, how did you win recognition from Lord Starry Sword in the mortal world?" Murphy asked. He had always had great respect for Lord Starry Sword and enjoyed hearing anecdotes about him.


    Darren had nothing to hide, and so, he began to share how he had entered the Starry Tower.


    "Did Lord Starry Sword ask you to join his army to fight against the fiends?"


    "Yes. He said that after he fought me with one move. I was still weak at that time, but he saw potential."


    "What a great honor! Since he spoke highly of you, you will have a bright future. I''m certain that you''ll reach the Superior God Realm one day. Your prospects are enviable. Come on. Let''s drink to your future." Murphy raised his cup and swallowed its contents in one gulp.


    "Step out, Darren, you son of a bitch! How dare you kill the young master of our clan?"


    A loud voice suddenly echoed through the branch.

 Chapter 1237 The Duel

    Murphy narrowed his eyes. The sword intent flashed in his eyes.


    "Darren, is this one from the Xiling Clan?"


    "I think so. Who else would hunt me across thousands of kilometers away?" Darren replied. His face darkened at the thought.


    "Humph! How dare he run around our sect so boldly? Come with me. I''ll take his head for you!" Murphy exclaimed. The aura around him gradually changed. Darren could feel the intense murderous intent from him, and it scared him a bit.


    With that, both of them flew out of the sect.


    Their robes rustled in the air as they cruised along the wind.


    Above the mountains, an old man with white hair floated. He had an arrogant face as he looked down below.


    "Identify yourself! How dare you come here and run around wildly in our sect!" Murphy shouted.


    He flew up to the sky and stopped midair. He was like a divine sword as he floated above. His formidable figure commanded attention and awe from everyone who was looking.


    "Are you the leader of the Starry Sword Sect''s branch, Murphy You?"


    "Yes, I am. Now that you know who I am, get out of my sight!" Murphy shouted coldly.


    "I respect you, Murphy. But it is only because you are connected to the Starry Sword Sect. Other than that, you are nothing but dirt on the bottom of my shoe.


    Now, cut that crap. Just hand over Darren Chu and everything will be fine. Your relationship with the Starry Sword Sect doesn''t matter in the Tussle Region. Believe me, you don''t want to be in my way!" Caleb''s face was cold and impassive as he said this. It seemed like he wasn''t afraid of Murphy at all.


    "You son of a bitch! How dare you offend the disciple of Lord Starry Sword? I''ll take your head for that!"


    Murphy was getting tired of all these talks. He clenched his hands tightly around his sword. Its blade gleamed with a faint red glow.


    "Don''t be so arrogant, Murphy! I won''t allow you to kill my friend!" a voice rang out.


    Suddenly a dreadful pressure swooped down on them. A man slowly walked out from the void. He was dressed in a royal robe with an embroidered dragon on it.


    Murphy felt his heart skip a beat upon seeing the man.


    "Why is he here?"


    "Sir, who is this man?" Darren could also feel the man''s intense power. It reminded him of Lord Akbar.


    "He''s one of the three kings in the Ninth Precipitous Mountain. He''s known as King Winfred. His strength is almost similar to th


    Feng''s orders?" Caleb said lightly.


    "Well, let me be blunt with you. I respect the Lord Starry Sword as much as I respect Mr. Feng. Now that they are both involved, I won''t interfere in this. You can handles things between yourselves. But if you have something else that needs my help, I will do my best."


    Caleb''s face turned somber and grave upon hearing this. He thought that King Winfred would be on his side when he mentioned Mr. Feng. He didn''t expect him to retreat shamelessly and stay out of the matter.


    Darren was protected by a swordsman at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. If King Winfred didn''t make a move now, Caleb would never have a chance of defeating Darren.


    "Haha, Caleb. If you have any grudge against this young man, I propose it''s time that you personally have a duel with him. I and Murphy wouldn''t interfere so that everything will remain fair," King Winfred said out loud.


    He didn''t want to get caught up with the affair, but he couldn''t wriggle his way out of it either. It might be a bad idea, but this was the only way he could watch the two parties fight without getting involved.


    "Are you trying to stand up against the Lord Starry Sword, King Winfred? Darren is only in the Domain God Realm. Do you really want him to have a duel with this old guy? Meanwhile, you asked me not to intervene. Is that even possible?" Murphy sneered.


    "Does it even matter, Murphy? I''m now officially proposing a duel between Darren and Caleb. It''s a battle to the death.


    Don''t forget that I have a divine weapon. Realm-equalizing Arena!" King Winfred said.

 Chapter 1238 Agreed

    When King Winfred proposed that Darren and Caleb duel, Murphy objected, for he knew that Darren would be killed.


    However, when King Winfred told him that he had a unique divine weapon called the "Realm-equalizing Arena," Murphy''s concerns subsided.


    "Darren, what do you think?" asked Murphy.


    "What is the Realm-equalizing Arena?" Darren''s curiosity had been piqued, and he wanted to know more about this weapon before deciding.


    "It''s simple. As its name implies, once two opponents step in the arena, their realms will become the same," Murphy explained as he knew something about this divine weapon.


    "Yes, you are right. A big force specially used this weapon to solve conflicts a long time ago," King Winfred added.


    "If that''s the case, then let''s fight to the death." Darren shot a cold gaze at Caleb. He wasn''t afraid of anyone.


    "Don''t play these tricks. Just come with me obediently." To everyone''s surprise, Caleb wasn''t interested.


    "Ha-ha!" Murphy laughed contemptuously. "Old bastard, are you afraid?"


    "Who do you think you are, Murphy? I''m a dignified person. Wouldn''t I be degrading myself by fighting this guy? Humph!" Caleb''s face darkened.


    "Old bastard, if that is what you think, how about I duel you? Will you still take advantage of your seniority and back off?"


    Murphy was the leader of a branch of the Starry Sword Sect. He was not inferior to Caleb in terms of status. After all, the force behind Caleb was just a clan.


    "Murphy, if you continue to mess around, I will kill Darren right here. Do you think you can stop me?" Caleb''s face darkened even more as he threatened Murphy.


    "You can try,"


    Murphy replied with a condescending smirk and was about to make a move.


    At this time, Darren raised a hand to stop the exchange between the two seniors. He glared at Caleb and said, "You''ve been a martial arts practitioner for so many years, and the people you''ve battled must have been a lot stronger than me. So, why is it that you don''t dare to duel with me? You are such a coward. If the younger members of your clan learn about this, they will laugh at you. Aren''t you worried about being mocked?"


    "Bullshit!" Caleb became furious. "If I want to kill you, it''ll be as easy as squashing a dog. Why should I give you a cha


    the Tussle Region. But, that will be an astronomical figure that few people can get.


    But then again, a person who has that many killing points would have the strength to enter and exit the region at will," explained Murphy.


    "Killing points sound useful, indeed. Besides, I heard that they could be used to exchange items. Is that true?"


    "Yes, they can be traded for anything, including the divine pattern fragments."


    "I see. It seems that I have to collect more killing points in the future." Darren had heard about killing points when he first came to the Tussle Region, but he didn''t pay much attention.


    "Maxwell, you know that I never gamble. You''d better find someone else," King Winfred refused with a frown.


    "Tsk, Tsk. You are so cowardly. Okay, I''d better find the other old guys. I''ll make a fortune this time," the Gambling King appeared excited as he muttered.


    "Please wait a moment, sir. About the bet that you mentioned, can you tell me how would you like to proceed?"


    Darren asked. His sudden question made everyone, including Murphy, who was beside him, look at him strangely.


    The Gambling King turned and looked at Darren with interest. He said with a faint smile, "Young man, do you enjoy gambling as well? Would you like to bet in this game? It''s a pity that you are one of the battling opponents in the duel. I believe that means you cannot bet."


    "Even though I can''t join, that doesn''t mean that Master Murphy can''t bet. Can you tell us the rules, please?" Darren smiled.

 Chapter 1239 A Bet

    "You aroused my curiosity, boy. I don''t want you to die." The Gambling King''s eyes lit up. He cocked his head to the side and continued, "I''ll take care of this round. I''m offering odds of one to ten for you, and one to one for that old man." The Gambling King''s rules were always simple.


    "Well, sir, it seems as though you don''t have confidence in me. Is that why you make such an offer?" Darren furrowed his brows and questioned.


    If the Gambling King were serious, upon winning, Darren''s ten thousand points would multiply to one hundred thousand.


    "With all due respect, you''re only at the middle-level of the Domain God Realm. How does that inspire confidence?" the Gambling King pointed out.


    "Darren, it appears as though he isn''t aware of your real strength," Murphy stated with a shake of his head.


    "No, he knows." Darren''s face fell. "I''m afraid I''m in trouble this time," he said to Murphy through his spiritual sense.


    "What? What do you mean?" Murphy was utterly confused.


    "Think about it. The Gambling King is addicted to gambling. He must have investigated both sides'' background thoroughly to calculate his odds of winning. I believe he already knows about my real strength," Darren explained.


    "Then why did he make such odds?" Murphy was unable to figure it out.


    "It''s simple. He deliberately created such high odds to encourage more people to bet. I speculate that he will make a plot to let Caleb win. In this way, he will make a good fortune here." Darren sighed somewhat worriedly.


    "Oh, now that makes sense. He bears no good intention toward you." Murphy''s eyes widened with surprise when he understood. He hurriedly suggested, "Let''s stop here. We will quit."


    "No, I won''t." Darren shook his head before he continued, "This is the only way to get rid of Caleb and not get others involved. I have no choice but to agree.


    As for the wager, as long as sufficient people bet on Caleb, the Gambling King won''t hurt me. In fact, he may even secretly help me," Darren speculated.


    "But the problem is that anyone who wants to participate will investigate Caleb and you. If that happens, most people will bet on you. After all, the strength you can display is a whole realm higher than your cultivation base level, and I don''t believe that Caleb could have accomplished that had he been in your shoes," Murphy analyzed.


    "Let''s not worry about all that. I think I know how to turn this around. Pe


    njured and might die. Then, people will bet on Caleb instead of on me," Darren replied calmly.


    "Darren, it''s not that easy. Gamblers are good at gathering information. They will investigate when they hear of your injury. If you''re feigning it, they will find out."


    "Who says that I will feign the injuries?" A fierce light flashed through Darren''s eyes.


    "What? Are you going to hurt yourself? Seriously?" This was beyond Murphy''s understanding. If Darren were severely injured half a month before the duel, how would he fight Caleb?


    Caleb was a powerful cultivator at the Celestial God Realm. Even when healthy and strong, Darren would find it challenging to defeat him.


    After all, the martial arts skills his opponent had mastered were much stronger than Darren''s.


    "Don''t worry. I have a plan," Darren said reassuringly.


    Soon, half a month went by.


    Because of the Gambling King''s reputation, tens of thousands of people had ventured to bet on Darren or Caleb.


    Darren''s name became well-known to many people in the Ninth Precipitous Mountain overnight.


    "Have you heard of this guy called Darren, who dares to duel with a cultivator at the Celestial God Realm?"


    "It''s hard to say. It''s said that he can kill someone whose cultivation level is higher than his. Besides, with the Realm-equalizing Arena, who knows what he''s capable of? Let''s wait and see!"


    "Don''t be naive. Have you ever seen anyone at the Domain God Realm who can kill someone at the Star God Realm? Perhaps, this is a deliberate plot set up by the Gambling King."


    Many people voiced varying opinions during their discussion.

 Chapter 1240 The Plan

    In the span of just half a month, the number of killing points that were bet on Darren''s victory in the duel had reached tens of millions. There were a number of people who wanted to place their bets, but since not everyone could afford the one million killing points, the Gambling King lowered the minimum bet to ten thousand killing points. This was the reason why so many people had joined in.


    "Darren, it''s been half a month, and the number of killing points that were put on you winning the fight has far surpassed that on Caleb. He is running on only a three million killing point bet on his victory," said Murphy worriedly.


    "There is no need to rush." Darren smiled and said, "Master Murphy, do you still have any killing points on you? If we bet more killing points, we could make a fortune."


    "Darren, don''t think too far ahead. Think about how to win the battle first." Murphy shook his head, trembling with a queasy feeling in his gut.


    "Don''t worry about it. I have the confidence to easily win that battle. At the very least, I can guarantee that the Gambling King won''t be able to play any tricks on me behind my back," Darren said boastfully.


    "So, what''s your plan? Now that the killing points bet on you winning the fight are many more than the bets on Caleb."


    If Darren managed to win this duel, the Gambling King would lose ten times the killing points people had put in on the bet! That was to say, unless the number of killing points bet on Caleb exceeded several hundred millions, the Gambling King would play tricks behind Darren''s back.


    "It''s not a big problem. If I get seriously injured, the people who placed bets on me will definitely be antsy about taking their money back, and thus increase the bet on Caleb."


    "What are you going to do about that?"


    "You''ll find out pretty soon."


    After Darren said this, he quickly soared off.


    Later, Darren found Lindsay and asked her to summon General Kerr.


    "Sir, what can I do for you?"


    "I have something very important that I need you to do," said Darren, very sternly as he gave Kerr the instructions.


    "Yes, sir!" Kerr nodded and took his leave.


    Darren then went to Murphy and asked, "Master Murphy, do you have many friends in the surrounding area?"


    "Why do you ask, Darren?"


    "I want to ask you to invite the warriors from the different forces to a banquet. Let''s enjoy ourselves for a change."


    "What the hell are you pulling here?"


    "Haha, let me tell you the truth. I''ve arranged for one of my subordinates to attack me and seriously injure me while everyone is enjoying themselves at the banquet." Murphy immediatel


    in the area.


    "Today I invited all of you here to introduce Darren. He is now a nominal disciple of our Lord Starry Sword in the Starry Sword Region. I only hope that if Darren unintentionally does anything that offends you in the future, please forgive him."


    He made up an excuse for holding the banquet, and it sounded reasonable.


    "Haha, since he is the nominal disciple of Lord Starry Sword, we will naturally be polite to him. Please rest assured, Master Murphy."


    "Don''t worry, Master Murphy. Of course we will be nice to him for yours and Lord Starry Sword''s sake."


    "Well, I don''t think that would be so necessary. Darren is set to duel some guy at the Celestial God Realm. I don''t think he''ll survive it."


    "Nonsense! I heard that Darren could kill someone a realm higher than him. Even if the opponent were a warrior at the top level of the Celestial God Realm, when he is degraded to be at the same level as Darren, they might lose to him, more so one at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm."


    People at the banquet started to have heated discussions on Darren''s strength and odds at winning the duel as soon as Murphy finished his words.


    "I happened to have bet on the old man named Caleb or something winning the duel. I think I can take this opportunity to attack this lad and test his real strength."


    Suddenly, someone soared through the air and landed right beside Darren.


    "Boy, it is said that you have the strength at the upper-level of the Star God Realm. I''m Donnelly Huang, let''s fight to see if you really have the strength everyone talks about," the boastful man sneered.


    "Trust me, you are not qualified to fight me. I''m afraid that one slap from me would be enough to kill you," spat Darren coldly.

 Chapter 1241 A Smart Ass

    Upon hearing what Darren had said, everyone at the banquet felt offended.


    This guy was simply too arrogant. He was challenged by a person from the upper-level of the Star God Realm, and yet he declared that he could defeat the person with a single hit. He was way over his head!


    At the moment, the thousands of warriors present saw him in a bad light.


    Meanwhile, his challenger''s face had paled visibly.


    "You''ll pay for that arrogance of yours, kid!"


    As the man said this, he threw a forceful punch directly at Darren. His fist glowed as it emanated a powerful god''s power.


    "Humph!"


    Darren snorted in contempt. He had already activated his black god''s power in secret. With his palm, he met the man''s attack midway through.


    The impact resulted to a loud sound.


    The man''s arm was left shattered by Darren''s black god''s power.


    It broke not because of Darren''s strength. It was because the black god''s power was almost impossible to block. Likewise, it could break through anyone''s defenses and take them by surprise.


    The force of the impact didn''t just break the man''s arm. It had also hurled him into the air. With just a single hit, he had almost died.


    Everyone fell silent upon seeing this display of power.


    "Indeed, this young man possesses exceptional abilities!"


    "Yes. It seems like he really has the strength of a warrior at the upper-level of the Star God Realm."


    "He''s a genius! An absolute genius!"


    It didn''t take long for the whole crowd to start buzzing with praises of Darren''s strength.


    Those who placed their bets on him were delighted to see his real strength. It seemed like they would be amassing great fortune this time.


    "I don''t believe it!" Suddenly, a voice cut through the palpable excitement in the crowd. It continued, "I think we''re all being fooled here. He and that guy are probably just faking it."


    "Really? Then tell us how they were acting," someone teased.


    "The answer is simple. This man had deliberately asked someone at the upper-level of the Star God Realm to fight him and lose to him. In this way, he''ll become famous. After all, is there anyone in this world who could defeat an opponent who is in a realm higher than them? This is why I don''t buy it."


    People began to discuss among themselves as soon as the stranger finished talking.


    "If you don''t believe it, then why not give it a try? Aren''t you also at the upper-level o


    d Realm."


    "A pity? It is actually a disaster! I''ve just spent half of my savings betting on him. I''m going to lose money this time."


    Upon seeing the severity of Darren''s injuries, everyone who had bet on him was completely disappointed. It was as if they were flung into a cliff.


    "What''s your point for saying this? Just hurry up and go to the Gambling King to place bets on that old guy. The more we bet on him, the less chances of losing money."


    "In your dreams. This guy, Darren, is doomed to die. Do you honestly think that the Gambling King is this stupid? Will he still let us bet?"


    "You''re right. He definitely won''t let us bet now."


    Of course, Darren was only pretending to be injured. However, he couldn''t help but feel a jolt in his heart upon hearing the discussion.


    Why hadn''t he thought of that? What if the Gambling King didn''t let anyone bet again?


    Now that he was seriously injured, the Gambling King would be collecting all of the bets of those people who placed them on Darren. Why else would he still let people bet on Caleb?


    ''Crap. I hadn''t anticipated that. This might just be a waste of time after all. If Kerr''s caught, he''ll definitely be killed.'' Darren smiled bitterly inside. In the end, he was just another smart ass.


    ''No, no, no. This should work this time! Even if the wager wouldn''t change, as long as the Gambling King knows I''m seriously injured, he wouldn''t need to plot against me behind my back. Besides, Caleb would let his guards down knowing that I''m out of commission for now. This would make it easier for me to win this fight, '' Darren thought.

 Chapter 1242 Comprehending The Sword Skill

    Darren was most concerned about Kerr getting caught by the Gambling King. If this happened, his chances for survival were slim to none.


    Seeing that Darren was badly injured, the people of the branch of the Starry Sword Sect immediately carried him back to the sect.


    In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.


    The news that Darren had been seriously injured spread around the circle of people who had placed bets with their killing points. Many people who had bet exorbitant sums on Darren regretted their decision to bet on him.


    "Darren, my father just came back. He''s in the secret room, and he is asking for you,"


    Freda said, jolting Darren from his trance.


    "Alright, take me there." Darren stood up and walked with Freda.


    After passing through a series of secret arrays, Darren found himself in a secret room underground.


    "Master Murphy, how did you get hurt?"


    Darren looked up and saw Murphy''s pale face. His aura was weak, and his body looked badly mangled. He had been injured badly.


    "Do not worry about me, I am fine. But your subordinate has been caught by the Gambling King." He let out an exasperated sigh, and his eyes looked weary.


    Darren frowned and his face darkened. "Caught? He did not kill him?"


    "How dare he kill a fiend by himself? Once any fiend is caught invading the territory of the human race, it must be reported to the Tussle Holy House. The senior leaders need to decide what course of action to take," said Murphy.


    "Why?"


    "Ha-ha." Murphy let out a bitter chuckle. "Darren, we humans in the Primitive Wilderness are mere slaves. We had supreme gods before who released us from our shackles with their magnificent power and strength. However, we no longer have any supreme gods. We have to live cautiously. We have to be careful about dealing with the other races. Once we violate any treaties, we are in danger of extinction."


    Darren felt anger bubble up within him and envelop his heart.


    "Are humans really so weak?" Darren''s voice was filled with fury and resentment.


    Suddenly, Murphy stood up and looked at Darren, his eyes as sharp as a sword. "There are many things you don''t understand, and you could not understand them even if you tried. One has to have enough strength to become all-powerful. We are all lion-hearted warriors. No man is willing to bow down to others. All the humans that have taken the insults and lived on deserve respect. I hope you c


    supreme martial skill was taught to him by the leader of the Cloud Forest Sect. In the Void Space, six sword-shaped steps lined up, beckoning Darren to ascend.


    Darren remembered that each step represented a level, and his soul being able to go up on one step meant that he was able to successfully comprehend the sword skill of that level.


    "I''ll get started. Once I master the supreme sword skill, I would not have any problem dealing with Caleb."


    Darren cleared his mind and concentrated his spiritual sense on cultivation.


    His soul wandered in front of the six steps. A moment later, he began to try stepping up the stairs.


    Boom!


    Darren''s soul throbbed as countless streaks of sword intent shot out toward him.


    His soul retreated quickly, but the sword intent chased him relentlessly. He could not escape it.


    "What?"


    Realizing that he couldn''t escape, Darren immediately activated the Sword God Character in his body and released his own sword intent. The sword intent transformed into countless divine swords and collided with the terrifying sword intent that came at him.


    However, Darren''s sword intent was much weaker. It collapsed instantly.


    Darren was surprised. His sword intent was defeated, which meant that his soul was in danger of getting pierced.


    Darren immediately activated his black god''s power to fight against the sword intent.


    However, the sword intent seemed to morph and increase in power¡ªjust enough to suppress his black god''s power.


    "Damn it!"


    In just a few moments, Darren''s soul would be pierced by the sword intent and it would dissolve into nothingness.

 Chapter 1243 Game Started

    "Something''s not right!"


    Darren suddenly realized that his train of thought was going in the wrong direction.


    He should comprehend and take control of the sword intent instead of facing it head on once his soul made its way up the stairs.


    Now that he''d tried to fight it with his god''s power, he only managed to agitate the sword intent further.


    Darren found himself in a critical life or death moment as he watched a tide of sword intents surge right at him.


    Something had to be done¡ªand quick. He closed his eyes to adjust his breath until he was completely relaxed, driving the impulse to resist the sword intent out of his mind.


    He decided to drop his defenses and allow himself to be attacked full-on.


    As the sword intents pierced against Darren''s soul one by one, it was like a wave of unbearable pain coursed through him.


    However, Darren didn''t move an inch. With his spiritual sense, he concentrated to observe the moving trajectory, strength, direction of the sword intents as they hit him.


    Suddenly, a bright idea came to him. The supposed random movements of the sword intent were slowly forming a pattern.


    Whoosh!


    Darren immediately brought out his own sword intent and imitated the trajectory of the terrifying attack raining on him.


    After feeling it out the first few times, he got into the motions and pushed onto following it thousands of more times.


    Darren''s sword intent quickly moved in tune with the complex trajectory.


    Suddenly, the malicious aura slowly encroaching on his soul retracted, and little by little, it gathered into Darren''s sword intent instead.


    "It''s starting to fuse!"


    Darren was delighted to find that the fearsome sword intents were now completely fused with his own.


    Once it was finished, the merged sword intent was compressed into Darren''s Sword God Character.


    Darren''s soul took advantage of this opportunity and stepped forward towards the first step. He landed smoothly and without any hitches.


    Darren then woke from his soul state and found that his sword intent had been completely transformed.


    Until then, Darren had a very skilled command of the cultivation of this supreme martial skill. His way of cultivating this sword skill was quite different from other people, and it could only grow stronger now that the sword intents had fused.


    "Darren, you''re finally awake! You have no idea how horrible your aura was just now!"


    Darren opened his eyes to find Finley and Lindsay on the edge of hysterics.


    "It''s okay. I was comprehending the sword skill just now."


    "Did you make it? Have you improved your strength again?"


    "I guess it''s increased a


    hat they had stepped into this Realm-equalizing Arena, the cultivation base of Caleb was decreased to the same level of Darren. That was to say, he was also at the upper-level of the Domain God Realm now.


    "Humph, don''t get carried away. I''ll show you the mettle of a Celestial God Realm cultivator!!"


    Boom!


    The entire arena began to shake as Caleb stretched out his hands and hit Darren.


    "Oh my God!"


    The onlookers exclaimed.


    Even though the first attack Caleb made looked ordinary, it contained the essence of tens of thousands of moves. With a single blow, any cultivator at the top level of the Star God Realm would have perished.


    "This young man was set to die anyway, whether he was injured or not!"


    "Alas, I can''t even watch! It''s such a pity that such a talented cultivator dies like this."


    "Pity for what? Only those who survive can be called geniuses. If he is killed by one move, there is nothing to pity except for how weak he is!"


    Everyone thought Darren was doomed to die, with no hope left.


    Not far away, the Gambling King wore a sly smirk on his face. He had no doubts that he would be taking all these killing points home with him. He had planned to help Caleb whenever necessary as an added precaution. But now it seemed that he didn''t need to worry about anything anymore.


    "Go to hell!"


    From beneath Darren''s robe rushed a strong sword intent.


    Simultaneously, he let out his black god''s power, which transformed into a ferocious dragon shadow and rushed toward Caleb.


    "Humph! Don''t be so naive! My defense is not something you can break so easily."


    Caleb had nothing to fear. Although his realm was lowered, his body remained the same as before. He still maintained at least 30 percent of his defense powers.

 Chapter 1244 A Fair Competition

    Several sword intents surged toward Caleb.


    Bang!


    Confident of his physical defense, Caleb used his palm to defend against the incoming attack.


    "What?" However, a sharp pain radiated from his palm the moment it touched the sword intent. The agony he felt was so intense that his face paled.


    The pain didn''t stop there. Instead, it ran up his arm and spread to his shoulder.


    In the next moment, he couldn''t see clearly as a mist of blood hindered his vision.


    "What?!"


    "What happened?"


    "The old man''s arm has been severely injured!"


    The audience burst into an uproar. Caleb''s mighty palm had failed to defend against Darren''s sword intent! And if that wasn''t shocking enough, the damage to Caleb was bewildering as well!


    Although they had witnessed it, the audience couldn''t believe it. After all, the young man was just a cultivator at the upper-level of the Domain God Realm. How could he have such powerful sword intent?


    An expression of shock replaced the smile on both the Gambling King''s and King Winfred''s faces. They never thought that Darren could display such a strong sword intent.


    "That brat has hidden something from us. He not only has secret skills, but he also pretended to be injured. We''ve been tricked." By then, the Gambling King also realized that contrary to the rumor, Darren had not been injured.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The crowd was still trying to process what had happened when Darren''s god''s power surged in the arena.


    The black god''s power condensed into several flying dragons, which attacked Caleb. A few moments later, Caleb''s body was riddled with holes!


    Panic and a sense of foreboding enclosed Caleb in their icy grip.


    He had trusted his strong physical defense, but it was worthless in front of Darren''s god''s power.


    Darren, on the other hand, remained expressionless. He knew that his black god''s power could penetrate people''s bodies, and so, he was expecting this result. Besides, the new sword intent he had just comprehended had the same effect, albeit less powerful than his black god''s power. However, after the merge, the sword intent improved, which allowed him to break Caleb''s defense.


    "Well, are you still so sure that you can defeat me?" Caleb shuddered as Darren looked at him emotionlessly.


    Meanwhile, the Gambling King appeared livid. He balled his hands into fists at the thought of the several hundred million killing points he would lose if Darren won. Even though he was rich enough to a


    rther no matter how much you cultivate."


    Everyone knew that faith was integral to success in cultivation. If a cultivator lost his faith at a critical moment, it would be impossible for him to break through.


    Although Caleb appeared arrogant now, inwardly, he was panic-stricken.


    First, Darren had severely injured him in a few moves. For Caleb, who was at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm, he would rather die than be humiliated. His defeat had already caused a fatal setback in his desire to pursue martial arts.


    Secondly, with Caleb''s cultivation base and insight, he perceived that someone was deliberately helping him, which was why he suddenly became stronger. And, he knew it was the Gambling King. His faith shattered when he discerned that he could only defeat a young man at the Domain God Realm with others'' help.


    Darren''s words echoed what Caleb already knew. Even if he could win today, he had lost the most essential thing in his pursuit of martial arts.


    Caleb felt as though he could hear nothing but the pounding of his heart.


    "Boy, I''m going to have a fair competition with you." After taking several deep breaths, Caleb calmed down enough to make this declaration. He had been obsessed with enhancing his cultivation level all his life, and he would never allow anyone to ruin it. He decided to reject the power no matter who imposed it on him.


    "If you do, I promise that I will not kill you even if you lose," Darren reassured.


    "Ha-ha. You will not win!"


    As he spoke, Caleb trembled and forcefully dispelled the power within him. A stream of golden air spurted forward, and his aura returned to normal.

 Chapter 1245 Comprehending In A Dangerous Situation

    "Good. Let''s see what tricks you have." Now that Caleb had dispelled the power, Darren was less anxious as the fight would be fair.


    However, the situation upset the Gambling King. He frowned and muttered, "Damn it! That old guy has dissipated my god''s power!"


    In doing so, he had increased the chances that the Gambling King would lose. He was furious at the prospect of having to surrender hundreds of millions of killing points if Darren won.


    "Please calm down, Maxwell!" At this time, King Winfred turned and smiled at him.


    "What?"


    "If I want a share of your profit, I have to contribute, right?"


    The Gambling King stared at King Winfred for a while as he tried to figure out his intended meaning. Finally, he laughed and said, "You are so smart. You are also a hypocrite who likes money as much as you value your life."


    "Yes, if you say so. I''m determined to get my share of these killing points."


    "Okay." The Gambling King nodded before he continued, "I appreciate the thought. So, tell me, what are you going to do?"


    "It''s easy. Since this is my arena, it''s easy for me to help Caleb enhance his level without others finding out." That said, King Winfred swept his gaze across the arena.


    "How is that possible? Your divine weapon has the powerful Balance Law." The Gambling King knew enough about this divine weapon and what it could do. He was also aware of the power of the Balance Law. Other people couldn''t change the rule that governed it.


    "Ha-ha, I learned a lot in the years that I have controlled it. If I can''t make this little change, wouldn''t I be a loser? Don''t worry. I am certain that I can help Caleb to enhance his realm to the top level of the Domain God Realm. In this way, it will be hard for him to lose."


    "Well, it would appear as though you control everything today¡ªthe arena, the outcome of the bet, and both of our futures. If you fail, I won''t be merciful."


    On the arena, Darren and Caleb were ready to fight.


    "You start!" Darren graciously offered.


    "Humph!" Caleb folded his palms before his chest and mumbled something. Then blood spurted out of his mouth and stained his whole body red.


    "The Blood Sacrificing Belligerence?"


    Darren had seen such a state on a disciple of the Xiling Clan called Pollard.


    "That is correct. You are the first one to force me to use our clan''s unique skill," Caleb said calmly. Confidence was written all over his face as if he had


    A moment later, Darren felt as though the sword intent was too complicated. He had no idea where to even begin.


    "Was I wrong to choose to comprehend it?" Darren''s resolution began to shake.


    "No, this is my only chance!" Although self-doubt flashed through his mind, he shook off the negative thoughts and concentrated on comprehending the sword intent again.


    In reality, Darren was severely injured from Caleb''s repeat attacks. As a result, he became weaker and weaker.


    At best, Darren could hold out for another fifteen minutes. After that time, he would be defeated.


    "Boy, why don''t you beg for mercy?" At this moment, Caleb was confident that Darren posed no threat to him and he would surely win the duel.


    Darren''s face was as cold as ice, and he remained silent. He was so emotionless that he resembled a man made of metal.


    "Humph! Don''t worry. I won''t kill you because you are a Defiant Master. I will force you to submit to me and be my slave forever."


    At this time, Caleb put his guard down and stopped attacking Darren cruelly.


    ''I understand now!''


    Darren, who had been immersed in comprehending the sword intent, seemed to have made some progress.


    ''Ha-ha! It turns out that I have to run the sword intent from the first step in reverse, and then alternate between regular and reverse use...''


    Having stumbled across this realization, Darren released his own sword intent and practiced according to the trajectories he had figured out.


    Once, twice...


    After practicing dozens of times, Darren successfully infused the sword intent of the second step into his existing sword intent.

 Chapter 1246 The Angry Gambling King

    The fused sword intent once again poured into Darren''s body. As it was enhanced, it pushed his Sword God Character to a higher level.


    Darren''s soul returned to his body, but he was exhausted. It had completely worn him out.


    "Darren, you have great potential. I will treat you with respect, even if you do become my slave."


    Caleb had activated the Blood Sacrificing Belligerence to defeat Darren. The two of them had been fighting for a long time before Darren was brought down. Thus, he thought highly of Darren now. It would be beneficial for him to keep Darren as his slave.


    "I have to disappoint you because you won''t win," Darren said, raising his head.


    The sword intent was swirling in his eyes. His power reached its peak in a flash.


    Swish!


    With a slash of the sword, a harsh, bright light soared into the sky.


    The sword intent penetrated through the space and approached Caleb.


    "What?!"


    Caleb was shocked upon feeling the powerful sword intent.


    How did Darren obtain such a powerful sword intent?


    Without any hesitation, Caleb doubled the Blood Sacrificing Belligerence, forming a protective shield around his body.


    However, to Caleb''s disappointment, Darren''s sword intent, combined with the powerful black god''s power, shattered his defense.


    Shoop! Shoop! Shoop!


    The sword intent went through Caleb''s body, tearing his skin and boring holes into his bones. He was badly mangled, and it was a miracle that his heart was not hit.


    Caleb fell to his knees in the arena, his strength completely diminished.


    He looked at Darren, speechless and in shock. He was on the verge of beating Darren but at the last minute, Darren turned the tables and got better of him.


    "As I said before, I will spare your life."


    With these words, Darren slowly landed on the arena. If he hadn''t shown mercy, Caleb would have been dead.


    "Ha-ha, ha-ha!" A moment later, Caleb burst into laughter. He felt a pang of bitterness enter his heart. "Fine, I lost. I didn''t expect that you would be just as powerful as Mr. Feng. I feel ridiculous!"


    Darren shot him a cold look. "Let''s stop talking about nonsense. You''d better run away as soon as possible. The Gambling King has lost a lot this time around. If you stay around, he will take all his anger out on you and you will perish."


    Caleb looked at him in disbelief. "Why don''t you kill me? Why are


    Pardon? Are you kidding me? You were the game master, not me. Why should I bear half of your losses?"


    "You know as well as I do that Caleb''s cultivation base did not improve in the end."


    "It was an accident. I didn''t expect that young man to be so powerful. I thought we would win," King Winfred explained.


    "I don''t care. You have three days to give me two hundred million points, or else I will kill you," the Gambling King said calmly. The calmer he was, the tenser the atmosphere became.


    "Humph! Don''t be so shrewd! You can''t get my points." King Winfred ignored his threat and flew away.


    After he left, the Gambling King took out a piece of parchment. It was dark red on the inside and on the top right corner, it bore two words in an ancient language: "Killing Token."


    "Darren Chu, Murphy You, King Winfred." The Gambling King called out the three names, and they were automatically written on the parchment.


    In the blink of an eye, several black shadows appeared beside him.


    "The first two are easy to deal with, three million points for their lives. However, King Winfred is a king of this area. I''m afraid it will not be easy for us to take his life," one of them said, his voice void of emotion.


    "Just do it. I''m sure there won''t be any problems for you guys. Didn''t you say that as long as the price is high enough, you can hunt down even the masters of the Superior God Realm?" mused the Gambling King.


    "That''s right. But you can''t afford to kill a master at the Superior God Realm. Even the force backing you up can''t afford it," the man sneered.

 Chapter 1247 Learning More About The Divine Patterns

    "But he isn''t a master at the Superior God Realm, right? A level-six divine pattern should be enough for the task," said the Gambling King.


    "Deal."


    A level-six divine pattern for killing King Winfred was certainly a tempting offer, even for the people of the Blood Abyss Sect.


    "I''m curious. You''re already powerful enough to just kill him yourself, why go through the hassle of paying us a big sum to kill him for you? If you say it''s because of what happened just now, I won''t believe it," said the black figure.


    "Isn''t there a harsh rule in the Blood Abyss Sect that you shouldn''t be asking your employers their reasons for the mission?" spat the Gambling King coldly.


    "I''ll be back in three days for the killing points and the divine pattern, so you''d better get everything ready before that." Without another word, the black figure put away the killing token, spun around and disappeared into thin air.


    Meanwhile, in the branch of the Starry Sword Sect, there was cause for celebration.


    "I can''t believe it! We made a fortune. I must admit in the beginning I was sure you''d lose, but unexpectedly, you burst out such a powerful sword intent. You managed to turn an imminent defeat into a victory. That was just mind-blowing,"


    Murphy said ecstatically as he landed beside Darren.


    "It was a narrow victory. By the way, have you got the killing points we won?"


    "Of course." Murphy nodded and handed over a blood red stone to Darren. "Here you are. Fifteen million killing points. Later, I''ll ask someone to make some divine patterns. After they''re finished, I will send you two of them."


    The divine pattern fragments that Murphy obtained were enough to create four level-five divine patterns.


    "Sounds good. Let''s split up the killing points between the two of us. How will I be able to use the divine patterns after I get them, though?"


    "It''s actually quite simple. You just need to integrate them directly into your blood. By the way, which series of divine patterns would you like?" asked Murphy.


    "Honestly, I don''t know much about the divine patterns." Darren shook his head as he furrowed his brows.


    "Here is a general introduction about the divine patterns. You can take this and have a look. When you find some that you''d like, make some haste and tell me. I need to send for a master to create the divine patterns as soon as possible." Murphy handed Darren a pamphlet.


    "Okay." Darren took the pamphlet and began to scan through it.


    The divine patterns were divided into twelve series, and each series contained a variety of divine patterns that could be further divided into twelve levels. This was somewhat familiar to Darren after all.


    "Defensive divine patterns, accelerating divine patterns, strength divine patterns, blood divine patterns, attacking divine patterns, penetrating divine pattern


    eight divine patterns for me." Darren stuttered and blushed in embarrassment.


    "Let that pipe dream go, kid. Even a cultivator at the Superior God Realm can''t get the fragments of level-eight divine patterns. You''d better just give up instead of wasting your time.


    But, tell you what, I do know a place where there are natural divine patterns. Level-seven or eight divine patterns can be found there," advised Master Adolf.


    As Darren and Murphy heard this, their eyes lit up at the same time. "Master Adolf, is there really such a place?" they asked in unison.


    "Yes, I''m sure of it. However, it''s thousands of times more difficult to obtain level-eight divine patterns from that place than killing the Divine Pattern Beasts. Who would dare take that challenge on?"


    "Master Adolf, could you tell us where this place you speak of is?" Murphy quickly asked before Darren could speak.


    "Supreme God Sheffield''s Tomb."


    As soon as Murphy heard this, he immediately lost interest.


    Darren was still thrilled. "A supreme god''s tomb? Is that the place where a supreme god is buried?"


    "It''s an impossible feat. It is said that only a few drops of the blood essence of Supreme God Sheffield had fallen there, and that his descendants made sure to bury them where none could reach it. From then on, it became known as one of the most dangerous places in the land, and no one dared to enter it," warned Adolf.


    "It''s just a few drops of blood essence..." What was the big deal with just a few drops of blood essence? Why would the place become one of the most dangerous places? This information just left Darren spinning with more questions in his mind.


    Seeing Darren get demotivated as he wracked his mind about the blood essence had Murphy and Adolf both shaking their heads as they let out a light chuckle. Darren''s ignorance and naivety was certainly an entertaining sight for them.

 Chapter 1248 The Killer

    A supreme god''s blood essence contained infinite power from heaven and earth. No one with a level below the deputy gods would dare touch it.


    "Darren, Supreme God Sheffield was ranked fourth among the supreme gods during the ancient times. He had even fought against a chief god once. His blood essence would contain his evil aura, so any creature that formed by it would be extremely ferocious. Even the powerful warriors of the Superior God Realm would find it difficult to defeat them. Don''t you think that''s a big deal?" Murphy said as he smiled faintly.


    "How could a few drops of blood essence be that powerful?" Darren was surprised by that.


    "Of course, the supreme gods from the human race are much stronger than you can imagine."


    "Well, I didn''t know that." Darren nodded his head.


    "But anyway, let''s move on to a different subject. Master Adolf, if you can, please help us make the divine patterns now," Murphy said.


    "Thank you so much, Master Adolf," Darren said. He brought his hands together and bowed respectfully.


    Adolf nodded his head slowly and said, "Level-five divine patterns are easy to make. I can finish them in a few hours. And boy, if you''re interested, you can go and hunt some Divine Pattern Beasts. When you have enough fragments, I can make more high-level divine patterns for you."


    "Divine Pattern Beasts? I''m afraid I won''t be able to find one easily. And even if I do, it would be difficult for me to kill it with my low strength," Darren said.


    "You can try looking for them at north of the Ninth Precipitous Mountain. Perhaps you''ll be lucky enough to find some level-six divine pattern fragments," Adolf suggested.


    "Okay. I''ll try that as soon as I have the time." It was then that Darren remembered how Duke, who had transformed into a small dragon at that time, swallowed a level-five Divine Pattern Beast. If he were to take Duke to search for the divine pattern fragments, he might have an unexpected harvest.


    However, he wasn''t planning on looking for the fragments at the moment. He needed to cultivate and improve his skills first.


    "Very well then. Master Murphy, please arrange a secret room for me where I can make the divine patterns," Adolf said.


    "Okay, please follow me."


    With that, the two of them left.


    Now that he was alone, Darren began his cultivation. He immediately entered the Void Space, ready to begin studying the third move of the supreme sword skill.


    However, he couldn''t help but remember w


    ppen to have seven million killing points at the moment. How about I buy my life back?" Darren looked at the man calmly.


    The man in front of him was definitely stronger than him. He wouldn''t stand a chance against him in a fight.


    "As much as I want to earn seven million killing points, we from the Blood Abyss Sect have our principles. Your destiny now is to die."


    "Is it really non-negotiable? I can give you some divine pattern fragments instead if you want," Darren offered.


    "Unfortunately, I still have to finish my task even if you give me some level-twelve divine patterns."


    Darren continued to wrack his head for something to stall the time. "But I''m curious. Who would even bother spending three million killing points having me killed? Can you tell me that at least?"


    "My principles have bound me not to tell you that information. But since you''re as good as dead, I''ll be merciful for now. It''s the Gambling King¡ªMaxwell Tang, who wants you dead."


    "Ah, so it really is him." Darren narrowed his eyes. He already had a feeling that it was the Gambling King all along, but it wouldn''t hurt to be sure about it.


    However, knowing who was behind this wouldn''t help him now. He couldn''t even send a message out of the secret room. He was completely trapped.


    "Help me, dragon ancestor! If you don''t wake up this time, we''ll surely be dead!"


    At the surface, he remained calm. Deep down, however, he was getting desperate.


    In fact, he was afraid that even the dragon ancestor would be no match against the man in front of him. After all, the strength that the dragon ancestor had displayed before was only at the Star God Realm.

 Chapter 1249 The Dragon Ancestor Made His Move

    No matter how many times Darren called for help, the dragon ancestor didn''t respond. This made him even more desperate.


    "You''re a good man. You''re so kind to tell me all this before I die." He tried to stall some more time by talking.


    "I think you misunderstood me. I only want to make some money by providing the information. I promise to give you a swift death if you hand over all your properties to me." The man''s killing intent had becoming overwhelming.


    "Fine. You can take whatever I have. Everything will be useless to me after I''m dead anyway."


    Darren remained calm on the surface, but deep inside, he desperately continued to call out for the dragon ancestor.


    ''Damn it! Is he dead already?'' he cursed internally. ''No! I must wake him up!''


    In the middle of such a crucial moment, he finally came up with an idea.


    A divine sword appeared in his hand.


    "This is a level-nine divine weapon. You can make a lot of money with this." He tried to pique the man''s interest with the sword so that he wouldn''t kill him yet. He waved the sword in his hands a few times before quickly sinking it directly into his own chest.


    The sword whistled menacingly in the air.


    The divine sword was now embedded in his chest. Its blade piercing his heart.


    And on cue, an ear-piecing roar rang out inside his head.


    "Are you out of your mind? How dare you stab me with your own sword?" a voice grumbled in dissatisfaction.


    "Oh my God! You''re finally awake! We are about to die, damn it!"


    "You never come to me with good news. It''s always trouble with you. Now, let me see who''s bold enough to try killing you." The dragon ancestor seemed irritated.


    "Well, this guy isn''t so bad. Only a few people at the Star God Realm can go up against him," the dragon ancestor muttered.


    "The Star God Realm? How come I can sense that he''s way much stronger than me?" Indeed, Darren was confused. He thought that the man in front of him was a master at the Celestial God Realm.


    "What do you know? There''s an insurmountable gap between the top level of the Star God Realm and the Celestial God Realm. Warriors from the top level of the Star God Realm could display different kinds of strength in this gap," the dragon ancestor explained.


    "I see. Well, can you deal with him? I can''t go up against him anyway."


    "Why don''t you give it a try? Or are you willing to die already? Go ahead and transform into a dragon. I''ll take control of your body then."


    "Okay!"


    The conversation only lasted for a few seconds.


    The man in front of Darren seemed completely enamored by the divine sword. It seemed like he had hit a jackpot with this assignment.


    ith disbelief as he stared back at Darren.


    Still under the dragon ancestor''s control, Darren was indifferent to all the warnings. Wordlessly, he shattered the man''s heart into pieces.


    With the man killed, the dragon ancestor retreated back into Darren''s heart. His body morphed back into his human form.


    "This is bad!"


    Murphy''s face darkened.


    Darren was aware that Murphy had tried stopping him just now, but he didn''t understand why he had done this.


    "What''s wrong, Master Murphy?"


    After all, the man was a killer. He wanted to kill him. It was only reasonable that Darren killed him in defense.


    "Never mind," Murphy sighed. "Forget it. It''s done now. In fact, the best thing we should have done is to give him some benefits and let him go."


    Darren was even more confused.


    "Is the Blood Abyss Sect really that terrifying? I''m surprised that even you are afraid of them." Darren looked at Murphy intently.


    "Yes. They are indeed very scary. They''re a mysterious and powerful force. Even we from the Starry Sword Region wouldn''t dare provoke them. But never mind. They''re the ones who brought trouble first. It''s not our fault. Don''t worry about it." As Murphy said this, it was evident that he was still worried.


    "Okay..." Darren nodded his head.


    "By the way, I didn''t know that you have the dragon blood." Now that the man was out of the way, Murphy steered the subject to a different direction. He had been astonished when he saw Darren''s genuine dragon form a while ago.


    "I only obtained it by chance," Darren said sheepishly.


    "You''re definitely a genius among the geniuses. Well, I can still send a message back to the region. I''ll report everything to the senior leaders and see how we''ll proceed with that matter," Murphy said.

 Chapter 1250 Go To See Lord Starry Sword

    Since Darren had killed a member of the Blood Abyss Sect, Murphy decided to send a message to the Starry Sword Region. It was a significant incident, and he didn''t dare to keep it to himself.


    "Murphy, what do you know about the Blood Abyss Sect?"


    "It is a huge organization of killers with disciples all over the Primitive Wilderness. It''s the strongest force in addition to the nine regions and ten prefectures."


    "So, their leader must be a cultivator of the Superior God Realm, right?"


    "Of course. The leader of Blood Abyss Sect is a master at the top-level of the Superior God Realm. But, he isn''t the only one to be wary of. The sect has many masters at the Superior God Realm. As long as the payment is tempting, they will kill anyone for you, even the leader of a region!" Murphy explained.


    "Huh!" Darren was astonished. He didn''t expect the Blood Abyss Sect to be such a powerful organization.


    "But you don''t have to worry. After all, only a low-level assassin came after you. It is possible that they will disregard the incident and won''t trouble you," Murphy tried to comfort Darren.


    "I hope so. This was the work of the Gambling King, and I will seek revenge when I am ready," Darren lifted his chin and declared coldly.


    "Let''s worry about all that later. Come with me."


    Darren nodded and followed Murphy out of the secret room.


    After a while, they entered another secret room in the middle of which stood an altar with several swords of different colors.


    "I''m going to send an image of your soul back to the region. Just explain the situation."


    Darren was a little nervous, and he wondered whether Lord Starry Sword would still accept him as his disciple once he learned of his identity as a Defiant Master.


    "Relax your soul, and follow my instructions," Murphy directed with a reassuring smile.


    After completing the preparations, he started to motivate the altar.


    Murphy sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. After he mumbled a few secret words, the swords on the altar began to rotate, and the space around it began to twist.


    A moment later, a streak of purplish-yellow light enveloped Darren and Murphy. In an instant, Darren felt as though his soul was beginning to float out.


    He felt dizzy as his soul was drawn out of his body. Finally, darkness washed over him.


    He had no idea how long he had been in that state. Eventually, a ray of light flashed, and a strange scene appeared before him.


    Darren was floating in the air, and in front


    w a wall on which there were tens of thousands of entrance passageways.


    Darren continued to trail the young man as he strode through one of the entrances. As they walked through the gallery, they would pass by small caves, each with a cultivator sitting in meditation.


    "Sir, did Lord Starry Sword summon me?" Darren couldn''t help but ask after walking for a while.


    "Keep silent," the young man instructed as he continued to move forward.


    He didn''t even turn to look at Darren as he spoke.


    "Leave us alone."


    Finally, a voice from the deep broke the silence.


    The young man bowed. After paying his respects, he shifted to the left and stood still. His breath of life completely disappeared.


    A beam of light flashed in front of Darren. It dazzled so brightly that he was unable to keep his eyes open. A slender figure walked along the light and neared Darren.


    "Release your Starry Tower," the figure commanded.


    When Darren slowly opened his eyes, he saw a graceful young man with long black hair standing in front of him. It was the young man with black and white swords in his eyes!


    "Greetings, master." Darren bowed with cupped hands and then released the Starry Tower.


    "Darren from the Lothlann Continent?" Lord Starry Sword murmured.


    "Yes, master," Darren replied respectfully.


    "You''re here earlier than I expected."


    "I''m quite astonished that you still remember me, master," Darren remarked. He spoke candidly.


    "I have one hundred and eight thousand disciples, all of whom were selected by my avatars. Of course, I remember each one. Come here."


    Lord Starry Sword lifted his hand, and both he and Darren disappeared.

 Chapter 1251 Supreme God Sheffields Tomb

    A wave of dizziness swept over Darren as the world around him began to change.


    "Puff!"


    As soon as he landed on the ground, Darren felt a dull pain in his chest. A brief moment later, he spat out a mouthful of blood.


    "Master, this place..."


    The ground in front of Darren was covered in blood mist, and several fierce howls could be heard one after another. Waves of killing intent hit his soul, causing injuries that had led him to spit out blood.


    "Stay here for a month. If you survive, you can become my disciple," Lord Starry Sword instructed.


    "But master, I''m in the soul state now. I can only exist like this for a limited amount of time." Darren remembered Murphy''s warning that they could only stay here for four hours. He calculated how much time had passed and knew he was about to reach the limit.


    "No more excuses. Just do as I say."


    "Okay."


    Although Darren was doubtful, since Lord Starry Sword persisted, he figured time wasn''t an issue. He speculated that the time flow rate here might be different from that in the outside world.


    With a nod of understanding, Darren walked forward.


    After he crossed a few dozen feet, the space in front of him rippled, as if he had passed through an invisible barrier.


    Almost immediately, his body quivered violently. Such agony coursed through him that he fell to the ground.


    "Soul torture."


    Darren''s features twisted as he felt unbearable pain coming from his soul.


    He looked back with great difficulty at the place where he had landed a short while ago, only to find that the blood mist had thickened, and Lord Starry Sword had disappeared.


    "Howl!"


    "Roar!"


    Suddenly, he heard several guttural sounds coming from the blood mist around, and a fresh wave of pain coursed through his soul.


    He clutched his head and tried to activate the God Character in his brain to counteract the pain.


    However, to his surprise, this time, he couldn''t trigger the omnipotent God Character.


    The unbearable pain overwhelmed Darren, and he lacked the strength to rise from the ground. He had no choice but to endure the suffering in silence.


    After what seemed a long time, he felt something flash in front of him.


    A split second later, rays of pale green light rose from the ground. The green light encircled Darren, and murmuring sounds and chants poured into his ears. Soon, a peculiar feeling replaced the agony from the soul torture.


    double-edged bloody sword in his left hand.


    Who was this figure? Why did he have such a powerful aura? How could he instill such terror in all the witchers? Darren was so curious that he wasn''t overwhelmed by paralyzing fear, like the witchers.


    "Why are you still standing there? Leave!"


    an anxious witcher shouted at Darren.


    "Where can I go?"


    he replied with a shrug. Darren could feel that the person was far more powerful than him and that his speed was a hundred times faster than his. If the person wanted to chase him, he couldn''t escape anyway.


    "Alas,"


    the witcher sighed, and everyone fell silent.


    No words were needed as they knew what had to be done. They struggled to sit up. With withered hands clasped together, they began to chant.


    Wisps of green light flew out from the witchers and drifted toward Darren. The light wrapped around him like a silk cocoon, forming a protective shield.


    The figure finally neared.


    "Supreme God, please calm down. Please return to your restful state,"


    the witchers implored as they knelt in unison.


    "Roar! Roar! Roar!"


    Ruthless and cold howls pierced the air, and the remaining witchers were reduced to ash.


    A storm formed and clashed with the green protective cover around Darren. He was sent flying into the air like a shooting star. The intensity was so dreadful that he didn''t even slow down after covering dozens of kilometers.


    Darren was shocked. This person''s strength was beyond his imagination.


    He was even more astounded when he heard the witchers address the figure as "Supreme God." Was he Supreme God Sheffield?

 Chapter 1252 Am I Going To Die

    After flying staggeringly for dozens of kilometers, Darren landed heavily to the ground.


    Darren used his god''s sense to analyze his surroundings and sensed that the blood-red figure was coming toward him at an incredible speed.


    "Defiant Master! What luck! You''re a Defiant Master!"


    The blood-red figure stretched out his right hand and waved his bony scarlet palm at the hole in the ground. Darren suddenly felt like countless heavy chains were encroached around him and he was dragged out by an immense force.


    He slumped to the ground, barely being able to catch a breath.


    Raising his head to get a good glimpse of the figure, he saw that evil runes were flowing through the figure''s dark golden mask. It looked like it was driving him insane.


    "My Lord, I am Darren Chu. I came here to this land by accident. I certainly didn''t mean to offend you. Please, forgive my insolence."


    Darren pretended to be humble and apologized to the blood-red figure. He was left with no choice. The power and tenacity he sensed in the man made him fearful of trying to pick a fight. It reminded him of the fear he felt when a chief god noticed him on the day Duke became his believer.


    "Devote your soul to me and be my slave forever." The cold and ruthless voice that sounded like a mechanical roar almost made Darren''s soul collapse.


    The pressure was extremely overbearing.


    "Never!"


    Darren roared, without thinking.


    Even though Darren was scared, he would never allow himself to become a slave. That was the bottom line for him.


    "In that case, prepare to be annihilated!"


    The figure stretched out his palm, and his fingers gathered slowly. Darren, from thirty feet away, coughed and choked as he felt his neck get squeezed by several powerful forces. The grasp grew stronger and stronger, as Darren became unable to breathe.


    He felt a pang of pain in his soul again. His life began flashing before his eyes as he trembled; his vision slowly beginning to fade out.


    "Roar!"


    A ferocious roar suddenly came from the depths of the sky. The sound was ice cold as well, but it was somewhat different from that of the figure''s. The roar was filled with a strong diabolic aura.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A horrible and ferocious crack scarred the sky. It began to spread in all directions. In mere seconds, the cracks had already


    oosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The blood-red figure and Avery watched as Darren turned into a strip and flew quickly into the sky.


    The two figures both roared furiously at this sight.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    The two extremely powerful figures began to angrily launch attacks at something in the sky.


    Bang!


    The two forces managed to hit something invisible, creating countless horrible cracks in the space.


    A slight cry of pain came from the crack.


    In an instant, a skinny man in a red robe appeared.


    "Blood Witcher Ancestor!"


    "My everlasting enemy, how dare you come to court death?"


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The blood-red figure and Avery rushed to the Blood Witcher Ancestor in unison. In the blink of an eye, they were only five hundred thousand kilometers away from him.


    Seeing these two hot-headed figures rushing towards him, the Blood Witcher Ancestor knew he couldn''t outrun them, and so he stood his ground. Instead, he calmly sat cross legged in mid-air.


    Blood Witcher Ancestor''s robe fluttered in the violent winds. His fingers which were like dead wood converged on his chest as he muttered an obscure language. It was as if he was chanting an ancient story that had been passed down from the primitive era.


    "Kill!"


    The blood-red figure and Avery approached the Blood Witcher Ancestor simultaneously. The double-edged blade spun and flew straight towards the Blood Witcher Ancestor''s head. Shura Avery''s scarlet long spear also surged towards the Blood Witcher Ancestor''s chest.


    Bang!


    A crisp sound echoed throughout the air.

 Chapter 1253 Unable To Get Out

    All of a sudden, something blocked the attacks by Shura Avery and the blood-red figure.


    Gradually, a transparent pyramid-shaped object appeared, enveloped the Blood Witcher Ancestor, and shielded him from their attacks.


    A loud bang reverberated, and the air rippled in all directions with such intensity that several fiend gods, who were far from the battlefield, were crushed.


    Even their souls were destroyed!


    "This is not good."


    Despite being safe from their attacks, a sense of foreboding surged within the Blood Witcher Ancestor. The power was too strong, and he worried that it would shatter Darren''s weak soul.


    He continued to chant in an ancient language. Soon, a transparent mini pyramid formed around Darren''s broken soul and enveloped him.


    "Go!"


    Realizing that their attacks had failed to injure Darren, the blood-red figure and Avery launched attacks even more furiously. Numerous blows continually rained on the transparent pyramid.


    A murky sky over dark earth made it seem as though the end of the world had arrived. Several bolts of lightning descended, and space cracks spread in the void. The terrible scene quietened all the powerful creatures in the distance. So terrified were they that they fell to their knees and trembled.


    "My Lord, your humble Blood Witcher prays for you to protect this weak soul. I would like to offer my humble body in exchange for his safety. Please take me as your slave..."


    When the Blood Witcher Ancestor felt as though his shield would collapse under the powerful attacks, he closed his eyes and began to pray.


    Scarlet runes flew into the void one after another.


    Boom!


    Two small bolts of crimson lightning descended from the sky''s depths and struck the blood-red figure and Avery.


    "Ah!"


    A painful roar pierced the sky, and the two figures fell like comets.


    Their bodies indented the earth, and sand and stones flew in all directions.


    The Blood Witcher Ancestor''s eyes suddenly flew open, and he rushed into the void with Darren''s soul as fast as he could.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    A moment later, two mangled figures bolted from the ground and chased the Blood Witcher Ancestor.


    However, millions of kilometers high in the sky, an endless net condensed from crimson lightning unfolded. The two figures seemed daunted by it.


    They stopped a distance from it and glared at the net as though pensively. A while later, they growled and retreated.


    On the other side, Darren sat up abruptly when he felt a chill course through him.


    His pale face carried the fearful expression of a person who had just woken from a terrible nightmare.


    "Ouch!"


    Darren''s mind w


    ory."


    Darren was confused now. He felt so burdened by his worries that he didn''t have the strength to continue standing.


    "There are too many rules in this world. Just because you are needed does not mean that everyone will tolerate your existence. The only thing that you have to remember is that the rules don''t exist when your strength terrifies the chief gods."


    "Uh..." Darren didn''t fully understand what he meant, but he couldn''t stop thinking about the part where the Blood Witcher Ancestor said that no one could restrict him when he was strong enough.


    "Sir, would you please help me leave this place?"


    Darren stood and walked around. At one glance, he could see that the dark space was full of chaotic aura.


    "Sorry, son. I can''t do that."


    The Blood Witcher Ancestor shook his head, and his tone reflected the helplessness he felt.


    "What do you mean?" Surprised with the reply, Darren stopped pacing and turned to face the Blood Witcher Ancestor.


    "This tomb is my permanent prison. I am destined to live in this tomb forever. The moment I leave, the laws suppressing the supreme god''s tomb will collapse, and the world will be engulfed by chaos. That is why I can''t take you anywhere else except the tomb," he explained.


    "What?!" Darren''s heart sank. "So, I will never be able to leave?"


    "Theoretically, yes, you understood correctly," the Blood Witcher Ancestor replied with a nod. "But, you can cultivate here. When you are stronger, you can try to break free from the weakest point of this tomb. That will be your only chance."


    "That is not possible. I''m not a rule cultivator, and I exist in this tomb as a soul. My strength won''t improve here, no matter how hard I work." Desperation overwhelmed Darren, and he lost all hope.

 Chapter 1254 Needs To Be Honed

    Darren felt helpless.


    While he was in the soul state, he couldn''t use his bloodline or elixir field. This meant he couldn''t improve his strength using regular cultivation.


    It would have been different if he was a rule cultivator. As long as his soul kept getting stronger and he could comprehend the universal laws, his strength would improve.


    The Blood Witcher Ancestor didn''t say a word. It seemed like he didn''t know how to solve the problem, either.


    "Alas." Finally, he shook his head and said, "If that''s the case, there''s only one way left. I''ll let Lord Starry Sword know and ask him to take you away."


    "How will he do that?" Darren asked, confused.


    "Since his strength is closer to that of a deputy god, he isn''t afraid of those two powerful creatures. He can get you out of the tomb directly."


    "Wow! He''s indeed very powerful!" Upon hearing how strong Lord Starry Sword was, he felt his heart skip a beat. No wonder everyone in the Primitive Wilderness was afraid of him.


    Nonetheless, he couldn''t stamp down the worry that gripped him. Would Lord Starry Sword really get him out?


    "I guess he might not take me away," Darren said.


    "It''s not up to him to decide. I''ll inform the Ancestral Land directly, so just wait patiently," the Blood Witcher Ancestor comforted.


    "Well, everything depends on you now."


    Meanwhile, in the Cliff of Ten Thousand Souls in the abyss


    Silver eyes flashed like flickering lights. The Rule Soul Avatar seized every moment to comprehend the universal laws.


    A boy with black eyes and a dull expression on his face sat beside him. He didn''t dare disturb the Rule Soul Avatar during his cultivation.


    Suddenly, the Rule Soul Avatar sensed someone enter the cave.


    He took a deep breath and pulled himself out of his silver eyes state.


    "What brings you here?"


    "Seven hundred years have already passed. I came here to check on the son of Supreme God Braxton. I also came here to see you." It was Jenifer.


    Time moved differently inside the abyss compared to that in the outside world. Hence, the Rule Soul Avatar had been cultivating for seven hundred years without his notice.


    "He has a name. It''s Donovan." He had given this name to the boy. In fact, this boy reminded him of another boy he knew.


    "That''s not a bad name." Jenifer smiled.


    "I''ll be leaving for a while. Please take care of him for me until I come back," the Rule Soul Av


    s killing intent was rising out of him as he said this.


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s eyes flickered. The killing intent was too difficult to resist.


    "Why?"


    "The reason doesn''t matter. I''ll give you ten seconds to go back to your cave, or I won''t show mercy." Fear gripped Jenifer''s heart as she stared at the guard''s cold expression.


    Under normal circumstances, the senior leaders of the Cliff wouldn''t stop anyone who wished to leave.


    But why was this guard stopping them? Jenifer couldn''t figure it out.


    "Please don''t be angry, sir." Swallowing back her fear, she continued, "I''ll stay here and take care of Donovan. Just let this man go. He needs to go out and get a breakthrough."


    This dilemma had left her no choice. She wouldn''t let her selfishness get in the way of the Rule Soul Avatar''s growth.


    "No, he can''t go either."


    Unexpectedly, the guard was also refusing the Rule Soul Avatar to leave even though Jenifer already offered to stay there with Donovan.


    "I don''t think that''s how the rules work, sir," she grumbled. Indeed, it was against the rules to force anyone to stay there.


    Suddenly, a black palm shadow came down directly on Jenifer''s face.


    The entire area shuddered at the impact, and it left her stunned.


    At that moment, she felt she was dying.


    But before it could even land on her, the black palm shadow stopped. It hovered inches from her face.


    She was too scared to utter a single word. Her face was white as paper.


    The Rule Soul Avatar glared at the guard. Fury brewed up inside him, but he had to hold it back. The guard was much stronger than him.

 Chapter 1255 The First Battle

    After weighing the options, the Rule Soul Avatar chose to retreat.


    "Let''s go back to the cave,"


    he instructed Jenifer, who had obviously lost her judgment.


    By then, she had returned to her senses. Tears welled in her eyes as she thought about what had happened. She was utterly freaked out this time.


    "Okay," she replied with a sob.


    As the Rule Soul Avatar turned, she took Donovan''s hand and marched forward.


    It didn''t take them long to reach the cave. Once they entered, Jenifer took a deep breath of relief. Almost as soon as she calmed down, fury surged with her.


    "What''s wrong with the old man? He should go to hell!" she cursed through gritted teeth.


    Almost immediately, a black shadow flashed, and the guard in the black robe appeared beside her.


    Jenifer was stupefied again.


    "I''m sorry, sir. I didn''t mean it. I..." she hurried to explain, but the guard raised his hand and gestured her to stop.


    "We wanted you to leave a long time ago, but the rules prevented us from forcing you," he explained.


    His justification only confused her more.


    A few moments ago, this guard had threatened to kill Darren if he dared to escape. But now, it was also he who expressed that he had wanted Darren to leave. It was inexplicable.


    Even the Rule Soul Avatar''s expression reflected the confusion coursing through him.


    Seeing their puzzled expressions, the guard continued, "From the day you arrived, the child''s identity as the son of a supreme god has aroused the suspicion of most people. It is not safe for him to stay here any longer.


    We need you to take him away. But we cannot permit you to leave in broad daylight. Do you understand what I mean?"


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s eyes widened with understanding.


    The guard had forced them to return to conceal the boy''s identity and to trick the public. He must have arranged another passage for the three of them to leave.


    "What''s your plan?" the Rule Soul Avatar questioned.


    "Come with me," instructed the guard. Then with a tearing action, his hands made a space hole in the cave. He cast a backward glance before stepping into the space hole first.


    The Rule Soul Avatar followed him unhesitatingly. Jenifer paused. After a moment''s contemplation, her grip on Donovan''s hand tightened, and then she too stepped forward.


    A long time passed and in a deserted mountain, the space suddenly fluctuated.


    A crack appeared in the space and a few figures emerged from the crack.


    "Have we reached? What is this place?"


    Jenifer exclaimed as she swept her gaze around this unfamiliar scene.


    "We''re one thousand and five hundre


    one million pounds, materialized in his hands.


    Wielding the hammer, the fiend god rushed toward the grey cloud. Layer after layer of fiend god''s power gushed forth like storms across a rough sea.


    "What?"


    The Rule Soul Avatar hurriedly retreated.


    The fiend god''s strength had increased manifold after he summoned his weapon, almost as if he had received some kind of boost.


    Had the Rule Soul Avatar moved a little slower, he would probably have been hit by it.


    Bang!


    The power of the fiend god and the Destructive Force collided in the air, and the shockwave cracked the earth and shook the void.


    Waves of destructive storms swept through the space and spread for a radius of hundreds of kilometers.


    Jenifer grabbed Donovan and used her body to shield him as she took several steps back.


    When they reached a relatively safe distance, Jenifer thrust the boy toward the Rule Soul Avatar and said, "Since he''s not that strong in actuality, leave him to me!"


    Since she was at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm, her strength was much higher than that of the Rule Soul Avatar, theoretically.


    As the Rule Soul Avatar was able to fight the fiend god, Jenifer deduced that she could kill him.


    "No, don''t."


    The Rule Soul Avatar stopped her.


    "Don''t be silly. We need to finish him as soon as possible. We will be doomed if the battle catches the attention of other powerful creatures and brings them here!" Jenifer rationalized.


    "I need to break through," the Rule Soul Avatar explained.


    It had been a while since he had confronted a creature with whom he was well-matched. Since this opportunity would not come again in the near future, the Rule Soul Avatar needed to grab it and enhance his power of laws.

 Chapter 1256 The Son Of The Chief God

    The Rule Soul Avatar ignored Jenifer and insisted on fighting by himself.


    He triggered tens of thousands of laws, preparing to deliver a crushing blow to the fiend god.


    "You little ant! This time, I will make sure you are dead!"


    His huge hammer cast a shadow on the whole land and his fiendish aura filled the sky.


    "Killing Abyss Skill!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar dodged the attack of the fiend god and then activated the Killing Abyss Skill that he had comprehended from the first fiend ancestor in the past.


    The Rule Soul Avatar had fully comprehended the Killing Abyss Skill and developed it to tens of thousands of times stronger than the original level that had been mastered by the first fiend ancestor.


    Clatter!


    The dark red killing intent surged like the tide.


    "What?"


    As soon as the fiend god felt the fierce killing intent, dread filled his heart. He looked at the Rule Soul Avatar in shock.


    "Impossible! How could you have the ability of the Killing Race?"


    The Killing Abyss Skill was a skill that a top-level fiend race, the Killing Race, possessed. It was said that the Killing Chief God himself had personally taught them how to wield the skill.


    The fiend god fell into the abyss and fear gripped his heart.


    Boom!


    All the killing intents burst out together and rushed toward him like thousands of phantoms on the run.


    "Howl!"


    The fiend god roared and raised his hammer to block the killing intent.


    "Destroy!"


    However, the Killing Abyss Skill was not the only trick up the Rule Soul Avatar''s sleeve.


    The fiend god sensed the deadly aura once more.


    "It''s the power of the thunder punishment!"


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    The Rule Soul Avatar had obtained the force of the thunder punishment from the immortal back on Lothlann Continent. After it was refined and cultivated, it had become extremely powerful.


    "No!"


    The fiend god knew he was powerless against the forces against him.


    Bang!


    He struggled for a while before his body gave way and shattered under the immense pressure.


    The Rule Soul Avatar landed on the ground, still and emotionless.


    "Awesome! I think your cultivation level is very c


    sorry. I don''t want to answer your question. However, you should know why I came to you." There was a warm smile on the gray man''s face.


    "Then, tell me your purpose."


    Hearing the Rule Soul Avatar''s indifferent voice, the gray man was a little stunned. This human''s attitude was a little beyond his expectation.


    "For your eyes." It was a simple answer, but it sent chills down everyone else''s spines. The Rule Soul Avatar looked at the gray man coldly.


    "Go on," he said.


    "Interesting!" The gray man smiled. "I hope you can pass down my bloodline and become my most loyal friend. Please don''t refuse me!"


    "No, I don''t want to." the Rule Soul Avatar said, shaking his head.


    "Silly boy, if you know who I am, you would think twice about denying my request."


    Jenifer flew over.


    "Are you from the angel race?" Jenifer asked, surprised.


    "You are right, girl. I''m an angel. By the way, you are so beautiful."


    Jenifer was not pleased by his praise at all. Her face darkened. "As far as I know, the skin of angels is pure white. Even if they fell from the angel race, they do not turn gray. They turn black. What happened to you?"


    "Well, if you want to be technical about it, I''m a hybrid." The gray man kept smiling. "I hope you don''t look down upon me because of this. My father is very powerful. He is the master of the world, a great chief god."


    Jenifer''s eyes widened in shock. ''Is he really the son of a chief god?''

 Chapter 1257 The Silvery Eyes Burst

    "That''s exactly the expression I was expecting from you." The confusion on Jenifer''s face had seemingly satisfied the gray figure.


    "My name is Edmond. I can tell from your beautiful eyes that you have the eastern master''s inheritance. I hope we can become good friends as you grow stronger." Edmond''s friendly blue eyes sought out the Rule Soul Avatar''s.


    "There''s no need," the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    "Boy, I hope you have considered the consequences first before refusing me."


    Edmond narrowed his eyes, revealing a charming yet sinister smile.


    "You may look like a gentleman, but I know that you aren''t. My friend doesn''t want to be friends with you, and you can''t force him." Jenifer stepped in front of the Rule Soul Avatar and continued, "Besides, you''re an angel, and he''s a human. How can he possibly inherit your bloodline? So, please let him go. He''s not the person you''re looking for."


    "You may not know that, beautiful lady. I''ve been forced to enter the abyss, and I need a strong person to help me get out. It''s only then that I can kill the bad guys. And this gentleman here is my best bet. I believe that he''ll become a powerful warrior one day. He''ll be second to my father."


    Jenifer looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "If you really want to be friends with us, let''s work it out this way. I promise you that we''ll try out best to help you with whatever you need in the future. Are you satisfied with that? But if you continue to talk about inheriting your bloodline, then let''s just forget about this."


    "I think you misunderstand me, miss. For me, pets are also friends. What I need is a powerful pet and not a friend in the general sense. Do you get me now?" Edmond was still smiling amiably at them.


    When Jenifer heard this, her face hardened.


    This guy was definitely up to no good. His pets were what other people usually referred as slaves. They had the same status.


    "Just leave now." She glared at him coldly.


    "You still look very beautiful even when you''re angry. But I have to remind you that I can kill any master at the Superior God Realm from the human race. Do you really want to disobey me?"


    "Humph! Don''t even try threatening me!"


    Jenifer didn''t believe hi


    s soon as she saw this. Immediately, she stood in front of him, looking over him with concern.


    The Rule Soul Avatar trembled in pain. His eyes had burst, and it felt worse than his soul being torn apart. The agony was unbearable.


    "I''m so scared..."


    Meanwhile, Donovan had curled up in fright as soon as he saw what happened to the Rule Soul Avatar''s eyes.


    This caught Edmond''s attention. He glanced down at Donovan, and his gaze stayed there.


    "What?"


    He looked surprised.


    "Are...are my eyes deceiving me? Oh my God! Thank you, my father, for blessing me!" He was now fixated on Donovan''s black pupils.


    In a flash, he now stood before Donovan. His arms outreached to touch him.


    He held Donovan''s pretty little face between his hands and wished to kiss the boy''s eyes.


    "You are the loveliest child I''ve ever seen. Now, look into my eyes."


    Edmond, who seemed surprised, activated his dark gold eyes again.


    "I''ll be very careful this time. I''ll kill myself if I accidentally blind you too."


    His hands trembled slightly.


    "Now be a good boy and look into my eyes."


    There was a dull look on Donovan''s face as he cried out in fear. His black eyes were as deep as bottomless abyss. He couldn''t look away from Edmond.


    "Perfect! Truly perfect!"


    "Woo...woo..." Donovan was so afraid that he began to cry. Tears flowed from his black eyes. They swirled like galaxies in his pupils.


    "Ah!"


    In the next moment, Edmond let out a heartrending scream.

 Chapter 1258 The Underworld

    Edmond''s hands flew to his eyes. Wave after wave of agony coursed through him, and he couldn''t help but fall to the ground.


    He felt as though his eyes had been reduced to a boiling mess, and it was all Donovan''s doing.


    "No!" he shrieked. "My eyes..."


    The torment caused by the injury to his eyes was several times more intense than the pain of his soul being torn apart. Although Edmond was powerful, he couldn''t stand the pain any better than the Rule Soul Avatar. He was in such great distress that he would have ended his life if that brought him relief.


    A bold idea flashed through Jenifer''s mind when she noticed this.


    Whoosh!


    She concentrated all of her god''s power on her whip as she flew forward.


    Whoosh!


    With a powerful swing of her hand, the whip slashed through space and landed with a cracking sound on Edmond''s neck.


    Slap!


    Unfortunately, Jenifer''s strike only left a bloody mark on his neck. It did not kill him.


    "What a strong defense!" Jenifer gasped in astonishment. This was not the result that she had hoped for.


    When Edmond''s eyes exploded, it caused a disorder in his power, leaving him weak to the limit. Despite that, Jenifer could not break his defense. One could imagine the power of the defensive ability of his body!


    As he suffered from extreme pain, Edmond had lost the ability to fight. He knew that if Jenifer wanted to kill him, he wouldn''t be able to defend for long.


    "Let''s go!"


    Now that her plan had failed, Jenifer didn''t want to wait and see how Edmond would retaliate. She could only think of fleeing with the Rule Soul Avatar and Donovan.


    She grabbed them, turned, and flew into the distance.


    Three months went past, but she didn''t stop.


    Finally, she halted at the edge of a sea. It was not exhaustion or complacency that drove her to stop, but rather the fear of hidden dangers in the water that stretched toward the horizon.


    In these past three months, the Rule Soul Avatar remained in a state of unconsciousness. The only sign of life he emitted was the convulsions that rocked his body from time to time. It was apparent that his pain had not been alleviated in the slightest.


    Although this concerned Jenifer, at the same time, she felt relieved.


    She was worried as she wasn''t sure whether Darren would be in such pain forever. What brought her comfort


    f her.


    "Darren, Donovan, are you okay?" Jenifer asked as she got up and ran toward them.


    "Woo...hoo."


    Donovan cried in response, but the Rule Soul Avatar remained silent.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Shortly afterward, two figures, one dressed in black and one in white, flew out from the dark blue distance and landed in front of Jenifer.


    "Come with us."


    Jenifer drummed up the courage to ask, "Who are you?"


    "Underworld Reapers," they answered in unison.


    "What do you mean?" Jenifer was confused.


    "You are so stupid! Haven''t you heard of the underworld?"


    Jenifer paled. She had heard about the underworld. It was said that the underworld was a place where people would go after they died.


    But she had never believed it. Since she was a warrior at the God Realm, her soul would be destroyed after her death. How in the world could she go to the underworld?


    "So what? We are alive. Why do you come for us?" She sensed that something was wrong and they might have made a mistake. This thought eased some of the fear she felt.


    "Cut the crap and come with us."


    As they spoke, each of the Underworld Reapers pulled out an iron chain with a hook in the front.


    Swish!


    The two iron chains flew in unison and hooked into the Rule Soul Avatar''s and Donovan''s collarbones.


    Jenifer''s eyes widened with shock and horror. Regardless of the risk to her, she rushed forward, ready to fight.


    It was then that she realized that she couldn''t fly and that the god''s power in her body had disappeared.


    Now, she was just an ordinary person.

 Chapter 1259 The Agony

    "How dare you defy us? You''re playing with fire!"


    The Underworld Reaper dressed in black was infuriated. His scarlet tongue snaked out of his mouth, and to Jenifer''s horror, flew straight at her. Before she could even process what was happening, his tongue was wrapped around her neck.


    "Ah..."


    Jenifer''s hands flew to her neck, and she struggled to dislodge the tongue so that she could breathe. Simultaneously, she wanted to retch. The disgustingly slimy tongue wrapped around her neck, left her feeling sick to her stomach.


    The Underworld Reaper in black used his strength to dangle her mid-air before releasing her abruptly. She fell to the ground, breaking her leg bones.


    "Going forward, you''d better behave yourself, or I''ll give you a hard time," the Underworld Reaper snapped.


    He then threw an iron chain and hooked it to her collarbones.


    Jenifer had lost all her god''s power, and the sharp pain from her broken legs sapped her of her strength. She could only cry in silence.


    The two Underworld Reapers continued to move forward, dragging Jenifer and the other two along.


    On the way, all kinds of pitiful wails and cries could be heard. Jenifer trembled as she staggered along.


    After a long time, the group reached a bridge, which crossed over a blood river. The Underworld Reapers stopped in front of it.


    "Your Grace, we''ve been ordered to bring these people back. Please allow us to borrow your bridge. Thank you."


    The Underworld Reapers knelt and kowtowed three times. They murmured some incantations before continuing forward onto the bridge.


    In front, the dim blue light became thicker and thicker, and a house made of paper stood not far away.


    Jenifer and the other two were dragged into the house.


    By now, the combination of fear and agony caused Jenifer almost to lose consciousness.


    Donovan also appeared half-unconscious. He, too, was suffering and crying. The Rule Soul Avatar remained motionless as if he were a corpse.


    "Your Majesty, here they are," the Underworld Reapers reported.


    In the dark hall sat a middle-aged man in a black official cap and uniform.


    "Good job. Go and get your reward."


    "My pleasure, Your Majesty."


    Then the Underworld Reapers left. The middle-aged man stood, approached the three prisoners, and walked around them. He was inspecting them.


    "I didn''t expect that I, the Reincarnation Emperor, would get such a good deal," he said with a sinister smile.


    "It''s a pity that this o


    e Shura race, the beasts, and every other race that people could think of.


    "If that''s the case, you should worry about yourself, not me," Jenifer contradicted coldly.


    "I''m fine. I happen to have a piece of Divine Essence Stone. It is enough for me to restore my strength for an hour. Nobody dares to hurt me," the boy said with a smile as he waved the transparent stone in his hand.


    Jenifer stared at the stone, and the impulse to grab it coursed through her.


    "Don''t get any bad ideas. You can''t take it away." The boy seemed to have read Jenifer''s mind.


    "How about your cultivation base? Which realm are you in now?" Jenifer then asked.


    On second thought, she gave up that idea. Now that the boy had dared to flaunt his Divine Essence Stone and the others showed no sign of stealing it from him, he must be more powerful than she estimated. Thus, she decided to try something else.


    "It''s not much. I''m at the top-level of the Domain God Realm. It''s not very high, but it is enough for me to protect myself," the boy replied.


    "Would you please do me a favor?" After thinking for a while, she looked at the boy earnestly.


    "No, I won''t protect anyone." The boy was certain that this beautiful woman sought protection. He had met a lot of people like her.


    Jenifer felt a bit disappointed.


    After a moment of silence, she pointed at the Rule Soul Avatar and said to the boy, "I don''t need your protection, but I want you to help him. If you agree, I will give you the Celestial God Realm cultivation method and a piece of high-level divine weapon. In fact, I will give you whatever I own as long as you promise to protect him."

 Chapter 1260 The Yamas Prefecture

    "What else could be more important than my own life? I can''t protect anyone aside from myself. That''s why I can''t make any promises to you." The child adamantly refused. He apparently didn''t think very highly of the divine weapon or the cultivation methods.


    Now that the child really couldn''t agree, Jenifer decided to just give up on the idea completely.


    "I respect your decision." She then went on, "But I do have some questions for you. Could you answer them for me?"


    "No problem. You can ask me anything. I''ll tell you everything I know."


    "Okay." Jenifer nodded and cleared her throat before asking, "What is this place? I can''t say I believe in the underworld. Moreover, why did these people come here?"


    "Ha-ha! You have sharp eyes." The boy chuckled and said, "The Primitive Wilderness is full of gods. It''s true that there is no such thing as an underworld.


    Plus, we''re all living creatures here. Have you ever heard of the nine regions and the ten prefectures?"


    "Of course I have. Who hasn''t?"


    "Well, this place is called the Yama''s Prefecture, and its ruler is called Yama. In fact, Yama is actually also a human being. Rumor has it, he firmly believes in the existence of the netherworld, so he built this place to recreate it," the child explained.


    Hearing this, Jenifer furrowed her brows in confusion and said, "As far as I know, there isn''t a Yama''s Prefecture within the nine regions and ten prefectures."


    She had lived in the abyss for so many years already. Jenifer knew the names of the nine regions and the ten prefectures like the back of her hand, but she''d never heard of Yama''s Prefecture. Moreover, the nine regions and ten prefectures were on the land of the Primitive Wilderness. How could they appear in the abyss?


    "One thing you don''t know is that the nine regions and ten prefectures have never been fixed since ancient times. They are constantly changing. This Yama''s Prefecture was a powerful force in the ancient times, but it was later replaced by a new and more powerful force. They were then expelled from the land of the Primitive Wilderness to the abyss, so most people had no knowledge of the Yama''s Prefecture.


    They were once a force to be reckoned with," the boy said.


    After hearing this, Jenifer nodded in understanding. She could feel this explanation was legitimate.


    "W


    bore the pain bravely and didn''t make a sound.


    "Jenifer, you don''t have to do this. You''ve lost your god''s power. You''ll die if you do this."


    The scene made Briggs Zhou''s heart pang with pity for her.


    Without saying a word, she protected the avatar. Gradually, the pain she felt disappeared, which was the primary sign that all her muscles had already failed her.


    "Why are you so stubborn?" Seeing this, Briggs Zhou could practically feel her pain all over his body, and he felt so sorry for her.


    The avatar just lay quietly under Jennifer. At the moment, his eyes were not only bleeding, but also shimmering with tears.


    "I can''t stand this anymore." Briggs Zhou thought that he had already seen enough death, and this had turned his heart cold. But seeing Jennifer risk her life to save a dying person made his heart twist.


    "Catch!"


    He quickly took out a transparent stone from his arms and threw it in Jenifer''s direction.


    He still felt a little regretful the moment he threw it out, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He had a very bad feeling at the thought of what would happen on the eating day one month later.


    "I''m such an idiot," Briggs Zhou couldn''t help scolding himself.


    The transparent stone fell directly on her hand, but she didn''t move an inch. She was on the verge of death.


    Witnessing the scene, Briggs Zhou felt that he could easily take back the Divine Essence Stone he had thrown. After all, Jenifer hadn''t refined it yet, let alone allow the Divine Essence Stone recognize her as its master.

 Chapter 1261 The Therapy

    Should he take the Divine Essence Stone back or help her refine it to save her life?


    Weighed by the dilemma, Briggs began to hesitate again.


    "Damn it! It''s all that old man''s fault. He had taught me to be kind. She must be in agony. How can I be heartless now? My death is inevitable. Since this is the last of my Divine Essence Stone, and I will only live for one more month even if I keep it, it wouldn''t hurt me to give it to her."


    Finally, Briggs decided to help Jenifer refine the Divine Essence Stone. He knew that he couldn''t make it through the next eating day, not even if he kept the last of the Divine Essence Stone. So, how did it matter if he lived one more month?


    Briggs winced as he moved closer to Jenifer. The oil he had stepped on hadn''t cooled yet, and a searing pain radiated to every nerve ending.


    He glanced around cautiously. Once he stopped being the master of the Divine Essence Stone, these people would rush over and try to snatch it. His heart beat faster at the thought of being mobbed. ''Just be quick, '' he thought to himself.


    Once he was sure that he was ready, Briggs brought his finger to his mouth and bit it. He watched as a drop of blood essence oozed out. Then, he took a deep breath and transferred the blood drop on to the Divine Essence Stone. Now, he was no longer its master.


    Bang!


    Almost instantly, Briggs felt a sharp pain that radiated from his back.


    A dirty man with festering skin had punched Briggs and sent him flying for about ten feet.


    "Divine Essence Stone. My Divine Essence Stone!"


    Briggs coughed up blood as he cried in despair when he saw the man rush to grab his Divine Essence Stone.


    However, before the man could touch it, several people around grabbed his legs and rendered him immobile.


    Seeing what had happened, the creatures of the other races also swarmed forward.


    They did not dare to beat one another to death, but they could desperately hold one another so that their companions could get the Divine Essence Stone.


    In a few seconds, chaos ruled the place. A colossal heap of people had formed where Briggs had previously stood, and each of these creatures tore and bit one another as they strived for the Divine Essence Stone in Jenifer''s hand.


    The Divine Essence Stone in Jenifer''s hand began to melt, and an intense ray of multicolored light burst out.


    Like arid land greedily absorbing every last drop of life-giving rain, her scorched skin soaked up the Divine Essence.


    Once it entered her body, Jenifer''s breath of life gradually became stronger.


    "Hmm," she groaned lightly as her charred skin peeled off, revealing her fa


    tion in my mind, including about ''time turbulent flows''. I can assure you that it''s a ''time turbulent flow''," Briggs said confidently.


    "But in this case, entering the channel will also put him at great risk." Jenifer frowned. She tried weighing the merits of Briggs'' suggestion but found herself hesitant. The risk to "Darren" was immense!


    "Well, women are troublesome. Think of it as a last resort to a hopeless situation. Don''t you see it? If you don''t try, he will remain in his current state¡ªinjured and in agony. Is that any different from death?


    What''s more, if you don''t try, everyone will be devoured by the other races in a month. What''s the use of worrying about risk when we''re all doomed anyway?" Briggs'' tone sounded as though he was lecturing Jenifer.


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t think about all that." It was not until then that Jenifer understood. Since they would surely die if she didn''t try, she had to take "Darren" to the vortex.


    "Hurry up! Fly there while you still have strength."


    "Yes." Jenifer nodded. She grabbed the Rule Soul Avatar and Briggs and flew eastward.


    In the blink of an eye, she crossed several hundred kilometers and arrived at the place Briggs had mentioned.


    On a wall there was indeed a huge black vortex, like the mouth of a giant beast. It even emitted a terrifying and ferocious aura!


    "Hurry up! Put him in before the guards discover us and something unexpected happens," Briggs urged.


    "Yes."


    Jenifer reluctantly glanced at the Rule Soul Avatar before pushing him forward with her god''s power. Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart sank as she watched the black vortex swallow him.


    Swish!


    As soon as the Rule Soul Avatar entered a colorful, brilliant void, his eyes flew open.

 Chapter 1262 The Time Law

    The Rule Soul Avatar''s eyes had been reduced to bloody holes, which looked terrifying.


    In this colorful halo, the Rule Soul Avatar seemed to be floating in a river, but in no fixed direction.


    "Argh!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar released a sudden roar, and a streak of law light flashed over his body.


    The pain coursing through him disappeared, his god''s power recovered, and his consciousness was restored.


    However, his eyes were still damaged.


    "Time turbulent flows,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar murmured. He recognized where he was as he had experienced it before.


    He was in the Lothlann Continent at that time, but his Spirit Power and comprehension ability were not high enough to communicate with the Time Rule.


    Time was distorted in the time turbulent flows. Although the Rule Soul Avatar''s eyes were damaged, he avoided the moment when he had sustained the injury as he was in the time turbulent flows. Hence, the pain in his eyes disappeared.


    However, as his eyes were unusual, he could not reverse the trauma they sustained despite being in the time turbulent flows. So, while his suffering had ended, his eyes did not return to their original state.


    As the Rule Soul Avatar''s consciousness and strength had been restored, he grabbed the opportunity to augment his skills. His Spirit Power split into billions of threads, and he began to comprehend the Time Law.


    What frustrated him was that his comprehension speed had slowed as without his silvery eyes, he could not see the Time Law silk threads.


    It was hard, but not impossible.


    Determined, the Rule Soul Avatar concentrated all his attention to perceive the Time Law, despite his limitations.


    In the disorder of time, the Rule Soul Avatar felt as though tens of millions of years had passed, but sometimes he felt like it had only been a split second.


    Finally, after struggling for a while, the Rule Soul Avatar connected with the Time Law''s first silk thread.


    The colorful halo surrounded the Rule Soul Avatar, and in a split second, he became old, and his face resembled that of a witcher''s.


    But a few seconds later, he became young, even child-like.


    "I can''t control it."


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s Spirit Power was almost exhausted, and he could only attain one Time Law silk


    ly. Thus, it was like he was about to be torn apart by time.


    "Argh!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar managed to gather his Spirit Power again, resulting in a crack in his soul.


    The intangible palm clenched tightly on the Time Law silk thread and pulled it with all its strength.


    Once it entered his body, the Rule Soul Avatar could control it. Then the tearing power of time would disappear.


    The Time Law silk thread was like a tense bowstring, reaching its maximum tension.


    "Argh!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar forced the Spirit Power again, even though his soul was full of cracks.


    Crack!


    A thunderous sound rang out as the Time Law silk thread broke! One end plunged into his body.


    At the moment, the Rule Soul Avatar sighed with relief.


    The pain of soul tearing was powerful, but it was nothing compared to the torment he endured when his silvery eyes were destroyed. And so, he could bear it.


    However, at this moment, a certain dark abyss was tossed into turmoil.


    There, the tremendous god''s power gathered into a sea, in which nine massive bodies floated.


    When the Rule Soul Avatar broke the third Time Law silk thread, nine pairs of large, dark-gold eyes opened in unison. The violent god''s power and law force they emitted shook the stars hundreds of millions of kilometers away.


    Terrifying waves stirred.


    "Someone is touching time."


    "Who is it?"


    "Who is it?"


    "Who did this? Who?"


    "He is not a Defiant Master!"


    The nine giant bodies roared in metallic sounds in unison.

 Chapter 1263 The Evolution Of The Silvery Eyes

    Boom!


    Amidst the sea of god''s power emerged one of the huge bodies. The mighty god''s sense shrouded the entire Primitive Wilderness.


    It was searching for the creature that had touched time.


    After probing the Primitive Wilderness, it began to search the other abysses one after another. When it detected a small abyss, it quickly noticed a difference.


    "Argh!"


    The god''s sense rushed through hundreds of millions of spaces and headed straight for the abyss.


    After the Rule Soul Avatar got the three law silk threads, he began to meticulously mend his soul.


    Under the influence of time turbulent flows, he simply used the "future" law silk thread to accelerate time, so that his soul injury could quickly heal.


    After his soul''s recovery, the Rule Soul Avatar was up and ready to leave the turbulent flows.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, the colorful halo turned malevolent.


    The Rule Soul Avatar suddenly felt that an unprecedented powerful god''s sense was coming towards him.


    He immediately deduced that it was an invincible figure who had noticed him tearing through the Time Law.


    With a quick shift of his hands, he concealed the three law silk threads deep into his soul.


    He then traveled through the turbulence and hid in different time frames. Even the powerful god''s sense couldn''t find his location and it eventually disappeared in the turmoil of time.


    The Rule Soul Avatar escaped the attack of the god''s sense, but he didn''t dare stay a moment longer.


    With his current ability, he figured out the time node he had come in through and swiftly escaped from it.


    Meanwhile, in the Reincarnation Palace''s prison, Jenifer and Briggs had waited for more than ten days.


    "I hope he can come back, even if it takes thousands of years," murmured Jenifer. At this point, she had accepted death, since she hadn''t thought "Darren" could come back in a short span of time. She was beginning to think he was never coming back.


    "Jenifer, time is a fickle thing. If he finds the right node, he could come out any minute now." Briggs was staying optimistic.


    "That''s impossibl


    cially the risk of getting bitten and guzzled by the other creatures. This doomed feeling left their souls frantic and restless.


    Many of them were praying to God for mercy, hoping that they could safely survive the eating day.


    "Darren, what are you doing?"


    During the past few days, the Rule Soul Avatar had remained silent.


    "Have a look." The Rule Soul Avatar spoke lightly before opening his closed eyes.


    "Ah." Jenifer covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a squeal as her eyes shimmered with joy.


    She saw that the Rule Soul Avatar''s eyes were no longer two bloody holes, but a pair of pale gray, normal eyes.


    "Great! Your eyes are okay now!" She couldn''t help but rush at him.


    "Not only that. I feel that my Eyes of Law will evolve once I recover completely." The Rule Soul Avatar started to communicate with her in a normal human''s tone.


    "Really? Can your silvery eyes actually evolve?"


    "It''s the result I anticipate. I don''t know they''re going to evolve just yet."


    Upon hearing this, Briggs felt excited.


    In his memory, silvery eyes were a miracle from God. Now silvery eyes could evolve? He was looking forward to witnessing the evolved eyes.


    "Argh!"


    It was finally the eating moment, and all the races were in a crazed and bloodthirsty state.


    They looked ferocious and gritted their teeth, as drool dribbled down their mouths like hungry beasts.

 Chapter 1264 Successful Recruit

    All kinds of creatures from different races went wild as they couldn''t wait to enjoy their meal. They were born with a strong physique, which gave them an advantage over the humans who had lost their god''s power.


    Therefore, eating day was disastrous to the humans locked in the prison.


    The sounds of crying and shouting began to fill the air.


    Soon, the whole prison was filled with despair.


    "Darren, we can''t sit by and watch," Jenifer gasped as shock and horror coursed through her. Just moments ago, a few creatures had pounced on some of the humans and ripped them to shreds. Every fiber of her being wanted to rush forward and save them.


    "We will be exposed if we try," the Rule Soul Avatar used his spiritual sense to caution her.


    "But I can''t just watch them die." The idea of not helping others didn''t sit well with Jenifer.


    The Rule Soul Avatar, however, remained nonchalant.


    "Please reconsider your decision. Would we be alive if it hadn''t been for Briggs who gave us his Divine Essence Stone to restore our strength? He is only a boy, but he was willing to sacrifice his life to save us. Why can''t we do the same?" Jenifer continued to persuade him. During this time, a few more humans were attacked.


    The Rule Soul Avatar remained indifferent.


    "Darren! Please save them. I beg you. Please." Tears welled in Jenifer''s eyes, and desperation laced her tone as she continued to implore the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Finally, something flashed in his grey eyes, and he nodded.


    "You don''t move. I''ll do it." The Rule Soul Avatar''s heart skipped a beat when he saw that expression on Jenifer''s face. He actually felt like he could not refuse.


    "Thank you! I know you are not iron-hearted. Thank you!" Jenifer exclaimed with a broad smile.


    "Roar! Roar!"


    The creatures were on a feeding frenzy. With no one to challenge them, they had already devoured dozens of people.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Arrows that contained laws appeared from nowhere. Each emitted a golden brilliance in the dimly lit prison.


    These densely-packed arrows fell like raindrops, avoiding all the humans but targeting all the creatures.


    Blood flowed in rivers as the strong creatures fell like flies.


    "If you need food, find something on the ground. If you dare to touch a human, you will die," the Rule Soul Avatar commanded as he leaped into the air. His long, black hair fluttered behind him, lending him a graceful appearance.


    The remaining creatures desisted when they heard the divine voice. They didn''t dare to make a s


    ell me. What do you want?" There was a smile on the Reincarnation Emperor''s face, but he cursed inwardly, ''He is greedy.''


    "Divine Essence Stones."


    Hearing his answer, the Reincarnation Emperor thought, ''How predictable. He wants what everyone else in the world covets.''


    "Why not? As long as you swear allegiance to Lord Yama, I will offer you one cubic meter of Divine Essence Stones every month," offered the Reincarnation Emperor.


    Everyone in prison was shocked. One cubic meter of Divine Essence Stones weighed one thousand and five hundred kilograms. The quantity was so huge that they could never dream of getting that much in their lives.


    It was challenging to get a cubic meter of common divine stones, let alone Divine Essence Stones. Divine Essence Stones were the highest grade of divine stones, and even a small fragment of it was extremely precious.


    "Deal," the Rule Soul Avatar agreed.


    At this moment, Jenifer looked at the Rule Soul Avatar strangely.


    "Darren, don''t be silly. Once you swear allegiance to Yama, you will be his slave," Jenifer cautioned Darren through her spiritual sense.


    "I know what I am doing," the Rule Soul Avatar replied calmly.


    "Great! Then you can swear an oath of allegiance. Remember to use your soul."


    "You have to swear first that you will keep your promise." The Rule Soul Avatar was not stupid. What if the man didn''t give him the Divine Essence Stones after he swore his loyalty to Yama?


    "Ha-ha, Darren, you are so cynical. But it''s okay. I''ll swear first."


    Then, the Reincarnation Emperor used his soul to pledge that he would give the Rule Soul Avatar the quantity of Divine Essence Stones they had agreed to.

 Chapter 1265 The Laws-assimilating Silvery Eyes

    "It''s your turn." The Reincarnation Emperor stared at the Rule Soul Avatar sternly, as if he would break all his bones if the avatar dared to back out.


    "I, Darren Chu, swear allegiance to Lord Yama for the rest of my life..." The Rule Soul Avatar activated his soul power as he made this vow.


    In this world, even the deputy gods could not defy the Oath Law. There was also another law, the Balance Law that even the chief gods couldn''t resist. These two laws were the most special among all. It was not until the Rule Soul Avatar took his oath that the Reincarnation Emperor gave a smile of relief.


    But there were always loopholes. The Rule Soul Avatar had already comprehended the Oath Rule when he was on the Lothlann Continent, so he was fully capable of going past its limits. Even now that he''d come to the Primitive Wilderness, the Oath Law still didn''t work on him.


    What was more, even if the Rule Soul Avatar was restricted by the Oath Law, he still had ways to avoid it, and that was to use the Time Law.


    Despite the fact that he only had three law silk threads, it was already enough to disturb time at that exact moment when he made the vow, thus voiding its effects.


    So he swore allegiance to Yama without any hesitation.


    In this way, he not only saved his and Jenifer''s lives, but he also reaped the benefits¡ªwhich was exactly the best case scenario he was anticipating.


    After the Rule Soul Avatar took his oath, the Reincarnation Emperor sensed through his consciousness that the oath had indeed been forged successfully.


    "Good. Now, you stay with me for the time being. Once you''ve grown stronger, Lord Yama will naturally summon you to assist him when need be."


    The Rule Soul Avatar held a poker face in reply. After a moment of silence, he said, "Please release all the humans in the prison."


    "What?" The Reincarnation Emperor''s face swiftly darkened as he said, "It''s impossible. Given that you''ve just joined Yama''s Prefecture, there are things that you still don''t understand yet. I don''t blame you for what you asked for just now, so I''ll let it pass. But I have to remind you to mind your own business and don''t ask for anything like that ever again. Otherwise, Lord Yama will kill you without any hesitation. Moreover, even if Lord Yama doesn''t kill you himself, I''ll gladly do it for him. Do you understand?"


    In response, the Rule Soul Avatar stood there coldly, without any response.


    The Reincarnation Emperor gave him a ferocious look, and then turned around with a wave of his sleeve. As he walked forward, he said, "Arrange a palace for him. Everything has to be decided after Lord Yam


    life than they did one month prior.


    "I understand now!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar tried to activate his eyes and was astounded by the result. He had never been so excited ever since he had emotions.


    He had finally figured out the ability of the silvery eyes after they evolved.


    "Laws-assimilating Silvery Eyes."


    The Rule Soul Avatar gave his soon to be evolved eyes a name.


    His silvery eyes could assimilate all kinds of laws and turn them into his own use after the evolution.


    As long as his Spirit Power was strong enough, he could assimilate the laws that even the chief gods had mastered!


    Moreover, he also analyzed that if the laws he had assimilated were useless to him, he could simply turn them into Spirit Power. This was truly an incredible ability.


    In this way, his Spirit Power would grow at the most frightening speed the world had ever seen.


    "Is there any chief god devoted to rule cultivation in the world?" the Rule Soul Avatar murmured to himself.


    Once a rule cultivator reached the top level of the Celestial God Realm, he or she would become a true immortal. Above the true immortals were the superior immortals. But what was more powerful than superior immortals? He had never heard of anyone that powerful.


    These two abilities were only the Rule Soul Avatar''s deduction when the eyes hadn''t yet fully evolved. As to what other abilities he could obtain after the eyes completed the evolution, he had to wait another three months to know.


    Unfortunately, it would take at least three months for the silvery eyes to completely recover and evolve.


    "Eh?"


    Just as the Rule Soul Avatar was about to walk out of the secret room, a very strange law suddenly descended upon him and rushed straight into his heart.

 Chapter 1266 The Suppressing Plan

    Even though the Rule Soul Avatar had never encountered this strange law, it couldn''t escape his detection.


    Several wisps of law silk threads had invaded the Rule Soul Avatar''s heart.


    But, he didn''t expel them immediately.


    "You want to examine my mind?" The Rule Soul Avatar frowned when he figured out the purpose of the strange law.


    It could sense people''s innermost thoughts.


    Had it been anyone else, they wouldn''t be able to escape the scrutiny by this law. But, the Rule Soul Avatar had reached the acme of perfection in law control. He wasn''t the least bit challenged when he tried to manipulate these several law silk threads.


    Moreover, when he followed the law silk threads, he found their source.


    "It''s him."


    The Reincarnation Emperor''s face appeared before the Rule Soul Avatar''s eyes.


    This was the Reincarnation Emperor''s unique technique. He could probe the innermost thoughts and inclinations of a target even when he was thousands of kilometers away.


    Back then, when Edmond stopped the Rule Soul Avatar, the Reincarnation Emperor discovered something strange. After reading the thoughts in Edmond''s mind, he learned of Donovan''s identity and the origins of the Rule Soul Avatar''s silvery eyes.


    It was not until later when Jenifer fled with the Rule Soul Avatar and Donovan and entered his territory by accident that he ordered his men to capture them.


    The Rule Soul Avatar continued to manipulate the law. He prevented it from revealing his true intentions and forced it to show the inner world he wanted the Reincarnation Emperor to see.


    As a result, the Reincarnation Emperor was relieved when he received feedback that "Darren" was absolutely loyal to Yama.


    In the great hall


    "I''ve checked and found that there is nothing wrong with that brat. He is just focused on cultivating," the Reincarnation Emperor said to Homer.


    "That''s good. I hope that you''re not upset with me. The only reason I spoke so much is that Lord Yama instructed me to ask you to investigate," Homer explained politely. Ever since the Reincarnation Emperor threatened to send him to hell, Homer had become more courteous in front of him.


    "Of course, I know you are passing Lord Yama''s messages to me. Otherwise, do you think I would listen to you?"


    "You''re right. Since you instructed me and helped me cultivate and reach this level, you''re like my mentor, and I am grateful to you. Of course, I wouldn''t dare to misbehave."


    trigger Darren''s wrath by doing something to Jenifer. Even if he didn''t dare to rape her, he had no qualms about touching her body.


    And when "Darren" learned of this suppression plan later, he would not do anything to Homer since he was merely following orders and nothing serious had happened to Jenifer.


    Whoosh!


    Homer rushed into Jenifer''s room as fast as a phantom.


    "Who dares?"


    Jenifer shouted as soon as she noticed a figure flash past. The next moment, she could not move.


    "You are such a beauty." Homer disguised his voice and changed his aura before revealing himself. To complete the act, he rubbed his hands like a hooligan and flashed her a sinister grin.


    "What are you doing? Get out!" Jenifer was astonished.


    "Do you think I will leave just because you asked? I, a mature man, have snuck into your room on purpose. Tell me. What do you think I want to do to you?"


    While speaking, Homer walked closer to Jenifer. He couldn''t help but feel excitement surge in his heart. ''I''d better caress her quickly before that guy notices. No, I''m an emperor. I can do more. Perhaps I can even sleep with her. At worst, I can grab several women to compensate him later. How can I let go of such a beauty now?''


    Tempted by Jenifer''s perfect figure and beauty, Homer changed his mind. He couldn''t control himself anymore and came up with several justifications to excuse his weakness.


    ''In any case, I will accomplish my mission of angering that guy. If I suppress and force him by then, perhaps he will break through. Humph! It''s for his good.''


    "Come on, my honey."


    Homer pounced on Jenifer like a hungry dog.

 Chapter 1267 The Impulse Of Homer

    Jenifer''s face turned pale upon hearing Homer''s lewd words. She had no doubt about what he intended to do.


    "Help! Help! Darren, help!" she cried out in a panicked voice.


    Homer laughed coldly. "That won''t work," he said. "I have blocked this room, so no one outside can hear you. But don''t worry! I will remove the blockades when I have you, so that your little valentine will be able to hear your cries of passion."


    Homer was becoming more and more excited. He could hardly restrain himself from grabbing Jenifer immediately.


    "Go away!" she shouted at him.


    But he moved closer.


    "Please leave me alone," she pleaded.


    Homer laughed again.


    "I know women always say the opposite of what they really mean," he taunted.


    He leaned over Jenifer. There was a sharp cracking sound.


    Before Homer could touch her, black lightning appeared and wrapped around his arm. He was stunned as the force of the lightning hurled him backwards, away from Jenifer.


    ''Is this the tribulation thunder?'' he thought.


    His arm felt numb and painful where the lightning had struck him. However, he was able to mobilize his god''s power and expel it in time in order to prevent the tribulation thunder from harming his torso and head.


    As he struggled to get up, a figure in white materialized in front of him.


    It was the Rule Soul Avatar, who was possessed of a very strong Spirit Power. It had been easy for him to detect Homer sneaking in. Moreover, his silvery eyes had recovered a little. He could sense the slightest fluctuation of other power from the vibration of the law silk threads.


    Indeed, he had sensed Homer''s presence almost immediately.


    But the Rule Soul Avatar was curious about what Homer planned to do, so he held back and observed him secretly for a while.


    However, as soon as he realized that Homer was going to hurt Jenifer, he had no choice but to intervene. Of course, he couldn''t let such a thing happen. He came at once to stop Homer from assaulting Jenifer.


    "You''re so powerful, huh? Did you know all along I was here?


    Let me make something clear. The little beauty is mine today!" Homer said as he stood. He smirked at the two of them.


    A flash of Killing Law shot out from the Rule Soul Avatar''s silver gray eyes.


    Instantly, the law force slashed at the shackles on Jenifer''s body.


    As soon as she was freed, Jenifer jumped out of the bed.


    "You go first," the Rule Soul Avatar said indifferently.


    She ran to the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "I want to kill him with you!" she said angrily. She was at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. She would have been able to


    I''m so screwed."


    His feeling of triumph had faded, replaced by anxiety and foreboding.


    He was beginning to regret his rash actions. He knew that the man in white would be Yama''s capable assistant or guard, and so his status would be even superior to that of a Dharma King.


    "What should I do?" he said aloud. He pondered the consequences of killing the Rule Soul Avatar, wondering what Yama would do to him, and what lies he could tell to save himself.


    He was lost in thought, trying to come up with a plan, but he kept getting distracted by visions of Yama''s horrible, ferocious face.


    "Ah, how could I be so stupid!" he cried. Homer was going crazy, and he was extremely scared.


    In that instant, the space around him shook violently. A Destructive Force and the force of tribulation thunder attacked his back at the same time.


    Homer was stunned. In a flash, he realized two things: he was being attacked, and the Rule Soul Avatar was not dead.


    Instinctively, he whirled and stabbed with his spear in the direction the attack had come from.


    His majestic force was condensed into countless long spears that struck at his unseen attacker.


    Homer was at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm. Even if he could only display the low-level power of the Celestial God Realm because of the defect of the cultivation method, his power was still far stronger than the Rule Soul Avatar''s.


    Thus, even though the Rule Soul Avatar had the advantage with his sneak attack, his attack law was still punctured by the energy from Homer''s spear.


    However, this did not mean he was defeated. The Rule Soul Avatar was known for his cleverness as much as his other abilities, and he would not be contented with a simple sneak attack.

 Chapter 1268 Homers Death

    While Homer had all his attention focused on his back, an even more powerful wave of law attacks barraged his front, catching him totally off guard.


    "What the...? Are you kidding me?"


    He turned pale, the terror clear on his face, and hurriedly withdrew his spear to block the incoming attacks.


    He breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, his rival was relatively weak. As long as he had his spear by his side to help him fight back, he felt confident he could counter through his enemy''s defenses and turn the tide in his favor.


    But then, his body began trembling violently, his face turned a deep red before the color soon drained from it.


    He looked down to find the ground beneath his feet stained dark with his blood.


    "You dirty rat!" Only then did Homer notice that an arrow of rule power had been shot through his crotch and pierced right into his heart.


    His life began dripping away along with his blood.


    "Die!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar showed no mercy. He gathered his law force and targeted it all at Homer''s head.


    Homer was already panicking, his life already on the line as he was left exposed.


    "Darren, don''t kill me, please. I was sent here to help you improve your cultivation level, on Lord Yama''s orders!" he shouted desperately, pleading for his life.


    He was willing to do anything necessary to convince the Rule Soul Avatar to spare him.


    But the Rule Soul Avatar paid his words no mind, they meant nothing to him. All that he could think about was that this man in front of him harbored a deep desire to kill him and that he had attempted to do something filthy to Jenifer. How could he possibly let him go now?


    Homer''s heart had already been stabbed into, it was over now. He could not hold off any more of the Rule Soul Avatar''s attacks.


    He sat, white as a sheet, awaiting death to take him.


    "Stop!"


    the Reincarnation Emperor yelled as he descended and stopped before the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Darren, all Homer did was follow Lord Yama''s orders. It was all for your own good. You can''t kill him."


    From the other end, the Rule Soul Avatar ceased his assault and cast contemptuous glances at the both of them.


    "I need proof from Lord Yama for your words," said the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "What? I''m telling the truth, I would never lie about official orders. You do as you please now, but I''ll be taking Homer away," said the Reincarnation Emperor authoritatively.


    "Okay, I believe you. Get him out of here." Unexpectedly, the Rule Soul Avatar agreed. It seemed he had a change of heart.


    "Ha-ha, a wise decision. Come to my palace later and apologize to Homer. We''ll be waiting for you there," said the Reincarnation Emperor quite pleased and surprised with how this had turned out.


    "Okay," nodded the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Humph! You''re so ungrateful," Homer groaned. "If I ha


    er.


    Several masters of the top level of the Star God Realm made their move to take the Rule Soul Avatar away. Luckily, he did not resist.


    "I want her to come with me," he said, his eyes fixed on Jenifer.


    "Wherever you go, I''ll follow," Jenifer said in agreement.


    "You are incredibly naive if you think you''re going to live anything close to a good life there," the Reincarnation Emperor replied pulling a long face.


    When he heard this, the Rule Soul Avatar immediately triggered the attacking law.


    "You! You''re going to revolt?"


    "Let her go with me," the Rule Soul Avatar requested defiantly, ignoring the Reincarnation Emperor''s anger.


    "How dare you! You are in no position to be making requests!" the Reincarnation Emperor shouted back.


    Bang!


    The Rule Soul Avatar remained silent but mobilized the laws and smashed one of the guards attempting to take him to pieces.


    He had made his position quite clear; if he was not allowed to take Jenifer with him, he would fight them as hard as he had to.


    "Fine. You are really something," the Reincarnation Emperor said trembling with anger. "Take the woman with him!"


    He had been strong-armed into a compromise.


    Once the Rule Soul Avatar and Jenifer were taken away, he could no longer contain the vicious hatred in his heart.


    "Your Majesty, he''s too arrogant. If you let him by Lord Yama''s side in the future, I''m afraid you will be in danger," said one of the Reincarnation Emperor''s subordinates gravely.


    "I''m well aware of that, I do not need you to tell me," replied the Reincarnation Emperor, calming down now.


    "So what should we do?"


    "Humph, the ninth layer of hell is formed by nature. Once he is inside, even Yama will be unable to tell what is going on around him. It will be easy for us to do whatever we like there!" he replied through gritted teeth and a devious look across his face.

 Chapter 1269 The Ninth Layer Of Hell

    "I''ll arrange it right now!"


    The man smiled coldly after understanding what the Reincarnation Emperor had meant.


    "Wait!" The Reincarnation Emperor gestured for his subordinate to stop. "I''ll handle it myself."


    The man was surprised. "Your Majesty, you don''t have to take such a risk. If Lord Yama knows where you are, it''s inevitable that he will suspect you! Don''t forget about what is imprisoned in the ninth layer of hell."


    Hearing this, the Reincarnation Emperor trembled slightly.


    "You mean I can secretly release that thing and make it do my bidding?"


    "That''s exactly what I mean.


    It was so ferocious that it had the ability to slaughter a cultivator of the Superior God Realm even ninety thousand years ago. When that guy is killed, even Lord Yama could not blame you for not coming to his rescue. Isn''t that the perfect plan?"


    The Reincarnation Emperor became hesitant.


    He had seen how ferocious that thing could be.


    Ninety thousand years ago, a Defiant Master had broken into Yama''s palace, raging on and on about how he wanted to kill Yama.


    When that happened, Yama''s soul had been seriously injured. He was no match for that Defiant Master.


    Later, Yama had no choice but to flee to the ninth layer of hell, and the Defiant Master followed him there.


    The Reincarnation Emperor had seen it all happen.


    With his own eyes, he saw a deformed creature rush toward the Defiant Master out of nowhere. Its skin had rotted away, exposing the fresh, pink muscle underneath. That beast fought against the Defiant Master for ten days and ten nights. On the tenth night, it tore him to pieces.


    It was not until later that the Reincarnation Emperor learned that Yama had the power to control the beast. That was why he had lured the Defiant Master down there.


    After that, Yama partly revealed how to control the beast to the Reincarnation Emperor.


    Why did he do that?


    He was afraid of having his life in danger again. That was why he let his most reliable servant in on his controlling method.


    At the present day, the Reincarnation Emperor wanted to release the beast to kill Darren. However, this would put him severely at risk.


    In case that Yama found out he released that beast, he would surely die a miserable death.


    "Your Majesty, why are you still hesitating?"


    "Stop talking nonsense. Can it be released at will? If I can''t lock it up again after I release it, both of us will die.


    prehended before. Its power was a hundred or even a thousand times stronger.


    Even the Rule Soul Avatar felt frightened when he sensed this tribulation thunder. He was afraid that it would make his silvery eyes shatter again.


    However, strangely enough, after the tribulation thunder fell into the silvery eyes of the Rule Soul Avatar, it suddenly became quiet. It was as if it had suddenly disappeared.


    It was not until then that the Rule Soul Avatar realized that his silvery eyes had evolved and had a new function of assimilating all kinds of laws. The tribulation thunder was directly assimilated by his silvery eyes and fell into his possession.


    However, in order to accommodate this tribulation thunder, the Rule Soul Avatar''s Spirit Power almost collapsed.


    That was because this tribulation thunder was almost beyond the maximum capacity of his Spirit Power.


    Beside him, Jenifer was woken up by the tribulation thunder. She was too scared to say a word.


    After absorbing the tribulation thunder, the Rule Soul Avatar felt that something was wrong. At his current cultivation stage, he still wasn''t able to control the tribulation thunder.


    "I have to break through to the Celestial God Realm."


    Even though the Rule Soul Avatar had a strong resistance to the attack of laws, the tribulation thunder law was stronger than what he could bear. Thus, he had to enhance his cultivation stage. If he did not, his body would explode.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Just then, some figures rushed toward them and encircled them both.


    It was the twenty warriors at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm.

 Chapter 1270 Lord Starry Sword Is Finally Here

    The twenty cultivators at the Celestial God Realm released powerful killing intents. The Rule Soul Avatar stood straight up.


    Jenifer tightened her grip on her whip.


    "Humph! Did the Reincarnation Emperor send you?" she asked coldly.


    "Ah! Smart girl. There is only one road meant for the ones who offend our emperor, and that is the road to extinction," one of the cultivators exclaimed arrogantly.


    "Ha! I''d like to see you try," Jenifer said, baring her teeth. Her cultivation base had greatly improved thanks to the high-level Divine Essence she had absorbed. She was confident in her abilities.


    The Rule Soul Avatar had also kept improving his cultivation base. Although he hadn''t broken through to the Celestial God Realm, it was impossible for ordinary cultivators at the Celestial God Realm to kill him. On top of that, his silvery eyes had recovered.


    Jenifer attacked first. She transferred her god''s power to her whip and flicked it toward the enemies.


    The whip was as powerful as law chains.


    On the other side, all twenty cultivators stepped backward hurriedly. The power of the whip was too great for them to bear.


    "Killing Array!"


    The twenty cultivators at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm swiftly moved together and formed a Killing Array with tremendous killing intent, enveloping the Rule Soul Avatar and Jenifer inside it.


    The Rule Soul Avatar activated his attacking law and a law storm instantly spread out in all directions.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The earth rumbled as the two sides battled it out.


    "Darren, to your left!"


    Jenifer went all out to attack, and called the Rule Soul Avatar to try to destroy the array.


    The man they targeted took a saber and thrust it forward with all his might.


    Bang!


    He might have been able to deal with Jenifer alone. However, he could not go up against the Rule Soul Avatar.


    As Jenifer expected, the man was killed in the blink of an eye.


    "Damn it! We underestimated their strength. We need to get stronger before it''s too late!"


    "Take the sacred elixir!"


    Without any hesitation, the remaining nineteen cultivators each took out a vial and downed the contents.


    The elixir could improve their strength and allow them to maximize their power.


    "Kill!"


    All of them simultaneously launched attacks toward the Rule Soul Avatar. They were ordered to come and kill him, and they would not fail their master.


    Even if the Rule Soul Avatar was powerful, he needed to be smart about this and avoid their attacks as much as


    Lord Starry Sword asked as he looked right into the Blood Witcher Ancestor''s eyes.


    "Why bother asking?"


    The aura emitted by Lord Starry Sword grew even colder as he listened to the Blood Witcher Ancestor speaking.


    "Why? Are you upset?" The Blood Witcher Ancestor was as calm and collected. "Brat, your master didn''t even dare to grimace with displeasure in front of me when he was alive. You must know that what you''ve done has offended our clan greatly. If you don''t take him away with you today, I will make sure you suffer forever. I''ve lived for eighty-nine million years, and I''ve never once gone back on my word. "


    Lord Starry Sword''s chest heaved, and his cold aura instantly retreated.


    There was a saying in the Primitive Wilderness that said that people would rather offend a chief god than a witcher!


    Restricted by their rules, a chief god could not express their anger even if they were offended. However, it was different for the witchers. Any force, no matter how strong it was, would suffer greatly if they offended the witchers.


    Lord Starry Sword was no exception. He not only had to obey the order of the Ancestral Land, but he also could not offend the witcher race.


    "Come with me,"


    Lord Starry Sword said, facing Darren.


    "Hold on for a moment," Darren said.


    He stood up but did not walk toward Lord Starry Sword.


    Lord Starry Sword stopped where he was, but didn''t ask why.


    "I want to know why you sent me here. You wanted me to be killed right?


    If you don''t want to take me as your disciple, just tell me. You didn''t have to put me in such a difficult situation. This was not in line with who you are!" Darren''s voice was harsh.

 Chapter 1271 The Debate

    "What makes you think that you can ask me these questions?"


    Lord Starry Sword''s voice was cold and emotionless.


    "It''s about my life. Why shouldn''t I ask? Maybe I should just be blunt. Mr. Mathew Xiao and Mr. Hanson Xiao were the ones who helped me while I was in the mortal world. You did nothing. I had no intention of being your disciple in the first place. Since you don''t like me, I''ll make it clear to you today that as long as I am alive, I will never be your disciple.


    If you cause trouble for me, I will be your enemy!"


    Darren''s chest puffed out, and his face was twisted with anger.


    Lord Starry Sword was motionless, but a strange light flashed across his eyes.


    "Fine. We will be enemies."


    After a moment of silence, Lord Starry Sword walked forward and his figure disappeared into the darkness.


    "Hurry up! Follow him!" the Blood Witcher Ancestor urged Darren.


    Darren turned around and bowed to the Blood Witcher Ancestor. "Thank you very much, sir. I will repay your kindness in the future."


    Then, Darren stepped away.


    "Alas, he is really an extraordinary man. I only hope he can survive," the Blood Witcher Ancestor sighed and shook his head.


    Darren followed Lord Starry Sword and entered Supreme God Sheffield''s tomb.


    Both of them were silent as they moved forward.


    Unlike before, the space filled with blood mist was quiet now, as if all the powerful and ferocious creatures had disappeared in an instant. They could not hear anything else except the beating of their own hearts.


    They walked in silence for a few hours.


    Suddenly, Lord Starry Sword spoke. "Go in," he said.


    Up ahead, there was a cave. Only one person at a time could pass through the entrance.


    "You first," Darren said indifferently.


    Lord Starry Sword turned around to stare at Darren with his black and white pupils.


    "Do you want to know why you have to die?"


    Darren was taken aback by Lord Starry Sword''s question.


    "Why?"


    "Because you have offended a chief god."


    Darren frowned, trying to recall what he meant. A moment of clarity rushed over him and he remembered. Lord Starry Sword was referring to what had happened when he conquered Duke.


    "So you have been paying close attention to what I have been doing all this time." Darren aske


    "Lord Starry Sword." Avery and the blood essence creature looked at Lord Starry Sword.


    "Back off now, or I''ll kill both of you," Lord Starry Sword ordered in a commanding tone. He sounded just like a supreme god.


    "Roar! Roar! Roar!"


    the two powerful creatures howled with strong resentment.


    "You''re not a deputy god. How dare you be so arrogant?" the blood essence creature roared.


    "Let''s battle!" Lord Starry Sword lifted his face, his expression cold and angry. His white robe fluttered in the wind. His aura was peerless.


    "Okay, let''s fight!"


    The double-edged blade in the hand of the blood essence creature began to rotate.


    The sky shook and the ground trembled.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Five white figures condensed around the blood essence creature, each holding a glistening, transparent sword.


    "Howl!"


    the blood essence creature suddenly roared in pain.


    "Supreme sword intent!" the blood essence creature roared in fear.


    Darren, who had been observing, was also stunned. The sword intent frightened him.


    "Supreme sword intent?" Darren couldn''t believe his ears. He remembered that Lord Starry Sword had told him that he was at the top level of the Superior God Realm. How could he display the sword intent of supreme gods?


    "So what if you''ve obtained the inheritance of a supreme god? I am made of the blood essence of a supreme god!


    Kill!"


    The blood essence creature took out his double-edged blade and slashed madly, trying to rip the five, white shadows to shreds.

 Chapter 1272 No Way Out

    Lord Starry Sword stood proudly in the wind, his figure strong and unyielding.


    Suddenly, the five white figures moved.


    "The sword intent formed by god''s sense?"


    Darren''s heart raced wildly. He clearly felt a few tendrils of god''s sense come out of Lord Starry Sword''s mind, and they morphed into the transcendent sword intents.


    Five white sword intents went into the blood essence creature''s body and began to attack them.


    The whole world fell into silence, as if the battle was happening hundreds of millions of kilometers away. However, it was happening right before Darren''s eyes.


    A moment later, Lord Starry Sword closed his eyes and murmured, "Kill him!"


    In the battlefield, the five white shadows combined into one¡ªan avatar of Lord Starry Sword.


    The avatar launched a singular sword attack!


    The earth was in turmoil. Peerless sword intents came raining down as if a supreme god was descending.


    "Roar!"


    The blood essence creature roared in fury. As his double-edged blade dashed toward the avatar of Lord Starry Sword, his blood vitality gushed out.


    Avery suddenly jumped in and joined the battle.


    His majestic Shura Force was like a sea of blood, enveloping the entire world.


    "Kill him!" Lord Starry Sword spoke again.


    A mist of blood shrouded the sky. Darren could see nothing.


    "What?"


    Lord Starry Sword frowned.


    A peerless sword intent shot out and dispelled the blood mist. Only the avatar of Lord Starry Sword was left on the battlefield. The blood essence creature and Avery had disappeared.


    "They ran so fast." Lord Starry Sword stared at his avatar, and it flew into the center of his head.


    Darren felt his blood surging. It took him a long while to calm himself down.


    "You... You are very strong." Darren praised him sincerely.


    "With some more time, you will reach my level as well," Lord Starry Sword said coldly.


    Darren gave him a wry smile. "I''m curious. You are a master of the Superior God Realm. Why can you use the sword intent of a supreme god?"


    "You are only at the Domain God Realm, but you can kill a warrior who is at the Star God Realm. That''s the same thing."


    Darren''s heart thumped. He didn''t expect that Lord Starry Sword woul


    he could do.


    "I don''t have the Ancient Void Battlefield, but I can create a new world!" He was thrilled with his new idea.


    This idea wasn''t groundless. Darren had almost established the prototype of a small world when he comprehended the Reincarnation Holy Will.


    He just needed to do it again. He did not bother to develop the small world before, but he realized that now was the perfect opportunity to try.


    With his current talent, he would be able to perfect the prototype of the small world.


    Darren felt hope surge through his veins. He activated the Reincarnation Holy Will, which he hadn''t used for a long time. To be exact, it should be called Reincarnation God Will now because Darren had already reached the God Realm.


    Darren calmly tried to find the root of the Reincarnation God Will.


    He felt as if his soul was waving, moving toward somewhere far, far away.


    One day, he arrived at a desolate land.


    "Ah, it''s still there." Darren was so excited, he could feel tears form in the corners of his eyes.


    This was the world he had forgotten.


    Lush, green grass covered the fields and countless beautiful flowers sprouted up, making the scenery exuberant and lovely.


    "It''s been a while, my world." Darren closed his eyes, raised his head, and took in a deep breath of fresh air.


    He tried to explore this world. He drew his soul power to absorb as much of it as he could, and the plants and flowers seemed joyous at the return of their master.

 Chapter 1273 Someone Unexpected

    "My lovely kids, it was wrong of me to neglect you. Please forgive me."


    Darren''s voice reached every corner of the small world. Those wildflowers and weeds were indeed, like his children.


    However, to perfect this world, he still needed to add more living energy.


    Darren activated the Reincarnation God Will and spread it throughout the incomplete world.


    As time passed, everything was destroyed and then reborn under the effect of reincarnation.


    With the cycle of destruction and rebirth, many new species came into being in succession. However, no movable creatures existed in the world, not even a micro-creature.


    "Isn''t my ability enough to create lives?"


    Darren frowned when he saw the result. After some contemplation, he didn''t think it was the case. Even someone in the Emperor Realm in the mortal world could create low-level lives. Although he was in the soul state now, he had reached the God Realm. How could the God Realm be inferior to the Emperor Realm?


    "It must be because I haven''t found the right way."


    Darren had never experienced a world''s development, so there were still many things that he didn''t understand.


    "You need a heart of the world."


    An old voice suddenly fell into Darren''s ears.


    "What?" Darren was shocked. He hadn''t expected another person to be in his world.


    How could it be possible? How could anyone else exist in the world that Darren had forgotten about?


    Curious and astonished, Darren released his god''s sense to probe in the direction the sound had originated.


    Almost immediately, an old man''s image flashed before his eyes.


    "Oh, it''s you," Darren gasped. This old man, who was in his declining years, was named Primitive Emperor.


    As a deadly foe of the Dark Emperor, the Primitive Emperor had helped Darren resist the Conflicting Cultivation thunder punishment back then.


    "I didn''t think that you would return." The old man''s eyes glimmered with excitement as he materialized in front of Darren.


    "Sir, why are you in my world?" Darren was still puzzled.


    "Ha-ha. When you were very weak and young, you developed the prototype of this small world in my world''s relics. When you left, I snuck into your small world."


    "Oh, I see. To be honest, I had forgotten about this world a long time ago."


    "Well,


    peror''s palm. Just as he had explained, the God Character was indeed wrapped by a stream of mysterious primitive energy.


    "At that time, my primitive energy rushed out of your world and claimed the God Character. Had you attempted to seize it after you defeated Xavier, you would have faced devastating consequences. I thought I would keep it safe till you returned," explained the Primitive Emperor.


    Now Darren understood everything.


    "Thank you so much, sir. It is indeed, priceless to me."


    "Well, with your current cultivation stage, you can safely possess it. It''s time for the God Character to return to its original owner."


    As the Primitive Emperor spoke, the God Character flew to Darren.


    Darren reached out to take it. As soon as he touched the God Character, he felt like millions of thunder punishments had bombarded his soul. He became numb.


    Boom!


    A loud explosion was heard from the depths of Darren''s soul.


    To his astonishment, Darren found that he couldn''t move. But, he sensed that the God Character was embedded in his soul.


    The other God Character lodged in Darren''s mind, floated out, and began to spin at high speed.


    The two God Characters rotated in Darren''s soul. Their speed increased continually until it appeared as though they were still.


    Darren was nervous and curious, anticipating what would change when the two God Characters met.


    Two years passed in the small world.


    The two God Characters had come so close that it appeared as though they were about to collide.

 Chapter 1274 The Two God Characters Merged Into One

    Crack! Crack!


    Tiny bolts of lightning flashed where the two God Characters touched. The lightning was so densely-packed that it almost looked like a thunder cloud.


    Darren watched as the thunder cloud grew bigger and bigger right before his eyes. It was quite a scene to behold.


    Vaguely, Darren suddenly heard a sigh.


    "It''s him!"


    The sound of the sigh was very similar to that of the trace of soul that had inhabited in his God Character in the past.


    Back then, when Darren was suffering the thunder punishment of the Conflicting Cultivation, that man had used a big golden hand to save his life.


    Darren was sure that the man was the former owner of his original God Character which evolved from the strange stone.


    He knew that it was no accident that the strange stone entered his mind.


    ''So, what on earth could be my connection to that man?'' he wondered.


    As he was lost deep in his own thoughts, the two God Characters began to converge.


    They spun in a frenzy, and then finally merged into one.


    After that, the God Character didn''t change much, but its color changed from pure black to a very light golden radiance that sparkled and flickered.


    Darren was just about to activate the integrated God Character to check the internal changes


    when the whole cave suddenly began to shake.


    Boom!


    "Here it comes again!"


    In the moment, Darren suddenly felt an overbearing pressure that made him tremble all over.


    This could only be the power of the chief gods!


    "I merged the two God Characters into one, which attracted the attention of the chief gods. This proves that this is definitely a top-level God Character in the world, sought after by many!"


    He had been detected once before, so this time Darren was prepared, and was not as flustered as he was before.


    Darren''s soul was now connected to the new God Character.


    A strange flash of light encased the God Character, and then the light dimmed, as if it never existed.


    The pressure that was exerted onto Darren''s body slowly faded away.


    "So it seems this God Character can help me avoid the detection of the chief gods. Otherwise, I would have died by now."


    The last time he faced the detection of the chief gods, he released a gray aura to conceal his presence in order to escape. Now, the ability of the God Character seemed to have grown even stronger, and it could quickly hide itself.


    "Darren, are you all right?"


    seeing that Darren had been trembling, the Primitive Emperor asked with concern.


    "I''m fine, sir. Please teach me how to develop my world. Only when I p


    rybody, hurry up! We must kill him!"


    At this time, without the disturbance of the violent laws, everyone rushed over to launch another attack on him.


    The Rule Soul Avatar was already on the verge of breaking through to a higher realm. If he used part of his power to deal with the warriors, his soul would be hit by the backlash which would cause him permanent injuries.


    When Jenifer saw that the Rule Soul Avatar was standing motionless, she immediately flew over to him.


    Slap!


    She waved the whip in her hand, exerting the god''s power to the limit.


    However, she was not strong enough to bear the deadly attacks from the warriors.


    Bang!


    Her shoulder was shattered. The pain was so bad her vision began to blur as she felt herself lose consciousness.


    Unable to fight against them, Jenifer grabbed the Rule Soul Avatar and flew out of the way instead.


    After flying for a while, a bloody red mountain came into their view. A cave sat at the center of the mountain.


    She rushed to the cave without a moment''s hesitation. If they were in the narrow cave, it would be easier to deal with their enemies, since their numbers wouldn''t be much of an advantage in the new terrain.


    However, how would the warriors chasing behind her possibly let her enter the cave that only allowed one person to pass through a time?


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Three figures suddenly blocked her way.


    The Rule Soul Avatar was still in a critical time to break through the barrier, so he could not mobilize any of his power to aid her.


    "Come on!"


    Jenifer tore off one of her sleeves and made a makeshift bandage for her shoulder. Gripping her whip tightly in her hand, she dashed forward with the look of determination.

 Chapter 1275 The Low-level Of The Celestial God Realm

    "Go, this is our last chance. Don''t let her get into that cave!"


    the general roared. His eyes were bloodshot and he gripped his saber tightly with both hands.


    "General, the Reincarnation Emperor just sent us a message. He has ordered us to retreat,"


    one of the cultivators said, his voice trembling with despair.


    "What?!" The general widened his eyes in disbelief.


    "I swear it''s true," the cultivator said.


    When they set out, the Reincarnation Emperor had planted a special communicating method on this cultivator in the event that he would not reach them in time with his god''s sense.


    "Damn it!"


    The general trembled with fury. They had risked their lives to complete the mission and they were about to reach their goal, but they were now being called to retreat. It was unacceptable!


    The worst part was that all of them would die anyways. Once their souls burned down, that was it. They were gone. Retreating would not make any difference.


    "Go and kill them!" the general roared, his eyes burning red.


    "We can''t do that, general. Lord Yama has found out that we''re here. The Reincarnation Emperor will be in huge trouble if we don''t retreat!"


    "Ha! I don''t care. I will be dead soon. There''s no need to be afraid of Yama! We have come to this situation all because of this brat. If it were not for him, we would not be in such a precarious situation! We must kill him before we die!"


    "As you wish, general! Kill him!" one of the cultivators shouted.


    With the voice of one, the rest seemed to follow suit. They all rushed toward Jenifer with renewed vigor.


    Jenifer struggled to resist the attacks. Even though she was attacked thousands of times, she did not leave the Rule Soul Avatar''s side.


    Fizz!


    A spear pierced her belly. She winced as the blade tore through her flesh, and bright, red blood began to trickle down her abdomen.


    "I''ve never seen a woman as stupid and stubborn as you!"


    "We won''t kill you if you leave him!"


    Jenifer''s loyalty was touching. The cultivators were almost sorry to see her in so much pain.


    She had been beaten black and blue, yet her eyes still held the ferocity of a tiger.


    "No, I won''t," Jenifer said, gritting her teeth. Her voice was firm and unwavering.


    "What a wretched woman!"


    "Your stubbornness will be the cause of your demise. Prepare to die!"


    They did not have much time left. They exerted all of their power and put out their fiercest attacks.


    Tremendous god''s power along with various deadly weapons all rushed toward Jenifer.


    Jenifer could feel death approach her. She immediately thought of the very first time she had ever laid eyes on the


    little. He now knew that it was impossible for the Rule Soul Avatar to pose any fatal threat to him.


    "Darren, this is the last time I will warn you. Come back with me. Don''t forget. You belong to Lord Yama. Even if you try to hide, if Lord Yama wants you dead, he will eventually find you and kill you." The Reincarnation Emperor''s face was as hard as stone.


    "Fuck off." The Rule Soul Avatar glared at him, fire in his eyes.


    "You obviously have a death wish! I won''t kill you for Lord Yama''s sake, but I will kill that woman you are carrying. You''d better think twice before you speak!"


    The Reincarnation Emperor''s face darkened as he stared murderously at the woman in the Rule Soul Avatar''s arms.


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s chest heaved violently and his body began to tremble.


    This kind of threat would have meant nothing to him in the past. He wouldn''t have given a damn. However, things were different now. Jenifer was important to him. He would die before letting any harm befall her.


    However, it was almost impossible for the Rule Soul Avatar to do anything else about his situation.


    If he went back with the Reincarnation Emperor and met Yama, it would be easy for Yama to figure out that the vow he had made back then was invalid. He would have no other choice but to do their bidding.


    He couldn''t afford to see Yama until he was actually strong enough to go up against him.


    He could assimilate as many powerful laws as he could from where he was now.


    Whoosh!


    He chose to flee.


    After reaching the Celestial God Realm, his ability had risen greatly and his speed had increased by a hundredfold.


    He flew toward the cave as fast as he could. He knew that the Reincarnation Emperor was afraid of the cave. He decided to take a chance.

 Chapter 1276 Condensing The Body

    The Reincarnation Emperor chased after the Rule Soul Avatar, his eyes twitching nervously as he did so. He didn''t care if the Rule Soul Avatar entered the cave, but they would be in trouble if he accidentally released the monster in it.


    "Stop!"


    Running faster, he caught up with the Rule Soul Avatar in an instant.


    Just as he was about to reach him, a violent tribulation thunder flashed in front of him and formed a wall.


    It effectively blocked his path.


    "Damn it!"


    Time was running. Before he could even pause to think, he rushed towards the tribulation thunder wall, head on.


    Even though he was already an upper-level cultivator of the Celestial God Realm, getting through the tribulation thunder was no easy feat. This was especially tough since there were thirteen tribulation thunder walls ahead of him.


    Upon getting through all of them, his body was charred black.


    As soon as he got through the other side, he saw the Rule Soul Avatar disappearing into the mouth of the cave.


    "Ah!"


    the Reincarnation Emperor roared. He did not dare to go into the cave, so he could only go back and report to Yama before making a decision.


    Silence befell the dark cave.


    The Rule Soul Avatar took Jenifer with him to the cave. It took them a long time until they reached the end of it.


    After getting treated by the Resurrection Force, she was beginning to recover.


    "Are you okay?" the Rule Soul Avatar asked.


    "Yes," Jenifer nodded. Her head was full of thoughts about the warmth she took from him.


    "Thank you." This was the first time that these words slipped out of the Rule Soul Avatar''s mouth.


    "Don''t be silly. You don''t have to thank me." Jenifer patted his shoulder.


    The corners of the Rule Soul Avatar''s lips twitched as if they were about to form a smile.


    "Will Yama chase after us if we hide here? We got nowhere else to go from here." She looked forlornly at the stone wall.


    "We don''t even know what''s happening with Donovan." She sighed.


    "There''s a road behind this stone wall once we open it. As for Donovan, I think he''s safe. I must get stronger for now to be able to save him," the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    "What? Are you suggesting we abandon him and escape?" Jenifer asked.


    "This is the best choice for now," the Rule Soul Avatar c


    m every corner of his world.


    Then, a body that looked exactly like his condensed. It was complete with blood and flesh.


    This body looked ordinary and could be passed as any human body.


    ''Okay. Let''s start from zero.''


    Controlling his soul carefully, he compressed it into a weak state and sent it to the body.


    Having a human body again felt refreshing. It felt like coming home after getting lost for a long time.


    The next thing he had to do now was improve his physical strength.


    ''I have to go out.''


    His small world was at a very low level, so that meant he couldn''t make the god''s power here. This prevented him from improving his strength fast enough. Therefore, he had to go outside. Once he got his god''s power back, his physical strength would improve faster than ever.


    "I have to go out for a few days. I''ll come back as soon as I''m free." Darren sent this message to the Primitive Emperor.


    "Go ahead. I''ll just stay here."


    "Okay."


    With his spiritual sense, he let himself vanish from the small world.


    Although the cave was special, it still belonged to the Primitive Wilderness. Darren could get some god''s power from it.


    He absorbed the godly energy inside the cave as much as he could. He then turned it into god''s power.


    At first, it was a challenging task. His body was too weak to cope. If he added a few more godly energy, he could explode.


    But as time went by, his body grew stronger and stronger. His physical strength had finally reached the top level of the Emperor Realm.

 Chapter 1277 An Original Creature

    There was no concept of time in the cave. Regardless of how long Darren stayed inside, the time outside would not change.


    He continued with his cultivation. Because his soul and talent were very powerful, his physical strength soon reached the level of the Primary God Realm.


    ''Good. This body is not as weak as it used to be, '' he thought.


    Darren released his soul completely. His body could carry it now.


    ''My new body has reached its limit, '' he mused. ''After all, I have only relied on the god''s power to improve my physical strength. It still needs to be honed through fights in order to get stronger.''


    Even if Darren continued to nourish his body with the god''s power, his physical strength would remain at the same level. It could not increase any further.


    Moreover, within his new body, there was no Sword God Character or Blade God Character or other things in his elixir field, which he could use to develop powerful skills.


    He knew that if he wanted to break through the stone walls of the cave, his physical strength needed to surpass the Celestial God Realm. Darren frowned, deep in thought. It would be very difficult to achieve that.


    ''I have no choice, '' he thought. ''I must go to Supreme God Sheffield''s tomb.''


    He decided that his best course of action was to go to the tomb and look around. With luck, he would be able to find and kill some ferocious creatures. With his Evolution Force, he would then be able to greatly increase his physical strength over a short period of time.


    Darren began walking along the path towards the entrance of the cave.


    It took a while to reach the entrance.


    He concealed all his auras and paused at the mouth of the cave. Cautiously, he stepped out, gazing around for his target.


    Although he possessed a body now, his physical strength was only equivalent to the Primary God Realm. He was still far too weak. At this level, it felt like even a strong wind would tear him apart.


    ''This might be too difficult after all, '' he thought, shaking his head.


    Now that he was outside the cave, he couldn''t help realizing how hard it would be to catch other creatures. The odds were definitely against him.


    He stopped only a short distance from the cave entrance. He didn''t dare to venture too far. He reasoned that the best course of action would be to wait here.


    After some time, his patience was rewarded. A fiend approached the area where Darren stood waiting. Its body was entirely covered with scales.


    ''This creature must be above the Celestial God Realm!'' he thought. He was silent and unmoving, worried that any motion would alert the fiend to his hiding place. He did not want to risk provoking it.


    His uneasiness grew as another creature drew nearer. This one looked like a fierce dog with three heads. It released an astonishingly powerful aura.


    ''This creature is even more powerful than the other one. It must be at the top level of the Celestial God Realm, '' he thought.


    Darren was so still that he could feel dust settling over his motionless body, as though he were a stone.


    Something howled in the distance.


    There was an answering


    ty-one days, you should be crawling on the ground. How could you have achieved such a high level of strength at this point?" Darren was deliberately goading the monkey, and it worked.


    "How dare you doubt me?" the monkey demanded, sounding outraged. "I am an Original Creature formed by a new law, born between heaven and earth. You should feel blessed to have met me." The monkey glared menacingly at Darren.


    Darren laughed. "Fine, keep lying! I have never heard of any Original Creature in my life. That''s a good story," he said in a scornful tone.


    The monkey flared up. "You''re really pissing me off," the creature growled.


    "I am an Original Creature, capable of merging the strength of others. Once I have killed any creature, I can inherit and merge all of their strength with mine. It''s definitely a useful power to have! At this rate, it won''t be long before I rule the world and take control of everything.


    I will even kill the arrogant chief gods and replace them! To me, you are like an ignorant ant, yet you dare to mock me!"


    Darren was stunned. "Merging?" he repeated, gazing warily at the monkey. Was there really such a powerful law in the world? Was the monkey really transformed from the Original Law?


    Darren looked at the furious monkey. "I don''t think you should kill me if you really have that ability," he said calmly. He watched as the monkey frowned, trying to understand what he had said. It was to Darren''s advantage that the monkey did not seem to be very intelligent. Otherwise the creature would have killed him already.


    "Why not?" snapped the monkey at last, evidently deciding that Darren was bluffing. "Do you think I''m an idiot?"


    Darren said, "What good will it do to you if you kill me? My strength is much lower than yours. Wouldn''t your strength become weaker if you merge with mine?" It was flawed logic, but he hoped it would confuse the monkey.


    "You think too much," the monkey snorted. "Even without my merging ability, I''d kill you just because I want to eat your flesh and blood." The monkey moved forward, licking his lips.

 Chapter 1278 Killing The Feathered Monkey

    The feathered monkey foamed at the mouth, thirsty for blood. He had already sensed Darren''s flesh and blood and would by no means be letting him go.


    "I''m afraid you''re not capable of eating me," Darren announced, his face darkening.


    "Humph! Don''t bother pretending to be strong! I can feel your cultivation stage clearly; merely at the upper-level of the Domain God Realm," the feathered monkey revealed with contempt for him.


    He brimmed with confidence, believing that he would be able to kill such a weak opponent with just a single blow.


    ''The Domain God Realm?'' Darren thought to himself. He was surprised that his revelation was so inaccurate, but soon realized the feathered monkey had not sensed the strength of his body but rather his soul.


    "The Domain God Realm is enough to take on the likes of you!" Darren said calmly, clearly unshaken.


    "You must be out of your mind! Just yesterday I destroyed someone at the top level of the Star God Realm and absorbed his strength into mine. You still dare challenge me?" questioned the feathered monkey proudly.


    A sense of relief washed over Darren when he heard this.


    It turned out this monkey was only at the top level of the Star God Realm. He had thought the creature was at the Celestial God Realm, but that was probably because he had sensed traces of the powerful laws left on his body.


    He knew there was no need to be afraid of the monkey now; his body strength had already reached the low-level of the Celestial God Realm, so this monkey would be no problem for him.


    "I think it is time for you to die now," Darren said with a menacing grin creeping across his face.


    "How dare you!"


    screeched the feathered monkey as he pounced at Darren.


    Bang!


    He struck Darren square in the chest with his claw, all his strength behind the swing.


    Darren remained dead still, standing up straight; a motionless obelisk.


    "What?! What''s going on?"


    The feathered monkey began back-paddling, wide-eyed and astonished.


    "You are not at the Domain God Realm!" he squealed in disbelief. Even with all the strength he could muster, he could not break through Darren''s defenses. He was shocked and rattled to his core. "This is impossible. I sensed so clearly that your soul is at the top level of the Star God Realm. How could your body be so strong?"


    "Quite a surprise, isn''t it? Does my flesh and blood still smell so good? Come on, let''s see what you''ve got!" Darren said, calm and composed, towering over as he stepped towards the quivering monkey.


    "Ha-ha," the monkey laughed nervously. "I think there''s been a misunderstanding. I didn''t mean to offend you." He stretched a


    Oh no!"


    Darren felt a terrifyingly dangerous aura out of nowhere.


    "It''s him!" The aura belonged to the blood essence creature. With the strength of his perception, he might have already discovered where Darren and the feathered monkey were.


    "Please, please let me go. I really am willing to follow you this time...woo, woo." The monkey began weeping pitifully.


    "Sorry, but I can''t let you live any longer!" Darren could not afford to be soft-hearted to such a cunning beast. He slammed his fist down onto the monkey''s head.


    "Assimilate!"


    Darren immediately activated his Assimilating Force to absorb the talent and Evolution Force of the feathered monkey.


    There seemed to be a bead inside the monkey''s body as well, which Darren also assimilated.


    The bead instantly transformed into gas and rushed into his meridians. The God Character then transformed it again, before it condensed back into a bead and fell into Darren''s elixir field.


    "Is this the monkey''s essence bead?" Before he had the time to discover the bead''s effect, he flew towards the cave.


    The sky began changing drastically. A mass of bloody god''s power suddenly rushed overhead, tens of thousands of kilometers away.


    "Oh my God! He''s here."


    Darren might have only been hundreds of kilometers away from the cave, but he was still in danger of being caught. His adversary was a powerful creature capable of escaping Lord Starry Sword after all.


    Darren accelerated with all his strength, but the bloody god''s power crossed hundreds of kilometers in an instant and was about to strike him.


    The bloody god''s power was already right behind him when he was only a few kilometers from the cave.


    Boom!


    The bloody god''s power exploded into a claw that came rushing at Darren.

 Chapter 1279 The Mysterious Stone Chamber

    Darren felt his heartbeat quicken as the blood red claw approached him. He was certain that he would be blown up once it managed to touch any part of his body.


    He let out a cry and raised his speed to the maximum.


    In the blink of an eye, the blood red claw was about to touch his robe.


    Darren dove forward and into the cave with all his strength.


    However, his timing was off and the claw managed to clutch onto his leg.


    "Humph!" Darren turned around and clasped his palm into a blade. Without a moment''s hesitation, he lopped off his own thigh.


    "Howl!"


    A terrifying roar burst out from outside the cave.


    Darren rushed deeper into the cave in case that the claw decided to chase him.


    But the claw stopped right in front of the cave and didn''t come in. It dared not to march forward for some reason that Darren didn''t know.


    "Oh."


    Darren breathed a heavy sigh of relief. For now, at least, he was safe.


    He then gathered his god''s power to heal his severed leg.


    Once his wound had fully recovered, he went back into the depths of the cave.


    "I need to break through this!"


    Darren continued to work on the stone wall. He focused all of his strength on his fist and gave it a heavy blast.


    Stones fell on the ground as the ground rumbled. With only a single punch, he managed to make a big hole on the stone wall.


    He kept punching until his fists were broken and bloody, and then he focused on healing his hands. Once he''d healed them, he began another round of blasts.


    He didn''t notice how much time had passed when he finally cleared over one thousand feet into the stone wall.


    Since it was nothing but stone ahead, he had no choice but to press on.


    Darren kept on without a stop until one day, the stone wall suddenly fell down.


    Past the wall was a mysterious space.


    "I''ve broken through six kilometers of stone!" he exclaimed.


    He then looked at his hands, and he couldn''t remember how many times they had been broken and mended during the process.


    Darren quickly kicked away the stones in front of him and stepped into the space. Deep in his heart, he was expecting that this passage would lead him to the hell.


    However, a few moments later, he was gravely disappointed.


    This was not the exit of the cave. He only found himself inside a stone chamber.


    Darren was a little irritated, but on a second thought, he decided it didn''t matter too much to him. It seemed that there was no danger and he didn''t need to worry about time. As long as he was patient and went on working on the stone wall, he knew he''d manage to find an exit.


    He calmed down and analyzed his surroundings. The stone chamb


    ving no other choice, he sat down cross legged.


    Since it was not possible for him to break through, then he had to take this time to go on his cultivation. He continued to absorb the god''s power to enhance his physical strength.


    But now there was a problem.


    Now his physical strength had reached the limit, and there was no way to improve by absorbing the god''s power.


    "What bad luck! I''m trapped once again!" he exclaimed. Darren furrowed his brows. If he was unable to improve his physical strength, it was out of the question for him to face another spear attack. He had nowhere to go.


    "Damn it! How could that lifeless thing have to block my way?" Frustrated, Darren cursed and shouted.


    "Lifeless? Lifeless!" He suddenly had a eureka moment. "That''s right. Since he''s not alive, then it means that he is just a corpse with powerful physical strength. Then why don''t I just assimilate his power?"


    As a matter of fact, the Evolution Force Darren assimilated from the creatures that had just died was mainly their physical strength.


    "Assimilate!" Darren silently drew out his Assimilating Force and drove it into the body of the lifeless man.


    Immediately, a ray of purple light gushed and poured towards Darren like a river in the air.


    "Well done!" he shouted delightedly. As the Evolution Force kept pouring into his body. He felt his body began changing dramatically.


    The meridians throughout his body began to give a pale golden glow and his elixir field became solidified.


    When it was done, Darren felt his body full of strength. It was a refreshing feeling for him.


    "Although my strength was only at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm, my body has just received a considerable benefit."


    Darren was overwhelmed with joy.

 Chapter 1280 An Unexpected Encounter

    The surface of the statue withered and aged fast as Darren assimilated the Evolution Force within it.


    He then moved on and continued walking forward.


    "Who are you?" questioned a weak voice.


    "Here, have a taste of my spear," the voice then said. It seemed old as well.


    Swish!


    A spear flew out at Darren, the power behind it much weaker than he had previously encountered.


    Darren flung his fist in response, striking the spear as it came.


    It went flying backwards with a metallic clang, piercing through the man''s chest and turning him to ashes.


    "Now it''s your turn."


    Darren then stood beside another statue and punched at it, shattering its surface to pieces.


    Suddenly, a blade lunged at him.


    Darren frowned, the attack catching him by surprise. This one was much more powerful than the last. It was so strong that he could not defend against it and was forced to retreat.


    Later, he assimilated the statue''s Evolution Force as he had done before.


    His physical strength seemed to have grown to quite a high level, and it was difficult to increase any further, as it had not improved much when he had assimilated the Evolution Force of the second statue.


    After the statue was broken, a door on the stone wall behind it opened.


    He began making his way over to walk through it, when a shadow materialized on the chair.


    "I did not expect you to come," the shadow said in a low voice, remaining dead still as it spoke.


    Darren was stunned by this sudden appearance until he realized what might be going on. He cupped his hands and asked, "Sir, may I know your name? Do you know who I am?"


    On second thought, however, he thought that would be impossible. He had not been in the Primitive Wilderness for all that long. He had not met many people here either. How could this figure know who he was?


    "I''m sorry, I mistook you for someone else," the shadow shook his head and replied.


    "What''s your name, boy?" he continued.


    "My name is Darren Chu," Darren answered cautiously.


    "Your family name is Chu," murmured the shadow, his face twitching.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "It''s a long story," Darren answered before patiently explaining everything to the shadow.


    "Ah I see. I had not expected those two drops of blood essence I left behind to have become such trouble," the shadow sighed after hearing Darren''s story.


    ''Does he mean that he is the one who left the blood essence?'' Darren''s heart skipped a beat.


    "Supreme God Sheffield! Greetings, it is a


    created the shadow as well, didn''t you?" Darren screamed, demanding answers.


    "Ha-ha! Who am I?" The bloody figure raised his head slowly and revealed, "I am Sheffield!"


    "No! It can''t be! That''s impossible!" Darren roared in disbelief.


    Boom!


    The entire hall began trembling after a deafening bang rung out from afar.


    At the same time, a massive cloud of dust began swirling over ten thousand feet high in the hall. Darren released his god''s sense and felt two figures advancing within it.


    "My real body, I had not expected to find you here,"


    said a cold and familiar voice, pleasantly surprising Darren.


    "My avatar?" Darren said perplexed.


    Two figures soon revealed themselves from the cover of the dust. One of them moved gracefully in white, and the other was as beautiful as a fairy.


    It was the Rule Soul Avatar and Jenifer.


    "Oh, who... who is he?" Jenifer asked, surprised and confused when she laid eyes on Darren. How did he look exactly the same as the "Darren" beside her?


    Darren immediately flew towards them and landed beside the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Ha-ha, fancy meeting you here! Who is this lady?" Darren asked looking Jenifer over.


    "This is my friend, Jenifer," the Rule Soul Avatar said indifferently.


    Darren could not believe that he had a friend, and a beautiful girl at that. He was even more amazed when he noticed her holding the avatar''s arm and leaning against him so affectionately.


    "You look really good," Darren said taking all of it in. He was relieved. It was not hard for him to imagine that the Rule Soul Avatar had evolved and now possessed some human emotions. It seemed to make perfect sense actually.

 Chapter 1281 Here Comes Yama

    The Rule Soul Avatar didn''t say much. Instead, he transmitted a spiritual message to Darren''s brain, which contained his previous experiences.


    Meanwhile, Darren sent a message to the Rule Soul Avatar so that he knew what had happened.


    Both frowned when they processed the events that the other had experienced.


    "I''m trapped in the abyss, and you are stuck in the tomb. There''s no way out for either of us," the Rule Soul Avatar stated.


    "Yes, I thought I could force my way out, but it turned out to be wishful thinking!" Darren shook his head.


    Now that the passage ended in the abyss, his soul was unable to return to his body.


    On the other hand, the Rule Soul Avatar couldn''t cross the abyss since the other end of the passage was a supreme god''s tomb.


    "Hey, Darren! You haven''t told me what''s going on!" Jenifer interrupted when she saw the strange expression on both their faces.


    "This is my real body."


    "This is my avatar!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar and Darren answered in unison.


    "Oh, I see. Then, there''s a problem. What shall I call you?" Jenifer glanced at the Rule Soul Avatar and questioned.


    "Anything you like," the Rule Soul Avatar said with a smile.


    "If both of you are present at the same time, how can I tell one from the other?" Jenifer asked helplessly.


    "How about this? You can call me Darren and address my avatar as Xavier. What do you think, avatar?" Darren suggested.


    "I can live with that," the Rule Soul Avatar replied with a nod.


    He didn''t object as Xavier was another name for Darren. Besides, it would only be used to distinguish Darren from his avatar.


    "Okay," Jenifer said. Since she had known the Rule Soul Avatar for a while now and had grown accustomed to calling him "Darren", she thought it would be a little weird to call him Xavier. But, she didn''t mind as he was still the same person.


    "You''re extraordinary. Not only do you have limitless potential, but your avatar is the same. What a surprise!"


    After a long silence, the bloody body finally started to speak.


    The Rule Soul Avatar scrutinized it with his silvery eyes.


    A moment later, with a frown, he withdrew from his examination of the bloody body.


    "Who are you?" the Rule Soul Avatar asked in his typical indifferent tone.


    "I am Sheffield."


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s expression remained cold. Jenifer, however, was so shocked that her mouth was agape.


    "Oh, my! Are you a supr


    tionalized. Darren was not a fool. Even mortals forged beneficial relationships, not to mention the gods in the Primitive Wilderness.


    "You are smart. I like you. Allow me to clarify. I was to recruit you because I''m preparing to fight and return to the land of the Primitive Wilderness," Yama explained as he fixed his gaze on Darren.


    "Oh? I''d like to hear more." Darren''s curiosity was aroused.


    "Do you know of a force called Hades Prefecture?" asked Yama.


    "Yes, I''ve heard of it." Darren had read a scroll where the names of the nine regions and ten prefectures were listed, and he remembered them even though much time had passed.


    "Let me make a long story short. My prefecture was located elsewhere before, but Hades Prefecture banished us to this abyss. My plan is simple. I want to lead my followers out of the abyss and destroy the Hades Prefecture," Yama went on.


    "Oh, I see. But I''m not sure that we can help you. You are aware that both my avatar and I are not strong enough in cultivation." Darren refused with a shake of his head.


    "I can wait. I''ve spent over a million years waiting for the right opportunity to avenge myself. I don''t care if I have to wait another million years. Besides, you will be stronger by then," Yama added.


    "A lot can happen in a million years. You might even find other talents that are superior to me. Besides, look at us now. We''re trapped in this cave connecting the supreme god''s tomb and the abyss. Even if we wish to help you, we can''t as we''re unable to break free. So, forget about us," Darren said bluntly.


    His words rendered Yama speechless.

 Chapter 1282 Sheffields Broken Arm

    Yama had planned to exact revenge after one million years.


    Darren was right. It would take a very long time before he could carry out his plan. For sure, many changes would happen over the years. There was no need to rush.


    "You two are right. Okay, I won''t insist on it anymore," Yama said after a moment of silence.


    "Actually, my avatar and I are not that narrow-minded. If you sincerely wish to be our friend, it will be our pleasure. As long as you will not use us, we will accept you," Darren said with a smile.


    "Of course, I really wish to be your friend. I admire your moral fortitude. I know that your avatar and my subordinates had some misunderstandings before. Perhaps they just didn''t understand what I''ve really wanted. But, could we just let go of it?"


    After hearing what Yama said, Darren looked at the Rule Soul Avatar.


    The Rule Soul Avatar immediately got what Darren meant. So, with a stony expression, he said, "As long as you give Donovan back to me, I''ll forget everything."


    It was only then that Yama remembered that the son of the supreme god was still in his hand.


    "Well, I think this is off to a rocky start. After all, no good friends would kidnap each other''s brothers," Jenifer chimed in.


    "Let me tell you frankly. It is not safe for that boy to stay with you," Yama said. "While me, I live in the abyss. Although I am not very powerful, anyone who is weaker than a deputy god can''t break into my palace because of its unique geographical location. Besides, I can assure you that I won''t mistreat him. I''ll even teach him everything I know.


    So, I suggest that you let him stay with me for a while. Don''t worry. I know that he is the son of the supreme god. I won''t take him as a subordinate. How does that sound to you?"


    he added.


    Darren had also heard from the Rule Soul Avatar about Donovan, so he commented, "What Yama said sounded reasonable to me. What do you think, my avatar?"


    For the first time, the Rule Soul Avatar blatantly disagreed with Darren. "No way. He must be with me."


    "But why?" Darren asked in confusion.


    "Because he and Aaron need to meet," replied the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Darren looked at him and nodded. He could understand him now. But then, he said, "Well...I think we have a slight problem with that. Since Aaron is with his master now, I''m afraid that he won''t be able to go out until he finishes his cultivation. I think we should wait for the right time to have them meet."


    The Rule Soul Avatar contemplated on Darren''s words and finally understood the situation.


    This time, Darren said to the Rule Soul Avatar te


    "That creature evolved from the arm of Supreme God Sheffield that was cut off from his body millions of years ago. Its real strength is much more powerful than the blood essence creature outside the cave.


    Even Lord Starry Sword might not be able to defeat it when it is unbounded," Yama said.


    Darren nodded his head again. He was a little surprised to know such information. Then, he suddenly remembered that Yama had mentioned Lord Starry Sword more than once. And every time Yama said his name, it seemed that Yama really thought highly of him.


    So he asked straightforwardly, "What do you think of Lord Starry Sword? What is his level in the human race in the Primitive Wilderness?"


    Yama answered at once, "Lord Starry Sword and I came from the same era. But a long time ago, all the world bowed down to his feet, and I was just a mere ant dwarfed by his magnificent presence. At that time, I admired him so much. For me, he was an unparalleled genius.


    Actually, there were also a lot of other superior talents. And many of them were almost as powerful as Lord Starry Sword. However, they all eventually passed away due to various reasons. That''s why I always say that someone who can grow up and mature is the only true talent. Otherwise, he could be likened to a matchstick that burns bright before it immediately fades away."


    Yama paused and sighed. When he continued, his voice was already a bit emotional. "I know that Lord Starry Sword has already entered the gate of fortune. He is one of the figures who are most likely to become a supreme god. What level do you think is he in?"


    Darren had indescribable emotions in his heart. He felt ecstatic, yet he could not shake off the feeling that his heart was sinking.

 Chapter 1283 Get Out Of Supreme God Sheffields Tomb

    For someone who could become a supreme god in the near future, Darren knew that he possessed such extraordinary strength.


    Besides, he even witnessed Lord Starry Sword''s sword intent. It was the kind of sword intent that only supreme gods could display. He was not even a deputy god, yet he possessed a sword intent at the caliber of supreme gods. Such exceptional talent was so rare throughout the entire history.


    "To tell you the truth, there is another rising talent, and he seemed to be on par with Lord Starry Sword," Yama said after a while.


    "Who is this person?" Darren quickly asked out of curiosity.


    "Hmm, are you talking about a man named Finley Feng, Lord Yama?" Jenifer asked immediately after.


    "Yes, I am. Do you know who he is? It is said that he''s from a mortal world. But while he was still enhancing his strength, he had caused quite a sensation in the world. This guy killed the fiend emperors, the Shuras, and even the angels. He was so confident about his own power that he provoked nearly every race in the Primitive Wilderness.


    Because of this, several creatures came after him. He experienced countless brutal killings and was fortunate enough to barely escape death many times. Then, at the peak of his cultivation, he killed a fiend, who was a deputy god, with a single strike. It was one hundred and ninety thousand years ago. This event was what made him known throughout the world.


    Since then, people have often compared him with Lord Starry Sword, saying that they must be more or less equal in strength," Yama recounted.


    "Yes, I''ve heard the stories. One of my uncles mentioned this man to me. It is said that his power rose like a comet because of his fast growth. Even the Defiant Masters felt powerless and frustrated because they weren''t able to keep up with him," Jenifer added.


    Hearing all of this, Darren felt very excited.


    This Finley that they were talking about was the real body of his good friend, who was also named Finley.


    "Whoa, I didn''t expect that he is so powerful." Darren couldn''t help but utter his admiration.


    "Have you met him before?" Jenifer asked curiously.


    "No, I haven''t seen the real one. What I do know is that he is originally from the Lothlann Continent too." Darren smiled bitterly.


    "Really? That''s incredible." Jenifer and Yama were still surprised.


    They didn''t expect that Darren and Finley Feng would actually come from the same continent. It was such a great coincidence.


    Currently, there were trillions of mortal worlds. Even if just a single person in one hundred thousand mortal worlds was able to reach the Primitive Wilderness, it was already an amazing feat.


    "By the way, have you heard of a God of Sword that goes by the name Todd?" The Lothlann Continent had gone through five crises. He briefly remembered that on one of those, it was Todd


    ain. The Rule Soul Avatar and Jenifer also bowed at Yama and quickly entered through the crack.


    Then, the crack finally closed. Yama stood there for a while before beginning to walk back.


    "Roar! Roar!"


    Suddenly, the bloody creature''s ferocious eyes widened while he roared wildly.


    Strong evil aura quickly spread out like thick mists. In an instant the surroundings became stormy, and the ground began to tremble violently. It was as if the end of the world was about to happen.


    This disastrous phenomenon frightened Yama. He hurriedly recited the law and attempted to control the rampaging creature.


    "Be silent!" Yama''s roar unleashed numerous runes that landed directly on the body of the bloody creature.


    "Ha-ha! Have you finally agreed to the condition I gave you since you summoned me?"


    In the midst of the evil aura and the bloody red light, a masked figure in scarlet suddenly appeared in front of the bloody creature.


    "Why you¡­" Yama quickly clenched his fists as he saw the figure in front of him. It was none other than the blood essence creature.


    "Humph!" The blood essence creature snorted coldly as his eyes fell at the broken body part of Sheffield. "You''re an arm of the evil body of Supreme God Sheffield, yet you are being controlled by this lowly creature? Disgusting! Why don''t you return to my body, and we will become one. A day will definitely come when we can finally get out of this place."


    Yama''s heart throbbed violently. If Sheffield''s blood essence really merged with the broken body part, he was so sure that he didn''t have the chance to survive.


    "Kill him!"


    Out of nowhere, Yama ordered Sheffield''s broken body part to attack the blood essence creature. He wanted to seize this chance to kill him while he could still control the broken body part. If he really wanted to survive, he needed to defeat the blood essence creature at any cost.

 Chapter 1284 The Second Avatar

    Yama tried activating the arcane skill, but the creature transformed from Sheffield''s broken body part didn''t respond.


    "This is bad."


    Yama frowned. It seemed this thing was no longer under his control. Because there were still eight chains shackling the creature''s body, he still couldn''t move.


    From the looks of things, Yama had no choice but to fight with the blood essence creature in order to survive.


    "Will Palm!"


    Yama made a move. There was something strange about his skill, as though it used a unique law force.


    "Ha-ha, do you think I''m scared of you?"


    The blood essence creature laughed evilly. Wielding the double-edged blade, he then turned into a blood mist, shooting straight towards Yama.


    The two clashed, exchanging thousands of blows. The ground suffered as collateral damage, its surface riddled with holes.


    "Do you think you can hurt me? Did you forget that I am at the Superior God Realm?"


    After fighting for a while, Yama backed up and raised his hand. Then, an altar appeared on his palm. A streak of lightning descended from the sky and struck the altar.


    "Listen to my command: all ghosts and evil spirits, attack!"


    Then, the sounds of gloomy sobs, maniacal laughter, and piercing screams came out of the altar in Yama''s hand.


    In an instant, the sky was blotted, as though the sun suddenly disappeared. It was completely dark.


    Countless ghosts and evil spirits swarmed out, surrounding the blood essence creature.


    Eyeing the blood essence creature warily, Yama didn''t even try to think of ways to kill him off. Rather, he focused all his effort on trying to find a way to escape.


    Closing his eyes, he muttered the secret spell quickly.


    "Go!"


    The word then turned into a strange rune and fell into Sheffield''s broken body part.


    Although the broken body part resisted at first, he still had to move under the spell. It didn''t take long before his speed picked up.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Together, Yama flew far away with Sheffield''s broken body part, heading straight for the cave.


    Bang!


    Blood-red light burst out blinding Yama momentarily. When he regained his sight, he realized the countless ghosts and evil spirits he just summoned had just been blasted into nothingness.


    The blood essence creature instantly caught sight of the retreating Yama. Raising the double-edged blade in his hand, he chased after him.


    Thankfully, Yama''s speed almost equaled that of the blood essence creature. If it went on like this, he would definitely be able to escape.


    However, things never seemed to go your way when you needed them to. Just as Yama felt a flicker of hope, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.


    "Shur


    of soul that had been split off to stay in his body. The rest of the soul flew out.


    "Resurrection Force!"


    When the Rule Soul Avatar saw that Darren''s soul was successfully split, he immediately activated the Resurrection Force to help Darren repair his soul.


    Then the Rule Soul Avatar released another Resurrection Force to repair the piece of soul that had been left in Darren''s new body.


    After a few breathless moments, the pain subsided, but there was still a slight throb.


    "How is it going? Were you able to do it?"


    Darren looked at his body. He closed his eyes weakly, as his aura of life was exhausted.


    "Resurrection Force!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar released the Resurrection Force once more.


    Buzz!


    The eyes of Darren''s new body opened abruptly, looking as cold as ice.


    "It worked!" Darren breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.


    "Bravo!" This whole time, Jenifer was standing to the side, quietly observing. She was stunned at what she had just seen. When she gathered her bearings, she said, "Wow! He looked just like you two. You have to give him a name to distinguish him from you."


    "Yes, but what name should I give to the second avatar?" Darren''s brows furrowed.


    "He has the Merging Force, so why not call him Merle Chu?" the Rule Soul Avatar suggested.


    "Okay then. His name will be Merle Chu." Darren nodded stoutly.


    "My real body, Rule Soul Avatar, please help me grow stronger."


    At this moment, the second avatar spoke in a cold voice, similar to the Rule Soul Avatar''s when he was newly birthed.


    "My soul will soon return to the Tussle Region, and you can follow the Rule Soul Avatar. His name is Xavier Chu. He will help you grow stronger," Darren said to his new avatar.


    "Okay," Merle Chu replied coldly, like an empty tin can.

 Chapter 1285 Return To The Tussle Region (Part One)

    At this moment, Darren felt that his soul was starting to become lighter and lighter. It meant that he didn''t have much time left to spare.


    "Merle, listen carefully. I need you to do a very important task for me. As soon as your strength has reached to a certain degree, I am entrusting you to accomplish it immediately," Darren said with a sense of urgency in his voice.


    "Go ahead, my real body. I''m listening," Merle quickly responded.


    "Go find Elsa and make sure that she is safe. You have all of my memories, so you''ll know where to find her," Darren instructed.


    "I understand," Merle replied.


    "Merle, you''re the only one I can ask. Promise me that you''ll find her as soon as you can. Tell her I''m doing okay and that I''ll come and see her soon," Darren added.


    "Don''t worry. I will," Merle said.


    Then, Darren''s soul began to slowly fade until it eventually disappeared without a trace.


    Soon after, as Darren regained his senses, he realized that he was now back at the Tussle Region.


    "Darren, you''ve finally come back. What happened? How did things go?"


    Murphy asked as soon as Darren opened his eyes.


    "Didn''t Lord Starry Sword tell you anything?" Darren asked with a hint of confusion on his face.


    "No, he didn''t. Why? What''s wrong?"


    "Well, it turned out that he never planned to take me as his disciple," Darren said straightforwardly.


    "What? That doesn''t make any sense. You''re an amazing talent. Why would he¡­" Murphy was startled. He couldn''t think of any reason why Lord Starry Sword had done what Darren was saying.


    "I wish I''m lying, but sadly, I''m telling the truth. It''s up to you now whether you''ll expel me


    -level of the Celestial God Realm. He was one of the three great kings in this area. However, even a man of his caliber was easily killed by the Blood Abyss Sect. The news really came as a shock.


    "Did they find out who hired the Blood Abyss Sect to kill him?" Darren immediately asked.


    "It''s clear as day. In the Ninth Precipitous Mountain, only two people possess the killing token of the Blood Abyss Sect. Without it, no one will be able to transact with the Blood Abyss Sect no matter how many killing points they offer," Murphy remarked.


    "Two people? If one of them is the Gambling King, then who''s the other one?" Darren asked with furrowed brows.


    "The other person''s identity is too mysterious. Although he has the right to hire the Blood Abyss Sect, he will never do that. He is the absolute power-holder of the Ninth Precipitous Mountain. If he wants anyone dead, he can do that by himself. There is no need for him to use the Blood Abyss Sect. That''s why I''m sure that it''s not him," Murphy answered convincingly.


    "I see. Does it mean that he''s one of the three kings?" Darren inquired.

 Chapter 1286 Return To The Tussle Region (Part Two)

    "Well, not exactly. Currently, he''s the owner of the Ninth Precipitous Mountain. Because of his presence, no one dares to offend the Ninth Precipitous Mountain, including the government of the Tussle Region," Murphy elaborated.


    "He''s that powerful and influential? Then, he must be a cultivator of the Superior God Realm." Darren was thrilled and got more curious at the same time.


    "I''m not sure about that. Actually, there is so little information about him," Murphy replied while shrugging his shoulders.


    "Hmm. If I can get a chance, I think I''d like to go to the Ninth Precipitous Mountain and visit this man," Darren said with eagerness.


    "Forget it. He never agreed to meet with just anyone, unless he''s interested in that person. Furthermore, I strongly suggest that in the following days, you should just stay at home. I will spread the news that you''ve been out, and all you need to do is hide and cultivate in seclusion. You need to bolster your strength further," Murphy urged.


    "Okay, I get it. I''ll go ahead and catch up with my friends," Darren understood the current situation and quickly agreed.


    Murphy was relieved that Darren was willing to cooperate and said, "All right. I''ll contact you if anything new happens."


    Darren just nodded and eventually went out of the room.


    Currently, his friends were settling in a separate courtyard within the sect.


    "Darren! You finally showed up! What were you doing these past few days?" Finley quickly rushed towards him as soon as he saw him approaching.


    "Where have you been? You just disappeared and didn''t even tell us where you were going and when you would come back!" Lindsay also shou


    e wanted to get out of the Tussle Region as soon as possible.


    Then, a few months had passed, and it seemed like everything was fine.


    Until one day, the branch of the Starry Sword Sect was disturbed by strange noises out of nowhere.


    Darren quickly opened his eyes and rushed out of the secret room to see what was happening.


    "Murphy, what is going on?" he asked the moment that he got a hold of Murphy.


    "A group of people attacked our branch and killed hundreds of our disciples. Even my daughter was taken away!"


    Murphy''s eyes were filled with rage and frustration. Darren could sense his killing intent that was about to burst out at any moment.


    "Did you catch any of them?" Darren asked.


    "That''s the most exasperating part. All of them managed to escape. They said that there were ten master hands in total," Murphy answered while clenching his fists.


    "This is what I feared the most. It must be the Gambling King!" Darren concluded without a second thought.


    Swoosh!


    Without any warning, Murphy soared into the sky.


    "Master Murphy, wait!" Darren exclaimed as his eyes widened.

 Chapter 1287 Blue Flower Demon

    Murphy flew towards the Ninth Precipitous Mountain as fast as he could.


    He had been agitated and angry ever since his daughter was taken. Darren knew that Murphy was desperate to find her.


    Darren chased after Murphy, feeling helpless. The Gambling King had deliberately taken Murphy''s daughter with the expectation that Murphy would come after her. Darren feared that Murphy was heading straight into a trap.


    But how could any father do anything else in this kind of situation? So Darren flew after Murphy, who was traveling at his fastest speed.


    They finally reached the territory of the Ninth Precipitous Mountain.


    Even though Darren was thousands of kilometers high, flying through the sky, he could feel the thick fog and miasma rising from the earth beneath him.


    He sensed that Murphy had stopped moving.


    Darren immediately descended, landing on the ground beside Murphy.


    "Master Murphy, we must be careful. They are hoping you will be reckless and impulsive,"


    Darren said, trying to reason with Murphy.


    Murphy scowled. "Of course I know that. But I don''t have a choice. I will fight to get my daughter to safety, regardless of what happens to me," he snapped.


    "I understand," Darren replied. "But perhaps there''s a way to save her without sacrificing yourself. If we go secretly, maybe we can find some clues as to where Miss Freda is being kept. Marching openly into enemy territory will only allow them to make preparations in advance and hide Miss Freda in a more secret place.


    I believe they only took her to get to you, so it''s unlikely they''ll do anything to her while they''re waiting for you to arrive," he added.


    It was a fair analysis, and one that Murphy agreed with, so he calmed down slightly. Instead of rushing forward alone, he decided to travel more carefully with Darren.


    "Fine. Come with me, then," he said.


    The two men ventured further into the Ninth Precipitous Mountain.


    The land was densely covered with a purple jungle, full of a variety of strange, poisonous flowers.


    "Master Murphy, do you know where the Gambling King is?" Darren asked.


    "I do. But we have to move carefully, for this forest is full of many hidden dangers."


    Darren nodded, gazing warily around him at the purple foliage.


    They were still hundreds of kilometers away from the place where the Gambling King lived. In order to avoid detection, Darren and Murphy decided to travel by land.


    The two men ran swiftly and silently through the forest.


    Suddenly, there was a snapping sound.


    A vine had lashed out and wrapped itself around Murphy''s waist.


    He was yanked back by the vine, and hundreds more vines began creeping around his b


    nt of the Blue Flower Demon.


    He was secretly gathering the black god''s power and the penetrating sword intent.


    Both attacks had a strong penetrating effect. Once it exploded, he knew he would be able to break free from the vines wrapped around him.


    Although there was great variety among the powers and preferences of evil spirits, they all had one thing in common¡ªtheir bodies were relatively weak.


    Darren believed that once he had broken through the shackles, he had a good chance of killing the Blue Flower Demon.


    He hoped that his begging and appearance of weakness would convince the demon to lower his guard.


    "Look at yourself. What an ugly human, groveling without shame just to survive," the Blue Flower Demon said disdainfully.


    "I admit that I am ugly, but I''m not stupid. I''m smart enough to recognize when another has greater strength and power. Even a Superior God Realm master couldn''t resist your poison, let alone me," Darren replied.


    "You are wise to recognize that," said the Blue Flower Demon. The demon was pleased to be praised in this way, especially by a human being.


    "My Lord, please let me go! I swear that I will be loyal to you forever," Darren begged again.


    He was tense, feeling adrenaline rush through his body. He had gathered all his strength, and was waiting for the best moment to strike. He felt like his meridians were about to explode.


    The Blue Flower Demon laughed again. "Don''t waste your breath! There''s no way I''ll let you go.


    However, you flatter me with your sweet talk, so I''ll give you the gift of a quick death. I''ll eat you now instead of torturing you for days."


    With that, the demon ejected a blast of mucus, and a red slit opened in the middle of the flower stamens. Two rows of sharp teeth were revealed.

 Chapter 1288 Itchy Toxin

    The Blue Flower Demon pulled Darren closer and intended to bite his head off.


    He could already imagine the happiness he would feel when he tasted the delicious flavor of fresh meat.


    Boom!


    A beam of black light accompanied by infinite sword intent soared into the sky.


    A breath later, the vines binding Darren exploded.


    "Damn it!"


    the Blue Flower Demon muttered as astonishment coursed through him. Unwilling to let his prey escape, he quickly gathered his vines to attack Darren again.


    However, Darren had already planned his attack. In an instant, his body flashed and appeared in front of the Blue Flower Demon.


    A sword strike! And a blade strike!


    His sword and blade attacks rushed forward in tandem and besieged the Blue Flower Demon from two directions.


    "You are too naive, stupid human!"


    Just as Darren''s sword and blade ambush neared their target, the Blue Flower Demon calmed down and became fearless.


    Shoop! Shoop! Shoop!


    Several tentacles popped out from the Blue Flower Demon''s pistil and instantly enveloped himself.


    When Darren''s sword and blade attack fell on this shield made of tentacles, they only cut several inches deep. The Blue Flower Demon himself was unharmed.


    "Gosh!" Darren''s eyes widened with shock. He hadn''t expected the demon to have such a strong defense.


    The instinctive urge to flee surged within Darren, but he stood his ground. He knew that once he moved away from the Blue Flower Demon, the demon would feel safe enough to release his vines and mobilize them to capture him.


    If that happened, the demon would not fall for Darren''s tricks, and he would eat him instead.


    "Master Murphy, hurry up! Break the shackles and help me kill this creature!"


    Darren could not think of any other method with which to wake his companion. Murphy was injured, and he hoped that Murphy''s mind would awaken when he shouted through his spiritual voice.


    In a semi-comatose state, Murphy sobered up when Darren''s spiritual voice hit his soul.


    As soon as he returned to his senses, he felt severe itching all over his body again. It was so unbearable that he gritted his teeth to the point where he felt they would break.


    "Howl!"


    Murphy roared like a beast as tremendous sword intent poured out from every pore in his body.


    Although it sliced through his flesh, the sword intent also tore through the vines that had imprisoned him.


    "Go to hell!"


    Murphy emitted such an intense aura at this point that Darren felt as though he was enveloped in infinite darkness. Never before had he seen Murphy this cruel and fierce!


    Bang!


    The intense sword intent that had condensed into a hundred thousand swords instantly fell on


    ew his sword and lunged at Murphy.


    Clang!


    Murphy lifted his palm so that Darren could target it. But, as soon as the sword touched him, Murphy drew back.


    "Boy, your sword intent is powerful enough to penetrate my skin," Murphy sighed.


    "That''s not bad. Ha-ha! Master Murphy, have you figured out the effect of the divine pattern?" Darren asked eagerly. He couldn''t contain his curiosity anymore.


    "Yes, I have." As he spoke, Murphy lifted his sword and drew a few deep lines on his palm. Brilliant red drops oozed from the cuts. Before Darren could object, Murphy removed the flesh on his palm that had touched the sword.


    Such an action astonished Darren.


    "It''s too itchy. I don''t want to suffer this kind of pain again." Murphy shuddered visibly as he recalled the agony he felt when the Blue Flower Demon''s toxin had overwhelmed his senses earlier.


    "Do you mean the effect of my new divine pattern contains the itchy toxin?"


    "Yes, it''s the same as the Blue Flower Demon''s toxin, just weaker."


    "Ha-ha, great!" Darren was delighted. Now, when he encountered an enemy and wounded them, the enemy would suffer severe and unbearable itching that would reduce their combat capacity significantly.


    Since he had experienced it, Darren knew that others would be unable to handle it as well.


    "Let''s go, Master Murphy. We need to find information about Miss Freda''s whereabouts."


    After that, Darren and Murphy began walking. Soon, they left the purple forest.


    The two saw a castle in the distance, which they recognized to be the Gambling King''s residence.


    "We need to be careful. After we sneak in, we''ll look for a chance," Murphy cautioned. He was much calmer now.


    "I understand," Darren replied.


    Then, they concealed themselves and headed toward the castle.

 Chapter 1289 Turn The Guards Into Believers (Part One)

    Darren and Murphy bided their time patiently while lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to enter the castle.


    "See those two guards over there? They are cultivators at the top level of the Star God Realm. We won''t be able to get past them so easily," Darren said as he assessed the situation in his head.


    "Yeah, I know. We can''t confront them on our own." Murphy shook his head, disregarding the thought, and added, "There are many Defense Arrays scattered across the castle. Once we use our god''s power, we will risk giving away our location."


    "Then what do you suggest we do?" There was no way they could get inside with the guards constantly on the lookout.


    "Wait. I''ll use my physical strength to get rid of them," Murphy whispered. As long as they resorted to any other method other than their god''s power, the Defense Arrays wouldn''t be able to pick up on their presence. Even so, approaching the guards stealthily wasn''t a walk in the park.


    "I suppose it''s worth a try. Hold on. How about we capture these two guards instead and force them to become my believers? That way, we can manipulate them into following our orders. What do you think?" Darren spoke, coming up with another strategy.


    "That sounds even better! I totally forgot that you''re a Defiant Master. Let''s go with that then."


    After going over their plan, they decided to remain hidden until they found the perfect opportunity to strike.


    The next day, their wait ended, and the perfect chance to engage presented itself. They found the guards indulging themselves with a feast they prepared with some beast meat along with wine to keep their throats from going dry. Preoccupied with filling their stomachs, they finally let down their guards.


    Not wanting to let this opportunity go


    prevent him from dying from his self-caused injuries.


    Frustrated from the guard''s resistance, Darren inflicted additional wounds on his body as a form of punishment.


    Stricken with pain and exhaustion, the guard collapsed on the ground, motionlessly. The guard''s suffering refused to meet an end. His face lay severely mutilated beyond recognition.


    "How are you enjoying our hospitality? Still want to resist?"


    Darren kept slashing at the guard''s body as though he were his toy. He made a point to avoid cutting at his vital signs to keep him alive.


    Unable to endure the torture, the guard knelt on the ground to gesture his surrender and smacked his head before Darren''s feet.


    "Master Murphy, undo the seal."


    At Darren''s words, Murphy removed the seal to allow the guard to talk.


    "Sir, I swear, I swear! Just stop this, release me of this agony, please!"


    The guard writhed before them, screaming and crying to be let go. The itching sensation left on his body was far more excruciating than the training he had received.


    "What are you waiting for? Swear!"


    "I, Abbot, hereby swear that I will believe in and serve the Conflicting Chief God with all my life..."

 Chapter 1290 Turn The Guards Into Believers (Part Two)

    For the entirety of his oath, he begged to make the pain stop.


    "Master, master, please... I beg you, please..."


    "Oh no," Darren said as he averted his gaze and scratched his head. "I don''t know how to remove this itch!"


    Hearing his honest confession, Murphy was left stunned as he peered into his eyes.


    When the guard heard this, he continued to weep, growing anxious by the second. He only wished they would grant him the sweet release of death.


    "What do you mean? Let me give it a try."


    Murphy unsheathed his sword and launched his sword intent. Soon the guard''s flesh and blood were wiped clean.


    "Come on. Let''s patch him up with our god''s power."


    Darren nodded in agreement. Both of them coordinated with their god''s power to fix the guard''s distorted body.


    Two hours later, the flesh and blood that escaped the anatomy of the guard grew right back and reunited with his limbs.


    "Oh, my!"


    Exhausted from the entire ordeal, the guard lay on the ground to steady his frantic breathing.


    "I feel as though I''ve been reborn! Thank you for healing me, sir." After collecting his breath, the guard knelt down on the ground obediently and kowtowed.


    "It worked! How''d you come up with this idea, Master Murphy?" Darren asked out of curiosity.


    "When I felt an unbearable itch take over my body, I summoned the sword intent and slashed at my flesh and blood to be rid of it. It helped alleviate it enough to become tolerable. To be precise, this kind of poison restricts the itch on one part of the body and it won''t spread," Murphy explained as he stared at the guard.


    "Oh, so that''s what it is," Darren said, nodding to his explanation.


    "Your name is Abbot, right?" Darren addressed the guard, who remain


    the Gambling King at all times, and they won''t show themselves so easily."


    "I see. All of you, head back to your positions and bring more guards to me," Darren ordered with his hands behind his back.


    "Yes, sir."


    In synchronization, each of the believers flew away to get to their respective spots.


    Executing this process in a loop, Darren continued to add more numbers in his ranks. Soon, he had enrolled a hundred and forty guards as his believers.


    Simultaneously eight of them were killed accidentally by Murphy failing to suppress his strength or them resisting too much and giving into the pain inflicted upon them.


    The remaining two were servants of the Gambling King, and they were both at the Celestial God Realm. Darren wasn''t sure whether he could convince them and gave up the idea.


    After appointing all these believers, whose cultivation levels were at the top level of the Star God Realm, Darren''s black god''s power upgraded substantially.


    "It''s time. Let''s go, Master Murphy!"


    With over a hundred helpers following their tracks, Darren and Murphy marched confidently towards the castle, without the fear of being spotted.

 Chapter 1291 Mopping Up The Treasure Houses

    Without an obstacle in sight, Darren and Murphy waltzed into the castle with ease.


    However, they still hid their auras, afraid of being discovered by the Gambling King''s god''s sense.


    "What is this place?"


    Darren asked when a guard led them before a large iron gate.


    "Sir, this is Maxwell''s treasure house."


    "Treasure house? Are you saying lots of precious treasures lie within it? How on earth would we be able to get in there?" Darren said, frowning deeply.


    "Don''t worry, sir. Maxwell never locks this treasure house. He''s so conceited that he thinks no one would dare go in to try and take anything," the guard replied with a slight shrug.


    "Really?" The eyes of both Darren and Murphy lit up simultaneously.


    "Open it!"


    "Yes, sir."


    Without further ado, the guard opened the large iron gate. Darren and Murphy cautiously entered the treasure house.


    The interior was quite big, its walls lined with fine cabinets.


    "Huh!" Darren exclaimed in awe. "So many superior Divine Essence Stones!" At the center of the treasure house lay at least fifty thousand kilograms of Divine Essence Stones.


    "Take them!" Murphy urged. Without hesitation, Darren triggered the Space Ring and stored the Divine Essence Stones in it.


    "These weapons are also good," Murphy said, studying the contents of one of the cabinets by the wall. "They are all at level eight!" Hundreds of level-eight divine weapons were displayed there. Eyeing them hungrily, Darren took them all without skipping a beat.


    Besides those, there were also some magic herbs and elixirs, which Darren also collected next.


    "Sir, if I may say," the guard interjected politely. "These are nothing. The most precious ones are in that cabinet." He pointed at a large red cabinet at the end of the hall.


    "What''s in it?" Darren asked suspiciously.


    "Divine patterns," the guard answered bluntly.


    "Great!"


    Without even thinking, Darren rushed over to the big red cabinet and flung its heavy doors open.


    The next moment, he was stunned by what he saw.


    There were at least two thousand complete divine pattern crystals in this cabinet!


    "The weakest ones are at level-four, while most of them are at the fifth or sixth levels..." Darren muttered under his breath after studying them carefully.


    There were eighteen level-seven divine patterns and one at level-nine!


    "A level-nine divine pattern!" Murphy exclaimed, also shocked. He could not help but take a deep gulp as he eyed the level-nine divine pattern greedily. A level-nine divine pattern was indeed a very rare treasure in the world.


    "Darren, take them!" he urged.


    Darren did not hesitate. In the blink of an eye, he stored all the divine patterns into his Space Ring.


    They left no cabinet unopened, no stone unturned until they collected all the trea


    da was in his hands.


    "What do you want?" Murphy roared.


    "It''s not about what I want, it''s about what they want. In fact, I have already inquired about the matter for you. They only ask for killing points and divine patterns. They don''t demand very large numbers." Maxwell paused dramatically. "They want one hundred million killing points and one hundred level-five divine patterns," he finally said.


    "Do you think I''m like you, Maxwell? Do I look like I have that many killing points and divine patterns?" Murphy spat disgustedly.


    "Stop barking at me like that!" Maxwell snapped impatiently. "I''m just trying to help. If you don''t appreciate my kindness, then get out of here."


    "You!" A sword already floated from behind Murphy. "Maxwell, you''d better think about the consequences. If I fight you and die here today, think about how you can bear the fury of our Starry Sword Region!"


    "Come on, gentlemen! I''m sure you can solve the problem through a peaceful negotiation. Please sit down!" one of the three old men suddenly cut in. Darren noticed they had been listening with great interest.


    "Fine. Take your time. We can negotiate slowly. I have no plans of killing you, Murphy. However..." Maxwell''s eyes narrowed at Darren. "I will take that brat''s life no matter what!"


    Actually, ever since Darren and Murphy entered, Maxwell''s gaze had been fixed on Darren the whole time.


    Back then, Darren made him lose hundreds of millions of killing points and dozens of level-five divine patterns. Seething with rage, Maxwell had been plotting to kill Darren ever since then.


    However, he dared not attack Darren in person, for fear that he would lose his reputation in the gambling circle, so he hired the Blood Abyss Sect to do so. To his surprise, Darren had managed to survive.


    And he even dared come here, on his territory. How could he not kill him?

 Chapter 1292 Fury

    Maxwell revealed his killing intent to Darren.


    "Ha!"


    Darren chuckled and took a step forward.


    "Gambling King, you know what happened at that time. You wanted money, but I wanted to survive. Under those circumstances, I had no choice but to make sure I won."


    "Humph! You brat! You made me lose more than two hundred million killing points and a lot of divine patterns. Do you think your life is worth that much?" Maxwell roared angrily.


    "Please don''t be angry. Let''s stop talking about the value of my life. I am more than willing to compensate you for what you lost. What do you say?" Darren said calmly.


    Instead of calming down, Maxwell seemed to get even more furious.


    It was not that he didn''t want to gain back what he had lost. He just didn''t believe Darren could actually afford it. He was also about to acquire Murphy''s property. There was no way Murphy could be helping him pay.


    "What? Are you unwilling to accept it, Gambling King?"


    "Humph! You brat! How much property do you even have? How can you return the killing points and the divine patterns that our Gambling King lost?" one of the old men jeered.


    "I happen to have one hundred million killing points, which I got with the help of Lord Starry Sword. I also have three level-seven divine patterns! I wonder if these would be enough," Darren said. While speaking, he released three level-seven divine patterns. They floated in the air in front of the old men. The old men tried to reach out for them, so Darren immediately drew them back.


    "They are indeed level-seven divine patterns!" The three old men were shocked, their faces pale. Their eyes, however, glowed with greed.


    "Three level-seven divine patterns are indeed worth more than one hundred million killing points."


    "No way." Maxwell was tempted to accept his offer, but he still wanted to see what Darren could give him.


    "Gambling King! I have offered to make up for what you have lost. What I showed you is all I have. There''s nothing I can do if you don''t want to accept it. I guess I will just have to be buried with these treasures. I wouldn''t think my humble, insignificant life was in vain since I was able to leave this world with so many killing points and divine patterns. Humph!" Darren huffed, his face darkening.


    However, he believed that Maxwell, the Gambling King, would not give up so many killing points just to kill him.


    Right then, Maxwell winked at the old man beside him. The old man immediately stepped forward and spoke. "The things you offer are actually not enough to compensate for what ou


    tle and focused on flying towards the Starry Sword Sect as fast as they could.


    After Darren and Murphy left, Maxwell and the three old men began to enjoy. They had a grand feast prepared before them, and they helped themselves to the delicious food and drink.


    It was not until several hours later that the banquet came to an end.


    "Guards, take these trophies to my treasure houses."


    Maxwell lay down leisurely in his chair. Behind him, a personal guard at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm walked towards the treasure houses, clutching the treasures Maxwell had gotten.


    Suddenly, the guard came rushing back.


    As soon as he entered the hall, he fell down to his knees. He looked flustered, but he dared not speak.


    "What happened? Has such a big tragedy struck you and your family that you look like this?" Maxwell asked sourly.


    "No, master, something serious has happened."


    "Get to the point!"


    "The treasure houses have been plundered."


    "What?!" Maxwell flew over and grabbed the personal guard''s neck. He squeezed it tight. "Say it again!"


    "M-master, a-all the treasures in the t-treasure houses have been stolen... Urk!"


    Suddenly, something dawned on Maxwell.


    No wonder Darren and Murphy didn''t even hesitate to give him so many killing points and divine patterns. They had stolen his property and pretended to give it to him!


    In his treasure houses, there were hundreds of millions of killing points and more than two thousand divine patterns. They could have easily taken some of them.


    "Ah! I will kill all of you!"


    Maxwell was so angry that he forcefully snapped the guard''s neck. It was deathly silent as his head snapped off and rolled across the cold floor.

 Chapter 1293 Dividing The Divine Patterns

    At the branch of the Starry Sword Sect in the Tussle Region


    "Ha-ha, we not only saved Miss Freda, but we also made a fortune."


    Darren and Murphy sat opposite each other. As for Freda, she was still sealed, and needed time to break free, so she had been sent to a quiet place to rest.


    "We were lucky this time. But the credit goes to your effort to turn all his guards into your believers," declared Murphy.


    "No, we would not have succeeded without your strength. But we framed Maxwell. He must be incensed, like a mad dog. What should we do?"


    "You don''t have to worry. In the past, he managed to enter our sect because he sent someone to launch a sneak attack on us. This time, I have set up an array to protect the sect. Even if there are ten of him, they couldn''t possibly breach the array." Pride and confidence reflected in Murphy''s tone as he reassured Darren.


    "That''s great. Otherwise, we will have to flee again." Darren smiled.


    "Rest easy and stay here to cultivate. Don''t go out for a while, okay? When it''s time, I will send a message to the headquarters of our sect in Starry Sword Region to report our dangerous situation, and they will send people to help us."


    "That''s good." Darren nodded before he continued, "By the way, let''s divide the divine patterns we acquired."


    As he spoke, Darren unloaded all the divine patterns in the room.


    The value of this pile of divine patterns could be estimated at a billion killing points.


    "I will take a few level-four divine patterns and award them to outstanding disciples in the future. You can keep the rest," announced Murphy.


    "No, that is unfair. We obtained them together, so we should share them equally." Darren wasn''t the kind of person who would take advantage of his friends.


    As he spoke, he separated the divine patterns into two equal piles.


    "This level-nine divine pattern is called the Darkest Thorn. It belongs to the penetrating series, and it''s suitable for you." Without another word, Murphy placed the level-nine divine pattern in Darren''s hand.


    "That''s true. Thank you, I''ll take this level-nine divine pattern. In exchange, I want you to have all the level-seven divine patterns. I don''t need them anyway." He grinned as he took the level-nine divine pattern and placed all the level-seven divine patterns near Murphy.


    "Darren, this is unreasonable. If you insist on continuing like this, I will be angry with you. While divine patterns are invaluable, it is more important for you to keep them as they will help you leave the Tussle Region quicker." Murphy pretended to be annoyed.


    "Uh..."


    "Put them away. If you insis


    ul Avatar raised his hand and gestured her to stop.


    "He has made his decision. Nothing we say will persuade him otherwise," the Rule Soul Avatar explained to Jenifer, who appeared anxious. He could relate to how Merle felt, which was why he didn''t try to stop him.


    "What if he encounters danger and gets killed? Will you and Darren be in jeopardy if that happens?"


    The Rule Soul Avatar stared at Merle''s retreating figure as he replied, "No, we won''t."


    "Okay," Jenifer sighed in resignation. It appeared as though there was nothing she could say to keep them together. She turned to face the Rule Soul Avatar and asked, "Are we going to the human race''s Ancestral Land now?"


    "Yes." The Rule Soul Avatar nodded.


    "Eh? Didn''t you just say that you can disregard Darren''s orders? Why would you still go there?" Jenifer was confused.


    "We aren''t going to the human race''s Ancestral Land because Darren ordered me. I have my reasons for going there." The Rule Soul Avatar''s vague explanation just served to deepen Jenifer''s confusion.


    "Okay, you make your decisions." Instead of overthinking or asking further questions that he wouldn''t answer clearly, Jenifer chose to hold his arm and continue on their journey.


    Meanwhile, Merle moved forward alone. His pace increased as his fury soared when he thought about what had happened.


    A house, which seemed to be made of yellow sand, appeared in the vast desert. In front of the old wooden door was a crooked flag. The word "wine" could be vaguely seen on it.


    When Merle sensed the aura of life inside, he walked straight toward the tavern.


    "The aura of life shows that there might be warriors at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm." Merle''s cold eyes filled with killing intent.

 Chapter 1294 The Merging Force

    There were a few people in the small tavern.


    The sandstorm stopped abruptly in front of the building. When Merle pushed the door open and entered, the few customers, who were drinking, stopped and looked at him.


    "Greetings, sir. What can I do for you? Take a seat!"


    A beautiful woman with her body more exposed than covered flew over and stopped beside Merle.


    "Bring me a bottle of wine,"


    Merle replied as he scanned the four people in the room.


    Two low-level Celestial God Realm cultivators were sharing one table.


    Each of the other two cultivators, who were at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm, occupied a table.


    Now that Merle had detected their cultivation levels, he decided not to behave rashly. He was unsure of whether he could deal with all four singlehandedly.


    "Sir, what kind of wine would you like to drink?"


    "Whatever you decide."


    "All right." Mischief danced in the woman''s eyes as she covered her mouth with her hand and giggled. "I''m going to serve you the strongest wine we have. Let''s see if you dare to drink it."


    Buzz!


    The air rippled as the impatient Merle released his god''s power.


    "Go ahead!"


    "Ah, sir, you''ve got a temper. You scared me to death!" the woman exclaimed. She patted her chest to calm herself, but there were no traces of fear on her face.


    "Come on. Take a seat," she said to Merle before turning and ordering, "Serve this guest with our best wine!" She then swept her gaze over Merle. An imperceptible sneer danced at the corners of her lips.


    Soon, a large jar of wine was placed on the table.


    Merle didn''t bother to pour the wine into a bowl. Instead, he lifted the jar and drank straight from it.


    The wine was so strong that it left a trailing burning sensation as it ran down his throat into his stomach. Soon, the feeling spread all over his body.


    But he kept a straight face as he secretly motivated the bead in his elixir field.


    The wine went through his stomach and straight into his elixir field.


    With the essence bead''s help, the wine turned into a flaming aura and flowed into his meridians.


    Gradually, the flaming aura merged with his light golden meridians, making them more flexible.


    All Merle wanted was to find relief from the burning sensation brought on by the wine. To his pleasant surprise, it enhanced his meridians. He was so thrilled that he couldn''t stop grinning.


    "A hundred jars," Merle ordered as greed flashed in his eyes.


    His words aroused the curiosity of the other customers, a


    reveal a flaw.


    Merle, on the other hand, knew that if he were punched, his body would explode. He had no choice but to be patient.


    "Show yourself! Get on your knees!"


    The man staggered as he tried to target Merle.


    Merle flashed in front of him and then immediately stepped aside, trying to confuse the man further.


    The man launched a hard punch, but missed his target and fell into the sand. Half of his body was buried in the sand.


    Merle''s eyes grew cold. His chance had finally come!


    He rushed over quickly and gathered his physical strength to its maximum.


    He raised his hands and hacked at the man''s back quickly.


    "Ah!"


    The man roared as he was split in half.


    Even so, he was not necessarily going to die. Therefore, Merle moved quickly. He rushed forward, smashed the man''s head with a palm, and stomped on his heart.


    Only then was Merle certain that the man was dead. Even though he had taken advantage of the man''s inebriated state, joy coursed through Merle at the thought that he had killed a cultivator at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm!


    Without any delay, Merle triggered the essence bead and released the Merging Force.


    When the Merging Force was used on the man''s corpse, Merle would inherit the dead man''s strength.


    A shadow condensed where the man had died and gradually floated toward Merle.


    Once this shadow entered his body, Merle would ascend to the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm. He was so excited that he couldn''t breathe!


    Crack!


    Just as the shadow was about to reach Merle, a streak of thunder suddenly fell from the sky''s depths.


    "No!"


    Merle roared as he turned to glare at the sky.

 Chapter 1295 The Restriction Of The Merging Force

    The tribulation thunder blew the shadow into pieces right before Merle''s eyes, while also flinging him into the sand tens of kilometers away with its violent force.


    Merle''s head was a mass of swirling information. He sifted through it as fast as he could, trying to find what he needed among this haystack of knowledge.


    What he learned pissed him off to no end.


    He discovered that he was unable to merge with his own kind: humans. This was part of the restriction of laws.


    He was also unable to merge the strength of the dead cultivators that were two levels higher than he was. And there was more still; if he did not kill the creature himself, he could not merge with it either. These were the restrictions of the Universe Laws applied to the Original Law.


    The cultivation level of Merle''s soul was only at the top level of the Domain God Realm, which was on par with the cultivation level of Darren''s soul.


    "Damn it!"


    He was ticked off. There were too many restrictions on his Merging Force. It was incredibly frustrating.


    He had been lucky, however, to have survived. The tribulation thunder was not that powerful and his physical strength was far more powerful than that of the Domain God Realm cultivators.


    He picked himself up from the sand and absorbed the god''s power to heal the damage he had taken.


    It was now three months later, and his body had recovered. He had calmed himself a whole lot in the past three months. Since he was restricted from merging with humans, he would choose other creatures instead.


    "The fiend race," he murmured, only to himself.


    Apart from humans, the fiend race was the most common species in the world, and their masters were no weaker than any of the human masters.


    It seemed clear that his next target should then be the fiend race.


    There was still one more restriction; until he was strong enough, he could only merge one race. Once he made his decision on the fiend race, it would be impossible to switch to another. He would have to wait until he reached the Deputy God Realm to be able to merge with other living creatures other than the fiend race.


    He made his mind up and headed straight for the fiend race''s borders to try his luck. He then remembered his orders from Darren; he had to find and protect Elsa. He could not disobey and had to make for the Blood Cloud Region first.


    From Darren''s memories he learned that the guards of the Blood Cloud Region had taken her away. With this in mind, he knew exactly how to find her.


    Whoosh!


    Before anything else, he rushed back to the tavern to buy more wine in order to strengthen his meridians before he set off.


    At the same time, the Rule Soul Avatar and Jenifer arrived at the Ancestral Land of the territor


    Soul Avatar answered flatly and honestly.


    "Oh, that''s good, good for you," Jenifer said, smiling on the inside. A weight had been lifted from her mind. "Let''s go to Elsa," she continued.


    The two of them were headed for the Blood Cloud Region too.


    In the Tussle Region, it had been half a month since the Gambling King had left in anger.


    Murphy had not been as calm and collected as before during that time.


    Before Maxwell left, he had said that he would hire capable assassins from the Blood Abyss Sect to break the protecting array, no matter what it cost.


    Once the array was broken, there would be no one in the sect powerful enough to oppose them, and they would kill them all.


    "Master Murphy, any news from the sect in the Starry Sword Region?" Darren asked.


    He stepped into the hall and saw Murphy in a tizzy, his face plastered in worry with his hand rubbing his forehead in a futile attempt to relieve his stress.


    "Yes, I got a message from them," Murphy replied, low in spirit.


    "Really? What did they say?" Darren asked, his excitement growing.


    Murphy sighed and shook his head. "The elder said he would send a principal disciple to learn more of the situation... in a month."


    "A principal disciple? Then what seems to be the problem? Is he not strong enough?" Darren asked, confused by his distress.


    "No, the principal disciple is strong enough to deal with all this. It''s just that I''m worried we don''t have enough time. We may all be dead before the principal disciple arrives."


    Darren realized that Maxwell would be very impatient. He had lost a big fortune after all. This was what was causing Murphy''s headache.


    "Master Murphy, I''d like to leave to see if I can find a helper," Darren said after thinking on it for a moment, deciding that he could go to Akbar for assistance.

 Chapter 1296 The Token

    Murphy shook his head dismissively.


    "Help? You won''t be able to solve this problem unless you manage to get someone at the top level of the Celestial God Realm to help you." He didn''t think that Darren could easily invite such a powerful cultivator. Besides, Maxwell must have already arranged spies around the area to prevent any members of their sect from escaping. Darren would only be caught red-handed if he went out, unless he snuck out through the secret passage.


    "I have a friend in mind who is quite the cultivator. If I can bring him here, I think this crisis could be resolved."


    Darren was not sure if he could successfully invite Akbar over, because the latter had already said in the past that he couldn''t leave the swamp. Despite this, given the critical circumstances, even if Akbar couldn''t come in person, his input could definitely help Darren figure the situation out. This possible win-win situation weighed greatly on Darren''s mind.


    "You''re really friends with someone who is at the top level of the Celestial God Realm?" asked Murphy, surprised.


    "Yes, his name is Akbar, but he''s often called Lord Akbar," said Darren.


    "What?" Murphy couldn''t believe his ears. Could the name he heard just now really be the one he knew of?


    "Darren, do you really know Lord Akbar?" asked Murphy in disbelief.


    "Of course I know him. Why else would I tell you I''m going to ask him for help?" said Darren with a soft chuckle.


    "Well then that''s amazing! If you can manage to bring him here, perhaps even the senior leaders of the Blood Abyss Sect wouldn''t dare lay a finger on us! But are you sure the Lord Akbar you know is the one who cultivates the natural law?"


    Murphy''s doubt was reasonable. After all, Akbar had been very famous in the beginning and then suddenly disappeared without a trace. Murphy suspected that Darren might have mistaken someone else for Akbar.


    "Yes, I''m pretty sure. Master Murphy, I''d say your tone sounds like you know Akbar quite well. Is this correct?" Darren couldn''t quite understand Murphy''s excitement upon hearing Akbar''s name.


    "Ha-ha, that''s for sure. Many years ago, Akbar was very well known in the world. Many people even believed that he could be on par with Lord Starry Sword in the future. Unfortunately, while he was at the peak of his fame, he seemed to have offended a great master in seclusion and then he just disappeared.


    Since then, many people supposed that he had been killed by that same great master in seclusion. Hence, his legend was only known by the people in our era. Very few people of the later generations heard about him," explained Murphy.


    "Wow, I didn''t expect that guy to be so powerful." Darren was impressed an


    ion and took Darren to his cottage in a flash.


    The two of them talked for a long while. Darren explained the whole story to Akbar.


    "No wonder you are so scared. It turns out that your enemy has asked the Blood Abyss Sect for help."


    "Yeah. It is said that the Blood Abyss Sect is extremely powerful and has many strong cultivators of Superior God Realm. I can''t do anything about them, but I can''t just watch my friends die." Darren looked helpless.


    "Brat, you know what, you''re right to ask me for help on this matter."


    "Really?" Darren''s eyes lit up immediately. "So you''re willing to help me? Let''s set off right now!"


    "Hold your horses. I''ve told you that I would not dare... no, I can''t ever leave this swamp," said Akbar.


    "Then what should we do? If you don''t stand out to help and the enemy invites someone at the top level of the Celestial God Realm to help, what am I supposed to do?" Darren felt his celebration was premature.


    "Open your eyes wide and take a good look at this."


    While speaking, Akbar took out a blood red token, on which the word "top" was carved in.


    Darren picked it up and looked at it carefully as he turned it around in his hand, but found nothing special about it.


    "What the hell is this?" Darren really wanted to throw the token away. It didn''t look like it was worth much anyway.


    "I just want you to know that I really want to beat you to death right now. Don''t you know that is the token of a top killer of the Blood Abyss Sect?"


    "A top killer?" Darren was surprised. "Where did you get this?"


    "It cannot be stolen or snatched. So why do you think do I have one?" Akbar said this with one eyebrow raised, waiting for Darren to get the message.


    "You''re a member of the Blood Abyss Sect!" Darren gasped in shock as he stared at Akbar.

 Chapter 1297 Relieved

    "Don''t look so surprised."


    Watching Darren''s brows arch up in response to his shock made Akbar give his forehead a flick.


    "I never expected that you, such a dignified lord, would turn out to be an assassin."


    "I used to be one when I was young. Besides, it''s not easy to become a top assassin. One has to assassinate at least three warriors at the top level of the Celestial God Realm before they can take part in the examination. Only after going through with the strict examination can one be promoted to the rank of a top killer. The status of a top killer is equal to the Left or Right Guard of the Blood Abyss Sect, only second to the leader of the Blood Abyss Sect," Akbar explained, puffing his chest out with pride.


    "Does that mean you''re one of the senior leaders of the Blood Abyss Sect?"


    "Of course, I am. Except for the leader and a selected few top killers, no one dares to defy my orders when they see my token." Akbar spoke in a dignified manner.


    "Okay, I get it. I''ll take it." Darren chuckled, watching Akbar boast before he placed the token securely in his Space Ring.


    "Don''t forget to bring it back to me once your issue is resolved."


    "Don''t be so obnoxious. You can''t go out anyway, why not just let me keep it instead?" The token was of significant value. Once Darren laid his hands on it, he would naturally want to keep it to himself.


    "Have it your way then, keep it for as long as you like. But I must forewarn you, you won''t survive more than three months out there," Akbar blurted out, his steady gaze testified how serious he was.


    "You don''t have to be so rude to me all the time. After all, I am your big brother. I just need this token from you. Is that too much to ask? Why must you kill me for it?" Darren said jokingly, attempting to clear the tension between them.


    "Oh, it won''t be me who kill you for it. It''ll be someone else. Do you honestly think possessing this token is just like having any other ordinary item? Once the others catch wind of it, they will want to snatch it from you by any means necessary. Some won''t even hold back. They''ll be coming at you with everything they''ve got. Back when I was still an assassin, I had over a hundred thousand enemies. Any one of them could appear before you and rip your head clean off your neck before you could even react. If you have what it takes to survive the consequences that come with wielding this token, by all means, keep it.


    Besides, there''s also the possibility of the Blood Abyss Sect appointing a task while you still have the token. You will have no other choice but to get it done. If you fail to do so, the leader of the Blood Abyss Sect will see to it himself that your existence is wiped clean off the surface of this world." Akbar listed the consequences without hesitation.


    An unsettling feeling sprouted in Darren''s heart as he quietly listened to Akbar''s warnings. ''This thing may have its benefits. But I can''t overlook the fact that the bad overweighs the good here. This should be called the suicidal token instead! I guess I''d better return it as soon as my problem resolves, '' Darren thought, sighing to himself.


    "You said the Blood Abyss Sect would kill the person with the token if the task they assigned isn''t fulfilled, right?


    g him the item. Donovan was actually left in Yama''s Prefecture, and he was under his watch instead.


    "Haha, good boy. Alright then, it''s settled. You have yourself a deal."


    "Tell me about this item that you mentioned," Darren said, his eyes brimming with curiosity.


    "Well, look behind you," Akbar said, guiding Darren with his gaze.


    To his surprise, there was an armor sitting neatly behind Darren.


    The armor was painted with a charred-black color, giving it an intimidating vibe. On top of that, dark halos were circulating around its surface.


    "So, you''ve already arranged it..." The armor had been sitting patiently behind Darren the entire time. Soaking its view in, Darren understood Akbar never intended to send him off empty-handed.


    "Is this thing durable enough to endure the relentless attacks of the warriors at the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm?" Darren asked, tapping the armor with his fingers to check its sturdiness.


    "Of course, it can''t if someone as weak as you were to wear it. Don''t you have a friend who''s at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm? Let him wear it instead. He will definitely be able to resist the attacks from the warriors you speak of. As for whether those enemies can be killed, the armor can''t decide the fate of the battle. It depends solely on your friend''s abilities," Akbar said, his hands clasped behind his back.


    "Okay, I get it now. Thank you." Darren nodded, and then he put away the armor with the token.


    "Now that everything is sorted, I''ll be on my way. Master Murphy must be waiting for me to come back bearing good news!" To bid Akbar a proper goodbye, Darren saluted him out of respect and gratitude.


    "Just leave already." Growing impatient, Akbar waved his hands frantically to dismiss him.


    Darren gave the annoyed Akbar a warm smile before turning his back towards him and walked away.


    Once Darren was out of sight, Akbar''s irritated expression loosened, and he nodded to himself.


    "This boy actually managed to obtain another God Character. God must be looking out for me, after all," Akbar muttered to himself, as a relaxed smile formed on his lips, without him realizing.

 Chapter 1298 Fighting Maxwell (Part One)

    Darren kept on flying at full speed. With the aid of the speed runes, he was able to go back to the Starry Sword Sect within a day.


    "How was your trip? Any good news?" As soon as Darren came out of the secret passage, Murphy perceived his arrival and quickly went to welcome him.


    "Well, it went fine," Darren answered indifferently.


    "What do you mean? Were you able to successfully invite Lord Akbar? Where is he now?" Murphy asked expectantly.


    "About that, no, he can''t leave that swamp. But in turn, I have here several useful things that he gave me. Here, look at this one."


    Darren took out the exquisite black armor and showed it to Murphy.


    As soon as Murphy saw the armor, his eyes lit up immediately. With just a glance, he knew that this armor was something powerful and extraordinary.


    "He gave this to you?" Murphy asked while his eyes were still fixed on the armor.


    "That''s right. Come on, put it on. With this, you will be able to fight against Maxwell on equal terms!"


    "It''s that powerful?"


    Without the least hesitation, Murphy grabbed the armor and excitedly put it on.


    Suddenly, a strong magical force spread all over his body, causing his meridians to be enhanced by multiple folds.


    "You''re right! I can feel the extreme power! I feel like I can easily take on the warriors at the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm with this!" Murphy was overwhelmed with the powerful strength that flowed in his body. He had never felt this strong before, causing his confidence to boost significantly.


    However, after thinking carefully for a while, he told Darren, "The people we''re facing this time are not only Maxwell. If he managed to invite any powerful warrior at the top level of the Celestial God Realm, there''s a huge chance that our sect will be in huge trouble."


    After all, there was still a huge gap in strength between warriors at the top level of the Celestial God Realm and those only at the upper-level.


    "Yeah, I''ve already thought about that. Don''t worry. I have my ways to deal with it," Darren reassured him with a faint smile.


    "Fine, I believe you." Murphy had no reason to doubt Darren after the latter brought back such a powerful weapon.


    After that, Darren and Murphy went to cultivate their martial arts separately. Even the slightest improvement would be helpful for them to deal with their future opponents. Moreover, Murphy had to take the time to master using the armor. If everything went well, he would have better chances of defeating the Gambling King.


    Two weeks had quickly passed since the two cultivated nonstop.


    The following day, the entire branch of the Starry Sword Sect was in an uproar again after the sudden arrival of Maxwell.


    Darren and Murphy quickly responded, flew out, and landed on the ground in front of the array. On the other side, Maxwell was sta


    not the type to cancel a deal that they had already agreed on.


    But this time, it was different. They wanted to cancel the deal without any hesitation. They wanted to back out, fully knowing that they would need to give the payment back in double.


    "What are you talking about?! How could you break a promise because of some measly token?" Maxwell asked in exasperation. He could not accept such a thing. After all, without them, he would not be able to destroy the array. All his efforts to eliminate Darren and Murphy would be put to waste.


    "That''s final. If you still want to deal with them, you can go by yourself," the old man answered coldly.


    Hearing this, Darren was very satisfied. It was even better than he had expected.


    He originally thought that the members of the Blood Abyss Sect might still help Maxwell destroy the array and would just avoid attacking him.


    However, it turned out that the old man honored Darren''s previous order to fully abandon their commitment to Maxwell. For now, they could say that they were already safe. They just needed to wait for reinforcements in order to fully deal with this matter.


    "You useless bunch! I will sue you for breaking your commitment! Can you take responsibility for that?" Maxwell started to threaten the members of the Blood Abyss Sect in his anger.


    "Watch who you''re talking to, Maxwell! Say another word and I won''t hesitate to crush your head!" the old man snapped back.


    "Wait a minute. I don''t agree with you either. Since we have already received his killing points, we should accomplish the mission for him. Did you forget that he paid a billion killing points? That''s already enough for us to exchange for whatever we want. After completing this mission, we can even retire. You should actually rethink your decision."


    Suddenly, the younger killer who looked very juvenile spoke and contradicted the old man.

 Chapter 1299 Fighting Maxwell (Part Two)

    "Kid, are you out of your mind? You know better than I what kind of token that is. We have cooperated for so many years and have never made mistakes. Be careful. You are inviting trouble!" the old man cautioned.


    "Ha-ha. Don''t be silly, you old thing! He''s just a piece of garbage at the Domain God Realm. How could he possess a token of a top killer? It''s ridiculous. He must have found it by accident."


    "Fuck off! Use your head, please. How could a top killer lose his token? It''s not that simple!" the old man countered impatiently.


    "You are so stupid. Perhaps he stole it. I was polite when I said that he accidentally acquired it. Who knows? Unless the sect leader gets involved, we don''t need to worry."


    The young killer had made himself clear. He wanted the killing points regardless of how the token was obtained.


    "You''re too naive. If he has the token, then a top killer must be backing him up. There is no need for us to provoke such a strong master." The old man tried to rationalize with the young man.


    By then, Maxwell finally understood everything.


    It turned out that the token was not an ordinary one, and only top killers could own it.


    As far as he knew, a top killer earned that name after having killed at least three masters at the top-level of the Celestial God Realm.


    Maxwell was both shocked and furious. Where did this brat get such a token?


    However, he was reluctant to give up so easily. Every time he thought of Murphy and Darren, fury surged within him. They had stolen his treasures and mocked him. How could he not want to rip them to pieces?


    "Sir, it is evident that the token was stolen from elsewhere. Here is the deal. You only need to help me break their defense array. I''ll take care of the rest. That won''t contradict your orders, right? If you agree, not only will you complete your task, but I will also get what I wish. It''s a win-win plan!" Maxwell persisted.


    "Old thing, what are you waiting for? One billion killing points are enough for us to exchange for the opportunity to be baptized in the spiritual pool. Perhaps we can successfully break through to the Supreme God Realm then. This is a rare opportunity. We can''t refuse it," the young man continued to entice the old man with the hopes that he would agree.


    The old man remained silent as he weighed his options. Regardless o


    ur head off. Now, fight me with all your might," Murphy said coldly.


    "How dare you? I''ll show you the power of a master at the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm!"


    Bang!


    Maxwell punched the air with his fist, and a tremendous force crushed the space. In the blink of an eye, it was in front of Murphy.


    "Ha-ha. He''ll die for sure," the young killer remarked. He raised his chin. Obviously, he was confident of Maxwell''s abilities. In his eyes, a cultivator at the Celestial God Realm''s low-level couldn''t withstand such an attack.


    It happened so fast that Murphy couldn''t dodge. He had to confront the attack head-on. But with his strength, defending against the attack was tantamount to certain death, and he would not risk his life like this. Without any hesitation, he summoned the armor that Darren had given him.


    Splash!


    A black light spread out, and the entire world was enveloped in darkness.


    Bang!


    Maxwell''s punch fell on the black armor.


    Murphy was blown back several thousand feet, crashing all the way through space. It was indeed, impressive.


    However, Maxwell''s expression soured. The backlash caused intense agony to course through his arm.


    What added to his misery was that Murphy had a powerful defense armor. He hadn''t expected that.


    "No wonder you''re fearless. It turns out that you have a high-level defense divine weapon. But do you think you can survive for long with it?"


    Maxwell''s voice became even colder after he regained his composure. It seemed that he didn''t think highly of Murphy''s defense armor.

 Chapter 1300 Fighting Maxwell (Part Three)

    Maxwell didn''t actually pay much attention to the armor, but the two first-class killers of the Blood Abyss Sect were secretly taken aback, knowing where it came from.


    "Is that the Dark Dragon Armor?" the young killer asked.


    "Yes, definitely! I clearly remember what it looks like. I cannot be mistaken. It''s the Dark Dragon Armor!" the old killer replied.


    "So, does that mean the owner of the top killer token is him?"


    The two killers talked to each other through their spiritual sense.


    "It''s Akbar. I didn''t know that he was on their side. However, Akbar''s already in a dangerous situation, unable to fully protect himself. Why would he help someone whose cultivation level is only at the Domain God Realm?" The old killer had a hint of confusion in his eyes.


    "Well, he always does things for no particular reason. I guess we''ll just need to wait and see what will happen," the young killer replied. After that, they both fell silent and watched from a distance.


    At this moment, Murphy was shrouded by a cloud of thick black smoke. Moreover, the power of his sword intent had been greatly increased by the darkness that surrounded him.


    "Maxwell, you can still back away. You won''t be able to defeat us easily, so I''m giving you the chance to leave. I''ll forget what happened here, and let''s not meddle with each other''s affairs from now on," Murphy urged Maxwell.


    "Don''t make me laugh! Why should I turn back? I''ve already told you that no matter what it takes, I will kill you and that brat today!" Maxwell roared fiercely.


    "Fine. Since you''re not going to listen anyway, be prepared to taste defeat!" Murphy snapped back.


    Crash! Boom!


    As the void suddenly shook, powerful sword intent burst out from Murphy''s body.


    He was determined to finish this fight, thus he activated the strongest skill that he cultivated.


    The endless dark sword intent surged and spread out. It was as if millions of divine swords continuously emerged and enveloped the entire area.


    Swoosh!


    At the same time, Murphy''s figure suddenly disappeared. A gap surfaced in the space and spread towards Maxwell.


    "Eat this! Roar!"


    Maxwell began his counterattack as a shadow of a huge ape appeared behind him. The vicious ape was pounding on his chest mightily.


    "I know this skill!"


    There was a sudden frown on Darren''s face as he saw the huge ape that was unleashed by Maxwell. He recognized that this skill was very similar to Duke''s. Thus, he concluded that Maxwell also had the bloodline of the primeval beast.


    "So this is what he''s hiding. No wonder he is so confident.


    Everyone! He has the Primeval Bloodline. The strength of this ape can grow incredibly high. Be sure to watch out," Darren quickly warned his comp


    honey, don''t be afraid. You can run if you can''t beat him. Just do your best," Lindsay consoled him and patted his head.


    "All right, master. I''ll do my best!"


    Jeremy cheered up instantly and sprinted towards Maxwell.


    "Woof! Woof! Woof!"


    As he approached Maxwell, Jeremy began to bark like a dog.


    "I''ll bite you to death!" Jeremy shouted in a childish voice.


    Seeing the little ball of fur, Murphy was stunned and his face darkened. ''This guy is going to help me? Are they serious? How is this a Heaven Devouring Beast? It''s just some fuzzy ball, '' he thought in disappointment.


    Even the two killers from the Blood Abyss Sect were confused at what they were seeing. They had always been cold and serious, but they almost laughed at this scene.


    "All right, Jeremy. Kill him!" Lindsay shouted, wearing a serious face.


    "Woof! Woof! I''ll bite you to death." Suddenly, Jeremy disappeared. The next moment, he emerged behind Maxwell and began biting his leg.


    Startled and confused, Maxwell shook his leg and attempted to kick him.


    "Oh no, I''m so scared."


    Jeremy''s body flickered again and he instantly appeared, biting Maxwell''s other leg.


    "What? He''s incredibly fast! Unbelievable!"


    Everyone was astounded by Jeremy''s speed. They weren''t able to track his movements that were like flashes of lightning.


    "Wow, good job!" Murphy''s face suddenly brightened, realizing that there was more to Jeremy''s appearance.


    Swoosh!


    Murphy began to take action as he rushed towards Maxwell.


    "Argh! Get off of me!"


    Maxwell couldn''t shake Jeremy off from his body. Eventually, his legs were bleeding profusely and the flesh was being eaten little by little.


    "Yuck! It tastes so bad. I think I''m going to puke." Jeremy continued tearing Maxwell''s flesh, while he still couldn''t get him off his body.

 Chapter 1301 An Invitation For Tea

    Bang!


    Jeremy continued harassing Maxwell, allowing Murphy to find an opening to launch another of his own attacks.


    With the level-nine divine sword in his hand, he sliced at Maxwell''s back hundreds of times, almost cutting right down to his bones.


    "I see!" Murphy exclaimed as he witnessed the power of the divine sword.


    His success in using it against Maxwell made clear to him why Darren had given it to him. It seemed that he had added a large amount of itchy toxin to the sword.


    "Argh!"


    Maxwell raised his head and roared up at the sky for his wounds, his eyes glowing a terrible scarlet now.


    He was furious and wanted to rush over and tear Murphy to pieces.


    But his back began itching horribly, the itch stretching from his bones, and it stopped him from making any sort of move he would have hoped to make.


    He began his pursuit of Murphy nonetheless, but it didn''t last long. Soon the itching became unbearable and he had to stretch his arms over and around, reaching for his back before he clawed at it wildly. In an instant, his back had been shredded.


    "Has he lost his mind? Why would he do that to himself?" The two killers stood to the side watching the battle, confused by Maxwell''s behavior.


    "Go to hell!" Maxwell howled.


    The shadow of the giant ape then came from behind him and rushed at Murphy in attack.


    "Ouch, it hurts, ouch."


    The impact flung Jeremy away, putting a swift end to his harassment.


    ''Holy crap!'' Murphy thought to himself, totally shocked by the sheer force.


    The shadow of the giant ape appeared to have removed itself from Maxwell''s body and was much more violent than Maxwell himself.


    With nowhere to hide, all Murphy could do was hope that his armor was enough to save his life.


    "Humph, Maxwell has wrecked his bloodline. He''ll be pretty much useless," the young killer remarked.


    "It seems to me, I''m afraid, the man from the Starry Sword Sect will die. There''s no way he survives this," added the old man.


    "You know, Akbar did help us with those directions before, and it is one of the reasons for our successes so far. Do you think we should pay him back?"


    "Listen, boy, we can''t be helping our employer''s enemies. That''s a big no-no in our business."


    "What are you afraid of? Akbar and our sect leader share quite a close relationship. We would not be doing anything wrong if we help someone under his protection."


    "You''re right. Let''s do it; let''s save his life. We''ll help him, but we''ll do it secretly," the old man nodded.


    Two streaks of invisible god''s po


    ntly, believing that the owner of the Ninth Precipitous Mountain had recognized him as some sort of talent.


    "All right. You can come with Darren. What difference does one more cup of tea make?"


    It was only then that it became clear that he was inviting Darren for a cup of tea.


    Everyone''s eyes turned on Finley. He wanted desperately to hide himself under a rock or just vanish rather than suffer the embarrassment he felt from finding out he was not invited.


    "Finley, you''re so brazen! Shame on you!" scoffed Lindsay.


    "What... Didn''t you hear him invite me as well?" Finley''s whole face, right down to his neck, turned a bright glowing red as he spoke.


    "Bah! That gentleman only did that as a courtesy, out of fear you might commit suicide from shame if he didn''t," Lindsay said more disdainfully.


    "Thank you for your invitation, sir. I will surely visit you some day. May I know where I can find you?" asked Darren politely.


    "Between the ancient times and the present; between the clear and the chaotic."


    The words rang out from a voice off in the distance. When everyone looked to the sky for it, they found that the owner of the Ninth Precipitous Mountain had already disappeared with Maxwell.


    "What? Nonsense. Darren, I don''t think his invitation to us was sincere," Finley said angrily.


    "Shame on you!" Darren cast a glare at him before turning around and marching off.


    "You...how can you scold me?!" Finley erupted into a rage, wanting to yell and shout at Darren. His self-esteem had taken a great hit.


    "Wait and see! I will communicate with my real body and ask him to teach me supreme divine skills!" Finley continued, murmuring threateningly at Darren''s back.

 Chapter 1302 Ready To Leave The Region

    Now that the Gambling King had been taken away, Darren and his companions were truly relieved. There would be no one who would threaten and make trouble for them anymore.


    With this, he was able to indulge himself in cultivation.


    ''I should continue cultivating with my half a scroll of the supreme sword skill first. I haven''t mastered the third step yet, but my sword intent has already increased greatly. If I will be able to master until the sixth step, my strength should be unimaginable!'' Darren thought to himself.


    While he was pondering on these thoughts, his spiritual sense went into the Void Space.


    His soul had gradually flown to the third step. However, this time, he wasn''t attacked nor was he able to refine the sword intent of the third step. In short, nothing really happened, and this phenomenon bothered him.


    However, Darren was determined, so he still continued meditating.


    Time flew by quickly, and three months had already passed.


    During that period, Darren kept on comprehending the third step, but to no avail. Even with the amount of time that he spent, this step remained a mystery to him.


    "Well, forget it."


    Darren let out a deep sigh and stopped meditating when he still accomplished nothing.


    "What''s the matter? Are you encountering a problem?" Murphy was already beside him the moment that he opened his eyes.


    "Actually, yes. The sword skill is too abstruse that it''s frustrating," Darren replied with a slight frown.


    "Well, there will be times like that. In fact, sometimes you can only comprehend something by chance. For example, if I was not accidentally inflicted by the itchy poison, I would not have been able to make a breakthrough in my sword intent.


    When I made a breakthrough in the sword intent that time, the barrier of my realm also began to crack. Sometimes, luck should also be by your side. If everything goes well, I may be able to reach the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm in about ten years," Murphy recounted.


    "I see. Congratulations, Master Murphy! When you already reach the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm, your strength should be able to improve greatly." Darren felt genuinely happy for Murphy.


    "You''re right. I''m actually looking forward to it. When I reach that level, I plan to ask for a position in the headquarters of our sect in the Starry Sword Region. I believe that with my strength at that time, it will be a bit easy for me to be granted a position.


    Oh, by the way, I''m returning this black armor. Please extend my gratitude to Lord Akbar when you meet him."


    As Murphy took out the armor, his gaze was still fixed to it. He knew that it wasn''t his, but he really yearned for it dearly. The armor could rank in the top ten among the most powerful defense-type divine weapons of the human race in the Primitive Wilderness. Thus, he knew that he didn''t have the qualifications to own such a precious item.


    this way. If we go there from outside, we will just be stopped by the restriction, and we won''t be able to enter the city too," Murphy explained.


    "Excuse me, sir. Can you tell us what is happening? Why are you blocking this point?" Murphy asked the law enforcers straightforwardly.


    "We can''t tell you," their leader immediately replied in a cold tone.


    "Hey! Why are you guys being so difficult? Your master was the one who invited me and Darren for a cup of tea. So, why the hell are you telling us that we can''t proceed?" Finley asked in a boisterous manner.


    "Excuse me, you are Darren?" the leader asked as he glanced towards him. Darren was quite confused with the leader''s sudden change of tone, so he just nodded politely.


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to offend you just now." The tone of the leader''s voice instantly became more accommodating upon knowing that it was Darren.


    "Now, can you let us pass?" Finley asked impatiently.


    "I''m sorry but we still can''t let you proceed. We were advised that there seemed to be an Archean Beast ahead. In order to prevent it from fleeing, we have secured the area. We can''t lift the blockage until our general says so," the leader explained as calm as possible.


    "Wait. An Archean Beast?" Darren''s eyes instantly lit up. The Archean Age was an era after the Primeval Age. If what he was saying was true, the beast must have been living for more than a billion years.


    He was so thrilled and eager to encounter such a rare beast.


    "We''re still not sure of it. If you want, you can wait here. The general is coming soon. He will be the one to lead the inspection of the area."


    "Okay, we''ll just wait. By the way, when he arrives, can we go and accompany him?" Darren asked expectantly.


    "I can''t answer that. You must ask the general himself."


    With that, Darren and the others waited there in midair. About four hours after, a heroic figure suddenly descended in their midst.

 Chapter 1303 Search For The Archean Beast

    "What''s the matter with you? Why didn''t you send them away?"


    the general asked as soon as he arrived.


    ''Ha! He''s at the top level of the Celestial God Realm!'' Darren exclaimed in his head. He was surprised to discover that the general''s aura was stronger than that of the two killers from the Blood Abyss Sect.


    "Please let me explain first, general." The man glanced briefly at Darren before whispering something into the general''s ears.


    "I see. So that''s why they''re here." As comprehension dawned on the general, he said to Darren, "Listen, you can''t proceed. Even if you claim to know my master, it''s still too dangerous. You better go back and wait."


    "General, we came all the way here to see the Archean Beast. Please do us a favor and let us in," Darren asked politely.


    "Please don''t put me in the spot like this." The general shook his head and continued, "All of you would be crushed to pieces with just a single roar from the Archean Beast, apart from this cultivator at the Celestial God Realm. All you''re asking for is death!"


    "Please, general, we aren''t scared of what''s in store for us. As long as you''re around, we''ll be fine. Your cultivation can protect us. So, please let us have a look," Lindsay pleaded as she came over.


    The general seemed stunned. He hadn''t noticed Lindsay a while ago since she was standing behind Darren and the others. But now that he laid his eyes on her, he could feel immediate attraction towards her unparalleled beauty. He found himself unable to avert his gaze from her.


    "That... I''m sorry, but I can''t," he managed to say.


    "Please! Take us with you, general. We want to broaden our horizon." Lindsay''s voice was sweet as she said this.


    The general could feel his heart tremble at that. He didn''t even realize that he was already nodding his head.


    "Great! Thank you so much, general. You''re so nice!"


    Suddenly, Finley cleared his throat. He shot a glare at Lindsay.


    She, on other hand, just rolled her eyes at him.


    "Very well then. Just follow behind us, and retreat as soon as you hear any sound, understand?" With that, the general began leading the way.


    "Understood. Thank you." Darren nodded his head.


    The general then flew into the dense forest. The others followed closely behind him.


    Upon landing in a clearing, he released his god''s sense and began his search.


    "What? This is strange. I can''t sense anything," he mumbled.


    He tried again, but all he got was silence.


    "General, the creature has a special ability that we


    nish you severely. You ungrateful wretch!" the general roared. His killing intent flared around him.


    Darren and the others began moving west. Nobody bothered arguing against him, "If you can find the Archean Beast, then I will chop my own head, and you can kick it around like a ball. Stupid!" The general continued to curse. He was so livid that he couldn''t stop himself from spewing out more angry words.


    "They''re nothing but a bunch of idiots, general. So please don''t be mad anymore," one of his companions said.


    "We''ll go east. We need to find the beast in six hours. Now, full speed ahead!" the general ordered.


    "Yes, sir!"


    Meanwhile, Darren and his companions headed west.


    "Lindsay, did Jeremy say anything else?"


    "Well, he did say that the horrible aura has become stronger. We must be getting nearer."


    Deep down, however, Darren was becoming hesitant. He wondered if they would be able to deal with the Archean Beast in case they ran into it first.


    "Are you afraid?" Finley asked as if reading his thoughts. He smiled at Darren as he said this.


    "Why, yes! I''m afraid that it might devour the weakest cultivator like you in the group." Darren realized that he was sulking.


    Finley rolled his eyes. A surge of dislike rose inside him.


    "Fine. You forced me into this." Feeling a bit hurt, he was determined to communicate with his real body directly.


    As the soul message surged in his head, Finley saw a figure in the fog once more.


    "My real body, I''m already in the Primitive Wilderness. When can we meet? I need your help." He was so angry that he felt braver than usual. He didn''t have the usual awe and veneration towards his real body.

 Chapter 1304 The Strange Ball

    Finley projected his soul voice in the direction of the mist.


    He waited. There was no reply.


    Suddenly, there was an enormous boom.


    Instantly, the foggy space began collapsing rapidly, as though the world itself was being crushed and destroyed.


    Finley''s expression changed. He felt as though his own soul was also about to collapse.


    "What''s happening?"


    He gasped for breath. ''Wow, '' he thought to himself, as his soul quickly retreated from the space.


    He had not expected that.


    Darren noticed the panic on his face and asked, "What the hell are you doing?"


    "Nothing..." said Finley. His face was still pale.


    "Finley, stop playing tricks. Are you doing this because you want me to notice you? Don''t even think about it," said Lindsay with a short laugh. Lindsay seemed to be reading his mind.


    This time, Finley did not bother to explain. He smiled blandly and said nothing.


    Lindsay felt strange about being ignored by Finley, but she didn''t know why.


    Her brows drew together. ''So he''s not even refuting my words. Is he angry?'' She sighed and began moving forward. The others followed behind her. ''Forget it. Anyway, it doesn''t matter if he''s angry, because I don''t have any feelings for him at all.''


    They had been walking for a while when Lindsay finally halted. She lifted a hand, beckoning everyone to stop moving.


    Jeremy was feeling faint, frightened by the strong aura. This must mean they were close.


    Everyone began using their god''s sense to probe their surroundings.


    Murphy was the first to detect the aura of something alive. It came from about a hundred kilometers away.


    "Someone''s coming," he told the others.


    "Master Murphy, could you see it clearly?" asked Darren.


    Murphy shook his head. "I can''t see it clearly. It''s foggy."


    Darren looked thoughtful. "It''s likely to be the Archean Beast. Should we retreat now, or go and check it out?" Darren''s question was met with silence.


    No one wanted to answer him.


    They all knew that if it was truly the Archean Beast, it was extremely likely that they would get killed if they confronted it.


    Finally, Lindsay spoke. "In my opinion, we''d better retreat," she said.


    No one looked enthusiastic about Lindsay''s suggestion, either. Although they were afraid, they were also intensely curious about the power of the Archean Beast.


    Murphy suddenly spoke again, his voice harsh with urgency. "It''s too late! It''s moving more q


    , Jeremy. You better hide now, and hide well."


    He nodded.


    Lindsay was relieved. She withdrew her spiritual sense and went to the man in the cyan robe.


    "I found it. It''s three hundred kilometers away to our left," she said with excitement.


    The man sniffed.


    "Wait for me to check," he said.


    In the blink of an eye, the man had dashed away. As he had shown when he first approached them, he had incredible speed. Darren and the others had to go as fast as they could to keep up with him.


    They kept their eyes on the man in the cyan robe. They must be nearing the spot Lindsay had specified, but they couldn''t see anything yet.


    ''Oh, no! Did Jeremy make a mistake? If we gave the wrong location, this man might kill us all, '' Lindsay thought uneasily.


    Suddenly, the man stopped, and they all stopped behind him. They couldn''t see any beast. Lindsay stepped forward. "Sir," she began, wanting to explain. The man raised his hand, indicating that she should remain silent.


    Murphy went to stand beside the man in the cyan robe.


    He seemed to be looking at something. "What is this?" he whispered. Darren and the others moved closer to see.


    There was something in front of the man, after all. It was just so small that his body had blocked them from catching sight of it until now.


    A ball floated in midair. It was about the size of a child''s head. Darren stared at it. He thought it looked familiar, but he said nothing and kept his expression impassive.


    "Sir, is the Archean Beast inside that thing?" Lindsay asked in a low voice. Like the others, she was staring closely at the floating ball.

 Chapter 1305 Great Masters Gathering Together

    Darren stared at the ball in a daze. It was as big as a head, and it looked like a walnut.


    "What?! Isn''t this the external protective shell that safeguarded me when I was born on the Lothlann Continent? It looks so alike!"


    Darren finally recognized it.


    Back then, the sphere and its protective properties were responsible for Darren''s safe landing on the Lothlann Continent.


    However, the existence of the Time Law in the ball led to a distortion in space and time. As a result, Darren had been teleported to two spaces and times, hundreds of millions of years apart. In one space and time, he was Xavier, while in the other, he was Darren.


    Nevertheless, the color and texture on the sphere''s surface were different from what Darren remembered.


    The man in the cyan robe observed it for a while before saying, "It should be that thing."


    "Ha-ha. So, I''m right!" Lindsay was relieved. "Sir, but it doesn''t seem to be dangerous."


    The man in the cyan robe turned to glare at Lindsay. She was so intimidated that she pursed her lips and remained silent.


    "I didn''t expect you to find it before me, bandit chief! Unfortunately, you lack the strength to take it."


    A scornful voice broke the silence in the forest.


    Just then, the space beside Darren and his companions fluctuated, and a young man with golden patterns appeared in front of them.


    The eyelids of the cyan-robed man twitched involuntarily at the sight of the young man.


    "Ha-ha. It''s the chief commander of the Tussle Region! Or would you prefer that we call you the Tussle Fighting God? But you have followed me in such a stealthy way. Aren''t you more bandit-like than me?" the man in the cyan robe parried. Although he smiled at the newcomer, the cyan-robed man''s words carried hints of insult.


    "Cut the crap. You are bound to return empty-handed as I''m going to take it." The chief commander of the Tussle Region appeared calm and relaxed. It was evident that his strength was at least on par with the middle-aged man in the cyan robe.


    Boom!


    The void shook once again, and another great master descended.


    "Hey, you two. How can you dream of splitting the treasure and not considering me? Did you think you could cheat me?" remarked a handsome gentleman with a white paper fan in his hand.


    Hostility oozed from the three men as they faced one another. The auras they emitted were so overwhelming that Darren and his companions couldn''t breathe from the massive pressure. They hurriedly retreated.


    "Master Murphy, who are the two men that just arrived?" Darren asked in surprise.


    Murphy''s expression was grim as he whispered


    a fight with any of those great masters!" Akbar almost blew Darren away.


    "Ahem." At this moment, Murphy cleared his throat. "Lord Akbar, I don''t think you are inferior to any of them. After all, you were once a peerless warrior who was comparable to Lord Starry Sword many years ago."


    Astonishment reflected on Akbar''s face. He hadn''t expected anyone to praise him. Finally, joy surged in his heart.


    Lord Starry Sword had risen to fame much earlier than he had. It had been the ambition of many talented geniuses from several eras to surpass Lord Starry Sword. Akbar had been considered as a promising cultivator with the potential to eclipse Lord Starry Sword. So, he had a strong sense of superiority.


    "You are such a charmer. But, my strength hasn''t improved in many years, and I haven''t fought anyone. I''m doubtful of my abilities," Akbar confessed.


    "I am confident that you will succeed this time. By the way, this is the armor that you lent to me, Lord Akbar. With it, you will be invincible." Murphy released the armor excitedly.


    "You are right. I appreciate the thought." Akbar smiled as he took the armor. He was pleased that Murphy complimented him as it served to restore some of his self-confidence.


    "Look, someone else is coming!"


    A ray of purple light spread in the sky a split second before a man shrouded in purple mist appeared beside the other great masters. It was none other than the owner of the Ninth Precipitous Mountain!


    The appearance of so many great masters in one place overwhelmed all the nearby creatures. Not only was the desolate ancient forest shrouded in a divine radiance, but their cumulative powerful auras also terrified the beasts within a radius of hundreds of thousands of kilometers.

 Chapter 1306 The Archean Age

    After a few days, the round ball still showed no changes. With it, the crowd didn''t disperse either.


    During this period of time, there were also some top-level Celestial God Realm masters who heard the news and rushed over, but all of them were scared away by the strong auras in the area. Even two masters who had newly reached the Superior God Realm left after they took a look.


    No one in the Tussle Region dared to offend those great masters in the forest.


    Darren and his friends, on the other hand, made a cave at the top of the mountain, and patiently awaited the result.


    Once could tell Darren was waiting for the fun of it, but Akbar was definitely not. He was fretting from his nervousness and was unable to calm down.


    "Why hasn''t the beast come out yet?" Akbar sat aside and sighed, dejected.


    "Akbar, you''re a superior god. You''re supposed to be one of the strongest ones here. Why the hell are you sighing?" Darren couldn''t stand it anymore.


    "What the hell are you talking about? My life is on the line here. How could I possibly take it easy?"


    "Then tell me, who did you offend before?" asked Darren.


    "It''s no use telling you. Anyway, whether I can live depends on this moment. As long as I succeed in completing the task and obtain the Archean Beast, I can rest easy," explained Akbar.


    "Do you mean your mission was given by the person who wants to kill you?"


    "Of course." He then rolled his eyes at Darren and shook his head.


    "I thought the leader of the Blood Abyss Sect arranged this." Darren then understood, and said, "It feels that you have a pretty good relationship with the leader of the Blood Abyss Sect. Why don''t you just ask him to help you fight the enemy?"


    "Him? He is far from being able to defeat that person, unless Lord Starry Sword also helps out. Otherwise, there is no chance he''d win that fight. But do you really think Lord Starry Sword would help me just like that?"


    Akbar''s words surprised Darren.


    No wonder he was so afraid of that man. Even Lord Starry Sword alone couldn''t defeat him!


    "You''re saying this man is more powerful than Lord Starry Sword? Are you overselling him or what?" Darren still


    haos, effectively wiping out all of those powerful creatures.


    Hundreds of millions of years later was the Primeval Age. The newborn creatures born in this age also had endless power. But with the effect of the Balance Law, no one could be strong enough to destroy the world, so the age went on for a long time.


    After another billions of years, some gifted new creatures were born. They were born strong and could absorb the residual power from the initial chaos. After ten million years of evolution, they became stronger and stronger, and finally killed most of the creatures from the Primeval Age, starting an entirely new era.


    This age was called the Archean Age.


    Creatures of the Archean Age, in a strict sense, were generally stronger than those of the Primeval Age, and only second to those of the Chaotic Age. However, in the Archean Age, several living beings had been invincible and grew more and more powerful. Finally, because they were too powerful, they triggered the Balance Law, and were immediately killed. After that, there was unrest among the different races, and a war between all races broke out. As a result, the entire Archean Age was destroyed.


    In the following ages, there had been very few creatures of the Archean Age that had been discovered. Only a few of the creatures had been captured by powerful cultivators. The rest of the creatures had either disappeared or died. There was absolutely no trace of them.

 Chapter 1307 Ready To Fight

    Every time the news of Archean creatures broke out, crowds of people would scour the land to go and find them. All of them wanted to feel the power of the Archean creatures.


    They knew that capturing an Archean Beast would reap massive benefits for them.


    This time, there seemed to be an Archean creature in the Tussle Region. If the news spread to the outside regions, their strong warriors were sure to rush over. Even Lord Starry Sword himself would probably make an appearance.


    Naturally, the news had to be contained in order to prevent chaos. Only the most powerful people in the Tussle Region would know about it.


    "It''s about time."


    Akbar observed the top of the mountain for several hours and found that the cracks on the ball were increasing. He was ready for battle.


    "Why not wait?" Darren responded.


    "There''s no time to fret. If we get there too late, we won''t stand a chance." Akbar was visibly anxious.


    "Wait, didn''t you say that the strength of those people are pretty much the same? Just let them all scramble for it, then. It won''t take too much time for them to realize they can''t capture it. What if it''s stronger than a superior god? It would be too dangerous to act rashly.


    Let them try and kill each other off first. The chances of obtaining it will be higher after that," advised Darren.


    "Ha-ha." Akbar shook his head and with a soft chuckle, he said, "Darren, you are indeed a youngster. Don''t try to pull any tricks here. You''re going to make me look bad. All of those people in that crowd have lived for millions of years. Do you really think they''d just let you dupe them?


    If I don''t go over there and play fairly, even if they do injure each other, they''ll gang up on me the moment I get in. That would be the proper punishment for a nasty opportunist."


    Hearing this, Darren was stunned for a moment, and gave a bitter smile.


    "I guess I''m overthinking this. You''re right; it''s useless to play tricks on the really strong warriors. I must look really stupid right now," said Darren.


    "It''s good that you understand. I''ll be on my way now."


    Akbar then soared into the air.


    "Be careful! You''d better escape quickly if you don''t manage to get it!" Darren shouted f


    ly to blow up at any moment.


    The man, known as the Tussle Fighting God, announced indifferently, keeping his gaze straight ahead, "Akbar, you don''t seem to be at our level. It would be better that you not get involved in what''s going on here."


    "Are you asking out of concern? Or are you just looking down on me?" Akbar spat back, his voice was filled with the power of nature.


    "What do you think?" A trace of contempt flashed through the Tussle Fighting God''s eyes. Of course he meant the latter.


    The corners of Akbar''s mouth twitched in annoyance. He said nothing in reply and stood calmly with his eyes closed, as if he were merely resting.


    The man named Trevor Fang, looked at the Tussle Fighting God and said, "Little guy, you''re much too arrogant."


    "Oh, you''re right about that. I''ve been arrogant for a million years, and I''ve always been so. You seem to have me all figured out, bastard," the Tussle Fighting God spat back.


    "Don''t you know that arrogant people all die early? Pretty sure you''ll be dead soon," retorted Trevor Fang.


    "Let''s just wait and see." The Tussle Fighting God closed his eyes and stood there without another word.


    The rest of them remained motionless and didn''t make any noises, as if they were all corpses.


    Crack!


    Two hours later, an extremely subtle and light sound rang out, but to them, who''d been waiting for a long time in silence, it sounded like a raging thunder in their ears.


    The shell started to fall apart.

 Chapter 1308 The Archean Mountain

    Watching the surface of the ball exfoliate slowly before them, the superior gods felt uneasy.


    As it peeled away, the gap increased in size, releasing wisps of yellow gas. Soon, the yellow gas gathered to form thick clouds, dominating the sky.


    "This must be the aura of the Archean Age..."


    Awestruck by the spectacle, the superior gods remained focused on uncovering the mystery behind the yellow energy.


    Unbeknownst to them, the yellow gas gradually grew denser and enveloped them in its influence.


    Entranced by the mysterious energy, the superior gods grew oblivious to their surroundings, unable to register when they were absorbed by the yellow aura.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, under the thick yellow mist, a mountain appeared out of nowhere.


    The mountain rose up and soared into the sky, adding to its height. The sheer height of it could be testified by its peak, that lay veiled amidst the clouds, hidden from sight.


    "Holy crap! What just happened?"


    After witnessing such an event, the superior gods finally regained their lost senses.


    Instinctively, they ran their gazes in all directions to make sense of their surroundings. The place was desolate, with no signs of life. They seemed to be in a desert.


    "Let''s move!"


    Taking the initiative, the master of the Ninth Precipitous Mountain flew forward, paving the way for the others.


    But no matter how much distance they covered, they couldn''t reach the edge of the mountain. It seemed to go on forever.


    "We''re trapped; it''s a dead-end."


    The superior gods soon understood the situation they were in.


    Even though they were confronted with strife, the superior gods remained calm. In synchronization, each of them activated their god''s sense, trying to locate a way out.


    Boom!


    As if to interrupt their attempt at a countermeasure, a dark vortex opened up in the middle of the surface.


    The strong suction force released by the vortex began pulling at the superior gods, to absorb them inside.


    "Humph!"


    In a moment of desperation, the Tussle Fighting God swung his hammer with every ounce of might he could muster up. Lifting the hammer in his grip, he smashed it to the ground, to act as an anchor.


    Bang!


    To his surprise, the hammer ricocheted, deflected by the ground, and struck his chest instead.


    Struggling to maintain his footing, he retreated back to where he once stood. His chest caved in from the impact and bled profusely. The others felt horrified, witnessing his feeble condition.


    The yellow ground was actually sturdy enough to endure his hammer strike.


    Meanwhile, the vortex continued to drag the superior gods towards it.


    "We need to work together.


    "Howl!"


    "Howl!"


    Numerous fierce beasts, weak or strong, let out desperate cries, rushing out frantically.


    Some weak beasts were smashed dead, unable to resist the force. The fresh blood oozing out of their crushed bodies ran its course on the ground, forming a lake.


    "Assimilate! Evolve!"


    When Darren watched the scene unravel, he rushed down without hesitation. The air was choked with talent and Evolution Force.


    Clatter!


    A tremendous amount of talent and Evolution Force rushed into Darren''s meridians like a rapid flow.


    As a result, Darren felt his physical strength increase by leaps and bounds.


    The talent he assimilated collected itself into the mysterious space in his mind.


    "Wow..."


    At this moment, Darren noticed his bottleneck loosen, preparing to break. The feeling was indescribable; he actually surpassed the peak of the Domain God Realm and entered the Star God Realm.


    This was the result of the dramatic physical evolution he underwent.


    "Darren, watch out!"


    Not caring about running him over, the wild beasts rushed at him. Among them were some of the most ferocious creatures.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    But before they could reach him, Darren discarded them with two movements of the supreme sword skill, buying him enough time to make his escape.


    Despite achieving the Star God Realm, Darren didn''t dare stay any longer amidst the commotion and retreated.


    "Come on. Let''s get out of here!"


    Darren, along with Lindsay and Finley, ran towards the less crowded area to escape. Brandishing his sword, he kept clearing their path, killing countless beasts that crossed them.


    After several hours, Darren and the others landed safely on the ground, managing to escape from the region of the berserk beasts running amok.

 Chapter 1309 Talk With Finleys Real Body

    Due to extreme fatigue, all of them fell on the ground one by one. They were all covered in blood, and they almost fainted.


    After resting for a while and catching their breaths, Darren began to sit in meditation to recover his god''s power.


    Lindsay and Finley also followed suit.


    Finally, after several hours, they started to feel better.


    "What are we going to do now?" Lindsay asked. Darren let out a sigh and said, "I''m not sure. A mysterious Archean mountain just showed up out of nowhere. It did not only take Murphy but also several masters at the Superior God Realm. Moreover, it left countless powerful beasts in the area. The Tussle Region is facing such a catastrophe."


    "I think preventing a catastrophe is not really the most important thing right now. More than that, I''m more worried about the safety of Master Murphy and Lord Akbar. We don''t know what may happen to them. I just hope that they''re still safe," Lindsay said with a worried expression.


    The Tussle Region was indeed not that kind of a peaceful place. Several killings happened all the time, and people just depended their lives on fate. In Lindsay''s opinion, it wouldn''t really make much of a difference if these beasts started making trouble right now.


    "You''re right. We can just hope for now¡­" Obviously, Darren was also extremely worried about the safety of Akbar and Murphy.


    "Hey, Finley. Why are you being so quiet? Is there something wrong? What are you doing in that corner?" Lindsay nudged Finley as her gaze fell on him.


    "I''m cultivating." Finley''s voice sounded unusually calm. It was as if he hadn''t experienced a horrifying disaster just now.


    Even Darren felt that something was wrong upon seeing this.


    Thus, he walked over to Finley and patted him on the shoulder. "What''s the matter? Are you taking those stupid words that I told you seriously?" Darren asked.


    Finley just shook his head and let out a faint smile.


    "Hey. Are you sure that you''re not mad at me?" Darren began staring at him seriously.


    "We have been friends for so many years. Did you ever see me get angry with you even once?" Finley replied in a soft voice as if he was kind of embarrassed at what he just said.


    "I know. That''s why I need you to tell me what''s going on. You''re acting strange, man. Tell me or I''ll beat you up. I swear!" Darren started to get impatient. Finley was always rowdy and he was not used to seeing him like this.


    "It''s fine. Besides, it has nothing to do with you," Finley replied. He then eventually told Darren what had happened that day.


    Hearing all of it, Darren came to understand why he didn''t look like himself right now. Finley was actually upset at what happened to him.


    "Is that why you''re being like this? If the space that''s supposed to be your connection with your real body collapsed, it''s probably because he was keeping you from using his great power. That is just it. What are you so worried about?" Darren analyzed.


    "No. I don''t think that''s


    hy would you want me to let him go?" Finley''s real body asked.


    "Ha-ha! Really?" Darren let out a loud laugh and said, "It is said that you are on par with Lord Starry Sword, so you don''t have to play this game with me. I know you understand what I mean. Let your avatar free."


    "Exactly my point. He is my avatar. So why do you have the confidence to confront me? Don''t I have the right to control everything about him?" Finley''s real body retorted indifferently.


    Darren was kind of rendered speechless by his straightforwardness.


    "He is like a brother to me. We have gone through several hardships and even life-threatening ordeals. With that, I''m the most qualified to plead for him." Finley''s real body was shocked by Darren''s genuine thoughtfulness. However, it still wasn''t quite enough for him to care.


    Then, Darren continued, "Sir, like my Rule Soul Avatar, your avatar also has an independent body, thoughts, and emotions. Why do you have to make things difficult for him?"


    "So, what do you think I should do with my avatar then?" Finley''s real body answered Darren''s question with a question.


    "Treat him like yourself. Would that be too hard?" Darren asked with a faint smile.


    Finley''s real body became speechless again. He hadn''t seen anyone like Darren who treated an avatar in such a manner.


    Finley was a part of his soul, which he left behind when he was still young. He condensed his body in the mortal world and then came to the Primitive Wilderness. Essentially, Finley wasn''t just a mere avatar. He was more than just a part of his real body.


    "Apart from making him live on his own, what else do you expect me to do?"


    While talking with Finley''s real body, Darren wasn''t as calm as he looked. After all, he was in front of a powerful master. Just now, he was doing his best to control his trembling.


    However, when he heard those words from Finley''s real body, he felt a little relieved and thought that he was finally listening to him intently.

 Chapter 1310 Clearing Up The Confusion

    It was clear what Finley''s real body meant. He was asking Darren whether or not he should teach Finley some powerful cultivation methods to help him grow even further.


    "I think that it would be enough for you to allow him to grow on his own. I don''t expect you to help him, Mr. Feng."


    Darren knew Finley quite well. That was what Finley wanted. He only hoped that he would not be suppressed.


    "I agree," Finley''s real body said without hesitation.


    Darren was very surprised. He hadn''t expected that a man who was comparable to Lord Starry Sword in stature and power would be so easy-going.


    "I don''t want to disrupt you any longer. Please excuse me. I shall take my leave," Darren said, bidding him goodbye with cupped hands.


    "I don''t mind you staying," the real body of Finley said. "The avatar''s matter is not a big deal. However, I have some questions for you."


    "Please go ahead." Darren stopped.


    "You have met Starry Sword, right?"


    "Yes," Darren answered.


    "Why are you still alive?" the real body of Finley asked.


    Darren was dumbfounded when he heard this question.


    Finley''s real body was asking him why Lord Starry Sword hadn''t killed him. It was obvious that Finley''s real body thought Darren should already be dead.


    "Maybe it was because I wanted to become stronger," Darren answered after thinking for a while.


    A faint smile appeared on Finley''s real body''s face. Darren was confused by this.


    "Did he tell you that your Conflicting Cultivation would be more difficult in the Primitive Wilderness?" the real body of Finley asked.


    "Difficult?" Darren was surprised to hear that. When he was on the Lothlann Continent, raising his cultivation grade would cause the thunder punishment of Heavenly Repression to manifest. However, in the Primitive Wilderness, he hadn''t caused any tribulation thunder to appear even though he had broken through cultivation stages multiple times. How could his Conflicting Cultivation be more difficult? Darren was confused.


    "It seems that he didn''t tell you," Finley''s real body muttered.


    "Sir, please tell me what I should do," Darren said, bowing.


    "Nothing special. At present, you are still at a relatively low realm. Thanks to the unique laws in the Primitive Wilderness, you can shield yourself from getting sensed by the chief gods. However, once you step into the Superior God Realm, your Conflicting Cultivation will break such kind of shielding. By then, all the chief gods and powerful Defiant Masters will b


    r to kill him in the end.


    "Why didn''t those peerless masters kill me and grab my God Character?"


    It was not until then that Darren realized that the great masters of the human race must have all known that he possessed the God Character of that Defiant Master. He doubted that there had never been any one of them who wanted to grab it.


    "You are thinking too much. His God Character is not something that is so easy to get. Since you can inherit his God Character, you must have a close connection with him. If someone else takes the God Character away from you, it will be like a random stone for them. What''s the use of that?


    Don''t get too excited, though. You only have half of that person''s God Character, and you haven''t refined it to a deeper degree. Don''t depend on it too much. Creation is the most important aspect in the path of martial arts," Finley''s real body said.


    Darren nodded slowly.


    Although the God Character he had obtained was incredible, it was not his own. When he reached the extreme of martial arts, it might not turn out to be a good thing for him. That was why Finley''s real body said that creation was the most important thing.


    Darren had thought about it before, but he was still too weak to realize its ultimate disadvantage.


    "It''s good that you understand. You''d better retreat as soon as possible. Many powerful warriors are coming here. You will be in danger if one of them tries to kill you regardless of the Ancestral Land''s orders."


    "Are they coming for the Archean Peak?" Darren asked instead of retreating immediately.


    "Yes. I believe the ancestor himself will come here too," Finley''s real body replied.

 Chapter 1311 One Pair

    Darren''s heart skipped a beat. The effect of the Archean mountain was more than what he had imagined.


    "Okay, I''ll leave with my friends right away. Take care, sir."


    The real body of Finley had cleared away all of Darren''s doubts. He was grateful for that.


    "Bring this to my avatar and ask him to take it,"


    Finley''s real body said, handing Darren a black pill.


    "What?" Darren made no move to take it from him. "You don''t need to help him, sir. He wants to grow by himself."


    "This belongs to him. Take it." He tossed the pill over to Darren.


    "Okay." Darren took it, but he didn''t know what it was exactly.


    "See you," Darren said. He saluted and flew away.


    A moment after Darren left, many stars suddenly lit up the sky. Countless overwhelming auras enveloped the mountain in the distance.


    Darren returned to where Finley and Lindsay were.


    The two of them were sitting on the ground with their legs crossed, and both of them were in the process of cultivation. They woke up from their trance when they felt Darren return.


    "Darren, where have you been?" Lindsay asked angrily as she walked towards him.


    "I had some business to deal with. It is finished."


    "Well, if you sneak away again, I''ll beat you to death." She gave a snort.


    "Ha! You don''t have to do this. You''re acting as if you were my girlfriend!" Darren smiled.


    "Fuck off! I was afraid that you were dead." She gave Darren a sidelong glance and looked at him just like she used to look at Finley.


    "So, what do you want me to do for you? Just say it." Darren didn''t understand why she always followed him around.


    "I don''t want to tell you. You are still too weak now."


    "Alright, then. I guess I''ll be seeing you," Darren said, wrapping his arms around his chest.


    "You want to drive me away again?" Lindsay put her hands on her hips. "I consider you my friend, but you want me to stay away?"


    "Don''t say that. If you really are my friend, why don''t you tell me what you want me to do? I''ll tak


    palm.


    "Darren, I didn''t expect you to be so lewd. Who do you think I am? I''m a gentleman. How can I accept such a dirty thing?"


    As he spoke, Finley rushed to Lindsay and took the pill from her hand.


    "I''ll keep it and destroy it when the time comes.


    Humph! I never expected you to be so lewd, Darren. It''s as if your true colors are coming out now!"


    Rolling his eyes indignantly, Finley carefully placed the pill in his pocket.


    Lindsay turned to Finley with a scowl.


    "Well, that''s enough. Your real body asked me to give it to you," Darren said seriously.


    Hearing this, Finley became serious.


    "Have you met him?"


    "Yes. I was summoned by him that day." Darren told them both the truth.


    "What did he say?"


    "Don''t worry. We have made a deal. He won''t bother you anymore."


    "Really?"


    "Would I ever lie to you?" Darren rolled his eyes at him.


    "Ha! That''s great! No wonder I''ve been feeling so refreshed these past few days! Just wait and see. I will reach the Superior God Realm as soon as possible. After I do that, I''m going to marry Lindsay!" Finley yelled excitedly.


    Only when he reached the Superior God Realm could he marry Lindsay. This was her condition.


    "I don''t need this pill. I don''t need his help at all." He took out the pill and held it tightly in his hand, almost crushing it.

 Chapter 1312 Trading The Divine Patterns

    Before Finley could crush the pill, Darren stopped him at once.


    "I''ve talked to your real body about this. He told me that the pill belongs to you. It wasn''t meant to help you," Darren said.


    "Belongs to me?" Finley was confused.


    "Well, that probably means it''s safe to take it," Lindsay said.


    Upon hearing her suggestion, Finley accepted the pill without hesitation. He wondered what his real body meant when he said the pill belonged to him.


    He popped the pill into his mouth and let it melt on his tongue. It didn''t have any taste at all. Suddenly, something seemed to brew inside his body. It was as if some strong wind was filling him up and spreading throughout his meridians.


    "It''s talent!"


    This sensation ran through his meridians until it reached his mind.


    He suddenly felt refreshed. He could feel his talent growing quickly.


    At the same time, strange godly energy rushed into his body. It helped improve his physical strength and enhance his cultivation base.


    "This..." Despite all these, however, he didn''t feel happy at all. If this enhanced strength and talent wasn''t his real body''s idea of help, then what was it?


    "Stop worrying about it. I took all these things from you over the past years. All of these used to be yours."


    Just as his mood started plummeting, his real body''s cold voice echoed inside his mind.


    "This explains why my cultivation base takes so long to improve despite my hard work." He smiled wryly and continued, "You can extract my cultivation base, but you can never touch my talent. The pill you gave me had increased it. So technically, you''re helping me already, isn''t it?"


    "Idiot! We share the same soul, so that means we have the same level of talent. But since you''re only a piece of the soul, you only inherited a part of the talent. When you entered the Primitive Wilderness, your soul was slowly becoming whole again. Thus, your talent began improving as well. I took a part of that talent from you, but now I have returned it. From now on, I won''t interfere with your affairs anymore. So you better take care then."


    The cold voice filled Finley''s head. As soon as it finished talking, it began to fade away.


    He felt relieved upon hearing his real body''s explanation.


    "You''ve finally reached the top level of the Domain God Realm, Finley! This is amazing!" Darren exclaimed as soon as


    ow is keep a low profile and not cause any trouble." Deep down, Darren also felt helpless.


    The Purple Phoenix Sect was directly under the Tussle Holy House. Their overall strength was average, but they had several warriors at the Celestial God Realm. They even had a lot of warriors at the top level of the Star God Realm. It wouldn''t be wise to provoke them.


    Aside from the Purple Phoenix Sect, there were two other great clans in the Sky Void City. Those clans had their own privileges. One was the Zhou Clan who ran the Zhou''s Divine Pattern Firm.


    "Let''s go. We need to trade the divine patterns as soon as possible, and then leave this place."


    As they were walking down the street, they noticed how people seemed to be in a hurry. It seemed like most of them were also travelers who came here to trade.


    They remained quiet the whole time when they walked in the city. They didn''t even bother looking around.


    Finally, they stopped in front of a building.


    "Welcome to the Zhou''s Divine Pattern Firm. This way, please,"


    a cultivator from the top level of the Star God Realm greeted them politely.


    Darren and his companions nodded in acknowledgement before entering the building.


    "Where do we proceed if we''re planning to sell some divine patterns?" Lindsay asked as soon as they walked in.


    The entire room was quiet. Those who were inside turned their heads to look at them as soon as they heard her.


    "Alas." The clerk who had led them in sighed. "It seems like some people are going to die again."


    Shaking his head, he walked into a chamber.

 Chapter 1313 One Billion Killing Points

    Only then did Lindsay realize that she had exposed the three of them to be carrying divine patterns.


    The act of killing was not prohibited in the city, but people still had to follow the basic rule of the Tussle Region, which stated that no one was allowed to kill anyone who was two levels below him.


    Everyone in the hall quickly shifted their attention.


    These people were actually not here to trade for the divine patterns. They were killers who were waiting for someone to come here and trade his divine patterns. Then, they were going to take that opportunity to obtain them.


    "Hey, you. If you want to live, hand over your divine patterns and be quick about it."


    A man with disheveled hair suddenly walked towards Darren, carrying a saber in his hand.


    "Oh, you''re threatening me?" Darren faced the man and said with a smirk on his face, "Just walk away, man. I''m afraid you can''t handle me."


    Just by looking at the man, Darren speculated that he must be at the upper-level of the Star God Realm.


    The man raised his brows after hearing what Darren said. He was instantly irritated and a strong killing intent oozed from his eyes.


    "What did you just say? You arrogant idiot are just at the low-level of the Star God Realm. How dare you belittle me? Look at the blood marks on my saber. Each mark represents the life of the warrior at the top level of the Star God Realm that I claimed. Help yourself and count it," the man said in a proud and mocking tone.


    Darren looked at the saber and found eight blood marks on it, but it didn''t really concern him.


    "So what? Am I supposed to get scared? I told you, you''re not a match for me," Darren said calmly as he looked straight into the killer''s eyes.


    "Don''t mess with me! I''ll send you to hell!" The man was infuriated and instantly raised his saber in an attempt to cut Darren down.


    However, Darren did not even dodge. He only bent his finger and flicked it towards the killer.


    The next moment, the man stopped in front of Darren as if he was paralyzed. He was still holding his saber above his head.


    Boom!


    Shortly after, he lost his balance and fell backward. As he lay on the ground, everyone saw that there was a little scar on his chest. If one would examine his body using the god''s sense, he would find out that the killer''s heart was already smashed to pieces.


    As the people inside the hall saw this scene, they quickly possessed a horrified expression on their faces.


    With just a flick of his finger, this young man effortlessly killed someone who was at the upper-level of the Star God Realm. Moreover, he was just at the low-level of the same realm. This was something inconceivable.


    "Good job!"


    Suddenly, a young woman came out of the inner hall.


    "Well done, sir!" The woman wore a bright smile as she continued to approach Darren. She was actually pretty and had a delicate figure.


    However, her beauty was nowhere near compared to Lindsay''s.


    "What is it? You want to fight me too?" Darren asked in a cold voice.


    "Oh, no sir. Please don''t misunderstand


    uire the points that he was lacking?


    Judging from the old man''s demeanor, he didn''t seem to be someone that would deceive his customers, so Darren couldn''t really accuse him of anything.


    "Sir, what do you want to do?" the old man asked Darren again.


    "I want you to give me one billion points," Darren said seriously, even though he knew that he was being unreasonable.


    "Ha-ha. Sir, Even if I want to do it, I''m afraid I still can''t." The old man laughed a little as he shook his head. "If you want to take a rest, you may come to the tea room. If you have no other business, you may go."


    Then, the old man resumed his work and ignored Darren.


    "Mr. Yang, Give him the points that he wants!"


    At this time, a young man suddenly entered the room.


    "Master Field." The old man bowed to the young man and said, "I''m afraid I can''t do that. If he doesn''t have enough divine patterns, I won''t be able to give him the killing points he wanted."


    "You!" The young man exclaimed as if he had lost his temper. But then he suddenly shook his head and burst out laughing. "No wonder you were able to work for my family after all those countless years. No one can make you change the price except my father. How about this? You give him the nine hundred and thirty million points, and then get the remaining seventy million from my own stock," the young man proposed.


    "What? Are you sure?" Mr. Yang asked reluctantly.


    "Did I not make myself clear? Am I unable to use my own points however I want? Hurry up and go get those points!" the young man ordered sternly.


    "Right away, Master Field." Mr. Yang hurriedly left his post and went to get the points that were demanded from him.


    Witnessing this, Darren breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly bowed to Field Zhou and said, "Thank you very much, sir."


    "Well, don''t thank me yet. Of course, I won''t be giving it to you for free. I need you to help me with something. That will be your payment for the seventy million points you owe me," the young man replied with a faint smile.

 Chapter 1314 Be Forbearing (Part One)

    It turned out that Field Zhou didn''t offer his own seventy million points without wanting something in return.


    However, Darren was already expecting that. He knew that in the Tussle Region, no one would be so kind as to give such a huge amount for free.


    "Let''s hear it then," Darren said.


    He didn''t know how many years it would take him to collect those killing points by himself. It was just that he was in a tight spot, so he would do whatever it took to acquire those points.


    "I like your decisiveness. All right, I''ll cut to the chase. In the coming days, there will be a hunting game to be organized by the Tussle Holy House. I want you to participate in it for me," Field said straightforwardly.


    "A hunting game? Why can''t you go there by yourself? You don''t look weak to me," Darren answered frankly.


    "Well, I just don''t want to do anything that will put my life in danger. Plus, if it can be solved by using my points, why would I need to take the risk?


    So, are you in?" Field asked for his answer.


    Darren thought for a while and then said, "Tell me what exactly you need to achieve in this hunting game and how hard would it be. I need to gauge it before I make any decision."


    "All right. Fine by me." Then, Field started explaining. "This hunting game is quite unusual than the ordinary ones. However, the perk is that those who will get the top three positions will be directly qualified to enter the finals of the next Tussle Contest. Thus, I want you to at least get the third place. I just observed your strength earlier. I think you have at least a thirty percent chance of succeeding. So, did you get everything I said?" Field asked.


    "Did you just say thirty percent?" Darren answered b


    ing game and the Tussle Contest seriously, it would cost him a lot of time and effort. It was actually more convenient for him if he was just able to leave the region by using the killing points. Since they had three people, Darren actually needed three billion points for the three of them to leave together. Thus, if he would agree with Field''s demand, he would require the appropriate amount of points.


    "Do you take me for an idiot?! Two billion points? You''ll get me the first place? You''re out of your damn mind!"


    Field was infuriated and felt like Darren was just ridiculing him.


    Although the competition only allowed cultivators at the low and middle level of the Star God Realm, there were still countless geniuses among them. He thought that it was preposterous of Darren to promise him the first place just like that. This time, the deal was worse for Field because there was no guarantee that Darren could uphold his promise.


    "If you don''t want to believe me and you don''t want to do it, fine. I''m not forcing you to make the deal. Find someone who''s more capable."


    Darren wasted no time and asked for his divine patterns back.

 Chapter 1315 Be Forbearing (Part Two)

    "You stupid idiot!" Looking at Darren''s back, Field was so pissed that he had the impulse to kill him. However, according to the rule of Zhou Clan, no one was allowed to hurt the clients that entered their stores as long as they did nothing to offend their clan. They owned a huge firm, thus it was crucial to keep a respectable profile in order to attract more clients and expand their business even further.


    "Young master, what about the earlier deal?" Mr. Yang asked as he approached Field with a crystal card in his hand.


    "Cancel that! Give him back all his divine patterns. Let''s see if this arrogant idiot really has the guts to participate in the hunting game," Field said threateningly as his face grew sour.


    "Young master, are you planning to take part in the hunting game yourself?" Mr. Yang asked.


    "Originally, I''m not. But now, I''ve changed my mind. Why? Do you think I''m not strong enough to participate and gain the top spots? Besides, it''s nobody''s business if I suddenly take part in it," Field replied. It was actually because he was annoyed with Darren that he suddenly decided to participate. He wanted to teach him a lesson and show him that he made such a stupid decision to turn the offer down.


    "I would never dare to doubt your strength, young master. After all, you have twelve pieces of level-nine attacking divine patterns and twelve pieces of level-nine defensive divine patterns. No one could possibly hurt you aside from the cultivators at the Celestial God Realm. But, what I''m more worried about is that powerful beasts are also present in the hunting ground. It is said that several beasts that can be compared to low-level Celestial God Realm cultivators were roaming in that hunting ground," Mr. Yang warned him.


    "You''r


    evel of the Star God Realm, rushed towards Darren and unleashed a terrifying aura.


    "Darren, we don''t have to engage them. Let''s escape before this becomes bigger," Lindsay told him through her spiritual sense.


    "Fine. Let''s get out of here," Darren said to the other two. They didn''t have any business with that place anymore, so they decided to just leave.


    However, it seemed that they wouldn''t let them off the hook that easily.


    "Where do you think you''re going? You dared offend our young master, and now you plan on leaving just like that?" A man with a spear suddenly appeared and blocked them in midair.


    "Ha! I knew you cowards are going to escape. So, guess what? I called for backup. You''re not going anywhere! Captain, they''re all yours!" the one in the black clothes sneered from the ground.


    "Young master, what should we do with these three? Should we kill them already?" the captain asked in a loud voice.


    "Just take the woman. I don''t care about the two men. Kill them if you want¡­" the young master said with a smirk while wobbling because of drunkenness.


    "Yes, sir!" The captain cast a mischievous glance at Lindsay while licking his lips.

 Chapter 1316 Peerless Genius

    A subordinate of the Zhou''s Divine Pattern Firm rushed inside the hall to report to Field what was going on outside. He barged in, short of breath and an urgency present on his face.


    "Young master, the one who just left was stopped outside by a captain of the Lu Clan. It looks as though they may kill him."


    "Is that so?" Field asked in a playful tone.


    "Young master, shall we do something? He has only just left our store after all," asked the subordinate, seemingly ready to make any move necessary. That was how the Zhou Clan did things; they lived with honor.


    "It''s none of your business. You will do nothing about it. Just leave me alone." Field waved his hand dismissively, noticeably displeased.


    "Yes, young master, as you wish."


    Once his subordinate had left, Field flew out to see what was happening. He would not miss the chance to witness such an interesting scene of events play out.


    Immediately, he saw that Darren and his two companions had been stopped in midair. He recognized the man standing in front of them; he was indeed a captain from the Lu Clan.


    "I had planned to teach him a lesson in the hunting game. I didn''t think he''d get into trouble and die so soon. That''s no fun at all."


    Field murmured his musings to himself. He cast a glance at the young master of the Lu Clan and made a guess as to what would probably happen next; that one was good for nothing but causing trouble anywhere that was unfortunate enough to have his presence. Field shook his head in disappointment at Darren''s poor luck.


    "Brat, brace yourself for death," announced the captain of the Lu Clan, pointing his spear in threat at Darren who stood in front of him.


    Darren stared back at him calmly, neither panicked nor frightened in the slightest.


    He straightened his clothes and replied slowly, "Before we begin, I''d like to make something clear to you. It was your young master who hit my friend first. We did not plan or even want to make a fuss about it, and we even tried to leave. But you''re not letting that happen. You''re starting this. Are you sure you want to fight us?"


    "Ha-ha-ha!"


    The captain burst into laughter that shook his entire body, and he continued laughing till tears rolled from his eyes.


    "Are you trying to reason with me? Oh, you are such an innocent and ignorant little thing. Well, let me make something clear for you; in this town, my young master is the law. If he wants you to die, you will die. Do you understand?" said the captain ruthlessly.


    "Fine. I have nothing more to say, except a friendly reminder. The Lu Clan may be the law here, but I am the law everywhere!" The calm flushed from Darren''s face as he turned cold and vicious.


    He had done his best to appease the situation and they did not appreciate his kindness. He was left with no choice but to fight back.


    Blade and sword intents swirled around Darren''s body in the blink of an eye, followed by coun


    ad poisoned him and the itch was so unbearable that he wanted nothing more than for his life to come to an end.


    Darren, on the other hand, paid the captain no mind and strode towards the young master.


    "You... You... What do you think you''re doing? My grandfather is a cultivator of the Celestial God Realm. If you dare to touch me, you will be obliterated!" Fear finally reared itself in the young master''s eyes.


    "Don''t, don''t kill me! Don''t kill me..." he begged sobbingly now that Darren continued his approach. All his confidence and bravado had left him in the face of having to take Darren on by himself.


    "Kill you? That would be too easy a punishment for you. You deserve much more," Darren sneered.


    He then swung his sword and the sword intent sliced deep into the young master''s skin, right down to his meridians.


    "Let''s go," Darren said, nodding to Finley and Lindsay.


    They left him there, alone, and flew out of the town.


    A moment after they had gone, dozens of masters from the Lu Clan, at the top level of the Star God Realm, arrived. Among them was a gray-haired old man, who was at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm.


    "Who dared do this to my grandson?" roared the old man so ferociously that it shook the earth beneath him.


    The young master was curled up on the ground, his hands clawing at his body and pulling his entrails from inside of him. It was a horrific sight to behold and even left some of the masters feeling uneasy.


    "Grandpa, I feel itchy. I want to die. Please kill me... I can''t take it anymore..." the young master cried out desperately.


    The old man''s heart ached as he watched the pain and struggle in front of him. His heart began boiling with anger. He swore to himself that he would kill the murderer, no matter what it cost, no matter how far he had to go. He would bring him to justice.


    "Sir, I saw the murderer clearly." It was then that Field flew over to the old man''s side.

 Chapter 1317 Sign Up For The Hunting Game

    After they left, Darren and the others headed westward.


    "No deal?"


    "No, they are not willing to pay enough for it." Darren shook his head.


    "Then what should we do? You can''t leave the region." Lindsay appeared anxious when she heard the news.


    "I have found a way to participate in the Tussle Contest."


    "But how? You need to be at the peak of the Star God Realm to be eligible for the Tussle Contest. You can''t even sign up given your current realm," she objected. The requirements of the Tussle Contest were clear, and Lindsay couldn''t understand how Darren would get around them.


    "There is another way. The Tussle Region is holding a hunting game. The top three winners can join the Tussle Contest''s final competition directly," Darren explained.


    "Really? Are you considering participating in the hunting game? There is one issue, though. Whatever you decide, you''re the only one to have a chance to leave. Lindsay and I may have to stay here," Finley pointed out.


    "Right." When she heard this, Lindsay realized that she couldn''t let Darren leave the Tussle Region alone. She needed to follow him. "I''m going to enlist as well," she said with a snort.


    "That''s absurd." Darren shook his head. He glanced at Lindsay before continuing, "If we both take part in the hunting game, of course I can help you secure a place in the top three positions. But what about the Tussle Contest? Only the super-geniuses will partake in that competition. If I don''t have the confidence to be in the top three, how can you have any hope?"


    "Well, Darren, don''t forget that I have a powerful helper." She smiled.


    "What? Who?"


    "Jeremy! If I qualify for the Tussle Contest, I might have a greater chance of being in the top three than you as I have Jeremy''s help."


    After careful consideration, Darren nodded. Jeremy was able to distract Maxwell, who was at the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm. Why wouldn''t he defeat a warrior at the Star God Realm?


    "That''s a good idea, but I''m afraid that it''s against the rules."


    "It shouldn''t be a problem. Jeremy listens to me. He is my weapon. We can use weapons of our choice in the contest, can''t we?"


    "Perhaps. We should talk about this later," Darren suggested.


    "Wait!" Finley interjected. Their plans left him anxious, and


    oesn''t matter whether I can sell the rank or not. Nothing terrible will happen if I win the third place. At worst, if I can''t sell it, I will just choose not to join the Tussle Contest."


    Darren contemplated the reasons Finley put forward and soon felt that his arguments were reasonable.


    "Why are you still standing here? Get out of the way!" the disciple stated impatiently.


    "Bro, help me, please. I want my brother to experience the contest."


    Darren stepped up and put in a good word for Finley. As soon as he heard Darren''s request, the disciple''s face darkened. He was about to drive Darren away, but a crystal flew into his hand.


    "Level-five..."


    The disciple was surprised to see a level-five divine pattern in his hand. He was so excited that he almost cried out.


    "Well, don''t blame me for objecting. After all, I was only concerned about his safety since he is weak. Now that you insist, it would seem inappropriate if I continue to refuse. Okay, then." The disciple became friendlier at once.


    "Thank you." Darren saluted as the disciple handed them three entry tokens and an instruction manual.


    "Ha! Money makes the world go round. Did you see it? The guy''s eyes popped out of their sockets when he saw the level-five divine pattern." Finley grinned.


    "Of course. Someone like him will never have the chance to earn a level-five divine pattern in his entire life. How can he not be happy?"


    "Hey, Darren, look over there." Lindsay''s face darkened, and she interrupted Darren and Finley''s banter.

 Chapter 1318 He Is From The Chu Clan

    Darren looked toward the direction Lindsay was pointing at.


    He saw Field and many other warriors lingering about, their faces serious.


    "It''s lucky that they are not from the Lu Clan. Otherwise, we might find ourselves in trouble again," Lindsay said, her voice low.


    "It''s not really like that," Darren said. He used his god''s sense to study the people who were around Field. He found that they possessed god''s power. Theirs were very different from Field''s, but similar to that of the captain of the Lu Clan.


    "Let''s turn back. We don''t need to get into a fight with them." Darren chose to retreat.


    Just as Darren and the others were about to go into hiding, Field suddenly turned toward their direction and looked at them.


    Even from a distance, Darren could see him smirking.


    Whoosh!


    A gust of wind flew past the group. Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of them.


    "I get to know your name. Your name is Darren Chu." It was Field who spoke.


    "Why are you here?" Darren asked coldly.


    "Oh, come on. Don''t worry, I am not running after you. You are not a beautiful girl. I just came here to sign up for the hunting game. Enjoy yourself! I hope to see you at the hunting game if luck allows it." With an evil smile, Field turned around and headed straight toward the registration office.


    A group of people suddenly flew over and surrounded Darren and his companions.


    "Hey, are you the one who injured our young master?"


    "Son, you must have a death wish. You have just made our seventh young master so miserable. Maybe it''s time somebody taught you a lesson."


    Darren rolled his eyes, visibly annoyed.


    "Come on!" Darren gave a snort of contempt. Then, he activated his sword intent.


    "I would like to see who dared to hurt my grandson."


    An old man suddenly appeared in the middle of the road, his voice rising above the din.


    "Darren, this old man is at the Celestial God Realm." Lindsay and Finley looked at him worriedly.


    "Don''t panic!" Darren said calmly.


    "How do you want to die?" The old man stared at Darren. His eyes looked like poisonous twin snakes creeping up on their prey.


    "You have to be capable of killing me first," Darren said coldly. He used his spiritual sense to talk to Lindsay. "Lindsay, I need a diversion. Jeremy will need to distract t


    House.


    People were not aware that Darren was a Defiant Master.


    "Get out of here!" The young man kicked the old man.


    The old man''s eyelids twitched in fury, but he dared not resist.


    "Yes, sir. Please send my regards to your father."


    "Fuck off," the young man retorted.


    The elder of the Lu Clan left the square, his people trailing behind him dejectedly.


    Lindsay and Finley ran towards Darren and helped him to his feet.


    "Are you okay?"


    "I won''t die," Darren said, forcing a smile.


    "Thank you for your help, Mr. Qin." Darren bowed to the young man.


    "Don''t mention it! I didn''t save you on purpose. I just don''t like him. Besides, he violated the rules," the young man said coldly.


    "If you say so," Darren said, grinning.


    After the young man left, Darren sat cross-legged on the ground to heal his wounds.


    "Father, it is done,"


    the young man said respectfully to a middle-aged man who was imposing.


    "Very well. You can leave now, Harold." The middle-aged man waved his hand.


    "Father, I don''t understand. Why did you order me to save him?" Harold Qin asked.


    "Why?" The middle-aged man clasped his hands behind his back, turned around, and looked out the window. "Because he is probably our master... Our real master."


    "What?" Harold Qin was stunned.


    ''He is just nobody... but my father called him master.'' A few moments of silence passed. Harold Qin suddenly spoke.


    "Father, is he from the Chu Clan?"


    "I think so." There was a trace of sadness in the middle-aged man''s voice.

 Chapter 1319 The Game Had Started

    There were still five days left before the hunting game started.


    Darren had no intention of going out before the game began. He decided to continue his cultivation on the square.


    On the other side, Finley was so bored out of his skull that he started browsing through the rules of the hunting game.


    "The rules are surprisingly simple. You can get the corresponding points when you kill a beast, and the one who gets the most points wins," explained Finley.


    "That''s it?" asked Lindsay. It was much easier than she''d imagined.


    "That''s really all there is. The rest just follows the usual rules. In the hunting game, any participant can kill one another to take their points," added Finley.


    "I knew that. But don''t worry, we''ll rack up enough points for the top three." Lindsay was quite confident in Darren''s current strength.


    "Don''t get too comfortable. We have to stay cautious. We can''t afford to take any risks with this," cautioned Darren calmly.


    "Don''t worry. It''s absolutely no problem," replied Lindsay with a spirited giggle.


    Five days seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. It was about time for Darren and the other participants to enter the hunting ground.


    "Attention! All the participants, gather around!"


    An elder was sent out by the branch of the Tussle Holy House.


    More than ten thousand young cultivators made their way to the square and instantly lined up.


    These were only the participants from this area, and there were more than forty areas covered. That was to say, the total number of the participants should be no less than five hundred thousand people.


    Half a million young cultivators all fought for the quota of the Tussle Contest. It was set to be a bloodthirsty game.


    "Everyone, get ready!"


    the elder roared, as a space door appeared in front of him and opened.


    "Enter the hunting ground in an orderly fashion. Remember, you only have one day to know your way around there. During the first day, no cultivator will be able to attack you. After the first day, however, this protection will expire," the elder instructed.


    All the participants followed the order of the queue and entered the space one at a time.


    Darren, Finley and Lindsay followed the other participants into the space, and a lush, untouched forest unfolded before them.


    "I can''t even sense where this forest ends."


    "Wow, there are so many powerful beasts!"


    Within a radius of several hundred kilometers, there were hundreds of beasts whose power could compare with the cultivators at the top level of the Star God Realm. A handful of them had power that was not much less than that of the cultivators at the Celestial God Realm.


    "Where are the others?"


    asked Lindsay. She tried


    has passed, and that means we may be attacked at any given moment," reminded Darren, with his eyes still closed.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    He had hardly finished his sentence when several black shadows swooped through the tall trees and dashed straight for Darren and his two companions.


    Darren quickly unsheathed his sword and swung it forward.


    In the blink of an eye, dozens of corpses thumped to the ground.


    "Monkeys," said Darren.


    "Yes, they were at the low-level of the Star God Realm. No threats to us," scoffed Lindsay, after casting a glance at the dead monkeys on the ground.


    Finley felt a little embarrassed by these comments. Given his current strength, he could only deal with one monkey at most.


    "Hey, our killing token is on. That''s already forty-three points in total."


    This token was given to the participants before entering the forest. It was used to record the killing points they obtained in the hunting game.


    Of course, it was different from a killing stone. At least this way, it could prevent participants from lying about their points.


    "Look! Why are there so many words here?"


    Lindsay noticed a line of words snaking around the left side of the token.


    Darren immediately unleashed his god''s sense to analyze it, and instantly the numbers were tens of thousands of times larger in his eyes.


    "The first place, three thousand and five hundred points. The second place, three thousand and three hundred points. The third place, three thousand two hundred and ninety-five points..."


    It seemed the numbers were placed in order. It showed the points the participants received in real time.


    "This should be the ranking list. I didn''t expect that someone would''ve racked up three thousand and five hundred points by now. We need to work harder," murmured Darren.

 Chapter 1320 Weber, The Fat Guy

    Before coming here, Darren didn''t expect the participants to be so evenly spread.


    This arrangement was perfect for minimizing any chances of interference between the participants.


    That way, they could avoid getting distracted and focus entirely on exterminating the beasts to gain points.


    The duration of the hunting game was stated in the manual; it would last for about three months. Once this interval was concluded, they would all be teleported out altogether.


    "Stay quick on your toes. Don''t fall behind!"


    In unison, Darren, Lindsay, and Finley dropped from the tree, searching for potential prey.


    Fortunately, they had already scoped out the area under the light of day and knew all the populated spots where the beasts gathered.


    Soon, they arrived at the place they marked.


    Just as they had observed, hundreds of fierce wolves were found to be living there. Brandishing their swords, Darren and Lindsay charged towards them with the intent to kill.


    In just a few moments, the once-bustling spot filled with wolves was now besmirched in blood, corpses everywhere.


    The points on their killing tokens bumped to 636 in one fell swoop.


    However, when Darren checked the rankings, he was left stunned.


    "The first place is at 79, 600 points already?"


    What was more surprising was that the tenth place was sitting comfortably in its spot, having secured 60, 000 points. This competition was speeding along at a frightening pace!


    With Darren''s current speed, even if he chopped down beasts without a moment''s rest, he still couldn''t come close to achieving a rank worth bragging over.


    "What should we do? We can''t compete with that..." Lindsay expressed her concerns.


    "Our hunting targets are all low-level beasts. At best, they can only earn us one point. In that case, the ones currently sitting at the top have probably killed the higher level beasts. Those must be worth thousands of points because of their difficulty level," Darren surmised.


    "Yeah, that makes sense. Otherwise, it''s not possible to kill that many beasts in such a short time." Lindsay''s face lightened up again, feeling relieved.


    "We should go for a bigger target this time. Let''s go kill that Dragon Blaze Bear!"


    Earlier in the daytime, they had observed one of the beasts whose skin lay ablaze. It was a hybrid, with a bear head and the body of a dragon. Clueless of its origins, they named it Dragon Blaze Bear, judging by its appearance.


    In terms of strength, it boasted ranks close to the Celestial God Realm. It was not to be underestimated.


    Feeling pressured by the competition, they rushed in the direction they last saw it without thinking twice.


    However, when they got there, they were greeted by a mess. The damaged state of land vouched for the occurrence of a battle, and the aura of the Dragon Blaze Bear was no longer felt.


    As they scanned the area for answers, they witnessed a


    er of life and death, after all." Remembering something, Weber shook his head and heaved an exasperated sigh.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "It''s all because of that old dog. He assigned me a task to obtain three beast cardiac cores and that too of the Celestial God Realm. How can I not be scared?" replied Weber, gritting on his teeth between his words, eyes lowered to avoid their gazes.


    "You don''t have to complete the task, you know? Just escape," Lindsay suggested, attempting to raise his spirits.


    "You think it''s that easy, huh gorgeous? Don''t underestimate that crafty old bastard. He imprinted a mark on my body. As long as there''s a beast at the Celestial God Realm within a thousand kilometers radius of my location, it will come attacking me. And it won''t stop till either one of us is dead.


    That''s not all. Even if I avoid these beasts, the mark on my body will spread its aura to cover the whole area by the last day. With that, every ferocious beast in this hunting ground will attack me, thirsty for my blood. I''ll be torn to shreds!" Weber said, agitated at the thought of spilling blood.


    "Then you probably deserve it. No wonder you refer to your master as the old dog. This all sounds a little too extreme for my taste." Finley smiled, looking up at the sky, hands behind his back, supporting his body as he leaned back.


    "There''s nothing I can do about it, he raised me. I''m bound to him, whether I like it or not," Weber replied, shrugging helplessly.


    "Your master must be someone of high rank, right? If I were to guess, then he must be a master of the Superior God Realm," Darren said, lost in thought.


    "It''s useless to be powerful. He doesn''t use it to protect me. Instead, he''s always thinking of ways to be rid of me. He''s nothing more than an old nasty dog." After a moment of silence, Weber curled his lips and said, "He said he was a supreme god of the new generation. Bah, he doesn''t look like one at all!"

 Chapter 1321 Revealing His Identity

    Weber''s eyes showed an abundance of malice at the mention of his master. It was as if he wanted to swallow him alive.


    "What do you mean by he''s claiming to be a supreme god?"


    Darren and the other two were quite stunned upon hearing the words of Weber.


    "That''s exactly it. The old dog always says that he''s going to be a supreme god one day. He''s extremely arrogant that I can''t take it!" Weber said furiously.


    Upon hearing that, Darren calmed down. He had thought that Weber''s master was, in fact, a supreme god. However, while pondering this thought, he realized that it should be impossible. After all, the human race did not have any supreme gods at the time being.


    "I bet your master is very powerful," Darren remarked with a faint smile.


    "Oh, forget it! Just mentioning him makes my blood boil. By the way, you can have this token when we get out. It contains a lot of points. Just consider it as a gift from me," Weber said as he displayed the killing token in his hand.


    "Are you sure?" Finley was quite surprised at his gesture.


    "Yeah, why not? I''m not aiming to participate in the final round of the Tussle Contest anyway. So, it''ll be just useless in my hands," Weber said indifferently.


    "Wow, that''s great! Please give it to us then," Finley replied with a huge smile.


    "Hey, didn''t you look down upon me earlier?" Weber quickly rolled his eyes as he remembered Finley''s attitude towards him from before.


    "Ah, ha-ha. Yeah, sorry about that. I''ve been a wrong judge of character. I thought you were some kind of creepy person. But it turns out that you''re powerful and generous. Can you let that go, please?" Finley cupped his hands as he expressed his apology.


    "Okay. At least you know how to admit your fault," Weber said with a hint of sarcasm, which made the three secretly look at him with disdain.


    "All right. All right! We had enough to eat so we better move now, or else we may not catch up." Just now, Darren checked the ranking of each participant. Currently, the second place already had more than three hundred thousand points, while both Darren and Lindsay only had a few hundred points in their killing tokens, placing them at the bottom of the ranking list.


    "Why are you in such a hurry? The game has just started. You still have three months left. As long as you kill a beast that is at the Celestial God Realm, you can earn more points than what they could accumulate in three hundred years! No need to rush," Weber said in an extremely carefree manner.


    "Be serious, fatty! That''s easier said than done. Do you think it''s so easy to just find and kill a beast at the Celestial God Realm? It''s better to do it little by little than wait for something big that might not even happen. Humph!" Lindsay wasn''t able to contain her emotions and snapped.


    "Hey, I never said that it was easy to kill a beast at the Celestial God Realm, but it also doesn''t mean


    sword and started grabbing the killing tokens from the men of the Celestial Alliance.


    As a rule, the points obtained from others could be transferred to any participant, so Darren transferred all of them to his and Lindsay''s killing tokens.


    "Sir, please spare us. We''ll do anything¡­"


    "Yes, sir. Please save us!"


    These men struggled and crawled towards Darren''s feet and cried in pain. They held his legs and pleaded for their lives. The severe itching in their meridians felt a thousand times worse than bleeding to death.


    "Darren, just put them out of their misery. These people will just kill us the moment they recover. It''s not wise to keep them alive. Don''t be too softhearted," Weber insisted.


    "You''re right. But I have something better in mind," Darren said as he rejected Weber''s suggestion.


    "All of you, are you willing to surrender to me?" Darren shouted with a cold voice.


    "Yes, I am¡­" all of them immediately answered without thinking twice.


    "Fine. Now make a vow with your soul power that you will believe in the Conflicting Chief God from now on."


    "I swear to believe in the Conflicting Chief God for the rest of my life¡­"


    "I swear¡­"


    All of the men from the Celestial Alliance endured the astonishing pain and itching as they made their vows one by one. With that, more than a dozen people instantly became Darren''s believers.


    Upon witnessing this, Weber was dumbfounded.


    "Wait! So you''re telling me that you are a Defiant Master?!" Weber was in a state of shock and almost took a step back.


    ''Holy crap!'' It was only when Weber reacted that Darren realized that he did something very wrong. He just revealed his true identity as a Defiant Master.


    Even if they got along, they hadn''t known Weber for too long. Moreover, he was stronger than Darren in terms of cultivation base.


    "Hey, fatty! Are you one of those who are against the Defiant Masters?!" Finley asked straightforwardly.

 Chapter 1322 Weber Admired Darren (Part One)

    Weber wore a very serious look on his face as if he had seen a ghost.


    As a result, Darren was extremely concerned. He wondered what was going on in Weber''s mind upon knowing that he was a Defiant Master.


    At the same time, he prepared himself to fight back, in case Weber suddenly attacked him.


    "Sir! Please allow me to accompany you!"


    However, to Darren''s surprise, Weber knelt on one knee and cupped his hands while bowing his head.


    "Huh? What''s going on?" Even Finley and Lindsay were utterly confused. They were actually expecting the complete opposite of this situation.


    "Weber, what are you doing?" Darren stared at him intently, not knowing what to think of his actions.


    "Can''t you see? I''m sincerely begging!" Weber quickly got up, went to Darren''s side, and stared at him as if he was looking at a precious treasure. He then said excitedly, "Sir, you are a legendary Defiant Master! I''m not sure but I think I must have done so many good things in my previous life in order to meet you in this lifetime. From now on, I will be at your disposal. Order me anything and I will follow!"


    "What? Stop it!" Weber''s words and weird movements gave Darren goosebumps. He stayed away from the fat man and was almost unable to keep himself from kicking Weber out of his sight.


    "All right. You want to know the whole story? Fine. Since I was a child, I''ve always admired the Defiant Masters. And now that I''ve finally met one, I wouldn''t let this opportunity slip by. I''ll follow you wherever you go. So, please don''t drive me away!" Weber returned to his normal self and explained everything.


    Hearing this, Darren let out a deep sigh but still couldn''t help rolling his eyes. "I''m sorry to inform you, but I''m not as powerful as the Defiant Masters that you might have heard when you were still a child. You will just be disappointed, so I cannot accept your request," he replied.


    "I don''t care about that. You''re just trying to make an excuse.


    tripod, and showed it to Darren.


    Darren took it in his hands and examined the weapon carefully.


    It didn''t look too special based on its appearance. Its surface was full of rust, and there were just vintage patterns all over it.


    "So, what exactly is this weapon and how does it help you kill the beasts?" Darren inquired.


    "Sir, this tripod was actually an old divine weapon that was handed down from my ancestors. It''s one of the most powerful ones that our sect possessed. It might not be that popular, but it is very useful. Though it is not destructive when used to people, it is fatal to beasts. No beast can prevail in the face of this divine weapon. Thus, it is called the Beast-subduing Tripod," the young man explained in detail.


    "How do you use it then?" Darren asked straightforwardly, wanting to learn its secret as soon as possible.


    "It''s very simple, sir. You will just need to introduce you god''s power into it. Then the power that was absorbed will be readily transformed and increased by several times. But as I said, it will only be effective for fighting beasts."


    "I see. It''s quite easy," Darren remarked, fascinated by the prowess of the frail-looking divine weapon. Then, he continued, "I''ll be keeping it for a while and return it to you once the hunting game is over."

 Chapter 1323 Weber Admired Darren (Part Two)

    "As you wish, sir. But let me cut my connection to it first. Otherwise, you won''t be able to use it." The young man quickly released his soul power from the tripod. It turned out that the divine weapon would only listen to the one whose soul power was connected to it.


    After that, Darren put his soul power and built the connection between the tripod and him. Now, he would be the only one who could use it until he released his soul power from it.


    "Interesting! Now you can start hunting for more advanced kinds of beasts!" Weber was genuinely elated with Darren''s breakthrough.


    "For now, keep your killing tokens and spread out on your own. Get as many points as you can, and hand them all to me before the hunting game is over." Darren issued his order to his believers.


    "Yes, sir!"


    In the blink of an eye, all of them turned around and dispersed.


    "Sir, what if you make all the participants your believers? It will be much easier for you. You can relax and just wait for them to bring all those points," Weber suggested excitedly.


    However, there were as many as five hundred thousand participants in the hunting game, and most of them were young and talented geniuses. Darren didn''t think that he could do what Weber was proposing.


    But he was still resolute to show no mercy to anyone who would try to pull the same stunt that the men from the Celestial Alliance had done.


    In the meantime, Darren and the others continued searching for powerful beasts in various areas.


    They had roughly walked for tens of thousands of kilometers for the last few days. During that period, they were able to hunt high-level beasts with the help of the divine weapon.


    Currently, both Darren''s and Lindsay''s points had ranked into the top one hundred thousand. Although they had huge progress, it was still far from enough.


    After all, hunting


    "Oh yeah, I know him. But don''t misunderstand. We''re also in bad terms with him, so I don''t really care what you want to do with him," Darren explained in a casual manner.


    "Darren, I know I did you wrong. I shouldn''t have looked down upon you. I just need you to speak for me. Prove to them that I can give as many divine patterns as they want. Please do it for me so they could spare my life!" Field shouted bitterly while weeping loudly. He looked pitiful as he rolled on the ground.


    "Why do you need to do that? Didn''t you report us to the elder of the Lu Clan? Because of you, Darren was almost killed by that old man! Now, you''re asking for our help? You deserve that! You scum!"


    Lindsay let out her pent up emotions while Darren just stayed silent. It was obvious that she didn''t think that they should help him after all he had done.


    "Well, too bad for you. We don''t care what your relationship is. The mere fact that you know him, we have to put you to death."


    Darren, especially his companions, didn''t plan to help Field out. However, these cultivators were very displeased upon knowing that they were connected to Field. They weren''t willing to listen to Darren''s group and instantly threatened them with death.

 Chapter 1324 The Red-chained Armor

    The people who beat Field were so bloodthirsty that they decided to go after Darren and his companions too, for absolutely no reason.


    "What did he ever do to you? Why are you trying to kill us just because we know him?" spat Darren coldly. Now he was in no hurry to leave.


    "Bullshit. Do we need a reason to kill people?"


    "Well said." Weber, watching from the sides, clapped his hands and smiled.


    "Darren, please don''t provoke them. Come on, just say a few good words for my sake,"


    begged Field as he could sense a fight about to break out.


    Darren was his last shot at survival. As long as he put in a good word for him, and proved that his clan had a lot of divine patterns, the other party might spare his life. Divine patterns were, after all, tempting to anyone.


    Darren shook his head. "You coward."


    "Darren, calm down. These warriors are all very powerful. Don''t act so brashly." Field was very afraid that Darren would be killed. If that happened, he was doomed.


    "Fuck off." Darren flew over and kicked Field out of the way. "It''s so annoying to see you acting like such a coward."


    "Humph! You are so arrogant! You have no fear of death!"


    "Dario, don''t waste any more time. Just kill him and take the woman."


    "That''s exactly what I was thinking of doing," said the leader of the group, with a sinister smirk on his face.


    Whoosh!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Several figures were flung into the air by a single move.


    "Those were some fast reflexes, Weber!" said Lindsay with a smile.


    "Of course. I''m Darren''s best buddy now. I should take the initiative to deal anyone who tries to hurt him. That''s what best buddies are supposed to do."


    Although the several opponents had the strength of cultivators at the top level of the Star God Realm, they were nothing against Weber.


    Even if it was Darren who fought against them, they wouldn''t have any chance at winning.


    Darren and his group then flew over.


    "So, how do you want to die?" said Weber as he kicked the young man in the lead.


    "Who are you?" Instead of begging for his life, the young man ripped out a pained shout as his body twisted in anguish.


    "Cut the crap." Weber grabbed the young man and broke his arm as if he were merely breaking a tree branch.


    The young man gritted his teeth and didn''t even make a sound of pain. "Do you think that you can torture me with that cheap trick? It''s going to take much more than what you can do to hurt me."


    "Aha, what a tough young man," said Weber, his lips curving mischievously.


    "Guys, there is no bad blood between


    didn''t know how precious their life was until they''d gotten a taste of death. Now even Field had set aside his pride.


    "So, your name is Field Zhou?" asked Darren.


    "Yes, that''s right. My Lord," replied Field.


    Darren glared at him. "You are a coward to the bone. Now you''re calling me lord? You don''t deserve to call me that, and don''t you dare say it again."


    "Yes, sir!" Field prostrated to the ground as he spoke.


    "You are far from a weakling. How did you get beaten up like that?"


    "Alas," Field sighed. It was ultimately because he was too arrogant. With two series of divine patterns and the Red-chained Armor protecting him, he always thought he was invincible among his peers.


    It was not until now that he realized that he was being naive, like a big fish in a small pond. He had no idea how powerful the disciples of truly big sects were.


    "I thought I was invincible since I have the Red-chained Armor which can withstand the attacks from the warriors at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. I didn''t expect that they also had divine weapons. My Red-chained Armor meant nothing to them, and I was easily defeated," replied Field, bitterly.


    "Oh?"


    Darren gave no response, but Weber''s eyes instantly lit up.


    "Hand that armor you just mentioned to Darren, or else..."


    Field was dumbfounded. The moment Weber spoke these words he just wanted to slap himself in the face and never wake up. How could he tell them he had the Red-chained Armor? It was the most precious treasure his clan possessed.


    "In order to thank you for saving my life, I really did intend to give it to you, sir." Field had no choice but to bite the bullet as he offered his precious treasure to Darren.

 Chapter 1325 A Level-ten Divine Pattern

    Darren donned the Red-chained Armor. It was sneakily concealed under the outer layer of his clothes.


    "Not bad." Darren could feel the power of the Red-chained Armor. Although its defensive power was inferior to that of Akbar''s Dark Dragon Armor, it already fell into the category of precious divine weapons.


    "You mentioned earlier that they had a divine weapon that could enable them to disregard your defense, correct?"


    "Yes." Field''s face was full of bitterness. His heart had been aching since Darren took his Red-chained Armor.


    "What divine weapon was that?"


    "It was a bow. The arrows that were shot from it could completely bypass the defenses of my Red-chained Armor," replied Field.


    "Tell me, is he telling the truth?" Darren leaned in to ask the several believers he''d just subdued.


    "It''s the truth, sir. The ''Piercing Spirit Bow'' is a divine weapon from our ancestor. It is inlaid with a level-ten penetrating divine pattern, and this makes it extremely powerful as it can easily break the defense of the Celestial God Realm," one of the believers answered.


    They were good friends with Dario Yue, the young master of the Nine Mysterious Sect, so they knew all about the origin of the bow.


    "Go and retrieve that bow for me," Darren ordered. He thought to himself, ''Fortunately, I haven''t really gone too far away.''


    "Understood."


    One of the believers immediately flew out, and returned in a jiff.


    He placed a bow of primitive simplicity into Darren''s hands.


    Darren tried to pull on the bowstring, but it refused to move.


    "Darren, let me do this."


    Weber stood up proudly, rolled up his sleeves, and began to draw the bowstring. However, the bowstring again stayed stagnant as Weber''s face began to turn red from frustration.


    "What the hell is this poor bow made of? Even I can''t string it?"


    "Sir, it doesn''t work in this way. The Piercing Spirit Bow belonged to our ancestor. It can only be drawn by a direct descendant of the ancestor of the Nine Mysterious Sect, together with the help of the ancestor''s god''s power."


    "So that means the bow is useless to us, isn''t it?" Lindsay folded her arms and furrowed her brows in disappointment.


    "Not necessarily." Darren took the bow over and inserted his fingers into the middle part of the shaft.


    He noticed that there was a divine pattern embedded there.


    After a few tries, Darren finally dug the divine pattern out.


    The antique divine bow, which had been suffused with a halo, immediately dimmed.


    "Wow, that was a smart move, Darren!" Weber hastily showered Darren in compliments. "Even a great master at the top level of the Superior God Realm wouldn''t dislike a level-ten divine pattern."


    Divine patterns could be divided into twelve levels. The higher its level was, the stronger the divine pattern would be as well. Genera


    ning against those beasts."


    "Are you sure, boss? They''re fierce beasts at the Celestial God Realm!" asked Weber nervously.


    "Well if you prefer we leave, then I''ll just leave now." Darren turned around.


    "Darren, I didn''t mean it. I''m sorry. Please don''t leave me here." Weber dashed towards Darren and clung to his leg, trembling.


    Howl!


    Howl!


    Two huge bodies dashed forward, crushing a path through the ancient forest.


    The two creatures looked like saber-toothed tiger, but they were much bigger. They were one hundred feet tall and two hundred feet long in size.


    A great roar was emitted by the two beasts in unison, shocking Finley, Lindsay and Field into a daze. A deafening ringing in their ears lingered right after.


    "Here''s the plan. You all retreat first. Me and Weber will deal with them."


    Lindsay, Finley and Field swiftly retreated as soon as Darren said the word.


    "Boss, you go first and I''ll follow you!" Weber raised his clenched fists, but he was slowly stepping back.


    "Fuck off." Darren kicked him right in the ass. Weber staggered forward and rushed to the beasts "voluntarily."


    "Oh my God!" Weber''s expression darkened. He thought to himself, ''How could my boss be so selfish? He is pushing me into the pits of hell!''


    There was no stopping once he rushed toward the beasts. He could only try his best to activate his god''s power in time.


    Suddenly, there were countless golden spikes appearing on his fists. His aura seemed to be at the peak of its power.


    ''It seems that Weber is stronger than I thought, '' sighed Darren silently.


    Bang!


    A fierce beast raised its huge claw and swiped at Weber, colliding exactly against his fist.


    A massive shock wave of power then gusted against Weber, causing his internal organs to burn.


    "How do I fight..." Weber ricocheted backwards by dozens of feet. He was starting to get desperate.

 Chapter 1326 Battling The Beasts (Part One)

    In the face of the two ferocious beasts with the strength of Celestial God Realm warriors, Weber trembled in fear and was convinced that he wouldn''t live to see another day.


    Technically, the top level of the Star God Realm was only a level lower compared to the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. However, this gap that existed between them was so unimaginably huge.


    In the record of the entire Primitive Wilderness, no warrior at the top level of the Star God Realm was able to ever defeat a warrior at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. Though, of course, some mighty warriors at the top level of the Star God Realm that possessed extremely powerful divine weapons and high-level cultivation methods might fight on par with the warriors at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm.


    Although, these warriors were pretty rare, and were expected to just appear once in a billion years.


    Weber''s strength was actually not to be underestimated. For a warrior who was just at the middle-level of the Star God Realm, he could overwhelm those who were at the top level of the Star God Realm. However, what he was facing now was a beast at the Celestial God Realm.


    He clearly knew that even if he exerted all his efforts and unleashed his most powerful skills, it would be useless. In fact, after receiving a single strike from one of the beasts, he wanted to run as far as possible, fearing that his life might be crushed in an instant.


    Swoosh!


    One of the beasts quickly blocked Weber''s way, while the other one remained motionless.


    "You lowly human. Are you planning to escape from us? Quit dreaming!" the beast in front of him roared in a low and deep voice.


    Weber''s face instantly turned pale. His jaw dropped in shock upon hearing that the beast just spoke the human language.


    Actually, it was normal for the beasts of their level to easily learn the human language because they possessed such high intelligence.


    "What have I done? We have no enmity with each other! Why can''t you just let me go?" Weber clenched his fist and mustered his courage to argue with the beast.


    "Are you an idiot? You have the blood of our king on your body. You are the enemy of our race. You''re not going anywhere because you''ll die here!" the beast answered firmly.


    "What?" Weber was kind of confused, but then it dawned on him that the mark that his master left on his body was actually made of the blood of a beast king who had died. Obviously, this race of intelligent beasts would immediately take him for an enemy the moment they had a whiff of the blood''s scent.


    "Hey, Weber! Your master must have done that on purpose in order to further your cultivation. This battle is inevitable, so just get to it already. Come on! Stop running around," Darren shouted from the sideline with a smile on his face.


    "That old bastard is really a pain in the ass! Well, fine. At least I''d die with honor!"


    Weber finally made up his mind and rushed towards the huge beast.


    Somehow, the two beasts wanted the fight to be fair, and they thought one of them was enough to defeat Weber, so the other one did not participate and just stayed behind.


    Then, golden spikes of god''s power suddenly surfaced from Weber''s fat


    d to penetrate the indestructible skin of superior beasts.


    "So, do you still feel nothing now?"


    Darren asked mockingly with a grin on his face. An atrocious poison was also combined in his sword intent, which should definitely make the beast suffer.


    When Darren said this, the beast immediately realized that something felt wrong. Gradually, an unbearable itch and pain permeated under his skin. It was as if his body was being repeatedly stabbed by a thin and pointed blade.


    The beast shook his body, baring his huge fangs.


    He roared in fury as if he was on the verge of going insane.


    Suddenly, blazing flames enveloped his body, and his aura was increased up to more than ten times.


    ''What a beast! So, this is his true strength!''


    Darren felt paralyzed at the sight of this powerful beast that seemed very capable of tearing him to pieces in an instant.


    However, Darren had no time to procrastinate and be discouraged. He had no choice but to engage this vicious beast.


    Then, he took out the Beast-subduing Tripod and frantically poured a vast amount of sword intent and black god''s power into it.


    At the same time, the huge beast leaped and dove straight towards Darren. As the beast approached, the tremendous momentum that he exerted tore the space apart.


    Just before the beast pounced on him, Darren released all of the god''s power contained in the tripod.


    Crash! Boom!


    The color of heaven and earth instantly changed. Using the tripod, the strength of the sword intent and the black god''s power was increased by a dozen times.


    With the aid of the divine weapon, the penetrating power of Darren''s attack, which was already originally powerful, was reinforced to a greater extent.


    The beast''s momentum was easily subdued, and his supposedly sturdy body became covered with blood.


    "Argh!"


    However, though Darren was able to inflict serious damage to the beast, the injured beast was still able to move pretty fast, thus avoiding most of Darren''s attacks.


    "Darren! Help me! I''m being ripped apart!"


    At the same time, Darren heard Weber''s hysterical voice, screaming desperately from the other side.

 Chapter 1327 Battling The Beasts (Part Two)

    As Darren was in danger, he didn''t have time to help Weber.


    Without delay, he concentrated his spiritual sense and activated the Red-chained Armor to protect himself.


    The black god''s power poured into the small tripod quickly, where it was strengthened. Then, black god''s power surged and formed a protective shield around his body.


    Bang!


    A split second later, the beast''s claws slammed into Darren''s body.


    The collision caused dazzling light to soar into the sky. The earth trembled, and several deep cracks marred the surface.


    Clouds of dust billowed and engulfed everything. When it settled, only a deep chasm could be seen where Darren had been standing. The beast''s power was so astonishing that Darren had been smashed into the ground!


    As he lay in the ground, processing what had happened, Darren felt as though his ears were ringing, and his head was dizzy. Apart from that, he couldn''t feel any pain emanating from his broken body. This was terrible as he knew that the lack of sensation despite being gravely injured was a sign of death.


    The strength of a beast at the Celestial God Realm was too powerful. And now, they were facing two beasts of the Celestial God Realm! What made matters worse was that these creatures were stronger than humans at the same level.


    Darren gathered himself and activated the sword intent and black god''s power in his body. He merged these to form an arrow, ready to shoot at any moment.


    "My survival depends on this arrow," he murmured.


    Darren remained motionless, ready to strike. His heart thudded in his chest, and he took quick, shallow breaths as he waited for the beast to get close to the rim of the chasm.


    A moment later, he felt the vibrations from the beast''s footsteps.


    Boom!


    The earth trembled as the beast smacked the ground, intending to force Darren out of the chasm.


    An incredible force of vibration began to push Darren out of the ground.


    Light shone in Darren''s eyes as he neared the mouth of the hole.


    All of a sudden, his body shot out from the ground.


    The beast was waiting. When he saw a black shadow rush up, he raised his claw and swung.


    Whoosh!


    An arrow condensed from the sword intent and the god''s power rushed toward its target immediately.


    The itchy toxin had already made the beast unable to think clearly. He hadn''t expected the human to be able to fight back. Dazed by the incoming attack, he couldn''t dodge. As a result, the arrow penetrated his chest and entered his heart.


    As soon as the arrow pierced the beast''s heart, it exploded and the sword intent it conta


    tacking Maxwell as well. Besides, Maxwell hadn''t paid any attention to Jeremy as he thought the little thing couldn''t threaten him.


    This time, there was no one to distract the female beast, so she managed to suppress Jeremy under her body at once.


    Now that Jeremy was pinned to the ground, the beast quickly rolled over and crushed Jeremy with her mighty claw.


    Then, she gathered all her strength and squeezed harder! A trace of blood spurted out of Jeremy''s mouth.


    "Blood of a beast king..."


    At this moment, the female beast''s eyes widened with astonishment and horror reflected in her expression. She appeared as though she had encountered something extremely horrible. Something in Jeremy''s blood terrified the beast.


    However, she didn''t loosen her hold on Jeremy. On the contrary, the killing intent in her fierce eyes intensified.


    "I didn''t expect you to have the blood of a beast king in your body. Since I''ve already offended you, only by killing you can I hide what I have done,"


    the beast muttered to herself.


    Then, she raised her other claw and swung it at Jeremy.


    Even though she was determined to kill Jeremy, desperation surged within the creature. She had to finish the task of killing a beast who had the blood of a beast king.


    Bang!


    The beast''s claws collided, and blood mist burst forth from the space between her claws.


    "Jeremy!"


    Lindsay screamed as she rushed forward. Her heart filled with such overwhelming sorrow that she felt it would explode.


    Jeremy, this plump little thing, had been her only companion when she was lonely. The two were as close as siblings.


    "Lindsay, don''t!"


    Anxiety coursed through Finley as he knew that she would die if she rushed over.

 Chapter 1328 Battling The Beasts (Part Three)

    Finley''s worry grew as he watched Lindsay rush towards the female beast. He could not just sit back and watch and joined her in the charge.


    Howl!


    The wild beast spread her large jaws open, the stench of blood spreading from within.


    The beast took a deep breath, sucking both Lindsay and Finley in with the massive current of air she pulled. There was not even a struggle for them, and they could not fight back.


    They were about to fall into the beast''s mouth when a voice sounded.


    "You dare bully my master? You try to swallow them? I think I''ll swallow you!"


    The voice was cold but young. In an instant, a fat body suddenly emerged from between the beast''s claws and enlarged itself astronomically, covering the sky above.


    "It''s Jeremy!"


    Lindsay was able to back off a little and discovered that Jeremy had not yet died after all.


    He was a Heaven Devouring Beast, capable of engulfing the entire sky once he transformed. It was said that an adult Heaven Devouring Beast could eat even a master at the top level of the Superior God Realm, such was the immense power it possessed.


    Darkness shrouded the female beast which then leapt into the sky.


    Soon after, the darkness began fading and a massive ball of a being fell to the ground.


    "I''m so full," Jeremy said, patting his belly.


    "Ha-ha." Lindsay laughed at the sight of Jeremy being totally fine and transformed into an incredibly large fuzzy ball.


    "You scared her to death, Jeremy!" Finley complained with an amused grin across his face.


    "Master, this female beast has not died yet. What should we do with her?" Jeremy felt uncomfortable holding the huge writhing beast in his stomach.


    "Don''t let her out. Digest her. We are no match for her," Lindsay responded.


    "I''m not sure if that''s true, master. I have become much stronger. In fact, she''s almost dead," revealed Jeremy.


    "Then let her out,"


    Darren said, opening his eyes after taking a moment to regain his strength.


    "All right. Do as Darren says. Let the beast out." Lindsay nodded in agreement.


    Jeremy''s bulbous belly rumbled, and a huge beast, covered in mucus, rolled out onto the ground.


    After this, Jeremy reverted back to being as small and lovely as he was before.


    Two giant beasts lay on the ground, one constantly trembling and the other beginning to rot even though not completely dead.


    "You beasts, I''ll take you on my own!"


    Weber yelled as he woke up, ready to strike the beasts.


    Everyone turned


    words stinging with displeasure and disgust.


    Field shuddered in fear. With his head pressed to the ground, he said tremulously, "Darren, I wish to learn from you. I want to be your disciple. I acted like a snob and I will accept the punishments I deserve for that. But, from the bottom of my heart, I hold a deep respect for you, sir. I sincerely wish to train with you. Please, accept me as your disciple. I''m begging you."


    "You want to be my disciple?"


    Darren had not expected this from Field.


    He had never even thought of taking any disciples. He cultivated conflicting skills most of the time and ordinary people could not practice them.


    "Throw that idea out of your mind. It will never happen. My cultivation skill is not suitable for anyone else," refused Darren immediately.


    "Master!" Field exclaimed as he remained bowed low, pressed to the ground. "If you accept me as your disciple, I will give you all my property when I go back to my family," he added desperately.


    "Humph!" Darren''s face twisted in insult. "Do you really think I want anything from you? I''ve already told you, my cultivation skill is not suitable for anyone else. There is nothing for you to beg for."


    With that, Darren and the others turned around.


    "So it is..." Field raised his head, his gaze still fixed downward in his disappointment.


    In the hunting area, a tall, middle-aged man suddenly appeared.


    "Dario," he said as he walked up to a blood body.


    The body heard the call and its finger twitched ever so slightly.


    "Don''t worry, Dario. I''m here to avenge you!"


    The middle-aged man immediately began healing the bloody body''s wounds.

 Chapter 1329 Hidden Crisis

    Outside the hunting ground, two men were engaged in deep conversation.


    "Father, it is said that there was a master at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm who has forced himself to enter the hunting ground," a young man said, bowing to a middle-aged man.


    This young man was none other than Harold Qin who had admonished the Lu Clan''s elder at the branch of the Tussle Holy House that day.


    The middle-aged man was the head of the branch of the Tussle Holy House. His name was Gatlin Qin.


    "Which section is in charge of it?"


    "Not ours, Father," Harold replied.


    "Since it''s not under our jurisdiction, we do not need to get involved," Gatlin Qin said, closing his eyes.


    "Father... People are saying that he went to the hunting ground to kill a man named Darren Chu." Harold was curious and he tried every means he could to investigate. Finally, he figured out why the strong cultivator forcefully made his way in.


    "What?" Gatlin Qin exclaimed, opened his eyes and sprang to his feet.


    In the hunting ground


    "Darren, what are you doing?" Finley suddenly said. He was unable to sit still and cultivate like all other people in the tree house they had built as a temporary shelter.


    "What''s wrong?" Darren raised his eyes.


    "You promised you would get me to the third place. What are you waiting for? Hurry up!" Finley said impatiently.


    "Don''t worry. We still have a month. I''ll take Jeremy to find and kill another beast of the Celestial God Realm. Everything will be fine by then," Darren replied lightly.


    "That''s a deal. Don''t break your word!"


    "Of course I won''t," Darren said, nodding reassuringly.


    The tree house fell quiet again as three days quickly flew by.


    Darren and Weber were the first to open their eyes. They exchanged glances before saying anything.


    "Are you feeling what I''m feeling?"


    "Yes. Some people are approaching, and they are not weak."


    "Let''s go out and take a look."


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The two of them went out of the tree house.


    "Come out. Don''t hide anymore. I know you''re here," Darren called out.


    "Ha! You are indeed the person who ranks first on the list. It seems that you''ve got some nerve."


    Three figures walked out of the dense forest, two men and one woman.


    "Who are you? Tell me your name!"


    Weber pointed a finger at the three people in front of him.


    "Look! Isn''t this the fat pig? What a coincidence! What? Don


    r eyes, both men were losers.


    A low-level Star God Realm cultivator had eclipsed as a threat in their minds. Even if Darren was capable of unleashing the strength of a warrior at the upper-level of the Star God Realm, that was the best he could do.


    "You three, don''t you know you should be careful of the words that come out of your mouth? Your words reveal what''s in your heart and clearly, your hearts are rotten. You will lose your lives because of this. Do you understand?" Darren asked calmly.


    "What did you say?" they responded, turning their heads toward him.


    "Ha! The irony. It is you who will be losing his life today," one of the young men shouted. Immediately, his palms were engulfed with red flame. He prepared to kill Darren.


    "You bastards! How dare you join hands to attack him?" Weber protested, filled with righteous indignation.


    "It''s enough for me to deal with this kind of rubbish alone. We don''t need to work together!"


    "Good, you have guts! If you''ve still got a trace of self-respect, you would do it on your own. If you don''t, you''re no better than a common animal!" Weber roared.


    However, he used his spiritual sense to speak with Darren. "Darren, let''s work together and kill this one. Only an idiot would agree to have a one-on-one battle with them."


    "Weber, you''re so mean!" Darren answered with a smile.


    "Come on! This is a matter of life and death. I''m not mean. I am just being smart!" Weber said using his spiritual sense.


    "Let''s wait and see."


    Whoosh!


    Darren took the initiative to fly out, but he restrained himself from using any of his god''s power.

 Chapter 1330 Kill Him

    The last thing the three warriors expected was for Darren, someone at the low-level of the Star God Realm, to dare make a move first. To make things worse, he had incredible speed!


    The young man who stood at the front was directly hit by Darren''s palm strike and he was forced to fall back by several dozen feet.


    "Seriously? That''s all the strength you have? A chicken could strike harder than that!"


    The young man held his head high, with a disdainful look. Darren''s strike had actually damaged his inner organs and he was close to coughing up blood.


    "Looks like this guy is super powerful. Let''s fight him together," the young man advised his companions via his spiritual sense.


    "Finnegan, don''t tell me you really want all of us to fight that guy. He''s just a common warrior at the low-level of the Star God Realm. That''s embarrassing. You''ll make us a laughing stock," the woman said through her spiritual sense.


    "I just want to deal with them as fast as possible. I don''t want to waste any more time," explained the young man named Finnegan.


    "Don''t worry about that. We still have a month left. There''s plenty of time."


    "That''s right." Finnegan didn''t want to lose face, so he just gave up on asking them for help.


    "Well, well, Finnegan, who''s the rubbish now? You were defeated by my boss here in a single move. Shame on you!" Weber sneered.


    Finnegan''s face turned sour at Weber''s comment. "You will pay the price for messing with me! Go to hell!"


    In the blink of an eye, Finnegan''s figure was already right at Darren''s face, ready to make an attack. He decided not to use his god''s power, so he could show off his strength. If he was going to kill Darren, he wanted to do it with just his physical strength.


    Bang!


    Darren quickly retaliated by striking his palm right at Finnegan''s attack.


    He also sneakily activated his black god''s power. The two palms collided with a mighty burst. Suddenly, a bloody mist rained down as Finnegan''s right arm was crushed clean.


    "Ah!"


    He swiftly fell back and cried out in pain.


    "You dirty rat! You used your god''s power!" Finnegan roared.


    "Are you stupid? This is a life or death battle. Why wouldn''t he use his god''s power? Idiot," sneered Weber.


    "So that''s how it is, huh? I guess you''ve forced me to show you my true strength. Prepare to be eliminated!


    Chaotic Dragon Spear, come out!"


    Finnegan grasped a black divine spear tightly in his right hand.


    Weber''s face twitched at the sight of the spear.


    "Watch out, Darren! That spear is forged by his master and it contains the power of the deputy god," reminded Weber.


    "It doesn''t matter."


    Darren held his sword and blade in h


    ntents, dark gold god''s power, and black god''s power all at the same time.


    Finnegan released his Dragon Soaring Skill again. As their god''s power collided, the two of them also fought with their bare hands.


    The battle went on for a while, as their strength was almost on par with each another.


    "Go to hell!"


    Finnegan finally found an opening, and he thrust his spear at Darren.


    Darren could only laugh in response.


    It was a mistake that would cost Finnegan his life!


    When the spear stabbed towards Darren, he suddenly vanished. From behind Finnegan, violent sword intents started surging at him.


    "I''ve been fooled!"


    As soon as he realized what was going on, Finnegan drew his spear back and struck it the other way.


    The moment he turned around, he felt a cold rush go down his back and blood splashed everywhere.


    Only then did he realize that the sword intent behind him just now was the real trap. Darren didn''t move an inch. He was still there, waiting for him to turn his back.


    Unfortunately, when he finally understood everything, the cold sword had already pierced through his chest.


    "Finnegan!"


    The faces of his two companions were that of shock and horror.


    They didn''t expect that a young man who was merely at the low-level of the Star God Realm could be so powerful! Was he also mentored by a deputy god? "Brat, release Finnegan at once, or you''re dead meat!"


    Finnegan was still dangling from Darren''s sword, choking up blood as he struggled to take the last of his breaths.


    "I don''t know you guys, but you came at me and even wanted to kill me. Do you really expect me to just let this guy go? Don''t be so naive!" Darren spat coldly. Without even looking Finnegan in the eye, he released his sword intent and smashed him into pieces.

 Chapter 1331 The Revenge Of A Powerful Warrior

    "I don''t think you understand. You''ve killed a disciple of a deputy god!" the woman pointed out, revealing the dead person''s background.


    "So what? I would have still killed him even if his master is a supreme god or a chief god!" Indeed, Darren didn''t care at all about who the person was.


    "You!"


    The two were speechless upon hearing this. It gave them an impression that Darren was probably supported by someone so powerful that he wouldn''t be afraid of crossing with a deputy god.


    "Tell us who your master is!" one of the two people shouted.


    Darren sneered. He had no master to speak of.


    But then, a funny idea came to his mind. He then released the Starry Tower.


    "You''re a disciple of Lord Starry Sword!"


    Upon seeing the Starry Tower, the two finally understood what was going on.


    Darren didn''t confirm nor deny their claim.


    He didn''t mean harm to Lord Starry Sword, but he wanted to know how prestigious he was. He wondered if this would be enough to frighten off the disciples of a deputy god.


    "Really? Don''t get too full of yourself. Even if Lord Starry Sword supports you, you''ll still get your end. Humph!" the remaining young man threatened.


    "Verbal threats don''t work on me. Do you think you can leave here alive?" Darren said coldly.


    "You want to kill us?"


    Upon seeing that Finnegan was already dead, the young man and woman felt scared. They wouldn''t dare to fight with Darren anymore.


    "Run!"


    The two of them quickly made their escape.


    The wind whistled behind their wake.


    But then, a fat figure suddenly appeared in front of them. He stood like a mountain blocking their path.


    "Who are you? Get out of our way!"


    "Fuck!"


    Weber was pissed that this young man and woman didn''t recognize him immediately. After all, his face was too swollen at the moment.


    "Do you think I''ll let you live after you cursed me so viciously?" Weber asked. There was an unknown note in his voice as he spoke.


    "You damn fatty! Fuck off and get out of my way!"


    The two then hurled themselves at Weber to attack. But then, Darren arrived to attack them.


    With Darren and Weber on both sides, the young man and woman had no way to escape. Cold sweat dripped down their backs as they stood against each other. The two wondered if this was it. They were going to die in the hands of a fatty and a nobody. This was such a shame on them.


    "We just had a minor argument. You don''t really have to kill us for that, do you?" the woman said, trying to appe


    en go.


    "I was just kidding. I will go now." Weber knew then that there was no way he could intimidate Leroy Yue.


    "Fuck off!" Dario roared.


    "Yes, yes, yes." Weber nodded his head and bowed.


    It was then that Darren realized that Weber wasn''t a true friend after all. Despite all the hardships they went through together, he couldn''t rely on the other man at all.


    "Take care of yourself, Darren." Darren didn''t even bother responding to Weber''s farewell.


    "Take care of yourself," Weber said again. Then, his fat body suddenly moved, while shouting, "Fuck you!"


    He had grabbed Leroy''s legs with his arms.


    "Run, Darren!" he shouted.


    "Weber!" Darren could feel his heart beating wildly against his chest. It seemed like he had misunderstood Weber. The latter had wanted to protect him even though it would mean risking his own life. This was what he meant when he told Darren to take care of himself.


    "Hurry up!"


    "Go to hell!"


    Leroy Yue hit Weber on the back with his palm. But still, Weber held on to his legs with all his strength despite his broken back.


    Meanwhile, Leroy Yue didn''t dare to launch another attack on Weber. Another one could have turned the latter into a blood mist.


    "Buddy..."


    With tears in his eyes, Darren walked up to Weber voluntarily.


    "If you kill him, you''ll only get in trouble. Just take your revenge on me if you can."


    Darren couldn''t let Weber die for him.


    "Darren! You idiot!" Weber roared. His mouth was already full of blood.


    "Very good.


    Dario, watch the fat man for me, please."


    Leroy Yue then pushed Weber away. He restrained him with his god''s power and handed him to Dario.

 Chapter 1332 Be Taken Hostage (Part One)

    Darren clearly knew that he didn''t stand a chance against a cultivator at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm.


    The Beast-subduing Tripod had enabled him to defeat a beast at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. However, he wouldn''t be able to use it against human cultivators because they were immune to the god''s power amplified by the tripod.


    Currently, Darren was just at the low-level of the Star God Realm, though he could bring down warriors up to the top level of the Star God Realm. If he couldn''t even beat a warrior at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm, then how much more when it was someone at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm?


    "Let go of Weber!" Darren said firmly.


    "No, Father. We can''t just let him go. If we kill that arrogant bastard, I''m sure that this fat guy will make trouble for us in the future. He will definitely seek to avenge his friend," Dario explained.


    For a while, Leroy thought about what his son said.


    He realized that Dario made a good point. Weber was even willing to sacrifice his own life just to save Darren. They must have a tight relationship for him to do so.


    If they killed Darren then released Weber, he would certainly find an opportunity in the future to get back at them. If that happened, it would cause huge trouble for them and their entire sect.


    "Humph! If that''s the case, both of you are going nowhere!"


    Leroy carefully ran his plan in his mind. If they killed Weber, there was still a possibility that it wouldn''t be traced back to him, as long as they made appropriate actions. However, if they let him go, Leroy could already see the impending doom of his sect.


    "Ha-ha! That''s right! Let''s punish the bo


    r, Darren quickly realized that he couldn''t let them know that he wasn''t affected by the Soul Assimilating Bugs. The moment they knew that he wasn''t experiencing any pain, they would become very furious that they might instantly kill him.


    Therefore, Darren started acting like he was in a lot of pain and even fell down to the ground.


    He contorted his face and writhed in agony. He rolled back and forth on the ground and acted convincingly.


    "Argh!" He even screamed, and looked extremely miserable.


    "Darren¡­" Weber was at a loss for words as he witnessed this scene. He could just imagine the excruciating pain of having his God Character gnashed and ripped apart.


    "Ha-ha! That''s more like it!" Dario also landed on the ground and admired this scene up close.


    "Isn''t it a wonderful gift? Take time to enjoy the pain. After all, it''s the last thing you''ll feel before you die! Let''s see¡­ How about we torture you for a month first?" Dario didn''t have the slightest intention of letting Darren die swiftly. He had been tortured for more than a month before, so he would like for Darren to experience something worse than that.

 Chapter 1333 Be Taken Hostage (Part Two)

    On the other hand, Darren had been through the Flaming Hell before and experienced more brutal tortures. That was why his performance was convincing enough to fool all of them, including Weber.


    "Weber, get ready!" Darren talked to him through his spiritual sense.


    "D-Darren?" Weber''s mind went blank as soon as Darren''s voice echoed in his ears. He didn''t expect that he could still use his spiritual sense properly while undergoing such merciless torture.


    "Hey, are you okay? What should I be ready for?" Weber quickly replied.


    "Don''t worry. This is all an act. Right now, both of them believe that I''m in extreme pain, so they have somehow dropped their guard. I''ll continue acting like this and find an opportunity to restrain Dario and take him as our hostage. If we do this successfully, we still have a chance to live. While I make my move, all you need to do is distract the old guy and try your best not to be caught by him."


    Darren laid out his plan and hoped that they wouldn''t see through his ploy.


    "Okay, I got it!" Weber answered.


    Then, Darren continued his performance, acting like the pain was becoming more and more severe.


    Crash!


    Dario became more excited as he heard Darren''s screams become louder, so he approached him and kicked him in the belly.


    "Please stop torturing him. I beg you!" Weber pleaded. He also wanted to distract their attention, especially Leroy''s. After all, he was a master at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm, meaning that he could move incredibly fast. Even if Darren made a sneak attack, there was still a possibility that he would


    e to react and resist.


    The same went for Leroy. He only realized what was happening when Darren had already taken full control of Dario. He couldn''t believe that he had fallen for Weber''s petty tricks. Furthermore, never did he expect that Darren was just faking the pain that he was experiencing all this time. He was so confident with the Soul Assimilating Bugs that he wasn''t able to see through his acts.


    "Don''t move! Unless you want to see your son crushed before your eyes!"


    Darren yelled as soon as he saw that Leroy was about to rush towards him. Meanwhile, Weber also moved towards Darren''s side.


    "Father! Help me! It''s so painful!" Dario burst into tears. Darren tightened his grip around Dario''s heart and brain, so he wouldn''t get the idea to resist.


    This was much worse than when he was tormented by Darren''s itchy poison. His brain and heart were in someone''s hands. A crippling fear spread to his body, paralyzing him. Moreover, he was taken hostage in front of his powerful father. One could just imagine how helpless he felt at this moment.

 Chapter 1334 Struck Dead

    "Let go of my son, cowards!"


    Leroy glared at Darren and roared like a beast, madly furious about the situation.


    "Are you taking me for an idiot? Why would I do that?" Darren answered with a cold expression in his eyes.


    "Think about your actions, you brat. I can kill you easily before you can do anything to my son," Leroy threatened through gritted teeth.


    "What a bluff! You might be able to kill me with a single palm strike, but before you do, your son''s heart and brain will explode right before your eyes first! Try it if you dare! What''s more important to you, my life, or your son''s?"


    Leroy wasn''t able to utter a word. He was so infuriated that he felt like his heart was going to burst any minute.


    Dario was his only son and the apple of his eye. He would do anything for him, even to the point of offending the Tussle Holy House just to save him.


    If there was one thing he couldn''t bear, it was his son''s death.


    Swoosh!


    Desperate enough, he dashed towards Weber and tried to turn him into his own hostage to have leverage against Darren.


    However, Darren had already thought that he might do this, so he warned Weber beforehand. Weber had been on guard all the time and stayed close to Darren.


    "That''s as far as you can go!"


    Weber suddenly bent down and held Dario''s family jewels in his hand.


    "One wrong move and I''ll make sure that he will be the last of your family line!"


    Dario''s face quickly turned pale because of the pain. "Father! Please don''t move. He''s serious. I''m in a lot of pain!"


    Weber began pressing hard and Dario felt that his testicles were about to be crushed.


    "Stop it! What do you want?" Leroy had no choice but to back off.


    "Seriously? You don''t know what I want?" Darren sneered.


    "Fine! I''ll let you leave alive, but you have to let go of my son first." Leroy tried his best to look calm and convincing.


    "Then what? You''ll kill us afterward? Stop pretending to be someone that upholds his promise!" Weber shouted in annoyance. He was so sure that if they released Dario first, Leroy wouldn''t hesitate to kill both of them right after.


    "This is how it will go. You will get out of the hunting land first. A month later, you will see your son come out of here alive," Darren declared his condition.


    "What? No way!" Leroy objected right away.


    "Oh well, then you leave us with no choice. If you''re so determined to kill us, then we''ll take your son with us to hell!" Darren shouted firmly and began to tighten his grip on Dario.


    "Argh!" Dario cried out in extreme pain. Tears were welling up his eyes and his face became distorted.


    Leroy started panicking. He was in the middle of a huge crisis and was struggling to make a decision.


    He was also sure that even if he followed their demands, they still wouldn''t let go of his son. However, if he didn''t leave, they were prepared to take his son''s life at the cost of theirs.


    As much as possible, he wanted to keep his son safe.


    However, a thought suddenl


    lieve you.


    Weber, let go of him!"


    With that, Darren and Weber loosened their grip at the same time and pushed Dario forward.


    "Dario, come on. Let''s go." Leroy quickly approached his son and grabbed him by his hands. Thinking back at the decision he just made, he couldn''t help but frown and regret it with all his heart.


    "Father, did you really want me to die just now?" Dario''s voice came out soft and emotionless.


    "No, of course not! I only said that to frighten them. Why would I ever want you to die?" Leroy tried to speak with a straight face while his heart was being crushed.


    "I see¡­"


    Whoosh!


    Without any warning, a dagger glittered with cold light pierced into Leroy''s chest.


    "How dare you lie to my face?! You don''t deserve to be my father!" Dario roared ferociously while gripping the dagger tightly in his hands.


    "Oh shit!" Weber was dumbfounded at this sight. "What did just happen?"


    "Dario! Why you little¡­"


    Leroy couldn''t believe that his beloved son had just drilled a dagger into his chest without any hesitation.


    However, as a warrior at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm, he wouldn''t die just from being stabbed in his heart.


    "Young man, don''t you think you''ve gone too far? He is still your father. Why would you try to kill him?"


    At this moment, Gatlin quickly flew over intending to pull Dario away from his father.


    "Stay away! It''s none of your business!" Dario roared. It seemed that he had lost all his logic. Nothing was left in him but hatred. His face contorted and let out a savage expression.


    "Stop it! Don''t be stupid."


    As soon as Gatlin finished speaking, he gathered his strength and stretched out his palm.


    Boom! However, no one expected what happened next. Leroy didn''t even have time to react before his head was instantly blown up. In the blink of an eye, he was struck dead.


    "What?!"


    Darren and Weber both exclaimed as their mouths were left wide open. Even Harold was taken aback at what he saw.

 Chapter 1335 The Chu Clan Declined And Perished

    Much to everyone''s surprise, Gatlin suddenly attacked Leroy and killed him.


    Who would have thought that a middle-level Celestial God Realm master could die in such a pathetic way?


    Darren and the rest of the cultivators were all utterly shocked. They had never expected that the head of the Tussle Holy House''s branch could take a life just like that.


    "Father!" Harold, who was also stunned, shouted when he finally came back to his senses.


    Dario, on the other hand, stiffened with fear.


    Before he could even move, a loud "Bang" was suddenly heard.


    Gatlin threw a punch at Dario, and the latter immediately died too.


    He then turned around, looked at Darren, and asked, "Darren, are you satisfied now?"


    Darren didn''t say anything. But Weber, who was standing at the side, nodded repeatedly and said, "Well done, Master Gatlin! Well done!"


    The truth was, he was afraid that Gatlin might also take his and Darren''s lives on the spur of the moment.


    After a short while, Darren cupped his hands and only said, "Thank you."


    "That father and son duo disturbed the order of hunting. They only deserved to be punished by the law. You have nothing to worry now. Just relax and wait until the game is over. I''ll leave you alone here. Son, let''s go,"


    Gatlin said before he left with Harold.


    As soon as they left the hunting ground, Harold asked Gatlin why he had to kill those two.


    "Son, I know that he is the one. I can clearly sense the Chu''s bloodline on Darren. I can''t be wrong," Gatlin replied.


    That was the reason why he killed Leroy in the first place.


    The following days, Darren and his companions lived in the hunting ground peacefully. When the game was over, they were all sent out together with the other participants.


    Soon enough, the result was announced. As expected, Darren won the first place, and Lindsay the second. And because of the points they gave to Finley, he got the third place.


    In short, the top three ranks belonged to Darren''s group.


    "Come and take a seat," Gatlin said.


    According to the rules, he would personally give the prize to Darren and his friends. The awards were in the form of tokens that they could use to participate in the finals of the Tussle Contest.


    "Darren, you have to make sure that your token is safe. Remember, the token doesn''t have your name on it. So, whoever has it can participate in the contest," Gatlin reminded.


    He was worried that the token might be stolen from Darren and would be used by someone else to join the contest.


    "I understand," Darren replied with a nod.


    He then bade goodbye. "If there''s nothing else, we''ll leave first."


    "Wait a moment." Gatlin suddenly stood up and said to him, "Darren, can you come with me, please?"


    Darren was confused all


    and downs that the Chu Clan had gone through.


    The peerless clan perished while shedding too much blood and tears.


    But then, Gatlin thought that Darren deserved to know. "Young master, please take a seat. I''ll tell you everything," he said as he pointed at the nearest chair.


    "Gatlin, please don''t be too polite in front of me. I don''t consider anyone around me as a servant. For me, I am surrounded by only friends and relatives," Darren said and sat down.


    A big smile appeared on Gatlin''s face. He could already tell that his young master was a tolerant and generous man.


    "Young master, do you know Alfredo Chu? He was the patriarch of the Chu Clan," he then asked.


    Darren shook his head.


    "Well, you might not know his name. But after I tell you what he had done, perhaps you would remember that you have also heard about him. Alfredo was the most powerful Defiant Master in history. Even the chief gods became jittery at the mention of his name," Gatlin said.


    "Oh, it was him?" Darren immediately remembered that peerless Defiant Master of the Chu Clan. Now he knew that his name was Alfredo.


    "Yes. He is the ancestor of our Chu Clan. You should know more about him and his death. The Chu Clan used to live in the Chaotic Region. Even if Alfredo died so many years ago, the chief gods are still unable to set foot in that place. That is something we are proud of forever," Gatlin said with pride.


    "Gatlin, I want to know why the Chu Clan declined and even perished after our ancestor died. Do you know why?" Darren asked.


    "The saying, ''The tallest tree always experiences the strongest winds.'' is true," Gatlin replied briefly.


    "Do you mean that the entire Chu Clan was exterminated by our foes? Weren''t there any other powerful masters except the ancestor? The Chu Clan was large!" Darren uttered surprisingly.

 Chapter 1336 Becoming The Patriarch

    "Of course there were other powerful masters in our clan," Gatlin said. "The Chu Clan was at its peak back then. It had enough power to compete with the Ancestral Land. The clan was home to many powerful warriors. There were more than twenty-seven warriors who had reached the Deputy God Realm, and there were several hundred people who had reached the top level of the Superior God Realm. I''m not exaggerating when I say that the Chu Clan was the strongest human force in the Primitive Wilderness."


    Darren was shocked to learn that.


    Was the Chu Clan really so powerful in the past? There were twenty seven warriors at the Deputy God Realm! It sounded too good to be true.


    However, Darren felt even more confused. How had the Chu Clan gotten so much power but only to lose it all in the end?


    "They had so many powerful masters guarding the clan. What on earth had caused the Chu Clan''s demise?"


    "War," Gatlin said, his voice grim.


    "War?"


    "Yes." Gatlin nodded. "Seven thousand years after the ancestor died, an internal war broke out in the Chu Clan. It lasted four thousand years. In the end, seven warriors at the Deputy God Realm perished, and the Chu Clan was divided into three branches.


    And, that''s not the worst. When the Chu Clan became weaker, the top masters of the other eight regions united to fight against it. Their reason was that the Chu Clan had disturbed the natural order of things in the human race and deserved to pay. The Chu Clan members fought valiantly, and finally drove the enemies away. However, the Chu Clan became even weaker."


    Darren was lost in thought. The battle must have been incredibly fierce.


    "Gatlin, why did the powerful warriors of the other eight regions attack the Chu Clan? Humans are weak in the Primitive Wilderness, so what they needed the most was unity. Their fighting was meaningless! Didn''t the Ancestral Land interfere?" Darren exclaimed indignantly.


    "It''s not as simple as you think. When I began to understand the things of the world, the Chu Clan was already on the verge of collapse. The things I know now, I learned them from the seventh patriarch of the clan. He said that the powerful cultivators of the eight regions launched an attack on Chu Clan under the Ancestral Land''s orders. It was said that they were fighting for something important," Gatlin said.


    A war wouldn''t break out for no reason. Darren was certain that there was a good explanation for the war.


    "Did the Chu Clan really fall after that?" Darren asked, sighing.


    "Not yet. Only after the


    irect descendant of the Chu Clan, I have to make sure that he takes the position of the patriarch. That was his last wish. You must agree to it!"


    Darren felt helpless. He looked straight into Gatlin''s eyes and saw that they were full of hope and pleading. He knew that he could not say no.


    "Well, if you''d like, you can consider me as the patriarch of the Chu Clan..." Darren just wanted to fulfill Gatlin''s request.


    "Good! This is good! Greetings, patriarch!" Gatlin knelt on the ground and bowed his head.


    "Stand up please, Gatlin."


    Gatlin hurriedly stood up and dashed off into the secret room. Darren could hear him looking for something.


    A moment later, he walked back out. In his hand was a long sword. It looked old and it was covered in rust.


    "Patriarch Darren, take this sword. Just put a drop of your blood on its hilt, and you will become its master," Gatlin said, handing the sword to Darren.


    "What is this?"


    "This is one of the three divine weapons of our Chu Clan. It is also the patriarch''s status symbol."


    "Oh." Darren took a deep breath and took the sword from Gatlin. He put a small cut on his finger and squeezed out a drop of bright, red blood essence.


    When Darren''s blood essence infiltrated the sword, it bonded him with the sword. However, nothing else happened.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a deafening sound rang out and sent shockwaves through the ground.


    "What?"


    Darren could feel an enormous amount of pressure coming from outside.


    ''Did a chief god detect me again?''


    Darren immediately activated the God Character to hide his aura. However, it didn''t work.


    The pressure outside was still there, and it seemed to be getting stronger.

 Chapter 1337 The Territory Enfeoffing Emperor

    Darren and Gatlin walked out of the secret room together.


    Thick clouds hung in the sky, casting a shadow over the earth.


    "What''s going on?"


    Darren felt something was amiss, but it was not the pressure from a chief god.


    Gatlin gazed up at the dark sky. He did not speak, and he seemed indifferent.


    Crack!


    Thunder rumbled in the sky and cut through the clouds.


    In the gap, large, golden words appeared.


    "Territory Enfeoffing Emperor."


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat when he saw those words.


    It was as if they kept getting larger and larger, threatening to engulf him with their magnitude.


    "Are the words flying towards me?"


    Darren panicked. He tried to escape but found that he could not move at all.


    Swish!


    He was drowned in the golden light.


    "Huh?"


    After a while, the light began to dim and disperse. Darren was shaking all over, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.


    "This... What the hell is going on?" Darren looked at Gatlin, his eyes wide.


    "Congratulations, my patriarch! You have inherited the Chu Clan''s homeland. You are now the real patriarch of the Chu Clan," Gatlin said, his tone calm and even.


    "Inherit...the homeland? What do you mean by saying I''ve inherited the homeland?" Darren asked, confused.


    "Well, to some extent, you have now become the master of the Chaotic Region."


    "What do you mean? Does that mean that I have full control over the Chaotic Region?" Darren asked.


    "No. It means that from now on, you will fight for the Chu Clan and attempt to win back our territory. Only after you ascend to the throne of the Chaotic Region can you be relieved of your official duties," Gatlin said.


    "My official duties? Please stop speaking in riddles! I need you to clear things up!" Darren''s face darkened. He felt like he had been fooled by Gatlin.


    "Patriarch Darren, please don''t get angry. Let me explain. The leader of every region should first inherit the throne of the region before they become its ruler and controller. What you have just inherited is the former throne of the Chu Clan.


    Once you are enfeoffed, you will become the nominal leader of the Chaotic Region. You will have to continuously expand your territory to ensure that you will keep the throne," Gatlin explained.


    "Humph! Why didn''t you tell me earlier? I have absolutely no interest in the enfeoffment at all. I do not want to expand territory at all, either! I''m leaving!" Darren was irritated. Obviously, Gatlin had known about this for a long time. The fact that he hid it from Darren disgusted Darren. He did not appreciate people tricking h


    d to be the leader of the clan on their terms, there have been more than twenty deputy gods behind them, controlling the region. The two cases are similar. However, the Chu Clan suffered both internal strife and attacks from other clans after the ancestor of the Chu Clan died. All the great masters of the Chu Clan who controlled the clan have fled. No one is left to protect the territory."


    Darren slowly began to understand what Gatlin meant.


    The history of each major region was not as simple as they appeared. Even Lord Starry Sword should not be the strongest existence in the Starry Sword Region. There must be a few powerful masters working on his behalf.


    "Patriarch Darren, it''s not as difficult as you think to expand territory. In order to maintain your throne for a period of time, you only need to keep the land ten kilometers around you under your control. When you become stronger in the future, you can expand the territory until you obtain the Chu Clan''s original land," Gatlin said.


    Darren was silent.


    "Patriarch Darren, I know you are angry with me because you feel that I duped you. I am deeply sorry, and I am willing to kill myself to pay for my mistake."


    With tears in his weary eyes, Gatlin raised his hand. He was about to strike himself with his palm.


    "Stop!"


    Darren gave a loud shout. He released a tremendous force to stop Gatlin.


    "What''s done is done. What good will killing yourself do? That''s stupid!"


    Darren was also very moved by what Gatlin did. The Chu Clan had already been destroyed for a long time, but Gatlin went out of his way to find a way to revive it and restore it to its former glory. Such loyalty was rare.


    There was no reason for Darren to put the blame on him.

 Chapter 1338 Darren Agreed To Gatlins Idea

    Darren stepped forward and helped Gatlin up from his kneeling stance on the ground.


    "Please don''t!" Darren sighed and said, "Gatlin, you are truly a kind and righteous man. I have to admit I was upset before, because I never really knew the Chu Clan members in the Primitive Wilderness. I don''t feel like I truly belong to the Chu Clan."


    "Patriarch Darren, it''s not your fault. It''s on me. I was too excited to see you." Gatlin choked back tears as he continued to say, "The former patriarch treated me like his own son. When he was killed by the attack of the flaming fiend race, I felt like everything I ever knew in life crumbled right before my eyes. From then on, I secretly swore that I would avenge him, and that I would get revenge for everyone whose blood was spilled. I only later realized that I''m only an ordinary human, and I could never achieve revenge like that.


    Despite this, I''ve brought that grudge around with me every day. This hatred has been buried deep in my heart. I always dreamed of a descendant of the Chu Clan who stepped out from the darkness and the void, fighting tooth and nail for our clan. I truly pray that you are that person."


    "Gatlin," Darren couldn''t help but call out. His heart wrenched as he watched this Celestial God Realm master choke back his sobs, speaking heartfelt words.


    "I''ll do my best. Once I get out of this region and take Elsa back, I''ll head straight for the Chaotic Region without any delay," Darren promised as he patted Gatlin on the shoulder.


    "You''re too kind, Patriarch Darren. I''d be more than willing to follow you and support you by any means necessary." Gatlin was about to kneel again, and Darren quickly hoisted him up.


    "Please, there''s no need to do that again. You deserve my wholehearted respect," exclaimed Darren. All sorts of feelings began to well up in his mind.


    "Yes, sir. But... Okay, I understood," replied Gatlin with a nod.


    "Well, the most urgent problem I''ve got now is how to find a way out of this region," said Darren.


    "Patriarch, don''t worry, it''s not that hard. I got enough points for you to leave this place. As for me, as a middle-level Celestial God Realm cultivator, I can leave as long as I resign my current position as the head of the branch," replied Gatlin in a serious tone.


    "How many points have you gotten?" asked Darren curiously.


    "One billion and one hundred million in total."


    "Hmm. It doesn''t seem like that many. I think some clans got more points than you," said Darren.


    "Yes, there really isn''t a lot of them. Since I had nowhere to use these points, I wasn''t very aggressive about collecting the


    loud Region, two identical figures were standing face to face in the desert.


    "It''s you. What brings you back here?" It was Merle, the second avatar of Darren, facing the Rule Soul Avatar.


    The Rule Soul Avatar made no reply.


    "We came here to find Elsa for Darren," answered Jenifer from the side.


    "Humph! Didn''t you say that you wouldn''t be under the real body''s control?" Merle sneered.


    "Yes, I did. But it doesn''t mean that I won''t complete the task he gave me," said the Rule Soul Avatar blankly.


    "It''s all the same." Then Merle turned around, the sand forming clouds around his feet. He gazed into the distance and said, "I need your help."


    "What is it?" the Rule Soul Avatar asked, still bearing no emotion.


    "Help me get into the fiend race. I need to merge with them to get stronger," replied Merle.


    Due to the restriction of the natural laws, he was unable to merge with dead humans and thus, he changed his sights toward the fiend race.


    "I refuse." The Rule Soul Avatar vetoed it.


    "What? Why?" Merle''s tone suddenly turned to rage and he roared, "You''re just afraid that I''ll surpass you and become stronger than you!"


    "Merle, you''re being immature."


    "Cut the crap. Admit it! You''re afraid that I''ll beat you. That''s it! That''s why you won''t help me!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s eyes suddenly shone with a terrifying silvery light as tens of thousands of laws were ready to be triggered.


    "What? Now you want to kill me?" shouted Merle.


    "Maybe you should have never existed in this world," the Rule Soul Avatar said coldly. "I suppose that you''ve inherited the most ferocious part of the real body''s soul, so it seems fit that you are destroyed."


    He came to this conclusion with swift and ruthless judgment.

 Chapter 1339 Reconstruction

    A sense of foreboding filled Merle.


    He wondered if the Rule Soul Avatar was going to kill him.


    He couldn''t understand the Rule Soul Avatar''s rationale for such an extreme step, though. Both his soul and the Rule Soul Avatar''s were from the real body. So if the Rule Soul Avatar attacked him, then it would be tantamount to harming himself.


    Boom!


    When the raging law force descended from the sky''s depths, Merle''s eyes widened in astonishment. The Rule Soul Avatar was indeed going to kill him.


    "Humph!"


    Since Merle had a body at the Celestial God Realm, he wanted to brave the attack head-on.


    "You!"


    But as the law descended, he discovered that his physical body was insufficient to resist that mysterious law force.


    As he had no defense against it, the law force coursed through Merle''s body and reached his soul.


    "Xavier, do you intend to destroy me?" Merle hissed with disbelief.


    The Rule Soul Avatar was silent, and his expression remained cold. He released more law force and commanded it to surround Merle.


    "Ouch!"


    Merle fell to his knees as agony tore through him. He felt as though his soul was being ripped.


    "Damn it!"


    His face twitched as the torment continued. When he couldn''t bear the pain any longer, Merle grimaced and rushed toward the Rule Soul Avatar. Anguish and bitterness were evident in his expression as he readied himself to attack before he lost consciousness.


    "I will kill you!"


    he swore through gritted teeth just before using the last of his physical strength to attack the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Bang!


    The incoming blow did not faze the Rule Soul Avatar. He stayed motionless as Merle''s fist neared. To Merle''s astonishment, his fist stopped in front of the Rule Soul Avatar''s forehead as though blocked by an invisible barrier.


    "Howl!"


    Merle roared as several cracks appeared in his soul.


    After he struggled for a while, his soul was torn to pieces.


    He trembled and finally fell on the yellow sand.


    Jenifer, who was watching from aside, was shocked. Her eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth.


    "Did you kill him?"


    The Rule Soul Avatar, who was still in the state of silvery eyes, did not respond.


    Splash!


    At this moment, Resurrection Force began to pour into Merle''s body.


    At the same time, the Rule Soul Avatar''s face twitched involuntarily as he forcefully ripped a wisp of his soul and mixed it with the Resurrection Force.


    The Resurrection Force and the wisp of the Rule Soul Avatar''s soul worked in tandem to repair Merle''s broken soul. After a few tense moments, Merle was revived.


    "Hmm."


    Merle opened his


    ved a sigh of relief. He was afraid that the Rule Soul Avatar would ask another question that would give him an unbearable headache, like the previous one.


    "The fiend race," Merle answered.


    "The reason," the Rule Soul Avatar prompted.


    "Stupid! I''m not strong enough to find Elsa. Are you satisfied with this answer?" Merle stated coldly.


    Looking for Elsa was Merle''s goal, but he felt insufficiently prepared. He could handle a few problems with his current strength, but there were other tasks that he could not fulfill, especially when he encountered a more powerful warrior. And so, he was eager to become stronger.


    The Rule Soul Avatar didn''t object.


    Satisfied with the changes in Merle after the resurrection, the Rule Soul Avatar nodded curtly. Then, the three figures disappeared into the yellow sand. They headed west to the edge of the Blood Cloud Region as it bordered the fiend race.


    A month later, under a bloody sky, a thick fog of fiendish aura choked the air.


    The barren and desolate land seemed devoid of any living creatures. While such surroundings would unsettle others, this was a paradise for the fiend race.


    "Let''s go in."


    Merle appeared excited. Now that he had arrived at the fiend race''s land, his path to becoming a powerful warrior was about to open.


    "If we go in like this, we''ll be killed in the wild."


    The Rule Soul Avatar observed the surroundings with his silvery eyes. He spotted several uncanny laws which merged into a colossal net that covered the heaven and earth. Its function seemed to be the detection of the entry of powerful creatures from other races.


    If he and Merle crossed the border, powerful fiends would be alerted, and then Merle and he would be hunted and killed.

 Chapter 1340 The Fiends Land

    Merle glanced at the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "You''re adept at applying the laws. I believe we''ll find a way without alerting the fiends to our presence."


    "Yes. We''ll use the Copying Skill."


    The Rule Soul Avatar had already weighed all the options and decided that it would be best to use the Copying Skill to transform themselves into fiends. This way, the powerful fiends on the land would not detect their invasion.


    However, if they wanted to use the Copying Skill, they had to find fiends to imitate first.


    "Why haven''t you started yet?" Merle questioned impatiently.


    "I''m waiting."


    As they couldn''t cross into the fiends'' territory, they were forced to wait and see if any fiends passed by.


    It didn''t matter what level the fiends'' strength was. Any fiend would do as they could easily imitate the fiends, cross the boundary, and then find stronger fiends to use the Copying Skill on.


    Merle was restless, but he had no choice but to wait.


    "They are coming."


    After waiting for over ten days, the Rule Soul Avatar detected the approach of a group of fiends.


    Upon probing more, he sensed that at least a thousand fiends were headed their way.


    "Move!"


    Merle couldn''t wait any longer.


    However, the Rule Soul Avatar shook his head, placed a hand on Merle''s shoulder, and gestured for him to wait.


    It was inadvisable for them to enter the fiends'' territory rashly. They had to wait for the group of fiends to cross the border.


    They waited with baited breaths. However, this group of fiends did not leave their territory. On the contrary, they bypassed the place where the Rule Soul Avatar and his companions were hiding and went deeper into the land.


    "Eh? Why is that most of them are females?"


    Jenifer perceived that most of the fiends in the group were females. Judging from their appearance, they were first-class beauties from the fiend race.


    A gust of wind suddenly blew over the fiend race''s land. The Rule Soul Avatar had caused it.


    Whoosh!


    His white robes fluttered in the wind as he leaped into the air, exposing himself to the fiends.


    "It''s a human!"


    Although the fiends were still three kilometers away, they immediately spotted the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "He dared to invade our land. Let''s catch him!"


    Several fiend soldiers immediately darted forward.


    "You humble human! How dare you spy on our race? Accept your death!"


    the fiend soldiers roared as they tried to surround the Rule Soul Avatar.


    However, as soon as they neared, their eyes


    ua as a tribute."


    The maids had witnessed how the three humans had taken control. If they were taken away, they would reveal what had happened and cause trouble.


    "Yushua? Who does he think he is? He isn''t even qualified to lick my feet!" the tall fiend remarked disdainfully. He extended his arm and grabbed a maid by the neck.


    "Listen to me carefully. Tell Yushua that Turan had taken the maids. If he has any complaints, I will kill him, ha-ha." This tall fiend was extremely arrogant as he was mightier than Yushua.


    "Your Majesty, I am willing to go with you and serve you."


    At this time, a charming female fiend took the initiative to stand up and speak. She stroked her hair and gazed at the emperor seductively.


    Whoosh!


    Jenifer immediately moved.


    She crushed the female fiend''s head with her claws.


    "Humph!"


    Majestic fiendish aura burst out as Turan was unhappy with Jenifer''s action.


    "Your Majesty, please calm down,"


    Jenifer beseeched.


    "That maid liked me, but you dared to kill her?!" roared Turan.


    "This maid was a gift to Emperor Yushua, but she tried to seduce Your Majesty. She''s an unfaithful and despicable thing. Her action is a tremendous insult to both you and Emperor Yushua. So, I killed her."


    The expression on Turan''s face softened a little after he heard the explanation.


    "You have done the right thing. This bitch was not worthy! I will give you a maid as a reward!


    However, you killed a person in front of me without my permission. I will punish you. You will die, ha-ha."


    Turan was temperamental. Even if Jenifer had enough reasons to defend herself, he would find a way to kill her if he so chose.

 Chapter 1341 Fighting An Emperor From The Fiend Race

    Jenifer felt her heart skip a beat. She wasn''t expecting the fiend to be so eccentric and unreasonable. He wanted to kill her even though she already explained her side. Should she stay and fight or should she run away? These thoughts bounced around her head. She turned to look at the Rule Soul Avatar for advice.


    "What should we do, Xavier?" she asked, unable to stamp down her rising panic.


    "Tell him that we''ll give him all the maids," he responded through spiritual sense.


    She nodded her head and said to Turan in a polite tone, "I apologize, Your Majesty. This is all my fault. Please take and enjoy all these maids. Please forgive me and spare my humble life."


    "You''re so naive. I never show mercy to anybody. But since you''re sensible enough to know your place, I will allow you to end your life instead. Hurry up! Kill yourself, or else you will suffer." Turan still wasn''t willing to let her go.


    "Merle, prepare to kill the fiend." The Rule Soul Avatar sent this message to Merle telepathically. He realized then that there was nothing they could do to change the fiend''s mind.


    "Humph! This guy is too strong for us to handle. If we want to survive, we have to flee." Merle refused to fight Turan.


    "I''m sure that I can get away from here, but Jenifer might not be able to make it," the Rule Soul Avatar said through his spiritual sense.


    "I don''t care if she''ll survive or not," Merle said coldly.


    "Are you sure?" the Rule Soul Avatar asked. His voice was even colder.


    "Is that a joke? I never hesitate. How can I not be sure?"


    "That''s good." In a blink of an eye, anger burst from the Rule Soul Avatar''s heart.


    He moved all of a sudden.


    He then used a law force to roll up Jenifer.


    "What''s this?"


    Turan had immediately sensed that something was wrong. The god''s power''s aura was similar to that of human beings. He had to do something about this.


    His claw pierced through the space.


    It headed directly towards Jenifer.


    "Teleport!"


    the Rule Soul Avatar mumbled. Jenifer''s figure began to fade, completely dodging Turan''s claw.


    This was the transmission law that the Rule Soul Avatar had learned. He had used it to send Jenifer away while also leaving a mark on her so that he could track her easily.


    Turan roared ferociously.


    His whole body shot up to dozens of feet high. Sharp horns protruded on his back and his entire body was covered with black scales.


    "Lowly humans! How dare you pretend to be part of our race?" He had already seen through their tricks.


    Now t


    ces yet again.


    But it was obvious upon seeing Turan''s fury that he would kill Merle again.


    Bang!


    Merle couldn''t dodge the attack in time. It hit him directly, leaving a huge bloody hole on his abdomen.


    The Resurrection Force gushed out from the space yet again and began to cure him.


    This frustrated Merle further because he couldn''t bear experiencing the same pain again.


    There was another explosion.


    Bolts of tribulation thunder were brewing once more. One by one, they all descended from the sky. This time, their aura was even more devastating.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Hundreds of thousands of thunderbolts began hitting Turan all at once.


    "Ouch!"


    The attack had left his body and soul charred black. It hurt him badly.


    It was really too powerful.


    The idea of running away suddenly crossed his mind. However, he was nothing but stubborn. Even if he wanted to escape, his pride wouldn''t let him. He couldn''t bear the thought that a human could force him to run away. It would make him into a laughing stock. He would never accept that.


    He suddenly roared violently. A huge black pillar appeared in his hand.


    He swung it across the space.


    This resulted in destroying everything in its wake.


    This forced the Rule Soul Avatar to reveal himself.


    He spat out blood from his mouth after getting hit by the black pillar.


    "You finally decided to show up, huh?"


    Turan seized this opportunity to charge towards the Rule Soul Avatar. He brought the black pillar down to smash the human.


    "What? What''s going on?"


    Upon seeing that the Rule Soul Avatar was in danger, Merle began to panic.


    If the Rule Soul Avatar died, he would die as well.

 Chapter 1342 Vanquished

    Merle rushed over, without hesitation, to launch an attack from behind on Turan.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    He delivered tens of thousands of blows into his back, the rumblings from the strikes like a hundred horses galloping across hard ground.


    The punches might not have caused much harm to Turan, but they had at least grabbed his attention.


    The Rule Soul Avatar took this opportunity to use the Hiding Law once more and conceal himself.


    It had all happened so fast. Turan had only lost his focus for a mere moment and when he turned around again, the Rule Soul Avatar had vanished. He clenched his fists in frustration and decided to take all his anger out on Merle, who, unfortunately for him, was still behind Turan.


    Bang!


    The claw struck Merle cleanly, crushing his body to pieces.


    Merle was quite incensed to have died again; death was obviously never a pleasant experience.


    It was no surprise that the Rule Soul Avatar''s Resurrection Force soon surrounded his shattered body.


    Merle had now died twice. Even if he was brought back to life again, he would be extremely weak. If he was killed a third time, the Rule Soul Avatar might not be able to save him.


    The Rule Soul Avatar was aware of this and so, once Merle''s body had gathered back together, he hid him as well.


    But his safety was far from guaranteed. Turan had managed to pull the Rule Soul Avatar out of hiding earlier and Merle was much weaker than he was. There was no way he could stay hidden forever.


    The Rule Soul Avatar had to make his move fast and kill Turan as soon as possible. Dragging this fight out would do them no good.


    The Rule Soul Avatar weaved his way around, staying hidden and waiting for his chance to strike.


    Furious, Turan hoisted the huge pillar up and swept it around the space, trying to find the humans. However, the Rule Soul Avatar dodged it nimbly; he would not let it be so easy to knock him out of hiding this time.


    Merle followed the Rule Soul Avatar closely, growing angst taking over his body. His heart thumped heavily with fear, feeling every second like he was about to be smashed once more.


    The Rule Soul Avatar spent a long while biding his time before he finally found the right opportunity to strike.


    He activated the law force and launched a vicious attack on Turan.


    Turan let out a deafening roar when he took the hit.


    He could not fight back against the bombardment of law force and almost lost his mind because of his inability to escape.


    He endured this torture for a few hours before it thankfully came to an end.


    Turan hovered in the air, trembling. There was not a visible in


    this human has almost killed you. What makes you think I would want to get into this sort of trouble?"


    It seemed Yushua was no fool. Seeing the beating Turan had taken was enough to convince him of this human''s power. He knew he and Turan were no match for him.


    Yushua retreated, immediately sending out a message in an attempt to summon superior fiends for backup.


    The Rule Soul Avatar blocked his message right away, allowing nothing to escape, and at the same time struck out without warning at Yushua using the tribulation thunder.


    Yushua sensed the terrifying power racing towards him and tried to escape.


    But the speed of the tribulation thunder was too fast and crashed into him before he knew it.


    "No!"


    Yushua felt his soul crumbling away. He could not believe what was happening. He had only come over to survey the situation; he had not expected that he''d be struck down without even a slight chance of escape.


    In an instant, the tribulation thunder took his life.


    "Here''s my chance!"


    Merle sprung out of hiding and sprinted desperately for Yushua''s corpse.


    "Merging!"


    A mysterious power radiated from the essence bead inside Merle''s body, penetrating into Yushua''s corpse.


    "Ah!"


    Merle grunted and twisted his face in anguish as he pushed through this painful process. His face and body had changed quickly and sharp thorns sprouted out from his back.


    This was the grotesque process of transformation that took place from merging with Yushua''s body.


    The Rule Soul Avatar floated in the air on the opposite side, looking at the five black pagodas not far off with an icy stare frozen onto his face.


    "He''s gotten away!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar frowned. Turan had escaped when he was getting rid of Yushua!

 Chapter 1343 The Fiend Race Was Very Powerful

    The Rule Soul Avatar unleashed his strong Spirit Power in search for Turan, but didn''t find any trace of him. Turan''s successful escape was a silent cause for concern for the two. The higher ups of the fiend race would now inevitably find out that two humans had snuck into the territory of the fiend race.


    "Finally! I''ve been promoted!"


    Merle raised his head and ripped out a terrifying roar. Since he had merged with an emperor from the fiend race, the level of his soul was promoted to the Celestial God Realm, which could now match with his physical strength. Through this method, he grew much more powerful compared to before. If he had possessed such strength earlier, he wouldn''t have been so miserable and been killed several times over.


    "I certainly underestimated your strength."


    Merle flew to the Rule Soul Avatar''s side.


    The Rule Soul Avatar kept a stoic expression and did not respond to Merle. Instead, he concentrated on looking for Jenifer.


    Fortunately, he had imprinted a mark on her body before sending her away. Otherwise it would be impossible to track down a single person in the vast land they were in.


    "Let''s go," said the Rule Soul Avatar after finally sensing the direction of Jenifer''s presence. He was just ready to set off.


    "Hey, wait!"


    Merle hollered. Then, he flew over to the group of fiend maids.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Without any warning, he released his strong fiend power and killed them all.


    "What did you do that for?"


    Most of these low-grade fiend maids came from remote areas, and they couldn''t actually cause much harm to humans. The wars between races in the Primitive Wilderness were always started by the senior leaders.


    Thus, the Rule Soul Avatar didn''t understand why Merle went and did such a thing.


    "Anyone who isn''t from the human race must die!" This was one of Merle''s core beliefs now. If his merging ability was not limited by the laws, he would have killed a lot of humans by now, let alone fiends.


    The Rule Soul Avatar said nothing more in reply. Instead, he turned around and imitated a nearby fiend using the Copying Skill before he flew towards the northwest. Merle, suspicious, followed him closely.


    After several hours of flying, the Rule Soul Avatar stopped in his tracks.


    He had sensed that Jenifer was nearby, but when he stopped, he suddenly found that she was already a million kilometers away and the distance between them was quickly increasing.


    The Rule Soul Avatar narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance with a gaze that looked like it could penetrate into layers of space.


    "Hey, Xavier, look around and help me find out if there''s a fiend stronger than me around h


    as exactly the transmission array.


    "Xavier, we have to fall back,"


    said Merle to the Rule Soul Avatar through his spiritual sense. Although he was already at the Celestial God Realm, the amount of powerful fiendish auras suppressing him put him at incredible unease.


    Even in such a remote area, there were already so many powerful fiends lurking around. It didn''t take much imagination for him to expect that they''d meet even more powerful beings once they reached one of the empires of the fiend race.


    It would be very difficult for Merle to kill and merge with a fiend in a place where countless powerful fiend masters were around.


    "Out of the way! All of you!"


    Suddenly, on one side of the valley, near the place where the Rule Soul Avatar and Merle were, a ferocious roar was heard. They immediately stepped aside.


    In the distance, four fiends with red scales on their bodies dragged two disheveled creatures over by very strange dark red chains.


    The Rule Soul Avatar and Merle immediately shifted their eyes to the direction of the roar. Their hearts wrenched at the scene.


    The four fiends were dragging a man and a woman from the human race. The two humans were covered in bruises, and dirt and grime covered their faces. They slowly limped forward as they were being dragged by the chains.


    The Rule Soul Avatar was stunned by the sight of these pitiful humans. Even the crowd of fiends around them couldn''t help but whisper among themselves.


    "They are Defiant Masters of the human race!"


    "Those are the fiend gods of one of the eight empires. Only they have the capability to capture the Defiant Masters of the human race."


    Defiant Masters of the human race were considered to be the most annoying and troublesome existence for all the other races.

 Chapter 1344 Order Law

    When the Rule Soul Avatar released his Spirit Power, he sensed that the two humans'' auras were incredibly strong. However, something powerful had sealed them.


    Swish!


    Before he could probe further, the Rule Soul Avatar perceived that two pairs of eyes hiding behind curtains of messy hair were looking at him with a strange expression.


    "Are you a human?"


    A husky voice that was almost hard to discern echoed in the Rule Soul Avatar''s mind.


    The Rule Soul Avatar trembled. It was astonishing to learn that the human could tell his identity from the Spirit Power he released. This was enough to prove that the two humans were stronger than he expected.


    "Yes, I am,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar responded.


    "Leave here now." The husky voice warned the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Howl!"


    The four red-scaled fiend gods escorting the two humans seemed to feel something and suddenly shouted.


    In an instant, four powerful fiendish senses enveloped the area.


    Hundreds of thousands of fiends in the valley quieted down. Many even fell to their knees and trembled with fear.


    The Rule Soul Avatar shuddered as well. He quickly recalled his Spirit Power and quietly hid among the fiends.


    Slap!


    As they didn''t sense anything unusual, the four fiend gods raised the dark-red chains in their hands and whipped the two humans.


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s eyes widened with astonishment. His observations showed that the dark-red chains had an extremely strong law force, which had a powerfully negative effect on living beings.


    Swish.


    Curious, the Rule Soul Avatar lowered his head and secretly activated his silvery eyes.


    As soon as he began to pry into those dark-red chains, his soul quivered.


    The hidden power in the chains was mightier than any law he had ever seen.


    ''The Order Law?''


    The Rule Soul Avatar was aware of such a law, but he had never seen it before.


    The Order Law transcended all other laws. It was next only to the Balance Law and the Time Law. Of course, the Order Law could also be graded.


    The Rule Soul Avatar could feel that the dark-red chains contained low-level Order Law, an attacking Order Law.


    Now that he had stumbled across this powerful law, the Rule Soul Avatar couldn''t help but desperately covet it.


    However, he knew that if he acted rashly, his identity would be exposed, and he would undoubtedly


    atar grabbed Merle and hid among the crowd of fiends.


    Meanwhile, the erring Defiant Master was beaten to the extent where he lost all his strength and could no longer maintain his god''s sense. His entire body became weak and limp.


    ''Thank you, sir!''


    The Rule Soul Avatar was grateful. If it hadn''t been for the Defiant Master, he would have been discovered.


    By the time this temporary turmoil subsided, the terrifying fiendish sense had crushed almost half the fiends near the valley.


    "Hurry up! Escort them back to avoid any further incidents!"


    The four fiend gods moved faster. They dragged the two Defiant Masters down the valley and entered the transmission array.


    The remaining fiends still trembled on the ground, not daring to move long after the four fiend gods had left.


    "What a pity!"


    Merle muttered as he clenched his fists.


    Many of the stronger fiends had panicked under the pressure released by the four fiend gods. If he had attacked stealthily then, he might have killed and merged with one or two of them. But the fear of discovery had prevented him from doing so.


    While Merle wallowed in regret, the Rule Soul Avatar forcibly integrated the silk thread of the Order Law into his soul. As he was severely injured, he released the Resurrection Force to initiate the healing process. Alongside this, he used a trace of the Time Law to speed up his healing.


    A few hours later, the Rule Soul Avatar had recovered.


    Re-energized, he and Merle followed the four fiend gods'' path through the valley and into the transmission array.

 Chapter 1345 In The Prison

    There were many cities all throughout the gloomy land.


    The sky above the fiend race''s land was infested with large, black-winged creatures.


    Fiends roamed around the cities, and cries of despair could be heard all around.


    In a city at the edge of the land, two ordinary fiends walked out of the transmission array.


    One of the fiends roared. He was not used to the depressing atmosphere that surrounded him.


    "Xavier, we shouldn''t have come," Merle said, frowning.


    "You will have more chances here," the Rule Soul Avatar said lightly.


    The Rule Soul Avatar quietly released his Spirit Power. There were many powerful fiends in this city. Most of them had strength comparable to humans at the top level of the Celestial God Realm.


    Some even emitted the aura of warriors at the top level of the Superior God Realm.


    Seeing the amount of powerful fiends in a city with his own eyes came as a shock to the Rule Soul Avatar, though he had learned about it before.


    "Identity token."


    As soon as the two of them got out of the transmission array, a fiend soldier came toward them and thrust out his hand.


    "We don''t have it,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    "Arrest them!"


    Several fiend soldiers flew over and surrounded the two of them.


    "Wait!"


    Merle raised his hand. "I am Emperor Yushua. Why don''t you know who I am?"


    The fiend soldiers stopped in their tracks. "Which city do you come from?"


    "The border of the northern land," Merle said. He tried to access the memories of the body he had merged with.


    "You idiot. There are emperors everywhere in the low grade races living in the border areas. How dare you announce your name here!


    Arrest these fools! Those who do not have the identity token are sentenced to toil away for a century."


    In any of the cities of the eight empires, being a fiend emperor like Yushua was considered of lower stature than that of a household pet.


    Merle released cold killing intent.


    "Calm yourself,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar said to him through spiritual sense. He placed his hand on Merle''s shoulder.


    "What do you mean? We will be arrested if we don''t do anything."


    "Trust me. Don''t make any sudden movements. Do not do anything that will give them a reason to pin us down."


    The Rule Soul Avatar used his spiritual sense to sweep through the surrounding area. He surveyed the strength of all of the soldiers around t


    s widened, and his aura of life quickly dissipated.


    Merle wanted to fly over to merge with the dead fiend, but he held himself back. He couldn''t use his merging ability repeatedly in a short period of time, so he needed to wait for a more powerful opponent.


    Merle''s strength was now at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm, and he could merge with fiends who were two levels higher than he was at most. In other words, he could merge with fiends at the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm.


    The Rule Soul Avatar killed the short fiend instantly. This attracted the attention of all the other fiends in the prison. They all turned their eyes toward the Rule Soul Avatar.


    They were impressed by his skill and power.


    "You are not bad. Stay and be my servant."


    The one who spoke was Archie. He was the strongest fiend in the prison. Even the Rule Soul Avatar lacked the confidence to kill him.


    However, the Rule Soul Avatar did not need to fear him because he had the five black pagodas. The pagodas could augment the damage dealt to fiends. He had also refined a trace of Order Law, increasing his power.


    If the Rule Soul Avatar could further study the law he had comprehended and perfect it, his strength would reach an entirely new level.


    With his cultivation base of the low-level of the Celestial God Realm, it was not impossible for him to kill a warrior at the top level of the Celestial God Realm in an instant!


    "Behave yourself, or you will die."


    How could the Rule Soul Avatar deign to be Archie''s servant? It was preposterous. He released a cold killing intent.

 Chapter 1346 Battle With Powerful Fiends

    "Humph! You''d better watch yourself. You are dancing with death!"


    yelled another powerful fiend, boiling over with fury.


    This particular fiend''s strength was only slightly weaker than Archie''s but comparable to that of a cultivator at the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm.


    "Xavier, let''s show him to his doom!"


    Merle''s eyes ignited with excitement, he was almost frothing at the mouth with the prospect of merging with a fiend of such strength.


    The fiend made his move before the Rule Soul Avatar even had time to respond. He was certainly more bloodthirsty than the rest.


    He strode over, the whole prison rumbling with his every step. The powerful fiendish aura began spreading like large, puffy clouds.


    "Step back!"


    the Rule Soul Avatar said to Merle in warning.


    "Howl!"


    The fiend pounced, his massive claws pounding at the Rule Soul Avatar ruthlessly.


    But the Rule Soul Avatar had managed to conceal himself and dodged the attack.


    Boom!


    He responded with a bolt of tribulation thunder that fell on the fiend''s back.


    The Rule Soul Avatar immediately summoned the five black pagodas. The black pagodas circled the powerful fiend, tens of thousands of vicious black chains extended from them and whipped at him.


    An intense feeling of fear and dread began building in the depths of the fiend''s heart.


    "It''s the scent of Flaming Hell!"


    All other fiends backed off, terrified by the aura.


    "Howl!"


    The one under attack, however, would not give up so easily after putting up a fight. He would not allow himself to be taken. After all, he had the strength of a master at the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm, which was much more powerful than Turan''s.


    He gathered his fiend power in an attempt to force the five black pagodas apart. In order to pull it off, he mustered all the power he could, hoping he''d be able to kill the Rule Soul Avatar in a single hit!


    This fiend''s strength was undoubtedly formidable. If the Rule Soul Avatar was struck, he would most certainly be reduced to ashes!


    Swish!


    The five black pagodas rapidly moved to surround the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The fiend''s attacks smashed into the black pagodas. The force that rebounded back was so great it shattered and broke his arms.


    "Order Penetrating."


    The Rule Soul Avatar gave a name to his Order Law: Order Penetrating.


    Whoosh!


    A string of dark red Order Law pierced through the fiend.


    Crack!


    The impact was so incredible that it split the powerful fiend in two!


    Nobody foresaw that it woul


    down and repeatedly threw his enormous claws at him.


    The Rule Soul Avatar had no way to escape!


    Merle''s body had not yet fully come back together and so he could not be of any help to him.


    The Rule Soul Avatar now felt the bitter taste of death as he felt his end coming.


    Despite this, he was by no means panicked. He gathered his Spirit Power and began analyzing his situation, trying to plan a way out.


    He soon came up with two possibilities.


    The first was that he would voluntarily melt his body into powder, escape the attack and restore himself with his Resurrection Force once he was safe.


    He had done this before to escape the Immortal Lord''s pursuit.


    Now, however, there were downsides to doing this. Archie''s attacks were effective over a large range of space; it would be easy for him to cover the entire prison. Even if he turned to tiny particles, the attacks might still smash him to pieces.


    His second option was to use the Time Law. With this, he could set a simple time trap around himself and it might deflect Archie''s attack and take it to the past or future.


    But the downside was obvious. The Rule Soul Avatar had only roughly mastered the most basic and simplest Time Law. Whether he could manage such a powerful attack was an uncertain possibility.


    Archie''s attack would land any moment now, he had to make a choice quick.


    "Time trap."


    After calculations and considerations, the Rule Soul Avatar decided on his second option.


    A colorful light twinkled around him, forming a simple time whirlpool.


    "What? Time?"


    "Interesting!"


    At that moment, from the central palace of Naters Empire, several pairs of grey eyes cast cold stares at this city.

 Chapter 1347 Escorted To The Mining Area

    Archie unleashed his big claws and attempted to swipe the Rule Soul Avatar with them.


    However, even with his tremendous fiend power, he wasn''t able to break into the Rule Soul Avatar''s body. Instead, he felt his claws only hit an infinite space made of soft fabric.


    "What the hell?!"


    Archie roared in anger as he recognized that his strike didn''t land on the body of the Rule Soul Avatar. Thus, he rushed forth and viciously threw hundreds of attacks again. However, the result was still the same. His attacks seemed like they were disappearing before they could even make contact on their target.


    Meanwhile, the Rule Soul Avatar was so relieved that the time trap worked. With this, it caused Archie''s attacks to be sent in another place and time.


    However, using such a powerful skill also required a tremendous amount of energy. Moreover, he had used the Order Penetrating, making him exhaust almost all of his Spirit Power.


    "Merle, kill him!"


    At this moment, the Rule Soul Avatar sensed that Merle had already come back to life. In this crucial situation, he needed Merle to help him finish Archie off.


    As soon as he heard the Rule Soul Avatar''s voice, Merle took action. His fiend body turned into a beam of light, sneakily attacking Archie from behind.


    Swoosh!


    Merle knew that this could be their chance to defeat Archie, so he gathered and released all of his fiend power in one go.


    At the same time, Archie quickly sensed that something dangerous was rapidly approaching him from behind, thus he immediately turned around and swiped his big claws.


    "Ha! You big idiot! Do you think I''ll fall for that again?"


    Earlier, Merle had been careless to be brought down by Archie, but this time, he had already learned his lesson. Therefore, he was prepared for the moment that Archie would launch his counterattack. Merle timed it perfectly and changed the direction of his attack. With this, he was able to land a clear hit on Archie''s head using his palm.


    Boom!


    With the massive impact, Archie''s head exploded into pieces and his huge body fell into the sewage.


    At the sight of Archie''s brutal death, the other fiends were dumbfounded and crippled in fear. He was supposed to be the king in the prison, but he was instantly killed by a single blow. They became scared for their lives and didn''t know what to do.


    "Now we''re even." Merle raised his head and shot a glance at the Rule Soul Avatar.


    On the other hand, the Rule Soul Avatar just averted his gaze, acted indifferently, and didn''t utter a word.


    Swoosh!


    All of a sudden, the entire prison shook violently. It turned out that it wasn''t only happening there, but also in this whole city.


    Then, several extremely huge auras covered the skies above the city, and numerous pairs of dark gray eyes appeared among the thick clouds.


    At the same time, the Rule Soul Avatar could feel that several huge streams of pressure were pouring towards him.


    A frown emerged from his face as he hurriedly withdrew the Time Law.


    He briefly remembered that the last time he obtained the Time Law, the chief gods had been attracted to it and tried to


    ed the recent situations inside them and other details like the number of people who had been sent in these places recently.


    Of course, with such a complex kind of analysis, the Rule Soul Avatar usually had to consider and evaluate more than a million possibilities in just a few seconds. This was such an extreme workload, and no one else in the world might be able to do it besides him.


    "So, you finally understood," the Rule Soul Avatar said indifferently.


    "Humph!" Merle scoffed, feeling the uneasiness in his heart.


    A few moments later, the huge fiendish beast began to slow down and gradually lowered its altitude.


    "All miners, get down now!" the fiend gods ordered. They knocked and pushed all of the people at the back of the huge beast down to the ground.


    After that, the huge fiendish beast immediately flew away and left, together with the fiend gods that escorted the prisoners. With this, the manager of the mining area took over the custody of the new laborers.


    As the miners removed the cloth that was covering their eyes, they looked around at the unfamiliar sight. All they could see was a black mountain ridge around them. Since their fiendish sense was very much restricted in this place, they could not perceive anything from the outside.


    "Listen carefully! A hundred years is just a very short amount of time. As long as you work hard and dig out enough ores, you can go out alive as soon as possible.


    But if you dare to slack off on this job, you can expect that this place will already be your tomb,"


    the manager lectured and made sure that everybody understood what he said.


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s appearance wasn''t too eye-catching, thus he blended well with the fiends. But his Spirit Power was strong enough to reach and perceive the whole mining area. With this, he was able to analyze the terrain clearly.


    He found out that there were millions of miners in the area, which had a radius of at least several hundred thousand kilometers. Despite that, the Rule Soul Avatar tirelessly searched for Jenifer''s aura in this vast mining area.

 Chapter 1348 The Blood Stone

    With the help of his Spirit Power, the Rule Soul Avatar determined Jenifer''s location very soon.


    Jenifer was currently being held in a small mine, where she was forced to work. Fortunately, her breath was still stable and she didn''t have any injury. Perceiving her condition, the Rule Soul Avatar was somehow relieved.


    However, he couldn''t make a move right now. He needed to wait and grasp the overall situation in the mining area before he could find an opportunity to rescue her. He also needed to plan his escape route, so he could smoothly take Jenifer out of this place.


    "You! And you! Come over here!"


    While the Rule Soul Avatar was still racking his brain, a fiend soldier suddenly emerged, calling him and Merle out.


    They didn''t try to make a scene and just followed the fiend soldier.


    "We were informed that you two shall serve in this place for a hundred thousand years. You''re going to be assigned to mining area No. 18.


    Now, take them away!"


    The two were quickly accompanied by other soldiers and were brought to the northern part of the mining area. They passed a dark tunnel and eventually arrived at the mining area No. 18.


    They saw that the mining area No. 18 was not that big and only a few people were working there. In fact, there were only ten fiends in the place, working nonstop.


    They didn''t even pay attention to the arrival of the Rule Soul Avatar and Merle. There were no words uttered, not even a glance.


    ''Hmm, it seems that these guys are pretty strong.'' Merle had a faint grin on his face upon realizing that he could merge with these fiends.


    Without wasting any time, the Rule Soul Avatar used his Spirit Power to explore the area and sensed that there was actually something special in the place.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, both he and Merle were hit by an invisible force. They were caught off guard and felt an excruciating pain in their heart.


    They quickly looked around but found nothing.


    Then, the Rule Soul Avatar took a deep breath and activated his silvery eyes.


    What he saw startled him. It turned out that the mining area was filled with various laws, most of which were the Shackle Laws, imprisoning the entire area. In addition to the Shackle Laws, he also detected some special Attack Laws.


    Upon seeing all of these, the Rule Soul Avatar unleashed a tremendous amount of Spirit Power in an attempt to make contact with these Attack Laws.


    However, these Attack Laws were not easy to be obtained, and so the Rule Soul Avatar needed some time to focus and meditate on it. He quickly sat down on the ground with his legs crossed and poured himself into it.


    Bang!


    Once again, the invisible laws attacked the two of them, but this time, only Merle was hit. The Rule Soul Avatar just sat still and wasn''t affected at all.


    "Hey! Quit standing there. If you don''t start working, you''ll be repeatedly struck to death,"


    an old fiend warned as he continued digging on the ground.


    "Who do you think I am?" Even after being hit twice and experiencing terrifying pain, Merle still didn''t move and remained stubborn.


    Swoosh!


    An


    e! There''s no mistaking it!"


    "Quickly! Let''s dig it up!"


    The fiends felt very thrilled. They wielded their digging materials and tried to recover the Blood Stone as fast as they could.


    After a few moments, a dark-red stone the size of an egg clearly came into their view.


    "Whew! We finally found one. Now, I think we can take a day off."


    The fiends were very elated. They had been digging for thousands of years, yet this was only the first piece of Blood Stone that they had obtained.


    But in reality, they were still a little fortunate. Some were trying to look for a Blood Stone for a hundred thousand years but still hadn''t found one.


    Swoosh!


    However, all of a sudden, a dark shadow quickly passed, and the dark-red stone instantly disappeared.


    All of them were shocked and they panicked after seeing that it was gone. "Where is it? Find it!" It took them thousands of years just to find a single piece. They wouldn''t let it vanish just like that.


    After all, they already set their minds that they were finally able to catch a day off. It was all that they longed for after all these years of constant suffering.


    "There! He took it!"


    As one of the fiends turned, he saw that the Blood Stone was actually in the hands of the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "What are you doing? Give it back to us!" Most of the fiends got agitated and demanded the Blood Stone back.


    However, they didn''t dare to do anything rash like attacking him. After all, their power had terribly weakened because of all those years of doing nonstop labor. Moreover, they hadn''t got the chance to offer up the Blood Stone to the higher-ups. If they stopped working, they would definitely be attacked by the invisible laws.


    "Please, give it back to us." The old fiend actually started crying.


    However, the Rule Soul Avatar just stood there and observed the dark-red stone intently using his Spirit Power.


    As he analyzed it further, he found out that the stone actually contained the Order Law, which was the same Order Law that he had acquired from the dark-red chains.

 Chapter 1349 The Largest Mining Area

    The Blood Stone contained the Order Law, which the Rule Soul Avatar could use to analyze further and improve the Order Law he had comprehended.


    However, these fiends became anxious. After having labored continuously for thousands of years, they dreamed of the day they would dig up a piece of Blood Stone to rest. They never thought that the moment a Blood Stone appeared, someone would steal it.


    "Sir, please have mercy on us. Let us deliver the stone," the old fiend begged.


    "No way." The Rule Soul Avatar shook his head and rejected the appeal without any hesitation. The ten fiends'' expression changed at once. While some were angry, others became desperate from the exhaustion.


    "You idiot! You will earn only one day of rest when you hand in the Blood Stone. But if you let him take it, and continue digging for him, he will allow you to rest for several hours every day," Merle remarked disdainfully.


    He could see that the Blood Stone was important to the Rule Soul Avatar, so he began to tempt the miners.


    The ten fiends were stunned. ''Rest for a few hours every day? What a dream!'' They turned to stare at the Rule Soul Avatar expectantly.


    "Sir, is your friend telling the truth?" the old fiend''s voice trembled as he asked.


    "Yes."


    The Rule Soul Avatar nodded.


    Now that he had grasped the Shackle and Attack Laws in this mining area, it was easy for him to protect these fiends from being attacked.


    The Rule Soul Avatar waved his hand and eliminated the restrictions on these ten fiends.


    "Try it. Stop working for a little while," the Rule Soul Avatar instructed when he saw that the fiends continued to work.


    Hearing this, the old fiend stopped mining tentatively.


    Three seconds, six seconds, nine seconds...


    Nothing happened even after dozens of seconds. The old fiend stood frozen, tears streaming down his face.


    Plonk!


    "Yes, it''s true. We can take a break now!"


    The old fiend fell to his knees as relief coursed through him.


    "Thank you, My Lord..." His voice was choked with sobs.


    The other nine fiends also stopped and prostrated themselves, sobbing with joy.


    They felt this moment was the best in their lives.


    "From now on, you will dig every morning and rest every afternoon. If you find any stones, hand them to me," the Rule Soul Avatar instructed.


    "Yes, sir. We''ll do it. Thank you!" the fiends replied in


    Tell him that I can give him some rest and perhaps even his freedom," the Rule Soul Avatar instructed.


    "Huh! Why don''t you go?" Merle replied with a sneer.


    The Rule Soul Avatar glanced at him coldly and said, "Do you want to work here forever?"


    "No, but why does it have to be that fiend?" Merle asked, unwilling to give in.


    "He is powerful. He can help us to kill the guard," the Rule Soul Avatar explained.


    "Are you sure?" Merle frowned and probed the fiend that the Rule Soul Avatar had selected. However, the fiend resembled a human, and there was nothing special about him.


    "Do it," the Rule Soul Avatar ordered coldly.


    "Humph!" The uncontrollable urge to bite the Rule Soul Avatar filled Merle. However, he knew that the Rule Soul Avatar was too powerful and seldom wrong. It was prudent to follow his instructions, no matter how much he loathed doing so.


    Merle grumbled as he slowly moved in the direction of the fiend as he dug.


    Bang!


    Agony coursed through Merle as if he had been kicked.


    "What are you doing?"


    Merle turned to find that the guard was staring at him with his big eyes, as though he would eat him.


    Resentment filled Merle, but he had no choice but to remain silent and continue to dig. With each swing of his shovel, Merle cursed the Rule Soul Avatar ten thousand times in his head.


    "You are moving too fast. If you slow down, you will be less conspicuous, and he will not feel as though something is wrong," the Rule Soul Avatar advised through his spiritual sense.


    "Fuck off," Merle responded before continuing to dig.

 Chapter 1350 A Purple-eyed Fiend

    Six hours later, Merle finally approached the fiend the Rule Soul Avatar had mentioned. The powerful guard had lost interest in him and no longer paid him any attention.


    "Brat, do you want to rest?"


    Merle asked in a low voice.


    The fiend, who had taken on the form of a human, lifted his head and looked at Merle.


    "What?"


    Merle trembled. He looked into the fiend''s purple grey eyes, and he suddenly felt a burst of inexplicable fear rise up from the bottom of his heart.


    Merle calmed himself down, but the fiend didn''t seem to want to talk to him. Instead, he kept on digging.


    "Brat, didn''t you hear me?" Merle asked, his tone more serious and authoritative.


    "Get away from me!" the fiend said. His tone was firm, and he did not even lift his head to look at Merle this time around.


    "You!" Merle fought the urge to rush toward the fiend and beat him.


    "I''m serious. I can grant you rest. I can even grant you your freedom." Merle tried his best to suppress his anger.


    The fiend paused for a moment, lost in thought.


    "Why should I believe you?" he said coldly. Rest and freedom were the only desires of his heart. He wanted these two things more than anything.


    Merle couldn''t answer his question. He sought out the Rule Soul Avatar through spiritual sense. "He doesn''t believe me. What should I do?"


    "Let a little bit of time pass, and then put your left hand on his shoulder," the Rule Soul Avatar answered. He sent a wisp of his law force into Merle''s body through soul transmission.


    Merle stretched out his hand and did as he said.


    Swish!


    A cold killing intent instantly enveloped Merle. It gripped every part of his body, and he let out a small gasp.


    Merle felt a chill in his heart. He was about to fight back when the killing intent suddenly retreated.


    The fiend''s unsettling, purple grey eyes were fixed on Merle. He looked at him quizzically.


    "What do you want?"


    "What?" Merle was dumbstruck.


    "What do you want in exchange for my freedom? Surely there should be something in this for you. Why would you even help me?"


    "Wow. You finally believe me." Merle breathed out a sigh of relief.


    Seconds ago, the fiend had wanted to kill Merle on the spot. However, something had happened when Merle touched his shoulder. A strange force had gone into his body and had loosened the shackles on him by a bit.


    "It''s very simple. Help us kill that guard," Merle said.


    the guard was already dead. There was no reason for them to go against Merle.


    Soon, all the tens of thousands of miners dropped their tools and pledged their loyalty to Merle and the Rule Soul Avatar. After thousands of years, they were able to rest.


    The Rule Soul Avatar was able to collect ten Blood Stones.


    The purple-eyed fiend had been standing in silence the entire time, observing what was happening in front of him. It was not until he saw that the Rule Soul Avatar had collected all the Blood Stones that he approached him.


    "You seem to be very arrogant,"


    the purple-eyed fiend said, coldly. He had never seen anyone more arrogant than himself, let alone one that was a human.


    The Rule Soul Avatar obviously did not fear him. This upset him immensely.


    "Cut the crap and get out of here if you want to," Merle bellowed.


    He was not afraid of the purple-eyed fiend now, because the fiend was a miner. He assumed that the Rule Soul Avatar can imprison him once more if he wanted to.


    "Ha! I didn''t expect that you human beings would be so fearless. I''m impressed." The purple-eyed fiend burst into laughter.


    "Shut up. If you want to get out, do it now. If you don''t, we will put your shackles back on you and you will spend the rest of your life here, toiling away with no rest," Merle shouted.


    "Really? I''d like to see you try." The purple-eyed fiend puffed out his chest, undaunted by Merle''s threats.


    "Humph!" Merle winked at the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "I can''t do it,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    Merle was dumbfounded, his eyes widening at the Rule Soul Avatar''s words.

 Chapter 1351 Sealed

    Merle was shocked upon knowing that the Rule Soul Avatar couldn''t shackle the purple-eyed fiend. He realized that he had been too naive just now. What if the fiend decided to kill him?


    He clenched his fists as his face darkened at this thought.


    "Xavier, what do you mean you can''t shackle him?" Merle quickly asked through his spiritual sense.


    "He''s not affected by the Shackle Laws that I can use."


    The Rule Soul Avatar felt that the blood of the purple-eyed fiend had a strong ability to disperse various laws.


    Technically speaking, the Shackle and Attack Laws in the mining area couldn''t affect the fiend at all. It meant that more powerful laws existed that fully imprisoned the purple-eyed fiend, and the laws in the mining area were only auxiliary ones. The Rule Soul Avatar was able to analyze this because he had neutralized the laws in the mining area that restrained the purple-eyed fiend so that the fiend could activate the power in his blood. This, in turn, enabled him to break more advanced Shackle Laws.


    Therefore, right now, the laws that the Rule Soul Avatar had mastered were not able to suppress the purple-eyed fiend.


    "You actually have a good sense of what you can or can''t do. That''s impressive." The purple-eyed fiend let out a faint smile, staring back at the Rule Soul Avatar with sincere eyes.


    "What are you waiting for? Why are you still here?" the Rule Soul Avatar asked.


    "Why am I still here? I wish it''s that simple to leave this place." The purple-eyed fiend only said that he had the ability to leave because he wanted to frighten the Rule Soul Avatar. However, the truth was that the entire mine was under the jurisdiction of a powerful fiend god. With just the purple-eyed fiend''s strength, he would not be able to escape. Moreover, the mine was sealed with a powerful force. Those restrictions were not something he could easily break.


    Only then did the Rule Soul Avatar realize that he might have overestimated the abilities of the purple-eyed fiend all along. The power of his blood should only have a relatively stronger prowess of dispersing various laws, but it still couldn''t break the restrictions.


    "But why are you still staying here in this mining area?" The Rule Soul Avatar deduced that even if the purple-eyed fiend couldn''t get out of the mine, he could at least leave this specific mining area.


    "What are you saying? Of course, I''m waiting for you. Your ability is really astounding. You must have found a way to break the restrictions of the mine, right? Just tell me what I need to do, and I''ll lend a hand." The purple-eyed fiend was pretty confident that the Rule Soul Avatar was the only one who could help him get out of there.


    "Why are you so sure? I don''t think I can do what you''re saying," the Rule Soul Avatar replied with a hint of confusion in his voice.


    "Well, I didn''t ask you to do it now. You still have about three hundred years to be able to do it. However, if that amount of time elapsed and you were still unable


    te."


    When Darren heard this, his heart sank.


    He knew exactly what the guard was talking about. It should be because of the sudden appearance of the Archean mountain. Back then, even Finley''s real body had gone to inspect it. He was told that Lord Starry Sword and other masters would be going there. It should be a great issue that only the top masters could deal with.


    However, he didn''t expect that the Tussle Region would forbid everyone to leave because of this incident.


    It was extremely troublesome for Darren and the others. They had worked so hard to finally have the chance to leave the region. But because of this incident, they didn''t know when they would be able to do so.


    Exasperated with what he heard, Gatlin slapped the guard again.


    "Liar! I haven''t received such notice!" Gatlin shouted as his eyes widened.


    "Sir, I''m not lying. Please believe me¡­" The guard started crying as he convinced Gatlin.


    Gatlin was about to slap the guard a third time, but Darren signaled him to stop and said, "He''s telling the truth."


    "What? Really? How did you know?" Gatlin asked out of curiosity.


    "I actually witnessed the emergence of that mountain. The leaders from various regions and also some secluded masters have gone there to investigate the matter. I just didn''t expect that they''ll seal the array because of that," Darren explained and let out a deep sigh.


    "I see." Gatlin also took a deep breath. It might be hard for him to believe such a thing at first, but he knew that Darren would never lie about it. There was no reason for him to do so.


    "This is so frustrating." While he already accepted the fact that they wouldn''t be able to leave, Gatlin couldn''t help but ask, "So, what are we going to do now?"


    "Well, nothing. We can just wait and see what happens." Though he was deeply disappointed, Darren had no choice but to back off. The transmission array was sealed, and no one was allowed to leave. They wouldn''t be able to do anything even if they insisted.

 Chapter 1352 Three Confidential Letters

    Disappointed, Darren and his companions had no choice but to turn and leave.


    "Sirs,"


    the guard behind them shouted.


    "What is it?" Weber turned and asked expectantly. A small part of him hoped that there would be a turn of events.


    "There is another transmission array, but it only sends people into the region. I heard about it from others. Why don''t you try your luck? Perhaps I''m mistaken, and people are allowed to leave as well?" the guard suggested.


    "Boy, do you know why it will only send people in, not out?" Weber frowned and questioned.


    "It is rumored that geniuses from other regions will come. What is astonishing is that they have cultivated for less than ten thousand years! However, many of them are disciples of powerful figures," the guard''s eyes widened with excitement as he explained.


    "Are you sure? You are only a guard watching the transmission array. How do you know so much about this?" Lindsay tilted her head and quizzed the guard.


    "Miss, it seems that the whole region knows about it." The words had barely left his mouth when the guard realized his mistake and winced. He was worried that these people would beat him again.


    "Why are they headed here?"


    "Their destination is that mysterious mountain. This is all I know."


    "Take this. It''s a reward."


    Although Darren had no idea what the geniuses from the other regions were going to do, the information the guard provided was still useful. Therefore, Darren rewarded him with a killing stone that was worth ten thousand points.


    "Thank you, sir." A brilliant smile lit up the guard''s face as he nodded and bowed.


    Darren and the others left for the city to gather more information. After piecing everything together, they were able to understand the situation.


    Senior leaders of the Tussle Region had invited these geniuses.


    This confused Darren and his companions.


    Darren had seen the mountain previously. Ordinary people just couldn''t get close to it. Only masters at the Superior God Realm had the chance to go in and have a look. Why did the region invite young cultivators to the mountain?


    "Where is Darren?"


    Four hours later, a person from the Tussle Holy House arrived and asked for Darren.


    "Who are you? Why are you searching for him?" Darren asked calmly.


    "Three confidential letters have arrived for him. I need to transfer these to him personally. Call him, or you''ll be sorry."


    Surprisingly enough, the person was simply a messenger.


    When he heard that three confidential letters had come for him, Darren''s curiosity was piqued. Who would send him letters? How did the messenger know where to find him?


    erious must have happened. But why are these big figures looking for you?"


    Weber knew how famous these three people were.


    "I don''t know. We''ll need to go there and find out."


    "Patriarch Darren, please reconsider. This trip is bound to be dangerous." As there was no outsider present, Gatlin addressed Darren as patriarch.


    To Gatlin, Darren represented the entire Chu Clan. If anything happened to him, the throne of the Chu Clan would be lost forever.


    "I have no choice. Akbar is my buddy, and he has requested my assistance. I have to ensure that he is all right."


    As Darren didn''t have a close relationship with Lord Starry Sword or Finley''s real body, it would not be strange if he refused their invitation. However, he would never decline Akbar''s request.


    What was more, he was curious to learn why so many young talents had gone there.


    "Yes, we have to go and investigate," Finley agreed. After all, his real body had asked Darren to bring him there.


    "Darren, I don''t want to..." Weber enjoyed adventures, but he loved his life more. So, this time he wanted to back out.


    But before he could finish, he suddenly shivered, and his fat body trembled.


    "Fuck!" He looked reluctant.


    "What''s wrong?" Darren glanced at him.


    "The old dog has sent me a message as well. He has asked me to travel to the Archean mountain right away," Weber explained.


    "Ha-ha, you can''t escape this time, Weber," Finley laughed.


    "Well, let''s all go then. If something did happen, I hope it would end quickly so that we can leave the Tussle Region as soon as possible," Darren remarked.


    "Okay, let''s go!"


    "Alas." Gatlin didn''t dare to try and stop Darren.


    Darren and his companions flew out, heading for the mysterious Archean mountain.

 Chapter 1353 Gathering Of Talents

    About eighteen thousand kilometers away from the Archean mountain, Darren and the others could already see its towering figure going straight into the thick clouds.


    "Is that the Archean mountain?" It was Gatlin''s first time to see the mountain. He immediately noticed that it was incomparable with the other known mountains. It looked so magnificent.


    "Yes. We have witnessed how it came into existence." However, when Darren saw the mountain again this time, he somehow had a different feeling. He knew that its appearance was extraordinary, but now, he felt like it was some kind of a sacred pillar that was oozing with majesty.


    As they got closer to the Archean mountain, they encountered several figures flying here and there from time to time.


    Upon inspection of their bone age, they found out that they were equivalent to the cultivators around twenty-five years of age in the mortal worlds.


    It seemed that they had just cultivated for no more than ten thousand years in the Primitive Wilderness.


    Despite that, they were surprised to perceive that many of these young cultivators were actually at the Celestial God Realm already. Darren was thrilled and immediately concluded that that was what real innate talent looked like. Moreover, according to the information that he received, these young talents were disciples of several big shots, which would actually make sense.


    As for Darren himself, he was quite a prominent figure to be summoned by three famous masters of the human race at the same time.


    Then, about ten thousand kilometers away from the Archean mountain, a purple-colored mist, which seemed like a huge wall, eventually blocked their way.


    "Before you pass through, we''ll briefly hold an inquiry."


    Darren and the others were suddenly surrounded by several armored generals who told them that they had to ask some questions.


    "Do you have the letter?"


    One of the generals approached Darren, suspecting that he should be the only one that had been summoned.


    But to their surprise, Darren took out and handed three secret letters.


    It seemed that something bad happened this time for them to be this strict in inspecting everyone that wanted to go to the mountain. It also made sense why several important figures had also summoned their disciples.


    As the generals examined the letters, they were further surprised to see that they were all from very important persons.


    "All right. You may pass," the general said without hesitation and handed the letters back to Darren.


    "Sir, may I ask what happened inside?" Gatlin tried to pry, worried that Darren might be welcomed by an extremely dangerous situation upon going inside.


    "You don''t need to ask. You''ll instantly know once you go in," the general answered briefly.


    "Let''s just go inside first and confirm it with our own eyes," Darren remarked as they prepared to pass through the purple mist.


    However, the generals quickly stopped them and said, "I''m sorry but you only have three confidential letters, so only three of you can enter. That''s the rule. The others should just wait outside."


    "General, I''m his personal servant. Can''t I go in?" Gatlin respectfully negotiated his reque


    divine pattern.


    Soon enough, a man in black flew over to him.


    "Darren, we don''t have the venomous divine patterns, so you only have six penetrating divine patterns."


    Darren was actually pretty surprised upon hearing this. It turned out that the divine patterns were distributed according to the type that each of them already had.


    He was amazed that these people even knew what kind of divine patterns he had. It was mind-boggling, so he actually wanted to ask how they knew this information.


    But then Darren realized that these people came from the Ancestral Land. Thus, he assumed that they had the capability to get all kinds of information on everyone.


    ''Well, how they were able to get our information isn''t the biggest question right now. They still haven''t told us why we are here and why they are handing all these precious items to us.'' At this point, Darren was racking his brain to get some answers but he couldn''t arrive with one.


    For example, the Talent-upgrading Elixirs were so precious that even the lord of a region could only afford to reward a few to his most talented disciples.


    But this time, the Ancestral Land gave out around three thousand of these elixirs.


    Another item given was the Resuscitation Elixir. It was usually refined by a Deputy God Realm rule cultivator who possessed life divine patterns. Even if a warrior at the top level of the Celestial God Realm was killed, this elixir could still save him.


    The Space-crossing Rune could instantly enable someone to teleport across a distance of ten thousand kilometers. Then, the Power-strengthening Rune could readily increase a warrior''s comprehensive combat power by ten times without giving off any side effects. Lastly, possessing the Indestructible Rune was equivalent to having the Golden Indestructible Body. With it, the cultivator would be able to easily resist the attacks from a Superior God Realm warrior.


    Even just a single one of these items was extremely valuable. For them to distribute these to several people, there should be a very huge reason behind it. Now, Darren couldn''t wait to hear what that reason was.

 Chapter 1354 Wait For The Right Time

    The group of talents who had obtained these treasures were unhappy. Their heads were filled with worry and anxiety, and their hearts were heavy.


    They were still in the dark as to why they were summoned here. The uncertainty made them uneasy.


    "Sir, when will we set out?" Finally, someone couldn''t stand it anymore and broke the silence.


    "Set out for what? Cultivate where you are. When the time comes, we will tell you what to do next," the old man in the lead replied impatiently.


    "Alright."


    With that, everyone stopped talking. Their hearts sank even deeper.


    "Stop worrying, everyone. Your masters are fine in the Archean mountain. Let''s wait for more news from the higher ups. Relax. You should practice what you can. Do whatever you need to ease your worries, and relax."


    With those words, the old man left with the black-robed cultivators.


    Everyone was stunned for a while, and then they burst into lively chatter.


    "What''s going on? I have been so anxious since I received the summons!"


    "I was so scared. I thought that something terrible had happened to my master. I was damn close to tears!"


    "Hey, which sect are you from? My master is..."


    Everyone seemed relieved. They began to approach one another and converse. It was as if a heavy weight was lifted off of their chests, and they could breathe again.


    Two groups of people flew toward Darren.


    "Are you Darren Chu?" Two beautiful women asked in unison, looking at Darren.


    On the other side, another group made up of two men and a woman stared at Finley, speechless.


    "Yes, I am." Darren didn''t know these women, and he did not know why they came over. He nodded at them indifferently.


    "It is nice to meet you. We are the disciples of Lord Starry Sword." The two women smiled at Darren.


    "Has he mentioned me to you?" Darren asked curiously.


    "No. However, in the secret letter, he told us to keep an eye out for you. He told us you might be here. We may need your help. Will you please take care of us when the need arises? Darren, you won''t refuse, will you?" The two women looked at Darren with eagerness in their eyes.


    "Ha!" Darren chuckled. "I''m flattered, but I''m not a disciple of Lord Starry Sword. I don''t thi


    ere anything I can do for you?" Finley asked, raising his head.


    "No, nothing. We just came over to say hi. If you have nothing for us to do, we will go and cultivate. You know, our master says cultivation¡ª"


    "Fuck off!" Finley cut them off. The conversation began to bore him.


    "Yes, sir."


    The three of them were startled at Finley''s sudden outburst. They left him quietly and began to cultivate.


    "I think our master''s avatar is trash. His level is so low."


    "Hush! You don''t understand. You know how strong our master is. How can you say that about his avatar? Maybe he''s hiding his strength from us. Maybe our minds are too small to conceive his great power! Since our master''s avatar is here, I suppose it won''t come with any real risk this time. What do you think?"


    "That makes sense! If we have to stay here for a few more days, I suggest that we go greet our master''s avatar each morning."


    "Yes, of course. We respect our master with all of our hearts."


    "We need to show him the utmost respect! We also need to bid him a good night every night. It is the right thing to do."


    Four days had passed in the blink of an eye.


    The Archean mountain stood tall in the distance, closing the gap between heaven and earth. It was shrouded in dim, yellow mist, making it look more mysterious.


    The wonders of the Archean mountain were still a mystery to the cultivators, and their hearts swelled with the hope of uncovering every single mystery for themselves.

 Chapter 1355 The Relic

    They continued to wait right at the given location. After two weeks, there was still no news.


    The geniuses who had come to the place were no longer as anxious as they used to be. Because there were many unfamiliar faces around, there were a lot of opportunities to make new friends. It didn''t take too long for most of them to get acquainted with one another.


    However, Darren and his companions didn''t make any efforts to befriend any of the other talents. Only a few groups of people went up to them to greet them.


    They immediately lost interest once they found out that Darren was only at the Star God Realm. Out of courtesy, they would say a few nice words before leaving in a hurry.


    "Darren, I think those people seem to be looking down on you, huh?" said Sally with a chuckle.


    "Don''t talk nonsense. Maybe it''s just a greeting or something. They''re not necessarily looking down on him," said Beatty in a stern tone, as if she was lecturing Sally.


    "I''m not making this stuff up! Look at that guy just now. When he saw Darren''s cultivation stage, he turned around and left without any hesitation. He went and talked with someone else in a more cheerful tone," said Sally, pointing at a young man who had just come to speak with Darren.


    Hearing that, Darren simply smiled.


    He didn''t need to rely on anyone on his path of cultivation. It didn''t matter at all to him if anyone looked down upon him. These people were not worth making friends with in the first place.


    Based on his experience in the past few days, he could see that these two girls were actually nice, since they didn''t show any aversion after they found out that Darren was at the Star God Realm.


    "Ladies, you don''t seem to know just how powerful Darren actually is!" Weber puffed out his chest in an attempt to make the two girls notice him, but they couldn''t care less, and continued ignoring him.


    Fortunately, Weber was very thick-skinned and kept finding topics to try and reel in the two girls.


    "How powerful?" Sally asked Weber out of curiosity, which made him feel very fulfilled.


    Weber''s eyes sparkled with awe as he told the story of how Darren killed the fierce beast at the Celestial God Realm. Naturally, he made himself look good as well.


    From the way he told the story, he was extremely brave, and risked his own life to create many openings for Darren to kill the fierce beast. After losing out for a while, Darren finally seized a chance and killed the fierce beast.


    "Weber, you shameless punk. I recall you were scared to tears once you got a look at the beast at the Celestial God Realm. In the end, you were even beaten bloody a


    him weighed down on his ego. He felt his face turn hot with embarrassment.


    "Just you wait and see, you two! Any ordinary woman ruins her life when she marries the wrong man. Female cultivators such as yourselves should know that if you follow the wrong men, you''ll end up dead!" After saying these words, Donnie Xu turned around with a huff and left.


    "Darren, as long as you allow it, I''ll kill that bastard right away!" offered Weber, jumping up in anger.


    "Come on, Weber! Nobody can match up to him among the cultivators at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. Besides, he is now a disciple of the leader of the Blood Cloud Region. We can just ignore him," said Sally.


    Donnie Xu was the last disciple of the leader of the Blood Cloud Region, and thus the leader was quite attached to him.


    When Weber heard that Donnie Xu was at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm, he began to regret offering to fight him. But of course he would rather die than admit it. Pretending to be unfazed, he announced, "If it weren''t for the sake of the Ancestral Land''s pride and my master''s safety, I would fight with him no matter what. I won''t let him go the next time I see him. Humph!"


    Both Sally and Beatty burst into a hearty laughter. They suddenly felt that Weber was actually quite interesting, or at least not as annoying as Donnie Xu.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, we finally have an update."


    At the moment, the old man from the Ancestral Land who had been gone for a long time reappeared with news.


    The noise of the crowd quickly hushed down. He finally appeared again after two weeks. This time he should have big news with him, right?


    "The Archean relic has been opened. Please prepare yourselves," the old man said in a very serious tone.

 Chapter 1356 The Purpose Is To Save People

    The news arrived after a long wait.


    But what was the Archean relic?


    "I know that you are uninformed about the Archean relic. Don''t worry. I''ll explain it to you. Now, pay attention as your lives may depend on it."


    Everyone quieted down and glanced at the old man.


    "The Archean relic, as its name suggests, is the land passed down from the Archean Age. There are varying opinions about how the land was preserved. Most people agree that the Archean relic was formed from a small piece of land that was swept into the time and space turbulent flows during the war. I also agree with this.


    You were summoned here because it is time you set foot on this Archean land!"


    Hearing this, even the gravest of these geniuses could not help but get excited.


    The Archean Age was an era full of talents. At that time, powerful warriors possessed the power to destroy the world. It was also rumored that divine herbs grew everywhere. It was a desirable place to visit for everyone.


    These talents didn''t expect that they would have the chance to step into Archean land in their lifetime.


    "Sir, if the Archean relic has opened, my master and other great masters are strong enough to venture into it. Why do they summon us?"


    someone asked. It was a question to which many people wanted the answer.


    Considering that several great masters of the human race were present, why did they need the young talents?


    Although these geniuses were highly accomplished, their strength was not the best. After all, they had only cultivated for a short period. Even within their sects, they were the youngest disciples and on the lowest level. The other senior disciples hadn''t received any message because they had cultivated for a longer time.


    Was there a restriction on the cultivating time that dictated who would be invited?


    In fact, several people had already realized that this might have something to do with their cultivating time!


    Since ancient times, many dangerous places had had age requirements for visitors.


    The old man''s answer also confirmed this point.


    "If you have cultivated for over ten thousand years, you will not be able to step into the Archean land. This is the message that we got from the masters."


    Everyone nodded with understanding.


    But Darren''s confusion only deepened when he thought of the confidential letter from Akbar.


    "Sir, are you sure t


    other races have not entered the Archean relic. You must be vigilant at all times."


    With that, the old man led over a thousand talents through the faint yellow mist.


    Before long, colorful light formed a vortex and appeared in front of everyone.


    "Before you enter, take this communication device. If any of you dares to kill his companions inside, we will know. The punishment for killing a companion is much crueler than you think. The culprit might even get his sect in trouble over this. Think twice before you act,"


    the old man cautioned as he brought a crystal to everyone. It disappeared the moment it touched their skin.


    Then, the group of talents stepped into the colorful vortex.


    Soon, a barren and lifeless land appeared in front of them.


    As Darren and his friends held hands as they entered the relic, they landed together on the land. The rest of the talents were nowhere to be found.


    "Darren, who asked you for help? Is it our master?" Sally didn''t dare to voice her query until she was certain that no outsider was present.


    After all, Lord Starry Sword had sent a secret letter to Darren.


    "No, it''s one of my friends."


    "That''s good." Sally patted her chest as relief coursed through her. Beatty glared at her.


    "Sally!" Beatty exclaimed.


    "Ah, I''m sorry, Darren. I didn''t mean that. I hope your friend is fine."


    Darren smiled. "It''s okay. Your reaction is normal."


    "Let''s go and save Akbar," prompted Lindsay.


    "There is no hurry. Look ahead!"


    Everyone followed Darren''s gaze and saw many stone balls on the ground in front of them.

 Chapter 1357 The Disadvantages Of The Archean Godly Energy

    This was a land that remained untouched, a legacy left behind from the Archean Age, fraught with the mysteries of the unknown.


    Therefore, Darren instinctively felt cautious when he came across the stone balls arranged so neatly around the flat wilderness. Even though they sat peacefully in place, their presence sprouted an unsettling feeling in Darren''s heart.


    Whoosh!


    Darren''s sword intent flew out, piercing through the air and struck one of the stone balls in its scope.


    The ironclad defense of the stone ball deflected Darren''s sword intent, causing it to dissipate almost effortlessly, leaving only a white mark on its surface to vouch for the strike.


    "Damn. That stone is almost impenetrable!" Weber exclaimed, taken aback by the spectacle.


    "Don''t read too much into it, Darren. It may be sturdy, but it''s just a stone. What harm could it possibly do? Let''s keep moving."


    Shrugging the looming danger aside, Sally flew out.


    "See? It''s totally okay! There''s nothing to worry about."


    Sally continued to exaggerate her conjecture by flying low. She then turned to look at Darren and the others to prove her point, turning her back towards the stones.


    "Sally! Watch out!"


    Everyone''s face paled at the sight of the stone cracking under her. A yellow claw extended from the crack, trying to grab her.


    Taking caution from their sudden reaction, Sally propelled herself into the air to avoid the approaching calamity.


    Whoosh!


    Hot on her pursuit, a black figure chased after her.


    Carefully, she steadied her movements to launch a strike, all the while maintaining a safe distance from the black figure. Brandishing a purple sword, she flung herself downwards.


    The sword shadows she unleashed launched themselves at the black figure, amassing to land a heavy blow.


    "Pathetic. Not even worth breaking a sweat!" Sally relaxed, flipping her hair aside tauntingly.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, an overwhelming force rushed in her direction. Although the black figure appeared ragged and its body cloaked with uneven wounds, it was still alive! Even in such a feeble state, it managed to subdue Sally.


    "Ah!" Screaming bloody murder, Sally writhed helplessly in its clutches. She felt something sharp piercing itself into her throat.


    Whoosh!


    At this moment, a sword intent sprung out from nowhere, decapitating the black figure, putting an end to Sally''s suffering.


    The source of it was the Beast-subduing Tripod held by Darren.


    The black figure then collapsed on the ground, having lost its vitality. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that it was actually a bird with a long sharp mouth. Judging from the fluffy feathers, the bird was only an infant.


    Worried, Weber rushed to Sally''s side to see if she was okay.


    "I was so scared..." Sniveling, Sally tried to hold back her tears, grabbing Weber''s arm feebly. Although her cultivation base was not low, she had always been cultivating in the Starry Sword Region and had never experienced a real battle. After her recent near-death encounter, she was left traumatized.


    "Don''t be scared. I''m here now. Everyt


    control it in time, their elixir fields would be torn to shreds.


    In a moment of desperation, Darren directly activated the Assimilating Force.


    The Assimilating Force made quick work of the ball of yellow sand and wrapped it in its influence, putting a stop to Darren''s suffering altogether. However, unlike the pain, the yellow sand did not disappear entirely. It was just blocked from functioning by the Assimilating Force.


    As soon as Darren recuperated, he noticed the ground in front of him crack open. Several bumps started to take shape on the now rugged landscape as if something was preparing to come out of it.


    Darren felt helpless. His mind was torn between his friends, who were treading on the thin line that stood between life and death, and the approaching calamity about to sprout from the ground.


    After a while, the things lingering on the ground finally showed up.


    They looked like "earthworms," but they were as thick as thighs, wriggling their long and soft bodies. In just a blink of an eye, the ground was swamped with their population.


    Darren activated his black god''s power and the dark gold god''s power. With the giant worms in his scope, he used his Beast-subduing Tripod to lay waste to them.


    The golden light emitted from it quickly spread its influence in many directions and struck a few giant earthworms. As a result, they broke down into smaller components but did not die.


    To his surprise, the components separated from the bodies of the earthworms regenerated to form new bodies, only adding to their numbers.


    Shocked from the revelation, Darren watched with his mouth agape.


    ''How do I get rid of them? This is insane!'' The more he killed, the more worms would grow. It was an endless process.


    ''Fuck, run!''


    Sizing the odds in his mind, Darren decided to retreat.


    Releasing his god''s power once more, Darren plucked everyone from the ground and flew into the air, trying to escape the meddlesome worms.


    Countless earthworms shot out from below and chased after Darren. Their speed was on par with his.

 Chapter 1358 Unexpected Homecoming

    Darren tried his best to escape. If he ever got buried by these earthworms, he would surely die.


    It was a good thing that these earthworms only relied on powerful ability to pop up. That meant they couldn''t sustain their speed. They had to keep falling back on the ground every time they shoot up. This made it easier for Darren to run away from them.


    Soon, he was able to put a thousand kilometers between him and the earthworms.


    He then landed behind a huge stone.


    "Who is it?"


    As soon as he landed, a dozen god''s senses came at him all at once.


    "Is someone here?"


    In the blink of an eye, he was at the other side of the stone. There he found a dozen young men and women gathered together. They all looked tired. Many had their clothes stained with blood.


    "It''s a human being!"


    They all seemed relieved upon seeing Darren.


    "Were you also attacked?" Darren asked. He then set Finley and the others down on the ground.


    "Cut the crap." It was obvious that everybody was in a sour mood. Nobody was willing to talk.


    "Ha-ha." Darren didn''t push for a conversation any further.


    He remained quiet for a while as he sat down. Suddenly, a question came to his mind. He wondered if these people had absorbed the godly energy. How else could they possibly be alright?


    "What are you waiting for? Your friends will die if you don''t save them now."


    A young man with a saber in his hand approached Darren.


    While it was true that Darren was anxious, he was currently helpless. He tried using his god''s power, but he couldn''t remove the yellow sand from his friends'' elixir fields. The Assimilating Force was useless as well since it couldn''t enter a living body.


    "Could you please give me your advice?" Darren cupped his hands at the young man.


    "Get out of my way." The latter gestured for Darren to step aside. He then walked up to Weber and slashed at him abruptly.


    "Hey!" Darren was so startled that he failed to stop the young man from stabbing Weber with the saber.


    It arched through the air with a soft swoosh.


    Without warning, Weber''s elixir field broke.


    "What are you waiting for? Where is the pill?"


    "What pill?" Darren was confused for a moment. But then, realization finally dawned on him. He immediately took out a Resuscitation Elixir.


    The young man took the elixir and hit Weber''s abdomen with a gust of god''s power. It forced the yellow sand out.


    Once it spilled out of Weber''s abdomen, the sand quickly disintegrated into the air. I


    a middle-aged man stood.


    He spread out his arms and waved at the people lying on the ground. Yellow sand streamed out of their bodies only to be carried away by the wind.


    "Your friends are alright now, Darren." The middle-aged man smiled.


    Darren was stunned beyond words, but he was deeply overjoyed. He stepped closer to the middle-aged man and said, "Thank you very much, sir! But what did you mean when you said you came from the Archean Age?"


    Darren found himself unable to wrap his mind around all these.


    How could an old man from a mortal world actually come from the Archean Age?


    "My memories have finally returned to me as soon as I set foot on this land. I have indeed come from the Archean Age, an era of cruelty and passion."


    "That''s amazing," Darren sighed. His emotions brimmed to the fullest. There was nothing else he could say.


    "Sir... Does this mean your strength have finally returned to the level of the Archean human race?"


    "Unfortunately, no. My body is already too old to recover that easily. Logically speaking, I''m not as strong as you. But since this is the Archean land, I have the advantage. Ten of you wouldn''t be able to defeat me here." The Primitive Emperor sounded playful.


    Indeed, it was like a fish returning to the water. He was born and raised here in the Archean land. Even if he couldn''t recover his real strength, his combat power wasn''t something Darren could belittle.


    "Congratulations, sir. This is definitely unexpected!" Darren said sincerely.


    "Oh no! They''re coming again!" Just then, cries of horror pierced through the air. They were all coming from the other side of the huge stone.

 Chapter 1359 Shameless Villain

    The earth shook, and the sound of footsteps reverberated from behind the massive stone.


    When Darren released his god''s sense, he detected that countless skeleton soldiers were on the other side of the enormous stone.


    "Sir, what are those skeleton soldiers? Are they an Archean race?" Darren asked.


    "No." The Primitive Emperor shook his head before continuing, "There was no such Archean race. I guess some master created them for war. They have been rotting for so long that I don''t believe they will have much strength."


    "Well, they do seem weaker than cultivators at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. However, what they lack in terms of strength, they make up for in number." Darren agreed with a nod.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll take care of them," replied the Primitive Emperor. Now that he had returned to his hometown, there was a continuous flow of Archean godly energy for him to control. Thus, it would not be hard for him to deal with all these skeletons.


    "Hold on, sir." Surprisingly enough, Darren stopped him.


    "What''s wrong, Darren? If I don''t kill them, you may be in danger, along with all the people outside. They may be killed or severely injured," the Primitive Emperor frowned as he asked. He couldn''t fathom why Darren would stop him.


    The expression on Darren''s face darkened as he sent a piece of his memory to the Primitive Emperor. It showed him the incident that happened when Darren wanted to borrow elixirs.


    "Humph!"


    A snort escaped the Primitive Emperor when he learned the reason for Darren''s annoyance.


    "How could these people be so cold and shameless?"


    It wouldn''t have hurt those people to help out. On the contrary, assisting Darren would have been as easy as lifting a finger! But they chose to be silent and pretended to heal their wounds instead.


    Since they turned a blind eye to his plight, Darren wasn''t inclined to protect them.


    "Let''s go and see."


    Darren and the Primitive Emperor flew to the other side of the stone. Since Finley and the others were still recovering, the Primitive Emperor released a streak of god''s power to protect them.


    On the other side of the stone, the skeletons were approaching the group of humans. While there were thousands of skeletons, there were only dozens of human talents.


    The cultivators panicked. The last time they encountered a dangerous situation, there had only been a few hundred skeletons. At that time, they had tried to flee, and over ten cultivators had died. This time, they were faced with a significantly larger army of skeletons. Fear and horror reflected on their faces as they wondered how they would deal with the situation. Since there were over a thousand skeletons in this group, they knew that they would be challenged when resisting.


    "What should we do?"


    They huddled closer in the corner and whispered to one another.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    Several skeletons suddenly rushed over, while the others stopped about a thousand feet away. They would be part of the second wave of attacks on these humans.


    Soon, t


    he couldn''t stand it. He hated these people who only cared about themselves. Not only had they ignored Darren when he begged for help, but they had also selfishly clung to the elixirs that he desperately needed. And now, when Darren was behaving with them the way they had acted with him, they were making false countercharges.


    Eallard Liu had intended to beseech the Primitive Emperor to help them despite their actions earlier. Now it seemed that there was no such need. They deserved death.


    "Kill!"


    The skeletons charged. The panicked cultivators summoned their skills and courage and turned to face their opponents. Both sides collided with each other fiercely.


    Dust billowed, and the ground trembled. God''s power was everywhere!


    The two sides fought fiercely.


    Six hours passed, and over ten cultivators had been killed. Of course, the skeletons also suffered significant losses.


    The fight lasted for three days and three nights.


    On the human side, half of the cultivators had lost their lives. But, all the skeletons had been annihilated. After all, these skeletons had already decayed, and their strength was not comparable to that of the real Celestial God Realm masters.


    The cultivators who survived were severely injured¡ªsome had broken arms or legs, and blood gushed from every wound. They looked extremely miserable.


    Darren, the Primitive Emperor, and Eallard Liu watched the entire battle from inside the barrier''s safety. Later, when Finley and the others woke, they joined them behind the shield.


    After everything settled, a young cultivator, who held a blood-stained spear, limped toward the barrier.


    "See? We killed all the skeletons even without your help!


    Do you still remember what we said before the fight began? If any of us survives, we will consider you to be our enemy for life! You shameless rat! You''ve brought disgrace to the entire human race!"


    he bellowed arrogantly. After all, he had just defeated enemy troops despite being part of a force that was inferior in number.

 Chapter 1360 The Archean Demonic Ape

    "Let''s steal their pills and rune papers and then take off," said Darren lightly.


    The people that survived the battle were furious when they heard this.


    "How dare you!"


    "It doesn''t matter if you don''t help us. But how dare you even suggest robbing our things? We wouldn''t dare kill you here, but do you think we won''t try and exterminate your entire sect after we get out of here?"


    It was forbidden for humans to kill each other on the Archean land they were currently in. Otherwise, they would be severely punished by the Ancestral Land, and their entire sect would be implicated as a result. Nobody dared challenge this rule.


    "Boy, since you said that you wanted to rob our things, come on and try! Even if you aren''t injured now, I don''t think you''d be stupid enough to try and harm us."


    Their belongings were stored in their Space Rings. As long as they didn''t hand over their belongings voluntarily, what could Darren do to them? Anyway, he wouldn''t dare kill anyone.


    "You son of a bitch! No wonder your unreliable master was in danger as soon as he came in. He actually had the gall to ask us to come in and save him. You''re both trash."


    "Forget it. We just need to focus on saving ourselves. Don''t bother to save this villain''s master. Just let him die!"


    Darren''s face twitched with annoyance. He couldn''t bear to hold his anger back any longer.


    "It''s not that I don''t have the guts to kill you, but I don''t need to put out the effort to do it myself," said Darren, in a bloodthirsty tone.


    The Primitive Emperor, waiting on the sidelines, got the signal.


    Whoosh!


    He flew out and smashed down a palm strike at the head of the one person who talked the most nonsense.


    "Hand over the things we want, or die. You choose your own fate," threatened the Primitive Emperor.


    The survivors were dumbfounded. The kid sure didn''t dare make a move, but this mysterious man could do whatever he wanted.


    The odds were definitely not in their favor, and they surely didn''t want to die.


    "Ha-ha, fine! For today at least, victory is yours!" Someone cackled wildly and handed over his pills and rune papers.


    The meaning behind his words was obvious. He knew in his heart that he would take revenge someday.


    Seeing someone take the lead, all the other people followed suit. They didn''t dare hesitate and handed over their pills and rune papers. After all, their lives were at stake.


    Darren calmly put all their things away with a smile.


    He didn''t actually have much use for most of their belongings.


    He was just angry and wanted to get back at them. ''I take it you really want to keep your things so you can survive, right? Well, now they''re all mine!'' This was what he was thinking.


    Darren didn''t bother to let the Primitive Emperor kill these people, because they were destined not to be able to


    e warriors at the middle-level of the Superior God Realm," explained the Primitive Emperor as carefully as he could.


    He was met with a brief silence from the others.


    "What do you mean by ''only''? The strength at the middle-level of the Superior God Realm is comparable to someone who is powerful enough to lead an entire region."


    "Anyway, we can''t provoke it. Let''s just get out of here."


    Everyone wanted to fall back right at that moment.


    "You little bastard, come over here and fight me. Why don''t you give it a shot, huh?"


    Suddenly, Darren and the others heard a familiar human voice.


    "Akbar!"


    "Akbar..."


    "It''s him!"


    Darren, Finley and Lindsay all reacted at the same time.


    What luck! They had been looking for him for a long time, and he was just below them now.


    Darren and the others quickly released their god''s senses, but their god''s senses were halted halfway, so they couldn''t detect anyone.


    "Ha-ha, you want to kill me? You''re much too young to be challenging me. Keep pounding your chest. You can keep doing that until you break your own ribs. It''s not going to work. I''m not afraid of you."


    Akbar''s voice rang through again.


    "Shut up!"


    "Couldn''t you have stayed quiet?"


    "You''re so annoying! You have been nagging us for months."


    Then came several other voices, which resounded with helplessness and resignation.


    "There are several powerful warriors in the cave below! I wasn''t sure at first, because I couldn''t sense them clearly, but now I sense everything." The Primitive Emperor''s god''s sense penetrated the cave and found several people in it.


    It suddenly occurred to Darren that the first group of people to enter this place were Akbar and several masters of the Tussle Region. That meant six people in total were down there.


    It turned out that it wasn''t just two cultivators at the Superior God Realm that were trapped.

 Chapter 1361 Denouncement

    Darren and his companions hovered above, looking down but not daring to go there themselves.


    This was because the Archean Demonic Ape had blocked the cave Akbar was in and trapped him and the others in.


    "Sir, do you have any way of sending a message in there, while avoiding detection by the Archean Demonic Ape?" Darren asked the Primitive Emperor.


    "I can certainly try."


    The Primitive Emperor possessed the Archean god''s power and although it was not the strongest, it was at least difficult for the Archean Demonic Ape to understand or even make it out when he used it.


    "I''m afraid I''m unable to do it. The ape has blocked off the entire area below and my god''s sense can''t penetrate it," the Primitive Emperor said, his voice low with disappointment at his failure.


    Their current predicament was a hard nut to crack.


    The great masters had sent secret letters, requiring the young talents to come in and rescue them, but how were they supposed to accomplish that? That question remained unanswered.


    And there were other issues still; what about the other big shots besides Akbar? Where were Lord Starry Sword and Finley''s real body?


    "Let''s go around, and see if there is a better vantage point somewhere else."


    Darren felt that staying here was futile. They had to learn more about this place if they hoped to discover a way to rescue these great masters.


    With their current strength, saving those masters was no more than a wistful dream. After all, even the weakest trapped were at the Superior God Realm.


    "Agreed."


    They backed off a little, bypassed the area guarded by the Archean Demonic Ape and continued making their way north.


    They had flown tens of thousands of kilometers when Darren and his companions were surprised to come across plants on the ground.


    They had already withered and dried up, but it was not difficult to imagine that this place had once been a dense primitive forest.


    "There is someone nearby,"


    the Primitive Emperor said with caution as he detected many auras.


    "Let''s head down and investigate."


    They landed, and to their astonishment, found that hundreds of humans from the outside had gathered in the withered forest.


    The human talents saw people coming and watched vigilantly. When they turned out to be human beings themselves, their nerves calmed and relief flowed through them all.


    "Ah, it''s the avatar of my master..."


    someone said, immediately recognizing Finley and flying over to welcome him.


    "What are you all doing here?" Finley asked.


    "We were summoned to gather here. Did you not receive these messages of summons from our master? But you should have. That is very curious."


    As it turned out, all these people had received telepathic messages f


    eryone.


    "Cut the crap!" Darren yelled, glaring at him.


    "Darren, what should we do? I don''t think they will give up easily. We should have killed them when we had the chance!"


    "What are you talking about? Who should you have killed?"


    About a dozen young men flew over to surround Darren and his companions.


    Weber''s body stiffened in terror and his heart began beating fast; these young men were at the Celestial God Realm.


    However, when he remembered the Primitive Emperor was here with them, his fear faded away.


    "What do you want? Come at me if you''ve got a problem!" Weber yelled as he glanced around before he intentionally stood in front of Sally and Beatty.


    "Watch your mouth!"


    one of the young men screamed back, releasing his god''s power and forcing Weber back.


    "Darren Chu, you went too far! How dare you hurt my friends like this?"


    Those injured or disabled could be healed, but many of their friends had already died.


    After these newcomers had told their exaggerated tale, Darren became public enemy number one. Even those with no affiliation with this group of people were filled with righteous indignation, all saying they would kill Darren for the sake of the human race.


    "We won''t kill you. We''ll let you kill yourself."


    The crowd surrounding Darren and his companions grew. It was starting to turn into a mob.


    "I don''t mind him not committing suicide. Let''s cut him to pieces! I''m sure even the Ancestral Land will give us all their support if we did!"


    "You have no regard for the life of your peers, and you even robbed them of their resources and framed them. A villain like you doesn''t deserve to be alive!"


    For a moment, all that could be heard was the chorus of complaints about Darren ringing in the air, getting louder and louder till one could not hear himself think.

 Chapter 1362 Whoever Hurts Darren Dies (Part One)

    "No! It''s nothing like that!"


    Sally and Beatty angrily reacted as they stepped forward.


    "Are you still denying it? Everyone already knows!"


    Donnie flew out and quickly questioned what the two girls said.


    He then continued, "Didn''t I tell you before? It''s no use defending this person! Why are you still standing up for him?


    Were you threatened by him? Don''t worry. As long as you truthfully tell us the crimes that he had committed, we will be lenient to you."


    Donnie actually had no intention of listening to whatever they had to say. He just condescendingly accused them, acting as a superior judge.


    "What? Who are you to conclude that without any basis? Darren didn''t do anything wrong. What are we going to tell if he didn''t commit those crimes that you''re saying? You lying piece of shit! Are you not ashamed of yourself?!" The two girls were so furious that Donnie was further inciting everyone to believe that Darren was the one who was in the wrong.


    "Ha! So, you''ve decided to take his side no matter what? Don''t blame me if I showed you no mercy despite having a relationship in the past," Donnie threatened.


    "What did you say? Who in their right mind would want a relationship with you? I hope a scumbag like you would be struck by a lightning already!" the two girls shouted in exasperation.


    Donnie was rather humiliated by the girls'' response, so he immediately ordered, "Arrest both them now!"


    "How dare you?!" Before the other young talents were able to approach the two girls, Weber immediately took action.


    Bang!


    Weber attempted to attack Donnie, but Donnie instantly countered by a palm strike.


    Golden light thorns surfaced from Weber''s skin and covered


    ''t care about them. It''s either you live or die. As soon as someone is born into this world, they are only left with these two choices. Besides, if they are ready to kill, then they should also be ready to get killed," Darren said in an emotionless tone.


    "Are you the only one in your world? Why are you taking life and death so lightly?" Lord Starry Sword let out a sigh, a bit disappointed by Darren''s response.


    Lord Starry Sword thought that people had never lived for themselves. Some lived for their relatives and dear friends. Some even dedicated themselves for the sake of the world.


    If there was only one person in the world, then life was meaningless.


    Darren fell silent as the impact of Lord Starry Sword''s words opened a new path.


    He had this life because he had a purpose to fulfill. He never lived for himself. There were people depending on him, and he was not alone now.


    "You''re right. I shouldn''t have taken the matter of life and death so lightly," Darren said softly.


    "Well, it''s fine as long as you understand. Now, you must live." After saying that, Lord Starry Sword''s aura suddenly disappeared.

 Chapter 1363 Whoever Hurts Darren Dies (Part Two)

    ''Live, huh? Of course¡­'' Darren thought to himself.


    "Come on! Kill him!"


    All the people who thought that they were exhibiting righteous indignation began to swarm over.


    At the same time, all kinds of god''s power shot towards Darren with great momentum.


    Boom!


    Without any warning, a bolt of lightning came out of the Primitive Emperor''s body and crushed everyone''s attacks in one go.


    "What the hell?"


    "Let''s kill that non-human first! He will do anything to hinder us from approaching Darren!"


    With that, all of the young talents shifted their focus to the Primitive Emperor.


    As the Primitive Emperor saw this, the expression on his face became more serious. Facing the attacks of several hundred talents at the same time was no laughing matter. Even with his strength, there was no guarantee that he might be able to resist all of them.


    After all, his body had already degraded and there wasn''t that much Archean god''s power left in him.


    However, he was still resolute in protecting Darren. He might not defeat all of them, but he could still somehow pave a way for Darren and his companions to escape.


    Swoosh!


    Then, a stream of Archean god''s power surged out from the Primitive Emperor, ready to kill the two warriors who were fast approaching.


    But then, out of nowhere, an extremely powerful force came rushing down in an instant.


    Boom!


    The Primitive Emperor wasn''t able to fully guard himself and was sent flying backward. He landed on the ground, bleeding from the eyes, nose, and mouth.


    It was so unexpected, but a powerful figure had just taken action.


    "Who are you? How dare you attack the backbones of the human race?" A low and deep voice resounded and seemed like it was


    slowly inching their way again towards Darren, a powerful voice reverberated in their midst. "Whoever hurts Darren dies!"


    All of a sudden, the cold thunderous voice made all the geniuses feel a piercing pain in their chests.


    "Finley Feng?! We have lost so many excellent warriors because of him. Why are you defending this bastard?" one of the powerful masters roared in disbelief.


    "I repeat. Whoever hurts Darren dies! You can try and see for yourself what will happen," Finley''s real body said in a viciously intimidating tone.


    "You! Do you dare to go against us?!" a warrior at the Superior God Realm screamed in fury.


    "Just give it up. If anyone tries to even approach Darren, I will kill you and your whole sect." This time, it was Lord Starry Sword who spoke. All the young talents'' jaws dropped upon recognizing who it was.


    It never occurred to them that Darren had been under the protection of these two legendary figures.


    These two were both famous and peerless figures of the human race in the Primitive Wilderness. Even with just the two of them, they could eliminate everyone there who would dare to go against them.

 Chapter 1364 The Inheritance

    At this moment, even Darren was a little surprised that Finley''s real body and Lord Starry Sword would defend him.


    After all, almost everyone thought that Darren had killed several young geniuses out of no reason. If these two masters supported him, it would not be farfetched if they were confronted by other great masters too.


    But the two masters obviously didn''t care about that right now. Their only objective was to protect Darren. They even threatened that whoever hurt Darren would die.


    Although the two masters didn''t show up, their voices were enough to intimidate the young talents. They didn''t dare make a move now.


    Everyone glared at Darren and his companions while they waited for their masters'' orders through spiritual sense.


    After about fifteen minutes, the atmosphere was still very tense but became extremely quiet. It seemed that no other master spoke to their disciples through spiritual sense again.


    Darren assumed that the other masters deemed that the power of Lord Starry Sword and Finley''s real body was too strong for them to take on. As a result, the cultivators at the Superior God Realm and even higher were forced to back off.


    After everything calmed down, and the young talents started to disperse, Darren and his companions also planned to leave. After all, Darren still hadn''t fulfilled his goal¡ªto rescue Akbar.


    "Darren, don''t go yet."


    Just as Darren was about to leave, the voice of Finley''s real body echoed in his mind.


    "Why? What''s the matter?" Darren was a bit confused as to why Finley''s real body would suddenly stop him.


    "The real inheritance of the Archean relic is about to open. You need to enter and obtain the inheritance so that we can leave this place safe and sound."


    Hearing this, Darren was utterly shocked. This was the only time he realized what was really going on.


    "Wait. You mean you''re also trapped?" Darren asked.


    "Yes, and there are several others as well¡­"


    It turned out that not only Akbar but also more masters were ensnared. Surprisingly, even powerful masters were not able to escape.


    Darren couldn''t start imagining what on earth was in the Archean relic that could entrap all of these great masters.


    "But how? You were captured despite your strength?" Darren couldn''t help but ask straightforwardly.


    "It''s because of the time turbulent flows," Finley''s real body answered briefly.


    Then, it finally dawned on Darren''s mind. In this world, if there was one thing that could restrain so many great masters, it would be no other than the time turbulent flows. That was why the Time Law was considered to be the strongest law in the world.


    From what the real body of Finley said, there was no doubt that warriors at the Superior God Realm and the Deputy God Realm were caught in the trap. If somehow, a really powerful time turbulent flow occurred, even the chief gods might not be able to withstand it.


    "Don''t worry. The time turbulent flows in here are not unbreakable. However, it will still need a lot of time and effort to completely destroy them. We are just afraid that when the other races get a hold of the news that numerous masters were missing at the same time, they might take adv


    thout hesitation, Eallard told them every detail of what had happened earlier.


    "So, now tell me... After knowing the truth, do you still think that Darren is in the wrong?" Eallard said sternly as his gaze swept across everyone''s faces.


    "Wait. Are you serious?" one of them asked. His voice clearly stated that he was taken aback from what he learned.


    "Why? Did you ever hear me tell a lie? I clearly saw the ones who refused to save their peers'' lives when they were in a life-threatening situation. And then now what? These bastards have the guts to give false charges and even incite everyone to kill Darren. How the hell can I just sit still while I watch this extreme absurdity happen before my eyes?!


    So let me say it just this once. If anyone of you wants to kill Darren, you will have to step over my dead body first!"


    Eallard''s face immediately darkened. His righteous indignation was burning furiously.


    If it was someone else who stood up for Darren, they might have easily doubted it. However, most of them knew Eallard''s character very well. Even people who didn''t know him personally had heard of his virtuous ways of doing things.


    "Damn it. It seems that some shameful people are using us without any remorse."


    Upon hearing what Eallard had said, everyone turned to the more than twenty people who had fought the skeletons and fled back in a disheveled manner earlier. While Eallard was furiously speaking, his eyes were definitely focused on them.


    "Hey! Tell us what really happened! Is Eallard telling the truth?"


    "Why can''t anyone of you speak? You filthy monsters! How dare you stir up enmity and even falsely accuse someone innocent?!" Someone began showing a killing intent, extremely pissed that they had the guts to stir up trouble in this kind of situation.


    "Ha! Fine! So what? Who are you to tell us when to lend or not to lend our elixirs? Even if we were wrong, it was just a small mistake. However, he just watched my companions be killed by the skeletons and didn''t offer any help! He even took away all of our elixirs and runes in the end!


    Now tell me who was more shameless?!"

 Chapter 1365 The Giant Beast

    Finally, someone admitted it. However, the twenty people were still adamant about blaming Darren.


    "Beat them!"


    the other people shouted. They were not stupid and could tell right from wrong. It was useless for the twenty people to blame Darren anymore.


    Everyone else was infuriated, and they violently attacked the twenty people.


    They beat them black and blue to vent out their anger.


    "Fuck off! You don''t deserve to stay in the team."


    Then, the crowd expelled the twenty people.


    "Darren, we were too reckless before. I hope you can forgive us."


    "Alas, we only listened to one side. We didn''t even try to hear you out. It''s all our fault."


    Many people were ashamed and rushed toward Darren to apologize.


    "Forget it."


    Darren did not blame them for their actions.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, specks of sand began to rain down from the sky.


    The creatures stirred.


    It was a gigantic python about a thousand feet in length. On its back was an enormous pair of wings.


    "Do we have to kill these strange creatures to obtain the inheritance?"


    Everyone stared at the gigantic beast before them, terrified.


    They felt that this thing, at the very least, had strength comparable to that of a warrior at the Superior God Realm! It was very likely that it was at the top level of the Superior God Realm.


    How could they possibly defeat it?


    Shock and despair loomed in everyone''s hearts. It would be so easy for the python to crush them to death. How could they best this opponent and achieve the coveted inheritance? Was it even possible?


    Just then, many stones fell off of the python''s body. It suddenly opened its piercing, red eyes and scanned the crowd around it.


    "Roar!"


    The python opened its bloody mouth and looked up at the sky, breathing out dark yellow energy.


    Everyone turned deathly pale. Terror captured their hearts.


    Darren and his friends were no exception.


    "Darren, I''m so scared!" Sally was a timid girl, and she had never seen such a horrible, giant beast before. She was on the verge of tears once more.


    "Don''t be afraid." Weber stood in front of her, shielding her with his body.


    Weber wasn''t putting on a show. He genuinely wanted to keep both Sally and Beatty safe. The two women sensed this and became grateful to Weber.


    Darren was very uncomfortable with the vibrations that the python was putting out. However, he felt in his heart that they were not i


    his head to roar. However, instead of a roar, a low, crackly growl came out of his throat. He sounded like a dying, old man taking his last breath.


    "Oh my God! Is this for real?" Weber said disgustedly.


    The turtle crawled over and released the god''s power, trying to roll Darren and the others onto his back.


    The first one to land on the turtle''s back was Weber. As soon as Weber stepped on his back, the turtle fell flat on the ground.


    Weber was stunned, wondering if he really was that heavy.


    Darren and the others also landed on the turtle''s back.


    "It''s so crowded. Weber, can you move away from me a little?" Finley said, pushing Weber away.


    Weber''s face darkened. He was nearly pushed off of the turtle''s back. ''You can''t blame me for being fat! It is all this turtle''s fault! He''s too small!'' Weber thought.


    The turtle got up and trudged along forward. Darren and the others noticed that he seemed very tired, and they felt sorry for him. They did not want to make any sudden movements that might harm the turtle. Suddenly, they saw something.


    "Hey, old turtle! There is a cliff ahead. Stop!"


    "Don''t push, don''t push! I''m about to fall from the turtle!"


    Bang!


    In a flash, Weber fell down.


    To make matters worse, the turtle was startled and toppled over, crushing Weber underneath him.


    The others flew up the moment the turtle fell down.


    Everyone looked pitifully at the turtle that was struggling but was unable to stand up. They felt even sorrier for Weber whose face was still pressed under the turtle.


    "Why are we so unlucky?"


    Everyone couldn''t help but sigh.

 Chapter 1366 The Battle Beast

    Darren and the others couldn''t help but sigh at their situation.


    Why were the others'' Archean beasts so eye-catching, and he and his companions were left with a lame turtle?


    "H-h-help!"


    Weber pleaded with his face pressed to the ground, nearing tears.


    The turtle creaked back and forth and kept helplessly spinning around, but couldn''t manage to turn himself over.


    Darren rolled his eyes and released his god''s power to finally turn the turtle over.


    The turtle hissed at Darren, as if to express his gratitude.


    Once Weber got the chance to get up, his face was all swollen.


    "Son of a bish! My prutty face is ruined!" Weber slurred incoherently.


    It was the first time that Sally and Beatty had seen him like this. They roared with laughter.


    "Weber, what are you rambling on about?" said Sally, trying to choke down her laughter as she spoke.


    "That god damn durtle! Pishin'' me off like that! I''ll make soup out of you!" Weber roared at the turtle angrily, and then activated his god''s power to kick him.


    Clang!


    Weber shouted in surprise.


    An immense pain shot up his leg. The turtle was unscathed, but Weber''s foot swelled up so much it burst out of his shoe.


    He couldn''t help but keep howling in pain.


    A few hours later, Darren and the others found that the turtle was not completely useless, at least. He could fly through the valley, but at a terribly slow speed.


    "Darren, this is going to take forever. By the time we reach our destination, we''ll all be either senile or dead," murmured Finley in annoyance.


    "What choice do we have? Without the turtle, we won''t know where to fly to." Darren was at a loss.


    "Well, why don''t we just carry him and let him show us the way? That seems faster." Lindsay''s eyes lit up at the suggestion.


    "You''re right! It''ll be so much faster that way."


    "I don''t think it''s a good idea. It''ll be so tiring to drag him along!" Weber objected.


    "I think it''s feasible." Beatty also agreed to fly. It was five versus one, so Weber''s objection was void.


    "Weber, why don''t you carry him on your back?" asked Darren as he spun around to look Weber right in the eye.


    Weber''s face turned pale with shock and reluctance.


    "You want me to carry him? Boss, are you out of your mind?" It was obvious that Weber now had a passionate hatred for the turtle.


    "Well, since you said


    ve to teach you a lesson, or my reputation will be tarnished. Everyone, don''t even try to stop me!" Weber was yelling as if he was actually going to kill the turtle.


    Darren and the others stood still and looked on at the scene with interest. Why would they stop him? It was bound to be entertaining.


    Weber rolled up his sleeves and faced the turtle.


    Boom!


    God''s power cracked down at the turtle''s head. Weber thought, ''Your shell might be hard, but your soft head won''t be able to withstand my attack!''


    Bang!


    When the god''s power was just about to hit the old turtle''s head, his head shrank back into the shell at a very quick speed. Darren looked on and nodded his head. It was a useful observation that no matter how fast Weber attacked, he couldn''t manage to hit the turtle.


    "Oh, no!"


    Suddenly, Weber cried out. He saw his god''s power was bounced back, and the power seemed to have been increased tenfold.


    "Oh, my face! Not again!"


    Weber got up from the ground, his face dripping with blood. It seemed that it was going to be swollen again.


    Darren and the others'' eyes lit up at the scene. It seemed that their turtle was not completely useless after all. His skills were actually quite impressive.


    "Oh, you''re such a cool turtle! Can you teach me that move? Please? Please?" Sally quickly flew over and pleaded with the turtle like a spoiled kid.


    In reply, the old turtle poked his head out from his shell, trembled slightly, and nodded.


    Then a faint yellow light came out of the old turtle''s mouth and flowed through Sally''s body.

 Chapter 1367 The Black Cavalry

    After feeling light-headed for a moment, Sally quickly gained control of her body and arrived at a dark place where the only source of light was the light spots flickering before her.


    Upon instinct, she released her spiritual sense and tried to reach for those flickering light spots, dancing without a care in the air.


    Whoosh!


    Suddenly, they began to gather, intensifying their brightness. The disorganized light spots formed an intricate pattern, connecting with each other.


    On the outside, Darren and the others watched intently as Sally closed her eyes, falling into a deep sense of concentration as she cultivated.


    "It seems that Sally has been accepted without any complications and has begun comprehending the old turtle''s skill.


    Old turtle, what about the rest of us?" Finley asked, growing impatient.


    Annoyed, the old turtle just closed his eyes once more, shutting them out entirely. Their haste and indifference were infuriating to the old turtle. He cursed their guts in his heart. ''With such a vile attitude towards me, how can you expect to earn my inheritance?''


    "Guys! I have communicated with the battle beast! Look at this flashy skill I just earned!" An excited shout was heard from the sky.


    Whoosh!


    The next moment, they watched as a fiery red spear darted from a giant beast''s claw and pierced its way through the void.


    "You think that''s cool? Check this out. I have communicated with the battle beast too! I''ve acquired a teleportation skill!"


    Another person perched atop a giant eagle flashed wantonly in the sky, teleporting many times in a row to keep the spectators glued to himself.


    For a moment, dozens of creatures dominated the airspace, taking turns to flaunt their newly acquired skills to the awestruck crowd below.


    "They''re all so cool. I can''t help but envy them..." Weber confessed honestly with envious eyes while witnessing the spectacle from the sidelines.


    However, they only had this old turtle in their possession. Regardless of their desires, they couldn''t display such flashy skills. After all, there was a visible difference in abilities between the turtle and the other battle beasts.


    "Turtle, please, we need you to cooperate with us. Show us how powerful you are. We want to know about the skills in your arsenal so we could comprehend them quickly. If you don''t set your ego aside, you''ll suffer the losses just as much as we would when we''re pitted against our enemy in battle," Darren pleaded, sounding desperate. At this point, he was even content with a fraction of the turtle''s power, if not all.


    Listening intently to Darren''s pleas, the old turtle shot him a side-glance. Out of all the others, the old turtle held an indifferent impression towards Darren. At least he didn''t dislike him entirely.


    The next moment, Darren felt a mouthful of faint yellow energy breach the walls of his body, claiming their territory.


    Similar to Sally, Darren, too, was exposed to the light spots frolicking about in the air. Each of those spots connected with each other, forming ten unique patterns.


    "What am I supposed to focus on? There are so many of them...This is so complicated."


    Darren was struck with confusion from the sight that greeted him. These ten patterns crisscrossed and formed ten space diagrams. Each of these space diagrams had eight faces, and each


    sted open. Numerous black shadows emerged from the gate, instigating fear from their presence.


    In just a few seconds, the black shadows perched atop blazing alien horses arranged themselves in ranks.


    "Our enemy has shown up!"


    After the declaration, various huge battle beasts stood in neatly arranged rows with their human talents pulling their reins.


    The only one still rooted to their spot was the old turtle. Darren and his companions remained in a state of concentration, immersed in their respective comprehension, showing no signs of waking up.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    The first side to show advancement was the black shadows, who ascended to the sky. Their bodies continued to grow each passing second.


    Soon, hundreds of powerful black cavalrymen dominated the sky, inciting intimidation. Their bodies were the size of the mountains.


    "Archean creatures...The bigger, the stronger, isn''t that right?" Everyone was rendered speechless.


    "Stay where you are. Let me probe first."


    The talents riding the battle beast with a lion''s head and a horse''s body took the initiative and rushed into the enemy''s camp.


    Grasping the long pike in its hand, the battle beast dashed towards the enemy, guns blazing.


    Amassing at the pike, the Archean god''s power incarnated into a crimson-red flame, attempting to burn the void.


    "Go!"


    "Kill him!"


    From the enemy''s ranks, a black cavalryman rushed out to neutralize the upcoming attack, a long spear in his grip.


    When both forces collided with each other, the Archean god''s power proved insufficient and dissipated, causing a space to collapse.


    "No good! Use the speed skill to dodge! Activate the defense!" stricken with panic, a human genius ordered.


    In just a single exchange of blows, they were almost confronted with sudden death. Fortunately, they managed to communicate with the beast in time and raised their defensive power enough to ensure their survival.


    They hadn''t imagined the black cavalry to pack such formidable strength.


    To add insult to injury, the black cavalrymen outnumbered them by leaps and bounds. The tide of the battle couldn''t be decided that easily. It would cause them more inconvenience than they had initially expected.

 Chapter 1368 Experiencing Defeat

    The black cavalry was very skilled in battle. Defeating them would be a difficult feat.


    "Everyone, be careful! They are skilled warriors! Be smart."


    The group drew closer together, taking on a defensive stance.


    Their goal was to obtain the Archean inheritance. They couldn''t afford to lose this battle.


    "We''re not weaker than them. However, we don''t know how to control our battle beast, and we are not working as a team. We need to learn how to do both!"


    Ten warriors needed to work together to control a battle beast. To do that, they needed to be in perfect harmony.


    Only when they were perfectly in sync could they unleash the real strength of the battle beast.


    The black cavalry began to sense that the fighting power of these battle beasts had lessened. Suddenly, they had nothing to be afraid of!


    "Charge!"


    The black cavalryman standing in the front lifted his long spear and waved it forward. Hundreds of black cavalrymen rushed toward the human warriors.


    "Shit! They''re everywhere!"


    Terror gripped the human talents'' hearts, but they held on. They were trained to fight, and they were the best of the best. It was time for them to use their training.


    Two battle beasts charged to the front lines of the human troops to face the black cavalry head-on.


    One was the Armored Dragon, and the other was the Stone Giant!


    These two battle beasts had strong defensive power. They were summoned to resist the first wave of attacks.


    Hundreds of black cavalrymen rushed over. The Stone Giant let out the fierce growl and attacked them.


    It waved its mountain-sized fist with lightning-fast speed.


    It did well to defend the humans, and its power was strong. Just one punch was enough to shatter an Archean star!


    The two black cavalrymen toppled over and were crushed by the Stone Giant. However, there were too many enemies. The Stone Giant was outnumbered. Soon, it couldn''t withstand the multitude of attacks hurled toward it and succumbed to its wounds.


    Boom!


    The earth shook, and an enormous pit opened up in the ground.


    Since the Stone Giant failed, the Armored Dragon took over and joined the battle.


    It raised its massive head and roared. A faint yellow shield appeared in front of it, and it enveloped all the other battle beasts controlled by th


    guessing who was winning.


    "Kill!"


    Eallard''s eyes turned wild, and he looked insane.


    "Kill!"


    The remaining human warriors also roared and launched their last attacks.


    "Roar!"


    The black cavalrymen formed the Killing Array, intending to kill these battle beasts with one swift movement.


    Clang!


    With a sudden crash, all the charging black cavalrymen were forced backward.


    A turtle shell shrouded in yellow light appeared among the battle beasts. The shell forced the black cavalrymen back.


    "Ha! Turtle, you are so powerful! You knocked back those cavalrymen in an instant!"


    A small turtle suddenly rose up in the air. Of course, it was small compared to all the other battle beasts surrounding it.


    Sally stood atop the turtle''s back, looking like a fierce fairy.


    "Hey, that''s the battle beast of Darren and his companions!"


    "Is this true? The old turtle is actually very powerful?"


    The rest of them looked at the old turtle in surprise. Everyone was in shock at what the old turtle could do.


    What was more, they found that Darren and his other companions were still immersed in cultivation.


    The black cavalrymen''s attack was pushed back, and many of them were injured. However, they were still undefeated.


    They were still in formation, strong and unmoving.


    The lead black cavalryman came out from amongst the troops. He was atop a flaming Archean horse, and in his hand was a long, sharp spear.


    His eyes flashed with a dark, ominous light. A terrifying aura spread out in an instant.

 Chapter 1369 The Turtles Skills

    "What?"


    Everyone''s eyes flew open with astonishment. Something was wrong! How could the head of the black cavalrymen have such strong aura?


    Could their old turtle defend against the lead black cavalryman? Was Sally''s comprehension of the rebound skill sufficient? Could they resist such a powerful opponent?


    "Turtle, I''m a little scared." Sally murmured to the old turtle to ease her nervousness.


    The old turtle stretched out his head and glanced at the black cavalryman before turning toward Sally.


    His three legs paddled and scratched in the air a few times, and then he turned and hurried in the opposite direction.


    "Is he fleeing?"


    "Don''t do that to us!"


    Everyone exclaimed as anxiety surged within them. The turtle had been their only source of hope, but he had deserted them. If the old turtle was unwilling to help them, what chance did they have?


    Meanwhile, the black cavalryman waved his long spear in front of him. A split second later, wave after wave of the black flames swept forward.


    Facing this barrage of flames, the young talents felt it was pointless to try and escape. After all, the aura was too strong, and the speed was incredibly fast! Where would they go?


    However, just as the flames were about to reach them, a shadow of a huge turtle head suddenly appeared.


    It opened its massive mouth and sucked all the flames as if it were drinking water.


    After the massive head finished consuming the flames, the old turtle let out a loud burp. A cloud of black smoke escaped his dry, scaly lips. He smacked his lips, and eagerness glimmered in his eyes, as though he wanted more.


    "Ha-ha, I''ve comprehended the skill. This guy is immune to fire..." Finley laughed. What he mastered was the old turtle''s fire-resisting skill.


    The leader of the black cavalrymen stopped.


    He had never seen such an opponent.


    The turtle was no larger than a flea to him, but he could swallow the god''s power of his flames. How could it be? What else could that thing do?


    However, the black cavalryman was not afraid. Since he could not attack with his god''s power, he decided to use his physical strength. He kicked his Archean flaming horse into a frenzy and charged forward with his long spear.


    The black cavalryman had barely crossed half the distance when a colossal foot descended from the sky.


    The collision''s impact threw the black cavalryman from his horse and crushed him into the ground.


    Everyone watched with their mouths agape. When they glanced at the foot, they realized that a new leg had grown in place of the broken one. What was more, it stretched for several kilometers and grew bigger and bigger. The huge foot was actually the turtle''s!


    "Humph, the skill, Disabled Turtle Foot, is really powerful," Beatty snorted. Although this skill was a little ugly and she could hardly bear t


    meet Darren''s expectations.


    How could it be? He was so humiliated that he wished the earth would open and swallow him whole!


    "Wait! Why aren''t the black cavalrymen moving? Are they out of their minds?" Sally asked as she peeked through her fingers.


    "They''re smoking!"


    Everyone glanced at the black cavalrymen, many of who were emitting pungent smoke as they had begun to decay.


    Crack! Crack! Crack


    The old turtles'' shells flew toward the group of young talents and formed a massive turtle shell shield around them.


    "Roar! Roar! Roar!"


    All of a sudden, the black cavalrymen roared. With spears held high, they charged with their flaming horses. However, this time, their targets were not the humans or their beasts. They were attacking each other!


    What was happening?


    Everyone was stunned again. The black cavalrymen were killing each other!


    Darren appeared pensive as he recalled the skills he had comprehended.


    "Saliva is extremely corrosive! The falling shells can form a defense! Their farts can paralyze the black cavalrymen temporarily. But what are the curses for? Did the curses cause the black cavalrymen to hallucinate? Could that explain why they began to attack each other?"


    Darren turned to face the old turtle.


    "Your skills are too obscene, but they work!" Finally, the urge to slap the old turtle to death subsided. At this point, Darren even found it in his heart to grin. The absurdity of the skills was just too much for him to resist.


    Only then did the old turtle cast a contemptuous glance at Darren. It was almost as if he were mocking Darren for underestimating him.


    In less than an hour, the black cavalrymen were destroyed, except for their leader.


    Hatred gleamed in his eyes as he glared at Darren, who sat astride the old turtle. Suddenly, he raised his head and roared, and the huge stone gate in the valley began to collapse.

 Chapter 1370 Flee In Disorder

    As the leader of the black cavalry roared, the stone gate quickly collapsed, along with him turning into ashes.


    Then, a wisp of dark blood vitality flew into the valley.


    Soon after, a gust of smoke condensed into the shape of a human, who opened his mouth and swallowed the wisp of blood vitality.


    "Damn it! This must be the real guardian of the valley!" Everyone''s face became serious as they witnessed this scene.


    "Darren, we''re going to depend on you¡­"


    "That''s right! Your battle beast is very powerful. I think that you''ll be able to handle this easily too!"


    At that moment, Darren looked at the black shadow that condensed in the valley. Its eyes suddenly lit up, emitting pure white light.


    Darren''s body trembled upon looking straight into its eyes. The black shadow''s gaze made his soul so frightened that he was almost petrified.


    "That thing is so powerful! I can sense it!" Darren eventually lowered his head and asked his battle beast, "Turtle, can we really defeat that thing?"


    The old turtle just raised his head and looked at Darren contemptuously, as if he was in disbelief that Darren needed to ask such kind of thing.


    Seeing the expression in the eyes of the old turtle, Darren felt somehow relieved. He realized that even his battle beast was confident enough in his own power.


    Meanwhile, the black shadow below had completely condensed into its human form. The creature wore a black armor and carried a heavy blade in its hand.


    Swoosh!


    All of a sudden, its body flickered, making its movements very difficult to track.


    "What incredible speed!"


    "Watch out! The creature is already taking action!"


    The black shadow raised its heavy blade and hurled a slash towards them. They saw a huge faint yellow blade radiance rapidly approaching.


    ''What is this? There''s no blade intent?''


    Darren was surprised and confused that he couldn''t feel any blade intent from the blade radiance, but it was still a fact that it was undoubtedly powerful. In fact, it was much more powerful than the attack of the leader of the black cavalry.


    "Infinite Defense Skill!"


    Darren wasted no time and ordered the old turtle to activate his defensive skill.


    However, this defensive skill was still as embarrassing as ever. The old turtle split up into large groups of lame old turtles, and they began to hop and dance around.


    At the same time, the falling turtle shells formed into a huge one, enveloping the battle beasts on Darren''s side.


    Boom!


    The overwhelming blade radiance hit the giant turtle shell, and the god''s power spread in all directions.


    "Yes! It withstood the attack!"


    The young talents felt pretty confident upon seeing that the blade radiance was broken, while they were completely unharmed.


    Crack!


    However, just after a few seconds, the huge turtle shell around them began to crack like a fragile glass.


    Crash!


    Then, the entire turtle shell was crushed into ashes.


    "Argh!"


    The human talents riding the battle beasts spat out blood one after another. Even Darren felt that his internal


    tails and approaching at an astounding speed.


    "Damn it! I thought we already escaped from it! What should we do now?"


    "Let''s go all out and fight together! There''s no use escaping from it if it could just catch up to us with ease!"


    Now that they realized that they couldn''t escape from the black shadow, they had thought of fighting it head-on. However, from their experience earlier, it seemed like the black shadow could kill them easily with just a single move. There was no chance of victory for them unless they could thoroughly control the battle beasts and unleash their fullest potentials and fighting power.


    "Weber, take them with us," Darren said out of nowhere.


    "What? No! Why do we have to save these bunch of idiots?" Weber strongly refused.


    "What are you saying? They are the young talents of the human race. It''s a huge loss if we just let them die this way," Beatty butted in.


    "Weber, please save them even just this once." Sally also joined and looked at Weber with eager eyes.


    Weber felt like his heart melted under Sally''s gaze. She needed not say anything else because he would do any request that would be coming from her.


    "Okay, fine. I''m not that cold-hearted. I''ll still save them despite what they did earlier."


    With that, Weber commanded the Thunder Cloud Bird to fly over to the people below them.


    "All of you, come aboard! Be quick about it. Don''t complain if you were left behind," Weber proudly declared as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Eallard, come over quickly!" Darren shouted to him first.


    "All right!"


    Since they were in a situation where their lives were at stake, they couldn''t care about anything else. They just set aside their past issues and quickly flew towards the back of the Thunder Cloud Bird.


    Soon enough, all of them had already landed at the back of Weber''s battle beast.


    Whoosh!


    As the Thunder Cloud Bird let out a deafening roar, its speed suddenly increased to the maximum. Its body spun rapidly and flew in an extremely tricky trajectory.

 Chapter 1371 Devil Muscled Turtle (Part One)

    "Hey, Weber! What''s wrong with your battle beast? Why is it behaving like this?" Darren asked with a frown as the Thunder Cloud Bird continued to fly violently.


    "Don''t mind it. It''s just that there are quite too many strangers riding on it, so it''s a little angry," Weber said with a seemingly forced smile.


    "Hey, Thunder Cloud Bird, behave yourself and fly well, will you?" Weber said in an authoritative tone.


    Whoosh!


    However, the moment Weber said those words, the battle beast became more violent and flew wildly in the air.


    "Everybody! Hold tight, or you''ll fall!"


    The young talents were almost shaken off as the giant bird flailed rashly.


    "Weber, can''t you do anything to make it calm down?" Sally was scared silly while holding tightly on the feathers of the Thunder Cloud Bird.


    "Just take it easy. This bird is actually very tamed. I think it''s just playing around. Don''t be afrai¡ª"


    Before Weber could even finish what he was saying, the battle beast suddenly turned around and changed its trajectory. It was now flying straight back to the black shadow that was chasing after them.


    "Oh god! What are you doing? Not that way! Turn around and escape from that thing!" Weber''s face turned pale with the sudden action of the huge bird.


    "Hey, dear bird? Can you hear me?" Weber almost burst out into tears upon realizing that the battle beast wasn''t listening to him anymore. "All right, I''m sorry! It''s my fault, okay? I''ll kowtow to you a few more times. Just turn around and do what I say."


    Darren and the rest were utterly shocked upon hearing what Weber said to the battle beast.


    ''What? Did he mean that he kowtowed to the bird before?'' all of them couldn''t help but wonder.


    "Come on! I already


    ating." Weber let out a bitter smile as he remembered how he managed to gain control of the Thunder Cloud Bird.


    Roar!


    At this moment, the black shadow had finally caught up and stood firmly in front of them.


    Their faces became serious as fear started creeping beneath their skin. Right now, they had no way to escape this creature. "Screw it! Let''s fight to the death!"


    They thought that if they were going to die, they might at least do it while trying their best to fight back.


    Roar! Roar!


    Their battle beasts let out violent roars, implicating that they were also ready to battle it out.


    "Attack!"


    One of the young talents ordered their battle beast to rush out first.


    Swoosh!


    Swoosh!


    "Damn it! Help me treat it quickly!"


    The talents who controlled the phantom battle beast behind them instantly activated their skills. A few rays of green light enveloped the defeated battle beast and healed its body. However, even if they restored its body into its original state, its power would still greatly decrease.


    "Go! Attack!"


    Another ten battle beasts rushed out and attacked the black shadow from different directions.

 Chapter 1372 Devil Muscled Turtle (Part Two)

    This time, the black shadow didn''t move at all. It just stood there and let all the attacks fall on its body.


    Then, a moment later, the tremendous Archean god''s power dispersed, rendering all the attacks thrown at it ineffective.


    Everyone''s heart sank. They were dumbfounded that the black shadow took all of their attacks without even resisting, but it remained unharmed. How else were they going to beat it then? Some of them were almost close to giving up.


    Even if the black shadow launched its attack, it was as if they had lost their spirit to resist anymore.


    "What the hell? What inheritance can we get this way? The gap in our strength is way too big!"


    "Not only that. The time given to us is also too short."


    "It just proves that our aptitude and potential are still far from enough. If only our comprehension abilities were much stronger, then we can fully control the power of the battle beasts. That way, we might have a chance."


    "I agree. We''re still too weak and inexperienced."


    The young talents couldn''t do anything but wallow in their helplessness.


    "Phew!"


    Then, suddenly, Lindsay opened her eyes and heaved a deep sigh of relief after being immersed in her comprehension for a long time.


    "Hey, Lindsay! Have you comprehended a secret skill?" Beatty asked.


    "Ah, no¡­" Lindsay shook her head lightly.


    "Oh, really¡­ I thought you might have discovered something because I saw that your face was kind of relieved as you regained your senses," Sally explained, feeling a little disappointed.


    But with a faint smile, Lindsay said, "I haven''t comprehended anything, but Jeremy has. Come out, Jeremy!"


    Instantly, a fluffy white beast popped out, and curiously looked at the battle beasts around him.


    After a few glances, he just stayed silent and thoug


    esist the attack of the old turtle man.


    However, the old turtle man''s stick suddenly withdrew and changed its attacking pattern from slashing downwards to stabbing right into the black shadow''s body.


    Boom!


    The overflowing god''s power dispersed in all directions, and a huge hole was made in the belly of the black shadow.


    "Bravo! The Devil Muscled Turtle is so powerful!"


    Jeremy exclaimed and danced around with joy.


    However, not everyone could just believe what they just saw. They were so flabbergasted at the power displayed by the old turtle man. He was supposed to be the same lame old turtle from before that cowardly hid himself after experiencing the devastating power of the black shadow. How could he become so powerful just after becoming an old man with bulky muscles?


    Swish! Swish!


    Countless stick shadows continued to sweep over from various directions.


    The power exhibited by the old turtle man was still increasing, making the space around tremble violently.


    Boom!


    These bombarded the black shadow continuously, disintegrating its entire body.


    Everyone''s jaws were left hanging when they realized that the dreaded black shadow was killed in no time.

 Chapter 1373 A Straw Man

    The black figure was killed instantly!


    The turtle''s power was incredible!


    A black bead suddenly rose up into the air from where the black figure had died. It embedded itself into Jeremy''s skin, turning into a mark.


    "It is done!"


    The crowd drove the giant beasts down from the sky. Their nerves finally settled down.


    As soon as they landed safely, they tended to their wounds. Many were injured and in dire need of rest.


    It took a month for everyone to finally recover.


    "Darren, we would have died if it weren''t for you," Eallard said, sighing.


    "I didn''t expect that the lame turtle would be so powerful. It''s Jeremy that you need to thank. If he hadn''t comprehended the turtle''s transformation skill, we would have been killed," Darren said, smiling.


    "Yes, that little guy is great, indeed."


    After resting, everyone went up on their respective battle beast''s back. However, instead of moving forward, they practiced how to control the battle beast on a much deeper level and how to work more efficiently as a team.


    As for those who had been shot down by the black cavalry, Eallard sent someone to check on them. They were all found dead.


    "I don''t know what we will encounter next time. By the way, how will we get the inheritance?"


    "I don''t know. We can''t plan for it, because I don''t know what''s in store for us. We''re going to need to play it by ear," Darren said, shaking his head.


    "Alas, we can''t cultivate here, and our lives are in danger. That''s so bad." Beatty sighed.


    "That''s right. If our master didn''t send a message to me himself, I never would''ve come here. I would be at home, safe and sound!" Sally pouted.


    A month had passed in the blink of an eye. Everyone had finished practicing.


    "Darren, let''s set out."


    Everyone gathered together to talk about their next move.


    "Where are we going?"


    "The valley. There is a door open there. It''s so dark inside that nothing can be seen," said Eallard.


    "Oh, it should be the passage to the next space. Let''s go."


    They needed to keep moving, so everyone agreed.


    The group flew to the valley.


    One of the battle beasts flew toward the door first.


    Suddenly, the beast was thrown backwards by a massive force and fell onto the ground.


    s.


    He had always regretted that his half a scroll of the supreme sword skill was still in a stagnant state, and he was still unable to comprehend the third sword move.


    Once he comprehended the half a scroll of the supreme sword skill, his strength would definitely reach a whole new level. He''d be much more powerful.


    Darren was now at the upper-level of the Star God Realm, and his strength had increased by a lot. However, this increase did not bring him a qualitative leap, because the Celestial God Realm was always like a natural chasm. Even if he reached the top level of the Star God Realm, he could, at most, be on par with the remarkable warriors who were at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. It was difficult for him to compete with those in the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm.


    However, in the Primitive Wilderness or the Archean relic, the warriors at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm were still ordinary. Their strength was not powerful. Darren was much weaker than they were.


    Only those who had reached the Superior God Realm could be called powerful warriors, and only those who had reached the top level of the Superior God Realm or had become the deputy gods could be called the real masters!


    Darren still needed to overcome many obstacles to be considered truly powerful, and one of the obstacles would be fatal.


    Finley''s real body had once said that the moment Darren reached the Superior God Realm, he would face a life-and-death situation.

 Chapter 1374 Spiritual Flying Swords

    Darren was a Defiant Master, and moreover, he had cultivated the conflicting martial arts skills. Once he reached the Superior God Realm, he would be easily detected by the chief gods. At that level, he might bring an inevitable catastrophe to the human race.


    Perhaps, even before the chief gods took action, the senior leaders of the human race might have done everything in their power to kill him.


    However, if Darren proved to the human race that he was someone significant in bringing hope, then they might spare his life and even help him improve his strength.


    Obviously, he would need to possess a great amount of potential and strength for them to consider him as someone who could bring hope.


    Therefore, Darren was always more eager to improve himself in every aspect than anyone else.


    As he decided to immerse himself in cultivation, Darren''s soul went inside the void.


    In there, he saw the six steps floating quietly. Two of them already had Darren''s shadow sitting on them.


    Then, Darren''s soul came to examine the third step again.


    "What?"


    This time, he found that something was different than the last time he was here.


    He saw two small swords appear in the transparent step. One of them was already complete, and the other one was only a sword embryo as if it was still being forged.


    Darren thought for a while about the possible meanings behind these images.


    How did these two swords appear there? Why was one of them still in its incomplete form?


    After he thought for quite a long time, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. "Is it related to the first two moves that I''ve already comprehended?"


    The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it made sense.


    For a long time, the sword intent he had been using was just from the first move, and he had rarely used the second one. Thus, he knew that he had already mastered the first move, and the sword intent of the move had been developed perfectly through time. However, he still wasn''t so skilled when it came to the second move.


    "Something great should happen if I perfectly master the second move, right?"


    Out of curiosity and determination, Darren immediately activated his soul power and practiced the second move inside the void.


    First try, second try, third try¡­ He then executed it ten thousand times, one hundred thousand times¡­


    Darren practiced very fast and hard. But despite his speed, he could still spot the areas that needed improvement. In every try, he was able to correct what were his previous mistakes.


    Finally, after hundreds of thousands of times of practicing the move, the sound of a sword reverberated in Darren''s soul.


    With that, he had also perfectly mastered the second move. A majestic sword intent was released from his s


    is god''s power to heal his wounds.


    "How could the body of this guy be so hard? Even his reaction speed was exceptional!" Darren couldn''t help but be surprised. His sneak attack had miserably failed to kill the straw man. On the other hand, he was almost killed. He didn''t know whether he was to cry or laugh about the irony of this outcome.


    He was just secretly relieved that he held back his strength at the last minute, or he might have been cut into halves by the straw man.


    After learning his lesson the hard way, he didn''t dare to attack the straw man again.


    However, he clearly knew that if he wanted to pass this test, he must find a way to kill the straw man.


    "Think! What should I do?"


    After pondering a lot of thoughts for a while, Darren suddenly came up with an idea. He thought that this might be the only way for him to get rid of this annoying copycat.


    Darren treated his injury first and made sure that he was ready to go. After fully recovering, he stood up and flew away.


    His current goal was to find Finley and his other companions. Even if he couldn''t find them, he needed to at least find other people.


    As long as he could find someone to ask for help, Darren was confident that his plan would work to eliminate the straw man.


    Along the way, he found that the vast green field seemed so endless. After a month of flying around, he still didn''t find any sign of life.


    "Kill! I''m going all out and kill you with my own hands!"


    Just as when Darren was about to lose control of his temper, a piercing roar suddenly reached his ears.


    He immediately flew to the direction where the voice was coming from. In the distance, he saw a young man covered in blood and was crazily waving his hammer while shouting furiously.


    "Hey! Calm down!"


    Darren shouted at the top of his lungs and rushed over.

 Chapter 1375 A Capable Assistant

    The young man''s body was full of injuries, and his face was covered with blood. Darren couldn''t recognize him.


    The second he saw someone approach, the young man knelt on the ground and cried for help.


    Darren landed in front of him.


    "I really can''t stand it anymore. He''s so terrible..." the young man lowered his head and sobbed.


    "Don''t worry. I will take care of this."


    Darren turned and saw a straw man standing in front of him. He held a blade made of withered straw in his hand, stained with blood.


    "No!" Just as Darren was about to kill the straw man, he discovered something unusual.


    The straw man that had followed him would mimic his actions. However, the straw man in front of him didn''t kneel when the young man fell to the ground.


    This meant that this straw man was not imitating any action.


    As soon as Darren figured this out, the straw man disappeared.


    He frowned. A split second later, he broke into a cold sweat as he sensed an aura of danger coming from behind him.


    This straw man was too fast.


    Without any hesitation, Darren chose to dodge sideways. The straw man''s figure jumped out from behind Darren, a dull and wry smile on his face.


    Darren remained expressionless as he released his blade and sword intent and the black god''s power to attack the straw man.


    Whoosh!


    The speed of the straw man was so incredible that he dodged Darren''s attack.


    "No. If I fight him head-on, I will be the one to die,"


    Darren surmised. The young man he was trying to save was at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. As such, his fighting power was not inferior to Darren''s. But the straw man had beaten him to the verge of death. So how could Darren defeat the straw man?


    In an earlier instance, Darren had tested and discovered that this kind of straw man had a very strong defensive power.


    He would be injured if the straw man cut him with a strike of his blade. However, if Darren''s blow landed on the straw man, he might not break through the straw man''s defense. The enemy seemed invincible!


    How could the result be changed?


    Before Darren could think more, the straw man''s attacks increased in frequency.


    At first, he was able to handle the blows without feeling challenged. But gradually, he was at a disadvantage.


    That was when Darren noticed that the straw man following him was repeating his action even though he was dozens of feet away.


    "Ha-ha, I have an idea!"


    Darren was overjoyed. Since he couldn''t use his flesh-and-blood body to defeat this straw man, he could manipulate the straw man following him to deal crippling attacks.


    As long as Darren controlled the


    "I don''t have a powerful master in the Primitive Wilderness."


    Darren considered the cultivator, who taught him half a scroll of the supreme sword skill, as his master, but the latter was not at a high realm.


    "You have no master? Aren''t Lord Feng and Lord Starry Sword your masters?" The young man was astonished.


    After all, Lord Feng and Lord Starry Sword had previously defended Darren against other great masters.


    "No, they are acquaintances," Darren clarified calmly.


    The young man nodded. While his expression remained indifferent, excitement surged within him. ''Darren is still young. How did he become friends with big shots such as Lord Starry Sword?''


    The young man was awed by Darren. Although Darren was only at the upper-level of the Star God Realm, his strength was almost on par with his.


    This proved that he had the tenacity to overcome barriers and fight against those at the Celestial God Realm.


    The young man had never heard of such a genius. No wonder the two big shots valued him.


    "I envy your potential, Darren."


    "Ha-ha. You have already stepped into the Celestial God Realm, haven''t you? Your achievement reflects highly on your potential, as well." Darren smiled.


    "Well, my successes are nothing in comparison to yours.


    By the way, Darren. What''s wrong with that straw man? Why is he still following us?" the young man asked as he glanced back.


    "I don''t know, but with him, we are safer, aren''t we?" This straw man could now be considered as Darren''s life-saving divine weapon!


    He had thought that the straw man would not follow him as he had stopped mimicking his actions after the battle. But, it turned out that he was healing his wounds at that time. After he recovered, he continued to follow Darren.

 Chapter 1376 The Terrifying Little Straw Girl

    Darren and the young man traveled together. They stopped for a rest every now and then. They eventually came across a human along the way, but he appeared to have just died.


    "The straw men must have killed him," said the young man, squatting down to look over the body.


    "Yes, it would seem so," Darren responded.


    Darren raised his head and scanned the area for footprints left by the straw men. He soon located some, trailing off into the distance.


    "Let''s follow the footprints and see what this is all about."


    They tracked the marks on the ground for as long as they went.


    A long walk later, they stopped, stunned by what they discovered.


    There were many straw men of all kinds of different shapes and sizes, standing on the ground in front of them. They were all rough, tattered and damaged; some without arms and legs, some without heads and some with their buttocks turned the wrong way around.


    "Darren, look!" screeched the young man, his voice trembling.


    Among the straw men lay around a dozen corpses. Judging from their clothes, they seemed to be the human talents.


    Darren''s heart stopped at the sight of the bodies.


    He quickly ran over to check the corpses, praying in his heart that Finley and his other companions were not among them. If they weren''t, they might still be safe somewhere.


    Relief washed over him after he had looked over them all, finding that Finley, Weber and his other companions were not one of the dead that lay there.


    "Let''s get out of here. These straw men are quite vicious and I want no part of it," said the young man, a slight nervous urgency squeaking in his voice.


    "Yeah...sure."


    Darren didn''t want to provoke these many straw men either. Falling back did seem to be their best option at the moment.


    However, just as he was about to leave, he noticed something else that caught his attention.


    Several straw men had tied a group of humans together with straw ropes and had dragged them over nearby.


    Darren sensed that the humans were all still alive.


    "You''d better let go of me now, or I''ll be forced to burn you all to ashes!


    Are you pretending to be deaf? That''s it, you''ve sentenced your whole family to die..."


    Darren was shocked. There was no mistaking that voice; it was none other than Weber!


    Weber had been captured.


    In fact, it seemed that he was not the only one. Darren also detected the auras of Eallard, Finley and Sally.


    Although he burned with rage, he felt grateful as well. At least they had only been captured and not killed.


    He could not leave now. Finley, Weber and his other companions were being


    muddy yellow eyes suddenly flashed with strange light.


    Every human that set their eyes on her shuddered in terror.


    From afar, Darren sensed her change as well.


    "You all deserve to die!"


    Her bellowing voice echoed, her voice sounding like countless voices all speaking at once.


    "Go to hell!" she roared ferociously, raising her head to the sky.


    As a result of her powerful voice, a wild wind kicked up and swept across the entire wilderness.


    "Hahaha..." she laughed barbarically.


    "Damn it! She is going to kill them!"


    Darren yelled out and immediately flew out to her.


    "Stop! Who the hell are you?"


    Darren shouted, his voice intimidating.


    The straw girl shifted her gaze to Darren and opened her massive mouth like she had created a black hole right where they stood.


    A peculiar beam of light shone from her mouth and shot out at Darren.


    Darren dodged without even thinking and made the straw man that had been following him positioned in front of him.


    Bang!


    The beam of light struck the straw man head-on and sent him flying.


    Darren stepped back and landed beside him. He had thought the straw man would be dead already, but to his surprise, he was totally unharmed.


    After she had struck down the straw man, the little straw girl didn''t move anymore. Her eyes were fixed on Darren''s straw man.


    "You variant straw man, how dare you oppose me?" the straw girl roared frighteningly.


    The straw man sprung to his feet and stood facing the straw girl.


    In the next moment, his arms had turned to a blade and a sword.


    Ignoring the straw girl''s horrific eyes, he jumped over, leaping huge strides with no signs of flinching or slowing down.


    "Go to hell!"


    the straw girl shouted viciously.

 Chapter 1377 Revenge

    Upon seeing this scene, Darren started to understand why the straw man following him since the beginning was different from the rest.


    It turned out that he was a variant straw man, and he wasn''t restricted by the straw girl.


    As the straw man walked over, Darren took the opportunity to dodge and go where Finley and the others were.


    "How are you? Are you okay?"


    "Darren, why are you here? Run away quickly! These straw men are very powerful." His companions were surprised and worried as they reunited with Darren.


    "That''s right. Look at me! I was beaten by those guys and got myself injured," Weber said, feeling very morose.


    Swish!


    Darren quickly released his sword intent and cut off the straw ropes binding them.


    "Let''s get out of here first," Darren said as he looked at the situation of the straw man and the straw girl.


    Currently, they were in a stalemate. Both of them could not move freely, so Darren and the others planned to take this chance to run as far as they could.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    About thirty of them immediately flew away from that area.


    At the same time, the ordinary straw men standing in the wilderness hesitated for a while when they saw Darren and the others escape. They were thinking if they should chase after them or not.


    While they were left standing there, Darren and his companions managed to fly far away.


    "Ah!"


    Suddenly, they heard the straw girl roar viciously from the distance. Then, hundreds of ordinary straw men immediately moved and flew towards the direction of Darren and the rest.


    Soon enough, they saw that a large group of straw men was already at their tails.


    "Darren, how about we run away in different directions so we could lose them?" someone suggested as he saw that the straw men were already closing in.


    "No!" Darren strongly refused. "There are too many of them. If we go our separate ways, we will easily be defeated by them one after another," he continued.


    To be fair, the fighting power of their group was on par with that of the straw men. However, when it came to defense, they would surely be overwhelmed. After all, these straw men didn''t feel any fatigue or pain. Needless to say, these young talents would definitely be at a disadvantage in battle.


    Especially if they faced them in one-on-one or one-to-many battles, Darren was very certain that they would have no chance against them.


    However, when they were together, things could go differently. All of them had different strengths, skills, and methods of fighting. Some were good at attacking, some specialized in healing, while some were good in making traps. Therefore, even if they were outnumbered, once they utilized their skills accordingly, they still had a chance to bring down these straw men.


    Therefore, they should stick together instead of going their separate ways.


    "You''re right. For now, let''s do our best to escape from them. If we have no other choice, then we''ll engage them!"


    As they made up their minds, everyone focused their strength into escaping.


    "What?"


    However, just as Darren and the others were flying fast to get away from the straw men, some figures in black sudde


    oice as he focused his eyes on the straw men.


    However, just as when they were about to launch an attack, someone suddenly flew towards Sewell''s group.


    "Sewell, what happened to you before has nothing to do with me. It''s all Eallard''s fault that you were driven out. Please let me go."


    Fearing death, one of the young talents chose to beg for mercy in front of Sewell Fang.


    "Oh? Did I hear that right?" A wicked grin immediately appeared on Sewell Fang''s face. "Do you think I will let you off the hook just because you said that you have nothing to do with it?"


    Then, another man in black approached Sewell Fang and whispered something in his ear.


    After Sewell Fang heard the words of one of his men, his expression suddenly changed. "Well, since it has nothing to do with you, you can come out. I promise you that we won''t harm you." Sewell Fang originally planned to kill this man, but then there was something that changed his mind.


    "Really? Thank you so much, Sewell!"


    With that, Sewell Fang waved the flag and led the young talent to safely get out of the encirclement made by the straw men.


    "Let me get this straight. As long as you defect from Darren Chu, I will assure you that I will protect you from your inevitable death. Think about it carefully. I will only give you thirty seconds to consider my offer." Sewell''s gaze swept across the young talents who were on the ground. His eyes clearly showed his evil intention.


    He thought that if Darren was eventually abandoned by his companions, it would be more interesting than killing him directly. He wanted Darren to experience being betrayed by his companions. He wanted to see the helplessness, desperation, and regret in his eyes.


    "Sewell, I swear that what happened before also has nothing to do with me. Please save me."


    "Sewell, I have always been on your side. I thought that you were gone so I had no choice but to go with them. I was actually worried about you all this time."


    Within the thirty seconds that Sewell Fang gave them, five people had immediately defected. Thus, all five of them were escorted to safety.

 Chapter 1378 A Plight

    "You bastards are worse than Sewell!" Someone finally had enough and cursed at them.


    Nobody in their right mind would want to die. However, these guys caved in and begged for mercy at the slightest bit of danger. They had no backbone at all!


    "Is there anyone else who wants to follow suit? Please, come out!" Darren said.


    He wasn''t friends with these people. Some of them wanted to beg for mercy to keep their lives, and they didn''t want to go through the trials needed for them to become stronger. Darren realized that this was happening because he needed to weed out the losers. They didn''t deserve his companionship.


    No one came out.


    "Have you all made up your minds? I''m giving you another thirty seconds. Once I remove the colorful flag, you''ll all die. Think about your master. Think about your dearest companions. Is Darren really worth all the trouble? He''s nothing but trash!"


    Sewell tried to persuade them.


    "Fuck off, you despicable man. I am not like these guys. They are all cowards!"


    "You piece of trash! I am not afraid of dying! You want us to beg for mercy? You don''t deserve it!"


    "I would rather die early. I have never been afraid of being killed."


    Protests erupted from the group of young talents on Darren''s side.


    Sewell was humiliated, and anger began to boil in his heart.


    "Go to hell, all of you!" Sewell removed the suppression on the straw men.


    In an instant, all the straw men came alive. One by one, they attacked Darren and the others.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Darren and his companions used their god''s power to force the straw men backward.


    However, they were impervious to pain and it did not do much to slow them down. Soon, they began launching the second set of attacks.


    The straw men were able to penetrate their ranks.


    "Let''s work together and kill them one by one!"


    More than twenty people rushed towards several straw men simultaneously. Even though their defenses were strong, they could not withstand the strong god''s power. One of them was killed on the spot.


    Hurting a few straw men did not seem to have that much of an impact on the battle.


    Hundreds of straw men began to attack Darren and his companions.


    The entire sky erupted into chaos. God''s power spread in all directions.


    Sewell and his companions enjoyed themselves in the air. Sewell was ecstatic to see


    e colorful flag into the bodies of several straw men.


    The straw men immediately killed those who had fallen.


    "This is your doom!"


    The battle raged on. A full day later, Darren and his companions huddled together. Only more than ten of them were left.


    Finley, Weber and Sally were seriously injured. If it weren''t for Darren''s protection, they would have been killed by the straw men.


    "Darren, we can''t escape this time," Weber said, smiling bitterly.


    "Darren, thank you for taking care of me. I''m not afraid of dying, as long as it''s with you guys," Sally said.


    They all felt that it was their time to die.


    "Kill! Kill them all!"


    Sewell raged about from where he stood. He had a wild look in his eyes. It was the look of a crazed man with nothing to lose. He activated the colorful flag and released a majestic killing intent, pouring it into the body of every straw man.


    Suddenly, all the straw men became more furious. They looked more terrifying than they had before.


    "Finley, Darren, we are coming!"


    "Sally, Weber, are you all right?"


    Suddenly, about a hundred people flew over to them.


    Hearing the familiar voice, Darren and the others turned their heads to look, only to see that Lindsay and Beatty were flying toward them.


    "Lindsay, run!" Finley shouted.


    "Lindsay, don''t come over!" Darren and Weber also roared.


    However, they did not stop. They flew even faster.


    "Hurry up! Save them!"


    "Howl!"


    A fluffy giant beast suddenly appeared. His body kept growing until he covered the sky and blocked out the sun.

 Chapter 1379 Chase And Kill Darren

    "That''s Jeremy!" Relief coursed through Finley when he saw the massively enlarged body.


    Although Jeremy was not very powerful, he should not have trouble swallowing these ordinary straw men.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The wind began to blow as Jeremy''s mouth opened like a black hole.


    All the straw men were pulled by the powerful suction into the void.


    "Sewell, they are trying to save that bastard!"


    someone exclaimed. When Sewell and his companions turned, they realized that the situation was out of their control.


    "Hurry up! Stop him!"


    Sewell ordered as he took the lead and flew into the void.


    "Follow Sewell! Kill that monster!"


    A dozen cultivators soared into the air together and rushed toward Jeremy. They could not allow this creature to save Darren.


    "Go to hell!"


    Sewell roared. His expression turned grim, and his god''s power shot out and targeted Jeremy.


    Jeremy''s speed was incredibly astonishing when he was smaller, but after he turned into a giant beast, he couldn''t move. This was the biggest weakness of any Heaven Devouring Beast.


    "We need to help Jeremy!" Darren shouted.


    Two cultivators in Sewell''s team had almost reached the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm. If they collaborated and attacked Jeremy, they would hurt him.


    Together with their other companions, Darren and Lindsay rushed toward Sewell to prevent them from getting closer to Jeremy.


    "Humph, ants!"


    Sewell smirked as he raised the colorful flag in his hand and infused killing intent into his body.


    At once, his black hair fluttered in the air, and his eyes turned red. His appearance was so terrifying that he resembled a devil from an abyss!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Even though Darren and the others sensed the change in Sewell, they didn''t stop. More than a hundred people launched attacks at him in tandem.


    "Roar!"


    Sewell sneered. His killing intent surged, and he seemed unafraid.


    "Kill! Kill! Kill!"


    He transformed into a phantom and pushed forward with his palms, releasing wave after wave of violent god''s power.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Sewell''s god''s power bombarded his opponents continuously. Some cultivators below the Celestial God Realm were blown away, and a few were crushed on the spot.


    "This guy is so powerful!"


    Everyone was stunned. Sewell had withstood not only their attacks but also injured several of their companions. He could be considered a middle-level Celestial God Realm master with such strength, although he hadn''t reach


    e was quick, the blood wave collided with his shoulder, and blood spurted from the wound.


    "Darren, do you still believe that you can escape? Stop and accept your fate. I''m going to send you to hell!" At this point, Sewell was confident that Darren was doomed to die.


    Annoyed and in agony, Darren remained silent as he released a violent sword intent as a response.


    "If only I could stab him, even if I only pierce his skin," he murmured.


    Several thoughts flashed through Darren''s mind. All he needed was for his attack to graze Sewell''s skin. Just that tiny bit would have enough toxin to make Sewell uncontrollably itchy, affecting his speed.


    If he were lucky and the itchy poison entered his flesh and blood, Sewell''s fighting power would be significantly reduced.


    "Oh, the Spiritual Flying Sword!"


    Darren''s eyes widened as he thought of this alternative. The power of the Spiritual Flying Sword was extraordinary. If he combined it with the black god''s power, it would have a strong penetrating power.


    If he launched a perfectly calculated sneak attack, Sewell might not be able to dodge.


    He wondered whether it was worth a try.


    The Spiritual Flying Sword was his hidden skill. If he used it too early and Sewell dodged it, it would be almost impossible for him to launch another sneak attack as Sewell would definitely be on guard.


    Should he choose to hold on until the critical moment or use it now? Darren couldn''t make up his mind.


    Sewell released a few more attacks, blocking all of Darren''s escape paths.


    "Damn it!"


    Darren muttered. Now that he couldn''t dodge the attacks anymore, he had no choice but to face them head-on.

 Chapter 1380 Self-mutilation

    "Fine, I''ll go all out!"


    Darren had no choice but to fight Sewell head-on because the latter had already blocked all possible escape routes.


    As Sewell unleashed his attack, Darren clearly felt the devastating aura coming from it.


    Thus, he also released all his god''s power in his body.


    He knew that it would not be enough, so he also put on the Red-chained Armor he had obtained at the hunting ground.


    Boom!


    Both their god''s power collided and created a massive impact.


    However, Sewell''s level of god''s power was obviously much higher than Darren''s. Thus, Darren felt the tremendous effect of the blood wave.


    Crash!


    Soon enough, the Red-chained Armor collapsed. With his last line of defense shattered, Darren felt that the force of the blood wave was crushing his internal organs.


    He felt a sharp pain all over his body. Fortunately, at the last moment, the Red-chained Armor automatically released a strange force, resisting the remaining impact of Sewell''s attack. Otherwise, Darren might have died for real.


    Seeing Darren''s condition, Sewell couldn''t help but grin wickedly. In his mind, Darren was already finished.


    He had already let his guard down, thinking that even if Darren didn''t die right away, he should have acquired serious injuries, making him unable to fight anymore.


    Sewell quickly approached Darren. He wanted to torture him some more before finally taking his life.


    Swoosh!


    But out of nowhere, a sharp sound of air breaking echoed. A small sword was suddenly shot towards Sewell''s head at an astonishing speed.


    Since the distance was just so close, and he was kind of caught off guard, the little sword almost easily scratched Sewell''s forehead.


    Seeing this, he was utterly shocked.


    However, with his quick reflexes, he was able to lean his head back. At the same time, he also unleashed a small stream of god''s power to deflect the sword''s trajectory. In the end, the small sword had only cut a portion of Sewell''s hair.


    Darren''s ambush using the first small sword failed.


    But there was no hint of disappointment in his face. His eyes were still focused as if it was all a part of his elaborate plan.


    Indeed, he wasn''t planning to stab Sewell with the first Spiritual Flying Sword. It was just actually a decoy to distract him. The main act was to be carried by the second small sword.


    When the first small sword was shot out, Darren also released the second one right after, aiming at Sewell''s arm.


    Darren didn''t need to aim for Sewell''s vital parts.


    After all, he knew that all highly-skilled warriors would instinctively protect their vital parts. If Darren aimed for them, he might even have a higher rate of failure.


    However, stabbing the arm would give a different impression to the target. Because it was a non-fatal body part, his sense of protecting it would not be as strong.


    Therefore, Darren knew that it was his best choice to stab his opponent''s arm. After all, all he needed was to inflict a wound anywh


    ivate part would be destroyed. He knew that he needed to cut it off to remove the poison.


    Moreover, his abdomen was also affected. In order to remove the poison in this part, he would need to pull out a part of his intestines.


    As his body still twitched, tears silently fell from his eyes.


    ''Cut off my own private part? Pull out my intestines? Is there no other choice? For fuck''s sake!''


    As Darren kept flying away, the pain in his body became more and more intense. The excessive consumption of his god''s power from the earlier battle made him extremely weak.


    Fortunately, he could finally see the base camp of the straw men.


    Several kilometers away, Darren could see the dark sky above the camp. At the same time, the earth was being torn apart by the strong winds. Even when using his god''s sense, he couldn''t clearly perceive what was going on in there.


    He concluded that the battle between the straw man, who was following him before, and the little straw girl was still going on.


    After some time, Darren landed on a patch of low-lying grassland. He then quickly took out some Divine Essence Stones from his Space Ring and hurriedly assimilated the energy in the stones.


    If he could take a break for at least four hours, he would be able to heal his wounds and also recover to his peak state.


    After about an hour, Darren could feel that his god''s power was already replenished. However, his injuries inside his body had yet to recover.


    "Darren! I''ll crush you and tear your soul into pieces!"


    Out of the blue, in the sky about a few kilometers away, Darren heard the furious roar of Sewell. It was so loud that it almost made him dizzy.


    "Come on! This guy is so persistent!"


    Darren was actually impressed by his tenacity. ''He mutilated his own private part and intestines just so he could chase me?''


    With this, Darren had no other choice but to get up and continue fleeing.


    Boom!


    Sewell had already targeted Darren, and the blood waves were on the way.

 Chapter 1381 Fighting Sewell (Part One)

    Currently, Darren was badly injured after receiving the massive impact of Sewell''s blood waves. However, because he had absorbed a lot of energy from the Divine Essence Stones, his body was already replenished with god''s power. Thus, somehow, he could fight again whenever necessary.


    Swoosh!


    Right now, he deemed that it was smarter to escape. So, regardless of the pain from his injuries, he moved quickly to get away from Sewell.


    At the same time, the blood waves that Sewell unleashed kept surging towards Darren, but he was able to evade all of them.


    Then, soon enough, Sewell had finally caught up. He landed on the ground and stood in front of Darren.


    Darren knew that he couldn''t compete with Sewell in terms of speed, all the more with his current condition. So, for now, he decided to stop moving.


    He looked intently at Sewell and quickly found a large amount of dry bloodstain under his crotch. Moreover, he also noticed that Sewell''s movements were somewhat different from before.


    "You''re such a strong-willed man, aren''t you? Imagine, you even cut off your own genital! So, how does it feel? Is it more comfortable?" Darren taunted with a smirk on his face.


    As expected, Sewell got so pissed that his face almost became twisted. It was as if his whole being was insulted to the extreme.


    "I admit. I underestimated you," Sewell said, trying to keep himself composed. "You''re merely at the upper-level of the Star God Realm, but you have the combat power on par with warriors at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. You have even developed your own Spiritual Flying Swords. You are indeed a talented guy.


    But it doesn''t matter. You''ve gone against me, and I''ll make sure that you experience the consequences of your actions. Later, when you''re about to receive your miserable ending, you can only blame your own stupidity and arrogance. I will let you taste the strongest shackles in the world, and I assure you that you will suffer a hundred times worse than I did!"


    Sewell exclaimed intimidatingly.


    "Ha! Do it if you can! I''d like to see you desperately try to kill me!" Darren snapped back.


    "You piece of shit!"


    Sewell trembled in anger, and his eyes opened widely.


    Then, he took out the colorful flag and poured tremendous killing intent in his body. In an instant, his whole body became reddish. At this moment, what stood in front of Darren seemed like a god of war.


    Right now, Sewell''s strength could be said to be on par with warriors at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm.


    Even if he had sustained injuries earlier because of Darren''s Spiritual Flying Swords, he was confident enough to take Darren down with ease.


    "Lord Starry Sword! Why are you here?"


    Darren suddenly shouted while staring behind Sewell.


    "What? Lord Starry Sword?!"


    Sewell''s heart skipped a beat. A paralyzing fear had somehow caught him off guard. If Lord Starry Sword was really here, did it mean that the other famous masters had also made their way here?


    Because of panic, Sewell hurriedly turned around and looked.


    However, there was nobody there.


    "Fuck! I''ve fallen for his petty tricks again!" As soon as he realized that he was fooled, he quickly turned towards the other direction


    eone was rapidly approaching them.


    "Let''s get out of here!"


    Right now, they had no other choice but to move to another place, but they still couldn''t leave the battlefield. Otherwise, if they encountered someone outside, Eallard and the others would not be able to protect them.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    A figure suddenly landed and stopped in front of Weber and the others just after a few seconds.


    "Step back!"


    Weber immediately stepped forward and stood in front of Sally and Beatty to protect them.


    "Oh, acting tough huh, fatty? Do you think you can even last a minute against me?" The man named Shaw Nu knew that Weber hadn''t reached the Celestial God Realm yet. Thus, he had nothing to fear, and he had the guts to look down on them.


    "Weber, step aside. Let us handle this guy." Hearing what Shaw Nu said, Sally and Beatty stepped forward without hesitation.


    After all, these two girls were actually at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm, and their real fighting power was much stronger than that of Weber, Lindsay, and Finley. However, the two of them had just been cultivating since they were really young, thus they didn''t have much experience in fighting with others. That was why usually, they had hesitation when it came to actual battles with other cultivators.


    But now, they were in a critical moment where their lives were at stake. After undergoing a lot of dangerous situations in these past days, they were no longer afraid to step up to the occasion. They knew that they couldn''t be protected forever. They had to fight when it was necessary.


    "You son of a bitch. How dare you belittle our comrades? You''re going down!" Beatty said with a cold expression in her eyes.


    "Yes! I...I''m not afraid of you. And¡­my sword is very sharp! I''ll cut you with it. You will see! Humph!" Sally said while pouting. She was brave enough but not too convincing.


    In fact, when Weber heard Sally, he could not help but roll his eyes. He thought that Beatty''s speech was almost perfect. It had enough spirit and momentum, but Sally sounded like a spoiled kid, who couldn''t really decide if she was going to fight or not.

 Chapter 1382 Fighting Sewell (Part Two)

    "You cowards! How could you allow yourself to stand back and let two women take the lead instead?"


    Shaw curled his lips, agitated from the thought that Finley and Weber would prefer cowering behind the secure mantle of women rather than fighting themselves like men.


    "Sally, Beatty, get out of here. I''ll deal with him." Weber spoke up, almost instantly, unable to digest the insults hurled at him.


    "Don''t be impulsive, Weber. He''s obviously trying to provoke you. Don''t let him get to you, because that''s what he wants," Sally assured Weber, calming him down. She then turned to Shaw and continued spitefully, "You''re just jealous that we''re protecting Weber, aren''t you? We''re doing it because we want to, and that makes you antsy. You''re just a repulsive monster who never had any woman to rely on, isn''t that right? No need to get so anxious, you will never find a woman who deems you worthy enough to shield you anyway. You''re just not worth the trouble!"


    "You bitch! How dare you talk down on me! I''ll make you regret every word that came out of that vile mouth of yours!"


    Enraged by her words, Shaw prepared himself to avenge his honor with his fists instead of subjecting to a lowly confrontation of hurling insults at one another.


    Exuding predominant aura, Shaw raised his hand. A full moon scimitar spiraled out of his fingertips and effortlessly split into hundreds of copies, splintering the space around it.


    "Sally, stay sharp. Here it comes!"


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Beatty wielded a heavy sword. Its sword intent was heavy and profound, and it was incomparably powerful.


    Shoop! Shoop! Shoop!


    What Sally carried was a soft sword. The sword intent it released was soft to the touch, but it was still indestructible. It was so agile that even the god''s sense couldn''t keep up with its movements.


    Boom!


    The moment Beatty''s sword intent clashed against Shaw''s scimitar, the collision sent shockwaves of energy, flying for distances far and wide. They were actually equally matched in power.


    "Humph. Not bad." Shaw scoffed, concealing his shock at Beatty''s abilities. She actually proved to be a worthy adversary for him despite her appearance.


    ''I can''t believe this. And here I thought this would be a breeze. Damn it!'' Knowing that the woman in front of him was no trifling foe, Shaw began to contemplate his decision to take them on. To add insult to injury, he was outnumbered, and he wasn''t even exposed to Sally''s capabilities as of yet.


    Engrossed in sizing the odds in his mind, Shaw fell victim to his own distraction as Sally''s endless soft sword intent closed in on his vital point without him realizing.


    Startled by the sudden advance, Shaw was unable to dodge.


    "Howl!"


    In a moment of desperation, he activated his god''s power to surround himself with a protective shield.


    He watched in utter disbelief as his protective shield gave way, countless cracks paving into it, Sally''s sword intent desperately trying to invade its walls.


    However, his weak defense wasn''t all for naught. During the constant tug of war between his shield and Sally''s sword intent, Shaw bought enough time to remove himself from its scope.


    He propelled himself up in the air, as far as he could move to avoid the attack. The next moment, Sally''s sword intent forced its way into the protective shield where Shaw originally was, disposing of


    om his heart.


    Boom!


    As a result, the void shook like a leaf from the pressure. The third step suddenly shone brightly, and majestic sword intent poured into Darren''s body, riding his meridians like the tidal wave.


    At this moment, Darren not only felt a qualitative change in his sword intent but also felt that his cultivation level was about to experience a rise.


    At the same time, since the outside world was devoid of any godly energy, he felt his body grow restless with severe levels of thirst.


    He immediately took out a large number of Divine Essence Stones. At this moment, even if he did not take the initiative to absorb them, the Divine Essence Stones would automatically turn into godly energy and seep into his body.


    In less than thirty seconds, more than half of the Divine Essence Stones in Darren''s Space Ring had been consumed, and his realm had risen to the top level of the Star God Realm.


    "I never expected a breakthrough from this!"


    Overwhelmed with his progress, Darren stared his body down, beaming with pride. He had long known that executing flawless practice of the third move of the supreme sword skill would improve his strength. Now that his cultivation level had risen, his power would also increase by leaps and bounds.


    Having experienced significant growth in both aspects, Darren suddenly felt himself grow restless to trade blows with Sewell to test the limits of his strength.


    "Sewell! Show yourself!"


    Darren didn''t avoid him anymore. He felt more confident than ever in his abilities. With an authoritative voice, he invited Sewell to face him.


    When he had no luck receiving a response, Darren concluded the storm to be an obstruction, blocking his voice from reaching Sewell.


    Half an hour later, the storm gradually subsided. The pressure Darren felt suddenly decreased, and the feeble storm could no longer stop him from moving.


    Whoosh!


    Darren flew out almost instantly and remained levitating in midair, announcing his presence.


    "Sewell! Come out and fight me!"


    This time, Darren''s voice was dominant, unfaltering. His words echoed throughout the distance, like thunderous clouds declaring a looming disaster.


    "So, you''ve finally decided to crawl out of your hole, huh?"

 Chapter 1383 Fighting Sewell (Part Three)

    Sewell rushed out when he heard Darren shout. He was determined not to let Darren escape this time no matter what.


    "What is going on? Have you decided to give up struggling since you know you are doomed?" Sewell roared. His eyes turned red with the fury coursing through him.


    "Sewell, do you believe that you are invincible here?" Darren glanced at him, coldly.


    Sewell frowned and thought, ''Is this brat scared silly?


    Who else could be comparable to a warrior at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm in the Archean relic? Am I not the strongest?''


    "Brat, do you feel that you can compete with me just because you have improved your realm?"


    Sewell ascertained that Darren''s cultivation stage had increased by one level and that he had reached the top-level of the Star God Realm.


    "Cut the crap. Let''s fight to the death!" Darren challenged.


    Considering Darren''s real strength, he couldn''t fight against anyone at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm.


    However, he had a trump card. The itchy toxin!


    Earlier, when the two of them fought, Darren''s strength was far weaker than now. Despite that, he had managed to hit and injure Sewell with a sneak attack. Now that he had the combat power comparable to a warrior at the peak of the low-level of the Celestial God Realm, he had a greater chance of injuring Sewell if he attacked strategically.


    The power of the itchy toxin was not something that a martial artist at the Celestial God Realm could withstand. Only cultivators at the Superior God Realm could resist it because their bodies and blood were mightier.


    "Okay!"


    With a wave of the colorful flag, Sewell infused killing intent into his body.


    In the sky above, a blood cloud gathered, turning the earth, which was tens of thousands of kilometers in radius, dark red. A strong wind blew. It tore the green field and sent yellow sand billowing up into the sky.


    Boom!


    Sewell was the first to attack. Several blood waves morphed into blood claws as they rushed toward Darren.


    Simultaneously, Darren''s sword intent buzzed, and six streams of sword intent surrounded him.


    The blood waves collided with the sword intent, resulting in an explosion of such high intensity that Darren was forced to retreat dozens of feet. Fortunately, he wasn''t injured.


    Sewell frowned at the realization that Darren''s sword intent had been upgraded.


    His tentative attack, wherein he applied sixty percent of his fighting power, was ineffective.


    It was unbelievable. How could a guy at the Star God Realm master such powerful sword intent?


    "It seems as though you have some secret weapon. No wonder you dare to fight me."


    "Cut the crap. Aren''t you embarrassed by your inadequate performance?" A faint smile tugged at the corners of Darren''s mouth.


    Sewell''


    contrary, he released two Spiritual Flying Swords from different angles. However, Sewell was prepared for this. Calmly, he dodged the two incoming Spiritual Flying Swords.


    "Brat, let me see what else you can do!"


    Sewell taunted. Inwardly, he thought it was time to end this short battle. ''It doesn''t matter how talented you are! How did it help you? Strength is everything, and I am more powerful than you. You are going to die by my hand.


    No¡ª''


    All of a sudden, Sewell sensed a dangerous aura. He glanced upward, and his eyes widened with astonishment when he saw a massive sword suspended above him.


    His heart sank. The feeling was akin to a mortal falling into an abyss.


    "Roar!"


    As it was too late for him to sidestep the attack, he condensed blood waves with his hands and mobilized them to strike upwards.


    The terrifying blood sea wave had already crested and was about to fall to the ground and drown Darren.


    "You want to die with me? You don''t deserve it!"


    Sewell had initially thought that Darren had condensed the huge sword to resist his fatal move, the blood sea. However, it now dawned on him that Darren had distracted him enough to launch the huge sword, even if it would cost him his life.


    It was evident that Darren wanted to kill him at the price of his life.


    Unfortunately, he was only at the Star God Realm. So, Sewell didn''t think Darren could kill him in one move.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Brilliant light covered the sky as Sewell''s god''s power fought against the gigantic sword. The battle''s impact was so intense that it reduced Sewell''s arms into bloodied and mangled stumps. But that was all! The remaining power of the enormous sword was insufficient to kill him.


    "Ha-ha-ha!"


    A frenzied laugh escaped Sewell''s bloodied lips as relief coursed through him. He had survived!


    The blood sea engulfed Darren.

 Chapter 1384 Their Mother

    The battle was over!


    Darren was overwhelmed by the sea of blood. He was surely going to die.


    Sewell, on the other hand, only suffered from injured arms. Other than that, he was unharmed.


    As long as he had ample time to heal his wounds, he would be fine.


    Suddenly, Sewell felt a bit of remorse. He had wanted Darren to suffer, but he did not count on Darren getting so strong. His plan of torturing Darren could no longer happen as he needed to kill him as soon as possible to spare his own life.


    He did not want Darren to die this way. He needed to be able to vent his anger.


    The blood sea finally hit the ground, gradually dissipating.


    The lush, green grass was tinged red with blood. The space was in shambles.


    "Forget it. He is just a loser. There is no need for me to feel depressed because of him!"


    Sewell planned to cut off his shoulders to prevent the toxins from spreading throughout his body. Once he healed his arms, he would kill everyone left.


    "You want to leave this way?"


    Suddenly, a cold voice rose up from below.


    "What?"


    Sewell''s heart skipped a beat.


    He looked toward the direction of the voice, only to find that Darren was standing tall. He was unharmed and uninjured, and his hair was flying in the wind.


    What was going on? Darren was still alive!


    Sewell was astonished. In spite of being attacked with his most powerful skill, Darren didn''t die! How was it possible?


    Sewell was dazed. He saw a straw man and a straw girl flying behind Darren. They were hand in hand, and they plopped down beside Darren.


    ''It''s because of them!''


    Sewell thought. These straw creatures had saved Darren.


    Whoosh!


    In the blink of an eye, Darren flew over and landed right in front of him.


    "Ha! You think you''ve escaped death? Think again, brat!"


    Sewell was able to figure out how Darren got out alive. He wasn''t going to let that happen again.


    Since he had obtained the colorful flag and was able to expel the creatures in the Archean relic, the straw creatures would not be able to help Darren a second time.


    "Really? Tell me, Sewell, do you feel itchy?" Darren sneered.


    "What?"


    Sewell''s face turned deathly pale. The toxin had infected his blood and had enveloped the bones around his shoulders.


    "Ouch!"


    He suddenly began to tremble.


    Originally, he had planned to cut off his shoulders and quickly heal his wounds to stop th


    onfused. "I don''t know how I helped you."


    "It was you who helped my elder brother. If he didn''t imitate your ability, he wouldn''t have been able to defeat me. He was able to expel the remaining evil spiritual sense from my body."


    This time, it was the straw girl who spoke.


    It turned out that the straw man and the straw girl were brother and sister. Darren was surprised.


    "Oh, I see. If you don''t mind me asking, how are you alive? And how could you speak the language of we human beings?" Darren asked, confused.


    Darren was surprised at how they could speak and interact like human beings.


    "Our mother taught us how to," the straw girl replied curtly.


    "Mother? Is your mother a human being?" Darren was even more confused.


    "Yes, my sister and I were made by our mother. She was lonely, so she breathed life into us and taught us how to speak," the straw man said.


    Darren was dumbstruck.


    He wondered who they were talking about. How did she have the ability to create life?


    Moreover, she could speak the language of the human race in the Primitive Wilderness. It was obvious that the woman who made the straw persons couldn''t be an Archean human. She must come from a later generation.


    "May I know where your mother is? Can you introduce me to her? I want to pay her a visit," said Darren.


    "Don''t be silly. We can''t find our mother ourselves. How can we take you to see her? Brother, I remember you saying you knew where Mother was a long time ago!" the straw girl snorted.


    The straw man didn''t say anything. He turned his head away from Darren and his sister.

 Chapter 1385 Take Them Away

    "Brother, do you know where Mother is? I miss her so much," the little straw girl sniffed as she asked. It was evident that she was overwhelmed by sadness when she thought of their mother.


    "I don''t know."


    "Humph! You know, but you won''t tell me," the little straw girl grumbled. After a moment''s pause, she asked, "Do you think we cannot see her?"


    The straw man remained silent. His eyes were cold and emotionless as he gazed into the distance.


    "Bro, is there something that I can do for you?" Darren could tell that the straw man who had followed him knew something.


    "My name is Wind, and my younger sister''s name is Rain. Don''t call me bro. I don''t like it," Wind remarked flatly.


    "Well. Wind, what happened to your mother?" Darren nodded and asked.


    "You can leave now. I don''t know my mother''s whereabouts. Besides, it''s none of your business," Wind replied in a dull and cold voice.


    "Uh... Okay." Since Wind didn''t feel like speaking, Darren dropped the idea of asking more questions. After all, he was just curious, and this matter didn''t concern him.


    "Then, I''ll see you later," he said.


    Darren collected the colorful flag with one hand and lifted Sewell''s head in the other before setting out for the battlefield where Finley and the others were.


    The battle was still raging when he arrived.


    The two sides had suffered tremendous losses. When Darren glanced around, he noticed that there were only six cultivators left in Sewell''s team. Over twenty cultivators had been killed on Eallard''s side.


    "Kneel and surrender!"


    Darren stopped midair and roared.


    His voice echoed like thunder. It was so loud that everyone could hear him over the noise of the battle. Shocked, both sides stopped fighting and looked in his direction.


    "It''s Darren! He is back. Finally!"


    "What''s in his hand?"


    "Ah, it''s Sewell''s head!"


    The cultivators in Eallard''s team were overjoyed to see Darren holding Sewell''s head. The warriors who followed Sewell gasped, and their faces turned pale.


    With mouths agape, they peered at the object in Darren''s hand. Sewell had lost? It was such a shocking incident that they could hardly believe it. How could a middle-level Celestial God Realm like Sewell lose?


    They couldn''t accept it, but when they saw the colorful flag in Darren''s hand, despair coursed through them.


    "You! You killed Sewell!"


    "How could it be possible? How could he die?"


    "Don''t be frightened, everyone. This guy must have used some trick to kill Sewell. He doesn''t have the fighting power to defend against us all. Let''s kill him together!"


    The six men didn''t surrender as Darren had expected. On the contrary, they believed they could kill him,


    ators speechless.


    Excusable? What did he mean?


    Why would he be so forgiving toward them? Why did these six cultivators deserve such a privilege?


    Dozens of human talents had died at their hands. How could he claim that their offense was excusable? What kind of logic was this?


    "Sir, perhaps their misdeeds are excusable to you, but not us. They must die today,"


    Darren said calmly.


    He had no reason to be compassionate. After all, once Darren returned to the battlefield after his fight with Sewell at the straw men''s base camp, these six cultivators tried to overpower him. The only reason they failed was that his cultivation level had improved. Had that not been the case, they would have slaughtered him. This he was certain about.


    What was more, these people had killed many of their companions and even threatened Finley and the others. How could they be spared now?


    Moreover, they had provoked and framed Darren repeatedly. If Darren didn''t get rid of such villains, it would be foolish on his behalf!


    How could the cyan-robed middle-aged man believe that Darren would accept his rationale and be lenient just because he thought so?


    "Young man, don''t overestimate yourself. Be careful, and don''t stir the pot. Give them to me," the man in cyan robe growled, and his face darkened.


    He was aware of his limitations. He could appear in front of Darren in the form of a shadow because of the joint efforts of the big shots. As he had no fighting power, he could not take these six disciples away forcefully. So when Darren refused to comply, his only option was to intimidate him.


    "Sir, you don''t have to say anything else. I won''t let them go no matter what you say,"


    Darren refused firmly.


    "You! How dare you?" the middle-aged man in the cyan robe thundered.

 Chapter 1386 Kill Them

    The face of the middle-aged man''s shadow twisted in anger at Darren. How could he ignore his request?


    "Darren, stop this stubbornness. Hand them over to me and if you come across any trouble in the future, depending on what sort of trouble it is, I will be there to help and solve your problems for you." He was doing his best to communicate patiently.


    "No chance of that happening," Darren announced defiantly. He would not budge.


    "You! You don''t know what you''re doing. You''re so incredibly reckless! If my real body is here, you''ll be smashed to a pool of flesh and blood!" roared the shadow of the middle-aged man.


    "Even if that is so, I will just have to kill them before that happens."


    Those words sent the shadow into a fury. Darren was too stubborn for his liking.


    "You should consider the big picture first. Here''s the truth. Someone has said that he wants these people protected or he will stop supplying the life energy. When that happens, even Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng will be in danger. Do you understand now?"


    He was left with no other option but to reveal the truth.


    "Ha-ha," Darren sniggered. So there turned out to be a powerful being who wanted these six men protected. It was no wonder he would send the shadow of this master who was at the top level of the Superior God Realm, to carry that task out, no matter the cost.


    These so called "powerful beings" weren''t all that impressive people. Some of them were willing to put other lives at risk to protect only a few bastards.


    It seemed that there were many scum in the human race, from all walks of life.


    "I will not let them go. They are staying with me," Darren reiterated. He then added, "But since you''re here, why don''t you tell us the quickest way to get the inheritance. I will do my best to get everyone out of danger as soon as possible. This is the best I can offer you."


    "Why are you being so unreasonable? Argh!" The shadow was now overtaken with anger and had no words left.


    "You are wrong. You are the ones who are unreasonable," Darren said, holding his head high. "You know exactly what sort of crimes these scumbags have committed. You would forget that, just because someone threatens you and wants them protected? You would try every means possible to save them? These villains?


    Let me put it more bluntly for you; has that big shot asked you all to swear to join the fiend race? Have you agreed just to avoid danger? If you do not comply, he will cut supply of the life energy, right?


    I do not understand how, as the backbone of the huma


    e was most likely right.


    "Look at this map. There are more than ten different auras of rule cultivators. It seems to have quite obviously been made by many powerful rule cultivators. How could it be fake?"


    "You''re right! That makes sense."


    "You''re really something, Darren. But there''s more to think about. What if one of us really does get the inheritance? That old man seems to be at the Deputy God Realm. My master and Lord Feng may not be strong enough to provide you with protection," Sally said worriedly.


    "That old man is indeed a deputy god. He is on the same level as my master. But don''t worry, for if he dares to hurt you, I will ask my master to rain punishment down upon him. And if my master dares not take action, I will kill myself in front of him. Humph, he will never watch me die right before his eyes, and then he will be forced to act," Weber said seriously.


    "That''s right! There is nothing to be afraid of. He is a deputy god, but our masters are all powerful beings. The masters of those young talents who have been killed are not ordinary people. I believe they will uphold justice for Darren and the rest of us," said someone.


    "That''s right. That old man has only grasped some useful methods at this difficult moment. Once the great masters are freed from danger, do you think they''d still let him act so recklessly?"


    After much debate and conversation, everyone had come to the conclusion that they needed not to be afraid of the old man. The masters behind them were not weak!


    "Alright, let''s do all we can to obtain the inheritance then." Darren nodded slightly, but then he added, "Hmm, the next challenge is marked on the map with a star. What could that mean?"

 Chapter 1387 The Same Family Name

    Darren and the others carefully studied the map.


    If the map was accurate, then the inheritance could be found in a cave located within a mountain.


    However, that mountain was apparently above a star.


    "Is this right?" they muttered to each other, squinting at the map. "How can we go above a star? And how could a mountain be located above a star, anyway?"


    They wondered if perhaps the map was mistaken. After all, the Archean stars were in the depths of space. How could they fly over there? It seemed to be an impossible task. In the darkness of the void, there were various kinds of violent, turbulent energy. Only an extremely powerful creature, such as a supreme god or a chief god, could step into the void of space and hope to survive.


    "Darren, look," said one of the men, pointing at the map. "There''s an interesting path here...It looks like it leads to a village which has a transmission array." Everyone bent over the map to look at the path.


    "Well, that definitely looks like a transmission array," someone agreed.


    "That explains it, right? To reach the star, we have to go through this transmission array," said another person.


    They discussed the risks of such a route, as well as their other available options. Finally, they reached an agreement.


    The village marked on the map was their best shot. If they could find the transmission array, they could be able to reach the star in the void.


    "Look closer at the path," someone said, pointing at the spot where the route ended. "It''s incomplete, see? We might have trouble finding the exact location of the village." Everyone frowned. It was true. The path ended before it reached the village. They would have to navigate the gap on their own.


    "Darren, what should we do?" Eallard asked. The others turned to Darren too, waiting for his decision.


    He thought for a moment, then said, "Wait here. I''ll inquire about this and return as soon as possible."


    Without any further delay, Darren took the map, then leapt into the air and flew away. His sudden departure left everyone confused. They looked cautiously at each other, wondering what Darren had meant. Who was Darren planning to ask about the path? Was there anyone else nearby?


    Darren flew quickly, and soon arrived at the spot where he remembered seeing the straw man and the straw girl.


    "Hello, Wind, Rain," he said calmly.


    Wind and Rain were in a daze in the wilderness. Except for their eyes, which flickered towards Darren as he landed, they were motionless.


    "Why haven''t you left yet?" Wind asked without inflection.


    "I''ll be leaving soon," Darren replied. He came closer, taking out the map. "Wind, do you know how to get to this village?" he asked, pointing at the correct spot.


    When Wind saw the location of the village on the map, his eyes flickered again. He seemed to have


    rily, hitting Wind as hard as she could.


    The others watched for a moment, then Finley cleared his throat and spoke. "Well, you two, maybe you should settle this argument later. For now, let''s try to keep moving. After all, there are a lot of us here, so maybe if we all work together we can save your mother," he suggested.


    Rain heard and stopped hitting Wind. She took a deep breath, glaring at him, then flew forward furiously.


    Weber flew towards Wind. He sighed. "Wind, your sister has a terrible temper. She''s done me serious harm, but I can''t even confront her about it or she''ll just kick me again."


    Wind suddenly turned towards Weber, lifting his arm.


    He slapped Weber forcefully. Weber''s head snapped back, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.


    ''Do you two have to be so irritable?'' Weber thought, but he did not dare to give voice to his thoughts. He glanced mournfully at Wind, feeling hurt.


    Darren decided it was time to intervene. "Well, Wind, now that your sister knows the truth, we may as well all go together. There is strength in numbers. If there is a chance, I promise to help you try to save your mother. After all, she is our compatriot."


    "Thank you," said Wind, nodding slightly. He added, "Actually, we have the same family name as yours. My full name is Wind Chu, and my sister''s full name is Rain Chu."


    Darren was stunned.


    "Your family name is Chu?" he repeated.


    He wondered if it was only a coincidence, or something more.


    "Mother used to say that our family name was Chu, and that our father was very powerful. Every time Mother mentioned him, she would smile, but she would cry too. I don''t know why," Wind said.


    "Well, maybe it was because she missed him... Let''s go to that village and try to reach that star as soon as possible," Darren said.


    He was now more eager than ever to meet the woman whom Wind and Rain called "Mother."

 Chapter 1388 The Village

    Darren and the others in his party moved closer together to avoid being separated in the dense yellow mist.


    "Rain, slow down."


    "I''m on the way to save my mother. How could I possibly slow down? Humph!"


    Rain continued bounding forward so hard that Darren and the others were almost unable to keep up with her.


    "Ah!"


    A horrible shriek came from ahead, piercing into everyone''s ears and hearts!


    Wind could tell that it was without a doubt his sister''s perpetually angry voice.


    "Rain, what''s wrong?"


    Wind quickly flew over to find her standing dead still in front of him. She said nothing and made no move.


    "You wait here. I''ll go and have a look!" Darren saw what was going on and told the rest not to move before he flew over as well.


    He then landed beside Rain and saw her staring blankly into the mist ahead. But he saw nothing in front of them himself.


    "What seems to be the matter, Rain?" asked Darren.


    "There is a thing, there, a very horrible thing." Rain''s voice was cold and distant, her body shuddering as she spoke.


    Darren was unable to use his god''s sense there and so could not perceive anything ahead.


    "Everyone, be careful. Keep your guard up. There may be Archean creatures here," announced Darren in warning.


    Wind remained silent the entire time. But then, all of a sudden, he leaped into the air and flew across at an extreme speed. His hands then turned into a blade and sword and fierce blade and sword intents shot out from them.


    ''Huh! He''s copied my blade and sword intents and used his own methods to come up with his own power!'' Darren was astonished when he felt the blade and sword intents.


    Not only had Wind successfully imitated them in such a short time, but he had also figured out his own way to use them. And the power of Wind''s blade and sword intents was a match for his own!


    The only shortcoming it seemed to have was that Wind was unable to fuse his blade and sword intents, as he was after all, not a real human.


    Boom!


    An intensely powerful fighting spirit burst out of the dim yellow mist and the god''s power exploded.


    "We need to help my brother!" Rain squealed.


    Darren and Rain then rushed over together.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    They arrived at Wind''s side and found a black figure flashing in the mist. It was impossible to capture it without using god''s sense.


    Whoosh!


    Darren closed his eyes and focused his mind to attack with sword intent using instinct alone. "Swordsmanship from the heart..." he murmured to himself.


    He had mastered this method of control using his mind when he had comprehended the third move of the supreme sword skill. He activated the sword intent using the same method now.


    e its claws.


    "If you do not show me the way, I will use itchy toxin on your sensitive parts..."


    Only then did the black dog realize that this was the one who had caused the insatiable itch.


    "Still do not want to agree?"


    Darren released another wisp of sword intent and made it hover menacingly beside the dog''s testicles.


    "Aww, aww, aww!"


    The black dog shivered with fear and nodded repeatedly, agreeing to do as was asked of it.


    "That''s it. Lead the way now!" Darren ordered the dog.


    The black dog immediately darted off. Rain had tied a withered vine to its collar. If not for this, the dog probably would have run off without them.


    It was only an hour later and already the yellow mist began thinning and the scenery in the distance was now faintly visible.


    "We''re already out?"


    Now everyone was grateful that they had kept the dog. If not for that, they would still have been trapped.


    In fact, Darren had chosen to keep the dog because he had a sneaky suspicion that it had most likely been raised by the people in this village.


    They flew a while more and soon many old thatched huts and collapsed stone houses appeared in front of them.


    "Here it is."


    Wind''s heart skipped a beat when he saw what was in front of him.


    He recalled how desperate he had been when his mother was taken away from here, way back what seemed like a lifetime ago.


    His mother had told him not to look for her, or they would never see her again. This was why he had hidden the truth from Rain, the truth that their mother had been kidnapped from this very place.


    "Mother, where are you?" Wind asked aloud, choking through sobs.


    "Woof! Woof!"


    The black dog suddenly broke free of the withered vine and sprinted forward rapidly.


    "You''re dead meat; a group of idiots!"

 Chapter 1389 Attacking

    Who was talking?


    Just as Darren and his companions were about to enter the village, they heard someone make some threatening remarks.


    "Idiots, just wait for death. Ha-ha."


    This time, Darren and his companions saw the black dog fleeing! It was the black dog who was speaking!


    "Don''t run! I''ll kill you!" Just as Rain was about to chase him, the black dog suddenly lunged forward and disappeared.


    Everyone felt a little uneasy. There was a talking dog in the Archean village. Never before had they come across such a weird phenomenon.


    "Is this dog related to your mother?" Darren asked as curiosity surged within him. He wasn''t as surprised as the others about the fact that a dog could speak.


    After all, Wind and Rain were made of straw, and they could talk. It was thus not strange for a dog to have the same ability.


    Putting these together, he concluded that only Wind and Rain''s mother could teach a dog to speak human language in this relic.


    "Darren, are you implying that my mother raised this dog?" Wind stared into the distance with a blank expression. He still appeared to be engulfed by sadness at the mention of their mother.


    "Yes, it''s very likely."


    "No! How could our mother raise such an ugly thing? Don''t let me catch him, or I''ll skin him. Humph!" Rain threatened, annoyance evident in her tone.


    "All right. Why don''t we forget about the dog and search for the transmission array?" Darren shrugged and suggested.


    With one last glance in the direction where the dog had disappeared, the group entered the village.


    The village was large and full of traces of human activities. When they tried to probe, they found that these traces were detectable for thousands of kilometers! Everyone was alert and carefully scoured their surroundings.


    Occasionally, they would pass ancient steles with incomprehensible words engraved on them.


    "Look, there is a palm print on the stone wall."


    Everyone glanced up and saw a massive palm print, one hundred feet deep, in the middle of a stone wall.


    "What''s amazing about that? I can smash this mountain with a punch. Look!"


    A talent at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm rushed forward, formed a fist, and hit the stone wall.


    "Break it!"


    Bang!


    The stone wall trembled on impact but remained undamaged. The young talent, however, turned red and withdrew his hand.


    There was no crack on the stone wall, but his hand was broken.


    "Help heal the wound on my hand... It hurts," he whimpered.


    "Darren, did you notice that this place is very similar to the area marked on the map where the transmission array is located?" Eallard remarked thoughtfully.


    "Yes, it appears so." Darren nodded.


    Then he turned, ready to fly toward the palm print to inspect it.


    "Surround them!"


    A voice reverberated just


    nse. But neither the black dog nor his tiny army knew this.


    "Ah!"


    Rain screeched as she released a majestic Archean god''s power. Like a vengeful flood, it swept over all the creatures and smashed them into pieces.


    Only the black dog was left alive.


    He stood in the wind, alone, surrounded by corpses. A chill traveled down his spine, and he trembled.


    "Everyone, I''m sorry. Please don''t hurt me..."


    The dog fell to his knees and begged with tear-filled eyes.


    "Do you think we should let you go just because you apologize and admit to your wrongdoings?"


    Weber flew forward and slapped him. "Kneel, and give me the cloak!"


    Everyone was stunned. When did Weber become shameless enough to take a dog''s cloak?


    "You can''t do this, bro. My master left it for me."


    "Don''t call me ''bro''! How dare you be so presumptuous? If you don''t surrender it, I''ll skin you alive!"


    Weber lost control of his emotions when he recalled how he had been humiliated before. He rushed over, pushed the black dog to the ground, and grabbed a dagger from his Space Ring.


    At that time, Darren intervened. "Stop, Weber. I have something to ask the dog."


    Weber finally let go of the dog.


    "Tell me. Who is your master?"


    The black dog was stunned. He shook his head, unwilling to tell Darren about his master. He thought that it would be stupid to share this information.


    "You don''t want to tell us?" A ferocious grin morphed Weber''s features as he glared at the insubordinate dog. Before anyone could speak, he rushed forward, intending to beat the dog.


    "Don''t beat me, please!" the black dog pleaded, burying his head in his paws.


    "Tell us right now!" Weber stepped on his back.


    "My master is my master. Could you please ask me a meaningful question? You could ask me what my master looks like, right?"


    Darren''s face darkened when he heard these words.

 Chapter 1390 The Mysterious Palace

    Darren felt a little embarrassed when he realized that what the black dog said made sense. He almost couldn''t believe that he had just acted stupid in front of a dog.


    "Well... Then tell me, what does she look like?" he asked.


    "Ha! My master is eight feet tall and eight feet in diameter. She is very tall, powerful, and dignified. Her shouts can shatter the stars, and her chants can make space and time fall into chaos. You''d better not touch me. Otherwise, you will all die when my master comes back,"


    the black dog said proudly.


    "Fuck!" All of a sudden, Weber kicked the dog.


    "Tell us the truth!"


    "I am telling the truth. My master is really powerful." The black dog looked wronged.


    "Are you kidding me? You said that your master is eight feet tall and eight feet in diameter. Are you referring to a ball?" Weber kicked the black dog again.


    This time, the black dog seemed to have changed his mind. "I''m sorry if I sound exaggerated. I just want to boost my master''s image. I''ll tell you the truth now."


    The dog then started to describe his master again in detail, including her appearance and her clothes.


    "She''s our mother,"


    Wind and Rain said in unison as they choked with sobs. Based on the black dog''s description, they couldn''t be mistaken that he was talking about their mother.


    "Tell me, where is our mother?"


    Rain screamed as she flew over and throttled the black dog.


    "Howl!"


    the black dog cried as he was almost strangled to death.


    "Rain, let him go first."


    The black dog gasped for air as soon as Rain released his throat.


    With his tongue hanging long, tears welled up from his eyes.


    "Oh, you''re my little masters. I finally found you."


    The next moment, the black dog rubbed his body on Rain''s legs and cried bitterly.


    "Cut the crap. They are asking you where their mother is." Weber rushed over, wanting to beat the black dog again.


    Rain was pissed off by Weber''s attitude, so she kicked him away.


    She then turned to the black dog and said, "Don''t worry, he won''t hurt you again. Now tell me, where is our mother?"


    "Young Master, your mother... She was... taken away... Howl!" the black dog stammered and cried again.


    Wind also came over and said, "I know about this. Tell us how to go to the star where our mother is being imprisoned."


    The black dog looked at Wind and shivered. "Young Master, you can''t go there. The Evil Deity is so powerful. Even my master can''t beat him."


    n, who had a True Ice Spiritual Body, couldn''t bear it.


    "Wind and Rain, are you all right?" Darren asked.


    Not long after he landed, Wind and Rain also came out of the space fluctuation.


    "I can''t feel any better than seeing our mother," Rain replied. She looked into the distance expectantly.


    "Let''s go and look for her then."


    The star that they were on was not that big. With their flying speed, they could travel around it in half a year at the most.


    The three of them flew directly to the deep sky so they could look down and see everything from the top, hoping to find some clues.


    After flying for a few days, they found something unusual.


    In the distance, they saw a black iron chain submerged in the dark void. It was around a hundred thousand feet thick and spread on the ground.


    "Let''s fly over there to have a look," Darren suggested.


    They then flew upward along the thick iron chain.


    After flying for a long time, they noticed that more and more iron chains appeared. There were already twenty-four of them. Only then did they find out that they were at the bottom of a suspended palace.


    "How could there be a palace here?" Rain asked in astonishment.


    The suspended palace emitted brilliant lights that dazzled in the dark sky.


    Darren, Wind, and Rain decided to stop. They didn''t dare to rush forward again.


    "What should we do now?" Rain asked Darren.


    "Let''s go somewhere else to look for your mother. If we still don''t find her, we can come back here," Darren suggested.


    The truth was, the magnificent palace made them all feel uneasy. It seemed like their souls were filled with fear.

 Chapter 1391 The Trapped Dragon

    "Then, let¡¯s leave for now." Wind also felt that they shouldn¡¯t take the risk of just barging in such a mysterious place. Otherwise, if their lives were put in danger, they would lose the opportunity to search in other places.


    "No. We¡¯re already here." However, Rain disagreed. "What if Mother is inside? We have to make sure. We have to save her."


    "Rain, listen to me. You¡¯re being too rash. What if Mother isn¡¯t inside?" Wind rebutted.


    "Then, that¡¯s when we leave this place and look for her somewhere else," Rain quickly replied.


    "You¡¯re being too naive! You know yourself that this palace is very mysterious. We don¡¯t know what kinds of danger we may encounter once we get in. Worst case, we may not be able to get out at all," Wind tried to explain.


    "I guess you¡¯re right¡­" Rain said with a frown after thinking for a while.


    "Let¡¯s go. We have to leave now," Darren urged.


    "Come on, Rain. We must hurry up," Wind said.


    "Okay¡­" Rain finally agreed.


    With that, the three of them started leaving the area.


    However, just as when they were flying, a huge shadow suddenly appeared in the void that almost covered the starry sky.


    Without any time to react, Darren and the siblings were instantly enveloped by the shadow.


    "What is this? What¡¯s happening?"


    The siblings started to panic. They felt that an extremely cold aura had just located them.


    "We have to escape first. Let¡¯s go!"


    Darren sped up and rushed, trying to get out of the shadow.


    "What the..."


    When Darren had already flown about a hundred feet, he suddenly felt that some kind of force was restraining him. He encountered a strong resistance that kept him from moving forward.


    Then, he felt the sensation of being stuck in a deep quagmire. The space around him got tighter and tighter, rendering him motionless. The same thing also happened to Wind and Rain. They were totally incapacitated and weren¡¯t able to make a single move.


    In a few moments, the three of them were completely frozen in the void.


    Then, a storm suddenly swept over and carried all of them towards the palace.


    Darren and the two siblings couldn¡¯t escape at all. They were in a helpless situation and all they could do was let the strong force pull them.


    "Argh!"


    Meanwhile, Darren felt that his body was about to be torn apart because of the immense pressure. While being dragged, all he could see was a flash of darkness.


    After some time, the suppressing force had finally subsided. Darren regained his senses and found himself inside a hall where Wind and Rain were also with him.


    The hall had a primitive simplicity but there was an eerie feeling hovering around. On the walls, vivid patterns of beasts could be seen.


    As Darren looked in the front of the hall, his eyes opened wide upon seeing a mind-boggling scene.


    Right in front of his eyes, there was a golden dragon, which was being restrained by twenty-four black iron chains as thick as arms.


    The dragon was about a thousand feet long. He had golden scales all over his body, making him look very dazzling.


    Swoosh!


    Suddenly,


    e golden dragon would be so despicable to drag others just to make him submit to his order.


    Before he was even able to do anything, Rain had already been reduced to pieces in front of his eyes.


    Sensing Darren¡¯s agitated emotions, the golden dragon knew that messing with his companions had been effective.


    "What are you going to do now? If you¡¯d still keep that attitude, I will not hesitate to kill the other one." The golden dragon blurted out a threat.


    "Stop it!


    It¡¯s either you bring Rain back, or kill both Wind and me!"


    Darren shouted at the top of his lungs.


    "You think you have the right to bargain with me?" the golden dragon answered condescendingly.


    "Then, fine! Go ahead and kill all of us! I¡¯d rather die than see you get what you want!" Darren snapped back.


    "You little shit!"


    The golden dragon was infuriated by Darren¡¯s attitude. He immediately unleashed his dragon blood aura to teach Darren a lesson.


    The golden dragon¡¯s dragon blood aura directly drilled into Darren¡¯s chest and pierced into his heart.


    A sharp pain struck Darren¡¯s heart as he coughed out a mouthful of blood.


    However, the pain only lasted for a couple of seconds and completely dissipated.


    In an instant, the dragon blood aura disappeared from Darren¡¯s heart.


    "Golden dragon! You¡¯re going too far!"


    A deep voice suddenly resounded from Darren¡¯s body.


    Then, Darren felt another sharp pain coming from his heart.


    This time, it was as if something was about to break out from within him. "Argh!"


    Darren couldn¡¯t help but roar from the enormous pain. Then, his chest was suddenly ripped open, and a dragon shadow flew out.


    A red-gold dragon blood aura covered the wound on Darren¡¯s chest and healed him.


    As the five-clawed golden dragon saw the emergence of the dragon shadow, his expression became very serious.


    He felt that the dragon blood aura being emitted by this dragon shadow was too familiar. It even made his body tremble slightly. From his totally domineering attitude before, he became absolutely cautious.

 Chapter 1392 The Three Dragon Bloodlines

    "Are you the dragon ancestor?"


    Darren asked as he turned to look at the red gold dragon beside him.


    "Yes, I am. Are you okay?"


    "Yes, I''m fine. But I almost died," Darren replied crossly.


    The dragon ancestor had been sleeping all the while, so he hadn''t shown up for a long time. Fortunately, Darren didn''t die. Otherwise, the dragon ancestor would have also died with him.


    "Don''t worry. Let me deal with it." The dragon ancestor looked so confident with his ability.


    He then looked straight at the five-clawed golden dragon and said, "Golden dragon, this guy is my friend. Let him go."


    "Sir, please wait for a moment. Help me save Rain first. We need to hurry," Darren suddenly interrupted. He turned his eyes to the scattered withered grass on the ground, where a ball of egg-sized green light was faintly visible in the middle.


    The ball of green light was Rain''s soul. If it dissipated, she would totally die.


    "That''s not a problem," replied the dragon ancestor.


    He then released a streak of dragon blood aura directly to the withered grass. The withered grass flew into the air and became condensed again.


    Darren and Wind both felt relieved upon seeing the scene transpire in front of them.


    While watching, Darren was also trying to guess the dragon ancestor''s background. It seemed that he was not even afraid of the five-clawed golden dragon.


    "Who are you?"


    the five-clawed golden dragon finally asked after looking at each of them for a long time.


    "Are you a fool? How come that you don''t know me?


    Don''t you know the three great bloodlines of the dragon race?"


    The five-clawed golden dragon''s eyes flickered coldly and said, "The dragon race has only two great bloodlines. They are yellow gold and purple gold. I never heard of the third one."


    "You''re such an idiot! You don''t even know that there are three great bloodlines. Where is my red gold bloodline then?"


    Upon hearing this, the five-clawed golden dragon twisted his body. He seemed to have remembered something.


    "You are from the red gold bloodline?" This time, the five-clawed golden dragon looked like he was completely at his wit''s end.


    "Do you finally understand it now? Let me tell you. I''m the first generation of the red gold dragon bloodline. You are only the second generation of the yellow gold dragon bloodline. You must know your status now," the dragon ancestor said.


    During the Chaotic Age, a divine dragon descended from the sky and dominated a region.


    It was the Chaotic Dragon Ancestor. It was so powerful that even the top-level creatures didn''t dare to provoke it. It became the tyrant of the whole region.


    But no matter how powerful it was, it was still later wiped out by the Balance Law of heaven and earth just like the other powerful creatures.


    However, according to the other creatures, the Chaotic Dragon Ancestor did not completely d


    loodlines had the most primitive connection that could stimulate the potential power of the dragon race.


    As a matter of fact, it was also the reason why the dragon ancestor was able to revive and leave Darren''s heart. It was the dragon blood aura from the five-clawed golden dragon that brought him back.


    "That''s not a problem. But first, transfer your aura to me so I can further improve my strength. After that, I''ll give my aura to you so you can awaken your natural dragon meridians," the dragon ancestor replied.


    The yellow gold bloodline and the red gold bloodline could benefit from each other.


    "Okay. Thank you, Uncle."


    Then, the dragon ancestor and the five-clawed golden dragon began to fill each other with their own dragon blood aura.


    After several days, the original bloodline of the five-clawed golden dragon finally awakened from a deep slumber.


    "Thank you very much, Uncle. I will finally be out of here one million years later. It feels great!" The five-clawed golden dragon couldn''t contain his happiness.


    After being trapped for so many years, he finally had a chance to gain freedom.


    "Little golden dragon, who on earth trapped you here?" the dragon ancestor asked while they were taking a break.


    "Alas, it was a dog." The five-clawed golden dragon shook his head and sighed. "To be exact, it was the dog''s master."


    "What?"


    Upon hearing it, Darren flew over with a frown.


    "Sir, are you talking about a big black dog?" he asked.


    "Yes, it was a black talking dog. He was too cunning. He lured me into this palace, and his master took the opportunity to trap me here with the Original Sin Chain. My poor lady! I didn''t know where she had been taken," the five-clawed golden dragon said resentfully.


    His face darkened, and his voice trembled as he mentioned the black dog. If he could only get a chance to see that talking dog again, he would definitely tear him apart.

 Chapter 1393 Playing A Leading Role

    Hearing the five-clawed golden dragon''s words, Darren finally realized that the black dog was not as innocent as he thought.


    Darren told the golden dragon about how he had forced the black dog to show him the way.


    "Brat, you were fooled. That black dog is insidious and cunning. He deceived you into coming here on purpose."


    "But why did he do that?" Darren couldn''t figure it out.


    "Why? Because he is that traitor''s slave!" the golden dragon roared angrily.


    "Oh? What do you mean?"


    With a sigh, the golden dragon calmed himself down. He began to tell Darren the story.


    It turned out that a long time ago, the golden dragon and another powerful warrior were followers of a peerless master.


    However, the peerless master died. Both the golden dragon and the other warrior took it upon themselves to protect their master''s wife.


    The master''s wife had once heard that there might be in existence some time-space whirlpools that could bring the dead back to life in some historical relics. After struggling and searching for a long time, she finally got her hands on a relic.


    Of course, the golden dragon and the other powerful warrior went with her.


    However, after entering the relic, she discovered that the time-space whirlpool could not bring the dead back to life. No one knew how to control the time-space whirlpool, and time was chaotic within it. Only an idiot would believe that it could bring the dead back to life.


    The master''s wife was not surprised by this. After all, the Time Law was the most powerful and most mysterious law in the world. Even the chief gods couldn''t control it.


    The experience tainted her. She decided to leave the relic and live in seclusion for the rest of her life.


    All of a sudden, however, a powerful creature appeared inside the relic. He introduced himself as the "Evil Deity," a soul left behind by a human being of the Archean Age.


    He had been stuck in many time nodes, which allowed him to survive for many years.


    After he appeared, he attempted to grab the body of the master''s wife. The golden dragon and the other powerful warrior risked their lives to protect her, and both of them were almost killed by the Evil Deity.


    The other powerful warrior pledged his allegiance to the Evil Deity in order to spare his life.


    The Evil Deity agreed and ordered the powerful warrior to kill the master''s wife.


    The golden dragon was so angry at the time that his heart ached. However, he was severely injured. He could do nothing but watch as his so-called friend attacked the master''s wife.


    However, just as the powerful warrior was about to kill the master''s wife, something remarkable happened.


    It turned out that the master''s wife was not a delicate and weak woman. In reality


    him! The most powerful member of the Chu Clan!


    "So he was a member of our clan. He was really one of us!" Darren murmured to himself, trembling with excitement.


    "Brat, what did you say? Are you a descendant of the Chu Clan?" The golden dragon stared at Darren calmly. He was not that excited, because countless years had already passed. Even if Darren was really a descendant of the Chu Clan, his bloodline must be very weak.


    "Yes, I am a descendant of the Chu Clan," Darren said, nodding.


    "Well, what a coincidence. You have some potential. Follow me, and I will treat you well because you belong to the Chu Clan," the golden dragon said lightly.


    Thwack!


    The dragon ancestor hit the golden dragon''s head with his finger.


    "What are you talking about, you brat? Darren is my friend. Why should he follow you?"


    The golden dragon scratched his head, embarrassed. "Uncle, I''m sorry. I''ve got it wrong..."


    "Sir, the golden dragon is much more powerful than me. I won''t complain if he wants to protect me! Ha!" Darren chuckled.


    "Speaking of which, the Chu Clan has really suffered a lot. Now, the task of reviving the Chu Clan is on my shoulders. Without the help of the golden dragon, I''m not confident I can succeed," he added.


    The golden dragon gave Darren a disdainful look.


    "Darren, you can''t go too far. In front of my uncle, I can be viewed as your peer. However, from the perspective of the Chu Clan, you should view me as your ancestor, right? You are just a young descendant, but you said you must play a leading role. It''s really hard for me to hear that." The golden dragon despised Darren from the bottom of his heart. If it weren''t for the dragon ancestor, he would have slapped Darren silly. He believed that Darren didn''t show enough respect to him. ''Is it really you who will revive the Chu Clan?''

 Chapter 1394 The Inheritance Area

    "Are you planning to rebel, brat?" The dragon ancestor glared at the golden dragon.


    "You can''t bully me now, Uncle. I had stayed with the strongest man in the Chu Clan for a long time, after all. This young man was too harsh when he said that the task of reviving the Chu Clan is on his shoulders." The golden dragon looked morosely at the dragon ancestor.


    "Sir, I''m the patriarch of the Chu Clan now, so I have no choice." Darren shook his head, smiling bitterly.


    "There''s no use being a patriarch...


    What do you mean by that? Who are you?" The golden dragon couldn''t hide his surprise.


    "I''m the new patriarch of the Chu Clan. Is there anything wrong?" Darren had a neutral expression on his face as he said this.


    "What? I''ll beat you to death!" The golden dragon flew into a rage. "Don''t even try to stop me, Uncle. I''m really going to teach him a lesson this time."


    "How dare you?" the dragon ancestor roared.


    "I''m so sorry, Uncle. He''s pretending to be the patriarch of the Chu Clan. My master will be disappointed in me if I don''t teach him a lesson," the golden dragon explained. He was already preparing to release his dragon blood aura to attack Darren.


    "Don''t be too hasty, sir. Look!"


    As soon as Darren said this, he activated his own bloodline. A rusty sword suddenly appeared in front of him.


    It was one of the three most powerful divine weapons of the Chu Clan. It proved that Darren had indeed succeeded the position of the clan''s patriarch.


    This revelation stunned the golden dragon. He stood there, motionless and speechless.


    A few moments later, tears flowed out of his golden eyes.


    "You really are the patriarch..."


    "Yes, I am." Darren nodded.


    The golden dragon almost couldn''t believe that Darren was actually the direct descendant of the Chu Clan.


    "Patriarch!"


    He finally broke his silence by dropping down to his knees and bowing to Darren.


    "Please stand up, sir. You don''t have to do that." Darren hurriedly pulled the golden dragon up.


    The golden dragon was a strong master of the dragon race. He was a follower of Alfredo. Darren couldn''t let him bow down even if he was the patriarch of the Chu Clan.


    The golden dragon stood up. The expression on his face showed his excitement. "Patriarch, may I ask who your father is?"


    Since Darr


    nothing like the hall they were standing in.


    "How can you be this stupid, patriarch? Go ahead and use your god''s sense to rotate the mountain. Look again."


    Darren immediately did what the golden dragon told him to do. He was surprised to see an entire new image.


    It turned out that the mountain was behind a mysterious palace, and a hall had been opened in front of it.


    It seemed like those powerful masters only detected the back side of the palace. No wonder Darren and his companions got lost.


    This was the hall where they could obtain the inheritance.


    There were only two stars connected to the relic. One was with the Evil Deity, while this one had no owner. That could only mean the inheritance was in this star.


    "Sir, are you aware of any special place in this hall?" Darren asked.


    "Yes." The golden dragon nodded.


    "Where?" Darren was overjoyed upon hearing the news.


    "Every place is special."


    Disappointment crashed down upon him. "Sir, this is not the time to joke. The most powerful human warriors are trapped inside the relic. It''s why my companions and I have come here to find and get the inheritance."


    Darren then proceeded to tell the golden dragon about what happened.


    "Are you saying that... the human senior leaders are here?"


    It was then that the golden dragon realized the gravity of the situation.


    "Yes. They are all here, and they are in danger."


    "I see what you mean. But I wasn''t kidding. Every corner in this hall is special."


    And indeed, the golden dragon was serious.

 Chapter 1395 The Beasts Guarding The Hall

    Darren was speechless and kind of confused. Everyone in the hall knew that the place was indeed special and mysterious, so he couldn¡¯t get the point of what the golden dragon was saying.


    "Just get to the point." Even the dragon ancestor had somehow become impatient.


    "Fine." The golden dragon felt embarrassed and began to speak straightforwardly. "This hall is condensed by the Archean laws. It might sound odd, but it seems to have a consciousness of its own!"


    "Even if you say that, I don¡¯t think it will help us¡­" Darren sounded disappointed and asked, "Sir, just think about this. Is there any place in this hall where we may find the inheritance?"


    Darren began looking around. However, there was nothing to see inside the hall except for the locked golden dragon and the murals. Nothing caught their eye that seemed to be where the inheritance was hidden.


    "I don¡¯t know how to help you because I don¡¯t even know what the inheritance is. What I just know is that there are other rooms in this hall," the golden dragon answered honestly.


    "Other rooms? But I don¡¯t see any doors." Darren was quite confused by the golden dragon¡¯s statement.


    "Of course you won¡¯t be able to see one just like that. But I¡¯m telling the truth, there are other rooms. The Evil Deity entered one of those rooms and managed to control a part of the Original Sin Chain. That¡¯s what he used to lock me here," the golden dragon explained.


    Hearing this, Darren couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    It seemed that the Evil Deity had already arrived in this place before them and found the area where the inheritance was hidden. Fortunately, he still hadn¡¯t completely controlled the relic.


    "All right. Let¡¯s look around first and search for any hints," Darren said resolutely.


    With that, Darren and the dragon ancestor began to investigate the hall and look for any clues that might lead them to the hidden rooms.


    After looking around for a while, Darren had already examined every inch of the walls in the hall with his god''s power, but he didn¡¯t find any lead pointing to the doors of these hidden rooms.


    "Darren, I think it¡¯s pointless to search them like this. Those rooms must be separated by the Spatial Law," the dragon ancestor speculated.


    "You¡¯re right. That must be the reason why we can¡¯t find them."


    Darren also realized that since the hall was formed by the Archean laws, it wouldn''t be like any other halls. There must be some tricks behind it.


    "Have you noticed that the pictures on the wall seem to move in some complicated trajectory? This place must be the center of some kind of array," the dragon ancestor concluded after carefully observing for a while.


    Indeed, the center of an array was the key to control the array that was formed by certain laws.


    With this in mind, Darren stared intently at the paintings of the beasts on the wall. He unleashed his god''s sense and traced his hand on the wall. When the lifelike beasts were touched by his god''s sense, they seemed to become agitated and were rea


    The dragon blood aura exploded and a black shadow suddenly appeared.


    "How dare you get in the way?"


    The black cat wasn¡¯t actually angry. Instead, he had a huge grin on his face.


    "It is said that dragons originated from the Chaotic Age. Moreover, their meat is extremely delicious. I¡¯m rather glad that I¡¯ll have the chance to taste it today," the black cat said as he licked his claws.


    Swoosh!


    In the blink of an eye, the black cat disappeared again.


    Swish! Splat!


    All of a sudden, five horrifying claw marks appeared on the chest of the dragon ancestor, where blood gushed out. If he had been a little slower in his retreat, his heart might have been lacerated too.


    Seeing this, both the dragon ancestor and Darren were surprised. They wondered how the black cat suddenly became this powerful.


    Then, the black cat lightly landed on the ground, raised his claws, and licked the trickling dragon blood on them.


    "I¡¯ve told you earlier. Compared to the golden dragon, you¡¯re just like pitiful insects in front of me."


    It turned out that the strength of the black cat that Darren perceived earlier wasn¡¯t at his fullest. His real strength was at least at the same level as the golden dragon.


    They were in a dangerous situation right now since the five-clawed golden dragon was much stronger than the dragon ancestor, who had only resurrected just recently.


    Darren also started to panic. It was clear now that the beasts guarding the hall were indeed powerful. How could he enter the inheritance space then?


    There were still eleven beasts on the walls. Furthermore, they had no idea if these beasts were even stronger than the black cat.


    There was no way for Darren to beat all those beasts at his current level.


    ''Wait. The colorful flag!''


    Darren suddenly remembered the magical colorful flag. He knew that it was able to suppress all the creatures in the relic. If it also worked with the beasts in the hall, he might still have a chance to turn this predicament around.

 Chapter 1396 The Appearance Of The Leader

    Whether it would work or not did not matter, and Darren had to take the chance and at least give it a try.


    "Have a look at this, you little bastard," Darren yelled.


    He then pulled out the colorful flag and waved it around for all to see.


    "Woo, woo, woo!"


    The black cat sprang up as if his tail had been stepped on, hissing with the hair on his back standing straight up.


    This reaction gave Darren a little more confidence. The cat''s fear of the flag was quite obvious now.


    "Don''t act so slick, brat. Get rid of that flag and let''s have a fair duel!"


    Puff!


    Darren couldn''t help but laugh.


    ''You''re as powerful as the five-clawed golden dragon. What sort of fair duel could we possibly have?'' he thought to himself, incredulous at this request.


    "Could you be more ridiculous? Have you tried?" Darren said with contempt and mockery, feigning his true nervousness at the gap in their power.


    The black cat hissed again and revealed his claws, scratching five deep slashes into the ground and staring fiercely at Darren.


    "Are you not aware of the rules? If I were to fight you, my strength would be suppressed to the level that is a third more than your own. Do you really want to cheat and use that flag? Even if you were to win with it, you won''t be able to reach the space of inheritance," said the black cat coldly.


    "Ha-ha," Darren chuckled disdainfully. "If you''re so afraid, why not just admit defeat right now? That way, your life will be spared."


    He did not believe that the cat''s strength would be suppressed. He would not allow himself to believe it.


    "Everyone, someone wants to be a cheater. Come out and kill him!"


    growled the black cat, baring his teeth.


    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...


    The other eleven beasts leapt down from the walls and circled Darren, surrounding him entirely. He had no escape except through them by force.


    Darren took a quick glance around and found that these strange looking beasts all seemed to be even more powerful than the black cat. This was now getting to be a little more than he had bargained for.


    "Put the flag down and fight fairly with the cat. Do as we say, or we will be forced to rip you to shreds," yelled one of the Archean beasts in a hoarse and flat voice.


    "Damn you!" Darren yelled back, glaring at the beast. "Tear me apart if you can, but don''t try to coax me like a child!"


    "Your stubbornness knows no bounds! Go to hell then!"


    Roar! Roar! Roar!


    All twelve Archean beasts roared at once. The force of their resonating roars almost shattered Darren to pieces.


    Immediately, Darren infused his god''s sense into the colorful flag and abruptly waved it around in retaliation.


    A peculiar force was thrown out of it,


    suddenly decreasing the twelve streams of fierce pressure.


    To Darren''s disappointment, however, the colorful flag appeared to have only weakened the momentum of the roars by less


    ren was overjoyed, this was fantastic news.


    "No, they have not, unfortunately. It was just our beloved turtle man who stood up and came to our aid. If it weren''t for him, we would surely have been swallowed by the black dog." Weber looked back over his shoulder with admiration filling his eyes as he spoke.


    The crowd separated to make a path, and a lame turtle slowly crawled through the middle.


    It was the old lame turtle!


    On the back of the lame turtle was Jeremy jumping happily.


    This confused Darren. How had the lame turtle, a battle beast in the first space, come here?


    Not just that, it was the lame turtle who had helped his friends take care of the black dog and rescued them from harm. But how could he fight here?


    "Roar!"


    "Aooo! Aooo!"


    "Ah!"


    The twelve beasts behind Darren suddenly roared and howled furiously, clearly roused by something.


    Their powerful, vicious roars sent Darren flying through the air.


    Fortunately, Weber and the others reacted quickly and caught him before any real damage was done.


    After the explosion of roars, the twelve beasts and Darren''s companions all quieted down and the entire hall fell dead silent.


    The lame turtle continued crawling slowly, finally stopping before the beasts.


    A stalemate seemed to have been reached between both sides, each standing on opposite ends, staring each other down like resolute statues.


    The black cat was the first to make a move and end the painfully long pause.


    He moved so fast that one could not even see what had happened. He had hurled himself at the lame turtle.


    This was a worrying sight for Darren. Would this lame turtle be a match for these twelve fierce beasts?


    "Boss, you have finally returned, I have missed you so much."


    To the astonishment of both Darren and his companions, the black cat had stopped by the turtle''s side and grasped his front foot gently, wailing and whining as he groveled.

 Chapter 1397 A Fair Fight

    That black cat was actually calling the lame turtle boss?


    "Boss!"


    "It''s really him! It''s our boss!"


    It wasn''t just the black cat, but even the other eleven Archean beasts came over and bent over the turtle in tears.


    "Wow, I didn''t expect that lame turtle to be this awesome!" Weber''s eyes widened in shock.


    "I didn''t expect it either. He looked so plain, but it turns out that he''s actually a boss," said Finley in awe.


    Looking at the twelve beasts, the lame turtle nodded slowly.


    "Boss, you still can''t speak?"


    "The turtle can''t speak a word. He''s been cursed by some kind of law," said Jeremy, while sitting on the back of the turtle. He had a soul level communication with the lame turtle, so he could understand what the turtle wanted to say.


    "Where did this fat creature come from? How dares he ride on our boss''s back? Go to hell!" The black cat raised his paw and hissed angrily at Jeremy.


    The lame turtle raised his front paw to gesture the black cat not to move so recklessly.


    "Your boss says that I''m his master and you aren''t allowed to hit me. Humph!" whined Jeremy, jumping up and down as he spoke.


    "Is this true, boss?"


    The lame turtle nodded in reply.


    It was not until then that the twelve beasts realized that Jeremy was the boss of their boss.


    "The turtle wants to tell you that you''re not allowed to kill Darren either, because he is my master''s good friend." Jeremy conveyed the message from the lame turtle, while the lame turtle nodded.


    "Well..."


    The twelve beasts looked at one another, wondering why there was one more superior boss here.


    There was nothing they could do about it. Since the lame turtle nodded to confirm Jeremy''s words, they had to respect their boss and did not dare challenge him.


    "Boss, since you''re back, we''ll show them mercy, but the rules of the hall can''t be broken. He must fight me. None can enter the space of inheritance unless they can defeat me," the black cat said.


    Of course, the lame turtle also knew these unchangeable rules, so he asked Jeremy to pass on the message. "You can act just in accordance with the rules."


    "Okay." The black cat nodded.


    "Come over here and have a fair fight with me!" The black cat still looked down upon Darren from the bottom of his heart. In his opinion, Darren''s weak power didn''t make him worthy enough to enter the space of inheritance, so his tone remained hostile.


    "Wait a minute!" Eallard shouted.


    "What''s wrong?" The black cat grimaced.


    "All of us are within the age range required for access to the inheritance space. We can also fight with you, right?"


    A


    t his eyes on the battle.


    "Darren is more than good. He is no inferior to any big shot in the Primitive Wilderness, I mean, in terms of potential."


    "I can''t tell yet. To put it bluntly, the deputy gods of the Chu Clan were all capable back then. He has inherited the direct bloodline, and he is quite talented, so it''s natural for him to have great potential," said the golden dragon.


    "Agreed. From now on, you should watch out for that man. I always feel that Darren will reach the top one day," said the dragon ancestor.


    "Of course. After all, he is the patriarch of the Chu Clan."


    "That''s right."


    On the battlefield, Darren and the black cat had faced each other thousands of times by now, and the two of them turned out to be evenly matched in strength.


    The black cat flashed, and his sharp claws turned into phantoms as they swiped at Darren.


    It was a little difficult for Darren to deal with the attack, but he hadn''t used all his trump cards yet. At least, his Spiritual Flying Sword was still holding back and waiting for the best opportunity to strike.


    "Supreme sword skill!"


    Darren wielded the sword with all his heart. The third move of the supreme sword skill, combined with the effect of the black god''s power and the divine pattern, condensed a huge sword behind him.


    "Come out!"


    Darren shouted, and the huge sword flew out.


    "Huh!"


    The black cat was terribly shocked, wondering why Darren''s moves were getting more and more threatening.


    However, the black cat was very confident in himself. Even if he couldn''t completely break the huge sword, he was sure that Darren wouldn''t be able to harm him. He didn''t believe Darren could break his defense. It was too ridiculous for him to think of.

 Chapter 1398 Marvel

    The huge sword formed by the sword intent hit the black cat.


    The black cat grinned hideously, his front paws covering the top of his head. At the tips of his claws, the god''s power gradually gathered.


    Soon, the entire hall was filled by a violent explosion.


    "Fuck!"


    The force had flung the black cat away. He cursed under his breath.


    The huge sword had smashed his god''s power into pieces. His claws were also destroyed. He couldn''t believe that he was no match against it.


    "I can''t believe what I''m seeing."


    From afar, the golden dragon watched the battle unfold, calmly and wide-eyed.


    The strength behind Darren''s attacks was as powerful as that of a warrior at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm.


    "His cultivation level is only at the top level of the Star God Realm, but he has the fighting power of a warrior at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm? That''s unbelievable!"


    The golden dragon could no longer hide his growing excitement. In all his time in the Primitive Wilderness, he had never seen such remarkable genius before.


    This also surprised the dragon ancestor very much. He had been sleeping before and had never witnessed Darren''s powerful fight power. At first, he believed that Darren could only have the strength of a warrior at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm, which wasn''t too bad. However, the strength Darren had displayed proved that he was comparable to a warrior at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm.


    "What an outstanding genius! Even Lord Starry Sword wasn''t that powerful back when he was at that age. My master is the only one who can probably surpass that brat at such a young age," the golden dragon exclaimed.


    The other people here had already witnessed Darren defeat several warriors at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm with just one move. However, nobody expected his fighting power to be this terrifying. They couldn''t help but be surprised and envious about this revelation.


    He truly was a genius!


    "Tsk, tsk. I admit that I have underestimated you."


    After healing his paws, the black cat flew back to Darren''s side. He grinned at him playfully.


    "That''s good," Darren said indifferently.


    "But it''s too early for you to celebrate," the black cat sneered. "If this is your strongest attack, then that means it has already consumed most of your god''s power, right? And yet, it still hasn''t defeated me. Even if you can launch a second powerful attack, the result would be the same. You are doomed to lose,"


    the black cat said. He sounded so


    eity..." Darren could feel his heart sink. Who else could possibly have such an aura other than the Evil Deity himself?


    Their most feared enemy had finally arrived. It had completely caught Darren off guard.


    Even when the golden dragon was at his peak strength, he couldn''t defeat the Evil Deity. If it was indeed him, everything would be over in an instant.


    Then, the sound of footsteps echoed down the quiet hall.


    It was getting closer.


    A slender figure finally appeared in front of everyone.


    Based on his appearance, he looked human, and he had purple black hair. Purple patterns covered his skin. His long, black cloak trailed behind him. It seemed to be moving even though there was no wind.


    There was a black iron chain wrapped around his waist. Red lighting flashed on it from time to time.


    "How dare you step into this hall, Evil Deity? Aren''t you afraid of being annihilated?" The black cat bared his teeth at the figure. His entire body shook as he let out a ferocious roar.


    The Evil Deity merely raised his head. His pair of purple eyes stared coldly at them. His lips were moving as if he was saying something.


    This unnerved the twelve beasts. Everyone became even more tensed and hostile.


    "Hey you, ugly monster. Stop!" Jeremy shouted in a childish voice. He was perched on top of the Devil Muscled Turtle''s shoulder.


    The Evil Deity spared a glance at the lame turtle.


    "Don''t you want to keep your other three legs?" the Evil Deity said in a unique Archean language.


    The muscles of the lame turtle twitched. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest violently.


    Back then, the Evil Deity had broken one of his legs. It was broken beyond repair.

 Chapter 1399 Protection

    The turtle hated the Evil Deity to the core.


    However, the Evil Deity was much stronger than him. Back when the turtle was at his peak, he tried to use the great hall''s power to defeat the Evil Deity. However, he had failed.


    Fortunately, the Evil Deity''s actions were limited in this hall. To prevent the inheritance from being destroyed by someone like the Evil Deity, the great hall''s former owner had left behind a mighty law¡ªthe Sin Law. It restricted strong warriors from forcefully breaking into the inheritance space.


    For many years, the Evil Deity had been unable to enter the inheritance space and gain control of the ancient relic.


    "Why are you here today?" the turtle asked through Jeremy.


    "To kill some human ants, of course." The Evil Deity glanced at Darren and the others.


    He had dreamed of getting into the inheritance space and controlling the relic for so many years. But, each time he tried, he failed. How could he accept the fact that these human ants had gained the qualification for entering the inheritance space so easily? What if one of these humans got the inheritance? Then he would be doomed!


    Unwilling to allow that, the Evil Deity intended to kill Darren and the others.


    A chill snaked down everyone''s spine when they heard his candid response. The atmosphere became tense, and everyone became vigilant.


    They knew that the Evil Deity, who was in the Archean relic, would be more powerful than them. He had even defeated Alfredo''s wife!


    "If he wants to kill us, I''m afraid he can do it with a wave of his hand." Eallard frowned.


    "How dare you? You''re only a soul. Leave the hall right now. You are not welcome here!"


    The twelve beasts, who were the guardians of this hall, would never allow the Evil Deity to set foot in here at will.


    Besides, now that someone had the opportunity to enter the inheritance space, it was their duty to protect the candidates.


    The Evil Deity raised his head and flicked his slender fingers forward.


    The hall trembled, and a stream of god''s power of Archean Age shot out.


    "Roar!"


    A fierce black-scaled beast suddenly roared, and extended its massive claws as it rushed toward the Evil Deity.


    Bang!


    The beast was thrown back with such intensity that it slammed into the wall with a single move.


    It was known to all that each of these twelve beasts'' real fighting power was only a fraction lower than that of the golden dragon.


    The ability to send a fierce beast flying with a flick of his finger was a testament to the Evil Deity''s p


    rected them to bombard the humans.


    At the same time, the Evil Deity rushed toward Darren and the others.


    "Stop him!"


    The twelve fierce beasts re-launched attacks, biting the Evil Deity''s legs, shoulders, and arms.


    However, this didn''t stop him. He threw dozens of punches instantly, and the bodies of the twelve fierce beasts were smashed!


    Meanwhile, the turtle charged at the palm shadows, which were about to hit Darren and his companions. In the span of a breath, his turtle shell enlarged infinitely to block the incoming attacks.


    Bang! Bang! Bang


    The explosion was devastating. Several web-like cracks appeared on the turtle shell, and then it crumbled!


    The residual god''s power wounded the turtle, and he fell to the floor, bleeding.


    "You''re doomed now!" the black cat cackled at the Evil Deity.


    The black cat''s body had been destroyed in the earlier attack. As only his head was left intact, the statement was eerier coming from the black cat.


    "How dare you endanger our lives? Accept the punishment of our great master!"


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Endless black divine thunder shot out from every corner of the hall and interwove into a net of thunder and lightning that descended on the Evil Deity.


    "Roar! Roar! Roar!"


    The Evil Deity trembled and struggled as he tried to free himself from the net.


    "How dare you fatally injure us despite knowing that you would be punished if you killed us? Crazy!" the black cat said proudly, just before his eyes turned gray.


    If the hall''s guardians were critically wounded by powerful warriors who entered the hall, it would trigger the Sin Law of the hall. The intruder would then receive severe punishment.

 Chapter 1400 The Attack Of Time

    In this way, even if the twelve beasts died, they were still able to protect the candidates for the inheritance. Therefore, they still accomplished their mission.


    Besides, as long as they were in the hall and their heads were intact, they would not necessarily die.


    Now, they had bought enough time for the candidates.


    While the Evil Deity was struggling, Darren and the others had already disappeared. They were sent into the inheritance space.


    The Evil Deity quieted down and stopped resisting when he saw that Darren and his companions vanished.


    Soon enough, the thunder and lightning on his body also dissipated. He now looked very weak after being bombarded.


    "You lonely soul! Never dream of getting the inheritance," said the black cat. Although he was dying, he still looked at the Evil Deity with mocking eyes.


    The Evil Deity was unwilling to give up. But he had been too presumptuous just now that he forgot the Sin Law in this hall. And now, he had no choice but to leave the hall.


    What happened made him realize that he could never really resist everything in this relic unless he obtained the blood body of that powerful woman.


    If he could acquire her blood body, he could return to his peak. And even if those ants would take control of the relic, he would not have to be afraid of them.


    Meanwhile, Darren and his companions were teleported into a dark void.


    There was nothing in there. It seemed that even time and space didn''t exist in that void.


    Everyone sat cross-legged. Their breathing was very weak.


    They all felt nervous and expectant at the same time, wondering what the test of the inheritance space would be.


    It was too quiet. No one dared say a word.


    "Ahhh!"


    someone suddenly shouted.


    Everyone turned their heads to where the sound came from. There, they saw a human talent at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. He screamed and flurried through the void. They were all shocked to see the scene before their eyes.


    "Inman, what''s wrong with you?" a man asked.


    He must be the human talent''s companion because he knew his name. The man stood up and tried to pull Inman back.


    Bang!


    But much to everyone''s surprise, Inman punched the man''s chest violently with his god''s power. He hit the man so heavily that his fist pierced through the man''s heart.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Inman, are you crazy?"


    shouted some people.


    Inman just ignored them.


    feel restless?


    When he sighed, he also said,


    "Time is endless."


    Darren was still deep in thought when someone shouted again.


    This time, everyone immediately stepped forward and knocked the man out with their god''s power.


    After a while, Daren felt strange.


    He felt like an irresistible force was trying to overwhelm him. It didn''t give him a feeling of danger but made him feel very restless.


    Fortunately, his experience and willpower were far more exceptional compared to ordinary people. So instead of panicking, he calmed down and felt the force carefully.


    "Oh, that''s it!"


    Darren opened his eyes abruptly at some realization.


    "What''s wrong, Darren?"


    the crowd asked nervously.


    "I have figured it out. It seems that time doesn''t exist here anymore. There is just remaining power of time that will baptize the people who come to receive the inheritance."


    Darren was able to find out because he had personally experienced it before. Back then, when he was in the Lothlann Continent, he was once trapped in a dream space. It gave him the fantasy that he would live forever as the strongest man in the world. However, he was the only person there. Eventually, he felt lonely, and his life became meaningless.


    The baptism that Darren experienced now was somewhat similar to the one he had experienced at that time.


    He now knew what could make people feel restless and break down.


    That was time. In the long river of endless time, every creature was lonely.


    Darren was sure that because Weber was attacked by the power of time earlier, he sighed and uttered, "Time is endless."

 Chapter 1401 The Flawed Formula

    How terrible was the power of time?


    Three seconds could feel like a hundred thousand years. Sometimes, it could even be a million years or even longer. It could leave you trapped in endless loneliness, driving you crazy in the end.


    At that moment, Darren could feel his control over the power of time slipping. It had now invaded his body.


    A deep sense of loneliness overwhelmed him.


    Every moment felt like ten thousand years had passed through him.


    He had experienced this before, so he knew what to do. He had to empty his thoughts and think as if nothing existed.


    He sat down with his legs crossed. Boredom was slowly creeping its way inside him, but he kept pushing it away.


    ''This is a test of one''s will,'' he thought.


    Everything existed for a reason here in the inheritance space. This was definitely a test. He just had to safely pass it, and he would finally have the chance to obtain the inheritance.


    With that, he could feel himself loosening up. His head was clear from any thoughts.


    "Look. Darren seems to be fine."


    This was how everyone else found him. Nobody dared speak up, only using their spiritual sense to communicate with each other. They didn''t want to disturb him.


    About a quarter of an hour passed when Darren finally opened his eyes.


    His gaze landed on the people in front of him. And the feeling as if a lifetime had already passed washed over him. It made everyone seem strange.


    Gradually, his memory flooded back to him like an unrelenting tide. Everything became clear again.


    "Darren, are you alright?" someone asked.


    Darren stood up slowly, trying to regain a sense of normalcy. "I''m fine. I''ve just passed the test safely. However, time can still attack us here. I must now pass on my experience to you. Just remember to relax."


    He then showed to the rest what had transpired during his test through his spiritual sense.


    "Oh, I see! Ten thousand years in just an instant! That is truly terrifying!"


    "It is fortunate that Darren had succeeded with the test. Otherwise, we might go crazy when it''s our turn."


    Relief rushed through everyone. Thanks to Darren, they were now prepared to face the next test.


    Nobody knew how long they stayed there. Everyone experienced the passage of time differently. But with the knowledge passed on by Darren, most of them survived. Only a few of them were unable to resist time an


    hitting every vital part of an enemy! Perfect!


    But he couldn''t help but doubt his observation. After all, there were so many flaws in the whole formula. There was only a small chance that this strike was flawless.


    With that, he observed it once more. This time even more carefully than before.


    "Ah! I see it now. There is indeed a flaw in this first strike!" He had finally come to the conclusion after watching it countless times.


    The strike alone was absolutely perfect, but it still had its weaknesses. It wasn''t compatible with the second strike at all! The second slash was to kill the enemy from seven hundred and twenty directions all at once. It would require the blade to fall from the sky. If a horizontal strike followed the second slash, the movement would become weak and inefficient.


    If the first strike was done upwards, the moves could go more smoothly. It would also reduce its god''s power consumption.


    ''That''s it! The strikes may look perfect, but if you consider them as a whole, the formula is indeed flawed.''


    He now understood what the creator meant. The blade formula might look like a perfect cultivation method at first glance, but it really needed to be improved.


    With this understanding, he had almost forgotten that this was part of the test. He was more interested in developing the blade formula.


    ''The second slash is also flawed. It gives room for the enemy to escape!''


    A real perfect blade formula would seal off all escape routes that the enemy could potentially use. Leaving even the slightest opportunity could let the enemy get away.

 Chapter 1402 Last Hope

    The whole process was becoming more and more interesting to Darren.


    Finding the flaws in the so-called perfect blade skill filled him with a great sense of accomplishment.


    Since he had begun this, he had fallen into a trance-like state, becoming completely oblivious of himself. This was something he had never experienced in his cultivation before.


    This allowed him to gradually find more and more flaws.


    As time here was frozen, he had no concept of how much time had passed either, but in that time he had found around four hundred flaws.


    But that was in fact the trouble; he had only found four hundred.


    In order to find these flaws, Darren had studied the blade skill more than a million times!


    He had pulled all the brain power he possibly could but still could not find any more flaws.


    He had hit a wall, one that was truly difficult to break through.


    And at a bad time too, he was still a long ways away from the over eight hundred flaws he was supposed to find.


    "This appears to be my limit," Darren sighed, somewhat exhausted and disappointed.


    He believed he had figured out all the flaws there were and there was nothing more he could do.


    As it stood, he had only completed half the mission and this only heightened his frustration.


    It even began driving him to question whether he had enough talent or comprehension to complete the task before him.


    But he did not let all this get the better of him. Instead, he was calm and forced himself to remain so to think it over and find a solution.


    In the past, he might not have been able to suppress his irritation so easily, but after experiencing the baptism of time, it was not so difficult anymore.


    It seemed that perhaps the owner of the Archean relic was very far sighted indeed. Only a genius capable of remaining calm and collected would be able to get his inheritance. And those who could not would most likely kill themselves due to the torture of endless time in this place.


    More than forty beams of light enveloped more than forty human talents.


    All of whom were being tested.


    "That''s it. I give up! It''s impossible. It''s impossible!"


    It took a long while, but eventually, someone finally broke the silence.


    "How is it possible that this fist skill has four hundred flaws? I''ve only found twelve. This is killing me!"


    Once that cultivator had finished speaking, the beam of light left his body. He had given up and quite obviously failed the test.


    "It seems my talent is far from enough. I''ve only found sixty-eight flaws. Is this the end f


    was dancing. But still, no one could tell exactly what was going on.


    "Is someone attacking him?" Weber shouted, his face darkening as he seemed to be on alert.


    "No way. It couldn''t be that. No one attacked us," Lindsay responded, staring intently into the beam of light.


    "I''m going to check what''s going on. I can''t see clearly from here!"


    Sally could not contain herself any longer and flew towards Darren.


    Slap!


    A ray of white light slammed into her back and left her shoulder bleeding.


    "Ouch! It hurts! It hurts so much!" Sally screeched, bursting into tears.


    "You should not have been so impulsive. Come here, let me give you a massage," offered Weber.


    "Hey! Get away from Sally! She''s not some helpless little thing for you to take advantage of! Any closer and I''ll beat you to a pulp," Beatty said furiously, staring Weber down.


    "There must be some sort of misunderstanding. I just care about her, that''s it," Weber replied nervously in defense.


    "Look how big that wound is, how could you rub that? Are you out of your goddamn mind? Leave us alone!" Beatty yelled. Weber was perplexed, confused by what exactly he had done. He really did not know.


    "Hey, quiet down. Look, Darren is coming out!"


    Darren then suddenly began to move out of the beam of light.


    They all collectively held their breath and fixed their eyes on Darren, not a single one of them daring to blink. Had he done it?


    Darren was everyone''s last hope. If he failed, it would mean it''d all end here.


    The way they saw it, Finley and Sandy Lou were just doing their best to hold on, they would never actually succeed.


    It all depended on Darren and they all believed he would not let them down!

 Chapter 1403 Darren Failed

    In that light, Darren appeared in the form of a black figure, making his way outside, step by step.


    Everyone held their breath. Whether they succeeded or not depended on Darren as he was their only hope!


    Gradually, Darren placed one foot into the void, and the light enveloping him dissipated.


    "Darren, how did it go?"


    "You must have succeeded, right?"


    Everyone was so excited that they immediately flew over and surrounded him.


    Darren, who was exhausted to the bone, remained silent.


    "Say something, Darren. Did you succeed? Please tell us the result," Lindsay urged as she stared at Darren. She frowned when she noticed that something seemed off about him.


    Darren opened his mouth to speak, but he felt so weak that his eyes fluttered, and he fainted.


    Everyone gasped as shock coursed through them. Weber quickly flew forward to help Darren.


    "Darren must have consumed too much soul power and passed out. Where are the rule cultivators? Come and save him," Weber shouted frantically.


    Several talented rule cultivators immediately flew over to treat Darren.


    After a long time, Darren''s soul was healed to the point where it wasn''t as fragile, and he regained consciousness.


    Phew!


    Darren opened his eyes, much to everyone''s delight. He still looked a little tired, but he was awake.


    "Are you all right?" Sally and Beatty appeared genuinely concerned as they asked Darren.


    Darren shook his head and smiled bitterly. "I was fortunate to have exited in time. Otherwise, my soul would have collapsed."


    "That''s a relief. I wouldn''t want anything bad to happen to you, Darren."


    "Don''t worry. I''m fine."


    Now that Darren had woken up, everyone''s curiosity returned, and they wanted to know the result.


    However, when they saw his condition, they guessed the outcome wasn''t as they had hoped. Although they were thrilled that he was unharmed, in their hearts, they were a little depressed.


    "Darren, did you also fail?"


    someone asked. Darren had just said that if he hadn''t retreated in time, his life would have been in danger. His statement indicated that he had failed and given up.


    Darren remained silent for a while, unsure of how to explain what had happened. Eventually, he shook his head.


    Brilliant smiles lit up everyone''s faces, and hope soared.


    "D


    of help that he hadn''t checked on his friend.


    "No, he is still receiving the test." Lindsay became a little worried now. If Darren had given up, what hope did Finley have? Wouldn''t he be in danger?


    Darren turned and saw that there were still two rays of light covering two people.


    His eyebrows shot up.


    "I see!"


    Darren shouted, startling everyone.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Ha-ha." Darren smiled and said, "There could only be one reason why I wasn''t given control of the relic despite finding all the flaws."


    "What? Tell us."


    "Because someone else identified all the flaws before I did," Darren said with an enthusiastic nod.


    If Darren had been the first to complete the test, he would have gained control of the Archean relic. Since the relic owner didn''t allow him to command it, there could only be one explanation.


    Was it Finley or the other one called Sandy who had outperformed Darren?


    "It seems to make sense."


    Everyone came to understand when they heard the explanation.


    Such a result completely astounded them as they had not considered the possibility that one of the others would succeed instead of Darren.


    Finley was so weak, and Sandy''s abilities were relatively unknown at that time. It was beyond everyone''s expectation that one of them would obtain the inheritance.


    Although everyone was surprised, they were no longer worried.


    Regardless of who qualified to control the relic, Finley and Sandy would leave safely and save those who were trapped.


    This mission was finally complete.

 Chapter 1404 An Unexpected Result

    The crowd waited with bated breath for the result to be revealed.


    Swish! Swish!


    Suddenly, the two remaining rays of light began fading,


    revealing both Finley and Sandy at the same time.


    "Hey! The result is out. Go and have a look." The crowd swarmed over and surrounded the two of them.


    Darren followed behind as well, flying over to join the rest.


    He was in no hurry to ask anything. He was more interested in getting the rule cultivators to help Finley and the woman heal their wounds first.


    A moment later, the two pale faces that came out of the light had somewhat recovered.


    "Congratulations!" Finley said to Sandy, the first to speak.


    That made it clear enough; Sandy was obviously the one who was to obtain the inheritance.


    Sandy, who the general public did not know, looked in her twenties, pretty and petite, like a pretty girl from a modest family.


    "Finley, Darren, you two are really quite powerful," Sandy said with a sweet smile stretching across her face.


    "Ha-ha, congratulations to you, Sandy." Darren did not regret not being the one to get the inheritance. On the contrary, he was happy for this stranger.


    "Thank you, Darren. I actually only completed it three thousandths of a second earlier than you and Finley. If I had known how close it was, I would not have worked so hard, so that one of you could have taken control of the relic," said Sandy kindly.


    Everyone sighed to themselves when she spoke. Not only was this woman so talented, but she was humble as well. Such a person was truly a rare find.


    "Sandy, you''re quite superior to us. We are both incredibly happy for you and your achievement," Finley replied with a kindly smile of his own.


    "Ha-ha, well then, I will say no more. Please, everyone, step back. I feel the force of control coming," she said, her smile fading ever so slightly as she seemed to be refocusing to take the incoming power.


    Everyone offered their final congratulations before stepping aside as she had asked.


    After so many life and death battles, they could finally relax. They sighed as relief washed over them the way it did to survivors.


    Darren too fell back with the crowd, looking back at Sandy before he did. As his eyes met with hers, his heart inexplicably skipped a beat.


    ''Why is there a trace of cruelty in her eyes?'' he wondered. A sense of uneasiness crowded his mind all of a sudden.


    It was this inexplicable feeling that led him to release his spiritual sense to investigate Sandy and see what it was that was bothering him.


    "Darren, get back. Hurry up, I''m afraid you''ll accidentally be hurt by the force of control when it


    ough his abdomen.


    ''She is still alive!''


    His abdomen had already been impaled by the time he realized what had happened.


    Whoosh!


    His violent sword intent surged backward, and he used a great deal of strength to fly away.


    When he was able to steady himself again, he turned around and saw a hideous fiend, covered in mucus and infused with the force of control.


    "I was too careless. That wasn''t her real body I killed!"


    Only then did Darren realize that he had killed the fiend''s human disguise, and not her actual body.


    The force of control still continued falling. He could not stand by and watch her become the controller, or the human race would surely be doomed.


    "I have to kill her! Now!"


    Pushing aside his injury and pain, Darren turned into a shadow and rushed at her.


    Chop!


    He released his sword intent and black god''s power together, as well as one hundred slashes of the Blood Thirst blade formula he has just obtained.


    "To hell with you, you insolent little human,"


    grumbled the hideous fiend in a hoarse voice, sentencing Darren to death.


    A wisp of force of control dashed towards Darren, cutting through everything in its path as if it were smashing through weeds and rotten wood.


    Darren charged on courageously with no intention of moving out of the way.


    Even if he escaped the blow, what good would that do? If the fiend finished controlling, she''d be able to kill Darren with a mere thought. If he did not make this move, he was as good as dead anyway.


    He had no choice but to go all out. This was his last chance, the last chance for the entire human race!


    "Ah!" Darren roared.


    He bellowed his battle cry, having already pushed his fighting power to the heights he had never reached before!

 Chapter 1405 The Birth Of The Controller

    Horrifying energy waves burst out from the void. Darren and the ugly fiend faced each other head on.


    Boom! Boom!


    With a few earth-shattering explosions, a wisp of the force of control came over. Darren deflected it with his own power.


    This didn''t mean that the force of control was weak. It only meant that the fiend hadn''t really become the controller yet. After she had mobilized the force of control, she only brought less than one thousandth of the power into play.


    "Stupid brat! You are throwing a wrench in all our plans!"


    the ugly fiend roared, sensing the danger that was to come. In her heart, she still believed that Darren was one of her kind. She believed that the only reason Darren wanted to kill her was because he wanted to take control of the relic and become the hero of the fiend race.


    "You think too much. I''m a human. What makes you think I will let you get your own way?"


    Darren sneered. In the blink of an eye, three Spiritual Flying Swords rushed out.


    "Damn it! Go to hell!"


    The ugly fiend was livid. Her fiendish aura surged fiercely, and she clawed at Darren desperately.


    "Look, Darren is fighting with a fiend!"


    Hearing the ruckus, the people who had left immediately returned.


    Everyone realized that Sandy was actually a fiend.


    "That''s not good. That fiend is inheriting the force of control. Everyone, go and help Darren! We need to stop her!"


    Eallard immediately called upon the others to give Darren assistance. Things weren''t looking too good.


    "Don''t move."


    Finley stood between them and stopped them.


    "What are you doing? Go and save Darren!" Eallard stared at Finley.


    "Are you stupid? That''s a battlefield for warriors at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm. If you go in there, you could die! Stay here. I''ll help Darren," Finley said coldly.


    He was right. The god''s power that escaped from the battlefield was not something that Eallard and the others could easily bear. If they got in there, they would only cause Darren harm.


    However, Finley was also very weak. How could he help him?


    While Eallard was lost in thought, Finley rushed to Darren''s aid.


    "Finley, be care


    ow-level of the Celestial God Realm without the force of control.


    Finley continuously released his force of control to offset the fiend''s force of control, rendering the fiend powerless.


    Darren, on the other hand, fiercely attacked the fiend. He waved his mighty sword around, making the fiend fear for her life.


    "Go to hell!"


    Darren shouted coldly. The powerful blade skill of Blood Thirst blocked any means of escape for the fiend to use.


    "No! I have already succeeded..."


    The fiend''s broken body trembled as she roared. She was unwilling to accept her defeat.


    Bang!


    Darren''s blow landed on her, making her disintegrate into black mist.


    The fiend died.


    Crack! Crack!


    Countless bolts of thunder suddenly appeared in the sky and shattered the other half of the force of control. The remaining half immediately poured itself into Finley''s body.


    Darren immediately retreated. He had been seriously injured, so he could no longer withstand the pressure of the force of control.


    The others took turns healing Darren. They all awaited Finley''s return.


    After a long time had passed, the void was finally peaceful.


    Finley''s white clothes fluttered in the air as he flew over. He moved in a graceful, ethereal manner. People looked on at him in awe.


    "Wow, Finley is so handsome!"


    "I didn''t expect that Finley could be so cool." Lindsay looked at him with a soft smile on her lips, her heart beating wildly.

 Chapter Waiting For The Troops

    Upon recovering, Darren immediately stood up and walked towards Finley.


    "You did a good job this time. You didn''t hold back," he said, smiling. He patted Finley on the shoulder.


    The other man couldn''t help but puff out his chest a bit, preening under the praise. "You were awesome, too. You deserve a bit of the credit."


    "Damn! So he''s bragging now, isn''t he? I think you deserve to be beaten up."


    Darren and Weber immediately rushed towards Finley and began hitting him.


    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I surrender," Finley pleaded. He held his arms over his head to protect himself from each blow.


    "Humph! Stop!" Lindsay pulled Weber and Darren away from the poor man.


    "You''re lucky that this woman pities you. I''ll spare you this time," Weber said. He felt quite satisfied after beating Finley up. It was nice not to be bullied this time.


    Lindsay grimaced at Finley''s swollen face. "You''re ugly. I don''t want you anymore," she said.


    "Aw, come on, Lindsay. Don''t do this to me. I finally proved my use. Why couldn''t I be proud about it for once? Why do you guys have to bully me like this?" The crowd burst into laughter at his whines.


    "Fine. We''ll stop for now," Darren conceded. Then he sighed, "Remember how we used to do this to the Water Kylin? I wonder how he is now."


    Finley''s heart sank upon hearing Darren''s words. He could recall clearly how the Water Kylin used to act cool and tough; he and Darren would always beat him up for it. Years had already passed since they last saw him. Just thinking about the old days made the two men feel sad.


    "Finley, are you the controller now?"


    someone suddenly asked, breaking the silence.


    It snapped the two out of their own musings, reminding them that there were more important things to think about. They needed to think of a way to save those powerful warriors from danger.


    "Sort of. I''m the sole controller left since I inherited half of the force of control. However, my ability is limited," Finley replied.


    "Then, are you confident that you can deal with the Evil Deity now?" Darren asked.


    Finley shook his head. "That guy is too powerful. I guess only masters like Lord Starry Sword can deal with him. I can''t at the moment."


    His answer disappointed Darren.


    This time, he was careless. Finley could have dealt with the Evil Deity if only he was able to completely control the relic. But since


    dragon ancestor.


    "Don''t be too surprised about it. That guy has the same appearance as Lord Feng. It could only mean that he has some powerful background as well," the golden dragon said as soon as he transformed into a figure of a well-built man.


    "Indeed, he is Lord Feng''s avatar," Darren nodded.


    "No wonder. Well, it doesn''t matter who he is. As long as he''s the controller now, everything will be fine." The dragon ancestor nodded his head sagely.


    "Let''s go save my master''s wife now, Darren!" Now that he was free once more, the golden dragon could feel the hatred burning brightly inside his heart.


    "There''s no rush, sir. With our strength alone, we can''t defeat the Evil Deity," Darren persuaded.


    "How can I not be anxious? We still have to fight him regardless of the outcome!"


    Then, from out of nowhere, a fist flew towards his face.


    The dragon ancestor had hit him! "You''ve been living for so long, and yet you''re still this stupid. Are you that obsessed with death?"


    "I''m sorry, Uncle." The golden dragon ducked his head down like a scolded child.


    "Don''t worry, sir. Your master''s wife is also my family, so I''ll definitely do everything I can to save her. Please calm down. We just have to wait for Finley''s troops for now," Darren said comfortingly.


    Upon hearing this, the golden dragon''s eyes lit up as if he finally understood something.


    "Well, turtle, thanks to you, we are still alive. You deserve some credit, so thank you."


    "Thank you, turtle."


    "Thank you, sir."


    Darren then bowed down to the turtle, while the others followed suit.

 Chapter 1407 Who Do You Think You Are

    The bodies of the twelve fierce beasts and the crippled turtle had been shattered. But since the Evil Deity was afraid of the powerful laws that remained in the hall, he didn''t dare to really kill the beasts guarding it.


    After just a period of healing, the twelve fierce beasts and the crippled turtle all recovered.


    "At least you still have a little conscience," the crippled turtle said slowly.


    "You can speak?" Darren asked.


    "Of course! My former master thought that I was too talkative, so he used the law to seal my ability to speak. But now that I have a new master, I''ve got that ability back. Oh, it was killing me to be mute all these years," the crippled turtle replied with a sigh.


    "Ha-ha! That''s good then," Darren said happily. He then added, "You are really powerful. If it weren''t for your help several times, we would have been dead already."


    The crippled turtle raised his head and said proudly, "My strength now is nothing. As I have followed my master, I have already seen all kinds of powerful figures. And I killed them all."


    "You''re bluffing, aren''t you? If you really have that ability, how did the Evil Deity cripple you?" Weber said as he looked at the turtle with disdain. ''It''s true that you have some strength, and everyone can see that. But that''s all. At most, you can only be compared to the warriors at the middle-level of the Superior God Realm,'' he thought inwardly.


    "Little fat boy, believe it. Our boss could kill a million warriors like the Evil Deity in one breath back then. Even if he is not a remnant soul, our boss could still kill him with a wave of a hand," the black cat jumped out and said proudly.


    "Well, I can brag too. When I was in my mother''s womb, I had the strength of a chief god. It only degenerated now," Weber said smugly.


    "Little fat boy, do you want to die? Believe me, I can strike you with my claw and send you to death," the black cat threatened fiercely.


    "How dare you threaten me, little kitten! Don''t forget that the one who controls the relic is my best friend, Finley. You dare to hurt me? He can kill you in just a minute." Weber crossed his arms across his chest and shook his legs. He looked quite arrogant.


    "Who did you say is your best friend? Little black cat, bite him," Finley came out and said. He then ordered the twelve beasts to rush over and press Weber on the ground. All kinds of invisible claws hovered above Weber.


    "Help! I was just kidding,"


    Weber pleaded, but no one seemed to hear his shout.


    "How''s it going? Have they arrived?" Darren stepped forward and asked.


    "They are already here, but they can''t enter the hall. You and th


    orted coldly as he squinted at the Tussle Fighting God.


    But the Tussle Fighting God only straightened his back and totally ignored Darren and Akbar.


    "Boy, you seem to be very arrogant," the golden dragon murmured as he looked at the Tussle Fighting God with a frown.


    "Who are you? Have we ever met before? How dare you say that I am arrogant! You must be courting trouble," shouted the Tussle Fighting God coldly.


    "Did you see that, Darren? That guy is so arrogant. He even hit me when I was trapped. You have to help me get even with him," Akbar complained to Darren.


    He thought that Darren was the one who controlled the relic, so dealing with the Tussle Fighting God would be a piece of cake to Darren.


    "Let''s settle that issue after Finley saves the other warriors. Our priority, for now, is to save the people." Darren also didn''t like the Tussle Fighting God, but he didn''t have time to deal with him now. He needed to settle everything first. After that, he could already pay attention to the Tussle Fighting God.


    "Little guy, did you just say that you would settle me?" The Tussle Fighting God narrowed his eyes and glanced at Darren coldly. "How arrogant you are! You really want to help Akbar get even with me, huh?"


    Darren''s face turned cold too. "I didn''t know that aside from being arrogant, you are also stubborn. Yes, I said that I would settle the issue with you later. But don''t worry. I didn''t intend to hurt you. I might even hold a banquet to let everyone forget each other''s past grievances. Don''t think evil of me."


    "You''d better forget it. Who do you think you are to hold a banquet? And what makes you think that you have the right to do it?" The Tussle Fighting God raised his eyebrows. His face was filled with disdain.

 Chapter 1408 The Evil Deity Is Here

    The Tussle Fighting God''s words sounded harsh.


    He was clearly meaning to say, "You are a young brat. How dare you even want to settle the issue with me? Who do you think you are? It doesn''t matter if you''ve acquired the inheritance and control of the relic.


    I am the Tussle Fighting God! You''re nothing in front of me!"


    "Don''t be so condescending. I simply want to know why you two are at odds. Can''t I even inquire about what happened?" Darren remarked.


    "Didn''t you understand what I said? You don''t have the right to ask. Don''t bother. I''ll tell you. I have beaten that coward Akbar more than once. What can you do to me, huh?"


    Darren''s face was livid, and his chest heaved wildly. This guy was too overbearing and pompous!


    Had they been outside the relic, Darren would have had to swallow the insult. After all, the Tussle Fighting God was at the Superior God Realm, and he was more powerful than Akbar. But now, they were in the relic, and Darren had the upper-hand as he could mobilize all the beasts from the Archean Age. Moreover, he had the golden dragon. Why would he be afraid?


    "You bastard! Someone needs to teach you a good lesson!" Darren threatened through gritted teeth.


    "What? How dare you curse me? Brat, you''re inviting death!"


    "Fuck you! Bring it on!" The golden dragon couldn''t stand it any longer. From between his palms, the golden aura of the dragon blood burst out, and his figure rushed forward and attacked the Tussle Fighting God.


    "Wow! Who is this, Darren? He is ugly but powerful!" Akbar was shocked when he felt the violent aura of the golden dragon.


    "He is the five-clawed golden dragon, one of the leaders of the dragon race," Darren explained.


    "Damn! Darren, you are... I mean, bro, you''re awesome. I''m impressed." It never occurred to Akbar that this burly and ugly man could be the dragon race leader.


    The golden dragon and the Tussle Fighting God bombarded each other continually. Soon, the battlefield moved from the ground to the void.


    A few short moments later, a golden light flashed, and the dispersal of god''s power caused the earth to tremble.


    After a grim dragon roar,


    a genuine dragon appeared in the void. Its tail swept wildly, causing the Tussle Fighting God to lose his balance from time to time.


    Bang!


    After a while of fierce fighting, the golden dragon hit the Tussle Fighting God with his claw, and the latter fell from the sky.


    The Tussle Fighting God''s body smashed into the ground like a meteor.


    The golden dragon didn''t think that was enough to teach him a lesson. And so, he clawed through the ground, dragged the Tussle Fighting God out, morphed into a human, and continued to beat the Tussle Fighting God.


    When the Tussle Fighting God couldn''t move anymore, the golden dragon dragged him


    will be the day when you and I embrace glory again."


    The golden dragon couldn''t believe what Mark had said. He was so angry that it felt like his heart was about to explode.


    "Shut up and go to hell!"


    the golden dragon bellowed. A split second later, he morphed into his dragon form and swept his tail into the blood cloud like a golden spear.


    The Superior God Realm warriors were rendered speechless by the blow.


    Judging by the intensity of the attack and the power carried in the dragon tail, they were certain that such a strike would have smashed them to pieces. The golden dragon was so pissed that the power he unleashed was extremely mighty.


    "Sir, calm down!"


    Darren shouted as a sense of foreboding filled him. Something was wrong. He just didn''t know what at this point.


    Everyone knew that this guy named Mark had betrayed the Chu Clan. Now, he had come to persuade the golden dragon to betray the clan too. How could a peerless master be so stupid?


    It was evident that he was using the golden dragon''s temperament against him by irritating him on purpose. But why?


    ''No! No! This is bad!''


    When the golden dragon rushed into the blood cloud, Darren sensed danger.


    "Archean Demonic Ape, kill him!" Darren ordered immediately.


    The Archean Demonic Ape patted his chest,


    stomped his giant foot on the ground, and leaped into the sky.


    However, just as he reached halfway, he saw something grab the golden dragon''s tail.


    Seconds later, the golden dragon''s body disappeared into the blood cloud.


    Wave after wave of agonized howling followed.


    "Oh, no! It''s the Evil Deity!"


    Darren now realized that the Evil Deity had been hiding in the blood cloud.


    "Sirs, the battle begins!"


    At Darren''s command, the Superior God Realm cultivators and hundreds of beasts from the Archean Age flew into the sky in unison.

 Chapter 1409 Defiant God Character

    The chaotic evil energy in the blood cloud spread like the shadow of a devil across the sky, covering the land in darkness.


    Hundreds of Archean Beasts roared in unison.


    The sound was so deep and loud that the space seemed on the verge of collapsing under the pressure of their roars.


    In that moment, the battle began. Given his current strength level, Darren could do nothing but watch from a distance.


    He felt agitated, and thought, ''No, no, this is pointless. I can''t just stay here and watch from afar.''


    If Darren didn''t do something soon, the battle would be decided without him. He frowned, thinking, then suddenly came up with an idea.


    He soared into the air.


    He flew away from the village, towards the dark, shadowy clouds above.


    "Finley, where are you?" Darren shouted at the sky.


    As the controller, Finley could hear Darren''s shout.


    "What''s wrong, Darren? I''m trying my best to save those big shots," Finley said, communicating with Darren through his spiritual sense.


    "Can you get away now?" Darren asked.


    "No, I can''t. If I take back the force of control now, those old fellows will be in danger! They might be transferred to another space and time, and if that happens, they''ll never be able to come back," Finley said quickly.


    Darren absorbed this information. "Then send me to the star occupied by the Evil Deity. I''m going to save the mistress of the Chu Clan," he said.


    Since the Evil Deity was busy fighting somewhere else, Darren might as well take advantage of the situation.


    "You won''t succeed," Finley said unhappily. "The Evil Deity used the Original Sin Chains to bind her. Even I can''t release her. It''s useless for you to go there." Finley regretted that he did not have enough power to save the mistress of the Chu Clan on his own.


    "I will go whether you think it''s useless or not. Send me there now," Darren replied without hesitation.


    "Well, be careful, then... I''m going all out to tear up the turbulent flow of time and space. I can''t be distracted," Finley said.


    "Got it. I''ll be careful."


    With that, Finley used the force of control to send Darren away.


    It was dark on the withered star when Darren arrived.


    He landed on the ground and looked at the figure looming in the distance. Twenty-four black iron chains extended from the darkness, bound around a woman, preventing her from moving.


    "Is that Mrs. Chu?" Darren muttered to himself.


    He felt a strange sensation as he gazed at the bound woman.


    His skin tingled when the woman suddenly opened her eyes.


    Her icy gaze fell upon Darren.


    She glared at him with her deep, cold eyes.


    A strong wind swep


    A green light suddenly flashed out and headed towards Darren''s body. It covered every inch of his skin and then vanished. It seemed as though he had absorbed the green light. In the next instant, his terrible wounds were gone. He had been completely healed.


    "Kid, listen to me," the woman said. "Stop with that foolish impulsiveness."


    Darren opened his eyes and looked at her. He nodded slightly.


    "Do you have both the Assimilating God Character and the Evolving God Character?" she asked.


    "Yes, Aunt Yolanda."


    "Good. I possess the Defiant God Character. Take it now," she commanded.


    The black crystal floating in front of the woman spun in midair and then flew towards Darren.


    "Aunt Yolanda, what''s the use of me taking a God Character? I still can''t save you," Darren admitted, feeling helpless.


    "Just listen to me. Only when you possess this God Character can you save me," the woman said urgently.


    Darren sat up, immediately feeling alert and excited. "Is that true? How can I do it?"


    "When you take the Defiant God Character, a strand of remnant god''s power will rush out of it. With that remnant power, you can break these Original Sin Chains," she explained.


    "Okay!" Darren agreed instantly. "Hold on, Aunt Yolanda. I''ll get you out right away."


    Darren stared at the crystal and activated his soul power, wrapping it around the black crystal.


    A sudden roaring sound filled Darren''s mind.


    Countless rumblings of thunder flooded out of his mind and fell over the black crystal.


    The black crystal spun rapidly in the air.


    Even as it spun like a top, it began floating slowly towards Darren.


    Darren suddenly felt a moment''s doubt. He sensed the Defiant God Character, and it seemed to be strongly hostile towards him.

 Chapter 1410 Killing The Evil Deity

    Darren felt a tremendous pressure pushing against him. The Defiant God Character seemed very reluctant to allow him to take control.


    It did not faze Darren however; he shrugged off the pressure and quickly activated the God Characters in his mind.


    The Assimilating God Character and the Evolving God Character both released strange and powerful forces at the Defiant God Character.


    Crack!


    A tiny wisp of god''s power shot out from the Defiant God Character, heading directly for Darren''s head.


    The power Darren felt from it shocked him. It was so terrifying he could almost feel how his head would explode if he took the hit.


    He saw the god''s power rushing for his head but did not have the time to react. All he managed was to stare it down as it rapidly charged closer and closer.


    Whoosh!


    A stream of bloody light suddenly appeared in front of his forehead.


    "Boy, this is Alfredo''s blood. Do not resist it. Let it enter your mind."


    The blood sank into his head and the god''s power darting at him dissipated instantly.


    Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!


    The spinning Defiant God Character became excited, rushed forward, embedded itself into Darren''s forehead and finally sank in.


    Under the guidance of the Assimilating God Character and the Evolving God Character, the three God Characters integrated with one another, becoming whole once again.


    Once the three God Characters had merged, a strand of horrific black god''s power circled around them.


    "It''s the remnant god''s power in the Defiant God Character!"


    Without hesitation, Darren used his spiritual sense to mobilize that last strand of god''s power to attack the Original Sin Chains.


    By the god''s power''s effect, a massive crack split in the space.


    Clang!


    The god''s power struck the chains one after the other, shattering the twenty-four Original Sin Chains!


    "It worked!" Darren yelled out, overjoyed.


    "Ah!"


    The woman''s figure floated in the air above, powerful law forces flashing throughout her body.


    A while later, she had calmed down and glided over to Darren.


    "Aunt Yolanda..." Darren said, choking through sobs again.


    "Good job, boy," she said back. With an amiable glint in her eyes, she reached out and stroked Darren''s long hair gently.


    In the village,


    the Evil Deity was in the midst of a fierce battle with the Archean beasts.


    The Evil Deity was undeniably fierce himself. Although he was surrounded and under attack from all angles, he still managed to fight back and kill dozens of Archean beasts. Even the Archean Demonic Ape was covered in wounds and bruises.


    The warriors at the Superior God Realm were fighting with all their might as well. Unfortunately, they could not quite match up to the Evil Deity and were seriously injured themselves.


    "Please hold on a while longer. I''m going to get Darren for help!" shouted Ak


    ssimilating his talent and Evolution Force.


    Two masses of light condensed from the blood mist and fell through Darren''s head and into his mind.


    "Huh! I''ve made a breakthrough in my talent degree! My body has evolved as well!" He was ecstatic.


    "But it feels like something is still wrong? Aunt Yolanda, why does my Defiant God Character not work?" Darren then discovered that he had only absorbed two light masses. Why hadn''t the Defiant God Character absorbed anything?


    "I will explain the usage and function of the Defiant God Character to you once I have killed the Evil Deity."


    "Okay, be careful."


    Yolanda nodded in response and made her way to the battlefield.


    Violent law forces instantly descended onto the battlefield. The Evil Deity roared in panic, his voice piercing through the sky!


    Yolanda''s and Evil Deity''s combat power were on par with each other. But, by now, the Evil Deity''s energy had been depleted by his battles against the Archean beasts and several masters at the Superior God Realm. The battles had gone on for a long time and he was injured as well. He was no longer any match for Yolanda.


    After only a few rounds, the Evil Deity began to lose ground and fled into the depth of the void.


    Yolanda chased after him, attacking him with violent laws from various directions, blocking off his retreat.


    "Ah!"


    His soul began burning as he turned back, nothing left but desperation, and charged in to fight off Yolanda.


    "Wither," she whispered.


    Countless purple balls of light appeared before the Evil Deity, blinking as they hovered.


    "Ah!"


    A great pain overtook him when he hit the light and his soul began to fester.


    Bang!


    His soul exploded and he completely vanished from the world.


    "My Lady..." the golden dragon muttered,


    grunting through the pain as he dragged his broken body over to her, looking up with tears in his eyes.

 Chapter 1411 The Return Of The Great Masters

    The battle had finally come to an end, and the Evil Deity was dead.


    "My Lady..."


    The golden dragon couldn''t hide his excitement upon seeing Yolanda again.


    "You have suffered a lot, golden dragon," Yolanda said, remembering everything that the golden dragon had done for her.


    He used to be a follower of Alfredo, who turned into a friend later on.


    "My sufferings don''t matter. As long as you''re fine, I''ll stop blaming myself for disappointing my master." The golden dragon transformed into his human form. His entire body was covered with bloody wounds.


    Yolanda immediately released the Life Law to cure him.


    "Alfredo was right in naming you his friend," she said with relief.


    "I don''t dare to be a friend of my master, My Lady." The golden dragon was actually very happy in his heart.


    "Don''t you know how he treated you when he was alive? You''re still so simple," she said, smiling faintly.


    "Ha-ha." The golden dragon scratched his head sheepishly. "My Lady, it is fortunate that our patriarch and his friends are here. Without their help, I wouldn''t have been able to rescue you."


    Yolanda rolled her eyes and said, "There''s no need to call me ''My Lady''. It sounds so unpleasant to the ears. Just call me by my name."


    "Alright."


    "By the way, did you just mention a patriarch? Which patriarch are you talking about?" Curiosity laced Yolanda''s voice.


    "I was referring to Darren. Don''t you know that he has taken over the position a while back?" the golden dragon revealed.


    Yolanda then turned her attention to Darren. She smiled warmly at him. "Well, that''s great news! You have to work harder now to lead the Chu Clan, Xavier."


    "Yes, I will. But Aunt Yolanda, please call me Darren instead. Xavier is already dead." Darren nodded his head.


    "What?" This statement confused Yolanda. "What are you talking about, silly boy? You''re standing here, aren''t you? Why are you saying you''re dead?"


    "Here''s the thing, Aunt Yolanda..."


    Darren felt it necessary to tell her everything that had happened in the past.


    He made a quick summary of the events that had transpired.


    The story seemed to have shocked her into silence.


    She wasn''t sure anymore if the young man before her was her husband''s nephew or not.


    But Xavier and Darren were undoubtedly the same person. Because of the Time Law, the two of them existed in different ver


    overwhelm Darren all at once.


    All these great masters knew who Darren was, but a majority of them hadn''t seen him before.


    "Darren, come and see me,"


    someone among these great masters said in a thunderous voice.


    But Darren didn''t move. He only knew two masters among them. One was Lord Starry Sword and the other was Lord Feng. He couldn''t help but be wary of the stranger that summoned him. ''I don''t even know who you are. Why should I come to you?''


    Two powerful figures suddenly landed before him. It was none other than Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng.


    The former looked at him, nodding his head slightly without uttering a single word.


    But Darren immediately understood what that meant. It was a sign of gratitude. Lord Starry Sword was simply keeping up his cool front, so he couldn''t say it out loud.


    Lord Feng, on the other hand, was more open about showing his gratitude.


    "Be careful out there,"


    he said.


    Darren could tell that Lord Feng meant something else, but it was inconvenient to speak it explicitly.


    "Got it." Darren nodded.


    "My avatar, come here,"


    Lord Feng barked towards the sky.


    A figure in white suddenly materialized by his side.


    This was the first time that Finley had finally met his real body. However, he hid his feelings behind a cool, indifferent mask.


    The two stood face to face. A wordless communication ran between them until Finley finally nodded his head.


    "Lord Starry Sword, Lord Feng, the ancestor says it''s time to go back,"


    a cultivator at the Superior God Realm shouted from high up in the air.

 Chapter 1412 The Strength Of Lord Starry Sword

    Darren raised his head and looked up to the sky. He didn''t see the so-called ancestor among the group of human warriors.


    Suddenly, Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng returned to the group.


    "Wait!"


    a voice shouted out. Then, an immortal-like old man descended in front of Darren.


    "Young man, do you still recognize me?"


    Darren frowned. It was Morton. In the past, Darren had killed his disciples in front of him.


    "Yes, I do," Darren said calmly.


    "That''s good. You must pay for blood with blood. You should know the rule," the old man said.


    "You want to kill me?"


    Darren''s face suddenly darkened.


    Boom! Boom!


    A wave of pressure emanating from both heaven and earth suddenly spread out. Darren was overwhelmed and was very nearly brought to his knees.


    Fortunately, a powerful force surrounded him, protecting him.


    "Morton, are you sure you want to do this?"


    Lord Feng asked in a grim tone.


    "How dare you call me by my first name! How dare you be so disrespectful!"


    The old man sneered at him, his eyes full of anger.


    Morton was a deputy god and at the top of the entire human race. Lord Feng was just his junior.


    "I will fight to the death whoever dares to hurt Darren,"


    Lord Starry Sword said. He was suddenly by Darren''s side.


    "Starry Sword! You dare be disrespectful to me too?" Morton yelled, raising his eyebrows. He had expected that Lord Starry Sword would protect Darren, but he didn''t care.


    Unless the ancestor personally ordered him to stop, he had to kill Darren!


    However, the ancestor had made no move to stop him. Morton took this as a sign that he was all clear.


    "Do you want to live or die?" Lord Starry Sword asked with an icy expression.


    "How dare you! I have been silent all these years, yet you brats test my patience with your arrogance and impudence! I think you all need to be taught a lesson!"


    "Darren, move back a thousand feet," Lord Starry Sword said indifferently.


    Darren didn''t say anything and flew backward.


    Morton''s face twisted with anger. ''How dare this stupid Starry Sword try to fight me!''


    "You disrespectful bastard!"


    Morton felt humiliated by this, so he decided to teach Lord Starry Sword a lesson.


    Boom!


    Morton launched a palm strike. His enormous palm shadow was formed from Order Law!


    "Sword,"


    Lord Starry Sword said


    nd crashed somewhere behind him.


    Puff!


    A bloody sword pierced through his chest.


    The thunder of order struck Lord Starry Sword, but he was unharmed.


    Morton''s face trembled.


    He had lost! He was defeated by a young warrior at the Superior God Realm!


    The whole place fell silent.


    Even the leaders up in the sky were shocked. They could not believe what they had just witnessed.


    It seemed that Lord Starry Sword''s ultimate fighting power was way more than anyone could have ever expected. He seemed to possess unparalleled strength and power. He would make for a terrifying opponent.


    Could it be that Lord Starry Sword already possessed the fighting power of an upper-level deputy god?


    In the human race, there were only a handful of upper-level deputy gods who were still active in the Primitive Wilderness.


    No one had seen a top-level deputy god for many years.


    The most impressive part was that Lord Starry Sword was only at the top level of the Superior God Realm!


    Once he became a deputy god, no other deputy god would be able to defeat him.


    "He is indeed a genius of our race," everyone exclaimed excitedly.


    Morton finally came to his senses. He struggled to get up and shook his head to clear it up. "Good, very good. Today I will fight you to the death!"


    His body erupted with violent Order Laws.


    "Morton, enough is enough!"


    a voice suddenly boomed, surprising Darren. He remembered who the voice belonged to. Could it be...? It was! Lo and behold, it was the ancestor who had hidden in the Ancestral Land.

 Chapter 1413 Dejected

    The ancestor''s words wrung like a jolt of electricity through Morton''s body, causing him to tense up on the spot. As a result, the violent Order Law on his body quickly dissipated, and his shoulders relaxed.


    He felt a strong sense of betrayal overcome his existence, but since the ancestor himself intervened, he dared not protest.


    "I apologize for my actions. I was being impulsive."


    The shadow reigning over his stare was suddenly replaced with remorse as he cupped his hands and bowed towards the sky.


    "You don''t get to decide what''s right and what''s wrong. You should know your position here. I will punish you for this defiance by condemning you to guard the cemetery for the next ten years. Does that convince you to behave?" The ancestor declared his conviction, almost effortlessly.


    Hearing what he had to say, Morton''s eyes gave way and exposed his inner emotions, twitching with the scars of being wronged. His body trembled in response to his growing aggravation, and he clenched his fists to remain composed.


    "Ancestor, you should know better than anyone else about the harm Darren, the Defiant Master, will bring to our human race, if kept alive. Please, don''t misjudge me. I''m not conceited as to act the way I did due to personal gains. With all due respect, I don''t think I''m the one who''s wrong here."


    Everyone understood Morton''s intentions. He wanted to convey that he chose to dispose of Darren to protect the human race from any future threats rather than act out for something as selfish as vengeance.


    "It seems you haven''t realized your mistake yet. Once you return, you shall be punished with a penalty of ten more years. There''s no room for negotiation; this is my final decision."


    Once the ancestor imposed his sentence on Morton, the sky was coated with dark clouds and fierce winds, validating the judgment passed onto him. Soon, the ancestor''s aura disappeared like grains in the sand.


    "No! Stop this, please!"


    Morton roared lightly, protesting against the unfair call. But despite how he felt, the sentence could not be reversed. He had no choice but to implement it after he went out.


    "Morton, are you still unconvinced? It seems you still don''t understand why the ancestor punished you. Since you have time, reflect on your actions at the time and space turbulent flow. Besides, the ancestor only intended to protect you when he restricted you from acting out against Darren. If he didn''t do so, you''d have kicked the bucket at the hands of Lord Starry Sword.


    The reason why the ancestor told you to guard the cemetery for twenty years was that he is lenient to you. If you continue on the path you''re on and refuse to change, the human race will not spare you a second chance. You will become the first deputy god to be beheaded by the Ancestral Land in the past seven hundred thousand years. Conduct yourself well,"


    a mysterious master cloaked in black robes said, his voice echoing from the depths of the sky, sounding solemn. He was the most fatal guard in the Ancestral Land. Only the ancestor was aware of the extents of his strength.


    Once the echoes of the statement of the man clad in black robes drowned out, so did his aura. He


    "


    Yolanda was already briefed about the situation relating to Morton and his disciples from Darren, but she had never pinned him to be shameless enough to attempt an assassination on him.


    So even though Morton had reached a compromise on the issue, she wouldn''t let his actions slide.


    However, considering her current position, she lacked the strength to go head to head with a deputy god. Even if the two were to trade blows, Yolanda would suffer a violent end.


    But if this were to happen two hundred thousand years ago in the past, she would have slapped him into oblivion. Back then, before her strength faced a major downgrade, she boasted of skills on par with that of the upper-level Deputy God Realm.


    "You don''t have to be so aggressive, Yolanda Leng. I''m willing to spare Darren''s life only because of the respect I hold for the deceased Supreme God Alfredo. Otherwise, I wouldn''t hesitate for a second to fight you."


    Unable to take the insults any longer, Morton''s face shifted its color, consumed with rage.


    "Calm yourself, Morton. How dare you speak disrespectfully to our senior? I''ll cut you down to size if you don''t stop."


    "It seems that it''s time for we human race to make important decisions regarding who deserves their position in the higher-ups and who doesn''t. The ones who fall short of the criteria will be faced with instant extermination."


    "Consider this a warning, Morton. Disrespect Yolanda again, and I will kill you."


    As soon as Morton made a bold jab at Yolanda, the group of big shots stepped in to protect her, ganging up on him all at once.


    At this moment, Morton felt cornered, surrounded by dozens of killing intents with him in their scope. He felt powerless and gave up his will to protest altogether.


    Even Lord Starry Sword, his junior of a later generation, could lay waste to him. If anyone else were to take him on, he would lose all hopes of survival.


    With the ancestor already gone, Morton was left vulnerable, at the mercy of these great masters. If they wished to kill him, there would be no one to intervene, and he would surely taste permanent dismissal.

 Chapter 1414 Leaving The Relic

    This was the most humiliating day in Morton''s incredibly long life.


    He felt much like a disgusting rat that people gagged at and wanted to beat.


    "My conscience is clear. I will admit to being wrong since that is what you believe. But mark my words, one day you will come to understand what I have done is for your own benefit. Goodbye."


    All he could do was defend himself and his actions. It was his only way to save face and get out of this awkward situation he found himself in.


    He then took off into the air, ready to leave the Archean relic.


    Getting out of the relic was easy for powerful warriors such as him, so long as they didn''t fall into the time and space turbulent flow.


    "You think you''re going to leave without apologizing? Do you think you''ll be let off that easy for bullying my nephew?" Yolanda growled.


    Morton ignored her and flew off without turning back for so much as a glance. Dejected and defeated, he soared off with great speed.


    "Ms. Leng, forget about him. Morton has mastered a method valuable to the human race. If not for that, he would have been killed a long time ago. We have no choice but to let him live."


    "You''re right. We have to plan for the future of the human race. Let him stay alive for the time being and we''ll keep a close eye on him. Please, do not let yourself get too worked up,"


    advised one of the warriors.


    Yolanda calmed herself and removed her cold stare now that Morton had disappeared.


    "Well, all right. I suppose I can''t defeat that old man with my strength alone."


    "I think we''re done here, Ms. Leng. We have to get back as soon as possible. Take care, and all the best to you." All the powerful warriors had been trapped in the relic for quite a long time. They needed to return as soon as they could to see if anything was wrong so they could deal with it timely.


    "Go ahead. Tend to your matters," Yolanda said, nodding in understanding.


    "Farewell. If Darren gets himself into any trouble, let me know. I will surely be there to help him as long as I can."


    All the big shots flew out of the relic, all except for Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng.


    Once the powerful warriors had left, Sally, Lindsay, Weber and the others flew over.


    "Master, it is so great to finally see you, and even more so that you''re still alive and well."


    "Master."


    When Sally and Beatty laid eyes on Lord Starry Sword, tears welled up in their eyes. They were like children being reunited with their parents, after being held from them and made to suffer.


    Finley replied.


    Darren had met with the Primitive Emperor before leaving. He had decided to stay since he had finally made it back to his hometown. It would be good for his recovery and increasing of his strength.


    "What about you? You are in charge of the relic but you still only have half of the force of control. You can''t carry the relic with you. What are you going to do? Would you like to stay here and improve your cultivation, or come with me and take the relic in the future?" asked Darren.


    "I''ve made my mind up to stay. I''ll let you in on a secret, Darren. I can transform the Archean godly energy into the godly energy of the Primitive Wilderness to improve my cultivation level. Why would I leave? Ha-ha! When I increase my strength a great deal and become powerful enough, I will help you fight everyone who opposes you. I''m sure by then no one will dare stand against me."


    Finley was totally happy and at peace. It was difficult to display the Archean god''s power in the Primitive Wilderness, due to the limitation of space and time. However, he was able to transform it and improve his cultivation base at a rapid pace. Of course, he had to take advantage of it and stay to cultivate. If he didn''t, he''d just be weighing Darren down, holding him back and getting him into unnecessary trouble.


    "That''s good. It makes sense. This is the safest place for you to cultivate after all."


    "Finley, I''ll stay as well. Now that there are so many great masters backing Darren up, I believe he''ll be safe for a while and probably not die anytime soon. Ha-ha," Lindsay said, deciding to stay too.


    In the end, Darren, Weber and Yolanda walked out of the relic together.

 Chapter 1415 The Function Of The Defiant God Character

    The bleak wind blew away the misty clouds, making the sky bright again. And because of the force of control, the Archean mountain shrank and became an ordinary hill.


    Darren and his two companions looked back and shook their heads. With a sigh, they decided to leave the place.


    Now that the things that concerned the relic had been settled, Darren didn''t have any reason to stay in the Tussle Region anymore. He encountered a lot of tough situations, but he was able to successfully overcome all of them.


    "He''s out!" Gatlin exclaimed.


    He had accompanied Darren to this place. But since he was not qualified to enter the mountain, he had no choice but to wait for Darren outside.


    Many years had passed, but he patiently waited. Until a few days ago, he saw some people coming out of the relic one after another. He asked them about Darren, and he was told that Darren was okay. Although they assured him that everything went well inside, he was still worried. He only felt relieved now that he saw Darren coming out.


    He hurried over and greeted Darren, "Patriarch Darren, welcome back."


    Darren nodded at him and said, "It''s nice to see you again, Gatlin. Have you waited here all the time?"


    "Yes. I won''t feel at ease unless I see you come out with my own eyes," Gatlin unfeignedly replied.


    Darren smiled. "Thank you, Gatlin." He then cast a glance at Yolanda and motioned Gatlin to take a look.


    "Do you who she is?"


    Gatlin looked at Yolanda up and down as if scrutinizing her. But he didn''t dare to meet her eyes. After making sure that he didn''t know the beautiful woman in front of him, he asked, "Who is she?"


    "Ha-ha! Don''t you know her? Well, I guess you haven''t seen Aunt Yolanda before." Darren paused a moment and then said, "She is the wife of Uncle Alfredo."


    Boom!


    Gatlin suddenly felt that his ears buzzed as if they were filled with water. His eyes also widened in shock. If the woman was Alfredo''s wife, then she was the Lady of the Chu Clan.


    "Greetings, My Lady!"


    Gatlin cupped his hands and bowed his head. He had always believed in everything that Darren said, so he knew that he was telling the truth. And knowing that the woman in front of him was Alfredo''s wife, he couldn''t help stammering in excitement.


    Darren explained things to him briefly, and he finally understood.


    "You don''t have to be so courteous. Darren told me a lot about you, and I want to personally thank you for being loyal to the Chu Clan for so many years," Yolanda said as she held Gatlin up with her god''s power.


    "I''m flattered, My Lady. But I only did what I should do," Gatlin replied in a choke


    or his uncle''s death.


    "You don''t have to be sad, Darren. With the help of these three God Characters, I believe that you will also grow stronger one day. You can even make the chief gods fear you. Just work hard," encouraged Yolanda.


    "Yes, I definitely will. One day, I will enter the Kingdom of the Chief Gods to avenge my uncle and abolish the evil for the human beings," Darren stated firmly.


    Yolanda smiled bitterly. Breaking into the Kingdom of the Chief Gods was a terrible thing to do. So she said, "Don''t think too much for now. When you really grow stronger, you will understand."


    "I will do my best, Aunt Yolanda." Darren was also aware that what he said just now sounded unrealistic, just like an ant saying that it would bite an elephant to death in the future.


    "You should go now. You have left your wife for such a long time. She must already be upset. Go and find her immediately," Yolanda said.


    She knew about Elsa because Darren had told her.


    "Okay, I''ll leave now."


    Darren, together with Weber and Gatlin, then flew away.


    Ten days later, they arrived in the Blood Cloud Region.


    It was here where Darren had been captured by the fiend race, and Elsa had been taken away by the disciples of the Blood Cloud Region.


    Darren felt guilty at once. It had been many years since they parted.


    But he had no choice at that time. He didn''t even expect that he could survive.


    "I wonder if Merle has found Elsa," he muttered, almost to himself.


    "Don''t worry. We''ll find out later. Let''s go to the capital city first and look for the leader of the Blood Cloud Region," said Weber.


    Darren fell silent for a moment. He then asked, "By the way, did the leader of the Blood Cloud Region enter the relic last time?"

 Chapter 1416 Riding The Thunder Bird

    "Oh, if he was among those great masters, he would definitely do you a favor and help you find Elsa," replied Weber.


    Gatlin, who was just listening to their conversation, chimed in, "It seemed that the leader of the Blood Cloud Region didn''t enter the relic at that time. It was said that he had been in seclusion."


    He knew about it because he had obtained a lot of other information when he was inquiring about Darren at that time.


    "It doesn''t matter. Anyway, we are not going to do something bad. We can just tell him directly what we need," Darren said.


    "You''re right. Let''s go."


    Darren, Weber, and Gatlin flew up again to go to the transmission array that led to the capital city of the Blood Cloud Region.


    The next day, they landed in another city.


    This city had been established by a sect that was directly affiliated to the Blood Cloud Region. The transmission array was arranged in this city, so there were a lot of travelers passing through.


    "Good day, three gentlemen. Where are you going?"


    asked the disciple of the Blood Cloud Region politely when he saw the three of them. He was responsible for guarding the transmission array. He sensed that Gatlin was a strong warrior at the Celestial God Realm.


    "We are going to the capital city."


    "Okay. The three of you will go there?"


    "Yes. How many divine stones do we need to pay?"


    "For the three of you, you need to pay a total of twelve divine stones."


    Gatlin immediately took out twelve divine stones and handed them to the disciple. There was no exception here. Everyone who wanted to pass through the transmission array had to pay divine stones.


    After taking the divine stones, the disciple said, "Gentlemen, I have something to tell you. The transmission array is out of order right now. It will take a few months before it can be used again. For now, you can only go to the capital city by riding a Thunder Bird. And it will take you seven days at most to get there."


    "Humph!" Weber snorted. His face darkened in an instant, and the fats in his body trembled with anger. He said coldly, "How dare you ask us for divine stones when the transmission array can''t be used!"


    "Sir, please don''t be angry. I can''t do anything about it. Besides, a Thunder Bird can take you there. It is still faster than someone at the top level of the Celestial God Realm flying there. And you will be very comfortable sitting on the Thunder Bird since you don''t have to consume your god''s power. But if you really don''t want to, of course, I can return your divine stones. It''s all up to you."


    Weber grabbed the disciple''s collar and roared, "You will not only have to return our divine stones. You will also have to compens


    s body then emitted an aura at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. The three young people were shocked, and their faces turned pale.


    They got so scared that they shut their mouths and retreated quietly.


    The commotion attracted other people''s attention outside. They all came to take a look.


    "Everyone, listen! The whole cultivation area on this Thunder Bird has been booked by my young master, so you can just spend the rest of the journey quietly outside. Don''t come in and disturb my young master. Or else, I will be forced to teach you a lesson,"


    the steward announced to the crowd. He thought that it would be better to let everyone know than to stop them from coming in one by one.


    "Why? Just like your young master, we have also paid divine stones. Why does he have to occupy the whole cultivation area?"


    "Yes, that''s right. And we heard that something inexplicable has been happening to the Thunder Birds recently. If we are not allowed to go in, what if something bad happened outside? If we meet any accident here, will you take responsibility?"


    Many people wanted to go inside the pavilion because of the powerful protective restrictions that were not available in other areas.


    "Stop making noises. Otherwise, you will end up like those three stupid people just now." The steward revealed his aura at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm again.


    No one dared speak when they sensed his aura. They couldn''t afford to provoke a warrior at the Celestial God Realm, so they had to forcefully swallow their anger.


    "Weber, Gatlin, come here. Let''s go inside and have a rest."


    Darren called his two companions with a cold face. The steward was definitely not able to scare him.


    "Mister, are you really shameless?" the steward shouted. His face darkened at once.

 Chapter 1417 Drive Them Out

    The steward thought that if it weren''t for the sake of the master at the Celestial God Realm, he would have already killed Darren earlier. He had shown enough respect for Darren because he didn''t want to offend the master at the Celestial God Realm. But Darren seemed to be crossing the line this time.


    "If you insist on going against me, don''t blame me for being rude," the steward said with a long, cold face.


    But much to his surprise,


    Gatlin suddenly slapped him, making his face swollen in an instant.


    "You..."


    The steward clenched his teeth in anger, but he didn''t dare to make a move. After all, the man in front of him was a master at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm.


    But when the three stepped forward to get inside, he still stopped them forcefully.


    "Fuck off!"


    He then turned to Gatlin and threatened, "You''re only a cultivator at the Celestial God Realm. How dare you slap me! I''ll give you nine seconds to jump off the Thunder Bird. Or else, you will experience a horrible death!"


    Gatlin''s face darkened. His eyes were filled with killing intent.


    Boom!


    He hit the steward in the chest.


    "How dare you!"


    The steward staggered to his feet with a deathly pale face.


    "Old bastard! You only dared to slap me because your cultivation level is higher than mine. You''d better kill me now. Because if you let me live, I swear that I will look for your whole clan and kill them all." Despite being beaten, the steward still continued to speak ruthlessly. This time, his eyes fell on Darren, thinking that Darren had the weakest strength among the three. He planned to launch a sneak attack on Darren if they further provoked him.


    But the steward didn''t know that his strong hostility and killing intent had already reached Darren.


    All of a sudden, a clear current appeared in Darren''s body and rushed straight to his elixir field.


    "What?" Darren was surprised at first. But soon, he realized that it was the Defiant God Character.


    After carefully feeling it, he found that the steward''s hostility and killing intent had evolved a few very strange forces in his elixir field. They were similar to the godly energy but much more advanced than it.


    "How incredible!" Darren murmured. He could feel that his cultivation level had risen.


    "Get out of here right now, or you will die," Gatlin yelled. His patience was running out. If they were not in a strange environment, and he couldn''t figure out the background of this man, he would have already killed this steward in the first place.


    A trace of cruelty flashed through the eyes of the steward.


    "Go to hell!" he shouted and launched a sneak attack towards Darren.


    The steward didn''t kno


    f he offended you, please forgive him."


    The treacherous young man looked very humble as he smiled.


    "Darren, shall we kill them or not?" Gatlin asked.


    "No need. Just drive them out," replied Darren.


    But Gatlin didn''t want to let these people go, so he communicated with Darren through spiritual sense, "Patriarch Darren, you can''t be too merciful. It is obviously their delaying tactic. If we don''t kill them now, we will get ourselves into trouble later."


    "Ha-ha! Don''t worry. Of course, I know their plan. Just relax. We will kill them when it''s time."


    Darren had experienced so many killings and met so many scheming people. He had definitely seen through their tricks.


    At this moment, he had already gained a steady stream of hostility from them. His realm was slowly increasing. It would be good for him if they kept them alive a little longer. That was the real reason why he didn''t want to kill them yet.


    Gatlin nodded in approval. Darren had made his decision, so he would respect it.


    "All of you, get out of here right now! Hurry up before I change my mind!" Gatlin released his killing intent, and it enveloped everyone.


    The killing intent of the middle-level Celestial God Realm master was something that these people could not bear.


    "Fuck..." Ellis Lu was about to curse, but someone covered his mouth all of a sudden.


    "Yes. We''ll go out now. We won''t dare to disturb your cultivation," the treacherous young man said. He winked at the crowd, and they all walked out of the pavilion one after another.


    "Sir, how about I stay with you?"


    an enchanting young woman asked, coquetting with Darren.


    "Stay if you want to die," Darren replied coldly.


    "Humph! Idiot!" The young woman walked out, twisting her hips. Weber could only shake his head pitifully.

 Chapter 1418 The Bloodsucker Race

    In just a blink of an eye, five days had already passed. In two more days, they would reach the capital city of the Blood Cloud Region.


    It had been quiet these days. The young people outside didn''t dare come in to cause trouble.


    But Darren knew that their hatred for him had only grown more intense.


    During the past days, he had gained a lot. His opponents'' hostility had improved his cultivation base. What he would usually achieve in three months, he had gained them in just a short time.


    "The Defiant God Character is so powerful. The more enemies I have, the faster my cultivation base will grow! It won''t be long now until I reach the Celestial God Realm." Darren was very satisfied with the results.


    As he was preparing to practice once more, a violent earthquake shook the floor beneath him.


    "Weber, go out and check if those guys are causing trouble."


    Weber did what he was told to do and flew out. He returned in just a few moments.


    "Darren, bad news!" It seemed like Weber was a little nervous.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "We are surrounded."


    As soon as Gatlin heard this, his face darkened. "Let me kill those ants," he said.


    "That''s not what I meant, Master Gatlin. We''re surrounded by some monsters. Many of the people outside are dead."


    Without a moment to lose, Darren and Gatlin flew out together,


    their robes rustling behind their wake.


    It was dark outside with no ray of light in sight. Meanwhile, the Thunder Bird was surrounded by countless creatures with bat-like wings on their backs.


    "What are they?"


    Darren had never seen such creatures before.


    "It''s the bloodsucker race!"


    Having such wide knowledge and experience, Gatlin could immediately recognize those strange creatures. They were dangerous beings that lived in the far west of the Primitive Wilderness.


    They were strong and had preference for blood. It was said that these creatures would even dare to drink the black blood of the fiends.


    "We''re doomed! We''re doomed!"


    "What a terrible thing! Why are they in our human territory? Does this mean that the Ancestral Land has already been occupied?"


    "I don''t want to die."


    The cowards among the crowd began to cry


    Lord Carthy, I''m willing to take over Ellis'' position and choose for you instead." As if on cue, those who were relying on luck prostrated themselves to the ground and began to beg desperately.


    ''How pathetic our human race is.'' There was a heaviness in Darren''s heart as he watched the others beg. A foreign race had invaded their territory and yet these people weren''t angry. They were groveling at their enemy''s feet instead. This was truly a heartbreaking sight.


    If these were brave men, they wouldn''t care if their blood got sucked. They wouldn''t care if they died. They would choose to fight and die with honor!


    Unfortunately, not everyone was as brave as Darren.


    "The human race is so interesting,"


    Carthy said mockingly. He called a man over, filled a cup of the man''s blood, and sipped from it.


    "Well, as long as you''re willing to offer your blood to me, I promise not to kill you." He smiled teasingly.


    "Lord Carthy, it is my honor to serve my blood to you."


    "Lord Carthy, please have as much of my blood as you want. I''m willing to serve you forever as long as you spare my life."


    With renewed hope, many people fell down to their knees and prostrated themselves at the bloodsucker. All of them were ready to obey him.


    "You''re very interesting. I suppose you don''t plan on offering you blood to me, am I right?"


    the creature said to Darren with a polite smile as soon as he turned into a shadow and landed in front of him.

 Chapter 1419 Subdue Carthy

    Carthy carried himself in a refined and civil manner, yet his dark eyes bubbled with clear mockery as he stared at Darren.


    He had not come across many humans before. He had heard that they were very stubborn creatures, and almost all of them would rather die than surrender. Now though, it seemed that rumor was not true. It was only this young man in the purple robes in front of him that seemed unwilling to obey him.


    "All you have to do is provide me with your blood and I will make you a noble bloodsucker. We could even be friends," Carthy said, still smiling.


    "Do you really believe you''re even qualified to be my friend?" Darren responded.


    Although he was unsure of the bloodsucker''s strength, his own was capable of displaying the power of the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm. He did not see himself losing with that sort of strength within him.


    Even if he could not defeat the bloodsucker, offering him his blood was absolutely out of the question.


    "I do not want to force you into submission. If I did, your blood would turn bitter. But it seems I must do what I have to since you''re being so stubborn. Once I''ve killed you, I''ll gift your blood to my subordinates!"


    Whoosh!


    Carthy spread his large wings and his eyes filled with blood vitality as his aura turned menacing and bloody.


    Darren could feel that his aura was easy enough for him to handle. As it turned out, the strength of this bloodsucker was not all that impressive.


    Carthy''s bloody claw stretched out rapidly, attempting to grab at Darren''s neck and take a firm, deadly grip. Darren shifted himself slightly and Carthy slid past his target. He flailed back again without hesitation to try and get hold of Darren, but was still unable to touch him.


    After a dozen more failed attempts, he finally gave in and stopped.


    His frustration mounting, he opened his mouth, baring his sharp teeth in anger.


    This human was much faster than he had imagined!


    "It''s my turn now," Darren said with such strength and confidence in his voice.


    His face cold and unforgiving, he waved his sword around.


    Boom!


    Majestic sword intent filled every inch of space around them.


    Startled and unnerved, Carthy took off upwards and disappeared in an instant.


    The sword intent struck many of the bat-like winged creatures surrounding the Thunder Bird, sending a great deal of them plummeting to the ground.


    This single strike had killed at least a few thousand of them.


    "Who is this guy?"


    "How is it possible that he''s so powerful?"


    "Oh my God! His sword intent is so unbelievably terrifying, even more than some warriors at the Celestial God Realm I''ve seen!"


    "Is it possible we might actually be saved? Thank God!"


    The rest on the Thunder Bird were both surprised and pleased when the


    tiny pieces," Weber said, jumping out and waving his fist in the air.


    "No," Darren replied sternly, raising his hand to motion Weber to stop.


    "You plan to let him go?" Weber asked.


    "Do you think I''m even more stupid than you?" Darren asked, glaring at Weber.


    "Well..." was all the response Weber could manage. He was left speechless and embarrassed.


    "I can spare your life, but only if you swear by your soul that you will believe in the Conflicting Chief God for the rest of your life." Darren had not killed him already because he wanted to make him his believer.


    As a Defiant Master, Darren was able to turn all creatures in the Primitive Wilderness to his believers. He had even managed to subdue Kerr, a fiend general; there was no way he was going to let this bloodsucker go.


    "Swear to believe in the Conflicting Chief God?"


    Carthy was in unbearable pain and yet he could not help but be surprised. This man was actually a Defiant Master!


    As he knew it, every Defiant Master was an incomparably powerful existence.


    Their bloodsucker race had Defiant Masters as well. Each of them had dared to challenge the Bloodsucker Princes. There were even legends of Defiant Masters attempting to kill the Bloodsucker Ancestor and seize the throne!


    It was no surprise then that this human had such a strange and powerful ability; he was in fact a Defiant Master!


    "Surrender or suffer eternal torture. Your fate is your own to decide," Darren said indifferently.


    Carthy did not dare to hesitate. The identity of being a Defiant Master was enough to rattle him to his core, let alone the extreme discomfort he was in. All he could think of was ridding himself of the pain.


    "I, Carthy, will believe in and serve the Conflicting Chief God with all my heart, for the rest of my life..." Carthy said, making his oath while enduring the pain.

 Chapter 1420 Make False Accusations

    Carthy finished pledging his allegiance and had become Darren''s believer.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    The sword intent flew out and tore Carthy''s body apart, spattering flesh and blood all over the ground. As long as his body was condensed again, the itchy poison would disappear.


    Darren released his god''s power to repair Carthy''s earthly body.


    However, Carthy''s face was a mask of pain once Darren''s god''s power settled on his body.


    "Master, the human race''s god''s power... can''t cure me. Blood, I need blood..." Carthy said, gasping out the words.


    Darren withdrew his god''s power. The body structure of the bloodsucker race was completely different from that of the human race. They needed warm blood to increase their strength and heal their injuries.


    Where could he possibly get blood?


    Darren glanced at those who were huddled together.


    When they locked eyes with Darren, they froze in place. They seemed terrified of what he was going to do next.


    ''Is he going to use our blood to save that alien?'' they wondered.


    "Sir, please let me go. Don''t kill me."


    "Sir, I''m willing to be your slave for the rest of my life. I beg of you. Please let me go."


    Everyone knelt on the ground and begged for Darren''s mercy. Tears streamed down their faces.


    The disdain in Darren''s eyes became even more intense. He had never thought of killing people and taking their blood. No matter how useless these people were, he would not take their lives to feed a bloodsucker, even though the bloodsucker was his own believer. Doing so went against his principles.


    Whoosh!


    Darren rushed upward and waved his sword. With one fell swoop, he killed thousands of bat-like winged creatures.


    Clatter, clatter, clatter!


    The creatures'' blood poured down like heavy rain. Darren gathered the blood with his god''s power and poured it all over Carthy''s body.


    Carthy rolled around the blood and let it seep into every pore of his body.


    An hour later, he had fully recovered.


    He spread out his huge wings and flew up, shaking off the specks of blood that had been left on his body. He landed in front of Darren and kneeled.


    "My dear master, your most loyal slave, Carthy, is waiting for your order."


    Carthy bowed his head.


    "Get up."


    Carthy stood up with his head still slightly lowered.


    "Tell me all that I need to know about the bloodsucker race," Darren ordered.


    "Y


    hat Darren had rescued the great masters of the human race in the Archean mountain had been heard far and wide. These disciples had obviously heard his tale, too.


    Darren was unaware of how popular he had gotten.


    His expression softened by a little. It seemed that these people were not heartless, after all. If they could proceed peacefully, it would make everything a whole lot better.


    "Since that''s the case, I don''t need to go with you. I''m in a hurry to get to the capital city and see the leader of your region," said Darren.


    The ten disciples were dumbfounded. They hadn''t expected that Darren was going to meet their leader. Now, none of them dared stop him.


    They did not doubt his words. Surely, he was telling them the truth.


    "Sir, go ahead. I will choose the fastest Thunder Bird to send you there," the leading disciple said to Darren.


    "Thank you," Darren said, nodding.


    "Sir, you law enforcers can''t let go of this alien! You are being fooled!"


    the people on the other Thunder Bird shouted.


    "Yes, he is on the same side as the bloodsucker race. He wanted to kill us to take our blood just now."


    "Yes, the leading bloodsucker called him master! He was here just now. This guy must have hidden the bloodsucker somewhere."


    Darren gritted his teeth. His killing intent was about to burst out. He had shown these goons mercy, yet they dared make false accusations against him.


    Fortunately, he had taken Carthy into his own small world and hidden him away. If he hadn''t done that and Carthy was still in plain sight, it would be difficult to plead his case.

 Chapter 1421 Stop Them

    The leader of the law enforcers turned around and glared at the people behind.


    "Don''t talk nonsense. You don''t have the right to slander Mr. Chu," he scolded.


    But the people just turned a deaf ear and ignored him. Some of them even said,


    "Are you trying to protect an alien? You''re an unprincipled law enforcer."


    "I''m going to report this to the leader of the Blood Cloud Region. As law enforcers, you should be the ones to capture the alien. Why do you want to release him?" "Yes, that''s right. You are not listening to our claims. The leader of the Blood Cloud Region must know about this. Humph!"


    "Yes! If they dare to let that brat go, we will all report it."


    Darren glanced at the crowd coldly. All of a sudden, the strong pressure that was coming from him made them feel suffocated.


    "You... How dare you try to kill us in front of the law enforcers!"


    "Brat, are you going to kill us? Do it now if you can. You''re such a despicable alien!"


    "I don''t think he can do that."


    Obviously, the people were not scared. They knew that if Darren tried to kill any of them in front of the law enforcers, it would prove that their accusations were right. He would only plead guilty without even having a trial.


    But they even provoked Darren more. "Loser! I dare you touch or kill any of us!"


    "Brat, hand over that bloodsucker immediately. Don''t take us for fools! You idiot!"


    The crowd had gone wild. The cowardice in them earlier had now vanished.


    Whoosh!


    All of a sudden, a majestic sword intent shot out.


    Much to everyone''s surprise, the legs of those who slandered Darren just now were all cut off.


    With a cold and stern look on his face, Darren said, "When the members of the bloodsucker race came, you all knelt down and begged for mercy. You even said that you were willing to be their servants. When you saw my strength, you were like dogs who came to me for protection. You''re all good-for-nothing creatures. Living in this world will only bring trouble to the human race. You all must die!"


    Most of the people on the other Thunder Bird fell to the ground with a howl, and only a few of them were left unmaimed. Darren didn''t hurt those people who didn''t beg for the bloodsucker race''s mercy and didn''t slander him.


    "Law enforcers, why are you not moving? You should protect the people. Are you just going to stand and watch this alien kill all of us?"


    "Idiots! I will report all of you to the leader of the Blood Cloud Region!"


    "What are you waiting for? Kill that brat now!"


    Whoosh!


    Darren launched another attack. This time, dozens of heads fell to the ground.


    Everyone got horrified that they all fell silent. It was as if you could hear a pin drop.


    Those people who kept on whin


    een smashed into pieces.


    "Fuck! You''ve really dared to attack us. Good thing I was able to run fast. Who the hell are you?" Weber cursed while patting his chest.


    Darren and Gatlin also retreated. They flew towards Weber and stood beside him.


    "Darren, are you alright?"


    Weber was worried when he saw Darren''s pale face.


    "I''m still alive," Darren replied. But when he spoke, blood gushed out from the corner of his mouth. His internal organs were seriously injured.


    "These old bastards are so heartless. Let me deal with them." Weber flew towards the five martial artists.


    "Wait!" Darren shouted, "Are you courting death? Come back here!"


    "But they are too unreasonable. How dare they hurt you like that. Don''t these old bastards know that you have saved so many great masters'' lives? If those masters find out what happened to you, they would definitely crush and kill these old bastards," Weber said in an aggrieved tone.


    "Those masters are far away from us. They can''t do anything. I know that they are willing to help us, but I don''t have time to ask for their help right now. So we''d better retreat first." Gatlin''s face twisted in pain. Since his arm was broken, he agreed to Darren.


    "Yes, let''s retreat for now."


    The five martial artists were so tough, so Darren didn''t want to insist on breaking in. After all, his original plan was to ask for help from the leader of the Blood Cloud Region and inquire about Elsa''s whereabouts. Elsa might not be in that palace.


    The three of them agreed to fly to the other area of the city.


    As they flew, they saw some law enforcers in small groups going back and forth. They looked very busy.


    "What?"


    Darren exclaimed in surprise. He frowned and stared at the six young men in grey robes in the distance.


    "It''s them!"


    he cried and rushed over.

 Chapter 1422 Concealment

    Soon, Darren caught up with the six young men in grey robes, who had been flying in a hurry.


    "Stop!" Darren shouted.


    All six men turned around, but they took only one look at Darren. Upon seeing him, they faced forward once more and continued on their way.


    Whoosh!


    Darren sped up and dashed in front of them.


    He could finally see their faces clearly, and he was overjoyed! These were the law enforcing disciples who had taken Elsa away.


    "Mister, what can I do for you?"


    The leading young man in a grey robe bowed to Darren. He seemed polite, but there was a hint of coldness in his eyes.


    "Do you still remember me?" Darren asked, raising his head.


    "You look familiar. I think maybe I''ve met you somewhere before," one of the young men replied.


    "It''s him!"


    Someone finally remembered who he was.


    The weakest cultivators in the Primitive Wilderness were at the Primary God Realm. Almost every one of them was gifted with an extraordinarily retentive memory. It took a few minutes for their memories to come back to them, but they finally knew where they had seen Darren before.


    "You''re still alive?"


    The leading disciple looked at Darren in surprise.


    It was not until he blurted it out that he realized how silly he sounded.


    "Tell me, why did you come to us?"


    The law enforcers regained their composure. They wondered if Darren came to make trouble for them because of their decision not to save him.


    "Don''t be nervous. I''m not looking for a fight. I''m just looking for my wife. She was the girl you took away," Darren said.


    "Elsa?"


    "Yes!" For some reason, Darren became nervous. Many years had passed. He didn''t know if Elsa was safe and sound.


    "You are too late," the leading disciple said, shaking his head.


    Darren suddenly felt a pang in his heart. He grabbed the disciple''s collar with one hand.


    "What are you doing?"


    The rest of the disciples all pointed their spears at Darren.


    "Tell me! What happened to Elsa?" Darren''s aura became extremely terrifying, and he looked like a feral beast.


    Feeling the strong pressure coming from Darren, the people felt like kneeling before him.


    "Relax! She just left! You just missed her... Ahem!" The disciple had almost suffocated.


    It was not until he heard this that Darren loosened his grip on the disciple''s neck.


    "I''m sorry." Darren shook his head to calm himself down. He had thought somet


    could feel that Darren was not an ordinary person. As long as he didn''t come to make trouble, he would try his best to be polite and cater to his needs.


    "Thank you." Darren cupped his hands. "A few decades ago, a disciple named Elsa Gongsun came to your sect. Do you know about that?"


    Nasir Mei seemed to begin searching his memory. "I don''t remember such a disciple. Elder Liu, check if we have had a disciple named Elsa Gongsun."


    "Yes, sir." The elder bowed and retreated immediately. However, before he left, he gave Nasir Mei a strange glance. Darren noticed this.


    "You don''t have to hide anything. I''m not here to make trouble. You just need to tell me where she is," Darren said, his voice getting colder.


    As a master at the Celestial God Realm, Nasir Mei definitely had the ability to remember everything he had ever seen. He did not need someone else to get him the information he wanted.


    He had pretended he didn''t remember. It was strange that he did that. He was obviously hiding something.


    "Young man, I don''t like what you said. No matter how weak I am, I am still the leader of the sect. I''m not someone that you can treat poorly. You have really made me angry. Get out of my sect!" Nasir Mei said, waving his sleeves. He wore a sullen expression on his face, and he appeared tense.


    Darren sneered. Nasir''s attitude toward him had changed too fast. There must be something wrong.


    "Will you tell me? If you don''t tell me, I''ll kill you!"


    Darren had had enough. He needed to know where Elsa was, once and for all, even if it meant having to kill people to get to her!

 Chapter 1423 A Glimmer Of Hope

    "How dare you!"


    Nasir shouted. He was a sect leader and someone had dared threaten to kill him right out in the open, for all to see. How could someone be so foolish? He could not let this slide.


    "I don''t care who you are, you bastard. If you dare cause any sort of trouble in our sect, I swear you will never make it out alive!"


    Darren stared back at him blankly and said nothing more, but a sword intent then spiraled out from him.


    In an instant, the clouds grew darker and the air seemed to have thickened and created an unnerving atmosphere.


    "Guards, kill him where he stands!"


    Sensing Darren''s aura increase did not raise any fears in Nasir. At his command, more than ten elders of the sect showed up out of nowhere and attacked Darren one after the other. It seemed as though Darren was done for. Or so Nasir thought.


    The elders were all at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    They launched powerful attacks at Darren, holding nothing back.


    Whoosh!


    Darren''s sword shone brightly, the light reflecting off it brilliantly as he swung it.


    The sword strike sent all the elders flying off into the air with ease.


    Everyone was stunned. They knew Darren was only at the top level of the Star God Realm, yet somehow he had defeated more than a dozen warriors at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm with a single move. This terrified them; what untold strength did he possess?


    "Who are you?" Nasir asked wearily.


    He did not dare move again after witnessing Darren''s incredible strength. Provoking such a powerful warrior was certainly not in his plans.


    "I am Darren Chu," he replied with rock solid confidence. He pointed his sword at Nasir and asked sternly, "Where is Elsa? Tell me or face your doom!"


    "Humph, I told you I don''t remember this person. I have sent someone out to investigate. You seem insistent on fighting me so it is clear you''re here to cause trouble. I''m offering you a chance to leave with your life. I can forget what just happened, but if you continue causing trouble, I will be forced to report it to the Blood Cloud Palace. And when their elders arrive, you will regret not having fled like a scared little dog."


    Nasir spoke, feeling he had nothing to fear. His sect was close to the Blood Cloud Palace. If someone like Darren ever came in disturbing the peace, all they needed to do was inform the Blood Cloud Palace right away and their law enforcers would come by soon after to resolve their problems. He would probably have to report this situation anyway as it seemed the person Darren asked of was of great importance.


    "Go to hell!"


    The more Nasir tried to keep the answers he needed from him, the more anxious Darren got. He was so filled with rage n


    se blade shadows were on their way to slam right into his head.


    He closed his eyes, giving over to his despair, when he felt a gust of cold wind blow past his ears.


    Somehow, he had felt no pain.


    He opened his eyes, trembling and deathly pale to discover that the horrifying blade shadows had disappeared without trace. The sword intent behind him had quietly vanished as well.


    His mind was a blank. What had just happened? How had he survived?


    A sword gleaming with an icy glare pressed up to his throat, close enough to shave the hairs on his neck.


    "This is your last chance!"


    Darren roared with seemingly all his strength behind his words. He had lost all his patience.


    There was one reason holding him back, the same reason that had made him change the attacking track of the blade shadows. He knew that killing Nasir would do him no good. He could not get any information if he was dead.


    "Some law enforcers took Elsa."


    "What law enforcers?" Darren frowned.


    "Law enforcers from the Blood Cloud Palace. I don''t know exactly what happened or why. Ten law enforcers showed up to our sect and took her away without any explanation. It was all very mysterious. Later, I inquired about it and almost lost my life for it. It''s not that I didn''t want to tell you. I didn''t dare to, for my own safety,"


    Nasir blurted out, his voice trembling meekly.


    "I believe you."


    Darren had finally calmed down. He did not know what had happened to Elsa, but now there was at least a glimmer of hope.


    "By the way, sir, I heard that Elsa was..."


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a palm appeared from thin air and attacked Nasir, bulldozing through his chest. His aura dissipated in an instant.


    Several shadows flashed and darted around, landing in front of Darren.


    Four old men stood solemnly before him, wearing bamboo hats.

 Chapter 1424 The Acting Region Leader

    Darren''s face darkened with fury.


    He felt a ferocious swell of rage when Nasir was killed, all of a sudden, before he could finish his words.


    "How dare you, you old dogs!" he roared. "If you interfere with me again, I will destroy your entire Blood Cloud Region!"


    He felt enraged and reckless, already beginning to prepare for the worst possible outcome. He vowed that if the law enforcers of the Blood Cloud Palace dared stop him, he would immediately go and seek help from Akbar, Lord Starry Sword, and Lord Feng.


    There would also be a few other Superior God Realm masters who would be willing to help Darren if he asked. After all, those big shots still owed him a favor.


    If they really didn''t care what they owed him, well, they should still help him if only for Yolanda''s sake, Darren thought. That way, they could show their respect to Yolanda.


    Darren clenched his fists. If he was pushed too hard now, he would certainly call in every favor he could in order to win a fight with the Blood Cloud Region.


    In general, ordinary people were not allowed to start a war at the regional level. But Darren was already the patriarch of the Chu Clan. He had inherited the position of the Territory Enfeoffing Emperor. His position was already equivalent to that of the leader of a region. As long as he didn''t slaughter ordinary cultivators at will, the Ancestral Land would not intervene even if he waged war.


    "Young man, let''s talk calmly," said one of the law enforcing elders of the Blood Cloud Palace.


    He had a hoarse voice, and he spoke in a low, even tone.


    Darren glared at him. "Calmly? First of all, tell me why you killed this man! Why did you prevent him from telling me the news about Elsa?" he demanded.


    "We don''t know who Elsa is," said the elder patiently. "We only killed Nasir because he was too greedy. He took the resources we had distributed to the Cloud Refinement Sect for himself. This was reported to us yesterday, and as soon as we confirmed the report, we were ordered by our leader to kill him immediately. We did so, in accordance with our own laws and practices."


    He paused and looked at Darren. "Do you have any other question?"


    Darren was completely unconvinced. His face grew even colder, and he said quietly,


    "Do you think I am naive enough to be fooled by such lies?"


    The elder did not respond, and Darren said, "I swear to you now that this will not be resolved unless we face each other in battle!"


    He spoke in an implacable tone.


    He was certain that he had not misjudged the situation. Something must have happened to Elsa. And it must have had something to do with the machinations of the Blood Cloud Palace.


    They had repeatedly obstructed his plans, and now they were lying to him. There was no way to solve this dilemma except by the use of force. He was determined to show them his strength.


    The four elders looked taken aback. They glanced at each other, hesitating.


    If


    ve.


    "You are the acting region leader?" asked Weber.


    "Yes. I am Gilmer Zhuang. You must be Weber Fan. It''s a pleasure to meet you, and please send my best wishes to your master," said Gilmer Zhuang, smiling.


    Darren''s eyes narrowed. "I don''t want to waste time with nonsense, sir. I want to know right now where Elsa is. I''m only here to find out the answer to that," he said without preamble.


    "No problem, Darren. Let''s go to the hall. You and your companions can rest while I look into the matter, and I will certainly give you a full explanation as soon as possible," said Gilmer Zhuang.


    Darren frowned. "No, thanks," he said. He waved his hand at the others. "Let''s go, Weber, Gatlin."


    As he turned, he glanced back at Gilmer Zhuang and said curtly, "My apologies for disturbing you."


    With that, Darren, Weber, and Gatlin left.


    Three figures soared into the air without the least hesitation.


    As soon as they were gone, the smile on Gilmer Zhuang''s face disappeared instantly.


    He thought that Darren was definitely not an ordinary person. Gilmer Zhuang himself, a warrior at the Superior God Realm, had made the effort to show up, yet it had not changed Darren''s mind.


    Darren had seemed firm and confident, probably because he had already decided on a course of action. He would not be delayed by pleasantries and perfunctory words.


    With a sigh, Gilmer Zhuang cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted up at the sky, towards the figures flying away.


    "Darren, let''s talk. I know where Miss Elsa is. She''s in our Blood Cloud Palace," he yelled.


    It was not an option to anger someone of Darren''s background. It would be crazy to let him walk away intending to wage war against them.


    The other people who were present were all stunned. Even a cultivator at the Superior God Realm, who was temporarily the leader of the region, had no choice but to try and reason with this young man.


    ''What kind of demon is he?'' they thought.

 Chapter 1425 Elsas Experience

    Darren and the others returned at the sound of Gilmer yelling at them.


    The acting region leader had indicated that Elsa was indeed held in his Blood Cloud Palace!


    "Hand her over to me," Darren said not wasting any time with useless conversation. He knew what he was here for and nothing else would do.


    "Darren, it''s not that simple. Follow me back to the palace and then perhaps you will understand," Gilmer replied.


    He then gestured an open palm towards the sky, suggesting Darren to go with him.


    "Darren, don''t go there. It must be a trick. He''s luring you into his trap!" Weber warned frantically.


    "He has no cause to do such things," Darren said coolly.


    He took two steps forward and then took off into the air, followed by Weber and Gatlin.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh...


    Gilmer, along with several law enforcement elders of the Blood Cloud Region, followed as well.


    There were only a few senior elders and Gilmer to be found in the Blood Cloud Palace. The rest had excused themselves.


    "Where is Elsa?" Darren asked flatly.


    "Bring her out," Gilmer ordered.


    He knew that if Darren did not see her himself, he would never give up and would undoubtedly cause some sort of scene. The truth could no longer be covered up so he decided to let him see her.


    Not long after the order was given, an iron cage was carried into the hall by two senior elders, slow and careful.


    In the cage, tied to a black cross, was a creature with blood-red skin and wings growing out its back.


    Darren sprung up, his eyes burning with an untamed fury!


    Whoosh!


    He charged over and slashed his sword at the cage wildly. Sparks ignited and flew in all directions with every swish, but the cage remained unbroken. Darren, on the other hand, bounced off it and crashed into the wall heavily.


    His rage was undeterred, and he instantly flew back, landed face to face with Gilmer and took firm hold of his collar, drawing him in close.


    "What did you do to her?" Darren asked cruelly, spittle bubbling in the corners of his mouth and his anger clear for all to see.


    His eyes had widened so much they looked as though they might pop out of his head. He could tell from just a glance that the winged creature was Elsa.


    Gilmer had not expected Darren to go this crazy. He released his god''s power, pushing Darren away without moving a muscle.


    "Darren, calm yourself. Elsa''s current state has nothing to do with us. Your anger with us is misplaced,"


    Gilmer said, his voice carrying god''s power that could break through the soul.


    d Realm.


    She then began trying to break through the Cloud Refinement Sect''s exit pass. She eventually passed the test, placing first in the sect''s history.


    Just when she thought she could finally go looking for Darren, something terrible happened.


    One day, she suddenly lost her mind, and a pair of terrible blood wings sprouted through her back. No one understood what was happening.


    The matter alarmed Connor, the leader of the Blood Cloud Region, who quickly flew over to examine the situation.


    A blood river then fell from the sky and took him away.


    Many people then looked up above to see countless blood waves rolling in the depths of the void, fluctuating the god''s power.


    Ten days later, Connor fell from the sky, his face and body mutilated beyond recognition.


    Senior warriors of the Blood Cloud Palace gathered their courage and approached the distorted figure. They hastily took Elsa and their leader away, and tried to cover it all up and keep the truth of what had happened hidden.


    Later, after much study and investigation, they discovered that Elsa and the leader of the Blood Cloud Region had been bitten by a powerful Bloodsucker Prince, and his blood had been transferred into their bodies.


    Since then, every six months, the leader and Elsa had to absorb each other''s blood to survive. This had been going on for decades now.


    This was the reason the leader of the Blood Cloud Region had not shown up when the Archean mountain appeared.


    Darren finally calmed all the way down after hearing Gilmer tell the tale. He stared at Elsa who was trapped in the cage, and sobbed heartily.


    Elsa had been through some seriously tough times these past years.

 Chapter 1426 How To Save Her

    Darren knew that Elsa was still hoping that he was alive. She must have been waiting for the time that they could be reunited.


    But now even though he was in front of her, she couldn''t recognize him at all. This made him feel like a knife was piercing through his heart.


    "Darren, don''t be too sad. I know there is still a way to save your wife and our region leader," said Gilmer, trying to comfort Darren.


    "Thank you," Darren replied.


    It was only then that he realized that if the Blood Cloud Palace had only taken the injured region leader and left the weak Elsa alone back then, she would have already died.


    They didn''t know that Elsa and the region leader needed each other''s blood to survive at that time, but they still took Elsa away. This meant that they really wanted to save her.


    Whatever their reason was for saving her, Darren was still sincerely grateful to them. He was glad to know that she was still alive.


    "Sir, if we invite some masters from the Immortal Land to come here, do you think Elsa and the region leader will have a chance to recover?" Gatlin asked Gilmer after thinking for a while.


    "No," Gilmer answered at once, shaking his head. "We had already done that a long time ago. But all the masters that we invited from the Immortal Land said that they didn''t know what to do.


    Moreover, the bloodsucker race is relatively mysterious to us. We don''t know about them that much."


    Upon hearing Gilmer''s words, Darren suddenly remembered something.


    Whoosh!


    There was a flash of light. Then a winged pale young man appeared in the hall.


    "What?"


    Gilmer and the elders apparently gasped in shock at the sight of the man.


    "Darren, was it you who brought that bloodsucker here?" Gilmer asked uncertainly.


    "Yes. I believe that all of you already know that I am a Defiant Master. On our way here, we were attacked by the bloodsucker race. But I defeated the leading bloodsucker, so he is now my believer."


    Knowing that Darren was a Defiant Master, the high-level members of the human race all knew what kind of abilities he had.


    This time, Gilmer had a knowing look on his face.


    "Great! Since the bloodsucker is now your believer, you can probably get some information from him." Gilmer felt so happy. Connor, the region leader, was his close friend, so he really wanted Connor to recover as soon as possible.


    As a matter of fact, they had also tried capturing some bloodsuckers before for interrogation. But they failed to get any valuable information from them. Most of them had even committed suicide. Sometimes even though bloodsuckers could be controlled, they still refused to reveal any information, no matt


    ere definitely in a very difficult situation.


    Darren also fell silent. His mind was in a mess.


    After a while, he said, "Sir, please release Elsa. She must be very uncomfortable to be tied up like that." Since he couldn''t come up with any good idea right now, he just wanted Elsa to have more freedom and feel comfortable.


    "No, Darren. We can''t untie Elsa. Not only her but also our region leader. Because if we do that, they will only cripple themselves until they die."


    Gilmer and the others had already tried it. When they released Elsa and Connor, they went crazy. They attacked others and even themselves.


    That was why inviting the masters from the Immortal Land to suppress them had been their only choice.


    Darren felt sad and helpless.


    He didn''t want to see Elsa being trapped like this, but he also didn''t want her to hurt herself crazily.


    Darren turned to Carthy again and asked, "Do you know why she hurts herself?"


    "Master, it is because she hasn''t been fully transformed yet. That is to say, the Bloodsucker Prince''s blood has encountered obstacles in her body. She still has human consciousness, but her mentality is not working properly." This was not the first time that Carthy saw such a situation.


    "Okay, I get it. You can leave now."


    "Master, we are actually not that hopeless," Carthy suddenly said.


    He was about to leave when he saw the sadness on Darren''s face, so he came up with a seemingly feasible solution.


    "What do you mean?" Darren turned around to face him, looking a little excited.


    "There is still a way to save a human who has not been transformed completely," Carthy replied.


    "How? Tell me!"


    Gilmer and the senior elders were also overjoyed to hear what Carthy had said. They immediately flew closer to him.

 Chapter 1427 The Plan

    Carthy''s words gave Darren and the others a glimmer of hope.


    "But, master, what I have thought might be a little difficult to do," Carthy said, sounding a little hesitant.


    "Just tell me first."


    "Okay."


    Carthy nodded and added, "It''s actually simple. Since your wife has not been completely transformed, she doesn''t belong to the Defiant Bloodsucker Prince yet. In other words, another powerful Bloodsucker Prince can still take her over.


    So what we need to do is find a powerful Bloodsucker Prince who can turn your wife into a real member of the bloodsucker race, and then kill that Bloodsucker Prince."


    Carthy came up with this idea because Elsa was a human being.


    Even if the Bloodsucker Prince, who transformed her, died, she wouldn''t die. And she could still regain her human form and consciousness.


    As long as the Bloodsucker Prince, who completely transformed her, died, she would become a human again.


    After listening to Carthy''s explanation, Darren and the others also thought that his idea was feasible.


    However, it was not easy to find a powerful Bloodsucker Prince who could transform Elsa completely. Moreover, it would be difficult to kill the Bloodsucker Prince after the transformation.


    A Bloodsucker Prince was way too powerful for them.


    "If we can''t find a powerful Bloodsucker Prince, can a bloodsucker race member who is inferior to a prince do it?" Darren asked.


    Carthy shook his head. "No, master. The Defiant Bloodsucker Prince''s bloodline is too powerful. Even if there is only a trace of his blood left in your wife''s body, it is still too powerful. An ordinary member of the bloodsucker race won''t be able to suppress it. No one else can transform your wife except for the Bloodsucker Princes."


    Darren and the others nodded silently.


    Somehow, they were enlightened after listening to Carthy''s explanation. They weren''t that hopeless anymore. Besides, it was much easier to kill a Bloodsucker Prince than a Defiant Bloodsucker Prince.


    "Do you know where we can find a Bloodsucker Prince?"


    "Yes, I do." Carthy nodded. But his face twitched involuntarily.


    "Then, just tell us. Why do you look so hesitant all of a sudden?" Weber snapped.


    Carthy hesitated for a while before he finally said, "There is actually a Bloodsucker Prince in the human territory."


    Darren got confused upon seeing t


    Land.


    "In this case, we have to ask Lord Starry Sword to help us," Darren murmured almost to himself.


    It was not easy to kill a Bloodsucker Prince. Even Lord Starry Sword had to work together with some deputy gods to do it.


    But he had no other choice. Only Lord Starry Sword could help them this time.


    Moreover, how to trick the Bloodsucker Princes and make them relax their vigilance also needed careful planning.


    Knowing that Carthy was still worried about his father, Darren turned to him and said, "Don''t worry, Carthy. As your master, I promise that your father won''t be killed. The worst thing that can happen to him is that he will be imprisoned. But of course, if he is willing to be my believer, he can also get the same freedom as you do."


    "Really, master?"


    Carthy raised his head and looked at Darren. His eyes filled with excitement in an instant.


    He couldn''t believe that Darren was willing to spare his father''s life.


    "Of course. Don''t worry. I am a man of my word."


    "Thank you, my great master. Thank you so much." Carthy kowtowed to Darren.


    "Well, don''t be too excited yet. Help me think carefully. Can you possibly convince your father to bring the other Bloodsucker Princes here?" Darren said.


    "Of course, master," Carthy said confidently as he stood up.


    "Why do you look so happy over others'' misfortune?" Weber commented as he looked at Carthy. He wondered why Carthy became so excited all of a sudden.


    "You just don''t know, but all the Bloodsucker Princes treat each other as enemies," Carthy replied with a smile.

 Chapter 1428 Being Bitten

    "Are you trying to say that the Bloodsucker Princes are hostile towards each other?" Weber asked in surprise.


    "Yes. There is a total of ninety-six orthodox Bloodsucker Princes in the bloodsucker race. But because of blood relationship, the Bloodsucker Princes hate each other. This kind of hatred is innate since they are born with a desire to absorb others'' blood."


    After Carthy''s brief explanation, Darren and the others finally understood the relationship between the members of the bloodsucker race. But still, they were surprised to know that all the Bloodsucker Princes saw each other as enemies.


    "Then what makes you feel so happy? If it''s true that the Bloodsucker Princes treat each other as enemies, how can your father convince the others to come over?" Weber asked as he glared at Carthy.


    He thought that no one would trust an enemy. How could Carthy''s father persuade the other Bloodsucker Princes to meet him? It sounded so ridiculous.


    "I assure you that my father can easily deceive the other Bloodsucker Princes. He can bring them here." Carthy looked so confident.


    "Just don''t be careless. Make sure that those Bloodsucker Princes would be caught off guard. No one should know where they are, even if they are dead. Do you understand what I mean?" Darren reminded Carthy.


    "Don''t worry, master. I am confident that I will succeed in this task. I''ll make sure that everything goes well. All you need to do is to set up the trap," Carthy said with a smile.


    "Well, go back and see your father now. We will let you know once we finish the plan and gather some powerful warriors."


    "Yes, master."


    Darren then put the Power of Belief in Carthy''s mind.


    With this power, he could send a message to Carthy anytime, and Carthy could receive it as long as he was not in the abysses or in the time and space turbulent flow.


    Afterward, two senior elders of the Blood Cloud Region sent Carthy away. They needed to make sure that he wouldn''t be killed by the other human warriors.


    "Darren, it will be very difficult for us to find powerful warriors who can kill the Bloodsucker Princes."


    Gilmer was at the low-level of the Superior God Realm. If he faced a Bloodsucker Prince alone, he would undoubtedly be killed without even having a chance to struggle.


    Even if Darren had said just now that he would ask help from Lord Starry Sword, Gilmer was still very worried.


    Lord Starry Sword was powerful, but he was only at the top level of the Superior God Realm. He was not a deputy god yet.


    Gilmer had also heard of what had happened in the Archean relic. It was said that Lord Starry Sword defeated a middle-level deputy god with a s


    ng that Connor looked so miserable, Gilmer felt sorry for him.


    He and Connor were very close to each other, just like Darren and Finley. His heart bled upon seeing him in such an unpleasant situation.


    While Gilmer was trying to comfort Connor, Darren, on the other hand, stood in front of Elsa''s cage. He stared at her with eyes full of sadness.


    "Elsa, I''m so sorry for making you suffer like this," he murmured.


    Whoosh!


    Elsa''s bloodshot eyes suddenly lit up.


    "Ahhh!"


    She screamed and started to struggle violently.


    Then Darren saw two lines of blood tears flowing out of her cold eyes.


    He felt so heartbroken looking at her.


    "Elsa, do you recognize me now? I know you still have consciousness left," Darren said.


    He then shouted, "Mr. Zhuang, open the cage. I want to go in."


    "Darren, you''d better not. If she hurts you, your blood will be poisoned by her," one senior elder advised.


    "I don''t need your advice. Just open the cage now," Darren said anxiously.


    Gilmer nodded in approval. The elder then took out the key and opened the iron door.


    Darren got in and walked towards Elsa step by step. As he got closer and closer to her, he found it difficult to control his emotions anymore.


    Elsa was tied on a cross. He opened his arms and held her tight. Her cold body made him feel strange, but hot tears kept streaming down his face.


    "Darren... I miss you... so much."


    The moment Darren heard the hoarse voice, he froze.


    Elsa spoke to him. Indeed, she still had consciousness left in her.


    "Elsa..." Darren cupped her face in his hands. His heart grieved as if a knife was slowly piercing through it.


    "Ahhh!" Darren cried out in pain.


    All of a sudden, Elsa lowered her head and thrust her sharp teeth into his shoulder.

 Chapter 1429 Sealing The Blood Poison

    Suddenly, Darren felt a sharp pain coming from his shoulder. In the blink of an eye, he felt as though countless sharp thorns were pressing into his meridians.


    "Poison?"


    Darren wondered confusedly.


    Before he could act, he realized that half of his body had gone completely numb.


    And yet, Darren felt no sense of urgency. Not caring about the poison, he trained his eyes on Elsa, who had been happily lapping up his blood.


    Seeing her contented expression, Darren grinned in satisfaction.


    "Elsa, if you truly like my blood that much, I''ll let you drink from it every day."


    As he spoke, Darren raised his left arm, as though offering it to her. A sword intent flew out immediately and cut a wound in his wrist. God''s power sent the fresh blood straight to Elsa''s mouth.


    Her eyes flashed fiercely as she greedily sucked Darren''s blood. This reaction was only natural; after all, she was partly transformed by the bloodsucker race.


    Darren made no move to stop her until he saw that Elsa was content.


    "Darren, stop!"


    Gilmer exclaimed, suddenly flying over anxiously.


    "Don''t worry, Gilmer. Maybe my blood will make her feel better..." Noticing Elsa''s contented expression, Darren''s spirit soared.


    "You don''t know what you''re doing!" Gilmer shot Darren an angry glare. "The reason why Elsa and the leader of the Blood Cloud Region were not completely transformed by the Defiant Bloodsucker Prince was that they didn''t get enough blood nourishment. This hindered their transformation process. But now, you''re providing blood for her! If she is completely transformed, you will regret it." He wagged his finger at him.


    Darren''s jaw dropped in shock. He had no idea he was doing something so stupid!


    "Well, it''s not too late to stop what you''re doing. More importantly, you''d better suppress the poison streaming along your veins. I''ll send for a master rule cultivator to treat you." Gilmer paused, his brows furrowing deeply. In a low voice, he added, "The blood poison is very powerful. If treated too late, you''ll be paralyzed forever."


    It was no easy feat to rid one''s system of the Defiant Bloodsucker Prince''s blood poison. Even if one were to cut off the poisoned part of their body, the new body part that''d grow in its place would still be poisoned.


    As soon as the poison took over one''s body, the warrior would be paralyzed forever.


    With Gilmer''s urgent warning, Darren shifted his focus to examining the blood poison making its way along his body.


    As Darren did an internal scan, the blood poison quickly dispersed into countless, infinitesimal creatures that rushed into Darren''s meridians.


    Taking action quickly, Darren mobilized his god''s power to remove the blood poison. However, it was futile.


    Whenever the god''s power came into contact with the blood poison, it would automaticall


    e knew that as long as he was there, Elsa would feel secure.


    Darren checked his cultivation base. He was now at the top level of the Star God Realm, very close to the Celestial God Realm.


    But he knew it wouldn''t be easy to reach the next level.


    There was a huge gap between the Star God Realm and the Celestial God Realm. However, Darren, at the top level of the Star God Realm, was able to fight against the warriors at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm. Once he reached the next level, his strength would increase greatly.


    With Darren''s cultivation speed and the effect of the Defiant God Character, he would reach the top level of the Celestial God Realm a lot faster than others!


    It would probably take one million years for a person with the same talent as Darren to reach the top level of the Celestial God Realm from the low-level of the Celestial God Realm, whereas for Darren, it would probably only take him a hundred thousand years, or even less.


    Of course, this was all hypothetical. For someone as talented as Darren, it was even possible for him to reach the goal in merely tens of thousands of years. It was all a matter of luck and opportunity.


    Putting all distracting thoughts aside, Darren sank into silence. As he absorbed the godly energy to improve his cultivation base, he began to practice the fourth move of the supreme sword skill.


    This half of the supreme sword skill had a total of six moves. Darren had only mastered three moves, yet the power of his sword intent had already been increased greatly. He couldn''t imagine how powerful he''d become if he successfully mastered all six moves.


    What was more, Darren had also been practicing his Blood Thirst skill, which was comparable to his supreme sword skill. Once he mastered all the moves of the blade formula as both a blade cultivator and a sword cultivator, he would be peerless!

 Chapter 1430 A Fight Between The Two

    In the twinkling of an eye, a month had passed.


    Boom! Boom!


    Suddenly, an explosion sounded from within the cave. Streaks of terrifying sword intent shot out from the mouth of the cave, splitting the very earth into cracks.


    Sensing this violent disturbance, Gilmer went to check out what happened. Was there a powerful warrior who came to attack Connor?


    Gilmer was brimming with anxiety. Silently, he wondered who on earth dared leak their secret, thus attracting Connor''s enemies. With a sinking feeling in his heart, he hurried to the cave.


    However, upon arrival, he was surprised to find that the powerful sword intent had already dissipated, and the cave had fallen quiet.


    "Darren, what happened?" Gilmer asked anxiously.


    As though coming out of a trance, Darren opened his eyes, traces of sword light flashing within.


    "I''m sorry. I might''ve involuntarily released a sword intent just now," Darren said apologetically.


    It was just like he said. Just then, Darren had succeeded in comprehending the fourth move of the supreme sword skill. A resulting streak of sword intent shot out from his meridians, which was what caused the explosion.


    "That sword intent was released by you?" Gilmer asked incredulously. The aura of the sword intent just now was so terrifying that he had thought that a great master of swordsmanship had come.


    Yet Darren was only at the top level of the Star God Realm. Gilmer couldn''t believe his ears. How could such a powerful sword intent have been released by Darren?


    Darren nodded acquiescently, without uttering a word.


    "Oh my God! Are the Defiant Masters truly this extraordinary? You are only at the Star God Realm!" Gilmer couldn''t help but exclaim in astonishment and admiration.


    "It''s just that the method I am cultivating happens to be quite powerful," Darren explained calmly. Then, he abruptly changed topic. "By the way, sir, has Weber come back?"


    "He came back yesterday," Gilmer answered.


    "What¡ª?" Darren frowned. He felt that something was wrong. If Weber had come back yesterday, why hadn''t he been informed?


    "Did Lord Starry Sword refuse our request?" Darren smiled bitterly. That was the only reasonable explanation.


    Seeing the disappointment on Darren''s face, Gilmer quickly waved his hand and said, "You''ve got it all wrong, Darren. Both Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng have come with Weber, but..."


    Gilmer paused hesitantly.


    If both of them had come, then what was the problem?


    "Tell me, what''s wrong?" Darren asked, his brows furrowing anxiously.


    "Both Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng are in the middle of recuperating, so we decided not to inform you yet."


    Darren was


    r you reach the Superior God Realm. Then, you will have nothing to regret!" Lord Feng promised.


    "I can''t wait for that day to come." Darren shrugged helplessly.


    Seeing how Darren chatted with Lord Feng so casually, as though they were good friends, Gilmer felt like he wanted to hide in a hole.


    Since even the dignified Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng treated Darren like their own friend, Gilmer suddenly felt as though he hadn''t shown enough respect for Darren.


    "Ahem." He cleared his throat nervously. "Darren, please invite the two great masters to sit down. Let''s discuss how to lure the Bloodsucker Princes of the bloodsucker race here, shall we?"


    With a nod, Darren turned to the two masters. "Lord Starry Sword, Lord Feng, please be seated." Darren gestured towards the seats in the hall.


    "Just let me know if you have made a decision," Lord Starry Sword declined abruptly. After saying that, he immediately entered the Starry Tower.


    A disdainful smile appeared at the corners of Lord Feng''s mouth. "I just comprehended a little more than he did when we watched the battle scenes left by Supreme God Alfredo. Is it a big matter? He just couldn''t stand the thought of being inferior to me!"


    It finally dawned on Darren, the reason why the two had fought.


    "Wait a moment. Let me talk with Carthy first."


    Darren then activated the Power of Belief and sent a message to Carthy.


    "Carthy, ask your father to prepare to lure some Bloodsucker Princes out," Darren ordered sternly.


    "Master, this task has already been carried out," Carthy replied.


    "What?" Darren frowned in confusion. "Send me the details about what happened."


    "Yes, master."


    It didn''t take long before Darren received the detailed process of Carthy''s fulfillment of this task.

 Chapter 1431 Luring

    Darren quickly found out that the whole process was very simple. Carthy had persuaded his father to lie to the bloodsucker race, claiming he would change his blood. When a Bloodsucker Prince changed blood, it signaled a promotion. The blood thus replaced could then be exchanged for precious treasures with other Bloodsucker Princes. Such deals often happened during a time of promotion of a Bloodsucker Prince.


    That was why Carthy had been so confident in front of Darren. He knew that it was very easy to lure the other Bloodsucker Princes into their trap. The lower level Bloodsucker Princes couldn''t resist the temptation of another Bloodsucker Prince''s blood.


    "Well done. We will inform you of the time and place once we reach an agreement."


    "This is understood, master," Carthy replied dutifully.


    Darren then relayed everything he learned from Carthy to Gilmer and the others.


    "Lord Feng, in your opinion, where should we lure the bloodsuckers to?" Gilmer, who had been at a loss for ideas, turned to Lord Feng for advice.


    This operation was by no means a trivial matter. Their opponents were, after all, the Bloodsucker Princes of the bloodsucker race, so they couldn''t possibly kill them in public. It was best to find a place where all kinds of communication with the outside world was cut off, so that the bloodsucker race would not find out that the human race was behind all this.


    If the bloodsucker race were to find out, then a war of race extermination would surely ensue.


    "Doesn''t that guy have the Starry Tower? There will be no problem if we kill them from inside." Lord Feng didn''t even want to mention the name of Lord Starry Sword, thinking that the latter was much too arrogant.


    The Starry Tower of Lord Starry Sword was indeed extraordinary. Once inside, even a supreme god would not be able to send a message out.


    "But the problem is, how do we get those Bloodsucker Princes to enter the Starry Tower? What''s more, are the two of you masters strong enough to deal with five Bloodsucker Princes of the bloodsucker race?" Darren asked bluntly.


    If it were anyone else who asked such a question, it would be interpreted as questioning the abilities of the two great masters. Such impertinence warranted a harsh slap on the face.


    "The Starry Tower is very mysterious," Lord Feng replied, unfazed by Darren''s straightforwardness. "It won''t be too difficult for him to get several Bloodsucker Princes inside. As for our strength, killing Bloodsucker Princes is not anything new. No matter how many of them come at me, I will kill them all!"


    "Great!" Gilmer couldn''t help but applaud, his eyes brimming with feverish excitement.


    "Thank you. I may have to trouble you and Lord Starry Sword," Darren said, cupping his hands respectfully.


    Immediately, they dispersed to prepare. After a few hours, Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng led Darren and the others to a desert in the Blood Cloud Region.


    Meanwhil


    ed their bat-like wings outwards, and their blood vitality also expanded to the extreme.


    "No way! How could the humans find out about this?"


    "Joris, are you colluding with the human race?" they accused.


    "Damn it! You bastard! You''ve betrayed the Bloodsucker Ancestor? You led us right into the humans'' ambush! How could you do this to us?"


    The other four Bloodsucker Princes glared accusingly at Joris, roaring indignantly.


    Joris didn''t say a word. Instead, he stared at the void with his blood red eyes. He just couldn''t fathom why human masters of this level would suddenly appear here.


    "Son...?"


    Joris turned to face Carthy, intending to ask him about it, but he was surprised to find that Carthy had already disappeared.


    Then, dread filled his heart.


    Carthy, his own son, betrayed him? He could not bear this; it was too much.


    "Ah!" Joris raised his head and roared emotionally. A stream of blood vitality soared into the sky and rushed into the void like a huge pillar.


    "My son, how dare you betray me?!" Words couldn''t describe how furious he was.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    In the midst of the sea of blood vitality, the two peerless figures flew over. One was holding a sword while the other was crossing his arms. Together, their combined auras were extremely intimidating.


    "Bloodsucker Princes?" Lord Feng addressed them, raising his eyebrows.


    "Who are you? Get the hell out of here now!" a Bloodsucker Prince enveloped in blood vitality roared at them viciously.


    "You broke into our territory. What makes you think we''ll leave you alone after that? How naive." Lord Feng frowned in disdain.


    "If you dare attack us, you will be breaking the agreement between our races, and you will be annihilated." A hoarse voice pierced through the sky.


    But as soon as he finished speaking, eighteen phantoms in white already besieged the five Bloodsucker Princes.


    Lord Starry Sword spared no time talking nonsense with them.

 Chapter 1432 Watch The Battle

    Five streaks of blood light burst out at the same time.


    "Human, are you really planning on starting a battle with us? Have you thought this all the way through? I hope you''re aware of how this is going to end for you!"


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Eighteen Supreme Sword Intent Forms flew out, each drawing flawless sword tracks as they went.


    The Supreme Sword Intent Forms sealed every inch of space they passed through.


    The five Bloodsucker Princes roared viciously and the whole sky began covering in blood clouds.


    Lord Feng stood aside and did not move a muscle. Instead, he smacked his lips and said, "You''re much too impulsive. Did you not say that you''d get them to your Starry Tower and kill them? What happened to that idea?"


    Lord Starry Sword ignored him, as if he had not heard a word and the other man did not exist. He commanded his eighteen Supreme Sword Intent Forms to charge at the Bloodsucker Princes all at once. After being struck a few times, the princes began to scatter, not allowing the Sword Intent Forms to unleash their full power of a combined attack. It seemed a tactically smart move.


    Boom! Boom!


    The heaven and the earth rumbled and shook ominously, and a small golden tower suddenly emerged. It appeared above one of the Bloodsucker Princes, unbeknownst to him, taking him before he had the time to react. One moment he was in midair, the next he had disappeared.


    The golden tower then made four jumps in a row, and the four other Bloodsucker Princes vanished just as the first did.


    Lord Feng then came to understand Lord Starry Sword''s plan. Absorbing all the five princes at once was impossible for the Starry Tower. His first maneuver forced them apart so the Starry Tower was then able to take them one by one.


    In Finley''s small world, Darren had seen everything clearly. A huge wave of excitement surged at the bottom of his heart.


    "That is the real Starry Tower! How magnificent!" Darren said in awe.


    Darren was lost in amazement as he stared on at the golden tower. He was familiar with its appearance, but the strength of it was hundreds of millions of times more powerful than the Starry Tower he knew.


    The desert quieted down after the five Bloodsucker Princes were sucked into the tower. Even their blood aura had disappeared and the whole atmosphere had shifted.


    "What a pity!" Gilmer sighed.


    He was disappointed to not have had the chance to watch this exciting battle in the Starry Tower.


    Darren shared the same feeling.


    There were five Bloodsucker Princes. Their battle with Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng was absolutely phenomenal, a true spectacle.


    "Oh, wait," Darren said. He then thought for a moment and added, "I too have the Starry


    he turned his head however, he did not see hatred in the others'' eyes as he had expected, but instead he saw intense hunger staring him down and scanning him.


    He began to shudder violently as he knew what was about to happen. The wings of the other Bloodsucker Princes fluttered with blood vitality.


    "What are you doing? No... Don''t... You can''t..." he said hysterically, back peddling, his eyes filled with terror.


    The other four raised their palms to the void. The blood that had scattered when he had been injured formed into four streams that the other four Bloodsucker Princes sucked into their palms.


    "Delicious."


    "Wow, how intoxicating."


    Extreme pleasure washed over the four that had absorbed the other''s blood.


    "No!"


    screamed the injured Bloodsucker Prince as four blood shadows pounced on him and crunched down on his artery.


    In a flash he had been sucked dry, left as nothing more than a hollow sack falling from the air and turning to dust.


    This was the cruelty of the bloodsucker race. Once he had lost his strength, it was the end for him. He could no longer fight back against the others and so was only good for food to them.


    "You are all incredibly stupid. You are faced with a truly formidable enemy and yet all you can think of is killing your companion and getting his power," Lord Feng said, shaking his head in disgust. He had decided he did not need to be here any longer and was now readying himself to leave.


    He saw no reason for him to stay. If a Bloodsucker Prince would just be killed by his own kind after getting injured, it would not take much time or effort for Lord Starry Sword to get rid of them all. He wouldn''t even bother to launch any of his own attacks.


    "Stay here,"


    Lord Starry Sword said coldly, just as he was about to leave this place.

 Chapter 1433 The Celestial God Realm

    Lord Feng was surprised to actually be asked to stay by Lord Starry Sword. This was very uncharacteristic.


    But he had asked, and so Lord Feng complied with his request, waiting aside quietly instead of leaving in a hurry.


    The four Bloodsucker Princes below remained still and cautious. Whoever rushed forward first would end up just like the last of them who had been sucked dry once being seriously injured; there would be nothing left to speak of.


    It was obvious that the human swordsman was much stronger than them.


    "Human, I must admit you are indeed very powerful. We admit defeat this time. What will it take for you to let us go?"


    The Bloodsucker Princes did not want to put their lives at risk going against Lord Starry Sword. They felt a negotiation was the only way out of this. They believed every creature in the world was greedy to some extent and that they''d survive if they provided Lord Starry Sword with enough of whatever he asked for.


    "You''re bargaining?"


    Lord Feng asked, gliding down a little while Lord Starry Sword remained silent.


    "Yes, name your price. What is it you want? Land? Resources?" asked Joris, Carthy''s father.


    "You can''t afford what we want," Lord Feng replied, smiling devilishly.


    "Just tell me. Do not underestimate the great Bloodsucker Princes. We can fulfill your wildest dreams," answered Joris proudly.


    "Give us your life," Lord Feng said, putting his hands behind his back as a killing intent surged out from his body.


    "Humph, you mean we''re not going to talk about this?"


    "Let''s be clear. I have never wanted to exchange words with you, okay? Fool!"


    Whoosh!


    Lord Feng then disappeared and the void began to shake as if an earthquake had hit.


    A moment later, a palm shadow plummeted from the sky, destroying everything in its path.


    "Nether Life and Death Skill."


    Lord Starry Sword squinted slightly at this skill, for he knew it was not Lord Feng''s, but Alfredo''s.


    Some time ago, Yolanda had given the images of more than a dozen of Alfredo''s important battles to Lord Feng and Lord Starry Sword. The two of them could not wait to watch them and comprehend the skills Alfredo had used.


    Alfredo had used the Nether Life and Death Skill in one of the battles. This cultivation method only had nine palm strikes in total, but it was still far more difficult to comprehend it than the ordinary supreme martial formulas.


    In the battle, Alfredo had used a total of six palm strikes to kill his opponent.


    The opponent was a Defiant Master of the fiend race, whose strength far exceeded that of a deputy god at the peak state.


    Now that Lord Feng had actually managed to master this skill, Lord Starry Sword knew without a doubt that he had more potential than he did, even if only a lit


    ality. Even though Darren had reached the Celestial God Realm, the powerful pressure here still made him uncomfortable. Even Gilmer next to him felt a little uneasy.


    Lord Starry Sword waved his hand and a majestic sword intent gushed out, dispersing all the blood vitality and god''s power. All was then revealed.


    In the void, ahead of them, Lord Feng hovered in the air, while the four Bloodsucker Princes knelt on one knee before him.


    He had defeated them all.


    "Really quite boring," Lord Feng confessed, shaking his head as he flew to Lord Starry Sword''s side. He continued, "Did you really need to ask me to stay just to take care of these little bats?"


    Lord Starry Sword paid him absolutely no mind, and simply waved his hand at the Bloodsucker Princes, grabbing one of them from the air.


    "Darren, come here."


    "Sir, Darren has just reached the Celestial God Realm. I''m afraid it''s not appropriate," Gilmer interjected. He thought it impossible for Darren to contend with a Bloodsucker Prince, even if the prince was seriously injured. A warrior at the Celestial God Realm could still not by any means break his defense.


    Even if Darren could exert the combat power at the top level of the Celestial God Realm, he was still nothing in the face of a Bloodsucker Prince, even an injured one.


    And even if the Bloodsucker Prince didn''t fight back, Darren would still not be able to kill him.


    "It doesn''t matter. I will try nonetheless,"


    Darren said, stepping forward. He did not fear for his life with Lord Feng and Lord Starry Sword around.


    Whoosh!


    Darren flew out and landed in front of the Bloodsucker Prince with a solid thump as he hit the ground.


    "Humans... You are leading yourselves to your own ruin..."


    said the fatally wounded Bloodsucker Prince, staring at Darren with bloody eyes boiling over with rage.

 Chapter 1434 Another Breakthrough

    As a Bloodsucker Prince, even if he were to confront death, then he should die in a dignified way, trading blows with a worthy adversary.


    Naturally, the Bloodsucker Prince felt his pride defiled at the hands of the powerful human when he saw he had sent a nobody of the Celestial God Realm to lay waste to him.


    "Perish, you weakling!"


    With the recent humiliation churning his anger, the Bloodsucker Prince roared, taking a fierce swipe at Darren with his bloody claw.


    Watching him close in on him so quickly made Darren''s heart skip a beat!


    The swiftness of it all shocked him enough to remain frozen in place. Before the bloody claw could even make contact with Darren''s body, he felt his internal organs eviscerate.


    It all happened so fast that Darren didn''t even get a chance to activate his god''s power, much less move. The next moment, the bloody claw had landed on top of Darren''s head, attempting to break his skull in half.


    Whoosh!


    Suddenly, a black and white sword intent swooped in above Darren''s head and foiled the attack, protecting him.


    Unable to register anything, Darren stood in place, baffled. He realized the gap between his and his opponent''s abilities was far too great. If Lord Starry Sword hadn''t intervened, he would have been reduced to a fountain of blood mist.


    "What!?"


    Surprised, the Bloodsucker Prince staggered back a few steps to steady his footing.


    "Don''t just stand there. Make your move!" Agitated, Lord Starry Sword scolded Darren back to his senses.


    "Right, okay! I''ll give it my all!"


    Preparing himself to fight, Darren used the fifth move of the supreme sword skill coupled with his violent surging sword intent to unleash a formidable attack.


    Carefully reading his movements, the Bloodsucker Prince flapped his broken wings, manifesting himself into a bloody line and swerved away from Darren''s attack, effortlessly.


    "Darren, watch your back!" Observing the battle from afar, Gilmer fiddled with his hands, worried out of his wits for Darren. The movements of the bloody line were so fast that even he was unable to keep track of it with his eyes.


    As a countermeasure for the opponent''s untraceable speed, Darren surrounded himself with hundreds of blade shadows to act as a curtain.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, the blade shadows collided with some obstruction and were reduced to pieces, and Darren was sent flying from the impact.


    After Darren was knocked back, the Bloodsucker Prince appeared in the spot where Darren once stood with his blade shadows.


    Heaving heavy breaths, the Bloodsucker Prince stood supporting his left shoulder, an inch long wound carved on his skin from Darren''s blades, blood dripping profusely.


    "Heh, not bad. Darren is something else!" Watching Darren hold his own against the powerful Bloodsucker Prince made Lord Feng''s eyes lit up, beaming with pride. It was indeed a praiseworthy achievement to break the defense of the Bloodsucker Prince when Darren''s cultivation level was only at the Celestial God Realm.


    "How did he pull that off?" Gilmer exclaimed with surprise. Despite being at the low-level of the Superior God level, he was unsuccessful in reading the Bloodsucker Prince''s movements. And on the other hand, Darren managed to inflict an injury on him, which was incredible.


    The Bloodsucker Prince stood glaring at Darren''s figure, clutching his greatest humiliation masquerading as the cut carved by Darren on his shoulder.


    Flying backward to add in some distance between himself and his foe, Darren smi


    as left utterly dumbfounded. What the hell was going on?


    Darren was at the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm, but Gilmer felt the faint aura of a supreme god from him. He could not express what he was sensing. The feeling was beyond the limitation of words.


    "Good Darren, very good." Lord Feng watched with his eyes sparkling with gratification, like a father proud of his son.


    "Starry Sword, at this rate, it seems it won''t take long before he reaches the Superior God Realm. What do you plan on doing after?" Lord Feng asked, suddenly sounding serious.


    Remaining nonchalant, Lord Starry Sword kept his stiff expression, but this time, he didn''t brush aside Lord Feng''s words. "Whatever you plan on doing."


    "Heh. It''s settled then. Even if I have to raze the heaven and the earth to the ground, I''d gladly do it if it means to protect Darren!" Lord Feng declared with a wave of his sleeve.


    In their eyes, the battle between Darren and the Bloodsucker Prince had reached a stalemate. After putting one of the broken wings out of commission, Darren retreated, having received fatal injuries of his own.


    But this battle was enough to go down in the history of the human race.


    "Gilmer, I think Darren has weakened him enough. You should step in and support Darren to kill that guy off." Lord Feng released a streak of god''s power to treat Darren''s wounds before turning to Gilmer.


    "About time! I''ve been looking forward to having my warm-up with that guy."


    Nodding to Lord Feng, Gilmer stepped in at Darren''s side, violent god''s power surging through every fiber of his being.


    Now with Gilmer at his beck and call and his wounds healed, Darren rushed to attack the already feeble Bloodsucker Prince with renewed vigor.


    The battle only lasted for an hour. The Bloodsucker Prince was left brutally dismembered by both Darren and Gilmer. In the end, he was reduced to a fountain of blood mist as it gushed out of his detached limbs and later absorbed by the remaining Bloodsucker Princes.


    "We cannot die like this! If we are to fall in this battle, it will stain our reputation, and we will be subjected to eternal disgrace! Joris, please call the ancestor to aid us."


    Realizing the tide of the battle had shifted in their enemy''s favor, the remaining three Bloodsucker Princes were determined to use their last resort.

 Chapter 1435 Bloodsucker Ancestors Avatar

    Realizing that the situation was hopeless, the three remaining Bloodsucker Princes knew that they had no other choice.


    In the bloodsucker race, every Bloodsucker Prince was regarded as a slave to the Bloodsucker Ancestor. Each one had a unique way to offer sacrifices to the ancestor in exchange for something.


    However, once a Bloodsucker Prince resorted to this, his soul would fall into darkness forever. Thus, very few Bloodsucker Princes chose to do so. Only a dire situation like this called for it.


    "Let''s seek help from the ancestor!" Joris and another prince nodded at each other, ready to begin their sacrifice.


    "Great ancestor, listen to your humble servant''s story..."


    One of the three princes offered up his blood and soul. Immediately, eight altars appeared in front of him.


    To his surprise, the other two princes, Joris and Ryker, didn''t make a move.


    "Joris! Ryker! What are you two doing?"


    the Bloodsucker Prince demanded. Then, his eyes widened as he finally realized what was going on: he was fooled into sacrificing himself to summon the ancestor.


    But he had already begun the process, so there was no turning back now.


    Thick blood mist shrouded the eight altars. The Bloodsucker Prince who made the sacrifice lay in the middle, chanting an ancient and obscure language under his breath.


    Runes began to flash in the blood mist.


    From above, Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng were closely observing the situation unfold before them.


    "Why don''t we make a move now?" Knowing in his gut that something was wrong, Lord Feng turned to look at Lord Starry Sword uneasily.


    "Don''t you want to see what happens?" Lord Starry Sword replied monotonously, his eyes flashing coldly.


    Lord Feng raised his eyebrows but didn''t respond. He had immediately understood what Lord Starry Sword meant.


    It turned out Lord Starry Sword had already heard of the Bloodsucker Princes'' unique method. That was why he had stopped him from leaving.


    "Interesting," Lord Feng muttered under his breath. The two stopped chit chatting and trained their attention on the scene below them.


    The blood mist was growing thicker and thicker. Finally, it surged and gradually condensed into a hapless figure of the bloodsucker race.


    From a distance, the figure''s face couldn''t be seen clearly, but the six pairs of bat wings on its back made it clear who he was.


    Upon the appearance of this figure, Joris and Ryker, who had been standing to the side, immediately fell to their knees in respect for him.


    "My ancestor, please kill those despicable humans and save your humble servants,"


    pleaded the trembling Bloodsucker Prince who had summoned him.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Just then, countless streaks of lightning exploded on the seventh floor


    Sword also made his move to attack.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Twenty-four white shadows shot out, each one clutching a divine sword. This was Lord Starry Sword''s actual strength.


    He had a total of twenty-four Supreme Sword Intent Forms!


    This time, however, each of the phantoms was holding two swords, a black one and a white one.


    The twenty-four Supreme Sword Intent Forms all simultaneously launched forty-eight streams of sword intent, black and white intertwined, shuttling through the blood sea.


    However, blood red figures emerged from the sloshing red sea just in time to meet the Supreme Sword Intent Forms. Each figure looked exactly the same as the Bloodsucker Ancestor''s avatar.


    Immediately, the blood red figures and the Supreme Sword Intent Forms engaged in a fierce battle. The sea of blood began to flow violently, rolling up huge waves that was half a million kilometers high, and with this, the Starry Tower also began to shake.


    The sheer power was absolutely terrifying.


    Whoosh!


    Just then, Lord Starry Sword suddenly vanished.


    He had dove into the sea of blood, spreading out his magnificent god''s sense, searching for the location of the avatar of the Bloodsucker Ancestor.


    Lord Feng immediately followed suit. His body began to surge with a purple gold god''s power, and he held a purple and gold-specked spear in his hand. His entire aura also reached its peak.


    Even inside the Starry Tower, Darren and Gilmer held their breath as they witnessed the powerful auras of both sides.


    "They are so powerful. It''s hard to imagine..."


    Gilmer murmured under his breath. Before this, he had thought that Connor, the leader of the Blood Cloud Region, was at the same level as Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng, albeit slightly weaker.


    But now it seemed that he had been a naive fool to have thought so.

 Chapter 1436 The Fighting Power Of The Two Lords

    Gilmer had only realized that Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng had hidden their real strength very well, after they showed their fighting power just now.


    He didn''t know that these two were peerless geniuses that both had fighting power on a par with deputy gods at the top level.


    They were horrible.


    Gilmer couldn''t help smiling bitterly. What he had witnessed today broadened his horizon.


    First, it was Darren, a young man, who had cultivated in the Primitive Wilderness for less than a hundred years. He broke through to the Celestial God Realm and reached the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm within just two hours.


    That was already shocking enough for Gilmer. But it wasn''t only that. Darren also had half a scroll of the supreme sword skill and the fighting power that could threaten him. It meant that Darren already had the fighting power comparable to a warrior at the low-level of the Superior God Realm.


    This made him a little confused. He didn''t know that this kind of talent had ever appeared in the Primitive Wilderness. If there had been such a warrior, he should have seen or heard of it.


    Then, an even more shocking scene transpired before his eyes.


    The two legendary talents at the Superior God Realm displayed the fighting power of the deputy gods at the top level. ''What''s is going on today? I''ve witnessed such astonishing moments that made my heart pound with shock,'' Gilmer thought.


    He was surprised and excited at the same time.


    But he also felt that he seemed so insignificant compared to them.


    Darren, who was standing aside, didn''t know how excited and self-abased Gilmer was at the moment.


    All his attention was focused on the ongoing fight. He even released his god''s sense to the limit, so that he could see the scenes of the battle clearly.


    It was rare to see a battle of this level in one''s life. He thought that after watching, he might comprehend some new skills and learn a lot from them.


    In the rolling blood sea, Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng kept shuttling back and forth. They were looking for the Bloodsucker Ancestor''s avatar.


    A bloody figure suddenly shot out from the right side of Lord Starry Sword. He had the strength that was as powerful as a Bloodsucker Prince.


    Lord Starry Sword cast the bloody figure a cold glance. He then shot out a black and white sword intent and directly shattered him.


    "You have really hidden your strength well enough."


    Sensing the strength of the sword intent, Lord Feng, who was behind Lord Starry Sword, could not help but smack his lips.


    He had fought with Lord Starry Sword once before. Their battle lasted for ten days and ten nights, and they both suffered some losses. In the end, Lord Starry S


    . But... Darren is about to reach the Superior God Realm." Lord Feng frowned. An anxious look that had never been seen on him before suddenly appeared on his face.


    When Lord Starry Sword heard these words, his expression changed too.


    Darren was not only a Defiant Master but also a cultivator of Conflicting Cultivation. Once he stepped into the Superior God Realm, it would cause a huge turmoil. If that happened, not only the chief gods but also the ancestors of various races would figure out the human masters'' real whereabouts. The Bloodsucker Ancestor would probably come from the space far away to kill them.


    If their gathering place was discovered, the human race would experience the greatest crisis. Therefore, the fate of the entire human race was related to Darren''s reaching the Superior God Realm.


    "Let''s talk about that later," Lord Starry Sword suggested as he put his black and white divine swords away.


    Lord Feng fell silent. He looked into the sky, lost in thought.


    After a long time, everything went back to peace again.


    On the seventh floor of the Starry Tower, two Bloodsucker Princes were lying prone and trembling.


    Lord Starry Sword led Darren and flew over to the two Bloodsucker Princes.


    "Darren, do your business with them," he said.


    Darren nodded. His main purpose was to save Elsa and the leader of the Blood Cloud Region. One of the Bloodsucker Princes here would be used to transform them while the other was Joris, Carthy''s father. He had promised not to kill him, so he would naturally keep his word.


    "Carthy, come out now," Darren summoned.


    He then released Carthy from his small world and let him land in front of Joris.


    Joris raised his head and stared at Carthy''s face. Suddenly, a wound appeared in his heart, making him feel the unbearable pain.

 Chapter 1437 Transformation

    Joris was in a state of turmoil. It was incredibly hard for him to accept that his son betrayed him.


    "Carthy, my son, how could you do this to me?"


    Carthy knelt before Joris, and his face contorted in aggrieved pain. "Father, I had no choice but to lie to you for the sake of my master. But please do not worry. My master has promised me that he will not kill you."


    "Your master?" Joris'' frown deepened.


    "Yes, Father. I''m now a believer of the Conflicting Chief God. This is my master." Carthy gestured towards Darren.


    Joris'' heart skipped a beat. He instantly realized that his son had been subdued by a Defiant Master.


    No wonder he had acted in this way! Once one became a believer of a Defiant Master, he had no choice but to be a loyal slave.


    Joris felt somewhat relieved, knowing his son didn''t really mean to betray him.


    "Human, I didn''t expect you to be a Defiant Master. I, Joris, accept defeat. But I must tell you¡ªit''s impossible for you to imprison me or make me surrender to you." Joris eyed Darren almost defiantly.


    Carthy felt his heart sink. He knew his father very well. Joris would rather die than submit.


    "If that is your choice, I''ll fulfill your wish," Darren sneered. Turning to the other Bloodsucker Prince, he said, "You have a chance to survive. Do you want it?"


    The other Bloodsucker Prince, Ryker, knew for sure he didn''t want to die like this. When he heard Darren''s proposal, he nodded vigorously.


    "Please tell me how!"


    "It''s very simple. There are two humans here who need to be transformed into bloodsuckers. So as long as you fulfill this task, I''ll let you live," Darren said.


    Ryker couldn''t believe his ears. Could it truly be so simple? Hesitantly, he silently wondered if this human was playing tricks on him.


    "Humph! What do you take me for? Some kind of idiot?" he spat angrily. Ryker didn''t believe a word of what Darren just offered.


    "Sir, what my master says is true. As long as you have successfully transformed those two humans into bloodsuckers, you will be given your freedom."


    Carthy stood up to defend his master.


    Eyeing Ryker, with a hint of mockery in his tone, he said in a low voice, "But since you have refused the chance offered by my master, this chance belongs to my father now."


    The fact was that even Joris felt tempted to take up this o


    Gilmer and the others jumped up and down with excitement.


    Connor was finally successfully transformed into a bloodsucker! Even Darren smiled. As long as Ryker was killed, Connor could possibly become a human again.


    But it wasn''t the time to kill him, not just yet. They needed to wait until Elsa had also been transformed.


    "Bloodsucker Prince Ryker, please transform the other one," Darren calmly asked the writhing figure on the ground.


    Ryker''s body convulsed, and his blood vessels burst. He was in terrible shape.


    "I need ten years to recover," Ryker said hoarsely.


    "Ten years?" Darren frowned. "That''s impossible. We can''t wait that long. Transform her right now, or you can go to hell. Anyway, I still have Joris..."


    "No!"


    Ryker forced himself to get on his feet. "Let me rest for three days, just three days. And if you can get me some fresh blood, I will recover sooner."


    Wearing a cold expression, Darren didn''t respond.


    "Sir, I know you''re a man of integrity. You won''t change your mind halfway, right?" Ryker asked uneasily.


    "Forget it. I''ll still give you the chance. I''m going to get something for you. Prepare yourself for a while and then transform the other one."


    After saying this, Darren disappeared into his small world.


    A moment later, he returned with a large basin of fresh blood in his hand.


    Ryker''s eyes lit up greedily. The blood smelled like Joris''. Ryker was eager for the blood of a Bloodsucker Prince.


    As soon as he opened his mouth and took a deep breath, the blood poured into his mouth.

 Chapter 1438 Something Went Wrong

    After absorbing Joris'' blood, Ryker recovered and returned to his best state.


    He then began to transform Elsa immediately.


    The transformation process was very painful, but it was completed smoothly.


    Elsa and Connor were successfully transformed simultaneously.


    "Great! Elsa and Connor are now saved. Darren, it''s time to kill Ryker."


    Ryker, who was lying and trembling on the ground, abruptly sat up.


    "Human, what did you just say?"


    "Stupid! Don''t you still understand?" Gilmer sneered.


    Ryker was lost in thought all of a sudden. After recalling everything that had happened, he finally understood. Since Elsa and Connor were not yet fully transformed, they used him to return them back into their human forms.


    "You humans are despicable! You are brutal!" Ryker felt so desperate. After going through so much pain, he didn''t expect that he would just die in the end.


    "Stop shouting! No matter what you say, you will still die for sure."


    "No! I don''t want to die." Ryker was so frightened. He immediately knelt down and pleaded, "Dear Conflicting Chief God, I''m willing to be your believer. Just please spare my life."


    But Darren ignored him. Lord Feng released a purple golden god''s power, which turned into a long spear and pierced through his chest. Blood flowed out from his chest, and his soul dissipated. Eventually, he died.


    Darren turned around and stared at Elsa nervously.


    She was still in the cage. Her blood-red skin was now dry. The bat wings on her back suddenly turned into withered branches and became deathly gray.


    Elsa screamed in pain, waving her hands randomly.


    "Elsa, just hold on. You''ll be fine soon," Darren comforted her.


    On the other side, Connor had the same reaction. He was also in so much pain.


    It lasted for about two hours. Darren was so anxious that he was drenched in sweat. Elsa still did not fully recover.


    She suddenly looked very old as she lay motionless in the cage.


    "What is happening?"


    Seeing Elsa''s current state, Darren immediately summoned Carthy and Joris.


    "Carthy, what''s going on with Elsa?" Darren asked through clenched teeth. He now looked ferocious.


    Carthy knelt down and took a look. He then turned to Darren and said, "Master, I don''t know either. She should have already regained her human form."


    Fright and confusion were written all over Carthy''s face.


    "You''re such an ignorant human ant. Do you really think that you can save them t


    dsucker Prince had become his believer. A stream of black god''s power surged out of the dark void in his mind and ran into his elixir field.


    In an instant, the power of the black god''s power increased immensely.


    But Darren was not in the mood to explore the growth of his strength at this moment. All he cared about was Elsa''s full recovery.


    His problem now was how to remove the itchy poison from Joris'' soul.


    The itchy poison could be eliminated once his soul was dissipated. After that, his soul had to condense again. But if his soul vanished, none of them had the ability to condense it to save him.


    Joris was equivalent to a human warrior at Deputy God Realm. Only rule cultivators who were at least deputy gods could heal his soul.


    "Lord Starry Sword, do you know any rule cultivator who is a deputy god? If you do, can you invite him here to heal Joris?"


    Much to Darren''s dismay, Lord Starry Sword shook his head.


    He only knew one rule cultivator, who was a deputy god. It was Morton, the old man who had wanted to kill Darren in the Archean relic.


    But since Morton and Darren had a grudge between them, it was impossible for Morton to help Darren.


    Fear surged up in Darren''s heart when he saw that the bodies of Elsa and the leader of the Blood Cloud Region were getting more and more withered. He was afraid that they couldn''t be healed if they didn''t take action soon enough.


    "Master, let my father absorb Ryker''s blood. Maybe in this way, he will recover," Carthy said as he looked at Ryker''s dead body.


    Ryker''s blood was still gushing out even though he had been dead for quite a while now.

 Chapter 1439 Trapped In The Mine

    Carthy suggested that Joris absorbed Ryker''s blood because the blood of a Bloodsucker Prince was like a magic elixir for anyone in their race.


    Darren stretched out his hand and waved at Ryker. The blood from Ryker''s body then formed a blood line, flowed towards Joris, and poured into his body.


    As soon as Ryker''s blood entered Joris'' body, the itchy poison in his body and bones was immediately removed.


    However, the itchy poison in his soul was still there.


    Joris fell back to the ground feebly. He was still in great pain.


    "Master, let me do it." Carthy volunteered.


    He couldn''t bear to see his father suffer so much, so he split his soul and infused Ryker''s remaining blood into it.


    Then the blood that had contained Carthy''s soul poured into Joris'' brain.


    In this way, Ryker''s blood finally penetrated into Joris'' soul and began to remove the itchy poison from it.


    Fifteen minutes later, the itchy poison completely disappeared, and Joris came back to life.


    "Master..."


    Joris knelt down in front of Darren respectfully. This time, he was now Darren''s most loyal believer.


    "Get up and help these two people recover fully." Darren had no time for other things. He badly wanted to see Elsa and Connor get well.


    "Yes, master."


    Joris knew very well what to do. For Elsa and Connor to completely transform back into humans, he had to tear away the roots of the bloody wings in their bodies. This was the key to their problem.


    As long as the roots of the bloody wings were still in their bodies, the bloodline of the bloodsucker race would be kept, and their human nature would be suppressed. But as their human nature fought with the bloodsucker bloodline, their blood vitality and souls would dissipate, and they would become mummies.


    Joris first transferred a stream of his blood vitality and condensed it into a claw. He then grabbed the back of Connor.


    He pulled something like a rootstock of a big tree from Connor''s body.


    When the big root was exposed, its root hair kept swinging into the air. It seemed like it had a life.


    Joris immediately tore it violently.


    Bang!


    The root of the bloody wings exploded into blood mist.


    "Master, transfer your god''s power into his body," Joris said to Darren.


    The root of the bloody wings was already removed, so the nature of the bloodsucker race had been completely erased from Connor''s body. Now, a human''s god''s power was needed to repair him.


    Whoosh!


    Before Darren could make a move, Lord Feng had already infused hi


    le because he had been thinking about Jenifer in his mind.


    It only happened that he was more coolheaded than Merle. He knew what he should do.


    "Brat, I know that you have an extraordinary identity and background. Find a way to communicate with others outside and ask someone to help us," Merle said to Leland.


    Leland looked at Merle as if he was looking at an idiot. "If I can find someone to help me, do you think I will be trapped in here with you? You''re such an idiot!"


    Merle''s chest rose and fell in anger. Fortunately, he managed to control himself. After all, he couldn''t afford to offend Leland.


    Time went on and nothing had changed. Before they could even notice, another three years had already passed.


    Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!


    Suddenly, the mine pit where the three of them hid in trembled slightly.


    Then the vibration became faster and faster. Stones and dust started to fall from the top of the mine pit.


    "What is going on?"


    Leland, who had been lying leisurely, stood up from the ground with a stern look on his face.


    He was very surprised. The seal that he had put at the entrance of the mine pit had a powerful protective function. He had inherited it from his father. He wondered why the mine suddenly shook and was about to collapse. Who had the ability to attack his seal?


    All of a sudden, Leland felt nervous. His father had once been a top fiend god and the emperor of an empire. The seal he left to Leland could not be shaken by anyone except a fiend god who had the same level as him.


    The situation made Leland anxious.


    If a top fiend god was really attacking them, his life would come to an end without even a sense of suspense.

 Chapter 1440 The Source Of Laws

    As the mine pit shook more and more violently, Leland''s face turned paler and paler.


    Merle narrowed his eyes and looked around, but he didn''t feel as anxious, perhaps because he didn''t use his brain as much as Leland did.


    "Is it going to collapse? That''d be great! I''d finally be able to get out!" On the contrary, Merle was very excited. He had felt trapped and had wanted to leave this damned place a long time ago.


    He longed for strength, but he never cultivated by himself, because he felt that the process was too slow.


    "No! Something is wrong!"


    Leland screeched anxiously.


    He could feel that the force that was causing the quakes spread from the inside to the outside, rather than from the outside to the inside.


    That was to say, this mine pit was not being attacked by any powerful fiend god from the outside.


    If that was the case, where was the force coming from?


    To Leland, the answer was obvious.


    He lowered his head and looked at the Rule Soul Avatar, who was sitting on the ground, covered in a fine layer of dust.


    Invisible law ripples spread out, striking the mine pit, yet he and Merle remained unaffected.


    Leland frowned in confusion. He had never felt such a law before.


    "How strange..."


    Now that he knew there was no danger awaiting them outside, he heaved a sigh of relief. He then concentrated on observing the Rule Soul Avatar.


    After a while, he felt as though something was swaying in front of him, which made him dizzy.


    Then, a strong tearing force suddenly pulled him towards a black vortex.


    The feeling could only be likened to that of a small boat being sucked into the vast sea, waves crashing all over it, as though he was about to be smashed into smithereens at any given moment.


    Once more, fear seized Leland''s heart.


    Meanwhile, Merle seemed to not have encountered anything out of the ordinary. He was still curiously looking around, trying to figure out why the mine pit was shaking.


    After what felt like a lifetime, Leland finally felt the uncomfortable pulling force die down.


    He felt as though he had set foot on a soft grassland. Slowly, he opened his purple eyes, only to find that there was nothing around him.


    Leland was surrounded by an empty space, completely devoid of light.


    Crack!


    Streaks of thunder and lightning suddenly passed through the void.


    Soon after, countless flames roared to life and danced in front of him. However, majestic waves came out of nowhere and extinguished the flames. In the distance, Leland saw bloody red clouds rolling and abysses suddenl


    e chance of cultivation in the Source of Laws for two hours was even more precious than being directed by the Fiend Ancestor. Who in their right mind would turn away from that?


    "It seems that you have foreseen everything, including my decision,"


    Leland said with a slight nod as he took the silk thread. "I hereby swear that I will never have any killing intent towards this human in front of me, as well as his real body and the second avatar. If I break this oath, may I be smashed to pieces..."


    Leland made the oath without any hesitation.


    The Rule Soul Avatar didn''t say anything more. His figure then faded away from Leland''s sight.


    Not wanting to waste any precious time, Leland immediately sat down cross-legged. He then activated his unique talent and began to obtain the laws that were most suitable for him in the Source of Laws.


    Meanwhile, in the mine pit, the Rule Soul Avatar opened his silvery eyes and shook off the dust that had accumulated on his body.


    "Oh my God! You''re finally back!" Merle jumped up excitedly.


    The Rule Soul Avatar didn''t respond to him.


    "Have you made any progress, Xavier? Are you confident you can deal with that fiend god?" Merle asked anxiously.


    "No,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar said indifferently.


    "Why are you so useless?" Merle threw his hands up exasperatedly. "You have been pretending to cultivate for so many years, yet you can''t even deal with a fiend god! You make my blood boil! You are humiliating our real body and me, do you understand?" Merle couldn''t hold his tongue any longer.


    Before he could say anything more, a ray of purple light pierced the sky. Then, a powerful fiendish aura shook the mine pit, threatening its collapse.

 Chapter 1441 The Terrifying Fighting Power

    The powerful aura that suddenly burst out made Merle''s soul tremble in fear.


    The mine pit collapsed with a massive grumble, sending a cloud of dust erupting into the sky when it fell.


    The mining area which had been closed for more than one hundred years exploded as well. The purple fiendish aura then gathered in midair, forming a slender figure that hovered above.


    "Roar!"


    The three guards from the fiend race in the mining area rushed over immediately upon sensing the abnormality.


    "Prince Leland has escaped!"


    The guards were as large as small mountains, towering over everyone else with majestic fiendish aura that could make the earth shake beneath them.


    "Ha-ha. Freedom! I''m finally out!" Merle finally came to his senses, pushing through his fear, and rushed out of the ruins too.


    "Kill him!"


    All three powerful fiends whipped their heads in Merle''s direction, staring him down intensely.


    "Damn it!" Merle yelled out, knowing the trouble he was in now.


    The three of them were as powerful as cultivators at the Superior God Realm. Crushing Merle would be as easy as stepping on an ant to them.


    Merle made a quick decision and drilled down into the ruins below, hiding beside the remnant seal. He kept his eyes focused upwards, on alert for anything following him in.


    Leland took flight while the Rule Soul Avatar was already stood before the three powerful fiends.


    Leland''s aura frightened them, but the human being did not. They could feel that this indifferent human being who had disguised himself as a fiend and snuck in was not all that strong. They felt there was no need for concern.


    "Kill that human being first!"


    The three fiends pounced at the Rule Soul Avatar all at once.


    But the Rule Soul Avatar did not move in the face of their attacks. He stood motionless, like an uninterested statue, and was enveloped by the majestic fiendish aura.


    It was too easy for the three guards. The human being was so weak that he did not even have the strength or courage to fight back.


    The three fiends looked down upon him, somewhat disgusted by this pathetic specimen.


    Boom! Boom!


    But then, the space around the fiends caved in on itself, and within this collapsed space were thunder, wind swords, soul burning flames, traps and killing abyss...


    "Roar!" howled the fiends in terror.


    They had thought the human being to be dead. Yet he had not only survived, but he had also mobilized tens of thousands of terrifying laws to trap them within the broken down space.


    Under the impact of the terrifying law, the


    d him, beaming radiant light with an extremely powerful aura.


    He seemed to be stepping forward slowly but in fact moved at top speed.


    In the blink of an eye, a white palm struck three times in a row.


    The three fiends'' chests collapsed at the same time and countless laws exploded in their hearts.


    "No!"


    They all screamed in anguish and fear; they knew they were on the verge of death. They felt their souls fading away and the fiendish aura on their bodies gushed out.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The three fiends blew up into clouds of black smoke that drifted off into nothingness in the air.


    The moment they had been killed, a dark cloud appeared in the sky in the distance.


    A dignified old fiend with a blood red cloak on his back strode over with an ancient staff in his hand.


    "I did not expect you to become so powerful after just one hundred years," said the old fiend.


    He was the captain in this area.


    "I am your opponent, old man."


    Before the Rule Soul Avatar could speak, Leland had darted over in a flash. He stood before the captain of the fiend race, sneering.


    "Distinguished Prince Leland, it''s been more than one hundred years since we last saw each other. Your strength seems to have increased a lot," he said with an impressed look across his face. Somehow, it did not seem genuine.


    He then put a hand to his chest and politely bowed to Leland, but there was no respect in his eyes and mockery radiated off him.


    "I''ve become powerful enough to kill you," Leland said, his face darkening as his anger rose.


    "I''d like to see what you''re capable of!" The captain raised his staff, and darkness spread from all directions, dimming the light on the unfolding battle.

 Chapter 1442 Time Backflow

    This fiend captain''s combat power was extraordinary. It was comparable to that of a human warrior at the middle-level of the Superior God Realm.


    "You old dog! Not only will I tear you to pieces today, but I will also make sure your emperor meets the same gruesome fate one day!"


    Leland exclaimed ferociously. Because of that emperor, his father had lost his throne, and he wanted revenge.


    He had felt hopeless in the past, until he became acquainted with a peerless human. This gave him the strength and confidence he needed.


    "How dare you, a rebel, speak to me this way? Go to hell!" The fiend captain waved his wand, and the violent laws hidden in the darkness turned into enormous fiend power and rushed into his body. At this moment, he reached his peak state. He turned into a ray of black light and rushed toward Leland.


    "Leave him to me,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar said. His voice was cold, and his expression was neutral.


    "I should help you! And all the members of their empire are my sworn enemies!" Leland didn''t think that the Rule Soul Avatar would be a match for the fiend captain.


    "You have to save your strength to deal with the other one," the Rule Soul Avatar replied coldly.


    "The other one?" Leland was surprised. This old guy had been guarding the mining area all the while. There were no other powerful entities in sight.


    "That''s why I asked you to improve your strength." With those words, the Rule Soul Avatar rushed into action.


    The law force began to riot frantically.


    "Humph, human, your law force is indeed powerful. However, it seems that you''ve forgotten just who you''re up against!"


    The old fiend was a senior rule cultivator of the fiend race. He could turn law forces into fiend power, so he was both a rule cultivator and a martial artist of the fiend race.


    The fiend power of the old fiend soared, and his claws stabbed at the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Although the Rule Soul Avatar had strong combat power, he was only at the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm. His body defense was relatively weak. He needed to avoid getting hit by the old fiend, or his soul would be destroyed along with his body.


    In an instant, the Rule Soul Avatar activated at least a hundred Defense Laws, thousands of Trap Laws, and various Illusion Laws to avoid the attacks of the old fiend.


    The old fiend attacked again and again, but he couldn''t reach the Rule Soul Avatar even once.


    As a rule cultivator, he knew how pow


    ail one who was still under the ground, working.


    The Rule Soul Avatar stretched out his hands and made a gesture of tearing the space. The space opened up, and he put his hands into the crack. He then picked up the frail fiend and brought the fiend in front of him.


    The thin and weak fiend looked numb. However, tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes.


    "I''m sorry I was late."


    The Rule Soul Avatar stared at the thin and weak fiend in front of him. His cold aura receded, and his eyes were full of tenderness.


    The thin and weak fiend raised her head and looked at the creature in front of her with strange eyes.


    Time seemed to stop, and the fiend felt like she could stare at him forever.


    She wanted to cry, but she had already forgotten how to sob. Tears streamed down her face while she stared at him.


    The Rule Soul Avatar released his spiritual sense, dispersing her outer appearance as a fiend. Her outer appearance was shed, revealing her beautiful face. She gave him a sad smile. Suddenly, she swooned and fell into a deep sleep. The Rule Soul Avatar cradled her in his arms.


    "You have achieved your wish. Finally, you''ve found your woman." Only then did Merle dare to show up.


    "Take her and hide her properly. He''s coming,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar said. He gently lifted up the unconscious Jenifer and gave her to Merle.


    "You''ve become so powerful. Why does she still need to hide?" Merle said, rolling his eyes at the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "If you fail to protect her, I will kill you even in the presence of Darren, our real body."


    The Rule Soul Avatar glared at Merle, his silver eyes glinting.

 Chapter 1443 The Flame Fiend

    Leland overheard the Rule Soul Avatar and Merle''s conversation, but he still didn''t know who they were talking about.


    After making sure that Merle had placed Jenifer in a safe place, the Rule Soul Avatar lowered his head and looked through the ground to gather his power in the deep mine.


    "Come out!" he commanded.


    His voice was like thunder that roared through the depths of the earth.


    Boom!


    With a loud sound, deep gullies suddenly appeared on the ground with hot magma flowing.


    Then firelights came out of the cracks and pierced through the sky.


    "I wanted to let you get out of there, but it''s a pity that you seem to be courting death."


    They heard a demonic voice under the ground. It was so ear-piercing, as it resonated across the mine.


    Leland shivered upon hearing it.


    The voice and the aura were so familiar to him.


    To find out the source of the voice, he started to penetrate his fiendish sense into the ground.


    "My dear brother, don''t bother. It''s me."


    A flame figure flew out of the crack.


    "Flame Fiend, it''s you!" Leland exclaimed.


    His face was filled with shock upon seeing the figure. He even felt a little painful.


    The Flame Fiend flew over and stood in front of Leland.


    "Aren''t you even going to call me by my real name?"


    The Flame Fiend was Orlando, Leland''s elder brother. He was the ninth prince of the overthrown empire.


    "You betrayed our father!" rebuked Leland.


    "Ha-ha! What are you talking about? We are in a world where strength decides for everything. Of course, I should choose to follow a stronger emperor. I don''t think that''s betrayal," Orlando countered loudly.


    "You are stupid! You betrayed our family and the whole empire. Because of your betrayal, our father died together with the tens of thousands of strong fiends of our empire. Do you still think that you didn''t do anything wrong?" Leland gave Orlando a disdainful look. Back then, their father was invited to attend the meeting of the eight emperors. But on their father''s way to the venue, he was attacked and killed by four emperors. They later found out that someone had leaked their father''s whereabouts to those emperors. What happened led to the destruction of their empire.


    If no one betrayed their father, he would never be besieged and killed.


    Leland had already suspected that it was Orlando. But he didn''t get the chance to confirm his conjecture because Orlando had disappeared. He t


    ill uncertain.


    Since the battle would last for a few days, the Rule Soul Avatar decided to fly into the ruins below to check on Jenifer first.


    Jenifer was safe because a seal was protecting the thirty square feet area where she was. It was not affected by the fiend power.


    When the Rule Soul Avatar landed, he immediately held Jenifer in his arms.


    "Xavier, you have already saved your woman. Why don''t you take this opportunity to leave?" said Merle. He was disappointed that the Rule Soul Avatar still stayed in the mine even after finding Jenifer. He thought that if they went out and the Rule Soul Avatar killed some fiends, he would merge with the dead fiends and improve his strength. If his strength gradually improved, it wouldn''t be long before he reached a level that was only a little weaker than the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Currently, Merle was at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. He could only merge with the dead fiends whose strength was equivalent to the warriors at the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm at the most. This restriction actually made him really angry. If only he could merge with a dead guard in the mining area.


    "Why don''t you just stay here? Who knows? You may even become an emperor here. But if you leave, you might lose everything. Which do you think is better?" the Rule Soul Avatar said coldly.


    "What do you mean?" Merle asked with a frown.


    The Rule Soul Avatar didn''t explain any further. He just said, "Once I leave this mining area, I will return to the human race. You have to survive here on your own."


    "That''s bullshit!" Merle got furious in an instant.

 Chapter 1444 Helping Merle

    Merle growled angrily. Suddenly, he felt an intense urge to strangle the Rule Soul Avatar.


    ''You promised me that you would let me grow stronger, but you are going to run away the moment you have rescued your woman,'' he cursed the Rule Soul Avatar silently. ''How dare you treat me this way!''


    "You can''t go until you help me reach your level," Merle said coldly.


    "After this battle, the senior leaders of the fiend race will definitely find out about me, rendering me a thorn in the flesh of the super masters of the fiend race. If I stay here, I have no chance of survival, and if you follow me, you will also definitely die. There''s no other way. I must leave."


    The Rule Soul Avatar paused for a moment before he continued, "If you stay here and press on alone, once you obtain an emperor''s mark, you will be no different from the real fiends. As long as you do everything carefully, you will definitely become a top master of the fiend race. If one day a war broke out between the human race and the fiend race, you would be of great use. That''s all I have to say. Good luck."


    "I don''t give a damn about the fiend race or the human race!" Merle roared angrily. "I want to become stronger. Helping me is what our real body ordered you to do, and you promised you''d do it!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar fell silent, at a loss for words.


    Merle represented the dark side of Darren. He didn''t use his brain, and consequently acted recklessly and impulsively.


    But he also had his own strength. He was ruthless and loose from all ties. If he stayed in the fiend race for development, he would definitely be of great use in the future.


    Therefore, a rational person like the Rule Soul Avatar decided to not make a fuss with Merle, at least for now. He always looked at the big picture when making decisions.


    "Stay with her. If she gets hurt, you''re dead,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar said after thinking for a while. Without another word, he disappeared abruptly.


    Outside, the battle between Leland and Orlando was still going on. The sky and the earth were cracking, as if it were the end of the world.


    A day later, the Rule Soul Avatar finally came back.


    With him he carried a fiend body in each hand. One of the two fiends had the strength comparable to that of a human warrior at the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm, while the other one was able to compete with a human warrior at the Superior God Realm.


    The Rule Soul Avatar threw the two dying fiends at Merle''s feet.


    "Merge with them. Hurry up."


    "Ha-ha, I knew you wouldn''t be so stupid. Why didn''t you do this earlier?" Merle said with a smile. It seemed he was finally satisfied.


    lapse.


    "Backflow."


    Unable to handle the severe pain any longer, the Rule Soul Avatar activated the Time Backflow Law and let it act on himself. Only in this way could his soul, which was on the verge of collapse, recover slightly.


    The Rule Soul Avatar quickly retreated from the Source of Laws. Simultaneously, he sensed that there were several extremely terrifying gazes flashing across the unknown law area.


    However, the torn space was closed again. The Rule Soul Avatar was able to retreat successfully, as if nothing had happened.


    He immediately sat down cross-legged and activated the Resurrection Force to heal his and Merle''s wounds.


    It was not until three days later that the two of them finally recovered enough to move about.


    After calculating the time, the Rule Soul Avatar figured that the battle between Leland and Orlando was about to come to an end. With that, he disappeared in a flash to check on the battle outside.


    The whole mining area was in ruins. In the midst of the sea of flames, strings of Leland''s flesh and blood were scattered about. Struggling, Leland''s blackened skeleton still fought on bravely.


    On the other hand, Orlando was also seriously injured. However, while his body was covered with wounds, he was obviously in a much better state than Leland.


    The Rule Soul Avatar narrowed his eyes at this scene. It was time for him to make a move.


    He activated his silvery eyes. Terrifying laws began to condense in the void.


    "Poor human, do you really think you''re capable of interfering with this battle? Ridiculous!"


    Despite his serious injuries, Orlando was not afraid of the Rule Soul Avatar. He figured there would be a way to deal with him. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have risked his life fighting with Leland.

 Chapter 1445 The Emperor Power

    The Rule Soul Avatar''s silvery eyes flashed. He had already figured out that Orlando must have some hidden means, so he had come up with a way to deal with him in the first place.


    He flipped his palm, and a ray of black light rushed to Leland. It was the Healing Law.


    Since a fiend''s body was different from a human''s, the Rule Soul Avatar could not use the Resurrection Force to treat Leland. Only the Healing Law applied to the fiend race.


    Although the Healing Law was not as effective as the Resurrection Force, it was better than nothing. After all, it could still help Leland recover at least ten to twenty percent of his fighting power.


    "Humph! I knew that you would help my brother. Now, you can die together!"


    Orlando suddenly roared. Then a God Character that looked like a dark pyramid spiraled out of his head.


    The Rule Soul Avatar knew that it was only normal for a fiend who had greater strength to have such a God Character in the head.


    However, Orlando''s God Character was different. It had been remolded by the emperor of the Naters Empire, and there was dark emperor power in it.


    As soon as the God Character appeared, wisps of dark emperor power poured into Orlando''s nose.


    His face became distorted. Sometimes he laughed, and sometimes he cried. No one could tell if he was in pain or he was tickling.


    In just a couple of seconds, he had completely changed. He exuded an aura similar to an fiend emperor. It was domineering enough to make all living creatures surrender.


    Fear surged up from the bottom of Leland''s heart, who was standing not far away. All of a sudden, he felt the impulse to kneel down and worship Orlando. He tried to resist, but it seemed like he couldn''t control his own self.


    On the other hand, the Rule Soul Avatar simply turned a blind eye to Orlando''s emperor power. In his analysis, this power was also a kind of law. And with the conformance between the Rule Soul Avatar and the laws, there weren''t many of them that could shock him.


    "Take the initiative to attack him. I will help you." The Rule Soul Avatar sent a message to Leland through his spiritual sense.


    Leland raised his head, and purple light shone in his eyes. A majestic fiendish aura hovered around his body. He did his best to suppress his fear and attacked Orlando.


    His action was enough to prove that he trusted the Rule Soul Avatar so much.


    As Leland rushed over, his momentum broke through the air. However, when he approached Orlando, a great force suddenly blocked him. It wa


    f a sudden, thunder and lightning shot through the sky. The emperor power and the Order Law were in a stalemate.


    The Rule Soul Avatar frowned deeply upon seeing it.


    Something must be wrong with his calculation. He had underestimated the strength of the emperor power. The fused bloodline of Leland and the Order Law was still not enough to break Orlando''s defense.


    Besides, six seconds were too short. Despite Leland and the Rule Soul Avatar''s perfect cooperation, they failed to kill Orlando.


    Everything was a failure.


    Leland could only sigh in his heart. The Time Standstill had already expired, and Orlando''s frozen body came back to life now.


    Since they were not able to kill him even with such perfect cooperation, they didn''t have any other chance.


    "Rawr!"


    Orlando moved and roared. It was as if a beast that had been sleeping for countless years had woken up.


    The flames from his body spread out and burned the space and earth.


    When he lowered his head and looked at his broken body, his heartbeat went abnormally fast. He didn''t know what had happened, but he was strangely angry.


    "Damn it! You will go to hell!"


    Orlando roared angrily and slapped Leland, who was in front of him.


    The Rule Soul Avatar just stood calmly in the distance. Then two rays of silvery light shot out from his eyes.


    "Ahhh!"


    he roared. His cold and ruthless scream pierced into the depths of the void. Then a crack suddenly appeared, and billions of laws surged out.


    "It''s the Source of Laws!"


    Orlando exclaimed. He paused and stared at the sky in a daze.


    At this moment, a pair of cold golden eyes condensed above the mining area in the Naters Empire.

 Chapter 1446 The Slaughter In The Source Of Laws

    What a pair of eyes they were!


    That pair of eyes had the power to make anything in the world kneel and tremble before them.


    "Your Majesty!"


    "Naters!"


    Orlando and Leland exclaimed at the same time at the sight of the pair of eyes.


    To their surprise, that pair of eyes did not do anything to the Rule Soul Avatar. Instead, they shot out a ray of golden light towards the Source of Laws.


    The golden light rushed forward, almost hungrily. When it was halfway through, however, nine icy auras shook the entire empire.


    The nine auras seemed to come from trillions of layers of space away. As soon as they appeared, Naters'' golden eyes in the void exploded, and his painful roars echoed throughout the entire empire.


    Storm clouds rose from the ground. The Rule Soul Avatar stood amidst the storms, his white robe fluttering and his long hair dancing. He was peerless in the world.


    Whoosh!


    He raised his head and looked straight at the end of the void with his piercing, silvery eyes.


    "He''s crazy! Absolutely crazy!"


    Orlando whimpered as he lay prostrate on the ground, trembling. A trace of his consciousness stayed trained on the body of the Rule Soul Avatar. Suddenly, he sensed what the Rule Soul Avatar was up to, which made Orlando go stiff.


    It finally dawned on him. He knew where those nine auras came from. They were the auras of the chief gods!


    However, this tiny human, like a humble ant in their sight, dared raise his head and look straight at them.


    This was too horrible!


    The moment the Rule Soul Avatar raised his head, the nine auras were still billions of kilometers away. Even then, his eyes filled with blood, which then gushed out and streamed down his cheeks.


    "I''m not afraid of you guys. I''ll kill you one day!"


    the Rule Soul Avatar roared wildly into the void, actually challenging the chief gods. He seemed to have lost his senses, becoming the coldest and most ruthless creature in the world.


    "Ah!"


    Just then, a pained shriek suddenly came from the front of the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Orlando had covered his chest with his hands, and the fragments of his heart fell onto the ground.


    Just now, as the Rule Soul Avatar was fighting against the chief gods with his words, Orlando was so scared that his heart actually exploded.


    On the other hand, Leland''s unconscious face was deathly pale.


    The nine enormous auras did not rush towards the Rule Soul Avatar, but instead landed in the Source of Laws.


    "No!"


    "Ah!"


    "Grr!"


    Resentful roars rang out from the Source of Laws.


    "The damn human! Damn it!"


    "I have been cautious tens of millions of year


    eror Naters'' eyes exploded. The stronger a creature was, the more he would be damaged by the pressure of the chief gods.


    Therefore, it made sense that Orlando''s heart exploded.


    "Merle, merge with him immediately."


    The Rule Soul Avatar sent a message to Merle''s soul through his spiritual sense.


    When Merle heard the message, his soul instinctively floated towards the corpse.


    The process went smoothly. Orlando''s dead body moved and regained life, but his aura was completely different from before, because he was now Merle.


    Buzz...


    At the moment, a black shadow of a skeleton flew out from the chest of Merle.


    "The emperor''s mark!"


    Leland exclaimed in shock.


    He was too familiar with this mark. It was his father''s mark after all¡ªa symbol of the emperor.


    Only a fiend who possessed the emperor''s mark could dominate an empire.


    "Humph, I''ve finally grown strong..." Merle opened his eyes excitedly.


    His current fighting power was no longer inferior to that of the Rule Soul Avatar. Even among the crazy fiends, he would have a foothold.


    "Leland, from now on, you can follow me. I''m going to fight in the Kasen Empire and become the new emperor!" After Merle merged with Orlando, he learned what great benefits he would enjoy if he became an emperor. Naturally, he wanted this for himself.


    After hesitating for a while, Leland shifted his gaze to the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "It''d be best if you cooperated with Merle," the Rule Soul Avatar said lightly.


    "Okay, I believe you." Leland nodded. "I hope you can let me enter the Source of Laws once again before you leave."


    "No way." The Rule Soul Avatar smiled coldly. It was hard for even him to imagine what a mess the Source of Laws was in at that very moment.

 Chapter 1447 The Invasion

    The Source of Laws was destroyed by the chief gods'' power. And the powerful creatures that had been dormant in it for tens of millions of years had suffered great mishaps.


    It must be in chaos at the moment. The Rule Soul Avatar would never dare to set foot on that land again, let alone send Leland there.


    "Cut the crap. The fiend masters are coming. Xavier, you have to leave now," Merle urged.


    Since his fiendish sense was now very strong, he detected the powerful fiends that were wandering thousands of kilometers away.


    The Rule Soul Avatar picked up Jenifer and stepped into the void immediately.


    "Never forget who you are, Merle,"


    he said before leaving.


    Merle stared at the void in silence. No one knew what he was thinking.


    After a while, he turned to Leland and said, "Go with me to Kasen Empire and get ready to conquer the world."


    They then flew into the void together, heading towards the dilapidated Kasen Empire.


    The strength of the Rule Soul Avatar was much stronger now. Along their way back to the territory of the human race, he relied on the Hiding Law. Thus, the fiends were not able to find any trace of them.


    After only half a month, they reached the edge of the fiend race''s territory through the transmission array. They were now approaching the human land.


    The Rule Soul Avatar flew faster and quickly stepped into the human land.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    As soon as he landed, he felt a hundred powerful spiritual senses swept over him. They were from the human masters that were guarding the place. They were here to prevent the fiend masters from attacking this land.


    The Rule Soul Avatar didn''t pay much attention to the spiritual senses and flew at high speed. There was only one thing in his mind right now. It was to find his real body.


    After flying for a long time, he reached a large border area of the human land.


    He landed on the wilderness and put Jenifer on the grassland.


    It was only then that he mobilized the Healing Law and injected it into her body.


    If he really wanted to, he could have awakened her much earlier. But he chose not to. It was because Jenifer had labored in the fiend race''s territory for a long time, and she was physically and mentally tired. The Rule Soul Avatar had let her stay in a coma, so she could recover thoroughly. That was more effective than using the Healing Law alone to treat her.


    But now was the right time, so he decided to wake her up.


    Jenifer opened


    tic cultivators at the top level of the Celestial God Realm, hiding underground.


    He also sensed the hidden masters at the top level of the Superior God Realm, who stood aloof from worldly affairs.


    The Rule Soul Avatar saw everything.


    At this moment, a fluctuating space attracted his attention. Finally, he found what he was looking for.


    He knew that the bloodsucker wouldn''t appear for no reason just now, so he wanted to see what was going on.


    The fluctuating space was too secluded. But since the Rule Soul Avatar''s Spirit Power was extremely strong and his control over the laws was extremely high, he still discovered it.


    Whoosh!


    He put Jenifer into a stable place and flew towards the fluctuating space.


    In just a few seconds, he was able to catch up with the space.


    He raised his hand and pushed forward. Several Destruction Laws formed into a large net and wrapped the space.


    When the Rule Soul Avatar activated his silvery eyes, he saw that the space was a huge flying ship. It looked like a moving meteorite.


    His Spirit Power permeated into it.


    There were thousands of bloodsuckers on the ship. The weakest of them were comparable to the human warriors at the Celestial God Realm.


    Three of them had four pairs of bat wings on their backs. They were as strong as the human masters at the middle-level of the Superior God Realm.


    The Rule Soul Avatar frowned deeply. He was not that confident that he could defeat those three powerful bloodsuckers.


    Besides, there were more than a hundred bloodsuckers at the low-level of the Superior God Realm, and thousands of bloodsuckers at the Celestial God Realm.

 Chapter 1448 Aunt Yolanda Was In Danger

    Such a large group of bloodsuckers stealthily snuck into the human race. It seemed that the powerful man who had invited the bloodsucker race must have paid a high price.


    If the new master of the Chaotic Region was Darren, the Rule Soul Avatar''s real body, then Darren was in grave danger.


    Upon getting this important information, the Rule Soul Avatar thought that he had to race to the Chaotic Region as fast as he could. He had to make it there before the bloodsucker race did, so as to inform Darren and they could prepare to deal with them.


    However, what the Rule Soul Avatar didn''t know was the so-called new master of the Chaotic Region was not Darren, but Yolanda.


    Back then, Yolanda had gone to the Chu Clan''s original land. After destroying some of the smaller forces, she attracted the attention of the more powerful forces, who immediately sent their best warriors to deal with her.


    Yolanda had no choice but to retreat to the Five Dangerous Areas and set up a defensive position there. While she did so, those powerful people learned about Yolanda''s identity and grew restless.


    In their restlessness, they launched attacks on the Five Dangerous Areas multiple times, but it was all in vain. Only then did some powerful people came up with the evil idea of inviting other races here to deal with Yolanda.


    Despite the Rule Soul Avatar''s wrong assumption, ultimately, it was good for Darren that he had intercepted the news this time. After all, it was Darren who was going to fight in the Chaotic Region in the end.


    After detecting the enemies inside, the Rule Soul Avatar removed the law and let the flying ship continue its journey.


    The bloodsuckers on the ship only felt that the flying ship paused for a moment. Once they checked, they didn''t find anything unusual about the ship, so they pressed onward.


    For a second, the Rule Soul Avatar considered attacking these bloodsuckers right then and there.


    After all, they were within the territory of the human race now. If he could drive out these bloodsuckers, the powerful warriors of the human race nearby would definitely show up and attack them together.


    He knew it wouldn''t be difficult for him, along with the powerful human warriors, to kill off this group of bloodsuckers.


    However, the Rule Soul Avatar had a nagging feeling that there was a stronger existence behind this group of bloodsuckers. If he intercepted and killed them rashly, the enemy behind the curtain would instantly be alerted. Thus, he figured it would be better to follow them secretly to find out what they were hiding.


    After strategizing, the Rule Soul Avatar swooped down.


    Activating


    lood Abyss Sect, a killer organization. Only they can enter the Chaotic Region. But you have to pay a hefty price to hire their powerful assassins."


    "The Blood Abyss Sect!"


    Darren gasped. It was all coming back to him, how he had killed a disciple of the Blood Abyss Sect when he was in the Tussle Region back then.


    Besides, Akbar had once been a member of the Blood Abyss Sect, and he had a high position in the organization.


    Darren smirked confidently. All he needed to do now was to find Akbar.


    Akbar had been staying in the Archean relic to cultivate after he sustained serious injuries. To put it bluntly, that guy was afraid that he would be killed by his enemy once he got out.


    If he stayed in the relic sealed by Finley, it would be difficult for outsiders to find the entrance to the relic. Even if they found it, they might not be able to enter. Back then, it was only in this way could Akbar be safe.


    But now, Darren needed Akbar to bring him into contact with the Blood Abyss Sect, so as to hire their powerful killers.


    Time was of the essence. If they acted too slowly, Yolanda might not be able to hold on.


    "Mr. Zhuang, I have to go to the Tussle Region. Is there any way to get me there in the shortest time?" Darren asked abruptly.


    "That''s easy. There is a special transmission array between the leaders of every two regions, which can teleport people to each other''s mansion in an instant. Come with me. I''ll ask Connor to teleport you there."


    Darren had saved the life of Connor, so it was only natural that he was willing to do Darren such a small favor.


    Once they met with Connor, the region leader hurried to make preparations and insisted on escorting Darren in person to prevent Darren from encountering any obstacles.

 Chapter 1449 A High Price

    From within the mansion of the leader of the Tussle Region, its leader, Hood Li, personally came out to welcome his guests.


    "Connor, please come in," he said warmly.


    Secretly, Hood Li was a bit surprised to see his old friend looking healthy. He had heard some rumors before, rumors saying that Connor was seriously ill and on the verge of death.


    But of course, he wasn''t going to ask about those things. No matter what Connor came here for, Hood Li planned on welcoming him with a smile.


    "Hood, I''m sorry for coming here without prior notice. Can you forgive me?" Connor smiled playfully and cupped his hands in greeting.


    "Not a problem. I''m so happy to see you, Connor!


    Oh, where are my manners? Welcome, Darren!"


    Hood Li greeted Darren warmly as well as soon as he recognized him by Connor''s side.


    Hood Li already knew who Darren was. After all, Darren had saved his life back in the Archean relic. And from the way he addressed him, it was as though he treated Darren as a member of the same generation.


    It was somewhat of a big deal, as this was the first time that a cultivator at the Celestial God Realm had been viewed as a peer by the leaders of the various regions in the Primitive Wilderness.


    But this was not unwarranted. After all, Darren had great potential. If everything went well, he would definitely surpass these leaders of regions in the future. Moreover, back then, it seemed that neither Lord Starry Sword nor Lord Feng had treated Darren as their junior, so of course the region leaders dared not view themselves as superior to Darren.


    "I''ve heard a lot about you, Mr. Li." Darren cupped his hands and bowed respectfully.


    "Please come in. I''ll have the kitchen to prepare a banquet right away. Tonight, we shall feast!" Hood Li gesticulated grandly.


    "Please, don''t bother," Darren said quickly.


    "What''s wrong? Have I offended you, Darren?"


    "No, no, no. It''s just that I have come here to ask someone for help. I can''t stay too long. Please excuse my rudeness," Darren explained.


    "Oh? What''s troubling you? Would you mind telling me? I will do everything in my power to help, if I can." Hood Li felt indebted to Darren. If there was any way he could settle the score, he was much obliged.


    "By any chance, are you in contact with the Blood Abyss Sect?" Connor, who had been standing to the side, suddenly stepped in before Darren could answer.


    He knew that the Blood Abyss Sect had a better relationship with the Tussle Region than with any other region.


    "The Blood Abyss Sect?" Hood Li frowned slightly. "Of course we are in contact. Their sect leader is my senior fellow disciple. Although we don''t talk that often, our friendship hasn''t faded away."


    "Perfect!" Conn


    However, what he was saying was actually truthful. Both Connor and Hood Li were at the top level of the Superior God Realm, but even they would be in trouble if they went to the Chaotic Region. After all, those powerful men from other forces there were not easy to deal with.


    These powerful men that were occupying the Chaotic Region included not only strong Defiant Masters, but also old monsters who had cultivated for countless years. Some of them might have cultivated for an even longer time than Alfredo.


    Only the invincible masters at the Superior God Realm, such as Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng, were qualified to contend with such guys.


    As for whether there was any deputy god at top level among those powerful men, it was unknown.


    Connor''s face fell after he heard what Kermit Long said.


    "Guard Kermit, kindly get straight to the point," he said authoritatively. "Tell me the price we need to pay for hiring two killers at the top level of the Superior God Realm. I might not be strong enough, but I still have some deposits. Please state your price."


    Connor''s message was clear: he was willing to pay, no matter how hefty the price was.


    "I''m impressed by your straightforwardness, Connor. I won''t beat around the bush any longer. If you want to hire our sect''s member at the top level of the Superior God Realm, you need to pay two martial arts cultivation methods of the Deputy God Realm level, and twelve level-eleven divine patterns." Kermit paused to clear his throat. "But I have to put forward the conditions in advance. The one who is responsible for the task will try his best to fulfill the task given him, but in case his life is in danger, he has the right to run away regardless of anything else. Do you accept these terms?"


    Darren''s expression darkened. The price was too high.

 Chapter 1450 A Good Bargain

    The two sets of cultivation method of the Deputy God Realm level were priceless to all region leaders.


    More infuriating was the dozen level-eleven divine patterns Kermit had set as the price and was so desperate for. Even some deputy gods had not yet gathered a dozen level-eleven divine patterns, let alone these region leaders!


    Ordinary people could not understand the value of these divine patterns; it was beyond their imagination.


    Connor had been the leader of the Blood Cloud Region for many years and had only integrated nine level-eleven divine patterns, the other divine patterns he used being level-ten.


    Yet somehow, Kermit still asked for the ridiculously high price of a dozen level-eleven divine patterns. How preposterous!


    "Kermit!"


    Hood grumbled seriously. Both Connor and Darren remained silent, their faces straight and blank.


    "You''ve gone too far. Don''t you think that price is a bit too high for hiring a master at the top level of the Superior God Realm? If not for the fact that no one else is able to set foot in the Chaotic Region, hiring a middle-level deputy god would have been enough!


    Let me explain something to you then. One of these two masters has been an old friend of mine for many years. The other is the benefactor of the human senior leaders. Do not ask too much of them. I urge you to reconsider!"


    The more Hood spoke the more his rage built up. He had asked Kermit to take on this task, taking for granted that he would offer a moderate price because the leader of the Blood Abyss Sect and Hood were disciples of the same master. But much to his surprise, Kermit had his own plans, plans to overcharge. It was quite embarrassing for him to have to deal with this.


    "Master Hood, please listen. This is after all a life threatening task. Bid too low and these top level Superior God Realm masters will not be moved. I believe they would rather cultivate than take that offer. So you see, the price I ask for is in fact not high at all. The great masters will only accept such a price. Trust me," Kermit explained sincerely.


    "Okay," Hood said flatly. "In that case, we can''t afford it. Thank you for your time. That''ll be all."


    "Then I''ll take my leave. See you again sometime." Kermit did not bother wasting any more time seeing as they were not willing to pay the large sum he was asking for.


    "Take care," Hood said indifferently. He paused for a second and then murmured, "Oh just by the way, I was thinking that my senior brother must be quite rich now; the Blood Abyss Sect has sent out masters at the top level of the Superior God Realm at least seventy to eighty thousand times in the last million years. At that price, he must have saved seven to eight hundred thousand level-eleven divine patterns. I''m sure he


    suspicious of me anymore. I can''t afford that," Kermit said hastily with a nervous fake smile.


    "Ha-ha, I was just kidding. I know the kind of person you are. Please do it as soon as possible. Two hours is long enough, isn''t it?" Hood said pleasantly.


    To hire two masters at the top level of the Superior God Realm with six level-eleven divine patterns was a good bargain. Hood wouldn''t bother arguing with him anymore.


    "Very well. Wait to hear from me," Kermit said courteously and left with a flick of his sleeve.


    "Ha-ha, thank you so much, Hood!" Connor was overcome with joy.


    "Thank you, Master Hood," Darren said seriously and sincerely filled with gratitude, cupping his hands towards him. If not for Hood, he would have paid a much heftier price than this even with Akbar''s help.


    "You''re welcome. You''ve helped me a great deal and I''d like to repay the favor."


    "Uh... Actually, there is one more thing I need to ask of you two. I don''t even have one level-eleven divine pattern in my pocket, I''m quite short on them in fact. I was hoping to borrow the six divine patterns from you, and I''ll pay you back double in the future," Darren asked awkwardly. He had no other option and had to force himself to ask.


    "Don''t worry about it, Darren. It''s not a problem for Connor and I. Besides, he never mentioned what kind of divine pattern, did he?" Hood said with a cheeky smile as he winked at Connor.


    "Ha-ha, what can I say, you''re really the best at doing business."


    Hood''s words were pretty clear. Kermit had asked for level-eleven divine patterns and he would get them, but they did not necessarily have to be of the same series.


    "Ha-ha!" Darren chuckled and smiled as well. He had not expected Hood to be so cunning.


    Now that the powerful masters he wanted were successfully hired, he would rush to the Chaotic Region.

 Chapter 1451 Entering The Chaotic Region

    Darren had been waiting in the Tussle Region for a day, when an old man and a middle-aged man in armor arrived one after the other.


    "Are you the client?"


    They both looked Darren up and down. In their eyes, Darren was young and his cultivation stage was not high. How dared he go to the Chaotic Region?


    "Yes I am," Darren replied flatly. "Thank you both for the help. Let''s set off right away."


    "Take it easy," the old man said, raising his hand. "Let''s get some of the rules straight first. My name is Stewart Chi. You may refer to me as ''Mr. Chi'' or ''sir''. As for the rules, I think Guard Kermit must have already told you that I am allowed to refuse to help you with anything that is beyond my ability or threatens my life. Do you accept these terms?" asked the old man.


    "That''s expected. If it comes down to the critical moment of life and death, it''s absolutely normal for you to run for your life. Of course I accept it. What about you, buddy? Do you have any rules?" Darren asked, shifting his eyes to the other assassin, the middle-aged man in armor.


    "Humph!" snorted the man coldly, thinking Darren was being a little too forward. He was at the top level of the Superior God Realm. He was greatly superior to Darren. How dared Darren refer to him as "buddy"? But he held in his displeasure and said nothing of it, despite the obvious offence on his face.


    "My rules are the same as Stewart''s. But after the job is done, you need to provide a level-eleven divine pattern to each of us. And remember, it must be the divine pattern we specially designate," replied the middle-aged man.


    "Excuse me?" Darren frowned. "Hasn''t the price been settled already? Now you''re changing your mind right before coming to the stage?"


    "Young man, do you in good conscience believe two level-eleven divine patterns for each of us is a fair price for hiring us to break into the Chaotic Region? Truthfully, we reluctantly agreed to take this task on, and only did it because we heard that you were on good terms with the leaders of the two regions and Guard Kermit spoke of you well.


    Once it is done, we will all be happy. Do you really think one more divine pattern is excessive in light of that? I''m pretty sure everyone will see our demand as reasonable,"


    said the old man named Stewart Chi.


    The price they were paying, three level-eleven divine patterns for each, was quite a bargain for a killer at the top level of the Superior God Realm. But there was more to the equation; Kermit had deducted one level-eleven divine pattern from each of their rewards. It was no wonder they were unhappy.


    It was quite clearly a losing deal for them.


    "I am grateful to you both for going through the trouble to go to the Chaotic Regi


    etween the North Cool Region and the Chaotic Region.


    "Slow down. There''s a small city three thousand kilometers ahead. Let''s have a look."


    Neither of the assassins had ever been to the Chaotic Region before and so they were being very cautious, making sure they checked their surroundings thoroughly.


    The three of them touched down in a simple and small old city. It was a dusty little place, so much so that it seemed as though it had been erected in a desert.


    There were not many people walking throughout the city and those they did see appeared to be in a hurry, scurrying away.


    Darren felt different here, in this old and shabby city. This was his clan''s territory. As the Territory Enfeoffing Emperor, he felt an inexplicable attachment to this strange land.


    "You three are new around these parts, aren''t you? Why not come into our tavern for a drink and a bit of a rest?"


    suggested a middle-aged man with dust all over his face. He stood in front of a low wooden house on the left side of the street, calling out to them as they walked through.


    "No, thanks,"


    Steward Chi replied, waving his hand politely. He thought it was best for them to not stop unnecessarily.


    "Stewart, why don''t we just rest here a little? I happen to have something to inquire about," said Darren, trying to convince him.


    "Stewart, you''re being too cautious. What threat could such a small city pose to us? Let''s go in for a drink." Jamison Ji loved alcohol more than most. The smell of it coming from the tavern clawed at his throat as his craving for a drink swelled.


    "Alright, what harm could a little rest do?"


    "Welcome, this way please."


    Darren and the two killers walked into the small tavern. It was a little dark, furnished with three old wooden tables and the slight smell of mold hanging in the air.

 Chapter 1452 Secret Observation

    "We have three distinguished guests. Serve the good wine!"


    shouted the waiter to the kitchen and three jars of good wine flew to the table at once.


    Disregarding what anyone might think, Jamison lifted the jar and emptied the entire thing down his throat in one massive gulp.


    "No need to rush, Jamison. Take your time," Darren jested, laughing at him. He then called the waiter over.


    "Sir, could you please tell me the way to the Five Dangerous Areas?" Darren asked politely.


    The waiter shook his head with frown on his face. He had never heard of the Five Dangerous Areas.


    "I''m sorry, sir. I do not know of that place," he replied.


    "Oh, that''s ok, thanks anyway," Darren smiled back.


    Bang! Bang!


    The wooden gate of the tavern was kicked in, the pieces flying across the room.


    Ten men in black robes burst into the tavern. Peculiarly, no aura came off them, it was as if they were dead.


    Darren and his companions all turned their heads at the same time to look at who had so brutishly barged in.


    ''Perhaps the people of the Chaotic Region are just very rude. Better not to meddle in their affairs,'' thought Darren to himself.


    "Gentlemen, what kind of wine would you like?"


    The waiter asked as he came forward to greet these new patrons, but they all just stood there in silence.


    "Anything at all?" The waiter pressed further.


    Whoosh!


    One of them grabbed the waiter by the throat and squeezed tight, saying in a rough and threatening voice, "Cut the crap. This place is ours now. Get out of here right now!"


    "Y...es, sir," replied the waiter, struggling through his choking.


    His face had turned red and his eyes looked as though they were about to pop out.


    "Gentlemen... Take it... easy," the waiter continued, a hand still coiled tightly around his neck.


    "Humph!"


    The man in the black robe flung the waiter aside in disgust. He hit the ground hard and rolled across the floor before he got to his feet and rushed out.


    Not long after, a middle-aged man with his hair disheveled, emerged from the back room.


    He appeared to be a little drunk and carried a pot of wine in his hand. His eyes were glazed over and seemed to change with every second. He glanced over at everyone in the tavern, lowered his head to his wine and took a sip.


    "Get out of my sight!" growled the man in the black robe.


    The middle-aged man nodded repeatedly and staggered out in the waiter''s tracks.


    Both the waiter and the own


    e patriarch of the clan, it was Darren''s responsibility to protect him.


    But he was in no hurry to get involved yet. He had to see exactly what was going on first and wait for the right moment.


    The middle-aged man rolled over and lay on the ground, without making any sound of pain, or any sounds at all for that matter.


    "Old bastard, are you going to play dumb?"


    A man in a black robe rushed over, grabbed the middle-aged man''s arm and broke it.


    "Oh, my kings, please let him go. His family has run taverns for generations, and he is just a hopeless man. Please spare him!" pleaded the waiter.


    He had once suffered from a strange disease and was on the verge of death when the owner of the tavern saved him. He had stayed to be a waiter since that day, and never left.


    Bang!


    The waiter''s head was crushed to smithereens.


    The middle-aged man shuddered violently on the ground. A killing intent flashed through his turbid eyes, but soon disappeared.


    "Everyone in the world will die. Go ahead, all of you," he murmured in dejected despair.


    "What are you waiting for? Peel his skin!"


    "Yes, master!"


    Several men in black robes rushed over, ready to torture him.


    "How dare you!"


    bellowed a man in a purple robe as he appeared out of nowhere.


    The men in black robes were stunned. Wasn''t this the young man who had just been driven away? Why would he dare come back?


    "Kill him!"


    A man in black robe rushed over and swung wildly to punch Darren on the head.


    Blood splattered all over the room, but it was not Darren''s. The man in a black robe had been cut to little chunks by Darren''s sword intent.

 Chapter 1453 Roland Chu

    Darren''s sudden appearance had alerted the man in a red robe.


    He could tell that Darren had a terrifying power. One of his subordinates was killed even if Darren didn''t move at all. His subordinate that was killed was at the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. It only meant that Darren was at least at the top level of the Celestial God Realm.


    "Who the hell are you? Why are you messing up my plan?" said the man in a red robe as he stood up and walked towards Darren.


    "Get out of here right now. Otherwise, you will die," Darren said coldly. He didn''t have time to talk any nonsense.


    "Don''t you know that I am the king within nine thousand kilometers? How dare you ruin my plan!" the man in a red robe shouted angrily.


    As he roared, his aura was also revealed. Darren immediately sensed his aura and found out that he was a warrior at the low-level of the Superior God Realm.


    No wonder he could only control the area within nine thousand kilometers.


    In the past, Darren would never dare to provoke a warrior at this level. But now that he already had the strength to fight with them, he was not afraid anymore.


    Besides, he brought two warriors at the top level of the Superior God Realm with him. The man in a red robe must be courting death.


    Still ignoring the man in a red robe, Darren walked up to the middle-aged man and squatted down. "Sir, tell me the truth. Are you a member of the Chu clan?"


    Although the disheartened middle-aged man''s eyes were hidden under his messy hair, Darren had seen the cold light that flashed across them. However, the middle-aged man remained silent.


    It seemed that he didn''t care about anything at all.


    When the middle-aged man didn''t answer him, Darren gathered his bloodline aura and thrust it into the middle-aged man''s body.


    Buzz!


    The middle-aged man''s mind rumbled, and his blood boiled all over his body. It was the sound of bloodline resonance.


    Whoosh!


    The middle-aged man suddenly raised his head. The drunken look on his face completely disappeared, but his eyes were as deep as a dark abyss.


    "Who are you?" he asked Darren.


    Perhaps it was because he hadn''t spoken for a long time that his voice sounded a little vague. But Darren somehow understood his question.


    "My name is Darren Chu. I am the patriarch of the Chu clan," he replied bluntly.


    He was not afraid that his identity would be revealed to the man in a red robe. After all, he would make sure that the man in a red robe and his subordinates died.


    The middle-aged man trembled upon hearing what Darren said. His lips opened and sh


    again.


    "Roland, I have some questions to ask you."


    As the second generation of the Chu Clan, Darren thought that Roland Chu must know a lot about this place, so he had to ask him some details.


    As a result, Darren and Roland Chu talked for several hours. After asking so many questions, Darren had finally figured out the real situation.


    "Patriarch, the best way is to start from the Five Dangerous Areas. If we can establish our force there, the bandits will find it difficult to attack us," Roland Chu suggested.


    "Can you take us there?" Darren asked. "And by the way, there is another very important thing. I''ll tell you about it later."


    "Yes, sir," replied Roland Chu. "But before we go, I want to get revenge first."


    He looked at the blood on the ground with a sad expression on his face.


    The waiter that was killed by the man in a red rode had accompanied him in this dilapidated tavern for thousands of years. And if it weren''t for him, the young man wouldn''t have died. He had to avenge the death of his companion.


    "Okay, let''s go. You lead the way."


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Darren and the others soared into the sky. Not long after, the mountain below them collapsed, burying thousands of bandits.


    Feeling satisfied, Roland Chu led Darren and the others to continue. Several days later, they arrived at a transmission array.


    Through the transmission array, they could get close to the Five Dangerous Areas.


    It was a hexagram that could accommodate hundreds of thousands of people. They only needed to pay enough divine stones to get through it.


    "Master, I can feel the aura of my clansmen."


    It was Carthy''s voice that suddenly resounded through Darren''s small world.

 Chapter 1454 Subduing The Team Of Bloodsuckers

    "From your same race?" Darren asked incredulously. He couldn''t hide his surprise. Were there bloodsuckers in the Chaotic Region? He found it almost unbelievable.


    "Yes, they are among the crowd. But they are very good at hiding the aura of their bloodline, so I can''t pinpoint their specific location yet," Carthy said with certainty.


    "Where is your father?" Darren asked. "Let him find out for us."


    Carthy sighed, "Master, my father was seriously injured when he fought against the bloodline of the Defiant Bloodsucker Prince, and he is still in seclusion to recover. If we disturb him and he gets agitated, his condition might worsen. If his meridians burst, it could be incurable, so perhaps..." He trailed off, a worried look on his face. Of course, if Darren ordered him to wake up his father, then Carthy would have no choice but to do so.


    "Forget it," said Darren. "If they''re here, I''ll find them myself."


    Carthy''s father was now one of Darren''s believers. As such, he was a powerful "secret weapon" and Darren wanted him back at full strength.


    For now, he would have to act on his own, trusting that Carthy was right about the bloodsuckers infiltrating here.


    For several moments, Darren was silent, deep in thought.


    "Patriarch Darren, let''s go," Roland said eventually, and Darren snapped out of his reverie.


    "Let''s go," Darren said. After all, there was no great urgency at the moment. He could afford to be patient. He paid the divine stones and stepped into the transmission array.


    He and his companions stood together in the array, waiting. Suddenly someone tapped Darren on the shoulder. He turned to see who it was.


    "What is it?" he asked, frowning.


    A thin young man stared back at him without speaking.


    "What is it?" Darren repeated more loudly.


    "Nothing," said the thin young man.


    He walked away from Darren, and Darren looked after him, feeling oddly disturbed.


    He wasn''t sure why, but although the young man was a stranger, something about him had felt very familiar.


    As Darren watched, the man joined the rest of the crowd, and soon vanished from his line of sight.


    In that instant, a light flashed over the transmission array, and Darren and his companions disappeared.


    They arrived at a desolate area, where nothing disturbed the barren landscape except for tens of thousands of people who had seemingly been transported here along with Darren and the others.


    "Why are so many people coming to the edge of the Five Dangerous Areas?" Darren muttered. He was unsure why there was such a crowd in this place.


    Carthy communicated with him using his spiritual sense. "Master, all the people around you are from the bloodsucker race!" He sounded horrified.


    Darren''s eyes widened and he looked more closely at the thousands of people around them. He realized that they had very strange auras, although he hadn''t been able to detect the reason for the weirdness. If Carthy was right, then their auras were strange because they were all trying to cover the fact that they were bloodsuckers.


    What were these bloodsuckers doing here?


    Immediately, Darren decided he would kill them all.


    He did not bother to second-guess his decision. After all, there was no way that these aliens were infiltrating the human race


    nal bodies.


    The cavern was full of tens of thousands of powerful, deep red bloodsuckers, all roaring ferociously at Darren and his companions.


    "Damn humans! How dare you sneak in here! Go to hell!" they shouted.


    The Rule Soul Avatar had been following this group of bloodsuckers, and knew that among them, there were three powerful bloodsuckers who were comparable to humans at the middle-level of the Superior God Realm.


    But it was not going to be an insurmountable problem for the humans. After all, there were two masters at the top level of the Superior God Realm with Darren.


    Without hesitation, Darren and his companions swooped down on the bloodsuckers.


    As they launched their attack, Darren said,


    "Everyone, subdue them first. Don''t kill them yet. I want to make use of them alive."


    "Got it," the others answered.


    The battle was swift and one-sided. Under the leadership of the two killers at the top level of the Superior God Realm, Darren and the other humans were able to suppress all the tens of thousands of bloodsuckers around them without sustaining any injury to themselves. In less than a minute, they had all been rendered immobile, and were on the verge of death.


    Darren landed in front of the three strongest bloodsuckers, the ones who were comparable to human warriors at the middle-level of the Superior God Realm. He used his usual way of recruiting believers.


    After a period of time, without too much fuss, the three strongest members of the bloodsucker race all surrendered to him.


    They had no other choice. No one could resist the torture of the blood poison combined with the itchy poison.


    Once the three strongest bloodsuckers had surrendered, the others also quickly gave in, unable to bear the torture either.


    In this way, within the hour, tens of thousands of bloodsuckers all became believers. They were now Darren''s team.


    At this point, the black god''s power in Darren''s body had increased tremendously. He thought to himself that his power had already surpassed his blade intent and sword intent.


    He turned to the three strongest bloodsuckers.


    "Tell me, what were the details of your plan?" Darren asked them.

 Chapter 1455 Ready To Ambush

    The group of the members of the bloodsucker race became Darren''s believers, and they were absolutely loyal to him. As expected, they answered every question he asked with all honesty.


    "Sir, we have received an order from Bloodsucker Prince Elgin to kill the widow of a powerful Defiant Master. He said that if we kill her, we can obtain the treasures of that human Defiant Master. Since Prince Elgin''s strength is on par with a human deputy god and he can''t break through the pass to enter this place, he decided to send us here."


    "That''s all?" asked Darren.


    "Yes, sir. We won''t lie to you."


    "One more thing. Do you know who told your prince to send you here? Is it a human? Who is he?" asked Darren again.


    "We don''t know, sir. We only know that he controls one-fifth of the territory of the Chaotic Region, and his strength is unimaginable."


    Darren nodded. He didn''t ask any more questions. These members of the bloodsucker race were only subordinates of the prince. They wouldn''t know too much.


    Now he was certain that the powerful man sent the members of the bloodsucker race to kill Yolanda.


    It only meant that she was here in one of the Five Dangerous Areas.


    The Five Dangerous Areas were five natural moats. They were connected to each other and formed a natural array. Generally speaking, it would be difficult for a top-level deputy god to break into these areas by force.


    "Sir, do you want us to break the pass?" asked one of the members of the bloodsucker race.


    The pass was the only way to enter the First Dangerous Area. It was absolutely impossible to enter this area unless the pass was broken.


    "Do you know how to break it?" asked Darren curiously.


    "We just have to suck the blood vitality of those swords. Without the blood vitality, there will be no powerful sword array to guard the pass."


    The members of the bloodsucker race were capable of doing it. That was also the reason why that human master had asked them for help.


    "Hold on. If you break the pass, the Bloodsucker Prince and that powerful human master can also rush in. They are not easy to deal with," Stewart, who was standing aside, cut in.


    "Yes. Steward is right," Darren agreed with a nod.


    As long as the pass was guarded by all the sword arrays, Elgin and that human master could impossibly set foot here.


    Therefore, it wouldn''t be a good idea to break it now.


    Since they couldn''t break the pass, for now, everyone fell from the air and waited for Darren''s order.


    "Darren, have you already found Elsa?" asked the Rule Soul Avatar. He spoke to Darren while they were taking a break.


    "Yes, I''ve found her. She is resting in my small world now. By the way, how did you ge


    this place.


    Also, it would be too risky if the two of them came in at the same time. Their chance of winning would be very slim. It would be safer if they took down Elgin first because that human master was much more powerful.


    "I will suppress the pass for a while, so you can take the time to lure him in," said the Rule Soul Avatar apathetically.


    "You will suppress the pass? Are you serious?" questioned someone. They all thought that the Rule Soul Avatar must be out of his mind. Even the two super powerful masters outside couldn''t break into the pass. But the way he said it sounded like it was as easy as taking a breath.


    "Okay, let''s do what he said," Darren ordered. He had no doubt about the Rule Soul Avatar''s idea.


    He then turned to one member of the bloodsucker race and said, "Send a message to the prince immediately. Tell him that half of the pass has already been opened, and you need him to break the other half himself."


    "Yes, sir."


    The member of the bloodsucker race communicated with Elgin. "Your Highness, we have opened half of the pass. We need your help to open the remaining half by yourself. Please do it alone. You cannot allow the human master to come with you. Or else, he will double activate the pass, and we will be suppressed here."


    "Ha-ha! Well done! I''ll be right there."


    As expected, Elgin fell into their bait. He trusted his subordinates so much.


    This time, the Spirit Power of the Rule Soul Avatar surged. Then a time-space whirlpool covered the pass.


    The pass was transferred into another space and time, so it looked like it had disappeared. When Elgin came in, he didn''t feel any resistance.


    But of course, the Rule Soul Avatar could not maintain the time-space whirlpool for too long. It could only last for a minute at most.

 Chapter 1456 Besiege And Attack Elgin

    Nearly a minute had passed.


    The Bloodsucker Prince hadn''t appeared yet.


    "Your Highness, please hurry up. We can''t hold on any longer!" urged the man from the bloodsucker race.


    Boom! Boom!


    All of a sudden, the whole underground space trembled. A blood light penetrated the space and condensed into a blood shadow.


    As soon as Elgin landed under the ground, the time-space whirlpool of the Rule Soul Avatar disappeared.


    Blood swords spread out in front of Elgin. It looked like he was standing in the midst of a river of blood.


    "What?"


    Elgin flew over, grabbed the neck of the team leader of the bloodsucker race, and lifted him up.


    "What the hell is going on?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, the blood swords suddenly soared into the air and formed an array.


    Elgin felt a strong sense of oppression surround him.


    "Damn it! How dare you lie to me!" Elgin cursed.


    Only then did he realize that he was fooled. His own subordinates wanted him to die!


    Whoosh!


    He turned into a beam of blood light and rushed upward quickly, trying to escape from the space.


    He had only flown less than a kilometer when two huge palms caught up with him and slapped him back down to the ground.


    Elgin fell. He hit the ground so hard that he made a crater in it.


    "Ah!"


    Furious, he spread out his bloody wings and rushed out of the hole in the ground at amazing speed.


    Stewart and Jamison had been well prepared for this. The moment Elgin rushed out, they blocked his way.


    "Damn it! Damn the entire human race!"


    Enraged, Elgin tried to attack Jamison. He swiped at him with his bloody paw.


    Bang!


    With a loud explosion, god''s power and blood vitality filled the air. Jamison tried to fight back, but he was hit badly and ended up flying backward. A gaping, bloody hole was left in his abdomen.


    The difference in their strength was evident.


    Jamison''s cultivation base was only at the top level of the Superior God Realm. That was not enough to fight against the Bloodsucker Prince. They needed superior talents like Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng to win this battle.


    Jamison had to retreat and heal himself. Stewart stepped in at once, holding three sharp hooks in his right hand. He poured all his god''s powe


    rren was shocked. The claw contained the most volatile power of Elgin''s final moments. If Darren was hit, his soul would be destroyed.


    Even his Rule Soul Avatar would not be able to revive him!


    In those moments, there was no time for Stewart and Jamison to rescue Darren. His Rule Soul Avatar was even farther away from him.


    Darren sensed the aura of death. He heaved a deep sigh, feeling those moments were his last.


    Bang!


    The light soared into the sky, and Darren''s body was sent flying. Blood spurted out in every direction.


    "Oh my God! Darren is dead!"


    "Alas, we were too careless."


    Stewart and Jamison let out a huge sigh. Darren was a peerless genius. Losing him was such a waste.


    However, they were not sad. They were not very good friends, after all.


    The Rule Soul Avatar, on the other hand, activated his Resurrection Force. His silvery eyes glowed as he tried his hardest to heal Darren.


    Once Darren perished, he would also vanish.


    "Damn! This is too dangerous!"


    Darren exclaimed before the Resurrection Force could reach him.


    "Eh? Darren was not hit? What''s going on?"


    "Ha! He''s not dead!"


    When the light died down, they saw a middle-aged man with disheveled hair standing on the spot where Darren had been.


    He stretched out one hand, holding half of the bloody body.


    "Roland?"


    Only then did Darren realize what had just happened.


    It was Roland who had helped him get out!


    Darren had never expected that Roland would be so powerful.

 Chapter 1457 He Hadnt Left

    Roland gripped half of Elgin''s body tightly. Elgin struggled violently, but he couldn''t break free.


    On the other hand, the Rule Soul Avatar used the Trap Law to trap the other half of Elgin''s body.


    Since Elgin had destroyed his own body, his cultivation level was no longer at the Deputy God Realm. Therefore, the sword array that rushed out of the blood pass also dissipated.


    Stewart and Jamison flew over to help Roland. They controlled the other half of Elgin''s body and dragged him back.


    Darren mobilized his god''s power to heal his wounds quickly. Although he had spat blood just now, it was only because of the impact. He was not seriously injured at all.


    "Roland, thank you for your help. I would have already died if you weren''t there," Darren said, cupping his hands towards Roland to show his gratitude.


    "You are welcome, Patriarch Darren. It is my duty to protect you."


    Darren smiled and said, "I didn''t expect that you are so powerful, Roland. I''m wondering why you didn''t fight back when those bandits wanted to kill you earlier."


    Roland smiled bitterly and said, "Patriarch Darren, there is something you don''t know. After the Chu Clan was annihilated, I felt extremely hopeless. It caused my faith in martial arts to collapse. I was like a disabled man at that time. But when I saw you, I was enlightened, and my faith in martial arts slowly came back. Just now, when you were in grave danger, I got so anxious that I forcefully acted on my heart and soul. To my surprise, I succeeded and restored my previous fighting power."


    The way Roland explained it sounded so simple. But the truth was, the process of reconstructing one''s collapsed faith in martial arts was very complicated and painful.


    "Ha-ha! I''m glad to know that you have recovered your strength and fighting power. From now on, our Chu Clan has one more backbone," Darren said with a smile.


    "You are flattering me too much, Patriarch Darren. I am just at the top level of the Superior God Realm. I can only make minor contributions to our clan. I don''t deserve to be called a backbone," Roland said modestly.


    Darren shook his head, smiled, and said, "No. The top level of the Superior God Realm is already good enough. By the way, from now on, don''t call me patriarch anymore. We are buddies from the same generation and clan, so let''s just call each other by our names."


    If they based on the seniority in their clan, Roland could be considered as Darren''s elder cousin.


    "Yes, Darren," Roland agreed.


    After they talked, Darren gathered everyone. T


    urrounding her. In an instant, the metal creatures rushed forward and tore the human woman apart.


    But a few moments later, the human woman condensed her body and came back to life.


    It happened again and again until the human woman felt extreme pain and gradually became weaker and weaker.


    Without wasting any time, the Rule Soul Avatar sent the images directly into Darren''s mind.


    "Aunt Yolanda!" Darren exclaimed.


    His heart sank upon seeing Yolanda struggled between life and death.


    The Rule Soul Avatar analyzed more and found out that Yolanda was in the Second Dangerous Area. He immediately informed Darren about it.


    "Open the blood pass for me,"


    Darren ordered the bloodsuckers.


    "Yes, sir." All of them flew around the blood pass.


    Puff! Puff! Puff!


    Thousands of bloodsuckers, who were eager for blood, sucked greedily.


    Countless wisps of blood vitality spread out of the blood pass and flew into the mouths of the bloodsuckers.


    All of a sudden, the members of the bloodsucker race were all in extreme pain. They didn''t feel comfortable when the blood vitality entered their bodies.


    "Xavier, help them," Darren said to the Rule Soul Avatar.


    The Rule Soul Avatar nodded and used powerful law means to weaken the malicious aura in the blood vitality.


    But a few days later, already ninety percent of the bloodsuckers that Darren had subdued died as their bodies exploded. The Rule Soul Avatar couldn''t cure them.


    On the bright side, the blood pass had been weakened a lot. It was already enough for Darren and his companions to pass through.


    "Ha-ha! Thank you for opening the blood pass for me." In an instant, wild laughter filled the underground space.

 Chapter 1458 A Fierce Attack

    The resounding laughter was an obvious sign that something was definitely amiss.


    Instead of bolting, the powerful man outside waited quietly for the blood pass to break!


    This guy was very clever!


    "I was too careless." Darren''s expression darkened. His conscience wouldn''t just let him leave Yolanda to suffer. Unfortunately, his eagerness to save her was exactly what gave the powerful man a chance to find a loophole.


    "Let''s go!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar was the first to make a move. He swiftly activated the Spatial Law and took Darren to the other side of the blood pass.


    Suddenly, several warriors at the top level of the Superior God Realm, along with Darren''s subordinates from the bloodsucker race, followed suit and rushed over to the blood pass.


    The powerful man was a top warrior of the Chaotic Region, and even a Bloodsucker Prince was no even match for him. Naturally, Darren and the others had no other choice but to quickly retreat.


    They fled at an immense speed but a trail of gray aura quickly caught up with them. The speed of the gray aura was inhuman.


    Simultaneously, everyone began to get a bad feeling about what was about to happen. Roland suddenly stopped and made a counterattack with his god''s power.


    "Darren, you have to get out of here. I''ll manage the flank!" shouted Roland.


    "Run away? That''s ridiculous."


    A shadow simply ignored Roland and stood intimidatingly in front of Darren and the others.


    They stopped in their tracks at the sight of the shadow. Only the Rule Soul Avatar remained concealed in the space.


    "Sir, we''re just here to explore the area. If we disturbed you in any way, we''ll immediately take our leave," explained Darren calmly.


    "You think I was born yesterday? I didn''t think anyone could get worse than the last patriarch of the Chu Clan. At least he would''ve never blatantly lied," spat the shadow in reply.


    A cold sweat ran down Darren as he found himself at a loss for words.


    It turned out that the man knew who he was. He must''ve been watching the situation this entire time.


    "What the hell do you want then? Get to the point!" replied Darren callously. Honorifics didn''t seem to matter anymore.


    "Well, what else would I want? After I slay you, I''ll occupy this last remaining land of the Chu Clan. I''ll finally be the Territory Enfeoffing Emperor of the Chaotic Region!" the man cackled.


    Once Darren died and the Five Dangerous Areas were occupied, the Chu Clan would completely disappear from Primitive Wilderness and become but a relic of history.


    "So you mean there is nothing more to discuss here?" Darren asked.


    "You''re just some nobody. Why would I waste my precious t


    r was soon unable to withstand the flurry of attacks directed at him.


    After all, it was the joint attack of three warriors at the top level of the Superior God Realm. As long as the target was not a real deputy god, anyone would have a hard time defending themselves!


    Although the gray shadow''s avatar was in a feeble state, it didn''t mean that Darren and the others were completely out of harm''s way, because Elgin wasn''t doing too well withstanding the attacks for them.


    Under the powerful attack of the gray shadow, Elgin had become badly injured, and seemed to be on his last few breaths of life.


    Darren pondered for a quick moment. This warrior was almost as powerful as Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng.


    "Joris, go and launch a surprise attack!" Darren summoned Joris from his small world.


    A dazzling blood light burst out from where Darren was and shattered the gray shadow''s avatar into many pieces.


    "Master, run! Elgin and I can hold him back for at least another fifteen minutes!" shouted Joris.


    "Please be careful. As soon as I make it out of here, make a run for it as fast you can!"


    Without any more hesitation, Darren flew to the Second Dangerous Area with the others.


    While all this was going on, the Rule Soul Avatar stayed hiding in the space and continued to observe the ongoing battle.


    Joris'' sudden appearance caught the gray shadow by surprise. He didn''t expect that Darren had the assistance of two Bloodsucker Princes.


    Joris rushed over and transferred some blood to Elgin so that he could speed up his recovery. That way, they could launch a joint attack and buy enough time for Darren to escape.


    From the sidelines, a thought hit the Rule Soul Avatar and he wondered whether his Time Law could possibly affect this powerful man.

 Chapter 1459 Drawing Away

    "These stinky bats dare challenge me? I''ll rip you to tiny shreds!"


    The two Bloodsucker Princes launched continuous desperate attacks on the gray figure, who was now getting a bit anxious upon discovering that he could not get rid of them as fast as he would have liked.


    They were getting in the way of his plans. If Darren managed to escape, chasing him down later would not be easy.


    "Elgin, why don''t we invite the ancestor?" suggested Joris.


    He sensed the gap between their strength and that of the gray figure, and found that it was certainly not small. He thought it was perhaps time for their last resort.


    Every Bloodsucker Prince had the ability to call on the Bloodsucker Ancestor for help one time. When they had fought Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng, one of the Bloodsucker Princes had invited the Bloodsucker Ancestor''s avatar to the battlefield.


    There were, however, restrictions to it. A Bloodsucker Prince could only do so when he was faced with a powerful creature. If he was confronted with other sorts of attacks, such as a rule array or a sword array, he was forbidden from asking for the Bloodsucker Ancestor''s help.


    "Joris, perhaps you have forgotten that we are now Darren''s believers. We have already betrayed our Bloodsucker Ancestor," reminded Elgin.


    They had been subdued by Darren, the Defiant Master. The Bloodsucker Ancestor would definitely figure that out once his avatar arrived. If that happened, he wouldn''t help them kill the powerful man. On the contrary, he would waste no time in killing Joris and Elgin instead.


    Betrayal of their own race was the most intolerable thing in existence to a bloodsucker.


    Joris then came to the realization that asking for help from the Bloodsucker Ancestor was no longer an option.


    "Then let''s fight to our end and buy time for our master."


    Joris and Elgin unfolded their bloody wings and charged at the gray figure.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Explosions boomed throughout and shook the First Dangerous Area to the point it felt that it was about to collapse.


    Elsewhere, Darren fled madly, under the protection of three powerful warriors at the top level of the Superior God Realm.


    "Roland, how far to the Second Dangerous Area?" asked Darren.


    "At least twenty hours to the entrance. But entering the Second Dangerous Area will not be easy; it''s guarded by metal creatures," Roland answered.


    As a member of the second generation of the Chu Clan, he had been to the Five Dangerous Areas before. Back then, the Five Dangerous Areas were under the complete control of the Chu Clan. Every member of the young generation had been trained and assessed there for their own development.


    It was too far. They di


    Soul Avatar in a purple robe roared, rushing over with the sword and the blade.


    Darren was now even more stunned. The purple robed half had the same aura and voice as he did.


    Boom!


    The other half in white launched an attack with a riot of laws. Countless Attack Laws, Trap Laws and Order Laws were released at the same time. Even more impressively, the Rule Soul Avatar used three kinds of Time Law skills all at once, something he had never done before.


    "How dare you return? You must be incredibly stupid!"


    The gray figure had his angst eased, feeling a sudden relief when he saw the young man in a purple robe charging over with a sword and a blade. He thought Darren had come back to the battlefield.


    He despised him as well, thinking to himself, ''He is quite the fool. How could he think he''d be able to take a master at my level by surprise? He must be missing a brain.''


    The gray figure moved as fast as a teleportation skill, at the same time repelling the two Bloodsucker Princes and giving off god''s power to attack "Darren."


    As for the Rule Soul Avatar''s attacks, they were not enough to cause any harm. The gray figure could take the hits head-on, like it were nothing to him. He could even break free from the Time Law just by force.


    The Rule Soul Avatar was only capable of competing with a warrior at the middle-level of the Superior God Realm, at most. There was a huge, clear gap, between him and the gray figure.


    Bang!


    The purple-robed Rule Soul Avatar was struck and blew up in a terrible explosion. The white-robed half immediately released the Resurrection Force to repair him back to his former self.


    "Run, my real body. The sneak attack plan is not possible!" the white-robed Rule Soul Avatar yelled out in desperate warning to the purple-robed half.

 Chapter 1460 The Rule Soul Avatar Was In Danger

    At the same time, the Rule Soul Avatar in white activated the Spatial Law and sent the purple-robed half away.


    "Humph! You want to escape?" The gray figure went berserk.


    He hit both Elgin and Joris with his palm, and he bombarded the Rule Soul Avatar in white with his god''s power.


    By this time, the purple-robed Rule Soul Avatar had already flown thousands of kilometers away.


    The gray figure chased after him without any hesitation.


    The Rule Soul Avatar in a white robe was able to catch his breath and take some time to recuperate.


    Only then did Darren realize that it was a trick of the Rule Soul Avatar to distract the gray figure.


    The Rule Soul Avatar suddenly landed on the ground and released the Healing Law to save Elgin and Joris.


    The two were out of danger. They transfused blood into one another to speed up the healing of their injuries.


    "Darren, you must get out of this dangerous place as soon as possible," the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    The exit was no longer blocked. Now was the best time for Darren to escape!


    "But, Aunt Yolanda..." Darren was not willing to leave Yolanda behind.


    "Don''t worry. The most important thing now is to save your life. She also has the eternal immortal body. She won''t die. You''ll get another chance to save her," the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    Darren calmed down. He blamed himself for being stupid. His life was in danger, yet he still had the gall to be indecisive?


    "Let''s go!"


    Without any more hesitation, Darren took Elgin and Joris into his small world. He and Roland flew out together.


    "Xavier, why don''t you leave?"


    Darren asked using his spiritual sense upon seeing that the Rule Soul Avatar in white didn''t move.


    "I just can''t leave yet. You don''t have to worry about me," the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    "Take care." Darren didn''t want to waste any more time. Once the gray figure found out that he had been fooled, no one would be able to escape.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Darren dashed towards the transmission array.


    In the First Dangerous Area


    The Rule Soul Avatar sat midair, cross-legged. He showed no intention of hiding or running away.


    After about a quarter passed, his face suddenly twisted into a mask of pain, and he spat out a gob of blood.


    In just a few


    blish the bond, his life would be saved.


    In fact, any contract or bond would be invalid to the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Generally speaking, when a powerful warrior witnessed the great potential of the Rule Soul Avatar, he would always want to take him as a slave.


    It was the same as when a mortal sees a golden mountain. They always wanted to make it their own.


    "Ha! You are afraid of death after all." The gray figure laughed.


    He thought the avatar had spoken those words just to get himself out of danger.


    "Don''t try to trick me. I won''t buy it. To make sure nothing goes wrong, you must die."


    To the Rule Soul Avatar''s surprise, the gray figure was intent on killing him.


    This was the first time that the Rule Soul Avatar had been wrong!


    The Rule Soul Avatar quickly exerted his Spirit Power to come up with another plan.


    "I have the Chu Clan''s top divine weapon. Do you want it?" The Rule Soul Avatar lied.


    Unexpectedly,


    the gray figure slapped the Rule Soul Avatar, sending him flying. He rushed over to grab the collar of the Rule Soul Avatar. "Don''t try to save your life. The only reason you''re still alive is that I''m curious to see how far you can go. Now, all of my interest has vanished. Time for you to die!"


    The gray figure wanted to see the Rule Soul Avatar fear him.


    However, through it all, the Rule Soul Avatar remained stoic.


    "Damn it! Why am I wasting my time on you? Go to hell!"


    The gray figure lost all of his patience and was ready to kill the Rule Soul Avatar.

 Chapter 1461 A Hometown Fellow From Lothlann Continent

    The gray figure landed a swift slap on the back of the Rule Soul Avatar.


    The sheer contact with his atoms made the Rule Soul Avatar shudder in place; the feeling of his meridians shattering upon bearing the brunt of the violent force raised alarms throughout his body and caused him to disperse himself immediately.


    He reduced himself into several minuscule specks of light, frolicking in the space above to remove himself from close range with the gray figure.


    "Nice try. But you still can''t run away from me," the gray figure said condescendingly.


    He was well aware that the Rule Soul Avatar wasn''t dead, but used a special method to disintegrate himself, attempting to deceive him.


    With a confident smirk plastered across his face, the gray figure pressed his palms forward, causing the space surrounding him to collapse. He was planning on completely erasing the existence of the Rule Soul Avatar.


    As space collapsed under the intense pressure, the light spots that dominated the surroundings with their brightness dimmed down, slowly losing their vitality.


    The aura of the Rule Soul Avatar gradually dissipated until it wasn''t felt anymore.


    The gray figure raised his head to stare into the distance, widening his search radius. His thirst for blood was insatiable. Now that he got rid of Darren''s avatar, Darren was going to be his next victim. With his mind made up, he propelled himself into the air and dashed towards the Second Dangerous Area.


    Determined to escape, Darren and the others flew with all the speed they could muster up. Without wasting a moment, they transferred themselves the minute they reached the transmission array.


    "Roland, where are we? What is this place?"


    The city they landed in appeared to be densely populated, bustling with people walking on the street.


    "This is Zone City, the territory of King Juan. He is one of the Five Kings. It should be safe for us to stay here."


    More than half of the Chaotic Region was now the property of the Five Kings, who had consentingly divided the territories among themselves to avoid disputes. Only some barren parts were occupied by small forces.


    The Five Kings were the strongest masters in the Chaotic Region. The most levelheaded and content one of them all was King Juan. He only stressed over the patch of land under his rule without caring about expanding it and avoided indulging himself in unnecessary wars.


    Upon the revelation, Darren was thrown off into silence. He had two reasons for entering the Chaotic Region, the first being rescuing Yolanda. The second being him conquering a territory under his name after formally entering the Chaotic Region.


    But the terms in which he had entered the city was different than what he had initially imagined. He was on the run from powerful warriors, who were desperate to end his life. The fact that all he could do for now was hide instead of putting his plans into play made him feel aggravated.


    But sizing the odds of the situation he was in, it was in his best interests to hide and lay low for a while. If he were to fall into the hands of his enemies, he might never be able to


    in case you didn''t hear me properly the last time. Fuck off!" Keeping his guard up, Roland shouted, headstrong on protecting Darren against involving himself in potential risks.


    Signaling Roland to stop, Darren raised his hand. Then, he turned to the two men and spoke. "Fine. I''ll go with you."


    Still unsure, Roland''s lips parted slightly to voice his concerns, but he remained silent instead, choking on his words.


    "Thank you, sir. Come this way, please."


    The two men escorted them to a small transmission array.


    Soon, Darren and Roland were transported to a mountain. A flat ground opened up for them to step on, and they noticed various houses of ordinary architecture built across the landscape.


    Soon, they were greeted by a figure who flew over in their direction and planted himself in front of Darren.


    Without uttering a word, the man scanned Darren from head to toe and nodded convincingly to himself.


    "Who are you? Why did you want to meet me?" Darren said indifferently, cutting straight to the chase.


    In response, the man smiled warmly and said, "Darren, I am from the Lothlann Continent. We are from the same hometown. Since we''re meeting each other in a foreign place, it is only right for me to invite you over for some drinks and maybe have a chat."


    Sure enough! He was from the Lothlann Continent.


    Hearing his welcoming tone, Darren''s expression relaxed. "You must be my senior then. May I know your name?"


    "I don''t see the point. I''m a nobody."


    "Sir, you are being way too modest. Those who can come to the Primitive Wilderness are all peerless talents," Darren said, honestly.


    The man nodded slightly and said, "My name is Todd. You must have never heard of me, isn''t that right?"


    Once he heard that name echo through his ears, Darren was left frozen in place.


    This name had a deep influence on him!


    Who was this man?


    He used to be one of the protectors of the Lothlann Continent, known as Todd, the God of Sword. Because he had destroyed the avatar of the Dark Immortal Master, he broke into the Primitive Wilderness in the past.

 Chapter 1462 Discussion

    "You are the guardian of the Lothlann Continent in the Last Age," said Darren excitedly.


    Back then, the Lothlann Continent had experienced five crises. And it was Todd, the God of Sword, who had successfully solved the crisis in the Last Age.


    When Darren arrived in the Primitive Wilderness, he had actually inquired about Todd. However, all of the people that he asked said that they had never heard of the name "Todd".


    Since he didn''t get any information about Todd, Darren had thought that Todd might have already died out in a fierce battle in the Primitive Wilderness. He had never imagined that Todd was still alive here in the Chaotic Region.


    "So, you have heard of my name," Todd said, raising his eyebrows.


    "Of course. I''m the fifth guardian, so it''s impossible for me not to hear your name," replied Darren.


    "You''re right. You must have entered the Virtual Battle Space and fought against those creatures from outer space back then, right?" asked Todd.


    "Yes. And I saw the battle images that you have left there."


    "Ha-ha! That''s great then. I think we don''t need to talk about anything else. Let''s just have a drink to our hearts'' content," Todd said, laughing.


    "Okay, sir. It''s an honor for me to meet you. Let''s get hammered," Darren also said with a smile. "By the way, sir, I''m just curious. How did you know that I''m the patriarch of the Chu Clan, and I''m in the Chaotic Region?"


    It was something that Darren had been wondering. The Primitive Wilderness was so vast, but Todd had found him so easily.


    "We can talk about that while we have a drink. I will also introduce a distinguished guest to you later." Todd then led the way and entered a log cabin.


    The interior of the log cabin was furnished very simply. There were a wooden table and a few stools. On the table, there was a pot of wine and several cups.


    "Sir, I''d like to propose a toast to you."


    Darren poured wine to two cups, gave one to Todd, and raised his own cup.


    "Come on, let''s drink."


    They talked about what had happened to the Lothlann Continent in the past while drinking. They were so absorbed in their conversation that they lost track of time.


    At this moment, a man suddenly came into the log cabin. He was a short and stout man in his early forties. From the way he dressed, he looked like someone from the countryside.


    "Welcome, my distinguished guest. Please come in."


    Todd stood up and greeted the man.


    As soon as the man joined them at the table, Todd introduced Darren to him. "This is Darren Chu, a young


    justifiable king?'' Darren thought inwardly.


    He was still a little confused. If he did what Juan Qi wanted, it would mean that Juan had to respect him as an emperor and would be inferior to him. How could a powerful king like Juan Qi be willing to surrender to him? Darren''s brows furrowed as he still found it strange.


    But then, he said, "I understand what you mean. I also appreciate your peaceful approach. But I have to make it clear to you first that this territory is the homeland of our Chu Clan. One day, our clan will rise again and take back this territory. I will agree with your enfeoffment plan. But in exchange, you have to change your family name into Chu after you are enfeoffed as a king."


    "Darren Chu!" Todd abruptly stood up when he heard what Darren said. "You''re going too far. How can you ask a king to change his family name? That''s too impolite."


    Darren also stood up and said coldly, "Sir, I have always respected you from the bottom of my heart. In fact, I am so happy to see you again here. But if there is any hidden interest in our relationship, I think that our friendship won''t have any value."


    Darren didn''t feel happy to know that Todd was trying to help Juan Qi persuade him.


    "Patriarch Darren, I don''t like fighting and killing. But if I''ll be left with no choice, I''m afraid that I will have to do it. I hope you think about it carefully," Juan Qi said calmly.


    His words had a very clear meaning. He wanted Darren to realize that the best option was to enfeoff him as a king. Otherwise, he would be forced to kill Darren.


    In the eyes of the Five Kings, Darren was a nobody. They believed that they could do whatever they wanted to do to him.

 Chapter 1463 Conferring The Title

    In his early years in the Chaotic Region, Juan had been a ruthless man, killing whoever crossed his path.


    However, once he acquired an important status, he became a completely different person. Now, he grew flowers and watered trees every day.


    Among the Five Kings, the other four often launched wars, but Juan chose not to participate in any of them. If someone declared war against him, he would usually send over some people to defend. After defeating the offenders, he would send people to negotiate.


    In other words, he had grown to become an agreeable man.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have given Darren a chance to negotiate and probably would''ve killed him right then and there.


    Yet now, Darren had refused his simple request to become a justifiable king. Juan was left with no other choice!


    Therefore, even this new and improved Juan boiled with killing intent.


    "Patriarch Darren, with your current strength and background, it won''t be possible for you to face any of the powerful forces. If you had agreed to appoint me as king, I would''ve let you live. But since you don''t appreciate my offer, you leave me no choice." Juan''s expression grew grave as he spoke.


    "Juan, don''t be angry," Todd suddenly cut in, standing up to rush to Juan''s side. "Darren is from my hometown," he continued. "He is like a family in this Primitive Wilderness. No matter what the result of the negotiation is today, you are not allowed to hurt him, or you would be making it difficult for me."


    Then he turned to Darren. "I know you may be angry with me, but this is the reality of the situation. You are the patriarch of the Chu Clan and the Territory Enfeoffing Emperor, but face it: you don''t have the corresponding force to seize the old land of the Chu Clan. Why don''t we both make a concession? Trust me, I know Juan. He controls a territory, and the people in the region live and work peacefully. That means he can be a good ruler.


    So I advise you to agree to his request. At least, you will have one less powerful opponent."


    Hearing this, Darren lapsed into silence for a while.


    Turning to his companion, he asked, "Roland, what do you think?"


    Darren couldn''t deny anything Todd said. It was stupid to forcefully protect something when his strength was not strong enough.


    Perhaps making a compromise was the wisest way to go, after all.


    "You are the patriarch. It''s up to you," Roland said dismissively. Roland actually had an opinion of his own, but he knew he couldn''


    guarding here, that he had to set up a law to block the chief gods? Was there something hidden in the Chaotic Region that even the chief gods coveted?


    Although Darren was tempted to ask, he didn''t. He knew it''d be futile; it was impossible for Todd to know the real reason.


    "Sir, how is your cultivation base now?" Darren asked in a casual tone, changing the subject.


    "Not so bad," Todd answered with a smile. "My cultivation base is slightly higher than that of Finley, but I don''t think I can defeat him in terms of strength."


    It suddenly clicked. That was when Darren realized that Todd had become as strong as a deputy god.


    Lord Feng was at the top level of the Superior God Realm. Since Todd said that his cultivation base was higher than his, that must''ve meant he was at the Deputy God Realm!


    But he also said that his strength might not be comparable to that of Finley. He probably knew a thing or two about Lord Feng''s incredible fighting power. Otherwise, as a Deputy God Realm warrior, he wouldn''t have said such a thing.


    "I''m so envious of you, sir," Darren exclaimed excitedly. "You''re so powerful!"


    Darren still had a long way to go to reach the Deputy God Realm. In fact, he wasn''t so sure he''d live to become a deputy god.


    "It''s just that I have practiced for a longer time than you have. Don''t worry. You are much more talented than me. By the way, Darren, you are also a swordsman. Why don''t we try sparring? That way, I could see if there''s any flaws in your technique!" Todd said with a mischievous smile.


    Darren understood what he meant: Todd wanted to teach him. By asking him to spar, he was only being polite.

 Chapter 1464 Comparing Notes About Swordsmanship

    "That''s exactly what I want,"


    Darren agreed without hesitation. Todd had a profound understanding of swordsmanship. If he could fight with Todd for a few rounds, he would really have some new comprehension.


    Moreover, he knew that Todd''s swordsmanship was very different from Lord Starry Sword''s. He would definitely learn something new from Todd.


    "Come with me to the secret room, lest we destroy the mountain."


    "Okay," Darren replied with a nod. He then turned to Roland and said, "Roland, have a rest here for a while. I''ll be back soon."


    "Yes, Patriarch Darren." Although Darren had already told him to call each other by their names, Roland was still not used to it. In fact, even his tone still sounded respectful when he spoke to Darren.


    Darren and Todd walked into the secret room together.


    They stood face to face in the middle of the room. Todd took the lead and drew his sword. As soon as his sword got out of the sheath, the sword intent immediately filled the secret room like a storm.


    Todd didn''t deliberately produce this effect. Since he was a master of swordsmanship, his body naturally emitted the profound sword intent.


    "I''m a clumsy person. I''ve been studying swordsmanship all my life, but I only ended up having one sword skill. Once I strike with my sword, a change concerning life and death takes place. It''s very clear and simple," Todd said after being immersed in his own train of thought.


    With a helpless look on his face, Darren said, "Sir, I know that you are used to killing people with just one sword strike. But please, promise me that you won''t kill me immediately."


    "Ha-ha! You brat!" Todd''s stern look was replaced by amusement upon hearing Darren''s words. "If I can''t even use my sword at my own will, how can I be called a deputy god swordsman?"


    "I just thought I''d better remind you. I''m just being careful," Darren said with a smile.


    Todd shook his head helplessly and said, "How about this? I will suppress my realm to the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm, so we are the same. Then we can go all out to have a fight. In this way, I can also determine if there is something wrong with your swordsmanship."


    "Ahem!" Darren cleared his throat awkwardly. He wanted to let Todd know that the sword skill he cultivated was the supreme sword skill, and he had already finished the cultivation of six moves. He had even begun to have the aura of a supreme god. So if Todd suppressed his realm to the middle-level of the Celestial God Realm, Todd would be no match for him.


    Seeing the expression on Darren''s face, Todd misunderstood. So he said seriously, "Forget it. I''ll suppress my realm to the low-level of the Celestial God Realm. Darren, don''t be scared by the title deputy god. You have t


    e fought with so many powerful warriors of swordsmanship, but I haven''t really fought with a swordsman who cultivates the supreme sword skill yet. How about this? Let''s fight again. I will see if there is any flaw in your swordsmanship."


    "It''s not necessary, sir," Darren refused politely. He knew that there was no flaw in his swordsmanship. What he lacked was his cultivation base.


    "Why? Do you really think that the supreme sword skill is flawless? I won''t take no for an answer. Prepare yourself," Todd countered with a long face.


    Darren finally understood that Todd only wanted to regain his dignity.


    "Okay, sir. But first, you''d better suppress your realm to the top level of the Celestial God Realm," he said.


    "That''s nonsense! Do you think I will bully you? The upper-level of the Celestial God Realm is enough," Todd replied sternly.


    Puff!


    Darren didn''t argue anymore. But in his mind, he thought, ''I''m just being polite. You''re at the Deputy God Realm. You should really not suppress your realm to a level higher than mine.''


    Todd had told Darren to have confidence in himself earlier. Now, Darren wanted to tell him the same thing.


    Eventually, he just said, "Okay. Let''s fight, sir."


    This time, the sword intent in Darren''s body was almost drained, and the sixth move of the supreme sword skill was still in preparation. His black god''s power was pouring crazily into the divine sword.


    On the other hand, Todd''s sword intent burst out. It was so sharp that it seemed to cut the heaven and earth apart.


    Holding the hilt of the sword, he raised the sword high and got ready to attack.


    Darren rolled his eyes. He secretly released his god''s sense and found that Todd had cheated. Todd had actually suppressed his realm to the top level of the Celestial God Realm secretly. It was such a shameless act.

 Chapter 1465 Guidance (Part One)

    Darren despised Todd from the bottom of his heart. ''You shirked your status as a deputy god, and cheated. Have you no shame?''


    Fortunately, he hadn''t used his most powerful move yet. It was well within his means to have the ability to fight.


    Once he used the sixth move of the supreme sword skill, black god''s power and penetrating power would morph together with his sword intent. Moreover, Darren had secretly prepared the six Spiritual Flying Swords.


    If this proved to be moot, he planned to simply launch a clever sneak attack on Todd. Anyhow, Todd was the one who cheated first.


    Todd stood wielding his sword tightly in both his hands. He attached a powerful intent to his sword and began to slash wildly at Darren.


    "Look at you, slashing away as if you were chopping wood with those hands. The only difference this time is that you''re using both hands," said Darren in a bored tone. Todd had spent his whole life honing this attack. It should''ve been amazing, but Darren could only see it as choppy and lacking any glimmer.


    Darren shook his head as he decided to focus on the battle.


    As soon as he launched his attack, his sword, condensed by sword intent, flew out and collided with Todd''s in mere seconds.


    The shrill explosion made Darren''s ears bleed as he winced back. His body was thrown away by the impact, and a sharp pain pierced at his internal organs.


    Bang!


    Darren slammed against the wall of the secret room. His bones broke with a nasty crunch.


    "Damn it! I can''t believe I lost to that." Darren couldn''t help but feel disappointed that he couldn''t defeat Todd in the end.


    After a while, the sword intents completely dissipated.


    "Darren, how could you be so pathetic?"


    Darren turned to the speaker and saw that Todd had been thrown to the wall just like him. Although he was not injured, he looked like he was in a more embarrassing situation than Darren.


    Seeing this, Darren smirked. It seemed that his fighting power was on a par with Todd''s after all. If Todd didn''t possess the physical strength of a deputy god, he would have been in a more miserable state than him.


    This certainly raised Darren''s spirits. He hadn''t used the Spiritual Flying Swords yet, after all!


    "You were superb, sir. I was defeated," said Darren as he healed his injuries.


    "Bullshit!" Todd said sullenly. He knew that should they have had the same physical strength, he would''ve lost the battle.


    "You didn''t use that move in our first battle." Todd went and began to act shamelessly once again.


    Darren could only feel frustration in return. ''Why can''t I use it? I have more than one move! Must I exp


    g, but he hadn''t quite wrapped his head around it yet.


    He only felt that what Todd said was very reasonable. Every time he comprehended a swordsmanship, he would feel that any previous moves were useless.


    For example, when he had just comprehended the second move, he would default to using the second move when fighting against his enemies. He would completely disregard the move that preceded it.


    Now the question was, why did the creator create the first move at all? Just to pave the way for comprehending the second move? This reason was too far-fetched. A real master would abandon all useless moves and comprehend the essence of the move instead.


    Seeing the excitement and confusion in Darren''s eyes, Todd said, "Haven''t you figured it out yet? You need to connect your moves. Each move ultimately makes the next one more powerful.


    Eventually, the power of this superimposition will be stronger than the power of your six moves combined. It will be beyond your imagination."


    Connection!


    It turned out that this was the key. Darren''s eyes grew as he immediately understood.


    "Thank you for your advice, sir!" Darren had a eureka moment. He was very excited at the thought that his fighting power could be further improved.


    His surprise only made Todd roll his eyes with a deep sigh.


    "You''re quite an impulsive person, huh. Do you really understand what I just said? If it was really as easy as you think, then everyone would be a master of swordsmanship."


    "Ahem." Embarrassed, Darren tried to stop his stutter and continued, "Sir, trust me, I really understand."


    "Well then, show me what you''ve got and attack me."


    Todd cracked his knuckles with a serious face and raised an eyebrow at Darren, daring him to make a move.

 Chapter 1466 Guidance (Part Two)

    "Okay, I got it."


    At this moment, Darren really wanted to prove that he was a genius who could easily understand the advice given to him.


    He closed his eyes and let his sword move with his heart.


    After making the first move, he immediately followed it by the second move.


    Soon enough, he was able to perform all the six moves. It seemed that all of them had combined, and their joint power was much stronger than the sixth move alone.


    Then the majestic sword intent was like a tide that rushed to Todd.


    Todd stood in front of Darren motionlessly. He didn''t even release his sword intent. But when Darren''s sword intent approached him, it only collapsed and vanished.


    Darren''s eyes widened in astonishment.


    He felt like it was too embarrassing. The power of the six moves had doubled after they were fused, but he couldn''t even use it to touch Todd.


    But then, he realized that it didn''t matter at all. Anyway, his only purpose was to test the power of the sword moves. And after seeing it, he believed that the combined power was astounding enough to impress Todd.


    "See? I told you, I''ve understood." Darren raised his head and looked at Todd arrogantly.


    "You didn''t understand anything!"


    Todd snapped as he glared at Darren.


    "You said you got it, right? But what did you do? You only performed the six moves one by one then threw them out at the same time. Was that how you''ve understood? Even the time you needed to prepare the sword moves was disappointing. Although it was only a few seconds, it was still enough for your enemy to kill you ten times." Todd sounded and looked so stern. It was as if he was scolding a child.


    Darren was stunned. He couldn''t deny the fact that Todd made sense. If it was on a real battlefield and in a life-and-death situation, he couldn''t waste his time performing and combining all the moves. While he was doing it, his enemy would have already come over and killed him.


    Was there a big flaw, or he just didn''t comprehend well?


    Darren felt embarrassed again. The expression on his face changed as he said seriously, "Alas, I am so impetuous. Sir, please enlighten me."


    "That''s more like it. Relax your spiritual sense first. When you''re ready, I''ll pass on some insights that I have gained from my experiences to you." A few moments later, a piece of information was poured into Darren''s mind.


    It turned into strange symbols and filled his mind. The amount of information was so huge that he even felt a little headache.


    Darren couldn''t help wondering how Todd''s insights could contain so much information. It was not simple at all.


    "Take your time to comprehend it. Don''t be so hasty. Comprehend it step by step. But I hope that you can already have a little comprehension in three months." After saying those words, Todd turned around and went out directly.


    "Yes, sir," Darren replied, watching his receding back.


    When he was alone, Darre


    Indeed, it was the perfect connection. Darren was not bragging at all.


    This time, he felt that the word "incredible" was not enough to describe Darren. He had never imagined that the perfect connection that he considered as his lifetime achievement was mastered by Darren in just a matter of two months.


    How could it be possible? He also didn''t know the answer.


    All of a sudden, Todd couldn''t understand why he felt empty in his heart, despite his great strength.


    But still, he said to Darren passionately, "You deserve to be a genius of our Lothlann Continent. I believe that the people in the Primitive Wilderness will also be proud of you one day."


    However, Darren was not very happy.


    He knew that his path ahead would not be smooth. There was still a big tribulation waiting for him.


    Before he could reach the Superior God Realm, he would definitely face a life-and-death situation.


    "Sir, do you also know that I am a Defiant Master?" Darren asked calmly.


    Todd froze for a moment. All the senior leaders of the Primitive Wilderness knew that Darren was a Defiant Master, so he had also heard about it.


    There had been a lot of Defiant Masters among human beings since ancient times. It was true that they were the natural enemies of the chief gods. But no one had ever heard that when a Defiant Master reached a certain realm, he would bring disaster to the human race before.


    Darren was the only exception. Todd was told by the senior leaders of the human race that when Darren reached the Superior God Realm, the entire senior leadership of the human race might collapse.


    "Put down all your distracting thoughts and concentrate on becoming stronger. There will always be a day when nobody else can control your life," Todd said after being silent for a moment.


    He was right, and Darren believed in him.


    And that day seemed not far away. Darren had already reached the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm.

 Chapter 1467 Escort

    Darren''s strength had improved since he had comprehended the essence of Todd''s swordsmanship.


    He had calculated that with his cultivation base at the upper-level of the Celestial God Realm, he might be able to contend with an opponent at the middle-level of the Superior God Realm, if he used all his strength. Of course, such an opponent would have to be an ordinary warrior at the middle-level of the Superior God Realm. Any more powerful and talented, and it would prove difficult for him to defeat such an opponent.


    He already possessed incredible strength, but unfortunately, it was still far from enough for him. He was Darren, a Defiant Master, who always demanded more of himself.


    "Seeing as you''ve already learnt the perfect connection, you no longer have to consciously comprehend the information you have. You need only feel it out in actual combat from now on and in this way you can elevate your level," informed Todd.


    "Thank you very much for your guidance, sir," Darren said, truly grateful. It was not every day that you found someone willing to share this sort of genuine understanding of swordsmanship so freely.


    "You''re welcome. Rest assured you may cultivate here in peace from now on. Although I may not be the number one warrior in the Chaotic Region, I promise to kill anyone who would dare break into my territory trying to harm you.


    And if the other four kings come, I can help you escape as well. Do not worry about anything except your cultivation. I''ve got it covered."


    Todd was making it clear that he would serve as Darren''s right hand man from now on and no one would be able to cause him any harm here in his territory. His words and promises moved Darren. He was very thankful for his hospitality and kindness. After all, he had known Todd for only a couple months. They weren''t even all that close yet.


    Darren wished he could stay here to concentrate on cultivation, but he was still worried about Yolanda. She was still in great danger.


    "Sir, I have some help I need to ask of you," Darren asked slowly, somewhat reluctant. He did not want to take advantage of him. But he had considered it carefully; he was afraid he would not be able to outrun or withstand the pursuit of other forces on his own and so needed to ask Todd for help.


    "Go ahead," Todd replied simply, unbothered that a request would be made of him.


    "I have a relative trapped in the Second Dangerous Area right now. I have to rescue her," revealed Darren.


    "Darren, I''m afraid there is nothing I can do about that. It''s very difficult for us deputy gods to step into the Five Dangerous Areas."


    The restrictions of the Five Dangerous Areas were set specifically for deputy gods. It was because of this that almost none of the truly powerful warriors of the Chaotic Region were able to enter into it. The warrior


    th Lu were sworn brothers. It was said that they had known each other since they were young. They had grown up together and risen up together. They were closer than even most biological brothers.


    "If that''s the case, then his strength is probably on par with yours I imagine?"


    Darren figured that a sworn brother of a king should be very powerful too.


    "Him? He''s way beneath me, far more inferior! He''s not even close to being in my league!" Todd said scornfully, feeling horribly insulted. He did not think Grady deserved to even be mentioned in the same sentence as him.


    "Oh. Uh... Then what realm is he at?" Darren asked nervously, trying to be careful with his next words.


    "He is at the middle-level of the Superior God Realm. That''s it."


    "Really? That''s it? His realm doesn''t seem that high. How is he then able to fight side by side with a king?" Darren asked curiously.


    How could a warrior of Grady''s strength seize power together with a king? Any reclusive cultivator would be able to kill him without breaking too much of a sweat.


    "It''s complicated. He doesn''t possess much real strength, but he does have many strange, sinister and vicious powers and treasures. Even deputy gods are careful not to provoke him too easily. He''s a real devil who depends entirely on external tools and weapons."


    Darren frowned, never having come across such a person; he was quite intrigued. Grady must have a lot of pretty serious treasures if he was a warrior at the middle-level of the Superior God Realm who even deputy gods feared.


    "This young man is quite good-looking, if I may say so. How about I buy you guys some drinks?"


    Grady spoke to Darren after they stepped out of the transmission array. He had a vile look across his face; it was unnerving and made Darren uncomfortable.


    "Get away from us!"


    Roland growled viciously. He had no patience for this man.

 Chapter 1468 To Fight Or Not

    "Who do you think you are? You must be courting death!"


    Grady shouted to Roland in an unpleasant tone. He didn''t expect that a mere nobody had dared to yell at him. He could never tolerate it.


    "Get down on your knees and apologize to me right now. Or else, even Todd won''t be able to protect you. Humph!" he added.


    "Oh? That''s interesting. I want to know more. Tell me, what can you do?" Todd sneered. His face was as cold as ice, and his eyes were as sharp as swords.


    "Todd, you''d better think about it carefully. Are you sure that you are going to go against me for a mere nobody?" Grady asked contemptuously.


    "I beg your pardon? Are you really talking to me? I can''t remember a time that I have been friendly to you," Todd arrogantly said as he raised his chin up.


    "You..." Grady pointed his finger at Todd angrily. However, he couldn''t lose his temper in front of Todd, so he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He then said, "Todd, do you really think that you can have a firm hold over the poor Territory Enfeoffing Emperor to oppress the others? Don''t forget, there''s still my sworn brother."


    Things had finally come to light. Grady really came for Darren.


    When Darren entered the Chaotic Region, it was already expected that all the senior leaders within this place would find out his real identity. After all, they had spies all over the region.


    "I''ll give you nine seconds to leave this place. Otherwise, I don''t have a choice but to kill you," Todd warned in a low voice.


    Now that things were clear to him, he no longer cared about anything. He directly released his killing intent.


    "You are so arrogant. But unfortunately, I don''t have any plans to go anywhere else today. Let''s see if you really have the guts to lay a finger on me," Grady sneered. He raised his head arrogantly, showing Todd that he was not afraid at all.


    Todd''s face turned livid with rage at once. He had the impulse to slap Grady into pieces right away. But he had to think it over. If he killed Grady, Seth would definitely chase after him at all costs for revenge.


    Of course, he wasn''t afraid of Seth. But he was worried that a war might break out because of them. After all, he knew that Juan wouldn''t just sit and watch him being chased by the other kings.


    However, it was obvious that Grady came today to take Darren away. Todd couldn''t let it happen. And Grady would do his best to piss Todd, so he would be forced to take action.


    Todd thought about it for a while. Eventually, he decided to teach Grady a lesson. He would make Grady realize his position.


    Whoosh!


    A sword intent shot out from Todd''s fingertips and rushed towards Grady.


    "Humph!"


    Grady snorted. "Do you think I''m a coward? Fuck off!"


    Whoosh!


    A layer of pale yellow protective shield suddenly appeared around Grady''s body.


    Clang!


    shout at me. Don''t you know that you are a good-for-nothing man who only knows how to play dirty tricks on others?" Darren was deliberately provoking Grady.


    Grady had heard such words countless times. Those hateful words made him want to kill at all times. In short, Darren had succeeded in enraging him.


    "Bastard, I dare you to say it again," he hissed through clenched teeth.


    "You are such a loser. Why don''t you fight with me using your own strength? Even if I am only at the Celestial God Realm, killing you is like slaughtering a dog." Darren continued to provoke Grady. He wouldn''t stop until Grady couldn''t contain his anger anymore.


    "Fuck! Do you think I don''t know that you are deliberately irritating me, so I will remove my Archean shield to fight with you? Then Todd will take the opportunity to attack me from the back. You can''t play tricks on me, little guy!" Grady yelled.


    "Idiot! Not everyone is as despicable as you? Master Todd has always been honest and upright. Only someone like you can think of such a filthy method.


    How about this? If you don''t want to fight with me, kneel down, and admit your defeat." Darren''s words were cold and harsh, which totally enraged Grady.


    All of a sudden, several shadows flashed inexplicably, and three powerful figures appeared.


    "Well, well, well. Shame on you, Grady. I''ve heard everything you said, and I''m really ashamed of you. I didn''t expect you to be so scared of a young man at the Celestial God Realm," said one of them, shaking his head.


    "Indeed, you are a loser. Maybe the rumor that your so-called brother is not really your sworn brother, but your sweetheart is true. You are a filthy couple. No wonder you can''t accept the challenge of a young man," another one said ironically.


    The three figures sneered at Grady. It seemed that they came from different forces, but they all held grudges against him.

 Chapter 1469 Lets Fight

    The men who suddenly showed up were working for the other three kings. Each one was a warrior of immense power.


    Grady''s eyelids twitched. He had known that these guys would come, but he hadn''t expected them to just stand by and watch as everything unfolded before them.


    "What are you talking about? You want me to fight with a nobody? It will ruin my reputation!"


    Grady said. Although he was angry, he maintained his composure. Because he was stronger than Darren, he believed that fighting with him was like bullying a weaker being. It would be a disgrace to win against this nobody. These three people would probably spread the rumor that he could only bully the weak warrior at the Celestial God Realm.


    So he didn''t want to fight with Darren at all.


    "How dare you always say that you''re at the same level as us? Shame on you!"


    "You are so scared of a puny, little warrior at the Celestial God Realm. If your ''lover'' hadn''t protected you all these years, you''d have been long dead by now. Humph!"


    "You''re nothing but a waste of space!"


    The three men continued to ridicule Grady, enjoying every second of it.


    Darren stepped forward and approached Grady. "What''s going on? You still don''t want to fight me? If so, remove the poison from Roland and kneel down to apologize!"


    "I''ll kill you, you weakling!"


    Grady was so angry that he immediately attacked Darren with god''s power. He imbued the attack with some toxins.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Four streams of god''s power easily deflected Grady''s god''s power and forced him to retreat.


    "You!"


    Grady was boiling with anger. He hadn''t expected that the four men including Todd who were at each other''s throats would come together and help Darren. Obviously, these bastards had it out for him.


    "All right! I will keep in mind what happened today. I will repay you generously in the future!" Grady wanted to retreat.


    "You want to leave?"


    The three men immediately flew over and stopped him.


    "Fuck off! How dare you try to stop me? Who do you think you are?" Grady roared in a furious voice.


    "Ha! Little dog! Running away with his tail between his legs. If you truly have guts, just accept the challenge and fight him head on."


    "You''ve gone too far!" Fury boiled in Grady''s eyes.


    He suddenly lost all composure and let out a low growl.


    "Okay, then. I will fight. It''s good that I''m going to kill him, so that you don''t need to fight for him. Humph!"


    If the three men wanted a show, he would give them a show. He would kill Darren and win this battle. If he killed Darren, all their troubles would c


    attack tracks was extremely powerful. It was enough to put his life in danger!


    He feigned calm, forcing himself to show no emotion.


    "It''s just a trick. How dare you have the nerve to attack me in this way?!"


    Grady put one arm behind his back, and he used his other arm to draw a circle in front of him. A god''s power shield appeared in front of him.


    Ding!


    The first Spiritual Flying Sword hit the shield, and it collapsed into nothingness.


    The second one did the same.


    The first five Spiritual Flying Swords all shattered once they hit the shield.


    ''I overestimated his Spiritual Flying Swords. He''s probably only recently learned this skill,'' Grady thought to himself. They weren''t as strong as he thought they would be. Defeating Darren would be a piece of cake.


    Suddenly, the sixth Spiritual Flying Sword hit the shield.


    Bang!


    A violent explosion rang out. The space where Grady was located collapsed completely, and the dissipating god''s power soared into the sky.


    Even the three men who were watching the battle were shocked by the huge noise. The power of the explosion was massive!


    Grady was in terrible shape. His immaculate, white clothes were tinged pink, and blood was spattered all over the ground.


    Grady tried his best to steady himself. Then, he quickly took out a yellow elixir and poured its contents into his mouth. It was not until then the gaping wound in his chest began to close.


    He was extremely shocked and angry. How could he get hurt?


    The sixth Spiritual Flying Sword was incredibly powerful! It was definitely an attack of someone who was at the middle-level of the Superior God Realm.


    But how could a young man at the Celestial God Realm launch such an attack?

 Chapter 1470 Shock The Deputy Gods

    Grady felt so humiliated he wanted to hide under a rock and wish this moment out of existence. He shouldn''t have pretended to be so calm a moment ago; it would be the greatest shame of his life that he was injured by a young man at the Celestial God Realm.


    Even if he won this battle, no one would remember that he defeated a warrior at the Celestial God Realm if people knew of his injuries. They''d only speak of how he had been injured by that warrior.


    His fears were rightly placed, as bad news always traveled faster than good one.


    "Damn it!" Grady yelled to himself. The thought of this had made him terribly upset.


    "You son of a bitch! How dare you use a hidden weapon to attack me?" Grady was trying to insinuate that Darren had deliberately not put all the power he could have into the first few Spiritual Flying Swords, but accumulating his strength to use on the last one. He had definitely played a shrewd trick on him.


    They had agreed on using their own strength only, but Darren had broken the rule!


    "Where is your shame, Grady? Did Darren actually use a hidden weapon? He released the six Spiritual Flying Swords in front of your very eyes. You just can''t defend against them and now you''re saying he is despicable and used a hidden weapon? You are the despicable one."


    "Ha-ha. How could somebody so shameless deserve to be alive in this world?"


    "If I were you, I would have killed myself a long time ago. All you''re doing is making your ancestors ashamed. This is truly horrible."


    The three men seized this opportunity to hurl insulting words at Grady, sneering as they did with their joy in it obvious on their faces. He was such a hateful and vicious creature, so it was little surprise that they enjoyed humiliating him with these remarks.


    "Arrrrrrgh!"


    Grady roared like a beast as he erupted in extreme fury.


    A silver light began creeping up his right arm, soon covering it entirely and creating a metal arm!


    "I''m going to rip you apart!"


    With a ferocity on his face that he had not displayed before, he vanished from where he stood and launched a fatal blow at Darren.


    Darren closed his eyes, the strike barreling down on him.


    "What is he doing?"


    the onlookers asked in confusion. Not only had Darren closed his eyes, but he had withdrawn his god''s sense as well.


    How could he hope to fight back like this? Not using his god''s sense to catch the enemy''s figure was basically asking for his own life to be taken.


    "We can''t just stand by and let him die!"


    Someone from the sideline wanted to help. He had been ordered to take the patriarch of the Chu Clan back alive, but what was he to do now?


    He activated his god''s power with the intention of blocking Grady''s attack and helping Darren survive. But then, Todd, who had been watching the battle s


    al.


    Grady was still in a mad craze, laughing and crying at the same time. It seemed his warrior spirit had completely collapsed. Short of a miracle, he would never recover from this.


    "Darren, let''s go," Todd said eventually.


    He already knew of Darren''s true fighting power. He had been surprised by his release of the Spiritual Flying Swords, but since then, he had expected every other outcome and so had remained calm throughout.


    "Roland is badly poisoned. I have to detoxify him first before we go anywhere."


    Darren had won, but Roland still suffered from the torture of the black insects. He looked in terrible pain.


    Now that Grady had gone crazy, there was definitely no easy way to remove the poisonous substances from Roland''s body. Even if he hadn''t lost his mind, it was still doubtful whether he could detoxify Roland. Just like Darren''s itchy toxin, there was no antidote for it.


    "Take him into you world first. He still has three months to live. I will find a way to treat him."


    "Okay." Darren had no other option right now.


    "Ha-ha. You want to leave? You''re just going to ignore us like that?"


    One of the three men chuckled slightly before launching an attack at Todd.


    "You asshole!"


    Todd barked viciously, and a sword intent swept out.


    Yet, instead of getting angry at the retaliation, the man seemed overjoyed.


    "Attack diverting!"


    The man used his unique skill capable of diverting an enemy''s attacks.


    Whoosh!


    Todd''s sword intent was not rebounded back to him but instead was sent flying towards Grady.


    Grady had already gone mad and the Archean shield had dissipated. Without any resistance, the sword intent hacked his head clean off, sending it rolling around on the ground.


    Grady was dead.


    "Son of a bitch!" Todd''s face darkened and his anger now revealed itself fully. The man had planned to frame him!

 Chapter 1471 Killing Them All

    Grady was not some nobody. It didn''t matter what his relationship with Seth was; the one who killed him was in deep trouble.


    Unfortunately for Todd, a powerful warrior working for the West King had him framed by making use of his sword intent to kill the frenzied Grady. In this way, when Seth investigated the case of Grady''s death later on, he would definitely investigate Todd.


    This infuriated Todd so much that he felt like his eyes were going to pop out of his skull. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn''t be so afraid to be attacked by a king. But since he was being framed, he felt blatantly wronged. It was only natural that he responded in anger.


    "How dare you frame me? You must be courting death!" Todd said to the man who killed Grady through gritted teeth.


    "What are you talking about? You killed Grady right in front of all of us. How could you blame me for something you did?" The man smiled in a sinister fashion, his eyes flashing mischievously.


    "That''s right. You are so cruel and merciless, Todd! How dare you kill Seth''s sworn brother!"


    "You''d better prepare yourself for the wrath of Seth." The man''s smile widened. "However, if you hand over the brat, I might be willing to stab Grady''s corpse with my sword. Do you catch my drift?" The man''s message was clear. If Todd gave up Darren, then he would take half of the responsibility of Grady''s death. Together, they''d face the wrath of Seth.


    Although these three men were all powerful warriors, they frankly weren''t strong enough to contend with Todd.


    After all, Todd was known as the God of Sword. And his strength was close to that of the Five Kings. He didn''t fight that often, but no one doubted his capability in combat.


    The three men all knew that Juan was a weak-minded man and would avoid war at all costs. Therefore, it was only under the instructions of their respective kings that they dared make trouble for Todd. They all believed that Todd would not try to kill them.


    As for why those kings didn''t do it themselves, that was because never in their wildest dreams would they dare! They all feared each other. The moment they walked out of their territory and confronted another king, all hell would break lose until either party died.


    Therefore, the kings seldom did things personally. Instead, they usually ordered their competent subordinates to do their biddings.


    Hence, despite the importance of capturing Darren, none of the kings had come in person.


    Then, it dawned on Todd what these men were up to. Sighing heavily, he willed himself to calm down before saying anythin


    e Chaotic Region all knew of this law.


    "Don''t worry. The blood pass has been broken," Darren reminded Todd calmly. "Otherwise, I wouldn''t have been chased by the mysterious gray man back then."


    "You''re right! Sorry, I was confused. Let''s go. I also want to see the Five Dangerous Areas."


    The two then stepped foot onto the First Dangerous Area through a whirlpool.


    They found that the mysterious underground space was in ruins, devastated by countless wars.


    Not keen to waste any time, Darren instantly activated his god''s sense to search for the aura of the Rule Soul Avatar.


    But unfortunately, he soon found out that there was no aura of life here. This made him uneasy.


    ''Did the Rule Soul Avatar encounter any misfortune?'' he thought to himself anxiously.


    "Sir, please help me find out if there is anyone alive here." Since Darren couldn''t detect the aura of the Rule Soul Avatar by himself, he had no choice but to ask Todd for help.


    Todd activated his powerful god''s sense, which could only cover a million kilometer radius around in the First Dangerous Area. He too could not detect the aura of life.


    Then, Darren and Todd decided to fly around quickly, searching for signs of life.


    After a few days, the two of them had covered much ground in the First Dangerous Area. Yet, they still didn''t find any aura of life.


    "It seems that your avatar is very likely to have been destroyed... Don''t be sad. It''s just an avatar. You can refine another one, if that is indeed the case," Todd said in a light tone, in a measly attempt to comfort him.


    Darren''s eyes turned red. "Sir, you don''t understand. Our relationship is not what it looks like. The truth is, he is even closer than a brother."

 Chapter 1472 See The Gray Figure Again

    Todd might not have known the full story between Darren and his avatar, but he could see that Darren was very sad about his death.


    "Alas..." Darren sighed sorrowfully.


    "Don''t think about it too much. Maybe your avatar has escaped!" Todd continued to try to comfort him.


    "I hope so," Darren said wistfully. The Rule Soul Avatar had gone through more difficulties than he did. He was a clever fellow, always making it out of things alive, and Darren secretly hoped that his avatar would suddenly appear at any given moment.


    After taking a short breather, Todd and Darren flew to the entrance of the Second Dangerous Area with Darren.


    "Stop!"


    After flying for a few hours, Todd suddenly held up his hand to signal at Darren to stop. Activating his god''s power, he hid himself and Darren.


    "Sir, is there anything wrong?" Darren asked confusedly.


    "There is someone in front of us." Todd''s expression darkened. He signaled Darren to land on the ground and began to run quickly.


    A quarter of an hour of running later, Todd saw a gray figure in the distance, who seemed to be attacking something.


    "The guy who chased you is still here!" Todd exclaimed.


    Because Darren had described the person who chased him, Todd put two and two together. The man he could detect using his god''s sense fit Darren''s description.


    Darren trembled.


    "He''s still here? Sir, do you think you can defeat him?" Darren asked anxiously.


    Todd kept silent for a while before answering. "This person''s cultivation base is quite high. I won''t know unless I fight him."


    "Then, what are we going to do now? Should we hide and launch a sneak attack?" Darren asked, still trembling nervously.


    "No need for that. I''ll fight him face to face." Todd was a man of integrity. When it came to fighting, he never used sneaky schemes, and preferred to fight his opponents head on.


    "I''ll go with you!"


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The two of them launched themselves into the air and quickly headed towards the gray figure.


    Boom! Boom! Boom.


    As they steadily closed the distance, they began to hear loud explosions.


    Hundreds of kilometers ahead, dust filled the air and lights flashed violently.


    "Who are you?"


    It took a while before the gray figure finally noticed he was not alone. This was not because his god''s sense was weak, but because he


    Together, they chased after the gray figure.


    The two Bloodsucker Princes split up. One of them blocked the exit to prevent the gray figure from escaping, while the other kept searching.


    Three days passed, but Darren and the others still couldn''t see any signs of the gray figure.


    Boom! Boom!


    The earth beneath them began to tremble and crack. Through the crevices, a light as red as blood shot out into the sky.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Todd and Elgin quickly rushed to the exit, where the light was coming from.


    When they arrived, they saw that Joris had been forced to retreat. The gray figure was about to break through the obstruction and escape.


    "Don''t you dare try to run away!"


    Todd pointed his sword towards the sky, and a huge divine sword shot out towards the gray figure.


    The space cracked, and the power of the sword attack forced the gray figure to retreat from the exit.


    "Damn it! You''re digging your own grave!"


    the gray figure roared furiously. He had chosen to retreat, which already damaged his ego. But he never expected these wretched guys would chase after him like this.


    They were courting death!


    "Todd, since you are so desperate to die, I will kill you today."


    A long spear appeared in the gray figure''s hand and struck forward, parrying the approaching divine sword.


    Then, the gray figure turned around and slowly walked towards Todd.


    At that moment, the gray figure''s mysterious aura began to dissipate, revealing his true features to Todd.


    "Long time no see, Todd!"


    he said with an evil smile.

 Chapter 1473 The Dream And The Frog At The Bottom Of The Well

    The color drained from Todd''s face in an instant and his eyes were laden with a deep surprise.


    The man stood before him was tall and handsome. He wore black iron armor that fitted his form well and in his hand, he held a spear shining with divine light.


    Darren shifted his gaze to the man, surprised to discover such a good looking young man in the midst of the gray mist.


    "Todd, are you surprised to see me alive?" His voice was flat and devoid of emotion, a far cry from what it was when he had been shrouded by the gray mist.


    "I never would''ve expected it, in my wildest dreams." Todd''s expression was complicated. It was hard to read and understand what he might have been thinking.


    "Now, do you still wish to stop me?"


    "I would not dare, captain. I only have one request. Please let Darren go. He is my relative," Todd requested, bowing to the man.


    "Hahaha..." the man burst into laughter. "Todd, my good friend, he is now the Territory Enfeoffing Emperor. If I killed him, the Chaotic Region would lose its nominal ruler and order will be restored. It is god''s plan that we would meet again here, today. Now we can rebuild the Heavenly Eagle, take the world on and make our dream a reality."


    "Murray, my friend, that''s impossible," Todd said sadly, shaking his head with a bitter smile.


    Darren had been standing aside, listening to them speak and had been struck dumb by what he heard.


    As it turned out, Todd knew this man and even referred to him as friend.


    "Humph! Have your forgotten your dream, and your fallen hot-blooded friends? God blessed me and let me survive so that I can make up for my regrets and right my mistakes. I knew you''d grown stronger a long time ago, and your strength is close to that of the major bandits and even comparable to what mine had once been. But do you know why I never came to you before?" asked the young man named Murray with a hint of rage and disgust in his voice.


    "Captain, please let bygones be bygones. The Chaotic Region will never be a paradise. It will never be possible. Please, just give up on it," sighed Todd heavily with tears welling in his eyes. He seemed as though his energy was being drained from him and it hurt him to argue with Murray.


    What a cruel time it was! And what a group of hot-blooded fools they were! But that was the past.


    Eventually, it ended in darkness and blood. Todd finally realized that their dreams were not right for this era, an era full of battles and darkness.


    "You hav


    at the bottom of a well," Darren sneered.


    "What did you say? I''ve battled in the chaotic world for so many years. I''ve seen through everything! You have no right to judge me!" Murray roared, looking down on Darren pitifully, disgusted that he would dare utter such words.


    "Did I misspeak?" Darren turned his back to Murray. "You are too narrow minded. From your conversation with Todd, it''s clear you wanted to establish peace and stability, but for some reason you and your followers failed. It seems as though most of you were subdued and killed. You managed to survive and come back, your mission still running wild in your mind."


    "I don''t need to listen to the dribble that slips out of your mouth!" Murray said scornfully.


    "Don''t be so quick to interrupt me. The world you see is too one-sided. The Chaotic Region, the land left by the Chu Clan; that is all you see. What about the rest of the Primitive Wilderness and the entire human race?


    Even if you unify the Chaotic Region, what good does that do? You think a stable state will be established? That the paradise you dream of will magically appear? You''re too naive! You forget we''re human beings, the lowest and humblest race in the Primitive Wilderness.


    Sooner or later, the other races will rush in with the intention of enslaving the human race. They will bully their way through and slaughter us at will. Will you be able to hold on to your paradise then? Will the human race still be safe? You''re pathetic. The truly wise and courageous among us care about the human race and fight for its survival. How dare you try and tell me you''re not just some frog at the bottom of a well?"

 Chapter 1474 God of Sword Vs God of Spear

    Todd was stunned by the words Darren had said. It was such a shocking thing to hear that even Murray fell silent.


    Indeed, the Chaotic Region was so trivial compared to the Primitive Wilderness. It was nothing more than a tiny drop in a vast ocean.


    After a long silence, Murray''s gaze turned cold and cruel. "Supreme God Alfredo left a restriction in the Chaotic Region, and even the chief gods wouldn''t dare break it. If I take charge and unify this region, it will see never ending peace! Don''t think you can convince me with that ridiculous spiel. You''re just good at being a boisterous liar, just like your avatar."


    "Stop lying to yourself. It''s stupid to expect that the restriction my uncle left lasts forever. Think about it. My uncle was an incredible man, but even he couldn''t live forever, much less so the restriction that he left. It''s honestly pathetic for you to keep your hopes up like that.


    It''s true that I''m only at the Celestial God Realm, but I''m trying to make a difference in this world. You think that''s funny? Then let me ask you, what level are you in the human race? Where are you on the food chain? Do you have any influence over anyone compared to the fiend race, the angel race and the Shura race?"


    Not waiting for Murray to respond, Darren continued to say calmly, "Say no more. Let me tell you the answer. In the Primitive Wilderness, you are just at the top level of the Deputy God Realm. There are many people who can easily slay you in these parts. Don''t you think that you are a joke too?"


    Murray''s heart dropped. His lips trembled in despair as all his words had failed him.


    What Darren said to him cut deep. It was a sore subject for the entire human race. They''d rather not hear that they were weak when compared to the other races.


    "What is it? Cat got your tongue? Let me tell you, we''re living in tough times and in an even tougher world. You don''t get to choose to join in or drop out of it. This is a culling put into place and the whole world is involved. Every living being is a part of this nasty situation.


    I can''t help but believe that I can reach the highest level and do something about it, even if you probably don''t think I should," said Darren wholeheartedly.


    Murray felt torn. He wished for a pure and peaceful world. He imagined beautiful sceneries of blue skies, white clouds, green mountains, and pristine rivers. All the people living in this land got along in harmony.


    But it seemed like such a far-off and difficult dream. Even Supreme God Alfredo was taken by


    emotions in his tone when he admitted defeat.


    Splash.


    Murray''s spear shattered into countless golden fragments, flying into the dark space.


    "Ah!" he sighed, scratching the back of his head in resignation. He had experienced much suffering throughout his life in the years he''d lived. Todd used to be an unknown young man, but now he was terrifyingly powerful and possessed unparalleled strength.


    With a single strike of his sword, he could''ve destroyed the world.


    ''Now, it''s time that I should leave this damned world,'' Murray sighed sadly.


    He inched forward step by step. He then opened his arms wide, withdrew his god''s power, and sped down to the ground.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Cracks began to appear on Todd''s body, and in an instant, they spread all over his body like spider webs.


    "Alas, in the end, I still couldn''t protect you. What a great shame!"


    sighed Todd, as he looked up into the sky. He was reluctant, but there was nothing he could do when death knocked at his door.


    His body dissipated into dust, and was slowly gusted away in the darkness.


    Boom! Boom!


    At this moment, the space windstorm grew even more violent and a black vortex appeared in the center. The black vortex then opened like a flurry of dark petals.


    A dark passage appeared in the broken space.


    Two rays of grayish green light seemed to shine in the distance. One of them engulfed the dust that Todd''s body had turned into, and the other rushed into the space windstorm at the bottom.


    The end of the dark passage echoed with footsteps. The grayish green light then formed into two rivers and surrounded the two bloody and beaten bodies.


    It was the Resurrection Force.

 Chapter 1475 The Way Of Escape

    Todd''s body became whole again after a powerful Resurrection Force gathered around it and condensed it to its former state.


    Out of the dark tunnel emerged a figure in white. Then came a young man in purple from behind it.


    It was the Rule Soul Avatar and Darren!


    They stepped out and stood side by side, seeming strong and hardened by what they had been through. Darren let out a sigh of relief when he looked at the Rule Soul Avatar and said, "I thought you had been killed. How did you manage to escape?"


    He sounded relaxed, hiding his sadness that only he knew of.


    The Rule Soul Avatar then formed images of what had taken place in his escape and relayed them to Darren''s mind.


    What Darren saw, was how the Rule Soul Avatar had turned himself into little particles and yet Murray still crushed him together with the space.


    However, he had anticipated this using his powerful deduction ability. He reacted by turning his physical body into dots of light. Then, with his soul wrapped in the Resurrection Force, he entered the shattered space.


    He knew he was still in danger of dying despite his quick thinking. Once the space collapsed, his soul would dissipate but luckily, he was prepared for this as well.


    Thus, just as Murray was about to smash the space, the Rule Soul Avatar activated the Source of Laws and set the tunnel in the dark space turbulent flow, allowing his soul to quietly sneak in and escape.


    This was how he had managed to escape that hairy situation. As Darren saw it, it was an incredibly complex process. Somehow it had all happened in less than a second; it took a lot of preparation and fast thinking and decision making. Every step of the plan had to be executed to perfection. It was by no means an easy escape for the Rule Soul Avatar.


    A moment ago, Darren himself had almost been crushed, despite the protection of the blood vitality. It was at that critical moment that the Rule Soul Avatar had opened the tunnel and taken Darren and the two Bloodsucker Princes through. Only then were they somewhat safe.


    They hid in a narrow crack immediately on arriving at the Source of Laws. The Rule Soul Avatar had not dared show himself. Once the creatures that dwelled there discovered that he had returned, he''d be doomed with no way out.


    When he had activated the Source of Law the last time, he had attracted the anger of the chief god


    very much, Xavier. I will always remember your help and I am eternally grateful."


    The Rule Soul Avatar was aloof by nature, but since Todd was his senior and had died in battle for Darren, he was grateful as well and had much respect for him. Because of this, he responded, "You''re welcome, sir. It was my duty, the least I could do. It was the right thing to do."


    Darren was overjoyed by what he had just witnessed.


    The Rule Soul Avatar had certainly changed quite a bit. He was beginning to understand the ways of the world. Only with this could he be a real creature.


    "Sir, my avatar saved Murray as well. What should we do with him?" Darren asked.


    Todd was filled with mixed feelings as he looked on at the man floating in front of him.


    He and Murray had once been part of the same force, known as the Heavenly Eagle, which Murray had founded. When he first joined the force, he was only at the Celestial God Realm.


    But the warriors of the Heavenly Eagle had never despised him for his low cultivation base. They had saved his life in many battles.


    Murray, their captain, had cared for him like a brother, rather than a superior leader of the force.


    Time flew. Many years had passed.


    Those hot-blooded people had long been drowned by the torrent of history, and Todd had become strong, reaching the top level of the Deputy God Realm.


    He had never thought he would see Murray again, or that they would have a fierce battle when they were finally reunited.


    Todd let out a long sigh of grief and concern. He was in low spirits now, visibly down and very sad.

 Chapter 1476 Bury The Hatchet

    Darren saw the expression of loneliness written on Todd''s face; he understood how he felt, more than most.


    "Sir, you went against Murray to save me. I don''t know how I could possibly repay your kindness and how to tell you how grateful I am," Darren said, disbelieving. He was deeply moved and thankful for Todd.


    Todd shook his head, smiling bitterly, and said, "As a human being, I think the survival of our race comes before all else. Murray was wrong and wasn''t thinking clearly. I did what I had to. I knew both of us would die by the end of the battle. All I could think of was that after I died, I wouldn''t feel guilty for Murray''s death.


    To tell you the truth, even if I had survived, I would have killed myself to make up for it, as a tribute to him. We were as close as brothers, after all."


    Both Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar stood in silence, respectfully. Murray and Todd''s friendship had stood the test of time for tens of thousands of years.


    "Sir, do you mean that we should treat and cure him?" asked Darren.


    "How about this? Xavier and I will take Murray. I will arrange a place far from here for him to be held. In that way, once he wakes up, there will be no chance he will get in your way as any enemy would. As for the future... I will stand by my principles."


    "Do as you must. I must admit that I can''t bear to see him die like this. It''s just that he is a little stubborn," Darren said.


    Todd''s admiration for Darren was even deeper now. Murray had tried many times to take his life and yet he was still so forgiving of him. Darren was a truly admirable being.


    "No, thanks,"


    a hoarse voice said suddenly.


    The figure in black armor then stood up.


    He still looked graceful and handsome, despite his pale face.


    "Captain!"


    Todd shouted, instinctively getting up and standing in front of the rising figure.


    "How can you still call me captain?" Murray responded coldly.


    "Captain..." Todd said bitterly. "No matter what you may think or do, you will always be my captain."


    "You are incredibly stubborn yourself. Just call me Murray." Murray, who had been so ill-tempered and flat, now suddenly grinned.


    Todd was stunned by what he was hearing and tears welled up in his eyes. "You do not blame me for anything anymore? Murray!"


    "Hmm." Murray heaved a huge sigh and spoke. "I heard everything you just said. All this trouble was caused because I was too stubborn. These two peerless geniuses, Darren and Xavier, are the future of the human race. Going against them would be going against all I once stood for. I would be abandon


    in the Second Dangerous Area. They each had the fighting power of the low-level deputy god, some of them even had the fighting power of the middle-level deputy god. These metal creatures were not all that weak.


    Logically speaking, if powerful masters like Todd and Murray faced the metal creatures, it wouldn''t take long for them to destroy all the metal creatures.


    But this way of thinking was in fact completely wrong!


    Those metal creatures were different. Their fighting method was perfectly cooperative. They fought in perfect sync. With every three hundred of them working together, they''d be able to resist a deputy god at the top level.


    And there were hundreds of thousands of them there.


    Their fighting power was probably terrifying to even imagine.


    It was very likely that even Todd and Murray would be killed if they tried to break in there!


    "By the way, Darren, how did your aunt Yolanda get in?"


    Todd had heard Darren say that he had someone he wanted to save, but he only recently mentioned that it was Aunt Yolanda.


    How had she gotten into the Second Dangerous Area? This thought finally dawned on Todd. It was highly unusual.


    "I won''t keep anything from you. Aunt Yolanda is the wife of my uncle... Alfredo." Darren had finally revealed the truth to everyone.


    "What?" Todd squealed in surprise.


    "What the hell?" Murray jumped up; he had long known that a creature had entered the Second Dangerous Area, but he had not expected that creature to be the wife of Supreme God Alfredo.


    Darren had also referred to Alfredo as "Uncle" several times, and Murray still had somehow never put two and two together and realized that Darren''s uncle was Supreme God Alfredo!


    "Oh my God!"

 Chapter 1477 Attacking The Gate

    Murray was greatly surprised.


    He didn''t expect that Darren and Alfredo were closely related by blood.


    "Are you saying that the person you want to rescue is Alfredo Chu''s wife? Is that really true?" he asked.


    "Yes, it''s true. Aunt Yolanda came to the Chaotic Region first to help me recapture the Chu Clan''s territory, but she got into big trouble. That''s the reason why I entered the Chaotic Region earlier than scheduled," replied Darren.


    "You should have told me sooner. If I had known that you were only trying to rescue the wife of Supreme God Alfredo, I shouldn''t have attacked you," Murray said with excitement.


    "Darren, you don''t know that Murray worships Supreme God Alfredo the most all his life," Todd explained with a smile.


    But although Murray worshiped Alfredo, he still had his own principle and belief. If Darren was only an ordinary patriarch of the Chu Clan who came here without any convincing strength, he would not have let Darren go just because he revered Alfredo. He had already proven it before.


    "The kings are after Aunt Yolanda. They want to kill her. So, I have to be very careful. I can''t just tell my purpose of coming here to anyone."


    When the kings found out that Yolanda was still alive and she had entered the Five Dangerous Areas, they became so anxious that they were thinking of ways on how to kill her.


    Darren then said to the Rule Soul Avatar, "Rule Soul Avatar, know more about Aunt Yolanda''s current condition."


    Since the Rule Soul Avatar had already found out Yolanda''s location last time, it was relatively easy for him to detect her condition now.


    Soon enough, he saw a scene.


    "This is not good," he said in a cold voice while shaking his head. "Her immortal body has been broken for so many times. It''s too difficult for her to heal herself now."


    "If that''s the case, we need to do something to save her immediately," Murray said as he lifted his spear, ready to fight.


    "Yes. There is no time to lose. We have to make a move now," Darren also said anxiously.


    They then flew to the edge of the First Dangerous Area together.


    This area had a gate that was around a hundred thousand feet high. If they could open it and pass through the valley, they could reach the Second Dangerous Area.


    "Rule Soul Avatar, you take the lead," Darren ordered.


    They had to mainly rely on the Rule Soul Avatar to pass through the gate. Only his powerful rule cultivation ability could cut the laws guarding it.


    Over the years, the powerful forces of the Chaotic Regio


    e sky and lit up the whole First Dangerous Area. The auras of the broken sword intent and the spear intent attacked the space. It seemed like it was about to break into pieces.


    ''If these two work together to attack Lord Starry Sword, I''m afraid that he won''t be able to outshine them,'' Darren thought to himself while watching Todd and Murray.


    He had witnessed the battle between Lord Starry Sword and the avatar of the Bloodsucker Ancestor back then. At that time, he saw how terrifying Lord Starry Sword''s real fighting power was.


    But Todd''s and Murray''s fighting power, had also reached the same level. So if the two of them worked together, they would be likely to defeat Lord Starry Sword.


    However, if Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng worked together against Todd and Murray, the two lords would be slightly superior to them.


    Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng were only at the top level of the Superior God Realm. They hadn''t become deputy gods yet. Therefore, they still had a lot of room for improvement, which was their advantage over Todd and Murray.


    Half a month had passed quietly.


    One day, Darren saw Todd and Murray flying towards them from afar.


    He couldn''t help laughing when he saw how they looked. They were in rags, and their hair was in disarray. Instead of looking like masters, they looked like beggars.


    "How was it?" he asked.


    Todd and Murray looked at each other. Then Todd shook his head slightly and answered, "The laws are too strong. We can''t completely open the gate yet."


    "It doesn''t matter. Let me heal the two of you first," said the Rule Soul Avatar. Since he had fully recovered now, he immediately released his Resurrection Force.

 Chapter 1478 Arrival Of The Kings

    It was only thanks to the Rule Soul Avatar that Todd and Murray managed to recover enough to take action once more.


    However, they hesitated to attack the gate. Anxiously, they both turned to face Darren.


    "Darren, if we open the gate of the Second Dangerous Area, I''m afraid the Five Kings will find out about this and come here in no time," Todd said apprehensively.


    This indeed was a cause for concern.


    Darren had been so caught up in saving Yolanda he failed to consider this before.


    The Five Kings had coveted the Five Dangerous Areas for a long time. If the gate of the Second Dangerous Area was tampered with, they''d definitely catch wind of it.


    "That''d be great, actually,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar suddenly cut in when he saw that Darren had fallen silent.


    "Great?" Darren echoed in confusion. Frowning, he asked, "What do you mean by that?"


    "If the kings come here, powerful warriors in tow, and break into the Second Dangerous Area by themselves, then that''ll save us a lot of effort," the Rule Soul Avatar explained calmly.


    Upon hearing this, the other three''s eyes widened as they realized what the Rule Soul Avatar meant.


    The metal creatures in the Second Dangerous Area didn''t give a damn about who came in; they would attack any intruders.


    If the kings brought their master warriors here, they would take on the brunt of their attacks.


    "Xavier is right," Murray said. "But don''t forget that if they get to the center of the array, they will successfully occupy the Second Dangerous Area."


    Of course, there were cons to the kings'' arrival.


    The center of the array was hidden somewhere within the Second Dangerous Area. Whoever found it would become the ruler of the Second Dangerous Area.


    Although the pressure on Darren and the others would be lessened if the kings showed up, so would their chances of finding the center of the array.


    "We didn''t have much of a chance of occupying the Second Dangerous Area in the first place. Let them fight for it. Our priority is to save Aunt Yolanda," Darren said firmly.


    "Darren is right. We can save Mrs. Chu, but the chances of us finding the center of the array are slim. Let the others fight over it. Even if the Second Dangerous Area is taken over, there are still the Third, the Fourth and the Fifth Dangerous Areas," Todd chimed in.


    "If that''s the case, then let''s break through the gate quickly and enter the Second Dangerous Area before those guys arrive," Murray replied with a nod.


    There was no need to dilly-dally any l


    r king had finally come!


    The Five Kings simultaneously looked into the distance to observe the situation at the gate of the Second Dangerous Area.


    "Juan, you cheeky devil. You have two fierce warriors in your force," teased the East King.


    After studying for a while, he found that there were actually two masters attacking the gate, both of whom were Juan''s subordinates. He cursed silently at Juan''s cunningness.


    Dressed simply and stout, Juan didn''t look like a king. He looked like a peasant.


    He too sensed that two powerful auras were attacking the gate, Todd and another man. To his surprise, he didn''t know the other man at all.


    "That man is clearly a spear master. I didn''t expect you to have such a master under your command, Juan. Are you planning on killing all of us some day?" said another king, forcing a fake smile.


    "You two, quit being so cynical. I don''t have such a person in my force. He must be a friend of Todd''s. He has nothing to do with me," Juan explained with a shrug.


    "Humph! I don''t care how many powerful masters you have. I''m only here to kill Darren and Todd. If any of you objects, I will fight with you till death,"


    Seth said firmly, although his expression showed how depressed he actually was.


    "Go ahead. We''re not here to stop you. Right, Juan?" the East King said playfully.


    Juan knew that what Seth had said just now was for him to hear, because he was Todd''s friend.


    "Of course I won''t stop you. If you think you can kill him, then do it. But hear this: if Todd dies, I will do everything in my power to avenge him. Do you understand?" Juan shot Seth a cold glare. At this moment, his kingly aura finally burst out.

 Chapter 1479 Entering The Second Dangerous Area

    Juan''s message was clear as crystal: if Seth dared kill Todd, he was going to exact his revenge.


    This was the equivalent of declaring a duel to the death with Seth.


    "I always thought you were a coward, Juan," Seth mused aloud. "Yet today you finally show some semblance of courage. Come on then, fight me!" Seth''s eyes flashed as his killing intent surged like crazy.


    "You are so stupid!" Juan hissed quietly. Narrowing his eyes at Seth, he wondered if the king before him really had no clue what he was doing. It was simple. If he and Seth dueled here, what would the other three kings do? Stand by and watch? Of course not. They would only take advantage of the situation.


    If he and Seth really picked a fight now, the other kings would definitely kill them off using some sort of sneak attack.


    "Quit talking big. If you two really mean it, why are you beating around the bush?" the West King taunted, hoping to provoke the two kings.


    "The West King is right. Why are you so indecisive?"


    the others chimed in, eager to see the two kings fight.


    Boom! Boom!


    Just as the tension between the kings thickened, bright light shot out in the distance and the whole space shook violently.


    The gate of the Second Dangerous Area had been opened!


    "Come on, let''s go!" The instant the Second Dangerous Area was opened, they dropped the issue like a hot potato. The East King immediately rushed to the gate of the Second Dangerous Area, his subordinates at his heels.


    Seeing that someone had taken the lead, the rest of the forces sprung into action and flew after them. Even Seth didn''t hesitate. He too headed for the gate with his subordinates.


    After entering the gate of the Second Dangerous Area, they saw a vast valley.


    "Are they following us?" Darren anxiously asked the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Yes, they are right behind us," the Rule Soul Avatar confirmed.


    "Let them come. At this point, anyone can win," Murray said coolly.


    Since the Five Kings were all here, he thought this could also serve as some sort of opportunity.


    "We''d better go find Ms. Leng first," Todd suggested wisely.


    "Todd''s right. Let''s find Aunt Yolanda first."


    Together, they picked up speed, crossing over the valley.


    "Who are you? Tell me your names!" a voice barked fiercely.


    Suddenly, two figures appeared in front of them, spears in their hands.


    "Watch out!"


    Todd and Murray halted in their tracks simultaneously. From around a hundred feet away, they quietly observed the two figures in front of them.


    To their surprise, what stood there were not real creatures, but two lifelike stone statues.


    "What''s going on here?"


    When Darren saw these two stone


    lowed them.


    Todd brandished the sword in his hands and slashed down with his strongest blow. Meanwhile, Murray jabbed at the metal creatures with his divine spear menacingly.


    In an instant, chaos had broken loose and the world was covered in sword shadows and spear shadows.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    One by one, the metal creatures were destroyed.


    "Oh, no,"


    Todd muttered. He felt something was off.


    Despite showing no mercy just now, they had failed to kill off all the metal creatures. To their horror, three metal creatures were left standing.


    The metal creatures'' defensive power was much stronger than they had expected!


    Darren instantly stepped in to take action.


    Before the metal creatures could make a move, his blade intent and sword intent burst out like crazy. The black god''s power rushed out like a river.


    In a single move, he exerted all his god''s power to attack the three surviving metal creatures.


    Darren''s crazy blade intent and sword intent swept over, and with a sonorous sound, their metallic bodies were crushed to a pulp.


    Thanks to how Darren''s black god''s power and divine patterns both could increase the penetrating power, he was able to get past their strong defensive power.


    However, he had used up all his strength in this one blow. Of course, the three metal creatures, who were merely at the low-level of the Superior God Realm, didn''t stand a chance.


    Bang!


    The three metal creatures exploded simultaneously.


    In a matter of seconds, more than fifty metal creatures were killed.


    As a force of habit, Darren activated the Assimilating Force and the Evolution Force.


    "What the¡ª? Why isn''t it working?"


    After the Assimilating Force was released, to Darren''s surprise, no talent was found in the dead metal creatures.

 Chapter 1480 What To Do Next

    But after a few seconds, the Evolution Forces of the metal creatures kept flowing and automatically gushed out.


    Then balls of strange light condensed and flew towards Darren one after another.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Darren''s bones made crisp sounds. He quickly looked inside his body to check, and he was shocked. Because of the light balls that he had absorbed, his bones and meridians turned golden.


    "Ha-ha! What a pleasant surprise," he exclaimed happily. His physical strength had been greatly improved again.


    Todd and Murray flew over towards him.


    "Darren, are you hurt?" one of them asked.


    "No, I''m fine. As long as those metal creatures don''t show up in groups, their fighting power is not too strong for me," Darren replied.


    "That''s great! All we have to do now is to wait for Ms. Leng to condense."


    They stayed where they were and waited. Only after a quarter of an hour later, Yolanda''s body had already condensed.


    Fortunately, she had an eternal immortal body that was more powerful than the Golden Indestructible Body. Otherwise, she would have died after being torn apart again and again.


    "Darren, put Ms. Leng in your small world so we can go."


    "Okay," Darren replied with a nod. He then turned to the Rule Soul Avatar and said, "Xavier, I''ll put Aunt Yolanda in the small world. You go there and try your best to cure her."


    The Rule Soul Avatar nodded. Darren then brought him and Yolanda to the small world.


    In Darren''s small world, Elsa was sitting by a small river. She pouted and muttered, "Damn it! You promised that we won''t be separated. But why did you leave me alone in this small world? Humph!"


    All of a sudden, a crack appeared in the sky, and the Rule Soul Avatar descended with Yolanda.


    Thinking that it was Darren, Elsa was overjoyed. But when she saw that it was the Rule Soul Avatar, she stomped off annoyingly.


    "Where is Darren? Why hasn''t he come here yet?" she asked with a frown.


    "He''s outside. Don''t worry. He''s fine," the Rule Soul Avatar said lightly.


    "I know that you are lying to me. Are you in danger again? Tell me the truth. Don''t you dare fool me," Elsa said angrily.


    "I''m not lying to you," replied the Rule Soul Avatar. "If you feel bored, why don''t you kill time with Jenifer?" he added. The Rule Soul Avatar then took Jenifer out of his space. She landed in front of Elsa.


    But without saying a word, she turned to the Rule Soul Avatar and grabbed his ear. "Why


    s good then. Thank you, Xavier. When Aunt Yolanda gets better, please do your best to treat Roland too," he added.


    "Got it," replied the Rule Soul Avatar.


    A few days later, Darren, Todd, and Murray arrived at a red desert.


    Much to their surprise, no metal creatures were patrolling there.


    "It feels weird here. Let''s go inside and have a look,"


    Murray said as he took the lead and flew deep inside the red desert.


    They had already flown for a while, but there was still dead silence.


    "Look! There''s a stone statue over there."


    A few kilometers away, they saw a stone statue''s head appeared.


    The three of them flew over quickly, and they were stunned at what they saw. There were more than a million stone statues neatly arranged on the low-lying land.


    All of them looked valiant and extraordinary. The way they held their spears was like they were ready to attack at any time.


    "Hush! Don''t disturb them."


    If the stone statues came to life and attacked them, they would need to spend a lot of time and energy to deal with them.


    "I''m afraid it''s too late," Darren said in a helpless tone. A lot of stone statues quietly appeared behind them.


    Then all of a sudden, a beast''s roar broke the silence.


    A stone martial artist riding on a stone horse with a long spear in his hand rushed out of the line.


    "Who are you? You must all prepare to die!"


    He raised his spear and pointed at the three of them. He looked like he was ruling the world.


    "Damn it! This man seems to be so powerful," Murray said with a frown. As a master of the spear skill, he immediately felt the power of the stone statue.

 Chapter 1481 Go Out To Fight

    In an instant, Darren, Todd, and Murray were surrounded by the stone statues. There were millions of them, and they were not weaker than the metal creatures at all.


    Todd and Murray couldn''t imagine how to defeat such a large group of stone statues.


    Even the stone statue general alone, who was riding a stone horse, was exuding a strong fighting spirit.


    "You! Fight with me!"


    shouted the stone statue general, pointing at Murray. He seemed to sense that Murray was a powerful master of the spear skill.


    The corner of Murray''s mouth twitched slightly. He felt that the stone statue general was not powerful enough to fight with him alone.


    "How dare you challenge me! You are so weak that I can kill you even in one breath," Murray shouted coldly.


    "Stop talking big. Go to hell!"


    The stone statue general raised his spear and dashed towards Murray.


    In a flash, Murray appeared beside the stone horse. He raised his spear with one hand and slashed to the right.


    The stone horse let out a painful roar and cracked. Then it turned into sand and floated away with the wind.


    The stone statue general rolled down. But he was quick enough to sweep his spear across the ground and attacked thousands of times within just three seconds.


    But Murray moved quickly under the spear shadow, so the stone statue general failed to hit him even once.


    "It''s my turn," he said.


    He held his spear tightly in one hand and swept it across the air. His attack looked so ordinary, but the truth was that the stone statue general had nowhere to dodge.


    All he did was turn his spear horizontally in an attempt to block Murray''s attack.


    Bang!


    The stone statue general''s spear directly exploded, and he was thrown away. A lot of sand gushed out from him like a living being that was bleeding.


    After Murray''s few simple moves, the stone statue general was defeated.


    But Darren and Todd didn''t feel relaxed at all. There were still millions of stone statues glaring at them fiercely.


    After a while, the stone statue general flew over to them again.


    "Argh!" "Rawr!" "Rawr!"


    The moment he flew out, the millions of stone statues behind him roared together, shaking the ground violently.


    As the roar became more and more intense, the stone statue general changed. His body was shrouded by a layer of light golden mist.


    The sand and stones around them flew, and the wind swirled.


    "Kill him!"


    the stone statue general ordered as he raised his long spear and pointed at Murray.


    Murray''s fac


    flew back.


    As expected, the immeasurable pressure dissipated as soon as he retreated.


    "It seems that you don''t have any other choice but to go out and fight this time," Todd said with a darkened expression. The combined power of the millions of stone statues was so powerful. If he and Darren continued to annoy them, they couldn''t have a chance to escape. They had no other choice but to follow their rules.


    "Okay. I will do my best."


    Darren plucked up all his courage and flew out. Although he had no confidence to win this battle, he landed in front of the stone statue general.


    As what he had witnessed earlier, once the ordinary stone statues combined, the stone statue general''s physical strength would increase and surpass Murray''s.


    How could he resist such physical strength? If this stone statue general hit him, he would definitely be smashed to ashes.


    But he must still give it a try. If he didn''t fight, he couldn''t have a chance to defeat the stone statue general.


    "Come on!"


    Darren shouted as he brandished his divine sword that was floating in the air.


    "I will kill you!"


    The stone statue general lifted his heavy sword and rushed towards Darren. When he slashed it down, the space collapsed.


    "Huh?"


    Deep inside him, Darren was utterly shocked. The sword of the stone statue general had such an impact probably because it weighed at least one million pounds.


    Darren''s figure flashed, but he did not rush forward to fight against the stone statue general.


    Whoosh!


    Six flying swords suddenly shot out of his soul.


    Then the Spiritual Flying Swords flew out from six different directions and moved in a perfect trajectory.

 Chapter 1482 Yolanda Recovered

    The six Spiritual Flying Swords all attacked the stone statue general simultaneously, barely giving him a chance to attack.


    "Split!"


    the stone statue general shouted. Then, his heavy sword suddenly split into six lighter swords.


    Working with lighter swords, the stone statue general was able to move more nimbly. He was able to launch a counterattack. Six light swords flew towards Darren''s Spiritual Flying Swords at the same time.


    Bang! Bang!


    With a series of explosive sounds, Darren''s flying swords were smashed to pieces. A sharp pain stabbed at Darren''s soul, and he was sent flying backwards under the impact of the stone statue general''s attack.


    Darren was losing.


    "Darren, can you still keep going?" Todd asked nervously, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword.


    "I think so," Darren replied feebly.


    "If you can''t, then don''t. Worst case scenario is we can fight together," piped in Murray.


    "Wait a while, sir."


    Gathering his bearings, Darren flew over to the battlefield once more. Actually, he had only used the Spiritual Flying Swords to test the stone statue general''s strength.


    The stone statue general definitely had power at the low-level of the Deputy God Realm. But fortunately, he didn''t have any god''s power or sword intent. All his attacks could only be performed in a close distance. Moreover, he could only rely on physical strength.


    So as long as Darren kept his distance, there was still room for him to turn the tables.


    "Go to hell!"


    the stone statue general shouted angrily. Combining the six lighter swords into one heavy sword again, the general rushed over towards Darren.


    With every slash, Darren managed to keep dodging. The heavy sword seemed to slice through the fabric of space itself.


    The stone statue general roared in frustration.


    He was trying his best to get close to Darren. Then, he raised the heavy sword above his head and slashed downwards. Darren had no choice but to sink towards the ground to dodge the attack.


    ''Damn it!'' Darren cursed under his breath.


    The moment he began to descend, he felt that something was off. To his surprise, a light sword suddenly appeared and shot towards him.


    ''This sly guy!''


    Darren suddenly realized that the initial attack of the stone statue general was a decoy. He had taken Darren''s retreat as an opportunity to split the heavy sword into light swords, which surrounded Darren.


    Gritting his teeth, Darren knew there was no escaping from this. He had to face the stone statue general head on.


    ''Swordsmanship from the bottom of my heart...'' Closing his eyes, Darren let his swor


    of the Chu Clan. They all retreated several dozen feet.


    As for the stone statue general, he suddenly stood motionless in front of Darren.


    "Darren, go and kill the stone general," Yolanda instructed.


    "But... I can''t defeat him, Aunt Yolanda," Darren said helplessly, a defeated look in his eyes.


    He couldn''t get close to his opponent. Otherwise, he was likely to die.


    "Don''t be afraid. This divine weapon was cast by your uncle. They won''t dare attack anyone who has our clan''s divine weapon."


    "Oh?" Darren''s eyes lit up. Cautiously, he flew over towards his opponent.


    Even as he got closer, the stone statue general still remained motionless, showing no intention of attacking Darren.


    Brandishing his sword, Darren released an overwhelming amount of sword intent, slashing at the stone statue general with all his strength.


    Bang!


    Countless cracks appeared on the stone statue general''s body. Then, Darren continued to slash at him, until the stone statue general finally collapsed into pieces.


    "Finally! It''s over!"


    Having finally killed the stone statue general, Darren was absolutely exhausted. Upon landing on the ground, his legs felt shaky.


    "Darren, are you okay?"


    "I''m fine, Aunt Yolanda," Darren said as he regained his balance. "How about you? Have you fully recovered? You have suffered a lot..."


    "Fortunately, you were here. If it weren''t for you, I would''ve died," Yolanda sighed. She never expected those metal creatures would attack her in the Second Dangerous Area.


    Darren turned to Todd and Murray to thank them. "Thank you very much for your help, sirs, otherwise I wouldn''t have even made it here." Then he faced his aunt once more. "Aunt Yolanda, will these stone statues still attack us?"

 Chapter 1483 The Secret

    There were too many stone statues. Darren gulped nervously, afraid they would attack again.


    "Of course they won''t," Yolanda said. "But with your cultivation base, you won''t be able to control them either. Just leave them here."


    "Oh." Darren let out a sigh of relief. "As long as they don''t attack us, I won''t need to worry." Then, he abruptly changed the topic. "Aunt Yolanda, how come there are so many powerful metal creatures in the Second Dangerous Area?"


    Yolanda had mentioned that these stone statues were made by Alfredo, which made him wonder who had made those metal creatures.


    "They were also made by your uncle Alfredo," she answered.


    "What? Then why in the world did they attack you?" Darren asked, completely aghast.


    "That is because the metal creatures have no consciousness," Yolanda answered. "They only execute orders. It''s impossible to create so many powerful metal creatures without the strength of a supreme god. If I had come here any time in the past, I wouldn''t have been attacked. But when I entered this time, I found that the metal creatures here had been forcibly controlled by someone else. That would explain why they had become so hostile to me."


    "Controlled?" Darren''s brows furrowed. "How is that possible?" This didn''t make any sense to him.


    Yolanda kept silent for a moment before she answered him. "If a supreme god came here, it would be possible."


    Even Todd and Murray were stunned by her words. A supreme god had entered this place? And judging from the sequence of events, it must have happened after Alfredo died.


    The fact was that Alfredo had never reached the Supreme God Realm, though he possessed the strength of a supreme god. The senior leaders of the human race respectfully addressed him as Supreme God Alfredo only as a formality.


    Since Alfredo died, no one had come close to becoming a supreme god, which begged the question... How could a supreme god have ever come here? It was simply unbelievable.


    "Ms. Leng, are you saying there is still a supreme god in our human race?" Todd asked, taking a step forward.


    "I honestly don''t know." Yolanda shook her head. In the history of the human race, there had been several supreme gods, and the last one they knew of was Supreme God Braxton.


    Supreme God Braxton and Alfredo had once coexisted in the same era, but it was said that the two of them had never met.


    "Aunt Yolanda, is it possible that the remaining blood essence or soul of a deceased supreme god had entered this plac


    see..."


    It turned out it was the graveyard of all the supreme gods. No wonder the Ancestral Land ordered so many deputy gods of the human race to keep it!


    "Aunt Yolanda, so Supreme God Braxton and Uncle Alfredo were also buried there?" Darren chimed in.


    "Supreme God Braxton was buried there, but your uncle wasn''t," she answered. "For two reasons. One was that he was not qualified to be buried there, since he had never reached the Supreme God Realm. The other was that your uncle was killed by the chief gods working together, and there was nothing left of his body, not even a single drop of blood." As she spoke, Yolanda did her best to conceal her sadness.


    "Alas..." Darren sighed. The most powerful master of an entire generation ended up dying like that. It was truly depressing.


    "Well, past is past. What we need to do now is to control the Five Dangerous Areas. Maybe we can find out whatever secrets Alfredo left here." Yolanda shrugged the issue off. She really didn''t want to recall the past.


    "Okay..." Darren nodded obediently. "Aunt Yolanda, what is the center of the array in the Second Dangerous Area?"


    After all, it was only through obtaining the center of the array could they control the Second Dangerous Area.


    "At the beginning, the center of the array was a purple gold metal creature. As long as one killed it, they could control the Second Dangerous Area and all the metal creatures within it.


    But now, the center of the array has changed. I myself don''t know exactly where it is. But I''m sure that the center of the array must be some sort of extraordinary metal creature. We just need to kill it," Yolanda answered gravely.

 Chapter 1484 Choosing Sides

    "At least we now have a smaller search range," Todd said.


    Since they hadn''t even known what the center of the array was before, it was a relief they now had a direction and goal to follow.


    "Let''s go look for it," Darren said.


    They flew together, carefully hiding their auras to avoid an attack from the metal creatures.


    As they flew, they detected many metal creatures along the way, which were too ordinary to be the center of the array.


    "Todd, it looks as if your friend Juan is ahead of us," Murray suddenly said.


    "What? You''re right, it''s him. It appears he''s in some sort of trouble."


    They could detect Juan''s aura from deep within the valley three thousand kilometers away.


    "I''ll go take a look. Wait a moment." Todd wanted to go alone, fearing that Darren and the rest would be implicated if things were truly bad.


    After all, Juan was one of the Five Kings and Darren''s rival at that.


    "What are you saying? How could I as a friend let you go there on your own?" Murray rolled his eyes at him.


    "Sir, we''ll go with you," Darren echoed.


    "Well, if we find it to be too dangerous, you need to escape first. Never mind me," Todd conceded.


    With that,


    they all headed to the valley together.


    Three powerful auras met them from within the valley covered in purple mist.


    "Juan, you won''t be escaping today!"


    "East King, are you truly going to help Seth kill me?" Juan''s roar sounded.


    "What did you think? Of course I am. Chances like this don''t come often. Did you think I wouldn''t take advantage of it?" the East King sneered.


    "East King, you know how cunning Seth is. You''d do best to unite with me, in order to kill him."


    Seth''s heart raced in fear. What if the East King agreed? It would mean to put him on the spot instead.


    "East King, Juan has two masters under his command. Letting him go would cause nothing but trouble for us. Think it over, carefully. He has been adamantly resisting war. Don''t you think there is something suspicious about that? It''s obvious he''s been secretly recruiting powerful warriors to kill us!


    If we let


    the East King murmured to himself.


    The scales were no longer balanced and tipped on the other side''s end. It was three versus two.


    "Juan, will you really attack me? I haven''t been myself these days and got caught up in Seth''s words, then said something I shouldn''t have. Will you forgive me? I agree with you that Seth is a bastard. How about we join forces and end him together?"


    It was apparent the East King had no loyalties and quickly switched sides to whichever gave him the biggest advantage.


    With three masters on Juan''s side, there was no telling if he could make it out alive. His defeat, however, was inevitable.


    "Juan, just think. Four versus one, we''ll end Seth in no time. There''s no reason to miss out on this chance."


    The East King was right. With these odds, Seth was as good as dead. With three versus two, both Seth and the East King could run.


    Juan kept silent and then addressed Todd quietly, "What do you think?"


    After some thought, Todd replied, "Joining with the East King would give us a sure win. Let''s agree to an alliance, and once Seth is dead, it will be easier to kill the East King."


    "That''s a good idea. Let''s do it!"


    Juan addressed the East King, "I don''t hate you and understand that Seth has deceived you. When you kill him, you can claim his power."


    "How could you!"


    Seth, who had heard the entire thing, seethed with anger.

 Chapter 1485 Being Besieged

    Seth was beginning to feel hopeless with the current situation.


    There was no way he could defeat two powerful warriors of the same realm as him, let alone four.


    Faced with these facts, his face went deathly pale.


    "Can''t you just let me go?" He couldn''t help but beg for mercy.


    "Have you even thought of letting me go just now?" Juan asked coldly.


    "The situation has changed. I''m willing to leave the Chaotic Region and guard the cemetery forever. Just let me go for now," Seth pleaded.


    "It''s too late now.


    Would you rather commit suicide than have us kill you?" the East King teased.


    Looking dispirited, Seth realized that there was no chance he would still be alive after this.


    "Alas," he sighed. "It turns out that my efforts are all in vain despite cultivating hard for millions of years. Very well then. I accept my fate!"


    He then activated his god''s power, seemingly with the intention of hitting his own head.


    But as soon as he made his move, a malicious aura burst out of his body. He suddenly rushed forward to attack Todd.


    "Go to hell!"


    There was a ferocious look on his face as he gave his best to kill Todd. He wanted to take him down with him.


    He put all his strength into this blow, reaching his limits.


    Everyone was caught off guard by this unexpected attack. Seth acted so convincingly that everyone almost believed that he was only repenting before his death. Nobody saw the attack coming.


    Before they could react, he was already so close to Todd.


    "It''s the perfect time to run away!" Upon seeing that his chance had finally come, the East King grinned and flew into the void.


    He had been planning his escape since the beginning because he knew that once Seth was dead, he would be next.


    At that moment, both Murray and Juan were too busy paying attention to Todd. Nobody spared the East King any attention. Only Darren and Yolanda had noticed him. But there was nothing they could do to stop him. They could only watch him escape.


    Todd reacted quickly to Seth''s fatal blow. In just the blink of an eye, his violent sword intent overwhelmed the entire sky.


    With both hands, he slashed his sword at the exact moment when the blow was about to hit him.


    The contact resulted into a fierce explosion.


    The whole valley shook violently. Sand and stones flew wildly in the air.


    The god''s power and the sword intent soared into the sky, shattering the space into


    de them. Darren could only hope that the divine weapon of the Chu Clan would be enough.


    "Maybe it can. You have no choice but try." Yolanda wasn''t sure about it either.


    Darren took out the rusty sword and held it steadily in his hands.


    The metal creatures could obviously sense his sword. They paused for a moment, but other than that, there were no other reactions.


    It seemed like the Chu Clan''s divine weapon had a bit of an effect on the metal creatures.


    But then, they began to descend once more. Darren and the others had nowhere else to go now.


    "Since there''s no escape, we just have to fight our way out!" Darren roared.


    "Kill them! Kill them all!" Murray shouted.


    "Very well then. I haven''t given my all in a fight for so many years. It seems like today will be my last." Juan was also ready to go all out.


    "Xavier, release the Bloodsucker Princes."


    Even though the two Bloodsucker Princes were still cultivating in the Source of Laws, their strength would greatly add to their group''s combat power.


    The Rule Soul Avatar then sent out his Spirit Power. This was the only way to reach the two Bloodsucker Princes since he couldn''t access the passage to the Source of Law from here.


    Once they''d heard the news, the two Bloodsucker Princes soon appeared.


    Finally, the battle was about to begin.


    Countless metal creatures rushed towards Darren and his companions.


    Their sonorous sounds filled the air until they violently shook the sky. The war had finally broken out.


    "Kill! Kill! Kill!"


    Murray and Juan quickly jumped into the fray, killing dozens of metal creatures.

 Chapter 1486 Successful Subduing

    This force ended up being too powerful. Fortunately, the metal creatures hadn''t begun working with one another. Their cooperation would have posed a greater challenge to Darren and his companions.


    The two Bloodsucker Princes stood firmly beside Darren and Yolanda, protecting them from the metal creatures that were attempting to attack them.


    The Rule Soul Avatar could barely dodge the attacks being hurled at him. He was using all sorts of powerful laws.


    "Master, there is something wrong with these metal creatures. They seem to possess the aura of the bloodsucker race."


    The two Bloodsucker Princes had already killed some of the metal creatures. Each time a metal creature died, the two of them would feel something unusual.


    "Really?" Darren was shocked. How could these metal creatures possess the aura of the bloodsucker race?


    Was it possible that the Bloodsucker Ancestor had been here before? This question suddenly appeared in Darren''s mind.


    The Bloodsucker Ancestor was one of the strongest ancestors of the various races. He was not as strong as a supreme god, but he was still very powerful.


    If these metal creatures had been imbued with bloodsucker aura, it must have been the Bloodsucker Ancestor who had done it.


    Darren faced the two Bloodsucker Princes. "Is it the aura of the Bloodsucker Ancestor?"


    The two Bloodsucker Princes were silent for a moment before they both shook their heads. "No, it''s totally different from the aura of the Bloodsucker Ancestor."


    Suddenly, a thought seemed to dawn on the two Bloodsucker Princes. They looked at each other, their eyes wide with shock.


    "The Defiant Bloodsucker Prince!"


    they shouted at the same time.


    Darren''s heart skipped a beat.


    It was said that the Defiant Bloodsucker Prince had dared to challenge the Bloodsucker Ancestor. It was safe to assume that they had the same level of strength.


    The Defiant Bloodsucker Prince definitely had the power to do something to the metal creatures.


    After all, Alfredo had already died. These metal creatures had no master. A powerful Defiant Bloodsucker Prince would absolutely be able to infuse his control power into their bodies.


    It was also possible that the Defiant Bloodsucker Prince had found the center of the array, which was inside the most special metal creature. He could have brought the special metal creature under his control and then took the other metal creatures as his own.


    "So, their malicious aura all comes from


    to work," Yolanda reminded.


    "Okay."


    Darren threw the rusty sword into the air. Suddenly, the sword split into tens of thousands of real-looking swords.


    The swords circled around the metal creatures, whooshing through the air. The sound of the swords slicing through the air made the metal creatures tremble.


    All the metal creatures stopped in their tracks.


    At that time, Yolanda flew out. She put her palms together and bent herself into a strange stance.


    A faint beam of light flew out and landed on Darren''s divine weapon.


    "Get down on your knees!" Yolanda shouted.


    Simultaneously, all the metal creatures bent their knees and stayed there, as if they had been frozen.


    "Darren, take back your divine weapon."


    "Yes, Aunt Yolanda."


    Darren took back his sword. The moment the sword fell into his hand, he felt a force of control rush through his veins and melt into his very soul. He let out a small gasp.


    All of a sudden, he felt that the metal creatures were closely connected to him, just like the way a Defiant Master was connected to his believers.


    "Ha! These metal creatures belong to me now!" Darren was overjoyed. Yolanda had helped him subdue the metal creatures.


    "Get up, all of you."


    Clang!


    The metal creatures all stood up together.


    The battle had finally come to an end.


    Murray and Juan were both badly wounded. They were both exhausted, so they quickly sat on the ground to heal themselves. They needed time to recharge their god''s power.


    "Huh...Something is wrong," Darren murmured to himself in surprise.


    "What''s wrong, my real body?" The Rule Soul Avatar looked at him in confusion.

 Chapter 1487 Rare Leisure

    After seizing control of the metal creatures, Darren noticed something that made him feel uneasy.


    "Why does it feel like the strength of these metal creatures is waning?"


    Hearing what he had to say, Yolanda''s shoulders relaxed as she heaved a sigh of relief. From Darren''s reaction, she had braced herself for something worse.


    "The strength of these metal creatures changes as the cultivation base of their controller changes. Don''t fret. It will only fluctuate slightly and won''t decrease too much," Yolanda explained, eradicating Darren''s doubts.


    "I see." Darren nodded to Yolanda and then turned his attention to the metal creatures. He noticed they had only been demoted by one level and weren''t on the same level as him.


    In this way, their collective strength wasn''t subjected to a considerable downgrade as he initially expected. After all, they relied on their cooperative operating method.


    "As Darren continues to add numbers to his ranks, we grow stronger as a unit. We''ll be able to fend off potential threats with ease," Yolanda said with a smile.


    With tens of thousands of metal creatures at his beck and call, Darren strengthened his defenses. Even if he were to be besieged by countless other metal creatures, he would be able to survive.


    Apart from that, he could also use his current army of metal creatures to make more of them submit to his command, further fortifying his numbers.


    Even if they were unsuccessful in determining the whereabouts of the center of the array, Darren would still emerge as the overlord of the Second Dangerous Area.


    "Let''s scout this place for small groups of metal creatures and subdue them. While we''re at it, we can look for that special metal creature too."


    "Alright, let''s move!"


    Darren and his companions packed their essentials and headed off with renewed vigor.


    While on the move, they maintained a low profile to avoid running into large groups of metal creatures to keep the casualties on a minimum.


    After scavenging for their targets for a while, they stumbled upon thousands of metal creatures on patrol. They would serve as the perfect bait for their plans.


    The process was simple. At first, the metal creatures under Darren''s command would ambush the ones on patrol and surround them, rendering them powerless, and then Darren would repeat the previous steps. In this way, the scattered metal creatures would fall under Darren''s ranks, adding to his army.


    After they searched the broad landscape of the Second Dangerous Area restlessly for half a month, Darren''s mob of metal creatures had reached an astounding number of over a hundred thousand!


    The swarm walking behind him was overwhelming in both power and numbers!


    With this army supporting his every move, Darren could go berserk, wreaking havoc in the Second Dangerous Area without fear of retaliation. Due to him targeting groups of metal creatures, most of them altered their routes to avoid encountering Darren.


    "Several days have gone by, and there isn''t any metal creature in sight. Where could they have gone?"


    Determined, Darren and his companions took to the skies, covering high ground to continue their search for the metal creatures, but to no avail. With each passi


    why would I be upset?"


    "You''re not? That makes me feel so much better! Allow me to treat you with some wine." Feeling delighted from her pleasant exchange with Darren''s aunt, Elsa poured in wine into the cups of Yolanda and the other seniors, serving them energetically.


    Soon, the air was choked with casual laughter and chatter, coupled with the clinking of wine cups. After such a long journey, Darren and his companions finally had the chance to lay back and relax.


    "How are things with Todd and Roland going?"


    When the feast concluded, Darren questioned the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Fortunately, Master Todd''s condition has stabilized. Roland, however, he still needs time to recover," the Rule Soul Avatar replied.


    "Thank you for your help."


    "Don''t worry about it." After giving Darren a slight nod, the Rule Soul Avatar gulped down a few cups of wine to hydrate and then immersed himself in treating Roland.


    Following that day, Darren passed his nights and days by Elsa''s side, cherishing their time together, while the others cultivated or went sightseeing. Without a care in the world, they let time tick away as they relieved themselves. Life was so peaceful, which was a feeling they had long forgotten with all the strife that struck them.


    A few more days passed by when something unusual happened outside his small world.


    Darren had sensed that some of his metal creatures had disappeared mysteriously. They were under attack, and he had faced the loss of a thousand metal creatures from his army.


    "Elsa, I have to go out now. You and Miss Jenifer can stay here and wait for me and Xavier to come back."


    "Be careful out there. If there''s any danger that can overwhelm you, please escape immediately." Usually, Elsa would act like a spoiled child who''d want Darren to do her bidding when she was moody. But when the situation called for it, she would deal with it maturely and let Darren handle it his way without interfering. Indeed, those were the qualities of a good wife.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll be back, I promise." After reassuring her, he pulled her into his warm embrace before leaving his small world with the others.

 Chapter 1488 The Appearance Of The Purple-gold Metal Creature

    Upon returning to the Second Dangerous Area, Darren went straight to the valley where the metal creatures were placed.


    There, he found the metal creatures acting anxiously and keeping vigilant.


    While Darren was supposed to have control over these metal creatures now, he had no clue what was going on in their metallic brains.


    Left without any other option, Darren and the others were forced to quietly hide themselves among the metal creatures.


    Half a month passed.


    "This is too weird. The moment we arrived, everything began to move smoothly," Murray muttered under his breath.


    They had been hiding for so many days, but nothing out of the ordinary had happened.


    "Maybe someone is secretly keeping watch on us." Darren''s expression darkened slightly. Now that he mentioned it, he felt that someone was staring straight at them.


    "Ha-ha!" Murray smiled. He seemed to understand what Darren meant.


    After all, the Second Dangerous Area was still under the rule of the special metal creature. If it wasn''t him that was making them uneasy, who else could it be?


    "We should make a plan."


    "I agree!"


    "Let''s leave these metal creatures alone for now."


    Thus, Darren and Murray flew away with the two Bloodsucker Princes.


    The valley where the metal creatures roamed remained quiet for three more days. However, on the fourth day, the metal creatures grew restless and even looked panic.


    Whoosh!


    A purple figure suddenly appeared in the valley, but just as quickly, it disappeared.


    The purple figure kept popping up at seemingly random spots in the valley. However, wherever it appeared, dozens of metal creatures disintegrated into golden fragments.


    In the span of minutes, the purple figure killed nearly a thousand metal creatures, yet none of them ever showed signs of resistance.


    All of a sudden, several powerful auras suddenly filled the atmosphere.


    The purple figure''s head shot up, as though it sensed something all of a sudden. Then, it tried to retreat hurriedly.


    "No escaping, not on my watch!"


    A spear then fell from the sky, landing right in front of the purple figure, effectively blocking its way.


    Bang!


    The impact of the powerful spear intent blew the purple figure backwards. Its vulnerable position made it clear for Darren and the others to see its real body.


    "It''s really you..."


    Darren and the two Bloodsucker Princes gathered together.


    Before them was a purple-gold metal creature! Its appearance and aura were unlike any other metal creature.


    Helplessly, the purple-gold metal creature continued to struggle.


    "Since you have showed yourself to us, you should surrender obediently, or we will kill you. I''m sure you understand the gravity of the situation, right?" Darren said to the purple gold met


    y a good idea." Darren''s eyes lit up excitedly. He hadn''t thought of this before.


    "Let''s do this!" Darren proceeded to ask the Rule Soul Avatar and Yolanda to come out and together, they began to carry out the plan.


    "Listen to me. Use all your strength to besiege the enemy''s five thousand troops, and the rest should resist the attack of the enemy." Darren then ordered twenty thousand metal creatures to besiege their opponent''s metal creatures and the rest of the metal creatures were ordered to stay on the defensive. The division of labor was clear.


    These metal creatures obeyed immediately. Quickly, they found their positions and pressed back the metal creatures rushing in the front inwards.


    After a short while, thousands of metal creatures of the opponent were trapped.


    Without any hesitation, Darren and his companions used the previous method to remove the malicious aura from the bodies of these metal creatures and subdued them with the divine weapon of the Chu Clan.


    Not long after, the thousands of metal creatures were under Darren''s command.


    However, the situation was not as good as they had expected. At least seven thousand metal creatures under his control had died, which was more than the number of metal creatures he had newly subdued. However, this didn''t dampen their spirits. Darren still viewed it as advantageous.


    After the successful first try, Darren immediately wanted to subdue the metal creatures for the second time.


    However, the purple-gold metal creature seemed to have figured out what was going on. Rushing towards Darren and his companions as though it didn''t give a damn what would happen to it, the purple gold metal creature was determined to break past Darren''s protective circle.


    "No, we can''t let it break in," Darren said as he saw what was happening. "Master Murray, please stop it."

 Chapter 1489 Gaining An Advantage

    "Don''t worry. Let me handle it," Murray said as he lifted the spear in his hand and rushed out.


    The purple-gold metal creature was truly powerful. But its fighting method was not as profound as Murray. If they fought, Murray was definitely not inferior to it. However, it would be a different story if it ordered all of its subordinates to surround and attack Murray.


    The purple-gold metal creature quickly killed dozens of Darren''s metal creatures and rushed inside with all its strength.


    "Try my spear!" Murray shouted, waving his spear.


    Then a shadow of the divine spear suddenly rushed out and directly forced the purple-gold metal creature back.


    But much to Murray''s surprise, it became crazier when it was hindered. It rushed back at an extremely fast speed, ready to fight with Murray closely.


    "Humph! Take my shot!" Murray shouted again.


    A dragon made of god''s power showed up on his spear. It thrust forward, and the space was broken layer by layer.


    Clang!


    Murray didn''t expect that the purple-gold metal creature wouldn''t dodge. Instead, it directly blocked his attack with its arms.


    "Its physical strength is comparable to a divine weapon,"


    Murray exclaimed in surprise. The defense of the purple-gold metal creature was so strong. He didn''t know what kind of material it was made of.


    "How can I destroy this creature?" he muttered with a stern look on his face.


    "Master Murray, you don''t have to win. All you need to do is stall for time." Darren immediately sent a message to Murray through his spiritual sense.


    "No need. Do you think I can''t defeat it? I''m even going to kill it," Murray replied. In his heart, he was not willing to accept defeat.


    Darren didn''t get the chance to say anything more. He was too busy now. His subordinates brought in another batch of metal creatures, which he needed to control immediately.


    Using the same method, he and the others worked together to take the metal creatures under control again.


    Bang!


    While they were busy, the purple-gold metal creature took the opportunity to forcefully smash Murray with its strong body. Then it turned into a purple light and rushed directly towards Darren.


    "Oh, no! Go and protect Darren!" Yolanda shouted, panic-stricken. The two Bloodsucker Princes who were with her immediately stood in front of Darren to protect him.


    But they were wrong. The purple-gold metal creature didn''t hit Darren at all. When Darren took a look at the creature, his heart sank, and his eyes widened in shock. All of a sudden, he sensed that something wasn''t right.


    "Damn it! It''s going to hit Aunt Yolanda!" When Darren finally came to his senses, it was too late. A purple light had already appeared in the space behind Yolanda.


    gold metal creature was already forced down deep in the void by the Rule Soul Avatar, Todd, and Juan, it couldn''t do anything in the battle anymore.


    And it could feel that its subordinates were decreasing rapidly. The war was finally about to be over.


    It happened so fast that almost none of them could believe it.


    It only took them a few hours to defeat hundreds of thousands of metal creatures.


    "Ahhh!"


    the purple-gold metal creature roared in the void. Its duel with the three masters had left many cracks on its body. Obviously, it could not hold on any longer.


    It was already expected. Unless the creature was a level higher than the three masters, it couldn''t win against them.


    The strongest master of the three was at the top level of the Deputy God Realm. If they went any higher, they would be half-step supreme god. A half-step supreme god was someone who almost broke through to the Supreme God Realm. So, it was impossible for the purple-gold metal creature to be a level higher than them.


    In this world, only the ancestors of the various races could reach such a realm. Even some powerful Defiant Masters failed to do so.


    But of course, there were some gifted geniuses in each realm. Although their cultivation base hadn''t stepped into the next level, they were much stronger than the others in the same realm or even several higher realms.


    Alfredo, Lord Starry Sword, and Lord Feng were some of those gifted geniuses.


    Darren''s cultivation base was still low, so he couldn''t be considered as one of them for now. But for Lord Starry Sword, if he reached the top level of the Deputy God Realm, he would definitely be comparable to a half-step supreme god.


    It was also the same with Lord Feng.


    As for Darren, he would probably become more powerful than the two lords if he had a future.

 Chapter 1490 Be Promoted Again

    "Follow my order. Go and surround the enemies!"


    Obviously, Darren''s metal creatures outnumbered the enemies. After using the cooperative fighting technique, they all obeyed his command.


    All he needed to do was to control these metal creatures.


    After two hours, the Second Dangerous Area was finally calm.


    More than two hundred thousand metal creatures stood behind Darren. These were all the metal creatures that survived the war, and they were all under his control.


    "Go and capture that purple-gold metal creature,"


    Darren ordered again. An army of metal creatures then rushed to the void to catch the purple-gold metal creature.


    Since there were too many of them, they didn''t find it difficult to seize the purple-gold metal creature.


    They brought the purple-gold metal creature to Darren.


    The war was over, and the result was much better than what Darren had expected.


    "Darren, you don''t have to think twice. Just kill that creature. This is the only way for you to finally own the Second Dangerous Area," Yolanda suddenly said.


    "Don''t worry, Aunt Yolanda. I don''t plan to let it go."


    The purple-gold metal creature didn''t have any emotional cognition, so Darren knew that he absolutely couldn''t make it his believer. Even if he used the divine weapon of the Chu Clan to subdue it, it would still be useless. Thus, this creature must die.


    "Let me deal with it," Murray said, looking a little embarrassed. He was so angry that he wanted to crush the purple-gold metal creature.


    Bang!


    As he thrust his spear, the cracks on the purple-gold metal creature''s body got deeper and denser. When he launched another spear strike, the purple-gold metal creature shattered into pieces.


    Its debris flew in the air, and the force of control entered Darren''s body. At this moment, he was now the owner of the Second Dangerous Area.


    "The Evolution Force!"


    Of course, Darren wouldn''t waste such a powerful metal creature. He immediately activated the Evolving God Character and transformed the creature''s strength into the Evolution Force.


    "Huh?"


    Darren was surprised. The amount of the Evolution Force that the purple-gold metal creature provided to him was even larger than the total amount that he had absorbed before.


    This time, Darren''s bones and meridians had also turned into faint purple-gold. His body strength had become much stronger than before.


    Boom! Boom!


    All of a


    ion. So when he created the metal creatures, he also made an iron law that forbade the metal creatures to leave."


    "Ah!" Darren cried out in disappointment. He didn''t expect that the metal creatures could only be used to guard the Second Dangerous Area, and they could not be taken out for battle.


    "Darren, you don''t have to be disappointed. At this point, I no longer pursue peace. I''m willing to lead all my subordinates to help you defeat the other forces and take the land of the Chu Clan back.


    Besides, I''m sure that Todd and Murray will also help. We can definitely drive all of them away." Juan suddenly spoke up.


    "Thank you for your offer, King Juan. But I think it won''t be a good idea if we start a war. Too many innocents may be afflicted."


    Darren thought for a while. If he used the metal creatures to get their territory back, he could defeat several powerful beings. With their absolute strength, they could win without causing a large-scale war. It wouldn''t affect the ordinary people living in the Chaotic Region.


    But if they used Juan''s force, a war would definitely break out, and many people would be killed. Darren didn''t want it to happen.


    "Okay, we will do things according to your plan," Juan said with a nod.


    "Aunt Yolanda, I''ll put aside the idea of taking back our territory first. For now, I want to look for my parents. Do you have any idea where they might be?" Darren uttered.


    Knowing that he would face a great disaster soon and that his life was uncertain, he didn''t want to die without even meeting his biological parents. He wanted to see how they looked like.

 Chapter 1491 The Gottron Abyss

    Darren knew that his major tribulation was fast approaching. So his only wish now was to find his parents, whether they were already dead or still alive.


    "Darren..." Yolanda gave Darren a benign look, not knowing what to say. Most of the deputy gods of the Chu Clan had perished. Even if some of them had stayed alive, they were also driven into an abyss.


    "Aunt Yolanda, please tell me. Which abyss did the remaining deputy gods of the Chu Clan go?"


    Yolanda was silent for a moment. She then sighed and said, "The truth is, the remaining deputy gods of the Chu Clan are all in the Gottron Abyss. But with your current ability, it will be difficult for you to enter, let alone survive in there."


    "If I go with my avatar, there shouldn''t be any problem," Darren countered.


    The Rule Soul Avatar had once lived in an abyss before. It seemed that it wasn''t really that terrifying.


    "Silly boy. The abyss that your avatar had entered before was just a small one. It wasn''t even worth mentioning. It was a drop in the bucket compared to the genuine abysses.


    Do you even know how powerful the deputy gods of the Chu Clan were back then? Among the twenty-six deputy gods of the Chu Clan, the weakest one was capable enough to defeat Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng together with only one move.


    The three strongest ones were close to half-step supreme gods. But despite their strength, they didn''t dare to say that they could surely survive in the Gottron Abyss. How much more powerful are you and your avatar? It''s too impossible."


    The power of the Gottron Abyss was something that ordinary people could not understand.


    "It is also said that the Gottron Abyss is the hometown of one of the nine chief gods. I can''t imagine how powerful the devils there are. Only those as powerful as your uncle Alfredo can really break into the Gottron Abyss and run wild inside."


    It was too obvious that Yolanda wanted to persuade Darren to give up the idea of going to the Gottron Abyss.


    But her words didn''t work on him. He was never afraid of difficulties. No matter how strenuous it would be, he had to do what he wanted to do.


    His desire was much stronger this time because it had something to do with his parents. He had been longing for them for such a long time. He had to find out if they were still alive or not.


    He was this anxious and eager to find them the soonest time possible because he knew that he was not far from the Superior God Realm. If he broke through


    with a smile.


    The Rule Soul Avatar shook his head. He then explained to them one by one. "Master Murray, you need to stay here to guard the Second Dangerous Area. Master Juan, you need to guard your own territory to prevent the other forces from occupying it. And Master Todd, I request you to stay here to take care of Aunt Yolanda, Elsa, and Jenifer. They can''t take the risk together with us."


    The Rule Soul Avatar had taken everything into consideration.


    And the fewer people entered the Gottron Abyss, the better. Besides, even if Murray, Juan, and Todd entered the abyss, they still couldn''t protect Darren once they encountered a very powerful devil. If only he and Darren went there, it would be more convenient as they could easily hide.


    These three great masters were much needed to stay outside the Gottron Abyss to maintain the stability of the place.


    "I think you''re right."


    After the Rule Soul Avatar explained everything, Todd, Murray, and Juan realized that he made sense. So even if they were so eager to go with Darren into the Gottron Abyss, it was difficult for them to make a choice.


    "Alright. I suggest that we do what Xavier has said," Yolanda proposed. She had received the Rule Soul Avatar''s detailed analysis of entering the Gottron Abyss, so she also knew that the fewer people entered, the better.


    "Well, we will listen to you, Ms. Leng. We''ll stay where we are. Darren, please be careful." Finally, the three of them made up their minds.


    Darren was so glad that everything went on smoothly. He was so excited to enter the Gottron Abyss now. "Rest assured, masters. I will come back alive," he promised.

 Chapter 1492 Locating The Entrance To The Abyss

    Now that they had decided to enter the abyss, all that was left was to locate the entrance.


    Since Alfredo was the one to create the entrance to the abyss, only the senior members of the Chu Clan knew where it was. Even those from the Ancestral Land had no idea where it was.


    "Darren, I''ll send you the whereabouts of the entrance to the Gottron Abyss."


    "Okay, thank you, Aunt Yolanda."


    Receiving her message, Darren was surprised.


    Who would have thought that was where the entrance was?


    Now that he knew its location, he could relax and spend more time with his family and friends before setting off.


    Activating his spiritual sense, Darren, with his companions, returned to his small world.


    After some drinks and chatting with the others, Darren and Elsa sat quietly by the river.


    "I know you are leaving again."


    Elsa was depressed, even as she lay in Darren''s arms.


    Darren took a deep breath, feeling uneasy. He had promised her they''d stay together no matter what, but he wasn''t sure if he could keep his promise.


    How could he explain it to Elsa?


    "Darren, you know I''m not afraid of danger. Can''t you take me with you?" Tears welled up in Elsa''s eyes. She couldn''t bear being separated from him. She wouldn''t mind risking her life just to be with Darren.


    Darren''s heart sank. Even though they''d been a couple for years now, they seldom spent time together. He felt he owed her a lot.


    "All right."


    Elsa was sure that he would try to dissuade her. She hadn''t expected him to agree so readily.


    "I haven''t done well by you. I don''t want to be apart from you this time either. But I need you to promise that if we''re ever in danger, you''ll leave me to deal with it. You must stay safe."


    "Okay, as long as I can be with you." Elsa nodded, tears falling down her face.


    Darren held her close and kissed her on the forehead.


    After several months in Darren''s small world, he asked Jenifer and Elsa to stay while the rest all came out.


    "Darren, are you really abandoning me?" Weber had enjoyed his comfortable life in the small world. But now Darren was going to the abyss, and he wasn''t taking him along, no matter how much he begged.


    "It''s too dangerous. You should stay here and cultivate."


    "I don


    . There were only a few drops of Supreme God Sheffield''s blood essence in his tomb.


    The supreme gods'' cemetery was going to be even more impressive.


    The Rule Soul Avatar started secretly deducing the information he had. The era Alfredo lived in was close to Braxton''s. In fact, they had overlapped. That meant most likely Alfredo had set the entrance to the abyss in Braxton''s tomb.


    Besides, Supreme God Braxton had died a mere hundred thousand years before Alfredo.


    Anyway, Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar had to go to the cemetery first.


    Not all human warriors could go to the cemetery to guard the tombs. Only those who reached the Deputy God Realm could. Only those who reached the upper-level of the Deputy God Realm or above would be forcibly sent to guard the tombs.


    Darren vaguely remembered that the human ancestor had sent Morton, the man who had vowed to kill him, to guard the tomb as punishment.


    Ignoring that, Darren couldn''t help his excitement all the way there. He was eager to see what the cemetery was like.


    How powerful were the human deputy gods that guarded the tombs there?


    After transferring within a few transmission arrays, Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar arrived at the Depression Hill.


    It was a desolate place, made worse by the cold winds blowing every which way.


    There were rare sights of people, all dressed in black robes. He couldn''t see their faces.


    However, the faint aura they exuded surprised both Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar.

 Chapter 1493 Being Blocked

    The arrival of Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar grabbed the attention of the people in black robes.


    Wisps of god''s sense fell on them from time to time but disappeared without a trace.


    "These people are all deputy gods," the Rule Soul Avatar said in a low voice.


    "Yes, they''re probably powerful human masters who go to guard the graveyard," Darren said in an equally serious tone.


    Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar stood still for a long while. While they didn''t sense any hostility from these black-robed figures, they were still wary. Finally, the black-robed figures hurried off towards the depths of the Depression Hill.


    With that, Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar decided to move on. The two of them followed a black-robed cultivator in the distance and walked silently.


    The man in the black robe they followed kept walking for days on end, so Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar did not dare to fly. It might be a rule here that shouldn''t be broken.


    Half a month later, Darren saw a massive black tower in the distance.


    "That''s the entrance to the cemetery!" he cried excitedly.


    From afar, Darren saw that the black-robed figure entered the black tower, submerged with mist.


    The two decided to wait and see if anything would happen, but days later, the black figure still hadn''t emerged. Darren then raised his head and looked up. The sky was as dark as ink. The moist air was interlaced with the smell of rotten plants. The whole place was eerily quiet. To Darren''s surprise, there wasn''t even a whisper of the wind.


    Even at his level of strength, he couldn''t help but shiver anxiously.


    "Let''s go, my real body." At least, the Rule Soul Avatar was still calm.


    Darren nodded meekly and walked side by side with the Rule Soul Avatar. However, in order not to make people feel suspicious, the Rule Soul Avatar covered his appearance, so that outsiders could distinguish him from his real body, Darren.


    Steadily, the two approached the black tower. Even from thousands of feet away, Darren could tell there seemed to be a deep history in this place. As soon as they got closer to the black tower, Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar were greeted by another scene.


    The inky black sky had opened up into a light gray. But it was no longer silent. From the gray clouds, violent roars could be heard from time to time. There were dragon-like shadows passing through the gray clouds, along with other unknown flying creatures. They opened their wings and their massive shadows covered Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar.


    met before suddenly appeared again.


    "Young men, we won''t be so polite next time. Anyone who trespasses into the cemetery will be killed,"


    one of the two men in black robes said to them coldly. From Darren''s perspective, they were like two huge mountains looming before two small ants.


    "Alas," Darren sighed bitterly. Was it really impossible to enter the cemetery?


    The two of them retreated thousands of feet again, but they still refused to just give up and leave.


    Sitting motionlessly on the ground, they resembled statues.


    The two men in black robes shook their heads almost sympathetically. "It''s useless to wait here. You are not qualified to enter."


    Their words fell on deaf ears. Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar remained motionless.


    In the blink of an eye, a month passed.


    At least ten men in black robes had passed by Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar during that period of time. They were all surprised to see the two sitting there motionlessly. They wondered why the two young men, who were not even at the Superior God Realm, were guarding the entrance of the cemetery. However, they didn''t bother to ask. Instead, they entered the tower in silence.


    "Interesting," a voice suddenly said.


    A tall and thin figure in a black robe walked up to Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Judging from his aura, the man was no different from those men in black robes. They all emanated the aura of the Deputy God Realm.


    However, the way he had arrived was surprising: he had flown in.


    "Darren, and your avatar. Ha-ha,"


    the man said lightly.


    Swish! Swish!


    At the sound of their names, Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar opened their eyes at the same time.

 Chapter 1494 Guiding In

    Both Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar looked at the tall, thin man in black in surprise. They wondered how he knew who they were.


    "Sir, have we met before?"


    "No," the man in black answered, shaking his head. "I''ve never seen either of you before, but I''ve heard a lot of stories. You are quite famous."


    "You flatter me, sir," Darren stood up and said, cupping his hands politely.


    "Ha-ha," chuckled the man in black. He then asked, "What brought you here?"


    "Sir, to tell you the truth, we''re on our way to the cemetery to guard the tombs," Darren said.


    This answer brought obvious surprise to the man in black. He remained silent for a moment before asking lightly, "Are you stuck outside?"


    Darren nodded. "Would you be so kind as to lead us in, sir? Your help would be very much appreciated," he asked back.


    "Please don''t call me ''sir''. Some already regard you and me on the same level; in terms of potential that is. The respect is mutual." The man''s tone was neither here nor there, difficult to read and be able to tell if he was joking casually or mocking Darren.


    After a pause, the man in black went on, "Tell me your purpose of going in."


    His first comment confused Darren as to whether they would get any help from this person. Now though, there seemed to be a chance for them.


    "Aunt Yolanda has asked us to hold a memorial ceremony for Supreme God Braxton." The Rule Soul Avatar jumped in with a lie before Darren could even open his mouth.


    "Humph, that''s it?" snorted the man in black, unimpressed.


    "Yes, that''s it." The Rule Soul Avatar nodded flatly. He seemed somewhat annoyed by this man.


    "Darren, you avatar is really interesting, especially with that pair of silvery eyes he has. I vaguely recall Supreme God Braxton seemed to have a pair of silvery eyes as well. Are you planning on taking your avatar in to find something for him?


    Allow me to remind you how this works. The supreme gods'' cemetery is a sacred and inviolable place. If you wish to go in there and retrieve something, I advise you to abandon that idea right now. I do not mind crushing the both of you. There is no one who can stop me from doing it either, not even the ancestor. Do you understand?"


    The man''s tone turned icy and vicious, and there was even killing intent within it.


    Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar felt his killing intent reach the depths of their souls. It was an indescribably horrific feeling, one that rattled them at their core.


    Fortunately, it seemed to be only illusory and dispersed in an instant.


    ollowed closely behind him, not doing anything else but moving forward. They did not attempt to explore anymore, only glancing down at the islands every now and then.


    "We''ve arrived," the tall thin man announced.


    He began to descend, followed by Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar.


    It was a barren island, thousands of kilometers wide.


    It was no different from the rest except for its larger size. There were also tens of thousands of men in black sitting on it, their chests pierced through as well with iron chains.


    It was not until Darren got closer that he discovered they appeared to be in pain.


    The man led them to an open space, gesturing for them to take a seat.


    Splash...


    Two iron chains burst out from a protruding stone in the center of the island.


    Puff!


    Before they had time to react, the chains pierced through their chests and into their hearts with a wild dart.


    "Argh..."


    The intense pain drained the color from Darren''s face. He wanted and tried to struggle against it, but it was in vain. The moment the iron chain penetrated his body, his strength completely vanished.


    "Aaaahh!" Darren gritted his teeth and grunted low and hoarsely.


    "Oh yes, I almost forgot that you''re a Defiant Master." Only when he had sensed that something was wrong did the tall thin man in black realize that Darren could not believe in anyone.


    He raised his hand and waved it at Darren.


    Splash...


    The iron chain slid out of Darren''s heart and his body and returned to its original resting place.


    Once Darren had finally calmed down, the pain began to alleviate as well.


    On the other hand, the tall thin man in black was surprised by the Rule Soul Avatar.

 Chapter 1495 The Further Evolution Of Silvery Eyes

    The iron chain pierced through the chest of the Rule Soul Avatar. In that instant, something unexpected happened.


    Strong gusts of wind surged around the Rule Soul Avatar,


    forming a dense whirlwind.


    Although it was hard to see with naked eyes, the tall, thin man in black noticed that wisps of silvery light were being transmitted into the Rule Soul Avatar''s body along the iron chain. He could detect this through his god''s sense.


    The man in black frowned. He didn''t know whether he should stop the unexpected development, or simply let it continue.


    Darren, sitting to one side, caught his breath and struggled to recover from the pain. He hadn''t noticed anything wrong with the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "How did you feel just now?" the man in black asked Darren,


    deciding to ignore the Rule Soul Avatar for the moment.


    A Defiant Master was not allowed to believe in a supreme god. If the man in black allowed the iron chain to continue penetrating through Darren''s body, piercing his heart, then Darren would certainly have died.


    Of course, the tall man in black didn''t actually care about Darren''s life. Indeed, he wouldn''t have minded at all if Darren died right now. However, he decided to extract the iron chain from Darren''s body because he felt that he shouldn''t let the blood of a Defiant Master stain the supreme gods'' cemetery.


    "I felt as though my heart was being ripped into pieces," Darren replied.


    "Nothing else?"


    "No." Darren still felt shaky and somewhat groggy from the pain.


    The man in black frowned briefly, then said, "Please enjoy yourself. After the memorial ceremony, though, you must leave here quickly. If you are still in the cemetery when I return, I will not be polite to you again." With that, the tall, thin man in black turned away. Looking put out, he left Darren there.


    Darren stayed where he was. He found the man in black to be inexplicably strange. He seemed to be hostile to him, but the hostility was casual rather than fueled by any strong anger. It was really weird.


    Finally, a small smile formed on Darren''s face as he shook his head and decided to stop obsessing over the man in black.


    Meanwhile, the man in black marched all the way to the coast.


    He eventually reached an incredibly high cliff, which rose millions of feet above the sea. It was densely engraved with a seemingly infinite amount of ancient words.


    A thick black iron chain jutted out from the middle of the cliff. Every ten feet, there was an overhead hook, upon which hung human figures.


    The hanging humans were not dressed in black hooded cloaks, so their faces were clearly revealed.


    As the tall, thin man approached them, he also removed his cloak. The black hood fell back, revealing a handsome face and a toned, slender body.


    A closer look, however, revealed that the pupils of his eyes were deep dark red. His gaze was magnetic and frightening.


    None of the humans hanging on the overhead hooks moved, but a hoarse voice suddenly spoke up.


    "Heat


    ton.


    "Yes. And the level of my silvery eyes has been upgraded again," the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    "Really?" Darren asked with interest. "What''s the effect of the upgrade?" Silvery eyes were already something incredible, so how could they be upgraded even further? The news was a pleasant surprise for Darren, who was eager to learn more.


    The Rule Soul Avatar said simply, "Creation." He didn''t think he could explain it briefly, so he sent a more detailed explanation directly to Darren''s mind.


    Darren received the message. Once he had read and understood it, he was overjoyed.


    The silvery eyes of the Rule Soul Avatar seemed to have obtained the inheritance of Supreme God Braxton. Their level had risen again. Before this upgrade, the Rule Soul Avatar had already been able to assimilate laws¡ªnow, however, he also had the ability to create laws of his own.


    It was unbelievable how powerful he had become.


    All creatures shared a general understanding that laws had evolved in heaven and earth on their own. No one had heard of any creature that could create laws.


    Darren found the Rule Soul Avatar''s revelation exhilarating, but also shocking and even slightly terrifying.


    From now on, the Rule Soul Avatar could create any law that he wanted. It was an awesome and fearsome ability.


    Of course, the creation process was not all that simple. The creation of any law would be an extremely huge project, requiring intense focus and perfect precision. The Rule Soul Avatar would not be able to simply create any new law without using his powerful deduction and analytic ability, in addition to his silvery eyes.


    "My real body, I''m not the only one in the world who has silvery eyes. Another one has eyes like these too. He obtained the inheritance of Braxton a long time ago. He is my natural enemy. Now that my silvery eyes have evolved, I am certain he will come to try to kill me again," said the Rule Soul Avatar, who was communicating with Darren through his spiritual sense.

 Chapter 1496 Mystery

    Darren frowned at the Rule Soul Avatar''s words.


    "Do you mean the one in the Immortal Land?" he asked slowly.


    Not long after Darren and the others had entered the Primitive Wilderness, the Rule Soul Avatar was deceived into going into the Immortal Land. It was the Immortal Lord who had tried to kill him. Once he had managed to escape, he received the help of the Blade Devil and entered the abyss to save his life.


    All the Rule Soul Avatar remembered was that his would-be killer had a pair of silvery eyes, just like his.


    "Yes, he is the Lord of the Immortal Land," replied the Rule Soul Avatar matter-of-factly. After his own silvery eyes evolved, the information about the other with silvery eyes appeared in his mind on its own. They were now connected in some way.


    At the same time, his silvery eyes counterpart in the Immortal Land might have also received all the Rule Soul Avatar''s information.


    "It''s quite fortunate that we''re in the supreme gods'' cemetery, or else he might have located your position and come for you," Darren pointed out with a sigh of relief.


    "I guess so. But I still don''t think we''re safe here. It''d be best for us to enter the abyss as soon as we can."


    The Rule Soul Avatar suggested this because he could sense that his enemy from the Immortal Land was already approaching as they spoke.


    "Then let''s get a move on,"


    Darren said, as he and the Rule Soul Avatar quickened their steps.


    Soon, they came to a boulder protruding from the center of the island.


    "Is this the supreme god''s tomb?" asked Darren.


    Before him was an ordinary tomb of cobblestone, no different from a mortal''s tomb.


    Darren''s first impression was that it was too simple, not at all like somewhere a legendary supreme god would be buried.


    "My real body, try triggering your God Characters," the Rule Soul Avatar reminded from beside him.


    The Rule Soul Avatar had already worked out on the way here, that if the entrance to the abyss really was here, then Darren would have no trouble sensing it with his God Characters.


    After all, Alfredo had created the abyss passage, and the three God Characters Darren possessed had once been Alfredo''s as well.


    He had more reason for his belief though; now that his silvery eyes had evolved here, there was no doubt that this tomb was that of Supreme God Braxton.


    Darren triggered his soul power without hesitation, to activate his God Characters and probe the tomb in front of them.


    All three God Characters spun at the same time, however, Darren felt nothing


    d to be the same person."


    Darren''s face was the picture of confusion. He almost understood what he was getting at. It was right at the front of his mind but he just could not grasp it.


    "It means that everything has already been decided and fixed in advance. You are destined to obtain both the silvery eyes and the God Characters. Even their deaths were according to plan. Only after they had both died would these two things appear on another person. This person is none other than Xavier, which was actually, you," explained the Rule Soul Avatar gloomily.


    Darren knew that "they" were referring to Supreme God Braxton and his uncle, Alfredo.


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s analysis filled Darren with fear, as many thoughts came rushing in.


    For one, the phantom left by Supreme God Braxton asked him directly if he was Xavier. This meant that only Xavier was destined to see the phantom Supreme God Braxton left; only him.


    She was here waiting for him.


    From what she said after, one could assume that Alfredo''s last God Character was in her hands!


    More and more memories began coming to him. He recalled how the strange stone accidentally fell from outer space and hit his head at the very beginning, and how he killed a flood dragon, which eventually led to the awakening of the silvery eyes. It was not a coincidence at all.


    Destiny ruled all. The silvery eyes and the God Characters were arranged for him, destined to be his.


    However, there was one thing both Braxton and Alfredo had not expected to happen. Darren was no longer the original Xavier, and the silvery eyes were now with the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Everything was now different, not completely the same as destined.

 Chapter 1497 Into The Abyss

    Everything had been part of Braxton''s and Alfredo''s plans.


    "Why did they choose me? Me of all people..." murmured Darren with a frown.


    A supreme god and a peerless Defiant Master had both chosen him and left their most powerful and prized artifacts to him.


    Why had they done that? To what end? No one knew the answer to that.


    "Darren, he is coming." The Rule Soul Avatar could sense that the man from the Immortal Land with silvery eyes was already very close to the cemetery.


    "Let''s get the passage open."


    Darren activated his three God Characters, while the Rule Soul Avatar activated his silvery eyes, carefully opening the passage to the Source of Laws.


    They appeared before Supreme God Braxton''s tomb. Both space and time were distorted here.


    In front of Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar, appeared a dark passage, too dark to see what lay on the other side of it.


    "Let''s go!"


    They both flew into the passage, not wasting any time.


    The immense pressure in the passage made Darren feel as though he was about to explode.


    But with the Rule Soul Avatar''s support, he recovered a little and was able to continue on.


    The two of them quickly passed through the black distorted space. A long while later they finally landed on some solid ground.


    "This is the Gottron Abyss," the Rule Soul Avatar announced as they both swiveled their heads around, taking it all in.


    This dark world was a large mass of black ridges, with a freezing wind whipping and piercing into them like icicles on their skin. It was empty for the most part, but there seemed to be countless undead creatures crying off in the distance, their voices lingering in Darren''s ears.


    Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar eventually lost their sense of direction in this strange and gloomy world.


    The abyss was too vast. How were they to know where to start their search?


    "By the way, how did you manage to persuade Aunt Yolanda to allow me to go into the abyss? Is it anything to do with my tribulation when I break through to the Superior God Realm?" asked Darren curiously.


    "Yes, I figured that if you break through in the abyss, it will reduce the impact of the tribulation on the human race to a minimum," answered the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Really? How do you mean?" Darren asked, not entirely understanding how that would work.


    "This abyss is the hometown of a chief god, and has thus been guarded by his divine spirit. If you are to rise to the Superior God Realm here, the other chief gods would take issue with the chief god whose hometown this is. Those are the same chief gods who want to find out everything about the human race through you. So, with their


    roar, all the devils rose into the air and flew off in one direction, like a swarm of locusts.


    "Follow them."


    Darren flew behind the devils, hidden by the Rule Soul Avatar.


    They flew for two weeks.


    It was only then that the tens of thousands of devils finally came to a stop.


    The area they had landed was a vast expanse. Because of the pervading purple mist, Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar could not probe too far ahead. But they were able to make some things out with their naked eyes. They spotted some huge skeletons as big as stars scattered in the area.


    "Wow! That''s one big guy!"


    Dozens of kilometers ahead of them was a gargantuan skeleton that stood as high as ten million feet.


    The purple devils landed on the ground and moved forward in an orderly fashion.


    They followed them all the way until they finally came to their destination.


    In front of them, stood a sea of blood with two huge islands nestled in the center of it. This was what Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar saw at first glance.


    However, when they used their god''s sense, they could see clearly and discovered that there were bodies of two giant creatures lying in the blood. The sea of blood was most likely the blood that had flowed from the corpses of the giant creatures.


    What Darren saw had shocked him into disbelief.


    "What are they doing?" Darren asked, keeping his attention on the purple devils.


    "Move them quickly. Or those guys will come!" commanded a one hundred feet tall purple devil.


    The ordinary purple devils all rushed over to the two large corpses, cutting the dead giant beast with their sharp claws.


    They then carried back huge pieces of beast meat.


    "Turns out they''re just ants stealing food," Darren murmured, surprised and disappointed.

 Chapter 1498 Crazy Evolution

    The purple devils that were as powerful as the fiend gods were but mere ants in this abyss.


    So what would the truly powerful creatures in this world look like?


    Darren couldn''t even begin to imagine.


    Was there any chance the deputy gods of the Chu Clan were able to survive here? If so, where were they now? It was like looking for a needle in a haystack.


    "My real body, we should hide first. We can talk about other things once you reach the Superior God Realm," the Rule Soul Avatar said after a while. After analyzing the situation, he figured it''d be practically impossible for them to make it out of here alive with their current abilities.


    "You''re right. The day of breaking through will come, sooner or later,"


    Darren conceded easily. He and the Rule Soul Avatar were still too weak.


    The two of them began to retreat quietly, but unexpectedly, several purple devils appeared behind them.


    The two of them whipped around to come face to face with the devils. Both parties stared each other down.


    The devils seemed to be very curious about these mysterious guests. What were they? Why had they never seen creatures like them before? It didn''t matter¡ªthey looked delicious!


    "Get them!" one of the devils roared.


    Without hesitation, several devils rushed towards them.


    At this point, it was impossible for Darren and his avatar to retreat. There were tens of thousands of devils on the other side. They had no choice but to charge forward.


    "Kill!"


    Darren swung his blade and sword ferociously, and two devils fell to the ground, dead. Then, the Rule Soul Avatar killed the remaining devils with powerful Attack Laws.


    Darren was hoping that killing the several devils quickly and quietly would let them slip past the horde of devils behind them, unnoticed. Unfortunately, it only served to attract their attention. In the blink of an eye, all the devils were flying madly in Darren''s direction.


    "Let''s go!"


    There were just too many devils, and some of them were very powerful. The two of them couldn''t possibly face them alone!


    With the help of the laws of the Rule Soul Avatar, they were able to escape quickly. Only the three strongest purple devils were able to chase after them, thanks to their special skills.


    After flying for about two hours, Darren and his avatar landed on another empty land.


    They had decided to face the three purple devils right then and there.


    "If you keep chasing after us, you leave us with no choice but to kill you!" Darren sh


    he knew it, Darren was flung backwards by a great force.


    The Rule Soul Avatar watched as an onlooker. It seemed he had no intention of stepping in.


    Soon, Darren flew back. There was an inch deep claw mark on his chest, but he didn''t feel any pain.


    "Too weak!" Darren taunted. This purple devil couldn''t break his defense at all.


    If he had been hit like this half a year ago, he would have been smashed into pieces.


    But after half a year''s worth of evolving, Darren''s bones and meridians had all turned into pure purple-gold. The attacks from the devils on the same level as warriors at the top level of the Superior God Realm were like child''s play to him now.


    This was what he had gained in the past six months: a terrifying physical defense.


    This purple devil completely collapsed. What kind of monster was this man? Not only did he fail to kill this man, his arm was smashed by the collision!


    "Please, don''t kill me. I''m willing to be your slave,"


    the purple devil begged, suddenly falling to the ground at Darren''s feet.


    "What?"


    This surprised Darren. He had killed so many devils in the past six months, but none of them had begged for mercy like this one.


    Then, a thought crossed Darren''s mind. ''What if I take this purple devil as a believer?'' He had never thought of this before.


    "Swear it¡ªif you want to be my slave. Swear that you will always believe in the Conflicting Chief God!" Darren ordered in the devil''s language.


    "Yes. I swear by my humble soul..."


    "Ah!" After the purple devil finished his oath, he suddenly jumped up and roared. "Defiant Master, you''re done for. Your behavior will anger the supreme emperor."

 Chapter 1499 The Appearance Of A Human Being

    Darren was confused. The purple devil had already sworn to believe in him but became so aggressive all of a sudden.


    At the moment, an enormous black vortex appeared in the sky, accompanied by the blinding flash of lightning. The scene looked so ferocious and terrifying.


    The whole place was thrown into chaos by the hurricane.


    "What?"


    Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar looked up at the same time.


    Much to their surprise, a pair of dark gold eyes suddenly appeared in the deep vortex. The aura of the eyes was cold and ruthless enough to make everyone tremble.


    "Is that a chief god?"


    Darren murmured. While he was stunned, the Rule Soul Avatar''s silvery eyes were activated spontaneously.


    The pair of dark gold eyes looked so shocking. They were very similar to the eyes of the chief god that Darren had seen before.


    This time, the clouds surged like a tide.


    The pair of dark gold eyes gradually condensed and released a force that pierced through the world.


    "Run!" shouted the Rule Soul Avatar.


    He then activated the laws with all his strength to hide Darren''s whereabouts.


    Darren was utterly shocked. He simply wanted to recruit a believer. It never occurred to him that he would be suppressed like this.


    The force that pierced through the world was too rapid and violent. Despite the Rule Soul Avatar''s efforts to hide Darren, it still came close to Darren in an instant.


    The Rule Soul Avatar rushed over and stood behind Darren. He released two streams of Resurrection Forces that immediately enveloped him and Darren at the same time.


    Bang!


    It was just a single blow, but the body of the Rule Soul Avatar was not able to withstand it. The attack of the force broke him into pieces.


    The force didn''t decrease its momentum. It smashed Darren into pieces too.


    Fortunately, the Rule Soul Avatar had prepared well for this kind of situation. His Resurrection Forces protected his and Darren''s souls. That was the most important thing. Because as long as their souls were intact, their bodies would come back to life again.


    Since the Rule Soul Avatar and Darren were already defeated, their souls quickly went to the depths of the ground.


    It was the only way to prevent their souls from being crushed by that force.


    "That was close," Darren said with a sigh.


    He and the Rule Soul Avatar had reached the deep underground and passed through the hot magma.


    They were lucky enough that they were able to escape.


    If that force''s attack forcefully targeted them, even their souls would have shattered. Perhaps their opponent had underestimated them.


    our order? This is a birthday gift for our king. If we can''t get this child, we''d rather kill him."


    The purple devil''s sharp claw then pierced through the baby''s flesh. The baby cried out loud.


    "Wait!" Darren stopped the purple devil.


    He didn''t intend to kill these purple devils. What he wanted was to get the baby alive, so he could figure out where he came from.


    "Don''t kill the baby. We can talk about anything you want," Darren said, putting away his sword.


    "Arrest him and bring him to the king!" said the powerful purple devil.


    When the Rule Soul Avatar saw what was happening to Darren, he stopped killing the purple devils. If they were all killed, it would be difficult for him and Darren to trace the baby''s origin.


    "If you take us to your king, aren''t you afraid that we will kill him?" Darren sneered.


    "Do you think that you are capable of doing that?" replied the powerful purple devil.


    "Take him away. His Majesty has been longing to eat this kind of baby for a long time. Thanks to his guidance, we have successfully found one and made a great contribution." The two powerful purple devils were very happy.


    Since the king had guided them to find the baby, they thought that he intentionally wanted them to make a contribution.


    Darren frowned upon hearing what the powerful purple devil had said. It seemed that he really needed to see the king of the purple devils if he wanted to know where the baby had really come from.


    But he had no idea how powerful their king was. He only guessed that the king might be comparable to a human warrior at the Deputy God Realm. After all, the king had two subordinates that were as powerful as human warriors at the top level of the Superior God Realm.

 Chapter 1500 Lead The Way

    Since Darren really needed to find out where the baby had really come from, he felt that it was necessary to see the king of the purple devils. It didn''t matter how strong and powerful the king was. After all, this was the first clue he found since he entered the abyss.


    The other purple devils grabbed Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar. The two didn''t resist deliberately.


    Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar were taken to a skeleton mountain.


    There were many hexagonal caves there that looked like bee nests.


    After passing through several safety inspections, Darren and Rule Soul Avatar were taken to one of the nests.


    "My king, we have good news for you. This time, we did not only catch a human child. We also took two adult humans for you to enjoy," reported the purple devil commander happily. He was eager to receive a reward from the king for doing such a good job.


    Bang!


    The Devil King staggered and fell down from his throne. He rolled a few times on the ground.


    He looked so angry.


    He jumped up and strangled the commander''s neck.


    "Who told you to bring adult humans here?" The Devil King''s body was trembling, and he looked very scared.


    "My king, please forgive me. I didn''t know that we can''t bring adult humans back here."


    Bang!


    The Devil King smashed the commander''s head with his claw.


    "Damn it! What should I do now?" He was so anxious that he kept on spinning around. He didn''t expect that his stupid subordinates would force him to the brink of death. Human warriors were too powerful. They could even kill a living beast. He would never provoke them.


    This time, another purple devil came in and said, "My king, these are your delicious food." Since the purple devil commander who had entered just now to report the good news hadn''t returned for a long time, this purple devil took the initiative to bring in the baby together with Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar directly.


    But when the Devil King saw Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar, he was so scared that he crawled and hid under his throne.


    "Sir, please forgive my subordinates," he said to Darren as he knelt down. All he did was beg for mercy.


    He had no other choice. Humans were too terrifying. Offending them was no different from offending the supreme emperor.


    The purple devil was so shocked to see the Devil King''s reaction. He was expecting to get a reward from the king. He was surprised that the king had suddenly become so coward. What was going on?


    How could their king kneel down and beg for these


    kind before, and I worked hard for him for hundreds of years," replied the Devil King.


    It was only then that Darren realized why the Devil King was very scared of them.


    "So, how did you escape from him?"


    "Sir, I didn''t run away. My master let me go of his own will. But I was an unintelligent creature at that time that I couldn''t even remember what he looked like."


    "I''m sure that what happened to you in the past is just a mistake. After you return the baby, our race will definitely forgive you."


    Darren tried his best to set the Devil King at ease and feel that his life was not in danger. He didn''t want the Devil King to be so anxious and do something desperate.


    "Thank you so much, sir."


    The Devil King led Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar through a passage.


    He then said, "Sir, be careful. We are approaching the territory of the giant beasts."


    "I know. Just go on." To avoid the Devil King from getting suspicious, Darren pretended that he was quite familiar with the place.


    "Oh, I forgot. Your race is not afraid of the giant beasts."


    "Stop talking nonsense now. We have to hurry up. If the baby''s parents get too anxious, they may kill you before you can even explain."


    The Devil King broke out into a cold sweat. He immediately shut up and quickened his pace.


    "Rawr! Rawr! Rawr!"


    All of a sudden, the ground from around a thousand kilometers away from them cracked. Then bone spurs came out like pillars.


    A giant creature slowly stood up. It was almost one million feet tall.


    "Sir, that''s the Nether Dragon King. What should we do?" The Devil King put on a long face. He knew very well how terrifying the Nether Dragon King was.

 Chapter 1501 Being Sucked In

    The Nether Dragon King was as big as a planet. It towered over everyone else, casting a shadow over the earth he stood on.


    Darren was like a speck of dust in comparison to the creature''s sheer enormity.


    "Sir, what should we do? It has seen us." The Devil King was out of his wits now, trembling all over.


    "Be quiet!"


    Darren said, signaling for him to hide. The Rule Soul Avatar also activated the Hiding Law to hide their auras as much as he could.


    "I believe it won''t attack us," Darren said calmly.


    It made no sense for such a huge creature to attack them. Why, they posed no threat whatsoever to it. It wouldn''t even be able to taste anything if it swallowed them all together.


    "No, sir. You''re wrong. Despite its gigantic body, the Nether Dragon King likes to take in tiny creatures with god''s power. It gets stronger by eating those tiny creatures!" the Devil King explained hurriedly. The huge creature did not care much about the size of its prey. Its main focus was to get as much god''s power as it could.


    Swoosh!


    A strong wind blew over, and Darren and his companions were flipped over. They later realized that the wind was the Nether Dragon King''s breath.


    "What? How powerful it is!" Darren exclaimed, incredulous at what the Nether Dragon King could do. It could knock them off their feet with a single breath. How amazing was that?


    "Don''t worry. It can''t move fast with its giant body. It won''t be able to catch us easily," the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    Although the beast was mighty, it had one big weakness. Its size prevented it from moving quickly. It would be too slow to give chase. Additionally, the giant creature was unable to see them clearly. They were but specks of dust in his eyes. All it could do was take a deep breath to scoop them up and swallow them whole.


    However, they had attracted the Nether Dragon King''s attention. It opened its huge mouth. The inside appeared dark and endless, similar to a black hole.


    Sniff!


    A strong, tearing force pulled Darren and the others towards the creature''s black hole of a mouth.


    "Damn it!"


    Resisting was not a problem for Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar. They were more concerned about the baby in the Devil King''s arms. If the strong wind took up the baby, it would surely lose its life.


    Without any hesitation, Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar flew over and stood in front of the baby. They used their bodies to shield it from the wind.


    ''These two guys don''t seem to be as powerful as I thought they would be,'' the Devil King thought to himself.


    utrid, stinky, green liquid began to roll upward.


    The stench made Darren weak in the knees. He had to turn off his sense of smell.


    "Watch out for the green mist, my real body," the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    Whenever the waves would surge, a green mist would rise up. It was every bit as toxic as the stomach acid.


    The green mist instantly spread out. Darren and the others had nowhere to hide.


    "Except for a little dirt, the green mist doesn''t seem to have anything special about it," said Darren.


    "No, the green mist can absorb our power. Look at all the other creatures. I''m sure they were much stronger than us when they first came in!" the Rule Soul Avatar said, using his spiritual sense.


    "So you mean if we stay here for a long time, we will also become weak?" Darren said.


    "Yes. Once we are weaker, those creatures will definitely attack us," the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    Things were not going well. It seemed that they had nothing else to do but lie waiting in the stomach of the Nether Dragon King.


    "Sir, didn''t you say that you have a way of escaping?"


    The Devil King still felt that something was wrong. If they were really that powerful, they would have already escaped. They were wasting time by staying there. The threat on their lives heightened with each passing moment.


    The Devil King suspected that they were actually not as strong as they said they were.


    "Do you want to give it a go?" Darren asked, raising his eyebrows.


    "Yes, I want to try." The Devil King''s attitude had changed. He was sure he would die if he waited there. He decided to provoke the two men to make them reveal their true strength. It was better than to wait around for their deaths!

 Chapter 1502 Triggered The Suppression

    The Devil King''s attitude made Darren feel a little uneasy.


    While the Devil King might''ve been the lowest-level creature in the abyss, no one dared underestimate his strength. He was, at the very least, at the preliminary stage of the Deputy God Realm.


    There was no way Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar stood a chance against him.


    If they dared oppose the Devil King, their plot was bound to be exposed.


    Darren''s eyes darted about nervously. What should they do? "My real body,


    I have an idea," the Rule Soul Avatar told him through his spiritual sense.


    "What is it?" Darren demanded anxiously.


    "In thirty seconds, I will use the Time Standstill to freeze him for three seconds. You will have that much time to make a move and wound him at a vulnerable spot: his neck. That way, when the Time Standstill''s effect wears off, the Devil King will be left confused. Unable to understand how we inflicted a wound on him without moving, he will think we''re very powerful." The Rule Soul Avatar laid out his plan.


    While trapped in a Time Standstill law, one wouldn''t have the capacity to think. Consequently, they wouldn''t have any concept of what was happening during this period.


    The Devil King only suspected that Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar were not as strong as they looked. If they cooperated with each other to hurt him this way, he would not even know how the wound on his neck was caused. He could only think of Darren as a peerless master.


    "Okay. Let''s do it," Darren said with nod.


    "What are you afraid of?" the Devil King roared. He had provoked the two creatures before, but they hadn''t responded in kind. This further confirmed his theory that they weren''t as strong as they were letting on.


    Three seconds, six seconds, nine seconds...


    Thirty seconds later, the Rule Soul Avatar quietly activated the Time Standstill.


    Whoosh!


    Then, Darren made his move.


    Whoosh!


    He swung a sword strike filled with black god''s power. In the next moment, a line of blood appeared on the neck of the Devil King.


    It took him less than two seconds to complete the whole process.


    Then, the effects of the Time Standstill wore off. Confused, the Devil King felt a piercing pain on his neck out of nowhere. Purple blood trickled down onto his chest.


    The Devil King took two staggering steps backward


    at the sight of his own blood dripping from the tip of Darren''s blade. He was absolutely stunned. When did Darren attack him? How come he didn''t even feel it happen? Fear began to well in his heart; he thought that Darren was an unbeatable master, al


    n''s orders.


    After more than ten attempts, Darren finally came across a creature that looked like a mound of mucus. Unlike the others, he was willing to swear allegiance to Darren.


    "I swear with my humble soul that I will always believe in the Conflicting Chief God..." the creature swore.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The insides of the Nether Dragon King''s stomach began to shake violently, as though the Nether Dragon King was running away from something desperately.


    But it was futile. From the outside, thick clouds in the sky thundered ferociously, and a pair of cold and ruthless dark gold eyes fixated onto the Nether Dragon King.


    "Roar!"


    The Nether Dragon King had never been so scared in its entire life. It ran with all its might. With every step it took, a huge pit with a radius of thousands of kilometers was left imprinted on the ground.


    "Roar! Roar! Roar!"


    The Nether Dragon King kept on running. However, wherever it went, the pair of dark gold eyes were staring right at it.


    Bang! Bang...


    At the sound of a violent explosion, the huge body of the Nether Dragon King fell to the ground. It began to crawl and drivel, as though it was begging the pair of dark gold eyes to spare it.


    Unfortunately, it was futile. The mere existence of Darren prompted the pair of dark gold eyes to attack.


    Crack!


    A bolt of lightning burst out from one of the dark gold eyes, piercing through the sky and shattering the space.


    The lightning struck the abdomen of the Nether Dragon King.


    Blood gushed onto the ground like a torrent. Shreds of flesh and shards of bone flew into the air.


    "Here it is,"


    Darren said in a low voice, as he watched a peerless thunderbolt coming straight for him.

 Chapter 1503 Evolution Again

    The thunder pierced through the body of the Nether Dragon King and rushed towards Darren.


    As he was now suppressed by the pressure of the thunder, Darren felt that the dark gold eyes in the void were really targeting him firmly.


    "I can feel a very strong sense of hostility,"


    he said. The hostility was too strong that it caused his cultivation base to rise crazily.


    It was known to all that for a cultivator at the Celestial God Realm to rise to the Superior God Realm, he had to cross the barrier that was like a natural chasm. It didn''t matter even if he was highly talented. In Lord Starry Sword''s case, for example, it was more difficult for him to advance from the Celestial God Realm to the Superior God Realm than from the upper-level to the top level of the Deputy God Realm.


    This was a watershed between the two different realms. It was where there was a huge bottleneck that needed to be broken through.


    But this time, Darren could clearly feel that he had already reached the limit of the Celestial God Realm.


    Boom! Boom!


    Before Darren could think about anything else, the earth-shaking thunder covered him.


    "Alas!"


    He could only sigh. The power of the thunder had been weakened by the defense of the Nether Dragon King. However, it was still strong enough to kill him.


    Crack!


    With a crisp sound, Darren felt that something sticky suddenly stuck on his face. Then it spread to the different parts of his body until he was fully covered by that sticky substance.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    At this moment, Darren saw countless sparkles. He didn''t feel any pain at all.


    "What is going on with me?" Darren was shocked, but he didn''t have enough time to think too much. His initial reaction was to break free.


    Whoosh!


    He flew quickly and rushed directly to the depths of the underground.


    After flying for a while, the sticky substance disappeared from his body. He could now sense the presence of the Rule Soul Avatar.


    The Rule Soul Avatar soon reached Darren. The baby was in his arms. Since the dark gold eyes were still chasing Darren, he applied many law forces to Darren''s body to help him hide.


    But the Rule Soul Avatar was not capable enough to completely block the detection of the dark gold eyes, so he opened the channel to the Source of Laws without any hesitation.


    Boom! Boom!


    The space broke into pieces. The owner of the dark gold eyes got so angry that he let out metallic roars. It didn''t occur to him that his thunder pun


    ee! It seems that the Nether Dragon King is still alive."


    Although the Nether Dragon King had only one head left now, Darren felt a trace of his aura of life.


    "Great! I''m really starving to death now."


    The Devil King immediately rushed over, lay prone on the wound of the Nether Dragon King, and bit it. In no time, he was able to eat thousands of kilograms of meat.


    But what he did was nothing for the giant Nether Dragon King.


    "It can''t heal itself any longer. It''s time to end its life."


    Since the Nether Dragon King''s body was so huge, it couldn''t survive without the replenishment of an enormous amount of god''s power.


    Whoosh!


    Darren flew out. His tremendous sword intent entered the Nether Dragon King''s weak eyes and directly reached its soul.


    Three days later, the Nether Dragon King finally died.


    "Assimilate and evolve!"


    Although the Nether Dragon King didn''t have much talent for Darren to assimilate, its Evolution Force was unprecedentedly terrifying.


    Darren felt that he was about to explode because of the endless Evolution Force.


    "Rule Soul Avatar, help me!"


    After an hour, Darren couldn''t bear it anymore. His body evolution was too painful.


    The Rule Soul Avatar poured the Resurrection Force into Darren''s body continuously, making Darren feel much better.


    A few hours later, the Evolution Force was finally exhausted, and Darren had completed his transformation.


    When he checked himself, he found that his bones and meridians had changed from purple gold to black gold.


    He now felt that his body was as hard as a divine weapon.


    Even his physical strength had become unimaginably terrifying.

 Chapter 1504 Out Of Her Mind

    "Attack me with all your might!"


    Darren flew down and landed right in front of the Devil King.


    "I don''t think that''s such a good idea," the Devil King said hesitantly.


    "Are you asking for death?" Darren''s expression darkened.


    "Don''t kill me, My Lord. I''ll listen to your every order!"


    Then, Darren charged towards the Devil King like a madman.


    Clang!


    The sound of metal colliding echoed all throughout the space. The Devil King, who had thrown his hands up to block Darren''s attack, was flung backwards violently upon impact. To his surprise, he saw that his claws had been destroyed.


    "What?!"


    The Devil King stared at his mangled hands incredulously. What sort of defense was this? It was as hard as meteoric iron! He began to tremble in fear.


    "Ha-ha!" Darren smiled in satisfaction. He just proved his physical strength was more than enough to resist the attack of a middle-level deputy god!


    Even the Rule Soul Avatar, who had been quietly observing, felt that this was an incredible feat.


    His real body, at the top level of the Celestial God Realm, was able to resist the attack of the deputy god. At this point, Darren''s body could definitely be considered a divine weapon.


    "Congratulations," the Rule Soul Avatar said indifferently.


    Darren nodded, but then his face fell. In a low voice, he said, "I have some bad news..."


    "What is it?"


    "It seems I have reached the limit of the Celestial God Realm." This meant that Darren could break through to the Superior God Realm at any given time.


    Hearing this, the Rule Soul Avatar frowned slightly.


    "I didn''t feel any signs pointing towards your breakthrough..." Even with the Rule Soul Avatar''s Spirit Power and keen senses, he hadn''t felt any signs of Darren''s breakthrough. There didn''t seem to be any improvements in his real body''s realm.


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s frown deepened as he told Darren of his concerns.


    "Is that so?" Darren''s brows furrowed in confusion.


    "Yes," the Rule Soul Avatar affirmed.


    "I don''t know about this. Let''s go back first." Then, turning to the Devil King, Darren barked, "Lead the way, in order to prove your sincerity."


    "Yes, sir," the Devil King responded and bowed respectfully.


    This time around, Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar moved much more cautiously. If they met another giant beast, they were doomed.


    After flying about a million kilometers, they came across a lake.


    The water of the lake was so crystal clear, Darren felt he could stare into the depths of the lake if he wanted to. Otherwise, the place was utterly silent and there was no living thing in sight.


    "My Lord, please summon the child''s parents. I plan to apologize to the


    ly, tears streaming down her face.


    Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar concealed themselves in the space. As they watched the woman weep over her child, they couldn''t help but feel sorry for her.


    "I don''t know what happened to her. She''s crazy!"


    "My real body, we must find the father of the baby," the Rule Soul Avatar reminded Darren.


    "You''re right!"


    Darren suddenly realized that if the baby''s mother was crazy, then what about its father?


    "She is walking back to the lake. Let''s follow her."


    The Rule Soul Avatar and Darren stealthily moved forward in the space. Because the woman had lost her mind, she probably didn''t know how to be on guard, so she didn''t notice the two of them following her.


    Quietly, the two of them followed the woman into the lake.


    There, they found that there were twelve restrictions in the lake, including the Illusion Array, the Killing Array, and the trap...


    Fortunately, the Rule Soul Avatar had a strong control over the rule cultivation. These restrictions were not particularly difficult for him to avoid, especially with the crazy woman leading the way.


    After passing through the restrictions, the two of them followed the woman to a dark underground cave. The woman carefully cradled the baby as she moved, as though she was afraid of losing the child.


    The baby was quiet; it didn''t let out any cries at all.


    After walking for what seemed like an eternity, they all arrived at the end of the cave.


    It was a stone room of over a hundred square meters. The decoration was very simple. There were several stone chairs, an ice bed with cold air, and a pile of beast bones in a corner.


    "My real body, that man''s aura is very powerful."


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s attention fell on the ice bed, where a sickly-looking man lay.

 Chapter 1505 Darrens Aunt

    Darren also noticed the man lying on the ice bed. Although he was asleep, the aura he gave off overwhelmed Darren.


    "What a menacing aura! I wonder, what was his cultivation level before? Could he have been one of the Chu Clan''s deputy gods?" Darren murmured.


    "Maybe. We have to get close and take a look. Your divine weapon of the Chu Clan and blood essence will be able to verify that," the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    As a direct descendant of the Chu Clan, Darren was the Territory Enfeoffing Emperor of the clan. Activating his bloodline and emperor aura would help him figure out whether that person was a member of the clan as well.


    "Okay."


    Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar hid in the space, slowly creeping towards the ice bed.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a powerful pressure crushed the Rule Soul Avatar who was ahead of Darren.


    The avatar exploded into a mist of blood.


    "Xavier!" Darren was shocked, making him take a quick step back.


    Only then did he realize there was an extremely strong force within ten feet of the ice bed, guarding it. Whoever got close enough would get crushed, just like the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Fortunately, the Rule Soul Avatar was strong enough to trigger the Resurrection Force and the Time Backflow Law at the time of the explosion.


    A moment later, he had gotten his body back and then returned to Darren.


    The commotion alerted the crazy woman.


    She screamed in reaction.


    Focusing her god''s sense, she blocked the stone chamber, immediately detecting the presence of Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Boom!


    Using her palm, the woman directly struck where Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar were standing. The space shattered, and they both toppled to the ground.


    "Sorry for the intrusion, but we mean you no harm,"


    Darren said steadily, even though she was in a crazed state of consciousness.


    The woman snarled like a rabid wolf, her eyes dark and full of hostility.


    Even as she guarded against them, she still held the baby tightly in her arms, fearing that he would be hurt. Just like any mother, even when crazed, they would protect thei


    her body tremble.


    Whoosh!


    The weapon floating in front of Darren released a bright light, rushing straight into the woman''s head.


    The woman''s body stiffened.


    Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar waited anxiously to see what would happen next.


    Seconds later, the woman moved. She turned around and stared blankly at the two of them.


    "Ma''am?" Darren called out tentatively.


    To his surprise,


    a river of tears ran down her gaunt face.


    "Aldous, my cousin,"


    she sobbed, her lips trembling. With a sudden move, she pounced on Darren and held him in a vice grip.


    "Aldous, is that you?" she asked, choking on her sobs.


    The woman kept murmuring incoherently with tears flowing down her face. Darren could make out some things about the hardships she had had to endure throughout the years.


    When she finally calmed down, Darren slowly helped her up and said, "Ma''am, I''m not your cousin. My name is Darren Chu. I''m a direct descendant of the Chu Clan and the current patriarch."


    His words stunned the woman, releasing a fresh wave of tears.


    "Darren Chu..." she repeated thoughtfully as if trying to recall something she''d forgotten.


    As far as she knew, the Chu Clan didn''t have any descendant called Darren.


    "Oh, my real name is Xavier Chu," Darren added.


    "Xavier, you are Xavier? No wonder you look so much like my cousin. Boy, I''m your aunt." The woman cried again.

 Chapter 1506 The Past

    Darren''s mind was a blank when he heard this and his body was as stiff as a board.


    His breath turned sour and he felt as if he was suffocating, like a large hand was wrapped tightly around his throat.


    The woman before him was an actual member of the Chu Clan; she was his family.


    Darren choked through his sobbing. It had been so many years and now he finally met one of his closest relatives. He could not contain himself and burst into tears.


    "Kid, you''ve really grown up."


    The woman hugged Darren so warmly, as if she was holding her own child in her arms, with tears streaming down her face.


    "Aunt..." Darren said through his weeping.


    They had been apart for longer than it was possible to remember and were now finally reunited. They were both at a loss for words with tears constantly flowing down their cheeks.


    It was not until several hours later that they both managed to calm themselves down and finally started getting to know each other.


    Darren''s aunt was named Josie Chu. She was the cousin of his father. She had grown up together with her cousins and they were as close as siblings.


    Josie Chu also came to get an understanding of Darren''s past. She learned of all the hardships he had been through.


    "Darren, you''ve suffered a lot these past years," Josie said gently.


    "Aunt Josie, my suffering matters little. You and our other family members have suffered so much more." Darren''s eyes turned red from his sadness and he looked at his aunt. She was so gaunt and out of shape that it made his heart ache to see her like this.


    "My silly boy, I''m still alive. All I have been through has been worth it so that I may look upon you again. I could die right now and it would be okay."


    A lump formed in Darren''s throat. This was all turning out to be a lot more than he expected.


    "Let''s talk about all that later. Did I injure you earlier? Let me treat you." Josie tried changing the topic as soon as she could on seeing the sadness that overtook Darren''s face.


    "No, I''m okay. All my wounds have healed. Aunt Josie, if I may ask, what happened to you? Why did you lose your mind like that? Is that man your husband and what''s the matter with him?" Darren asked, seriously concerned.


    "Yes, he is my husband, and your uncle. We have lived here for millions of years. About tens of thousands of years ago, we were hunted down, relentlessly, by a chief god''s projection. In the end, my husband was defeated and suppressed and turned into a living dead. I then lost all faith in martial arts and gradually lost my mind too." Josie described the disaster they had been through as briefly and as best she could. It pained her to recall those times.


    "Ah, I see... Were you attacked by the man with the dark gold eyes?"


    "Yes. Hav


    " Josie had gotten so excitable that she even seemed to forget the baby in her arms, which now began to cry again.


    "Oh, my baby Saul, forgive me. I didn''t mean to scare you. I was just so excited to hear news of your aunt Yolanda. Shhh, don''t cry..." Tears of joy welled up in her eyes as she comforted her son.


    The atmosphere around this reunion was now much better. Josie and Darren talked about the Chu Clan''s past, about when she and Darren''s parents and uncles were spending all their time together.


    Darren listened attentively and imagined the youth of a group of passionate young men and women. He was so pulled into the stories that he laughed and cried along with Josie.


    He stayed for ten days, by which time all the stories of old had been told.


    Darren called Elsa and Jenifer over and introduced them to Josie. It was now a small scale family gathering.


    "Does Darren treat you well, Elsa?


    And Jenifer, I do hope Xavier does not mistreat you? He does seem so cold,"


    Josie said, smiling and jesting while looking at Elsa and Jenifer tenderly.


    "Aunt Josie, he bullies me all day. Please help me punish him for all he has done," Elsa said, pretending to wipe her tears.


    "Xavier is the same, Aunt Josie. He doesn''t care about me at all," Jenifer jokingly complained as well.


    "Humph, it seems that the two of you need to be beaten. How dare you bully my sweet, obedient nieces-in-law?"


    "I apologize, Aunt Josie. I was out of line," Darren chuckled, hiding himself behind his arms.


    The Rule Soul Avatar however, was statuesque and replied seriously with a deadpan face, "Aunt Josie, I was out of line too."


    "Puff!" His blank expression was too much for everyone and they all burst into laughter. He was really poor at expressing any sort of emotion.


    This reunion had turned into a truly joyous occasion.

 Chapter 1507 How To Save Him

    "Aunt Josie, there is still a breath of life in your husband. Why don''t you let my avatar treat him and see if he''s able to make a recovery?"


    They had been staying there for some time now and Darren noticed that Josie always seemed dejected when she looked at the man lying on the ice bed.


    This was the root of why she had become so gaunt and withered. The one she loved more than anything was right in front of her, but he was barely there, just wasting away, lifeless. How could she not be sad?


    Josie shook her head slightly and replied, "Even my god''s power can''t cure him. Yours can''t either."


    Her husband''s name was Ferris Ji. He had once been one of the most outstanding reclusive cultivators of the human race. But he had then been detected by the spiritual sense of a chief god and was left with no choice but to escape into the abyss.


    When the chief god''s projection surrounded the Chu Clan and attacked them without mercy, he saved Josie, and the two of them had been together ever since.


    But that mission had exposed Ferris Ji''s existence to the chief god, who then sent his projection after him, chasing him down and never stopping. Unfortunately, he was eventually caught up to and had taken some serious damage and was left badly injured. He had been unconscious since then.


    "Aunt Josie, Xavier''s rule cultivation is very powerful. He may be able to do it. Just let him at least try," Darren pleaded.


    The Rule Soul Avatar nodded as well and added, "Aunt Josie, I have the Resurrection Force; it''s capable of bringing the dead back to life."


    "Really?" Josie did not know what the Resurrection Force was, but when she saw Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar''s confidence, a spark of hope suddenly ignited in her heart. "In that case, Xavier, put this soft armor on first and go see your uncle Ferris."


    "As you say, Aunt Josie." The Rule Soul Avatar took the suit of armor from her and put it on. It was used to resist the pressure from the ice bed.


    The Rule Soul Avatar walked over to the ice bed without difficulty now that he was properly equipped.


    Ferris Ji was lying on the ice bed, wearing a tenacious look on his face, as if he were still fighting, still holding on. But his lips were dry and pale. He looked like he were dead.


    The Rule Soul Avatar activated his silvery eyes and began examining Ferris Ji''s injury.


    Of course, he did not dare to invade into Ferris'' body with them. He only observed the abnormality through the law silk threads connected to his body.


    The more the Rule Soul Avatar investigated the problem, the more tightly he frowned.


    He saw wisps of golden law silk threads, like long worms, gathered on the surface of his body.


    mean the crystal of a condensed soul, not the dark-spirit crystal," the Rule Soul Avatar clarified. Back when Darren created his avatar, he had used the dark-spirit crystals to do so. This time, the Rule Soul Avatar needed real soul crystals.


    "Give me the details. How do I get the soul crystals?" Darren asked, getting straight to the point.


    "It''s actually very simple. All you need to do is kill other creatures and compress their souls into crystals with your god''s power. The more, the better," answered the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Got it, I''ll get on it right away!"


    There were numerous dangerous and evil creatures in the abyss. Finding some weak ones to produce crystals was not particularly difficult.


    "Don''t let Aunt Josie know about this. If she went out to kill, she would most likely be detected by the chief god''s projection. This is why I''m asking you to take the risk," the Rule Soul Avatar told Darren.


    Truthfully, he didn''t want Darren to take any risks at all, but he knew that bringing back the person his aunt loved was more important to him.


    "Don''t worry. I understand," Darren replied, knowing of the dangers they faced.


    After that, Darren made an announcement to Josie, Elsa and Jenifer that he needed to cultivate in seclusion on the outside for a period of time.


    "Why do you need to go out to cultivate in seclusion? Can''t you accomplish the same thing here?" Elsa complained, not entirely happy with Darren''s revelation.


    "I can''t do that here. The godly energy is too thin to meet my requirements with constant supply," Darren said casually, lying.


    "Don''t worry about me. I will find somewhere safe," Darren added.


    "Well, alright then."


    Elsa and Josie didn''t think on it for much longer and agreed to let Darren leave to cultivate in seclusion.

 Chapter 1508 The Fiend In The Darkness

    Darren left the cave under the lake by himself. Looking up at the inky black sky, he felt suffocated.


    There were many powerful races in the abyss. It definitely wasn''t going to be easy to find a race that Darren was qualified to deal with.


    Only creatures like the purple devil were as weak as ants in the abyss, and Darren was confident of dealing with them.


    Carrying his sword and blade on his back, Darren trudged along a path of black earth. The only other movements came from his shadow, which amplified his loneliness.


    After walking for some time, Darren halted in his tracks.


    The wind was blowing past his ears. It carried an unusual aura with it.


    Whoosh!


    Darren frowned. Concentrating, he poked a wisp of sword intent into the ground to probe.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    In the blink of an eye, the black soil began to erode and multitudes of creatures emerged.


    Before he knew what was happening, Darren was surrounded by a group of worm-like creatures. Their wriggly bodies were at least ten feet long, mucus dripping off of its surface. They emitted a foul stench, causing Darren to gag a little.


    And yet, he smiled.


    "They''re weaker than the purple devils!"


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Darren didn''t waste any time. He instantly brandished his sword and blade, and attacked them.


    Hundreds of worms were killed in an instant.


    Darren then released his god''s power and forcefully compressed the souls of the worms that tried to escape.


    It didn''t take long before the souls of the worms condensed into crystals.


    However, once the souls of hundreds of worms were compressed, the soul crystal they formed was but the size of a fingertip. This was far from what the Rule Soul Avatar needed.


    However, Darren wasn''t surprised. Generally speaking, the stronger the creatures were, the more crystals their souls would condense.


    Yet he still felt a bit better. After all, it was better than nothing.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The earth began to shake once more and then collapsed. Figures covered in mucus rushed into the void.


    "Huh!"


    While the quality wasn''t great, at the very least, they came in large quantities!


    There were probably millions of worms. If Darren managed to slaughter them all, he could collect at least a few hundred kilograms of soul crystals.


    Darren launched himself into the air. His sword intent circled around his body and slaughtered any worm that crossed his path.


    In a matter of


    So, he wants to take my body..." Only then did Darren understand what the fiend was really up to.


    As he turned these thoughts over in his mind, he flew over and landed quietly in front of the fiend.


    "What? Have you given up already?" The fiend smiled bitterly. He was hoping Darren would put up a fight. The strong fiendish aura streamed towards Darren hungrily. Even with his remarkable body defense, Darren still felt that his bones were about to break under the pressure of the fiendish aura.


    "Hahaha..."


    Darren suddenly burst into laughter, as if the pressure didn''t bother him one bit.


    "You''re just after my body, aren''t you?" Darren''s voice turned cold.


    "So what? Once I take control of your body, I will be able to escape this wretched place and come back to the world. It''s good you''ve given up. I''ll reward you with a swift death."


    "You old monster, you are too naive!" Darren sneered. "I''m doomed, anyway. Why should I leave my body to you? If you attack me again, I''ll make myself explode. I''ll never let you get my body!"


    Darren''s words stunned the fiend. Judging from the fluctuation of Darren''s soul, he wasn''t bluffing.


    Of course, the fiend didn''t want Darren to do that. If Darren did choose to self-destruct, the fiend would be trapped here for who knew how long. The fiend couldn''t bear the thought of this, so he was determined to stop Darren from destroying his own body like that.


    Could he possibly erase Darren''s soul directly? The fiend had tried to do this from the very beginning, but had failed. It was all because this human boy''s soul was guarded by the very powerful God Characters!

 Chapter 1509 The Order Prison

    "If you give me your body, I promise to keep your soul immortal," the fiend offered. This was the concession he came up with.


    "What makes you think that I will give my body to you? Who do you think you are?" Darren sneered.


    "Well, I am stronger than you, and I can kill you anytime I want. If you wish to die, I can easily grant it, stupid human." The fiend, who pretended to be angry, released a powerful fiend power to attack Darren.


    Boom! Boom!


    A blade and sword storm suddenly emerged from Darren''s body.


    But this blade and sword storm didn''t resist the fiend power. Instead, it crazily slashed Darren''s own body.


    "Stop!" the fiend shouted at once.


    When he saw that Darren''s body had begun to crack, he immediately took his fiend power back and ordered Darren to stop. He realized that Darren was willing to destroy his own body than give it to him.


    ''This human is really a madman. He is so crazy that he isn''t even afraid of death,'' he thought inwardly.


    "Name your condition. Just give me your body. I can even make you stronger than you are now." The fiend didn''t want to give up, so this time, he tried to coax Darren.


    "Don''t play tricks on me. I''m not a child." Unfortunately, Darren was not that stupid to be fooled by him.


    A sense of fury surged up from the fiend''s heart. He had been waiting for so many years to have a proper body. And now that he found one, he still couldn''t get it. His heart almost burst with anger.


    "Well... if you don''t give in, I don''t have a choice but to destroy everything." This time, the fiend couldn''t control his anger anymore.


    "Wait," Darren said in a low voice.


    "What now? Are you going to beg for my mercy again this time?"


    "Huh? Are all fiends really stupid?" Darren snorted. "I know that you only want my body because you need it to escape from here. Why don''t you just tell me the reason why you are trapped here? Maybe I can help you break free. Then you will still have a chance to enjoy your life," Darren said.


    "Are all humans as arrogant as you? How can a nobody like you have the guts to talk about escaping from the Order Prison? So ridiculous!" the fiend roared disdainfully.


    As far as he knew, only the rule cultivators who mastered the high-level Order Law could have the chance to break the Order Prison.


    Darren looked into the dark void and thought for a while. It seemed that the area within tens of thousands of kilometers was covered by a large net.


    Afte


    t did, it wouldn''t change the fact that Darren would never give up his body.


    The fiend fell silent for a while. He felt so desperate at the moment.


    Darren was also silent. But after a moment, he said, "I have another question for you. You said that humans can never get out of here. What about the weak fiends?"


    "Such a meaningless question!" roared the fiend.


    "Why meaningless? Why don''t you just answer it?" Darren asked in confusion.


    "Humph! The Order Prison is not designed for the fiend race. Of course, the weak fiends can get out of here. To make it more exact, all the fiends except the fiend gods can get out." The fiend had no choice but to suppress his anger and answer Darren''s question.


    "I think I have an idea," Darren said as he stood up. The fiend was stunned.


    "What idea?" he asked.


    "It''s very simple. If you reduce your strength, you can get out of here," replied Darren.


    "Fuck off!" the fiend cursed. "Do you seriously think that I haven''t thought about it? Of course, I''ve already tried it."


    "Oh... Then, did you know how you failed?" Darren asked calmly.


    "Stop talking nonsense. Otherwise, I will really lose control of myself and kill you." The fiend then turned around and left. He decided that he would just suppress his anger and continue to wait for the day when Darren could no longer withstand the thunder punishment. He was sure that when that happened, Darren would willingly give up his body.


    Darren smiled, watching the fiend disappear.


    "Maybe you don''t know that I can also transform into a pure fiend, and I become very weak after the demonic transformation," he murmured.

 Chapter 1510 Fooling The Fiend

    Darren was now very much relieved. With the Nine Changes of the Demon, he was able to transform into a pure fiend. Since he had come to the Primitive Wilderness, his ability to morph into a fiend had not improved much.


    Because of this, once he transformed into one, his cultivation base was reverted to the lowest level of God Realm. According to the fiend here, because of his low cultivation level, he could escape from the Order Prison if he wanted.


    But Darren was in no hurry to leave just yet.


    He had discovered that this fiend was actually quite powerful; if he could compress his soul, Darren would be able to obtain a lot of soul crystals.


    The number of soul crystals was important, but so was the quality. The stronger the creature''s soul, the better the crystals produced would be.


    "Ha-ha," Darren smirked, having already come up with a plan to get this fiend to offer up his soul voluntarily.


    He remained in the dark space, not revealing his intentions.


    Twenty hours later, another wave of thunder punishment struck.


    The violent thunder and lightning hit Darren''s body in a very precise manner, this time going for his heart. It was not enough to injure him, but he did feel a severe pain coursing through him.


    He was calmer than before though, unmoving from beginning to end of the punishment.


    "This human brat''s endurance and determination are like nothing I''ve ever seen before!"


    The fiend could still recall the intense pain he had felt when his own heart had been pummeled. He did not believe anyone could bear such a pain easily.


    This was why Darren was unmatched in his eyes. He suspected that the God Characters in Darren''s mind was probably helping him resist the pain.


    "Humph! In the next year, all the thunder punishments will attack your soul. I''d like to see how you hold up against that."


    The pain of this sort of thunder and lightning attacking was no less than the punishment from the Flaming Hell.


    It was several days later and the fiend was left disappointed. Despite his soul being under a barrage of thunder punishments, Darren only twitched in pain every now and then, not showing any serious discomfort.


    "Damn it!" The fiend was beyond annoyed and couldn''t stand it anymore.


    "I know you''ve been observing me. What do you think? How''s my resilience?" Darren asked with a cocky smile.


    "Humph!"


    The fiend walked up beside him.


    "Seeing you like this may mak


    as his subordinate or not.


    "What''s going on? Do we have a deal or not? You only have two choices. You can either kill me and continue being trapped here, or get out with my help and protect me till I improve and return to the land of the Primitive Wilderness. The choice is yours," Darren said, seemingly growing impatient.


    The fiend heaved a huge sigh of defeat, caving in and finally saying, "I can protect you, but only when my abilities allow it. Once my life is in danger, I will reserve the right to run for safety."


    Darren pretended to have to think it over for a while first. Eventually he agreed, "Deal. Now swear your loyalty."


    "Damn it!" the fiend cursed angrily. He then swore to protect Rand, the great superior fiend, to the best of his abilities.


    This oath was invalid as Darren was of course not this so-called Rand at all. But it did not matter; he was never going to let this fiend survive anyway.


    It was not that he didn''t need the protection, but in the abyss, oaths might not be effective. He wouldn''t take the risk.


    "Okay, get ready to let me tear your soul apart."


    "Rand, if you dare cheat me, I will still kill you, even if only a trace of my soul is left. You understand, do you not?"


    Judging by his strength, it was true he would not die instantly, even if his soul was torn apart. He felt he would still be able to kill Darren.


    "You are too suspicious. Don''t worry, I will not put my own life at risk against you," Darren responded.


    "Yes, I don''t think you will," sneered the fiend. As far as he knew, Darren was very weak and would soon die without his protection.

 Chapter 1511 The Mangy Hen

    The fiend unleashed his soul right before Darren''s eyes.


    A mountain-like shadow exploded out, the oppressive aura from the soul making Darren''s heart race uncontrollably.


    "Ah!"


    Darren growled and rushed straight at it. His claws pierced into the soul and tore off a large piece of it.


    Bang!


    The fiend''s soul cracked and sent Darren flying back with an intense force, causing him to spit out blood as he soared through the air.


    "Keep your soul under control! Watch it, don''t allow me to get hurt," Darren barked.


    The fiend was in extreme pain, his soul going crazy and flailing about wildly.


    Darren''s shouting forced his soul to calm down at least a little.


    Darren released his god''s power in secret to compress the piece of soul in his hand.


    When he was done, it had been compressed into a fist-sized soul crystal. He put it into his Space Ring.


    "Go on! Do it! Do you want me to die from this pain?" squealed the fiend.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll get it done. I can''t grab at the soul and tear it up randomly, or treating you, once we''re out, may be too difficult."


    Darren flew over and tore at his soul with his claws. An hour later, he had torn half of it off.


    The fiend''s real body was in such excruciating pain that he could do no more than roll around on the ground as if possessed. His strength had decreased with the breaking of his soul so that mission was successful.


    If ripped just a little more, the Order Prison wouldn''t be able to trap him anymore.


    Darren was pretty satisfied with how things had gone. The soul crystals he had managed to collect were hundreds of kilograms in weight and of a good quality.


    Darren continued tearing at the fiend''s soul.


    A quarter of an hour later,


    the fiend''s frightening screams of anguish broke through the darkness and he bulldozed out of the prison the moment he could, using all he had left in him.


    Whoosh!


    Darren leapt up and flew out with him, hot on his trail. They escaped the prison without difficulty or any hindrances.


    Darren''s eyes were met with the sight of the gloomy gray sky and the open black ground, stretching out before him.


    The fiend''s body crashed to the ground, the remaining one tenth of his soul twisted and clinging to his body desperately.


    "Hurry! Treat me!" urged the fiend through his remaining spiritual sense.


    "Try and relax, be patient." Darren was not in a hurry. He was not the Rule Soul Avatar, how was he supposed to heal the fiend''s soul?


    The pain was so great that the fiend feared his consciousness might slip away from him


    into the ground. Escape was his only option right now.


    He traveled underground for a long time, not stopping until he did not sense any dangerous aura.


    "Keep running. Why have you stopped?"


    the voice came from a mangy hen standing in front of him, blocking his way.


    Darren was stunned and a chill ran down his back. Was this the same giant bird from a moment ago?


    "You''ve offended me, Corissa, and yet you still want to escape? You are truly naive!" The hen kept chirping at him, but he had no idea what she meant.


    Luckily for Darren, though, learning a new language was very easy. All he needed to do was secretly release a wisp of spiritual sense to steal the language mark from the creature.


    Darren stole the language silently and undetected.


    "Calm down. Are those little ones out there your children? They''re cute," Darren said nervously, trying to win some favor.


    "Save it, you ugly thing. Did you seriously think you could just come in here and eat my children? You must have been unaware of how strong my rule skill is. You''re in trouble now!"


    "Ahem, there seems to be a misunderstanding. I thought they were cute and just wanted to play with them. By the way, if I may ask, how did you give birth to so many babies? Are they all yours?" Darren pretended to be ignorant, feeling that the hen''s rule power was too much for him, much stronger than even the Rule Soul Avatar''s!


    Whoosh!


    The hen was having none of it and responded with a white flame.


    The flame whirred out of the hen''s mouth, enveloping Darren entirely.


    "Damn! That''s hot!" Darren yelled and jumped around, trying to escape the heat and the flames as his skin was scorched and turned black and charred.

 Chapter 1512 The Space Of Belief

    The white flame was extremely hot. Darren''s skin began to char.


    "Eh? The True Fire Spiritual Body," the mangy hen wondered in surprise.


    Under normal circumstances, even a creature who was a thousand times stronger than Darren would have been reduced to ashes. However, Darren''s skin had only been slightly burned. The mangy hen figured out that Darren had the True Fire Spiritual Body and was able to resist all kinds of laws related to fire.


    The mangy hen stopped releasing the flames. "Who are you? How could you have the True Fire Spiritual Body?"


    "Aunt Hen, I''m a human. I have cultivated the True Fire Spiritual Body by myself," Darren said softly.


    Bang!


    Before Darren could react, the mangy hen slapped him on the face with her wing. "I''m a dignified fire phoenix! My name is Corissa. How dare you call me Aunt Hen?"


    "Ahem." Darren cleared his throat. "Master Corissa, would you please let me go?"


    "How stupid you are! Are you still dreaming about leaving? But, alright. Because you have been so honest with me, I will give you a chance to survive." The mangy hen turned around and looked at him, her wings tucked by her waist.


    Darren was stunned for a moment. This mangy hen was very powerful. What would she need him to do for her?


    "Master Corissa, please tell me what I can do for you. I will accomplish it to the best of my ability," Darren promised. However, he was thinking about how he could escape.


    How could he waste time with this stupid hen? The Rule Soul Avatar was waiting for him to collect soul crystals and come back.


    "It''s very simple. Go and steal back my belief crystal," Corissa said.


    "Belief crystal? What the hell is a belief crystal?" Darren had no idea what a belief crystal was. He had never heard of it before.


    "You''ll know when you get there."


    "You can''t even steal it back yourself. I''m far weaker than you are. How can I steal it back for you?"


    Corissa was an extremely powerful rule cultivator. Logically, it would be much easier for her to steal something than it would be for Darren.


    "Cut the crap. I''m not asking for your opinion. You can choose to steal it, or you can die right now. It''s all up to you," Corissa said angrily. A strong wave of laws spread towards Darren.


    Darren was shocked. Corissa was much stronger t


    contorted into strange shapes and their expressions were ferocious. However, their eyes were closed, and they appeared to be dead.


    Darren slowed down a little. He didn''t want to disturb these creatures.


    After flying for a few more days, the black iron chains in the void began to gather more densely. They gathered into the shape of a funnel at one point.


    "What is that?"


    Darren''s god''s sense surged out. He was surprised at what he saw.


    It was a black pyramid made entirely out of black iron chains.


    The pyramid was very similar to the God Character of the fiend race, but he could sense that there was something different about it.


    "Is that the Tower of Belief?"


    He learnt about this from Corissa.


    The so-called Tower of Belief was the medium the chief god''s projection used to obtain the Power of Belief. It was used to control the creatures that had been suppressed by the chief god''s projection.


    This kind of control was similar to Darren subduing a believer.


    However, the difference was obvious. A chief god''s projection was only a projection with the aura of a chief god. Their level was far lower than that of the chief god, so they were unable to subdue believers through vows.


    This kind of belief pyramid was the only way for a chief god''s projection to obtain the Power of Belief and gain believers.


    The Power of Belief was necessary for the chief gods'' projections. Only by continuously obtaining the Power of Belief could they maintain their strength and make their god''s power endless.

 Chapter 1513 A Mysterious Man

    The pyramid of faith, made up of the highest level of Order Law in the Primitive Wilderness, towered over Darren. Its scale was astonishing.


    Darren thought that in this world, only the stronger version of the Rule Soul Avatar could create such a massive thing. Of course, there was an exception: the chief gods.


    Darren''s mind raced. Suddenly, he realized that a huge amount of Power of Belief was being transmitted to the pyramid through the iron chains.


    "Eh?" he muttered.


    An idea suddenly came to Darren. His eyes lit up with excitement.


    ''Could I intercept the Power of Belief?'' he thought.


    As a Defiant Master, Darren was equal to the chief gods in name. He had the qualifications to absorb the Power of Belief on his own.


    Given this steady stream of energy, what would happen if Darren destroyed one of the links and channeled the Power of Belief into his own body?


    The two Bloodsucker Princes were the strongest among all the believers that Darren now had. But even they were only the equivalent of warriors at the upper-level of the Deputy God Realm.


    In the abyss, the creatures enslaved by the projection of the chief god were far stronger than the two Bloodsucker Princes. And countless numbers of these creatures were here.


    The more Darren thought about it, the more his excitement grew. For a moment, he forgot all about the mangy hen and the belief crystal. All his attention was focused on devising a way to obtain the Power of Belief.


    If he succeeded, the black god''s power that was transmitted out from the dark void in his mind would increase by leaps and bounds.


    Darren still didn''t completely understand the black god''s power. He only knew that there was still plenty of room for improvement.


    He approached one huge black iron chain carefully.


    Stretching out a hand, he laid his palm on a link of the chain.


    Immediately, there was a buzzing sound.


    It echoed through the dark space. Darren kept his hand on the chain. After several seconds, the chain started to shake, sending tremors along all the other chains on the pyramid.


    The buzzing grew louder and louder, filling the dark space completely.


    Darren was stunned by the force of the sound waves. He felt as though waves of energy were crashing into his body, pummeling him constantly.


    "No," he gasped. His face was pale. He felt as though his body was about to explode.


    He forced himself to stay still and try to control the trembling of his body. Every molecule of


    gy hen," he said.


    "She used to be one of the rulers of this abyss," the man answered.


    "What?" blurted Darren. He was stunned. He couldn''t reconcile the image of the mangy hen with the description of the mysterious man.


    Could she have been so powerful once? To be one of the rulers of this abyss? He felt a stab of terror. This was the hometown of a chief god!


    Briskly, the figure said, "Well, we have no more time for you to ask any more questions. Get out of here, quickly. You are very talented and very likely to become a supreme god. But unfortunately, as a Defiant Master cultivating conflicting martial arts skills, your time of tribulation will eventually come.


    Alas! I really don''t know what Braxton and Alfredo were thinking,"


    the mysterious man sighed, his tone heavy with foreboding.


    "Sir..." Darren trailed off. He suddenly felt that this mysterious man might be a kind of existence that he had never before imagined.


    "No more words. Just go. Go!" urged the man.


    Without warning, Darren felt a huge force enfolding him. A crack appeared in the dark space, and Darren sank into it, until he was completely submerged in the empty space.


    As he crossed the space crack in the abyss, Darren felt a great weight pressing down on him. Soon, everything went black and he lost consciousness.


    He awoke to find that he was no longer in the dark space. The mangy hen was staring directly into his face. She looked furious.


    "Master Corissa, please let me explain," Darren said hurriedly.


    He jumped up and looked warily at her, knowing that if he failed to complete the task she had set, the mangy hen would not let him go.

 Chapter 1514 Patrolmen

    "Young man, you don''t need to explain yourself. Are you hurt? Are you scared? You''ve done good, boy. Rest first," Corissa said friendly.


    Darren was stunned.


    The attitude of the mangy hen had suddenly changed. Her kindness surprised Darren.


    It must be because of the mysterious man.


    "Madam, are you being threatened by someone? Why are you suddenly so kind to me?" Darren asked with a smile.


    "No, why are you thinking like that? An old friend of mine just said hi to me. If I had known that you and that master are of the same race, we wouldn''t have misunderstood each other like that." Corissa knew that there was a great master in the abyss, but she didn''t know that he was also a human.


    "It''s good of you to say so," Darren said, his body relaxing. "I heard that you used to be one of the rulers in this abyss. How did you end up like this? You look like you''re going to lose all your feathers."


    As soon as he said this, Darren could feel that the mangy hen''s aura had suddenly turned very hostile. However, it quickly died down.


    "Cut the crap. You can leave now." Obviously, Corissa was annoyed.


    However, Darren wanted to see just how much power the mysterious master possessed, and how much influence he had over the mangy hen, who had once been a ruler in this place.


    "Ha! I''m just kidding. Please don''t take it to heart. I just arrived here. I''ve got so many questions to ask, madam. Please favor me with your instructions," Darren said, his voice sincere.


    Corissa cast him a wary glance, wondering why he suddenly became so serious.


    "That''s more like it. You can ask me whatever you want," she replied.


    Darren nodded. "Madam, do you know who helped me out of the Space of Belief?"


    Corissa was stunned for a moment, and then shook her head violently. "Sorry, I can''t answer this one. Do you have anything else to ask?"


    Darren was speechless. It was obvious that Corissa didn''t want to tell him the truth.


    "Well, if any creature gets caught by the chief god''s projection, where do you think he will be locked up?" Darren asked. He wanted to know more about his family.


    "Are you nuts? Why are you asking me such things?" Corissa rolled her eyes at Darren. "Let me ask you a question. Why did the chief god''s projection take people away? To obtain the Power of Belief, right? Where do you think the masters he caught wi


    eature who looked so weak was capable of such a powerful attack.


    He released some kind of power containing an aura that made their hearts palpitate.


    The three patrolmen regrouped and began to counterattack.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    They split up and began attacking Darren from three different directions. Streaks of dark red light blocked all the ways Darren could use to escape.


    "How dare you resist our power? Go to hell!"


    Darren was annoyed. He clenched his fist and began attacking the patrolmen. He burst out his god''s power, which emitted a dazzling light. It looked like a star, burning bright and hot.


    Sword shadows appeared in perfect connection one after the other.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The sound of explosions rose one after the other, penetrating the sky.


    Darren''s sword intent and the patrolmen''s dark red light clashed. For a moment, they seemed to be at a stalemate.


    Shoop! Shoop! Shoop!


    Six Spiritual Flying Swords flew out of Darren''s soul, breaking through the dark red light. They stabbed at the three patrolmen.


    "Ah!"


    One of the patrolmen cried out. A sword had pierced through his jaw, leaving a gaping, bloody hole.


    "Damn it! He is not weak at all!"


    The three patrolmen were shocked by Darren''s strength and defense. They decided to make their own attacks even stronger.


    Darren kept dodging. If he resisted their attacks head-on this time around, he was sure to get injured.


    However, Darren knew he had to put an end to the battle soon. Any longer and he would be discovered by the chief god''s projection.

 Chapter 1515 Out Of Control

    Darren had only two options. It was either he killed the three dark red creatures, or he ran away without looking back.


    "I will go all out!"


    He finally decided that it was time to collect some soul crystals. After all, running away had never been his style.


    Whoosh!


    Darren rushed towards one of the dark red patrolmen. He was so fast that his speed had reached its limit.


    His goal was very simple. He would try his best to kill one first.


    In an instant, violent sword intent and overbearing blade intent surged like a river. Their perfectly connected moves were shown one by one, and their combined power reached the limit of Darren''s strength.


    But as his attack was about to reach the dark red patrolman, a transparent shield appeared around him.


    "You ignorant fool. Do you really think you can kill me?"


    The dark red patrolman found Darren ridiculous. The defensive shield he used contained a faint trace of the chief god''s will. It was given to them by their great emperor. He didn''t believe that Darren could break it with just his strength.


    But the next moment, the smile on the patrolman''s face instantly vanished. He twitched when he felt that his heart exploded into pieces inside his body.


    "No! What is going on with me? This is impossible!"


    Until his death, the patrolman was still in utter disbelief. He couldn''t accept that the protective shield bestowed to them by their great emperor was broken by someone like Darren so easily.


    It was something he had never thought to happen. He had encountered creatures ten times stronger than Darren before. But none of them had ever broken the shield given by their emperor.


    Darren was actually surprised too.


    He had already felt that the defensive shield of the dark red patrolman just now was guarded by an extremely strong force. So he knew that he was unlikely to break it. But since he had no other choice, he still took the risk and rushed over to attack the patrolman.


    Much to his surprise, he hadn''t felt any hindrance when he directly penetrated through the creature''s body.


    "It must be the black god''s power. It directly ignored the defensive shield," Darren murmured. He just realized that his black god''s power did an extraordinary performance.


    But for whatever reason why the black god''s power did so, he didn''t have time to think about it right now.


    After killing one patrolman, Darren immediately released a stream of god''s power t


    in.


    "I''m sorry, madam. I was in a critical situation, so I had no choice but to flee back here," he sincerely apologized. He could tell that Corissa cared about her children so much.


    "Get out of here right now! Otherwise, I will kill you and destroy your corpse!" Corissa roared in a sharp voice. This time, her killing intent and hostility got even stronger.


    All of a sudden, Darren felt dizzy. His heart sank when he realized that something bad was about to happen.


    ''Oh, no! I''m going to reach the Superior God Realm,'' he thought inwardly.


    "Madam, please don''t hate me anymore. I sincerely regret what I have done. I was wrong. I''m really sorry," he said in a hurry.


    Corissa saw the sincerity in Darren''s eyes, so her hostility had decreased.


    "Phew!" Darren breathed a sigh of relief. He was so close to the Superior God Realm, but fortunately, his realm stuck at a limit.


    "Go away and leave us alone. Don''t you ever come back and disturb us again." Since Corissa had already calmed down, her tone was much softer now. It was as if she was persuading Darren kindly.


    "Okay. I''m so sorry again." Darren bowed in front of Corissa before he quickly left.


    "Alas," Corissa sighed. "Kids, go with me. It''s not safe for us to stay here anymore."


    Darren flew for a long time before he quietly landed on a piece of wildland.


    He was a little worried. "I really can''t prevent my cultivation level from rising. It''s out of my control."


    Darren felt that he would rise to the Superior God Realm at any moment. Because even if he didn''t cultivate voluntarily, his cultivation level still increased on its own.

 Chapter 1516 The Arrival Of The Witchers

    Since the rising of his cultivation level had gotten out of his control, Darren decided not to stay outside. He needed to go back immediately and find the Rule Soul Avatar.


    After all, he had already collected tens of thousands of kilograms of soul crystals. They must be enough to let the Rule Soul Avatar cure their uncle.


    Darren didn''t hesitate anymore. He flew directly towards the cave where the Rule Soul Avatar and the others were.


    He was very careful not to meet any creatures along his way.


    Once he met a creature hostile to him, he was likely to reach the Superior God Realm because of the intense killing intent.


    During the first few days, Darren traveled safe and sound. However, on the tenth day, he fell into trouble.


    Around three thousand kilometers away from him, he saw a huge race gathered. The path was his shortcut to go back to the cave. If he took a detour, he would definitely meet more abyss races.


    Darren was in a dilemma. He had to pass by the path without being noticed by the race.


    Then he suddenly thought of the underground.


    Darren went under the ground like a steel needle, making sure that he wouldn''t create any sound.


    With his cultivation base, going underground was as easy as sinking into the water for him.


    But he wasn''t sure how deep he should go underground to avoid being detected by the race. Normally, a strong race could cover the space underground with their god''s sense all the time. Otherwise, they would be doomed if there were other races sneaking attacks underneath.


    Thus, Darren didn''t stop going deeper. He kept descending for ten hours until he fell into the hot magma.


    Since his body was the True Fire Spiritual Body, the scorching hot magma was not enough to burn him.


    "I think I''m safe now,"


    Darren said as he stopped and began to slowly move forward. He didn''t dare to move too fast, so if he could feel a trace of god''s sense, he could quickly dodge.


    After walking forward for about a quarter of an hour, he didn''t find anything unusual.


    But far away, he saw a huge black sphere rolling in the hot magma ten kilometers in front of him.


    "What''s that?"


    Darren observed carefully. He saw that from time to time, the huge black sphere burst out wisps of black mist with a destructive aura. They were like c


    erything for the human race.


    He had also found out that the witchers had been once humans. They only gradually evolved into a witcher race over millions of years to protect the human race.


    "Okay," Darren agreed. After all, he had never regarded the witcher race as his enemy. He just got too anxious just now when he found out that Elsa and the others were gone.


    "We are here only because the senior leaders of the Ancestral Land ask us to. I believe that you already know the reason," said one of the Great Witchers.


    Darren thought for a while. He reckoned that it must be because of the tribulation that he was about to undergo.


    "Tell me the truth. Are you here to help me or to kill me?"


    What he said made the Great Witchers look at him with new eyes. This proved that he knew about his current situation very well.


    The Twelve Great Witchers didn''t answer Darren''s question immediately. Instead, they communicated with each other in a way that Darren couldn''t understand.


    A few moments later, one Great Witcher responded, "We really want to help you. But with our ability, we can''t escape from the detection of the chief gods. They can find out our whereabouts so easily."


    What he said made Darren tremble.


    They obviously wanted to wipe him out. How could they claim that they came here with no ill intentions?


    Darren could only smile bitterly. "I''ve already hidden into the abyss to minimize my threat to the human race. Even so, they still won''t let me go. Don''t they really want to give me a chance?"

 Chapter 1517 Dont Believe Them

    "Darren, based on our calculations, your chance of surviving this disaster is even smaller than the chance of finding a grain of dust in the boundless universe,"


    the Great Witcher responded.


    It was clear to Darren now. The chance was too small, so the human race would not give him a chance.


    After all, it was such a tiny chance but could cause a huge disaster to the human race. No one would want it to happen.


    That was why they wanted to annihilate Darren before he could die from the tribulation.


    Perhaps the human race only came up with this decision after they got the Great Witchers'' calculations.


    "Why should I believe your calculations?" Darren asked.


    It was said that Darren had to die when he faced the tribulation. But it was just the theory of the Great Witchers. How could they make Darren believe their prediction?


    "You need to call back your avatar first. After we explain everything to him, you will understand the situation," the Great Witcher replied.


    "There''s no need," Darren refused decisively. He then added, "With your ability, you can kill me anytime you want. I don''t need to hear any explanations."


    The Great Witchers understood Darren at once. They could kill him, but he wouldn''t listen to anything they said.


    "But before I die, I have a request. Please don''t hurt Elsa, my aunt, and any of my relatives and friends." It was Darren''s dying wish to keep his family and friends safe.


    "Of course. We won''t hurt any human beings as long as they don''t pose a threat to the human race. Your family and friends won''t be in danger," the Great Witcher said in a convincing and dignified tone.


    "That''s good then. You can make a move to kill me now."


    At the moment, Darren had no other thoughts but felt indebted to Elsa, and regretted not having the chance to meet his parents.


    "No, we can''t do that."


    Darren had already compromised and accepted his death. But much to his surprise, the Great Witchers didn''t make a move.


    "What do you mean?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.


    "Our purpose of coming here is not only to eliminate you from this world but also to bring back someone," replied the Great Witcher.


    "Go straight to the point. What do you want to say?" Darren had started to feel impatient.


    "Your avatar has separated from your soul. Although he has evolved independently, h


    t chance to be independent. If you still don''t show up, we will perish together.


    I am giving you an order. Show yourself in front of me now."


    Darren tried to send messages in different tones, but they were all in vain.


    "Alas!"


    the Great Witchers sighed.


    "Xavier, you have to come back, so we can help you stay alive. You and Darren have the same soul. It only means that you are him. If you live, he will also live." The Great Witchers also spread their message in a unique way.


    "My real body, don''t believe them."


    This time, a faint wave came from Darren''s soul and turned into a line of words in his mind.


    When Darren saw the words, he was shocked. But he did his best to look calm and did not show any emotional fluctuation.


    Finally, the Rule Soul Avatar responded. But Darren couldn''t understand what he really meant. Moreover, he sent a message to Darren in a different way. Instead of communicating with Darren through his spiritual sense, he sent a line of words that were formed by an extremely weak soul power.


    Something must be wrong.


    The Rule Soul Avatar sent his message with only words to prevent the Great Witchers from discovering his whereabouts.


    Darren couldn''t help wondering why the Rule Soul Avatar didn''t believe them.


    He fell silent for a moment. But he didn''t dare to ask the Rule Soul Avatar. He now understood that the Rule Soul Avatar didn''t dare to respond to all his messages to avoid being exposed. He knew that the soul fluctuation could help the Great Witchers trace the Rule Soul Avatar''s location.

 Chapter 1518 The Secret Of The Black Sphere

    Things had changed.


    Darren had thought the Twelve Great Witchers were here with the intent to save the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Upon realizing what the hints from the Rule Soul Avatar meant, Darren decided to follow his gut and believe in the judgment of the Rule Soul Avatar. He was told not to trust the Twelve Great Witchers. On the surface, he knew he had to conceal his suspicion considering they had Elsa, Josie, and Jenifer in their clutches.


    Then, what was the real goal of the Twelve Great Witchers?


    Darren decided not to think about it for the time being. He just needed to buy time and wait for the Rule Soul Avatar to tell him the answer when the time came.


    "Darren, have you got any responses?" one of the Great Witchers asked.


    Darren shook his head with a sad expression.


    "My avatar has disappeared. I can''t get in contact with him at all."


    "Alas, there must be some miscommunication."


    "Sir, please give me more time. I must set out and find him," said Darren.


    "Your avatar hasn''t reached out to you on his own volition, so it''s useless to even try looking for him. Let''s be patient. We''ll increase the seal so as to postpone the breakthrough of your cultivation level."


    "Yes, sir."


    Once again, the Twelve Great Witchers used their Witcher Power to forcefully suppress Darren''s cultivation base.


    ''They said that they could only seal my realm for one year at most. Now they''re saying they can keep it for longer. This is surely a trap.'' Deep down, Darren was sneering at them.


    They patiently waited for two weeks, but there was still no news.


    "By the way sir, the last time I returned to this cave, I found a strange item underground. It seemed to be an Archean relic, but something was amiss about it. There was strange black mist encasing it."


    Darren thought for a long time. He felt that if he revealed this information, the Twelve Great Witchers might be interested.


    "How did it look like? Could you show us?"


    "Okay."


    Darren nodded. His god''s sense surged, releasing a stream of god''s power to imitate the image of the sphere.


    "Ah!"


    When the Twelve Great Witchers saw this sphere, they couldn''t help but gasp and shout in shock.


    "This is... the Archean Witcher?"


    "I can''t believe it has been buried in the abyss."


    "What should we do?"


    The Twelve Great Witchers could no longer keep their cool. They got very frantic and excited at the sight.


    "Sir, what is the Archean Witcher?" Darren asked curiously. Was there


    ters underground on the southeast side is where the relic lies. This is our ticket out of this situation. You can go in with them first."


    "Okay, I understand," replied Darren.


    "I''ll show up at the moment you need me most. There is nothing else for me to say for now."


    Darren replied with silence.


    "Sir, I sense something unusual over there." Darren pointed at the direction the Rule Soul Avatar mentioned.


    "It seems that the Archean Witcher has intentionally shielded our exploration. Go in and try to sense it. Go and have a look around."


    The leading Great Witcher and Darren flew towards that direction. Not long after, they found a huge and spinning black sphere.


    The leading witcher was dumbstruck at the sight at first. Afterwards, he made a strange gesture with his hands and chanted something.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    The other eleven witchers suddenly appeared around him.


    "Yes, that''s it."


    "The source of witchcraft, the Witcher Power from the Archean Age, it really exists!"


    "The records are true, after all."


    The Twelve Great Witchers looked very calm, but Darren could feel the sheer excitement they were trying to conceal.


    "Do we need to go in right now?" a Great Witcher asked the leader.


    The leading Great Witcher was silent for a while. He was pondering the thought. ''If we go in right now, should we bring Darren with us or not? If we don''t go in until our plan is fulfilled, will any changes take place, such as the relic disappearing?''


    After some careful thought, the leading Great Witcher couldn''t resist the great temptation of the relic, and decided to bring Darren with them to enter the sphere.

 Chapter 1519 Incessant Occurrences

    The Twelve Great Witchers finally came to the decision to enter and formed a star radiance array, chanting in an ancient and obscure language.


    Green flames danced in their eyes as countless runes swished around them.


    It didn''t take long before the magma beneath the ground was lit by the glow of the green light.


    Their hands moved faster and faster until they were nothing more than a blur to Darren and he could not see their movements clearly. As it stood, powerful and weird Witcher Power was going to envelope the black sphere and there was no stopping it.


    Boom!


    The boiling magma began rumbling like an earthquake about to create a tsunami of lava. It began rolling and surging until it broke through the ground and bubbled through.


    Thousands of streams of lava erupted into the void all at once. Thick plumes of smoke billowed out and covered the entire area, turning it to a hellish landscape.


    The blaring noises quickly attracted the attention of some powerful abyss creatures.


    "We need to hurry. We''ve been spotted by those powerful creatures."


    The Twelve Great Witchers exchanged looks of acknowledgement, they knew what they had to do. They had to increase their Witcher Power in order to open the door leading to the inner section of the black sphere. They needed this done as soon as possible.


    Roar! Roar! Roar!


    A massive hoard of powerful creatures could be seen in the distance, stampeding toward them. They all wanted to know what was going on here.


    "This is bad. If we go on like this, we will attract the attention of that master as well."


    Although the Twelve Great Witchers were indeed powerful, they were still not powerful enough to take on the chief god''s projection. If they were detected, he would not doubt whip and fling them out.


    The Witcher Power became more violent and crashed into the surface of the black sphere, completely wrapping its surface.


    Suddenly, a huge shadow flashed out of the sphere; it was a shadow of a skeleton in a black robe, holding a sickle in one hand.


    Whoosh!


    The shadow swung the sickle over the Great Witchers, who hurriedly gathered their Witcher Power to block it.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    With this, and being attacked by the black aura on the sickle at the same time, the array of the Twelve Great Witchers almost collapsed.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Underground, the first batch of the abyss creatures that was making their way over to investigate had arrived.


    On the frontline were three pangolin-looking monsters with spikes all over their heads. Their auras were quite clearly not weak, at least on par with the masters of the top level of the Deputy God Realm, like Todd.


    Darren''s heart sank as his hope began to fade. If the Twelve Great Witchers were taken out before they entered the ball, he would follow closely b


    ; the other powerful creatures that had gathered could not take it either. They crawled across the ground trembling or scrambled away desperately, trying to escape the intense force. A few seconds later, the entire place had been emptied, as if an autumn wind swept through, taking all the withered leaves away with it.


    They would not dare risk bearing the anger of the one with the pair of dark gold eyes.


    Darren had already launched hundreds of attacks in a row. His god''s power was already depleted.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Finally, they seemed to have done enough and the huge shadow collapsed under the impact of the Witcher Power and Darren''s black god''s power.


    At the same time, the sphere cracked and a door slowly opened.


    Darren was so anxious that it seemed as though the door took ten thousand years to open.


    But it was already too late! The chief god''s projection''s attack was already rushing at them.


    Crack.


    The enchanted barrier was destroyed effortlessly, shattering to tiny shards.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    The golden patterns on the Twelve Great Witchers'' black robes seemed to come to life.


    The gleaming golden light turned to countless runes that condensed into a huge shield, protecting the Twelve Great Witchers.


    Boom! Boom!


    The first dark gold light exploded and covered the golden shield in cracks streaking across it and causing the Great Witchers to spew out green blood as it hit.


    "Let''s go!"


    The Great Witchers'' bodies twisted and morphed into twelve green lights, rushing towards the black sphere''s crack with Darren.


    Bang!


    The golden shield exploded and all the magma from underground erupted, destroying the earth for millions of kilometers around.


    "Ah!"


    A frustrated roar rang out in every corner. The chief god''s projection was furious. The damn Defiant Master had slipped right through his fingers once again.

 Chapter 1520 Time To Upgrade

    "That was close..."


    Darren sighed in relief. He had thought he''d get hit by the dark gold light.


    Studying the scene before him, Darren found that the Twelve Great Witchers seemed to be using some healing method unique to their race. They each held each other''s hands, as though in a trance.


    "My real body, I''ve also come in,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar finally said to Darren while the Twelve Great Witchers were busy healing their injuries.


    "Good." Since the Rule Soul Avatar could come in, Darren felt even more relieved. "Rule Soul Avatar, how about we kill the Twelve Great Witchers now?"


    "Absolutely not," the Rule Soul Avatar quickly responded. "It''s too risky. Besides, they might be of great use to you. Don''t harm them for now."


    "Okay," Darren conceded.


    Actually, Darren didn''t know what these Great Witchers'' purpose was¡ªwhether they''d be hostile to the human race or not. For this reason, he never really considered them as enemies.


    If they were doing all these things for the sake of the human race, then what they did was forgivable. After all, it was impossible for the whole human race to take the risk of their race being annihilated for the sake of Darren.


    As the Twelve Great Witchers were busy recovering, Darren took this as an opportunity to study the situation at hand.


    He could sense faint yellow godly energy of the Archean Age, as well as the strange aura of the witcher race. However, as Darren concentrated, he found that this kind of witcher aura was much older than that of the Twelve Great Witchers before him.


    It was said that the real witcher race originated from the Archean Age.


    Crack.


    All of a sudden, Darren felt that something within his body was breaking.


    "Oh, no! My realm seal is about to open!"


    Just now, Darren had received the hatred of the chief god''s projection, so his cultivation level was rising again. The seal placed by the Twelve Great Witchers was about to collapse.


    The Twelve Great Witchers also broke out of their trance, as though they too sensed this.


    "Darren, hold on," the leading Great Witcher said in a hoarse voice. "We can''t move until four hours from now. Otherwise, our bloodline will be in danger."


    "Uh...alright..."


    Darren stiffly sat down, scared to make any sudden movements.


    Fortunately, there was no spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the relic. Otherwise, if it poured into Darren''s body, he wouldn''t be able to handle such powerful energy.


    After two hours of sitting there motionlessly, he found something stirred in the distance.


    He saw a row of


    ondensed again and rushed towards Darren first.


    Whoosh!


    Darren reacted instinctively and flew into the air.


    Just when he thought he''d put enough distance between himself and the skeletons, sickles slashed towards him from out of nowhere.


    "So fast?"


    These black-robed skeletons seemed to have crossed space!


    Darren brandished his blade. The second it collided with the sickles of the skeletons, Darren felt his body was attacked by a strange force.


    "Ouch!"


    Darren howled in pain. This felt even worse than being tortured in the Flaming Hell! Darren''s vision blurred and he grew dazed in an instant. As far as he could remember, this was the worst pain he had ever suffered.


    With just one confrontation, Darren was rendered unfit to fight. He fell from the sky.


    Crack!


    Several thunderbolts appeared and forced the skeletons to retreat a few meters backward. Then, endless Attack Laws descended and shattered many black-robed skeletons, leaving piles of bone shards.


    Still, Darren plummeted to the ground.


    His impact was so intense that his body left a crater in the earth. Darren was in so much pain that he couldn''t gather his bearings; he felt as though every fiber of his being was on fire.


    Seeing Darren motionless on the ground, several skeletons in black robes rushed over quickly to finish him off.


    Whoosh!


    A figure in white suddenly landed in front of Darren.


    "Xavier! You indeed have made it in!"


    The Twelve Great Witchers had expected this.


    Quickly, their spiritual sense flew out and forcibly poured into the body of the Rule Soul Avatar, locking him in firmly. This way, even if the Rule Soul Avatar hid again, they would be able to pinpoint his location.

 Chapter 1521 Refuse Treatment

    The Rule Soul Avatar didn''t care at all anymore, as he no longer needed to hide.


    The skeletons in black robes attacked him, but he was not Darren. He was a powerful rule cultivator and any of his attacks could prove dangerous to them.


    Powerful laws burst out one after the other.


    He might not be able to kill these things, but he was able to at least obstruct them for a while longer.


    The Rule Soul Avatar was in control of the situation now, so the black-robed skeletons were unable to attack and soon the Twelve Great Witchers had recovered.


    They all got to their feet, the black robes flowing in the breeze. They murmured in an obscure ancient language.


    Powerful Witcher Power flew out and poured into the bodies of the black-robed skeletons. They screamed horrifyingly and froze in the air, unable to move.


    They could not be killed, only suppressed.


    "So, you finally decided to show yourself," one of the Twelve Great Witchers said as they landed in front of the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Save my real body first, and then we''ll talk," the Rule Soul Avatar said indifferently. He was helpless against the witcher poison in Darren''s body, and there was almost nothing he could do to slow it.


    "No," refused the leader of the Great Witchers.


    He had no intention of treating Darren.


    They wanted Darren to die. But before that, they needed to cut the connection between the Rule Soul Avatar and Darren''s soul.


    Cutting the connection would take about ten months.


    This meant that the poison would not kill Darren in ten months. Which in turn meant Darren would have to endure ten months of torture from the poison.


    The Great Witchers weren''t bothered by that prospect in the slightest.


    "Do you honestly think you can take me without saving my real body first?" asked the Rule Soul Avatar with an icy derision.


    "I''m afraid that''s not up to you. Restrain him," commanded the leader.


    They began forming an array in an attempt to suppress the Rule Soul Avatar.


    The twelve streams of Witcher Power turned to green chains that darted at the Rule Soul Avatar.


    The Rule Soul Avatar disintegrated without hesitation and hid in the space.


    But the Twelve Great Witchers were well prepared for that. The witcher sense had been placed on the Rule Soul Avatar, so he could not escape anyway.


    "Oh, no! He didn''t add the Resurrection Force to himself."


    The Twelve Great Witchers were shocked. They knew a lot about


    He had already taken the consequences into consideration. There were two possibilities.


    The first was that when the poison was transferred, he would then suffer extreme pain and Darren would wake up.


    The second was that the poison would spread endlessly and he and Darren would suffer the same fate of terrible pain, and no one would wake up again.


    Despite the great danger, the Rule Soul Avatar still thought it was worth the risk.


    This was the only way he''d be able to achieve an unimaginable breakthrough. Only once he improved and grew stronger could he save his real body.


    He pondered it a while longer before he released a silver light from his silvery eyes into Darren''s body. He forced the light to grab hold of a small amount of poison and mixed it into his own blood.


    A sharp pain pierced through him when it entered his bloodstream.


    But his Spirit Power was strong, such pain was not enough to cause him to pass out.


    The result of the experiment was soon revealed. The pinch of poison spread through the Rule Soul Avatar''s body and slowly began growing.


    It seemed he would now suffer the same torture his real body was going through.


    However, this result still gave the Rule Soul Avatar hope!


    Why was that?


    It was because if the poison was to grow, there must be a new Law of Witcher Poison added in, and he could then analyze and find the source of the poison.


    Whoosh!


    While fighting through the pain, the Rule Soul Avatar mobilized his silvery eyes to observe the poison coursing through him.


    It consisted of tiny silk threads that were hard to see even with the silvery eyes.

 Chapter 1522 Loss Of Consciousness

    The fine streaks of law danced like living creatures.


    The Rule Soul Avatar concentrated his Spirit Power with all his strength and observed them moving around.


    Wisps of new Law of Witcher Poison seemed to appear out of nowhere, their origins untraceable.


    The poison began gradually spreading through his blood, amplifying his pain.


    His eyes sparkled with silvery light which poured into his veins, trying to locate the source of the poison and stop it.


    But he failed. The poison spread quicker than he could catch up to it, making it more difficult for him to maintain his silvery eyes state.


    Several hours later, the poison had overtaken his body. He was in extreme pain and was unable to move.


    A long while later, black-robed figures suddenly appeared and landed beside the Rule Soul Avatar and Darren.


    "He''s been poisoned as well."


    "We must cure his poison first, or we won''t be able to cut off the soul contact between him and Darren."


    The Twelve Great Witchers had been searching a long time but they had finally located Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar.


    The north wind howled and turned the heaven and earth a dark yellow. The Twelve Great Witchers surrounded the Rule Soul Avatar and paid no mind to Darren.


    The obscure chant floated across the airwaves in this desolate ancient world and wisps of light scattered across the Rule Soul Avatar''s body.


    "It''s been too long. The poisoning has advanced greatly and Darren is dying."


    Getting rid of the poison of ancient witchers with their Witcher Power was very difficult for the Twelve Great Witchers. Several months passed and still the Rule Soul Avatar hadn''t been cured.


    After enduring torture for so long, Darren was on the verge of death.


    If he died now, the Rule Soul Avatar would dissipate as well. The Twelve Great Witchers did not want this to happen.


    They had to at least keep him alive for now. So, they were forced to make an effort to save him.


    "Go keep Darren alive," the leader of the Twelve Great Witchers ordered one of the others.


    "Yes, sir."


    The Great Witcher landed beside Darren and released his Witcher Power and unique life energy into his body.


    Darren trembled unstoppably. His long lost consciousness finally showed signs of recovery. However, no one could see these signs, not even the Great Witcher.


    ''Am I alive or dead? What is this?'' Darren wondered to himself.


    Such a question occurred to him naturally, as it would


    Avatar''s eyes.


    This time, however, he didn''t use the silvery light to explore the poison, but sent it into his soul instead.


    He was already in so much pain that it didn''t matter if his soul was pierced through.


    In fact, the pain from the poison was so overwhelming, that he didn''t even feel the silvery light piercing through his soul.


    It then took a trace of his soul and flew out, back into his veins.


    ''I see!''


    Now the Rule Soul Avatar saw everything clearly. Through the wisp of soul on the silvery light, the law silk threads of the poison were magnified infinitely.


    It was as if he had been shrunk down so tiny that he was able to see the bacteria itself.


    The complete structure of the Law of Witcher Poison was revealed to him. It appeared to be black metal chains that looked very much like waves of water.


    They were being produced right before his eyes.


    The Rule Soul Avatar observed and saw millions of Laws of Witcher Poison emerging from an infinitesimally small hole.


    It was no wonder he had not been able to see it before. The hole was a million times smaller than the actual Law of Witcher Poison, so how was he supposed to see it clearly?


    The Rule Soul Avatar split off a microscopic wisp of silvery light, carrying a tiny trace of his soul, and launched it into the hole.


    He tried several times but failed over and over as the hole was closing too fast.


    But of course he would not give up so easily. He continued splitting the silvery light and the soul. After thousands of tries, against all odds, a tiny wisp of silvery light finally managed to carry his soul into the small hole.

 Chapter 1523 The Great Witchers Panic

    "Where am I?"


    The Rule Soul Avatar reached a space unknown to him.


    He saw countless particles floating in there. It was so weird. When he stared at one particle, he realized that it was a hexahedral object. Later on, it turned into an octahedron. Then an irregular heptahedron. As long as his gaze was fixed on it, it kept on changing. It even turned into a plane.


    "What kind of law is this?" the Rule Soul Avatar murmured. He had never seen such a thing before.


    But he was sure of one thing. This space was a law space floating outside the heaven and earth.


    "This must be the Law of Witcher Poison," he conjectured.


    The Law of Witcher Poison and the Law of Witcher Power were everywhere like sand in the real world. However, the Rule Soul Avatar couldn''t sense or touch them.


    So he used the soul power to analyze its structure and capture it.


    This process was too simple for him.


    In just a matter of seconds, he had connected to a wisp of Witcher Law and controlled it.


    After obtaining the wisp of law, the tiny soul of the Rule Soul Avatar split into two parts. He left one of them there to serve as a mark. Then the other part, together with the Witcher Law he had comprehended, returned to his body.


    After that, he immediately activated his Spirit Power and silvery eyes to completely control the second wisp of Witcher Law.


    At this moment, all the pain dissipated.


    Although the witcher poison was still being produced in his body, it didn''t affect him anymore. Instead, it became a part of his power.


    The Twelve Great Witchers tried their best to save Darren, but they failed. Aside from losing his consciousness, Darren''s soul became weaker and weaker.


    But they felt strange when they noticed that he seemed to be getting more and more exuberant. His behavior really confused them.


    What the Twelve Great Witchers didn''t know was, his consciousness had already returned to normal in Darren''s mind.


    Since he was too afraid of the severe pain, he found a way to ease it. He separated a small wisp of consciousness to pull his soul into the dark void bit by bit.


    The process was a bit slow, and it took time, but it relieved his pain. In this process, his soul needed to be torn apart and be led in. Then the parts of his soul that had entered would automatically reunite inside.


    "Wow, it feels so good to be alive!" Darren exclaimed.


    His consciousness controlled the parts of his soul that gathered, and he felt that he really existed again.


    This time, he


    her.


    "Don''t force me to kill you."


    The cold voice of the Rule Soul Avatar pierced into the minds of the Great Witchers'' like a sharp sword.


    The leader of the Great Witchers laughed out loud unpleasantly. His voice was ear-splitting, like a stone scratching a glass.


    "Xavier, your strength is not enough to fight against us at all." The Great Witchers directly ignored Darren because they knew that he wasn''t even capable of touching them.


    "Oh, really?"


    The Rule Soul Avatar suddenly flew forward.


    Crack!


    A bolt of lightning appeared in the space. It then split into twelve strands and struck the Twelve Great Witchers.


    The Twelve Great Witchers didn''t move at all. They just activated their Witcher Power.


    It was only a weak thunder attack. The Witcher Power''s automatic defense alone was enough to resist it.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The next moment, fright was written all over the Great Witchers'' faces. They were attacked, and the intense pain ran through their withered meridians.


    "You... Have you controlled the poison?"


    The Twelve Great Witchers were astounded at the realization that


    a human had mastered the witcher poison. Their faith had almost collapsed because of it. They couldn''t believe that aside from the witcher race, there were other creatures who were capable of controlling the power of the witchcraft cultivation.


    It was such a shame to them. To become a witcher and to master the power of the witchcraft cultivation, they had given up their flesh and blood. They had also experienced almost all the sufferings in the world.


    It was unacceptable that an ordinary human had mastered their witchcraft cultivation.

 Chapter 1524 The Great Witchers Confusion

    The poison was not fatal to the Twelve Great Witchers. However, the fact that a human easily mastered the power of the witchcraft cultivation sent a huge blow to their minds.


    "You will achieve more in the future than he will."


    The Twelve Great Witchers reached such a conclusion. They had only begun to recover from their shock.


    The one they were talking about was the master in the Immortal Land, who also possessed a pair of silvery eyes.


    He had existed for tens of thousands of years longer than the Rule Soul Avatar had, and the level of his rule cultivation was much higher than that of the Rule Soul Avatar''s. However, the Rule Soul Avatar''s potential surpassed his. This was the only thing that set the Rule Soul Avatar apart from him.


    The Rule Soul Avatar had been able to obtain the elusive Time Law. This alone was testament to his massive potential.


    After all, the Time Law was something that even the chief gods couldn''t get close to.


    Now, the Rule Soul Avatar was not only able to approach the Time Law, but he had also mastered the laws of witchcraft cultivation.


    Mastering the laws of witchcraft cultivation meant that the human in front of them possessed such great power to get into that place. Where there was full of danger and opportunities, and that was why the Great Witchers were shocked.


    "Why don''t you surrender to me?" asked the Rule Soul Avatar. His voice was cold.


    The Twelve Great Witchers were completely speechless.


    Immediately, the Great Witchers'' leader shook his head slightly. "You are wrong. We are not subordinates to anyone, nor will we submit to anyone."


    Darren was confused. "Then why did you help him capture my avatar?"


    "It''s not that hard to guess. Humans need a supreme god. His cultivation base is much higher than that of Xavier''s, and he is closer to the stature of a supreme god. Our purpose is clear. We need to give him Xavier''s eyes, which would make him infinitely stronger. It would be better to do this than just let Xavier die with you!"


    This was the reason why the Great Witchers wanted to take the Rule Soul Avatar with them.


    They thought that if the master in the Immortal Land had Xavier''s silvery eyes, he would become a supreme god. It would be very soon for him to be one.


    The human race had already been hiding for many years. One day, their hiding places would be exposed, and they would be detected by the chief gods and other powerful races.


    If they did not have


    out the whereabouts of the human race, so he was likely to give in.


    It would be impossible for him to fight against all the other chief gods on his own.


    "I don''t care. At least it will give me a higher chance of survival here," said Darren.


    "We are still in the relic. It''s another strong protective barrier," he continued.


    "We are not sure how much protection this relic will give you. Don''t overthink this. If you choose to survive the tribulations, there is really no hope of surviving," the leader said.


    There was not much hope for Darren to survive.


    Darren hesitated. He looked at the Rule Soul Avatar. "What do you think? Any ideas?"


    "If we''re really at risk of dying, we can try to merge back into one," the Rule Soul Avatar said.


    That was a bold idea.


    The Twelve Great Witchers looked at each other, and the green flames in their eyes suddenly flickered.


    "Are you sure about this?"


    This surprised them. In the Primitive Wilderness, there had never been a situation that a rule cultivator and a martial artist united as one. This was unheard of.


    Conflicting Cultivation was nothing special in the Primitive Wilderness when the cultivators didn''t reach the Superior God Realm. Even if the two conflicting powers united, their effect would not be that tremendous.


    It could be seen from Darren''s Blade and Sword Cultivation. The dark gold god''s power that he generated from the fusion of blade and sword intents could no longer compare to the supreme sword skill and the black god''s power.


    However, it would be different once Darren reached the Superior God Realm and had gone through the tribulations.

 Chapter 1525 Lets Take A Big Gamble

    If one had survived the tribulations for Conflicting Cultivation, then the heaven and earth of the Primitive Wilderness had no choice but to acknowledge the existence of the Conflicting Cultivation. It meant that the real strength of the Conflicting Cultivation would finally be revealed.


    Anyone who successfully broke through the tribulations for Conflicting Cultivation would definitely be dangerous. He would be viewed as a serious threat to the lives of the chief gods. After all, only an incredible being could survive the tribulations.


    The chief gods would view any such survivor as a grave threat, someone who was even more fearsome than a Defiant Master.


    Darren had not only mastered several conflicting skills¡ªhe was also a Defiant Master. It seemed that he was on a reckless path, destined to die from the tribulations.


    However, the Rule Soul Avatar had a suggestion. He proposed that the two of them, a rule cultivator and a martial artist, should be fused back into one.


    Of course, no one knew what effect such a fusion would have. It could be incredible, or it could be disastrous. It might also be Darren''s only chance of survival.


    The thought of it was exciting, and the Twelve Great Witchers couldn''t hide their anticipation. They looked forward to how Darren would handle the ordeal.


    Darren himself was silent, lost in thought. Eventually he spoke. "But I promised you that I would never fuse with you."


    Although the Rule Soul Avatar was independent, he had still originated from Darren.


    Once the two of them fused, the Rule Soul Avatar would disappear forever, but Darren would still be the same Darren. He would simply inherit all the abilities of the Rule Soul Avatar, combining martial arts and rule cultivation in a single being.


    "It''s better for one of us to survive than for both of us to die. We must get the chance to see the version of ourselves who practices both martial arts and rule cultivation," the Rule Soul Avatar said practically.


    Indeed, deep in his heart, he was actually rather eager to see what kind of human being would emerge from this trial.


    Since he had come into being, he had resisted the idea of fusion, holding on to that resistance as the highest principle in his soul.


    However, now that he and Darren were about to die, such principles must give way to more important considerations.


    "But what if I miraculously survive after we fuse? Then I will have broken my promise," Darren said. This possibility caused Darren to feel sorrow in his heart towards the Rule Soul Avatar.


    He had gone through so many hardships with him. If it weren''t for the Rule Soul Avatar, he would have long disappeared from this world.


    The Rule Soul Avatar had helped him through many life and death crises regardless of the threat to his own existence.


    "My real body, you don''t need to talk about the promises anymore," said the Rule Soul Avatar calmly. "When I was newly born, I didn''t have any human emotions. I thought about everything by weighing the advantages and disadvantages. That was why I mad


    is insane!"


    Tens of millions of humans poured into the huge square of the Ancestral Land, gathered together under the darkening sky. They were all agitated.


    The concentration of extremely powerful auras in that single spot caused the chaotic space to shake and tremble.


    "The damned witchers! We really can''t trust them!"


    "Why did they choose to help Darren?" "It''s unbelievable."


    "They are idiots! If they weren''t hiding in the abyss, I would tear them to pieces."


    Countless powerful warriors of the human race became furious, and soon resorted to violence.


    "Starry Sword! Finley Feng! It''s all your fault. If he had been killed earlier, this wouldn''t have happened!"


    Many began complaining about Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng, castigating the two of them for their decision to keep Darren alive for further observation.


    Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng stood indifferently, turning a deaf ear to the clamor.


    "Keep quiet."


    Soon, an extremely old figure arrived. He stood in front of the hall of the Ancestral Land.


    Upon seeing the new arrival, the entire square quieted down. But although the noise had subsided, everyone still wore expressions of great anger and dissatisfaction, especially the most powerful humans.


    "Ancestor," they said, lowering their heads.


    Although they were furious, they all bowed respectfully to the ancestor.


    "Ancestor, we can''t go to the abyss. We can''t resist such a tribulation at all!" someone shouted,


    unable to resist speaking even before the ancestor could say anything.


    "We have no reason to take such a risk!" someone else called out.


    "Those damned witchers! Ancestor, please kill them," another person urged.


    Within moments, the voices had built up to a deafening roar, as everyone declared their refusal to go to the abyss and loudly condemned Darren and the witcher race.


    The ancestor raised a hand, and eventually, the noise subsided once more.


    "We will talk about it when Heath and the tomb keepers arrive," he said in his ancient, slow voice.

 Chapter 1526 Dissatisfaction Of The Human Race

    All the human masters present knew of the tomb keepers and their abilities.


    They were the deputy gods of the human race, each of them possessing considerable power. Some of them were ascetic cultivators and were even stronger than other tomb keepers.


    But who was Heath?


    The ancestor had mentioned him specifically, saying he would only make his decision once Heath had returned. Most of the human masters here knew nothing of him.


    Seeing as the ancestor placed such great value on him, his cultivation base and status must be something to behold. Because of this, no one dared inquire about him casually. They decided they had to show much respect for him.


    The human masters waited in the Ancestral Land for three days, but the tomb keepers had still not arrived. They were all getting restless now. What if those damn witchers decided to help Darren break through to the Superior God Realm on their own?


    They grew equally uneasy and terrified.


    "Ancestor, when will the tomb keepers make their return?"


    Lord Feng finally stood out and spoke up.


    "You are getting impatient as well?"


    The ancestor did not show himself. It was a guard in a black robe that responded to him.


    "It''s more that I can''t wait to enter the abyss than anything else," Lord Feng said, his face devoid of any expression.


    "Ha ha."


    Someone beside him laughed disdainfully and said in a tone rife with hostility, "If you want to die, just go on with Starry Sword. I will not be joining you on that fool''s errand. Humph!"


    Many of them were unhappy with how Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng protected Darren. They thought to themselves that if Darren did die, perhaps there would not be such trouble now.


    The situation was currently not likely to go well. It was very probable that Darren would bring disasters to all the human masters.


    Lord Feng ignored the man, he had no time to waste arguing with these cowards.


    "What is it? You know how wrong you are and so you will not respond?"


    "You and Starry Sword are indeed famous in the illusion world. But don''t think for a second that you can actually lead the human race. You still have much to learn."


    "I say we punish the two of them first."


    Many human masters agreed and began pointing their fingers threateningly at Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng.


    They were getting more and more aggressive now, mocking and cursing. Some even released their god''s senses, preparing for a fight.


    Boom! Boom!


    The entire square trembled as the tension rose. Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng sprung up into the air at the same time.


    Lord Feng glanced down at the crowd contemptuously, and growl


    ld as to utter such things in front of the black-robed guard.


    Every black-robed guard in the Ancestral Land came from the supreme gods'' cemetery. They themselves were once powerful tomb keepers.


    "Then ready your first move. Let''s play your little game," agreed the guard.


    Lord Feng was poised to attack when he felt the strong aura coming off the black-robed guard.


    A patterned spear suddenly materialized in his hand. He stabbed the guard with a heavy one-handed thrust.


    The light on the tip of the spear circulated and the god''s power fluctuated around it. The space the spear passed through rippled out like water.


    This was the real human land, a world containing the chaotic energy. Lord Feng''s spear could twist and fluctuate the fabric of space and this astonished everyone present.


    The guard in the black robe wore a mask of seriousness, remaining sturdy.


    The spear''s power was jarring and savage, and not at all easy to dodge.


    The guard in the black robe raised his arms and crossed them in front of his chest. A blood red light then instantly burst forth.


    Bang!


    When the tip of the spear collided with the blood red light, the god''s power collapsed layer by layer and the light streamed into the sky.


    "Look, the guard''s god''s power has collapsed!"


    No one could believe their eyes; the blood red light dispersed under the spear''s impact.


    "Here''s the second move!"


    Lord Feng shattered the blood red light, and immediately launched his second attack.


    Boom! Boom!


    The heaven and earth shook. Lord Feng''s spear split into eight parts, each of them piercing into the space around the guard. In the blink of an eye, they launched towards the guard, stopping right up against his throat, pushing on it ever so slightly.

 Chapter 1527 The Return Of Heath

    "The supreme spear intent?"


    Such a violent and overbearing spear intent made most people tremble. It was as terrifying as being suppressed by a supreme god''s spiritual sense.


    Bang! Bang! Bang


    The black-robed guard''s arms turned blood-red as he attacked the eight spears. The force of the collision threw him thousands of feet away.


    An old figure suddenly appeared in front of the hall of the Ancestral Land. The ancestor himself showed up again to watch the battle.


    "Argh!"


    The black-robed guard roared madly at the counterattack. It had taken the young man only two moves to defeat him! He wouldn''t accept it. After all the time of cultivating, had his hard work really been in vain?


    "Come back. You are no match for Finley."


    The ancestor spoke up, forcing the crazed guard to restrain the god''s power.


    "Yes, sir." Even though the guard was unwilling, he could only nod respectfully and fly back to the front of the hall, quietly landing beside the ancestor.


    "Leave it be. It looks as if he''s comprehended a lot from the battle scenes Supreme God Alfredo had left behind. Since he has reached the Deputy God Realm, it''s understandable that you wouldn''t be a match for him."


    The guard didn''t want to give up. The ancestor worried this would affect his warrior spirit, so he chose his words carefully to explain the matter to him.


    "Yes, I understand." Only then did the guard''s annoyance drop.


    "Starry Sword, Finley Feng, both of you, come here." The ancestor''s old, hoarse voice transmitted over to them.


    "Yes, sir."


    No matter how arrogant they were, they wouldn''t dare disrespect the ancestor. This was not merely because of the ancestor''s strength, but because of the faith all humans had. As their leader, he commanded respect from all.


    Even if there were supreme gods among the younger generations, they were all obligated to respect the ancestor.


    "Ancestor, what can I do for you?" Lord Feng asked as Lord Starry Sword didn''t like to speak.


    "Are you certain you can help Darren survive the tribulations?" the ancestor asked.


    "Yes, ancestor. It''s not due to any close ties we have with Darren. We simply see it as an opportunity. With Darren alive, our race will very likely have the strongest supreme god in the future. That could only be beneficial to us," Lord Feng explained.


    "I too am aware of that. However, it would be incredibly difficult. Humans wouldn''t be able to afford


    eturned. You can now make a decision for us." The ancestor opened his eyes, asked Heath to make a decision, and said nothing more.


    "What a troublesome boy! Had I known it earlier, I would have killed him. Why did I send him to the abyss? I was a fool to do so," Heath said calmly. There was no hostility in his tone.


    He had been the one to send Darren to the supreme gods'' cemetery, but Darren hadn''t known his identity at all.


    "So, are you going to help him survive the tribulations?" the ancestor asked.


    Heath didn''t answer, lost in thought.


    "Why? Ancestor, why are you letting Heath make the decision? Even if he is an ascetic cultivator in the supreme gods'' cemetery, he is not worthy enough to make a decision for the entire human race," someone complained.


    Even the ancestor wouldn''t take such a decision lightly, so why did he allow an ascetic cultivator to make it? This concerned billions of lives!


    "It just so happens that our human race''s powerful cultivators are all here. Now let me announce some news. Heath is to become the seventh supreme god of the human race."


    His words caused a stir, and everyone''s blood began to boil.


    They couldn''t believe what they had just heard. The seventh supreme god of the human race? What was even more inconceivable was that Supreme God Braxton was the fifth one.


    While people respectfully called Alfredo Supreme God Alfredo, he wasn''t considered a real supreme god. What made Heath the seventh supreme god? Was there a sixth one? How was that possible?


    What was going on?


    Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng were just as taken aback as the rest.

 Chapter 1528 Shipley

    The human race was about to welcome its seventh supreme god! This was certainly shocking news.


    The news came from the ancestor himself, and thus, nobody dared doubt how true it was. No wonder the ancestor insisted that they would discuss how to deal with Darren after Heath came back.


    Everyone already expected that Heath was a powerful tomb keeper, but they never thought that he would actually be the seventh supreme god!


    Right now, the human masters were in a mix of shock and excitement, but there was still a question stuck on all their minds. Who was the sixth supreme god? Did the ancestor consider Alfredo in the count?


    "Silence, please."


    Just as everyone was engaged in a heated discussion over the outcomes, Heath spoke up.


    "I haven''t really become a supreme god just yet. The ancestor only announced this news in order to encourage me and all of us here to strive more. As for whether I''ll truly become the seventh supreme god or not, it''s too early to tell. I guess all I can say is that my chances are higher compared to everyone else."


    Heath''s words warmed everyone''s heart. He was such a humble person in their eyes.


    The ancestor was set to announce a human event, which he must have thought over for a long time, else, he wouldn''t have just praised anyone out of the blue. After all, the ancestor was the only leader of the human race, and he had to watch his words.


    "Sir, so this means you are at least a half-step supreme god?" someone in the crowd asked.


    "Sort of," answered Heath.


    A half-step supreme god! It was like Alfredo in the past.


    Alfredo was a Defiant Master, and he possessed some extremely powerful skills, so he was able to fight as good as a supreme god. Moreover, among the several supreme gods in the entire history of the human race, Alfredo was very likely to be ranked first! Of course, this was just a possibility. After all, they didn''t know much about the other four supreme gods except Braxton.


    Everyone could only roughly estimate Alfredo''s strength based on the rumor that he had invaded into the Kingdom of the Chief Gods. Based on what they''d heard, he was the strongest supreme god in history.


    Now, right before their eyes, Heath had personally admitted that he was at the peak of the half-step supreme god. Naturally, he was now the most powerful warrior of the human race.


    In terms of strength, Heath was even stronger than the ancestor.


    "Congratulations, Supreme God Heath. Your ri


    arry Sword and Finley. In fact, their potential is not inferior to mine. They also have the qualifications to break through to the level of the supreme gods in the future. Notice the people behind me, as well. Among them are my seniors and my peers. They are all just as talented as I am. It''s by luck that I am where I am, so please don''t question Starry Sword and Finley Feng.


    As for never hearing about Supreme God Shipley, I have a question to give all of you in return. Before the ancestor announced my existence, did any of you know who I was? Sometimes, the less people know about something, the more precious it is. I believe you all understand."


    After listening to his words, everyone understood two things. First, that Supreme God Heath seemed to be very optimistic about Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng''s prospects as he acknowledged both of them as his equals. Second, many of the real talents of the human race were actually concealing their identities in order to avoid following the risky path of Supreme God Shipley!


    Now, this begged an entirely new question from the eager crowd.


    ''Where is the sixth supreme god now? Is he still alive?''


    "Sir, will Supreme God Shipley return? As you all may know, Darren is going to bring about a catastrophe to the human race. We really hope that Supreme God Shipley will also return and watch over this event. We hope you will both be the shining lights to guide the human race to safety."


    "Ancestor, Mr. Heath, please invite Supreme God Shipley to preside over the overall situation. Otherwise, it will be nearly impossible for the human race to survive this oncoming disaster."

 Chapter 1529 The Ascetic Cultivators Of The Human Race

    Hope had now risen anew for everyone.


    It turned out there was not only a supreme god in the human race, there was also a super master who was about to be the seventh supreme god¡ªHeath, as well as a lot of tomb keeping ascetic cultivators. With this in mind, it didn''t seem impossible for the human race to survive the challenges they were about to face.


    But this was all reliant on Supreme God Shipley returning.


    Heath fell silent after hearing the calls for Shipley.


    The ancestor raised his old eyes and looked out at the crowd. He then shook his head solemnly. "Heath and I don''t know where Shipley is either."


    From the moment Shipley became a supreme god, he was made a firm target of the nine chief gods and faced an unending pursuit. If he hadn''t hidden and escaped, he would definitely have been suppressed and killed. He most certainly could not disclose his whereabouts to any creature, or his place of refuge would be compromised. After all, the chief gods'' tracking ability could not be underestimated.


    It then seemed that the unknown supreme god would not be able to take a leading role in the charge through the human race''s crisis.


    The human race had to depend on Heath and the tomb keeping ascetic cultivators. They were their last hope.


    "Let''s talk about Darren." Heath spoke up. He made no mention of anything else. Darren''s problem was of utmost importance at present.


    Truthfully, Heath had always thought the human race should give Darren up. It was only since the ancestor said he was willing to give Darren a chance and would not make a decision concerning his life until he was about to rise to the Superior God Realm that Heath was left with no choice but to keep him alive.


    However, the ancestor had not expected Darren to one day enter the abyss and have his life be out of the control of the human race.


    Things were now somewhat problematic. Even the senior leaders of the witcher race were on Darren''s side, trying to help him break through the tribulations he would face.


    Darren breaking through would mean the crisis for the human race was imminent and they had no choice but to help him resist it.


    "Hmmm, that guy is a troublemaker for sure. Does he not have a brain or a conscience? How could he be unwilling to sacrifice his own life for the sake of the human race? How can he force the entire human race to go down with him? Why did we even spare the life of such a selfish thing like him? We should have let him die when we had the chance," someone shouted angrily. He was clearly upset by having to assist Darren.


    "You''re wrong about him. You''ve not thought this all the way through,"


    a


    n cultivating in the Cliff of Cultivation for more than seven million years. His strength has far exceeded even what it was then. Even if I were to fight him, I would not dare think I can defeat him with less than a thousand moves," Heath interjected.


    Everyone gasped when they heard this. Even Heath, who was about to become the seventh supreme god wasn''t sure if he could defeat the ascetic cultivator named Stern Mu with less than a thousand moves? This was insane. Were the tomb keeping ascetic cultivators of the human race all as powerful as this?


    Lord Feng turned helplessly to Lord Starry Sword. Now that Heath had said his piece, there was no chance they''d get to fight Stern Mu.


    "Who else would like to join me in helping Darren?" Stern Mu asked, looking to the other tomb keeping ascetic cultivators beside him.


    "I will."


    "I too want to feel the pressure of the chief gods!"


    "To hell with them!"


    "Roar! Roar! Roar!"


    More than twenty tomb keepers pulled out the iron chains from their bodies. Their tremendous god''s power burst and flowed out like a vast ocean, almost causing the sky to collapse.


    These tomb keeping ascetic cultivators removing their chains of vows was a signal of their determination to achieve their goal at all costs.


    "Are you all sure you want to help Darren break through the heavenly tribulations?" Heath was still hesitant. Was it wise to help Darren at the critical moment before he was about to become a supreme god? It was too risky and he did not think it was worth it.


    "Heath, you do not have to go with us, and we don''t want you to either, if you don''t want to. There is no difference between life and death for us. We have to do this,"


    a tomb keeping ascetic cultivator said, sighing in despair.

 Chapter 1530 Go Back And Take A Look

    In the relic of the abyss, things seemed to be going well.


    "Darren, we''ve received a few responses. Some human masters have decided to help you survive the tribulations,"


    said one of the Twelve Great Witchers.


    "Alright, but how would they enter the abyss?" Darren asked.


    He had been thinking hard about his situation. This time around, it was too great a task for him to go through. All the masters knew that they stood to lose their lives in this battle. However, they still chose to help Darren. This moved Darren and made him feel incredibly grateful.


    He knew that those masters were the ones who truly cared about the human race.


    "You don''t have to worry about it. We know how to get them here," the leader of the Great Witchers said, nodding at him reassuringly.


    "Well, I hope that heaven would give the human race a chance," Darren sighed, all kinds of feelings welling up in his heart.


    The Rule Soul Avatar spoke a few moments later. "When will they come?"


    "With our help and their cooperation, it may take a few months. Darren, it''s going to be a tough battle. Get all of your affairs in order before you take it on," suggested the leader of the Great Witchers.


    Suddenly, the space in front of the leader of the Great Witchers shimmered, and several figures flew out. It was Elsa and the others.


    "Darren! How I''ve missed you so!"


    Elsa threw herself into Darren''s arms. Jenifer, on the other hand, dove into the arms of the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Elsa, please don''t cry. It''s all my fault,"


    Darren said, caressing Elsa''s back. As she let out small sobs, he held her tightly.


    "I must apologize to you all. We had no choice but to be unkind toward you before. I hope there is no bad blood between us," the leading Great Witcher said apologetically.


    "What did you do to my husband?" asked Josie, her expression murderous.


    "Please don''t worry. Your husband is fine. He is still undergoing treatment. He will recover in a few months," the leading Great Witcher replied.


    "Really? Don''t you dare try to fool me!" Josie snarled.


    "I speak the truth. We won''t hurt anyone from the human race for no reason. We simply had no choice but to ask you to temporarily live in the Distorted Space. Your husband has been seriously injured. We have already started to treat him, but it will take some tim


    herself to tell her daughter that he might never come back.


    She had been telling her daughter that her father just went to the mountain to pick wild fruit to bring back to them.


    "He''s still looking for the biggest fruit for you. It smells sweet and tastes great. He won''t be back until he picks you the most beautiful fruit of them all," the woman said, holding back a sob.


    "But he has been there for a long time. Is it very far away?" the little girl asked, looking at her mother innocently.


    "Yes, it''s so far away. So very far away..." The woman couldn''t help but turn around as the tears streamed down her face.


    "Mom, I''m so scared. That weird uncle is coming again. Wah!" The little girl held her mother even tighter.


    "Don''t be afraid, Sunny. I''m here. Don''t be afraid." The woman picked up the little girl and rocked her gently.


    "Brother, if only you were here," the woman said, looking up at the sky. Tears welled up in her eyes once more.


    "Ha! Auntie, you are so beautiful. I also want to be as beautiful as you someday," the little girl said all of a sudden.


    The woman frowned. Who was her daughter talking to? She felt a chill run down her spine.


    Whoosh!


    She quickly flew into their room, put Sunny under the protection of the restriction spell, and headed back into the yard.


    "What kind of monster dares come here? Get out!" the woman shouted angrily, wielding a divine sword in her hand.


    "Mom, come here. They are here!"


    Suddenly, the little girl''s voice rang out from their room.


    The woman was stunned.

 Chapter 1531 Return To The Hometown

    The woman was terrified and immediately sprinted into the house.


    She barged in and her eyes were caught by the sight of a tall, charred figure.


    "You dare come in here! Don''t hurt Sunny! Get out!" She was so filled with rage that she felt as though her eyes were about to burst from her head. She swung her sword and the sword intent surged out like a wave across the ocean.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The powerful sword intent struck the tall, charred figure but seemed to have no effect and collapsed into nothing on impact.


    The woman''s heart stopped as fear ran through her. ''What kind of monster is this? How is it so strong? How am I going to save Sunny?''


    "Who are you? What do you want with us?" the woman squealed, trying to hide her terror, but she dared not make a move forward too rashly.


    There was a moment of stillness. The charred figure seemed to be struck dumb, making no moves and saying no words. This made the woman all the more nervous.


    "Belle..."


    Finally, she heard a choked voice speak.


    The woman was now the one struck dumb.


    The voice was so familiar, but who was it? She couldn''t quite place it.


    "Auntie, I like you very much. You''re so beautiful," Sunny said, seemingly talking to the air. Then, out of nowhere, appeared a beautiful being.


    Buzz...


    When the woman saw the beautiful figure, her mind went blank and she began hyperventilating. She was short of breath and felt suffocated and overwhelmed.


    "Elsa!" she screamed out. She trembled, struggling to believe the beautiful figure in front of her was real.


    "Belle." Elsa saw her too now and became emotional as well.


    They had finally returned.


    "No! This isn''t real. You''ve got to be a demon. Go to hell you!"


    Belle seemed to have just woken from a dream, still unsure of reality. All this was so strange and surreal. She thought a demon must have disguised itself as Elsa for the purpose of taking her daughter from her.


    Belle rushed over to attack, not hesitating for a split second.


    Bang! The sword that was about to stab into Elsa exploded to pieces with a loud bang.


    The massive counter-force rebounded Belle away.


    "Belle!"


    The tall, charred figure had vanished in a flash and, with his pure physical strength, mobilized his speed to the limit. When he reappeared, he already held Belle tightly and tenderly in his arms.


    "Belle, it''s me. It''s your brother, Darren." Darren couldn''t help but sob, with both joy and sadness, when he looked on her face. It was no longer childish like he remembered but it was still so familiar to him.


    "Let go of me, you demon! Don''t touch me! You''re n


    othlann Continent, at least for the first one hundred thousand years.


    Eventually, due to the Chu Clan''s prosperity, internal clashes broke out. During a long period of struggle, the Chu Clan gradually declined and was surpassed by other rising forces of the time. A long period of turmoil ensued and the Chu Clan was finally relegated to a clan as ordinary as any other.


    Darren''s exploits and accomplishments had become the stuff of legend on the Lothlann Continent. Fewer and fewer now believed in him as the hero he was said to be. All that had taken place back then were just mere stories now. It was difficult to know whether they were in fact true or false.


    As all these shifts were taking place, Belle had been cultivating in seclusion, hoping to one day enter the Primitive Wilderness and reunite with her brother.


    When she reached the Emperor Realm and came back out, she found a world totally different to the one she had known. The elders of the Chu Clan had long disappeared. When she found out why, she vowed to take revenge.


    Her quest for revenge caused the Lothlann Continent to descend into chaos once more. After decades of strife, several super forces finally invited the rising demonic monster race in to suppress Belle.


    While escaping, Belle met her husband; a reclusive cultivator with strength at the top level of the Emperor Realm. Spending time with each other, day and night, bonding and getting to know one another better and better, the two of them quite expectedly fell in love and got married.


    After that, Belle and her husband abandoned their plans for revenge. They went into hiding and lived a peaceful life, until several years ago, when the powerful warriors of the demonic monster race found them.

 Chapter 1532 What Monster

    It was a fierce battle, but in the end Belle and her husband were defeated. Belle had been pregnant at the time and was forced to flee, as her husband risked his life to protect hers.


    Belle later gave birth to Sunny and had been living in seclusion since, to avoid being discovered and killed by the powerful warriors of the demonic monster race.


    However, Belle''s husband was constantly on her mind. She knew that he had most likely been killed by the demonic monsters, but she still hoped that perhaps he was alive.


    Once he had heard the whole story, Darren erupted into a fury.


    How could the Chu Clan be so unreliable and weak? Where were the members of the previous generations? How could they be so careless to let the Chu Clan fall?


    If it hadn''t, Belle wouldn''t have suffered as much as she had. The demonic monster race had gone too far as well. The thought of them made Darren exude a strong killing intent.


    "Darren, the rise and fall of a clan is an inevitability of history. Don''t think on it too much. The most important thing right now is that we save your brother-in-law," Elsa reminded, trying to calm Darren.


    "You''re right. I understand." Darren nodded, terrifying, malicious light flashing in his eyes.


    "Let''s go to the demonic monster race right now and settle this."


    "Darren, the demonic monsters have hidden themselves away so far and deep that it''s near impossible to find them. The only way we''d be able to is through the Danyun Clan." Belle felt some semblance of hope. This was the happiest moment in so many years she''d lost track.


    "Let''s go. Elsa, you stay here and take care of Sunny," said Darren, readying himself to leave in the next second.


    "I''m coming with you. I''ll just bring Sunny too."


    "No, she is too young. We cannot let her see the bloody scene that is about to unfold," Darren said cautiously.


    "Yes, I suppose you''re right. Okay, you two hurry back as soon as you can then."


    Elsa was unfazed. Even though Darren had no god''s power, there was still no one on the Lothlann Continent capable of hurting him in the slightest.


    Belle and Darren then left together and headed for the Danyun Clan, one of the three greatest clans on the Lothlann Continent.


    They flew for an hour before they landed in front of a tall palace, stretching high into the sky.


    "Listen here, patriarch of the Danyun Clan. Show yourself and receive your death sentence!" Darren stood before the palace and bellowed his icy voice around for all to hear throughout.


    "How dare you! The Danyun Clan is not to be trifled with. Go to hell!"


    A while later, two powerful warriors who had just entered the Emperor Realm rushed out to confront D


    hat had taken place.


    "What the hell is going on?"


    "Who is he?"


    "This is too terrifying. Go and ask the superior demonic monster to help us!"


    When they came to their senses, the whole clan was in disarray and in an uproar, screams of horror ringing out one after another from all directions.


    When had one of the three greatest clans on the Lothlann Continent become so weak and pitiful?


    "Damn! There seems to be a Balance Rule descending!"


    After killing so many warriors in quick succession, Darren had attracted the attention of the strongest rule that existed in this world.


    The Balance Rule was something every mortal world had to have. Once a force that the world could not bear appeared, the Balance Rule would erase it.


    It was the same as the Balance Law in the Primitive Wilderness. However, a rule was much weaker than a law.


    ''Can I withstand the Balance Rule here?'' Darren pondered this possibility as his ability to avenge his sister and the Chu Clan now depended on his resilience.


    "Nobody panic. He''s just physically strong. I hereby order the eight elders of rule cultivation to suppress him immediately!"


    Finally, the patriarch of the Danyun Clan appeared. The eight rule cultivators at the top level of the Emperor Realm then landed, surrounding Darren.


    "Humph! Activate the array!"


    The eight rule cultivators activated a powerful array, which once activated, would suppress and kill even the gods from outer space who descended.


    Darren remained unmoving in the center.


    Boom! Boom!


    The area exploded and a powerful rule cultivation force condensed by runes attacked him.


    Darren''s eyes were laden with contempt. He felt somewhat insulted. ''Did they really think they''d be able to get rid of me with such a tiny bit of strength?''

 Chapter 1533 Extremely Scared

    This array had never been activated by eight rule cultivators at the Emperor Realm on the Lothlann Continent before.


    The level of the array was enough to vanquish a warrior at the low-level of the Primary God Realm.


    But Darren''s realm was far beyond what they could have imagined. His physical strength alone might be enough to withstand the attack of a deputy god!


    Boom! Boom!


    The powerful runes rained down and drowned Darren beneath them.


    "Humph! This is what you get for daring to act so wildly in our clan''s land!"


    "Check if he is dead."


    "Yes, sir."


    No life energy was coming from the center of the array. The members of the Danyun Clan thought Darren had been smashed to pieces. They felt a little relieved and like they were now in the clear to exert their power again.


    "Guards, arrest Belle Chu. We will not let her escape this time."


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Several masters at the Emperor Realm flew over and surrounded her.


    Bang...


    Loud bangs sounded suddenly and blood mist appeared above.


    "Ah!"


    Everyone was terrified, feeling they would not get away from the terror that had come after them, like they were falling into an inescapable abyss.


    "The eight rule emperors are dead!"


    They had all exploded within the blink of an eye.


    This was horrifying beyond anything they could have predicted. There might have been more and more cultivators at the Emperor Realm, but this realm was still the highest level on the Lothlann Continent. There were only a rare few peerless talents who were able to exert the strength of the Primary God Realm.


    "Guards! See if the superior demonic monster has arrived yet!" called out the patriarch of the Danyun Clan, trembling with fear but doing his best to remain calm and sturdy.


    "Patriarch, I''m afraid the demonic monster race will not be able to contain him either. We should call on the masters!"


    "Yes, yes, okay. Go ask the masters to come!"


    The blood mist in the air finally dispersed and Darren''s figure of unmatched fury hovered silently in the air.


    Whoosh!


    He glared down at the powerful warriors surrounding Belle.


    Just by his gaze, two of them had their hearts burst purely through extreme fear.


    Darren was now more terrifying than a God of Death.


    He killed a few more warriors and felt that the Balance Rule was about to move again. To avoid its intervention, he stopped temporarily.


    He now felt he had done enough to deter the Danyun Clan from their resistance against him. He believed they would now ask their backers to come to their rescue as soon as they could. Darren was banking on it and had been killing the way he was to force them int


    tiger, his massive body still trembling.


    His eyes were bloodshot and seemed ready to fall from his head.


    Everyone was on edge. Did the damn winged-tiger really insist on being so reckless to fight this young man further?


    If so, the others wanted no part in it, not wanting to get themselves in trouble because of him.


    Boom! Boom!


    The huge winged-tiger then crawled across the ground dejectedly, and all his previous confidence and power drained from him. "I surrender. My Lord, please forgive me."


    The winged-tiger surrendered finally, not daring to go toe to toe with the invincible young man again.


    "Humph! Hurry and bring my brother-in-law to me, or you will experience a world of hurt," Darren said with an impatient and derisive tone.


    "Yes, sir. As you wish."


    The winged-tiger took the order and flew off without hesitation.


    "Leader of the Danyun Clan, come out," Darren uttered lightly.


    A middle-aged man stepped out into the air, shaking as he floated above. When he landed in front of Darren, he immediately knelt down. "My Lord, I''m the patriarch of the Danyun Clan. From now on, I will follow your lead and do as you say. Please, spare my life."


    "Very good. That''s great to hear," Darren said, nodding only slightly. He then disappeared and the patriarch of the Danyun clan exploded into blood mist.


    Darren would not be so lenient to let him off so easy.


    Only by killing the patriarch could he fully subdue the clan!


    "Now, listen carefully to my order. Do your best to find every member of the Chu Clan. If you miss one, I will kill you all," Darren announced.


    He did this to see if there were any members of the Chu Clan left still living in the world after all these years. Perhaps some of them would even be familiar to him.

 Chapter 1534 The Purple-crystal Creature

    After an agonizing hour of waiting, the winged-tiger had finally returned.


    On his back was a bloody and mangled skeleton.


    "My Lord, he''s still breathing. Please spare my life, I beg of you." The winged-tiger trembled in the air, frantic.


    "Tobias!"


    Belle quickly rushed over and cradled the bloody skeleton in her arms, with tears falling from her eyes.


    "Darren, please save him," she said between sobs.


    "Don''t worry about it, Belle. You just need to protect your husband. I''ll definitely find a way to save him."


    Darren and Elsa didn''t have god''s power at the moment, so it would be difficult to cure Tobias. Darren had no choice but to save it for later.


    "Okay." Belle wholeheartedly trusted Darren nonetheless, and she simply brought her husband into her small world to keep him safe.


    They waited in the spot for two hours. The powerful warriors of the Danyun Clan came back one after another, and each of them brought back a group of members of the Chu Clan.


    All these members of the Chu Clan were descendants that had survived over the past million years. Darren didn''t recognize any of them.


    "Keep doing your best to find the members of the Chu Clan. I''ll return in half a month. By that time, if you still haven''t found all the members of the Chu Clan, I will annihilate your entire clan."


    Darren then turned to Belle. "Belle, let''s go and save your husband first."


    The two siblings quickly departed. But before he left, Darren used his palm to bombard the winged-tiger.


    He couldn''t keep the winged-tiger alive, because Darren was soon to leave the Lothlann Continent. He had to return to break through the tribulations, and that meant he was likely to die there. If there was even the slightest risk that he couldn''t come back to protect his family, he had to get rid of any possible threats without a moment''s hesitation.


    Darren and Belle returned to the latter''s home.


    "Darren, what happened? Was everything going well?" Seeing that the two of them had come back, Elsa greeted them with Sunny in tow.


    "Everything went well, but my brother-in-law is seriously injured and he needs treatment."


    "I see. It''s a relief that he''s alive at least." As long as he was still breathing, he could definitely be cured. Elsa sighed in relief.


    "Mom, is Dad back too?" Sunny looked at Belle with her big eyes, nearly shining with tears.


    "Yes, Sunny. Your papa is back. He''s going to get better very soon and give you big and sweet fruits." Belle cried with joy as she spoke to her daughter.


    "Oh, that''s


    ved more than a million kinds of magic herbs, all of which had excellent effects for treatment.


    "It''s time to go back and give these a shot."


    He decided to fly back to Belle''s home. Not long after, Elsa also returned with many magic herbs.


    Darren went through them swiftly. In the end, he found that only a select number of magic herbs could be used to heal Tobias'' soul. However, the effects of these several magic herbs were not as good as he had imagined, and it took some time for them to actually take effect.


    "Belle, worry not. Your husband will wake up in about two months, and then he can recover with his own strength."


    "That''s wonderful. Thank you so much, Darren and Elsa. If you hadn''t come back, I don''t know what I could''ve done to save his life."


    "Silly girl, there''s no need to thank your brother." Darren hugged his sister. Tears welled up in both their eyes again.


    "I found him. He''s over here!"


    All of a sudden, noisy roars came from the yard outside. More than a million creatures floated in the air above the yard.


    "I''d like to see who dared act wildly on the continent under my control."


    An armored purple creature with horns on his head released a terrifying force and destroyed a good chunk of the house.


    "Purple-crystal creature?"


    Darren saw through the creature at a glance. It was made up of some kind of purple crystal. It was obvious that this creature came from another mortal world.


    "Humph! Get down on your knees and kill yourself to atone. What are you waiting for?"


    the purple-crystal creature shouted arrogantly.


    "Tell me, are you here because of the Danyun Clan?" Darren''s face was calm, but his voice was as cold as ice.

 Chapter 1535 The Downfall Of The Purple-crystal Creatures

    "Idiot! All the members of the Danyun Clan are our slaves. They help us manage the Lothlann Continent. You must be out of your mind to make trouble for them!" roared the leader of the purple-crystal creatures.


    Darren''s eyes narrowed as he finally understood. He was now sure that it was the Danyun Clan who summoned the purple-crystal creatures to come over.


    Before, Darren had always been curious about how the Lothlann Continent had changed in just a few million years. He found it strange that it had so many Emperor Realm cultivators all of a sudden. It finally dawned on him now. The purple-crystal creatures were supporting the Danyun Clan all these times.


    Using his spiritual sense, Darren probed the cultivation level of the purple-crystal creature in front of him. He then found out that the purple-crystal creature''s aura was comparable to that of a low-level Domain God Realm cultivator.


    However, such a realm could impossibly exist on the Lothlann Continent. It only meant that the purple-crystal creatures lived on a continent that was more stable and advanced than the Lothlann Continent.


    But unfortunately, they came across Darren. No matter how powerful they were, it was not a big deal at all.


    "That''s good then. And since you''ve dared to invade the Lothlann Continent, I won''t be Darren if I don''t destroy your whole clan," Darren shouted coldly.


    "Stupid! Do you really think that your arrogance can scare us? You''re nothing! Even if the gods from outer space were here to help you, we wouldn''t give a damn. We can kill them in the blink of an eye," said the leader of the purple-crystal creatures disdainfully.


    It was true that the gods of outer space had shown up on the Purple-crystal Continent before. But it was just an accident made by a cultivator at the top level of the Primary God Realm. In the end, he was also killed by the masters of the Purple-crystal Continent. They had gotten lots of treasures from him that were from the Primitive Wilderness. This made the Purple-crystal Continent even more powerful.


    Since then, the masters of the Purple-crystal Continent had been more confident of themselves. They even believed that they were the strongest in the entire universe.


    "Capture him!" The leader of the purple-crystal creatures had already lost his patience. With his command, dozens of purple-crystal creatures flew towards Darren simultaneously.


    "Humph! You are overestimating yourself." Before Darren could even make a move, Elsa suddenly flew forward with a snort.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Her sword swept away the purple-crystal creatures that rushed towards Darren. They all turned to dust. In an instant, the sky was filled with purple dust and sand.


    Although Elsa''s cultivatio


    rren her sweetest smile. All the while, she had the impression that Darren was a terrible man who was charred all over. But now, it had totally changed.


    At this time, the leader of the purple-crystal creatures noticed Sunny. So he whispered to the purple-crystal creatures, "You two, come with me. Let''s capture that human girl. We need her just in case."


    He had to be more cautious. If he could take hold of Sunny, he could have a way out for himself.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    All of a sudden, three purple figures broke through the space and appeared beside Darren.


    "Seriously?"


    Darren''s eyes narrowed with infinite killing intent.


    "Fuck off!"


    With Darren''s loud shout, a billow directly blasted the two purple-crystal creatures.


    "What?!"


    The leader of the purple-crystal creatures was terrified by the scene that transpired before his eyes. His two subordinates were not weak, but they were blasted to death by just a roar from Darren. He was in utter disbelief.


    Who would have thought that Darren was this terrifying?


    "Oh, my God! He seems to be really powerful," he murmured. The leader of the purple-crystal creatures was stunned for a while. But when he came back to his senses, he used a secret method to immediately send a message to their great king. "Your Majesty, a super god has appeared in the Lothlann Continent. Please suppress him for us."


    After sending the message, he turned to run away.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    Darren sneered and disappeared.


    Bang!


    The leader of the purple-crystal creatures bumped into Darren. He was like a piece of tofu that hit an iron plate.


    His body began to crack.


    "No! Who are you? Why are you so powerful?"


    The leader of the purple-crystal creatures was shocked. He couldn''t even describe Darren''s strength in words.

 Chapter 1536 Obtaining The Balance Rule

    "Don''t worry. I won''t kill you for now." Darren glanced at the leader of the purple-crystal creatures coldly, making the latter feel like falling into an abyss.


    "You... Why are you letting me go?" Instead of feeling glad that Darren would not kill him, the leader of the purple-crystal creatures felt more scared.


    "Don''t get me wrong. I just want you to live because I want you to witness how I destroy those creatures on your continent who occupy other worlds."


    If a race like the purple-crystal creatures that caused imbalance would not be suppressed, it would definitely create chaos in the mortal worlds. But of course, Darren would only kill those belligerent plunderers. He would spare the ordinary creatures of the Purple-crystal Continent. After all, kind-hearted creatures always existed in every world. And they didn''t deserve to be beaten to death.


    "Ha-ha! You must be dreaming." The leader of the purple-crystal creatures suddenly burst into laughter. "Yes, I agree that you are very strong. But once our great king comes, you will definitely die. He is a powerful god with unimaginable strength. He will send you to hell!"


    "Okay. I''ll wait for him,"


    Darren replied indifferently. He then struck down with his palm and bombarded the leader of the purple-crystal creatures, leaving only his head to keep him alive.


    "My brother is so awesome!"


    Belle exclaimed. She had already seen Darren''s strength before, but she was still struck dumb.


    Just above them, Earl, the new patriarch of the Danyun Clan, suddenly fell from the sky. Blood oozed from his eyes, nose, and mouth.


    He died because of too much fear when he saw how Darren bombarded the body of the leader of the purple-crystal creatures.


    Before his death, he even regretted that he had offended Darren. He finally understood that Darren was really the legendary guardian of the Lothlann Continent.


    "Elsa, you can''t fight anymore. Let me take over."


    Darren flew directly beside Elsa and quickly killed the purple-crystal creatures surrounding her.


    "It''s not necessary for you to help me, Darren. In fact, I''m having a good time," Elsa replied.


    "No. Haven''t you felt the Balance Rule? It''s coming, so you''d better retreat quickly. Let me finish this." Darren had already felt that the Balance Rule of the Lothlann Continent began to attack them.


    "Oh, alright. Be careful then." Elsa retreated in a hurry. She couldn''t stay to hold Darren back anymore.


    Crack!


    An earth-shattering thunder broke through the layers of space and descended from t


    ed.


    He thought of the Balance Law.


    As far as he knew, it was the most powerful law since the creation of the chaotic world.


    Even the Time Law was not comparable to the Balance Law.


    And now, he had actually assimilated the Balance Rule. What if he encountered the Balance Law in the future? Did it mean that he could also bind it up through this mysterious void and assimilate it?


    Darren got so excited with this thought that his blood vitality surged up.


    "I don''t think so. It turned out, I can only store the Balance Rule for the time being."


    Darren calmed down upon realizing that he couldn''t really control the Balance Rule.


    The reason was simple.


    It was because he was a martial artist. Controlling rules or laws was something that the Rule Soul Avatar must do. If Darren controlled this rule, he couldn''t continue comprehending it and making it more powerful due to his weak Spirit Power. At most, he could only use this rule to suppress some creatures in the mortal worlds.


    In short, the Balance Rule was just something of little value for Darren.


    But things would be different if the rule was given to the Rule Soul Avatar. With his powerful deduction and analysis ability, he might be able to make it stronger or even comprehend the Balance Law on the basis of the Balance Rule.


    Thus, Darren compressed the white lightning he had assimilated into his elixir field and did not integrate it into any of his God Characters.


    He wanted to take it back and give it to the Rule Soul Avatar.


    As a whole, it was a blessing in disguise for Darren.


    In the eyes of the outsiders, he had already been killed since his body and soul had disappeared into thin air.

 Chapter 1537 Meet The Purple-crystal King Again

    Elsa and Belle were both heartbroken when they saw that Darren disappeared. They thought that he was already killed.


    "Elsa, Belle. Don''t worry. I''m just fine." But they were both relieved when Darren sent them a message through his spiritual sense.


    Aside from them, no one else knew that Darren was still alive.


    "Ha-ha! Darren has been killed. God is really helping us."


    "No matter how powerful he is, he still can''t defeat his fate. He is destined to die."


    "Now that he''s dead, let''s inform all the members of our clan to kill all the people of the Chu Clan."


    The remaining members of the Danyun Clan seemed to have seen a glimmer of hope. Even the leader of the purple crystal creatures finally felt relieved, thinking that the terrifying brat was dead.


    "Help! Come over here and cure me," he cried.


    After his cry, a crack appeared in the sky. Then a purple-crystal creature with an extremely strong cold aura flew out.


    He looked like a human being with a cold aura similar to the previous Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Your Majesty!"


    As soon as they saw the purple-crystal creature descending, all the low-grade purple-crystal creatures knelt down.


    "Your Majesty, please help me," the leader of the purple-crystal creatures begged.


    Bang!


    A purple light shot towards the leader of the purple-crystal creatures. In an instant, he exploded.


    "It''s you."


    Darren appeared in front of the cold purple-crystal creature. But this time, he was only in a soul state. His body had dissipated.


    A strange light flashed through the cold purple-crystal creature''s eyes when he saw Darren.


    "It''s you,"


    he said coldly in a unique language. But Darren had understood what he said.


    The cold purple-crystal creature in front of Darren was none other than the Purple-crystal King. They had met before.


    When Darren separated from the Rule Soul Avatar, the Purple-crystal King was there. He could still remember that the Purple-crystal King had shared the Destructive Force with the Rule Soul Avatar and hid in the space turbulent flow at the same time.


    The truth was that Darren had already thought of the Purple-crystal King when he first saw the purple-crystal creatures. He knew that only the Purple-crystal King could make the Purple-crystal Continent so powerful.


    "It has been so many years. It seems that you have improved a lot," Darren said calmly.


    "And you seem stronger now than before," the Purple-crystal King said coldly. He then asked, "Where is he?"


    Darren knew that the Purple-crystal King was referring to the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "He is in the Primitive Wilderness," he replied.


    The Purple-crystal King fell silent f


    othlann Continent collapsed layer by layer. The earth violently shook as if it was about to shatter.


    At the same time, the three God Characters in Darren''s mind spun crazily. It was as if they were about to rush out of his soul.


    It was a special resonance.


    The Chief God Character and the God Characters in Darren''s brain belonged to the same level. However, the Chief God Character was born at the birth of the chaotic world and obtained all the powerful power that one could get. So it was stronger than the God Characters that Darren had inherited from Alfredo.


    In a nutshell, the Defiant Masters had the potential to become chief gods. However, the Primitive Wilderness could only accept nine or ten chief gods. No other chief gods were allowed to be born. Therefore, although the Defiant Masters were on par with the chief gods in terms of level, there was a vast difference between their strength. If a Defiant Master wanted to become a chief god, they had to be strong enough to kill one of the innate chief gods. In this way, they could gain the recognition of heaven and earth.


    However, it was absolutely difficult for a Defiant Master to kill a chief god.


    "I believe you," Darren finally said with a nod after a moment of silence.


    Since the God Character owned by the Purple-crystal King could make his God Characters resonate, he was convinced. The Purple-crystal King only had one-eighth of the God Character.


    Even so, he still had the potential to become a chief god. After all, the incomplete God Character that he had was the residual Chief God Character of the tenth chief god, who was acknowledged by heaven and earth.


    "It''s a deal then. Take me to the Primitive Wilderness, and I will help you in the future," said the Purple-crystal King.

 Chapter 1538 Reaching An Agreement

    "Ha-ha," Darren chuckled sarcastically. "Did you really think it''d be that simple?"


    "Then what do you want?" the Purple-crystal King asked exasperatedly.


    "Only two things. First, share all the secrets about becoming a chief god with the Rule Soul Avatar. Second, stand by my side and solve any troubles that come my way," Darren proposed.


    "No way in hell! How would that make me any different from a slave?" The Purple-crystal King shook his head profusely. He could deal with sharing his secrets with the Rule Soul Avatar, but he couldn''t stand the idea of being Darren''s slave.


    "Think it over. If you could really become a chief god one day, you wouldn''t be bound by any vows," Darren reminded. He meant to say that as long as the Purple-crystal King became a chief god, he would be completely free. He could even kill Darren if he was capable of doing so.


    The Purple-crystal King paused, successfully swayed by Darren''s words.


    In the mortal world, his growth was stagnant. It was already difficult for him to break through to the Star God Realm, not to mention the higher realms.


    But if he could return to the Primitive Wilderness, he would have the chance to grow quickly. Moreover, it would be possible for him to collect the other parts of the Chief God Character and become a chief god recognized by heaven and earth. By then, nothing could get in his way, unless the strongest Balance Law in the Primitive Wilderness descended.


    "Okay then. I agree to your terms." The Purple-crystal King nodded after thinking it over.


    "You''re wise. Swear your allegiance to me first. Then, when you go to the Primitive Wilderness later, you can swear to the Rule Soul Avatar."


    Darren knew his plan was foolproof. When they arrived in the Primitive Wilderness, the Rule Soul Avatar and the Twelve Great Witchers would be able to determine whether the oath made by the Purple-crystal King was effective or not. If the oath was invalid, Darren, the Rule Soul Avatar and the Twelve Great Witchers would kill the Purple-crystal King on the spot and then take the fragment of the Chief God Character.


    Since he had made up his mind, the Purple-crystal King didn''t hesitate any further. Right then and there, he made an oath according to Darren''s requirements.


    "All right. From now on, we are allies," Darren declared firmly. "The first order of business: to destroy all the purple-crystal creature


    fire if Darren got angry, they scolded the child.


    "Just because you''re useless and can''t open your meridians to begin the cultivation, don''t get us involved in your stupidity, Hurst Chu!"


    "Yes, if I offended you, forgive me. Please don''t kill me. I have an eighty-year-old mother who needs me. Please forgive me."


    Many people begged for mercy from Darren out of fear.


    "Alas," Darren sighed again. He hadn''t thought the Chu Clan on the Lothlann Continent would stoop so low.


    "Hurst, listen to me. I''m Darren Chu, an ancestor of the Chu Clan. I order you to become the patriarch of the Chu Clan and to take charge of all the affairs of the Chu Clan on the Lothlann Continent," Darren said to the boy bluntly.


    "Darren Chu?"


    The child named Hurst Chu was stunned. Every member of the Chu Clan was familiar with that name. Darren was the number one genius of the Chu Clan, and Hurst Chu''s childhood was filled with stories of the famed Darren Chu.


    "Impossible. Ancestor Darren became a god and went to another world a long, long time ago. Humph! Don''t lie to me!" he huffed indignantly.


    Darren smiled faintly. "It doesn''t matter whether you believe it or not. Just do as I say. There is one more thing I have to say. No matter how strong you will become in the future, don''t do anything evil. Otherwise, I will punish you. Remember my words!"


    When he was done speaking, Darren took out some magic herbs and put one hand on Hurst Chu''s shoulder, intending to completely open up his originally blocked meridians.


    In a flash, dazzling colorful light burst out from Hurst Chu''s body.

 Chapter 1539 Arrangements Of The Chu Clan

    "Oh my, what''s going on?"


    "It looks like he''s killing Hurst!"


    Many of the Chu Clan saw what was happening and were now even more frightened. It seemed Hurst had really ticked off the powerful man and things were not going to end well for him.


    "Ah!" Hurst screeched


    as a sharp pain ran through his meridians as if he was being gutted with a knife.


    He was just a ten-year-old child but only cried out once from such intense pain. He was a truly tough kid, gritting his teeth and bearing it silently.


    This went on for around a quarter of an hour before his suffering was gradually alleviated.


    "Ah... What''s happened to my meridians?"


    The sharp pain had now disappeared, replaced by a sense of comfort he had never known before.


    "You''ve done very well so far. You were born with a body perfect for martial arts. Your talent may only be at level nine of the Earth Degree now, but in time you will become truly powerful," Darren said nodding with satisfaction and pride. Hurst was much more talented than Darren had been at his age. His talent had only been at the lowest level of the Yellow Degree when he was as old as Hurst was.


    "What? How has he managed that?"


    Everyone looked at the energetic child incredulous. He was not dead. In fact, he seemed to have improved greatly.


    Plus, the mysterious warrior had just said Hurst''s talent was at level nine of the Earth Degree. That couldn''t be right. He must be mistaken! Hurst''s talent was clearly at level one of the Yellow Degree.


    "My...my talent is really at level nine of the Earth Degree?" Hurst couldn''t believe it either. He was just as astounded as everyone else was when he unblocked his meridians and found that his talent was actually at the ninth level of the Earth Degree.


    "Hurst, always remember that talent is important, but effort is indispensable. Especially for warriors like you who possess an innate gift for martial arts. Someday your one single day of hard work might even be more rewarding and worth others'' one or even ten years. You understand, I''m sure," Darren said, offering advice to the young Hurst.


    Hurst now turned to Darren not with hostility, but respect.


    "Thank you very much, sir. You''ve helped me a lot and I truly appreciate it," Hurst said, kneeling down before Darren respectfully.


    "Hey, I''ve told you that I''m an ancestor of the Chu Clan. You should be calling me differently." Darren smiled faintly and turned to Belle. "Sister, do you have the clan token?"


    "Of course," repl


    fully, you people of the Danyun Clan. You have to take responsibility for all you have done and pay for it. I order you to move to the northern border. You are not allowed to leave there for one hundred thousand years. If this order is violated by anyone at all, the entire clan will be wiped out! Is that clear?"


    "Yes, sir. Thank you so much for letting us live. Thank you so much!"


    "We will do as you say and obey your orders. Thank you so, so much, sir."


    The people of the Danyun Clan had considered themselves dead, but, to their surprise and relief, they were only punished and driven away. They were all grateful beyond expression.


    "Now get out of here right now," Darren growled at them.


    They did not stay a second longer than necessary. They set off for the northern border immediately, flying ahead without so much as a glance back.


    The Chu Clan then moved into the Danyun Clan''s land. They all received their land and resources according to the distribution set by Hurst and the several grand-elders.


    "Belle, Elsa, let''s get out of here."


    Darren and the two girls then left this place together. He was able to help the younger generation of the Chu Clan by giving them the resources to grow stronger, but at the same time, he knew he was leaving them with trouble waiting in the wings. He knew the Danyun Clan would no doubt come for revenge at some point in the future.


    Only by overcoming that challenge could the Chu Clan truly rise back to what they had once been.


    "Belle, do you know whether the Dragon Blood Clan still exists?" asked Elsa on their way back.


    "I had the same question," Darren added, turning to Belle as well.

 Chapter 1540 Discussion

    "The Dragon Blood Clan and the Sacred Palace were destroyed in a battle. They''re long gone," Belle replied sadly.


    "Alas..." Darren sighed remorsefully. Did his old friends really die?


    Kirk, Chad, the Grand Blood Refiner, Timothy, Abelard, and his friends from the Sacred Palace¡ªthey were all dead.


    Darren couldn''t help but sigh knowing how ruthless the war had been.


    "How about the Ancient Void Battlefield? Weren''t you there at the time?" It suddenly occurred to Darren that he had left the Ancient Void Battlefield on the Lothlann Continent when he left.


    "The Ancient Void Battlefield didn''t have an owner or the soul power of the controller. Thousands of years after your departure, it collapsed because of the exhaustion of the spiritual energy."


    "Alas! I left in such a hurry. I was too careless!" Only then did Darren realize the error in his ways.


    "Belle, I have a question," Elsa said suddenly.


    Seeing Elsa''s sad expression, Darren instantly knew what she wanted to ask. After all, they had come back here to see Belle and her father.


    "Elsa, do you want to ask about Uncle Thomas'' condition?" Belle had also guessed that only Thomas could make Elsa so worried. She was afraid to hear bad news.


    "Yes! Belle, how is my father?" Elsa asked excitedly.


    "Don''t worry, Elsa. Uncle Thomas and Aunt Diana are living in a secluded place. They should be fine and happy, in fact!" Belle said with a smile.


    "He lives with Aunt Diana? Are you saying my father-in-law is with Holy Lord Diana?" Darren also smiled faintly.


    "Yes, after you left, we all lived in the Ancient Void Battlefield. At the beginning, Uncle Thomas and Aunt Diana became good friends. Then, they fell in love and, under our encouragement, decided to live together. When the Ancient Void Battlefield was about to collapse, Uncle Thomas and Aunt Diana went to a small relic to live a happy life. That place is very secret, and nothing that happens on the Lothlann Continent can affect them," Belle explained cheerfully.


    "That''s great. Darren, let''s go to see Father and Aunt Diana! Belle, lead us to where they live, please." Elsa was overjoyed.


    "Okay. I remember where the entrance is. I''ll take you there right away. I haven''t seen Uncle Thomas and Aunt Diana in so long. I w


    powerful, but our intelligence is far less than yours. You might be able to find clues in the River of Destiny," the ascetic cultivator said.


    The leader of the Great Witchers shook his head. "We are not able to have a further observation of the River of Destiny. It has billions of branches, and we can only set foot in dozens of them. But from each of them, we can see the same fate of Darren¡ªdeath."


    "You might not be able to do it, but this one can." The ascetic cultivator turned to look at the Rule Soul Avatar.


    The Twelve Great Witchers were stunned.


    "You''re right! If he explores the River of Destiny, he can surely find out more than we ever could!"


    "We never considered this before. It was an oversight on our end. But I don''t know if we can make him do it now..."


    It was only now that the Twelve Great Witchers realized that Xavier, a peerless talent in terms of rule cultivation, had also mastered the power of the witchcraft cultivation. If he had set foot in the River of Destiny earlier, he might have found the best plan to resist the tribulations!


    The Twelve Great Witchers had been too anxious before, and they''d never bothered to consider this.


    "Xavier, now we shall give you the Destiny Law. I hope you can control and comprehend it as soon as possible."


    "Okay," the Rule Soul Avatar said with a nod.


    The Destiny Law was an extremely complicated law system. However, once one mastered it, they would have what it took to step into the River of Destiny and see the future.

 Chapter 1541 All The Human Masters Were Here

    The Twelve Great Witchers began to chant simultaneously. As the heirs of witchcraft cultivation, they had inherited all the Destiny Laws that the witcher race had comprehended over the past billions of years.


    In fact, from a certain point of view, the Destiny Law and the Time Law intersected. Even if the Twelve Great Witchers didn''t transfer the Destiny Laws to the Rule Soul Avatar, one day, the Rule Soul Avatar would be able to see the future upon fully comprehending the Time Law. This was equal to having control over the Destiny Law.


    In the silvery eyes state, the Rule Soul Avatar saw the law silk threads crisscrossing messily.


    Comprehending the Destiny Law was only a bit less difficult than comprehending the Time Law. Otherwise, the witcher race would have accumulated even more and deeper Destiny Laws over the past billions of years.


    The Rule Soul Avatar then released his enormous Spirit Power to receive the Destiny Laws. A few hours later, he had managed to take over all the Destiny Laws.


    Of course, this didn''t mean that he could control them already.


    He still needed to comprehend them. To do so, he needed to examine them painstakingly in order to gradually turn them into his own.


    After receiving the Destiny Laws, the Rule Soul Avatar fell completely silent and motionless. His soul floated among the countless law silk threads.


    "Don''t disturb him. We can only wait for Darren to come back."


    Meanwhile, on the Lothlann Continent, a happy reunion was taking place.


    In the cottage, Diana prepared a superb meal. The whole family had cried in each other''s arms upon reuniting, but now they had calmed down and were cheerful and merry.


    "Can you imagine how much Thomas and I missed you over the years?" Diana said while she placed food in front of Darren and Elsa.


    "Once we entered the Primitive Wilderness, it was difficult to come back. We missed you all terribly," Elsa replied.


    "It''s okay. I''m old, and I won''t live for many more years. I have no regret now that I was able to see you at least one more time." Seeing his daughter and son-in-law back, Thomas had grown more energetic and spoke clearly now.


    "Father, don''t say that. You will live forever!" Elsa squeezed his arm.


    "That''s right. Your son-in-law is no expert but I might be able to help you repair your body. After dinner, I will bring back your yout


    or flew over.


    "Well, I understand. Anyway, thank you for coming," Darren said to the ascetic cultivator.


    "There''s no need to say anything else. Once everyone arrives, you can break through to the Superior God Realm," the powerful ascetic cultivator said.


    Darren nodded.


    They were still waiting for two groups of human masters to enter this relic. Once everyone was here, Darren could start to upgrade his realm.


    A few days later, the second group of human masters arrived. There were more than ninety of them, all of whom were powerful ascetic rule cultivators.


    Half a month later, the third and last group of human masters also arrived shortly after.


    Only ten people came this time, but the appearance of one of them surprised everyone.


    "Heath, I didn''t expect you here!"


    Many ascetic cultivators shifted their attention to a young man in armor.


    "If I didn''t come, you wouldn''t stand a chance," Heath responded coldly.


    "Even with you here, there''s still not big chance. You should make a plan yourself as soon as possible," a powerful ascetic cultivator said.


    "What are you talking about? If all the humans were killed, what''d be the point of my existence?" Heath said in a scathing tone. He didn''t want to help Darren. He came here because he had no choice.


    After all, he was very unhappy that the human race had to experience such a huge crisis all because of Darren.


    "Now that we''re all here, let''s help Darren face the tribulation. I hope God will pity the human race and give us a chance," an old ascetic cultivator said in a low voice.

 Chapter 1542 Lord Starry Sword And Lord Fengs Fight Back

    Almost all those who wished to help Darren had arrived.


    The group that had gathered were considered to be the strongest force of the human race, the foundation all hopes now rested on. Even so, Darren''s chance of survival was still very slim.


    "Let''s get to it," suggested Heath.


    "Why don''t we wait and see if Xavier has comprehended anything at all and has anything to offer?" said the leading Great Witcher.


    Heath frowned and turned to look at the Rule Soul Avatar. "Have you transferred the Destiny Law to him?" he asked.


    "Yes, we have," replied the leading Great Witcher.


    "We don''t have time to wait any longer for that. The Destiny Law is so complex that it''s impossible for him to comprehend it in such a short time," Heath said impatiently.


    "Well then, let''s begin. First, we have to deal with the tribulation for Darren''s Conflicting Cultivation. When it''s over, the chief gods'' sense will penetrate through..."


    "Are you ready, Darren?"


    "Yes, I am." Darren nodded confidently but in truth he was more nervous than he had ever been. "Elsa, you and Aunt Josie should enter my small world before we get started."


    "Okay," agreed Elsa. Her cultivation base was too weak for her to stay.


    "Darren, take care of yourself!" Josie said, looking at Darren with tender concern in her eyes. She and Elsa then entered Darren''s small world together.


    "Kill him!"


    A powerful killing intent swept towards Darren with speed.


    The Defiant God Character''s effect turned the killing intent into the catalyst that would improve Darren''s cultivation level.


    Darren''s body began shining brightly as the world shook from the immense power flowing within him.


    He had risen to the Superior God Realm.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    A stream of fire and a stream of ice rushed from Darren''s body into the depth of the void.


    Crack!


    Outside layers and layers of space, the terrifying tribulation clouds were forming; dense, dark and terrifying.


    "They''re coming this way!"


    All the powerful ascetic cultivators looked up to the thick clouds in the sky and yelled out a warning.


    Purple lightning flashed wildly and thunder rumbled ferociously within the tribulation clouds, quickly forming a massive purple vortex, swirling with the promise of doom.


    "There''s so much pressure coming from it. The thunder punishment of Conflicting Cultivation is so powerful," murmured an ascetic cultivator to himself, feeling the pressure of the purple lightning.


    "Darren''s Ice and Flame Cultivation is very weak. We can handle this. Let me and Lord Starry Sword help him fight against this thunder punishment. Everyone, what do you say?" Lord Feng said as he and Lord Starry Sword took off dozens of feet up into the air at the same time.


    "What are you two doing? Showing off your abilities? This is hardly the appropriate time for your s


    he first two thunder punishments. They did not think they would last a third assault.


    "Get back. Let me take on the third thunder punishment," offered another ascetic cultivator, leaping into the air.


    "No need!"


    Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng blurted out, almost as one voice.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The real surprise was just how rapidly the two of them rose up and entered into the swirling purple thunder vortex.


    "What are they doing? What the hell?"


    Even Heath frowned, confused by what they could possibly be thinking. His powerful god''s sense immediately chased after their auras.


    "What the hell are those two planning?"


    It seemed everyone was perplexed by what they were witnessing.


    "Eternal Firmament!"


    In no time at all, a deafening roar bellowed from the purple thunder vortex.


    The voice seemed to be Lord Starry Sword''s but the tone was Lord Feng''s.


    "I see. I understand now. They''ve actually managed to cultivate the skill of joint attack with both sword and spear. That''s a rare and impressive accomplishment." Several powerful ascetic cultivators quickly realized what was going on.


    "These two are extraordinarily talented. They''re planning on using the thunder punishment of Conflicting Cultivation to refine their joint skill, so that their sword and spear can work together more perfectly."


    "One might even consider them miracles of our human race."


    Most of the ascetic cultivators now realized why Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng had taken the initiative to go head to head with the thunder punishment of the Ice and Flame Cultivation. They couldn''t help but admire their cultivation method. It was nothing short of spectacular.


    They wondered what incredible effect would be created once their spear and sword cultivation was refined by the thunder punishment of Conflicting Cultivation.


    Everyone was looking forward to finding out.

 Chapter 1543 The Tribulation For Blade And Sword Cultivation

    A red gold light exploded in the purple thunder vortex, turning into a crossed sword and spear that swept across it.


    The thunder rumbled violently, everything within five hundred thousand kilometers on the verge of collapsing.


    "Roar! Roar!"


    From the depths of the vortex echoed two ruthless roars and two figures flickering faintly with golden light could only be seen in it.


    "They''ve been promoted to the middle-level deputy gods."


    "They were bold enough to go there to gain their breakthrough while fighting against the thunder punishment. That must be admired. Now that they have succeeded, their strength must have soared to new heights for them."


    "Yes, those two have comprehended the joint skill of spear and sword cultivation. Their power must have become quite extraordinary now."


    The black-robed ascetic cultivators below all paid close attention to the situation unfolding above, but were indifferent to Darren and his state.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The purple lightning still raged, constantly producing an unending supply of destructive power and attacking the uninvited people that had rushed in.


    However, the uninvited people were only getting stronger and stronger by the minute and could not be killed anymore.


    "Break! Destroy!"


    A vicious shout rang out and the majestic god''s power exploded in the thunder vortex, the light radiating out and drowning the relic. Even the ascetic cultivators were forced to close their eyes due to the sheer brightness of the shine.


    A short while later, and all sounds of thunder had disappeared. Only the broken void was left as proof what had just happened was all real.


    "Ha-ha, very successful."


    Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng descended from the broken void. They had completely dispersed the ice and fire tribulation clouds and a moment of peace hung in the air.


    "Congratulations, to the both of you," Heath said to them with respect and admiration.


    To him, they had always been deserving of praise. Only geniuses like them, who relied on their own talent and efforts to strengthen themselves, were capable of attracting his attention.


    As for Darren, Heath had always looked down on him.


    "Thank you," Lord Feng replied. Lord Starry Sword only bothered himself to nod coldly.


    Darren flew over and landed in front of them, cupped his hands and thanked them sincerely.


    "Has your Ice and Flame Cultivation improved?" asked Lord Starry Sword.


    "Yes! After I made it through the tribulation for the Ice and Flame Cultivation, the source power of ice and flame in my body underwent a tremendous change, even actively producing Ice and Flame Force. That was a purple power. But I''m not sure how strong I actu


    e been annihilated.


    "I''ll deal with the two remaining thunder punishments," Heath said with an air of power resonating in his voice. He leapt up and took off into the sky.


    Crack!


    The second thunder punishment struck.


    Heath''s icy stare swept over the sky, scanning, as he let the black lightning descend. It was now ten times thicker than it was before.


    When it got close to him, he raised his hand and launched a staunch palm strike.


    The golden god''s power flashed in his palm. When the black divine thunder came into contact with his god''s power, it exploded and dissipated in an instant.


    It only took a few minutes for Heath to completely eradicate the second thunder punishment.


    "Heath is marvelously powerful!"


    "Ha-ha. He hasn''t even used the power of the supreme god yet. He had only used the ordinary god''s power just then. He still has a lot more up his sleeve."


    "The gap between us and Heath is much greater than I have imagined."


    The ascetic cultivators were discussing among themselves after being amazed by the display they had just witnessed.


    The majority of the ascetic cultivators who had come to help Darren were very close to becoming supreme gods. Based on realm alone, they weren''t much weaker than Heath.


    But in terms of raw fighting power, the gap between them and Heath was insurmountable.


    "Come on!"


    Heath roared savagely as he raised his head to the clouds hovering in the sky.


    His disdainful tone seemed to have angered the tribulation clouds and made them more violent.


    All the black lightning within ten million kilometers began to gather and flash.


    But after they waited for a long while, the third thunder punishment still hadn''t descended yet.


    "What''s this?" Heath wondered with a slight frown. This was highly unusual.

 Chapter 1544 The Level Of The Blade and Sword God Character

    "Shit! They''re merging!"


    Seeing the unfavorable turn of events, Heath quickly flew upwards, ready to rush straight into the tribulation clouds.


    Crack!


    A web of black lightning suddenly blocked his way.


    Heath attacked with both fist strikes and palm strikes quickly for millions of times, forcing the web of black lightning to completely collapse.


    However, it was now much too late. Within the tribulation clouds, all the thunder and lightning had already been merged and compressed, forming a blade and a sword that formed a large cross in the clouds.


    In an instant, the pressure came down like a primitive world, making even Heath feel stuffy under all the pressure.


    "Damn it! How could it be this powerful?" Heath murmured. He could feel that the coming black blade and sword thunder had the power equal to that of a supreme god.


    The situation was getting worse.


    Heath hadn''t expected that the thunder punishment of Conflicting Cultivation caused by a cultivator at the Superior God Realm could be so powerful.


    From a different perspective, since the heaven and earth used such a powerful thunder punishment to deal with someone who cultivated conflicting skills, it was enough to prove that once the Conflicting Cultivation was successful, it would be a truly incredible cultivation method.


    It would definitely be a way to surpass even supreme gods.


    "Chaotic Raksa Palm!"


    Heath put his palms together and pushed them forward in slightly different angles.


    Boom! Boom!


    This caused the void to shatter, causing actual destruction to the world.


    Two palm shadows full of chaotic energy rushed towards the crossed black sword and blade.


    "Heath has activated his supreme power."


    This was the lowest level of supreme god''s power that Heath had comprehended. It fell into the same category as the Supreme Sword Intent Forms in Lord Starry Sword''s soul, but it was thousands of times more mature and powerful than the Supreme Sword Intent Forms of Lord Starry Sword.


    The supreme power of Heath could really be the real power of a supreme god. He hadn''t become a supreme god just yet, but it seemed all he lacked right now was the title. That was why the ancestor had announced that Heath would be the seventh supreme god. He was truly close to being a supreme god given his abilities.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    The black lightning blade and sword descended with immense speed. The momentum of which they shot down was no less inferior to that of Heath''s power.


    "Ah!"


    At this moment, something abnormal began to happen to Darren. His face contorted with pain and he ripped out a beastly roar. It was as if he''d lost his own soul.


    "What? What happened?"


    The ascetic cultivators immediately turned their gazes to Darren. They saw that Darren''s elixir field had been pierced through by the wildly surging blade and sword intents.


    Blood was gushing out of Darren''s body like a waterfall.


    Buzz.


    . Oh my God... This is... the prototype of a Chief God Character!"


    "Ah! Could it be? The Conflicting Cultivation of blade and sword has produced the prototype of a Chief God Character of blade and sword. So it means that once Darren survives, the heaven and earth would recognize the existence of a Blade and Sword Chief God! Really?"


    "Am I dreaming?"


    Even the ascetic cultivators, who had always kept their cool, began to burst into an excited uproar.


    The appearance of the prototype of a Chief God Character in the world was something that no creature would have ever dared imagine in the past. Even the chief gods would''ve looked on in disbelief. How could the prototype of a Chief God Character be born like this?


    "Are you sure about this, Yates Wei?" Heath asked the ascetic cultivator who declared the level of Darren''s new God Character in a doubtful tone.


    "I''m absolutely sure, because I''ve once gotten in touch with the Chief God Character fragments of the tenth chief god! It had exactly this kind of aura. This is an aura that definitely surpasses the supreme god level."


    Heath sank back into silence, with an infinite shock in his eyes.


    Yates Wei was the only living person who had ever come into contact with the Chief God Character of the tenth chief god. Since he was so sure of his judgment, it meant Darren''s God Character was very likely to be the prototype of a Chief God Character.


    This was all too unreal for Heath and everyone present.


    They had witnessed the birth of the prototype of a Chief God Character.


    This was never before seen since the Primitive Wilderness came into being. They knew deep down, that it would probably never happen a second time.


    "Don''t just stand around. We have to treat Darren''s injuries!" It was not until then that Heath snapped out of his shock. He realized just how much he had underestimated Darren. It looked like Darren''s potential was much greater than he had ever imagined.

 Chapter 1545 The Tribulation For Dragon And Fiend Cultivation

    Altogether, the powerful rule cultivators used the Order Laws to force the Blade and Sword God Character into Darren''s elixir field.


    At the same time, the Healing Law was madly surging, working on his damaged elixir field.


    Because of everyone''s help, his wounds had completely healed in just a few minutes.


    "Phew!"


    Darren took a deep breath. At this moment, the coldness in his eyes dissipated and was replaced by vigor once again.


    "Darren, how are you feeling now?"


    asked Lord Feng, who immediately flew over to Darren.


    "I''m fine now. When my elixir field was broken, it was too painful. But now, I feel like I have almost recovered. Thank you so much to all of you," Darren said. Obviously, fear still lingered in his heart.


    "It''s not what I mean. It doesn''t matter to me whether it hurts or not. What I''m asking is about your God Character. Do you feel anything about the Blade and Sword God Character?" Lord Feng said, rolling his eyes.


    ''It''s the prototype of a Chief God Character. Don''t you feel anything unusual?'' he thought to himself.


    "Yeah, I have felt it. It seems that the Blade God Character and the Sword God Character have unified into one and created a new good looking God Character," Darren muttered.


    "Puff!" Lord Feng almost spat a mouthful of blood. "Is something wrong with your brain? What I want to know is the function of the Blade and Sword God Character."


    Darren was struck dumb by what Lord Feng said.


    "Oh, that. I''m sorry.


    I haven''t gotten the chance to observe it yet." Lord Feng was rendered speechless this time.


    Heath suddenly interrupted and said to Lord Feng, "Well, don''t ask too many questions anymore." He then turned to Darren and said, "Darren, do as I tell you later. Don''t worry. I will do my best to protect you. Just don''t run away in panic." His tone had obviously changed a lot.


    "Uhm... Okay," Darren replied, still a little stunned.


    "I''m wondering why the chief gods'' spiritual senses haven''t descended yet. It''s strange."


    They waited for a few more minutes, but there was still no change in the relic.


    A while later, a trace of surprise appeared on everyone''s face. They clearly saw two types of clouds gathered in the air and covered the void again. One was black, and the other was cyan. "What''s going on? Why are there still


    tribulation clouds?"


    "Oh, right. Darren also has another Conflicting Cultivation. He cultivates the skills of the dragon race and the fiend race at the same time too."


    "Oh, yes. I almost forgot. The dragon race and the fiend race are mortal enemies. So the coexistence of these two forces makes up anoth


    ly, he didn''t know that his Blade and Sword God Character was the prototype of a Chief God Character. He was still unconscious earlier when the ascetic cultivators were talking about it.


    The Purple-crystal King didn''t say anything more. Instead, he released the remaining God Character in his mind and suspended it in front of his head.


    Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!


    Darren''s elixir field suddenly buzzed.


    At this moment, he could clearly feel that his Blade and Sword God Character was releasing a strong hostility as if it had met a natural enemy.


    "Ahhh!"


    The Purple-crystal King let out a painful cry and quickly took back the fragment of his God Character. He wasn''t able to bear the enmity between the two God Characters because of his cultivation base.


    He was now very sure that Darren had the prototype of a Chief God Character. This was totally opposite to what he had originally known.


    In the void, many great masters had already dispersed the tribulation clouds of Darren''s Dragon and Fiend Cultivation. However, Darren was not affected at all.


    Streaks of black and cyan light surged out from his body, mixed with each other, and poured back into his body.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    All the ascetic cultivators were in front of Darren in an instant.


    "Darren, show us the Dragon and Fiend God Character," one ascetic cultivator said anxiously.


    "Okay."


    Through his spiritual sense, Darren released a cyan-black God Character from his elixir field. It looked like a pyramid.


    "What level is it now?"


    They observed for a while. However, none of the powerful ascetic cultivators could tell the level of the Dragon and Fiend God character.


    "Is this another prototype of a Chief God Character?" someone asked excitedly.

 Chapter 1546 Came The Chief Gods Projection

    "How is that possible? There can''t be another prototype of a Chief God Character." Someone immediately brought it up.


    "That''s not necessarily true. Before the appearance of Darren''s Blade and Sword God Character, who would have thought that humans would possess the prototype of a Chief God Character? It was unheard of... Until today!" someone else argued.


    "Maybe the appearance of Darren''s Blade and Sword God Character was just a coincidence. Who knows?"


    "Ha! Do you mean that the birth of the prototype of the Chief God Character was a mere coincidence? You''ve been cultivating for tens of millions of years, you old coot! You should know better than that!"


    Darren was speechless. These ascetic cultivators were usually so quiet and appeared so serene. Seeing them arguing with one another was mind-boggling.


    "Well, good sirs, I think it would be better if my friend were to check," Darren said, looking at the Purple-crystal King.


    The Purple-crystal King understood what Darren meant at once. It was easy to verify whether or not it was actually a prototype of Chief God Character. He only needed to release his God Character fragment to test it.


    However, the Purple-crystal King made no move.


    "What are you waiting for?" Darren looked at him, confused.


    The Purple-crystal King didn''t say anything and studied the faces of the ascetic cultivators.


    He was afraid. There were so many powerful humans that he felt he needed to be cautious. What if they decided to kill him and take away his God Character fragment?


    Darren understood what he was thinking moments later.


    "So you are worried about this." Darren addressed the crowd. "Good sirs, I think you may have found something unusual about this friend of mine. I will tell you. He has something to do with the tenth chief god who died."


    "I sensed it when he released the God Character fragment before," said Yates.


    "Well, he is now my friend. He is also an ally of the human race. Please do not be too hard on him!" Darren said sincerely. He was begging the cultivators not to kill the Purple-crystal King.


    Heath flew up. He glanced at the Purple-crystal King. "Young man, you''re overthinking things. Your fragment is only attractive to powerful Defiant Masters. It''s nothing but a piece of trash for us. Do you understand?"


    The Purple-crystal King felt uneasy under Heath''s gaze. He felt small and irrelevant. However, he was no longer afraid after hearing what Heath said. This


    Killing Chief God.


    "Humph, it''s nothing! Don''t worry!"


    Heath''s figure faded away, leaving only a golden mark in the air. All of a sudden, he appeared in front of the golden spear.


    "Break!"


    Heath thrust out a single palm, and his supreme power burst out.


    Boom! Boom!


    Suddenly, heaven and earth rumbled, and the relic began to collapse. The ground crumbled from beneath them.


    "Protect Darren and Xavier!"


    The powerful cultivators immediately released all kinds of protection methods to protect Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar. The two of them would never be able to withstand such impact if they were not protected.


    The golden light drowned out everything around them, and the destructive aura spread throughout the broken world.


    "Roar! Roar! Roar!"


    Heath was battling with the chief god''s projection.


    Darren felt weakened in spite of the cultivators'' protection. He tried to steady himself.


    "Should we go and help Heath?" one cultivator asked.


    "No. Maybe he can gain something by fighting against the chief god''s projection," another one replied.


    "That''s right. Anyway, the chief god''s projection is no match for Heath."


    Darren looked up at the void. His god''s sense could not penetrate the golden light at all, and he could not see what was happening in the battle between Heath and the chief god''s projection.


    "What strong hostility!" he exclaimed.


    The only thing Darren could feel was the strong hostility from the chief god''s projection. He had never felt such intense hatred before.


    However, this was exactly what Darren wanted. What he needed most now was to improve his cultivation level.

 Chapter 1547 The Ancient Blood-red Coffin

    Because of the effect of Darren''s Defiant God Character, the crazy hostility turned into a source power like a catalyst to improve his cultivation level.


    In critical moments like this, what Darren needed to do was to improve his cultivation level. So he simply hoped that the chief god''s projection would become more hostile to him.


    Darren felt that his realm was changing. The baptism of the source power made him directly break through to the middle-level of the Superior God Realm.


    A quarter of an hour had passed.


    The battle in the sky was still going on, and everything had already been destroyed. It seemed that the chief god''s projection was not as weak as Heath had imagined.


    ''Back then, when Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng were at the top level of the Superior God Realm, they already had the fighting power that could kill someone at the top level of the Deputy God Realm.


    How about me? I''m now at the middle-level of the Superior God Realm, but I don''t know how powerful I am,'' Darren thought to himself.


    This time, he felt that the strength all over his body was unprecedentedly powerful.


    Even the Ice and Flame Cultivation, which hadn''t greatly improved since he entered the Primitive Wilderness, seemed to have developed fully now. The Dragon and Fiend Cultivation, and the Blade and Sword Cultivation, gave him the feeling of looking down upon everyone in the world.


    "My Blade and Sword Cultivation has undergone a qualitative change. The dark gold god''s power derived from it is so weird and powerful."


    Since the power of a chief god was also dark gold,


    Darren couldn''t help suspecting that the combined power of his blade and sword was equal to the power of a chief god.


    But unfortunately, he couldn''t test it right now. What he needed to do was to wait for his cultivation level to improve first. Once he reached the upper-level of the Superior God Realm, he would have some strength to protect himself.


    If he reached the top level of the Superior God Realm, his fighting capacity would be unpredictable.


    Darren was sure of one thing. When he reached the top level of the Superior God Realm, he would not be inferior to Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng.


    ''After I survive this tribulation, it''s time for me to rise to prominence,'' he thought to himself.


    "Human, are you a supreme god?"


    a metal-like roar was heard from the depths of the sky after quite a while.


    "Since you are so humble, you are not qualified to fight with a supreme god," Heath also roared disdainfully. ''If I were a supreme god, you would have already been destroyed ten thousand times,'' he thought inwardly.


    "Since you are not a supreme god, go to hell!


    Take my K


    itcher inside possibly... alive?"


    Darren stammered with fear.


    If there was really an Archean Witcher inside the coffin, it would be too terrifying.


    They all knew that the powerful warriors of the Archean Age were capable of activating the Balance Law. It only meant that the top masters of the Archean Age were even stronger than the chief gods of the Primitive Wilderness.


    And if the Archean Witcher inside was still alive, it meant that he was capable of surviving the chaotic world of the Archean Age. It was his only way to stay alive inside the ancient blood-red coffin for ages. How powerful could he be!


    "Darren, let''s not deal with this coffin for now. Otherwise, you won''t have the chance to stay alive and break through the tribulation."


    The ancient blood-red coffin was too horrible. Once Darren got in touch with it, he would definitely be destroyed.


    "Okay. Let''s retreat," Darren agreed with a nod. Soon enough, he and the other Great Witchers returned to where they had been.


    In the sky, the battle continued. The Killing Chief God''s projection with the Killing Abyss was more powerful than the ascetic cultivators had expected. They had been fighting for a long time, but it seemed that it wouldn''t come to an end. The fighting power of the projection was indeed terrifying.


    "I will destroy all of you!"


    the projection roared. In an instant, all the killing intents surged and turned into millions of blood-red creatures to besiege the ascetic cultivators of the human race.


    "You damn Defiant Master! Go to hell!"


    Darren was so horrified when he saw dozens of blood-red creatures suddenly condensed around him as well.


    The horrifying killing intent collided with Darren recklessly. It made him feel like his heart was pierced by thousands of swords.

 Chapter 1548 More And More Difficult

    A horde of blood-red creatures had materialized in front of Darren, and each of them contained a terrifying killing intent.


    For a moment, Darren felt uneasy. Their appearance had been too sudden.


    Instinctively, Darren slashed with his sword through the air,


    and a deep golden light followed the trajectory of the sword.


    Three of the creatures died at once, their bodies sliced through by the sword attack.


    ''My dark gold god''s power is truly powerful,'' Darren thought.


    He was slightly surprised. He had known that the power would be worth exploring, but he hadn''t expected it to have such a forceful and immediate impact.


    As soon as three of their number fell, the remaining blood-red creatures sprang into action, rushing as a group towards Darren.


    Darren let out a primal, instinctive roar. The dragon-fiend power surged out from his body.


    Under the impact of this new attack, dozens of the blood-red creatures collapsed, then burst into mist and merged into the Killing Abyss.


    "The power derived from the Dragon and Fiend Cultivation is not so bad either,'' Darren thought, very pleased with the results.


    "Darren, I estimate that your fighting power is comparable to that of a master at the upper-level of the Deputy God Realm," the Great Witcher told him.


    He had observed Darren as he attacked, making an estimate about the current level of his abilities.


    "Almost," said Darren, nodding. In fact, he had only casually attacked just now. He had yet to make full use of all his fighting power.


    He tilted his head for a moment, thinking.


    Then he rose up, flying into the dark sky.


    "Darren, why are you here?" called one of the ascetic cultivators,


    who was caught off guard by the sight of Darren flying towards him. He couldn''t get involved in the battlefield here.


    "I''m here to test my strength," Darren replied.


    "No," said the cultivator without hesitation. "You must leave here right now. This projection has inherited a bit of the real chief god''s power. It is not something you can resist." Heath also noticed Darren, and he flew to his side.


    "All of you are here. I believe we can win the battle," said Darren, smiling.


    With that, he sent a surge of the dark gold god''s power from his sword and blade.


    The power swept across hundreds of blood red creatures. Every single one died immediately.


    The others were astonished. "I can''t believe that you have the fighting power at the top level of the Deputy God Realm!" said one of the ascetic cultivators, sounding overjoyed at this development.


    It seemed that these blood-red creatures weren''t capable of hurting Darren at all. He just had to avoid fighting the chief god''s projection head-on.


    "You can stay here with us," said Heath. "Let''s kill these creatures formed by the killing intent together, and then the


    aled heavily, unable to hide his relief.


    "It seems that the Killing Chief God and the other chief gods haven''t reached an agreement yet. He is trying to stop the other chief gods," he said to his companions.


    After a few moments, however, the ascetic cultivators began feeling a renewed sense of foreboding. After all, although the spiritual sense of the Killing Chief God was not yet being used against them, they still had to face the thousands of strong projections he had released.


    There were too many of the projections. And each one was far more powerful than Heath and the others.


    "Is it possible that these projections could defeat us?" muttered an ascetic cultivator, sighing bitterly. These thousands of projections were enough to match a real supreme god.


    "Listen to me," Heath bellowed. "We will not be killed by mere projections. Let us fight them now!"


    With that, he led the charge towards the projections. His supreme power was being mobilized to its limit.


    The projections all roared, the incomparably mighty sound filling the dark space around them. They rushed forward to meet the attack of the humans.


    At Darren''s current level strength, he was no longer useful in this battlefield. He had no choice but to retreat. Even Lord Feng and Lord Starry Sword retreated along with Darren.


    "The situation is not good," said Lord Feng solemnly. Lord Starry Sword remained silent as he watched the battle in the sky.


    "We have bad news," said a voice behind them.


    Eleven Great Witchers flew up to them, landing beside Darren.


    "What''s wrong?" Darren asked.


    "The location of the human land has been exposed. A large number of top masters of the Dark Angel race and the Shura race are rushing to the human land as we speak," said a Great Witcher.


    "The ancestor has asked whether Heath can return to the human land. He can''t resist them alone."

 Chapter 1549 Joint Attacks

    This news made Darren and the others uneasy.


    The land of the humans was exposed and the other races had already mobilized for their attack. The beginning of darkness was upon them. If war broke out, whether the human race won or lost, the result would be tragic.


    Only a master like Heath would be able to stop the outbreak of war. There was at least some comfort in that Heath and the human ancestor would be able to protect the human race if war was to ensue.


    Now though, only the ancestor and some ascetic cultivators remained guarding the human land. Once the top masters and ancestors of other races made their way here, the humans would definitely suffer a devastating blow.


    "What should we do, Starry Sword? Should we inform Heath?" Even Lord Feng was not entirely sure of what sort of action they should take.


    "No," Lord Starry Sword said flatly.


    "Why not?" Darren asked confused. The human ancestor had asked them for help, why would Lord Starry Sword not want to tell Heath about this?


    "The result will be the same whether Heath gets involved or not. The trials the human race is facing are not limited just to the attacks of the other races. What we really should be focused on holding off is the chief gods'' spiritual senses," Lord Starry Sword said in response.


    "I suppose that does make sense." Lord Feng nodded and continued, "Even so, we should still let Heath know of the ancestor''s request. Let him make his own decision."


    "Yes, that seems right," agreed Darren. "Heath is not just the ancestor''s student but his friend as well.


    If he learns of this, it may affect his judgment and then he''ll definitely decide to come back. But that''s not the best option. If we stay here to help Darren go through the tribulation, the human race may yet survive, however slim the chance might be. This is our best option," Lord Starry Sword explained.


    Both Lord Feng and the Great Witcher thought this seemed a reasonable approach.


    As things stood, the human race''s crisis could only be solved if Darren successfully survived the tribulation. The reason was quite simple. If Darren could survive, it would mean he must have found a way to avoid detection by the chief gods, and they would be unable to locate the real human land through their spiritual senses.


    "Perhaps it is best if we do not tell Heath. After all, the situation is not optimistic here."


    Lord Feng raised his head. Deep in the sky, thousands of projections of the Kil


    launched their strongest joint attack.


    The sword and spear seemed to have fused into one, with the attached god''s power a kind of pale yellow that he had never seen before.


    At the same time, Darren added all his strength to the fight. The dark gold god''s power, the ice and fire god''s power and the black god''s power all mixed together. He attacked quickly with the perfect connection fighting method.


    This was Darren''s most formidable attack.


    The chief god''s projection roared with a hint of fear.


    Darren''s attacks were more than he could bear.


    But Darren wouldn''t give the projection the chance to dodge. Darren pushed harder and focused more. His attack was truly swift now.


    Crack!


    The projection''s head cracked, and a blood red crystal was flung from it. A faint chief god''s spiritual sense emitted from the crystal and attached to the chief god''s projection.


    The projection''s terrifying aura suddenly increased by nearly half.


    His large golden palms extended towards Darren and the others in front of him.


    Their three attacks clashed with the big palms of the chief god''s projection.


    The world seemed to go quiet as they collided.


    The dazzling light that beamed off obscured everything as three figures were shoved away by violent waves of god''s power. They looked like small boats being tossed around by massive waves. They seemed so fragile.


    The projection''s body was covered in cracks that ran all across his body, created by the force of several extremely powerful god''s power. Dark gold light began streaming from each crack.


    Boom! Boom!


    The chief god''s projection exploded into nothingness.

 Chapter 1550 The Crisis In The Human Race

    Everyone was badly hurt because of the devastating impact.


    "Darren, are you okay?" Lord Feng quickly asked when he saw Darren''s pale face and tattered body.


    "Not that bad," Darren replied with a nod.


    The eleven Great Witchers immediately flew over and released a strong healing power to Darren, Lord Feng, and Lord Starry Sword. In just a moment, their wounds got healed, and they recovered their strengths.


    "Darren, you are amazing. You are only at the middle-level of the Superior God Realm. But your combat ability has already surpassed the top-level Deputy God Realm masters." Lord Feng praised Darren heartedly.


    "You''re better than Finley and I when we were young," Lord Starry Sword also said affirmatively. He was beside Darren and Lord Feng.


    They were right. Darren''s current strength was equivalent to that of Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng when they were at the peak of the Superior God Realm back then.


    If Darren reached the top level of the Superior God Realm, his strength would be very close to the current strength of the two lords. And if he stepped into the Deputy God Realm one day, it would be hard to imagine how strong he could be.


    "I guess, when you break into the Deputy God Realm, you''ll be next to Heath," Lord Feng said after thinking for a while. Lord Starry Sword nodded silently.


    "Maybe. Let''s wait and see," Darren said and also nodded.


    It was only Lord Feng''s calculation. But maybe by that time, Darren''s real combat power would be much higher than expected. After all, no one knew how powerful the Chief God Character''s prototype could be when it fully developed.


    If Darren could survive this time, then it was expected that the human race would welcome a supreme god who surpassed all supreme gods in history in the future.


    "But the battle right now doesn''t look good. The ascetic cultivators are in a weak position," Darren added with a sigh.


    He raised his head and looked up. In the deep sky, Heath and the group of ascetic cultivators were still fighting. But they were already showing some signs of retreat.


    Meanwhile, inside the Ancestral Land.


    All the top human masters had gathered in the square in front of the divine palace. The ancestor was silently standing in front of them.


    "Ancestor, three thousand Dark Bloody Shuras, and millions of Shuras from the Flaming Hell are in less than eight hundred million kilometers away from our west entrance."


    "Ancestor, the Twelve Holy Sons of the Dark Angel race, are leading millions of troops. They are approaching our north entrance."


    "Ancestor, the bloodsucker race has also made a move. An army under the leadership of the eighteen Bloodsucker Princes is marching towards our direction right now."


    The bad news that came one after another made all the human masters fall to silence.


    Top masters from various races were leading the


    reathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, they were able to revive their ancestor. If he was killed by that sneak attack, they would be doomed. Without their core leader, the human race would definitely collapse faster.


    "Void Guards, kill the ancestor of the Takal Bird race right away!"


    As soon as the ancestor recovered, a god''s sense was transmitted into the deep sky. All of a sudden, there was a majestic surge of god''s power there.


    Then under everyone''s gaze, terrifying space cracks spread through the deep space, and a group of dark gold armored warriors walked out. There were twenty-four of them.


    Rawr! Rawr! Rawr!


    An earth-shattering roar reverberated throughout every corner of the human land. Then the sky collapsed because of the turbulent god''s power.


    "Damn it! How can a humble human have the soldiers of a chief god?


    This can''t be happening. No!"


    An unwilling and resentful roar was heard from the deep void.


    Then a figure covered with flames streaked through the sky and fell on the ground of the human race.


    Whoosh!


    The human ancestor chased after that figure and rushed into the depths of the earth.


    Boom! Boom!


    Countless gullies spread out, and scarlet magma shot straight into the sky.


    A few moments later, the ancestor had returned with a purple hawk head in his hand.


    Obviously, he killed the ancestor of the Takal Bird race.


    The ancestor of the Takal Bird race was the first ancestor of a race who died after hundreds of millions of years in the Primitive Wilderness.


    "Ancestor, we have bad news. The fiend race and the Dark Angle race have joined hands. More than half of the eight hundred ascetic cultivators have already died."


    The bad news was like a sharp sword that pierced through the hearts of the human masters. Even the ancestor suddenly looked older than a moment ago.


    Everyone could tell that the situation was getting worse.

 Chapter 1551 Attacking The Dark Angels

    The fact that the fiend race and the Dark Angel race had joined forces meant trouble for the human race.


    Usually, the races in the Primitive Wilderness were hostile to each other. Cooperation between them was a rare thing.


    But now that there was an opportunity to annihilate the human race, it was like a call for the other races to unite. By joining forces, they had a bigger chance of beating the human race.


    "Allow me to deal with those insects."


    An extremely furious voice suddenly echoed. A strong man, around thirty feet tall with bulging muscles, suddenly appeared by the ancestor''s side.


    The mere sight of this ferocious man shocked all the ascetic cultivators present. At a glance, they immediately recognized him as Beasley, the beast god.


    "Welcome, Beast God." the ancestor said to the figure beside him.


    "Pleasure to meet you, human ancestor." Beasley placed one hand over his chest as a sign of respect.


    "The human race is currently facing a crisis. Otherwise, we wouldn''t have dared to ask you for help," the ancestor said almost apologetically.


    "Humph! Our legendary beast race has always sided with the human race. Should anyone dare attack you, I''d crush them. Don''t worry."


    "Thank you." The ancestor nodded in gratitude.


    Beasley could be compared to the ancestor of a race in terms of identity, which was why he and the ancestor treated each other like they were members of the same generation.


    "However, my people haven''t arrived yet. I will need some powerful warriors from your race, ones who will follow me to confront the fiends and the Dark Angels,"


    Beasley announced, eyeing the warriors of the human race.


    "We will go with you to slay the alien creatures!"


    the powerful warriors of the human race roared in unison.


    "Alright! Humans are indeed full of spirit! However, I only need a few. Allow me choose at random."


    Then, Beasley proceeded to select eight powerful ascetic cultivators to fight by his side.


    "Let''s go!"


    The beast god led eight powerful ascetic cultivators straight to the north entrance.


    In the dark void, the chaotic passage terminated in a vortex, which was guarded by dozens of powerful chaotic restrictions.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The beast god took the lead, and the eight powerful ascetic cultivators followed him closely into the vortex.


    Boom! Boom!


    Once they arrived at the outside world, they were greeted by a vast black sea. Huge waves surged violently, with countless creatures floating on its sur


    bolts suddenly flashed in the darkness.


    The eleven Dark Angels were instantly struck by terror. The eight ascetic cultivators had anticipated their movement, and had moved accordingly.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    God''s power exploded. The eleven Dark Angels tried their best to resist, but the space continued to collapse. The eight ascetic cultivators of the human race were too strong, second only to the power of the beast god.


    Since the eleven Dark Angels had split up, they couldn''t launch a coordinated attack. Things looked dim for them.


    "Ah!"


    "Ah!"


    "Ah!"


    The painful roars pierced through the darkness. The eleven Dark Angels retreated like crazy. Separated, they really couldn''t withstand the attacks of the eight ascetic cultivators of the human race.


    "Unite!"


    Finally, just as they were about to be defeated, each of their bodies released a black shadow. The eleven black shadows then gathered together.


    The eleven black shadows began to merge until they condensed into one black Dark Angel with nine pairs of wings.


    "Kill them!"


    The integrated Dark Angel with nine pairs of wings rushed towards the eight ascetic cultivators


    The eight ascetic cultivators were frightened out of their wits. The Dark Angel was able to force them backwards. With each strike, the eight ascetic cultivators felt a tingling pain in their bodies. The more they fought, the weaker they became.


    Roar!


    Just then, the beast god rushed over again. His huge body came thundering, and he slapped his beastly palm against the black shadow thousands of times.


    Chaos ran amok. Even the violent black sea water dissipated under the intensity of their battle.

 Chapter 1552 Wearing The Armor

    The eight ascetic cultivators and the beast god worked together to take on the integrated Dark Angel formed by eleven Dark Angels. The violent attack had become too much for the integrated Dark Angel to take any longer.


    The black light scattered in all directions and forced the integrated Dark Angel back further and further. Terrifying cracks crept all across its body and it was about to explode.


    Crack!


    Several bolts of lightning pierced through the dark space. A deafening roar grumbled as a massive body seemed to step out of the void.


    A big black hand suddenly revealed itself, towering above the eight ascetic cultivators and the beast god.


    The beast god was the first to sense the danger, his cold, dark gray eyes reflecting the black palm crashing down on them.


    "You despicable fiend, go to hell!"


    The beast god and the eight ascetic cultivators had already been on guard since they''d gotten word that the fiend race and the Dark Angel race had joined forces.


    The beast god gave up on chasing down the integrated Dark Angel. He transformed into lightning and shot upwards.


    The flash of light spread out for millions of kilometers, illuminating the whole world.


    "Roar!"


    A frightening cry of anguish echoed through the air. The palm of the superior fiend exploded, sending his flesh and blood flying all over the place.


    "You''re just a superior fiend, and still you dared challenge me so recklessly? That''s what you get." The beast god stood resolutely in the void, his huge body intimidating the fiend and filling him with fear and a submissiveness that overtook him.


    "Enough out of you!" yelled the fiend back.


    Several superior fiends attacked at once. The pervading white mist turned to a cold wind that swept through the space. The black sea was quickly frozen.


    The cold air whipped and pierced into the beast god''s soul.


    "Argh!" growled the beast god.


    His body burned with flames all over it, even from his eyes.


    He charged at a superior fiend with incredible speed. His huge body bulldozed through, destroying huge ice pillars just by the force of the air he shoved as he ran.


    Bang! Bang! Bang...


    The beast god flung the superior fiend away, shifted again and raised an enormous claw to stab into his head. The violent god''s power exploded and shattered the fiend''s head to tiny pieces.


    "Argh!"


    The rest of the superior fiends were terrified by what they had


    eds of millions of years. Today, you will see more than you can imagine."


    "Ancestor! Please! Don''t do it!"


    The ascetic cultivators and the guards in black robes all knelt down before him.


    "Ancestor, we can hold them off. You don''t need to join this fight."


    The human ancestor was the highest ranked leader of the entire human race, so they did not want any harm to come to him. He was too important.


    Boom...


    Countless clouds of blood rolled across the sky like waves on the ocean. The bloodthirsty, powerful aura pierced through the hearts and minds of every human being.


    Eighteen enormous blood-red figures had appeared above the divine palace.


    "Go to hell, you despicable humans!"


    "Damn it! Kill them! Kill all these hateful creatures!" roared a human master, rushing up to meet the Bloodsucker Princes.


    "Listen to me. By my order, no one is to make a move." There was a coldness and cruelty in the ancestor''s voice that had never been heard before.


    Whoosh!


    He shot straight into the sky as a flash of black lightning.


    Bang! Bang! Bang...


    The terrifying blood vitality exploded in the sky and the cyan god''s power spread out as well.


    "Ancestor..." murmured many of the human masters, their eyes turning red as their grief seemed to well up.


    The human race had been backed into such a predicament that even their ancestor had been forced to put on his armor and enter the fray.


    Alas.


    Who could they pin their hopes on now?


    "Roar! Roar! Roar!"


    Many Dark Bloody Shuras came into the human land from another direction, covering the sky with their arriving force.

 Chapter 1553 The Power Of The Human Ancestor

    The appearances of the Dark Bloody Shuras had really made the situation much worse.


    Given the gravity of the situation, the human ancestor had decided to order everyone to stay out of this fight. It was up to him alone. As they watched their ancestor fight by himself, all the human warriors felt as though their hearts had been sliced open.


    "Today is your last!"


    The eighteen Bloodsucker Princes swirled around in the air, each one emitting a strong aura. They had been transformed by their Bloodsucker Ancestor, and it had taken hundreds of millions of years of cultivation for them to take shape. As a result, each of them was almost as strong as the Bloodsucker Ancestor himself.


    Moreover, the Bloodsucker Ancestor was one of the most powerful creatures among the ancestors of the various races.


    The human race was already at such a loss, what with their ancestor struggling to fight off the eighteen Bloodsucker Princes.


    Yet the universe had decided to be even more cruel to them, delivering thousands of Dark Bloody Shuras to their doorstep.


    "Void Guards, defend the human race!"


    the ancestor roared. Suddenly, the sky cracked. From its crevice, twenty-four dark gold armored guards flew out and positioned themselves around the human ancestor.


    "What?!"


    All the Bloodsucker Princes hesitated for a moment, trembling a bit at the sudden appearance of these Void Guards. Where did they come from all of a sudden? Why would the soldiers of the chief gods protect the human race?


    The Bloodsucker Princes, who moments earlier were so confident they could kill the human ancestor, were now seized by fear.


    These guards were created by the chief gods, and each of them was incredibly powerful. Why would they come to the human ancestor''s aid?


    It was inconceivable.


    However, upon a closer look, the eighteen Bloodsucker Princes found that these guards were much weaker than they were rumored to be.


    Earlier that day, the ancestor of the Takal Bird race had tried to escape after attacking the human ancestor. However, he had been stopped by the Void Guards and was beaten, his head being twisted off by the human ancester.


    This proved that the Void Guards were most likely as powerful as the human ancestor.


    "I''ll take care of the human ancestor! The rest of you, deal with the guards!" the most powerful Bloodsucker Prince barked.


    Seventeen shadows flashed, shooting towards the guards to fight with them.


    As for the most powerful Bloodsucker Prince, he flapped his wings and rushed to the human ancestor, his blood vitality gushing out.


    The whole void was in a state of sheer chaos. The Bloodsucker Prince who was fighting with the human ancestor forced him into the distanc


    illions.


    "Kill him!"


    A dark red cloud swept through the entire void and quickly enveloped the human ancestor.


    The human ancestor''s eyelids twitched in extreme pain. His soul was invaded by an inexplicable force, as if hundreds of millions of ants were biting at his soul.


    "I''ll kill you all!"


    Although he felt as though his soul were being eaten alive, the human ancestor''s expression remained unchanged.


    The human ancestor once again turned into a black lightning, shooting towards a group of thousands of Dark Bloody Shuras.


    Thousands of shadows of the halberd flashed from every direction, filling every space.


    The human ancestor began to launch powerful attacks on the Dark Bloody Shuras.


    Several Dark Bloody Shuras were killed by the shadows of the halberd before they even knew what was happening.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The next moment, thousands of Dark Bloody Shuras launched a coordinated attack against the human ancestor.


    It seemed that the Dark Bloody Shuras wanted to kill the human ancestor so much that they all fought with all their strength.


    Finally, after a few hours of fierce fighting, one of the Dark Bloody Shuras launched a fatal hit on the human ancestor. He plummeted towards the earth like a fiery red falling star.


    The human ancestor didn''t stop falling until he broke through millions of layers of space.


    At this point, his face was pale, and there was a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. His hands, which still clutched the halberd, trembled uncontrollably.


    There were just too many Dark Bloody Shuras. Moreover, when they worked together, their strength increased exponentially.


    The human ancestor had been fighting hard, and only half of the Dark Bloody Shuras had been killed. By now, he was weak, tired, and gravely injured.

 Chapter 1554 Grief And Fear

    Pangs of pain and fury surged through the powerful human warriors as they watched their ancestor being beaten back.


    "Let''s kill these goddamn creatures!" It was impossible for them to not be bothered by what they saw and just sit idly by and let it happen.


    "No! Stop!"


    The ancestor''s voice came, echoing through all their minds.


    "Why not? Ancestor, why won''t you let us fight?"


    Many of the powerful warriors of the human race, together with many ascetic cultivators, were below. If they all fought together, it wouldn''t be difficult at all for them, to vanquish these Dark Bloody Shuras.


    "Stay put. That''s an order," the ancestor responded sternly through his spiritual sense, a coldness in his tone.


    "Ahhh!"


    They were all left with no choice and remained unmoving. The ancestor had ordered it and so they would not dare disobey him.


    The remaining Dark Bloody Shuras were not holding back or weakening. Instead, their blood vitality soared and their auras only grew more violent.


    Kill! Kill! Kill!


    They did not want to allow the ancestor a moment to catch his breath or regain any sort of composure, and all rushed over at him ferociously.


    The Shuras'' dark red god''s power covered everything. The sound of booming explosions rang out to every corner of the human land.


    Boom! Boom!


    Boom! Boom!


    Roars erupted from three different directions and many powerful auras filled the air above the human land.


    "This is it. We have lost."


    Except for the passageway guarded by the beast god, the other three sides had all fallen and many other races were flooding in.


    The land of the humans was on the verge of collapse under the assault of the top masters of the various other races.


    Millions upon millions of human beings wandered in the darkness as a torrent of rain descended on every inch of the human land. The dark doomsday had come for this world.


    "Kill the human ancestor! Show him to his end!"


    "Kill the human ancestor! Show him to his end!"


    All the powerful warriors of every other race charged in with the ancestor as their sole target from the moment they set foot on the human land. More than half of the human race would fall as long as they killed him.


    All creatures of other races forgot their enmity towards each other with this prospect laid before them. They gathered above the divine palace and joined the battle to besiege and murder the human ancestor.


    "All human beings, you are not to move a muscle!"


    The old voice of the ancestor reached everyone''s ears again, right at the critical moment when they should have launched their counterattack.


    The powerful human warriors bit down hard, swallowing their urges and following the order with tears in their eyes.


    The human ancestor was all that remained standing among the falling chunks. He stood proud and fearless in


    hat seemed an instant, the huge cyan dragon broke through the ground and soared straight up into the sky.


    "Oh my God! I don''t believe it! That''s Lord Cyan Dragon!"


    "Really? But how? I thought Lord Cyan Dragon only existed in legends! It''s real?"


    The gigantic dragon''s body excited the entire human race.


    It was well known that the dragon race came to being in the Archean Age. Three great bloodlines of the dragon race had endured from then¡ªthe yellow gold, the purple gold and the red gold bloodlines. Besides these three bloodlines, it was said the Archean dragons also left behind a trace of dragon soul between heaven and earth, which formed Lord Cyan Dragon in the world.


    However, this had always been regarded as legend, mere stories of the dragon race. No one had ever discovered any proof of the existence of Lord Cyan Dragon.


    When the human beings saw the titanic body and astounding aura of the dragon above, they quickly put two and two together, coming to the conclusion that this must indeed be the dragon of legend.


    "Hum..."


    Dragon roars bellowed one after another from the west entrance. Soon, millions of massive ancient oriental dragons hovered high in the sky.


    "Welcome, Yellow Gold Dragon Ancestor and Purple Gold Dragon Ancestor,"


    the human ancestors said humbly, taking the initiative to greet the millions of dragons that had just arrived.


    "We apologize for being late."


    Two dragons, one yellow and one purple, flew over to the human ancestor and transformed into two middle-aged men in yellow and purple robes.


    After greeting the human ancestors, the two dragon ancestors shifted their gaze to the hovering cyan dragon. They both trembled simultaneously, against their best efforts.


    "Is that Scott?"


    The human ancestor nodded silently. "I must thank you for agreeing to leave Scott behind in the divine palace, all the way back then."

 Chapter 1555 The Purple-crystal King Gained The Benefit

    "No need to thank us. We only did what we thought was right. Scott decided to stay behind in the human race. Besides, the Archean Dragon Soul left in your halberd has proved to be advantageous to Scott," the Purple Gold Dragon Ancestor said, humility resonating from his tone.


    "Have you been able to find that..." Finally breaking his silence, the Yellow Gold Dragon Ancestor sensed something strange and alerted the Purple Gold Dragon Ancestor.


    "No... Human ancestor!" As soon as the Purple Gold Dragon Ancestor confirmed it for himself, he was left shocked, unable to string the right words to say. The human ancestor had the aura of the supreme god radiating from himself!


    What did that mean? It meant only one thing: the human ancestor had committed the taboo method to forcefully progress his cultivation level by leaps and bounds through triggering the Archean Dragon Soul to reach that of the Supreme God Realm. The ones who dared step over this boundary had their fates sealed. They would have to atone for the extreme act at the cost of their life.


    "No... This can''t be..."


    Sighing with deep regret, the two dragon ancestors hung their heads, feeling helpless.


    "It''s all our fault. If we came on time, you wouldn''t have to resort to such extremities,"


    The two dragon ancestors were overcome with grief, their voice cracking between their words.


    "I''m the one who made this bed, and I am the one who shall lie in it. You have no share in this situation. This is my fate, and I shall embrace it. After my passing, I want you two to ensure the survival of the younger generation of the human race in my stead. If you''re unable to dissolve the looming strife, then flee with the remaining remarkable talents of the human race to continue on living. Thank you, both of you, for everything you''ve done so far. I am deeply indebted to you."


    Keeping his dignity intact, the human ancestor voiced his wishes without breaking his composure and bowed before the two dragon ancestors.


    "You don''t have to thank us." Returning his gesture, the dragon ancestors quickly bowed to him with mutual respect. "We promise that we will spare no effort to protect the human race against the dangers that await them. And if push comes to shove, we will do what must be done. You can rest assured. We won''t let you down."


    Hearing their reassuring statements, the human ancestor smiled to them and nodded. With their promise honoring his wishes, he felt relieved.


    "Scott''s Archean Dragon Soul has returned to his body. It will take about half a month for him to fully recover. By then, he will be able to revert to his ancestor form. Once he awakens, please ask him what he intends to do. Whether he wants to stay here to guard the human race or head to the abyss to assist Darren, he holds complete freedom to choose whatever path he wants to walk on," the human ancestor said, his hands behind his back.


    "Understood. Is there anything else you want us to do for you?"


    Noticing the wrinkles appear on the once flawless skin of the human ancestor, the dragon ancestors lowered their gazes, unable to take in the painful reality.


    Accepting his fate, the human ancestor sighed and shook his head, failing to mask his sorrow.


    The exchange between the two dragon ancestors and the human anc


    ould be faced with sudden extermination at the hands of the Killing Chief God. Wielding it would also increase the probability of detection, and almost all such creatures wouldn''t live to see another day.


    However, all of these conditions didn''t apply to the Purple-crystal King. What he possessed was not the God Character of a Defiant Master, but the residual of the tenth Chief God Character! It was a Chief God Character fragment acknowledged by the heaven and the earth, flaunting the ability to possess any source at the level of the chief god!


    Therefore, when the Purple-crystal King absorbed the Killing Source, the Killing Chief God couldn''t pick up on his presence.


    "It seems my Chief God Character can actually steal the source of other chief gods..."


    The Purple-crystal King had always pondered over the purpose of the existence of the tenth chief god, and why he was unable to ascend to the position of the chief god but had kicked the bucket at the hands of a formidable creature.


    Now, it was like he finally uncovered the answer to the riddle that tugged at his curiosity this entire time. It was because the tenth chief god wielded a Chief God Character that struck fear in the hearts of the other nine chief gods.


    The tenth chief god''s God Character could steal away the source of the other nine chief gods, which inadvertently posed a threat to their lives.


    The information lying dormant in the archives of the tenth Chief God Character flashed before the Purple-crystal King in the form of blurry images, as he became more powerful.


    In an endless ocean of god''s power, nine massive bodies floated away casually. Even if they were to breathe, the pressure released would cause millions of stars in the void of the universe to face violent tremors from a simple gesture.


    At the very depths of the dark sea of god''s power, a large dark gold body started to take shape. As if pulling it into their influence, nine kinds of dark gold god''s power spread across it, orbiting around the body, each of which was a kind of original god''s power!


    After quietly existing for billions of years, nine cold spiritual senses awakened, firmly latching on to the dark gold body.

 Chapter 1556 Reappearance Of the Mysterious Man

    The nine powerful spiritual senses could have only come from the nine chief gods.


    The very moment the tenth chief god was about to awaken and ascend to his position had now arrived.


    Boom! Boom!


    The vast god''s power surged forward like a torrential tidal wave, so violent it collapsed the void in the depths of the universe.


    It did not take long for the turbulent ocean of god''s power to attract the attention of the Balance Law.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Black lightning struck down deep into the bottom of the ocean of god''s power. The dark gold body that lay at the bottom, dead still and silent, was struck and had a spark ignited within it. Suddenly, its eyes opened wide.


    "Ah!"


    He let out a begrudging roar filled with anguish.


    The nine chief gods were finally about to get what they wanted; they were going to destroy him!


    Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!


    The most powerful Chief God Character in history launched from the brain of the awakening tenth chief god. It was made of nine God Characters shaped like pyramids.


    The Chief God Character spun wildly, shattering the black lightning and absorbing it.


    The nine chief gods were stunned and growled in fear. They had not expected this.


    "Killing Source."


    "Destroying Source."


    "Soul-breaking Source."


    The nine powerful sources of god''s power that had never been seen before, attacked the tenth chief god who had not yet successfully awakened and ascended to his position.


    Once the source power was released, no matter the strength of the tenth chief god''s God Character, it would not be able to fend off the joint attack of the other nine chief gods. Even if he had successfully become a chief god, it would still be impossible for him to take on all other nine chief gods at once. He would no doubt be wiped out for the sake of balance.


    The tenth chief god''s body was on the brink of collapse from the intense assault of the nine powerful sources.


    "Ah!"


    He roared again, trying with all he had to rush out of the Kingdom of the Chief Gods, but he was forced back by the nine chief gods.


    Cracks crept all over his body, every crack so large and gaping as if there was a world in it.


    Whoosh!


    He was about to collapse when his Chief God Character divided into nine and one of the fragments exploded. The entire ocean of god''s power sloshed and shook violently, drowning the nine chief gods.


    A Balance Law began gathering from the depths of the universe.


    The nine chief gods growled with displeasure but dared not react any further.


    The remaining eight Chief God Character fragments began bursting from the ocean and flying off in different directions.


    A tiny figure then appeared in the Kingdom of the Chief Gods. He rushed over desperately, throwing caution to


    es seemed to have been frozen and could not be mobilized.


    The mysterious man raised his hand and pressed it on Heath''s back, not paying attention to anyone around him.


    Waves of black aura flowed from Heath''s limbs and deep within his bones.


    "Argh! Argh! Argh!" Heath''s face twisted in anguish as he struggled dreadfully in excruciating pain.


    He was growing increasingly manic and the ascetic cultivators looked on in worry. What was this mysterious man who had appeared out of the blue doing?


    At the same time, thousands of chief god''s projections arrived, condensing into huge dark gold bodies that began releasing killing intent to attack the ascetic cultivators.


    The mysterious man raised his head but did nothing to stop them. However, the next moment, a faint yellow god''s power burst out in a circle that radiated from him.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Every projection in the god''s power''s path was cut in half with ease!


    "Ah! Ah!"


    "Supreme god! He''s got the power of a supreme god!"


    "He... he''s Shipley, Supreme God Shipley!"


    Everyone''s mind was abuzz. The one who had the human shape and could release the supreme power was none other than Shipley, who had been out of sight and mind for a very long time. He was actually here in front of them!


    "Greetings, Supreme God Shipley!"


    Every ascetic cultivator got to their knees and bowed, their emotions all over the place.


    "Please, there is no need to worship me. I''m probably the most incompetent supreme god in the history of the human race."


    He spoke with his palm still pressed firmly on Heath''s back. Heath slowly calmed down and returned to as he had once been.


    "Thank you, sir!"


    Heath was finally back to his senses, and the first thing he sensed was that the person beside him was a supreme god of the human race. He was expectedly startled.

 Chapter 1557 Im Shipley

    Upon impact with the supreme power, thousands of chief god''s projections were shattered in an instant.


    The difference in power between a supreme god and a supreme god-to-be was made clear.


    Because the human ancestor had been forcefully promoted to the Supreme God Realm, his fighting power was very different from that of Shipley, a supreme god who had been promoted naturally step by step.


    Back then, Alfredo, who possessed the supreme power, had rushed into the Kingdom of the Chief Gods. Even if Shipley, a real supreme god, was not considered among the most powerful, it was still a piece of cake for him to defeat thousands of chief god''s projections.


    "Supreme God Shipley!"


    All the ascetic cultivators'' hearts overflowed with relief and gratitude when they realized that Supreme God Shipley had never actually forsaken them. He had only been forced to hide in the abyss.


    From below, Darren and the other two were also gaping at the mysterious figure in awe.


    Since all the projections had been destroyed, all the ascetic cultivators of the human race descended to the ground and began to heal their injuries.


    Shipley landed on the ground as well and walked towards Darren.


    "Nice to meet you, Supreme God Shipley."


    Darren and the other two cupped their hands towards him respectfully.


    "Your tribulation came sooner than expected, and even I was a little surprised," said Shipley.


    "It''s true. I was the one who caused suffering for the human race." Darren hung his head low in remorse. The sense of guilt in his heart grew heavier. If he had chosen to die instead, perhaps the human race would''ve lived in peace for a longer time.


    "This was bound to happen, sooner or later. Try not to think about it too much."


    "Maybe..." Darren''s expression darkened. Abruptly changing the topic of conversation, he asked, "Supreme God Shipley, do you know if my parents are still alive?"


    Other than the fact that he just endangered the human race, this was the only thing lingering in his mind.


    Shipley nodded. "Your parents were merely suppressed by the Faith Chains, and they are still alive."


    "Really?! Can you take me to them?" Darren asked excitedly, his spirit soaring.


    Shipley shook his head somewhat regretfully. "Even I can''t do anything about the Faith Chains of a chief god."


    "Alas," Darren sighed, his heart sinking just as quickly. ''I''ll die before I get to see my parents...''


    "Only if you survive will you have unlimited opp


    in Darren and the others.


    "Rule Soul Avatar, what on earth happened? Why did the Great Witchers burn themselves?" Darren asked confusedly. Even the ascetic cultivators seemed stumped.


    "Darren, don''t ask." Shipley gave him a stern look.


    "Uh..." Since even the supreme god was silencing him, Darren had no choice but to leave this question unanswered.


    Thus, Darren and the ascetic cultivators bowed towards the blood coffin. "Great Witchers, please rest in peace," they echoed.


    As they paid their respects, Shipley and the Rule Soul Avatar looked at each other at the same time. Shipley nodded slowly, and so did the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "I''m Shipley, a supreme god of the human race," Shipley suddenly shouted towards the void.


    "I''m right here. Killing Chief God, show yourself!"


    In the god''s power ocean in the Kingdom of the Chief Gods,


    a huge body floated on the ocean''s surface. At the sound of Shipley''s voice, it suddenly turned over and stood up.


    "I''m a dignified chief god. How dare you challenge me?" The metallic voice echoed across the entire Kingdom of the Chief Gods.


    Clang!


    Dark gold light flashed in the eyes of the Killing Chief God and shot out of the Kingdom of the Chief Gods.


    The dark gold light pierced through the layers of space, one after another. It was headed towards one place: the hometown of the Killing Chief God.


    This time, the Killing Chief God launched a really powerful attack, with a Killing Source.


    At the same time, the other eight chief gods also stood up. Eight powerful spiritual senses condensed into dark gold substance, heading for the hometown of the Killing Chief God.

 Chapter 1558 Descend And Resist

    The moment had finally come.


    The Killing Chief God wanted to directly wipe out Shipley, while the other eight chief gods sent their spiritual senses over. They intended to use Darren as a medium to destroy the human land.


    The entire abyss shook violently as the source power of the Killing Chief God broke through trillions of layers of space and soon reached the relic.


    "It''s just a source,"


    Shipley sneered while standing in the void. The faint yellow god''s power on his body was impressively strong.


    "Come on!"


    he roared. He then raised his head, released his god''s power and shot it towards the Killing Source.


    In the dark void, the Killing Source pierced through everything. Its sharp and ear-piercing cracking sound shocked the souls of all living beings.


    Shipley''s supreme power collided with the Killing Source.


    In the blink of an eye, the destructive power spread through millions of kilometers. All of the ascetic cultivators'' eyes widened in fright.


    "The supreme god is no match for the Killing Source!"


    Shipley''s supreme power was collapsing swiftly. But the Killing Source was still incomparably fierce.


    "Everyone, come and help me!" Shipley''s voice echoed in the minds of the ascetic cultivators.


    "Everyone, please be Shipley''s believers," Heath said to the ascetic cultivators.


    The ascetic cultivators had all been in the supreme gods'' cemetery. All this time, they cultivated for endless years. More often, they only believed in human supreme gods who had already died.


    But when the ascetic cultivators finally realized what was happening, they immediately protected themselves with their god''s power, and their breath of life completely dissipated. It was as if they had died in an instant.


    Boom! Boom!


    A majestic Power of Belief suddenly poured into Shipley''s body.


    In an instant, his momentum rose sharply, and the faint yellow god''s power became more terrifying.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    When Shipley raised his hands and clapped, the majestic supreme power attacked the Killing Source.


    Eventually, his supreme power stopped the violent Killing Source and made it dissipate.


    "Purple-crystal King, what are you waiting for?" Shipley asked coldly as he turned to the Purple-crystal King, who had been hiding underneath. He had already figured out everything about the Purple-crystal King when he arrived there.


    "Ahhh!"


    The Purple-crystal King didn''t restrain himself anymore. The thing that Shipley dissipated was the Killing Source from the Killing Chief God. If he could obtain it, he would be qualified to completely absorb the Killing Source


    eight spiritual senses. But after everything collapsed and was destroyed, they were finally driven away.


    The eight chief gods were extremely dissatisfied with the Killing Chief God''s behavior.


    At this moment, the majestic spiritual senses of the eight chief gods once again charged over and rushed back to the abyss of the Killing Chief God.


    Boom! Boom!


    A majestic Killing Source spread out and protected the entire abyss.


    The spiritual senses of the eight chief gods pierced through the abyss, but they were completely annihilated.


    "Get out of our way, Killing Chief God!"


    "He is so stubborn."


    The other chief gods were totally exasperated. But unfortunately, this abyss was the Killing Chief God''s hometown. Every chief god''s hometown was extremely special. The chief gods couldn''t use their original god''s power to forcefully attack another chief god''s hometown.


    Therefore, as long as the Killing Chief God guarded the abyss, they absolutely had no way to get in.


    The Killing Chief God continued to release his Killing Source. The entire abyss was protected, and the other chief gods'' spiritual senses were isolated from it.


    Boom! Boom!


    The black Divine Punishment Thunderbolts ferociously circled and filled the void, firmly locking on to the Purple-crystal King.


    "No!"


    Thinking that the Killing Chief God was going to destroy him, the Purple-crystal King trembled with fear.


    "Please, don''t kill me. I''m willing to share the God Character with you. I''m even willing to be your servant,"


    he roared madly. All he wanted right now was to save his life.


    "Rawr!"


    The ruthless sound of the Killing Chief God''s roar was heard from the distant Kingdom of the Chief Gods. There seemed to be a trial.

 Chapter 1559 The Critical Moment

    Crack!


    The black Divine Punishment Thunderbolts rushed towards the Purple-crystal King.


    Bang!


    Since the Purple-crystal King had no power to resist it, he directly blasted into debris.


    Whoosh!


    At this moment, Shipley rushed over and held the remnant Chief God Character in his hands.


    The Killing Chief God came to the abyss in the form of his spiritual sense and not with his real body,


    so he was not as fast as Shipley. Besides, Shipley was not so far away from the Purple-crystal King.


    The truth was, the Killing Chief God sealed the abyss and killed the Purple-crystal King mainly for the remnant Chief God Character. But unfortunately, Shipley took it first before he could even get it.


    "Do you want it?"


    With a cold smile, Shipley mobilized his god''s power and threw the remnant Chief God Character into the void.


    Bang!


    The remnant Chief God Character broke through the Killing Source in the depths of the void and flew directly out of the sky.


    As soon as it rushed out, the eight chief gods in the Kingdom of the Chief Gods sensed its existence.


    They all had the urge to step out of their kingdom to get it. However, before they could even set out, a spiritual sense swept over and directly locked the remnant Chief God Character.


    It was embedded in the space and obtained by someone really powerful.


    "The Killing Chief God!"


    "Yes, it''s the Killing Chief God!"


    Needless to say, it was the Killing Chief God who got the remnant Chief God Character.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    All of a sudden, the Kingdom of the Chief Gods was in chaos. Eight gigantic bodies flew out of the vast expanse of god''s power. The terrifying pressure from the chief gods shook the entire universe. Even the stars that were hundreds of millions of kilometers away suddenly dimmed and perished.


    "The competition has begun," Shipley said. He was pleased to see the current situation.


    "Xavier, what should we do next?" he asked the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "We will break the tombs of Supreme God Alfredo and Supreme God Braxton," replied the Rule Soul Avatar secretly.


    "Oh, I see."


    Shipley then immediately disappeared. In a moment, he was already at the human supreme gods'' cemetery.


    "My real body, follow me."


    The Rule Soul Avatar flew up and motioned Darren to follow him.


    Darren didn''t know what was going on. But he trusted that the Rule Soul Avatar would only do things beneficial to him, so he didn''t ask anymore.


    He followed the Rule Soul Avatar to the floating blood coffin.


    "Here we a


    urce of Laws.


    "No!"


    "No!"


    Resentful roars were heard from the inside of the Source of Laws.


    The Source of Laws was beginning to collapse. With the nonstop attacks of the spiritual senses, it was crushed. The laws inside it were all destroyed.


    Eventually, the Source of Laws was completely shattered.


    "Good." The Rule Soul Avatar looked at the blood coffin. When he saw that it was about to open, he finally felt relieved.


    Boom! Boom!


    The Source of Laws collapsed, and all the peerless creatures inside it died. Shattered law force surged out and nearly crushed the spiritual senses of the eight chief gods.


    "There''s more!" the Rule Soul Avatar exclaimed.


    He noticed that something was off.


    Shockingly, there were eight other spiritual senses behind the defeated ones.


    The Rule Soul Avatar immediately calculated the time and found out that there were only a few seconds left. He wondered if it would be enough.


    This amount of time was definitely critical for Darren.


    The newly arrived terrifying chief god spiritual senses broke through the energy produced by the explosion of the Source of Laws and attacked Darren.


    "Rebellion!"


    "Repression!"


    Two cold, ruthless voices suddenly echoed in the darkness of the void.


    Boom! Boom!


    Two powerful forces rushed out and met the eight spiritual senses.


    "Ahhh! That''s...


    Supreme God Alfredo!"


    "Supreme God Braxton is here too!"


    The human ascetic cultivators who saw and recognized the two figures were astounded.


    But much to their dismay, the two peerless powers had only lasted a few minutes before they were shattered by the impact of the spiritual senses of the eight chief gods.

 Chapter 1560 Return To Peace

    It had bought enough time for Darren.


    The blood coffin had been opened and countless runes swirled and wrapped Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar at the same time.


    It wasn''t long before they were both sucked in.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The chief gods'' spiritual senses broke through the resistance of the supreme gods'' power, shooting down and striking the coffin. Unfortunately, the coffin was unfazed except for some slight shuddering.


    Roars of rage filled the entire universe. The eight chief gods had completely lost their chance to obliterate the human race. They now turned their attention to attacking the Killing Chief God.


    All the human ascetic cultivators'' minds went blank. They couldn''t believe it.


    ''Have we actually gotten through this disaster?''


    This was so surreal. It felt almost more unreal than a dream. Had the suppression from the chief gods'' spiritual senses really been eliminated just like that?


    The cracking space gradually recovered and all the pressure pushing down faded.


    As it was now impossible to wipe the human race out, the chief gods were not interested in killing the ascetic cultivators. Their focus was now set on fighting for the remnant Chief God Character. It was to be expected that they''d ignore the humans that were still left.


    A while later, Heath was the first to move and fly towards Shipley.


    Two figures of absolute power like no other, stood beside him. It was Alfredo and Braxton!


    "Good to see you..."


    Even Heath was a little nervous to be in the presence of the two legendary supreme gods.


    "Heath, these are only the spiritual senses left behind by the two supreme gods. They don''t possess souls,"


    Shipley explained right away, noticing Heath''s unease.


    Heath had already considered this. He knew it was impossible for them to still be alive, and yet, he could not help but be a little disappointed at Shipley''s revelation.


    "Ah, yes of course," he said slightly embarrassed. Heath let out a faint sigh, turned to Shipley and asked, "Shipley, will Darren be safe and sound in the blood coffin?"


    "He may not be, but at least the spiritual senses of the chief gods won''t be able to find him again." He did not know exactly what was in the blood coffin and so could not be sure if Darren would survive it.


    "What the hell is the Archean blood coffin anyway? I mean, even the chief gods gave up on attacking it with their spiritual senses! It must be something extraordinary," Heath asked as he marveled at it.


    "It''s not actually that


    idance, sir."


    "I need to hide myself or I''ll definitely be killed when the fight among the chief gods is over.


    Now, I advise you to wait here for Darren. He could come out at any time. Can you wait until he''s back and leave here with him?" asked Shipley.


    "Yes, sir, we can," they replied with cupped hands. Shipley nodded back silently in reply.


    His figure gradually turned transparent and faded away, totally disappearing. No one knew where he was hiding.


    The spiritual senses of Alfredo and Braxton turned into white light and dissipated as their power was exhausted.


    Only Lord Starry Sword, Lord Feng and the blood coffin were left in the dark relic.


    They moved closer to the blood coffin, awaiting Darren''s return.


    Darren had already gone through the tribulations for the Conflicting Cultivation. When he came out, there would be no thunder punishment anymore. So, it would be difficult for the chief gods to break through the mysterious laws in this world and locate Darren.


    The two of them waited patiently, in silence, for a few days. The coffin was abnormally quiet and still, not showing any signs of Darren returning.


    "Let me have a look at this," Lord Feng said finally.


    He activated his spiritual sense and it covered the blood coffin.


    "What''s this?"


    He probed around and the expression on his face twisted slightly.


    "It''s devoured my spiritual sense. How did it do that?"


    Lord Starry Sword turned his head to it now, and two rays of light shot out from his black and white sword eyes towards the blood coffin.


    When the light touched the coffin, it began quivering slightly, accompanied by the emergence of blood red runes.

 Chapter 1561 The Archean Age

    Both Lord Feng and Lord Starry Sword suddenly felt bad.


    Boom! Boom!


    The coffin began to shake violently as the lid slowly opened. Blood red runes surged out of the coffin, taking the shapes of bloodthirsty phantoms.


    "Go!" Lord Feng and Lord Starry Sword both shouted as they prepared to fly off.


    However, they had only traveled for less than ten feet when they were blocked by an invisible wall.


    The blood red runes swarmed to where they were and covered them.


    Suddenly, they were unable to move or make a sound. They could only feel what was going on around them.


    A huge force pulled them toward the blood coffin. In the blink of an eye, they were sucked into it.


    "Darren? Are you in here?" Lord Starry Sword blurted out in surprise.


    After stumbling through darkness for a while, Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng landed in an ancient forest. As soon as they landed, they saw Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar sitting cross-legged on a stone terrace a few feet away from them.


    "So... This is the real relic from the Archean Age?" Lord Feng murmured, feeling the energy buzz through the air.


    "Maybe," Lord Starry Sword responded.


    Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar opened their eyes at the same time.


    The Rule Soul Avatar stood up first. "This is not a relic. This is a real world of Archean Age."


    "What?"


    Lord Feng exclaimed, raising his eyebrows in surprise.


    "The Archean world has already been destroyed for trillions of years. How could it be the world of the Archean Age?"


    Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar flew over together and landed beside them.


    "Hello, Lord Feng! Hello, Lord Starry Sword! According to my avatar, this is indeed the world of the Archean Age. The blood coffin serves as its entrance," Darren explained.


    Lord Feng and Lord Starry Sword were silent. They released their god''s senses to probe their surroundings.


    After a while, they withdrew their god''s senses. "It''s indeed a little different from the relic, but it''s very likely that it''s just a well-preserved relic. After all, if the Archean Age is indestructible, and there won''t be any future eras."


    The laws of heaven and earth were different in every era. If the previous era hadn''t collapsed, a new era wouldn''t have taken its place.


    Countless years had passed since the Archean Age. It had already disappeared in the torrent of history. It was absolutely impossible for the world of the Archean Age to exist now.


    "Maybe this is the consciousness world that the extreme masters from the Archean Age made," Lord Starry Sword said.


    The consciousness world, as its name implied, was created from the masters'' consciousness. It was the same as th


    Sword and the Rule Soul Avatar nodded silently.


    Then, the four of them split up to find their own places to cultivate the Archean Cultivation. Of course, they still couldn''t leave the one kilometer range. Therefore, they made a deal that they couldn''t use their god''s senses to detect how each other''s cultivation was going. This was to ensure that the competition would be fair.


    Darren sat under a big stone and began to think about how to cultivate the Archean Cultivation.


    The method was actually simple. Once a cultivator assimilated the energy in this Archean world and refined his body, he would be able to adapt to the aura of the Archean Age.


    It seemed easy enough. In fact, it seemed too easy. If Darren had been able to come up with it so easily, he was sure that the other three would have thought about it, too.


    ''I have to think of using an unusual method, or I will definitely not be able to compete with them,'' he thought.


    Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng were both gifted. If Darren didn''t rely on his Assimilating God Character, he would be much weaker than them. The Rule Soul Avatar also had the extremely powerful analyzing skill. Darren simply could not compare to him.


    Darren felt that he needed to find a new way to compete with them.


    ''How about I quit my previous cultivation and restart my cultivation?'' Darren thought. Suddenly, this idea flashed through Darren''s mind.


    This was the most unique way he could think of.


    However, the idea was fleeting. It would be impossible for him to do so. After all, he would return to the Primitive Wilderness sooner or later.


    "Seal! Just do it!"


    Darren finally made a decision. He wanted to seal up his god''s power of the Primitive Wilderness first, then cultivate the Archean Cultivation.

 Chapter 1562 Unimaginably Weak

    What Darren decided to do was to first seal all of his god''s power, keeping himself as concealed as a blank sheet of paper, before he cultivated the Archean Cultivation.


    Darren''s spiritual sense surged wildly, compressing all the god''s power in his body and sealing it in the Blade and Sword God Character.


    He was left with zero god''s power, but was left with a formidable body.


    Instead of drawing the Archean energy into his body, Darren created his own cultivation method, and expelled any remaining Primitive Wilderness energy from his body.


    Eight days passed before all traces of Primitive Wilderness energy had left Darren.


    "I only have two days left. I wonder if I''ll be able to make it on the path of the Archean Cultivation."


    It was not until this moment that Darren finally moved his body. He walked to the edge of a kilometer range and began to absorb the Archean energy.


    Under the guidance of Darren, the Archean energy slowly flowed into his body and merged into his being.


    However, this action caused his body to automatically reject foreign material in his system, causing him immense pain.


    Fortunately, Darren had by now honed a high pain tolerance. He was able to manage the excruciating pain brought from the process and he completed the first step¡ªrefining his meridians with the Archean energy.


    "This is definitely a new feeling."


    Darren then continued his cultivation. He felt that his cultivation base in the Archean world was improving.


    Two days went by like a flash.


    Roar!


    Just as Darren was about to return to Lord Starry Sword and the others, he was startled by a fierce roar.


    "There''s a living creature here?"


    Darren continued forward, scattering yellow dust around his feet. After tracing the roar, he arrived at the source of where it came from.


    At this moment, Lord Starry Sword, Lord Feng and the Rule Soul Avatar had already stood here. In front of them was a fierce beast that they had never seen before.


    There were two pairs of black sharp horns on its triangularly shaped head. In its chest, there was something like a fish''s gill opening and closing.


    The beast''s mouth dripped with foul smelling mucus as its sharp teeth glimmered with terrifying light.


    "Lord Starry Sword, how about you go in first?" asked Lord Feng with a bright smile. What he meant was obvious. ''Show your Archean cultivation base first.''


    Lord Starry Sword remained indifferent as usual. Without giving so much as a look in Lord Feng''s direction, Lord Starry Sword made his move, stirring the dust underneath his feet. In no time, his elegant figure softly landed in front of the beast.


    He made one strike wit


    y were not meant to stay for a very long time. They all knew their days in the area were numbered, so they could not understand why in the world Darren chose to cultivate anew. Darren must have gone insane.


    Even Lord Starry Sword''s usual poker face turned dark with doubt. He believed that Darren was too brash with his decision.


    Yes, it was true that they had talked about competing with one another earlier, but that was just for fun. None of the three of them had expected that Darren would be so serious that he chose to completely cultivate anew!


    Roar!


    Before Darren could explain, the beast pounced on him once again.


    Roar!


    A blast of air swept over. Darren felt as if he had hit an iron plate, and his chest was ready to collapse.


    "Alas." Lord Feng shook his head. His fingers bent and popped out, and a stream of god''s power shot out, directly breaking through the beast''s head.


    If he didn''t intervene, Darren would have been torn to shreds.


    "Assimilate."


    As soon as the beast died, Darren instinctively activated the Assimilating Force in silence.


    A ray of faint yellow light that only Darren could see glowed as it entered his body.


    "Huh? My Assimilating God Character still works in this world?" This surprised Darren to his core. He then activated the Evolving God Character, but the Evolving God Character was fixed in his soul, motionless and completely dim.


    It wasn''t only the Evolving God Character, but also the Defiant God Character was rendered useless when the beast was hostile to him.


    Only the Assimilating God Character swallowed a wisp of the yellow light.


    However, different from the effect of his previous Assimilation Skill, this wisp of yellow light directly entered Darren''s body and integrated into his body.

 Chapter 1563 Ready To Go Out

    Darren didn''t know what he had absorbed into his body.


    "It''s not important. It''s not harming me anyway so all should be well."


    He decided not to waste time thinking about it anymore.


    "What are you doing? How could you be so stupid to discard your former cultivation?" Lord Feng asked, walking up beside Darren.


    "Uh..." Darren was stunned by the question, not sure what to say.


    "It''s not wise to do what you''ve done, Darren," Lord Starry Sword said flatly, making his way over as well.


    "I haven''t done anything," Darren said helplessly.


    "Are you sure? Then where''s your god''s power and your former cultivation base?" Lord Feng questioned condescendingly, rolling his eyes at Darren.


    "Well, I''ve sealed it away. Don''t you think it was a good idea? Ha-ha! I mean, even you''re unable to sense it," Darren said smiling. He seemed quite proud of himself.


    "Sealed it?"


    The Rule Soul Avatar found this incredible and flew over to join the commotion. How did Darren develop such a strange method? He had sealed his god''s power so well that even the Rule Soul Avatar, Lord Feng and Lord Starry Sword couldn''t detect it.


    What was more, his physical strength had weakened. Just how well could he seal the god''s power?


    The Rule Soul Avatar felt that this was a difficult feat to accomplish.


    "Nonsense! Do you think we seriously can''t tell the difference between sealing your power and discarding your power? I don''t even know what to say about you." Lord Feng was now so riled up that he almost wanted to beat Darren.


    "I swear, I''m telling the truth. I sealed my god''s power in the Blade and Sword God Character. I then absorbed the Archean energy into my body and refined it, changing the nature of my body..." Darren explained the whole process of his cultivation so they would come around.


    The Rule Soul Avatar understood immediately. Lord Starry Sword got it as well. It was only Lord Feng who still did not believe him.


    Darren shook his head when the three of them kept silent. He drew a little god''s power from the Blade and Sword God Character and released it to them.


    "Wow, it''s actually your god''s power. It''s true then." Only now did Lord Feng finally believe.


    "I was mistaken. It''s a very good idea. This is very good," Lord Feng said marveling. Lord Starry Sword began to understand even better now. What Darren had done was equivalent to cultivating from scratch in the Archean world. With his talent, he had the potential to become incredibly powerful.


    "You had m


    of strikes had landed on the beast, leaving behind a terrifying tapestry of bleeding scars on its body.


    Kill!


    The beast tried fleeing and the other three joined Darren''s attack. In a flash, the beast had been sliced to a messy pool of blood and flesh.


    The four of them stopped moving, feeling a little tired. Their Archean power was still too weak; it seemed that they''d exhausted all their power after just one quick fight.


    "How powerful was that Archean beast? With our strength we should be able to kill a deputy god in the Primitive Wilderness, yet dealing with that beast was so difficult."


    Although Lord Starry Sword''s and the others'' god''s power had almost been sealed, they still had their physical strength and cultivation methods with them. They had had such difficulty taking on the beast that they were now unhappy and a tad concerned.


    "It''s said that the real Archean masters can compete with the masters of the Chaotic Age. It''s then not that surprising that the Archean creatures are generally stronger than most," Lord Starry Sword said, trying to ease their worries.


    "You''re right. But walking here will be more difficult than we thought it''d be since we can''t use our god''s power," Lord Feng said, somewhat distressed.


    "It doesn''t matter. Let''s just walk around. We can explore further away when our strength is improved," Darren said, trying to focus on looking ahead.


    "That''s seems to be the only way right now."


    The four of them chose to rest right there on the spot. The sky gradually grew darker as night was about to fall.


    "Who are you?"


    Suddenly, a light flashed and a figure appeared before Darren and the others.

 Chapter 1564 Fighting Over The Divine Bodies

    Darren and his companions could not understand what this person was saying.


    The Rule Soul Avatar immediately analyzed the voice using his Spirit Power, which then entered the language rule area of the person''s brain.


    It took him only a few seconds to master the language.


    "My real body, Lord Starry Sword, Lord Feng, please listen to the message." The Rule Soul Avatar transmitted the translation to the others'' minds.


    "Tell me who you are?" demanded the stranger.


    Darren and the others looked up to see a girl in green in front of them!


    Her body glowed faintly and she had a sort of unworldly aura that none of them had seen before. She turned out to be as beautiful as an immortal from the Immortal Land.


    No one answered. They were surprised to find humans in this consciousness world.


    That was not all that had stunned them silent; judging by the way she dressed, she didn''t look like a person from the Archean Age.


    As far as they knew, human beings in the Archean Age were barbarous and wore beast hides and sometimes, they wore nothing at all. That was what someone from an ancient time looked like.


    "You... you wear clothes?"


    Darren stuttered through his unconscious mumbling as he pondered this peculiarity.


    The girl was confused by what she heard. What sort of strange question was that? He was so shameless! So depraved and disgusting!


    "You senseless playboys! Do you think that just because I''m alone you can be so rude to me?


    You''re bad people and I''m going to kill you!"


    Whoosh!


    Light flashed from beneath the girl''s feet as she dashed towards Darren and the others, so fast one couldn''t see her with the naked eye.


    Clang!


    The metallic clang of colliding weapons rang out continuously and sparks could be seen flying off Lord Starry Sword''s body.


    "Ah! You! What?"


    The girl ceased her assault and landed on the ground, her eyes full of surprise.


    The dagger in her hand was slashed and chipped all over.


    ''What sort of freaks are these guys?'' she thought to herself. It seemed her blade was totally incapable of hurting them!


    Fear suddenly overtook her and she began stepping backwards, eyeing them vigilantly. As she moved backwards, she tripped on a smashed body and fell to the ground.


    "Ah!" she screamed, in disgust and horror at what she had unwillingly touched.


    "Hey, don''t panic. We''re good people," Darren said hurriedly when he saw her trembling body and the terror in her face.


    Arche


    ve a look," Darren replied, shrugging his shoulders.


    "Well, let''s go have a look then."


    In fact, they were curious to check it out anyway, and had been since they discovered there were humans here.


    "Ha ha ha, thank you for accepting my invitation! Please, please, come with me." The old man made a gesture of welcome.


    Then, a shout was heard that echoed in everyone''s ears.


    "Old man, you have come across such an important, prestigious treasure, and you want to keep it all for yourself? Do you think the people of the Scale Sense Cave are all cowards?"


    Hundreds of armored cultivators appeared and surrounded them all.


    "Oh no! It''s Chayton Nan!"


    "How did word of this already get out?"


    "There must be spies in our sect. The Horn Mountain has been compromised!"


    Now that they were trapped and helpless, the old man regretted publicizing the fact that he had found three divine bodies. He should have come quietly on his own!


    It was too late now and regrets were useless.


    "Chayton Nan, what do you want from us?" the old man asked disdainfully. "Humph! Are you old or stupid?


    You know what I want. I''ll spare your pitiful life if you hand over the three divine bodies. If not, I will kill you all!"


    the man who led them roared arrogantly.


    The old man''s lips quivered. There were so many enemies surrounding them, and Chayton Nan was one of the top masters within eight thousand kilometers. It was impossible for him to make it out of here with the divine bodies.


    "You think it''s that simple, that you can take us away just because you want to? What do you take us for?" Lord Feng snorted with derision.

 Chapter 1565 The Cultivation Levels Of The Archean Cultivators

    Chayton was surprised at Lord Feng''s reaction. He didn''t expect that this man would refuse him.


    "You''re just a Body-refining Realm warrior. How dare you disobey me! Don''t expect me to be nice to you just because you have a divine body. Let me make it clear to you. If you don''t join my sect, you will all die."


    On the northern border, especially in the area of the Three Mountains and Seven Caves, it was rare to find three divine bodies at the same time.


    Chayton wanted to take this opportunity to have them in his sect. But since Lord Feng had refused to join his force, he had better wipe them out.


    This time, killing intent flitted across the eyes of Lord Feng and Lord Starry Sword.


    "Old man, tell me. What is the Body-refining Realm? And what level is Chayton at?" asked Lord Feng, totally ignoring Chayton.


    "Don''t you know the cultivation levels?" A surprised expression wrapped the old man''s face as he explained, "The cultivation is divided into eight levels. They are the Meridians-opening Realm, Body-refining Realm, Sea-exploring Realm, Fate Realm, Mysterious Sanskrit Realm, Valiant Realm, Genuine King Realm, and Eternity Realm. Above these eight realms are the Heavenly Destiny Emperors. We know that each of them is capable of destroying heaven and earth. But nobody among the common people knows the limit of their capability.


    Chayton has just reached the Sea-exploring Realm. In fact, he is one of the top masters in the area of the Three Mountains and Seven Caves."


    When the old man finished talking, Lord Feng cast Chayton a cold glance. Chayton was only one level higher than him. Even if he didn''t use his god''s power, he would still be able to win against Chayton.


    All of a sudden, Chayton said in a cold voice, "What are you waiting for? Seize them and take them away!"


    "Yes, sir!"


    A group of cultivators with Archean auras rushed over like beasts towards Lord Feng and Lord Starry Sword.


    "Kill!"


    A vicious light flashed across Lord Starry Sword''s eyes as he pulled out his sword.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Although his Archean power was weak, his physical strength and sword moves were astounding.


    With just a few strikes, he killed all the hundreds of cultivators who charged towards them.


    In an instant, the whole area turned into a sea of corpses and blood.


    Even Lord Starry Sword was so surprised by the result.


    He didn''t expect that the cultivators were so weak.


    "Ha-ha! It seems that our impression of the beast that we have just encountered was wrong.


    eng found out that the leader of the Serenity Mountain was two realms stronger than him.


    The leader of the Serenity Mountain was comparable to a master at the top level of the Deputy God Realm.


    Indeed, the masters in this world were extraordinary. A mere warrior at the Fate Realm was already as strong as a top-level Deputy God Realm warrior. If that was the case, he couldn''t help wondering how powerful the warriors of the other realms of cultivation could be.


    According to his deduction, a Genuine King Realm warrior could surpass a supreme god. Then what about the Eternity Realm warriors? Were they comparable to the chief gods?


    As Lord Feng continued to think about it, he realized that the warriors in this place were horribly powerful.


    "I see," he said with a nod.


    "Uhm... you are so powerful. But... why don''t you know the cultivation levels?" the old man asked hesitantly. He couldn''t hide the puzzlement in his face.


    "We are actually from a foreign region. You can say that we are from another small world," Lord Feng answered.


    "I knew it! Since you are so powerful, you can''t be from a small village," the girl said with a smile.


    "Ha-ha! I was told that some distinguished guests had arrived. I''m sorry that I wasn''t able to welcome you."


    While they were talking, a middle-aged man walked into the hall, laughing heartily.


    "Dad, you''re back! Come here. We have some amazing guests." The girl ran over to the middle-aged man and dragged him.


    "My name is Satchel Lu. I am the leader of the Horn Mountain. Welcome to our sect." The middle-aged man introduced himself. He had already been informed by the old man about everything that happened.

 Chapter 1566 Evil Lord Amias

    "Mr. Lu, you are too polite,"


    Darren commented courteously.


    Satchel just laughed. But he was secretly discerning Darren and his companions with his spiritual sense. Sure enough, three of them had the divine bodies that various ancient clans would fight for. That was why Satchel decided to treat them more courteously.


    To show his respect, he didn''t take the seat of honor when he sat down.


    "Elder Graham, I''ve heard that Chayton from the Scale Sense Cave came here and caused trouble and you have caught him. Is that true?" Satchel asked the old man.


    "Yes, sir. He is now in prison. But actually, it was they who suppressed him," the old man replied, referring to Darren and the others.


    "We are in a tricky situation," Satchel said with a frown.


    "Chayton is a good friend of Cyrus Guan. If Cyrus Guan finds out that we imprisoned Chayton, he will definitely get angry. He will rush over here and demand that we release Chayton. But we can''t let Chayton go either. If we do, he will definitely collude with Cyrus Guan to take revenge on us."


    For Satchel, they were in big trouble.


    Cyrus Guan was someone not easy to deal with. After all, he was at the top level of the Fate Realm, and his strength was extraordinary.


    "Mr. Lu, it seems that we have caused you trouble," Darren said and stood up.


    "Of course not. The Scale Sense Cave has always been hostile to our Horn Mountain. Sooner or later, a fight will still break out even if you are not here. If Cyrus Guan comes, I will have a life-and-death battle with him."


    Satchel would rather fight with Cyrus Guan to death than lose these valuable talents in front of him.


    "Satchel, come out and see me!"


    All of a sudden, a fierce roar made the hall tremble.


    "Speak of the devil. Elder Graham, gather the masters of the sect. Let''s fight together against him."


    Satchel then waved his sleeve and rushed out of the hall first.


    "Let''s go there too."


    Darren and his companions also quickly rushed out.


    Cyrus Guan was outside the gate. He wore a black suit of armor and held a trident in his hand, looking somewhat domineering.


    "That man is quite determined to fight,"


    Lord Feng commented. At first glance, he already felt that Cyrus Guan had strange Archean belligerence.


    "Cyrus Guan! How dare you break the rules of the Three Mountains and Seven Caves by breaking into our sect!"


    Satchel shouted as he flew over in front of Cyrus Guan.


    "What


    hem, ready to kill them as well.


    "Lord Starry Sword, I think we have to use our god''s power this time," Lord Feng said with a darkened expression.


    He had heard that Evil Lord Amias was a master at the Mysterious Sanskrit Realm, so that meant his fighting power could surpass a top-level deputy god. If they didn''t use their god''s power, they would definitely be killed by him.


    "Wait!" The Rule Soul Avatar took a step forward and stopped Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng, who were about to launch an attack.


    He then looked at Evil Lord Amias and said, "Didn''t you know that we had divine bodies?"


    "What?" Evil Lord Amias was utterly shocked.


    He immediately used his Archean spiritual sense and covered the four to confirm it.


    After getting the result,


    he roared in astonishment.


    "Three divine bodies! How could this be possible? I can''t believe that there are three divine bodies in this secluded place."


    This was too shocking for him. On the entire northern border, only the eight ancient clans had divine bodies. He couldn''t understand why there were three divine bodies in this barren land.


    ''Are they from the ancient clans?'' Evil Lord Amias thought to himself.


    If they were really from the ancient clans, then he wouldn''t dare to touch them. If he killed an ordinary member of the ancient clans, he would already be hunted crazily. How much more if he killed the divine bodies?


    "Which ancient clan are you from?" he asked. A hint of fear was apparent in his voice.


    "Which ancient clan?" Darren asked in confusion.


    He and the others had no idea what the clans were on the northern border.

 Chapter 1567 Entering The Relic

    "You don''t deserve to know which ancient clan we are from,"


    said the Rule Soul Avatar in a flat tone. He had a cold expression on his face.


    Evil Lord Amias was very unhappy with the Rule Soul Avatar''s response. However, he could not help but connect their attitude with their backgrounds. The Rule Soul Avatar''s arrogance was precisely an indication that they might come from an ancient clan.


    "Humph! You all get out of here now!"


    Eventually, he gave up the idea of killing them. After all, he only killed people to keep the news about the opening of the relic from spreading out. He had to keep it a secret. But by doing so, it didn''t necessarily mean that he had to provoke people from any ancient clan.


    If he infuriated an ancient clan, he would be doomed. It wouldn''t matter anymore even if he could get many treasures from the relic.


    "Do you intend to keep the treasures in the relic to yourself? That''s ridiculous!" Lord Feng sneered.


    "Yes, that''s right. All of us have witnessed the opening of the relic together. You can''t just monopolize it," Darren echoed.


    The truth was, Darren and his companions didn''t necessarily want the treasures. But if they didn''t show an imposing manner right now, Evil Lord Amias was likely to see through them and attack them.


    A ferocious aura surged around Evil Lord Amias'' body. Obviously, he was angry.


    "Rawr!"


    He roared and raised the huge dark metal rod in his hand. His momentum was as tremendous as an ocean.


    But Darren, Lord Feng, Lord Starry Sword, and the Rule Soul Avatar remained motionless. Even the expressions on their faces didn''t change at all.


    It was no longer surprising. Besides, they had seen numerous spectacles and killed countless powerful warriors. How could such a trivial movement frighten them?


    "Ha-ha!"


    Evil Lord Amias wildly laughed when he saw how calm Darren and the others were.


    "Please accept my apology. I didn''t mean to offend you just now.


    You''re right. We all have witnessed the opening of the relic. Perhaps it was destined to happen. Of course, we should share its resources."


    In the end, Evil Lord Amias gave up monopolizing the relic. Obviously, he just tested them just now.


    "Humph! Lead us the way," Lord Feng said arrogantly.


    "Please follow me."


    Evil Lord Amias became more polite when he saw their arrogance.


    They were not so far from the entrance of the relic, so they soon arrived at the edge of a collapsing cave.


    Rumble!


    All of a sudden, the earth shook. Then a beam of blood-red light gushed out from the entrance of the cave. It was like a blood-red pilla


    as silent as his Spirit Power probed the four passages.


    "None of them," replied the Rule Soul Avatar after a short while. His response took Darren by surprise.


    "Why? Are these four passages all fake?"


    "Yes. The real passage is hidden somewhere else," confirmed the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Oh... It seems that these young men from the Ling Clan are in trouble."


    Since there were four passages in front of them, the disciples of the Ling Clan hesitated for a moment. They were not sure which one to take. Romeo Ling walked over to Evil Lord Amias and asked, "Which passage do you think is the right one?"


    Evil Lord Amias looked around and said, "I don''t know either. But we can''t make a wrong choice. Or else, we will be doomed."


    Romeo Ling frowned. They had only come in, but they already encountered such difficulty. It was so hard to choose which passage to take.


    "Four of you, go and check each passage, respectively."


    Left with no choice, Romeo Ling ordered his four subordinates to try each passage.


    "Yes, sir."


    Although the four young men were afraid, they didn''t dare to disobey Romeo Ling''s order.


    Soon enough, they flew towards each passage.


    "Ahhh!"


    "Rawr!"


    "This is so scary."


    "Oh, my God!"


    The four young men let out screams simultaneously as soon as they entered the passages.


    A bloody wind swept out, and the passages fell into silence. The screams of the four subordinates immediately faded away.


    Romeo Ling''s face darkened in an instant. ''Are these four passages dangerous?'' he thought to himself.


    This time, he turned to Darren, Lord Feng, Lord Starry Sword, and the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Four of you, go inside and check the situation," he ordered as he pointed at them.

 Chapter 1568 Kill Romeo

    Obviously, Romeo wanted Darren and his companions to die. However, he also wanted to see if they could detect anything. He urged them to go through the passages.


    "Fuck off!"


    Lord Starry Sword yelled, his face darkening.


    Romeo''s eyes flashed with ferocity. "Amias, what kind of subordinates have you brought here? They are so disobedient. If they don''t do as I say, don''t blame me for turning against you."


    Amias was stunned. It turned out that Romeo couldn''t even figure out that they had the divine bodies.


    "Mr. Ling, these four men do not belong to me..." Just as Amias began explaining, he was stopped by Lord Feng.


    "Young man, what makes you think you have the right to order us around?" Lord Feng asked indifferently.


    "Ha!" Romeo sneered. "You probably don''t know the Ling Clan. I can''t believe you''re not aware of who I am. I want you to die. How dare you not obey me?"


    Darren stepped forward and frowned. "Do you think our lives are worthless, like we''re pieces of trash you can just discard?"


    "Yes, you are right," Romeo said, staring at Darren playfully.


    Darren nodded. "Very well. You have succeeded in courting death."


    "What?" All the people around Romeo were suddenly full of fighting spirit and killing intent. "You worthless insects! You dare talk back to Romeo? You must die!"


    Whoosh!


    Dozens of figures rushed over all at the same time.


    Streaks of sword light flashed about. The air was thick with the scent of blood, and broken limbs scattered throughout the space.


    Several spear shadows shot out, and bodies dropped to the ground, pierced through by spears.


    In just a few seconds, dozens of members of the Ling Clan were dead.


    For a few moments, it was absolutely silent. No one dared to make a move.


    Romeo suddenly went wild with fury. "How dare you?! How dare you kill the members of the Ling Clan? I will kill all of you!" he roared. His Archean belligerence was activated, and the atmosphere was tense and heavy.


    Whoosh!


    He rushed over. He charged toward Darren and his companions, and the jade flute in his hand suddenly grew thorns.


    "He is at the Fate Realm, and he is as powerful as a top level deputy god. Brace yourselves¡ªthis is no ordinary warrior!"


    A mere teenager possessed such powerful strength. The creatures of the Archean Age were truly powerful.


    The god''s power of the four men had been sealed and


    gan to pound. He was getting excited.


    "That''s right. As long as we get the sword bloodline, we can send it back and reap the rewards. Maybe we can even become the personal disciples of the patriarch! Or, you know... You can keep the sword bloodline to yourself..." the disciple said.


    "Well, I don''t think that it''s a good idea. That guy is powerful. Once his divine body is destroyed, the senior leaders of his clan will figure out who did it. Even if we get the sword bloodline, we will face terrible punishment. I don''t think it''s worth it." Romeo hesitated. Someone will surely avenge the death of a warrior with a divine body. He did not want to face that.


    "It would be great for you. You don''t dare take it? Once you get the sword bloodline and obtain a divine body, you will be a treasure to the whole clan! Even if all of the members of the Mysterious Sword Clan come and try attack you, our clan will surely protect you," the disciple urged.


    "That makes sense! Tell our men to act accordingly. Kill him when he is off-guard!" Romeo''s heart began to beat wildly. He had dreamed of becoming a person with the divine body since he was a little boy.


    He finally had the chance to achieve his dream. He made up his mind that he would die trying.


    Crack!


    At that moment, a thunderbolt suddenly descended from the sky and struck Romeo''s body.


    Roar!


    Electricity coursed through Romeo''s veins, and he was numb from the shock. He felt his whole body buzz, and he could not move.


    "Kill him!"


    At that moment, Lord Feng thrust out his spear and aimed it at Romeo''s heart.

 Chapter 1569 Fighting Evil Lord Amias

    "You!"


    Romeo couldn''t believe that they had suddenly tried to kill him!


    However, he realized it too late. The sharp pain in his heart slowly disappeared, and his soul had begun to dissipate.


    Lord Feng withdrew his spear, and Romeo''s body sank into the cold water.


    "Are you crazy? Why did you kill him?"


    Evil Lord Amias roared. Even though they had divine bodies, they should not have killed someone from the Ling Clan.


    It was obviously a mistake. If the Ling Clan sought revenge, he would suffer as well.


    "I was going to spare your lives, but you secretly discussed to kill our friend and take his bloodline. Did you expect me to let it slide?"


    Lord Feng''s cold gaze pierced through the remaining disciples of the Ling Clan.


    "No, how... how did you find out? I used a special method of the Ling Clan to send a message." the disciple who had instigated Romeo to do so murmured, his voice trembling with fear.


    He did not know that one of the four men was powerful beyond compare,


    and he could easily intercept conversations made using spiritual sense.


    The Rule Soul Avatar heard Romeo''s plan, so he told the others about it.


    "You''re courting death. Now, I will make sure that none of you gets out of here alive!" Lord Feng made a move.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    He brandished his spear, and more than half of the remaining disciples of the Ling Clan were killed.


    "Evil Lord Amias, the Grand Desolation Sword Body has inherited the sword bloodline. If you get it, you will be able to inherit the divine body!"


    the disciple of the Ling Clan shouted, his voice laced with desperation.


    He wanted Lord Starry Sword to die as well. He believed that Evil Lord Amias would be interested in what he just said.


    "Nonsense! Go to hell!"


    To his surprise, Evil Lord Amias roared at him. The black metal rod in his hand flew out and killed all the remaining disciples of the Ling Clan.


    All of the disciples of the Ling Clan were dead, buried in the underground cave.


    "These idiots deserved to die. They tried to have you killed. Even I couldn''t stand them!" Am


    our god''s power. Now it seems like you were just bragging,"


    Amias mocked. He was not even using his full strength.


    "Undying Galaxy!" he shouted.


    Boom! Boom!


    Black light burst out, and Amias'' body was like a dark abyss. Destruction hung in the air, threatening to tear the space apart.


    ''Is this the power of the Mysterious Sanskrit Realm?'' Lord Starry Sword wondered.


    The momentum that Evil Lord Amias was displaying was actually comparable to that of a human ascetic cultivator.


    Bang!


    His terrifying aura tossed Lord Feng and Lord Starry Sword aside, knocking them into the cave walls.


    "If we don''t use our god''s power, we will not be able to defeat him," Lord Starry Sword said.


    The other three couldn''t agree more.


    Evil Lord Amias was powerful enough to penetrate the bodies of Lord Starry Sword and his companions. He could kill them. They needed something stronger to fight him with.


    This was the power of one that had just entered the Mysterious Sanskrit Realm.


    If a Mysterious Sanskrit Realm warrior was already so powerful, the Valiant Realm warriors and the Eternity Realm warriors would certainly be more terrifying.


    The most important thing to remember was that the old man had mentioned that there were still Heavenly Destiny Emperors in the Archean Age. They were the real rulers of this age. How powerful were the Heavenly Destiny Emperors then?

 Chapter 1570 The Real Entrance To The Relic

    Amias was absolutely furious. Lord Starry Sword and the others knew they must treat him with caution. Only by using the god''s power would they have the chance to kill him.


    "Amias, you are courting death," Lord Feng said coldly.


    "Don''t waste your time bragging before you die!" Amias snorted.


    He swung the huge black metal rod in his hand, striking suddenly at Lord Feng and the others.


    With twin booms, two rays of golden light shot outwards from the bodies of Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng.


    Instantly, the entire underground cave was completely pierced through by the golden light.


    ''What is that?'' Amias thought in surprise.


    He probed the strange and powerful aura, feeling wary. ''Are these people truly from another era?'' he wondered. He had never felt this kind of power before.


    "Lord Starry Sword, let''s finish this battle as soon as possible!" shouted Lord Feng.


    With that, the


    one, crushing it.


    Instantly, something burst out from the crushed stone. There was a tiny ball of light, almost like a bean, floating in the Rule Soul Avatar''s palm.


    "It''s a piece of Archean Spiritual Stone,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar deduced. He could sense the majestic Archean energy from the small glowing ball.


    He focused on the bean-sized ball of light, absorbing it into his body.


    "There is something hidden in these stones. But it''s not necessarily a good thing," the Rule Soul Avatar said in a tone heavy with foreboding.


    "It seems that this is another test of the relic," Darren said.


    "Yes, if we want to pass through this place, we must break the stones and create our own path. There must be dangerous things hidden within some of these stones," Lord Feng said.


    Lord Starry Sword was silent. He just lifted his sword and swung at a huge rock near him, smashing it into pieces.

 Chapter 1571 The Dark Figure

    When the gigantic stone exploded, an object that flashed like a green light shot out.


    Whoosh!


    Lord Starry Sword chased after the object and held it in his hand.


    Sizzle! Sizzle!


    As he held the object, his hand began to emit some white smoke. All of a sudden, the pungent smell of burning filled the air.


    Lord Starry Sword immediately let go of the object when he felt a stabbing pain. Then a piece of rusty metal floated in front of him.


    "What is that?" Darren asked curiously.


    "That must be a fragment of a weapon," Lord Feng deduced. Then he added, "That fragment contains some extremely terrifying power. I can''t imagine how powerful it can be if it''s a complete weapon."


    "It seems that this relic is extraordinary but dan


    chance to resist.


    Now, the dark figure and the Rule Soul Avatar stood face to face. They were very close to each other.


    The three were surprised when the dark figure and the Rule Soul Avatar didn''t attack each other.


    They just stood still without any signs of a fight.


    "It seems that Xavier is talking to him."


    "Yes. It seems like they are communicating with each other."


    "His inherent conditions are much better than ours. He will definitely surpass us in a short time," Lord Feng commented.


    "You''re right," Lord Starry Sword agreed.


    They waited and watched quietly. After about a quarter of an hour, the dark figure turned around and walked away.


    "Is he leaving?"


    Somehow, the tension in Darren''s heart subsided.

 Chapter 1572 Cultivation

    Darren, Lord Feng, and Lord Starry Sword flew towards the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Rule Soul Avatar, what did you say to him? Why did he leave just like that?" Darren asked, still in disbelief.


    The Rule Soul Avatar was silent for a moment, watching the dark figure disappear. He then replied to Darren, "I told him how to revive himself."


    "Oh, I see."


    The three of them immediately understood that the dark figure wanted to come back to life.


    So the Rule Soul Avatar guided him to find the Law of Revival. In return, he let go of Darren and the others.


    But even though the dark creature had left, they didn''t feel that they were out of danger now.


    There were still a lot of giant stones behind them, and no one knew what was hid


    Archean energy it had turned into was still pouring on him at this moment.


    However, he still didn''t feel any changes inside his body. ''Why doesn''t it have any effect on me?''


    He started to feel frustrated.


    ''Is my body useless in the Archean Age?


    No wonder those Archean masters always ignored me every time they saw us. They believe that only Lord Feng, Lord Starry Sword, and the Rule Soul Avatar have divine bodies.''


    Darren was very disappointed. The Archean energy had already entered his body, but nothing happened at all. He couldn''t help thinking that he had the worst physique of all. He was so angry now.


    If Lord Feng found out about this, he would definitely become a laughingstock. Darren almost cried in misery.

 Chapter 1573 Competition

    Darren had no choice but to continue absorbing the Archean energy. He needed to push through to see if his luck would change.


    After three days, he was able to fully absorb the large purple crystal.


    However, it seemed like nothing had changed. Darren''s realm was still the same as before, and his physique had not changed at all.


    This made him very upset.


    Darren pretended to still be absorbing, so as to not get teased by Lord Feng.


    "Come on, brat. You have completely absorbed it. Why are you still pretending to do so?"


    Of course, what Darren did could not be concealed from Lord Feng. He flew over and kicked Darren to wake him up.


    "Ahem." Darren stood up. "It works well. I have condensed three Chaotic Nebulae in my elixir field."


    When Lord Feng heard this


    t my anger." Lord Feng wanted to hurt Darren once more.


    "Gee, is he cultivating again?" Lord Feng had only noticed what Darren was doing just then.


    He was only joking by saying that he would beat Darren to vent out his anger. He wouldn''t do it while Darren was cultivating.


    "I''ll beat you up after you finish your cultivation," he said. When he saw that the majestic Archean energy was much stronger than the last time, he became even angrier.


    After more than ten days, Darren had completely absorbed the majestic Archean energy.


    Boom! Boom!


    Suddenly, the dark space began to shake violently.


    What had happened?


    Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng couldn''t help but feel a little agitated. They wondered if there was another powerful Archean creature appearing.

 Chapter 1574 No Match For Darren

    The violent tremors continued and Lord Starry Sword''s and Lord Feng''s faces shifted to masks of seriousness.


    Splash...


    A sound like rippling water echoed through the dark space.


    Lord Starry Sword narrowed his eyes in focus, and scanned the area vigilantly, ready to remove the seal of god''s power at a moment''s notice.


    Lord Feng was on high alert, slowly moving closer to Darren with the readiness to protect him if need be.


    Suddenly streaks of dull yellow light beamed out of the darkness.


    Startled, Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng darted their eyes here and there, looking for the source of the light. What they saw shocked and confused them. They could hardly believe it.


    The source of the streaming light was Darren!


    "What''s the matter with Darren? What''s going on?" Lord Feng was n


    st. This was because it contained a sizeable amount of highly pure Archean energy.


    "How was your search? Have you found the exit, my avatar?" asked Darren, shifting the conversation.


    "Thanks to the powerful beam of light that burst from your body, I have indeed found a way out," the Rule Soul Avatar revealed.


    He had thought it would take dozens of years to find the exit. But when he used his Spirit Power to follow the shaft of light erupted from Darren''s body, he soon discovered the right path that stretched out of the passageway.


    Their way out was on the back side of the space where they were.


    "Let''s get a move on out of here. Moving further into the relic will do us no good."


    "Alright."


    The Rule Soul Avatar then led them up through the darkness on a strange, complex route.

 Chapter 1575 Aria Ye

    A few hours later, Darren and the other three returned to the ground.


    As soon as they appeared, more than a dozen figures flew over and landed beside them.


    "It''s not Romeo and the other men!"


    Darren and his companions studied these newcomers. Judging from the garb they were wearing, these men were from the Ling Clan.


    "Who are you?". the leader of the group shouted,


    his eyes wide open. They had come here as reinforcements for Romeo and his companions. They had waited for so long, but they were nowhere to be found.


    "Passers-by," Darren replied coldly.


    "How dare you! I''ll ask you one more time. Who are you? How dare you enter the relic discovered by the Ling Clan?" the man roared.


    "Fuck off!"


    Lord Starry Sword was enraged b


    ook violently from the impact.


    After the first collision, Darren flew back.


    "You are not bad," he said. Darren remained very calm. He was just testing the waters.


    However, what happened shocked Aria Ye.


    How could this nobody at the Sea-exploring Realm have such a strong aura to contend against the thirteen Iron Guards? It was preposterous!


    Did they really have the ability to fight against the thirteen Iron Guards? If that was the case, these men were truly amazing!


    ''It was said that three divine bodies had appeared in a certain area all at the same time. Even a Heavenly Destiny Body had appeared a few hours ago. No way! There are exactly four of them.


    It''s impossible! It''s absolutely impossible!'' Aria Ye thought nervously.

 Chapter 1576 The Shocked Holy Maiden

    What a coincidence! Aria had just heard that there were three men with divine bodies and one man with Heavenly Destiny Body. And right now, there were four weird men in front of her. Since she couldn''t understand their attacking moves at all, she thought that it was really them.


    Her heartbeat went abnormally fast with excitement.


    She almost couldn''t believe that she was standing in front of the rumored peerless geniuses that suddenly appeared here.


    "Thirteen Iron Guards, use all your power and strength to kill them,"


    Aria ordered. These four men would only show their real strength if they were cornered. It was only then that she could prove that they were really those top warriors she had heard of.


    "Yes, Holy Maiden."


    The thirteen Iron Guards got ready to fight again.


    Darr


    ng to give up and wanted to kill Darren and his companions.


    But Aria didn''t reply.


    After a few moments, she ordered, "Tell Master Everett to come here."


    "Yes, Holy Maiden."


    The twelve Iron Guards were quite helpless in front of Darren and his companions. But Aria couldn''t make a move at the moment because she was in a very critical situation. If she launched attacks rashly, her future cultivation would be harmed.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    But Darren, Lord Feng, Lord Starry Sword, and the Rule Soul Avatar made a move simultaneously. Since they had already decided to refuse the Ye Clan''s threatening invitation, they naturally could not let Aria live. She might cause future troubles for them. This was what they had learned hard from their experiences in the past years.

 Chapter 1577 Shes Determined To Kill Us

    "Damn it!"


    The sudden attack of Darren, Lord Feng, Lord Starry Sword and the Rule Soul Avatar made Aria furious.


    ''Why are they so arrogant? Are they really not afraid of the Ling Clan and the Ye Clan?''


    While Aria was lost in thought, the Rule Sole Avatar launched his thunder attack.


    "The thunder attack. Are you a rule cultivator?"


    Aria was once again shocked by the attack of the Rule Soul Avatar. In this world, only very few people had stepped into the rule cultivation. And every rule cultivator couldn''t be underestimated. They were very popular among all the major forces.


    At this moment, Aria couldn''t help feeling regretful. She shouldn''t have been too arrogant in dealing with them in the first place.


    ''If these people really have divine bodies


    y.


    Then a streak of scarlet light shot over at a speed that was almost invisible to the naked eye.


    "Master Everett is coming!"


    The twelve Iron Guards finally felt relaxed. For them, Master Everett''s arrival meant death for the four bastards in front of them.


    "Kill!"


    Seeing a master coming, Darren rushed over once again regardless of the pain he felt. He used his black god''s power and the power of blade and sword.


    "Stop him! He will kill the Holy Maiden."


    The twelve Iron Guards, who were seriously injured, protected Aria at all costs.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    A ray of purple light penetrated the bodies of five Iron Guards in succession, causing them to directly explode.


    Lord Starry Sword and Long Feng cut the other Iron Guards into pieces.

 Chapter 1578 Fighting Against The Master Of The Ye Clan Together

    The Iron Guards who protected Aria were all killed. This time, Darren''s sword and blade were on Aria''s neck.


    "Stop!"


    Everett Ye roared angrily. As the master of the Ye Clan, he couldn''t allow something unpleasant to happen to Aria. So in the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Darren.


    Darren would have killed Aria directly if Everett had not arrived. Now, she was left alive but as a bargaining chip in his hand.


    "I dare you to take a step forward, and her head will fall to the ground," Darren said coldly.


    Everett trembled with anger as he thought, ''How dare he take the Holy Maiden of the Ye Clan as a hostage! Isn''t he afraid of being killed?''


    But of course, he didn''t dare to say it loudly in front of Darren. Instead, he said, "How many spiritual crystals do you want? Just tell me." Although he stil


    e Clan. If this news spreads out, my reputation will definitely be ruined,'' he thought inwardly.


    "Damn it!"


    Everett was so furious that he wanted to kill Darren.


    Bang!


    When Darren used his black god''s power, the Archean pressure suppressed him. As a result, he wasn''t able to dodge Everett''s attack, so he was directly thrown away.


    Darren was in an unfavorable situation now. He felt like he was about to be smashed into pieces.


    Fortunately, Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng had already arrived in front of Everett.


    "Eternal Firmament!"


    All of a sudden, both Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng activated their god''s power. They used the perfect combination of spear and sword skills.


    "Oh, my!"


    This time, Everett was terrified. ''What kind of power is this? Why do I feel like the god of death is coming?''

 Chapter 1579 The Purple Blood Crystal

    Everett had never felt such power before. The overwhelming aura made him so terrified.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Lord Feng''s and Lord Starry Sword''s god''s power surged. Their powerful sword intent and spear intent left their weapons and shot towards Everett.


    He had no way to dodge such powerful and swift god''s power.


    "Holy Maiden, please help me!"


    Everett felt so desperate now. He got flustered at the unparalleled force.


    Bang!


    As the two streams of god''s power hit him, Everett''s body exploded. Eventually, he died.


    Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng had to take him by surprise to kill him. If they had given him a chance to resist,


    they would have been the first to perish under the pressure of the Archean heaven and earth.


    The majestic Archean pressure had caused serious injuries on Lord


    her. All of them wondered if Darren was just pretending to be ignorant. How could he say that the precious purple crystal was shabby? Was he joking?


    "Everyone knows the value of the purple blood crystal. We are so lucky to have gotten it. Unfortunately, you''ve seen it, so you have to die. Blame yourselves for this bad luck,"


    said a middle-aged man coldly.


    "Oh? Must you really kill us?" Darren still sounded calm.


    "Ha-ha!"


    The four strangers laughed scornfully,


    thinking Darren had asked a stupid question. Once the news that they had gotten the purple blood crystal spread out, not only the eight ancient clans, but even the Heavenly Destiny Emperors would be alerted. They would definitely try to take it away from them. That was why they couldn''t just let Darren and his companions go.

 Chapter 1580 Who Would Be Killed

    "You should just kill yourself now," the middle-aged man said coldly.


    "So that you won''t need to suffer too much." In their eyes, Darren and the other three were already dead meat.


    "Kill them!" Darren shouted.


    Initially, he and his companions wanted to leave without causing any trouble, but they had never expected this party to treat them so viciously. How could they possibly let this slide?


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Springing into action, Darren and his companions attacked first.


    "Humph, you are mere ants to me!"


    The other party sneered. Then, they unleashed out their Archean fighting spirit, one after another. They couldn''t comprehend why weaklings such as Darren and his companions would dare strike first.


    After all, the three men and one woman were all at the Mysterious Sanskrit Realm, two realms higher than Darren and his companions.


    But even at their level of cultivation base, each of


    ed out from his nose and mouth.


    "I''m going to kill you!" the old man roared, and his fighting spirit increased again. By now, he was only dozens of feet away from the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Swoosh!


    A sharp spear jabbed towards the head of the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Ice Protection."


    Buzz!


    A blue ice wall suddenly materialized in front of the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Clang!


    With a crisp sound, the old man''s weapon crashed into the blue ice wall. Sparks flew in all directions, but the wall remained unscathed.


    "What''s going on?"


    The old man was completely stunned. This rule cultivator was too powerful!


    The silvery eyes of the Rule Soul Avatar flashed coldly.


    At the flick of his wrist, a blue ice spike, mixed with terrifying thunder and lightning, shot towards the old man.


    Whoosh!


    The ice spike pierced clean through the old man''s chest, pinning him midair. Gradually, the life left his eyes.

 Chapter 1581 Refusal Of Another Invitation

    The Rule Soul Avatar took the old man''s life, while Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng were engaged in battles of their own. They brandished their weapons and killed the men they were each fighting.


    In just a quarter of an hour, all four enemies had been vanquished.


    "Look at what I found,"


    Darren said, flying over with a green gourd in his grasp.


    Each of his companions found the same thing as well.


    "This is the spatial treasure of the Archean world. It''s where their items are stored," revealed the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Is it possible for us to open it?"


    A spatial treasure was a very special thing. If opened by force, it would be destroyed. But with the Rule Soul Avatar present, that might not be how things went.


    "Sure,"


    replied the Rule Soul Avatar. There were very few rule cultivators in the Archean Age and the spatial treasures


    eered with detest.


    The old man didn''t sound sincere at all.


    He had threatened to kill Darren and his companions if they refused him. They were now only more determined to turn him down.


    If the old man had been disappointed but let them leave, he might have left Darren and the others with a good impression. Even If they did not join the Ye Clan today, they would not be their enemies and might even help them some day.


    Unfortunately, that was not the path of action he had chosen. The old man and the Holy Maiden of the Ye Clan possessed the same attitude, an attitude that Darren and his companions were disgusted by. They wanted nothing to do with them.


    "If it''s a fight you want, bring it on,"


    Lord Starry Sword, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke up, infinite killing intent flowing in his black and white sword pupils.

 Chapter 1582 Attention On Them

    As Dakota sensed the killing intent emanating from Lord Starry Sword, his expression darkened.


    ''He would rather die than join our clan?'' he pondered silently.


    "I hope you will reconsider." Dakota''s voice also reeked of killing intent.


    "Dakota, are we really going to kill three divine bodies at the same time?" Aria asked.


    While she might''ve hated them, they were, after all, three divine bodies. If she killed them, it was like destroying three treasures.


    Moreover, although she couldn''t tell what kind of constitution the fourth guy had, she could tell he wouldn''t be easy to deal with. Her eyes flashed as she studied the four men before her. The young man in purple probably had the Heavenly Destiny Body!


    "If our Ye Clan can''t have them, why shou


    y then, all the resources that they had obtained had been consumed, and their cultivation bases had also been improved.


    "Now, only the purple blood crystal is left."


    When all the resources were used up, the four of them woke up from their cultivating at the same time. The Rule Soul Avatar took out the purple blood crystal and suspended it at the center.


    "This thing contains a lot more Archean energy than the previous things combined. It should be enough for us to break through," the Rule Soul Avatar announced.


    "Then, what are you waiting for? Let''s continue cultivating!"


    What they didn''t know was that while they had been cultivating underground, almost all the powerful cultivators of the eight ancient clans were looking for them feverishly.

 Chapter 1583 Trace

    In the Ye Clan, one of the eight ancient clans


    "Still no news yet?"


    In the conference hall of the Ye Clan, a middle-aged man clad in a cyan robe with intricate dragon-like patterns was sprawled in one of the seats in front. He looked very unhappy. They had been probing for so long, but there was still no news of those divine bodies.


    "Patriarch, they seem to have disappeared from the face of the earth. Even the grand masters can''t find them."


    "Humph!" the patriarch of the Ye Clan snorted. He stood up, his expression cold. He walked straight toward an old man. He looked at him up and down with his piercing eyes.


    "Uncle Dakota, why didn''t you inform me right away that day?" Several months had passed, but the patriarch of the Ye Clan still couldn''t let it go. He was still blaming Dakota.


    "You were culti


    how different it was. For the first time, it was as if his ravenous body could be satiated.


    He finally felt comfort.


    After three straight days of absorption, only less than one percent of the purple blood crystal had been consumed.


    "He has made a breakthrough."


    Lord Starry Sword, Lord Feng and the Rule Soul Avatar had been observing Darren''s changes all the time. Finally, they saw that he had broken through to the Fate Realm.


    After he reached the Fate Realm, the speed at which Darren absorbed the Archean energy suddenly increased. It was ten times faster than it had been before.


    At that moment, Darren and the other three men had no idea that a strange phenomenon suddenly occurred in the barren land. This attracted many top cultivators from the eight ancient clans to come see what was happening.

 Chapter 1584 The Gathering Of The Eight Clans

    The top warriors of the eight ancient clans all moved closer to the barren land. The elders of the Ye Clan were also among them.


    Such a strange phenomenon suddenly happened on this barren land. So they all suspected that the three men who had divine bodies and the man with a Heavenly Destiny Body were here.


    But the eight ancient clans came to this land not only because of Darren and his companions. Even if they couldn''t find them, they still had other reasons to explore this place. Those were the weird vision appearance and the pure energy fluctuations.


    Soon, the elite masters of the eight ancient clans began to search the land from different directions.


    "Oh, the old guy Dakota is here. Are you here to join the fun?"


    an old man said. He and some people walked towards the elders of the Ye Clan.


    "Kent Jiang, you old bastard. I didn''t know that you''re


    .


    Lord Feng smiled bitterly upon hearing what he said.


    "We can''t deny the fact that these two brats are stronger than us. They are the future of the human race."


    "We should be glad about that, shouldn''t we?"


    "Ha-ha! You''re right. I suddenly feel relaxed." Lord Feng''s lips curved into a happy smile.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Both of them were surprised when the underground cave suddenly shook violently. The magma welled up and filled all the caves.


    "Damn it! Someone is coming."


    Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng frowned at the same time. They had hidden one hundred thousand kilometers underground, but it seemed that they were still discovered.


    "This is a critical moment for Darren and Xavier. We can''t let anyone disturb them."


    "Let''s go out and have a look then."


    Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng flew up and rushed towards the ground together.

 Chapter 1585 The Fight Between Clans

    Bang!


    The ground exploded, dirt flying everywhere. The moment Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng emerged, hundreds of extremely powerful auras hit them like a powerful gust of wind.


    "It''s them!"


    Dakota of the Ye Clan cried excitedly upon laying his eyes on his prey.


    After searching for so long, he finally found them!


    However, his joy was tainted with a heavy feeling of unease. All eight ancient clans were here for the same reason. Each clan wanted to give them as a gift to their Heavenly Destiny Emperor. A fierce fight was going to break out any moment now.


    "Hi, friends!"


    As the other clans hesitated, studying the situation first, Dakota took this as an opportunity to rush to the two masters.


    "It''s you!"


    Lord Feng shot him a cold glance, his expression darkening.


    r fighting spirit and rushed towards the two.


    Buzz!


    However, they''d hardly taken ten steps before another clan unleashed their Archean fighting spirits on them, forcing them to a stop.


    "How dare you!"


    The warriors of the Feng Clan were all furious.


    "I agree with the divine body,"


    Ryder Yao''s thunderous voice suddenly declared.


    His words angered everyone else. He was as powerful as a patriarch. If the various clans fought with each other, he would have the greatest chance of winning.


    "Okay then, I have no objection either," Adonis Ling, the most powerful young cultivator of the Ling Clan said.


    As he spoke, his eyes shifted to Ryder Yao. With a taunting smile, he winked at his opponent.


    "Little guy, you are quite bold!" Ryder Yao growled under his breath.

 Chapter 1586 Challenge Ryder

    Adonis said with a faint smile on his face, "You are right, Mr. Yao. I''m not a coward. I may even be bolder than you think."


    "Oh?" Ryder raised an eyebrow. "Well, it is said that a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. So tell me young man, how bold are you?"


    "Well, let''s not be hasty. I have a few suggestions. Currently, everyone is trying to invite those four men to join their clan. Since it is the Heavenly Destiny Emperors'' orders, all clans will inevitably be fighting for it. But what will really happen? Shall we all have a brawl? All of us know that it''s not a good idea. It will only cause losses to all our clans.


    So I suggest that we first take the free challenge mode of competition, and each clan can send three masters to fight. Then the competition should only stop when there is only one survivor left. Since those talents w


    en a fearless figure with powerful pressure rushed towards Adonis.


    Whoosh!


    His hands waved quickly, leaving thousands of snow-white shadows in the void. The pressure from his hands shook the space like waves. It was about to collapse.


    Bang!


    Thousands of shadows collided with the piece of the Imperial Divine Weapon.


    A horrifying Archean fighting spirit spread out and destroyed the land. It ruined the space hundreds of thousands of kilometers around. Then a sudden light shot out and descended to the ground. It was so bright like the light of trials from gods above heaven. It made all the masters tremble.


    But everyone around was also very eager to know


    what would happen next.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    More violent explosions were heard in the void.


    Two figures collided and fiercely fought against each other in the air.

 Chapter 1587 The Heaven Shaking Battle

    "He was not defeated yet!"


    Everyone was shocked to see that there were still two figures fighting in the sky.


    Adonis, the young man from the Ling Clan, did not only survive from Ryder''s blow. He also continued to fight back and forth with Ryder. The onlookers were in disbelief.


    Adonis had only cultivated for less than ten thousand years, but he was able to fight with Ryder. When the patriarchs of the eight clans were at his age, they were not able to do the same.


    He had great potential to become an Eternity Realm warrior in the future. One of these days, he would definitely be able to break through to the Eternity Realm.


    The Eternity Realm cultivators were the invincible existence inferior to the Heavenly Destiny Emperors. They had already stepped into the legendary cultivation realm.


    As a matter of fact, they were only one level inferior to


    ing talent of the Ling Clan had died before he could even rise to prominence.


    Somehow, everyone felt a sense of regret. It was probably because they all wanted to witness the rise of a genius and see how strong he would become.


    "Who else would dare challenge me?"


    Ryder roared from the void. The blood dripping from his veins was like rain pouring to the ground.


    "Humph! You can''t frighten us anymore. Since you are like a spent arrow now, how can you still have the strength to fight?"


    "I will teach you a lesson!"


    This time, several elders flew up.


    They had to take advantage of the chance to kill Ryder. If they didn''t do it now, they might not get another chance. As for the rules of the challenge, they didn''t care about it anymore.


    "Good. Very good,"


    Lord Feng sneered while watching the scene. This was exactly what he wanted to see.

 Chapter 1588 Reaching The Mysterious Sanskrit Realm

    Almost all of the masters flew into the void one after another. Their only intention was to kill Ryder.


    Meanwhile, Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng flew towards the place where Adonis had fallen.


    "Adonis, please don''t die. Waah!"


    Paisley Ling cried out loud. She held Adonis'' badly mutilated body in her arms and choked with sobs.


    But when she saw Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng approaching, she was shocked.


    She jumped up and fixed her eyes on the two. "What are you going to do?"


    Whoosh!


    Without saying a word, Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng flew over and directly grabbed Adonis'' bloody body.


    "Let go of Adonis!" Paisley''s eyes turned red, and tears streamed down her cheeks. But her strength was not enough to fight against Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng.


    "Ha! He is still alive," Lord Feng exclaime


    ke all the good things."


    But when he was saying those words, the piece of rusty iron had already fallen into his Space Ring.


    Lord Starry Sword couldn''t help rolling his eyes at Darren''s behavior.


    "The Rule Soul Avatar has also made a breakthrough!"


    At that moment, the underground shook violently. Then strange Archean rules gathered from outside the hundreds of millions of layers of space and entered the Rule Soul Avatar''s body.


    Whoosh!


    As the Rule Soul Avatar''s silvery eyes flashed, he flew in the air.


    "I''ve mastered three thousand advanced principles of attack and reached the Mysterious Sanskrit Realm," he announced directly.


    "The two of you are really talented," Lord Feng muttered.


    "Rule Soul Avatar, what is the advanced principle of attack? Don''t you only comprehend rules?" Darren asked.

 Chapter 1589 Enemies

    "The way that rules evolved in the Archean Age is different from how they evolved in the Primitive Wilderness. The rules can be considered principles, and the high-level rules are called advanced principles. There are higher-level principles even above those advanced principles, but I can''t comprehend them yet," the Rule Soul Avatar explained.


    The others listened, nodding.


    "Xavier, what do you think we should do now? Should we charge? Or should we retreat for now?" Lord Feng asked.


    "You decide," he replied. The Rule Soul Avatar reflected on the options. He thought there was no real difference between them.


    "Didn''t you say that you would save Adonis?" Paisley pleaded with Lord Feng.


    "Please save him."


    Lord Feng hesitated. In fact, he had almost forgotten about it, and wouldn''t have remembered if she hadn''t brought it up.


    He released Adonis'' body. It hovered in midair


    ey wanted to,'' he thought.


    "Xavier, it seems that we have to fight this old man," Darren said calmly.


    "We''ll fight with you. We won''t let him hurt you,"


    said one of the remaining warriors of the other clans. They could see that Kent had decided to use force, so they needed to unite with each other in order to deal with him.


    "In that case, let us tell you our terms," said Lord Feng. "The four of us will join the clan of whoever kills this old bastard. We do not go back on our word."


    He sounded cheerful. Indeed, Lord Feng found their current situation quite amusing. After all, Darren and Xavier had no chance of defeating Kent, so this was a good solution.


    Kent was only a little weaker than Ryder, so his fighting power should be on par with that of the human ascetic cultivator Heath. If that was the case, then it would be impossible for the four of them to defeat him.

 Chapter 1590 Kents Provocation

    "Kent, do you honestly think you can do whatever you want just because Ryder was seriously injured and fled?"


    yelled out an elder in a rage.


    "Kent, you''re not going to force these talents to join your clan. If you try to, we have no problem letting you end up just like Ryder."


    "Humph! What a bunch of little bastards! To hell with you!" snorted Kent in disgust. He threw caution to the wind and launched a fearless attack.


    Boom! Boom!


    A strong fighting spirit burst out of him and shook the entire world. The elders of the other clans retaliated and both sides entered the void and clashed into an intense battle.


    Another earth-shattering contest broke out deep in the void.


    "Let''s join them, Rule Soul Avatar," suggested Darren. He was itching to put his skills to the test and find out just how strong he really was.


    Before the Rule


    ia and Alissa''s side, drained but relieved now.


    "Elders, please head back and heal yourselves. Alissa and I will take care of everything here," Aria said with intimidating strength in her voice.


    "Yes, Holy Maiden. As you wish. Thank you."


    All the elders nodded and left, all except for Dakota, who did not move.


    "Dakota, please go back with them. All will be fine here with Alissa''s help," Aria said softly and politely.


    "I don''t doubt that. I''m not worried. I just want to see this old bastard, Kent, destroyed!" This was why he had stayed. He needed his own satisfaction.


    "Stay if you want, Dakota. Killing several elders of the Ye Clan calls for some serious action. It will be blood for blood," Aria said with a murderous look glinting in her eyes.


    Kent''s face abruptly sunk at her words. He was terrified of what would come next.

 Chapter 1591 Attacks From Alissa

    Judging from the Holy Maiden of the Ye Clan''s tone, she wasn''t going to let Kent go.


    Kent wasn''t planning on holding a grudge against her, for the sake of the grand master, Ingrid. But seeing the killing intent in her eyes, he too felt a burning desire to kill her.


    "You two plan to kill me? Ridiculous!"


    Kent spat. He''d made up his mind.


    No matter how fiercely powerful the grand master was, he wasn''t afraid of her. As long as he took these divine bodies back, the Heavenly Destiny Emperor would protect him. Then, it wouldn''t matter how strong Ingrid was; she''d be no match compared to the Heavenly Destiny Emperor.


    "Kent, it seems that you overestimate yourself," Aria said coldly. "With Alissa on our side, we could kill you, t


    that if Kent tried and struggled to free himself regardless of everything, he would be able to break through her ice seal. If she rushed over rashly, even the collateral damage from Kent breaking through blue ice would be enough to kill her.


    Therefore, instead of flying over, Alissa retreated a few kilometers to maintain a safe distance from him. Then, she mobilized the icy souls to continue to attack Kent.


    A few seconds later, beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. It took a lot of Spirit Power for her to continuously mobilize the icy souls.


    "Kill! Kill! Kill!"


    From within the block of ice, Kent was writhing in extreme pain. His roar became cold and ruthless, and he looked like a fierce beast from the Chaotic Age.

 Chapter 1592 Shock After Shock

    Crack!


    Cracks began to appear on the enormous iceberg. They gradually began to expand as the power seeped into the ice.


    Boom! Boom!


    Finally, the iceberg exploded.


    "Damn it!"


    Alissa exclaimed. She kept retreating. Kent''s explosive power was still beyond her expectation.


    Whoosh!


    In the blink of an eye, a horrible figure appeared before Alissa.


    "Go to hell!" Kent roared.


    Alissa spat out blood.


    "Near Horizon!"


    Although Alissa was terrified, she didn''t let her panic show. Instead, she forced her Spirit Power to use the advanced spatial principle.


    A space dot appeared in front of her and turned into a plane. This plane was formed by folded spaces. It appeared thin and flat, but it


    iny Emperors?


    ''Oh my God! How lucky am I to have met him?'' She was ecstatic and overwhelmed.


    The three thousand advanced principles arrived in an instant. All of them were attacking principles!


    Kent raised his head and roared ferociously. He nearly went berserk, but the horrifying scene sobered him up.


    Although the power of the three thousand advanced principles was not that strong, Kent had never heard of someone who could control so many advanced principles at a time. Only the legendary Heavenly Destiny Emperors could do it.


    "Ha! Hahaha! Ha!"


    Kent suddenly laughed like a crazed madman.


    "I have to admit that I was wrong today. But if I go down, you have to go down with me!" he roared.

 Chapter 1593 Escape

    Kent lost all sense of his former self, and he went mad.


    The power of the Rule Soul Avatar filled him with infinite jealousy towards him.


    His jealousy had overtaken him and his mind. But that was not all that had made him this way; he had been forced to activate his Dual Belligerence several times, and his body had taken a great deal of damage as a result. Making any progress in his cultivation was now impossible.


    If he could not progress further in his cultivation, what was the point of living?


    Kent changed his mind. All he wanted now was to kill these divine bodies, just to make himself feel better. He didn''t care if the Heavenly Destiny Emperor would kill him for it, he was hell bent on getting his speck of pleasure before it was all over for him.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Kent


    ing.


    He did not hesitate to destroy his True-self Belligerence.


    He also, once again, burned his Dual Belligerence and increased his strength dramatically.


    Crack!


    The space broke and the Rule Soul Avatar''s Near Horizon was shattered to pieces.


    "Hurry! He''s coming."


    They sped up, heading for the far-northern land.


    "You go first. I''ll bring up the rear for you!" Alissa offered bravely.


    Kent was moving at such speed he would catch up to them within an hour.


    Inexplicably, Alissa had chosen to assist Darren and others in taking Kent on.


    "Alissa... has changed. She''s... grown," Aria said, a little stunned. Her impression of Alissa was that she was a selfish woman who never did anything for anyone that didn''t benefit her as well. This was very unlike what she knew of her.

 Chapter 1594 The Eternal-life Abyss

    Alissa had now regained some of her Spirit Power. She flipped her palm up and powerful thunder and lightning attacks were shot out at Kent.


    She then condensed blocks of blue ice into nine walls, blocking his path.


    Using two powerful skills in a row had almost exhausted her Spirit Power and now her soul was in so much pain that it felt as though it was being torn apart.


    "Damn you and your tricks! Go to hell!"


    Kent burned his True-self Belligerence. With disregard for his life, he pushed his way through Alissa''s attacks and blue ice wall barrier, breaking straight through.


    "What? How?" Alissa exclaimed in shock.


    Her plan was to stop Kent for a bit, or at least slow him down, so that the divine bodies could get further away. She had not expected Kent to not be affected at all by her efforts and rush straight for her.


    All the color drained from Alissa''s face and it was now deathly pale. She thought she was done for, for sure.


    Boom! Boom!


    Thunder rumbled and light


    have been able to obtain the fragment of the Imperial Divine Weapon," Paisley surmised, her voice laden with rage.


    "It seems that I''ve missed something," Alissa sighed.


    They continued for another hour before they came to a halt.


    "Let''s check on the Rule Soul Avatar, see how he''s doing."


    "Okay." Lord Feng nodded. He released the Rule Soul Avatar from his spatial treasure, out into the world.


    "Wow, he''s actually recovered a little. That''s great to see!"


    Everyone looked at the Rule Soul Avatar''s healing wounds, as well as the broken bones and flesh that was recovering.


    "Phew!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar opened his eyes slow and steady and said meekly, "If I hadn''t activated a wisp of the Time Law, I would already have been dead."


    That was it; he had survived only because he had forcefully removed the seal and used the Time Standstill to freeze Kent for one ten-thousandth of a second. This was enough to give him a chance to escape. And so he had, even if only just.

 Chapter 1595 Go Deep Into It

    "I''m glad that you''re alive. Take your time to heal your injuries while we continue our journey to the Eternal-life Abyss," Lord Feng said.


    Alissa also felt so much relieved to see that the Rule Soul Avatar was still alive.


    "Rule Soul Avatar, thank you," said Darren. The Rule Soul Avatar nodded slightly.


    "Let''s hurry up. We need to enter the Eternal-life Abyss to ensure our safety. As long as we''re in there, the eight ancient clans and even the masters at the Eternity Realm won''t dare to come in to find us. Even the legendary Heavenly Destiny Emperors have to be very careful if they want to come in," said Paisley.


    "Okay, let''s go."


    The Rule Soul Avatar entered Lord Feng''s spatial treasure to continue his recovery. The rest of them followed Paisley on thei


    she still couldn''t calm down. She couldn''t even help regretting that she came here. What if they couldn''t get out in the future?


    "Darren, that young man is already awake," Lord Feng suddenly said.


    "Adonis?"


    "Yes." Lord Feng nodded. He then released Adonis and let him float in the air.


    "Adonis..." Paisley pounced on Adonis at once.


    "Paisley, I''m fine." Adonis sat up slowly, looked around, and said, "Thank you so much for giving me a new life. I owe you a lot."


    He bowed down to Darren and the others, respectively. The few strands of his soul that were left in him told him that these people had saved his life.


    "It''s good that you are awake now. Perhaps you can help us. Look at this place. Is it safe to stay here?" Darren said as he stepped forward.

 Chapter 1596 The Heavenly Destiny Body

    "This place... Why are we in this place?" Adonis'' eyes widened as he anxiously studied his surroundings.


    Before anyone could answer him, he coughed out a few mouthfuls of blood.


    "Rule Soul Avatar, please treat him some more," Darren requested, eyeing the pools of blood at Adonis'' feet warily. With a nod, the Rule Soul Avatar activated the healing principle to help Adonis recover from his injuries. A few moments later, Adonis felt much better.


    "Thank you for saving my life." He bowed gratefully upon recovering sufficiently. "But may I ask," he continued anxiously, "why are we here? This is the Eternal-life Abyss. It is a very dangerous place."


    Lord Feng snorted coldly. "Humph! We had no choice but to hide here," he answered. "In order to get away from your eight ancient clans'' hunt, this was the only way."


    "Oh, uh..." Adonis stuttered incoherently, looking a little embarrassed. Ma


    at you''ve practiced the Grand Destruction Scripture. May I have a look?"


    Adonis was taken aback. It was true, he did just offer his services, but this Lord Feng was quite straightforward!


    After a moment''s hesitation, he conceded. "I do have an incomplete Grand Destruction Scripture here, which is the third part of the three volumes. If you are interested, we can cultivate together. I also have many questions about the book, maybe I can ask you about them later."


    As he spoke, Adonis brought out the scripture. More than ten thousand golden characters appeared in front of them.


    "Good job, young man. You have a promising future!" Seeing that Adonis was a man of his word, Lord Feng expressed his appreciation.


    Eyeing the floating gold characters, Darren was a little confused. What the hell was this scripture? The words were just some illegible handwriting, causing his head to ache.

 Chapter 1597 Comprehending The Grand Destruction Scripture

    The more than ten thousand golden characters that were floating in the air jumped like ancient creatures.


    Darren and the others suddenly felt dizzy.


    Lord Feng had gotten the chance to read the scripture for a while, and he couldn''t help but frown. Since even top warriors like them still felt dizzy, it was very clear that this cultivation method was a treasure.


    "Everyone, take your time and watch out carefully. Otherwise, you will be at risk of soul explosion," Adonis advised.


    When he had just obtained the Grand Destruction Scripture, he had almost died too because he comprehended it too anxiously.


    "Although we don''t want to, we can''t help being anxious. We don''t know the words at all," Aria said, pursing her lips.


    "It''s normal that you don''t know the words. Actually, you don''t really have to know them," replied


    He had developed the Grand Destruction Scripture into the Blade and Sword Cultivation in the past three years. But he still felt that something was missing.


    He felt like a powerful creature without a soul. It was always imperfect. The Grand Destruction Scripture that he had comprehended was only completed when the Rule Soul Avatar passed down the Grand Emperor Shadows to him.


    As soon as he landed, everyone surrounded him immediately.


    "Darren, have you comprehended all the incomplete Grand Destruction Scripture?"


    "The Heavenly Destiny Body is truly powerful. I''m so envious of you," Aria said, looking at Darren eagerly.


    "Darren, you are so powerful. I think your strength is comparable to Kent now," Paisley said excitedly.


    "So I think it will not be a problem to kill him this time," Darren said with a smile.

 Chapter 1598 The Blood-red Flower

    Darren was now at the middle level of the Mysterious Sanskrit Realm. But Kent was already a warrior at the Valiant Realm.


    Generally speaking, it was impossible for a cultivator at the Mysterious Sanskrit Realm to compete with a cultivator at the Valiant Realm. The gap between their power was way too huge.


    "Not bad. You have benefited a lot from the Grand Destruction Scripture. Thanks to the Rule Soul Avatar''s help," Lord Feng said as he flew over. Darren''s face flushed with embarrassment upon hearing his words.


    "Well, yes, the Rule Soul Avatar has helped me. But my progress is mainly because of my own hard work, okay?"


    Lord Feng rolled his eyes and said, "We won''t get more benefits if we continue to stay here. Let''s think of a way now to get out of here."


    After he finished speaking, everyone turned to look at the Rule


    vine Weapon that was given to him by Lord Feng.


    Darren used the rusty green iron as his weapon. The violent Archean blade and sword intents merged into the iron.


    The three tentacles rushed towards Darren again. The rusty green iron in his hand emitted a dazzling black gold light and slashed at them.


    "Ahhh!"


    The three tentacles let out a painful cry. They were cut off and couldn''t be restored anymore.


    "Wow! I didn''t expect that this iron is really powerful."


    After a successful blow, Darren rushed towards the blood-red flower. He was still accompanied by a ray of black gold light.


    Since the Space Array had been destroyed by the blood-red flower, he became unstoppable. In just a few seconds, he rushed to the blood-red flower.


    "Go to hell!"


    The black gold light exploded and illuminated the blood-red flower.

 Chapter 1599 Being Seriously Injured

    Darren, with the help of the Imperial Divine Weapon''s fragment, let out the entirety of his powerful force in an intense eruption.


    "Humph! You think that''s going to kill me? How naive and reckless!"


    Ezekiel was somewhat surprised by Darren''s strength, but it was still far from enough to threaten his life. He was an Eternity Realm master himself once. The demonic flower had devoured him, but he still retained one-tenth of his strength!


    Streaks of blood vitality streamed out of the blood-red flower and formed many massive, terrifying claws that attacked Darren.


    Bang!


    The bloody claws clashed with Darren''s fighting spirit, forcing him backwards through the air.


    "How is he so powerful?" Darren couldn''t regain his stability until he had already flown several hundred feet back. He was a little on edge from the thought of just


    Paisley couldn''t hold back her tears when she looked upon their four mutilated bodies. She could not stand the thought of the misery they must have been in.


    "We must save them. We would have been devoured by the demonic flower long ago if they had not fought so hard with their lives on the line."


    "Alissa, please save them."


    "Quiet. Let me think and try to figure this out," Alissa said looking over the bodies in a rush. She activated the advanced healing principle and put it to the four laying down, halfway to death.


    But she was injured as well and her control of the advanced healing principle was not as perfect as one would have wished for. She could not cure them.


    At most, she could help them cling to their last breaths of life left to them. However, given her ability, she''d only be able to do this for a few hours.

 Chapter 1600 Finding Herbs

    "What should we do? We can''t let them die," Aria said worriedly. This was the first time in her life that Aria was concerned about others.


    "Miss Alissa, please, do your best to keep them alive for now. I''m going off to look for some Soul-burying Herbs," Adonis said after a moment of silent thought.


    As far as he knew, the Soul-burying Herb was the only thing in this place that gave them a chance at saving Darren''s and his three companions'' lives.


    "Adonis, didn''t you say that the Soul-burying Herbs are incredibly rare, and almost all of them are guarded by powerful creatures in the tomb? It''ll be difficult to find them, not to mention dangerous," Paisley said worriedly.


    "I can''t be thinking about all that. It''s our only hope right now. The Soul-burying Herbs are indeed very rare at the peripheral edge of the imperi


    if her soul had been lost.


    "Hmm." Adonis'' face had no color left in it. He opened his eyes ever so slightly and said, "Aria, hurry. Hurry back."


    "Ah!" Aria then came back to her senses. Tears welled in her eyes. She activated her Spirit Power, disregarding the restrictions from her cultivation method, trying her best to mobilize the advanced healing principle onto Adonis.


    She treated him for a while and then carried him and the Soul-breaking Herb, flying off towards Darren and the others at high speed.


    An hour later, she finally arrived where Darren and the others were.


    But there was no relief or relaxation for her. On the contrary, her stress heightened, as well as her hopelessness.


    What she saw, were dozens of strange creatures with black scales, surrounding Darren and the others lying on the ground.

 Chapter 1601 Ingrid

    Adonis risked his life to bring back the Soul-breaking Herb. However, Darren and the others were now surrounded by some black-scaled creatures. Aria''s face turned deathly pale. She felt like they couldn''t survive here anymore.


    "Alissa, are you all right?"


    While hiding behind a stone, Aria sent a message to Alissa through her spiritual sense.


    "We are surrounded by some creatures, so don''t come near here. You''d better run away right now," Alissa replied.


    "Where can we go this time?" Aria murmured. They had gone deep into the heartland of the Eternal-life Abyss. No matter where they fled, it seemed that they would still end up dead.


    "Alas, I also don''t know. But just keep breathing. As long as we breathe, we still have hope," Alissa replied with a sigh. This was the reason why the Eternal-life Abyss was a forbidden plac


    me. They have opened up some special space passages. But, only a few people know about it," Ingrid replied.


    Indeed, the imperial tomb was so dangerous. And Ingrid, who was only close to the Eternity Realm, didn''t have the ability to open up a space passage at will.


    As a matter of fact, the space passages were built at the cost of countless lives of generations of rule cultivators.


    Fortunately, Ingrid was a member of the mysterious rule cultivation organization that explored the imperial tomb. So she knew these space passages that could help them come to the periphery easily.


    She had violated the rules of the organization when she brought all of them here.


    But she had no choice. She left a trace of Spirit Power on Alissa, so she had sensed that her life was in danger. It was impossible for her not to save Alissa.

 Chapter 1602 Time To Go Back

    After all, Alissa was raised by Ingrid, as though she were her own daughter.


    Ingrid''s Spirit Power had also sensed Darren''s incomparable talent. She needed to find out about it for herself.


    That was why she had come to the forbidden area of the imperial tomb, despite it being taboo.


    "You all wait here. Don''t move, or no one can save you!


    Especially you, Adonis." She turned to him seriously. "Don''t think that the last time you fell into the chaotic time and space and survived on sheer luck. Someone must''ve been protecting you. But the same thing won''t happen a second time. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, master," said Alissa.


    Adonis nodded gravely.


    Then, Ingrid leapt into the valley shrouded in clouds and mist, carrying Darren and his three companions.


    "So, I didn''t survive by luck..."


    It was not u


    which was why the Rule Soul Avatar wanted to express his gratitude.


    Ingrid didn''t hear the words of the Rule Soul Avatar; she was in too much shock.


    "Did you just use a heavenly healing principle?" It was not until quite a while later that Ingrid regained her composure.


    "No, I used a magical rule cultivation skill, called Resurrection Law," the Rule Soul Avatar said as a matter of fact.


    "The Resurrection Law... I''ve never heard of it before," Ingrid murmured under her breath. "Are you really from another space and time?"


    "Yes, we come from the Primitive Wilderness, an era infinitely far away from the Archean Age." The Rule Soul Avatar didn''t even attempt to hide the fact from her, because as soon as he woke up, he found himself in a time and space turbulent flow.


    It was time for them to go back.

 Chapter 1603 The Story Of The Primitive Wilderness

    "The Primitive Wilderness..."


    If they hadn''t witnessed firsthand the power of the Rule Soul Avatar and the others, they never would''ve believed that these strangers came from the future.


    "I want to know how you got here," Ingrid said, her curiosity piqued.


    "Did you travel through the time and space windstorm?"


    Time, after all, was the most magical thing in the world. Everything had to experience the passage of time; no living being could escape it.


    But time was also the most difficult thing to understand in the world. No one could touch the advanced principle of time.


    "It''s a long story," the Rule Soul Avatar said cryptically.


    "Well, we can talk about it later. Can the law you used just now save your friends, too?"


    Ingrid felt that the treatment method the Rule Soul Avatar used just now was incomparably powerful. She figured even the treatment method of a Heavenly Destiny Emperor of rule cultivation was weaker than his.


    "They don''t need my help," the Rule Soul Avatar answered starkly. As soon as he woke up, he had used his Spirit Power to check on their condition.


    "Oh? What happened?" Ingrid frowned slightly, puzzle


    Chaotic Age, which was earlier than the Archean Age, was also destroyed in this way.


    After the Chaotic Age, the Primeval Age came. There were many powerful creatures in the Primeval Age, but none of them exceeded the bottom line of the Balance Law. That age was destroyed during the war," he explained concisely.


    "The Balance Law... I see. You''re talking about some kind of supreme law that transcends the heavenly principles." After all, Ingrid was not a top master of the world, and her knowledge was very limited. She could only guess, given the information handed to her.


    "Maybe. It might be something like that."


    "What about the Primitive Wilderness? What does it look like?"


    "Alas..." Darren sighed. "In the Primitive Wilderness era, the nine chief gods control everything, and we humans are their natural enemies. They desperately want to destroy the human race..."


    Darren then began to tell the story of the Primitive Wilderness, how they were suppressed by the chief gods'' spiritual senses, and the suffering of the human race.


    A few hours later, they finally understood the challenges these four peerless geniuses had to endure.

 Chapter 1604 A Powerful Old Man

    "The human race has suffered. The nine chief gods deserve to die. Humph!" After listening to Darren''s story, Aria couldn''t help crying. She pitied the human race and hated the nine chief gods so much.


    "Darren, you and your companions are already the top masters of the human race in the Primitive Wilderness. But when you come to the Archean Age, I feel that your strength is..." Ingrid couldn''t finish her words. After listening to Darren''s story, a feeling of suspicion arose in her heart, but she couldn''t tell him directly.


    "Ha-ha! Are you trying to say that we are not strong enough?" Darren asked with a chuckle.


    "Ahem!" Ingrid cleared her throat as a sign of acquiescence.


    She couldn''t believe that the top masters of the human race in the Primitive Wilderness were far inferior to the Heavenly Destiny Emperors. Even the warriors at the Eternity Realm could kill Darren and his companions easily if they tried to fight head-on.


    "What I want to say is, your strength is not particularly strong. I think the nine chief gods are not that strong too. Maybe even if the nine chief gods work together, they won''t be able to defeat a Heavenly Destiny Emperor," Ingrid finally voiced out.


    "Maybe yo


    s pretend to be mysterious so that people will worship them. They are all hypocritical people.


    But I am different. I''m willing to make friends with others. It feels so good to live like this. I''m free and unrestrained," said the old man easily, stretching out his hands.


    "Fernando, you may think that you live a more comfortable life than us, but that is because you are lazy and slovenly."


    A cold face suddenly appeared in the space and looked at the old man coldly.


    In an instant, Darren and the others felt an overwhelming pressure. The cold and domineering aura was as terrifying as the pressure of a chief god.


    The owner of this face must also be a Heavenly Destiny Emperor.


    "Get out of here!"


    The old man picked up his broken jar and threw it to the face. With a splash, the cold face was shattered like glass.


    "Why are you so angry? Because you''re ashamed? It looks like your life isn''t as comfortable as you said,"


    the cold face reappeared in an instant and taunted the old man.


    "Henrik, you''d better stay away from me. Or else, I will cut your head off in your den!" the old man jumped up and cursed. He glared at the face with his hands on his waist, looking like a shrew.

 Chapter 1605 Hide First

    Upon witnessing how Fernando had shouted at the Heavenly Destiny Emperor he called Henrik, Darren and the others were convinced that he was a Heavenly Destiny Emperor too.


    "I don''t want to argue with you, so let''s get to the point. You sneaked into the imperial tomb to catch the man with the Heavenly Destiny Body. Don''t you know that you''ve broken the rules?" said Henrik.


    "Humph! What are you talking about? I came here to sleep. It just so happened that I met these guys. What rule did I break?" Fernando said in a devil-may-care attitude.


    "Don''t quibble!"


    "Ha! Henrik, you and the others made those so-called rules. They have nothing to do with me. I don''t care about your rules. You know what? I really don''t want to meddle in other people''s business. But now, I''ve changed my mind. Listen, these cultivators are under my protection now. Anyone who dares to take them will be killed."


    Fernando''s tone became cold. After he spoke, an imperial aura was emitted in all directions.


    "You..." Henrik thundered. But whatever he wanted to say, it was interrupted when Fernando threw the broken jar at him.


    "Suppress!" Fernando roared. Then the surrounding space was sealed. It was only then that Henrik couldn''t condense his face with his imperial sense.


    Fernando turned around, looked at Dar


    n I can be seriously injured. In your case, of course, you will be killed."


    "Is he the dead Sacred Sovereign and the owner of the imperial tomb?" Ingrid murmured.


    "Don''t be silly. You can''t possibly see the Sacred Sovereign''s body so easily." Fernando sneered and continued, "Stop making any more conjectures. Just stay here and hide. What''s important is, those shameless things won''t be able to find us anymore. Do you understand?"


    "We understand, sir. And thank you for helping us."


    Darren and the others nodded at Fernando.


    "I''ll say it one more time. Never dare to provoke that man," Fernando cautioned again.


    "Don''t worry, sir. We won''t cause any trouble."


    Fernando then turned around and slowly walked towards the withered figure, leaving all of them behind.


    "That gourd is really beautiful. If only it can be mine,"


    Fernando grumbled. His eyes were burning with desire as he stared at the purple-gold gourd in the withered man''s hands. He was like a wolf who had seen a flesh.


    However, he could only swallow his saliva. He had been coveting the purple-gold gourd for many years. But until now, he still couldn''t dare to take it.


    "Bastard, how dare you! You have broken into our master''s sacred palace several times with sinister intentions. I won''t spare you this time."

 Chapter 1606 The Battle Between Fernando And The Black Cavalry

    Suddenly, a cold and terrible voice spoke up. The violence of the massive, unexpected sound wave alone caught Darren and the others by surprise. They became instantly alert.


    Fernando, meanwhile, jumped back as though he had encountered a formidable enemy.


    Without warning, two streams of black gas billowed out in front of them. They could hear the sound of approaching hooves. In the next moment, two headless black cavalrymen appeared through the dark mist.


    "There are guards here?" Fernando asked, sounding shocked. He stared with wide eyes at the black figures of the headless cavalrymen.


    "Don''t be angry. I didn''t take anything," he said quickly. Warily, he began slowly moving backwards, away from the horses.


    "If you have something to say, just say it," Fernando said. "There''s no need to fight..." However, the two black cavalrymen did not respond. Muttering something under his breath, Fernando hastened his retreat, rushing to rejoin Darren and the others.


    He heard a sudden sound behind him.


    The cavalrymen had thrown two sharp black spears, which sliced through the air with astonishing speed.


    "Damn it! Why didn''t you give me a hint before you took action?" Fernando cursed, even as he unleashed his aura to protect Darren and his peers.


    Finally, a guttural voice issued from one of the headless black cavalrymen. "How dare you break into our master''s sacred p


    lities of this old man.


    "Even if he kills this batch of cavalrymen, there is no guarantee that they''re the only guards remaining. More and more headless black cavalrymen may join in the pursuit, and if there are too many of them, then the old man might be overpowered and killed," said Lord Feng.


    He could see that these black cavalrymen were only slightly weaker than Fernando. That meant Fernando could deal with up to a dozen of them, but if he had to fight hundreds or thousands of the cavalrymen, it would be impossible to defeat them.


    And if Fernando died, Darren and the others were simply incapable of fighting at that level. The headless black cavalrymen would find it easy to kill them.


    The cavalrymen were simply too powerful.


    Aria scowled. "That''s true. Not only could there be a lot more cavalrymen waiting in the wings, the ones who haven''t shown up could be even stronger than the ones we are faced with now." She looked bitterly in the direction of their enemy.


    Adonis looked thoughtful. "I don''t think so. If there were, they would have already shown up by now."


    However, even as Adonis spoke, a black cloud wave began eclipsing the sky above them. There was a dense and clattering sound of horse''s hooves, and shadows were visible in the distance.


    As the shadows moved closer, Darren and the others realized that thousands of cavalrymen were approaching.

 Chapter 1607 Find Helpers

    "Oh no! What the hell is this? Dammit!"


    Fernando caught sight of the innumerable headless black cavalrymen, swarming over from the distance. His eyes almost popped out of his head in horror; there were too many of them! And it only got worse. It seemed their leader was incredibly powerful.


    He could not afford to get into a tussle with the likes of them.


    His first thought was escape, as he was wont to do.


    But this space had been walled off by some arcane skill. How was he to escape now?


    "I''ve got no way out. I''ll have to enlist the help of someone else."


    He was not all that powerful among the Heavenly Destiny Emperors, but he was smart enough to contend with them.


    "Henrik, Antonio, Damon, you three morons! I bet you''ll never find me here! Ha!"


    Fernando said, activating the arcane communication skill unique to the Heavenly Destiny Emperors, as he fought the black cavalrymen.


    "I know you''re hiding. Get out here, coward!"


    "It''s three against one. Perhaps I''m a coward, but I''m no fool. Catch me if you can. I''m about to put that Heavenly Destiny Body and those divine bodies in a pot, make some soup and guzzle it down, ha-ha," Fernando said mockingly and provokingly.


    He was actually playing a game more complex than hide-and-seek. He was actively trying to expos


    ng to kill the headless ancient black cavalryman as one.


    Their collective power exploded at once, an even more terrifying force than that of the ancient black cavalryman. The space cracked all around and sent everyone''s heart racing.


    Their plan was to eliminate the ancient black cavalryman in one fell swoop, leaving him no chance to react and fight back.


    "You''re quite stupid, I must say."


    Fernando retrieved his re-formed jar, quietly retreating to land beside Darren and the others.


    "I didn''t expect you to be so smart, old man," Darren said with a pleased smile on his face.


    "Why was there ever any doubt? I''m intelligent and brave like no other man in this generation," said Fernando with a smug grin strewn across his face.


    "But if that headless ancient black cavalryman is killed, we''ll have three more Heavenly Destiny Emperor enemies, won''t we?" Aria pointed out nervously.


    "Exactly right! The three of them will be more difficult to deal with than the black cavalry." Even Ingrid was getting a little nervous.


    "Do you have any brains in that head of yours? Do you know what that black guy is? That''s the corpse of a Heavenly Ancient Saint. Not just some creature you can kill like it was nothing." Fernando was confident and seemed to have everything under control.

 Chapter 1608 Three Heavenly Destiny Emperors Fight Against The Black Cavalry

    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    The space was collapsing. The three Heavenly Destiny Emperors attacked at the same time, but the ancient black cavalryman managed to hold off their attacks.


    The two sides fought each other fiercely. Turbulent and violent power exploded all throughout the space like a stormy sea.


    Boom!


    Henrik grinned triumphantly and released a large amount of fighting spirit. Indeed, his fighting spirit was stronger than that of Fernando. With a single blow, he managed to shatter the space. Even the heavenly principles attached to the space were forcefully torn apart.


    The ancient black cavalryman roared ferociously. Thrusting his long spear forward, he jabbed at Henrik''s fighting spirit, flinging him backward dozens of feet.


    But the ancient black cavalryman was facing three Heavenly Destiny Emperors, not just Henrik.


    As he had been preoccupied with Henrik, the other two Heavenly Destiny Emperors had mobilized and launched violent attacks as strong as Henrik''s.


    "Do you wish to die? You''re courting death!"


    One of the Heavenly Destiny Emperors'' attacks successfully injured the ancient black cavalryman on his arm. The huge, blood-spurting wound looked extremely terrifying.


    "Wow, the black cavalryman can''t take it anymore," Adonis said, stunned.


    "Don''t panic! Aren''t there tens of thousand


    at of a cyan-scaled dragon.


    "He is a descendant of the Dragon Bird. Ha-ha...He is indeed a hybrid!" Fernando said in disdain.


    Just then, Damon had also burst out his bloodline power. With purple flames burning all over his body, he transformed into a giant with eight arms.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Now was the time all three Heavenly Destiny Emperors had used their bloodline power and strongest fighting power¡ªtheir greatest trump cards.


    Together, they launched violent attacks. With their palms and fists, blood and bones flew everywhere in the sky. Thousands of headless black cavalrymen were slaughtered in a quarter of an hour.


    However, the three of them weren''t immune. Once they used their bloodline power, they would be harmed as well.


    Moreover, the thousands of headless black cavalrymen didn''t go down without a fight. Before they died, they had also caused the three Heavenly Destiny Emperors lots of injuries.


    "The situation is not looking good." Henrik felt an ominous premonition. Where was the ancient black cavalryman?


    What he feared most was that the ancient black cavalryman would suddenly rush out and kill one of them.


    If the ancient black cavalryman targeted him, chances of his survival would be slim.


    ''I have to be careful. I''d better find a scapegoat,'' Henrik thought to himself grimly.

 Chapter 1609 Antonios Death

    At this critical moment, even Antonio became sober. The three Heavenly Destiny Emperors were all on their toes to guard themselves for any sneak attacks from the ancient black cavalryman.


    The three Heavenly Destiny Emperors gradually drew closer to one another.


    However, their mindsets had changed. After wiping out thousands of headless black cavalrymen, they knew that even if one of them died now, the other two could still fight against the ancient black cavalryman. The remaining two would also be able to run away.


    Henrik gradually became restless after waiting for a while.


    "We''d better kill that beggar first. He is the one to blame!"


    Henrik said, his voice hoarse. He had a feeling he would be the one who was attacked, so he tried to draw their attention to Fernando.


    The other two agreed with Henrik.


    They thought that Fernando lured them here, so it must be Fernando who wanted to kill them.


    The three of them looked at Fernando with cold eyes.


    "Damn it!" Fernando cursed. "Why are you three looking at me like that? I don''t know that headless guy."


    "What?"


    really was!


    It was the best time for the ancient black cavalryman to launch a sneak attack.


    That was exactly what happened.


    As soon as Fernando retreated, a sharp, black spear shot towards Antonio.


    Antonio drew in a sharp breath, seeing the sharp, black spear coming towards him. He knew his fate had been sealed.


    "No,"


    Antonio murmured softly.


    Ever since he became a Heavenly Destiny Emperor, he had never thought that he would die. However, on that very day, death was at his door. There was nothing he could do.


    In those moments, he felt nothing but regret and hatred.


    Boom! Boom!


    The spear went through his head, and the imperial aura on his huge body completely dissipated. He was dead in seconds.


    "A Heavenly Destiny Emperor has died..."


    When Aria and her companions saw Antonio''s gigantic body fall, they were at a loss for words. In their minds, a Heavenly Destiny Emperor was a supreme existence. Today, they had witnessed the death of a Heavenly Destiny Emperor. The very core of their beliefs had been shaken, and their faith was slowly fading away.

 Chapter 1610 The Mystery Of Assimilating

    Since Darren had already seen too many powerful warriors die, he didn''t feel anything about the death of Antonio, who was a Heavenly Destiny Emperor.


    Instead, greed filled his eyes.


    ''What benefit can I get if I assimilate a Heavenly Destiny Emperor?'' he thought to himself.


    He could also use his assimilation ability in the Archean Age. But right now, he wasn''t sure about the effect.


    Darren chose not to dwell too much on it. As long as he didn''t get harm during and after the process, it was fine with him.


    He slowly and carefully flew forward but not too close. He stayed far enough for the Assimilating Force to affect Antonio''s dead body.


    Darren activated the Assimilation God Character, and the Assimilating Force immediately gushed out without anyone noticing it.


    When the Assimilating Force fell on Antonio''s body, two rays of light condensed into two balls and flew towards Darren.


    They entered his body at once. One of them merged into his blood vitality and meridians while the other into his bones and soul.


    ''Is this the power of Antonio''s inherited bloodline?''


    Darren observed his body, and he felt the changes. The light ball that was integrated into his blood vitality and meridian


    making a move right away.


    A ray of white light suddenly shone and descended from the sky. It then turned into an unparalleled white saber and chopped down from the middle of the ancient black cavalryman''s shoulders.


    "What is going on?"


    The scene shocked everyone.


    Why was the ancient black cavalryman killed? It was impossible!


    He was only asking for power just now.


    The next moment, violent and painful roars resounded through the air.


    The ancient black cavalryman was split into two. The shadow of his huge body enveloped everyone as if darkness had descended.


    "Oh, he actually didn''t die. His body only split into two."


    "Both bodies are equally powerful. This is too terrifying."


    It was only then that everyone realized that the ancient black cavalryman had indeed received some kind of mysterious power.


    At this point, Henrik and Damon felt so nervous. They were not that confident that they could deal with the two ancient black cavalrymen.


    Fernando also had a stern expression on his face. He wondered how he could continue to fight against such powerful enemies.


    If Henrik and Damon couldn''t escape, he would surely die too. Even Darren and the others would lose their lives.

 Chapter 1611 We Cant Escape

    "What shall we do?" Fernando asked anxiously. However, no one answered him.


    The two powerful ancient black cavalrymen were chasing after them. Even if Fernando, Henrik, and Damon combined their power, the combined fighting power of the two ancient black cavalrymen still surpassed them.


    "Hey, don''t get mad. I didn''t take anything,"


    Fernando shouted at the ancient black cavalrymen. He finally decided to concede.


    Swish!


    The scarlet eyes on the chests of the two ancient black cavalrymen lit up simultaneously. They looked like the eyes of the devil.


    Looking at the terrible expression in their eyes, Fernando had the urge to escape.


    Fortunately, the space that was broken after the fierce battle had just been reformed, so it was not hard and stable enough yet. If they tried to get away, even the ancient black cavalrymen could not stop them.


    "Guys, get ready! We will run away,"


    Fernando shouted. A strange force then rolled up Darren and the others. It broke through the space and merged with the turbulent flows.


    "Fernando is escaping with the others. Let''s go too!"


    Henrik and Damon also took the opportunity to escape.


    However, when they were about to enter the space gap, two astonishing spears suddenly appeared in front of them and fo


    nscends the Heavenly Destiny Emperor. I thought that a Sacred Sovereign is just another name for the Heavenly Destiny Emperor," Aria said in surprise.


    Ingrid and Alissa were both too shocked to say a word.


    "Sir, is there a realm above the Sacred Sovereign? What is it?" Finally, Ingrid plucked up the courage to ask a question after being silent for a long time.


    "Oh, I don''t know." Fernando waved his hand impatiently and added, "So many questions! I am not omniscient, okay?"


    ''Is there really a realm above the Sacred Sovereign?'' Even he also wanted to know what kind of existence was above the Sacred Sovereign.


    But unfortunately, his cultivation base and insight as second stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor was not capable of knowing it.


    "Phew!" As he was listening to their conversation, Darren''s heart inexplicably surged. This remote Archean Age was really terrible. No wonder it was an era comparable to the Chaotic Age.


    "Hey, headless brat! What''s the point of pretending to be dead? Get out of here right now. Or else, I''ll really kill your master," Fernando shouted at the ancient black cavalryman.


    He began to feel a little impatient. It had been hours, but the ancient black cavalryman was still watching them closely, without doing anything.

 Chapter 1612 The True Forbidden Area

    Killing intent gushed out of the ancient black cavalryman''s eyes.


    The beast he rode whinnied, readying itself to gallop over furiously.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    Just then, the other ancient black cavalryman arrived from afar.


    "Damn it! It''s those two guys... Those miserable wretches!"


    Fernando''s eyes widened, filled with shock and uncertainty as he saw Henrik and Damon in the hands of the second cavalryman. Their lives hung by a thread, and he wasn''t sure what to do.


    The ancient black cavalryman who had caught them was in seriously bad shape as well, covered in horrific, incurable bleeding wounds.


    The other, guarding Darren and the others, growled wildly.


    A stream of black energy flowed from him to the second ancient black cavalryman, allowing the latter to regain at least some of his strength.


    They seemed to be communicating with each other in some way.


    An ominous chill ran through Darren and the others.


    "Are they going to attack us?"


    "If they are, we''re done for. If even the two Heavenly Destiny Emperors have been captured, what chance do we have? We''d never be able to defeat them."


    Henrik and Damon had activated their bloodline power and damaged their vitality while fighting their opponent. They were forced on the back foot and had been severely injured, so they were captured. If they had been in peak condition and working together with all their power, the


    nly Ancient Saints," Fernando revealed with surprise clear in his tone.


    It seemed there had once been a fierce battle on this very ground, and many powerful creatures had fallen. Creatures as powerful as Heavenly Ancient Saints.


    Once the full skeletons had pulled themselves above ground, a frightening killing intent charged over, as if from ancient times. Even so, it felt horrifically real.


    Darren and the others were all uneasy.


    Before they knew it, endless miserable, fearsome cries rang out,


    and roars echoed one after the other. The voices rattled Darren''s and the others'' souls as the cries bounced around their minds but still somehow felt as if they were far off.


    "So this is what the true forbidden area is like."


    Everyone heaved sighs of terror. The animated bones, killing intent left behind from ages ago as well as the roars throughout the swamp had intimidated them, sending them with shudders down their spines.


    ''I bet even the Abyss of the Chief Gods won''t be as terrifying as this,'' thought Darren to himself. These were just hopes and guesses. He had never been to the Kingdom of the Chief Gods.


    No matter how frightening it got here, at the end of the day, it wasn''t real.


    They all continued on forward smoothly under Fernando''s guidance,


    but he never told them exactly where they were going. Perhaps he himself didn''t know.


    It was all in the hands of fate.

 Chapter 1613 Strange Blood Lake

    Darren and the others continued their journey ahead. They crossed the swamp and came upon a vast expanse of land before them. It was not often one saw this much foliage on the black land.


    But these plants were by no means normal. They were covered in a chaotic array of dazzling colors.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Suddenly, streaks of blood gushed from the center of the grassland, piercing into the sky like a vicious spear.


    The blood vitality that came with it, shocked their souls and sent their hearts beating wildly.


    "Is there a lake over there?"


    They all looked over and saw a lake of bubbling blood amidst the vibrant, colorful grassland.


    "Let''s take a look,"


    Fernando suggested, carefully leading the group to it.


    "So many have died here! Look at all these bones left behind!" someone yelled out.


    Not even a single blade of grass could be seen for hundreds of feet around the lake. Instead, it was surrounded by piles upon piles of bones.


    "This is like some sort of burial place for the powerful masters of various races. It''s horrible. What happened here?"


    A thick malicious aura floated through the air like a sharp sword, making its way into people''s minds.


    "Look! Over there! Isn''t that a top-level Imperial Divine Weapon?"


    Floating above the


    wo, that''s all," said Henrik flatly and firmly.


    There were so many top-level Imperial Divine Weapons that if he could grab just one, it would improve his strength by a large percentage. He could not let this opportunity slip through his fingers.


    "Got any plans?" Damon asked, his eyes lighting up in excitement.


    "Not really, how would I know what to do? Let''s observe for a bit first, see what we learn."


    The two of them walked gingerly along the edge of the blood lake, their eyes fixed on the Imperial Divine Weapons.


    "Damon, over there, a fresh corpse. That terrifying blood vitality must have just killed it," said Henrik.


    They had sensed a strong fighting spirit and killing intent coming from this area; that was why they had come.


    "This python isn''t weak. It''s at the level of an eighth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor at least!"


    Damon''s eyes filled with horror. If this was its strength, just how powerful was the thing that killed it? He was afraid to even imagine.


    "It must have been something from this blood lake that killed it. Let me try something." Henrik stabbed one hand into the python''s body, lifted its hundreds of thousands of pounds body and tossed it towards the blood lake, his eyes fixed tightly on it as he watched it fall in the air.

 Chapter 1614 A Fight Between Fernando And Henrik

    When the python''s dead body fell into the lake of blood, it caused continuous blood waves.


    The smell of blood spread throughout the space, making everyone''s scalp tingle. They felt like countless fierce and resentful souls were roaring in front of them.


    Henrik did this to test if there was something dangerous hidden beneath the lake of blood.


    After a long while, the blood waves in the lake finally subsided. But nothing unusual happened except for the disappearance of the python''s dead body.


    Darren and the others were so surprised.


    They wondered why it was so quiet.


    Just now, they had seen with their own eyes that a very powerful creature had been condensed in the lake of blood.


    It should have attacked and killed them when Henrik threw the python''s dead body into the lake. But as soon as the blood waves abated, nothing happened.


    Fernando''s face slightly darkened. He had thought that Henrik and Damon were courting death, so he happily waited for their doom to come. But much to his surprise, the two of them were still safe and sound until now.


    "Henrik, there seems to be no danger in there. How about I give it a try?" Damon offered.


    "Okay, do it. I will keep watch, so I can immediately save you when you get into trouble," Henrik agreed.


    Damon was taken aback by his response. He wondered if h


    enly Destiny Emperors. You and I both know that it''s not easy to cultivate to this extent. Killing each other won''t do us any good either."


    "So...are you not interested in capturing the man with a Heavenly Destiny Body anymore?" Fernando turned to look at Darren with a darkened expression.


    "Well, he''s just a Heavenly Destiny Body. Even if I can refine him into a puppet, it will only be equivalent to having one more top-level Imperial Divine Weapon. We now have a vast treasury. As long as we work together and look for treasures carefully, we can get a lot of them. We really don''t need to fight. That man with a Heavenly Destiny Body belongs to you now." Henrik then waved his sleeve. He looked like he had made a real huge concession.


    But Darren was not happy with what Henrik had said.


    It was only now that he found out that the Heavenly Destiny Emperors wanted to capture him because they wanted to refine him into a puppet. They would turn him into a killing machine.


    "Fernando, we can''t let him go. You know how insidious and cunning he is. He is just waiting for a chance to sneakily attack and kill you." Darren communicated with Fernando through his spiritual sense.


    "You don''t have to remind me of that. Don''t forget that I know him better than you do. I assure you, I will fight with him to death today."

 Chapter 1615 Who Would Survive And Who Would Die

    "Henrik, since you have taken the initiative, I will accommodate you. Let us shake hands now and declare peace," said Fernando. Then he added, "But don''t you dare play tricks on me! Remember the power of my two Imperial Divine Weapons!"


    Henrik did not seem alarmed by Fernando''s warning.


    "I''m a man of my word. I have come to you openly to make this offer. Let us cooperate in looking for treasures, so that together, we can rise,"


    Henrik said, holding out his hand to Fernando.


    "That''s good," said Fernando, reaching out to shake Henrik''s hand. Just before he touched Henrik, Fernando suddenly flipped his hand. His killing intent was sudden and violent, like a tidal wave rushing in.


    "You!" Henrik shouted, pulling away.


    He was astonished. He hadn''t expected that Fernando himself would play tricks and launch a sneak attack on him.


    "You shameless liar!" Henrik roared,


    as his own fighting spirit burst out, condensing instantly in front of him.


    With a bang, Fernando''s attack broke through Henrik''s protective fighting spirit,


    hitting him hard on the chest.


    However, his palm strike was not enough to kill Henrik. The attack left Henrik injured, alive, and very angry.


    "I don''t care about shame," Fernando said, laughing wildly. "All I care about is that either you or I will die today!" With that, Fernando turned into a


    eathers. Otherwise, he would have been the one to lose this battle and die.


    Fernando stared at the incoming arrow, knowing there was no time to dodge or raise any defense against this incomparable weapon. Death was very close.


    At this critical moment, Fernando made up his mind. A strong imperial aura rushed out of his body. "Stealing hand..."


    he murmured, narrowing his eyes. His energy transformed into a blood palm, and he tried to grab the feather arrow in midair.


    "Oh my God! The old man is in danger!" cried Aria.


    Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched. She felt that Fernando was doomed to die.


    "Alas, I''m afraid this is his only chance. There is nothing else he can do," Ingrid said with a gloomy sigh.


    Darren''s chest felt tight with worry. He also knew that the arrow was not something that Fernando could resist.


    In the blink of an eye, the blood palm met the feather arrow.


    For a split second, the arrow was slowed by the blood palm. Then the blood palm shattered, and the arrow shot forward again, headed straight towards Fernando.


    Fernando did not even have time for a bitter smile. He had used up all his blood essence and imperial aura for that final move, but his cultivation base was still a little weaker, so he couldn''t steal the arrow for himself.


    The failure of that move meant that he was doomed.

 Chapter 1616 Fighting Henrik Together (Part One)

    Knowing that death was facing him, Fernando sighed. He had no strength left in him to resist.


    Whoosh!


    The arrow pierced Fernando''s skin and exited through the other side of his body.


    Bang!


    His body exploded, forming a cloud of blood and guts. Fortunately, the fragments of the broken jar that had flown back protected his head just in time.


    However, this wouldn''t allow Fernando to survive.


    His soul had been broken, meaning death would arrive within the next hour.


    "Ha-ha-ha..."


    Henrik laughed wildly. Joy overflowed in his heart now that he could finally kill Fernando.


    Whoosh!


    Leaping into the air, Darren flew over and caught Fernando''s head before it could hit the ground.


    "He''s not gone yet, but we can''t save him," Ingrid said, sighing. Fernando was a Heavenly Destiny Emperor, but even with Ingrid''s rule power and cultivation base, she was unable to cure his severe wounds.


    "We can''t save him, but we can avenge him." Darren frowned as he glanced up at Henrik''s injured body floating above them.


    He realized that Henrik was also near death. All his fighting spirit had been drained, and his physical strength had been weakened.


    "Darren, slow down. We have to be smart about this. After all, his opponent is a Heavenly Destiny Emperor. I know that Henrik is seriously injured, but that doesn''t mean we will be able to defeat him," Adoni


    word launched another attack. His eyes narrowed and killing intent filled them.


    He waved his sword, and two black and white sword intents drew lines in the air, making a beeline straight for Henrik.


    "Oh! I know that power. Darren and his friends used it to save us once," Aria exclaimed when she sensed that the cold sword intent was sacred.


    "Darren and his friends come from a later era. This is the god''s power they cultivate."


    "They really are strong. I think they have a chance at killing Henrik. Alissa, Aria, we need to help them," Ingrid said.


    "Yes, master!"


    Boom! Boom!


    Under the pressure of their combined attacks, the heaven and earth shook. The advanced attacking principles rushed at Henrik in a giant cluster of violence.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Explosions appeared all around him, forcing Henrik to dodge them. The black and white sword intents were so powerful that they nearly sent him fleeing.


    "You losers won''t win this easily!"


    Henrik gritted his teeth and charged at Lord Starry Sword. He ignored his attacks and didn''t even use any of his own. He wanted to kill Lord Starry Sword only using his strong body.


    "If you want to kill us, you have to be stronger than that!"


    Darren shouted. With the help of the prototype of the Chief God Character, Darren''s blade intent and sword intent converged, formed a sea, and engulfed Henrik.

 Chapter 1617 Fighting Henrik Together (Part Two)

    "Roar!" growled Henrik.


    He was trapped within Darren''s blade intent and sword intent, attacking wildly in his attempt to escape, his palms now covered in scars.


    Darren''s black god''s power could break the Archean defense.


    "Attack as one!" Lord Feng shouted.


    Henrik was restrained by Darren''s blade intent and sword intent and Lord Feng saw this as a great opportunity to kill him. If he and Lord Starry Sword performed their strongest combined maneuver, they might be able to kill him in just one single strike.


    Lord Starry Sword nodded his head. He knew what they had to do. They waved their divine weapons at the same time and two completely different martial arts seemed to have fused perfectly and effortlessly.


    Boom!


    Lord Feng''s spear and Lord Starry Sword''s sword surged as one.


    A terrifying god''s power, capable of destroying the heaven and earth, darted at Henrik, reaching him in the blink of an eye.


    "Shift!"


    Without hesitation, Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng transformed to streaks of lightning and whizzed over as the sword and spear continued on a perfect trajectory to deal a deadly blow.


    "Ah! Kill! Kill! Kill!"


    Henrik was losing his mind now, flapping his bloody palms around like a caged bird desperate to get out.


    The force of the spear and sword was too great and his protests did him no good. The fused power


    d two lines of blood streamed down his face like rivers of death. He was dead, but a speck of consciousness remained to him.


    It was this consciousness that controlled the disc to block the fatal blow that would have ended Darren.


    "Roar!"


    Darren was touched but reignited with fury as well. His entire body erupted a dazzling dark gold light.


    "I''ll fight you to the death!" Darren roared, preparing for battle.


    "My real body, hold on."


    A figure in white then materialized in front of Darren.


    "Rule Soul Avatar, you''ve finally arrived!"


    This was a pleasant surprise for Darren, for the Rule Soul Avatar to have shown up at such a critical moment.


    It must mean he had mastered the law of the Archean chaotic time and space!


    "My real body, you will not be able to break through his defense now. Please, come with me, temporarily retreat."


    The Rule Soul Avatar activated the Spatial Law as he spoke, enveloping Darren and others and they all hid in the space.


    "Oh! You did come at the right time." Darren breathed a deep sigh of relief and said, "Rule Soul Avatar, please, could you use the Resurrection Force to save the old man before it''s too late?"


    The Rule Soul Avatar glanced at Fernando''s severed head and triggered his Resurrection Force without a word. It descended on Fernando''s head like a gentle waterfall from heaven.

 Chapter 1618 Transfer To The Divine Palace

    After trying several advanced principles on Fernando, Darren and his friends realized that they couldn''t save him. Only the Resurrection Force of the Rule Soul Avatar could bring him back to life.


    After receiving the treatment of the Resurrection Force, the aura of Fernando''s soul healed little by little.


    Nevertheless, he was a Heavenly Destiny Emperor and his realm was too high. It would take much longer for him to completely heal his wounds.


    "Look at what Mr. Chu is doing! His skill level is impressive!"


    "It''s all because of the Primitive Wilderness. It''s a magical era."


    "You''re right. What I would give to go to there in the future and look around. I wonder how it feels to cultivate the god''s power."


    Adonis and the others sighed in relief when they saw that Fernando''s life was no longer in peril.


    For them, the god''s power was something so strange and novel that they didn''t know how to explain it.


    "Do you really want to go to the Primitive Wilderness?"


    Rule Soul Avatar asked, interrupting their moment of awe. Darren spun around and looked at the Rule Soul Avatar with raised eyebrows.


    "What? What do you mean, Xavier?"


    Ingrid asked as surprise flashed across her wide eyes.


    "I think I have the ability to get you


    o let us try to see if we were qualified to be the successor of the deceased Sacred Sovereign,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar explained.


    "If that is the case, why did he sit idly while we tried to kill Henrik?" Adonis asked, frowning.


    "The ninth stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor is currently fighting in an Extradomain Battlefield, so he couldn''t help us," the Rule Soul Avatar explained.


    "Oh, I see. The withered man is the ninth stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor," Lord Feng said.


    "Okay. So that means we have to enter the divine palace. The only way we can avoid being chased by Henrik is to become the successor," Darren said.


    "Yes."


    "It''s settled then. Bring everyone there now," Darren said to the Rule Soul Avatar.


    The Rule Soul Avatar nodded. He immediately activated the Spatial Law, transferring everyone to the divine palace.


    By the time they had settled on this, Henrik had already regained some of his fighting power. If they were not careful, he would notice their presence and attack. If Henrik smashed the space while they were on their way to the divine palace, Darren and his companions would be in danger.


    Therefore, the Rule Soul Avatar kept busy calming the space as they traveled, leaving only very weak fluctuations behind.

 Chapter 1619 Entering The Divine Palace

    The group of people moved very slowly. In the distance, they could see the divine palace. Despite it being only a few hundred kilometers away from them, it would take two more hours to reach it at the speed they were moving.


    Clatter, clatter, clatter...


    All around them, fluctuations started to appear in the space, shocking everyone into silence.


    "Shh!" The Rule Soul Avatar turned around and gestured for the others to keep silent.


    "Come out, weaklings. Come out and let me kill you. I know you don''t want to suffer!"


    Henrik teased. His voice echoed around them, penetrating through the layers of space. Darren and the others cringed.


    Everyone held their breath and stayed completely still. Even a sneeze could alert Henrik to their whereabouts.


    "Come out!"


    Boom! Boom!


    The space around them rippled as Henrik sent blind attacks against it.


    "Ah!"


    Aria covered her mouth to cut the scream short. The fluctuations around her were so powerful that she spat out blood and a sharp pain ping-ponged around her body.


    A Resurrection Force was quietly applied to everyone''s body. They felt better when they were being healed.


    Since staying put would pose a risk, the Rule Soul Avatar decided to move forward.


    As they walked, the fluctuations in the space b


    Rule Soul Avatar. They were so scared that they were on the verge of collapse.


    "Come with me,"


    the Rule Soul Avatar ordered before he took off flying again.


    The group of people followed him and soon arrived at the end of the divine palace.


    There was a stone staircase made up of thirty-six thousand stairs in total.


    Whoosh!


    As they stood at the bottom looking up the steps, the space shook and broke around the divine palace.


    With a flash of a red, the figure of a blood skeleton landed thirty feet away from them.


    "Run! Keep running!"


    Henrik glared at the group of people with his piercing eyes as they scattered.


    "Henrik, what are you doing? You can''t hurt us in the divine palace."


    Darren asked, keeping his expression collected. But in fact, he was having trouble breathing because of the pressure Henrik was releasing.


    "I''m not afraid of you. Today, you die."


    "Really? Do you have the guts to attack us? Killing is prohibited in the divine palace. Attacking us will ensure your death as well. Kill us. We are only humble people. If you are not afraid of death, just do it," Darren said.


    "You''re a fool. Do you think I''m scared of your lies? You will regret this. Go to hell!"


    Laughing, Henrik raised his bloody claw and attacked Darren.

 Chapter 1620 The Choice Of The Sacred Sovereign

    Henrik''s bloody claw slashed at Darren, filling him with so much fear that he felt like he was lost in an abyss.


    Bang!


    However, before it could make contact with him, a loud explosion sounded and a ring of white light spread outward.


    "What? What''s going on?"


    Henrik stared dumbstruck at the light as his attack collided with it. Immediately, the light swallowed all his attacking power.


    Even Darren stared at the white light in shock.


    "Do you think you''ve won?"


    Henrik roared, becoming more unhinged by the second. Unwilling to give up so easily, he gathered stronger power to attack again.


    "Behave yourself."


    A calm and dignified voice echoed in the divine palace. It rumbled like thunder, sending a wave of fear deep into the group''s hearts.


    All over, countless rays of yellow light rained down and condensed into a middle-aged man in a robe covered with embellished dragons.


    "Sacred...Sacred Sovereign? Oh my God!"


    Henrik mumbled, feeling the majestic aura sloughing off of the man. He began trembling slightly.


    "Your Majesty."


    After freezing for a couple of seconds, Henrik knelt down on the ground.


    The middle-aged man in the robe with dragon pattern ignored Henrik. Instead, he


    peak state as long as the cultivator still has a trace of soul," the middle-aged man explained.


    "Deal," the Rule Soul Avatar said, making Adonis and the others gasp.


    "Xavier, he''s bribing you. You have to be careful. It doesn''t matter if we die, but I don''t want to see Darren and the two lords get killed by Henrik," Adonis said anxiously. Disappointment shot all the way into Adonis'' heart. ''He really cares more about two elixirs than us?''


    The Rule Soul Avatar didn''t reply.


    However, it appeared that Darren, Lord Starry Sword, and Lord Feng had no reasons to doubt the Rule Soul Avatar''s decision. They believed in him.


    "Before you agree, let me be clear that if you fail the test, you will die and all your cultivation accomplishments will disappear," the middle-aged man said.


    "It doesn''t matter. I won''t fail," the Rule Soul Avatar said confidently.


    The middle-aged man nodded in response and turned into rays of yellow light. He slowly began to vanish.


    "The test will start in fifteen minutes. I hope you can survive."


    "Ha-ha. Weaklings, I can''t wait to kill you all."


    Henrik smiled and it sent chills down the group''s spines. His eyes were so dark that they felt like the end was near.

 Chapter 1621 Waiting For Xaviers Return

    "Run, or you will die a miserable death," the Rule Soul Avatar said staring at Henrik blankly. He seemed uninterested in the heat the moment currently held.


    "You want to play your games? When they get out of the palace, they''ll be mine to do with as I please," Henrik grumbled ferociously.


    The Rule Soul Avatar ignored him and turned away.


    Suddenly, a head appeared in front of him, floating gingerly in the air. It was Fernando. The Rule Soul Avatar had used his Resurrection Force to save him.


    A green pill slowly flew straight into Fernando''s mouth.


    Green light then radiated throughout the palace, blinding everyone.


    "Ha-ha, I see. The Extreme Elixir will save Fernando and help him recover back to his peak." Alissa smiled happily. She had been disappointed when she heard that the Rule Soul Avatar agreed to make a deal, thinking he was serving his own self-interest.


    Everyone now understood why the Sacred Sovereign''s spiritual sense hadn''t killed Henrik. He had given the Rule Soul Avatar this magical pill. There was no doubt he knew what he was going to do with it.


    Restoring Fernando back to his best cultivation level was their only chance to both protect everyone and kill He


    ohol and stared at the purple gourd cask affectionately.


    "Sir, what is the Extradomain Battlefield? Is there another world beyond the Archean world?" Darren asked curiously. He had heard of the Extradomain Battlefield several times before and was very intrigued by it.


    "It''s not exactly another world, but more like a unique space. It''s said that warriors go to the Extradomain Battlefield to kill some extremely powerful creatures. I don''t qualify with my strength to even know what these creatures are.


    Only Heavenly Destiny Emperors above the eighth stage are qualified to enter the Extradomain Battlefield. Some are even Sacred Sovereigns," revealed Fernando.


    "Huh! I wonder what sort of race requires so many powerful warriors to kill. If I ever get the chance, I want to go there," Darren said with enthusiasm bubbling in his words.


    "Oh please! You''d do best to just wait for Xavier to come back so you can return to the Primitive Wilderness as soon as possible. That''s your real home," Fernando responded.


    These words saddened Darren and his two companions. It made them think of home.


    They wondered how things were going back there and how their relatives and friends were doing.

 Chapter 1622 Things Have Changed

    Darren and the others quietly waited. And since they had nothing else to do, Darren told them a lot about the Primitive Wilderness.


    "Darren, you have experienced so many things and we know it has not been easy for you. We are so lucky to have met you in our lifetime. But unfortunately, you are going back to the Primitive Wilderness soon. I''m afraid that we can never have the chance to see each other again."


    "Yes, that''s right. Alas, we will forever be apart this time."


    Darren smiled and said, "I don''t think so. We will go back to the Primitive Wilderness to help the human race get through the crisis. But once everything is settled there, we will definitely come back here."


    "Seriously?" Aria was so happy to hear what Darren had said.


    "Young woman, don''t believe in his words," Fernando said before taking a sip of his wine. He then continued, "Based on Darren''s description, I guess that a chief god in the Primitive Wilderness is more powerful than a Sacred Sovereign in the Archean Age. So I think the human race has a slim chance to survive."


    "Really? Sir Fernando, do you really think that a chief god is that powerful?"


    When they first found out about the division of realms in the Archean Age, Darren and his companions had speculated that a chief god was equival


    Ingrid didn''t know what to say. She looked so anxious. Her master had actually told her the location of the space passage. But now, she could not remember it anymore.


    "Don''t be nervous. Relax and think about it slowly while we run into the underground." Seeing that Ingrid was anxiously sweating, Fernando tried to comfort her. He knew that it would be more difficult for her to remember the exact location if she was not in a good state of mind.


    Boom! Boom!


    With surging fighting spirit, Fernando held a top-level Imperial Divine Weapon in his hands and led everyone underground.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    They suddenly heard the sound of rocks cracking from the underground. Then strong auras surged from various directions.


    "Damn it! There are ambushes underground too."


    Fernando couldn''t help cursing when he detected with his spiritual sense that there were hundreds of thousands of monsters coming towards them. They looked like earthworms but ten feet thick.


    The situation made everyone realize that they didn''t have any way out.


    "Where is it?" Ingrid was still trying her best to recall the scene when her master told her the location of the secret space passage. However, she had already used up almost all of her Spirit Power, but she still couldn''t remember it.

 Chapter 1623 Be My Puppet

    The giant underground creatures were already getting closer and closer to Darren''s group.


    They felt that the terrifying pressure was endless. The ferocious aura approaching them was unprecedentedly strong.


    "Master Ingrid, you relax first. I will use my Spirit Power to invade your consciousness sea,"


    said the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Well..."


    Ingrid suddenly looked embarrassed. She was at a loss for words. In her mind, she thought, ''If I let the Rule Soul Avatar invade my consciousness sea, he will know all my secrets and experiences. It''s too embarrassing.''


    "What are you worrying about?" Fernando chimed in with a long face when he noticed Ingrid''s silence.


    "Ahhh!" Ingrid screamed desperately. She just realized that everyone''s life was at stake. If she didn''t cooperate with the Rule Soul Avatar, they would all die. So she didn''t have a choice now but to let the Rule Soul Avatar invade her consciousness sea. There was no need to hide anything anymore.


    Eventually, she decided to relax, and her mind went blank.


    "Xavier, you can enter my consciousness sea now." The Rule Soul Avatar''s Spirit Power easily entered Ingrid''s consciousness sea.


    Using his powerful deduction ability, he quickly transformed Ingrid''s memory into countless images and browsed them at top speed.


    The countless images and sounds flashed across the Rule Soul Avatar''s mind. But although he had the ability to tran


    ute, so he was rendered speechless.


    "People say that a man who can recognize the reality of a situation is wise. So I must say that this is the wisest choice you have ever made. You will become my vassal puppet and share the respect of all the creatures in the world with me," said the spiritual sense of the Sacred Sovereign after being silent for a while.


    "In that case, quickly transfer your heritage to me," replied the Rule Soul Avatar coldly. He still looked so calm.


    The spiritual sense of the Sacred Sovereign hesitated upon hearing what the Rule Soul Avatar had said. He couldn''t help thinking that the Rule Soul Avatar was playing a trick on him.


    "Humph! Do you really think that I don''t have any powerful means?"


    Whoosh!


    An invisible sharp arrow suddenly shot through Darren''s head.


    "You exactly look like this brat. It seems that you two have a very deep relationship. Well then, I will have to torture him and make his life a living hell until you agree to be my puppet."


    The spiritual sense of the Sacred Sovereign attacked Darren to make the Rule Soul Avatar concede to him.


    The invisible sharp arrow that penetrated Darren''s mind went straight to his soul.


    Although he was startled, Darren was able to immediately activate his God Character to resist it. But since his God Character was from the Primitive Wilderness, it was not capable of resisting the Archean soul attack.

 Chapter 1624 Opening The Blood Coffin

    When the invisible sharp arrow was about to pierce through Darren''s soul, he tried to resist it with his God Character. But unfortunately, it didn''t work. He couldn''t help thinking, ''What should I do?


    Should I just endure the pain?''


    He made up his mind. Since he couldn''t really resist the attack made by the spiritual sense of the Sacred Sovereign, his only choice was to suffer.


    Fortunately, Darren''s pain tolerance was high. After all, he had been tortured for so many times. He had even experienced the torture that was more painful than the soul attack. The pain caused by the invisible sharp arrow might be unbearable to others, but to Darren, it was tolerable.


    Needless to say, his endurance had already exceeded his limit.


    ''Wait! Why do I have to take it head-on when my soul can hide in the mysterious void in my mind?"


    The invisible sharp arrow was about to pierce through his soul when Darren suddenly remembered that he had a mysterious void in his mind. Going there was equivalent to going to another world. If he hid his soul there, he could completely dodge the attack of the spiritual sense of the Sacred Sovereign.


    However, it was already too late. The first sharp arrow had already attacked his soul. He had no other way to avoid it, so he just had to bear it. If there was another soul attack later, he didn''t need to worr


    urprised and a little scared.


    "Lord Starry Sword, Lord Feng, can you hear me? The blood coffin is about to open. Be ready!" Darren said through his spiritual sense.


    "Don''t worry. The soul attack didn''t cause much damage to us," Lord Starry Sword replied.


    "That''s good then. Can you two take Ingrid, Adonis and the others with you? I''ll take Fernando with me."


    "Okay."


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    While the rumbling continued, the blood coffin slowly rose from the chaotic time and space.


    "What is this? What are you doing?"


    The spiritual sense of the Sacred Sovereign got terrified. He thought that the blood coffin was a powerful skill of the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "This is the skill that will kill you," said the Rule Soul Avatar with confidence. The truth was, he was only trying to distract the spiritual sense of the Sacred Sovereign so that Darren and the others could successfully escape.


    Creak!


    The sound was like an unparalleled door had opened from nowhere.


    "Hurry up! Let''s go!"


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Darren took Fernando, and the two Lords took Adonis and the women with them. They then rushed to the open blood coffin at an extreme speed.


    "Damn it! Are you trying to escape back to the Primitive Wilderness?"


    It was only then that the spiritual sense of the Sacred Sovereign realized what was really going on.

 Chapter 1625 Back To The Primitive Wilderness

    Boom!


    The Sacred Sovereign''s spiritual sense released a chain that shot straight for Darren and the others like a vicious metallic serpent charging at its prey.


    "Damn it! He''s making his attack!"


    The chain was a Sacred Weapon; extremely powerful and blindingly fast.


    And Darren was its primary target.


    "Oh no! I can''t make it. Lord Starry Sword, Lord Feng, live your lives and guard the human race! It''s up to you now," Darren said somberly.


    They had arrived at the blood coffin, and they were within inches of it, but that horrific chain was already hunting them down and was moments from grabbing hold of Darren.


    Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng nodded to each other in silence, with focus and determination in their eyes.


    They then suddenly turned around and flew off, changing their course.


    Lord Starry Sword rushed for the chain while Lord Feng made his way to Darren.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Lord Starry Sword released a large amount of god''s power, using it to hold off the incoming chain. Lord Feng was doing things a little different. He slapped Darren hard, and the tremendous force jolted Darren to speeding up all of a sudden, while Lord Feng himself was bounced back by it.


    Time seemed to slow as Darren looked back in surprise to see Lord Fe


    s prime enemies.


    Putting the chief gods aside, Fernando was confident he could defeat at least those despicable races.


    "Good. There is one more thing that I have to do first," Darren said slowly.


    "What is it? I''ll take care of it for you."


    "I really need your help with this," revealed Darren. "My parents and relatives are still trapped in the chief god''s Space of Belief. I want to free them."


    "That''s easy enough. Where is the space? Let''s get going." Fernando was eager and brimming with confidence; ready for anything.


    "I can''t find it, but a phoenix without feathers can."


    "What are you waiting for? Lead the way."


    "No rush. Hide your aura. This abyss is a chief god''s hometown. We can''t afford to be too casual here. If we''re detected, another disaster will most probably befall us." Darren had been through a lot and had become very cautious.


    "Alright, I''m new here. I''ll follow your orders."


    Darren didn''t waste any more time with chit-chat. They hid their auras and headed to north of the abyss.


    What Darren did not know was that the divine palace in the Ancestral Land had already been laid waste to.


    It had turned to a wild forest, ruins hidden beneath the dense vines where a magnificent palace full of glory and belief had once been.

 Chapter 1626 The Fiend Race Captured Humans

    Darren and Fernando continued their relentless search, going through every crack and crevice to look for the mangy hen in the pitch dark abyss. She was Darren''s only source to reach the Space of Belief.


    As they trod along, Darren''s mind was a cluster of many thoughts running rampant. Similar to a soulless husk, his feet moved forward subconsciously as he struggled to maintain his sanity.


    Unable to shake off the feeling, his thoughts continued to haunt him, breaching his mind, taking over his existence. He feared the survival of the Rule Soul Avatar and the two Lords, who got left behind in the Archean age. Among other things, he wondered if his parents were still alive after the battle concluded.


    As for Elsa, Jennifer, and his aunt, they were still in the small world. When he was in the Archean Age, Darren was unable to communicate with them or enter the small world. But when he returned to the Primitive Wilderness, Darren prioritized dealing with his parents'' affairs above all else. Alas, he figured he could meet with them once he returned to the human land.


    The dimensions of the abyss were never-ending. Attempting to find a trail to follow, Darren retraced his steps back to where he last encountered the mangy hen, but to no avail. It seemed that she had moved a long time ago, leaving no evidence behind.


    "Of course, she left..." Disappointed, Darren let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head.


    "Don''t fret; we''ll find her." Noticing Darren''s low morale, Fernando pressed Darren''s shoulder lightly with his hand, offering reassurance, attempting to raise his spirits.


    "It''s not that easy. We don''t even know where she is," Darren repli


    nterrogation with the fiend''s master on their intentions with the human race.


    After concocting several strategies in his head, Darren activated his fiend aura and transformed into a fiend.


    After surviving the thunder punishment of the Conflicting Cultivation, his fiendish aura had also been enhanced. Considering that, he was able to turn into a great superior fiend, a position just below a fiend god.


    Once ready, Darren made his way up the mountain, blending into his surroundings.


    Soon, he was surrounded by all sides by several fiends who refused him room to move much further.


    "This is as far as you go, buddy! State your name and purpose immediately," a superior fiend demanded.


    "Humph! Out of my way! Inform your emperor and ask him to welcome me," Darren returned the superior fiend''s berating tone with a piercing glare, releasing high reserves of pure fiendish aura.


    Taken aback by the intensity, the superior fiends circling him staggered back a few steps. Their expressions told Darren loudly, eloquently, that they''d acknowledged his strength.


    "Hey, buddy. Which emperor do you work for?" Of course, the next one to inquire was much more polite in conduct.


    "Enough questions! I''m not in the mood for this blatant exchange of words. I didn''t come here to be greeted with an interrogation from you lot! Call your emperor to welcome me, or I''ll blow your brains out!" Maintaining his arrogance, Darren scoffed.


    "That''s about enough out of you. Don''t be too presumptuous! All the great fiend gods who came to visit have shown great respect to his majesty. There''s not a place for you to behave this atrociously, and tell us who you are!"

 Chapter 1627 Is He Here

    "Bastard!" Darren roared and slapped the superior fiend who had been speaking.


    Bang!


    With a loud bang, the superior fiend was sent flying. With a heavy thud, he crashed into the rocks of the mountain.


    "How dare you act like this?! Men, let''s arrest him!" Only then did the other superior fiends finally realize what was going on. They immediately turned to seize Darren.


    "Do you have a death wish? You really have no respect for Fiend God Carnot. As his trusted follower, I came to your territory. Even so, you dared treat me this way!


    Have it your way, then. I believe that he will cancel the meeting soon,"


    said Darren. Before coming out, he had already come up with a plan. He had disguised himself as the emissary of Carnot. This would make it easier for him to get the information he needed.


    "What? You...you work for Master Carnot?"


    "Cut the crap! Do you want me to teach you a lesson?" Darren said coldly.


    "I''m sorry for being impolite. I''m going to report this to our emperor. Please wait a moment."


    Since Carnot, the great fiend god, was involved, they suddenly showed Darren some respect. They needed to report to their emperor immediately.


    A moment later, a gust of wind holding the aura of the fiend race suddenly ru


    at the old fiend meant. He wanted to detain him here.


    "You misunderstand me. I just want to be a good host. When our emperor gets back, he could ask those higher-ups about the situation, and then we can send you back. It won''t be too late."


    It was obvious that they didn''t want to let Darren go. The matter was too great for them to just let slide.


    "Well then, serve the wine. I''ll have a drink with you." Since he was not allowed to leave, Darren decided he would wait. He would use the opportunity to assess the fiend emperor''s strength once he got back. The old fiend gave him a small smile.


    "This way, please."


    In the underground palace


    "Has that emissary arrived?"


    A fiend clad in golden armor, full of killing intent, sat on the throne. He was sipping wine from a dark, golden cup.


    "Your Majesty, he is here. He is the emissary of Carnot. Why don''t you go see him? Master Mooney asked him, and he said that Carnot had sent a message saying that this group of humans should be transferred," a fiend reported, kneeling in front of the emperor.


    Crack.


    The fiend emperor crushed the wine cup into pieces.


    ''What should I do? Is it him?'' the fiend emperor thought to himself.


    In those moments, he was trembling with fear.

 Chapter 1628 What Do You Mean

    "Why hasn''t Darren made his move yet?" Fernando muttered to himself, confused and impatient.


    He had been waiting outside for a few hours now. All was quiet and seemingly calm in the mountain, only the odd fiends here and there flying in or out.


    He tried examining the situation within using his spiritual sense several times, but he could not find Darren''s aura. He could not help but wonder if perhaps he had been killed. A new wave of worry washed over him.


    He got to his feet, intending to charge into the mountain to find out what was going on for himself.


    But on second thought, he decided against it, throwing his concern out of his mind. "No, that can''t be right. Darren''s not weak, there''s no way he''d go down quietly. He might''ve run into some trouble but it can''t be much more than that." Fernando decided he would wait a while longer. He leaned back against a nearby boulder and drifted off to sleep.


    In the mountain hall, the old fiend was entertaining Darren as a guest. They had been drinking for around five hours and still, the emperor had not yet come out. Even the old fiend was a little anxious now.


    "Master Mooney, may I have a word with you, please?"


    asked the young fiend politely, pulling the old fiend away from Darren''s company.


    "Master Mooney, the emperor has requested that you send the emissary away as soon as possible. Once he leaves, we will tra


    oung fiend begged. Unfortunately, it was too late and the horrible claws of the emperor had already struck out, only inches away from his head.


    Boom! Boom!


    With a thunderous explosion, the fiend emperor''s claw was checked by some powerful force.


    A fiend shrouded in purple fiendish aura suddenly appeared, standing in front of the young one.


    "What''s all this fuss about? You''ve fought and won so many battles. Sure, he''s back, but is that enough to scare you into a sniveling?" asked the purple fiend calmly.


    The fiend emperor stared at him with bloodshot eyes and let out a dreadful roar.


    "What should I do? Do you have any ideas for me? I''ve captured so many humans in my time. There''s no way he''ll let me go,"


    the emperor asked after finally calming down.


    "You''ve done nothing wrong. What do you have to be afraid of?" asked the purple fiend indifferently.


    "What do you know? He''s got all these bullshit beliefs about his race. I''ve hurt the human race. I will not get away with it. He will see to it. Trust me, there''s not a chance he''ll spare me." The emperor''s voice trembled as he spoke. He was all but literally shaking in his boots.


    "If he won''t spare you, why do you spare him?"


    The fiend emperor''s scarlet eyes flashed.


    He leapt over and grabbed the purple fiend''s neck, faster than a blink of an eye. "What do you mean? What are you trying to say?"

 Chapter 1629 Why Not Kill Him

    The purple fiend''s pair of purple pupils suddenly contracted. He then shook off the fiend emperor''s hand.


    "Don''t you get what I mean? Kill him."


    Hearing what the purple fiend said, the fiend emperor''s mind began to rumble. He felt like countless bolts of lightning were flickering in his mind.


    ''Kill him?'' he repeated inwardly.


    In his existence, he had never thought of doing it. He could never do such a thing that his soul considered as a taboo.


    How could the purple fiend, who had been with him all the way, tell him this? All of a sudden, he felt that his body stiffened and his blood boiled.


    "No. I can''t possibly do that,"


    he said after being silent for quite a while. He stepped back, shaking his head vigorously.


    "Ouch! My head hurts!"


    He curled up on the ground, twisting all over. His face showed that he was suffering a great pain.


    "Merle, you know the fact better than me. You are more suitable to exist in this world as a fiend than as a human.


    But as long as he is alive, you will never become a real fiend. You will never be able to reach your peak state and supreme existence. Have you forgotten your goal? Remember that in this world, you are most likely to become


    n''t regret dying then," Darren said, laughing.


    "You should have been suppressed and killed by the chief god. How can you still be alive? No, this isn''t true!" The fiend god was scared to death. The images brought back by the various races in the past didn''t contain any information about the blood coffin. So they all had thought that the Defiant Master of the human race had already died.


    "Why do you still care if it''s true or not? You will go to hell anyway!"


    Darren then turned into a thunderbolt and rushed towards Mooney and the other two fiend gods.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    As the blade and sword shadows flashed, the fiend god who recognized Darren was so frightened that he forgot to resist. As a result, he was directly killed.


    This time, Darren burst out three kinds of Conflicting Cultivation god''s power and attacked Mooney.


    "Rawr!"


    As soon as Mooney felt the terrifying god''s power, he turned his body into a fiend god that was one hundred thousand feet tall. He then released his fiend power to fight against Darren.


    However, Darren''s god''s power was extremely good at penetrating and attacking. Mooney''s fiend power could not withstand even a single blow from him at all.

 Chapter 1630 Lelands Sudden Appearance

    The incomparably ferocious dark gold god''s power broke Mooney''s fiend power.


    Darren then rushed forward. And wherever his sword and blade passed, they slashed and caused wounds all over Mooney''s body.


    Black blood continuously gushed out of Mooney''s body like a waterfall. Fierce aura spread all over, making the place look like hell.


    "Obviously, you are no match for me. If I were you, I''d call my emperor out now."


    "Human, you will regret this. Our emperor will definitely kill you." At this moment, Mooney was utterly scared. Darren was a human Defiant Master, and his god''s power and attack methods were too terrifying.


    "No. You and the whole fiend race should be the ones to regret. Shortly, I will make all of you pay for what you have done to the human race,"


    Darren shouted coldly, while wielding his sword and blade and rushing towards Mooney again.


    "Ahhh!"


    Mooney''s fiendish aura surged out from his body and crazily approached Darren.


    The turbulent fiendish aura kept on outflowing like seawater, and attacked Darren. Mooney was so desperate now. Knowing that he could not survive in this battle anymore, he decided to fight to the death.


    "Kill!"


    Darren used his god''s


    sten to me. This is for your own good," Leland said.


    "It will be much better for me if you die."


    Without any hesitation, Darren made a move.


    "Damn it! You''re digging your own grave, bastard!" Leland got furious now. But before he could even say another word, Darren had already made a move.


    Boom! Boom!


    Darren''s dark gold god''s power surged, and the whole world shook.


    Leland flipped his claws, and terrifying laws condensed. They then turned into countless divine arrows that shot over.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The space started to collapse, and the earth got destroyed.


    "Humph! You are just a rule cultivator from the fiend race. You are not that powerful."


    After the collision, Darren and Leland both retreated.


    "Okay, let''s stop here. If you don''t want Merle to kill you, you''d better listen to me." The truth was that Leland was suppressed by Darren''s god''s power, and he felt a dull pain in his chest. If he continued to fight, he would definitely not defeat Darren.


    "What did you just say?" Darren asked with a frown. He wanted to confirm that he had heard it right.


    "You heard it right. The Merle that I''m talking about is your avatar," Leland said straightforwardly.

 Chapter 1631 Full Of Killing Intent

    Darren''s heart skipped a beat. Did it mean that the fiend in front of him was sent by Merle, his second avatar?


    He was utterly surprised at first. But soon, he was able to figure out. No wonder the fiend emperor had been avoiding him all this time. It turned out, he was Merle.


    "Damn it! How could he capture the people from the human race?"


    A trace of fury flashed across Darren''s eyes. He couldn''t believe that the one who captured the group of humans for the chief god''s emissary was Merle. It was something beyond his expectation.


    "Merle, why don''t you get out and face me?"


    Darren suddenly roared. His angry voice rolled away and shook the mountain in the distance until it collapsed.


    "You''re just wasting your time. He won''t come to see you. Not for now," Leland said in a flat tone.


    Whoosh!


    Darren rushed over and grabbed Leland''s neck without warning.


    "Let me go!"


    Leland shook off Darren''s hands. "You and Merle really share the same soul. You act the same when you are angry."


    "Tell me where he is. You have ten seconds to speak. If you don''t, you will die," Darren said in a terribly cold and flat voice.


    "Ha-ha! What''s the point of ki


    umans will only restrain me, so you all deserve to die, especially you!"


    Merle roared. He began to become violent.


    "You are really determined to kill me, huh?"


    "Yes! I must kill you now. Yesterday, I didn''t dare to think about it at all. But after coming to a realization, things have changed. I just realized that no one has the right to shackle me. I''ve discovered only now that I have been wanting to kill you since the day I was born. Finally, my killing intent has been released. This also means that I am finally free!"


    The more Merle talked, the more excited he became. In the end, he raised his head and roared to the sky.


    "Brat, things seem to be getting a little complicated. This is interesting!" Fernando sent a message to Darren through his spiritual sense. He had been watching Darren closely.


    "No. It is neither complicated nor interesting," Darren replied.


    "Well, I can see that you are very unhappy. Forget it. I won''t sit watching any longer. I will help you kill this traitor," Fernando said.


    "No need. I was the one who created Merle, so I should be the one to destroy him." As he spoke, Darren''s eyes were filled with killing intent.

 Chapter 1632 The Fight Began

    "So, do you regret it now?" Merle asked after a moment of silence. An impish smile was plastered on his face.


    "Regret what? For allowing you to appear in this world?" Killing intent filled Darren''s eyes.


    "No. You should regret being so arrogant. Because of your arrogance, you will completely be wiped out in this world," Merle replied.


    "Indeed, you are different. The Rule Soul Avatar has never felt that I am superior to any of you," Darren sneered.


    "That is because he is a coward. He is not capable of breaking through the restraints of the Avatar Law, so he just does everything that you tell him to do," Merle roared angrily.


    "Ha-ha! You''re talking so much nonsense, Merle. Let''s not waste any more time.


    Let''s begin the fight!"


    Darren''s purple robe fluttered in the air as he rose from the ground.


    His body was like a sword that shot into the void. He could only perfectly display his strength in a wider space.


    Killing intent also surged from Merle''s eyes. He slowly raised his head, looked at the void, and chased after Darren into the sky.


    All


    void, a huge ditch spread out and attacked at an extremely fast speed.


    The blade and sword collided with the dark axe in the broken void again.


    But it was extremely quiet. It was weird.


    There was no impact when the blade and sword collided with the dark axe. Merle had also felt that his dark axe was not stopped by any power. He got a little flustered.


    "What kind of attack did he make? Did it penetrate my dark axe?" All of a sudden, Merle felt a strong sense of danger.


    However, three seconds had already passed, but no power had attacked him.


    Boom! Boom!


    An unparalleled dark gold god''s power suddenly burst out behind Merle.


    ''Damn it! I was fooled. His sword attack was the most ordinary one,'' he thought inwardly.


    He just realized that Darren was really cunning. Darren had actually used the most ordinary sword strike to affect his judgment.


    Despite his rage, Merle still had to deal with the terrifying dark gold god''s power coming from behind him. If he resisted it head-on, he would definitely be seriously injured. Or worse, he would die.

 Chapter 1633 Being Paranoid

    Up against the powerful dark gold god''s power, Merle roared ferociously. The fiendish aura burst out crazily and condensed behind him.


    Bang!


    The powerful attack smashed into him, effectively dispersing the fiendish aura all over his body. With the fiendish aura resisting the attack of the dark gold god''s power, Merle had a chance to defend himself.


    Something flashed in the corner of his eye. Instinctively, he turned around and slashed with his axe, blocking a sneak attack.


    Clang! With a loud sound, Merle was flung straight into the air. Although he blocked the attack, a huge force was transmitted to his body through the battle axe, making his internal organs almost collapse.


    Darren failed to kill Merle with that attack, but he managed to seriously injure him.


    "Damn it," Merle spat. "Despicable thing!"


    Fury overtook him. He was keenly aware that he was stronger than his real body, yet Darren was able to inflict damage on him. This filled him with a sense of indignation.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    Merle steadied


    your paranoid character, which broke down your psychological defenses." Darren smiled smugly.


    "Damn you!" The feeling of being tricked made Merle''s soul ache.


    "Look at that! You believed me instantly. Aren''t you worried that I''m lying to you to make you put your guard down?" Darren said elusively.


    Merle froze. At that moment, his mind was going haywire. He couldn''t make a rational judgment.


    He had no idea whether Darren was playing tricks again. Was the Rule Soul Avatar there or not? If he was there, why wasn''t he making a move? An enemy hidden in the dark was the most frightening!


    If Darren was lying, how was he so confident about it?


    ''Damn it! What the hell is the truth?'' Merle thought helplessly.


    He felt a stabbing pain in his head. He was going crazy.


    "Your Majesty, don''t fall into his trap! He is just taking advantage of your paranoia!" At that moment, Leland suddenly appeared at Merle''s side.


    "Leland, right on time! Help me kill him. I can''t stand it anymore. Kill him! Now!" Merle shouted madly.

 Chapter 1634 The Arrival Of Carnot

    "How could I possibly defeat him? I''m not that strong! You have to do this yourself. Your Majesty, don''t be fooled by him. He is just bluffing. There is no rule cultivator here!"


    Leland quickly explained to Merle. Merle was on a path to destruction once his mind was messed with. Everything would be lost if he died; naturally, Leland was quite anxious.


    "Are you sure? Are you sure Xavier is not lurking here?" Merle asked, his voice trembling slightly.


    "Of course I''m sure," Leland answered confidently. "Even if his rule power is a level higher than mine, he can''t hide himself from me!" Leland was a rule cultivator, too. Moreover, he was familiar with the aura of the Rule Soul Avatar. If the Rule Soul Avatar was here, he would definitely have felt a trace of him.


    "Damn it! He lied to me!" Merle hissed through gritted teeth. Despite feeling quite cheated, he couldn''t help but feel relieved knowing that the Rule Soul Avatar wasn''t here.


    Seeing Merle coming back to his senses, Leland let out a sigh of relief.


    From across the battlefield, Darren stood astutely.


    "Interesting! Really interesting!" Havin


    w. Do you understand?" Carnot explained impatiently.


    Leland laughed nervously. "Master Carnot, this is all just a big misunderstanding! The emperor just lost his temper momentarily since this human is driving him to his wit''s end. Please don''t blame him. Our top priority is to kill the human!"


    "Then, why are you still standing there? Hurry up and kill him. If he runs away, the ancestor will definitely not spare you two!" Carnot spat.


    "Your Majesty, hurry up. The most important thing right now is to kill Darren!" Leland immediately sent a message to Merle through his spiritual sense.


    Only then did Merle believe in Carnot. He figured the best thing to do now was to kill his real body and avoid conflict with Carnot.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The three powerful fiends immediately flew towards Darren, surrounding him.


    "Ouch!"


    Darren was badly injured just now. As soon as he recovered, he found that he was surrounded by the three fiends.


    However, instead of being scared, Darren''s eyes flashed with excitement. ''Killing the three core forces of the fiend race¡ªit seems I will gain a lot today!''

 Chapter 1635 Activating The Archean Power

    "Master Carnot, this human is extremely cunning. Don''t give him a chance to talk," Leland warned.


    "What do you take me for, some kind of idiot? I know that already!"


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    With Carnot in the lead, the three released powerful fiend power at Darren simultaneously.


    "Brat, there''s no way you''ll defeat all three of them. I''m going to fight," Fernando said to Darren.


    "Don''t worry. Just give me a little bit more time," Darren answered calmly.


    "Do you have a death wish? Don''t try to be a hero!" Fernando said in an exasperated tone.


    "Ha-ha, old man, did you forget already? You came from the Archean Age but there''s no limit to your power here. It''s the same with me." Darren spoke to him using his spiritual sense, while on the outside, he was busy resisting the attack of the three fiends.


    "Oh, that''s right! You can use your Archean fighting spirit here too. Moreover, they might not be able to break your defense, after all!"


    A defense from the Archean Age was practically unbreakable in the Primitive Wilderness. Only Darren''s black god''s power could easily break through an Archean Age defense.


    "So you don''t have to worry, do you?" Darren replied with ease.


    "Okay, fine. I can''t


    ivine sword, and the sword intent crushed the wisp of soul. It was final: Merle completely disappeared from the world.


    Darren raised his head and looked up at the dark and deep void. It was actually quite peaceful.


    "What a pity his merging skill is gone as well!" Darren sighed regretfully.


    Merle''s Merging Law was the only Merging Law in the world, and now it was destroyed.


    "Hey, young man, these two losers tried to escape, but they didn''t slip past me. What should we do with them?"


    Fernando flew over, with two dying fiends in his hands. It was none other than Carnot and Leland, who had tried to escape.


    "Let me go, Darren! Please let me go! I''m willing to swear with my soul that I will become your believer and be your spy. I''ll help you destroy the fiend race," Leland begged, fearing death above all else.


    "That sounds like a good idea. And what about you, Carnot? Become my believer, and I''ll allow you to return to the fiend race," Darren said calmly, smiling faintly.


    "Fuck off, you dirty human. Even if it means death, I won''t yield to you!" shouted Carnot at the top of his lungs.


    "Ha ha, alright. Old man, let go of Carnot and kill the purple one," Darren said with an evil smile.

 Chapter 1636 A Firm Decision

    Leland heard that Darren was going to kill him. He was terrified. "Darren, you can''t kill me," he pleaded. "I could still be very useful to you!"


    Darren ignored him and turned to look at Carnot, who had been thrown to the ground. "I heard that you have some relationship with the Fiend Ancestor. For that reason, I will let you go back."


    Carnot laughed loudly. "You lowly ant! So, my mention of my ancestor has scared you," he said in a mocking tone.


    Darren glared at him. "I am letting you go back because I want to send a message to the Fiend Ancestor. The human race is officially declaring war on the fiend race! You are free to go now, but you will die sooner or later, because we plan to wipe out everyone in your entire race," he said coldly.


    "A declaration of war? How ridiculous! Are all humans as stupid as you?" Carnot sneered. "Who do you think you are? You think that, just by obtaining a little bit of the Archean power, you are capable of challenging our entire race? Don''t overestimate yourselves!"


    "You idiot! Have you forgotten about me?" Fernando demanded, and without hesitation, he slapped Carnot across the face.


    Immediately, Carnot''s body was invaded by a strong Archean power. He tried to keep it under control but it was irresistible. He felt a sudden wave of panic. This human elder was immeasurably powerful. Although he was loath to admit it,


    urrent strength level, you cannot fight and win against the other races yet. We should hide and consider our options." "Yes, and even if one or two new supreme gods from the human race have appeared, they would still be unable to fight against all the other races. They are too many and too strong," someone warned.


    "It''s true, Darren. Only powerful warriors like Supreme God Alfredo and Supreme God Braxton can attack several big alien races. You must not be impulsive..."


    "The massacre of the human race makes us heartbroken. We will never forget, and we will have our revenge, but now is not the proper time." "Darren, you are the only one who has the chance to surpass the supreme god. Please don''t risk your life needlessly. You must get stronger first."


    Everyone began to talk all at once, trying to persuade Darren to act cautiously.


    Darren held up a hand and waited until they had all fallen silent. "Everyone, I fully understand what you are saying. I am moved by your concern for me." Then his eyes hardened. "But this time, I''m very confident that I can counterattack. Only by defeating those hateful aliens can we successfully transfer our human land, and allow our compatriots floating in the deep sky to return home!"


    Darren''s words were impassioned. He had already made up his mind¡ªhe would declare war on all the alien races, and he would kill them all!

 Chapter 1637 Waiting For The Chief Gods Emissary

    "Darren, I think you may have underestimated the strength of the alien races. Even if you invite a real supreme god to help you, it is impossible to suppress them."


    "That''s right, Darren. You''d better hide and cultivate hard. One day, when your fighting power has surpassed a supreme god, you will have the chance to avenge the human race."


    All of them were still trying hard to dissuade Darren from fighting.


    "Sirs, please don''t say anything more. You can go back to the divine palace in the Ancestral Land first and wait for me. I will go back to meet you soon after I''m done here," Darren said firmly.


    "Alas."


    The Defiant Master could only sigh.


    "Now that you have made up your mind, it''s useless for us to say anything more. You must be careful. We are far behind you in terms of strength now, and you will be troubled if we follow you," he added.


    "Let''s go first. But Darren, even if you want to declare war on the other races, don''t act alone. Wait for us. We will contact the masters who are dormant and back you up!"


    "Okay." Darren nodded. "Please rest assured. I, Darren, owe the human race so much. I will not dare to die so easily."


    "Take care."


    "Look after yourself."


    "We will wait for you to come back safe and sound!"


    Ev


    are too impatient. If you really don''t want to wait, you can go out and kill a few fierce beasts from the abyss to kill some time," Darren suggested with a faint smile.


    "Hmm... That''s a good suggestion. There are a lot of monsters here, and their strength is not bad. Wait for me to catch one as a ride, ha-ha!" Fernando''s eyes lit up. Thanks to Darren''s suggestion, he had finally found something interesting to do.


    "Don''t go too far. I''m afraid I can''t deal with the emissary alone if he comes!" Darren reminded. If Fernando went far and the chief god''s emissary came, he would probably be in trouble.


    "Don''t worry. I know what I''m doing. I''m out of here!" With those words, Fernando turned into a thunder and flew into the distance.


    Darren smiled and shook his head. He turned back to his cultivation and tried to break through to the Deputy God Realm as soon as possible.


    Another month passed.


    One day, Darren, who was cultivating, was suddenly woken up by a loud noise. A deafening roar sounded in the distance, and the whole earth seemed to tremble beneath his feet. It was obvious that there was fierce fighting going on.


    "Did the old man run into the chief god''s emissary already?" Darren frowned and walked out of the mountain to look.

 Chapter 1638 Being In Danger

    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    As soon as Darren came out, he saw that the void hundreds of thousands of kilometers away was covered in thick, dark clouds. An evil aura covered the space.


    "It is not from the old man."


    Darren was surprised. The aura was not from Fernando.


    Darren stopped what he was doing and observed.


    In the sky, explosions turned into sound waves and spread in all directions. The surrounding space collapsed inch by inch, turning everything into chaos.


    "Ah!"


    With a sharp roar, a giant claw materialized from the void. It swiped forward with such force.


    The claw destroyed everything.


    "Oh, no! Why is there human aura in it?"


    Darren felt the god''s power fluctuate.


    Boom! Boom!


    With loud explosions, the golden light spread covered the battlefield. Darren could feel its dazzling radiance even from such a long distance away.


    Darren was shocked!


    "Isn''t this the aura of Supreme God Shipley?"


    Sensing the familiar aura of


    appeared and shot around.


    "Ahhh!"


    The Shuras screamed in pain. More than half of them were blasted away, and the rest were seriously injured.


    Only the Shura with the evil aura managed to resist the attack from Shipley with his powerful evil force.


    "If this continues, Supreme God Shipley will soon die. I have to attack that Shura with the evil aura!"


    Darren couldn''t stand it anymore. He couldn''t just watch a supreme god of the human race die like this!


    Whoosh!


    Darren stomped on the ground and flew towards the battlefield.


    After flying less than a kilometer, Darren suddenly stopped again!


    "Who are you?" Darren snapped.


    At that moment, a figure clad in dark gold armor blocked his way. The air was doused with a sudden chill.


    "The human Defiant Master!"


    The figure suddenly opened his eyes. He stared at Darren with cold, infinite killing intent in his eyes.


    "The chief god''s emissary!"


    Darren instantly knew who he was.

 Chapter 1639 Fooling Him

    The chief god''s emissary stepped in Darren''s way, so he could not go and help Shipley. Worse, his own life was also in danger now.


    "Fuck off!"


    Darren shouted aggressively. His heart was like a panicked rabbit in his chest, but he dared not show any sign of weakness.


    "You humble thing, I am the emissary of the Killing Chief God. Get down on your knees!" the fearsome creature roared.


    "Humph! You are merely an emissary. How dare you act so impertinently in front of me? I''m the chief god!"


    Boom!


    Darren''s aura erupted crazily, and the prototype of Chief God Character in his body was about to rush out of his elixir field.


    "Roar!"


    The emissary of the Killing Chief God was so shocked when he sensed the aura similar to that of a chief god from Darren. He unconsciously stepped back as if his instincts wanted him to run.


    "No way! How¡ªhow could you have an orthodox Chief God Character?"


    The emissary of the Killing Chief God couldn''t believe what he was seeing. He had clearly sensed that the man he was facing was a Defiant Master, but why was the man''s body emitting the aura of an orthodox Chief God Character?


    That was too weird and completely beyond his understanding.


    "How dare you, you lowly slave?! I am the first avatar of the Killing Chief God. How can you not recognize me? Do you want


    y powerful. With his injuries, he actually didn''t even have a chance to resist Fernando''s grip.


    He was taken by surprise, wondering when such a great master had joined the human race.


    "This is a Heavenly Destiny Emperor in the Archean Age, and his name is Fernando," Darren immediately introduced.


    "The Archean Age? What? Is he a Heavenly Destiny Emperor?" Shipley''s pupils shrank. After a moment of surprise, he realized that this person must have come from the blood coffin.


    "Nice to meet you, Sir Fernando. My name is Shipley Dongli. Thank you for your help just now." Shipley took the lead in saluting, expressing his gratitude.


    "You don''t have to thank me. I don''t like trivial formalities. Let''s treat each other casually. After all, we are on the same side," the old man said flatly.


    "Since you are so straightforward, I won''t be pretentious either. My injuries are quite bad, and I need some time to recover."


    As soon as he explained his condition, Shipley fell cross-legged on the ground. He had just been besieged, suppressed, and seriously injured, so he needed to heal and recover as soon as possible.


    Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the Shura and the Killing Chief God''s emissary were still fighting with everything they had. After a few rounds of fighting, both of them were severely injured.

 Chapter 1640 Increasing The Hatred

    "This is so boring! How can they be so weak? If I were the opponent, I could just smash these two in a single blow."


    Fernando had been watching the battle for quite a while now and got really bored. Based on their performance, he could say that the two were only on par with a first-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor. They were as weak as ants when compared to him, a Heavenly Destiny Emperor at the third stage.


    He felt like it was meaningless to continue watching the fight.


    "No hurry. I will join the battle later," Darren, who had been observing the battle intently, suddenly said.


    "You want to join the battle?" Fernando rolled his eyes and said to Darren, "Brat, your strength is not that good. Why would you want to join this battle?"


    "Darren, you''d better not go there. You can''t get yourself involved in their battle," Shipley also said. He was healing his wounds, but he was awakened by Darren''s words.


    "Supreme God Shipley, have you forgotten that I have the Defiant God Character?" Darren countered with a faint smile on his face.


    Shipley''s face suddenly lit up upon hearing what Darren had said. He slightly nodded and replied, "You must be careful then. But let''s wait until their combat power falls down again."


    so good." Darren was secretly pleased. If he continued to mock the chief god''s emissary and the evil Shura for another quarter of an hour, he could be promoted to the Deputy God Realm.


    But while he was rejoicing inwardly, he also suddenly felt that something was odd.


    The chief god''s emissary and the evil Shura fell into silence and stopped moving.


    As Darren cast a glance at them, he found out that they were staring at him as if they wanted to tear him into pieces.


    "Damn it! Have you finally decided to fight me?"


    His heart skipped a beat. Obviously, the chief god''s emissary and the evil Shura were both seriously injured, and they were almost dying. Their strengths had even declined by more than half. But it was not a guarantee that they would not fight to the death. They might still hold some trump cards. If they were to die, they would surely want to die with him.


    "I know that both of you want to kill me. But do you really think that lowly ants like you deserve my life? You are just sons of a bitch!" Darren still wouldn''t want to miss any chance of increasing their hatred.


    "Ahhh!"


    "Ahhh!"


    Darren succeeded in igniting the evil Shura and the emissary''s anger. They both rushed towards him desperately.

 Chapter 1641 A Smooth Ending

    The two of them chased after Darren like madmen, but Darren kept running without ever looking back.


    Fortunately for him, the evil Shura and the emissary of the chief god were both so seriously injured that they were practically dying. There was no way they would catch up to Darren at the rate they were moving.


    "You guys are useless. Come and kill me!" As he ran away, Darren continued to taunt them.


    "Damn it! I''ll tear you to pieces!" the emissary roared in fury.


    The angrier they grew, the happier Darren became. His cultivation level was improving rapidly. It wouldn''t be long before he broke through to the Deputy God Realm.


    "Darren is truly talented..." Watching from afar, Fernando felt Darren''s cultivation level progressing. He would''ve been lying if he said he wasn''t jealous.


    Despite the odds, the Shura and the emissary kept on chasing Darren.


    After a while, however, they finally accepted that they couldn''t catch up to this Defiant Master.


    Thus, the two of them gave up the chase and decided to try to escape. Additionally, they both knew they weren''t capable of killing each other, let alone Darren, so they fled in opposite directions.


    "Are you guys trying to escape?"


    And just like that, the


    ength was also extremely important. Darren''s the other two God Characters were so extraordinary!


    Fernando seethed with jealousy.


    "You look so envious, old man." Darren squinted at Fernando indifferently. "I have also condensed a prototype of the Chief God Character, so I am the only creature who has the qualification to become a chief god since the birth of the Primitive Wilderness."


    Puff!


    Fernando was so shocked that he almost choked on his own saliva.


    This seemingly ordinary boy was such a genius¡ªhow lucky of him to have the unparalleled potential in the Primitive Wilderness!


    Fernando spat in annoyance. Even though he was a Heavenly Destiny Emperor, he would be much more inferior to Darren in the future.


    "Do you displease me on purpose?" Fernando rolled his eyes at Darren.


    "What? Are you mad at me?" Darren smiled mysteriously. "Let me tell you a little secret."


    "Don''t you dare. I won''t listen!" Fernando shot Darren a glare, signaling to him to drop it.


    However, after a few moments of silence, Fernando finally snapped, "Well, what is it? Tell me!"


    "Ha-ha." Darren knew that the old man was more curious than anyone else.


    "Try not to overreact when I tell you," Darren said cheekily.

 Chapter 1642 Tearful Eyes

    "Cut the crap. Just tell me already!" Fernando demanded impatiently. It took all his willpower to stop himself from strangling Darren.


    "Well, let me ask you this first: what do you think of the Heavenly Destiny Body?" Darren asked cryptically.


    "Are you an idiot?" Fernando asked sourly. "The Heavenly Destiny Body is the most powerful body in the Archean Age. Moreover, the warrior with this body has the potential to become a Sacred Sovereign. Why are you asking me such a stupid question? Besides, I know you have the Heavenly Destiny Body. Quit showing off already!"


    "Alas, old man, what would you think if I told you that my Archean body has surpassed the Heavenly Destiny Body and has stepped onto another level?" Darren asked with a sly smile.


    Fernando was stunned for a moment, completely at a loss for words. Then, out of nowhere, he slapped Darren''s head.


    "Are you messing with me?"


    Scowling, he figured Darren was making fun of him.


    "Oh, please! I''m serious. My Assimilating God Character can devour the source of physical power of Archean masters, thus further enhancing my body strength," Darren explained gravely.


    Fernando''s brain buzzed.


    "Really? Release your Archean fighting spirit, now! And don''t hide anything! I want to take a look!" Fern


    is eyes impatiently. He couldn''t stand these two verbose guys.


    "Ha-ha, how I envy your lightheartedness! Let''s go back together. I want to have a look at our hometown again before I leave!"


    Shipley summoned an arcane skill and opened a passage out of the abyss. The three of them then entered it.


    When they arrived at the human land, they found it in ruins.


    As they flew over the desolation, they tried to look for the formerly glorious divine palace.


    However, prosperity was in the past. The once majestic palace was now a sprawling wilderness.


    When Darren saw that the palace had become like this, his heart sank bitterly.


    "Hum!"


    The moment Darren and the others landed in the wilderness, a long roar pierced the air and broke the dead silence.


    "A dragon? Seriously?"


    Shipley was the first to react. He had already sensed that there was a terrifying dragon blood aura emanating from underground.


    A split second later, the earth trembled. A cyan light soared into the sky from the cracks.


    A huge cyan dragon burst out of the ground in a flash and danced in the sky. Its powerful and cold aura was enough to suppress heaven and earth.


    "Oh, that''s...!"


    Darren looked up at the huge dragon, his lips trembling, tears welling up in his eyes.

 Chapter 1643 Gather The Humans

    "It''s Lord Cyan Dragon!" Shipley exclaimed.


    When they saw the huge shadow of a cyan dragon and felt the overwhelming dragon power, their hearts beat so fast.


    Even Shipley was shocked when he felt the powerful aura of the dragon blood.


    Lord Cyan Dragon was said to be the top bloodline and the most mysterious in the dragon race. No one had expected that he would suddenly show up.


    On the other hand, Darren felt something different. The aura he felt was very familiar, although he hadn''t felt it for a long time.


    "Scott..." he muttered.


    Darren and some of his good friends had been separated for many years. And he hadn''t heard from them since then. Finally, he now saw one of them. He got so excited that he was almost on the verge of crying.


    "Rawr!"


    the huge cyan dragon roared. His body gradually shrank and turned into a young, handsome man with infinite elegance.


    He directly landed in front of Darren.


    "Darren..."


    Scott, who always looked cold, couldn''t help shedding tears too.


    "Scott..."


    As soon as their eyes met, emotions surged up from the bottom of their hearts. They both wanted to say a lot of things. But the words seemed to have been blocked in their throats. They couldn''t utter even a single word.


    Scott''s cold eyes turned red. He punched Darre


    iens were nothing but powerful evils. Even the human ancestor, ascetic cultivators, predecessors of the dragon race and the beast race had all died in the war before. They had lost their hopes a long time ago. They didn''t think Darren could change anything.


    As a matter of fact, many of them even blamed Darren in their hearts. After all, many of these humans were low-level cultivators who cared about their relatives and friends so much. But most of their relatives and friends had died because of Darren. It was such a sad ending for them.


    "Darren, just let us go," someone beseeched.


    "The destruction of the human race has long been a foregone conclusion. I only drag out an ignoble existence so I can hold a memorial ceremony for my dead husband every year. That''s all that my life means now."


    "Darren, I hate you in my heart, but I''m not blaming you. Everything is destined. I only hope that you can let bygones be bygones. Let the human race start again. Don''t destroy the posterity of our race."


    Hearing those words from the people of the human race, Darren felt that they really didn''t have any hope in their hearts left.


    An indescribable pain surged up in his heart. He could understand how they felt. It was not easy to lose friends and family members because of the war.

 Chapter 1644 Declare War

    "My friends, I totally understand how you feel. I know that you have been through a lot of struggles and difficulties for a long time now. But I am not here to ask for your help. Don''t worry. I don''t want anyone of you to risk your life anymore. I am going to fight against the alien races. I just want to make up for what I owe you. My only goal is to give you and your descendants a carefree, stable, and peaceful life,"


    Darren said after a long silence.


    "Darren, you still don''t get it, do you? It doesn''t matter whether you have the fighting power of a supreme god or not. Do you know that before the human ancestor died, he also forced himself to break through to the Supreme God Realm? But even so, he wasn''t able to do anything to make a change.


    You haven''t experienced that war, so you don''t know how cruel and powerful the alien races are.


    Leave some life for the human race and keep the human bloodline going. We beg you, don''t provoke those vicious aliens anymore."


    "Alas," Darren slightly sighed. He couldn''t blame these people, especially those who had experienced endless pain.


    Thus, he didn''t want to explain anything anymore. His words were not enough to convince these people. What he needed to do was to prove to them that they still had hope. If he succeeded in the war against the a


    legendary beast suddenly rushed towards Darren. His combat power was comparable to Heath.


    "You don''t know who you are dealing with!"


    Darren sneered. The next moment, his god''s power surged crazily.


    Boom! Boom!


    The space collapsed. A stream of dark gold god''s power turned into a crossed blade and sword and shot out.


    The crossed blade and sword seemed to ignore the distance of space and directly pierced through the body of the mutated legendary beast.


    The mutated legendary beast froze in midair. Half a minute later, his blood burst out like a broken dam, and his body was sliced into four pieces.


    The scene made the remaining mutated legendary beasts feel like they had entered the eternal Flaming Hell. This seemingly weak human was so horrible. It seemed that the Dark Night race was doomed.


    They suddenly remembered what Darren had said just now.


    As long as they begged for mercy, he would let them go.


    "Sir, I am humble and sinful. I hope you can spare my life." One mutated legendary beast finally couldn''t withstand the pressure and fear anymore. So he crawled and knelt down in front of Darren.


    "Very well. That''s right, beg for my mercy."


    Darren grinned from ear to ear and swung his sword. In a flash, the head of the mutated legendary beast rolled down from the air.

 Chapter 1645 The Mutated Winged-tiger

    Darren had slain the mutated legendary beast begging for mercy with his sword.


    "You despicable human, you broke your promise!"


    The remaining beasts were both enraged but also terrified at the scene.


    "That was a mistake. However, if you surrender and beg for mercy now, I will spare your lives," Darren said calmly.


    "Who will believe you now? Let''s fight it out!"


    One beast rushed over, but Fernando smashed it with his palm, once again shocking the others.


    "I surrender. Mercy, please."


    "Sir, I beg you, don''t kill me!"


    The remaining beasts knelt down one after the other, begging Darren and the others for mercy.


    "How dare such creatures invade our human race," Scott cursed.


    "Sir, that''s not what we did. We merely went to grab some remaining materials after the battle was over. We didn''t kill humans," a mutated legendary beast said in a trembling voice.


    "How dare you quibble?"


    Scott''s cold eyes swept over them. Having been seriously injured in that battle, he was forced to hide beneath the divine palace. However, he''d seen everything that


    d no choice but to use his most powerful skill.


    Boom! Boom!


    The earth cracked, a ditch appearing, and gradually expanding. Soon, it had turned into a large valley with a cave within it.


    The aura of death and destruction seeped out of the dark valley.


    "Dark Shadows of the hell, come out and kill these unworthy humans!"


    the winged-tiger roared, his voice reaching the abyss inside the valley. The valley shook, and dark light burst out with two unknown creatures in its midst.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    Stepping out of the dark, every step they took resembled a million tons of steel hitting the ground.


    Once they were finally out of the light, Darren could see clearly that they resembled a pair of fierce dogs. The only difference was the gray metallic luster covering their bodies and the cold and lifeless eyes. They looked like two living weapons.


    "Fernando, what are your thoughts on these two creatures?" Darren asked Fernando via his spiritual sense. Something told him that these creatures were not that simple to deal with, which worried him a little.

 Chapter 1647 The Whereabouts

    The mutated legendary beasts were all shocked when Lord Cyan Dragon suddenly appeared.


    "It is said that Lord Cyan Dragon appeared when the human race last fought with other races. I thought that it''s just a rumor. Indeed, it''s true! He really exists,"


    said one of the seventeen mutated legendary beasts. They had already stopped attacking.


    "So, are we going to fight or not?" Scott asked nonchalantly.


    "No, we are not. Go on and do your business here. We won''t interfere. But we just need to make it clear to you. If you kill innocent people from our race, we will do all we can to avenge them."


    "It sounds like you also know how to care. All right, I won''t fight with you today. You may go," Scott replied.


    The seventeen powerful mutated legendary beasts flew away at once. Of course, they didn''t dare to fight against the legendary Lord Cyan Dragon.


    Scott and Darren landed in human forms when the mutated legendary beasts were gone. They then saw a fireball coming out of the broken void.


    As it roared,


    they found out that it was the transformed winged-tiger.


    As soon as the winged-tiger hit through the ground, they saw Fernando coming out of the broken void as well. He chased afte


    s. "I know that there is a Water Kylin enslaved in this mining area. If you don''t tell me where he is, you will all die too!"


    "Master, please have mercy."


    "Sir, please don''t be angry. I''ll go and check our record now."


    "Hurry up! I''m giving you half a minute. Or else, I''ll kill all of you."


    "Yes, master!"


    Exactly thirty seconds later, the legendary beast flew back and knelt on the ground, trembling.


    "Sir, there was indeed a Water Kylin in our mining area who worked as a miner, but... he killed his leader seven thousand years ago and escaped."


    "You''re lying! How can an enslaved creature kill a leader?"


    The God Characters of the enslaved legendary beasts had all been suppressed by the Divine Sealing Nails. They couldn''t use their god''s power at all, so they could only rely on their physical strength to work.


    "Sir, I won''t dare to lie to you. Our record says that the Water Kylin is an Ancestral Blood Kylin. He suddenly awakened his bloodline power seven thousand years ago, and his fighting power soared. That''s how he killed the leader and escaped."


    "Master, what do you want me to do now? Should we execute them?" the mutated legendary beast turned to Darren and asked.

 Chapter 1648 Alien Races Joining Hands

    "They are not important. There is no need to kill them. As long as they release all the slaves in the mining area, you can let go of them," Darren said.


    "Yes, sir."


    Sadly, Darren had yet to find the Water Kylin this time around. But as long as the Water Kylin was still in the Dark Night race''s world, Darren could ask the mutated legendary beasts for help to locate him.


    For the next few days, Darren and the others stayed in the mining area, waiting for news to come.


    "Ancestor, I come bearing bad news. The humans have unleashed a sneak attack on the Dark Night race. It appears the ancestor of the Dark Night race has died."


    Around the Dark Night race''s territory, there were another four floating pieces of land, each harboring a different race.


    Of the four races, the Ancient Bird race was known to be the strongest.


    "What?"


    An enormous bird with white feathers resembling a vulture stood up in the main hall of the race. The atmosphere in the hall instantly turned subdued.


    "How dare such a trivial race like the humans attack the Dark Night race? I need to know everything that happened. Give me a detailed account!"


    "Ancestor, from what I could glean, three


    He is now waiting nearby," the white bird said confidently.


    "Nearby? Why don''t I sense his presence?"


    "If that were possible, how do you think he''d be able to defeat the Archean human?"


    "You''re right, of course, but I''m still worried," one of the other ancestors said.


    "You''re overthinking. This time, we''ll all work together. With the help of the Specter Ancestor, we will stand a better chance to kill them. Otherwise, if they pick us off one by one, we won''t fare better than the winged-tiger," the white bird explained.


    "You make a valid point. We must destroy those lowly things. What a crafty bird you turn out to be. How did you manage to lure them to the Illusion Spirit Sea?" one of the ancestors asked curiously. He wondered why those humans would fly over right to where the white bird had wanted them to go.


    "I heard that they were looking for a kylin. So, I spread a lot of false information. I made them believe that the kylin they were in search of was there." The white bird laughed, pleased at his own cunning genius.


    "Definitely crafty. Even if our sneak attack fails, those humans won''t be able to escape the Illusion Spirit Sea. You old cunning bird!"

 Chapter 1649 Fernando Was Trapped

    "Breathe quietly, and don''t make a sound. They are coming!"


    The white bird sensed that the humans were getting closer and closer after having waited for over two hours.


    "Are all the masters ready?"


    "Yes. All the masters of our race are well-prepared. Their fighting power is substantial."


    "Excellent. All of the ancient blood masters of our race have awakened, and their fighting power combined is strong. In this way, our fighting ability is equivalent to that of eight ancestors. We can take down these three measly humans."


    "Ha! After killing them, we should go to the human land and kill all of the remaining humans!"


    "Okay, let''s do it."


    Another hour passed. The alien ancestors hid in the dark, awaiting the arrival of Darren and his companions. They watched as the three humans landed.


    The three of them did not know about the hidden danger.


    "Master, the Illusion Spirit Sea is only a few million kilometers away. Are you sure you want to go there?" asked one of the mutated legendary beasts. They had accompanied Darren all the way here.


    In their consciousness, the Illusion Spirit Sea was a forbidden ar


    nd that the world was still dark. It was as if nothing had changed.


    He was trapped!


    On the other side, Darren and Scott broke through the dark space. They finally saw light again. Because the Specter Ancestor was so focused on Fernando, he had no strength to control Darren and Scott.


    As soon as they stepped out of the space windstorm, they immediately realized they were in trouble.


    There were many powerful alien creatures around them. In front of them, three alien ancestors were quietly floating in the air, emitting a crazy killing intent.


    "That damned Archean creature has already been trapped by the Specter Ancestor. Let''s see if you can escape now!" the white bird said.


    "Humph! Who said we wanted to escape? Are you so arrogant as to think that you can defeat the two of us?" Darren asked coldly.


    "Cut the crap. So what if you have the dragon bloodline? I''m the divine bird of heaven. Do you really think you have the power to beat me? Get ready to die!" shouted the white bird.


    "Kill these two pathetic creatures for me!"


    With a roar, all the powerful alien creatures rushed toward Darren and Scott.

 Chapter 1650 Looking For The Alien Rule Cultivator

    The power of the three ancestors and the teams of the alien creatures was extremely strong.


    Darren and Scott immediately felt the infinite pressure.


    "Darren, I''ll try to hold them back, so you can go and find Fernando. We can only have a chance to survive if he gets out of danger." Scott quickly sent a message to Darren through his spiritual sense.


    "Okay, Scott. Try your best to hold on. But if you can''t really defeat them, just run away." Darren didn''t hesitate to leave and let Scott deal with their enemies alone because if he didn''t look for Fernando, they wouldn''t be able to escape death in the end. Fernando was their only hope to survive.


    "Go now."


    Scott turned himself into a gigantic dragon at once. His dragon power was very powerful and overwhelming.


    "Huh? He''s a cyan dragon! Indeed, he is Lord Cyan Dragon."


    "Ha-ha! So what? He is not at the top level yet. We have nothing to fear at all."


    Among the three ancestors of the alien races, only the white bird was not affected by the dragon power. The other two were slightly suppressed, but their strength was still quite strong.


    On the other hand, the masters they had brought with them were different. Those masters naturally felt


    the confined space with all your strength," Darren said to Fernando through his spiritual sense.


    "Okay! Just hurry up! I can''t stand it anymore," Fernando replied excitedly.


    Darren tore the space with his hands and quietly dived into the space windstorm. He carefully moved forward, not revealing any aura.


    It was only then that he found out that the distance between him and the alien rule cultivator was less than two thousand kilometers.


    This distance was the limit that he could hide his aura. If he got any closer, he would be found even if the alien rule cultivator was not intentionally guarding against him.


    Thus, Darren had to launch a sneak attack against the alien rule cultivator within this distance.


    Phew!


    He silently activated his god''s power and quickly launched an attack. His goal was not to kill the alien rule cultivator but only to distract him in a flurry.


    Boom!


    To be on the safe side, Darren activated all of his god''s power and Archean fighting spirit. It looked like he had crossed the space and rushed towards the point he had discovered.


    "What? Someone is launching a sneak attack on me!"


    The Specter Ancestor immediately sensed it when Darren made his move.

 Chapter 1646 Dragon Transformation For A Critical Fight

    "So what? Don''t cause an unnecessary fuss." Fernando looked indifferent. Even with the creatures'' strange auras, he didn''t think they could compete with him.


    "You damn human, prepare to die!"


    the winged-tiger roared angrily. He flew towards the two strange creatures and landed between them.


    Then, the winged-tiger''s body shrank to the size of a normal human.


    As soon as he did, the two fierce dogs pounced on him.


    The winged-tiger roared in pain, but the fierce dogs didn''t stop. They bit holes into his body and entered it.


    "What''s going on here?"


    The sight was too surreal for Fernando.


    "You lowly human, it''s time for you to accept your demise!"


    After he transformed into a three-headed beast, the winged-tiger''s voice came out like clanking metal.


    "Are you telling me it isn''t enough for me to destroy one head and you want me to take down three?" While Fernando found the transformation novel, he didn''t think it changed anything.


    Whoosh!


    He rushed over to the winged-tiger, his fighting spirit fierce and unparalleled.


    B


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    d legendary beasts.


    While Darren had done as Scott had asked, his dragon body was far smaller than that of Scott''s.


    "Dragons!"


    "You are dragons!"


    The seventeen mutated legendary beasts grew agitated once they saw their new forms.


    Of all the legendary beasts, the dragon race was considered the strongest. As a result, all other legendary beasts had a natural fear of them.


    This was due to the suppression of the bloodline power.


    Scott, in particular, intimidated the seventeen mutated legendary beasts with a huge suppression force. That was because his dragon bloodline far surpassed the rest.


    As for Darren''s dragon bloodline, its level was unknown, but it was higher than the three inherited bloodlines of the dragon race. That was enough to make the beasts fear him.


    Letting out a roar, Scott moved first.


    His immense body was very flexible, attacking at an extremely rapid speed.


    "He...he is Lord Cyan Dragon, a legend of the dragon race."


    Sensing Scott''s aura, one of the mutated legendary beasts finally recognized him.

 Chapter 1651 Can The Cyan Dragon Master Nirvana

    Meanwhile, together with hundreds of their top masters, the three ancestors of the alien races had besieged Scott with all their might.


    Scott fought with the best of his abilities and killed dozens of top masters of the alien races with his dragon tail, but the three alien races'' ancestors were overpowering him.


    And as a result of their unrelenting attacks, Scott''s body had been covered with horrible wounds. Most of his dragon scales were broken, and his body was badly mutilated. He looked absolutely terrifying.


    "I can''t believe the legendary Lord Cyan Dragon is so weak!" the white bird roared with contempt. "You shameless creature! You besiege me with so many alien creatures, but you are so proud of yourself.


    You despicable races really don''t have any sense of shame," Scott replied in a cold and distant voice, which felt like white-hot fire in his enemies'' ears.


    "How can you still talk so impertinently when you are already dying? I''ll teach you a lesson for your arrogance. Go, all of you! Let''s claw his dragon tendons apart and drink his dragon blood!" one of the ancestors of the alien races haughtily roared in reply.


    He moved first, leading everyone else to rush toward Scott.


    "Ah!"


    Scott roared. The dragon blood aura in his body burst out completely, and the cyan light soared into the sky.


    Whoosh!


    Sco


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    n''t do this!"


    It was too late when the Specter Ancestor realized what was going on. The Archean palm not only shattered his law power space but also crushed the windstorm it created.


    The Specter Ancestor was actually fused with the space windstorm.


    "Ah!"


    With a pained scream, the Specter Ancestor was smashed into pieces by Fernando.


    "He''s finally dead." Darren breathed a sigh of relief and quickly activated the Assimilating Force to assimilate him.


    He was in such a hurry that he didn''t even finish absorbing before he spoke. He said, "Hurry up! Let''s go to save Scott!"


    "No need." Fernando, on the other hand, looked serene as he gazed at the distance.


    "Why not? Let''s go. Hurry up! Scott will die if we are late!" insisted Darren anxiously.


    "Don''t worry. The cyan dragon has already killed the other ancestors of the alien races," Fernando explained.


    "Wait¡ªwhat? What did you say?" Darren was about to fly away, but he stopped in his tracks because of Fernando''s words.


    "If my eyes don''t deceive me, he must have awakened already. And his strength has soared to kill those alien ancestors. Why don''t we go and have a look?"


    After saying that, Fernando tuned his back on Darren and flew toward Scott unhurriedly.


    Darren was surprised and curious, but time was of the essence, so he followed with all haste.

 Chapter 1652 An Analysis After The Battle

    Darren and Fernando rushed to Scott at full speed. In a moment, they saw a cyan dragon about ten feet long, falling on top of countless dead bodies.


    "Scott, are you okay?"


    Darren asked as he landed beside Scott. He looked around for a clean place and carefully carried Scott there, where he could lay him down properly.


    "I have a lot of deep wounds, but I don''t think any of them are fatal,"


    Scott weakly answered as he turned back into his human form.


    "You have even killed the ancestors of the alien races. You are definitely remarkable," Fernando praised, walking over with a huge grin on his face.


    However, Scott only shook his head. When Fernando met his eyes, he knew that the other man could see the remaining fear and pain in them. "No, I was just lucky enough to have awakened my inheritance skill. If I didn''t, I would have died."


    "Scott, don''t say anything more. Let me treat you first."


    As he spoke, Darren mobilized the dragon blood aura in his body and poured it into Scott''s body to heal his wounds.


    Three days later, Scott''s injury was finally healed.


    "Phew!"


    The pain in Scott''s soul had fully dissipated, and he breathed a sigh of relief.


    "I didn''t expect that I also have the phoenix race''s inheritance skill," Scott murmured in disbelie


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    eally wanted to know how he would fare as a rule cultivator.


    "You were once trapped by a rule cultivator from the alien race. So there should be a lot of powerful people in that race. Let''s go to his race and catch a believer," said Darren.


    "Do you know which race he belongs to?" Fernando asked.


    "I don''t know," Darren blurted out, which caused Fernando to frown slightly.


    "Then, where can we catch an alien? Did you even think about this? You are so stupid. Scott is ten times smarter than you, and Xavier is hundreds of millions of times smarter than you!" Fernando ranted impatiently.


    Darren struggled to cover up his laugh by coughing but failed miserably. "Ha-ha! I know you are still jealous of my great potential, but it is useless. No matter what you do, you can''t provoke me."


    "You are not only silly but also shameless." This time, Fernando was already shouting at the top of his lungs.


    "Whatever you say, I won''t be angry." Darren spoke casually. Then, he released the winged-tiger from his Space Ring.


    "What do you think about my poison attack? Will you surrender or continue to suffer my attack?" Darren kicked the winged-tiger.


    The winged-tiger was extremely uncomfortable. To him, it felt ten thousand times worse than his soul being torn apart.

 Chapter 1653 The Winged-tiger’s Surrender

    The winged-tiger was down on the ground, twitching in discomfort. Every cell inside his body was strangely itchy, and the blood poison attacked his meridians and soul. The two kinds of poison had left him writhing in bodily and mental pain.


    "Kill me now, please. I¡¯m begging you, do it already,"


    the winged-tiger pleaded to Darren, his voice full of agony.


    "Why would I even bother? Become my believer first, and you will be able to rid yourself of that pain," Darren replied flatly.


    "No way! Never!"


    Despite his intense suffering, the winged-tiger remained defiant and refused to convert into Darren¡¯s believer.


    "Alright then, I''ll let you wait in the Space Ring for ten thousand years. Enjoy your lengthy stay there," Darren said indifferently.


    "Don¡¯t do it. Please, just let me die."


    "Ha-ha, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that easy. I don¡¯t want to waste my time talking absolute nonsense with you anymore. Goodbye and enjoy yourself." Darren deliberated on putting the winged-tiger into his Space Ring right that instant.


    "No, it¡¯s too painful. I give up! I surrender!" The winged-tiger finally broke down. When Darren pointed out that he had to continue his suffering and bear the painful itching sensation for ten thousand years more, his last line of psychological defense shattered.


    "That¡¯s a relief to hear," Darren said, a weak smile tugging up the corner of his mouth.


    "I


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    ce they were midair, strange Spirit Power waves instantly spread out, and they began the test.


    After about fifteen minutes, all three grew very weak, but there was still no result yet.


    "What¡¯s going on?" Darren asked in cold blood.


    "Master, this master¡¯s soul is so unusual. It seems isolated from the laws of heaven and earth," one of the rule cultivators of the specter race answered.


    "What are you talking about? Try to be more specific about it."


    "I mean, this master doesn¡¯t seem to have any potential in becoming a rule cultivator."


    "What? Are you sure about that?" When Fernando heard this, he rushed over in haste and grabbed hold of the rule cultivator in an attempt to beat him.


    "Master, please calm down. I can sense that your soul hasn¡¯t conformed to the laws of heaven and earth yet. Perhaps a baptism will indeed reveal whether you can become a rule cultivator," the specter explained in a hurry, shaking with fear.


    "Humph! If that¡¯s the case, then why don¡¯t you hurry up and baptize me?" Fernando hurled him to the ground in one hand.


    The specter crawled back, and together, the three rule cultivators of the specter race invoked their Spirit Power and their unique rule cultivation method to begin baptizing the soul of Fernando.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Immediately, dark thunderclouds covered the sky, and the entire atmosphere seemed to be pressing down.

 Chapter 1654 The Shura Races Unusual Movements

    In the depths of the sky, the laws were in chaos.


    This picture made everyone feel that the sky was about to collapse.


    "What''s happening?" Fernando asked. His face was ashen-pale as he looked up at the sky, fearful of the magnificent heavenly power. As for Darren and the others, they only felt a little discouraged, but there was no trace of fear in their eyes.


    "Sir, please calm down. If I''m not wrong, your soul belongs to the extreme kind, which is why so many law storms have been triggered," the rule cultivator of the specter race said.


    "Ha-ha! Are you saying I''m endowed with top talent to be a rule cultivator?" Fernando answered smugly, finally relaxing.


    "Not necessarily. Even a person with a supreme soul can''t cultivate sometimes. We have to wait and see after the process."


    "Cut the crap then. Just hurry it up." Fernando scowled with displeasure, as he was getting really impatient.


    "Okay, sir. The process may be a little painful, and it will last for about three days. Please endure it."


    Seeing Fernando''s displeasure, the three rule cultivators didn''t dare to delay any longer. They activated their Spirit Power with all their might and used themselves as the medium to guide the laws of heaven and earth into Fernando''s body.


    "Ah! Damn it! It hurts so much." Fernando''s tortured screams echoed everywhere, like the howling of wolves


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    Now tell me, what does the Shura race''s activity have to do with him?"


    "Once I returned, I immediately sent people to monitor the Defiant Master''s movements closely. I finally received news that he killed the Holy Shura Ancestor''s most favorite descendant, and I think the Holy Shura Ancestor''s abnormality must have something to do with this. He is most likely going to kill the human Defiant Master and the old man from the Archean Age," said Carnot.


    "A mere human Defiant Master and an old man from the Archean Age can make him worship the chief gods and resort to the chief gods'' power?" the Fiend Ancestor asked doubtfully, as his eyebrows jumped high on his forehead. He had never expected something like that, so he was a little bit out of sorts.


    "Ancestor, the cultivator from the Archean Age Darren brought back is very powerful. Even if I was ten thousand times stronger, he could still have killed me in an instant," revealed Carnot.


    By now, the turbulent laws in the sky above the land of the Dark Night race had finally subsided.


    Fernando''s clothes were ragged and in tatters, while his hair looked like it had burned. He looked like he had gone through hell and back.


    "Damn it! It''s finally over." The past three days felt like three years to him. After all, he had been under constant pain, which was not that different from being tortured.

 Chapter 1655 Fighting The Holy Shura Ancestor (Part One)

    The specter race''s rule cultivators immediately released their rule power to recover Fernando to his usual look.


    "Congratulations, sir. Your talent in rule cultivation is very high. You may be as talented as the ancestor of the specter race," the rule cultivators of the specter race hurriedly told Fernando, in case he would beat them in anger.


    "What? Say that again!" Fernando asked with joy on his face, wanting to hear their praises again.


    "Your talent in rule cultivation is unparalleled in this world."


    Hearing this made Fernando laugh boisterously. He turned around and leveled a smug look at Darren, saying, "What do you think, brat? You can''t say my talent is poor now." Darren didn''t seem to mind his boasting. He had a nonchalant expression on his face as he said to Fernando,


    "Congratulations, old man. You finally have a little qualification to show off. You''re no longer so jealous of me now, right?"


    "Fuck off!" As soon as Fernando thought of Darren''s incredible potential, most of the joy he had just felt vanished.


    "Actually, sir, you have more talent in martial arts cultivation," Scott chimed in at this time.


    Hearing this, Darren immediately checked on Fernando''s martial talent. To his surprise, he found that after Fernando''s soul was baptized, his talent in martial arts cultivation grew on par with his.


    However, Darren was not the best in the Primitive Wilderness in te


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    gain. This time, the dark red god''s power was several times stronger than before.


    The truth was that the winged-tiger was terrified of the Holy Shura Ancestor. The god''s power was so terrifying that it could undoubtedly destroy the winged-tiger if it wanted. But the winged-tiger couldn''t give up now.


    If he wanted to protect his master, he needed to keep on fighting, even if it meant losing his own life.


    Darren and Scott, who were standing behind them, also felt the terrifying force of the dark red god''s power. They, too, knew that they didn''t stand a chance.


    ''I didn''t expect the Holy Shura Ancestor to be so powerful,''


    Darren sighed from the bottom of his heart. The Holy Shura Ancestor''s strength had already surpassed that of Shipley, a supreme god of the human race.


    Since the Shura race''s ancestor was so powerful, the other major alien races'' ancestors were probably on the same level as him. Otherwise, there wouldn''t be a balance between those alien races.


    Only then did Darren realize that declaring war on all the alien races was indeed impossible to achieve for the time being. Even with the help of Fernando, it still seemed like a shot in the dark.


    "Hey, you! Why don''t you pick someone your own size? Come and fight me!"


    Fernando taunted. He had flashed over as quickly as he could when he saw that the winged-tiger was about to be destroyed by the dark red god''s power.

 Chapter 1656 Fighting The Holy Shura Ancestor (Part Two)

    Fernando''s fighting spirit burst forth, and he swung his palm towards his enemy.


    The next moment, loud booming noises erupted everywhere.


    Layer by layer, the space began to fall apart. In addition to that, lightning raged. There was a violent windstorm as well.


    The Holy Shura Ancestor''s dark red god''s power colliding with Fernando''s fighting spirit was very much like a fragile egg smashing onto a hard slab of stone. It easily shattered upon contact with Fernando''s palm.


    A split second later, there was a rustling sound.


    Fernando had turned into a beam of lightning and disappeared. With a sudden flash, he reappeared directly above the Holy Shura Ancestor''s head.


    "Hah! Take this!"


    Confidently, Fernando shouted before he struck his opponent with such astounding force.


    His palm strike caused a fierce storm. It also left an enormous crater on the ground where it hit. It spanned ten thousand kilometers in diameter.


    A massive cloud of dust rose from the ground towards the sky. It had completely obscured everything around it.


    "What the hell?"


    Fernando immediately felt that something was wrong right after he delivered his blow. For some reason, his palm missed its target.


    Without delay, Fernando released his spiritual sense. In doing that, he found out that his enemy was already five thousand kilometers away into the void.


    "He used an instant transfer?" Naturally, he was a bit surprised by this. The Shura''s method of transfer was no longer considered a space method. As a matter of fact, it was a method that ignored the


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    ing here, Dethy?" he asked. There was a subtle hint of emotion behind the Shura''s metallic voice.


    "Oh, nothing. I just came here to check on you. For the longest time, I wanted to see what kind of power you got after becoming a slave of the chief gods.


    Alas! I''m very disappointed to see you lose to that human. Tut, tut! It seems that you''re still a loser even as a slave." The Fiend Ancestor''s tone was full of mockery.


    Hearing this, the Holy Shura Ancestor snorted. "Humph! You''d better get out of here as soon as possible. Don''t think that you stand a chance against me just because of my injuries. Just a single streak of god''s power can decimate you on the spot." The Shura stared at him ruthlessly.


    "Is that so? You don''t look too confident to me. In fact, you seem really nervous." The Fiend Ancestor grinned tauntingly. He didn''t seem to care about The Holy Shura Ancestor''s threat at all.


    While they were talking, Fernando fixed his gaze upon the fiend who just appeared. He was wondering if he had the ability to kill this master.


    "If he also has the same powerful method as the chief god''s attack, there''s no doubt that I''ll get killed," Fernando muttered to himself.


    Meanwhile, Darren and Scott had not been hit by the attack directly because of the protection of the broken jar. But still, the dark gold god''s power still had an impact on them. They quickly flew back and landed beside Fernando.


    "Old man, we must escape immediately. Now that the fiend is here, we can''t fight anymore." Darren told Fernando in a dead-serious tone.

 Chapter 1657 Frightening The Fiend Ancestor

    The current situation had far exceeded Darren''s expectations. Who would have thought that the Shura race''s ancestor would be able to trigger the chief god''s power?


    Fernando had fought head-on against that dark gold god''s power, and both he and the Shura were seriously injured. Now that the Fiend Ancestor had joined the fray, it was very likely that he would kill both of them!


    "I doubt that we can escape from here. If we want to survive, we have to find a way to fool the fiend first," Fernando said.


    The Fiend Ancestor and the Holy Shura Ancestor were at the same level, so the several alien races could always restrain each other. And Fernando was not stupid enough to fight against the Fiend Ancestor while he was seriously injured. He had to find a way to gain some advantage.


    Swish.


    The Fiend Ancestor threw Darren and the other two warriors a frosty glance, as cold as a gravestone on a winter morning.


    Then, a black flame spread from his body and merged into the broken space that surrounded them.


    "I know you want to escape, but with my fiendish seal, you won''t be able to get out of here alive! Ha-ha!"


    "Damn it! He sealed the void!"


    When Darren checked using his spiritual sense, he found that this place seemed to have become a separate world.


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    nando. But if he chased after them like that, he would definitely not be able to catch up in a short period. Thus, he could only pin his hope on the Shura, who could teleport in an instant.


    "Stupid thing, I will kill you one day."


    The figure of the Holy Shura Ancestor flashed, but he did not chase after Darren and the others. Instead, he fled in the opposite direction.


    It was because the Shura was seriously injured at the moment. If he used his last strength to chase after those humans, he would probably die. Even if he could catch up to them and kill them with the Fiend Ancestor''s help, there was still a great chance that the Fiend Ancestor would turn on him and kill him in the end.


    Therefore, in this situation, he had to use his teleportation ability to escape.


    The Fiend Ancestor was very angry when he saw the Shura run away, but he could do nothing. Initially, he had planned to take the chance to kill the Shura after he had stopped the humans. However, the Shura was unexpectedly smart and had seen through his thoughts. It only pissed him off even more.


    "Human beings, you must die!"


    Since he couldn''t catch up with the Shura, the Fiend Ancestor had no choice but to continue chasing Darren and his companions. He was determined to kill them!

 Chapter 1658 Naylor

    "Master Fernando, fly this way. There''s a space shortcut there!"


    the winged-tiger said after a while, pointing at a dark cloud in their path.


    "It''s okay. We don''t have to hurry. Even though I''m injured, I''m sure that fiend won''t be able to catch up to us that fast," answered Fernando. He looked calm as he flew beside them, but the truth was that his badly injured body was on the verge of collapse.


    "What¡ª? No way! The Fiend Ancestor is coming!"


    The winged-tiger was about to praise Fernando when his eyes widened in shock. A mass of demonic clouds was rolling from behind, only about tens of thousands of kilometers away from them.


    "Damn it! How did he get here so fast?"


    Seeing that the Fiend Ancestor was gaining on them quickly, Fernando pushed his battered limbs to hold on. He went faster and raced toward the dark cloud that the winged-tiger spotted, with Darren and the others at his heels.


    Boom! Boom!


    Explosions suddenly broke the space behind them, barely missing them by a few feet. It looked like the Fiend Ancestor had attacked with his fiend power from afar.


    "Let me resist it!" shouted Scott.


    Then, with a wave of his palm, the cyan dragon blood aura rushed out and collided with the fiend power.


    Dragons and fiends were natural enemies, but this pair was unusual because of the imbalance in their relationship. Typical natural enemies could restrict each other, but that wasn''t true for dragons and fiends. The dragon blood aura was especially good at confining the fiend power, while the fiend power could do nothing against it.


    Thus, Scott''s dragon blood aura destroyed the Fiend Ancestor''s fiend


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    ger like it was dirt stuck on his shoes.


    The winged-tiger was so enraged that he wanted to rush over to attack the Fiend Ancestor, but Darren quickly reached out a hand to stop him.


    "Ha-ha! There''s no need for that, Fiend Ancestor. Just tell me what you want. As long as you don''t go too far, I''d like to have one more friend and one less enemy." Darren knew very well that the Fiend Ancestor must be playing a trick on him. So he just went along with his words, all the while looking for an opportunity to escape.


    "Good! I like dealing with smart guys like you. Let me go straight to the point then. I want to come with you to the Illusion Spirit Sea, and we can look for Naylor together. When we find him, you have to leave him to me. I promise that I will not be an enemy of your human race in the future," answered the Fiend Ancestor.


    That was the second time that the Fiend Ancestor mentioned Naylor, so Darren could not help but wonder who he was. But, of course, he couldn''t ask the Fiend Ancestor directly, or the Fiend Ancestor would find out he was lying.


    "Naylor is terribly powerful. Even if you find him, how can you subdue him?" Darren asked subtly.


    "Humph! A chief god had already suppressed him in the Illusion Spirit Sea, and he has long lost his previous fighting power. Why can''t I subdue him?" snorted the Fiend Ancestor.


    "If you are so sure, then I don''t care about anything else. We have a deal." As soon as the words fell from Darren''s lips, a flash of triumph glinted in the Fiend Ancestor''s cold eyes.


    "Ha-ha, human, I am beginning to appreciate you more and more. I hope we can cooperate in harmony."

 Chapter 1659 The Blessing God Character

    "I wouldn''t call it cooperation. Why don''t we just call it a deal between you and me?" Darren said flatly.


    "Yes, a fair deal," the Fiend Ancestor agreed, looking satisfied.


    "Darren, it seems that Naylor is very important to him," Fernando said through his spiritual sense.


    "I think so too. Otherwise, he would have killed us immediately instead of deceiving us into the Illusion Spirit Sea before killing us," said Darren.


    "Ha-ha! You are getting smarter, kid. You noticed the plan of this stupid fiend this time," Fernando commented.


    Darren just rolled his eyes at Fernando without saying a single word or acknowledging what he said.


    He turned to the Fiend Ancestor and gestured ahead of them, saying, "Well, let''s get going. Lead the way, please."


    "Let''s go!"


    Then, Darren and the others flew towards the Illusion Spirit Sea together with the Fiend Ancestor.


    The journey of hundreds of thousands of kilometers came to an end very soon.


    They arrived at a valley surrounded by thick gray fog, which blocked most of the sunlight, plunging everything into the dim light.


    Visibility was poor, so they had to move forward carefully, heading toward the bottom of the valley. Not long after, Darren and the others felt an inexplicable pressure.


    That meant that they were about to enter the passage to the Illusion Spirit Sea.


    "Aren''t those time-space whirlpools?"


    Many colorful clouds were floating on the road in front of them. Of course, Darren immediately recognized them as time-s


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    to the pillar, and then I can escape."


    ''The Blessing God Character?'' Darren thought in confusion. He didn''t have this God Character. But, suddenly, he realized something. ''Oh, I see! Is it possible that Uncle Alfredo''s fourth God Character is named Blessing?''


    When he saw that Darren was silent, Naylor''s aura suddenly turned harsh and unforgiving. He said cruelly, "Don''t tell me that you haven''t obtained the Blessing God Character yet!"


    "I have inherited all of my uncle''s God Characters. Of course, the Blessing God Character is also included. But I don''t intend to let you go. If I let you go, you will definitely kill us," replied Darren.


    Now that Fernando was seriously injured, he would never be a match for Naylor.


    "Ha-ha! You don''t have to be afraid of him because I''m going to kill you right now."


    At this time, Dethy, the Fiend Ancestor, laughed grimly and released his majestic fiendish aura.


    "Fiend Ancestor, don''t forget that we are allies now," Darren reminded him. "You are one stupid human.


    Did you believe me? Why would I need such a weak ally like you? I didn''t kill you because I thought that you knew how to find Naylor. Now that he is right in front of me, you are no longer useful to me. I have no more reason to keep you alive."


    "You are making a fool of yourself. If you dare attack me, I will immediately use the Blessing God Character to save Naylor. I wonder if you can kill him as well!" Darren answered back, looking confident despite his delicate situation.

 Chapter 1660 Some Secrets Revealed

    Right after Dethy, the Fiend Ancestor, picked up Darren''s words, he appeared somewhat startled. ''If this Defiant Master were to set Naylor free, Naylor would surely kill me for a start!'' he thought.


    "Defiant Master, do you think it would be quicker for me to kill you first? Or do you honestly believe that saving him would be faster?" Dethy bellowed while pretending to be calm.


    "Just now, you sought to kill the Water Kylin. Well, did you succeed?" Darren sneered, his upper lip curling with disdain.


    When Dethy assaulted the Water Kylin earlier, Naylor had easily stood in the way of his attack.


    "I¡¯m the only one who can liberate him from the chief god¡¯s suppression. Do you suppose that he will allow me to die in vain?" Darren questioned with an air of arrogance.


    "Darren, you are so cunning." Naylor''s crisp voice rang out. "I swear if you get me off this damn pillar, I promise to kill Dethy and let you leave without being injured or harmed."


    "Naylor, you are compelling me to make a move without leaving me any choice," Dethy roared in frustration.


    "Is that so? Then make an effort to do something," Naylor''s face showed contempt as he replied, but Dethy just clenched his teeth in anger and stayed muted.


    For a moment, everyone in attendance fell into an abrupt standstill, or rather, delicate impartiality.


    However, this balance wouldn''t last long. E


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    r period. Our origins are from the chief gods'' bodies. However, we are conceived hundreds of millions of years after the nine chief gods have long existed, and the heaven and earth labeled us as rebels, and so did the nine chief gods. We are like malignant tumors growing out of ordinary living creatures in the eyes of the chief gods!


    So do you suppose that the fragments of Chief God Character are beneficial to Alfredo? I think it will only draw in the nine chief gods¡¯ attention, and they will surely kill him at all costs. He thought he was so wise, yet his actions were so reckless. He just dug his own grave," Naylor said with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.


    "Ha-ha." In reality, it appalled Darren to know these secrets, but he let out a low laugh of contempt.


    "What are you laughing at? Are you questioning my statement?" Naylor asked icily when he saw Darren¡¯s scornful expression.


    "It''s not that I doubt it, but the information that you''re maintaining is what you have embraced as the truth, but it turned out to be fallacious. I''m sure of it this time!" Darren insisted.


    "Ignorant!" Naylor scowled at Darren with disgust. How could he be wrong?


    "Are you saying that aside from the nine chief gods, no other living creature can be the possessor of the Chief God Character? Is this what you''re trying to tell me? You''re so dead wrong!" Darren cried out.

 Chapter 1661 Fighting With Dethy

    "Well, tell me. What wrong have I said?" Naylor asked with contempt. In his consciousness, the information he grasped was the most original one because its source was heaven and earth. It could even be said that it was an iron law. There could be no mistake in it.


    "Even if I tell you, you won''t understand. Why don''t you just feel it yourself?" replied Darren.


    Boom! Boom!


    The prototype of the Chief God Character in Darren''s body began to spin. It released an aura that was extremely similar to that of the chief god.


    As the dark gold god''s power combined with the aura of the chief god, Naylor trembled with fear. He subconsciously thought that the chief god had descended again.


    "Ahhh! This is impossible! How can this be happening?"


    Naylor madly roared. His face flushed with excitement, looking extremely ferocious.


    "It''s the Chief God Character! How did you have it?"


    Naylor held his head. It seemed that he was in great pain. The God Character of a Defiant Master was naturally suppressed by the Chief God Character.


    "Now, let me ask you again. Did you say something wrong or not?" Darren asked calmly.


    "Damn it! Did heaven and earth also l


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    l of a sudden, Dethy couldn''t detect Darren''s aura anymore. He couldn''t tell Darren''s exact location, but he was sure that Darren was still alive.


    Boom!


    A dark-red sword suddenly appeared behind Dethy.


    It pierced through the space and directly stabbed him on the back.


    A crisp sound reverberated as it penetrated through his body. But then, it met some strong resistance and could not go deep. It was Dethy''s hard bone that blocked Darren''s sword.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Since Darren''s sword couldn''t reach Dethy''s internal organ, Darren slid his sword down and cut his whole back.


    "Hiss!"


    Dethy hissed as he felt the sharp pain in his back. He subconsciously hit Darren with his claw.


    Bang!


    Before Dethy''s gigantic claw could reach him, Darren was sent flying by the crazy Darkest Fiend Power. He was thrown hundreds of thousands of kilometers away. His body was broken, but he didn''t feel any pain at all.


    "He is still alive,"


    Dethy murmured as he stood in the air, being surrounded by the black mist. He looked exceptionally terrifying.


    Scott and Fernando were both shocked to witness the formidable fiendish aura of both Darren and Dethy.

 Chapter 1662 Heavenly Dark Fiend

    "Darren''s fighting power is truly incredible. I think it is because Naylor is using his body to fight against Dethy," Fernando speculated.


    Scott considered it. "I feel that Naylor''s fighting power is far stronger than what Darren has displayed so far." Naylor was the Defiant Master of the fiend race, and Scott knew that his full fighting capacity was much more powerful than Dethy''s.


    "That''s for sure. Now he is trapped, and he is using Darren''s body to fight. It''s amazing how strong he is. Even if I weren''t injured, I would have to go all out to deal with all this."


    "I hope Darren can hold on for a few more days," Scott said, his brow furrowed. "Then, when you recover, we can fight Dethy together and kill him."


    "I hope so," Fernando agreed.


    Meanwhile, Dethy was getting frustrated. He was shocked that Darren had survived after suffering the heavy blow of his attack.


    He had been confident when he used the Darkest Fiend Power. He believed that even the Archean human would not be able to withstand it. But this humble Defiant Master was still alive. He had to admit, Naylor was more powerful than he''d thought. ''If Naylor''s Defiant Fiend Spirit entered my body, how terrifying would my fighting power be?'' he wondered.


    Dethy was beginning to feel frightened of Naylor. Indeed, his fear was growing by the minute.


    "I have to kill this human immediately,'' he told himself. ''Otherwise, I will be smashe


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    racks, colliding with Dethy''s giant claws.


    Dethy snarled with mingled pain and fury as the energy shattered his enormous claws.


    Black blood and flesh pieces exploded all over the void. Darren''s dark gold god''s power had destroyed Dethy''s claws.


    Dethy bellowed and retreated. The world shook violently as he stomped heavily on the ground.


    "Naylor, you deserve to die! Damn you!"


    Dethy''s plan to kill Darren failed. He was aggrieved and resentful and vowed vengefully that Naylor would pay for his interference.


    "Why? From the day I was born, you have been stronger than me, restraining me in everything! Why?" Dethy roared, and the sound reverberated in the void, shaking the ground beneath him.


    For a moment, Naylor said nothing, and Dethy wondered if he was ignoring him.


    To his surprise, Naylor eventually spoke. "Do you want to know why? Because you are just an insect that fell into the fiend core. Are you still naive enough to believe that you and I were born together? Ridiculous!" he said icily.


    Dethy was stunned. "Nonsense! Naylor, you are trying to trick me. You just want to weaken my psyche and make me vulnerable to your attacks. But I will never be fooled by such blatant lies!"


    Although he spoke confidently, Dethy couldn''t prevent the seed of doubt that had begun sprouting in his heart. He told himself, ''It''s not true. How could I be just an insect that fell into the fiend core?''

 Chapter 1663 The Time Limit Of A Year

    Dethy gnashed his teeth at Naylor''s words¡ªhe wasn''t taking it very well.


    "The fiend core of heaven and earth was birthed into this world to produce me. You''re just a sneaky beetle who chanced upon falling into it and robbing me of some of the benefits. That''s the only reason why you''ve grown this strong," spat Naylor.


    "Shut the fuck up! I''m tired of your bullshit! Prepare to die!" Dethy roared ferociously.


    "I have nothing more to say to you. Anyway, the day I get rid of this suppression will be the day you perish. Everything you''ve stolen from me will be mine once again," said Naylor in a calm and collected tone.


    Dethy was furious, but also terribly helpless. Given his current strength, it would be impossible to defeat Naylor in battle.


    If Naylor could really get rid of the suppression, he could easily kill Dethy with just a single blow.


    Originally, Dethy had thought that as long as he killed Darren, Naylor would be trapped here forever. But now, it turned out that defeating Darren wasn''t even possible in the first place. If he continued fighting, he''d just be making a death wish once the Archean human regained his fighting power.


    Now he had no other choice but to escape.


    "Naylor, you win this time, but in the end, it is I wh


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    threat to his life. All you need to do is to get the Blessing God Character. As long as you free me, the problem is solved, easy-peasy," chimed Naylor, nonchalantly.


    "Humph, but if I save you, how can you guarantee that you won''t kill me?" If Darren released Naylor and he wanted to kill him, there was nothing Fernando would be able to do to protect him.


    "You wildly underestimate me, Darren. How can I have the heart to kill you, a miracle among the Defiant Masters? I''d like to see if you can become a chief god!" chuckled Naylor.


    "I''m afraid words just don''t cut it when it''s you," said Darren.


    "Humph! Quit your nitpicking. You are far inferior to Alfredo. Enough with this pointless drabble. Just believe me already," said Naylor.


    "Ha-ha, you definitely sound like a boisterous man, but you don''t look like someone who plays tricks. I choose to believe you this time. Scott and I shall take our leave." Darren had no choice but to agree with Naylor.


    "Remember your promise. Come back in a year, or the kylin will tear you apart!" Naylor put the Defiant Fiend Spirit into the Water Kylin''s body and gave him an order. If Darren didn''t get the Blessing God Character within the span of a year, the Water Kylin should immediately end his life.

 Chapter 1664 The Di Clans Territory

    "Don''t worry. I will no doubt be back in a year. But the countdown starts once I am out of the Illusion Spirit Sea, right?" Darren said.


    "Of course. Kylin, you need to heed my order. Do everything you can to protect Darren and get him out of the Illusion Spirit Sea. Be quick," Naylor ordered.


    "Yes, master."


    "Good. You can leave now."


    Boom! Boom!


    The space cracked. An immense force wrapped Darren, Scott, and the Water Kylin, pushing them out.


    At dusk, three figures descended from the sky, landing in an ancient forest on an island in the sea.


    "Dead dog, where are we?"


    Darren studied their surroundings and frowned.


    "How dare you talk to me this way? Show me some respect when you address me!" the Water Kylin roared coldly.


    "First, tell me how we''re going to get out of here now. If we don''t do it fast enough, how will we be able to save Naylor?" Darren said.


    The Water Kylin squinted at Darren and turned his head away. "I don''t know the answer to that either."


    "Are you serious? Well, it doesn''t matter to me. Might as well take a walk and enjoy the scenery."


    "How dare you act so nonchalant? If you don''t pull our own work, I won''t mind killing you!" the Water Kylin said furiously.


    "Water Kylin, don''t forget that your master ordered you to help me get out of the Illusion Spirit Sea. It''s you who''s responsible for getting me out of here, so you wouldn''t dare to kill me. You''d be disobeying your master''s orders," Darren sa


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    rry my favor," Keen Di laughed.


    "Boss, why bother with a wedding? Just take her back and sleep with her. These formalities are meaningless," one of his subordinates said with a dirty smile.


    "Yes, boss. You can even do it in her husband''s bed. That should make things interesting."


    "You two shameless bastards, speaking out what I truly feel. I will reward the two of you!" Keen Di was extremely happy to hear these suggestions.


    "I will kill you bastards! Ah!"


    Lionel''s ire flamed hotter at their disgusting words. Ignoring everything, he rushed to Keen.


    Smack!


    With one smack from Keen, Lionel was sent flying.


    "Guys, kill this little bastard! Pathetic wimp!"


    "Yes, boss!"


    "Keen, please let my grandson go." The old man''s face turned deathly pale. Keen was a warrior at the fifth stage Sanskrit Emperor Realm, and one of his subordinates was a warrior at the fourth stage. The old man, at the third stage, was absolutely no match for Keen or his men.


    "How dare this little bastard attack his future stepfather? He''s uncivilized. I must kill him! Go ahead!"


    "What a domineering bastard! Who are you planning on killing?"


    Darren appeared midair above them. After he heard the entire conversation, his killing intent burst out like wildfire.


    "Ah, it''s the strong warriors from before. Why did they come back?" But did the old man really care why they were back? He was happy to know that maybe there was hope for him and his grandson.

 Chapter 1665 Deal With Trouble

    Darren and his two companions landed and walked toward the old man.


    "Distinguished guests... Why have you returned?" Hope blossomed in the old man''s heart when he saw Darren and the others turn back. He prayed that they could help him, or his grandson would be in danger.


    "It''s too foggy in the north. We couldn''t find the way," replied Darren.


    "Oh, I''m sorry," the old man said, shaking his head. "It''s winter now. There will be fog in the north. Ordinary people would have a challenging time figuring out the correct direction. I should have considered this when giving you instructions." The old man apologized when he realized his mistake.


    "No harm done. Would you please lead the way for us?" asked Darren.


    "Of course! But there is a small issue. As you can see, these shameless gangsters want to kill us. I''m afraid..." the old man trailed off as he turned to glance at the gangsters.


    "They won''t bother you for much longer. I will help you get rid of them," Darren uttered coldly.


    "How dare you! Who the hell are you? Whatever is happening here is none of your business!"


    the leader of the gangsters, Keen, roared. He had been observing Darren for a while now but couldn''t figure out Darren''s realm. Truth was, Darren had deliberately hidden the aura of his


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    ou, sir. I will never forget your great kindness." He bowed as he spoke.


    "Get up." Darren''s face darkened slightly. "Here''s another lesson. A man should be of indomitable spirit and should not kneel in front of another so easily."


    "Yes, sir."


    Lionel scrambled to his feet. His aura seemed to have changed. Everyone could sense that he had become more powerful.


    The old man also wanted to kneel and express his gratitude, but when he heard Darren''s words, he stood straighter than before. His earlier defeated demeanor changed to one of pride and confidence. He even felt a surge of hot blood in his heart.


    "Sir, I''ve learned a lot from you. Thank you very much." Excitement reflected in the old man''s tone.


    Darren nodded slightly. "Then, please lead the way. I have something urgent to deal with, and only you can help us navigate through the fog."


    Thump.


    Just then, the old man fell to his knees.


    "Sir, although my grandson is young, he is sensible and obedient. Please accept him as your servant and give him a chance to live safely. I will never forget your great kindness," the old man appealed.


    "Grandpa..." Lionel cried. He knew that his grandfather wanted Darren to take him away to safeguard him from future trouble by the Dragon Hell''s gangsters.

 Chapter 1666 The Divine Illusion Sea Scripture

    "Darren, we don''t need to leave right away. Why don''t we stop by their village and have a drink first?" Scott asked. His voice had an edge to it.


    Of course, Darren knew what Scott meant. He wanted to help the old man and his grandson guard their village. If the Dragon Hell gangsters dared to make trouble, they could just kill them.


    "You''re right. I fancy some wine myself. Do you have wine at home?" Darren asked with a smile.


    "Of course! Thank you! Thank you very much!" The old man, Samuel, understood what Darren meant. Tears suddenly streamed down his cheeks. "Lionel, go back and ask your mother to prepare some wine for our guests. Hurry!"


    "Okay, Grandpa." Lionel laughed as he wiped away his tears. He ran off immediately.


    "Wait!"


    The Water Kylin flew over and landed in front of Darren.


    "Brat, you''re wasting time on purpose. This is against my master''s orders. If you insist on having things your way, you will only succeed in pissing me off. I won''t hesitate to kill you!" the Water Kylin said with a domineering tone.


    Darren rolled his eyes at him. "Then find a way for me to get out. It''s your fault that I am stuck


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    ither. I have seen many powerful creatures in the Divine Illusion Sea Scripture. They can crush stars and dry up oceans with their might..."


    Lionel kept telling Darren about the legendary stories he had read about. His eyes beamed with excitement.


    "Okay, that''s enough. Your stories are all things made up to entertain children. I''m sorry if he has bothered you with all his talk," Samuel said, stopping Lionel. He gave his grandson a big grin.


    "No, they are not made up. They must be real!" Lionel pouted.


    "Lionel, where is the Divine Illusion Sea Scripture you mentioned? Can I take a look?" Darren asked.


    "Okay, I''ll get it right away." Lionel looked excited. He turned to Samuel. "Even Darren wants to see it. Do you still think it''s fake, Grandpa? Haha!"


    "What a naughty boy!" Samuel shook his head and smiled.


    Soon, Lionel brought out an ancient book. It was very thick, and its pages were very thin. It must have had at least a hundred thousand pages.


    Darren opened the ancient book and was immediately intrigued by the first few pages.


    "The origin of the chief gods? Amazing!" Darren couldn''t help but keep reading.

 Chapter 1667 Asking For Help

    Darren quickly scanned the first eleven pages of the book. Only the first page had written text, while the subsequent pages contained ten starry sky patterns.


    "What does the origin of the chief gods mean? This text only described the star field in the depth of the sky but did not mention any gods..." Darren couldn''t help but frown. He couldn''t understand the book but continued reading it anyway, in hopes that he would find something interesting eventually.


    It took him about a quarter of an hour to finish reading from cover to cover and imprint all he had read in his mind.


    "What do you think, Darren? Isn''t it great?" Lionel asked as he looked at him expectantly, eagerly waiting for his approval.


    However, Darren only nodded slightly without any sign of pleasant surprise, which disappointed Lionel very much. "Uh, yeah, yeah. It''s good," was Darren''s lackluster comment.


    The truth was that Darren wasn''t paying attention at all. He had read the whole book, but he didn''t see any legends or stories at all. The text was full of inexplicable verbal descriptions and some typical patterns.


    "Darren, even you think this book is ordinary? Alas, it seems that I was hallucinating," Lionel blurted out as he sighed in disappointment.


    It was not until then that Darren came to his senses. He smiled and said, "Lionel, if I''m not wr


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    men paused what they were doing when they sensed Darren, and their violent auras all rushed over to suppress him.


    "Who are you?" they snarled at him.


    "I''m the one who will kill you," Darren answered coldly.


    "Are you kidding me, brat? Are you this poor creature''s slave? You are courting death!"


    "Damn it! He''s not my slave. He''s my boss! Humph! You''re doomed. My boss is so powerful that it''s as easy as pie for him to kill you. All of you, just wait for your death!" The Water Kylin was so ecstatic that he almost burst into tears, and he crawled over to Darren weakly. For a moment, he was afraid that Darren wouldn''t come.


    Seeing that the Water Kylin looked pitiful and hurt, Darren could not help but recall their past adventures together. The Water Kylin had not changed at all. He was still the same as before.


    "Brat, these guys are quite powerful. Be careful when you deal with them. I''m seriously injured. I''m leaving first!" said the Water Kylin, who was trying his best to escape.


    "Come on, guys! Let''s kill that poor creature before it runs away!" When they saw that the Water Kylin was about to escape, the three men immediately wanted to rush over and finish him.


    "How dare you? If you dare hurt my friend, I will send you to the darkest part of hell!" Darren threatened them with a murderous gleam in his eyes.

 Chapter 1668 Continuous Troubles

    "You are so arrogant! Since you''ve overstepped your boundaries and want to jeopardize your life, the three of us are willing to grant your wish!"


    A sudden gust of strong murderous intent rushed towards Darren. In a flash, he roughly gauged the three men''s cultivation levels. They were comparable to the warriors at the top level of Deputy God Realm.


    However, such kind of cultivation level was not a big deal in front of the present-day Darren.


    Whoosh!


    A sword intent shot out, and one of the three men split into two pieces.


    "Oh, no! Remy got killed!"


    "That''s impossible! How could he kill Remy in one swift stroke? What the hell was that move? It''s making my blood run cold!"


    The sudden assault left the other two all shaken up in horror.


    Although they were not the strongest beings in the Dragon Hell, never in their journey across the distance of over a million kilometers had they encountered an opponent like Darren. It never crossed their minds that a young man would suddenly show up from out of nowhere and finish Remy with a single blow, which caught them unaware. They found it hard to move on from what just happened.


    "Hey brat, who the hell are you?"


    "My name is Darren, and I will defeat every single one of you!" Darren shouted in cold blood as he simultaneously sent another sword intent flaring out. It cut another one of his opponents into pieces!


    He just killed another one without much effort. It scared the only remaining enemy out of his wits.


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    gon Hell, located inside a majestic and dark mountain...


    "What are you saying? I don''t believe you!"


    "Yes, Father. I just received a news update that my younger brother got killed during the battle. It must have something to do with the kylin, who broke in during the day. I''ve also gotten a word that a powerful killer had slaughtered Keen in a small village. I guess the people responsible for my younger brother''s death belonged to the same group as those who killed Keen to provoke us. I even suspect that it was the Sacred Members'' senior leaders who sent those people to cause trouble," stated one young man.


    "Damn it! Is the old man finally going to ambush us? Inform the ancestor to finish his cultivation right away. We need him here now!"


    "Father, please think about it first. It''s a capital crime to disturb the ancestor. If you do so, they will sentence you to death."


    "Humph! If the masters of the Sacred Members really come and we don''t report it to the ancestor, we''ll surely be sentenced to death. In such a case, you have to wait outside the ancestor''s cave first, and I''ll bring my people with me to check it out. If the Sacred Members come to attack, I''ll inform you and you can tell our ancestor about it then. If not, I''ll kill that guy myself to avenge your brother''s death!"


    "That sounds like a good plan. Father, be careful out there!"


    Boom!


    In a flash, the entire Dragon Hell shook, and tens of thousands of fiery red figures took off and flew east.

 Chapter 1669 The Master Of The Dragon Hell

    Darren remained where he was, intending to meet the so-called master of the Dragon Hell.


    He impatiently turned to the gangster crawling on the ground and asked, "Why hasn''t your master come yet?"


    "Sir, I don''t know anything. Please let me go. I''m just a lowly lackey, and I''m so sorry for offending you. Please forgive me."


    "Tsk! You''re so annoying!"


    Bang!


    The gangster''s begging was cut short by a loud sound, as Darren killed him with one palm strike. After all, it was useless for Darren to keep him alive.


    "Darren, I can sense many powerful warriors heading in this direction." Scott, who had been silent all that time, suddenly felt tens of thousands of powerful auras approaching quickly.


    Instead of being frightened, Darren looked overjoyed and broke out into boisterous laughter. "Ha-ha! That''s great!"


    Before long, those powerful warriors they detected arrived and landed at the bottom of the pool.


    When the man at the helm saw Darren and Scott, his face darkened with rage.


    "They are not the Sacred Members," one of them said.


    "Who are you? You dared to hurt our young master, I will tear you into pieces today!" another one added.


    Darren was as calm as usual. He turned to the tall, middle-aged man in armor, who looked like he was the leader of the group, and asked,


    "Are you the master of t


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    ill of the dragon race, your soul will be seriously injured. And if you fail, we will undoubtedly die. Let''s go all out first before we do anything drastic," Darren suggested.


    "Okay, let''s try again. Let''s attack together."


    Darren and Scott gathered their god''s power to the limit, and their momentum swelled like the cresting of a wave.


    Roar! Roar!


    The two figures turned into thunderbolts and rushed at Cayson Di.


    "Your attack looks mysterious, but, unfortunately, it''s weak!" Cayson Di sneered and then shouted,


    "Original Heavenly Fire Seal!"


    Cayson Di didn''t want to give the two any more chances. So, he quickly used a killing move.


    All of a sudden, a mountain of flames appeared in the starry sky. It seemed like heaven and earth were about to be burned to ashes with infinite destructive power.


    "Damn it!"


    Even if Darren had the True Fire Spiritual Body, it was almost useless under the heat of the mountain.


    "This heat has surpassed the laws in the Primitive Wilderness. What the hell is going on?" He could only look on in shock.


    The mountain of flames came down so fast that Scott and Darren had no way to avoid it.


    "Darren, we have to counter it head-on, or we will die!"


    Scott roared. He had no choice but to use the inheritance skill of the dragon race in this moment of desperation.

 Chapter 1670 Absorbing The Original Heavenly Fire

    The endless shadows of the cyan dragon crossed the starry sky with immense power.


    "Scott!" Darren shouted. His heart sank upon seeing the scene. Scott used his inheritance skill of the dragon race. It only meant that even if he could defeat Cayson, he would still be seriously injured. Worse was, he might not be cured anymore.


    "Darren, kill him now!" Scott shouted as his dragon shadows approached his dragon body and gradually integrated into it.


    Cayson, on the other hand, deeply frowned when he felt Scott''s rising momentum. He was not sure how powerful the inheritance skill of the dragon race was, so he had to kill him as soon as possible. He would definitely regret it if he missed this rare opportunity.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    "Suppress!"


    A fiery red bead flew out of Cayson''s body and landed on the flaming mountain.


    The terrifying pressure of the Original Heavenly Fire Seal had increased again. This kind of attack was almost as powerful as the Sky Fiend Blood skill of the Fiend Ancestor.


    "Ahhh!"


    At this crucial moment, Scott invoked his Fusion Skill. His dragon body flew up and instantly collided with the flaming mountain.


    Darren, who was at the bottom, burst out his god''s power and attacked the flaming mountain too.


    The whole void


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    al Heavenly Fire was the seed of fire that was left at the beginning of heaven and earth. He couldn''t imagine how it was swallowed just like that.


    But he saw it really happened.


    Whoosh!


    After the prototype of the Chief God Character absorbed the flaming palm print, it quickly flew away and automatically headed for the flaming mountain, which was still collapsing.


    The prototype of the Chief God Character froze not far away from the flaming mountain. All of a sudden, the flaming mountain melted into something like liquid and rushed into the prototype of the Chief God Character.


    In just a few seconds, the flaming mountain was completely absorbed by the prototype of the Chief God Character.


    When Darren, who was already on the verge of losing his consciousness, saw the entire scene, his hope of survival was rekindled at the bottom of his heart.


    As soon as the prototype of the Chief God Character finished absorbing the flaming mountain, it quickly flew back and embedded itself into Darren''s elixir field.


    "The prototype of the Chief God Character is improved!" Darren exclaimed.


    The return of the prototype of the Chief God Character automatically repaired his elixir field. His consciousness that was about to collapse also gradually came back.

 Chapter 1671 Sacred Members

    It was not until then that Cayson recovered from his shock. When he came back to himself, he immediately rushed to Darren with a bloodthirsty expression.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    He attacked Darren wildly with his flaming palms. At that moment, he had a sinking feeling that if he couldn''t kill this strange guy as soon as possible, something terrible would happen.


    Actually, Darren didn''t grow stronger, although the prototype of Chief God Character had absorbed the flames.


    On the contrary, it was his opponent''s attack that seemed to have weakened somehow.


    Darren held out his palms and collided with the flaming palms of Cayson, shattering them one by one.


    "Without the power of the Original Heavenly Fire, he is only a little stronger than me!"


    Now, Darren understood that it was the Original Heavenly Fire that made Cayson so fierce. Darren could almost ignore the little remaining Original Heavenly Fire in his attack. It wasn''t a threat to him anymore.


    "Damn it! The Original Heavenly Fire couldn''t harm him!" When Cayson saw that nothing he did was hurting Darren, he was shocked and frustrated.


    "Damn it! I am wasting too much time here because of him. I need to get the genuine dragon blood first!"


    Cayson was a sharp man. He wouldn''t continue fighting if he couldn''t win. Besides, it didn''t matter whether Cayson could kill this human or not. The most important thi


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    he was nothing in front of Mateo. In that instant, he regretted what he had done. What good was the dragon blood if he was going to die?


    It was not until now that he realized that he had fallen into madness; that he had momentarily lost his mind to greed.


    But now, it seemed to be too late.


    "Stop it, Mateo! We can drop the matter if you retreat now."


    At the critical moment, a dark figure emerged from the void and stood beside Cayson.


    The figure waved his hand benevolently, and Mateo''s attack disappeared without a trace. Everything went very quiet.


    "You! Are you going to break your promise? You want to set foot here and declare war on us?" Mateo seemed to lose his temper as soon as he laid eyes on the man. Obviously, he recognized him.


    "It''s not the right time yet."


    The dark figure grabbed Cayson by the shoulder, dragged him away, and walked into the depths of the void.


    "Ancestor! They have the dragon blood. Please, help me take the dragon blood!"


    Cayson begged his master. "Master, wait! Master!"


    No matter how many times he called, his master didn''t respond. Instead, he could feel that a terrible killing intent was trained at his soul. He shuddered and didn''t dare to say anything more.


    Meanwhile, Mateo breathed a sigh of relief after Josiah and Cayson left.


    "Arrest the two intruders," Mateo ordered as he wiped the sweat on his forehead.

 Chapter 1672 About The Outside World

    As soon as Mateo gave the order, Darren and Scott were immediately surrounded by powerful warriors.


    "Take them away!" he barked.


    "Wait!" Darren pleaded grimly. "We stumbled across this place by accident. Please forgive us if we offended you. We will leave now."


    "Humph!" Mateo grunted indignantly. "How can I let you go after you broke into our Sacred Land without permission? You must stand trial, or else I''ll have you killed on the spot." The overwhelming auras of the many powerful warriors swept over them. These people were not weak. In fact, it seemed they were actually comparable to the ordinary ancestors of the Primitive Wilderness!


    "Darren, I can''t hold on any longer..."


    Scott''s weak voice echoed in Darren''s mind. He could feel that Scott''s dragon soul was about to collapse.


    "Fine, I''ll go with you." He finally conceded.


    He couldn''t stand to watch Scott bear any more torture. He needed to look for a place to stay so he could treat him as soon as possible.


    "Smart move," one of the powerful warriors said coldly.


    Darren decided it was best to keep quiet and flew downward silently, escorted by these powerful warriors.


    Soon, they were led to a hall.


    "Distinguished Holy Lord,


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    able to see it in my life. By the way, do you think that the reason why Cayson chased you is that you helped the people of our clan?" The elder raised his grey brow at Darren.


    "In fact, it''s not a big deal. One of Cayson''s subordinates wanted to take away a woman, and we happened to be there when it happened, so we ended up fighting. After that villain was killed, the woman''s family was afraid of being retaliated and bringing disaster to the village, so they asked us to stay to protect them. We took the initiative to go to the Dragon Hell to settle accounts with the gangsters, but we didn''t expect that their master, Cayson, was very powerful and he coveted my friend''s dragon blood..." Darren explained to the elder.


    "Humph! That rebel is becoming more and more reckless!" The elder banged his wine cup on the table in fit of rage.


    "Sir, if I may, I noticed that there are many powerful warriors among you Sacred Members, and you are obviously stronger than people of the Dragon Hell. Since they are rebels, why haven''t you gotten rid of them?" It was Darren''s turn to ask the elder a question.


    "Alas," the elder sighed. "I might know about your world now, but you still know nothing about our world."

 Chapter 1673 The Space Left Behind

    "Can you tell me about your world, sir? I''m curious to know how such a sea can be independent of the outside world. Before coming here, I''d heard this place''s existence had something to do with the Primitive Wilderness''s chief gods. I would like to know more if that''s possible," Darren asked with great interest.


    "Well, since you have satisfied my curiosity, I will also satisfy yours. Let me tell you about the Illusion Spirit Sea," the elder replied simply.


    "Thank you."


    They went back to conversing, this time with Darren asking all of the questions. It took Darren three days to more or less grasp how it all happened.


    According to the Di Clan elder, the Illusion Spirit Sea had existed for a long time. There were speculations that it dated back to when heaven and earth were came to be.


    One hundred and eight islands that existed in this sea had owners. But there were others that belonged to no one. Each of the ones with owners held a major force that existed for generations.


    The Di Clan was one of the said major forces.


    Those hundred and eight islands also fell under the jurisdiction of another force: the Blood Lineage Palace.


    One could s


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    Darren said with a nod. He and Scott slowed down once as they approached the cave.


    To the Holy Lord''s surprise, Darren and Scott had reached the point where the lightning usually struck. However, this time around, nothing came.


    Once his surprise dissipated, the Holy Lord couldn''t help but feel a little happy. He''d been right. These two young warriors might be able to enter it.


    The mountain had been existing in the Di Clan''s territory for so long. He was anxious to know what was hidden inside.


    As Darren and Scott landed at the entrance of the cave, the strange and powerful runes began to fluctuate.


    "Darren, don''t move. Let me go in first."


    Scott took a few steps forward and stepped into the cave with half his foot landing inside.


    A buzzing sound came, and then Scott found himself flying back and landing steadily hundreds of feet away.


    "What just happened?"


    Scott couldn''t help but frown. The second he was about to step inside, a gust of wind had gently pushed him out and stopped him from moving forward.


    "We can''t either?" Darren was surprised. "Let me try," he said.


    Stepping forward, he put one of his feet inside the cave.

 Chapter 1674 Block

    Darren took a deep breath and trudged inside the cave. To everyone''s surprise, he didn''t encounter any obstruction. His figure just gradually faded into the darkness.


    "He''s in!"


    the Holy Lord of the Di Clan couldn''t help but cry in shock.


    "Darren, be careful..." Scott sent a message to Darren through his spiritual sense, but there was no response.


    This was because Darren couldn''t even spread his spiritual sense. He had no way of sending any messages out at all.


    "The space is so strange... Yet, why does it feel somewhat familiar?" Darren pondered aloud, confused.


    "Get out. It''s not yet your time to come in." A voice suddenly echoed in the darkness.


    All of a sudden, an invisible wall appeared in front of Darren and blocked his path.


    "Who are you?"


    For some reason, the sudden voice did not scare Darren.


    "Just leave. And hurry up."


    The person in the darkness didn''t answer Darren''s question, but instead, continued to urge him to leave.


    Whoosh! Whoosh...


    Before Darren knew it, a gust of wind blew, and a bright ray of light hit his eyes. Blinking confusedly, he found himself outside the cave again.


    Dazed, Darren wracked his brains tryin


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    ve thieves. They immediately fell to their knees and spat out blood.


    "You did have the guts to leave the Sacred Land of the Di Clan. It is well worth the effort to wait here for you these past days," Cayson sneered.


    Three figures then suddenly appeared, almost crushing the void.


    Darren''s and Scott''s expressions grew grim. Cayson didn''t come here alone. Two powerful warriors at his level of strength were here with him!


    "Cayson, are these the two brats you wanted to kill?"


    The two men, one young and one old, were dressed in white and black robes respectively. The two of them looked at Darren and Scott carefully, their eyes filled with contempt. Were such ants worth the lengths they had to go through to get here?


    "I really had no choice but to ask you to come. For some reason, I can''t act myself, so please help me get rid of them. Rest assured. As long as you kill these two brats, I will grant you double the reward I have promised!"


    The two men raised their eyebrows dubiously. "Are you serious?"


    "Of course! I''d never cheat you two!" Cayson said humbly.


    "That''s right. You wouldn''t dare fool us Dark and Light Evil Brothers." The two men smirked.

 Chapter 1675 A Mind Game

    "So you are Dark and Light Evil Brothers!"


    Overhearing the conversation just now, the five disciples of the Di Clan who followed Darren and Scott were shocked.


    The Dark and Light Evil Brothers were the bandits that roamed between the various islands of the Illusion Spirit Sea. Even the senior leaders of the various clans could do nothing to stop them.


    "Sirs, we are disciples of the Di Clan. We wanted to kill these two young men, but now that the two of you are planning to make a move, we shall retreat. Please let us leave, sirs," one of the disciples pleaded in a trembling voice.


    "Get lost!" the Dark and Light Evil Brothers chuckled lightly.


    "And just where do you think you''re going?" Cayson sneered. "How dare you think you can get away from me! All of you deserve to die!"


    "Master Cayson, please don''t kill us!"


    "My grandfather is Raul. Please let us go, for his sake!"


    Bang!


    In the blink of an eye, the cries begging for mercy abruptly stopped. With a wave of his hand, Cayson killed the disciples.


    "Well, you two, it''s your turn!" Cayson said gleefully, excitement welling up in his heart. He finally could get the dragon blood!


    The last time he encountered Darren and Scot


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    iot."


    "What? Go to hell!"


    The young man in white was so furious, white fog burst out from his body. He raised his hand, poised to hit Darren.


    Whoosh!


    Darren, however, was well prepared. He flew sideways and roared angrily, "You have broken your promise! You want to kill me so no one else will know where the Original Divine Stones are. You are so despicable!"


    The young man in white was so angry that he smashed towards Darren with his palm, intending to crush him to pieces.


    Bang!


    Just then, a black palm print flew over and pushed the young man in white back a little.


    "What the hell are you doing?" the old man scolded the young man.


    "Are you trying to stop me? You''re crazy!" the young man retorted.


    "Humph, tell me where he hid the Original Divine Stones first. Then you can kill him as you like," said the old man in black robes.


    "You! You believe him?! This little bastard just told me that he had no Original Divine Stones at all. He was fooling us!" the young man in white roared indignantly.


    "You are absolutely despicable," Darren sneered with disdain. "You''re willing to lie to your own brother just to get the Original Divine Stones all to yourself! How shameless!"

 Chapter 1676 Greedy

    Darren''s words made the Dark and Light Evil Brothers doubt each other. The black-robed old man knew the young man in white very well, so he was well aware that his younger brother was selfish and cunning. He must want to monopolize the Original Divine Stones!


    "My younger brother, do you also want to deceive me?" The black-clad old man glared coldly at the other man.


    "Are you crazy? This guy is just trying to sow discord between us. He didn''t tell me anything about the mine''s location. He is lying to us!" the young man said through gritted teeth.


    "Stop pretending. I''ve already told you that before. Since you want to frame me, I have no choice but to reveal the mine''s location," Darren gruffly retorted.


    "Okay, just say it," the old man in black robe said as he glared at Cayson and the young man in white, trying to reassure Darren that he could say it out loud without any worries.


    "The mine is located in a mysterious space that I came upon when I first entered this place. I found a horrific fiend suppressed there. Fortunately, my friend and I escaped because he had a very limited range of movement. But because of that, the two of us didn''t get any of the Original Divine Stones," revealed Darren earnestly.


    "You filthy bastard, you are making up stories again! There is no such thing as a fiend being suppressed in the Illusion Spirit Sea!" Cayson roared even before Dar


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    known the news before. He was acting just now.


    "Brat, the three of us work together and kill the Dark and Light Evil Brothers when we get there. Do you understand?" Before leaving, Cayson sent a message to Darren through his spiritual sense.


    "It''s okay to cooperate with you, but you know what the two of them are thinking. They''re just like us."


    It was obvious that the Dark and Light Evil Brothers wanted to kill Cayson, Darren and Scott. Meanwhile, Cayson wanted to kill the Dark and Light Evil Brothers, Darren and Scott. In short, all three teams of people wanted to kill each other.


    Unfortunately, they all fell into Darren''s trap.


    Once Darren returned to the place where Naylor was suppressed, Fernando would grind them all to mincemeat.


    "Don''t play tricks on us. What kind of fiend can be suppressed in this damn place?"


    Darren took the three people back to the village where they first came in.


    "We escaped from that mysterious space in a hurry and lost our way. We have to get out of this island first so that we can figure out which way to go. But please wait here while I call my other friend." After saying that, Darren flew to Lionel''s home in the village by himself.


    "Damn it! You''re finally back. If you want to run away, I''ll find you and tear you into pieces wherever you go." It was the irritable Water Kylin, who had been waiting for Darren all along.

 Chapter 1677 The Corpse Roc

    "You sly brat! You are the worst!" After hearing what Darren said about his plan, the Water Kylin looked at Darren with disgust in his eyes.


    "Yeah, cut the crap and get a move on. We''re dead meat if we''re late." Darren rolled his eyes at the Water Kylin as he spoke.


    "Humph, if you dare try to fool me, I''ll crush your head like a watermelon." The Water Kylin even doubted that what Darren had just told him was something he made up in order to escape. This guy was just too clever.


    "Idiot." Darren had no choice but to turn around, and the Water Kylin followed after him.


    In order not to cause any trouble to Lionel''s family, Darren decided not to inform them and they quietly slipped away. He could only return to Lionel after solving the problem, because he still wanted to know the secrets of the Divine Illusion Sea Scripture.


    After returning to join the Dark and Light Evil Brothers and Cayson, Darren briefly explained that the Water Kylin was an important friend and ally. The three people in front of him couldn''t care less about his explanation. To them, a kylin was just a nobody and couldn''t cause any trouble to them either way.


    "Kindly lead the way so that we can finally get out of this island," instructed Darren to the Dark and Ligh


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    orpse Roc!"


    "Sure enough! Damn it! How could we meet such a thing? A common roc would''ve been much better to see than a Corpse Roc."


    The colossal creature was still rising, and a rotten corpse miasma had spread throughout the sky, making everyone around it gag.


    "Whether we can retrieve the Original Divine Stones alive or not, it all depends on you three now." Darren was shocked at the sight of the huge beast. By the looks of it, it could probably chomp a continent into pieces in just a single bite.


    "Are you daft? No one can defeat that thing. Run!" The Dark and Light Evil Brothers didn''t have the courage to fight against the Corpse Roc.


    "Why didn''t you warn us earlier?" The Water Kylin was also quivering in fear.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The Water Kylin accelerated with full force, leading Darren and the others to safety. As long as they escaped from the foggy area, the huge beast would pay them no mind.


    "How could it be so agile?"


    The giant creature shook its rotten giant tail and covered a distance of tens of thousands of kilometers in an instant. Its speed was astonishingly quick.


    "Dark and Light Evil Brothers, why aren''t any of you making a move? Are you waiting for it to just swallow us whole?!" roared Darren.

 Chapter 1678 A Terrifying Heaven Devouring Beast

    With the Corpse Roc at his heels, Darren was extremely worried.


    This big creature was the epitome of a bad omen. The putrid, rotten stench emanating from it was like a poignant poison. Even powerful warriors like Darren weren''t immune to the fear it induced.


    "Oh, no... I''m afraid I won''t be able to escape death today." Even the Dark and Light Evil Brothers dared not make a move. Their eyes darted about desperately.


    "Roar!"


    Just then, a muffled roar suddenly came from the depths of the void.


    At the sound of the roar, the giant Corpse Roc stopped in its tracks unexpectedly.


    Darren and the others looked up towards the sound immediately. There, they saw a shadow lurking in the deep, dark void. The shadow was very far away from them and was almost beyond the scope of their god''s senses.


    "Shit! That''s another big guy, much bigger than the Corpse Roc!" As a legendary beast, the Water Kylin was naturally sensitive to other legendary beasts, so he had already sensed the appearance of another giant beast in the deep void.


    "No wonder the Corpse Roc stopped. Quick! Now''s our chance to escape!"


    Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.


    Darren and his companions all raced as fast as they could


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    had flown a million kilometers away by now, but they were still shrouded in darkness.


    "Damn it! The Heaven Devouring Beast is too powerful!" The Water Kylin''s heart beat like crazy. He was frightened yet envious.


    "This beast is indeed incredibly strong. I guess even Fernando won''t stand a chance against it," Darren murmured to himself.


    "Even my master can''t defeat it," the Water Kylin said, overhearing Darren.


    In the eyes of the Water Kylin, Naylor was more powerful than any other god. Thus, his statement proved just how terrifying the Heaven Devouring Beast really was.


    ''If only it would act hostile to me,'' Darren thought to himself.


    If such a powerful beast showed him hostility and tried to kill him, his realm would definitely soar. Perhaps he would soon become an upper-level deputy god!


    "Brat, run! What are you waiting for? Are you courting death?" Seeing that Darren was in a daze, the Dark and Light Evil Brothers couldn''t help but snap at him.


    Only then did Darren realize that he had been overzealous. If he provoked the Heaven Devouring Beast, he would definitely be killed in a heartbeat.


    "Alas, but I do want to provoke the beast..." Darren said with a sigh.

 Chapter 1679 Unable To Get In

    "Hurry up or you''ll get us all killed!" Cayson hissed in exasperation.


    They had no idea what was going on in Darren''s mind now. Darren was reluctant to leave, but his rational side told him not to provoke the huge monster. He figured he would come back again in the future.


    "Let''s get out of here!"


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    All of them, led by the Water Kylin, flew towards the edge of the foggy area.


    "How long will it take before we get there?"


    They had been flying for around two hours now. The Dark and Light Evil Brothers and Cayson couldn''t wait any longer. Cayson was especially impatient. He was so excited when he thought of how he would soon have a large amount of Original Divine Stones and dragon blood in his hands. At the thought of this, his heart raced.


    "Soon," replied the Water Kylin calmly. Yet, secretly, he sneered and cursed at them in his heart, ''You idiots! When you meet my master, he will beat you so hard that you will kneel down before me!''


    A few more hours of flying later, they came across a black uninhabited island.


    It was deadly silent here, as though the sea ended here.


    "It feels so... abandoned."


    "Brother, do you feel it? The fiendish aura here is so horrible."


    "Well, it makes me fee


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    k once more. Stunned, he stared at the vortex with his eyes wide open.


    ''Damn it! Why can''t I get in? And I acted so arrogantly just now! I''ll die if I can''t get in! Don''t do this to me, master! Let me in!''


    The Water Kylin tried a few more times, but was spat out each time. He was covered in wounds by now, yet he was still unable to get in.


    Now the Water Kylin was overcome with panic. He wanted to kill himself. With his back to the Dark and Light Evil Brothers and Cayson, he didn''t dare to turn around.


    At this moment, Darren rubbed his temples in frustration.


    "You silly dog, now it won''t be so easy to fool them! You''ve ruined everything!" Darren said crossly through his spiritual sense.


    "I didn''t know that I wouldn''t be able to get in! What shall I do now?" the Water Kylin said helplessly, his voice trembling. He was about to cry.


    Whoosh!


    Just then, the Dark and Light Evil Brothers landed in front of the Water Kylin and clutched him in their hands.


    "What did you say just now?" they asked furiously.


    "Nothing! I was too nervous just now and wanted to liven up the atmosphere.


    It was just a joke, I swear! Are you angry? Please! You two are so handsome!" the Water Kylin rambled, desperate to save his skin.

 Chapter 1680 They Had Been Killed

    "That smarmy bastard! Beat him up! Don''t show him any mercy!"


    Several consecutive banging sounds rang out.


    The Dark and Light Evil Brothers immediately struck the Water Kylin many times. This caused the poor Water Kylin to get knocked into the air. He tumbled and landed tens of thousands of feet away from where he originally stood.


    "Sirs, don''t hit me. I was wrong. I was just jesting. Forgive me!" the Water Kylin pleaded. "We should come up with a plan on how to get inside. Finding the treasures is the most important thing right now," he added.


    The Water Kylin dusted himself off as he got up from the ground. His face was now swollen and covered with blood and bruises.


    "Now that it has come to this, I won''t beat around the bush anymore. The two of us are determined to get the Original Divine Stones no matter what it takes. This means that all of you must die now. Do you understand?" Since they were not able to get inside the vortex now, the Dark and Light Evil Brothers didn''t want to pretend any longer. They had already planned on killing these people and then they would go exploring by themselves.


    "Humph! Finally, you revealed your true intentions. I have already figured out what the two of you have been planning behind our backs. What? Do you really think the two of you can stand against the four of us?" Cayson sneered. He appeared completely confident.


    "The four of you, you say? Don''t make me laugh!


    Are you completely out of your mind, Cayson? You actually chose to side with these pesky weaklings? Ha-ha! How ridiculous!" one of the brothers taunted back.


    "You arrogant fool! Just stop blabber


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    no other choice now!"


    "Humph! Take this!"


    A fighting spirit burst out from Fernando. Like an ancient god, he struck them with his big palm. The collision caused the sky to collapse and the earth to crack.


    The impact caused two loud booming sounds.


    Fernando effectively sent the Dark and Light Evil Brothers flying. All of a sudden, his figure disappeared. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared beside them to deliver the final blow.


    "No! That''s ridiculous!"


    "How on earth is that possible?"


    "This old bastard is much too powerful," the Dark and Light Evil Brothers groaned in despair. Soon after, their bodies exploded and turned into blood mist.


    Just like that, they had been killed.


    "Humph! They are much too weak to even withstand a single blow. How pitiful." Fernando took a sip of the water in his gourd. Then, he lazily walked towards Darren and the others.


    Under the constant combined attack of Darren and Scott, Cayson''s body was now badly broken. He was lying in a pool of his own blood.


    "I lost. I really lost. I surrender. For the sake of my master, please let me go,"


    Cayson pleaded. Fear was etched on his face. He couldn''t hold on any longer.


    "That day when you tried to kill Scott and me, you were not like this. Do you remember?" Darren asked mockingly.


    "Yes. But that was back then. This time, I really admit defeat. Just let me go, and I promise that you won''t have any trouble with me in the future," Cayson begged for his life.


    "Scoundrel. You don''t deserve to live in this world. So just go to hell!" Darren activated his god''s power and prepared to give him the killing blow.

 Chapter 1681 Who Was He

    Darren was about to strike the back of Cayson''s head with intensity.


    Almost instantly, Darren felt a massive weight of force pressing down on him, sending his body hurtling backward without any apparent reason.


    "Argh!"


    Darren grunted as he dropped to the ground with a big thud. He felt a searing pain in his chest even though he was not injured.


    Darren squinted as he struggled to look up and noticed a black shadow standing above him.


    The figure was none other than Cayson''s master.


    "I can''t believe how powerful this man is," Fernando sighed, shaking his head in disbelief.


    He was standing not too far away, so he felt confused about why he didn''t notice Cayson''s master''s sudden appearance. When he sensed the overwhelming energy, it had already thrown Darren at the back.


    "Master, you came!"


    At the sight of his master, Cayson''s apprehension finally simmered down.


    "Master, these pathetic ants have repeatedly tried to kill me. Please help me liberate my anger by defeating them," Cayson pleaded in desperation.


    "You very well know what happens when you disobey my orders."


    The black figure remained still. He had a calm tone, but his seemingly cold demeanor made Cayson feel like he fell into a melting ice cellar.


    "Master, please forgive me. I didn''t mean to go against your order. That brat named Darren blatantly lied to me, and he even set up a trap to kill me


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    y master?"


    The Water Kylin flew over and blocked the black figure''s path.


    "Water Kylin, get back here right away!" Darren shouted his head off.


    "Excuse me? How dare you speak to me like that! Who do you think you are?" The Water Kylin''s eyes swept coldly toward Darren. His aura was completely different.


    "Defiant Fiend Spirit!"


    Darren instantly realized that there was a Defiant Fiend Spirit inside the Water Kylin''s body, and it was even more powerful than the one that had been put into his own body before.


    "Naylor, give up already. You will never get out of this place." The black figure jeered at the Water Kylin.


    "Aren''t you the least bit afraid knowing I could kill you if you keep talking to me like this?" The Water Kylin suddenly sounded like Naylor''s voice.


    "Why should I be afraid of a mere Water Kylin with a few of your Defiant Fiend Spirits in him. Even if your own body is here, you can''t kill me. What do I have to fear?" The black figure spoke calmly.


    "You are so overconfident. I can even most likely speculate who you are, but I''m a little uncertain. If you are that human, then it would mean you can fight against Alfredo, although I know you''ll lose. But since your strength is far from the one I''m talking about, I find it very bizarre."


    "So you made a wrong guess. You see, I''m not what you''re thinking after all," the black figure said indifferently.

 Chapter 1682 The Seventy-two Island Leaders

    "Whether or not you''re that person, you better not get in my way. You won''t like the consequences if you don''t heed my words," Naylor said coldly through the Water Kylin''s mouth.


    The black figure laughed, not the least bit concerned about Naylor''s words.


    Then the black figure began to fade away.


    "Darren, remember not to let him out."


    His voice echoed in the air as the figure disappeared.


    Naylor stared at the void for a long time, then his eyes turned and fell on Darren.


    "Darren, what do you think?"


    "Don''t worry. I will get you out," Darren said calmly.


    "Do you think I don''t know exactly what you''re thinking?"


    "You seem quite smart, but I''m not a fool either. I know the consequences of letting you out, so I''m sorry. Even if I get the ''Blessing God Character'', I won''t let you out." Darren got straight to the point.


    "Darren, think it over," Naylor said, expressionless.


    "Just cut the crap. You can''t threaten us now, do you understand?" Fernando said stiffly.


    "Well then, go to hell, the lot of you!"


    A loud roar sounded in the air.


    The Water Kylin, supported by th


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    ''s prototype. When they attack, I can release it to disturb the chief god''s power suppressing you. The effect would not be worse than that of the Blessing God Character. That should help you go free," Darren blurted out in a rush.


    Naylor, who had been completely disappointed in Darren, began to hesitate again.


    "Decide now. They are going to kill me!" Darren saw that a master was sauntering over to him. He could easily kill Darren with a palm strike.


    "Bastard, we gave you the chance to die with dignity, but you refused. So I have no choice but to do it myself,"


    a middle-aged island leader said as he approached Darren.


    "That powerful master may have just left, but he hasn''t gotten far yet. Aren''t you afraid of what will happen to you if you kill me?" Darren didn''t know why the black figure had left, but he still shouted vehemently in order to stall for time.


    "You mean Josiah? You are too naive. The whole Illusion Spirit Sea is under the Blood Lineage Palace''s control. That includes that old man. Do you really think he can help you? How ridiculous," this island leader said coldly.

 Chapter 1683 Naylors Hope

    "Naylor! What the hell are you hesitating for? Just let us in, or I swear you''re going to regret it!" Darren hurriedly sent Naylor a message through his spiritual sense. The current situation was very dire and urgent that he didn''t have the luxury to wait any longer.


    However, to his dismay, Naylor continued to ignore him.


    "Where do you think you''re going, brat? You''re doomed!" the island leader roared furiously as he attacked Darren.


    Swoosh!


    Immediately after, his huge hand swept over, creating a violent windstorm that was about to tear Darren apart.


    At this moment, Fernando was still being suppressed by several powerful forces, so he couldn''t be of any help to Darren.


    As the windstorm wreaked havoc, the space was destroyed, darkness filled the area, and the smell of death was closing in on Darren.


    Under the immense pressure, Darren felt that his body might explode at any moment.


    Then, suddenly, a beam of light flashed in front of him. At the same time, the black vortex in the distance released a strange force that swept everyone.


    In the blink of an eye, the scene changed. Everyone that was supposed to be on the island was transferred to another space. This was actually the space that Naylor had been suppressed.


    "This is your last chance to survive. Make the most out of it because you won''t get another one!" Finally, Naylor responded to Darren and brought them into this space.


    "Phew! What took you so long?" Darren was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Naylor gave in and compromised to let them in because he was also too eager to get out of the restraints.


    "Fernando, Scott, do you hear me


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    h every impact it inflicted, the chief god''s power within the divine chains would be reduced a little.


    After receiving numerous attacks, the chief god''s power was brought down to about eighty percent.


    "Finally, I can get out of here. Just a little bit more¡­" Naylor murmured to himself with great excitement.


    With his strength, as long as the chief god''s power in the divine chains was reduced to sixty percent, he could already break out of them and get out of the suppression.


    To say the least, even if the chief god''s power that was suppressing him now was no longer reduced, he could gradually disintegrate the chains little by little, and would be finally out in a million years.


    Meanwhile, since the joint attacks of the seventy-two island masters of the Illusion Spirit Sea were still rendered useless in the face of the iron chains, they were left dumbfounded.


    "What the hell is going on?! What is that thing made of?"


    "Impossible! Are those iron chains a weapon owned by a god?" Some of the island masters were panic-stricken that they wanted to know the explanation behind the power of the indestructible chains.


    "This is getting out of hand. We have to inform the Blood Lineage Palace right now before things get even worse," the Holy Lord of the Di Clan remarked as his voice almost trembled.


    "Yes, Holy Lord. The emissary of the Blood Lineage Palace came to you first, and so you must have a way to contact him. Please send him a message as soon as possible."


    Everyone was flabbergasted by the sudden turn of events. They had to immediately report this event to their superior, or they would be in huge trouble.

 Chapter 1684 The Escape Of Naylor (Part One)

    The masters panicked and stopped attacking Darren.


    The Holy Lord of the Di Clan began to use one of his arcane skills to inform the people of the Blood Lineage Palace.


    Darren heaved a sigh of relief from behind the divine pillar.


    The joint attacks were way too powerful, and Darren also needed to use the prototype of the Chief God Character to collide with the divine chains. This caused the vibration to really hurt him.


    These masters might end up killing Darren if they continued to attack him at full strength.


    "Darren, can you hold your own?" Fernando asked, grimacing in pain. He was seriously injured and wasn''t able to help Darren.


    "I can. Besides, my cultivation stage is about to improve, and after that my wounds will heal automatically."


    When Darren had faced the hostile Naylor earlier, he had absorbed a lot of hostility and killing intent, which had turned into the source power that helped improve his cultivation stage. And now, the seventy-two masters were brimming with killing intent towards him. As his cultivation stage rose, he was on the threshold, just about to enter the middle-level of the Deputy God Realm.


    A number of deputy gods had been born in the vast Primitive Wilderness. But


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    to come. There will be trouble otherwise."


    The island masters stopped in their tracks, not daring to make a move.


    "Naylor, if my calculations are correct, you now have the ability to break free from the suppression, right?" Darren asked calmly.


    "So?" Naylor said rather indifferently.


    "Then what are you waiting for? Aren''t you eager for freedom?"


    "I''ve waited for so many years. How does it matter if I have to wait a few more hours?" Naylor said.


    "You are right," Darren said and left it at that.


    He sat down, cross-legged, and waited quietly.


    "Darren, I''m sure it will cost him a lot of fiend power to break free from the suppression. He will then become extremely weak. That''s why he won''t take action until the suppressing chief god''s power is further weakened," Scott said to Darren through his spiritual sense.


    "Yeah, I guessed," Darren replied.


    Naylor desperately wanted to get out since he had been suppressed for so many years. Escaping even a second earlier seemed a good option.


    The only reason he was willing to wait was just as Scott had said: that he would be weak when he broke free. He was afraid of being surrounded and killed by these masters, which was why he didn''t dare move.

 Chapter 1685 The Escape Of Naylor (Part Two)

    Once Darren figured out what was on Naylor''s mind, he felt like he had grasped another life-saving straw.


    "Fernando, Scott, please heal your wounds as soon as possible. Naylor will soon be free, and we might find a chance to escape when that happens," Darren told Scott and Fernando with his spiritual sense secretly.


    "Okay! We will," the two answered.


    After that, there was nothing to do but wait.


    The next few hours felt like years to them, as time crawled slowly despite¡ªor because¡ª of their anticipation.


    Boom! Boom!


    Following the explosions, the area around them suddenly shook violently. As Naylor slowly opened his eyes, he woke up to three young men walking in.


    ''Well, if these young men attack the divine chains, I will see the sun again. They are very welcome to do so!'' he thought excitedly. Naylor activated his fiendish sense and controlled the passage of the suppressing space, allowing it to let the three men inside.


    "Hello, three masters! You''ve finally come!" The seventy-one island masters all stood up and greeted them.


    At this point, Darren also woke up and studied the three people who had just arrived.


    The three men were very young, about twenty-five years old, and they all wore the same blood-red robes. All their auras were restrained, so those around them couldn''t figure out how strong they really we


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    he turned to Darren and said, "Let''s stop talking nonsense. Hurry up, boy."


    Darren remained silent and activated the prototype of the Chief God Character.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    At the most intense moment, the Chief God Character''s prototype crashed the divine pillar forcefully.


    The remaining chief god''s power in the divine pillar surged violently, colliding with each other and disappearing.


    And in just a few seconds, more than half of the chief god''s power in the divine pillar had dissipated into thin air.


    "Ha-ha, this moment has finally come! I can come back to the world. Do you all hear me? Naylor has returned to the fucking world!"


    His insane voice vibrated in the space.


    "Oh, no, there is a really great master here."


    The three young men were shocked. Their heads were about to explode because of Naylor''s furious cry.


    Howl!


    Naylor''s roar became cruel and ruthless. His fiend power surged like a wave and attacked the divine chains that wrapped him.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    "Break them!" Naylor shouted, jerking violently against his shackles.


    The divine chains looked fragile now, and with a simple jerk of Naylor''s fiend power, the chains quickly broke and shattered.


    Finally, the huge divine pillar also began to crack. The dark gold chief god''s power surged out and dispersed in all directions.

 Chapter 1686 The Escape Of Naylor (Part Three)

    The entire space began falling apart as Naylor''s body was shrouded in a strong black air, swirling around wildly. It was as if countless devilish claws were waving back and forth.


    "Ah!"


    Naylor roared to the sky fiercely, his eyes cold and heartless.


    He seemed to quite clearly be the ruler of this world, a fiend from the depths of hell!


    "My god! This guy''s power is something else!" Fernando exclaimed with widened eyes. His heart trembled when he felt the terrifying aura coming off Naylor. He hadn''t felt an aura as powerful as this for many years.


    Darren and Scott were shocked as well. This was beyond their imagination.


    Naylor had somehow turned out to be so incredibly powerful after escaping the suppression. This was far from what they had expected.


    Naylor''s strength snapped them back into alertness.


    It was not only Darren and his companions, but also the masters from the illusion Spirit Sea that were rendered speechless as well.


    "He... Is he a god?"


    "This is unbelievable. When did such a formidable warrior appear in the Illusion Spirit Sea? His aura feels close to that of our master!"


    "He''d probably be the strongest master in the outside world. It seems that something very powerful had been suppressing him for a


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    d, a slight tremor in his voice.


    "That''s terrible. But it does make sense. Think about it. As powerful as our master is, he should have noticed the abnormality of the Illusion Spirit Sea a long time ago, even if we did not inform him of it.


    But it''s been a long time now and he still has not made his own move to make his way over. It must mean that fiend has some brilliant method that even our master''s spiritual sense could not overcome and is limited by," Jackson analyzed.


    "No wonder he didn''t bother chasing after us. He already has us trapped like mice!" Nanson growled in discontent.


    The seventy-one island masters heard this analysis and began to panic. Even the three disciples of the leader of the Blood Lineage Palace were trapped, unable to call for help. What chance did they have? Were they all doomed? They all had butterflies fluttering around their stomachs as their nerves were all being frayed.


    "Sirs, please find a way! There must be a way! We need to get out of here!"


    "Shut up!" Nanson barked. "There''s no other way. Our only option is to go back and fight him with all our might. This is the only way our master can learn of what''s happening, through the marks planted on our bodies. He will without a doubt come then."

 Chapter 1687 Nine Fiendish Stars Formula (Part One)

    "Well, you''re certainly right, Nanson. If we get attacked by a strong force, our master may immediately sense that something has happened to us," Tomson agreed.


    "But it''s too risky! If we fight him and then we get killed, everything will be all for naught. Even if our master arrives, it will be too late because we''re dead already," Jackson argued.


    "So, do you have a better idea then?" Tomson asked.


    "Well, no¡­" Jackson replied hesitantly.


    "We don''t have much choice here. It''s either we fight him and hope that help would come, or we do nothing and let him kill us. Besides, didn''t you find it strange? Why would he trap us instead of chasing after us? If my hunch is correct, he must be in a state where it is inconvenient for him to fight. So, if we can pull off a sneak attack on him, we may have a chance against him. Don''t forget that the divine weapons in our hands are from the primitive heaven and earth. We''re not going down that easily!" Tomson said convincingly.


    "Fine. You''re right.


    Let''s go back together and face him!" Jackson finally agreed and made up his mind.


    Meanwhile, the huge Heaven Devouring Beast was partly visible in the dark red vortex. It lived by devouring everything in the world, and now that it sensed that Naylor''s body actually contained a lot of spirits, it couldn''t help but drool and attempt to ensnare him.


    However, when it felt the terrifying fluctuation of the fiendish a


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    aid a price that is beyond what we can imagine. Therefore, right now, that overwhelming fiendish aura must be something that he just feigned," Fernando surmised.


    "But still, the intensity it showed isn''t something any of us can deal with. It''s still pretty impressive given his condition," Darren said.


    "Of course. I definitely agree with that. For now, let''s just wait and see what he''s going to do next," Fernando suggested.


    Right after the Heaven Devouring Beast fled, Naylor landed on the dark red vortex and remained motionless.


    Once again, endless bolts of lightning suddenly struck from the depths of the void and enveloped his body.


    "Starlight of the nine fiendish stars, build my fiend blood!" Naylor roared and uttered an ancient fiend language.


    Instantly, the nine dark red stars in the void shone one by one. Darren and the others clearly saw that every dark red star emanated a gleaming light that shot towards Naylor.


    "What is that? Is he absorbing the power of the stars in the universe?!" "Holy crap! I''ve never seen anything like this!"


    "What kind of demonic skill is he practicing? It looks extremely amazing!" Fernando was instantly fascinated and bewildered at what he witnessed.


    At the same time, some people quietly descended from the skies. It turned out that they were the three disciples of the Blood Lineage Palace and the seventy-one island masters who had tried to escape before.

 Chapter 1688 Nine Fiendish Stars Formula (Part Two)

    Naylor immediately sensed the masters of the Illusion Spirit Sea quietly returning.


    "The people from the Illusion Spirit Sea have come back. I can''t stop absorbing the Nine-star Fiend Power. Help me combat them," Naylor said to Darren and his two companions through his spiritual sense.


    That took all three of them by surprise.


    "With our current strength, how can we possibly defeat them?" Darren replied incredulously. "Of course you can''t, not on your own.


    That''s why I''ll be using your bodies and attaching my Defiant Fiend Spirits to them," Naylor explained.


    "Still, I don''t think that would be enough to defeat them."


    Back when the Defiant Fiend Spirit was attached to Darren''s body, his fighting power was on par with that of the Fiend Ancestor, close to that of a Heavenly Destiny Emperor at the third stage at most. That was far too interior to these people.


    "I have broken free from the suppression. My Defiant Fiend Spirits have recovered and reached their peak. All you have to do is follow what I say," Naylor told them.


    "Naylor, if you attach the Defiant Fiend Spirits to our bodies, aren''t you worried that we will kill you instead?" Fernando said.


    "Don''t overthink this. I merely want the absorption of th


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    d also mobilized the black god''s power. Mixing it with the fiend power, he launched an attack towards Jackson.


    "Sword conquers the world!"


    Jackson growled. The divine sword shone brightly then flew out of his hand and shot into the void.


    In an instant, countless dark red sword shadows fell from the sky and shattered the void.


    Darren used all his strength, releasing his god''s power and fiend power to fight against the countless sword shadows.


    Boom! Boom!


    The darkness was turbulent as the god''s power surged, destroying everything in its way.


    Darren''s figure seemed to freeze midair, the dark red sword shadows collapsing around his body.


    "I underestimated you. You actually blocked my sword attack. But let''s see if you can block this one!"


    Holding the sword in both hands, Jackson waved it around the spot.


    Thousands of sword shadows drew a perfect sword trajectory in front of him.


    Soon, those sword shadows merged into the dark red divine sword.


    In the blink of an eye, Jackson''s figure appeared behind Darren.


    He struck him. There was nothing out of the ordinary in the move. However...


    "Ahhh!"


    Before the sword could touch Darren, Darren felt as if a thousand swords had pierced his heart.

 Chapter 1689 Nine Fiendish Stars Formula (Part Three)

    Darren was surprised. There was no fluctuation of sword intent or god''s power in this sword attack, but it had incomparable penetrating power.


    ''Is it a return to the original nature of sword skill?'' The thought flashed through Darren''s mind.


    Just then, wave after wave of pain swept over his body and soul.


    Such agony swelled within Darren that it felt as though the sword had cut him into pieces.


    "Darren!"


    Fernando was stronger than Darren, and his battle power had increased significantly after the attachment of the Defiant Fiend Spirit. Concern reflected in his tone when he noticed Darren''s situation.


    But Jackson''s strike was too powerful and fast. By the time Fernando defeated Tomson and rushed over to help, Darren''s blood-red fiend body had already been destroyed.


    "Go to hell!"


    Fernando roared as grief and anger surged within him. He turned toward Jackson and unleashed his full Archean fighting spirit and fiend power.


    "Watch out, Jackson!"


    The dark-red blade and the dark-red divine sword flew forward in tandem to protect Jackson.


    Bang!


    A split second after a deafening explosion, the void cracked, and Jackson''s body was thrown out. Fortunately, the resistance power of the two divine weapons saved Jackson from death.


    Fernando had no time to check the extent of Jackson''s injuries. Overwhelmed with concern for Darren, he flew toward him.


    However, when he reached Darren''s location, he found only broken bones and fiend blood scattered in the air.


    "Oh, I''m not dead."


    As soon as the blood mist


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    de a move.


    "You are so hopeless," Naylor said, disappointment evident in his tone.


    His Defiant Fiend Spirit was powerful, but he lost another one. This angered and distressed him. Naylor only had a limited number of Defiant Fiend Spirits.


    Of the ten Defiant Fiend Spirits he could summon, two had exploded in just a few hours. He was so upset that he wanted to tear Darren and the others.


    "My disciples, where are you? I feel that you are in danger."


    At this moment, an old voice echoed in the void.


    "Ah, it''s our master!"


    The three disciples of the Blood Lineage Palace were overjoyed.


    After this battle, their master finally realized that something was wrong!


    "Master, help us!" Tomson shouted. A split second later, the hope that had surged within him was replaced by despair. His voice couldn''t spread out.


    "What should we do? If master can''t hear us, then how will he help us?"


    "Don''t be afraid. Even if he doesn''t get any response, he will understand that we are in danger. Considering our master''s ability, he will find us in a few minutes!"


    "Yes, yes! We will be saved."


    When the old man''s voice reverberated in the void, it caught Naylor''s attention. If that person appeared now, all the effort he had put into absorbing the Nine-star Fiend Power would be in vain.


    "Darren, inherit my Nine Fiendish Stars Formula, and kill them immediately." With no time to hesitate, Naylor decided that this was the best way forward. As soon as he gave Darren this command, a cultivation method flashed in Darren''s mind.

 Chapter 1690 Absorbing The Nine-star Fiend Power Secretly

    Before Darren could even realize what was going on, the Nine Fiendish Stars Formula was automatically integrated into his mind. It was as if his thoughts were out of his control.


    Countless evil phantoms flew back and forth in his mind as they practiced an unusual type of martial arts skill.


    More surprisingly, these moves of the evil phantoms were automatically mastered by Darren without him doing anything.


    "How is this possible? It is the most perfect cultivation method I have ever known!"


    Darren couldn''t help but be amazed. In just a few minutes, he had comprehended the first stage of the Nine Fiendish Stars Formula without exerting any effort.


    Whoosh!


    After successfully mastering the first stage, a faint light shone down on him from the nine stars in the distant sky.


    "What?"


    Darren was in disbelief as he realized that what poured into his body was actually the Nine-star Fiend Power.


    From what he was sensing, he speculated that the amount of Nine-star Fiend Power that was pouring in was at least ten thousand times more than what he had absorbed before.


    At the same time, he felt a rapid and instant growth in his strength as if he had reached a certain level that was beyond anyone''s imagination.


    However, this growth did not personally belong to Darren but to the Defiant Fiend Spirit that was infused in his body. In other words, it was actually the Defiant Fiend Spirit who was the recipient of the Nine-star Fiend Power, and Darren was just a medium in order to absorb that power.


    "Hey, Darren! What a


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    rs Formula. Stop being an idiot, you understand?" Naylor sneered as he shook his head.


    "Fine. I''m just bored, so I did whatever I can to pass the time," Darren said indifferently. After that, Naylor didn''t talk to him anymore.


    The truth was Darren felt rather excited at the moment because when he practiced the Nine Fiendish Stars Formula just now, he clearly felt a trace of the Nine-star Fiend Power pouring into his body.


    ''Humph. Naylor doesn''t know that I have assimilated a trace of the Nine-star Fiend Power from the Defiant Fiend Spirit. That power that I have assimilated actually transformed my body. Now, even if it''s just a little, I can also absorb the Nine-star Fiend Power by cultivating the Nine Fiendish Stars Formula.''


    While Naylor continued to do his stuff, Darren didn''t show any noticeable expression as he also practiced the Nine Fiendish Stars Formula on his own.


    At the same time, streaks of Nine-star Fiend Power quietly poured into Darren''s body. However, because it only came at a very small amount, it didn''t catch Naylor''s attention.


    After all, Naylor was also confident that Darren wouldn''t be able to absorb the Nine-star Fiend Power at all. Thus, he just solely focused on practicing the cultivation method without paying attention to anyone else.


    "My disciples, where are you now? Tomson, Jackson, Nanson, do you hear me?"


    Three months had already passed since Naylor created the confined space. Then, all of a sudden, an old and gloomy voice called for the names of his disciples again and again.

 Chapter 1691 Being Discovered

    "It''s him!"


    At the sound of that voice, Darren and the others immediately woke up.


    "It''s the master of the three guys."


    "Naylor, did you hear that?" Fernando asked, raising his head to look at Naylor.


    "Don''t panic. He won''t discover us for the time being," Naylor said.


    "Are you afraid of him too?" Naylor''s tone surprised Darren. He wondered if he also feared being discovered by the man outside.


    "Just shut up." Naylor didn''t want to talk to any of them anymore.


    The man from the Blood Lineage Palace was strong with a mysterious background. Naylor had sensed it a while back, but he had never met him, nor had he fought with him before. He didn''t know the man''s real strength.


    Naylor was too busy trying his best to absorb the Nine-star Fiend Power. He didn''t want to be disturbed. If anything interrupted the absorption, he would be subjected to a backlash. That would make it difficult to continue in the future.


    "Listen to me. All you have to do is hide your auras right now. I''ll kill him in three days," Naylor ordered. In three days, h


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    h me!" The Water Kylin charged at them.


    Raising his head, the Water Kylin was about to attack, but Darren stopped him. "Why are you using your god''s power? Do you want the man outside to find Naylor?"


    The Water Kylin stopped and whispered to the island masters, "I''ll let you live a while for now!"


    "Darren, keep them under control. Don''t let them make a move," Naylor ordered.


    "I am rather obedient. You won''t be killing me then, will you?" Darren joked.


    "Do what you have to do," Naylor replied.


    Darren didn''t let his sneer show. He really couldn''t figure out what Naylor was up to.


    Soon, Darren felt that something was wrong within him.


    The Defiant Fiend Spirit in his body seemed to be conflicted.


    Bang! Bang!


    The Defiant Fiend Spirit in his body suddenly rushed out, roaring to the sky. It caused the entire confined space to collapse.


    "Darren, do you want me to kill you?" Naylor was furious.


    "I didn''t do anything. It''s your Defiant Fiend Spirit that suddenly went wild." Darren looked at him innocently, though it was true.

 Chapter 1692 Leon

    "What is wrong with you? Come back here!" Naylor called out to his Defiant Fiend Spirit.


    The Defiant Fiend Spirit struggled painfully for a while before finally returning to Naylor''s body.


    Naylor looked it over but found nothing unusual.


    He then turned to fix Darren with a cold stare. "What did you do to my Defiant Fiend Spirit?" he demanded.


    "I did nothing. It suddenly went crazy and I have no idea why!" Darren had no idea what had happened to the Defiant Fiend Spirit.


    "I will settle scores with you later." Naylor couldn''t figure it out either. So he let Darren go, albeit unwillingly.


    "Come out and let me see who you are! How dare you kill my disciples?"


    An inconsolable voice echoed throughout the confined space.


    The space fluctuation caused by the madness of the Defiant Fiend Spirit had led the leader of the Blood Lineage Palace to the confined space.


    "Oh, no! Master! The Lord of the Blood Lineage Palace has found us!" the Water Kylin said worriedly.


    He had barely finished talking when the confined space shattered like glass, exposing everyone to the eyes of Leon, the leader of the Blood Lineage Palace.


    "Is it you, Naylor? Did you kill my disc


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    "This young Defiant Master is the descendant of the Chu Clan. Alfredo is his uncle. He passed on everything he had and knew to this boy, including his God Characters. And Alfredo is the only man who knows the location of the Birthplace of the Chief Gods.


    So, what do you say now?"


    Before anyone could say or do anything, Leon had Darren by his throat.


    "Do you know the Birthplace of the Chief Gods? Is it true?" Leon growled.


    "I-I don''t know!" Darren gasped, finding it difficult to talk.


    Leon glared at Naylor. "Do you really want to lie to me? You think any of what you say is going to help you? All of you have to die today!"


    "You''re an idiot!" Naylor snorted disdainfully and said, "He hasn''t got the Blessing God Character yet, and he hasn''t obtained any inherited memory. So he obviously doesn''t know all the secrets that Alfredo knew. Why do you think I''ve kept him alive? If he was of no use, I would have already crushed him to death. What I''m saying is that you can''t kill him," Naylor said, laughing.


    He looked intently at Leon before he added, "Let go of him right now. If he dies, we will never be able to find the Birthplace of the Chief Gods. Understand?"

 Chapter 1693 The Strongest Alliance

    Judging from Naylor''s tone, Leon was certain that he wasn''t just making things up.


    He quickly let go of Darren and announced, "I thought you were just a humble Defiant Master. I didn''t expect you to actually be Alfredo''s successor."


    Leon had also checked Darren himself and found several God Characters with strange auras within Darren''s body.


    Darren was a Defiant Master who possessed numerous God Characters. Starting from the ancient times, only Alfredo was capable of achieving such a feat. Leon now had no doubts about Darren''s identity.


    However, he did still have doubts on whether or not Alfredo really did know the location of the Birthplace of the Chief Gods, and if he divulged this secret to Darren.


    "Why did you tell me this news, you cunning Defiant Master?" asked Leon coldly, staring at Naylor.


    "Simply because you are immensely powerful," chimed Naylor. "The reason why I keep Darren with me is to find out the location of the Birthplace of the Chief Gods. However, I can''t just waltz in there. I need a strong ally by my side."


    "Humph, I don''t plan on making an alliance with the likes of you. I can also find the Birthplace of the Chief Gods after I kill you and contro


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    "Lord... Cyan Dragon?


    Are you really Lord Cyan Dragon?"


    Leon exclaimed in sheer disbelief.


    "According to the legend of the dragon race, Lord Cyan Dragon possesses the genuine blood. He doesn''t look like he could be Lord Cyan Dragon. Does Lord Cyan Dragon really look like a weakling? He should at least have the strength to keep up with us in battle, but just look at him. I could crush him to death with a finger," rambled Leon.


    The legend of Lord Cyan Dragon spread throughout the various races. Even the weak living creatures in the Kingdom of the Chief Gods knew about the legend of Lord Cyan Dragon.


    Rumor had it that Lord Cyan Dragon was inherited from the Archean Age, and it possessed the soul and genuine blood of the first genuine dragon to emerge in the world.


    What made people most excited was that the first genuine dragon in the world was from the deep space of the universe. Unfortunately, when the genuine dragon descended, it was during a time of utter chaos in the Archean Age. In a fierce battle between the great masters, the genuine dragon passed, leaving only the blood inheritance in the world, before it finally reappeared in the era of Primitive Wilderness.

 Chapter 1694 Clear Goal

    "Were you born as strong as you are now?" Naylor asked coldly.


    "What are you talking about? Everyone is born weak except for the chief gods," retorted Leon.


    "If you understand this truth, then don''t question Lord Cyan Dragon. He is just not fully awakened," insisted Naylor defensively.


    "Do you mean we have to wait for him to grow strong or something?"


    "Is there any other way?" Naylor asked back, meeting Leon''s frown with a scowl of his own.


    "How long will we have to wait? One million years, ten million years? I don''t have that patience," Leon snapped.


    "You idiot. With our help, it won''t take him that long to awaken fully." Naylor was starting to get pissed off at Leon. He thought to himself, ''The tenth chief god must be blind. Why else would he have such an idiot as his servant?''


    "You lowly Defiant Master, be careful of your words. You are talking to me, the Lord of the Blood Lineage Palace, the only guard of the tenth chief god," Leon warned Naylor. Then he gestured at Darren by nodding his head to his direction and said, "The cyan dragon has a strong background and can improve quickly. But what about Darren? Can you help him catch up to our level quickly?"


    Naylor didn''t answer, so Leon added, "Besides, once they have enough power, can you guarantee that they won''t turn on you?"


    "To become a chief god, is there any


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    he tenth chief god is me!" Darren was highly confident, as he was the only person who had the Chief God Character''s prototype. To an extent, heaven and earth had already partially recognized him.


    "Ha-ha!"


    Somehow, Naylor was looking at him funny. He was chuckling to himself, too, as if he was watching something incredibly entertaining.


    "Darren, I''ll come to you in three years, okay? Is that enough?" Naylor suddenly said.


    "I think that will be enough," Darren replied calmly.


    "Okay, but I have some bad news for you. Once we enter the Birthplace of the Chief Gods, I will be coming for you. You are the first in my list of people that I want to kill." Naylor grinned, his eyes filled with a dark aura.


    "Why?" Darren asked calmly.


    "Well, you are Alfredo''s successor, so it makes sense that you must be the first to die. And may I also remind you that the prototype of the Chief God Character may not be good for you."


    Whoosh!


    As soon as Naylor finished speaking, he vanished in the air.


    "Lord Cyan Dragon, follow me." Naylor''s voice echoed around them after he disappeared, and it sounded so near that they wondered where he was.


    Meanwhile, Scott and Darren looked at each other and nodded.


    "Darren, take care. See you in three years."


    "Take care, Scott."


    After that, Scott soared into the sky and flew after Naylor.

 Chapter 1695 Enter The Misty Sea Area Again

    Without informing Darren of where they were headed, Scott and Naylor had disappeared.


    Thinking about it, Darren knew that Naylor didn''t return to the fiend race''s land. If he had, the chief gods would notice his presence as soon as his feet touched any of the land in the Primitive Wilderness.


    "Boy, leave!"


    Leon shouted in an angry voice when he saw that Darren didn''t move.


    Fortunately, he didn''t know that his three disciples had been killed by Darren. He thought that Naylor had killed them. If he figured it out, he wouldn''t allow Darren to walk away. After all, Darren was a lot weaker than Leon and Leon could easily deal with him if he needed to.


    "I thought I had the right to stay here?" Darren said flatly.


    "It''s pointless for you to stay here. Go and do what you''re meant to do!"


    "Ha-ha! You are right. I do have things I need to do. But I will rest before leaving. Is that okay?" Darren said indifferently.


    "Humph! You''re a humble fool." No longer interested in talking to Darren, Leon left. He had the more important task of searching for the first human supreme god in the Illusion Spirit Sea. After all, he needed to find out how authentic the words that Naylor had spoken to him were.


    "Phew!" Darren breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed hi


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    ve tried to dive to the bottom of the sea several times, but it''s too cold down there. My body couldn''t handle it long enough to see what was there," Pedro answered.


    "It''s curious. Let''s go and have a look."


    "There must be treasures down there! If we find any, they will belong to me!" the Water Kylin exclaimed, diving straight into the sea below. The others watched before joining him.


    Soon, they had sunk about one hundred thousand kilometers below the sea level.


    It was dark and the temperature was low. Every once in a while, several large bubbles would rise to the surface.


    "It''s not that cold at all. I can tolerate it!" the Water Kylin said proudly.


    "Sir, we are still shallow. The deeper we go, the colder it will be. I''ve reached around three million kilometers below the surface and that''s when it started to become difficult," Pedro explained.


    "Damn it! Are you kidding? Three million kilometers?" The Water Kylin''s eyes widened. They were only one hundred thousand kilometers, but he already felt a chill invading his skin. Three million kilometers was still not close to the bottom? He didn''t know what else to say to that.


    "Hush! Don''t say anything. We are surrounded,"


    Darren said suddenly, sweeping his eyes over the surrounding water.

 Chapter 1696 The Evil Spirits In The Deep Sea

    Darren felt a fierce aura that was constantly spreading over the area.


    "Master, this aura is coming from some sea beasts. But you don''t have to worry, I''ve encountered them before. They are the Ice Spiritual Seals from the deep sea. Just leave them to me," Pedro, the Holy Lord of the Di Clan, said with confidence.


    "They may not be that powerful for you, but they should be a threat to me. Let me test the power of the divine weapons first," Darren instructed.


    "Yes, master," Pedro replied.


    On the other hand, the Water Kylin snorted with disdain and said, "I don''t have time to play games with you. I''m going ahead to find the treasure. Don''t complain to me later because it shall belong to the one who finds it first!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, the Water Kylin wasted no time and rapidly dove downwards.


    "Don''t act rashly! If you get killed, how are we going to find your corpse?" Darren shouted angrily, but the Water Kylin was already too far to hear him.


    After a while, several black shadows started gathering and were about to rush towards Darren.


    Seeing this, he held the sword and blade in his hands and couldn''t wait to test their power.


    Swish! Swish!


    As he brandished the divine sword, it instantly emitted a strong sword intent, and a dark red sword-shaped shadow shot out. Then, it split up along the way, creating several streaks of shadows that eventually turned the bottom of the sea into a space full of dark red sword shadows.


    It was actually Darren''s first time witnessing the aur


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    books wrong all along?'' Pedro thought to himself.


    Millions of evil spirits suddenly disappeared in mere seconds as they rushed into the darkness below.


    "Let''s go! We''re going to chase after them. We need to see what they''re really up to," Darren ordered.


    With that, the two of them quickly dove and followed the evil spirits in the deep sea.


    Unknowingly, Darren and Pedro had already sunk for more than a million kilometers as they tried to chase after the evil spirits.


    The temperature had significantly dropped and had reached the limit that Pedro could only bear. On the other hand, Darren was still fine. His True Ice Spiritual Body was much less affected by the cold compared to Pedro. At the same time, he also had the True Fire Spiritual Body, which could easily resist the cold temperature. This way, even if it was already freezing, the cold was still within his tolerance.


    "Wait. Don''t move. I''ll try to attach some flames into your body." Seeing that Pedro couldn''t stand the cold anymore, Darren infused the god''s power of flames into his meridians. However, it didn''t seem to help him that much.


    "Hmm. I have absorbed the Original Heavenly Fire from Cayson. Let''s see if it can help you resist the cold." Then, Darren hurriedly activated the prototype of the Chief God Character, from which he mobilized the Original Heavenly Fire and attached it to Pedro''s body.


    "Thank you, master. I feel much better now. The cold can''t enter my soul anymore," Pedro remarked as he heaved a deep sigh of relief.

 Chapter 1697 A Finger Bone

    With the flame god''s power protecting their bodies, Darren and Pedro continued to dive deeper into the sea.


    "Do you think the Water Kylin will freeze to death?" Darren asked in a worried tone.


    Despite the Water Kylin''s immense power paired with the Defiant Fiend Spirit''s attachment to him, it might still be a struggle for him holding out to the cold. Plus, he would probably die if those evil spirits that they had just come into contact with would attack him.


    "Master! Take a look at that blue lightning!"


    After they continued to sink further for over ten thousand kilometers, suddenly there was a blue glow in the darkness.


    "It''s the Water Kylin!"


    Darren felt more at ease after getting a clear view of the blue lightning. He followed its direction and plunged faster.


    But when he caught sight of the Water Kylin, he didn''t feel any happiness at all.


    The Water Kylin gave off a strong fiendish aura, and Darren could tell that he had utilized almost all of his strength, but he was still heavily injured. It troubled Darren to figure out what could have hurt him.


    "Water Kylin, what happened to you?" Darren asked as soon as he arrived next to him.


    "Are you blind? I got assaulted!" the Water Kylin hissed with intense hatred.


    "You stupid fool, I''m asking about your attacker." Darren instantly sma


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    water.


    "What on earth?"


    Darren could hardly believe his eyes. The finger bone turned out to also contain the unknown dark red power!


    ''Was that thing also born in the primitive world, just like the divine blade and sword?'' Darren guessed.


    "Help!"


    Despite the destruction of the Water Kylin''s claw, the dark red aura did not disperse. Instead, it rushed straight toward his head.


    The Water Kylin tried his best to flee, but the dark red aura went after him and was about to reach him at any moment.


    Swish! Swish!


    After hearing the cry, Darren manipulated the blade and sword to fly over and fight against the dark red aura.


    When the dark red aura bumped into the sword and blade, nothing happened, not even a trace of light.


    "Is it absorbed?"


    Darren withdrew his blade and sword and held them in his hands to study them carefully.


    "As expected, the quality of my divine weapons seems to have increased a little!"


    It was an unexpected consequence on Darren''s part since he had thought that the blade and sword were already the strongest divine weapons in the world. He never considered that their quality could still improve further!


    "If only I could have more of these bones."


    However, instead of more bone monsters, a vast number of evil spirits coming from the deep sea heeded his call.

 Chapter 1698 A Strange Skeleton

    Suddenly, Darren and his companions were surrounded by ominous figures that swayed like seaweed.


    "What the hell?!" When the Water Kylin felt the cold aura of the numerous evil spirits, he felt his scalp tingle.


    Darren, noticing the Water Kylin''s uneasiness, said quickly, "Don''t move! They might not attack us."


    "Are you an idiot? Isn''t it obvious that they''re here to kill us? I refuse to stand by and wait for them to strike me first!"


    The Water Kylin was able to determine that these seaweed-like creatures weren''t very strong, so he decided to make the first move.


    Stretching out his other claw, he swiped at one of the evil spirits. To his surprise, his claw then exploded with a bang. As for the evil spirit he attacked, it continued to sway like seaweed underwater, completely unbothered.


    "Sir, the evil spirits of the deep sea can easily withstand attacks of force. Don''t be too impulsive," Pedro warned.


    "Fuck! Why in the world didn''t you tell me earlier?" The Water Kylin glared at Pedro, wanting to strangle him.


    "If that''s the case, then have a taste


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    This was not the blade and sword absorbing the dark red god''s power in the skeleton, but the other way around!


    He hurriedly activated his spiritual sense and tried to take back the divine weapons. However, he couldn''t seem to move them. It was as though he had completely lost contact with them!


    "Damn it! Don''t do this to me!" Darren made a move and was about to take back his sword and blade.


    Bang!


    Just as he was reaching out to grab them, a terrifying dark red power burst out. He was forced to retreat before he could even touch their hilts!


    However, the dark red power didn''t seem to hurt him. After forcing him backwards, it dissipated abruptly.


    On the blade and sword, Darren saw the veins becoming more defined. The "blood" continuously flowed into the skeleton, making it glow a faint dark red.


    Darren''s heart raced wildly. Anxiously, he looked at the skeleton with wide eyes. Was this thing going to come back to life?!


    But there was nothing he could do to stop it!


    "Did it move?" Darren gulped, as he saw the skeleton''s finger twitch suddenly.

 Chapter 1699 Leon Came

    If a mere finger bone was powerful enough to suppress the Water Kylin, how much more the entire skeleton?


    Darren immediately regretted his decision to release the divine weapons.


    Eyeing the sword and blade in the distance, he saw that the dark red aura in the divine weapons began to fade, but veins and meridians began to appear on the skeleton.


    Just then, the millions of evil spirits suddenly began to chant.


    The melody they sang sounded ancient and obscure. It must''ve been some kind of spell.


    As the ancient incantation echoed under the sea, a transparent disk appeared above the skeleton, and many strange runes began to light up.


    The runes then left the disk and planted themselves on the skeleton.


    The skeleton began to tremble, as though it was suffering from great pain, causing the entire Illusion Spirit Sea to become restless.


    "Eh?" Darren couldn''t believe his eyes. "The dark red power is starting to come back!"


    As the skeleton was suppressed by the runes, the dark red aura within its body began to flow out and streamed into the blade and sword.


    "Hurry up! Keep chanting!" Darren ordered the army of evil spirits.


    The evil spirit


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    tually has the most powerful primitive divine weapon. If my divine weapons resonate with his whip, he will definitely discover us." Darren immediately put the divine weapons into his Space Ring. His spiritual sense surged over to control them, preventing them from emitting any aura.


    Leon''s whip swam to the bottom of the sea, emitting a dark red light. Its level was higher than that of Darren''s three divine weapons.


    Buzz! Buzz! Buzz...


    Although Darren tried his best to suppress his three divine weapons, they continued to tremble violently. If this kept up, they were definitely going to break through his Space Ring!


    Darren began to sweat nervously. He couldn''t hold on any longer. The three divine weapons flew about the Space Ring agitatedly, about to break out.


    "Crack! Crack! Crack!"


    A sound of bone breaking rang in Darren''s ears.


    "Bastard, how dare you move!"


    Leon immediately withdrew his whip and roared at the skeleton.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    The skeleton trembled much more fiercely than before, and its entire arm had broken off.


    Whoosh!


    The arm lashed out extremely quickly. In a flash, it held Leon''s whip in its bony hand.

 Chapter 1700 The Origin Of The Skeleton

    The three divine weapons in Darren''s Space Ring didn''t calm down until the divine whip fell into the skeleton''s bony hand. Darren secretly breathed in a sigh of relief.


    "Evil spirit, I want to see what''s happening outside. Can you do that?" Darren asked.


    "Sure."


    The barrier in front of Darren shimmered, suddenly becoming transparent. The world outside appeared so vividly.


    What he saw made him inhale sharply. The skeleton''s white bone arm attacked Leon using the divine whip with such ferocity.


    "You have been dead for hundreds of millions of years. Do you want to fight against me with only one bone arm?"


    Leon roared angrily.


    Boom! Boom!


    The bottom of the sea had completely collapsed, and dozens of whirlpools were formed from the wreckage. Huge, roiling waves rose to the surface of the sea.


    When Leon''s giant palm collided with the divine whip, the white bone arm was pushed back.


    "Humph! Until you are able to gain back your entire body, you are no match for me!"


    Crack! Crack! Crack


    The white bone arm trembled and rattled. It seemed upset.


    "Are you angry?" Leon smiled playfully. "


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    take your place," said the skeleton.


    Leon was speechless. He knew very well that humans were very stupid and stubborn creatures. They held on to so-called justice and so-called bonds, and they could abandon almost anything for them.


    The white skeleton might actually be telling him the truth.


    "Why have you waited this long to tell me that?" asked Leon.


    "You have to make the choice now. Be my servant or give up," the skeleton said menacingly.


    "You are a good liar. You just want me to help you enter the Birthplace of the Chief Gods. Ha-ha! I won''t believe you, you loser," Leon said, feigning cheerfulness. His heart actually felt very restless.


    "Hm..."


    After letting out a small whimper, the skeleton fell into silence.


    "Say something! Anything!" Leon raised the divine whip and tried to hit the skeleton. However, nothing happened.


    "Forget it. You cannot do anything to sway me. When my great master is revived, he will crush you with his own hands. Humph!" Leon knew that the skeleton wouldn''t talk to him anymore, so he flew away. He had even forgotten to find the other three divine weapons.

 Chapter 1701 A Conversation With The Skeleton

    Leon left because he didn''t seem to believe what the skeleton had said. In his heart, he had already felt a significant change happening.


    "Evil spirit, let me out," Darren said after a moment of silence.


    "My king, you can''t leave now. The skeleton is very angry. If you go out there, he might attack you," the evil spirit pointed out.


    "It doesn''t matter. I have something to say to the skeleton. You guys can hide here and I can go by myself if you want," Darren replied.


    "But, my king..."


    "This is an order." Darren had no intention of wasting time arguing with his people.


    "Yes, my king."


    Although reluctantly, the evil spirit manipulated the law and sent Darren out of the clam shell.


    Darren approached the skeleton from the side. He lay quietly at the bottom of the sea without moving.


    "Don''t you want to talk to me?" Darren said first.


    The skeleton didn''t respond.


    "Don''t you want to go to the Birthplace of the Chief Gods? Leon may not want to cooperate with you, but maybe I will," Darren said.


    Suddenly, the skeleton moved. His eyes shone with a dark red light.


    "Human, weak, stupid, stubborn," the sk


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    Character matures, I will become the tenth chief god. It''s just that I may need more time to become a chief god if the Birthplace of the Chief Gods doesn''t exist, but that is all," Darren said.


    "Humans are good at daydreaming. As powerful as I was, I was suppressed and killed. What makes you think you are an exception?" the skeleton said.


    The skeleton made it very clear. Despite having the prototype of the Chief God Character, Darren was destined to be suppressed and killed.


    "The chief gods have once sensed my existence, but they failed to kill me. They couldn''t do it in the past and they never will in the future," Darren said confidently.


    "That''s just because your God Character is not mature enough. They have no interest in it," the skeleton explained.


    "Whatever." Darren sneered and said, "Forget it. You are worthless to me. I don''t want to talk to you anymore."


    Darren turned around and was about to leave when the skeleton made an outburst.


    "Damn it!"


    Darren turned to look at him questioningly.


    "Human, the Birthplace of the Chief Gods is the Defiant Flaming Hell," the skeleton told him reluctantly.

 Chapter 1702 Believe It Or Not

    "You said that it doesn''t exist." Darren had only pretended to leave. He was sure that the skeleton would not let him leave just like that.


    After all, the skeleton had been the first Defiant Master born in the world. Now he met Darren, who had the prototype of the Chief God Character. He wouldn''t even have the slightest idea of letting Darren leave.


    "Yes, the Birthplace of the Chief Gods doesn''t exist. However, the Defiant Flaming Hell can also make me as powerful as the chief gods. So, it''s probably the same as the Birthplace of the Chief Gods you have mentioned," the skeleton explained.


    "I see," Darren said. "It really doesn''t matter to me whether it can make you stronger. I just want to be the tenth chief god."


    "Human, don''t forget that you''re still a Defiant Master. Therefore, once you enter the Defiant Flaming Hell, you will improve much faster," the skeleton remarked.


    "Oh, really? Can you tell me why that is?" Darren took a great interest in what he heard.


    "If you really want to know, you''ll have to give me what I want," the skeleton said in a scheming tone. Obviously, he wanted to make a deal with Darren, so that they could both benefit from it.


    "Come on. You don''t have to beat around the bush. I know very well that you want to be resurrected and become a chief god. Then, you''ll kill all the other chief gods. So, how about t


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    st ignored the villagers and proceeded to walk into Lionel''s yard. There he saw Lionel practicing vigorously.


    "Oh! If it isn''t Darren!" Lionel quickly jumped with excitement as he saw Darren.


    "Grandpa, Mom, come quickly! Darren''s back. He was not caught," Lionel shouted inside the house and announced Darren''s arrival.


    "It''s really Darren. Please come in and have a seat."


    Darren was welcomed warmly into their house. Lionel''s mother immediately prepared some wine and dishes for him.


    "Mrs. Di, you don''t have to trouble yourself too much. I''m not actually going to stay here for long. I just came here to take Lionel with me," Darren said softly.


    Crash!


    With a crisp sound, the bowl in the hand of Lionel''s mother suddenly fell and broke into pieces. She was caught off guard that she couldn''t prevent herself from tearing up.


    "Don''t worry. I won''t force you if you don''t want me to take Lionel. I know that it''s quite sudden, so take your time to think about it," Darren said.


    "It''s fine. It''s our honor," Lionel''s grandfather nodded and said excitedly. "We''re actually glad that you decided to take Lionel with you. Thank you, Darren."


    "He''s right. Lionel is still young and he needs to see the outside world. It''s an honor for us that he would be taken under your care." With that, Lionel''s mother knelt and expressed her appreciation.

 Chapter 1703 Departure

    Upon hearing that Darren planned to take him with him, Lionel immediately fell to his knees in respect.


    "Darren, I have been dreaming to follow you in your journey through the world. I never thought this moment would come. This is the realization of my wildest dreams," he said.


    "Come, get up from there, Lionel," said Darren with a soft chuckle and an outstretched hand. He gave a soft smile as he helped Lionel up.


    "Son, from now on, you must be obedient to Darren. Don''t get into any trouble and anger him," Lionel''s mother urged. There was a pang in her heart from letting her son go, but she always hoped that Lionel could travel and see what the world had to offer. This wish for her son trumped wanting to hold on to her son and never let go. She had no idea when they''d even meet again.


    "I know, Mother. When I become stronger, I will definitely return to see you and Grandpa. I''ll tell you many great stories about the world outside." Although excited, Lionel was still reluctant about leaving his family.


    "Good boy. Now, go pack your things. After dinner, you''ll be setting out with Darren," said his mother.


    "Please don''t trouble yourselves with any preparations. I actually have urgent things to deal with. I''m afraid we mu


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    as drinking water. He had reached a new level in only a few months.


    "Old man, I''m obviously not afraid to tell you that I may possess the strength to defeat you by now," said Darren loudly. He did this on purpose when he saw Fernando trying to keep a poker face.


    "Fuck off! You want to square up with me? You''re biting off more than you can chew. That''s for sure!" Fernando started fretting. It would be such a huge embarrassment if Darren''s strength surpassed his.


    "Calm down, I''m just kidding. If I want to reach your fighting power, I guess I''ll still have to wait until I step into the upper-level of the Deputy God Realm. It''s not going to take that long, though. In one or two days'' time perhaps," said Darren with a subtle smirk.


    "Fuck off! I don''t want to talk to you anymore." Irritated, Fernando flew forward quickly, and Darren couldn''t hold back his mischievous cackles from behind.


    "My Lord, that human boy is back!"


    The Holy Shura Ancestor had been sending people to guard the entrance of the Illusion Spirit Sea. As soon as Darren and Fernando appeared, a spy quickly reported the news.


    "Ah!"


    The Holy Shura Ancestor, who was submerged deep in the blood mist, raised his head ominously and soared into the sky.

 Chapter 1704 A Duel With The Holy Shura Ancestor

    When the Holy Shura Ancestor came out, Dethy, the Fiend Ancestor, also found out about Darren''s return.


    However, Dethy didn''t do anything. Instead, he entered the underground palace, knelt down in front of a statue, and murmured something inaudibly.


    Some time later, he left the statue.


    "Darren is back. What about Naylor?"


    Dethy was terrified. Knowing that Darren had come out of the Illusion Spirit Sea, he wondered where Naylor was now.


    Ever since Dethy came out of the Illusion Spirit Sea, he had been diligently praying to a chief god. Unfortunately, he hadn''t gotten any response yet. It looked like the chief god had no intention of taking him as a servant, making Dethy very anxious. He did not dare to leave the underground palace for the time being.


    Darren and the rest flew with all their might, leaving behind the territory of the Dark Night race.


    The space between the various races was a dark void. A primitive one at that.


    As with such primitive voids, fierce space windstorms filled the vacuous space. Being sucked in would require a lot of time and effort for Darren and the others to get out of it.


    So they did everything they could to avoid those space windstorms.


    "Loo


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    before.


    The Holy Shura Ancestor raised his head and roared.


    His sharp voice made Darren''s eardrums hurt. Even the surrounding void started to tremble.


    "What an immense power!" Fernando was also taken aback. The sudden change made him as well feel a little oppressed.


    "Even I would have had to fight tooth and nail against this Shura. I wonder if Darren would be able to stand his ground." Fernando couldn''t help but feel a little nervous for his friend.


    "Darren, use your divine weapons!" Fernando told Darren through his spiritual sense.


    "No need for that for now. I''ll be elevated to the upper-level of the Deputy God Realm right away. I want to know if I can withstand his attacks," Darren replied lightly.


    "Don''t be foolish, young man!" Fernando was growing more anxious, but Darren didn''t respond to that.


    Boom!


    The space around Darren shook violently. The horrifying blade and sword intents spread out from his body. Then, he too turned into a dazzling dark red star.


    A slight shattering sound echoed in Darren''s mind. His body was undergoing a qualitative change, and his god''s power grew at a rapid speed. He had broken through to the upper-level of the Deputy God Realm!

 Chapter 1705 Inciting The Shura

    The Holy Shura Ancestor''s hatred and killing intent helped Darren break through the barrier and rise to the upper-level of the Deputy God Realm.


    To him, an entirely new world had opened up.


    As his realm improved, so had Darren''s God Characters and his overall strength.


    Swoosh!


    The Holy Shura Ancestor made the first move. With dark red god''s power coiled around his colossal palm, he raised his hand and slapped Darren.


    Boom!


    It was like the first big bang. The universe seemed to shake under the impact, cracks filling the entire primitive void. It vibrated so violently that even masters of other races outside the primitive void felt it.


    Masters at the ancestor level from dozens of races raised their heads and looked at the primitive void.


    "Who is in battle? There are very strong fluctuations."


    "It''s that Shura!"


    "What is he doing? Is he about to attack our world?"


    Even at a distance, these masters still felt uneasy.


    Crack!


    Under such tremendous pressure, the void beneath Darren''s feet began to crack.


    Darren raised his head, forms of swords and blad


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    of their dignity.


    Darren suddenly laughed and continued, "Look at you! You think you can lord your power over us all?


    But the truth is, you''re slinking away with your tail between your legs. Even the leaders of some small races see you for the coward you are."


    Darren''s words had the Holy Shura Ancestor shaking with fury.


    "Go to hell!"


    he roared, and the dark red Shura Force swept out fiercely.


    Smack!


    The void began to quiver again. Thousands of palm shadows went after the masters.


    "Argh!"


    "Damnation! He has gone mad!"


    "Run!"


    A dozen or so of them were killed on the spot.


    "It didn''t take much for you to lose your temper. You are not worthy of fighting me. In fact, I''ll be magnanimous enough to allow you to take your own life with dignity," Darren continued to taunt.


    The Shura turned around, his eyes glowing gold.


    "Great master, please hear the most loyal prayer from a humble slave, grant me your god''s power.


    Let me destroy this lowly Defiant Master for you."


    Finally, the Holy Shura Ancestor was asking the chief god for his god''s power.

 Chapter 1706 Resentment And Death

    The Holy Shura Ancestor made a bow to the void, praying for the god''s power from the chief god, hoping he would give him a little in return.


    Black clouds surged in the deep broken void. Soon, an extremely wide crack started to appear. Everyone looked up and saw a golden light rolling in through the tremendous crack in the clouds. Mixed with endless darkness, it turned dark gold.


    "It''s the chief god''s power!"


    When the immense pressure descended, it stunned all the masters present. In an instant, they were all on the ground, bowing toward the golden crack.


    The will of a chief god was above everything else. No one but a Defiant Master could resist it. It was pure instinct to kneel down.


    Crack!


    The sound of thunder resounded through the space. Dark gold thunderbolts came out of the crack, hovering wildly in the void.


    "Oh, great chief god, please grant me power..." the Holy Shura Ancestor continued muttering to himself.


    Boom!


    The crack exploded open with light sprinkling out. It


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    of them had resisted power beyond the limits of their physical strengths.


    Even so, the horrible battle kept going.


    An hour later, Darren''s flesh and blood erupted. The impact of the continuous collisions had completely torn him apart, turning him into a badly mutilated creature.


    The Shura was seriously injured as well. Only a bloody skeleton bone battled Darren now.


    "I''m afraid even I can''t compete with Darren now."


    Fernando had been holding back the urge to join the battle this whole time and quietly watched the battle ensue. It astonished him how the divine weapons had helped Darren''s fighting power go beyond its limit.


    "If they continue to fight like this, it''s possible they will both die. It''s time for me to do something."


    Fernando''s Archean fighting spirit broke out. He turned into lightning and darted into the battlefield.


    The moment he got there, his divine disk hovered in front of Darren to protect him. And his divine jar broke into pieces and shot towards the Shura.

 Chapter 1707 The Cemetery Has Been Looted

    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Fernando''s divine weapon launched the Holy Shura Ancestor into sky.


    A short while later, he flew back, hobbling through the space, his body broken and limp. The dark red light around his body was already dimmed to half its glow, and he appeared to be losing momentum. He looked as though he might fall at any moment.


    "You couldn''t even defeat Darren one-on-one. Now I''ve joined the fight as well. It''s two versus one. Do you really think you can come out of this alive? If I were you, I''d blow myself up right now. Take a more dignified death than the humiliating one waiting for you if you choose to fight," Fernando said, a vicious coldness in his voice.


    The Shura''s body was trembling. He knew that if he lost, he was sure to die.


    The chief god''s power he''d obtained had been destroyed by a lowly Defiant Master. All his faith in his ability crumbled at the thought of this.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The Holy Shura Ancestor raised his head to the deep void, his eyes full of resentment and despair.


    "Lies, absolute lies!


    What sort of chief god are you? Where are you now? You can''t even kill a puny human Defiant Master. Shame on you!"


    His disgruntled roar resounded through the deep void and out into the universe.


    He had lived all his life as a loyal slave of a chief g


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    omforting him.


    "My uncle''s tomb and Supreme God Braxton''s were taken too," Darren said with deep disappointment when he''d finally managed to calm down.


    "Do you know the tomb''s original location? Hurry and check if there''s any clues left behind for us to track them down. Only when we find out which race is responsible for this can we get them back," Fernando said, adding logic and composure to their predicament.


    When Darren heard this, he immediately burst to the north.


    Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar had been to the island Braxton was buried under. He knew that she and his uncle were best friends and their tombs were located in the same place. More to it, Supreme God Braxton''s phantom had spoken to Darren, and it most likely had the Blessing God Character with it.


    When they arrived at the location, Darren dived into the sea, coming to an underwater mountain of which the peak had been cut and flattened out.


    "Can you feel anything? Is there any aura left?" Fernando asked, rushing over to Darren''s side.


    Darren released his god''s sense and used his telepathy, but did not find anything special. The aura left behind was too complex. He could sense the aura of at least ten different races.


    Based on these traces, it was impossible to tell who had looted the supreme gods'' tombs.

 Chapter 1708 Thorough Investigation

    The fact that the supreme gods'' tombs were stolen by the alien creatures ignited the hatred in Darren''s heart.


    Failing in getting the Blessing God Character wasn''t a big deal to him. However, the fact that the alien creatures had stolen all the supreme gods'' tombs had undermined the last bit of the humans'' dignity.


    "Despicable aliens, you stole the tombs. For that, I won''t rest until you''ve paid with your life!" Darren said through gritted teeth.


    "Whatever you''re planning, it will be useless. You just said you''ve felt traces of auras from at least ten different races here. Obviously, they hadn''t all come here at the same time. Only the first one to make their way here could have stolen the tombs.


    Besides, your uncle and Braxton were extremely powerful when they were alive. Even after their death, their tombs weren''t easy to rob. Therefore, it''s easy to conclude that whoever managed to do it was exceptionally skilled, maybe on par with us," Fernando stated calmly.


    "You are right. It must have been a strong master who stole them." The tombs had been placed


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    Yes, Darren. After you and Lord Cyan Dragon left, we started to reflect on ourselves and our own actions. Please be merciful if we ever said anything bad to you before."


    The remaining humans sent two representatives to apologize to Darren.


    This deeply touched Darren. Not only for the apologies but to be in the presence of his race again. He was proud of being a human. The human race was a spiritual race full of sense and gratitude.


    Darren didn''t want to say anything that would kill the mood. Instead, he remained silent and cupped his hands in front of everyone.


    Then he entered the palace.


    "Do you know where the old library is?" Darren didn''t know much about this place, so he asked a former guard of the divine palace, a black-robed guard.


    "Yes, come with me, please."


    The black-robed guard''s legs were completely gone due to incurable injuries. Some kind of sharp weapon had destroyed his left shoulder, leaving only his right arm. He could only jump using his right arm to go from one place to the other.


    "Thank you, buddy," Darren said sincerely.

 Chapter 1709 It Was Sheffield

    Darren followed the guard in the black robe all the way into the underground palace.


    It was buried hundreds of thousands of kilometers below the surface. Although the pathway was a little worse for wear, one could still vaguely make out the direction they had to go.


    After half a day''s search, the guard finally located the library.


    "All right, buddy. Go get some rest. I''ll take my time finding what I need."


    "Mr. Chu, I''m quite familiar with this place. Tell me what kind of books you''re looking for, I may be able to help," offered the guard in the black robe.


    "All right. I''m looking for the books on the supreme gods of our human race and the locations of their tombs. Would you be able to help me find that?" Darren said, not hiding anything.


    "I do happen to know where those are!"


    These books were all ordinary records, and the guard was indeed very familiar with them.


    He found two books in no time at all. These two books were exactly what Darren had wanted, out of the hundreds of millions of books here.


    "That''s incredible. Thank you so much, buddy."


    "You''re welcome, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?"


    "No, thank you. You can have a rest now," Darren replied courteously.


    "As you wish, sir." The black-robed guard then respectfully took his leave.


    Darren opened


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    ace exploded, revealing a black space passage.


    Darren and Fernando went straight in.


    A few seconds later, they both landed in a wilderness.


    The place was wrought with bones, fog and evil energy.


    "You know, I have a friend here, I wonder if he''s all right."


    Darren was referring to Yama. It was with his help that Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar had managed to escape this small abyss.


    He''d promised him that once he was strong enough, he would return, free him from the abyss and help him get his revenge.


    Unfortunately, Darren had been kept very busy and had been plagued by one crisis after another, forcing his promise down the list of priorities.


    "I hope he''s still alive," Darren sighed.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    Their two figures walked across the deserted land, dissipating the fog and evil energy as they passed through it. Suddenly, the whole world revealed itself to them clearly.


    "I know you''re here. Come out. Show yourself,"


    Darren yelled to the sky, stopping in his tracks. Obviously, he was calling out to Sheffield''s broken limb.


    They waited a long while and still there was no response.


    "Humph, you may be unaware of my current strength. If you want to continue hiding, I have no problem letting you get eviscerated along with this abyss," Darren snorted derisively.

 Chapter 1710 Finding Yama

    Darren''s roar echoed throughout the silent, dull world, spreading farther than one could have imagined.


    They waited a while but still got no response.


    "He''s managed to escape and obtained Supreme God Sheffield''s corpse. Chances are he''s already long gone," Fernando remarked.


    "Where could the broken arm have fled to? Perhaps the most dangerous place is the safest. He could be hiding right under our noses. Let''s look around, just in case. I don''t want to miss him and let him get away from us," Darren said frowning, deep in thought.


    "Okay, let''s do it," Fernando nodded in agreement as he sprung to action.


    They soared over the barren ground, using their god''s sense to probe every inch of the earth below, making sure not to miss a thing.


    A long while later, they had still not found a trace of what they were looking for. Darren and Fernando entered the stone chamber that led to the abyss.


    It wasn''t big by any means and the walls were engraved with lifelike depictions of beasts and a few ancient words as well.


    In front of the stone chamber was a chair, sitting beside two statues dressed in armor like soldiers standing in guard of the throne.


    These statues were once very powerful in Darren''s eyes. Now, however, all he had to do was cast a glance a


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    y, with a cool focus flowing through his veins.


    "Darren, no, you cannot match up to him. He devoured the two blood essence creatures and did not stop there. He also managed to obtain Supreme God Sheffield''s body! Except for the chief gods, there are no living beings in this world capable of defeating him," Yama retorted, trying to persuade Darren away from throwing himself into a danger he would not be able to escape.


    Yama had once been the leader of a region. His strength was only at the top level of the Superior God Realm. He had a very limited knowledge of the levels masters could rise to and had risen to. To him, getting hold of the body of a supreme god was as close as he got to being invincible.


    "Do not worry, sir. Once I find him, I will kill him. You can be sure of that," Darren said confidently.


    He then released a dark red blade intent and a dark red sword intent, letting them hover above in the gigantic hall.


    "Ah, well..." Yama stuttered. He was flabbergasted by what he was seeing.


    The power he felt was terrifying beyond anything he had ever witnessed!


    As far as he knew, only chief gods could release a power such as this, a power strong enough to destroy the entire Primitive Wilderness. It was overwhelming to be in the presence of.

 Chapter 1711 Creatures Formed By Reversal Law

    Yama was utterly impressed by the power Darren had displayed.


    "Darren, have you... become a supreme god?" Yama eventually found the courage to ask after a long moment of silence.


    "In truth, my cultivation base is far from such heights. But in terms of strength, I am now indeed as strong as an ordinary supreme god," Darren informed. At full strength, he was a little above Fernando, with his fighting power far greater than Shipley''s.


    Yama was both surprised and exhilarated. He had always thought highly of Darren and believed that he would one day become a master. Or a region leader at the least. He had never thought Darren would exceed his expectations. It had only taken him a few decades to become a powerful warrior comparable to even a supreme god.


    He could not help but cry out and express his admiration.


    "Well then, by all means go ahead, Sir Darren. Please kill that evil creature as soon as you can," Yama said.


    "Yama, you are my senior, you do not need to call me ''sir.'' In fact, it makes me a little uncomfortable. As for that evil creature, you can rest assured that I will get rid of him. I cannot, and I will not, let him bring disaster to the entire universe," Darren announced firmly.


    "Okay, since you say so, I''ll just call you Darren. We must find that evil creature as soon as


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    of dark red light, swerving and slicing through the law creatures.


    Tens of law creatures were cut to pieces in an instant.


    "Puff!"


    Darren then spat out a mouthful of blood. He''d taken a serious hit too from the reversal power the creatures released.


    "Come back!"


    Darren immediately pulled his sword and blade back. He had thought his divine weapons, being primitive weapons, might not be affected by the counterattack. It turned out there was no way around it.


    He mobilized his god''s power to tend to his wounds.


    "These creatures are truly powerful, even more so than your ''Stealing Hand,''" Darren remarked thoughtfully.


    "You''re right. I can only steal attacks from cultivators the same level as me. But these creatures'' cultivation base is so low and they''re still capable of reversing our attacks," Fernando replied.


    "Our only option is to take them out one at a time. By the time we''ve taken out a couple dozen, we should have healed enough to continue fighting on. It will take a long time, though," said Darren, catching his breath again.


    "But it''s all we have. There''s only a few thousand of them. We can wipe them all out in two or three days I would say." As soon as he finished speaking, Fernando unleashed another savage attack, shattering tens of law creatures in front of him.

 Chapter 1712 Integrated Into A Weapon

    Darren and Fernando took turns striking down the law creatures. These shadowy beings were capable of rebounding any power that those trying to kill them would use.


    After a killing spree lasting two or three days, they had lost track. They discovered that the creature''s numbers hadn''t dwindled at all!


    "This is odd. Every time we kill one of them, another is born. At this rate, we''ll never be able to wipe them all out!"


    "Then let''s stop trying to kill them all. Just get out of here!"


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Darren and Fernando did all they could to break through the siege.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    They had killed hundreds of law creatures and had suffered serious injuries as a result. They had no choice but to flee now.


    "Damn it!"


    The law creatures surrounded Darren and his companions, packing tightly around them. If they tried rushing out, they would without a doubt kill a lot of these beings. They would not be able to bear the counterattacking force from that.


    "We''re trapped."


    "Darren, if we can''t kill them with martial arts, perhaps we should try using law power instead," Yama suggested.


    "I don''t cultivate rule cultivation. I''m afraid I don''t have law power," Darren replied helplessly.


    "Well then, there''


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    er, a black crack appeared in the fifteenth floor of hell. This was the passage leading to the next layer once the law creatures had been vanquished.


    Darren and the others went into it and fell to the sixteenth floor in a matter of seconds.


    This floor of hell was different from the rest; it was a world chock-full of weapons.


    Endless weapons floated around, as if countless creatures were living there.


    "Darren, pull out your divine weapons and smash them all. Let''s move on to the next hell."


    "Okay."


    Darren''s sword and blade were the primitive divine weapons and were invincible!


    Buzz...


    The sword and the blade vibrated, launched off upwards and stopped in midair.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The entire space shook before all sorts of weapons of every kind darted wildly towards Darren''s sword and blade.


    Clang! Clang!


    Innumerable weapons collided with each other, soon integrating together.


    More and more weapons continued gathering and in the end, hundreds of millions of weapons from this space had formed an enormous human-shaped weapon!


    "What the hell is this? It seems somewhat powerful." Fernando finally felt a trace of fear shooting through him when he looked upon the gigantic human-shaped weapon.

 Chapter 1713 The Powerful Human-shaped Weapon

    The giant human-shaped weapon emitted an extremely menacing aura.


    "Old man, you go fight first," Darren said lightly.


    "What? Why should it be me? Shouldn''t you offer to go first? Or do you want me to get beaten up?" Fernando said in disdain.


    "I just wanted you to gauge their strength. It makes sense for the weakest to go first and for the strongest to fight later once there''s a better understanding of the enemy," Darren said, baiting Fernando.


    Fernando turned so livid he was speechless. What he wanted to do was beat Darren up.


    Boom!


    Taking advantage of their distraction, the enormous human-shaped weapon took the initiative and attacked.


    His metal palm suddenly grabbed at Darren''s divine blade and sword floating in the air.


    Crack!


    Sparks flew everywhere.


    The sound of weapons colliding echoed all over the place as a dark red light soared up high.


    Bang!


    The divine sword and blade smashed into the human-shaped weapon''s metal palm, exploding into sparks scattered in the air.


    Clack.


    The human-shaped weapon qu


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    "Yes, there was no one controlling him just now. If his master was present, he must have been on par with Naylor''s Defiant Fiend Spirit," Darren agreed.


    "Defiant Fiend Spirit... Right! We can''t defeat him. But we can summon the Water Kylin! Doesn''t Naylor keep the Defiant Fiend Spirit in his body?" Fernando said gritting his teeth as he looked at Darren.


    Darren realized that he had actually forgotten about the Water Kylin.


    That day in the Illusion Spirit Sea, once the Water Kylin had passed out, Darren had put him into his Space Ring. He hadn''t thought about him since.


    Now that Fernando mentioned him, Darren checked his Space Ring using his spiritual sense. He found the Water Kylin already awake and lying comfortably in a pile of magic herbs and fruits, relishing in them. Darren had collected these things a while ago. Although they were useless, they tasted good.


    Darren immediately summoned the Water Kylin.


    "Kid, what''s wrong with you? I''m enjoying the delicious food. How dare you disturb me!" The Water Kylin glared at Darren.

 Chapter 1714 A Trap

    "Cut the crap. Just look at what''s in front of us," Darren barked, glaring at the Water Kylin.


    The Water Kylin turned to look ahead and saw countless divine weapons surrounding them, and close by, stood an enormous human-shaped weapon. The cold light in his eyes sent shivers piercing through the hearts of everyone that looked upon him.


    "My God! What''s this creature? He looks really powerful." The Water Kylin''s interest had been piqued.


    "Go kill him!"


    "Why do I have to do what you want? Who do you think you are? Humph," the Water Kylin said in annoyance. He raised his head and turned away defiantly.


    Slap!


    Darren struck him on the head and said, "We don''t have time to lose. Do it now!"


    The Water Kylin, surprisingly, didn''t seem too bothered about being slapped. Instead, he seemed to enjoy it.


    ''Oh my God! What''s wrong with me all of a sudden? Why am I feeling so happy to be taking a beating?" thought the Water Kylin to himself.


    "Ahem. All right, I will kill that thing for you."


    With the help of the Defiant Fiend Spirit, the Water Kylin''s aura rose to its limit. He transformed into a bolt of blue lightning and darted to the human-shaped weapon towering over the


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    Darren, we can''t delay any longer. I fear for Donovan. Let''s hurry. If we can pass through the seventeenth floor, then we''ll find out if the broken limb is there." Yama was getting a little anxious.


    "All right, let''s get moving. There''s only one floor left anyway."


    Darren and his companions stepped into the passage and walked towards the seventeenth floor of hell.


    Before long, they fell into it.


    "A house?"


    They were confused by what they found; there was a wooden house here, standing on its own.


    It was as ordinary as any other, with an old wooden table in it and rusty hunting tools hung on the walls alongside some fur of ordinary beasts. There were furs of the wolf, tiger and leopard, hanging as prizes of sport.


    There was also a long wooden stool and an old wooden bed without a quilt on it.


    In another small room of this poky abode, was a clay stove, on which was a large iron pot. It was covered with mud and ashes, and some burnt animal legs hung on it as well. It was probably the owner of this house''s smoked meat.


    "It''s so normal, just like any hunting cabin in any ordinary land."


    Darren had never expected the seventeenth floor of hell to be like this.

 Chapter 1715 Seeing Through

    Creak!


    Darren slowly pushed the door open and peered outside. It was dark all around. He wanted to step out but found that he could not. The endless darkness was neither space nor void, it was simply nothing. Nothing existed within that pitch-black.


    "This is so strange. I did not expect the seventeenth floor of hell to be like this."


    "I wonder what sort of person used to live here in this shabby house."


    Darren and his companions were filled with many questions and concerns.


    "Humph! It does not matter who used to live here. I''m going to destroy this place."


    The Water Kylin cared very little about the mysteriousness of where he was. Tremendous fiend power and god''s power then gushed out of his body and erupted in the tiny room.


    Boom!


    A thunderous bang rang out, but the room did not even shake. Instead, the Water Kylin was sent flying back from the impact of his own move, bouncing back and forth between the broken walls like a bouncy ball.


    He ricocheted around thousands of times before finally falling to the floor.


    When he got back up, his head


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    t this one," Fernando echoed in agreement.


    "I''m sorry, it''s all my fault. If I hadn''t rushed you in, we might have found the real passage. I deserve to die!" The fake Yama seemed to blame himself, even to the point of heartbreak and despair.


    He leaned weakly against the broken wall, dejection washing over him.


    "Why am I so stupid? I should just die!"


    The imposter began hitting the wall heavily, over and over.


    "Darren, look. He''s pretending to let out his anger, but really his little finger is pushing at those hunting tools. And listen to the sound. There''s some very complex and mysterious sound law hidden in it," Fernando pointed out.


    If they had not noticed the abnormality in Yama''s eyes before, they would certainly not have picked up on so many details now. They would have been fooled by all this imposter''s tricks.


    "I see. He is acting anxiously. It appears the passage to the eighteenth floor is about to open," Darren replied with a faint, knowing smile.


    The moment he''d finished speaking, a hole broke out of the wooden wall by Yama''s raging.

 Chapter 1716 Finding The Supreme God Character

    Bang!


    There was an explosion out of nowhere, and Yama was sent hurtling through the air.


    "What happened?"


    A moment later, he pushed himself up off the ground, horror drawn across his face.


    "Look, there''s a hole in the wall!"


    "What the... The old man''s blown open a doorway by accident," called out the Water Kylin, rushing over and sticking his head into the opening in the wall.


    "Aren''t we lucky?" said Fernando.


    "Yama''s really been a big help here. He''s our lucky charm," Darren added.


    They chimed in happily with their comments.


    "Ha ha, it was an accident. I certainly had not been expecting to break that wall." Yama looked just as surprised as the rest of them.


    "Well the passage is open now, let''s go on. We need to find that creature and torture him till he''s begging for the mercy of death," Darren said purposefully loud, hoping it would be heard far and wide.


    "Yes, we must tear him to pieces," Yama added angrily.


    "Ha ha, you''ve got that right!" Fernando sneered viciously.


    Darren and the others then entered the passage together.


    It was not long before they came to the eighteenth floor of the hell.


    They arrived at what seemed to be a vast sea of fire. The entire area was surrounded by flickerin


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    e remained still, not yet flying over to it.


    "I''ve brought you all the way here. Why haven''t you shown yourself?" Darren shouted.


    Buzz...


    A wisp of black flame rushed into this narrow space and morphed into a human-shaped creature of black flame.


    "It seems you''ve known who I am all along," the black flame said. His hoarse voice revealed infinite evil intent.


    "Of course. I know who you are," Darren replied flatly.


    "Then why did you still lead me here? Without the guidance of your semi-finished Supreme God Characters, it would have been impossible for me to locate my real body''s God Character."


    "You''re reading too much into it. Without your advice, I wouldn''t have been able to find it either, would I? If you hadn''t told me that Sheffield''s Supreme God Character is in the eighteenth floor of hell, I would never have known. We''ve both used each other. As for who will walk out of here with the Supreme God Character, well that depends on our abilities," Darren said indifferently.


    It was true that if Darren and Fernando had already exposed his identity, they might not have been able to get out of that shabby house.


    "Ha ha, you really think you''re a smart one, don''t you? Do you honestly think you can defeat me?"

 Chapter 1717 Fighting Sheffields Broken Limb

    "This fight will determine who lives. But before that, I want to talk," Darren said.


    "Oh? What do you want to talk about? How you want to beg for mercy?"


    "Don''t let your overconfidence get to your head." Darren turned his back to him and asked, "You disguised yourself as Yama to wait for my arrival, but how did you know I would come to you?"


    Darren still couldn''t figure it out.


    "That old man had suppressed me for so many years. When I came out, I killed him and occupied his body. As soon as you stepped into the tomb, I sensed your arrival. I couldn''t open the passage from the fifteenth floor to the sixteenth floor of hell on my own. So I decided to make use of a lowly human like you," Sheffield''s broken limb said.


    "What if I hadn''t come? Were you just going to wait for someone else to show up?"


    "Stupid thing, I already got Sheffield''s skeleton, and my strength will only grow each day. I could have easily broken through hell and entered here in ten years even without you," the broken limb said.


    Darren let out a humorless laugh. Sheffield''s broken limb using him to get out of hell had been nothing but a mere coincidence.


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    can''t hurt me. I''m already invincible. You will perish here!" Boom!


    The broken limb was in a rage, using his terrifying god''s power to bombard Darren constantly.


    The whole fire sea shook. Some weak parts of the eighteenth floor of hell were even collapsing.


    "Damn it! Darren is fighting with Sheffield''s broken limb!" Feeling the turmoil, Fernando couldn''t help but worry about Darren.


    "I don''t care if he fights the creature or even if he ends up dead. It''s not like I can get in and help him. So it''s not as if I''m defying my master''s orders." The Water Kylin acted as if he wasn''t the least bit concerned about Darren''s welfare. Naylor had ordered him to protect Darren, but he hadn''t said to do it with all his might.


    "You''re such an ungrateful dog. How could you just sit here and feel nothing while your good friend suffers?" Fernando sneered.


    "Bah, he is a nobody. He doesn''t deserve to be my friend," the Water Kylin said with derision.


    "You won''t say so once you''re out from under Naylor''s control. Maybe you will even cry." Darren had told Fernando about the past, so he knew how close the Water Kylin and Darren had been.

 Chapter 1718 Evil Power Against Fiend Power

    "I don''t know what you mean. Anyway, it doesn''t matter because I can''t get in. Your words are useless. Besides, that guy''s rather despicable. It''s unlikely he''ll die. Somehow he''ll just keep pushing on," remarked the Water Kylin. He had absolutely no care about what would happen to Darren.


    "You may not be able to get in, but the Defiant Fiend Spirit might. If you release it and attach it to Darren, Sheffield''s broken limb will surely die," Fernando replied.


    "Have you even thought about this? How will I be able to bear this heat without the Defiant Fiend Spirit? You''re trying to kill me! Even so, my master''s Defiant Fiend Spirit is under his control and his control only. I can''t mobilize it," revealed the Water Kylin.


    Fernando sighed. It seemed that this time they really could not do anything to help.


    Sheffield''s broken limb unleashed all his might and the evil force radiated off his body in a violent fashion, raging towards Darren.


    Darren summoned every drop of strength he had, sending his divine blade and sword rushing out in every direction to fight off the terrifying evil force.


    But it was too powerful and rained down on him continuously. B


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    om outer space.


    He made use of four levels of the Nine Fiendish Stars Formula to activate the nine stars. The nine fiendish stars released a dark red fiendish light simultaneously that engulfed Darren.


    He could not help but let out a shrill squeal


    as the Nine-star Fiend Power poured into his body and made him feel as though he had an infinite power within.


    Finally, the nine evil stars and the nine fiendish stars disappeared from the deep sky at the same time.


    By now, both Darren and Sheffield''s broken limb had ascended to the peak of their powers.


    "Do you think that''s enough to defeat me? As far as I can tell, you have not mastered the Nine Fiendish Stars Formula well enough. You''re far weaker than Naylor," Sheffield''s broken limb remarked with an icy viciousness, standing upright in the evil energy.


    "You''re not as strong as Supreme God Sheffield either," Darren retorted. His fiendish voice rumbled intimidatingly.


    He had only practiced the first four levels of the Nine Fiendish Stars Formula, but the Nine-star Evil Power that Sheffield''s broken limb could inherit was just as limited. Who would win this battle was still up in the air.

 Chapter 1719 Completely Defeated

    The black body of the creature formed by Sheffield''s broken limb shuddered violently. The gap between his evil power and the evil power his real body could activate was clear. The evil power and the fiend power could cancel each other out, but more importantly, the fiend power was capable of subduing the evil power!


    This was why Naylor of the fiend race was Supreme God Sheffield''s greatest enemy.


    Naylor had not even reached his peak yet, when Sheffield was still alive. Even so, the latter feared him. Naylor did not dare take Supreme God Sheffield on either. Thus, there had never actually been a battle between the two of them, and who was more powerful remained a mystery.


    "I find it quite ironic that you betrayed the so-called ''righteous'' human race by surrendering to Naylor. It seems today I will be the one to rid your race of a traitor when I destroy you!" Sheffield''s broken limb snarled viciously.


    "There are things you cannot understand. I will give you one more chance. Promise not to be an enemy to the humans, and you may obtain the Supreme God Character. If you refuse, you will die!"


    "Not be an enemy of humans? In your dreams!" roared Sheffield''s broken limb resentfully.


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    He was playing along with Sheffield''s broken limb''s suspicions of him that he''d developed when Darren first activated the Nine-star Fiend Power.


    "Shame on you!"


    "You have no right to say such things to me. You''re just Supreme God Sheffield''s broken arm. In essence, you''re human too, but you never admit it. Do you then still feel you have the right to call me shameless? Absolutely ridiculous," Darren sneered.


    "I''ve lost. I''ve completely and utterly lost," Sheffield''s broken limb said soft and helplessly, his evil energy seeming to fade out of him along with his sighing.


    He was absolutely defeated. He wanted Darren to lose something before he died. He wanted him to suffer and feel at least some pain. But as it turned out he didn''t care about Donovan at all. He had nothing on Darren now.


    "How about this? Hand the child over to me and I''ll take him to Naylor and see if he has any use for him. He is, after all, the descendant of Supreme God Braxton," Darren suggested after a pause.


    "Give him to Naylor? There''s no way that''s happening!"


    "I see your life means nothing to you. You do not seem to want a second chance, or any hope at redemption," Darren replied imperiously.

 Chapter 1720 Leave With Dignity

    ''A second chance?''


    This came as a shock to Sheffield''s broken limb. Even now, he still had a chance to live?


    "You despicable brat, don''t lie to me. I know I will die. You just want to take Donovan away." Although hope started to stir, deep down, he knew that he couldn''t believe Darren.


    "I''m only bringing Donovan to Naylor. I don''t care if I can''t get my hands on him. And I certainly couldn''t care less whether or not you live. Sheffield''s Supreme God Character will be mine. Let''s face it, you''re nothing but a rodent without it. Why should I care about a rodent''s existence?


    So, it all depends on my good humor. As long as I am in a good state of mind, I might let you go. But from the looks of your attitude right now, it seems as if you''re not that keen on keeping on living. Who am I to oppose your wishes?"


    Darren said coldly.


    Those words helped in increasing the broken limb''s excitement, black blood continuing to flow out of his heart.


    Did this brat just call him a rodent? If he was in his complete form, he would have gone at him again. However, he didn''t


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    suffice?"


    "This is new. What a strange situation, asking my enemy who''d been trying to kill me for respect. Fine. I will do as you ask," the broken limb said, bitterly. Death was inevitable. Earning respect from his enemy was more meaningful than anything else.


    "Donovan and the Nine Evil Stars Formula are both beneath the palace. As for the route... Remember to fulfill your promise and mourn me with respect." The broken limb sent Darren the information on how to enter the secret underground room. After receiving this information, Darren could immediately tell it was the real deal. It had come straight from the soul of Sheffield''s broken limb.


    "Good," Darren said calmly. Then he turned around and walked off.


    "Damn it, brat! I''m still alive. How can you just leave like this?"


    "I told you I wanted you to leave with dignity. Go and wander outside this universe. If you ever choose to return, I would hope you''d know better than to make enemies of humans again."


    Darren''s voice came from a distance.


    Meanwhile, a thirty-six-faced black crystal drifted over.

 Chapter 1721 Doggy Feng

    "You''re telling me that you didn''t kill him? And not only that, you even gave him the Supreme God Character?"


    They were outside the hell now and Fernando was furious at the answer he''d gotten when he asked Darren about the whole ordeal.


    "You''re an absolute moron! You let him go. You do know that when he fuses with the Supreme God Character, you''re going to be the first one he kills!" Fernando growled in a rage.


    Darren was silent for a while before finally responding. "That''s impossible. I left a stream of god''s power in the Supreme God Character to slow down the fusion. It will take him dozens of years at least to successfully fuse with it. By that time, he may no longer be any sort of match for me."


    "If you do not get rid of the source of the trouble, the trouble will never go away. Don''t argue with me on this, you''re a fool!" added the Water Kylin.


    "You know nothing," Darren retorted, glaring back at him.


    "Fine. I don''t want to speak with a despicable idiot anyway," the Water Kylin replied, shaking his head with his eyes full of disdain.


    The three of them soon arrived at the palace. They came to a hidden basement, led there by the information Sheffield''s broken limb had given them.


    It was


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    n its head.


    "Where have you come from? Leave now or my ape will cause you a world of pain!" the child screeched angrily.


    Darren looked up and was surprised when he saw the boy''s face. He was the spitting image of Finley.


    "Finley has a son, ha-ha." Darren knew right away that the boy was the child of Finley and Lindsay.


    "May I know your name, child?" Darren asked calmly.


    "Why should I tell you? Leave this place immediately. This is private property!"


    "You''re acting like you''re king again, Doggy Feng. Don''t make me tell our mother. Humph!" said another voice. A little girl riding a large colorful bird then flew up beside the ape as she spoke.


    "Sister, I wasn''t. They broke in. I was just messing with them. I wasn''t acting like a king. Please don''t tell Mom, I''m begging you." The child''s "kingliness" disappeared in an instant.


    "I''ll let it slide this time. Mom and Dad said that we should show kindness to people. If you keep acting like this and bullying everyone, I won''t keep it to myself much longer. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, my sister. It''s just that these guys look weird. We should chase them out. What do you think?" the boy suggested, squinting at Darren and the others with distrust.

 Chapter 1722 Reunion

    "Little girl, what did you just call your brother? Did you call him Dog?" Darren''s eyebrows shot up as he asked. He still hadn''t recovered from the shock.


    "No, no. Why would I do such a disrespectful thing? My brother''s name is Doggy, not Dog," the little girl explained with a shake of her head.


    Pfft! Darren snorted in disbelief. "What kind of name is that? What was Finley thinking? I''ll teach him a good lesson when I see him!"


    "Hey, don''t say that about our father. My father said that Doggy is the best name in the world," the boy shouted angrily.


    "Uh..." Darren muttered when he couldn''t think of a suitable retort. Then he glanced at the little girl and asked, "What''s your name?"


    "My name is Liana, but it''s not my father who gave me this name. My mother did," replied the little girl.


    "Thank God. You are fortunate that your mother named you," Darren murmured. It was indeed a blessing that the little girl had not been named after a four-legged creature. Imagine how terrible it would have been had Finley named her Sheep. Darren would have beaten Finley twice as hard to teach him a lesson!


    "Who are you? No outsider is allowed to come in here. Leave now. If my father senses your presence, he will punch you," declared the little girl.


    "I''m your father''s friend. I''m your uncle." Darren smiled.


    "Nonsense! We don''t have an uncle like you. You''re lying. My mother


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    ard." Darren beamed with pride.


    Finley frowned, and his face darkened. Barely had Darren arrived here, and he''d already won his son''s heart. He hadn''t done anything wrong, but Darren had beaten him as soon as he appeared. Then the Water Kylin attacked him. Now his son was siding with Darren. All of a sudden, Finley felt as though everyone was against him.


    "By the way, where is Akbar? And the Primitive Emperor and the old turtle?" Darren asked as he shifted his gaze from the adorable young boy to Finley.


    "They are all busy. I sensed that you had returned, which is why I came out. I won''t be staying for long as I have to guard the time-space whirlpool," Finley''s tone turned serious as he explained.


    "Guard what?"


    "The time-space whirlpool."


    "Is something supposed to happen at the time-space whirlpool? Why do you need to guard it?" Darren half-closed his eyes and leaned forward as he asked. This did not sound good, and he needed to know more.


    "I don''t know. An inexplicable sense of unease has haunted me for the past few years. It feels like something big is going to happen in the time-space whirlpool. That is why I have been guarding it all this time." Finley shook his head. His expression was overcast with anxiety.


    "It doesn''t seem to be a coincidence that this relic has been kept till now," Fernando, who had been drinking, stopped and said thoughtfully.

 Chapter 1723 Losing Their Souls

    Fernando''s words stunned Darren, and made him think.


    ''Why would a mountain from the Archean Age reappear in the era of Primitive Wilderness? Was it arranged by someone? Or is it just a coincidence?'' Darren wondered.


    He asked Finley, "Take me there to have a look later."


    "Okay. By the way, where is the Rule Soul Avatar? He has some knowledge of the Time Law. I think it would make sense to let him have a look as well," Finley replied.


    A look of sadness appeared on Darren''s face. He said, "The Rule Soul Avatar has been left in the Archean Age. Lord Starry Sword and your real body haven''t managed to return, either. Their situation is uncertain..."


    Finley was startled. "What? What happened?" he exclaimed.


    He wouldn''t have believed this news if it hadn''t come from Darren himself.


    Darren quickly told Finley what had happened to the world outside this Archean mountain.


    "Is it true?" Finley said. He was utterly shocked. In a tone of disbelief, he asked, "Has the human race also been destroyed?" Because Finley was isolated from the world in this Archean space, he had absolutely no idea of what was happening outside.


    Before Darren could answer, Finley added, "You said that the lives of my real body, Lord Starry Sword and the Rule Soul Avatar were uncertain, but I didn''t sense anything. How can that be?"


    "What do you mean?" Darren asked, frowning.


    "I''m an avatar¡ªif my real body died, I believe I would have disappeared with it. But I''m fine. That means they should still be al


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    thin the depths of the whirlpool. What if it is truly a passage left by an Archean great master, in order to extend his life?"


    Darren considered the situation, then spoke decisively. "Finley, you must act immediately. Go now and take all the creatures in the Archean mountain away with you. Whatever this unknown creature is, we can''t let it absorb any more souls."


    "Very well. But... What about Akbar and the old turtle man?" After all, although the two men had lost their souls, they were not yet dead.


    "Take them too, and keep them alive and healthy. When I get the chance, I will enter the whirlpool, and I''ll recover their souls," Darren said firmly.


    It was dangerous, but there was no other option. "Okay. I think that''s all we can do now," Finley sighed.


    "By the way," said Darren suddenly, "I can''t ask Akbar now, but do you have any idea where Aaron could be?"


    "I don''t know for certain. Akbar once mentioned that Aaron was in a very secret and safe place. I asked, but Akbar refused to say anything more," Finley replied.


    "Well, all right, then," said Darren, slightly disappointed, although he had expected the answer. "Please go and inform Lindsay now. Pack up your things and take the children with you. Get everyone ready."


    Finley agreed and took his leave.


    When Finley was gone, Darren stayed where he was, gazing at the time-space whirlpool in the distance. For a very long time, he did not move or speak. He just stared at the colorful cloud, as though he was in a trance.

 Chapter 1724 A World Within The Time-Space Whirlpool

    Had Finley been present, he would have been terrified. Even Darren''s eyes were becoming a little glassy and empty.


    However, Darren''s soul was much stronger than that of Akbar and the old turtle man.


    He could feel that something was wrong.


    Everything in front of him had become blurry, with the aura of time eroding his soul.


    He wanted to struggle, but it was as if something unknown bound him.


    Darren used his spiritual sense to mobilize the divine blade and sword.


    Boom!


    The god''s power burst out from his blade and sword and slashed at the void, creating a lot of black cracks in the Archean space.


    "It''s not working!" Darren was stunned to see that his god''s power hadn''t been enough to stop the erosion.


    Slowly, his spiritual sense got weaker and weaker.


    A gentle force wrapped around Darren, tugging him towards the colorful cloud in the distance.


    Darren''s consciousness continued to struggle. He couldn''t go there.


    If the time-space whirlpool swallowed him, he would become little more than an animated corpse without a soul like Akbar.


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    en. Besides, I think I should name my nephew. What do you think of Void?" Darren suggested.


    "What? Void? Let me think about it." Finley pondered for a moment and then recalled that he and Darren had first met in the Ancient Void Battlefield.


    "Well then, you should thank your uncle for giving you such a wonderful name!" With a smile, Lindsay patted the little boy''s head.


    "Thank you, Uncle Darren. You have to come back and teach me the peerless martial arts skill. You''re much stronger than my father. You''re my hero!" The little boy''s face was full of hope.


    "Of course! I will teach you the most powerful martial arts skills the next time I am back."


    "Uncle Darren, I want to learn, too." Liana stepped forward and tugged at Darren''s hand cautiously.


    "Okay, okay. Don''t worry. I will teach you too," Darren said with a kind smile.


    "Brat, are you done? My master sent you a message. You need to go to the fiend race''s land as soon as possible," the Water Kylin said once there was a lull in the conversation. He appeared fed up with the lot of them.

 Chapter 1725 Assigning Tasks

    "You''re saying Naylor has sent a message, and he wants me to go to the fiend race''s land?" Darren was a little surprised by this revelation.


    "My master has requested that you set off right away." The Water Kylin had just received the message through the Defiant Fiend Spirit.


    "Darren, going to the fiend race''s land is dangerous. Are you sure you''ll be all right?" Finley asked with a slight frown. Darren had once told him that of all the races, the fiend race was the most determined and hell-bent on wiping out the human race.


    "They will cause me no harm, at least for the time being. We''ll talk about it more when I return."


    "Okay. Take care," Finley said with a grim expression on his face.


    "Of course," Darren nodded before flying away alongside Fernando and the Water Kylin.


    They soared through many spaces and the primitive void as well. Finally, the land of the fiend race was in sight.


    In the distance was a giant rock in the shape of a skeleton, floating in the air. The fiendish aura around it was terrifying. This was the fiend race''s headquarters.


    A powerful force suddenly pressured them from about one hundred thousand kilometers away from


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    ll have it in the end, well, we will only know that once we arrive at the Birthplace of the Chief Gods and battle it out," Naylor said.


    "That''s fair enough." It seemed to Darren that Naylor was being reasonable. Anyway, it didn''t matter to him. Only the Purple-crystal King who had died was capable of refining the fragments of the tenth Chief God Character.


    "Anything else?" Darren asked.


    Naylor slashed out at the air in front of him and tore a hole in the space. He entered and disappeared.


    "Once you''ve killed Dethy, I will come to take his God Character. Now get a move on!" These words floated through the air after Naylor had already vanished.


    "You''ll have to rely on your own strength from here on, brat. My master has informed me that I can''t use the Defiant Fiend Spirit to help you kill Dethy in the fiend race''s land," the Water Kylin said, sneering.


    "I killed the Holy Shura Ancestor, I don''t think this will be any sort of problem for me," Darren replied unfazed.


    "Not necessarily. My master said that Dethy has become the corpse slave of two chief gods at the same time," the Water Kylin added with disdain.


    "What?" Darren was perplexed.

 Chapter 1726 Stop Him

    Dethy had become a slave of two chief gods?


    "How can it be possible? Can chief gods really share the same slave?" Darren asked in disbelief.


    "I don''t know either. But that''s what my master said. You''d better pray that you won''t die in Dethy''s hands. Ha-ha!" It seemed that the Water Kylin was gloating.


    "It sounds like a difficult task. If Dethy is a believer and a corpse slave of two chief gods, he may have gained a lot of power already." Darren couldn''t help but frown slightly. Dethy was definitely not as easy to deal with as he had thought.


    "Since you think that it''s arduous to deal with him, you''d better not provoke him for the time being. Anyway, you are doing Naylor a favor. You don''t have to risk your life," Fernando suggested.


    "Okay. Let''s go!" Darren said.


    "Hey! Are you that eager to meet your doom?" said the Water Kylin jokingly.


    "Idiot! Of course, I will take Fernando''s suggestion. I won''t help him. Instead, I will run away," Darren replied matter-of-factly.


    "Damn it!"


    What Darren said made the Water Kylin''s hair explode. He jumped up and exclaimed, "You are trying to deceive my master. If you dare to run away, I won''t mind teaching you a lesson!"


    "Save it, idiot!" Darren r


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    our ancestor."


    When Gander released his spiritual sense, he also found Darren and his companions. They were tens of thousands of kilometers away.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Gander and Terrence flew over simultaneously.


    The Water Kylin immediately sensed the presence of Gander and Terrence. "Some fiends are coming.


    Darren, it seems that Dethy won''t really let you go," he sneered. The truth was, he was eager to see Dethy and Darren fight with each other. If Darren was fortunate enough and killed Dethy, he could complete the task assigned to him by his master. But if Dethy killed Darren, it would also be favorable to him. Darren was getting more and more presumptuous and always made him angry. The most annoying thing was every time Darren hit his head, he could not vent his anger. So he would be delighted if Darren got killed.


    "How dare these fiends block our way!" Darren shouted coldly, glaring at Gander and Terrence not far away.


    "You! Stay here and let our ancestor kill you. Otherwise, we will beat you half to death and send you to him, so he can kill you by himself. Which way do you want?" Gander shouted, crossing his arms over his chest. A malicious fiendish aura then spread throughout the void.

 Chapter 1727 The Effect Of The Reversal Law (Part One)

    "Roar!"


    Gander said no more after that. The ferocious dark and fiendish aura surged, spreading throughout the primitive void like thick plumes of smoke, rapidly engulfing everything.


    The horrifying aura gathered from all directions, forming a massive head of a fiend god that roared in front of Darren threateningly.


    Whoosh!


    Dark red sword-light condensed as thin as a law silk thread.


    Densely packed sword-light threads then burst out like a million arrows moving at the speed of light.


    In almost absolute silence, the sword light pierced through the fiend head and it disappeared without a trace.


    "What?" Gander exclaimed, feeling that something wasn''t quite right.


    The ancestor had told him the Defiant Master''s fighting power was on par with the Holy Shura Ancestor''s. But based on what he had just witnessed, he had clearly greatly surpassed such a level.


    Both Gander and Terrence were taken aback. Had this human Defiant Master really improved so much in such a short period of time? Everyone knew that when one''s strength reached the level of the Holy Shura Ancestor''s, improving it even a little furt


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    g to shudder as their anger boiled.


    To be a slave to a Defiant Master was the greatest humiliation in the world. Even worse was that the one in front of them was human.


    "Gander, let''s give it everything we have and end him now."


    "No, the ancestor''s orders were only to stop him. The ancestor has to kill this brat."


    "But if we don''t use all our strength, we''re likely to be the ones who end up dead!" Terrence replied.


    "Well what''s the alternative? Do you want to disobey our ancestor''s order? Terrence, you have crossed the line once more," Gander said, glaring at him fiercely.


    "No, no, no. You misunderstand me. I''m just worried that we''ll fail our mission and die at the hands of this lowly Defiant Master."


    "Humph. That''s not possible. All you need to do is fight with all your strength. But we can''t kill him. Do you understand?"


    A strong killing intent flashed through Terrence''s eyes in response to Gander''s commanding tone.


    Gander, who had been Dethy''s guard before him, had never taken him seriously. His resentment accumulated over the years and was finally about to erupt at that very moment.

 Chapter 1728 The Effect Of The Reversal Law (Part Two)

    But the killing intent only lasted for a second. No more dissatisfaction was evident in Terrence then.


    "All right, let''s do this. We''ll challenge the Defiant Master, then sneak away and focus our attack on the old man together. Once we kill him, the Defiant Master will be weakened, and then we''ll be able to match up to him," he suggested.


    "That''s a good idea. We must find the right opening and pounce on the opportunity," Gander agreed.


    "Okay, I''ll follow your lead. Let''s fight!"


    Boom!


    Gander''s fiendish aura erupted, and he launched an attack at Darren without warning.


    Terrence followed suit, his fierce fiend power swirling in his palms and forming a black halberd that he stabbed forward with.


    ''Danger!''


    Gander felt the danger, immediately using his fiendish sense to examine Fernando. Since there were only two enemies to harm him, the danger could only be coming from the Defiant Master or the old man.


    But then, peculiarly, he found that the old man didn''t attack.


    ''Huh... It''s Terrence!''


    His heart skipped a beat and he felt a chill of cold sweat running down his back.


    He turned his h


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    ht. This battle was as good as won.


    Even though Terrence had absorbed the corpse slave''s power from Gander, his strength was still not far above Darren''s.


    It was impossible for him to kill him with a single blow. The worst-case scenario now was that Darren would take a hefty beating, but he would survive, even if close to death. By then, Terrence would be hurt enough that he would not be able to fight back anymore. Fernando would have no trouble killing him then.


    "We''d better be careful, though, or how will we be able to deal with the Fiend Ancestor if he shows up? Even if he doesn''t come in person, but sends several disciples instead, we will not be able to take on many masters at once.


    Terrence is badly hurt right now. I''ll do my best to fight him. You take the opportunity to launch a sneak attack and destroy him in one blow. Our safest course of action is to leave the fiend race''s territory as soon as possible," Fernando analyzed.


    "Okay, we''ll do as you say." Darren thought the old man was right. Staying here too long would do them no good. No one knew how powerful the Fiend Ancestor truly was.

 Chapter 1729 Alden From The Bloodsucker Race

    Terrence was shocked and angry at the same time. As much as he could, he didn''t want to give Darren a chance to breathe. He had a hunch that if this battle dragged on, his chance of survival would be greatly reduced.


    Whoosh!


    The corpse slave''s power that he possessed turned into a gray light ball and darted towards Darren.


    "Darren, take a rest for a while. Let me fight with him this time,"


    Fernando shouted as he flew over.


    Bang!


    He immediately threw a punch at Terrence as soon as he got close to him.


    Since Terrence had been seriously injured, his strength had also greatly weakened. Fernando might not be able to kill him, but he could still be hurt a lot. After striking several tentative blows, Fernando had finally figured out Terrence''s current strength.


    Terrence was panic-stricken. He desperately wanted to kill Fernando.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Thousands of claw shadows attacked Fernando in a row. Each of them had a majestic fiend power and corpse slave''s power that made the void crack all over.


    "Go to hell!"


    Fernando shouted out loud. With the push of his fighting spirit, he launched thousands of punches in a row.


    Violent roars r


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    rren dodged his attack, he would launch another one right away with force contradicting the force of his previous attack. This made his halberds slower. This was the reason why Darren could dodge his attacks with ease.


    If Terrence was in his normal state of mind, he would have planned carefully before launching an attack, and Darren would be in great danger.


    While Terrence was still chasing Darren, two people arrived in the void silently.


    "Naylor, is that guy your chosen ally?"


    "Alden, you sound like you are dissatisfied with him."


    The two who had just arrived were Naylor and Alden, the legendary master of the bloodsucker race.


    Alden was much older than Naylor. And it could be said that all the bloodlines of the bloodsucker race were inherited from him.


    No one in this era knew that he was still alive, except Naylor. Even the Bloodsucker Ancestor didn''t know about it.


    "I''m not only dissatisfied. I am very dissatisfied. For me, he is just too weak,"


    Alden said, shaking his head. He looked very young. But his face was pale as a sheet, his lips were jet-black, and he was sunken-eyed. He had the typical appearance of the bloodsucker race.

 Chapter 1730 A Bold Idea

    Watching the battle progress, Alden couldn''t help but find Darren too weak.


    If he were to step into the Birthplace of the Chief Gods, a mere gust of wind would probably kill him. A weakling such as this one becoming their ally could only do more harm than good.


    That was why the masters that Naylor had contacted refused to let Darren join them on their way to the Birthplace of the Chief Gods.


    As for Scott, he was the Lord Cyan Dragon. His strength had rapidly grown since cultivating in the mysterious place Naylor had arranged for him. The others could reluctantly accept him.


    Besides, they were now having a hard time contacting the first supreme god of the human race, Sam. He was an indispensable part of their quest.


    Darren kept dodging Terrence''s attacks. As time went by, Terrence''s bursts of power from his God Character were gradually weakening.


    "No, it can''t continue like this. I have to make my escape."


    Terrence had been fighting for a while now, with the fight not going anywhere. Seeing his burst of power about to disappear, he had no intention of continuing. He would inevitably die if he did. There was no way for him to win this battle.


    Whoosh!


    After for


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    ing their Spaces of Belief!" Darren blurted out without hesitation.


    Each of the chief gods had established many Spaces of Belief to collect the Power of Belief.


    For example, the Killing Chief God had established a Space of Belief in his hometown, Gottron Abyss. He did it to collect the Power of Belief of strong creatures to maintain his power.


    Darren''s idea was straightforward. He wanted to find the chief gods'' Spaces of Belief and forcefully break in. That way, the chief gods could perceive him and get angry. However, the chief gods couldn''t leave the Kingdom of the Chief Gods. It would be impossible for them to chase Darren and kill him. They could only use their spiritual senses to attack him. So, as long as he could resist their spiritual senses, he would survive.


    Darren explained his idea to Fernando.


    "If that''s your intention, then yes, it is indeed feasible. You''ve already escaped the suppression of the chief gods'' spiritual senses once. Now, your strength has greatly surpassed those who had protected you before. It would be possible for you to escape from the suppression of the chief gods'' spiritual senses again," Fernando said after giving it some thought.

 Chapter 1731 The Search For Spaces Of Belief

    The idea was bold and risky to be sure, but Darren was tempted nonetheless.


    If a chief god unleashed his killing intent directly at Darren, how fast would his cultivation level increase?


    "The problem we face is finding a Space of Belief established by a chief god," Fernando continued.


    "That shouldn''t be difficult if we look in the abysses."


    None of the races outside the abysses were under the control of the chief gods, thus, they built their Spaces of Belief in the abysses.


    But there were many abysses around the edge of the world and no one knew the exact locations of the Spaces of Belief.


    "Let''s head back to the divine palace of the human race. There has to be records of every abyss in the library. We can look through it and see if we find anything useful."


    "That sounds good. Let''s go."


    Darren and his companions then took off into the air and made their way to the divine palace.


    Aided by the black-robed guard, Darren successfully found the records of all the abysses in the Primitive Wilderness era.


    "There are a total of thirteen thousand two hundred and eighty-four abysses. That''s too many for us," Da


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    oup of gray creatures.


    Bang! Bang! Bang...


    Gray flesh and blood scattered in all directions, filling the entire canyon with an aura of death. Thousands of gray creatures were smashed to pieces, every one of them being annihilated when they got into the Water Kylin''s path. He was the reaper of this battlefield.


    "These things don''t seem that powerful at all," Darren said smiling faintly.


    "I don''t think it''s that simple." Fernando was not relaxing just yet. No matter how many creatures died, the real threat still loomed¡ªthe thirty-foot high gray creature.


    They watched on, and before long, the Water Kylin had killed hundreds of thousands of creatures. But the tallest of them all had still not moved.


    "Darren, we should check the Space of Belief while the Water Kylin has them distracted," Fernando suggested.


    Darren looked at the gigantic gray pyramid and nodded silently. However, since they''d gotten here, he''d had a feeling that something was amiss about this Space of Belief. But he could not put his finger on it.


    The only way for him to find out the truth was to enter the pyramid and check it out for himself.

 Chapter 1732 Different From What He Had Imagined

    Darren and Fernando quietly walked towards the Space of Belief.


    Dozens of gray iron chains were blocking their path at the entrance of the Space of Belief.


    The chains were not fixed in place; they swung at the intruders in high speed.


    Darren raised his sword and blade to counter the attack. The dark red sword intent enveloped the place entirely. His god''s power shot in all directions as a sickening aura of death burst forth from the iron chains and condensed into something substantially sinister, easily dispersing Darren''s god''s power.


    The commotion attracted the attention of the most powerful gray creature in the space.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    The creature walked towards the entrance with the huge rusty sword in his hand. The space cracked beneath his feet.


    His aura was indeed sizzling the atmosphere around them negatively.


    Waves of death aura surrounded him and corroded the space around him. Without warning, he raised his rusty sword and slashed at Darren. A gray aura surged forth from the huge sword, slashing the space as it approached Darren.


    Halfway through, the gray sword aura suddenly exploded and split into nine smaller gray swords, attacking Darren from all directions.


    Clang!


    Darren''s divine sw


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    A few minutes passed with no movement in the dark sky.


    According to Darren''s knowledge, he should have been able to see a pair of cold dark golden eyes in the sky that emitted the strongest pressure in the world. But nothing of the sort happened.


    Just as the pyramid collapsed, the gray creatures that were fighting the Water Kylin turned into dust and gradually dissipated.


    The powerful gray creature that was fighting Fernando had him pinned against a corner. He was about to deliver a death blow with his rusty sword when he suddenly disappeared along with the collapse of the pyramid.


    It was quiet; even the wind was unusually silent.


    Clatter, clatter, clatter...


    The sound of iron chains dragging on the ground came from within the collapsed Space of Belief. It was intermittent, as if someone was walking while dragging the iron chains behind them. There were pauses in between the clatter.


    Gradually, the sound became more intense, as if someone was running with the iron chains, and there was evidently more sounds of chains now than before, like the number had increased. The many iron chains seemed to be colliding with each other, creating a harsh resonance around them.


    "There are more creatures!" Darren warned.

 Chapter 1733 Abandoned Believers

    A strange aura began spreading as the grating of chains dragging across the ground grew louder and louder.


    Darren and his companions stared cautiously in the direction the sound was coming from. Were there actually creatures in the Space of Belief?


    The air was thick with tension. The three of them held their breath, focusing intensely, so much so they could hear their own heartbeats.


    Not long after, in the ruins of the collapsed Space of Belief, a dried arm stretched out of the metal debris.


    They did nothing, just waited in silence.


    "Roar!"


    A sharp screech rang out and echoed through the valley. Broken pieces of metal were sent flying into the air, and a black shadow burst out, dragging a long metal chain behind him,


    with hundreds more figures in tow. All sorts of races were among them, many of which Darren had never seen before.


    "All of those creatures are very powerful, no weaker than us. We need to be careful," Fernando reminded.


    "Well, they have not shown any hostility yet. Don''t move, I''ll see if I can communicate with them," Darren said optimistically.


    "All right, but don''t get too close. Use your spiritual se


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    rnando said through his spiritual sense. He had told a lot of lies in his time and so he knew not to believe in the seemingly "sincere" words of strangers.


    "You''re right. Saving him would do us no good. In fact, it''s dangerous. We do not need the risk," Darren replied through his spiritual sense.


    Darren''s silence was making the creature a little anxious. He stepped closer, the iron chain behind him clanging and making him very uncomfortable.


    "Human friend, if you are willing to save me, I can take you to the Gate of Death. After you kill the King of Faith, you''ll be able to get a trace of Power of Belief obtained by the Death Chief God. It will drastically improve your God Character acknowledged by heaven and earth." The God Character acknowledged by heaven and earth he mentioned was the prototype of Darren''s Chief God Character.


    "What?" Darren and Fernando were both stunned.


    Stealing a trace of the Power of Belief of the Death Chief God? The temptation for such things was almost too much to handle for Darren.


    It would be very useful for him to obtain the Power of Belief. It could after all strengthen his black god''s power!

 Chapter 1734 The King Of Faith

    However, Darren hid his excitement. Calmly, he said, "I don''t know what the King of Faith is. Even if this person does exist, I can''t kill him with my ability. I''m sorry."


    "No, please, do not be so quick to make your decision. Allow me to explain it to you slowly. Please, do not settle on anything until you''ve heard me out," pleaded the black-scaled creature anxiously.


    "Okay. Tell me what you must," Darren nodded.


    "Every Space of Belief established by a chief god has a King of Faith. To become this, one must be strong and possess a devout soul. Naturally, there is a King of Faith in the Space of Belief you have shattered.


    Before this place was abandoned, the Death Chief God granted the King of Faith his own awareness, allowing him to cultivate here freely. In other words, he was made the spokesperson and manager of this place. He suppressed all the other believers.


    When this place was abandoned, so was the King of Faith. However, he had never intended to escape. Instead, he remained quiet and unmoving, guarding the Gate of Death and the secret behind it," the black-scaled creature explained.


    Darren cut him off ask


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    freed from the shackles,


    venting the resentment and frustration he''d accumulated over millions of years.


    Darren then proceeded to remove the chains from the other beasts as well.


    The valley was overtaken by deafening roars of joy and freedom. Every creature that had been freed was at least as strong as the Water Kylin.


    A long while later, everything finally calmed down. The black-scaled creature was the first to fly over to Darren.


    "Friend, what''s your name?"


    "My name is Darren."


    "Okay, Darren. I''ll take you to the interior of the Space of Belief, and we''ll kill the King of Faith as soon as we can. The sooner that is done, the sooner we will be freed," the creature said, invigorated by some new energy and drive coursing through him.


    "Okay, let''s go. I want that Belief Power of Death as soon as possible as well."


    Darren was not afraid of being double-crossed by these creatures because he was in possession of their God Characters. If he got the slightest whiff that something wasn''t right, he would use his Chief God Character prototype to crush their God Characters and let them die right then and there.

 Chapter 1735 Underestimating His Strength

    Led by the black-scaled creature, Darren, Fernando, the Water Kylin, and the variant beasts entered the ruins of the collapsed Space of Belief.


    After passing through several space passages, they found themselves in a separate world. A strong sense of death emanated in the surrounding air.


    There was a large gray iron chain stretched across the void, extending into the unknown.


    "Walk along this Chain of Belief to the other end, and you will see the King of Faith," the black-scaled creature said, pointing at the iron chain.


    Darren and the others went straight ahead without hesitation.


    After some time, they finally reached the other end of the chain. A gigantic ancient stone gate appeared ahead, revealing a strong sense of death.


    "What?"


    Darren said with a frown as he gazed at the stone gate. It was almost identical to the one he had seen in Finley''s Archean space. The difference was that the previous gate was hidden in the time-space whirlpool.


    Darren wondered if a chief god had also left the gate in the time-space whirlpool


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    nced on the destructive palm shadows.


    However, they all felt a little rueful. They had underestimated the King of Faith''s strength. There was no hope of victory in this battle, and death seemed to be inevitable.


    "Water Kylin, go!"


    Darren couldn''t watch them get beaten to death, or he would not have survived as well.


    "Do you think I can beat him?" Sensing the terrifying power, the Water Kylin no longer had a will to fight.


    Darren frowned. It was true. Even if the Water Kylin continued to fight, he still couldn''t change the situation.


    "Darren, they don''t have their God Characters now, so I think they can''t display their full strength," Fernando reminded him.


    Darren''s eyes lit up at once, and he asked, "Do you mean to give their God Characters back?"


    Fernando nodded and said, "It doesn''t matter now. There''s no way they''re going to turn on you, right?"


    "Yes, you have a point." With no hesitation, Darren released all their God Characters.


    Swish!


    Lightning flashed as the God Characters flew towards their masters.

 Chapter 1736 Full Attack

    At the most critical moment, all the God Characters flew back into the bodies of the black-scaled creature and other variant beasts.


    "Rawr! Rawr! Rawr!"


    they roared furiously one after another. Their loud and deep cries were full of power and violence.


    Boom!


    Finally, the huge red palm shadows had descended.


    If this had been moments ago, these variant beasts would have been crushed by the huge palm shadows. But the situation now was different. They had their God Characters, and they could unleash the god''s power to its extreme.


    Hundreds of streams of powerful god''s power soared into the sky and hit the giant palm shadows.


    Dazzling divine light drowned everything. As the god''s power collided with the big palm shadows, trying to annihilate each other, the space began to collapse.


    "Huh! Their real fighting power must be close to that of a sixth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor." Upon seeing the terrifying god''s power, shock was written all over Fernando''s face.


    "Indeed, they are powerful. The ones who were caught and imprisoned here by the Death Chief God were, of course, the strongest masters of various races long ago," Darren agreed with a nod.


    "Well, now that their God Characters have returned, they will be capable of fighting against the King of Faith if they work together," Fernand


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    ll his strength to tighten his grip, intending to crush them.


    But much to his surprise, the divine sword and blade didn''t break. Instead, they cut off his fingers.


    The red creature was shocked and furious at the same time. He sprang up from the ground.


    "They are primitive divine weapons! You have the divine weapons that evolved from heaven and earth when the chief gods were born!" the red creature murmured.


    ''Shouldn''t such weapons only belong to chief gods? Damn it! How could such a rebel like this guy have them?'' he thought.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    While the red creature was distracted, the divine blade and sword quickly shot out and stabbed his eyes.


    "Ahhh!"


    He was caught off guard. The dark red god''s power in the divine blade and sword, together with the black god''s power that Darren inserted in them, penetrated his defense and pierced his eyes.


    "Kill! Kill! Kill!"


    The variant beasts who had long been waiting for an opportunity to move instantly released their God Characters. They activated their fighting power to the extreme and rushed towards the red creature.


    For the first time, the red creature felt a life crisis. He suddenly grasped the blade and sword, intending to pull them out of his eyes. However, before he could do it, the powerful god''s power had already hit his head.

 Chapter 1737 Defeat

    The terrifying god''s power hit the red creature in succession, sending him into the air.


    "Kill him!"


    The variant beasts flew down, unsparingly using their enormous claws as they attacked. The mighty god''s power kept surging like the sea. Even the void wasn''t immune to its impact.


    "Ah!"


    the red creature cried out in pain, finally able to pull out the divine blade and sword lodged in his eyes. His death god''s power went wild as he attacked one of the variant beasts like a madman.


    Bang!


    Blood and pieces of flesh splattered. While the variant beast''s body burst, his God Character also shattered.


    Still, the rest of the variant beasts didn''t retreat.


    Instead, they attacked. This was their only chance to kill the King of Faith.


    God''s power collided with the King of Faith, causing cracks to radiate all over the space, and terrifying ripples spread out, shattering everything in its way.


    Bang!


    Countless palm shadows dispersed the attack, giving two of the variant beasts no time to dodge, smashing them in the process.


    Now that the King of Faith had gone berserk, the terrifying strength he displayed


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    fought with desperation, and a fierce battle broke out between the two sides again. In less than five minutes, all the variant beasts had fallen. Some died, others were injured.


    Even the King of Faith was on the verge of collapsing. He half knelt on the Chains of Belief.


    The void suddenly quieted. Only the space that was still healing itself indicated that a fierce battle had just taken place here.


    Thump!


    Darren withdrew his divine blade and sword, walked on the Chains of Belief and headed towards the King of Faith.


    "You seem to have lost. Now, you will be destroyed, and I will gain the Belief Power of Death," Darren said coldly as he made his way to the red creature.


    The King of Faith raised his head with some difficulty. His bloody and empty eyes seemed to stare at Darren with deep hatred.


    "You damned rebel. Even if you enter the space of the Belief Source, so what? You still have to die," the King of Faith said hoarsely.


    "Oh? Let''s wait and see then," Darren sneered.


    "Without help from these damn beasts, there''s no doubt you will die. They will crush you!" The King of Faith laughed bitterly.

 Chapter 1738 Follow Darren

    The King of Faith crawled back, and positioned himself to block the ancient gate. He clearly intended to sacrifice himself in order to defend the interests of the Death Chief God.


    Darren gave him a piercing look. "There''s only one way for you to survive. If you don''t want to die, you must become my believer and provide me with the Power of Belief." He moved forward, slowly approaching the ancient gate, until he was close enough for his slender body to cast a shadow over the bowed form of the King of Faith.


    The King of Faith was on the ground, supporting himself on one knee and his arms. His body trembled with weakness. But he wore an expression full of determination and resentment. He opened his mouth, trying to speak, but no words came out.


    Darren observed him. He could sense that the King of Faith was still resolved to resist him. In that, he had a much stronger will than the black-scaled creature.


    Coldly, Darren said, "You said there is a world behind that door. Is that true?" He stared with narrowed eyes at the ancient gate.


    The King of Faith let out a dry laugh. Hoarsely, he managed to say, "Are you afraid? Go ahead! If you get past me, then go inside and steal the Belief Source of the Death Chief God. I won''t be able to stop you."


    "Of course I''ll go inside," Darren said calmly. "I''m just considering something. I wonder, should I let you watch as I take away the Belief Source?"


    His ta


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    who was comparable to a seventh-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor!


    Indeed, this man would be an invaluable asset to him, for he was much more familiar with the Spaces of Belief of chief gods than others. In this way, it would be much easier for Darren to find other Spaces of Belief.


    "Thank you, sir," said the King of Faith. With great difficulty, he struggled to face Darren and bow before him.


    "You need time to recover. Let your wounds heal, then you will accompany me when I enter that gate to obtain the Belief Source left behind by the Death Chief God," Darren ordered.


    The King of Faith swallowed hard. He wanted to say something, but stopped on second thought. He hesitated, then told Darren, "Yes." With that, he fell into silence and focused on healing his injuries.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, the black-scaled creature and at least ten remaining variant beasts also struggled to move over. They prostrated themselves on the Chains of Belief, motionless.


    "Thank you very much for your help. As soon as you recover, you may leave. You are now completely free," Darren said to them.


    The black-scaled creature looked anxious, but finally spoke up. "Sir¡ªwe also... we also want to follow you. Could you use us?" he asked.


    Darren raised his eyebrows at this unexpected change in the attitude of the black-scaled creature. He had not expected him to take the initiative and ask to become a follower.

 Chapter 1739 A Dangerous Place

    The black-scaled creature shared the same thought as Guillermo as they both changed their minds.


    Once they realized that Darren was not a Defiant Master but a chief god that hadn''t risen yet, their resistance to him completely waned.


    They had been captured and put into this Space of Belief, so they had no choice but to believe in the Death Chief God. But what if there was a chance that they could choose to follow a chief god and rise with him? Any powerful creature would kill for such a chance.


    That was what made them decide to stay as well, hoping to become Darren''s followers.


    "I need some powerful warriors to accompany me. Since you want to follow me, you''ll need to take a vow." Darren didn''t hesitate to recruit them. After all, the black-scaled creature and the other variant beasts were powerful existences. They''d be of help to him.


    "Thank you very much, sir!"


    The rest of the variant beasts immediately thanked him. They pledged allegiance to the Blade and Sword Chief God for the rest of their lives. In this way, as long as Darren didn''t take the initiative to abandon them, they would always be his most


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    tside too." Darren gave the Water Kylin a look.


    "I never planned on going inside with you while you court death," the Water Kylin said lazily. He knew it was dangerous inside and had no intention of endangering his life.


    The ancient gate creaked open, and the darkness was dispersed by the gloomy light.


    Darren and the others went in, disappearing in the endless haze.


    As soon as they crossed the gate, they heard crushing sound of waves.


    Darren raised his head and looked into the distance. It was a rather vast sea.


    The black water was boundless, and the world was shrouded in mist. The area was emitting an ancient and desolate aura.


    "Sir, after we pass through this sea, we should be able to reach the Death Region. It is the Death Chief God''s belief domain," Guillermo said.


    "How do you know that?" Darren asked.


    "I was almost sent to this domain by the Death Chief God to suppress a riot once. That''s why the information about this area''s terrain has basically been imprinted in my mind," Guillermo said respectfully.


    "All right. You can lead the way," Darren said, gesturing for him to go ahead.

 Chapter 1740 The Governor

    Led by Guillermo, Darren and his companions flew forward. They had been traveling for a long time when they finally saw a black island in the distance.


    "Let''s go to that island," Guillermo called to the others. "We can get some rest there. We can also check out the true strength of the Defiant Masters that survived there."


    "How do you know there are Defiant Masters on this island?" Darren asked.


    Guillermo smiled. "Do you even have to ask? Every inch of land in the World of Belief is precious, because Defiant Masters rely on it for their cultivation. A large island like this will certainly be occupied by one or more powerful Defiant Masters."


    Darren nodded. "Okay, let''s go and check the place out."


    He turned into a bolt of lightning, and the others followed suit. They headed rapidly towards the black island.


    They landed on a desolate patch of land near the shore. Darren looked around. There didn''t seem to be any trace of living creatures on the island.


    Guillermo, on the other hand, fixed his gaze upon some point in the distance. He wore a look of utmost concentration.


    "Sir, I recognize this island!" he exclaimed. Suddenly, he frowned.


    "What is it?" Darren demanded.


    "This is the Heavenly Evil Island. It is divided into nine areas, and each area is occupied by a powerful Defiant Master, who has lived here for at least millions of years or even longer. We must be very careful," Guillermo sa


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    oking disgruntled, he turned away from Darren.


    Without warning, a terrifying force pressed on the body of the devil Defiant Master, and he felt a fear of death washing over him. Guillermo, who had been listening to their conversation, had quietly unleashed his god''s power upon the devil.


    The devil Defiant Master sweated profusely. In a trembling voice he said, "Sir, don''t be angry. Just ask what you want to know. I''ll tell you everything."


    Guillermo sniffed and withdrew his god''s power. He and Darren looked sternly at the nervous Defiant Master.


    "Tell me, how does it work? How can one gain the belief of other Defiant Masters after becoming the governor of the city?" Darren asked coldly.


    "Well... I don''t know. It''s just how it''s always been. That''s the rule in this whole world," said the devil, swallowing hard.


    Darren glared at him, then glanced at Guillermo. "Do you know what he''s talking about?"


    Guillermo looked thoughtful. "Defiant Masters cannot become each other''s believers. That''s the rule, as far as I know. However, it may be different here in the World of Belief. There may not be such a restriction here. I can''t be sure."


    "Forget it," said Darren, shaking his head. "But... Regardless of how it works, if it''s true, then I have to seize the leadership of this city. I want to know what will happen if I have Defiant Masters as my believers." He smiled, looking forward to the challenge.

 Chapter 1741 Inquire For Information

    Darren''s decision to fight to become the new leader of the city caught Guillermo by surprise. He was slightly worried, although he did not show it.


    "Sir, are you going to challenge the current governor in person?" asked Guillermo.


    "Of course. I need to defeat the governor in order to claim his position and gain the faith of other Defiant Masters," Darren replied calmly.


    Guillermo hesitated, then said, "Well... Unless I''m mistaken, the governor of the city is no weaker than I am. So if you personally challenge him, then I''m afraid..."


    He trailed off, but his meaning was clear¡ªhe thought it was impossible for Darren to win against the leader of the city.


    Guillermo was a powerful warrior, comparable to a seventh-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor. On the other hand, Darren was only comparable to a fourth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor. The difference in strength was too great to overcome. If the governor was at least as powerful as Guillermo, then Darren would have no chance at all.


    The black-scaled creature also spoke up. "Sir, it''s too difficult. Let''s not even talk about the governor yet. First you have to beat that giant, and he seems very strong..." Like Guillermo, the black-scaled creature trailed off, but he was obviously also trying to persuade Darren not to engage in battle.


    Darren gazed calmly at his companions. "I agree. It will be extremely difficult. But it doesn''t mean that I can''t succeed. For a long time I''ve been working ceaselessly to increase my strength and improve my fighting capabilities. In the process, I''ve encountered a lot of life-threatening situations, but I su


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    est to look at warriors over a time span of a hundred years," the servant explained. The servant could see that Darren and his companions were determined to challenge warriors until they died or won the chance to challenge the governor himself. He decided it would be best to be honest with them, as they could be here for a long time, and it would be unwise to anger them.


    "I see," said Darren slowly. "We didn''t know about that rule. Very well, obtain as much information as you can, and I promise we will stop making things difficult for you." The servant bowed to Darren.


    "Yes, sir. Please wait a moment," he said anxiously. The servant rushed into the inner room and pulled out a thick book from a shelf. Written on the parchment was information about all the challengers who had competed over the past hundred years.


    He hid the book under his cloak, then went back to the table. He slipped the book to Darren, who nodded at him and stood abruptly. Without a word, Darren left the restaurant, with Guillermo and the others trailing after him.


    The servant who had waited on their group did not dare to stop them, but as soon as they were gone, he rushed towards the shopkeeper. "Boss, they didn''t pay for their meals," he said, sounding upset.


    The shopkeeper scowled. "Humph! Those guys look like they''ll be difficult to deal with, but I''m not a person to be trifled with, either. Go and inform Master Malachi of what they did." While he did not dare to directly provoke Darren and his group, he still wanted to hold them accountable, so he decided it would be best to report the matter to the city guards.

 Chapter 1742 Asking Too Much

    Darren and his companions walked along the road. Their plan was to find a place to stay first.


    "Only twelve people have won over fifty consecutive matches in the past hundred years? Of those twelve, only one went on to win eighty in a row, but no one has managed to surpass that?"


    Darren tried to interpret the information he''d just been given, surprised to learn of it.


    Countless Defiant Masters were caught and imprisoned in the World of Belief each day. With such a large number of them coming in, many had wanted to enter the city. However, only a dozen were able to win fifty matches. It was obvious how difficult the challenge was.


    But Darren chose not to worry too much about it. After all, not every Defiant Master was strong. The slaves of the chief gods had caught most of them before they could grow strong. Only a few of them would be on the same level of strength as him.


    "This giant who showed up recently is quite strong. He won over forty consecutive matches, killing his opponents without a thought," Darren said as he read the information about the giant he saw yesterday.


    "You must be careful with him then. He might be a little st


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    tricks on him.


    "Sure," Darren agreed without hesitation. Then he sent a message to Guillermo and the others through his spiritual sense. "Wait for me here. I will come back to meet you after I kill this guy. Do you understand?"


    "I see. Of course, sir,"


    Guillermo and the others quickly responded as they received the order.


    Swoosh!


    Malachi flew out of the city with his two men, with Darren at their wake.


    A short while later, they arrived at a place scattered with black rocks. It was barren, not even a single bug in sight.


    After landing on the ground, Malachi urged impatiently, "Well, you can sever the connection now. Do it quickly. I don''t have time to waste."


    "What''s the rush?" Darren sneered, "My divine weapons have a strange habit. They must drink enough blood before they can be obedient."


    "What?" When Malachi heard Darren''s tone, his face darkened.


    Shoop! Shoop!


    The blade and sword light flickered, and the god''s power surged high. Malachi''s men were cut into blood mist in succession.


    "The audacity!" Malachi let out an indignant gasp. "You will regret this!" Malachi''s blood raged as he quickly went after Darren.

 Chapter 1743 Begin To Fight

    Suddenly, the long bone tail of Malachi swept fiercely towards Darren.


    At the same time, a bolt of lightning flashed in the air, making the space surrounding them collapse layer by layer. Then, a horrifying pressure came at Darren, aiming directly at his head.


    However, Darren had already been on guard even before Malachi made a move. Thus, the moment Malachi attacked, Darren suddenly disappeared from where he originally stood.


    Whoosh!


    Before Malachi could even react, a stream of dark red god¡¯s power surged out, and the shadows of the sword and blade filled the air, completely submerging him.


    "Roar!"


    Obviously, Malachi was extremely surprised. He had never expected that Darren would be this powerful.


    The god¡¯s power of Darren completely suppressed Malachi¡¯s and utterly destroyed it. Then, in a flash, a wave of strange black god¡¯s power pierced through his hard skin and drilled into his heart.


    Crack! Crack!


    In the blink of an eye, Malachi¡¯s supposedly impenetrable body broke. But then, lead-like metallic gray liquid flowed out of his body and covered him.


    At this point, the blade and sword god''s power was blocked as it hit the metallic shell that enveloped him.


    ¡°Humph! Go to hell, brat!¡±


    With an enraged roar, Malachi''s metal claw broke through Darren¡¯s god¡¯s power and darted towards his head.


    ¡°Oh yeah? Then let¡¯s see which is harder, your claw or m


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    ne had already managed to land on the same platform where Darren was, the Defiant Masters had already stopped fighting each other. Most of them angrily sighed and were regretful to lose such an opportunity.


    ¡°Ha-ha! Fools! Now I can get this sure victory!¡±


    The Defiant Master, who had a rat¡¯s head, grinned wickedly, revealing his two huge white teeth.


    ¡°Hey, little guy! Unlucky for you, you¡¯re about to die by my hands. Do you have any last words?¡± the Defiant Master with a rat¡¯s head said in a sharp voice as he looked at Darren maliciously.


    ¡°Oh, yes. I hope that you won¡¯t be so ugly in your next life,¡± Darren sneered.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he swiftly made his move.


    Swoosh!


    Then, a wisp of black god¡¯s power stealthily pierced through the space and drilled a hole in the throat of Darren¡¯s opponent.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    The rat-headed Defiant Master quickly covered his throat with his claws as blood heavily gushed out through his fingers, like a dreadful-looking fountain.


    ¡°Wait! What the hell?!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°That rat-headed guy is bleeding profusely! I didn¡¯t even see him being attacked!¡±


    Crash!


    Eventually, the rat-headed Defiant Master fell to the ground with a loud thud, making his blood splash around. With just a single blow, he was struck dead on the spot.


    This scene left the warriors, who had scrambled to fight Darren, utterly stunned.

 Chapter 1744 It Only Takes One Move To Win A Battle

    The rat-headed Defiant Master was killed by Darren in an instant that the onlookers didn¡¯t even get a clear look at what he did. This shocked both the spectators and the warriors that were very eager to challenge him earlier.


    ¡°Holy shit! I almost suffered the same fate as that rat-headed man. I¡¯m not even as powerful as him!¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That short young man did well in hiding his strength. It was fortunate that I didn¡¯t fight him.¡±


    After witnessing the brutal death of the Defiant Master who had just fought Darren, the others secretly rejoiced that they dodged such a cruel fate.


    Thump! Thump!


    Soon enough, a ten feet tall, lizard-like Defiant Master with purple scales all over his body suddenly paved the way among the crowd and steadily walked towards the battle ring.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s that guy!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve seen him too. He came here about ten days ago. He has been fighting once a day and has already won ten consecutive matches. Is he going to challenge the short young man?¡±


    "This is going to be a good battle! Even if that short man easily defeated the rat-headed man, once this purple-scaled guy challenged him, that¡¯s going to be his end. It is a very common tactic to hide one¡¯s strength first at this early stage or he will surely attract the attention of the powerful masters.¡±


    As the purple-scaled lizard-like Defiant Master made his way to the ring, those who were pretty impressed by Darren¡¯s str


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    attempted more than a hundred times but he still couldn¡¯t hit Darren. Not even a scratch was made on his clothes. After a while, he started to panic. ¡®What is with this guy? He could completely dodge all of my attacks with ease!¡¯


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Darren asked calmly as if hinting that it would be his turn to attack next.


    ¡°Damn it! I should run!¡±


    The cat-like Defiant Master had a bad feeling when Darren finally spoke, knowing that his life was in grave danger. Thus, he wanted to escape from the ring as fast as he could. This way, even if he lost the battle, he could still live afterward.


    However, the moment he turned around and tried to escape, the dark red sword intent suddenly shot from all directions, blocking all of his routes of retreat.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Then, out of nowhere, his three mouths screamed at the same time as his body fell to the ground.


    When the people saw what happened, they couldn¡¯t help but gasp in astonishment because it turned out that all of the eight feet of the cat-like Defiant Master were cut off. At the same time, his body and head suddenly rolled on the ground.


    ¡°When did he¡­¡±


    The Defiant Masters around were utterly flabbergasted. In the blink of an eye, Darren had just won again with a single move.


    Even the winners on more than ten battle platforms had to look at Darren with serious expressions on their faces because of the amazing skill that he had executed.

 Chapter 1745 Attracting Attention

    After three decisive victories, Darren caught the attention of thousands of Defiant Masters and powerful warriors, who began watching him more closely.


    It was impossible not to notice Darren, for although he had fought against powerful opponents, he had killed three in a row without any difficulty. Indeed, he had defeated each of them with a single move. As his incredible feats attracted more and more attention, a growing crowd surrounded his battle platform, eager to see more of his abilities.


    "Who will challenge me next?"


    Darren shouted coldly, and the audience erupted into cheers.


    Instantly, five Defiant Masters with strong auras flew over.


    They landed beneath the battle platform, and used their spiritual senses to probe Darren, searching his aura for signs of weakness.


    Four of the Defiant Masters detected his incredible power and decided they were no match for him. They retreated into the crowd, deciding not to issue a challenge. The fifth Defiant Master, however, jumped aggressively into the battle platform.


    Darren studied the Defiant Master who dared to challenge him. He seemed to be, at most, comparable to a second-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor. The gap between their strength was enormous. He was not a threat at all.


    In a moment, the battle began. Darren released his sword intent, and in seconds, the head of the attacking Defiant Master was sliced off. He had won his fourth match!


    He shouted again for more fighters to challenge him, and he won his fifth, his sixth, the


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    ill Dawson. The giant immediately came to the conclusion that he was still the strongest warrior in the arena, and he had no reason to fear Darren.


    Meanwhile, a city guard hurried to the government offices. He requested an urgent meeting with a general of the Governor''s Office. "General, another powerful person is fighting in the Life-and-Death Arena. He has won seventeen consecutive matches," the guard reported.


    "Seventeen matches!" said the general dismissively. "That''s nothing, not even worth mentioning at all." He shook his head.


    The guard quickly spoke again, saying, "General, it only took this man fifteen minutes to kill Dawson!"


    "Oh?" said the general, his interest piqued.


    He considered the matter, then said, "He may be strong indeed, but there''s no need to report it at this stage. A man of his strength, while impressive, is not a threat to the governor." He frowned, adding, "We should pay attention to the giant, though. That damn giant is really powerful. We will send out deputy governor Drake to kill him in person during his next match."


    "General," said the guard, "do you mean that there''s no need to keep watching the short man who killed Dawson?"


    "Well, you should still keep an eye on him, but there''s no need for regular reports. Come back to me if he manages to win fifty consecutive matches. Then we can arrange for someone to kill him," the general replied.


    "Very well, general. Thank you for your time," said the guard respectfully, then he retreated from the room.

 Chapter 1746 Win Again

    "Today will be his forty-eighth match! Darren is going to fight again. Come and watch!"


    By the time the third day arrived, news had already spread throughout the city that Darren would fight again.


    Over the past two days, Darren had won forty-seven consecutive matches. It was an unprecedented victory, and everyone in the city had heard of his strength and battle prowess.


    Of course, this worried the senior leaders in the city.


    "Darren''s strength is strange. He was surprisingly powerful enough to kill Orion," a general said with a frown as he lay on a chair.


    "Yes, sir. Orion was one of the top guards, but he only held on for an hour in the fight. It seems that you will have to deal with this brat yourself."


    The general stood and said slowly, "There''s no need for me to step in just yet. If he wins another two consecutive matches, we can arrange a battle between him and that giant. That provision is in the rules. At that time, he will most certainly die. Then the deputy governor can kill that giant."


    "I hadn''t thought of that. General, you are very wise. Since the battle is about to start, I will take my leave."


    "Go ahead."


    Millions of Defiant Masters swarmed the Life-and-Death Arena. Anyone who had heard of Darren''s capabilities had come to watch the battle.


    In particular, they were curious about which opponent Darren would face today!


    Amidst the anticipation of the crowd of Defiant


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    ''s God Character was too much to bear. Philip''s power soon went out of control and it gushed out of his body, flew in all directions, and even attacked himself.


    Swoosh!


    Darren''s blade and sword broke through the scattered god''s power and pierced Philip''s chest.


    At the same time, Darren withdrew his God Character.


    Drip! Drip!


    Black blood slid down Darren''s sword.


    Sizzle!


    Black blood spurted from Philip''s chest as Darren drew out his divine sword. Despite the injuries, Philip didn''t collapse to the ground. It seemed as though Darren hadn''t intended to kill him.


    "Why... Why didn''t you kill me?" Philip raised his head and peered at Darren. Confusion and bewilderment shone in his eyes. He was quick to realize that Darren''s sword had touched his heart, but it hadn''t pierced it.


    "Killing you won''t benefit me. And since you have dragon blood, I will let you go," Darren lifted his chin as he replied.


    "Ha-ha." Philip laughed bitterly and said, "I owe you my life."


    Everyone in the audience had watched this scene unfold with bated breath. They didn''t know whether Darren would fight more or if Philip would try something underhanded. When they saw Philip leave, the audience released the breath they were holding. Darren watched as Philip disappeared from the arena; only a trail of black blood remained.


    Seconds later, all the onlookers broke out in cheerful celebration of Darren''s victory.

 Chapter 1747 Fighting Against The Giant

    "It''s incredible! Darren is truly a formidable and frightening warrior."


    "At the rate he''s going, he could become a general in the city in just a few more days!"


    "I know he said he could win fifty consecutive matches in three days, but I didn''t really think he could do it!"


    "Well, don''t get too excited, because he still has two battles to go. He''s only won forty-eight matches so far..."


    The crowd of people around the battle platform was restless and eager, loudly chatting to each other about Darren''s fighting skills and his potential to extend his win streak even further.


    After all, what Darren had done was truly impressive. Forty-eight consecutive wins in three short days was nothing short of a miracle.


    Moreover, he had just defeated the powerful and valiant Philip, which many of the Defiant Masters watching had thought he couldn''t do. Their opinion of Darren was growing with every victory.


    As the crowd roared and cheered, two more opponents arrived to face Darren. These matches had been arranged by the city officials, and both warriors were weaker than Philip. Darren killed them easily.


    He had won fifty matches in a row!


    "Our master is doing very well," the black-scaled creature observed. "He''s not had too much trouble with any of the challengers so far." He and the others were among the Defiant Masters in the crowd, watching Darren''s battles. They were vigilant as they watched, for if Darren encountered any serious danger, they would


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    el of fifth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor.


    His cultivation level was much higher than Darren''s.


    Meanwhile, Noya was probably comparable to a sixth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor. In other words, the general strength of the deputy governors in the city should be equivalent to that of a sixth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor.


    At the moment, however, Darren''s strength had only reached the fourth stage of the Heavenly Destiny Emperor. He had reached this level only after many battles, coupled with the talent and the Evolution Force that he had absorbed by killing the Defiant Masters.


    "Get ready," Guillermo muttered to the black-scaled creature. "You must be ready to kill that giant in an instant."


    The black-scaled creature hesitated. He said, "You are much stronger than me. Why don''t you kill the giant on your own?"


    "Don''t be foolish!" snapped Guillermo. "I have to hide my strength to deal with any sudden crisis that should arise if we interfere in the matches." Guillermo had thought about what could happen if they acted to save Darren. Once the black-scaled creature attacked the giant, city officials would rush to the battle platform to stop him. Guillermo had decided that he would join the fight when the great masters of the city arrived, to ensure that Darren would be protected.


    "Wait," the black-scaled creature said suddenly. "What if our master wins?" He understood Guillermo''s preparations, but he still had a glimmer of hope in his heart.

 Chapter 1748 The Gods Power Has Evolved

    Could Darren win this time? Guillermo believed that it would be almost impossible.


    Darren, who stood without moving in front of the giant, seemed to be as tiny as an ant.


    To be honest, Darren himself was unsure about his ability to win this match. After all, his opponent was more powerful. The giant Kameron''s strength was one level higher than his.


    "Brat, come on!" roared Kameron. "Attack!"


    He glared at Darren scornfully. His body was made of primitive stones, which made him almost invincible. He was confident Darren would be unable to penetrate his defense.


    When Darren hesitated, the giant let out a disdainful bark of laughter.


    Darren realized that the battle was inevitable. He couldn''t wait any longer.


    He decided to make his move. Holding the divine blade and sword in his hands, he moved so quickly that it was as though he had vanished from where he was standing. He reappeared near the giant, and his weapons slashed down at the stone skin.


    A burst of dark red light surged from the blade and sword. The giant felt the power of the attack and felt a moment of panic. He instantly gathered his god''s power and attached it to the surface of his body. It wouldn''t do to take this opponent too lightly.


    Suddenly, there was an enormous explosion.


    The whole battle platform was engulfed by a dazzling light.


    The watching cro


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    g almost black.


    "Something about the master has changed!" said the black-scaled creature breathlessly.


    "The master''s god''s power has suddenly improved!" Guillermo exclaimed, sounding stunned.


    In the blink of an eye, the battle platform was covered by the dark red vortex of Darren''s god''s power. The heavy aura spread over the crowd, making everyone feel suffocated.


    This unusual development caught the attention of the deputy governor, Noya.


    He was floating in the air, and sensed from far away the change in Darren. Frowning, he thought, ''What a strange man. Under pressure, his god''s power actually evolved. It''s incredible.''


    All of a sudden, another powerful Defiant Master appeared beside Noya. "Do you think he is now more evenly matched against the giant?" the Defiant Master asked.


    Noya turned to see who had spoken. With some surprise, he said, "Greetings, Sir Karson. In my opinion, now that the boy''s god''s power has evolved, he stands a better chance of survival. It is no longer guaranteed that the giant will defeat him."


    "I see," said Karson, looking displeased. He said, "If he wins, Noya, get ready to fight him in the next match. You''d better kill him."


    "Very well, sir," Noya agreed, giving him a respectful nod. Karson was the most powerful of the deputy governors, his strength second only to the governor himself.

 Chapter 1749 He Actually Killed The Giant

    While Darren was standing in the middle of the platform, his aura suddenly surged out and the quality of his god''s power had also risen to a much higher level.


    At the same time, the giant also felt the drastic change that was happening with his opponent. ¡®This is bad. This ant already managed to hurt me when he was supposed to be much weaker than me. If he becomes even stronger, how the hell can I deal with him?¡¯ he thought to himself.


    Fearing that his life might be in danger, he didn¡¯t want to give Darren a chance to launch an attack. Hence, he quickly made a move and his huge body fell from the sky as he attempted to assault Darren.


    On the other hand, Darren didn¡¯t move at all. Instead, the dark red god''s power gushed out of his body and swiftly soared towards the sky to form a pillar that resisted the giant¡¯s attack.


    Crash!


    As their attacks met in midair, a massive wave of energy lashed out and tore the surrounding space. In fact, even the powerful restriction on the platform was shattered by the terrifying force that was generated from the clash of Darren and the giant.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± Also feeling the effect of the impact, the giant couldn¡¯t help but retreat tens of feet backward.


    He was actually enraged that he was pushed back, so he wasted no time and rushed again to launch another attack.


    The giant raised his huge fist and directly smashed the pillar that was formed by Darren¡¯s god''s power. With each of his massive strikes, the pillar started breaking little by little. However, the giant¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t any better. After hurling a barrage of attacks, his supposedly huge sturdy fists crumbled like eroded s


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    en is a total freak!¡±


    After the official declared that Darren won against the giant, the whole Life and Death Arena burst into an uproar. The onlookers were very thrilled and they thought that Darren performed incredibly.


    ¡°Darren, are you still going to continue to fight the eighty-second match?¡± Another deputy governor came up and asked him.


    This deputy governor hoped that Darren would stop by now because if he gave up, he would become a deputy governor in the city. That way, it would be a good thing if such a powerful warrior was under the direct control of the governor. But if Darren decided that he would continue to fight, they actually planned to kill him as soon as possible.


    ¡°Yeah, of course. I won¡¯t stop until I win the one-hundredth match. So, you don''t need to ask me from here on,¡± Darren said calmly.


    ¡°Okay then¡­¡± Then, the corner of the deputy governor''s mouth slightly curled as he said coldly, ¡°Your strength should be enough to engage in a life and death battle against deputy governor Noya. He will see you in the next match.


    You just confirmed that you wanted to continue this battle to the death. Hence, it''s too late for you to regret your decisions. Well, just wait for your impending doom then.¡±


    Darren just scoffed, stared at him with a mocking smirk, and retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to warn me. If he''s stronger than me, then he will win. Just shut up and watch our match.¡±


    "You..." The deputy governor was so enraged upon hearing Darren''s response that he was about to lose his temper. Fortunately for him, he was able to hold it back, knowing that Darren could easily defeat him if he confronted him.

 Chapter 1750 To Reach The Next Level

    "Arrogant brat! You think you can easily defeat Noya?" The deputy governor continued to glare at Darren and added, "You still have three days to recover according to the rules of the competition. Prepare to die after that!"


    With a defiant sneer, he turned around and flew away.


    At the same time, Darren withdrew his aura and steadily walked down from the battle platform.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    As soon as he got off the platform, Guillermo and the black-scaled creature approached and greeted him.


    "Congratulations, sir! It''s a spectacular win!" The two of them bowed and complimented Darren¡¯s victory.


    "Sir, I really can''t believe that you won against the giant in an astonishing fashion!" Guillermo couldn''t calm down as he praised Darren. In his opinion, Darren was at a total disadvantage, and there was a huge chance that he would lose.


    "See? I was right. Our master is blessed and powerful. How could you even doubt his abilities?" The black-scaled creature let out a proud smile since he believed from the start that Darren would prevail.


    "Well, I acknowledge that it''s my fault. I became a simple-minded person." Guillermo let out a bitter smile and continued, "By the way, sir, why didn''t you use the fusion of your god''s power when you dealt with me before? I never thought that you had such a powerful move."


    Darren lightly shook his head and explained, "Ha-ha! It''s not that I didn''t use it. I couldn''t use it back then to that extent. I was still weak. Even if I used the dark gold god''s power, it


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    ask the governor. It was the main reason why he stopped Darren. Moreover, he also felt kind of insulted that someone would just talk back to him like that.


    "I told you. It''s nothing important. I just want to know how I can challenge him after I win all the one hundred battles," Darren said without any hint of hesitation.


    Karson''s murderous intent surged out immediately. He couldn''t believe that Darren would be so bold to say all of these things.


    "You conceited idiot! You''re really thinking of challenging the governor? Are you tired of your living?" Karson exclaimed.


    "It''s none of your business. Besides, what''s wrong with that? I want to know how to make the city dwellers my believers the moment I kill the current governor. That''s just a simple question." Darren''s unusually calm and arrogant expression almost stunned Karson that he fumed with anger.


    "Why don''t I kill you right now?"


    Of course, Karson found Darren''s words to be very disrespectful. That was why he wanted to teach him a good lesson.


    "Karson, stand down." Suddenly, a hoarse voice echoed, and Karson immediately obeyed upon hearing it. All of his strong killing intent instantly vanished as he looked respectfully to the other room where the voice came from. He then bowed and steadily retreated.


    "Darren Chu, is it? Are you so sure that you can win a hundred battles?" the hoarse voice sounded again.


    At this moment, Darren was actually overjoyed. He speculated that the person talking to him must be the governor himself.

 Chapter 1751 Darren Versus Noya

    Darren''s purpose for coming into the Governor''s Office was pretty simple. He just wanted to absorb the strong hatred that would come from the governor in order to quickly improve his cultivation level. As long as the governor faced him, Darren could take care of the rest.


    "I guarantee you that we will fight in the end. So, why don''t you come out and meet me for a while?"


    Darren said calmly as he looked at the room where the governor was staying.


    "Ha-ha! I can see that you''re an overconfident brat." The governor actually didn¡¯t mind Darren''s preposterous attitude. Perhaps, he thought that Darren was just naturally conceited.


    "Well, I know that I''m strong enough to beat you. So, yes, I''m confident. Anyway, when we face later on inside the arena, I''ll be sure to kill you. So, how about I give you a deal? Beg for mercy in front of me and become my slave. Maybe then, I''ll think of sparing your life," Darren remarked haughtily as he provoked the governor.


    After finishing his sentence, Darren immediately felt the raging hostility and killing intent that oozed out of the governor. Of course, this was what Darren was hoping to happen.


    He was, in fact, overjoyed that the governor started to get angry. The hostility that he was receiving began to turn into the source power of improving his cultivation level. However, this wasn''t enough. The governor''s current negative emotion didn''t yield sufficient power for Darren to break through.


    It meant that Darren needed to continue provoking him so that he could reach the next level of his cultivation.


    "You better take back what you said, brat! I''m saying this for your own good. You don''t know who you are offending," the go


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    expression on his face.


    "I know that you''re not like those guys who just look down on their opponents. So, I''ve got to give you some respect." Darren didn''t make any rash move, feeling that Noya was being very cautious. Even before the battle began, Noya had already sealed the entire battle platform with his god''s sense.


    "It''s just a habit. After all, I''m not stupid to make such petty mistakes," Noya answered with a straight face. "And if you won''t take the initiative, I¡¯ll make the first move then."


    "Go ahead. I won''t stop you," Darren replied indifferently and gestured him to do whatever he wanted.


    Swoosh!


    In a flash, a light purple divine light soared into the sky that unleashed a terrifying pressure, making the entire sky tremble.


    At the same time, on the battle platform, Noya wielded a black bone whip in his hand, and his momentum reached its peak in the blink of an eye. His god''s power was activated to the extreme, and it seemed that he wanted to go all out right from the start.


    Whoosh!


    He then raised the bone whip in his hand and whipped it directly at Darren. It turned out that his seemingly ordinary strike contained thousands of changes.


    The strike that he released was utterly overbearing. Upon Darren''s analysis, he speculated that even a warrior who was one level above Noya couldn''t resist it¡ªeven he wasn''t an exception.


    However, at this point, he could only take the strike head-on.


    Buzz! Buzz!


    Darren tried to resist the overwhelming attack using his divine blade and sword and spun them in front of him.


    Immediately after, the dark red god''s power flashed on the blade and sword, like streaks of lightning that bolted violently.

 Chapter 1752 Terrifying Strength

    The terrifying might of the blade and sword god''s power whizzed through the air and collided straight with Noya''s whip.


    Bang!


    A deafening sound echoed throughout the space as Noya made a quick retreat! He crashed into the bounds of the battle platform. The impact had him spitting out blood.


    "Oh my God!"


    "What''s going on?"


    "Sir Noya is gravely injured from just a single move from Darren? Did I see that correctly?"


    The Defiant Masters watching the fight burst into an uproar. It was unfathomable. Noya was one of the top warriors in the city. How could he possibly be that bloody and beaten from just one single blow from Darren?


    "You..."


    Noya struggled to get up as he held himself up with a single arm. His eyes were wide with disbelief. The terror of Darren''s blade and sword god''s power overpowered his strongest god''s power so easily. His god''s power got shattered, which caused him to be thrown back by the impact. His internal organs were damaged.


    With a strange and bitter expression on his face, Noya wondered what the hell was wrong with Darren. Where did that deathly powerful god''s power come from?


    Noya was brimming with confidence a moment ago,


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    through Darren''s god''s power and reaching straight for his throat.


    "Humph! What an inferior skill."


    In a flash, Darren''s figure was gone from where he stood.


    Bang!


    All of a sudden, Darren''s figure was pulled out and thrown from his hiding place.


    "I was fooled!"


    Darren hissed as he felt a pang of pain. His back had a deep gash that showed bone, which was caused by the sharp claw!


    It turned out that it was a trick when Karson broke through Darren''s god''s power to attack him. His god''s sense had already blocked all the ways that Darren could retreat. When Darren retreated, Karson easily caught Darren''s figure and attacked him at lightning speed.


    "This old bastard is quite fast!"


    Darren''s back was injured, but he didn''t pay it much mind, because when Karson broke through his god''s power forcefully, he was also injured. Moreover, when he hit Darren just now, Darren''s ability to rebound strikes back was activated, which also caused a lot of damage to Karson!


    Now Karson was really worried. He managed to land a heavy blow on Darren, but he turned out to be even more seriously injured! What scared him even more was the fact that he didn''t know why!

 Chapter 1753 Peaceful Coexistence

    At this moment, Karson tried his best to suppress his fear and prepared to fight Darren with the best of his abilities.


    "Don''t be so overconfident, brat! No matter how strong you are, you can¡¯t easily get your way and kill me!" he shouted as he glared at Darren.


    Swoosh!


    In a flash, Karson¡¯s body was surrounded by dense god''s power. A dark cyan light spread out and immediately formed a protective barrier around him. At the same time, his god''s power started integrating into his skin, which greatly increased his defensive prowess.


    Seeing this, Darren sensed that Karson''s god''s power was not to be taken lightly. In fact, his strength should be equivalent to that of a sixth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor.


    However, Darren had already reached the top level of the Deputy God Realm, and even the quality of his blade and sword god''s power had also been greatly improved. With this, his comprehensive fighting power had already reached the top level of the sixth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor. Therefore, at this point, he was much stronger than Karson in every aspect.


    Moreover, it was just the case if Darren wouldn''t use the dark gold god''s power. Once he utilized it, he should be on par with a seventh-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor. Because of this overwhelming power, Darren was confident to fight the governor after annihilating Karson.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll make sure that I''ll kill you swiftly."


    Without any warning, Darren suddenly flew and stopped in midair. His blade and sword god''s power was unleashed, like a raging tidal


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    lying to me? I can''t imagine that the faith of the Defiant Masters is really useless!" Darren replied, still not convinced to give up just like that.


    "Sir, I have been the King of Faith for several years, and I have never actually heard that there is a genuine belief between Defiant Masters. I don''t think that the governor is lying to you. Besides, he has endured you so much ever since you went to provoke him. So, all I could think is that he actually plans on cooperating with you. For now, reconciling with him seems like the wisest and most appropriate choice," Guillermo analyzed.


    "All right¡­ I have to admit that with my current strength, it might not be enough to defeat him. I also want to know what he is really up to. Don''t worry, I will forfeit the challenge," Darren finally agreed.


    Then, Darren quickly flew in the sky, stood in front of the governor, and announced, "Governor, as you wish, I¡¯m giving up on challenging your position."


    Hearing Darren''s decision, instead of being disappointed for not seeing the supposedly epic battle between Darren and the governor, all the Defiant Masters in the city actually praised him and even applauded his wise choice.


    "Very well. I''m glad about this good news. Darren, please follow me. As I promised, I''m going to tell you something important," the governor said as he let out a big smile. He was actually genuinely happy with what Darren did. He began to think that maybe this time, he had found a very suitable ally to enter the place that he had been thinking of for a long time.

 Chapter 1754 Teaming Up

    Darren, Guillermo, and the governor directly headed towards the palace.


    Inside it, they sat together so that they could further talk about what the governor wanted to tell Darren earlier.


    "So, what is it that you want to talk about, sir?" Darren broke the silence and took the initiative to ask.


    "Ha-ha! Stop calling me ''sir''. My name is Ham. You can just call me by that." After a brief pause, he continued, "Since you also don''t want to beat around the bush, I''m just going to say it outright. I was actually hoping that we could become teammates and fight together in the Death Land."


    "Fight together in the Death Land? So, that''s the main reason why you didn''t want to fight with me in the Life-and-Death Arena?" Darren asked with furrowed brows, obviously a bit confused at what he heard.


    "Yes, that''s the reason. I''ve been waiting to come across someone like you to be my teammate, of course, together with your companion here," Ham said as he cast a glance at Guillermo.


    "I don''t know what this Death Land is, so would you care to explain more about it before I give a response? Also, what''s in it for us? Why should we agree to team up with you?" Darren asked suspiciously.


    "Of course. Let me explain everything to you." Ham then breathed deeply and started explaining. "Darren, you said that you fought in the Life-and-Death Arena for the purpose of gaining the Power of Belief from Defiant Masters, right?" Ham asked straightforwardly.


    "Yes, that''s right," Darren replied and nodded with hones


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    them? Even if there are three of us, if they are much more powerful than us, then isn''t it still a suicide mission? There''s no way that I would let my master risk his life in this impossible task!" Guillermo said unhappily.


    Ham was actually taken aback upon hearing what Guillermo said. He had always thought that Darren and Guillermo were just normal comrades and friends, but Guillermo referred to Darren as his master without any reluctance. This made him feel that Darren was really more mysterious than what he appeared to be.


    However, the surprised look on his face quickly subsided as he responded, "It''s actually not a very bad thing to be categorized as weak. After all, only junior governors like me are qualified to bring two teammates into the battlefield, while senior governors can only enter the place alone. This way, we can still gain the advantage. As long as we solidify our teamwork, we can easily set an ambush and choose the governors at the same level as us to become our targets. Then, upon eliminating ten governors on the battlefield, we can obtain ten shares of Power of Belief, and that would be enough for us."


    "That actually sounds good, but I have one more concern before I agree on coming with you to the Death Land. How will we divide the Power of Belief that we will obtain?" Darren already gave his intent to form a party with Ham and Guillermo, but of course, the issue of dividing the Power of Belief was an important thing that they needed to tackle first before they set out.

 Chapter 1755 Simple And Direct Rules

    "Divide? There''s no need to divide the Power of Belief. We are a team, so we can share the Power of Belief. If we get ten shares, we can become the candidate members of the Divine Army," Ham said.


    "Candidate?" Darren asked.


    "Yes. Don''t worry. As long as we become candidates, even if we are not chosen by the chief gods, we won''t be hunted down. We would be free," Ham explained.


    "Oh, I see," Darren replied. His goal was not to become a member of the Divine Army at all. He just wanted to obtain the Power of Belief.


    "If you agree, I can apply to enter the battlefield now," said Ham. He felt a wave of excitement wash over him. After so many years, he finally had the courage to step into the battlefield.


    "All right. But I have one requirement. Once we obtain the Power of Belief, I will keep it," Darren said firmly.


    Ham smiled. "No problem. Anyway, as long as we get ten shares, we will be free. It does not matter if you keep the Power of Belief," he said, readily agreeing to Darren''s stipulation.


    "Deal," said Darren, nodding.


    Ham clapped his hands together. "Great! Darren and Guillermo, let''s fight together! We will fight for our freedom!" With that, he flew away to apply for the token to enter the battlefield.


    Three days later, Ham retu


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    hem. If you can escape, do it as soon as you can,"


    said the figure in front. He gazed around at everyone solemnly. "That''s all I want to say. Get ready. The space passage will be opened soon."


    As soon as he was done speaking, the senior governor who had mocked Darren caught his eye again, smirking. "Young man, you are my prey, and I will hunt you down," he said.


    Ham saw what was happening and stepped forward. "Sir, we didn''t provoke you. You can''t mark us for no reason," he said quickly.


    "No reason? I can come up with any reason I want. But don''t worry, I won''t mark you now. Once we''re inside the battlefield, I will find you and kill you," said the senior governor with a sneer.


    Ham said anxiously, "Why are you doing this? We have made an effort not to offend you. Please forgive us." He bowed his head deferentially, feeling beads of cold sweat on his forehead.


    "Are you scared now? Well, that''s only natural, because I can kill you more easily than you can ever imagine. And I will do so, because I just don''t like you ants," the senior governor snapped, ignoring Ham''s apology. His mind was made up. As soon as he entered the battlefield, the first thing he would do was find Darren and kill him, then he would kill his two companions as well.

 Chapter 1756 The First Battle In The Battlefield

    "All of you, come with me now!"


    the organizer ordered. Then, all the governors in the hall followed him into a large room that resembled an altar.


    The organizer closed his eyes and used his god''s power to create a black door above the altar.


    "Enter the door one at a time," he said.


    Immediately, governors began to walk inside. It was a space door. On the other side, multiple ripples appeared in the space as if the men had fallen into water.


    The last team to enter the door was Darren''s. As they stepped into the space, the senior governor who had threatened to kill them trailed them with his murderous eyes.


    "Darren, I have a bad feeling about this. I think that guy is targeting us,"


    Ham said in a worried voice as they walked through the space passage.


    "Don''t worry. Once we''re inside the battlefield, he''ll have a hard time finding us. If he could track us without making any marks on us, then it would be meaningless for all the junior governors to come in here. They would be killed within minutes," Darren reassured him.


    "Uh... That makes sense. We should be fine as long as we''re careful."


    "That''s righ


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    There are enemies present!"


    the governor roared when the three of them streaked past him.


    "Kill them!"


    Darren hovered in the air above them and dove towards the two Defiant Masters. They were the governor''s teammates, and Darren assumed that their strength was similar to his own.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Like lightning, the majestic sword and blade intents shot at the two of them respectively. They struggled to release their god''s power to resist the intents but they were too slow and the forces collided, exploding in midair.


    The moment they thought they had escaped, Darren flew past them. The dark red sword and blade sliced across the throats of the two Defiant Masters.


    "Ah!"


    They screamed as their heads toppled to the ground.


    On the other side, Guillermo and Ham were fiercely fighting off the governor.


    "Damn it! Were you trying to sneak up on me? Go to hell!"


    The speed at which the governor''s god''s power erupted was much faster than his two teammates''. As he acted, Darren discovered that the governor''s strength was comparable to that of a seventh-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor at the top level!

 Chapter 1757 The First Wisp Of Power Of Belief

    Boom! Boom!


    As soon as the god''s power exploded, Guillermo and Ham immediately launched their full-blown attacks at the same time. Even if the governor was supposed to be stronger than both of them, he should not be able to resist this sudden attack. In fact, the governor was easily sent flying and his scales were broken into pieces.


    Swoosh!


    With this, Darren had regained his composure and made his move as he rushed towards the governor.


    Boom!


    He then unleashed the dark gold god''s power, intending to eliminate the governor with a single blow.


    Since the governor was already injured by both Ham and Guillermo, he was slow enough to react, thus he was directly hit by Darren''s god''s power.


    Boom!


    In an instant, his body exploded and his blood splashed all over the ground.


    "Alright! We made it!"


    Ham was pretty happy that they were able to take out a governor not long after they entered the battlefield. Immediately after, he excitedly flew over to take a look at the Power of Belief that they should have obtained.


    However, even after searching for a long time, he did not find the token anywhere.


    ''This is very strange. It should be a rule that upon the death of a governor, his token should automatically float out. Why is it nowhere to be found?'' Ham wondered.


    Indeed, according to the rules of the battlefield, as long as a governor died, no matter where the token was hidden, it would automatically float and appear. Even if i


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    ence of a Defiant Master could be gradually erased.


    In cases of other Defiant Masters, they could just freely accept the Power of Belief into their body. However, Darren was an exception. It was impossible for him to just absorb the Power of Belief.


    Thus, he secretly activated the prototype of the Chief God Character and forced the Power of Belief into the prototype using his god''s power.


    When the Power of Belief had already made contact with the prototype of the Chief God Character, Darren suddenly felt unbearable pain in his elixir field.


    The burning sensation was even worse than his soul being ripped apart.


    "Darren! What is going on with you?" Noticing Darren''s distorted face, Ham was perplexed.


    "I''m fine. You don''t need to worry about me," Darren said as he gritted his teeth. After a moment, the Power of Belief was finally integrated into the prototype of the Chief God Character, and the pain was also gradually alleviated.


    Upon checking, Darren found out that the prototype of the Chief God Character had indeed improved a little. The prototype of his Chief God Character was actually the Blade and Sword God Character. When this God Character was greatly enhanced, the quality of his blade and sword god''s power would also be improved.


    ''Ha-ha! This is great! If I can absorb more Power of Belief, my blade and sword god''s power would become even more formidable!'' Darren found it very interesting and he was elated at the result.

 Chapter 1758 Wait On Sidelines And Reap The Benefit

    Of course, Ham didn''t know that Darren had absorbed the wisp of Power of Belief.


    Darren believed that Ham was a good man, and he didn''t mean to deceive him. However, the Power of Belief was too important. Darren promised himself he would find a way to obtain some more Power of Belief for Ham in the future.


    "Darren, we have just released our god''s power. We should transfer quickly, or others may notice us." Ham looked around cautiously.


    The three of them¡ªDarren, Guillermo, and Ham¡ªwere the weakest fighters in the battlefield. They needed to be careful. If they were attacked by other governors, they had very little chance of survival.


    "Well, let''s go," said Darren, glancing at the map.


    Together, the three of them flew towards another barren land.


    Halfway to their destination, they stopped in midair and glanced down. They landed in the valley beneath them.


    Guillermo looked up at the sky and said, "Sir, did you notice that?"


    "Yes. There seemed to be several people flying over us just now," Darren replied.


    "Yes, there were three of them. They must be senior governors, otherwise, they wouldn''t dare fly so recklessly. Still, it''s a little strange. Why would three senior governors fly together?" Ham also looked up, frowning.


    After a moment of thought, Darren said, "They seem to be going west. Let''s go and see what they''re up to."


    Ham''s eyes widened with horror. "Well..." he said hesitantly. "Darren, I think we''d better not do that. Most probably, the three of them have made an app


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    t prefer you! Why, when Sigrid and I cultivated underground, she called me ''husband.'' Clearly she belongs to me. Shame on you both! I will kill you today!" roared the senior governor with the bull head.


    "Fine!" said the pig-headed Defiant Master, losing his temper. "Our brotherhood ends here! We fight to the death!"


    "You don''t know, but I''ve despised you for a long time. Go to hell!"


    With deep booming sounds, their god''s power exploded in the air.


    The senior governors turned into three balls of light that crashed forcefully into each other.


    In the cave, Darren and the others clearly sensed that a battle had begun outside.


    "Sure enough, they are fighting. Judging from the energy they are releasing, it is a life-and-death fight," said Guillermo. Ham felt a spurt of excitement. He imagined how he and Darren and Guillermo would obtain the Power of Belief of the three senior governors.


    "These senior governors are incredibly strong," said Darren in a tone of surprise, as he probed at the bursts of power coming from the battle. "Ham, each of them is one level higher than you, right?" he asked.


    "It seems so. But they are on par with each other in terms of strength. One of them may end up killing the other two, but he will be seriously injured in the process. We must launch a sneak attack upon the wounded victor before he can take the Power of Belief of the other two, so that we can gain some for ourselves!"


    Ham grinned happily, for he felt that he had taken a step closer to freedom.

 Chapter 1759 Stealing The Tokens

    "Guillermo, what is happening right now? Is there any progress?"


    Since Guillermo had the best perception when it came to Defiant Masters, he was the only one that could clearly see what was happening on the battlefield.


    "Those three governors are very powerful. They are currently in a stalemate," Guillermo answered.


    "All right then. We will just wait here. We are not in a hurry anyway," Darren said as he calmly sat down.


    Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the three senior governors continued to attack each other cautiously. They were waiting for the perfect moment before they unleashed their trump cards.


    "Ha! I can¡¯t believe that you have been concealing your true strength all this time. I did not know that you can fight at this level."


    "Humph! How odd that I was thinking the same as you. Who would have thought that you could use poison in your attacks!"


    "I used to treat you as brothers, but I did not expect that you were like serpents who were good at hiding and backstabbing! Well, I don''t care anymore. All of you can go to hell!"


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The battle between the three senior governors instantly got more heated and intense.


    For three days and three nights, they fought nonstop. Their killing intents were oozing and they unleashed every skill just to bring their opponents down. They did not hold their strength back any longer.


    At the same time, this progress became good news for Darren and the others. The more vicious the battle got, the more they could benefit from it.


    Fi


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    and looked at the bull-headed governor with his murky eyes.


    "What are you doing? That woman is just seducing all of us. Snap out of it. She just wants to absorb the god''s power essence in our bodies," the senior governor said as blood dripped from his mouth.


    "Ha! Nonsense! I won and nothing you say will change that!" Obviously, the bull-headed governor did not listen at all and just forcefully slapped the head of the other senior governor, killing him in an instant.


    Whoosh!


    Right after the senior governor died, the token flew out.


    However, instead of grabbing the token, the bull-headed governor directly rushed into the sky without even looking back.


    He knew well enough that Darren and his companions were waiting for the moment that the token would surface. At this point, he did not have the strength to fight all of them at once, so he decided to just leave. After all, he had already fulfilled his goal¡ªto kill his rivals in love. Hence, there was no need for him to stay there any longer and put his life at risk.


    Swoosh!


    Seeing this, Darren quickly acted and grabbed the token with his hand. At the same time, Ham decided to chase after the bull-headed governor.


    "Shit! That guy has taken another token. We should move now and grab it from him before he could claim ownership of the Power of Belief!"


    Finally, the other team, who was lurking around, could not wait any longer. The three Defiant Masters activated their god''s power at the same time and rushed towards Darren at top speed.

 Chapter 1760 Terrifying Physical Attack

    ''Danger!''


    Darren sensed three powerful attacks coming from behind. On pure instinct, he released his god''s power, forming a defensive barrier around himself.


    Bang!


    The barrier was smashed to pieces and sent him flying through the air from the massive impact.


    Luckily, he had already absorbed the wisp of Power of Belief contained in the token.


    "Damn it! We failed! He''s not dead!"


    The junior governor possessed a strength similar to Ham. He and his two teammates had failed to kill Darren with a sneak attack. This infuriated him.


    ''I can''t deny the short man''s reactions were surprisingly fast.''


    "You''re dancing with death here!" yelled Ham.


    He had been chasing the bull-headed governor not long ago, but had not been able to make up with him. When he sensed what was going on with Darren, he quickly turned and flew back, unleashing his god''s power and attacking the junior governor''s team with a wild ferocity.


    "Humph! Absolute Penetration!"


    The junior governor''s body spun like a horizontal tornado whirling towards Ham.


    Their god''s power collided and enormous cracks appeared across the entire barren land.


    Divine light soared into the sky, even shattering the dark clouds above.


    "Hurry! Let''s kill that brat while the boss is fighting


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    was akin to that of a divine weapon''s.


    Darren had not been expecting that sort of move.


    "Darren, look out!"


    Ham was not far off from him and activated his god''s power right away to help him.


    Eventually, though, the pair of sharp claws pierced through the god''s power.


    Darren leaned back and shifted to the side, just barely getting out of the way.


    Bang!


    The claws caught his shoulder, shattering it and sending a cloud of blood mist exploding into the air.


    "Ah!"


    Darren''s rage ignited when he took the blow. He activated his God Character and condensed the dark gold god''s power in his body. The black god''s power then burst out, attacking together with the dark gold god''s power.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The space collapsed layer by layer, and Darren''s god''s power came at the junior governor in an instant.


    The junior governor''s claws were as powerful as divine weapons and had already been launched out. He had nothing to fight back with against the strongest god''s power Darren had.


    "Ah!" he roared in frustration.


    He was submerged beneath the dark gold god''s power and penetrated through by the black god''s power. It was done. He turned into glittering particles that floated up and dissipated into nothingness.


    A token then appeared.

 Chapter 1761 Blocked

    Darren retrieved the token and integrated another share of Power of Belief into his prototype of Chief God Character.


    This time was more dangerous than he''d expected. He did not know there were others who wanted to kill them by surprise.


    "Guillermo, are you alright?"


    Darren asked when he flew over.


    "I appreciate your concern, sir. I''m still alive, thank you. My lung was punctured just now so I was unable to be of any help. Please forgive me," Guillermo replied apologetically and filled with guilt.


    "Do not blame yourself, your life is more important."


    "Thank you, sir."


    "Well, now you have a few days to recover at least. We have to leave after that. We''re going to be in a heap of danger if any senior governors arrive."


    "Yes, sir. I understand," Guillermo responded.


    They then all made their way back to the cave.


    Darren had come to a conclusion. Since he''d entered the battlefield, he''d absorbed a total of four shares of Power of Belief. He was a fair bit stronger than before; he was now equal to a junior governor.


    The Power of Belief''s effect was far beyond anything he''d imagined.


    If he could obtain ten, a hundred, or maybe even more sha


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    r work."


    "Okay, let''s fly. And fast."


    Their destination was quite far away. Darren had calculated that it would take them at least three months to reach it if they flew with all their strength.


    In what seemed a blink of an eye, two months had passed. Darren and the others were nearby now.


    "Oh my God! Look, there''s something up ahead!"


    After two months of peace, Darren had thought they''d be able to arrive safely. But that was not the case, as before them was another Defiant Master, right at the end of their journey.


    "Wait, it looks like he''s disappeared. What happened?" He scanned the area again, but the Defiant Master he''d just detected in the range of spiritual sense had disappeared.


    "Forget it. Let''s keep moving. Fly with all your might," Ham said anxiously.


    "Ha, do you really think you can escape going so slow? You are much too naive."


    The next moment, a Defiant Master that looked like a pangolin flew out and cackled wildly.


    "It''s you!" Darren yelled through a frown.


    He looked exactly the same as the avatar they had killed before. It was Lemuel, who''d been chasing after them relentlessly.


    Next to him, Carmelo appeared as well.

 Chapter 1762 Holding Carmelos Lover Hostage

    Two senior governors wanted to kill Darren and his group.


    Of all the hardships they''d encountered since coming in, this promised to be the worst.


    The only bright spot was that the two governors weren''t joining forces to take them on. They certainly wouldn''t have stood a chance otherwise.


    But fighting them one on one was still a gamble.


    Even if they managed to defeat one of the senior governors, they would still sustain some serious injuries. The other senior governor could definitely kill them all after they''d exhausted themselves.


    "How dare you kill my avatar? And now you want to run away?" Lemuel said sardonically. "I won''t be letting it go that easily."


    It had taken him at least a hundred thousand years of cultivation and countless resources to train his avatar to the level to become a junior governor. He would understand if a senior governor killed his avatar.


    But for some lowly guys to kill his avatar in a sneak attack, it was unacceptab


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    ll tear you all apart!" Carmelo''s furious roar shook the nearby mountain.


    "Well, show me then." Darren said icily. His sword now at Sigrid''s heart.


    "Please don''t kill me! Oh handsome one, I know I was wrong. But please..." Sigrid cried.


    "Don''t hurt my loved one. If you let her go, I promise to do whatever you please." Carmelo panicked at the sight of Sigrid so close to danger.


    "I have no intention of killing her. So let''s make a deal. Help me kill Lemuel, and I''ll keep her safe," Darren said.


    "How audacious of you. You think Governor Carmelo will fight me over a bitch like that? I''ll kill you first!" Lemuel made a direct move, intending to kill Darren.


    Boom!


    A powerful god''s power suddenly came at Lemuel, forcing him back.


    "Stupid bull, are you really going to kill me? For a woman?" Lemuel asked, shocked by Carmelo''s attack.


    "I will help you kill Lemuel. In return, you won''t hurt my Sigrid." Carmelo decided without hesitation.

 Chapter 1763 Escape

    Carmelo was totally bewitched by Sigrid that he had even killed his sworn brothers just to ensure that he could eliminate any rival. Therefore, there was no way that he would let her be killed.


    "Stupid bull! You deserve to die!"


    Whoosh!


    Lemuel was so infuriated that he did not hold back any longer and made a move without hesitation.


    Bang! Bang!


    A fierce battle immediately broke out between Carmelo and Lemuel, shaking the surrounding space due to the massive impacts of their blows.


    "I have to say, what you did was really clever, Darren. We would have been dead if we had not held that woman hostage," Ham said as he broke out in a sweat.


    "Sir, please let me go. I did nothing to offend you." Sigrid stared at Darren with her watery eyes, looking very fragile and miserable.


    But all of a sudden, a ray of pink light shot out from her eyes, which was directed at Darren.


    Fortunately, Darren was paying attention and he just snorted coldly as he shielded himself with his god''s power.


    At the same time, he swiftly sent his sword one centimeter deep into Sigrid''s heart to teach her a lesson.


    "Let me just remind you. If you dare play your petty tricks on me again, you will die without even realizing it. Don''t test me," Darren said coldly.


    Sigrid immediately felt a sharp pain in her heart, making her face distorted in fear. She had no choice but to cancel her skill and give up on seducing Darren.


    "Ha-ha! You are bluffing. Can you really kill me, knowing that the stupid bull


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    y.


    "Ha-ha! You deserve that! I may die but all of you shall suffer!"


    Sigrid exclaimed as his body festered. Mucus began enveloping his skin, making him look like a toad. It was a very disgusting scene.


    Boom!


    Unable to bear the scene for much longer, Darren immediately used his god''s power to smash Sigrid into pieces.


    "Damn it! We are poisoned!"


    Guillermo and Ham made contact with the pink gas that made their bodies fester as well. Even their god''s power could not suppress the process.


    Upon taking Sigrid''s token, Darren said, "Let''s get into the mist first, then we will figure out a solution."


    "All right."


    With that, the three of them flew into the mist. After a while, they found a place where they could settle.


    "How are you guys feeling?" Darren asked, concerned at the condition of his comrades.


    "Not good. This thing is too corrosive and it is very painful," Ham said as he gritted his teeth.


    "I''m fine for now. I can still control the spread of the poison with my god''s power, but we need to do something about it. After three months, our bodies will be fully corroded and we will die in the end," Guillermo explained.


    "Damn that ugly piece of shit!"


    Darren was so frustrated because he hadn''t expect that Sigrid would unleash such a strong poison just before he died.


    At the same time, they began to hear a loud roar from the distance. "Hey, little bastards! Come out! I know you are hiding here!"


    It turned out that Carmelo had finally caught up to them.

 Chapter 1764 A Surprising Harvest

    Carmelo''s roar rang out through the mist, but Darren and his companions remained unmoving. Carmelo could not do anything to them.


    No one was able to activate their god''s sense in this area. As long as they didn''t meet Carmelo head-on, Carmelo would never find them.


    "Looks like we''re going to have to hide here for a while." Darren had made his mind up to not go out for now.


    But there was a problem. Both Ham and Guillermo were badly poisoned. If not treated in time, they would die.


    He had no treatments on him right now.


    "Darren, it seems Guillermo and I will die here. Don''t worry about us, we''re done for," Ham said bitterly.


    "Not necessarily. Many powerful Defiant Masters have died in this world. Their blood must have nurtured many magical herbs. Perhaps I can find some and remove your poison," Darren replied hopefully.


    "It''s not possible, Darren. You don''t know what herbs remove poison. You''ll never find them."


    "I''m going to go out there and try my luck. If I find herbs with strong vitality, they should be able to regenerate your corroded flesh and veins and control the poison''s spread," Darren respo


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    im to do away with the courtesies. He took out dozens of magic herbs he''d collected, containing a multitude of different effects among them. "You can try one herb at a time. If you find any that can heal you, let me know and I''ll get more."


    "Darren, thank you so much. Was it dangerous out there?" Ham looked at Darren gratefully as he asked his question.


    "No. Even if there were other governors outside, they couldn''t detect me. They would not know I was there unless we were face to face. Even if I were spotted, remaining hidden for a while would not be hard. You have nothing to worry about," Darren replied calmly.


    "That''s good. Guillermo and I will try these herbs now."


    They began trying them one at a time. In the end, they found three herbs that could relieve their poison to a certain extent. However, they could only relieve the pain, suppress the poison and slow it down; they could not cure them of it.


    "Wait here for me. I''ll keep looking for more herbs."


    Darren was heading off to kill the creatures containing the Power of Belief. He could find herbs at the same time and kill two birds with one stone.

 Chapter 1765 Twelve Years

    Darren walked further inside, undeterred by the misty fog that shrouded the whole place.


    He soon came upon an ancient forest. Everywhere he looked, plants were flourishing and faint roars could be heard, so there must be creatures living here.


    However, Darren wasn''t sure if the creatures that inhabited this forest also possessed the Power of Belief.


    He decided then, that no matter what, he would give it a shot.


    Darren marched through the forest with quick but careful steps. Since he could only detect an area of one hundred feet around him, he found it difficult to locate other living creatures.


    Finally, about two hours later, Darren found a target.


    He spotted a massive red-eyed wolf with wings on its back about a hundred feet away from where he was standing.


    It didn''t look weak. In fact, he sensed that it had a strength that was comparable to a fourth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor. He speculated that the creatures in this forest lived unusually long lives, and they were also likely stronger than normal. However, what Darren wanted to know was how much Power of Belief these creatures had. He wondered if the stronger the creatures were, the more Power of Belief they possessed.


    With this in mind, he couldn''t wait to kill the giant wolf, so he could get more information.


    Darren hastily concealed his aura. The giant wolf was now about eighty feet away from him, and it had stopped to eat the corpse of a beast.


    Whoosh!


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    d Darren sadly, shaking his head. "For the past two years, I found fewer and fewer creatures here. They must be almost extinct; that''s why I couldn''t find many at all."


    In a total of twelve years, Darren had gone to every corner of the foggy area. He had combed through all the places where beasts could have gone to hide.


    In the first few years, Darren had even met several Defiant Masters who had hidden as well. However, none of them were governors, so he didn''t get any tokens after he had dealt with them.


    "Sir, let me guess. Your current strength is comparable to a senior governor''s, isn''t it?" Guillermo asked as he couldn''t figure out Darren''s real cultivation level.


    "I don''t know about other powerful senior governors, but if Carmelo meets me now, I can surely take him down!" Darren confidently declared. In the past twelve years, he had obtained the Power of Belief equivalent to fifty tokens, which helped his Chief God Character''s prototype to improve, and it also increased his strength by leaps and bounds.


    "Ha-ha, I''m glad to hear that. Anyway, since there are no more beasts to kill here, why don''t we just leave? If we meet a junior governor now, we can crush him like an ant. And if we meet any ordinary senior governor, you can also kill him and collect the tokens with all your strength," Ham proposed excitedly.


    "All right, it''s time to go out," agreed Darren. The three of them decided to return to the battlefield.

 Chapter 1766 Ambush

    After a long time, Darren and his companions had finally come out of the foggy area to return to the battlefield.


    "Whew! It''s so stifling to stay in the foggy area for more than ten years. I am so glad that we have finally come out."


    Since they had stayed secluded for more than ten years in the foggy area, Ham felt very refreshed as he saw the outside world again.


    "Darren, what are we going to do now? Are we going to find someone to kill or are we just going to wander around for a while?" A lot of time had passed, so Ham was actually excited to know how strong Darren got in terms of his combat power.


    "It''s not going to be easy to just find anyone to kill. I guess we will need to fly around for a while. How about we enter this area? It seems that it is not that far away from here," Darren remarked as he pointed to a spot on the map.


    "I don''t think it is a good idea to venture to that place right now. According to the map, most of the powerful senior governors gather there." Ham was actually surprised that Darren wanted to go there. It turned out that the place was one of the most dangerous areas on the entire battlefield. It would be very risky if they went there without being thoroughly prepared.


    "Hmm, okay then. Let''s just wander around here. We are not in a hurry anyway," Darren agreed.


    "All right. Let''s try our luck in this area first."


    As they all agreed, the three of them flew into the air. It seemed that they were much confident now compared to when they first entered the battlefield. After all, few seni


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    governor was allowed to collaborate with one or two teams that were led by junior governors.


    "You will die anyway. You''d better end your lives by yourselves. I don''t want to get my hands dirty," the senior governor said coldly.


    "Ha-ha, you think you can kill us? I think you are underestimating us," Ham sneered.


    "I don''t think so. You are correctly estimated. You are nothing but a bunch of weaklings. Why? Are you thinking of resisting? I won''t do that if I were you. Your struggle will just be meaningless," the senior governor responded contemptuously.


    "You are so stupid. The two of you can¡¯t even defeat our team, but you still have the arrogance to talk that way in front of a senior governor? No wonder you were easily caught in our trap. Idiots!" the junior governor retorted. He had been following the senior governor for decades now, and they were able to kill six teams and three senior governors this way. He was confident that their plan was foolproof.


    "All right then. Why don¡¯t you try and kill us?"


    Even in the face of the senior governor, Ham was not afraid at all. He trusted that Darren must have discovered something beforehand which was why he immediately hid. He speculated that the moment the senior governor made his move, Darren would be ready to launch his own sneak attack.


    It would actually be a copy of the opponents'' strategy, making them taste their own medicine.


    "Humph! Fine! You stupid assholes can go to hell!"


    Upon saying that, the senior governor finally took action without any hesitation.

 Chapter 1767 Peace Association

    The senior governor released a fiery red wave of god''s power, and both Ham and Guillermo hurried to dodge it. The scorching aura seemed to melt the earth, and even before it reached them, Ham and Guillermo could not bear it. The thought that they''d die if it hit them caused the two to tremble with fear.


    "Go to hell, you two insects!"


    To their astonishment, the senior governor disappeared right after he roared. Ham and Guillermo glanced around, panic-struck, but they couldn''t see him anywhere. A split second later, a claw appeared behind Ham, ready to deal him a deadly blow.


    Ham was shocked. That horrible claw hadn''t reached him, and yet he had felt as if death was coming. The power it emitted was as terrifying as the red wave of god''s power.


    Clang!


    Suddenly, a dark red sword intent shot out and collided with the claw, deflecting it.


    "Ouch!"


    The senior governor quickly withdrew his claw and inspected his injuries. His mouth fell open when he realized that the sword intent had sliced him right down to the bone and that he was bleeding profusely!


    "There is a master hiding somewhere!" The senior governor''s face darkened as he released his spiritual sense to probe his surroundings. "Friend, show yourself. I advise you not to meddle in my business."


    "Not meddle in your business?"


    Darren appeared in front of the senior governor. He was so furious that his body was encased in murderous intent.


    "Friend, I just want to kill a junior governor. Why


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    , and Guillermo told him what had happened. No words were needed, as they both immediately began to chase Darren. After following him for a short distance, they stopped. Darren had disappeared.


    "Stop! Why are you sneaking around?¡±


    A purple figure flew quickly in front of Darren.


    "Ha-ha. Your speed and strength are not bad,"


    the purple figure stopped in front of Darren as he remarked. He was a purple mouse, only three feet in height.


    "Humph! You were waiting to ambush me?" Darren questioned with raised eyebrows.


    "No, you misunderstood. I just wanted to test your strength and decide whether to recruit you into the Peace Association or not," the purple mouse explained with a shake of his head.


    "The Peace Association? I''ve never heard of it. What''s that? Never mind. I''m not interested." Darren didn''t wait for the purple mouse to explain. He flat out refused.


    "Boy, are you sure? You aren''t interested in joining the Peace Association?" Sarcasm dripped from the purple mouse''s tone. It was not easy to join the Peace Association, especially not on this battlefield. How could this boy refuse without learning anything about it?


    "That is right. I''m not interested. Now, I''m going to give you ten seconds to leave, or I''ll kill you." Darren sensed that the purple mouse''s aura was very strong. In fact, he was unsure if he could defeat him should they fight.


    However, if the mouse did not leave, he would have no choice but to fight to the death with him.

 Chapter 1768 Receiving The Peace Badge

    The purple mouse just gave Darren a dissatisfied look and said,


    "Young man, you don''t have to be so impulsive. You may be strong but it is not that impressive yet. If you keep acting this aggressive, you might die sooner or later. I advise that you show a little humility!"


    "Oh, so you want to teach me about manners now?" Darren just smirked and did not take the word of the purple mouse seriously. "But judging from your tone, I can sense that you don''t want to fight me. Then, why are you still here? What do you really want from me?"


    "Humph! I already told you. You were able to kill a senior governor and were offered a chance to join the Peace Association. Why are you refusing this opportunity?" the purple mouse asked in disdain.


    "It is so simple. I''m not interested. Is it so hard to understand that?"


    "Are you out of your damn mind?" The purple mouse was now getting agitated because Darren was obviously taking the association lightly. "The Peace Association can protect you from being killed for three hundred years. You are so stupid to turn down the opportunity without even knowing what you could get from it!" the purple mouse said as he scoffed.


    "Wait. What did you say? Protect me from being killed for three hundred years?" But Darren realized something, so he asked with an eyebrow raised, "I thought that according to the rules of the battlefield, there shall be no alliances between senior governors. Then, how does your association help me if someone wants to kill me?"


    "You have a shallow understanding." The ba


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    vernor sneered.


    "Are you sure about that? Why don''t you escape right now before I tear your limbs apart?" Darren said coldly.


    "Arrogant bastard! I''m going to teach you a lesson and kill you mercilessly!"


    Enraged by Darren''s provocation, the senior governor flew over and unleashed his god''s power. It surged mightily that wherever it passed, the space instantly collapsed.


    ''Tsk. This guy is indeed powerful, I have to be more careful or all of us are going to be in danger.''


    Only at that moment did Darren realize that the strength of the senior governor was actually even stronger than that of Carmelo or Lemuel.


    Swoosh!


    Finally, Darren made his move and released his dark gold god''s power and used it to resist the god''s power of the senior governor.


    Boom! Boom!


    A fierce battle instantly ensued that lasted for a while. However, Darren was overpowered that he could not help but retreat for several kilometers. At the same time, the senior governor''s terrifying god''s power managed to damage his internal organs.


    ''Damn it! His strength is comparable to that of an eighth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor!'' Darren''s eyes widened in shock. It turned out that this senior governor was the strongest one that he had ever encountered since entering the battlefield. Even the purple mouse would fail in comparison.


    "Ha! I must admit that you are a bit stronger than I expected." The senior governor let out an evil grin and added, "You are lucky to have withstood a single blow. Let''s see how you will resist this next one!"

 Chapter 1769 The Benefits Of Joining The Peace Association

    Darren was a little flustered. This senior governor was extraordinarily strong. If he wanted to fight head-on, Darren knew he stood no chance.


    "You are much too bold, brat! Do you know who I am? I''m Musa. You dare offend me? You''re playing with fire, you little twerp!" God''s power flowed on the surface of his body, turning it dark in an instant.


    "Do you think I''m just going to stand by and let you kill my friends?" Darren snapped.


    "Your friends?" The senior governor looked back at Ham and Guillermo and said, "Looks like these two insignificant things lied to me. You''re working with them!"


    "What difference does that make? If you want to fight, then let''s fight!" Darren did not betray any weakness or nerves in his demeanor. He did not want to seem intimidated. All the while he was plotting a way to get out of this danger he found himself in.


    "Ha-ha, you ignorant thing, I''m going to send you to hell in pieces!"


    Boom!


    The senior governor''s god''s power was like a black sea, crashing down and shaking heaven and earth.


    "Wow! That''s Musa!" Ham suddenly remembered that he''d learned a lot about the senior governors, and Musa was among those he had information on.


    According


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    to be here any longer and flew off right away.


    Darren made his way to Ham and Guillermo''s side and released a wave of god''s power to heal their wounds.


    An hour later, Darren asked, "Are you feeling better?"


    "I''m almost recovered. Thank you, Darren."


    "Thank you, master. I''m all right now."


    Darren nodded his satisfaction. "That''s good. It was lucky I joined the Peace Association by accident, or we would have died here."


    "Yes, that man is quite powerful. I was so afraid I broke out into a cold sweat." Fear still lingered in Ham''s mind. "Darren, what are we going to do if he comes back to kill us in a few months? We could hide in the foggy area again?"


    "There''s no need to hide. I''ll do my best to kill some ordinary governors over the next few months. He might not be a match for me then," Darren replied confidently.


    "Well... I hope so." Ham paused before continuing, "Darren, I''ve always been curious why your strength increases after you kill others? This also happened when you killed the beasts in the foggy area before. But why?"


    He''d been wanting to ask this question for a long time, but it was rude to pry into other''s secrets, so he kept it to himself till now.

 Chapter 1770 Confident Lemuel

    "Well..." Darren hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether he should tell Ham the truth.


    He thought for a while and eventually decided against it. He was not very strong at the moment and did not want Ham to feel as though he''d been lied to.


    "It''s because my God Character is capable of absorbing some death energy to enhance my god''s power," Darren said, just making something up.


    "Ha-ha, that''s fantastic, Darren! No wonder you''re killing beasts everywhere you go," Ham said nodding happily. It seemed he had no problem accepting this as the truth.


    "What should we do now?"


    For now at least, many powerful senior governors could not kill Darren since he''d joined the Peace Association. Of course, it worked both ways; he could not kill governors that were part of the association either. They would have to look everywhere they could for governors who were not members.


    "Why don''t we take some initiative and go to Carmelo and Lemuel?" Darren thought about it for a while and felt assured that Carmelo had not joined the Peace Association because he had killed his two sworn brothers. If Carmelo was a member, his two sworn brothers would


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    like this foolish bull, ha-ha," Lemuel laughed maniacally.


    Boom! Boom!


    His god''s power erupted, and a layer of dark yellow god''s power covered his body, forming a solid defensive barrier.


    "My Infinite Defense Skill has formed. Even if you were twice as strong as you currently are, you would still not be able to break it. I''m basically invincible. Let''s see how you handle this!" Lemuel was beaming with pride as he showed off what he''d achieved from his latest breakthrough.


    "Are you really so confident just because you progressed a tiny bit in a defense skill? You do not understand the vastness of the universe, do you?"


    Darren had expected his power to have increased a lot more, making him much harder to deal with. To his surprise, Lemuel had only comprehended some kind of defensive god''s power. This was barely anything to Darren.


    Almost instantaneously, Darren brandished his blade and sword at the same time, and a dark red blade and sword god''s power surged out.


    Lemuel held nothing back and rushed at Darren in turn. He was confident in his defense skill and figured he could completely ignore the god''s power coming at him.

 Chapter 1771 Killing Lemuel

    Regardless of the god''s power coming at him, Lemuel rushed forward.


    Crack!


    The god''s power shook the space, making the lightning thrash every which way. Soon, the space was horribly twisted.


    Earthy yellow god''s power quickly enveloped Lemuel''s body as he rushed through Darren''s blade and sword god''s power. His movement was fluid and effortless. Nothing seemed able to stop him.


    "You''ve overestimated your abilities. Your god''s power is not strong enough to take me on."


    Lemuel proved once again that his Infinite Defense Skill was invincible. He was confident that even if he faced off a master at a higher level than him, he wouldn''t be defeated.


    Seeing this, Darren turned around, split the space with his sword, and rushed into the crack. In the blink of an eye, the sword broke through another space. Once Darren flew out, he was dozens of kilometers away from Lemuel.


    "You''re going to keep on dodging?" Lemuel said with a sneer. There was no point to this game. After all, there was no way Darren would be able to escape his inevitable death.


    Darren stood in the air, his face cold. His tentative attack was meant to


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    o late.


    The terrifying pressure the sword and blade had brought about made him tremble.


    Crack!


    The blade and sword collided with the earthy yellow defense cover, creating many cracks all over it. Before they knew it, it had shattered like glass.


    "Ah!"


    Lemuel screamed, his eyes glazing over. It was as if he had lost a part of his soul.


    His invincible defense was destroyed! That was a difficult thing for him to come to terms with.


    "Kill!"


    Darren yelled coldly. His blade and sword danced in the air, the two kinds of god''s power merging in an instant.


    A dark gold light pierced the sky, and the endless pressure suffocated Lemuel.


    "No!"


    Lemuel could see the dark gold god''s power moving in his direction, then completely engulfing him.


    A moment later, all the dark gold god''s power disappeared, and a bloody skeleton fell from the sky, forming an enormous crater in the ground.


    A token drifted out and Darren grabbed it.


    "How could it be possible? He, he killed Lemuel..." Carmelo murmured. His body was still in great pain but his mind had gone blank. Lemuel''s death was something he hadn''t foreseen.

 Chapter 1772 Control Darren

    After absorbing the Power of Belief, Darren descended slowly and landed in front of Carmelo.


    "How do you feel now?" Darren smiled wryly and asked Carmelo.


    Carmelo was silent, too shocked to answer. He regretted having insulted and mocked the short man when his life was hanging by a thread.


    "S... sir, I''m sorry. Please spare me. I''m willing to become your slave and do as you say for the rest of my life. Please." Eventually, Carmelo came to his senses and begged Darren for mercy.


    "I told you that you''d end up begging for your life. But it''s too late now."


    He had planned to turn Carmelo into his believer once he''d killed Lemuel. However, one of the rules on this battlefield was that senior governors were forbidden from allying with each other. If Darren made Carmelo his believer, he would risk breaking the rule and facing the punishment for it.


    Besides, when Carmelo had decided to mock him, he changed his mind and in his heart sentenced him to death.


    Carmelo was getting desperate now when Darren seemed indifferent to his begging.


    "I don''t want to torture you anymore. I''ll allow you a decent death. You can take your own life," Darren dec


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    an explanation.


    Darren was speechless. But after a moment of silence, he said, "Okay. I will join."


    Eight hundred years would mean nothing to others. But for Darren, that was enough for him to accomplish a lot and improve his strength by leaps and bounds.


    ''What does it really matter if I agree to join now? Eight hundred years from now, even your so-called king may not be a match for me. What do I have to fear?''


    He thought it relatively harmless and just agreed, feeling he had nothing to worry about.


    "Very good. There are seventeen members of the Dragon Flame Army. With you, there are eighteen. Here is your badge. Put a drop of your blood into it." The mouse pulled out a black badge in the shape of a dragon head and handed it to Darren.


    He took it and let a drop of blood essence fall into it.


    Buzz!


    Suddenly, his mind rattled and shook as a strange force of control spread to his soul.


    He was furious. The badge was being used to enslave him.


    However, he did not show any emotion on his face. He secretly activated his Chief God Character''s prototype and blocked the force of control, preventing it from grabbing hold of his soul.

 Chapter 1773 The Cullen Region

    Darren''s prototype of Chief God Character drew the force of control into his elixir field.


    As it meshed with his body, a hissing sound was heard.


    A wisp of god''s power wrapped around the force of control and turned it into nothingness.


    "Yes! This is very good!"


    The stunned look on Darren''s face filled the purple mouse with joy. As far as he knew, Darren was completely under his control.


    "Your name is Darren Chu, right?" the purple mouse asked.


    "Yes." Darren nodded slightly.


    "Okay, Darren. You have three years to replenish yourself. After that, you will come with me to report to the Dragon Flame Army. You have no other choice," the purple mouse commanded.


    "Yes, sir."


    Even though Darren wasn''t truly under the purple mouse''s control, he wanted him to think he was, so he acted with complete compliance.


    "Great. You are free to do whatever you want over the next three years, but don''t get yourself killed. Am I making myself clear?" the purple mouse said sternly.


    "Yes, sir." Darren nodded.


    The purple mouse ascended into the endless sky and disappeared.


    It wasn''t until the purple mouse had left that Guillermo and Ham dared to come forward.


    "Sir, what are you doing?


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    rnors are as weak as ants to me. They aren''t powerful."


    "Sir, you don''t understand. The rule cultivators here are all junior governors, but they can team up without restrictions. For years, the Killing Array they have formed has buried many powerful senior governors. Does that still make them weak?" the three-headed bird asked.


    "Team up? But that''s impossible. It''s against the rules of the battlefield." It only took a moment for Darren to sense that Defiant Master wasn''t lying.


    "Yes. It''s because the prohibition of alliance only applies to martial artists. Rule cultivators are not subject to this law at all. I learned from my real body that the great chief gods need a powerful team of rule cultivators, not powerful individuals of rule cultivation. So the rule cultivators are allowed to team up with others," the three-headed bird explained.


    "You are more informed than you look," Darren said with a smile.


    "Of course. My real body is one of the leaders of the team," the three-headed bird said.


    "Ha-ha." Darren paused and said, "If your real body is a leader, then he must be a powerful master, right? I''m very curious. Why didn''t you ask your real body to kill me when I chased you?"

 Chapter 1774 Perfection Of Cultivation Skill (Part One)

    "That guy¡ª Oh, I mean, my real body...he should be too busy to talk to you." As soon as the three-headed bird mentioned his real body, Darren instantly noticed that there was a flash of disappointment in his eyes.


    "Hmm. If I''m not mistaken, you are now an abandoned avatar, right?" Darren guessed as he raised an eyebrow.


    Hearing this, the three-headed bird was surprised and could not help but stare at Darren. "How do you know that? Are you perhaps a rule cultivator that can read people''s minds? Otherwise, you are¡­"


    Darren shook his head and immediately cut in, "No. You just look like a homeless fellow. Anyway, how about this? I am currently finding a way to destroy your real body''s team of rule cultivators. So, what do you think about joining me?"


    The team consisted of more than forty Defiant Masters. This also meant that he could take a lot of tokens to provide him m


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    The three-headed bird was actually surprised by Darren''s decision. ''What is wrong with this guy? Isn''t he afraid to die?'' he thought.


    "Well, I didn''t say that I must kill them. I can just observe them until I could figure something out."


    After saying that, Darren turned around and swiftly walked towards a barren mountain.


    Soon enough, he found a cave and settled there for the time being. He stayed there and waited for the right opportunity to come. For now, he had plenty of time, so he did not need to act rashly.


    At the same time, since the three-headed bird was just a wandering avatar who had nowhere to go, he decided to follow Darren into the mountain.


    While he stayed in the cave, Darren didn''t waste his time and began to cultivate. He still needed to consolidate and improve his fighting skills, especially if he really wanted to defeat the rule cultivators.

 Chapter 1775 Perfection Of Cultivation Skill (Part Two)

    His current strength had been improved with the perfection of the Chief God Character and its perfection could also lead to the advancement of his cultivation level.


    Currently, Darren was already at the top level of the Deputy God Realm. If he wanted to reach the Supreme God Realm, he would need to exert more effort because he still had a long way to go.


    After careful calculation and observation, Darren found out that the only way for him to improve his strength at this point was by the cultivation of the Dragon and Fiend God Character, the Ice and Fire God Character, and the Nine-star Fiend Power. As for his blade and sword skills, he had already reached the limit of his level, so it could not be further improved through normal cultivation methods.


    ''The two Conflicting Cultivation skills can also improve if my cultivation level would progress. For now


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    sked.


    "Sure, I obtained freedom. But before he abandoned me, that despicable guy destroyed my God Character. Hence, I will never be able to improve my strength again. What is the point of living then?" the three-headed bird sighed gloomily.


    "What are you talking about? Weren''t you so afraid of death that you begged me for mercy? How can you say then that you have no reason to continue living?" Darren asked with a smile. Indeed, the three-headed bird immediately begged for mercy as he saw Darren''s real strength before.


    "That doesn''t mean anything. Of course, it is my instinct to beg for mercy. That is just uncontrollable," the three-headed bird said defensively, obviously embarrassed at what Darren pointed out. Then, out of nowhere, the three-headed bird exclaimed in surprise, "What is going on? It is my real body. Why is he approaching towards me?¡±

 Chapter 1776 Four Warriors Arrived

    Darren felt a strange and powerful aura approach.


    "Oh heavens! My real body might have found you. You''re doomed!" the three-headed bird said in a panic.


    Darren, on the other hand, kept his calm and released his spiritual sense.


    "Only four warriors?"


    Darren was slightly surprised to discover only four of the rule cultivators were coming his way.


    A buzz emanated in the air as four spiritual senses descended together.


    "Sure enough, they''ve come for you."


    The three-headed bird shook his heads helplessly as he felt the spiritual senses descend. If the man had continued to cultivate here, and waited to launch a sneak attack, he might be able to kill some rule cultivators. But now that the others had found him first, he would definitely die.


    "Here comes some reckless man."


    In an instant, four figures appeared in front of the cave.


    Whoosh!


    Darren flew up and landed right in front of the intruders.


    They each emitted a strong fluctuation of law power. It was as if they were part of the laws of heaven and earth.


    "My real body, what are you doing here?"


    the three-headed bird flew over and


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    e impact. Had he not protected himself with a large amount of god''s power, he would have been blown into smithereens.


    It was obvious to all that Darren''s god''s power was not trifling. In fact, a few wisps of his god''s power had broken out and made their way to Isaiah, the three-headed bird''s real body.


    "I have underestimated you."


    Isaiah fortified a law shield in front of himself, trying to block Darren''s god''s power.


    Suddenly, a loud explosion shook the space.


    With it, the law shield came apart.


    "What?"


    The sight startled Isaiah. By the time he came to his senses, something unexpected stopped him from escaping. The wisps of god''s power coming at him suddenly merged. A faint black stream of god''s power circulated within the dark gold light.


    "Watch out, leader!"


    The rule cultivator who specialized in Wind Law noticed the change and sent a gust of strong wind to appear directly in front of their leader.


    Darren''s god''s power had reached him. One of the bird''s heads had no time to dodge and was smashed into pieces by it.


    "Quack!"


    Isaiah narrowly escaped death, but was extremely livid.

 Chapter 1777 A Fierce Fight Against Four Rule Cultivators

    Taking advantage of the rule cultivators'' surprise and lack of composure, Darren immediately released his god''s power, which shattered the space around him into pieces.


    Whoosh!


    In an instant, he had transformed into a shadow and escaped out of the space that had confined him.


    Once Darren had broken free from his bonds, he shot up toward the sky, moving almost at the speed of light. He then appeared in front of the rule cultivator who knew the Spatial Law. From that cultivator''s perspective, Darren seemed like he had teleported into his position, as it looked like he had appeared out of thin air.


    Another swooshing sound echoed in the silence.


    With a single slash, Darren had rent the space!


    "Aaah!"


    The rule cultivator let out a terrified scream when he sensed Darren''s frightening god''s power. But he was, after all, a senior governor, so he was soon able to compose himself. In that moment of crisis, he promptly activated the law force and manipulated the space to block Darren''s attack.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Layer by layer, Darren demolished the spatial defense in front of the rule cultivator, and his sword pierced the cultivator''s chest.


    Puff!


    In the next breath, Darren pushed his sword deeper into the man''s chest, almost touching his heart.


    "Near Horizon!" the rule cultivator yelled out, and seconds later, the space in front of him quick


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    e senior governors and force them to flee. ''This brat would surely die,'' he thought with satisfaction.


    The other three rule cultivators were also aware of how terrifying the soul lightning was, and they could finally breathe easier.


    "Wow, I thought we will lose to that brat."


    "As if! Clyde''s soul lightning is so powerful. I bet none of us can withstand it."


    "That is true, but if it weren''t for my Absolute Shackle Rune, the soul lightning couldn''t have made contact with that guy. Don''t you think so, Clyde?" the rule cultivator who knew the Spatial Law chimed in proudly.


    "I admit that''s true. My soul lightning is powerful, but it does have the disadvantage of being too slow. Thankfully, your skill made up for it. Who knew we could cooperate so perfectly? Ha-ha!"


    The four cultivators thought Darren was already dead, so they began to celebrate at once.


    Boom! Boom!


    Suddenly, a dark gold god''s power exploded in the lightning. A ray of golden light spontaneously erupted and shot through the head of the rule cultivator who specialized in thunder skills.


    It happened so quickly that he died with his laughter frozen in his throat. The law force within his body quickly dissipated, and his breath of life faded fast as well.


    "What the hell! That brat killed Clyde!"


    "Shit! Is that guy still alive?"


    The other three rule cultivators grew terrified.

 Chapter 1778 Helping The Three-headed Bird

    Unbelievable! The young man had survived Clyde''s soul attacks! The rest of the group were terrified when they realized this. Clyde''s soul attacks were so powerful that if it were anyone else in their group that had been hit, they would have instantly died. So how could this martial artist live through it?


    None of them could grasp what they were seeing.


    Lightning currents had struck him head-on, but he didn''t suffer any fatal injury. The only sign left by the attack was his soot-blackened skin.


    It didn''t seem like any soul attacks had gone his way, let alone exceedingly powerful ones. In fact, Darren didn''t even look intimidated.


    As soon as the soul attacks rushed into his mind, he transferred his soul into the mysterious void in his brain and then used his God Character to completely wipe out the soul attacks. Thanks to this strategy, his soul remained safe and sound.


    "Ha! You said you wanted to kill me, but you can''t even hurt me."


    Darren''s figure broke through the endless streaks of lightning and instantly appeared in front of the remaining three rule cultivators of the group.


    The three cultivators stepped back unconsciously, their bodies trembling like newly fallen leaves. All of them looked the worse for wear, which was a stark contrast to Darren, whose momentum had not weakened at all. On the contrary, the pressure and killing intent he released


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    red light shone from his body like it was burning from the inside.


    The light was so dazzling that Darren couldn''t even look at it directly.


    "What''s happening? Why is his body glowing?" Darren immediately activated his god''s sense, which he used to assess the changes happening to the three-headed bird.


    Colorful feathers had sprouted on the three-headed bird''s body, and his three necks inched closer and closer until they finally merged together.


    The three God Characters that floated above flew towards the three-headed bird simultaneously, landing on top of his merged neck.


    Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!


    The three God Characters spun endlessly like spinning tops before merging together in a blink of an eye.


    "The three God Characters have merged?"


    Seeing this, Darren was astonished. He had never seen anything like it.


    After about an hour, the light on the three-headed bird dissipated, and a new head condensed above his neck.


    "Caw!"


    The three-headed bird slowly opened his eyes and faced the sun, looking overjoyed and triumphant after his rebirth.


    "This is wonderful. This guy was destroyed and then revived," remarked Darren. He, too, was overjoyed by the turn of events.


    "It turns out that I am not his avatar. On the contrary, I am his real body!"


    After the three-headed bird regained his consciousness, countless old memories returned to his mind.

 Chapter 1779 Preparing To Sneak In

    "Oh?" The three-headed bird''s words intrigued Darren.


    "It was only when I regained my memory that I realized I had been ambushed. He''d not only sealed my consciousness, but he''d stolen my God Characters as well!" the three-headed bird said angrily.


    "No wonder he didn''t kill you. He was just lying to you when he kicked you out. You''re actually his real body, so if he kills you, he will die too," Darren said.


    "Exactly. Sir, if you hadn''t killed him today and used the Original Heavenly Fire to help me with my rebirth, I would have never known the truth. I owe you my life," the three-headed bird said gratefully.


    "It was fate that drove us together. My name is Darren Chu. You can call me Darren."


    "I''m afraid that''d be presumptuous of me."


    "Not at all," Darren said.


    "All right, then, Darren, I''m Isaiah Ka from the Holy Phoenix race."


    "Indeed. We can''t stay here for long. We have to find somewhere else to hide for a while. If the rest of the rule cultivators arrive, we won''t be able to escape," Darren suggested. Going against the fou


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    fore I go, I will destroy the Killing Array!" Isaiah said angrily.


    "What? He actually knows about the Killing Array. Could he be the real Master Isaiah?"


    Many rule cultivators began to let their guard down a little. If he was an enemy disguised, he wouldn''t have known about the Killing Array.


    "Idiot, do you think our enemies wouldn''t have forcibly taken his memory when they caught him? No more of this nonsense. Kill him!" one of the leaders roared.


    "Axel Na, you''re despicable! You have long wanted to take control of everything. Now you''ve finally found the chance to kill me. Congratulations! Do it then. But I need to warn you that if he dares to do this to me today, it will be your turn tomorrow. Only a few of his confidants will survive his greed," Isaiah said, sounding unusually calm.


    "Both his expressions and tone are the exact same as that of Isaiah. I think he might be the real one. If you are still not convinced, we can detect Master Isaiah''s soul. No one can fake a soul, right?" a rule cultivator came closer and said.

 Chapter 1780 Returning Successfully

    "That''s right. By detecting his soul, we can determine whether or not he''s Isaiah," someone said.


    Axel looked at Isaiah. "Well, then, let me detect your soul. Do you agree?" he asked coldly.


    "Fuck off!" Isaiah shouted.


    "You want to probe my soul? You''ll use that opportunity to kill me!"


    Axel scowled. "So you refuse? Why are you afraid to let me detect your soul? You must be a fake!" He turned to the others. "Upon my order, you will kill this impostor immediately!"


    Opening his palm, Axel activated a law to attack Isaiah.


    A rain of sharp golden swords shot forward.


    "You''re courting death!" Isaiah warned. He opened his mouth,


    and a bright flame spurted out, igniting the space around him. The golden swords got caught in the fire and dissipated.


    "You!" Axel shouted, sounding astounded.


    The flames around Isaiah expanded. Axel tried to retreat, but he couldn''t move fast enough to escape the range of the white-hot flames.


    He let out a scream of pain.


    Smoke rose from his body as his flesh and blood were burned.


    "Stop!" shouted the others.


    Several masters instantly released law power together, wiping out the flames.


    They regarded Isaiah warily. Obviously it was more urgent than ever to find out who he re


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    n it! There''s a spy in our group!"


    They had both realized that the only way anyone could have tracked them was if someone had exposed their plans and location.


    Darren sneered. "Smart of you to figure that out," he said coldly.


    "Is it Isaiah?" one of the rule cultivators demanded. "It must be him!" the other shouted.


    Among their group, only Isaiah had once been in danger, and it was him who had assigned them to this mission. Who else could the traitor be, except him?


    "Did Isaiah send you here?" they asked Darren angrily.


    "You''re about to die," Darren replied calmly. "What''s the point in answering any of your questions?"


    Without hesitation, Darren swung his blade and sword, and the dark gold god''s power surged forward.


    All of a sudden, the whole col was covered by dark gold light. The two rule cultivators were terrified and hurriedly activated the Order Law to resist the attack.


    But at that moment, with loud swooshing sounds,


    four figures suddenly swooped down and landed behind Darren.


    "I knew there was something wrong with that guy!" one of them bellowed. "Kill him! Kill him!"


    The four newcomers simultaneously launched a fierce attack against Darren. A sudden barrage of Attack Law descended upon him.

 Chapter 1781 Decimating All Adversaries

    Darren could tell that something was wrong. Unfortunately, he had no time to deal with the two rule cultivators in front of him, so he quickly tried to fly sideways to dodge the sudden attacks.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Endless laws hit the place where Darren had been. The ground cracked and thick smoke billowed. If Darren hadn''t dodged, he would have been seriously injured. After all, it was a sneak attack.


    Using his spiritual sense, Darren assessed his surroundings warily, and he noticed that the earlier attacks launched against him came from a group led by Axel.


    "Master Axel has arrived! We are saved!"


    "Thank you for coming to help us, Master Axel. That fake Isaiah fooled us, and we almost died because of him!"


    The two rule cultivators cried for joy when they spotted Axel, and they hastily flew over to join Axel''s team of four.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    The six rule cultivators immediately moved and converged on Darren''s position, prepared to attack him from all angles.


    When Darren saw this, his eyes narrowed with caution, and he bore a displeased frown on his face. He could tell that these six rule cultivators weren''t strong enough to be a real threat to him, but he was worried that Axel would take this opportunity to call for more reinforcements.


    That was the last thing Darren wanted to happen. After all, if more rule cultivators arrived to gang up on them, even Darren would have a hard time dealing with them all.


    ''I need to kill these pests as soon as possible,'' he decided sensib


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    from several tokens in a row. Thus, his strength had exponentially increased. He was now equivalent to an eighth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor of the Archean Age!


    At this rate, he could even be considered a first-class senior governor in the death battlefield. Darren did not need to fear anyone but the overlords.


    But even with his current strength, it still wasn''t practical for him to rush over and kill the remaining rule cultivators. After all, their Killing Array could still work even if there were only a few rule cultivators left, although its power would probably weaken a little.


    Before long, Darren left the vicinity since he had already dealt with the rule cultivators. He had no reason to linger, knowing that Axel must have sent a call for help. Darren was sure that more rule cultivators would soon come.


    As he expected, all the remaining rule cultivators in the altar arrived about half an hour after Darren had left.


    They were all shocked and livid when they came upon the wreckage of the battlefield and the broken bodies of their comrades.


    "Who the hell could have done this?"


    "Let''s search together. Whoever it is, we can''t let him go easily!"


    By this time, Darren had traveled a good distance away, but he subconsciously checked the place and discovered that all the rule cultivators had come out of the altar. An idea suddenly occurred to him.


    ''Since there is no one left in their altar now, I can go and have a look.'' With this thought, he hurried towards the altar''s location.

 Chapter 1782 Making False Accusations

    The altar was located in a cave, occupying an area of several kilometers around.


    Darren stepped in slowly. The air seemed enriched by a deep history and many ancient murals were engraved on the surrounding stone walls.


    But the only thing in the entire altar that caught one''s eye, except for the few items left behind by the rule cultivators, was the platform in the middle.


    He flew over to investigate it and see what he could learn. The platform was high, standing in the middle of a small pool of dark red blood.


    "Oh my, what an intense murderous aura!"


    A fierce murderous aura spread out the moment Darren activated his spiritual sense, sending a chill creeping down his spine. Darren felt his blood boiling because of it, and his killing intent surged in his heart as a result.


    He used his God Character, trying to suppress the killing intent. He knew he might lose himself if he allowed the killing intent to guide him.


    "Seems like the Killing Array the rule cultivators refined relies heavily on this altar." It suddenly all made sense.


    He focused intently on the towering platform and noticed a strange object with an irregular shape. He co


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    at would be asking for my death, asking to be caught and punished. Do you really think I''m that foolish?"


    "Well..." stuttered Arturo. He did not know what to say, and the others all cast glances of dismay at one another.


    No one could offer any sort of response. Suddenly, Isaiah''s face turned grim. "In truth, the answer to all this madness is simple. Our group has a total of three leaders. We''re all equal in status and keep each other in check. However, it seems clear that there''s someone who doesn''t want me and one of my fellow leaders alive, and is doing his best to have us killed. He does after all stand to gain the most from this endeavor. As for who this despicable person is... I don''t know," he said, fixing his eyes on the other leader.


    His implication was obvious, falsely accusing the other leader of wanting to kill him and Axel!


    "You! You''re trying to frame me!" Arturo was enraged.


    But that would not help him out of this situation. The others were not too receptive of his cries, thinking that Isaiah''s words were reasonable.


    After all, the fighting among the three leaders, open or in secret, had never ceased for even a minute.

 Chapter 1783 Vengeance

    Darren overheard Isaiah''s debating and could not help laughing and muttering to himself, "Wow, Isaiah''s quite smart."


    A while later, the rule cultivators still could not come to a conclusion they felt satisfied with. In the end, all they had decided was that Axel''s and the others'' deaths were an accident. They happened to come across a powerful martial artist by chance.


    It was a farfetched idea, but they had to accept it because they did not want their gang to fall apart.


    In the end, Isaiah had managed to get away with it and Darren had gained some benefit this time. But, if they used the same method to kill again, Isaiah would have a difficult time explaining it.


    Around three days later, Isaiah finally found an opportunity to slip away and head down to the stone chamber below the altar.


    "Darren, you''re alive!" he exclaimed in excitement at the sight of him.


    He had come here to find him, but he''d thought he had died for sure after stepping onto the center of the altar. Seeing him totally unharmed had cured his heart of all his depression.


    "I''m not going to die that easy," Darr


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    es in the battlefield. Anyone is allowed to kill anyone they meet. This is the way. Besides, we didn''t know the relationship between you and Dax back then. We didn''t mean to offend you, Master Jenson. Please, I hope you can find it in you to let us go on peacefully," Arturo pleaded sincerely.


    "Humph, you pitiful little thing. Didn''t you just say that the rule out here is that anyone is allowed to kill anyone? Me killing you is normal, whether it''s revenge for Dax''s brother or not," Jensen replied with menace in his words.


    "So you''re not going to let us go?" asked a rule cultivator, stepping forward.


    "Of course not. You''re going to be pummeled to minced meat today."


    "All right then! Even if you are the son of a king, so what? Let us go, or you will have to face the consequences! Neither of you are leaving here alive. Everyone, prepare the Killing Array!"


    Jensen might have been the son of a king, but the rule cultivators could not stand by and let him do as he pleased to them. At the worst, they''d kill him and the Dark King would kill them. At least they would have done something.

 Chapter 1784 A Slaughter

    Even though Darren was in hiding some distance away, he was still able to detect what was happening.


    He was very surprised to realize there were three kings in this battlefield. Not only that, but one of them was King Marlon, the leader of the Peace Association.


    Accepting the purple mouse''s invitation, Darren had become a member of the Dragon Flame Army. That made him Marlon''s subordinate.


    ''If they fight, I can take advantage of their distraction.''


    Feeling the tension in the air, Darren hoped it would turn into a full-blown fight to the death. He didn''t care that the rule cultivators had to deal with the Dark King''s son. What he needed was the Power of Belief.


    "You weaklings! How dare you fight Master Jensen? Do you want to die?" Dax was livid hearing the rule cultivators'' intentions to kill Jensen. How dare such insignificant insects disobey the king''s son?


    "Enough with this nonsense. We are going to die anyway. Do you honestly expect us to kneel down and accept our fate, just like that?" Arturo said in d


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    pieces.


    "Damn it!"


    Jensen grew furious at the audacity of these lowly creatures.


    With an angry roar, he turned into a phantom and shuttled among the rule cultivators.


    A dozen of them weren''t lucky enough to dodge and were cut into two pieces by the sharp claws.


    After passing through them, he activated the force of control. With the help of the unique law from the black tower, he condensed Dax''s body and reorganized his broken soul.


    "This is..."


    The remaining rule cultivators'' eyes widened in horror. They knew Jensen was omnipotent here. But they''d at least counted on being able to kill Dax.


    "How dare you launch a sneak attack on me!"


    Dax smashed one of the rule cultivators'' head as soon as he was reanimated.


    "This bird looks ridiculously calm. It will be his turn next."


    Dax''s fearsome eyes landed on Isaiah.


    "No, don''t kill me. I''m not on their side." Isaiah was stunned. Did Dax truly think he was calm? That couldn''t be farthest from the truth. In fact, he was nearly immobilized with fear.

 Chapter 1785 One-on-one Battle

    Isaiah trembled with fear. He wanted to fall to his knees and beg for mercy.


    "Have you forgotten that you are our leader? Show a little backbone!" snapped the rule cultivators beside him disdainfully.


    "What good will backbone do me now? Will it save my life?" Isaiah said pitifully. He then knelt down and said with an innocent look on his face, "Masters, please spare me. I am truly not on their side."


    "Not on their side? Do you think I''m an idiot?" Dax sneered back.


    "It''s true, I swear. I killed one of their leaders. I''m an imposter in their midst, pretending to be one of them so I can kill them all," Isaiah revealed through a shaky voice.


    "Disgusting! In order to survive, you''ve turned your back on your companions. You are despicable. I want you out of my sight!" Jensen had no intention of letting him go and attacked with the dark god''s power.


    ''I''m done for,'' Isaiah thought, his heart sinking as he accepted his terrible fate. The god''s power that was heading for him was much too powerful for him to hold off.


    Whoosh!


    Out of nowhere, a wave of blade god''s power like no other appeared and crashed into the dark god''s power.


    Bang!


    The entire Dark Tower rumbled and shook.


    "Humph, so you finally made your move, little ant. Come here!" Thi


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    ll your wish!" Darren responded smugly.


    Clang! Clang!


    The divine blade and sword returned to Darren''s hands and their god''s power circled around his body.


    Buzz! Buzz! Buzz...


    The whistle of the blade and sword cutting the air echoed throughout the world, a sound so sharp everyone felt as though their souls had been pierced by them.


    Jensen''s face twisted angrily. When he felt the terrifying aura of the sword and blade, he realized that he''d underestimated his opponent.


    The reason Darren''s divine weapons were so powerful was because he had just absorbed the Power of Belief of more than twenty warriors, which greatly improved his strength.


    "Kill!"


    Darren charged ahead with his sword and blade in hand.


    Slash!


    Dark red blade shadows descended and merged into one, hacking at Jensen.


    "What an insignificant skill!"


    Jensen clenched his fists and summoned the dark god''s power, swinging at Darren''s divine blade.


    "Wow, this martial artist is incredibly powerful!"


    "I can''t believe that he can contend with Jensen!"


    The rule cultivators that remained were astounded when they felt Darren''s strength; it was far beyond their imagination.


    ''Is Master Jensen going to lose?'' Dax thought worriedly, watching the fight from the sideline.

 Chapter 1787 Disobeying The Orders

    "Jensen, you did not know he''s a member of the Dragon Flame Army so I will let it slide this time. Do you have any objections to me taking him away?" The purple mouse did not want to push this too far. He was in Jensen''s world now, so if he irritated him, he might not be able to leave.


    "Get lost!" Jensen snapped.


    He could not do anything about it even if he wanted to. His father and Marlon had an agreement that they would not attack each other or each other''s armies. If either one of them broke this pact, a war would surely break out. He did not want to be reckless on this matter.


    A space door then opened and the purple mouse looked at Darren. "Let''s go, boy."


    Darren was getting out of this predicament he was in so did not want to be foolish and cause more trouble here. He turned to Isaiah and said, "Isaiah, let''s go."


    "Okay, okay," Isaiah responded quickly. He was nodding repeatedly, relieved his life had been saved.


    "Wait!"


    A slyness seemed to be brewing on Jensen''s face. "You two can leave, but all the rule cultivators have to stay. They all have to die!" he said devilishly.


    "He is my friend. Can he come with me?" Darren asked with a furrowed brow.


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    He would not dare mobilize them on a whim.


    "Humph! Are you disobeying my order? Go now and dispatch two guards to chase that brat down! So long as he''s not in the camp of the Dragon Flame Army, I want him dead!" Jensen barked viciously.


    "Uh... Yes, sir. As you wish." Dax had no choice but to take the token and do as he was told.


    In a deserted mountain, the purple mouse quickly caught up to Darren and Isaiah.


    Bang!


    He landed and immediately struck Darren in the chest.


    Darren was thrown into the air, blood spilling from his mouth as he tumbled.


    Soon after, he flew back and landed in front of the mouse.


    "I take this strike, because I deserve it, and because I owe you a life." Darren did not mind the hit. The purple mouse had after all just saved his life.


    "Brat, tell me why you didn''t follow my order back there." The mouse''s aura was cold and harsh now. Since Darren had joined the Dragon Flame Army, he was bound to obey his orders. But this time he''d deliberately disobeyed and taken the bird as well. This infuriated the purple mouse.


    He had never before allowed a soldier of the Dragon Flame Army to keep their lives if they did not listen to him.

 Chapter 1788 Going To The Army Base

    At this moment, Darren finally realized that the purple mouse was angry at him because he had dared to disobey the mouse''s direct order.


    They were in such a critical condition moments ago. It was difficult for Darren to pretend to be under his control. Now Darren needed to explain that properly to the purple mouse, or he would be in serious trouble.


    "I''m sorry, sir, I don''t know why I disobeyed the order just now. Perhaps, it was my instinct to always come to my friend''s rescue, but I swear that I didn''t do it on purpose!" Darren hurriedly explained.


    The purple mouse, however, could not be easily fooled. He narrowed his eyes at Darren with suspicion and ordered,


    "Okay then. Listen to me this time. Stab yourself in the heart."


    Without any hesitation, Darren thrust his sword into his chest.


    Clang!


    Before Darren could shove his sword deeper, the purple mouse deflected Darren''s sword with his claws, saving Darren from killing himself. If his sword had pierced a little deeper, he would have died.


    "That''s enough," the purple mouse declared flatly. "Maybe it really was because of your instincts..."


    The purple mouse saw that Darren had stabbed himself quickly and with no hesitation, and it convinced him that Darren was telling the t


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    , he also worried about the three kings on the battlefield. He wondered what level they had reached and if they could compete with Naylor.


    There were so many things that he wanted to know!


    After flying for half a month, they had traveled tens of millions of kilometers. "Are we there yet?" asked Darren with a frown.


    The purple mouse looked at him with an exasperated expression and answered, "We are still a ways off. We have to fly for at least half a year."


    "What? I didn''t think it was so far." Darren had not expected that the Dragon Flame Army''s camp was located so far away.


    "Just hurry up and keep flying. Stop asking unnecessary stuff. If Jensen sends someone to hunt us, we will be in danger," the purple mouse snapped at him restlessly. He was exceedingly worried that danger could come upon them at any time.


    The purple mouse had felt this way for about half a month from the beginning of their journey. They had now flown tens of millions of kilometers, but his worry wouldn''t go away for some reason, and that was why the purple mouse was so anxious to rush forward.


    "Has anybody ever told you that you are a bit of a doomsayer?"


    Darren commented as he abruptly stopped in his tracks. Something unknown was heading straight for them!

 Chapter 1789 The Dark Guards

    The purple mouse glanced ahead but found nothing.


    "What are you talking about? Stop talking nonsense," the purple mouse grumbled.


    "I''m not. I saw someone just now," Darren said seriously.


    "You were imagining things. This place is uninhabited. Only junior governors who are on the run come here to hide. Masters, on the other hand, never do," the purple mouse said and continued to fly.


    However, it didn''t take long before he activated all of his avatars.


    Without hesitation, the mouse grew rapidly in size.


    Opening his enormous mouth, he bit into the space on the side.


    Crack!


    The space broke, causing a large string of lightning to seep out in all directions.


    Boom!


    The purple mouse suddenly retreated as if struck by a star.


    A black spear had shot out of the broken space, headed straight towards his head.


    But the mouse didn''t panic.


    He


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    r stabbed continuously at Darren.


    Clashing with Darren''s blade created a loud sound.


    But the blade had run out of god''s power.


    The impact coming straight at Darren pushed him to the ground.


    He crashed into the ground like a meteor. The dark guard chased after him without hesitation.


    "Let''s see how you will resist my attack," the dark guard said, sensing Darren''s injury. This was his chance to finally kill him.


    "You''re despicable!"


    The purple mouse flew into a rage. He hadn''t expected the dark guard fighting him to suddenly change tack and attack Darren. He''d been too late to prevent him from causing Darren such a severe injury.


    The mouse used all his might, forcing the dark guard back. The mouse then quickly flew to Darren''s side.


    The mouse''s body expanded yet again.


    His mouth desperately gnawed at the dark guard chasing after Darren.

 Chapter 1790 The Dark Corpse Soldiers

    The dark guard pursuing Darren had to retreat, but the purple mouse''s attacks were swift. It did not matter that the guard tried to get away, the mouse was still going to get to him.


    Crack!


    The purple mouse slammed his massive jaws down, severing the dark guard''s legs off in a single bite.


    "Damn, that mouse''s teeth are terribly sharp!"


    The dark guard then activated his god''s power and sped off to the side in escape.


    At the same time, the other guard rushed over and stabbed the purple mouse in the back with his long spear. The deafening bang of the collision sounded, and the mouse''s body fell for a kilometer before stabilizing in the air.


    "How is he so tough?" The dark guard could hardly believe what was happening.


    He was amazed that the mouse''s real body possessed such a sturdy defense. He had thought that strike would be enough to kill him. Much to his surprise, his spear shattered and only a layer of the mouse''s skin had been broken through.


    "No. 9, let''s leave this brat alone for now. We should work together to kill this mouse first!"


    "You got it!"


    The dark guard who''d just had his legs chomped off, condensed his legs again and wasted no time in rushing at the purple mouse again.


    It was two on one and the avatars of the purple


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    growled in confusion.


    "Silly boy, after a dark guard dies, they turn into weapons and become mindless dark corpse soldiers. That''s what makes the dark guards so terrifying," the purple mouse said as he struggled to fly to Darren''s side.


    "Does this mean we''re doomed?" He was too weak to do pretty much anything, and the purple mouse was in no state to fight either. How could they hope to stand up to these two corpse soldiers?


    "Not necessarily. They only last for a quarter of an hour. If we can hold on that long, they will self-destruct," revealed the purple mouse.


    "That''s going to be a difficult task!" Darren cried out shaking his head. "With their current strength, they could kill us both with one move," he continued.


    He was right. The dark corpse soldiers had no consciousness, but they had inherited the dark guards'' peak combat power. Once they unleashed that, Darren and the purple mouse would not be able to withstand a single blow.


    "Let''s split up and evade them separately using our own skills." The purple mouse had decided he had no other options open to him other than to leave his life in the hands of fate.


    Whoosh!


    The two dark corpse soldiers made their move. To Darren, who felt weak and drained, their speed was truly exceptional.

 Chapter 1791 A Mysterious Metal Brassard

    In such a hurry, Darren turned around and cut off the surrounding space with his sword.


    The violent space windstorm swept over Darren, but he did not have the slightest intention of dodging. Instead, he rushed towards the storm and faced it head-on.


    "Hmm. I can see that this guy is quite smart," the purple mouse praised and followed behind. He used all his strength to tear open the space and went inside the windstorm.


    At the same time, the two dark corpse soldiers chased after Darren and the purple mouse respectively as they rushed into the space windstorm.


    At this moment, Darren was obviously trapped in the space windstorm, but he didn''t dare use his god''s power to resist. After all, the speed of the windstorm was much faster than his flying speed now that he was seriously injured.


    However, his situation was still grave. Darren was suffering from damaged internal organs, and he could even feel that his entire body was about to explode due to the intense pressure inside the space windstorm.


    But he had to hold on no matter what. He had to maintain his strong willpower to survive this ordeal.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, the dark corpse soldier, who was chasing after Darren, shot out a long spear. It was so powerful that even the turbulent flow of the space could not affect its trajectory.


    The horrifying aura of the dark god''s power was able to suppress Darren, rendering him mo


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    he purple mouse was actually on the verge of death after being ferociously attacked by the other corpse soldier. At this moment, his consciousness had grown very weak.


    If it weren''t for his innate incredible defense, he would have died already.


    "Roar!"


    The dark corpse soldier let out a mighty roar as he launched another fierce attack on the purple mouse.


    ''Damn it. I would not be able to resist that again.''


    The purple mouse''s face darkened and his eyes were filled with desperation as his body trembled.


    "This is it. My life will be over." Upon saying that, the purple mouse gradually closed his eyes.


    However, a minute had already passed but he noticed that nothing happened to him yet.


    ''What is going on? Why do I feel that I am moving rapidly?'' The moment the purple mouse opened his eyes, he was utterly confused as he saw the devastated land. Only then did he realize that he had already left the space windstorm and the corpse soldier was nowhere to be seen.


    As he turned his head, he saw Darren beside him.


    "D-did you save me?" the purple mouse almost stammered as he asked.


    "Of course, who else would it be?" Darren replied with a faint smile.


    "How is that possible? You were already injured badly. How could you recover your god''s power that quickly?" The purple mouse was flabbergasted when he sensed that the god''s power in Darren''s body was indeed restored.

 Chapter 1792 Hunting Prey

    ''How did Darren recover his god''s power?'' the purple mouse wondered in confusion.


    "There''s nothing strange about it. I just happened to have a magic herb, so before the corpse soldier came, I took it and recovered," Darren answered deceptively.


    "Nonsense! There is no magic herb in the world that could do that!" The purple mouse glared suspiciously at Darren, for he didn''t believe his words at all.


    At their level, no medicinal herbs could heal their wounds that fast, unless they possessed an order-level Healing Law.


    "Sir, what else can I say so that you''ll believe me? Anyway, what is important is that we survived, right?" answered Darren exasperatedly.


    "That''s right. Let''s forget about it in the meantime. I won''t ask any more questions since you saved my life. For now, I need at least half a year to recuperate, and then we will continue our journey." The purple mouse had received a lot of damage and needed immediate treatment.


    Otherwise, if he dared to ignore his injuries and push his body too much, it could negatively affect his strength improvement in the future. "All right, but we''d better find a place to hide first, in case Jensen comes after us again," suggested Darren. "You can create an underground cave and let me in," the purple mouse instructed.


    Darren immediately did as the purple mouse said, quickly d


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    ting. Your god''s power is of a powerful kind, but unfortunately, it is still too weak!"


    The next moment, Darren pulled out his divine blade and slashed at the blue ice saber. He didn''t bother to move from where he was standing, as he was sure that the impact would reach his opponent anyway.


    Boom! Boom!


    The earth shook, and the sky trembled. Blue broken ice flew in all directions. A blue snowstorm ravaged the surrounding place within one hundred thousand kilometers.


    After that blow, the blue skeleton retreated. A closer look at the saber in his hand revealed that it was broken.


    "How¡ªhow did you do that?!" the blue skeleton stuttered in disbelief and horror.


    How could this ordinary short man have such great power?


    His opponent had destroyed his dark frosty god''s power in the blink of an eye. If he moved even a second later, Darren''s dark red god''s power would have killed him.


    "Brat, don''t push me. Even if you are a little stronger than me, I can still kill you!" the blue skeleton hissed fiercely.


    "Oh?" Darren smirked at the skeleton slyly. "Why don''t you stop talking and do it?"


    After saying that, he folded his arms leisurely as if he was waiting for his opponent to move.


    The blue skeleton then roared angrily, "All right, you asked for this. I will kill you even if I have to sacrifice a God Character!"

 Chapter 1793 The Conversation With Nevius

    Just as the blue skeleton was about to make a move, a violent shout interrupted him,


    "Stop, Roald!


    You are no match for him. Your recklessness is going to cost you your life."


    A one-eyed Defiant Master appeared beside Roald, the blue skeleton.


    "Why have you come here, Nevius?" Roald asked in surprise. He had thought his friend was supposed to be in hiding, in that mysterious place underground. Why would he dare come out now?


    Darren looked Nevius up and down, studying this stranger.


    He was around ten feet tall, his body dark green, his head triangular and his arms like swords.


    ''My gosh, he looks like a praying-mantis,'' Darren mused with raised eyebrows. He had not expected the legendary, ferocious Nevius to be some sort of animal-insect creature.


    "I do not think I know you, young man," Nevius said breaking the silence.


    "That''s right, we do not know each other. We have never met," Darren responded calmly.


    "Then explain to me why you have come to my place to cause trouble?" His words might have seemed aggressive, but Nevius himself did not seem angry at all, his tone calm and collected.


    "I do not have a reason. I heard that you''re powerful and so I wanted to


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    Let''s see if you can save him!"


    "Watch yourself, brat! You''re going too far!" Nevius shouted back. He was struggling to keep himself calm now.


    "Is there such a thing as ''going too far'' in this world? You''ve got to be kidding me," Darren snorted cruelly.


    Nevius'' rage was boiling and he began to tremble as he tried to control it. He managed to calm himself and say, "Let him go. Why don''t I give you some treasure? Would that satisfy you?"


    "There is nothing I need," Darren replied, shaking his head in disapproval. Nothing was a treasure to him unless it was comparable to the divine weapons he owned and the Belief Power of Death.


    "Are you sure?" Nevius waved his hand and a suit of armor appeared in front of him.


    "This dark iron armor comes from the deep space of the universe. Its grade is only slightly inferior to your divine blade and sword. Are you sure you don''t want it?" Nevius asked.


    "You must not know how powerful my blade and sword are. That''s the only reason you''d make such a comparison," Darren said disdainfully.


    "Do you honestly think I can''t see through a pair of primitive divine weapons?" Nevius retorted flatly. He knew a lot more than he was letting on.

 Chapter 1794 He Was Tricked

    Nevius knew the level of his weapons! Darren was flabbergasted.


    "How did you know?" He could not help but ask.


    "My friend has never misjudged anything ever, brat!" Roald blurted out.


    "Tell me, do you want this dark iron armor or not?" Nevius asked impatiently.


    "Yes, I do!" Darren replied without hesitation this time.


    Nevius had just told him that the armor was only a little inferior to his own blade and sword. Such a suit of armor was a treasure to be sure. It was definitely rare as well.


    "Good. You can leave with that armor. But if it''s a fight you want, you''re going to have to find someone else," Nevius said calmly.


    "Sure thing," Darren answered, nodding.


    The black armor then flew towards him.


    "Roald, you''d better get out of there now, and don''t meddle in other people''s business in the future. You''re going to end up dead one of these days and you''re probably going to deserve it," Nevius said with displeasure.


    "Ha-ha," Roald, the blue skeleton laughed bitterly, not angered by his friend''s remarks. "All right, then I''ll go. I wonder when I''ll be able to have a drink with you..."


    "Stop


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    ve before Darren called out to them.


    "Stop!" Darren raised his eyebrows and said suspiciously, "Your acting skills are poor. When you two top senior governors saw me, you are not going to kill me and grab the token, but you are taking off in a hurry? Do you expect me to believe that?"


    "Don''t push your luck, boy. We just got the wrong person," said one of the skeleton Defiant Masters.


    "The wrong person? Well, you may have mistaken me, but do you think I can just let you go when I''ve got two tokens in front of me?" Darren did not bother with any more questions. He did not need a reason to kill anyone he came across in the battlefield.


    "It looks like we''ll have nothing to report back to our king. Let''s just kill this lowly insect and be done with it." A skeleton''s aura spread out, sending ripples across the space and causing it to quake.


    "Well, all right. He is too arrogant for my liking anyway. Let''s end him right now."


    They had planned on leaving and reporting the situation to their king, but now this ant had dared provoke them. They were furious and determined to give him the beating he deserved!

 Chapter 1795 King Kaisers Avatar

    Darren had been worried about not being able to find someone to test his strength with. These two skeletons were doomed the moment they caught sight of him.


    "You don''t know what you''re doing, brat. You''re being terribly rude to the reserves of the Kaiser Army. We''re going to tear you to pieces now!" One skeleton began walking towards Darren, his saber firm in his grasp.


    "So you''re subordinates of King Kaiser, huh? You just said I have the aura of the ninth prince. What does that mean? Answer me honestly, and I''ll let you keep your lives, for King Kaiser''s sake," Darren said coolly.


    "How dare you!"


    Both skeleton Defiant Masters were infuriated by his brazenness. This brat knew they worked for King Kaiser and yet he still dared speak to them this way! He had crossed a line and was courting death. They felt killing him one thousand times would still not be enough to vent their anger.


    "You don''t need to know the details. When we''ve killed you, we''ll be taking your body back for inspection."


    Boom! Boom!


    They both unleashed their strength and dark god''s power began circulating on the surface of their bodies. The god''s power swept over, shaking heaven and earth as all light seemed to vanish in an instant.


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    g him was like declaring war on Kaiser.


    More to it, with his current strength, Darren knew there was no way he''d be able to take on the top king in the battlefield.


    "Those words mean nothing. You have the armor in your possession, and that alone means you have willingly surrendered your life," Kaiser''s avatar snapped derisively.


    Darren then showed the badge of the Dragon Flame Army and announced, "I am a subordinate of King Marlon. I think it would be best if we did not upset the peace over a misunderstanding."


    "You think this will save you?" Kaiser''s avatar seemed too filled with disdain to care. The so-called nonaggression pact could only restrain the subordinates of the three kings. The avatar was a representation of the real Kaiser; he could kill whoever he felt like.


    "Are you insisting that I kill you?" Darren asked, his face a picture of fury as he began activating his god''s power.


    "How dare you speak to me like that, you arrogant weakling? I''m going to destroy your soul, ripping it to shreds as you scream and cry for mercy!"


    Thwack!


    Kaiser''s avatar launched a palm strike against Darren.


    The palm strike was slow, but crushed the space it passed through layer by layer before vanishing.

 Chapter 1796 The Desperate Avatar

    Turbid god''s power rushed toward Darren ferociously.


    Fortunately, he reacted quickly and released his dark gold god''s power, slashing at the big palm with his sword and blade.


    Clang!


    It seemed like heaven and earth shook when Darren''s sword and blade collided with the big palm, and a wave of terrible force swept over his whole body in an instant. He was suddenly overtaken by intense pain as if his internal organs were about to burst.


    "Ah!"


    Darren was terrified. He quickly gathered his god''s power to shield his internal organs and promptly withdrew.


    However, Kaiser''s avatar didn''t give up and instead surged forward to attack him again.


    ''This guy is really powerful!'' thought Darren in awe, as he continued backing away.


    If that big palm had managed to hit him, he would have been seriously injured, if not outright killed.


    Darren struggled to escape. He was able to dodge several times in a row, but Kaiser''s avatar moved so quickly, and his palm shadows eventually blocked all the ways that Darren could retreat.


    "Go to hell!" the avatar snarled coldly, and a surging wave of god''s power began to press down on him.


    At this point, Darren had nowhere to go.


    He raised his right arm, summoned his god''s power, and struck the big palm rushing toward him.


    "Ha! Don''t be so full of yourself!"


    The avatar thought that Darren was being foolish. The pathetic insect coul


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    . That means you are doomed to die today."


    As Darren spoke, his eyes were dark and full of killing intent.


    Whoosh!


    In the blink of an eye, he had attacked the avatar thousands of times in a row.


    "Ah!" the avatar roared in pain and anger.


    The young man''s injuries seemed to have disappeared again. How could he resist the boy''s full attacks when he was badly injured?


    Kaiser''s avatar glared at Darren poisonously, and his eyes flashed with dark desperation.


    Suddenly, a dark God Character flew out from his head and abruptly exploded!


    "Let''s die together, you pathetic insect!"


    The avatar knew that his death was inevitable, so he decided to use his last trump card. He would self-destruct with his God Character.


    That was Kaiser''s unique omnipotent skill. Normally, this skill was useless since he would also die if he self-destructed with his God Character. Only a fool would use it.


    In an instant, Darren was sent flying by the God Character''s explosion. His armor exploded inch by inch until his flesh and blood were burnt, and his bones were broken in multiple places.


    ''It looks like this is it for me...'' Darren tasted the bitterness of death as he felt his life come to an end.


    At this point, he saw that the brassard attached to the bones of his right arm had lit up with three green light spots, and one of them had flown out quickly and merged into his heart.

 Chapter 1797 Teach Him A Lesson

    As the light spot merged into Darren''s heart, his broken bones regenerated and his smashed flesh was also restored at an incredible speed.


    After the explosion of Kaiser''s avatar''s God Character, Darren stood still in the space turbulent flow.


    On the other hand, Kaiser''s avatar had already become a bloody skeleton.


    "No!"


    Kaiser''s avatar roared in anguish. He couldn''t believe that even if he sacrificed his God Character and made it explode, he still wasn''t able to kill Darren. ''This guy is otherworldly! Could he be the new king?'' he thought to himself as he glared at Darren.


    "Be prepared to go to hell!" Darren shouted in fury.


    As Darren unleashed his surging god''s power, Kaiser''s avatar was directly smashed into pieces and disappeared in the space turbulent flow without a trace.


    "How dare you kill my avatar? You bastard!"


    Immediately after, another face appeared in the space turbulent flow that looked exactly the same as the avatar that Darren just killed. It turned out to be Kaiser''s real body.


    "Well, it is not my fault. Your avatar wanted to kill me first, so I had to kill him. You are actually the one to blame here."


    Darren did not show any hint of fear or panic as he faced the real Kaiser.


    Hearing Darren''s response, Kaiser suddenly fell silent. For a while, he thought that his avatar was killed becau


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    ngly advise that you forget it. Otherwise, I don''t think you can handle the consequences," Darren said coldly as he gave an icy glare at Jalen.


    "What? How dare you talk to me like that?! Do you even know your position right now? Don''t think that you can act wildly in the army! Now, listen to me, bastard. I''m the leader of the army. Kneel before me and give me some respect, or you will be severely punished according to the military law!" It turned out that Jalen was the nominal leader of the Dragon Flame Army. It meant that his words were actually being followed by his fellow senior governors.


    "You are the leader? Really? But you are so weak. How did you even get that position? By earnestly cleaning the chamber pot of His Majesty?" Darren sneered, not a bit threatened by what Jalen said.


    "Conceited brat! Kace, teach this guy a hard lesson!" Jalen exclaimed as he fumed in anger.


    "Yes, sir!"


    Kace, one of the senior governors immediately flew out and landed in front of Darren.


    "I know your kind, brat. After all, every member was also unruly when they first came here. But I think you are the most arrogant one that I have ever seen! So, I have no choice but to make you understand your place and let you know who the boss is!"


    As soon as Kace made his move, a fiery red divine chain lashed out and swept towards Darren.

 Chapter 1798 Win Or Lose

    Clap! Clap! Clap!


    The fiery red chain attacked from all directions, piling onto Darren and leaving him with no way out.


    "Ha-ha, that''s got to hurt him real bad. I''d like to see him talk back again after that," Jalen said, bursting into mad laughter. This guy could not even withstand Kace''s attack. It seemed he really was a nobody.


    Kace withdrew his chain and stared at Darren proudly.


    "What?" he gasped in shock.


    He''d attacked the brat dozens of times, each strike using fifty percent of his strength. Why wasn''t he injured at all?


    "Sissy, were you trying to massage me? That was very comfortable," Darren sneered, brushing some dust off his clothes.


    Kace was no doubt powerful, capable of competing with a dark guard, but he was not allowed to kill Darren and so only used fifty percent of his full power. Fifty percent was nothing to Darren.


    "You little! Damn it! You dare call me a sissy? That''s it. Now I''m going to kill you!"


    Kace was furious and began swinging his divine chain to attack Darren once more.


    Slap!


    The divine chain fell from the sky, leaving a long black crack in the air.


    "Kace, do not kill him!" The ot


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    to catch him safely.


    "Boss, are you okay?"


    "How could this be? Boss, you lost to him in one move?"


    "Damn it! This brat is tougher than I thought."


    What was happening was simply incredible. This new comer was so powerful that he could even best their leader with one move. What sort of genius was this guy?


    "I was too careless," Jalen spat and said remorsefully.


    "Do you want to give it another go?" Darren asked, cheekily raising one eyebrow.


    "Don''t insult me! I will not go back on my word!" Jalen wasn''t the smartest, but he was no scoundrel. He''d lost the fight and accepted his fate gracefully.


    "Listen up, everyone. From now on, I am no longer your leader," Jalen announced loud enough for all to hear.


    "Come on, boss. This guy was just kidding. Don''t take the bet seriously."


    "Yeah, boss. You''ll always be our leader."


    Jalen waved his hand dismissively and continued, "Enough. I lost. I said the words and I meant them. From here on out, you can refer to me as the army chief. That doesn''t break my promise, does it? Ha-ha."


    "Damn it! Boss, you''re so shameless!"


    "Ha-ha..." Everyone burst into a raucous laughter.

 Chapter 1799 The Great Crevice

    "Greetings, Darren. Welcome to the Dragon Flame Army."


    As life had frequently taught Darren, the strong were always respected. Now that they had tested Darren''s strength, Jalen could officially accept Darren to the Dragon Flame Army.


    "Ha-ha!" Darren just laughed and didn''t make a big deal out of the situation.


    He stretched out a hand and patted Jalen''s claw amicably.


    "I killed an unknown beast a few days ago. It''s delicious! Why don''t we have a drink tonight and hold a small welcome ceremony for Darren? What do you think?" a senior governor suggested.


    "That''s a good idea, Kyler. I knew you were hiding something delicious, but you didn''t want to share it with me. It seems like you are feeling generous today, huh?"


    "Ha-ha! Well, you don''t deserve my delicious food since you aren''t as powerful as Darren," Kyler answered with a smile.


    "Humph! You''re so stingy!"


    The moon rose before long, and a huge fire had been lit up at the palace square. A hill-sized beast was roasting on the fire. Its fat dripped continuously, shining a crisp golden-brown, and the smell of cooking meat drifted in the air.


    "Come on, Darren! Join us. Let''s have a drink."


    "Sure!" Darren picked up a bottle of wine and took a few sips, and his eyebrows raised


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    answered with a shake of his head.


    "I know!" a senior governor abruptly chimed in. "I once heard a conversation between His Majesty and Griffin. They mentioned armors and weapons many times, so I guess we are helping the chief gods look for weapons and armors," he added.


    "That''s nonsense! The chief gods'' defensive power is already invincible, and their weapons are the top-level primitive divine weapons. Why would they need to look for more weapons? I''m sure they''re not looking for the things you mentioned." Most people didn''t believe the senior governor''s words, and most of them thought he was talking nonsense.


    "But it''s true. His Majesty revealed that about two million years ago, a king brought out a metal brassard from the Great Crevice and several avatars of the chief gods gathered to fight for it. They almost destroyed the battlefield! In the end, the avatars destroyed each other, and no one got that metal brassard. Later, once the battlefield stabilized, no one could find that brassard anymore," the senior governor earnestly reported.


    "Oh, come on. We haven''t heard of it. There''s no way that''s true!"


    Nobody believed the senior governor''s words because he often bragged. But Darren was astounded. ''A metal brassard?'' he thought.

 Chapter 1800 Training Space

    The mention of the brassard reminded Darren of the piece that integrated into his right arm.


    This brassard could increase his god''s power several times over, and also possessed a powerful healing ability. It was really quite incredible.


    It was obvious this piece was only a small part of a complete set of armor. How powerful the full set would be was beyond his imagination.


    With this in mind, he decided he would enter the Great Crevice. If he found the other pieces to go with the brassard, his combat power would increase almost infinitely!


    He was becoming more curious about this brassard''s origin now as well. How had it come into being? Was it man-made or created naturally? What would happen if a chief god got hold of a complete set of this armor?


    "What are you thinking about, Darren? Let''s keep drinking."


    Jalen raised a huge glass to clink with his companion when he noticed him not saying anything.


    "Oh, yeah, okay."


    Darren stuttered as he came to his senses, gulping the wine down.


    They drank three more rounds, and Jalen suddenly sighed and said slowly, "Aaah! We''ll probably be dead in a few hundred year


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    ors present were strong enough to lift a star. Surely they could withstand holding up three hundred times their own weight.


    "You''re wrong, Darren. You''re not fully understanding. The gravity there equals the sum of one''s god''s power and one''s physical strength. If you can lift a star weighing one hundred trillion pounds with the help of your physical strength and your god''s power, then the gravity there will be three hundred times as strong as that. Is that not terrifying to you?" a senior governor explained before Griffin could reply, fear in his words.


    "Wow. That is terribly cruel," Darren gasped.


    "That''s enough talk. Go and get ready. I''ll be sending you off this afternoon and I''ll see you again in seven hundred and eighty years," Griffin said flatly.


    "Yes, sir," everyone responded, dejected and miserable.


    That afternoon, Darren and the others gathered beneath the palace. After many times of space transmission, they arrived at a black vortex.


    Griffin produced three stones of different colors and threw them into it.


    Boom!


    A strong force then gushed out, immediately absorbing Darren and everyone else.

 Chapter 1801 Keep Exercising

    The surroundings were extremely dark and Darren felt that he was getting heavier as if a massive star was pressing down on him. It was very hard for him to breathe as the strong gravitational force fiercely pulled him down.


    Crash!


    With a loud thud, Darren fell on the hard ground.


    "I am now experiencing three hundred times of gravitational force. But even my fall couldn''t smash the ground of this space?" Darren mumbled as he was a bit stunned. It was known that the gravitational force here involved one''s god''s power and the physical strength.


    Soon enough, another seventeen figures crashed to the ground. They were badly injured and even their bones were broken.


    "Holy shit! This is so painful!"


    "Are you saying that we shall endure this torture for hundreds of years? I would rather die!"


    Other people already started to cry in pain. After all, the strong gravitational force here could readily break one''s bones and flesh the moment he lost focus. However, one''s soul was actually immortal in this place. Even if one was severely injured, there was a special Healing Law that could heal all of their wounds within a span of two hours.


    In order to exercise their ability to survive even in the most perilous environment and improve their strength to the greatest extent, they had to repeatedly resist the pain and danger just by their instinct.


    Meanwhile, Darren''s backbone was already broken and his back was badly mutilated due to his fall.


    Howeve


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    it! This soon? I just fell asleep." Jalen was the first one to wake up, and he was clearly annoyed that his sleep was disturbed.


    "What are you saying? You have already slept for more than a dozen years," Darren said as he shook his head.


    "Yeah! That is too soon! I wish I could have woken up eight hundred years later," a senior governor muttered. At the same time, the other senior governors also woke up one after another.


    "This is so irritating! A strong breeze is blowing again. It will surely split our bones and flesh! Argh!" The senior governors looked as the dust rose not far away from their location and began to cry in pain.


    In a few seconds, the strong breeze blew over. At this moment, all of the senior governors could not help but cry and shout in pain. Their skin and flesh were instantly torn apart by the breeze as blood gushed out from their bodies.


    "Move quickly! The wind is only a hundred feet wide. We can still avoid it."


    However, the senior governors struggled to get up as they began to move away from the law storm. In the end, they ended up crawling on the ground like maggots.


    "Damn it! Look at Darren! How the hell is he doing that?" someone shouted as he looked ahead.


    They were surprised and aggrieved at the same time that Darren could actually stand casually in the fierce wind. It was as if he was just enjoying a nice ocean breeze.


    "Oh, this long lost wind is refreshing," Darren mumbled to himself with a faint smile.

 Chapter 1802 Growing Together

    While the others were swimming in pain as the wind tore open their skins, Darren didn''t seem affected. And he actually looked like he was enjoying it!


    Those who noticed him couldn''t help but stare at him in disbelief. How strong was his body that it could stand up to this much wind power?


    "Damn it! It looks like Darren has spent the past more than ten years working out while we were sleeping. Look how strong he has become!"


    "Gosh, I''m so envious. If only I had trained harder from the beginning, this wind wouldn''t be able to hurt me this much now."


    "Darren, please help us get out of this storm," the crowd beseeched him.


    Hearing this, Darren turned to face the crowd, his face a mask of indifference.


    "There''s no way I''m helping you. You can think of this as training, so you guys can improve. Ha-ha!" he remarked. "Oh, no! Please don''t be so cruel. This hurts too much! Help us this time, and I promise we will also join in the exercises next time," a senior governor pleaded.


    "No, I refuse to help," answered Darren firmly.


    Then, he turned around, picked up a stone to increase his weight, and continued his training.


    "God damn it! Why won''t you just help us? Once we get through this, I will also work out seriously!" a second senior governor mut


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    aunch a sneak attack on Darren.


    And now that Darren had revealed a flaw, Jalen released all his strength and rushed to him.


    "Damn it! A sneak attack?"


    Darren exclaimed, seeing the quick punch coming, and he launched a fierce counter-attack with his palms.


    Bang!


    In the blink of an eye, their fists collided against each other, and the impact threw Darren into the air.


    "Ha-ha! Just wait and see, Darren!" Jalen was in a good mood, for he saw that he finally had a chance to beat up Darren aboveboard. That was worth suffering for so many years!


    "Look, Darren is going to lose this time. Our chief is definitely incredible!"


    "I disagree. If Darren doesn''t lose to him on purpose, he will just be beaten up again."


    "I don''t think Darren is hiding his strength this time. It''s just that our chief''s fighting power increased greatly, so they are now well-matched!"


    When the others saw that Darren and Jalen were fighting again, they paused what they were doing. They were all curious about who would win today.


    Since Jalen repelled Darren, he felt more confident this time. Without hesitation, he strode toward Darren with a smug smirk on his face.


    With one palm raised outward, Jalen assuredly roared, "Accept my trial. Darren, you are doomed!"

 Chapter 1803 The King Is Coming

    The corners of Darren''s mouth curled into a smirk. He''d deliberately let himself be flung away.


    Jalen roared viciously and punched out hard.


    Bang!


    Darren reacted quick, raising his own fist to meet Jalen''s, and fought him head-on.


    Dust kicked up and the ground trembled as Jalen''s massive body froze in midair.


    "Damn it! You''ve been hiding your strength!" A sharp pain shot throughout his fist and up his arm, breaking it completely.


    "I''m afraid you''ve figured it out too late!"


    Darren seized the opportunity and kicked Jalen in the back, injuring him severely. His enormous body flew forward for several hundred feet before coming to a stop.


    "Ha-ha, Jalen''s lost again. What an absolute travesty!"


    "Darren is so cunning. He tricked Jalen quite expertly just then."


    "Poor Jalen! He''s been beaten this way for more than three hundred years. But then again, with our current strength, if we fought other armies, would they be able to handle it?"


    "Our physical strength has increased about two hundred times already, and that includes our god''s power. When I get out of here, I''ll kill those weaklings with just my bare hands!" a senior governor said


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    e hundred thousand mountains on them.


    "Please forgive us, my king," the two of them stuttered as they trembled with fear.


    Marlon said nothing. With another flash, he darted away and stood before everyone.


    He wore a black robe, his body about the same as Darren''s in height and stature. In truth, his figure was very similar to that of a human''s.


    "You''ve done a fantastic job. I''m very satisfied with your performance. Especially you Darren. You were the last to join the army, and now you are the strongest of the lot. Incredible."


    "Thank you. Your praise means a lot, my king," the senior governors, along with Darren, responded in loud voices.


    "Jalen, come here. Let us spar a bit."


    To everyone''s surprise, Marlon called Jalen specifically to fight with him.


    "I dare not, my king." He was absolutely terrified.


    He could not possibly dare fight the honorable King Marlon. His aura alone was enough to subdue him. He could only imagine how terrifying his strength must be.


    "I''ve given you an order! Now move!" Marlon barked ferociously.


    "Uh... All right, my king! As you wish!" Jalen had no choice but to bite the bullet and dive in to battle.

 Chapter 1804 A Threat Has Appeared

    Everyone eagerly awaited the battle between Jalen and King Marlon. They had all been in the Dragon Flame Army for a long time, but no one had ever seen King Marlon fight.


    "My king, I''m sorry about this..." murmured Jalen.


    Whoosh!


    After saying this, Jalen gathered all his strength to attack.


    But on the other side, Marlon didn''t move at all.


    Clang!


    A terrible sound suddenly burst out. Everyone could see that Jalen''s massive fist had struck Marlon''s body with a vengeance.


    It was so powerful that the impact had distorted the space because of its vibration.


    In the next breath, Marlon flicked his hand and crushed Jalen into pieces.


    "Our king is so impressive!" the spectators gasped out.


    All the spectators were stunned, as nobody had ever expected King Marlon to be that strong in this space. It was horrible to witness Jalen be defeated from a single hit!


    "You have made some progress, but I''m afraid that is still not enough," scoffed Marlon coldly.


    "The other two armies also have their own masters, and some of them are even stronger than all of you," Griffin added.


    "How could that be?" When they heard this, the senior governors couldn''t stay calm anymore. They had gone through a lot of hard training and suffered a lot in the past few hundred year


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    master is very powerful, as he is probably only slightly weaker than me. You must be on guard all the time because even if I keep an eye on you, there may not be enough time for me to come to your aid. Do you understand?"


    As the king, Marlon couldn''t follow Darren all the time. And he couldn''t do that either if he truly wanted to entrap the master who had sneaked into the death battlefield. He could only leave a spiritual sense on Darren. Once he sensed that master, he would come as soon as possible.


    "I got it." Darren nodded.


    "All right, you can go out now. Don''t conceal your aura, as he will be more likely to appear once he feels that you are strong enough," Marlon instructed and left a spiritual sense on Darren.


    "Yes, sir!"


    After that, Darren turned around and flew out of the hall.


    "My king, Darren is very powerful now. I''m afraid that it will also be a great blow to us if anything happens to him," Griffin anxiously confided to the king.


    "Don''t worry. He might even turn out to be stronger than you expect." With his exceptionally sharp sense, Marlon observed that Darren was a lot stronger than he was showing on the surface. However, he couldn''t figure out Darren''s specific level.


    Therefore, he also meant to test Darren''s strength with this mission!

 Chapter 1805 Darrens Return To The Altar

    Darren flew in the sky of the vast battlefield on his own.


    Along the way, he unleashed his aura, which spread over a million kilometers in an instant. The senior governors, who had hidden well in their secret spots, sensed the aura from time to time, and they shuddered in fear and uncertainty.


    ''My current strength is powerful enough to contend against an eighth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor in the Archean Age at the top level. If I used my brassard to attack, I should be able to compete with a ninth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor!'' Darren thought to himself, feeling slightly content.


    While they were in that special space, Darren never used the power of his brassard. He couldn''t chance it since he didn''t want the others to discover he had it. He was afraid that information could be accidentally leaked.


    His mind was already made up, and he told himself that he would never use his brassard unless it was a matter of life and death!


    For several months, Darren flew aimlessly all over the territory, but to his dismay, he found nothing.


    "This is a good opportunity to go to the altar. I''ll inform Guillermo and Ham that I made it out," he thoughtfully planned.


    Instead of wandering around without a particular aim, Darren decided to head towards the rule cultivators'' territory.


    At the rate Darren was going, he would probably arrive at the rule cultivators'' territory


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    as soon as he stepped foot on the mountain. It was Musa, a senior governor who had almost killed him back then.


    If Griffin, the purple mouse, hadn''t shown up that day and Darren had forgotten to take out the badge of the Peace Association, this guy could have killed him.


    "It''s you, brat! Why are you here?" It turned out that Musa also remembered Darren. He had threatened Darren on that day after all, saying that he would definitely kill Darren when his peace badge expired.


    "I don''t really have a reason. I just came to kill a few people here. What a coincidence that you''re also here," remarked Darren frostily. "Whatever, brat. Just get out of here.


    Do you think just because my badge is expired, you can find fault with me in my place? To tell you the truth, I''ve joined the Peace Association again. We can''t fight with each other!" Musa answered snidely.


    "Is that so?" The corner of Darren''s mouth twitched, for he was greatly amused by Musa''s words. He was now a member of the Dragon Flame Army, so he could kill any senior governor if he wished. The peace badge wouldn''t be able to protect them.


    "What? Do you want to fight? We still have some unfinished business, after all. Do you want to lay a hand on me first? If I had known that you would come today, I would have delayed my participation in the Peace Association. Humph!" Musa told Darren with disdain.

 Chapter 1806 Equal

    At this moment, Musa wasn''t able to detect the extent of Darren''s strength. However, he assumed that Darren should not be able to become too strong just after a few hundred years.


    Therefore, Musa wasn''t threatened by Darren at all. Moreover, as a member of the Peace Association, Darren wouldn''t dare to start a fight.


    "Hey, brat! Get out of my face at once!" Musa shouted angrily as he started to lose his patience.


    Swoosh!


    But all of a sudden, a ray of dark gold light burst out, making Musa step back in shock.


    "You little piece of shit! Are you out of your mind?!"


    Boom!


    In a flash, the dark gold light hit Musa violently. Before he could even react, he turned to nothingness as if he had never existed.


    Immediately after, Darren took the floating token that came from Musa and continued to search the land.


    After a few moments, Darren had finished scanning the area within millions of kilometers and found that eight senior governors could be his next victims. As expected, it did not take him much effort to kill them all.


    "Hmm. I still need one more token to finally send Ham out of here."


    At this point, Darren had collected nine tokens to help Ham be set free. He just needed one more and his goal could be achieved.


    "Ha-ha! Lucky! I just found some weakling flying around."


    Out of nowhere, the void behind Darren opened. Eventually, a fiery red figure stepped out.


    Sensing a great danger, Darren instinctively retreated and made some distance from the anonymous figure.


    "Who are you?" Darren a


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    the end, they would be at a stalemate. He would just waste his energy and strength.


    About half a minute after Carters disappeared, the space became distorted again, and a torrential black air suddenly gushed out.


    "Damn it! King Marlon is coming!"


    Only then did Darren realize that he was in a bad situation. There was not a single wound on his body, thus it would certainly arouse King Marlon''s suspicion.


    Left with no choice, Darren quickly gathered his god''s power to tear his abdomen forcefully and break the bones on his back. At the same time, he controlled his brassard with his god''s sense to stop it from releasing the healing power.


    This way, Darren went half kneeling in the void as he looked very much injured from a previous battle.


    In an instant, King Marlon transformed into his human form and landed directly in front of Darren.


    "Did he run away?" Marlon asked straightforwardly.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. When he was about to kill me, I think he instantly saw the space distort, so he quickly ran away," Darren said through gritted teeth as he kept his head low.


    "Damn that sly bastard!" Marlon roared in fury. After all, he thought that it would be much harder to lure Carters out next time.


    "But what happened? With his strength, I am sure that he should have been able to kill you. How are you still alive?" Although Marlon had marked Darren with his spiritual sense, he could only detect Darren''s location and if he was being attacked. He was not able to see what exactly happened during their fight.

 Chapter 1786 The Purple Mouse Arrived

    Darren''s blade shadows slashed down and Jensen released his god''s power to defend himself.


    The rule cultivators panicked at the sight of the spreading god''s power, quickly using the defense law to protect themselves. Even still, some were injured from the impact and began spitting blood.


    Dax was close by and was sent flying back through the air. Sharp pains surged all through his body. He had been seriously injured by the fluctuation of the god''s power. He could hardly believe it; somehow this short man''s strength was on par with Jensen''s!


    Only a few senior governors in the entire battlefield, other than the three kings and their own army, were capable of defeating Jensen.


    Darren and Jensen fought fiercely, both fighting with almost all they had, but neither could do any serious damage to the other.


    "Good boy! I''m impressed. You actually managed to withstand ninety percent of my attacks. But that matters little. Let''s see how you withstand this!" Jensen growled, his face twisting menacingly.


    As he spoke, a towering shadow loomed behind him.


    It was dark, with two pairs of horns on its head, a long tail and a trident in its hand.


    "Isn''t that the Dark King?" the


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    the battlefield, it''s the survival of the fittest. Perhaps that''s his reason," Darren added after thinking it over for a moment.


    The purple mouse asked no more. He turned to Jensen and said, "Jensen, your arrogance has gotten the best of you. You cannot kill people from the Dragon Flame Army. You''ve broken the rule. If you insist on killing him, you should be aware that you cannot handle the consequences!"


    "What nonsense are you talking about? Are you telling me this guy is a subordinate of King Marlon?" Jensen asked, his face grim and disgusted.


    The purple mouse cast an icy glance at him and responded, "Of course. He is the eighteenth soldier of the Dragon Flame Army. Are you sure you still want to kill him?"


    "Damn it!" Jensen spat. ''No wonder this guy is so powerful. Turns out he''s from the Dragon Flame Army!'' he thought to himself.


    He did not dare hurt him anymore.


    ''I should have killed him when I had the chance!'' Jensen felt slightly regretful. The brat hadn''t revealed his identity, it would not have been his fault if he had killed him. Now with the mouse present and him revealing who this short man was, it was improper to kill him. He could do nothing now.

 Chapter 1807 The Secret Of The Altar

    Even as Darren faced the questions of King Marlon, Darren looked very calm.


    "At first, he told me that he wouldn''t kill me if I was willing to be his servant. Once I did, he would use me to get the information he needed. Of course, I refused and tried to stall for as long as I could. Finally, he wanted to catch me by force. Fortunately, you came just in time and I was spared," Darren explained. What he said was actually true, but he left out the details that would put him in trouble.


    For a moment, Marlon fell silent.


    "Well, heal your injuries! I am sure that he won''t think of coming for you again." It turned out that Marlon believed Darren''s words since the details of his story were also very convincing. At the same time, he had a hunch that Darren''s strength was stronger than it seemed, but he was also sure that Darren would not be able to take Carters down on his own.


    "I think so too, my king," Darren replied.


    Hearing this, Marlon eventually left while thinking of another way to lure Carters out.


    As soon as Marlon disappeared, Darren relaxed and rested for an hour to recover his wounds.


    Then, Darren continued his search for the last token. After a while, he found and killed several other senior governors that were members of the Peace Association. Now, he had already gathered all the tokens they needed.


    Immediately after, Darren flew all the way to the place where Ham and Guillermo were currently hiding.


    Eventually, Darren arrived at a barren mountain and found the cave where his companions should be staying.


    "Where are those two?"


    Darren instantly felt


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    e the case if the real body of the Death Chief God made a move.


    "Ha-ha! Wake up, boy! Do you really think that chief gods are omnipotent? Let me tell you this truth. All of the chief gods cannot come to the battlefields by themselves. After all, the battlefields will immediately collapse. It is because they are too powerful, and the laws of the battlefields will not be able to withstand their power. As for the cause of death of the Killing King, it is a simple story. He became too arrogant that he challenged the Killing Chief God for his divine position. In the end, he was utterly destroyed by the Killing Chief God,"


    Carters elaborated in detail.


    "So, are you still suspicious? What else do you need to know?" Since Darren was still quiet and had not responded yet, Carters continued, "There is nothing for you to doubt. The Killing King was born only a little later than the Killing Chief God. In short, he is the third most powerful Defiant Master who was born in the Primitive Wilderness.


    Moreover, the first Defiant Master lived almost at the same time as the tenth chief god who had already died. He was actually killed by the tenth chief god. Then, the second Defiant Master was born with the immortal will. Later on, he was killed by the Destruction Chief God, who was born a little earlier than him. Finally, the third Defiant Master was the Killing King. He was born right after the Killing Chief God was born. But his main difference from the first two Defiant Masters was that he ran away. It meant that among the three Defiant Masters, he was the only one who managed to escape.

 Chapter 1808 The Great Crevice Was About To Open

    So, all of it was true!


    Of course, Darren was surprised upon hearing what Carters had just said. Stating the birth time of the first Defiant Master in the world confirmed that what he had just said was nothing but the truth.


    After all, Darren had ever seen the first-born Defiant Master in the Illusion Spirit Sea, who was now in the image of skeletal remains.


    "I see. That''s why the killing aura here is so frightening," Darren murmured under his breath.


    "Now that I have said that, you can believe in my words. Why not cooperate with me and acquire the killing inheritance?" Carters urged.


    "Humph! What makes you think that I will believe you?" Darren growled coldly and said, "I don''t know. I mean, the killing inheritance is so gruesomely powerful. Do you really think that we can get our hands on it? But we''re just mere people! If I know, you''re not really after it. You just want to kill me. "


    "You blithering idiot!" Carters said furiously. "The Killing King left the killing inheritance for someone to obtain it. However, there is a rule which states that the inheritance space will not be opened unless there are two people with the killing beads at the same time. And of course, whether they can obtain the killing inheritance or not depends on how strong they are!"


    "Killing beads?" Darren raised his eyebrows in curiosity.


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    , give him to me so I can kill him. Otherwise, I hope you won''t blame me for being too rude at this moment," Kaiser threatened.


    "What are you talking about?" Marlon said coldly. "How dare you think I can let you kill my personal guard so easily? If you really want to kill him, then you can fight with me first! "


    "You''ve gone too far this time around, Marlon. Do you think I won''t accept your challenge?" Soon after, Kaiser''s god''s power exploded, causing a deafening bang to echo in the area. At that moment, it seemed that he was about to make a move!


    "What are you two doing? Do you want to waste the chance to enter the Great Crevice? Do you really want to risk it?" the Dark King asked.


    "It''s Marlon''s fault. He wants to shield his own person!" Kaiser insisted.


    "Then what are you waiting for? Let''s do it!" Marlon was not kidding at all. If he obediently sent Darren out for Kaiser to kill, he was afraid that he could not keep his dignity as a king.


    "Well, then I''ll leave you guys to fight if you want to. No one is stopping you. But just so you know, the avatar of the Death Chief God is coming soon. You can do whatever you want," the Dark King informed them.


    "Wait, what did you say?


    Is it true? Is the chief god''s avatar really coming?¡±


    both Marlon and Kaiser asked as they were not expecting that this would happen.

 Chapter 1809 Discovered By The Chief Gods

    "What makes you think that the Death Chief God''s avatar is going to descend?"


    Marlon and Kaiser both looked at the Dark King curiously.


    "Because I received a message from the Death Chief God telling me as such," the Dark King said, pride seeping from his voice. After all, it was a great honor to receive a message from the Death Chief God himself.


    "But do you know why the avatar is coming here?"


    the other two kings asked, their tone more reverent now.


    "How would I know? All we can do is wait and see."


    An hour later, the earth began to shake. A small crack spread, then gradually expanded to encompass a large area.


    Streaks of dim light rushed out from within, emitting a rather peculiar aura.


    In just a short time, the crack had widened completely. Looking into it from above, one could see dark clouds and endless lightning streaks sparkling inside.


    Suddenly, a roar came from below.


    All the while, a crack appeared in the sky. It spread a dark gold light all over the ground, with a tall figure stepping out from inside.


    "Is... Is this the Death Chief God''s avatar?" Rooted to the spot, the senior governors stood with their eyes


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    hief God''s avatar, nine pairs of huge dark golden eyes looked down at the battlefield. Their roars almost destroyed what remained of it.


    The spiritual senses of the nine chief gods had all appeared simultaneously. This caused the rest of the Defiant Masters to panic. This unprecedented turn of events could only mean bad things.


    Looking at one another, the nine spiritual senses sent out secret messages despite the enormous distance between them.


    "It''s him."


    "He''s been acknowledged by both heaven and earth."


    "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him no matter the cost!"


    In the dark ocean of the Kingdom of the Chief Gods, great waves of god''s power surged. The nine chief gods were moving in the ocean, powerful avatars splitting from their bodies one by one. They left the kingdom one by one.


    A total of eighty-one avatars headed to the death battlefield. The eleventh Chief God Character had appeared, something they considered a significant development. With their strength and number, even the Death Chief God couldn''t forbid them from entering his territory.


    Once the chief gods'' avatars landed, they remained at the edge of the Great Crevice.

 Chapter 1810 Jalens Evolution

    One could only see piles of ruins and broken walls with rubbles scattered everywhere. Under the gloomy gray sky, a relatively cool wind howled, establishing the coexistence of serenity and melancholy.


    At once, Darren came down from the Great Crevice, and with the speed of lightning, rammed into the completely burnt house. This impact caused a huge cloud of black smoke to rise up to the sky.


    "Hmmm... Nothing special here."


    Darren stood up and observed his surroundings. Apparently, there was nothing so special about the place aside from its aura that exuded sheer desolation.


    "Darren!"


    All of a sudden, a black shadow emerged from a pile of burnt ashes.


    "Who''s there?"


    "Don''t be alarmed. It''s me, Jalen."


    Jalen stood up and cleaned the dust off his body using his god''s power. Darren finally saw the familiar face.


    "I see that you fell here too. Do you have any idea where the others are?"


    "I have no clue. I didn''t notice because earlier, everyone just jumped into the Great Crevice in an attempt to survive. I don''t know how many of our companions are still alive and where they are now," Jalen said with sadness in his voice. For many years, he had spent his life on the battlefield that he had developed relationships with his co-warriors. Therefore, he could not help but get worried about them.


    "You must have known who I am by now. Is that right, Jalen?" Darren asked after pausing for a while.


    "Yes, I do, but not very clearly. I hope you don''t mi


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    en said with extreme enthusiasm.


    At that moment, he felt that he was brimming with power, and he even had a feeling that he was superior to everything under the heaven.


    "It seems that we are very lucky to find a treasure in just a few days." But Darren didn''t feel anything about himself, now that nothing really happened to him. On the other hand, he was happy that Jalen could evolve and enhance his strength.


    "Looks like my strength has improved a lot. Guess what I will do?"


    Jalen looked at Darren while his eyes started to fill with darkness.


    "Wait, are you...?" Darren took a step back and asked, "Are you going to kill me?"


    "Ha-ha!"


    Rubbing his sharp claws, Jalen suddenly attacked Darren!


    "No! I..." Darren took a few more steps back to retreat fast.


    Bang!


    However, Jalen''s speed was out of anyone''s imagination. His massive god''s power pressed down from midair, shaking Darren down from the skies above.


    Bang!


    Not long after, one of Jalen''s claws hit Darren''s back straight in the middle.


    Afterwards, god''s power surged along Darren''s right arm as he was about to launch an all-out attack!


    "Oh, that''s right. I''ve taken my revenge. You''ve hit me more than one hundred and ten thousand times. I don''t think it''s highly inappropriate if I break your spine in return! Ha-ha-ha." Jalen laughed as he withdrew his god''s power.


    "Damn it! Do you know how dangerous that was? I intended to kill you." Darren rolled his eyes at his insane friend.

 Chapter 1811 Jalens Strength

    "You think you can kill me? Stop bluffing! Don''t misunderstand, Darren. I''m not looking down on you. But with my current strength, I can easily defeat you. Ha-ha!" Jalen playfully told Darren. He felt fully energized as if he could easily destroy the world at this moment.


    "Well, I can admit that you look fantastic now. However, that doesn''t mean you are stronger than me," Darren replied calmly.


    "Oh? You don''t believe me, huh? Come on, let''s fight seriously then!" Jalen challenged Darren, as he was itching to show Darren how strong he was now.


    "No. Don''t forget that we''re here for business and not for fun. Besides, this is not an ordinary place. Any noise here can easily endanger us," disagreed Darren with a stern expression.


    "You''re right. You''ve really thought this through." Jalen nodded, his teeth gritted in frustration.


    "Damn it! Where are those people from other armies? I''ll kill them all!"


    Darren didn''t respond anymore to Jalen''s outburst. Instead, he rolled his eyes at him and proceeded to turn away.


    For the next few days, Jalen and Darren remained by the lake. Jalen often went to the lake to catch eels. However, nothing changed again after they had roasted and eaten them. "Oh, man. Why can''t I evolve more? This sucks!" sighed Jalen.


    "Come on, haven''t you tried enough? You are strong enough t


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    crushed him into nothing but a bloody red mist.


    Clang!


    The senior governor''s blade also struck Jalen''s body, but it couldn''t break through his well-made defense.


    Seeing this, the other six people fled in panic as they sent their god''s power toward Jalen''s direction. However, all of them failed.


    Whoosh!


    In a flash, Jalen landed beside another senior governor.


    "No! We can''t escape. Everyone, use the Killing Array!"


    The remaining six people immediately activated their god''s power. In an instant, blood-red chains rose in the air and tangled with each other.


    In the next moment, the sky turned a bright crimson red, and endless blood waves rolled in like a tsunami.


    "Ha! Are you going to use the killing omnipotent skill? That''s useless against me!"


    The Killing Array entrapped Jalen suddenly. Now that the six people were cooperating with each other, their fighting power had grown ten times stronger than before.


    Roar!


    Jalen was furious. Eighteen blood-red flashes of lightning surrounded him. As he walked forward, every step he took made the Killing Array vibrate.


    "Whoa, this guy is really powerful!" Darren murmured in awe.


    He had been watching from the sidelines all that time, and he found that Jalen was almost as strong as Carters, which meant that he was indeed strong enough to face Darren.

 Chapter 1812 Discovering A Mysterious Cave

    The violent blood waves in the Killing Array couldn''t stop Jalen. On the contrary, it began to collapse under his furious blasts.


    "Go to hell!"


    After Jalen destroyed the Killing Array, the real bodies of the six men appeared. Poised to strike, Jalen''s colossal claw descended on them with all his wrath. They shattered in an instant.


    "Wow. That was awesome!"


    Darren remarked as he flew over and took the tokens hovering over their bodies. He also absorbed the Power of Belief contained in them.


    "Are you afraid of me now?" Jalen bantered with a proud grin. He remembered the many times Darren had beaten him in the training space in the past. It had been a truly miserable experience. But the agonizing training had paid off. ''Now, I''m finally stronger than you. Worship me!'' Jalen thought as he raised his chin and stared at Darren.


    "Yes, I''m afraid of you," Darren chuckled.


    "You should feel lucky that you are my follower. Otherwise... Ha-ha." Jalen''s confidence and pride ballooned, and a smug smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Of course, he was just playing with Darren. But still, it felt good to be able to handle something challenging by himself and with such ¨¦lan.


    "You are truly awesome! That was so cool!" Darren continued to compliment him.


    "Ha-ha-ha. Let''s continue to look for the treasures. If I evolve again and have the strength to fight with the chief gods'' avatars, I''ll try my best to save your life. Of course, if you become somebody in the future, do remember to protect me as well. Do we have a deal?"


    Jalen knew that there was a Chief God Character in Darren''s body. He was certain that i


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    l stench?" Jalen scrunched his nose and held his breath. All the excitement he had felt after fifteen years of digging had disappeared the second he smelled the stink. This was not the treasure he had been fantasizing about.


    Darren upturned his palm and summoned a godly fire. It lit up the whole cave as it floated above his palm.


    "Wow, there are so many golden stones here. They must be treasures!"


    Once the godly fire chased the darkness and shadows in the cave, Jalen spotted many huge cylindrical golden stones. His anticipation returned, and he could no longer hold himself back.


    He threw himself on a large round stone and bit it, trying to identify what it was.


    Crack.


    "Incredible. I didn''t think I''d be able to bite through these golden stones. What kind of treasure is it? It is not like metal or a stone," Jalen mumbled as he continued to chew on the piece of treasure that he had bitten off. It looked and tasted strange. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t identify the flavor.


    Darren took several steps forward and began to inspect the huge golden stone. It had the shape of a spiral layer upon another layer. The higher it rose, the narrower the layers became in width. It looked like a tower, and yet it didn''t. Suddenly a thought flashed through Darren''s mind, and he almost vomited.


    "Jalen, I don''t know if you want to hear what I have to say. But I''m not going to let you continue chewing on that. You need to spit it out," Darren said once he regained control over his gag reflex. "What you just bit might be dried up shit of some kind of creature."


    After saying that, Darren laughed out loud.

 Chapter 1813 A Short Sword

    At that moment, Jalen felt numb, as if his body suddenly froze.


    "What? Stop talking nonsense, brat!" Jalen shouted at Darren.


    "If you don''t believe me, then you can see it for yourself." Darren grinned from ear to ear as he pointed his finger at the huge tower-shaped object in front of him.


    At that moment, Jalen felt a slight prick at the back of his neck and thought, ''Well, that thing really looks like...''


    "But maybe, it''s just something has the similar shape..." Jalen did his best to keep his cool despite being on the verge of vomiting. The least he wanted was to be teased by Darren.


    With one foot in front of the other, he tried to put as much space between him and the tower-shaped thing as possible. The space got wider as he went deeper. In fact, some other caves began to emerge on both of his sides.


    "I don''t know who created these caves, but I bet they can even hold one thousand unevolved versions of you." Before Jalen managed to evolve, his body was comparable to a small mountain.


    "Yes, I wonder what kind of creature was that. I have never seen such a huge pile of shit before," Jalen blurted out loud.


    "Ha-ha..." Darren burst into laughter. Jalen had finally admitted that tower-shaped thing was shit.


    Meanwhile, Jalen became overwhelmed with grief upon remembering the convoluted taste in his mouth. As a result, he felt that Darren''s joke added salt to the wound.


    "U


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    markable weapon. This should still be practical. After all, it''s hard enough to be used," Darren said with a tinge of regret in his voice.


    "Darren, let me have this treasure, please. I swear that the second treasure we find will be yours, okay?" It appeared that Jalen was very satisfied with this short sword. It was not that big of a deal that he would have the short sword since Darren already had a divine sword.


    "Well, you''re the one who found it. You''re its rightful owner. Happy with your treasure? Now, let''s continue to search," Darren urged.


    "Very much! Okay, let''s move forward."


    Meanwhile, both of them proceeded to go deeper into the cave. And after a month of travelling, they finally reached the other end of it.


    "Darren, what do you think about this big black pillar? I have seen several of them on our way over."


    At that moment, Jalen held a pillar that was as thick as a bucket in his arms and tried to figure out what it was. But after a while, he still could not identify it. After numerous adventures, he learned better than to bite it. He learned so much from what had happened to the tower-shaped object that he could not even bear the thought of it.


    "Hmmm... Something tells me that this is the hair of some creature. And I feel that the creature is still in this cave,"


    Darren murmured as he looked around the cave. In fact, he had been feeling uneasy for a few days.

 Chapter 1814 Getting The Helmet

    "I think you''re right," said Jalen.


    He looked ahead and saw that the huge stone in front of them resembled a creature,


    as though it had been submerged in dust and hardened into rock.


    Was it alive?


    "It''s so large!" Darren exclaimed, shaking his head. "I thought this was the end of the road."


    Although his god''s sense would be blocked outside, after he came in, his god''s sense could be dispersed for a few kilometers.


    Probing the huge rock, he realized that it was just a petrified creature lying on the ground.


    Carefully, Darren used his god''s power to test the stone. He peeled off a small bit of the surface.


    "No response," he said.


    Jalen watched him, then approached the stone himself.


    He touched the surface of the creature''s body. The stone layer was hard, but not impenetrable, and he found it easy enough to peel off a small portion as well.


    Darren and Jalen peeled off strips of stone until they could tell that a black creature was trapped inside.


    "It has black hair," Jalen muttered.


    The two of them silently examined the visible strands of dark, shining hair and felt a slight tremor of fear. This thing was probably still alive.


    They began backing away, their curiosity satisfied, intending to leave before they disturbed the creature any further.


    But it was too late.


    With a rumbling boom, as though the sky itsel


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    id gruffly.


    "Good. Now let''s get out of here. If that group of senior governors catches us, we''re dead," Jalen said. The two of them could feel the great power of over a hundred senior governors gathered in one place. Even with the helmet in their possession, he and Darren would be killed if they had to fight them.


    Suddenly, there was a massive boom.


    They were retreating silently when a black light suddenly erupted from the helmet and soared into the sky, causing the earth to shake. Every single one of the senior governors turned to look in their direction.


    "Damn it! My brassard resonated with the helmet!"


    "They''re coming for us! Run!"


    As one, the group of senior governors rushed like lightning towards them. Darren and Jalen fled as fast as they could.


    "They''re getting away!" one of the governors shouted.


    "Hurry up! Catch them!"


    "Damn it! It turns out that someone else had the treasure all along. As soon as you catch them, kill them at once!"


    Jalen felt terrified, sensing that the senior governors were catching up to them.


    As they hurried, Darren forced out his blood essence, pouring it into the helmet. He placed it on his head.


    Soon, the helmet was integrated into Darren''s skull. Like the brassard, it could no longer be seen.


    But the effect of the helmet was strange. It was different from that of the brassard.

 Chapter 1815 Nearly Invincible

    Once Darren had integrated the helmet into his head, he immediately felt a strange force settle over him like a cold balm against his soul.


    ''It turns out that this helmet doesn''t increase my fighting power at all. Instead, it''s protecting my soul,'' Darren wondered pensively. He was incredibly surprised by the helmet''s effect.


    Behind them, the senior governors presented a spectacular scene, in which they chased after Darren and Jalen with all their might.


    "Darren, keep running while I draw them away!" Jalen yelled out as he ran behind Darren.


    He felt like those senior governors were too powerful and quick-footed, and with how fast they were going, their opponents would undoubtedly catch up to them sooner or later.


    "No, you should run away first. I''ll deal with them," disagreed Darren, stopping and turning back immediately. Since he had integrated the helmet and had a reliable conjecture in his mind, he wanted to verify it.


    And this was a good opportunity to test it out.


    "Wait¡ªwhat?" When Darren stopped mid-step, Jalen had no choice but to stop as well. He couldn''t just run away and leave his comrade alone after all.


    At this moment, the senior governors had surrounded Darren.


    One of them stomped towards Darren aggressively and shouted, "Hand over the treasure, brat! Now!"


    "And why should I give it to you? I came by it honestly, so it belongs to me," firmly retorted Darren.


    "Why? Are you an idiot? I could kill you right


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    ted from him for long. After all, I won''t leave any of you alive!" Darren unleashed a fearsome murderous intent. It didn''t matter to him how strong his opponents were. If they couldn''t run fast enough and Darren reached them, he would certainly end their lives!


    "This isn''t good. Let''s go! Don''t fight with him!"


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    All the senior governors fled again, scattering in all directions, which made it harder for Darren to catch all of them.


    Darren pursued another senior governor and took him down, springing from behind him like an apex predator. The senior governor wasn''t fast enough to escape, so he had to fight with Darren. Unfortunately, he was soon killed by Darren too.


    Meanwhile, the other senior governors had taken that opportunity to run away. They fled quickly, hoping that Darren wouldn''t be able to catch up with them.


    "It seems that you are fast runners. Very well, I have plenty of time. I''ll look for you and kill you one by one!"


    Darren warned the senior governors with a wicked smile.


    He was almost deliriously happy, as it seemed that his opponents didn''t dare to fight against him even when they were stronger than him. They knew that even though he seemed weaker, he could still kill them! That was probably the first time that such a thing had happened!


    "Ha-ha, Darren, you are impressive as always!" praised Jalen. He flew toward Darren excitedly, patting him on his back with a bright grin on his face.

 Chapter 1816 The Arrival Of A King

    Darren and Jalen came to a stop beside a cliff, talking.


    "Unfortunately, we have no idea where those other parts of the armor are hidden. Once you have obtained all of them, you don''t need to be afraid of the chief gods'' avatars, right?" asked Jalen.


    It was now more than a year since a hundred senior governors had attacked them.


    For the past year, Darren and Jalen relentlessly searched for traces of those senior governors that had escaped and even managed to kill a few of them. However, most of the senior governors had hidden well and left no trace. It was as if they had disappeared into thin air.


    Darren decided that killing those senior governors should not take precedence over finding the other parts of the armor, because a complete set of armor would make him invincible.


    "The Great Crevice should be closing soon, right?" asked Darren, calculating the time that passed in his mind. They had already spent quite a long time in the Great Crevice, so it was about time it closed.


    "Yeah, it should close soon," Jalen answered as he gestured for Darren to look at the sky.


    "Do you see those rays of purple light?" "Yes, I see them. What are they supposed to be?" replied Darren with a confused frown.


    "You''ll know when we get there." Saying this, Jalen took off and flew toward the purple light, Darren following closely behind him.


    As soon as they landed,


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    es.


    "You look so different, Jalen, and your strength has also improved a lot!"


    "Yes, I did improve a bit. However, if the person that killed our companions is as powerful as you claimed, I don''t think I have what it takes to avenge them," Jalen admitted, his eyes downcast and his fists clenched by his side.


    "It''s okay, boss. I am convinced that guy is a king, and he also mentioned that he needed to find a particular sword before some other guys found it. I think he was talking about other kings like him, which meant that more kings would arrive soon," relayed Moritz.


    "But that''s impossible. Based on the information we had initially received, kings are prohibited from entering this space."


    "Who knows? There are too many variables to be sure. It is also possible that they have found some way to break through the barrier," Titus proposed with a bitter smile.


    "Oh, wait a minute. I just remembered something. The leader of those one hundred senior governors told me that their king would come to kill me," Darren suddenly blurted out. He had almost forgotten what that senior governor had said before he escaped.


    Now, things had taken a turn for the worse. Darren had a low chance of surviving any encounter with those kings. He couldn''t compete with them for the sword because he would undoubtedly lose. It was a shame to admit, but he wasn''t powerful enough.

 Chapter 1817 Fighting Over The Sword

    Now that some kings had come inside the Great Crevice, Darren and Jalen realized that they should start being careful of their actions.


    "Find a place to hide first. I''ll go with Jalen to check what''s happening," Darren ordered.


    He might have not dared to make a move, but that didn''t mean that he couldn''t detect any trace of the kings.


    "Hey, be very vigilant, okay?"


    "Yeah, thanks. Just tell us the location where you met the king who killed our companions," Darren said as he nodded his head.


    Later, Darren and Jalen went to an enormous basin that was surrounded by thick black ash. It resembled a huge volcanic vent that had calmed down for billions of years after erupting and causing havoc.


    "I see that a lot of people have lost their lives here."


    As they walked, Darren and Jalen saw tens of corpses on the ground.


    "According to Moritz, a huge hole was found underground. I bet that the king must be inside it."


    "Maybe we can verify that once we take a look at it."


    As soon as their voices trailed off, they set off on a journey that was about a thousand kilometers away from where they were. At that moment, the ashen ground suddenly sank, revealing the cave that had a diameter of three hundred kilometers. As they flew above it, they could not help but think that it was bottomless due to the depth that seemed to be without an end.


    Meanwhile, Darren and Jalen could feel the surge of heat fro


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    lt nothing but a pile of ashes lying on it.


    "Damn it. So, all along, it was just an ordinary item. Perhaps, it was a stone or some kind of metal," the king said, shaking his head in dismay.


    "Well, that''s terrifying. Even an ordinary item that came from there was so hot! The heat inside is beyond our imagination. We were lucky enough that we didn''t go in rashly."


    "Since something has flown out, I don''t think it will be long before the sword flies out of there!"


    "I can already smell the scent of a deathmatch coming our way soon!"


    As planned, the twelve kings would suppress the sword at the same time when it came out. Once they did, they would then have to fight each other over the possession of the sword.


    "Ah!"


    At this moment, a piercing cry came from the cave, and a thick mass of bizarre fire sprang out that was as big as a small mountain.


    "What is that?"


    "I don''t know, but it seems to be a living creature!"


    "Come on and get ready to attack it together!"


    At that moment, the fire roared and waved its limbs wildly.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Without wasting time, the twelve kings gathered their god''s power together, and in just a moment, the creature on fire was shattered into a million pieces.


    Buzz.


    Afterwards, a token emerged from the destroyed fireball.


    "Wait. Isn''t this... isn''t this Sami''s token? We killed him!" a king who knew Sami exclaimed in great disbelief.

 Chapter 1818 The Sword Coming Into The World

    It turned out that the big fireball that had just flown out was Sami, the king who entered earlier.


    It was a miracle that he had managed to hold on for so long. When he had flown out, he must already be in his last breath. All that had been left was his instincts.


    Darren was slightly disappointed. If the sword had already flown out, the kings would have been locked in a fierce battle for it.


    Suddenly, the huge cave began to shudder.


    A pillar of flames surged out, heading deep into the void.


    There was a buzzing sound coming from the vibrations of some kind of metal.


    All the kings immediately turned their attention to the black, sword-shaped shadow that emerged from the flames.


    "It came out!" a king exclaimed.


    The sword finally floated out.


    One of the kings rushed over to take it, but he retreated halfway through.


    When he turned around, the rest of the kings were shocked. His abdomen and chest were severely burned. They could even see half of his heart was charred as well.


    The heat was too much. The king hadn''t even touched the fire and yet it burned him like this. How


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    owever, he was able to mobilize his healing power of the brassard to heal his injury before it got worse.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to stand up now.


    It bothered him that his opponent''s cultivation stage was too advanced compared to his that his Reversal Law was useless. Dealing with Kaiser wouldn''t be as easy as he thought.


    Upon seeing that Kaiser was charging at him, he fled.


    "Humph, where can you escape?"


    Even though Kaiser''s speed was at its limit, he was able to change the direction of his god''s power instantly to follow after Darren.


    In a moment of desperation, Darren immediately used all his skills and released his god''s power from his right arm.


    Boom! Boom!


    It collided with Kaiser''s god''s power, but Kaiser was just too powerful. It wasn''t long before Darren''s own god''s power collapsed.


    "That guy is doomed. They''re not in the same level after all, and he''s too weak."


    "What did you expect? It would be strange if a senior governor could fight against a king."


    The rest of the kings didn''t even bother watching the two, thinking that Darren would die anyway.

 Chapter 1819 Negotiation With The Kings

    Bang!


    A surge of god''s power had blasted Darren away. The explosion was powerful enough to throw him a few thousand kilometers away.


    "He didn''t explode?"


    The kings couldn''t help but be astonished. Kaiser had just used a powerful force, and yet the brat was still standing.


    "This guy isn''t weak at all. Does he have any defensive treasure?"


    "That must be it. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have survived any of Kaiser''s attacks!"


    "Or maybe Kaiser is faking his revenge. He really just wants to seize the treasure for himself. We should stop him and catch that guy first."


    Meanwhile, Darren had just hit a stone wall. His entire body sank down on the hard surface, leaving a deep imprint of his figure on the wall.


    His body tingled with sharp pains all over. He could tell that every inch of his bones was broken, and his heart was broken into pieces.


    A king''s strength was so much stronger than a senior governor''s.


    Healing power then flowed out from the brassard in his right arm. But it wasn''t enough to heal such a serious injury in an instant.


    Before he knew it, Kaiser arrived.


    He wasted no time in launching another claw attack with ever


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    Another king slammed his palm against Darren''s chest, leaving a bloody hole in its place. He looked furious.


    "Are you going to say it or not?" the king snarled.


    Blood was already bubbling from Darren''s mouth, but he still let out a laugh. "Kill me however you like. If I were afraid of death, I wouldn''t have come to this Great Crevice in the first place."


    "Just forget it. Let''s give him a few minutes. He can''t escape anyway." Upon seeing that Darren wasn''t afraid of death at all, the other kings decided to take the gamble. This guy had no chance of escaping under their watchful eyes anyway.


    The king let Darren go and landed a kick on him for good measure.


    "Hurry up! Go over there and lure the sword out!"


    Meanwhile, Kaiser had been silent the entire time. He was seething with hatred for Darren. The guy was obviously playing tricks again.


    "Don''t believe him! He has the prototype of the Chief God Character in his body. He is the biggest enemy of the chief gods, so he must be killed!"


    Unable to hold back anymore, Kaiser had finally revealed the secret.


    He was left with no choice. He wouldn''t want a sworn enemy on the loose.

 Chapter 1820 A Hopeless Situation

    Kaiser had exposed the fact that Darren was now in possession of the Chief God Character''s prototype. This sent a ripple of shock around the crowd, stunning the kings into silence.


    One of them recovered enough to ask, "What are you talking about? The Chief God Character?"


    The kings couldn''t believe their ears, thinking Kaiser to be crazy for talking like this. Chief God Characters were born from a convergence of heaven and earth. How could a lowly senior governor have one?


    "You don''t know what happened on the death battlefield that day. I saw with my own eyes the Death Chief God''s avatar come to kill this bloke. He used the prototype of the Chief God Character to resist and escape the attack," Kaiser said seriously.


    "Are you saying that he''s got his hands on the fragments of the tenth chief god''s God Character?" one king said after giving it some thought.


    If Kaiser was this insistent, this would be the most reasonable explanation for the brat getting his hands on the Chief God Character.


    "No," Kaiser said. He paused for a moment before continuing, "He has the eleventh Chief God Character. But it hasn''t matured yet."


    "Ha-ha!"


    "Kaiser, you must be


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    s not the end of it.


    Dozens of different kinds of god''s power simultaneously swept towards Darren.


    Darren''s body had burned to ashes by this time, leaving only his soul floating above the cave.


    Dozens of super masters attacked his soul in tandem, each of their blows irresistibly powerful. The golden light around Darren''s soul was fragile after having had to protect him from the high temperatures.


    It could never hold up against these destructive attacks.


    Darren had no choice but to rush into the fire pillar.


    He''d been floating close to the fire pillar and so, it didn''t take him long to fall into it.


    "Ouch!"


    An indescribable pain, beyond anything he had ever felt, washed over him. Darren could feel his soul melting, and couldn''t bear the pain, not even for a second.


    He didn''t hesitate as he tore his soul into two and hid half of it in the mysterious void in his mind.


    Above the cave, the other half of Darren''s soul was burnt off. His helmet and his brassard floated in the fire.


    That was not all. His Chief God Character''s prototype, his Ice and Fire God Character, and his Dragon and Fiend God Character were also floating alongside them.

 Chapter 1821 The Supreme God Realm

    The kings were stunned at what followed after they had killed Darren.


    They saw the black brassard and helmet floating above the cave, but they couldn''t get their hands on them!


    "Damn it! What should we do now?"


    "Don''t worry. The sword will fly out sooner or later, and when it does, the fire will disappear and the temperature will go down. We can grab them then."


    All the kings waited, albeit impatiently.


    Half of Darren''s soul was hidden in the dark void. He had no idea what was happening outside, because his spiritual sense would burn to ashes if he were to release it.


    Three of Darren''s God Characters floated above the cave. The Assimilating God Character, Evolving God Character, and Defiant God Character were stored in the other half of Darren''s soul.


    A quarter of an hour passed before the fire pillar began to sway.


    Countless sword lights shot out of the fire pillar, the sound it emitted causing the Great Crevice to tremble.


    The kings shifted restlessly.


    "What a horrible aura!" one of them exclaimed.


    The sword made a keening sound, causing their bodies to shudder.


    They had barely recovered from it when something even weirder occurred. The prototype of


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    Character has also improved, almost reaching the supreme god level. The prototype of my Chief God Character hasn''t improved, though. On the contrary, it has been slightly damaged.''


    Darren looked over his three God Characters and assessed them, coming to the conclusion that overall, he had gained quite a bit.


    ''And my cultivation base?''


    Darren sensed his cultivation realm rising rapidly.


    He was now at the top level of the Deputy God Realm, a vast and boundless realm. And the Supreme God Realm was higher than that.


    In fact, the gap between the top level of Deputy God Realm and the Supreme God Realm was so huge, it was much more difficult for a deputy god to become a supreme god than a beginner to reach the top level of the Deputy God Realm.


    Several kinds of god''s power surrounded Darren''s body, a shadow of the sea of god''s power forming behind him.


    ''Heaven and earth!''


    Darren thought in awe, feeling like he had become one with heaven and earth.


    "What level am I at now, a supreme god? No way!" Darren couldn''t believe it. His spiritual sense had covered tens of millions of kilometers in the Great Crevice alone. He felt that everything was under his control now.

 Chapter 1822 Death In A Single Move

    Darren''s cultivation base had reached a somewhat mysterious level. He couldn''t even be sure whether he reached the Supreme God Realm or not.


    However, one thing was for certain. His strength had never grown so fast in his entire life.


    Darren recalled his aura around him and leisurely strolled out of the cave with a newfound grace in his steps.


    At this moment, he was clad in a purple robe, and his jet-black hair cascaded down his back. His slender body and handsome face subtly glowed under the sunlight, as he came forward with a serene, natural expression.


    Despite the calm he exuded, all the kings'' hearts were pounding. They felt as though the world was about to collapse.


    They exchanged panicked, uncertain glances, for they were at a loss. None of them knew what would happen next, but it would undoubtedly be horrifying.


    "Kaiser, didn''t you say that you would kill me earlier? I remember you also mentioned taking my Chief God Character. Well then, what are you waiting for? Do it!"


    Darren took to the air, stopped a few feet from the kings, and looked down at them with stormy eyes. His face displayed a stony expression, but his eyes held a certain depth to them that could drive people mad.


    "I have no choice! I am the Death Chief God''s servant, and I have to do as he says," murmured Kaiser pitifully.


    His vision has suddenly grown blurry, graying out and spinning in turns.


    "All right. I will give you a choice. You can either serve me as my slave or die," declared Darren. Although his voice was light and nonchalant, it held an invisible power that seemed to


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    d. The roaring blood waves were filled with resentment, and it was likely that these feelings would remain for a thousand years or more.


    "Jalen, let''s get out of here!" called out Darren.


    He glanced towards his companion, who had collapsed about dozens of kilometers away. The violent trembling force earlier had downed him and his knees were bleeding as well.


    Fortunately, he was protected by a stream of god''s power at this critical moment, and it saved his life.


    Jalen approached Darren eagerly with a trace of disbelief in his eyes.


    After a few moments, he seemed to get over his shock and patted Darren on the shoulder excitedly. "I can''t believe it! You are so powerful that you killed dozens of kings with a single flick of your hand."


    "Calm down. I am still much weaker than the chief gods, so I still need to keep improving myself." Darren gestured at Jalen dismissively, even as a shy smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.


    "You know, since the day I was born, I have been a humble Defiant Master. I was always afraid and had to keep on hiding just to stay safe. I didn''t expect that I would become so successful, and now, I have even befriended a future chief god. Cheers! Indeed, the heavens are always watching!" Jalen looked up at the sky as his eyes twinkled with unshed tears. He passionately yelled out all the resentment that had accumulated for thousands of years, his gratefulness winning out in the end.


    Darren was speechless. ''If the heavens are always watching, then you should be careful not to be struck to death by thunder!'' he thought wryly.

 Chapter 1823 I Already Have A Master (Part One)

    Darren shot out a trace of healing power that instantly cured Jalen''s bruises and injuries.


    "Darren, I see that the purple light curtain is about to shift any time soon. I guess that indicates that the Great Crevice will close in about a month. But the sword is still hanging there. You must take it so we can leave this place immediately," Jalen heavily suggested.


    Not long after, Darren turned around and glanced at the black sword.


    The fire in the cave had finally died. The black sword floated above the cave gracefully and quietly without exuding any kind of power, just like any other ordinary iron sword.


    Upon seeing the sword, Darren moved closer to observe it. But after a while, he shook his head in dismay and muttered, "I tried to get it right after I recovered. However, it appears that it does not want me to control it. As it tu


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    moment, it slowly descended from midair and vanished into the cave.


    Initially, he wanted to go after it, but without warning, he was thrown off again by a powerful repulsive force, which easily sent him out of the cave.


    Struck in disbelief, Darren stood still for a long time as he wondered who might be the sword''s owner.


    Everything that happened made him feel truly disappointed. After all his efforts, the sword constantly refused to accept him as its master.


    "Hey, Darren, check this out,"


    Jalen muttered as he flew over, carrying a black metal leg in his hand.


    "Wow. So, this is also a part of the armor, I assume?"


    "Yeah. As it turns out, a king hid it long ago. And when you killed him and his companions, the metal leg flew out. I just happened to see and catch it by chance," Jalen remarked as he gave Darren a big grin.

 Chapter 1824 I Already Have A Master (Part Two)

    "Well, so you''ve obtained it. No wonder I didn''t see the metal leg when I killed them. Anyhow, kudos to you! Ha-ha, you got another part of the armor."


    "Here. Take it," Jalen said as he moved closer to Darren, giving him the metal leg.


    Without thinking twice, Darren took the metal leg and put a drop of his blood essence on it. As soon as the blood essence touched the metal leg, it instantly merged into Darren''s true leg. It was not long after that he felt the effect of this item.


    "Wow! I think my speed has increased! Ha-ha! I can teleport now!" Apparently, the metal leg gave him additional speed, which enabled him to teleport from one place to another in an instant.


    "That''s good news! At least, if you can''t defeat your enemies, you can always escape. Ha-ha!" teased Jalen.


    "Well... I still believe that the only ones who are powerful enough to make


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    side world, they knew that they were back on the death battlefield.


    Apart from them, there were also shadows leaping out from the Great Crevice at other places. Apparently, only seven senior governors were lucky enough to have escaped from the Great Crevice.


    "Ha-ha! I can''t believe it! Carters is still alive," Darren said as he recognized a familiar figure.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Meanwhile, eighty-one pairs of dark gold eyes suddenly flashed. These were the chief gods'' avatars that had been lurking in the inter-layer space, guarding the Great Crevice at its edge.


    "Run, Jalen, run!"


    Darren warned as he pushed Jalen away with a forceful god''s power.


    "Darren! You must survive!" Jalen''s shadow slowly receded until it disappeared in Darren''s vision.


    Raising his head, Darren calmly looked straight at the eighty-one pairs of dark gold eyes.

 Chapter 1825 A Meaningless Combat

    The whole battlefield was about to collapse when eighty-one avatars of the chief gods appeared. At that moment, the overwhelming pressure was too much for anyone except for Darren.


    Their cold, dark gold eyes glared at him.


    In a series of piercing shrills, the avatars of the Killing Chief God attacked first.


    Nine huge bodies appeared, covering the whole battlefield with killing intent from heaven to earth. The whole area looked like a bloody ocean.


    Their killing intent covered the other senior governors in the battlefield. And even though they were millions of kilometers away, they were all destroyed.


    Some of the top senior governors prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling as if they had lost all their strength.


    Darren, on the other hand, stood in the middle of the sea of blood. It was as if he felt nothing.


    Suddenly, there was an explosion.


    From there, nine streams of majestic killing power began to descend. They had been accumulated for billions of years ever since the Primitive Wilderness era.


    "Humph. They''re just avatars. There''s nothing to be afraid of!"


    From beneath Darren''s feet, a divine sword


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    red in front of the nine avatars of the Blood Law Chief God, and they, too, disappeared.


    And in the blink of an eye, the rest of the avatars of the other chief gods disappeared as well.


    They knew that they wouldn''t be able to kill Darren no matter how hard they fought. In a battle like this, he would only use his ability to escape to the outside world where the chief gods wouldn''t be able to detect him.


    Thus, they concluded that this was a meaningless battle.


    In the middle of the collapsed battlefield, amid the endless void, a lone purple figure stood. Darren was now peerless. He had finally become an invincible human.


    He then released his god''s sense to see through the void.


    And with just a single thought, his figure appeared tens of millions of kilometers away, where a senior governor prostrated himself.


    "Long time no see, Carters."


    It was the senior governor who snuck into the death battlefield and possessed the three killing beads.


    Carters was too afraid to raise his head, and his entire body was trembling. "Sir Darren, I''m willing to tell you all the Killing King''s secrets. Just please don''t kill me."

 Chapter 1826 The Killing Inheritance

    At that moment, Carters had all sorts of feelings inside of him that he could not begin to describe. More or less, it was endless awe mixed with a dash of fear.


    "What makes you think that I would kill some worthless schmuck like you? Now, let us not make this a bloodbath and hand over the killing beads this instant."


    "Yes, Sir Darren."


    Not long after, two blood-red beads floated over and landed on Darren''s palm.


    "Good. Come with me. Together, we will get the inheritance of the Killing King," Darren ordered.


    Carters had mentioned before that the killing inheritance space would only be activated once two people both possessed the killing bead.


    "But, sir..." Carters was starting to hesitate. At that moment, fear crippled him as he did not dare fight alongside Darren for the inheritance.


    "Cut the crap! Don''t you see? I may spare your life if I get the inheritance. Don''t you want to live?" manipulated Darren.


    "O...of course, sir," Carters stammered and then followed Darren to the altar, for he had no other choice.


    There, the space was empty. Nothing could be seen except for the unscathed blood-red altar that had survived even after the earth had collapsed.


    "Okay, so how are we supposed to activate the killing inheritance space? What do I do?"


    Darren asked as he t


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    e of!"


    roared Carters as he raised his head in anger.


    As he was surrounded by the Killing Will, his momentum instantly reached its peak, making him somewhat invincible.


    "I did not use every move I have when I dealt with the avatars of the chief gods. In fact, I think I''ll use my best one to fight against you now.


    Blade and Sword Fusion, now!" Darren shouted.


    The blade and sword violently shook, causing the god''s power to pour out of them. It was not long enough before two dark red dragons emerged and started circling the sky.


    Afterwards, the two dragons clashed into one another and started to merge.


    During this time, dark gold light pierced through the entire blood-red space.


    "Ah, this is so..."


    Carters felt that he was fighting a chief god after witnessing the terrifying god''s power.


    "No! This is not possible! You can''t be stronger than me. Go to hell! Go to fucking hell!"


    Carters roared as if he were insane. Using both his palms, he attacked Darren with the powerful Killing Will.


    As a result, Darren''s dark gold god''s power collided with the Killing Will.


    The whole blood-red space began to shake violently, nearing its destruction. The commotion was even louder than the previous battle that happened between Darren and the avatars of the chief gods.

 Chapter 1827 Get Out Of The Battlefield

    A huge crack emerged in the space the minute the two streams of god''s power crashed into one another. At the same time, the dark gold god''s power, and the Killing Will continued to collapse.


    At that moment, Darren''s face suddenly turned serious after realizing that he had underestimated the power of the Killing Will. On the other hand, Carters was able to resist Darren''s dark gold god''s power although he had just acquired the inheritance. Frankly, Darren could not begin to imagine how powerful the Killing Will could possibly be if the Killing King had graced them with his presence.


    "Ha-ha, ha-ha!"


    Carters laughed menacingly. It seemed that all the worries in his heart had vanished after the collision, making him appear more confident than ever.


    "Without a doubt, you are very strong. In fact, I believe that you would become immensely stronger in the future. However, now is not that time for that. Now, you are not strong enough to fight against the great Killing King! Prepare to go to hell!"


    "Ha-ha! Nothing has changed. You are still so arrogant."


    "In that case, then you know nothing about the Killing King at all. In fact, the Killing King is equivalent to a chief god who does not possess the Chief God Character! His strength is not inferior to that of the tenth chief god. You still have time. You can surrender now if you want to. It''s not too late! You can follow me around. Once


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    fterwards, he lifted one of his legs and stepped into it first.


    In a snap, everything in front of him had changed. It transformed into a ruin, a once-abandoned Space of Belief.


    There, he could see a kylin and a human sitting cross-legged in the darkness.


    "Fernando, Water Kylin, I''m back."


    The Water Kylin and Fernando opened their eyes as soon as they heard the voice.


    An ancient door slowly opened in front of them, revealing a figure clad in a purple robe.


    "Ha-ha, you''re back. I knew you would come back in one piece!"


    At that time, Fernando brimmed with joy. Full of enthusiasm, he flew to Darren, gave him a pat on the shoulder, and looked at him from head to toe.


    On the other hand, it seemed that the Water Kylin did not want to miss a thing, so he also flew over.


    "Damn it! You were gone for so long that I could not help but think that you may have already died inside!" the Water Kylin said hatefully. "Tsk, even the aura fluctuation has disappeared. I can accept that you haven''t made progress inside, but one thing boggles my mind¡ªwhy has your strength declined? I can''t believe how careless you are! How can I explain it to my master?"


    "How dare you!" standing aside, Jalen roared coldly and glared at the Water Kylin.


    "Fuck that!" The Water Kylin''s hair stood on end as he felt the threat that was approaching him. ''Who the hell is this guy? He seems quite powerful!''

 Chapter 1828 See Naylor Again

    At that moment, the Water Kylin was terrified. Next to Darren was a powerful man with hard scales as his skin, whose strength was enough to kill him without breaking a sweat.


    "Wow, you are just so incredible, aren''t you? Now, I''m curious about the dirty tricks you used to get a new follower on your side!" the Water Kylin said bitterly.


    "Damn you! Go to hell!" Jalen shouted in anger. This huge lion-like beast under his golden fur sounded so rude and arrogant.


    "Hold your fury, Jalen. No need to get mad. We are on the same side." Darren immediately tried to talk sense into Jalen to stop him. Fortunately, he was right on time. If he were late, even for just a second, the Water Kylin would have probably been destroyed into blood mist by Jalen.


    Immediately, Jalen stopped as soon as he heard Darren''s words. At that moment, the Water Kylin had such a frail body that he was only able to keep his head down and not utter a single word.


    "So, shall we leave now, Fernando?" Darren asked Fernando with a smile on his face.


    "Well, I see that you have gotten stronger this time!" Fernando commented. Despite not being able to see through Darren''s true strength, he knew that he was not as dumb as the Water Kylin. In fact, he believed that Darren must have reached an incredible development in martial arts.


    Not long after, they rushed out of the valley and soared high into the sky.


    Darren, F


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    remained immobile. After staring at Darren''s back, he felt there was an astonishing change in this young man somehow. However, to his dismay, he couldn''t pinpoint what it was.


    After another hour, both Darren and Naylor arrived at the entrance of the Illusion Spirit Sea.


    "I have accomplished the first task for you,"


    Darren informed right before entering the Illusion Spirit Sea.


    Of course, Naylor''s eyes flashed with cold light as soon as he heard Darren''s report. Immediately, his massive fiendish sense rushed into the sky, breaking through layers of space and descending on the fiend race''s land.


    As he launched out his fiendish sense, he felt slightly astonished. There, in the depths of a deep underground cave, he saw Dethy''s head rolling down to the ground, along with the pale golden blood that flowed beside him.


    Everybody knew that Dethy had become two chief gods'' slave for many years. All those years, his strength was almost on par with that of an eighth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor.


    With everything happening so fast, Naylor could not believe that Dethy was already beheaded, when in fact, he had sensed him alive just an hour ago. On the other hand, Darren had been with Naylor this whole hour.


    So, what did this mean?


    This could only mean one thing¡ªDarren had successfully killed Dethy hundreds of millions of kilometers away as layers of space stood between them.

 Chapter 1829 You Dont Deserve To Be An Ally

    For a moment, Naylor was shocked, but he quickly recovered.


    Darren''s strength was such that it was getting more and more difficult for him to comprehend. But then, he didn''t need to. If Darren truly was as strong and as powerful as he seemed, it would be good, for it was only a matter of time before they found the Blessing God Character. In the end, they would have to go to the Birthplace of the Chief Gods. Darren''s power would be of great help when the time came.


    Together, Naylor and Darren stepped into the passage to the Illusion Spirit Sea.


    Darren allowed his god''s sense to spread out. He could get a clear picture of the entirety of the Illusion Spirit Sea. It felt as though he was watching over everything, exercising the control of a supreme master over heaven and earth.


    Suddenly, however, he sensed four profound auras within the sea. It puzzled Darren, because he was unable to clearly perceive them.


    Even as he probed them, however, the four auras moved at the same time. They were heading towards Darren and Naylor.


    The two of them waited, and within moments, six figures gathered over the surging sea.


    "Long time no see, Leon," said Darren coolly.


    Among the four people wh


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    ellan said angrily. "Didn''t he understand what I mean? But he doesn''t seem like a fool. He may not be an ally, but that didn''t mean he could just leave." He suddenly turned to Alden. "You like to suck blood, don''t you? Why aren''t you moving? Is his blood not good enough for you?"


    Alden''s eyes darkened in their deep, shadowed sockets. "His blood must be delicious. I wish I could have tens of thousands of him all at once, so that I can absorb enough of his blood to satisfy me." In that moment, he resembled an old man who was about to starve to death, as if he had gone without a decent meal for his whole life.


    Naylor sighed. "Are you done?" he said coldly to the other four people. He looked in the direction where Darren had gone, and said, "If any one of you believe you can kill him, then go ahead, try it. But I must remind you that you can only act one at a time. Two or more cannot make a move simultaneously."


    Alden shook his head. "Naylor, I really don''t understand why you have so much confidence in him. Just wait while I hunt him down. When I return and you see that I''ve absorbed all his blood, maybe you''ll realize the truth."


    With that, Alden disappeared. He had gone after Darren.

 Chapter 1830 Darren Versus Alden (Part One)

    Darren flew freely over the sea like a bird grazing on the waves. All of a sudden, the sea beneath him turned a bright crimson color, bubbling heatedly like boiling blood.


    Alden''s twelve pairs of huge bloody wings abruptly came over him and shrouded him in his massive shadow, as the sun set low over the horizon.


    The unexpected sight caused Darren to pause and glance upwards, but he continued moving forward like it was nothing.


    "You seem quite calm, but I wonder if you have the strength to back up your confidence," Alden''s voice sounded from above.


    "You''ll find that out soon. Aren''t you getting tired of acting all mysterious?" Darren answered back snidely, a sly smirk on his face.


    "You are indeed worthy of being Alfredo''s successor. You''re so insolent!"


    Boom! Boom!


    As Alden''s voice soared, the waves around Darren swelled with the wind that was blowing heavily, striking sharply in Darren''s direction.


    At this point, Darren finally came to a stop and stood quietly despite the violent surging of the sea and wind around him. His black hair fluttered along with the air, making him look majestic and extraordinary.


    "Enough with your empty words. Didn''t I tell you already? If you really want to figh


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    it seems that I underestimated you," Darren remarked.


    Darren had killed tens of Defiant Masters in one move back in the Great Crevice, and then he fought against eighty-one chief gods'' avatars on his own. He felt like he had no one to fear anymore except the chief gods.


    But it was not until now that he realized it was only an illusion.


    Not to mention the legendary Killing King who might come back to life, Alden was the most powerful warrior of the bloodsucker race in the past countless years. Contrary to his beliefs, he couldn''t handle Alden easily.


    "I should be the one saying that to you." Two blood-red sharp fangs protruded from Alden''s mouth, and his eye sockets had gone dark purple. With these features, he looked appalling and horrifying with his bony body.


    "No, it''s still too early for you to say that. But you will realize what I truly mean after I make my next strike,"


    Darren sneered contemptuously at Alden, and the dark red divine sword hovered in front of him as if waiting for orders.


    "Endless Sword! Eternal Killing Sword Intent!"


    As a top swordsman, Darren could create any sword attack he wanted. He especially crafted this move, and it could maximize the power of swordsmanship.

 Chapter 1831 Darren Versus Alden (Part Two)

    At that moment, swords were scattered in every direction as the wind blew ferociously with abandon.


    Darren stood still, his purple robe dancing with the wind''s breeze. A myriad of sharp swords had approached and surrounded Alden.


    The chilling sound of the swords filled the air. It reverberated so much that it was enough to make everyone''s soul tremble in fear.


    "Damn it!"


    Alden shuddered in fright. This was the first time he had ever seen such an aura being emanated from the swords. It was something very foreign to him that he could not even begin to describe what he was sensing at that time.


    Not long after, he spread out his twelve pairs of wings. Without warning, streams of blood-red god''s power flowed, forming twelve rings that shrouded him.


    At the same time, it appeared that he was changing his body. In the blink of an eye, muscles formed on his body, and blue veins popped on his dull and arid skin. His bloody mouth began to open, revealing his sharp ferocious fangs that could kill anyone with one pierce. Loud shrieking sounds began to echo as endless blood-red bats flew out of his mouth.


    At once, the bats latched on to Alden''s body, piercing their pointed teeth into his flesh, and sucked his blood mercilessly.


    In an instant, the bats grew bigger, transforming into several versions of Alden.


    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...


    The bats each flapped their twelve pairs of wings. They kept on relea


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    at happens, I think that there is no point in saving him."


    Leon cut in, "But that''s where you are wrong, you despicable gray creature. Darren still has a lot of room for improving his power even after becoming a supreme god. He deserves to be saved regardless if he can barely resist Alden''s attack."


    The others were not surprised at the change in Leon''s attitude because they had also thought of this, except for the gray angel Josue.


    "Then do whatever you want," Josue mumbled as he shrugged indifferently.


    At that moment, Alden was about to finish the merging of his avatars, signaling the beginning of the real decisive battle.


    Suddenly, a white figure emerged in the broken space.


    There, he stood still and emotionless as his white clothes fluttered with the wind.


    "Since your omnipotent skill is similar to the inheritance skill of the dragon race, the one who will fight against you should not be Darren. It should be me."


    Hearing the voice, Darren abruptly raised his head.


    "Scott!" he said with enthusiasm.


    Scott walked down. Cyan halo circulated wherever he passed along with the sound of hundreds of millions of dragons roaring.


    Apparently, Scott was so handsome that his figure and presence were enough to make the stars and the sun go dim.


    "Long time no see, Darren,"


    Scott greeted as he stood in front of Darren. Even when he was eye to eye with Darren, his eyes remained emotionless.

 Chapter 1832 Winner Or Loser

    "Lord Cyan Dragon!"


    After a short pause, Alden realized that the cyan dragon had already obtained the true inheritance of the dragon race three years ago. He had now become a real holy lord of the dragon race, and his power was unfathomable.


    This made him feel quite wary of the Lord Cyan Dragon. After all, he now possessed the inheritance of the great dragon race from the ancient times. His fighting power would be unimaginable.


    "Let''s fight."


    Scott waved his hand. With his robes dancing with the wind and his whole figure shrouded with an indescribable aura, he looked graceful.


    "Thank you, Scott, but I don''t think it''s necessary for you to give him a lesson. Let me fight him instead," Darren said as he stepped forward.


    "We haven''t seen each other for a long time, Darren. Let me kill this blood bat as a gift for you. There''s no need for you to fight," Scott said coldly.


    "Uh..." Darren felt at a loss for words. He simply kept silent and let Scott do whatever he wanted to do.


    "Humph! You''ve just become a holy lord not too long ago, Scott. Don''t you think it''s too rash for you to challenge me with your current strength?"


    Alden snorted. He might be a little wary of Scott, but that didn''t mean he was afraid of him. He didn''t take Scott''s claim that he


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    m it. The entire space suddenly felt hot as if it was a burning furnace.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Scott''s dragon body began to crumble into hundreds of pieces. Each piece got carried away by the wind.


    Darren felt his heart break. He immediately rushed over to the battlefield with every intention of killing Alden.


    But before he could do anything, Alden''s body also broke into eight parts, crashing to the ground as well.


    "These two were so stupid. They were really asking for trouble. Because of their recklessness, both of them are now seriously injured!" Leon sighed and shook his head from a distance.


    The pieces of their corpses had begun to pile up together. Scott returned to his human shape and stood in the void. Meanwhile, Alden had also shriveled down into his original appearance, standing just opposite of Scott.


    "You obviously didn''t use the inheritance skill of the dragon race, and yet, how could your strength improve so much?" Alden was confused. If the cyan dragon didn''t use the inheritance skill of the dragon race, how did Scott withstand all of his attacks?


    Scott then turned around, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He seemed rather indifferent.


    "I lost." His voice was flat and emotionless. He then flew off to where Darren was.

 Chapter 1833 Another Ally

    This time, Scott had to admit he had lost, for he still failed to take the upper hand even though he had already used the inheritance skill of the dragon race.


    From the moment he became the real Lord Cyan Dragon, he didn''t need to fuse with his avatars when he activated the inheritance skill of the dragon race, as he only had to use his dragon soul to release the power of the skill.


    If he hadn''t used the inheritance skill when he had faced off with Alden earlier, Scott couldn''t have broken his body.


    From an outsider''s perspective, it could have looked like a stalemate, but Scott was fully aware that Alden still had a lot of aces up his sleeve. He was probably waiting for the right time to bring out his trump cards, and he would most likely use them if he encountered a life-and-death situation.


    Thus, Scott had to admit defeat.


    "It seems that you are quite powerful, Lord Cyan Dragon," remarked Alden earnestly.


    He, too, was astounded by the strength that Scott had shown, and it confirmed to him that Scott did obtain a cyan dragon''s real body. Scott currently could transform into a cyan dragon that was more than a thousand feet long. When he managed to transform into a cyan dragon that was only ten feet long, his strength would be at the pinnacle!


    So, Scott still had a lot of room for improvement.


    "What do y


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    Once he obtains that power, he can grow even stronger than us¡ªstronger than we can imagine!" Darren went on, ignoring Josue''s insults.


    "That''s preposterous!" mumbled Alden apprehensively. "Even if what you are saying is true, that person''s strength will surpass ours once he gets the inheritance. Are you sure that we won''t bring about our own destruction?"


    "I don''t think we have to be afraid of that," Darren contradicted them assuredly.


    "How can you be so sure?" It was the first time that Kellan spoke to Darren in such a cold tone.


    "Because... If I''m not mistaken, the heir should be my former friend." As Darren revealed this, Barnes'' face appeared in his mind. He held the Suppressing Stick in his hand, and his eyes flashed with a dark and ferocious expression.


    He remembered the moment that he saw the Killing King in the killing inheritance area that day.


    He looked like Barnes'' exact copy.


    Now that Barnes entered Darren''s mind, he started to feel a little sad. For a long time, he believed that Barnes and the crazy old man had died when the alien races attacked the human race.


    But when Darren realized that his friend was likely to be the Killing King''s successor, he was comforted by the thought that Barnes wouldn''t die so easily. That was because the Killing King was still waiting for his inheritor.

 Chapter 1834 Keep The Secrets

    Because of what Darren said, Naylor and the others got confused.


    "I don''t understand what you are trying to say. Anyway, I don''t care about anything else. As long as you can find the Blessing God Character, as soon as possible, that is all that matters!" Leon stressed.


    Indeed, at this moment, their ultimate goal was to know Alfredo''s last words.


    After all, only Alfredo knew where the legendary Birthplace of the Chief Gods was.


    "Then, why don''t we take action separately? Darren will go and find the Blessing God Character, while we go and find Sam," Naylor finally suggested.


    "Fine."


    "If no one disagrees, then that''s it."


    Everybody seemed to agree with the suggestion. After all, only by finding the location of the Birthplace of the Chief Gods would their actions be considered fruitful.


    "If there is nothing else, we are going to take our leave now," Darren said indifferently.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Before Darren and Scott could leave, Josue, Kellan and Alden left directly without saying anything.


    "Darren, let''s go."


    With that, Scott and Darren also flew away.


    At this moment, only Leon and Naylor were left, and it seemed that Leon was not in a hurry to leave. Then, he said, "Naylor, if Darren was telling the truth, it may not be a good thing for us."


    "Huh? What do you mean?" Naylor asked, trying to feign ignorance.


    "Humph! You know wh


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    revival. But it was also clear in his mind that once he revealed all the secrets he had, he would lose all hope of being revived.


    It was such a tough decision that it was almost hopeless.


    "Darren, it seems that he has changed his mind in the end. Why did you insist on leaving?" Scott asked as soon as they walked out of the Illusion Spirit Sea.


    "No. He will just try to deceive us again. After all, our current strength has not reached the point that we can erase him. This way, he will still have a chance to revive as long as he keeps the secret," Darren said as he saw through the skeleton''s ploy.


    At this point, he also speculated that the skeleton knew where the last God Character of his uncle was.


    But for now, he deemed that it was not the right time to make a deal with the skeleton.


    Hearing Darren''s response, Scott didn''t pry anymore. After all, he trusted Darren''s judgment and he wouldn''t question his decision.


    "So, what are we going to do next?" Scott asked after a while to change the subject.


    "The world of the Archean Age. I think I want to go there again."


    Darren wanted to know what was the current condition of the Rule Soul Avatar and the others. A very long time had already passed since he left the Archean Age, but he wanted to know whether they were still alive or not.


    With that, he decided to go back to the Archean Age again.

 Chapter 1835 Visiting The Archean Mountain Again

    Going back to the Archean Age was easier said than done.


    Back then, Darren was only able to go to the Archean Age by using that mysterious blood coffin as the passageway and the Rule Soul Avatar''s Time Law.


    But that passageway was gone now. And even if it still existed, it was in the Killing Chief God''s hometown and Darren wouldn''t dare go there.


    If he ever went there with his supreme god''s strength, there was a high possibility that the Killing Chief God''s real body would show up and kill him.


    "Darren, I''ll go with you to the world of the Archean Age as long as you find a way to get there," Scott said.


    "I just decided to go there, but I haven''t figured out how to do that exactly. Can you do me a favor, Scott?" Darren asked.


    "Go ahead and say it." Scott nodded.


    "I want you to find Barnes. He was separated from us a long time ago, but I''m sure he''s still alive somewhere. Please help me find him."


    When they all entered the Primitive Wilderness together, Barnes and the crazy old man were the only ones who went missing. Darren really wanted to see them again.


    "We


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    elp me kill any outsiders that attack them," Darren said.


    "No problem. You can count on me." Jalen patted his chest proudly. "However, if I ever meet a person as powerful as that black-scaled creature, I''m not sure if I can deal with him."


    Of course, he was referring to Naylor.


    On his first day here, he was so intimidated by Naylor. It reached to the point where he could no longer get rid of his fear of Naylor.


    "Don''t worry. A master of his level would never bother attacking the human race. Except for those several Defiant Masters, no one in the world is your match," Darren assured.


    "Oh, then I''m relieved to hear that. Leave it to me!" Jalen responded.


    "Well then, I shall go with Fernando now." Darren nodded.


    "Take care, Darren."


    "Okay."


    Darren and Fernando finally set off to the Archean mountain.


    "Fuck! Are you planning to get rid of me?" the Water Kylin muttered as he followed after Darren. "I just want to see what the hell you''re doing. Humph!"


    It only took them a short while until Darren and Fernando landed in front of the huge Archean mountain.

 Chapter 1836 Entering The Whirlpool

    Darren and Fernando soon stepped into the Archean mountain.


    The sun colored the sky with a crimson glow, as numerous grains of sand bathed the area in a golden shine.


    The ancient relic of the Archean Age had not changed one bit, although it felt more depressing than before.


    Even so, Fernando felt no qualms approaching it, a nostalgic mood swirling in him.


    "This is so weird!" he sighed, inhaling the musty air around them and letting it go with a forceful hush. "I was alone in the world of the Archean Age, but I still can''t help but miss it. It''s been a long time since I have left that place."


    "Ha-ha, that''s human nature. We, humans, are sentimental beings after all," Darren remarked with a small smile.


    "Perhaps, you are right. But if we can go back to the Archean Age this time, I think I will never come back to the Primitive Wilderness again. It is my destiny to die in the Archean world," Fernando murmured dejectedly.


    "Don''t talk such nonsense. I''m here with you. I won''t let you die!" said Darren with a vehemence that touched Fernando somehow.


    This young man was far stronger than him now and didn''t owe him any respect. But he still treated him courteously and looked up to him as a senior.


    After a while, Fernando broke the silence and said, "That''s not what I meant. I was talking about the time when the world of the Archean Age is destroyed. I will also die then, wo


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    ng, it remained steady as a mountain and did not budge at all.


    "What? Why can''t I open it?"


    Darren stared at the stone gate in surprise. It had pulled him in last time without any prompting, so he was quite perplexed why it didn''t want to let him in this time. It was very strange.


    "Maybe it''s because you''re too strong now. Why don''t you let me try?" Fernando volunteered after a while.


    Darren remained silent and thoughtful for a few heartbeats until he finally conceded with a nod.


    "All right, but be careful. I''ll slowly remove the power that''s protecting you." "Do it slowly, or you might accidentally kill me," whined Fernando.


    Darren glared at him and asked, "When did you become so afraid of death?"


    "Nonsense! I''m always afraid of death, okay?"


    Fernando admitted blatantly, rendering Darren speechless.


    He slowly reduced his protection for Fernando and retreated a few feet.


    "Whoa! I can feel something tearing my soul!" Fernando gasped, sounding a little frightened.


    "Don''t be anxious. Just relax and let it guide you," instructed Darren. The last time he came here, the force had automatically guided his soul. He thought that as long as Fernando didn''t fight back, he wouldn''t feel any pain.


    Hearing Darren''s words, Fernando calmed himself down, and his consciousness gradually dissipated. He let the invisible pull guide him towards the ancient stone gate.

 Chapter 1837 A Magical World

    Meanwhile, a crack formed on the solid stone gate the minute Fernando approached it.


    As he peered right through the crack, he had a slight vision of a uniquely fresh world.


    "What should we do now, Darren?"


    At that moment, Fernando became more and more anxious as he saw the huge stone gate open before him.


    Slowly, but surely, the stone gate opened to its full capacity. There, they were greeted by the clear blue sky, fluffy clouds, booming flora and fauna, luscious trees, and grass that swayed with the breeze. On top of that, numerous creatures flew all around, completing this view of a seemingly magnificent utopian world.


    At once, the two witnessed a world of idyllic beauty in front of them.


    "What are you waiting for? Come in!"


    Not long after, Darren made up his mind and flew to where Fernando was.


    Blinding light began to shine through the entire space as they vanished completely into it.


    After quite some time, Darren and Fernando found themselves coming out of a water curtain, falling directly into the world that was much of a paradise.


    "Phew! That was one swell ride!"


    They stood up and brushed the dirt off their clothes. Inhaling deeply, they smelled the fresh and sweet notes in the air. Moreover, they felt so relaxed that their thirst for clarity and calmness had been quenched by the atmosphere.


    "I can''t believe how beautiful this place is. Where are we? All I know is that this is not th


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    However, Darren could not help but think, ''If a chief god took this fruit, wouldn''t he be able to cultivate to another limit?''


    It was not too much to say that this kind of fruit was the most precious treasure in the world!


    As a result, Darren became more curious and asked himself inwardly, ''What kind of world is this?'' In this world, the wild forest was surrounded by these kinds of fruits.


    If these fruits could be found everywhere, and if there were intelligent creatures in this world, wouldn''t those creatures be infinitely powerful? At that moment, Darren was so lost in his thoughts that tons of possibilities began to cross his mind.


    "You''re awfully quiet. What are you thinking about?" Fernando called Darren out.


    "It''s nothing." Darren came to his senses. "Let''s look for something else."


    "Okay!"


    Fernando was extremely excited to explore more of this world. They might have entered this world by accident, but as it turned out, it was an entire world that was full of opportunities for them!


    Soon after, Darren and Fernando walked quickly to see what was around them. They fired their senses for a range of tens of millions of kilometers, but they never saw such fruits again.


    "Hey, Darren! The spring water is delicious. Come here and have a taste."


    Fernando invited Darren after stopping by a clear pond. There, he scooped some water with his hands and took a sip, feeling incomparably comfortable.

 Chapter 1838 Reunion

    Darren approached the small pool. The water was so clear that he could see the green plants submerged in it. It looked delightful.


    Cupping his hands together, he dipped them into the pool and drank from it.


    Cool water slid down his throat. It tasted sweet.


    "Oh my, what is this world? Even the water tastes delicious," he marveled.


    His curiosity about this world grew even more. The spring water here was a hundred times better than top-quality wine.


    "Who knows?" Fernando said. He took off the purple gourd on his shoulder and dunked it into the pool. However, the pool eventually ran out of water.


    He then shook the gourd as if unsatisfied. "There''s not much for my gourd. After all, it can hold a sea."


    As soon as he said this, clear spring water began to fill the pool until it was full once again.


    "Eh? There is more?"


    Overjoyed, Fernando began to fill his gourd once more. Two hours passed and his gourd was already holding ten times more than before.


    Then, they continued their journey through the wilderness.


    Darren looked around, spotting some creatures here and there. There were birds, butterflies, b


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    feel so far away?" Darren wondered.


    His feeling was different from Fernando''s. The figure seemed close to him, but felt far away at the same time.


    Whoosh!


    Darren activated a wisp of sword intent and swung it at the black vortex.


    It entered the black vortex, and the whole space channel twisted. Darren felt as if he was transported to several eras all at the same time. Each era tore his soul apart.


    Just then, the black helmet in his head released a strong, golden light.


    It enveloped his entire soul, dispelling the feeling of being torn into pieces.


    Whoosh!


    The figure quickly flew out of the black vortex. It was as if he had travelled from an era that was hundreds of millions of years in the past. He was heading straight towards Darren.


    "Here you are, my real body," the figure greeted him.


    He gradually revealed himself.


    His face looked exactly like Darren''s. However, his eyes were silver and emotionless, making him look like a metal creature.


    ''Rule Soul Avatar...'' Darren felt as if a vise had gripped his heart.


    Thousands of emotions welled up inside him, making it difficult to decipher.

 Chapter 1839 Entered The Archean Age Again

    At this moment, Darren was experiencing complex emotions. The trace of uneasiness that he had been carrying in his heart for so many years finally subsided a little.


    He knew that the Rule Soul Avatar was still alive, so he was hopeful that the others were also doing fine.


    "Rule Soul Avatar, where are Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng right now?"


    Back then, Lord Feng had the chance to risk his life and send Darren out at the very last moment. As he looked back, Darren was still moved by that gesture.


    However, the Rule Soul Avatar shook his head and said, "I actually don''t know where they are."


    "Why? What happened?" When he heard his avatar''s response, Darren''s heart instantly skipped a beat. "Weren''t you guys together all these years?"


    "No, we were not¡­" The Rule Soul Avatar then slowly raised his head and looked at the boundless time passage. "Back then, all of us were stopped by the Sacred Sovereign''s spiritual sense. After you managed to successfully escape, the two of them were actually left on the verge of death. At that moment, I had no choice but to submit to the Sacred Sovereign''s spiritual sense under the condition that Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng would be kept alive. In the end, I became a puppet of the Sacred Sovereign''s spiritual sense..."


    the Rule Soul Avatar said in a slightly gloomy tone.


    "What? Then, what happened to them?"


    Darren was obviously shocked at what he heard and he could not help but be agitated.


    "I''m not sure. Before I became a puppet, I strongly


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    letely absorbed by Darren.


    "Hmm. I have already reached the second stage of the Heavenly Destiny Emperor Realm. Not bad."


    Darren let out a faint smile, obviously satisfied with the rate of his progress. He was able to upgrade his strength to this level in just two hours.


    However, what he absorbed was the entire godly energy of this world, and it would not be restored in a short time. Otherwise, Darren would not need to stop absorbing the godly energy until he reached the ninth stage of the Heavenly Destiny Emperor Realm.


    "That was incredible!" Even Fernando, who had always known how talented Darren was, was not able to contain his excitement. After all, he just witnessed Darren''s unique cultivation process that upgraded his strength with ease.


    "Well, I am still a supreme god, meaning that I can hold an endless amount of godly energy. It''s just natural for me to be able to improve my cultivation level at a very rapid rate," Darren said indifferently as he looked at the surprised expression on Fernando''s face.


    Hearing this, Fernando was relieved. In fact, Darren''s body was not a lot weaker compared to that of the Sacred Sovereign. Moreover, he possessed an incomparably powerful talent that could immediately improve his strength within a short time.


    "Come on. Let''s go and explore other places first. The Sacred Sovereign might eventually find us if we stay here any longer," Darren reminded.


    "Right. Let''s move on."


    With that, the two of them walked out of the Eternal-life Abyss.

 Chapter 1840 The Conflict

    After flying for a while, Darren and Fernando finally reached the edge of the exit. From where they were, they could see creatures with strong auras roaming around the top of the black mountain.


    The last time Darren came here, he couldn''t even contend with these creatures.


    But this time, he didn''t even hesitate before flying up to the mountain.


    Upon seeing him, the creatures roared mightily.


    They all rushed towards the unexpected guest.


    "Wow! There''s actually a creature as powerful as a third-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor," Darren said in slight surprise.


    The first creature to charge at him was a fiery red rhinoceros with a powerful and majestic aura.


    Bang!


    In the blink of an eye, it slammed into Darren.


    However, it didn''t seem to bother him at all. The next thing, the rhinoceros'' head exploded because of the counter-acting force.


    "You are too weak."


    With a wave of his hand, Darren launched horrifying Archean power at all the creatures in the mountain. It burned everything in its path.


    "Absorb!"


    He then activated his Assimilating God Character to absorb the remaining power left in their bodies, increasing his talent in the process.


    All this happened in just a blink of an eye.


    It wasn''t long before Darren and Fernando were n


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    f feet away from Darren and Fernando.


    "It''s not wise to push me too far. Otherwise, we''ll all be in big trouble!"


    Harlan''s tone softened again.


    "What do you mean by that? You''re the one who wanted to kill us first!" Darren''s face darkened.


    His Archean power had condensed into a storm that now hovered over him. His terrifying aura was much stronger than Fernando''s.


    Harlan''s lips twitched, and his face paled.


    It turned out that this young man was the real master out of the two!


    Throwing away his saber, Harlan raised his hands and said,


    "I apologize for offending you just now. Please don''t kill me!"


    At this point, he had no other choice. If he continued to fight, he would definitely die. This young man''s aura was too terrifying.


    "And why should I do that?" Darren sneered. The middle-aged man was the one who wanted to kill Darren just now. Why should they stop just because the middle-aged man surrendered? Did he really think it was that easy?


    "If you don''t kill me, sir, I''ll let you enter the holy land of our Qin Clan!" Harlan said hurriedly.


    "I''m not interested in that damn holy land you keep mentioning," Darren said coldly.


    "You''re not interested? Didn''t you come here for the Sacred Sovereign''s tomb?" Harlan asked incredulously.

 Chapter 1841 Harlans Testimony

    As soon as the words left his mouth, Harlan realized that he made a big mistake.


    It was evident from their reactions that his two opponents didn''t know about the existence of the Sacred Sovereign''s tomb. Unfortunately, he gave it away just now. Since he had already mentioned it, he couldn''t take it back without sounding suspicious.


    "Did you say Sacred Sovereign''s tomb?" Fernando''s eyes lit up and he curiously asked, "Does that mean there is a Sacred Sovereign''s tomb in your shitty holy land?"


    Harlan cursed his own stupidity and his big mouth. He shouldn''t have said anything at all!


    "Well, it''s not like it''s a secret. Eleven years ago, we found a trace about the Sacred Sovereign''s tomb in our holy land. However, we could only find a few remains, but we have not yet found a real Sacred Sovereign''s tomb," Harlan narrated uncertainly. He didn''t want to reveal this information, but he could not afford to offend the young man in front of him either.


    His only saving grace was that the information he relayed was not confidential in any way. He was sure it had already spread through half the land, and it would not be beneficial for him to hide it. "Ha-ha! That sounds interesting, so let me cut you a deal. If you take us to the tomb, I promise to spare your people''s lives," offered Darren graciously.


    Harlan sh


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    yes.


    Unexpectedly, about a quarter of an hour later, a figure suddenly fell from the starry sky! This person''s aura was beyond words. If you saw him too, you would have knelt down in front of him and worshiped him!


    It was several days later when I realized that the man who fell from the sky was probably a Sacred Sovereign! At that time, as soon as the Sacred Sovereign arrived, he struck the ancient stela over and over again. Two hours later, the ancient stela had been shattered into pieces. And I saw all these with my own eyes!"


    "Are you saying that this piece of plate is a fragment from that ancient stela?" Darren asked in confirmation.


    "Yes, this is the fragment of the ancient stela. I swear it on my life!" Harlan declared seriously.


    "What happened afterward?" asked Fernando inquisitively. It seemed that he was done doubting Harlan, as he was more interested in finding out the whole truth.


    "Later on, I saw a dark figure fly out of the broken ancient stela. He stood aggressively opposite the Sacred Sovereign who had descended from the sky as if the two of them were talking about something. After a while, the Sacred Sovereign looked up at the starry sky and released a deafening roar as if his soul had been aggrieved. And then, I felt a sharp pain in my soul and passed out," Harlan revealed.

 Chapter 1842 Exploring Together

    "Hey! How could you faint at the most critical moment?" Fernando was obviously frustrated. What Harlan experienced was like a wonderful story that anyone would be enticed to hear. However, it suddenly ended in the most exciting part. Fernando was listening to it intently, so he was very dissatisfied that it turned out like that.


    "It''s not my fault. I couldn''t do anything about it at that moment. If I took one more look, my soul might suddenly explode. You haven''t experienced that kind of thing, so you don''t have the right to complain. You have no idea how terrifying it is," Harlan retorted.


    "Humph! Now what? We can''t find the Sacred Sovereign''s tomb. We''re not even sure if that is indeed the mad Sacred Sovereign called Amir," Fernando grumbled loudly.


    "Well, there are a lot of rumors saying that he is Amir. They said that his burial place is in the holy land of the Qin Clan," Harlan said confidently.


    "We cannot just rely on rumors. We need credible sources. Besides, I think your story is full of loopholes," Darren said after being silent for a while.


    "Look! I''m not just spouting nonsense. If you have questions or any doubts, you can freely ask me!" Harlan insisted. Actually, Harlan was telling the truth, but Fernando and Darren couldn''t help but feel skeptical.


    "Okay, let me ask you. If the Sacred Sovereign who had descended from the sky really came to confront Amir, the Qin Clan should hav


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    of it. There was also a painting hanging above it.


    In the painting, it depicted a middle-aged man, wielding a long sword in his hand. He just actually looked ordinary and didn''t possess a special aura.


    If the man in the painting was a great master, he would have emitted some kind of mighty power. But upon closer inspection, he indeed looked very ordinary.


    "So, this is the holy land of the Qin Clan. Well, I can''t really figure out why the ancient stela appeared above it," Harlan said as he lightly shook his head.


    "I think it is a bit too shabby..." Fernando mumbled to himself. After all, he did not expect that the holy land of a clan would merely be a cave.


    Seeing the expression on Fernando''s face, Harlan actually felt a little embarrassed. In fact, he also thought the same thing.


    Even the holy lands of some small clans had at least a magnificent hall. On the other hand, the Qin Clan was definitely not small, but all they had was an empty stone chamber.


    "Ahem! The holy land is a place to mourn for our ancestors. It doesn''t necessarily need to look extravagant," Harlan explained as his face turned red.


    However, Darren didn''t seem to mind what he saw. He just walked around and tried to find if there was anything out of the ordinary.


    "Hmm. If I release the aura of the chief god, I wonder if it will cause anything to change." After thinking for a while, Darren came up with an idea.

 Chapter 1843 Found Nothing

    If this place was indeed the tomb of a Sacred Sovereign, would it cause turmoil upon the imperial aura in the tomb once Darren released a wisp of aura on the same level as that of the Sacred Sovereign?


    Darren decided to put it to the test by releasing a wisp of his chief god''s aura to probe his surroundings.


    However, he was not sure what effect this would have. How much pressure would the Archean world exert on him, once he released the aura of a supreme god or activated the Chief God Character?


    ''I will release a wisp of sword intent first," Darren thought.


    He raised one hand, and a wisp of sword intent circled around his fingertips.


    There was an enormous, crashing boom as everything began shaking violently.


    Heaven and earth trembled and thunder rumbled as a boundless pressure burst from the depths of the void.


    It was as though the sky had collapsed and all its weight was on Darren.


    He was stunned.


    Instantly, he released the wisp of sword intent, which rushed into the endless sky.


    However, his sword intent seemed to be absorbed harmlessly into the thick dark clouds rolling over the black sky. Tens of thousands of thunderbolts exploded, wiping out Darren''s sword intent.


    Darren quickly withdrew his supreme god''s aura. He didn''t dare to use it again.


    Luckily he had only used a wisp of sword intent to begin with; he was certain that if he had used more sword intent from the start, the pressure from the


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    ell, then, why did I feel nothing?"


    "Oh, shut up," snapped Fernando. "You are a supreme god, and your soul is incredibly strong. Of course you don''t have to be afraid. No need to keep showing off how much more powerful you are than I am." His nervousness had subsided, replaced by irritation.


    Darren laughed. "It''s so easy to piss you off," he said.


    Fernando said in an aggravated tone, "That''s because you''re so good at pissing people off!"


    He was about to say more, but he was interrupted by gusts of cold wind. He felt a chill come over him.


    The eight phantoms had reappeared, and once again, Darren and Fernando were surrounded.


    "You again?" Darren asked coolly. Although he sounded calm, inwardly he seethed, and a sword light flashed in his eyes.


    "Are you surprised?" said the leader of the black-hooded men, in his strange, hoarse voice.


    "You want to kill me," Darren said, raising his brows.


    "Well, you''re stupid enough to break into the forbidden area, but smart enough to know what''s in store for you. You''re a lowly Heavenly Destiny Emperor and you dared to disobey our rules. If we don''t kill you now, our master will be disgraced," the leader said.


    Darren''s eyes narrowed. "You''re very confident. I know you think you can defeat me, but I tell you now, you are the one in trouble. If you don''t want to lose your life, leave right now."


    His expression had hardened and a threatening look appeared on his face.

 Chapter 1844 Counterattack

    "What an arrogant brat! Now let me see what you got, you filthy loser!"


    Not long after, one of the black-robed men made a move. His majestic aura descended, and then he threw a punch at Darren that was aimed straight onto his chest.


    As a result, Darren flew high up in the air. Then, he stretched out his right leg in preparation for a counterattack.


    The fist and foot crashed with each other, causing the entire space to tremble due to the impact. Horrifying waves of energy spread out, destroying the ground. Storms of dust rose and spun for over thousands of kilometers.


    Darren withdrew the minute the two of them collided, and so did the man in a black robe.


    However, Darren''s Archean power was not strong enough. After all, he was only a second-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor.


    Despite that, he managed to retain some of his physical defense. At that moment, luck was on his side as he had a pair of mysterious and powerful brassards and a metal leg protector to keep him safe. With those gears, he was certain that people would not be able to kill him.


    "Such a strange guy!"


    On the other hand, the man clad in black did not dare to make another move. Right at that moment, he knew that he could send Darren flying to the air with one solid punch. But when he put his fist to the test, he felt as if his fist hit a firm steel plate. Unexpectedly, he was the one sent flying away.


    What was even more surprising was that Darren was now floating in the air leisurely without any injury.


    "How can that happen? This guy must have some protective treasures with him. I gu


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    ed after the other men and killed them one after another in the same way that he killed the first. Of course, the rest of the men tried to escape and resist, but they were just no match for Darren''s strength.


    "Die, you filthy scum!"


    A badly injured man was cut in half by Darren.


    "How dare you do this to us, you bastard! We are the servants of Dewey, the Heavenly Destiny Emperor. You will be destroyed if you dare kill us!" one of the men exclaimed in horror.


    "Heavenly Destiny Emperor? That''s nothing! Ha-ha! I''m not even afraid of a Sacred Sovereign!"


    But Darren had already been furious ever since he was beaten by those men. To him, injuring them would not be enough to vent out his anger. He believed that killing them would be the best revenge.


    Boom! Boom!


    With one swift slash of his blade, he finally sliced the last man into two, killing him brutally.


    The last body dropped on the ground, and that was the only time when Darren managed to calm himself down.


    Afterwards, he flew back to meet Fernando.


    "We can''t stay here for too long, Fernando. Let''s go quickly,"


    Darren urged. In addition, he was fully aware that if he did not kill those men, a more powerful Heavenly Destiny Emperor would come over and make trouble. If that happened, he knew that he would surely be killed based on his current defense.


    "You coward! How dare you set yourself against me?"


    At the moment, a terrible pressure came down from the sky. From the depths of the wild clouds, a young man could be seen holding a long spear in his hand, releasing the overbearing aura.

 Chapter 1845 Smashed To Pieces

    "A more powerful Heavenly Destiny Emperor has arrived!"


    Darren had just made to leave when a master appeared in the clouds.


    "This is troublesome! He''s a sixth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor!" Fernando was nervous, feeling the pressure coming down from the sky.


    "Run!"


    Darren had no intention of fighting the sixth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor, because even if he could resist the enemy, he couldn''t protect Fernando. His opponent needed only one move if he wanted to kill Fernando.


    Darren and Fernando fled as fast as they could.


    "Where should we go?" Fernando said to Darren, flustered.


    A sixth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor was way faster than them, and Fernando knew that he would probably catch up to them soon enough.


    "Flee to the holy land of the Qin Clan!"


    Darren didn''t hesitate as he made his way forward at a high speed.


    "Go to hell!"


    Several arrows shot out from the clouds, terrifying in their intensity as they locked onto Fernando and Darren, giving them no way of escape.


    Darren felt the danger following them and he shoved Fernando away while he remained behind.


    Whoosh!


    Several more arrows shot towards Darren, who crossed his sword and blade at his chest to resist the attack.


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    ough the space again.


    "Oh, it''s you!" Darren sneered, understanding dawning upon him.


    "Do you know me?" the voice said, obviously surprised.


    "No, but I think you must be the legendary Sacred Sovereign, Amir," Darren said calmly.


    Thump! Thump! Thump


    Footsteps sounded in the darkness, giving Darren the feeling that a powerful figure was approaching them.


    Soon, a black, human-shaped figure stopped before Darren, but Darren couldn''t see his face.


    "You are alive?!" Darren exclaimed. He had thought that Amir had died, leaving behind only a spiritual sense. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected him to be alive!


    A real Sacred Sovereign in the Archean world was standing in front of Darren!


    "If that''s what you want to think. Now answer my questions. Who are you? Where are you from? And what kind of power are you using?" Amir asked again.


    Darren chuckled before saying, rather indifferently, "I''m from the Primitive Wilderness. I cultivate blade and sword skills and I use the blade and sword god''s power. Is there a problem?"


    "Primitive Wilderness, blade and sword god''s power... I was right. You are from the same place as that brat! No, you are from the same era, too!" Amir murmured to himself.

 Chapter 1846 Negotiation

    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Darren asked as he could not make sense of what Amir was blabbing about.


    Not long after, Amir raised his head. His cold and intimidating eyes furiously reflected in the darkness.


    "A cultivator of the Primitive Wilderness era, ha-ha." Amir laughed wildly, letting his crazy voice reverberate in the entire area.


    "Amir, are you saying that you have met some other cultivator from the Primitive Wilderness era?" Darren clarified. Recalling what Amir was trying to say before, he finally put things together. Darren guessed that Amir was saying that he had seen another person from the Primitive Wilderness.


    After hearing Darren''s words, Amir stopped laughing. Then, he said, "Yes, I''ve seen one before. He is also a swordsman who possesses the sword god''s power that has the same origin as yours."


    "Lord Starry Sword!" Darren''s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. He believed that there was no other warrior in the Archean Age who could have this description except for Lord Starry Sword!


    "Tell me where he is!" Darren said enthusiastically.


    "Hold on. Are you seriously ordering me?" Amir asked coldly as he began to notice the change in Darren''s voice.


    "No. I just want to know where he is. That''s all." At that moment, Darren couldn''t seem to figure out what was going on in Amir''s mind. He could not help but wonder, ''What is his purpose to show up and see


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    With that being said, I think I have to give you something to help you achieve your goal faster." As Amir spoke, a golden page floated out and landed on Darren''s hand.


    "This is a cultivation method for Sacred Sovereigns, which I created when I was at my peak level. If you can practice it to a high level, then it is more than enough to kill him. However, I would like to remind you that this specific cultivation method is quite exceptional in this world. You''d better cultivate it after you become a top level ninth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor. Otherwise, your soul will be destroyed," Amir warned.


    Not long after, Darren put the cultivation method into his space ring.


    "I will cultivate it when I want to. Don''t order me around. I also have a request. When I come back with Gael''s head, I want to see Lord Starry Sword intact. No injuries, no damages at all. If he gets any kind of injury, I will not hesitate to kill you myself,"


    Darren spat.


    "Is that a threat, lad?" Amir asked in shock.


    "Yes, you got that right. This is a threat. Mark my words, for they are very direct and clear. And I meant what I said. You''d better remember that!" Darren remarked in a calm tone.


    "Hahaha..." Amir laughed out loud. "You are very interesting. I believe you won''t disappoint me. Now, get out of here and kill him."


    Boom!


    Immediately, the space trembled, and all the darkness faded like a tide.

 Chapter 1847 The Avatars Suggestion

    "What happened?" Fernando asked Darren, visibly confused once the darkness was gone.


    Fernando had already lost consciousness when Amir appeared. It was possible that Amir had purposely made him pass out.


    "I just saw Amir,"


    Darren responded. "Really?" Surprise replaced the confusion on Fernando''s face.


    "Yes." Darren nodded and proceeded to tell him what had just happened.


    "Does he really have your friend? He could be lying to you, Darren." Fernando seemed skeptical about all these.


    "It doesn''t matter. I will still kill Gael anyway."


    Gael had turned the Rule Soul Avatar into his puppet. While he was still alive, the avatar could only hide in the space passageway forever. Only his death could free the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "I have something to tell you, my real body."


    The Rule Soul Avatar''s voice echoed inside Darren''s head.


    "What is it? Did you notice anything?" Darren asked.


    He had just been wondering why the Rule Soul Avatar didn''t use the wisp of spiritual sense he left to communicate with him.


    "You must leave here first," the avatar said.


    "Okay."


    Without saying anything further, Darren and Fernando flew away.


    It took them several


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    No," the avatar replied gravely.


    "If that''s the case, let me think about it some more. Reincarnation will simply be my last resort." Darren had finally decided.


    "I understand." The avatar then withdrew his spiritual sense.


    Letting out a long sigh, Darren raised his head and looked up at the gray sky. Everything seemed to be more difficult here in the Archean Age. Nothing was going the way he had expected.


    "What were you thinking about?" Fernando, who had been silent the whole time, noticed the change in Darren''s mood.


    "It''s nothing. Let''s just go." Darren shook his head.


    "Where are we going?"


    Fernando looked around the boundless world. It seemed like they could go anywhere. They were basically directionless.


    Darren was also at a loss.


    They already knew where Lord Starry Sword was in this vast world, but they still had no idea where Lord Feng was.


    "Let''s go somewhere where there are people."


    Darren was silent for some time before he decided to spread out his spiritual sense in search for other human beings.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    After a few moments, Darren and Fernando finally flew into the air and disappeared into the distance.

 Chapter 1848 Cruel Fate

    Darren and Fernando strolled along the busy streets of the unfamiliar city, both out of place but a little intrigued.


    The hustle and bustle assaulted their senses, and wherever they passed, they were met with the welcoming voices of vendors, restaurants'' waiters, and even mere pedestrians.


    At that moment, a burst of nostalgia hit Darren all of a sudden.


    "Oh, Lothlann Continent..." he whispered sadly, as the sounds and smells of the city brought up memories of his childhood.


    Many years had passed since then. He had long lost contact with his relatives and friends from the continent, so he didn''t know how they were doing now.


    "Hey, Fernando, maybe we should restrain our cultivation base and be common people for now. Let''s take our time and experience the ordinary life of the Archean world for a few days."


    At that moment, Darren felt a little burnt out because he had been running around without a permanent home for so many years. However, this city that shared the noise of his previous home calmed him down really well.


    Sometimes, he couldn''t help but think that it would be better if he had been an average person. Perhaps, he could have been born into a farmer''s or a hunter''s family, and he would have led a busy but ordinary life.


    "By the way, Fernando, how old are you? And do you know where your family is?" Darren asked Fernando curiously as he thought of his own childhood home.


    Fernando fell silent as he thought about Darren''s quest


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    e was holding. As a result, Darren got hold of the whole gourd.


    "Get out of here, you filthy thing! All you do is bring bad luck in my life. You''re useless!"


    "I''m hungry..."


    "If you don''t leave now, I''ll kill you!"


    "Ah! Did you just bite me, you wild thing! Ouch, my hand..."


    While Darren and Fernando were fighting for the spring water upstairs, a sudden cry of pain sounded from downstairs.


    "Beat this guy up, and don''t stop until he is dead! He just scares everyone and carries corpses on his back. Surely, whoever encounters him will never have peace all their life! He just brings misfortune wherever he goes!"


    "All right. Let''s all beat him up together! He won''t get out of here with his life."


    Along with the sound of shouting from downstairs was the racket made by what seemed to be dozens of men punching and kicking someone.


    "Why is it so noisy downstairs? I''m going to take a look," Darren said. But before rushing to the window, he made sure to put Fernando''s gourd into his Space Ring.


    "Hey, brat, I''m not done with you yet! Give that gourd back to me, or I''ll tear you into pieces!" Fernando shouted in rage.


    Meanwhile, Darren completely ignored him and pretended as if he was preoccupied with what was going on downstairs. But the truth was that he intended to make a run for it as soon as Fernando was distracted.


    However, as soon as he saw what was happening downstairs, he fell utterly still and his eyes widened with shock.

 Chapter 1849 Lord Feng In Trouble

    Darren saw this familiar face in front of him. But this figure''s dull eyes evoked the sadness in Darren''s heart.


    Boom!


    Without warning, a powerful aura started to disperse all around, sending the people who attacked the man to fly into the air.


    After a while, Darren made his way and positioned himself beside the beaten man.


    Curled up in his body, this man had disheveled hair that covered almost his entire face. But under that, he had nothing but fear in his eyes. Darren could not believe that this man was nothing like the one he once knew.


    "L...Lord Feng,"


    Darren muttered as he gulped air down his throat. The man he was looking at was none other than Lord Feng, the one who had risked his life to block the attack and save Darren back then.


    "Hungry..."


    At that moment, it seemed that Lord Feng was a little afraid of Darren. However, due to the unbearable hunger that he felt in his stomach, he had no other choice but to reach out his hand to Darren.


    Darren was about to shed tears upon seeing how pitiful Lord Feng''s situation was. But he soldiered on and held back his tears. He did not let a single tear drop or roll on his cheeks.


    "Hey, it''s me, Darren."


    "Hungry..."


    Now that Lord Feng knew that the person in front of him did not do him any harm, he looked at him more intently with the hope of receiving some food to fill his stomach with.


    "Get up and come with me." Tears almost fell from Darren''s eyes, but he m


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    , and Fernando flew out and floated in the air.


    "There! He is indeed in the restaurant, ha-ha!" Seeing Lord Feng, the people searching for him were definitely overjoyed.


    As soon as Darren took a look at those people, he knew that they were at the Valiant Realm. They were far weaker than Heavenly Destiny Emperors. Needless to say, Darren and Fernando were much stronger than these low-level Archean warriors.


    "You are digging your own grave!" Darren shouted as fury, and massive killing intent exploded in his eyes. On the other hand, Fernando winked at him, reminding him not to take any rash action.


    "Who are you? We saved this fool. Now, what do you want with him?" Fernando pretended to be a little scared as he confronted them. Afterwards, he turned to Darren and said through spiritual sense, "Let''s pretend to be weak. Let them defeat us and take us back. This is the only way to find the master of the bugs."


    "Yes, thank you for reminding. I won''t let my anger get the best of me," Darren responded in the same manner.


    "Get down here, you two weaklings! How dare you kidnap our master''s slave who helps him feed the bugs! Go to hell!" As soon as they finished their words, the low-level warriors thrust forth their palms at Darren and Fernando. Pushing the air, they formed a storm that rushed over the duo.


    "Good sirs, please stop! Have mercy on us, please!"


    At the same time, Darren and Fernando fell from the sky at full speed.

 Chapter 1850 Being Caught

    "Now is our chance! Arrest them! They''re only at the Valiant Realm!" one of the low-level Archean warriors shouted.


    Both Darren and Fernando had suppressed their auras of cultivation base to the level of Valiant Realm, so the low-level warriors in gray robes immediately jumped at the opportunity to attack.


    At once, they rushed over and caught them, while the two made no move to resist.


    "All right. Let''s take them back, and we''ll let our leader deal with them!"


    This was how Darren, Fernando and Lord Feng were taken prisoner. They were led onto the back of a flying beast, which flew off into the sky with a great burst of air.


    They flew for about two days until, finally, they arrived in a vast ancient palace that occupied thousands of acres.


    As soon as they walked in, they came upon hundreds of pavilions and halls that were built haphazardly everywhere like a maze.


    Despite its sizeable structure, the palace seemed a little gloomy as if it had not been touched by sunlight for a long time.


    They came upon dozens of rotten corpses as they walked about, and a closer look at these corpses revealed hundreds of maggots crawling within them. The stench of death clung to their noses like nose rings.


    The entire palace was like a mortuary.


    "Halt!"


    ordered two men in black robes, causing Darren and the others to stop in their tracks.


    "Sirs, we have taken back the escaped ''medicine jar''," one of the men in gray robes reported. Then, he took out a token and handed it to the men in black.


    One of the men in black robe eyed the token disinterestedly and turned his eyes to Da


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    the old man in a blue robe simpered excitedly, as he was already looking forward to his reward. He waited for his superior to come forward with bated breath, shifting restlessly.


    The next moment, the sound of heavy footsteps floated to their ears, and the whole underground secret room shook as if an earthquake had taken hold.


    A pair of fiery red fierce eyes flashed in the darkness, as a fierce beast that resembled a lizard appeared in front of Darren and Fernando.


    His scales looked similar to dragon scales, glistening with an unnatural sheen. Darren and Fernando frowned at the same time.


    They could both sense that the fierce beast in front of them had the aura of an eighth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor.


    At present, Darren couldn''t kill a cultivator of this level. If he made a move to attack him, there was no doubt that he would lose, or worse, he could die.


    "You did a good job," said the beast in a harsh, guttural voice. Despite himself, the blue-robed man involuntarily took a few steps back.


    Whoosh!


    A fingertip-sized stone, the color of flaming embers, suddenly flew out and fell into the old man''s hand who immediately grasped it tightly.


    "Thank you, sir!" The old man in a blue robe was overjoyed. He had expected to be rewarded with some painkillers, but he was pleasantly surprised that he had been given a spiritual crystal instead.


    Darren subtly shifted his gaze a little and noticed that countless worms were wriggling disgustingly behind the fierce beast. They were moving restlessly and releasing what seemed to be red crystals the size of a grain of sand.

 Chapter 1851 Tricks

    Then, the old man in the blue robe took the spiritual crystal, thanked his master, and immediately stepped back.


    "Heavenly Sacred Body¡­"


    At this moment, the beast with dragon scales approached Darren and stared at him from head to feet with a pair of fierce eyes.


    "Ha! I am so lucky!"


    Darren tried to look scared and mumbled, "Sir, why are you looking at me like that? Why did you arrest me? I am not a Heavenly Sacred Body."


    However, the beast just ignored Darren, turned around, and stepped into the dark space. Not long after, he came out holding a jar in his hand.


    As he opened the jar, it could be seen that there were two red worms inside.


    "With the Heavenly Sacred Body, I can create the supreme spiritual crystals and break through to the ninth stage of the Heavenly Destiny Emperor Realm. Not only that, I can even become a Sacred Sovereign eventually!" the beast uttered eagerly.


    For him, a Heavenly Sacred Body was a priceless and incomparable possession.


    After all, it would give him an opportunity to step into the Sacred Sovereign Realm. Although it would only be a one in a million chance, the possibility was still there.


    "Now, take it!"


    The beast let out a savage roar as the two worms instantly shot towards Darren.


    Darren''s face darkened upon seeing this. He didn''t know what the worms were for, so he would definitely not let them inside his body.


    Instead, Darren stretched


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    d you will be free to go." The beast tried to sound as calmly as possible.


    "Okay then. Catch it."


    Suddenly, a sneer curled up from the corner of Darren''s mouth. Then, he exerted his strength and crushed the worm in his hand to death. Afterward, he threw the dead worm into the black vortex in front of him.


    Immediately after, the worm vanished from their sight.


    "No! You bastards!"


    The dragon-scaled lizard was caught off guard that he instinctively rushed into the space channel to grab the worm.


    Whoosh!


    While dragon-scaled lizard was flustered, Fernando suddenly made a move and struck the beast''s claw. With this, the worm in his claw was instantly squeezed by the huge force, making it explode into a mere mass of blood. At the same time, Darren, who was standing behind the lizard, also assaulted him by kicking his back with all his strength, shoving the lizard directly into the space channel.


    "Come on! We have to escape!"


    Darren and Fernando quickly soared into the sky and vanished in an instant.


    "Argh! Those bastards and their petty tricks!"


    A moment later, the dragon-scaled lizard forcefully tore the space open and stepped out of it. In his claw was the corpse of the other worm.


    "Those two are Heavenly Destiny Emperors too! I swear I will find both of you and kill you by my hands!" Then, the dragon-scaled lizard let out a savage roar that made the earth shake and collapse.

 Chapter 1852 The Ancient Divine Ruins

    Darren and Fernando flew away quickly, changing directions several times to shake the dragon-scaled lizard off their trail. Soon, the lizard lost them completely.


    "That lizard must be furious right now." Fernando found himself in a good mood.


    "He deserved it. After all, he had made Lord Feng so miserable. He should be punished more seriously," Darren said coldly.


    "That''s right. We should catch him later and torture him mercilessly. He should pay for what he had done to your friend for all these years." Fernando nodded his head.


    "By the way, I think his red crystals should come in handy." Darren moved on to a different topic.


    The two had finally landed on an empty col to get some rest. It was then that Darren took out some red crystals.


    "These stones are produced by those worms. That could only mean that these are high quality divine stones," Fernando said as he picked one up and examined it closely.


    Darren picked one crystal in the palm of his hand. He could feel the pure godly energy of heaven and earth pulsing inside each crystal.


    "Assimilate!"


    Darren activated his Assimilating Force and used it to absorb the godly energy. Since he had the Heavenly Sacred Body of the Archean Age, the speed at which he absorbed the godly energy was unpara


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    oung man had a striking demeanor. As he stood above the rest of the Heavenly Destiny Emperors, he said, "My father sent you here to check the situation of the ruins. Tell me, what is going on? Is it possible that the ancient divine ruins are finally open?"


    "Your Highness, we''ve been observing it for a while. The ruins are indeed showing signs of opening. But it might take at least another ten years," one of the guards replied.


    "Ten years isn''t that long," the young man said. His voice only held indifference.


    "But Your Highness, I''m not sure if it''s a good or bad thing if the ancient divine ruins really open up this time. If there is a living creature inside, I''m afraid that even His Majesty may not be able to deal with it," an old man who was a seventh-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor said, worried.


    "Shut up! How dare you doubt my father? I will kill you for that!" In the blink of an eye, the young man had grown furious.


    "Please forgive me, Your Highness. I was wrong." The old man immediately fell down on his knees and started begging for mercy. He knew that he had made a serious error.


    Clang!


    Then, a guard beside the young man pulled out his saber. And with a glint from his blade, he chopped down upon the old man. His head fell to the ground.

 Chapter 1853 Come Back

    Darren and Fernando, hiding some distance away, could clearly hear the conversation.


    "It really seems to be the ancient divine ruins!" Fernando whispered.


    "For now, we should leave at once," Darren said quietly. He was worried that they would be discovered if they stayed there any longer.


    "You''re right. After all, they said the ruins would open in ten years. We can wait a decade and then return here," Fernando proposed.


    Darren nodded, and the two of them silently retreated.


    They flew hundreds of thousands of kilometers before coming to a stop.


    Fernando looked uneasy. He said, "I feel like there''s something wrong."


    Darren turned to him. "What do you mean?" he asked.


    "The Archean Age has existed for a very long time, and the ancient divine ruins have always been legendary. Now, for whatever reason, it has appeared. It''s showing signs of opening. Is that truly a good thing? Could it be something dangerous, instead?"


    There were also stories of formidable creatures in the ancient divine ruins that could emerge and completely destroy the world.


    If those rumors were true, did it mean that the destruction of the Archean Age had originated with the opening of the ruins?


    Pondering the possibilities, Fernando felt anxious and uncertain.


    Darren saw the serious expression on his companion''s face and knew what he was concerned about.


    "The destruction of


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    creased. If the dragon-scaled lizard didn''t launch his strongest attack, it would be impossible to break Darren''s defense.


    "You two human bastards! How dare you come back?" said the lizard furiously.


    He glowered at Darren and Fernando, so angry that his eyes seemed entirely black.


    More than ten years ago, the two human beings had killed his two divine worms. His rage at their actions was so extreme that he almost went mad and exploded.


    Since then, he had been on the lookout for news of Darren and Fernando''s whereabouts, determined to tear them into pieces and make them pay for their crime.


    Still, he had not expected to encounter them today.


    He was vigilant, staring closely at Darren, because his surprise attack on Darren had failed to kill him. He would have to be more cautious.


    "It seems you haven''t made any progress over the past decade, you four-legged snake," Darren said mockingly. His face was calm, although inside, he burned with an anger as hot as the lizard''s.


    Flames came out of the dragon-scaled lizard''s nose when he heard Darren taunting him.


    "By the way, thanks for giving me the spiritual crystals in the past. I am indebted to you for helping my realm be promoted to a much higher level," Darren said, smiling coldly.


    The lizard went crazy, letting out a screech of fury. His fighting spirit surged as he lunged forward to attack Darren.

 Chapter 1854 The Bloody Battle

    The dragon-scaled lizard slashed at Darren with his sharp, hard claws. His attack was so strong that even the space around them was scratched and cut by his talons.


    The terrible Archean fighting spirit was impacting Darren, but he held his ground.


    With a boom, he struck a blow with his palm,


    hitting the claw of the lizard.


    A terrible force swept through the body of the dragon-scaled lizard,


    and he felt as though his internal organs were about to explode.


    With a roar, he opened his mouth, and a stream of flames spurted out.


    Instantly, the lizard was engulfed in the flames. It seemed this move was not meant to attack Darren, but as a defense mechanism for the lizard himself.


    A strong wind swept over them and the flames spread across the surrounding halls. The supercharged heat reduced everything it touched to ashes.


    Screams echoed around them,


    as countless cultivators in the halls were burnt to nothingness by the flames.


    The blazing fire illuminated the sky. The whole world around them glowed red and orange, like it had been transformed into a sea of flames.


    Darren''s face darkened. He hadn''t expected the dragon-scaled lizard to possess this skill.


    "Go to hell, you weakling!" the lizard bellowed, striking Darren with his flaming iron claw.


    Darren brandished his sword and hacked at the lizard.


    There was a deafening clang as two extremely powerful


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    e rushed forward to meet the attack of the lizard.


    "Go to hell, you bastard!" he shouted.


    "I''m going to kill you!" the lizard screamed back. His back was dripping with blood from his wound, and droplets fell to the ground like rain.


    He was absolutely crazy with rage that Darren had managed to injure him.


    Darren shot out a faint wisp of sword intent from his sword.


    Instantly, the whole world seemed to collapse around him. It was as though the sky, the earth, and hundreds of millions of stars were descending upon Darren, all intent on crushing him into nothing.


    There was a bang as the pressure intensified,


    followed by another bang.


    Two balls of blood-red mist appeared in the sky, while bits of torn flesh and broken bones scattered throughout the air.


    Darren and the dragon-scaled lizard had exploded at the same time.


    Every single person watching the battle was shocked and disbelieving. They had all felt the incredible and frightening aura of god''s power, which made their blood run cold with terror.


    "What happened?" said one of the Heavenly Destiny Emperors.


    "What kind of power was that? Did it come from that human brat?" someone else asked. "No, it can''t be," answered another person. "He and the lizard both died."


    All the Heavenly Destiny Emperors present felt as if they were dreaming. The power they had just witnessed seemed too great to be real.

 Chapter 1855 Becoming A Guard

    Darren''s body had detonated. As his soul struggled, the golden light that once protected his soul had congregated and diffused numerous times.


    Eventually, Darren infused the green liquid from the other brassard into his soul. As a result, he was resurrected.


    "Whew! That was a close one,"


    Darren said with huge relief. He only activated a small wisp of the sword intent, and yet, it had already triggered such a huge reaction. Now, he could not help but think of how much chaos it could cause if he activated it again in full blast. Perhaps, the pressure that he would be able to create would be tenfold of what he had experienced now. By then, he would not be able to withstand that blow and die from the impact.


    With this in mind, Darren decided that he would never employ any kind of god''s power of the Primitive Wilderness.


    Soon after, Darren rebuilt his body, slowly nourishing back the vitality that he had lost.


    "How can this happen? I can''t believe that the guy has been revived!"


    "Yeah, that''s so bizarre. I''m certain that I felt his life force dissipate. How on earth could he have come back to life?"


    The spectators exchanged their thoughts upon seeing so incredible yet so odd display of revival that they had never seen happen to anyone before.


    But of course, they did not come there to question Darren. After all, they were aware that Darren had the ability to kill the lizard, and they knew better than to


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    camp was located.


    Meanwhile, as Darren walked into the palace, he sensed the powerful godly energy of heaven and earth. Perhaps, this palace was not simple, which meant that it was most probably an incredible treasure.


    Darren could not help but giggle in excitement. Surely, he would be able to take advantage of his situation.


    After two months of being a guard, he was lucky that nothing serious had happened to him. In fact, he didn''t have any tasks, and he usually cultivated in a separate courtyard.


    Darren was forced not to absorb the godly energy recklessly. Otherwise, this activity would arouse Dickens'' suspicion.


    Time flew by quickly, and another month had passed when a guard who was a Heavenly Destiny Emperor at the ninth stage arrived at Darren''s courtyard.


    "Boy, get out here. There''s a task for you."


    Without a doubt, the eight guards that protected Dickens looked down upon Darren. To them, Darren was nothing but a loser, so they did not treat him very well.


    "Yes, sir," Darren responded calmly, acting like he was a good subordinate.


    As he followed the guard, he wondered what kind of mission it was. But the guard didn''t say anything, and Darren followed him without asking any more of the details.


    After leaving the imperial palace, Darren saw that the other several guards were gathered there. As quiet as possible, they all stared intently at the area covered by black mist in the distance.

 Chapter 1856 The Three Forces

    Upon his arrival, Darren checked if there was anything wrong with the black mist. There was nothing.


    After a while, Dickens flew over and landed in front of the guards.


    "Are you sure about what you saw?" Dickens asked.


    "I really saw something fly out of there with my own eyes, Your Highness," the leader of the guards said respectfully.


    "Send someone to check it out," Dickens ordered.


    The leader of the guards swept his eyes among the crowd until they landed on Darren.


    "You there, go and check it right now. Make sure there are no mistakes."


    Early on, Darren already had a feeling that he would be chosen to do the dangerous task.


    "Yes, sir."


    Nonetheless, he didn''t bother protesting. He also wanted to find out what had flown out of there anyway.


    Before he could even fly out, a series of loud noises disturbed the silence.


    Thick clouds started rolling in, and golden light spilled all over the ground.


    From three directions, people began pouring in at the same time.


    Upon raising his head, Darren saw a bronze carriage emerging first. Amazingly, it was not being pulled by a horse. It was a dragon-shaped beast instead!


    "You came early, Dickens. And it seems like you had alr


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    fied her. She wouldn''t dare take another step forward.


    "Number One, which direction did you see the flying thing come out from this morning?" Dickens asked, turning to the guard whose face had been smashed earlier.


    "It''s about two hundred kilometers from here, but I still don''t know if it''s a living creature I saw or not. If it is, it might have already escaped," the leader of the guards answered respectfully.


    "You there, go and have a look." This time, it was Dickens who personally ordered Darren to go.


    The reason why he chose Darren was simple. He was the weakest among his guards, so this made him expendable.


    "Yes, sir," Darren replied and flew ahead.


    After a short while, Darren finally arrived at the area where the leader of the guards claimed to have seen the flying thing. He gradually began to land to look around.


    It didn''t take long for him to find a special stone.


    Using his god''s sense, he scanned the stone. At first, there was nothing unusual about it, but when he closed his eyes and felt it with his mind, he could sense life thrumming inside it.


    ''That''s strange. Is there something living inside this stone?'' Darren found himself slightly surprised by his discovery.

 Chapter 1857 Foment A Fight

    In the whole area, the stone was the most special. In fact, if something could fly out of the ruins, it should be the stone.


    Darren just pretended to check the area, then eventually returned to the group.


    "Your Highness, I didn''t find anything unusual there." Of course, Darren would not reveal to anyone what he had seen. Otherwise, with his current strength, he would not be able to take it from the others once they found it.


    The stone did not seem to be very different from the others even if it was subjected to the detection of the god''s sense, but Darren clearly knew that it was special after feeling it with his mind.


    "Are you sure you didn''t see anything?"


    Even before Dickens could say anything, Adrian, the young man in a black robe standing next to Dickens, could not help but ask as he fixed his cold stare on Darren.


    "Yes, I am," Darren replied indifferently.


    "You useless fool! Do you want me to kill you right now?" Sensing that Darren was not giving him the respect that he deserved, Adrian burned with rage, instantly releasing a tremendous killing intent.


    "Adrian, stop it. He''s just a guard. What''s the use of being mad at him?" Dickens interfered. Adrian had also been getting in Dickens'' nerves because he had acted arrogantly again and again. This time, he couldn''t stand it anymore.


    "Humph! Fine! I will go and check it out myself. But if I find out that this guy is lying, I will kill him on the spot!" Right after saying that, Adrian flew ahead.


    After a while, they saw Adrian coming back. However, it seemed that he also didn''t find anything.


    "So, what


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    guards from the three other forces suddenly rushed over and surrounded Darren and his companions.


    "What did you just say to us? How dare you talk behind our backs?"


    "Kneel before us immediately or I might let you taste the sensation of being slapped across your face just like what happened to your leader!"


    "Ha! Each one of you is worse than dogs. Even your master is not an exception! How dare you shout all those rude remarks about us?"


    "Where did your confidence earlier go? Speak up!"


    The guards of the three forces also shouted and cursed as they ganged up on Darren and his companions. On the other hand, Darren was secretly happy because this was his plan all along. Right now, he was in an unfavorable position. So, he needed to stir things up quite a bit.


    "Yes, all of it is my mistake. I shouldn''t have cursed you. I will kneel down and apologize to all of you if that would appease you." Darren acted and spouted these humble words as if he was very frightened.


    "What? Have you no shame?!" Suddenly, one of Dickens'' guards kicked Darren from behind. At the same time, Darren took this opportunity to exaggerate. Hence, he fell over a guard in front of him and punched him in the face. But of course, he made it look like it was just an accident.


    "How dare you attack us?! Kill them all!"


    With this, the guards of the other forces were enraged. They instantly released their auras, and the space was suddenly filled with seething killing intent. At the same time, no one really noticed that Darren had already slipped away and was able to hide well while the chaos ensued.

 Chapter 1858 Dickens Wrath

    At this moment, the guards from all forces engaged in a fierce fight. Each of them unleashed a violent killing intent that filled the surroundings.


    "Kill them all!"


    Dickens'' guards were full of resentment because they had been suppressing their anger all this time. Now that they were provoked to the extreme, they were not going to hold back anymore.


    "What the hell? How could these guys be so powerful?"


    As they sensed the overwhelming strength of Dickens'' guards, the guards from the other forces were all taken aback. It turned out that they didn''t carefully gauge their abilities.


    Swish!


    The leader of Dickens'' guards slashed down his saber forcefully. With it, the void trembled, the space shattered, and a black windstorm swept all over the place.


    "What are you going to do now, bastards? Are you shocked that you can''t take us down?" one of Dickens'' guards taunted.


    Indeed, as the battle dragged on, their attacks became fiercer. Soon enough, the guards from the other forces were forced to retreat because two of them were already seriously injured. If this went on, they might really be slaughtered.


    Meanwhile, Darren, who had been hiding nearby, couldn''t help but shake his head. He didn''t expect that the guards of the other masters were this weak.


    However, at the back of his mind, he actually thought that it would be better if the two seriously wounded guards were to die. This way, the situation would be even more chaotic.


    "Ha! No matter what you do, you will always be low


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    f a Sacred Sovereign. If they somehow killed him, it would surely cause unimaginable chaos in the Archean world.


    "Dickens, don''t be angry. I admit that it was my men''s fault." Adrian was the first to back down. He was smart enough to discern that it was the most suitable action right now.


    "So what? That''s all?" Of course, Dickens was still furious and deemed that Adrian''s words alone were not enough to appease him.


    Splat! Splat!


    In the blink of an eye, Adrian slew his beast-headed guards and said, "These bastards have been disobedient and caused a lot of trouble. I''m sorry. Please let this matter go."


    Somehow, Dickens felt that he regained his dignity, and he became a little less angry. Then, he just snorted coldly and didn''t say another word.


    However, Darren wasn''t too happy with the turn of events. He actually hoped that the four masters would engage in a fight, but unexpectedly, Adrian backed down and apologized.


    At the same time, Ennis also cupped his fists and said, "I''m sorry." Only Maria acted as if it had nothing to do with her. However, Dickens decided to turn a blind eye to it.


    "Ha-ha! Dickens, don''t be so angry. It''s resolved now, all right?" Ennis flew over, patted Dickens on his shoulder, and acted like they were friends again.


    In the end, the matter was resolved this way.


    Of course, Darren was the only one who wasn''t satisfied. He thought that he needed to instigate something bigger to create a more dangerous fire¡ªone that could not be easily put out.

 Chapter 1859 Take The Stone

    The past few days went by without any disputes among the four forces, much to Darren''s dismay. The four parties managed to get along with one another after the matter was resolved that day.


    The four forces then moved along to the established places that they were stationed in.


    Taking advantage of the peace, Darren decided to sneak out, his mind still thinking about the stone.


    He hid his aura and walked out of the courtyard as quietly as he could.


    "Stop!"


    a voice called out the moment he stepped foot outside the palace.


    The person discovered him with his naked eyes, not with his spiritual sense. Thus, Darren had no way to make a quick run for it.


    To make matters worse, that person was none other than Adrian.


    "You brat! What are you doing sneaking around?" Adrian scolded.


    Darren shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing. I was just bored and really tired after my cultivation so I decided to go out for some relaxing fresh air," he replied in the most casual tone.


    Adrian threw him a vicious glare in return and scoffed, "You damned flunky. I heard that you started the fight a few days ago."


    "What in the world are you on about? If you don''t need anything else from me, I''ll be leaving now." Darren then turned around and started to walk away.


    Adrian seethed at Darren''s loftin


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    ouldn''t dare. To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect that you would be easy-going. I''m sorry if I offended you before," Darren said, keeping up his act of pretending to be polite.


    "It was just a misunderstanding, all in the past now. I''m fortunate to have you as my friend now. Ha-ha!" Adrian gave him a friendly pat on the back. "After I finish my work here, I''ll buy you a drink. You can also choose any beautiful woman or any pills you like."


    "Thank you."


    "Well, you can go back now. You can''t risk making Dickens suspicious of you. If he forces you to tell him where the stone has gone, you must not tell him or he will kill you. Do you understand?" Adrian stressed.


    "Of course. I can''t risk my life."


    "Well, it''s good that you know it. You can go back now."


    Darren gave a nod and flew back to the palace.


    Adrian stood and watched him fly off. His face was curled in a grimace. "I hope you know what''s good for you. If I find that you are useless, I won''t hesitate to kill you."


    Soon, Darren returned to Dickens'' palace. He wasted no time in bolting towards Dickens'' bedroom.


    "Your Highness, something bad has happened. I saw Adrian secretly take some stone. He was very pleased with himself and muttering something about intending to kill everyone," Darren reported with extreme urgency.

 Chapter 1860 Adrians Wrath

    Upon hearing Darren''s report, Dickens suddenly stood up from his seat and grabbed Darren by the collar.


    "Are you sure that you are telling the truth?"


    "It''s true, Your Highness. I felt bored a while ago and wanted to go out for a walk. It was then that I decided to check on the ruins. I wasn''t expecting to see Adrian sneaking into the ruins. It was there that he got a strange stone," Darren said.


    "Well then, it seems like he wants to keep the treasure all to himself."


    "There''s more, Your Highness. He also threatened to kill all of you," Darren added.


    "He''s really courting death!" With his sword in his hand, Dickens was about to look for Adrian and kill him.


    "Your Highness, wait!" Darren stopped him and continued, "Adrian is too strong. If this is a trap, you will be in great danger. I think it would be wiser for you to go to Master Ennis and Holy Maiden Maria first. You three can work together to subdue Adrian quickly."


    That suggestion seemed to calm Dickens down.


    Indeed, he knew that Adrian wouldn''t be too easy to dispose of. If he went ahead and confronted him alone, he would have fallen into his trap.


    "If what you said is really true, I shall reward you handsomely for this."


    "Thank you, Your Highness."


    With that, Dickens f


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    ed at Adrian and thought to himself, ''So this guy is also a member of the Roselle Palace. It seems like they shouldn''t be taken lightly. There''s a high chance that a Sacred Sovereign lives there.''


    Adrian stood up and staggered forward. He couldn''t stay here any longer.


    Now that he had handed over the stone, Dickens and the other two wouldn''t dare kill him. After all, that would only lead to an endless cycle of revenge from the Roselle Palace.


    "My job here is now done, Your Highness. Please excuse me," Darren said.


    "Okay." Dickens nodded his head. "You have done a great job. I shall think highly of you from now on."


    Indeed, he considered Darren to be quite smart. Now that the stone had fallen into their hands, they could finally dig out its secrets. But Darren took this as an opportunity to excuse himself instead of prying further. This was what a good subordinate should be.


    Immediately, all the other guards from the three forces returned to their respective palaces.


    But Darren decided to sneak out once more upon returning to the courtyard.


    If Adrian was still alive, he was sure there would be more trouble in the future.


    Moreover, if Adrian died, the Roselle Palace would definitely go after Dickens, Ennis, and Maria for revenge.

 Chapter 1861 Running Away

    As stealthy as a shadow in the darkness, Darren moved with caution as he followed Adrian''s aura.


    "What the hell! You run so fast!"


    Darren muttered under his breath as he panted from moving too much. Adrian had been surrounded and seriously injured, but it still took Darren two hours to catch up with him while flying at full speed.


    By then, Adrian had already traveled more than a hundred thousand kilometers away from the ancient divine ruins.


    "You piss me off, you little bastard. I''ll show you what I can do! I won''t hesitate to tear you into shreds!"


    Adrian cursed out loud as his hand covered his chest that brimmed with heartache.


    Meanwhile, Darren followed him covertly. But when he got close to him, he could not help but frown and said, "It''s not easy to kill him. He may be heavily damaged and even on the brink of death, but he still has the peak fighting power of an eighth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor."


    At present, Darren and Adrian were at the same level in terms of strength. Therefore, he believed that if he fought against Adrian head-on, there was a very high chance that he could kill Adrian.


    However, the possibility of this happening quickly was next to none.


    In addition, Darren thought that he would have a slim chance of winning if Adrian would call for support.


    As a result, he wanted to finish Adrian off with one quick blow to avoid any of what he thought from happening.


    But there was one big gaping hole in his plan¡ªhow could he destroy him with one blow? As he tried


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    n''t fulfill Dickens'' task!"


    "So my guess is right. It''s Dickens who order you to kill me!" Adrian said through gritted teeth.


    "Humph! Of course you deserve to die! You offended him!"


    While Darren spoke, he waved his blade and sword again to attack Adrian.


    However, he didn''t want to fight anymore. Instead, he was planning his escape.


    Thus, after a few confrontations, Darren fled desperately right after the impact.


    "Let''s wait and see, Dickens, and you little ant! I will show you no mercy and tear you into pieces!" Adrian bawled in anger with narrowed eyes. In fact, he did not dare to chase after Darren anymore even though he witnessed his receding figure.


    "Well, shit. Looks like this is going to be rough for me,"


    Darren muttered as he felt a little uneasy that he failed to kill Adrian.


    Surely, Adrian would come back with back-up and more power. By that time, even Dickens couldn''t save Darren.


    "I have to improve my strength as soon as possible, or it will be difficult for me to protect myself as soon as he shows up again."


    The only reason why Darren couldn''t kill Adrian today was that he was not strong enough to do so. If he were an eighth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor now, he would have killed him with only one swift and powerful move.


    Meanwhile, Darren returned to the vicinity of the ancient divine ruins but did not return to Dickens'' palace just yet.


    Instead, he flew towards the depths of the ruins to see if there was an opportunity for him to make a breakthrough.

 Chapter 1862 Exploring The Black Mist

    Darren approached the edge of the ancient divine ruins.


    Even amid the dark night that blanketed the area, the black mist still looked grim and ferocious.


    Darren flew close, keeping only a few kilometers between him and the black mist.


    There was a clear boundary that separated the area covered by the black mist and the normal area.


    Using his god''s sense, Darren searched the entire surrounding area and found that there were many skeletons.


    He suddenly remembered Ennis claiming he also saw a skeleton when he went there before. The other three masters also went in together to investigate.


    But apparently, there was nothing special about the skeletons. They were the remains of some inferior Heavenly Destiny Emperors after their deaths. It had nothing to do with the ancient divine ruins.


    It seemed as if the black mist had swallowed up those Heavenly Destiny Emperors who had discovered the ruins a long time ago.


    As Darren tried to move forward, the turbulent black mist suddenly surged in front of him.


    "I could feel a strong malicious aura."


    Indeed, the black mist was emanating such a strong, malicious aura. It was something that he had never felt before.


    Curious, Darren prepared to test it.


    He


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    e that powerful, then why are you still trapped inside?"


    "You don''t know what''s going on inside here, young man. I am not weak. However, this place is just too formidable even for someone like me. And anyway, if you won''t save me, you cannot escape death. All of them will destroy the Archean world... That means every creature will die.


    But if you save me, I will do my best to keep you alive. How about that?" the old man bargained.


    "Oh?" That made Darren curious. He wondered if the ruins really had anything to do with the destruction of the Archean Age.


    "Very well then. I''ll give it a try."


    The more he thought about it, the more he grew hungry for answers. He wanted to know all the secrets behind the ruins.


    With that, he put on the cyan robe.


    Upon doing so, he felt a special aura of law power surged out of the robe and wrapped itself around his whole body.


    After that, he took a few steps towards the black mist and allowed himself to be swallowed by the darkness.


    ''So he was telling the truth,'' Darren thought to himself.


    The reassuring thought made him relax a bit. Even as the black mist surrounded him, the special law power blocked it all off so that it could not erode his flesh and blood.

 Chapter 1863 Lord Feng Was Cured

    "Where are you?" Darren asked in confusion, looking around.


    The space around him was empty. The ground was flat for as far as the eye could see, without any valleys or peaks behind which someone could conceal himself.


    He didn''t see the old man anywhere.


    "Young man, don''t resist. I''ll lead you."


    A gentle force wrapped around Darren as he listened to those instructions. The space in front of him softened, and he sank into it.


    He felt a moment of dizziness as his surroundings changed.


    There was now a massive black mountain towering over him.


    Darren''s eyes widened. This old man must be a super master¡ªeven under suppression, he could use spatial power at will.


    "The mountain in front of you is pressing down on me. Young man, fly up to the highest point. Take away the golden scroll on the peak, then I will be able to come out."


    "Is it truly that simple?" Darren asked.


    The old man sighed. "Well, not really. It will take you several million years to reach the top of this enormous mountain."


    For a moment, Darren couldn''t speak. He thought to himself, ''Shit! Millions of years?


    I don''t have all that time to waste!''


    He said helplessly, "Sir, didn''t you say that the world of Archean Age will be destroyed soon? How can I help you if it takes me millions of years to reach the top?" It was not that Darren didn''t want to help, but he had other


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    ave become a supreme god, so I come back to look for you and the others. The Rule Soul Avatar is now hiding in the time and space channel. I''ve got news about Lord Starry Sword, but right now I am unable to save him..."


    "Is Lord Starry Sword also being controlled?" demanded Lord Feng, looking extremely agitated.


    He knew from his own experience how painful it was to be a puppet and to be the living dead at the same time.


    "I don''t know yet," Darren admitted, shaking his head. "It has something to do with a Sacred Sovereign who is called Amir. At my current strength level, I don''t have a chance against him. Fighting him would be tantamount to suicide."


    A bitter expression appeared on Lord Feng''s face, but there was nothing to be done about it. He moved on to a different topic. "And how about the Primitive Wilderness? How is everything going there? Have you already killed the chief gods since you stepped into the Supreme God Realm?"


    "No. The chief gods are much, much stronger than me. I have to continue to improve," said Darren.


    The old man interrupted them again. "Young men, your chief gods are indestructible. It will be impossible for you to kill them just by improving your strength level."


    Darren and Lord Feng both looked down, astonished.


    "How do you know about the existence of the chief gods?" Darren asked, unable to believe his ears.

 Chapter 1864 A Magical Treasure

    At that moment, Darren was astonished by the words of the mysterious old man in the ruins.


    He was already impressed by the old man''s ability that was beyond what he could ever imagine.


    But what was more interesting about this man was that he knew the chief gods that Darren and Lord Feng casually mentioned.


    "Of course. The existence of the chief gods is not new to me. I know about them," the old man responded straightforwardly.


    "I don''t mean to be rude, but, sir, who exactly are you?" Darren politely asked as this man''s identity really piqued his interest.


    "My identity doesn''t matter! Ha-ha! I am nothing but a man who knows a lot of secrets about the Archean Age and the Primitive Wilderness," the old man remarked.


    "Sir, I can''t help but ask, how did you know about the existence of the Primitive Wilderness?" Lord Feng questioned with courtesy.


    This old man had been kept in this place for perhaps, many years. Moreover, it must have been long ago before Darren had come to the Archean world for the first time. With this in light, could it be that he saw into the future and knew about the era called the Primitive Wilderness?


    Darren also wanted to know the old man''s answer to Lord Feng''s question.


    "That is simply because the one that I love the most is in the Primitive Wilderness. I made sure to know everything about it and I bet that I know it better than you do," after thinking for a while, the o


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    of great value?" the guard leader asked the guards.


    "Of course!" everyone answered at the same time.


    "Shh. But you must promise to keep this information between us here in this room. I expect that others won''t know about this. If everything goes smoothly, His Highness might reward us with some fragments," the guard leader said as he hoped that His Highness would grant them some portions of the treasure.


    "That''s great news! Some fragments are enough for us to break through and become Heavenly Destiny Emperors at the top level of the ninth stage, right?"


    "Yes! I hope that''s true. My cultivation base has been stuck for more than eight hundred thousand years. If I really get a share of the great treasure, there is a high chance that my cultivation base will improve right away."


    At that time, the guards exchanged thoughts as to what they would do upon getting a fragment of the treasure. To them, they saw this as an opportunity to improve their strength and have a breakthrough.


    All of them had reached their limits in their cultivation, making it impossible for them to improve their strength without the use of such great and powerful treasures.


    Sure enough, Darren was the most excited among the guards.


    ''Damn it! That is surely promising. I must get that thing,''


    Darren thought. This magical treasure had very promising properties and effects. As a result, Darren was eager to get his hands on it.

 Chapter 1865 The Fight Begins

    Darren followed after Dickens'' guards as he waited for the next order.


    Two hours later, the guard leader finally received word and immediately jumped up, ready for action.


    "They''re taking action. Let''s go!" the guard leader said. Seeing the gravity on the guard leader''s face, all the guards nodded quickly and set off with him.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    In a flash, everyone had taken off and gone straight into Ennis'' palace like a flock of birds with a vengeance.


    "Your Highness, are you okay?" asked the guard leader as soon as they landed inside.


    When Darren glanced at Dickens, there was a red mark imprinted on his face.


    The guard leader must have seen it as well, as he pulled out his saber and stood protectively in front of Dickens.


    "Ennis, are you sure you and Maria want to take the treasure by force?" Dickens confronted Ennis with a murderous look in his eyes.


    "What are you talking about? Just now, you were hatching a sinister plot against Maria and wanted to take advantage of her. I won''t let you get anything this time!" Ennis retorted frostily.


    "How dare you two conspire against me? You''re courting death!" As he said that, Dickens flew into a rage.


    "You''re too big for your britches, boy. Don''t forget that if it weren''t for your father, you wouldn''t even be qualified to speak to me. Now, I am taking that object whether you like it or not, and you can do nothing about it. Go back to your father and cry


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    oday!"


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Between one heartbeat and the next, the two sides clashed once again.


    Meanwhile, Darren had reached hundreds of thousands of kilometers away. He didn''t look back or even rest, running away without a thought.


    "Hey, flunky, if you let me go, I''ll give you a spiritual crystal!"


    Maria was secretly relieved. She thought that it was better than falling into Ennis'' hands.


    And if she was with Dickens, the sadistic man would certainly torture her.


    That was why she was happier with being captured by a lowly guard. If she gave him something in return, how could he refuse?


    "Holy Maiden, you don''t need to waste your spiritual crystal. I''m actually here to save you," Darren immediately told her.


    Jerry, who was following Darren, heard everything and instantly pulled a long face.


    "What the hell are you doing? Are you going against His Highness too?" Jerry shouted with a murderous look.


    "How dare you talk to me?! His Highness ordered you to guard me, so you are my servant. Now, you better shut up before I make you!" As he spoke, Darren turned around and subtly winked at Jerry.


    When Jerry saw that, a confused frown flashed across his face. ''What does that mean? Oh, I see! His Highness must have arranged something with Darren beforehand. No wonder he keeps winking at me all the time. Crap! I almost ruined the plan.''


    With that thought, Jerry instantly shut up and dared not say anything more.

 Chapter 1866 Getting The Treasure

    "You came here to save me? But why?" At that moment, Maria didn''t seem to understand what Darren''s purpose was in saving her.


    "It''s...I..." Darren stammered. He wanted to say something, but he could not begin to put them into words. He stopped talking as his cheeks turned red, looking really embarrassed.


    "What is it? You have not answered my question!" Maria raised her eyebrows and continued to ask aggressively, "So, tell me, why!"


    "Uh..." After hesitating, he finally blurted out, "I admire your beauty. I really don''t want to see you hurt by any bad guy. There, I said it."


    "Puff!" Maria laughed loudly upon hearing his words. However, her voice was still full of disgust.


    "You are nothing but a humble slave! Ha-ha! You are hilarious! What makes you think that you are qualified to even admire me? Humph! You should be lucky I am in this state. If I had not been poisoned, I would have snapped your neck already," Maria sneered.


    "It doesn''t really matter what you think of me. I still like you, and I want to save you. You can''t change my mind," Darren said with firm resolution.


    "Well, boy, make up your mind now. Do you really want to let go of this bitch?" Jerry pretended to be angry as if he wanted to murder Darren right then and there.


    "So what? You can kill us if you have the guts for it. Maybe it''s my fate to die with the Holy Maiden. Ha-ha." Darren laughed loudly.


    On the other hand, Maria''s fa


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    em over?" Jerry gave her a punch in the gut.


    "Are you seriously going to kill me? Who do you think you are? Even Dickens and Ennis would not dare kill me! You are ruthless, arrogant pieces of shit!" Maria growled madly, causing her voice to be hoarse.


    Hearing what she had to say, Jerry frowned and flew next to Darren.


    "Man, she is telling the truth. If we kill her, Sacred Sovereign Tiffany will surely avenge her at all cost. When that time comes, I''m afraid that even His Majesty won''t be able to handle it. Darren, what''s His Highness''s instruction?" Jerry asked Darren.


    "Well, His Highness said... that from now on, he will kneel down and call me Father when he sees me." Suddenly, Darren raised his head and looked at Jerry with a wide grin.


    He could now break through whenever he liked now that the magic treasure was in his hand.


    Damn it!


    For so long, he had pretended to be submissive. Now that there was no need for pretension, he could finally show his true power.


    Moreover, this made Darren very happy.


    "Have you gone out of your mind? How dare you insult His Highness!" Hearing Darren''s mockery, Jerry was, of course, furious.


    "Oh, wait¡ªscratch that. I made a mistake. It should be that Dickens calls me Grandpa and Gael shall call me Father," Darren taunted once more.


    "You fucking rebel! How dare you insult His Majesty?" Jerry''s eyes widened in disbelief as he saw how Darren was acting.

 Chapter 1867 Who Is He

    ''How dare Darren call the Sacred Sovereign by name, and worse, insult him?


    This guy is reckless and overconfident!''


    In Jerry''s eyes, Gael was a supreme being. His conviction was so strong that if anyone dared to disrespect Gael, he wouldn''t let them off the hook.


    "Darren, you''ve got a death wish!" Jerry gritted his teeth and released his killing intent towards Darren.


    "You''re seriously threatening me?" Darren sneered and made a mocking glance at Jerry. "You''re just a guard. Look, let me make things easier for you. You can leave here unscathed."


    "It seems that you really are betraying His Highness. You want to steal the treasure, right?" said Jerry, accusingly.


    "Steal? I obtained that item myself, so it''s rightfully mine. You call that stealing?"


    "How dare you argue? Go to hell, you crook!"


    Jerry said nothing more and threw a heavy punch at Darren.


    "You''re both two-faced imbeciles! Don''t think I don''t see right through your ruse. I''m not believing either of you anymore." Maria''s face turned a deathly pale as she looked at them both with nervous eyes. She was convinced Darren and Jerry were still tricking her so they could get all the fragments of the treasure from her.


    Boom! Boom!


    The void rumbled violent


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    hand the treasure over to me or refuse."


    Only then did Maria truly feel fear. She was on the verge of death. She had never experienced such a terrifying thing in her life.


    Buzz.


    Her Space Ring moved and a fist-sized dark red stone flew out of it.


    "Help me..."


    She stretched out her fair palm and desperately tried to grab Darren. Her mouth was gushing with blood from the wound on her throat. Struggling to speak amidst the pain, she quaveringly mouthed the word "help" towards Darren.


    Whoosh!


    A ray of green light flashed and poured into her throat.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh...


    Maria''s wound was instantly healed. She gasped for air.


    "You really let me go?" she said weakly, still shaking from her terrifying near-death experience.


    Darren ignored her and turned around.


    "If you want to take revenge, you can look for me."


    After Darren finished speaking, he quickly disappeared into the distance.


    Maria felt her heart drop. She finally admitted defeat.


    She had never thought that she would meet such a person in her entire life. She was amazed that Darren, who seemed so humble before, suddenly changed into such a superior man.


    "Who is he?" she murmured with mixed feelings as she looked into the distance.

 Chapter 1868 Reaching The Ninth Stage

    Meanwhile, Darren went back to the edge of the ancient divine ruins.


    There, he noticed that Ennis was still trying his best to fight against Dickens and his guards.


    Everything within a span of tens of thousands of kilometers was destroyed. The space had collapsed and black windstorms swept in the area.


    All of a sudden, Darren came out of nowhere.


    "Darren, where is that bitch Maria?"


    Dickens asked as he had a hard time standing up from all the injuries that he had sustained. On the other hand, the seven guards were almost on the brink of exhaustion from fighting.


    "Actually, I have let her go," Darren said as calmly as possible.


    "What?! Are you insane?" There were no words to describe how furious Dickens was after hearing Darren''s answer.


    "Yes. That means you can also stop now," remarked Darren.


    "You! You lowly bootlicker! You have even failed to complete the task. I''ll make sure to kill you later with my bare hands!"


    Boom! Boom!


    Covered in various cuts and bruises, Ennis launched a massive attack again.


    Not long after, a saber appeared in the void.


    "Your Highness, watch out!"


    Two guards, who were ninth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperors, warned Dickens, avoiding the incoming attacks to the best of their abilities.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    However, thunder rumbled fiercely as the saber hit the body of the two guards, causing the protective power on their bodies to collapse in an instant.


    "Damn


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    had just refined. As a result, the godly energy ran away wildly.


    Apparently, that was his cultivation bottleneck in the Archean Age.


    All the godly energy fled as if they had enmity with Darren.


    As it turned out, what the Rule Soul Avatar had said was true. He said that Darren would find it difficult to make progress once he became a ninth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor.


    But it was not until he reached that level that he truly felt his limit.


    At the same time, he felt a sense of contempt towards everything in the world, which was a tad bit similar to what he felt when he was promoted to being a supreme god.


    With his current strength, it was undeniable that he was still weaker than he used to be back when he was in the Primitive Wilderness.


    On the other hand, as Darren released the godly energy, Ennis and Dickens were finally able to notice his movements.


    "What a weakling! How dare you absorb the essence of the treasure right under our noses?" With his full attention plastered onto what Darren was doing, Ennis almost forgot about killing Dickens for a moment.


    "That''s Maria''s share of the treasure! You''re the one who took it!" Of course, Dickens was also furious to see that Darren was digging his own grave!


    "All you ever did was treat me as if I were a nobody. Now, I''d like to see who you are!"


    As his voice trailed off, Darren''s face immediately darkened, and his eyes were filled with murderous intent.

 Chapter 1869 The Appearance Of Sacred Sovereigns

    "Imbecile! How dare you?!"


    Dickens roared as he fumed in anger.


    He could not fathom how a previously humble servant became so arrogant the moment he upgraded to be a ninth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor after absorbing the godly energy contained in the treasure.


    Of course, Dickens would want to kill Darren so badly.


    "Don''t you know that stealing a divine treasure is a heinous crime? You deserve death by being crushed to ashes!" Ennis also glared at Darren and threatened his life.


    "Ha-ha! So what?" Darren retorted with a defiant sneer. "Who do you think you are? I don''t care even if you''re the son or the avatar of a Sacred Sovereign. All of you are rubbish before my eyes!"


    "Bastard! How dare you speak about the Sacred Sovereigns with that filthy mouth of yours?! You are doomed!"


    Immediately after, Dickens mobilized his father''s shadow to assault Darren.


    Swoosh!


    A big golden palm chased after him and pressed towards Darren.


    Its momentum was so terrifying that it was enough to make heaven and earth tremble wildly.


    However, it turned out that it had no effect on Darren.


    After all, he had already seen and experienced all kinds of things before. In fact, he had even fought against the avatars of the chief gods before. Hence, there was no way that a mere shadow of a Sacred Sovereign could suppress him.


    "Ha! Is that all you''ve got? You''re asking to get killed!"


    In a flash, Darren unleashed his Archean god''s power and threw a raging punch.


    From


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    saw her.


    This woman was none other than her master, Tiffany, who was also a Sacred Sovereign.


    "You haven''t answered my question yet. What do you want me to do?" Tiffany asked expressionlessly.


    "Master, did you see everything that happened just now?" Maria tried to dodge the question for now because she didn''t know what to say yet.


    "Yes, of course. I was already here since you were caught by that guy," Tiffany answered.


    "What? You saw what happened to me? Then, why didn''t you save me when he stabbed me in the throat with his sword?" Maria pouted.


    "You would never grow up unless you experience the fear of death in person. Oh well, that''s why I''m going to avenge you now," Tiffany replied with a shrug.


    "Master, please don''t¡­" Maria said with hints of hesitation in her voice. "Well, he spared my life, so I''m just returning the favor."


    "Oh, really? Do you think you can fool me? You clearly have other reasons." Tiffany glanced at Maria with a meaningful smile.


    "Huh? What do you mean? I don''t know what you''re talking about. I just think that it''s a pity if he dies. You''ve seen him fight, and I am intrigued to see how strong he can become in the near future. I want to know if he can become a Sacred Sovereign," Maria uttered softly.


    "Ha! You are a naughty girl," Tiffany snorted as she shook her head.


    However, the next moment, she looked up in the sky and murmured, "Here comes the old guy, Gael. That brat would need a miracle if he wanted to live."

 Chapter 1870 Gaels Arrival

    "Master, has Gael arrived?" Maria asked as she heard her master''s words. Somehow, she could not help but worry about Darren''s situation.


    She never knew why exactly. All she knew was that she had a strong feeling that she did not want this exceptional man to die.


    "Yes. He will be here soon."


    "Master, can you help him? In fact, you can accept him as a disciple," suggested Maria.


    "Are you sure that you do not have any other intentions with this man? I cannot understand. What does he have that would turn me against Gael? To think that this lad killed Gael''s son directly, I am sure that the old man is livid, of course! Even if I interfere with the battle, there is no assurance that I would be able to stop him," Tiffany explained.


    "But he... He appears to have great potential. If you take him as your disciple, won''t our sect become stronger once he becomes a Sacred Sovereign? I hope you reconsider," urged Maria.


    "Bah! You are too gullible! Do you really think he is willing to submit to others? Think about it! This guy didn''t take Gael seriously at all. He is an unmanageable brat! How sure are you that he has what it takes to listen to others and become a disciple? Just go. I will spare his life since you don''t want to kill him.


    However, I find it impossible to do the task you ask of me. I can''t help him. That''s all I can offer," Tiffany said


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    pet, even before Darren appeared and killed his son, he would have traded it without thinking twice.


    To him, nothing else mattered in the world except for his life and the value of Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Oh, Gael. I pity you. You are just too naive. I dared to show up in public and kill your son. Do you really think I''m not prepared?" Meanwhile, Darren appeared to be taking the situation very easily. Gael, on the other hand, felt very irritated and uneasy seeing this behavior.


    "You have no chance to struggle in front of me. You will be dead in no time!" Without a doubt, Gael wouldn''t show how anxious he was about the entire situation.


    "Oh, is that so? Okay, I''ll give you a hint¡ªAmir."


    Apparently, Darren had no idea that Gael would show himself up so soon. As a result, he had to make things up to disrupt Gael and buy him more time.


    As he expected, when Gael heard Amir''s name, his eyes flashed a trace of subtle fear.


    "What? You have met Amir?!" Gael exclaimed in excitement.


    "Ha-ha." Darren sneered, "Yes, indeed, I''ve met him. Moreover, we even made a pact. Aren''t you curious to know about our little agreement?"


    "You stupid brat! Amir is already dead. Don''t talk nonsense!" The truth was that he knew very well that Amir was still alive. However, what he feared most was the fact that he didn''t know where he was at that time.

 Chapter 1871 A Gathering Of Four Sacred Sovereigns

    As Tiffany was about to leave, she caught a bit of the conversation between Darren and Gael.


    She was stunned for a moment when she heard the way Darren talked to Gael.


    How could that young man speak so insolently?


    As she listened to more of their conversation, she noticed that Gael didn''t seem to mind, and they were talking like they knew each other for a long time.


    Besides, she had never seen him so calm. She couldn''t believe that he could stay this serene in front of the man who killed his son.


    She found it all very strange, which made her incredibly curious.


    Tiffany began to piece together the clues to Darren''s identity in her mind.


    ''Huh? He just mentioned Amir.''


    Tiffany''s eyes narrowed, and she looked off to the distance quietly.


    She had immediately recognized Amir''s name because he used to be very famous across the world. In the Archean world, virtually everyone knew him.


    Unfortunately, the immortal creatures managed to suppress him in the forbidden area many years ago. After that, everything went to the dogs. He went insane for the rest of his life and finally died at the hands of an unknown master.


    However, that boy had mentioned Amir just now. Did that mean Amir was still alive?


    And if that boy truly had something to do with Amir, Tiffany had every reason to stay.


    That was because she had always admired Amir and looked up to him as a legendary hero even when she was still a chi


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    that they could go through their lives without ever meeting one since they were incredibly rare.


    But today, four of them had gathered in one place, and they were right in front of him.


    If the other cultivators were in his place, they would have died of a heart attack on the spot.


    Tiffany, on the other hand, was ecstatic to see that Atlas held grudge against Gael, for she thought that she could curry favor from him. Without an ally, she couldn''t protect Darren. "It''s good that you are here, Atlas. Otherwise, Gael might start thinking that he can just do whatever he wants," she commented.


    "Humph! Tiffany, don''t expect me to help you either. I think that boy is too arrogant, so even if I have to deal with Gael, I will kill that boy first. You''d better give him up instead," Atlas responded straightforwardly as he saw through Tiffany''s mind.


    He had sensed everything that happened before his avatar, Ennis, died.


    Therefore, he didn''t intend to let Darren go either, and there was no way that he would help him.


    Tiffany began to lose hope. Three of the four Sacred Sovereigns present wanted to kill Darren, and it felt like they had enemies on all sides. How could she keep Darren safe when she would surely have trouble protecting herself?


    "Ha-ha, it seems that I have made it big. After all, three shameless bastards are dying to kill me. I''m so honored," Darren sneered, provoking their enemies even more.

 Chapter 1872 The Backer

    Darren''s words instantly made the three Sacred Sovereigns so mad that their killing intents were overflowing.


    ''Where does this guy get his confidence? His arrogance is astounding!


    Unless he does have a basis for his attitude, '' they thought to themselves.


    They couldn''t fathom how Darren could be so calm and casual in front of the Sacred Sovereigns when he was just a mere ninth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperor.


    Besides, the innate pressure and imperial magnificence carried by a Sacred Sovereign were not something ordinary creatures could simply resist with their wills.


    However, it seemed that Darren was not affected at all. Instead, it was as if he was deliberately acting conceitedly in front of them.


    This was the reason why the Sacred Sovereigns were actually intrigued by him. None of them attacked him, thinking that he was not simply what they thought he was.


    "So, won''t the three of you try to kill Darren?" Tiffany asked.


    Actually, she was also intrigued by Darren, but she just wanted to stir the situation all the more, so that the three Sacred Sovereigns wouldn''t dare to make a rash move.


    At this point, the three Sacred Sovereigns had already become more vigilant.


    "Hey, Tiffany, who the hell is this guy?" Atlas could not help but ask, speculating that this might be some sort of a trap.


    "Don''t worry. I don''t think he has a powerful backer. Just kill him if you want. You''re being too soft-hearted!" Tiffany replied with a sly smile.


    "Humph! You are being unreasonable again!" Atlas shouted coldly.


    "What? Why are you gettin


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    the two.


    "Humph! I hate to admit it, but you''re actually right." Atlas snorted coldly and was disappointed at the thought that he couldn''t defeat Gael.


    "As I said earlier, I am going to take this brat with me. So, if any one of you is still dissatisfied, come on and stop me now!" Gael still showed that he would not budge.


    "Stubborn old man! If you still insist on doing that, I won''t mind teaching you a lesson together with Atlas. We''re going to make sure that you learn the hard way!" Kairo also snapped and threatened Gael as he continued to push what he wanted.


    Now, if Kairo and Atlas really joined hands to take on Gael, the latter would definitely have no chance of winning.


    "Ha! Shame on you! You''re really going to work together and gang up on me?" Gael lashed out.


    "Then don''t force us to do it!" Kairo retorted firmly.


    Gael still had a livid face, but he didn''t dare to say anything more. He knew his limitations, so he just had to accept that things wouldn''t go his way.


    "All right. Now, let''s deal with this brat."


    Upon noticing that Gael had finally given up, Kairo flew towards Darren and said, "I didn''t expect that someone like you has something to do with Amir. Anyway, you must know where he is hiding, right? Take us to him, and we will believe you. Of course, we''re also going to spare your life. What do you think? Does that sound good for you?"


    "Nope. Not the least interested," Darren said indifferently. "Why are you in such a hurry to die? If he already wants to show up, he will do so. Just wait patiently until then."

 Chapter 1873 Return To The Qin Clans Holy Land

    As a matter of fact, Darren previously had no idea of how intimidating Amir was.


    He didn''t expect that all the Sacred Sovereigns present would become alert at the mention of Amir''s name.


    All of them had a hunch that Amir''s death was just a scam, and he was still alive somewhere.


    As a result, the Sacred Sovereigns present were forced not to kill Darren right away.


    Above all, they were all interested to know where Amir was hiding, so they tried to squeeze information out of Darren as much as they could.


    But Gael thought differently from them. That was because upon knowing that Amir was really still alive, all he felt was fear slowly creeping down his spine.


    He tried his best to hold Darren captive because he had wanted to keep the secret of Amir''s whereabouts to himself. This way, he could take better precautions against the enemy.


    Therefore, Darren was not killed yet.


    Now that his life was spared, he could not help but sigh in his heart. Apparently, he had been more skillful in the art of deception these past few days.


    For now, as long as those Sacred Sovereigns were misled into the ancient divine ruins, Darren strongly believed that the mysterious old man in the ruins would not allow him to be killed.


    "You stupid brat! You are just as arrogant as Amir!"


    "I beg to disagree. I can never be compared


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    o preoccupied with their anger towards Darren that they did not bother knowing the Sacred Sovereigns'' identities. At that moment, they just considered the four people behind Darren as nobodies.


    "This little bastard even dared to bring a bunch of nobodies with him! I''ll kill all of you today. I don''t want to let my master down."


    Soon after, all the one hundred cultivators released their killing intent at the same time.


    "This force has been guarding here all the time. I told you not to come, but you didn''t listen to me. Am I not right? And now, to make things worse, they want to kill us. What should we do?" Darren said sarcastically.


    However, the four Sacred Sovereigns ignored Darren''s words.


    "I''m sure they are part of Ernst''s servants."


    "I can just tell from their auras. It''s not that hard."


    Kairo and Atlas made remarks with their dreary faces.


    "How dare you call my master by his name? We will not spare a single life! Kill them all!"


    "Yes, sir!"


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    Immediately, the cultivators readied themselves and launched a full-force attack on Darren''s team.


    "You bootlickers! How dare you underestimate me!"


    Atlas shouted in fury. As soon as he finished his words, the golden light burst out from his body, and the overbearing aura of the Sacred Sovereign spread, rising towards the sky.

 Chapter 1874 Deterrence

    "Sacred Sovereign!"


    all the cultivators clad in black robes yelled upon sensing the aura of Atlas.


    They could not help but wonder why there would be a Sacred Sovereign by Darren''s side.


    As the golden light radiated more brightly, the cultivators had no other choice but to kneel before its power.


    "What on earth is going on around here?"


    "I can''t believe that a Sacred Sovereign really came here!"


    "P...please spare us! We didn''t mean to offend you. Please."


    All the black-robed cultivators knelt and begged for mercy as the power and the aura of the Sacred Sovereign gave them nothing but chilling fear.


    "Such a pity. There is no use to beg for mercy, you pathetic low lives!"


    Kairo spat as he released his threatening aura as well.


    "I can''t believe it! He is also a Sacred Sovereign!"


    "What''s up with today? Why are we facing not one, but two Sacred Sovereigns at the same time?"


    In fact, the extreme fear and anxiety brought by the Sacred Sovereigns made several cultivators pass out!


    "Humph. Let''s not waste time. Just kill them. I don''t care."


    Soon after, both Tiffany and Gael released the power of the Sacred Sovereign.


    "What the hell?!"


    Now, there were not only two Sacred Sovereigns in front of them, but four! Almost instantly, the cultivators who flew midair were directly suppressed by the power of these four Sacred Sovereigns.


    At that moment, it could not be denied that these cultivators had just exper


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    who was left inside.


    "Amir, why don''t you kill Gael, now that he''s within your grasp?" Darren asked curiously.


    But Amir didn''t answer. After thinking for a while, he said, "Are you playing tricks on me? Did you purposely lead several Sacred Sovereigns here to destroy me?"


    "What? Of course, not! Can''t you see that they caught me and forced me to come here?" Darren argued.


    "Humph!" Amir snorted coldly and then said, "I can''t kill any Sacred Sovereign at present. Just now, it was my Distorted Space that absorbed the attack and caused the illusion to deceive them, so you need to help me kill Gael.


    Kill him and take the Sacred Sovereign crystal from his body. After that, give it to me. Do you understand?"


    "Ha-ha. Well, I''m in great danger now. If I''m not careful enough, they can kill me. I bet that it would be useful if you can fend for yourself, too," replied Darren.


    Hearing that made Amir silent for a moment. What Darren said was true.


    "In that case, I am willing to pay a lot to threaten them again. As long as you don''t expose your killing intent, I believe that they won''t dare harm you."


    Not long after, a myriad of lotus flowers appeared in the dark space and condensed into a dark claw.


    At that moment, Darren had no idea of what would happen outside the dark space.


    All he heard was Amir''s loud and crisp scream from the dark space.


    Apart from that, he also heard the sound of a whip hitting people very hard.

 Chapter 1875 Enter The Ruins Again

    Darren was extremely surprised at what he heard.


    It seemed that Amir was being beaten.


    "Amir, what''s happening?"


    Darren couldn''t help but shout with a worried expression.


    However, there was no response. All he could hear was the sound of a whip lashing and Amir''s painful roar.


    This agonizing process lasted for fifteen more minutes before it finally ended.


    "What the hell happened?" Darren was utterly confused.


    He couldn''t help but speculate that Amir might have been imprisoned by someone. Moreover, just now, it seemed that he was receiving a brutal whipping.


    It was inconceivable because he was supposed to be pretty powerful.


    Buzz!


    The space vibrated and Amir''s figure that was initially formed by his spiritual sense eventually vanished into thin air.


    As the darkness receded, Darren was back to the outside world.


    Then, as soon as he came out, he saw a golden light bursting out from Kairo. At the same time, there was a horrifying palm print on his chest.


    "Your Majesty, you don''t have to worry about it. Darren is our friend, so we will never hurt him,"


    Kairo said through gritted teeth as he bowed to the void in front of him.


    This was the threat left behind by Amir, thus they didn''t dare to make any rash move.


    While he was not there, Darren could just imagine how Amir had injured Kairo with just a si


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    actually given to him by the old man, which was something that could resist the erosion of the black mist.


    Darren made up his mind to put on the robe and directly step into the black mist.


    As he started wandering inside, all Darren could see was a barren space filled with malicious black mist.


    It was terribly quiet, and he felt as though he was the only living creature in this dark and dull void.


    "Sir, can you hear me? Are you still here?"


    As Darren''s voice echoed back from the unfathomable mist, he sensed that something was off.


    "What happened here?"


    He felt that it was completely different from the last time that he went there.


    After all, inside this space, millions of years had already passed, and a lot of things might have already changed.


    "Did something bad happen?"


    Darren mumbled as he started feeling uneasy.


    Of course, he was worried because he didn''t want anything bad to happen to the old man or Lord Feng.


    After a while, Darren kicked off from the ground and soared into the air.


    He tried to follow the direction from his memory and fly towards the mountain where the old man had been trapped.


    However, at that time, Darren had been pulled over by the old man through some spatial means. Since he was on his own right now, it would be extremely difficult for Darren to find the old man this time.

 Chapter 1876 Endless Darkness

    As he continued to look around, Darren found that there was no trace of any living creature in the dark space.


    At the same time, even though the temperature in this place was not low, Darren could still feel the chill.


    It was his first time experiencing this in years.


    Since he was alone and was surrounded by nothingness, Darren felt rather lonely.


    He began feeling this just after wandering for two hours. Hence, he couldn''t help but think of the condition of the old man. After all, he didn''t know exactly how many years that old man had been imprisoned in this place.


    Thus, Darren was sure that the old man must have endured so much loneliness while being trapped here.


    Moreover, the ratio of time in this place and the outside world was about one million to one. It meant that if a hundred years passed in the outside world, one hundred million years had already passed in this desolate place.


    Obviously, the old man was already imprisoned for more than a million years according to the time of the outside world.


    Therefore, if a million years had already elapsed in the outside world, it would feel like an eternity in this dark place.


    Meanwhile, Darren was flying at a high speed. He could not clearly see, but there were shadows of several mountains around, as well as plants of unknown colors.


    As he continued flying, two years had already passed.


    But he still continued, not really knowing where he w


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    heart skipped when he saw this. His avatar was his last chance to survive, and it seemed that something bad happened to his eyes.


    Just now, the Rule Soul Avatar had activated his silvery eyes to pry into the law silk threads in the space where Darren was. However, as soon as he did it, his eyes burst out.


    "What happened? How are you?" At this point, Darren had become extremely anxious.


    After all, the silvery eyes of the Rule Soul Avatar were what he was using to communicate with all kinds of laws. Hence, if he lost them, he would be greatly disabled.


    Boom!


    Not long after, the Rule Soul Avatar trembled, and his eyes burst out once again, leaving two bloody holes on his face.


    "Rule Soul Avatar! What is happening?" Darren shouted as his eyes widened.


    "Don''t worry, my real body. This phenomenon may actually be a good thing for me."


    The Rule Soul Avatar tried to make Darren calm, but he was actually in a lot of pain. After answering his real body, he sat in the darkness with his legs crossed.


    It turned out that this was not the first time that the silvery eyes of the Rule Soul Avatar had burst out.


    Previously, this also happened while he was in Yama''s Prefecture in the abyss. In the end, his eyes actually upgraded and turned into the Laws-assimilating Silvery Eyes, which he had right now.


    Thus, this time, the Rule Soul Avatar sensed that his eyes might be undergoing another breakthrough.

 Chapter 1877 The Solution

    Without uttering a sound, Darren did not bother to disturb the Rule Soul Avatar any further.


    Time flew fast in this way


    that no one noticed that thousands of years had already gone by.


    One day, the Rule Soul Avatar finally moved a muscle, awakened from his seemingly endless silence.


    There, he closed his eyes while he sat cross-legged. He raised his hand and waved his fair palm like he was pulling something.


    Meanwhile, in the distance, there was a flicker of hazy light.


    Not long after, balls of light dots started to blink in the darkness.


    Gradually, these light dots gathered, becoming more and more luminous in the process.


    As this happened, Darren clearly felt that the Time Law had finally arrived in this place.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    After almost five hundred years, exceedingly strong light erupted out in the pitch-dark area.


    From a very far distance, a blazing sphere rotated slowly around, creating a colorful halo.


    Soon after, the colorful light dispersed down in an orderly fashion, forming a curtain of light.


    After a few years, the colors on the light curtain began to even out, and a massive wilderness began to emerge on the light curtain.


    There, ancient buildings started to appear one after another, gradually spreading in the center of this wilderness. This marked the start of the world becoming full of life.


    Soon after, several people began pacing on the ligh


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    come so imaginary that Darren could not sense him in any tangible manner.


    "Have you comprehended the Spatial Law?" Darren couldn''t help but sigh in his heart. Without a doubt, the Rule Soul Avatar was beyond incredible that he could even comprehend the Spatial Law of this mysterious world.


    "I just met the old man you mentioned. He guided me to find the silk threads of the Spatial Law. That is the reason why I was able to comprehend it."


    "This is great news! Now, what are you waiting for? Go and save Lord Feng!" Darren exclaimed in excitement.


    "As you wish."


    Immediately, the shadow of the Rule Soul Avatar disappeared again, and a seemingly endless amount of golden light started to fall from the massive mountain.


    These rays of golden light displayed mysterious characters. Faintly, Darren could see that a fair palm held these characters as if it was catching bugs in the forest.


    Meanwhile, after three short months, the space between heaven and earth began to shake violently.


    Darren witnessed how the high mountain shrank dramatically, turning into a stone tablet in the blink of an eye.


    At the same time, an old man with white hair was seen pressed under this stone tablet.


    "Phew!"


    As it turned out, the man looked like he had just woken up from his deep slumber. Not long after, he put his old and shaky hands on the ground and tried to lift his body up with all his strength.

 Chapter 1878 The Mystery Of The Chief Gods (Part One)

    As the old man slowly rose higher, the stone tablet seemed to have suddenly become as heavy as a world and pressed down on him.


    "Let me help, sir!"


    As he said this, Darren flew over and grabbed the stone tablet''s edges with both hands. When he found purchase, he pulled it with all his strength.


    Darren roared and grunted with effort.


    "Ah!" he shouted as he pulled and pulled.


    He only stopped when his arms were cramping up from the exertion.


    However, the stone tablet had not even budged!


    The Archean power was supposed to help Darren lift objects that were trillions of pounds heavier than him, but the stone tablet''s weight far exceeded his strength.


    Darren couldn''t believe it!


    "Young man, get out of the way. I''ll do it myself," the old man muttered weakly.


    With a reluctant nod, Darren withdrew his hold on the stone tablet and stepped back.


    The old man put his hands on the ground again, visibly gathering his strength.


    Then, he uttered a loud groan as he tried to lift himself up.


    He looked like he was in a lot of pain, and his body shook all over as if the exertion was taking a toll on him.


    "Rise!"


    the old man yelled out through gritted teeth.


    In the next moment, a circle of exceedingly strong energy wave spread out, which inadvertently pushed Darren back dozens of kilometers away.


    But finally, the old m


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    ance Law of this land would automatically suppress me. That suppression would weaken me to the extent that I could not hold a candle to the Archean Rulers or the chief gods. I won''t even have the chance to kill them," the old man lengthily explained.


    Darren and the others nodded thoughtfully. Indeed, that was how strong those strongest warriors from the Archean Age and the Primitive Wilderness were. Their existence could never be erased.


    "What do you mean by the Archean Rulers?"


    A confused frown graced Darren''s lips, as it was the first time that he and the others had heard of it.


    "The Archean Rulers control the world of the Archean Age while hiding in the chaos, just like the chief gods of the Primitive Wilderness.


    Look at this."


    After saying that, the old man waved his hand in front of them, and a light screen suddenly appeared.


    It showed a yellow-colored sea.


    Massive rolling waves created continuous deafening roars as nine huge bodies floated in the boundless yellow water.


    Boom! Boom!


    Majestic Archean power burst out from it, and the nine huge bodies suddenly rose and soared into the sky.


    These nine bodies were made of metal¡ªcold, firm, and mighty.


    What surprised Darren and the others most was that the nine bodies resembled the chief gods of the Primitive Wilderness. In fact, they looked like exact copies!

 Chapter 1879 The Mystery Of The Chief Gods (Part Two)

    All the chief gods of the Primitive Wilderness looked the same, except for their God Characters.


    They all had huge metal bodies and dark gold ruthless eyes. They looked like human-shaped weapons.


    Darren and the others hadn''t expected the Archean Rulers to be built the same way.


    At the sight of their surprised expressions, the old man asked, "Do you think this is a coincidence?"


    Darren shook his head. "No, I don''t think so," he said.


    The old man nodded before saying, "Exactly. In fact, the Archean Rulers and the chief gods of the Primitive Wilderness are all man-made. They are just weapons."


    A loud buzz sounded, signaling the surge of emotions in Darren''s mind.


    The invincible rulers of their land were actually man-made?


    The information was so bizarrely incredible that Darren was finding it hard to digest.


    "How is that possible, sir?" Lord Feng, who had remained silent so far, spoke up, his eyes wide with disbelief.


    The Archean Rulers and the chief gods were mere entities that some person had created?


    Could such a powerful person exist in the universe?


    "It''s true. There is such a world on the other side of the dark sky. They are the creator


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    met a legendary beast in this world?" the old man said, his eyebrows raised.


    What Darren understood from this was that if the members of the Immortal God race were genuine gods to the people of the Archean Age, then the genuine dragon from outer space was also a genuine god to the Immortal God race.


    The power of the genuine dragon from outer space was beyond his imagination.


    "Knowing all this is useless if you don''t follow through with killing the chief gods. That''s the most important point of all. The secret of the Immortal God race may then be completely unraveled." The old man stopped at this and didn''t continue.


    "Sir," the Rule Soul Avatar said, looking at the old man dubiously, "you know a lot about the Archean Age and the Primitive Wilderness. You have mastered the Time Law, if I''m not mistaken?"


    The old man shook his head. "No. I haven''t mastered it. My soul is not restricted by the laws. It can use some abilities of the Time Law to explore the Archean world and the Primitive Wilderness. In my opinion, you are the only one who can really control the Time Law.


    Because Brax''s silvery eyes were born in the source region of time," the old man said.

 Chapter 1880 The Whereabouts Of The Blessing God Character

    It was no wonder that the silvery eyes of the Rule Soul Avatar possessed so much power.


    It turned out this pair of eyes was born in the source region of time.


    This source region of time was the root of all laws. Therefore, only the Rule Soul Avatar had the ability to see through all the law silk threads through his silvery eyes.


    "If Supreme God Braxton possessed the eyes, she should have become even more powerful, right? But why did she die?" the Rule Soul Avatar asked out of nowhere.


    For a while, the old man kept silent and just smiled bitterly. "Well, it is a long story. Brax meeting Alfredo was a tragedy. In fact, she died before she could even grow powerful enough.


    I don''t really want to talk about it," the old man remarked with a frown on his face.


    Braxton was his granddaughter and the only family member that he had. Of course, her loss was very depressing for him.


    However, even if the old man wanted to do something, the Immortal God race was just too powerful and out of his reach.


    When he heard this, Darren''s heart also sank, and he seriously asked, "Sir, what should I do to become the strongest?" Knowing that there was a race that was even more powerful than the chief gods, he felt less confident.


    "Well, in addition to the help that you got from Alfredo and Brax, you onl


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    st because of a specific God Character. He speculated that it had something to do with all those four God Characters, which should have brought a certain overwhelming effect.


    However, due to various reasons, the whereabouts of the Blessing God Character remained to be unknown.


    Since the old man knew so many things about the Archean Age and the Primitive Wilderness era, Darren thought that he might have also known the location of the Blessing God Character.


    While he was waiting for the old man''s response, Darren''s heart couldn''t stop beating so fast. Of course, he was growing excited and expectant.


    "The Blessing God Character? Where is it exactly?" The old man didn''t give a direct answer but just sighed.


    Then, after a while, he looked at Darren and said, "The truth is that you have already met it a long time ago."


    "What? How is that possible?"


    Darren was extremely puzzled. Did the old man just say that he met the Blessing God Character himself? It was obviously inconceivable for him.


    After all, if he had really met it before, he should have felt and known it.


    "Fine. Let me tell you. The Blessing God Character has turned into twin creatures," the old man reminded.


    "Wait¡­ Twin creatures?"


    Darren furrowed his brows as he recalled the twin creatures that he had met before.

 Chapter 1881 Form An Array To Attack

    The Blessing God Character had turned into living beings!


    Darren searched his memory. Finally, he thought of something that could be the answer.


    "Sir, if I understand correctly, are you saying that the twin creatures are the children of Supreme God Braxton?"


    What had come to Darren''s mind was the memory of Aaron and Donovan.


    Back then, Darren had saved Aaron by accident in the Raksa Sea of the Lothlann Continent. Later, the Rule Soul Avatar had saved another child who looked exactly like Aaron, naming him Donovan.


    "Braxton has never been married, so she doesn''t have children at all. However, you are still partly right. Those two black-eyed children are transformed from the Blessing God Character," the old man replied.


    A complicated feeling rose in Darren''s heart.


    As it turned out, the Blessing God Character had already come to him, and they had become two cute children.


    In that moment, he felt lost and uncertain.


    He still vividly remembered how Aaron had considered him as his elder brother.


    "If I obtain the Blessing God Character, will it lead to the disappearance of Aaron and Donovan?" he asked in a low voice.


    "Yes," replied the old man. "Once they merge, their lives will be erased. It will be as though they had never been to this world."


    Darren hesitated, and then gave a single nod. "I understand," he said. No one coul


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    le claw suddenly appeared in front of Darren.


    He sensed quickly that it was much more powerful than each of the separate attacks launched by the eight masters just now.


    Darren''s face darkened. The Killing Array had combined the attacks of eight people into a single, powerful thrust. The array had allowed them to increase their strength exponentially.


    They shouted, "Kill him!"


    Darren closed his eyes. The blade and sword circled around him, moving faster and faster.


    The claw lunged forward, colliding with the blade and sword.


    Their movements were so rapid that they clashed over ten thousand times over the span of just a few seconds.


    "You''re dead now!" Adrian yelled triumphantly.


    Even as he spoke, there were more booms, as tens of thousands of terrifying claws descended from the void at the same time.


    Darren''s eyes widened at the assemblage of claws, which stretched out as far as the eye could see.


    What a formidable, frightening array the eight masters had formed!


    ''I didn''t have to worry, after all. There''s no way he can defeat this!'' Adrian thought exultantly, laughing at the shock on Darren''s face.


    He was overjoyed. He knew the eight masters were powerful, but an attack like that had been beyond his wildest expectations. Why, they might even be capable of competing with someone who was about to become a Sacred Sovereign!

 Chapter 1882 Kill Them All

    Upon activation of the Killing Array, it immediately showed its astonishing power.


    Under the tremendous pressure of the terrifying claws, Adrian finally felt a sense of relief.


    He estimated that even a Sacred Sovereign''s phantom was not able to rival such kind of power.


    "Sword Abyss!"


    Darren shouted without hesitation.


    Swoosh!


    In an instant, his surroundings turned into an abyss of swords.


    Although Darren wasn''t actually a master of swordsmanship in the Archean Age, he already had enough experience from fighting countless powerful warriors to easily comprehend a powerful sword move at any time.


    At this moment, the horrifying claws continued to press down as endless sword shadows slashed out.


    As the two sides clashed, a vast amount of Archean power surged out, destroying the space around them.


    "Damn it! This guy is really powerful!"


    The eight Archean Age cultivators were in awe.


    They had already killed so many strong masters in the Archean Age with the Killing Array, but it astounded them that Darren could still fight and resist them with ease.


    The power of his sword move had already reached the summit, which made him almost invincible.


    "Slash!"


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Meanwhile, in the sword abyss, the domineering aura of the blade could be seen everywhere.


    At the same time, endless blades slashed into the void.


    This time, the expressions of the eight cultivators changed again due to shock. Then, they tried to increase their Archean power, directly bringing the power of the Killing Array to its maximum.


    Crack! Crack!


    Murderous thunder roared and bolts of lightning struck one after an


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    saw a calm face, which ironically horrified him to the extreme.


    "It''s you!"


    Adrian''s heart almost jumped out. His body instantly trembled and restlessness could be seen from his eyes.


    "How¡­"


    He looked at Darren as if he had seen a ghost. In fact, he could not even finish his sentence.


    "What happened to your tongue? You can''t afford to offend me, can you?" At this very moment, Darren appeared to be a ruthless demon that landed in front of Adrian.


    "No, of course not. Forgive me, Lord Darren. Please spare me," Adrian uttered as he lowered his head.


    Upon hearing this, Darren scoffed and shook his head. "Why are there so many stupid and ignorant people in the world? They always think that they will be spared if they ask for mercy. I don''t really get it."


    "Sir, please¡­ I am really sorry for offending you in the past."


    Adrian immediately kowtowed, but then dozens of silver needles suddenly appeared in his palms.


    "Go to hell, you arrogant bastard!"


    Adrian roared, gritting his teeth. He couldn''t bear the humiliation anymore so he dared to attack Darren, knowing that he would die anyway if he didn''t do anything. Then, dozens of needles instantly shot out and hit Darren''s throat.


    Clang! Clang!


    Even though the needles hit Darren''s body, he still stood firmly, completely unharmed.


    It seemed that the silver needles couldn''t break Darren''s absolute defense that was formed by his Archean god''s power.


    "How could you be this stupid?" Darren asked with a defiant sneer.


    Splat!


    With a swift sword strike, Adrian was instantly split into half, and his lifeless body fell to the ground with a loud thud.

 Chapter 1883 The Archean Dragon Blood Cultivator

    Darren withdrew his sword as he landed nimble-footed on the ground.


    He contemplated his cultivation base and found that it was now between a Heavenly Destiny Emperor''s and a Sacred Sovereign''s.


    ''I still have no chance of defeating Gael, '' he mused.


    After all, Darren was not yet a Sacred Sovereign. He couldn''t fight Gael, who possessed a powerful law power that was beyond Darren''s capabilities.


    But that didn''t mean that Darren wouldn''t kill him.


    An invisible pressure clutched at Darren''s heart, imploring him to put all of his strength into improving his cultivation base so that he could return to the Primitive Wilderness as soon as possible.


    Darren looked up and into the distance.


    He spotted Gael''s palace several spaces away.


    Darren watched him for a bit before taking off and flying towards the forbidden area in the north.


    At his current speed, it took him half a month to reach the forbidden area.


    The earth trembled as Darren landed on the ground, causing hundreds of high-level Heavenly Destiny Emperors to emerge from the hall, seething in anger.


    "How dare you break into His Majesty Gael''s palace!


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    rren fired back before stretching out his hand. The surface of his skin hardened almost immediately, dragon scales appearing on his palm.


    In a flash, Darren''s arm had turned into a dragon claw.


    "What! You are also a dragon blood cultivator!" Gael''s servants were shocked.


    Even Gael was surprised. This young man not only had his own talent, but also had an incredible avatar. He could even transform into the dragon form. This was far beyond Gael''s expectations.


    "Ha-ha! I think God favors me. You even have dragon blood! This is great! Once I turn you into a puppet and cultivate you with dragon blood, you will surpass me in the future!


    With a killing machine like you by my side, I will conquer the world in the blink of an eye!"


    The higher Darren''s potential was, the happier Gael became.


    "Does that mean you have more dragon blood?" Darren raised his eyebrows.


    "You will understand once you become my puppet," Gael sneered.


    "Laurence, take him down!" he ordered.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Gael wanted to see the full extent of Darren''s power so that he could plan how to make use of this puppet in the future.

 Chapter 1884 The Evolution Of The Dragon Body

    Laurence rushed towards Darren, dragon spear in hand.


    "Do you really think you are invincible because you own a little dragon blood?"


    Darren shouted as he turned into a huge dragon.


    But in the Archean Age, his transformation meant that he could only use the instinctive power of the dragon. He could not harness the power of the Dragon and Fiend Cultivation.


    Which meant that his turning into a dragon wasn''t a guarantee of strength.


    This was why he had never turned into a dragon since he had gotten to the Archean Age. But things were different now.


    Darren''s dragon power was special, even Scott''s dragon blood aura wouldn''t be able to suppress it.


    This could only mean one thing: that


    Darren''s dragon blood level was almost at level with Scott''s.


    It was widely known that Scott possessed the purest Archean Dragon Soul blood. The dragon blood level of the cultivators here was far inferior to Scott''s.


    Darren had decided to display his dragon power because he wanted to take advantage of its innate suppression force and use it on the dragon blood cultivators.


    Laurence was stunned to see the giant dragon in the sky, an indescribable fear


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    ren swiped in the air with his dragon claws. Since Gael''s body defense wasn''t strong enough, he didn''t dare fight Darren head on.


    His figure flashed as he dodged Darren''s slaps.


    "You think you can escape?"


    Darren sneered.


    His dragon tail continued to sweep across space, collapsing everything in a million kilometer radius.


    Only a black space windstorm remained in the world.


    "Ahhh!"


    The advanced stage Heavenly Destiny Emperors who were Gael''s subordinates couldn''t resist Darren''s dragon power. Many of them died on the spot.


    Gael, on the other hand, had nowhere to hide. The space around him was broken.


    "Brat, I didn''t expect you to be so powerful. I wanted to refine you as a puppet, but now it looks like I have to kill you first and then find another way!"


    Gael said, his fury evident on his face.


    A young man in the dragon form was chasing him, a Sacred Sovereign. This made him desperate to kill Darren.


    It stoked the fire within him and


    with a loud roar, he began to activate thousands of Archean laws in his body.


    In this moment, it looked like Gael had completely integrated his body with the laws of heaven and earth.

 Chapter 1885 Soaring Through The Sky

    In the next moment, Gael transformed into the laws and launched countless kinds of strange attacks at Darren.


    Darren let out a fearsome roar in response, and the dragon power surged violently.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    In the blink of an eye, the laws began to collapse, and the dragon power shattered into oblivion.


    "This old bastard certainly earned the title of the Sacred Sovereign. Although I am immune to most of his law attacks, the old man can still force me to a corner."


    It seemed that Darren had estimated Gael''s strength. If he wanted to kill the older man, he would have to use more than thirty percent of his Primitive Wilderness power.


    He figured that Gael must be only one level lower compared to Alden, the Bloodsucker Ancestor with twelve pairs of bat wings.


    Some time ago, Darren, who was a supreme god of the Primitive Wilderness at the time, had fought Alden, and they had ended at an impasse.


    It underlined how powerful Gael really was.


    The two sides continuously attacked and resisted each other. That went on and on until the space within ten million kilometers had been utterly destroyed.


    Their battle went on for seven days and nights, and by then, everything had been reduced to a wreck.


    However, Darren didn''t escape unscathed, as his dragon body had been extensively damaged.


    On the other side, Gael''s frenzied eruption of power gradually decreased his strength.


    The two sid


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    ones, and then he dived down in an aerial attack.


    Gael saw him coming and gathered all his strength to defend.


    Boom! Boom!


    Using his dragon tail, Darren quickly swept Gael off his feet.


    In response, Gael mobilized the laws to resist and counterattack.


    The two of them clashed over and over, pushing and pulling at each other.


    Darren abruptly turned back, landing right below Gael.


    He immediately rushed up with all his strength, unleashed his dragon power to the limit, and then shot towards Gael. "Do you think I don''t know what you''re doing?


    You are trying to push me into the high-pressure area. Like hell, I''m letting you do that!"


    Gael seemed to see through Darren''s mind, and he flashed and appeared beside Darren.


    Unexpectedly, Darren''s attack failed.


    "Ha!"


    With a shout, Darren suddenly bent over and buried his claws in Gael''s shoulders.


    Then, he wrapped his body around him and rushed forward with him in tow.


    Darren figured that if he threw Gael on his own, Gael would teleport and escape. To avoid that, Darren had to rush to the high-pressure area with him.


    "Brat, are you crazy? Do you have a death wish?!"


    Gael was suddenly terrified. He didn''t know what to say, thinking that Darren intended for them to die together.


    "Let me go! Just die by yourself!"


    Struggling, he gathered the laws to escape from Darren''s grasp, but Darren didn''t even budge from his hold.

 Chapter 1886 Looking For The Dragon Blood

    The horrifying pressure caused Gael to feel like he was on the brink of exploding.


    The laws of the Sacred Sovereign in his body began to break down.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    The laws breaking sent lightning flashing across the skies.


    "Brat, let me go!"


    Gael struggled, feeling his life beginning to dissipate.


    "Didn''t you say you would die with me?" Darren roared coldly, but a hint of derision remained in his voice.


    Darren was as uncomfortable as Gael was, for he was under the same amount of pressure as Gael.


    His dragon body began to crack.


    Even the dragon blood aura that was spreading out of him couldn''t stand the pressure.


    "Crazy little bastard!"


    Gael roared as he whacked Darren''s dragon head continuously.


    Darren roared wildly, all his dragon power bursting out of him in retaliation.


    Both men were on the brink of death, given that both of them were launching attacks on each other while they were under huge amount of pressure.


    Even under such pressure, Darren was trying his best to fight back.


    Bang!


    Bang!


    Darren and Gael shifted and twisted as they fought and then, in a final bang, exploded in unison.


    The pressure had managed to shatter their flesh and blood into pieces


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    rom the deep sky and flew to the land of the Archean Age.


    As he flew, he happened upon the ancient divine ruins. He hadn''t even realized he had been making his way over the ruins.


    The area with the malicious aura had expanded, but there was still no sign of the ruins opening.


    "They had said that the ruins would open in ten years. Looks like they had made a wrong calculation of the time."


    Darren thought it would take about a hundred more years for the ruins to open.


    And once the ruins opened, the Balance Law would descend and the Archean Rulers hiding in the depths of the Archean world would be killed.


    One of the Archean Rulers, who would manage to escape death, would hide within the earth and make his way to the future Primitive Wilderness.


    But before that, Darren had to leave the Archean Age with his friends because they couldn''t dodge the Balance Law.


    If they didn''t leave, they would simply die.


    He continued to fly aimlessly. A few months later, an idea flashed in his head.


    "I can look for her! I can ask Tiffany to deal with Gael. There might be a chance!"


    It was not until Darren passed by the place where he had killed Dickens and Ennis that the thought of Tiffany occurred to him.

 Chapter 1887 Meeting Tiffany

    Not long after, Darren landed in a land that was covered entirely in snow.


    Snowflakes fell from the sky relentlessly. Apart from that, the rich spiritual energy added to the beauty of the place.


    "Well, this looks like a pretty good place,"


    Darren commented at the Snowy Region where Tiffany was currently staying at.


    Generally speaking, an ordinary cultivator would find it very difficult to reach this place. Perhaps, it was nearly impossible. Being guarded by the mighty Illusion Array, the place was exceptionally secured that even ninth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperors would get lost in the place.


    Meanwhile, Darren flew forward and released his god''s sense to find a palace that was made of ice and snow.


    Whoosh!


    In no time, Darren emerged in front of the location.


    "Who are you? Who sent you?"


    In the blink of an eye, two women clad in long white robes held their sharp and deadly swords against Darren''s throat.


    "Ladies, I come in peace. Please inform Master Tiffany that I came to visit her. Now, if you could just lower your swords, that would be great," Darren softly said as he looked straight into the ladies'' eyes.


    "Humph! You are nothing but a lonely cultivator. The Sacred Sovereign is not someone you can see at will. Get out of here! Otherwise, we''ll teach you a lesson you''ll never be able to forget."


    Aside from being strong, the two females w


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    quired the dragon blood.


    "What are you going to do, then? Do you want me to help you kill Gael?" Tiffany asked straightforwardly.


    "No. The bastard must have fully recovered. Maybe he has concocted some tricks up his sleeve to kill me.


    I came here this time to ask you to get some more dragon blood for me. Or maybe just help me get the secret of the location of the dragon blood from Gael so that I can look for it," Darren said and asked for a favor.


    But when Tiffany heard that, she rolled her eyes at Darren.


    "Ha-ha! Is that a joke? I don''t even have any contact with that bastard. We are not on good terms. How do you expect me to get the information from him?" Tiffany asked.


    "Please, maybe you know another way. Come on. I''ll treat you well in return," said Darren.


    "That sounds nice. Tell me more."


    "Don''t you want to save Amir? Don''t you want to know the secret of the ancient divine ruins?" Darren asked as he urged her to do the favor he asked from her.


    However, Tiffany didn''t expect that Darren''s words would completely pique her interest.


    "Why? What''s wrong with Sir Amir? Did he get in trouble? Does he need my help?" Tiffany asked immediately.


    "Here''s the deal¡ªAmir''s greatest enemy is Gael. Amir may get the chance to return to the world as long as we kill Gael," Darren said frankly.


    "Oh, fuck off!"


    Tiffany shouted as her face darkened.

 Chapter 1888 The Arrival Of Atlas

    Tiffany thought that Darren was just joking.


    After all, she thought that Amir was just doing fine. Hence, she didn''t understand what Darren meant when he said that Amir would return to the world if they killed Gael.


    "Darren, you know that I will try my best if you need my help. However, I don''t want you to lie to me," Tiffany said as her face slightly darkened.


    Obviously, she didn''t take Darren''s words quite well. Because of that, Darren was a bit taken aback.


    "I don''t see any reason to lie to you. Amir was indeed captured, and I don''t know where exactly he is being held. I have an important deal with him, so I am the last person who would joke about this," Darren replied with a serious expression.


    Hearing that, Tiffany could not help but frown. She saw how serious Darren was, so she was somehow convinced.


    "What kind of deal did you make with Amir?" Tiffany quickly asked.


    "If I can save him, he will tell me the whereabouts of one of my important friends. That''s all. Otherwise, I will have nothing to do with him," Darren answered straightforwardly.


    "How can you explain what happened with Kairo before? Sir Amir appeared and showed his formidable strength! How can someone do that while he is trapped somewhere?" Tiffany asked again, trying to insinuate that Darren was just making things up.


    "Well, he wa


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    ble for him.


    "Hey! You better watch your mouth! How dare you talk to me like that?" Atlas'' face darkened as he suddenly released an intimidating pressure.


    Then, snowflakes started dancing in the sky, and a storm was formed, sweeping in every direction.


    At the moment, Maria''s face instantly turned ghastly pale. She was only a Heaven Destiny Emperor, so she couldn''t withstand such strong pressure coming from a Sacred Sovereign.


    "Your Majesty, I really don''t know what you are talking about."


    Maria suffered from great pain and blood was already trickling down from the corner of her mouth. However, she still denied that Darren was taking shelter in the palace.


    "Stubborn bitch! Do you really want to die this way?"


    Atlas was growing irritated now. He thought that Maria was deliberately mocking his authority.


    Boom!


    In a flash, an even more terrifying pressure of a Sacred Sovereign surged out. At this point, Maria felt that she was already on the verge of death.


    Swoosh!


    However, in the blink of an eye, a sword shadow flashed, and a formidable sword force instantly overwhelmed the pressure coming from Atlas.


    Then, Darren''s figure slowly descended and landed in front of Maria.


    "You, little shit. Aren''t you ashamed of yourself for bullying a little girl?" Darren uttered as his eyes blazed in anger.

 Chapter 1889 Snatching The Dragon Blood

    Upon Darren''s arrival, Atlas'' eyes instantly widened.


    ''What happened with this guy? His aura is actually compatible with heaven and earth. It seems that a lot has changed about him since the last time I saw him, '' Atlas thought to himself.


    "Humph! I thought you are going to prove that you are a mere coward. I guess I''d commend your guts for facing me," Atlas said with a mocking sneer.


    "So, if I didn''t come, you would have really killed her?" Darren asked coldly.


    "If she dares to oppose me, of course, I will kill her!" Atlas replied with a shrug, looking extremely arrogant.


    "Aren''t you ashamed of yourself? You are after all a Sacred Sovereign, yet you dare to pick a fight with a woman who''s much weaker than you? Don''t you care about your reputation?" Darren said with a smug look on his face.


    Hearing this, Atlas gritted his teeth as he felt humiliated.


    "I don''t have time for all your nonsense!" Then, Atlas flatly said, "I heard that you stole Gael''s dragon blood. You''d better hand it over. Otherwise, you know that you''re going to suffer some dire consequences."


    This was actually Atlas'' real purpose for coming to see Darren.


    After all, the Sacred Sovereigns had many spies scattered in all of the other forces.


    At the same time, Atlas knew that decades ago, Darren and Gael engaged in a fierce battle. However, Darren managed to safely escape in the end.


    But after that, Atlas didn''t know what happened with the two. He didn''t even know that their bodies had been destroyed.


    Of course, he didn''t


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    came more serious and was about to show the extent of his power.


    ''Damn it. I may actually be in danger here.''


    Darren''s expression became serious as well. Atlas cultivated pure and unique martial arts. He was not a law cultivator like Gael. Hence, Darren knew that even if he turned into a dragon, he might not be able to resist the attack of his opponent this time.


    If Atlas poured all of his strength, Darren might not be able to withstand it at all.


    Atlas might not be able to kill him in one move, but he might do it in the second one.


    "Atlas! Don''t you dare try to lay a finger on anyone in the Snowy Region! Otherwise, I will risk my life to make you pay a huge price."


    At this point, Maria summoned all her courage and shouted as she firmly stood in front of the palace gate.


    "Ha-ha! Just you? If that master of yours was the one who threatened me, I might really think about it. But if it is just you, why the hell would I listen? I can kill you in a snap of my finger!" Atlas retorted as his voice sounded like thunder.


    "I wouldn''t be so sure if I were you. Did you not know that there is an Ice Abyss Array in our Snowy Region?"


    A dignified Sacred Sovereign''s stronghold certainly had a trump card that could defend against powerful enemies.


    At this point, the last thing that Maria could rely on was the Ice Abyss Array that could be activated by burning her blood.


    For the Ice Abyss Array to function, the key would be Maria''s soul, which was also the main reason why she could become a Holy Maiden.

 Chapter 1890 Scolded The Sacred Sovereign

    "So you are willing to use your life to activate the defensive array?"


    Atlas cast a cold glance toward Maria.


    He was well aware that, once the array opened, the Snowy Region''s defense would be incredibly powerful.


    However, it would cost Maria''s life to open the array.


    "If you insist on killing Darren, I''ll open it without hesitation," Maria warned with a serious expression.


    "That''s interesting..." Atlas'' eyes narrowed with great interest, as he added, "Tiffany must value this boy so much that you are willing to sacrifice yourself for his sake."


    Maria looked back at Atlas with calmness in her eyes and answered, "You''re mistaken. I decided to do this myself, and it has nothing to do with my master."


    "Well, far be it from me to stop you. Go on. Activate the defensive array! If you don''t do it, I will kill you myself!"


    What Maria had done was risky, and Atlas figured that she must have a good reason for doing that. He was quite curious about her motives, though.


    After all, it was important to note that training a Holy Maiden took a lot of time and resources.


    If Maria was all it took to activate the array, coming here would have been worth Atlas'' time, even if he couldn''t kill Darren.


    Maria could save Darren today, but she wouldn''t be able to protect him forever.


    "Ha-ha. Do you think I''m bluffing?" A blue icy flame slowly slid through Maria''s body, covering it fully, as she leveled an ugly sneer toward Atlas.


    Whoosh!


    At that moment, Darren dived down and landed beside Maria.


    He quickly unleashed his power to keep


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    ll be coming for you!"


    With that said, Atlas turned away and stepped into the void.


    He was furious with how Darren treated him, but, unfortunately, he couldn''t deny that Darren had a point.


    The dragon blood''s secret could only be found in Gael''s hands.


    If he wanted to obtain the real dragon blood, he had to get all the necessary information from Gael.


    "Phew! That was so scary! Are you okay?"


    Maria asked as soon as the coast was clear. She looked like she was still in a state of shock.


    "I''m fine. I''m sorry I got you into trouble," Darren immediately responded.


    "It''s okay. We are all friends here, so there''s no need to apologize. What''s important is that we are both all right," Maria reassured him with a relieved smile.


    "Well, you can go and get some rest. I''m leaving for now, but I''ll come over again once your master returns." The truth was that Darren didn''t want to bring any more trouble to the Snowy Region, so he thought that it would be best to leave.


    "You don''t have to leave. I don''t think he will return anyway since you scolded him so badly just now. Ha-ha! I''ve never seen a Sacred Sovereign humiliated like that! It was so funny!"


    "Yeah, he was so stupid." Darren couldn''t help but smile in the face of her sweet laughter.


    Bang! Bang! Bang.


    Less than an hour after Atlas left, an intense earthquake suddenly occurred in the Snowy Region.


    A stout man, who was only about a foot tall, walked amid the ice and snow. Every step he took shook the earth to its core, and even the space beneath his feet was wrecked.

 Chapter 1891 Three Days

    As Darren sensed something ominous, he quickly raised his head and looked into the distance.


    Then, his gaze cut through the space and eventually fell on a figure that looked like a dwarf.


    "Here comes another Sacred Sovereign!"


    Currently, there were five Sacred Sovereigns on this land.


    Darren had already encountered the other four, but he had never seen this incoming one in person.


    Moreover, he also knew that the people who guarded the forbidden area of the Qin Clan were actually answering to this particular Sacred Sovereign.


    In other words, this dwarf was the first one to know that Amir was still alive somewhere.


    Now that he appeared in the Snowy Region, Darren was sure that he was the reason for his arrival.


    "Maria, stay here in the palace and don''t dare to go out. I''ll go and take a look."


    After saying that, Darren flew out and disappeared in an instant.


    The next moment, he appeared a few kilometers away from the palace and landed on the vast snowy plain.


    Thud! Thud!


    The dwarf was steadily approaching, carrying a huge ax on his shoulder. His beard was long enough to reach his knees, and he exuded a powerful aura.


    He saw Darren appear in front of him, so he stared at him with his deeply sunken eyes.


    "Oh? Did you know that I was looking for you? I didn''t expect that you would show up on your own," the dwarf remarked with a sneer.


    "If I am not mistaken, you must be Ernst," Darren said with a calm expression.


    "I must say I''m impressed that you know my name. Well, it seems that I am still we


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    .


    In fact, Darren speculated that Amir might not even be in the world of the Archean Age anymore. He could be in another space or another world.


    If he could only find him, Darren also wanted to meet the real Amir in person.


    Besides, he also wanted to save Lord Starry Sword as soon as possible. If there was just a bit of a chance to do it, he would not hesitate to do so.


    Meanwhile, instead of returning to the snow palace, Darren flew away and entered a deep void.


    Inside it, he unleashed his spiritual sense and started detecting the aura of a particular Sacred Sovereign.


    At this time, he planned to go and see Kairo.


    After flying for about a whole day, Darren finally detected Kairo''s aura in a dark abyss of a valley.


    Swoosh!


    In an instant, Darren landed into the darkness.


    As he gazed below, he saw a huge palace floating in the abyss.


    "I am looking for Sacred Sovereign Kairo. Is he here?"


    Darren''s voice suddenly resounded like a rumble of thunder.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Immediately after, ten powerful ninth-stage Heavenly Destiny Emperors appeared and surrounded Darren.


    At the same time, the bodies of these warriors shone with golden light.


    "Who the hell are you? How dare you break into our sacred palace just like this?"


    The ten Heavenly Destiny Emperors released their fighting spirit as they tried to intimidate and suppress Darren.


    "All of you, go back at once! You are no match for that person¡­"


    Out of nowhere, Kairo, who was in a cyan imperial robe, spoke and appeared from the distance.

 Chapter 1892 Winning Kairo Over

    Kairo didn''t expect that Darren would actually come to him in person.


    "So, what do you what from me?" Kairo asked in an indifferent tone.


    "I''ll just say it outright. I''m here to ask for your help," Darren said bluntly.


    When Kairo heard this, his eyebrow raised as his interest was aroused.


    ''He''s asking for my help? What exactly does that mean?''


    Kairo thought to himself, feeling a little weird.


    Decades ago, his supposed successor, Adrian, took several elders with him to look for Darren. However, none of them returned because all of them were killed.


    Thus, Darren coming to him and asking for his help was the last thing that he expected.


    "Are you on your right mind? You killed my successor, but you show yourself in front of me, asking for a favor? I should actually kill you right now to avenge Adrian and the others that you killed," Kairo retorted coldly.


    "Really? You care about Adrian that much? He''s a sore loser and making him your successor would only stain your reputation. I actually did you a favor," Darren remarked.


    "Humph! Arrogant brat. Still, you didn''t have the right to kill him. I don''t care what kind of relationship you and Amir have. If you dare offend me again, I will not hesitate to kill you."


    The only reason why Kairo hadn''t made a move against Darren, even after the latter had killed A


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    ll need a place of refuge. Unfortunately, that place can only be found in the later era. And you should know, I am the only person who has come to the Archean Age twice from a later era. I think you are smart enough to understand what that means," Darren insinuated.


    Then, Kairo realized what he meant. ''Does he mean that once the world of the Archean Age is destroyed, he could take me into the later era?''


    "You said that there is going to be a disaster. Are you talking about the ancient divine ruins?" Kairo asked.


    Darren simply nodded as a response.


    "No, wait. I don''t think you''re telling the whole truth." With a gleam in his eyes, Kairo continued, "Why would you pick me to ask for help? Why not Tiffany, Gael, or Atlas?"


    "Have you forgotten that Tiffany is already on my side? I was literally taking shelter in her territory. As for Atlas, that guy is stupid and conceited. He thinks that he is so invincible. Based on his character, he will never agree to work with me. Lastly, Gael is my archenemy. When we meet again in a few months or so, I''ll be sure to kill him," Darren uttered seriously.


    Kairo understood Darren''s opinion about Atlas because he also thought the same.


    However, he was surprised when he heard that Darren had a history with Gael. It seemed that he didn''t know what happened between them back then.

 Chapter 1893 Forced By Three Sacred Sovereigns

    "You seem to have a very serious feud with Gael, don''t you?" Kairo began to inquire.


    "Yes, I do. In fact, I would have left the Archean Age if I didn''t plan on killing him. That''s all I''m telling you. I don''t want to explain further. Just tell me if you want to be on my side or not. So, what is it going to be?" Darren asked and pressed Kairo for an answer.


    But before responding, Kairo took a deep breath first.


    It was a good thing that Darren showed Kairo the power of the supreme god. Otherwise, Kairo might not have agreed to help him at all. Moreover, Kairo might end up destroying Darren due to his arrogance.


    But when Kairo learned that he and Darren were on the same level, the thought of being the upper-level master had been eradicated from his mind completely.


    In fact, he was confident that Darren was an ally worth choosing.


    He was also aware of the fact that Darren might be more powerful than what he had shown. If the Archean Age would really be annihilated, he needed to find a way to survive.


    Putting these things in consideration, Kairo believed that he had no other choice but to help Darren with his request.


    "Fine. I''m in." Kairo nodded solemnly. "I know that I have offended you before, but that is in the past. All that matters is that our friendship will flourish even more in the future."


    "Ha-ha. Oh, Kairo, you are too kind." Darren cupped his hands and bowed


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    ered in a murderous voice.


    "Humph! Oh, old man, I don''t buy a single word you say. Everything you said today is garbage. Do you think you can fight against the three of us at the same time? You must be kidding yourself!" Tiffany defiantly argued.


    Being the first one to get to the palace, she had already asked for the secret of the dragon blood in a very courteous manner. But when Gael became impatient and wanted to drive her away, she got angry. Right when she was about to make a move, Atlas came into the scene.


    "So, is that a threat? Are you going to kill me?" Gael glanced sinisterly at the other three.


    "If you really dared to kill me, then why did you wait for so many years? Do you honestly think that it''s easy to bully me at this point? You must be dreaming! I am not afraid of you at all, even if you attack me all at the same time. I can take you."


    Perhaps, Gael could consider making a compromise when he was pressured by the three Sacred Sovereigns at the same time.


    Unfortunately, no matter how hard they tried, it appeared that the secret of the dragon blood could never be revealed.


    Being martial artists, those three Sacred Sovereigns would break some kind of rule that restricted them once they got their hands on the dragon blood. The worse part of it all was that this could cost Gael''s life.


    In essence, handing over the secret to them was synonymous with dying.

 Chapter 1894 Making A Move

    If Gael refused to hand over the secret of the dragon blood, the other three Sacred Sovereigns present wouldn''t be able to do anything against him.


    "You asked for this!"


    With a fierce shout, Atlas unleashed his Archean power as if he was preparing to make a move.


    They all yearned for the dragon blood. For Gael, it was as important as life, while it was a stepping stone to a higher level for Atlas.


    Gael''s face clouded over as he surveyed his opponents.


    He didn''t expect that Atlas would challenge him, and he had even unleashed real killing intent.


    "Atlas, my friend, this isn''t necessary. Let''s talk about it, okay?"


    As Gael spoke, he lowered his head submissively and superficially lowered his guard.


    Boom! Boom!


    In the blink of an eye, a bolt of terrifying law lightning suddenly shot out toward Atlas.


    It was a bolt of law lightning that contained endless Attack Laws.


    And judging from its explosive power, it was undoubtedly Gael''s strongest offensive!


    Bang!


    As Atlas was caught off-guard, the law lightning struck him head-on, and everyone saw his figure fall into the space crack.


    "Aah!"


    Atlas'' angry roar resounded from the space crack, filled with wrath and killing intent.


    On the other hand, Kairo and Tiffany remained motionless a fair distance away, waiting.


    "If this is what you want, then let''s have a life and death fight!"


    Gael was furious. He wanted to beat Atlas to a pulp, even if it meant that his life would be put at risk.


    "Let''s go! I''m going to kill you!" Atl


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    er fight.


    Even if he had the strength to fight against Darren, he wasn''t confident enough to go against Darren and three Sacred Sovereigns. Thus, he chose the safest route and ran away.


    Whoosh!


    Darren''s dragon shadow flickered from existence and gave chase after the fleeing Gael.


    At the same time, Kairo''s figure had also disappeared as he followed Darren.


    In that way, the three of them formed a straight line as they moved, less than tens of thousands of kilometers away from each other.


    "Darren, how about I help you stop him?" Kairo inquired.


    "Thanks! That would be appreciated!"


    "Well, I''ll only stop him from leaving. The final result between you two would still be up to you, as it had nothing to do with me!"


    Whoosh!


    With those words, Kairo increased his speed and reached about millions of kilometers in an instant.


    Finally, an hour later, he caught up with Gael.


    "Don''t try to stop me, Kairo. I''ll tell you the secret of the dragon blood if that''s what you want!"


    Gael was panic-stricken. If Kairo managed to slow him down, Darren might be able to catch him. And if that happened, there would be no escape for him.


    "Really? That sounds good." Kairo raised an eyebrow with interest.


    "However, there is one condition," Gael quickly added.


    "What condition?"


    "I want you to help me kill Darren. If you end his life right here and right now, I will tell you everything." Gael offered that because he hated Darren so much. He was even willing to sacrifice the dragon blood''s secret.

 Chapter 1895 A Life-and-death Moment

    "Kairo, once you obtain a lot of dragon blood, you will have enough strength to surpass all those other Sacred Sovereigns. You might even become as powerful as Amir at his peak level. You only need to do one thing for that to happen, and that is to kill Darren. What do you say?"


    Gael persuaded Kairo, who appeared to hesitate for a moment.


    "I don''t have a problem taking down Darren, but why should I believe you?" Kairo asked, one eyebrow raised critically.


    "Come on, man! How long have we known each other? You can trust me," insisted Gael further in a cloyingly-sweet and smarmy voice.


    "Ha-ha! It''s precisely because I have known you for a long time that I''m asking these questions, Gael. I know you well enough not to believe a word you say," Kairo snidely responded.


    Actually, it wasn''t just Gael that he didn''t trust. The other Sacred Sovereigns were equally as untrustworthy in his eyes as Gael was.


    "Look, if you want me to take care of that guy, you better sweeten the deal. How about you tell me the secret of the dragon blood first," he added.


    "If you don''t trust me, why should I trust you?" Gael scoffed.


    "Don''t forget that you are the one in danger now and not me," mocked Kairo. "And you know that I won''t kill you, as it won''t benefit me in any way. Darren, of course, is a different matter altogether. I can kill him anytime I want, and I have no reason to break my promise to you. I''ll


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    moke swept through the void and formed a hellish abyss.


    Countless Death Laws turned into terrifying fiend god shadows, which writhed and thrashed inside the dark abyss.


    "Spirits of the Dead!"


    Countless evil spirits that spanned up to one hundred thousand feet came back to life and flew out of the creepy abyss. Hair-raising roars echoed everywhere.


    "I can''t believe this old bastard has been hiding such a powerful skill."


    Even Kairo was shocked when he felt the fiend god shadows and the evil spirits that came rushing out of the abyss.


    It seemed like hundreds of thousands of creatures transformed from the Death Laws, and each of them was almost as strong as a Sacred Sovereign.


    With such a huge group of creatures from the abyss, Kairo thought that if it were him in Darren''s shoes, he would not even have a ghost of a chance of surviving.


    Darren was weaker than any Sacred Sovereign, and he was injured at that moment too. It was almost impossible for him to get out alive.


    At this point, an internal conflict rose up in Kairo''s heart. Should he try to help Darren or not?


    But before he could even move, an almost undetectable rule in his soul seemed to have restrained him, making sure that he couldn''t come to Darren''s rescue.


    "Alas," sighed Kairo in resignation.


    ''If you can''t escape death this time, then maybe that is your fate. Don''t blame me if you die, '' he thought in silence.

 Chapter 1896 Fate, An Undeserved Catastrophe

    Countless evil spirits and fiend gods roared furiously.


    These bawling creatures were all slaughtered and refined into puppets by Gael. Apart from this, each of these creatures had the strength and capability that was beyond anyone''s expectation.


    However, there was a strict price to pay for using the Death Abyss¡ªburning Gael''s soul.


    When Gael''s body was destroyed last time, he knew better than to use the Spirits of the Dead, because he understood that doing this would kill himself in the process.


    However this time, his chance of survival was brought down to zero. And for that, he thought that it was better to fight without a care in the world.


    Kairo, on the other hand, stood still and did not make a move at all.


    He could not move an inch after being restricted by a certain rule. If Darren couldn''t get out alive, then it would be his fate¡ªhe was not destined to be a supernatural being in the first place.


    Roar! Roar! Roar!


    The fiend gods howled once more while the evil spirits went insane from the smell of blood.


    "Kill! Kill him now!"


    Gael exclaimed as he floated in the deep void. The minute all the death creatures heard the order, they immediately rushed towards Darren.


    "Self-created space? Is that all you got? Very well, then!" Despite the threat, Darren stared straight at the space and stood his ground without a single trace of fear in his eyes.


    Th


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    r word.


    Unbeknownst to him, the Rule Soul Avatar had also controlled the endless laws of heaven and earth in the Primitive Wilderness era. Moreover, he had even comprehended the laws that were connected to outside the world.


    "You can go now to meet your death." Darren pointed his finger in a vague direction, and a wisp of sword intent was about to shoot out of it.


    "Hold on a second, my real body." The Rule Soul Avatar stopped him and said, "Leave him to me."


    "As you wish." Darren nodded his head in agreement.


    In an instant, the Rule Soul Avatar''s silvery eyes glowed once again. He looked at the ferocious soul in the depths of the void and said softly, "Fate, an undeserved catastrophe."


    As soon as his voice trailed off, a fiery star shook outside the world, quickly descending in the world Archean Age at an unimaginable speed.


    As the fiery star came down, the inexplicable force in the deep sky started to weaken it until it was reduced to the size of a small fist.


    Bang!


    In the blink of an eye, the violent explosion swept through the entire Archean world.


    Gael''s independent space was destroyed, and the fist-sized fiery star pierced through his head.


    Seeing that, Darren was extremely shocked, so he uttered, "You have arranged the fate of Gael, right?"


    Fate was an undeserved catastrophe!


    Gael was killed by the star that descended from outer space!

 Chapter 1897 The Arrival Of The Dwarf

    The Destiny Law was shrouded in mystery. Since ancient times, no one had been known to be capable of comprehending it.


    For instance, the old man in the ruins was an excellent rule cultivator, as powerful as a chief god. Yet even he found it unfathomable. He could not control the Destiny Law.


    However, decades ago, the Rule Soul Avatar had begun working to decipher the law. Now, he was finally beginning to grasp it. He had made definite achievements over the years.


    "It is indeed the Destiny Law," said the Rule Soul Avatar. He went on, "But I only have a shallow comprehension of it. I plan to continue studying it, but right now, I can only use it in a simple manner."


    Darren was shocked by his words. The moment the Rule Soul Avatar had uttered the words "Fate, an undeserved catastrophe," Gael''s destiny was instantly adjusted. The avatar had interfered with his fate¡ªhe made it so that Gael suffered an unexpected and miserable death. It was astonishing. Could it be only a shallow comprehension of the Destiny Law?


    "What will happen if you are able to completely control the Destiny Law?" Darren asked.


    The Rule Soul Avatar looked up at the sky. "I don''t know either."


    "So, at your current level of strength, can you arrange the destinies of all the powerful Sacred Sovereigns?" Darren wondered.


    The Rule Soul Avatar shook his head emphatically. "No way.


    Gael was already on the edge of life and death a moment ago, and his soul was on the verge of collapse. That was


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    ng.


    "Ernst, my friend, you''ve come just in time!" gasped Atlas. He was as overjoyed to see the dwarf as a drowning person who had been thrown a lifeline. He cupped his hands to show his gratitude.


    Ernst sniffed. "Friend? Do you think you have earned the right to be my friend? No, but I can see your predicament, so just this once I will help you. We can work together to defeat that brat."


    As a Sacred Sovereign, Ernst had already sensed what was happening between Atlas, Darren, and the others.


    He decided to interfere in this battle because he saw it as an opportunity to kill Darren. Now that Atlas'' life was in grave danger, he would cooperate fully to save himself.


    "That''s the best move," Atlas agreed quickly.


    If not for the threat to his life, Atlas would never have allied himself with the dwarf. But he was in a very dangerous situation. Right now, the dwarf was like his very own brother, for he was the only person he could rely on to help him.


    Kairo got up from the pit of the ground and flew into the air to rejoin them. His body was broken and bloodstained, and there was an expression of pure rage on his face.


    "You dare challenge the four of us!" he shouted, gesturing angrily towards Ernst.


    Ernst glared at him contemptuously. "There may be four of you, but your group is comprised of a woman, an injured loser, and two nobodies, as weak and insignificant as ants. You''re not as strong as you think you are,"


    he said icily, a cold gleam in his eyes.

 Chapter 1898 Fighting The Dwarf Together

    Overall, it appeared that the dwarf and Atlas had the upper hand.


    Ernst was known to be stronger than Kairo and the rest. Moreover, Atlas'' combat power was also at the top level among the four Sacred Sovereigns. On the other hand, there were two injured Sacred Sovereigns on Darren''s side. Furthermore, he and the Rule Soul Avatar were both inferior to Sacred Sovereigns in terms of combat power.


    "Are you sure you want to continue this and die today?" Darren said coldly to Ernst.


    "Ha! How are you supposed to kill me, brat? Everyone on your side is weak and pathetic!" Ernst retorted disdainfully. He was confident enough that he could kill Darren easily all by himself.


    "Then, let''s see who will get the last laugh!"


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    In a flash, Darren unleashed his Archean power.


    He activated the Blade and Sword Killing Abyss to attack the dwarf.


    "Humph! You are overestimating yourself!"


    At the same time, Ernst raised his hammer and smashed it down violently.


    The sky was instantly illuminated by a dazzling red light that pierced through the void within hundreds of millions of kilometers.


    As the ferocious hammer broke through the swords and blades and collided with Darren, his Archean power collapsed immediately.


    Then, he was sent flying, crashing hard onto the ground.


    In the blink of an eye, Darren was defeated and was not able to resist the attack of the dwarf.


    "Ha! You are just all talk. How dare you provoke me when you are this weak?!" Ernst laughed and taunted Darren.


    "Ernst, do not let your g


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    , what if you''ve gotten taller? You''re still ugly and disgusting!" Tiffany shouted out of spite.


    "I will kill you first, you foul-mouthed bitch!"


    Ernst was extremely infuriated by Tiffany''s remarks. Then, he raised his massive hammer with both hands and threw it forward.


    Deep in the sky, nine bright stars shot nine rays of crimson light towards his hammer.


    "I have connected it with the Nine Lives Warlord Stars. Now, let''s see how you losers will try to resist it!"


    Finally, Ernst had revealed his trump card. As of now, this was the strongest attack that he could execute.


    At the same time, both Darren and Tiffany quickly felt the overflowing pressure from the dwarf. After Ernst revealed his true form, his strength had risen to another level, exuding an otherworldly degree of intensity.


    If the realm of the Sacred Sovereigns was divided into three stages, the combined power of Darren, Tiffany, and the Rule Soul Avatar could be categorized in the second stage. However, the strength of the dwarf alone was on the third and the highest stage.


    "We''re not done yet! Time Standstill! Time Backflow! Time Interlaced Law! Chaotic Time Law!"


    The Rule Soul Avatar immediately took action and used all the four skills of the Time Law that he had comprehended to resist Ernst''s attack.


    However, using all of these skills simultaneously instantly drained his Spirit Power.


    "My real body, I did all that I can. I am almost powerless now, so I''ll leave him to you¡­" the Rule Soul Avatar told Darren through his spiritual sense.

 Chapter 1899 An Archean Ruler Showed Up

    The Rule Soul Avatar activated four skills of the Time Law to resist Ernst.


    If Darren and the others couldn''t kill him now, it would be harder to deal with him later.


    With his current ability, the Rule Soul Avatar could only make Ernst pause for less than a second through the Time Standstill skill.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    In the next moment, Darren and Tiffany launched an attack against the dwarf at the same time.


    He was forcibly frozen on the spot simultaneously, which allowed their fearsome attacks to make contact.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Their blows immediately shattered the dwarf''s divine body, and an abundance of Archean power surged wildly all over the place.


    At that moment, the Time Standstill''s effect disappeared.


    "Damn it!"


    Ernst roared in frustration as he sent a forceful punch in their direction.


    Darren and Tiffany tried to dodge, but the dwarf''s fists seemed massive and over-reaching that they had nowhere to hide.


    Acting quickly, Darren had no choice but to release his blade and sword god''s power to defend himself.


    Bang!


    A single punch from Ernst crushed all of Darren''s defenses, broke his body, and threw his body to the ground.


    Meanwhile, Tiffany was worse off than him. She had taken the form of a black lotus earlier, but it had been mercilessly smashed into pieces. Countless petals floated in the air, forlorn and lifeless.


    All of a sudden, the T


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    a Sacred Sovereign at his peak.


    How could he fight against such a strong warrior when he was extremely exhausted?


    It was at this moment that his life flashed before his eyes.


    "Do you realize your mistake now?" Darren said coldly.


    "Ha! What mistake? I have never made a mistake in my life!" Atlas answered back arrogantly, even when he was shaking like a leaf in fear.


    "Even at the expense of your life, you still refuse to admit your mistake?"


    "Ha-ha-ha!" Atlas laughed bitterly. "Death means nothing to me. If you think I am afraid to die, then you are mistaken. Kill me now if you have guts!"


    "Okay, I''ll fulfill your wish!"


    Whoosh!


    In the blink of an eye, Darren''s sword flew forward and pierced Atlas'' heart.


    A pair of huge dark gold eyes suddenly flashed in the depths of the sky all of a sudden.


    Horrifying pressure converged and almost crushed the Archean Age''s whole world. At the same time, a cold and ruthless order came into Darren''s mind.


    He didn''t know what language it was, but, strangely, Darren immediately understood what it meant.


    "Retreat!"


    Darren was quite familiar with the pair of dark gold eyes, as he had seen them from the shadows, avatars, and projections of the chief gods a lot of times.


    "It''s the Archean Ruler!"


    The aura of this Archean Ruler was incredibly special. At that moment, Darren could feel the aura of the tenth chief god from it.

 Chapter 1900 Meeting With Lord Feng

    Kairo had never experienced the pressure of an Archean Ruler since the day he was born. As a result, he was left on the ground trembling.


    Darren was shocked as well. He had never expected that an Archean Ruler would suddenly emerge for the sake of Darren''s desire to kill a Sacred Sovereign.


    But instead of sending over his true body, he just deployed a wisp of his spiritual sense.


    Raising his head, Darren stared at the seemingly dark golden eyes that flashed in the sky.


    "To hell with those who want me dead! I will never let them off and nothing can ever change my mind!"


    Right after saying those words, Darren rushed to Atlas like a stealthy shadow in the night.


    "Ah!"


    an icy, brutal growl echoed, causing the entire Archean land to tremble.


    But somehow, Darren managed to resist the Archean Ruler''s pressure with utmost force and launched an attack using his divine sword.


    "No! This can''t be happening! You can''t kill me!" Atlas yelled in horror.


    A moment ago, he felt no fear, for he had already expected to meet his death.


    However, there seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel. As soon as he saw that glimmer of hope, he began to be afraid of death once again.


    "You should have thought more about this before challenging me!"


    Soon after, Darren dashed forward and stabbed Atlas'' head with his mighty sword.


    "N


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    power exploded, and the blade and sword flew out at the same time.


    The weapons on both sides were fighting in the void, attacking each other like they had minds of their own.


    Bang!


    This confrontation produced a tremendous amount of energy waves, causing both Darren and Lord Feng to fly out.


    "Ha-ha, congratulations, Lord Feng! You have mastered a new skill!"


    Darren took back his sword and blade and laughed out loud.


    As a response, Lord Feng opened his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. "I''ve cultivated for hundreds of millions of years here, and I''m only on par with you. Alas!"


    "The cultivation method I taught you is extremely profound. It''s already impressive enough that you can comprehend six levels in hundreds of millions of years. Once you comprehend all the nine levels, you will be able to compete with me. You have great potential,"


    the old man said. He opened his eyes and encouraged Lord Feng.


    "Well, thank you for your teaching me, sir." Lord Feng bowed to the old man to show gratitude.


    "There is no need to be so polite." The old man waved his hand and continued, "There''s not much time left. Go with Darren now. Leave the Archean Age as soon as you save your friend."


    "Yes, sir."


    Afterwards, all the three of them said their farewells to the old man, then flew out of the ancient divine ruins and vanished.

 Chapter 1901 The Rebirth Of Amir

    That day, Darren and his two companions finally arrived in the holy land of the Qin Clan.


    As soon as they arrived, darkness descended upon the land as Darren''s supreme god aura fluctuated wildly.


    "Amir, I''m here," he shouted as loud as he could, knowing that the man would come.


    He was right. It didn''t take long before Amir sensed his aura, and Amir''s phantom materialized before him.


    "Where is it?" asked the phantom.


    Instead of answering, Darren released Gael''s Sacred Sovereign Character.


    "Oh, very good! You did kill Gael," Amir''s phantom breathlessly remarked, sounding positively delighted.


    He was afraid that it would take Darren at least a million years before he would be strong enough to defeat Gael.


    But, to his surprise, Darren only needed a few hundred years.


    Amir gazed at the Sacred Sovereign Character with a greedy look, eagerly stretching out a hand to grab it.


    But before he could do so, Darren sent it back into his Space Ring with his spiritual sense.


    "What are you doing?!" Amir yelled angrily.


    "I took so many risks to kill Gael, so there''s no way that I''ll hand this over to you so easily. Besides, we only had a verbal deal. You have to give me more," Darren calmly negotiated.


    "Humph!" scoffed Amir.


    Unfortunately, he knew that Darren had a point.


    It was better to give Darren something more in this case, as they were in a standoff.


    "Fine. I''ll show you your friend."


    After that, a curtain of light lit up the


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    Gods?" he asked Amir in surprise, exchanging startled glances with his two companions. It was not until this moment that he realized where they were about to go.


    "You can say that," replied Amir, shrugging indifferently.


    "Aren''t you curious where they imprisoned me before?"


    Darren was quiet for a moment before he let out a surprised gasp and exclaimed, "You were locked up in the Birthplace of the Chief Gods!"


    "Indeed," Amir nodded. "And your friend is also imprisoned in the same place¡ªthe Birthplace of the Chief Gods."


    "I don''t understand. What''s going on? Who imprisoned Lord Starry Sword, and why?" Darren couldn''t seem to figure it out.


    When he heard Darren''s question, Amir fell silent, raised his head haltingly, and looked through the layers of space until he saw a huge metal body.


    After a long time, Amir broke the silence with a resigned sigh.


    "I think you already have an idea who it was," he answered mysteriously.


    Once again, realization struck Darren like a freight train, and he understood what Amir was saying as bright as day.


    "The Archean Ruler!" Darren blurted out, his mouth agape and his eyes wide with shock.


    The other man didn''t seem to mind his reaction, as Amir only looked away with a sigh. "I still don''t know why he did that. It was such an irrational thing to do," he murmured quietly.


    "I¡ª I think I know why."


    Amir looked up in surprise at Darren''s words. It seemed that he had an inkling of what had happened.

 Chapter 1902 No Way To Get In

    "Are you saying that you know the reason?" Amir narrowed his eyes as he asked.


    "Yes. Of course, I know," Darren answered flatly.


    "If you know about the Primitive Wilderness, you should know that the tenth chief god is there," Darren added.


    "Yes, I know about that. However, the so-called tenth chief god did not actually acquire the position of the chief god," Amir replied with a shrug.


    "Well, that is true. But I bet you don''t know that the so-called tenth chief god is actually an Archean Ruler," Darren said with a cunning smile.


    "What did you say?"


    Amir almost let out a roar when he heard what Darren said.


    After all, it was pretty inconceivable to think that one of the Archean Rulers could live up to the Primitive Wilderness era.


    Amir never thought of its possibility.


    "That cannot be. Only after the destruction of the Archean Age can the later era begin. But once the Archean Age is destroyed, how can any Archean Ruler live on?" Amir mumbled in confusion.


    "Let me tell you the reason." Then, Darren looked up at the dark cave in front of him and continued, "The survival of the Archean Ruler must have something to do with the imprisoned masters in the Birthplace of the Chief Gods."


    When Darren killed Atlas, the Archean Ruler, who would be the so-called tenth chief god in the later era, had suddenly shown his inexplicable power, making Darren utter


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    mist and suspended in the air.


    "What the hell?"


    Amir''s eyes widened in shock and confusion. He realized that Lord Feng''s god''s power did not belong to the Archean Age. It was not from the Primitive Wilderness era, either.


    Moreover, his powerful god''s power could not be suppressed by heaven and earth.


    The space where they were right now was still connected to the Archean Age. Therefore, normally, Lord Feng should have been already suppressed by heaven and earth when he released the terrifying god''s power.


    However, much to Amir''s surprise, this god''s power did not trigger any pressure from heaven and earth at all.


    ''What is the meaning of this? His power is beyond the influence of heaven and earth? That''s impossible!'' Amir thought to himself.


    "Don''t think that I am a mere weakling that you can dispose of any time you like." Lord Feng suddenly took out a spear in his hand. Then, the violent god''s power of martial arts fluctuated, making the spear emit countless shining runes.


    At this moment, the shining runes instantly attracted the attention of Amir and the Rule Soul Avatar.


    After all, these runes were not formed by any laws from the Archean Age.


    However, at a glance, the Rule Soul Avatar recognized that Lord Feng''s weapon was actually refined by the old man in the ruins, because he could perceive that the law force of the elder was embedded in it.

 Chapter 1903 Enter The Sky Supreme Mountain

    Amir thought that he could easily wrap Lord Feng in his hands, but it turned out that he was hiding an extraordinary strength.


    However, it didn''t change the fact that Amir was still stronger than him. In fact, if Amir got serious, he could still kill Lord Feng.


    But at this moment, it seemed that Amir changed his mind.


    "Fine. Let me tell you something, brat. If I am not mistaken, there is another passageway to enter the Birthplace of the Chief Gods," Amir said out of nowhere.


    "Another passageway? Where is it?" Darren quickly asked.


    "It is in the Primitive Wilderness," Amir replied as he rolled his eyes. "You should have seen a cave in the Birthplace of the Chief Gods earlier. You can feel the aura fluctuation of the Primitive Wilderness god''s power in that cave, so I am sure that a passageway exists somewhere in the Primitive Wilderness."


    Hearing this, Darren''s heart sank.


    Amir was actually right. Darren knew that there was indeed a passageway to the Birthplace of the Chief Gods in the Primitive Wilderness. The only problem was that only Alfredo knew where exactly it was.


    "Well, I guess it''s time to go back," Darren said as he heaved a heavy sigh.


    "Hey, brat. Take me with you too," Amir said as he stared at the Rule Soul Avatar.


    At the same time, the Rule Soul Avatar said to Darren through his spiritual sense, "My real body, I actually think that it is the best option to bring this person with us¡­ His strength is enough to suppress all the masters except for the chief gods. Hence, he should


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    an hour, the two fought rather fiercely. They seemed to fight with lots of killing intent, but no one really had the upper hand.


    "Why aren''t you helping me? Will you just wait for everyone''s death?" Amir roared after getting impatient.


    "Time Standstill!"


    In an instant, the Spirit Power of the Rule Soul Avatar was extracted, activating the Time Standstill Law.


    For a brief second, the red-haired figure froze.


    If it were Darren and the others, they might not be able to do something significant in a mere second to defeat a powerful opponent. However, for someone of Amir''s caliber, it was more than enough.


    Bang!


    The moment the red-haired figure froze, Amit let out a ferocious palm attack.


    A black force surged crazily and instantly landed on the chest of the creature.


    Boom!


    With a loud explosion, the chest of the red-haired figure was smashed. At the same time, a faint yellow aura of the Chaotic Age soared into the sky, which would easily make people feel a chill down their spines.


    "Humph! Go to hell!"


    Amir roared mightily and took the opportunity to tear the head of the red-haired figure.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    However, as soon as the red-haired creature was killed, more than ten red-haired creatures with spears in their hands suddenly appeared on the top of another mountain. They roared like savages, and it seemed that their auras were much stronger than that of the previous one.


    "Fuck! That many?!"


    Amir cursed out of anger and shock the moment he looked at the top of that mountain.

 Chapter 1904 Black Dragon (Part One)

    Since Amir had already gone to this place before, he knew how horrifying these creatures could be.


    Back when he was still at the peak of his strength, he decided to enter the mountain. However, he was hunted by these savage creatures, which almost killed him in the process.


    But after being imprisoned for tens of millions of years, his soul had not yet recovered. Hence, his strength was obviously weaker than before.


    At this moment, more than a dozen creatures of the Chaotic Age suddenly appeared and started rushing towards them. No wonder Amir could not stay calm.


    "Why are you still standing there? Do you want to be killed? Help me take them down!" Amir roared in frustration.


    He had to admit that even with his strength, he would be easily defeated if more than ten of those vicious creatures ganged up on him.


    Although Darren and the others were not as powerful as top-level Sacred Sovereigns, Amir still believed that if they cooperated well, they could do something to outsmart and eventually defeat the creatures.


    "Attack!"


    At the same time, Darren and the others started preparing themselves to confront the creat


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    Rule Soul Avatar also sped up and followed Amir together with Darren and Lord Feng.


    When they came out from the ground, they found themselves in a huge swamp. It was so huge that no one could really see the edge of it.


    The area was completely desolate, and there was not a single trace of life in sight.


    Far to the east, Darren and the others perceived a mountain range in that direction through the use of their spiritual sense. After seeing it, Amir started rushing towards it at full speed.


    "Haw! Haw! Haw!"


    However, the red-haired creatures still chased after them and were finally able to catch up. As they started attacking Darren''s group again, they were forced to slow down.


    "My real body, it seems that this place is not a part of the land of the Archean Age already.


    You can use your supreme god''s power of the Primitive Wilderness here!" the Rule Soul Avatar immediately told Darren through his spiritual sense upon perceiving their surroundings.


    In fact, right when they entered the swamp, Darren also felt that the laws of the Archean Age did not exist in the area. Hence, the Rule Soul Avatar must be right.

 Chapter 1905 Black Dragon (Part Two)

    Buzz! Buzz!


    Darren''s sword and blade buzzed at the same time, while the supreme god''s power began to surge from within his body.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    In a flash, Darren''s blade and sword swept over like a violent storm.


    At the same time, the red-haired creature who took the lead threw its spear at the storm created by Darren''s blade and sword.


    Crack! Crack!


    Unexpectedly, the blade and sword storm was broken by the wave of genuine power of the Chaotic Age.


    "Humph! Go to hell!"


    Once again, Darren unleashed his supreme god''s power. This time, the god''s power of his blade and sword gushed out and formed the shape of two dragons. They swayed and danced in the air before eventually merging into one.


    Then, dark gold light lit up the sky above.


    In the blink of an eye, a divine weapon that was forged by the sword and blade god''s power slashed towards the red-haired creature.


    Splat!


    With a single blow, the Chaotic Age power of the red-haired creature was dispersed, and its flesh and blood splashed in every direction.


    Apparently, Darren was able to kill the red-haired creature on the spot with a single overbearing attack.


    "What the hel


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    al sense, he found out that there were more than a thousand drops of genuine dragon blood.


    Buzz! Buzz!


    The blood in Darren''s body began to boil. In a flash, he roared and turned into a dragon.


    He wandered in the dark sky, opened his mouth wide, and swallowed a drop of the dragon blood without hesitation.


    "Roar!"


    The moment he consumed a drop of the dragon blood, his body turned blood-red, and a terrifying layer of blood flame blazed over his dragon body.


    At the same time, blood-red meridians shone on his body as if they were moving law chains.


    At this moment, Darren actually felt a lot of pain. He felt as if his dragon meridians, bones, and heart were being crushed by a millstone, turned into a blood paste, and then kneaded back into their original state.


    This horrendous process was repeated constantly. In fact, in just a short time, he had undergone this brutal process for ten thousand times, suffering from unimaginable pain.


    About a million kilometers below, Amir incidentally raised his head and looked up. There, he saw a dragon hovering in the sky. His heart suddenly pounded heavily as if it was trying to come out of his chest.

 Chapter 1906 Black Dragon (Part Three)

    "That guy! He has a dragon body!"


    Amir was extremely shocked when he found out about this. The pure aura of the dragon race made his heart tremble violently.


    Now, he realized why Darren was really determined to look for the dragon blood. It turned out that he was a descendant of the dragon race.


    Moreover, he could recognize that Darren was much more powerful than he had imagined.


    Several hours later, Darren had finally finished refining the first drop of the purest blood of a genuine dragon from outer space.


    But he didn''t stop there. Right after refining the first one, he immediately started to refine the second drop, then the third¡­


    About three months had already passed, and all of the droplets of dragon blood that were floating in the air had been completely refined by Darren.


    A genuine dragon that almost covered the sky wiggled in the air. As his tail moved, he caused the space of this land to tremble and collapse.


    "This is inconceivable. At this point, I don''t know how strong he has become," Amir murmured to himself. Even though he wanted to, he could not discern Darren''s current strength at all.


    "Roar!"


    Out of nowhere, the whole world shook vigorously due to a massive roar. However, it was not from Darren.


    Under the gaze of the Rule Soul Avatar, Amir, and Lord Feng, they noticed that the humongous dragon corpse that had be


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    d landed in front of the Rule Soul Avatar.


    In an instant, Darren returned to his human body. At the same time, his pupils turned into the shape of two black dragons¡ªeach of which had a pair of crossed blade and sword on its back.


    "Are you going to kill me?"


    Amir, who was just beside them, was slightly trembling and involuntarily took a few steps back.


    "What? Why would I kill you?"


    Immediately after, Darren''s icy aura faded away, and his aura returned to its original state.


    "Well then, don''t attack me¡­" Amir was so nervous that his heart was racing wildly. He thought of the things he did and said to Darren before, so he was afraid that the young man would suddenly get back at him.


    From everything that happened just now, Amir was certain that at this point, Darren had already surpassed his strength. Hence, if Darren wanted to take action against him, he would surely die without a doubt.


    "Come on. We are done with this place."


    Darren looked sharply at the huge dragon corpse. It seemed that he could see a white figure that was sleeping sadly in the heart of it.


    "Are we going back to the Primitive Wilderness now?" Lord Feng asked just to make sure.


    Then, Darren answered with freezing killing intent in his eyes, "Yes. We''ll go back to the Primitive Wilderness and enter the Birthplace of the Chief Gods.


    I will kill all of them!"

 Chapter 1907 Arriving At The Primitive Wilderness (Part One)

    Darren and his companions slowly walked away from the dragon corpse.


    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...


    Soon after, dozens of red-haired creatures came out of nowhere and surrounded Darren and his team.


    "It seems that they have been patiently waiting for us all this time. They even brought some helpers with them. Darren, I think you can take advantage of this time to test your strength. What do you say?" According to Amir''s estimation, Darren would have a hard time dealing with these red-haired creatures even if he had obtained the inheritance of the cyan dragon from outer space.


    Shoop! Shoop! Shoop...


    Rushing towards the crowd, these creatures shouted the cry of battle as loud as they could.


    As a result, everyone retreated except for Darren.


    Slap!


    Darren raised his hand and then pressed it forward without hesitation.


    Boom! Boom!


    In the blink of an eye, a dragon shadow emerged from his palm, causing both heaven and earth to tremble from the immense pressure.


    Upon sensing the overpowering dragon aura, the creatures automatically


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    is ocean was very close to him.


    "Who are coming?" Amir asked as his heart raced wildly. The minute he knew about the incoming beings, he had a bad feeling.


    The silvery eyes of the Rule Soul Avatar twinkled as he sensed the laws of heaven and earth shake. He knew from that point on that the most powerful and unmatched Balance Law that was hidden in the universe was brewing.


    "Even the Balance Law has been activated. Can it be that the Archean Rulers personally descend?" the Rule Soul Avatar whispered to himself coldly.


    "No, they are not the Archean Rulers. They are the avatars created from their God Characters." It was only Darren who could see everything clearly. He didn''t know the price that the Archean Rulers would pay for creating such avatars, but he knew that the avatars in question were groundbreakingly powerful.


    "Avatar, get ready to leave," said Darren.


    Darren made the decision to retreat upon seeing the powerful God Character avatars. After all, he knew deep in his heart that he did not have the confidence to defeat them.

 Chapter 1908 Arriving At The Primitive Wilderness (Part Two)

    In addition, even if he had the strength to fight against them, Darren would still not be able to protect Lord Feng and the Rule Soul Avatar.


    "Okay." The Rule Soul Avatar nodded his head and began to activate the Spatial Law.


    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...


    In the blink of an eye, Darren and the others traveled through layers of space at lightning speed and soon made their way out of the Sky Supreme Mountain.


    And besides, the Rule Soul Avatar left his aura in the distant multi-layer space, which made the God Character avatars to be disturbed.


    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...


    At top speed, Darren and the others flew towards the forbidden area of the Archean Age.


    There was a time-space cliff with the time and space windstorm in that area.


    Even though the Rule Soul Avatar controlled a portion of the Time Law, he had to rely on the time and space windstorm to travel through the space and time.


    Three days had passed, and Darren and the others finally arrived at the time-space cliff.


    At the bottom of the cliff, colorful clouds


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    ecovered.


    Again, he sat cross-legged in the passageway while his silvery eyes lit up the area in front of him.


    The aura of time passed by everyone, like water streaking across the fingertips.


    As time passed by, the space changed.


    Finally, a shiny exit appeared in their eyes.


    Carefully, the Rule Soul Avatar controlled the law. At the critical moment, if anything went wrong with the law, they would be thrown into a chaotic era instead of returning to the Primitive Wilderness that they used to know.


    "Fly out, my real body."


    "Okay."


    Darren, Lord Feng, and Amir flew towards the exit.


    Dark clouds gathered in the gloomy sky, leaving little vitality on the desolate ground.


    That was the Tussle Region of the Primitive Wilderness.


    "We are back,"


    Darren murmured as he inhaled sharply.


    "Yes. We''re back..." Lord Feng sighed as his eyes welled with tears.


    To Lord Feng, returning to the Primitive Wilderness was like being in a dream.


    After all, this was his hometown¡ªthe place where he was born and raised.

 Chapter 1909 Goodbye

    "This is such a wonderful world!"


    Amir took a deep breath and it seemed that everything he could see around was so different and novel to him.


    "Hey, Amir. Can you sense the entrance to the Birthplace of the Chief Gods?" Meanwhile, Darren did not find anything interesting. All he wanted at this moment was to find the passageway to the Birthplace of the Chief Gods.


    "What? Of course not," Amir quickly replied. He was from the Archean Age, so everything in the Primitive Wilderness was unfamiliar to him. Hence, he really did not have the ability to find the entrance.


    "Tsk, you are useless," Darren said with a sigh.


    "Brat! How dare you!" Obviously, Amir was furious with Darren''s remark, but he could do nothing against him.


    "Well, it seems that only my uncle really knows where the entrance is."


    Then, Darren looked into the distance and activated his supreme god''s sense to envelop the entire land of the human race with it.


    "Darren! He''s back!"


    At the same time, the most powerful Defiant Masters of this era immediately sensed the aura that Darren released.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    From all over the place, these masters rose into the air and flew to the Tussle Region without any hesitation.


    With their speed and abilities, they arrived in the Tussle Region after an hour.


    Josue, Alden, Kellan and Naylor all landed in front of Darren.


    "It seems that you are finally back." Alden, the Bloodsucker Ancestor, took a good look at Darren and sensed that his aura had somehow changed again. However, he could not really pinpoint what the actual change was.


    "Did you find Supreme God Sam?" Darren ask


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    disdain.


    "Didn''t you try to find them for a long time? Do it and the absolute strength will be yours! How are you going to know the location of the Birthplace of the Chief Gods without the Blessing God Character? How are you going to survive there? You are passing up on such a rare opportunity!" Naylor added.


    "So what? It is my choice. You don''t get to tell me what to do!" Darren retorted coldly.


    "You, stupid brat! Do you think that this matter is only about you? It is the business of every living being in this era! Of course, I can say what I want!" Naylor roared furiously.


    "Darren, we are already aware of what will happen to us. I know it is hard for you, but you have to do it for everyone''s sake. Besides, this is our fate. You can''t stop us from merging," Aaron said with a gentle smile. As he spoke, Aaron turned to Donovan with his black eyes and said, "Hey, it''s time to go."


    "It''s already time? I actually don''t want to be apart from Xavier and leave the world. However, this is the only choice. Because of us, Darren and Xavier can become much stronger and can continue to live, right? So, I don''t have any qualms about it," Donovan said with a faint smile.


    "That is right. So, we should go now," Aaron responded and nodded.


    Then, all of a sudden, a strong force grasped both Aaron and Donovan and drew them closer to each other. As the boys stared at Darren and the Rule Soul Avatar, tears welled up in their eyes.


    "Darren, Xavier, Goodbye!"


    Both of them cried and shouted. Indeed, they were reluctant, but their resolve was firm enough to bid farewell to the world for the greater good.

 Chapter 1910 The Fate Character

    The dark light bloomed, and the figures of the two kids dissipated, until they had vanished completely.


    Only their sad cry remained, echoing in Darren''s ears.


    Suddenly, a multifaceted crystal appeared. It had thirty-six sides, and gleamed with a deep, dark light, floating in front of Darren.


    He let out a long sigh, using his god''s power to wipe away the tears trickling from his eyes.


    He stretched out his hand. The God Character fell into his palm, buzzing and rotating.


    Everything was so quiet that Naylor held his breath, not wanting to disrupt the silence.


    Then Darren let out a terrible, piercing scream.


    He could no longer contain the devastation welling up in his chest. His voice was piercing and heartbreaking.


    He dropped to his knees, grabbed his head with his hands, and sobbed without restraint.


    A blood-red hole appeared in his skull, and three God Characters emerged.


    The Assimilating God Character, the Evolving God Character, and the Defiant God Character revolved around the Blessing God Character.


    A soft cyan light emanated from the God Characters. Within moments, the cyan glow had spread out, covering everything around them for as far as the eye could see.


    A shadow moved in the distance. It was the figure of a handsome man, walking slowly but steadily towards him.


    "You''ve grown up," he said. Darren raised his head. The man spoke with such gentleness.


    Tears continued to drip down his cheeks, and his god''s power failed to wipe them away. He stared at the f


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    id.


    With that, he grabbed Braxton''s hand and walked away, until they disappeared into the sky.


    The cyan light died down, leaving only the dim cyan glow, and then that disappeared as well. Darren blinked. It was as though he had been in a dream, like everything was real and unreal at the same time.


    With a series of explosive booming sounds, the whole universe began shaking violently.


    Darren quickly looked up at the sky. Along the horizon, at the edge of the darkness, a gorgeous world was visible. A pair of cold eyes opened, staring straight at Darren.


    Eventually, a face also appeared, and a ferocious smile appeared beneath the glaring eyes. Its mouth moved. Darren tried to read its lips, and it seemed to be saying a single word: destruction.


    Streaks of dark gold light suddenly erupted from the ocean of chief gods. Nine incomparably huge bodies rose from the ocean, about to step into this world.


    They roared, and the sound was so loud that the reverberations destroyed everything in their path.


    "No!" bellowed Naylor. "Why did they come out? How can this be possible?"


    Naylor looked into the distance, fixing his gaze outside the trillions of layers of space around them. He saw the nine huge bodies heading inexorably towards this world.


    The chief gods were set loose. They had stepped out of the Kingdom of the Chief Gods and the ocean that trapped them.


    The Balance Law between heaven and earth seemed to have disappeared, and no longer worked to block the invincible figures.

 Chapter 1911 The Destruction Of The Chief Gods (Part One)

    As soon as the chief gods stepped out of the Kingdom of the Chief Gods, the entire world started to quake and fall apart, and the laws began to come apart at the seams.


    The Primitive Wilderness wasn''t the only one affected but also the trillions of mortal worlds in the void. It seemed like the apocalypse had come for every world.


    Darren raised his head at this moment and was met by the sight of nine huge bodies, which were emitting a massive amount of invincible god''s power.


    "They''re finally here," remarked Darren, his expression remaining serene and unruffled.


    The Ice and Fire God Character, the Dragon and Fiend God Character, and the Blade and Sword God Character emerged from his body.


    "My real body, I think it''s time that we fuse."


    The Rule Soul Avatar had a powerful deduction ability, and at this moment, he figured that his real body had no chance of winning against the chief gods on h


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    use, in the world of the chief gods, there was no concept of space at all. He could go anywhere he wanted in the blink of an eye.


    Roar!


    With the flick of the Killing Chief God''s hand, the Killing King floated in the air as if he was being crushed in his opponent''s palm. His chief god''s power swelled like a tsunami about to crush the Killing King to oblivion.


    Hum!


    All of a sudden, a loud humming vibration resounded through heaven and earth.


    A cyan dragon that was as long as a million kilometers, rushed into the deep sky, wrapped its massive body around the Killing Chief God, and squeezed with all its might.


    "Lord Cyan Dragon!"


    All the creatures on the land turned hopeful gazes at the figure and silently prayed for him.


    "Kill!"


    After tens of thousands of years, it was finally time for Naylor to face the chief gods again. However, there was no trace of fear in his heart this time.

 Chapter 1912 The Destruction Of The Chief Gods (Part Two)

    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...


    Countless figures stampeded towards the battlefield from various directions, despite knowing that they could never survive.


    Those living creatures died in the next instant, going quietly into the night as if they had never existed.


    "Alas!"


    A regretful sorrow took hold of the entire world.


    At this point, an old man suddenly exited the mysterious cave in the Illusion Spirit Sea. On the other side was another old man but his eyes were glazed with insanity. This other man carried a massive black sword to integrate with the former.


    "Fight! Fight in the name of Sam!"


    It was actually Sam, the legendary first supreme god of the human race! He was the mad old man that Darren had met on the Lothlann Continent. Now, Darren finally understood everything.


    It turned out that the invulnerable black sword in the old man''s


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    went completely insane, and billions of creatures fell to their knees in tears. And then, the seemingly plain purple-clad figure arrived.


    Roar! Roar! Roar!


    The nine giant metal bodies let out the most fearsome roars the creatures had ever heard. They shouldn''t have any emotions, but fear had now flooded their hearts.


    "Destroy."


    As soon as the purple-clad figure finished speaking, the nine metal bodies simmered down, transformed into dark gold dust, and gradually got carried off by the wind.


    At the same time, all the emotions in the young man''s soul disappeared into oblivion. Dark gold circles of light circulated on the surface of his body, making him look like a piece of metal.


    "Farewell..."


    A teardrop fell from his slowly transforming eyes. When the lingering warmth dissipated, the cold crept over his body like a blanket of ice.

 Chapter 1913 The Intruders

    A long time passed.


    All of a sudden, there was a loud, deafening burst of noise.


    It was a thunderbolt.


    A space crack appeared, showing a world full of blooming, beautiful flowers beneath a bright, clear sky.


    Two figures in strange clothes walked through the space crack, stepping into the fields of colorful flowers.


    "Here we are!" said the first figure in an exultant tone. He laughed, and added, "We finally made it here!"


    The one who spoke was a handsome young man, who emanated a powerful, unpredictable aura.


    Beside him was a lovely young woman, who looked like she was around sixteen years of age. Unlike her companion, she looked slightly apprehensive.


    "Brother, I heard that this is the hometown of the Emperor of Rebellion. It has been listed as a forbidden area for three thousand years. It is too dangerous for us here. We should turn back," she said.


    The young man glanced around at the gorgeous landscape surrounding them. He replied indifferently, "Don''t worry about such things. I told you not to read those foolish stories. There are very, very few places throughout the entire universe that can''t be conquered by our Immortal God race. There can''t be an Emperor of Rebellion now! There may be highly powerful beings in the slave worlds, but they can''t escape the suppression of the top-level soldiers.


    My experience tells


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    excitement.


    A dragon had actually appeared in this low-level world! It was unbelievable!


    Evelyn was unconvinced, and she laughed. She thought her brother was just acting foolish because he was so desperate to discover treasure.


    Abdullah ignored her. He rose up, high into the air, and a black, metallic whip appeared in his hand.


    He cracked the whip, striking the wall of the mountain closest to him.


    An extremely powerful force traveled along the length of the whip, and there was an explosion of sound as it hit the mountain.


    Cracks appeared on the stone face of the mountain, and rocks splintered off, flying everywhere.


    "Oh, no!" blurted Abdullah, backing away.


    He immediately realized that something was wrong. He had only planned to open a crack in the sedimentary rock covering the gargantuan corpse. He hadn''t planned on causing such a large-scale landslide.


    The whole length of the mountain, for millions of kilometers, began to tremble and shatter. The whole world shook violently.


    A long distance away, the handsome young man who had encountered Evelyn looked at the turbulent disturbance on the mountain.


    "So it has been broken," he murmured to himself.


    He looked calm, but inside, he was tremendously excited.


    "Scott, it''s time for you to come back,"


    he said clearly. This thought brought tears to his eyes.

 Chapter 1914 Im Back

    Even with the collapse of the mountain range, it didn''t really bother Abdullah or Evelyn that much.


    In fact, Abdullah was more concerned if the cyan dragon''s corpse would be damaged.


    After all, if such a rare wonder was destroyed by him, he was sure that he would regret it for the rest of his life.


    Not long after, under the effect of the strong gravitational force in the area, all dust and stones eventually settled.


    It turned out to be a scene that both Abdullah and Evelyn would never forget.


    With their spiritual senses, they could see that at this moment, the huge cyan scales shone brightly with cyan light. The ginormous corpse that spanned millions of kilometers became lifelike.


    "Oh my god!"


    Evelyn could just exclaim in shock as her mind went blank. For a brief moment, she had lost the ability to think.


    It was indeed a dragon.


    A genuine dragon appeared in a low-level world!


    It was a creature that even the emperors feared.


    At the same time, Abdullah seemed to be even more surprised. He had just actually come to this place to try his luck, but he didn''t expect to find something this amazing.


    "If I can just send this news back, I will definitely become the most famous and wealthiest person in the world!" Abdullah shouted in delight.


    However, Evelyn suddenly remembered something.


    "Hang on! We are not the only ones who have come here," she quickly informed.


    "Huh? What are you talking about? Are you sayi


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    llah''s throat, making him fall to the ground. As he was finally able to breathe, he gasped for air and coughed incessantly.


    "I did what you asked me to. Now, do your part," the young man said coldly.


    Evelyn was still shaking in fear as she released a hexagonal starlight pattern in the middle of her palm.


    "Distinguished sir, I will try my best. But just in case it does not work, I hope that you can still let us go."


    After saying this, Evelyn released her god''s power and poured it into the colossal cyan dragon corpse.


    Fifteen minutes had already passed, but it seemed that nothing was happening.


    Evelyn''s poor amount of god''s power was like a drop of water falling into the sea. Even if she exerted all of it, not a single response could be detected.


    However, to the young man''s perception, this actually meant differently.


    ''Well, that''s it¡­'' The young man could not help but sigh from the bottom of his heart. ''It is indeed just as I expected. The god''s power of the Immortal God race is what I need to bring all of you back to life.''


    In the destroyed Kingdom of the Chief Gods, where the concept of time did not exist, this young man dwelled there and had been confused for a very long time.


    However, this day, he had finally found the direction that he should take.


    Then, he raised his head, scanned the corpses that were already covered in dust with his spiritual sense, and muttered, "Guys, I''m finally back. It''s Darren¡­"

 Chapter 1915 The Emperor Of Rebellion (Part One)

    Evelyn didn''t stop until she felt like passing out.


    "I... I really can''t do it,"


    she said wearily, as she wiped sweat from her brow.


    The cyan dragon was beyond hope. Even a legendary master wouldn''t be able to save it, let alone Evelyn.


    "You! If you''ve got a problem, take it up with me. Don''t make my sister suffer!"


    Abdullah had been seriously injured by just a single attack from this young man. His will was strong, but he had no more strength in his body to fight back.


    "Okay, stop,"


    said Darren commandingly to Evelyn. He''d seen what he was looking for.


    Just as Darren had expected, in order to bring his friends and the seniors back to life, he had to use the power of the Immortal God race.


    Evelyn''s treatment seemed useless on the surface, but actually, several cells in Scott''s body had begun to breathe with life.


    If her healing abilities proved powerful enough, Scott would be able to come back to life.


    This was exactly what Darren hoped would happen.


    Back when the nine chief gods launched their simultaneous attack on the human race, the world was on the brink of destruction.


    That desolation was a big shock, leaving no chance for th


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    is no such thing as an Emperor of Rebellion," announced Abdullah, pretending to be chill and relaxed.


    "Of course he exists!"


    Evelyn had always believed deep in her heart that the legend of the Emperor of Rebellion was true.


    This was because when she heard Randall speak of it, all those exciting scenes felt like they were happening right before her eyes.


    Abdullah rolled his eyes and pursed his lips together.


    "Come on, tell me what it is. Even if it''s just a story, it should be a wonderful one," said Darren, with a smile.


    "No problem. But I''m going to make myself clear that I didn''t make this up. Randall has sworn that it''s true, and he''d never lie to me," said Evelyn, with a serious look in her eyes.


    "Evelyn, you know that guy Randall is always joking around..."


    "Shut up!" Evelyn interrupted her brother and continued, "The Emperor of Rebellion is a perfect metal soldier. He''s even much more powerful than the ones that were refined and created by the Mechanical Emperor!


    However, it''s said that he comes from a forbidden zone called the Primitive Wilderness.


    That is to say, his hometown is this low-level world we''re standing in right now."

 Chapter 1916 The Emperor Of Rebellion (Part Two)

    Evelyn recalled Randall''s words from earlier.


    "The first time he arrived in our Immortal World, he was rather weak. He was even rejected as an unqualified metal soldier and thrown into the Soldiers'' Dump."


    She paused and then look at Darren. "You know about the Soldiers'' Dump, right?" she asked matter-of-factly.


    Darren could only shake his head, looking confused, which gave the impression that he didn''t know what the Soldiers'' Dump was.


    "No way! How can you not know about it? That''s so lame..." It seemed like Evelyn was growing bolder by the second, as evidenced by her words and attitude. "The Soldiers'' Dump is a truly horrible place.


    It was built by the Mechanical Emperor a long time ago, and all unfit metal soldiers are thrown there and destroyed by the powerful punishment system.


    Of course, just because those soldiers were deemed unqualified does not necessarily mean they were weak. Some of the soldiers who had been sent there countless years ago have managed to survive until now. The extremely talented ones endure and rely on killing other metal soldiers to obtain energy. Some generations passed and some of them have even evolved into powerful metal soldiers and settled down in that place. They started to rule over the soldiers there. Each of them has established a kingdom of their own."


    At this point, Abdullah interrupted Evelyn and urge


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    chanical Emperor managed to get a hold of the Emperor of Rebellion''s background. It turned out that he came from a low-level slave world, and because of him, that world had become a forbidden area.


    People said the Mechanical Emperor also sent a large number of soldiers to explore that world."


    At this point, Evelyn turned to Darren, searching for any reaction. "What do you think?" she asked when she couldn''t identify any emotions on Darren''s blank expression.


    "It''s not bad, but I think that story is incomplete," Darren casually remarked.


    "It''s not just a story! It really happened. Besides, this is the low-level slave world that the story was pertaining to," Evelyn stressed.


    "Well, you mentioned that the Mechanical Emperor sent a large number of soldiers here. Why didn''t I see any of them? Moreover, why didn''t the Mechanical Emperor come here to check it out himself?" Darren pointed out.


    Evelyn stuttered, speechless that he had pointed out all the flaws in her story.


    She didn''t realize the inconsistencies at all!


    "Eh, well... How do I know? Anyway, I promise I''m not lying!" Evelyn didn''t know how to explain.


    "Ha-ha! It''s okay, I believe you. I''m sure you didn''t make this up," Darren immediately comforted her.


    At that moment, he was thinking about the soldiers that the Mechanical Emperor had sent here. Where could they have gone?

 Chapter 1917 Getting Out Of The Kingdom Of The Chief Gods

    At first, Darren wanted to learn more about the Immortal God race through Abdullah and Evelyn.


    Now, he just really wished he could leave the Kingdom of the Chief Gods.


    However, there was a certain law that wouldn''t allow him to leave. It was actually his metal body that created that law.


    His memory had been paused when the nine chief gods were destroyed, so he couldn''t understand why his metal body created such a powerful law.


    He guessed that his metal body had done that to make sure the successful rebirth of the current Darren.


    "Abdullah, how were you able to rip through the space of this world and get in?" he asked.


    Abdullah''s gloominess was eased after he heard Darren''s question. He replied quickly, "My Fate Character has bestowed this unique ability upon me. I am not bound by any space laws of low-level worlds, and I can travel through them freely."


    "That''s awesome," exclaimed Darren, slightly surprised.


    "You are also very powerful." Evelyn had watched Darren''s skill in spatial teleportation. She even felt that his spatial teleportation s


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    sed with what the man did.


    "Take care, bro. We''ll part ways from here," said Abdullah.


    "What?" Darren gave him a creepy look.


    "What do you mean?" Abdullah asked cautiously.


    "We''ll go together," Darren coldly said. He then grabbed the two and moved towards the space crack.


    "Hey, hey, let go of me. I''m a girl!" Evelyn protested, but it was useless.


    There was a sharp sound as they passed through the space crack, as a huge golden lightning bolt suddenly flashed in the dark horizon.


    The terrifying and ferocious lightning was so powerful that it made them tremble.


    "Ah!" The siblings'' faces both turned deathly pale with fear.


    "What happened? That, that lightning, is obviously the powerful thunder punishment that can only appear in our world!" Abdullah murmured.


    "How could a low-level world withstand such lightning?! Oh, I see! I told you it wasn''t just a myth. The Emperor of Rebellion must really be born in this world, that''s why the lightning was so powerful," Evelyn said with excitement as she seemed to have already forgotten her fear.

 Chapter 1918 The Present Situation Of The Primitive Wilderness

    Darren was certain that this lightning must be left by his metal body.


    Moreover, it was so powerful that its power was enough to shatter a chief god''s body.


    "Hide behind me!" Darren quickly said.


    As he faced the terrifying lightning, his black hair danced in the wind, and his purple robe kept on fluttering.


    Under the dazzling light, his body looked elegant and graceful, which made both Abdullah and Evelyn stunned.


    "What is he trying to do? Is he planning on fighting that lightning?" Evelyn asked in astonishment.


    "This guy is an arrogant idiot! One must be at least a gold-level master in order to withstand it! He''s asking for a brutal death!" Abdullah could not help but grit his teeth. Darren could have escaped, but he was foolish enough to confront the lightning without hesitation.


    Boom!


    In a flash, the lightning hit Darren.


    Crack! Crack!


    At the same time, the dark void became totally illuminated. The light it unleashed was thousands of times brighter than the sunlight.


    As the violent storm swept over, Abdullah and Evelyn were flabbergasted because they did not feel any impact from it.


    "What did he do? Did he withstand the lightning?"


    "That is incredible!


    He really is amazingly strong!" Evelyn''s eyes widened in shock.


    Soon after, the terrifying lightning turned into streaks of light that eventually dissipated into nothingness. The


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    ense.


    "You are still here?!"


    Out of nowhere, about a hundred figures flew over in front of Darren.


    It seemed that these people were all at the Supreme God Realm.


    "Be careful! His aura is very strange and it is barely recognizable. It''s most likely that he came from another world!"


    "I agree. Even my god''s sense can''t see through him. Don''t be rash in attacking him!"


    The supreme gods became very cautious as they approached Darren.


    "You guys are smart!" Darren praised. He could also perceive that the strength of these supreme gods was just a little weaker than that of those masters at the ancestral level in the past.


    Moreover, according to Darren''s rough estimate, when two of these humans joined hands in combat, they might be on par with a master at the level of the Bloodsucker Ancestor.


    He was actually a bit surprised that the human race had already become so strong.


    However, Darren did not plan to waste his time on them. What he cared about right now was the mysterious place that could not be detected by his god''s sense.


    Then, as the supreme gods finally rushed towards Darren, he suddenly disappeared from where he was standing and vanished without a trace.


    "What the hell? Did he just vanish from this space?" The supreme gods'' eyes widened in astonishment.


    They could not believe that something like this would happen right before them.

 Chapter 1919 Darren Returns

    Darren had vanished into thin air. None of the supreme gods could detect any aura from him at all.


    ''How did he do that?'' they thought, perplexed that Darren could just disappear without a trace. They couldn''t believe it. Darren seemed to have teleported away under the pursuit of a hundred supreme gods, which was something beyond their understanding.


    "This isn''t a small matter. We should report it as soon as possible."


    "Yes, let''s go and tell Master Finley. He mentioned that our Primitive Wilderness has been having a lot of trouble recently, but I don''t know the exact details."


    "Oh, I heard about that too!


    Master Finley told me that it was an invasion from another world." "What?! Are the people from the other worlds really that powerful? We should ask Master Finley to let us fight them!"


    At this moment, Darren landed in the area shrouded by purple mist.


    "The purple mist seems quite unique."


    In a single glance, he figured that it wasn''t native to the Primitive Wilderness. To his knowledge, nothing in this world could effectively block his god''s sense, so this mist must have come from somewhere else.


    Then, Darren recalled Evelyn''s words.


    She mentioned to him once that the Immortal God race''s Mechanical Emperor had sent new soldiers to the Primitive Wilderness.


    This made him


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    e really Darren?


    The kylin crept weakly towards Darren, whimpering like a child.


    "What''s going on? Was Lord Kylin so scared that he crawled over there?"


    "This is bad. Go and inform Master Sheffield and Master Shipley!"


    Everyone was in a panic. The intruder had even managed to overcome Lord Kylin. Who else could resist him then?


    "How could Uncle Water Kylin be so scared? Doggy, go and help him. I''ll call Mom over."


    "Got it, but my sister, move quickly. I''m not sure how long I can hold on."


    On the other side of the city, a young man riding a demonic ape and a beautiful woman had also seen what was happening.


    "A world of law!"


    In the blink of an eye, endless laws of heaven and earth suddenly emerged from the sky and launched themselves towards Darren.


    "Doggy, stop!" the kylin hastily shouted, stepping in to interfere immediately.


    "Uncle Water Kylin, don''t be afraid. I''m here to save you!" Doggy Feng shouted as he approached.


    "Ha-ha! Doggy has grown up," remarked Darren as a small but happy smile lit up his face.


    "Dead dog, get up. If you act so spineless, the younger generation will laugh at you."


    As he spoke, the space fluctuation finally cleared up and exposed Darren''s face.


    He didn''t change much. The smile that painted his familiar face was still the same.

 Chapter 1920 Hes Really Back

    The Water Kylin sprang up and excitedly pounced on Darren.


    "You''re still alive! You really are still alive!" His voice trembled as his emotions swelled.


    "Yes. And you are also still alive. We finally meet again." At that moment, Darren''s throat felt so tight that he almost forgot to breathe.


    "My dear brother!" the Water Kylin shouted, overjoyed.


    Come to think of it, it was the first time that the Water Kylin had addressed him in such a way.


    Even Doggy who was beside them was also left stunned. His attack just now was completely ignored by that man.


    When he first looked at Darren''s face, he felt something familiar. There was something there but the memory of it seemed very distant and unclear.


    However, after the Water Kylin had called him brother, memories of his childhood came rushing back to him.


    "Uncle Darren! You''re Uncle Darren!" Doggy felt like he was dreaming.


    "Yes, it''s me. I''m back. You look exactly like your father." Darren smiled fondly at him.


    "I remember you said the same thing to me when I was very young. I can''t believe it! You''re really back!" Doggy was beaming with pleasure. Doggy suddenly wondered how happy his father, Grandpa Aldous, and Aunt Elsa would be if they found out that Uncle Darren was still alive.


    "Uncle Darren, I''ll inform everyone right now!" Doggy mobilized the Spatial Law t


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    o not be able to let it go. Young ones like you, however, should forget the past and move on. You''ve still gotten your whole life ahead of you. Don''t¡ª"


    Before the middle-aged man could finish his words, he was greeted with the sight of a handsome purple figure standing beside the Water Kylin.


    And just like that, he could not take his gaze away from the figure.


    Tears streamed down from the middle-aged man''s eyes the moment their eyes met.


    "Darren, guess who it is," the Water Kylin excitedly whispered in Darren''s ear.


    Darren looked at the middle-aged man. He knew who he was at the first glance. But somehow, he felt a lump in his throat and he didn''t know how to start.


    After all, in the past years, this middle-aged man had never appeared in Darren''s life.


    After a while, Darren got down on his knees.


    "Dad, I''m an unfilial son. I''m sorry I made you wait for so long."


    Words finally came rushing out of his mouth.


    This was his father who had appeared in his dreams countless times. Darren had done everything he could to find them.


    At that moment, he felt his life was at its fullness.


    "My child."


    The middle-aged man''s lips trembled. He seemed to have aged in an instant. A long time ago, Darren was just a baby that he held in his arms. He still could not quite believe it really was him standing before him.

 Chapter 1921 Reunion (Part One)

    At last, the reunion that Darren had been waiting for countless years finally happened in real life.


    "Darren, why are you still standing there? Your mother is inside the castle, and so is Elsa." The Water Kylin suddenly turned into the shape of a human and looked in the direction of the castle.


    With this, Darren''s father flew over and grabbed his son''s arm. "Hey, kid! You better hurry up. Go and see Elsa first."


    After so many years, most of the people had already accepted Darren''s death and moved on. However, Elsa had it the hardest and then became delirious because she missed him so much.


    All these years, Darren''s parents saw Elsa''s suffering and felt sorry for her. They tried every means to cure her, but none of them could help her recover.


    "All right!" Darren nodded firmly and quickly rushed to the castle.


    In front of the thatched cottage in the castle, Darren met his mother. Upon confirming that her son had indeed returned, she became so excited that she fainted.


    "Water Kylin, let''s leave those two alone for the time being. Darren and Elsa will have a lot of catching up to do,


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    k he wants your uncle Water Kylin and your father to decide on the name," Elsa replied.


    "Me? Oh God wait!" The Water Kylin jumped out of excitement and said, "A name just crossed my mind. How about Elsie Chu?"


    "Eh? That''s the best you can think of? Doesn''t it sound too similar to Elsa''s name?" Lindsay said as she tried to dismiss the idea from the Water Kylin.


    "Isn''t it better if they sound similar? Darren entrusted me and Finley to name the baby. But will you really count on Finley to come up with something good? His sense of naming is worse than me!" The Water Kylin argued as he pursed his lips.


    "Nonsense! How dare you accuse my husband that he is worse than you?" Lindsay tried to defend his husband but could not stop smiling.


    "Ha-ha! You want proof?" Then, the Water Kylin looked at Doggy, who was eating and drinking happily, and said, "This guy is the perfect example!"


    Since everyone was now looking at him, Doggy felt embarrassed and retorted, "You are making fun of me again, Uncle Water Kylin! Uncle Darren has already changed my name to Void Feng, but you never call me that!"

 Chapter 1922 Reunion (Part Two)

    "It doesn''t matter. The point is your father is not good at naming a child. Hence, only I should take this important task!" the Water Kylin said proudly as if he was the victor.


    "Well, just forget it. I think I''ll just name the baby myself. After all, you and Finley are both unreliable in this aspect," Darren said indifferently.


    "What? No! Don''t! I promise I''ll do a good job! Just give me one more chance!" the Water Kylin insisted.


    "Nah. I already made up my mind," Darren said dismissively.


    "Well, there is still a lot of time before the baby is born. There is no need to hurry. Come on, continue eating," Selina urged.


    "That is right. Eat and drink well!" Aldous added.


    After that, several peaceful days passed.


    However, it seemed that they would not last very long.


    One day, Doggy came rushing to Darren and said anxiously, "Uncle Darren, bad news!"


    "What happened? Why are you in such a hurry?" Before Doggy arrived, Darren was just reading some books to kill time.


    "We lost contact with my father!" Doggy answered as he panted.


    "What did you say?" As he let out a frown, Darren suddenly stood and asked, "When did this happen?"


    "Just yesterday. My mother tried to contact him through her spiritual sense. However, he didn''t respond. At first, my mother thought that he was just cultivating in seclusion, so she didn''t bother to disturb him. Later on, she tried contacting him again several times, but my father didn''t respond at all. He never did it before, so we are afraid that something bad might have happened to him. Thus, she asked me to come and tell you," Doggy explained.


    "You should have told me about t


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    is chest.


    Seeing this, Finley was dumbfounded. He didn''t imagine that this thing was way stronger than he had imagined.


    After his initial attack, the purplish gold metal creature suddenly vanished.


    Apparently, he had become aware of Darren''s presence. Sensing that he was an extremely terrifying existence, he quickly chose to escape.


    After all, making the right judgment in life and death situations was the highest priority in their consciousness.


    "Oh? You''re trying to escape? I don''t think so."


    As a sly smile appeared on the corner of Darren''s mouth, he reached out his hand to grab the space in front of him.


    Boom! Boom!


    In the blink of an eye, the condensed space exploded again. At the same time, Darren''s fingers were able to latch on the shoulder of the huge metal creature, dragging him towards him.


    "Argh!"


    The metal creature panicked and desperately tried to break free. However, Darren was just too powerful.


    At this point, the metal creature made a judgment to launch a sneak attack, thinking that it would be the only way for him to escape.


    Soon after, he mobilized all of the god''s power in his body, gathered it in his palm, and struck Darren with all his might.


    "Darren! Watch out!" Finley warned sternly.


    However, Darren wasn''t even fazed. He just ignored the incoming attack and shouted, "Kill!"


    Then, an astonishing wave of god''s power surged out and devoured the metal creature''s body.


    The very next moment, the entire hell fell silent. As for the metal creature, he had already turned into purplish gold dust.


    At the same time, all that remained in the air was a floating God Character.

 Chapter 1923 Celebration (Part One)

    In only an instant, Darren managed to kill the powerful metal soldier. Doggy stood dumbstruck on the sidelines.


    He had no idea a human could have such immense power!


    Initially, Doggy thought that after hundreds of thousands of years of development, human martial arts had already reached its peak in the new era. Back then, Darren was strong enough to contend against the chief gods. But times were changing. He imagined that Darren''s strength was probably only as good as his father''s current strength.


    After witnessing such an impossible scene, he realized his former opinions on Darren''s power were absolutely ridiculous. Darren was far stronger than his father.


    In fact, most of Darren''s strength was contained in his metal body, while he had only inherited a fraction from his original strength.


    But, the various God Characters related to the Conflicting Cultivation within the metal body had already reached their limit. It meant that it would be very difficult for the metal body to increase his power further. Unless the metal body could find some new way to make a breakthrough in the territory of the Immortal God race, he


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    id Selina.


    "Well, I was planning on doing that. I heard that it''s Shipley and Sheffield who are in charge of the divine palace now, right?"


    Shipley was the only living supreme god of the human race before Darren became one. Later, he had to escape into the deep void of the universe because he had exposed his whereabouts to save Darren and was discovered by the chief gods.


    Not long after the destruction of the chief gods, Shipley sensed the change and finally returned with some humans that were wandering through the deep void.


    Similarly, Sheffield''s broken limb, who''d been defeated by Darren way back then, also returned from the void.


    The human powerful warriors those two brought back rapidly improved in the new era of the Primitive Wilderness, making the human race ascend to its most prosperous state in all of history.


    "Yes. The two of them respect you very much and regard you as the savior of the human race. They call you the God of human race. It would certainly make them happy to see you back alive."


    "Okay, I''ll make my way there right now. Those two are my seniors. It''s about time I went to meet them."

 Chapter 1924 Celebration (Part Two)

    After saying that, Darren freshened up a little and left the castle alone, flying to the land outside the purple mist.


    Not long after, he arrived at the front of the human race''s divine palace.


    "Wow, it''s like nothing''s changed."


    Standing on the wide square ground, Darren gazed up at the glory of the ancient divine palace.


    In a wave of nostalgia, he felt like he was back at the time when he had just ascended from the Lothlann Continent.


    That time, he was still very weak and humble, and the human race was at the brink of extermination.


    Now, there was no longer the threat of invasion from the other races in this vast land of the human race. Even better was that there was no longer any looming danger from the chief gods.


    This world had finally welcomed an era of peace and prosperity.


    Darren''s heart wrenched at the thought of all his predecessors who sacrificed their lives for the human race and couldn''t live to witness the serenity of this new world.


    "Hey, who the heck are you? This is the divine palace. You can''t just waltz into here."


    Darren snapped out of his nostalgia as two black-robed cultivators came up to him to shoo him away.


    "Could you please inform my seniors Shipley and Sheffield that Darren has come to visit them?" said Darren, with a sunny smile.


    "Your seniors?"


    This young man


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    ter he returned. This managed to slowly calm the two of them down.


    "I still can''t fathom that you''re still alive! Thank god! Our human race is truly blessed!"


    "Someone, anyone, announce to the entire Primitive Wilderness of the return of our race''s savior, Darren! Give out the order that our human race will celebrate for seven days, and the crypt keeping the cultivation methods will also be open for seven days. All the warriors above the Deputy God Realm can go to choose cultivation methods as they please!"


    The news of Darren''s return soon spread throughout the human land like wildfire.


    In just a quarter of an hour, the area of one hundred thousand kilometers around the divine palace was filled with humans who knelt down in reverence.


    Every single one of them was there to worship Darren.


    Some of them, those who were too weak to squeeze in, could only wail in the distance.


    The entire human world burst into an excited uproar of cheers.


    After a short while, under Shipley''s suggestion, Darren ascended into the sky to meet the human cultivators who came to worship him.


    Witnessing the crowd before him cheering and giving thanks deeply moved Darren.


    Today, the human race was peaceful and prosperous. The return of the God of the human race marked the true end of the dark and difficult era of the past.

 Chapter 1925 Strange Experiences In The Starry Sky (Part One)

    Darren spent the next seven days in the divine palace, and during most of the time, he drank and mingled with Shipley and Sheffield. The divine palace was also populated with a lot of powerful seniors and talented juniors, who stayed and chatted with them as well.


    The past hundreds of thousands of years had been relatively peaceful. Countless rare treasures and cultivation methods had descended upon the world, and that allowed a lot of talented humans to grow exponentially stronger. They started to come out of the woodwork like ants.


    A lot of those talented young warriors were as talented as Lord Starry Sword and Lord Feng, if not more.


    The thought that three of those young men were almost as talented as him when he was younger pleased Darren greatly as well.


    After all, that would work to their advantage. At the rate that the human race was progressing, more and more warriors would be available to fight for them. It meant that as long as the Immortal God race didn''t attack them full-force, the human race could fight back well enough.


    Based on the recent pattern, a few more peaceful years would


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    d, died there? Perhaps, his companions had buried him on that star."


    Sheffield shook his head. "At first, that was what I thought too. But when I checked the human skeleton carefully, I found that he was different from us. Unlike us, that skeleton had a hole in the middle of its forehead, which possibly served as its eye.


    In short, that human must have had a third eye on his forehead!"


    "He had an eye on his forehead? That''s strange..."


    Everyone was surprised. Many other races inhabited the Primitive Wilderness, but they had never seen any creature with an eye on its forehead, let alone a human being.


    "And that was not even the strangest part. What really surprised me was that the hole on the skeleton''s forehead released some kind of mysterious power. It felt frightening. It was like something had my heart in its grasp, squeezing it tightly." Even now, when such a long time had passed, Sheffield still felt a lingering fear.


    He was already a fairly capable warrior back then.


    So if a human skeleton could frighten him that much, how terrifying must it have been while it was still alive?

 Chapter 1926 Strange Experiences In The Starry Sky (Part Two)

    This piqued Darren''s interest.


    "And then, what happened later? Did you continue to explore?" Darren asked not long after when it looked like Sheffield wasn''t about to continue his story.


    "Of course I did," answered the other man. "I admit, I was scared at that time. But I wasn''t afraid of death, so I continued digging despite my fear. In the end, I was able to open a total of more than three hundred tombs. It seemed that whoever buried them, buried some objects in the tombs as well. Most of them were stone vessels, while some others were thin stone tablets engraved with strange words.


    There were a lot of stone tablets, and the language engraved on them added up to tens of millions of words."


    "Could those words be cultivation methods that they left before they died?" Everyone''s eyes lit up with excitement when they heard Darren''s question.


    If those were genuine cultivation methods left behind by those strange human beings, they could try studying and decoding them together, and that could lead to unexpected gains.


    "No. I think that''s highly unlikely. I took a look at each of them closely, and they didn''t look like cultivation methods because there wasn''t any pattern in them," Sheffield responded plainly.


    Honestly, it would be unrealistic to leave a cultivation method with words alone, as images were needed to be simulated by using the god''s sense. Only in this way could the later generations make full use of the cultivation method.


    "Well, that wasn''t the s


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    r field. I tried to find that windstorm again later on, as I was hoping to find an opportunity to make a breakthrough. But I couldn''t find it in the end."


    Darren nodded thoughtfully. "The universe is vast and endless, and anything strange can happen. I believe you."


    Then, several other seniors began to tell their own strange experiences.


    Some of them told stories of seeing time and space turbulent flows; some shared that they were once trapped in mysterious illusions. Some even encountered giant beasts in the boundless starry sky.


    However, by the end, some of them admitted that they could have been hallucinating because they weren''t sober at that time.


    The banquet soon ended in this way.


    During that time, Darren heard a multitude of stories, and he became more and more curious about the deep sky of the universe.


    Unbeknownst to the people around him, he made a decision in his heart.


    He would wait until his daughter was born and grown.


    And then he would take his family and friends to explore the mysterious deep void.


    Of course, it was not curiosity alone that motivated Darren. It was also because there had always been a hidden worry in his heart, and that was about the Immortal God race.


    Moreover, Darren still thought of the friends and seniors who had died in the battle in the Kingdom of the Chief Gods. Until now, he hoped that they could be reborn.


    Therefore, Darren knew that it was only a matter of time before he left the Primitive Wilderness.

 Chapter 1927 Vera Chu (Part One)

    Time seemed to have its own flow when life was bereft of peril and escapades¡ªit was slower when everything was peaceful and mundane.


    Five years had passed since, and Darren felt like it was longer than half a millennium.


    In the bamboo forest of the castle


    "Uncle Water Kylin, I want to play the horse riding game!"


    A pretty little girl giddily laughed as she followed the Water Kylin.


    "You''re a good girl, aren''t you, Vera? Tell me, am I the handsomest man in the world?"


    The Water Kylin squatted down. Compared to the little girl''s petite frame, his huge body was like a dark gold mountain.


    Vera drummed her fingers in her chin as she thought for a while. Then, she looked straight at the Water Kylin''s eyes and wrinkled her nose. "Nope!" she teased. "My father is the handsomest man in the world!"


    "What if we don''t consider your father, is your Uncle Water Kylin the handsomest man now?" He took in a human form and gently smiled at the little girl.


    "Hmm, still no. There is still Uncle Finley," the little girl answered, tilting her head.


    "Finley? Looks like you''re too young to know, little one. Finley is t


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    time already! Is he going to miss it?" Finley cursed in a low voice.


    "I have sent him a message through my spiritual sense. They should be back soon. Let''s eat first. Don''t wait for him," Darren soothed them.


    For warriors at Darren''s level and the likes of him, food was dispensable. However, they valued the virtue of a family gathering together, and they liked to enjoy delicious food like ordinary people did.


    After a while, the Water Kylin suddenly barged inside. "Darren, bad news!"


    The others were halfway through their meal when they saw him enter with Vera in his arms.


    "Is Vera in trouble? Is she okay?" Elsa hurriedly stood up.


    "No." The Water Kylin frowned and anxiously continued, "Vera passed out."


    "What?!"


    Finley pounded the table and sprang up, and the others also surrounded the Water Kylin nervously.


    "How did it happen?" Finley demanded.


    "I... I don''t know. I just took her to the lake outside to catch fish. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. Then, all of a sudden, she fainted." The Water Kylin blamed himself for their precious niece''s state, so he didn''t retort to Finley''s lecture.

 Chapter 1928 Vera Chu (Part Two)

    When Vera just fainted, the Water Kylin was afraid of being scolded when he came back, so he used his god''s power to treat her. Unfortunately, this caused her to become even weaker.


    The Water Kylin panicked and hurriedly brought her back.


    "Get out of the way, you useless thing." With an accusing look, Finley glared at the Water Kylin. He then took the girl over and examined her with his Spirit Power.


    "Is my granddaughter okay? What is happening to her? This poor child!" Even Selina was just as rattled as everyone else.


    "It''s strange." Finley furrowed his brows skeptically. "Nothing is wrong with her."


    "Darren, l..." the Water Kylin started, unable to finish his sentence as he was reeling with guilt. He felt like he made an unforgivable mistake.


    "Don''t think about it too much. This could have been her special physical condition. There''s a huge chance that it has nothing to do with you," Darren said to relieve his guilt.


    Given the nature of their relationship, he would have berated the Water Kylin already. But he had to check his ego, since this situation required more attention. After all, they were sworn brothers, and they had been through countless perilous situations. This was not the time to act all high and mighty.


    "Then, what should we do?" The Water Kylin could practically feel his heart in his mouth. Then, he snapped at Finley, "You! What the hell are you doing? You always brag how capable you are. Now that we need you, you actually became useless?"


    "Shut up! Bark again and I will tear your mouth apart!" Finley shot back.


    Their entire family wa


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    ge is stronger next time, she wouldn''t be able to bear it."


    Vera was fortunate that she was able to physically survive this time. From their speculation, it had something to do with her inborn defense of the supreme god level. Otherwise, she would have been burnt into ashes.


    What was more, the mysterious nebula-like object appeared and quickly absorbed the heat. If it weren''t for it, she couldn''t have survived the whole ordeal.


    The Water Kylin scratched his head, unable to pitch in any ideas that could help their case.


    The three of them were sitting in silence when suddenly, Finley bellowed, "That''s it!"


    He stood up all of a sudden.


    "Darren, do you remember the metal soldier?"


    "Of course." Darren nodded, not knowing where their conversation was headed.


    "That''s it. Ha-Ha!" Finley triumphantly smiled and offered a solution. "Didn''t I tell you before? I have been studying hard over the years and mastered the method of refining that mysterious metal. I can use that metal to create a special defense for her."


    "Using metal as a defense?" Darren thought it was a bad idea. He continued, "That doesn''t sound good. I''m afraid that kind of metal can''t resist the high temperature produced in her body."


    "You''re wrong. It actually can." With a confident look, Finley explained, "I''ve tried it thousands of times. No matter how high the temperature is, it can''t be transmitted to that metal. Any god''s power of the fire nature can''t melt that metal."


    "Oh?"


    Darren''s eyes lit up. Even the Water Kylin was excited. This could actually be a solution to their problem!

 Chapter 1929 Setting Off To The Deep Universe (Part One)

    With a solution in mind, Darren and Finley immediately took action.


    As for the Water Kylin, he didn''t really understand what the two were up to, so he could only watch from the sidelines.


    Apparently, there was a secret basement under the metal castle.


    It was about a thousand feet in both length and width, and most of the space in it was filled with dark gold metal pieces.


    "Finley, you have collected all these metal pieces?" Darren asked, feeling a little surprised.


    "Yes. In fact, it was not that hard." Finley then continued, "In the past one hundred thousand years, many groups of metal soldiers have entered our world. However, most of them were not particularly strong. Hence, with the combined efforts of two to three supreme gods, a metal soldier would not stand a chance.


    To tell you the truth, the metal soldier that you killed a few years ago is already the strongest one that I have ever seen. I actually wanted to keep that metal solider alive so that I could explore his internal structure. Unfortunately, he broke away from the law power and tried to kill me. I was just lucky that you came in time.


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    tion stage, there had never been any mistake afterward.


    "Hold on. I will try again."


    Eventually, Finley used the law again to integrate the metal pieces into Vera''s body.


    However, the result was still the same. The metal liquid was just discharged from her body as if it was sweat.


    "It does not seem to work on her," Darren said with a frown as he shook his head. He had been observing the metal liquid with his god''s sense, and he noticed that it was being treated like dirt in his daughter''s body. Hence, naturally, it was just being discharged.


    Moreover, the repulsive force seemed to be coming from the fingertip-sized black hole in her body, which was very powerful.


    Seeing this result, Finley could not help but feel helpless. He never expected that Vera''s physical resistance would be this strong.


    "Wait a minute!"


    Just as they were about to give the procedure up, Finley suddenly recognized something.


    "Darren, did you notice that some of the metal pieces have stayed in Vera''s body for a longer time, while some have been rejected as soon as they entered into her body?" Finley asked excitedly.

 Chapter 1930 Setting Off To The Deep Universe (Part Two)

    "Yes, I did. But what does it mean?" Darren did not understand why Finley was so excited about this seemingly unimportant fact.


    After thinking for a while, Finley said, "I am not entirely sure, but if my hunch is right, the interval at which the metal pieces were rejected depended on their quality!"


    In order to verify his speculation, Finley continued the process and observed carefully. Finally, he found that there were actually a few specks of extremely thin metal dust floating in Vera''s meridians.


    Then, it was not until two hours later that the metal dust was driven out of her body.


    "I was right!" Finley confirmed his hypothesis and informed, "We just need a metal of higher quality. It should be higher than the quality of the last few specks of metal dust that were discharged from her."


    "Do you even know where to find them?" Darren asked with a gloomy tone.


    "Hmm, no. I don''t even remember where I got this high quality metal dust," Finley said with furrowed brows.


    "Well, I am not entirely sure¡­" After studying the metal for a while, Darren had come up with the most probable conclusion. "If I am not mistaken, the metal dust came from the body of a chief god."


    Hearing this, Finley''s mouth was almost left wide open.


    Back then, when the chief gods were destroyed, they had been turned into trillions specks of metal dust. Hence, it was not strange that the metal soldiers, who later entered the Primitive Wilderness, also had these metal particles in their bodies.


    "Are you saying t


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    in this deep void. ''Could it be the place where the three-eyed humans that Sheffield mentioned are residing?''


    After making up his mind, Darren flew towards the distant star.


    If he was still in the Primitive Wilderness, he could reach the star in just a few seconds.


    However, since he was far away from the Primitive Wilderness, his speed had decreased a lot. In fact, as he went further into the deep universe, his speed continued to decrease.


    Based on his estimation, it should take him about three days to reach the star.


    Fortunately, three days were almost negligible for Darren.


    As he eventually approached the star, Darren activated his god''s sense to detect everything that was in it.


    However, he found out that the life forms on this star were nothing similar to human beings.


    The creatures had red bodies and carapaces, which looked like long and upright red stones.


    If they didn''t have eyes, hands, and feet, these strange creatures would clearly resemble red stones.


    As Darren continued to observe, he later noticed that a fierce battle was actually going on inside the star.


    Two red creatures collided with each other, but their overall fighting power seemed to be much weaker than what Darren had anticipated.


    When the two ferocious creatures collided, they were able to hit a few mountains.


    It seemed that these two were the top masters on this star.


    Moreover, the two creatures should be the equivalent of the supreme gods of the human race in the Primitive Wilderness.

 Chapter 1931 Ores (Part One)

    Darren landed on the star just a small distance away from the two red creatures locked in battle.


    Since Darren had concealed his aura, the two red creatures didn''t notice his arrival.


    It was not until then that he found that something was wrong.


    The star he was standing on turned out to be much more stable than the Primitive Wilderness. It also possessed a powerful gravity, which was at least ten thousand times more potent than that of the Primitive Wilderness.


    "That explains it!"


    Only then did Darren realize that it was not that the creatures on the star were weak, but that the world was restricting their strength.


    The two stone-like creatures were still going at each other with all their might. They were both bloody and beaten at that point, but neither of them could manage to defeat the other.


    Clang!


    All of a sudden, a stream of dark gold light flashed, and a human-shaped metal soldier appeared out of nowhere.


    "What? What''s going on?"


    Darren could not help but raise his brows in surprise. It was the least of his expectations to see a metal soldier here.


    He decided to hold back for now. He wanted to see what the metal s


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    ed to be very different from the Immortal God race that he was familiar with.


    Therefore, he instinctively decided that he couldn''t give out any more information to Darren.


    "You refuse? I guess you''ve made your choice. Prepare to be destroyed!"


    Darren knew that the metal soldier was bound to follow the rules. Since he did not do as he asked, no matter how hard he tried, it was useless to try and force the metal soldier. After all, the metal soldier did not fear anything, and had no real sense of pain either. It was useless.


    Keeping this in mind, Darren gave a wave of his hand, and his god''s power engulfed the metal creature.


    In an instant, the metal soldier was crushed by the god''s power and combusted into numerous fragments.


    Darren scooped up all the fragments, with the intention of taking them back to Finley¡ªmaybe he could do something with them.


    Then, Darren waved at a black God Character floating in the air. It flew over and fell into his palm.


    "It''s also broken?"


    To Darren''s surprise, as soon as the God Character fell into his hand, his Fate Character released a strange force and the God Character was reduced to powder.

 Chapter 1932 Ores (Part Two)

    Darren checked his Fate Character. The last time it absorbed a God Character of a metal soldier, it had turned into a seed-like object.


    Now, the seed-like Fate Character was broken, revealing a white sprout.


    This came as a pleasant surprise for Darren.


    Was his Fate Character really a seed? And did it just absorb the God Character as nourishment?


    If that was the case, what would it look like if it kept growing? What could its use be?


    "Forget it. I''ll just wait until I get to the world of the Immortal God race."


    After all, the change in his Fate Character didn''t seem to have that much of an impact on his strength. For now, Darren decided not to think too much about it.


    Witnessing their chief god being slain, the two members of the Selvi race both stayed glued to the ground and began to mutter something. They didn''t dare to move a muscle in Darren''s presence.


    Darren couldn''t understand their language, but they could understand what he said if he spoke to them through his spiritual sense in the chief god''s language. This was because the metal soldier had given them orders in this language earlier.


    "Send the language information of your race to me with your Spirit Power," said Darren.


    Very soon, a stream of Spirit Power full of language informatio


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    ge gust of god''s sense suddenly enveloped him.


    A crack ran through the sky. A pair of dark gold eyes, with cold light, locked onto Darren.


    "Now another one!"


    Darren raised his head. He made a piercing gaze back at the dark gold eyes peering at him.


    "Go to hell!"


    Darren jumped off the ground and up into the air, and threw a punch at the dark gold eyes.


    "Ah!"


    In quick retaliation, a dark gold palm rushed right towards him.


    Boom! Boom!


    Chaos enveloped the world as the collapsing god''s power thunderously swept all around, turning everything within millions of kilometers around it into ruins.


    Fortunately, this star was stable enough to withstand the blast. Otherwise, it would have been reduced to dust.


    Darren and the new metal soldier went head on with attacks right away. He forced the metal soldier to step back. The soldier''s huge body shattered layers of space and fell into the void.


    In a quick flash, Darren managed to catch up with him.


    "This metal soldier is immensely powerful! But I''m not letting him get away!"


    At the same time, Darren didn''t dare to get careless. Judging from his aura, Darren estimated that this new metal soldier was a little stronger than the previous chief god. He wasn''t about to let him out of his clutches.

 Chapter 1933 The Metal Real Body (Part One)

    The metal soldier had escaped unbelievably fast. Darren had to chase after him in the void for a full quarter of an hour before he could even come close enough to his figure.


    "My lord, I''m one of the Mechanical Emperor''s soldiers. The rebel had chased me all the way here. Please let me go." The metal soldier''s voice sounded a little bit stiff and labored.


    Since he had addressed Darren as "my lord," he must have thought that Darren was a member of the Immortal God race. That was why he tried to explain the situation to Darren instead of going on the offense.


    "Oh, you are one of the Mechanical Emperor''s subordinates? I see. You can stop running then. I won''t kill you," Darren told him telepathically, while he took care not to show the smile that was threatening to come out.


    The fool had mistaken him as a member of the Immortal God race. He had just presented Darren an excellent opportunity to gain valuable information before he found out who Darren really was.


    Of course, Darren knew that the metal soldiers were smart in their own right, so this metal soldier would undoubtedly see through his disguise sooner or later.


    The metal sol


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    ost its light, revealing a slender human-shaped metal body with dark gold skin.


    When the metal soldier laid eyes on the figure, his eyes immediately gravitated towards Darren.


    ''Why do they look alike?!'' he thought in alarm.


    He figured that there was a connection between the two, but he couldn''t do anything about it in his current situation.


    "Destroy!"


    The Emperor of Rebellion''s metallic cold voice rang, announcing the metal soldier''s impending death.


    His god''s power bisected the metal soldier''s body in half and ground it into dust, leaving behind the soldier''s black God Character floating in midair.


    Darren stood quietly by the sidelines, observing his other self closely, but he didn''t dare to make a move.


    At this moment, even Darren could not tell who should be the real body between the two of them. The metallic Darren or the Darren with humanity?


    "I am the real body. And you are my human avatar,"


    claimed a frosty voice in Darren''s head, breaking his train of thought.


    "How did you know what I was thinking?" Darren asked in shock. The metallic Darren leveled a cold gaze in the human Darren''s direction and answered,

 Chapter 1934 The Metal Real Body (Part Two)

    "How could I not know? Everything you have right now came from me."


    At that moment, Darren understood. The metal body had separated his emotions, which thus created him and his body. That meant the metallic Darren was indeed the real body. And the current human Darren should be considered as an avatar.


    And because he was the real body, it made sense that he knew everything there was to know about the human avatar.


    "Are you going to kill me?" Darren asked after a moment of silence.


    Objectively, he and the metal real body were two completely different life forms. Seeing as the metal real body only cared about his own interests, it would not surprise Darren if he wanted to kill him.


    "No. You''re coming with me to the Immortal World¡ªthe world of the Immortal God race. I need your help with something,"


    the metal real body answered firmly as if he had already decided for Darren.


    "Excuse me?" Darren muttered in confusion. Why would someone so strong need his help?


    "You don''t need to know. Just do as I say," the metal real body ordered indifferently.


    "Really? Is that an order?" Darren asked with a smile, challenging the metal real body.


    Of course, he didn''t mean to fight the other him. He was merely aggravating him as he sought to find where the boundaries between them lay. It seemed that the relationship they had was drastically different from his relationship with the Rule Soul Avatar.


    After all, Darren saw the Rule Soul Avatar as his equal. He subconsciously thought so, at least.


    "This is us, working together,"


    the metal rea


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    onsciousness almost immediately after.


    Meanwhile, in Wing City, South River Province, the Eastern Imperial Region of the Immortal World.


    Bang!


    "Outrageous!" a voice yelled out.


    It was a middle-aged man, who slammed his hand on the table in front of him. He looked utterly furious.


    A young man was lying prone on the floor of the hall, sleeping.


    But the middle-aged man''s furious shouting seemed to have woken him up, and his consciousness began to slowly come back.


    After a while, the young man finally opened his eyes in confusion. He looked around blankly, confusion etched on his face.


    ''Who am I? Where am I?''


    His head ached like he had been struck by a bat, and he couldn''t remember anything.


    Then, out of nowhere came a deluge of information in his mind. It poured over his soul like a boundless river.


    At this moment, he felt that he was dead.


    ''Huh? It worked! Damn it! Why do I also have another person''s memory and emotions now?''


    When the information had completely integrated, the young man''s eyes suddenly lit up.


    He was overjoyed, which was a sharp one-eighty shift from the person who was still on the edge of life and death just now.


    Indeed, the young man in the hall had already died, and Darren had possessed his body.


    ''I succeeded in taking the body perfectly. In the eyes of others, I am a real member of the Immortal God race now, '' Darren joyfully thought to himself. Their plan had worked!


    However, this change was only in appearance. Darren was still a human in his bones and his soul. That would never change.

 Chapter 1935 A Place To Stay (Part One)

    "Master Alex has already woken up!"


    As one of the maids in the hall saw that Darren woke up, she immediately went and helped him get up.


    "Stop it!" Suddenly, the middle-aged man shouted and scolded, "That guy is such a loser. He deserves to die! There is no place for useless people like him in our clan!"


    Hearing the stern voice of her master, the maid had no choice but to stand aside. Then, she kept her head lowered, not daring to take a single step towards Darren.


    At the same time, Darren, who had just woken up, was completely puzzled at what was going on.


    "But chief¡­ Although Master Alex is a little weak, he is still the husband of our young lady. The daughter of the Wang Clan was the one at fault. She was the one who treated Master Alex that way. She was the one that shamed our Yun Clan. We can''t bear her rudeness anymore!" an old man suddenly butted in.


    "Ha! Useless rubbish! This guy has done nothing but humiliate our clan. But you are right. The Wang Clan is being too presumptuous!"


    The middle-aged man seemed to be very irritated and frustrated.


    Gradually, Darre


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    e young man said this, he trembled slightly and his eyes were filled with fear.


    "What?!"


    Suddenly, loud gasps could be heard in the hall. Everyone looked rather terrified after hearing what the young man said.


    "The grade-three Fate Character, huh?" Liam mumbled softly.


    Even he instantly lost his confidence. Then, he gradually crumbled down on the chair as if he had been defeated already.


    At the same time, Darren still kept silent because he was not done sorting out all of Alex''s memories yet.


    But when he heard of the grade-three Fate Character, Darren actually knew something about it.


    It turned out that the strength of the Immortal God race was classified with the grade as its unit. They were divided into nine grades, with each grade corresponding to a type of Fate Character. So, all in all, there were nine grades of Fate Characters.


    At the same time, this kind of classification was almost similar in terms of the metal pieces that used for creating the metal soldiers. The grade-one metal was the most inferior among all, while the grade-nine was the most superior.

 Chapter 1936 A Place To Stay (Part Two)

    Moreover, there was a great connection between the Fate Character and the metal materials.


    This was because the exertion of the god''s power of the Immortal God race depended on the Fate Character that was used together with the dark gold metal.


    For instance, if one owned the grade-one Fate Character, he could make use of the grade-one metal. Consequently, he could exert an annihilation reaction using the grade-one Fate Character and the grade-one metal to generate a powerful god''s power.


    However, it would be impossible for someone to use the grade-two metal if he just possessed the grade-one Fate Character. In other words, the level of the Fate Character one possessed should be greater than the level of the metal that he wanted to utilize.


    Since it was said that the eldest young master of the Wang Clan had condensed the grade-three Fate Character, it meant that he could now use the grade-three metal to gain a much more powerful god''s power.


    It should be unimaginably powerful since the nine chief gods, who were sent to the Primitive Wilderne


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    e was quite taken aback by the intimate action that was shown by the woman.


    But considering the woman''s kindness, Darren did not do anything to her. He just subtly pushed her aside.


    However, this unexpected response from her husband made Ines suddenly feel that there was something strange about him. It was as if he had become a different man despite having the same appearance.


    She sensed that his temperament and behavior became rather odd because he never did this before.


    Ines wondered if her husband had somehow snapped after hearing everything that they wanted to do to him.


    "Are you threatening the chief? You, son of a bitch! Do you know what you just have said?!"


    The elders fumed in anger as they defended Liam, but Darren just glanced at them and coldly said, "Cut the crap. If anyone of you wants to kill me, then go ahead and make my day."


    "Fucking asshole! You are not only useless! You are also a shameless bastard! Let me kill you right now!"


    An elder suddenly gathered his god''s power and intended to kill Darren in one blow.

 Chapter 1937 A Place To Stay (Part Three)

    Boom!


    A loud explosion was heard immediately after, but it didn''t come from the elder''s attack. To everyone''s astonishment, Ines slapped herself hard on her head.


    Immediately, scarlet blood dripped down on her beautiful face. It was so gruesome that the people around could not help but cover their mouths due to shock.


    "Did you not hear me? You need to kill me first if you want to lay a hand on my husband. If you really want him dead, then I will die here today in front of you," Ines uttered flatly.


    "Ines! What have you done?"


    Seeing what happened to her daughter, Liam''s heart instantly ached so hard. Without any hesitation, he rushed towards her and held her.


    "My dear daughter, why are you being so silly?" Liam softly mumbled.


    "Are you calling me silly? Fine. You can also take me for a fool. I feel so ashamed to live in this world anymore after everything that happened." After saying that, she raised her hand again, attempting to give herself another massive blow.


    Fortunately, Liam was able to stop her this


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    ome thought, it occurred to Darren that with his current identity, he could easily gain negative emotions from the people surrounding him.


    If he stayed in the Yun Clan in Alex''s body, he assumed that his Fate Character would grow incredibly fast.


    Since Darren was yet to know what would happen once his Fate Character grew up, he was extremely curious.


    Hence, Darren made up his mind and decided to stay for the time being.


    Besides, he actually had no idea where to go if he left the Yun Clan. He had just come to this world, and everything was still unfamiliar to him.


    Moreover, he thought that there would not be a risk if he hid here. After all, no other stronger members of the Immortal God race were here.


    "That''s it. I''ll make the most of my stay here in the Yun Clan for the time being."


    Soon enough, Darren walked out of his room and went straight to the library of the Yun Clan.


    After all, he needed to know how to improve his strength now that he had a body that belonged to a member of the Immortal God race.

 Chapter 1938 Nine Metal Meridians (Part One)

    The Yun Clan was a family in Wing City that could be almost categorized in the upper class. Hence, it was just natural to possess many basic cultivation methods in its library.


    As Darren followed the direction from the memories of his current body, he came to a stop in front of a particular building.


    This was the main library of the Yun Clan, where all their books about different cultivation methods were properly kept.


    Because Alex''s body was very weak, he had basically no chance to cultivate before. Hence, even if Darren had all of his memories, he could only get very little information about the cultivation methods. Therefore, he had no other choice but to start from scratch.


    At this moment, two guards were guarding at the gate of the building, and they stared at Darren with loathing and disdain as he approached.


    "Where can I find the basic cultivation methods in this library?" Darren asked one of the guards in an indifferent tone.


    However, this guard just crossed his arms across his chest and scoffed, completely ignoring Darren.


    Bam!


    Without any hesitation, Darren slapped the guard across his face so hard that the impact sent him down


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    perial Region where Darren currently was, was an exceptional master with a grade-six Fate Character and nine metal meridians.


    A peerless master like him could make use of the grade-six metal to have an annihilation reaction with his grade-six Fate Character, thus producing an unimaginably terrifying power.


    In fact, an annihilation reaction from a few grams of grade-one metal and Fate Character could already destroy a star with a diameter of thousands of kilometers. Hence, one could just imagine how destructive it was if grade-six metal would be used.


    A grade-one metal soldier could only use a few grams of the metal each time.


    In the same way, a grade-two metal soldier could only use a few grams of the grade-two metal each time. However, the power it could produce was already enough to destroy a low-level world a hundred times.


    In other words, if a chief god used a few grams of metal to have an annihilation reaction with his Chief God Character, he would be able to destroy the Primitive Wilderness more than a hundred times.


    "I''m really impressed! The Immortal God race has come a long way in fully understanding the source of the god''s power!"

 Chapter 1939 Nine Metal Meridians (Part Two)

    Darren was someone who really liked to acquire all the knowledge he could get. Hence, being able to learn all of these things made him very thrilled.


    After reading the books in the library, he finally realized that the divine stones and god''s power that the people of the Primitive Wilderness were using in the past were actually the energy produced from the reaction of the God Characters and the carbon-based materials.


    However, no matter how pure these divine stones were, they would not be able to compare to the metals of the Immortal God race.


    Hence, one could just imagine the huge gap in strength between the human race of the Primitive Wilderness and the Immortal God race.


    After knowing all of these things, Darren was obviously flabbergasted. But instead of being frustrated after realizing the huge gap in power, he became more determined to catch up.


    "Hmm. I wonder how many metal meridians I can refine."


    Since he already knew wha


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    ant part of the cultivation process, it was also the most difficult thing to accomplish.


    Moreover, as the number of meridians to refine get higher, it would become much more difficult.


    It was no wonder that those who were able to refine all the nine meridians could become emperors of regions.


    It was so difficult that Darren stopped refining after a few hours. Since he already mastered the method, he could just continue doing it later on after he found a safe and secluded place.


    "Anyway, at least I have the strength now. As long as I carefully proceed from here, I should be able to deal with anything."


    Darren had always been a baffling existence in all the lower-level worlds. Now that he was in the world of the Immortal God race, he should also be stronger than the masters with grade-two Fate Character and nine metal meridians. However, he would still be inferior to masters with grade-three Fate Character and nine metal meridians.

 Chapter 1940 Nine Metal Meridians (Part Three)

    "For now, I need to know the grade of my Fate Character."


    Since his uncle never really revealed it to him, Darren had no idea what the grade of his own Fate Character was.


    "What is happening? Are my eyes deceiving me? How was he able to refine his meridian?!"


    "Damn it! You are right. He really did it!"


    At this time, two disciples of the Yun Clan happened to see Darren, who was still sitting on the ground with his legs crossed. Then, they saw that a dark gold light was shining on his arm.


    "Oh god! He made it!" a girl suddenly exclaimed in excitement. It seemed that she had followed the two disciples and was also able to witness as Darren finished cultivating his first meridian.


    Seeing the dark gold light on Darren''s arm, she became so excited that she almost wasn''t able to withhold her scream.


    "This is such great news! I need t


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    even unleashed a fierce killing intent.


    "M-my lady! No, of course not! We won''t dare do such a thing!" Seeing that Ines had suddenly appeared, they lowered their heads in a hurry.


    "What happened to you two losers? Come on! Punch me! You were threatening to beat me up a while ago, right? Where did your courage go? Don''t tell me that you''re all bark and no bite! Cowards! Don''t appear in front of me again, you useless pieces of shit!"


    Darren did not hold back and cursed nonstop as he stayed behind Ines.


    Hearing Darren''s words and seeing the mocking expression on his face, the two disciples seethed in anger, wishing to crush Darren to pieces.


    At the same time, a large number of negative emotions were produced and eventually turned into nourishment for Darren''s Fate Character.


    In the blink of an eye, the sapling grew much bigger.

 Chapter 1941 Im Going To Sacrifice Myself (Part One)

    Darren quietly collected the nourishment for his Fate Character. Afterwards, he left with Ines.


    Ines was silent as they went on their way, but she felt a restlessness in her heart.


    Since her husband had been beaten unconscious by the members of the Wang Clan, he had changed utterly. His disposition now was completely different from what it had been.


    As soon as he woke up that day, he had been short-tempered. He had defiantly contradicted the elders of her clan to their faces, which was something he''d never done before. And today, when he was bullied by others, his response was still out of character.


    Ines sighed inwardly. She no longer understood the man beside her at all.


    However, she decided not to overthink it. After all, he had been through a lot. Maybe this was normal after what had happened to him.


    Anyway, she was happier than anyone else to learn that her husband had succeeded in refining a meridian. Compared to that, nothing else mattered.


    She spoke up, unable to bear the silence any longer.


    "Honey, congratulations! You''ve succeeded in refining a meridian


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    l pieces were not ordinary objects. They were a dark purple in color, and emanated strong fluctuations of energy.


    As soon as the two young men from the Wang Clan saw Darren, their faces grew thunderous.


    "How dare you show your face here, you loser?" demanded one of them contemptuously. He saw Darren staring at the pieces of metal and said, "Brat, this is the grade-three purple metal that the Yun Clan is giving to our lady as compensation. It''s the payment for sparing your life!"


    "Grade-three purple metal? It seems very precious," Darren replied calmly. But inwardly he was excited.


    Grade-two metal was already very precious. Therefore, grade-three metal was certainly even rarer.


    Without hesitation, he grabbed the pieces of purple metal from the young man, who looked shocked. For good measure, Darren also kicked him in the torso, sending him stumbling backwards. "Get out of here, both of you," he snapped, glaring at the two servants of the Wang Clan.


    How could he just give away such precious items to others? Of course he would rather take such treasures for himself.

 Chapter 1942 Im Going To Sacrifice Myself (Part Two)

    Everyone from the Yun Clan was stunned and horrified.


    They couldn''t believe that he had stolen back a gift that had been intended to ensure peace.


    Once again, he was causing great trouble for the Yun Clan.


    "How dare you?" spluttered an elder in outrage. "Alex Chu, are you courting death?"


    He and the other elders of the Yun Clan moved forward, glaring furiously at Darren. They looked like they wanted to beat him up.


    Darren shook his head. "Old man, are you losing your mind? Think of what you''re doing. These two morons are openly blackmailing the Yun Clan, and you are catering obsequiously to their demands, sacrificing the property of the clan to appease them. Shame on you!"


    His sharp retort struck a nerve with every member of the Yun Clan.


    "Alex Chu, get out of here! Right now! You are no longer a member of our clan!" an elder roared.


    "You want me to get out? Who the hell do you think you are?" Darren said, giving him a disdainful look.


    His attitude further enrage


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    urged in his body, and his Fate Character grew more rapidly than ever.


    This single encounter had caused his sapling-shaped Fate Character to grow into a small tree, as thick as a thumb, with an array of vibrant, tiny branches and leaves.


    There was an agonized shout from the edge of the hall. "Father, stop! Please!"


    Ines came up to them, tears trickling down her soft cheeks. She had heard what had happened.


    Liam glared at her. Harshly, he said, "Guards, arrest my daughter! Lock her up overnight. She must not be allowed to interfere. Anyone who disobeys me will be killed on the spot."


    He met his daughter''s tearful eyes with implacable resolve. This time, Alex had gone too far. He would not protect her husband again. He cared about Ines, and did not want her to be unhappy, but the fate of the whole Yun Clan was at stake. He could not sacrifice the clan for her sake, and after all, she would be better off in the end with someone who had more sense than her foolish husband.

 Chapter 1943 Im Going To Sacrifice Myself (Part Three)

    Darren sighed and easily broke away from the two elders gripping him.


    "Wait," he said firmly, looking at Liam. "What are you doing?


    What are you so afraid of?" His calm expression stirred up Liam''s rage once more.


    "How dare you, Alex?" he bellowed. "Are you truly too stupid to see what you''ve done? Are you trying to provoke me into killing you right here?" Overwhelmed with fury, he mobilized the god''s power with his palm, prepared to kill Darren on the spot.


    "No, Father!" said Ines desperately. But guards had grabbed her, and they dragged her out quickly, until her voice could no longer be heard.


    "It would be wasteful for you to kill me now," said Darren coolly. "You should send me to the Wang Clan. But not as a prisoner. I will go to their mansion bearing our clan''s gifts, and kowtow to them, and apologize as humbly as possible. They will still punish me, but seeing me beg for


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    k down from the task.


    But they did not want the dangerous duty of accompanying Darren. The Wang Clan was powerful and unpredictable. It was entirely likely that if they went to the mansion, they would end up getting killed.


    The two elders looked deeply regretful that they had bothered to raise any objections at all.


    They waited in silence until the guards returned with six kilograms of grade-three purple metal. They scowled at Darren as they handed him the valuable cargo.


    Darren was careful to keep his expression blank and downcast. He didn''t mind humiliating himself to get his hands on the purple metal.


    This was the best plan. He needed to fool the members of the Yun Clan into giving him their stash. The alternative was to kill all of them, but he might not find the grade-three purple metal on his own, for they surely must have hidden their greatest treasure in a safe place.

 Chapter 1944 Dealing With The Wang Clan (Part One)

    After taking the grade-three purple metal, Darren had no intentions to return ever again.


    The survival of the Yun Clan was not on his shoulders.


    This was how the world worked; an ageless law of nature¡ªit was the destiny of the weak to be devoured by the strong. Sympathy had no room in these jungles.


    In fact, they should be grateful for his benevolence. Despite the former state of the body he occupied, he opted not to kill these people of the Immortal God race.


    But then again, Darren''s Fate Character was still like a small tree. If he stayed in the Yun Clan longer than he intended, he might receive more negative emotions for the Fate Character to grow quicker.


    ''Forget it. The world is vast. There are plenty of opportunities, '' he sighed inwardly.


    Darren walked on the way to the Wang Clan. The two elders of the Yun Clan attentively stared at him, fearing that he might escape any time.


    Both of them could be roughly compared to warriors with a grade-two Fate Character. At this state, Darren could kill them with just a wave of his hand.


    "Alex..."


    a weak voice called out. He app


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    owards the Wang Clan''s mansion without looking back.


    In Wing City, the Wang Clan was one of the most influential families. For the longest time, their overall strength was on par with that of the Yun Clan.


    However, the balance between the two forces was toppled over when the eldest young master from the Wang Clan returned with newfound strength. Now, they had the audacity to suppress the Yun Clan because they were confident with their supremacy.


    Standing in front of the mansion, Darren asked, "Is Sue Wang of the Wang Clan in the mansion?"


    "Who the fuck do you think you are, punk? How dare you address our lady by her name!" Two servants approached Darren, staring down at him.


    "Eh?" One of them stopped in his tracks. "I know this guy... Isn''t he that loser?"


    They recognized Darren''s physical form after thinking a while.


    Back then, under Sue Wang''s orders, they had captured and tied this man up multiple times, so they recognized him visually.


    "Ha-ha! This bastard came here on his own!" one of the servants guffawed. Then, he ordered his companion, "Go and report to the lady."

 Chapter 1945 Dealing With The Wang Clan (Part Two)

    Soon, one of the servants went inside to inform her of the situation.


    "Ha-ha-ha!"


    Loud laughter could be heard from the mansion''s courtyard.


    Boom! Boom!


    Then, without warning, a huge object fell from the sky and smashed in front of Darren.


    Darren was quick to think on his feet. His reflexes caused him to quickly step back and avoid the dust billowing in the air.


    When the dust settled down, he saw a pile of flesh with a head on top of it, the hair disheveled.


    "My Alex, you''re finally here. I missed you so much!"


    By the way the voice sounded, anyone would immediately picture a burly and stubble-bearded man speaking.


    At the sight of the voice''s owner, Darren''s face darkened.


    ''What the fuck? She''s hideous. I don''t give a damn if she weighs more than four hundred kilograms or if her face is distorted! But I can''t stand that beard! It''s a mortifying look!''


    Darren made disgusted look on his face. He wondered if Sue Wang was a woman or not.


    Bearing the urge to vomit, he stated, "Are you the young lady of the Wang Clan who has been thinking of me?"


    "Why act so formal? Just call me Sue."


    Darren really wanted to vomit. This bearded man of four hundred kilograms really had the audacity to act coquettishly around him.


    ''Damn it! I can''t stand it anymore.''


    Darren initially planned to have a good conversation with her, but now that he had seen her, he realized that he could not stand her repulsive looks! Being in the presence of such a disgusting creature sickened him.


    Unable to take it any longer, Darren kicked the pile of flesh into the air until it disappeared into the distance. The servants of the W


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    how high and mighty this brat acted. He had to kill him right then and there.


    "Brother, waah..."


    Just then, Sue Wang, who had been kicked away, was carried back as she cried monstrously.


    "Sue!" When the young master saw the pile of broken flesh on her body, he got even more enraged than he formerly was.


    "I could have forgiven you if you begged, but you even dragged my sister into this! You are dead, you piece of shit!"


    The man''s face turned completely dark, and his eyes seemed to be burning with hell fire.


    "Really? Good, then. There''s a lot more where that came from. I''d give you more motivation to kill me."


    After his snide remark, Darren''s figure flashed and he kicked hundreds of times in a second. The pile of flesh was sent reeling into the air again.


    The force he brought was so powerful and the speed he moved was so fast that it was practically impossible for the young master to halt him in his tracks.


    "Ahhh! I''m going to break your bones and feed you to the dogs!"


    The young master was furious to the extreme.


    However, he still had a trace of sanity. It dawned on him that his enemy was not as weak as the rumor had it. He had to go all out to kill him in one move.


    The young master activated his Fate Character and instantly melted fifty grams of grade-three metal.


    A layer of purple-colored god''s power began to surge around him. Its momentum got multiplied, a hundred times more terrifying than that of a chief god!


    Darren''s face turned serious. Since he arrived in the world of the Immortal God race, the young master was the first enemy he dealt with that was worth using his full attention over.

 Chapter 1946 The Second Metal Meridian (Part One)

    In order to avoid any unexpected result, Darren''s opponent had to unleash his fullest strength.


    Then, the turbulent purplish gold god''s power instantly transformed into a long sword that attacked Darren.


    ''It is powerful!''


    Darren was a bit surprised as he perceived the god''s power of the young master of the Wang Clan. Deeming that he was not in a favorable position, he also released his god''s power that enveloped his entire body.


    Swoosh!


    Darren threw out a palm strike, letting out surging god''s power. However, it was a little weaker than the purplish gold god''s power in terms of momentum.


    Boom! Boom!


    As the two streams of god''s power collided, sand and stones rose in the air in front of the mansion of the Wang Clan. Due to the huge impact, the mansion trembled and was almost put on the brink of collapse.


    "What the hell? How is it possible?"


    Right after the collision of the terrifying powers, the young master of the Wang Clan was sent flying backward, leaving a trail of blood in the air.


    At the same time, he was greatly shocked at the result of their clash. He could not under


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    s in Wing City will eventually fall in my hands. Why do I have to share them with you?" Darren retorted with a defiant sneer.


    "Alex! You are the one who''s being naive. Just listen to me, will you? Do you really think that you can easily deal with the entire Wang Clan? Fine. Let me put it bluntly. I might not be able to bring you down, but I can kill the rest of the members of the Yun Clan. Do you want to reach that point?" the young master of the Wang Clan asked firmly, trying his hardest to convince Darren.


    Obviously, he was trying to threaten Darren. Once Darren decided not to back down, the Wang Clan would mobilize to annihilate the rest of the Yun Clan.


    "Fine by me. Kill them if you want. They really have nothing to do with me," Darren answered nonchalantly.


    "You¡­" The young master of the Wang Clan was about to snap. He had been trying his best to control his emotions, but his opponent was very stubborn and arrogant.


    "Why don''t I give my terms this time? Give me all the valuable treasures of your clan. Do that, and maybe I can spare your lives," Darren said with a straight face.

 Chapter 1947 The Second Metal Meridian (Part Two)

    "You are not very good at negotiating, are you?" The young master shook his head and took two steps forward. "Fine. I will make one last attempt to strike a deal with you. If you agree to cooperate with me from here on, I will give you a fusion pill. This pill can help you refine one more meridian!"


    "A fusion pill?" Darren suddenly raised an eyebrow.


    "Yes, that is right. You should know how valuable it is. It''s an invaluable gift from an elder of the Celestial Sect. Now, can you see how sincere I am?" The young master of the Wang Clan offered his card.


    When Darren tried to search his memory about this pill, he found out that it was indeed very valuable.


    With it, the time needed to refine a metal meridian would be greatly shortened.


    Of course, Darren instantly became interested in it. However, it was not because he wanted to shorten the time of refining a meridian. Instead, he wanted to study its composition.


    If Darren would not agree to the terms,


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    know how to thank you enough. Guards! Go and call for Ines. Tell her that Alex has already returned and that he is safe and sound." As they went back inside, Liam revealed a huge smile on his face. At the same time, the members of the Yun Clan followed behind Darren, and it seemed that their attitude towards him had completely changed already.


    Because of this, Darren could not help but be a little disappointed. Now that they did not loathe him, he would not be able to collect any negative emotions from them anymore.


    For him, it was such a huge loss.


    Then, for a while, nothing extraordinary really happened.


    They just held their own banquet to celebrate what Darren had done to appease the Wang Clan.


    About three days later, Darren was busy cultivating to refine his second meridian.


    "This pill is indeed magical. It can dramatically speed up the replacement of the metal particles in my meridian. Moreover, it can also reduce the pain of the process."

 Chapter 1948 The Second Metal Meridian (Part Three)

    As Darren used the fusion pill that he had acquired from the young master of the Wang Clan, he instantly found its miraculous effect on refining his meridian.


    Hence, with Darren''s ability, together with the aid of the fusion pill, it only took him three days to completely finish refining the second meridian.


    Of course, as he used the pill, Darren did not forget to analyze and memorize the ingredients contained in it.


    "If only Finley is here, he can quickly figure out how to recreate the pill."


    The fusion pill had been very effective and of course, it should have a great value. Thus, if it could be reproduced into a larger scale, the pills could be used to exchange for other useful items.


    However, refining pills wasn''t really Darren''s strong suit. Hence, he needed more time to analyze its components.


    In order to analyze them better, Darren went to the library and brought back lots of books. Most of them were about alchemy information of th


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    flatly refuse her because he knew that she would be hurt.


    However, after seeing that Darren actually ran away from her advances, Ines was struck dumb. She felt very sad that her husband reacted this way. She even took all her courage to ask him, but it seemed that he did not want to have a baby with her.


    Of course, Ines thought of many things. She even wondered what was wrong with her. The more she thought of it, the more she felt depressed.


    Then, she was not able to hold back her tears anymore.


    A few days had passed after that incident. Meanwhile, Darren was still studying the formula of the pill.


    One day, the young master of the Wang Clan unexpectedly came to visit Darren in person. The members of the Yun Clan gladly guided him to the hall. Then, they told him to wait for a moment while they fetched Darren.


    "Alex! You have to hear this! I have good news!"


    the young master of the Wang Clan excitedly said as soon as Darren came in.

 Chapter 1949 The Underground Silicon-based Creatures (Part One)

    "Oh, Mr. Wang. I didn''t expect you to come and see me personally. Do you have good news for me? Do tell,"


    said Darren, sounding both polite and eager at the same time.


    "You don''t have to act so formal around me, Alex. Just call me Rowan," replied Rowan Wang, the eldest young master of the Wang Clan, with a big smile.


    "Ha-ha! It doesn''t matter what I call you. Anyway, you look so happy today. Are you here to tell me you found some treasure?" Darren smirked at the other man, a knowing glint in his eyes.


    The other man burst into laughter and asked, "Ha-ha! Am I that obvious?" He leaned closer to Darren, unable to curb his enthusiasm as he added, "About one hundred and thirty kilometers away from our city is a mine, which is notably used to produce red ash stones for building houses. But yesterday, I received a report that they found something incredible down there. Eighty kilometers below the ground, to be specific."


    Rowan''s words piqued Darren''s interest at once.


    Did they find a metal mine eighty kilometers underground?


    "Come on, Rowan, don''t keep me guessing. What exactly did they find that made you so happy?"


    Superficially, Darren and Rowa


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    et''s set out this afternoon then!"


    Darren expected Rowan to leave and prepare once he had agreed, but, to his surprise, the other man stayed instead. They had lunch together and went to the mine right after.


    Their destination was originally a mining field that was located one hundred and thirty kilometers away from the city. The ores under the ground were harder, so many pits were made for people to pass through.


    After decades of mining, the mine had extended to eighty kilometers underground, and the underground passages were now countless.


    Both Darren and Rowan had decided to bring ten men each underground. All their warriors belonged to their respective clans and were powerful in their own right, with grade-two Fate Characters.


    "This is amazing! Only the silicon-based creatures can build such refined underground passages!"


    Rowan seemed overjoyed at the sight of the intricate yet stable passages.


    These passages had many strange patterns and some incomprehensible words written on their walls like ancient writings.


    As Darren explored the majestic place, he couldn''t help but wonder. What exactly did those silicon-based creatures look like?

 Chapter 1950 The Underground Silicon-based Creatures (Part Two)

    "On which passage did you find the silicon-based creatures?" Rowan asked one of his men.


    "Sir, it''s the one on the left. We put a marking on it, so we''ll know."


    "Yes, sir. A few of us saw that creature that day. It was a brownish-yellow thing with eyes that glistened in the dim light. It was frightening! When it spotted us, it ran away into this passage. Afterward, we stationed guards here for all twenty-four hours of the day, but it never came out again," one of Rowan''s men added.


    "Okay, let''s go into this passage then."


    After saying that, Rowan, followed closely by Darren, led the twenty warriors into the underground passage.


    "Look! I think something''s there!"


    After about four hours, the group had traveled deep underground.


    They had been quiet for some time, but the silence was broken with a shout. It seemed that someone had spotted a creature in a deeper part of the passage.


    At the same time, Darren and Rowan also sensed the breath of life with their god''s sense.


    They both noticed it at the same time. In the dark passageway, there was a dark brown creature hiding in the cave, trembling.


    "Go to hell!"


    Without any hesitation, Rowan immediately let loose a wisp of his god''s power, piercing through the creature''s head.


    It was too dim in the passage. Thus, they couldn''t see the figure clearly, not until the god''s power was a small distance away from it. It resembled a mouse, although it was, obviously, so much larger.


    "Cut open its belly and take out the metal pill," ordered Rowan at once.


    One of his men stepped forward and slashed at the silicon-based mouse''s stomach.


    Clang!


    Sparks flew in all dir


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    id Darren with an icy glare. "Boy, you really aren''t taking me seriously. You''re going too far."


    Darren''s words seemed to infuriate Rowan. He narrowed his eyes at the other man and declared, "Since you insist on being so stupid, I won''t be polite. I''ll take all the grade-four metal pills!"


    Whoosh!


    After saying that, he flew towards where the six metal balls were floating.


    "What?" Darren was surprised to see him go. He thought to himself, ''It seems like he''s not aware of the danger in that place. He wasn''t sending me there on purpose!''


    "No! Rowan, get out of there!" All of Darren''s muscles coiled in tension as he realized that the other man would be caught unaware by the danger that lurked beneath the magma.


    Unfortunately, Rowan didn''t listen to his warnings at all.


    The next moment, a red palm suddenly emerged from the magma pool and rushed towards him with a metallic sound. He was caught completely off-guard!


    "Damn it!" Rowan cried out. He could now sense the aura from below, and he realized that he was in mortal danger.


    Even as he panicked, he instantly activated his Fate Character, which burned the remaining five hundred grams of grade-three metal in his body.


    Violent god''s power surged, transforming into a defensive weapon that would protect the surface of his body.


    This time, the god''s power he released was much stronger compared to his battle with Darren last time.


    He had no choice. If he didn''t go all out at this time, there was no way he would survive.


    "Alex, help me!"


    Even though he had unleashed all his god''s power, he was still in a precarious situation. Thus, he had to ask Darren for help.

 Chapter 1951 Harvests (Part One)

    "Everyone! Run!"


    As they felt the terrifying god''s power, everyone from the Yun Clan and the Wang Clan desperately tried to flee from the scene.


    However, Darren deliberately stayed and mobilized his god''s power to engage the enemy.


    Boom!


    When the two streams of god''s power collided, the defensive power on the surface of Rowan''s body also dispersed. The violent power almost tore him apart.


    Swoosh!


    In a flash, Darren rushed towards the fire creature emerged from the magma pool.


    Clang! Clang!


    Loud sounds of metal echoed countless times as Darren dealt with the fire creature. The mere waves coming from his attacks were enough to knock out several masters from both clans.


    At the same time, his attack sent the fire creature flying. Consequently, Rowan was able to get a chance to catch his breath and retreat. Finally, his life was saved.


    Seeing this, Darren also retreated and landed beside him.


    "What the hell? It''s a metal soldier! A metal soldier is actually hiding here!"


    Eventually, the flames that were exhibited by the powerful creature were extinguished, revealing its true appearance. Apparently, i


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    as just grazed and the wound was not too deep.


    As he looked around, he realized that Darren had not made a move yet. He felt like an idiot who became bait so that Darren could gauge the opponent''s strength.


    Rowan was actually furious, but he could not do anything. If Darren could really defeat the monstrous metal soldier, then he had no complaints.


    ''How dare this idiot use a sword in front of me?'' Darren thought as he revealed a devious grin. If the metal soldier actually used some other ways to strengthen his god''s power, he might have been a bit difficult for Darren. However, it was fortunate that the soldier relied on swordsmanship.


    After all, even though Darren had already lost the Blade and Sword God Character, he still had brilliant mastery in terms of swordsmanship.


    It meant that he still had absolute control when it came to using swords and blades.


    ''It''s time to put your misery to an end!''


    As soon as Darren made his move, his own god''s power surged out. At the same time, he activated his Fate Character to react with grade-one metal. Then, he released the god''s power through his two metal meridians.

 Chapter 1952 Harvests (Part Two)

    With this, his own god''s power and the god''s power produced by the reaction between his Fate Character and the metal increased his overall strength to a much higher level.


    As he stretched his hand out, his god''s power materialized and transformed into a long purplish-black sword.


    Clang! Clang!


    In an instant, Darren''s god''s power sword collided with the soldier''s rusty sword. The impact was so massive that the violent energy spread out and almost destroyed the underground cave.


    Crack!


    Immediately after, due to the overbearing god''s power that was contained in Darren''s sword, the rusty sword became covered in cracks.


    Seeing this, fear appeared in the eyes of the metal soldier. He instantly knew that he was in a very disadvantageous position.


    "Hey! What are you waiting for?" Darren quickly shouted at Rowan who was still in a daze.


    "Right! Go to hell!" Hearing Darren''s voice, Rowan immediately came to his senses. Then, he activated his god''s power to the limit that he almost burst out his three metal meridians.


    Boom! Boom!


    Rowan threw a barrage of attacks, making sure that the metal soldier was put in a passive position. At the same time, Darren condensed his god''s power into a sword again and launched an attack with all his strength.


    In the blink of an eye, both the attacks from Rowan and Darren consumed the metal soldier.


    "Argh!"


    The metal soldier could just roar in agony. Soon enough, his already broken body was not able to withstand the simultaneous attacks and eventually exploded.


    At the same time, the strong impact from the explosion sent Darren and Rowan flying backward until they crashed into the stone


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    their day.


    "I said no. I''m the one who gets to decide!" Darren retorted sternly as he glared at the members of the Yun Clan.


    "Hey, calm down, Alex. What are you so worried about? Do you think that I will poison you? You saved my life! No matter how cunning I am, I''m not the kind of person who will repay kindness with enmity!" Rowan said convincingly.


    "It''s not that. I just don''t feel comfortable going to your residence. After all, your sister is there¡­" Just the thought of the humongous woman sent a chill down Darren''s spine.


    Then, Rowan rolled his eyes and said, "You are so strong yet you''re afraid of my sister? Fine. I won''t force you to come."


    Hearing this, most of the people from both clans could not help but laugh heartily.


    They could not blame Darren if he was afraid to encounter the girl who weighed four hundred kilograms.


    "Thank you for understanding. Well, we''ll go ahead." With that, Darren prepared to leave together with his men.


    "Alex, hold on!" Rowan suddenly stopped Darren and approached him. Then, he took out a book and said, "This secret book is a gift from Elder Laird. It is a record containing the best way to refine one''s meridians. With your current state, I assume that it''s a little difficult for you to refine your meridians, so I thought that it may be helpful for you."


    Seeing the book, Darren gladly accepted it and kept it right away.


    "Thanks. It will be a big help."


    As he scanned through the contents of the book, Darren found out that the contents of the book were simplified. Moreover, the method depicted here was better than the traditional ones. Hence, he was elated that he accepted it.

 Chapter 1953 Mina Came Back (Part One)

    As Darren was about to enter the mansion of the Yun Clan, he was suddenly stopped by two guards whom he had never seen before.


    "Stop! Identify yourself!" one of the guards demanded.


    He stared coldly at Darren, unleashing a killing intent from his eyes.


    "How dare you talk to Master Alex like that?! I''ve never even seen your face before! Do you think you can just yell in the face of the chief''s son-in-law?" a grade-two master of the Yun Clan, who was with Darren, shouted back.


    He got so furious that he rushed over and attempted to attack the two guards.


    However, before he could even reach them, one of the guards had swiftly made a move first.


    With a fierce palm strike, the grade-two master of the Yun Clan was sent flying backward.


    "Humph! Come and act recklessly again, and I won''t be too merciful next time!"


    Seeing this, the other masters of the Yun Clan, who were with Darren, were shocked to their core.


    They wondered when the Yun Clan hired such powerful guards.


    Moreover, the ones with Darren were senior leaders of the Yun Clan. How could these guards not know the higher-ups of the clan? At this moment,


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    man stood up and bowed to Darren as he politely cupped his hands. He looked very decent and graceful, and he did not show any displeasure.


    "Nice to meet you too," Darren casually replied as he took his seat.


    "Father, why are you flattering this guy so much? He doesn''t even deserve to sit with Howell!" Mina shouted.


    In fact, she was a little confused that her father and the other elders treated Darren well when she heard that most of them should be against him.


    "Mina! Do not be rude to your brother-in-law," Liam scolded firmly.


    "Humph! Why is he even here in the first place?" With a cold snort, Mina approached Darren and said, "You! The seat next to Howell is mine! Move!"


    Hearing this, Darren just raised an eyebrow and chuckled a little. Then, he stood up and sat in a nearby chair.


    Instead of being offended, Darren was actually enjoying this. He was rather pleased that Mina held a deep grudge against him. After all, he could not gain any negative emotions from the members of the Yun Clan anymore. However, just after his brief encounter with her, the bud of his Fate Character Tree had already fully bloomed.

 Chapter 1954 Mina Came Back (Part Two)

    The bud turned into a small purple flower that was faintly emitting an intoxicating fragrance.


    "Look at that!" As Mina stared at Darren with disdain, she continued, "This loser is so spineless! Even if you scold him, he will just behave like a docile dog. I don''t even know where my sister found him. Gosh! She''s so unlucky to be married to the likes of him."


    "Mina! If you continue your rude attitude towards Alex, I will never talk to you again!" Ines already snapped and reprimanded her younger sister.


    "Why are you defending him? I am just telling the truth!" Mina retorted.


    "What did he even do to you? I already warned you. If you say something offensive to him again, don''t blame me for being harsh on you," Ines said sternly.


    "Humph! Fine!" Even though she was against it, Mina did not say anything else. After all, she treasured her relationship with her elder sister. Since childhood, Mina had always listened to Ines.


    Seeing the unusual scene, Howell Yao, who had accompanied Mina back from the Purple Moon Sect, clearly understood what was going on. It turned out that even though Darren was the son-in-law of the chief, he did not really have a good reputation around the mansion. Therefore, in his heart, Howell had also begun to despise Darren. However, he did not need to show it.


    "By the way, Alex, why did the young master of the Wang Clan ask you out earlier?" Liam asked.


    Actually, when Liam mentioned the eldest son of the Wang Clan, his anger towards their clan resurfaced again. Previous


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    e it to his advantage. Eventually, the Wang Clan agreed to let us off the hook after he begged them. Otherwise, our clan would have been destroyed by now," another person added.


    Of course, this was the version that was known to many.


    As for Darren''s real strength, only some of the top leaders of the Yun Clan knew about it. In fact, they even kept it from Mina and Howell. They were expecting Mina to become angrier and avenge her clan.


    "Argh! I''m so pissed!"


    As Mina shouted, her firm breasts also heaved. Seeing this, Howell could not stop staring at them, and he was lost in his lustful thoughts.


    "You are such a loser! Is that all you can do? Beg?! Are you even a man? You irritate me so much!"


    Unexpectedly, Mina was more annoyed at Darren than at the Wang Clan.


    "Lady Mina, it is not Master Alex''s fault. In fact, he was the reason why all of us are still here. If he hadn''t swallowed his pride to beg for their forgiveness, who knows what would have happened to the entire clan?" Another member tried to defend Darren.


    "Shut up! I don''t want to hear it anymore!" Mina fumed in anger that her breasts heaved more violently. Then, she pointed at Darren and said, "How useless can you be? You can''t even deal with the Wang Clan? Those guys are just a bunch of losers! You even went to their residence to humiliate yourself? How low can you go?


    Remember this! After Howell and I slaughter the entire Wang Clan, you can leave this place already! After all, you are just a piece of worthless rubbish!"

 Chapter 1956 The Ripe Fruit (Part Two)

    cursed Mina, pointing at Darren. She then stormed off in a rage.


    "Hey, Mina, wait for me!" Howell hurriedly followed after her. When he passed by Ines, he smelled the aromatic fragrance spreading from her and couldn''t help stealing a few glances at her.


    ''My, such beautiful women! I must have them! They will all be mine!'' Howell thought to himself.


    Liam then dismissed the other people, including Ines.


    He walked over calmly to Darren and muttered in a low voice, "Alex, there must be some kind of reason for you to inform the Wang Clan of the news, right?"


    Darren was dumbstruck. How did Liam find out?


    A reason?


    He didn''t really have any other purpose aside from shallowly wanting Mina to fail in capturing Rowan and his clan members. He had no particular grudges against Rowan. Darren couldn''t care less whether he died or not.


    "What do you mean? Do you also think that I sent the news to the Wang Clan?" asked Darren.


    "Don''t worry, Alex. We don''t need to argue about this. I admit, in the past, I looked down on you and didn''t treat you as nicely as I should have. Now I finally understand that you are a remarkable and sensible master. You have my deepest admiration.


    Now let me ask, do you know of Rowan''s background?"


    said Liam cunningly.


    ''Wait, what kind of background does Rowan have?'' Darren didn''t have a clue.


    Now that Liam had mentioned it, he just had to know. "Father, you''re much too smart. Alas, it seems I really can''t hide anything from you."


    "Ha-ha..." Liam put his hands behind his back and gave a hearty laugh


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    t will take a whole lot of money to rebuild it," said the elder in charge of the financial affairs with a stern voice.


    "Sirs, What''s with all the sighing? This building would have collapsed on itself sooner or later. We should just count ourselves lucky that none of the children were hurt when it did. How about this? I''ll pay two hundred and fifty grams of the grade-four metal to rebuild it. What do you all think?" Darren paced forward, pretending to give the collapsed building a good look. Then, he generously took out two hundred and fifty grams of grade-four metal.


    "Oh, what a generous person you are! With that metal, I promise to rebuild the training room ten times better than it was before!"


    "You are truly very kind. I really admire your character."


    "Thank you ever so much for your help."


    The elders beamed with gratitude towards Darren.


    "If the others dare to say anything bad about Master Alex in the future, I will be the first one to defend him! They''ll have to get through me before they can just bad talk this man!"


    "That''s right. If anyone dares to make things difficult for Master Alex in the future, I''ll definitely fight in his honor. Humph!"


    Watching the old men making their loyal remarks put Darren in a great mood. He hummed a happy tune as he walked back to his room.


    Though, as soon as he returned to his room, he was shocked and confused at the sight of Ines.


    ''Wait a minute. Why is she dressed like that? She shouldn''t be wearing such skimpy clothing. What does she plan on doing wearing that?'' he thought.

 Chapter 1957 Howells Evil Intentions (Part One)

    Seeing such a mouth-watering scene, Darren suddenly felt a severe headache. He quickly turned around and attempted to run away.


    "Honey! What are you doing?"


    Ines abruptly called out to him. Then, she ran happily to Darren, made him face her, and buried her face on his chest.


    "I''ve been waiting for you all this time," she said softly as she blushed.


    At this moment, she was dressed in a thin layer of clothes. That was why Darren could almost see everything beneath it.


    "W-why? What is the matter?" Darren asked as he stammered.


    "Why do you keep on embarrassing me? Didn''t I tell you last time that I already wanted to have a baby with you?" Ines said shyly as she lightly ran her finger on Darren''s arm. Obviously, this sent an electric shock down his spine.


    "W-why are you in such a hurry?" Darren said as he looked away with a crimson-red face. Then, he added, "Also, the training room has collapsed just now. I am actually on my way there to check the situation. It seemed that some children were injured in the incident!"


    "What?!" Ines was immediately startled upon hearing this. "No


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    ''t know you were here. How long have you been standing there?"


    Bam!


    Without even saying anything, Mina suddenly slapped Howell across his face with all her might.


    "Bastard! I can''t believe I trusted you! Get out! Get out of here!" Mina shouted.


    "No, Mina! Calm down! Please allow me to explain first!" Howell argued.


    Fuming in anger, Mina did not listen to him and raised her hand to slap Howell again. However, he was able to grab her hand this time.


    "Mina, listen to me! I did not mean any of that. I only said those things to deliberately piss this loser off. I threatened him so that he would voluntarily leave the Yun Clan as soon as possible! I did it for all of you!" Howell tried to reason.


    "Shameless liar! Do you think I''m a toddler who will believe your obvious lies?!"


    At this point, tears welled up in Mina''s eyes. She did not expect that Howell would turn out to be such a despicable person.


    She felt so embarrassed and ashamed just by thinking that she fell in love with him.


    However, she was also thankful that she was able to see his true colors with her own eyes.

 Chapter 1958 Howells Evil Intentions (Part Two)

    "Damn it! Fine!"


    Knowing that he could not trick her no matter what he said, Howell gave up and just revealed his true intentions.


    "What are you so angry about? Even you know that it''s normal for a man to have several wives. I just said my true feelings. I like you and your sister. Is that too bad?"


    "Scumbag! I told you to get out! I don''t want to see your face ever again!" Of course, Mina became more furious upon hearing Howell''s words.


    "Are you thinking straight? Have you forgotten everything that I did for you? Don''t forget that you were nothing before you met me! Besides, my father is the deputy leader of the Purple Moon Sect. Do you think that you can still go back to the sect if you cut your ties with me?" Howell started threatening Mina too.


    "I don''t care! It''s my greatest shame to be in the same sect with a monster like you!" Mina shouted as she seethed in anger.


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    nowhere, something strange happened.


    Howell''s hand broke just before it reached Ines.


    Then, a more terrifying pressure descended, making him kneel to the ground.


    At the same time, both Ines and Mina instantly passed out due to the intense pressure that suddenly covered the area.


    "Who the hell is it? I am the son of the vice sect leader of the Purple Moon Sect. Who dares to hinder my fun?!"


    Howell shouted as he anxiously looked around. However, he did not find any trace of masters nearby.


    Then, Darren slowly approached him from behind and said, "I don''t care whose son you are. If I think that you deserve to die, I will make it happen."


    Hearing the familiar voice, only then did Howell realize that the horrifying pressure actually came from the man that he least expected.


    He had always seen him as a loser, so how could he be the one doing this all of a sudden?

 Chapter 1959 Howells Evil Intentions (Part Three)

    "Impossible! H-how could you possess such power?!" Howell asked hysterically.


    "I don''t need to explain anything to you. After all, you won''t understand it anyway."


    Then, Darren slapped Howell.


    Perceiving the great surge of power coming straight to him, Howell hurriedly mobilized his god''s power to the limit so he could resist Darren''s attack.


    However, even so, his god''s power was instantly crushed and dissipated to nothingness.


    At the same time, his arm suddenly exploded and turned to a blood mist.


    "Argh!"


    Immediately after, Howell rolled to the ground and writhed in pain.


    "No! No! Please forgive me! I was completely wrong. I shouldn''t have offended you! I didn''t know that you were this strong. Please spare me!"


    Howell began to plead for his life as he struggled to get up. Eventually, he was able to kneel on the ground. He then kowtowed and didn''t da


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    dy immediately transformed into nourishment that was absorbed into his Fate Character Tree.


    As he looked at the tree, he saw two new buds appearing among the thick green leaves.


    "It seemed that I gained a lot!"


    Mina''s anger and contempt towards him earlier also contributed to the nourishment that was absorbed by the tree.


    Moreover, Howell''s panic and fright contributed to the growth of the tree.


    All in all, Darren was able to harvest a huge number of negative emotions in one go.


    He was elated that he benefitted a lot after assimilating Howell''s body too.


    In just a short time, his Fate Character Tree had two more flower buds. It seemed that it was easier to make the tree bear fruits than what Darren imagined.


    "Get away from my sister! I''ll kill you! Go to hell!"


    After a few moments, Mina eventually cried and woke up, not knowing what had happened.

 Chapter 1960 The Solution (Part One)

    Although the courtyard was restricted by god''s sense, the members of the Yun Clan outside could faintly feel the commotion going on in there. Alarmed, dozens of powerful warriors rushed over to check what was going on.


    "I''ll kill you!"


    Mina jolted, waking from her coma. She looked despondent.


    To her surprise, she was greeted with silence. Everything was tranquil, as if nothing had happened.


    It took her a short while before she gathered her thoughts. Once she picked up the fragments of her memories, she hurriedly patted her body up and down to check if her clothes were still intact. Thankfully, everything was still intact.


    "Come on, my sister-in-law. You don''t have to check so meticulously, do you?"


    Darren suddenly spoke, which surprised the young lady. Some parts of her body were revealing while she was checking her body. That was why Darren tried to remind her.


    Only then did she notice Darren''s gaze upon her. Her cheeks flushed in both shame and anger. "You loser! How are you still alive? Tell me what happened!"


    Darren shrugged noncommittally and answered, "I don''t know either. I just woke up too."


    Mina looked around


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    ou said that day... is it true? Is Howell really dead? Did you see him die with your own eyes?"


    "I did. He died rather miserably. His body exploded, and only his two eyeballs were left and rolled on the ground. He died with regret," Darren answered.


    "Oh my God! I''m doomed!" Mina said disappointedly. "The Purple Moon Sect sent me a message, ordering Howell and me to go back. If his father finds out that he is dead, the Yun Clan will be doomed."


    This had been bugging Mina for the past month. She did not know how to deal with this problem.


    As the son of the deputy sect leader, Howell died wretchedly. No matter how she explained it to his father, she was afraid that the Yun Clan would suffer their wrath.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. It wasn''t us who brought him to that fate. Surely, the Purple Moon Sect would exact their revenge on the person who killed him, not the Yun Clan," Darren explained.


    "Easy for you to say! Do you know how hard it is to convince the Purple Moon Sect? Ugh! A loser like you would never get it anyway. Just get out, will you? I don''t want to see you anymore," Mina scolded as she rolled her eyes.

 Chapter 1961 The Solution (Part Two)

    "Fine." Darren was about to leave when he added, "I have an idea though. Nah, forget it. I''m just a loser, right? I have no right to speak."


    Mina narrowed her eyes slightly and pressed her sword against Darren''s neck. "If you have something to say, just say it. Trying being sarcastic again and this sword will be the last you see!"


    Darren gently pushed the sword away with his finger and said, "Since you are so afraid that the Purple Moon Sect will come to revenge on you, why don''t you join another sect?"


    "Join another sect?" Mina pondered on this idea.


    "Exactly! A powerful sect that is against the Purple Moon Sect will be the best choice," Darren elucidated.


    "As a loser, you come up with pretty good ideas." Mina withdrew her sword. She considered taking this plan.


    "That''s it! I have to join the Celestial Sect as soon as possible! They''re the only one who have the ability to contend with the Purple Moon Sect." Mina felt she


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    had such a low-level strength, Ladd refused to give Darren an opportunity to take part in the examination. He merely rolled his eyes and shrugged him off. However, Rowan put in a good word in Darren''s behalf and gave the senior a few kilograms of grade-four metal. Only then did he agree to let him take part in the examination.


    "I''m letting your friend join the exam, but I have to remind you, boy! The Celestial Sect is not just any others out there. The recruitment process would be rigorous and thorough. It''s going to be dangerous, so only the worthy can make it. If this guy here dies on the examination, my hands are clean," Ladd gravely reminded, as if he didn''t really care whether Darren died or not.


    Rowan wore a fake smile. "Oh, you don''t have to worry about a thing, Elder Ladd. My friend here is more than meets the eye. I''m sure he''ll make it. Hell, I think he can top the examination," he countered. Ladd scoffed at this idea.

 Chapter 1962 The Solution (Part Three)

    "How strong can a warrior with a mere grade-one Fate Character be? But fine, we''ll see how it goes. I''ll give him a chance since you''ve been very respectful. Here, this is the examination token. He can take part in the recruitment process once he presents it inside."


    "Okay, thank you for giving my friend a chance!" After they acquired the token, Rowan immediately dropped his act and mentally cursed the elder.


    From the outside, Darren could hear everything they were talking about. If it were someone else, they would already be insulted, but he didn''t care at all.


    As soon as the duo settled, they went inside the gates. Not long after, a beautiful girl approached Elder Ladd next.


    "My, aren''t you a sight for sore eyes? You want to join the Celestial Sect?"


    Ladd offered wantonly. His eyes immediately lit up when he saw the gorgeous young woman approaching.


    "Yes, I want to join your sect. Please give me a chance."


    This


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    o much! I appreciate your kindness, sir!" Mina bowed before the middle-aged man. This person was obviously a man of high status with decent character. Of course, she would be honored to be his disciple!


    After expressing her gratitude multiple times, she received an examination token and was led to the examination place by a disciple.


    "Miss Mina Yun, today''s first group of participants have entered the examination venue. You have to wait for the next group. I will now tell you the rules of the examination and let you familiarize yourself with them," the disciple informed her.


    "Thank you very much,"


    Mina answered in between breaths. She couldn''t contain how excited she was to be there. Although thrilled, she was also a little nervous, uncertain if she could pass the examination smoothly. But either way, she would do everything she could to make it happen. After all, it was the survival of her clan that was on the line.

 Chapter 1963 Four Types Of Tests (Part One)

    The test of the Celestial Sect was carried out on the huge mountain behind the sect.


    Then, accompanied by a disciple of the sect, Darren finally arrived at the location of the test.


    To his surprise, there were more than a hundred people gathered in the place.


    It turned out that the Celestial Sect would carry out the entrance test thrice a day, which meant that at least three hundred people attempted to be a part of the sect every day.


    Therefore, one could just imagine how difficult it was to pass the test and be formally recruited into the Celestial Sect.


    "Listen carefully! The Celestial Sect''s test is divided into four types which are dependent on the participants'' levels.


    The first type is for those with grade-one Fate Characters and one metal meridian. However, there is also a precondition that the participants should just be eight years old and below."


    Upon hearing this, everyone in the crowd couldn''t help but laugh a little.


    After all, almost all the people present were young people who were about twenty years of age. Of course, they would not be able to take part in t


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    as about to lose his temper, two young men in white suddenly came.


    "Hey, Keanu. Please help my cousin sign in for the test," the older of the two young men came over and casually ordered the disciple in charge.


    "Kamden?" It seemed that Keanu Zhou was taken by surprise when the young man appeared out of nowhere.


    "Ha-ha! Why do you look like you''ve seen a ghost?" Then, Kamden Qin smiled and said, "Don''t be so nervous. I''m just here to drop off my cousin who''s going to take the test."


    When Keanu Zhou heard this, his face turned red and then he replied, "I''m not nervous! I''m just excited to see you here. May I ask the type of test your cousin plans to participate in?"


    Kamden Qin looked at his cousin for a moment, nodded at him, and said, "He wants to take the third type. This boy has a grade-three Fate Character but he wants to challenge himself and take a more difficult test. I can''t really stop him, so can you help him?"


    "The third type? Are you sure, Kamden? I''m afraid your cousin will certainly get hurt if he insists on taking that type of test," Keanu Zhou said hesitantly.

 Chapter 1964 Four Types Of Tests (Part Two)

    "Well, he''s already prepared for that. Don''t worry. I assure you that he''s strong enough. Just let him try it," Kamden Qin insisted.


    "I hear you. But¡­" Keanu Zhou was caught in a dilemma. Since the young man who wanted to take the test was Kamden Qin''s cousin, he would suffer some consequences if something happened to him.


    "What is it? Are you saying that you are doubting my strength?" The younger man wore a long face and glared at Keanu Zhou.


    At the same time, Keanu Zhou could not help but shiver under the younger man''s piercing eyes.


    "Of course not!" Keanu Zhou smiled apologetically and said, "All right. Let me accompany you. Follow me."


    "Humph! That''s more like it." Kamden Qin''s cousin snorted coldly and quickly registered.


    "You! What are you still doing here? Get out of the way!" Keanu Zhou was annoyed that Darren was still there, so he scolded him and told him to leave.


    "How dar


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    ined on the edge of the pool and closed his eyes as if he was just enjoying a hot spring. He didn''t even respond to Perry Gu.


    Then, all of a sudden, a hot current attacked Darren''s metal meridians, causing a sharp pain that rushed into his mind.


    Under the effect of the hot current, Darren found out that one of his metal meridians had already been melted.


    After that, the invading metal fluid current merged with the melted metal meridian. As they reacted, it eventually turned into a kind of lead-gray metal liquid.


    At the same time, the pain of melting the meridians was not something an ordinary person could bear. One could really die due to shock if he could not tolerate the process.


    However, Darren was far from being ordinary. He was quite surprised at first but he didn''t even let out any noise during the process. He just continued to close his eyes and relax while he soaked in the pool.

 Chapter 1965 Four Types Of Tests (Part Three)

    After a short while, the melted metal meridian condensed again, turning his dark gold metal meridian into a light-gray one.


    ''I see. This is its purpose.'' Darren was pleased with the result. The so-called test was actually to change the strength of the participants'' meridians. If one couldn''t withstand the process, then his meridians would be destroyed and become useless.


    Not long after his first meridian completed the transformation, Darren''s second meridian also began the process.


    At the same time, Perry Gu let out a loud cry again, signaling that he had also begun the process of transforming his second meridian.


    About an hour later, Darren''s second metal meridian had also turned to light gray.


    After that, no more metal liquid tried to enter Darren''s body since he only had two metal meridians right now.


    As for the special silver meridian, it couldn''t be transformed by the


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    aled a devious smile and slowly floated towards him.


    "Oh, you really dare provoke me? You think I won''t do it?"


    Without any hesitation, Perry Gu rushed over and attempted to slap Darren''s face.


    At the same time, Darren slightly tilted his body and easily dodged the attack. Then, in a flash, he slapped Perry Gu across his face.


    Caught off guard, Perry Gu was dumbfounded. He didn''t expect that Darren would be so fast.


    Due to the slap that he received, he felt dizzy as if the world around him was spinning.


    But after a while, he was able to regain his senses. That was when he found out that his face was badly mutilated.


    "Bastard! How dare you hit me? You really are courting death! I''ll make sure that you vanish in this world!"


    Perry Gu shouted in disdain and rage. He had never been beaten since he was a child.


    Hence, what Darren did to him was a great humiliation.

 Chapter 1966 Broke Meridians And Repaired Them (Part One)

    "Stop!"


    Before Perry could act, two figures suddenly appeared in front of him. They were the elders of the Celestial Sect, the ones responsible for the assessment.


    Under the cool gaze of the two elders, Perry hesitated, not wanting to seem presumptuous. With hatred in his heart, he climbed out of the pool.


    Darren quickly left the pool as well, flying into the air above the water.


    "Come here. Let me check," said one of the elders.


    "Yes, sir," said Perry in a respectful tone. Although he acted arrogantly because of his cousin, he didn''t dare to act rashly in front of a powerful elder.


    "Good job. You only have a grade-three Fate Character, so it is quite extraordinary that you have transformed three meridians," the elder told Perry, seemingly satisfied after checking him.


    Perry bowed and said, "Thank you!" He then healed the wounds on his face with his god''s power. The elder''s praise had soothed his pride.


    But the second elder was studying Darren, looking surprised.


    "What?" he muttered. He turned to his companion, his eyebrow raised.


    "Walter, this guy has transformed two meridians!"


    "Two?" said the other eld


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    grade-four metal to repair the broken meridians.


    Darren had also been observing Perry with his god''s sense.


    He was very curious about this process. He had wondered what effect would be produced by breaking then repairing the meridians.


    Perry started with one of his arms.


    The grade-four metal was melted by the Fate Character, flowing to the place where the meridian had splintered apart.


    Darren saw small patches of a dark, electric texture forming in the spots where the grade-four liquid metal touched the broken meridian.


    As the reaction went on, the dark substances condensed at the connections where the golden light had broken apart.


    Suddenly, the black substances moved along Perry''s body, rushing to his Fate Character.


    Soon, the first meridian on his arm was fully repaired.


    "There are not many Fate Character foundations. He is only at the medium level," Walter said.


    "Yes, there is a big gap between him and his cousin," Myles agreed.


    As the two elders spoke quietly, Darren listened silently. He was focused on observing Perry.


    Four hours passed. At that point, Perry had repaired four of his meridians.

 Chapter 1967 Broke Meridians And Repaired Them (Part Two)

    Unexpectedly, he began gleaming with a dark gold light all over his body, casting a bright glow over his surroundings.


    "Good, he has made a breakthrough," said Myles approvingly.


    Walter said, "He should almost have broken through to the grade-four Fate Character earlier. But he made a breakthrough with just a little bit of Fate Character foundation. He is well-prepared."


    Hearing this, Darren finally understood.


    He realized that the Fate Character of the Immortal God race could be upgraded. This could be done by providing the Fate Character foundations.


    The so-called Fate Character foundations were the black substances produced when the metal meridians were broken and repaired.


    Darren felt a rush of excitement.


    His Fate Character was only at the level of grade-one, and he had been worrying about how to upgrade it.


    As it turned out, there was a way, and it was fairly simple!


    Over an hour passed, and Perry repaired all the metal meridians. Finally, the severe pain throughout his body faded away.


    Perry glanced at the elders, looking dissatisfied. He knew his repair speed had not been very impressive. He said, "Elders, I..."


    "Well, you are qualified, although your speed is far slower than that of a real genius. Besides, there were not too many Fate Character foundations produced when you repaired your meridians. Based on my experie


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    The two elders were unsettled and somewhat upset that, for a second time, the white metal didn''t ooze out of his skin.


    It seemed they had no way of recovering the two precious pieces of white metal they had used to test him.


    "What a freak!" Walter said, becoming angry. He scowled and turned to his companion. "Myles, have you sensed any change in his Fate Character?"


    "Yes, his Fate Character upgraded just now. But he did not undergo the proper process of breaking and repairing his meridians, so it must be a coincidence," Myles said.


    "Damn it! You wasted two pieces of white metal!" Walter snapped, glowering at Darren.


    The two elders were becoming more and more agitated. They thought they had discovered an unusual talent, but instead, they had discovered a freak.


    This guy was useless, a waste of the precious white metal!


    "I don''t understand it, either," said Darren, acting worried. "Please, elders, could you give me another chance? Could I try it with another piece of white metal?" He could guess by now that the white metal was highly precious to them, and this might be the easiest way for him to obtain more.


    "No way!" the two elders said together. Perry nodded in furious agreement. "You brat! You have wasted something that is precious beyond your imagination. You won''t get the chance to waste any more of it," Walter said crossly.

 Chapter 1968 Darrens Terrifying Strength (Part One)

    "Maybe you should test me again? I guarantee you that, this time, the results will be different," Darren said.


    The white metal was priceless in Darren''s eyes. Of course, he wanted more of it.


    "Walter, this guy has such a strange body. Should we test him once more? We''ll use our god''s senses to observe what''s going on this time," Myles suggested, looking at Walter.


    The truth was that Walter was curious as well. He wanted to find out what was up with the man''s body, and why it seemed so strange. Basically, he just wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery.


    "Sirs!" But in the next moment, Perry stepped forward and said, "In my opinion, this man''s body is like a bottomless pit. It will consume your white metal without end, but it isn''t really giving us an accurate picture of his ability. It''s so annoying! Why don''t we just kill him and dissect his corpse to see what''s going on?"


    "Stop talking nonsense, Perry!" Myles scolded him at once, sending a heated glare in his direction.


    They couldn''t kill Darren because if the others found out, the Celestial Sect''s reputation would be flushed down the toilet. No ext


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    elestial Sect and couldn''t bear to leave, so he stayed to be the grand-elder to consult and guard the sect.


    "Don''t worry, I have a clear estimation of myself. I don''t expect to get one thousand points. I''ll even be happy with just one hundred points," Perry answered modestly.


    "Even one hundred points is difficult to attain in this round. So, as long as you can get fifty points, you can pass this round. Go ahead."


    "Yes, sir."


    After that, Darren and Perry walked into the gate together.


    Buzz!


    As soon as they stepped foot inside, the air fluctuated, and something similar to the sun appeared in the sky, lighting the whole space up.


    This place was a space of wilderness.


    At this point, Perry turned to Darren with ferocity burning in his eyes. "You little bastard, you were so arrogant outside just now!


    I endured it for so long, but not anymore."


    He figured that he could kill Darren here. That way, no one would ever know, for he could pass it off as if one of the beasts had done it. It was an excellent opportunity. He had been so pissed off earlier, but now he finally had a chance to take revenge.

 Chapter 1969 Darrens Terrifying Strength (Part Two)

    "Oh, you want to kill me, huh?" Darren asked with a grin.


    "The answer is so obvious. Can''t you see it, you little brat! Have you forgotten that you slapped me earlier? You were showing off in front of the others. Why don''t you show off now? I''ll make sure you pay for your arrogance tenfold!"


    "Oh, really? What a coincidence! I''m also planning to make you pay for trying to kill me!" Darren rejoined, the smile on his face never fading.


    "It looks like you are blind to reality. Maybe I should beat you until your eyes are opened to the truth, huh? I''m warning you; it''s useless even if you kneel and beg for your life later."


    Perry fully expected the other man to beg for mercy if he threatened him, but it turned out that he was so unyielding. It seemed like he had to torture Darren before the man would surrender to him. Still, he couldn''t let him go too easily.


    "Kneel!"


    Perry shouted at the top of his lungs. At once, the power of the grade-four Fate Character spread out, trying to force Darren to kneel.


    Crack!


    The sound of bone breaking could be heard.


    Darren stood motionless in front of Perry, unhurt, while Perry was writhing in pain. The bones on his legs were shattered, his femur sticking out and piercing his flesh. When he fell to his knees, the bloody bone pierced the cold hard ground.


    "Ah!"


    Perry screamed in pain.


    At this time, he had no idea what had happened.


    "Who is it? Why did you attack me? Please stop. We can talk about this," pleaded Perry.


    "Oh? Are you begging already?" Darren looked down at him with a mocking smi


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    the Purple Moon Sect tries to hunt me down for revenge? What if they kill me and my family?"


    The girl was none other than Mina. She had actually come to participate in the Celestial Sect''s test.


    She came to tell Kamden the whole story, acting pitiful and helpless. Of course, she skipped the part about the relationship between her and Howell.


    "This doesn''t make any sense! In the first place, it wasn''t your fault that the vice sect leader''s son was too weak. Why should you and your family suffer for that? If they try to punish your family for that, they are the ones who deserve to die! From this time on, Mina, you don''t have to be afraid. You are now a disciple of the Celestial Sect, which means you are under our protection. I will keep you safe." An indignant look cast a shadow on Kamden''s face. He stretched out his hand to pull her into an embrace, but a loud buzzing stopped his movement at once.


    Buzz!


    The white jade token on his waist began to tremble violently, in time with the furious buzzing they could hear.


    Between one blink and the next, a ray of vivid white light burst forth from the token and rushed up into the sky.


    "What? Damn it! That''s not good..."


    Kamden quickly pulled away from Mina and hurriedly picked up the jade token, expanding his god''s sense to figure out what was going on.


    "Oh, no! Something terrible must have happened to my cousin!"


    The jade token he possessed was not a typical token. It was a unique communication jade from the Qin Clan, and only family members and important relatives of the Qin Clan had one.

 Chapter 1970 Becoming The Chief Disciple (Part One)

    All Kamden knew was that his cousin was currently taking the test, but he didn''t know what had happened to him.


    "Mina, something urgent came up. I need you to go to the registration office of the Celestial Sect first. Don''t worry. I already told the person in charge about you, so he will assist you in everything," Kamden remarked.


    "Okay, no problem. Go ahead," Mina replied. She felt that luck had finally smiled on her this time. Not only was she able to successfully join the Celestial Sect, but she also found a powerful and handsome boyfriend.


    Soon enough, Kamden arrived at the place where the test was being carried out. At the same time, he found the elders, Walter and Myles, who were supervising it.


    "Sirs, I think something bad happened to my cousin. Please allow me to go and save him," Kamden quickly said.


    "What? You want to go inside? I''m afraid we can''t allow that, Kamden. Even the leader of the sect can''t do that, so neither can you. You should be already aware of this rule," Walter reasoned.


    "But my cousin''s life is in danger. If I can''t do it myself, then please somehow make a way to help him," Kamd


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    o kill it, he would need more time and energy.


    Fortunately for him, the creature was strong but very slow. Hence, it was easy for Darren to dodge its monstrous attacks.


    After he fought with the metal beast for about an hour, its entire body was riddled with holes. Thus, Darren already grabbed the chance to smash its head with all his strength.


    In the blink of an eye, the mighty dragon-shaped metal beast crashed on the ground lifeless.


    Then, immediately after, a black God Character floated in front of Darren.


    "Ha-ha! I wondered why it was so hard to deal with. It looks like it possessed a God Character after all!"


    It was not really a surprise since there was a huge difference between beasts that possessed God Characters and those which did not.


    Without a God Character, a metal beast could only attack a few times at most. After that, its god''s power would be fully exhausted. Hence, it should not be able to fight Darren for a long time.


    Upon defeating the dragon-shaped metal beast, Darren immediately activated his Fate Character to melt and absorb the black God Character that was floating in front of him.

 Chapter 1971 Becoming The Chief Disciple (Part Two)

    Then, the God Character turned into a large amount of nourishment that was absorbed into Darren''s Fate Character Tree.


    Immediately after, a bud appeared again among the leaves of the tree.


    "Great! Soon enough, I should be able to attain another silver meridian!" Darren smiled with satisfaction.


    The power of the silver meridians was proven to be far greater than the ordinary metal meridians. In addition to the nine standard metal meridians that could be refined, Darren still had ninety-nine ones that he could transform into silver meridians.


    Darren couldn''t start imagining how strong he would be once those ninety-nine meridians all turned into silver ones.


    After absorbing the God Character from the dragon-shaped metal beast, Darren''s Fate Character Tree grew to thirty feet high and was very lush. It seemed that it wouldn''t be long before it became a grade-three Fate Character.


    "Unfortunately, the pieces of white metal have already been used up,"


    Darren mumbled as he observed that no black substances were produced on his


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    "Stop talking nonsense or I''ll really crush you to pieces!" Kamden roared savagely.


    "What is wrong with you people? You asked me a question, so I answered it. If you don''t believe me, then go ahead and take a look. Will anything change by shouting at me?" Darren snorted coldly.


    "Fuck you! As a principal disciple, I order you to kneel in front of me and seriously explain everything!"


    In the eyes of the other disciples of the Celestial Sect, Kamden had always been superior. Hence, in order not to get on his bad side, they all obeyed him.


    However, this was not the situation when it came to Darren. He was deliberately trying to get on Kamden''s nerves. Therefore, even if it was not yet confirmed that he had anything to with what happened to Perry, Kamden was already itching to teach Darren a lesson.


    "You''re ordering me to kneel down just because you are a principal disciple? Are you kidding me right now?" Then, Darren raised an eyebrow and sneered while he turned to the two elders. "Is there such a rule in the Celestial Sect?"

 Chapter 1972 Becoming The Chief Disciple (Part Three)

    "Yes, there is. In our sect, those who possess a high status can directly give orders to ordinary disciples. In fact, if anyone disobeys, he will be deprived of his cultivation base and will be exiled from the sect. Of course, the only exception is if the disciple is ordered to do something immoral. That is the only time he can refuse. Then, he can report the matter to the higher-ups," Myles explained.


    "Now, bastard, did you hear that? If you refuse to kneel in front of me and explain everything that happened, I promise to skin you alive!" Kamden uttered disdainfully.


    "Ha-ha! Skin me? You have such a loud mouth. Why don''t you do it then?" Darren said provokingly.


    "You crazy piece of shit! You will regret your arrogance towards me!"


    At this point, Kamden already snapped. In the blink of an eye, his body flashed and reached Darren. Then, a layer of god''s power appeared on his palm as it rushed towards Darren''s face to slap him.


    At the same time, Darren quickly do


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    y made trouble for him.


    Moreover, they thought that Darren was just in his early twenties. However, he was already more powerful than Kamden, who was twenty-eight years of age. The elders thought that he would have a promising future, so they had no reason to offend him.


    "Greetings, Mr. Chu! We welcome you as the chief disciple of the Celestial Sect."


    Although the two elders were still a little reluctant, they had no choice but to kneel obediently.


    "Fuck this! How could someone like him be the chief disciple? I won''t have this! I will kill you right here!"


    Since Kamden was consumed by his anger, he was not able to think very well. Even if Darren presented all the proof of him killing the powerful metal beasts, he didn''t care. In his mind, since the news of Darren becoming the chief disciple hadn''t been formally announced, he wasn''t considered the genuine chief disciple yet. Hence, before that could happen, he deemed that this was his best chance to kill him.

 Chapter 1973 Slap Him For Me (Part One)

    "Stop!"


    Just as Kamden was about to make a move, an old man suddenly showed up and stopped him.


    "What the fuck? Who do you think you are? Go away!"


    Before he could insult the elder any further, the old man turned to face him. The color on Kamden''s face drained.


    He realized that the figure who interrupted him was the grand-elder of the sect!


    He had a scrawny figure, but his eyes bright and sharp, like all the knowledge in the world was written in his eyes. Every move he made exuded an overwhelming aura that could make anyone cower.


    ''He must be a great master!''


    Darren''s eyes widened in admiration as he regarded the old man.


    He had never seen anyone who could make him feel this way except his metal real body.


    The grand-elder was an absolutely master with a grade-seven Fate Character and seven metal meridians!


    "Sir!"


    The three men of the Celestial Sect immediately kowtowed before the powerful figure.


    The old man waved his hand, acknowledging their greeting. With his eyebrows raised, he looked at Darren and asked, "Why didn''t you salute me, boy?"


    "I''m not a disciple


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    ice as potent.


    "Who said you guys should stop? Keep going for two more hours!" Then, Darren turned to Myles. "What are you waiting for? Don''t be shy, slap him!"


    "Umm... Uh... O-okay, Mr. Chu." Myles was hesitant to fulfill the command given since he harbored no ill-will against Kamden. However, orders were orders¨Dhe had to make it happen. Eventually, he submitted.


    "Wow, it turns out that commanding others to do things is easier than doing it yourself."


    Darren smiled brightly as if nothing was happening in front of him. He even had his hands behind his back while he was humming a happy tune.


    Seeing Darren''s self-satisfied expression, Kamden was livid. He spurted a few more mouthfuls of blood before he fainted on the spot.


    Darren was in a good mood, so he wasn''t in a hurry to go back to the Yun Clan. He leisurely took a walk in the Celestial Sect.


    The scenery was pleasing to the eyes. Pavilions, terraces and towers were everywhere. Towering mountains could be seen from a distance, and clouds were shrouded in mist. It looked like it was straight out from a fairy tale.


    "Stop!"

 Chapter 1974 Slap Him For Me (Part Two)

    Just as Darren was idly strolling by and admiring the breathtaking view, a woman''s tender voice suddenly called out from behind.


    Darren turned around and saw his sister-in-law, Mina.


    Just as Darren was about to greet her, Mina ran over, looking very uneasy. She lowered her voice and reprimanded, "What are you doing here? Go home!"


    Mina glanced both ways, making sure nobody saw them. She was afraid that the others would discover that Darren sneaked inside and she would be implicated in his crime.


    "Why are you so tense, Mina? You came here in the Celestial Sect. Why can''t I?" Darren asked her good-naturedly.


    "You!" Mina really wanted to slap him, but she held back her anger and said in a low voice, "Brother-in-law, please just leave. I''ve just entered the Celestial Sect, and I haven''t gained a firm foothold yet. So make sure you don''t cause any trouble, okay? Once they realize we''re related, they might throw me out too!"


    "Brother-in-law?"


    Darren raised his eyebrow with surprise. It was the first time that he had heard she call him brother-in-law respectfully.


    As it turned out, the girl was worried that he would bring trouble to her.


    "What are you so afraid of? I''m just walking around. I couldn''t possibly cause any trouble just by walking around, could I?" asked Darren.


    "Just... just don''t show up around here!" Mina exclaimed,


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    us. We are principal disciples!"


    "He is right. According to the rules of our sect, if you treat a principal disciple like this, your behavior should be considered as a crime and be expelled from the sect!" Tam echoed Willard.


    "Please don''t listen to him. He is just a fool." Mina pointed at Darren anxiously.


    "Cut the crap. You are just a new disciple, but you have the audacity to cross a principal disciple. You are not qualified to enter the Celestial Sect. You can leave by yourself," Willard coldly spat.


    "Don''t be so angry, Willard. This girl is new here and doesn''t know the rules. As the saying goes, ignorance can be forgiven. Give her a chance," Tam said, giving his friend a knowing look. Then he turned around to Mina. "How about this? Let''s find a place to have some drink. If you agree, we can tell you all the rules of the sect so you won''t be confused. Plus, if you have any trouble in your cultivation, we can give you some advice. What do you think? "


    The two of them echoed each other. If it was really a new comer, she would definitely be intimidated.


    Mina felt very uneasy at that moment. After all, she still had to rely on the Celestial Sect. She couldn''t be kicked out.


    "Look, my boyfriend is here!"


    Just as Mina was in a dilemma, she saw a hurried figure passing not far away from them. She immediately recognized Kamden.

 Chapter 1975 Go To The Law Enforcing Hall (Part One)

    "Kamden!" Mina shouted.


    She was overjoyed, rushing after the man who was walking away in a hurry.


    Kamden was stunned. He didn''t dare to turn his head to look at Mina at all. Surreptitiously, he used his god''s sense to check.


    "Fuck!" he muttered.


    ''How unlucky I am, to encounter Mina at this moment!'' he thought.


    His face was swollen and covered with bruises. If Mina saw him like this, her image of him as a handsome man would be completely ruined.


    "You''ve got the wrong person,"


    he called back, trying to increase the distance between them.


    But Mina wasn''t fooled. She hurried to catch up with him. "Kamden, what''s wrong with you? Why are you speaking like this?" she asked in a puzzled tone.


    "Stop! Stay away!" Kamden roared. Mina came to a stop, more confused than ever.


    "You are making a mistake. I''m not Kamden. He''s cultivating right now, so why would he be wandering around in this area?" he snapped at her. Pulling up his clothes to cover his face, Kamden quickly walked away.


    Mina watched the receding figure of Kamden, feeling morose. She was certain it was him. The only explanation she could com


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    rren could inflict any punishment he liked on those who offended him.


    He was humiliated by Darren''s laughter, which he viewed as an insult, but he stayed silent.


    Mina demanded, "Who is your sister-in-law? Hurry up and leave."


    Darren just stood there. Mina started getting anxious. If Darren offended someone in the Celestial Sect, the consequences would be severe, and he would get her into trouble.


    Tam snorted. "If you don''t speak up, we''ll just ignore you, all right? By the way, she said you''re her cousin, but now you said you are her brother-in-law. It seems the two of you are not being honest! I''m beginning to get suspicious about you. Are you spies from the Purple Moon Sect?"


    "As the principal disciple, I order you to come with me. Otherwise, you will be responsible for the consequences!" ordered Willard, seizing the opportunity to make things difficult for Mina.


    He said to Tam, "Go ahead! Take Mina and this man away!"


    Tam nodded, moving closer to Mina to grab her.


    She backed away. She was very flustered. She glanced at Kamden and said in an aggrieved tone, "What should I do? You must help me."

 Chapter 1955 The Ripe Fruit (Part One)

    After hearing how badly the Wang Clan bullied the Yun Clan so easily, Mina wasn''t about to just let them off the hook. Her blood boiled at the thought of letting them get away with it.


    After cursing her brother-in-law for a long while, she quickly rushed to the Wang Clan''s territory on the west side of the city, together with Howell and his guards.


    After about an hour, Mina returned, dejected. Her steps became heavy as she trudged back to their territory.


    "Damn it!"


    In a fit of anger, she banged open the hall doors and stormed in.


    "Calm down, Mina. It''s just the tiny Wang Clan. Where could they possibly go? After I return to the sect, I''ll immediately send people out to hunt them down. Even if they escaped to the ends of the earth, I would find them for you."


    Howell sat down next to Mina and placed a hand on her arm, deliberately touching her skin.


    "So you think I''m angry just because I couldn''t catch them?"


    "Well, isn''t that exactly the reason?"


    "Why are you so ignorant this time? Think about it. No one knows that I''ve returned except my clan members. Nobody! Now, just as I


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    ss.


    Additionally, if he slayed Darren, the good image he worked so hard to build up would be permanently stained.


    "Howell is in the right mind, at least." Liam walked into the hall and roared in a loud voice, "Mina, quit your stubborn nonsense. There would never be a traitor among the Yun Clan. How dare you accuse anyone here of such a thing. That sly Wang Clan must have had spies set up all around our Yun Clan. Of course they would''ve found out that you''d returned from the sect. They must''ve run away as soon as their spies sent the news."


    "Father! It''s impossible! I know there''s a traitor! It''s him! It''s..."


    "Silence!"


    Mina stamped her feet in frustration with an angry huff. Liam cut her off before she could even finish her sentence.


    Liam''s words definitely surprised Darren.


    Although he did show some of his aura and strength, he didn''t think that would be enough for Liam to outright defend him like that.


    "You sneaky bastard, you''ll rue the day you crossed me, I swear! I''ll destroy you. Just wait and see. If I find even a sliver of evidence, I''ll tear you into tiny pieces!"

 Chapter 1976 Go To The Law Enforcing Hall (Part Two)

    "If he helps you, he will also be arrested!" Willard bellowed. "You and this guy have been caught lying, and you come from dubious backgrounds. You are obviously spies. We have no choice but to investigate the two of you."


    As it turned out, Willard and Tam were also among the disciples charged with enforcing the laws of the sect.


    To Mina''s consternation, Kamden suddenly became very calm, and made no move to defend her.


    "You two are so smart," he said to the two senior disciples. "Yes, that guy must be a spy. I advise you to detain him as soon as possible."


    "You!" Mina spluttered. "I can''t believe it! You are really a bad guy, after all!" She was extremely agitated, believing that Kamden had just betrayed her.


    Kamden was sorry to see her so upset, but he didn''t dare hint that he had a plan.


    Just as he had been certain that Willard and Tam could defeat him, he was also certain about Darren''s identity. So, since these two principal disciples clearly didn''t know who Darren was, it would be to Kamden''s benefit to let these three deal with each other first!


    That was why he decided to stay out of it, convinced that Darren wouldn''t let himself and Mina be captured.


    Darren understood what Kamden was doing, and he was impressed. "You''re smarter than you look," he said to the young man, who was still determinedly covering his injured face. ''This guy knows what he''s doing. He''s trying to get his enemies to fight each other, '' he thought, amused.


    Kamden felt the sting of the backha


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    , amazed to hear of such feats.


    The defense of the Black Metal Dragon was legendary, and known to be extremely terrifying. It was said that only the top master with a grade-five Fate Character could break its defense.


    If a new disciple had killed the powerful beast, no wonder he had risen to the position of chief disciple.


    Darren, who was listening to their conversation, felt confused when he heard that.


    That dragon-shaped metal beast had not struck him as a terribly formidable opponent. In fact, it had not been too difficult to kill it.


    "He probably has an extraordinary background. When we see him, we should certainly pay homage to him," Willard mused.


    "Yes, we should learn from such a powerful genius," Tam agreed.


    They were already thinking of ways to flatter the legendary chief disciple and insinuate themselves in his favor.


    "Well, you''d better fall in line," said Jarvis with a sigh. "Many elders are very eager to meet him. I myself would like the chance to congratulate him in person."


    Then he touched his beard, shaking his head. "Well, I have other business at the moment, so let''s stop talking about it. I''ll just send his portrait to you so that you can recognize him when you see him." As Jarvis spoke, he absently stroked his beard, searching his mind for the image of the chief disciple that the grand-elder had transmitted to them.


    As soon as he saw the image, he was stunned.


    "What?" he gasped, turning to stare at Darren. No wonder he seemed so familiar!

 Chapter 1977 What The Hell Is Going On (Part One)

    Jarvis hastily shifted his focus to Darren and carefully checked the image of the chief disciple in his mind once again. Now he was sure that Darren was indeed the chief disciple.


    "Elder Jarvis, we are still unaware of this man''s background, and he won''t tell us the truth either. Please allow me to extract his confession through torture!"


    Tam requested, seeing how Jarvis was staring intently at Darren.


    "Be quiet!" Jarvis roared, secretly eyeing Tam in a desperate attempt to make him stand down immediately.


    Tam was confused at first, then figured wrongly that Jarvis was hinting at him to torture Darren somewhere isolated so that the others wouldn''t know what they were up to.


    "I understand!"


    said Tam with a playful smirk. He stepped forward and grabbed Darren''s arm to take him to the basement.


    "I didn''t know that the members of the Celestial Sect were all bastards! Elders and disciples alike, all of you are rotten to the core!"


    Mina yelled coldly when she saw that Darren was about to be taken away to be tortured.


    She was not worried about him, but was disappointed with the activities


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    s identity for fear of being misunderstood again.


    "He is a handsome young man. Your sister is very lucky." Jarvis nodded with a smile.


    "Elder Jarvis," Darren interrupted with a smile. "Do you enjoy watching plays?"


    "Plays? Well, I''m usually busy with work, so I do not have the luxury to indulge in such activities," Jarvis said.


    "Is that so? Then, I believe you have a natural talent for acting. You have done well so far."


    Jarvis froze for a moment, then quickly pretended to be ignorant of what Darren was talking about. He couldn''t admit that he was aware of Darren''s identity as the chief disciple.


    "You are very funny, young man. Ha-ha... Anyway, I''ll deal with these two now. You both are free to leave," he said with a strained smile.


    "Thank you very much, Elder Jarvis."


    Mina sighed. The crisis was finally over. She was free!


    "I don''t think it''s going to be that easy,"


    Darren said indifferently.


    "Alex!"


    Mina''s eyes widened in shock. She hurried over and grabbed Darren''s arm. "My dear brother-in-law, don''t you think we''ve been in enough trouble already? Let''s go now!"

 Chapter 1978 What The Hell Is Going On (Part Two)

    "No way! They arrested us as they pleased, and now, expect us to leave just because they said so. It looks as if anything goes in this sect, irrespective of rules and regulations. Is that it?" Darren asked Jarvis with a scowl.


    "You!" Mina was furious. "What the hell are you doing? I beg you. Please don''t cause more problems."


    "No! I demand justice." It seemed that Darren had no plans of giving up.


    "Ahem."


    Jarvis cleared his throat and hurried over to the two of them.


    "I''m very sorry, Elder Jarvis. My brother-in-law was dropped head first onto the floor when he was a child, and now there is something seriously wrong with his brain. Please don''t mind him." Mina hoped that Jarvis wouldn''t be mad. It was kind of him to let them both go unscathed. She couldn''t understand why Darren would want to make this fuss.


    "Little girl, you don''t need to explain," Jarvis said with a fake smile. "Your brother-in-law''s demand is only reasonable. How could a sect survive with no discipline or proper rules? It''s my fault for failing to teach the two of them well, so I have to bear responsibility for their wrongdoings.


    I''m sorry. Please accept my apology."


    Mina was completely dumbfounded. She hadn''t expected Jarvis to be so fair. Not only was he calm, but he also took the initiative to apolo


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    eferring to him as your boyfriend. How could you be so naive?"


    "That''s none of your business! I do what I like. Humph!"


    "I''m your brother-in-law, so that makes it my business." Darren became serious. Then he added, "Don''t forget about Howell. You''d better be careful."


    Mina wanted to satirize Darren, but when she turned around and saw his gaze, she couldn''t say a word.


    His look was so stern that no one could have dared to resist him at that moment.


    Mina avoided Darren''s eyes and muttered, "I know what I''m doing. No one can take advantage of me. I don''t want some idiot worrying about me."


    "Well, good for you," Darren said lightly.


    "Oh! It''s Kamden! Look, he''s coming over here!"


    Kamden appeared not too far away from them. He did not have his head covered with a cloth this time. After taking the healing elixir, his face had almost fully recovered.


    "Kamden! Thank you for everything you have done for me," Mina said, hurrying towards him.


    "What do you mean? I didn''t do anything," Kamden said, confused. "By the way, Mina, I''ve been waiting here to apologize to you specially."


    "What do you mean you didn''t do anything?" Mina was puzzled.


    "Yeah. Since the chief disciple was with you, there was no need for me to interfere," Kamden said, casting a glare at Darren.

 Chapter 1979 So Powerful (Part One)

    Hearing everything that Kamden said, Mina could not help but be baffled.


    ''Chief disciple? I''m not sure what he is talking about, '' Mina thought to herself.


    "So, Mina, will you accept my apology?"


    Kamden asked as he interrupted her thoughts.


    "Hmm. You deliberately said that Alex and I were spies because you had a plan to deal with the two of them, right?" Mina answered a question with a question.


    "Yes. In all honesty, I wanted those two to suffer. I believe that they have met their miserable end by now, haven''t they?" At the thought that the two ignorant men were already dealt with by Alex, Kamden felt much better.


    "They have. It was horrible." Thinking of the two ex-disciples, Mina could not help but shiver in fear. Jarvis was really ruthless.


    "Ha-ha! All right then," Kamden responded with a smile. He thought that Mina had already known that Darren had been the newest chief disciple of the Celestial Sect. Hence, when he heard Mina''s comment, he didn''t bother to mention Darren''s identity again.


    "Anyway, that was a brilliant idea. For now, I have to go home because it''s getting late already.


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    ves!"


    Darren''s cold voice resounded like ferocious thunder.


    "Humph! Lucky bastard. Don''t think that you can get out of here alive!"


    All of a sudden, two figures flew from below and stood in front of Darren and Mina.


    As they showed their faces, it seemed that they were still swollen.


    "Oh, it''s you two," Darren said with a scoff.


    It turned out to be Tam and Willard, the ex-disciples of the Celestial Sect.


    "Ha! I''m glad you recognized us. Now, get on your knees and I will crush you to death!" one of them exclaimed.


    "Thanks to you, we were kicked out of the Celestial Sect. If we weren''t able to run fast, our cultivation base would have been ruined too! You are going to pay for this!" the other said.


    These two were beaten violently by Jarvis and were imprisoned in the basement of the sect. He also intended to destroy their cultivation base after reporting them to the sect leader.


    However, Willard knew the secret door in the basement that led outside. That was how they were able to escape. Otherwise, they would not be able to show themselves if their cultivation base was already ruined.

 Chapter 1980 So Powerful (Part Two)

    After they escaped, the two of them quickly fled. At the same time, they carefully checked if anyone was chasing after them through their god''s senses. That was when they detected Darren and Mina, who were flying in the sky hundreds of kilometers away from them.


    Seeing them, the two immediately rushed over with the ultimate goal of taking revenge.


    "How stupid can you be? You already escaped, but you still showed yourselves in front of me? Do you really have a death wish?" Darren asked with a sneer.


    "Death wish? Ha-ha! Brat! There is no one here to protect you anymore! Do you think that you can resist us just because you have a magic treasure to protect yourself? You''re naive!"


    At this moment, Tam''s eyes were oozing with killing intent and greed. He thought that aside from killing Darren, he could possibly acquire his defensive treasure a


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    me that this is Alex, my brother-in-law?'' Mina kept asking herself and even rubbed her eyes in order to see clearly.


    "Hey, why are you still standing there? Come on. We''re going home,"


    Darren said while his back was still facing her. Without turning around, he directly flew away.


    After being stunned for a long time, Mina''s body finally recovered its normal mobility.


    "Alex, wait. Wait for me!" Mina quickly followed Darren in order to catch up. However, even when she tried to rush with her maximum speed, she still could not close their gap.


    ''Damn it. I ended up exposing my real strength, ''


    Darren thought as he flew. At the same time, he was already formulating a lie in his head to cover up what just happened.


    But after thinking for a while, he thought that it wasn''t necessary. If it was just Mina, it should not be a big deal.

 Chapter 1981 So Powerful (Part Three)

    After some time, they finally reached the mansion of the Yun Clan in Wing City.


    "Hey, Alex. You were flying so fast! What would you do if I got lost?"


    Mina said as soon as she landed in front of the mansion gate.


    "Well, it would be nice if you did. That way, I won''t hear you curse me every day," Darren said flatly.


    "No¡­ I won''t dare to curse you again. I already realized that I had been wrong about you all this time. You are so powerful!" Mina exclaimed.


    "Shh! What happened tonight is a secret between you and me. Don''t tell anyone about my real strength. Do you understand? Otherwise, I have no choice but to silence you." Darren turned around to hush her and slightly threaten her.


    As a response, Mina nodded her head repeatedly.


    At this moment, she was very curious about Darren and wanted to ask him a lot of questions.


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    y guy." Ines pinched Darren in his cheek and continued, "I mean¡­ Mina has suddenly treated you better. How did you get her to do that? Why on earth are you freaking out? What do you think I am talking about?"


    "Oh, I was just startled. I almost blurted out¡­" Darren said it on purpose as he gently removed Ines'' hands from his waist.


    "Huh? Blurted what out?" Ines replied with furrowed brows.


    "Ha-ha. I am just kidding. Don''t you have a sense of humor?" Darren said with a faint smile.


    "Humph! You scared me¡­" Ines also smiled and added, "Come on, let''s go to sleep."


    Darren felt stiff again. It seemed that Ines was still persistent about having their baby.


    Then, just as everyone was about to retire for the night, a thunderous roar came from the sky above the mansion of the Yun Clan.


    "Mina! Come out! Show your damn face!"

 Chapter 1982 A Fight With All His Might (Part One)

    The whole clan was shocked by the violent roar. The elders of the Yun Clan immediately flew over to check the situation. They saw a man in purple robes.


    "Sir! Please tell us why you are looking for Lady Mina,"


    one of the elders asked, trembling.


    Bang!


    There was absolutely no warning.


    The elder was thrown back by a merciless force, his bones shattered and he died instantly.


    The cruelty shocked the others around them.


    The man in purple was too powerful. No one dared to step closer to him.


    "I''m Wilton Yao, the vice leader of the Purple Moon Sect. Bring Mina Yun here right now or prepare for the worst."


    "Yes! Yes, sir! We will do as you say, so please give us a moment. I will send for her right away!"


    More than ten elders who had flown to the spot to check on the situation immediately broke into a cold sweat and scattered to look for Mina.


    In the yard, Mina had already witnessed everything, but she was too scared to move from her spot.


    "What are you waiting for? Leave! Now!" said a voice from behind her.


    Mina turned around and saw Darre


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    ing him back! Do you understand? Hurry up and leave! Take the kids with you. Run as fast as you can!"


    The elders realized that Liam was right. "Chief, you''re right. Let''s go!" Without any hesitation, they fled in all directions, carrying the wailing babies of the Yun Clan with them.


    "Do you think you can escape from your fate?"


    Wilton made his move as soon as he saw the escapees.


    Streaks of god''s power shot out of his palm, aimed like arrows at the elders who were trying to flee.


    Bang!


    Blood mist spread in the air, and the elders and other members of the Yun Clan were all killed before they even knew what struck them.


    Only a few women and children who were hiding in the mansion below were left alive. They cried in fear for their lives.


    "My son is dead! All of you will die with him. Go to hell!"


    Boom!


    With the next attack, the mansion of the Yun Clan blew up into pieces, and everyone inside died as well.


    As Wilton continued to massacre the Yun Clan, Darren could do nothing but watch helplessly. He could only mourn for the clan''s demise.

 Chapter 1983 A Fight With All His Might (Part Two)

    "Brat, the Yun Clan has perished on your watch. How do you feel now?" Wilton shouted ferociously.


    Darren''s lips tilted upwards slightly at the corners. "I''ve seen more deaths than you could possibly imagine, old man. Do you think this could scare me?"


    It was true that he had witnessed the deaths of many people along the way. Although he felt sorry for the Yun Clan, there was nothing he could do to stop the inevitable.


    "Ho? You are more heartless than I thought. But even if you are not affected by the blood bath, you still cannot defeat me."


    "Hm. Are you planning to kill me then? Well, you are fully capable of it, but do you have the guts to do it?" Darren asked with a smirk.


    Wilton furrowed his eyebrows in thought. ''Does this brat come from an influential background?'' he thought to himself.


    "Who the hell are you, boy?" he asked with a frown.


    Darren took out his chief disciple token. "I''m the chief disciple of the Celestial Sect, and also the personal disciple of the grand-elder. If you dare lay a finger on me, the Celestial Sect will avenge me by destroying the Purple Moon Sect!"


    Wilton narrowed his eyes to look at the token, and then stared at Darren with a murderous expression.


    "I was wondering if you were from a powerful background, but is that it? Do you think I would be afraid of the Celestial Sect? How naive of you!"


    Dar


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    ty feet high, which meant that it had finally reached grade-three level.


    It was not a big deal for ordinary people to have a grade-three Fate Character.


    However, now that Darren had the grade-three Fate Character, he could use the grade-three metal at will. With the god''s power bursting out from his silver meridians, he was on a different level from ordinary people.


    Darren, who had been on the verge of collapsing a second ago, was now suddenly full of vigor. The blood on his skin was still there, but his injuries had completely healed.


    The broken meridians were also starting to heal themselves.


    "Old bastard, do you still want to kill me?"


    Darren asked coldly, straightening his posture.


    "You!" As Wilton''s god''s sense perceived Darren, he felt more frightened than surprised.


    ''Most of his injuries have already healed!


    How could this be possible?


    Besides, his Fate Character seems to have been promoted in the middle of the fight!''


    "What kind of monster is this brat?"


    Everything that was happening in front of him completely overturned Wilton''s cognition.


    A young man with a grade-two Fate Character not only possessed terrifying god''s power, but also managed to level up his Fate Character while confronting a powerful enemy like him. This was unprecedented!


    How on earth had he accomplished such a feat at this young age?

 Chapter 1984 Acquiring the Golden Sword (Part One)

    At this moment, every ounce of Wilton''s body was desperate to kill Darren. He knew that if he let the brat go, it would only cause more trouble for him in the future.


    "Go to hell, you brat!"


    Clang!


    A long red-gold sword materialized in Wilton''s hand. It looked razor-sharp and emanated some kind of powerful sword intent.


    When Darren spotted the sword, his eyes lit up as if he had just received the best gift.


    It was, undeniably, one of the best swords he had seen!


    The strength of the Immortal God race came from the metal god''s power, but they also practiced all kinds of cultivation methods. This included swordsmanship, spear skills, water skills, and fire skills.


    However, their attainments in those cultivation methods meant nothing to Darren.


    After all, his cultivation of the blade and sword skills had already reached the peak state in the truest sense.


    Back when he was in the Primitive Wilderness, his blade and sword god''s power could not compete with the dark gold god''s power no matter what he did, not even if he burst out all his strength in blade and sword skills. It wasn''t that


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    be able to catch up with Darren, and the brat would fly back to the Celestial Sect''s territory.


    If the powerful warriors of the Celestial Sect came to help Darren, he was doomed. There was no way he could fight against all of them after all.


    With these thoughts in his mind, Wilton made a decision. He melted a small piece of grade-six metal and fused it into his body with no hesitation.


    He was well-aware that even though this trick would increase his power exponentially, it also had the potential to cause great harm to him.


    It was highly likely that his meridians wouldn''t survive this move. Worse, his body might explode if the god''s power became too much to bear.


    But he could see no other choice. If he didn''t kill Darren now, he would be the one to die in the future. Thus, it was better for him to fight. At least, he would have a chance to survive if he won, and if he died here, then so be it.


    Behind Darren, Wilton''s figure lit up like the blazing mid-noon sun.


    "Go to hell!"


    shouted Wilton. His voice sounded hoarse and painful, which was a sign that all his meridians had exploded.

 Chapter 1985 Acquiring the Golden Sword (Part Two)

    Boom! Boom!


    Next, deafening sounds came through. The powerful impact of god''s power shattered the space behind Darren.


    "This old bastard is really determined to kill me!"


    At this point, Darren, too, had no other choice. The god''s power was descending too fast.


    He had to grit his teeth and fight with all his strength.


    Darren roared.


    He activated the grade-four metal, melted it into god''s power, and poured it into his silver meridians.


    Compared to the grade-three metal, the grade-four metal was much more violent. Darren''s Fate Character had just upgraded to the level of grade-three, so activating grade-four god''s power by force was too much for his weakened body. Thus, countless fissures appeared all over him.


    Soon, these cracks began to emit a bright light.


    It was the light of the god''s power, which was as white as snow.


    But despite Darren''s risky move, his god''s power was still so much weaker compared to Wilton''s grade-six god''s power.


    If they fought head-on, Darren had no chance of winning.


    At this moment, the terrifying grade-six god''s power had begun to attack Darren.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Thunders echoed with the strikes of lightning, and countless black cracks appeared in the space.


    After a dozen seconds, the ferocious god''s power gradually dissipated, and everything calmed down.


    Wilton was thrown into the air by the impact, blood spurting heavily from his mouth. His meridians and internal organs were all shattered beyond recovery, and he was at his last breath.


    "I did it! I finally killed that brat. What a fucking monster!" gasped Wilton.


    If he hadn''t sacrificed his meridia


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    , all his meridians would be refined.


    "Phew!" Exhausted, Darren sat heavily on the ground.


    His body and meridians were heavily damaged, and he would need around half a year to recover.


    Back when his meridians were broken for the first time, he had recovered very quickly. But that was because his Fate Character had leveled up and released a magical kind of healing power. Now, Darren''s Fate Character was far from leveling up to grade-four.


    For a while, Darren remained on the cold, hard ground, motionless and soundless.


    He would have to rest for a few more days before he could partially activate his god''s power to heal his wounds.


    Before long, night fell.


    Due to his exhaustion and injuries, Darren slept like a rock for the whole night.


    "Whoa!"


    He woke up on the morning of the next day, feeling more refreshed.


    "I feel much better now! And wow, more than half of my wounds have healed!"


    Darren was overjoyed by the pleasant surprise.


    "My Fate Character Tree must have released some healing power while I was resting!"


    He had spent the whole night asleep, so he didn''t know the exact details of what had happened. However, he was sure that the Fate Character Tree was behind it.


    ''The Fate Character my uncle left me is incredible!'' His heart rejoiced with these thoughts.


    Later on, Darren cleaned up as best as he could, changed his clothes, and wiped the bloodstains on his body with his god''s power. He planned to go to the Celestial Sect to see Ines and Mina.


    "My dear son-in-law, help me..."


    At this time, a weak cry for help resounded. It was coming from the ruins of the Yun Clan''s residence.

 Chapter 1986 The Number One Principal Disciple (Part One)

    Hearing that, Darren immediately shoved the ruins away with his god''s power. Soon enough, a man rolled out of the rubble awkwardly.


    "Ahem!" Finally, the man was able to breathe some fresh air. "Thank you very much for saving me."


    This person was none other than Liam. When Wilton destroyed the mansion of the Yun Clan previously, almost everyone died. However, since Liam was the chief of the clan, he possessed an above average protective armor that helped him survive. Although he was still heavily injured, he only passed out afterward.


    Due to his severe injuries, he could not use any god''s power to get out of the ruins. If Darren didn''t help him, he could only wait for his death underneath the rubble.


    ''I guess the old man is so lucky to survive that. But of course, it''s much better. Otherwise, Ines and Mina will be very sad, '' Darren thought as he flew towards Liam and helped him get up.


    As he stared at Darren, Liam was deeply moved.


    In the past, he had always looked down on Alex, his son-in-law, and often scolded him without any real reason. Moreover, because he did not like him as Ines'' husban


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    reover, he was a master with a grade-five Fate Character and six refined metal meridians.


    Thus, aside from the sect leader, the vice sect leader and the Chief Elder, he was known to be the strongest one in the entire Celestial Sect.


    Of course, the grand-elder with a grade-seven Fate Character and seven metal meridians was a peerless master that was in a different league among the rest.


    "Fine. If you propose a toast sincerely, then I won''t mind drinking to it," Darren answered calmly as he raised an eyebrow. However, he had no intention of holding a glass of wine for Adair.


    "Ha-ha! Are you trying to humiliate me? How dare you accuse me that I am not being sincere? Do you dare to make things difficult for me?!" Then, Adair grew angry and threw the glass that he was holding to the ground. "Brat, you just got lucky. A weakling like you isn''t qualified to be the chief disciple. Just you wait. In less than a month, all disciples will be qualified to challenge you. At that time, I will claim that position from you. After all, you are much weaker than me! So, don''t put on airs in front of me, bastard!"

 Chapter 1987 The Number One Principal Disciple (Part Two)

    "Adair, don''t be angry."


    "Alex is still new to the sect, so he doesn''t know your reputation."


    "That''s right. Just let it go. Let''s be friendly to each other. After all, we belong to the same sect."


    Some of the other principal disciples immediately persuaded Adair to calm down.


    "Adair, listen to them. Alex is hosting this banquet today. Don''t make such a fuss here." Even the Chief Elder chimed in and convinced Adair to back down.


    "Of course, if it is the Chief Elder, I will gladly listen. However, I can''t take the attitude of this brat. How dare he not take me seriously?"


    Then, Adair haughtily raised his head and glared at Darren. In his mind, he was thinking, ''Who do you think you are? Can''t you see that even the Chief Elder doesn''t talk to me the way you do?''


    "Fuck off,"


    Darren shouted sternly.


    "What the hell did you just say?" Adair asked as he clenched his fists.


    "I said get your


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    Chief Elder, I already crushed you!" Adair took one last glance at Darren and swept his gaze across the crowd.


    Then, Adair turned around again to leave Darren''s courtyard.


    However, as he was about to go, a gush of majestic power suddenly swept over.


    Crack! Crack!


    The overwhelming power instantly bent the bones on Adair''s legs, making him almost kneel down. Fortunately, he managed to steady his body.


    "What the hell? Chief Elder, why did you attack me?"


    Adair roared angrily as he turned around.


    "What are you saying? I didn''t do anything of the sort." The Chief Elder was confused that Adair suddenly accused him of attacking him.


    "Then, which elder did it? Are you standing up for this bastard? Come out and face me!" Adair could not restrain his anger anymore because of the humiliation that he acquired. He did not care even if it was an elder who did it, as long as it wasn''t the Chief Elder.

 Chapter 1988 The Number One Principal Disciple (Part Three)

    The people just looked at each other, but no one stepped forward. However, a figure suddenly appeared before Adair.


    "Where do you think you''re going? You are not leaving this place without doing what I asked you to," Darren said with a defiant sneer.


    Seeing Darren before him, Adair thought to himself, ''Was the terrifying pressure released by this guy?


    How is that even possible?!''


    Just now, Adair felt that the pressure that swept his legs was as formidable as that of the Chief Elder. That was why he mistakenly thought that it was the Chief Elder who sneakily attacked him.


    "I already told you that I won''t make further trouble for the sake of the Chief Elder. So, if you''re smart enough, I advise you to stop goading me. Otherwise, I might smash your face and your shabby courtyard!" Adair said all that, but he was actually a little scared, knowing that Darren might actually be more powerful than he appeared to be.


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    you received earlier was not enough. Then, I will beat you up until you admit that this whole mess was your fault."


    Without wasting any time, Darren immediately made his move.


    His brilliant god''s power surged out, and the white light that emanated from him illuminated the entire Celestial Sect.


    Then, a huge palm shadow suddenly descended and pressed down to where Adair was.


    "You think you can bring me down again?!"


    Adair roared and activated his god''s power to the limit as he tried to resist the gigantic palm shadow.


    Boom!


    However, like a meteorite, Adair crashed to the ground with heavy momentum. It was as if Darren''s god''s power swatted him like an insect.


    Seeing this with their own eyes, all the people in the Celestial Sect, including the elders and disciples, were flabbergasted.


    They did not expect that Darren was so overwhelmingly powerful that Adair looked like a helpless child before him.

 Chapter 1989 The Ferocious Bloody Skeleton (Part One)

    As they looked at the big hole created by Adair''s body, the people of the Celestial Sect realized that Darren could actually live up to his reputation as the chief disciple.


    With just a single move, Adair, the number one principal disciple, was soundly defeated and suffered from serious injuries.


    It just showed how terrifying Darren''s real strength was.


    "Get him out of that hole. He still has to lick all the filth that he scattered in my courtyard," Darren ordered two of the ordinary disciples nearby.


    However, when they assisted Adair out of the pit, he was already unconscious and almost dying.


    "Mr. Chu, he was knocked out cold. I''m afraid he is unable to do as you ordered right now," one of the disciples said.


    "Fine. Let him do it when he wakes up," Darren ordered firmly.


    "But¡­ I''m sure there''s no way that he would follow your order by that time," the other disciple answered timidly.


    "After what I did to him, let''s see if he still has the guts to defy me. Well, if he really doesn''t obey, just press his head on the floor, pull out his tongue, and make him lick the fl


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    a peerless master with a grade-seven Fate Character and seven metal meridians. No wonder Darren was stunned upon hearing the status of the Celestial Sect.


    "Ha-ha! Well, you are right. With the strength of my master, he can easily compete for a place in the upper-rate sects. However, he chose to stay here because he cares so much about our sect. Besides, the level of a sect is not judged based on the strength of a single person. It is categorized by looking at the overall strength and number of resources that it has," Daxton reiterated.


    "That makes sense¡­" Darren quickly understood. "So, to whom do we answer? Do they really have the authority to order us to complete such tasks whenever they like?"


    "Our superior is the Scorching Fire Sect, an inferior-rate sect. But to tell you the truth, I actually took the initiative to do these tasks. After all, if we complete them, our sect will receive a generous reward, coupled with a certain amount of sect points. You should know that it is our goal to be promoted to an inferior-rate sect in the near future," Daxton said as his eyes gleamed.

 Chapter 1990 The Ferocious Bloody Skeleton (Part Two)

    "What can we gain if our sect is upgraded to an inferior-rate one?" Darren quickly asked.


    "The level of a sect is directly related to the number of resources that it will receive from the royal family annually," Daxton replied bluntly.


    Hearing all of the things that the sect leader said, Darren had a general understanding of how things worked here. All of the sects in the Eastern Imperial Region were under the control of the royal family, which was responsible for the distribution of resources according to the sect''s level.


    "Well, let us get to the more important matters. You can learn about the other relevant things later.


    So, I''ve taken three tasks from the Scorching Fire Sect. For the first task, I will handle it myself. After all, it will require someone who has at least a grade-six Fate Character. The Scorching Fire Sect found a star with silicon-based creatures in a secondary vo


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    we just saw.


    It turns out that the governor was a warrior with a grade-five Fate Character and five metal meridians," Tanner answered flatly.


    "Grade-five Fate Character? Can''t they just send a few masters from their sect to deal with it? They are so lazy to give us this task," Darren remarked casually.


    "Ha-ha! You are right. Those guys are indeed lazy. Well, I think I know why they gave it to us. They don''t want to waste their time searching for these beasts. The metal beasts were smart enough to hide as soon as they sensed the presence of strong masters.


    The masters from the Scorching Fire Sect had already searched several times before but failed to find them," Tanner explained.


    However, just as the two of them continued to talk, a fierce roar came from behind Darren.


    "Roar!"


    In a flash, a black figure suddenly rushed towards Darren at high speed.


    "Alex, watch out!"

 Chapter 1991 The Ferocious Bloody Skeleton (Part Three)

    Upon hearing Tanner''s voice, Darren instantly flew away to avoid the sneak attack.


    With his quick reflex, Tanner also confronted the beast and struck its chest with all his might.


    Boom!


    Accompanied by a howl of pain, the black creature rolled to the ground. Its chest was blasted open, and blood gushed out of it profusely. Due to the damage it received, it just struggled for a short while before eventually dying.


    At this time, Darren and Tanner hurriedly approached it to check what it really was.


    "That is so strange. I did not sense it''s aura at all." Darren was at a loss. The black creature should just be an ordinary beast with a strength only equivalent to a warrior with a grade-one Fate Character.


    However, the two of them did not notice that it was already approaching them.


    "Me too. I''ve been unleashing my god''s sense to explore the surroundings, but I never detected it," Tanner


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    the huge skeleton finally collapsed and crashed to the ground with a loud thud.


    "Something is wrong here¡­" Darren mumbled to himself.


    At this time, the somewhat discomfited Tanner flew back and landed beside Darren. It seemed that he acquired a deep injury on his back, which exposed a part of his bones.


    "Damn it! What the hell is that thing? Is the Scorching Fire Sect trying to kill us? They did not say anything about this! That beast is already dead but its skeleton still had the ability to launch such a powerful attack? If it is still fully alive, I''m afraid that it might have killed us in an instant!"


    Tanner had always been calm and gentle. However, after experiencing the attack from the huge skeleton that could have seriously injured him, he got extremely pissed off. He could not help but speculate that the Scorching Fire Sect might have an ulterior motive based on what was going on.

 Chapter 1992 Tyrone (Part One)

    The Scorching Fire Sect had lied about the real strength of the metal beasts, which put the lives of the masters from the Celestial Sect in danger.


    "I quit," Tanner declared. "I won''t do the task. Let''s turn back." He prepared to leave.


    Darren nodded. "All right. Sir, please go and inform the other elders that we''re turning back. In the meantime, I''ll clean up the remains of this beast. We might find some use for it in the future."


    "Okay. Meet us later at the deserted city," Tanner replied. With that, he flew away, leaving Darren alone.


    This suited Darren just fine. He found this kind of metal beast to be fascinating, especially because of its ability to completely hide its aura. It could come up right behind an enemy without alerting him of its presence.


    The black ordinary beast that they had killed earlier had only eaten a piece of the metal beast''s flesh, but it managed to help hide the ordinary beast''s aura. It was truly an incredible ability.


    A human who could do the same thing would be an exceptionally formidable opponent. He could launch a sneak attack on anyone before they had time to raise their defe


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    shot towards the giant beast.


    To Tanner''s shock, however, the metal beast somehow dodged the attack. It was as though the beast simply vanished into thin air. Tanner could not even detect his opponent using his god''s sense.


    The spear faltered with the loss of its target, while the beast appeared behind Tanner, casting a looming shadow over him.


    A hot, stinking liquid dripped from the giant beast''s mouth. Before Tanner could react, its sharp claws slashed at his back.


    Tanner cried out, feeling powerless. It was too late for any kind of defensive maneuver.


    He was certain he was about to die.


    "Scorching Fire Sect, you are killing all of us!" he raged.


    All of a sudden, he saw the glow of a bright, golden light.


    A stream of bright golden god''s power sliced down behind him.


    He felt a thick warmth splatter his body as blood gushed down from above.


    With a crash, the giant beast collapsed, raising a cloud of dust.


    Tanner whirled in astonishment. For a second he looked at the fallen beast, then he lifted his eyes and saw Darren in the air, a long golden sword in his hand. Blood dripped from the blade.

 Chapter 1993 Tyrone (Part Two)

    "Alex!"


    Tanner called out. He felt a mixture of shock and excitement, as though he was the only survivor of a natural disaster.


    Just a moment ago, he had been absolutely convinced he wouldn''t survive.


    Darren flew down and landed beside Tanner. He said, "I heard you fighting with this giant beast as I approached the ruins. But instead of rushing in, I waited for the opportunity to launch a sneak attack. Otherwise both of us would have died."


    Tanner nodded. "It was the right decision. I''m impressed you were calm enough to come up with such a good plan. Alex, I am indebted to you. Thank you for saving my life," he said gratefully.


    Darren looked ruefully at the corpses of the four elders. "Unfortunately, when I arrived, these elders were already dead."


    "Damn the Scorching Fire Sect! When I go back, I''ll make them pay!" Tanner said furiously. His face was pale and all his meridians were broken. He was so angry that he almost collapsed to the ground.


    "I''ll treat your wounds first. Come on," said Darren.


    He released his god''s power to heal Tanner''s wounds.


    Of course, Darren did not activate the healing power of the Fate Character Tree, because it was his secret. He did not wish to expose the true scope of his abilities.


    The god''s power would be enough to heal some of Tanner''s injuries, so he would be able to travel.


    While Tanner was busy healing his wounds, Darren surreptitiously activated the Fate Character to assimilate the dead giant beast. This time, he obtained fifteen drops of the dark green liquid that could activate the hiding ability. He was very pleased to add to his supply of th


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    m this formidable silicon-based human.


    A rain of sword intent fell from the sky, and the golden blades slashed incessantly at the groaning creature.


    With heavy clangs, the sword intent bounced off, blocked by the impenetrable yellowish-brown shield of the silicon-based human.


    From a far distance, Darren saw what had happened. He was stunned¡ªhis strongest blow had not even scratched his opponent. The silicon-based human was incomparably powerful.


    To defeat him, Darren would have to become a master with a grade-six Fate Character.


    However, the gap between a master with a grade-five Fate Character and one with a grade-six Fate Character was extremely massive.


    When the rain of swords dissipated, the silicon-based human stood up. For some reason, all his hostility was gone.


    He looked after Darren, and his eyes were filled with both sadness and excitement.


    He rushed to catch up with Darren, and appeared at his side within seconds.


    Darren stopped, for running would be futile. The silicon-based human was much, much faster than him.


    He quickly examined his own Fate Character Tree.


    Previously, he had assimilated two giant beasts. With the strong killing intent shown by the silicon-based human, the fruit on his Fate Character Tree had almost ripened completely.


    If he could only manage to condense the fourth silver meridian right now, he might have a chance to escape...


    But to Darren''s utter shock, the silicon-based human lowered his head. He bowed three times, then knelt before him, wearing an expression of utmost solemnity.


    "I am Tyrone, my master," he said respectfully to Darren.

 Chapter 1994 Similar Experience (Part One)

    Seeing that the silicon-based man had suddenly knelt and kowtowed before him, Darren was a bit baffled. He did not know what was happening or what his intention was.


    "Who are you? Why are you calling me your master?"


    Darren clearly knew that this silicon-based man was stronger than him. Hence, at the back of his mind, he thought that there was no need for him to try to fool him.


    "I was ordered by my former master to find you. He explicitly asked me to follow you and help you grow much stronger," Tyrone said respectfully as he knelt on the ground with his head lowered.


    Hearing this, Darren finally understood what was going on.


    "Are you telling me that the Emperor of Rebellion sent you to me?" Darren speculated that his metal real body was responsible for this.


    "Yes. That is right," Tyrone nodded as he responded.


    Although he quickly got what was going on, Darren did not expect such a dramatic turn of events.


    He was absolutely taken aback that his metal real body sent him such a powerful warrior to be his aid.


    "But how did you know that I am the one that your master was talking abou


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    real body would not be able to have any direct contact with Darren. Hence, he needed someone like Tyrone to come to Darren''s aid.


    "I know how you felt after experiencing all those kinds of sufferings. So, I understand how much you hate the members of the Immortal God race," Darren said with a nod.


    "Master, don''t you also hate them? I seemed to have killed your friend before. Please don''t hesitate to punish me if you have to." Tyrone quickly knelt down to apologize.


    "No. Get up from there." Darren lifted Tyrone up through his god''s power and said, "Before I came here, I also thought the way you do. All I wanted to do was crush every member of the Immortal God race into pieces. However, when I was finally here, I found that many members of the Immortal God race were just like ordinary people. Some of them were good, and they did not do anything wrong. Therefore, if we really want to take revenge for what happened to us, we have to face the higher-ups of the Immortal God race themselves. After all, they are the decision-makers, who allowed enslaving and slaughtering of other races in the universe.

 Chapter 1995 Similar Experience (Part Two)

    It will be useless if we just kill the weaker members of the Immortal God race. Moreover, if one day, we become strong enough to annihilate the Immortal God race, should we slaughter all the people, including those who have done nothing wrong? In that case, we are going to be no different from them."


    Hearing this, Tyrone was stunned for a moment. Then, he said, "You are right, master. I have lost sight of what''s important because I let my hatred consume me."


    "Ha-ha. That''s all right." Darren let out a smile and said, "At least, from now on, we already have a real aim where we can base our actions. For now, we''d better keep a low profile. Otherwise, it will be difficult for us to attain our ultimate goal."


    He saw how powerful Tyrone was. However, it was still not enough to be complacent in the world of the Immortal God race. As Darren analyzed Tyrone''s strength, he specul


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    d in astonishment.


    "Yes. Originally, he was a member of the Immortal God race. However, he once faced a great disaster. Then, he was reincarnated into our world as a member of the Chu Clan."


    "I see. So, does it mean that you can improve your strength by cultivating your Fate Character and refining your metal meridians, just like the normal members of the Immortal God race?"


    "Yes, that''s right. Why do you ask?" Darren asked with a smile. He was trying to act more casual so that Tyrone would not feel so reserved.


    "Well, I wish to confirm it because I just had an idea. I happen to know a place with a large number of high-grade metal somewhere in that mountain in front of us. Since you said that you can cultivate like the members of the Immortal God race, then those metal pieces will be very useful for you." Apparently, this was Tyrone''s intention from the very start.

 Chapter 1996 Similar Experience (Part Three)

    "Really?" Darren''s eyes instantly lit up as he heard this. "Take me there!"


    "No problem, master. However, it seems that there are members of the Immortal God race guarding the place. We have to be careful if we want to sneak in."


    "Members of the Immortal God race? Did they occupy the mine?" Darren asked with furrowed brows.


    "Well, it''s not a mine. It''s more like a storage room. They dug a cave there and set up a strong defense in order to guard the precious metal stored in it. When I arrived here, I happened to stumble in that place. However, since those things are useless to me, I did not bother getting them."


    Of course, the other reason why he did not steal the metal, aside from the fact that he had no use for them, was because he was afraid that he would suddenly meet a powerful master that was much stronger than him.


    "Okay. Let''s have a look then."


    "Fo


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    o, there was no way that he would let this rare opportunity slip by.


    "Fuck off, you little shit! I''ll beat you to death!"


    Swoosh!


    In a flash, a warrior with a grade-five Fate Character rushed towards Darren.


    Whoosh!


    He let out a palm strike, intending to directly blow Darren''s head off.


    However, to his surprise, Darren''s figure flickered. The next thing he knew, Darren''s palm was already about to hit his head. Then, before he could even react, his head already exploded and turned into a blood mist, killing him in an instant.


    As the trail of blood spread into the air, all of the disciples of the Scorching Fire Sect present were stunned.


    "What the hell? This guy is so powerful!"


    Seeing the terrifying scene, the disciples trembled in fear. Hence, another wave of negative emotions instantly turned into nourishment for Darren''s Fate Character Tree.

 Chapter 1997 Gaining More Nourishment (Part One)

    Chester, the young in the lead, sensed that Darren was somewhat powerful, so he became somewhat wary.


    "Brat, you''d better get out of here now, or you''ll be leaving here in pieces!"


    As Chester addressed Darren, he secretly sent someone to call for the elder who handled the treasure house''s security. The messenger immediately sped off to inform the elder that trouble was brewing.


    "Really? Ha! I''d like to see you try!"


    Of course, Darren knew all along that he would send someone to alert the higher-ups. He subtly winked at Tyrone, who was hiding beside him. The other man immediately understood what he meant and chased after the messenger in secret as well.


    "Argh¡ª"


    All of a sudden, a loud shout echoed from a long distance away. The messenger had abruptly burst apart and died.


    "What? How did that happen?" Chester''s heart skipped a beat. He thought that Darren had seen through his mind and killed the man he had sent, all while the other man remained unmoving before him. It was unbelievable!


    "This is bad! Chester, what should we do?" The Scorching Fire Sect''s disciples stood behind Chester, terrified and listless.


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    der Guzman what''s happening here. He said he''ll finish his cultivation right away, so please try your best to buy more time," one disciple told Chester through his spiritual sense.


    At this news, a relieved sigh built up in Chester''s lungs. Help was coming, and he just had to hang on!


    "Ha-ha, you bastard, it doesn''t matter who you are or where you came from. I gave you a chance to surrender, but you just threw it away. You can only blame yourself for your death. Now, prepare yourself to die." Chester laughed wildly as if he had lost his mind, but in fact, it was just his newfound confidence, knowing that an elder was coming to help.


    "Tyrone, slap him on the face until his jaws are broken," Darren ordered Tyrone through his spiritual sense.


    And the other man immediately followed the order. Tyrone hid his presence, flew towards Chester, and slapped him over and over. He must have smacked him across the face a hundred times! He stopped hitting Chester when he was finally satisfied with the one hundred slaps he had let go, which was about three seconds later. The other man''s mouth was still open mid-laughter at this point.

 Chapter 1998 Gaining More Nourishment (Part Two)

    Chester looked like he didn''t know whether he wanted to cry or laugh. He was dumbfounded.


    "Chester!"


    the other disciples cried out, worried, but they all stepped back in fear.


    "Argh!"


    The scream came out late as if Chester had belatedly realized the pain he was in.


    "You bastard! I''ll kill you!"


    he howled as he rushed to Darren with all his strength.


    It had to be said that Chester was actually quite powerful. He had a grade-five Fate Character and eight metal meridians at the very least.


    If Darren came at him outright and didn''t bother to hide, Chester could probably keep up with him for a few more rounds.


    Boom! Boom!


    Chester unleashed his god''s power to the extreme. At that moment, all he wanted was to get back at Darren for the slaps he received. It was the most humiliating thing that he had ever experienced.


    "Break his shoulders."


    Bang! Bang!


    A


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    "Tyrone, keep chasing them. Don''t let them run away," ordered Darren at once.


    Nodding, Tyrone rushed to Guzman and kicked him to stop the man from escaping. Then, he slaughtered the nearby disciples who were about to escape.


    He used their blood to draw a blood line in the air, and he wrote these words above the line: Those who cross this line will die.


    Seeing this, the remaining disciples of the Scorching Fire Sect dared not move forward. They were almost pissing themselves in fear.


    "Sir, please forgive me and let me go. I was just following orders. My mother is old and needs my support." One of the disciples immediately knelt in front of Darren, begging for mercy.


    Of course, all these emotions could be turned into nourishment.


    "Hmm...I guess you aren''t that bad. A man who knows when to give up and when to fight is wise. All right, you may go now," said Darren.

 Chapter 1999 Gaining More Nourishment (Part Three)

    That disciple couldn''t believe his ears! His eyes bugged out in shock and disbelief. His begging had actually worked!


    "Thank you, sir! Oh, thank you for not killing me." The disciple continued to kowtow as he slowly backed away.


    "Stop, you loser! How dare you betray our sect?" Guzman, whose legs were broken, growled after him. His eyes burned with rage, and he glared at the disciple like he could kill him with looks alone.


    "Damn your fucking sect! This sect has not done anything for me and even got me in trouble. I won''t sacrifice my life for you. I''m done being your disciple, so get out of my way, you son of a bitch!" the disciple cursed Guzman as he ran away.


    However, the elder didn''t retaliate despite the disrespect, as he was afraid that Darren would kill him if he moved.


    When the remaining disciples saw what had happened, the


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    adows. But now, his master was insisting on making them suffer first. This could only cause trouble in the future.


    "Okay, you can kill them all now."


    Darren was satisfied with the negative emotions he had collected so far. Unfortunately, the nourishment they produced gradually decreased, the longer he tormented them. Thus, he figured that it wasn''t a good idea to waste any more time here.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    At this moment, several figures suddenly emerged in the air.


    They were the disciples that Darren had allowed to run earlier, and with them was a white-robed young man.


    "It''s Lenard!"


    "This is great! Since Lenard is here, this bastard is doomed." Guzman was overjoyed to see the young man in white.


    After all, it was Lenard Luo, the son of the Scorching Fire Sect''s leader. This man was a lot stronger than Guzman.

 Chapter 2000 Grade-nine Metal (Part One)

    "Young master! Finally! You are here!"


    Guzman cried, so glad to see Lenard that tears ran down his cheek in relief. He was saved. They were all saved now!


    Lenard was dressed in a white robe. On his waist was an extraordinary blade. Even sheathed, it gave off an incredible aura. He glided through the air with ease, and each slow step he took covered ten thousand feet in an instant.


    "Master," Tyrone whispered to Darren when he saw Lenard in the distance.


    "He is a warrior with a grade-five Fate Character and nine metal meridians. He also possesses a defensive treasure which is a bit troublesome to handle. His comprehensive strength is commendable."


    "What kind of defensive treasure?" Darren asked with much interest.


    "An armor made from a kind of powerful transparent metal. It protects every inch of his skin, which enables him to withstand at least three attacks from a master who is a grade above his own level. And as far as I know, the defensive power of the metal armor increases depending on the strength of the master. In other words, if he becomes a warrior with a grade-six Fate Character, it will make him impervious to th


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    rade-five Fate Character and nine metal meridians, his master wouldn''t be able to counter. But he had been ordered to stand down. There was nothing he could do.


    The attack was quickly approaching Darren.


    He activated his Fate Character and melted a kilogram of grade-three metal.


    This was an enormous amount. Ordinary members of the Immortal God race with grade-three Fate Characters could melt 100 grams to 150 grams of grade-three metal at most.


    A large amount of god''s power poured into Darren''s limbs and bones through the silver meridians.


    And unlike before, this time, he had four silver meridians for the god''s power to flow through.


    He had just refined and absorbed another fruit that had become ripe. The quality of the god''s power produced by four silver meridians was way better than that produced by three silver meridians.


    Boom!


    Bright gold god''s power was released from Darren''s palm and it collided with the god''s power from the blade shadow.


    The air crackled violently.


    The two forces collided like bolts of lightning, continuously clashing with each other. Massive cracks appeared in the surrounding space.

 Chapter 2001 Grade-nine Metal (Part Two)

    The terrifying explosive force killed more than half of the disciples who were behind Lenard.


    They were, after all, ordinary warriors with grade-five Fate Characters.


    Soon, Darren overpowered Lenard, and the blade shadow shattered.


    Lenard was hit square in the chest and was thrown back with tremendous force.


    "Young master!"


    Guzman cried in horror.


    Darren was more powerful than he had expected.


    But more than his opponents, Darren was the one who was most surprised by the destructive power of his own strength. With one more silver meridian, his strength had increased exponentially.


    If he only had three silver meridians, it would have been difficult to even protect himself from Lenard''s attack. But with just one more meridian, he was strong enough to completely crush Lenard.


    If it weren''t for the defensive armor, Lenard''s body would have shattered completely.


    "Master! How? Why have you become stronger all of a sudden?" Tyrone was both surprised and pleased. He could clearly feel Darren''s overflowing strength.


    "That''s a secret," Darren replied flatly.


    "Uh..." Tyrone grumbled. Both his former and current masters were too mysterious. He knew that there was no point in askin


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    ect traced their aura and tracked them down.


    After flying around for a day, the two of them returned to the Celestial Sect.


    In the meeting hall of the Celestial Sect


    "I''ve confirmed it. The Scorching Fire Sect had concealed the strength of the enemy, resulting in the death of the vice sect leader and several of our elders,"


    Darren reported to Daxton, the leader of the Celestial Sect.


    Daxton was so angry that his face turned red.


    "What the hell was that thing? I can''t believe it killed Tanner!" he asked, flying into a rage.


    "I didn''t see it clearly either. At the time, Master Tanner had asked us to look for the metal beasts separately. I rushed to them when I heard the sound of fighting, but was too late. The vice sect leader and the four elders were already dead, and their bodies had been gnawed on by some creature. I didn''t dare stay there any longer and hurried back," said Darren.


    "Damn that Scorching Fire Sect!"


    Daxton''s hands trembled in fury. This task would have hardly got them 150 grams of grade-six metal, but the sect had lost five powerful warriors instead. How could he not be angry?


    "They have gone too far! Come with me to the Scorching Fire Sect!" he roared.

 Chapter 2002 The Arrival Of The Purple Moon Sect (Part One)

    In a fit of anger, Daxton decided to go to the Scorching Fire Sect to demand an explanation as well as justice for his fallen members.


    "Sir, I think we will just waste our time if we do that. I''m sure that they''ll just deny our allegations." Although what Darren said was true, his other reason to discourage Daxton was that he might be recognized as the one who had killed the son of the Scorching Fire Sect''s leader.


    "Humph! Several of our elders died because of their lie. How dare they deny it?" Daxton shouted angrily.


    "Because they can," Darren said. "They can just say that our elders were killed by some unknown powerful beasts, which were different from the metal beasts that they asked us to eliminate. Unfortunately, we don''t have any proof either."


    Hearing what Darren said, Daxton could not help but clench his fists and let out a frown.


    It was true that the dead bodies of the elders were not brought back, so the Scorching Fire Sect had all the power to deny the accusations against them.


    "Damn those bastards! How dare they cause harm to our sect?!" At this point, all Daxton could do was curse angrily. He had to


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    to him!"


    Interestingly, it was Adair, the number one principal disciple of the Celestial Sect, who strongly defended Darren this time.


    Back when he was utterly defeated by Darren, he realized how terrifying his strength was. Since then, he did not dare to bear any ill-will against Darren at all. Instead, he learned to respect and admire him because of his outstanding power.


    "You''re getting a little too cheeky, you conceited brat! Do you want me to tear your mouth apart?" one of the elders of the Purple Moon Sect retorted coldly.


    "Why don''t you try, old bastard? Get your ass out of here or we are going to kill you!" The members of the Celestial Sect did not back down and were ready to start a fight at any time.


    "I''ve had it!


    Beat them all! Beat all these foul-mouthed brats!"


    "Yes, elder! We''re on it!"


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    In an instant, the violent god''s power from the members of the Purple Moon Sect spread out as they prepared to launch an attack.


    "Out of the way! Mr. Alex Chu is already here!" one of the principal disciples of the Celestial Sect shouted. Immediately after, the crowd fell into silence.

 Chapter 2003 The Arrival Of The Purple Moon Sect (Part Two)

    Then, the disciples of the Celestial Sect in midair began to part and went to the sidelines to let Darren pass through.


    "Mr. Chu, please be careful. Since the members of the Purple Moon Sect dared to come here in broad daylight, there must be some very powerful warriors among them. Be wary of them. They might launch a sneak attack or something like that," one of the disciples reminded.


    "It''s all right. I also like to see how powerful the warriors of the Purple Moon Sect are," Darren calmly replied and came forward, directly facing the members of the Purple Moon Sect.


    "So, what do you want from me?" Darren asked straightforwardly.


    "You are that guy, huh? Cut the crap! You know why we are here. You have two options. You will either come back with us to be punished by our leader, or you will let us kill you right here. Make your choice, brat!" an elder of the Purple Moon Sect exclaimed.


    "Don''t


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    teeth and said, "Anyway, just give us back the Dragon Gold Sword and we will take our leave. Otherwise, we will not let this matter slide."


    "Oh, really? Do you think that you are still in the position to demand? All right! Teach these bastards a lesson! Beat them all up and make them kneel to the ground!" At Daxton''s order, more than a hundred powerful warriors, each with at least a grade-five Fate Character and eight metal meridians, rushed out from behind him. Then, they instantly released their god''s power and attacked their opponents.


    Boom! Boom!


    In a flash, the sky above the Celestial Sect became chaotic as a fierce battle broke out. All kinds of god''s power collided, and the whole sky was dyed with dark gold light.


    As for the middle-aged man with a grade-six Fate Character, he also made his move and confronted Daxton. All at the same time, both sides fought all the way into the clouds.

 Chapter 2004 The Arrival Of The Purple Moon Sect (Part Three)

    After about fifteen minutes of ferocious exchanges of blows, almost all of the members of the Purple Moon Sect were taken down. They were all tied up and were seriously injured. As Daxton ordered, they were forced to kneel on the ground.


    At the same time, the only battle that was yet to conclude was the fight between Daxton and the middle-aged man.


    Crack! Crack!


    Countless flashes of lightning struck down from the clouds, and their violent god''s power roared nonstop, making the sky collapse little by little.


    As Darren looked up at the sky, he was astonished to see such a high-level battle between powerful masters.


    "There is indeed a big gap between a peak state grade-five Fate Character and a grade-six Fate Character," Darren murmured to himself.


    Even if a master with a grade-six Fate Character only had one metal meridian, he would still be countless times stronger than a warrior with a g


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    ve done this to the members of the Purple Moon Sect, I''m sure that they will not let this incident slide. We should be prepared for an all-out war with them."


    "Humph! I don''t think Woodrow Wei would have the guts to face us head-on!" Daxton said with utter disdain. This Woodrow Wei that Daxton mentioned was none other than the sect leader of the Purple Moon Sect.


    "Don''t be so sure. After all, Woodrow''s master is the grand-elder of the Wolf Tooth Sect. If he asks them for help, that''s where things will get tricky," the Chief Elder warned. Thinking about such a thing, he could not help but be worried.


    "Then, why don''t we annihilate the Purple Moon Sect before things get more complicated?" Darren suggested without batting an eye.


    Hearing this, even Daxton was stunned. He had not expected that Darren had a heart of stone to propose such a direct and merciless way of dealing with the situation.

 Chapter 2005 A Brilliant Plan (Part One)

    Darren was right. They should make a move first.


    His reasoning checked out, so Daxton agreed with him to some extent.


    The Purple Moon Sect failed to seize the Dragon Gold Sword back this time. Even worse, more than one hundred of their people had been injured and incapacitated, while Tyrone had outright killed the middle-aged man with a grade-six Fate Character.


    They would certainly return to avenge the pride of their sect, if not their people.


    Of course, the leaders of the Purple Moon Sect weren''t fools. There was no way they would come back and attack recklessly again.


    They would gather reinforcements and stronger warriors first, and then they would bide their time until they could launch a surprise attack.


    The Purple Moon Sect also had the support of the Wolf Tooth Sect, which was only an inferior-rate sect. But still, they had a master with a grade-seven Fate Character guarding their sect.


    "Alex''s suggestion seems plausible. However, even if we destroy the Purple Moon Sect, we still have the Wolf Tooth Sect to worry about. And that sect is quite formidable. If our grand-elder doesn''t help us, it will be exceedingly difficult for


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    aracter and seven metal meridians with no problem. However, unlike him, Darren''s hiding ability was too weak, so there was a high probability that he would be detected.


    "Don''t worry. We can stay far away, so they won''t be able to detect me. I doubt that anyone would release their god''s sense to check all the time. Besides, even if that powerful master finds me, he won''t think anything of my presence. He''ll probably think I''m just a passer-by."


    If anyone checked, Darren''s strength would seem like he was only a warrior with a grade-three Fate Character and two metal meridians. That kind of strength was very common, and a powerful warrior with a grade-seven Fate Character and seven metal meridians wouldn''t even bother to look at him.


    "Okay." Tyrone nodded, reassured.


    But before Darren and Tyrone could go, Ines and Mina came in.


    "Where are you going, honey?"


    "Yes, where are you going? You just finished your task, but you''re going out again. Shouldn''t you stay and keep my sister company?" Mina said.


    "I''m sorry, but I have something important to do. I''ll be back as soon as I''m done," Darren told them dismissively and then hurried out.

 Chapter 2006 A Brilliant Plan (Part Two)

    "Alex thinks he''s such a big deal now. He can''t even spare you some attention. Humph!" grumbled Mina with a displeased frown.


    "Mina, stop talking nonsense. Alex just has a lot on his plate now," answered Ines in a low voice, her eyes dark and lonely.


    The Purple Moon Sect was built in an area enclosed with mountains, and it was only over ten thousand kilometers away from the Celestial Sect. A warrior with a grade-five Fate Character could probably do the journey in two hours.


    Of course, Darren and Tyrone were much faster than ordinary warriors with grade-five Fate Characters, so it should take them significantly less time.


    The pair sliced through the air, passing by the buildings and palaces below at breakneck speed.


    "The Purple Moon Sect looks much more magnificent than the Celestial Sect. They must be incredibly rich," Darren commented as they watched the majestic buildings pass before their eyes.


    "Yeah, they really are. They own a metal mine in the mountain range, and it contains a lot of grade-four metal," Tyrone revealed, much to Darren''s surprise.


    "Really? Where did you get that information?" Darren eyed the other man curiously. He had also released his god''s sense to check, but he couldn''t sense the mine at all.


    "Master, don''t forget that I''m a silicon-based human. The ability to sense the metal of other races comes innately to the cultivators of our race, and we can also absorb their metal and turn it into metal pills. It''s our inborn talent," the other man explained to his master patiently.


    "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that." Darren nodded, satisfied with the explanation, and asked again, "Then, why aren''t you interested in the


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    ou mean?" Tyrone asked in confusion.


    "You''ll find out more tomorrow. I''ll make them suffer a huge loss."


    Early the next morning, Woodrow gathered all the powerful warriors of the sect and headed for the Celestial Sect.


    Meanwhile, the old man with a grade-seven Fate Character joined the others in the guise of an ordinary disciple. He intended to catch Darren in secret and steal him away under the cover of chaos. By the time Lloyd Xiao noticed, it would be too late, and he could just fly away as fast as he could.


    Darren and Tyrone, on the other hand, spent the whole night in the wilderness.


    When they saw that the Purple Moon Sect''s army had set off, Darren prepared to carry out his plan.


    "You are indeed clever, master. They went to the Celestial Sect to look for you. They had no idea that you were hiding right under their noses here in the Purple Moon Sect. Ha-ha!" Tyrone laughed, enjoying the fact that his master was toying with their opponents.


    "We''re not just hiding. We are going to make them regret ever going after us! In a quarter of an hour, we will rush into the Purple Moon Sect and steal all their resources in one fell swoop." That was Darren''s plan.


    At this point, most of the powerful warriors of the Purple Moon Sect had left for the Celestial Sect. Only a few elders remained to guard the sect. Darren and Tyrone planned to take this opportunity and launch a surprise attack. In that way, the remaining warriors in the Purple Moon Sect wouldn''t have time to send a message out.


    It was not until then that Tyrone understood Darren''s intention, and once he did, he couldn''t stop praising his master for coming up with this brilliant plan.

 Chapter 2007 The Battle (Part One)

    Boom!


    Out of nowhere, one of the palaces of the Purple Moon Sect was destroyed by terrifying god''s power.


    "What the hell was that?!"


    The elders that were left guarding the Purple Moon Sect panicked and quickly flew out to check what happened.


    Among them was one of the elders who had been badly beaten by the disciples of the Celestial Sect yesterday. Fortunately for him, due to his high cultivation base and powerful elixirs, he seemed to have somehow recovered quickly. Then, when he flew into the sky, he instantly saw Darren.


    Seeing him, the elder was so shocked that his mouth was left wide open. After a while, he regained his senses and managed to shout, "It''s you! Everyone, this brat is the chief disciple of the Celestial Sect!"


    "What did you say? What is he doing here then?!"


    "Damn it! Is there a mole among the members of our sect? He must have an informant from the inside, and that''s why the people of the Celestial Sect are already here to attack back. Inform the sect leader at once!"


    The elders present thought that the Celestial Sect had sent all of its members to attack them. However, they had not noticed yet that it was


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    ut knowing what hit him.


    "That was pretty close! If you were really hit by him, I''m afraid that we would have to cancel the plan and escape," Darren said as he approached Tyrone.


    "Ha-ha! Master, you seemed to have underestimated me. Have you forgotten that even a warrior with a peak level grade-seven Fate Character would not be able to easily deal with me? I must admit that his instinct was spot on. But in the end, it was just out of luck that he managed to launch an attack towards me," Tyrone said confidently.


    "Yeah, that''s right. You told me before¡ªyou can easily escape anyone with a Fate Character below the eighth grade," Darren uttered with relief.


    "Well, I didn''t brag about it. The Emperor of Rebellion had judged the extent of my abilities before," Tyrone humbly said.


    Since Darren''s metal real body was the one who had judged the extent of Tyrone''s capabilities, there should be no room for error. Currently, Tyrone was able to easily kill anyone who possessed a Fate Character below grade-seven and escape from anyone with a Fate Character below grade-eight. This was the main reason why he could be a very terrifying assassin.

 Chapter 2008 The Battle (Part Two)

    However, Darren felt that there was still room for improvement when it came to Tyrone''s attacking power. He thought that if his attacking ability would be as strong as his defensive ability, he would be much more overbearing. If that happened, not only would he be able to escape from any warrior with a grade-seven Fate Character, he could also kill them.


    "Oh, I get it now!"


    Darren suddenly exclaimed as he thought of something.


    "What is it, master?" Tyrone asked upon seeing the pleasant look on Darren''s face.


    "I think I may have found a way to improve your strength!" Darren said excitedly.


    "What? Really?" Tyrone had actually been trying to improve his strength for many years now, but he thought that he had already reached his limit. Hence, when Darren said that there might be a huge chance to enhance his strength, he was a bit skeptical about it.


    "Well, I am not so sure about it yet. You''ll have to try it first. Anyway, have you ever practiced a specific cultivation method before?" Darren asked outright.


    "A cultivation method


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    .


    "Humph! Retreat? Are you kidding me? I have come here in person with so many powerful warriors. Then, you want us to go back without making the Celestial Sect pay for their actions? Continue fighting with Daxton, and I will wait for another half an hour. If that brat is still nowhere to be found, I will kill Daxton myself to vent my anger!"


    Obviously, the old man was in a bad mood right now. They had planned this very well, but they were outsmarted in the end. Hence, there was no way that he would just go away without quenching his anger.


    Then, half an hour already passed, but the old man still could not find a hint of Darren''s aura.


    "This is so stupid! I''m so pissed off! All of you bastards can go to hell!"


    Swoosh!


    The old man had finally snapped and made his move. In an instant, a wisp of his god''s power surged towards the sky where Daxton and Woodrow were fighting.


    At this time, Daxton was almost able to suppress Woodrow. He was about to give the sect leader of the Purple Moon Sect a decisive blow to finish him off.

 Chapter 2009 The Battle (Part Three)

    However, he was caught off guard when an overbearing wisp of god''s power suddenly shot right at his head.


    The god''s power was incredibly fast that it was too late when he noticed it coming straight at him.


    "Damn it! I did not notice it right away! Woodrow! You despicable man! How dare you arrange a sneak attack?!" Daxton exclaimed in despair, fearing that his life would be in danger once the wisp of god''s power hit him.


    "Ha! You don''t have the right to complain since you deliberately offended me!" Woodrow said with a defiant sneer.


    Crack! Crack!


    However, just before Daxton was hit by the attack, a bolt of lightning struck the wisp of god''s power.


    Because of the strong impact, both Daxton and Woodrow were sent flying in opposite directions for about a kilometer.


    "Master? It''s you!" Daxton was surprised and elated at the same time that he had survived his impending doom.


    Then, a figure floated behind Daxton. It was none other than the grand-elder of the Celestial Sect¡ªLlo


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    end the members of the Imperial Yan Sect.


    "Ha! Fuck off! You think you can threaten me? I have never even heard of that Dragon Gold Sword!"


    Lloyd felt disgusted that these villains were trying to put on an act just because they could be saved by someone more powerful than them.


    "Old bastard! Are you refusing to surrender that brat to us? Do you really want to die?! Fine! Just wait until the Imperial Yan Sect deals with you!"


    Leif shouted in resentment. At his order, his members stopped fighting the Celestial Sect. Then, they immediately tried to leave.


    "Where do you think you''re going? Do you think that you can just come and go as you like? You started this chaos, so we''re going to finish it! Unfortunately, you won''t leave this place alive!"


    Lloyd made up his mind and decided that it would be better if they directly killed them so that Leif could not tell Norton about the truth. This way, the Celestial Sect could just pretend that they knew nothing about the divine sword.

 Chapter 2010 Two Metal Soldiers (Part One)

    "Do you think you can stop me?!" Lloyd''s declaration astonished Leif.


    However, he remained unruffled on the outside, a blank mask perfectly drawn on his face.


    "I won''t just stop you. I''ll take your life as well," Lloyd spat out with a frosty glare.


    "You! How dare you?!" A cold sweat broke out on Leif''s back as he heard the cold ire in Lloyd''s voice. He had never fought with the other man before, but he had heard some terrifying rumors that sent shivers down his spine. Whispers in the dark said that Lloyd was the strongest warrior among the cultivators of the same realm within the area of a million kilometers around.


    Boom!


    It seemed that Lloyd didn''t want to waste any more time. He went on the offensive first.


    On his hand appeared a black spear that emitted an abundance of god''s power. It flew straight towards Leif. The spear felt so powerful that it was like an arrow had pierced through his soul.


    This was the first time that he had laid eyes on such a terrifying spear.


    "Lloyd, you''re courting death!"


    Even though Leif was frightened, he still unleashed all of his strength as a warrior w


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    d his god''s sense, launched his spear towards the space, and unleashed a massive amount of his god''s power after it.


    His figure then transformed into a shadow and entered the dark fissure himself.


    After the space broke apart, the emptiness created a void. It had no time or direction, but Lloyd seemed to know exactly where his target was, and he rushed forward quickly.


    In the blink of an eye, he spotted a figure in front of him.


    Leif had spent the last few moments planning and finding the best opportunity to escape, and he had broken the space again for that purpose. But just as he was about to leave, he felt a terrible aura behind him.


    "This is impossible! How did he follow me?" He stared at Lloyd in utter shock.


    "Why do you think it''s impossible? No one can escape once my god''s sense has locked in on them!"


    Lloyd''s Fate Character had a special ability. As long as his god''s sense locked onto his opponent, the target''s aura would be preserved forever. He could find his target no matter how hard the other party tried to escape, provided that he was within a million kilometers of his target.

 Chapter 2011 Two Metal Soldiers (Part Two)

    "Fine! I''ll fight you to the death!"


    Seeing as he couldn''t escape this way, Leif exited the void. All the while, he continuously sent his god''s power in Lloyd''s direction, hoping to shake him off.


    Lloyd had his divine spear in one hand, and he swept across the area like a storm, deflecting all of Leif''s attacks.


    In the next breath, Leif arrived in the sky above the Purple Moon Sect, where he had previously hidden his secret weapons.


    "What¡ªwhat happened here?"


    His god''s sense swept around the place and found that the Purple Moon Sect was in ruins. Even his space storage unit, where he kept his secret weapons, had been destroyed.


    And since the space storage unit was destroyed, the things inside could never be retrieved anymore.


    "Who did this? I''ll tear you into pieces! Ah!"


    Leif roared ferociously, looking like he had gone mad in his desperation and anger.


    "Well? How are you going to escape now?"


    Whoosh!


    Lloyd caught up to Leif in a flash and landed before the other man gracefully.


    And when Leif saw him, his face turned deathly pale. Lloyd was much faster and more powerful than him. His life was surely forfeit.


    Meanwhile, Darren and Tyrone were hiding there on a peak not far away.


    Darren had planned to wait here, so he could watch how Woodrow and the others would react once they returned and found that the sect was destroyed.


    He didn''t expect to see the grand-elder of the Celestial Sect and Woodrow''s master fig


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    ade-seven Fate Characters of the Immortal God race.


    And when Lloyd saw them, he couldn''t help but feel apprehensive.


    He had no chance of winning against two grade-six metal soldiers and Zion.


    "Lloyd, you were so arrogant earlier, and you even dared to kill my junior fellow apprentice. Now, are you getting scared?" sneered Zion. He was confident because he knew that victory was on his side.


    "Why do you have grade-six metal soldiers?" Lloyd asked instead of answering.


    "Humph!" Zion snorted and replied, "These metal soldiers are gifts from King Ashton''s nephew, who resides in the Mechanical Region. It''s the best of the best. With these two metal soldiers, I can fight warriors whose Fate Character has just upgraded to grade-eight, not to mention you!"


    "King Ashton''s nephew?" asked Lloyd in surprise. "What is your connection with these people from the Mechanical Region?"


    "That''s none of your business. Go to hell!"


    Zion crossed his arms sternly. And when he spoke, one of the metal soldiers opened his eyes and stared blankly at Lloyd.


    Lloyd''s face was pale, just like Leif''s had been a moment ago.


    ''I''m doomed!'' Lloyd cried in his mind.


    The dark gold pupils of the metal soldier showed no emotion, but a strong endless killing intent emanated from him like an endless night.


    As Darren and Tyrone watched this scene from afar, anger rose within them.


    Both of their worlds had been trampled upon by these metal soldiers before!

 Chapter 2012 Lloyds Self-Destruction (Part One)

    One of the metal soldiers sped toward Lloyd in one swift movement, attacking him in the blink of an eye.


    Clang!


    The moment the dark gold palm burst out, the god''s power swelled thicker, which made it seem exceedingly terrifying.


    Using his spear, Lloyd exchanged furious hits with the metal soldier, while Zion watched the ongoing fight from the sidelines. He gazed at Lloyd with an annoying smirk and lazed under the shade, watching the two as if they were an entertainment show.


    At the same time, Darren and Tyrone were watching the battle from the mountaintop.


    "Tyrone, do something about those two metal soldiers. Kill them without getting caught,"


    instructed Darren. He wanted Lloyd to win here because the man was essentially fighting for him. He couldn''t just stand by and watch him get killed.


    "Master, those metal soldiers have stronger defensive power compared to the cultivators of the Immortal God race. I don''t think I can break through their defenses with my current strength..." replied Tyrone regretfully.


    Even though he wanted to do as his master had instructed, those metal soldiers were


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    it''s too late to regret your actions because I''ll tear you to pieces today!"


    "As you said, Zion, I''ve already killed Leif. What use is it if you killed me? Will doing so bring him back to life? It''s better for our sects if we stop fighting and try to get along. And better yet, we can help each other whenever one of us gets in trouble. After all, a powerful ally is critical to success. What do you think?" suggested Lloyd compellingly, hoping that the other man would change his mind.


    "Ha-ha-ha, what a joke! Who do you think you are? I don''t need your friendship with my current strength and position. And besides, I have King Ashton''s nephew. I can go to him whenever I have any problems, and he has plenty of resources to help me overcome any difficulty with ease. On the other hand, you are nothing," responded Zion with much disdain. Lloyd thought too highly of himself even when he was in such a pathetic situation.


    "Forget it. I''m done. You have defeated me, and there''s nothing more I can do. Even if I continue to fight, I won''t be able to escape death either. I just hope you can give me a quick death."

 Chapter 2013 Lloyds Self-Destruction (Part Two)

    Lloyd stopped moving and let his arms fall casually by his sides.


    "What? What tricks are you playing now?"


    Instead of attacking, Zion began to doubt and think twice over killing his opponent. He was perplexed.


    "What tricks can I play when you have two metal soldiers by your side? I just want to end this quickly," answered Lloyd with a shrug.


    His answer worsened the confusion that Zion felt, and the man was struck dumb for a moment. But in the next breath, Zion''s eyes shone with cruelty as he muttered, "Okay, I''ll give you a quick death! Go to hell!"


    Whoosh!


    Zion dashed forward in the blink of an eye and slashed at Lloyd''s head with his blade.


    "You want to kill me, huh? Well, let''s die together!"


    All of a sudden, golden light burst out from Lloyd''s eyes, and his body went off with a bang. Dark golden light glimmered from between the fissures on his body.


    "You have grade-eight metal!"


    A gasp esca


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    th wounds and blood. Some part of his bones were even sticking out. His fighting power had also dwindled almost to nothing, and, as such, his defense was almost non-existent.


    Of course, even though Zion was seriously injured and dying, Darren still couldn''t kill him with his current strength.


    Despite the damages the man had incurred, he was still strong enough to kill Darren with just a wisp of his god''s power.


    "You little bastard, do you think you can kill me? You must be out of your mind! Go to hell!" Of course, Darren''s cultivation base had not escaped Zion''s mind, so he didn''t see the boy as a threat at all. With a flick of his finger, a wisp of his god''s power shot off to attack Darren.


    Whoosh!


    However, even before he could let his god''s power go, a line written in blood emerged on his neck.


    It happened so fast. The sudden spike of pain on his neck made Zion roar, and his eyes opened wide in shock.

 Chapter 2014 Lloyds Self-Destruction (Part Three)

    Tyrone was astonished as well. Even when Zion''s defense was at its weakest, he still failed to cut off the man''s head with a single blow.


    Thus, he hastily launched another attack. He struck the same spot on the man''s neck, and this time, he succeeded. Zion''s head rolled off his shoulders lifelessly.


    He had died without even knowing who had killed him.


    "Thank you for distracting him, master. When I failed to kill him with the first blow, he could have hit me with a burst of his god''s power if you hadn''t intervened," Tyrone admitted as he heaved a sigh of relief.


    Before the pair had come closer, Darren had discussed with Tyrone how they could deal with the much stronger opponent. They agreed that Darren would distract Zion while Tyrone attacked him in secret.


    "Go and check if he has anything good with him."


    "Yes, master."


    At his master''s order, Tyrone immediately searched and found a storage space unit.


    "


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    inserted his own version of events.


    "No way! My master is invincible at his level of cultivation base. Even if Leif and his senior fellow apprentice attacked him together, there''s no way they could have won!"


    In his distress, Daxton rushed over and took Darren by the shoulder. He couldn''t believe what he was hearing!


    "Sir, this matter is also breaking my heart. I won''t dare to joke or lie about this kind of thing, so please control yourself," murmured Darren lowly.


    Daxton felt like his heart had been shattered to pieces, and all the strength rushed out of his legs. He was a tough-hearted man, but he couldn''t help but shed tears at this moment.


    When Darren saw the grief on his face, he couldn''t help but feel pity for the man as well.


    The other elders of the Celestial Sect grieved at the news too.


    It broke their hearts that the Celestial Sect''s strongest member in all of their history had died this way.

 Chapter 2015 New Changes Of The Fate Character Tree (Part One)

    A few days passed.


    The news of the grand-elder''s death deeply affected Daxton. He had been in low spirits since he learned what happened, and lay in bed for long stretches, too dispirited to move.


    Lloyd''s death caused a stir not only within the Celestial Sect, but also among the members of every other sect within tens of thousands of kilometers.


    After all, Lloyd was well-known far beyond the Celestial Sect. There were only a few grade-seven masters among all the bottom-rate and inferior-rate sects.


    Many had taken it for granted that Lloyd was virtually invincible. It was understandable why his death caused such shock and spawned so much discussion.


    The members of the Scorching Fire Sect, which was in charge of the Celestial Sect, were also stunned to hear the news.


    "Is Lloyd truly dead?" the Chief Elder of the Scorching Fire Sect asked a disciple.


    The disciple replied, "As far as I know, yes, Chief Elder. Lloyd killed Leif, the grand-elder of the Wolf Tooth Sect. But then the latter''s senior fellow apprentice came to Lloyd and forced him to explode himself. Both of them died as a result."


    The Chief Elder''s eyes


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    t to say that I''ve thought of another way to find out who the murderer is."


    The fearful apology was so irritating that Hamza seriously considered just killing the elder, but his last sentence surprised him.


    He immediately calmed down. Quickly he said, "What is it? How can we find my son''s killer?"


    The Chief Elder hesitated, then said, "Chief, do you remember an old man named Kash Nan?"


    Hearing the name, Hamza frowned. "Of course I remember. Kash is the old man who was driven out by the royal family, right?"


    Kash was originally a member of the royal family. After he was kicked out, he was forbidden to use the surname of the royal family¡ªDonghuang, so he changed his surname to Nan.


    Although he had been repudiated by the royal family, his stature remained high above the others in this land, and the members of all sects still bowed to him.


    The low level sects, in particular, had to give him whatever he wanted.


    "Yes," the Chief Elder replied. "I''ve heard that the disciples of the royal family have the ability to recover the scene. Why don''t we ask him to restore the scene? Then we will know who the murderer is."

 Chapter 2016 New Changes Of The Fate Character Tree (Part Two)

    Hamza was unconvinced. He said, "Why would that old man be willing to help us? As a matter of fact, he robbed a mine of our sect previously. I argued with him, but... Oh, forget it."


    The sect leader was too embarrassed to finish his story. The truth was, he had been slapped several times by Kash for his impertinence.


    "Well, there might be a way to convince him to help us," the Chief Elder said.


    Hamza scowled. "Get to the point, damn it!"


    "I''ve heard that Kash is very lustful," said the Chief Elder, turning red. "He is especially interested in girls with the phoenix-like bloodline."


    He was referring to those who had an unusual bloodline, remarkably similar to the phoenix bloodline.


    Hamza was unfazed. "I see. Where would we find such a girl?"


    "I dare not say it," said the Chief Elder in a low voice, refusing to meet the sect leader''s eyes.


    With a jolt, Hamza realized that his own daughter was eighteen years old, and that she had the legendary phoenix-like bloodline.


    He flushed and roared, "How dare you! Get out!" He also slapped the Chief Elder across his face.


    The Chief Elder bore the blow without complaint and left the hall.


    ''Does he want me to give my daughter to the old bastard Kash?'' Hamza thought furiously.


    He paced the hall. His thoughts were turbulent and jumbled. No one could tell what he was thinking.


    After several moments, his face drooped, becoming dull and resigned.


    But his eyes shone with fury. He grit


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    elt energized and comfortable, like he was bathing in a hot spring of spiritual energy.


    He knew this was a positive sign. His Fate Character had upgraded.


    "My Fate Character Tree has reached the fourth grade!" he exclaimed, overjoyed. In less than two hours, his Fate Character Tree had advanced to the next level. This was much faster than he had dared to expect.


    Pleased with the results, Darren continued to refine the rest of the white metal in the box.


    Several hours passed. Eventually, he consumed the entirety of the Celestial Sect''s stash of white metal.


    By the time he finished refining the last piece, however, Darren''s Fate Character Tree was no longer growing in size. Instead, a scattering of lush purple branches and leaves sprouted on the top of the tree.


    He was puzzled by this new development. ''Why didn''t it upgrade? What are the purple branches and leaves?'' he wondered.


    He had estimated that his Fate Character Tree would upgrade to the fifth grade after absorbing all the white metal. However, except for the purple leaves on the top of the tree, the rest of the tree had not grown any further.


    Although he was confused, he was not upset. He felt instinctively that the unusual purple branches and leaves had a significance he just didn''t understand yet.


    ''If the purple branches and leaves on the top of the tree start to bloom and bear fruit, would the quality of the fruit also change?'' he thought, excited by the possibilities.

 Chapter 2017 The Blackmail (Part One)

    Since the white metal had been used up, Darren didn''t pay that much attention to the changes of the Fate Character Tree anymore. After all, when the right time came, he would easily know how to use the purple branches and leaves of the tree.


    When Darren returned to his residence, he saw that Ines had already prepared a meal, and everyone was waiting for him so that they could have dinner together.


    "Honey, come on. The dishes will get cold."


    "But you could have eaten already. You did not have to wait for me," Darren said as he took his seat.


    Then, Liam poured a glass of wine for Darren and said, "Of course, we would wait for you. It''s rare for you to stay at home, so we should seize the opportunity to eat with you. Actually, this is a new rule that I made."


    Upon hearing that, Darren was almost rendered speechless.


    After his real strength was exposed to them, he had received totally different treatment from the members of the Yun Clan.


    In fact, if it was in the past, even if Alex was about to die outside, there was a possibility that no one would care.


    "What are you even doing


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    d down.


    However, when they saw that the one who arrived was just a young man, they did not take him seriously. A man quickly stepped forward and shouted angrily, "And who the hell are you? Tell Daxton to come out! He''s the one we want to talk to!"


    "How dare you disrespect the chief disciple of our sect?! His position is equivalent to that of a vice sect leader!" an elder immediately scolded.


    "Ha-ha! What did you say?" The man could not believe what he heard and laughed scornfully. "This young man is your chief disciple? How weak can your sect be? Do his words even count?"


    "That''s right. We don''t care about this brat! You''d better call Daxton now, or we''ll cause even more trouble to your sect."


    Eventually, the people were in an uproar again. They started shouting, spewed threats, and taunted everyone from the Celestial Sect.


    "Mr. Chu, this is getting out of hand. What should we do?" One of the elders approached Darren and spoke in a low voice.


    "Are they telling the truth? Did their relatives really die while they stayed in the Purple Moon Sect?" Darren asked in a serious tone.

 Chapter 2018 The Blackmail (Part Two)

    "I highly doubt it. They''re obviously here because they learned that our grand-elder already passed away. They must have thought of taking advantage of the situation, so they came here and deliberately caused trouble," the elder answered firmly.


    "I see. Well, that settles it," Darren said with a defiant sneer. Then, he shouted at the crowd again, "I will only give you thirty seconds to leave this place. If you are still here by then, you shall suffer some dire consequences."


    Darren''s announcement was loud and clear, but it seemed that these people really thought little of him.


    "What did you just say? Are you saying that you will kill us if we disobeyed you?" "What kind of people are in the Celestial Sect? Do you think that you can just kill anyone whenever you like?"


    "Everyone! The Celestial Sect is really looking down upon us. We just came here to seek an explanation, but this vice sect leader of theirs threatened to kill all of us! He just thinks of us as mere livestock! Can you still tolerate this?"


    "Of course not! Make that brat pay!"


    "Kill him! Th


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    make sure to satisfy you before I kill you," Darren retorted with a defiant sneer.


    "Master, why don''t you leave this one to me?" Tyrone, who had been hiding beside Darren all this time, quickly offered.


    "No. I also want to test my strength," Darren said with a straight face.


    When he heard this, Tyrone''s eyes lit up. It seemed that he instantly understood what Darren meant. "Master, it looks like that you have improved your strength again!"


    Darren just nodded and let out a faint smile.


    At the same time, Tyrone was very surprised. After all, it had not been that long since Darren improved his strength last time. Now, he also wanted to see how strong Darren got.


    "Ha! Conceited bastard! You are the one who''s going to die today! I''m sending you straight to hell!"


    Upon saying this, the man hurriedly wielded his ax and hacked it towards Darren.


    Then, under the control of Darren''s god''s sense, his five silver meridians burst out with god''s power all at the same time. The snow-white god''s power that he unleashed in his palm turned into a small sword.

 Chapter 2019 The Blackmail (Part Three)

    "Take this!"


    In a flash, the snow-white sword of god''s power bolted out at full speed.


    Then, in the blink of an eye, the sword of god''s power collided with the huge ax.


    Boom!


    In an instant, the dark gold ax in the hand of the man with a grade-six Fate Character was directly shattered into pieces.


    "What the hell?"


    Obviously, the man was greatly shocked. He wondered how powerful the small sword was that it could actually shatter his ax into pieces.


    However, he had not much time to think about it for now. He quickly mobilized his god''s power to protect himself from the snow-white sword.


    Then, still under the control of Darren''s god''s sense, the little white sword easily drilled into the man''s shield that was made up of his god''s power and pierced through his chest.


    Upon contact with his body, it instantly exploded, making a deafening sound in the sky. Immediately after, his blood and flesh splashed everywhere, creating a messy scene.


    As the people present witnessed this, silence instantly fi


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    r teeth just to save your puny lives, huh?" After a brief pause, Darren continued, "Next time, if you want to take advantage of our sect, be sure to know the strength of your opponent first! Anyway, I''ll be glad to accept your apology on behalf of the Celestial Sect as long as each of your sects gives us two hundred and fifty kilograms of white metal. Be sure to deliver it to me within an hour."


    "What? Are you insane? You are asking for an exorbitant price! Where do you think we can get that much white metal?" one of the men immediately blurted out angrily.


    "Oh, so you don''t have anything to compensate for the trouble that you caused in the first place? You don''t have strength or wealth, yet you dared to confront us? What a pitiful bunch of losers. You have surely looked down upon the Celestial Sect by coming up with such a crappy plan!"


    Splat!


    Using the back of his hand, Darren suddenly hit the head of the man with a grade-six Fate Character. It instantly exploded, creating a dreadful scene once more.

 Chapter 2020 The Plan (Part One)

    These people had come here with ill intentions. In fact, if it hadn''t been for Darren, the Celestial Sect would have been annihilated¡ªso he would treat these enemies as they deserved.


    With a single blow, Darren killed one more warrior with a grade-six Fate Character.


    This was enough to deter his opponents.


    "Mr. Chu, this is not necessary!" they called out. "Let''s talk!"


    The remaining warriors with grade-six Fate Characters hurried forward, cupping their hands at Darren.


    He looked at them coldly, and said, "Each sect must prepare 250 kilograms of white metal. You have one hour to get it to me. If I don''t have your sect''s portion at the end of the allotted time, I will follow your examples."


    The warriors glanced uneasily at each other. Finally, one of them said, "Mr. Chu, what do you mean by following our examples?"


    Darren replied indifferently, "I will go and destroy your sects."


    Everyone was shocked. A few warriors instinctively stepped back.


    It was difficult to believe that the Celestial Sect had such a ru


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    is head, waiting.


    Daxton said, "We have been in danger since the grand-elder was killed by a villain because of you. I hope you will protect us whenever out sect is in trouble, regardless of whether you will still be our member or not. Is that all right?"


    After all, he had been paying close attention to Darren for a while now.


    He had not failed to take note of the fact that Darren had acquired over 200 kilograms of white metal from the Celestial Sect a few days ago. After that, the sudden increase in his strength level was extraordinary. Of course, it was not difficult for Daxton to connect the dots and figure out how Darren had accomplished such a feat.


    Daxton was a shrewd man, and he knew that this mysterious chief disciple wouldn''t always be a disciple of the Celestial Sect. He was meant for greater things; destined to be a legendary figure, one who would soar to great and unimaginable heights. But for now he was still here. Until Darren left, Daxton would not hesitate to ask him to act for the benefit of the sect.

 Chapter 2021 The Plan (Part Two)

    When he heard the sect leader''s request, Darren laughed helplessly, but he couldn''t think of anything to say.


    The Celestial Sect had treated Darren well. Whenever anything happened, not only did they refuse to kick him out, they even tried their best to protect him. Moreover, he had taken over 200 kilograms of their precious supply of white metal, yet Daxton had expressed no objection.


    Darren''s ambiguous response caused Daxton to frown anxiously. "Don''t you agree? Haven''t we been good to you, overall?" Hastily, Darren shook his head. "Yes, sir, you''ve been very kind to me.


    It''s not like that. It''s just that... To be honest, I hope that the Celestial Sect will be able to distance itself from me in the future. It''s better if it was never known I was here. Otherwise, I may bring some trouble down upon the sect," he explained.


    After he came to the world of the Immortal God race, the road ahead of Darren would certainly be dangerous and treacherous. He would encounter a lot of violence and m


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    at warrior had only three metal meridians; he was far weaker than Lloyd, who had already died.


    In the past, the rules of grading a sect were mainly based on its overall strength and resources. That was why the Scorching Fire Sect was ranked as an inferior-rate sect.


    "But... What if there are hidden warriors with grade-seven Fate Characters in their sect? It could be risky," Tyrone said nervously.


    "It doesn''t matter. For now, I''ll spend the day cultivating. I''ll make a decision after I see the progress of my cultivation," Darren said.


    Within the next hour, 750 kilograms of white metal was sent to Darren. The three sects that had wanted to rob the Celestial Sect had scraped together enough of the precious metal to meet Darren''s demands.


    Darren was pleased. He planned to refine the metal to see if his Fate Character could improve to grade-five.


    If he succeeded, he could easily destroy an inferior-rate sect, regardless of whether or not they had some powerful masters hidden away.

 Chapter 2022 Unexpected Turn Of Events (Part One)

    Darren was alone in the cultivation room.


    In front of him was a large pile of the precious white metal, around 750 kilograms in total.


    For the next few hours, he focused on absorbing the white metal, refining the substance and integrating it into his silver meridians.


    He was surprised to see a change in the process. Before, the white metal had led to the production of a pure black substance, but now there was also a purple substance appearing in his silver meridians.


    As always, his Fate Character Tree swiftly absorbed the black substance, converting it into nourishment for growth.


    But the purple substance behaved in a more mysterious way, turning into a thick mist that surrounded the branches and leaves at the top of the tree.


    As the hours passed, the mist condensed into a semi-opaque purple cloud, completely covering the entire treetop.


    Darren released his spiritual sense to check, but he couldn''t penetrate the purple cloud. He had no idea what was happening within the mist.


    ''This is strange, '' he thought. ''The tree has absorbed so much of the black substance at this point, yet it still sh


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    huddled together just outside the square. Dozens died instantly.


    "Run! Kash is crazy!" someone yelled.


    "Damn it! What''s wrong with this old bastard?" said another person.


    The surviving disciples rushed away as fast as they could, cursing among themselves.


    The elders stood their ground. Indeed, the Chief Elder of the Scorching Fire Sect flew towards Kash, landing directly in front of him.


    "Master Kash, what''s wrong?" he asked bravely.


    He was terrified that he would be killed on the spot, but he had no choice. At the moment, he was the only one who dared to approach Kash.


    The old man raised his arm, and the Chief Elder braced himself. But Kash was simply using his sleeve to wipe away the droplets of blood on his face.


    "What''s wrong with that Hamza? The bitch he sent to me attempted to assassinate me!" he snapped at the Chief Elder. "I want an explanation now, or I will wipe out this entire sect. I will leave no survivors!"


    The Chief Elder was stunned. "Are you certain?" he asked, hardly able to believe his ears. Kash glared at him. "Of course! And now I want Hamza to explain himself!"

 Chapter 2023 Unexpected Turn Of Events (Part Two)

    Two days ago, Hamza had sent his own daughter, Paige Luo, to find Kash. It was a gesture intended to please the old man, so he would agree to help the Scorching Fire Sect find Lenard''s murderer.


    But it seemed Paige had not gone willingly. Although Hamza had forced her to go to Kash, she had managed to keep a concealed weapon, with which she''d almost succeeded in killing him.


    By the time Kash came to his senses after she attacked him, she had already escaped.


    "Master Kash, Paige''s Fate Character hasn''t reached grade-six yet. How could she assassinate you?" the Chief Elder asked.


    Kash looked offended. He said angrily, "She attacked my weak point while my guard was down. Now stop talking nonsense! Not only do I want to speak to Hamza, I want you to hand that woman over to me now, or everyone in the Scorching Fire Sect will pay the price!" As he spoke, unconsc


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    ree days'' time I will be back with reinforcements, and we will annihilate the Scorching Fire Sect completely."


    "We''re not done!" Hamza called after him, seeing that Kash was about to leave.


    Kash glanced disdainfully at him. "What now? Are you going to keep me here and beg me to spare you?"


    "Master Kash, you misunderstood me," said Hamza, smiling coldly. "I don''t want to keep you here. I just want to keep your head." His words were full of killing intent.


    "How dare you!" roared Kash. "You may have a powerful defense, but do you think you can hurt me with your level of power?" He knew he couldn''t break through Hamza''s defensive shield, so he had planned to retreat first, but it seemed that Hamza would not let him go so easily.


    "Black and White Guards!" Hamza shouted at the sky.


    There was a whistling sound as two rays of light shot through the air.

 Chapter 2024 Unexpected Turn Of Events (Part Three)

    The rays of light, one black and one white, shot down towards the ground. When they landed on the square, they turned into two young men, one dressed in white and the other in black.


    These two men looked handsome, yet their faces bore no expression, and their eyes were dull and lifeless. They were like animated corpses as they stood there silently.


    "Metal soldiers!" said Kash, sounding surprised.


    There were actually two high-level metal soldiers hidden among the ranks of the Scorching Fire Sect!


    These two metal soldiers were completely in human form, and even their skin and hair were the same as that of a human. These soldiers were of the highest quality.


    However, although Kash probed, he couldn''t tell the specific level of the two metal soldiers.


    But it was enough to make him wary.


    The Chief Elder, who had hurried away as soon as Hamza confronted Kash, su


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    survive. "Don''t kill me," he groaned. "As long as you leave me alive, I can do whatever you want. I can give you all my property. I can help you find your son''s killer."


    Finally, Hamza stopped, having vented the worst of his anger. He glanced down at the bloody old man and said, "Fine. I''ll give you a chance to live. Find out who killed my son, and I will spare you."


    "I promise. I promise I''ll find the murderer. Please let me go. I swear to stay away from you and the Scorching Fire Sect. There will be no retribution, I promise," Kash whimpered.


    Hamza gestured to some disciples, who came forward. He ordered, "Give this old man some medicine for his injuries. I''m taking him to the mountain where our treasure house is located."


    "Yes, master," said the disciples.


    After a short while, Hamza took Kash and headed towards the place where his son had been killed.

 Chapter 2025 The Slaughter (Part One)

    Hamza went up to the mountain where the treasure house was with the two metal soldiers and a couple of powerful cultivators.


    The cultivators'' minds wandered restlessly as they forged ahead, their thoughts disturbed by the worry that Kash had caused.


    After all, he was a former member of the royal family. And although his family had turned their backs on him, his veins still contained royal blood, which separated him from ordinary warriors.


    However, the sect leader had ordered the Black and White Guards to torture Kash. That didn''t seem like a treatment a noble cultivator like him deserved. And now, he was on his last gasp, and his precarious situation bothered the members of the Scorching Fire Sect.


    They were afraid that some royal force supported Kash, and once they learned of his fate, they would want to avenge him.


    If the royal family learned that Kash had suffered in their hands, the consequence would be unimaginable. Even one hundred thousand Scorching Fire Sects could not withstand the onslaught that could ensue.


    People in this world were well-aware that the royal family in any region


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    gradually gained colors and began to reflect all kinds of images.


    "Look at that image! Isn''t that Stetson?"


    "Chester, the principal disciple guarding the treasure cave, is there too. They have been killed!" exclaimed the disciples in shock.


    A scene slowly unfolded before their eyes. The principal disciple named Chester flew towards the valley with over a hundred disciples in tow. They seemed to be guarding the treasure cave.


    Hamza watched the images with intense concentration as he waited for his son''s murderer to show up.


    He yearned for the murderer''s death, and the agitation he felt made him restless. He wanted to put his hands on that bastard and kill him with his own hands.


    "Son, I swear to you I''ll avenge you! I''m going to catch that bastard and make him ten thousand times more miserable than Kash," Hamza muttered to himself harshly, his teeth gritted tightly.


    A few moments later, the entire flock of disciples stopped abruptly as if someone had intercepted their path.


    However, the images only showed the disciples'' backs, and whoever stood in front of them couldn''t be seen.

 Chapter 2026 The Slaughter (Part Two)

    "You! Show me what that man looks like!"


    Hamza commanded harshly and kicked Kash on his injured ribs.


    His abrupt strike shook the injured man''s concentration and interrupted the secret skill. The whole scene disappeared in an instant.


    "Hey! Stop playing tricks. Continue!"


    shouted Hamza furiously. He was so enraged that his eyes bulged out from their sockets, and his face turned beet red. He kicked Kash a few more times as his spittle spattered on the unmoving man.


    "Master Hamza! I think he has lost consciousness." The Chief Elder hurried forward to check and found that Kash was indeed unconscious. He was barely breathing, and he seemed to have slipped into a coma.


    Just now, Kash had exhausted every inch of his god''s sense to activate his secret skill. He was unexpectedly interrupted halfway, which made him suffer from the side effects. His weakened state didn''t help, and he soon passed out.


    "Fuck this u


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    ead. It rolled to the ground, lifeless and with eyes wide open.


    The pictures immediately dissipated into formless white mist.


    "You, old bastard, will you stop playing tricks already?! Perhaps, you want to suffer some more¡­"


    Annoyed that the scene had been disturbed once more, Hamza turned around to berate Kash, only to realize that the man had been decapitated.


    The disciples around the lifeless body gasped in alarm, stepping back unconsciously.


    They couldn''t understand what just transpired. They didn''t even sense any god''s power, so where did the attack come from?


    "Who dared to kill him before I got my revenge? Who was it?"


    Hamza''s roar shook the whole mountain.


    "Black and White Guards, find out who did it and bring him to me now!"


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    As soon as the order passed from Hamza''s lips, the two metal soldiers opened their eyes and took to the air, leaving behind a strong gust of wind.

 Chapter 2027 The Slaughter (Part Three)

    At once, they sensed a strange aura.


    The two metal soldiers flew straight to the strange presence without hesitation. They disappeared onto the horizon until the disciples couldn''t see them anymore.


    "Master Hamza, it must be the same man who killed the young master!" one of the disciples exclaimed.


    When Hamza heard this, he realized that the bastard who had killed his son had been watching him all this time. He was right under his nose, and he had no idea!


    The murderer must have killed Kash so that his identity wouldn''t be exposed!


    "Damn it! I swear I will tear you limb from limb! I won''t rest until I have killed you with my own hands!" Hamza screamed in anger.


    He panted harshly as the past few seconds reappeared in his mind. He had almost seen the murderer''s face, but unfortunately, the scene was cut off abruptly. He gritted his teeth so hard in frustration that blood began to leak from his


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    their sight.


    Whoosh!


    A sudden flash of god''s power burst out, and several elders'' heads came rolling to the ground.


    "Sir, please call the metal guards back!" an elder shouted desperately, terrified for his life.


    Hamza hastily activated his god''s sense and called for help. As soon as the two metal soldiers received the order, they rushed back.


    "I''m sorry, but I think it''s too late for that."


    An icy voice caressed Hamza''s ears, and Darren''s bright god''s power swept across Hamza''s neck. His eyes popped open in horror, while his body fell stiffly to the ground like a towering tree that had been cut down.


    "Our leader has been killed!"


    "Where are those metal guards?! They need to hurry back and avenge our leader!"


    Some of the disciples were angry and calling for revenge, but most of them were terrified for their lives. They immediately ran like a thousand devils were at their tails.

 Chapter 2028 The Strength Of Grade-eight Warriors (Part One)

    Darren used his god''s sense to locate those who were trying to escape.


    He went after them, his figure flashing everywhere at once, as though he had multiplied into countless copies of himself.


    In fact, these were just shadows formed in the vision of others, because of his incredible speed. Darren was moving so swiftly that no one could keep track of him.


    The disciples of the Scorching Fire Sect suddenly heard a series of deafening explosions.


    Their escape was thwarted as a great force blocked their way, throwing them backwards.


    However, Darren didn''t kill them directly. Instead, he herded them all together, until they formed a large crowd.


    Almost all the senior members of the Scorching Fire Sect were here. However, they were all terrified. The sight of Hamza being killed instantly was too much for them. Since Darren could kill their sect leader so easily, they knew that the rest of them stood no chance against him.


    Darren stood in front of the crowd, staring out at the sea of pale, frightened faces. "Who among you wants to avenge your sect leader?"


    he called out, his eyes cold and dark.


    The members of the Scorching Fire


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    t will be enough." The Chief Elder had served under two sect leaders, so he was familiar with this process. The amount he named was usually the standard bribe given in these cases.


    It would deplete a lot of their resources, but they had no choice. If they didn''t bribe the Dragon Tiger Cliff, the sect would refuse to accept Darren''s leadership of the Scorching Fire Sect, and they could make things very difficult. The Dragon Tiger Cliff might go so far as to attack them, justifying the attack as punishment for violating the imperial rules.


    But the size of the bribe was too much for Darren. "No way!" he exclaimed, his face darkening. The metal, the pills, and the weaponry mentioned by the Chief Elder all belonged to him now. How could he just give such valuable resources away?


    "Sect leader, respectfully, we will be in a lot of trouble if we don''t bribe them," said the Chief Elder helplessly.


    Without the recognition of their superior sect, Darren''s legitimacy as sect leader would be questionable, and the Scorching Fire Sect would be considered a heterodox sect, disqualified from obtaining the resources distributed by the royal family.

 Chapter 2029 The Strength Of Grade-eight Warriors (Part Two)

    "The Celestial Sect will soon become a middle-rate sect. There is no need to bribe the Dragon Tiger Cliff to recognize me as the leader of the Scorching Fire Sect. As soon as you''ve all become members of the Celestial Sect, then there won''t be a problem anymore," Darren assured the crowd.


    Given Darren''s current strength level, he would surely win first place in the assessment, and that would promote the Celestial Sect to a middle-rate sect. It would be unnecessary and wasteful to give away so much of their resources just to please another middle-rate sect.


    No one dared to question Darren''s judgment. "Yes, sir," everyone said.


    In fact, many of the members of the Scorching Fire Sect were dubious about Darren''s claim that the Celestial Sect was about to become a middle-rate sect, for they still had not seen the full extent of his strength. Still, they had seen enough to know that he was far more powerful than themselves, so they would say nothing to risk his anger.


    There was a sudden clangi


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    gone, I happened to witness the death of Hamza, the former leader of the Scorching Fire Sect. Since everyone accepted me as their new sect leader, I agreed to let them join the Celestial Sect and follow you," he said lightly.


    Daxton pressed his lips together, his face like a thundercloud.


    ''His explanation is glib and unbelievable. He is not telling me the whole truth, '' he thought. ''Does he expect me to believe that?


    That he just happened to see Hamza die, and these people just chose him to be their new sect leader?'' He was at a loss as to whether to shout, cry, or laugh.


    But then, he already knew that as the chief disciple of the Celestial Sect, Darren was far more complex and powerful than he seemed.


    So he sighed and gestured for the elders of the Scorching Fire Sect to take a seat. Daxton was wise enough not to pry too much into his mysterious chief disciple''s private business. After all, Darren was actively helping the Celestial Sect. He couldn''t demand anything more from him.

 Chapter 2030 The Strength Of Grade-eight Warriors (Part Three)

    Daxton said to the congregation, "Elders, please sit, and make yourselves comfortable. From now on, you are a part of the Celestial Sect, and we will all rely on one another." Daxton had made his decision. He would accept these people, and he would not press Darren for a better explanation. Anyway, it was to the benefit of the Celestial Sect. Now that the elders and disciples of the Scorching Fire Sect had joined their ranks, they would become a larger and more influential sect.


    "Thank you, sir," said the Chief Elder. He looked behind him and said, "Guards, bring the gifts here." More people came into the hall.


    All in all, they carried one hundred boxes of resources from the Scorching Fire Sect, as a gift to smooth their absorption by the Celestial Sect.


    The boxes contained grade-three or grade-four metal, as well as some pills and secret books.


    These things were not valuable to powerful warriors, but they were very important for training new disciples.


    "Thank you," Daxton exclaimed upon seeing the gifts.


    He was o


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    re than five million of them in a region. Most of them also each had only one metal meridian.


    The reason for this was clear. For a warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character, the difficulty of refining metal meridians was simply beyond imagination.


    However, once they succeeded in refining a metal meridian, their strength would increase significantly. Once a warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character refined even one metal meridian, his fighting power would increase by more than a hundred times.


    So, this was a grade with a very wide range of strength. As the strongest ones, warriors with grade-eight Fate Characters and nine metal meridians were almost equal to a legendary master, only second to warriors with grade-nine Fate Characters, who were also the legendary emperors.


    At present, Darren had only a grade-five Fate Character, but with the help of his five silver meridians, he was able to display the strength equal to that of a warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character and one metal meridian. It was an incredible feat.

 Chapter 2031 The Emissary (Part One)

    Several hours passed.


    The Chief Elder rushed into Darren''s room, looking harried. "Master, bad news!" he cried.


    "What''s wrong?" Darren asked.


    "Master, an emissary from the Dragon Tiger Cliff has come. He''s asking you to come out and see him. He is a commanding person, and right now he seems quite menacing. I''m afraid they''ve learned that you have taken over the leadership of the Scorching Fire Sect without their permission," explained the Chief Elder, looking at Darren anxiously.


    "Drive him away!" Darren replied indifferently.


    The elder gaped at him, not knowing what to say. The Dragon Tiger Cliff was a middle-rate sect, and while that was only one level higher than inferior-rate sects, the disparity in power was vast. The most powerful of the inferior-rate sects was still far weaker than the most mediocre of the middle-rate sects.


    How could he be expected to throw out the emissary of the Dragon Tiger Cliff? The consequences would be terrible.


    Middle-rate sects usually had powerful grade-eight masters among their ranks. Often, each middle-rate sect had at least four such warriors!


    Moreover, a middle-rate sect would coun


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    and!" he gasped, his face turning deathly pale.


    He couldn''t believe what had just happened.


    Jabari Xu was a warrior with a grade-seven Fate Character and three metal meridians, yet his palm had been shattered before he even realized what had happened.


    He stared at Darren in shock. This was a horrible situation.


    What was the cultivation base of this strange young man?


    Darren looked at him coldly. "Well? Aren''t you going to behead me? Go ahead, do it!"


    Jabari Xu trembled. In a hoarse voice he said, "You are too arrogant. Don''t you know that I am an elder of the Dragon Tiger Cliff? You dared to launch a sneak attack on me. That''s enough to get this whole sect exterminated!"


    Darren stepped forward.


    Before Jabari Xu could react, he slapped him hard.


    "So you want to exterminate my whole sect, is that it?" he snapped.


    He slapped the other man again, so forcefully that Jabari Xu''s head twisted back.


    But Darren didn''t stop.


    He kept giving Jabari Xu hard slaps to the head, until his face was badly swollen and bleeding.


    All the elders of the Scorching Fire Sect watched the scene with stunned looks on their faces.

 Chapter 2032 The Emissary (Part Two)

    Truly, the new leader of the sect was a powerful and unfathomable figure. They just didn''t know what to think about him.


    This emissary of the Dragon Tiger Cliff was a warrior with a grade-seven Fate Character. Yet their leader was slapping him repeatedly, and Jabari Xu was incapable of dodging the slaps.


    Darren was absolutely terrifying. He looked like a young man in his early twenties, but he had the strength and composure of a much older man. They began to suspect that he belonged to some unknown and incredibly powerful force.


    Inwardly, they were relieved that they had readily chosen to submit themselves to him. If they had acted tough and tried to fight him, no doubt he would have killed them all easily.


    "How dare you! We Dragon Tiger Cliff will never spare you!" shouted Jabari Xu as soon as Darren paused.


    He could not remember ever being this angry before in his life. He was used to dominating every


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    k is this old fool talking about?'' he thought desperately. ''I''ve only received about five kilograms. He''s toying with me, claiming that I''ve taken over four hundred and fifty kilograms!''


    Hearing this answer, Darren gave the Chief Elder an approving look. This old man deserved his position. He was good at gauging people''s minds.


    "Mr. Xu, you heard that," Darren said to Jabari Xu with a straight face. "I will let you live on one condition. Please return what you have taken. This is not too much to ask, I think. Don''t worry, I''m not asking for more than what you received." Jabari Xu couldn''t believe his ears. He said, "Sir, I only..."


    "What?" interrupted Darren, giving him a warning look.


    Jabari Xu quickly backtracked. "Nothing. I shouldn''t have been greedy for money. I shouldn''t have taken the four hundred and fifty kilograms of grade-seven metal from your sect. I''ll pay it back now. Please forgive me."

 Chapter 2033 The Emissary (Part Three)

    He immediately checked the property in his storage space unit.


    Unfortunately, he had only accumulated around two hundred and fifty kilograms of grade-seven metal over the past years.


    "Sir, this is all I have. I will pay back the balance in three days, after I return to the Dragon Tiger Cliff. Is that okay with you?" he asked anxiously. Inwardly, he groaned. It was killing him to give up all the metal pieces he had spent so much time accumulating, but he didn''t have a choice if he wanted to survive.


    "I''m sorry, sir. We have a rule in our sect. We do not accept credit," the Chief Elder said before Darren could reply.


    Darren smiled broadly, giving the Chief Elder a speculative look. He said, "I can see that you are a dutiful and capable subordinate. I am promoting you to the position of vice leader of the sect, effective immediately. You will take care of t


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    has promoted the Chief Elder. He is now the vice leader of the Scorching Fire Sect. Master Alex ordered the vice leader to send a batch of resources here in person. Please take a look."


    "Congratulations, Master Zayd. I will throw a banquet to celebrate your promotion. By the way, how many resources are we talking about? Is the amount as large as he got last time?" Daxton asked casually.


    Previously, Darren had sent over one hundred boxes of resources. The bulk of the loot consisted of grade-three and grade-four metal, about five thousand kilograms in total.


    "It''s far more than that," said Zayd Wang, smiling. "It''s more than a thousand times more valuable than what he sent last time." He released over sixty thousand kilograms of metal from the storage space unit, most of which was grade-five metal.


    Daxton''s mouth dropped open at the astonishing sight.

 Chapter 2034 Collected More Treasures From The Dragon Tiger Cliffs Disciples (Part One)

    Daxton gazed helplessly at the metal resources in front of him, which had piled up like a hill. He looked lost, confused about what had happened.


    He had been the Celestial Sect''s leader for so many years, but this was the first time he had seen such an abundant supply of high-quality resources.


    In fact, there seemed to be enough here to recruit another five hundred thousand disciples for the sect!


    "Where did Alex get all these resources?"


    Although Daxton appreciated the unexpected blessing, he was also worried because these things didn''t just happen from pure luck. There was no way such a massive amount of resources appeared out of nowhere.


    "Master Daxton, Master Alex asked us to bring you these resources. As for their origin..." Zayd trailed off in that part, hesitant to tell the truth. He didn''t want to tell Daxton that they killed the Dragon Tiger Cliff''s emissary, for fear of his reaction.


    Thankfully, Daxton noticed his hesitation and understood that he shouldn''t ask further. So, he only nodded and didn''t bother to ask more.


    "Thank you for bringing the resources here. You can go and rest now.


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    n when dealing with trivial matters. I must always be fully devoted to anything I do."


    "Very good. Now, bring the communication bead."


    His master''s concern moved Sutton Yu deeply. The man always treated him like a son and was always considerate of him.


    "Okay, master." He brought the special bead with him and set off with the disciples he had gathered earlier.


    "Hey, little bastard, come out and accept your death!"


    After a short while, Sutton Yu and his men arrived at the Scorching Fire Sect. Their figures hovered in the air before they landed, and a thunderous voice filled with killing intent reverberated in the air. It sounded like a lion''s roar that shook the whole sect.


    "Some powerful masters have come!"


    "Look at their clothes! They must be the Dragon Tiger Cliff''s principal disciples."


    "Oh, no! The Dragon Tiger Cliff''s principal disciples actually came in person. They must have come to avenge Master Hamza''s death. Our new sect leader is doomed!"


    "That''s right. No matter how powerful our new sect leader is, there''s no way he can deal with the Dragon Tiger Cliff''s principal disciples."

 Chapter 2035 Collected More Treasures From The Dragon Tiger Cliffs Disciples (Part Two)

    Some ordinary disciples of the Scorching Fire Sect only knew of Hamza''s death, but they had no idea that Darren had also killed the Dragon Tiger Cliff''s emissary. They could only look on in terror, thinking that their new sect leader had gotten them in hot water.


    "Who the hell are you? How dare you cause trouble in front of our sect? You must have a death wish!"


    In sharp contrast to their weaker members, several senior elders flew towards the intruders head-on, showing no sign of weakness.


    "Watch your tongue! You are talking to Sutton, a principal disciple of the Dragon Tiger Cliff. Get on your knees and show respect, you worm!" one of the Dragon Tiger Cliff''s disciples shouted back coldly.


    "You''re the one who trespassed in our territory! You are courting death!" Despite the threat, these elders showed no respect at all.


    "Excuse me?" This time, it was Sutton Yu who had spoken. He raised his brows critically.


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    r, and a snow-white stream of god''s power shot out from the tips of his fingers.


    Clang!


    To everyone''s shock, the extraordinary blade in the disciple''s hand shattered into pieces.


    "Ah!"


    Just as the blade broke apart, the disciple spat out blood from his mouth and died. His eyes were still wide open, as if he couldn''t believe what had happened.


    "Zain!"


    Seeing this, the other disciples of the Dragon Tiger Cliff looked terrified.


    How strong was this guy? He just killed Zain Xiao with one move!


    Zain Xiao''s blade was no ordinary blade. It had been forged by a great master, and it was exceedingly sturdy. But this man shattered it with a flick of his finger. He must have terrifying god''s power!


    "You bastard, don''t be so arrogant. I''ll send you to hell!"


    Sutton Yu was enraged to witness his junior fellow apprentice''s death. He instantly rushed at Darren with a long spear clutched tightly in his hand.

 Chapter 2036 Collected More Treasures From The Dragon Tiger Cliffs Disciples (Part Three)

    "Oh, no! That guy''s god''s power is terrifying. I don''t think Master Alex can withstand it!"


    "He must be one of the Dragon Tiger Cliff''s top disciples. Master Alex is doomed!"


    When the other disciples from the Scorching Fire Sect sensed Sutton Yu''s aura, their hearts wavered in a panic, for they thought that their leader had no chance of winning.


    But, to their surprise, Darren easily forced Sutton Yu back as the two made contact.


    "What?! Even this terrifying guy is no match for our new leader!"


    "That''s strange. How did Master Alex do it?"


    The disciples who were watching from below were stunned. They had no idea that the new sect leader was this powerful. Could he be a legendary master with a grade-eight Fate Character? But how was that possible?!


    "You!"


    Sutton Yu clutched at his chest with a pained gasp. A stream of god''s power had assaulted him just now, and his heart a


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    u want to test it on them?"


    "Well, I did learn some new skills, but I''m not sure if they''re accurate or not. Please let me show you, so you can give me some advice later," Tyrone reiterated his request respectfully.


    "Okay then, you can do it. Show me how much your strength has increased."


    Darren knew that the other man''s strength would increase once he mastered some basic swordsmanship, but since he hadn''t reached the highest level of swordsmanship, the improvement of his strength wouldn''t be too radical.


    In the next moment, he and Tyrone caught up with Sutton Yu and the others, who were running away.


    "Hey, guys, why are you in such a hurry? Please wait a moment."


    "Who the hell are you? Why are you stopping us?"


    The Dragon Tiger Cliff''s disciples didn''t recognize the man that had stopped them because Darren didn''t show up. Tyrone had appeared before them in his stead.

 Chapter 2037 Tyrones Talented Swordsmanship (Part One)

    Tyrone''s physical appearance looked vastly different from any member of the Immortal God race, which made it obvious that he wasn''t one of them.


    So, when Sutton and his companions spotted him, they were all startled.


    It took a moment for Sutton to recover, but when he did, he immediately tried to assess Tyrone''s aura, a frown gracing his face.


    "How is this possible? You are a silicon-based creature!"


    "What the hell?! A silicon-based creature? That lowly creature has a lot of guts to stand in our way!"


    "Damn it! As if being robbed by a petty bandit wasn''t enough. Now, this lowly silicon-based creature dares to come and take advantage of our trouble. How dare he look down on us?"


    The disciples of the Dragon Tiger Cliff couldn''t help but curse with much disdain as they saw through Tyrone''s identity.


    Silicon-based creatures were a life form that was slightly better than carbon-based creatures. But in the eyes of the members of the Immortal God race, both life forms were far beneath their race. After all, their race had improved in leaps and bounds for hundreds of millions of years, so these creatures were no better than animals


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    emained stagnant for a worryingly long time, but somehow, he finally surpassed the invisible barrier. He had grown in strength, something he had thought impossible before. In his eyes, Darren was like a savior to him.


    "Don''t get too excited. With your talent, it might take you millions of years before you could reach the highest level of swordsmanship. Thus, you need to practice hard. Do you see that warrior with a grade-seven Fate Character and six metal meridians? I want you to kill him without using your hiding ability. Experience will be your best teacher," Darren said through his spiritual sense.


    "As you wish, master,"


    answered Tyrone without hesitation. Then, he sped towards Sutton with a dark gleam of murder in his eyes.


    "Humph, you pitiful creature! Do you think you can go against me? We are as different as heaven and earth!"


    Sutton was a powerful warrior with a grade-seven Fate Character and six metal meridians. Perhaps that mysterious new leader of the Scorching Fire Sect had been too strong for him, but there was no way that this silicon-based creature could kill him. Not when he had a grade-seven Fate Character!

 Chapter 2038 Tyrones Talented Swordsmanship (Part Two)

    Boom!


    The next moment, Sutton threw a punch boosted by his god''s power that surged over them like a tidal wave. Tyrone dared not underestimate his opponent.


    The Limit Penetration''s sword moves stood out in Tyrone''s mind. Outwardly, it seemed like his attacks were random, but the truth was that every move was infused with the essence of swordsmanship.


    A sudden buzz sounded.


    Then, a wisp of sword intent supported by god''s power flew like a bullet towards Sutton''s palm.


    "Ah!"


    A pained roar escaped from Sutton''s lips. His feet wavered weakly, and he fell back a few paces.


    His hand had been struck, and blood flowed from it sluggishly.


    Although Sutton had only received a minor wound, the wisp of sword intent had rushed into his body through it. It would travel in his veins, and once it reached his heart, he would be in grave danger.


    "This guy''s attack is really strange!"


    The fight was going well, but i


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    t the same time. The lighting that had broken the space had struck them, leaving them seriously injured, if not dead.


    Darren, who was still hidden at the sidelines, nodded with satisfaction.


    "He is doing great! He has reached the state where the sword and the swordsman are in perfect harmony."


    He felt delighted because this assured Tyrone could go further in the path of swordsmanship in the future.


    "And that gold sword is a truly incredible treasure! It''s comparable to the black divine sword that I failed to obtain in the past."


    It happened a long time ago. Darren had once seen an extraterrestrial divine sword in the Archean Age owned by the mysterious Sam, a supreme god.


    Even in Darren''s eyes, that sword had been a precious treasure. He had not seen anything like it before.


    The Dragon Gold Sword could be compared to that black divine sword. Its exquisite quality, strength, and rarity were all on par.

 Chapter 2039 Tyrones Talented Swordsmanship (Part Three)

    At this moment, Tyrone was fighting Sutton head-on with all his strength. He had initially found it difficult to do, but as they fought longer, he slowly regained his footing. With the fusion of his swordsmanship and his god''s power, he and Sutton were now evenly matched in strength.


    Of course, Tyrone''s strongest feature was not his cultivation base but his hiding ability.


    With his current improved attacking power, he could take any warrior with a grade-seven Fate Character by surprise and kill them if he used his hiding ability. As for grade-eight warriors, they had supernatural defensive power and strength, so he couldn''t say the same. There was too big a gap between their strength.


    Tyrone couldn''t defeat warriors with grade-eight Fate Characters, not unless he further upgraded his cultivation base once again.


    "You low-life! Indeed, you have some strength to boast, but do you think t


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    shock, while the old man struggled to stay on his feet.


    His mind was running a thousand miles a minute. He was perplexed because he knew all the warriors with grade-eight Fate Characters within the range of the Dragon Tiger Cliff, but somehow, he couldn''t figure out who his opponent was and where the lad had come from. ''His strength is also terrifying. He must be only slightly weaker than me.


    But how did my disciple provoke such a powerful warrior of this level?'' the old man thought to himself in confusion.


    "Master... I..."


    Tyrone''s voice came through at this moment, sounding hoarse and weak.


    "Are you okay? How hurt are you?"


    The collision just now had sent Tyrone and Sutton flying at the same time. The two streams of god''s power had struck them directly, shattered almost all of their bones, and left them for dead. Blood and gaping wounds littered every part of their bodies.

 Chapter 2040 Fighting Warriors With Grade-eight Fate Characters (Part One)

    Tyrone gritted his teeth, grimly enduring the pain in his body. He used his hiding ability to fly unseen to Darren''s side.


    "Master, I''m sorry. I don''t know what happened just now. I felt that my body and consciousness were no longer under my control," he explained, sounding upset.


    "No need to explain," Darren replied. "I know what happened just now. You''d better hide yourself far away. This old man will be very difficult to deal with¡ªhe is a warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character."


    Darren could tell that Tyrone had difficulty following his order just now, as he had almost spiraled into madness.


    Sutton, standing in front of Darren, was also seriously injured. However, he had recovered to some extent since being treated by the healing power of the old man''s shadow.


    "Master, this guy is the thief who has occupied the Scorching Fire Sect," Sutton said quickly. "Please kill him!"


    The old man who appeared now was only in the form of a shadow. Still, it was a formidable figure. This shadow could utilize ninety percent of the strength of the old man''s real body within the timespan of half an hour.


    ''No matte


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    ng himself to lower his voice, he glared at Darren and said, "I''ll give you one last chance. Let go of my disciple right now. If you don''t, I''ll turn you into ashes within the next five minutes!"


    Darren snorted. "Five minutes? I don''t think so. Your real body will come, right? And that''s why you think you can kill me? Don''t overrate yourself. I''ll fight you and defeat you!"


    At that moment, he sensed that a powerful aura approaching swiftly from the direction of the Dragon Tiger Cliff. It was the real body of the old man. But Darren was not even the slightest bit afraid.


    Now that he had a grade-five Fate Character and five silver meridians, he was looking for a chance to test his strength. This old man was so powerful that it would be a pity if Darren didn''t seize this opportunity to practice!


    "Master, help me!" cried Sutton piteously.


    His face was contorted in agony from the violent loss of both arms.


    "Are you afraid now?" Tyrone taunted him. "Weren''t you just saying how lowly I was? I''ll give you a chance. Kneel down before me, and I''ll ask my master to spare your life." Sutton knelt without hesitation.

 Chapter 2041 Fighting Warriors With Grade-eight Fate Characters (Part Two)

    "Sir, I have been so blind. I didn''t know that you are so powerful. Please spare my life," he said humbly, giving Tyrone a frightened look.


    "Sutton, stand up!" roared the old man. "A real warrior would rather die than kneel down to beg for his life!" He scowled to see his disciple kneeling before someone else, feeling both angry and anxious.


    "Master, I want to live," Sutton said, pleading like a child. His face was white with fear.


    The old man was furious. "You''re useless!" he snapped.


    A minute passed, and Darren sensed that the old man''s real body was about to arrive.


    "Ah, a man of the noble Immortal God race kneels down before me!" said Tyrone, shaking his head. "That shadow is right. You are useless. It''s a waste for you to continue living."


    He glanced at Darren, who nodded.


    Tyrone lifted his sword. Sutton realized what was about to happen, and in his final moment, h


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    ew in his heart. His face turned pale.


    A supreme creature like the dragon was much more sacred in the Immortal God race than in the Primitive Wilderness.


    The dragon was even superior to emperors! They worshipped it devoutly.


    In the faith of the Immortal God race, a genuine dragon was the equivalent of the gods and immortals of the mortal world.


    ''This guy is just a reclusive cultivator! How did he come by this dragon aura?''


    the old man wondered. After a moment, he told himself, ''It must be some sort of trick or illusion. Don''t panic.'' The dragon, made of sword intent, was a brilliant snow-white in color.


    Darren had added his god''s power to it.


    Unfortunately, maybe because he was currently in another person''s body, the fusion degree of his god''s power and sword intent was less than one in a trillion. As a result, the effect of increasing the attacking power was limited.

 Chapter 2042 Fighting Warriors With Grade-eight Fate Characters (Part Three)

    Besides, without the support of the God Characters, Darren''s current sword intent couldn''t reach its peak. Otherwise, Darren would have the confidence to fight even against the emperors of the regions.


    In the case of the metal real body, the fusion degree of his sword intent and god''s power would be high. By fusing a little bit of god''s power with his sword intent, he would be able to contend against the emperors.


    Moreover, the Dragon and Fiend God Character was also inside the metal real body. If the members of the Immortal God race saw him transform into a dragon, Darren wondered what reaction they would have.


    The old man switched from offensive tactics to defensive ones. Soon his whole body was covered with defensive god''s power.


    There was a booming sound as he stretched out his arm, holding up his palm to fight against the


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    killed my disciple, so I''m going to avenge him," the old man named Wolfe Qi replied.


    "How could a useless thief make you so angry and go to such lengths just to kill him? Does this guy have the support of some senior leaders from other sects?" said the shadow.


    "No," said Wolfe. "It''s just that this guy is more powerful than I expected. He is as powerful as a warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character and one metal meridian. If I don''t unseal my meridians, I can''t defeat him."


    "What?" exclaimed the shadow, sounding surprised. "Well, let me help you. Seal your meridians now. I will kill him myself." With that, the shadow''s real body began to descend.


    Darren''s heart sank. He had already been struggling to figure out a way to fight the old man. Now, without warning, here was another warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character.

 Chapter 2043 The Purple Fruit (Part One)

    Earlier, Sutton''s master, Wolfe Qi, had unsealed his meridians, and the succeeding power that came out of him put overwhelming pressure over Darren.


    The old man alone was already intimidating, but to make matters worse, he was now facing Wolfe''s senior fellow disciple, and this man was not inferior to Wolfe in terms of strength.


    Darren hated to admit it, but he wasn''t feeling confident at all. How could he deal with two incredibly powerful warriors with grade-eight Fate Characters and two metal meridians at the same time?


    Indeed, an inferior-rate sect couldn''t hold a candle against a middle-rate sect.


    Both opponents in front of him could destroy tens of thousands of inferior-rate sects with ease!


    "Is this the one you were talking about?"


    asked Wolfe''s senior fellow disciple as he studied Darren intently, looking as if he could see into the young man''s soul.


    ''He looks like a mere boy! This guy must only be in his twenties, so how did he force Wolfe to unseal his meridians?'' he thought to himself. The situation seemed too bizarre for him.


    "Yes, that''s him. But now, I have to seal my meridians again, since I''m losing too many cultiva


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    ropensity for psychological warfare.


    "Well, what are you waiting for? Get out of my face, you old bastards, before I lose my temper. I can''t kill you with my strength, anyway. But you''d better be careful. If we cross paths again one day, I won''t let you go as easily. I will definitely kill you then! Humph!" Darren continued, his eyes burning with disdain.


    "You bastard¡ª"


    Before Wolfe could finish speaking, Meade hushed him through his spiritual sense, saying, "Stop it, Wolfe! I told you this guy must have an extraordinary background. We''d better retreat first and find out more about him. Let''s not do anything rash that we might regret later."


    "Come on, Meade. How can you say something so cowardly? We can''t just run away." Obviously, Wolfe hated the idea.


    "Fine! What do you suggest we do then? Listen, we have to be smart about this. Let''s just retreat for now, okay? And then I''ll find out who he is as soon as possible. If he is from a mere middle-rate sect, I will kill him for you. But if an upper-rate sect is supporting him, we''ll find a way to kill him in secret. That''s the best we could do so that we won''t put our sect in jeopardy."

 Chapter 2044 The Purple Fruit (Part Two)

    Wolfe sighed. He didn''t know what to say. After all, Meade was right. They had to approach this matter cautiously, as it would endanger their entire sect and not just their lives. "Okay, okay. I hate it, but you''re right. We have to withdraw."


    "You should be thankful, brat. Ordinarily, I would have punished you for being so impudent. But you got lucky today, since the two of us have something more important to do. I''ll spare your life for now. But you better watch your back!"


    After saying that, Meade and Wolfe flew off at once.


    "Ha-ha!"


    Once the two had disappeared from his sight, Darren couldn''t help laughing.


    "Ha-ha! Their own imagination frightened those two old men."


    In his lifetime, Darren had encountered many kinds of people. Compared with him, these two old men were like inexperienced babies. He could see through whatever plans they had, even before they could put them into words.


    "Master, are you all right?"


    ask


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    Darren would accuse him of stealing. Darren took pity on him and replied, "Don''t worry, I know you stole nothing. Now, why don''t you go and take five kilograms of grade-five metal from the treasury as a reward?"


    "Oh! Thank you so much, sir!" With a relieved sigh, the elder went on his way, pleased that he had survived through the encounter and even received a reward.


    Their new sect leader was not only powerful, but he was also exceedingly generous. The Scorching Fire Sect''s former elders were all impressed with him and thought that he was the perfect leader to follow.


    Darren sighed and muttered to himself, "This isn''t enough..."


    Still, he went on to refine all the white metal at once.


    In less than a quarter of an hour, all the white metal had transformed into a black substance surrounded by purple mist.


    And just as he expected, the purple mist created by the white metal wasn''t enough to push the purple fruit to maturity.

 Chapter 2045 The Purple Fruit (Part Three)

    "I need more white metal..."


    Knowing that he needed more, Darren thought about how he could get some. He then decided to attack some evil sects and take their white metal.


    "Sir, the vice sect leader is here to see you."


    "Let him in," said Darren with a slight nod.


    Like a flurry of wind, Zayd rushed into Darren''s cultivation room.


    "Did something happen? Why are you in such a hurry?"


    Zayd''s flustered look alarmed Darren for a second because he thought that the Dragon Tiger Cliff had found him too early.


    He thought that he still had a few days before those hooligans found him. Did he make a mistake? Could they have found him so soon?


    "Sir, we are being attacked! The Wolf Tooth Sect is coming as we speak!"


    "The Wolf Tooth Sect?" Instead of getting angry, Darren''s eyes lit up in anticipation.


    How lucky! Here he was, thinking of where to get the white metal, but who knew it would come


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    ''t do anything..." Tears coursed down Zayd''s beat-up cheekbones. Despite his old age, he had never experienced so much suffering as he had today.


    Their opponents had not only hurt him physically, but they even humiliated him by forcing him to kneel and kiss their feet. And he came out of the ordeal with grave injuries.


    How could he face the other sect members after this disgrace?


    "Those arrogant pests..."


    Darren could tell what had happened to Zayd even before the other man told him. It was obvious from his injuries and the shame on his face.


    "I intended to give them five hundred kilograms of grade-six metal and two hundred and fifty kilograms of grade-seven metal with the condition that they left us alone afterward. However, they grew more violent and said that I treated them as beggars. Then, their sect leader forced me to kneel..." Zayd tearfully narrated the story in an aggrieved tone.

 Chapter 2046 Merely A Servant

    Although the people of the Wolf Tooth Sect had come to rob them, Darren had not wanted to start a conflict. He''d hoped they would leave without causing any additional trouble after he gave them some money.


    But he hadn''t expected them to be so arrogant. They''d beaten Zayd and forced him to kneel before them!


    Darren understood why they were provoking the Scorching Fire Sect. The Wolf Tooth Sect clearly wanted to infuriate them so they could start a war, allowing them to destroy the Scorching Fire Sect and take all the resources.


    A war to legitimize the total destruction of the sect¡ªthat was their real purpose for coming here.


    "It seems that they are tired of being alive," Darren said lightly, but there was a cold anger in his eyes.


    "Master Alex, please don''t confront them. If the young man with the surname Yan gets hurt, the Wolf Tooth Sect will have an acceptable reason to wipe out the Scorching Fire Sect," Zayd said. Although he had been beaten, bullied, and insulted, Zayd was still clearheaded. He tried to persuade Darren to back down because he feared the consequences for the sect if they offended that young man.


    Darren shook his head. "Do you think they will retreat if I stay inside? Their goal is to destroy the Scorching Fire Sect, and they will not stop until they succeed... or unless someone stops them."


    With that, Darren left, and flew directly to the sq


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    he said icily.


    Benicio got up, his head ringing from the slap. He was aggrieved, but he did not dare show any anger towards Brutus Yan. Instead he pointed at Darren and said, "You heard him! Hand over the sword now!"


    "You''re very anxious to regain the sword," said Darren, looking at Benicio calmly.


    "That''s because it belongs to Mr. Norton Yan," Benicio retorted. "I will do anything to get it back for him!"


    Darren smiled humorlessly. "Well, since you are so eager to die, I will fulfill your wish."


    He raised his hand, and a wisp of sword intent mixed with god''s power shot out.


    A bean-sized red dot appeared between Benicio''s eyebrows. His pupils dilated and his expression froze.


    "Benicio, do what you must to reclaim the Dragon Gold Sword. Whoever dares to fight back is the enemy of Master Norton, and their whole kindred will definitely be annihilated," Brutus Yan ordered.


    A few seconds passed. There was no response at all from Benicio.


    Brutus Yan walked over and slapped him again. "Do as I say!"


    As soon as his slap landed, Benicio''s head exploded. Since he was already dead, he couldn''t use his god''s power to defend himself, so his body couldn''t withstand the slap.


    "Dead!" exclaimed Brutus Yan, sounding stunned.


    Benicio had not been ignoring his order. Somehow, that arrogant young man in purple had killed him before Brutus Yan even slapped him.

 Chapter 2047 Kill Them All

    "How dare you?!"


    Brutus looked outraged as he pointed at Darren; his face was red and his eyes were bulging.


    "Are you deaf? I told you I serve Master Norton!"


    Slap!


    In a flash, Darren appeared before Brutus, and sent dozens of slaps across his poor face.


    "What master?"


    "Ma¡ª Master Norton! Listen to me, damn it!"


    Slap! Slap! Slap!


    Brutus kept on trying to talk but only received more slaps from Darren.


    It was only at this moment that he realized Darren was not playing dumb. He had reacted like he didn''t recognize his master because the name Norton meant nothing to him at all.


    "Master Alex, please let him go."


    "Yes, Master Alex. You are making a grave mistake."


    "Why don''t we leave it at that, Master Alex? He hurt us, but it''s not a big deal. Everything will go to the dogs if we offend a disciple from the Yan Clan."


    The elders were horrified to see Darren attack Brutus. They immediately tried to pacify him, hoping that he would drop the matter.


    "You useless people! We have gone so far already, and now you''re telling me to back off just like that? Get out of my way!"


    Honestly, Darren would have been more inclined to let Brutus and the Wolf Tooth Sect''s disciples live if they just came to extort some money. But it was obvious they had intended to kill them all, so why should he grant them mercy?


    And besides, Brutus also had his greedy eyes on the Dragon Gold Sword. Still, Darren knew that eve


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    the Wolf Tooth Sect and observe them. If anything unusual happens, kill all their members immediately and bring back all the white metal you can find in their storage," he specified.


    "Yes, sir." With a last nod, Tyrone concealed himself and flew directly to the Wolf Tooth Sect''s headquarters.


    Now that Darren had dealt with the most pressing concern, he went on to refine the two thousand kilograms of white metal.


    It only took him a few hours to finish refining all the white metal.


    Unfortunately, it didn''t seem to make much of a difference to the Fate Character Tree. Darren figured that it would take more than a few thousand kilograms of white metal to upgrade a grade-five Fate Character.


    Half of the two thousand kilograms of white metal turned into black substance, while the other half transformed into a purple mist and then integrated into the purple fruit.


    "It has ripened!"


    At that moment, a fragrant smell emanated from the purple fruit. Indeed, it had matured.


    Darren couldn''t wait. He excitedly plucked it from the tree and absorbed it with his spiritual sense.


    "Huh? Weird,"


    he murmured, frowning when nothing happened.


    He had absorbed the fruit, but he didn''t feel any changes in his body.


    It felt like he had eaten an ordinary wild fruit.


    "What happened? How did it end up like this?"


    Darren was confused. The Fate Character Tree seemed to have produced a useless fruit. It made no sense.

 Chapter 2048 The Quota

    Darren quickly checked his body. However, nothing had changed.


    He was perplexed. What did this mean about the purple fruit?


    He was certain it must have some sort of effect, but he couldn''t figure out what it was.


    After a moment, he sighed. ''Forget it, '' he thought. ''I''ll just keep on testing and trying to determine the properties of the fruit in the future.''


    He was slightly disappointed, but for the time being, he decided to ignore this issue.


    After all, he had other things on his mind. The sect promotion assessment would take place in a few days.


    Darren went out and flew to the headquarters of the Celestial Sect.


    He headed directly towards the meeting hall of the sect, to pay a visit to Daxton.


    The leader of the Celestial Sect was pleased to see him. "Alex, welcome back!" he exclaimed. "Take a seat, and have some tea with me."


    Daxton smiled broadly, as though he had been reunited with an old friend he hadn''t seen in a long time.


    Darren sat and accepted the tea. He said, "Sir, the sect promotion assessment is about to be conducted soon, right?"


    "Yes. I was going to remind you, but then I realized you would never forget such an important schedule," Daxton replied.


    "And it will be held in the imperial city?" Darren asked.


    Previously, Daxton had said that there would be a total of eight thousand bottom-rate sects participating in the assessment. He''d explained that all the outstanding disciples designated by the sects to represent them would have to go to the imperial


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    said. "It won''t only be the bottom-rate sects participating in this assessment. The inferior-rate, middle-rate, and upper-rate sects will also take part. We are not strong enough to stand against any but the other bottom-rate sects. In case anyone tries anything unfair, you must tolerate it. Do not engage in conflict with the higher level sects. Keep this in mind throughout the assessment." It would also be the first time that Daxton visited the imperial city. He was nervous and excited, and eager to make a good impression.


    "Don''t worry, sir. Do you think I''m like a troublemaker?" Darren said, smiling.


    Daxton''s heart skipped a beat. Darren had spoken lightly, but there was no doubt he had caused trouble in the past. Daxton thought, ''You may not look like a troublemaker, but you are.''


    Of course, he kept this thought to himself. To cover the awkward moment, he smiled and asked if Darren had any questions.


    "You said just now that the upper-rate sects would also take part in the assessment. But that''s the top level a sect can reach. Why would they bother participating in this event? Or...is there an even higher level?" Darren asked. His brow was furrowed in confusion.


    Daxton shook his head. He said, "The upper-rate sects are the top forces, inferior only to the royal family and the Yan Clan. Their status can''t be upgraded any further. They take part in the assessment for a single reason: because of the quota set by the royal family," Daxton said.


    "What quota?" Darren asked, intrigued.

 Chapter 2049 Heading For The Imperial City

    "As I said earlier, three bottom-rate sects who will win the first three places will be rewarded. Each winning sect will be given an opportunity to improve one of their disciples'' level of strength. Of course, every winning upper-rate sect will receive a similar opportunity, but they will have a quota of three hundred disciples. That means they only need to be ranked in the top three hundred," Daxton lengthily explained.


    "What do you mean? How exactly are they supposed to improve their strength?" Darren asked, his face still awash with confusion.


    "Well, to be honest, I don''t know either. The organizers haven''t clarified what that part means yet. However, I heard other sect leaders talk about it, and it looks like they will guide the winners to an exceptionally arcane place where they could cultivate. Alex, I''m sure that with your strength, you''ll win one of the top three places of the bottom-rate sects'' assessment. Remember to use this opportunity to improve your strength and strive for further progress."


    Daxton gazed at Darren with his eyes full of expectation. If Darren won any of the top three places, he would pull the Celestial Sect higher in the fabric of society, and they would become a justifiable middle-rate sect.


    He had never thought he could be a middle-rate sect''s leader before, not even in his wildest dreams!


    But now, that future was close at hand. This thought lit his face in joy, and he felt happiness bubble up from his insides.


    "I know. I''ll do my best." Darren nodded earnestly.


    This would be the first big event that Darren had attended since he a


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    aring this, people broke off into small groups and gathered around the Divine Wind Sect''s reception area.


    "Wow! Big sects are so considerate. They certainly know how to treat people right."


    "That''s true. We are mere passers-by, but they don''t seem to mind. The Divine Wind Sect''s elders treat us with courtesy, unlike the other upper-rate sects. Indeed, this sect deserves its rate."


    Some mutterings could be heard from the small groups, while the people drank tea and ate delicious dessert.


    Of course, they regretted this later. They found that a cup of tea cost fifty grams of grade-eight metal. Their food cost as much as the fare!


    A bottom-rate sect leader and two of his disciples ate and drank carelessly, not minding that they had eaten a lot. When the time to pay came, they were charged two kilograms of grade-eight metal in total. When they found out how much they had to pay, they were outraged and even threw a tantrum and made a scene.


    Of course, the Divine Wind Sect''s guards quickly intervened, took them into custody, and beat them up.


    "Wow! I''m glad I didn''t eat or drink anything. How can a cup of tea cost fifty grams of grade-eight metal? Damn it! They are nothing more than robbers!" Apollo, the Pockmark Sect''s leader, shook his head in dismay.


    "It''s almost time. Everyone who has paid, please line up and enter the transmission array in order."


    At this moment, a curtain of bright light appeared and a crack emerged from within it. The small hairline cracks soon grew wider and wider. That was the transmission array, activating a path to the imperial city.

 Chapter 2050 The Test Started (Part One)

    The moment that people stepped into the transmission array, they must hold their breath and close their senses to avoid spiraling into madness.


    In a span of time that felt like seconds, they had been teleported to the imperial city.


    In reality, it had taken them around a quarter of an hour to arrive.


    In order to transport thousands of people at once through the transmission array, a force had to use a lot of top-grade metal. That was why most small forces were unable to build a transmission array. They simply couldn''t afford it.


    As the group of people started to exit the transmission array, Darren and Daxton followed.


    When they stepped outside, they found themselves surrounded by the suburb of the imperial city. The area was flat and open, and a sea of people were already gathered there, waiting for further instructions.


    Even in the air, people and many metal beasts were hanging out.


    "Wow! There''s so much to see here!"


    Daxton exclaimed, raising his hand to shield his eyes as he looked up at the huge, metal beasts that were flying in the sky. Their bodies were radiant, glowing in the sun.


    "Alex,


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    tions were arranged according to the ranks of the sects and all foods and drinks were provided free of charge.


    Darren and Daxton walked with the crowd, eventually arriving at the residence that had been arranged for them.


    It was located in a large courtyard house where all the people from the bottom-rate sects would live.


    They were still inside of the suburb. The only people that were qualified to live in the city were those from the middle-rate and upper-rate sects. The imperial palace was reserved for the most important people, those from the Yan Clan.


    "These are acceptable quarters,"


    Daxton commented as he wandered around the room. There were two guest rooms that branched off of the main room. The decorations were not luxurious, but very classic.


    Darren and Daxton sat down opposite from each other and sipped on warm tea. Darren was busy thinking about the man and the woman who had been playing and teasing each other. He then casually said, "The two that were fooling around in the square today were quite arrogant, but the young man from the royal family didn''t even interfere. It was interesting."

 Chapter 2051 The Test Started (Part Two)

    Daxton frowned and drew closer to him.


    "Watch what you''re saying, even here." Daxton''s eyes nervously scanned the room, making sure that no one was around to hear them. Then, he said in a low voice, "I heard that they are the direct descendants of the Yan Clan. No one dares to discipline them except for the descendants of the emperor."


    "No way! That''s an impressive background!" Darren smiled and took a sip of tea, saying nothing further.


    "It was pure luck. They were born into the noble clan. They did nothing to gain their level of power." Shaking his head, Daxton smiled bitterly and added, "In fact, there is one other clan that is incomparably distinguished in the Eastern Imperial Region. I wonder if they have come too."


    "Really? Which clan?"


    Darren knew a lot about the Yan Clan. He couldn''t recall any other clan in the Eastern Imperial Region that was as important as them. He thought hard but came up empty.


    "The Red Demon Clan. Haven''t you heard of it?"


    Darren shook his head.


    "Oh, right. I think you''ve never read the biography of the emperor of the East Imperial Region. Legend states that the emperor, with the surname Donghuang, had two sworn brothers. One''s surname is Yan, and the other came from a peculiar clan named the Red Demon Clan. The three fought together to conquer the world. They had to kill seven kings and three emperors before they finally established the kingdom of the Eastern I


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    tion and that they would want to prove their worth by attacking him later.


    "I was restraining myself. I didn''t even use my god''s power." Darren shrugged.


    "Uh..." Daxton was speechless. The truth was, he didn''t know what Darren''s true strength was.


    Without them noticing, Apollo approached them and said to Darren with a smile, "You are really powerful, Alex."


    "It was nothing. You flattered me." Darren smiled in return and asked, "Master Apollo, where is your disciple? Did he win?"


    Darren looked at Apollo curiously. They saw him all the time but he was always without his disciple.


    "Oh, he''s very lucky. He drew two blanks and automatically advanced. Ha-ha!" Apollo replied.


    "Huh! That is very lucky. You should treat us to some of your famous wine!" In the beginning, Daxton had been reluctant in getting to know him, but after drinking his delicious wine, he wanted to make friends with him.


    "Sure. Alex will win the next round. Let''s celebrate tonight. It''s my treat." Apollo patted his chest.


    "Excellent. Remember to bring your disciple with you. Maybe he can share some of his luck with me," Darren said with a smile.


    "All right, all right. See you tonight." Apollo sauntered away, whistling as he went. He stopped next to a platform that had the largest number of onlookers.


    As he stared at his back, Darren narrowed his eyes and muttered to himself, "Apollo may not be as simple as he looks."

 Chapter 2052 Identity Revealed (Part One)

    The first round of the test took another two hours to complete.


    A total of forty thousand disciples from the bottom-rate sects had taken part in the first round. Each of them fought an opponent until twenty thousand disciples were left.


    When the second round was finished, the top ten thousand disciples would be decided. The remaining participants would leave and rest, continuing to take the test tomorrow.


    After the participants drew their straws, the second round began.


    Darren walked onto a platform and faced his second opponent.


    ''A warrior with a grade-six Fate Character?''


    Darren''s eyebrows rose as he squared up against his opponent.


    That meant that he was one of the top masters among the warriors of the bottom-rate sects. Most of the leaders of the bottom-rate sects were only grade-six warriors.


    In addition to the grade-six Fate Character, the young man in front of him also had four metal meridians.


    "Ha-ha! Look! That guy is going to fight Ridge."


    "Wait a minute. Is that Ridge Wu from the Cold Blade Sect?"


    "Exactly! According to what we know, Ridge is almost destined to enter the t


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    n knocked Ridge Wu off of the stage and ended the competition.


    When the audience saw the result, they fell silent.


    In the end, the warrior with the surname Chu had won!


    Ridge Wu lost. Cheers and excitement erupted in the crowd. People stood up and clapped, smiling wide.


    "Damn it! The brat had a dirty trick up his sleeve. He released a hidden weapon when I wasn''t paying attention. That''s how he knocked me down! Despicable!"


    Ridge Wu was lifted up from the ground by someone. He felt weak and angry as he swept the dirt off of his bottom.


    "So that''s how he won. He attacked Ridge using a hidden weapon!"


    "There is no rule stating that hidden weapons are not allowed. It''s a part of one''s strength. It''s not shameful."


    "That''s right. But in terms of real strength, Ridge is slightly stronger than him."


    "Well, I agree with you on that point."


    Discussion broke out among the crowd. Soon, they had concluded that Darren was not as strong as Ridge Wu.


    "Boy, we''ll meet in the final battle of the top ten and I''ll show you who the true winner is!" Ridge Wu roared, pointing a shaky finger at Darren.

 Chapter 2053 Identity Revealed (Part Two)

    Because he was strong, he was qualified to continue participating in the test. There were a total of twenty people with the same qualifications.


    "The next fight they have will be even more interesting. Ridge won''t be so careless next time."


    Darren chose to ignore Ridge Wu. He walked off of the platform and headed towards Daxton, planning to have a drink and celebrate.


    He was satisfied with his performance today.


    Thanks to some careful acting, everyone believed that he was as strong as a warrior with a grade-six Fate Character and four metal meridians. He could fight for first place without exposing his true strength. Everything was in his favor.


    That night, Apollo arrived as promised, followed by a young man that was around sixteen years old.


    Just like yesterday, he brought his wine pot and some dishes.


    "Ha-ha! Apollo, welcome!" Daxton greeted when he opened the door to their room.


    Today, Darren had passed the test successfully and now, the wine that Daxton coveted was here, making him giddy.


    Apollo nodded his head. He fetched some wine cups and laid them carefully on the table.


    They all took their seats.


    "Is this your disciple?"


    Daxton asked while he eyed the young man across from him. He was not handsome, but he looked very gentle.


    "My name is Kenneth Wang. It''s nice to meet you, Master Daxto


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    were the first members of the Immortal God race that Darren had met. Abdullah''s Fate Character allowed him to ignore space and teleport infinitely. In Darren''s eyes, it was normal for high-level Fate Characters to have special functions.


    Darren''s own Fate Character was even more peculiar.


    "Tell me, what do you want from me?" Darren couldn''t figure out what Apollo was asking of him.


    "It''s very simple. I want you to take care of Kenneth after the two of you enter the Dragon Bone Ruins. You can form an alliance. What do you think?"


    Apollo nodded his head and smiled while he spoke, trying to make his offer sound incentivizing.


    "Dragon Bone Ruins? Is that the opportunity that the royal family will offer to the top three winners of the test to help them improve their strength?"


    "Yes.


    Alex, even though I hid my true identity from you and Master Daxton at first, I promise that I never bore any ill intentions. Besides, I like to make friends. I haven''t shown you any fake sides of me since we''ve met each other. Even if you don''t agree to help take care of Kenneth, we are still friends. We can still sit together and drink whenever you have the time," Apollo said.


    "Okay. That''s easy."


    Darren had met a lot of people. He could easily tell who was lying and who was bragging.


    In his eyes, Apollo was an honest man.

 Chapter 2054 Watching The Battle (Part One)

    In Darren''s eyes, Apollo''s request was understandable.


    The man''s fifth son must only be sixteen years old, but he was already as strong as a warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character. If he had any hidden talent, he could easily reach that level.


    This showed that he was no weaker than any genius.


    So, Darren didn''t hesitate to give his approval. "Of course, I agree."


    "That''s great!" Hearing this, Apollo let out a boisterous laugh, cupped his hands with a wide smile on his face, and turned his head towards his son. "Kenneth, what should you say to Mr. Chu?"


    Kenneth, Apollo''s son, was a quiet and unremarkable young man, and he showed neither arrogance nor impulsivity. There was a world of difference between him and most of the Yan Clan''s disciples.


    In response to his father, the young man stood up and cupped his hands towards Darren. "Thank you, sir. I am grateful that you agreed to take care of me."


    "Don''t worry about it. We can take care of each other from now on." A warm smile graced Darren''s lips as he marveled at the boy''s surprisingly good temperament.


    "That settles it then. Daxton,


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    hes until the top one hundred disciples came out on top.


    If one wanted to qualify and reach the top one hundred, they would have to fight at least six consecutive rounds of battle. The winners would then be promoted.


    The previous day, Darren had displayed some of his strength. So today, he was quick to dismiss his weaker opponents, throwing them off the stage with no qualms. In contrast, he pretended to be on par when he met opponents with grade-six Fate Characters. He played around on the stage and fought them for a while before finally defeating them.


    After six rounds of battle, Darren successfully entered the top one hundred. The comprehensive score showed that he was temporarily ranked third. Kenneth was the hundredth.


    "You''re even better at hiding your strength than I am,"


    Darren remarked with a playful smile as he met Kenneth, who had just finished his own battles.


    "I learned it from you. Ha-ha!" Kenneth bantered with him and then looked into the distance. "Anyway, we have nothing left to do now. Why don''t we go watch the competition among the disciples from the upper-rate sects?"

 Chapter 2055 Watching The Battle (Part Two)

    "I don''t think we will find them exciting. They are all disciples with grade-six or grade-seven Fate Characters."


    Although the upper-rate sects had a lot of influence and resources, they had very few geniuses with genuine talents. Most warriors were only slightly powerful than the disciples of the other sects, and only a smattering of them vastly surpassed the others.


    "Actually, there are some powerful disciples out there who are even better than me," Kenneth corrected Darren, much to his surprise.


    "Really? Do you mean there are still warriors with grade-eight Fate Characters and two metal meridians among them?"


    "Of course. Some of them are just hiding their strength, just like us. Some people don''t even need to participate in the competition, and they could reach the top one hundred straightaway. They are formidable warriors, and some even have grade-eight Fate Characters and three metal meridians!" Kenneth divulged excitedly.


    Darren''s eyebrows shot up when he heard these words. He couldn''t believe some of them were so remarkable.


    Someone at that realm could easily destroy a middle-rate sect.


    "I guess I have underestimated them. How old are these people anyway?" Darren asked, forcing himself to sound casual instead of overly curious.


    "All of them are older than me. Three of them are from the upper-rate sects, four of them are from the Yan Clan, and one is from a middle-rate sect. Don''t look down on that one though because he isn''t weak."


    "That''s interesting. I didn''t think so many outstanding warriors would hide their talents and strength in this contest." Darren looked thoughtful for a moment, and then asked, "What about the roy


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    them. However, we have no right to move right now since they didn''t provoke us," Darren replied before he chose to stay quiet and drop the sensitive topic.


    Meanwhile, in the arena, Lorenzo and Ives Yang were fighting fiercely.


    In the span of a few minutes, the two of them had fought for dozens of rounds. Lorenzo attacked with no mercy, as if he wanted to kill his opponent.


    On the other hand, Ives Yang kept dodging and mainly defended himself rather than going on the offense.


    "Humph! Why is Ives acting like a coward? He doesn''t even dare to make a move," the surrounding audience whispered to one another. Of course, Kenneth had already realized Ives wasn''t running away. He was actually holding back. He probably didn''t dare to reveal his true strength and hurt Lorenzo.


    After a few more rounds, Lorenzo finally caught Ives and threw him back, causing the other man to fall off the arena.


    Ives acted like he was struggling to stand up. He then bowed to the arena, endured the pain, and shouted, "Mr. Yan, your strength is unfathomable. I concede! You are indeed much stronger than me."


    "Ha-ha. You are not weak. On the contrary, I respect you a great deal. I admire you even more now for being wise enough to admit when you have lost. When we have a chance, I''ll try to give you some advice on improving your strength."


    At this moment, Lorenzo was in a good mood. He strutted around the stage like a proud peacock.


    "Thank you." After that, Ives thanked him, bowed towards him again, and then left the stage with a limp.


    "What the hell?! Their performance looked so fake! Who would believe that?" Kenneth couldn''t help but curse in a low voice.

 Chapter 2056 Grudge (Part One)

    Lorenzo''s servant heard what Kenneth said.


    With his hands behind his back, his big belly thrust out, he walked over to Kenneth, giving him a condescending look.


    "What did you say just now?" he asked.


    Kenneth frowned. "It''s none of your business."


    Lorenzo''s servant snorted, his face darkening. He replied, "It seems that you still haven''t learned your lesson. Didn''t you see what happened to those two minions? You must be blind or stupid. Otherwise, you wouldn''t dare talk about my young master behind his back! Or do you just want to die?"


    To his shock, Kenneth glared at him and snapped, "Fuck off!"


    Kenneth was not in the mood to tolerate anything more from this fat servant. After all, he had already made the effort to tolerate him before. Besides, the only thing he''d done was to say, in a low voice, that the battle looked fake. It certainly wasn''t enough for this man to confront him and pick a fight with him.


    The fat man spluttered, "How dare you? I''m Mr. Lorenzo Yan''s personal servant. Who do you think you are, talking to me like that? You reckless fool! I should rip out your tongue for this, or else yo


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    Lorenzo''s grandfather also had a high status, but he was only one of the senior elders of the Yan Clan. That was far inferior to the actual patriarch of the clan.


    It meant that Kenneth was much, much more influential than Lorenzo.


    He understood now why the man in black had rushed out to stop him from attacking Kenneth. If matters between the two of them had escalated, the Yan Clan and the Red Demon Clan would have ended up at war with each other.


    "Damn it!" Lorenzo cursed. "That man was so ugly, and dressed like a peasant to boot. And now you''re telling me he''s actually a direct descendant of a former patriarch of the Red Demon Clan! What do you think I should do?" The man in black considered, then said, "Young master, I suggest you pay a visit to the Red Demon Clan with some gifts and apologize to them. Then¡ª"


    Before he could finish his sentence, Lorenzo cut him off with a hard slap to the face.


    "I''m asking you how to kill that scoundrel without being noticed!" he said in a rage. "How dare you ask me to apologize to him? Are you out of your mind?" Lorenzo''s face was red and his eyes bulged with anger.

 Chapter 2057 Grudge (Part Two)

    The man in black knew it was hopeless, but he tried one more time to persuade Lorenzo. "Young master, please listen to me. That man is not someone you want as an enemy. Indeed, if you apologize to him sincerely, he may appreciate your gesture and agree to become allies. In the future, if anything happens to our clan, then we will have the Red Demon Clan on our side. As the saying goes, no discord, no concord¡ª"


    A deep boom resounded.


    Lorenzo had released his god''s power.


    The man in black was forced to retreat.


    "You are so stupid! Have you forgotten who I am? Why would I ever make the effort to become friends with someone like him? Shut up if you have nothing worthwhile to say!" Lorenzo shouted.


    In fact, however, the man in black was being quite reasonable. If Lorenzo took the initiative to apologize to Kenneth, it could be a golden opportunity to befriend someone with a direct line of descent from the patriarch of the Red Demon Clan.


    Unfortunately, as a spoiled son of the Yan Clan, Lorenzo valued his pride and ego more than anything else. He would never be willing to apologize to anyone.


    The man in black sighed inwardly. He was extremely disappointed in Lorenzo, but he didn''t dare to show any displeasure.


    "Please excuse me, young master. I will go now,"


    said the man in black. He bowed to Lorenzo and left.


    Lorenzo watched him go. Resentfully he muttered to himself, "Even though he''s a member of the Red Demon Clan, so what? He humiliated me, so I''m


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    th agitation.


    Every opponent who was knocked down by Darren had the same feeling¡ªthat they were almost able to defeat him.


    Unfortunately, this was an illusion. Nothing could have been further from the truth.


    Soon, the second round began.


    Darren stepped onto the platform.


    Instantly, his opponent gave him a murderous look and blurted out, "Do you remember me?"


    This man was Darren''s first opponent with a grade-six Fate Character in the sect promotion assessment on the first day. His name was Ridge Wu.


    Since his loss in the matchup against Darren, he had convinced himself that he should have won. Ridge was eager for this chance to fight Darren once more.


    "Last time you attacked me with a hidden weapon. You are shameless! Today you will pay for that with your life!" he roared.


    Ridge attacked Darren with full killing intent.


    Darren frowned. To him, showing a killing intent was considered taboo.


    "You want to kill me?" he said coldly.


    He threw a punch, his fist colliding with Ridge''s body.


    There was a crunching sound, and Ridge stepped back.


    He felt a wave of terror wash over him.


    Outwardly, he looked fine, but Darren''s counterattack had destroyed his bones and internal organs.


    ''How is this possible?''


    thought Ridge. His eyes were full of pain and fear.


    Even as he died, he was consumed by shock and awe at the power of the man in front of him.


    Ridge knew that what he had felt just now was the force of grade-eight god''s power.

 Chapter 2058 Gathering (Part One)

    Stumbling and flailing his arms, Ridge fell backwards off of the platform. He twitched on the ground, struggling for a few minutes before he died.


    The onlookers'' eyes widened. Many of them gasped or screamed.


    ''Is it true? Did Ridge really die like that? Does that mean that Alex Chu was hiding his real strength this whole time?


    Or did he use a hidden weapon to kill Ridge?'' they wondered.


    Ridge''s fellow disciples protested, pounding against the bottom of the platform with palms of their hands. But their shouts wouldn''t be heard. The rules of the assessment stated that no one would be blamed for beating their opponent to death.


    More rounds of the competition passed until the top four participators were the only ones who were left.


    Darren and Kenneth were two of them. The other two disciples were both grade-six warriors with five metal meridians. In the bottom-rate sects, they were considered absolute powerful warriors.


    The next round began and Darren and Kenneth stepped onto the platform, preparing to fight each other.


    "That young man''s strength is unfathomable. He will beat Alex Chu!"


    Ridge''s fellow disc


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    Darren always had a steady control over his fighting power. He had no idea how he had made such a big mistake and caused Kenneth to be seriously injured.


    Darren held his breath and recalled exactly what had just happened.


    He simulated the scene of the sword strike in his mind.


    All of a sudden, he opened his eyes. ''I see! This is what the purple fruit is capable of!''


    In that moment, an epiphany struck Darren straight on the head. Unbeknownst to him, the integrating degree between his swordsmanship and his god''s power had increased by a lot.


    That was the reason behind his simple sword strike causing so much damage. It was several times more powerful than usual.


    Through a lot of thought, Darren had determined that the purple fruit had played a big role in improving the integrating degree between his swordsmanship and his god''s power.


    ''No way! My Fate Character is stronger than I thought! Very few people can stop me now!''


    Darren smiled eagerly.


    If he could perfect the integrating degree between his swordsmanship and his god''s power, his strength would rise to levels he had never even fathomed before.

 Chapter 2059 Gathering (Part Two)

    "Alex, you are a very impressive young man!"


    Kenneth praised, shaking his head and coming back to his senses. An unimaginable amount of fear had just finished rushing through him.


    The sword shadow had shattered past his god''s power like it was a pane of glass. Its sharp edge was quick and stealthy enough that it could have hit his soul.


    He had been brushed with death because of the sword. Kenneth had no clue that a powerful swordsman like Darren existed in the world.


    "Kenneth, I''m sorry that I lost control of my strength and hurt you. Please don''t be angry."


    At the start of the battle, Darren hadn''t known that the integrating degree between his swordsmanship and his god''s power had increased. He wanted to see how strong Kenneth was, not hurt him.


    "How could I be angry with you, Alex? It''s an honor to see your true strength. This is a minor injury. It doesn''t matter. I''ll count on you from this moment on. Ha-ha," Kenneth said casually as he used his god''s power to heal his wounds.


    "All right. You don''t hold grudges. That''s great. I think you will become a man who does great things in the future," Darren replied with a smile.


    "Thank you for your kind words." Kenneth cupped his hands and bowed low.


    Then, he turned around and looked down at the other two disciples that were waiting below the platform. "I know you''re both eager to win first place. I have lost. You can fig


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    ter of King Simms!"


    Hovering in the sky above them was a metal kylin, which was a kind of legendary beast. A majestic aura was being released from it. A man and a woman were standing perfectly straight on its head. Their auras were overwhelming.


    All of the people below had traveled the world, yet they were envious when they saw how enticing the metal kylin was.


    Filled with amazement, they barely noticed the arrival of a dragon-shaped carriage above the metal kylin. There were four golden dragons flying ahead of it.


    "No way! Is Prince Sloan in there? It''s him! It''s really him!"


    "Does that mean that Prince Sloan is coming to the Dragon Bone Ruins too?"


    "Just look at how amazing that carriage is!"


    Excited whispers spread through the crowd. The royal family was full of princes that were all geniuses, but Sloan stood out from over a thousand other princes.


    "I wonder what level Prince Sloan has reached."


    "There''s no way of guessing it."


    "Why not? I think Prince Sloan must have refined five metal meridians by now!"


    "No! It''s more than that! I think he has refined at least six metal meridians!"


    Many members of the royal family had reached the level of grade-eight. The number of metal meridians they had determined who was the strongest.


    If Sloan had five or six metal meridians, his strength was a lot better than his peers''.


    Darren might be the only exception.

 Chapter 2060 Undercurrent (Part One)

    As the carriage stopped, Sloan got out and slowly walked on the lawn.


    "Your Highness! It''s so good to see you here!"


    Everyone bowed to Sloan and greeted him with respect and enthusiasm.


    Of course, Darren and Kenneth would not make a scene and dare to offend a member of the royal family¡ªthe Donghuang Clan, so they also followed the crowd and paid their respect by cupping their hands.


    "Everyone, you may now stand up." Sloan just calmly waved his hand, exuding an aura that was naturally superior to everyone.


    "Thank you, Your Highness," everyone responded.


    It was not until then that they stood straight and looked at Sloan.


    Afterward, Sloan started glancing at the faces in the crowd. When he was finished looking at all of them, he could not help but shake his head a little. From what he saw, he could tell that most of the young talents that were selected this time were not up to his standards.


    Shortly after, another young man in a royal robe descended from the sky and quickly landed beside Sloan.


    "Sloan, why didn''t you inform me when you left? We could have come here together instead," the young man said with a


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    surprise that many royal members wanted to draw him to their side. However, since Shea and Josh were cousins, the princess naturally had the advantage over the other members of the royal family.


    Shortly after, the top talents that were gathered in the place were divided among the ten princes and three princesses. At this point, only the seven mysterious royal family members did not bother to gather promising disciples to side with them.


    Now that the top talents were all gone, the members of the royal family began to target talented disciples from upper-rate sects and secondary clans.


    At this time, only Darren and Kenneth were the only ones who did not catch their attention.


    "Your Highness, I have something important to report."


    It was Fitch who suddenly spoke to a princess. He was the one conversing with Lorenzo earlier about Darren''s identity.


    "Oh, Fitch? You are being so tense. What is it?"


    Cecile immediately replied. Among the princesses, she was known to be the best and the most attractive one. Moreover, she was just about seventeen years old. Her achievements were therefore astonishing given her young age.

 Chapter 2061 Undercurrent (Part Two)

    Hearing the princess address him in such a casual and lovely tone, Fitch got flustered that he felt like his heart was about to pop out of his chest. Among the members of the royal family, only Cecile treated him this way. And since she was such a beautiful princess, there was no way that Fitch would not become so excited.


    "I''m afraid I cannot be too casual with you, Your Highness. I dare not forget my status." Then, he continued, "Anyway, did you see those two men in ordinary clothes, Your Highness?"


    After Fitch pointed it out, Cecile immediately saw Darren and Kenneth.


    "Hmm, what about them? Is there anything I need to know?" Cecile asked out of curiosity.


    "They are more special than they appear¡­ In fact, the young man on the left is named Kenneth. He''s from the Red Demon Clan!"


    "Red Demon Clan?" Cecile could not help but raise her eyebrows upon hearing this. She could not believe that she alm


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    and beautiful princess?


    "Why? Do you have a crush on her?" Darren instantly teased.


    "What? No. That is not it¡­" Kenneth''s face immediately blushed. Since Cecile appeared before them, Kenneth had instantly engraved her beautiful face in his heart in just a glance. But of course, he would not admit something so embarrassing.


    "Ha! There is no need to deny it." Then, Darren''s tone became serious, and he continued, "You can''t lose your head. Remember not to get roped in for the time being. You understand why we are here, right?"


    "Yes, of course. All right then¡­" Although Kenneth had no choice but to agree with Darren, he was still very disappointed. Now that he turned Cecile down, he felt that he missed such a rare opportunity to know her better. But in the end, he knew that Darren was far more experienced and sophisticated than him. If Darren was asking him to do this, there must be a good reason.

 Chapter 2062 Undercurrent (Part Three)

    Meanwhile, Errol and Sloan were chatting happily from a distance.


    "Your Highness, it seemed that Princess Cecile has failed. Are you going to try and recruit him?" Errol asked, looking in the direction of Kenneth and Darren.


    "Hmm. If you were me, would you go for him?" Sloan answered Errol''s question by returning it to him.


    "No, I won''t," Errol instantly answered.


    "Oh? Why is that? Both of us know that the Red Demon guy will be a total asset. Why won''t you make friends with him?"


    "Your Highness, as you can see, it would have been impossible for Kenneth to refuse someone like Princess Cecile, given her charm and beauty. So, if even the princess failed, I am not sure that you may have a chance. Kenneth must be very cunning. I assume that he is just waiting for the highest bidder," Errol analyzed with confidence.


    "I can see that we share the sa


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    en quickly stopped him by grabbing his shoulder. "Why are you so irritated about trivial matters? Those who can achieve great success don''t care about these small details. Remember that no matter what the situation is right now, you cannot get involved,"


    Darren said with sharp eyes. He had long figured out that something fishy was going on among these royal members. Hence, if they suddenly caught their attention and offended them, Darren and Kenneth might be put in a very dangerous situation once they entered the Dragon Bone Ruins.


    "But what if someone provokes us and takes the initiative to attack us even if we did not do anything?" Kenneth asked in a serious tone.


    "Do you still need me to teach you what to do?"


    Upon hearing these cold words, Kenneth had somehow seen the horrifying killing intent in Darren''s eyes again, giving him the shivers.

 Chapter 2063 Dragon Trace Mountain (Part One)

    Hearing what Darren said, Kenneth eventually calmed down and accepted the current situation. Hence, he and Darren stood silently at the back, looking very humble.


    Then, the metal beast carried all of them forward and only stopped when they were near a place where there was a black whirlpool.


    Even from where they were situated, they could see that the huge whirlpool was shattering the surrounding space. The place was extremely dark and a strong tearing force was constantly generated.


    "Your Highness, it seems that the metal beast can''t move forward anymore. It might only get destroyed if we force it. From here on, please follow us by flying over to the designated area."


    In fact, there were still thousands of kilometers away from the huge black whirlpool. But at this point, they could only move forward on their own.


    As they got off the metal beast, the seven old men released their god''s power at the same time and formed a protective shield that instantly enveloped everyone.


    "That''s the power from grade-nine warriors!"


    Many of the disciples were stunned as they felt the aura of the god''s power th


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    embarrassed. To redeem himself, he suddenly activated his god''s power just to lift the small piece of stone.


    Rip!


    As Lorenzo tried to exert more strength, his trousers were torn.


    "Lorenzo! I did not know that you have such fair and tender skin!"


    The other disciples started to laugh and hurl insulting remarks. Lorenzo was so embarrassed that he actually wanted to bury his head on the ground.


    "Imbeciles! How dare you laugh at me?" Lorenzo immediately covered his bottom with his hands. Of course, he did not dare to shout at the members of the royal family, so he only vented his anger on the disciples of the upper-rate sects who laughed at him.


    "I already told you not to act stupid, but you still did it. You will not be able to move a grain of sand here, let alone a stone. So, just shut up and follow us," Ezequiel said in a contemptuous manner.


    This world was very different from the common ones. It turned out that a grain of sand here was even heavier than a planet. Hence, even if Lorenzo multiplied himself into ten, he would still be unable to move the stone that he wanted to lift earlier.

 Chapter 2064 Dragon Trace Mountain (Part Two)

    While everyone was still sneering at Lorenzo, Darren and Kenneth were just silently standing at the back of the crowd.


    "Alex, do you know anything about this world? Everything here does not make sense. A grain of sand could be so heavy? That is just insane," Kenneth remarked.


    "It is also my first time encountering this kind of world."


    Indeed, even Darren, who had already experienced countless things in life, was still surprised. He did not expect that a high-level world existed in this universe.


    "Stop wasting time doing silly things! Let''s move. We are heading to the Dragon Trace Mountain," a royal member suddenly announced.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Afterward, the royal members flew and led the way, while everyone else followed closely.


    They spent about four hours flying nonstop until a red mountain finally emerged before their eyes.


    "Hmm. This map is pretty accurate. We can clearly see those two deep caves on the cliff," a prince said, pointing at the cliff which was millions of feet high.


    "Yo


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    ortal God race.


    Therefore, with his special sense, Darren quickly noticed that the dragon blood aura guarding the caves was extremely strong.


    In fact, he speculated that even if a top-level warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character tried to get in, he would be killed or seriously injured if he was careless.


    That was the reason why Darren instantly concluded that even the royal members would not be able to enter these caves.


    Then, just as he expected, only a minute later after they left, the royal members, as well as the powerful warriors who joined them, all returned.


    Moreover, three of them were badly injured and seemed to be in critical condition.


    Seeing this surprising scene, the disciples of the upper-rate sects, who were left behind, felt elated at their failure.


    "Your Highness, what happened in there?" someone asked, pretending to be concerned.


    "Fuck! The restriction is too strong! It did not even budge, and I was injured in the process!" one of the princes could only curse loudly.

 Chapter 2065 Dragon Trace Mountain (Part Three)

    "But you are already so strong. How could you be injured? What kind of restriction is that? How about we also have a try? We might be weaker, but we might somehow be lucky and find a way to break in," said a bulky young man with an axe in his hand.


    In fact, he was one of those who were complaining earlier because he really wanted to go inside the caves.


    However, the prince did not take what the young man said very well. His face darkened and he immediately asked, "Which sect are you from? How dare you?! Are you questioning my strength?"


    Now that the prince suddenly became agitated, the young man was greatly taken aback. He quickly tried to appease the prince and said, "No, Your Highness, I will never dare to offend you. I just want to test the power of the restriction for you."


    "Keep making up excuses! Do you think I am too stupid to know what you really mean? You just offended the authority of the royal family. That is punishable by death!


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    oared, fuming in anger.


    "I am just merely telling the truth. But just as what Prince Zander said, if you want to kill me, do not hesitate to give the order. I will not dare to resist." Of course, Gustavo Lu''s tone was sarcastic. If Terry would really dare to give the order to kill him, there would definitely be a wild confrontation in their midst. The battle would only be finished when one of the two sides was finished off.


    "Who do you think you are? Do you think that you can talk back to me like that because you have a powerful uncle? Kill this blabbermouth!" As Terry felt deeply humiliated, he also gave the order to kill Gustavo Lu.


    "Let''s see who will dare to do that!" At the same time, Zander drew out the blade carved with dragon patterns from his waist. Gustavo Lu also sneered.


    "Oh? Is there going to be a big fight?" Kenneth could not help but let out a grin while rubbing his hands. He was eager to see what was going to happen next.

 Chapter 2066 Killing (Part One)

    As the tension between the two parties came to its climax, a mysterious member of the royal family abruptly stepped between the two princes. He cleared his throat and said to them, "Look, I can''t stop you if you want to fight, but we just entered the Dragon Bone Ruins and haven''t even found the treasures yet. How can you focus on your interpersonal issues at a time like this? Besides, won''t this be unfair to the losing party?"


    If the two princes started a battle, they would undoubtedly fight to the death. Whoever lost would not only lose his life, but he would also lose the chance to benefit from this journey.


    Even though most of the royal family''s disciples had nefarious intentions against each other, both overtly and in secret, it would still be unwise to fight to the death for nothing.


    "Humph! Fine!"


    Seeing that the others were so against their fight, Terry reluctantly backed off. "I''ll spare you for the time being. But remember, this is not the imperial city, so don''t act so brashly and cherish your life!" he scoffed.


    Zander sneered in reply, "You''re right. We are not in the imperial city.


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    three of us! Why did you even ask us to return? We should have gone with the group instead,"


    whined one of the young men. They didn''t get why Lorenzo asked them to return halfway when they could find more treasures somewhere else.


    "Humph! Do you think we would have gained anything from following the members of the royal family? They would just take everything. So, we have to break this cave''s restriction while they are away, as this is the best opportunity we have."


    "I guess you''re right..."


    "Come on! The guy from the Red Demon Clan is coming."


    Lorenzo''s eyes narrowed slightly from that information. "He can''t mess with us with the two of you here. Let''s find a way to break the restriction first, and then we''ll kill him."


    "It will be fine. Don''t worry. I may not be exceptionally talented, but I can easily deal with him," one of the two young men said confidently.


    A sinister smile played on Lorenzo''s lips as he murmured, "With your strength, you can surely defeat him with ease. Now, let''s attack the restriction together. We can surely take it down even if it would take us some time."

 Chapter 2067 Killing (Part Two)

    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Lorenzo and the two men stood at the cave entrance, relentlessly attacking the dragon blood aura with all their might.


    Before long, Darren and Kenneth also arrived.


    "How dare you follow us here, you brat! Do you have a death wish?" one of the young men snapped at them.


    "That''s enough, Killian!"


    But to his surprise, Lorenzo stopped him.


    "Kenneth, I have a proposition for you. This cave undoubtedly contains some rare treasures. Why don''t we work together to break the restriction and share the treasures equally?"


    Of course, Lorenzo had his own plan. He intended to let Darren and Kenneth break the restriction for him and kill them after that.


    "Sure. That sounds good." Darren was the one who answered him. Kenneth had opened his mouth to shout abuse, but Darren had beaten him to it.


    It seemed that Lorenzo didn''t expect Darren to answer, so he sent a disdainful look his way. He thought Darren was nobody important, so he wondered how such a loser dared to decide for Kenneth. ''What a reckless and stupid man!'' he thought.


    However, his priority at the moment was the treasures in the cave, so he didn''t say anything more.


    "Whatever. Just hurry up and do something!"


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Kenneth was also curious about the restriction''s power, so he immediately attacked alongside Lorenzo and the others.


    He tried several times but to no avail.


    "Step back, Kenneth. Let me try."


    Seeing that they were having a hard time, Darren stepped forward to make a move. He also wanted to see what treasures the cave concealed


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    g with his shout, a jade pendant on his waist suddenly released a golden light, which immediately surrounded him in a protective shield.


    "It''s time to see which is more powerful: the Red Demon Clan''s unique skill or the god''s power shield that my grandfather personally created for me!" Lorenzo relaxed. He was confident that with his grandfather''s defensive shield, even a warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character and four metal meridians couldn''t kill him. What could Kenneth do?


    Bang!


    Soon, the blood-red palm struck Lorenzo on the chest, forcing him backward. He hit the stone wall behind him with a crash, but he still looked relatively unscathed.


    "Kenneth, step back. It looks like I have to deal with him myself."


    "Yeah, Alex, I can''t believe how strong this guy''s defense is. I guess you have to deal with him."


    "You two will never be able to break my grandfather''s shield!" gloated Lorenzo.


    Whoosh!


    The next second, a snow-white sword intent sped towards Lorenzo like a bullet.


    "Ha-ha, little bastard. I''m perfectly fine!"


    Once the sword intent disappeared, Lorenzo checked himself and found that he didn''t have any injuries.


    Puff!


    But the next moment, blood spurted out from his mouth like a fountain, and a red line appeared on his neck. It was blood.


    "This can''t be happening! How did you break my defense?"


    Lorenzo''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "Wow! Your god''s power is so powerful. It even defeated the penetrating ability of the Yan Clan''s god''s power!" Kenneth exclaimed, thoroughly astonished by what Darren had done.

 Chapter 2068 Hunt Terry (Part One)

    If Darren had hesitated, there was a chance that Kenneth might have failed to defeat Lorenzo.


    Flying through the air, Darren landed on Lorenzo and gave him the last blow. The man died at once.


    Then, Darren walked around, assimilating the three people who had just died.


    As a result, his Fate Character Tree gained a large amount of nourishment. Darren smiled when he noticed that the sixth fruit had grown slightly. However, it needed a lot more time and resources to ripen.


    "Kenneth, come on. Let''s go inside and check it out."


    "Okay."


    They turned around and approached the cave. Its ceiling towered over their heads as they entered it.


    "Alex, please remember to use caution. When Lorenzo and the others tried to come in here, something threw them out!" Kenneth warned, sweeping his eyes over the dark cave walls.


    Darren smiled and shook his head. "Don''t worry. There''s no monster waiting for us in here. The remainder of the dragon''s power is what forced them backwards."


    Kenneth stared at Darren with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. "How much do you know about dragons? Just now, no one c


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    and dark green water lapped at its edges.


    "The water is freezing! The moment I touched it, I nearly froze to death!"


    a warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character and three metal meridians exclaimed, holding his arms around his shivering body. He had dove deep into the water, but the cold was too much for him to bear.


    "If we attack it, we might be able to drain the water from it."


    "Okay."


    Garnering their power, they attacked the pool with all of their might.


    As a result, the water blasted into the air, reaching hundreds of thousands of feet. In midair, it transformed into a cold rain and fell, covering an area with a radius of hundreds of kilometers.


    Where the water once was, a huge, dark hole remained.


    "Look! I see something!"


    A purple-gold tripod was floating in the air.


    "That''s... That''s a divine refining tripod that can be used to refine metal soldiers!" a mysterious royal member shouted, pointing at the object.


    A metal soldier''s quality relied heavily on material. But the level of the God Character that was embedded in their body played a more important role.

 Chapter 2069 Hunt Terry (Part Two)

    The refining tripod was what decided which level of God Character could be embedded.


    "Hey! That''s mine!"


    Whoosh!


    Three masters leapt into the sky and reached for the tripod.


    "Get out of my way! I''m going to take it!" a prince shouted.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Sloan and Terry joined them, fighting over the tripod in midair.


    If the tripod was as powerful as they thought it was, its value would be immeasurable.


    "Stop it!" Sloan released his god''s power to suppress the people who had reached the tripod first.


    "Ah!" They were stopped in midair, unable to move forward. They were not weak, but they resigned when they saw Prince Sloan.


    The only one who continued was Terry. After all, he wasn''t afraid of Sloan.


    "Sloan, are we going to fight over the tripod?"


    "The best items belong to the strongest," Sloan said in a cold voice.


    "I agree. Let''s fight. I would love to show you who the strongest is!"


    Boom! Boom!


    Not holding back, Terry attacked Sloan with a burst of his god''s power.


    "So it''s true! I heard that you''ve improved and refined five metal meridians. Ha! It''s not enough. Let me show you what a truly powerful master is capable of!"


    "Sloan, you are so full of yourself."


    Bang!


    The second that their god''s power collided, Sloan was sent flying through the air. Terry smiled from where he was still standing.


    "You have six metal meridians!"


    Sloan exclaimed, standing quickly and looking at Terry with wide eyes. He never thought that Terry was capa


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    at the hell is going on?"


    Terry stared at Darren with shock.


    ''How did he survive my attack? It makes no sense. He''s a low disciple from a bottom-rate sect. How could he resist my palm attack?''


    "Prince Terry, we''ve done nothing to you. Why are you trying to kill us?" Kenneth demanded, narrowing his eyes.


    "Are you saying that I need a reason if I want to kill someone?" Terry spat, standing tall in front of Kenneth. "This time, you''re lucky. I can spare your lives if you agree to pledge your allegiance to me. Are you willing to do that?"


    "Ha! In your dreams!"


    Darren replied as he got to his feet and walked over.


    "Fine! It''s time for you to die!"


    Whoosh!


    In response, Darren lifted his sword above his head and swung it downwards with all of his might.


    Snow-white sword intent swept across the sky and headed for Terry at lightning speed.


    "Parlor trick..."


    Terry flicked his finger, trying to create a defense against the sword intent.


    But before he could finish his words, his wrist was sliced and his hand slid off.


    Terry froze, as if he didn''t quite understand what had just happened.


    The snow-white sword intent had penetrated his god''s power defense as if it hadn''t existed at all! It was impossible!


    ''Is this guy from the Yan Clan?''


    "Damn it! When I take over the throne, I will exterminate the whole Yan Clan!" Terry roared.


    "Are you still dreaming?"


    Smirking, Darren unsheathed his Dragon Gold Sword. It was time for him to exert his full strength.

 Chapter 2070 Fight For It

    Whoosh!


    Without even bothering to try and fight back, Terry turned on his heel and ran.


    He knew that Darren was not easy to deal with, and he was worried that Sloan''s men would chase after him, so he could only choose to escape.


    "Alex, come on! Let''s go after him!"


    "There''s no need!"


    Darren reached out his hand and grabbed Kenneth by the back of his robe, stopping him. "He won''t find anywhere to hide. Someone else will kill him for us."


    When he saw how fast Terry was running, Darren surmised that he had attacked other princes. And by the looks of it, the person who had defeated him was more anxious to kill Terry than they were.


    "Kenneth, I want to go and see what he was fighting over."


    If Terry had risked fighting with the other princes, there must have been a treasure involved.


    "Okay!"


    They headed towards the direction of the Dragon Pool.


    Soon, they saw the group of people and casually stood among the crowd.


    Darren wasn''t worried about these people noticing them. After all, in their eyes, Darren was a disciple from a bottom-rate sect and Kenneth was no better. No one would give them a second look here.


    "Congratulations, Prince Sloan! The valuable treasure is yours!"


    "C


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    ring to defend himself.


    The attack fell on Darren, but he still didn''t move.


    Seconds later, the god''s power bounced off of his armor and flew towards Sloan.


    "Watch out, Your Highness!"


    Errol, who was standing next to him, exerted all of his strength to block the wave of god''s power that was roaring towards them.


    "I want that treasure in my hands! It can rebound attacks!"


    Not only that, the power of the attack that had been rebounded was doubled.


    With that armor by their side, a warrior could become a king in their realm!


    "Errol, we need to kill this guy first. Then, we can steal his armor."


    "Sounds like a plan."


    They lowered into battle stances and aimed to attack Darren''s head.


    "Alex, what should we do? Fight or escape?" Kenneth asked through his spiritual sense.


    "Let''s avoid fighting them. Jump into the deep pool."


    Before Sloan''s and Errol''s attacks could reach him, Darren jumped into the Dragon Pool. Kenneth followed him abruptly.


    "So you''re going to be cowards and run away? Chase them!"


    Sloan took off running with Errol on his heels.


    Currently, the others were still fighting over the Star-refining Charcoal, not realizing what was going on right below them.

 Chapter 2071 The Bottom Of The Dragon Pool

    All of the water in the deep pool was nearly dried up, so it didn''t take long for Darren and Kenneth to fall to the bottom.


    After their feet hit the ground, Darren and Kenneth started running, following the only passage. They reached a dead end. It was a large, stone chamber.


    Several metal items were scattered around the chamber, but none of them appeared to be the type of metal that could be melted into god''s power.


    "Alex, I think these are used to refine metal soldiers!"


    "How do you know?"


    "There is a soldier-refining master in our clan. He is not as powerful as the Mechanical Emperor, but he outranks the other masters. I heard that he managed to refine a grade-nine metal soldier," Kenneth explained.


    "That''s awesome!"


    Darren exclaimed.


    The strength of the metal soldier was usually one level higher than that of a member from the Immortal God race that was at the same realm. That meant that a grade-nine metal soldier would have a combat strength that could reach the highest level of grade nine!


    "Kenneth, you have to collect these items and give them to your soldier-refining master next time you see him."


    "Really? I thought you would want them."


    "They are useless to me. If you take them, the others won''t be able to get their hands on them."


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    a grade-eight Fate Character and six metal meridians, but he could release as many flowers as he wanted at once.


    As if on cue, the lotus flowers started to explode, weakening Sloan''s attacks little by little. Eventually, his attacks disappeared completely.


    "You are not weak." Sloan stared at Darren with wide eyes. The whole time, Darren had been hiding his true strength. In reality, he was only one level below Sloan. Yet his attack was exceptionally strong. Now, Sloan understood why Kenneth followed him around like a puppy.


    "Errol, this man has to die. Let''s do it together so that it''s faster."


    "That''s exactly what I''m thinking."


    Errol was just as confused and outraged as Sloan.


    The strong sword skill had been performed by a disciple from a bottom-rate sect, and it made no sense.


    In all his years, Errol had never seen such a perfect sword skill. He filled with resentment.


    There was no way that he could allow a lowly warrior like Darren to keep using a sword skill like that. He had to kill him!


    "Your sword skill is the best I''ve ever seen. You should have kept it hidden. It''s a pity that you met me. Now, you''re going to meet your end."


    Errol raised his palm and activated his god''s power. At the same time, Sloan also prepared to attack Darren.

 Chapter 2072 Unable To Explain Himself (Part One)

    Sloan and Errol''s joint attack put a lot of pressure on Darren. After all, no matter how powerful he was, they still outnumbered him.


    Before Darren had eaten the purple fruit from his Fate Character Tree, he was as strong as a warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character and two metal meridians.


    On the other hand, his two opponents were both top-level, grade-eight warriors with six metal meridians. Thankfully, his sword intent and god''s power had been integrated well, so it enabled him to face them head-on. That, in itself, was extraordinary progress.


    "Kenneth, you should withdraw for now!"


    Darren dared not underestimate Errol and Sloan, for they were both formidable opponents. If the two of them focused all their might on attacking Kenneth, not even he could protect him.


    "Okay, but be careful!"


    Kenneth didn''t insist on fighting together with Darren. He was well aware of the situation, and he didn''t want to drag the other man down. So, he hastily jumped away, hid behind a sturdy-looking boulder at the other end of the stone chamber, and hunkered down unto the hollowed part of the floor.


    In this Dragon Bone Ruins, not even a


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    could even add up to one hundred layers at most. In that case, it could increase the power beyond imagination.


    But this wasn''t the best thing that the royal family''s Fate Character could do.


    Their trump card was that they could take the form of a dragon, and their aura had a trace of a genuine dragon''s aura.


    Of course, not every member of the royal family had this exceptional ability. Only one in one hundred thousand possessed such talent.


    It was a great stroke of luck that Sloan had such an ability, and Errol immediately felt vindicated that he followed this man.


    "Let''s kill him!"


    With a shout, Errol made the first move, and Sloan immediately followed his lead.


    At this point, the two of them had grown unimaginably stronger. They could probably take out ordinary grade-eight warriors with seven metal meridians in a flash.


    "They''re too strong. We''re doomed!" Kenneth sighed, helpless in the face of their two opponents'' terrifying strength.


    Darren had also begun to feel uncertain.


    However, he was also well prepared. He expected Errol and Sloan to have some grand trump cards, so he had never underestimated them.

 Chapter 2073 Unable To Explain Himself (Part Two)

    Without hesitation, Darren melted a piece of grade-six metal, weighing about five kilograms, and condensed it into god''s power that reinforced his muscles and bones.


    At this moment, Darren''s Fate Character was merely at the fifth grade.


    If he forcefully activated the grade-six metal, the backlash would surely hurt him, undoubtedly resulting in broken meridians in the best likely case.


    But that was also where his advantage lied. With his current overall strength, he would likely survive forcefully activating the grade-six metal.


    Powerful warriors with grade-eight Fate Characters wouldn''t even bat an eyelash at grade-six god''s power, for to them, it was completely negligible. But who would dare to ignore the god''s power that came from Darren''s five silver meridians?


    "Wait, is this guy serious? He must be desperate to win!"


    Once again, Errol took the lead and moved towards Darren first. The impact of their collision shook the ground and threw both him and Darren in opposite directions.


    But Errol failed to kill Darren again. And what made matters worse was that he, himself, had been severely injured.


    "Go to hell!"


    Darren, too, had been gravely injured, but he couldn''t dodge or retreat for the time being. He had no choice but to face this attack head-on. Otherwise, he wouldn''t survive.


    Clang!


    In a split second, the Dragon Gold Sword appeared in his hand.


    Darren purposely saved his divine weapon until this moment because he wanted to catch his opponents off guard. This way, once he showed his strongest god''s power, it would be like he pulled the floor from under their feet.


    Whoosh!


    Sword intent and god''s


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    embers'' uncle.


    "Are you out of your mind?" roared one of the senior royal members. "We all know how powerful Sloan is. So isn''t it weird that you''re accusing a lowly man like him? Besides, we know you were the last person seen with him before he died. Do you think we are stupid?"


    Nobody believed what Errol said. All the uncles, princes, and princesses, and even the other disciples didn''t trust Errol.


    All the pieces of evidence they had seemed to point to Errol as the killer.


    Sloan and Errol entered the underground cave together, and they had found an astonishing number of treasures.


    They thought Errol ambushed Sloan because he wanted to take all the treasures they had found. Judging from their injuries, Sloan must have caught his treachery in time, which led the two of them to a fierce fight. That was how Sloan ended up dead and Errol, gravely injured.


    That was the only explanation for what they were seeing.


    "Uncles, please use our holy token to kill Errol, the traitor," a prince pleaded to his uncles earnestly.


    "Of course. We won''t let him get away with this."


    When he realized that they were ignoring him, Errol''s face turned deathly pale. He stepped back and shouted, "You idiots! I didn''t kill Prince Sloan. It was that bastard who killed him!"


    "Errol, you can''t escape now. Just admit what you have done, or the whole Yan Clan would be disgraced. Not to mention, everyone would look down on you."


    A disdainful look flashed in everyone''s faces. ''You''re such a bad liar that even a fool can tell you''re lying. Why do you insist on denying it when you''ve been caught red-handed?'' they thought with much disgust.

 Chapter 2074 Follow

    Errol hesitated, trying to find the right words to say. But he came up empty, throwing his hands into the air in defeat.


    Soon after, Darren almost fully recovered.


    "The young master from the Yan Clan has no boundaries. He cares about no one but himself. Prince Sloan treated him like a brother, but when he got the chance, he killed Prince Sloan. Unfortunately, Kenneth and I were not strong enough to come to Prince Sloan''s rescue."


    Darren had nothing to fear from these people. He lied so that he could place the blame on his enemy and keep his true strength hidden for a while longer.


    When they heard Darren''s explanation, the people nodded their heads slowly. Their assumptions were correct. Errol had killed Sloan.


    "Young man, what''s your name? I want to hear every detail about what you saw happen here," a senior member from the royal family demanded, turning to face Darren.


    "My name is Alex Chu. While you guys were fighting over the treasures outside, the god''s power hit me and I stumbled into the deep pool. Confused, I wandered in these stone chambers. When I entered this one, I saw Errol fighting Prince Sloan over the treasures. Prince Sloan became injured and Errol did not relent. Before long, he was dead," Darren replied, carefully


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    e future, we can use him as a witness. We need him alive. In fact, we should be the ones protecting him."


    "That''s smart thinking. The Yan Clan is becoming restless. We need to tread carefully and focus on keeping that young man alive."


    "Yes. He can follow us."


    Darren was ordered to follow the seven senior members of the royal family, and Kenneth was told to leave.


    "Alex, what should I do?" Kenneth asked Darren through his spiritual sense.


    "You have to go. Hide in the cave of the Dragon Trace Mountain. When I see an opportunity, I''ll join you," Darren replied through his spiritual sense.


    "Okay. I''ll be waiting. Please remember to be careful."


    "Go ahead. Don''t worry about me."


    Nodding his head subtly, Kenneth turned and headed for the cave of the Dragon Trace Mountain to hide.


    Three days later, Darren and the seven senior royal members reached a new area. Purple mist was hovering over the ground, making it hard to see.


    "Do you still remember the secret order His Majesty gave us?"


    "Of course. We need to find that thing so our brother can become stronger. Then, he will be able to destroy the Yan Clan and the neighboring regions."


    "Yes. And then, our Donghuang Clan will be famous and dominate the world again. Ha-ha!"

 Chapter 2075 A Battle At The Level Of Emperors (Part One)

    As the seven senior royal members discussed their plans, Darren followed them in silence, listening carefully. They acted like he wasn''t even there.


    ''So the real reason why the royal family embarked on this trip is to reach this purple mist area and obtain something, ''


    Darren thought to himself. ''I may be able to find an advantage again, if I''m cautious.''


    "Are you sure it''s here?"


    "According to what that man wrote in his notes, it should be right here."


    "All right! Everyone, put on your protective armor and follow me. We came to the ruins to obtain the dragon vein, so that our clan can regain its glory. If we fail, we will die and we will not have a burial place. This is your last chance, brothers. Are you with me?"


    "We have no regrets. It would be an honor to die for our clan. Let''s go!"


    Removing a set of purple-gold armor from their storage space units, everyone got dressed until every inch of their bodies was protected.


    "Wait a minute. In fact, there is more than one dragon vein in these ruins! There are three of them!"


    "What?! Didn''t His Maje


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    fore he came to the conclusion that his judgment was skewed. ''It sounds like a heart beating. Maybe there isn''t a dragon vein in there. What if it''s a heart?''


    "It still won''t budge."


    The seven men stood side by side and bombarded the coffin with their god''s power, but it was like the lid was cemented on. They scratched their chins, unable to figure out how to remove it.


    "Wait a minute! I have an idea! A drop of blood might be able to open it."


    "Yes! In the ancestor of the Red Demon Clan''s notes, it said that almost all of the treasures here could be controlled if you mix blood with them. Maybe this coffin is one of them. If that is the case, we can mix our blood with it and then open it with our spiritual senses."


    "Maddox, drip some of your blood onto it. Let''s see if it works."


    A few seconds later, one of the senior royal members, whose name was Maddox Donghuang, cut his finger and held it over the coffin. His arm was shaking.


    Sizzle...


    Several large drops of hot blood dripped onto the coffin and a small puff of white mist floated into the air.

 Chapter 2076 A Battle At The Level Of Emperors (Part Two)

    They all stood back and watched as Maddox''s blood landed on the coffin, spreading into streams that looked like veins. The blood began to flow.


    "Keeping putting more drops on it!"


    Splash!


    The blood spread out until the entire lid of the coffin had been submerged.


    "That should be enough blood. Stop, Maddox."


    "Maddox?"


    Maddox didn''t turn or pull his finger away. In fact, he didn''t respond at all, like he hadn''t heard what his brothers had said.


    The others stepped closer to him, looking away from the coffin. What they saw startled them.


    Maddox''s eyes were blank, and his lips were black and blue. His eye sockets were deep-set and they could see his bones beneath his skin, like all of the blood had been sucked out of him.


    "Damn it! Stop, Maddox!"


    There was still no response.


    Sizzle...


    Blood erupted from Maddox''s finger, falling in a large stream. His body shriveled and he started to sway.


    "He is dead..."


    Seconds later, his body lost its balance and fell from the cliff. A few dozens of feet below, it turned into dust and dispersed in the wind.


    His brothers stared at the spot where he had disappeared with wide eyes.


    How could a powerful warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character and seven metal meridians die from a small cut? Did the coffin suck his blood?


    They looked at the coffin with fear.


    "Get out of here! Retreat!"


    Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!


    Filled with terror, they turned and tried to run, but b


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    shook.


    Darren stood silently in disbelief.


    In front of the purple python and the golden skeleton, Darren felt as insignificant as a piece of dust.


    "These are powerful creatures. I wonder if my metal real body is strong enough to overpower them."


    Darren had heard a long time ago that the metal real body and an emperor named the Mechanical Emperor had fought. That meant that the metal real body had the strength of an emperor. It would be interesting to see the metal real body fight the two creatures below him.


    Although Darren was impressed by the power of both the purple python and the golden skeleton and even felt a little inferior, he wasn''t discouraged.


    "If I can manage to upgrade my Fate Character to the ninth grade, I could defeat both of them. And if I can''t do that, I can resort to refining twelve silver meridians. If I don''t upgrade my Fate Character or refine my silver meridians, I can still kill them once the integrating degree between my swordsmanship and my god''s power improves by a tenth."


    Thinking hard, Darren calculated the limits of his current Fate Character, silver meridians, the integration of his sword intent and god''s power, and he realized that if he could upgrade just one of them, he could fight and defeat the purple python and the golden skeleton.


    ''They have a lot of power, but they are not at the real top level.''


    As he reached that realization, the sense of inferiority he had slipped away.

 Chapter 2077 Killed The Senior Royal Members (Part One)

    As the fight between the purple python and the golden skeleton ramped up, Darren and the remaining royal members were forced to run fifty kilometers to ensure their own safety.


    "We haven''t found the dragon vein yet, and we have lost three of our people. This is awful!"


    "We all agreed to come in here. That means that even if all of us die but one, that person still has to try and get the dragon vein. Don''t feel sorry for yourselves. The battle between the purple python and the golden skeleton isn''t even close to being over. Waiting here is a waste of our time. Let''s keep searching for the dragon vein."


    "Okay."


    Now that they had a plan, the members from the royal family stepped towards the broken cliff, preparing to climb it. Darren stayed where he was standing.


    "Hold on. Something is wrong." A royal member was looking back at Darren. He continued, "All of us nearly died from the aftermath of the battle. Yet this guy avoided all of it. He''s not even hurt!"


    Everyone else turned to look at Darren, narrowing their eyes.


    "There is something strange about him."


    "Brat, what''s your cultivation base?"


    Darren tilted


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    ld reach Darren, the purple python reared its head and spun its tail around to attack.


    Bang!


    The tail hit the flying golden light and it deviated from its original path.


    Darren flew upwards to avoid being hit by the golden skeleton.


    "The purple python is helping me."


    Whoosh!


    Before Darren could figure out the reason, the golden skeleton chased him from below.


    The purple python followed as fast as it could.


    Darren just focused on running. He couldn''t think straight until the purple python and the golden skeleton started fighting again.


    "That golden skeleton really hates me!"


    In that moment, it seemed like the golden skeleton would never stop chasing and attacking him.


    The large amount of the golden skeleton''s hostility transformed into a torrent of nourishment. Darren''s Fate Character Tree greedily absorbed it.


    The fruit that was hanging on it grew quickly, and then it turned from green to red. An intoxicating fragrance wafted off of it.


    "The fruit is ripe!"


    Darren smiled as he ran. He had no idea that the pure hostility coming from the golden skeleton was strong enough to ripen a fruit.

 Chapter 2078 Killed The Senior Royal Members (Part Two)

    Without hesitation, Darren refined and absorbed the fruit.


    Within seconds, the sixth silver meridian was complete.


    Darren refined a total of five hundred grams of grade-five metal. As he flexed his arms and legs, his god''s power streamed through all six silver meridians and into his bones and limbs. It was a lot stronger than it had been before.


    Whoosh!


    Pushing as hard as he could, Darren flew hundreds of kilometers in seconds.


    "He''s coming back!"


    "Hurry up! Stop him! Kill him!"


    The remaining royal members ran harder, trying to catch up with Darren.


    "Well, well, well. Look who it is!" Darren felt excitement rush through him. He saw the perfect opportunity to test the power of the six silver meridians.


    Once he had flown thousands of kilometers, he stopped and looked behind him.


    "Ha! Did you really think you could outrun us?"


    "You must have used up all of your god''s power!"


    The royal members slowly approached Darren, surrounding him completely.


    "Are you sure that you want to kill me?"


    Darren asked them, tilting his head to the side.


    When they saw the calm look on his face, they frowned and cracked their knuckles.


    To them, he looked different than he was a few minutes ago, and they couldn''t tell if it was an illusion or not.


    "Do you think you can escape death by pretending


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    er''s.


    By now, Darren was close enough to the battlefield that he ignored the metal soldier and kept going. He headed straight for the purple python and the golden skeleton.


    The golden skeleton sensed Darren''s arrival. It threw one last palm at the purple python and turned to charge towards Darren.


    "Ahhh!"


    The golden skeleton opened its mouth and a cold, hoarse roar was expelled from it. It sounded like it hated Darren to its very core.


    Gray light shone from the gap in the middle of its forehead.


    The space in its path was cut, leaving straight black lines behind.


    "It''s so fucking strong."


    The space here was more stable than any world Darren had seen. But the gray light could pierce it. It proved how powerful that gray light was!


    Behind Darren, the metal soldier was gaining ground.


    In front of him, the gray light was shining.


    If either one hit him, he would die.


    "Purple python, I need your help!"


    Darren''s soul started to twist and turn. The dragon aura buried deep inside of it surged out and sent a message to the purple python.


    "Hum!"


    The purple python swayed its huge head when it heard Darren''s plea. The scales on its body shifted, turning black. Even its aura was different.


    It opened its huge mouth and a black flame shot out. Everything it touched was burned to a crisp.

 Chapter 2079 Kenneths Suffering (Part One)

    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    The black flame bloomed forward in fiery black waves, bombarding the golden skeleton.


    It burst into flames and let out a pained shriek. Even the terrifying attack it unleashed didn''t survive the dark and overwhelming inferno.


    As the metal soldier chasing after Darren dared to come close, the harsh heat devoured its body and set it afire, melting it until it was nothing but scarlet liquid metal dripping all over the ground.


    "What''s happening?"


    Terrified by the sight, the royal member with eight metal meridians came to an abrupt stop. His eyes bulged out as they swept over the gruesome scene.


    Who knew the purple python was that powerful? A single attack from it could take down a metal soldier with grade-eight fighting power!


    Now that the metal soldier was done for, the royal member feared he was next, so he ran off at full speed without even the least hesitation.


    He didn''t notice that the purple python had weakened. When it had released the last blow, the scales on its body fell off one after another, and its aura slowly diminished.


    Except for Darren, no one knew that th


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    d off as if it had hit an invisible wall.


    Darren gasped in alarm. But, thankfully, the little snake only seemed shaken but unhurt. It merely shook its head and tried again.


    Unfortunately, the invincible wall stopped it once again.


    "That''s enough, little guy. Don''t hurt yourself. I''ll get it for you."


    The little snake paused what it was doing as Darren came closer to the invisible wall. He then pressed his palm towards the dragon vein.


    Roar!


    All of a sudden, a resounding dragon roar came into Darren''s mind.


    It turned out that this dragon vein already had its own consciousness, and the roar was a warning in response to his invasion.


    "Don''t move!"


    he hissed at once, while his dragon aura slowly oozed out of his body. The incomparably pure dragon aura instantly quieted the dragon vein.


    "Cool. My dragon aura must be pretty strong if it managed to intimidate this dragon vein this easily."


    Indeed, his dragon aura was powerful enough to make this dragon vein submit. Not only that, but he had even impressed the purple python earlier. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have tried its best to help him.

 Chapter 2080 Kenneths Suffering (Part Two)

    "Hey, little guy, come on over here,"


    Darren called out to the little snake softly, and it happily flew into his arms.


    "This is what you want, right? You can use it to mature faster and get back to how you looked like earlier." He took the dragon vein, thinking it could be a wonderful gift for the little snake. After all, it sacrificed so much to save his life.


    But to his surprise, the little snake shook its head and hissed as if to show its disinterest.


    It slithered onto Darren''s arm, bit the dragon vein, and pulled it towards Darren. He stood unmoving, waiting for a long time, as the little snake climbed his shoulder. When it could reach his head, it unexpectedly shoved the dragon vein towards Darren''s mouth.


    "Wha¡ª" he yelped in surprise. "Do you want me to swallow this dragon vein?"


    The little snake nodded firmly.


    Could the dragon vein be swallow


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    to repair Kenneth''s heart.


    Twenty days passed swiftly.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    On the twenty-first day, a few dull thuds suddenly came to Darren''s ears. Kenneth''s heart had started beating again, and it filled him with such joy.


    "I did it! I finally did it!"


    In the past twenty days, Kenneth''s heart had stopped beating several times, but Darren had tirelessly revived him each time. If Darren didn''t insist on healing him, he would have been dead by now.


    But thanks to Darren''s unrelenting efforts, Kenneth''s heart finally began to beat again.


    Three more days passed, and Kenneth''s heart was finally back to its previous condition. Normal life aura also returned to his body and went back to a healthy flow.


    "Alex?"


    After one day, Kenneth finally woke up. His skin and muscles had healed a little, so his body had enough strength to regain consciousness.

 Chapter 2081 Kenneths Suffering (Part Three)

    He blinked a few times and stared at Darren in confusion for a long time before he recognized him.


    "Argh!"


    A scream escaped his mouth unbidden. It felt like he had woken up from a nightmare, and he couldn''t stop his body from jolting away.


    "Hey, hey, calm down. It''s just me, Kenneth. Don''t be afraid."


    Hearing this, Kenneth relaxed a little, and tears welled up in his eyes.


    "Am I dead?"


    "No. Thankfully, I managed to heal you. But what happened after we separated? Who did this to you?" Darren asked.


    At first, Kenneth was quiet. It took him a while before his memory came back like a flood.


    "It was Cecile and Terry!"


    "Cecile?" Darren frowned. He recognized the name because before they entered the Dragon Bone Ruins, a beautiful princess named Cecile had tried to draw Kenneth over to her side. However, Darren had told him to refuse h


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    g lady. It was none other than Cecile.


    "What the hell? Isn''t that Kenneth? How is he still alive?"


    Cecile was, of course, stunned when she saw Kenneth safe and sound.


    She was sure that she left him good as dead, but there wasn''t even a single mark on his skin.


    And what made matters more confusing was that Sloan''s killer was there as well.


    "Don''t panic, Cecile. I''ll help you, so those two losers won''t have a snowball''s chance in hell,"


    muttered Terry as he stood by Cecile''s side. He leveled a vicious look in Darren''s and Kenneth''s direction.


    At this moment, he seemed like an entirely different person. His aura had been vastly different from when he had first entered the ruins.


    "Terry, have you refined your seventh meridian successfully?" Cecile asked, overjoyed, thinking that Terry was confident because he had a breakthrough.

 Chapter 2082 Kill Them All (Part One)

    Terry puffed out his chest arrogantly. He was a warrior with seven metal meridians, so his momentum spread around him as fast as wildfire, making everyone in his vicinity fearful.


    "It''s a pity that bastard who stood up against me was killed by someone else. If not, I would tear him into pieces!"


    Terry shouted. He was referring to Sloan who had been killed by Darren.


    When he had refined the seventh metal meridian, Terry''s head seemed to get inflated. He believed that none of his peers were strong enough to be a match for him.


    "Congratulations, Terry. I hope you take good care of me," Cecile praised, sticking her tongue out in a playful manner.


    "You are smart. You don''t miss anything good. From now on, if you follow my orders, you will be safe and reap the benefits," Terry said with a smug look on his face.


    "Thank you, Terry," Cecile replied obediently.


    Rallying Cecile was all a part of Terry''s plan to gain access to the power that supported her mother. She was nothing but a pawn to him.


    Moments later, Terry and his team reached Darren and Kenneth and surrounded them.


    "H


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    ing inside, he discovered some mysterious drops of liquid falling from the ceiling. After collecting and refining them, he easily obtained his seventh metal meridian.


    However, the liquid had a limit. He tried as hard as he could, but after refining the seventh meridian, he couldn''t make further improvements no matter how many more drops he took.


    It turned out that Terry wasn''t the only one who found the drops. Many others had drunk the liquid and made great progress.


    Now that there were other powerful warriors present, Terry wasn''t sure who would win in a fight. Choosing his words carefully, he said, "Coming here in search of treasures has been testing. We barely escaped with our lives. In my opinion, it will be smarter to just take out the treasures and put them in a big pile. Then, we''ll distribute them according to our identity, contribution, and strength. What do you think?"


    "About taking out the treasures and distributing them? Fine. But to distribute them according to our identity and contribution is bullshit. Let''s distribute them according to our strength!" someone remarked.

 Chapter 2083 Kill Them All (Part Two)

    "What do you mean? Are we all going to fight each other for them?" someone questioned.


    "No! That''s not what I''m saying. If you want the treasures, attack each other. The ones that are left alive will get the treasures!"


    "Well... I object!"


    "I object, too!"


    The people who lacked strength but already had treasures refused to agree to a proposal like that. It was unfair.


    "You don''t agree? Refusing is equal to death. Fine. Let''s make another rule. Anyone who voluntarily hands over their treasures and doesn''t participate in the fights won''t be attacked. Is that enough?"


    "Okay. That sounds good to me."


    "Yes. The prince''s suggestion is sound. Everyone, hand over your treasures."


    The powerful warriors were eager. After all, they were all strong enough to get the treasures.


    "No! No! I won''t!" someone protested.


    Bang!


    Not giving him a second chance, a man with six metal meridians slapped him into blood mist.


    "Not handing over your treasures is your own choice, but the consequences are ending up like this man. Whoever violates the rule must die!"


    Looks of surprise and worry covered everyone''s faces. They swore internally. They had no choice but to hand over their treasures. Otherwise, they would die.


    One of the disciples from the noble clans stepped forward and placed his storage space unit on the ground. He waved his hand to remove the restrictions so the others could see what was inside.


    "Good. I''m glad that you decided to hand over all of th


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    looked worried. His confident facade had vanished.


    "No one knows who this guy is or where he comes from. All we know is that he has been hiding among us. I suspect that he is a spy that was sent by other regions. I say that we work together and kill him!" Terry announced.


    "There are no people with the surname Chu in our Eastern Imperial Region. He must have been deployed by another region."


    "If we don''t kill him, he will continue to wreak havoc. Come on, let''s get him!"


    For once, all of the warriors shared a goal and that was to kill Darren.


    "All of you, kneel down and hand over all of your white metal. Otherwise, you will all die," Darren ordered in a calm tone.


    They slowly closed in on him, trying to intimidate him, but Darren wasn''t afraid. In fact, his aura was only growing fiercer.


    "Kneel down? Why would we kneel for someone as insignificant as you?"


    a master with seven metal meridians asked. Then, he gathered his god''s power and it transformed into a ray of light in the air. It flew towards Darren.


    "Fine! Don''t listen to me then!"


    Darren raised his hand and swung it through the air.


    The sand on the ground collected in the wind as the power approached the master.


    Puff!


    Before the master could fight back, he was thrown through the air. He landed on his backside and spat out mouthfuls of blood.


    With a flash of sword light, the master was cut in half. The pieces fell to the ground.


    Darren had killed him using one sword strike!

 Chapter 2084 Extinction (Part One)

    Darren easily killed several people in a row. He defeated even the master with seven metal meridians within seconds. The rest watched in shock, unable to remain calm any longer.


    "His strength is incalculable!" someone shouted.


    "Who the hell is he? There can''t be such a great talent in the Eastern Imperial Region!"


    There were only a few young top talents in the Eastern Imperial Region, and their names were known to everyone.


    But Darren was different. He seemed to have arisen suddenly, appearing in their region out of nowhere.


    Terry said to the others, "Don''t be afraid! If we fight together, we will definitely be able to kill him!" He was scared and unsure, but he had no other choice. He had to instigate the others to fight Darren alongside him.


    The rest of the people heard Terry, but they didn''t dare to move. They stared at Darren instead, waiting to see how he would react.


    They did not want to risk their lives. They thought that maybe Darren would aim only at Terry, if the rest did not provoke him.


    Terry saw what was happening. "You idiots, do you think he will let you go? If we don''t stick together, he wil


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    ir wildest imaginations.


    Darren considered Ibrahim''s proposal. "And I have your word on this? Will the royal family uphold their promise?"


    "Yes!" said Ibrahim eagerly. He added, "I will report to the higher-ups that in the Dragon Bone Ruins, no one has ever killed each other. All the dead people encountered danger and misfortune, so they died!"


    Darren nodded. "Very well. If everyone here will hand over the white metal they carry, and if the royal family does as you said, I will spare the lives of everyone present."


    Ibrahim''s eyes popped and he nodded eagerly. "Did you hear what he said? Hand over the white metal if you don''t want to die!" he roared at the others.


    With a clattering sound, white metal began pouring out of their storage space units.


    There was so much that it quickly piled up into a small mountain.


    Darren kept his face expressionless, but inwardly he was very pleased. He estimated that this totaled over fifty thousand kilograms, all in all.


    Compared to the scrap metals in the ruins, the white metal was Darren''s most precious treasure.


    Without hesitation, Darren collected the white metal.

 Chapter 2085 Extinction (Part Two)

    Ibrahim bowed to him and said, "Thank you."


    Suddenly, however, Darren raised his hand. "Wait!" he said commandingly.


    "What?" Ibrahim spluttered. "What''s wrong? Are you going back on your word of honor? If so, then I cannot stop you, but I will try my best to fight you for a few hours. And when the passage opens, you will definitely die!" Darren shook his head at Ibrahim and said, "I''m not going back on my word. I just have unfinished business to take care of. And by the way¡ªdon''t try to threaten me again." He glared at the senior royal member, then turned to Kenneth. "Come here. Kenneth, who peeled your skin, tore off your tendons and cut off your meridians? Do the same thing to him, and then they can all leave."


    Kenneth flew to Darren''s side, and pointed immediately at Terry and Cecile.


    He said to the two culprits, "Alex has given me a chance to make you pay! Do you want to do it yourselves, or do you want me to do it?"


    "How dare you!" Terry said loudly, but he trembled with fear.


    Tears sprang to Cecile''s eyes. "Uncle, help me, please! It was all Terry''s idea. I am only a girl, and not so cruel as that," she said. Her face was pale with terror.


    Ibrahim scowled.


    "Kenneth, I am a friend of your father''s," he said slowly. "Will you spare Terry and Cecile, just this once, for my sake? As for the compensation, tell me what will make you forget this."


    Ibrahim had never spoken so humbly in his life.


    "Compensation?" repeated Kenneth, clenching his fists. "If it weren''t for Alex,


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    e-eight Fate Characters.


    Even though the level of the nourishment that the Fate Character Tree needed kept increasing, this amount of nourishment was so enormous that the newly-sprouted fruit grew quickly in size and weight.


    "What''s happening?" Ibrahim shouted, flying away.


    When the purple cloud hit the ground, he was the only one who managed to avoid it. He was now the only person in the group who was still alive.


    ''What''s going on? Is the purple python coming?'' he thought.


    He was terrified.


    The aura of this purple cloud was exactly the same as that of the horrible purple python before.


    A rich, deafening dragon''s roar resounded through heaven and earth.


    Ibrahim almost collapsed. He was white and shaking with fear.


    ''I''m doomed!'' he thought desperately.


    He had thought he could leave here alive, but he hadn''t expected a dragon vein spirit to suddenly appear out of nowhere.


    Despite his fear, Ibrahim didn''t sit still and wait for death. After launching a wild attack in the direction of the cloud, he turned and fled as fast as he could.


    ''Sorry, but I''m afraid I can''t let you escape, '' Darren thought.


    It was not that Darren had intended to go back on his word of honor. He just couldn''t afford to do so right now. The choice was simple. Either these people died, or he and Kenneth would be killed.


    With another boom, a bolt of purple dragon aura shot out from Darren''s right arm.


    It was even more powerful than the combination of Darren''s sword intent and god''s power.

 Chapter 2086 Leaving The Ruins (Part One)

    Ibrahim had been confident that he could easily withstand one or two attacks with his current strength.


    But the dragon blood aura intimidated him, and its sheer power stunned him for a moment.


    It was a fatal mistake on his part. Before he even realized what was happening, the dragon blood aura crushed him with its overwhelming power. He didn''t even have the chance to let out a cry of pain. Blood spurted out from his heavily injured body as he collapsed onto the ground, dead.


    The purple cloud floated towards Ibrahim''s corpse and settled beside him like a colorful veil.


    "Kenneth, you can come out now."


    Whoosh!


    Kenneth followed Darren''s voice blankly, his body moving on its own. He was still in shock after what he just saw. Darren''s extraordinary skill took his breath away, and he couldn''t find the words to describe it.


    He came to his senses after a while and asked, "Shouldn''t we get rid of this corpse?"


    "No need." Darren shook his head. He looked up at the sky, deep in thought, and then realized that the passage was about to open soon. "Let''s just leave this corpse here. We also need to look injured


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    se, killed!


    "Who did this to you?" one of the old men asked frantically.


    "A dragon... a terrifying dragon..." muttered Kenneth in a small, shaky voice. He pretended to be in a daze as if he was terrified out of his wits.


    When the old men heard his words, their hearts sank in dismay.


    They checked the three bloody bodies in front of them to verify Kenneth''s claims, but they realized that he was telling the truth. The mysterious power left in their bodies must be the legendary dragon power¡ªthe power of the genuine dragon!


    The so-called power of a genuine dragon was actually the dragon blood aura.


    Now that they had more information, the old men looked even more dejected. With shaking knees, they took Darren, Kenneth, and Ibrahim''s corpse away and boarded the huge flying beast.


    "Alas! This a great tragedy for the Eastern Imperial Region!"


    "I don''t know how I can announce something this big. How will the influential clans react when they hear the news?"


    "That might not be a good idea. For now, we should keep this to ourselves. Let''s wait for His Majesty to decide first, or it might cause chaos!"

 Chapter 2087 Leaving The Ruins (Part Two)

    "Yes, we can''t carelessly share this information, or people would panic. We should first take Kenneth and that disciple back for treatment, and they can tell His Majesty what happened once they have recuperated. As for us, I''m afraid we can''t escape this situation unscathed. We will most likely be punished, if not outright killed."


    "Anyway, let''s set aside this matter for now. It''s not like we can do anything more about it. We should focus on going back first, and the rest is all up to the fates."


    Soon, a tense silence settled over them as the flying beast flew quickly to the imperial city.


    It was about a day later when an imperial guard knocked at the imperial palace''s study.


    The said guard hesitantly reported, "Your Majesty, the Yan Clan has sent people to inquire about the situation three times."


    He was talking to the young man in the study who was wearing an imperial robe decorated with an elegant dragon pattern. The young man stared expressionlessly at a skeleton as he answered, "Tell the members of the Yan Clan to go back and wait for us to contact them."


    "Understood, Your Majesty," the guard said respectfully, nodded once, and then left.


    After a few minutes, a middle-aged man with an extraordinary aura arrived outside the imperial study, intending to meet the young man.


    "Come inside, Deacon."


    "Did you need me for anything, Your Majesty?"


    the middle-aged man greeted as he walked in, but the young man''s face remained blank. After a moment, he finally instructed, "I want you to ask Kenneth and the nameless disciple what exactly happened. I expect a detailed report from you before the day ends."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


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    with gray hair dressed in coarse linen clothes.


    Behind him stood a short middle-aged man.


    "It''s just you, Deacon. How dare you stop me?" The old man''s eyes widened in surprise, and his eyebrow raised critically. Deacon Wen trembled before him like a guilty child.


    "I would never dare to attack you, sir. I just didn''t expect you to come here. Please forgive me," Deacon Wen murmured fearfully, and his trembling hands cupped before him.


    This terrifying old man was Kenneth''s grandfather. He was once the leader of the Red Demon Clan!


    Even the ruler of the Eastern Imperial Region showed respect to him, not to mention Deacon Wen.


    "You better have some answers for me..."


    Without any warning, the old man grabbed Deacon Wen by the collar.


    "Grandfather, Father!"


    Kenneth cried out with joy before the old man could ask Deacon Wen what happened.


    "Kenneth!"


    The two sighed in relief. They had been so anxious because all they knew was that there were survivors from the ruins in this room. They had no idea that Kenneth was one of the survivors.


    "Kenneth!"


    The old man hastily rushed to his grandchild''s side, touching his face tenderly, as tears ran down his cheeks.


    "I heard that most of the people who went to the ruins were slaughtered, and there were very few survivors. I was so worried about you, my beloved grandson."


    "Grandfather, I''m so sorry. I thought I wouldn''t get to see you and Father again." Kenneth was visibly overjoyed to be reunited with his family. Once again, he was so grateful to Darren. If the other man didn''t accompany him, he would have died many times out there, and he could never have made it back alive.

 Chapter 2088 Before The Disturbance (Part One)

    "Sir, I''m disturbing your family reunion. I''m sorry. I will go now."


    After bowing to Kenneth''s grandfather, Deacon scurried away.


    But things were not settled yet. Kenneth had made it out of the Dragon Bone Ruins with his life. If he hadn''t, the old man would have been furious and things could not have been tied up so cleanly.


    But there were still reasons to worry. The old man of the Red Demon Clan was not a problem now, but what about the other noble clans and the clans of the eight kings? They would be angry and they could make all the trouble they wanted.


    "Kenneth, how hurt is Alex? Is he worse than you?"


    Apollo asked as he approached Darren''s bedside and looked at his dull eyes.


    Kenneth turned to Darren and smiled. "Alex, I''ve underestimated your acting skills. You look like a fool. Ha-ha!"


    Suddenly, Darren concentrated his unfocused eyes and a bright, clear light shot from them. Apollo gasped and took a step backwards.


    "I was just trying to stay out of trouble, so I stayed silent. Isn''t it easier to pretend to be a fool?" Darren replied with a smile.


    "


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    ir death is the best possible ending to that story."


    Those people had been far more evil than that. If Darren had been any weaker, he wouldn''t have made it out alive. The members from the royal family would have slaughtered him.


    "Kenneth, this information can''t leave our family. If anyone else finds out, we will be in a lot of trouble," Apollo warned.


    "Dad, relax. I''m not stupid. We have already tricked everyone. Why would I tell them our secrets?"


    Apollo nodded his head and said, "It looks like Alex has taught you a lot. I trust you."


    In the past, Kenneth would have revealed the secret after a few questions from others. Now, he would guard it with his life.


    "Okay. Since this is not our territory, we should go. Let''s talk about it after we get home."


    The old man and Apollo were going to leave together with Kenneth and Darren. The old guards nodded at them as they passed, seeing no reason to try and stop them.


    A while later, Darren and the others flew out of the imperial city. They would travel using the transmission array in the suburb.


    "Please wait."

 Chapter 2089 Before The Disturbance (Part Two)

    Just as they were about to set foot in the transmission array, a dozen figures descended from the sky and landed behind them.


    The old man frowned, turned around, and retracted his arm to throw a punch at the newcomers.


    "Sherman, I see that you haven''t changed. You still like attacking people,"


    a middle-aged man with white hair on his temples said to the old man. A large smile was present on his face.


    "Ned Yan?" The old man was forced to perform a double-take. After raking over the middle-aged man carefully with his eyes, he was certain about his identity.


    Ned was the number one warrior of the Yan Clan, and he had earned that reputation.


    The old man was struggling to remain where he was standing.


    Dealing with the most powerful warrior of the Yan Clan would not be easy. Since Ned had come all that way, the old man wanted to find out the reason before he made any rash decisions.


    "Ha-ha! I thought you had forgotten me. Decker, come over here and greet your Uncle Sherman!" Ned called to a man behind him. He looked even older than Ned.


    The man''s name was Decker Yan. He was Ned''s eldest son.


    "Uncle Sherman." Keeping his face straight, Decker cupped his hands and bowed slightly in greeting.


    "Are you serious?" the old man snorted. "Ned, why are


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    .


    "Puff!"


    As he stepped out of the transmission array, the old man hunched over and coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    "Father!"


    "Grandpa!"


    Apollo and Kenneth ran towards him, holding him up.


    "Leave me. I''m fine." The old man waved them off. "Ned has ten metal meridians. If I didn''t pretend I had that many too, he wouldn''t have let us go so easily."


    The truth had come out. The old man was not at the level of a grade-nine Fate Character and ten metal meridians. Instead, he had used a skill to forcefully display the aura of ten metal meridians so that the members from the Yan Clan would fear him and let them go.


    If Ned had insisted on taking Darren, the old man would have not been able to protect him.


    "Thank you, sir,"


    Darren said. Of course, he had already understood the old man''s plan.


    "Don''t be so formal with me, Alex. From this moment on, I want you and Kenneth to stay in our clan. I think the Yan Clan will be watching you. And who knows what else may happen,"


    the old man said, looking up at the sky with a worried expression on his face. Then, he sighed. "I''m afraid a disturbance is going to happen."


    Something felt off to him. The royal family had lost so many princes, but they weren''t looking for revenge. The peace was eerie.

 Chapter 2090 A Talent Test (Part One)

    Now that they had put a lot of distance between themselves and the imperial city, Darren and the others were in no hurry to go back. After exiting the transmission array, they traveled to the reception point of the upper-rate sect. They were warmly welcomed and presented tea and snacks, so they decided to seize the opportunity and get some rest.


    "Alex, what do you think the higher-ups of the royal family are going to do next?"


    the old man asked Darren. He had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach for days.


    Darren picked up his teacup and pondered the question. Then, he replied, "Many members from the royal family died in the ruins, but the imperial city is peaceful. The ones who seem to be stirring up trouble are the Yan Clan and the other noble clans. I think the emperor wants this to happen. Otherwise, he would''ve temporarily covered the casualties up to avoid any more chaos."


    The old man''s eyes lit up as a small smile crossed his face. Darren''s thoughts coincided with his.


    "You are right, boy. I think there will be more turmoil in the Eastern Imperial Region


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    f you are alone, you put yourself in danger. If you get into trouble, we might not be able to reach you in time."


    The old man''s worry was reasonable. He knew that the members of the Yan Clan had a target on Darren''s back.


    "I''ll be fine. They don''t know my real strength. It''s not that easy for them to hurt me."


    Only Kenneth and his family members knew Darren''s real strength. There wasn''t anyone else who had an inkling that he was as strong as a warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character and nine metal meridians.


    "Alex, I''ll go with you!" Kenneth said in a hurry.


    "No. If you go with me, we will stick out more. I can deal with my enemies on my own. But I''m afraid my sect will need the protection from the Red Demon Clan in the future."


    "No problem. You are strong enough to handle the people from a middle-rate sect. When you''re back, you can move your sect onto our land. I''ll choose a good place for you," Apollo replied.


    "Thank you, sir."


    "Not to mention it. You helped Kenneth so much. I don''t know how to repay you for your kindness." Apollo smiled at Darren.

 Chapter 2091 A Talent Test (Part Two)

    "Alex, you can go now. Come back as soon as everything is dealt with. This map will show you how to get to our land. And take this token. It is my symbol. If anyone tries to cause you any trouble when you get into our territory, just show it to them."


    The old man was not the strongest warrior in their clan, but he still held a very high status and a lot of people feared him.


    "Okay. I''m leaving."


    "Alex, take care!"


    Darren soared towards the sky like he was an arrow. In a flash, he was gone from their sights.


    "That was so strange. That guy gave me the chills and I don''t know why."


    "Yeah. I nearly pissed my pants. I think he''s a strong warrior. It''s a good thing that we ran away fast."


    Boom! Boom!


    All of a sudden, a terrifying force descended from the sky. All of the people that had just escaped from Darren were killed.


    They had killed dozens of people from the Celestial Sect. Darren couldn''t let them go without a punishment.


    Once that was settled, he flew in the direction of the Celestial Sect.


    A few hours later, Darren arrived.


    As he hovered over the Celestial Sect, he saw that it was completely empty. Ruins were scattered all over the ground.


    The disaster in front of him sent Darren into a fit.


    If he hadn''t arranged for the people from the Celestial Sect and the Scorching Fire Sect to hide in the mountain in advance, everyone would have been killed.


    Whoosh!


    Darren flew again. This time, he headed for the barren mountains that lined the horizon.


    Using his god''s sense, he searched the ar


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    separate underground cave.


    "I''ve brought all of you here to check your talent for swordsmanship."


    "Talent for swordsmanship?"


    Mina frowned and tilted her head to the side.


    "Honey, will it hurt? I''m a little scared," Ines asked in a low voice.


    "You will feel nothing at all. But Mina on the other hand... Anyone who is full of evil ideas will feel an immense amount of pain during the process."


    "What?" Mina stared at Darren in shock. Then, she rolled her eyes. "My brother-in-law, you must think you''re so funny! You are the most vicious person I know!"


    "Ha-ha-ha..." Both Mina and Daxton burst into laughter. After that, the atmosphere in the cave was a lot more relaxed.


    "Okay. You all need to sit and cross your legs. Let yourselves relax and open your minds."


    The three of them followed Darren''s instructions. Then, Darren created a small wisp of sword intent and transferred it into their meridians.


    "Lead the sword into your body. Once it''s inside, take it to all of your acupoints, and then, let it swim in your consciousness sea..."


    Darren''s voice boomed inside of their minds. He chanted quietly to guide the sword intent.


    Buzz!


    Suddenly, a sword light appeared in the air in front of them.


    "Ah!"


    Ines'' scream echoed off of the walls. She shook her head.


    "I''m sorry, honey. I''m too stupid," she apologized, lowering her head.


    But Darren wasn''t mad at her. He was delighted.


    According to the talent grades of the Primitive Wilderness, Ines'' talent for swordsmanship was at the legendary level!

 Chapter 2092 Upgrading The Fate Character (Part One)

    "Focus. Focus! Ignore the distractions. Keep comprehending."


    Darren didn''t just want to check all three of their talents in swordsmanship. He was set on improving their levels of swordsmanship too.


    The wisp of sword intent that he had put into their bodies was the same essence of swordsmanship that he had spent years mastering. He had chosen to pass it onto them so they could improve much easier and faster during their cultivation.


    There was just one drawback. Forcing their swordsmanship to increase in a short time would set a limit on their overall level of swordsmanship in the future.


    As for the amount of talent he could help them reach, Darren didn''t know. After all, it was the first time he had tried it.


    Darren controlled the sword intent until it started to become integrated with their spiritual souls. Two hours later, Daxton''s eyes burst open. He coughed heavily, hacking up blood. When he looked up at Darren, his face was white.


    "Alex, I can''t hold on any longer."


    The aura in Daxton''s meridians was unfamiliar. When it entered his spiritual soul, it was like he was hallucinating a strange world.


    It was a world full


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    e turned her graceful figure in the air, causing sword shadows to scatter around her.


    It looked chaotic to the untrained eye, but the sword shadows were moving in perfect synchronization.


    Clang!


    A gust of sword power broke away from the sword and rushed forward. It kept going until it was out of their sight and exploding a mountain that was ten kilometers away.


    "Ah!"


    Looking at the sword in her hand, Ines was shocked.


    She had no clue that she possessed that much power.


    She felt that the power was enough to kill any warrior with a grade-five Fate Character.


    Her newfound talent had boosted her confidence.


    After all, Ines only had a grade-two Fate Character and two metal meridians.


    But Darren wasn''t considering that. All he cared about was the integrating degree between the sword intent and the god''s power.


    "The integrating degree is at sixty percent. Very good!"


    That level of integrating degree was promising. If Ines improved quickly, her strength would soar.


    "Wow! Thank you so much." Ines flew over and wrapped her arms around Darren''s neck. The smile looked like it was permanently plastered to her face.

 Chapter 2093 Upgrading The Fate Character (Part Two)

    She had never dreamed that she would be so powerful.


    And it was all thanks to her amazing husband!


    "That''s what you''re so happy about?" Darren smiled and added, "Less than half a month from now, you will be one thousand times stronger, maybe even ten thousand times stronger than you are now."


    When she heard that, Ines'' jaw dropped. She couldn''t picture what that kind of strength would look like, but she was still excited.


    Six hours later, Mina and Daxton awoke within seconds of each other.


    "Alex, I have comprehended all three moves of swordsmanship. Look at my sword strike!"


    Mina took out her sword from her storage space unit and thrust at Darren.


    Clang!


    With two fingers, Darren grabbed the sword''s blade and pulled it. Her grasp on it slipped, causing the sword to fly and stab into the stone wall next to her.


    "Grab your sword and try again!"


    "Okay."


    Mina ran towards the wall, yanked her sword out, and stabbed at Darren again. Wisps of sword intent appeared at its tip.


    Darren stood completely still.


    "Alex, look out!"


    The sword was inches away from stabbing Darren clear through his throat. Mina panicked, but it was too late for her to withdraw her sword.


    She closed her eyes, fully be


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    .


    "Wait. What happened?"


    "The pain is gone!"


    "Ah! My... my Fate Character has been upgraded. I''m a warrior with a grade-five Fate Character!"


    "My realm improved too! Our sect leader helped us to do it!"


    They all turned to Darren and smiled. They had never dreamed of a sect leader upgrading their Fate Characters in such a short time.


    How powerful was Darren''s method?


    No one had heard about anything like it in the history of the Immortal God race.


    "It worked."


    Darren had thought about testing the method out a few times, but he couldn''t figure out what the risks might be.


    For example, the disciples could have rejected the black substances he sent into their bodies, or the pain could have been too much for them to bear.


    But now he could see that there was no risk.


    If he wanted to, he could help his disciples upgrade their Fate Characters.


    He understood that the upgrade of the Fate Characters would eventually reach a limit. Darren estimated that it would take much more energy to use this method to upgrade a warrior with a grade-seven Fate Character again. He couldn''t afford to do it.


    For the time being, helping the disciples improve their Fate Characters to grade-seven would be enough.

 Chapter 2094 Attack The Dragon Tiger Cliff (Part One)

    If all of the disciples in the Celestial Sect could become warriors with grade-seven Fate Characters and master Darren''s swordsmanship, it would be easy for them to defeat enemies with two or three more metal meridians than them, no matter how low their original talent levels were.


    The ones who were already talented to begin with would be the strongest.


    "Tyrone, take everyone into the underground cave and wait for me there," Darren ordered.


    "Yes, Master."


    Darren knew exactly what he had to do next. Before he had slaughtered the people in the Dragon Bone Ruins, Darren had obtained hundreds of thousands of kilograms of white metal. The members of the Immortal God race wouldn''t need a lot of it. At most, they each would require only a few grams.


    Soon, nearly one hundred thousand disciples and elders were packed into the underground cave.


    "Everyone, listen up! I need you to sit down with your legs crossed and relax your god''s senses."


    "Yes, Master Alex!"


    They all agreed, even though they didn''t know what Darren''s plan included.


    Standing in front of them, Darren refined five thousand kilograms of white metal. Feeling more alive than ever, his s


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    ud voice, standing in front of the disciples.


    Nobody said a word.


    "Answer me!" Darren demanded in an even louder voice.


    "We didn''t believe you." Even though they knew it might get them in trouble, they had to answer honestly.


    "What about now? If I ask you to destroy the Dragon Tiger Cliff, can you do that for me?" Darren asked.


    "Of course, we can!"


    Their enthusiastic answer shook the cave.


    "Well, you can''t!" Darren said, confusing everyone that was present.


    "But Master Alex, we are really confident!"


    "That''s right. Now that our strength is higher, we have nothing to fear from the Dragon Tiger Cliff!"


    Now, there was no hesitation in their voices. They were truly full of confidence. The power inside of them felt endless, and they were eager to try it out.


    "There are four elders with grade-eight Fate Characters in the Dragon Tiger Cliff. How are you going to deal with them?"


    "Well..." It was like someone had stuck a pin in their confidence balloon. The gap between a warrior with a grade-seven Fate Character and a warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character was so large that it wouldn''t matter even if they mastered the swordsmanship.

 Chapter 2095 Attack The Dragon Tiger Cliff (Part Two)

    "And what if there are other stronger masters hiding in the Dragon Tiger Cliff?"


    "There will be some!"


    All forces had famous masters that they kept hidden from the outside world.


    The Dragon Tiger Cliff was a middle-rate sect. That meant they had more than four masters with grade-eight Fate Characters, and their fighting power could be a lot higher than that.


    "Even with your current strength, isn''t it still foolish to launch an attack on them? It will be like asking them to kill you. Are you still confident?"


    A bottom-rate sect having one hundred thousand disciples with grade-seven Fate Characters was insane. However, if they fought with higher-level opponents, the difference in strength would have too large of an effect, despite their numbers.


    An elder with a grade-eight Fate Character and three metal meridians could kill one hundred thousand ordinary warriors with grade-seven Fate Characters!


    "Master Alex, we are braver than we were before. I think we should all go. If the elders from the Dragon Tiger Cliff kill our people, we will chase after their disciples and kill them. Killing their disciples will make up for the men we will lose!"


    "That''s right. We will fight them to death. That way, they won''t view us as losers. If they want to exterminate us, they will have to try very hard!"


    Spirits were running high once again. Everyone was willing to fight their enemies with everything that they had, even if


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    had no other choice.


    "Bastards from the Dragon Tiger Cliff, come and kill us! I dare you! I bet we will kill all of you before you can touch one of us! Unfortunately, our sect leader is generous and kind. He said that all of the ordinary disciples can go free if they surrender to us."


    "But who is your sect leader?" the leader of the Dragon Tiger Cliff roared as he looked up at the sky.


    "Ha! You don''t deserve to know his name! I''m the weakest disciple in the Celestial Sect. I''ll kill you myself later!" someone replied.


    Normally, the people from the Celestial Sect were calm, reasonable people. But they had suffered tragedies recently and had been hunted down ever since.


    Today, they saw an opportunity to take their revenge. They would say whatever they wanted to get it.


    "Impossible!"


    "How did the Celestial Sect gain so many powerful masters?"


    The senior leaders of the Dragon Tiger Cliff blinked several times.


    They had been hiding in the mountains. They were basically losers. How did they increase their strength so greatly and so fast?


    "Fine. Just remember that you forced me to attack you! Elders, listen to me. Kill them all!"


    "Yes, sir!" the four strongest elders said together.


    However, before they could form their attacks, countless arrows rained down. Behind the Dragon Tiger Cliff, screams were heard. Within seconds, one hundred thousand disciples from the Dragon Tiger Cliff had been killed.

 Chapter 2096 The Slaughter (Part One)

    "Go to hell! Kill them all!"


    These disciples were founding members of the Dragon Tiger Cliff, but the sect leader could only watch as these wicked people slaughtered them right in front of his eyes. The Dragon Tiger Cliff''s sect leader seethed in frustration, his heart aching for his beloved disciples.


    "They are nothing but weaklings. I''ll deal with them myself!"


    Whoosh!


    Suddenly, an elder from the Dragon Tiger Cliff burst into motion and flew off into the sky.


    His entire body lit up with god''s power, and he transformed into a stream of dark gold light. The surrounding space shattered in his wake, leaving behind a vast, linear void.


    "Ooh, flashy! I''m shaking in my boots! Ha-ha!"


    None of the Celestial Sect''s disciples took him seriously at all.


    In the past, a warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character could have sent them to their knees with just his aura, and a single attack could leave them trembling like a leaf.


    "Come on, let''s make a sword array of one thousand people!"


    A thousand cultivators soared into the sky, forming a sword-shaped array. They simultaneously released their god''s power, condensed a gigantic sword,


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    , Hackett had realized this already.


    Even though this battle seemed to show otherwise, the Dragon Tiger Cliff''s disciples were actually formidable fighters. However, their skills were useless in the face of these highly organized opponents.


    Every time one of their disciples reached the brink of victory, at least two other members of the Celestial Sect would turn up to help their current opponent. And then, these three people would band together and attack, increasing their attacking power exponentially. It was an abhorrent tactic.


    "Go to the communication pavilion and inform the three ancestors who are cultivating in the Dragon Abyss Sect about what is going on. Make haste, or this sect will be no more!" Hackett urgently instructed the elder nearest to him, who immediately retreated into the shadows.


    Not much was known about the Dragon Abyss Sect. Supposedly, it was an upper-rate sect and only a warrior with at least a grade-eight Fate Character and five metal meridians could cultivate there.


    The Dragon Tiger Cliff''s three former leaders had all entered the Dragon Abyss Sect to cultivate. And, usually, they couldn''t be disturbed.

 Chapter 2097 The Slaughter (Part Two)

    They often ignored trivial affairs in the Dragon Tiger Cliff, as that was a concern for the current leaders. However, they would undoubtedly come running this time since the matter concerned the safety of the entire sect. They couldn''t sit by and do nothing.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Sword shadows flashed in the sky as the Dragon Tiger Cliff''s disciples fell like flies. In the brief span of time that passed, another one hundred thousand disciples had died. Only some elders and several thousand principal disciples survived. They were the few that didn''t act rashly and instead opted to watch the battle from afar.


    "Ha-ha! Look at them. They must be scared now. Master Alex taught us such an incredible sword array; it''s unstoppable! We only have grade-seven Fate Characters, but they can''t touch us once we work together. We can even take down warriors with grade-eight Fate Characters now. This is amazing!"


    Darren had taught them this sword array.


    And the sword skills they had learned in the past few days were actually a part of this sword array. It was quite flexible


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    an to help you. I promise."


    Hearing all these, Hackett secretly consulted some of the elders through his spiritual sense, and they concluded that it would be better to give Darren what he wanted. The best scenario would be if both sides came to an agreement, but even if the negotiations failed, it would still help them stall for time as they waited for their three ancestors to come back.


    Strangely, when Darren spoke, everyone suddenly felt like they wanted peace as well. He appeared trustworthy and a man of integrity and moral principles.


    "Ha-ha, Alex, this is all just a misunderstanding. But it''s also partially my fault, as I failed to restrain my men. Please forgive them for making trouble for your sect. I sincerely apologize as their leader. It must be fate that we met with each other. If you agree, we''ll be sworn brothers from now on, and we will share every highs and lows of our lives." Hackett smiled warmly at Darren as if he was about to accept Darren''s condition. That wasn''t true, of course, as he just wanted to buy time until the three ancestors arrived.

 Chapter 2098 The Slaughter (Part Three)

    "The truth is that I have admired you for a long time," Darren said.


    "Really? I had no idea you were this bold and honest. Anyway, that''s settled. We will work together from now on."


    "Okay." Darren gave a pleased smile. "But remember, the rules can''t be broken. As for the white metal... Hackett, what do you think?"


    "I understand, Alex. Please wait while I ask my men to fetch it right now!"


    After that, Hackett sent a few of the elders to the treasure house right away. These elders came back not long after with three Space Rings, which contained about fifty thousand kilograms of white metal in total.


    An abundance of white metal wasn''t necessary for cultivators of the Immortal God race. It was rare and expensive, but it was a lot cheaper than grade-eight metal. With that thought in mind, Hackett gave up fifty thousand kilograms of white metal to Darren without a second thought.


    "And what about the whi


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    thousands of members. But now, only Hackett remained alive.


    Ashen faced, Hackett wailed like a madman that had been scared out of his wits.


    The sword array seemed invincible.


    ''That Alex is a monster! But how did he create such a terrifying army? How does he control them?'' thought Hackett in despair.


    "It''s all over! We''re doomed..." Hackett laughed and laughed until he cried. He didn''t even know what to feel anymore. All he knew was that he was going to die.


    "How dare you terrorize the members of our Dragon Tiger Cliff?"


    Suddenly, an old man in a black robe emerged from amid the clouds.


    As soon as he spoke, a gust of incomparably violent god''s power shot out towards the one hundred thousand disciples of the Celestial Sect. The pressure alone pushed the sword array onto the brink of collapse.


    "You must have a death wish!"


    Darren muttered darkly as he leveled a sharp glare at the old man.

 Chapter 2099 Killing From Five Hundred Kilometers Away (Part One)

    "Ancestor!"


    Hackett had thought that all hope was lost, but the sight of the figure in the sky lifted his spirits.


    "Ancestor, this man has killed all of the other members from our Dragon Tiger Cliff. Teach him a lesson!"


    Hackett roared, pointing at Darren.


    "You bastard, how dare you slaughter the members of our Dragon Tiger Cliff? You must have thought the ancestors of the sect like me were dead? Well, guess what? We''re still alive!"


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A huge palm strike loomed in the sky over all one hundred thousand disciples of the Celestial Sect.


    "Fuck off!"


    Darren snapped. His sword intent twisted in the air, turning into a storm.


    Before the palm could fall on his people, both god''s power attacks collided, shaking the earth and sky.


    "He is not weak!"


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    When they saw the defensive attack that Darren had displayed, the three old men retreated, landing in front of Hackett.


    They thought that was the extent of Darren''s power. What they didn''t know was that his attack had only contained a trace of god''s power and sword intent, which was less than one ten-thousa


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    flicked his finger.


    A wisp of snow-white sword intent shot out and reached the sky in one second.


    Bang!


    The old man''s body exploded upon contact. His blood rained down from the sky.


    "What happened?"


    "How could this brat be so powerful?"


    "All he did was to flick his finger! How did that kill my master?"


    The remaining two ancestors from the Dragon Tiger Cliff were frozen from their shock.


    "Damn it! Run! The only safe place for us is the Dragon Abyss Sect!"


    Feeling the urgency of the situation, the remaining two old men turned and rushed into the sky, trying to escape.


    "Master, I thought you said that I could kill them?" Tyrone asked.


    "I did, but I have seen your current strength. You might win a narrow victory against one of them, but if you were to fight all the three of them in succession, you will definitely lose. It will be a waste of our time."


    "Okay. I understand." Tyrone had no reason to doubt Darren''s judgment. He silently nodded his head.


    "Okay. Everyone, I want you to go to the treasure house of the Dragon Tiger Cliff and take anything that you think might be useful."

 Chapter 2100 Killing From Five Hundred Kilometers Away (Part Two)

    "Yes, leader!"


    The sheer volume of the members from the Celestial Sect responding all at once was enough to shake the earth.


    "Alex, the two old men that got away will come back with reinforcements. We don''t have time for this. We have to go," Daxton warned in a low voice.


    "Did they really get away though?" Shielding his eyes from the sun, Darren looked up. Pointing forward, he released a wisp of purple mist into the sky from his right arm.


    The two old men had already run over five hundred kilometers away.


    "That was super close! That brat is a lot stronger than I anticipated. I hate to say it, but I think he''s reached the level of grade-nine Fate Character!"


    "I agree with you. At least we had a chance to run. Otherwise, we would have died the same way our master did."


    "But he destroyed our Dragon Tiger Cliff. I can''t let him get away with it! When we return to the Dragon Abyss Sect, I will ask the most powerful man for help. It doesn''t matter if that brat is at the level of grade-nine Fate Character. We still have to kill him."


    "Are you going to ask Rhett Xia for help? Really? How will you get him to agree to it?"


    "Easy. After all, I''m his father-in-law. Although my daughter is just his mistress, he dotes on her. Once she asks him to help us, he won''t be able to say no."


    "That''s..."


    Before the other ancestor could say "good" and finish the sentence, he felt a chill run down his spine.


    Gasping, they activated their god''s senses to see


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    You''re welcome. It''s really no problem. You three came all the way here to make the Celestial Sect a middle-rate sect. I''m really grateful for your help. Thank you very much."


    The Blood Sea Sect knew why the Celestial Sect was being promoted to a middle-rate sect. They also knew that only two people had walked out of the Dragon Bone Ruins alive. One of them was Alex and he belonged to the Celestial Sect.


    The Blood Sea Sect had attached a great importance to the Celestial Sect and wanted to treat Daxton politely.


    If it were any other sect, they wouldn''t hesitate to blackmail them.


    In the underground secret room, Darren had managed to refine all of the white metal. He looked around for more, but he didn''t see any.


    "There seems to be a big shortage."


    Darren checked his Fate Character Tree. As usual, half of the white metal he refined turned into black substances, and the other half turned into a purple mist.


    But his Fate Character Tree was still miles away from being able to upgrade to the sixth grade. He had noticed that another purple fruit had sprouted, but it was very small and immature. In order to ripen it, he would need hundreds of thousands of kilograms of white metal.


    "All right. I''m done with this. I need to get more white metal. If worst comes to worst, I can rob more middle-rate sects. That should get me enough!"


    Darren didn''t care about being ethical. If he needed resources, he would do whatever it took to get his hands on them.

 Chapter 2101 Snatching Resources (Part One)

    When Darren completed his cultivation in seclusion, he chose not to attend the celebration banquet. He hadn''t had a lot of calm moments in his life lately, so he decided to embrace his chance for some leisure and let Daxton go to the banquet and deal with the other sects.


    But the moment that he set foot in the courtyard, Ines ran towards him, interrupting his peace.


    "Honey, you''ve finally finished your cultivation," she said, breathless.


    Darren gazed down at her pretty eyes and innocent smile and sighed inwardly. He felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Soon, he would have to reveal his true identity to her.


    "Is everything all right, Ines?" he asked. It was strange for her to approach him in such a hurry.


    Furrowing her brow, she answered, "It''s been days since I''ve seen my father. I looked in all the places he normally goes, but I can''t find him. I''ve been so worried, but I wanted to wait for you to come back and help me search."


    Darren frowned. "Really?"


    Ines'' father had average strength. Darren had tried his best, but he could only improve Liam''s cultivation base to a grade-four Fate Character. Lia


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    at had truly happened to the Dragon Tiger Cliff, but none of them had gained any valuable information.


    The only thing the Nine-deity Sect had done that had helped was capturing one person that was involved¡ªLiam, who had gone out to buy some good wine for Darren.


    At first, Liam had refused to tell them anything, but after lots of torture and relentless interrogation, he gave in and told them the truth about what had happened.


    However, instead of relieving his torture, it caused more of it. The majority of the members from the Nine-deity Sect thought he was trying to trick them.


    After all, what kind of person could create one hundred thousand warriors with grade-seven Fate Characters in only fifteen days?


    How could anyone kill a warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character and three metal meridians with just a flick of the finger?


    Liam''s claims sounded utterly impossible. The Nine-deity Sect refused to believe him, just like any other sect would.


    Looking up, the members from the sect noticed Darren''s arrival. Tyrone was with him, but he was concealed like he always was. They couldn''t detect his aura.

 Chapter 2102 Snatching Resources (Part Two)

    "Who are you?" they shouted. "How dare you trespass into our¡ª"


    Before they could finish, Darren swept his eyes over the group of several disciples from the Nine-deity Sect that was rushing towards him, causing them to explode on the spot.


    Without slowing down, Darren flew straight to the main hall where he knew the leader of the Nine-deity Sect would be.


    Too consumed with his task to bother looking for a door, he burst through the nearest wall, interrupting a discussion between the leader of the Nine-deity Sect and twelve top elders.


    "Who are you?" they demanded. "How dare you break into the main hall?"


    Immediately, everyone''s cold, angry eyes fixed on Darren. Tyrone was still hiding and trying to keep it that way for as long as possible.


    "I am Alex Chu," Darren replied, puffing out his chest confidently.


    "I don''t care who you are, I want you to leave! If you don''t, you will


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    It was Liam.


    Liam was so injured that he was minutes away from a coma and death.


    Everyone''s heart beat fast as they stared at the two of them.


    Darren was just as powerful as the rumors said. Now that Darren knew they were holding Liam hostage, they knew that they were in trouble.


    "Mr. Chu, are you sure that this man is your father-in-law?" the leader of the Nine-deity Sect asked. He also knew that he was in danger so he continued to pretend he had nothing to do with the capture and torture of Liam.


    "That''s enough!" Darren snapped. "You''ve beaten my father-in-law so hard that you almost killed him. Explain yourselves now! I''m not a person who enjoys killing for no reason. Just in case you really don''t know who he is, I will let you go on one condition¡ªI require compensation for his suffering. Two hundred and fifty thousand kilograms of white metal sounds good, don''t you think?"

 Chapter 2103 Snatching Resources (Part Three)

    That wasn''t Darren''s first time using threats to force others to share their stash of white metal with him.


    He had no other choice. It was necessary for him to collect as much white metal as he could.


    If it wasn''t for that, Darren would not have bothered bargaining with the Nine-deity sect. He would have just killed them all with a single sword strike.


    "What?" the sect leader exclaimed, holding a hand to his forehead in surprise. "Is he really your father-in-law? I''m so sorry! We''ve made an enormous mistake. We had no idea who he was. Please forgive us." The sect leader turned to face the others. "Guards, go and prepare the gift and apologize to Mr. Chu!"


    Now that he and the others had witnessed Darren''s power and ruthlessness, they were scared to the core. He couldn''t refuse Darren''s requirement, or he would die. The sect leader had no choice but to comp


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    eed with Darren''s actions. After all, what else could he do? He didn''t want to sacrifice the whole Nine-deity Sect for his pride.


    "Thank god! He''s finally gone!"


    the leader of the Nine-deity Sect exclaimed right after Darren turned around and flew away. He threw his hands up and collapsed in midair.


    Darren traveled a long distance before he finally reunited with the two hundred disciples he had sent out.


    Over half of them had become injured and returned empty-handed, which Darren had expected.


    "All right. Thank you for your hard work. You can go and heal your wounds. I''ll take care of the rest."


    Darren stopped to calculate how much he had gained. There was a little over a million kilograms of white metal in total. If he could get some more, he would be able to improve his Fate Character to the sixth grade, and the purple fruit would become ripe.

 Chapter 2104 Seek Revenge

    "Now, we have to return to our sect,"


    Darren ordered, preparing to lead his team back to the sect station.


    "Master, what about those sects? Are you just going to let them go?" Tyrone asked, furrowing his brow.


    The ten middle-rate sects had hurt a lot of their disciples. It made no sense for Darren to not punish them.


    "No. I plan on punishing them. I''m just waiting until after my cultivation."


    Darren''s strength was more important than anything else. He needed to increase it.


    Not long after, Darren and the others made the journey back to the place of the Dragon Tiger Cliff.


    "Okay. I have about one million kilograms of white metal here. That should be enough to improve my strength!"


    Darren muttered to himself as he walked into the secret basement. He was alone here. After he finished refining the white metal, he would know the result of his cultivation.


    The white metal that was hovering in the air dissolved and entered Darren''s body in the form of a long stream.


    Within seconds, the black and purple substances were flowing through Darren''s six silver meridians into his Fate Character.


    Half a month later, nearly half of the white metal had been used up.


    Buzz!


    The walls of the secret room started to tremble, causing Darren''s eyes to jolt open.


    "My Fate Character has reached a higher level!"


    Darren exclaimed, pumping his fists into the air. He had originally thought it would take a


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    !"


    At that moment, they all realized that the guard from the upper-rate sect was very powerful.


    Darren was the only one among them that could resist a warrior like him. They couldn''t stop a warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character and six metal meridians, let alone one with a grade-nine Fate Character.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    Just as Rhett was about to destroy the Dragon Tiger Cliff, several huge, metal beasts appeared on the horizon. They were flying towards them at an impressive speed.


    "Are the members of the Blood Sea Sect coming to rescue us?" Daxton peered into the distance and released a sigh of relief.


    In the blink of an eye, the metal beasts arrived. Huge shadows covered the ground as they floated high above them.


    "Where is Alex Chu from the Celestial Sect? Come here! We want to kill you!"


    "How dare you destroy our Giant Spirit Sect''s affiliated sect? That was a foolish move!"


    "Yes! Alex Chu is very arrogant. He even destroyed our Hanging Pavilion Sect''s affiliated sect!"


    When Daxton heard those words, his face turned deathly pale. The newcomers were not members from the Blood Sea Sect. They were there for revenge too.


    "Alex Chu, come out! If you don''t, I will kill all of the members of your sect!"


    Layers of pressure covered the area of the Dragon Tiger Cliff again. This time, a mountain that was one hundred thousand feet tall became overwhelmed and exploded with a huge bang.

 Chapter 2105 No Kneeling (Part One)

    As the dust settled, the members from the Celestial Sect immediately flew into the sky. All one hundred thousand of them gathered in a large group and faced the upper-rate sects.


    "Last time I checked, the Celestial Sect was a bottom-rate sect. How did they get this powerful?"


    When they took a moment to sense the cultivation base of the disciples from the Celestial Sect, the people from the upper-rate sects couldn''t believe what they had found.


    Every single disciple in the Celestial Sect was a warrior with a grade-seven Fate Character.


    And that wasn''t all. Their auras showed that they were actually much stronger than ordinary grade-seven warriors.


    A month ago, they had all been very weak. Becoming so strong so fast was unheard of. If the members from the upper-rate sects hadn''t witnessed it with their own eyes, they would have never believed it.


    "That''s why their leader dared to destroy our affiliated sects. He must have reached the top level of a grade-eight Fate Character."


    "And why does that matter? I can kill a warrior with a top-level grade-eight Fate Character with one hand tied behin


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    is sect will be annihilated today."


    The giant, black sword swept through the air, colliding with a clang against Rhett''s spear.


    "Hmm...Not too bad. But you weaklings have failed to comprehend the power of a warrior with a grade-nine Fate Character! Now watch me break your little toy!"


    Exerting the tiniest amount of his god''s power, Rhett watched as the tip of his spear started to shine. The giant, black sword stopped inches from his head.


    Clang...


    Eventually, the black sword started to tremble. Then, the god''s power became too much for it to handle and it shattered.


    A warrior with a grade-nine Fate Character was a lot stronger than the members from the Celestial Sect. Even if they were to use all of their strength at once, it still wouldn''t be enough to defeat Rhett.


    "Kneel down, all of you!"


    Rhett roared. He stood taller, allowing his momentum to rise and affect the space around him.


    Puff! Puff! Puff!


    Coughing and clutching at their chests, all of the disciples from the Celestial Sect spat blood onto the ground at their feet. The pressure was intense. They could barely stand.

 Chapter 2106 No Kneeling (Part Two)

    "Why aren''t you surrendering?"


    Rhett scowled when he saw that all of the members from the Celestial Sect had straightened their backs instead of kneeling down, even under all of his pressure.


    "Kneel down!"


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Immediately, many people''s spines and femurs were crushed.


    "We won''t kneel down to anyone except for our sect leader. We wouldn''t even do it for the emperor, let alone you!"


    Standing their ground, the members from the Celestial Sect still did not kneel. They stood in mid-air, holding hands and leaning against each other.


    "Good! You are all valued disciples! I''m proud to have you as part of our Celestial Sect! They are right! We''d rather die than kneel!"


    Zayd roared with an amused smile on his face. He was busy supporting Daxton''s body, which was close to death.


    "They are all fools! Guard Rhett, please just let us deal with them!"


    "There''s no need for you to interfere. I want to play with them a bit more!"


    Whoosh!


    Rhett flew into the crowd with the spear in his hand.


    Bang!


    As he flew through the air, the pressure he emitted caused the legs of over a thousand disciples from the Celestial Sect in the front row to explode.


    "Are you still not willing to give up?"


    Rhett lifted his spear and broke their arms.


    "You want us to kneel down? It will never happen!"


    The disciples in the back row flew forward and grabbed onto the disciples in the front row, stopping them from hitting the ground. They held them up.


    "Now you''ve really pissed me off! Bastards, go to hell!"


    Boom


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    ne''s eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, and his vision became blurred.


    "Master, I''m sorry. I have to die now." Tyrone knew that there was no hope. He was the strongest one there and he had failed.


    Meanwhile, Darren was in the secret basement working on his cultivation.


    The space was cut off from the outside world, so Darren wasn''t aware of the battle occurring above him. Even if the entire place of the Dragon Tiger Cliff collapsed, Darren would not feel anything. The space was peaceful.


    Darren was in the middle of transforming the white metal when his eyes burst open. He stopped cultivating for a moment.


    "Why does something feel off?"


    Darren''s heart was pounding against his ribcage like he had just woken up from a nightmare.


    Considering his cultivation base, that was unusual.


    "Did the act of constantly transforming the white metal exhaust me?" Darren murmured. Then, he closed his eyes, ready to continue his cultivation.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    As soon as he closed his eyes, Darren''s heart beat even faster. He leapt to his feet and looked around.


    "No! Someone is affecting my mind! Who is it?" Darren was confused. It was like someone had tried to send him a message from billions of kilometers away.


    After thinking for a while, Darren narrowed his eyes and murmured, "Is it the metal real body that''s affecting me? If it''s not him, something bad must have happened."


    Darren was no longer in the mood to continue his cultivation. Using his god''s sense, he dropped the restrictions that were around the secret basement.

 Chapter 2107 Discussion In The Deep Sky (Part One)

    Darren watched quietly as the door to the secret basement creaked open. On the other side, there was a towering heap of rubble.


    "That''s not good!"


    His heart pounding against his chest moments ago made sense.


    "Come on! Let''s finish killing this silicon-based man first!"


    The elder with a grade-nine Fate Character frowned and used more of his strength to transfer another burst of god''s power into Tyrone''s body.


    Tyrone cried out as his bones were shattered and his internal organs were squeezed almost to the bursting point. His breath of life was running low and quickly.


    "Alas. I will never get a chance to fight together with Master Alex and my former master," Tyrone mumbled, hanging his head solemnly.


    Suddenly, a figure appeared in the air and landed beside the elder.


    "Do you need my help?" The elder ignored him when he placed a hand on his shoulder and snapped, "Why? Do you think I can''t handle this? Go away. Why would I need your help?"


    Suddenly, the elder got the feeling that something wasn''t right. Even though he hadn''t looked at the man, he could tell that his aura was


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    thought. Now that I have a grade-six Fate Character and six silver meridians, I can fight against a warrior with a grade-nine Fate Character and two metal meridians."


    Darren had just managed to promote himself and he didn''t want to push himself too hard. When he had attacked Rhett, he only used the god''s power produced by the grade-five metal. If he chose to use the grade-six metal, he would be able to obliterate a warrior with a grade-nine Fate Character and two metal meridians.


    "Rhett is dead!"


    The other seven guards from the Dragon Abyss Sect were stunned.


    Rhett was one of the top cultivators from their realm. Yet Darren had killed him before he could fight back. It made no sense to them. How could a young man like him be so powerful?


    "How about now? Have I earned the right to know your sects'' names?"


    Darren''s gaze swept over the crowd, and they were all silent.


    "Brat, you haven''t earned so much as a smile from us. I admit that you are very powerful, but it''s all of us against one of you! Even if you did manage to defeat us all, how will you escape from being punished?

 Chapter 2108 Discussion In The Deep Sky (Part Two)

    You can''t resist and defeat all of the masters from the upper-rate sects. You are not strong or talented enough to become a top master with a grade-nine Fate Character,"


    an elder said.


    "That''s right. Although you are strong, it doesn''t mean you can go around doing whatever you want. If the real masters of our sect come, they will kill you before you can breathe. But I am merciful. I will give you one chance to kneel and surrender to us. Then, I will bring you back to be interrogated. When our sect leader sees how hard you''ve cultivated, he may spare you and reward you with the life of a slave or something else."


    It was obvious that the elder didn''t think highly of Darren even though he was very powerful. He believed that the overall strength of an upper-rate sect was far more powerful than Darren. The young man wouldn''t dare to offend them. If he wasn''t willing to kneel down and surrender, it would mean his death.


    "That makes sense," Darren murmured calmly, but his eyes were full of anger. "I''d like to see what the upper-rate sects have. Do you know why I asked you to tell me which sects you come from?"


    "Why?"


    "Because I want to destroy all these sects."


    Clack, clack, clack...


    The crowd of onlookers from the sects were worried when they heard that. When Darren spoke, his killing intent soared into the sky and swept the whole area.


    "Come on! If we fight him together, there''s a chance that we can beat him. Don''t run or hesitate!"


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Looking determined, the people from the upper-rate sects stepped forward and prepared to attack Darren.


    The god''s power shook the ground and b


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    "Tell everyone to go back to the mountain that they were hiding in before and to come out after I destroy those upper-rate sects."


    Darren didn''t want to keep the people of his sect around in case those sects sent people to attack them.


    "Master, please think twice. I heard that there are warriors with grade-nine Fate Characters and four metal meridians in the upper-rate sects."


    Zayd had witnessed Darren''s strength, but he still worried about his safety. After all, the gap of strength was really huge with one more metal meridian.


    "Just do as I say. Don''t worry about anything else."


    "Yes, sir."


    Zayd knew better than to argue with Darren, so he nodded his head and walked away.


    Later, Darren found Tyrone.


    "How''s your physical condition? Have you completely recovered?"


    "Master, my wounds have healed."


    "That''s great. You will be coming with me later. When I make my move, I want you to watch carefully. I''m hoping that you can gain something from it and improve your swordsmanship."


    "Okay!" Tyrone smiled at Darren. More than ever before, he wanted to improve his swordsmanship.


    "I want to visit with Ines before we leave. Go and make your preparations."


    Darren departed from the area and walked into a new courtyard.


    "Honey, you''re back! Let me make you something to eat!"


    "Ines, relax. I can''t stay long. Before I go, I have something to tell you."


    Darren had tried to explain the truth to her again and again, but he kept getting interrupted. Now was the best time because they were alone.


    "What''s the matter?"


    "The truth is that your husband died a long time ago," Darren admitted.

 Chapter 2109 The Great Purge Began (Part One)

    Ines paused and stared at Darren with wide eyes. "What are you talking about, darling?"


    Filled with an inexplicable sense of panic, she walked forward and grabbed onto Darren''s arm, leaning on his shoulder.


    Darren gently pushed her away, turned her to face him, and said, "Don''t I seem completely different from the man I used to be? My speech, behavior, talent, and strength have all changed."


    Ines stared at her shoes, biting her lip.


    The truth was, she had noticed all of those things a long time ago. Everything had changed after her husband woke from his coma.


    He used to be shy, cowardly, and gentle. They would spend hours together laughing and talking.


    But now, it was like her husband was a million miles away, even when he was standing right next to her. When she had suggested that they have a child together, he had found an excuse to avoid the matter.


    As she ran everything she knew through her head, Ines felt like needles were piercing her heart. The pain was too much to bear.


    "You...Are you okay?"


    When he saw her lips purse and tears slide down her cheeks,


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    ood as your sister''s, but if you work hard enough, you will get there one day."


    "That''s not good at all! I spent so much time comprehending that sword intent and you destroyed it with a flick of your finger. It was pathetic!" Mina complained, stomping her feet on the ground.


    "That''s because I''m incomparably stronger than you. That doesn''t mean that your current strength level is bad. If you were to fight alone, you won''t have to fear an opponent with a grade-eight Fate Character and one or two metal meridians," Darren reassured her.


    "Really?" Mina allowed a smile to spread on her cheeks.


    Fighting against an opponent with a grade-eight Fate Character was something she had never dreamed of doing before. Now, her brother-in-law had managed to teach her in just a few months.


    "Of course. But your swordsmanship is superficial. You have to practice a lot more if you want to fight the powerful warriors in the world and win."


    "Okay. Thank you, Alex." Mina rushed over and wrapped her arms tightly around Darren''s waist.


    "Stop, Mina! How dare you hug your brother-in-law?"

 Chapter 2110 The Great Purge Began (Part Two)

    "Ha-ha! I''m not afraid at all. What are you afraid of?"


    Suddenly, Tyrone''s figure popped up next to Darren.


    "Ahem! Master, I have a message for you from Zayd." When she saw Tyrone standing there, Mina released Darren. Humming happily, she waltzed away.


    "Is something wrong?"


    "Please have a look, master."


    Tyrone handed a jade card to Darren.


    "Master Alex, I''ve received a notice from the royal family. It''s about one of the eight kings. His surname is Xia. He tried to rebel, and his whole clan was annihilated. It''s a warning to all of the sects. Anyone who rebels will be killed without a second chance."


    After reading it, Darren raised the corners of his mouth. "Now I know why the upper-rate sects haven''t come to teach us a lesson. The great purge has begun. Anyone who has heard the news should keep quiet."


    The truth was, Darren knew that keeping one''s mouth shut was not a good way to successfully escape from the great purge.


    The man in the palace had annihilated a king as a warning to others. It was clear now how far he was willing to go to get what he wanted.


    And his ultimate targets were the Red Demon Clan and the Yan Clan.


    "It looks like I will have to make a trip to the Red Demon Clan."


    Darren hadn''t met the whole Red Demo


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    level of the eighth grade. It had been less than three months since then. Kenneth knew that Darren couldn''t improve his strength very much in that amount of time.


    "You are going to die in a couple of minutes. Questions are pointless."


    "The Yan Clan sent you, didn''t they?" Kenneth asked, trying to stall.


    "The Yan Clan? Of course not. But whoever finds your body will see traces of the god''s power from the Yan Clan on it," the old man answered.


    Frowning, Darren said, "You want to kill Kenneth and put the blame on the Yan Clan so there will be a conflict between the Red Demon Clan and the Yan Clan. That way, your royal family can sit back and watch the show. Then, when both sides suffer losses and injuries, you will annihilate them."


    The old man raised his eyebrows. "You are strong and smart."


    "It''s a good plan, but it''s not going to go the way you want it to."


    "What? Do you think you can escape from me? Young man, you''re not that lucky."


    As he spoke, the old man fully unleashed his aura, causing the surrounding space to shake.


    Kenneth had guessed right. The old man actually had a grade-nine Fate Character and five metal meridians.


    Even Darren was slightly surprised. He would have to be focused if he wanted to beat the old man.

 Chapter 2111 Twenty Million Kilograms (Part One)

    The old man extended his hands, turning the palms so that they faced each other. Moments later, god''s power started to pass back and forth between his palms.


    "Now, I''m going to kill you!"


    the old man yelled, pushing his hands forward and releasing the power. It traveled fast, covering a distance of fifty kilometers.


    The violent god''s power made the mountain collapse, and even the arrays that were created by the Red Demon Clan tremble.


    Darren watched the old man carefully. He was strong like Darren had initially thought, but his attack speed was not very fast. If Darren wanted to dodge his palm attack, he could do it.


    However, he didn''t dodge it. He stood still and calmly stared at the old man''s attack.


    Clang!


    Suddenly, several sword intents emerged and floated in front of Darren''s forehead.


    "Out."


    When Darren opened his eyes, the sword intents flew forward and met the god''s power in mid-air.


    Bang! Bang! Bang...


    The impact caused the sky and the earth to crack down the middle. The sound of shaking and crashing came from the area with arrays and spread


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    rong! The armor is made from powdered dragon bones and some scrap metal. Why are you lying? Do you think you can trick me?"


    "What?"


    The old man was beyond surprised. Who on earth was this guy? How did he find out what his armor had been made from? The "scrap metal" Darren mentioned was actually the hardest meteoric iron.


    "So what? You still can''t break it. In the end, you will die!" the old man snapped back.


    "Really? Let''s see what is more powerful, your rubbish armor or my dragon power," Darren said, sneering.


    Before the old man had enough time to comprehend what he had said, purple mist shrouded Darren''s right arm. Suddenly, an ear-piercing growl filled the air.


    "Roar!"


    When the old man heard the dragon roar, he trembled from head to toe. The sound had belonged to a genuine dragon!


    "It''s impossible. He must be using an illusion!"


    The old man desperately tried to convince himself that the young man couldn''t possibly have the aura of a dragon. It must be his illusion!


    The purple mist left Darren''s right arm and condensed into a long body in the sky.

 Chapter 2112 Twenty Million Kilograms (Part Two)

    The body became solid as it moved, and eventually, two cold, arrogant eyes locked onto the old man. He cowered and hid his face.


    He had become so feeble and weak that he almost fell to the ground. He murmured, "Dragon, genuine dragon..."


    "Hum!"


    The purple dragon that had been transformed from the dragon blood aura growled and flew forward. Its tail thrashed against the ground.


    Bang!


    The tail retracted and swung, hitting the old man''s armor and shattering it.


    "Go to hell!"


    Darren seized the opportunity and stabbed a sword intent through the old man''s chest.


    As the old man died, all he could see was an image of the purple dragon. He was blind to everything else.


    Bang!


    The old man''s body exploded like firework and his blood and organs rained down.


    "Assimilate."


    When the nourishment entered Darren''s Fate Character Tree, the fruit hanging from it started to tremble like it was celebrating.


    "It''s nearly ripe again."


    Over the past few days, Darren had killed a lot of people. They had different cultivation levels and a few of them even had negative emotions and killing intents.


    This time, he had assimilated a master with a grade-nine Fate Character and five metal meridians. He had enough nourishment now that he could almost ripen the seventh fruit.


    "If I kill ten more cultivators that have five meridians, the fruit will be ripe." The


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    But the young man had saved his grandson''s life repeatedly. If he wanted millions of kilograms of white metal, he would get it.


    "Alex, before I make any promises, I have to discuss this with the patriarch. I will be back soon."


    "Thank you, sir."


    Darren never bothered to ask others for anything, but this time he had no choice. White metal meant strength, and he needed to increase his own.


    About two hours later, Kenneth''s grandfather came back.


    "Ha-ha."


    When he entered the room, he was wearing a huge smile on his face. "At first, that old man refused, but I convinced him. Alex, twenty million kilograms is the most I could get you. Is that enough?"


    "That''s enough! Thank you very much, sir!" Darren was so excited that he had to restrain himself from doing a little dance. Twenty million kilograms of white metal was enough for him to improve his Fate Character to a level higher.


    "It''s fine. There''s no need to thank me. We owed you this much."


    "Ha-ha-ha..."


    They all laughed when they saw how happy Darren was to receive his gift.


    The next morning, a storage space unit was delivered to Darren.


    Darren opened it and peered down at all the white metal that was stacked inside of it. He couldn''t wipe the smile off of his face even if he tried.


    The trip he had made to the Red Demon Clan was turning out to be more worth it than he had imagined.

 Chapter 2113 The Gigantic Fish (Part One)

    Now that he had acquired twenty million kilograms of white metal in one fell swoop, Darren couldn''t wait to start cultivating in seclusion. He thanked Kenneth and the others and told them that he needed to cultivate at once.


    A thrill surged through Darren''s veins as he gazed at the abundance of white metal he had amassed. If he transformed and refined all of them, how much stronger would he get?


    "Refine!"


    The next moment, hundreds of kilograms of white metal entered Darren''s body, and the black and purple substances flooded into the Fate Character Tree.


    Since there was an enormous amount of white metal, Darren figured that it would take a lot of time to cultivate, and even longer if he dared to dilly-dally. Thus, he put his back into it and spared no effort in his cultivation.


    In the Immortal World, it took a hundred years for all four seasons to finish a single cycle. At this time, the long winter had just begun.


    Delicate snowflakes dotted the wintry air, and the winds grew colder and colder by the day. Before long, the Red Demon Clan''s territory had been covered by ice and snow, which gave it a lonely winter vibe.


    "Alex


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    er the water. Before he could swim away, a strange force pulled him into the darkness.


    He later woke up in a dry cave, which seemed empty except for a red-haired mummy sitting there.


    At that time, Kenneth was utterly frightened by the mummy, so he instinctively launched a palm attack at it. Strangely, instead of being destroyed, it absorbed his god''s power, and a wayward bone spur pierced his palm deep enough to draw blood.


    The next moment, an inexplicable consciousness entered his mind and began communicating with him.


    He couldn''t remember what happened after that, nor how he even came out.


    That was how Kenneth discovered the existence of the underwater cave. After this first encounter, his Fate Character began to improve by itself, and his strength also rapidly increased.


    Perhaps, it was his greed, pride, or even foolishness that drove him to return to that place every month. He could remember entering the cave, but he would always blackout afterward.


    Kenneth''s Fate Character upgraded to the ninth grade from the eighth in just half a year, and even he was amazed by how his strength had increased by leaps and bounds.

 Chapter 2114 The Gigantic Fish (Part Two)

    He felt like he had hit the jackpot, so he purposely kept the existence of the underwater cave a secret.


    That was why the old man caught him by surprise when he flew into a rage today. It was the first time his grandfather raised a hand against him.


    Only now did Kenneth realize something was wrong. Thus, he immediately confessed everything that had happened in the past six months.


    After the old man heard his story, his expression finally eased a little. He looked at Kenneth with his eyes warm with affection as he said, "Alas, it''s not your fault. Who would have thought a hidden passage exists in that river?"


    "I''m sorry, Grandfather. This is all my fault. I thought I had found an opportunity to improve, so I kept it a secret, but I didn''t expect you to be so angry," Kenneth readily apologized.


    "Father, what the hell is that mummy? Why haven''t I heard of it?" asked Apollo with his eyebrows scrunched with worry. He wanted to know if it posed a danger to his son.


    "Only former patriarchs of the Red Demon Clan know about the secret of this mummy. The truth is he should be the ancestor of our clan," the old man explained with a helpless sigh.


    "He is our ancestor?"


    "Yes, you may not know this, but the Red Demon Clan''s first ancestors are actually two people, twins, in fact. But one of them went insane and became evil when he reached the peak level while cultivating. In a fit of rage, he killed his wife and son. Later on, his twin brother had to suppress him with the he


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    ike it was nothing.


    At the bottom of the river, everything was muddy and dark. The water felt colder than anywhere else.


    Kenneth unleashed his god''s sense and spotted hundreds of strange fish and various water plants. Everything looked completely different from how they should look like according to his memory.


    "What happened? The fissure should be here... Where did it go?" Kenneth bit his lip anxiously. Now that he couldn''t prove his story, he was afraid that the patriarch and the old men would think he was lying.


    "Don''t worry, Kenneth. While we take time to look for it, why don''t you jog your memory for a bit?"


    "No, I''m sure it''s this place. I''ve been here many times, so I can''t be wrong. This is it!" insisted Kenneth, fervently shaking his head.


    "Hmm...That''s strange."


    The elders and the patriarch searched every nook and cranny of the river just as Kenneth had said. Their god''s senses spread thousands of kilometers, but they still couldn''t find the supposed fissure.


    "Alex, look, this is the fish I was talking about! It can be made into this delicious soup,"


    the young man told Darren as he showed off the enormous red fish that he caught from the bottom of the river.


    "Look! There''s a bigger one there, right next to that crack. Hurry, Alex, catch it!"


    Indeed, a massive fishtail swayed some distance away from them. The fish seemed to be hiding near the crack. And since Kenneth already had one fish in his arms, Darren had to catch that one by himself.

 Chapter 2115 Extremely Shocked (Part One)

    Still feeling elated from his successful cultivation, Darren didn''t think twice before extending his hand and grabbing at the fish''s tail.


    "What?"


    Just as he was about to make contact with the big, red fish tail, the fish squeezed into the crack in the rock and disappeared.


    Ordinary people would shake their heads and ignore it, but Darren got the feeling that something was wrong.


    The fish was nothing special. It had grade-three power at most. So how was it so fast that it could dodge his oncoming hand?


    Darren frowned as he stared at the crack that the fish had vanished through.


    Buzz!


    Being cautious, Darren released his god''s sense to further examine the crack, but he didn''t find anything out of the ordinary.


    He shook his head. Something still felt wrong. Being discreet, he released his Spirit Power to see where the big fish had gone.


    A very thin sword light flashed from Darren''s eyes.


    "Alex, hurry up! We can''t let that big fish get away!"


    Kenneth shouted urgently.


    "It''s just a fish. We''ll find another." Darren shook his head firmly, trying to ignore Kenneth.


    "But it''s a big one. We could use it to make a huge


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    d. Lifting his big palm, the man revealed a strange, dark red rune. It flew forward and hit Darren''s sword intent.


    Crack!


    It was like a bolt of lightning had struck the ground right next to them. The sound waves shook the space, making it roll like a huge wave.


    Darren''s face darkened. The man in front of him was very formidable. There was a chance that he hadn''t fully displayed his strength yet, so it might be difficult to deal with him.


    The thought of retreating crossed Darren''s mind.


    "Alex!"


    a young man shouted in surprise when he saw Darren. Then, he came flying forward.


    Being careful, Darren immediately released his Spirit Power to scan the crowd.


    "Thank god, it''s a false alarm. It''s just the masters from the Red Demon Clan and Kenneth."


    For a moment, Darren had been worried that it was the master of the corpse that had come out, so he had defended himself.


    "Kenneth, is this Alex, who has saved your life several times?" The elder quickly withdrew the god''s power he had released just now.


    "Yes." Kenneth flew over and landed beside Darren. "Alex, when did you finish your cultivation? Why didn''t you inform me?"

 Chapter 2116 Extremely Shocked (Part Two)

    "I''ve only been outside for less than an hour. And guess who I saw when I came out?" Darren explained.


    "Who?"


    "It was you, Kenneth." Darren smiled.


    "Stop joking around. I just got here."


    "I''m not kidding. You must have come here to look for some unusual creature. Well, I already met that creature. That thing transformed to match your appearance and lured me here."


    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...


    Several elders from the Red Demon Clan flew over when they heard that. They were wearing serious expressions on their faces.


    "Alex, tell us what happened."


    Darren nodded and explained everything, leaving out no details.


    Kenneth and the elders were shocked to hear it.


    "Are you saying that there is someone in the world who can create a domain using their spirit and trap people in it?" an elder asked, raising his eyebrows.


    "Sir, haven''t you heard of Spirit Power?"


    "I''ve never heard of it." All of the other elders shook their heads too.


    Then, an elder turned to look at Kenneth and said, "Kenneth, your friend is remarkable. He knows skills at a young age that I''ve never heard of and he has an


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    thing for him to come to our clan."


    "If he doesn''t die young, he will become a powerful master like the evil demon one day. I just hope he always views the members of our clan as his friends."


    The elders were half happy and half worried about Darren''s arrival.


    "What''s with all the hesitation? Sherman is good at judging people. He gifted twenty million kilograms of white metal to Alex. He clearly respects and values him. As long as we treat him kindly, we will be safe."


    The elders nodded slightly and dropped the subject for the time being.


    "Alex, is it true? Did you really has the power of a grade-nine Fate Character and nine metal meridians?" Kenneth asked, staring at Darren with awe.


    "Almost. I think I''m close to that level," Darren said calmly.


    Kenneth nearly fainted at the revelation. He had always admired Darren, but now, he was obsessed.


    "You are so awesome!" Kenneth shouted. "I''ve also made a lot of progress over the last six months. My Fate Character got promoted to the grade nine. Unfortunately, my progress is related to the evil demon, and I refuse to go back there again."

 Chapter 2117 Provoking The Red Demon Clan (Part One)

    "Have you interacted with that demon before?"


    Darren asked in surprise. Considering that the evil demon was the most powerful creature he had ever sensed, he was astounded that Kenneth had interacted with it.


    "Yeah, I''ll tell you more as we walk."


    Then, Kenneth narrated to Darren everything that had happened in the past six months.


    Darren couldn''t help but frown after hearing his story.


    "Wait a minute, Kenneth. Don''t move. I''ll check your brain with my Spirit Power."


    The next moment, Darren sent his Spirit Power surging into Kenneth''s mind. It swept over him, checking him for anything strange, but Darren found nothing unusual.


    Just as he decided that nothing was wrong and was about to withdraw his Spirit Power, Kenneth''s Fate Character suddenly moved. On closer inspection, he noticed that the blood figure seemed to be struggling.


    "Is that an illusion?"


    The distressed shadow piqued Darren''s interest, so he immediately sent his Spirit Power to probe deeper into Kenneth''s Fate Character.


    "Ah! Something is wr


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    ted all the talents from the other clans and soon gained popularity throughout the world,"


    one of the Yan Clan''s elders came forward and explained.


    Honestly, if he didn''t mention the centennial meeting, the Red Demon Clan''s patriarch would have forgotten completely. But his words were accurate. One hundred years had passed since the last time the superior talents from various clans competed with each other.


    Back then, the Red Demon Clan had only one representative, but he was incredibly powerful. He demolished more than seven thousand superior talents from other clans and won first place. It had been a glorious victory, not only for him but for the whole Red Demon Clan!


    "How time flies! I didn''t realize that a hundred years have already passed," responded the patriarch with a forlorn sigh. His gaze swept through the crowd and asked, "If it''s time for the centennial meeting, where are the other forces? If I''m not mistaken, only members of the Yan Clan and two of the kings'' clans¡ªthe Liu Clan and the Xu Clan¡ªare here."

 Chapter 2118 Provoking The Red Demon Clan (Part Two)

    "It seems that you''ve forgotten the details. You see, the formal meeting will take place in three days. Some of our three clans'' disciples are inexperienced, so we went off three days in advance to train them along the way. We only happened to visit the Red Demon Clan. Patriarch, you won''t drive us away, will you?"


    Hearing this, the patriarch of the Red Demon Clan gave them a welcoming smile and answered, "Of course not. Welcome to our clan. Please come inside and have some tea."


    "I don''t want your damned tea! Rumor has it that the Red Demon Clan has many outstanding talents in their ranks. My name is Maloney Yan, and I am here to test their mettle. Is anyone from the Red Demon Clan brave enough to teach me?" The young man who spoke belonged to the Yan Clan. He lifted his chin arrogantly and stared down at the others as if they were dirt under his shoe.


    "That''s enough, Maloney! How dare you interrupt when the seniors are talking? Kneel and apologize to the patriarch! You act like you''ve been r


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    shattering. When the light faded, they saw that Raines'' unmoving body lay on the ground, broken, and the ground within a hundred feet around him had dissipated and formed a crater. His body was deeply embedded in the hard stone ground.


    With only one move, the result had been determined.


    "Raines!"


    Several young men immediately rushed down to help him. They found that all the bones in his body had been broken, and he must have passed out from the pain.


    Maloney strutted smugly, with his hands behind his back and his chest puffed out. "Oops, sorry! I accidentally used nearly half of my strength and struck him too hard. I hope he doesn''t die."


    "Damn it! We can''t let that bastard get away with this!" Despite what had happened to Maloney, the young men of the Red Demon Clan were not moved. They still wanted to fight back.


    "I''ll fight him!" Kenneth had to step in after seeing what had happened. He was furious that someone had the nerve to come here, insult them, and even hurt one of them.

 Chapter 2119 Provoking The Red Demon Clan (Part Three)

    But Darren abruptly grabbed his arm to stop him. "Don''t. He might be too strong for you. After all, he has a grade-nine Fate Character and two metal meridians."


    "A grade-nine Fate Character and two metal meridians!" Kenneth gasped in shock. "But how come his fighting power is only at the level of grade-eight Fate Character?"


    "He must have used some kind of arcane skill to hide his real cultivation base. Remember that old man who wanted to kill us before? You didn''t see through his cultivation base either, did you?"


    "Oh...You''re right." Kenneth nodded. "Still, I want to try. Since I have a grade-nine Fate Character now, I might be able to fight against a warrior with a grade-nine Fate Character and two metal meridians."


    "There''s no rush. Look at these people. This guy isn''t even the strongest among them. Do you see that short man? He might be stronger than this guy. And that young man and girl who are about the same age as you also look powerful. At a superfic


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    unger disciples of the three clans laughed and mocked the Red Demon Clan loudly, humiliating them as much as they could, while the elders in the lead scolded them half-heartedly.


    "Patriarch, these young disciples don''t know what they are saying. I hope you won''t take that against them," the elder of the Yan Clan apologized insincerely once again.


    "Of course I won''t. These young people are just learning from each other by fighting. Kenneth, these guests came from afar just to learn from us. Why don''t you play with them for a few rounds?"


    Initially, Kenneth intended to listen to Darren and stand back from the fighting. He didn''t expect that the patriarch himself would call him out.


    He immediately looked at Darren for his opinion.


    "Well, since you''re going to fight, do your best! Don''t bring shame on your Red Demon Clan," approved Darren.


    Hearing this, Kenneth was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly. "Just wait and see, Alex. I''m not who I used to be!"

 Chapter 2120 The Strength Of Kenneth (Part One)

    Now that he had permission, Kenneth flew out. He landed right in front of Talbot.


    Talbot glanced at Kenneth with disdain. He thought that Kenneth, who was sixteen years old at most, could not be very powerful.


    After all, two men in their thirties had just been defeated by Maloney. How could this weak young man possibly win?


    Talbot spoke up in a loud, rude voice. "Didn''t you hear me? I said I don''t want to waste my time fighting the weakling,"


    he said impatiently, showing no respect to the Red Demon Clan. He was so arrogant because he believed there was no need to worry that the elders of the Red Demon Clan would do anything in response to his comments. Everyone knew that the patriarch of the Red Demon Clan had just consented to this fight. The clan members naturally could not go back on their word!


    But Kenneth looked completely calm. "Who''s the weakling here? Are you referring to yourself?" He had learned from Darren what the demeanor of a top master should be, so he was not disturbed by Talbot''s taunting.


    "Brat, you haven''t even grown up yet! What makes you think you''re qualified to fight me?" Talb


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    th wouldn''t be able to defeat Talbot as easily as he had beaten Leonard Liu. He didn''t want to see his son in such grave danger!


    Kenneth''s grandfather, Sherman, also flew over. He demanded, "Are you trying to hurt my grandson?" He glared at the patriarch, looking like he would like to give him a good punch in the face.


    But the patriarch was unruffled. With a small smile, he said, "Sherman, I know Kenneth is your grandson. I''ve always treated him as my own grandson, too. Don''t you have confidence in him? Why would you accuse me of trying deliberately to endanger him?"


    Sherman was unconvinced. He said angrily. "I don''t care what you say. Just know that if anything bad happens to Kenneth, I''ll break your old bones!"


    "You don''t have to be worried," said the patriarch soothingly. "Come on, let''s watch Kenneth''s performance."


    All the people on both sides retreated, leaving a large area for Talbot and Kenneth''s battle. The masters of the Red Demon Clan and the elders of the other three clans also set up a defense with god''s power, to ensure that no members of the audience would be harmed during the fight.

 Chapter 2121 The Strength Of Kenneth (Part Two)

    "Since you are so reckless, go to hell! I will watch your father as he takes your body away," said Talbot in a low, deadly voice. He gave Kenneth a scornful look.


    There was a series of bangs as the divine light under Kenneth''s feet surged.


    He took two steps forward, and the space around him exploded with each movement.


    "Are you showing off?" Talbot said, sneering. "Don''t you know that I have been called the new king of fighting at close quarters? Come closer to fight me, and you will not survive! Go to hell!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Talbot''s figure disappeared. In the blink of an eye, the space around Kenneth also became distorted. It was the mark created by Talbot when his figure rapidly flashed across space.


    "He''s so fast! Kenneth is in danger!" a young disciple shouted.


    Talbot had approached Kenneth with a speed that made every member of the Red Demon Clan tremble with fear.


    In response, Kenneth let out a ferocious roar.


    The dark red divine light around his body swelled, becoming as dense and thick as rolling storm clouds.


    He launched several punches in a row, causing the space around him to collapse.


    "What!"


    Everyone gasped in shock.


    "That guy is actually powerful!" many exclaimed, looking stunned. The people of the three clans realized immediately that the young man from the Red Demon Clan was really not inferior to Talbot, in t


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    he three clans and said coldly, "Who else wants to fight me?"


    Everyone was utterly silent.


    Kenneth had just killed a master with a grade-nine Fate Character and two metal meridians. It was obvious that there were very few young people in the entire Eastern Imperial Region who could defeat him. And he was so young, too!


    No one present dared to risk their life against such a talent.


    However, one of the disciples of the Liu Clan hurried towards their elders. He had been close friends with Talbot. He said indignantly, "Uncle, he killed Talbot. You must avenge him!"


    "Shut up!" the leading elder barked. He said angrily, "Talbot was not as remarkable and formidable as his opponent, so he deserved to be killed! Now, if anyone dares to talk about revenge again, I will kill them myself!"


    The two elders of the Liu Clan were heartbroken over the loss of Talbot, who had been one of their most extraordinary members.


    However, they were wise enough to know they could do nothing about it right now. They were in the territory of the Red Demon Clan. And after all, everyone, including Talbot, had agreed to a life-and-death battle. They were furious, but they had no right to take revenge.


    Kenneth suddenly pointed at Maloney. "Hey, Maloney, didn''t I hear you telling Talbot you wanted to fight me in his place?


    Come on! Do you dare to fight me in a life-and-death battle?"

 Chapter 2122 The Siblings From The Xu Clan (Part One)

    Maloney involuntarily shrank back, losing his confidence completely.


    He knew how strong Talbot was. If the two of them fought, the best he could expect would be a draw because he couldn''t overcome the other man with his current strength, even if he tried to fight with all his might.


    Knowing that Kenneth had killed Talbot, Maloney wouldn''t dare stand in Kenneth''s way anymore. After all, he valued his own life above anything else.


    "What''s wrong? Are you afraid I''ll beat you to a pulp?" Kenneth asked mockingly.


    "Humph! I''ve already won two consecutive battles, which means my fighting power isn''t at its peak anymore. It''s common sense that I should stop fighting now. But don''t worry. I''ll show you my real strength when the centennial meeting takes place." It would hurt Maloney''s reputation if they thought he was running away, so he acted like nothing was wrong, and that he had just postponed the fight for a better date.


    "Is that so? That''s too bad because I can''t wait till that day."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Do you expect me to just let you go after you hurt two members of our clan? You have to


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    een the two children.


    "Sir, the Yan Clan has many outstanding members. Why do you need us to fight for you?"


    the boy named Slater whined. It appeared that he wanted to show off for a little longer.


    "Slater is right, sir. Maloney must be stronger than us, but even he is too afraid to accept their challenge. How can we dare step up? Please don''t make fun of us." The young girl also provoked the Yan Clan on purpose.


    "Damn it! I can''t accept this. Who do you think you are? I''ll fight you myself!"


    An ill-tempered young man from the Yan Clan couldn''t stand the humiliation anymore. He had never seen the dignified Yan Clan suffer such indignity. He didn''t think his elder needed to beg two kids to fight for them.


    "Look, someone wants to fight! This buddy must be one of the best, right, sir? He looks incredibly powerful, so he can surely defeat Kenneth."


    The elder of the Yan Clan looked furious, and his face slowly reddened like a volcano about to blow. He hadn''t expected the two juniors of the Xu Clan to be so arrogant, so he could do nothing more. An annoyed sigh escaped his lips, unbidden.

 Chapter 2123 The Siblings From The Xu Clan (Part Two)

    "Hahaha!"


    The young man from the Yan Clan didn''t hesitate and sped over to Kenneth, slashing his saber down his head.


    "Fuck off!"


    Kenneth roared coldly. His dark red god''s power surged like the tide and drowned the young man.


    "You arrogant brat! You''ll pay for underestimating my strength. Go to hell!"


    Clang!


    The next instant, a light shield made of god''s power appeared over the young man''s body and resisted Kenneth''s god''s power.


    The young man also seized this opportunity, and his saber quickly came down on Kenneth''s head.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The young man''s saber was only an inch away from Kenneth when several palm prints struck his body, resulting in several bloody holes in his body.


    "You! You hid your skills!"


    Only then did the young man from the Yan Clan realize that his opponent didn''t underestimate him at all. On the contrary, Kenneth was extremely cautious. He tricked the young man into lowering his guard and had hidden his god''s power underneath the tide of the young man''s god''s power.


    Kenneth was not only stronger but also more cautious than him, and that convinced him of Kenneth''s strength.


    "I admit defeat!" The young man staggered back a few steps and collapsed to his knees. His breath of life had weakened greatly.


    At this point, all the members of the Yan Clan were silent with fear, and none of them dared to step up and face Kenneth.


    In the same way, the members of the Liu Clan kept their silence as well. Both clans had lost the arrogant air they came with.


    "Ha-ha, Kenneth is indeed worthy of being the number one warrior among the Red Demon Clan''s younger generation. He defeated the geniuses of the Yan Clan and the Liu Clan successively like


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    f light paused for a few seconds.


    "Alex, did you see that? I hit them!" The young man was overjoyed but didn''t fail to follow through with their plan. This time, he stretched out his hand to the right.


    His palm met a hard wall and caused the converging black and white light balls to separate. It seemed that Kenneth had managed to hit one of the siblings yet again.


    "Damn it! Leila, how can this boy tell your position?"


    "I''m sure that was more by accident than design, Slater. But he is strong. His single hit broke my left arm!"


    "Leila, let''s finish the battle as soon as possible!"


    The siblings seethed when they realized that they couldn''t hide from Kenneth. When they moved to attack him, they found that Kenneth was thirty feet below them, and a terrifying palm print of god''s power had been launched from below towards them.


    "You are doomed!"


    A sneer appeared at the corner of Slater''s mouth. By attacking them from below, Kenneth had rendered himself vulnerable, or so he thought.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Slater and Leila burst out their god''s power to attack wildly and quickly moved behind Kenneth to catch him off-guard.


    Bang!


    In the next breath, another explosion sounded, and two figures were thrown to the ground a thousand feet away.


    "No way!"


    These two figures were the siblings from the Xu Clan.


    The two of them thought they could catch Kenneth while he was distracted by his own attack. They didn''t think he could meet their attack head-on.


    "What a strange guy! How did he predict our attack''s trajectory?"


    "Perhaps, he also knows our way of cultivation?"


    The siblings looked on in great astonishment, as blood dripped down their crimson-stained lips.

 Chapter 2124 Black And White Sword Intent (Part One)

    Slater and Leila felt completely confident in their miraculous skill. They had used it against many of their peers, and none of them could break their skill.


    But Kenneth had surprised them. It looked like he understood the cultivation method better than they did. How could they accept that someone else was better than the two of them?


    "Alex, that was incredible! Thank you!"


    Kenneth had thought that his defeat was inevitable, but Darren''s guidance had allowed him to win easily.


    "Don''t celebrate yet. There is still a hard battle ahead of you," Darren warned.


    Darren could see that Slater and Leila had not pushed their martial arts skills to the limit.


    "With your support, there''s no way I will lose!" Kenneth exclaimed with a wide smile on his face.


    "You''re a fool!" Darren smiled and added, "I''ll teach you a martial arts method right now. You can practice it while you fight with them. Whether you can win or not depends on your comprehension ability."


    "Okay. Share it with me. I have no doubt I will be able to comprehend it!" Kenneth said anxiously.


    On the spot, Darren created a fist skill that wasn''t very complicated to learn


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    ck and looked at his father worriedly.


    "You can''t afford to be so indecisive if you ever want to achieve anything in your life! The Eastern Imperial Region is so small. What''s the point of staying here for a whole lifetime like you have? He''s a grown man and he needs to have these kinds of experiences. If I were a hundred years younger, I would jump at the chance to explore the world with Alex," Sherman argued.


    "You are right." Apollo sighed and smiled awkwardly. Sherman made a good point. If he could go out and have an adventure and live a wonderful life, it would be hard to turn the opportunity down.


    "But it is not our decision, of course. Alex has the final word," Apollo added.


    "That could be a problem. Alex has already saved Kenneth several times, but all we could give him in return was a small amount of white metal. The guilt of it is eating me alive. If we send Kenneth with him, Kenneth will attract trouble like flies to dung. Alex needs a lot of white metal, right? Try your best to get as much white metal as possible and give it to him as a gift. Otherwise, we can''t ask him to bring Kenneth with him," Sherman pointed out.

 Chapter 2125 Black And White Sword Intent (Part Two)

    "Okay. I will do that right now. I can use the relationship between our clan and the others to get some more white metal. Father, keep an eye on everything here. I''ll be back soon."


    "Okay. Go ahead. Try to get as much as possible."


    "Okay."


    When he was finished speaking, Apollo ran off. He wasn''t worried about his son anymore. After all, Darren was helping him and Sherman was watching closely. Kenneth had a lot of good protection around him.


    As the short conversation between Sherman and Apollo came to a close, the battle entered an intense state.


    Kenneth launched several attacks in a row, and Slater and Leila struggled, but they were still holding on.


    "I knew I couldn''t do it. I can only throw eight punches. I''m still miles away from being able to throw eighteen punches,"


    Kenneth complained while he threw another punch.


    He had tried his best to comprehend the fist skill, but no matter how hard he worked, he couldn''t use it to its full extent. If he tried to imitate the ninth punch, all of his meridians expanded so far that they nearly broke and it felt like his head could explode.


    "Just take a deep breath and ignore everything else," Darren advised him through his spiritual sense.


    "Okay, I''ll give it a try."


    Kenneth took a deep breath and tried to relax himself. For the next little while, all of his attacks against Slater and Leila were created by p


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    they didn''t feel any pain. After the black and white sword intent entered their souls, it disappeared like light did when someone snuffed it out.


    "The sword attack I used on you was just a shadow. It was not real. Learn from your elders. There is always someone out there that is stronger than you are. From now on, avoid being arrogant. Otherwise, you will lose your lives," Darren snapped.


    As Slater and Leila started to realize what had happened, Darren''s blurry shadow appeared in their minds.


    In the outside world, the nine shadows stopped launching attacks and collapsed.


    Slater and Leila fell to their knees and cried tears that were mixed with blood. "Thank you for not killing us, sir. We promise to never do something like that again. Please accept us as your disciples!"


    The merged soul was weeping too. It kneeled right in front of Darren''s blurry shadow.


    The black and white sword intent had been used to shock them into submission. It was the perfect plan.


    Darren had simulated a scene where the peak power of Lord Starry Sword had combined with the god''s power of the Immortal God race. That was why the sword intent had appeared so horrible and perfect.


    If the sword strike had been real, not even a master with eighteen metal meridians could have survived the attack.


    How could weak disciples like Slater and Leila not be convinced by such a sword strike?

 Chapter 2126 An Unexpected Tragedy (Part One)

    "You don''t have to be my disciples; you just have to cultivate with patience and sincerity. That''s it. I can even give you some advice when I have the chance."


    After saying that, Darren''s blurry shadow formed by his spiritual sense quietly dispersed.


    "Sir¡ª!"


    Slater and Leila cried out in disappointment. However, they knew that the powerful master had already done them a favor by letting them go, so they didn''t dare to expect anything more.


    The two souls separated from the fusion state. And as a result, their heavily mutilated bodies were revealed floating in the air, bloodied and beaten but alive.


    Seeing this, the Xu Clan''s elder quickly ordered their members to fetch the siblings and hastily treated their wounds.


    The Red Demon Clan''s uninvited guests from the three clans lost all their fighting spirit after witnessing their ace fighters lose successively. They decided to give up before they suffered more losses.


    One after another, the leading members of the three great clans apologized to the Red Demon Clan, blubbering pathetically. They admitted defeat in the competition, and the Red Demon Clan saw it fit not to trouble them further. After all, it was only a few days before the cent


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    emed that even the elders wanted to ask for the young man''s opinion.


    However, this perplexed the other members of the Red Demon Clan even more. They were speechless. First, it was Kenneth''s grandfather. Now, even the elders wanted to know Darren''s opinion.


    This young man must be awesome! More silence ensued as they waited for Darren''s response.


    "Sirs, I don''t think I''m qualified to give any input about this."


    "Kenneth values you as his own brother. Of course, you can express your opinion."


    "Well, all right." Darren smiled. "I feel like you have come to a reasonable conclusion. The so-called competition will only be used to fight for fame, anyway. If someone with ulterior motives decides to deal with Kenneth during the competition, we wouldn''t be able to help him. Thus, I also think that he shouldn''t take part in the centennial meeting."


    Setting aside the danger brought about by fighting against warriors of the same generation, it was also likely that some top warriors from the other clans wanted Kenneth dead before he became a threat to their clans. If so, these enemies would be hidden while Kenneth would be vulnerable, and Darren and the others wouldn''t be able to protect him well.

 Chapter 2127 An Unexpected Tragedy (Part Two)

    "Okay. If Alex thinks so, I won''t join the meeting."


    Initially, Kenneth wanted to take part in the centennial meeting to win honor for his clan, but seeing that even Darren agreed with the patriarch and the elders, he knew he had to give up.


    As for who would take part in his stead, well, that was none of his business.


    "Patriarch! Something terrible happened!"


    a man suddenly rushed in, shouting hoarsely. His black robe had been drenched in blood, and he seemed to be in his last gasp.


    "Who is that? What happened to him?"


    The bloodied man had caught everyone''s attention. He didn''t seem to be a member of the Red Demon Clan.


    Meanwhile, the elders of the Red Demon Clan stood up at the same time when they heard what the man had said, and the patriarch rushed over just as quickly to him. He personally released all his healing power to save the black-clad man.


    "All right, people, the par


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    bably where the Red Demon Clan secretly trained their talented junior members. Unexpectedly, someone had swooped in and slaughtered every one of their talents.


    Kenneth was the fifth child in his family. It was obvious that his elder brother and elder sister were among the talents that had been killed.


    "Who did this? Who dared to trespass into our Ancestral Land?"


    The Red Demon Clan''s patriarch had a strained look on his face, and if one looked closely, they would notice his lips quivering in sorrow. The people who cultivated here held the future of the Red Demon Clan in their hands, and his grandson and relatives were also among them.


    A few hours later, they arrived back in the meeting hall.


    "The Ancestral Land can''t be opened without the blood of a patriarch of our clan, and even the elders don''t have any access to it on their own. How did an outsider break into the Ancestral Land?"

 Chapter 2128 An Unexpected Tragedy (Part Three)

    It had taken them several hours before they could calm down. The patriarch and the senior members of the Red Demon Can were once again gathered together. Although the tragedy had plunged them into anguish, they couldn''t dwell on it for now. They needed to find out what had happened first and who had slaughtered their young talents.


    The patriarch of the Red Demon Clan sat at the head of the table, his eyes closed in grief.


    Another long silence ensued.


    "Damn it! We forgot Wilfred! Go and find him!"


    exclaimed an old man with white hair. He had his eyes closed at first, but suddenly gasped out a name that belatedly came to his mind.


    Wilfred was a former patriarch who had held the position before Sherman. He served as the patriarch of the Red Demon Clan for only half a year, but an accident occurred during his cultivation, which disabled all his meridians. He had no hope of recovery. The incident was a gr


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    ey couldn''t understand what Darren was trying to tell them. Some of their tempers flared up, and they couldn''t help but vent their frustration on Darren.


    "Boy, what the hell are you talking about? Someone get this brat out!"


    Only a few people knew of Darren''s extraordinary talent. The other senior members of the Red Demon Clan were ignorant of what he could do, and they began to treat him with disdain.


    "Fine. I''m leaving."


    Since they wanted to drive him away, Darren wouldn''t dare to overstay his welcome. So, he immediately cupped his hands and prepared to leave.


    "Alex!"


    Before he could go, an elder cried out for him to stop.


    "Please don''t leave. The others will wait here while you come with us. No one is allowed to leave without permission, including our patriarch!"


    The truth was, several elders had a secret discussion a few seconds ago and they had made a guess that shocked all of them.

 Chapter 2129 Take The Bait (Part One)

    Darren followed several elders, who all looked solemn and grim, into a secret room.


    One of them said gravely, "Alex, are you certain? Did you mean that the person who slaughtered a hundred of our promising young talents is a member of our own clan?"


    The hint in Darren''s words was very obvious, but they still wanted to be sure they understood him clearly.


    Only someone with a grade-nine Fate Character and ten or more metal meridians could be able to kill a hundred talents of the Red Demon Clan so quickly.


    Moreover, only a few groups could possibly have a warrior of this level. There were only the royal family, the Yan Clan, six of the eight kingly clans, and the Red Demon Clan itself.


    Darren nodded. "Yes, that is what I believe," he said.


    "What is the basis of your belief?" another elder asked.


    After a moment of thought, Darren replied, "The Red Demon Clan has been living in seclusion for so many years. It''s not easy to enter this place quietly. Even a powerful warrior with a grade-nine Fate Character and ten metal meridians would probably be unable to sneak in without being noticed by anyone. What''s


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    went over to the elders to ask what that had been about.


    "Sir, who was that man? How is he involved in the matters of our Red Demon Clan? Is he qualified to interfere?"


    Another member said, "It sounded like he was negotiating something with you. May I know what business he had with you, sirs?"


    The four elders calmly listened to all the questions. Then one of them responded, "It''s not a big deal. Alex merely said that he wanted to offer us some property and lead his sect to join our Red Demon Clan. That''s all! So, everyone, you may leave now."


    As soon as they had spoken, the four elders immediately left the meeting hall.


    "What an exorbitant price he demands! I''m not at all sure about the character of that young man."


    Those words were muttered under his breath by one of the elders as he walked away. Someone using their god''s sense to spy on the elders would have overheard the concern in his voice very clearly.


    Because the long winter had arrived, the snowy nights were extraordinarily cold.


    That evening, Darren found a quiet place to practice his sword skills. He practiced alone in the icy winds.

 Chapter 2130 Take The Bait (Part Two)

    "Did I sense it wrong?" he murmured to himself.


    The night had almost passed. Dawn was coming, yet the person Darren awaited had yet to appear.


    ''Maybe I really did overthink this situation. Maybe it''s not that complicated, '' he thought to himself, shaking his head. He lowered his sword and started to return to his room.


    But he had taken just a few steps when he was hit by a blast of cold wind. It felt as though it had pierced through his bones.


    He instantly executed a backhand strike, attacking someone behind him.


    There was a loud bang as he hit his target.


    The snow danced wildly as a figure jumped away, escaping into the darkness.


    "You actually have nine metal meridians?"


    said a stunned voice.


    "Come out!"


    Darren called. His god''s sense spread out and covered the surrounding area within a radius of fifty kilometers.


    "You brat!"


    Suddenly, an old man with white hair flew across the snow and landed in front of Darren.


    "I knew you were hiding something! You are stronger than you let on. What are you trying to accomplish by sneaking into our Red Demon Clan? Are you the person behind the disaster that befell the Red Demon Clan yesterday?" demanded the old man.


    He released a strong killing intent.


    Darren sneered. Finally, the fish had taken the bait. "Stop your baseless accusations! Don''t bother to pretend in front of me. You came for this jade token, right?"


    As he spoke, Darren took out an ordinary-looking piece of old jade from his storage space unit.


    However, he was confused by the genuine look of surprise in the eyes of the white-haired old man.


    "Isn''t that my jade pendant? Where did


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    ard, his eyes dark with fury. "So that''s your response? You still want to deny your crime? We witnessed all that you did and heard everything you said just now!" The other elders also looked enraged. Such a betrayal was unforgivable.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about," said Duff brazenly. "Why don''t you focus on this guy? He''s hidden his true strength and snuck into our Red Demon Clan with unknown intentions. I shouldn''t be condemned for trying to kill him! Besides, if you saw everything, then you know that just now Sid also came and attacked this guy."


    Duff was referring to the white-haired old man who had attacked Darren first.


    Of course, the white-haired old man chose that moment to come upon them. He had followed after Darren as fast as he could. "Sid!" said one of the elders. "Were you also involved in the murder of our own young talents?" The white-haired old man looked around at the elders, Darren, and Duff, completely nonplussed. He had absolutely no idea what was going on.


    Darren intervened. "Sirs, I believe this man Sid is innocent. I tested their strength. He is not strong enough to have done it. However, the strength of this man named Duff seems to be just enough to have committed the crime," he said.


    "We''ll see about that. Right now they will be arrested together!"


    An elder took action and created two palm prints of god''s power, trying to grab both Duff and Sid simultaneously.


    The white-haired old man did not resist. He was easily bound by a palm print.


    But Duff was different. A gust of god''s power suddenly burst out from his body, rushing towards the other palm print of god''s power.

 Chapter 2131 An Earth-Shattering Secret

    "You can''t catch me, you old coot! Ha-ha!" A hideous grin stretched across Duff''s face as he moved to strike his own head with his palm.


    "He''s going to kill himself! Hurry, stop him!"


    Bang!


    The next instant, the palm print of god''s power struck Duff on his arm, blasting it to pieces.


    "You old bastard!"


    Duff screamed in pain. But his face still looked ferocious, and he sent a fiery glare at the elders with his bloodshot eyes.


    When the god''s power hit him, it trapped him under a restriction that would stop him from killing himself. His plan was now a bust.


    As for the white-haired old man, Sid, he had no idea what was happening.


    A while later, they came to the meeting hall. Only Darren and the four elders were present there, while the rest of the people, including the Red Demon Clan''s own patriarch, were ignorant of the situation.


    Duff was on his knees, his hair disheveled, and his throat hoarse from yelling threats. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn''t break free from the restriction of the god''s power.


    "Duff! What were you thinking? The children you killed would have been the future of our clan, and you were their trusted senior who was supposed to care for their wellbeing. How could you do that to them?" one of the elders


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    his Fate Character belong to our Red Demon Clan?"


    "He''s right. Alex, maybe you''ve made a mistake somewhere?"


    None of the elders could believe his words.


    "There is no mistake. The Yan Clan copied the Red Demon Clan''s Fate Character that belonged to the real Duff. However, I couldn''t find how they copied his Fate Character from his memories. If I were to guess, it must be like how a metal soldier''s God Character is cast," explained Darren lengthily.


    The elders were dumbfounded after hearing this. How could one use the process of making a metal soldier''s God Character to copy a Fate Character? Although they had never seen it before, they still believed it was possible.


    "So, this person is a spy that the Yan Clan has planted into our Red Demon Clan?"


    "Yes. I didn''t think the Yan Clan was capable of this treachery. Not only have they dared to plant a spy in the Red Demon Clan to know everything about your clan, but it seemed that they have done the same to the other great clans. Even the royal family had not been spared. Unfortunately, Webber''s memories held no more information about those people," Darren relayed, shaking his head in disappointment.


    A tense silence reigned among all of them as they processed what they had all just heard.

 Chapter 2132 The Revenge Plan

    "Alex, are you aware of any other spy in our Red Demon Clan?" an elder asked Darren.


    Darren shook his head. "I''m not sure. I didn''t see any evidence of an accomplice in his memories. From what I understand, he risked killing a hundred talents of the Red Demon Clan because the Yan Clan''s senior leaders ordered him to do so. They intended to pin the blame on the royal family so that the Red Demon Clan would rise against them."


    The four elders were furious. The Yan Clan''s actions were unforgivable and truly evil.


    "It seems they''re planning to escalate. Half a year ago, when Kenneth returned from outside, a powerful warrior with a grade-nine Fate Character attacked him. If it hadn''t been for Alex''s help, they would have succeeded in killing Kenneth,"


    an elder said, recalling what Sherman had reported to them before.


    Darren thought for a moment before adding, "I remember that the old man who attacked us by stealth was someone sent by the royal family. He planned to kill Kenneth and blame the Yan Clan for his death."


    One of the elders stamped his foot with such anger that the blue stone ground beneath his feet cracked. "So they are secretly fighting each other, and they view our Red Demon Clan as a weapon they can wield against each other! Do they really think we''re that


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    estral temple. The number was five times more than that of the Red Demon Clan who had been killed.


    Darren already knew the location of the ancestral temple and how to enter it.


    "Alex, I''ve come to tell you that we have identified the perfect opportunity for the ambush!"


    As soon as Darren finished searching, an elder came to him.


    "What is it?"


    "The centennial meeting will be held in the Yan Clan''s territory! Our Red Demon Clan did not send a participant for today''s meeting, so an envoy came to ask why!" shared the elder.


    Darren''s eyes lit up.


    This was excellent news as it meant that sneaking into the Yan Clan''s territory just became significantly easier.


    "Good. You''d better send people there. I''ll join them," said Darren.


    "That''s exactly what we intended. We have already selected fifty juniors to accompany you. Your identity and name have been prepared."


    Darren reached forward for the jade token in the elder''s hands. The token not only mentioned his name as Alex Red Demon, but it also shared all relevant information about his parents and relatives.


    Not long after, the Red Demon Clan''s selected team of youngsters gathered before the envoy. A short while later, they climbed onto a huge flying beast and followed the envoy to the Yan Clan''s territory.

 Chapter 2133 The Big Shots

    When the members from the Red Demon Clan arrived in the Yan Clan''s territory, they found that the Yan Clan''s territory was very similar to their own. They both lived on independent land, but they were still in the Eastern Imperial Region.


    The city was bustling as they walked the streets. Buildings towered over them and for miles ahead of them. It was almost as large as the imperial city.


    Most of the people that resided there were descendants of the Yan Clan. A small number of residents were servants with different surnames.


    In the middle of the city, a huge palace was floating in the air. That was where the senior leaders of the Yan Clan lived.


    The centennial meeting would be held in this place.


    An elder that was guiding the members from the Red Demon Clan stopped when they reached a huge square. Several people noticed their arrival.


    "Look, the Red Demon Clan is here!"


    "Are you sure? They look very ordinary, even shabby!"


    "Of course I''m sure! The Red Demon Clan has never let worldly success go to their head. They don''t pursue wealth or glory. All of them lead simple lives, but they are not shabby! You''re ridiculous to suggest that!"


    The attention that was drawn to the members from the Red Demon Clan was immense. A


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    se he had come with the Red Demon Clan, he didn''t want to attract the others'' attention.


    ''I think that man is stronger than Elder Jamar of the Red Demon Clan!''


    Darren thought in shock. He was tempted for a moment to release his god''s sense to check it out, but he stopped himself. It wasn''t worth the risk of being detected by the other party.


    Darren sat back in his seat and thought about the purpose of his trip. He had not come here for a competition.


    Would the arrival of these masters affect his plan?


    At the moment, he didn''t know why they had come, so he had to wait to find out.


    "Ancestor, Jayden and the seven kings of the great clans have all come here at the same time. What do you think about their arrival?"


    In a secret space of Yan Clan, the old man that was wearing a black robe was kneeling respectfully in front of an older man with a hunchback whose face could not be seen clearly.


    "Jayden is strong, and in terms of talent, he is no less impressive than his elder brother. He is just a little unlucky," the old man with the hunchback murmured. "Don''t worry. If he had evil intentions, he wouldn''t have shown his face. Besides, I''m not dead yet. No one would come here and stir up trouble while I am still alive."

 Chapter 2134 The History Of Eastern Imperial Region (Part One)

    "You make a good point, ancestor." The old man in the black robe stepped back and bowed his head. "Before I forget, there''s one more thing I have to tell you. A few days ago, we made a move on the Red Demon Clan, and they suffered a big loss. Now, an elder of the Red Demon Clan who has a Grade-nine Fate Character and ten metal meridians brought members here in person. Do you think he will take his revenge?"


    "Made a move? What did you do to them?"


    the ancestor of the Yan Clan questioned, slowly allowing a frown to spread on his face. Normally, he was a very secluded man and stayed out of the business of his clan, so he had no idea that his people had killed many young talents of the Red Demon Clan.


    "Ancestor, we ordered the spy we have planted in their clan to kill the strongest one hundred talents in their young generation," the old man in the black robe revealed, a smug smile on his face.


    When he learned that, the ancestor of the Yan Clan frowned more deeply. After silently thinking it over, he said, "Killing their young talents is equivalent to destroying their foundation.


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    story of Eastern Imperial Region. Don''t worry yourselves though. I will make it brief."


    Brief was the wrong word to use. More than two hours were spent drawling on about the origins and long history of the Eastern Imperial Region and its great talents.


    But all of the disciples were hanging onto every word. They knew how important it would be to understand the history if they were to win.


    The Eastern Imperial Region had been established thirty-six thousand four hundred and fifty-six years ago, and it had been built on a large patch of land where ferocious beasts and demons lived and hunted.


    The first ancestor of the Donghuang Clan was born in a chaotic region, and all that existed around him were many powerful warriors. At that time, there were eighty-one regions in the Immortal World. Everything was in the turmoil of war.


    He worked insanely hard and managed to become a warrior with a grade-nine Fate Character and ten metal meridians by the time he was thirteen. Then, he began his mission to battle with all of the existing top masters in the world. He beat most of them.

 Chapter 2135 The History Of Eastern Imperial Region (Part Two)

    At the age of seventeen, he gained twenty metal meridians, conquered a region, and killed six kings and eliminated nine great clans. His name spread throughout the world and he earned his fame.


    By his twenty-fifth birthday, his cultivation base had reached an unfathomable point. As his confidence increased, he became reckless. He challenged an emperor of a region and beheaded him in seven moves. As a result, a large number of masters from the royal family went after him for revenge, and he was forced into hiding in a deep abyss. He spent twenty years in complete seclusion.


    During the twenty-first year, a diabolic beast that was fifty million feet tall fell into the abyss that the ancestor was hiding in. Because the beast had caused trouble for many people, the royal families in the eighty-one regions sent one hundred thousand ancestor-level masters to kill it. After three


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    ted member. At that time, the universe was in chaos. The cracks in the deep skies were wide open, and strange races were constantly invading and wreaking havoc. The ancestors of the three great clans were too busy cultivating to help, so the talent of the Xia Clan volunteered to enter the cracks all alone and fight back the invaders. A short time after, he had managed to slaughter millions of powerful creatures and made a name for himself in the world.


    The talent of the Xia Clan was unharmed, and after the battle, his strength improved even more. Later, he fought with the ancestor of the Red Demon Clan for three months. It ended in a draw. After that battle, the Xia Clan''s position was established and rose up in the Eastern Imperial Region.


    Over the next ten thousand years, all of the other kingly clans found their own extraordinary talents and made great achievements.

 Chapter 2136 The History Of Eastern Imperial Region (Part Three)

    But for some unknown reason, more than twenty thousand years ago, the other great regions of the Immortal God race rapidly expanded and more powerful warriors than normal appeared in the various regions. This caused the top masters in the Eastern Imperial Region to sink to very low levels. As time went by, the Eastern Imperial Region continued to exist, but it eventually became a small, unknown region.


    At present, there were over a thousand regions in the Immortal World, and the Eastern Imperial Region was not even included in the top nine hundred.


    Fortunately, the regions were in peace now, and there were very few battles. Otherwise, the Eastern Imperial Region would have been completely destroyed.


    The glory of the past didn''t mean anything now. Jayden spoke the truth about the current state of the Eastern Imper


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    t''s fight."


    The young man lowered into a fighting stance and waited for Darren to act.


    "All right."


    Darren cupped his hands and gathered his god''s power, collecting it into a giant fist.


    A second later, the space around the platform started to tremble. Then, a huge palm shadow that was full of god''s power attacked the young man repeatedly.


    "This isn''t right..."


    Taking a moment to sense Darren''s god''s power, the young man from the Jin Clan frowned. He wasn''t even bothering to defend himself.


    ''Is this what the strength of a genius from the Red Demon Clan is like? Or is he trying to trick me?''


    At that moment, Darren''s attacks were indicating that he was a warrior with a grade-eight Fate Character and eight metal meridians, which should have made him far weaker than the young man from the Jin Clan.

 Chapter 2137 A Mission Of Stealth

    Clap! Clap! Clap!


    The moment Darren''s palm shadow made from god''s power struck the young man from the Jin Clan, it exploded like fireworks. Brilliant sparks ignited and spread everywhere. However, besides the grandiose lights, it didn''t seem to have any substantial effect.


    In front of him, the young man stood unscathed.


    The audience couldn''t help but feel disappointed. After all, Darren was the first member of the Red Demon Clan to fight on the stage. How could he be so weak?


    This didn''t make any sense because they thought that the Red Demon Clan would send, at the very least, a warrior with a grade-nine Fate Character as their representative. They had a reputation to uphold, so it was irreconcilable that they sent a warrior with a mere grade-eight Fate Character. Either the Red Demon Clan was making fun of them, or they had gone off the deep end.


    "Buddy, I think you''d better give up now before you bring disgrace to your clan,"


    the young man from the Jin Clan sneered at him disdainfully. His attitude did a complete one-eighty after figuring out the extent of Darren''s strength.


    ''You are just a loser with a grade-eight Fate Character. How dare you even think of being friends with me?'' he thought with barely restrained disgust.


    "The people of our Red Demon Clan will never surrender! Only through fighting will our clan decide our fate, whether it be victory or defeat!"


    Darren cried out passionately. Of course, he was just pretending to be hot-headed like most of his peers. He would garner less attention this way.


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    would be a breeze.


    After a quarter of an hour''s investigation, Darren finally deduced where the key was.


    "Open!"


    With a burst of his Spirit Power, Darren took control of the passage and moved the node of the natural space array without damaging it.


    He descended to the bottom of the dry well, his figure quickly disappearing into the darkness.


    A misty white land with thick clouds floating low in the sky greeted him. The hazy air felt increasingly oppressive.


    In the middle of the vast heaven and earth was an enormous nine-floor pagoda.


    It was the ancestral temple of the Yan Clan, where the top-level talents of the Yan Clan''s young generation were hard at work in their cultivation.


    Darren hid his aura and enveloped the entire pagoda with his god''s sense. He sensed the presence of thirteen young men at the gate of the pagoda, all in black robes and sitting cross-legged side by side with each other.


    "Whoa!"


    A quiet gasp escaped from Darren''s lips. Each of these thirteen people had an astonishing aura, for they all had a grade-nine Fate Character and nine metal meridians or above.


    "This place is more heavily guarded than the Ancestral Land of the Red Demon Clan."


    These thirteen warriors were all formidable opponents, so Darren knew he couldn''t act recklessly and attack them head-on.


    If something went wrong, more powerful masters might come to help them. Thus, he had to kill them all quickly.


    However, with Darren''s current strength, there was no way he could kill all thirteen guards in one fell swoop.

 Chapter 2138 A Crazy Battle

    Darren spent a few moments considering a series of feasible fighting methods. Eventually, he decided he would use the steadiest one.


    Swiftly, he rushed forward.


    So quickly that it was impossible to follow his movements with the naked eye, Darren shot at the thirteen guards of the Yan Clan.


    A terrifying sword intent pierced like lightning through his targets.


    With a loud explosion, the head of one of the Yan Clan''s guards exploded.


    Simultaneously, over a hundred hidden swords attacked the other twelve powerful guarding warriors, each of who had a grade-nine Fate Character and nine metal meridians.


    Only then did the guards of the Yan Clan realize that they were under attack.


    Of course, their slow response was only to be expected. After all, Darren had been very careful in launching this sneak attack, ensuring that they wouldn''t discovered it until it was too late. Moreover, Darren''s god''s power of sword intent¡ªwhether in terms of penetrating effect or attacking speed¡ªwas a little stronger than that of a cultivator of the Immortal God race with the same level of fighting power.


    Besides, the Yan Clan''s guards were complacent because of the well-hidden location of their ancestral temple. It was surrounded by a hundred thousand space passages, and they believed it was difficult, if not impossible, for anyone to enter it without being detected. Therefore, the guards had not been too vigilant, convinced that they were safe from any sudden intruders.


    T


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    "Damn it!"


    As powerful as they were, the ten guards felt their courage falter and their hearts tremble upon sensing the cold, incredible aura of the dragon.


    Who was this intruder, and how could he be connected to the genuine dragon? It was all utterly incomprehensible!


    Swiftly, however, the guards recovered from their initial shock. They were strong warriors and they would not wait meekly for death.


    As the shadowy purple form approached, the ten of them launched simultaneous attacks, activating their god''s power and pushing their divine weapons to the limit.


    The purple form was beaten back by the joint attack of the ten guards.


    "Let''s kill him now!" yelled one of the guards, intending to take advantage of this opportunity.


    With a heavy booming sound, the earth and the sky began to shake.


    The shadow of a genuine dragon swayed in the dark sky. Under the pressure of the dragon tail, the space around them was slowly being torn and broken.


    "Damn it!" exclaimed several of the guards.


    The power of this fierce blow was at least as terrifying as that of the previous sword intent form.


    The guards of the Yan Clan threw out all their divine weapons, intending to defend themselves against the descending dragon tail.


    With a crash, their divine weapons collided with the dragon tail.


    Beneath their feet, the nine-floor pagoda¡ªthe longstanding and majestic ancestral temple of the Yan Clan¡ªwas shaking violently, as if it was about to collapse!

 Chapter 2139 Breaking Into The Pagoda (Part One)

    Ten figures were thrown backward and crashed into the pagoda behind them.


    When the two parties released their maximum power, it was difficult for either of them to bear it, especially Darren, whose meridians were broken.


    Darren was thrown backward tens of thousands of feet, blood dripping from his mouth.


    Since he was facing ten powerful warriors whose fighting power was on par with his, he was fortunate enough to have survived. In fact, Darren was probably the only one in the Eastern Imperial Region who could suppress ten opponents with this level of fighting power.


    However, Darren''s current situation was not optimistic. He had used his most potent fighting power and the aura of the dragon blood, but he had been unable to kill any of his opponents.


    "A little error in calculations has led to unexpected results!"


    Darren had intended to kill three of the opponents so that he could obtain the eighth silver meridian. This would have improved his strength significantly, allowing him to kill the remaining opponents. However, he had underestimated the nourishment needed for the eighth fruit to mature.


    "Has the message been sent?"


    The expression on


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    der with ten metal meridians roared. He had received the message and rushed out from the sky''s depths to deal with the intruder¡ªa junior with less strength than him. And yet, this junior had dared to kill all the guards in front of him with a sword strike. The elder was so furious that his eyes almost popped out of his skull.


    Everyone knew that training a warrior to a level where he had a grade-nine Fate Character and nine metal meridians took countless resources.


    This sword strike had killed nine guards with grade-nine Fate Characters and nine metal meridians. Darren had ruined a thousand years'' worth of hard work by the Yan Clan.


    Now that the guards were dead, Darren breathed a sigh of relief. Even though he now confronted a powerful warrior with ten metal meridians, the situation was not as dangerous as before.


    And since Darren was unsure if he could fight against the powerful warrior with ten metal meridians, he was not in a hurry to attack first.


    "I was too impulsive just now. I need to be more cautious!"


    Darren swung his sword and stabbed into the depths of the sky. A sword intent form that was ten thousand feet long entered the clouds.

 Chapter 2140 Breaking Into The Pagoda (Part Two)

    Within the span of a breath, an explosion''s deafening roar resounded through the heavens and the earth, and countless space cracks appeared in the sky.


    "Damn it!" The Yan Clan elder was so shocked that his face paled. "You bastard! You have destroyed the space passage!"


    This destruction was a carefully calculated move by Darren as it meant that the old man could no longer call for reinforcements. Now, Darren could fight him without worrying about facing stronger opponents.


    "Ancestral blood possession!"


    The old man was shaken but furious. He took out a white jade bottle from the storage space unit and sucked several drops of purple-black blood into his mouth.


    "This old man is very cautious."


    Darren could feel that the elder''s aura had increased ten-fold after consuming the blood.


    He knew that the elder''s experiences from countless battles had prompted him to use his trump card right before making his first move.


    Of course, it also proved that the old man was afraid of Darren.


    "Go to hell!"


    The old man threw a punch, and a huge dark gold palm pressed down from the sky. The earth trembled, and cracks formed everywhere.


    A smile tugged at the corners of Darren''s mouth. He wielded his sword and applied one hundred percent of his fighting power to attack with a sword intent form that was ten thousand feet in length.


    Then, Darren''s figure faded. He reappeared in front of the nine-floor pagoda''s gate.


    Boom! Boom!


    The big palm crushed Darren''s sword intent form in the collision.


    "Puff!"


    However, the old man also paid the pr


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    f the Yan Clan reported. His facial expression and tone conveyed the panic he felt.


    "Hurry up! Let''s call the ancestor!" an elder in black roared. His eyes were so wild


    that the elder who had reported the destruction of the space passage fainted from shock.


    "How could the intruder destroy the space passage? Could they have twelve metal meridians? Is it possible?"


    "No way!" the elder in the black robe thundered. "Except our Yan Clan and the royal family, which other clan in this world has a warrior with twelve metal meridians?"


    "The Red Demon Clan, of course!"


    "No, all the Red Demon Clan''s warriors with twelve metal meridians are in their clan. It was definitely not those old guys, let alone their most powerful clan member!"


    The Yan Clan had four warriors with twelve metal meridians; the Red Demon Clan had three, and the royal family had eleven.


    However, the three elders of the Red Demon Clan were still in their clan. That left the royal family''s warriors with twelve metal meridians.


    "The royal family might know that we massacred the talents of the Red Demon Clan. Could they have secretly sent people to kill our talents and cause a battle between the Red Demon Clan and us?"


    someone speculated.


    "That''s possible. However, our top priority is to reopen the space passage so that we can rescue the juniors in the ancestral temple. If the several talents on the top floor of the pagoda are killed, the foundation of our Yan Clan will be destroyed!"


    Just as extreme anxiety and unease filled everyone, the Yan Clan''s ancestor arrived.

 Chapter 2141 Playing A Trick (Part One)

    "Ancestor!"


    Elated to see their glorious ancestor, the senior leaders of the Yan Clan dropped to their knees and bowed their heads. However, the old man shook his head sharply and ordered them back onto their feet.


    "Do you know who broke into the ancestral temple?" he demanded.


    "Ancestor, we have no idea. All we know is that the members on the first floor of the ancestral temple were murdered," the elder in a black robe answered hesitantly.


    Out of all the people in the room, he was the only one who dared to speak. The other senior leaders lowered their heads. They were so intimidated by the ancestor that they didn''t even breathe too loudly in fear of angering him further.


    For a long time, the ancestor was silent. That only escalated the level of terror in the leaders of the Yan Clan, but they tried to keep their expressions calm.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the ancestor turned away from the battlefield displayed on the bronze mirror. As he looked at the senior leaders, his lips pressed tightly together.


    "You are worthless!" he shouted, narrowing his eyes. "This is t


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    one of the other young men shouted, clenching his fists. The moment that the words left his mouth, his head was chopped in half by the sword intent.


    "No! Please don''t be angry!"


    The young man who first spoke ran forward and waved his hands in the air for Darren to stop.


    "If you let us live, we will do anything you want. We can give you money, beautiful women, and cultivation methods! Anything!"


    the young man exclaimed, winking at a woman from the Yan Clan that was standing quietly beside him.


    The woman was no older than twenty, and she was tall and beautiful. She smiled at Darren openly.


    "Sir, we are not your enemies. Please spare us," the woman said, pouting. Then, she approached Darren and deliberately bent down, revealing the most attractive part of her body.


    Darren frowned and ignored her. He had no interest in her at all.


    Since he even felt no attraction to a charming woman like Ines, this woman was nothing to him.


    After all, Ines was much more beautiful than she was.


    "Fuck off!"


    Darren slapped the woman so hard that she was forced to step backwards.

 Chapter 2142 Playing A Trick (Part Two)

    "You guys cultivate here, right? Well, that must mean that you have prepared a lot of white metal," Darren said after thinking for a while.


    The young men smiled when they heard that.


    Now that Darren was willing to put forward a condition, it meant there was still hope that he wouldn''t kill them.


    "Sort of. The white metal is distributed throughout the clan. Each of us gets five hundred kilograms to last us a hundred years. If you need it, you can have it!" the young man explained.


    Darren frowned. "I guess you really do all want to die."


    If one person could only obtain a maximum of five hundred kilograms of white metal, they were useless to Darren.


    If Darren wanted to upgrade his Fate Character, he needed tens of millions of kilograms of white metal, maybe more.


    Last time, Darren had consumed twenty million kilograms just to upgrade his Fate Character from the fifth grade to the sixth grade.


    Next time would be even harder and he would require an enormous amount of white metal.


    "Wait a minute!"


    The young man stepped in front of Darren before he continued, "There is a large amount of white metal stored in the treasure house of this pagoda. If what we have isn''t enough for you, we can take you there to get more. Please spare us!"


    "Is that so?" Darren raised an eyebrow. "How much do you have?"


    "I don''t know the exact amount. The white metal has been accumulating for many years. Last time I checked, there was no less than two million and five hundred thousand kilogram


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    young man go and frowned. "This makes no sense. How could you all have tricked me? I was so careful."


    "You have killed so many of our disciples! You will pay with your life!" The young man glowered at Darren. Then, he added, "Since you are going to die, why don''t you tell me your true identity?"


    "I''m a nobody."


    The young man laughed and shook his head. "Be honest. You''re a strong young man. What kind of person could persuade you to work for him? I''m guessing the one over there."


    The young man pointed upwards. He was referring to the man in the imperial city.


    It made sense. Darren was clearly not inferior to any master in the Yan Clan with ten metal meridians.


    The Yan Clan and the Red Demon Clan


    would both struggle to hire such a powerful master to work for them.


    Only the emperor could spend enough money to hire an outsider with ten metal meridians to break into the Yan Clan''s ancestral temple and kill their people.


    To confirm his thoughts, Darren meditated and silently sent his Spirit Power out to see where the young man was at emotionally. He found traces of some abnormal emotions.


    Darren had been fooled because he had not been careful enough. Now, he had to be even more cautious to avoid being tricked again.


    "I can see that you are a very talented young man," Darren praised, pretending to be surprised. "If you are willing to work for His Majesty, your future will be a bright one!"


    When the young man heard that, a trace of complacence flashed in his eyes.

 Chapter 2143 Finding Out His Identity (Part One)

    Although it took a few minutes for the young man to reply, it was clear that he caught the gist of Darren''s words.


    "So you work for His Majesty?" the young man asked.


    "Why are you wasting your time making guesses? The Eastern Imperial Region has been chaotic as of late, forcing the smartest people to mold their actions. You seem like a useful person. Why don''t you join me? We can work for His Majesty together. I can already picture how successful you will be,"


    Darren offered. He had seen through the young man and determined that the best way to deal with him would be to trick him.


    The young man threw his head back and burst into laughter. Once he had collected himself again, he replied, "Thank you for seeing my value, buddy, but I, Bryce Yan, am loyal to my clan."


    "You''re a fool." Darren narrowed his eyes at the young man. "The Eastern Imperial Region is about to become a slaughterhouse. His Majesty will not spare those that have wronged him, and the Yan Clan and the Red Demon Clan are at the top of his list. If you join me, I can''t guarantee anything except the protection of all of yo


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    me to refine the tenth metal meridians so smoothly."


    "You''re welcome!" The ancestor of the Yan Clan nodded with a smile, satisfied with the progress. He was even happier to learn that Declan wasn''t the only one who had achieved a lot since he had last seen them. The other two talents, Lamont and Forrest, had both reached the level of nine metal meridians.


    All three of them were only in their forties. They were the youngest members of the Yan Clan in the past thousand years with such high achievements.


    "Oh! Before I forget, where is the thief that broke in? Did you kill him, Declan?" the elder in the black robe asked through his spiritual sense.


    "Sir, he is dead, but he wasn''t killed by Declan..." Bryce answered for Declan, stepping in front of the others. He proceeded to recount everything that had happened between him and Darren.


    "Brilliant! You are deserving of your status as a member of our Yan Clan. All of you are smart and courageous. Bryce, you made a great contribution when you found out that bastard''s identity. I will have to reward you," the ancestor of the Yan Clan said.

 Chapter 2144 Finding Out His Identity (Part Two)

    The biggest smile yet appeared on Bryce''s face. He assumed that meant that the ancestor would personally help him with refining his meridians. If so, he would get the chance to reach the level of ten metal meridians too. It would be life-changing for him.


    "Thank you so much, sir!"


    "Of course."


    A sense of relief swept over all of them when they learned that the disaster was still within a scope that the Yan Clan could deal with.


    "Ancestor, now that we know who the bastard is, what do you think we should do next?" the elder in the black robe asked.


    The ancestor''s face darkened. As he stroked his beard, his eyes filled with killing intent. "Well...that brat in the palace isn''t the only one who can play tricks."


    "What are you saying, Ancestor?"


    "The brat must have learned that our clan had destroyed the foundation of the Red Demon Clan, so he had someone break into our ancestral temple and attack us. And he did all of it to cause a war between our Yan Clan and the Red Demon Clan. Unfortunately, the brat is not as clever as he thinks. By doing that, he is actually doing our Yan Clan a big favor."


    Everyone frowned, feeling even more confused.


    The young talents of their clan were almost extinct. How could he be saying that the enemy had helped them? Was he kidding?


    "Ancestor, please forgive us for being so stupid. We need a better explanation."


    The eighteen elders bowed to the ancestor to show that they would patiently wait for him to make his words clearer.


    "You''re right about that. You really are stupid," the ancestor of


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    r obtaining the inherited cultivation method, Declan held his breath and concentrated on comprehending it in silence.


    But what he didn''t know was that a wisp of god''s sense had secretly entered his soul when the ancestor of the Yan Clan had infused the cultivation method into his soul.


    Darren''s Spirit Power was extremely strong.


    When the ancestor of the Yan Clan had used his spiritual sense, Darren noticed it straight away. He wasted no time quietly condensing a wisp of god''s sense and putting it into Declan''s soul.


    Normally, Darren''s god''s sense could be easily detected when he placed it into someone else''s soul, but Declan was seriously injured so he had no time to feel the subtle abnormality. He was also focused on learning the supreme cultivation method.


    "I guess I can''t trick you, old man, but you also can''t bribe me. I will be loyal to His Majesty for the rest of my life. I will never betray him!"


    Darren could see that his enemy was trying to stall, so he took advantage of the situation too.


    While he spoke, Darren''s god''s sense was quietly spying on the cultivation method inside of Declan''s soul.


    The Yan Clan''s cultivation method had a total of three levels. Since the three levels couldn''t be sent separately, they were waiting in Declan''s mind and Darren could see all of them clearly.


    ''The first level is comprehended.''


    ''The second level is comprehended.''


    ''The third level is comprehended!''


    In only several minutes, Darren managed to comprehend all the three levels of the supreme cultivation method flawlessly.

 Chapter 2145 The Perfect Ending (Part One)

    "I see that this cultivation method is boosted with several wisps of Augmented Attack Law. That is impressive," Darren uttered under his breath.


    The cultivation method that the Yan Clan inherited was characterized by law power which was different from what Darren had seemingly understood before. But the truth was it lacked depth and was easily decipherable.


    When one had a complete understanding of all the three levels of the method, the warrior could boost the power of three attacks twice over.


    The cultivation method would be very useful when a warrior used it to deal with masters of his same level. If he used it correctly, he could even crush his opponent.


    But it would be of no help if he met an opponent of a higher level compared to his own.


    After all, when a warrior''s Fate Character was upgraded to grade-nine, his fighting power would increase by more than a hundred times if he gained one more metal meridian!


    "I can improve the quality of this cultivation method and successfully pass it onto the disciples of the Celestial Sect."


    With this plan in mind, Darren created a spiritual sense and started to transform the existing method.


    If his estimation was correct, when this method was integrated with the Augmented Attack Law to a better degree, the resultant force would be at least four t


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    epared for defense as he sensed the malicious aura of the ancestor.


    The ancestor of the Yan Clan was one of strongest masters in the whole of Eastern Imperial Region. His fighting prowess was on a par with the ruler of the region and the old lady of the Red Demon Clan. They had at least eighteen metal meridians. At that very moment, it was absolutely impossible for Darren to withstand even a second if he was attacked by the ancestor.


    Luckily enough for Darren, he had already discovered a way out before he came out of the treasure storage space and launched attacks at the talents earlier.


    Boom! Boom!


    The ancestor punched the pagoda and a huge part of it collapsed in a second.


    "I will break this whole thing down with just ten punches. You bastard, now you will die!" the ancestor shouted in anger.


    "Well, I think it is too late." Darren smirked. He was not scared even in the face of such power. With his fingers flicking he sent out several sword intents. This killed all the Yan Clan disciples standing in front of him. Declan was further injured. With no blood or flesh left, his bones were cut through with the sword intent.


    "Go to hell, you bastard!"


    Seeing that all the young disciples were butchered, the eighteen elders of the Yan Clan became so furious that they also attacked the pagoda.

 Chapter 2146 The Perfect Ending (Part Two)

    Seeing this, Darren quickly took a step back and returned to the first floor.


    "Break!"


    With the strong fist shadow attacks from the ancestor of the Yan Clan, the pagoda was finally turned to dust. Immediately a transparent god''s power shield expanded everywhere in order to protect the ancestral temple.


    "Open!"


    Darren stood in front of a heap of ruins. His god''s sense gushed out, and a dark space passage appeared in front of him.


    Yet, no one from the Yan Clan knew that this passage existed.


    The person who built the ancestral temple of the Yan Clan had constructed this secret passage in the treasure storage space. It was made up of nine wisps of simple Spatial Laws.


    When the treasure space was destroyed, Darren communicated with the nine wisps of the Spatial Laws through the help of his formidable Spirit Power and made it possible to relocate the passage.


    It was not difficult for Darren to locate this passage, but for the Yan Clan, it was an almost impossible task. Because they had no idea about Spatial Laws, naturally understanding and controlling them was impossible.


    Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!


    There were claps of thunder all over. The ancestral temple completely broke down from the attacks of the ancestor.


    The ancestor''s god''s sense charged insid


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    n asked.


    "Your Highness, they believed His Majesty was the one behind this."


    Jayden was not happy. This was not good.


    "Let''s make a move quickly."


    Even though Jayden was a top master, he was not naive to think that he could defeat the Yan Clan''s ancestor at any cost. If the ancestor came to seek revenge, he would probably die.


    "You must be tired, Your Highness. Why don''t you take some time to rest before leaving?" The patriarch of the Yan Clan cupped his hands with a smile and asked Jayden to stay.


    "Thank you for the offer, but I must decline. I have to deal with certain things on behalf of my brother. I can''t afford to stay longer. I will come back when I am free."


    "Farewell, Your Highness." The patriarch of the Yan Clan and the others bowed as they bid farewell. The other seven kings were not in such a hurry to leave, so the Yan Clan welcomed them for an extended stay.


    Led by Elder Jamar, Darren and his companions soared high into the air to leave.


    "Mr. Jamar, please don''t leave! You must wait!"


    someone shouted from behind them. The top four elders of the Yan Clan stood in front of them in an instant.


    These were the strongest four warriors of the Yan Clan, only weaker than their living ancestor. They were masters with twelve metal meridians.

 Chapter 2147 Talk About The Alliance (Part One)

    The expression on Jamar''s face froze. Then, without even missing a single beat, he immediately emitted his aura and launched a palm attack.


    In an instant, the god''s power spread and the void collapsed.


    "Jamar!" one of the four people hurriedly called out. "Why are you doing this?''


    All four of them were hastily retreating as they unleased their god''s power concurrently. However, they had no intentions to fight back. They were merely protecting themselves from Jamar''s power.


    "Why are you stopping me?"


    Jamar asked. He had already taken out a small black tripod from the storage space unit, preparing to fight to the death.


    "You are too reckless! Can''t we talk this through? We didn''t intend to stop you. I was hoping that you secretly return to our place. We have something very important to discuss. This involves the survival of the Yan Clan and the Red Demon Clan!"


    a master with twelve metal meridians hurriedly explained.


    "Really?"


    Jamar swiftly halted his movements and restrained his aura. In fact, he already had an inkling to what this could be all about¡ªthe talents of the Yan Clan had been killed.


    "We live in seclusion and don''t pay no atte


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    d what he just did. "I apologize, sir. My emotions carried me away," Jamar apologetically mentioned as he calmed himself down.


    "It''s okay. When I first learned about this, I was much angrier than you. I even went against the rule and destroyed our ancestral temple to kill that brat," the ancestor replied as he balled his fists from seething anger.


    "Humph! It''s true that the bastard who killed the young disciples of our two clans should be cut into pieces. However, the brat in the imperial palace was the one behind all of this. No matter what happens, we''ll make sure he will meet his maker!" Jamar defiantly roared.


    "It''s the reason why our ancestor asked for your presence today. After the blatant disrespect and the brutality the bastard just did, we can''t sit idly by and wait for death! We have to let him pay the price for messing with us. Unfortunately, neither of our clans has enough strength to take the royal family down. So, our ancestor wants you to send a message to the current ancestor of the Red Demon Clan and ask her to join hands with our ancestor. Only then would we have a fighting chance against him," the elder in the black robe told Jamar.

 Chapter 2148 Talk About The Alliance (Part Two)

    "I''ll be looking forward to it." With excitement on Jamar''s face, he said, "Once our ancestor hears all about the situation, I bet she would be thrilled to have you on our side. She would definitely harbor the same idea as you. It''s inevitable that our two clans will join hands!"


    Pleased with Jamar''s reactions and response, the ancestor of the Yan Clan nodded slightly. Things went smoothly.


    Standing silently at Jamar''s side, Darren was thoroughly amused. He was thinking that both of them had excellent acting skills.


    He smirked inwardly, entertained at the thought that the very person the Yan Clan wanted dead was standing inside the secret space room with them.


    ''How amusing!'' Darren thought, feeling pleased with such an audacious act.


    Standing beside Darren, Jamar was having the same thoughts. He thought for a moment and said, "Sir, I saw that the seven kings are also staying in the Yan Clan. Do you have any intentions to join forces with them, too?"


    "No, I don''t," the ancestor of the Yan Clan answered. "They were much weaker than they were before. Heck, they don''t even deserve to be called kings anymore. I let them stay in my clan for the sake of honor and respect."


    "I see, sir. Although they are not very powerful, it is hard to figure out what they were up to. It''s best if we keep them at bay. If you rashly join hands with them, there might be a chance that our secrets would be spilled," Jamar seconded.


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    were still drinking. Since they were inside their own territory, no one would release their god''s sense to check for potential enemies. Even if they did so, they might not be able to discover Darren.


    Soon, Darren caught up with a king who drove away in his beast carriage.


    "Who are you? How dare you stop the carriage of King Warren of the Jin Clan? Are you digging your own grave?" a guard with a grade-nine Fate Character and eight metal meridians reprimanded.


    "I''m under the order of our patriarch to look for you. Please stay," Darren informed the king.


    "Stay? I am done attending the banquet. What''s the point of making me stay? Also, check yourself, you bastard. You''re just a nobody. You have no right to stop me. Let that old man invite me in person. How dare he send someone like you to make me stay?! Guards, take him down and beat him for a hundred times."


    Warren''s dissatisfied voice could be heard from the beast carriage.


    "How arrogant! To tell you the truth, the Yan Clan is going to rebel. The reason why our patriarch secretly let you stay is to persuade you to submit. You can make your own decision. If you join our clan, you will be rewarded. Otherwise, you will bear the consequences," Darren icily said.


    "How dare you? How dare you make such outrageous remarks? Kill him right now!"


    "It turns out you are just a loyal dog of the emperor."


    Darren smirked as he prepared himself to launch an attack.

 Chapter 2149 Admirer (Part One)

    "Now you''re asking for it! I''m going to kill you!"


    Warren roared, sitting on his gorgeous carriage. He pointed his golden claw at Darren, releasing large waves of god''s power. The space shook as they traveled through the air.


    Instead of using his sword to ward off the attack, Darren chose a palm strike.


    The two streams of god''s power collided, causing a long, deep crack to split apart the void. Bright flashes of lightning licked across the deep space.


    Like fireworks being set off, the eight metal variant beasts that pulled the carriage exploded. The colorful debris rained down from the sky and landed heavily on the ground.


    Stranded, Warren flew into the air and demanded, "Who are you? Are you an elder of the Yan Clan?"


    "An elder? What a joke! Why would an elder of our clan come all the way here just to kill someone as pathetic as you? I can take you down easily. Attack!"


    The moment that Darren stopped speaking, a large shadow with a scowl on its face appeared behind him. It raised its hands into the air and attacked. As its fist shadows traveled through the air, layers of the spac


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    ren''s reply.


    From the establishment of the Eastern Imperial Region until now, no one had seen someone that was able to wield a weapon as Darren did.


    "Have you heard of the carbon-based creatures?"


    Warren frowned. The carbon-based creatures were the lowest human beings in the universe. They were even weaker than the silicon-based creatures.


    Before he could wonder about it too long, Darren continued, "Have you heard of the Emperor of Rebellion?"


    Warren felt a small chill travel down his spine.


    Then, he laughed.


    "I know that the Emperor of Rebellion came from the world of the carbon-based creatures. But you are not the Emperor of Rebellion. You are far too weak for that. Don''t try and fool me."


    Darren laughed in return. "You are dying. The only reason that I am answering your question is to satisfy your curiosity. Why would I waste my time lying? My real body is the Emperor of Rebellion.


    And now that you know that, it''s time for you to die,"


    Darren replied. Then, he used his fingers to direct a wisp of sword intent. It circled around Warren''s head and sliced his throat.

 Chapter 2150 Admirer (Part Two)

    As his last breath left his body, Warren still looked shocked.


    "Assimilate."


    Warren''s body disintegrated and reformed into the nourishment for Darren''s Fate Character Tree.


    Once it was done absorbing the food, Darren checked the tree. He had killed many masters with grade-nine Fate Characters recently, and the ninth fruit had appeared.


    Sighing slightly, Darren murmured to himself, "It''s going to be harder to get one hundred and eight metal meridians than I thought."


    The more that Darren improved, the slower that the fruit ripened. It was even more of a tedious task to get one hundred and eight fruits to form and grow on the Fate Character Tree.


    But Darren wasn''t shocked beyond belief over it. He understood that he need to devour warriors with a high realm if he wanted the growth of the fruit to become faster.


    If Darren could get his hands on a warrior with eighteen metal meridians, there was a chance that two fruits would ripen at the same time.


    "Warren is dead. Why are the two of you still here?"


    Darren asked in a loud, cold voice, turning his head to look at the sky.


    There were two figures hiding in the deep sky. When they saw Darren looking at them, they froze out of fear.


    A bright light shone as Darren transformed into a ray of divine light and flew towards them.


    His god''s power filled the whole area. As he move


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    st give me ten years!" Powell said hurriedly.


    "Ten years? No way! You have ten days. Otherwise, the deal is off," Darren refused.


    "Ten days!"


    If Powell thought the demand was crazy before, he was flabbergasted now. In thousands of years, he had only managed to collect forty million kilograms of white metal for himself.


    "I''ll offer you some advice. The other kings have lots of white metal. You can get your hands on all of that, but it might still not be enough. In addition, you can send people to purchase the white metal all over the country with a large sum of money. That shouldn''t be so hard, right?" Darren explained.


    "But I don''t think the other kings will give the white metal to me."


    "Then figure out another way. If you want to be my follower, you have to show me you deserve it," Darren replied.


    "Okay! I will!" Suddenly, a brilliant idea popped into Powell''s mind. "If you give me ten more days, I can bring you five hundred million kilograms of white metal!"


    "Really?"


    "Absolutely!"


    "Remind me again why I should trust you. What if you report this conversation to the man in the palace and he sends someone to kill me?" Darren added.


    "Well... Please trust me, sir." Powell didn''t know how to prove his determination.


    "I have an idea. Have you heard of the master and slave bond?" Darren began, raising his eyebrows.

 Chapter 2151 Kenneths Demonic Transformation (Part One)

    Powell shook his head and said, "I will give my consent to any agreement as long as I can follow the Emperor of Rebellion."


    "All right. For now, I need you to relax. After my spiritual sense enters your consciousness sea, I will make a soul contract with you. Then you must serve me. After the agreement is final, your life will be in my hands forever. Do you need to think it over again?


    Before you answer, consider this. You have a chance to escape with the three law attacks. If you fight me using them, I''m sure you can get rid of me," surmised Darren.


    Powell lifted his chin in determination and replied, "No. That is unnecessary. I really want to be a follower of the Emperor of Rebellion."


    Darren nodded slightly. Then he released a ray of spiritual sense, which instantly rushed into Powell''s brain.


    The truth was that with Darren''s current ability, it was impossible for him to make a soul contract with another person. This was because, in the Immortal God race''s world, the law system was different from that of the Primitive Wilderness. After Darren entered this world, he hadn''t cultivated any rule or maste


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    ation has been eliminated, I believe it''s better to exterminate the Donghuang Clan''s talents as well!" Darren smirked as he explained.


    Jamar was astonished. He didn''t expect that Darren would be this ambitious.


    "Alex, it''s very risky for you to attack the Donghuang Clan''s hidden talents with your current strength. I''m not confident that you''ll be able to kill them. Besides, this step is totally unnecessary. Even if you succeed, the massacre will arouse everyone''s suspicions. The Yan Clan''s senior leaders will definitely doubt it and may do nothing!


    For now, the Yan Clan''s patriarch has asked me to return as soon as possible. They plan to cooperate with our clan and launch a joint attack. I will naturally take advantage of this opportunity to ensure that the Yan Clan suffers a great loss!"


    "I see. Since you have already made a plan, I won''t go there lest I cause trouble."


    "Thank you, Alex."


    Four hours later, Darren and Jamar reached the Red Demon Clan''s territory.


    As soon as they entered the village, Darren saw that the whole place was a mess. The flowing river had turned scarlet red with blood.

 Chapter 2152 Kenneths Demonic Transformation (Part Two)

    "Damn it! Did someone attack us? What happened here?" Jamar sped up when he saw the destruction, and Darren followed.


    When they arrived at the residential area, the flat grassland was full of Red Demon Clan members.


    Beams of scarlet light rushed out from the middle of the crowd from time to time, accompanied by piercing deafening roars.


    "Kenneth?"


    When Darren scanned the crowd, he was surprised to find that Kenneth stood in the middle of the crowd.


    He had been tightly bound to a metal pillar carved with ancient patterns.


    Continuous waves of fiendish aura emanated from his body.


    He looked hideous. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes sparkled with scarlet light. His face dimmed with a dark cyan color, and the meridians all over his body were partially visible.


    Confused, Darren flew over and landed in a circle surrounding Kenneth.


    "Back off!"


    an old woman sitting cross-legged in front of Kenneth shouted at Darren.


    Darren took a step back and asked the people beside him, "What happened? What happened to Kenneth?"


    "Alex, he is out of his mind. He is going to turn into a demon."


    "When he heard about his brother''s and sister''s deaths, he was so shocked that he fainted. When he woke up several days later, he killed over ten of our clansmen. Fortunately, the elders subdued him in time to stop the unthinkable."


    "What a pitiful situation for Kenneth to be in!"


    The crowd spok


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    th a higher realm, they might not have been able.


    Darren closed his eyes as he tried to figure out the answer to her question.


    After a few contemplative moments, he opened his eyes and said calmly, "There are three laws in your killing domain. If you want to kill me now, you will launch seven thunder punishments at the same time to attack my soul. If my soul defense is too strong and can resist the attack, I will use my full strength to lash out with a sword attack. At this time, the second law¡ªthe teleportation law, will descend. It will divide my attack into nine parts and reverse them. But each of them only has seventy percent of the original power.


    If I can resist the attack and break the reversed sword intent, the killing domain will collapse. Then the third law will detonate the law power in your body, killing both of us simultaneously. By the time the law power in you detonates, the survival domain would have activated. You would then get a chance to revive. Even if you are not at your peak state, you can release a wisp of law power to kill a seriously injured enemy at the same level. If the enemy survived by any chance, you would have already entered the third domain of transmission and would be instantly teleported ten thousand kilometers away.


    The three domains are intertwined and flawless. I admire your power so much, madam!"


    Darren shared the result he deduced in his mind slowly.

 Chapter 2153 Asking For Advice

    The old woman was utterly shocked to hear Darren''s accurate analysis. Then, she looked at him from head to toe since he seemed very young.


    ''Incredible!'' she thought. But deep inside her, she was still skeptical about his age since very few warriors could achieve such a feat. He seemed more like a senior rule cultivator!


    "Was I wrong, madam?" Darren finally asked her. The old woman was silent for a while, unable to say a thing.


    "You are right!"


    She came to her senses and looked at Darren excitedly. "Remarkable. I didn''t expect that you could see through the three law domains that I have cultivated for my whole life."


    She bitterly smiled and stated, "When I just came out after my cultivation, I heard the elders mention you and tell me how extraordinary you are. I didn''t believe them at first. Now that I met you and had a talk with you, I have to commend your intelligence. You truly are a genius!"


    "You flatter me too much, madam. I just analyzed it with my gut feel," Darren humbly mentioned, offering her a genuine smile.


    "Don''t be so modest, young man. I told you that I wouldn''t pry, so you don''t have to be so cautious with your words." Then, the old woman paused for a moment as if thinking about something. She finally aske


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    ided by someone''s soul to figure out the first law! If you decide to cultivate the skill, I could help you." The old woman graciously smiled as she offered her help.


    "It would be an honor! Thank you so much!" Darren respectfully bowed before her.


    "No need to act formal around me. The Red Demon Clan still owes you a lot of favors, and we may have to ask you for help in the future," the old woman advised.


    "Apollo asked Kenneth to follow me. He is my friend. Of course, I am more than willing to extend my assistance if he needs it. If you need anything in the future, I can do whatever you ask me to do," Darren promised.


    "That''s reassuring. However, I can''t help you for the time being. I have to prioritize Kenneth since he is in grave danger. I have used my rule soul to suppress the evil aura in his body. Only after he recovers can I guide you with my soul."


    "I fully understand, madam. I''m not in a hurry. The most important thing is to save Kenneth," Darren seconded.


    The old woman sighed. "Alas. You previously stated that the evil demon wants to take advantage of his body to revive. It is true. I''m worried that if I''m not strong enough, I might not be able to save Kenneth. Worse, I might even cause an even bigger problem."

 Chapter 2154 Enter The Demonic Cave Alone

    "Madam, I think the only way we can help Kenneth is by destroying the root cause," Darren said as he got worried about Kenneth''s current situation.


    "Tell me more about your idea. I want to hear every detail."


    "How about I go and check the corpse of that evil demon in person? Perhaps, I can think of a solution," Darren advised.


    With a frown, the old lady denied his request. "No, you certainly cannot do it! Do you have any idea how much power that evil creature brings? It might have been dead for millennia, but its residual power is still very difficult to deal with. Any close contact with it can bring an unimaginable catastrophe!"


    "But it''s not really as badly as you think." Darren thought for a while and continued, "I''ve seen all kinds of evil cultivators. Even I could transform into a fiend in the past. I think I can give it a try."


    "Really?"


    When she heard his words, the old lady''s eyes suddenly lit up with curiosity.


    "That''s awesome! What a remarkable skill you have!"


    She was astounded to learn that this young man could do it because, as far as she knew, she had never heard of anyone who could transform into an evil creature while having humanity at the same time!


    "I have an idea. I''ll add three life-protecting laws and three escaping laws to your body. In this way, you will be protected and can survive if something bad happens to you."


    "That''s great. I won''


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    e!'' he said inwardly.


    "They are all grade-nine cultivators. I don''t think they are below ten metal meridians!"


    He looked further into these creatures and found that they were all very powerful.


    Moreover, some of them were so powerful that Darren was even unable to figure out their specific number of meridians, which meant that they had at least surpassed the level of twelve metal meridians!


    ''These people are undoubtedly powerful if they have more than twelve meridians. What happened? How were they reduced to such a miserable condition? How did they result in fighting for and living on such stinky liquid?'' he questioned in his heart.


    He might have a lot of questions, but he did not show them right away. Instead, he just observed them from a distance.


    "I haven''t eaten so much for a long time. Thank god. Thank you, god."


    Many people cried out excitedly after being full.


    "They are all members of the Red Demon Clan!"


    After checking again, Darren found that these people all had the Fate Characters of the Red Demon Clan.


    However, their Fate Characters were slightly different from what Kenneth had. What floated in their heads was an object that looked like a tiny man with a clearly visible human face and a dragon body.


    ''This tiny man had the similar aura to that of Kenneth''s Fate Character. Then, that must mean they are members of the Red Demon Clan!'' he realized.

 Chapter 2155 The Relics Of The Battlefield (Part One)

    As soon as the corpse-like people were full, they began retreating in small groups. They stopped a few kilometers away, gathering together.


    Darren followed them. They were in a dark place strewn with heaps of bones. Tens of thousands of people might have died in this spot, their skeletons shattered and scattered where they had fallen.


    However, what shocked Darren the most was the presence of an enormous corpse lying on top of the piles of bones.


    The corpse was ten thousand feet long and dressed in tattered armor. Beside it, a gigantic, red-stained axe was plunged blade-first into the ground. It was divine blood, dried for years upon the surface of the weapon.


    The corpse emitted a strange aura that Darren could not identify precisely, but he sensed that the corpse had once belonged to an extremely powerful creature. It must have been something like a fiend god when it was alive.


    Darren was about to move closer to probe the corpse further, but a crack suddenly appeared in the sky. A bright light shone through the crack. Darkness receded suddenly as the light spread, illuminating the whole world. Night had given


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    n Clan.


    Clearly there was no easy way out of here, considering that these elder generations of the Red Demon Clan had been trapped here for tens of thousands of years.


    As he probed and communicated further, Darren realized that the disheveled old man in front of him used to be much, much stronger than he was now. He had been a master with a grade-nine Fate Character and one hundred and eight metal meridians!


    What a terrible and fearsome level of strength!


    Darren himself had come to the Immortal World with the ultimate goal of gaining one hundred and eight metal meridians.


    According to the old man, the people who had been tasked by their ancestor to guard the demonic corpse all had over a hundred metal meridians. Indeed, every single one of them had the ability to shake the heaven and earth.


    And their ancestor was a true god¡ª


    a god of the Immortal World!


    By now, Darren had come to see that the impressive Immortal God race he''d known was just a comparatively normal community in the Immortal World.


    Darren asked the old man if he had any idea how to get out of here, but the answer disappointed him.

 Chapter 2156 The Relics Of The Battlefield (Part Two)

    The old man said definitively that no one would be able to leave unless their ancestor resurrected and opened the door to this place in person. Then he hesitated and added that another way would be for Darren to cultivate his skills and become a god of the Immortal World. With that level of energy, he could break the space barrier and get out.


    Of course, that was easier said than done. It was extremely difficult to become a god of the Immortal World.


    To become a god of the Immortal World, one would have to condense and refine one hundred and eight metal meridians. And that was just the first step.


    Darren felt a wave of frustration wash over him. The task of becoming a god of this world was so difficult; it was the same as asking a normal mortal to climb a mountain hundreds of millions of feet in height.


    "Young man, that''s why I said you have bad luck," sighed the old man. "I''m sorry to


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    te sticks and knives. The weapons were made of bone.


    The descendants whooped and laughed as they came closer. "Delicious meat!" shouted the leader.


    He opened his scarlet red mouth and licked his lips with his long tongue. A stream of thick, stinking liquid dripped out of his mouth. He was literally drooling at the sight of Darren, whom he viewed as nothing more than a slab of tasty food.


    The energy in the old man''s eyes dimmed when he saw that Darren had no intention of taking the iron chain. He bowed his head and returned to his place beside the giant corpse. He sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes, and didn''t say another word.


    It was clear that he had washed his hands of Darren. He would give no more counsel to this haughty outsider.


    Still, the old man couldn''t help feeling bad for Darren, knowing he was certain to experience a miserable death at the hands of the descendants.

 Chapter 2157 The Relics Of The Battlefield (Part Three)

    "Catch him!" bellowed the leader of the horde, a mutant-like man with black scales.


    Several people immediately ran towards Darren, their sharp bone knives glinting in their hands.


    There was a sharp buzzing sound as the space around them trembled.


    Numerous sword shadows shot out from around Darren. The blazing light of god''s power illuminated this underground world, as though it was a bright land of ice and snow.


    With a series of loud explosions, the black mutants trying to attack Darren were blown up in midair, reduced to a mist of blood and fragments of blood and muscle.


    "What the hell?" shouted the leader. To himself he thought, ''How is this possible?''


    The sight of Darren''s power terrified him.


    How could this young intruder be so powerful?


    The old man heard what was happening. He opened his eyes in surprise.


    The young man was exceptionally powerful, but his attack was weird and unlike anything the old man had seen before.


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    f numerous sharp swords.


    The giants roared, crazy with rage and pain.


    Heedless of the injury to themselves, they kept on pounding the ground, intending to smash it open and expose Darren. But he was nowhere in sight, while their fists were mutilated by the blades.


    ''This young man is exceptional, '' thought the old man. ''Is he a rule cultivator of heaven and earth? No, he can''t be. I don''t believe it.''


    Yet, as he watched the battle between Darren and their transformed descendants, he was overwhelmed by shock and awe.


    Before the young man came here, he had never imagined that there was somebody who would be able to fight against the transformed descendants.


    Still, he knew that the battle was far from over.


    Darren was truly powerful, and he moved with an incomparable speed. But he was outnumbered, and might be worn down eventually. All it would take was for the giant demon gods to land a single blow, and Darren would die for sure.

 Chapter 2158 Hard Exploration Of Laws (Part One)

    Without a doubt, these remaining transformed black mutants overpowered Darren in terms of fighting power. In fact, they could easily crack his bones into a fine powder with a single strike of their brawny fists.


    But just like any other creature, these black mutants also had fatal weaknesses!


    The strength of these mutants originated from the mutated blood and the demonic aura that they had absorbed from the huge demonic corpse when they took the transformation.


    However, they had never cultivated any skills. They only knew brute force and not a single knowledge about the technicalities and strategies in combat.


    Despite this, these black mutants'' defensive power was beyond comprehension. As a matter of fact, even ordinary cultivators with twelve metal meridians stood no chance to bypass and break through their defenses.


    Surely, Darren had the capacity to kill some of them due to his superior skills and his lauded penetrating sword intent that could pierce almost anything he desired.


    He needed both of these elements so he could successfully slaughter the transformed black mutants once and for all.


    "Come out!"


    One of the transformed bl


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    his consciousness become quiet and as still as water. Soon after, he mobilized his Spirit Power, letting a stream of soul float and wander outside his body.


    Although the laws of heaven and earth were scattered all around, no one gained sight of it, nor was anyone able to touch it.


    He meditated for several days, but still, he achieved nothing. Tired, Darren fell down on the ground. He had a splitting headache that made him feel that his head was about to burst at any minute.


    Day in and day out, he had searched for a few days nonstop, but to no avail.


    Perhaps, Darren had underestimated the law communication in the Immortal World.


    After exhausting his Spirit Power, Darren seemed to have no choice but to stop. He had to relax his mind and replenish his Spirit Power.


    Without any other choice, Darren rested for about half a month so that his body could recover physically and bring back his strength.


    When he had regained his power, he tried to link himself to one of the laws of heaven and earth once again.


    This time, he searched for about a month without stopping. Due to fatigue, he stopped again and fell down because of exhaustion.

 Chapter 2159 Hard Exploration Of Laws (Part Two)

    But this did not stop him from achieving his goal. Instead of giving up, he rested, recovered, and tried again as soon as his body could take it.


    This cycle went on for about a year, but unfortunately, Darren had no progress at all.


    One day, Darren was so exhausted that he lay in the cave. Frustrated, he suddenly felt a sense of extreme irritation.


    If he cultivated like he usually did, he would not feel irritated and bothered at all, even if he had to cultivate in seclusion for thousands of years.


    Seeing that he had no progress after repeatedly doing the same thing, he had no drive to carry on anymore.


    ''It''s already been a year. The outside world must be full of changes. I wonder how things are going with Kenneth and the Red Demon Clan, ''


    Darren said inwardly.


    With a bitter smile spread across his face, Darren shook his head and said, "How could I worry about others when I am still a prisoner of this damned place?"


    Suddenly, he felt upset. Deep down, he was afraid that he might never be able to get


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    ore he could begin his search again.


    Now, Darren could hold on for two months at a time. As a matter of fact, it only took one day for him to rest and regain his strength from fatigue.


    Not only did his Spirit Power improve his efficiency, but it also increased his chance of getting himself linked to the law.


    At the same time, however, his body kept showing ominous signs. One after another, festered wounds started to appear and multiply on many parts of his skin. Apart from this, his Fate Character had degraded by one more level to the realm of grade-five Fate Character.


    "My Fate Character is degenerating at a faster rate than that of the members of the Red Demon Clan here!" Noticing this change, Darren was very worried.


    To add more to his anxiety, he was now feeling so hungry that it made it even more difficult for him to calm down. He had already endured this hunger for about a month, and he could no longer bear it. He knew what he needed to do¡ªgo out and look for some food so he could nourish himself.

 Chapter 2160 Hard Exploration Of Laws (Part Three)

    "Ah!"


    Darren felt extremely uncomfortable as he used his hands to dig out the rocks that were blocking his way.


    "Young man, just accept the truth. There is a way to make you feel comfortable and help you survive."


    Hearing this, Darren was in a state of shock. He had no idea when the old man arrived by his side.


    When Darren managed to regain his composure, he asked the old man, "How do you even know that I''m here?"


    To which the old man replied, "Unlike those mutated descendants of ours, I have the god''s sense. I''ve been paying attention to you ever since the day you left a few years ago.


    Just so you know, they have been searching for you during all those years. Once they find you, you''d definitely not see the light of day! By the way, your realm has been degenerating a lot, hasn''t it?"


    Darren kept silent after hearing his words. Deep down, he had to admit that the old man''s words were true.


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    have absorbed to guard him? Do you want to die here today, old man?"


    one of the Red Demon Clan members next to the old man said coldly.


    Hearing what the man said stunned Darren. ''If the old man protects me this way, he could die!'' he thought.


    He could not believe how selfless the old man was to the point that he offered his life in exchange for the promise of protecting him. The old man clearly knew the risk involved in protecting Darren, and he would have never spilled it out if someone had not pointed it out.


    Ultimately, Darren was extremely touched by the old man''s selflessness.


    The old man wished to survive in such a hellish space even if he had to give up his dignity and bear grave suffering during the past tens of thousands of years. Truly, he was so amazing for choosing to guard and protect Darren at the cost of his life.


    How could people not be moved by such a kind-hearted person?!

 Chapter 2161 Freed From Suffering (Part One)

    "Sir, you..." Before Darren could even say anything, the old man raised his hand to stop him.


    "Haha, I know what you want to say. I should have been dead a long time ago. But if a genius like you died here, it would be a great pity. You don''t need to say anything to me. You have a plenty of time before the mutants come," the old man stated.


    "All right!"


    Darren nodded.


    Of course, he wouldn''t let the old man die for him. He was confident that if he completed his communication with the law at the given time, he would still have the chance to protect and save the old man!


    "Is it worth your life? You''ll surely die if you do it!" another member from the Red Demon Clan protested between staggered breaths.


    "Worth? All of us are nothing but miserable beings. Nothing is more worthless than us!" the old man fiercely mentioned. "I am more than certain that it would be rewarding to sacrifice my life for this young man!" he confidently added.


    "Are you sure? This brat didn''t even bother being grateful to you. He didn''t even think twice about your life," the other member countered.


    "Ha-ha!" The old man gave a b


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    ct the one hundred thousand wisps of Spirit Power. For it to be successful, all of the wisps must simultaneously pass through the cracks. Even if a single wisp went wrong, all of his efforts would go to waste.


    It would be an easy task for the Rule Soul Avatar.


    Unfortunately, Darren didn''t have silvery eyes. Moreover, his Spirit Power and his deduction ability were significantly weaker than the Rule Soul Avatar. Hence, he found it hard to finish the task at hand.


    Darren had no choice but to make do with what he currently had.


    "Phew!"


    He focused his attention to relax his mind and body.


    The division of Spirit Power was performed smoothly. The most painful part was tearing his soul into one hundred thousand pieces and subsequently mixing them with the Spirit Power.


    He had to instantly do it, exponentially making the pain more intolerable.


    The numerous wisps of Spirit Power carrying the soul information began to enter the tiny cracks of the fiend god''s remnant sense.


    Darren manipulated each thread with absolute care, making sure that they advanced along the winding channels like slender snakes.

 Chapter 2162 Freed From Suffering (Part Two)

    Before he knew it, four hours had already passed.


    Meanwhile, the demonic aura in the old man''s body was about to dry up. He was on the verge of death as all his flesh and blood had rotted.


    "Alas!"


    The old man glanced at Darren''s motionless form and sighed. He had hoped that he would be done by now.


    He had no regard for his life. All he wanted was to protect Darren¡ªit didn''t matter if he perished in the process.


    It saddened him that he couldn''t protect the young man at the end of his life. In just a matter of minutes, the demonic aura in him would be used up, and the mutated descendants would rush over and smash the young man to death.


    "You''re going to die, old man. Are you not going to relent? You fought for your survival all these years. Do you still believe that it''s worthwhile making such a meaningless contribution?" one of th


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    demonic aura suddenly rolled over from the side, which enveloped both the old man and Darren.


    The aura descended and the mutant who was approaching his target was left with no other choice but to withdraw his attack.


    The natural rule prevented them from touching the most primitive and sacred aura from the demon god''s corpse.


    "What the hell?!


    All of you should just go to hell and rot in there!"


    the mutant cursed again, enraged that his target was untouchable yet again.


    "You stupid pieces of shit! Do you want to die for that old man?! All of you are nothing but useless and miserable creatures!"


    The old man, who was already at the death''s door, shed tears mixed with blood from his two sunken eyes.


    "You... Weren''t you against protecting this young man earlier? Why did you save me?" the old man weakly stated in between sobs.

 Chapter 2163 Freed From Suffering (Part Three)

    "Haha." One of the several members who protected the old man bitterly laughed and shook his head. He gently commented, "Ten thousand years'' worth of torture may erase our pride and dignity, but it can never eliminate the brotherhood between us. You have always been respectful. We are not heartless to just let you die like this. We will protect you no matter what it may cost us. We are with you, brother!"


    "Brother, we are finally aware of what we should do. The joy of life and the agony of being dead mean nothing at this moment. Nothing is more valuable than the bond we all shared," another member said.


    "Brother..." the old man feebly murmured. His heart ached¡ªit felt like it could burst from the overwhelming support he was receiving. He couldn''t find the right words to say anything back.


    Meanwhile, Darren''s Spirit Power finally connected the broken law


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    n''t feel so hungry anymore."


    "I feel relaxed and comfortable. Something changed."


    "What did the young man do? Did we get rid of our sufferings? Are we freed from all of our sufferings?"


    Dozens of members from the Red Demon Clan were pleasantly surprised. It was an amazing feeling to be finally free of the shackles holding them down for eons. It felt like a dream come true.


    As for Darren himself, since he had mastered the law, the law of erosion that previously attacked him was rendered ineffective.


    Once his Fate Character returned to the grade-seven level, his rotten body recovered as healthy as before.


    "You mutated bastards! You don''t deserve a single second longer in this world! I''ll make you suffer!"


    Darren''s eyes narrowed as he launched his overwhelmingly powerful sword intent, which terrified the dozen of wild mutants to the extreme.

 Chapter 2164 The Revival Of The Demon God (Part One)

    From what Darren had witnessed so far, he had determined that the two-thousand-foot-tall mutants were stronger than him when it came to fighting power. Their minimum fighting power was at the level of eighteen metal meridians.


    But just like the mutants that Darren had killed before, these ones lacked martial arts skills too. In order to use their fighting power, they had to rely completely on the power of their mutated blood. They knew nothing about fighting tactics or domain skills.


    Previously, Darren had managed to kill the thousand-foot-tall mutants even though he had been weaker. Now that his fighting power had reached the level of seventeen metal meridians, there was no doubt in his mind that he could obliterate these mutants in front of him.


    "Young man, just wait! If you act too quickly, these mutants will overpower you. You aren''t strong enough to fight them!"


    one of the members of the Red Demon Clan exclaimed when he saw that Darren was squaring up to fight the mutants.


    "He''s right, young man. Now that we''re free from the torture, you have to hold back. In a few days, we will regain some of our


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    are starting over. Our seniority no longer matters. We want to follow you. Please let us," one of the members insisted.


    "That''s right. Alex, we might look frail to you right now, but once we recover, our strength will impress you. Please accept us!"


    The early generation of the Red Demon Clan were not weak. If they all recovered their cultivation bases and strength, they would be able to wipe out the entire Eastern Imperial Region in one move. They were some of the greatest masters in existence.


    "Look! I''ve already gained another metal meridian! Now I have thirteen metal meridians. At this speed, it won''t be long before I reach one hundred metal meridians again."


    "Don''t get too ahead of yourself. It will be harder than you think to recover fifty metal meridians. After all, our power has been degenerating for a long, long time. If we want to regain one hundred metal meridians, it will eat up a lot of our energy," one of them explained.


    "Yes, you are right. It will take a few months just to recover fifty metal meridians, but it will be almost impossible to recover the rest automatically after that."

 Chapter 2165 The Revival Of The Demon God (Part Two)

    "There''s no point in wasting our time guessing how long it will take. Let''s get to work. I just want to confirm something with Alex first. If we can regain fifty metal meridians, is it enough to protect ourselves in the outside world?" a member of the Red Demon Clan asked Darren after stepping forward.


    For a moment, Darren was speechless.


    The man awaited his answer for a few seconds before saying, "No. Fifty metal meridians are not enough." Everyone else sighed.


    But that was not what Darren was thinking at all. He was shocked by their entire conversation.


    How could they mention fifty metal meridians or one hundred metal meridians so casually? The outsiders would be scared to death if they saw a master that powerful.


    After all, the strongest warriors in the Eastern Imperial Region only had eighteen metal meridians. Everyone believed that was as high as it went.


    Darren didn''t even think that there were warriors with one hundred metal meridians in the other top level regions. If there were, it was extremely rare.


    "Alex, do you need us to kneel down in front of you before you can accept us?"


    When Darren remained silent, the old man started to drop to his knees.


    Darren grabbed him by the shoulders and


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    traveled across the space and the waves that were caused by it were enough to make Darren spit out a mouthful of blood, even despite the large distance between them.


    "What''s going on?"


    Now, all of the members of the Red Demon Clan were shocked.


    "It''s him! He has really come back to life!"


    "Oh, no! He has been absorbing our blood all this time. That''s how he''s reviving himself!"


    Serious looks covered all of their faces.


    "There''s no need to fear him this time! He may have used our blood, but he is a lot weaker than before. I''ll kill him!"


    Flying through the air, one of the elders of the Red Demon Clan used his palms to send tens of thousands of gusts of extreme god''s power at the demon god.


    "No way! He''s so powerful!"


    Darren whispered, staring at the elder of the Red Demon Clan with admiring eyes.


    As the god''s power pummeled the demon god''s body, the creature was forced to take a step backwards.


    However, the demon god''s defensive power was strong enough that the elder of the Red Demon Clan could not pierce through his body.


    A few seconds later, the demon god slapped back, and a huge palm shadow collided with the elder of the Red Demon Clan.


    Like a meteor, he crashed into the ground.

 Chapter 2166 Being Abandoned

    "Wait a minute! He isn''t alive! That''s just a wisp of resentment! The blood that we have contributed over the years must have given him the ability to move."


    "You''re right! He doesn''t have consciousness, god''s power, or breath of life. His fighting power is only one hundredth out of one hundred million."


    Before long, the members of the Red Demon Clan had determined that the demon god hadn''t really come back to life.


    A wisp of resentment was controlling him.


    They all released sighs of relief.


    "Let''s attack him. This is a safe way of testing our current levels of strength," one of them suggested.


    Moments later, the members of the Red Demon Clan flew into the deep sky like a swarm of bees. They surrounded the ten-thousand-foot tall demon god and attacked him relentlessly with their god''s power.


    Darren watched on the sidelines with a gaping open mouth. Their god''s power was so strong that he thought he was dreaming.


    But the demon god wasn''t willing to go down so easily.


    He fought back, sending the Red Demon Clan members flying through the air every once in a while.


    "I''ll help!"


    Darren exclaimed. He was very anxious to get his hands on the demon god and prove his strength. He flew forward.


    "No, Alex!"


    the old man shouted when he saw Darren approaching t


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    eir faces were full of wrinkles, and their breaths of life were even weaker than they had been trapped in that space.


    "Sirs, hide in the space! Hurry!"


    Darren opened a space passage as fast as he could and let the members of the Red Demon Clan enter it.


    As the law continued to descend on them, none of them were willing to stay put and find out what would happen. Supporting each other, they flew into the space passage that Darren had opened.


    The terrifying aura of the Death Law lingered until they landed in the space controlled by Darren.


    "Heaven and earth have chosen to abandon us!"


    one of the members exclaimed, laughing crazily.


    They hadn''t expected that after tens of thousands of years of waiting and suffering they would end up like this.


    "There''s nothing we can do about it," another member said, sighing. Everyone was lost and confused. They were stranded in the space, possibly forever.


    When he saw what had happened to the early generation of the Red Demon Clan, Darren sighed. He knew how disappointing it was to experience great joy and sorrow in succession.


    "Sirs, you''ll have to stay here for the time being. But don''t fret. I will get you back into the real world as soon as I can. I promise it won''t take longer than three years,"


    Darren promised.